Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

At a small theatre somewhere in London, the rehearsal for a new play had just ended. The stage lights dimmed to a warm, tired glow, leaving only two people behind: the leading actors, Lee Pace and Tom Hiddleston. Lee is standing on stage, reading a script. He takes a glance up from the paper and sees Tom talking to a brown haired woman at the back of the theatre by the entrance. They looked comfortable together. Lee keeps looking at them. The woman was probably in her 30s and pretty. Her shoulder-length hair was in a ponytail. She was about 5’8” tall and wore a blue jeans jacket and a below-the-knee-length skirt. Lee hadn’t seen her before, so she couldn’t be someone who worked there. He sees them kissing, and she leaves. Lee pretends not to have noticed them. He keeps reading the script. Tom is walking up to the stage and gets to him.

“Who was that?” Lee asked, looking up casually, though his voice betrayed a thin thread of curiosity.
“My girlfriend, Hannah.”
“I didn’t know you had one.”
“It’s still relatively new. A few months.”
“Is it serious?”

Tom’s expression shifted, first doubt, then defensiveness, then something sharper and pricklier. His jaw clenched.
“What would you care?”
Lee blinked, taken aback.
“Only asking”

Tom scoffed, irritation simmering just beneath the surface.
“I know your history with women. You won’t take this one.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Lee asks, sharpening the tone with offense.
“All you have to do is show that smile of yours, and they’re all over you.”

Lee exhaled through his nose, frustrated.
“It isn’t my fault. Do you think I do it on purpose?”
“Not only that, but they also fall for your height.”
“Now you only find excuses. You shouldn’t underestimate yourself. It’s not like you’re unpopular with women.”
“That’s not the point, you idiot,” Tom’s voice cracked with anger. “It’s about boundaries, and I don’t trust yours.”

Lee’s eyes narrowed, a rare flash of ice.
“I have never crossed that line, and I won’t either.”
“I won’t take that risk,” Tom said coldly. “You'd better stay away. We might be in the same play, but don’t expect us to be friends.” He turned and walked off without looking back.

The echo of his footsteps faded, leaving Lee alone again. What Tom had said was true. Lee was popular, but so was Tom. He had no reason to be worried. Lee had moved to London from the US to be part of a new play. It would be for six months, and he had no intention of stealing someone's girlfriend. He would do the work and then go back home. Even if he had felt something when he saw Hannah, he wouldn’t do anything about it.

Chapter Text

Two days later, Lee is the last to leave after another rehearsal. He didn’t need to hurry back to the empty hotel room. He stands on the floor in front of the first row of seats in the theatre hall. His jacket is on one of the seats. He looks at his phone to read messages from home, the screen's glow reflecting off his face. He doesn’t see that he wasn’t alone.
“Hi,” A soft female voice says

He startles a little and looks up. It was Hannah. He could hear Tom’s voice in his head, telling him to stay away.
“Tom is not here anymore,” Lee said cautiously, keeping his voice steady.
“I wasn’t looking for him,” She says, her smile widening. “I was looking for you.”

Lee blinked, startled by the directness.
“Oh. May I ask why?”
“I know I shouldn’t, but there is something about you that I find fascinating.” She stepped closer, and Lee felt the subtle shift of air around him, a tension that made his heart beat faster.
He straightened slightly, trying to keep his distance.
“Can I stop you right there? I don’t think it’s morally right that you come on to me. You’re the girlfriend of my co-star, and I have to work with him.”

Her smile didn’t waver.
“He doesn’t own me, and we’re just talking here. If I were trying something, this wouldn’t be it.”
Lee’s eyes flicked to her. Her outfit had changed; gone was the casual jeans jacket, replaced by a light-pink wool cardigan, snug enough to hint at her shape. Underneath, a white top with thin straps peeked out. Her skirt rode above the knee, and her black three-inch heels added an elegance that quickened his pulse. If she wasn’t here to seduce him… why did it feel like she was?
“I should go,” He‘s about to take his jacket from the seat, but she steps in front of him, closing the small space between them.

They stand close. Her eyes held his, searching, curious. Lee felt the heat in his chest rise. He wouldn’t let her get to him, not completely. He wasn’t blind to the way she looked, to the intoxicating pull of proximity, but she was off-limits.
“You didn’t let me finish,” She says softly, her hand brushing lightly against his left arm for a second. The touch sent a jolt up his spine. “I saw part of the play a few days ago, and I was impressed by your stage presence. You don’t even need to say anything, and I’m still impressed. And I know it’s not an act off stage,”
Lee felt his cheeks heat, a rare occurrence for the usually composed actor. He wasn’t used to this kind of directness, especially from the girlfriend of his rival.
“Um… Thanks. I’m… flattered”

Hannah held his gaze silently. Lee didn’t feel embarrassed in the usual way. He was used to attention, but this was different. This was the girlfriend of the man he had to respect, the man he shared a stage with, and the stakes felt impossibly higher.
“I really have to go. He takes his jacket to put it on. “Won’t Tom wonder where you are?”
“No, we didn’t have any plans. Why did you think that was the reason I came here in the first place?” She says, a soft edge of mischief in her voice.
“You knew I was here?” Lee asked, brow furrowing
“I just figured. I wanted to talk to you alone.”
“Now you have. Anything else? I don’t have all evening,” He says, trying to keep his tone firm.

A small, knowing smile touched the corner of her lips.
“If you haven’t got it by now. I like you. And I mean a lot.”

The words hung in the quiet air, heavy, intimate, and dangerous. Lee’s breath hitched.
“Look, Hannah,” He says, trying to maintain composure. “I appreciate… the compliment. But I don’t mess with other people’s relationships. I don’t seduce other people’s girlfriends.”
“Is that some rule? Or are you worried your true feelings will become known?” Her tone was calm, probing, almost teasing.
Lee’s breath hitched. That single question was a laser aimed at the core of his carefully constructed life.
“It’s common sense. People who interfere with someone else's relationship have no respect for others. I’m not that kind of person. Will you excuse me, but I have to go.”

Hannah’s shoulders sank slightly. She gave a brief, almost sorrowful shake of her head. “I’ll see you at the opening night party, I suppose. It’s unavoidable,” She says quietly before he could leave through the entrance.
Lee swallowed, a knot of tension and guilt twisting in his stomach as he walked away. The faint click of her heels echoed in his mind, an unbidden reminder of the storm he was determined to resist.

Chapter Text

The play's premiere was only two weeks away. Rehearsals had continued as usual, and Lee had been too absorbed in his work to think about anything else. He prided himself on being professional; personal issues didn’t get in the way. Yet, something had changed, and that was how Tom reacted. He did the play, and when it was over, he left. They used to talk, but not recently. It couldn’t be because the premiere was close. After all, that was never the case. It couldn’t be because of Hannah. Lee hadn’t done anything to make Tom suspicious. If she had told him about their talk, he would have reacted differently. The next day, it was the same. Tom did the play and then said goodbye to everyone, ignoring Lee completely.
He was getting tired of it, so he went to Tom’s dressing room, where he usually went before leaving the theatre. He stood by the locker where his jacket was.
“Have I done something? Or why do you ignore me?” Lee asks, voice steadier than he felt.

Tom didn’t answer. He takes out his phone, glances at it with forced casualness, then slides it into the back pocket of his jeans. He shrugs on his jacket, eyes fixed on anything but Lee. The coldness was unmistakable.
“I got to go,” Tom mutters, already moving toward the door.

Lee’s pulse spiked. Instinctively, he reaches out and grabs Tom’s right arm, a quick, firm touch, nothing aggressive, then lets go immediately.
“It can’t be jitters,” Lee says, searching for Tom's expression. “Is it something to do with your girlfriend, Hannah? I have stayed away.”
Tom finally looks at him, brows knitting. The confusion looked genuine.
“Why would it? It has nothing to do with that.”
“What then?” Lee stares at him.
“I don’t need to talk to you. You’re not my friend.” Tom’s expression hardens, turning blank and defensive.

The words hit harder than Lee expected. His breath stalled.
“Because I asked who you talked to?”
“That was no concern of yours. I don’t go around asking about who you’re talking to, either.”
“So I shouldn’t have asked at all? OK, fine. I’m sorry if that’s a sensitive subject for you.” Lee exhales sharply. “Did you think I was interested in her? You really are insecure.” Lee exhales sharply, tension coiling in his chest.

Tom’s jaw clenches. His eyes sharpen with something brittle.
“You don’t need to be,” Tom snaps. “Women will fall for you anyway. And that will boost your ego even more. You love the attention, admit it.”
Heat rose up Lee’s neck, prickling behind his ears.
“That’s what you think of me? That I’m some womaniser who doesn’t care who I hurt. I’m not that kind of person, I can assure you.”

Tom scoffed softly, turning slightly away, but not before Lee caught the disbelief in his eyes.
“I’ve seen how you act in bars,” Tom says, “Like the first time the crew went out to the pub to get a drink. Women were all over you, and you couldn’t stop smiling. You weren’t turning anyone away.”
“You’re no better.” Lee shoots back, his tone sharpening. “You do the same thing, so don’t go claiming otherwise.”
“The difference is that I only talk. You take them home. There is a big difference.” Tom’s voice rise.
“I do not,” Lee says sharply. “You don’t know what I do. Maybe I just get them to their door and leave.”
Tom’s lip curled in disbelief.
“Yeah, sure. You can’t resist a beautiful woman without sleeping with them.”
“I don’t do that. What do you take me for?” Lee’s anger finally cracks through his calm. “I don’t sleep with just anyone.”

Tom didn’t flinch. He didn’t soften.
“This is one of the reasons why I didn’t want to tell you about Hannah,” He hisses, “I never know what will happen.”
Her name hit the air like a spark. Lee swallows, an impulse rising to tell him everything, to force clarity, to stop this spiral of assumptions. But the moment he imagined Tom’s reaction, imagined the fallout in rehearsals, in the company, he pushed the impulse down.
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned about what she does, instead of distrusting me?” Lee says instead, voice tight.
Tom stiffens. Confusion and defensiveness warred in his expression.
“What do you mean? I trust her. Our relationship is solid. She wouldn’t look elsewhere. This conversation is not about her, it’s about you.”

Lee gives a humorless laugh.
“I wouldn’t take that lightly. I can say no, but can she?”
Tom’s entire posture changed. He froze, eyes narrowing with dawning suspicion.
“What do you mean by that?”
Lee’s throat tightened. He hadn’t meant to go that far. Or maybe he had, just to push back, just to see. He breaks eye contact.
“Oh, nothing. I got to go,” He opens the door quickly, leaving before the words trapped him into something he didn’t want to explain.

Tom watched him leave. The door swung shut slowly. Confusion churned on his face. Something was off, something Hannah had kept secret. They hadn’t known each other long, but he thought he knew enough. He would find her later, and perhaps confront the questions he couldn’t shake.

Chapter Text

Tom is driving to Hannah’s place, which is situated outside the city. He keeps thinking about his conversation with Lee. He didn’t actually believe Lee would try to steal her away from him on purpose. It wasn’t what made him worried. He had to know where his relationship was going. If he showed his jealousy, things would be over before they had even started. He cared about Hannah, and he could see a future with her.

He pulls into the parking lot in front of her building and parks. She lived on the 3rd floor. Before ringing the bell, he takes a deep breath. He didn’t want to show her he was upset. She opens the door and smiles.
“Hi, you’re late.”
“I’m sorry.”

His voice sounded distant even to himself. Once inside, he shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the couch.
“Do you want something to eat? I got Chinese.”
“No, I’m not hungry.”
“Oh, OK”

He was always hungry. She noticed immediately that his energy was off, muted. Something wasn’t right. He sits on the couch with an unusual stiffness. She sits beside him, close enough that their shoulders brush. She leans in to kiss him, slow and familiar. But he pulls out his phone, lifting it between them like a small, unforgiving barrier. Her smile fades slowly. He never rejected her kisses, not like this. Typically, by now, he’d be pulling her into his lap, tugging at her clothes, kissing her until they lost track of time. But now he stared at his screen, not really reading anything.
“So how was your day?” She tries to make a conversation

He barely reacts, eyes fixed on the screen. She retreats to the kitchen, waiting for him to follow, but he doesn’t. After a moment, she returns to the living room. He looks up, then immediately back at the phone. She sits in one of the chairs across the table, folding her arms.
“Is something wrong?” She asks quietly

He looks at her, but he doesn’t reply straight away. The room feels thicker somehow, heavier, as though the air itself resisted them. He lays the phone on the table.
“Where is this relationship going?”
Hannah blinks.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you want to be in it?” He asks, tone flatter than he intended.
“What kind of question is that? Of course”
“It’s a typical question to ask. So do you?”

She frowns, confusion shifting into concern.
“Where do you get the idea that I don’t want to?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I have.”

She couldn’t understand what made him doubt it. The first time they met was in the cafe where she worked, and they hit it off straight away. Had Lee talked to him about her talking to him at the theatre? If he had, Tom would have been upset. Now he is calm and calculated.
“Do you want to be?” She asks back.

He didn’t reply straight away.
“I do, but if this won’t go anywhere, I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to hold you back if you want to move on.”
“Where is this coming from? Why would I like to leave? I want to be with you.”

He looks at his fingers and then looks at her again.
“Have you talked to Lee?”
“No,” She replies without hesitation, “Why?”
“There is something you should know about him,” Tom says quietly, “He’s not what you think he is.”
“OK,” She is confused about what to think, “And why are you telling me this?”
“I just want to warn you. He’s not trustworthy. He says a lot of things, and they’re usually seductive. A lot of women fall for him because he knows how to turn them on. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to turn them off.”
“So he’s charming. So what? You’re not far behind,” She says with a soft smile, trying to lighten the mood.
“I don’t change girlfriends every week. Unlike him”

She tilts her head.
“It seems to me that there’s a little jealousy behind those words you say. It’s not because you’re both in the same play. You’re not trying to discredit him to feel better?”
“You don’t believe me, do you? But of course you don’t, you’re a woman, and his appearance blinds you.” He rolls his eyes
“Sure, he's attractive, but I’m not with him. I’m with you, and that won’t change.”
“Like I haven’t heard that before,” He stands abruptly. Something about this went deeper than Lee, deeper than jealousy.
“Are you talking from experience?,? Hannah asks softly, watching him. “Has someone left you for someone else?”

He doesn’t reply straight away. His throat moved as he swallowed.
“No, it’s nothing like that.” He says eventually. “There was once a girl whom I liked, and I thought she liked me. But I was wrong. She only wanted to get close to someone else. The guy was like Lee, charming and seductive. The guy dumped her when he got bored.”
Hannah’s expression softens.
“I’m sorry that happened, but that doesn’t mean it will happen again.”

She stands and steps in front of him, closing the distance, gently placing her hands on his abs. His muscles tense beneath her touch. She looks into his eyes, then rises onto her toes and kisses him softly. He exhaled shakily, but his hands lifted, sliding around her waist. He brushes her hair away from her face, his kiss deepening, needing to unfold between them.
“Hannah,” He murmurs against her lips, his hands roaming over her, one slipping beneath her skirt.

A rush of warmth flooded her. This was what she’d wanted, the reassurance, the closeness, the passion. They had made love almost every day, sometimes all night. Their connection burned bright and relentless, something she believed nothing could break. She leaned into him, letting the moment take over, trying to forget for now the flicker of uncertainty she had glimpsed in his eyes. And Tom wanted to lose himself in her warmth, if only to shut out the one name that still echoed in his mind, Lee.

Chapter Text

The premiere would be that weekend, and distraction was the last thing Lee wanted. Since arriving in London a month ago, he’d spent nearly all his time at the theatre or at the hotel. When he wasn’t rehearsing, he wandered the surrounding streets to clear his head. He’d been to London many times before, but not to this part of the city.

One evening, he found a mid-sized café not far from the hotel. What he didn’t know, until he walked inside, was that Hannah, Tom’s girlfriend, worked there. She stands behind the counter, taking payment from a customer, her hair tied in a simple ponytail, a green apron over a T-shirt, and grey jeans. Even without make-up, she was beautiful. The café wasn’t crowded, busy enough to feel alive, but quiet enough that she couldn’t try anything. When she notices him approaching the counter, she smiles brightly. Lee didn’t smile back. He wasn’t here for conversation. He wanted caffeine and silence.

“Hi, Lee. What can I get you?”
“A cup of coffee. Black.”
She turns, grabs a cup from the shelf, pours the coffee, and then returns to the counter. After stating the price, she watched him pay.
“I didn’t know you worked here,” He says before taking the cup.
“About a year,” She replies. “Haven’t you been here before?”
“No. I just happened to walk by.” He lifts the cup in a gesture of thanks and walks away.

He settles at a corner table. After the first sip, he pulls out his phone and begins scrolling. A quiet few minutes pass before he senses someone standing in front of him. He looks up.
“May I sit down?” Hannah says
He glances around the café; no new customers have entered, and no one is waiting.
“Are you allowed?” He asks.
“I’m on break.”
“…Okay.” He returns his attention to his phone.

She sat, folding her hands, studying him with a softness that made him uncomfortable. He refused to meet her eyes. She leans forward, elbows on the table.
“How are rehearsals going?” She asks after a pause.
“Fine.” That was all he offers, and he immediately looks back at his screen.
He sips his coffee. She tries to glance at the phone, but the overhead lights wash out the display.
“How’s the coffee?” She tries again, forcing warmth into her voice.
“Good.” Still nothing more.

She wasn’t oblivious; he didn’t want her there. But she stayed anyway. She’d been too forward when she’d gone to the theatre to see him. She’d known it was wrong, but something about him made her reckless. It wasn’t his good looks or his height; those were bonuses. It was the way he carried himself. The quiet gravity. Even though she barely knew him, she felt drawn.
“Do you live nearby?” She asks casually, hoping the question sounds innocent.
“I don’t want to tell you that,” He says without looking up. “You might stalk me there, too.”

Her eyes widen.
“Stalking? I don’t do that. I respect your space.”
“Oh? It didn’t look that way when we met at the theatre.” His tone is dry, edged with sarcasm.
“I’m sorry,” She murmurs. “Maybe I got too close. I didn’t mean to, but… You have that effect on me.” She smiles as if confessing a harmless truth.
“I get that a lot. Don’t think that’s something new.”
“That’s not what I meant. A man like you… I’m sure you get plenty of attention.”

He sighs softly, pushing back his chair.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
He slips his phone into his jacket and stands. She quickly rises too, stepping in front of him before he could pass. She tilts her head up to meet his eyes, and without heels, she feels so small beside him.
“If you need a guide around London,” She offers gently, “You can get in touch.”
“Sorry. I don’t need one.” He steps around her and walks out.
She watches him go, a small, secret smile tugging at her lips before she returns to the counter.

On his way back to the hotel, Lee replays the encounter in his mind. He knew exactly what she was trying to do, and so far, he hadn’t fallen for her advances. If she weren’t taken, things might have been different. His charm had always been both a curse and a blessing. But he couldn’t let anything interfere with his work. Not now. Not when the premiere was so close. Things could turn badly if he weren’t careful.