Stronger // a Tom Holland Fan-Fiction

Part 48~ You and Me, Always

**TOM'S POV**

Winnie hugs my arm. I try to shrug her off, but she doesn't budge. She's a gold-digger. This premiere is going to be hard. What if she's here? What if she's—

I see her. She's here. She's ignoring the reporter and she's looking at me. My heart rate increases. Her hair is different, shorter. Her green eyes stare into mine. She looks so broken. She looks like the girl I saw at the park all that time ago.

She storms off from the reporter and into the building. My jaw clenches and I shove my hand into my pocket, where her bracelet is.

I fake a smile for the cameras and for the fans and for the reporters and for the sake of the crew. I fake excitement during the interviews. I fake my adoration for Winnie.

But then it's time. It's time to watch the chemistry between us on the big screen.

I exhale sharply and Winnie squeezes my arm, "you're with me now, remember that."

I bite my gums angrily and swear I taste a little bit of blood. We stroll over to the doors leading into the room where the woman gives us our seats.

We enter the room and I gaze up into the seats. There she is. Sitting right... next to where I'm supposed to be. She knows I'm here, but she doesn't look. She's alone and Winnie pulls me up the stairs. I hesitate before flopping down. I can hear her heart beating from here and I know she can hear my wavered breathing.

Winnie kisses my cheek, "I'm just going to go to the bathroom."

And for the first time ever, I wish Winnie didn't go. She'd make it less awkward. The rest of the room is chattering, but we're silent.

"Hi," she whispers.

I gulp and don't respond. She sighs, but I see her disappointment through the corner of my eye. I don't want to disappoint her, no matter how much she disappointed me.

"Hi," I breathe.

She turns her head to me and I see her light up a little bit. But I don't. I'm cold. I stare forward and she immediately looks back to the screen.

The theatre fills up quickly, much to my relief, and eventually the movie begins. My heart quickens. How am I going to last?

**CORINNA'S POV**
The Marvel intro plays and I'm already forcing back tears. I can't make it. I already can't.
Z is next to me and she squeezes my arm reassuringly, but it doesn't make a difference. The movie still plays. Tom still sits next to me.

I manage to keep it in until the scene we meet. The first scene we recorded together.

Tears fill my eyes rapidly and I see him clench his fists. I make it though this scene... and another... and another...

I'm doing well, I think to myself.

But no. Not until the scene we kiss. My breathing becomes harsh and rapid. Every kiss I had ever shared with Tom floods back to me in an instant. I can't do it. I can't watch.

But it seems like I can do it more than he can. He stands up and excuses himself as he runs down the stairs. I look towards Z worriedly and she gestures down after him. I gain the courage to run after him.

Once we're out in the hallway, I see him and I pick up my pace as I call out after him, "Tom!"
He his head around but doesn't stop, he instead walks faster. So I double my speed. I put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Please, don't go," my voice breaks.

He faces me now and despite how tall he is, he looks so small. Hurt covers his face.

He looks towards his left, "you hurt me, Rina."

"I know," I whisper, a tear sliding down my cheek, "it was my single biggest regret, but Tom—"

He interrupts, "it was pure torture. Rina, I was in a bad, bad place. I missed you so much and then I got back with Winnie and it hurt my family. How could you do that to me?"

"Tom, please, let me ex—," I whimper.

"—but you hurt yourself the most," he cuts me off again, "how could you do that to yourself? You put yourself through so much pain and I know that seeing me in pain made you feel pain, because I felt the same about you. Why, Rina? Why did you do it? Why the hell did you do it?! Why?! Why?! Why?! Why did you—"

"—Xavier raped me!" I snap and then my feisty facade begins to crumble, "Xavier raped me. That was in the letter. Xavier raped me and Dean knew and he didn't do anything."

His face falls, "Rina, I'm so sorry."

Everything hits me like a bus, "oh my god, Xavier raped me. How could he do that? Tom, I haven't told anyone. I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so, so, so sorry. It's my biggest regret, Tom, and..."

Everything else that comes out of me is incomprehensible. He cuts me off by pulling me into his arms. His arms. I haven't been here in a long time and for the first time in forever, I feel warm and comfortable. Supported and loved. I pull myself into his chest and sob.

He runs his hands up and down my back, "sh, it's going to be okay. Everything is alright, okay Rina?"

"Your bracelet," I whisper to myself.

I look up at him and he looks down at me, "hm?"

I cry some more, "I went to the park and I lost it and I..."

I stop talking as he puts his hand into his pocket. He pulls it out. The bracelet. The one I thought I'd lost.

"How..." I smile through my tears and look at him in awe.

He smiles down at me, "that was me, Rina. I was there. Sitting across from you."

My jaw drops, "it was you."

He nods, unable to wipe the grin from his face.

"Tom, I love you. I haven't stopped loving you and a part of me never will. You're with Winnie now and I understand if you want to stay with her. But I just wanted to tell you that," I laugh a little, "these past few months have been the hardest and I just wanted you there. We can deal with Xavier and—"

He cuts me off by crashing his lips onto mine. I tangle my fingers with his hair and he wraps his arms around me protectively. The kiss is full of passion and lust, desire and longing, familiar and safe.

"I love you too, Rina," he breathes a sigh of relief, "Winnie is just a publicity trick. I love you and only you. You are incredible and I can't see myself without you."

"I still have the tickets," I whisper, holding his hands in mine, "to France. Let's go."

His face lights up and we turn to the exit, hand in hand but he stops dead in his tracks.

"Tom, what's wrong?" I ask, pressing a hand to his face in concern.

He sighs, "Rina, you have to tell someone."

My hand falls and I look away, "I can't."

"I'll be with you my darling. Always," he picks my hands up in his.

I look up into his eyes, big, brown and... hopeful. I can't say no to him, I can't disappoint him yet again.

"Okay," I smile sadly, "but can we do it after France?"

He beams, "of course."

And we run out of the premiere, past the screaming fans into his car.