Behind the Screen (a Tom Hiddleston Story)

Chapter 43

One Year Ago: 

"Where are you Kit-kat?"

"In here, Tom." She was sat at the dinner table eating an apple. Its bitterness making her eyes water a little as she crunched it between her teeth.

"Sour?" He strolled in sporting a very well fitted navy pinstriped suit. His eyes tired looking and a little sore, as though he had been rubbing them. His shoes were protruding out from the hallway and his hair was sticking up in several places.

"No, what makes you say that?" Kate was now wincing and threw the apple back down onto the table. "How was your day? You look knackered."

"Darling, you say the sweetest things." He chuckled as he took off his jacket and threw it in the direction of the coat rack, which was situated near the back door. George, who was strolling towards the cat flap, got quite the shock as a falling jacket landed upon his slightly grubby ginger coat.

The two of them stopped, their heads spinning to face the direction of the screech. Tom started to giggle as Kate fought to get George out of the suit and back into the garden. "T- aha Tom... look at him. Oh my-," Kate was now gripping her sides in agony; she hadn't laughed this much in a very long time. How a cat could single handily brighten the mood in any room never did cease to amaze her.

"Bless him," Tom couldn't move for laughing so instead, sat back and observed what was happening before him. His fiancé happily playing with her best friend. What more could he ask for the day before his birthday? Everyone he loved was happy and content.

*

That evening, the two of them were sat on the sofa with tea and cakes watching the latest installment in the Marvel series. The film was about a cavern of wizards who sought to bring death and destruction to the modern citizens, due to their ways of living becoming ever more damaging to the planet. "Quite the storyline darling," Tom mumbled through a mouthful of lemon drizzle.

"I know. And we aren't in this one either, so we can actually watch without cringing."
"I don't cringe. I critically analyze through the eyes of an avid fanatic."
Kate raised her eyebrows, pausing before spooning a large portion of cake from her plate and into her mouth. "You do cringe. I see your little nose wrinkle whenever you're on screen."
"Yeah, yeah." He put his plate down and replaced it with a pillow which he proceeded to launch at Kate, spilling tea everywhere.

"Thomas Wilfred, I swear to god. You do that again and you are mopping this up. And sleeping in the spare bedroom."

"My darling. I can only apologise for my foolish ways. Allow me to feed you some cake to calm you down." He sat forward and brought the plate to her face, which bore a rather displeased expression. She lifted her hand to block the incoming food. "Nu-uh. Don't just think that you can bring out your Loki side and all is forgiven Hiddleston. I know how this works and it won't bode well this time."

Instead of persisting in an already lost battle, Tom clicked his fingers and sat himself back against the headrest of the sofa and looked as though he were waiting for something. "Now what are you doing?"

Just as Kate had finished drying her pyjama bottoms, she heard the pitter-patter of small paws crossing the wooden floor in front of her. "George, how would you like to take pride of place in the middle of the sofa?"
"You wouldn't dare..." Tom knew just how much Kate despised pets being on the furniture, especially since George had just walked through a puddle of tea. He knew how much it would annoy her. He smiled and patted the space next to him. Almost instantly Kate watched her little four-legged friend get comfortable, massaging his front paws into the soft leather. "If he scratches that..."