Twelve Red Roses (a Tom Hiddleston fanfic)

Chapter 15- Old Books and Sparks

So I decided to update twice today. Lol. This one was a little hard to write since I'm trying to have them not fall in love, but whatever.. It was fun to write! ^.^

Later that day, we decided it was time to go to the Gardens of Eden.

The Gardens of Eden were pretty. I mean, that's pretty much the easiest way to describe any garden. But it was just a garden. It reminded me a lot of the first gardens I went to, where I first met Tom. So we just strolled around a bit until we decided to call it a night, and headed back to a hotel for the night.

Yes, I do wish I could have put more detail in, but it was just a stinkin' garden. Nothing special. Pretty. Breath-taking. Just like all gardens. I'm just personally wondering how many gardens I put on my list of destinations, and why.

I guess you could easily say I didn't have an 'appreciation' for things like most people did. Tom, for example. But he had an appreciation for things to a certain extent. Like the first half of this garden. Then we both grew bored of looking at delicate little flowers and birdbaths and common tourists with their hats, dark sunglasses, cargo shorts, and white sneakers... Usually families of four carrying cameras wherever they went. So Tom and I decided to retire to our hotel for the day. Tomorrow we were to move on to Missouri, to visit the Gateway Arch. 

"So, um... I'll see you tomorrow?" I ask Tom as we stop in the hallway of the hotel. It was still pretty early in the day, if you ask me. Five o'clock. There were still things we could possibly do, and I think Tom felt the same. We'd never split up from each other this early. Usually it's late nights, and sometimes full nights. So I suppose when I asked if I'd see him tomorrow, I sort of meant, is this all for today? Will this truly be the last of each other until tomorrow morning?

He nods, a smile on his face. "Unless, of course, you still want to go about this town we're in."

I shrug nonchalantly, not wanting to seem overly excited. That way Tom wouldn't feel as though he were letting me down if he weren't up for going out again. 

But he grins, his eyes shining like jewels. "I'll take out out on another date."

That wasn't what I expected at all. "A date? What sort of date?"

"It'll be a surprise," he answers, still grinning like a child. And I know I use that comparison a lot, but when he really does look like a tall child grinning, along with a couple of days worth of whiskers growing on his chin, what else am I to compare him to? 

"Are you kidding me?" I ask, my hand going up to pat his cheek. I did it so it would seem sort of affectionate, but I really just wanted to feel his start of a beard he had going on here if he just let it grow another week or two. His jaw was a bit scratchy, but not uncomfortable, and I wondered what it would feel like to kiss it. "Last time it was a surprise, you ended up getting chocolate wasted, puked in my bathroom, and spooned me in my own bed."

He laughs. "I wasn't just chocolate wasted, my dear. You may blame the alcohol for me invading your bed."

I just smile. Again. Why does he make me smile so much? "Okay. Let's go to this surprise destination of yours. Is my apparel alright?" I motion down to my skinny jeans and purple tank top, noting how completely average and bland I looked. My hair, however, looked wonderful, in my opinion, since it somehow hasn't begun to frizz up in the heat of the day.

"You look marvelous, darling," he says, sounding completely truthful. "Now. To Anne." He gently grabs my hand.

"To Anne," I agree. And we exit the hotel we practically just entered and went down to Tom's car. It didn't take very long until we were buckled and driving through the streets of this town. It was a rather small town, sort of a community. Lots of secondhand stores, tiny cafes, farmer's markets... I liked it.