♡ ₊˚.༄

𝐒𝐇𝐄 ── ◦'𖥸'◦ ── 𝒮ℋℰ
𝖺𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗅𝖺 𝗃𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌 𝗑 𝗍𝗈𝗆 𝗁𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟱𝟮 ╱ ╱ 🦢🤍 ˚◞♡

──── ❛ オランダに会う ❜ ────

実生活 // 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞

     AMANDLA JONES BIT DOWN ON HER BOTTOM LIP AS HER RIGHT FOOT TAPPED ANXIOUSLY AGAINST THE TILED AIRPORT FLOORS. Tom had texted her saying that he was waiting outside her gate, yet when she arrived, the actor was nowhere in sight. So, she'd moved to sit in a seat a few feet away from baggage claim, where she'd already retrieved her luggage.

     At this early of an hour, the black-haired girl was pleasantly surprised to find the airport not as hectic and loud as she'd anticipated.

     The environment was serene; people moved with ease, quiet rivers of whispers trickled about the place as some individuals were still freshly roused from their slumber. The loudest noise she could hear came from the intercom system, alerting people that their flight was about to take off.

     Running her eyes around the airport, she couldn't help but admire how the walls of the building elegantly curved and wrapped around to create the space. The ceiling was made of glass and she smiled as she could catch a glimpse of the fading sunrise. The floors were clean and pearly white, reflecting the remaining embers of that daybreak that Amandla couldn't help but relish in.

     The last time she'd been in London was last year when she flew out for a photoshoot for Lancôme. She'd only been there for three days and didn't go anywhere other than a studio for the majority of her time. Now, here she was, almost exactly a year later, in London to spend the holidays with her boyfriend and his family.

     Feeling her phone vibrate in the palm of her hand, she looked down to see that she'd received a text from Tom.

     𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐁𝐎𝐘 😔: you look absolutely breathtaking!!!

     Furrowing her brows, she quickly stood up and swept her eyes around the airport, searching for the person she'd been missing like hell and couldn't stop dreaming about.

     It took a second but the moment she spun around — she spotted him. Behind the sitting area stood Tom with two of his brothers. He held a bouquet of white roses in one hand while the other was slipping his phone into his back pocket. A large smile broke across her face and she hastily shoved her phone into the pocket of Tom's hot pink hoodie that she'd stolen. Running around her luggage and the chairs, she made her way to the actor.

     A nearly identical bright smile spread across Tom's lips and he handed the bouquet to Sam to hold. He was only able to run a few steps forward before the YouTuber was in his arms.

     The two held onto each other tightly, their bodies swaying side to side.

     "You're finally here," he murmured, pulling back far enough so he could press a kiss to the side of her head.

     Amandla nodded, her smile never once wavering. "I am," she whispered, her eyes squeezed shut. "God, I've missed you so much."

     Her words melted his heart. "I've missed you more," he replied.

     Pulling away, the black-haired girl's hands traveled to his shoulders while his rested comfortably on her waist. "I like the feeble attempt at a disguise," she laughed, nodding toward the black hat he wore and sunglasses that were tucked into the collar of the hoodie he wore.

     Tom shrugged, glancing down at her lips. "I did my best, all right? The only disguise I'm used to wearing is a superhero suit."

     A giggle escaped her as a thought came to mind. "Wait, you look like what fans used to describe the members of One Direction wearing when they wore disguises in fanfic—" Amandla was suddenly cut off by the brown-haired actor, who'd pressed his lips to hers tenderly. His lips tasted of cinnamon and coffee against her own and she smiled again.

     Pulling away, she laughed quietly at the disappointed expression on his face. "Your brothers are right there and I really don't want their first memory of me to be watching me make out with their brother in the middle of the airport," she confessed, biting down on her bottom lip.

     Sighing dramatically, Tom nodded. "That's fair," he mumbled. "Later?"

     Amandla rolled her eyes. "Bold of you to assume I won't be spending every moment I can getting to know your family."

     At her words, another bright grin broke across his face. "You're the best," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I'm going to grab your luggage."

     The moment Tom left her side, Amandla began making her way toward the twins, who had just watched the entire exchange with identical smiles on their faces. As she walked, she took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. It's going to be fine, Amandla. Don't overthink it. They're going to like you. Right?

     Noticing the approaching Youtuber, the two immediately met her halfway.

     "For once we're not seeing your face on a small screen. I'd definitely call this an upgrade from when we talked to you through Tom's DMs," Harry commented, giving the black-haired girl a lopsided smile.

     "Oh, most definitely. Now we know that Tom really wasn't lying to us and you two actually are together," Sam mentioned, causing Amandla to chuckle.

     "It's so great to finally meet you both," she breathed, her nerves slightly easing up. "I promise I'm not usually as awkward as I am right now. I'm just the tiniest bit nervous."

     The twins both raised a brow. "Nervous?" Harry questioned.

     "What for? The family already adores you, especially given how much Tom rambles on about you." Sam stated, giving her a reassuring smile.

     Amandla returned the gesture. "That's good to know, I think," she mumbled, her brows scrunching together in thought.

     "By the way, these are for you." Harry suddenly announced, holding the bouquet of white roses out to her.

     "Aw, thank you," she gushed. Feeling her cheeks heat up, the freckle-faced girl ducked her head slightly.

     "Everybody ready to go?" Tom asked, refraining from smiling at the exchange he'd just witnessed.

     The three nodded and everyone began to make their way out of the airport. As they walked towards the exit, Tom intertwined his fingers with Amandla's, squeezing softly as he felt her relax at his touch.

     It wasn't long until they were outside and loading Amandla's suitcase into the trunk of Tom's car. A cold breeze swept by, blowing her hair back and she flicked a strand out of her face. Sam had taken her carry-on and placed it in the truck, which Harry soon closed.

     Making her way to the back car door, she heard someone gasp. "What do you think you're doing?" Tom retorted, standing less than two feet away from her and holding the passenger door open.

     Amandla furrowed her brows. "Getting in the back seat," she answered slowly, her statement sounding more like a question.

     "I don't think so," he replied, shaking his head. "You're sitting in the front. I want to be able to hold your hand, ya idiot."

     Narrowing her eyes at his last two words, she moved, allowing Harry to get in the back first. She made her way to the passenger door and before she could get in, Tom pulled her back. "What—" Her words were cut off for the second time that morning as he kissed her. "You really like doing that, huh?" she retorted, raising a brow after she pulled away.

     "What? Kissing you?" he smirked, pecking her on the lips.

     A smile tugged at her lips and her cheeks faded to a light pink. "I was going to say cutting me off, but sure, that works too," she mumbled, suddenly growing aware of the fact that the twins were watching all of this.

     Tom watched as she shifted her footing, something she did whenever she was uncomfortable. Immediately he gave her a knowing look. "Do you want me to stop?" he muttered, darting his eyes between hers as a feeling of guilt settled in his chest.

     Amandla averted her eyes. "I love it, I always do, but I don't want to make your brothers uncomfortable and this is my first time meeting everyone in person. It's important to me that I make a good impression and get to know them," she sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

     He nodded understandingly. This trip was important to her and he knew that. Even though his family had already decided that they liked her, she still wanted to make a good impression and that was something Tom couldn't help but love about her. "I'll cool it," he murmured, and she let out a breath.

     "Thank you," she whispered, reaching over and squeezing his hand before getting in the car.

     Tom closed the door softly and made his way over to the other end of the car, climbing in and starting up the engine.

     In the backseat, the twins shared small smiles. They'd heard the couple's conversation and couldn't help but also appreciate how much Amandla cared about meeting their family. She didn't want to simply be there for the sake of being there, but rather, being there to get to know all of them and create relationships. A characteristic that made her stand out in comparison to the other girl's Tom had dated years ago.

     "So, Amandla," Sam spoke up, and the black-haired girl turned her head. "Is there a nickname you want us to call you? Paddy has already coined 'Andie'. Dad has too."

     Her brows raised. "Andie?" she repeated. No one had ever called her that before, but she liked it.

     Harry nodded. "He's obsessed with watching your gaming videos and refers to you as Andie whenever he tells us about them," he explained.

     Instantly, Amandla blushed and subconsciously smiled. "I like it a lot. You guys can call me whatever you want, I don't have a preference," she shrugged, glancing to Tom, whose hand rested on top of hers. Turning her palm around, she interlaced their fingers.

     "We'll think of something then," Sam replied, already trying to come up with a creative nickname.

     A thought from earlier suddenly struck Tom's mind and he glanced away from the road. "I forgot to say this earlier, but I almost didn't recognize you at the airport," he stated.

     Amandla furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? I look the exact same as I did the last time you saw me," she remarked, tilting her head as she stared at him.

     "Not necessarily. You're wearing color," he noted, nodding toward the hot pink sweatshirt she wore. "I had to do a double-take."

     Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. "Listen here, bitch boy—"

     "I thought we agreed to bury that nickname," he whined, cringing.

     "Uh no, we didn't. You did," she replied, pointing directly at him. Harry snorted. "The only reason I'm wearing this is because it's yours and it took me forever to finally steal it."

     Tom gasped. "I never thought I'd see the day where you verbally admitted to stealing my things. This is how I know Christmas is coming because that's a miracle."

     Amandla narrowed her eyes and flashed him her middle finger. "You steal my hoodies too, so shut your face."

     In the backseat, the twins were doing their best to hold back their laughter.

     "No, I don't!" Tom immediately argued.

     "Oh, really?" she asked, raising a brow. "Then whose Nike hoodie are you wearing right now?" That question was quick to shut him up and she smirked. "That's what I thought."

     "God, that was amazing," Harry grinned, shaking his head.

     Sam nodded in agreement. "And bitch boy? That one's a keeper."

     At that statement, Tom glared over at his girlfriend. "See what you've done?" he retorted, nodding to his brothers.

     She smiled cheekily, shrugging. "What can I say? It's a cute nickname," she mused, fist-bumping the twins.

     "Cute nickname my ass," the brown-haired actor muttered, squeezing her hand fondly. She squeezed back.

     "You know you like it," she sang, leaning back into the seat.

     He shook his head in disagreement. "No, but I know I like you," he replied, his thumbing running up and down the back of her hand. Amandla simply grinned over at him, squeezing one last time.

時間 // 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝟕:𝟒𝟐 𝐚.𝐦.

     THE MOMENT THE CAR PULLED INTO STONE-PAVED DRIVEWAY, HER NERVES RETURNED. For the hour-long car-ride, she hadn't felt anxious once, yet her anxiety didn't hesitate in reappearing. According to Sam, the rest of the Holland household was already awake and preparing for her arrival. A fact that didn't do anything but cause the knot in her stomach to tighten.

     Stepping out of the car, she took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. It's going to be fine, Amandla. Don't overthink it. By the time she was done giving herself a mini pep talk, Tom had dragged her to the front door, the twins behind with her luggage. A matte black door stared her in the face and a Christmas-themed wreath hung in the center at the top.

     "You ready, Ames?" Harry called, using the nickname he and Sam had come up with during the car-ride. She shook her head.

     Unlocking the front door, Tom peered back at her. "Hey," he nodded, and she met his eyes. "They're going to love you, all right? You've got nothing to worry about."

     "Tell that to my anxiety," she muttered, biting down on her lip.

     He gave her one last reassuring smile before opening the door and stepping inside, holding it to everyone else could walk in. Sam shut the door behind him and looked to Tom. "We're going to take her stuff upstairs, we'll be back," he stated, Harry following him up the stairs that were only a few feet away on the right. To the left of the stairs was an open foyer.

     Turning to the black-haired girl, Tom helped her pull off the coat she wore over her sweatshirt and he hung it on the coat rack. The two of them slipped off their shoes and left them by the front door.

     As her eyes trailed around the foyer and stairway, Amandla felt a familiar set of fingers lightly grasp onto her chin before turning her head to the right. Her gaze aligned with Tom's and an automatic smile appeared on her face.

     His eyes washed over her face, taking in how beautiful she was without any makeup and how perfectly laid out her freckles were. Her hair was now in a low messy bun, stray black curls framed her face and he tucked a strand behind her ear. Clear anxiety reflected in her eyes but faded as they maintained eye-contact.

     Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he intertwined their fingers once more. Slowly, the two of them began walking further into the house.

     "Mum?"

     Crossing through the foyer and stepping through the door that led to a living room and connected kitchen, Amandla couldn't help but look around. The walls of the small living room were painted a tan color, and a dark grey couch was pressed against the wall on her right; two rows of four black-and-white photos of the family framed above it. Glancing to her left, she ran her eyes over a bookshelf that went up to the top of the ceiling; rows of books, candles, plants, and gameboards filling up space. The TV on the wall next to the bookshelf quietly played the morning news and a small black shelf in the wall underneath held an assortment of video games and a collection of old 60's movies.

     "In the kitchen! Is Amandla with you?" A voice called, snapping the girl out of her thoughts and causing her to turn her head.

     "Why don't you come into the living room and find out?" the brown-haired boy replied cheekily, squeezing the YouTuber's hand.

     Scurried footsteps could be heard from the kitchen and a ginger-haired woman entered the living room, a bright smile already on her face. "Oh, you're finally here! Amandla, it's so nice to meet you," Nikki greeted, walking forward.

     A genuine smile spread across Amandla's lips and she nodded. "It's so nice to meet you too, Mrs. Holland. Tom's told me a lot about all of you," she breathed, but before she could say anything else, the woman had embraced her. Amandla wrapped her arms back around her, feeling the bundle of anxiety in her chest simmer down the longer they hugged.

     "No, please, call me Nikki. We're not a formal family," Nikki spoke, pulling away and giving the girl a sweet smile.

     Amandla chuckled softly, nodding before speaking again. "How are you?"

     Standing to the side, Tom grinned at the sight, watching as his mum and Amandla began chatting. It wasn't until a minute later that Paddy and Dom arrived. Averting his eyes, Tom snickered silently at the excited expression on his youngest brother's face as he'd entered the room. He was finally meeting one of his favorite YouTube gamers.

     "Nikki, don't talk her ear off. She's never going to want to come back," Dom joked, noticing how his wife and Amandla were already talking.

     "Oh, hush, Dom," the ginger-haired woman replied, and the YouTuber turned around. She hadn't even realized other people had entered the room.

     "Amandla Jones, it's very nice to meet you," Dom greeted, shaking her hand.

     Amandla smiled. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you," she replied, and she could see a blur of dark-ginger hair move in the corner of her eye. Turning her attention to the youngest Holland, who stood near Tom, her smile widened. "I heard that you've come up with a new nickname for me," she commented.

     Paddy's cheeks flushed red. "Uh yeah, yeah, A-Andie," he stammered, and the YouTuber could feel her heart melt.

     "I love it," she replied, watching as his cheeks got redder.

     Tom watched with an amused smirk, knowing that Paddy didn't know what to say, he was in shock.

     "I also heard that you're the only decent player when it comes to Final Fantasy XV," Amandla recalled, hoping that by talking more, he'd relax. She could see the nervousness radiating off of him, and she wondered if she came across that anxious as well.

     "Ever since it came out, it's the only thing he plays," Nikki commented, nodding towards Paddy.

     Dom nodded as well. "He attempted to teach me how to play but got a little tired of my side comments," he added.

     "Well, yeah. I couldn't concentrate whenever you were talking," Paddy retorted, suddenly snapping out of his frozen state. Amandla held herself back from snorting. "Do you want to play later?" he then asked hopefully, looking to the girl.

     "Uh yeah, that'd be awesome," she replied, and he broke into a grin.

╰┈ ⊰ 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒔 ❞ ⑊ ⎯⎯ : ⊱˒ ♡

⌇ 𝘯𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯⠀|⠀𝑛𝜊 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠⠀꒱
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     hey everyone!!

     look at me... updating after being MIA for two months. I'M SO SORRY!

     this semester has been the worst semester of my life and i haven't been focusing on this book at all. i'm currently on thanksgiving break and have three days to pre-write as much as possible, so hopefully, i can finish the chapters i have left for this act. i have act two pre-written all the way up to chapter 89, so once this act has concluded, updates will be every week.

     also, the ending of this was so awkward, i cringe. i didn't know where to end it and i didn't want to drag it out more than was necessary.

     thank you all for your patience!

     don't forget to vote & comment!