Insecure - Tom Hiddleston Imagines Geared Towards Battling Insecurities

When the World is Silent

A/N: One of my best friends is deaf, and in class today, he opened up about it and was talking about how he wishes there was a balance of being considerate about his disability, not totally ignoring that his hearing isn't what we call average, but not singling him out either. So this one is in honor of him.

***

The most hated day of all: battery-changing day.

And what makes it worse this time? He wasn't there to help you.

Tom had to make sure to leave you a note on the refrigerator a week in advance, as well as the new package with your vitamins. Usually he would be there with you, at least in the same room, but this time he was miles away preparing for a new film. You knew he wanted to help, wanted to offer exchanging the batteries for you, but you knew he was afraid, afraid to make you feel hindered, afraid to further strip you of independence. So a gentle reminder was all.

And as much as you admired him for that, you wished that maybe you did ask him.

You check the oven three times, shut off all the faucets, make sure that the windows and door were locked, and put your alarm onto a color notification before going back to the living room. Despite all your efforts to stay calm, your hands tremble as you reluctantly open up the package. You hated that sound, those two minutes of silence. Because all it takes is one hundred twenty seconds for everything you knew to fall apart. Not all locks are completely secure, not all alarms are burglar-proof. And of course, unexpected houseguests are never planned.

And you hated yourself with bad timing. For as soon as you are changing one hearing aid, the battery of the other blew, leaving you completely in silence. Holding onto the batteries tightly, you try to find the remote, hoping that it doesn't fall as you shuffle to lay your hands on it. And even worse still, a surprise interview with Tom was now airing and you couldn't hear his voice to ease your fraying nerves.

I'll deal with that later.

Giving up for the moment, you go to the cable box itself and manually put on the closed caption. You hated reading the screen instead of letting the words be like music. But this was all you had to go on, and you didn't want to miss a second fumbling over a stupid battery. Besides, you had already pressed record so you could listen later.

Interviewer: So Tom, I understand that you and (Y/N) recently tied the knot.

Tom: (smiling) Yes, happiest day of my life.

Interviewer: What new challenges arise now that you both are living together? With (Y/N) being deaf and--

Tom: I have to learn how to not hog the bed, but when I do, I cook (your favorite meal) and that always seems to make up for it.

Interviewer: Yes, but—

Tom: I think the most challenging thing though is being away from her, especially right now when she can neither defend herself nor might not even feel comfortable to do so if she were here.

And when he gives a look in the camera, you knew it was for you, to let you know that he knew you were watching, that he knew he would hear it from you when he next spoke to you and when he got home. But it was also to remind you that even though the world may be silent and inconsiderate, he was always going to make sure you felt impartially loved.