A/N: A Tumblr with supplemental information for various chapters and about the story as a whole can be found at dfmtinfo DOT tumblr dot com. I encourage you to look at the updates there to learn more about this story!
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November 21st, 2011

There were easier ways to do this, Cassandra thought. There had to be. Of course, finding an easier way that was socially acceptable and not conducive to being a terrible person was the legitimate challenge.

After all, that was what texting was for. It would have been so simple to call the entire thing off through a small message. It would have been unkind. It would have been mean and thoughtless. To hell with it. She would rather have been considered unkind than dealing with this.

Her pale blue eyes locked onto the figure across the coffee table. There wasn't much to see. Richard Jackson wasn't necessarily an unattractive man. He had a certain element of familiarity in his tousled brown hair and the way that his features creased when he smiled. It should have been friendly.

Right now, however, all that Cassandra Moore could think about was the fact that if he had his preferences she didn't believe she would have been capable of walking out of the coffee shop. Her grasp tightened around the plastic cup. The lid creaked ominously as the container altered its form underneath the pressure.

"I don't care, Rick," Cassie repeated quietly. "I hate to sound callous, but it's the truth. I'm not going to stay with you because you feel like it's right for you. This isn't just about you. It's my life, too."

The blonde woman straightened in her seat, eyes glancing to the door. Further conversation would only be tedious. Still.. there was a voice in her head that reprimanded her. Be considerate. This affected him, too. It could hurt him. It certainly had surprised him, judging from the expression the man had made at her softly spoken declaration.

"Cass, come off it. You know you're just in a mood. How about we go back, sit down and watch a movie. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

And there was the reason why this wouldn't work. Far from changing her mind his reply had only vindicated the sentiment. Cassandra closed her eyes as she drew in a slow breath, before rising out of her chair.

"We're through, Rick. You've kept too much of my life tied up because it made you happy. I'm not willing to spend years not taking chances and not living just because it's an inconvenience to you, just because it might make you uncomfortable."

Leaving the coffee behind, the tall blonde made her way towards the door. Abruptly shouldering it open, the cold rush of November air was a sharp slap of reality. Cass inhaled deeply as she left the shop. There. It was done. Over. No one else could tell her how to live her life. It had been a battle that she had fought for years growing up. Simply because the person had changed didn't mean she would be any more inclined to let them dictate her character. Richard Jackson had no right to define who, or what she was. Only she could make those decisions. Only she could make that call.

That determination of self destiny had permitted Cassandra Moore to become her own person. The twenty four year old had pursued education in a field that interested her, had found a job that she had a passion for. It might not have been, in hindsight, the best way to maintain civilities with her father, a proponent of the family business, but it was her life. It was her choice.

Glancing at the clock face on her wrist as she walked to her car, the woman laughed. If it was one o'clock in Michigan, then it was only six in London. While the long distances charges would be murderously painful, the conversation would make up for it.

Sliding into her car and turning the keys into the ignition, she shivered gratefully at the blast of warm air. Leaving the engine idling, Cass reached into her purse to pull her phone out. A cursory glance at it informed her of no new messages or emails. Thanksgiving Break was nothing short of a godsend. All of her students' papers had been graded and the points from their other coursework was now up to date. It meant that she had time for her own plans.

Inputting a number from memory, the woman waited as Bluetooth from her car picked up the call. Setting the phone down and settling back into the drivers seat, Cassie shut her eyes listening to the ring.

"Good evening, Cassandra!"

"Afternoon, actually," the young woman replied laughingly into the speakers. "It's good to hear you, Jane. How are you?"

"Well, thanks. And you? I'm assuming you've already had the dreaded confrontation, considering you're calling me."

"You know me well."

Cass opened her eyes briefly to stare out the windshield. The scenery of the parking lot was uninspiring but her imagination could pull her away from that place to another entirely. Curled up in Jane's flat, she would be sitting on the floor reclining against the older woman's legs. She'd be holding a mug of tea while Jane fussed with Cassandra's unruly blonde hair out of habit.

"Alright. I'm.. alright. Honestly, Jane, Rick was unreal. He seemed to believe that if he said no firmly enough or loudly enough, that I'd change my mind. I was actually wondering.."

The voice through the speakers interjected. "I hope this means you're considering another stay here. I miss our conversations. Email correspondence simply isn't the same."

A slow smile crept over Cassandra's expression. She straightened in the driver's seat and reaching out to rotate the key to turn on the engine. Laughing as she drew the car into reverse, the young woman rolled her eyes though she knew Jane couldn't catch the expression.

"You're a saint, you know that? I was just thinking.. that to get away right now would be excellent. Samantha's got some trip planned over the holiday with a friend. Visiting galleries, I guess. Mom and Dad were planning on going down to Arizona, and while I'm sure they'd love to have me.. I'd rather see you."

"Fantastic! I know you'll be out of school the week of, so I'll just assume that in that block of time you'll be around. Keep me posted once you get flight dates, alright?"

"Thanks, Jane. This means more to me than you could realize, you know that?"

"Oh be quiet. Silly girl. You don't think this isn't selfish of me, too? It'll be good for the both of us. Give me a call or an email once you've figured out travel plans."

"That, I can do. It was good to talk to you, Jane. I'll catch you again soon."

"Take care of yourself, Cassie. Good hearing from you."

The ringtone sounded through the speakers at the abrupt click of the call disconnecting. Flipping the indicator to turn out of the parking lot, Cassandra Moore couldn't help her grin. She had woken up this morning realizing she had to divest herself of the baggage from an unhealthy relationship and by lunchtime she was planning a trip to England.

Airfare was certain to bleed her dry but it would be worth it. The breath of fresh air that accompanied the pleasure of good company without the pressure of any expectation was worth any cost.

Still, a lingering chill coursed down her spine and Cassie shivered. The feeling was eerie enough that her eyes flicked up to the rear view mirror. Standing framed by the door of the coffee shop was Richard. He watched her leave, hands jammed into his pockets.

The stance told the story that his words never would. They weren't through. Not by a long shot.

A/N: Welcome all to Dream For Me Tonight! I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I do! This is actually a story I've elected to write for NaNo so you can expect fairly regular updates. It may end up running longer than I anticipate, however!

Please be aware that this story doesn't actually contain any of the characters from The Avengers. It focuses on Tom Hiddleston and Cassandra, whom you've just met. I originally intended to wait for an account on an Archive of our Own but it seems that I would have to wait until January or thereabouts to receive an invitation. Given I'm not quite that patient, I elected to begin posting this here.

Do let me know what you think! I look forward to getting to know all of you who choose to follow this story! -Elle