Christmas Wrapping - A Tom Hiddleston Fanfic

5.

○°June°○

Glad it went well for you, it's been too long - Rosie.

It really has, I'll see you soon ;) - Tom.

Placing my mobile down on the small coffee table, I went to answer the door after the bell had sounded. My face broke into a smile at the sight of the man who I had missed so much.

"Mmm, I missed you." I stood on my tip toes and threw my arms around his neck as he stood in the doorway of my flat, kissing him gently.

"I missed you too." he smiled down at me, towering over me, kissing me back, his strong hands on my back keeping me exactly where he wanted me.

"Come in handsome," I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him inside.

Jake and I had been dating for a few months now. We met at a new years party thrown by a mutual friend and hit it off right away, becoming virtually inseparable.

He'd been away for the weekend, some big meeting for his work. He was a lawyer and had been to a few weekend meetings since I'd met him.

Dumping his case in the living room he headed to the bathroom. He was so messy sometimes. Picking his case up, I wheeled it into the kitchen, figuring I'd put his dirty clothes in the wash.

Unzipping the case, I threw the lid open, the metal of the zips making a gentle click as they collided with the tiles. One by one I threw the laundry into the machine.

Boxers. Shirt. T-shirt. Jeans. Socks. Red lace underwear.

Red lace underwear that had been worn.

This wasn't a present.

My heart dropped, my whole body going cold. I hear him shouting my name, obviously wondering where I was. Picking the underwear up carefully on the end of one finger, I stood up, waiting.

"Babe, you fancy take away for dinn-" he stopped dead still at the sight before him. My eyes were welling up with tears, feeling full as they threatened to spill. He stood there in silence. I couldn't wait any more.

"What the fuck are these?" I spoke through gritted teeth.

More silence.

"What the hell, Jake?!" I screamed at him, throwing the red material at him. They hit him on the shoulder and fell to the floor. His eyes followed them, unable to look at me.

"Get out."  My voice was only a whisper now. I continued to stare at him,  anger bubbling away inside.

He didn't move.

"GET OUT!" He flinched at the volume of my voice, scooped up his case and left, gently closing the door behind him.

And there I stayed, sliding down the cupboard door, crying in the kitchen floor holding some skanky red underwear.

A knock at the door came a few minutes later. Great, no visitors for ages then they all come in the middle of my emotional meltdown.

Fan-bloody-tastic.

Lifting my head from my knees I thought about answering it. Then thought not as I decided against it, my head resting back on the soaked knees of my jeans.

The knock came again. Pulling myself up from the floor I trudged to the door, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand and no doubt smudging my now running mascara all over my face. With any luck my visitor would think I was some sort of monster and I'd frighten them off.

Unlocking the door, I spoke as I slowly pulled it open, not wanting to see his wretched face any more. "Look Jake," I spoke through sobs and sniffs, "Just go. I don't want to-" I was interrupted by my visitor, "Who's Jake? And why are you crying?" It wasn't Jake. And that wasn't Jenn or Emma's voice.

Looking up through my now thinning veil of tears,  I'd never been so glad to see his stupid handsome face in my life.

Tom.

Tom and I had kept in touch since Christmas. We both knew we'd hit it off but our timing was awful. He'd had to leave our holiday earlier than he planned. We tried, we said we'd keep in touch. But with both of us having heavy workloads, meet-ups never really happened - romantic or platonic. I cared for him and he cared for me, our timing just sucked.

I just stood there, staring up at him. His face fell when he saw how upset I was and he came in, kicked the door shut behind him and wrapped me in the warmth of his arms. My hands snaked up his back and my hands rested on his shoulders. His hand stroked my hair as he held me, saying nothing,  just letting me cry it out, a whispered 'shh' coming from him every now and again.

"I'm sorry, Rosie. I'm so sorry." He was always apologising, even for stuff that he didn't have to.

"I thought, I, I thought he was different." I sniffed, realising we were still in my hallway.

"Sorry, don't stay out here, come through." I headed through to the living room, it was comforting to hear his footsteps behind me. "It's good to see you, even though right now my face suggests otherwise." I managed a small laugh as Tom looked at me, his gorgeous eyes staring right at me.

"Tea?" he offered.

I laughed, "Surely I should be the one offering tea, you know, since you're the guest?"

He stood up and made his way to the kitchen which was adjoined with the living room.

A few minutes later his large hand came into view, long fingers wrapped round the steaming mug he was offering me. I gladly took it and he sat next to me on the sofa. It felt good to be close to him again, his presence comforting me. His familiar smell filling my senses.

"I saw his case on the floor." he spoke quietly and I felt myself wince, knowing that he'd found out, but glad that I didn't have to tell him. "He's an idiot Rose, any man who does that to someone like you is a complete moron. You're better off without him." I looked up at him, his face full of concern.

I sighed, "I thought we were good, you know. I mean sure it had only been a few months but I thought we were good." I sniffed, willing the tears not to fall again when Tom wrapped his arm around me.

"You deserve so much better Rosie. You need someone who will love you, take care of you. Protect you. Someone who wants to see you the moment they wake up and the moment before they fall asleep. Someone who'll come see you the very minute they finish work, bring you flowers just because." His finger gently lifted my chin up, forcing me to look at him. I saw so much honesty in his eyes and it scared me a little. "You're an amazing woman Rose. I've never met anyone quite like you. And, I know our timing sucks, right now being another perfect  example, but I'm always here for you. And I always will be. I need you to know that."

I was speechless. I wasn't sure if he'd intended to come here and tell me all this if I wasn't a blubbering mess.

"I hate to leave you, but I have to go. Luke will kick my arse if I'm late again." He took his empty mug through to the kitchen and returned. I stood up opposite him as he slid his jacket on. "I'm only a phonecall away, ok? If you need me, any time, you phone me. Ok?"

"Ok." I smiled gently. "Thank you Tom." I hugged him and felt him kiss the top of my head.

"Anything anytime, Rosie." He smiled and headed out the door leaving me once more in silence.

Picking my mug up, I sighed, and took it to the kitchen. I placed it in the sink and turned round, leaning against it.

On the worktop opposite me was a vase full of the most gorgeous daisies I had ever seen. Lying infront, propped up against the vase was a little card. Wandering over I picked it up.

Rosie,

Just because.

Tom xxx

My mind wandered back to his earlier words, "Someone who'll come see you the minute they finsh work, bring you flowers just because."

I knew he was that someone that he had been talking about.

And maybe, just maybe, this time our timing wouldn't suck.