Matter of Time(Tom Holland Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty One

Author's Note: I managed to write another quick chapter somehow and I hope you guys aren't disappointed with it. Don't worry. Billie and Tom are still end game. Here's a picture of Billie's look for the Met Gala. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think of chapter. Thank you.

"So you've been to one of these things before?" Sebastian asked nervously. Billie nodded.

They were sitting in the backseat of the limo as the vehicle pulled up to the front steps of the Met. It was about two weeks after the premiere of the movie so Billie was attending the Met Gala as she previously planned. Sebastian was technically her date for the event but Billie knew he was really her babysitter. She tried in a desperate attempt to get Sebastian to pull out escorting her to the Met Gala. Billie tried to tell her mom and him that this would only escalate the rumors she and Sebastian were dating but they told her that it didn't matter what other people thought.

They knew the truth.

For once, Billie hoped that the paps would finally be a good thing.

And like always, she ended up hating them with a fiery passion. What the hell were they good for if she couldn't even use them to her advantage when it really mattered? Next time one of them took a picture of her, she was going to flip them off. Billie didn't even care what her publicist had to say about that.

"Once...three years ago," Billie told him and Sebastian raised his eyebrows.

"That's allowed? Inviting a thirteen-year-old to the Met Gala?" Sebastian questioned and Billie shrugged.

"I don't really know how the invitation process works, Seb. I had just started doing campaigns for Miu Miu and Gucci back then. They probably saw that and decided to invite me," Billie explained. "It's not like I went alone. I brought mom."

"I'm starting to realize that you're significantly more famous than I am," Sebastian said, pretending to be annoyed even though he wasn't. He was actually really proud of Billie. Her career was beginning to blow up bigger than ever and he knew she was only going to get more successful from here on out. Sebastian already knew that Billie wasn't going to be the type of actress to peak at a young age and then become forgotten. He couldn't see Billie ever being forgotten.

"Well, everyone's going to be jealous of me tonight," Billie said with a small smirk on her face. Sebastian looked back at her quizzically. "I'm going to have the prettiest guy in there on my arm."

"Don't say that. It's weird when you say that now," Sebastian told her and Billie rolled her eyes.

"Sebastian, it's already weird. People think we're dating," Billie told him honestly. "Us going to the Met together is only going to confirm that belief. I think we should just embrace the weirdness of it all."

"I hope this place has drinks. I'm going to need one if I have to watch you all night," Sebastian grumbled, not amused by his girlfriend's daughter who he was babysitting. This was probably the first time he ever babysat anyone and he hoped it was the last. Billie was certainly a handful.

"I know for a fact that there's an open bar in there," Billie said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Sebastian decided that he really didn't like it when she looked mischievous like that. Usually because it only meant trouble. He glared at her.

"Yeah and a bar you won't be visiting," Sebastian told her and Billie rolled her eyes.

"They check for ID at the bar," Billie said dismissively and Sebastian gave her a suspicious look.

"I know you," He deadpanned, not looking fooled for a minute. "You'd find a way."

"Mr. Stan, we're here," The driver of the limo said and sure enough Billie noticed that they had arrived at the front of the Met. The red carpet happened along the front steps of the Met although Billie didn't exactly remember how it went on since it had been a while since she attended. She had been invited every single year since the first time she went but she had been so busy lately that she hadn't been able to attend.

"Woah," Sebastian breathed as he looked outside the window and noticed all the cameras and celebrities on the red carpet. There was probably only a few events a year that had this many celebrities. This event definitely had only the most high profile celebrities.

One of the valets and a security guard for the event came up to the limo and opened the door. The security guard had a forced smile on his face and Billie could tell he was stressed out. The job of getting all the celebrities on to the red carpet while making sure they were allowed into the event was probably a lot. It was clear he recognized Billie right away as a relieved look crossed his face since he didn't have to go through the process of looking the person up to make sure they were on a guest list. He knew she was invited and he knew her face which made his job easier.

"Miss Aufderheide, right this way," The security guard said as he helped Billie out of the back of the limo. Usually she would've refused help but it was hard to move around in the dress she was wearing. She didn't want to risk a nip slip. Tape could only do so much.

"Billie Aufderheide and Sebastian Stan have arrived. I'm leading them into the event. You can check them off the list too," The man said into his ear piece as Sebastian got out of the limo too. The security guard then closed the door of the limo and the vehicle didn't waste any time driving away since there was a whole line of limos behind them. The bulky man then gestured for them to follow him as he started leading them up the first set of steps.

"Right this way," He told them and both Billie and Sebastian obediently followed him. Sebastian linked his arm through Billie's as they walked up the steps just in case she accidentally lost her balance. She was wearing five inch heels so it would've been incredibly easy for her to lose her balance and fall which would probably be the most embarrassing moment of her life.

Billie was wearing a custom floor length Thakoon ivory duchesse silk slip gown with a train on it. The neckline was plunging and the dress was backless too. Her hair had been carefully styled and pulled into a high ponytail while her make-up had taken hours to do. Billie felt like she was getting ready for her wedding day. This would probably be more fun than her wedding day in her opinion too since Billie would more than likely to have multiple wedding days in her lifetime.

She worked in Hollywood, after all.

The dress was paired together with her designer heels and Tiffany diamond necklace that looked more extravagant than anything Audrey Hepburn had drooled over in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Billie did a lot of ad campaigns for them too so she didn't even have to ask if they could loan her one of their more expensive and exclusive pieces of jewelry.

Sebastian was dressed stunningly for the evening as well in his Givenchy designed suit which had been loaned to him since it was all very last minute. It was a dark red, almost maroon colored, velvet suit blazer paired off with the rest of the very expensive looking suit. The blazer was accented with flowers while the black buttoned up shirt he wore under the blazer was embellished with a metallic silver around the collar and silver around the buttons to fit in with that year's theme.

While Billie was honestly a little annoyed that her mother made Sebastian be her babysitter for the night, there was also a part of her that knew she would have a lot of fun with Sebastian at her side. She would rather go with him than anyone else now that she thought about. Especially some random asshole.

"We have a specific order that we're doing that will keep everything organized and a little less chaotic," The security guard told them and Billie nodded while Sebastian listened intently. They didn't want to get lost in the chaos of the Met Gala which honestly looked like a nightmare. There were so many celebrities there. It was crazy. "You'll be behind Mr. Hiddleston whose just a bit ahead of you two."

The man then pointed at Tom Hiddleston who sure enough was posing for the cameras a short distance away from them. Billie had never met Tom Hiddleston before even though she had seen him from afar at a couple Marvel red carpets. Billie thought he was hot...if you were into the British thing or whatever. Which she wasn't. Unless you counted a certain brown eyed boy with a smile that could make her swoon from just thinking about it.

Ew.

She wasn't seriously daydreaming about the British Tom that actually mattered, was she? This was supposed to be a fun night where she got to take in all the fashion around her and then maybe meet Florence Welch if she was lucky. It wasn't a night for missing a guy she may or may not have started to develop small(almost miniscule) feelings for.

"Got it?" He asked them for confirmation that they understood. Billie and Sebastian both nodded. "Great. Now just go over there and they'll start taking your pictures. They'll probably want some solo ones too but you two can figure that out amongst yourselves."

"Great. Thanks," Sebastian thanked him and the guy gave them a small smile before leaving them to their own devices. Billie and Sebastian turned to each other. He had to looked up at her since she was wearing heels and towered over him at about 6'2.

"Ready for this?" Sebastian asked. Billie smiled before shrugging.

"Not really but sure...why not?" Billie replied. Sebastian smiled back at her before they started walking, arms still linked, as they followed a short distance behind Tom Hiddleston. Someone helped Billie with her train as she started walking with Sebastian. She quietly thanked them before Sebastian drew her attention back to him.

"You look beautiful tonight," Sebastian told her when he realized that he hadn't yet complimented her in the midst of all his nerves regarding the Met. He didn't say it in a suggestive tone or anything. There was a certain paternal affection in his voice as he spoke but it made her blush more than when any boy had ever told her the same thing in the past. Probably because he said it and didn't want anything in return. He said it because he meant it.

"Thanks. You look great too," Billie said almost shyly and Sebastian just smiled kindly at her as they posed for their first photo. The actors stood side by side as they posed for the cameras, ignoring the bright camera flashes.

Billie realized that she didn't care what people thought about her and Sebastian. Her mom was right. They knew the truth and that's all that mattered.

Little did everyone know that she did really love him...just not in the way they imagined.