All Roses Must Wilt (a Tom Hiddleston fanfic)

Chapter 21- "I really care for you."

I look at him for a few seconds before looking away. I'll just have to get him something I hope he'll like. But what would that something be? He wears suits a lot. Maybe a new tie? I groan lightly, holding my head in my hands. That's the stupidest gift ever. Nobody wants to receive a dumb little tie on their birthday.

"You okay, darling?" Tom asks gently. "Have you got a headache?"

I lift my head, giggling lightly. "I'm fine. I was just..thinking."

"About what?"

I laugh again. "Ties." When Tom gives me a questioning look, I burst into laughter. I have no clue why, exactly, but Tom's confusion was just funny to me. And the fact that I was thinking about ties, of all things.

"Rose... Are you alright?" He asks.

"Well I'm laughing, aren't I?" I ask in between my giggles.

He grins lightly. "That's what worries me."

My laughing slowly ceases, and I realize people are staring. I quickly clamp a hand over my mouth to silence my laughter. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I whisper. "People are staring..."

Tom laughs lightly. 'Don't mind them. Do you want me to take you to a mental hospital?" He jokes.

I roll my eyes, smiling. "I'm not crazy..."

"Says the girl who was laughing over ties," he replies, smirking.

"Oh, shut up. I'm just a little weird today."

"Hey, I'm not complaining. It's quite amusing," he says.

My cheeks slightly heat up, and I become thankful when the same waitress who took our orders comes by with our plates of food, setting them in front of us.

"Thank you!" Tom says in a cheery tone.

I pick up my fork, suddenly feeling very hungry. The omelette looked great. 

"Is it good?" Tom asks me as soon as I take a bite. I swallow it and nod, smiling.

"Even better than the ones you make."

"Now that's just hurtful," he pouts lightly.

I giggle, and Tom lets out a 'Ehehe!' "Oh, I'm just kidding with you. Your cooking will always be my favorite."

A grin appears on his face. "I'll probably be cooking food for you for the rest of your life."

"Ah, I don't know about that, Tom. One of these days we'll go our separate ways for good."

He looks down. "Because you're moving?" He guesses.

"That, and... It's bound to happen. We'll both get caught up in our careers and our families... But we'll always remember each other, yes?" I ask.

"I don't want to go separate ways," He says.

"But It will happen."

"You don't know that." He eats some more of his food. Then his face brightens. "Oh, maybe we should get neighboring apartments! You could be in an apartment above mine, or the other way around! It doesn't matter. Wouldn't that be fun? Then we could go on morning jogs together, and have afternoon tea, and-"

"Tom..."

"Hm?"

I sigh. What was he thinking? Does he truly think that the two of us will be friends like this forever? Soon he'll find a wife, and I'll find a husband, and we'll forget about each other. "Never mind," I mumble, shaking my head lightly. "So have you found anyone special yet, Tom?"

He gives me a questioning look. "What?"

"A lady," I explain, taking another bite. "Do you plan on dating?"

"Ah, sort of?"

"Oh? That's great." The sooner Tom found a girlfriend, the sooner he'll forget about me and our friendship.

"Yes... Why do you ask, Rose?"

"I think it'll be good for you to date. So what's her name? Where'd you meet her?" I ask.

"Isn't that a little personal?"

"Well you've never had a problem with telling me about girls," I say. "But if you don't want to..."

"Rose, are you jealous?" He asks.

"No, I'm not jealous," I protest lightly. "But you're thirty-three now, and-"

"Thirty-two," he corrects me. "I'm not thirty-three yet."

"Yes, whatever. You're in your thirties, and you won't be young forever. Don't you want a family?" I ask.

"Well, yes... But I don't understand why you're lecturing me. I think I've got it handled," he says. "I have a plan."

"And what would that plan be?"

"Step one:" he hesitates for a moment, looking down. "Win her heart."

I'm silent for a moment. God, he's so cute... It's as if he's getting a little shy when he's talking about the woman he likes. "I'm surprised she hasn't fallen for you already."

He smiles lightly and looks up at me, giving me butterflies in my stomach. "Me, too," he says. "Ah, can I ask you for some advice?"

"Of course. Anything."

"So let's just say I liked this girl..."

"You do like this girl," I correct him.

"Yes, I do like this girl. And she's absolutely amazing. She's smart, cares for me almost too much for my own good... She gets shy sometimes and may seem mean and sarcastic, but she's actually incredibly sweet."

As Tom goes on about this girl, I find myself smiling. He seems so excited about this person. When he finishes, he glances at me, smiling, and I feel him slip my hand in his.

That causes me to frown lightly. "Well if you love another girl, why are you here with me, holding my hand?"

His smile widens and his eyes flicker to the ground before meeting mine again. "Listen, Rose... I don't want to make things weird between us or anything, but I really care for you."

I'm unable to speak. I fear that if I try, I'll end up stuttering like an idiot, which won't make this situation any better. I clear my throat lightly. 'So that girl you were talking about... It's..."

"It's you," Tom says softly, finishing my sentence.