Universal Headaches - Revised

Chapter 2

It was a tense, awkward drive back to her house. The radio's volume barely registered and it only served to enunciate how quiet everyone was. Though Sutton couldn't say that she'd rather have a boisterous conversation. The mutual silence at least gave her a moment to retreat into herself and think. Or let her thoughts spiral. But she told herself it was just thinking.

She found herself eternally grateful that her roommate had just left for a three month backpacking trip in Australia. On a walkabout. To find herself. Because her parents had money and she could. Never mind that she hadn't even invited Sutton to go. It wasn't like Sutton was envious at all.

But at least she didn't have to explain returning home with a car full of fictional characters.

She'd turned the porch light on before leaving, so she at least wouldn't have to stumble and fumble around to find the door. More decent planning on her past self's part. But the small rambler wasn't much to look at and Sutton hunched her shoulders a bit as she made her way to the front door.

Footsteps behind her let her know this was really happening; they were really about to follow her into her house, and she took a quiet breath as she pushed open the door and flicked on some lights. She sent up a silent prayer that she'd left the house clean. Or at least decent.

Please, please, please. Today of all days, I'm begging you.

A couple dishes sat in the sink from breakfast and a jacket laid over the couch from when she'd decided not to take it that morning, but overall it wasn't a horrid first impression.

The Avengers, and Loki, trailed in after her. They seemed almost wary, and Sutton wondered if they thought she was planning to get the jump on them or something. As if she stood a chance. But the musing evaporated as her attention was stolen by purposeful movement.

Tony must have had sonar or something, because he spotted her laptop under some couch pillows in about point two seconds from entering the house, and he was already attempting to bypass her password protection.

"Hey," Sutton snapped. "That's mine!"

"Um, aware of that. Trying to do some research."

He shooed her away flippantly and Sutton scowled. She swiped the computer from her chipped coffee table that he set it on, and tucked it under her arm as she addressed the team.

And sort of Loki.

"Look, I think we've all had a long day. What with all of you defending New York, or failing to take it over, and me absolutely losing my mind. So I think it'd be best if we skipped the whole investigating part for now and just got some sleep then figure things out in the morning."

As if sleep was even an option.

At the thought that people preferably needed beds to sleep in, Sutton bit her lip as she looked down the short hall.

"You guys are probably going to have to bunk up though."

Tony raised his hand as he kicked back against the couch.

"I call Natasha."

He really should have burst into flames from the looks he received from both SHIELD agents.

"Kidding! I was kidding, sheesh."

In the end, she packed Thor, Loki, and the noble Steve Rogers into her roommate's bedroom, Clint and Natasha in her room, and left Tony and Bruce on the couches. Because they were shorter and they'd be able to fit.

Sutton built herself a sad little nest in the bathtub of her one bathroom. It was the only other door besides the front and back with a lock on it, and she made sure to hoard away her laptop and DVD collection behind the toilet for safekeeping.