You were dreaming, lost in some abyss of complete satisfaction. There was no time, no cognitive functions as you drifted through the cosmos in your mind. For the first time in so long, there was peace.
Until you were rudely brought back to earth by your unfortunate choice of ringtone.
The chorus of Crazy=Genius by Panic! At the Disco was practically screaming at you as you groped around for your phone. Instead of the buzzing metal, you came in contact with a very warm, very naked body.
Oh… that's right. You just fucked Tom Hiddleston. Now that's enough to shock anyone awake.
The last seconds of your ringtone didn't even manage to penetrate as you took in the sight next to you. There was no reality where it made sense that Tom Hiddleston would be lying in your bed next to you, even if he did have sex with you. He'd leave just like he left literally every girl for the past eight years. But that was still his body lying there.
The streetlights outside provided just enough illumination in your dark flat to let you see a stark outline of this man you'd dreamt about for so long. His face was completely relaxed, a peace you'd never seen on him. It made him look so much younger, like those photos you unearthed from his first few years in business. His curls were everywhere from getting them wet and then sleeping on them, but they looked like real curls, no styling needed. Your fingers itched to run through them.
His body was hard much as you expected it to be when someone goes to the gym every other day. But he held a runner's build that was way more attractive than the packed on muscle so many men went for. There was a dusting of hair over his chest, but it was clear he waxed on a regular basis. The only part of him he seemed to not mind having hair was a delicate happy trail starting at his navel.
Following the natural progression of his body, your eyes widened at the sight that met you. Even in the dim lighting, you could make out the length of his hard on, stretching out further than you'd ever actually seen before. As a woman, you fantasize about size, but damn… When you actually see it in front of you, it's awe inspiring.
"See something you like?" Tom asked, his morning voice sending shivers up your spine.
You blushed furiously. Of course you get caught in your first full perusal of the naked man who had been taking up your fantasies for much too long.
Your eyes ventured back up to Tom's face where he wore a smug face filled with sleepiness that was borderline adorable. You gave him a soft smile before answering. "I don't know if like is the right adjective. The view is pleasantly adequate, though," you teased back.
That seemed to be the right answer to spur him into action as he managed to pull you under him and pin you with the weight of his body. The light from your window fell over his back and the way he was now illuminated reminded you of an angel cast into the dark streets of New York, so good by nature, yet mischievous and sly. You were suddenly breathless.
"Only adequate darling?" He purred, rolling his hips against yours and sending delicious waves of heat through your body. "Was the way you moaned and screamed for me worthy of only adequate? Was the way your body shuddered against me as I began to penetrate you simply adequate? Even now as you whimper for me desperately, could adequate describe this feeling, this desire burning through you?"
God… and you thought his voice was sexy normally. Add in some morning gravel, and you were practically screaming "fuck me!" as your body began gushing with liquid in preparation for his beautiful cock. That cock which was teasing your nether lips delightfully, filled with promise as it brushed against your clit repeatedly.
Then the moment had to be ruined as the first phrase of Crazy=Genius broke through the tension, shattering everything. Tom shot an annoyed glance towards your phone where it was plugged into the wall. There was no denying the awkward fact you were absolutely soaked and he was ready to fuck you into the bed, determined to make the mattress have a you shaped dent for the rest of its life. But there was so way he was going to do it with that song playing.
"I'm sorry, Tom," You giggled softly. "It'll stop eventually."
He growled a little bit, taking to nibbling on your neck while you waited. The last couple words ended within a couple second and it was right back to where it had been, your little sighs and moans filling the empty space while Tom's hands explored you fully and teasingly.
And just as he placed his tip at your entrance, your phone went off again, playing that normally fun song that you were beginning to hate passionately.
"Are you kidding me?" He growled, rolling off you to stand. The cold of the room instantly hit your body and you felt devoid and alone after the warmth that had just seeped into your bones. Tom reached for your phone and angrily hit the answer button before you realized what he was doing.
"I don't know who this is, but haven't you ever heard of calling at a decent hour?!" He fumed into the receiver. Almost immediately, his face froze, the deep fury building once more under the surface. Whoever it was on the other end clearly was pissing him off.
Shit… Michael…
Of course he would call to check in, just like he did earlier. Maybe he wanted to stop by with pizza and he called to say he was on his way. Maybe he called just to talk. And you didn't have the sense to answer the phone yourself so he didn't get the shock of hearing Tom's voice instead of yours when you said you were going to be alone, that you needed time to think.
Fuck… Now Tom was looking at you possessively as you curled into a ball and hid your face in complete horror at this situation. "I'm afraid she's rather indisposed right now, Fassbender, and will probably remain so for quite some time. I'd suggest you find someone else to prey on," He threatened and then unceremoniously hung up.
"Tom!" You yelled, suddenly jumping out of the shock to hit angry at full force. "What the hell did you just do?"
He crossed his arms over his chest, taking a stronger stance like a father trying to talk sense into a child. "I informed him that you were no longer available. Is that not what I should have done?" He demanded.
"You had no right to just tell him like that! If I was going to tell him, I'd have done it my way, not like that!" You shrieked. "You don't get to come here, fuck me, and just expect me to drop everything for you!"
He stared at you hard for a few more moments before seemingly shutting off internally. "Well, it looks like you've got a decision to make, darling. It's me or Fassbender because there's no way I'm sharing you with that man," Tom hissed out his ultimatum.
You could do nothing but stare and gape at him. Of course you'd have to choose and it should have been simple, but in that moment, it wasn't. Two parts of yourself were completely at war with each other, one fighting for what should have been for the past eight years and the other fighting for what could be. You could be more than Tom Hiddleston's girlfriend and secretary. You could make something of yourself.
"You can't possible expect me to just know!" You argued. "I'm still in shock you were even here when I woke up, how could I choose someone I don't know if I can even trust yet!"
Tom started to walk away, grabbing his clothes from where they were drying in your dryer and began to furiously throw them on. "Fine. I guess I'll just leave you to figure it out then."
And less than thirty seconds later, he was out the door, never looking back at you even once. And the second the elevator doors closed behind him, you burst into tears.
How could he go from someone so kind and sexy to this angry, furious man so quickly? No relationship was ever discussed, no boundaries ever put in place, no labels on anything and you were just expected to give in to what he wanted. Maybe he had a different expectation of what everything meant, but how the hell were you supposed to know what that was?
The bed was still warm where he'd slept as you slipped off the bed and grabbed your phone from where he dropped it. It was 11:45, meaning you slept roughly 6 hours together after the impromptu sex against your kitchen wall. Michael hadn't texted or called since Tom talked to him and your heart immediately began to panic. What if he did back off? How could you possibly choose between them?
In an effort to soothe your anxiety, you tried to call Michael back. Maybe you could explain… maybe he'd be willing to help you choose, to give you his strength that is just purely him… anything at this point to bring peace to your pounding head.
"Hello, you have reached the voicemail box of Michael Fassbender. I'm sorry I've missed your call, but if you could leave your name, number, and a reason for calling, I will get back to you as soon as possible," was the only answer you got. You struggled to control your sobs as the beep hit for you to record your message.
"Hey, Michael. It's me… I need to talk to you about what happened," you tried to begin, sobs clinging to every breath you pushed out. "Can.. can we possibly meet somewhere and just… I don't know.. Talk? I know everything is confusing and you're probably mad at me, but maybe we could get lunch or something? I just… I really need to talk to you… And I'm sorry if that makes me a horrible person." With that, you couldn't hold back a loud sob, just managing to close the phone before any more escaped.
Time completely slipped away from you as you gave yourself a good cry. This was getting ridiculous. How were you suddenly so attached to two people over literally a couple days? You weren't psycho and you didn't form feelings for anyone without spending a bit of time with them. What was it about these guys that you go crazy?
Within ten minutes, you were starting to get ahold of yourself and your phone went off with a ding. You grabbed for your phone desperately and opened up a text message from Michael.
Michael: Meet me at our lunch spot tomorrow at 12:00.
Our lunch spot… The place I ran into this ridiculously gorgeous man who set off the chain of events that got us to this point. And the place where an idea would erupt that would turn your life upside down for months.
"What do you want, love?" Michael asked, looking exhausted and worn out.
You'd been sitting at that table for close to an hour, telling him everything from your feelings over the past eight years to what happened last night. He'd listened to everything intently with his guards up, but he still never showed you anger or frustration, even when you told him you had sex with your boss. You gave him all the pieces, hoping he'd help you put them into some sort of picture that made sense.
You looked down at your hands and struggled at the tears coming to your eyes again. "I'm not sure, Michael. The truth is, I would want both of you individually. If I could trust Tom, if I knew he wasn't going to play with me like he's done with so many others, I'd want that. But Michael, what I've seen from you, the way you make me feel… there's no way I can't want that, but I feel like I don't have enough information to make a good choice on either side," you half whispered, trying to talk over the lump in your throat.
Michael examined the cup of coffee in front of him for a moment, sifting through the thoughts rampaging in his mind. You were aware of how unfair this was for him. No ordinary man would be sitting there, listening to all your reasons and feelings for hurting him, but there he sat. That kind of dedication isn't something to be taken lightly.
"I've got to admit I'm a little irritated with the timing of it all," He began after a minute, still focusing on the cup. You winced at the slight jab, only to have him immediately catch your reaction and rephrase. "I don't blame you, love. Relationships like these are bound to come to a head eventually simply for the sake of the frustration needing to be released. Often, it ends as a little tryst and nothing more is made of it. I've been in that situation and I know many people who have as well."
He took one of your hands into his, looking you deep in the eyes and soothing you with his touch at the same time. "My irritation comes from the timing alone and Hiddleston's decision to take matters into his own hands when he saw you moving on. That isn't the sign of a healthy man who actually cares about you," Michael cautioned. "So as someone who does care, I'll warn you of that selfishness that this exudes. Your lack of trust is both understandable and wise."
"I just don't know what to do, Michael…," you sniffled, dabbing at your tears with your free hand. "Tom deserves a chance simply because of the history… but to choose him over you is completely unfair to you, if that's even an option anymore."
"Oh, it's definitely still on the table," he interrupted, definitive and sure in a way that sent your heart thumping.
You gaped at him for a moment. "I don't deserve that… After what I just did… Why would you still want me?"
"Because," he began, bringing your hand to his lips and kissing your fingertips individually, "No sabotage," kiss, "No moment of passion," kiss, "And certainly no man will stop me from wanting you."
As he finished the last statement, he captured your forefinger in his lips and sucked gently, desire burning in his eyes. You were completely enraptured as your whole body began to burn with need.
He turned your hand over and kissed the palm affectionately. "The only thing that will make me stop wanting you is when you decide you don't want me around anymore. So until you choose Tom, or hell, neither of us, I'll be around, love," Michael assured with a soft smile.
Oh goodness… This man would be the death of you. His impossible transitions from incredibly sexy to affection had you both burning with need and wanting to have his babies.. And you didn't even like babies!
"That being said, I think forcing you to choose immediately is an unrealistic demand. It would be both unfair to Tom and to myself," he explained, much like he was beginning a business proposition. "Tom has built a bad reputations for himself and he hasn't a chance to prove it wrong with you. As for me, I've only had one date with you and only a few days compared to years of friendship."
He stopped, thinking for a moment, like he was working out an idea in his mind. It was one of those moments like a lightbulb went off over his head like a children's cartoon. It was like energy surged through him. Whatever the idea was, it might be the answer to everything.
Michael stood quickly, buttoning his suit jacket methodically before explaining anything to you. "Love, I need you to do something for me. I need you to set up a meeting with Tom, yourself, and me. I have a proposition for the both of you that I'm sure will bring some resolution to this."
He leaned down and kissed you softly before leaning away and giving you promising wink. "Get ahold of me as soon as you get an answer from him. I don't know how much longer I can keep myself at bay, but I want you to feel free to give yourself to me without concern went it happens."
You watched him give you one last glance before he hurried off, getting a lovely view of his ass. How the hell did you go from the girl who couldn't seem to find a decent man to one that literally had two billionaire, brilliant men fighting over her?
You'd texted Tom after you headed home from lunch. His first reaction was anger of course, but he came around as you tried to talk sense into him. There was clearly a worry that if Tom was to come to the meeting, Michael would just punch him in the face for having sex with you, but you explained that there was something else he wanted to talk to the three of you about. The time away from you put his head back on straight and his temper quickly dissipated, replaced by a genuine desire for you. It was about time he showed some vulnerability.
The meeting was set two days from the afternoon you had lunch with Michael. Tom's only stipulation was that it had to happen in his office. He'd be more comfortable on the home front than a foreign atmosphere with his rival.
Those two days dragged on miserably. Your anxiety was through the roof as you spent most of the time pacing around your house and failing to get stuff done that required your attention. Tom was distant with his communication unless it was in the middle of the night when he'd call drunk just to hear your voice, clearly not taking the separation well.
Michael, on the other hand, would regularly text you and call. He would use the time to get to know you, to ask you about your beliefs, your preferences, your desires, your dreams. Things Tom got to know over 8 years, but never really appreciated or paid attention to. The thrill of that beginning stage of a relationship was wonderful, of being discovered and discovering, even without sex. He was a goofball, making you laugh with his dry, sarcastic wit. He was so multifaceted and you were always left breathless.
The day of the meeting started with you waking to your new ringtone going off, deciding on something softer and less obnoxious should your ringtone interrupt anything again.. So naturally, you chose "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran. It was less abrupt to the senses.
"Hello", you answer your phone groggily, still half asleep.
"Hey, darling". Oh, another drunk call from Tom.
You sighed and checked the clock on your bedside table. "Tom, it's 1:45 in the morning. Why are you calling me?" You asked, a little put out.
"I…" he began, pausing immediately, putting his thoughts together. "I just needed to talk to you, I guess".
He sounded distinctly less drunk than normal. In fact, the complete lack of slurring told you he was calling sober. "Ok… What did you want to talk about?"
"Listen, I know we've got that meeting today and we'll deal with everything then… I just wanted you to know I'm sorry for pretending like you didn't exist for so long, just to mess with the first real happiness you've had in awhile", he apologized. "I can't see my life without you in it, whether that's my best friend or the woman I will always care for deeply. And I know you deserved to hear that from me a long time ago, so I'm sorry for being late to the draw on this."
You listened, trying to ignore the sting of your emotions building deep within your chest. An apology… finally. "It's alright, Tom. Yeah, I wish we'd have dealt with this years ago, but at least it's all out in the open now. And I wouldn't worry about losing me today, Tom, unless it's by your choice. I have a feeling that Michael has something else in mind entirely."
"Yeah, I guess", he mumbled, clearly still worrying. "Sorry I called so late. I will try to work on this by the way. Less alcohol and more communication. I promise. Sleep well, darling. I sincerely look forward to seeing your beautiful face today."
The phone call ended with a small click and you smiled softly to yourself. How one of the most powerful men in the world could be capable of such insecurity and humility was still mind blowing to you. You were sure in that moment he'd never show it during the whole of the meeting, determined to not show any weakness. And both sides of him were incredibly attractive.
3 pm came up with all the build up of an exceptionally well done horror movie. The ones where you are at the edge of your seat for the entirety of it, watching through the gore and killings only to be completely thrown by the identity of the killer you never saw coming. Time seemed to stop and you had way too much energy.
You'd changed your outfit 10 times since you woke up in the morning, deciding on a form fitting dress with a cardigan. The dress screamed sexy, while the cardigan expressed a little more warmth. You weren't on a date. You were in a business situation and you should look professional, but also at ease. There was enough tension in the room without you adding to it by intentionally looking irresistible. Throwing on a bare of flats instead of heels also helped.
You arrived 15 minutes early, making the trip up almost automatically after years of heading to the same place. The office seemed a little more deserted than normal, probably due to the fact it was saturday and not many people came in on the weekend. Which provided the privacy Tom was probably looking for.
The replacement secretary wasn't there either as you walked into the waiting room. Tom had been using a girl in the office who would normally be answering calls for some lower people. She was competent, but she was just there until you made a decision about where you wanted to work. Tom would probably find someone else if you were to take a job with Michael.
You opened the glass door to Tom's office to find him standing in the exact place he stood when you first saw him. His hands were in his pockets, searching the landscape of city for some impossible secret to life, yet also showing the dominance the knowledge had given him. Oh, he'd learned so much from the city and he intended to use every detail.
You cleared your throat softly, waking Tom out of his reverie. He almost jumped before turning around to face you. That face immediately lit up warmly, still holding a worry and hardness in his eyes, taking in the hesitance in your stance and shy return smile.
"Hello, darling," was his soft greeting. There was so much going unsaid, secrets of his own in those two words and it congested the room with their weight. Tension… that just didn't seem to describe it well enough. It was much heavier.
You put on the best smile you could, trying to breathe out the nerves building in every muscle. "Hey, Tom. How are you feeling today?" You asked, trying to be conversational.
"I'm alright," he answered, squaring his shoulders and ridding himself of the vulnerability you'd known. "Would you like something to drink while we wait for Fassbender?"
You gave a small nod and he instantly sprung into action, grabbing you a water from the small fridge he kept off to one side. His long body moved swiftly and gracefully, revealing the same pent up energy in your own body. He quickly returned to you with the bottle, holding it out for you to take.
The minute your hand brushed against his, you felt the same electricity from the night you were together last. The conflict in those stormy blue eyes left you wondering what he was fighting with inside of himself. Was he angry? Knowing him, probably. But it seemed deeper than that, more spurred on by desire and longing.
He leaned in, resting his forehead against yours, allowing himself a second of vulnerability as he exhaled roughly. "God… I haven't been this nervous in ages. What are you doing to me, darling?" He chuckled.
"Nothing intentional, I promise," you laughed. To help shatter the tension a little more, you pressed your lips to his, kissing him chastely. His lips immediately gave way under yours, turning the kiss you meant as short into something a little more heated. You released his lips to breathe, only to be drawn back immediately. Like a magnet, you kept meeting his lips over and over until he deepened the kiss. His tongue probed at your lips until you let him in and he explored you fully.
He wound his fingers through your hair as the other hand splayed on your lower back, pulling you in closer. All logic that you should probably not start the meeting off making out with one of them left your mind as you lost yourself in his arms. That was how Tom kissed you. There was no fighting it and you would always be drawn into the middle of it.
A small cough brought you back to reality and you separated yourself from Tom in a small jump. Michael stood there in the doorway, looking completely nonplussed by the situation. His composure was perfect as he regarded your mussed hair and swollen lips.
"Love, I don't know how you expect me to get anything done when you look like that," he teased with a hint of a smile, but he was clearly wearing his professional, dominant face. Michael walked over to your side, not even bothering to glance at Tom. "It's only fair that since I had to see that, Tom might as well see how I make you feel as well."
Before you had a chance to argue, he leaned down and kissed you hard. You'd almost forgotten what it was like to be completely dominated like this, moaning in surprise and giving him access to your mouth where he mimed what he wanted to do to you with his tongue. Fuck… Now you were completely knackered.
Michael released you gently, giving you a smug wink before looking back at Tom. His hands were curled into fists and there was an evident rage playing on his features. Now that's how you mess with someone's footing. Michael just got there and he already had both players in whatever this was losing their control.
"Now, if you both would like to sit down, I'd like to discuss the reason we came here," Michael began, sitting down on the long couch used for more personal meeting as if it was his office and not Tom's. You tried not to stumble your way to sit in the only chair that didn't have room for another personal, hoping to use the space from these men to your advantage. Tom in turn refused to sit as he stood across from Michael stubbornly.
Michael shrugged in an almost "suit yourself" kind of manner before pulling some envelopes out of his jacket and placing them on the coffee table in front of him. "Over the past week, the three of us have discovered a complex relationship issue that needs resolution. The only proposed fix was for (Y/N) to make a choice between the two of us," he explained looking at you softly before returning his hard gaze to Tom. "After reviewing the facts, I've determined it wouldn't be a fair situation for either of us if she was forced to make her decision immediately."
"So what are you proposing, Fassbender?" Tom half growled, but he was definitely partially curious.
Michael opened the envelopes methodically and pulled out papers out of each. It looked like three individual contracts from afar. "I am proposing in light of the situation that a trial period commence. No commitments will be made on either end and we will both have the opportunity to woe this beautiful woman if," he looked back at you, "that's something you agree with."
"That seems rather simple. Why the contracts, then?" Tom asked suspiciously.
"Because," Michael began, "There are a lot of factors to this. The trial period would last until the end of the year, giving us 5 months to help make the decision easier. In the contract, I have separated specific days of the week that would be defined as our "days" so to keep there from being conflicts in plans and arguments. Such as, my days would be Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and we will alternate Saturday every week. If, at any time, she makes her choice, the trial is over. The goal here is to present the best of ourselves in the time we are given. To do that, we have to be willing to put up with each other for the time being."
Tom looked a little annoyed, but also more than a little curious. "There may be some details we have to hash out before going into this and I would like to thoroughly read this contract. How do you feel about this darling?"
You looked up at him, and he saw the hesitancy residing there. "I just… It feels so selfish of me. Neither of you deserve to have to prove anything just for me and to go to these lengths simply because I'm indecisive is just unfair to the two of you," you explained softly.
"If you were the one proposing this, love, it might be construed as unfair. Tom and I are both here because we are willing to sacrifice most anything for you, for even the chance to call you our own," Michael reassured convincingly. "Don't worry about what's unfair. I don't see it that way and Tom has the chance to say so now if it is."
You looked back up at Tom, searching for his reaction. He held the same surety about doing this for you that Michael held. "Again, details might need to be edited, but I'm willing to give this a try for you", Tom conceded.
Both of them looked at you expectantly and you found a new strength in their combined desire for you. If this is what they wanted, what could go wrong with going along with it? If it ever became too much, all you had to do was say so. You confidently met Michael's gaze and saw a small smile playing on his lips, telling you he knew your answer.
"Let's do this"