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

Part 37

"How's Matt?" Tom's trying a different tactic this time to worm details about the Touring Sundays sequel from you.

You smile at your reflection in the mirror. This morning they had chopped your hair short for the role and dyed it back to its natural color. You'd sent a picture to Tom to allay your fears – you'd never worn it this short before. The conversation had meandered back to him trying to learn everything he could about the movie. "He's fine. Wandering around wearing the lei I brought back. Probably over with Andrew at the moment." It had been a refreshing weekend spent enjoying the sun and sand alongside Tom but now you're back in the land of pavement.

"I'm sorry I won't be able to come there before we wrap here." He'd been so disappointed about that discovery. His production schedule was at the mercy of Mother Nature. Add to that what you'd been talking about moments before - the fact that Mark had said that the screening for Jack & Emily didn't go over well with audiences... You'd both be too busy to fly one way or the other for a while. Your birthday falls in the middle of a week between now and when his film wraps as well – but since you'll both be working you haven't even bothered mentioning it. He'll call and that's all you really want – no big muss, no big fuss. Hopefully Matt and Andrew will respect that as well. You'll be exhausted from work anyway.

You pick up and set things down absently while you talk to him. "Me too. We'll see if I can work out here but..." You sigh out of frustration. "The ending for Jack & Emily fits with the overall message of the movie, though!"

"She dies, ______. And the movie ends with Jack an empty shell of a man. I'm honestly surprised that the studio execs didn't insist on changing it before now." He had said as much before, when he first read the script.

You're nodding, as though anyone else can see your reflection. You roll your eyes at yourself and look away from the mirror. "Yes, yes – what's it like being right all the time? Never mind – don't answer that. Maybe they can cobble something together with scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor? That would be a great deal easier than figuring out how to snag both Ben and I again..."

He pauses while he thinks. "Hmm – they could always have you wrapped up in bandages to hide the changes that have already been made to your appearance? Or use it as part of the plotline – they had to cut all Emily's hair for surgery and it's growing in darker?"

Tom's got a point. Unless they did some sort of time lapse as a payoff for the audience Emily would have massive trauma as a result of the wreck – presuming they changed the ending entirely so that she survived. "Or take the easier route and use a stand in – then they only have to find free time in Ben's schedule and not have to worry about mine. Or hell – just show Jack finding and developing another relationship – maybe in a support group? Oooh – I'm going to suggest that..." You'll be talking yourself out of the job but it's at least something that is uplifting and maintains the integrity of the story. People have horrible things happen to them every day and somehow find a way to survive.

"Well, keep me updated. Otherwise we'll just have to wait until filming has wrapped." He pauses, "I was thinking – before coming back to LA I might stay over a few days in London – see the family. Is that something that might interest you? Meeting them?"

Interest you? "Yes!" You let out a nervous laugh after your exaltation. That had been quite the enthusiastic reply. You continue but bring the tone down a notch. "I'd love to – now I'm definitely going to suggest they have Jack find a new love interest. Tell me when to be in London and I'm there. Screw the work."

Tom is laughing, "I wonder what Mark would have to say if he heard you say that."

You tilt your head to the side to consider, "Hmm – hopefully he'd accept it. Realistically he'd probably sputter a bit first."

"Who would sputter about what?" Matt is twirling your lei around in front of him as he walks in the room. "Oh is that Tom? Hullo Tom! Did you show him your hair?" You snag your lei back from him and gently hang it back on the hook that he'd stolen it from earlier. "She was worried about how it turned out but I told her it looks adorable." He has settled near where you have the phone to your ear.

You hold the phone sideways towards him, putting Tom on speakerphone to continue the conversation. "I told her the same. She's beautiful no matter how her hair is styled."

Matt is grinning at you, "Tom – since you can't see, she's blushing." He's watching you as you try to swat him away, "It's engulfing her entire face and – and now she's trying to turn away."

"Oh will you stop describing me!?" You disable speakerphone and pull the phone back to your ear, "I think I'll let you go now. I love you, Tom. Talk to you later?"

Tom is still laughing but pauses to respond, "Remind me to make you blush like that the next time I see you..."

Oh hell. "Tom..." You pinch the bridge of your nose.

"Alright darling, I'll remind myself. I love you, too. It'll probably be late but I'll call tonight."

As soon as you end the call you drop your phone on the countertop to free up your hands to punch Matt in the shoulder. "Oh I could kill you."

"And then production would be delayed while they found someone to fill the role." He rubs his shoulder while circling around to stay out of the line of fire again. "You really landed that punch by the way."

You shrug, "What can I say, Sunday – my training stuck."

Matt starts grinning, "Is that a thing now? Are we just going to start calling everyone Sunday? It's a codename, not a character."

"I know, Matt. I was in the movie too."

He's excited now, "Imagine the confusion it'll cause on set though. We've got to go tell Andrew." He snags your hand to pull you along behind him to find the third musketeer and complete your little troupe.