Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x reader x Chris Evans
Summary: (Prequel of – Me) – When Tom Hiddleston asks you out you decide to take him up on his offer, but your feelings start to wander to someone else when you realize just how little the two of you have in common.
This was it; you were an Avenger. You were working with some of the most talented A list actors in Hollywood, and it would be an understatement to say that you were nervous. Everyone had been so nice to you, and they took well to your character; Storm.
You made quick friends with Scarlett, who enjoyed teasing you when the cameras weren’t rolling. Robert Downey Jr. had intimidated you from the beginning, but you realized pretty quickly that he was just an adorable goofball. Mark Ruffalo constantly made you feel like a princess with how polite he always was, and Chris Evans was basically a giant puppy. The amount of energy that man possessed made you understand exactly why he was so physically fit; he was constantly on the move.
Then there was Tom Hiddleston; that man could melt the polar icecaps with how smooth his voice was. The British accent mixed with his shockingly good looks made you swoon from the start, but you refused to tell anyone about your feelings. There was no point getting attached to a coworker. Rejection would be embarrassing, but a breakup would be catastrophic. You couldn’t think of anything worse than having to spend every day with someone that you knew didn’t feel the same way. No, it was best left in the dark.
That was until the director handed you your script which informed you that you were to be the love interest of Loki Laufeyson; Tom Hiddleston himself. If it wasn’t obvious that your eyes grew twice their size at the words spread out before you then you would be shocked. You had no idea how you were to contain your feelings for him when you would be forced to play out a relationship with him on screen.
“Looks to me like we’ll be spending quite a bit of time together, love,” Tom beamed widely at you as he reached for your hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.
“I guess we will,” you blushed, feeling your insides begin to burn with a lustful passion.
“I do hope we’ll have the chance to get to know each other better,” he continued, sweetly. “Forgive me if I’m being too forward, but I would love to take you for a cup of coffee?” His offer hung in the air, and you questioned whether or not this was reality.
“I would be honored.” It was obvious by your voice alone that you were bashful, and you began to notice a twinkle forming in his eyes that you hadn’t seen before.
With that, he walked with you off the set for a quick break, but it turned out not to be as quick as you’d planned. It had been over an hour before you’d finally returned; hand in hand giggling like fools.
You’d talked about family, friends, and what your lives had been like growing up. You told him about your love for reading and writing, and how you had completed your first book while still in high school. The story’s you shared made it feel as though the two of you had known each other forever.
When you finally made it back it was time for you both to read off your lines, and Tom had done so well that you were almost too scared to read off the script. How could you compete with someone who made acting look so easy? It was as if it came second nature to him; like this character was another part of himself.
Tom was gentle enough to encourage you, and it made you run through your lines in no time. The amount of chemistry the two of you had on camera was overwhelming. Even when they played it back the emotions seemed to leap through the screen.
As the day finally came to a close you grabbed your things and headed for your car; little did you know that Tom had been following you, though.
“Y/n!” He shouted, racing up behind you and grabbing your arm. You almost leapt out of your skin at the sudden surprise, but you quickly caught your breath. “Sorry about that,” he laughed awkwardly, running his fingers through his hair. “I was hoping to ask you out again sometime? Although, after the shock I seem to have given you, I wouldn’t blame you for saying no.” The joke was subtle, but it made him even more adorable.
“Oh, that? I was just acting,” your quick-witted humor caused you to say on impulse, trying to keep up with him. “I’d love to go out sometime, though,” you agreed, smiling from ear to ear.
“I’ll pick you up at eight tomorrow night?” Tom offered, rolling through the times in his head as he thought of when we might be finished on set. “I know a lovely little restaurant just on the corner that I think you might like,” he suggested.
The fact that he’d put so much thought into this already made your heart skip a beat in your chest. With as much confidence as he had, and all those good looks, there was no way you were the first girl he’d ever asked on a date like this. “Sounds great,” you finally said as butterflies began to soar through your stomach. If this was what it felt like to be his friend, you could only imagine the feelings he would give you if he was ever something more.
Just as you’d suspected, that evening went by far too quickly. You’d barely had enough time the next day to pick out an outfit and sort through which accessories would look the best. When you finally decided on a wine-red dress with off the shoulder lace, it was already almost time to go. The entire closet was almost entirely bare thanks to your ongoing search for the perfect look. Which consisted of black lace strappy high heel sandal, and a black floral lace choker.
The entire outfit looked exactly how you’d expected it to; like a Tumblr girl tried to throw something together off Pinterest. Were you mad? Of course not; to you this was pretty much normal. You loved wearing shocking attire.
What you hadn’t expected was for Tom to practically undress you with his eyes when you came walking out the door of your apartment complex to greet him. “Sorry I’m late,” you apologized, climbing into the car almost ten minutes after you’d planned.
“Trust me, it’s no problem at all. You look absolutely stunning!” He gaped, and you questioned whether or not he was going to be able to keep his tongue inside his mouth the rest of the evening. Your date had somehow turned into some kind of drooling dog as you applied dark red lipstick to your already full lips using his passenger mirror.
“Thanks; I was hoping I wasn’t too over dressed,” you admitted, nervously, as you tugged at the end of your dress; your mind realizing just how short it really was.
“Not at all, I was almost expecting you to show up in a t-shirt and sweatpants,” he joked, giving you a quick wink.
“As comfortable as that sounds, it probably wouldn’t give off the best impression for a first date.” He caught you rolling your eyes, and he nudged your arm playfully.
“Just be yourself,” Tom offered, acting as if that was an easy task. “I want to know the real you. Behind all the flashing lights and endless interviews. Who is y/n y/l/n?” He pondered allowed as he gave you a genuine look.
“I’m the girl whose nose is always stuck in a book. The one that everyone sees in the corner, but never asks if she wants to join. That girl who chooses to write about adventures instead of taking them.” I confessed, pouring my heart out into the dark of the night as the cool wind blew through my hair down the highway. Why I’d opened up to him I had no idea, but it felt good to know that I wasn’t the only one who knew these things anymore.
“What if I told you that you deserve better? That maybe everyone wants to be your friend, but that they’re afraid they aren’t good enough for you. We could chase the world together if that’s something you want?” Tom thought as he let his imagination run wild. It was nice to see this side of him; the side that wasn’t all work and no play.
“But what happens if I push you away like everyone else?” You continued, knowing it very well could happen. He seemed to bring out the darker side of you; the girl who wanted nothing more than to live out the rest of her life on her own.
“Then I’ll just have to hold on a little tighter to make sure you don’t get away,” Tom smiled, moving his hand to rest over yours. It was twice the size of your own, and the warmth of it made you realize just how cold you truly were from the bite of the wind. Of course, you had barely any time to register the change in temperature as you pulled into a small diner and watched as he opened your door for you and helped you out.
Your heel caught on the car, and you started to trip, but Tom caught you in his arms and set you back on your feet. The way his hand felt against the bare skin on your back sent an immediate cold chill up your spine. Suddenly you could feel every ounce of heat that was left in your body go rushing to your cheeks.
“Thanks,” you stammered, feeling completely flustered by your newfound clumsiness.
Either the lighting from the parking lot was playing tricks on your eyes, or you just made Tom Hiddleston blush. The thought alone sent butterflies soaring through your stomach as he took your arm and walked with you inside.
The two of you sat at a booth, and you continued to talk for almost an hour when you suddenly ran out of things to talk about. Just like that the conversation had died; along with the butterflies that you’d been feeling outside.
“So, you like golf, and tennis, what else?” You asked, trying to get him to keep talking. The awkwardness was growing as the silence grew stronger.
“Oh, uh – I love the theater. I’ve been in several plays recently, maybe you’ve heard?” Tom added excitedly, sitting up in his seat as he hoped that things would pick up again between the two of you.
“Actually, I’m not much for theater. About the closest thing I get to it is movies.” Just like that the tension rose again, but you really wanted to make this work, so you tried a different approach. “I’d love to go sometime; maybe you can change my mind?”
“Of course! I could take you backstage, and really give you a feel for what it’s like to perform in front of a live audience.” Th joy in his voice made you thankful for the offer, but a part of you knew that you would never actually enjoy yourself there.
Thankfully, the two of you had decided that the date had gone on long enough, and you both felt like it was time to return home. As he walked you to your door you said a silent prayer and begged God not to let him kiss you like some old-fashioned movie scene.
Unfortunately, the luck had not been on your side, though, as he leaned in and pressed his lips to yours. “I had a wonderful time this evening, y/n, and I would love to take you out again sometime?” Tom offered, letting his hands rest on your sides.
“Sure, that’d be great,” you agreed, cursing yourself in your head for not letting him down easy. You were dreading your next date, and you didn’t even know when it was.
When you arrived on set the next day, you avoided Tom at all cost. Even going so far as to hide in the women’s bathroom to keep him away from you. That was until Chris Evans followed you in there after filming a scene with all of the Avengers.
You hadn’t noticed him as you pulled yourself up onto the bathroom counter, grabbed your phone and began to waste time as the clock ticked by slowly.
“Everything alright?” Chris had asked you, coming around the corner to reveal himself.
“Yeah, I’m just-,” you tried to think of an excuse, but it was too late as you heard him laugh.
“Avoiding someone?” He questioned, gesturing to how comfortable you’d made yourself in here.
“Maybe,” you prodded, taking the bait.
“Ouch; that bad, huh?” Chris joked, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arm in front of him. Just like that his shirt had shrunk two sizes, and you could see the outline of his pecs.
“Does everyone know?” The sound of your voice came out as a desperate cry for help as you covered your face. You hadn’t meant it to sound that way, but a part of you was hoping it would’ve ended after last night.
“Are you kidding? Tom hasn’t shut up about you. I would’ve thought you two were married and on your third kid by now with how happy he is.” His joke put a smile on your face, and you let your eyes meet his for the first time.
“Thanks, but I don’t really think this is a time for joking around,” you retaliated sarcastically.
“Then why did you smile?” He asked, coming closer and laying a hand on the countertop as he leaned closer to you.
“Because it was stupid, and funny,” you explained, shaking your head as you pretended to be annoyed. That smirk still stuck to your face, though, and as hard as you tried you couldn’t get it to leave.
“If you like stupid and funny then you’d love me,” he winked, throwing his hands in the air with a laugh as he finally left you in the bathroom by yourself.
Your head fell back against the tile, and as you listened to the director calling for everyone’s return you said a silent prayer. Part of it being that you hoped you wouldn’t have to see Tom, and the other that you weren’t falling for Captain America.
After a few more scenes it was time to go, and Scarlett nudged your shoulder with her arm as she walked with you towards the exit. “So, you and Romeo going out again tonight?” She giggled, giving you a hard time as usual.
“No,” you snapped, getting even more annoyed.
“Not surprising; I pictured you as a Captain kinda gal, but more power to you for picking brains over brawn.” Scarlett knew she was getting under your skin which was why she gave you such a wide smile and then wrapped her arm around you as the two of you continued to walk together.
“I’m beginning to think you’re right,” you said, finally owning up to your emotions.
“What?” She fumbled, locking eyes with you as she stopped you dead in your tracks. You were like a deer in the headlights, and you knew now that you would have to explain.
“Well, Tom and I have absolutely nothing in common. At least Chris knows how to keep a conversation going without making me fall asleep.” Of course, you gave him the benefit of the doubt; he could throw you in the dirt and kick you fifty feet and you’d thank him for it. And it had nothing to do with his looks either, it was his entire personality. The way he somehow always managed to make you laugh at even the stupidest of jokes. It wouldn’t have surprised you if you looked up the word perfection in the dictionary and found a picture of him.
“If that’s what you call drooling over him while he goes on and on about sports and his dog then yeah, he knows how to keep a conversation.” Scarlett said, poking fun at the cute little crush that she knew was forming.
You rolled your eyes, and through your head back defeated. “Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about what it’d be like to wake up with someone like him?”
Scarlett paused, finally stopping to look at you. “You want some advice?” She asked, and you nodded your approval as she stood in front of her car and opened the door. “Don’t stay in a relationship for the public. You’ve gotta do what makes you happy. If I did everything just to please the media, I would never have anything.”
“Thanks, Scar,” you shot her a half smile as she climbed into her car.
“Don’t mention it, y/n/n.” Scarlett finished as she tore off down the road.
The rest of the week was a mess as you found yourself hiding in different places all over the set to keep your distance from Tom. Somehow Chris always managed to find you; no matter where it was, and he would try to do things to make you laugh just so he didn’t have to see you upset.
“What made you think to hide in the rafters?” Chris doubled over laughing, and you shushed him as you pointed down to where everyone else was at. They were sure to find the two of you if he didn’t keep his voice down.
“It was something I read in a book once, and I thought I’d give it a try,” your eyes danced across all the cords that ran around the ceiling and connected in random places only to split off in another direction.
“I gotta give it to you, it’s pretty cool up here,” he admitted, lying on his back as his eyes moved around slowly to take it all in.
“Don’t get any ideas, Evans, this place is mine.” The joking tone in your voice told him that you were only playing. However, you were starting to like this game of hide and see you’d found yourself in.
“What if we made this our personal hiding spot? Just the two of us,” Chris suggested, finally shifting himself as he lifted his gaze to you with a smile forming across his lips.
“Sure; I’d like that,” the blush of your cheeks only confirmed how happy his response had made you, but you weren’t ready for what he’d asked next.
“So…why are you avoiding Tom?” He said, softly, desperately hoping that he hadn’t crossed a line by asking.
“I’m pretty sur he wants to ask me on another date,” if you rolled your eyes any harder, they would’ve fallen off the landing and right in the middle of the entire cast and crew.
“Give the dude a break, y/n/n, he’s just looking for love in a great big world of rejection.” Chris nodded, this time refusing to let his eyes meet yours.
“So, you think I should do it; I should keep going out with him even though I don’t like him?” That hurt, and your chest felt like it could almost cave in on itself with how much pain he’d just inflicted on you without even knowing it.
“I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? You give him a chance, fall in love, and finally pop out those three kids he keeps talking about,” Chris rolled with laughter, clenching his stomach as you moved to place your hand over his mouth to quiet him.
“Fine; I’ll be the adult,” you fought, standing up, and making your way back down through the entangled cords.
“Tell that to the girl hiding in the rafters from a middle-aged man who just wants to go on a second date,” he joked quietly, causing you to give him a quick glare that he knew was all too playful.
The second your feet touched the ground your entire body became alert. You were waiting for Tom to find you, so that all of your hiding would be for nothing.
Out of the corner of your eye you caught a glimpse of Tom, but what you hadn’t expected was for Chris to come running up behind you. He grabbed you by the waist and lifted you through the air. His sudden act of flirtation put Tom in an immediate rage, but he refused to let it show as he turned and walked the other way.
“What was that for?” Your voice went up two octaves at the sudden burst of energy; not to mention your inner fangirl continuing to swoon over him.
“Hey, it worked didn’t it?” Chris prided himself as he pretended to give himself a pat on the back. The ego on that man sometimes was enough to make you question where all the air in his head went.
“Yeah, but I don’t want him to be mad at you.” There was nothing but concern in your heart as you scolded yourself for what had just happened. This was your battle, not his; why did he seem to want in the middle of it?
You didn’t have enough time to think it over because the director started yelling your name. As you approached the set, Tom stood before you in his entire Loki costume. Sure, when he looked like this your feelings for him all came rushing back. That was a purely selfish instinct, though, that was based entirely on his appearance. You could never keep a steady relationship just based off of that.
“Is everything alright, love?” Tom asked, taking your hand in his own to comfort you. It wasn’t until you saw Chris standing a few feet away that you realized why; he was fighting over you.
You simply nodded your head and brushed it off as nothing before the director could scold you both for talking. The scene went on longer than usual thanks to how many times you had messed up your lines. This entire scene was something you had memorized by heart, but the more “love” you were supposed to be showing Loki; the more you realized just how much you wished to have Chris standing in front of you.
“Cut!” The director shouted, shaking his head as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. “Come on, y/n, what happened?” His newfound temper snapped you out of your daze, but Chris came to your rescue once again as he jumped between the two of you.
“Why don’t you give me just five minutes with her; we’ll run through the lines, and I’ll see if I can help her out.” Chris persuaded, putting on his typical charm to get him to give in.
“You got five minutes, and not a second more!” Your director finally agreed, stubbornly.
As Chris stood before you dressed in all his Captain America gear you begged your heart not to leap out of your chest when he finally spoke to read through Loki’s lines.
“My love, I’m sorry for what I have done, but I’ve had no other choice. I’m fighting for our future together; not as an act of vengeance.” He quoted as his soft blue eyes danced across yours. There was a twinge in your heart, but you let him continue. “Tell me you’ll still love me?” Captain America asked as his hand came up to rest against your cheek and his thumb brushed against your skin soothingly.
“How could I ever stop?” You whispered, quoting your line as he leaned in to kiss you. Your lips were just about to meet his to finish the scene. However, a loud cough came from Tom, and the two of you separated once again.
That was the first time the director had clapped for you all day, and that sent even more anger coursing through Tom’s veins. Finally, he moved to separate the two of you, wanting to read through his lines again. So, when the time came for the real Loki to take his place, you did your best to picture Captain America standing before you.
Just like that you were putty in his hands all over again. You could almost melt by the attraction that spilt through the two of you. They started from the top, redoing the whole scene, and you poured over your lines in a breeze.
“Cut!” You heard the director shout when you’d finished filming the scene. “Well done, y/n, you and Tom did great! Whatever Chris did really worked,” he praised him, proudly patting Chris on the back.
“Leave it to Captain America to get me back into character,” I giggled, gently nudging him in the side.
“Easy there, y/n, wouldn’t want you to leave a bruise,” the director scolded.
“Yeah, if you’re gonna leave a mark, at least do it in a way that’s a little more fun,” Chris joked, winking at you.
“Between the joke, and the way the director had raved over Chris’ acting tip, Tom had apparently had enough. He stormed off the set in a fit of anger. Feeling you had taken things too far you decided to follow after him.
“Tom!” You shouted, running to catch up with him as you caught him by the arm.
“What, y/n?! You know, if you didn’t feel the same way, you could’ve at least told me,” he snapped, getting in your face as he pulled his arm away from you.
“Chris is just Chris, I can’t help what comes out of his mouth,” you defended yourself quickly.
To your utter astonishment Tom planted his lips against yours, and you tried to stop yourself, but you kissed him back. Something about how much you had hurt him made you feel like it was okay.
“Just tell me you don’t love him,” Tom begged, grabbing your waist and pulling you closer as he locked eyes with you.
“I-I don’t,” you lied, regretting the words as soon as they spilled from your mouth.
He breathed a sigh of relief and held you even tighter to him, and you did your best to comfort him as you let your head rest against his chest. You knew you shouldn’t have done it, but you pretended it was Chris, and fell deeper into his embrace.
“Let’s go out tonight. We can drive around town, or take a walk on the beach?” Tom was spitting out ideas left and right in an attempt to get you to say yes.
When you finally agreed a smile spread across his face, and a part of you had wondered how long you could keep this up. The longer you let this go on, the more it was going to hurt. You didn’t want to break his heart, but you also couldn’t afford to stay in a dead-end relationship. Which is why you immediately decided that no matter what happened tonight you would end things with him tomorrow.
Tom refused to say where he was taking me which is why I was shocked when we pulled up at the theater. The last thing I wanted to do was sit through an entire play the rest of the evening, but I put on my fake smile and put my best foot forward.
“You’re going to love this,” Tom promised as he took my hand and walked with me inside. I gave a half smile and pretended to be excited. There were paparazzi bombarding us as we entered the building, but we did our best to avoid their flashing lights. I was desperately hoping we wouldn’t end up on the front cover of some magazine as Los Angeles hottest new couple.
“Do you come here often?” I asked, trying to start a conversation while we were waiting for it to start.
“Yeah, I generally spend most of my time performing on stage when I’m not filming.” He smiled, taking my hand as he managed to get us front row seats.
“I guess being a regular has it’s perks,” you noted, pointing to where you’d be sitting. The theater was filling up fast, and you were already wishing it was over.
“Well, of course, and after the show I get to take you backstage,” the amount of enthusiasm in his voice made you want to ring your own neck. How long were you going to have to keep up this façade?
You kept zoning in and out of the play, and as hard as you tried to focus you just couldn’t get into it. There was a knot forming in your chest because you knew he was probably going to ask you questions about it, and you silently hoped that by some miracle you would have the answer.
When it was finally over everyone stood and clapped their hands for the actors, and you did so out of respect. Then Tom took your hand and led you up the stairs and behind the large curtain to where all of the actors were now.
“Tom! Long time no see!” A man joked, pulling him in for a hug and patting him on the back. Tom mentioned something about it only being a few days since he’d last been there, and then he gestured to you and proceeded to show you off. Your cheeks turned a slight pink, but you were just ready to get out of here.
“This is my lovely date, y/n,” Tom introduced you as he brought you to his side and kept his arm around your waist.
“Thank you,” you managed to say, half embarrassed that he’d been so affectionate to you in front of people whom you considered random strangers. “Actually, Tom, can I talk to you?” Your voice came out small and quiet as you pulled him to the side alone. “I don’t feel so well do you mind taking me home?” It hadn’t been a complete lie; you were tired, and the night was beginning to drag on.
With a quick nod, he said his goodbyes to the cast, and then walked with you out the back exit. “Is everything alright, y/n? Do you need me to stay with you? You’re looking a little pale,” there was no doubt in your mind that he was just being genuinely concerned, but the last thing you needed was for him to spend the entire evening with you in your apartment. You would undoubtedly go mad.
“No, no, I think I just need to rest, I’m feeling a little weak.” By reassuring him you noticed his expression grow a little less worrisome, but there was still a sense of worry hidden deep within his eyes.
He walked you to your door yet again, but this time when he leaned in for a kiss you knew it was best to just pull away. “Sorry,” he apologized, taking a step back as he tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels.
“I just don’t want to get you sick; we don’t need two people out on set,” you quietly joked, knowing there was more to it. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Y/n, wait!” Tom stopped you, grabbing you by the arm before you could escape into your home. Just like that he pressed a gentle kiss to your cheek, and a piece of your heart broke for him in that second.
“Thank you, Tom,” you smiled, stepping inside and closing the door. Tomorrow was going to be the longest most agonizing day of your life, and you already knew that you weren’t ready to face the facts. You were about to break Tom Hiddleston’s heart into a thousand pieces for a man that you didn’t even know would love you back or not.
