The next morning.
Hawk stirred from his meditation, withdrawing his mind from his cosmos and opening his eyes to find Gwen resting on his chest.
"Morning."
"Morning."
She kissed his forehead, then got up with a smile. "Come on, breakfast's ready."
Today was the day their little couple's group was flying to London. Excitement was in the air.
Though the flight wasn't until noon, Gwen and Mary had insisted they all head to the airport early—just in case of traffic. Hawk and Peter, naturally, hadn't been as enthusiastic.
After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Hawk headed downstairs, spotting the breakfast Gwen had packed for him. Gwen herself was by the fireplace, frowning slightly.
"Hawk, did you mess with the fireplace yesterday?"
He paused, sipping his coffee. "What about it?"
"Just feels… different."
"Maybe your imagination."
She shrugged it off. "Eat up. Mary texted—they're already on their way with Peter."
Three gulps of coffee, two bites of pancake, and Hawk was already heading to the garage. Gwen gawked, scrambling to follow.
"Did you even pack your luggage?"
"In the car."
"…Fine."
Soon, the car roared onto the road toward JFK Airport.
…
The flight to London took off smoothly. Seven hours in the air.
Peter and Mary sat upstairs. Hawk and Gwen, downstairs by the window.
Gwen pulled on her eye mask and dozed. Hawk leaned back, gazing out at the clouds. Memories of his last two trips flickered through his mind.
First trip: attacked by muggers.
Second: coup d'état grounded his flight.
What now? A midair disaster?
Thankfully, the seven-and-a-half-hour flight passed without incident.
Or so he thought.
The moment they landed at Heathrow, armed police stormed aboard, heading upstairs.
Half an hour later, word spread: five Middle Eastern men had attempted to hijack the flight. Their plan had been foiled by none other than Peter Parker and Mary Jane, who had quietly subdued them with the help of an air marshal.
Applause erupted. Peter blushed. Mary glowed with pride.
Gwen was stunned. Hawk simply sat in silence.
So it was official. He really wasn't meant to leave New York.
Unless, maybe… he brought Peter along every time?
…
After a detour to the airport police station to give statements, they finally reached their hotel near the Tower of London around 1 a.m. local time. Gwen and Mary had chosen it for its proximity to both the Tower and London Bridge.
That night, Hawk and Gwen shared a quiet moment in their room. Afterward, while Gwen slept, Hawk checked an email from Anna.
Attached: a boarding pass.
Name: Erik Selvig.
Hawk's lips curled. The astrophysicist—Thor's ally, the man who once studied the Tesseract before being enthralled by Loki—was in London too.
Which meant Jane Foster wouldn't be far behind.
Which meant the Reality Stone itself was close.
Hawk shut off his phone, pulled Gwen into his arms, and finally drifted into sleep.
…
The next morning, Mary relived the plane incident in the hotel dining hall, retelling every detail with dramatic flair. Gwen listened, rapt. Peter smiled sheepishly. Hawk ate in silence, privately vowing never to travel abroad without Peter again.
Over the next five days, they toured London.
The London Eye. Big Ben. Buckingham Palace. Westminster Abbey.
Sightseeing from dawn to dusk. Gwen and Mary were tireless, soaking it all in. Peter lasted three days before fatigue set in. Hawk, of course, was still fine.
So Gwen and Mary reluctantly agreed to give the guys a rest day.
…
That evening, the four dined at OXO Tower, overlooking the Thames and St. Paul's Cathedral. Gwen and Mary snapped photos. Peter chatted lightly.
But Hawk's gaze shifted when a woman entered the restaurant.
Natalie Portman's double.
Jane Foster.
Thor's mortal love. The one who would one day wield Mjolnir.
Hawk's eyes lit up.
Gwen noticed instantly, following his gaze. When Hawk looked back at her, their eyes met. She smiled knowingly and returned to her conversation.
Moments later, Jane's friend Darcy Lewis arrived, spoke briefly, then left. Jane, clearly uncomfortable, excused herself from her date and prepared to go.
Hawk glanced at Gwen. He didn't need to speak.
"Go," Gwen said softly.
"…Do I need you to wait?"
"You'll manage."
"Then we'll meet at the hotel?"
"Exactly."
Hawk hesitated—then shook his head with a grin. "No. Let's go together."
Her brows arched, her smile blossomed. She slipped her hand into his.
Mary gaped. "Wait—Gwen? Where are you going?"
"Out of pads," Gwen said smoothly. "We'll meet you later at the hotel."
"…Pads?"
(End of Chapter)
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