Then
Two weeks of long gym sessions, hours of fifa with the boys and keeping a low profile to focus on all things spiderman has turned out not to quite satisfy me. Harriet's been following up and I've decided to bite the bullet - I'm heading for a drink with her tonight - if anything it's a good distraction. I think she's realised that I'm not in it like she perhaps was hoping - especially when, the week after I got back from New York I had to have the talk with all the people Marvel had explained that I needed to.
I think that conversation, made all the more awkward as I hadn't responded to her messages from earlier that day when I called her the day before went down as well as it could have. She's calmed down a little on the texts, I so I think she gets it. But her most recent text, asking me for drinks - it makes me think that she wouldn't mind being in friends with benefits territory if I wanted to. And to be fair, I'm going to be away for a long time with zero chance of any action - so probably wouldn't be a bad shout.
She's not as beautiful as I remember, which is harsh when I think about it like that. But even after two whole weeks, Zendaya's face is burned in my brain. She's probably not thought about me for more than a few moments since that dinner - and I've thought about her an incredibly embarrassing amount. I need to focus, I walk over to Harriet and give her a kiss on the cheek.
She smiles, "I didn't think I'd get the chance to see you before you left, wow Tom look at your arms" she brushes her hand against my growing bicep. I laugh, "If you realised how much work I'd been doing to develop these you'd probably find it a little less impressive - my new trainer is intense!" I reply.
We settle into easy conversation and it reminds me of why I had once liked her as much as I had, the little spell she had to make you feel like the most important, most intelligent and inspiring person she'd ever met. It would be easy to end up in her bed again tonight, let off a bit of steam.
"So who is she then?" Harriet asks when I've had one more drink than my trainer would allow. Is it that obvious? Or is she so used to men falling over her that she thinks there has to be a reason I've taken a bit of a back seat on us?
"Who?" I reply, given the complexity of the situation I cant exactly tell her that I've fallen for a girl I've met twice. Not given all the NDA's that I'll be signing very shortly. She laughs, "Tom, half way through your trip to New York I felt a change - who is she?" she nudges me softly.
"I've been a bit shit I know, I should have communicated with you better - if I'm honest, the Marvel people just threw a lot at me. They made it very clear to me that I needed to be single and without any attachments - it scared me a bit. I just wasn't sure how to handle it all. I'm sorry Harriet it was a bit shit of me" I reply, ignoring her insinuation.
She raises her eyebrows, I know she isn't going to challenge me anymore, but knows me well enough to think that I'm not telling the full story. She's right of course, but she can't know that. "Listen, I get it, it was fun - but I get it. I don't think I'll ever be able to comprehend, unless I'm lucky enough to one day be in a situation like it - to know how intense your life is going to be."
At least she's an actress, she'll want this for herself one day - she'd throw me under the bus the moment someone told her too and I know that. She probably does too. "As of the moment I arrive in Atlanta, my Instagram is no longer my own - it's crazy to be honest, they also take our phones off us for parts of filming - they are so strict with leaks and stuff".
"I hope you'll find a way to remember it all - you'll probably wish it away, but one of my best mentors told me to make sure to remember it all - even when it all seems exhausting" she pauses before smiling, "Oh and find a good therapist". I laugh, "Noted. And thank you - for the advice - I'm not sure how I'm going to manage yet, but I know that I will find a way to experience it properly. Or I hope I do"
Now I'm home in bed I'm kind of regretting leaving with just a kiss on the cheek. That is until I check my phone and the group chats picked up again. I read the most recent messages.
19:52 Z We can't let this group chat die.... We're about to be each others world for a year... what you guys been up to?! <Pic>
I stare at the selfie she's included of her and her, I assume, dog. She's sitting on a reclining chair it looks like, in a bikini top - no make up on and a smile that literally pulls me in. If I were a woman, I'd probably hate her for looking so bloody good all the time.
19:55 Jacob Good shout Z, sorry for letting the team down. Been enjoying some time with my family here in Hawaii - all the local kids think I'm spiderman now... not quite sure how diverse they think spiderman is becoming but not quite sure I could pull off a single stunt! <pic>
I laugh as I look at the picture he's included of him surrounded by little kids on a beach, they're all doing the spiderman hands and his hands are in 'huh' stance. I'm glad he's going to be around, I have a feeling fame is just not going to go to his head in the slightest and I think that's going to be good for me.
20:02 Z I think you could be a great spiderman!
20:05 Sophie Tom's gone silent at the premise... haha! I've been finishing another film, literally just wrap ADR tomorrow and then going on vacation to France for a week. No exciting pics from me but here's what the last two weeks have looked like <pic>
I briefly look at her selfie in a recording studio before reading on.
20:10 Jacob Cool! I'm sure Tom's silence is just because he's reading all of the spidermen comics in prepation...
20:15 Z Or maybe watching all the other movies over and over again? I may have watched them all once or twice, guilty pleasure.
20:22 Jacob I don't really exist in any of the other spidermen, which to be fair I'm quite happy about - nothing to worry about being compared to!
22:00 Z All this talk of comparison clearly has @Tom scared...
The message has just been sent and it's the first time that she's directly called me out. the fact she's wanting a reply has me very excited.
22:02 Tom Sorry all... just back home... breaking my routine of the gym, playing video games and... apparently watching all the spidermen movies and reading the comics.. to have a few drinks. Will not be reporting this back to my scary new Marvel trainer...
22:04 Jacob Another reason I could not be spiderman.... I do not want a scary Marvel trainer!
22:05 Z I second that... how scary we talking?
22:06 Sophie But is he hot though?!
22:06 Tom He was the one that trained Thor... so scary! I have some pretty meaty boots to fill. You'll have to judge for yourself Sophie <pic>
I send a picture of him and I in the gym a few days before, he's been with me here in the UK the entire time since I got back from New York so we've become pretty good mates so far. I purposely choose the one where I've got a little flex on just in case Zendaya might feel even a tenth of the way I do.
22:07 Jacob He is JACKED! But bro you're looking pretty jacked too.. great work!
22:08 Z I mean yeah if he was shouting at me to do burpees I probably would, he looks intense!
22:09 Sophie Wow... I think I might need to find a reason to be trained by him for my completely non superhero role... haha
22:10 Tom I'll glady let you divert some attention away if it buys me a few more chances to enjoy some beers! Right guys, I'm heading to bed - chat soon J
I'm about to close my phone and pop on a podcast when I see another message come through.
22:11 Z Before you head to sleep, I've just found out I'm headed to London for two days next week for a photoshoot... will you be around? I'd love to see London with a local!
My heart is racing and I feel like im playing the part of a love sick Romeo. She wants to see me, before Atlanta, we will see each other. Granted, I might be the only Londoner she knows - but I will take it!
22:12 Tom I'll be here, and I'd be honoured to show you around! Let me know the days and when you'll be and I can plan something up. Do you know where you're staying yet?
The idea of meeting her in a hotel room takes my mind to all the wrong places. Now next week cannot come soon enough.
YOU ARE READING
Fame | A Tomdaya Romance
FanfictionNarrated between two different periods of time - follow Tom as he discovers that fame isn't all that it's cracked up to be. That is until he meets Zendaya. And fucks it all up. Can he ever repair what he broke? To finally get the girl of his dream...
