Chapter Thirteen

                                    

                                          
Ping!
                          
Tom: What time is Matt's party?

                          
Kate: Four til six

                          
Tom: Does your SIL have any entertainment planned?

                          
Kate: Just the usual kids' games as far as I know. Why?

                          
Tom: What's the address?

                          
Kate: What? Why?

                          
Tom: Secret Avengers business.

                          
Kate: Pffffft!

                          
Tom: Very eloquent.

                          
Kate:

                          
Tom: Kate tell me the address pleeeeeeeeeease!

                          
Kate: You are such a man-child!

                          
Tom: You like me anyway :-)

                          
Kate:

                          
Tom: Please Kate?

                          
Kate: God help me!

                          
Muttering under my breath as I sent the address – something about Peter Pan syndrome - in my head I was running through reasons why Tom would need it, refusing to believe it could be the obvious one. No, he has rehearsals. It can't possibly be that.

                          
It was late Wednesday morning and I was planning to finish up in the office around midday to go help Abby prepare food and get everything set up for the party. I had chickened out of wearing my Black Widow costume, telling myself that Matt had seen it before anyway, and had brought along one of my fancier business suits instead. It was one I usually saved for conferences but with a red wig tied into a neat chignon, I would be the quintessential Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's assistant.

                          
Later as I was weaving my way through a dozen hyper-excited kids in Avengers costumes with sticky hands, I was thinking perhaps I should have gone with a black suit rather than the light grey I had picked. Heading into the kitchen to refill a plate of party food, I heard my phone ping and checked the messages.

                          
Tom: Meet me outside

                          
No, he didn't! He hasn't!

                          
Compelled to check, I went to the door and opened it and sure enough, there before me stood Tom in all his Loki glory. Costume, wig, make-up ...

                          
"Your beard!" I gasped, noting Loki's clean shaven appearance.

                          
Tom touched his hand to his chin ruefully, "It had to come off for the play anyway."

                          
"Your rehearsal! How did you...?"

                          
"I asked the director to rehearse the scenes I'm not in to give me a couple of hours break."

                          
"Tom! I ... I can't believe ..." I couldn't finish my sentence and felt incredibly close to tears at his thoughtfulness. God, this man!  I closed my eyes and clenched my hands into fists at my sides to try and control my emotions but they got the better of me and a few drops escaped my eye lids.

                          
Tom stepped forward and took me in his arms, gently wiping away the tears. "Kate, don't cry, please." As he pressed his lips to mine my arms went around his neck and I deepened the kiss, moaning softly against his mouth. He pulled me closer.

                          
"Mummy! Aunty Kate is kissing Loki!"

                          
We sprang apart to find Matt standing behind me in the open doorway, to be quickly joined by Abby and the other children once they heard Matt's shout. My nephew's face was a mixture of awe and excitement at the sight of Loki and a young child's natural aversion to "all that lovey stuff". Abby's face however told me that there'd be some serious question asking later on once we were alone.