Intertwine

16 - FOR F*CKS SAKE STARK

I nodded and watched her walk out of the doors to the helicopter. The avengers were splitting up to cover more ground. The only team I knew for sure was Alina's. She was going to be with Nat and Wanda. The dream team really. Ali looked back as they took off, giving me a small salute and a wink. I rolled my eyes and smiled. She really was a Stark. Clever, sassy, and insane.

I turned back inside and walked straight into Loki.

"Careful now, you should look where you're going. You might bump into someone you don't want to see." He smirked.

"Get out of my way." I snarled, pushing him aside.

"Here to see people off?" He asked, catching up to me.

I carried on walking, not bothering to look at him. "And you're here to annoy me I suppose?"

"Well we are supposed to be working together."

I groaned. "Doesn't mean I have to be nice to you."

He gave me a pout. "But then you'll hurt my feelings."

I groaned and punched a button on the lift to take me back to the floor which had my room on it. Loki stood beside me, hands behind his back. The lift opened and I ducked inside, trying to hit the 'close door' button before Loki could make it in, but I had no such luck. We stood side by side in silence as the lift took us downwards.

"You going to follow me everywhere?" I asked.

"No, I'm going to my room." He replied.

The door opened and I got out. Loki followed.

"God's sake! Stop following me!"

"I'm... not. My room is genuinely over there." He pointed down the corridor. At the room opposite mine.

"FOR FUCKS SAKE STARK!" I yelled, storming off down the corridor. I opened my door and turned to Loki who was behind me. Still. "If you dare try to come in my room without permission I will carve out your eyes, do you understand me."

"Ooh, is that not supposed to be an incentive?" He asked innocently.

"UGH!" I shouted, walking into my room and slamming it behind me. I slumped onto my bed and rubbed my abdomen. All the yelling had agitated my wound. My hand searched around my bedside table for a water bottle and my pain killers. I found them and took two, taking a huge gulp of water to help them down. I shuffled up my bed and lay there, waiting for the pain to subside.

I allowed myself to let out a little whimper as the pain washed over me. I kept forgetting how fragile I was. I was healing fast, but not fast enough for my liking.

"The midgardian drugs not doing the trick?" I looked up. Loki was standing by my door.

"I told you not to come in!" I threw the empty water bottle at him. It passed right through.

"And I did as I was told." He smirked.

I groaned and rolled back around, wincing as I did so. "Very funny." I muttered. "Go away now please."

"You know I could... but I won't."

"Then shut up." I didn't have the energy to fight him. This kept happening. I'd be fine for a few hours and then BAM feel like absolute shit again. I tried to wriggle my way under my covers but it was too painful. I let out a garbled scream into my mattress and punched a pillow in frustration. I was unable to conjure powerful enough vines to help me either, I had barely enough energy to make more than a coin sized piece of wood. I didn't let myself cry though, not with Loki watching. I hated this. I'd become so strong in the last few weeks, stronger with my powers and with my body. I was able to do a flip now! Well, most of the time. Now this stupid gunshot was giving me headaches, body pain, breathing problems, the list was endless. I was healing so much faster than a normal person, but still. I couldn't stand it.

I heard my door click and gently a blanket was placed over me.

"Thank you." I murmured without looking round.

"Mmmm." Came the response, then the door clicked again and I knew Loki had left. As he didn't make any more snarky remarks I assumed he'd gone for good and taken his projection of himself with him.

The next day I got up early and went into the training room, as I had done so many times with Steve. He would always be there at my door, knocking at 6am on the dot. I'd groan and throw a pillow at him.

"Rise and shine Ro, we got training to do." He'd say. I'd drag myself out of bed, get dressed and follow him to the training room. I always looked terrible because I showered after training not before, but Steve never said anything.

I pressed my finger to the pad by the door and it slid open. I sighed as I stood in the doorway. I didn't know if I was up to any of this. I began with some cardio, then I pulled on my boxing gloves. They fit perfectly, of course they did, they were made for me. But for some reason I'd been expecting them not to. Nothing else about my life seemed to fit anymore.

One punch, another punch, a kick. Pain shot through my sides. I grunted and punched again, pushing the pain away. I carried on like this until I was holding my stomach in pain. That was enough for today. I pulled my gloves off and threw them on the floor, making my way back to my room to shower.

As the hot water hit my skin I felt the pain subside slightly. The showers at the headquarters never failed to amaze me. They were spacious, big enough for 3 people. You could play music through bluetooth speakers too. So much tech for such a simple task as washing. I remembered when we washed with a cloth and a tub. It took ages to get the water hot enough for an entire bath, so you used a basin instead. Some technological advances I was very thankful for. Those relating to hygiene were truly my favourite.

I got dressed in my usual attire of an oversized t-shirt and baggy tracksuits. Someone had obviously caught on that I had a thing for band t-shirts. Packages would arrive on my bed when I got back from training for the day and inside were graphic tees and hoodies. When I mentioned this to Ali she'd just nodded sagely and said, "Sounds like the Happy I know." I'd never really spoken to Happy in depth but he'd always been respectful after that day I'd floored him in the ring.

I was munching on a corner of toast when Loki finally came in.

"Just woken up?" I asked him.

When he saw me he took a double take.

I laughed dryly. "It's 9am. I've been up for three hours."

"You..." He paused mid-sentence.

"What?" I took another bite. I swallowed. "It's funny Loki, but you don't seem to have changed at all. You just look... tired." I echoed the words that Steve had told me weeks before.

He walked up to me, looking me up and down. "You've cut your hair."

"Very observant." I replied, clearing my plate away.

"It's so... short."

"Well done." I ran my fingers through my locks. It felt weird that there was no hair past my jaw. I half expected the hair to keep going.

His brow furrowed. "Why?"

"I felt it was time for a change."

"When did you do it?"

I jumped onto the counter, pulled out my protein shake from the fridge and sipped on it. "Last night."

"I didn't notice."

"I had my hood up."

He nodded slowly.

"Alright," I slid off the counter, "time to get to work."