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Bless you - Tom Holland

request: By anonymous - Could you write one where Tom and reader are dating or something but she is allergic to dogs but doesn't tell Tom because she loves him and Tessa

(a/n): So I loved this idea, but I have to admit, I got a bit derailed writing this. But, like, I really liked how it turned out so I kept it. I hope I didn’t disappoint.

word count: 8564

warning: cursing, alcohol, a small mention of blood, needles, a bit sad. More fluff than sad though. Spoilers for Infinity War - so also, IW trigger warning I suppose.

You had loved dogs ever since you were a little girl. You didn’t care what kind, each and every single one was the cutest thing on the planet. You couldn’t remember a time when you’re family didn’t have a dog and you dreamed of someday when you had a family on your own, you could have a dog too. A dog that not only would protect your house if necessary (big dogs are the best, aren’t they) but also to have some life around the house. You had it all figured out. At least, until one doctor’s appointment.

Around the age of thirteen, your parents noticed that you almost always had a cold. Your eyes were puffy and you often complained about having a dry throat. So, like any rational parent, they took you to the doctor. He suggested an allergy test. It sounded insane. Your parents had you tested when you were younger and there didn’t seem to be any positives at that time. How could you suddenly be allergic to something?

Well, two weeks later, the results were in. You sat in the waiting room with your mother for what seemed like forever. Then the doctor called you in.

“Good morning.” the old man smiled. You were too nervous to respond. Your mother knew this, so just asked it herself.

“Good morning, doctor. Can you please give us the results.” she almost begged. The man nodded along and took out a paper from a file with your name on it. It had all kinds of numbers and words on it that you didn’t understand. The doctor explained: “We tested the blood sample on all possible allergens that could cause the symptoms your daughter is showing. You can see that there are, in fact, a few categories in which she resulted positive.”

“Which were?”

“Well, there were two that tested highly positive, which may actually cause allergic reactions. It is no surprise because these two are often found paired.”

“So what is it?” you asked, completely sick of waiting.

“Your blood,” the doctor had directed himself to you, “has been tested positive for allergen of Canis Familiaris and Felis Domesticus.” You had no idea what he had just said. Your mother, on the other, clearly did as she put a hand over her mouth as she gasped with a small shock.

“Mom? What is it? What am I allergic to?” You looked at. She ignored you, looking at the doctor: “But how is that possible? She has been fine all this time?”

“Allergies can grow over a lifetime. It is very possible that they can get worse as she gets older,” he explained sadly.

“Mom.” you tugged her on her sleeve, trying to catch her attention. “Can someone tell me, in English, what is going on?”

“Honey, I…uhm… you’re allergic to cats,” she said. You let out a sigh. That wasn’t that bad. You never really liked cats anyway. They were cute and all, but not really your thing. But there was something else the doctor said you were allergic to. “... and dogs.” Your mom finished talking.

“What?” you glanced from your mom to the doctor, and back to your mom. You couldn’t be allergic to dogs. No!

“Is there anything we could do? I mean, we have a dog at home, we can’t…” You were thankful she didn’t finish that thought. You wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you were the reason your parents would have to get rid of your dog, Elmo. He was the best thing in your life.

“The best option is, of course, immunotherapy.”

“What is it?” you asked. The doctor smiled nervously.

“In your case, it would be specific injections with the allergens.” Injections. That meant needles. But you could do it for Elmo.

“How many injections are we speaking, doctor.”

“It would start off with injections once a week for about seven months, after which injections can be administered every two weeks. Eventually, injections can be given every four weeks. The duration of therapy may be three to five years, sometimes longer.” He couldn’t be serious. Your mom thought the same. She saw you getting pale at the idea of this. Needles and injections were the one thing that you hated the most. It wasn’t even fear, just rather uncomfortableness and anxiety.

“Five years! Doctor, there must be another way?”

“The only other option we have is pills, which I prescribe you.”

________________________________________

The moment you stepped into your mother’s car, you started crying. She pulled you into a tight hug from her seat and held you close to her, letting you cry for a little on her chest. She tried to calm you down, saying it was going to be ok and that Elmo would stay, but it was so much more than that. Your whole dream of a happy family was destroyed. You would never be able to give your kids this joy. And what if they would be allergic?

Back home, before you even opened the door, you could hear Elmo’s barking. The sounds could easily scare of a person not in the know, but you loved it. It made you feel safe.

Your mother opened the door, calling your dad that they were home. He didn’t respond, probably taking a nap. Instead, the scraping of nails on wood would be heard and a few more barks. Elmo ran in. His big black figure towering over small toys your siblings had left behind in the corridor.

He ran up to you but stopped just in time before a collision. He started panting with his tongue out, making it look like the dog had the brightest smile on his face. Tears were forming in your eyes again. You loved this dog so goddamn much!

The years went on and just like the doctor said, your allergies did get worse. It wasn’t by much, but you got more and more breathing problems around Elmo, making you take pills now almost on the daily basis.

Elmo. the sweetest dog you knew. After eleven years, he started to get sick and well… you didn’t like talking about it much.

Your parents gave you some time to deal with the loss. You appreciated it. For a few weeks, you just stayed in your room, doing nothing, while also trying to prepare yourself for university. It was sad times.

________________________________________

But four years later, you were twenty-two, had your own little flat at the edge of the city and your family had gotten a new dog. It was the cutest little Shih-Tzu named Chandler. When they had told you, you were very apprehensive, but your father just laughed.

“What?” you asked.

“These dogs are hypoallergenic.”

“No!” you smiled in excitement. Suddenly the black and white puppy got even more cute if that was even possible. You watched him jump around the room like a bouncing ball.

“Yes!” your dad said.

Very obviously, you left your family house with a big smile. The sky was getting dark already. It was still early, but in Autumn it happened.

Your flat wasn’t far away from your old home. You just had to cross the park. So, that’s what you did. The street lights were already on. Giving the leaves on the ground a sparkle together with the rain that started to fall. You didn’t mind. You liked the weather. It was calming. You put the hood of your jacket up and enjoyed the water dripping down on and around you. Could you do it? There was nobody around. You shrugged to yourself and started to dance around, singing very fittingly…” singing in the rain”.

You made a little twirl, beginning with the first line of the iconic song: “I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain. What a glorious feeling…” You saw a lamp post and took your chance. You walked up to it and did your best attempt at the classic Gene Kelly move. “I’m laughing at clouds.” You started laughing at yourself. “So dark up above…woah.” Your hand slipped from the wet pole. You were still singing when you fell to the ground, right on your face. You could feel the mud on your cheek.

“Are you ok?” a voice made you freeze while you were trying to get up. You had your eyes on the ground, too scared to look up. You recognized that voice. You had heard a million times.

“Uhm, yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” with a small groan you got up, pulling your hood as far as you could, so the man in front of you couldn’t see your face.

“You sure?” You just nodded. “I heard you singing.” You looked up at him, shifting your hood a bit up. There he was, Tom fucking Holland in the flesh. Only the hottest guy from school now turned famous movie star. And of course he had to see you in probably the lowest point in your entire life- face covered in mud as you had just failed to recreate a scene from a musical. All by yourself at night in the park.

“You did?” you were glad that the mud was covering up the blush that was appearing on your cheeks.

“Yeah, it was good,” he admitted.

“Really?” Did he just give you a compliment? You were freaking out. Yeah, you had gone to school together and had a few classes with him, but that was pretty much it. You weren’t even sure if you actually ever had a conversation with him, except for, maybe, that one time he asked to borrow a pen. Yet still, that didn’t stop you from growing a massive crush on him. He was this adorable nerd, just like you… minus the adorable.

“Yeah, except for, you know… when you fell on your face.” he scratched the back of his neck. His other hand, you only noticed now, was holding on to a bike. How had you missed that? Attached to the handlebars of it, was a leash that held onto the most adorable Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She sat nicely next to her owner. Her dark eyes sparkling against the street lights.

“And who is this cutie?” you asked, kneeling down to the dog.

“Oh yeah, this is Tessa,” he said with a smile. You wanted to pet her so badly, but thought to better get a consent from Tom. “can I…” you hesitated.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. She loves attention.” You put your hand on Tessa’s head, scratching lightly behind her ear. Her tail starting wagging at the touch. You almost didn’t notice how close you were to the dog until your eyes start to prick a bit. As casually as possible, you tried to move a bit further away from the dog, putting a hand over your mouth, trying not to breathe in next to the dog. But then, Tessa decided to reciprocate her love to you and jumped up from her hind legs and licked your face. A bit shocked at the sudden movements, you jumped up. Tessa, thinking you wanted to play, started jumping up your legs

“Tessa! Bad girl.” he pulled her away from you. “I’m so sorry. Normally she can behave herself.”

“No, it’s ok.” you could feel a sneeze coming up. You tried to hold it in, but, “Achoo!” you covered your have with your arm.

“Bless you.” Tom smiled. “We should probably get out of the rain.” You had completely forgotten that it was still raining. By that point, your jacket was completely soaked, and so was the upper half of your jeans from when you were kneeling down to pet Tessa. You looked at Tom, who was also getting up there, and he wasn’t even wearing a jacket.

“God I’m sorry for holding you up. You should get home, probably.” you felt really guilty for making him stand in the rain.

“No, it’s ok.” he shrugged and got on his bike. “I’ll see you around, (Y/N).” He remembered your name. You were in shock.

“D- Definitely.” you smiled and waved him off. He turned his bike around, got Tessa’s leash off of the handlebar and put it around his wrist, and cycled away. Tessa jogged on next to him happily, wagging her tail constantly. You watched him go, thinking if you would actually ever see him again, but then you could hear him shout: “Tessa! No, no, no…” and a damp clang of metal and an “oof.” You couldn't see clearly what happened, but a few seconds later, Tessa showed up at your feet, her leash not followed by anyone. She must have pulled herself from his grip.

“Hey, girl.” You smiled as you took her leash in her hands. You walked her back to her owner, who was sitting on the ground, his bike lying next to him. “Are you ok?” you asked him just like he had asked you before.

“Yeah,” he groaned as he got up, pulling his bike up with him. “Tessa just had slightly different plans than me.” he chuckled.

“Well, uhm,” you don’t know what to say, you glanced down at the ground and saw that his jeans were ripped. Not in a way that they should be. “Oh god, I think you’re bleeding.” You pointed at his knee, where the ripped jeans were slightly darker than the rest of the material. Tom looked down confused.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. It doesn’t...hurt.” He tried to get on his bike again, but when he moved his leg, a clear shot of pain ran through it. Now, you were no medical student, but you knew when someone was in pain.

“Yeah, you’re not, Spider-Man. Let me help you.” Without thinking you mentioned his most famous role. He looked up from his knee to you, smirking. “You a fan?”

“Uhm, I mean…I’ve seen them with my brother. You’re really good.” you stumbled the words out.

“Thanks.” He laughed a hint of pain from his knee still there. You couldn’t let him go off alone. Not with that knee.

“Let me walk...Achoo!” you sneezed again. “Sorry, I wanted to ask if you don’t mind walking with you.”

“No, there’s no need.” he looked away. Of course, he was. Who were you to suspect that he wanted to walk home with you? Uhg… stupid.

“Yeah, sorry. I just thought, you know, with your knee.” You didn’t look at him anymore, feeling awkward for practically throwing yourself at him like that.

“It’s not that. I would love to walk with you.” DId he just say walk? “But isn’t it supposed to be the guy who walks the girl home?” He scratched his neck again. You smirked.

“Well, first of all, I didn’t say anything about walking you home. Secondly, are you really into those gender stereotypes?”

“What? No.” It was pretty dark, but you were sure you saw him blush. “Right. Sorry.”

“No problem. Here,” you handed him the leash of Tessa. “I’ll take your bike.” He looked hesitant as you took the handlebars from him.

“Are you sure. I can hold it myself.”

“Yes, I’m sure. You can barely hold it up now. At least Tessa can walk herself if anything happens.” you joked. Tom laughed nervously after you. The rain was starting to get worse and worse now and you were pretty sure you heard thunder somewhere in the distance. You gripped the handlebars tighter and pushed the bike as you started walking. Tom walked beside you. Tessa was in between. You wished she wasn’t. Not that you didn’t like the dog, she was adorable! But your throat was slowly starting to itch.

“So, you watch my movies?” He asked. A grin on his face.

“Well, I’ve seen you in the red-and-blue spandex, only because I’m a sucker for Marvel.” Tom laughed, you weren’t sure why. “Yeah, I remember. You used to get shit from the teachers because you always had that Captain America pin on your uniform.” You couldn’t believe he remembered that. You barely remembered that. You only wore the pin the first few weeks of year 9, before your parents made you take it off because too many teachers had complained about you breaking the school dress code.

“Yeah, I did.” you smiled, still in disbelief. All your time at school you thought he hadn’t even known you existed. You could feel your cheeks heat up again.

“So what do you do?” He asked very interestedly. You had to think for a while. You didn’t do anything really. Didn’t even have a proper job really. But you didn’t want to sound pathetic, at least so bad, next to Tom, who was literally the world’s heartthrob and had a massive career going on for himself.

“I, have a small photography business. Not much, but it pays the bills.” You looked down at your hands, which were starting to tremble from the cold.

“Oh cool, my brother, Harry, is also really into photography…” You listened as he went on talking about his brothers. You didn’t want to stare, but your eyes were drawn to his face. How his jawline stayed perfect during every word he spoke. How his curls got stuck to his forehead from the rain. You also saw how his walk was a bit uneven, every time he had to move his left leg, he would hitch up a bit. “So, how’s your family?” Your head was brought back to earth. You hadn’t heard a word he said. You felt horrible. He looked at you as you didn’t say anything.

“Oh, they're great. My parents just got a new dog. I was on my back from them, actually.” His eyes lit up at the mention of a dog.

“What kind?”

“A Shih-Tzu. It’s a puppy. Literally the smallest and cutest thing you’d ever see.”

“I’ll have to see for myself, then.” Was he inviting himself to go to your parents' house with you? Of course, you had no problems with that. It was Tom, your lifelong school crush… could this also count as a celebrity crush then too? You wanted to say something, but another sneeze interrupted. “Achoo!”

“You sneeze cute,” Tom commented.

“Er, thanks. I think.” You weren’t sure if you were supposed to take it as a compliment or as a joke on the fact that you had to sneeze so often. He just smiled at you, still walking a bit wonky. You had reached the exit/entrance of the park. The streets outside the park were much brighter. You walked for another minute or two and then stopped in front of his house. You couldn’t believe it - you actually only lived a street away from him. You literally walk by his house every day.

“Well, here’s me.” he pointed at his door. Tessa was already excited to get back inside the warm house. You handed him the bike, a bit sad that you had to say goodbye already. He thanked you for everything. You were walking away when you could hear a faint clink and the Tom groaning in pain. You turned around. From what you could see, he probably dropped his keys and was trying to pick them up but because of his knee, he couldn’t bend his leg.

“Oh god, wait.” You jogged back to him and then past the small fence to his door. You picked up his keys. “Which one?” you asked. Tom, still in slight pain, pointed at a key with a red cover. You put it in the lock and pushed the door open. Tessa slipped between your legs and you stepped aside so Tom could enter his house. He turned the lights on in the hallway. You were about to walk away when he called out to you: “Wait!” You were honestly surprised. “Would you like to have a drink? A thank you for… you know.” He glanced down at his leg.

“Er… sure. Why not.” You were thinking out loud more than answering. Tom’s face lit up as you walked back to his door. You could now clearly see his face. Even completely soaked, he still looked absolutely gorgeous. You started to freak out a bit because you remembered how you had fallen in a mud puddle not so long.

“Do you mind if I use the bathroom?” You asked awkwardly.

“No, of course, it’s uhm...first door on your left.” You thanked him and walked inside the room that was behind the first door on your left. You didn’t want to look around a lot, not wanting to be weird. You just walked over to the sink to see the damage in the mirror. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. There was a little smudge of dirt on your cheek, but most everything had been washed off by the rain. Your jacket on the other hand… it didn’t look great.

You washed off the last spaces where mud made contact with your skin. You looked decent.

When out of the bathroom, you were greeted with the sight of Tom lying on his couch. He looked up when he heard you open the door and tried to sit up. “Oh, no, no. Don’t. I’m fine.” you didn’t want him to be in pain because of you.

“But you have to sit, right?” there were many other places for you to sit in the room. You honestly would have been fine with sitting on the ground. But if he wanted you to sit…

You sat down next to him. The couch was large enough for him to have his leg laid out and you still sit next to him. You looked at his knee. It didn’t look great. His jeans were torn and you couldn’t see the difference between blood or dirt. He had definitely taken a hard fall on the gravel… and the bike probably fell on his leg too, you assumed.

“You should probably try and wash it out,” you suggested to him. He looked up at you, “Yeah, probably.” He was ready to get up when he accidentally turned his leg in a wrong angle and he yelled out in pain. “Oh, shit!”

“Wait, just stay on the couch. Do you have any first aid?” Tom lay his head back down on the armrest of the couch. A pillow between his arms.

“Yeah, yeah. In the bathroom.” You nodded and went looking in the bathroom for anything that could remind you of some bandages and rubbing alcohol. You finally found it under the sink. You weren’t sure what you needed, so you just took the whole box. Tom was still lying motionless on the couch. You very quickly realized something.

“I think, you’ll have to take off your trousers.”

“What?”

“To clean up your knee, you have to take off your jeans,” you explained.

“Can’t you just tear it off?” he groaned, probably too much in pain to move again.

“Tom, do you think I am to actually strong enough to tear up denim?” You raised an eyebrow at him. He looked up at you from the couch and shrugged. “I don’t know, you look pretty tough to me.” The comment made you blush.

“Well, I’m not. So can you…” Tom groaned. You assumed that that was a “yes”. You turned around to give him some privacy. You could hear him chuckle a bit. When he was done he said “alright” as a sign for you to turn around. You had to slap yourself mentally not to stare at him. He lay there, with his eyes closed, in his underwear. His shirt was wet, sticking to his torso. You took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. His knee didn’t look horrible, but it wasn’t good. The scratch was not deep, but it was long. There was some mud on it. You hoped you weren’t too late with cleaning it up. You opened up the box to get the rubbing alcohol and some cotton pads.

The alcohol smelled horrible. It made your eyes burn from afar. You poured a little bit over the cotton pad. “Okay, Tom, this can sting a bit,” you said before applying it to his wound.

“Yeah, I know- oh, motherfu-” he bit his knuckle as you dabbed his knee with the rubbing alcohol. It made you giggle a bit.

“Wait, wait, wait.” he stopped you. You wanted to tell him that you couldn’t stop, but that wasn’t the reason why he had said that. He leaned on his arms and pulled his upper body up so he could sit. “Okay.” You continued until all the mud and dried up blood was gone. Now, the wound didn’t look as bad anymore. You took some bandage out of the first aid box.

“Okay, I think it’s done.” You said, looking at your work. You were pretty impressed yourself.

“Thank you so much.” he sighed. “You probably think I’m pretty pathetic now, don’t you.”

“Of course not. Knees are sensitive. I used to fall all over the place when I was younger. You’re doing better than I ever did.”

“Not the best reassurance, but I’ll take it.” he laughed. You loved his laugh. In any way he did, it was always so genuine.

“Well, I’m happy to help.”

“Are you still up for that drink?” He asked suggestively. You looked at him and then his knee. “Only if you are.”

“Sure I am, you just have to help me get up.” he reached out his hands to you. Rolling your eyes you gripped his arms. Fuck, those arms. Since when were arms so hot? He got up, a bit shakily, but he stood. You watched him tentatively as he reached the kitchen island. “So, what are you in the mood for?” his formulation seemed rather odd to you. You had never actually heard a guy talk like that when offering you a drink.

“Er- whatever you got, is fine by me.”

“Beer?” he pulled out to bottles of some Heineken.

“Yeah, sure.” You watched again as he made his way back to the couch. You didn’t know where you should look. He had definitely not skip leg-day and even though his walking was currently a bit problematic, there was still a great view… His shirt was split exactly in the middle. The water hitting it there were he hoodie had not covered it. The wet material clung exactly in the way, where you could see his muscles… His face. God, probably just the most perfect face you have ever seen. Even with the imperfections.

“There you go,” he handed you the bottle. A small shock went through your hand and you weren’t sure if it was from the sudden cold of the refrigerated glass, or from the moment that his fingertips softly brushed against yours when he gave you the beer. You thanked him, trying not to think about it.

“Are you planning on leaving soon?” He asked as he sat back down.

“What?” Did he want you to leave? Where you annoying him? You completely understood, but it was a bit weird. After all, he had just given you a drink.

“Well, you’re still wearing your jacket.”

“Oh, right, sorry.” You put down the beer bottle that you haven't even drunk form yet, on the coffee table. You unzipped your jacket fully and took it off. Now you noticed that the rain had gone through it, soaking your shirt too. You didn’t know what to do with the jacket now. As if reading your mind, Tom said you could just put it on one of the chairs. So, that’s what you did.

It was silent for a moment until you could hear a faint pitter-patter behind you. Tessa came walking up with a chew toy and stopped dead in front of you, dropping the toy in your lap. You stared at her. The dog looked back at you and moved her head slightly sideways. She was adorable, but the only thing you could think of right now was how eyes were beginning to itch horribly. Before you knew it, you started to sneeze uncontrollably.

“Oh shit, you’re drenched. Do you want a towel, a blanket?” Tom looked concerned at you while your allergies calmed down a bit.

“No, it’s fine,” you said a bit nasally. “Look, I’m sorry. I should probably go.” you didn’t want to go. But you didn’t have any medication with you and you were only getting worse and worse. You got your jacket and got up. Tom wanted to follow you, but his knee refused.

“Wait, I don’t have your number.” He shouted out. You were already at the door. You noticed a small post-it note stack and a pen next to the coat hangers. You wrote down your name, number and address, just in case.

“Now you do.” you stuck the post it on the door and opened it. It was still pouring outside. Before you closed the door, you could hear Tom call out to you, confused at your comment.

________________________________________

Easy to say, you and Tom started hanging out on almost a daily basis. The day after the park incident, like you, later on, started to call, he had not called. Oh no, he actually rang your doorbell around noon. You were more than surprised to see him.

“Oh, hey Tom. What are you doing here?” You leaned against the doorframe.

“I just wanted to check up on you. Make sure you didn’t get sick because of me.” It was cute how concerned he was.

“I’m doing good.” You said. “How’s your leg?”

“Better. But now my back is killing me. I slept on the couch because I couldn’t reach my bedroom.” He scratched the back of his neck, just like he was doing last night. Only now in proper daylight, showing off his muscles to you. The morning had been decently warm so far, so Tom, instead of wearing a jacket, had gone for the hoodie he had on last night. He had rolled up the sleeves, showing off that arm while his hand reached for his neck. You thought you were about to melt.

“Is that… it?” you asked, trying to ignore those veins.

“Uhm, yeah… I mean no. I was wondering if you would like to go on a walk with us.” You wanted to ask what he meant with “us”. When a bark sounded next to Tom. You leaned out of the doorframe and there stood Tessa, looking very happy with herself. How had you not noticed her before? Or at least the leash Tom was holding.

“Uhh… sure. Just give me a minute, ok?” Before he could respond, you slammed the door shut and ran to the bathroom, where all your medication was. You slicked two pills then wanted to run back. Then you stopped. You didn’t know how long the walk could last. You gripped the strip of pills and ran back to the corridor, slipping it into your bag. You put on a pair of sneakers and a jacket. After making sure you had your wallet, keys, and phone, you opened the door again. “Sorry.” you apologized for closing the door on him like that.

“No problem.” You closed the door behind you and walked side by side with Tom. First to the park, then just around the neighborhood. You talked about random things: your time at school together, time after school, his movies, your photography business, family…

From time to time you could feel his fingers brush against yours. As if Tom was building up the courage to take it a step further. Well he did, because by the time you were back at your place, your hands had been intertwined for a solid amount of time. You almost didn’t want to let him go.

“I had a great time,” you said, pulling a strand of hair behind your ear. You were leaning against your door with your back. Tom was standing in front of you. So close, that you could see every detail in his face. He was absolutely amazing.

“Me too. I hope we can do it again.”

“Absolutely, I would love to.” you smiled. Then, he kissed you. It was only a soft and quick peck, but it made you push back up against the door. You fluttered your eyes shut and when he pulled back you saw that he had done the same. But then they opened wide.

“Shit, sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.” he started to freak out. You put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Tom.” He looked at you, for some reason, confused.

“Can I…” You didn’t need him to finish the question. You nodded slightly and pulled him back to you. The kiss was still gentle lasting slightly longer. He put one hand on your hip. The whole moment seemed to play out in slow-motion and it felt amazing. Unfortunately, it fast forwarded when Tom’s arm was jerked backward.

“Woah,” he jogged a few steps back before turning around to face his dog. “Tessa!” He looked back at you, waving with an apologetic look. You waved back and watched him jog behind his dog. You could see that his knee was doing better, but there was still a slightly strange dip in his steps. You watched him walk until he had turned to corner into his own street. Then, you got inside your own house. When the door was closed, you leaned against it and slid down to the ground. A squeal left your mouth as you tried to comprehend what had just happened.

_______________________________________

You later on decided that that counted as a pretty good first date. After that, many more had come and gone. All amazing if not better. Every minute you spend with Tom felt like the best kind of eternity you could end up in.

A year had already passed. A bit more than that even. You were supposed to meet Tom at his place for a simple movie night with pizza, beer, and ice cream. Those were your favorite dates. It was just you two together, under blankets, feeding each other food from way too big distances, making it spill on the other. It was just laughs and kisses all night long.

“Shit, shit, shit.” You ran around the house. You were supposed to leave in five minutes and you couldn’t find your pills anywhere. You thought you still had some in the bathroom, but the strip was empty, and so was the one in your bag and the one next to your bed. You groaned in panic. You didn’t have anything against your allergy. You could order a new set from the pharmacy, but that will take ages to actually deliver. And you couldn’t cancel tonight. You were supposed to leave in… you looked at the clock on the wall, now. You were supposed to leave now. Before leaving, you grabbed a packet of tissues and put them in your pocket. Just in case.

Tom opened the door for you with a huge smile. “Hey babe,” he pulled you into a hug that turned into a passionate kiss. You were a bit stunned at his suddenness. When you pulled away, your foreheads still touched slightly. Wide smiles on both of your faces.

“What was that for?” you asked.

“Because I love you.” he looked into your eyes and gently put a strand of hair that had caught loose from your ponytail behind your ear. You were putty in his arms. How was this man so good to you?

“I love you too.” you cupped his cheek like he did yours, “Now let me.”

“Right. Sorry, love.” He stepped aside and let you inside. You could smell the popcorn the moment you were in the corridor. You took off your jacket and walked to the living room. Most of the lights were, but the room was still bright with the few small lights in the corners and the tv that was on. On the table in front of the couch on which you would be sitting on in a moment, stood already snacks, beers, plates, whatever other things that you would need through the night. On the couch, itself was already your favorite blanket. You sat down and unfolded it, the familiar smell hit your nostrils but it wasn’t as pleasant as you always thought it to be. Your heart started to race. You could recognize it on anything. This was the smell of a dog. You quickly kicked it off.

“Hey, sorry, the pizza will be here in a minute, I just ordered your usual, that’s okay?”

“Yes, perfect.” you nodded. Tom sat down next to you, putting his arm behind you on the backrest. You leaned against him, using him as a pillow. “So what do you want to watch?”

“So, I know you said you didn’t want to watch it ever again, but…” he pulled up a DVD from somewhere. You didn’t even have to look at the box properly to recognize the busy ensemble picture.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no. I am not watching you die again.” you groaned against his shoulder. He laughed. “Baby, you have to get over this. I’m still here so let’s watch it and make fun of my absolutely ridiculous hair.” You glanced up at him. His eyes were locked with yours as he smiled at you. You hand went up to brush through his hair. It was much shorter and curlier than it was in the movie.

“I liked it. You had the whole prince charming thing going on.” He hated that comparison. With a groan, he got up and put the DVD in the player. Without him next to you, you were starting to get a bit cold, but you had to suck it up. You could feel your nose starting to close up and the blanket would only make it worse. Tom got back to you and pulled you into a tight cuddle.

The movie started and you watched as the giant purple Josh Brolin walked around the destroyed spaceship. Right about the moment when Loki walked up again, the doorbell rang. You groaned. Definite nomination for worst timing went to this guy.

“I’ll get it,” Tom wanted to get up, but you pushed him down.

“And leave me to watch Loki die all alone, I don’t think so, Prince Charming. I’ll do it.” You ran to the door before your boyfriend could protest. Before you opened it, you asked him: “Did you pay online?”

“Uh, yeah.” you couldn’t see him, but you were sure he was too captivated by the movie to process actually what you had asked. You opened the door. It was a young boy, holding two pizza boxes.

“He did.” the boy said as he handed them to you.

“You could hear that, huh?” you were slightly embarrassed.

“Yeah, definitely not the worst thing I heard on this job.” he looked at you and the raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay miss?”

“Yes, of course.” the question surprised you. What, did you look that bad? You had felt your eyes sting a bit and your nose probably a bit red, but... You looked at the kid again, he looked like he could know what Marvel was. “We’re watching Infinity War, so…”

“Ooh, rough one. Well, good luck.” He smiled and walked off. You mumbled a goodnight and closed the door again. Before you walked back, you glanced in the mirror in the corridor. The faint light of the tv made it possible to see your face a bit. It, indeed, did not look amazing. Your eyes were puffy and slightly red, just like the rip of your nose.

“That took you long enough,” Tom said when you got back to him.

“Sorry, I didn’t feel like watching… you know,” you nodded your head to the tv screen, where the scene in the Sanctum Sanctorum was playing out. Tom opened one of the boxes up and took a piece of the pizza.

When you were done with the pizzas, Tom took you in his arms again. You were practically tangled up in each other. Tessa had been sleeping on the ground in between the couch and the table.

“You wanna get under the blanket?” he asked while the scene of Nidavellir was happening.

“No, I’m a bit hot.” You said blankly. You were looking at the screen but could still see Tom in the corner of your eye looking at you.

“No, you’re not. Your hands are freezing,” he said as he grabbed one of your hands in yours.

“They’re always freezing,” you said, still looking at how Chris Hemsworth was swinging the pod around the dying star.

“Yeah, no. Are you okay?”

“Of course.” You said, still a bit monotone. Then, the screen froze and you looked up. Tom was staring at you, concern feeling his eyes. You could see his eyes move around as he looked at your face.

“Have you been crying?” He put his hand on your cheek.

“No.”

“Well, it looks like you have.”

“I promise you, I haven’t cried. Achoo!” you covered your face before you started to sneeze. Tom’s eyes widened.

“You’re sick.” You could use this.

“Yeah, probably. I…” you couldn’t say it. No. Not those words. Why did the movie have to ruin such a normal sentence for you? “I don’t feel so good.” you cringed. Tom usually laughed when you quoted his movies, but this time not. He got up and started to pull you up with him.

“Okay, let’s get you into bed.”

“No. I uhm… I should probably just go home.” You wiggled your hand out of his.

“What, why?”

“I don’t want you to get sick.”

“I’m sure that by now, I would be sneezing too if you got me sick.”

“Damage control,” you said unsurely. Tom rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna go. I’ll call you tomorrow.” You took his hand and squeezed it lightly.

“Yeah, okay. Just take care of yourself, promise?” He put up his other hand, the one you weren’t holding, with his pinkie standing out.

“I promise.” you interlocked his finger with yours.

________________________________________

The next morning you called the pharmacy to get a refill on your pills. The woman on the other end of the line told you that there had been some problems with the restock and the pills could only be delivered in a week.

“No, but I need them now?” You nervously scratched your arm, it had been itching you the whole morning already.

“I’m sorry, miss, there is nothing I can do.” she sighed.

“I understand. Thank you.” And with that, you hung up. “Fuuuck!” You were glad you lived alone so you could let out all of your frustration without bothering anyone...except for maybe your neighbors. You sank down on your sofa and just lay there for an eternity, probably. You couldn’t see Tom without the pills. Not at his place at least. He would most definitely find it suspicious if you refused to come over to his place the whole week. You hated yourself more and more the longer you thought about it. Tom was the sweetest guy and Tessa was the nicest and most well behaved the dog you had ever met. Both of them deserve someone who could spend time with them without it ending to a trip to the ER.

Your thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door. You turned in the direction of it. Through the glass, you could see the vague silhouette of your boyfriend. What was he doing here? Then you remember, you promised to call him! You cursed yourself and slouched your way to the door.

“Hey,” you said with a sheepish smile, trying to make it look like you just woke up.

“Hey, did I wake you up?” He asked. You nodded your head no.

“I woke up a few minutes ago. You know, trying to rest and everything.”

“Good, I brought you your favorites,” he took out an extra big box of Double Stuffed Oreo’s. “I thought, maybe we can turn movie night into movie day… I won’t make you watch anything I die in.” You laughed at his cute idea. But then you saw Tessa standing at his leg. Her tongue out in a smile. “Yeah, I brought Tessa. You know, the extra company is always nice.”

“Er- Tom,” you didn’t want to reject him. This was the nicest thing someone could do for you. “I’m sorry. I just took some cold medicine and will probably pass out in the next ten minutes.” You felt horrible for lying.

“We can-”

“Maybe tomorrow.” you interrupted, not wanting to hear any more adorable ideas that would break your heart. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” From his voice, you could hear that he had no idea what just happened. You didn’t know what to do, scratching at your arm again nervously. Tom looked down at your hand.

“What’s wrong with your arm?”

“What, nothi-” you looked down to. The sleeve of your sweater was moved up as you had scratched, revealing a large red spot on your arm where you had severely scratched. There were some spots that were redder than others. Undeniable allergic reaction. Was it from the blanket last night? You pulled your sleeve down. “I don't know. It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” He asked. You looked at him and glanced down at Tessa, who was looking curiously at you as if she knew what was going on. She probably did.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry.” You were closing the door slowly. Tom put his hand on the frame, making you stop. “Should I - do you want me to come over tonight? I can cook.” What should you say? Of course, you wanted him to come over, you wanted him to come inside right now! But Tessa… what if he brought Tessa again. You couldn’t ask him to leave Tessa at home.

“No, you don’t have to. I’ve been feeling a bit nauseous the whole morning. I don’t think food is really what I need today. But thank you.” you kissed his cheek and closed the door. He stood there, frozen in confusion, for a second. Then walked away slowly. You could hear him talk to Tessa, but not exactly what he was saying. You wanted to actually cry. But also get some cream on the scratches on your arm, because they started to burn a bit. How did this all even happen? You wished you had taken the oreos from him.

________________________________________

That evening, Tom knocked on your door once again. You thought about not answering, but it would be too cruel. He didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve anything you did the last two days. He knocked again and you got up.

“I just wanted to check up on you. See if you were feeling any better.” He smiled, but his eyes were sad.

“Yeah, I’m much better.” You glanced around, looking if Tessa was with him. Surprisingly, she wasn’t. “Do you want to come in?”

“Sure.” You let him inside.

“Not, hungry, huh?” He said as he saw your coffee table. You had an empty bowl of popcorn and some leftover Chinese take-out.

“Well, no. But when I started to feel better I was starving so…”

“(Y/N).” You hadn’t heard him use your name in a long time. It was always just nicknames like “babe” “love” “darling”. The ones that made your stomach fill up with butterflies.

“What?”

“Just tell me the truth. I know you weren’t sick. Your house is a much bigger mess when you are.” You hated how well he knew you. “So what was wrong?” He sat down on the sofa and you sat down next to him.

“I wasn’t feeling well.” Truth. “Just a cold, I think.” Lie.

“But why suddenly leaving me out of it. Running out like that last night; closing the door in my face this morning; ignoring my texts.”

“What? I didn’t ignore your texts.” You looked at your phone on the armrest of the couch for the first time in three hours. Indeed, you had twelve messages from Tom and a missed call. “I swear to god, I haven’t seen those. I haven’t checked my phone since 4.”

“Okay, sure. But you’ve been acting strange ever since we met. So, are you hiding something from me?” You should tell him, but it would make things so difficult… but you were also making it difficult by hiding it from him. It was already horrible that you had been hiding it from him for so long.

“It’s Tessa.” you sighed. The weight lifted off your shoulders.

“Tessa? What happened? Did she bite you?” You realized that the word choice wasn’t ideal.

“No, no. Nothing happened. I love her. I just-” you bit your lip, too scared to actually say the words out loud. “I can’t exactly be around her.”

“What are you saying? You’re not scared of dogs.” His brows were furrowed. Your hands had found each other and you felt how his thumb softly ran back and forth on the back of your hand.

“I’m allergic to dogs.” A nervous laugh followed your sentence. Tom stared at you blankly. You had expected that reaction.

“What do you mean, you’re allergic to dogs? You’re always...you...How long have you known?”

“Since I was fifteen.”

“So all this time, the whole time we’ve been together, you were hiding it from me? What if something would have happened to you?” His eyes cleared with realization. “That’s what happened last night, wasn’t it. The blanket. Tessa had been sleeping on it the whole day before you came. God, I feel like an idiot.”

“No, don’t. It’s my fault. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you. It was stupid of me to think that I could keep it from you.”

“That’s for certain,” he mumbled. You gave him a stern look but knew that it wasn’t really your place to do so right now.

“I just love you so much, and Tessa, and how you love her, and I didn’t want you to do anything about that because of me. I didn’t want you to get angry.” Your thoughts and feelings were on a purge. Everything was coming out now.

“But you forgot one thing,” He cupped your face in his hands. “I love you more than anything. I couldn’t get mad at you. Especially not something that you can’t do anything about.” He pressed his lips against yours. “I get that sometimes I can be a bit too much with Tessa, but you could just ask and I can leave her at home. She manages better on her own than I do.” You laughed at his observation, which was true. He kissed you again. Next time when he pulled away, he only moved far enough so he could whisper: “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you replied and then kissed him. A minute later, you had to pull away for air. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, it was stupid.”

“It’s okay love, just do one thing. Promise me you won’t keep anything else from me.” He held out his pinky again, just like he did last night.

“I promise.”

The End

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