Tom didn't know what it was about you, but he couldn't get you out of his mind since that accidental phone call. You'd just sounded so cute? He knew it was risky to text you again, but couldn't resist.

Yeah, you could turn out to be a crazy stalker fan, and he might need to change his phone number, but you hadn't seemed to recognize his voice over the phone, so maybe you didn't know who he was? He figured you'd take a while to text back (if you even did), but surprisingly, the dots popped up almost right away before a text appeared.

- Sounded like you were bleeding a lot, so I'm glad you didn't bleed out. If you had died, I would've felt responsible. At least now I won't be hunted by the police for being an accomplice to murder...orange isn't really my color, so I usually try to avoid going to jail.

Tom grinned at the glowing screen and shook his head slightly.

😂

- Oh? What, are you going to try to impress me with how tough you are?

😬

- no no I want to hear it now

Typing it out, Tom realized how stupid it sounded. Broken noses and sprains? That wouldn't impress anyone.

But Tom let out the breath he'd been holding when you began typing your reply.

- it's really not 😂 but I mean, how'd you break your nose? Because the story might make it a bit better?

He began typing immediately and hit send without thinking.

- how do you break your nose at work??? Do you do construction or something?

But in the end, Tom decided it was safest to just be super vague.

- not really

Reading his reply again, he realized how strange it probably came across. Shit, now she probably thinks I do something sketchy, and that's why I don't want to tell her. Fuck I didn't think that through. Before Tom could figure out a better response, or how to save the conversation, a new text appeared.

- Ok.....so you're a world-champion boxer and broke it in fights?

He sighed in relief. So you weren't scared off yet at least.

Not technically a lie? Since he did box...well he wasn't a world-champion, but that's just a minor detail.

- well you must need to practice more if you keep breaking your nose 😂

- Well, maybe *you* can't 😆

Tom rolled his eyes at the phone, chuckling to himself. Your sense of humor matched so easily with his. Even over text, he could feel the sarcasm and wished he could just call you up to hear your beautiful voice again. But giving you the chance to hear his voice again?...that was way too risky.

- how old are you? You sounded about my age on the phone, but if you're some old creep who's going to ask for nudes and then murder me...

- you've got to give me something man

😜

Ok, so maybe you had a right to know some personal stuff about him. If you were going to keep talking to him, that was fair enough. Just his age really wouldn't hurt.

- idk tho you could be lying?

- ok but that's what a liar and creep would say so

-That'd be a good place to start, yes :)

The conversation was so effortless, ebbing and flowing from one topic to another. Tom hadn't smiled this much over a girl in a long time, and it felt so good. Even though it was a small thing, it felt huge to him. He rarely had any chances to be normal anymore, so chatting up a girl without her fawning over Spider-Man...to just be normal and not Tom Holland. To you, he was just Tom, and he fucking loved how being just Tom felt.

When He realized how late it had gotten, Tom groaned and shoved his face into the pillow. He had a photoshoot in the morning, and the hair/makeup people were going to hate him. He would definitely have bags under his eyes, and it'd be a miracle if he had enough energy to get through the shoot, but that's what coffee was for, right? As much as he wanted to keep texting you, he begrudgingly said good night.

After switching off the lights, Tom climbed back into bed, his body sinking into the mattress. Although he was physically exhausted from the long day, his mind still raced as it played through your conversations over and over. Tom took his phone from the bedside table and sent you one final message.

Never had Tom fully appreciated the term 'happy accident,' but this had certainly been one. When he had sliced his hand with scissors—which for the record, is more painful than it sounds—he'd never imagined he would feel so thankful it had happened. But it had led him to you, and after only having known you a few hours, Tom could confidently say you were worth all that pain and more.

Over the next few days, Tom texted you off and on. Press was taking up so much of his time, that it was hard to text you during the day, so it was usually just random thoughts, nothing important, but more and more he kept accidentally letting bits of his true identity slip out.

- I just ate the best hot dog of my life 😍

- That good huh? You need to try NYC hot dogs then, I bet they're 100x better than what you just had

Again, Tom could just lie, but it felt so wrong to lie to you. He had really begun to care about you, and he couldn't lie to someone he cared for.

- The city or the state????

- NO

- I just mean that—well I'm in NYC too!!

Tom sank into the makeup chair in his dressing room and stared into the mirror. His mouth hung open slightly, shocked at the revelation. You were in the same city? Granted, it was a big place with millions of people, but knowing he was that much closer to you...his heart flipped. This crush of his was just not going to quit huh? Every text you sent made him like you even more, and at this rate, just texting you wasn't going to be enough. He wanted to see your face, see your smile, hear your laugh, hold your hand...but if he met up with you, you'd probably definitely recognize him. It was one thing not to recognize someone's voice, but you had mentioned you were a Marvel fan and had seen his movies...the Queens accent changed how his voice sounded, which explained why you hadn't realized who he was from the phone call, but you were guaranteed to realize he was Spider-Man if you met up and saw him. And, really, if it got that far you deserved to know the truth.

Tom had thought about telling you so many times, but if he told you, it would change everything. There was the small possibility it would all be fine—that you'd be amazingly cool and not care, still treat him how you always did. But he was terrified you would become like everyone else he met. He loved that you argued with him and that you weren't afraid to express your opinions...nowadays, most people tried so hard to please him, agreeing with everything he said and treating him like he walked on water. If you started to do that after finding out...it would crush him. So he kept his secret because the other option was losing you, and Tom couldn't let that happen.

"Tom, you about ready to go on? They've given you a five-minute warning." An assistant at Jimmy Kimmel Live! interrupted Tom's thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm good to go any time." He hopped out of the chair and followed the assistant out of the dressing room. If he let anything else slip about this movie, Marvel would definitely be firing him. They'd probably hire a hitman, too...but Tom would probably find a way to leak a spoiler even from his grave. He ran through the list of off-limit topics in his mind to check he still remembered them.

They arrived backstage, and Tom could hear the excited chatter of the audience as they waited for him. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, as he reached the high that being in front of an audience always gave him. The crowd hushed, and he heard Jimmy announce Tom as the next guest. Showtime!

*****

You always had YouTube playing in the background while getting ready in the morning. It was the only way you could catch up on all your always-growing 'watch later' playlist, so it had just become a part of your morning routine. Your phone was propped up on the bathroom counter while you brushed your teeth. Jimmy Kimmel was giving his opening monologue, but you were only half paying attention as you looked around the bathroom for a hair tie. The video ended and as it switched to the next in the playlist, you gave up on finding one and left to check your dresser. You spotted a spare tie in your jewelry dish, grabbed it, and returned to the bathroom to spit. Suddenly, the video's audio caught your attention as one of the guests spoke, his voice making goosebumps appear all over your skin.

"So, we filmed all across Europe for this one, which was amazing..."

Your head shot back to the screen at the sound of his voice. No. Not possible. Fucking fuckity fuck FUCK. It was his voice. You hurriedly spat into the sink, tossing your toothbrush onto the counter and reached for your phone to get a better look.

"I got to live at home for a few weeks while we filmed in London, and that was the best. I hate being away from my dog Tessa and my family—but mostly Tessa—" The audience tittered. "So being able to spend a bit more time at home than I usually do was just amazing."

Tom Holland was being interviewed and hearing his voice, you couldn't understand why you hadn't recognized it immediately. You had heard that voice before, of course you had. How many times had you seen Homecoming? Or Infinity War? You were so stupid! Tom fucking Holland was your possibly-a-serial-killer-slash-stripper-Tom. Fuck. You didn't know how to process this. Should you text him and tell him you'd found out? Or ignore it and not say anything? Did knowing who Tom really was change how you felt about him? Your mind buzzed with a thousand questions and exactly zero answers.

All of your confusion aside, how freaking weird was it that you had Tom Holland's phone number?? Millions of people all over the world would KILL to have it, and here you were, a random nobody, with his number just casually saved in your phone as "Band-Aid Tom."

Almost as if the universe responded to your thoughts, a text from "Band-Aid Tom" popped up on your screen. Your stomach lurched. You had to make a decision—forget "to be or not to be" the real question was "to tell or not to tell." Shit. You swiped open the text.

Ok but how adorable is he?? Your heart pounded in your chest as you processed the situation. A terrible thought crossed your mind: what if Tom only liked talking with you because he thought you had no clue who he was? Basically everyone knows him, and anonymity would probably feel so refreshing? Like he gets to pretend he's just a regular guy texting a regular girl. But then once you told him you knew, he'd lose interest. Or worse, think you had been using him or only liked him because he was famous.

In just a few short days, Tom had become such an important part of your life—one you couldn't bare to give up. You didn't care he was famous. You didn't care that he was rich or ridiculously gorgeous or anything else. Tom was the sweetest, most genuine person you'd ever talked to, and from the first words he'd spoken to you, you'd been a goner. And to lose him? That would break your heart...it wasn't an option.

-Morning! Thanks you too 💜 (I'll text you a pic if I see one!)

See? You could still be normal with him. Tom was Tom, and nothing had really changed, so why make a big deal about it? He clearly didn't want you to know his true identity, so that's how it would stay. You ignored the little voice in the back of your head that was telling you it couldn't stay like this. That sooner or later, he was either going to tell you, or he would stop texting you and move on. Honestly, the second scenario was way more likely, but you prayed to God he'd go with the first. You were pretty sure he liked you...at least he seemed to? So if whatever this was progressed much further, the next logical step was meeting up in person. You already knew you were both in NYC, so it really wouldn't be that different from a blind date. A blind date with an A-list celebrity who looks like a literal angel. Totally casual.

*****

Harrison rolled his eyes at Tom. "Mate, you're pathetic. You clearly like this girl, so tell her who you are already. You really think keeping this from her makes it any easier?? If she ends up taking the news poorly and starts falling all over you, then she's literally not worth your time. So just tell her the truth."

Tom heaved a sigh. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Harrison gave Tom a stern look. "Probably? There's no probably about it, mate. You know I'm fuckin right."

"But how am I supposed to tell her? I'm not gonna text her a selfie and say 'oh, hey by the way, it's me Spider-Man.'"

"I mean, that'd be one way to do it." Harrison laughed at how stressed Tom was. "Just relax, man. Don't make it such a big deal...just ring her and explain why you didn't want to tell her earlier. Seriously, just breathe."

The thought of finally coming clean to you was so overwhelming to Tom. If it went well, he'd finally be able to see you in person—he was dying to have a face to match with your voice. But then again, maybe you'd flip out and he'd have to end up changing his number. He'd been semi-careful not to say too much via text that he wouldn't want getting leaked, so that wasn't really a concern at this point. His only worry was losing you, but if he didn't tell you, your relationship would always be confined to texts, so that wouldn't work either.

Tom nodded resolutely, psyching himself up to ask if it was ok to call you. "Ok, I'm gonna do it."

Harrison shook his head as he turned to leave the room. "Fucking finally."

*****

You'd just walked in the door of your apartment when your phone vibrated in your coat pocket. Pulling it out, you glanced at the screen long enough to see it was from Tom, but you wanted to change into comfy clothes before reading it. You slipped your heels off and left them by the door, discarded your coat on the hook, and went to your bedroom to change. The relief of taking your bra off and throwing on sweats and a big t-shirt was one of the best feelings. You pulled your hair up into a messy bun and climbed into bed. Finally, you pulled your phone back out to respond to Tom.

A huge smile lit up your face at the thought of hearing Tom's voice again. To be fair, you'd been watching old interviews of his ever since you'd found out he was the Tom Holland, but it wasn't the same as hearing his voice over the phone. You were hoping this meant he was finally going to tell you the truth himself.

- I would love that 😊 I don't have any plans tonight, so call whenever!

You had barely hit send when Tom's call popped up on your screen. You immediately felt butterflies in your stomach. Excitedly, you answered the call.

"Why hello there!" Your voice smiled as you had a hard time believing you and Tom were finally talking.

His musical laugh filled your ear. "Hello to you, too! It's so nice to hear your voice again, Y/N."

"My voice is nothing special...you're the one with the amazing voice, Tom. I could listen to you speak for hours!" You cringed at how eager you sounded. Shut up, shut upppp!

"You really shouldn't have said that. My family always says I can't shut up, so I wouldn't encourage me." He chuckled and cleared his throat. "Uh, but I actually called for a reason..."

Your heart sped up. "Oh, it wasn't because you were dying to hear my completely average voice?" You teased him nervously.

"N—well, I mean I really did want to hear your beautiful voice again—"

You guffawed at his use of the word beautiful.

"But I actually have to tell you something kind of important." He sounded so nervous. How could someone who goes on talk shows and performs in fishnets get this nervous to talk to you?

You tried to sound encouraging to ease some of his nerves. "Ok, I'm listening."

He cleared his throat again. "Well, let me start by saying that ever since our first accidental phone call, I haven't been able to get you off my mind. I honestly wasn't sure why, but I felt drawn to you. And now that we've gotten to know each other some, I'm dying to reallyget to know you, in person. I can already tell that you're so special, and I really like you. A lot. I'm telling you straight up how I feel because I have...a secret—and I've been keeping it a secret because I didn't want it to change anything—but in order to really see if there's something between us, I've gotta come clean." He paused and let out a breath. "My full name is Tom Holland."

You were holding your breath through his entire monologue. As he told you all of that, the smile on your face somehow grew, which you didn't think was possible. Your heart was pumping so fast, your entire body tingling. He likes me!!!!

"Y/N??! Are you there?!" Tom's slightly panicked voice entered your ear.

Oh, shit!! I haven't said anything after he just confessed he's a super famous movie star.

"Sorry, sorry! I was just freaking out a bit because—"

And just as you said "You said you liked me," Tom blurted out "I'm famous?"

There was a moment of confused silence, and you both burst out laughing.

"Wait, so the big revelation of that was that I like you?? That's what you got from it?"

Tom's laughter was more relieved than anything else, while yours was more nervous. You knew you had to tell Tom that his secret hadn't been so secret.

"Um, well...actually. I kind of already knew who you were? But I only just found out! From your interview with Jimmy Kimmel...I just didn't want to mention it since you seemed like you weren't ready to talk about it..." You waited apprehensively for him to respond.

Tom was shocked. "You knew already?! I was so worried this would ruin everything...but you already knew." His voice trailed off in thought.

"Are you ok, Tom?" You asked anxiously.

"Wha? Oh, yeah...yeah. I had just built this reveal up in my mind so much, but now that it's over...it was just kinda...anticlimactic?"