Love Rekindled by Emily Pontin

Love Rekindled: A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction

A/N: Hello darlings, having been stressed out with my personal statement for university I a dream that I was at university, I couldn’t have told you which university it was although for this story I`m going to say its Southampton Solent where I really want to go. My friend was in her room crying because she had just seen her boyfriend kissing some girl. This was where the idea came from and I thought why not make it as though Tom was her boyfriend and the one that kissed the girl. It goes back from different time periods from their time at university in 2002 to the year 2013 when Thor 2 is released. This is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy <3

Prologue: November 2013

I never thought I’d see him again, yet here he was strolling down the red carpet greeting fans, smiling for photos and talking to press and I was now one of them, working for one of the most famous film magazines in the world: Empire.

I’d got the job a couple of years after university having to work in a few offices before getting the job I so wanted. It was worth the wait though, I loved my job, and it was everything I wanted and more. Not because I got to go to all of the red carpet events and meet and interview celebrities, but because I generally enjoyed writing and researching about the next celebrity I’d interview so I could watch their filmography.

I couldn’t believe he was here, and so was I, and I had to interview him! As he approached the press pen near where I was standing waiting to interview him he looked over at me and smiled, a wide smile showing two pearly sets of white perfect teeth. I smiled back, all these memories flooding back to me. Tom cheating on Charlotte, his performance of Romeo and Juliet I had to go and review. Charlotte catching me and Tom in a very, lets just say awkward position and the many times we spent going to the theatre and cinema, taking long walks through the park, talking about anything and everything.

I was pulled out of my trance by a “Thankyou, Mr Hiddleston” from an interviewer next to me. “My pleasure” Oh my god, his voice, the many a times he sat reading and quoting Shakespeare to me. It all came flooding back. Then I realised I had been staring at him the whole time lost in thought. He walked over and stood in front of me. I stood admiring his gorgeous lean frame and perfect face. Dressed in a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a back waist coat, black trousers and dress shoes and a black and blue striped tie. His blue eyes shining, gorgeous cheekbones and lips and a few days stubble grown around his chin and top lip. All these feelings came flooding back.

“Hello Sophie, darling. It’s so good to see you. I knew you could do it” he leaned over the pen and kissed my cheek. “Tom” I whispered, not quite believing it. Quick women, professional film journalist mode. He’s just another actor. But he’s not my conscious screamed back. He’s Tom Hiddleston. Tom, your Tom. He smiled pulling away. I coughed trying to regain my composure and be professional.

“Mr Hiddleston, it’s a pleasure” I smiled.

“The pleasure is all mine my dear, and please, call me Tom” he smiled.

“Okay, Tom. You’ve played Loki twice now, first in Thor and The Avengers, and now Thor 2, what is it like to be playing him a third time and how has he changed since both Thor and The Avengers?”

The interview went well. After I had asked him the last question and he’d answered I thanked him. He smiled before saying “A pleasure darling”, he leaned across the pen again kissing my cheek and whispered in my ear “Meet me after the film outside the main entrance, I’d love to catch up” before kissing my cheek again and moving along the line to as yet more interviews. I continued doing my interviews, interviewing Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and director Alan Taylor before making my way into the theatre to watch the film with the other journalists. I couldn’t help but let my mind wonder walking into the theatre about meeting Tom afterwards.

Hello dears this is just a fill in chapter and back-story to Sophie getting into Southampton. I know Tom went to Cambridge but for this story and as Southampton is the university I really want to go to I set it at Southampton. I unfortunately do not own Tom Hiddleston just the story and characters of Sophie and Charlotte. Hope you enjoy. Written for my fellow Hiddlestoners and Vanessa Bauer. Enjoy darlings. I love you <3

Chapter 1: February 2002

My phone bleeped. 1 new email.UCAS: Something has been changed on your UCAS application. Shit shit, shit! Id spent ages filling out my UCAS application, trying to get my personal statement right. I lost count on how many drafts I had done but after about ten drafts I finally had a decent draft I was happy with. I wanted it out of my hands and sent off before Christmas so I didn’t have to worry about it. What’s done is done I thought. The hardest thing about my personal statement was that I was applying for two separate courses at five different universities and it was rather difficult to combine both courses into my personal statement. Magazine Journalism at Southampton Solent and Bedfordshire, Creative Writing and Journalism at Middlesex and Creative Writing at Twickenham and Winchester.

I went and looked round Southampton and completely fell in love with the place, with the course. Everything. I knew when I was fourteen that I wanted to go there the course really appealed to me. I just hope I had done enough to get accepted.

I’d gotten offers from Middlesex and Twickenham already, I liked the idea of being in or near London so I could still attend my premieres even if I didn’t get into Southampton. Plus the idea of being able to sit down Southbank and write really appealed to me. I loved London. I always had and always will so if I didn’t get Southampton I would be happy to go to either of the others I had been accepted to.

I hated getting UCAS emails, my future depended on them. I opened my UCAS track and screamed when I saw what was on my screen. Conditional offer: Southampton Solent University to study Magazine Journalism. OH MY GOD!! I went crazy when I got that email. My dream was going to come true. I was going to Southampton Solent University to study Magazine Journalism!

The next few months consisted of making my final choices accepting my place and trying to get my head round the fact that at the age of nineteen I was going to be moving away from home, to a place I barely knew but had fell in love with when I saw it, on my own, having to cook for myself and fend for myself and pay my own rent and generally look after myself. Ok so I was scared and excited at the same time, especially as I was one to get homesick easily. Me and my mum had always been close, but even more so since I was eleven when dad left us for a few years. I remember that time clearly in my head. I had just started secondary school and he wasn’t around. That was strange. When a few of my friend’s parents split up I thought oh yeah, it won’t happen to me, mum and dad love each other and always will. How wrong I was. In the long run however, it’s made us closer. Mum and dad are as close as they used to be and are still pretty much together; dad just doesn’t live with us.

It was going to be weird saying goodbye to my childhood friends and family and home. I’d lived in Dover my whole life, although I hated the town it would still be sad to leave.

Over the next few months I made the most of the time I still had at home by catching up with my friends, well the friends I had that were still lived in or near Dover anyway, most of my college friends had gone to university last year. Lucy was at Brunel in London studying Film and Television Studies, Sophie was at Bournemouth studying Public Relations while Megan stayed local in Canterbury studying Multimedia Journalism. I knew I wouldn’t make friends like them again, and I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t change them for the world.

The good thing about going to Southampton would be that I would be near Sophie if I needed her if I got homesick. Me and Sophie were alike, in many ways than one. Aswell as having the same name, we were both really close to our parents, as was Lucy but with Lucy being the oldest out of the four of us at twenty one she seemed to settle in rather quickly.

September soon approached and in a couple of weeks I’d be at Southampton Solent studying the degree that I’d been dreaming of for five years in hope of getting a career as a magazine journalist. Over the next few weeks I got the last minute essentials that I would need including silly things like toiletries and duvet bedding and kitchen utensils.

The day id been dreading and couldn’t wait for had arrived. September 23^rd, the day I was moving to Southampton to university. We got an early start packing up everything in the car ready to leave for nine in the morning to get there for twelve and start moving my stuff in.

When I found out my flat building and number I started adding people in my flat and course on Facebook to get to know them beforehand. I found that I would be sharing a flat with a couple of girls, Charlotte and Emma and a boy called Tom. Me and Charlotte got talking and swapped numbers so we could text each other on our way there and when we arrived to meet up once our families had left.

I text her when I was halfway there letting her know where I was and that I was nervous and excited and that I couldn’t wait to meet her. She too, like me was a huge film fan and would be studying Film while at Southampton. I liked the idea of hanging about in each others flats or in the common room watching films and having a gossip. I had a feeling that me and Charlotte were going to be as close as me and Lucy are. I was right, even now after all that’s happened were still friends.


We arrived at about half eleven and started unpacking my stuff. My room was small but had the essentials I needed, bed, desk, pin board and en-suite with a toilet and sink. It wasn’t like I was going to be in my room much anyway I’d most likely be in the library doing work.

Me, mum and dad went out to lunch as mum wanted to make sure I’d eaten before her and dad left me on my own. I was starting to get teary as soon as I got there. Knowing that they would be leaving me in a few hours was horrible. Although I was only a few hours away it was going to be weird not being in the same house as mum anymore, her not being there if I needed her. We had a nice lunch before walking through the park and back to my flat.

When we arrived back mum and dad said that they had better get going to dodge the traffic as it was nearing five already and they wouldn’t get home till about eight. I didn’t want them to leave. Tears were starting to prick at my eyes. I may be an adult and nineteen but there was never going to be a time when I didn’t need my mum and dad.

My mum pulled me into a hug as the tears started to fall from both of our cheeks.

“Were both so proud of you remember that. We love you and always will and will support you no matter what”.

“As long as you’re doing what makes you happy we will always support you” said my dad.

“Thankyou for everything, I love you both so much”

“We love you too” they both said in unison,

“If you ever need us then were on the other end of the phone” I smiled letting my dad join in the hug. We stood like that for a good few minutes before dad pulled away saying they had to go. We had our last hugs before they left and as I closed the door I realised that this was it. I now felt like an official adult, and let me tell you, I was scared, nervous and excited as hell.

This chapter is more where the story begins and the relationship between Sophie and Tom really forms. I hope you enjoy <3

Chapter 2: December 2004

I couldn’t believe I had almost completed my first term at Southampton. The course was absolutely amazing and I’d made some incredible friends on both my course and in my flat. Me and Charlotte immediately became the best of friends cooking our dinner and doing our laundry together.

Charlotte was the same age as me and was originally from London, like our flatmate, Tom who she had been dating a few years before coming to university, they had both put down to study at Southampton, Charlotte to study Film, while Tom, Drama both not thinking they would get their places let alone be in the same flat together. Tom treated her exactly as a boy should treat his girl, a complete gentleman. We all got along well in our flat, until the Halloween party in October.

October 2004

As it was Halloween we decided to throw a Halloween party in our flat. Many people from our courses and in the Kimber building came. The drinks were flowing and everyone was enjoying themselves. Tom stayed with Charlotte the entire night, his hand around her waist letting everyone know that she was his.

I wasn’t one for drinking but I enjoyed socialising and dancing. After a couple of hours and a few drinks I headed back to my room telling Charlotte that I’d be in my room if she needed me as I had a deadline to meet within the next few days.

I’d just set up my laptop and opened my notebook to begin typing up my essay when Charlotte came rushing into my room, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Charlotte, what is it? What’s wrong?” I asked her concerned getting up from my desk to hug her and lead her to sit on the bed. She sat down before speaking.

“It’s…Tom” she said tears streaming down her face.

“What about him?” I asked

“I…I just saw him…kissing another girl” she said between sobs. I was going to kill him! No one treated one of my closest friends like that. Jerk. “I don’t understand, he’s been with you the whole evening, why...why would he kiss another girl?”

Charlotte explained that he had tried to kiss and be forceful with her which, he was drunk and that it wasn’t like him. They then got into an argument because they hadn’t been able to see each other as much as they had liked to since they came to uni. He shouted; she got upset and went outside. She hoped he would come out and find her and apologise like he normally did but he didn’t. She went back inside to go and apologise only to see him kissing another girl and that was how she ended up here in tears.

We spent the rest of the evening talking and watching Bridesmaids. Needless to say none of my work got done that evening but I didn’t care. Charlotte needed me and i was there.

Tom tried to talk to me the next day. I was just making a cup of tea to take with me to my lecture when Tom came into the kitchen dressed in dark jeans and a blue t shirt.

“Morning Soph” he said cheerily. He had a cheek.

`Morning Soph` really Tom? You really expect me to talk to you and be all civilised with you after what you’ve done to Charlotte?” You cheated on her!”

“I didn’t mean to I was drunk, I`m so so sorry Sophie” he pleaded with puppy dog eyes. Was he really pulling the puppy eyes on me? Really? It may work for charlotte, but it certainly wasn’t working for me.

“Tom, you shouldn’t be apologising to me, you should be apologising to Charlotte.”

“Soph”

“No, Tom. I have to get to class, talk to Charlotte, I wont forgive you until she does” with that I was out the door on my way to my lesson fuming that he would think to apologise to me. Urgh I was so annoyed.

I came back to the flat after my lecture to find that Charlotte had taken Tom back, claiming that she loved him and that he was sorry. She was silly if you ask me, naïve, vulnerable, she didn’t believe me when I said to her once a cheater, always a cheater until she found out he done it again in which she dumped him for good.

It was weird for a while in our flat after that incident. We all remained friends however as we didn’t want to make it awkward and cause more arguments. Even if I still hadn’t forgiven Tom for what he did to Charlotte I was still civil with him for Charlotte’s sake.

December 2004:

Being a magazine journalism student I was expected to go and review the universities Christmas production and interview the leads of the show afterwards.

This year it was Romeo and Juliet and guess who was the lead as Romeo? Only Tom Hiddleston. Urgh I sighed when I got told that. I still hadn’t forgiven him for what he had done to Charlotte, I mean we were civil for her sake but we just didn’t get along. He broke her heart.

Can’t I just pretend that it isn’t Tom playing Romeo and pretend its someone else? I need to be professional and write a high standard review but I can’t with that idiot playing the lead. I tried my best to write as many positive comments and points as I could about it. Romeo and Juliet was my favourite Shakespeare play and here he was as the lead, he was good I had to admit but why did he have to be such a jerk in real life? Urgh.

I guess I had to suck it up and treat him as any normal actor and wish I didn’t know him as personal as I did. After the performance I went backstage ready to interview him, he was back wearing his normal clothes, a pair of dark jeans and a light blue t shirt with some sort of writing on rather than his leather costume, his curly blonde hair all over the place crossed legged on a chair waiting for me to come over.

The interview went well, I was professional enough. The performance had made me realise how good of an actor he actually was, his performance was enjoyable and he made me fall in love with his portrayal of Romeo, more than I had with Leonardo Dicaprio and that’s saying something. It seemed Tom was born to be an actor, especially Shakespeare as in a few years time I would fall in love with him all over again with his portrayal of Henry IV and Henry V in the BBC version of The Hollow Crown.

Why did I have this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach? Maybe it was because his performance had moved me a bit. Surely I wasn’t feeling something for Tom in real life, was I? No, ofcourse not, this can’t happen.

After we had finished Tom asked if I wanted to grab something to eat before heading back to the flat. I agreed purely because I was hungry and needed to eat before going back to write up my review and transcribe my interview.

We came out of the drama theatre and walked side by side into town Tom with his hands in his jeans pocket. We had a quick bite at pizza hut before walking back to the flat.

Over dinner I realised I didn’t actually know that much about him, even though id been living with him for the past few months. I didn’t really get to see him as he’d always been with charlotte at the beginning of the term or in rehearsal up till now.

“So how did you get into acting?” I asked casually. He looked up from his pizza and smiled.

“Well my parents divorced when I was thirteen, I was in my final year at Eton and I turned to drama for comfort and ive loved it ever since. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Im really hoping doing drama here at Southampton will give me my break you know? What about you?”

“Same as you really, I’ve always written with having to do English and everything but I didn’t consider it as a career until I had two poems published in year nine and when my parents split up I turned to writing and wrote all my feelings and emotions down rather than having to talk about it. The journalism passion came in through watching TV programmes such as Gilmore Girls and I took media at GCSE and completely fell in love with the subject and creating magazine articles and layouts. I then studied Media Production at college and realised that this was what I wanted to do”. Why was I telling him this, he didn’t need to know my life story. Because he asked you, my consciences yelled back and look at him he’s listening intently to everything you’re saying. I looked up and my conscience was right he was listening intently to everything I was saying.

“You sound like you have a real passion for it, darling, I have faith that you will become the magazine journalist you wish to be.” I blushed. Did he really just complement me? Oh my god what are these feelings im experiencing. Push them back down. You do not feel anything for him. You don’t. You can’t.

After dinner and once we had finished discussing our families and hopes for the future we walked back to our flat and said our goodbyes and goodnights. I went to bed feeling happy with my review and interview but confused about my feelings for Tom. I really couldn’t wait till Christmas. I was ready to go home and spend some time with my family.

Luckily enough for me Christmas was just around the corner and a few weeks later we were saying our goodbyes and have a good Christmases agreeing to all be back before New Years so we could bring in the New Year together.

Chapter 3: November 2013

Tom`s portrayal of Loki in Thor 2 was once again absolutely incredible, he played him with such passion, just like he did with all of his other characters.

After the film had finished I filed out of the cinema with all the other journalists. My friend Emily who worked for Total Film asked if I wanted to go for a drink. I politely declined saying I was meeting a friend for dinner.

“You’re meeting Tom, aren’t you? She asked.

“N...no” I stammered. I looked down trying to hide my face.

“Come on Soph, ive known you for a good few years and even though you haven’t told me about Tom, I know that you knew each other before, please, it was so obvious by the way he looked at you and the way you looked at him. Go have fun and I want a full report when I next see you.” she smiled. I smiled back hugging her.

“Thanks Em”.

I gradually made my way out of the cinema to find Tom waiting for me at the entrance. His face lit up when he saw me, a huge smile that reached his gorgeous blue eyes appearing on his face. I smiled back walking over to see him.

“Hello, darling” he said kissing both my cheeks and bringing me into his embrace. I walked into his embrace hugging him back. “Tom” I whispered. I took in this moment, the feeling of his arms wrapped securely around my back and the smell of his cologne and the smell of Tom. How I’d missed him so.

“I’ve missed you, Sophie, darling”

“I’ve missed you too, Tom”

And it was true, I didn’t quite realise how much id missed him until I saw him again and was back in his arms. I often thought about him but for some strange reason didn’t think about texting or calling him but then he hadn’t either so I guess it was both of our faults. We were both so busy recently that we actually hadn’t had a chance to keep in contact. It had been non stop for both of us, well it was for me anyway, constantly having to transcribe interviews and watch films and write articles and for Tom too by the amount of films he had starred in and how famous he had gotten since we left university.

We broke from the embrace Tom holding me at arms length. “You look beautiful, darling you haven’t changed one bit, maybe become more beautiful and successful but you haven’t changed as a person”. I smiled. “Neither have you, although you’ve maybe become a famous actor and more taller”. I laughed. He laughed too his ehehe that was so infectious.

“So how does dinner sound, my dear?”

“Perfect, I`m starving”. He offered me his arm. I took it without hesitation as we walked along the streets of London in search of a restaurant.

After a bit of roaming around we settled on an Italian restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden. A quite place with Italian music playing in the background. It was at times like this that I loved London and was so glad I moved here when I got the job at Empire.

The waitress recognised Tom when we walked in but didn’t say anything thinking he wanted his privacy. The waitress led us over to a table near the back of the restaurant so we weren’t to be disturbed.

Tom pulled out my chair for me allowing me to sit before walking round to the other side of the table and sitting down. The waitress passed us our menus and asked what we wanted to drink. Tom ordered a bottle of Moet champagne as he said we were celebrating. I smiled remembering seeing the pictures of him at the tennis finals a year back with a glass of Moet and pudding in his hand. I laughed.

“What’s so funny, darling” he asked. I smiled.

“Oh…nothing I just remembered some pictures I saw of you a year ago with a glass of Moet and pudding in your hand” I said.

“Ah... So you’ve been keeping tags on me have you?” he asked his big blue eyes boring into my green ones.

“Erm…well” I stuttered. “It’s a little hard not to when you’re now this big movie star” he laughed. “I`m just joking with you, darling” he smiled. I smiled back. The waitress came back over carrying a tray with a bottle of Moet and two champagne glasses on. She put them down and smiled before getting out her notepad and pen and taking our order of spaghetti bologonse for me and a cheese and tomato pizza for Tom before leaving us to it.

Tom picked up the bottle of Moet cracking it open, some of it spilling on the floor in the process. He laughed “Thomas” I scolded a smirk on my face. “Oopsies” he said laughing, throwing his head back and sticking his tongue out. He thought it was so funny that he almost spilled the whole bottle over the floor. I had to take it from him before he’d wasted god knows how much money on some champagne we hadn’t even drunk. I took it from him filling to glasses with the fizzy liquid. I put the bottle down and went to take a sip but Tom stopped me by putting a hand to my wrist. “Wait,we need to make a toast.”

“Why, what is it were celebrating?” I asked.

“That were back in each others lives, is that ok darling? He asked”

“Ofcourse, Tom” I answered a big smile forming on my face.

“To being back in each others lives” he toasted.

“To being back in each others lives” I agreed clinking our glasses together and taking a sip. We both smiled knowing that it both meant a lot to one another to be back in one another’s company.

Conversation flowed over dinner as it always had. It was as though we hadn’t been away from each other and just picked up from where we left off five years ago.

Tom told me all about his acting career and how after university he started doing small television roles before landing his big break thanks to Kenneth Branagh in Wallander. He told me all about what it was like to work with all these amazing actors and directors including Woody Allen and Stephen Spielberg and how much he loved what he did and how much of a joy it was when he got the role of Prince Hal and Henry V in the TV series of The Hollow Crown. I admitted to him that I had seen all of his work and how much he’d grown up since university. He’d grown up into the most handsome talented actor I had ever known. I was so proud of him.

Our dinner arrived while he was talking about his role in The Hollow Crown. We exchanged pleasantries about how nice both of our meals were and allowed the conversation to slow as we enjoyed our food. A comfortable silence that even after all these years we could just sit and enjoy each others company without having to fill it with conversation.

We continued our conversation half through our meal with Tom asking about my job at Empire and my writing. I told him about the office jobs after leaving uni and how much I longed to be a journalist.

I kept applying for magazine jobs and not getting them but I got a call from Empire a few years later saying that my name had been kept on record from when I done my two week work placement with them whilst at Southampton and that there was a job open if I wanted to apply.

I applied expecting not to hear anything but got an interview and the job purely based on my degree. Now with a job at Empire it gave me the opportunity to fulfil my other dream of going to live in London. I packed up all of my left over belongings and moved from Dover to London as id moved back home once finishing uni as there were no jobs in Southampton. Dover was bad but I managed to secure myself an office job there.

Even though the job at Empire was just a runner job I was still happy to be in a magazine office,even if it was just a job that involved getting people coffee and sorting the mail I still felt like id made it as I knew in this industry you had to get your foot in the door and work your way up. That’s exactly what I did.

I kept writing in my spare time and once id been there a few months I asked my editor to look at my writing. She did. She said it was good and to keep writing and that she would see if I could go to the next premiere that they were covering and shadow one of the journalists.

I got the opportunity to attend the premiere of Never Let Me Go in 2010 starring Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield. That was a big moment for me, I mean I’d been to loads of premieres in my spare time but this was completely different. This time I was behind the journalist pen rather than the fan pen. At every premiere I went to I would look across at press pen at all the journalists getting ready to interview the actors that walked the carpet and thought how much I wanted to do that and now I could. Well almost, being behind the pen was a start even if I wasn’t allowed to interview as of yet.

I also got to watch the film and had the responsibility of writing a review about the film to be put up online. This became a regular occurrence and I soon worked my way up writing regular features and articles for the magazine and online, attending the film premieres and getting the opportunity to do my own interviews. I’d achieved my dream job and Im living the dream and running into Tom made it even better.

Tom listened intently the whole time I was talking about my work just like I had with his. We both generally found each others work fascinating.

We’d finished our food by the time I finished talking. “Sorry, I feel like Ive talked too much, you probably didn’t need to know every single detail.” Tom took my hand across the table. I forgot how nice his hands felt in mine. All these feelings came back. “Don’t apologise darling, it has been lovely to catch up with you and you’ve done so much and achieved your dream just like I knew you would. You always were so passionate about film and journalism and now you’ve achieved what you set out to do all those years ago. Im so proud of you Sophie, darling”. Tom brought my hand to his lips kissing my knuckles. I smiled. “Thankyou, Tom you have no idea how much that means, you always told me not to give up on it so I really have to Thankyou for not allowing me too…and im proud of you too, Tom, you’ve worked so hard and with every performance you talent shines through even more than the last.” Tom grinned. “Bless you for saying that, darling, truly, that means so much”.

The waitress came back over and cleared our plates asking if we wanted desert. Tom`s face lit up, as it always did when pudding or desert was mentioned. We ordered a tiramisu to share. Not long after the waitress bought it over and we tucked in. I took a mouthful and Tom laughed his ehehe. “What is it, Tom? What’s so funny?” I asked him.

“Darling, are you saving that bit for later, you seem to have some on the side of your lip.” How embarrassing! I wiped it with my hand but Tom laughed again. “Guessing I didn’t get it?” he laughed.

“Here darling, allow me”. I smiled. Tom got up from his chair and walked round to where I was sitting. He kneeled down in front of me placing his left hand on my left cheek moving his thumb over to where the tiramisu was on my lip and wiping it off. I automatically closed my eyes and leaned into his touch forgetting where I was. How could something that simple be so sexy? Maybe because its Tom`s hand said my conscious. Tom coughed. I opened my eyes and saw him looking from my lips to my eyes. He done this for a few minutes. Does he want to kiss me? Do I make a move? Tom’s eyes slowly closed, as did mine. He leant in and placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Ive missed you Sophie, so much. I didn’t quite realise how much until I saw you this evening. I`m so sorry we broke up after university.” He let his hand fall into his lap and looked up at me a sad expression on his face before looking down at the floor. Oh, Tom, my poor Tom, it was my fault as much as yours we just drifted apart, we were both so busy but both of our dreams have bought us back to each other.

“Tom, look at me” his eyes stayed glued to the floor. My hand went to the side of his face cupping it in my hand. “Tom, look at me” I repeated again. He finally looked at me. “It wasn’t your fault, it was neither of our faults, we just both drifted apart and both became so busy, well you did anyway but just think if we hadn’t drifted apart then our dreams and careers wouldn’t have bought us back to each other.”

“Yes, but we could have had so much longer together if we hadn’t broken up”

“But if we hadn’t have broken up then we wouldn’t have had time to grown as people and we would have argued because you would have been away a lot and it wouldn’t have worked because you was here and I was back in Dover so im glad we met again tonight.”

“I am too, darling but-“

“No, Tom, no buts, we need to live in the moment and in the future, not in the past and what could have been, ok?” he smiled. “Ok”

Tom gave me once last kiss on my lips before pulling away, walking back round to his side of the table, sitting down and continuing eating the tiramisu. It was just like old times, it was nice to be back in his presence. I had missed him terribly, not quite realising how much until seeing him again.

We finished our pudding and the waitress came over to collect our plates. I pulled out my purse ready to pay my half but Tom was having none of it, saying it was on him as he hadn’t seen me in so long. I tried to argue but he took my purse from me, saying he wasn’t going to give it back until we got out of the restaurant.

Tom put down the amount that needed to be paid along with a tip on the table for the waitress to collect who came back over a few minutes later to collect the money with a napkin and pen in her hand. “Im sorry to disturb you Mr Hiddleston but would I be able to have your autograph? I didn’t want to disturb you during the evening and I’d kick myself later if I didn’t atleast ask”. She smiled.

“Ofcourse, it would be my pleasure and bless you for not disturbing us, it really is much appreciated. Who am I signing it to?” Tom asked the girl.

“Louise” said the waitress.

Tom signed the napkin out to her before handing it back along with the money for the meal and tip. She smiled. “Thankyou so much Mr Hiddleston, have a lovely evening” “Thankyou, and you” replied Tom. She took the money and left.

“Ready to go, Soph?” he asked.

“Sure am” I smiled. Tom grabbed his suit jacket off the back of his chair and slipped it on. He then walked round to my side of the table offering me his arm and handing me back my purse. I took both allowing him to escort me out of the restaurant.

With it being mid November it was beginning to get cold and I didn’t think to bring a coat with me as we were only allowed minimum items behind the pen and I thougt that I was going to get straight in a taxi after the film so didn’t think of bringing one with me. I was dressed in a black dress that ended just near my knee, black tights and black flats with a red cardigan over the top, my long brown hair tied up in a ponytail. We were required to wear black while on the carpet so we couldn’t stand out from any of the stars. The cold hit me as soon as we got outside. I shivered. Tom looked at me and automatically removed his jacket tucking it snugly around my shoulders. I smiled looking up at him. “Thankyou Tom”.

“You’re welcome, darling, wouldn’t want you catching a cold now would we?” he smiled taking my hand in his and walking along the streets of London.

“I`m so glad you was there tonight and that you got to interview me darling, I knew you could do it” I smiled.

“It was an honour to get to interview you, just like back at uni. Do you remember?” You’re not meant to be talking about the past, what happened to thinking in the present and about the future rather than the present?

“Ofcourse I remember darling, I couldn’t forget any of my memories with you. You’ve gotten much better at interviewing though, not stumbling over your words as much” I smiled.

“Thankyou, you’ve gotten to be a better actor too, not saying you weren’t amazing back then, you were but now that you’ve grown up you’ve gotten so much better. It was nice to be able to interview you then and interview you now to know that you haven’t let the fame go to your head and that you`re still so down to earth. I forgot to ask you, how’s Diana and James and Emma and Sarah? You used to talk about them a lot back then and I realised that I haven’t seen them in ages either.”

“There well, Sarah now lives in India with her husband, we went over there for their wedding a few years ago, its beautiful. It’s lovely to see her happy. Emma is still acting, although she mainly does theatre than film and Mum and Dad are fine too, they both still live in London, dad at Westminster and mum here in Covent Garden, im sure they’d love to see you again. They often ask about you, you know” I smiled at that. I loved Tom’s parents and sisters. They were so lovely. He invited me round there a few times while we were at university.

By now we were walking near Trafalgar Square. Tom asked where abouts I was living now I lived in London.

“Southbank” I replied.

“Ah, you always did like Southbank, didn’t you?” I smiled at the fact that he remembered after all these years.

“I did, and still do”. I smiled. “It’s handy because it’s near the office too and where all the premieres are so if I don’t want to go out to the after party after I can just go home. Which I often do, im not one for partying”

“You never were” Tom commented.

“You weren’t either, really though, were you?” I replied. That was one of the many things we had in common.

“No, I never have been, I mean ive had to go to a few because it was the cast of one of the films I had made but I often prefer not too” Tom missed out on one of his cast parties to spend time with me.

“You missed out on the Thor 2 after party tonight and it was all because of me, now I feel bad.” I stopped walking. Tom stopped too looking down at me.

“Sophie, don’t feel bad, yes I was going to go but then I saw you and I wanted to spend some time with you, catch up with you, on your own and if we had went then I wouldn’t have seen you and been able to do this” he leaned down and brushed a strand of hair that fallen from my ponytail out of my eye before placing a soft kiss on my lips. Before I knew what I was doing my hands fell around his neck playing with the curls at the back of his neck deepening the kiss. He smiled kissing me back with as much passion as he could muster. I moaned into his mouth. One of his hands travelled down to my waist while the other rested on my cheek. We pulled away after a while catching our breath. I moaned at the loss of contact. He rested his forehead against mine. “Ive missed you so much Sophie” he whispered. “Ive missed you too, Tom, I didn’t realise how much until this evening” We both smiled. Tom gave me one last kiss before taking my hand and escorting me back home.

When we arrived at my door he asked when he could see me again. I said that I worked everyday from 9-5 but was free in the evenings and on weekends. We swapped numbers again as we had both changed phones and numbers since university and he gave me a long passionate kiss before turning round and walking back down the road.

I unlocked the door and went into the house going straight upstairs and putting my pyjamas on before going downstairs taking my phone out of my bag, going into the kitchen and making myself a cup of tea and going into the living room to cuddle up infront of the TV.

I checked my phone. A message from Tom:

Thankyou for a lovely evening Sophie darling. It was so lovely to see you after all this time. I look forward to seeing you again soon. Sweet Dreams. All my love. T xxx

I smiled rereading the message a few times before typing a quick reply how lovely it was to see him too and that he can text me whenever he likes to arrange to meet up again before switching off the TV and going upstairs to bed. I went to bed happier than I had in a long time.

Chapter 4: December 2004

After an amazing but stressful first term at Southampton it was nice to be able to go home and relax. I’d been home quite a lot since being there but something about going home for Christmas was different. My life at uni and my life at home were like two different worlds, when I was at uni it was as though I hadn’t ever lived at home but when I was at home it was as though I had never left.

Over the couple of weeks break I caught up with mum and dad telling them all about uni aswell as Lucy, Sophie and Megan over Nandos to fill them in and have a catch up about all of our different courses.

I told them about Charlotte and Emma and my course and they told me about there’s. It was as though nothing had changed. Sooner or later the topic of boys came up.

Lucy told us about her boyfriend Ben who she met on her course and had been dating since October. She said it was nice to just be herself around him and nice that he wasn’t forcing her into anything she didn’t want to do. They enjoyed watching films together and enjoying each others company.

Megan was the type to get completely drunk out of her head and kiss random strangers including an incident where she almost lost her virginity but stopped herself when she realised what she was doing.

Sophie was concentrating mainly on her course as she said it was really intense and that she didn’t have time to have a boyfriend but if someone came along that she liked then she would reconsider.

They then asked me about mine. I told them briefly about Tom even though nothing had actually happened between us and as much I still didn’t like him there was something in me that told me I did I just didn’t want to admit it. I told them how he and Charlotte used to date and that he got drunk and kissed another girl at a Halloween party in our flat and how Charlotte had turned to me. I also told them about having to review and interview Tom after his performance of Romeo and Juliet. No matter how I much I didn’t like him I told them how amazing his performance of Romeo was and how I fell in love with his portrayal of him, even more than Leonardo Dicaprio and that I wished he wasn’t such a jerk in real life. I was trying tell that to myself more than anyone else.

Christmas was the usual affair, as though I hadn’t even been to uni in the first place. A normal day spent with mum and dad at home, eating as much food as possible with my new Olly Murs CD on repeat waiting for the Downton Abbey Christmas Special.

A few days later me and mum went and visited my Nan, having a second Christmas with her and my cousins. I couldn’t help but wonder what Charlotte, Emma and Tom were up to hoping they were enjoying themselves as much as I was. It was nice not having to worry about anything but I had to admit I did miss my room and flatmates at uni and couldn’t wait to get back there.

December 2004: New Years Eve

It was nice to get back to uni after the Christmas break. As much as I liked being at home I liked being back, having my own independence again and seeing my flatmates who were kind of like my second family in a way, even though i had only known them a couple of months it felt like id known them forever. It was nice, I was glad me and my flatmates got along unlike Sophie and her flatmates at uni so I was very lucky.

Like on any occasion whether it be Halloween, someone’s birthday or New Year we took this an opportunity to invite friends round from different flats and throw one big party or have a few drinks before hitting the town. Tonight was no exception we were going to bring in the New Year with style having a few drinks at our flat then a group of us were going to hit one of the clubs in Southampton.

I’d bought a new dress for the occasion; I seemed to own so many dresses yet still took liberty in buying a new dress whenever I could get away with it. Dresses seemed to be my weakness, along with handbags. I had more handbags than one could imagine.

Me and Charlotte had gone shopping to pick out outfits together. That was one of the things I loved about Charlotte, we had the same taste in clothes as we did in films and music and often spent the time we weren’t in lecturers, seminars or doing work sat in each others rooms watching films or listening to music.

A few days after we got back to university we went shopping to find the perfect outfits for the New Years festivities. I decided on a simple black dress as you couldn’t go wrong with it being able to jazz it up or down plus id left my black dress at home thinking I wouldn’t need it. I bought a silver sparkly bolorow and silver heeled shoes to go with it. I thought id brave wearing heels for the evening as the dress didn’t look right with flats pairing it with a silver clutch so that I could fit my phone, purse, camera and lip-gloss in it.

Charlotte decided on a straight red dress to match her long blonde hair, some red heels and black handbag. She looked absolutely gorgeous as always.

Everyone began to arrive at around seven given people a chance to have a few drinks before hitting the town around nine. We hadn’t gotten a chance to see much of Tom as he had recently been busy with his work practising Shakespeare’s Henry V monologue for a drama exam he had in the New Year so it would be nice to see him tonight.

He came into the kitchen dressed in a blue button down shirt and dark jeans and slacks, his curly blonde hair all of the place, as always. He reminded me of my first crush at secondary school, Ethan. He was lovely. I liked him for the whole five years I was there but he said he couldn’t go out with me because he was a Jehovas Witness and they apparently weren’t allowed to date girls that weren’t. That hurt, we remained friends though which was nice, I valued his friendship more anyway.

Tom walked over to get a Guiness from the table of alcohol we had set out before coming over to where me and Charlotte and a couple of other people were talking putting a hand on my back and joining in the conversation. Why was his hand on my back? Surely he was just being friendly wasn’t he?

The conversation and drinks continued to flow and just before nine we set off into town to Oceania where we would bring in the New Year. It was busy but that was to be expected. The dance floor was packed with people dancing to the dance music blaring from the speakers.

We all made our way over to the bar ordering shots of yaga and the different drinks everyone wanted. I stuck to my normal disarano and coke. I planned on getting tipsy but not drunk as I didn’t like waking up with a hangover or being sick.

The night continued with a lot of dancing and drinking. Me and Charlotte were on the dance floor the entire night dancing in the New Year in style. Tom wasn’t much of a dancer although he did have a couple of dances with us but spent most of the evening by the bar watching and taking in the couples and groups of friends on the dance floor.

I danced with a few boys loosing myself a mixture of alcohol and music. I kept looking over at Tom, his body language was different he looked tense. Was he jealous? I didn’t think he liked me; I didn’t particularly like him either. Not in that way anyway. We were just friends, we’d got a lot closer since I had to review his performance of Romeo and Juliet and put our differences aside. But looking at him tonight I felt differently.

We continued dancing and drinking. At around half eleven I decided to take my leave as the disarno was starting to go to my head. There was a lot ofs “You need to stay till after midnight and bring in the New Year” I had a few more dances and one more drink before taking my leave at 11.45. I was usually one to stay out to the early hours of the morning but in truth on New Year I preferred to bring the New Year in with watching the fireworks on the TV. If I left now it would give me just enough time to get back to my flat.

I said my goodbyes and happy new years to everyone and walked out into the crisp evening air back to my flat. I arrived back at my flat just before 11:55 and switched my TV on just in time for the fireworks to start. They were beautiful, all different colours with the perfect soundtrack over the top. Then the countdown started. I joined in even though I was on my own.

When it got to 2 there was a knock on my door. Wondering who could possibly be knocking on my door at this time of night I got up from the bed and went over to answer it just as the clock struck midnight. I opened the door to find Tom standing in the doorway.

“Happy New Year Soph” he said before leaning in and planting the softest of kisses on my lips. It took me a while to function that he was kissing me. I didn’t understand. We hadn’t gotten on at the beginning of the term and I mean yeah we put our differences aside and became friends and I think I secretly liked him more than a friend and this just proved that he did too. I pulled away. “Happy New Year, Tom” I said before he leaned in for another kiss. I kissed him back with as much passion as I could muster. What are you doing? My consciousness screamed, you don’t like him! He’s Charlottes ex. Stop it! But I couldn’t and I didn’t want to. He licked along my bottom lip begging for entrance. I obliged our tongues invading each others mouths Tom pushing me back into my bedroom just as the others began to come back from the club. He kicked the door shut and pushed me against the wall his hand stroking my face. We pulled away after a few minutes to catch our breath.

“I…I`m sorry” he stuttered. I looked at him. His eyes were filled with lust.

“N…No, it’s…its fine. I…you…you just caught me of guard. I didn’t think you liked me like that”

“Sophie, how could I not? I’ve liked you since I first saw you.”

“I...i don’t understand. You were dating Charlotte and then you cheated on her with another girl and I was left to pick up the pieces and now you come in here on New Years Eve and kiss me. I don’t understand” I walked away from him walking over and sitting on the bed cross legged, my hands in my lap.

Tom came over and sat next to me on the bed. We were both silent for a moment and watched the view of London on the television. Tom suddenly took one of my hands from my lap intertwining it with his before looking at our hands and back at the television before speaking.

“I cheated on Charlotte because I wanted to be with you, ive always wanted to be with you since the first moment I saw you. I knew that I couldn’t do anything about my feelings for you when I was with her because you were both friends so I cheated on her to make myself believe that I didn’t have feelings for you and I acted like I didn’t like you to make it easier but in theory it made it harder and when you had to interview me after Romeo and Juliet and we went to dinner afterwards I realised that I couldn’t hide my feelings for you anymore and when you were dancing with those boys tonight I was jealous and I couldn’t take it anymore I just had to know how you felt and by the way you kissed me back I assume that you like me too?” I didn’t know what to say, I mean yes, I liked him too but what would we do about charlotte if we gave it a shot would we tell her straight out? It was as though Tom read my mind because he smiled and said “I think we should just see how it goes before we tell anyone, keep it to ourselves for now and see how it goes and then if we work out then we tell her, how does that sound?”

“That sounds…good” I replied a smile appearing on my face.

“Good” said Tom leaning across to kiss me. I kissed him back. When we broke away to catch our breath I said “ I want to take this slow, ive never really had a boyfriend and don’t know what im doing”

“You seem as though you do darling, you have nothing to worry about we’ll go as slow as you like I really want this to work between us Sophie and I promise I will never do anything to hurt you.” I smiled.

“Thankyou, Tom”.

“You’re welcome, darling” he said kissing the top of my forehead. We spent the rest of the evening snuggled in each others embrace on the bed his arm around my waist and my hand upon his chest bringing in the New Year in each others arms watching the aftermath of the fireworks.

“Happy New Year Sophie, darling”

“Happy New Year Tom” I smiled snuggling closer into his embrace. Before I knew it we were both asleep happy and content in each others arms.

I awoke the next morning to find I was still in my dress from the previous evening; a blanket draped me and a note on my bedside. It took me a while to realise where I was and what had happened. Maybe I had drunk more than I thought, although I didn’t feel that hung-over just a little headache. I looked at the note realising it was from Tom and the memories from last night came flooding back. Dancing at the club, Tom being jealous and then him coming to my flat at midnight wishing me a happy new year and kissing me and admitting his feelings to me. I smiled at the memory picking up the note from my bedside.

The following was written in his neat hand.

Good Morning, Sophie my darling,

I trust you slept well. Sorry I had to leave you I had to get to a lecture for 10 and I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful. My lecturer finishes at 1 if you wanted to meet me outside pizza hut at say 1:15 for a spot of lunch. Text me once you’re awake darling.

See you later.

Lots of love

Tom

Xxx

I looked across at the clock on my bedside. 10 o clock it read. Luckily enough I didn’t have any lectures today so I could have a chilled morning before meeting Tom for lunch and then come back and get on with some work later.

This was going to be a good year, I could feel it.