Shields- A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction

Chapter 12

"Oh, wow." I tilt my head back, trying to see the top of the London Eye. Tom chuckles, squeezing my hand lightly.

"I figured, you'd go here just as a tourist, but it's always much more fun with a friend, right?" His smile makes my stomach flip.

"Yeah." I look back at the top again. "It looks rather crowded," I mutter, feeling concerned. Tom glances down at me.

"You insult me," he responds, frowning. "I am much more resourceful than you take me for." Out of his pocket, he pulls out a pair of tickets. I narrow my eyes at them, then gasp quietly. I look back up at Tom, then back to the tickets.

"Tom... you didn't." His laugh confirms my suspicions. "Tom! A private car? How expensive was that?" My voice rises in slight distress. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Why not, darling?" Tom looks at me directly, right in the eyes. I try to look away, but he gently cups my face with one of his large, gentle hands, turning my face towards him. He looks at me over his sunglasses, making me want to pull away. I can feel my throat close up for a moment.

"Tom... it's a sweet gesture but..." I square my shoulders slightly, "I'm not worth that."

Tom frowns as if he is unable to understand my words. I pull away, turning to look at the water. I fold my arms defensively under my chest, feeling uneasy and embarrassed once more. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Tom. He's come to stand to my right, looking out at the water.

"I thought we were getting somewhere," he comments, not looking at me. I sigh a tiny bit, biting my lip. "You and your damn shields." Something about that comment hits me hard. I close my eyes, not wanting to look at him. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"I don't know..."

"You should be able to give other people a chance. You can't keep pushing them away." His voice is soft, caring. His hand on my shoulder makes me jump, tensing slightly. "Can you give me a chance, Alice?" His hand squeezes my shoulder. "Please?"

I let out a deep, long breath. For a moment, silence sits between us, and then I look up. "I'm sorry Tom. I've been acting foolish." I shake my head slowly. "You speak the truth, aggravatingly enough."

"So...?" The word turns up into a question.

"I'll give you a chance. I guess because you keep trying to give me a chance, too."

"Brilliant." His smile forces a grin on my face, and Tom reaches out, taking my hand. "Shall we?"

"We shall." I follow him as he leads me through the crowds. Past the ticket line, through the meandering people, and to the line of people in wait.

"We'll have to wait a bit, in the line," Tom says, standing so he blocks most of the sun from me. "But the view will be worth it."

"And it helps that we'll have our own car." His grin in response makes me shake my head, chuckling.

We're halfway through the line when my phone buzzes, notifying me of a call. It's Holly. I make a face at Tom, putting my phone up to my ear.

"Hey, Holly. What's up?"

"Hey-hey-hey! I was wondering how the interview went?"

"Yeah, it went well. I hope I got the job. The main editor is cool, as far as I can tell." Holly laughs.

"That's good. So... how was the coffee date? I saw that you tossed your more formal clothes, and your camera's gone." I purse my lips a bit. Neither of us had expected Tom to ask me to continue on after the café date. I glance up at Tom, not sure what to say. He holds his hand out, and I set the phone in his palm. He puts it on speakerphone but keeps the volume low enough to where only he and I can hear.