Shields- A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction

Chapter 54

"The Baby Cot Shop," I murmur, staring at the gargantuan building in front of me.

"Emma told me nothing but good things about this place," Tom tells me, leading me towards the building. "They only have the best quality."

I shiver, grateful when we finally get inside the store because the chilly wind of early November is reaching me, even through my coat and gloves. When we get inside, the warm air hits me like the blast of a sauna, and I can't help but sigh.

"Better?" Tom asks, looking amused.

"Very," I reply. "It's not easy to stay warm when you're the size of a whale."

Now, normally, a woman isn't too big at week twenty-one, but because I am having twins, I look closer to the end of the third trimester rather than the middle of my second. Not so easy to hide from the paps, now.

Now that I am significantly warmer, I take a moment to look around at the store. "Holy..." my mouth drops open slightly.

Tom laughs a bit, the grin on his face making me smile too. "More than you were expecting?"

"A little," I admit, glancing at one of the luxury furniture sets on display. "I'm not going to lie, I'm a little anxious to see the price tags on some of these."

"Worry not," Tom says, taking my hand in his. "Price isn't an issue."

I give him an apprehensive look, but don't comment on the thoughts floating around him my head. Tom tugs me a little closer, his mouth close to my ear.

"If the price really bothers you that much, we can go to another place. But let's look around before we walk out, eh? Open mind, darling." He kisses my cheek then, giving my hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

As we're walking down the aisles of furniture, Tom turns to me. "What do you have planned for the nursery?" He asks.

"I like the hardwood paired with the cream walls that are already in place," I begin, pausing to look at a cradle before moving on. "so, I am thinking, since we don't want to know the babies' genders, we could do maybe a dark wood set to go with the rest of the room?" I glance up at Tom to see what he thinks. I pull out my phone and show him a picture I had seen online. "Something like this."

"I like that," Tom says, grinning. "I really like that!"

"Really?" I question, feeling a little unsure.

"Absolutely!" Tom takes me by the arms, turning me towards him. His expression is one of slight concern. "Why do you always assume you're in the wrong, or that I am displeased?"

I shrug, looking down at the ground.

Tom slides his hands down my arms, gripping my hand in his gently. "We can talk about this later," He whispers to me as a store employee approaches us. His voice is soft, but I still feel a burst of anxiety in my chest.

The young man that approaches us seems a little bored, to be honest. "Hello, welcome to the Baby Cot Shop. How may I assist you today?"

"Ah, yes." Tom squeezes my hand lightly. "We're looking for furniture for our nursery."

The man nods, turning around. "Follow m—" His voice cuts off, and he spins around again, eyes suddenly wide. "Oh my god,"

I go crimson, realizing what has just happened. "We've been recognized..." I murmur, squeezing Tom's hand. He laughs a bit, squeezing back.

"Oh my god," the men repeats, staring first at Tom, then at me, "oh my god,"

"Not quite," I say, grinning. "But he's close."