tom holland oneshots

london boys

warnings : cursing, minor injury (paddy)

summary : tom sees this girl around, and one day, she doesnt show up when she normally does

word count : 1200

a/n : okay you've probably heard this a lot, but please spread awareness: BLACK LIVES MATTER. many celebrities are choosing not to use their platforms, even though they have such a large following, and it deeply disappoints me, but that doesn't mean we can't speak up & take action. 

Tom saw her around. One summer, she just started popping up all over London; in shops, on buses, at the cinema, sitting in the park. Everywhere. Of course, Tom saw people around, but they were regulars: people who grew up there, like him. But not this girl.

It was obvious she wasn't from London. And although Tom was a native, he was still too nervous to ever talk to her. She was pretty, though. So fucking beautiful. He had grown accustomed to seeing her every Monday and Thursday. They got coffees at the same time on Monday's, and they rode the same bus on Thursday afternoons. Tom had never talked to her; he was just a quiet observer, admirer. 

"Tom 's smitten for the girl on the bus," Harrison had teased in front of Tom's brothers, to which he lightly punched his arm as a blush filled his face. 

"Whatever."

The boys had gotten used to asking Tom how the 'mystery girl' was, as if he was supposed to know. He hadn't even learned her name, but he knew so much about her. From what he could tell, she was shy, quiet, and loved reading. She seemed to move to London alone, that one summer ago. Right now, it had been seven months since the first time Tom saw her, and today, for the first time since she got here, Y/N wasn't getting coffee this Monday. 

Coming home, Tom sipped his coffee as he went to sit in the garden with everyone else. 

"How's mystery girl today?" Harrison asked from his seat.

Tom sat down next to him, glancing to Harry who was pulling weeds, before answering. "She, uh- she wasn't there today."

"Woah," Harry said, turning around. "Is Tommy boy upset?" He teased.

"No-" He put his coffee down.  "I'm just.. worried." 

There was a brief silence before Harrison spoke up. "I'm sure she's fine, Tom. You'll probably see her on the bus on Thursday."

Tom nodded lightly, but still looked unconvinced. 

The truth was, Y/N was perfectly fine. It was her dog that wasn't. The pupper had ran off early in the morning, leaving Y/N to run after it, but she couldn't keep up. She ran corner after corner, block after block, street after street, until she eventually gave up. Checking her phone, she noticed she had been running around the town for three, almost four hours. It feels like it. Deciding it was best, she turned around to go home and freshen up before searching again, and maybe putting up a few flyers for her missing dog. 

By the time she was ready to go out again, it was passed her due time for coffee at the cafe. She settled on a gross tea bag from the back of her cabinets. 

***

"Hey!" Tom called for the boys. "Pads 'nd I are going to the park. Taking Tess' with us, anyone wanna come?"

Several no's later, Paddy and Tom & Tessa were on their way to the park, soccer ball in Paddy's hand and a leash in the other. It was a nice day for London: sunny with some clouds, a light breeze and a perfect temperature, not too hot and not too cold. The walk only took ten minutes, but Paddy was so energetic. 

Tom and Paddy played a few rounds with each other, as well as fetch with Tessa, before Tom settled by a grouping of trees. There were a few scattered couples walking together, but Tom couldn't keep his mind off of the mystery girl. It seemed she was getting even more mysterious. 

***

After an hour of searching and talking to a few people, Y/N had finally gotten a lead on her dog's whereabouts, heading to the direction of the park as fast as she could.

***
"C'mon, Tom. It looks easy! I can do it! You can just watch and catch me if I fall."

"Catch you if you fall?" Tom repeated with sarcasm, looking at the tree. "I swear to god, Pads. If you fall out of the tree I am not coming with you to the hospital." 

"I won't fall!" Paddy said, starting his climb. 

In the midst of his climb, Tessa had gone sprinting in the direction of another dog, and Tom was chasing after her, the leash being dragged. 

"Jesus," Tom panted, gripping the leash and keeping the two dogs apart. "All that for a dog, Tessa?"

She barked, the other dog barked back. 

Meanwhile, Y/N had gotten to the park. She was nearing a grouping of trees when she saw her dog, with another dog. 

Just then, the other dog took off, running away from Tom as Tessa trailed after it, both of them sprinting back towards Paddy. Tom heard a scream, and turned around just in time to see Paddy fall from the tree, and the little dog run to a girl who was rushing towards his fallen brother.

Tom was jogging over now, the two dogs circling Y/N as she kneeled next to Paddy who was laying on the ground with a grimacing face.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Tom said to his brother, both the girl and Paddy turning to look at him. 

Y/N stood up quickly, "Sorry! I just- I saw him fall and I wanted to help and- fuck. I'm sorry," the girl said. 

Tom was bewildered. It was her. Mystery girl was okay. "Oh-" Tom said slowly. "No. No, no, no. Thank you- I just told him he was going to fall and well," Tom turned to his brother who was still on the ground. "He's a twat."

The girl laughed before returning to her position next to the boy. "I'm Y/N, by the way."

Tom was kneeling next to her now, turning his head to watch her. "I'm Tom. I've uh- seen you around."

Y/N blushed, glancing at him too. "I've seen you around too."

"Hello?" Paddy interrupted. "Dying over here."

"You're not dying, Pads. Don't be so dramatic."

"Says the actor," Paddy fired back.

Y/N giggled at both of them, catching each of their attentions. "You guys are cute."

"Mystery girl thinks I'm cute," Paddy bragged to Tom.

"Mystery girl?" Y/N repeated.

Tom lightly slapped Paddy's arm for slipping that information out. "Its what we, uhm- call you... because I didn't know your name."

She breathed out an "oh," before laughing again. "You'll probably just be bruised for a week or so, uhm-"

"Paddy," Tom filled in.

"Paddy," Y/N said. 

She stood up, the two boys doing the same. She was spinning around searching frantically for her dog who was seated next to Tessa.

"Is she yours?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, she ran away this morning and I've been chasing after her ever since."

Tom nodded, the puzzle pieces fitting in his brain as to why Y/N wasn't there this morning, like she always was. "Do you wanna come over and hang out with us? Our dogs seem to get along well," he smiled hopefully. 

"Tom's really bad at this 'asking people out' thing," Paddy whispered to her, and Tom gasped in response to it. Y/N giggled at both of them again, nodding her head and picking up her dog, walking side by side with two London boys.