You've Only Just Arrived (a Tom Hiddleston fan fiction)

Part 33

Three little words. Three little words were all that it took to make you inhale oxygen and exhale the heartache that had been haunting you these past few months. He still loves you, despite your determination to cause him pain. Thank goodness Tom's stubborn streak ran in your favor. Tell him he can't do something, he'll do it anyway and excel at it just for good measure.

"I love you too, Tom." You feel the first few tears escape and trickle down your cheeks. Tom's eyes are starting to water too. Oh hell – one of you has to be the strong one. If you both break down in the middle of the convention center floor...

Richard must have started moving as soon as you started to cry – he's shoved himself between the camera and where you and Tom are standing. "That's enough now." Oh thank God.

The crowd is just as caught up in the moment as you are. "Kiss him! Kiss her!"

Tom doesn't need to be told twice. He pulls the mic off his ear to let it dangle by its cord from his collar and scoops you to him. Logically, you know the floor is still beneath you, but you're having a hell of a time remembering how to stand. Your whole body is humming in response to the passion, the need you're feeling from Tom. Dear Lord you've missed him.

John starts talking to the person holding the camera while Richard and Bruce work to maneuver you and Tom back off the convention center floor. Tom's hand finds the small of your back, as it has so many times before. He maintains steady contact as the pair of you are shepherded through the crowd, as though you'll disappear if he stops touching you for a mere second. You murmur to him as your little group makes progress off the floor, "Christ, Tom. You can't kiss me like that in public."

He shifts his hand a little lower when he leans to you to respond, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Can't I?"

That was not a challenge, sir. Aside from a slight redness to his eyes he appears outwardly composed – not true, most assuredly, of your own appearance. Maybe you'll delay finding a mirror so you won't have to see how the encounter has affected you.   

Some of the staff from Tom's panel have made it out onto the floor and are flagging Richard and Bruce down. The security team will have tripled in size if they join the proceedings. "We need Tom back for the meet and greet."

Tom stiffens slightly but nods in acknowledgement. He shifts his hand around form your back to travel down your arm and take your hand in his, pulling it to his lips to draw your attention. "Will you come with me?"

"I'd promised Ben I would watch his panel, Tom." His face twitches into a micro-expression of worry, prompting you to add, "But I'll join you soon. I'll watch – what, half? – and then come find you."

Benedict would probably understand if you told him you wanted to spend the time with Tom, but you'd made a promise – besides it would be awkward to stand there observing the signing, or prove a distraction – neither of which you want. You also need the time to consider Tom's words, maybe even form some of your own in reply. What's going to happen when he goes back to his job and you to yours? Will things fall apart again? 

At the end of the day you've all ended up at a nearby bar and Benedict is retelling the story for the umpteenth time. He raises his glass in reference to you, "Could practically see your resolve crumble when he told you he loved you, ______. I knew as soon as you started crying Tom would too. Everybody back in hall H was cheering – and the last fucking thing you see or hear is Richard walking up and palming the lens and blocking the shot saying:" he drops into near perfect mimicry of Richard, "That's enough now."

Poor Ben had missed the big payoff from his extravagant plan to get you and Tom back together – he'd been deprived of the kiss. Every few rounds of drinks Benedict retells the story, each time the setup becomes a little more elaborate. Nobody seems to tire of the story – or maybe everybody is too sloshed to remember he's told it before. All the people that you'd wanted to meet when Tom had been at the event in New York are now being introduced to you. Most delight in the fact that Tom now has a bag of ice on his hand – you really had landed quite the blow to his joints despite being unable to dislodge his hold. Yet another thing you'll never live down.