What's Past is Prologue (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction)

Chapter Five

Tom and I each went to our rooms to get dressed for breakfast. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice or care that we had slept on the couch all night, which was surprising, especially since one of us was world-famous. While I ran a brush through my hair, hoping to calm the sticky-out bits, my mind went to the moment under the blanket when Tom released my lip. I was so confused. Was he attracted to me? More importantly, was I attracted to him? I couldn't be. I just got out of a relationship that lasted three years. Heck, I was supposed to get married less than a week ago. And yet... I had to stop this nonsense. Tom was a great guy who found me in a time of weakness and vulnerability. And obviously he didn't feel anything towards me other than friendship. Which is exactly what I wanted. Only friendship. When he could have kissed me, or at least tried to kiss me, he instead suggested breakfast; the total 'lets-just-be-friends' thing to do in a moment like that. I decided the best thing to do was forget about that moment altogether.

I quickly threw on a short-sleeved, boat-neck sundress. I already knew the weather was wonderful after waking up in the elements, and I really loved this dress. The mixture of green and blue flowers over a cream colored background on the skirt brought out the flecks of aqua in my emerald eyes. Plus, there was the whole bare shoulder thing. Once again, I left my cardigan on the bed and went down to breakfast.

I reached the dining room and noticed Tom right away. He had changed into simple black dress pants and a white button-down shirt. How could something so simple be so hot? There it was again. I pushed the thought back down and walked over toward the table where Tom was in the middle of a conversation with an elderly couple. Once he saw me, he stopped mid-sentence and gave me a once-over.

"Ah, here she is." He stood and pulled out a chair for me and I sat between the old man and Tom. I realized that was the first time anyone had done that for me and couldn't stop the small flutter in my heart. "I was just talking about you." He sat down and moved his chair closer to mine ever so slightly. Leaning towards me, he whispered, "You look absolutely beautiful by the way."

"Thank you," I replied once I found my voice. I smiled at Tom for what must have been a long time because I heard a small "Ahem" come from across the table.

"So this must be Ellie. Am I right, Tom?" said the small woman to Tom's right.

"Yes, sorry. This is Ellie Donahue. Ellie, this is Edna and Charles Blunt. They've been travelling all over Europe for... how long was it?" Tom said.

"Coming up on four years," said the man, apparently called Charles.

I wondered where they got all the money, but an even bigger question was plaguing my mind. What had Tom said about me? I wouldn't think he would give away my life story. I had told him everything in confidence, and I was 98 percent sure he knew that. Hopefully he just mentioned something about how we saw The Tempest at the RSC or something simple like that.

"I wish I had the time to travel more," Tom said.

"What is it you do?" asked Edna.

As we ate (Tom had apparently ordered me a traditional English breakfast before I arrived, which was exactly what I was going to have), Tom told them all about his job as an actor, both on stage and on screen. It was fascinating to hear about the movie making process. I never really thought about all the hard work and time that actors put into every single work-day. I suppose I just figured they were all like young Robert Downey Jr.s, doing whatever they liked, whenever they liked without any repercussions. But the way Tom made it sound, acting was a job like any other, except your work was judged by hundreds or hundreds of millions.

I was taking a bite of sausage when the conversation turned to me.

"So, Ellie. Do you live here in the U.K., or are you still a United States citizen?" Charles asked.