CHAPTER 4: THE UNIMPRESSED FACE

'Tom, hey, Tom.'

A touch on his shoulder. A hand under his head that lifted it back onto the sofa.

'Chris', said Tom, blinking his way to bleary consciousness. 'Sorry, I, gosh, I was just so tired and-'

'It's no problem, man,' Chris interrupted him, smiling brilliantly. 'I picked a movie while you were drooling.'

'I do not drool,' Tom began, outraged, before he noticed the quirk at the edge of Chris's mouth that meant he was trying not to laugh. He changed his mind about protesting, deciding for once not to rise to the bait. Gosh. I feel quite mature and adult. Perhaps I'm finally growing up.

And then Chris knocked him to the floor in some kind of mad rugby tackle, saying, 'You do drool, yes, you do,' and Tom was trying to fight back and laugh and stop blushing all at the same time, which turned out to be surprisingly difficult.

And, suddenly, all he could think about while they wrestled was Thor and Loki. How much their messing around felt like the fight scenes, felt like they were Thor and Loki playing Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston instead of the other way around. It was oddly disconcerting.

It must have shown on his face. Chris, pinning Tom to the ground by his chest with one elbow, paused. 'Hey, man, are you-'

And that was when Tom pounced. He shoved both hands underneath Chris and pushed with all his might, and the bigger man, helpless with laughter, rolled off him at last. Tom jumped back onto the sofa, stretching out across its length with some pride. 'You, my friend, are certifiably insane,' he declared, looking into the middle distance and letting his dramatic training show through. 'How you could think that I would perform such an undignified action as drooling is utterly beyond me.'

He expected another attack. He expected laughter, at least. But there was silence. Tom looked down at Chris on the floor and- he wasn't there. Tom looked around the room, bewildered. 'Chris?'

He heard someone giggle from behind the sofa. Or maybe it was more of a manly snort. And Chris attacked, vaulting over the back of the sofa and grabbing Tom around the middle. 'I may be certifiably insane, but you, mate, are going on the floor.'

Adapting quite happily to his new, lower, resting place and leaning comfortably against the edge of the sofa, Tom told himself firmly that he would not laugh. He was highly successful for the first minute. After which, sadly, he couldn't help but look up at Chris. Chris who was now taking up the entire sofa, wearing a expression of almost unbearable smugness. And that just set him off. Tom started to laugh, quietly at first and then, unable to control himself, louder and louder. Chris looked down at him, appearing rather piqued. 'What's so funny, man? I think I won that one.'

Tom managed, between snorts, to choke out, 'Oh my God, Chris. What a comeback.'

'What do you mean?'

Tom sat up and wiped his eyes, and tried out an Australian accent: 'I might be insane, but you, mate, are going on the floor.' And that set him off again. 'Oh gosh, Chris,' he, well, not giggled, more laughed in a manly fashion. 'That was literally the best comeback I have ever heard.'

And then he had to bury his face in a cushion because Chris's unimpressed face was just too funny, and Tom didn't think he could breathe properly anymore.

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I'd just like to say a big thank you to Dirty Little Half Blood for helping me with the pacing of this chapter, She also gave me loads of really great ideas for the next chapters, which will feature, to name but a few things, the Avengers film, an ill-advised drinking game, and Thor/Loki fanfic. Watch this space. :D
Thanks so much to everyone who has read, followed, favourite'd and/or reviewed. I appreciate it so much, as this will be my first-ever 'full-length' story. :)
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