Stronger // a Tom Holland Fan-Fiction

Part 37~ Luke Vader

I'm in the car squished up next to Tom, Paddy on his other side. Harry is driving and Sam's in the passenger seat.

"London is different to what I remember," I say, staring out the door in awe.

"Good or bad different?" Sam asks.

I scrunch up my nose, "I mean there's a lot more gum on the sidewalks than I can recall."

The other boys laugh, but Paddy rests his head on the window, a sad expression on his face. I look at him in pain, not that he isn't talking to me, but his pain is almost contagious. And from the photos and videos that I've seen of him, he seems like such a happy boy.
Tom notices I'm looking at Paddy and he smiles at me sadly. I sigh and force a smile back. We arrive at the city.

"What should we do first?" Harry asks, leaning against his car once we're all out.

Sam shrugs, "we can go shopping, I guess. If Corinna wants."

"Sam," I raise an eyebrow and smirk, "are you really asking a girl if she wants to go shopping?"

"Well maybe you're different to other girls," Harry offers.

I open my mouth to retort, but Tom speaks instead, "I mean she is different to other girls. Just not in that way, I guess."

I look up at him and blush. This man never fails to make that happen. Sam and Harry give eachother a look and I shake my head, a grin playing on my face. Paddy stays silent and lags behind the rest of us. We bump into many, many fans in the shopping center which always makes me feel loved.

"Any shop in particular?" Tom asks, my hand in his.

I lift the sunglasses off of my head as we pass an exquisite jewelry store, "ooh, I need to buy a present for my mother. Her birthday's coming up."

Tom gestures towards the shop and the other boys stay outside. I look in awe at the jewelry even if none of them really scream out my mother. Then out of the pack, a stunning blush gold bracelet stuck out. Flowers run along on the outside, embedded with silver. I run my fingers over the glass on top of it and my jaw drops a little.

"It's beautiful," I whisper.

"So buy it," Tom rests his head on my shoulder.

I look at the price next to it and whistle, "that's very much out of my price range."

Tom merely shrugs and we leave the store. We continue to chat and crack jokes, four of us at least.

We stop outside of a superior game store.

"I want to go here!" Paddy shouts and for the first time, he smiles in front of me.

Tom rubs the top of his head, "you guys go in, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom. I'll meet you outside here."

He runs off and the four of us walk into the store. The things in the store are pretty unfamiliar, minus the occasional Marvel things. The boys get excited as they wander into the Star Wars. Truth be told, I'd never seen a Star Wars movie in my life so I stand there awkwardly with my hands in my pockets.

Paddy finds a light-saber of some sort and gasps in awe, "a first edition light-saber prototype. They're sold out everywhere and there's one right in front of me..."

The way his eyes sparkle as he looks at it warms my heart. It reminds me of the way I look at Tom.

Harry looks at the price tag, "wow, that's a lot."

Sam frowns, "sorry bud."

I snag a glimpse of how much and almost choke. It costs a lot more than the bracelet I wanted, but Paddy's expression when Sam frowns shatters my heart. He is absolutely broken. The boys leave the store, Paddy staring at his feet. I look back at the light-saber and think for a moment.

"Are you coming?" Harry asks.

I look towards him, "I'll be there in a second. Meet you guys outside."

Harry furrows his eyebrows suspiciously but obeys and leaves. I pick up the light-saber and take it to the counter.

The clerk laughs, "you want to buy this?"

"What is that supposed to mean?!" I scowl.

He sees the expression on my face and stammers, "well you don't look like a Star Wars girl."

"That is very presumptuous," I point my nose higher in the air, "I know that um, Luke Vader uses this."

He hides a smirk and I giggle, "okay yeah. I know nothing. This is for someone else."

"It's a lot of money you're paying for someone else," he whistles.

I smile, "he's worth it though."

I pay for it and stroll outside to the boys.

"What did you buy from there?" Harry smirks.

I roll my eyes, "you men assume very easily. It's not for me."

"Who's it for?" Sam raises his eyebrows.

I sigh in defeat, "okay, fine. It's for Paddy."

Paddy perks up.

"That's nice of you! Paddy, say thanks, bud," Harry says, looking at Paddy.

I offer the present to Paddy who accepts it hesitantly and mumbles a thanks. He opens the bag and as soon as he sees what it is, his whole face lights up. I've never seen someone so happy in my life.

He screams in delight and I laugh at his reaction. Sam and Harry peer over his shoulder and their eyes widen.

"Corinna, you realize how much you just spent, right?" Harry's jaw is completely open.

Sam's is at his feet, "you need to return it."

"No," I say and when they both try to speak again, I continue, "look at him, guys. If he's happy, we all become happy. And I'm a guest so you guys have to do what I want."

They both look at eachother and Sam puts his hands up in defeat.

"Thank you," Harry smiles.

Paddy is over the moon. Tom is back.

Paddy runs over to him, "Tom! Look what Corinna brought me!"

Tom looks up at me and then down at the present in shock, "you brought him this?!"

I open my mouth to speak but Harry cuts in, "don't fight her on this. She will demolish you."

I cross my arms and Tom rolls his eyes.

**TOM'S POV**
We fall back behind the others.

"We should catch up," Rina says and begins to walk a little faster.

I put a hand on her shoulder, "just wait."

She looks up at me in alarm, "is something wrong?"

As I stare into her blue eyes, I can't believe how perfect she is. She turned down something beautiful for herself and paid more for something else that someone she'd only known for a day had wanted for years.

"You brought that for him," I repeat.

She throws her back and smiles, "I won't let you win."

"Yeah, I know. You're too stubborn for that," I sigh, "but you didn't have to."

"Tom, you should've seen his face. It was... unlike anything I'd seen before. I haven't seen anyone in awe like that. I had to do it."

I grin, "you're perfect. Thank you."

She snuggles into my shoulder and I wrap an arm around her.

I smile to myself.

This girl could be the one.