Peter Parker & Tom Holland Imagines

corsets and courtships pt. 5

A stranger in a white dress stares back at me from the mirror. I don't recognize her, not with the layers of creams and powders, not with the frills at the edges of her sleeves, and not with the forced smile on her face. "Oh, darling, you look beautiful." My mother whispers through tears as she takes my hands and looks me over.

"Thank you, Mother." I whisper back politely trying to force any emotion into my voice. It still comes out hollow. A part of me wants nothing more than to scream, shove everyone out of the room, and leave this mess behind forever. But I have a duty to uphold as everyone has been reminding me in the midst of my heartbreak.

"Can I have a moment with her?" Zendaya asks politely to my mother, knowing quite well that she won't be refused. My mother gives me one last proud look before gathering up the ladies' maids and departing. I search my cousin's eyes for any sign--any sliver of hope to cling on to.

"Did you meet him?" I ask her, barely managing the words with my lead tongue, "My future husband?"

Daya grabs my hand and silently helps me step down from the pedestal. I allow her to guide me as I wait for her answer. "Yes, I did." We both sit down on the plush cushions of my parlor couch like we have everyday for these past two weeks. It's become a ritual. A way to keep me from wallowing.

"And?"

"He seems like a wonderful man," She tells me, but we both can hear the unsaid finish, but I don't know if he's like him. I nod, halfway wishing she had managed to find him in all those times that she would sneak out to our meeting spot. "Remember, I'm by your side no matter what."

"Even if I decide to run away from the wedding?" I half-joke, but I'm fairly certain she knows a part of me is considering it.

A soft smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "Who do you think is going to handle the train while you run for it?" A laugh escapes me at the comment. "I'm serious though, if you decide to not do this, you have my support."

Tears brim in my eyes as I pull her into a tight hug. "Thank you, Daya. You're the best cousin and princess a girl could hope for."

"And you're the greatest cousin and royal advisor." She takes my hand and runs a thumb over my knuckles. "Do you know what you're going to do?"

There's a silence that settles in the space between us. Inside me a war rages on between my head and heart. One screams at me to find him, and the other--well, it's quietly reminding me of my duties. "I don't know." I whisper and stare at my hands. "Do you--do you think I could meet him? I know it breaks every tradition. I just—It will make me feel better if I could know."

Zendaya bites her lip and remains silent. Her eyebrows furrow in thought as she considers it, until finally she replies, "I think I can manage that. Stay here, I'll send your mother out and try to bring him here."

My chest lightens a fraction, but it's quickly replaced by a flurry of nerves as I watch her leave. I stand up and listen at the thick oak door. A gasp comes from the other side of the door, which I assume is from my mother in worry of some false emergency. It's quickly followed by a flurry of footsteps and utter silence.

It pounds in my head and in time with my heart as I pace with its unwavering rhythm.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Knock.

A split second after the sound, my cousin's face appears in the doorway. Hesitance and worry lace her features as she peers into the room to confirm I'm still alone and pulls the door open wider for whoever it is she brought with her.

My eyes instinctively fall to the floor. Regret washing over every inch of my skin and soul. This was a mistake. I can't do this. I'll have to tell him the truth. I think to myself as tears build up again in my eyes.

His footsteps echo through the room as he approaches me. Every inch closer he gets make my stomach knot even more. It's only when his shoes come into view that I find the strength to attempt to meet his eye.

I barely manage it before a breathy chuckle escapes him, and my head instantly snaps up--something about it sounding terribly familiar. "Hello, my love." Tom whispers with a beaming smile as my eyes meet his.

Everything stops.

The world feels like it shakes beneath my feet as I collapse back into the couch. "It's you." I manage through the shock and flood of emotions. "It's really you?"

Tom smiles as he sits down across from me, one hand resting on my cheek and the other taking my own in his. "Yes, darling. It's really me." He shakes his head, which sends a flurry of chocolate curls to fall into his eyes. "Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are."

My hand comes to rest overtop his, and I have to remind myself that this isn't a dream. It's real. He's truly in front of me, ready for a marriage to someone he thought would be a stranger. "You never told me you were getting married this soon." I somehow manage to whisper through the emotions squeezing my throat. "Is this why you wanted to run away with me?"

Tom chuckles and nods with a wide grin. "I didn't want to marry someone I didn't love, but when you said 'no.'" He sighs and traces a thumb over my knuckles, "Well, I thought about my duties, and I realized that if I didn't do this, it would hurt so many people."

"That's why I didn't say 'yes.'" I tell him, still trying to process that it is him. "I suppose Destiny is much kinder than we thought though. She gave us this at least."

"Which means she gave us everything." He tells me and brushes away my tears. On instinct, I lean into his touch, happy that I no longer have to feel guilty about this. "So, are we really doing this?"

"Happily." I tell him without a moment's hesitation or doubt. "I will happily marry you--because as much as I didn't want to admit it before—I love you."

Tom leans forward so our foreheads rest against the other and whispers, "Just as I love you, my darling." As if by some magnetic force, the two of us lean closer. His breath fans over my lips as they nearly brush, but we're interrupted.

"Okay, as sweet as this is, you have to save something for the ceremony." Zendaya interrupts, and I don't have to look at her to know she has the widest grin and tears in her eyes.

I smile and let out a small laugh as I wrap Tom into a tight hug. "She has a point." I tell him and pull back just enough to see his features. "I'll see you at the end of the aisle, my darling."

"Of course, my love." He tells me with a glimmer in his eyes. "Today and forever."

My heart soars at the words that echo like a promise. "Today and forever." I repeat and watch him as he rises and reluctantly go. Except this time, it's not until another day or forever as our last goodbye, but as a necessity so that we can have our lives together, never to be a part again.