Unscripted Love • A Tom Hardy fanfic

Chapter 63

"Tom," Fiona whispered into the darkness of their bedroom, startling him awake.

"What's wrong?" He said jumping back a few inches from her as she crawled between the sheets again.

"I think the thermostat thing is broken," her body shivered as she slid closer to his naked chest.

"Ya?" He propped himself up debating if he needed to go check it.

"Yeah, it's fucking freezing," she pulled the blanket up to her ears.

Tom sat there feeling comfortable without a shirt and wondered if she was sleep walking. He slowly laid back down and draped his arm over her shaking body.

"Love, you're hot," Tom ran his hand over her sweaty forehead. "I think you may have a temperature."

Before she even registered what he said, Tom had hopped up out of bed and began rummaging through a bathroom drawer. Moving nail polish and old travel sized shampoo bottles out of the way, he finally found the glass thermometer. He ran it under water and wiped the metal part on a towel, his version of cleaning it.

"Here, put this under your tongue," he held the thermometer out for her to wrap her lips around. Once in her mouth, he let go and took note of the time in the alarm clock.

"How much longer?" She mumbled.

"I don't know, half a minute maybe?" He huffed. "Is it under your tongue?"

"Yes," she said through barely parted lips.

"Ok no talking, I'll tell you when," Tom reassured her, while Fiona rolled her eyes in the dark. When two minutes passed on the clock, Tom slid the thermometer from her mouth and brought it into the well lit bathroom to read.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" Fiona shouted as she pulled the blankets tighter.

"I can't fucking read this thing," his voice was sharp as he continued to rotate the thin tool.

"Let me see," she suggested and turned on the small lamp on the bedside table.

"No, no, just give me a moment," he continued moving the thermometer in different directions trying to get the light just right. "I think it's broken."

"So, babe they also make ones that show you the number rather than having to read metal in a glass tube," she teased. "Just, next time you're out..."

"Har har," he said, as he reluctantly brought it over to her.

Taking it from his hand, she glanced up to see a painful look on his face. It was clear he wanted to be the one to take care of her and failing at reading her temperature was like a kick in the gut for him.

"38..mm and a half?," she looked up at Tom waiting to hear if that was a good or bad temperature.

"Yep, a temperature. Not terrible, but you're I'll alright," he took the device again and studied it. "How did you see…"

"Can you just hold me?" Fiona closed her eyes. Tom's voice trailed off as he went to the linen closet for an extra blanket.

"Of course," he turned the dial on the lamp, the room darkened once again. Quickly he climbed into bed next to her, he was already sweating from the oven that was forming underneath the comforters but he held her anyway.

.    .    .    .    .

"Babe, my mom told me there's a Batman trailer posted," Fiona shouted from the living room wrapped up in layers of fleece blankets.

Tom came out of the kitchen with a glass of tea in his hands. He shook his head when he saw her with her laptop open on her lap.

"Love, you should be resting," he sat on the couch next to her and put the tea on the coffee table. She navigated her computer through the log-in screen and waited for it to load. Tom touched her sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. "You're burning up. The video can wait."

"But I want to see it," she whined and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. She had about 5 minutes worth of energy and she had expended it already.

"Ok, ok, love, here," Tom took her computer off her lap and handed her the icy tea. "Drink this while I find it."

She half opened her eyes and slowly lifted the glass, her muscles barely had enough strength. Tom typed at her computer, going to YouTube and searched for "The Dark Knight Rises Trailer." Two videos popped up and he clicked one, letting it load. He looked over at Fiona who had fallen asleep with the glass in her hand, about to spill it in her lap. Tom let out a small laugh and grabbed the glass before it tipped over. Setting the cup and the laptop on the coffee table, he laid Fiona back down. Laying her head on a fluffy white pillow Tom kissed her forehead, her skin felt like it was burning his lips. Next to her was her cell wedged between the couch cushions, he dislodged it and checked at the screen.

MOM 3:23PM: Traci just showed me a preview of Tom's Batman movie... She said it's on youtube…

FIONA 3:26PM: I'll have to look, is it good?

MOM 3:31PM: How are you feeling? Still have a fever?

Fiona had never responded, Tom knew she would be worried. He hit reply.

FIONA 3:38PM: Hi, it's Tom. She fell back to sleep actually. She definitely still has a fever but I didn't get to check it again.

He hit send and put the phone on the table. He drew the curtains closed most of the way so that it was fairly dark. He hoped the rest would help her fever break. He filled up her water bottle with fresh water and set it on the floor next to her.

Fiona's phone beeped and vibrated against the table, Tom reached for it.

MOM 3:43PM: Thanks Tom for taking care of my baby

Tom smiled. What else would he do, leave her to fend for herself? He assumed she was being polite or maybe feeling the pang that her "baby" is all grown up and far away from her. Tom knew his mom definitely hated that Tom grew up and left home, but he also did so at an early age.

He texted her back that he would keep her posted on how she was feeling before he muted it and set it down next to her. Grabbing his new handheld Playstation, he relaxed on the chaise part of the sectional. He wanted to be close if Fiona needed anything, but plugged in headphones so he wouldn't disturb her. Woody made his way onto the couch, curling up next to Tom before falling asleep.

The year was not starting off like he had planned, he had a problem with not being able to say no to opportunities and the next few months were jam packed with work. They were supposed to be in sunny Maldives relaxing together but instead they spent it in dreary London, never leaving the house and not in the way Tom would have liked. Fiona had the flu for the first time and was completely incapacitated. He was, however, completing all the achievements in the new Battlefield.

He had to leave for LA in a few days and hoped she would be better by then, to travel with him or just so he wouldn't feel bad leaving her. Promptly after promos and the premiere of This Means War, he was to be shipped off to freezing Russia and be away from Fiona for even longer. If this was a preview to the rest of the year Tom really wasn't looking forward to it.