A Chance Encounter (Tom Holland AU) [1]

Fifty-Four

Tom and I had officially started a system when it came to how we spent Christmas. I was currently wrapped in our airport hug at Heathrow a few days before Christmas, ready to go back to our apartment and spend Christmas in London for the first time. "Hi, baby." I grinned as I looked up at him.

"Hello, my love." He smiled, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Do you have a coat? It started snowing about twenty minutes ago."

"I do. Put it in my carry-on." I grinned, and at that, he set me down so I could put it on. "So, what can I expect from Christmas in London?"

"Magic." He grinned, and I chuckled softly as I zipped up my carry-on and slipped my coat on. "Shall we?" I smiled, a nod growing as I folded our fingers together.

"We shall."

On Christmas morning, I awoke in Tom's childhood bedroom, and I smiled. I could definitely tell that his dorkiness wasn't a recent development, but I thought it was endearing. When his eyes fluttered open, I grinned softly. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas, darling." He smiled softly.

"Do you think your family is awake?" When he looked at the time, he shook his head. "Good."

About ten minutes later, I could hear the sound of footsteps behind me and Tom. "What are you two doing?" We both looked back to see Tom's mom, and I smiled.

"I wanted to make breakfast for you guys to thank you for welcoming me into your home and your family." I could see a tear in her eyes, and I smiled as I unwrapped myself from Tom's embrace to give her a hug. "I know it's a small gesture, but I am so thankful, Ms. Nikki."

"Thank you, Grace. Thank you for making my baby boy so happy." She smiled and kissed my cheek, and I grinned up at her. "So, what exactly is for breakfast?"

"Waffles. And trust me, mum, they're delicious." Tom grinned, and I smiled softly.

"They're basically my breakfast specialty." I gave her a smile, and she chuckled.

"Well, I can't wait to try them." She smiled as she let me go so I could get back to them.

Once the Holland family and myself were gathered in the dining room for breakfast, I couldn't help but feel so happy and welcomed. "Grace, these are absolutely incredible." Tom's dad grinned, and I smiled.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Dom. I'm glad you enjoy them." I smiled as I took a bite, and Tom kissed my cheek gently. 

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Paddy smiled, and I shrugged.

"I kinda just developed my own style, really." As we ate, the seven of us had a wide ranged, casual conversation before we opened our gifts.

Tom's family had a tradition for Christmas dinner where every family member worked on one of the dishes, and it was something I thought was so unique and special. Tom told me that he wanted my help with his, which was bread pudding for dessert.

As we cooked, we ended up joking with each other and making a mess of the kitchen. I knew that Tom's family had seen us going at it like that, but they let us have that moment. It was something I really appreciated.

After we had cleaned up the kitchen, the two of us had retreated back to Tom's old room and begun cuddling. It was at that point that I got a call from Ali. "Merry Christmas, babe."

"Merry Christmas, Gracie!" Tom heard Ali's loud cheer, and he chuckled a bit. "So, did you get any mind-blowingly amazing gifts?"

"I mean, I got some small and simple things, but I think the coolest gift was what Tom gave me. You know those people who will like custom paint vinyl figurines?"

"Yeah..." Ali seemed confused.

"He found one of them, and he paid her to paint two--one of me as Flex, and one of me as me, red shoes and all."

"That was the gift he gave you?" I couldn't tell what her expression was, but it didn't seem super positive.

"It was. I think it was really sweet, actually. They're super cool."

"They do sound cool, yeah. Excuse me, Gracie." With that, our call abruptly ended.

"That was odd." I looked up at Tom, and he shrugged. At that, his phone began ringing. He looked at it before answering it.

"Hey, Ali." He bit his bottom lip, and I raised an eyebrow. I heard a commotion from the other end of the line, and he sighed. "Excuse me for a moment, darling."

"Okay." He kissed my head as he stood and made his way to the bathroom down the hall. Admittedly, I was a little confused. 

It wasn't long before Tom was back. "Sorry about that, darling."

"What was that about?" I looked up at him, and he shrugged gently.

"She was a little excited about my gift, apparently. Can we ever really understand what's going through Ali's mind?" I shrugged and shook my head.

"I guess not." He pulled me back in his arms, kissing my head. I smiled up at him.

"Are you excited for the press tour, darling?"

"Oh, definitely. I get to bother Crap Bag again." I grinned, and he rolled his eyes softly with a chuckle. "Beth is coming again too."

"Leetle!" I chuckled at that, and he smiled and kissed my cheek. "I haven't seen her in so long. I can't wait. When does she fly in?" Our first stop was here in London.

"In like two days. I promised we'd pick her up from the airport."

"Sounds like a plan." He grinned softly.

After dinner, we all gathered in the living room and began watching some classic Christmas movies. As Tom and I sat cuddled on the loveseat, I felt him tap my side gently. I looked over to him, following his gaze as he looked up. I could see him holding a sprig of mistletoe over our heads. I rolled my eyes with a chuckle as I pressed my lips to his, smiling into our kiss. After a moment, I pulled back gently. "You're such a dork," I whispered, grinning up at him. "But you're my dork, and I couldn't be happier."

"Neither could I, my love. Neither could I." As he pulled me close, I rested my head on his shoulder, a smile never leaving my lips. This was always incredible, and I loved it.

Of course, I know what Ali's thinking, but I would love to know if anyone has their own thoughts! :-)