Shields- A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The car ride back to Holly's, after dodging the reporters that appeared seemingly out of nowhere, is uneventful. Tom and Ii sit in silence, looking out the windows to the dark night whizzing past at a rapid pace. I feel calm. I feel safe.

The fact that he makes me feel safe should be an absurd concept to me. I shouldn't feel safe with any man. For two years I hadn't. And yet, there's something about Tom... the way he seems to genuinely care. Not many people seem to do that for someone they just met, you know?

We're about ten minutes from Holly's home when I pluck up the courage to speak.

"...Tom?" My voice is quiet, but it feels like a cannon boom compared to the silence that was previous. Tom turns his head, those gorgeous eyes looking into mine. It takes me a few seconds to gather my grip again. "Thank you."

"For what?"

I stare at the black leather of the seat in front of me for a moment before responding.

"For... you know... being here. Supporting me with... everything that just went down back there. And, also, just taking me out to dinner," I say the last part in a whisper.

"Alice," I glance over to him, gnawing on my lower lips slightly. His eyes are clear and full of sincerity and concern. His eyebrows are drawn over his eyes a little bit, and I can tell that he is thinking.

"You are a woman of rare quality." He hesitates for a moment. "There is a sense about you, that not many women—hell, many people—have."

"What, an old-fashioned sense?" There is a hint of mockery in my voice.

"No, it's that you're genuine."

This takes me by surprise.

"You don't do things the way other people do. You are genuinely kind to people, friend or stranger. You don't paint yourself to be someone you're not. You do hide your pain, though, but you do it, seeing it as a form of strength. You aren't able to rely completely on other people, so you have a form of independence..." He trails off, and I chuckle a bit under my breath.

"You got all of that from a run in at a bookstore, a walk to a café, a night at a wine-tasting room, and a dinner date?"

"Many people on their second date have seen each other less."

I roll my eyes. "What does that even matter?"

Tom shrugs, but a smile curls the corners of his lips. I grin myself, locking my fingers in my lap.

The rest of the drive is... nice; I don't know how else to describe it. I was completely at peace for the first time in a long time. Not worried about how others might think of me; not worried for my safety.

I am reluctant to step out of the car when it pulls up to Holly's house. I see the curtains move, so I know she was watching at the door. I hope that nothing about... earlier got onto the web yet. I'd hate for that to be how she found out; I'd like to tell her myself.

"Looks like someone's waiting for you." Tom's breath brushes my ear, and I jump ever-so-slightly. I turn to look at him and realize he had leaned forward to see past me, and now our faces are, like, an inch from each others'. But neither of us move for a moment. Being this close, his eyes seem to hold me in place when they lock with mine. I can't breathe straight until he's leaned back once more. I fight the blush quickly rising up my neck and to my face, taking a deep breath to calm myself a bit."

"I'd better go in. Holly will want to hear about everything, of course. And if anything got out... I imagine she's worried out of her mind, and ready to go kick some guy's ass." The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them. I quickly slap a hand over my mouth, realizing just how unladylike that just was. I glance up at Tom to see his reaction, but there is only an amused look on his face.