tom holland imagines

(47) Practice - Tom Holland

Credit: valar--m0rghulis on tumblr, enjoy!

. . .

Lifting your laptop off your knees and placing it at the end of the bed, you shifted to lie on your front. You bent your elbows to rest your head in your hands, fingers laced together under your chin.

"...anyway, y'alright? How was your driving lesson?" Tom's voice came through the speakers, slightly distorted, the image of him on screen just out of sync. You flicked your thumbs against each other, hitching your top lip up on one side to wrinkle your nose.

"Yeah, okay, I'm still shit at parallel parking."

You watched as the image jerked around, briefly showing the ceiling of Tom's hotel room as he shuffled back against the headboard, relaxing into the pillows. A echoey, tinny version of his laugh filled your ears as he came back into frame. Video calls via hotel wifi did him no justice, a poor imitation of the real thing, but you took what you could get.

"I'm sure you're not shit, you just need to practice."

You hummed in response, not interested in discussing your parking skills. You were busy studying his face, your memory filling in the details not captured by his phone camera. Your eyes traced over the bridge of his nose, crooked from two breaks, picturing the freckles you knew were scattered across it. You rubbed your thumb over your opposite knuckle, wishing you could do the same to his cheek, imagining the feeling of his skin, soft but pockmarked by acne scars.

"What time are you back on Tuesday?" You asked, eager to know exactly when you would get your wish.

"Uhh, like...afternoon...-ish? I'll check..."

The following Wednesday afternoon, you sat cross-legged on Tom's sofa, a mug of coffee in one hand, the other absentmindedly scratching behind Tessa's ears as she rested her head on your knee. You watched the TV with bleary eyes, not long awake as Tom had gotten back less 'afternoon-ish', and more '2am-ish'.

"Oh yeah, I meant to say," Tom flopped onto the sofa, making Tessa jump, "- sorry sweetheart - I insured you on my car."

You froze, mug halfway to your lips. "Y'what?"

Tessa stood up, turned in a circle, then lay back down, this time with her head on Tom's knee, eyeing up the half-eaten slice of toast in his hand.

"Just for a month," he took a bite of toast, "so you can practice maneuvers 'nd that."

"Are you bein' serious?" you set your mug down on the coffee table, moving so you sat with one leg up, arms wrapped around your bent knee. "You're actually gonna let me drive your car?"

Tom took another bite of toast, giving the crust to Tessa as he shrugged.

"I trust you."

Later, magnetic 'L' plates purchased and attached, you drove around the residential streets, looking for a quiet street to practice in.

"Okay, so, try that blue car there," Tom pointed up ahead, reaching over to turn down the music to let you concentrate, "you just go ahead and then I can see what you're struggling with."

You nodded, glancing in your rearview mirror and flicking on your left signal. You touched on your brake, slowing down to pull up just ahead of the deep blue Polo. Putting the car in reverse, you checked your mirrors and over your right shoulder before slowly coming off the clutch until you felt the engine start to pull, then taking your foot off the brake. The car moved backwards slowly as you twisted in your seat to look out of the back window. You turned the steering wheel one turn clockwise, then all the way back counterclockwise. Fingers tightening around the warm leather, you scrunched up your nose in annoyance - you were at completely the wrong angle, the back left wheel was almost touching the pavement while the front of the car stuck out into the middle of the road.