Chapter 2: Staying || Bound By Destiny (Ardyn Izunia x Reader)
Summary:
You may have read stories of girls (and boys) being teleported into gaming worlds such as Final Fantasy XV, but have you ever imagined that one of them gets teleported into our world? Y/N is a 25-year-old young woman who just escaped from an abusive relationship. One night, an unexpected thing happened while Y/N was about to sleep. A canon character got transported into her world. Chancellor Ardyn Izunia is known as a tragic man with a devastating past. The Gods from his world decided to punish him by cursing him that he'd never find love and sending him into a new world called Earth.
What would happen when Ardyn meets Y/N? Will he love her?
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Ardyn was awake and he grinned at her, causing Y/N to blush. Just why? Why did she have to have a crush on Ardyn, who is a fictional character? Yet, he was here. She stuttered, trying to say words while placing the fedora hat away on the chair and where Ardyn's trench coat was.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't expect you to wake up fast!" Y/N stuttered
Ardyn showed a sly smile and sat up. "I was just teasing you, my dear." He then looked around, and his sly teasing dropped to a frown. He looked even more concerned. "Where am I?"
"You are at my apartment," Y/N answered Ardyn's question. "I was minding my business when I found something glowing and that's when you appeared."
Ardyn was a bit impressed but he felt also... thankful. This young woman saved his life. If no one stepped in to save him, he would have lived on the streets, on this unknown planet. Wait, this is planet Earth like Shiva said? Is this his punishment? Being stuck on this planet with possibly no way home? How can he work then as the chancellor? Not to mention, he was someone shrouded with mystery. Y/N tilted her head a bit to the side and Ardyn looked at her.
"Is this planet Earth?"
Y/N nodded. She was surprised. How did Ardyn know that this is Earth? This is not Eos, that's for sure. "Can I ask what happened?"
Ardyn decided that it was best to explain so he did. Y/N listened to every detail. She never heard anything like that before. Sure, some people wrote about a canon character being teleported to Earth, someone being teleported into the franchise world, or a franchise being collaborated with another franchise. She wondered if the government held a deep secret, a special connection with the outside world somewhere in the universe. Was Eos connected to Earth?
Once Ardyn finished explaining, he didn't stop looking at Y/N. He just noticed something. She was a beauty. And also, she looked a little bit similar to his deceased lover, Aera. Y/N may not have the same blond hair color or blue eyes, but she had some similarities. Y/N was clueless about it but she went on: "Wow... That must suck." She then became suspicious and crossed her arms. "You aren't here to make here forever dark, are you?"
Ardyn couldn't help but chuckle. How foolish she was. He did want to bring darkness in Eos after being betrayed by the Astrals and younger brother, Somnus. No one helped him. Even perhaps Aera knew what was going to happen to him. Why didn't she warn him about it? Or tell him? Ardyn held even anger towards his once beloved. But he missed her dearly. What if... Y/N was a reincarnation version of Aera? Impossible. "No. I failed to bring darkness for my revenge. His Majesty defeated me in a battle."
Y/N couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "It's because of the betrayal, right?"
Ardyn looked at Y/N with his dark eyes, causing her to shudder. She should've been more careful. "How do you know that, my dear?"
Y/N wanted to come up with something, to make Ardyn feel that he wasn't bad. But Ardyn detests lairs and he can detect it easily when someone is lying. She sighed softly and decided to tell the truth. "You are a... a..."
"A what, my dear?"
"Fictional character," Y/N responded nervously.
Ardyn was taken aback. How was this possible? Was he a fictional character on this planet? How? He saw Y/N looking nervously at him. He remembered so many victims... The ones he made nervous and killed them. But he could've killed Y/N right now and there. Or some minutes ago but she... saved his life. She was also a beauty and she reminds him of Aera. She was also like a new creature that he had met on Earth. But she was a human like him. He also wanted to see if magic existed on this planet. He has Starscourge after saving many infected ones when he was not immortal at the time. He was only 33 years old and stuck forever in this body.
"I-I'm sorry to disappoint you, sir. I know that it's a lot to take in."
Ardyn chuckled and even heck, he even laughed a bit! "We are not in public, my dear. This is not Eos now, isn't it? Just call me Ardyn."
Y/N smiled a bit. "Very well then, ... Ardyn." She then stood up and went to her closet. She opened it and searched for a baggy shirt that would fit Ardyn. He couldn't help but watch her. Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, Y/N let out an "Aha!" and showed Ardyn a baggy black shirt. "You can stay here if you want. I don't want you to sleep on the streets."
"That is very kind of you, my dear," Ardyn said with a genuine thankful smile as Y/N gave him the black baggy shirt. "Where may I change?"
"Follow me." Y/N led the way as Ardyn followed her. The bathroom was not far. Y/N turned the light on as she entered her bathroom. There was a bathtub with curtains and a toilet. Oh, the bathtub also looked nice and big enough for your legs to be in the water too. Just imagine a hot relaxing water in the bathtub...
"You can change in here."
Ardyn entered while Y/N closed the door to give Ardyn privacy. She went to the kitchen to make something for Ardyn. What was his favorite food to eat? She decided to make him some (choice). She knew that Ardyn lived for many years to taste all kinds of foods. So, what was his favorite? Ardyn came out through the door and heard noises in the kitchen. He wore now a baggy shirt and he took out his shoes as well. He saw a small corridor/hallway that led towards the front door to the outside and there were Y/N shoes so he placed them down next to hers. He went to the kitchen and there he saw Y/N making food.
"Ah, you're done. I made some food for you," Y/N said as she turned around with a plate of food on it. "Have a seat."
Ardyn did as told and he sat down. This world is indeed a bit strange for him. He was treated all the time as someone important since he was a chancellor, the one of Niflheim. Y/N set the plate down in front of him and sat down across from him. He began eating while the girl watched him. "How does it taste?"
"Splendid!"
After eating, Y/N led him to the living room. "Now about the sleep. When looking at you and since you are a chancellor, you sleep in beds?"
Ardyn smirked with a chuckle. "My dear, I am immortal, I don't need sleep. But yes, I sleep in beds."
Y/N nodded. "How about I take the couch and you sleep in my bed?"
"Now, my dear, it's not wise for a gentleman to let a woman sleep on the couch," Ardyn said with a frown. "How about we share the bed?"
Y/N stiffed. She blushed. Never had she shared a bed with a man before. But Ardyn is her damn crush and yet he was here! Ardyn grinned once he noticed her blush. Y/N grumbled a "Fine" before walking to her bedroom, Ardyn following close behind. What he was saying is the truth. It's not wise for a gentleman to let a woman sleep on the couch. Y/N was already in her short pajamas and laid down in bed. Ardyn laid down next to her and closed his eyes. Like he said, he didn't need sleep since he was immortal. Y/N moved to sleep on her stomach and slowly closed her eyes. Sleep took her in rather quickly.
Summary: Akari has just met Gaeric for the first time and is still a little rattled by the experience. Ingo tries to reassure her by telling her a story.
Content Warning: Blood, bodily injury, and wild animal attack
Notes: I've made this in honor of Monsoon-of-Art and their PLA mer au (and just a touch from a different au where Gaeric acts as Irida's guardian). Many of the scenes in this fic are directly inspired by their work, there mer stuff more specifically. I've been a big fan of them since I started playing PLA and I've only grown to love all their characterizations of some of my favorite characters in all of Pokemon.
The last one! Woo~
If you've made it this far, thanks so much for the read. I had excellent inspiration and the power of Lexapro and ginseng giving me strength to write the first new fanfic I've done in months. Between school, work, and trying to sort out my depression and anxiety with medications, its been rough. Writing is one of my favorite outlets, as is Pokemon - not having the motivation or time to do much of either… well, I'm just glad to have them back.
Thank you so much to the community of writers and artists in the PLA and Pokemon fandom at large for inspiring me everyday to make more of the content I love. You keep doing you, guys.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't like to read on Tumblr? Read it here on AO3.
Ingo finished his story and Akari did not look remotely convinced, the mer grimaced.
“I know Gaeric has a – ah, reputation, but from what I gather, he has come a long way since he was a young man. He can still have a poor attitude regarding strangers, I know that firsthand. His devotion to Pearl clan can be a little misguided, but it is just that, devotion.”
Ingo realized that, again, he was making it sound as though he was excusing Gaeric’s destructive behavior. He didn’t condone it, although he knew some others did. The Galaxy Team’s presence and the mystery of the frenzied nobles seemed very closely linked in the eyes of many, even Melli had gone so far as to begrudgingly praise Gaeric for his grit. When Melli was saying something nice about the Pearl clan, that was when you knew something was wrong.
“What I am trying to say, Miss Akari, is that Gaeric has had his own identity crises in the past. He is not a stranger to misrepresenting himself or acting untrue to his ideals. He no longer permits himself to be that way. He was young once, he raised Lady Irida for a few years and continues to be her mentor – I don’t think he has it in him to harm a young, inexperienced pup like you in the way you’re thinking. So please, Akari, do not think so poorly of Gaeric.”
This plea gave her pause, absently scratching the rough coral exterior of the flute with her nail, its blue color matching the darkening color of the sea as dusk turned into evening. Ingo was asking for her understanding, but more importantly to put faith in him and his clan. In her heart of hearts, Akari knew that what she was doing was wrong. She was lying to a lot of people just to satisfy her own curiosities and desires. Now she had dragged Ingo into her brew of lies. He was asking for her trust, and she trusted Ingo just as much as she trusted her captains or Professor Laventon.
“I’ll… try. He’s not nearly as nice as you.”
“You caught him at a bad moment. Gaeric is nocturnal.”
Oh, so she woke him abruptly. That explained his grumpiness at the very least, she would also be pretty upset to be woken up abruptly by some stranger. Akari also knew for a fact that she looked terrifying before taming her hair and washing her face in the morning. His actions… She couldn’t condone his actions, but there were things that the commander did in the name of the team and Jubilife that she found questionable. There was a lot more grayness to the world, Akari was coming to realize. She hopped off the rock she had seated herself on and asked Ingo to run her across the cavern, where a narrow path between the boulders led out to the forest about a mile from Jubilife.
Ingo knew her fears were at least temporarily assuaged but knew more moments like this would crop up with more interaction with the clans. He would do his best to keep Akari at a distance, but between his clans’ own concerns for him and his mental/physical wellbeing and both clans insatiable nosiness to know more about the small pup that followed him around occasionally, he knew it was practically hopeless. His goal now was to soften the blow as best he could for all parties. It was a precarious position, but Ingo had been treading fine lines for many years now. Who knows, there was the remote possibility that this could be a unique experience for positive change in the clans and humans.
Only time would tell and that was just as unpredictable as the ever-changing sea.
Requests: Time has come once again!! ♥️Could I please request something soft with Gwindor? A fic maybe, where there is just affection from both sides and the reader is shy and sweet, and Gwindor finds it adorable?♥️Love your works always♥️ Hello there!! I'm so glad we will have more amazing works of yours! It is hard to get the creative brain to work sometimes♥️ Just wanted to say I sent a story request but i would be TOTALLY alright if you would like to turn that into HC!! ♥️♥️ Love whatever you write anyway 😌♥️ - @noldorinpainter
A/N: I was so happy to do this with Gwindor. I love him! Sorry I couldn’t make it a story! But I hope you enjoy!
* * *
- Gwindor is honestly a sweet and sensitive soul, so when it comes to having a significant other who is someone just as sweet, shy and sensitive is perfect for him.
- Still to Gwindor your happiness means everything to him, and you will find that since you are so shy and sensitive, that he spends a lot of time taking those things into consideration about you.
- While he is affectionate and likes to give out some PDA, you’ll find that he will still manage to rein it in and keep it as chaste as he possibly can so he doesn’t overwhelm you.
- So you will receive lots of little things that certainly build up throughout the day as he is generous with those little things;
- Lots of hand holding with his thumb gently caressing the back of your hand, or his hand gently coming to rest on your hip or your lower waist.
- His shoulder coming and brushing against yours in public, when he stands very close to you to make it known to everyone else that you two are together.
- He still loves all the little blushes you wear, and the sweet and coy smiles you offer him when he does these things.
- Though always he is pleasantly surprised by your sweeter nature, despite your shyness, when you two are alone and you start to dote on him.
- While Gwindor is fine with doting on you, it is a nice change of pace when in private your affections are a little more unbridled even despite all your nerves and how you’re fighting your shyness to do so.
- Gwindor loves it especially when you dote on him when he’s having a difficult time.
- While usually he is content with dealing with the problems himself, when you come and hold him and love on him it certainly takes the heavyweight and pressures off his shoulders knowing that you care about what it is he is going through.
- He is going to be less likely to want to share what his nightmares are about with you, even if they keep him up for days or the terrible things that they say about him in court and how against him they are.
- Though because of your sweet and delicate nature, Gwindor is going to try and shield things from you about the world or about himself.
- Gwindor doesn’t wish to trouble you, or bring you to worry terribly about what it is he is going through and cause you any distress.
- He just wants you to be in bliss, and protect your more sensitive nature.
- So while he can’t protect you physically, Gwindor does his best to protect you from the cruel world around you, not wanting to see how it brings you down and weighs on you.
- You are a welcome reprieve from how awful the world is, and seeing it bring you down makes him ache.
- Gwindor loves you dearly and will do almost anything to keep you happy and protected even if it might not be the healthiest ways to do so.
How you got here is still a blur. It had started with your friend submitting your portfolio to the waynes and ended where you are now, in the Wayne’s version of the Bachelor. Bruce would never trust his beloved son in the hands of media producers. For why Bruce made this decision, there are a thousand accounts. The one you had been told was that Damian had been an adverse to dating from the start, and his father was attempting to ignite that flame. You had seen hundreds of photos of Bruce Wayne’s eighteen year old heir, in everyone he was frowning. Now, you stand in Wayne Manor’s rarely used ballroom. About fourteen other girls wait with you. How long will you be here? Your best friend had gotten you this far. You can still remember her face as she hugged you goodbye. You both knew nothing would ever be the same after this.
Cameras are everywhere. You force yourself to stand up straight. Your dress falls down to the floor in gentle waves. It’s turquoise color highlights your skin tone, but that color does that for any tone. You had been wise to do so. To your surprise, you’re the only girl in blue. The rest are clothed in dark reds and greens. While you had chosen a more elegant dress, the other girls had taken a more sexy appearance. It’s saddening. The others dress as if the only thing that matters in this ‘contest’ is body shape. At least, you stand out in that way. The entire Wayne family, not counting Damian himself, are here. The girls disperse throughout the room. You find yourself nervously watching from the corner as all the others make small talk with the family and each other. This could be your family one day. The idea hits hard. If you win, if you somehow manage to win the heart of the richest teen in the world, you could have Wayne as your last name. You shake your head, what are the chances?
“Hello.”
You jump at the unexpected voice. You whirl around, and find yourself face to face with Damian Wayne.
“H-hi.” You stammer.
A lock of hair falls from your bun and into your face. You tuck it behind your ear, your hands shaking.
“I’m Y/n.” You whisper.
“It’s an honor to meet you.” He says flatly. It is clearly a practiced response.
A giggle erupts from your mouth. Your face flushes red. His frown deeps towards a scowl.
“Where are you from?” He asks, probably another rehurashed question.
“You've probably never heard of it.” You manage.
Did he look this hot before? His hair had clearly been slicked back with gel, but slowly, it’s breaking free. His jaw is well defined, his nose thin and regal, and his emerald green eyes, are the most alluring thing you’ve ever seen.
“What are your interests?” He asks.
“I like art.” You choke out. You fidget with the fabric of your skirt.
His eye brows arch. “What kind of art?”
“Acrylic, Watercolor, sketching. I also do a little digital work.” The anxiety bleeds away somewhat, as you ramble.
“I’d love to see your work some time.” Damian says, with something closer to a smile than his earlier scowl.
“R-really?” Your stammer returns.
“Of course. I dabble in art myself.” The corners of his mouth turn up a little more.
“That’s cool.” You raise your chin a little more. “What d-”
“Damian!”
He turns from you, his expression falling back into dislike. “Yes, Father?”
Bruce meets your eyes, then stumps to whisper in his son’s ear. Damian flat out scowls. Bruce patts his son’s shoulder before whisking away to greet some of the other girls. Damian’s scowl stay’s planted.
“What’s wrong?” You ask.
He scoffs. “I’m supposed to greet all the others.”
I posted on reddit that people should read the tyzula fic 'broken Dragon' and some one wrote along response about it basically changed there world with how much they liked it so that was fun.
Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x reader | Special cameo over phone by Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter
Style: One Shot (might turn into smth more but probably not)
WC: 2885 (finally smth long, amirite?)
Warnings: Some swearing, uhh, don’t think there’s anything else, but if there is please let me know
Summary: Your long time friend has set you up on a Blind Date and says it’s worth a shot because ‘you’re perfect for each other’. You’re having doubts, but with Sophie’s reassuring words, you decide to dive in.
A/N: Tumblr has no line breaks anymore?? Think I’m late to the realization but like... wtf?! I have done my best, thank god i am creative. Hope you like this :P
If you would like to be tagged in future fics, please let me know.
“Ben,” you say and put your hand to your forehead, “are you really sure this blind date thing is a good idea?”
A chuckle comes from the other end of the line. “Yes, Y/N, I believe it is. He’s a good friend of mine. Sophie agrees that you two would be perfect for each other.”
You roll your eyes. “Calming, but I’m still not sure about this.” You sigh, and purse your lips. “Can I talk to Sophie? If she’s there?”
“Of course. One moment.”
There’s a shift in sound, and a moment later, a soft voice speaks into the phone. “I hear you have some cold feet?”
You let out a strained laugh. “Cold feet? More like I would really like to know who I’m going on a date with nervousness. I don’t know, Soph, it’s just…”
“Hey, think about it this way. You get the chance to meet someone new, and whatever happens, you tried? You’ve been single since we met you. It might be time to dip your toes in the water? Just check?”
“You’re probably right,” you say, “I’ll just finish getting ready and walk to that stupid way too fancy resturaunt Ben told me to. Honestly, I hope this guy’s rich.”
Sophie laughs. “You might get a lovely surprise.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
“Have a nice date. Tell me about it later, ‘kay?”
“Yeah, of course. Bye. Tell Ben to fuck off too for me, yeah?” You shake your head, hear her little ‘will do, bye’ and hang up. God, what did I agree to, you think and try to push the anxiety down.
You throw your phone onto the bed and sigh as you raid through your closet for something fancy enough to wear. Honestly, you should’ve gone shopping.
Standing outside the restaurant, cold air nips your skin. You drag your jacket tighter around you, hating that the agreement was to meet outside the building and not just get to the table right away. The problem: you don’t know whose name the table is reserved under.
After another blast of cold wind, you fish your phone out of your pocket. The time reads 08.03 PM. Three minutes late. And you’ve already been waiting for over ten. “Well, I’m not waiting out here anymore,” you mutter under your breath as you turn to walk through the doors to the restaurant.
The warm air instantly hits you and you shake of the cold feeling from being outside. You’re greeted by a male, who politely asks for your coat. Taking out belongings of value (phone, keys and wallet), you hand it to him.
“May I show you to your table, miss?” he asks.
You bite the inside of your lip. “Uhh, honestly, I’m not certain what name it’s under.” You try for a nervous smile.
He smiles back. “I’m guessing you’re part of the blind date couple we were ‘discretely’ informed off,” he says. “You’re date hasn’t arrived yet, but I’m sure he’ll be here soon. You want me to show you the table, or would you like to wait?”
“You can show it to me now. That’s fine.”
You type a quick text to Ben telling him to say to your date not to wait outside but just go in right away. As the waiter stops by a table, you get a reply; ‘you got it, dude’ and shake your head with a small smile.
“Here you go,” the waiter says. “Hope your date shows up soon. You deserve better.” And before he goes back to his post, he winks.
You shake your head and swallow the lump in your throat. God, I hope he’s here soon. Unfortunately, the waiter didn’t give you a menu, so no read through of that before your date comes. Nor do you really want to make the impression that you’re constantly on your phone by using it when he comes.
Bored, you look around at the other people there. Most of the tables are for four people. Around most of them sits men and some women in suits, giving you the vibe that they’re all white-collars. It makes you slightly uncomfortable to think that the restaurant is more a business-meeting place than a date place. But maybe that’s just a feeling more than a fact.
You turn your head in the direction of the entrance and release your breath in relief seeing the waiter coming in your direction, followed by a tall male in a blue suit. From your viewpoint, it’s hard to see exactly how he looks, but within a minute he’ll be by the table and you’ll know. Anway, that isn’t what matters―you try to tell yourself.
“Here you go,” the waiter says to your date and smiles. He hands you a menu each. You accept yours with a small ‘thank you’. As he leaves, you get up to greet your date.
“Hi,” you say and hold out your hand, “I’m Y/N.”
He takes your hand in his, blue eyes smile warmly as he says, “Nice to meet you. I’m Tom. Shall we sit?” His voice a low hum with an accent.
You nod and sit back down.
You date wears a navy blue and striped suit that fits like it’s tailored. He wears a light blue shirt underneath and a navy tie. When he takes off his suit jacket, you can see that his shirt also fits like it’s tailored― and to be quite honest, it’s a pretty good view. It feels a little unfair. In addition to a nice body, you note a strong jawline covered in a five o’ clock shadow, and are those real cheekbones? The small strawberry blonde curls atop his head makes you swallow a lump in your throat, only for it to come back up and make you slightly more nervous than you already were.
Looking at him makes you feel inadequate. You had decided to go fancy-casual; a long black skirt with leg slits on both sides and a black tight-fitting long sleeved crop top that accentuates your boobs. Despite feeling good in the clothes, you can’t help but feel underdressed. Tom is definitely out of your league, and he looks somewhat familiar.
You both scan the menu. No one says anything until the waiter comes to take your order. Taking away the menus opens up the need for conversation. Only, how do you start one?
“How do you know Benedict?” asks Tom.
You answer, relieved that you didn’t have to come up with a topic yourself. “I wrote a short story, made it into a script that I sent to a theatre here in London, and they liked it. Ben was cast as the lead role, and Sophie was actually the director. I worked with them for a pretty long time and we kept in touch.” You smile at the fond memory. “What about you?”
“Oh, we met in 2010 whilst shooting a movie. And we have been friends ever since.” Tom smiles. “We actually live very close to each other, here in London.”
“Really? It amazes me that if you are such good friends that he hasn’t mentioned you,” you say with a little joking-tone. “And apparently I haven’t seen that movie.”
Tom smiles. “He hasn’t mentioned you either, not by name at least. But you’re a writer?”
You nod. “Yeah, mostly short stories, but I’m trying to get a novel finished. I write some scripts too, for fun, mostly, but I prefer the rather classical storytelling with a narrator and all the other stuff.” You add a joking laugh to the end of the sentence.
Tom smiles. “Hehe. To be honest, I do that, too.” Tom lets out a laugh. “Though, I do read a lot of scripts and I find them to be highly entertaining usually.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I do too. I am one of those that sits in front of netflix a little too much,” you admit. “But I always find time to read. It’s the one thing that’s always been there, you know?”
You continue to talk about books, and reading, and writing, and acting. Never before have you been on a date where the conversation flows as easily. Even with the food there, the conversation keeps going. You talk mostly about the outer layer stuff―work, small childhood memories, friends, hobbies. Both of you drink a couple of glasses of wine each.
“Would you like dessert?” asks Tom as the waiter takes away the empty dishes.
You give it a thought. “Actually, no. It sounds good, but I’m not tempted.” Tom quirks an eyebrow. “What do you say we pay and go somewhere else?” you ask, hoping your eyes convey the message you want.
By the way Tom smiles back, you’re pretty sure it did. Not long after, the check is paid (you offered but Tom wouldn’t have it), and the two of you are outside, walking along the streets.
“This was really nice,” you say after a few too many moments of silence. “I have to admit, when Ben suggested this I was kind of… on edge.”
Tom nods along. “Yes, I did have my doubts. But Benedict told me we were perfect for each other. I only agreed when Sophie vouched.”
You laugh. “Yeah, that’s what I did, too.” You look down at the ground, kicking a little rock and hating that you decided to wear high heels (they’re great, but it kind of hurts in the length). “Do you maybe wanna go somewhere? Park? Lake? Ice cream shop?”
His hand brushes yours, and you bite your lip. “This is going to sound… blunt. But my place isn’t that far from here if you would like another glass of wine, maybe?” If not for his accent you’d probably hit him (a joke; there was way more in the favor of not hitting him).
You intertwine your fingers with his, and nod. “I’d like that, yeah.”
Tom wasn’t lying when he said his place wasn’t far. You walked about three blocks and were in the right neighborhood. Two unfortunate realizations on your part; 1. This is about the same neighborhood as Benedict lives in; 2. This is a rich neighborhood, meaning Tom has money, meaning Tom is not only an actor but a successful one and it starts to bug you a little bit that you can’t place where you’ve seen him before.
You take a right turn and in a matter of minutes you’re inside his house. Did I shave? Did I…? Am I at…? Your mind races with thoughts on what might happen, what might not happen, and your preparations for the date. To be honest, despite your thoughts going there very much in that moment, sex on the first date was a big no-no in your head.
Tom takes your coat and hangs it up. Without even giving it a second thought, you take off your shoes, which has Tom let out a light chuckle as he does the same. “You’re one of the few people who does that without me telling them to,” he says.
“Oh, well. I don’t really see the point in cleaning a house if you’re gonna drag the dirt in with you. What’s the point in vacuuming if it’s dirty thirty seconds later?” You smile up at him. God, he’s really tall.
“Exactly,” says Tom and smiles. “Would you like that glass of wine?”
You nod. “Could I maybe borrow your bathroom?” He nods and tells you which room it is. With a smile you go in the direction his points in.
It’s a cozy bathroom. Actually, not bad at all. The shower is quite big and you curse your brain for going straight to what it would be like to have sex in it. Also for ‘it’s big enough’ being your first thought. God, curse that handsome man. God, curse Ben for not telling you about him sooner. Actually, as you check yourself in the mirror (makeup still pretty on point) you take out your phone and send a ‘what the hell is wrong with you?!’ text to Ben, with the follow up; ‘you’ve known him since 2010 and you only now thought to make me go on a date with him?!”
You don’t wait for an answer. Rather you give yourself a smile in the mirror and some encouraging words, and leave with hopes high enough (like maybe a kiss).
Tom sits in the living room, phone in hand. Two wine glasses are placed on the coffee table. You cough as you sit down, gaining his attention. He smiles up at you and puts away his phone. He hands you a glass as you tuck one leg under your butt.
Neither of you speak. You take a sip of wine and nod when you do. “This is a really good wine,” you say.
“Yes, uhh, it’s Italian,” replies Tom.
What the hell happened to the smooth talk from before? Am I really this nervous? Is he this nervous? Your mind goes away with overthinking. Does he like you? Well, he did invite you into his house. But does that mean he likes you? Maybe you’re just a good conversation partner? But he did offer wine, which does have alcohol, which might be because he wants you a little tipsy, or at least with enough percentage so you would put out?
You shake of the feeling, not believing someone like Tom could ever take advantage of you. Instead, you take another sip of wine, lean back and smile at him. “What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?” you ask. That was blunt.
Tom smiles and laugh this ‘hehe’ laughter that makes your heart skip a beat. He takes a sip of wine and puts down the glass. “You don’t seem to know exactly who I am, but, uhh, I’ve done quite a lot of interviews. Some have me doing things I would rather not remember. I did this silly thing on MTV After Hours With Josh Horowitz. I made up some really silly pranks that made no sense and said loki’d afterwards with this weird laugh and I did this.” Tom puts his hand up to the side of his face and holds it there as if he has a monocle.
And it hits you. Right in the moment he said ‘loki’d’ and weird laugh. You would like to facepalm. “Oh my God,” you say. “You’re Tom Hiddleston. Oh, my God.” You take a sip of wine to calm down a little. “You’re probably one of the actors I always thought I’d recognize. Loki is my favorite MCU character and I love you in Kong: Skull Island. I am correct that I haven’t seen the film with you and Benedict, but honestly, I have never felt this stupid.”
He laughs. This godly sound that makes the mistake seem such tiny, but…
You put down the wine glass and lay your head in your hands. Through them you mumble, “this is my most embarrassing moment. For sure.”
Gentle hands pry yours away from your face, and a slender finger tilts your cheek up so your eyes meet Tom’s. He smiles at you; lips pressed together and wrinkles around his eyes. “That’s okay, Love, really. I enjoyed talking to someone who didn’t know what I had played in. It made some of the stories more fun, kind of.”
“I should go back to pretending I don’t know, huh?” you ask.
Tom chuckles. “No, I’m glad you know. It would be weird if you didn’t.” He smiles and cups your face. Your eyes meet. Tom’s are a beautiful shade of blue. Complemented by his blue shirt, they look almost electric. He licks his lips. “You have beautiful eyes,” he whispers.
You press your lips together and smile, feeling the blush creep into your cheeks. At the thought, you notice how close you sit. His face is only an inch from yours. It would be so easy to kiss him, or for him to kiss you. God, it would be so…
However, is it really a good idea? It is the first date. You only know the basics of each other. Work, a little family and friends, and hobbies. There is more to him, and there is more to you.
You’re dragged out of your thoughts by his lips on yours. His right hand is still cupping your face, and he places his left on your knee. Taken by surprise, it takes you a moment to react, but as you do you press your lips to his. Something explodes in your gut, and whatever it is makes you shift your position closer to him. Your hands go up and you twine them behind his neck. Tom smiles in the kiss and moves both his hands to the small of your back, pressing you closer to him.
You break the kiss and smile at him. “That… That was, uhh…”
“Yeah,” Tom says, his voice a little breathless.
You both let out a little laugh and press your foreheads together. “This has been, uhh, pretty great.”
Tom smiles and pecks your lips. “Yes, it has. Not what I thought would come from a blind date.”
You shake your head with a smile. “Yeah. Who would’ve thought?”
It has been a few years since I have posted. I still have such a deep love for River, and truly want to continue writing. However, I have decided that I will write on here AND instagram.
If you would like to follow the River fanfic instagram, the username is “rewindingtothe80s”. I am hoping to also write some short stories about other ‘80s actors as well. I have a few written, actually!
I will not write any stories until the account reaches 75 followers. This way I know that people will actually be reading them.
You can expect a story on here AND instagram once this account reaches 75 followers. I will start taking requests once it reaches 100 followers.
