This is No Time for Romance
Chapter 4
Tom Holland Bodyguard!AU
Warnings: toxic relationship, violence
Word Count: 1700
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5
“Would you mind staying here tonight? I’m just still a little shaken up.”
Tom thought your bashfulness was adorable and couldn’t help but smile. It made your heart flutter. “Of course I will.”
You were woken by sunlight filtering through the window, shining into your eyes. Squinting, you rolled over to peer at the clock on your bedside table. It read 8:52 am. It seemed like such a normal morning, you thought last night must have just been a bad dream. You sat up and stretched before walking to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. On the way, you saw the hole in the wall Kurt made, confirming that everything that happened was in fact real. The memory made you shudder slightly.
I don’t know how I’m going to explain that to my landlord, you thought. As you rounded the corner into the living room, you nearly choked on the water.
“Oh, good morning princess.” There was Tom, lounging shirtless on your couch, scrolling aimlessly through his phone.
“Good morning,” you manage. This wasn’t the first time you’d noticed how muscular he is, but it was definitely the first time you fully appreciated it. It took a lot of effort to tear your eyes away from his abs, but luckily he didn’t seem to notice.
Tom stood up and stretched. “I was planning on running some errands this morning. Care to join?”
His invitation surprised you, but you were happy about the offer. “Why would you want me to come along?”
“Well, love, I’m getting paid to watch you. It’d be a bit irresponsible if I just left you alone to go shopping now wouldn’t it?” He gave you a cheeky grin and reached for his shirt. As he pulled it down over his head he continued. “I know you have your Saturday morning routine, so I was thinking we could do that then head downtown, if that’s alright with you.”
It was sweet that he wanted to respect your routine. You smiled and agreed to go with him, then headed to your room to get dressed. In the mirror you could see purple bruises had formed on your neck. Unfortunately, you had plenty of experience covering up bruises and it didn’t take long before they were barely visible under your makeup.
---
The crisp air filled your lungs as you and Tom made your way to the cafe. Your thoughts drifted back to Kurt, and those men who attacked you, wondering if it was in any way connected. And what was Tom planning to do with them all?
These thoughts were pushed to the back of your mind as he pushed open the door to the cafe and walked in. Haley looked up and did an incredibly bad job hiding her surprise at you and Tom showing up together. She finally composed herself and said, “G-good morning! Will it be the usual for you both?”
“Yes, please,” he answered, fishing for his wallet. He pulled out some cash and handed it to your friend. “I’m paying for hers as well.” Haley shot you a look before accepting the bills. Tom walked away from the counter, pretending to take an intense interest in a bulletin board hanging on the wall.
Haley leaned over to you and whispered, “Is there something you need to tell me?”
You shrugged and tried to act casual. “We kept seeing each other around so he decided to introduce himself.”
“You two showed up at 9 am to a coffee shop within walking distance of your apartment. There’s only one explanation for that.” She gave you a knowing smile, causing you to roll your eyes.
“We didn’t sleep together. We’re just hanging out.”
Haley narrowed her eyes at you and handed you your order. “Well if you don’t go for him, I will.” Taking the items, you glare at her playfully before turning to walk out the door.
Once safely outside, Tom took his coffee from you. The entire walk to the park you felt a bit awkward, unsure of how much of your conversation he heard. It wasn’t until you were both seated on the park bench and eating your breakfast that he broke the silence.
“So what was all that about?” he asked.
You shrugged nonchalantly and took a sip of your drink. “She was just surprised we know each other, that’s all.”
“Well what did you say?” He seemed anxious about the situation, but he did a good job of hiding it.
Really, the only reason you picked up on it was because your dad taught you at a young age how to read people. “I just told her we’d been seeing each other around and you decided to introduce yourself.”
“So you didn’t tell her who I am?”
You lowered your voice before asking, “What am I supposed to say? ‘This is Tom, my bodyguard. I don’t know who hired him but he’s saved me twice in the past two months. Thanks for the coffee!’”
Tom’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Fair enough.”
You both finished your food in silence, then stood up. “Ready to go?” he asked.
---
You weren’t quite sure where he was going, but the weather was beautiful so you didn’t mind the walk. Just within 15 minutes you’d seen three dogs and got to pet one of them. Tom smiled watching you coo over the pups. That smile made your heart melt, just a little.
A voice in the back of your head warned against developing feelings for him. He was still a practical stranger after all. But it felt nice to spend time with someone,even if he was getting paid to do so.
“It should be just up here.” Tom’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts. He was pointing at a small hardware store you’d never been into despite passing it everyday on the way to work.
“What do you need here?” you asked.
“Supplies,” he responded.
“Supplies for what?” Much to your chagrin, he didn’t answer. Instead he held the door to the shop open for you.
Once inside, you headed for the paint section, ignoring the feeling of Tom’s eyes on your back. A few weeks ago, you bought an old end table from a garage sale and had been meaning to paint it, but didn’t actually have any paint. Trying to keep your thoughts from wandering to your bodyguard, you poured all of your focus into choosing just the right shade to match your other furniture.
It was down to two when Tom appeared at your side, basket in hand. “I like the gray,” he offered. You put the gray paint back and walked up to the register, smug smile growing. He set his stuff on the counter next to yours and reached for his wallet. While the cashier rung everything up, your thoughts once again drifted to Kurt. He shouldn’t have been able to find you. You were so careful.
Tom didn’t make any attempt at conversation on the way back to your apartment. He seemed just as preoccupied as you were. It surprised you a bit when you reached your block. The walk went by much quicker than you expected. A leaf blower was droning somewhere nearby as you ascended the stairs to your unit.
As the lock clicked, you heard a bell jingle as your cat came running into the living room. “Hey there sweetie, I missed you,” you greeted, picking it up and kissing its forehead. Tom set the bags down and made sure to lock the door behind him. He started to unpack, allowing you to see what it was he purchased now that you’re paying attention. “Tom!”
Your voice startled him a bit. “What? Is something wrong?” He was glancing around the room, checking for signs of danger.
“You aren’t fixing my wall.” The brown-haired boy relaxed and smiled. Laying on the table in front of him was everything necessary to patch the hole in the wall.
“It’s really no problem, princess. I’d like to do it.”
“That’s something I should get my landlord to fix, not my bodyguard,” you protested.
He turned to face you, trying to be casual but still seeming serious. “If I had been here earlier, there wouldn’t be a hole in your wall or a bruise on your neck. Besides, do you really want to explain to him what happened?”
You couldn’t really argue with that, you tried to have as little contact with your landlord as possible. So instead, you decided to start making lunch while Tom worked.
It seemed weirdly natural having him there, almost comfortable. You were surprised that you actually did feel safe with him, something you hadn’t felt in a very long time. Who knows how long it would actually last, so you told yourself you’d enjoy it as much as you could.
Tom finished patching the wall at about the same time you finished cooking lunch. He washed his hands before sitting down at the table. Some spackle was smeared on his brow, and you had to restrain yourself from reaching up and wiping it away. Your eyes traced down his face, passed his cheekbones and along his chiseled jawline to his lips. There was no denying he was absolutely gorgeous. Your thoughts started to wander when his mouth curled into a smug grin. A little too late you realized he had caught you staring. Heat rose in your cheeks and you tried to conceal your embarrassment by shoving food in your mouth.
The rest of the meal went by in silence, you cursing yourself and Tom enjoying watching you squirm. When you had both finished eating, he took the plates to the sink and rinsed them off. A text message tone vibrated the table and you picked up your cell to check if the message was meant for you. Nothing.
“Must be you,” you called over to Tom. He wiped his hands on a dish towel and grabbed his phone, brow furrowing as he read.
“Huh,” he muttered, typing a response then sitting back down at the table. A feeling of unease blossomed in your chest as he stared you down intently. “(Y/n), you wouldn’t happen to know someone by the name of Nic Martin, would you?” Your heart stopped.
---
Hey everyone, sorry I’ve been gone so long! It’s been crazy busy but I’m back to finish TINTFR! Please let me know what you think and if you want to be tagged! Thanks for sticking with me <3
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