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bensbuttercup · 6 years ago

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Saturday’s

So Claire Requested this gem for my blurb night

@the-claire-bitch-project : Lazy Saturday Morning with the boys that included pancakes (made by Harrison, duh), watching cartoons (Scooby-Doo), and lots of snuggles and lazy kisses.

And I am impulsive ass turend this into half a one shot so Reagan and Phoebe are back.

Reagan rolled over in bed, throwing a strong arm off her waist as she did. She sat on the edge of her bed checking her missed texts before finishing rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She fixed Shawn’s shirt she had slept in before looking to see who ad made their way into her bed. Tom laid on the other side of the mattress, blanket pulled up to his nose and messy baby curls sticking to his forehead.

Reagan quietly pulled on a pair of pajama shorts before taking a picture of Tom, posting it on her instagram story with the caption ‘Lazy Saturday mornings with my Shortstack’, before she slipped out of her room and down the stairs into the kitchen. Halfway down the stairway Reagan smelled bacon, fresh coffee and pancakes, assuming that Shawn and Phoebe were on breakfast duty as per usual. Instead she was greeted by Harrison’s muscled back and the sound of a soft rock playlist filling the kitchen.

Reagan watched Harrison flip the last two pancakes before quietly making her way behind him, wrapping her arms around him. Harrison didn’t even have to think about whose arms were around his waist before he was humming a quiet “Morning beautiful,” to Reagan. Reagan let a few gentle kisses fall on Harrison’s shoulders as he moved the last two pancakes to the plate with the others that were finished cooking.

“Morning Nugget.” Reagan replied, pulling away to go make a cup of coffee for herself. She mixed the cup together before taking a small sip, setting it down to help Harrison put the dishes in the sink. “Everyone’s home this weekend!” Reagan beamed looking to Harrison who had a similar smile on his face. The group of five had expanded to seven and it was hard to find everyone together at the same time. Leslie had joined the relationship five months earlier and Cole followed two after, all in the middle of Tom filming and Shawn’s festival tour.

“First time in three months that everyone’s together on a weekend.” Harrison hummed backing Reagan into a counter. “You know with Tom and Shawn home I’m going to miss having you all to myself sometimes.” Reagan rolled her eyes before leaning in to kiss Harrison gently.

“All you have to do is ask.” Reagan remind Harrison as he rubbed gentle circles into her hips. The kiss continued to heat up, Harrison’s hands snaking up the back of Reagan’s shirt while hers found their way up his warm chest. Lips moving lazily together, not rushed or worried about having t0 do anything quick.

“Good morning to you two.” Leslie’s voice filled the kitchen. Leslie walked over to the bowl of bacon and stole a piece before moving to the coffee pot that was next to Harrison and Reagan. Reagan pulled out of Harrison’s hold to pull leslie into a hug, placing a kiss on her forehead while Harrison did the same. Reagan let go of Leslie so she could make her coffee when another set of feet were heard on the staircase.

“You left me.” Tom’s morning voice filled the room as he walked up to Reagan, pulling her into a tight hug. His arms were wrapped around Reagan’s middle and his face tucked into the crook of her neck where he left a few gentle kisses of his own. “You bed got cold.” Tom complained further. Leslie responded by walking over and pulling Tom into a tight hug of her own, her hope was that she would make him ‘not cold anymore’. Leslie held Tom for a few minutes while Reagan and Harrison made four plates of food.

“Wait.” Leslie mumbled pulling back from Tom. “We’re all up before the morning birds?” She asked hoping someone would catch the question. Harrison checked the clock and noticed it was nearly ten before nodding.

“That’s weird, they were all asleep early too, I went in at eleven thirty just to check and Phoebe and Shawn were already asleep.” Tom answered. Harrison looked up the stairs to Phoebe’s door, which was right at the top of the staircase. The door was slightly cracked and the only light in the room was the soft glow of the television which is always left on.

“I guess we’ll let them sleep.” Leslie mumbled taking a bite of bacon. “Shawn did only get home yesterday and Pheebs feeds of his energy.” Leslie shrugged as soft chatter filled the kitchen.

“I was thinking to just have a lazy day.” Tom spoke a little louder getting the attention of the other three. Lazy days were rare around the house, with Shawn always recording and Tom’s filming schedule days always felt fast paced and hectic.

“Maybe one of our cuddle days where we break out the blankets and pillows in front of the big TV and just cuddle and eat junk food all day.” Reagan lit up at Tom’s idea. Unwinding with everyone sounded like the perfect way to keep distracted from upcoming midterms. Tom was wearing a sleepy, yet happy smile and nodded at Reagan’s excitement.

“Well we really just have to wait for the three musketeers to wake up then.” Harrison sipped his coffee after pushing his mostly empty plate away while the others finished eating.

“Breakfast already?” Cold yawned walking into the kitchen, a pair of Shawn’s sweatpants hung low on his hips while he walked over to make a mug of coffee for himself. Cole finished what was left and put a new pot on to brew before Harrison smiled brightly at him.

“Morning sunshine!” Harrison knew Cole was always grumpy when he first woke up and tired to push any buttons he could. Cole finished making a plate, kicking Harrison’s shin when he walked past and took his seat at the table.

“Yeah morning.” Cole replied taking a bite of bacon. After Cole let the coffee kick into his system slightly he spoke up again. “Pheebs and Shawn are still sleeping. Phoebe woke up at four thirty and didn’t feel good, she was up for a while her and Shawn are catching up on sleep.” Cole answered Reagan’s question before she could even ask it. Everyone looked concerned at the mention of someone being sick and Cole shook his head before mumbling ‘the usual’ seeing everyone relax.

The five who were at the table happily chatted about what movies they would be watching and where they would be ordering lunch and dinner from while the waited for Shawn and Phoebe to find their way downstairs. Around ten thirty quiet mumbles of ‘no I want your hoodie’ followed by Shawn’s small hums of acknowledgement were heard upstairs telling everyone that Phoebe and Shawn were awake.

Soon after feet were heard moving down the stairs and Shawn, in sweats and a tee shirt pulled his mug out. Phoebe walked in a few seconds later in Shawn’s pink hoodie, a soft blanket wrapped around her shoulders a small smile on her lips. She waved to everyone and gave Leslie and Reagan kisses on the cheek before sitting in Cole’s lap. “You want hot chocolate this morning baby girl?” Shawn asked pulling the kettle out to boil water.

“Thank you bub!” Phoebe smiled grabbing a piece of Cole’s bacon.

“Oh!” Tom suddenly spoke up. “You are okay!” Phoebe laughed lightly as Shawn slid her a mug of hot chocolate. Phoebe nodded as Cole slid a hand under Shawn’s hoodie and rested it on Phoebe’s stomach.

“Well if everyone else is almost done we can go grab all the blankets and pillows.” Reagan spoke up looking at Leslie and Tom who’s smiles only grew wider. Tom was out of his seat before Reagan could finish speaking and Leslie wasn’t far behind. Reagan gave Harrison a kiss as she passed him and followed Leslie and Tom up the stairs. While Shawn finished his breakfast Phoebe slipped off of Cole’s lap and went to start putting the dishes in the dishwasher so the sink didn’t pile up too far later in the afternoon.

Fifteen minutes later Reagan came down the stars followed by Leslie and then Tom, all three carrying an array of pillows and blankets. Tom’s hair was messy and Phoebe took note of the red marks that were fresh on his neck and his swollen lips, but he looked happy. “We just have to get Pheebs and Tom’s blankets and pillows and we’re done.” Leslie said as Harrison stood up and walked up the stairs, turning left towards Tom’s room.

“I’ll go grab yours go help the others.” Cole told Phoebe who took the blanket she had brought down with her earlier. Phoebe walked over to where Shawn was pouring a second mug of coffee and wrapped herself and the blanket around him. Shawn laughed lightly as Phoebe closed her eyes and rested her head on Shawn’s back listening to his heartbeat.

“Let’s go snuggle bug.” Shawn hummed tuning around and walking slowly towards the living room. Phoebe followed him and watched as Tom slipped a DVD into the player as Leslie and Reagan laid out the first layer of blankets on the floor. Cole and Harrison found their way back downstairs with the remaining blankets and everyone started finding their places in the cuddle puddle. Reagan laid down first along with Shawn and Cole, everyone else following. Tom laid down on one side of Reagan and Harrison on the other. Leslie laid between Tom and Shawn as Phoebe wedged her way between Shawn and Cole. Blankets were pulled over and on everyone as they settled down, Tom picking up the remote and starting the first movie.

A few quiet and excited gasps were heard as the opening screen to Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island was seen. Everyone wore wide smiled as Leslie leaned over to kiss Tom gently, resting her head on his chest. Harrison yawned and Reagan ran her fingers through his messy hair hoping to help him relax. Reagan knew he had woken up early to cook and wanted him to be able to catch a small nap.

“Scooby!” Shawn gasped lightly and Phoebe laughed gently closing her eyes on his chest. Tom was watching intently as Leslie played with his hair, the boy fighting to stay awake also. Reagan watched as both Tom and Shawn drifted off on her chest, knowing that both her boys were with her for a few weeks now.

“I missed this.” Shawn hummed running his fingers through Phoebe hair while she slowly drifted in and out of sleep. Reagan and Leslie nodded in agreement while Tom and Harrison were out cold themselves the two boys Even breath fanning across Reagan’s neck.

“I think we all missed this.” Cold added looking across the pile of bodies to give Reagan a warm smile. They knew despite whatever anyone said this is where they wanted to be, and it’s where they would always be.

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the-claire-bitch-project · 6 years ago

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Fall Moodboard with Tom for @mandatheredpanda

#a bitch makes moodboards #claire’s moodboards #tom holland #fall moodboard #fall aesthetic #autumn moodboard #autumn aesthetic #tom: a shortstack of pancakes #tom holland moodboard #october

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the-claire-bitch-project · 6 years ago

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Find Your Way Back - 1 - Tom Holland

Summary: Tom Holland spends a lot of time jetting off to various places. He never gets to stay long, he never has the chance to explore or learn about the cities he visits, and he sure doesn’t get to see the people he meets again. So when he meets the girl of his dreams and she leaves without a trace, all he wants is to find his way back to her heart.

Pairing: Tom Holland x OC

Word Count: 3895

Warnings: Swearing, drinking

A/N: This is written in third-person limited from Tom’s perspective. I would like to remind you that this is fanfiction. I used the name and appearance of a real person to create a character. I do not claim to know or own Tom Holland. Anything his character does in this piece is not a reflection on him. This piece will have adult sexual themes and relationships. Please enjoy and let me know if you would like to be tagged in future chapters!

Inspired by Find Your Way Back by Jefferson Starship

Tom Holland was craving a cheeseburger. He was tired. He’d been standing all day. He was jet-lagged. He hadn’t eaten in twelve hours. He flipped through the room service menu, no cheeseburger. What the hell kind of hotel didn’t have cheeseburgers?

He looked out the open window. An unfamiliar skyline loomed back at him. He glanced at his wrist, forgetting he’d already taken off his watch, then immediately grabbed his phone for the time instead. 10:03pm.

“Fuck it,” he muttered to himself and grabbed a hoodie off the ground. He patted the pockets of his basketball shorts. Wallet and phone, check.

He was halfway to the door when he remembered his room key on the nightstand and turned back, one sleeve of the jacket on his arm. Shoving the card into the pocket with his phone and pulling on his hoodie, he headed for the door.

The elevator arrived quickly and he hopped inside, pressed the button for the lobby, and flipped up his hood as the elevator shot downwards, his stomach turning at the speed.

The doors opened with a ding and Tom walked quickly across the hotel’s massive lobby. His sneakers squeaked on the marble floor and the sound seemed to echo in the silence of the late evening. He pushed his way out into the night and immediately felt like he was dripping with sweat in the humidity. The hoodie wasn’t helping, but he really didn’t feel like being recognized right now.

He was staring down at his shoes as he walked when he walked right into her. The tall girl with the hat hanging from the belt loop of her shorts.

“I’m sorry,” he spluttered, grabbing her shoulders to steady her, or himself. “I like your hat,” he blurted out before he could think. It was a colorful snapback with a geometric pattern laid over the planets of the solar system.

“I like your movies,” the girl said. Tom looked up at her with wide eyes. “Don’t panic,” she laughed. “I’m a fan, but I’m not going to treat you like you aren’t a regular person.”

“I-- I didn’t--” Tom stammered.

“Chill, buddy,” she commanded with a raised eyebrow. “What are you doing out late all incognito?” she asked, gesturing to his hoodie before crossing her arms.

“Hoping to find a cheeseburger,” he admitted, giving her a half-smile and shifting back and forth on his heels, nervous to have such a pretty girl eyeing him up and down.

“Huh, I was craving a French dip. Turns out the best of both in the vicinity comes from the same place,” she bit her lip. “You could come with me. We can sit at the bar and get a drink too. It’s dark there.” She rambled a little, looking nervous. Tom realized she was trying to convince him, worried he would say no to getting food with her.

“Sounds great,” he interrupted her explanation of how she always got a French dip at this restaurant but her mom really loved the cheeseburgers there. She smiled, a full smile, with her straight teeth that were one shade yellower than white. The shade you get from drinking too much coffee.

“My car is down here,” she pointed down the block and took a step away. Tom grabbed her arm, pulling her back around. The momentum pulled her back hard and she steadied herself against his chest.

“I--” he started, looking back and forth between her eyes, panicked.

“You’re afraid to let a stranger drive you somewhere?” she guessed. Tom nodded, looking down at his shoes, embarrassed. The girl sighed and pushed her hair to one side. She looked up at him, her icy blue eyes burning into his soul. “My name is Henley Thompson. My mom named me after Don Henley,” she smirked at him. “I’m 21, I’m a native of Houston, I go to college in Boston. I work as a secretary to a partner at a law firm. I have a German Shepherd named Nugget--”

“You have a German Shepherd named Nugget?” Tom interrupted with a chuckle. “Okay fine you can drive me. Nobody who names their dog Nugget could possibly be that bad.”

He smiled and gestured for her to lead the way, following her no less than half a block to a black Audi Q3, parked at a parking meter that was still green. Tom peeked at the time left. A digital screen looked back at him, blinking 3:00.

“Did you know you have three hours left on this meter?” he asked her as she pulled open the driver’s side door.

“Yeah why?” she asked, a look of confusion on her face.

“Never mind,” he held up his hands defensively, grabbing the passenger door handle, but waiting for her to hit the unlock button before pulling on it. He slid into the car, inhaling the smell of leather conditioner. He ran his hand over the dash, it was slightly shiny from a recent detail. Tom looked in the backseat, a folded sunshade lay across it, but other than that her car was absolutely clean.

“I would let you play music but it Bluetooth connects to my phone automatically and--” Henley began to explain.

“I know,” Tom interrupted. “I drive the same car, back in London.” Henley beamed at him.

“That’s super cool,” she murmured, turning back to put on her seatbelt as she pressed the ignition button. Her long, thin fingers wrapped around the gear shift and she gently pushed the car into reverse, turning her head slightly to check all the mirrors and the rearview camera as she backed up a few inches, then pulled out of the spot she had parallel parked it in, with only two shifts, one backwards, one forwards.

Tom looked at her, impressed. It had been tight, but she knew exactly where the car began and ended, and where the cars in front and behind her were. She was absolutely confident, not a hair out of place, one hand resting on her thigh, one hung lazily over the steering wheel as she watched the road in front of her, smoothly maneuvering around potholes and slower drivers as a high-pitched guitar intro whined from her speakers, loudly.

“You know, it's been a long, long road,” Henley sang along, also loudly. “since I packed up and left on my own.” Tom glanced at the screen. Find Your Way Back by Jefferson Starship. He’d never heard of it, but he liked Henley’s voice. She definitely wasn’t the best singer he’d ever heard. She couldn’t hit the high notes, and couldn’t go that low either.

“And I carry a heavy load, just trying to get back to her heart,” she sang, never once looking at him, but Tom was looking at her. He didn’t even care that she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smirked at his stare. She had long legs with muscular quads that flexed with every brake and acceleration.

“I sure ain’t got no home,” she sang, then higher, “I seem to find love where I ramble.” Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel. “And when it’s time to go, I hear that voice again, saying find your way back,” she drummed on the steering wheel, “find your way back to her heart.”

“Do you listen to classic rock, Tom?” Henley asked, as the chorus played.Tom’s heart jumped when she said his name.

“Uh, not really,” he answered. “But I like this song you’ve got playing.”

“Jefferson Starship has been my jam lately,” she said, bobbing her head on the word ‘jam’ and looking at him out of the corner of her eye. Tom swallowed, consciously trying to keep himself from openly staring at her even more. She wasn’t conventionally sexy in a super feminine way, but she was one of the sexiest people he had ever seen. Confidence rolled off of her in waves. Tom leaned towards her like he could absorb it

“Do they have other songs I might know?” Tom asked, hoping to keep her talking about something she was clearly very into, because her eyes lit up and dimples appeared on her cheeks and she just looked so darn cute.

“Miracles maybe?” she suggested. “Not many. They were Jefferson Airplane before. They did White Rabbit but I’m not as familiar with their songs from before Jefferson Starship,” she explained, rambling on a bit before trailing off. A bit of pink crept over her ears and she hunched her shoulders.

Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he searched up the songs she mentioned and adding them to his library on Spotify so he could listen to them later.

“What are you doing in Houston, Tom?” she asked as she put on her left blinker and braked, waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic so she could turn into a half-full parking lot.

“Um,” he hesitated, wracking his memory for the correct name of the convention he was at this weekend. “It’s not Comic Con, it’s--”

“Comicpalooza,” she finished for him. “I probably should have guessed that. Lot’s of my friends have been preparing for it for months.”

“Oh are they working or volunteering or something?” Tom asked, wondering if he’d met anyone who knew her.

“Cosplaying,” she said with a smirk as she turned the wheel. Tom watched her biceps flex. She turned the wheel underhanded. He’d never seen someone drive like that before.

“And you’re not a cosplayer?” he asked, wondering exactly how big of a fan she was, how much she knew about him.

“I used to be,” she sighed as she pulled into a spot right in front of the restaurant and nudged the car into park. “It got too time-consuming,” she admitted, fiddling with her fingers, popping her knuckles one by one. She had black nail polish on six of her fingers, on her thumbs and fingers it had chipped off. “And expensive,” she added quietly.

“Do you have pictures?” Tom asked, hopefulness creeping into his voice as Henley grabbed her bag out of the backseat.

“Maybe I’ll show you inside,” she offered, opening the door, letting the hot humid air rush into the car. Tom opened his own door and climbed out. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he followed her inside the restaurant. She was right, it was dark, lit only by candles on the tables and low lighting along the pathways on the floor.

Tom followed her to the back of the bar and sat next to her in the most secluded corner. Each seat was set for dinner and he mirrored her actions as she unwrapped the white napkin from the silverware and placed it in her lap.

“What can I start y’all off with to drink? Hey H,” a tall young man appeared in front of them. He leaned on the bar, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up, a smirk on his face. Tom watched Henley as her eyes flicked over him.

“Hey Ethan,” she greeted him warmly. “You know I want a bourbon sweet tea.”

“You got it, H. And for you?” he turned to Tom, who had no idea what he wanted to drink.

“Uh, what do you have on draft?” he asked, looking over Ethan’s shoulder to peer at the tap.

“He’ll have a bourbon sweet tea as well,” Henley cut in. She smiled at Tom, her dimples appearing again and making him melt a little. “You’ll love it,” she promised. Ethan had already whirled around to make their drinks.

“Sweet tea?” Tom said skeptically, watching Henley as she scanned the menu.

“You can’t say you’ve had the Southern experience if you haven’t tried it,” she sighed and pushed the menu away from her, turning towards Tom and bumping his legs with her knees.

“I’m only here for the weekend,” Tom laughed, running his fingers through his hair and pushing his hood back. “I’m definitely not going to be getting the ‘full Southern experience.’”

“Dude, you don’t have to get it here in Texas. You can get it when you’re filming in Atlanta,” she scoffed. Tom looked up from the countertop at her. She was popping her knuckles again, chewing on her lip. She looked up at him. “Don’t look so scared. I know where my favorite movies are filmed. I’m not a fangirl, unless maybe you want to talk about my One Direction phase.”

“Oh I definitely want to talk about your One Direction phase,” Tom quipped back, his eyebrows raised with interest.

“Let’s just say they were my sexual awakening,” Henley rolled her eyes and flipped over the menu in her hands. She scanned it quickly before placing it back down and sitting with her hands primly in her lap. “Cheeseburgers are under sandwiches,” she nodded towards the menu in front of him.

Tom looked down at it, scanning it with his eyes. He found the cheeseburger quickly, and looked further for the French dip she had mentioned. According to the menu it consisted of thinly sliced roast beef with Swiss cheese and mayonnaise, served with au jus sauce for dipping. It came with French fries and sounded delicious.

“Would you be willing to let me try some of your sandwich?” Tom asked politely, folding his own hands in his lap.

“Of course!” she said, with a huge grin. “I love introducing people to new things. I think it’s so fun to watch people’s faces,” she rambled, Tom nodding along to her words as he stared at her lips. When her lips skewed to the right on words, they were led by her lower lip, but when they skewed to the left, her upper lip moved first. Tom was fascinated, hypnotized as he heard her continue, “but it’s so annoying when you introduce someone to cool things and then like, break up with them or the friendship ends and like, you want them to stop doing that cool thing because it’s your thing, you know?”

“Yeah totally,” Tom agreed, leaning his chin on his hand as she talked, completely enraptured by her. He barely even noticed Ethan set down their drinks and pull out a notepad until he cleared his throat. Tom tore his eyes away from Henley to look up at him, staring expectantly.

“French dip, no horseradish, ketchup for my fries,” Henley said like she’d repeated it a thousand times. Ethan jotted down a few notes and looked up at Tom.

“Um, a cheeseburger, no pickles,” Tom ordered quickly, looking down at his hands as he felt Henley’s stare on him. It wasn’t intrusive, just a curious stare.

“How would you like that prepared?” Ethan asked.

“Medium,” Tom answered.

“Better make it medium rare, babe,” Henley interjected. Tom wasn’t sure if she was talking to Ethan or himself, but his chest twinged and his eyes went out of focus for a second at the idea of her calling him ‘babe.’

Ethan turned and walked out of the bar to take their order to the kitchen, and Henley turned back to face him, placing her feet next to Tom’s on the footrest of his barstool. She smiled at him.

“This place always overcooks their burgers a bit in my opinion,” she explained.

“You also like to change my order, it seems,” Tom suggested, feeling brave. Henley shrugged. Her leg pressed against his.

“I like to be in charge,” she admitted, giving him a small wink. In the back corner of the bar, in the dark, it was a lot easier to be suggestive. She took a sip of her drink and Tom suddenly realized he hadn’t tried his yet. He put his lips to the straw and took a sip of the dark liquid. It was sweet, incredibly so, but the bourbon cut through the sweetness and left a sharp sensation across his tongue. He swallowed as Henley watched his reaction carefully.

“It’s good,” he told her, taking another sip.

“Ugh,” she groaned. “Only good?”

“I like it a lot!” he tried again. He did like it, but it wasn’t going to be his favorite drink. He probably wouldn’t make it himself or order it again.

“I think you’re just pretending,” she suggested. Tom raised an eyebrow at her and picked up his glass. “Oh no! That’s really strong--” she started to say as he raised the glass to his lips, “--and you’re already chugging it. Okay,” she clapped her hands together and picked up her own drink, raising it to her lips as Tom tilted his head back, the liquid running down his throat. He set the empty glass down, feeling fuzzy as he watched her take a huge gulp of her drink before giving up and setting it down.

“Couldn’t handle it?” he teased as heat rose in Henley’s cheeks.

“No, you dingus,” she wrinkled her nose. “I just only get one drink cause I’m driving and I want to enjoy it.”

“Oh that makes sense,” Tom sighed, leaning back in his chair. He stretched his arms over his head and closed his eyes, feeling his shoulders loosen and relax as he dropped them back down.

“So tell me about your weekend, Tom,” Henley suggested. “What is is like being on the other side of the con?”

“Well, I’ve only ever been on this side,” Tom admitted sheepishly. “But I like it a lot. I get to meet a lot of very passionate people, and I really like passion. I love hearing people talk about things they love.”

“You must make a lot of them nervous though.” Henley leaned her chin on her hand and played with her straw.

“I guess,” Tom chuckled. “I think it’s super cute though. They really make my whole day. Every single fan who comes to see me? They’re my favorite, all of them are my favorite.” Henley laughed an unabashed laugh, she squeaked with every inhale.

“Do you have any idea how cute that is, Tom?” she asked, putting her free hand on his leg. He froze under her touch, mesmerized by the handprint burned into his thigh from the touch of her fingers. “All of those people love you and you love them back. That’s just so amazing,” she continued, “most guys wouldn’t admit to having that much love.”

“I don’t really subscribe to masculine ideals,” Tom said, reaching for her drink to take a sip. His was empty and his throat felt dry, and she didn’t seem to mind at all. Henley’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. “What?” he asked her.

“I’m sorry but that was like, the single hottest thing anyone has ever said to me,” Henley sat back in her chair, pulling her hand away from his leg. She sat like a man, her knees apart, one knee in between each of his. For the first time all night, Tom glanced down at her shirt. RAISE BOYS AND GIRLS THE SAME WAY, it read.

“So you’re a feminist,” he confirmed. She nodded.

“Aren’t you?” she asked, a little hesitant.

“Everyone should be,” he shrugged. “I have a bunch of brothers but growing up dancing and doing gymnastics I was always around women.”

“I’m glad young boys have you as a role model,” Henley told him, pressing her leg against his. “I want my nephew, who loves Spiderman by the way, to grow up seeing someone who doesn’t subscribe to the toxic masculinity of other male role models.”

“That’s what I want too,” Tom smiled. “And I would love to meet your nephew.”

“They live in Oregon, unfortunately,” Henley grinned. “But I appreciate the offer. He would love that.”

“How old is he?” Tom asked, ignoring the fact that her knee was now against the stool in between his legs. Well, trying to ignore that fact.

“He’s six,” Henley sipped her drink. Over her shoulder, Tom saw a waitress with two plates in her hands, one cheeseburger and one French dip.

“So you must have older siblings,” Tom reasoned as the waitress set the plates down, warning them to be careful, that they were hot.

“I have an older brother, but my nephew’s dad is actually my stepbrother from my dad’s marriage. From my mom’s marriage I have two stepsisters that are about my age, except they’re both married and one is even expecting a baby,” she said. “I’m kind of the odd one out, me and my brother, but for some reason I’m the only one they question about marriage and children.”

“Funny how that works,” Tom joked, and smiled when she laughed again. “You ever want to get married?”

“Nah,” Henley dismissed, pulling her legs away from him and turning to her food. Tom picked up his cheeseburger and bit into it while she talked. It was juicy and the bun was buttery and she was absolutely right that it was a perfect cheeseburger. She talked about marriage as she picked at her fries, “I really like the idea of a partnership, but I don’t know if I want the legal or spiritual connection.”

“Are you religious?” Tom asked between bites.

“Oh hell no,” she laughed, “but pretty much all of my prospects around here would be so I consider it.”

“Me either,” Tom admitted, taking the last bite of his cheeseburger and starting on his fries.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, Henley inhaling half of her sandwich (which was massive) nearly as quickly as Tom had finished his burger. She turned back towards him, placing her feet on his barstool again as she ate her fries, two or three at a time and slathered in ketchup, not that Tom was watching or anything.

“So we covered marriage,” Henley joked, “how about kids?”

“I’ve never thought about it,” Tom admitted.

“Really?” Henley raised an eyebrow at him. “Never thought about it?”

“I mean I guess I’ve thought about it but I never decided if I really wanted to have a family or not,” he rambled. “It sort of depends on where my career goes and if I meet the right person,” he shrugged. He settled back into his chair and pushed his plate away from him. Ethan appeared with two glasses of water and set them down with a quick smile before fading into the darkness again.

“Can we get the check?” Henley called after him, eliciting a quick wave of acknowledgement. “I get that,” she sighed, settling back into her seat with her hands folded on her stomach. Her knee brushed Tom’s again and he pressed his leg back against hers. “I want to at least finish law school before I seriously date anyone.”

“Law school?” Tom asked, not at all surprised at her chosen career path.

“I just,” she shook her head, “really love to argue.”

“You haven’t argued with me once,” Tom pointed out.

“I usually save it for non-strangers,” she winked, causing Tom’s heart to flutter again. He shifted and folded his hands in his lap, looking down at her legs, studying the dusting of baby hair on her thighs in the pale light.

“Are we still strangers?” he asked quietly.

“I’m sorry I can’t hear you.”

“Are we still strangers?” Tom asked, a little louder, looking up at her. She smiled crookedly.

“No I don’t think we are,” she said.

Part Two

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the-claire-bitch-project · 6 years ago

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Find Your Way Back - 5 - Tom Holland

Pairing: Tom Holland x OC

Word Count: 4349

Warnings: Swearing, drinking

Inspired by: Find Your Way Back by Jefferson Starship

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four

Penny insisted Tom come back with them to Henley’s apartment to get some water and recover for a bit.

“It’s a block away,” she told them, one hand firmly pressed against Tom’s back. Henley was quiet as they walked, Harrison trailing behind, chewing on his lip worriedly.

It really was not far to Henley’s apartment. Tom leaned on the wall next to the door, watching her concentrated face while she fumbled with her keys and unlocked it. He shrugged his shoulders up as Penny rubbed his shoulder, concern painted on her pretty face. Tom felt her curious gaze on him and his cheeks burned. He gestured for Penny to go ahead of him as they all filed inside.

Tom had actually never been in a girl’s apartment before. It was smaller than his place in London. The kitchen was cluttered, a few dishes lay in the sink, mail was scattered all over the counter. A mismatched old couch and chair crowded the living room, contrasted against the flat screen tv complete with a Playstation and Gamecube.

“Follow me Tom,” Henley said quietly, opening a door. Tom followed her through a well-decorated, but messy bedroom into a small bathroom. She had all kinds of makeup and skincare products on her counter, to the point that Tom couldn’t actually see much of the countertop. She bent over, digging for something in the bottom drawer, her back to him.

“Henley,” he started, reaching out for her and pulling back quickly as she stood up, her face a blank mask.

“Here’s an extra toothbrush,” she murmured, her blue eyes empty. “Take all the time you need,” she urged before brushing past him out the door, shutting it gently behind her with a soft click.

Tom sighed and leaned on the counter, looking at himself in the mirror.

His skin was pale and his eyes drooped. He felt exhausted, like he’d been hit by a bus. It had been so shocking to hear that Henley had been dating someone for a year and a half. She was in a year long relationship when she’d met him, when she’d fucked him. He sighed again and looked at the purple toothbrush in his hand.

Out of curiosity, he opened the drawer she had been digging in. It was full of extra toiletries; men’s and women’s deodorant and shampoo, toothbrushes, hair brushes, hair ties. Tom stared for a minute, then shut the drawer.

He opened the toothbrush and reached for her toothpaste. It was cinnamon-flavored. He remembered that she chewed pineapple gum. Henley seemed to have an aversion to mint. She sure was a mysterious girl, but Tom’s curiosity to know what was going on in her head wasn’t out of a carnal desire anymore. Now it came from a sense of antipathy sitting deep in his chest beneath his sternum that occasionally rose up into his throat and made him have to stop and breathe for fear he would choke on it.

He spat out the cinnamon-flavored toothpaste and wiped his mouth on her monogrammed hand towel, tossing the toothbrush in the trash before booking it back to the living room to rescue Harrison from the situation of keeping the secret from Penny.

But Harrison didn’t need to be rescued. When Tom slipped out of Henley’s room, closing the door behind him, Harrison was laughing with his head thrown back, sprawled across the couch with his feet on the coffee table while Henley sat in the armchair with Penny draped across her lap, both of them giggling as well.

“What’s so funny?” Tom asked, taking a hesitant seat next to Harrison, giving him a scandalized look. Harrison looked at him, telling him with his eyes that he had Tom’s back and would follow his lead for what he wanted to do next.

“Penny was just telling us about how she was TA-ing a lab today and it was on cricket behavior,” Harrison explained, taking a sip from one of the four glasses of water dripping condensation onto the coffee table.

“The students had to scoop up about a hundred crickets per group, by hand,” Penny giggled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen them freak out so much, not even when we dissected rats!”

Tom stared at Henley’s hand, pale against Penny’s skin, their fingers woven together. Henley’s nails were perfectly manicured a dark purple, the same color as Penny’s braids. He tore his eyes away and reached for the only glass of water still full, draining half of it in seconds.

“Tom,” Harrison nudged Tom’s foot with his own, “Penny asked if you were okay.”

“Oh yeah I’m fine, thanks,” Tom said curtly, not looking at her, looking down at his sneakers. He couldn’t look her in the eyes, not knowing that she had no idea what they had done to her.

“How did you two meet?” Penny asked, gesturing between Penny and Tom. “You seem to know each other pretty well,” she added.

Nobody answered. Silence hung in the air like the thick smog had hung around the night Tom ran into Henley outside his hotel. Penny’s head swiveled back and forth between Tom and his hunched, guilty shoulders and Henley’s passive mask of a face. Harrison sank as deep into the far corner of the couch as he possibly could, barely even breathing, his eyes darting between all three of them as Penny’s beautiful features slowly became twisted and wrinkled. Her eyebrows knitted together, her lips formed a thin line. She let go of Henley’s hand and slid off of her lap, right to the ground.

“How could you?” she murmured, her voice low and even. “After all that we worked through, everything we planned,” she trailed off, her voice breaking. Tom gripped his hands into fists, his short nails digging into his palms as he clenched his eyes shut, willing himself to disappear into anywhere else but the living room of a girl whose partner was realizing she had been betrayed. A partner he had helped her betray.

“Penny,” Henley started to say, sitting up and reaching out. Penny was up in a flash, on her feet and headed for the door. “Penny I didn’t want to hurt you--”

“You didn’t mean to hurt me?” Penny laughed. “No, I’m sure you didn’t,” she spat, marching right up to Henley and leaning over her, getting in her face to say her next words quietly. She was so short, diminutive compared to Henley’s stature, but her eyes blazed and Henley shrank away from the fury sparking off of her as she spoke. “You did hurt me though. I hope you realize that. Your actions caused this. This was not me, this was all you. I hope that haunts you for the rest of your life.”

With that, she straightened up and turned to Tom and Harrison, both gazing at her partly in awe and partly in fear. She smiled, reached out a hand to Harrison, who shook it automatically.

“It was nice to meet you guys,” she nodded, smiling sweetly as she shook Tom’s hand, “I’m sorry I got so angry.”

Tom had no idea what she was sorry for, she was the one who had been wronged. He was the one who had wronged her, but by the time he found the oxygen to tell her he was sorry, she was gone, slamming the door behind her. He jumped up, slid past Henley’s frozen form, staring motionless at the wall, and ran after Penny.

“Penny!” he called into the hall, jogging after her to the elevators.

“Yes?” she asked, hiccuping through the tears already pouring down her face. Tom looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, unable to speak any louder, the pain in his chest holding him back. He closed his eyes and pushed it down, clearing his throat with a cough before trying again. “I’m sorry, Penny,” he said, finally meeting her gaze. “I didn’t know,” he admitted. “That’s not a good excuse but I’m so sorry for hurting you. We met and it was only one time and--”

“I don’t need an explanation from you, Tom,” she cut him off, reaching for his hand and taking it in her own. Her fingers weren’t as soft as Henley’s, too much time spent in a lab as opposed to a library.

“You don’t?” Tom asked, confused. Penny shook her head and smiled up at him, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. She was comforting him.

“No, I don’t,” she sighed. “I knew she would sleep with someone else eventually. I had just hoped she would tell me first.” She stepped closer to him. “It’s not your fault, Tom. Henley is the one who hurt me, not you.”

“But I--”

“I know you’ll probably go back for an explanation from her,” Penny cut him off again, “but if you ever want to talk to me about it, here’s my number.” She pulled her wallet out of her bag and withdrew a blank index card, searching for a pen deep in her bag before Tom pulled a sharpie he always carried from his pocket and handed it to her. She scrawled her number on the card and handed it to him.

“It’s not your fault,” she repeated one last time as the elevator arrived. “Don’t beat yourself up,” she smiled, squeezed his hand, and got on the elevator, the doors closing as she hit the button for the first floor. Tom stood, dumbfounded, in front of the elevator doors as Harrison walked up, their backpacks slung over his shoulders.

“Come on,” Harrison murmured, handing Tom his backpack and pressing the elevator button. “I’m sorry, I know that wasn’t how you wanted—“

“I’m going to talk to her,” Tom interrupted.

“What? Why?” Harrison asked incredulously, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open.

“I need an explanation,” Tom said firmly. Harrison’s expression softened. He nodded and patted Tom’s shoulder.

“Okay,” Harrison sighed. “I’ll find a bar or a cafe nearby and hang out. Just text me when you’re done and we’ll find each other.”

“Thanks for understanding,” Tom said, nodding. Harrison reached out and hugged him, squeezing him tight before Tom pulled away and turned to go back to Henley’s apartment. He squared his shoulders and walked down the hall. He knocked lightly on the door, squeezing his eyes shut as he heard footsteps approaching and the lock turning.

Henley’s eyes were bloodshot and tears streamed down her face, but her mouth was set in a thin line, her jaw clenched. She sighed when she saw him and stepped out of the way, wordlessly inviting him back in.

“What are you doing here?” she asked quietly as she shut and locked the door behind him. Tom strolled into the living room, set his backpack down, and plopped down on the couch. He looked at her, standing with her arms crossed by the door. She looked small for the first time ever.

“I came to hear your side,” he said simply, tilting his head expectantly.

“What do you want to know?” she asked, popping her knuckles.

“I want to know what’s going through that head of yours,” Tom demanded, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He was feeling particularly harsh, anger pulsed through his veins. He took a deep breath and pushed down the knot in his throat. “Why would you use me like that?”

Henley ran her fingers through her hair and walked over to her backpack on the kitchen counter. She dug through one of the pockets and pulled out a small, black object.

“I need nicotine,” she murmured, “come with me.” Tom followed her over to the double doors across from the entrance, she opened them to reveal a small balcony barely large enough for two people. They crowded onto it and Henley raised the vape to her lips, inhaling deeply and blowing a sweet-smelling cloud away from Tom. Tom watched her lips, the feeling of them against his own still fresh in his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear the memories of the Henley he had known five months ago. The Henley in front of him was just a bitch who had used him to cheat on her girlfriend.

“Well?” he demanded. “Why did you do it?”

“Why did I sleep with you? Why did I leave? Or why did I cheat?” Henley asked casually, looking out over the street before taking another hit.

“All of the above,” Tom answered, leaning on his elbows next to her. Henley sighed and took a long hit, the vapor billowed out of her lips, the smell surrounding them as she gathered her thoughts

“I love Penny,” she started. Tom scoffed and she shot him a look. “I do love her, you don’t have to believe me but I do.” She glared at him. “Remember you asked to hear my side.”

“Right, okay continue.”

“We got together at the end of my first year of college and I was head over heels for her. I thought I was going to marry her someday,” she trailed off, looking down at her hands. “But it got harder and harder, we listened to each other less, communicated less, and I started looking at other people, especially guys,” she shrugged. Tom listened attentively, trying to picture where she was coming from. He hadn’t ever been in a long-term relationship. He’d never drifted apart from someone, but he imagined that if he had, he’d probably just leave.

“Why not just break it off?” he asked quietly. Henley sighed and rolled her head back. She swallowed, blinking hard.

“I was so afraid nobody would ever love me again,” she whispered, choking back tears threatening to spill out of her blue eyes. Tom wanted to reach out and offer some comfort, but he was still angry at her, she couldn’t break down yet. “And then I met you, Sweet T,” she turned to look at him. His heart leapt at the nickname, but he stood his ground, kept as much distance between them as he could on the cramped balcony.

“And?” he prompted, his jaw clenched. She swallowed, turning back to the rail.

“And you were so nervous around me, you made me feel like I was the whole world. Nobody looked at me the way you did, nobody asked me about me like you did. When we kissed,” she paused, looking down before meeting his eyes again, “it was like my lips were made to kiss yours.”

Tom flicked his gaze down to Henley’s lips, now cracked and dry, remembering how she had slotted her bottom lip between his, how her tongue tasted of artificial pineapple, the way her hair felt tickling his arms as he held her. She took a hit from her vape and continued, her voice distorted by the vapor as she didn’t wait to fully exhale before speaking.

“And so for a night I pretended you loved me. I pushed Penny out of my mind and imagined what it would be like to have you love me and to return that love to you,” she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and Tom watched a tear fall down her cheek and hit the railing.

Her shoulders shook with sobs as she cried, occasionally gasping for air. Tom watched her. She was even beautiful when she cried and he longed to pull her into his arms and smell her perfume and tell her that it was okay, that he forgave her, that he understood, but that wasn’t possible, because he didn’t forgive her.

“But you left,” he prompted, “why not stay and explain all of this to me? Do you think I deserved to be longing for you? Wondering why you would leave without a number to call? Nothing but a hat with a list?”

“I was scared okay?” she half-yelled, whirling to look at him. He backed up against the rail at the sight of the blazing ice in her eyes. “I didn’t know what to do! I was too far in with you! I couldn’t tell you then that I was in a relationship and I’d made a mistake! Then you might have thought the mistake was sleeping with you!”

“Wasn’t it though?” Tom whispered, staring at her with wide eyes. “Wasn’t sleeping with me a mistake?”

“No, Tom,” Henley shook her head. “The mistake was not realizing someone else would love me and leaving sooner.”

Tom’s breath hitched in his chest, the knot of anxiety rising in his throat again. He hadn’t realized his behavior that night had been so obvious. He was so drawn to her and he’d been so alone for so long that it had been easy to pretend she loved him. Apparently she had been doing the same thing. He softened, relaxed his shoulders and reached out to put a friendly hand on her arm.

“Someone will love you, Henley,” he assured her, shaking his head. “It just can’t be me.”

“I know,” she nodded, hiccuping as her tears subsided. “I know I hurt you. I’m sorry, Sweet T.” Tom smiled at the nickname.

“I’ve been wearing your hat,” he confessed, pulling it off his head. “Did you want it back?” He held it out to her, hand shaking a little. He didn’t quite want to give it up, just yet, but it was hers after all.

“No,” she smiled, pushing it back towards him. “I wrote your name in it, it’s yours.” Tom looked down at the inside of the hat, the faded list.

“Who are all these people anyway?” he asked, running his finger over the initials and nicknames.

“Previous owners,” Henley shrugged. She pointed to the initials above her own, PG. “Penny gave it to me. She never told me who she got it from so I don’t know who the rest are, but she said I was supposed to give it to someone who made me happy.”

“So you gave it to me?” Tom asked stupidly, his heart fluttering. All he wanted was to make people happy.

“Yeah,” Henley admitted. “I was in a funk and you pulled me out of it. And clearly you’re a nice enough guy to hunt someone down--” she paused. “Wait, why did you find me?”

Tom sighed. He felt incredibly silly now, having searched for her for months only to realize his fantasy of them being together was just that, a fantasy.

“I guess I pretended I loved you too,” he sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking up at the sky. “I thought maybe if I found you, that you’d be waiting for me, maybe you felt as drawn to me as I felt drawn to you.”

“And I fucked it up because I hadn’t gotten the courage together to break up with my girlfriend yet,” Henley laughed awkwardly. “So I just fucking ruined it didn’t I?”

“A little bit,” Tom admitted, looking at her.

The gleam was back in her blue eyes. Her cheeks were red but she didn’t look broken anymore, like Tom’s confession had put one of her pieces back together. He looked at her wholly now, taking in her appearance from her new haircut down to her black combat boots. The autumn version of Henley was different from the summer version. She seemed less carefree, like the change of seasons had added a weight to her shoulders.

“You know I’ll never be able to trust you, right?” Tom broke the silence, meeting her eyes again. She nodded.

“I know.”

“And I only came back to hear your explanation?” he explained firmly. “That I’m leaving as soon as we’re done?”

“Why aren’t you already gone?” she shot back. Tom breathed in deeply, closing his eyes for a beat.

“Because I want to make sure you’ll be okay,” he told her, reaching to take her hand. Henley laughed, a quick bark of laughter before dissolving into chuckles.

“I mean,” she started, “I’m gonna hate myself for awhile for hurting Penny. She didn’t deserve that,” she sighed, “but I’ll fix it. I made the mistake and I’ll learn from it,” she nodded, looking a little more sure, another piece coming back to fix the broken person inside her.

“Okay,” Tom reached for the doorknob, “I’m gonna go then.”

“Wait,” Henley put her hand over his, “if you ever need anything, just look in the hat.” Tom pulled it off his head and studied the inside.

‘What do you mean?” he asked, furrowing his brows in confusion. Henley shook her head and opened the door to the living room.

“You’ll figure it out, Sweet T,” she murmured as she followed him inside.

“No, tell me,” he demanded, “it’s the least you can do.”

“It’s something you have to discover on your own,” she winked. Apparently the both of them had a thing for cryptic messages. Tom chuckled a little as he picked up his backpack, resigning himself to figure it out later. Now, he had one more question since he’d spotted her laptop on the counter.

“What were you working on until 7am?” he asked curiously as she walked him to the door.

“The law firm I worked at was suing the US government to get all those kids out of the camps on the border,” she explained. “It was a huge case and we all worked on it during our free time on top of the usual load.” She twirled a curl around her finger as she leaned on the wall next to the door.

“Wow,” Tom said in awe. He would have to tell Harry just how wrong he had been.

“Yeah I didn’t get much sleep that month,” she rolled her eyes, reaching past him to open the door.

“You are a very special person, Henley Thompson,” he told her as he stepped out the door, facing her one last time. He wanted to hug her, but held himself back, knowing if he touched her again he might never leave.

“I’m glad I met you, Tom Holland,” she said back with a tease of a smirk on her lips. Tom nodded and turned to go, walking down the hall as she shut the door behind him.

It took Tom ten minutes to call Harrison, get the location of a hotel bar nearby, and walk over to meet him. On the walk, he thought about how much Henley had meant to him the night he met her, and how quickly his feelings had changed. He knew he could never be with her, but the unfortunate part was that she was still a good person. She was a good person who had completely screwed up.

He found Harrison sitting at the bar with a draft beer in front of him, a glass of Scotch sat in front of the seat next to him. Tom dropped his backpack on the ground and sat down next to him, downing the Scotch much faster than it called for.

“That bad, huh?” Harrison asked, putting his phone face down on the bar.

“Worse,” Tom groaned, signalling for the bartender. “Can I have something with whiskey?” he asked before turning back to Harrison. “It’s worse than bad because she’s a good person.”

“A good person who cheated on her girlfriend with you,” Harrison pointed out as the bartender appeared and placed a cocktail in front of Tom. He took a sip, it tasted bittersweet, exactly how he felt.

“Yeah but she feels so awful,” he rolled his eyes. “She admits she was wrong and she wants to get better.” Harrison nodded, sipping his beer as Tom rambled. “If someone were gonna cheat and be a good person about it, she managed it.”

“Damn,” Harrison sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “So what are you going to do?”

“Never see her again,” Tom declared. “I really fucking want to, but obviously I can’t trust her. I want to go back to her apartment and tell her we can make it work but--” his voice broke, “but--”

“But if she cheated on Penny she’ll cheat on you?” Harrison guessed. Tom nodded, tears welling up in his eyes as he leaned over to put his head on Harrison’s shoulder.

“I hate myself,” he muttered as his shoulders shook with silent sobs. “If I hadn’t come all this way--”

“Penny would never have gotten out of that situation,” Harrison interrupted. Tom looked up at him. “I talked to her a bit outside, she said she knew it was going downhill but she wasn’t planning to break it off with Henley. She’s very glad that she found out Henley cheated because she didn’t want to be with someone like that. She’s getting a chance to move on because you got Henley to admit the truth.”

“You think so?” Tom asked, sitting up and looking at his friend, who had a hardened look in his blue eyes.

“Yeah,” Harrison nodded firmly, “and you needed to learn from this too.”

“Learn what?”

“Don’t trust a girl who seems perfect,” Harrison laughed. Tom chuckled a little too. He would be okay. Henley wasn’t the one, but she was a stop sign on his journey to the life he wanted. For now, he had Harrison and his family and his career. He didn’t need to find the girl just yet.

Tom and Harrison finished a few more rounds and tipped the bartender generously. Harrison had booked a room for the night and they headed up the elevator. It was late and both were yawning heavily. As Tom took the hat off his head to place it on the side table, he had an idea. Patting his pockets, he found he’d lost his sharpie at some point.

“Hey, do you have a sharpie?” he asked. Harrison dug in his pocket, having picked up the habit from Tom and tossed the sharpie he found across the room. “Thanks,” Tom murmured. He spread the hat over his knee so he could write and beneath the words Sweet T he added HO.

---

That’s it guys! That’s the end. I absolutely loved writing this story and hearing positive feedback from everyone! Feel free to let me know what you think! I’ll be releasing a full playlist of songs that helped me when writing this!

Song of the Moment: “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake

Check out some moodboards @trulytom made for this fic! One Two

Ko-Fi

Tagged: @madmadmilk @noturjacky @alwayssnowingsomewhere @heavenly---holland @queenoflostspirits @smexylemony @yesitsaninnuendo @nappingtopknot @whatam3ss @normalwithadashofinsane @liamismxsunshinx @sor-rai-ja @t0mswebs @cherryhollands @underoosstark @ladybirduris

Strikethrough means I couldn’t tag

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the-claire-bitch-project · 6 years ago

Text

Find Your Way Back - 4 - Tom Holland

Pairing: Tom Holland x OC

Word Count: 4156

Warnings: Swearing

Inspired by: Find Your Way Back by Jefferson Starship

Part One Part Two Part Three

Tom made it all the way to the train on his adrenaline alone. He and Harrison packed up their backpacks with a change of clothes and all the essentials, charging cords and toothbrushes, just in case they had to check into a hotel and stay overnight. But once Tom sank into his seat across from Harrison on the train, it hit him very suddenly how tired he was. He pulled Henley’s hat off and laid it on the table in front of him. Harrison leaned his elbows on the table, scrolling on his phone. Tom put his own phone facedown on the table and looked out the window at the people still on the platform.

Businesspeople yelled into their phones. Friends hugged each other. Children tugged on their parents’ hands. Tom closed his eyes. The glass of the window felt cool against his forehead and he sighed, crossing his arms and getting ready to sleep during the journey.

“What are you going to say to her when you find her?” Harrison asked, snapping Tom out of his pre-nap haze.

“I really was just focused on how I was going to find her,” Tom admitted. He really hadn’t thought about what to tell Henley when he showed up in her life again with only the hat she’d left behind and his pining for her as reasons for why he was there.

“I got that covered,” Harrison assured him, holding up his phone. “Caitlyn is keeping me updated on her location on Snapchat.”

“Wow seriously, thank you to whoever invented Snapchat maps,” Tom murmured as he took Harrison’s phone and zoomed in on the screenshot. There was a tiny animated version of Henley, sitting with a stack of animated books in what looked like a library.

Tom could picture the real Henley in his head. Her shoulders were slumped and her chin was resting on her hand as her tired eyes fluttered shut and she nearly fell over, suddenly waking herself up. Tom chuckled and handed Harrison��s phone back to him.

“Excuse us,” a girl said, standing in the aisle, wringing her hands nervously as her friend hovered behind her. Tom looked them up and down, noting their casual, but still Instagram-worthy clothes and phones in their hands. They could have been anywhere between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one, but he guessed they were about seventeen.

“What can we do for you ladies?” he asked, pasting on his charming smile he used for interviews and fans.

“You’re Tom Holland, right?” the one with the big brown eyes and freckles asked.

“That would be me,” he admitted reaching out to shake her hand, then her blonde friend’s hand. “What are your names?”

“Jane,” said the girl with freckles.

“Tiff,” the blonde answered, stepping out from behind her friend to shake his hand, then reaching out to shake Harrison’s hand.

“Harrison,” he offered.

“We know,” Jane admitted. “We were sort of hoping you’d take a picture with us.”

“Of course,” Tom told them, standing up with Harrison for a selfie with the girls. They sat back down as the girls looked at the shots. Tiff nodded and put her phone away, seeming satisfied.

“Thank you so much,” she said, nodding at both of them. “I hope you find the girl you’re looking for. She’s missing out if she doesn’t like you,” she assured him. Jane smacked her arm.

“And she’s sorry for eavesdropping,” she rolled her eyes at her friend as Harrison laughed.

“Honestly I’ve been telling him the same thing,” he said, winking at the girls.

Tom thought they would pass out on the spot. Harrison always managed to get the girls going and Tom shot him a look, hoping he would give it a rest. He couldn’t be flirting with potentially underage girls.

“Why don’t you two sit with us?” he asked them casually. “We have two empty seats and I would love to hear your advice about it. You just have to promise not to tell anyone what I tell you. Can you do that?”

“Of course,” Tiff assured him, sliding into the seat next to him while Jane put her backpack in the overhead bin and plopped down in the seat next to Harrison. “What’s up?” she asked, leaning on her hand and looking at him expectantly.

He sighed and looked at the two girls, who probably already knew a lot about him, ready to learn more. Tom always found that his fans were like his friends. Some were a little over the top, but most were very nice and polite. These two girls were quiet and listened to his whole story as he told them how he’d met Henley and gotten to know her. He skipped the part about the sex, but did mention the kiss in the elevator and let them come to their own conclusions. They were old enough to make their own inferences.

“So she just left?” Tiff asked when he finished, her brow furrowed.

“And that’s when you started wearing that hat all the time,” Jane pointed to the snapback on the table. Tom picked it up and turned it over.

“Yeah she left this for me,” he explained. “She wrote the nickname she gave me on the inside.” He handed the hat to Tiff who scanned it before giving it to Jane. Harrison took it from her when she was done and looked over the list again.

“That’s an adorable nickname,” Jane said. “Fits you really well.”

“So do you think I was crazy?” Tom pressed them. “She wants me to find her again, right?”

“I think it’s kind of a toss-up,” Tiff said, wrinkling her nose. “I think if she really wanted to be with you, she would have left her number.”

“I kind of agree,” Jane shrugged. “I mean, yeah I’m curious about the list on the hat, but personally, if I like a guy I let him know. Guys kind of need to be hit over the head with a brick.” Harrison laughed out loud at that comment and Tom chuckled to himself.

“That’s absolutely true,” Harrison said through laughter.

“But she didn’t hit me over the head with it,” Tom pointed out. “She was mysterious and left hints! Isn’t that what girls do?”

“Not every girl,” Tiff countered. “Like I said, it’s a toss up. She either ghosted you or she just enjoys playing games.”

“I don’t think so,” Jane murmured, examining her nails and picking at the blue nail polish. “I think she’s probably scared.”

“Why do you say that?” Harrison asked.

“I would be,” Jane admitted. She chewed on her cuticle. “You’re very famous Tom. You live a very fast-paced lifestyle and that’s scary for us normal people. Not everyone is a people-person.”

“But I would protect her,” Tom interjected quickly.

“She doesn’t know that,” Tiff said, putting her hand over his for a moment before pulling away and giving him a quick smile. “You’re just as much of a mystery to her as she is to you. For all she knows you might have just been using her for the one night and had been planning to never talk to her again.”

“She may have been protecting herself by leaving before you could,” Jane concluded, a weak smile clouding her freckled face.

Tom nodded to himself, leaning back and crossing his arms as he considered their words. Henley was such a confident person. It had never occurred to him that she might be afraid, that she wouldn’t know exactly what she was doing all the time. He looked up at the girls and Harrison watching him.

“Thanks guys,” he said to them with a charming smile. “I appreciate it.”

“We’ll always be here for you,” Tiff assured him, paused, and backtracked, “wait, no we’ll be here for you this one time, and then probably never see you again and watch this play out from afar.” Tom laughed and pulled out his phone, opening up the search function on Instagram.

“Find and follow yourselves on here,” he said, handing the phone to Tiff whose eyes went wide as she took it from him. “You can message me whenever you want,” he promised. “I owe you,” he admitted.

“Wow,” Jane breathed, as she took his phone from Tiff and typed in her username. “That’s super cool of you.”

“Just maybe put your profile on private if you don’t want a bunch of people trying to follow you,” Harrison advised. The girls nodded at him, both engrossed in their phones now. Tom looked out the window at the passing scenery.

He resigned himself to stop worrying about what he would say to Henley when he found her. He would have to show her that he cared about her, that he would always be there for her, and that he had her back no matter what.

If she was scared to be with him, he would let her set the pace. He would show her she didn’t have to be afraid of his life. When he found her, he’d forgive her for leaving him.

“If you were in her situation,” he began hesitantly as the girls looked up again, training their attention on him again. “How do you think you’d react if I just showed up?” He wanted to ask if they’d be freaked out, but also wanted to hear their responses without any prompting.

“I think it’s kinda nice,” Tiff said brightly. Tom straightened up and smiled weakly at her.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yeah, you’re putting in a lot of effort and she’s bound to see it,” Tiff said. Tom looked at Harrison, he nodded in agreement.

“What about you Jane?” he asked, noticing she was shaking her head.

“You want me to be honest, Tom?” she asked hesitantly. Her eyebrows were knitted together and she blushed under her freckles as she looked down. Tom raised his eyesbrows and nodded.

“I think she could see it as being t-- too intense,” she stammered out the last part, not meeting his eye. “It’s like those horribly creepy guys who use huge ‘romantic’ gestures to pressure women to go out with them,” she put air quotes around the word ‘romantic.’ Tom looked down, his cheeks growing hot.

“I don’t want her to think I’m creepy,” he muttered.

“Then just tell her you’re not there to pressure her,” Tiff suggested. “You just want to know what happened, and you’ll be on your way.”

“Yeah you definitely don’t have to make her feel like she owes you anything other than an explanation,” Harrison said firmly. Tom nodded, taking it all in. Jane had made a good point. He really didn’t want to be that guy. If she wasn’t interested he for sure needed to back off.

“So what should I say when I see her?” Tom drummed his fingers on the table. The question was half directed at the others and half at himself. “Like, ‘Hey Henley, I was in New York and took a train all the way up to Boston to find you since we spent the night together and when I came back you were gone and left me ownership of this hat’?”

“That’s actually pretty good,” Tiff said. Jane shrugged and took a sip of her green tea before speaking.

“If it were me,” Jane started, then clarified, “I mean if I were her, I’d be less freaked out if you acted like you just kind of ran into her and didn’t spend all this time hunting her down.”

“Yeah that’s scary,” Tiff added.

“Okay yeah good plan.” Tom pulled out the notes function and wrote down what she said as she continued.

“Just ask if she’ll sit down with you and then see if she’ll explain what happened, tell her it’s been on your mind why she left her hat for you, and what the list means,” Jane explained, tapping her fingers on the table as she talked. The longer she sat with them, the more long-winded she became. Her words were choppy, but she was clearly lost in her head a lot. Tom knew she was done when she took a sip of her tea. “I think if she’s really as cool as you say, she’ll be willing to talk to you.” Jane sipped her tea.

“Definitely,” Tiff agreed. Tom had also realized that Tiff was the optimist while Jane was the realist. Tiff didn’t speak as much but what she did say she said with a smile.

“Okay so I’ll tell her I was just around, and I’d love to get some food and catch up?” He didn’t mean for it to be a question. He had wanted to sound more confident.

“And I’ll find something to do while they talk,” Harrison jumped in, reassuring Tom with a smile.

“That sounds like a good plan,” Tiff confirmed.

“Don’t put too much pressure on her,” Jane warned. “If she says no, let her go.”

“I will,” Tom promised, leaning back as the girls went back to their phones.

The train journey wasn’t long. He and Harrison passed the rest of the time asking Tiff and Jane about their lives in America. Turns out they were seventeen just like Tom had thought. They were best friends who were in their senior year of high school. They had been down in New York to visit Columbia and NYU. Tiff wanted to go to school for fashion design; Jane was planning to study American history and Jewish law. They were headed back home before the homecoming dance that night.

“Oh shit we know what homecoming is,” Tom exclaimed at that news, wiggling his eyebrows at them. The girls laughed and rolled their eyes.

“Yeah it’s usually pretty lame, but it’s our last one,” Jane shrugged, scrunching up her nose.

“We figured we’d make an appearance then go get some food and watch a movie,” Tiff explained, smiling at her best friend.

“Why is it lame?” Harrison asked incredulously. “The one in Spiderman seemed like so much fun.”

“Well it’s not all like the movies,” Jane admitted. “Not everyone can be Liz and have the cutest guy in school ask them,” she looked away and a blush appeared under her freckles.

“Or any guy,” Tiff muttered, twiddling her thumbs.

“The guys at your school sound dumb,” Tom scoffed.

“Yeah sounds like you need to hit them over the head with a brick,” Harrison said, a smirk playing across his lips. Jane and Tiff giggled, looking a little happier.

“You don’t need a date to have fun,” Tom assured them, wanting to lift their spirits, repay them for all the help they’d given him. “I take Harrison to every event and we have the time of our lives,” he looked at his best friend, who reached out for a fist bump, which Tom returned.

“Yeah you’ll enjoy the time you get to spend with each other,” Harrison added. “It’s your last year you’re guaranteed to be together, yeah?” The girls nodded.

“Then spend it together!” Tom urged them, “take tons of pictures you’ll always have when you go off to school, and sing too loud and dance until your feet hurt and have fun with your best friend!”

“You know what?” Jane looked at Tiff, “he’s absolutely fucking right.”

“We don’t need no stinking boys,” Tiff rolled her eyes and reached for Jane’s hand, giving it a squeeze. They laughed. They seemed so innocent, like they hadn’t been around long enough for the world to have hurt them yet.

The girls spent the rest of the ride discussing their dresses and makeup looks and Tom let Harrison field most of the chatter as he stared out the window, wondering what Henley was like in high school. She looked like a jock, but he didn’t get the vibe from her that she’d been into organized sports. She was smart, planned to go to law school, so maybe she had been into debate, or theatre. Soon, you’ll see her again soon. You can ask her, he told himself.

Tom hadn’t really fit in with the other kids. Sure, he blended into the crowd but he was never really there. He was always off on sets filming. He’d missed so much and watching the two girls next to him, laughing at pictures on their phones, listening to them talk about such normal things they were excited about, it all seemed so strange and foreign. He didn’t want to take that away from Henley, but at the same time, he needed to know more about her.

When the train pulled into the station, Tom and Harrison exchanged quick hugs with Jane and Tiff, wishing them luck at the dance. They promised to send pictures and asked Tom to let them know how it went with “the hat girl.” Tom hadn’t told him her name, which they respected, knowing he felt protective over her.

He squared his backpack on his shoulders and followed Harrison through the crowd, out of the train station and onto a busy street. People walked by him, bumping his shoulders as he wove his way after Harrison. Nobody looked at him under the hat as they found an empty street corner to look at Harrison’s phone. Caitlyn was typing, and suddenly a screenshot of a map appeared, featuring Henley’s bitmoji walking between classes. She typed for a few more seconds before another message appeared.

She just finished her last class. She gets coffee before she goes home and I think she’s walking there now.

“I’ll call an Uber,” Harrison suggested. Tom nodded. She gets coffee before she goes home. She had habits, a routine even her best friend on the other side of the country knew well. If she had such a routine here, she must have had one back in Houston as well. Ethan had greeted her by calling her ‘H’ when she sat down at the bar. She’d been there a lot. Henley was a girl who followed routines. He was learning more and more but he just wished he had bothered to learn it all that night five months ago.

Tom wondered about all of this while they waited a couple minutes for the Uber to show up. He slid into the backseat after Harrison, who was repeatedly checking his phone for updates. Suddenly Tom realized how much of a help Harrison had been.

“Thank you so much, Harrison,” he said softly, fiddling with the zipper on his backpack. “I really appreciate--”

“Don’t worry about it,” Harrison interrupted, looking up from his phone. “I’m your best friend. I’m here for you. If you care about finding this girl, then I care about finding this girl.” Tom smiled.

“I’m scared,” he admitted, looking across at his friend, his best mate, the most important person to him, the guy who always had his back.

“That’s okay,” Harrison assured him, reaching over and squeezing Tom’s hand, much the way Tiff had squeezed Jane’s hand on the train. Best friends supported each other. That’s just how the world worked.

“I’m so worried she’s going to tell me to fuck off,” he said, looking down as his voice cracked a little. Tears welled in his eyes as it hit him, now that he was about to see her again, how scared he was that she never saw in him what he saw in her. Possibility. A life he could live outside of the fame, the fans, the film sets. Someone he could make happy.

“She’s not going to tell you to fuck off,” Harrison rolled his eyes. “When has anyone ever told you, Mr. Charming, to fuck off?”

“You have plenty of times,” Tom laughed, wiping his eyes.

“Well that’s another thing best friends are for.” Harrison said, “and the thing we do best is force you to get out of the car and go find the girl of your dreams, and tell her how much you like her, and make her give you a chance. Go!” Harrison shoved Tom’s shoulder. Tom looked around. The driver had stopped. He took in a deep breath, gathered his courage, and opened the car door.

The sunlight was bright through the orange trees. Boston in October was idyllic. Students milled around him in preppy jeans and sweaters, making him feel out of place with his sweatpants, sneakers, and snapback. He had never felt like he belonged in academia, having attended drama school and started a career that allowed him to continue to dress however he wanted and generally act like a kid. He wouldn’t trade it for the world, but anxieties about fitting into Henley’s life flitted through his mind as he walked towards the coffee shop Caitlyn had confirmed Henley stopped at every Friday to treat herself.

He peered through the windows, staring at the line of people inside. A tall girl with dark curls was waiting near the counter. Her hair was shorter now, it barely brushed her shoulders instead of dangling down to her waist, but that crazy mop belonged to her. Tom would have recognized her anywhere. He stepped up to the door, then hesitated.

“I can’t do this,” Tom turned to Harrison, panic hitting him, breaths came too fast as his heart pounded in his chest. Harrison put his hands on Tom’s shoulders.

“You’ve got this,” he said, blue eyes boring into Tom’s brown ones. “Go get her.”

Tom nodded and turned back, but jumped back when he saw her right in front of him, pushing the door open, looking past him.

“Excuse me,” she murmured, barely glancing at him as she juggled the two coffees in her hands. Two? Tom wondered as he watched her walk past, opening his mouth to call out her name when he saw a short girl with long purple braids jog up to her.

“Penny!” he heard Henley call excitedly and watched her hand the girl a coffee before sliding her now free hand around the girl’s waist and pulling her in, leaning down to kiss her lips.

Tom’s mouth hung open for a second. He blinked hard, trying to clear his vision, but the image didn’t go away. Henley was still standing right in front of him, her arms wrapped around a girl, her lips pressing a light kiss to her forehead. The girl with the purple braids laughed at something Henley said and pulled back. They began to walk down the sidewalk, fingers woven together and Tom panicked, not thinking before he opened his mouth.

“Henley!” he called. She turned, dropping the girl’s hand as she did. Her curls flew around her head as she spun back, stopping dead in her tracks. Her blue eyes went wide when she saw him.

“Tom,” she said, breathing heavily, a redness creeping up her neck. “What are you doing here?”

“I-- I was in New York,” he began as she handed her coffee to the girl and walked up to him, pulling him into a tight hug before kissing his cheek and leaning back, her arms still around his neck for a moment longer than necessary.

“It’s so good to see you,” she murmured, studying his face. “You look good, Sweet T.” Tom pulled away, took a step back from her so he could breathe. His heart raced and his pulse pounded in his ears as Henley took her coffee back from the girl with the purple braids.

“It’s good to see you too,” he muttered, not meeting her eye as the girl next to her cleared her throat.

“I’m Penny, Henley’s girlfriend,” she introduced herself politely and held out her hand to shake. Tom swallowed.

“Tom,” he answered, feeling lightheaded, and felt Harrison nudge his shoulder. “This is my best friend, Harrison.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harrison had a winning smile on his face as he shook first Henley’s hand, then Penny’s.

“What are you doing in Boston?” Henley’s words rang in Tom’s ears. The sun was bright. This wasn’t how he had planned for it to go. She hadn’t waited for him. Tom vaguely heard Harrison explaining they had been in New York and decided to take the train up because they were bored and wanted to say they’d been to Boston.

“How long have you been dating?” Tom blurted out. He stared right into Henley’s blue eyes. The gleam in them was briefly replaced with a look of panic and her left eye twitched. Penny answered for her.

“About a year and a half.”

Tom heard a roaring sound in his ears. He clenched his jaw, balled his hands into fists, trying to fight the dizziness threatening to wash over him. His stomach was swirling. He staggered a few steps away, unsure if he would throw up or faint. Penny’s voice was far away when she asked if he was okay. He wasn’t. But he couldn’t tell her that because he was too busy throwing up in the nearest trash can.

---

So...who saw that coming? Just me? Oh yeah I’m the author! Right okay so this is the big cliffhanger. We got one part left to seal Tom and Henley’s fate. Thoughts?

Song of the Moment: “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac

Ko-Fi

Taglist: @trulytom @madmadmilk @noturjacky @alwayssnowingsomewhere @heavenly---holland @queenoflostspirits @smexylemony @yesitsaninnuendo @nappingtopknot @whatam3ss @normalwithadashofinsane @liamismxsunshinx @sor-rai-ja @t0mswebs @cherryhollands

Strikethrough means I couldn’t tag

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the-claire-bitch-project · 6 years ago

Photo

Nobody is as important a Tom Holland: a bachelor, cute as heck, shortstack of pancakes™️

you cAN LITERALLY SEE HALF OF PRINCE HARRY AND PRINCE WILLIAM DIDNT EVEN MAKE THE FUCKING CUT LMAO shits wild

(submitted by @severely-lonely)

madmadmilk: I GOT FUCKING TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY CHEEKS MAN

#i’m crying #i love it #we know who we’re about

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the-claire-bitch-project · 6 years ago

Text

6th Street - Part One

Okay so I wrote this as a writing practice exercise to practice describing bodies and movement and telling a story through dialogue. I wrote it back in April but I’m gonna add some smut to the end and post that tomorrow. This is totally unedited and I’m only posting it for fun, so if you hate it, just don’t read. I don’t give a fuck what you think about it. Obviously I don’t know Tom and Harrison so anything they do in this fic is not a reflection on them.

Summary: A night out at the clubs gets heated

Words: 7939

Pairing: Tom Holland x OC x OC x Harrison Osterfield

Warnings: Swearing, drinking, sexual content

“Excuse me, excuse me,” Alice repeated as she pushed through the crowd of people to the security guard standing outside the tent she was supposed to deliver a memo to.

“Badge?” He asked her and she held up the plastic card on the lanyard around her neck that said All Access to Staff Areas in large block letters. He pushed back the tarp over the entrance and Alice ducked inside, holding her clipboard to her chest with one arm and making sure her headset didn’t fall off with the other.

“Oh my god, there you are, finally!” exclaimed Alice’s roommate and best friend, Mallory, as Alice stood up. “They’ve been asking for that call sheet for forever.” “I got it,” Alice rolled her eyes as she unclipped the top paper from her clipboard and handed it to Mallory, who turned and ran back to where the more important staff stood. As volunteers, the two girls pretty much ran and fetched memos and coffee for the people actually in charge of making sure every guest was where they were supposed to be. Alice pulled out her phone as she waited for Mallory to come back.

“They basically just want us to wait in here in case any of these guys need anything,” Mallory said, a little out of breath as she jogged back up.

“Well what are we supposed to do?” Alice asked, “just stand here and look official with clipboards and earpieces?” Mallory shrugged.

“I guess,” she said and they walked over to the wall to face the room. Making sure their t-shirts were visible so people would know they were available for help or to run errands. “So you wanna go to 6th after this? We only have to be here for another hour.”

“Hell yeah, bitch,” Alice smirked, “ya girl needs a fucking drink after today.”

Both girls were in college and on spring break. They always stayed in town for SXSW and volunteered. Since it was their third year, they’d both managed to secure one of the most desired positions, working closely with the people that managed the celebrity guests.

“I honestly just need to make out with someone,” Mallory sighed. “It’s been so busy this week and all my dick appointments are out of town.”

“What a shame,” Alice rolled her eyes, although she was in the same situation. “So should we pregame around 9? Then we can get to Chupa’s at 10 and be at Highland by 12:30?”

“Sounds like a fucking plan,” Mallory said and held out her palm for Alice to surreptitiously low-five.

“Hey do you know where I would find some coffee?” Alice and Mallory looked up to see an incredibly attractive guy with his hands in his pockets standing in front of them.

“I can get some for you,” Alice offered, “what do you want?” She pulled out her phone and opened the note she’d been writing coffee orders in all day, ready for him to tell him what he wanted and walk away, but he smiled sheepishly and his shrugged his shoulders.

“Actually I really want to walk around, get out of this tent, you know?” He had a British accent and his voice was surprisingly higher than Alice expected just looking at him with his perfectly styled hair and piercing blue eyes. “So can you just tell me where to go?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah, it’s over-” Mallory started to turn and give directions but Alice grabbed her wrist, cutting her off.

“It’s really complicated to explain,” she said quickly before Mallory could send him away. “Hey can you cover here?” she asked Mallory, “I’m gonna show-” she looked at the boy expectantly.

“Harrison,” he offered.

“Harrison,” Alice repeated, “where to get some coffee.”

“Yeah I got it, see ya at home, bitch,” Mallory smirked knowingly and rolled her eyes as Alice and Harrison walked back out of the tent, Harrison holding the flap open for her to duck back out. The crowd had died down since it was now past 6pm and a few more screenings had started. She still led Harrison around to the area marked off for staff to get quickly between locations and they walked together in silence for a bit.

“Thanks for showing me,” he said after a minute or so, “I was getting a little claustrophobic with all those people in there.”

“Bro, me too,” Alice agreed with him. “You honestly gave me a great excuse to ‘do my job’ but actually take a break.” Harrison laughed at the sarcasm in her voice.

“You don’t like your job?”

“Oh no,” Alice backpedaled quickly. “I love working at south-by, I’ve just been here all week doing the same thing and I’m just ready to go home.”

“And get a drink?” Harrison asked, one eyebrow raised. Clearly he had heard the end of their conversation.

“Fuck yes,” Alice practically moaned at the thought of downing a few drinks and letting go in the club.

“Understandable,” Harrison laughed, “I could probably use one too, but I pretty much have to be on my friend Tom’s schedule.”

“Why?”

“Oh cause he’s a guest and has a ton of appearances.”

“Tom,” Alice muttered, thinking back to the call sheet she’d been delivering, “Tom Holland? Like Spiderman?”

“The one and only,” Harrison said with a sigh.

“Y’all are friends?” Alice asked stupidly.

“He’s my best friend,” he said proudly, smirking at her. She melted a little bit.

“Oh cool,” Alice said awkwardly, “so you’re here just because he wanted his best friend around?”

“Pretty much,” Harrison shrugged. “Officially I’m his assistant so I have access to stuff but he never actually makes me do anything.”

“Relatable.”

“How so?” Harrison laughed.

“Well, if I were famous and had money I’d totally make Mallory my not-assistant so she can come everywhere with me,” Alice reasoned.

“Who’s Mallory?”

“Oh the girl who was with me in the tent,” Alice explained as she spotted the Lucky Lab Coffee Co. truck. “And I’m Alice by the way,” she added when she realized she’d never told him her name and mentally smacked herself for being so weird as they stood quietly and read the menu. Harrison ordered two iced coffees and Alice stood back and watched as he left a $20 tip. The coffee was free but tipping was encouraged for the baristas.

“Here,” he went to hand one of the coffees to her, but she waved him off.

“I’ve had like four of those today already,” she explained.

“Guess Tom is getting an iced coffee,” Harrison shrugged and they fell into step again to walk back to the tent. Alice slowed her pace and Harrison got a few steps ahead of her before slowing down to match her again. “You okay?”

“I’m prolonging my break,” she explained with a sly smile. Harrison grinned and walked exaggeratedly slowly for a few steps.

“So what is 6th street?” Harrison asked as they resumed a normal pace.

“Oh it’s a really famous street in Austin that’s basically just bars and clubs,” Alice explained.

“Ah, so you’re a party girl,” Harrison joked and sipped his coffee. The guy drank so fast, he was going to finish it before they even got back.

“I like to live on the edge. Going to 6th is like a rite of passage for anyone who lives in or visits Austin.”

“I’d love to check it out,” Harrison said dreamily. “Would you have any recommendations for places?”

“Oh for sure,” Alice said quickly, “but do you have time? I know you’re on Tom’s schedule,” she teased lightly.

“Actually he’s done after this,” Harrison hesitated, “maybe you and Mallory could take us with you? Show us around?” They were almost back to the tent and Alice tripped and nearly fell on the step up to the concrete platform around the tent. She caught herself on Harrison’s arm and knocked the now-empty coffee cup out of his hand.

“Oh fuck me, my bad,” she said, bending down to pick up the cup and toss it in a trashcan nearby. “What were you saying?” she asked as they flashed their badges and entered the much cooler and shadier tent.

“I was saying maybe we could go to 6th street with you,” Harrison grinned at her as they paused just inside a tent.

“Do you maybe want to see if Tom is down first?”

“Down for what?”

Alice jumped nearly a mile as Tom Holland appeared behind her and spoke.

“Shit, ohmyfuckinggod,” she exclaimed, one hand flying up to her chest as she inhaled deeply. “You scared the fucking hell out of me, fuck,” she told him. Alice had a tendency to swear when she was nervous. Years of working at SXSW and she’d never actually talked to any of the celebrity guests.

“Sorry, babe,” Tom chuckled a little as Harrison shook with silent laugher. Alice rolled her eyes at the feminine nickname and told herself he was just a person like everyone else. It didn’t matter that he was incredibly attractive and played one of her favorite superheroes. He was just a guy that was her age and, actually, a couple inches shorter than her. That did a lot to humanize him and she pushed her nerves out of her mind.

“What am I down for?” Tom asked again, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“To go to 6th street!” Harrison said excitedly, already halfway done with the second cup of coffee. Guess Tom wasn’t getting it then.

“What’s that?”

“Just a street with a bunch of bars and clubs and drunk people,” Alice explained. “My best friend and I are going tonight.”

“Alice says it’s a rite of passage to go when you visit Austin,” Harrison was practically jumping up and down and Tom slowly reached over and took the coffee out of his hands, exchanging a look with Alice. Harrison barely noticed in his excitement, “Dude, we have to go! We haven’t gotten to go out the whole week and when are we going to be back in Austin?”

“He makes a good argument,” Tom said pointedly to Alice, who shrugged.

“It’s up to you, bro.”

“Pleaseeeeee,” Harrison said with wide pleading eyes. Tom looked at Alice again.

“I mean, personally, I wouldn’t be able to say no to that face,” she told him with a laugh, gesturing to Harrison’s attempt at puppy dog eyes.

“Okay, I guess we can go,” Tom said after considering it for a minute, shaking his head and Alice could tell he wasn’t really thinking about it, he would have said yes just because it was something Harrison wanted to do.

“Mallory,” Alice said into her headset and waited to hear her friend’s voice.

“Sup slut?”

“You still in the tent?” Alice asked, holding her mic to her mouth so she could lower her voice.

“Yep.”

“Okay come over to the southeast corner, I made some new friends,” Alice instructed.

“On my way,” Mallory chirped and Alice turned back to the boys when she spotted Mallory’s head bobbing around people on her way over.

“So what’s the plan?” Harrison asked, still bouncing on his toes.

“Okay here’s our plan,” Alice started, “this is Mallory,” she pointed to her friend as she walked up.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking Tom’s hand without a hint of nerves. Alice had always Mallory’s ability to talk to literally anyone. Harrison nodded at her and turned back to Alice, who started again.

“We get off work at 8,” she began. “We’re headed back to our apartment near campus to shower and pregame. Then we’ll catch an Uber over to 6th and have it drop us off near Chupacabra. We plan to get there around 10, that’s when it really gets going,” she explained.

“And they have the biggest drinks,” Mallory interjected.

“Anyway,” Alice said loudly, hoping to not let them get distracted. “Then we’ll go to Buckshot and end the night at Highland,” she finished. She neglected to mention that Highland was a gay bar in case they were weird about that and tried to back out.

“So,” Tom put his hands together and looked at each of them in turn, “I want to assure you that I love that plan, but I have a couple of questions and one suggestion.”

“Go ahead, dude,” Alice said patiently.

“When would we meet you?”

“You could meet us at Chupas,” Mallory suggested helpfully.

“Or we could come over and pregame with you,” Harrison suggested excitedly. “I’m kind of curious what a pregame looks like.”

“You’ve never been to a pregame?” Tom asked incredulously, turning to look at Harrison with his eyebrows furrowed together.

“Not in America with college girls.”

Alice and Mallory looked at each other and giggled. Boys were idiots. There wasn’t anything special about them. To them, their lives were normal. This would be a totally regular Friday night.

“Okay,” Alice said, still laughing a little, “y’all can come over. Tom, give me your phone number, you seem more responsible.”

“Accurate,” Tom muttered as he unlocked his phone and handed it to her to enter her contact information, then texted herself so she would have his number.

“What else?” she asked as she handed it back to him.

“Okay so, I’m about to make myself sound like kind of a dick,” he admitted sheepishly. Alice crossed her arms and stared at him expectantly. “So like, I don’t want to ruin your night if a bunch of people are coming up to me and stuff,” he trailed off, clearly a little embarrassed about it.

“Oh nobody gives a fuck!” Mallory assured him with a smile. “Everyone will be hella drunk anyway. Yeah, you might have a couple people ask for selfies,” she shrugged, “but honestly it’ll be so crowded because of south-by that you’ll kind of get lost in the crowd.”

“Yeah don’t worry about that,” Alice shook her head. Before she could ask what his ‘suggestion’ had been, she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was the volunteer coordinator. Alice’s heart skipped a beat. They were totally neglecting their duties and they definitely weren’t supposed to be bothering Tom.

“Hey girls, I’m letting y’all go home early because it’s winding down and we have plenty of people to help out, okay?” She smiled warmly, “and don’t worry, you’ll still get all of your credit hours.”

“Wow thank you,” Alice exhaled and smiled back. This was fantastic news, now she would have time to wash her hair.

“Yes we really appreciate it,” Mallory added. “Thank you so much.”

“No, thank you girls for all your help this week,” she told them and gave them each a hug. “I’ll see you both next year?” she asked with a grin as she began to walk away.

“Absolutely!”

Alice and Mallory turned back to Tom and Harrison, who were waiting patiently for them to finish.

“Okay so, we’re going to take the bus home, but y’all could grab an Uber if I text you the address?” Alice asked.

“Actually we have a driver,” Harrison informed them. Tom elbowed him in the ribs.

“I was going to suggest he drive us from their apartment instead of catching an Uber,” he explained, “but in a less pretentious way,” he said through gritted teeth, clearly talking to Harrison.

“That’s actually super handy,” Alice told him, a little bit in awe.

“Yeah we’d be down,” Mallory agreed.

“Cool,” Tom nodded, “so we’ll be at your apartment at 9pm?”

“See y’all then,” Alice said with a smile before she and Mallory walked out of the tent and across to where buses were heading back towards campus. They left their headsets in the volunteer tent and checked out, making sure they were marked down for all their hours before trudging toward the bus stop.

---

“Hey do you think Tom is single?” Mallory called over the music across the apartment from her bathroom to Alice’s as Alice took her hair out of the t-shirt she’d tied it up in to absorb the moisture and lock her curls in place.

“Dude, probably,” Alice yelled back. “I can’t see any girl being cool with her boyfriend going out clubbing with two girls he just met a few hours before.”

“Awesome, I’m gonna fuck him.” Alice giggled into her hands at Mallory’s thirst and took a long sip of her Jack and Coke. “You should definitely hook up with Harrison though! That kid was all over you,” Mallory pointed out. and Alice looked at herself in the mirror and raised an eyebrow as she took another drink. She had already been planning on it.

“Bitch you know I’m skipping the lipstick so I can make out with him,” she yelled back and heard Mallory’s cackling laughter as she walked into the living room and poured herself another drink. She was ready to go because she wore the same outfit downtown every single time they went; black tank top that was low cut enough to show her lacy bralette, black skinny jeans, heeled combat boots that were comfortable to walk in, and a grungy makeup look that could hold up when she sweated.

She sat down on the couch in front of the coffee table that was currently covered in every single bottle of alcohol they had. As she mixed another Jack and Coke, there was a knock on the door.

“I got it,” she called to Mallory as she walked quickly to the door and whipped it open. “Come on in guys,” she said, stepping back to let Tom and Harrison into their apartment. Her eyes flicked down to check out Harrison’s butt as they walked by and took a sip of her drink as she shut the door again. In her heels, she was just over 6 feet tall and she smirked when she noticed Harrison visibly swallow as he watched her saunter back over to the couch.

“Well, take off your shoes and stay awhile,” she gestured to the other end of the couch and a large armchair on the other side of the coffee table.

“You don’t actually have to take off your shoes,” Mallory said as she hurried in, still fastening a hoop earring.

“Oh yeah, it’s just something my mom says,” Alice explained, giggling, already a bit tipsy. Tom sank down into the armchair while Harrison gingerly placed himself next to her on the couch. Her chest grew warm as his thigh brushed hers and she quickly turned her attention to getting them drinks as Mallory wandered back into her bathroom to finish her makeup.

“What’s your drink of choice?” she asked.

“Whatcha got?” Tom leaned forward to examine the table.

“Tito’s vodka, Deep Eddy’s lemon vodka, Jack Daniels, Malibu-- which is disgusting,” she added, “it tastes like sunscreen.”

“Then why buy it?” Tom laughed at her comparison and reached for a cup from the stack on the table, then selected the lemon vodka and poured a generous amount, at least two shots, into the cup.

“It’s cheap!” Mallory yelled and everyone laughed.

“It’s a good extra thing to add to a mixed drink,” Alice explained. “Hey, try that with orange soda,” she told Tom, pointing to the Sunkist. He screwed up his face.

“Lemon and orange? I was just going to add lemonade,” he said skeptically.

“Would I steer you wrong?” she teased.

“Bitch I don’t know you!” he joked, but picked up the Sunkist and filled the rest of his cup. Alice watched him stir it with his finger and then hesitantly take a sip. “What the fuck?” he exclaimed. “That shouldn’t be as good as it is!”

“I know right,” Alice laughed and turned to Harrison who was still studying the table. “Whatcha in the mood for, pretty boy?” Alice was either a sleepy drunk or a flirty drunk and her anxiety about flirting openly was beginning to fade as she finished up her second drink.

“I have no fucking idea,” he admitted, looking frazzled, the coffee had clearly worn off.

“Give him the good stuff,” Mallory suggested as she walked into the room with her own empty cup and started mixing vodka and Sprite. Alice rolled her eyes and looked at her with a face that said, skinny bitch. Mallory flipped her off.

“Nah he’ll end up on the floor,” Alice laughed, looking hesitantly at Harrison

“He’ll be fine, just make him a light punch,” Mallory said as she very casually sat on the arm of the chair Tom was sitting in with her legs hanging over one of his knees. Alice watched his ears go red and smirked at him.

“What’s ‘the good stuff’?” Harrison asked quietly. Alice shifted so her leg was pressed against his and their arms brushed.

“It’s just tequila,” she smiled. She knew Mallory had been suggesting she give him Everclear, but she gave her friend a stern look. Harrison didn’t need to be that drunk in a city he was unfamiliar with.

“Take a shot of it,” Mallory suggested, sipping her drink innocently.

“Okay, why not?” Harrison shrugged. “We all can--”

“Off of Alice,” Mallory dared him, cutting him off before he could finish his suggestion. Harrison looked from Alice, who kept her face impassive, to Tom..

“Hey, it’s up to her man,” he told him, pointing at Alice who was already getting up to go into the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Harrison asked.

“I’m getting salt and limes,” she said, smiling as she held up the container of slices ready to go from the fridge and a tin of margarita salt. “Pour a shot, there are glasses on the table,” she told him.

As he carefully filled a shot glass with tequila, Alice put one of the limes between her teeth and opened the salt to sprinkle some on her collarbone. She kept her shoulders perfectly still as Harrison handed her the shot glass and she placed it carefully in her cleavage, mostly held up by her bra.

“Bith are you snafchathing?” she mumbled as she saw Mallory hold up her phone from the corner of her eye.

“Sure fucking am, go Harrison,” she nodded to him.

Alice had to give him credit, the guy didn’t have to be told twice, and it definitely wasn’t his first time taking a body shot. She held her breath as his warm tongue licked the salt off her collarbone, and he bent his knees so he could wrap is mouth around the rim of the shot glass resting in her cleavage. He threw his head back before catching the shot glass in his hand and finally, carefully sucking on the lime between her lips.

“That was graceful as fuck,” Mallory said in awe. “And Alice doesn’t even have the boobs to hold it up so it was like, even more impressive.”

“Thank you?” Harrison said it like a question, and his ears were a bit red as he fiddled with the shot glass.

“Come on, I’ll make you an actual drink and we can play King’s Cup,” she lightly pushed him back down on the couch and reached for her own drink of choice, Jack and Coke.

“What the hell is King’s Cup?” Tom and Harrison asked simultaneously.

---

“Never have I ever had a threesome with a frat guy and his girlfriend to get back at one of the other brothers for saying I was bad at blowjobs,” Mallory declared, looking triumphantly at Alice, who groaned.

“No fucking fair bitch,” Alice complained as she took a long swallow of her drink and lowered her thumb. She was down to only three fingers and was badly losing this round of Never Have I Ever. “Can you believe this bitch?” she said to Harrison, who looked traumatized, as she pointed at Mallory. “Calling me out on things she knows I’ve done because she heard the whole story?”

“Bro, I wanna hear the whole story,” Tom said from the armchair where Mallory was now fully on his lap, his hand on her ass as she played with his hair.

“Oh yes please enlighten us,” Mallory urged, laughing as Alice groaned and finished her drink.

“Okay so,” she began, “I was dating this guy in a frat--”

“He was a total fuckboy.”

“Thank you Mallory,” Alice sighed and rolled her eyes at the interruption. She leaned back against the arm of the couch and slung her legs over Harrison’s lap and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at anyone as she went on, “so this bitch--” Alice pointed at Mallory “--got me in a competition with points based on sexual favors at a party, so I had gone upstairs with the guy I was dating to get a 10 point sweep: kissing, groping, oral, and penetration,” Alice said the last word through gritted teeth as Mallory burst out laughing.

Tom was laughing quietly with his eyes closed and Harrison just looked at her curiously. Alice inhaled and continued,

“So anyway I was giving him a blowjob and it was taking forever and I honestly have the worst gag reflex so I was getting super tired,” Alice sighed. “And he stopped me and was like ‘you aren’t very good at this are you?’ and I just stood up and walked the fuck out.”

“Y’all she left the door open and his dick was out,” Mallory shrieked with laughter and finished her drink.

“Oh my god,” Tom said, “that’s fucking hilarious,” he laughed and sipped his drink. Alice followed his eyes over to Harrison, who had his head thrown back in laughter.

“He deserved it,” Alice said defensively before continuing, “so this girl who was dating another guy in the frat was walking up the stairs as I walked down and she just like, shoved me up against a wall and kissed me--”

“Super hot,” Mallory quipped.

“Can I fucking finish the story?”

“Yes, fine,” Mallory said, putting her hands up defensively as Alice glared at her.

“So as I was saying, I went with her up to her boyfriend’s room and we had a threesome and it was great and I never went back,” Alice finished without giving any real details.

“Aw, you’re not gonna elaborate?” Tom asked, pouting a little.

“Nah bro,” Alice said and looked at her watch,” it’s 9:45 we gotta get going. Finish your drinks.” Tom and Harrison both tipped their cups up and downed whatever was left. Alice grabbed her keys and wallet from the hook by the door and pulled out $50 cash, her debit card, and her ID before taking just her house key off the keychains it hung from. She stuffed all of it in her front pocket and patted her other pockets, feeling her phone in her back pocket but knew she was forgetting something.

“What am I missing?” She asked Mallory who was walking towards her at the door with Tom and Harrison. She pressed something against Alice’s chest and Alice grabbed it to look.

“Condom, honey,” Mallory sing-songed as she waltzed out the door with Tom following her like a puppy. Alice looked up at Harrison’s smirk and raised an eyebrow at him as she stuck the condom in her pocket and walked out into the hall, locking the door after he pulled it shut behind him.

---

“Four Adios Motherfuckers, please!” Mallory smiled sweetly at the bartender and pushed her chest out. He looked down for a second, then smiled back at her and turned around to make drinks. “Hey did you bring any cash? Or just your card?” she asked Alice who began to reach into her pocket, but Harrison grabbed her wrist and literally pulled her back so Tom could meet the bartender as he turned around and hand him his card.

“You do not have to buy our drinks,” Alice said, leaning close to his ear so he could hear her. He smiled and shook his head.

“You shared your alcohol with us so it’s the least I can do,” he explained as Mallory handed them each a full-size pitcher full of blue liquid.

“What. The. Hell,” Harrison said in awe as he stared at the drink.

“Everything is bigger in Texas,” Mallory called to him as she headed to a high-top table in the corner.

“No kidding,” Harrison said and raised the straw to his lips. “Wait how did you already drink that much?” he sputtered, looking at Alice’s now half-empty pitcher.

“Oh, uh,” she looked down. “I have no idea,” she admitted and drank more slowly as they followed Mallory and Tom to the table. As she leaned on her elbows and sipped her drink, Alice closed her eyes and swiveled her hips in time to the music, itching to finish so she could go dance. She eyed Tom’s half-empty drink, comparing it to the full pitchers in front of Mallory and Harrison.

“Race you,” she challenged Tom, gesturing to his drink.

“I wouldn’t mate--” Harrison warned.

“You’re on,” Tom cut him off, narrowing his eyes at Alice. Mallory counted down,

“Ready, set, go!”

Alice skipped the straw and tilted the pitcher up into her mouth. By the time Tom realized her strategy, her drink was gone. He flipped her off as he chugged the rest of his drink and plunked the pitcher on the table.

“Bitch,” he said, but with a smile.

“Come on,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the table, “let’s get some dancing in.”

---

Harrison watched Alice out drink his best friend, and then pull him onto the dance floor. His grip tightened a little as Alice pressed up against Tom, her hands gripping his shirt to pull his body against hers. He took a long drink when he saw Tom’s hands on her ass. She isn’t yours, he reminded himself and took another drink.

“You like her, don’t you?” Mallory said suddenly. Harrison looked at her. She looked more sober than she had in an hour.

“What makes you say that?”

“You drank more when Tom started getting handsy than you have since you got that drink,” Mallory pointed out, laughing a little. “It doesn’t mean anything,” she assured him. “She’s just a physical person. She loves to dance. It’s really the only time she manages to let loose to be honest.”

“It doesn’t piss you off that Tom’s been all over you and suddenly he’s all over her?” Harrison asked, and it came out a lot more bitterly than he wanted to sound.

“Nah, dude,” Mallory shrugged, “I’m just here to have fun, not be jealous the whole night. I fully plan to be all over everyone.”

“You know what?” Harrison chugged the rest of his drink and held out his hand. “That is a damn good mindset.” Mallory grinned at him and swallowed the rest of her drink. She took his hand and led him out to near Alice and Tom as the music changed. Harrison didn’t recognize it but it must have been a popular song because the dance floor suddenly became much more crowded.

“Danza kuduro!” Alice squealed excitedly and took Tom’s hands. Harrison stared as she swiveled her hips and stepped to the beat. Tom watched her feet for a minute and followed her steps, moving his hips with her.

“Tom’s a dancer right?” Mallory asked him and Harrison remembered she was there, with her hands around his waist, dancing to the beat and guiding him to follow her lead. He stopped watching Alice and Tom and focused on staying with the rhythm.

“Oh, yeah, I mean, I had no idea he could pick one up like that though,” he gestured to Tom as Alice twirled him under her arm since she towered over him in her heels. “Where did Alice learn?”

“She takes Latin dance classes for fun,” Mallory shrugged. “She’s like super into salsa.”

“Is that what this is?” Harrison asked and Mallory shook her head.

“I have no idea, dude. But everyone knows this song. Alice knows all the lyrics but she doesn’t even speak Spanish,” she explained. Harrison looked over, sure enough, Alice’s lips followed the words as she and Tom stepped back and forth, both shaking their hips with every step. Mallory noticed Harrison staring at them and stood on her toes to say in his ear, “hang on I got this.”

She stepped away from him and put her hand on Alice’s arm, who immediately switched with her and grabbed Harrison’s hands. She stood close to him, put her hands on his hips and pressed her legs against his, letting him feel how she was stepping so he could mirror her. When he finally picked up the rhythm, which was surprisingly simple, just backwards and forwards with a half step in the middle, he looked up at her face and she was grinning at him. She guided his hands to her swaying hips and looped her arms around his neck. She didn’t break eye contact until the song ended when she turned to clap and cheer as the DJ put on a song with a pounding beat that throbbed through Harrison’s chest.

---

“You’re not much of a dancer are you?” Alice asked as she snaked her arms around Harrison’s waist.

“Not really,” he admitted as they swayed a bit, absolutely not matching the song.

“Go get a double round of shots,” she suggested and let go of his waist, pushing back on his hips toward the bar. He nodded and made his way back to the bar. He ordered four double shots and turned around to watch Alice while the bartender lined them up. She was laughing, an open-mouthed, head-thrown-back kind of laugh and Harrison chuckled a little when he saw why. Mallory was shaking her ass against Alice, who, as he watched, sank low as the chorus hit and, yeah okay, definitely started twerking.

“Is one of these for me?” Tom asked. Harrison hadn’t noticed him walk up. His hair was slick with sweat, but he was grinning and Harrison was glad he could have fun and let loose a little. It had been a long week of working and Tom definitely deserved a night off. Harrison nodded and they clinked glasses together before throwing back the shots. As the burn faded from his throat, Harrison saw Alice dragging Mallory over to them. When they arrived, they wordlessly grabbed a shot each, clinked them together, touched them to the bartop, and drank. Alice slammed the glass back down on the bar.

“Let’s go to Buckshot, bitches.”

---

“Four Spiderman shots!” Alice called to the bartender before turning to grin at Tom, whose ears burned red. “Gee, thanks,” he said to her, rolling his eyes.

“Look I’ve always wanted to order one and I figured now was the appropriate time!” She kept grinning at him until he returned a small smile.

Harrison snuck in behind her as she teased Tom and handed $40 cash to the bartender. Each shot cost $6. Alice saw him slipping the change in the tip jar and rolled her eyes as she grabbed a shot. As they stood in a circle, she slipped her free hand into his back pocket and Harrison visibly swallowed. Tom wrapped his own free arm around Mallory’s waist as the group threw back their shots.

“That’s fucking disgusting,” he scrunched his face as he set down his glass.

“The Captain America shot is better,” Alice said, looking a little pained.

“I want this taste out of my mouth,” Harrison complained and Alice took her chance. She turned and grabbed his face, pressing her mouth against his, parting his lips with her tongue. For a moment, he froze, but he almost immediately relaxed and let her slide her tongue over his. It didn’t help with the taste, but it sure did make it bearable.

“I didn’t need to see that,” Tom said as they pulled apart. Alice and Mallory made eye contact, a strange expression on their faces. The kind of expression that meant two best friends were reading each other’s minds. Mallory grinned and stepped back, laughing as Alice leaned down and pressed her lips against Tom’s. His eyes went wide with panic and Mallory doubled over laughing as Harrison stood in shock before beginning to laugh himself when they made eye contact.

“Slutty drunk,” Mallory said, smacking Alice’s ass. Alice held up her middle finger at her, still kissing Tom, who had also shut his eyes and relaxed a bit. Alice stood up and smacked her lips together.

“Nice,” Harrison commented, offering a fist bump to Tom.

“Now tell us who’s the better kisser,” Mallory demanded. “Oh no,” Alice shook her head. “I’m not gonna ruin a friendship.” Harrison looked at Tom and the look they shared told Alice that was a good call.

Alice dragged Mallory away from the boys at the bar and out onto the dance floor and as the bass dropped, they pressed together and grinded to the music. Sweat poured down Alice’s forehead and she shoved her wet hair back and shook it off her shoulders as Mallory rolled her body against Alice’s. Their chests heaved as the colorful lights flashed with the beat, changing the illumination on their faces.

Alice felt Harrison come up behind her and she pushed back against him, feeling his body against hers, not as soft as Mallory’s, but still enticing, and reached up to tangle a hand in his hair while Mallory slipped out of her arms.

She watched her friend slip over to the bar and sidle up to Tom, who hadn’t followed his friend to the dancefloor. Harrison gripped Alice’s hips and spun her around, wrapping his arms around her back to hold her against him, one finger tucked into the back of her belt. Her head spun from a combination of heat, alcohol, and the motion, but she kept her balance by letting one of her thighs slip between Harrison’s legs and pushing her chest against him.

Harrison pressed his forehead against hers, their noses touching, and his lips ghosted across hers, but they didn’t press together. Alice moved her hips slowly against his as they both breathed heavily, slightly opened-mouthed, lips millimeters apart. From any other angle, it would appear that they were locked in a passionate kiss, but they were in their own world and it was about bodies and sweat and feeling all of each other, both of them now very, very drunk.

---

Mallory leaned into Tom and felt him slip one hand inside the back of her shirt to draw little circles on the small of her back. She dug one hand into his hair, it had dried again. Unstyled, she realized his hair was curly, not as curly as Alice’s, but large, soft, boy curls. She twirled one around her finger and rested her other hand on his chest, studying his jawline as he watched Alice and Harrison on the dancefloor.

“You okay?” Mallory asked when she saw a muscle jump above his jaw.

“She’s not going to break his heart is she?”

Mallory threw her head back and laughed. Tom’s arm twitched as the ends of her long braids tickled his forearm.

“No she isn’t going to break his heart,” she assured him. “She doesn’t really do relationships though. Not since she dated that guy in the frat.” Tom didn’t answer right away and Mallory ran a finger down his nose. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Oh,” he said quietly, looking at her, his eyes darting down to her lips. “I was thinking I wish you had kissed me.”

“Oh okay,” Mallory said simply and pressed her lips against his cheek, next to his lips. He opened his mouth a little and closed his eyes. She stood up on her toes and pressed her body against his as he wrapped both arms around her back. Her lips barely touched his and when he leaned forward, she pulled back, teasing him until he got so frustrated he held the back of her head still so he could kiss her.

Mallory backed up, still kissing Tom so he would come with her. She only broke the kiss so she could turn her head and navigate the dance floor to find Alice and, props to him, Tom didn’t even blink, he just bent to kiss her neck. Mallory backed up against her friend in the tight crowd so she could feel bodies on all sides of her and felt Alice turn around in Harrison’s arms, then put her hands on Mallory’s hips and press her lips to the other side of Mallory’s neck. Alice’s hands wandered around Mallory’s waist between her body and Tom’s and Tom jumped back a little as Alice slipped her fingers between his belt and the waistband of his jeans before pulling back as Mallory turned around to kiss her friend.

---

As the crowd cheered for the beginning of Gold Digger Harrison seriously wondered how he had ended up in this situation, very drunk, watching with his equally intoxicated best friend as the two girls between them kissed each other.

Alice, on the other hand, was very comfortable. She pulled back from her best friend and leaned into the boy behind her, making sure to run her fingers over his thigh as she reached into her back pocket to check the time on her phone.

“Guys, let’s go to Highland,” she suggested lazily.

“What time is it?” Mallory asked, looking over her shoulder now since she had turned back around to kiss Tom again.

“12:30, we gotta go or we’re gonna have to pay for these guys,” Alice gestured to Harrison and Tom. Tom’s face reappeared in her vision from where he had been sucking on Mallory’s neck.

“Wait,” he said, “there hasn’t been a cover at any of these bars, why is there a cover at Highland?”

“Oh cause it’s a gay club.”

“It’s a what?” Harrison and Tom asked at the same time and Alice cackled.

“It’s a gay club!” Mallory exclaimed, laughing as she and Alice both started to head out, Tom and Harrison behind them. They walked four across down the middle of 6th street, less crowded now, to join the end of the line outside a white building with colored lights flashing inside. If the rest of the places they’d gone to had been bars, this was definitely a club. People of all shapes, sizes, genders, and outfits wandered outside as they got closer to the entrance.

“Not to be rude,” Harrison started.

“Oh here we go,” Mallory said and he clammed right up, shrugging his shoulders and shoving his hands in his pockets. Alice smiled at him encouragingly.

“I will not be offended,” she whispered before leaning so he could tell her alone.

“Are you,” he hesitated, “gay?” Alice laughed again.

“Nah,” she rested her hands on the back of his neck. “I’m bisexual.”

“Oh, wow, duh,” he realized quickly, “I absolutely forgot that’s a thing. I’m sorry. I’m drunk. That’s cool.”

“Please shut up now,” Alice whispered before pressing her lips to his.

“Oh so we’re doing this tonight, are we?”

Alice turned around and grinned when she saw her.

“What’s up Anne?” She greeted the drag queen at the door like an old friend.

“Are your friends here 21?” Anne didn’t fall for it for a second.

“Yeah.”

“He looks like he’s 15,” Anne accused, gesturing to Tom.

“Would you like to see my ID?” Tom asked politely, reaching for his wallet.

“Oh so you have British friends now,” Anne looked at Alice, who moved closer to Tom, almost protectively. “Wait,” Anne held up a hand. “Move,” she commanded and Alice stepped to the side. She wiggled her finger at Tom and looked closer at him. “I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh god, here we go,” Mallory said, throwing her hands up.

“I’m an actor,” Tom offered helpfully while Harrison shifted his weight. Alice was a little amazed at how polite Tom was. Anne liked to tease them for bringing straight guys in, so she wasn’t worried about her letting them into the club, she was worried about her loud voice drawing attention to them.

“What’s the cover tonight, Anne?” Alice asked exasperatedly.

“I’ll let them in for $10 if they’re straight,” she smiled at Anne. “Free if they’re queer, which I have a feeling they aren’t,” she smirked at Harrison and Tom. Alice looked from Anne, to the crowd of people behind them, many of whom were whispering and staring. She thought fast. Camera phones. Not a risk worth taking. She reached into her pocket and handed a $20 to Anne who took it and moved to the side. Alice ushered her friends into the club but Anne grabbed her arm as she walked by.

“Where do I know your friend from?” she whispered in Alice’s ear. Alice whispered something back and hurried after her friends who were already disappearing onto the dance floor.

“What’d she say?” Harrison demanded when she arrived slightly out of breath from weaving in and out of all the people.

“Oh don’t worry about it,” she smiled and threaded her fingers through his belt loops, pulling his hips against hers. “I told her who he is,” she pointed at Tom with her thumb, who seemed to have already forgotten about the curious drag queen and was watching Mallory hurry off to get some water.. “I love Anne, she’s awesome. We’re just here so often she likes to pretend to be peeved when we bring straight guys in, but really, they don’t mind as long as you aren’t annoying about it-- hey don’t bother!” Alice quickly moved over to press her body against Tom. She glared at the guy who had come up behind him, but he backed off immediately. He was another regular and recognized her. He gave a shrug and disappeared into the crowd, not at all upset.

“Annoying about what?” Harrison prompted as she pulled him up behind her, still keeping Tom close-by.

“When people assume you’re gay.”

“Oh we don’t mind,” Tom assured her, his hands on her hips, just above Harrison’s.

“Okay,” Alice smiled. “Guys will dance with you, they probably know you’re straight,” she laughed to herself and swiveled her hips, feeling bodies on both sides of her.

“And if I don’t want to dance with them?” Harrison mumbled against the skin of her shoulder.

“Just keep your hands on me, baby,” she said laughing as they both pressed up closer to her, both a little anxious about being in a space that wasn’t meant for them. Harrison jumped a little as a pair of hands snaked around his waist, but Alice relaxed because she knew it was just Mallory.

Bodies pressed the foursome together on all sides and Alice honestly could not tell whose hands were whose as they danced. She deduced that Mallory’s were the ones tugging Harrison around and Tom’s were the ones left when Harrison’s left her waist. She looked at Tom, who was watching their friends over her shoulder as they danced. She was sobering up and her anxiety about making sure everyone had a good time was returning.

“How’s it going Tommy boy?” He rolled his eyes, but smiled.

“You know, if you told me yesterday that I’d be doing this, I would not have believed you,” he started, hands rubbing up and down her back as he looked up at her, “ but I’m actually having a lot of fun. Honestly,” he hesitated, “you’ve actually opened my eyes to a couple things I never thought about before.”

“Tell me about them later,” Alice told him as she leaned her forehead against his. “Just enjoy the moment,” and then she kissed him.

---

Part Two

Ko-Fi

Permanant Taglist: @heavenly---holland @trulytom @buckystan-plums @lovemelikeyou1997 @alwayssnowingsomewhere @madmadmilk

This one specifically: @epic-fangirl-trash @rainbow-marvel @peacherparker

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the-claire-bitch-project · 6 years ago

Text

Find Your Way Back - 3 - Tom Holland

Pairing: Tom Holland x OC

Word Count: 3917

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references

Inspired by: Find Your Way Back by Jefferson Starship

Part One Part Two

Tom left Henley sleeping in his bed. He scrawled a note on hotel stationary:

You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, I’ll be back this evening.

Order room service and charge it to me.

Here’s my phone number. I had fun last night.

x, Tom

The last day of the con was always just endless photo ops and autographs, no panels. Girls pressed up against him, pretending he was their boyfriend. Guys told him they grew up watching Spiderman. He shook a lot of hands. He hugged a lot of people. The whole time he thought about the girl in his bed. Would she be there when he got back?

His sessions ran late. He stayed for the very last fan. It was long past since nearly everyone had left. The convention center was emptying. Vendors were closing up. People were coming in to vacuum the halls.

Tom sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked out the back door. Hands ushered him to the car that would take him the few blocks to his hotel. He sank into the black leather seats gratefully, inhaling the smell of leather conditioner and remembering flashes of Henley’s smile, her hand on her thigh as she drove, her lips pressed against his, her dimples, her snapback falling to the ground. He hoped she was still around.

Tom thanked the driver and told him he would see him in the early morning. His sneakers squeaked on the marble floor, the sound once again echoing through the silence of the late evening. It was slow waiting for the elevator. Tom bounced on his toes, muttering for it to hurry up. What if she was leaving as he arrived? What if she was coming down an elevator as he went up and he missed her forever? How long would she wait?

He remembered her hands in his hair as he stepped into the elevator. In the mirror, he looked tired. His t-shirt was wrinkled, his hair had been pushed back out of his eyes one too many times, the gel had long since faded, and he had dark purple bags under his eyes. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, wishing she were there in his arms.

The night sky carpet muffled his footsteps as he approached the door to his hotel room. He fiddled with his key card, spinning it in his fingers. He dropped it twice and had to stop and pick it up, further delaying the time he got to see Henley again.

Tom swiped his key card and opened the door. His heart sank when he saw her backpack wasn’t against the wall, then fluttered when he saw her hat on the table. He let the door bang shut behind him, waited for her to call out a greeting. Perhaps she would say, ‘hi babe, how was work?’ with a dimple-studded smile.

But she didn’t. The room was empty.

The housekeepers had come while Tom was gone. The bed was made with crisp white sheets. His hoodie was folded neatly on the chair in which he’d left it. He stepped closer, picking up her hat and turning it over in his hands. On the inside of the hat, he saw she had written something. He’d never seen her handwriting. Never even looked at her signature on the check from the restaurant. It was neat capital lettering. A list of initials and names, nicknames. At the very bottom, in fresh sharpie: Sweet T.

The initials above his nickname were HT. Henley Thompson. Tom remembered her last name, only now realizing her initials were backwards from his own. He scanned the list.

Nutter Butter

Sneezy

Battleground

Sinner

Sweet T

Tom stared at the list in his hands. He had no idea the significance. Perhaps it was a list of ownership. Now that he looked, the hat in his hands was clearly old. Well cared for, but old. The tag inside had long since faded with wear and sweat.

He walked to the mirror and carefully put the hat on his head. It was too small so he took it off and adjusted the snap, adding two holes. He put it on again. It slid over his curls perfectly, looking just as home on his head as it had on hers. Her. Tom looked around, spotting his note on the nightstand, untouched. She really was gone.

How would he find her? He frantically searched around, looking for a note. His heart pounded in his chest as he pulled out his phone, looking for a missed text or Whatsapp message. The urge to look around again just one more time filled his body before he had even checked his phone thoroughly. He strode around the room, running his hands over every flat surface, tossing the pillows off the bed and couch, looking for a note. There was no sign of her. It was as if she hadn’t even been there. Even her smell was gone from the bed.

Tom looked down at his phone, instinctively opening Instagram, scrolling mindlessly though pictures his friends at home had posted, other celebrities and their selfies, girls he didn’t know, fan accounts, it all blurred in his brain. He had to find her. His fingers typed her name into the search bar as if they had a thousand times: Henley Thompson.

The first five profiles were men. The first woman he saw looked nothing like his Henley. Neither did the next. Or the next. Or the next. Or the next. Or the next. Or the next. Or the next, or the next, or the next.

Tom scrolled and clicked until his thumbs hurt. He checked Twitter and Facebook. He searched every variation of her name on Snapchat, none of the bitmojis looked like her, but he couldn’t tell for sure. He checked LinkedIn when he got desperate nearly an hour later.

Blood rushed out of his head when he stood up too fast and he stumbled a little as he patted his pockets, checking for his phone, wallet, and key. He didn’t bother with a hoodie since he still wore her hat. He tapped his foot waiting for the elevator and closed his eyes as the elevator shot down to the ground floor. His watch said 2am. His flight was at 6am. He had to be up by 4am, but here he was, racing across the lobby and outside to see if her car was around. She couldn’t possibly be gone. She wouldn’t have just left him, not without leaving her number or her Instagram or some way for him to contact her. At least an explanation would make him feel better, make him feel like she wasn’t just a dream, a passing character in his narrative, a ghost he had happened across in a strange city.

He pulled her hat off his head and checked to see that her initials were still there. Faded, but legible, they stared back at him, HT. Tom sighed. He kept his hands in his pockets as he walked around the block. A Mercedes was parked in her spot. Her spot. It wasn’t like she owned the spot. She probably wasn’t even in this area that often. A partner at the law firm she worked at had probably sent her on an errand. But she had been in street clothes, not business attire. Maybe she was seeing a friend in the apartment building next door to the hotel. Maybe she had been coming from a previous hookup. Maybe she lived nearby. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Theories filled Tom’s brain, ideas about who she was, how she spent her time as he convinced himself she was even real. She had felt real when she pressed her knee against his at the bar. She had felt real when she bumped her cheek against his head. She had felt real when she kissed him in the elevator. She had felt real when he fucked her. She had felt real when she crawled into his bed in the early morning, bare-chested and cold. She was real. Her curls were real. Her muscular quads were real. Her dimples were real. Her breasts were real. Her nickname for him was real. She had written it inside the hat.

It hit Tom then that she wasn’t coming back. He stopped outside the hotel, pacing. She had left the hat with his nickname under hers and no phone number. It was a gift. A thank you gift? A fuck you gift? He had no idea. He pulled out his phone and opened the camera, seeing himself in her hat. He would never look as good in it as she had, but he wanted to let her know he’d gotten her present. He snapped a picture of himself, the skyline of her city behind him, opened it up on Instagram and typed a caption for her.

Find your way back.

It was his brother Harry who snapped him out of his stupor a week later. They were sitting on the couch in the living room of his childhood home. Tom was telling Harry and his twin brother, Sam, about the girl he’d met while in America when Harry, the voice of reason, spoke up.

“Tom, she sounds like a bitch.”

Those six words stopped him cold. He froze, meeting Harry’s eyes, the same dark brown as his own.

“Why do you say that?” Tom asked calmly, a frown creasing his brow.

“I mean, she seemed lovely,” Harry backtracked, “but she slept with you and left. Yeah the sex was great, but she also stayed up all night doing God-knows-what.”

“She was working,” Tom clarified.

“How do you know?” Harry asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah like, how do you know she wasn’t spilling all your secrets to People magazine?” Sam interjected. Tom shook his head. His hands balled into fists.

“She wouldn’t do that,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You don’t know that,” Harry told him. Tom swore under his breath. He knew Harry was right. He didn’t know Henley at all. He had no idea who she was.

“I didn’t tell her anything,” he said, his jaw tight, staring at the carpet. The pattern blurred as his eyes unfocused. “She doesn’t know anything about me.”

“Are you sure?” Harry asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“Yeah I’m sure,” Tom wracked his brain, his memories of their conversation at the bar, on the way home. “She did most of the talking.”

“Okay but you slept with her,” Sam reminded him.

“Well yeah--”

“I think you should try to find her,” Harry interjected. “I think you should find her and make sure she’s not going to say something stupid.”

“What could she say?” Tom asked him. A bad idea it seemed, as Harry immediately began counting off the ways an uncontrolled random hookup could ruin his reputation.

“Okay I seriously doubt she’s going to falsely accuse him of sexual assault,” Sam scoffed, pulling out his phone, scrolling mindlessly.

“She’s definitely not like that,” Tom assured them, remembering her claims to be a feminist. He shook his head. “Definitely not,” he repeated.

“I was just saying,” Harry waved them off, “anyone who’s seen your dick needs to die.”

“Was that a John Mulaney reference?” Sam looked up, a smile growing on his face.

“It was,” Harry grinned. Tom looked at his brothers and smiled himself.

“I missed you guys so much,” he told them, leaning over to give them each a quick hug. “You always have my back.”

“We’ll always be here for you,” Sam assured him. “Even if we’re on the other side of the planet, we love you.”

“You’re our brother,” Harry said seriously. “We just want you to be happy. If you think this girl can make you happy, you need to find her.”

“Thanks,” Tom said, looking down at Henley’s hat sitting on the table where he’d tossed it. It had become his constant companion. Without events to attend, he rarely styled his hair, letting it grow out and hiding it under her hat. It smelled less like her now. It was beginning to smell like nothing, but occasionally, if he inhaled deeply, he could get a scent of that sharp perfume in his nostrils, clinging desperately to the fabric.

Over the summer months, he wore it nearly every day. He wore it during a panel with Tom Hiddleston at the next con he attended. It appeared in nearly every Instagram story he posted through the end of August, hoping she would see it and reach out to him. Though he wasn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t miss a message from her; he received hundreds of messages a day.

The hat sat on his shelf more when he started filming the sequel to Spiderman: Homecoming in early July. His stylist had complained that it needed to be washed, but he wouldn’t let her take it, afraid the list would fade and he wouldn’t be able to stare at the way she wrote the Es in ‘Sweet T,’ curvy, not angular, one fluid stroke, like two backwards threes, one after the other. He stared at it far too often.

“She must have made quite the impact on you if you’re still wearing her hat,” Tom’s best friend, Harrison, said out of the blue when the two of them were hanging out between takes in Tom’s trailer.

“I’ve never met anyone like her before,” Tom sighed, flopping facedown on a black beanbag.

“Dude,” Harrison pretended he was offended. Tom gave him the finger.

“Yeah okay you’re my best friend but I’m not gonna fuck you,” he mumbled jokingly.

“Fair,” Harrison conceded. There was a long pause as Harrison sipped his coffee. “Are you still trying to find her?”

“You know I am,” Tom sighed, turning over on his back. He stared at the ceiling. There was a crack in the corner he’d never noticed before.

“What do you know about her again?” Harrison asked. Tom sighed again. “Hey man,” Harrison threw up his hands. “I’m just trying to help.”

“Henley Thompson is 21 and a native of Houston, college student in Boston. She has a German Shepherd named Nugget. She has one biological brother, one stepbrother from her dad’s-- no her mom’s-- no definitely her dad’s marriage. He’s why she has a nephew who loves Spiderman,” Tom listed off what he remembered from their first meeting and conversation.

“I remember you said that,” Harrison interjected, typing quickly.

“What are you doing?” Tom asked, sitting up and looking at his friend.

“Taking notes so those of us who haven’t met this amazing woman can remember everything about her,” Harrison answered. “Nephew...loves...Spiderman. Done. What else?” Tom sat back and wracked his brain.

“She has two stepsisters she doesn’t seem to like much--” Tom started.

“No,” Harrison cut him off. “Stop telling me facts about her and start telling me things you noticed about her. Her weird things that make her different.”

“Her hair is literally down to her waist,” Tom started. “And a mess of dark brown curls,” he added.

“Keep going,” Harrison’s thumbs flew over the touchscreen as he listened and typed.

“She’s tall, like your height, tall for a girl, and she has the bluest eyes, bluer than yours, with a dark ring around the outside,” Tom talked quickly, and with his hands, forming a circle with his thumb and forefinger when he talked about Henley’s eyes. “She drives really well, like, better than anyone I’ve ever met andshehasthesamecarasme.”

“What?”

“We drive the same car,” Tom clarified.

“The Audi?” Harrison asked. Tom nodded. “Damn.”

“What?” Tom asked, scrunching his face in offense on Henley’s behalf.

“Maybe the two of you really are soulmates,” Harrison laughed. His eyes crinkled in a way that made his laugh infectious. Tom laughed too.

“She listens to classic rock. She’s named after Don Henley of the Eagles,” Tom continued, through his laughter.

“Like, Hotel California?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow,” Harrison set his phone down and ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling his curls.

“I know,” Tom told him. Harrison nodded and picked up his phone again.

“She sounds amazing,” Harrison sighed as he read through his notes with one thumb, his cheek resting on his other fist.

“She is amazing,” Tom assured him, moving to sit next to him. “I wish you could see a picture.”

“I think I’ll know her when I see her,” Harrison told him.

“When?”

“You’ll find her again,” Harrison said, nodding. Tom looked at his best friend. Harrison’s face was calm. He wasn’t worried. He was absolutely sure. “If you say she was the one, Tom,” he looked up, “then we have to find her. She has to see you.” Tom smiled.

His Instagram captions became more cryptic. Every picture he posted of her hat, he included a lyric from a classic rock song, because she had even influenced his music taste. Don Henley, her namesake, was his new favorite. Harrison had suggested she might see them and reach out to him.

The boys of summer made for an innocent caption to a picture of him with Harrison and his costar, Jacob, a trio dubbed “The Holy Trinity” by his fans.

There is a taste of time sweetened honey was the caption for a picture his brother Harry took of him staring off camera, looking pensive.

He knew right then he was too far from home read the post with a picture of him balancing on the edge of a building, his arms stretched out.

I’m learning to live without you was the Don Henley lyric he posted underneath a photo someone had taken of him on set, wearing her hat as he arrived, laughing at something Harrison had said.

That was the last time he posted a picture of the hat. It was in mid-October, a couple weeks before Halloween. It had been five months since the night he met Henley. Images of her smile, her curls, her body, faded from his mind. He didn’t look at her handwriting anymore. He’d memorized it, but he hadn’t memorized her as well as he had thought. Other girls crowded into Tom’s mind.

A production assistant on set with the magical lips. Harry’s friend who had come home with him that night England lost to Croatia whose mouth tasted like beer. The makeup artist’s assistant in LA who had bent over the counter and flipped up her skirt for him. They were nothing compared to her and yet they did everything to drive her out of his mind.

Tom found himself staring out the window at the New York City skyline. The window overlooked Central Park. The leaves were orange, littering the ground. Tom watched them blow in the wind from his safe spot on the windowsill of his hotel room. It was a rare day he had decided to wear the hat again. He was chewing pineapple gum. He’d loved the flavor so much on her that he’d bought it nearly every week since he’d met her. Harrison found it disgusting and dramatically refused to come near him. Harry had told him he was a sicko for chewing that flavor. Sam had shrugged and said it tasted artificial the first time Tom offered him a piece, but had politely declined every time after that.

There was a knock on the door and he unfurled his legs from underneath him to go let Harrison in, spitting out the gum in the trashcan on the way. Tom threw open the door to reveal his best friend and wordlessly walked back and flopped down on his bed.

“I have potential news about your girl,” Harrison announced dramatically. He cleared his throat as Tom bolted upright.

“Yeah? What is it?” he asked excitedly, squeezing his hands into fists as Harrison held up his phone.

“A girl named Caitlyn commented on my last Instagram post,” he declared, shooting a smirk at Tom. “A picture of me and my best friend, who was wearing a certain colorful hat.” Tom remembered. The day before they had visited the top of the Empire State Building. For all the times he’d been to New York City, he didn’t often do touristy things. Harrison had posted a picture of the two of them overlooking the city.

“Okay who is Caitlyn and what does she have to do with Henley?” Tom asked, a little annoyed that his friend was wasting his time, giving him false hope of finding her again.

“Well she said,” Harrison cleared his throat again, “‘@henthomp20 that looks like the hat you lost.’”

Tom’s eyes leaned forward, reaching for the phone to look for himself. Nobody had this hat. One of the first things he’d done was google the brand name and look at their website. They didn’t even make this style anymore. He couldn’t even find it on Ebay.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Harrison tsked as he held the phone out of Tom’s reach. “Let me finish.”

“Go on then,” Tom said, rolling his eyes.

“I looked at @henthomp20’s profile and it was private--” Tom sighed, “but,” Harrison continued, “Caitlyn’s profile is public. Her third most recent picture is a photo of her and a girl with long curly hair captioned ‘have fun in Boston, bitch,’” Harrison handed his phone to Tom and crossed his arms. A proud smirk sat on his face.

Tom stared at the photo. Henley smiled back at him, giving a piggyback ride to a girl with blonde hair. They were on the beach. Henley’s oversized Hawaiian shirt hung unbuttoned off her shoulders. She wore a black bikini under it. Her hair was redder in the setting sun. She looked tanner than when he’d met her, still pale, but less like a vampire.

He wordlessly handed the phone back to Harrison. He’d spent so much time looking for her, told Harrison all he knew about her, asked Harry to do a more in-depth online search, and for months he found nothing. Now suddenly, out of so many posts and stories, a friend of hers had spotted her hat in Harrison’s post and tagged her. Tom pulled out his phone, finding her profile, and nearly hit the button to request to follow her when Harrison stopped him.

“Wait!” he reached out towards Tom. Tom froze, thumb hovering over the screen.

“What?” he snapped, wanting to know why he shouldn’t reach out, talk to her again, find out why she left him.

“I messaged this Caitlyn girl,” Haz started. “She told me she’s known Henley since middle school. She goes to Stanford out in California, but Henley goes to Boston University.”

“Wow,” Tom breathed. He’d learned more about her in the last five minutes than he had in the last five months. He had remembered she said she went to college in Boston, but when he had googled, there were so many universities around Boston: Harvard, Boston University, Boston College, MIT, and Tufts. She could go to any of them. There were thousands of college students in Boston.

“Dude,” Harrison shoved his shoulder. “We don’t have to be anywhere until tomorrow night. I already looked up train times. Let’s head up there.”

Tom looked up at him, seeing Harrison’s grin. He was serious. His best friend was willing to spend their day off helping him find his girl again. Tom felt his lips stretch into a smile.

“Okay, let’s go find her.”

Part 4

Song(s) of the Moment: Where Were You In The Morning? by Shawn Mendes, Waiting For You by Grizfolk

Other songs mentioned: The Boys of Summer by Don Henley, Seven Bridges Road (covered) by The Eagles, Hollywood Nights by Bob Seger, The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley

Ko-Fi

Taglist: @madmadmilk @noturjacky @alwayssnowingsomewhere @heavenly---holland @queenoflostspirits @smexylemony @yesitsaninnuendo @nappingtopknot @whatam3ss @normalwithadashofinsane @liamismxsunshinx @sor-rai-ja @t0mswebs

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