Just A Kiss One-Shots

THE THREE SISTERS

"Daddy?"

"Yes sweetheart?" Tom crouched down to be nearer the height of three-year-old Lucy.

"Can we have ice cream?" she batted her eyes at him, those beautiful brown orbs so like her mothers. "Please?"

It was certainly hot enough for the idea of a cold treat to appeal; they had thought it would be cooler coming up into the Blue Mountains from Sydney but the heat was just as oppressive here, the humidity so high that anything more than a slight movement made him break out in a sweat. "Yes love, we'll get ice cream very soon."

He looked over to Kate, wondering once again how she survived the heat in her advanced stage of pregnancy. She was holding Davey's hand but the eighteen-month-old was pulling and tugging in a determined effort to escape – probably so he could toddle over and try to imitate his big brother – so he took Lucy's hand and began to walk towards them to help.

"William James Hiddleston, don't you dare climb up that railing!" Kate's warning did not go unheeded; her eldest son knew the tone of voice and use of full name were not to be ignored and got down again, a scowl on his face at being thwarted.

"But mum ..."

"William, you heard your mother." Tom spoke quietly and ruffled his son's curls in passing.

"Yes dad." William mumbled and stood there scuffing his shoes on the concrete viewing platform. The heat seemed to radiate off its surface in waves and Tom noted the three children all appeared to be drooping; they'd seen enough iconic rock formations and eucalyptus trees, he decided - it was definitely time for ice cream. He told Lucy to stay beside her mother while he grabbed Davey, who had just managed to escape Kate's hold and was rapidly heading towards William near the railing, wrangling him into the stroller and doing up the straps securely.

He placed a kiss on Kate's warm cheek and moved a stray curl, damp with perspiration, to tuck it behind her ear. "Let's go to the café Chris and Elsa told us about and have something cold, love; I think the kids could do with an ice cream."

"That sounds wonderful."

Tom told Lucy to hold on to the stroller and began pushing it towards the car park, making sure William had come to his mother's side as bid and that he didn't walk too fast and leave them behind; Kate moved quite slowly these days. She was due in three weeks and as he still had more than two months of filming left, their fourth child - another son - was destined to be born in Australia.

Over the past six years Kate and their children had followed him around the globe whenever he had to be away for more than a month at a time, but this was to be their last overseas sojourn for a while. He had made the decision to stay put in the UK for a couple of years at least – apart from the odd short trip away for a location shoot – and put down some roots. Kate had protested, not wanting it to hurt his career, but he was tired of living in temporary houses and hotels; he wanted a proper home and with William about to start school the timing was perfect. He hadn't told Kate yet but he'd put in an offer on a house that he knew she would love; it had five bedrooms, four bathrooms and almost an acre and a half of grounds for the children to run around in. Being close to  Windsor and Heathrow and less than an hour from London, it was a beautiful place for them to bring up their family.

"Lucy, darling, put it in your mouth and not up your nose." Kate's words drew him out of his reverie to see his daughter with as much ice cream around her nose and face as had gone into her stomach, so he reached for the packet of wipes and brought her closer to clean her face.

Café Bon Ton was a perfect spot on this hot afternoon; they sat outdoors under a wide canopy of leafy green that felt so much cooler, two water features nearby adding to the idyllic atmosphere as well as providing a source of entertainment for the children; William and Davey were splashing their hands and each other when he looked over, a cleaned up Lucy now making her way to join them. Even the awful humidity didn't seem so bad.

"How are you doing darling?" he asked Kate, thinking she looked quite frazzled as she sipped her iced tea and fanned herself with the menu.

She gave him a smile and reached for his hand, squeezing his fingers reassuringly. "I'm fine Tom, though I must admit the thought of a cool shower back at the house is what's keeping me going at the moment!"

He raised her hand to his mouth, kissing her palm tenderly then returning her smile. "How about I take the kids for a swim so you can enjoy that shower in peace? Perhaps even have a nap?"

"Mama! Mama!" Lucy's wail interrupted them and they both turned to see what the problem was. "William eat fish!"

---

"Peace at last!" Tom had managed to get both Davey and Lucy down for a nap after their swim, the heat having worn them out more than usual. William was happily reading books in the lounge so Tom had come to check on Kate, freshly showered and enjoying a rest on their bed. Finding her wide awake, he lay down beside her in air-conditioned comfort. "Too hot for a cuddle?"

She moved closer and snuggled under his arm, resting her head on his chest. "Never too hot for a cuddle with you." Her hand crept under his t-shirt and around his waist as he pressed a kiss to her mop of curly hair, still cut short as she'd said it was much easier that way with three small children to run around after. They lay in contented silence for a while, enjoying the quiet and being alone together.

"Jack Archibald? Jack Dudley?" Tom suddenly said with a smile in his voice, getting a giggle in return. They had both agreed on Jack as the new baby's name but were having trouble with a middle name. Already having William James and David Thomas, they'd used up many family name options; if it had been a girl they would have gone with Diana Kathryn, having named Lucy Abigail after Kate's mother and sister-in-law.

"Jack Egbert?" Kate suggested with another giggle.

"Jack Otis."

"Jack Nicholson!"

Tom growled playfully into her ear, "Now you're just being silly, woman!"

Kate laughed, tipping her head back to look into his face and pulling at his hair to tease him. "Oh, I'm the one being silly am I? Jack Archibald indeed!"

He silenced her laughter with a kiss, turning more to his side so he could put both arms around her and draw her closer, deepening the kiss as she responded and moaned softly against his lips. Her fingers buried themselves in his curls as he nipped at her neck and earlobe, trailing his kisses down towards her breasts as the sound of her heavy breathing made him mad with desire. Maybe they could ...

"Tom!" There was an urgency in her tone that stopped him and he felt her tense as she put a hand to the largeness of her belly pressed up against him.

"Darling, is it...?"

"Dammit Hiddles, why can't any of your children arrive on time?"