hiddleston-infusions - Tumblr blog

[hiddleston-infusions]

Hello my dear Followers,

yes, it’s been a while :)

I’m here to let all of you know that as of today this tumblr blog is closed. Don’t worry, it’s not going to be deleted but there won’t be any updates here anymore.

To find out what I’m up to in the writer’s world click on the link above and head over to my brand new tumblr “Written In Dreams”. On this blog I’ve collected all the stories I’ve written so far. More is to come, sadly no Tom Hiddleston at the moment.

I’d love to see some of you there.

[hiddleston-infusions]

Symphony

Hello dearest Followers,

I apologise a hundred times that I haven't been writing for so long. A lot has happened in my personal life since my last update and on top of this, I started university on August 6th which is quite a change for me. I will of course try to write but Uni will take up most of my time from now on. 

That is why I have to discontinue "Her Glowing Heart". I simply do not have the capacity writing for it right now. So if anyone wants to take it up, please feel free to do so :)

Okay, that's all for now. If you want to know more, my askbox is always open.

I wish all of you a great weekend and enjoy this little piece I've written some weeks ago.

Cheers,

Tati

TITLE:  Symphony CHAPTER NUMBER/ONE SHOT: One-Shot AUTHOR: hiddleston-infusions /MissLittyKitty WHICH TOM/CHARACTER: ActorTom & OFC GENRE: Drama FIC SUMMARY: OFC questions herself. More would give too much of the story away.

RATING:  PG AUTHORS NOTES/WARNINGS: No warnings. Inspired by the song "Symphonie" of the german band Silbermond. Feedback is very welcome.

Symphony

Every small move you make feels like my own. Your warm arm circles my waist, your hand on my stomach and your fingers draw a pattern there only you know in your sleep. With every deep breath you take, you play with the hairs on the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

I should feel warm and loved and comfortable. But I don’t. Being here in your arms has never felt so wrong; feeling your body against mine, letting you hold me in your sleep has never felt more foreign.

Tears prickle behind my eyes, their burning sensation slowly creeping to the front. This peaceful, loving silence of our bedroom threatens to choke me so that I can hardly breathe.

Why does it feel so wrong to have you hold me? What has happened to me? And why do I feel so very alone despite the fact that you are right beside me? I want to find the answers in my head, in my heart but all I can find is a vast emptiness inside me and I feel as if I’m about to drown in it.

I know you have noticed the change in me. I know you so well. Yet, lately it’s as if I don’t know you at all. We used to be so good together. I used to hang onto every word you said; you used to be able to make me laugh; and I used to love you so much my heart was ready to jump out of my chest filled with joy.

But what used to be rapt attention has turned into annoyance. What used to be laughter has turned into tears. And what used to be love and joy has turned into nothingness and pain. I don’t want to feel like this and I hate that I do. But most of all I hate that I don’t know why. Why have my feelings for you changed when they used to be everything to me? When you used to be everything to me!

The first tear falls from my eye, rolls down my cheek and across my nose. I can’t bear it any longer. As silently and softly as I can, I extract myself from your hold trying to not disturb your sleep. From the bedside I watch you roll onto your back, mumbling incoherently and become still again. Your t-shirt covered chest rises and falls steadily and I slip quietly from the room as more tears leak out of my eyes.

I cross the hallway and descent the stairs down do the ground floor.  I take the hallway to the left and reach the living room, come to stand in front of the big window overlooking the street. Raindrops patter against the glass and as I watch a car drive past, its headlights disappearing into the fading darkness of early morning, I feel more tears run down my cheeks. And for the millionth time, I ask myself why I am feeling this way. And why I have no clue as to why.

Two months ago, I was so ecstatic for your return, could hardly wait to hold you in my arms again; to see you, to be near you. I thought those days spent without you to be the worst of my life and that there surely couldn’t be anything more dreadful but to not be with you.

But now, two months later, I feel smothered by your presence. Your gentleness seems to suffocate me and your love makes me want to cry. I so wish for you to leave. The harshness of my own thoughts makes me wince and start to cry harder. I should have ended it sooner. All this prolonging the inevitable has only made it worse. Although my sobs are quiet, they’re the only thing I can hear which is probably why I jump about a mile when I hear you ask, “Sweetheart, why are you up?”

I turn around to face you, see you standing at the door.

“Can’t sleep,” I croak. I see you push away from the doorframe to approach me. I press my lips into a thin line, avert my eyes from yours and flinch slightly when your hand touches my arm.

“Is everything okay?”

New tears fall and I can’t look at you as I answer, “No, it’s not.”

I force myself to lift my head, take in your momentarily puzzled expression which quickly turns into a knowing one. But before you can say anything, I blurt out, “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I don’t know why it feels wrong to…to be close to you. And I don’t know why…why I don’t love you anymore.”

My words stun you that much I can see. You hadn’t anticipated this admission from me. Your mouth opens then closes and you simply stare at me. I see the tears glisten in your eyes and ready myself for more of my own.

Saying those words out loud, admitting to you how I feel, makes it all so much worse. But I cannot deny that it is the truth.

“How long?” you ask in a whisper.

“The last couple weeks,” I reply and just stand there looking at you. I don’t know what to do or what else to say. Your gaze is still on me and I force myself to keep looking at you although I very much want to avert my eyes again. Because what I see on your beautiful face, on your perfect features, hurts me more than any harsh words might have done.

This – you looking so truly and completely heartbroken – is worse than you yelling at me. I don’t want to hurt you. It’s not as if I suddenly hate you. I just…I just don’t love you anymore. It’s as simple as that. And yet, at the same time, so very complicated.

“I…I wish I could say it comes as a total surprise,” you eventually say and I can hear your voice tremble with pure emotion.

“I know,” I reply quietly, hugging myself. “I know you must’ve noticed a change in me. And Tom, I…I am so sorry. I wish it were different. Or that I could at least give you a reason for it all…but I can’t. I just can’t because I don’t know why and it’s driving me crazy. But I don’t want to do this anymore. Not to you and not to myself. It’s not fair. I don’t want to pretend. You deserve better.”

I see the tears roll down your cheeks and my own promptly follow. Despite that, you cover the distance between us and wrap me in your arms.

“And so do you,” you whisper, holding me tightly to your chest.

This is it. This is the end and I know it. The wonderful song we have been dancing to for the past two years is over. Our symphony has come to its end. But as I lift my head from your shoulder, I see that the rain has stopped falling as well. And although I know I have hurt you and all of this still hurts me, too, I feel lighter. Calmer. Better. I feel better. A weight has lifted from my shoulders and I feel better than I have for the past weeks. It will take time but as surely as I know that this is our end – I know that this is a new beginning, too.

[hiddleston-infusions]

im extremely late to the party but I just read all parts to her glowing heart and I loved it!!! keep up the good work

Thanks so much =)

[hiddleston-infusions]

Her Glowing Heart Part 3

TITLE: Her Glowing Heart CHAPTER NUMBER/ONE SHOT: Part 3/? AUTHOR: hiddleston-infusions WHICH TOM/CHARACTER: AUTom / OFC GENRE: Romance, Drama FIC SUMMARY: Based on the prompt by ladiesloveloki which you have to read to get into the story :) 

Part 3

Mercy had no recollection of how long she sat there, in the middle of the footpath, breathless and wide-eyed, listening to the voice in her head repeating what was undoubtedly her fate.

Not even a call of her name, nor the heavy, running footsteps seemed to be able to lift the trancelike state she had fallen into. Only when a hand ever so slightly took hold of her shoulder did she snap out of it. With a jerking movement of her whole body she turned to face the person, deep breaths full of fright making her chest heave.

Several long seconds passed in which she simply stared at him. He had fallen to his knees in front of her, his hand still on her shoulder. Her heart thumped madly in her chest, aching, burning. And once the thought-filled fog in her brain lifted slightly and she really understood who was there before her, she pushed him with all her might and cowered away from him, yelling, "Get away from me!"

Tom had fallen backward, crouching now in a crablike position, his hands supporting the weight of his upper body and stared at her in shock. The strength with which she had pushed him had taken him by surprise and he needed a moment to compose his already jumbled thoughts. Pushing himself upright, he approached her once more.

"Mercy, please. Please listen to me. There is so much I need to tell you; so much you don't know." Tom reached out his hand to grasp her shoulder once more but with a flinching, anguished expression, Mercy backed away from him.

"I just told you to get away from me. And stay away, too," she nearly screamed. "I don't want to listen to you. For once in my life - and yours - I am not going to do what you want me to. I am sick of it all. I am sick of your bullying, of your taunts and insults and I am sick of your lame apologies when we're not at Uni."

Tom noted the defiant expression on her face while she spat those words at him and, still slightly shaken, clambered to her feet afterwards. And yet, he could see her pain, too. So much pain etched onto her soft, beautiful features; embedded in every word she spoke. His heart sank and tears threatened to blur his vision. But he blinked them away, scrambled to his feet as well and took a deep breath to try and clear his thoughts once more. This was too important. She simply had to listen to him; she had to know what he now knew as the truth. And it was as much his truth as it was Mercy's.

"Please, Mercy. I know what you've had to endure from me, what I put you through but please...this is very important. You need to... you have to listen..."

"Need to? Have to?" she cut across him, glaring at him. And still he saw the rapid heaving of her chest, her pain-filled voice. But before he could continue, she yelled, "All of this is your fault. Your fault alone. And whatever you may possibly say can't undo it. You literally snuffed out my light with your fake one and I hate you for it. I hate you, Tom Hiddleston and I will never...never forgive you."

Tom gasped audibly at her harsh words, knowing full well he deserved each one. At the same time, Mercy gave out a sharp cry and her hand flew up to her chest, right above her heart. As she stumbled, unsteady on her feet, Tom loudly called her name, rushed forward and reached out, wanting to steady her. His hand was millimetres away from her when she lifted both her hand and her head to him and shoved his helping hand away.

"Don't touch me," she said, her voice shaking with a pain so deep, it nearly cut his heart in two. "Don't you dare touch me."

"Mercy, please. I want to help you," he replied as calm as he could muster and seconds later saw the incredulous look she gave him when she lifted her head.

"Help me?" she asked. "You? Help me?" Her short laugh sounded so cold in his ears. “Don’t you think you’ve already done enough? I’m going to die, what more can you possibly want?”

[hiddleston-infusions]

[hiddleston-infusions]

Her Glowing Heart has one of the most original plots I've read on this fandom. Part 2 was really intriguing, and I can't wait to see where you're taking this story.

Thank you,

although I really cannot take credit for the original plot which totally belongs to ladiesloveloki!!!

I’m really glad you like what I have come up with so far and yes, I am anticipating myself where this story goes :)

[hiddleston-infusions]

So in your glowing heart story, does your heart only glow if you like the other person back? If so then why was mercy so upset when tom's glowed, isn't that what is supposed to happen?

Hello Anon,

well, in Part 1 we learn that Mercy believes Tom is just playing another trick on her. She thinks his glowing heart is not real and that's the reason why she's so upset.

Your first question will be answered later on in the story, I promise :) So please, have a little patience.

Thank you for your message.

[hiddleston-infusions]

Just read Her Glowing Heart and I'm just so excited for this. I love it to bits, I've seen this prompt for awhile and to see someone has done a story on it with a twist makes me happy, already looking forward to more!(ʘ‿ʘ✿)

Hello animefinatic,

thank you soo much. From the moment I read this prompt, I fell in love with it and it just wouldn’t let me go. I really hope that I am doing it justice though :)

[hiddleston-infusions]

Soooo happy you put out an update of Her Glowing Heart!!!! I read part 1 when you first posted it and I've been waiting in breathless anticipation ever since!

Thanks dear Anon,

I’m happy that you stuck with me for so long :) and I’m glad it was worth waiting for.

[hiddleston-infusions]

Totally worth the wait!!! Loved it!!

Hiya Anon,

thanks so much for letting me know :) I’m happy that you think so.

[hiddleston-infusions]

I'm really happy you finally continue witn HGH. It's a great fic, pretty please update soon.

Hey emma070783,

thank you so much for your message :) I’m glad you stuck with me and am very happy you liked Part 2.

I promise, Part 3 won’t take that long :)

[hiddleston-infusions]

Her Glowing Heart Part 2

TITLE: Her Glowing Heart CHAPTER NUMBER/ONE SHOT: Part 2/? AUTHOR: hiddleston-infusions WHICH TOM/CHARACTER: AUTom / OFC GENRE: Romance, Drama FIC SUMMARY: Based on the following prompt which you have to read to get into the story :) Submitted by ladiesloveloki

read more here

RATING: T AUTHORS NOTES/WARNINGS: Thanks to my lovely beta Wusch. Please let me know what you think:)

Part 2

He raced after her, his mind running a mile a minute. His thoughts were a jumble and he repeatedly asked himself how much more confusing, frightening and overall mind-blowing this had to be for Mercy if it was already causing so many emotions for him. His heart ached for her, for the pain and confusion she had to feel, although he couldn’t even begin to imagine what she must be going through right now. And all because of him. All of this was his fault; because he was an idiot. A humongous dickhead.

‘A humongous, conceited, spoiled and self-centred bastard,’ he corrected his thoughts, the last word leaving a strange feeling behind. He had been too terrified of his feelings for her; too proud to even admit them to himself. Instead he had convinced himself – just as he had everyone else – that she was too lowly, too much of a nothing to be considered his equal. Ha! When in truth it was the other way around. Or rather, it should have been the other way around. The irony of it all.

Throughout all those years – as she had said – she had never done anything to him. More than that, she had still and always been there for him despite the way he had treated her at school. Only god knew why she had done it and how but she had. And that was all that mattered to him.

It had taken one clear moment in his fathers’ otherwise broken mind. One hour. In only one hour his world – his conceited, superficial and artificial world created by his mother – had fallen apart. All the lies, half-truths and make-believes had come crashing down, leaving him hanging somewhere in between. It had taken a while until all of it had sunk in but once it had, there had been only one resolution: Mercy. She was and had always been the one true constant in his life and he would be damned to lose her as well.

He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the crack in the pavement. He tripped, stumbled and fell headlong to the hard ground. Cursing under his breath, he ripped his head up. He couldn’t lose track of her now when he had come this far. Sheer luck made the pedestrians part in front of him so that he was able to catch a glimpse of Mercy crossing the street not twenty yards ahead and disappearing into a small park. Thanking the odds or whoever seemed to be on his side, he scrambled to his feet and set after her, weaving through an oncoming throng of people and crossing the street at almost the same spot Mercy had.

---

Mercy ran flat out along the shaded path having taken no notice of her surroundings before. She didn’t care where she ran. All that mattered was to get as far away from him as possible.

Her chest burned, heart pounding against her ribcage. She felt out of control, floating in mid-air. At the same time her whole body ached, the pain tying her firmly to the ground.

Fragments of thoughts, of everything that had just happened were running through her head, all hazy and confused. She couldn’t focus, was unable to grasp any of her thoughts and felt a vast emptiness engulfing her.

Only one image constantly burned before her minds’ eye, seemed to get stronger the farther she ran: Tom with his glowing heart.

Tears wetted her cheeks, ran down her neck and blurred her vision and eventually her exhaustion won out. Mercy collapsed right on the path, not caring about anything or anyone. Her chest burned but if it was her lungs screaming for oxygen or her heart, she didn’t know. And didn’t really care. Fresh, slightly mossy air streamed into her with every deep breath she took and slowly, the rapid beating of her heart decreased. The burning sensation remained.

A fresh wave of tears hit her and she pulled up her knees to her chest, buried her head in her hands and cried. Heavy sobs wrecked her bruised and battered body and inside, her chest, her heart was on fire.

How could she have just lost her Glow? It wasn’t supposed to happen. Had this…could this have been his plan all along? Could his cruelty have become this drastic? To literally snuff out her light? Because he certainly must’ve noticed the steady fading of her Glow. Could he really truly be this cruel?

A fresh wave of tears overtook her, shaking her weakened body, the pain in her chest reaching a new high. Mercy drew sharp, sobbing breaths, each time feeling as if an invisible red hot iron stake was rammed into her heart. And the more she tried to breathe, the less oxygen seemed to reach her lungs.

Although it was hushed up and not openly talked about, everyone knew what the consequences were if it so happened that the Glow went out. Mercy had heard about it, everyone had. And it wasn’t good. Far from it.

Mercy froze and might have even forgotten to breathe as the realisation hit her. Her eyes wide, she stared at the space in front of her, seeing nothing; hearing nothing. Knowing only one truth: I am going to die!

[hiddleston-infusions]

Hi, really loved all of your stories, but I think you've got a really nice one with ‘Her Glowing Heart’. I was just wondering how it was coming along, I know you said it would be a while and I don't want to push you, but I was just wondering if you might have an idea. I will be waiting patiently, but eagerly. Cheers!

Dear Anon,

thank you so much for your message. I really, really apreciate it. 

I’ve as good as settled my personal matters - still some things to do here and there but I think I’m ready and inspired enough to start writing again.

I’ve been bouncing ideas off during my writing break and I’m trying to get the plot outlined. I really want to do this but I want to do it right and I want to do this wonderful concept justice.

So, yes, I’m working on it but I won’t set a date or even estimate when I’ll be able to post the next part. Because to me, writing under pressure takes the  creativity away.

Thanks to every lovely message I received. It’s the best motivation and inspiration. So, if you’ve got questions, remarks, ideas… anything - just let me know :)

[hiddleston-infusions]

Thank you to all who commented on the first part of ‘Her Glowing Heart’. I am pretty much stunned that so many people liked it and left me a message :-) Thanks so much.

I am going to continue this story. There are so many bits and pieces for it in my head already and an actual plot line is forming. But due to some personal matters at the moment, it might take a while until I get the next part up. So please, please bear with me :-)

Another big THANK YOU to all of you!! You guys rock <3

[hiddleston-infusions]

Her Glowing Heart

TITLE: Her Glowing Heart CHAPTER NUMBER/ONE SHOT: AUTHOR: hiddleston-infusions WHICH TOM/CHARACTER: AUTom / OFC GENRE: Romance, Drama FIC SUMMARY: Based on the following prompt which you have to read to get into the story :) Submitted to thfrustrationprompts by ladiesloveloki

(This prompt is based on this post that I found…it was just too good to pass up)

No one knows how or why it started happening. But soon, everyone had it once they met their soulmates: humanity started simply calling it ‘The Glow’.

The bookish, shy OC has been mercilessly bullied by the most popular and handsome boy in school, Tom Hiddleston, for most of her academic life. She’d met him when they were mere children, and his cruelty has not let up one bit.

At fourteen, to her hope and horror, her heart began to glow in his presence. Once his started to glow in hers, instead of accepting such a happy occasion, his cruelty got worse and worse, trying desperately to deny the glow in his chest; he’d even gone so far as to wear special padding to conceal it around his family and friends. He refused to risk his popularity and status on someone so lowly and common as her.

Plot Twist: As his cruelty continues, her Glow slowly and steadily grows dimmer and dimmer with each passing day. And when it finally hits home for him, that she is The One, he joyfully goes to her, in front of all their classmates. However, she believes he is, once again, out to hurt and humiliate her, because his friends are snickering behind him without his knowledge because they also think he’s playing with her. He finds them snickering, and removes his coverings to show his Glow for the entire school to see.

To his utmost horror, however, the light in her chest, which is now very barely visible, sputters, and finally goes out.  She has lost her Glow. For one to lose one’s Glow is an extraordinarily traumatic to not only one’s heart and soul, but also to one’s body; no one has survived losing their Glow for more than a year.

Tom refuses to accept that her Glow is gone forever, so for him, it’s a race against time for him to not only convince her that his feelings for her are genuine, but to also reignite her Glow. Will he be able to restore her Glow in time to save her?

(whew, long one XD)

RATING: T AUTHORS NOTES/WARNINGS: Thanks to my lovely beta Wusch. Please let me know what you think and if I should continue this.

  Part 1

"Oh God." Mercy Taylor groaned under her breath as she saw him walking toward where she sat. His stride seemed full of purpose, his band of followers and admirers not far behind - as always. Mercy squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before returning her focus to the book in her hands. She knew what was coming. It had been this way for years and years and she already felt the dread creeping into her very soul, sending shivers up and down her spine. And still - even after all those years - a glimmer of hope remained.

Her heart beat quickened and sure enough, when he was only a few paces away, the Glow started up as it always did, although it had become a very feeble one. But after years and years of being treated as an imbecile, as too lowly to even breathe the same air by the person for whom her heart glowed, it was hardly surprising.

"Mercy." His voice sent another shower through her and the fact that he used her name made her look up from the words she had been trying to read. Shock was clearly written on her face, mixing with fear when she saw his smile. What was happening? Never before had he used her real name, preferring to make up his own versions mostly along the lines of Messy or Mess-up or the likes. This seemingly nice side of him was beginning to scare her beyond measure.

"Go away," she said in a quiet voice, dropping her gaze back to her book but not before she saw his smile falter slightly. His friends snickered behind him, making Mercy regret to having even acknowledged his presence.

"Mercy, please. I...I need to talk to you," he insisted. Her lips pressed into a thin line, she snapped the book shut and looked up at him.

"Then talk." She sat the book down beside her, inwardly bracing herself for the string of insults she just knew where coming, if his followers' snickering was any indication.

"Here? I'd rather...," he trailed off, looking a little unsure for a moment and Mercy wondered why he would want to talk somewhere else. Wasn't it the whole point to ridicule her for everyone to see?

She saw him take a deep breath. "Never mind," he said, a smile once again gracing his lips. "Mercy, I want and need to apologise - for everything I have ever done and said to you. If...if I could, I'd take it all back."

Mercy literally felt her jaw drop. What the hell? She had anticipated a lot of things but never in a million years had she expected this. He apologised. To her. What was going on? What had she missed?  But of course. As she saw his friends grinning from ear to ear, it dawned on her and she had to blink rapidly to keep her tears at bay.

"Is that a new trick you came up with?" she asked, trying her utmost not to let her voice break. He looked at her flabbergasted and shook his head.

"This is no trick. I really mean it. Please, Mercy, believe me. I...I have been a fool for not realizing it sooner. Please, I'm so deeply sorry for all the pain I have caused you." His eyes pleadingly searched hers. Mercy felt her lower lip start to tremble so that she averted her eyes for several seconds. This was what she had been dreaming of for so long but despite the hope she still had in her heart, she couldn't believe him. As much as she wished she could, she just couldn't believe he was telling the truth. This was too good, too sudden to really be true. Finding his gaze once more, she slowly shook her head.

"You have treated me with nothing but contempt from the very first day although I have never done anything to you. You have mocked, ridiculed and insulted me every day for as long as I can remember, so why would you say this to me now if not to somehow trick me into trusting you." She shook her head once again. "I don't believe you."

He held her gaze, considering her words. Behind him, his friends had stopped laughing, sharing confused glances instead, unsettling Mercy even more. She held his unwavering gaze for another moment before she turned from him, thinking she might have defeated him for once. She stuffed the book into her bag, zipped it shut and shouldered it, doing her best to ignore the heat in her chest. With every heart beat it seemed to get stronger and she felt the energy surge through it.

When she turned back around to leave, she was caught by surprise to find him standing really close. His smile was warm, even reaching his eyes and he lightly took one of her hands in his.

"If you don't believe my words," he eventually said, his thump gently rubbing over the back of her hand before he let it go. "Then please, believe this."

With that he took a step backwards and removed the scarf and high necked jacket he wore, leaving him standing in just a white shirt. And through the thin fabric she could see his Glow. It pulsed in time with his heart, glowing, glowing brightly. Mercy gasped and this time was unable to hold back her tears. How could he be so cruel to even fake the Glow?

He once more took hold of her hand, increasing his own heart beat and with it the pulsing of the deep, reddish Glow. A pain of such measure seared in Mercy's heart. She felt it grow hot, unbearably so and looking down, she saw the Glow flicker once, twice as bright as it had in the beginning. It flickered one more time and with her next heart beat it was gone. Her light was shining no more. She had lost her Glow. Shocked and scared, full of anger and despair she pulled her hand from his grasp and slapped him across the face.

"How could you?" she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks and without waiting or even expecting an answer, she pushed past him and ran.

Tom stood dumbfounded, not even aware that he was shaking his head. Her Glow had gone out. No, it couldn't be; it wasn't supposed to be this way. In his mind it should have flared up again once he admitted how he felt about her. It had never occurred to him that she would lose it. No, it couldn't be. This wasn't right. He needed to fix it immediately.

"Mercy, no!" he exclaimed, spinning around and running after her. He didn’t care that the clothes he had taken off fell to the ground; he didn't care about his friends calling for him, asking about what was going on. All he cared about was Mercy and what he had once again put her through. And all he wanted was to finally make it right; to right the wrongs he had done; to make it as it should be - as it should have been all along.

[hiddleston-infusions]

Of Cosy Corners And Put-Up Jobs

TITLE:Of Cosy Corners And Put-Up Jobs CHAPTER NUMBER/ONE SHOT: Part Three in the Series “Knowing Me, Knowing You” AUTHOR: hiddleston-infusions WHICH TOM/CHARACTER:  Actor Tom /OFC (Katherine Simmons) GENRE: Romance FIC SUMMARY: What happens after the kiss in “Of Dinner Dates And Kisses”?

Continuation of the stories “Of Bathroom Doors And Mistletoe” and “Of Dinner Dates And Kisses”  -- all put under the series name “Knowing Me, Knowing You”.

RATING:T AUTHORS NOTES/WARNINGS: No warnings. Feedback is very much appreciated.

   Of Cosy Corners And Put-Up Jobs

My knees felt weak. My lips still tingled from his sweet kiss. And my insides felt as if they had been twisted into knots while at the same time a flock of butterflies somersaulted in my stomach. He had kissed me. He had really kissed me, just like that. And nothing inside me had protested. Far from it: my heart had seemed to actually skip a beat or two, my head had been wiped blank and my eyes had fallen shut on their own, blocking out everything but him. I couldn’t help but run my upper lip over my lower one, imagining the feel of his lips on mine once more while doing so.

“Katherine, are you okay?” His voice broke through the trancelike state I had seemingly fallen into, a smile forming on my lips and I opened my eyes, only now becoming aware of the fact that they had still been closed. A fierce blush warmed my cheeks, increasing even when I saw his smile and the slightly questioning expression on his face.

“I’m fine,” I replied, having to clear my throat to be able to speak, “I…I guess, I just wasn’t expecting…this.”

“Oh,” he said. And once more, “Oh…I’m sor….”

“No,” I cut in, shaking my head viciously, “don’t you dare apologise for this wonderful  kiss.”

He laughed and my cheeks reddened even more.

“It is quite save then to assume it felt more right for you this time?” he inquired and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Yes, quite,” I agreed and both of us had to laugh. Yet, my rumbling stomach set an end to it and Tom looked at me, half amused, half incredulous.

“You haven’t eaten?”

“Alone?” I came up with, once more increasing the redness of my cheeks and for a split second both of us looked away from the other.

“Have you eaten?” I eventually asked. He didn’t answer but the apologetic expression on his face and mostly in his eyes was answer enough. With an inaudible sigh I pulled my lower lip between my teeth, hesitating. Then, before I had really made up my mind, my right hand shot forward to take hold of his and I started to pull him with me down the street.

“Where are you going?” he wanted to know and I shot him a smile.

“To one of my favourite places in all of London,” I replied, slowing down my pace a little. Once he had caught up with me, his inquiring gaze met mine.

“Does that place have a name?”

“Yes,” was all I said, barely able to contain my laughter so that I added, “but more importantly: it will be warm AND there will be food for me.” Tom laughed again.

“Fine, surprise me.”

It was then when he lightly squeezed my hand and moved his fingers to intertwine them with mine that I became aware of still holding his hand. Or him holding mine. Or both.

Could this be the start of something between us? Was it the start of something between us? Was I even ready to start something with him? That last notion made me falter in my step slightly. I had no answer, to any of the questions. I hadn’t thought about any of this before I’d met him at the Christmas party. All I knew was that I wanted to spend time with Tom, to get to know him better. And wasn’t that the only answer I needed right now?

We turned another corner, into a smaller side street and a smile crept onto my face upon seeing the familiar sign in the not too far distance. It was just a small sign, lit up by individual light bulbs instead of the nowadays more common neon tubes. And when we were only a few paces away, I saw that several bulbs weren’t lit and had to chuckle. Some things never change.

“Here we are,” I quietly said to Tom and motioned to the glass door on which another sign read: We are open.

He reached for the door which opened with a tinkling of bells and I stepped through into the warmth. And I not only meant the heating system. The whole place radiated a kind of warmth coming straight from the heart. And it was there, in your heart, that you felt this warmth the most.

Alerted from the bells, a dark haired man in his mid-thirties stuck his head out of the kitchen. When his gaze met mine, a bright smile formed on his lips.

“Kat!” he exclaimed and rushed around the counter to pull me into his arms. “It’s good to see you, sweetheart. And it’s been way too long.”

“Yes, it has. Good to see you, too, Tony,” I replied and noticed his eyes fixing on something behind me. Turning around, I saw that that ‘something’ was Tom and once again I felt my face flush with colour. Clearing my throat, I said, “Tom, this is Tony, the owner, cook and waiter. Tony, this is Tom.”

The men shook hands a little longer than strictly necessary or so it seemed to me and I got the impression that they were sizing each other up.

“Well, what can I get for you?” Tony asked once the assessment of the counterpart had come to an end. He turned to me, “The usual?”

“Yes. And some fresh mint tea, please,” I answered and looked at Tom, “What would you like?”

“I’ll have a fresh mint tea as well,” he chose. Tony nodded and motioned to the right, “Go on and sit down. I’ll bring the tea asap.”

Nodding my thanks, I looked at Tom, smiling brightly and asked him to follow me. We passed the two empty tables which made him hesitate.

“Katherine, why not here?”

“Because,” I smiled at him, “I want my spot. Come and see.” I pointed at what seemed like a wall protrusion but had in fact once been a small, second room. Dominating the small space was an L-shaped sofa with mounts of cushions and pillows. The light was dimmed, creating a quite grotto-like feel. A mirror hung on the wall above the shorter end of the sofa and a hand-painted wooden sign on the wall we were facing proclaimed that this was “Kat’s Cosy Corner”.

“Wow,” he said as he stepped next to me, “I’d have never expected this.” He smiled at me, tilting his head to one side before motioning to the sign.

“Is this really your corner?”

“It is,” I confirmed, “it was my idea. This used to be a storage room or something like that but they never really used it. Didn’t need to.” I shrugged and started to take of my gloves, hat and jacket while explaining, “So one evening several years ago, Tony and his wife Anna and I sat out there together talking about the unused space and the idea just kind of popped into my head. And especially Anna instantly liked it, so….” I made a gesture with both hands, enhancing that this was the outcome of said idea.

“This is great,” Tom agreed, smiled at me and took my coat to place it at the far end of the couch along with his and sat down. I did the same, plopped down onto the very comfortable sofa, removed my shoes, pulled my legs up and leaned into the pillows next to me and somehow into Tom as well - more accidentally than planned.

“Oops, sorry,” I mumbled, meeting his eyes and wanting to move away but he had already put an arm around me. Smiling, he removed the pillows from between us and pulled me closer, all the while holding my gaze. I swallowed hard. The butterflies in my stomach were back dancing the samba and my heartbeat increased tenfold.

The fingertips of his free hand ghosted over my cheek, raising goose bumps on my skin and making me shiver. His eyes momentarily shifted to my lips before he whispered, “You liked my first kiss.”

“I did,” I breathed, partly because he had asked so quietly and partly because I feared my voice would not cooperate at the moment.

“Would you allow me to kiss you again?”

Despite me knowing where this was headed, still my breath caught in my throat so that my answer consisted of a very voiceless “Yes”.

I saw his rather cheeky smile come nearer, closing the distance between us before my eyes drifted shut on their own. His breath whispered across my cheek, across my lips and I shivered in anticipation. I felt his lips lightly brush against mine and I sighed inaudibly, wanting nothing more than to deepen the kiss. But just then a voice called out “Knock, knock” (due to the lack of a door) and I instantly pulled away from Tom out of sheer surprise, to see a blonde woman enter.

“Anna,” I exclaimed, eyes widening in even more surprise and I excitedly jumped up off the couch.

“Hey,” she smiled and held up the two tall glasses of mint tea she was carrying, “Tony told me you were here, so I at least wanted to see you for a little while since it’s been so long. And I thought I’d make myself useful and get those teas to you.”

She set the glasses down onto the low table and went to hug me tightly.

“Gosh, it’s good to see you, Kat. We’ve sure missed you and there’s so much we have to catch up on,” she said, almost bringing tears to my eyes.

“I know and we will,” I replied, pulled away from her and turned to Tom who was watching us closely, a smile on his face.

“Anna, please meet Tom. Tom, this is Anna, Tony's wife and my cousin,” I introduced. He stood up and held out his hand for Anna to take and she did so, her eyes widening slightly with recognition. 

“Nice to meet you, Anna,” he said and I saw her gulp.

“You, too,” she replied, her voice a little on the shaky side which made Tom smile and me smirk. I knew just how she must've felt. I'd been there. I still kind of was there.

“Now that Katherine mentioned it, I can see a resemblance,” Tom stated, looking from me to Anna and back. “It's mostly your eyes.”

“Yes well, can't deny that,” Anna said, sounding more like her usual self again which should have taken me a bit by surprise. More so when she asked, “So, how did you two meet?”

“We literally ran into each other at a Christmas party,” Tom answered. He smiled at me in a way that made me blush and I had to look away, registering Anna’s rather too big a grin. Something started to click in my head but before I had the chance to really grasp it, Tony entered the room with my food on a plate.

“There you go,” he said, putting the plate down on the table and smiling at me, “double cheese with cucumber and tomato. Bon Appétit.”

“Thanks, Tony, you're the best,” I exclaimed, plopped down onto the sofa again, picked up one of the sandwiches and bit into it with much gusto. “Hmm,” I moaned, happily munching away, “this is awesome.”

I swallowed the first bite and was about to take the second when I became aware of everyone watching me, all sporting identical grins.

“What?” I inquired, looking at all three in turn and feeling the heat on my cheeks intensify upon meeting Tom’s gaze.

“I'm really hungry,” I offered as explanation and Tom cleared his throat, dropping his gaze first to the floor then focused on Anna and Tony and said, "Which, I am ashamed to say, is totally my fault. We were supposed to have dinner together about two hours ago and I kind of stood her up at the restaurant."

“I thought we agreed that you didn't stand me up,” I reminded him, a smile on my face despite the increasing blush. “It was...bad timing.”

“And for that alone you deserve so much better,” Tom insisted, smiling. He came over, took my hands in his and pulled me to my feet before leaning in and placing a short, soft kiss on my lips. Cheeks flaming red, I averted my eyes. My heart warmed even more toward him. How could he just be like that?

Tony clearing his throat brought me back to the present and I looked up at him, meeting Tom’s gaze briefly along the way.

“I guess we'll leave you to it,” he said, a slight hint of embarrassment in his voice. “We'll lock everything up and you two can use the backdoor, alright?”

At my nod, he took Anna’s hand, gave it a short tuck when she didn't respond immediately and pulled her with him toward the doorway. A very bright grin was plastered on my cousins face.

“It was lovely meeting you, Tom,” she nearly sang, “oh, and can I just say: I loved your performance in ‘The Hollow Crown’.”

Tom’s ‘Thank you’ was more or less directed at the empty doorframe because Tony nearly dragged her out of the room. Silence fell for several heartbeats until we heard her calling out, “Oh, and by the way, tell Julie I said hello.”

That was it for me. As everything clicked into place in my head, I burst out laughing, collapsed onto the sofa and buried my face in my hands. My shoulders, my whole body shook from the uncontrolled laughter and I have to admit, it felt wonderful. It took so much pressure from me, so that I felt much more like myself when I eventually calmed down and found Tom’s eyes.

“I'm sorry, you must probably think me a nutcase,” I told him, a blush once again colouring my cheeks but he shook his head and sat down next to me.

“No, I don't,” he replied. “I really enjoy seeing you laugh but wouldn't it be much more fun if I was in on the joke?”

“I suppose so,” I said giggling and added, “She was in on it.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“What I mean is,” I said shaking my head and took a deep breath, “that my dear cousin knew of it – of us. She was in on Julie and Emma’s plan all along. That’s why she was merely a little surprised to meet you. – God, I should have noticed before, it all makes sense now.” I said the last part mostly to myself, studying my hands and felt the heat on my cheeks which increased when Tom asked, “And what exactly makes you think that? Because to be honest, I don’t see it.”

“Yes well,” I mumbled and looked up at him again. “For that you actually need to know that Anna…literally forced me to watch ‘The Hollow Crown’ with her…and some other stuff.”

“Did you like it?”

“It’s quite impossible to not like it with so many great actors bringing history to life and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed Shakespeare in school…but that’s beside the point I’m trying to make.”

“Which is?” he grinned rather cheekily, making me bite my lower lip and I saw his eyes momentarily focusing on them.

“I think, we never really stood a chance to…you know…uhm get out of this? Avoid this?”

“So you think it was a put-up job?”

“Yes,” I answered, “Kind of.” His gaze was still on me and I nervously fidgeted with my hands in my lap, averted my eyes.

“But the question here is: do we want to get out of this?” he asked.  

“I…uhm…do you? I mean, I could totally understand if you do…you know? As I said when we first met, I wouldn’t really like to be set up with someo….”

“Katherine?” he interrupted my rambling and I stilled, tentatively finding his eyes.

“Yes?”

He changed his position on the couch so that he was facing me directly and framed my face with both hands, a sweet smile on his lips.

“Please shut up,” he said quietly before he kissed me and I melted against him, my cheeks once more flaming red.

“Fact is,” he breathed against my lips when we eventually parted, “I already am in this. And I really don’t want to get out of it.”

“Neither do I,” I whispered.

“Good,” he said and placed another gentle kiss on my lips just as my stomach started to rumble.

“Now I’ve kept you from your food again,” he stated, making me blush and laugh.

“You did,” I agreed. “And moreover, you’ve gotten me so embarrassed…how am I ever going to be able to eat in front of you?”

He laughed and leaned against the back of the couch, supporting his head with his right hand.

“Well, I think you’d better get used to it.”

[hiddleston-infusions]

... for all the likes and reblogs and the follows :)

I can hardly believe it! I really appreciate it so much.

On a second note, I have come up with a main title for the stories 'Of Bathroom Doors And Mistletoe' and 'Of Dinner Dates And Kisses' which is "Knowing Me, Knowing You".

I am currently working on Part 3 *yeay* :D But it will take some more days to finish.

Thanks again for reading what my mind comes up with :)