Insecure - Tom Hiddleston Imagines Geared Towards Battling Insecurities

Math

"Tom, this is hopeless!"

"C'mon, you almost got it."

Algebra. Algebra. The word even sent shiver running up and down your spine as fast as Usain Bolt. Since when did you ever have to prove that 2+2=4? Since when did you ever have to be so concerned that the height of a lamppost was perpendicular to your shadow? You didn't care that Train A got somewhere before Train B because why take a train when you can have control of your own car? And, especially, who cares about the pizza's circumference as long as it ends up in your mouth with more on the way?

"Tom, this is literally pointless."

"How about the fact that you're one math class away from your bachelor's degree? Or how about the comforting fact that you lasted this long without giving up—"

"I gave up every time I stepped into that class."

"In a way, that's even better, because you got this far without trying. Now imagine all the wonders you could do if you did?"

"But I'm trying now, and—"

"And you've successfully gotten through three problems in an hour without throwing the textbook at the computer."

You smiled. Tom couldn't be right there next to you, but he was there every step of the way via Skype. He had called in sick from the set to help you study for your final, knowing that you would be ever so close to a full-on anxiety attack. And, thankfully, you hadn't gotten to that point yet.

"C'mon, just this last one, and then we take a break."

You knew what that meant: pizza and a Disney movie to ease your nerves. You had been rotating all day every two and a half hours to make sure your brain had time to breathe. Currently, it was Tom's turn to pick a movie, and he had already placed and paid for a large pizza to arrive at your door within the next half hour.

"Alright."

"Great," he says with a warm, inviting smile. "It's going to be just like the one you'll see on the test, but I know you can do it."

As you take a finicky breath, he types out an equation into the message box:

(9/4)*u^2*(i+1)^2 > [i(i+1)/2]^2

"Solve the inequality 'i,'" Tom explains.

All you can do is stare like a deer in the headlights.

"Take your time. Remember, what's the first step?"

"Write this all out neater."

"Good." He waits patiently as you try to make sense of the messy formatting Skype could only allow you. "Now, what's the second?"

"Get the variable I want to the left side."

"Excellent. Now, which side seems to have more 'i's on first glance?"

"The right. So flip the sides?"

"That's my girl." You work through the problem, getting it to:

[ i^2 * (i+1)^2 ] / 4 < [ 9u^2 * (i+1)^2 ] / 4

"Okay, I can cancel the '[ (i+1)^2 ] / 4' because it's on both sides."

"Very good, and what does that leave you with?"

" 'i^2 < 9u^2,' and we square root both sides and—"

You pause, tears brimming. Staring right back at you was 'i<3u'. As you look back up, he's smiling that kissable smile, he knowing the outcome of this from the start.

"I do," he adds. "I love you, you smart mathematician."

***

A/N:  Hope everyone does well on their finals!  I believe in you! xx