✔️ Midnight Sparks『 T.H. 』✧･ﾟ:*

Chapter 18: Heart to heart

To be young and in love in New York City

To not know who I am but still know that I'm good

Long as you're here with me

- Lauv

- - -

"There you are."

I turned, recognizing Tom's voice as he spoke from where he stood in the doorway of the dimly lit bedroom I was in. "Hey. You found me."

"I did."

I heard the smile in his tone, and was gladder than ever that I wasn't prone to blushing. "Jayna's finally asleep. She wouldn't stop drunk-talking just now," I told Tom, pointing at my best friend's sleeping figure that was safely tucked under the bed covers.

Tom gave a low chuckle. "Harrison's knocked out on the sofa too, in the living room. I don't think we'll hear from him until breakfast time."

"Such party animals," I remarked in amusement. Switching the lights off and closing the bedroom door behind me, I walked out to the living room alongside Tom.

"And it looks like we're the boring, responsible parents who had to make sure they're taken care of," Tom observed, nodding at Harrison who was curled up on the sofa nearby, snoring lightly.

"At least there's no vomit to clean up."

"Not tonight, no," Tom replied with evident relief. "You're lucky you weren't around when Harrison had his birthday bash in July."

"How bad was it?"

"By the end of the night, he'd passed out with his cheek glued onto the toilet bowl lid."

"Sounds like I missed out on some truly fun times."

"We were all reminded of why you don't mix tequila with wine. And cider."

"You just shouldn't mix tequila with anything, ever. Not even with tequila."

"Truth," Tom agreed with a laugh.

I laughed along, but at the same time it didn't escape me that I was now essentially alone with Tom, in a hotel suite, and I had no idea what was going to happen next.

Tom must've sensed this. Fixing his twinkling eyes on me, he said, "So now that we've put the kids to bed..."

"Mmhmm," I answered noncommittally.

"Do you want to continue drinking? There's a complimentary bottle of champagne somewhere in this suite..."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I suppose we can't let a precious bottle of champagne go to waste..."

"I like how you're always so considerate like that, Ali," Tom responded, not even bothering to tone down his chuckling.

I grinned as I took in a deep breath. "Mm, you smell nice," I announced without thinking.

Amusement washed over Tom's face. "Why, thank you, Ali."

"No, sorry. I just meant that you're freshly showered.. While I can still detect the scent of chlorine in my crunchy, tangled hair," I hastily explained.

"Well, you pull off the crunchy, tangled hair look really well." Tom laughed then told me warmly, "I think you look great. You always do. It's like an effortless kind of beauty."

My eyes widened, more embarrassed than anything. And in a rare instance, I failed to produce a humorous quip in response. Because this really was an extremely extraordinary moment – had Tom Holland actually just indicated that I was... beautiful? In his (achingly gorgeous brown) eyes? Was this even real life?