14 - Tom

My mind was still reeling as I left set. I'd walked last night, needing the time to think. And now riding back with Gerald like I had yesterday morning I was still confused.

What had happened in Eliza's dream that would've caused her to cry? And why had she tried to play it off as if everything was fine when it was clear it wasn't? She'd literally run away from me twice. She'd been different before I'd gone to sleep but this had been something new.

I'd wanted so badly to hold and comfort her but she shied away from my touch. Whatever had her spooked must've had to do with me somehow, she'd never looked at me that way before. I knew I'd messed up after the market, but I didn't know how to fix it now. Chris had been very unhelpful and suggested I should just tell her how I felt but as it stood I wasn't sure she'd believe me. No, I had to figure out how to show her.

It was going to be hard though. I was now working all night and sleeping most of the day and she was on the opposite schedule. Thursday morning they'd end filming and then I'd be free until Friday evening but that was going to be cutting it close. She seemed prepared to part ways after the wrap party so I had until then to change her mind.

Like yesterday morning there were only a handful of people with cameras outside Ericka's shop as Gerald pulls the car to a stop. Entering my eyes immediately find Eliza sitting on one of the couches in the back of the shop writing in a book on her knees. She doesn't notice me immediately giving me time to study her.

She seemed relaxed and has a soft smile on her lips. She had her back against the arm of the couch with knees bent in front of her, feet on the seat cushion. She looked happy and I hesitate briefly worried she'd pull away from me again; I didn't want to startle her.

"Do you want a coffee Mr. Hiddleston?" Asks the same man who'd told me she was upstairs yesterday morning.

She looks up, sees me standing there and my heart stops waiting to see her reaction. She smiles, her old smile, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"No thank you." I say and walk back to her.

She doesn't move as I get closer but the smile turns into a smirk. She was in a good mood and that made me happy.

"Coming to say good night?" She asks starting to slide her feet out of the way.

I sit down, pulling her feet back up and over my lap; the haunted expression from last night nowhere to be seen. I wasn't completely sure it was gone or if she was just doing better at hiding it but I was hoping for the former.

"What are you working on?" I ask, pointing at the book she'd closed using her finger as a bookmark.

"Just working on the next chapter my book." She replies, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"My I?"

She looks at me, clearing debating. I was about to change the subject when she smiles and shrugs, handing me the book.

I take the book and open it to the front. First thing I note is Eliza has beautiful cursive handwriting. I quickly read through what she'd written so far, smiling. It seemed two suiters were fighting over the same woman and the woman was losing patience with both of them. It was cute and funny, I chuckle a few times.

"This is really good Eliza. Who's Andrea leaning towards? Shane or Jaime?"

She laughs and takes the book back. "I'm not saying. You really like it?"

"I do. I saw the books on the shelf, no wonder you've published so many."

"This is book three, the first two are up there. This one's been giving me issues. You wanna know something funny?"

"Sure."

"Jamie's backstory is based loosely around Loki actually." She admits, biting her lip nervously.

"And is he a new character or one you had before we met?" I ask draping my arm on the back of the couch playing with her hair.

She leans into my hand and my heart flutters. She was behaving like she had before that awful car ride and I was optimistically hopeful that last night had just been a fluke.

"He's not a new character. Told you I was a Loki fan long before I met you."

"Well if that's the case, I'm rooting for Jaime to get the girl. That's not something Loki's known for."

"I'll keep that in mind." She looks at me with an expression I can't read.

"So why write by hand? Won't you have to type it into the computer anyway?"

"Yea, no one gets why I do it. It's just easier for me to concentrate like this."

"I don't think I know many people who hand write things anymore. You have beautiful penmanship."

"It's a lost art. Hand writing makes it more personal. I used to write letters back and forth with my great grandmother when I was a kid, guess it's just special to me."

We sit there in happy silence for a minute, just looking at each other.

"Are we okay?" I ask softly. "You had me worried last night."

"We're good." She says and taking my hand in hers, kissing my palm, "Don't you need to be getting some sleep? How'd last night go?"

"I'm okay right now. The director thinks we may finish early and have Thursday off."

"A full day off? Whatever will you do with yourself?" She teases dramatically making us both laugh.

"I missed you." I whisper, surprising myself.

"I missed you too." She whispers back.

I couldn't tell if she was just acting or not, I didn't think so but I couldn't be completely sure. If she was acting she was in the wrong profession.

"Let's go upstairs." She says slipping her legs off my lap and standing up.

She holds out her hand for me and I gladly slip my hand into hers. Leaving her last night had felt so wrong but there hadn't been anything I could do about it.

We walk upstairs and she closes the door behind us. I wanted to pull her to me and kiss her, wrap my arms around her and never let her go. Now that we were alone I had to try again to find out what had happened last night.

"Eliza, do you trust me?"

She looks at me skeptically but slowly nodes, "I do."

"What did I do last night to freak you out?"

She rubs her free hand down her face and looks up at me. "It wasn't you."

"Then why did you run away from me. You flinched away at my touch."

She squeezes my hand and half smiles, color flooding her cheeks. Seeing my confusion she chuckles and pulls me to the couch.

"I was embarrassed. You didn't do anything. You'd been correct assuming it was due to a dream but it wasn't a bad dream per say."

"I'm not following. What kind of dream was it then?"

She just looks at me like I was being an idiot and after a minute it dawns on me.

"We were...behaving like the press thinks we are."

"Well I haven't read or seen any of the articles, but we were definitely physically closer."

"Oh. So what's changed?"

She was clearly okay with touching me now, even here in the privacy of her apartment. There were no cameras here to put on a show for. She takes a deep breath and smiles shyly.

"I admitted to myself that I've developed feelings for you." She whispers. "And that I decided I'd be a complete fool not to soak up as much time with you as I could before you have to leave."

I was stunned into silence for a few heartbeats, sure that I'd heard her wrong. Finally realizing I hadn't and what she was saying a slow smile formed on my lips.

"What if I don't want to leave?" I whisper back.

She studies me, searching my eyes. I reach up and caress her cheek softly; wanting so badly to lean forward and kiss her but real feelings or not she'd said kissing was off limits. To my surprise she closes the distance between us and kisses me softly then pulls back.

"Sorry. I should've asked if..."

The rest her words were cut off as my lips met hers again, softly at first and then deeper as she kissed me back. She pulls away slightly and looks at me amazed.

"Was that better than the dream?" I ask, my voice husky.

"So much better, but I want to see how the dream ended." She replies, the question plain in her eyes.

"Are you sure? We don't have to."

She chuckles and briefly kisses me again, "I swear if I wake up in a minute I'm going to be so mad."

"At least you know your internal dialog is spot on." I tease, kissing down her jaw and neck. "I don't want you to feel like you have to. I want you, but I can wait."

"I don't want to wait."