One and the Same (Loki Fanfic)

Chapter 4: Not That Bad

The party had ended almost an hour earlier, but the Avengers and their closer friends were still loitering around the couches, some of them nursing drinks and others without. Taylor had passed out on the couch—not from alcohol, but simply because she'd spent hours upon hours awake working on both college and missions, and now she was catching up on all she sleep she'd missed.

She'd started out just sitting next to Bucky and they'd been talking. Then there had been a lull in their conversation and next thing he knew, her cheek was pressed into his shoulder and she was fast asleep. He hadn't had the heart to wake her, so he'd let her be and somehow, as the party had wound down, she'd slipped from his shoulder to his lap, where she was now curled up like a cat.

The Avengers were all trying to lift Thor's hammer, taking turns trying to get it off the table, but it just wouldn't budge, and they were having a good time making fun of each other in the process. Loki was milling about, trying not to be noticed while he observed them all and silently wished they would just go to bed so Thor would let him get his own sleep. He envied the brunette snoozing so peacefully.

"Think Taylor could lift it?" Tony wondered suddenly, looking at the slumbering woman curiously.

Thor actually looked unsure for a moment.

"Taylor is a good person, but I'm not sure that she would be able to lift Mjolnir," he said slowly.

"Should we wake her up and find out?" Natasha questioned, interested in seeing this.

"Nah, let her sleep," Bruce disagreed, "she needs it."

Bucky glanced down at her, a sudden idea occurring to him. While he liked all of the Avengers just fine, he still valued solitude most times. The only exceptions were Steve and Taylor, who could sit quietly with him without impinging on his privacy. He counted this as his one major social interaction for a while and now he just wanted some sleep and some time alone.

"The doctor's right. I think I'm going to take her up to bed," he said, scooping Taylor up effortlessly, taking care not to jostle her lest she wake up and ruin his escape.

Of course, as always, his statement was met with a few suggestive "Ooh's" and Tony declaring "I knew it". No, they were not a couple—and the others definitely knew it—but damn if they didn't love teasing Taylor and Bucky about it every chance they got. When the jokes had first started, both Taylor and Bucky would flush bright red and adamantly deny it, but now they merely rolled their eyes and ignored the other Avengers.

"Mm, Buck? Are you taking me to my room?" Taylor mumbled when the movement of the elevator disturbed her from her slumber.

This was not the first time she'd woken in the super soldier's arms. He had a way of watching out for her like that—all the Avengers did actually, but since Steve had become capable of protecting himself, he'd taken to keeping an eye on her. That didn't mean he didn't still have Steve's back no matter what, but little things like this...Taylor had definitely become his charge.

"Yeah, the party's over," he answered, "I'm using you as an excuse to get to bed."

A sleepy smile curled her lips up as her light blue eyes fluttered closed again. She was exhausted—the work out earlier that day and the party (plus the stress that always accompanied parties) had ensured that. She had work to do in the morning and she was eager to get all the rest she could.

"It wouldn't be the first time," she sighed with amusement before drifting off again.

Dimly, she remembered that there was another, slightly murderous, Asgardian lurking about the tower, and that Thor had had something to tell them about, but that seemed completely irrelevant compared to how comfortable her bed was.