The Holiday (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfic)

Decending

By the time they got to the dive site Tom and Jamie had both recovered their composure enough to get kitted up and to the shore without much trouble.

She was pleasantly surprised how capable Tom was, his instructor had obviously done a thorough job. They did their buddy checks and made their way to the sea. Tom paused as they reached the waters edge and Jamie saw a look flicker over his eyes. All fangirling was gone now they were diving. This was no place to be distracted. The ocean took no prisoners if you were careless.

"You ok Tom?" She asked quietly, not wanting to make a fuss and embarass him if he'd had second thoughts.

He looked down at her with a sheepish smile , suddenly looking less Asgard God and more Nervous Newbie."if you want to call it I do understand, its ok" she smiled up at him, putting a hand gently on his arm." I just want you to be ok". He took a breath then said,
"No, honestly, im fine. Just a little nerves. No sharks here are there" it was more of a statement than a question.
"None that will even look twice at you , just Angel Sharks and they're honestly more scared of you. " She shook her head. He smiled and said quietly "Angel eh?" Something in his look gave her butterflies, she wasnt sure he was still talking about sea creatures. He looked at her for what seemed like an eternity, then pulled himself back with a smiling shrug "Well if im not in danger of getting eaten today, lets go " and he sploshed into the water, turning to extend his hand with a grin " Come on my Little Mermaid, show me the way?"

They got ready, fins on , regulators in mouths and decended. Tom reached for her hand, she looked at him carefully, no sign of panic so she let him. His eyes were locked on hers as they submerged and she winked at him to try and relax him. As they reached their depth, he started to look about, gave an 'ok' and then let go. Following their guide, they set off, side by side.

The dive passed quickly, loads of colourful fish, cuttlefish and a small octopus all came to say hello to the VIP visitor and she could see Tom's eyes shining with delight at the beautiful underwater world they were showing him. Chris took some photos of Tom with a huge school of silver fish swirling round him and he hovvered with his arms outstretced looking like he was orchestrating their movements. It briefly also crossed Jamie's mind he looked like he was Loki, announcing his arrival and her shoulders shook with laughter. There were a few group photos and then one of her and Tom together. The logistics of a closeup underwater wasn't easy but they held hands so as not to drift apart and, side by side, leant in close. At the last minute Tom turned to her and instinctively she did too. They bumped regs and Jamie suddenly realised it was possible to blush underwater!

For now though, the dive was over and they surfaced. As they broke the surface, Tom pulled his mask down round his neck and spit his regs. "That was the best yet!" He exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks soooo much " Jamie smiled, it always made her happy to see people go through that euphoria. It was what it was all about.

They exited the water, trudging up the beach to the van. Normally, Jamie felt all 'James Bond baddie' in her gear but today, looking at the tall handsome man who really WAS a supervillain by her side, she felt more like a Minion.

Taking the time to change tanks and have a decent interval between dives, they looked at Chris's photos. They looked amazing and Tom asked for every single one. Jamie was desperately looking for an excuse to have the one with her and Tom without making it obvious when he said,
"This is a nice one of me and my buddy, would you like a copy too Jamie?"
There was a pause that seemed to stop the universe as she looked at their picture, to all the world it looked like they kissed. She could have kissed him all over again there and then, but all she said was a shy "Yes please".

There was still time for a snack, so Jamie broke out her dive staple of watermelon. Both refreshing and tasty, originally it was all she could eat and keep down while diving but now had become a tradition. She passed the container to Tom.
"Melon?"
"Mmmm, lovely!"
He popped a couple of bits in his mouth and Jamie found it impossible to look away as the juice dribbled down his chin and onto his bare chest. Wiping the dribble with his fingers, he looked up and in turn, caught her looking. She blushed delicately, so looking her dead in the eye, he put his fingers in his mouth one by one and sucked the juice off very slowly. He knew exactly what he was doing as a small gasp slipped out her mouth. He smiled wickedly and she turned away cheeks flaming, a familiar clenching in the pit of her stomach. Damn him, he was Mischevious Loki alright.

The second dive passed without incident and all too soon it was time to pack up for the day. As was the usual routine, the gang all decided to go for a beer or two after the gear was washed and hung up in the shop. Tom was more than happy to go, despite Jamie's fears he might get harrassed for photos and so forth. He was incredibly humble, saying he didnt mind, he was still just as astounded people were interested in him and his work as ever. As it turned out, the bar they frequented was far enough away from the main drag tgat it was fairly quiet. Other than the staff asking for a group photo, no-one bothered him, although a couple of people did do that 'don't I know you ' look.

As they chatted, Dave pulled her aside and said "so Jamie, how was your new buddy today then? Up to your high standards?" He smirked, waiting for her to say something coherent .

She grinned , pointing at him with her beer bottle
"You Mr are one sneaky son of a ...." she pretended to scowl " you might have told me he was well, HIM!"
Dave shrugged "dunno what all the fuss is about. Just a man like me "

"No Dave, there are NO men like you. And thats NOT a compliment!" She chucked a peanut at him from the bowl. It missed and hit Tom squarely in the chest, making him look down then over at her, one eyebrow raised in mock annoyance. Jamie put her hands over her face in horror.

Dave however collapsed in hysterics at her "Oh Jamie " he gasped," You're such a dork , don't ever change".

They hadn't really spoken at the bar, just exhanged peanuts as it were, so Jamie was disappointed when Dave said "well, time to break up the party im afraid." There were collective moans but he just said "you know the rules guys. No partying on a school night , wreck dive tomorrow. Jamie, Peter just text, your lot are diving too." He turned to Tom " have you asked her yet?"
"No, I erm, was waiting till she stopped throwing salted snacks at me " he shrugged , rubbing his neck, and Jamie instantly realised he was actually a little shy about it. They both laughed while she just pretended to sulk and folded her arms across her chest. She relented very quickly when ge said,
"Ive decided to dive again tomorrow" he went on and Jamie held her breath " would you buddy me again - please?" He asked , his eyes almost pleading. How could she even think of resisting.