The next day started out normally, with you less cranky and emotional because you'd actually slept the night before. You had arrived late down to breakfast, walking in at 10. By that hour, the team had already eaten and were out in the living room watching the Walking Dead without you.
"You're lucky I'm too tired to fight you for watching without me, Sam," you whined groggily, making your way over to the kitchen.
"Not only have you seen it already, but you know what happens 6 years from now too," he defended.
Grabbing a pan from one of the cabinets and some eggs from the fridge, you got to work prepping your breakfast. You noticed Loki was in the sitting area with them, trying to look like he wasn't as glued to the show as he was.
"Anybody feed Loki?" you asked, scrambling the eggs in a bowl.
"I am not a pet," Loki protested.
"No, you're a guest," you said back, pouring the eggs on the pan and placing the bowl in the sink.
"I offered him some cereal," Rhodey answered, almost reluctantly. "He said he wasn't hungry."
"I wasn't," Loki confirmed.
You stepped away from your eggs, looking at Loki with an expression that said "Get over here and eat breakfast, you baby, before I come over there and force-feed you." Surprisingly, he rolled his eyes and stood up, coming over promptly.
Man must actually be hungry to cave so easily, you thought, giving him a 'That's what I thought' nod.
He stood next to you, watching as you dumped the finished eggs onto a plate, grabbing the toast from the toaster and buttering them thoroughly. Once done, you poured him some orange juice, handing him the plate and cup.
"Go sit, I'll bring a fork."
You grabbed him a fork from the drawer and placed it where he was sitting. He didn't say thank you, but you were used to that.
Five minutes later you had made yourself another plate. Loki was finished by the time you sat down, but he remained in his seat.
"I believe I showed you what to do with those," you said, nodding to his dishes.
He glared at you, but cleared his place as you'd shown him. He then made his way back to the table instead of the living room.
Your attention was on the tv, which you could see from where you were sitting. Loki cleared his throat quietly, trying to get your attention.
"What?"
"I have some more information I need from you," he declared firmly, though in a hushed tone.
"Is that your way of asking if you can ask me stuff?"
"Call it what you will," he replied.
"Why are we whispering?" you asked.
"I do not wish the others to know, as it does not concern them."
"Okiedokie," you said, finishing your breakfast and going to clear your place.
"Hey, Loki wants some air, so I'ma babysit him for a few outside, is that ok?" you asked the group.
"Yeah, whatever," Tony answered distractedly, eyes on the screen, "Just make sure you take Friday with you."
"I will," you promised, grabbing the same wristband from yesterday and sliding it on. "K, let's go," you said, walking past Loki.
"Keep it PG you two," Tony called out as you left the room.
You made a gagging noise to show you disgust, flipping him off for good measure.
"PG?" Loki asked once you were down the hall.
"Don't ask, it's just Tony being Tony."
Loki must have assumed the general meaning, because he looked amused.
Once outside, you chose to walk in a new direction than the lake, wanting to explore the vast grounds.
"Ok, what do you want?" you asked Loki, who was walking on your left.
"I need to see the conversations between me and Thor," he demanded.
"The brotherly ones? From Ragnarok?"
"Yes," he sighed.
"Again?"
"Yes again, otherwise I wouldn't be saying I need to see them would I?"
"You know I was asking why you want to see them again, not if."
"None of your business," he said coldly.
"They're my memories," you argued.
"Of my life!" he snapped. "You have information that is personal and critical, so I can demand what I want from you on the matter."
You wanted to refuse just to spite him, but he was partly right.
"Ok, fair," you gave in. He looked mildly shocked that you conceded so easily.
"Let's wait til we're a little further from the compound. Don't want anyone catching you."
The two of you walked in silence for some time, enjoying the beautiful weather. It was the perfect chilly day, and you realized you had no idea what month it was here.
"Friday?" you asked.
"Yes Miss?"
"What is today's date?"
"October 15, 2015."
"Sweet, thanks!" you said happily.
"Why so happy over a date, darling?"
"It's only 16 days til Halloween," you replied.
"And that means what exactly?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
"Oh, it's a holiday that celebrates everything spooky. You know, witches, ghosts, vampires, all that good stuff. It's a time to watch scary movies, dress up in costumes, and eat lots of candy. When you're a kid you go trick-or-treating on Halloween, which is where they wear their costumes and walk around to people's houses, where they receive a bit of candy. By the end of the night they have a full bag of goodies."
He was looking like you had lost your mind, so you explained some more.
"Ok, it sounds weird when you actually say it out loud like that, but trust me, nothing is better than a Halloween day in a quaint neighborhood where the sidewalks are filled with all of these kids happily running around in costumes. People decorate their houses too, some in an innocent way with autumn decorations or a few cute ghosts, others go all out with creepy decorations, like spiderwebs and fog machines. It's great."
"Sounds pointless."
"Yes, but it's for fun, Loki. Don't you guys have any holidays or traditions or things you just do for fun up on Asgard?"
"We have traditions, yes, and many are quite splendid. But the difference is there is a logical thing we are celebrating."
"Oh, there's a history to Halloween. Kinda linked to religious stuff on the one hand I think, but it has evolved to be more fun than serious. Also, it is considered to be the time of year where spirits can roam the earth and all that scary fun stuff."
"You enjoy being scared?" he asked.
"Well yeah, to a degree. I love all of the spooky Halloween stuff, and I like scary movies. A lot of people do. I guess it's a way to experience something thrilling while also feeling safe? I mean, none of us would love it if we were really the ones about to get chopped to pieces by a masked killer, but watching it happen on screen allows us to feel scared without being in danger, and it's kinda fun. Also it's funny if you watch them with people who are scared easily, because their screams are hilarious."
"You might just be as twisted as I," he laughed.
"I never turned myself into a snake to stab my brother...or turn him into a frog. Though I'm sure both were wonderful jokes."
"They were indeed hilarious," he smirked.
You broke out in laughter, much to Loki's confusion.
"Just, let me show you," you said through giggles, "You'll understand." You faced him and motioned for him to do his mind thing.
He looked hesitant, but curious.
"Um...ok," he said, placing his hands on your head. The scene of Loki, as Odin, watching the play during Ragnarok was in front of you.
"I'm sorry about that time I turned you into a frog," stage Loki said.
"It was a wonderful joke," Thor replied.
"It was indeed hilarious," 'Odin' said.
Loki broke contact and was grinning slightly down at you, while you were laughing harder.
"Wait, wait, keep going," you said, and Loki nodded.
"Father," Thor said.
"Oh shit," 'Odin' whispered, quickly collecting himself.
You broke contact this time, laughing so hard you were crying.
"Best. Line. Ever," you wheezed, and Loki was now chuckling too.
"That is certainly something I'd do," he said.
"You cannot believe how hard I had to try not laughing when I saw you putting on the play in Asgard the other day."
"Ah, you were there to witness that masterpiece?" he asked, smiling.
"Strayed a bit from the source material, but all around I give it a 9/10."
Loki scoffed, "I think it was a very accurate representation, thank you."
"You're right, the movie must have gotten it wrong."
"Midgardians are idiots," he agreed.
"You don't understand how weird it is that you're real," you said suddenly, "That I just showed Ragnarok scenes to Loki. No one at home will ever believe this, if I miraculously make it back that is."
"You will," Loki said, though he looked caught off-guard by his own words and started floundering for an explanation. "I mean, well, because you found a way here when you needed to, so it should work the other way around."
"You'd think," you said bitterly, "But I tried it the other night. It didn't work."
"Perhaps it is simply not time for you to go," he said, "Or you did not truly want to leave."
"I didn't want to leave," you assured him, "Just wanted to know that going back was possible."
"Well, then there is always the hope that in your most desperate moment of desire, it will appear."
You smiled, "I guess you're right, though none of us are exactly experts on portals from other realities. Speaking of, are any of us going to question how the hell I opened a portal? I mean, especially in my world. That kind of thing doesn't happen."
"It would require an extreme amount of energy," Loki started, "The Tesseract's immense power can open portals between realms and different places around the universe. You, however, opened one between entirely separate realities."
"Could it have been opened from this side? Nothing in our world has that kind of power."
"It's possible, though how it opened to you specifically would be harder to explain."
"Yeah, it's not like someone over here knew where I was or what I was wishing at that time."
Loki seemed to be lost in thought, so you let him muse for a minute.
"Oh," you said, breaking the silence, "You said you wanted to see the conversations."
He moved himself into position and you focused on what he wanted to see.
"Do you truly think so little of me?" Loki asked his brother.
"Loki, I thought the world of you. I thought we were going to fight side by side for forever. But at the end of the day, you're you and I'm me. I don't know, maybe there's still good in you. But let's be honest, our paths diverged a long time ago"
"Yeah," Loki said glumly, "It's probably for the best that we never see each other again."
"That's what you always wanted," Thor said, patting his brother on the back.
The get help scene followed next, and then Loki betraying Thor.
"Oh dear, brother, you're becoming predictable. I trust you, you betray me, round and round in circles we go. See, Loki, life is about, it's about growth, it's about change, but you seem to just want to stay the same. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you will always be the God of Mischief. But you could be more."
The scene changed again to Loki helping in the fight on the rainbow bridge, and then once more to the ship afterwards.
"Maybe you're not so bad afterall, brother," Thor said.
"Maybe not."
"Thank you. If you were here, I might even give you a hug," Thor said, tossing the top to Loki, which he caught.
"I'm here."
You pulled away, Loki's hands frozen for a moment in the air before lowering to his side. He was looking one-third sad, one-third happy, and one-third stone cold, all three emotions playing across his face in a fight for dominion over him.
"They never did show the hug," you said disappointedly, offering a small smile.
After a bit he softly smirked, "A shame," he said.
"Yes, yes it was," you agreed, "Literally the only thing I ever wanted."
"Ugh, so sentimental," he groaned, rolling his eyes and walking away across the lawn. You walked quickly to catch up.
"You going to tell me why you wanted to see it again?"
"Need we go over the 'stay out of my business' issue again, darling?"
"I bet because it's super sweet and adorable and seeing that a relationship between you and Thor is possible makes you happy," you blurted out, ignoring him completely.
He scoffed, but didn't try to argue the point.
"Loki, I thought the world of you," you teased in an exaggerated Thor voice.
"Yes, one replay was quite enough."
"What are you talking about? I've watched that movie at least twenty times, embarrassingly probably more if we're being honest."
Friday's voice prevented the conversation from going any further.
"Boss says you and Reindeer Games must return at once. It is urgent, Miss."
"Ok, we'll be right there," you told her.
"Oh dear, what did you do now?" you joked to Loki.
"I can assure you, I have pulled no tricks on the witless gang."
"That's gonna have to change, you know." He questioned you with a look. "If I get to meet Loki, God of Mischief, I better dang well get to see some pranks."
"For once I am happy to oblige you," he grinned, "Though, perhaps it wouldn't be wise at this tender stage in my Avenger relationship."
"You're probably right, though if I was in on it they can't put all the blame on you."
"I'm afraid your history with them is far less tarnished than mine."
"Eh, we'll find a way," you promised, "Maybe around Halloween!"
"Who knows where we'll be in two weeks' time," Loki said, "Hopefully I'm out of this dreadful place."
"But if you're still here, you promise to pull a prank?"
Loki considered it for a moment, "How could the God of Mischief refuse such a request?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, thank you thank you thank you!"
The two of you were approaching the compound, and you could see commotion in the large hangar next to the facility.
"What is going on?" you mumbled, turning in that direction.
"Looks like your heroes are off on another valiant crusade," Loki observed drily.
"Hey, Tony?" you called to the Iron Man standing next to the quinjet...an actual quinjet.
"Wow," you gasped, staring at it in wonder.
"Hey kid," Tony said, walking over to you, "Fury called, we have a mission. Shouldn't be more than two days max."
"Ooooo, what kind of mission, or is it top secret?"
"Unfortunately, it is," Cap said, joining Tony
"Well you know...I have a vast expanse of random knowledge about this place. What if I could give you some insight before you take off?" you asked, more in a silly voice than serious, but Tony seemed to be considering it.
He looked at Cap, who shook his head.
"Shield may or may not have detected possible activity from a group which you should be familiar with," Tony said, choosing his words carefully to remain as vague as possible.
"Ah," you said, and Cap looked disappointed.
"Hey, I didn't disclose any real info," Tony complained.
"Is this random group who you have not mentioned perhaps being led by a particularly grumpy and bitter individual who used to pretend to work for a friendly group?" you asked.
Steve and Tony looked lost.
You sighed, leaning in closer and whispering "I mean Rumlow."
Cap's face grew serious. "He's dead."
"Oh boy," you said, eyes wide, "Did I forget to mention that too?"
Tony put his hand to his forehead, sighing and walking a few steps away.
"Yes, you forgot!" Cap said sternly, "How could you not remember to tell us about a threat like him?"
"Oh, he becomes an even bigger one, causes a whole bunch of problems. But... I probably shouldn't have said that out loud, now that I think about it." You trailed off, as Cap's face grew harder.
"What sort of problems?" Tony barked, walking back into the picture.
"He's Hydra, Tony, what kind of problems do you think?"
"We need to get this to Fury," Cap said, turning to Tony, and he nodded back.
"I'll fill him in along the way," Stark said, "Friday, let's get this bird in the air pronto." With that he turned and ran to the quinjet where everyone was waiting.
"Technically," you said to Cap as he was about to follow Tony, "This is me filling you in now...and you have til next year before he is the spark that starts the whole Sokovia Accords I told you about. So we have plenty of time to stop him."
Steve's face softened and he nodded, "You've had a lot to explain. I'm sorry I snapped."
"I seem to make people snap a lot, it's kinda my specialty," you smiled, giving Loki a brief glance.
Steve must have noticed the look, as he put a hand on your shoulder and spoke in serious concern. "You sure you're ok staying behind with him?" he asked. "I wanted to leave someone behind with you, but Tony said Friday could have everything under control."
"Let's just say that I never in a million years thought that Steve Rogers would be asking me if I'm ok babysitting Loki. So yeah, I'm frickin fantastic."
He gave you a look that showed he wasn't satisfied with that answer.
"I know I know, this is real, not fiction. So yes, in terms of the very real scenario of the God of Mischief being in the same house as me for two days, I will be fine. Friday is here, and I bother Loki enough that he'll leave me alone."
"He acts suspicious at all, you have Friday contact us immediately."
"When doesn't he act suspicious? The dude radiates 'I'm going to kill you and laugh after' vibes," you chuckled.
Steve gave Loki a wary look. "That's what has me worried."
"Killing your servant would serve me very little."
"Ha, 'Serve' you very little," you snorted. The looks you received were far from amused. "Get it, Serve like servant?....ok, I'm gonna shut up now."
Steve finally cracked a smile, patting you on the arm before making his way over to the quinjet. "And stay out of trouble!" he yelled from the ramp.
"Can't make any promises!" you called back.
The roof of the hangar retracted and the quinjet was up and away. Within a second everything was quiet.
"Well...Letsa go," you told Loki in your Super Mario voice. He shook his head at your stupidity, but followed you out of the hangar and up to the facility.
"What to do while the Avengers are away..." you mused out loud as you entered the living room "I can't exactly make a mess on my first week here."
"Not unless you were to straighten a few things up before your heroes returned?" Loki offered with a gleam in his eyes. The idea of making a mess of the Avenger's home must have sounded quite appealing to him.
"Ok, contain your excitement, Mischief Man. We're not trashing the place our first time unsupervised. Tony could have told Friday to spy on us anyway, so we're not taking that chance."
Loki sighed in disappointment, "Very well."
"Aren't you the brooding type anyway who will just go read a book? Not that I have anything against books, I like reading. But you seem like the kind of guy who would want to be left alone."
"I certainly like my peaceful moments alone, but I somehow doubt that is possible when in the same building as you."
"You can go hide in your room, I don't have to be watching you 24/7."
"As great of a respite from your chatter as that would be, I don't have much to occupy my time. And I will not be confined to my quarters simply to ease your job of watching me."
"You're more than welcome to stay in here then, I don't care. It looks like I have some cleaning to do," you happily observed, looking at the disheveled living room, scattered dishes, and cluttered counters.
"You seem eager?"
"House to myself and something to do that gives me an excuse for listening to music? Hell yeah I'm eager."
"You are not subjecting me to Midgardian music."
"Why? You seemed glued to The Walking Dead this morning, a truly repulsive Midgardian form of entertainment," you mocked in his voice.
"Unfortunately, Stark's rules are that I remain with the group."
"Oh yeah, and that must have been truly terrible being forced to watch something so entertaining."
"Precisely," he agreed, knowing full well you were teasing.
"Well, I'll find something more boring and less thrilling for you to do. How bout a puzzle?"
"I doubt humans could create anything of great complexity," he stated.
"Is that a 'Yes please, thank you very much, you're too kind'?
He rolled his eyes and took a seat at the table.
"Friday, does Tony have any puzzles in that sort of rec room I passed?"
"He has many games and activities for Saturday nights in the closet on the far wall. There should be a puzzle or two, Ma'am."
You found the closet in the living room, and fortunately there was a thousand-piece puzzle. It was of some big beautiful garden, like those found in palace grounds. The overwhelming amount of green from bushes and vines most likely provided a challenge for the contender.
"Here you go," you said, plopping it down loudly on the table in front of him. When he didn't seem to know what to do with it, you took the top off and dumped the contents. "These pieces all fit together," you explained, "to form this picture on the cover of the box. There are a thousand pieces. Your job is to finish it."
"It's as good as done, darling," he said smugly, beginning to fiddle with the pieces.
"I expect it to be done before dinner."
His eyes narrowed and he smirked, "Challenge accepted."
You went back to the living room, deciding to start your work there. You took Loki as definitely a sad music kind of guy, but you had already done the depressing playlist. So for the first hour or so, you played happy or peaceful songs. Oldies were always a go-to, and Michael Buble was beautiful. Loki would occasionally say something, more to the song than you. Things like "really?" or "we get it, you're happy", or his favorite line, which was simply an "oh please" followed by a groan. All in all though, he didn't seem drastically disturbed by the music.
You were down to your last chore, wiping the counters and table, when you decided it was time for a slight upgrade from the happy-go-lucky songs. For you, that meant some Imagine Dragons, Journey, Fall Out Boy, etc...what could you say? You were cliche and basic in your taste in music. But some songs just always hit right.
"Friday, play Demons by Imagine Dragons. And crank it up all the way."
You hadn't done much more than talk along with the songs, maybe sing softly once in a while, but these songs were different. It was time to get screaming. Loki gave you an irritated scowl at the increased volume, but you simply smiled back.
You began singing along "When the days are cold, and the cards all fold. When the saints we see are all made of gold..."
It was hard not to laugh, because Loki kept looking up at you with mixed expressions. Half annoyance, half confusion...and sometimes partial amusement. You were, afterall, bouncing around like an idiot, screaming along and getting very minimal cleaning done. You'd always acknowledge his look by simply singing louder or gesturing to him as if the song was directed at him. It's just a thing you did no matter who was in the room while you were singing.
"Yup, killed it," you said as the song ended.
"It definitely sounded like something was dying, there's no doubt of that."
"Butchering the song is half the fun," you defended.
"You certainly enjoyed yourself then."
"I did, thank you. And you can't say that song isn't the best."
"I also can't ignore the obvious. A man fighting his inner demons? Could you be any less subtle?"
"Oh dang, I guess it does apply to you. Nice self-analysis Loki," you applauded sarcastically with a little clap. "Trust me though, this next one is nothing but fun."
"I can't wait," he mocked, focusing on his puzzle once again.
"Friday, could you please play Separate Ways by Journey?"
"Of course, Miss."
The music started blaring and you paused your cleaning to bounce along.
"Get ready for the head banging," you said, pointing at Loki, who was giving you that look again. "Aaaaand...now!" You proceeded to head bang as you made your way over to grab a spoon. Using it as a mic, you belted the song. Loki looked mildly horrified at what in the Nine Realms was hitting his ears.
"Never, in the long years of my life, have I heard something so utterly bizarre."
"I know, it's great right?!"
"Revolting."
"It may not be a beautiful orchestra, but I already played happy music. I like orchestral stuff too, so I'll play that later tonight, ok?"
He just grunted.
"Thanks, Wren, you're the best babysitter a god could ask for," you said playfully in his voice.
"You are not my babysitter, stop using that word!"
"Well, since the others have left, I have given you a game to keep the baby boy distracted while I clean the house...what would you call it?"
"The child usually isn't capable of killing their sitter, now are they?" he snarled.
"There was this one kid, Drakeson, he was a monster. Little psychopath I tell you. Honestly, wouldn't have been surprised had he killed me."
Loki sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"I mean, who names their kid Drakeson anyway, like what is that?" you continued.
"You make threatening an impossible task."
"Or you're just really bad at it, one of the two."
"It's something I pride myself on, thank you," he scoffed in offense.
"And I can pride myself on singing well, but that doesn't make it true."
"Don't you have something else to clean?" he snapped, looking angrily down at the piece in his hand.
"Nope, I finished everything here."
"Then find something to do!" he barked.
"Now now, Junior, that's no way to talk to your babysitter. Don't make me put you in the corner to cool off."
Loki put his head on the table and let out a very long groan, but you thought you saw the hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth.
"Oh I know why you're so cranky. Do you want a snack?"
"For the last time, I am not a child that needs--"
"I'm serious!" you said, cutting him off, "It's 1 oclock now, we can get some snacks for lunch. I'm kinda in the mood for some munchies."
"Munchies? And I'm the child in this scenario?"
"Who ever said that?" you denied, standing up and heading over to the pantry.
"They have Cheez-Its!" you yelled to Loki
He ignored your comment, working dutifully on his puzzle until you arrived bearing a bowl of Cheez-Its, some cheese strings, and two lemonades. Loki picked up a Cheez-It and examined it for a bit, before taking a tentative bite. Apparently deeming it sufficient, he popped the rest in his mouth and reached for another.
"Ancient God who has faced Dark Elves, Giants, the Avengers, and countless other adversaries is terrified to try new food," you observed.
"Like you said to the others in regards to me, I am not an idiot. I haven't survived for this long without being cautious."
"It's a snack, not a deadly toxin."
"Midgardian food is often both."
"That's fair, a Pop Tart takes away five years of your life," you stated bluntly.
Loki looked at you in horror, and you chuckled. "It's hyperbole, I'm just saying they're not the healthiest. I thought you were the king of jokes?"
"I can never be too sure with you mortals."
"We are pretty self-destructive, I'll give you that."
Loki struggled amusingly with the cheese string wrapper, but refused help. After it was finally open, he went to take a bite right from the top.
"Don't!" you shouted, and he jumped a bit.
"What?"
"That's not how you eat it! It's a cheese string, so you eat it as such. Like this," you said, peeling off a string and eating it from one end to the other like a kid. He gave you a confused look.
"Is there a point to that?"
"Umm...cuz it's how you do it. Any man who eats it like an adult is a psychopath."
He looked you dead in the eye, and took a big bite, his face emotionless as he chomped away.
"Nooooo, I just died a little inside," you squealed, "you maniac."
He smiled and took another mouthful.
"Ok ok, I get it, you can stop shoving it in my face. I will eat it the right way!" you declared, peeling strings off one by one and taking your own sweet time eating it.
It wasn't until that moment that you realized Loki was half-way done with the puzzle.
"Dude, you have practically half of it done already?"
"I believe I have a deadline in a few hours. Did you doubt I'd make it?" he grinned.
"Over the past ten years, I think we've all learned never to doubt you."
"Perhaps mortals in your realm are smarter than in this world."
"You sure? I'm part of those mortals," you pointed out.
"Ah, yes, my mistake."
The next few minutes passed in silence, with Loki fixated on his work.
"Well, I'm going to go watch The Walking Dead while you finish up. See you in a few hours."
"Wait," he spat out quickly as you stood up, "Must you watch that show? It will be distracting, and it's not quite fair to interfere with a man's work after a challenge has been declared."
"Why should it distract you?" you asked "Afterall, it is a boring show you were only forced to watch, right?"
"Of course it is, yet at this...critical time in--in the puzzle process, any superfluous noise is highly unwelcome," he finished, attempting to make it sound like he hadn't just pulled the lamest excuse out of his butt.
"I'll take that into consideration." And with that you made your way over to the living room.
As much as you would have enjoyed blasting TWD just to bother Loki, you knew he wanted to watch it. You decided to browse some horror movies, choosing Insidious in the end. Whether Loki was turning to watch too or was distracted at all is something of which you were not aware. Once the movie was rolling, there was nothing that could pull your attention away. Two hours later you had finished and moved onto the second one, but not before taking a look at Loki's progress.
"Ah, you're slowing down there, old man."
"I would move faster if I had silence. And old man?!"
"You are like over a thousand years old, correct?"
"Yes, but that means nothing in Asgardian years, so I'll have you know I'm at the peak of youth."
"In that case, it's all downhill from here. You've crossed the threshold, and there's nowhere to go but down. Next thing you know wrinkles will creep in, your back will ache, you'll eat dinner at 4 o'clock, maybe partake in some prune juice consumption---"
"You Midgardians may be there in the blink of an eye, but I assure you I will not."
"That's what all old people in denial say. If you have a midlife crisis, can I come bungee jumping with you?"
"What are you rambling on about? Can I please have some silence to concentrate?" he asked in a flustered manner. He clearly did not like the thought of himself getting old.
"Ok, it's 3:30 now, you have til 6 to finish," you declared, returning to your couch.
"Simple," he replied.
Little did Loki know that you had swiped a piece quite a while ago. Nothing was more frustrating than getting to the end of a puzzle and missing one piece right in the middle...so naturally you had to mess with him. You smiled to yourself as you thought of his reaction.
I probably shouldn't be messing with him, but hey, he's going to kill me when this is over anyway.
Insidious 2 ended, and you walked up behind Loki to view his work. He was nearly there all right, but you had a feeling he'd come up just short. You rushed over to the fridge to hide the smirk growing on your face. You had to maintain your composure, though you knew it'd be nearly impossible. Sitting at the table with a glass of water, you attempted to act casual as you watched Loki grind it out before the deadline. It was rather fascinating to watch, like he'd remember what shape every piece was and where to find it in the pile. Obviously, he wasn't always right, but it was still impressive.
At 5:50 you started giving time updates every minute.
"Five minutes now."
"Yes, I get that!" he growled, and you held in your smile.
He only had four pieces left, so he looked up at you triumphantly.
"It seems that I will win," he bragged, beginning to place the last pieces.
"Fine, you're great at puzzles. There I said it, you happy now?" you grumbled, moseying over to the sink. In truth, you were about to burst, so you had to get away from the table before he made his discovery.
A sound of confusion came from behind you, followed by a frustrated "Where is it?"
"What?" you called over your shoulder as you washed your cup.
"There is a piece missing," Loki responded hotly.
"Oh that sucks, I hate when that happens. Whoever put it away last is a loser."
"No, there were a thousand pieces here to begin," he explained irritably.
"What did you count or something?" you laughed.
"Yes!" he shouted.
Ohhhhh, shoot, you thought, time to buy myself some time and get out of here.
"Damn, that's dedication," you noted, drying your hands on your pants and leaning against the counter. "It must have fallen, or is stuck to the box or something, happens to me all the time."
"I'm checking everywhere!" he yelled, standing up to check his seat, before dropping to his hands and knees to search the floor.
Oh crap, here comes the laughter.
"Well," you started quickly, "I guess this means I've won. Because I could be wrong, but I think that clock reads 6:01. I'm more than willing to extend your time if you need a second chance, I am a merciful ruler after all."
He looked at you angrily as he hair flipped up from the floor. "I would have finished, so the ability to do the task you assigned was proven."
"I don't think I challenged you to prove the doability of the task, I asked you to give me a completed puzzle. Not my fault you lost the piece!"
"I didn't lose it!" he argued, patting his clothes down in search of the missing piece.
"Whatever, if you find it let me know," you called out as you made your way out of the room, "I'll be in my room for a bit."
You didn't offer an explanation of why you were going to your room, because you didn't have one. And Loki, despite being currently occupied, might very well be able to spot your lie. You simply needed to get out of there before Loki paused long enough to think rationally or you laughed and blew it all. Thankfully, he didn't question your lame excuse for leaving, but you knew he'd put two and two together eventually. Therefore, once you were far enough away from the kitchen, you booked it for the elevator. You arrived at the lifts when you heard Loki laugh down the hall...although there was amusement in the sound, there was also a great deal of 'Oh she's dead' in it.
"Shit!" you whispered, making a decision in a split second that you hoped you wouldn't regret. The door to the elevator had opened, so you leaned in and pressed the third floor before turning and running around the corner in the direction of the training room. Hopefully, if Loki made to follow you, he would catch the elevator on its way up, thus thinking you had indeed ran to your room.
Maybe he won't even bother, it's just a puzzle after all. He might not even care.
Those thoughts were dashed when you heard his footsteps pounding their way down the hall. You tried to move silently, taking a few turns just in case he did venture past the elevators. Eventually, you made your way to the training center, which was sealed at the moment.
"Friday?" you whispered, "Could you possibly open this door? And keep your response quiet please."
"I'm sorry, ma'am," she whispered back, "There are weapons and other means of injuring oneself in there. I have been instructed to keep it sealed."
"Honestly, good idea, but shit." You thought for a second before speaking again. "Friday, where is Loki at the moment?"
"He's approaching your bedroom now."
"Ok, then I don't have long to book it to the lake. Let me know if he gets close."
You ran to the nearest exit, sprinting the long way across the lawn down to the lake. You chose a spot down by the water's edge that was protected from the compound windows by a slight slope and some trees. Laying flat on your back, you took heavy breaths. Not only had you run all the way here, but it was decently cold out, which caused that kind of sharp pain in your chest you got whenever breathing heavily in the cold.
"Friday, where is he now?"
"He's near the back of the compound, searching the halls. I have been guiding him on where he may or may not enter. He has asked for your location."
"Please tell me you didn't give it!"
"Of course not, Miss. Mr. Stark may have programmed me for service, but I am no snitch."
"I love you, Friday," you laughed.
"I'm finding your presence to be quite pleasant as well, Ma'am."
"Aw, thank you!"
You pulled your hands up into the sleeves of your sweater, curling up a bit to protect from the chill. "Does Loki look particularly angry?"
"I would not say angry, but certainly rather determined. His smile is hard to distinguish between menacing and playful."
"Tell me about it," you agreed.
"He has passed the training room ma'am, and seems to be pausing for abnormally long."
"Is he doing anything?"
"No Miss, just staring."
"At what?"
"The door at the end of the hall that you exited."
You felt a chill run down your spine.
"I feel like I'm in a horror movie, that is so creepy. Why is he staring? How could he possibly know I left through that door?"
"Friday?" Loki's voice played through your wristband. Friday must have been feeding the audio to you.
Clever girl.
"Yes sir?" she replied to him.
"Is this door used frequently by the residents here?"
"I'm not at liberty to say, sir," she answered. Bless her, she was trying to cover for you still.
"And why not? Is that particularly harmful information for me to know?" he pressed, and you could hear the victorious tone in his voice. He knew.
"Revealing the routines of the Avengers and the traffic flow of the building could give you an advantage should you ever try something. Therefore, I must insist that it is classified information."
He hummed in response, clearly not convinced.
"By Stark's orders, am I allowed outside?"
"Not without supervision, sir."
"Technically, am I not also supposed to be with someone when out of my room?"
Friday hesitated. "Yes."
"So is she not in violation of her duties as well?"
"Wait in the kitchen, sir, and I will summon her."
"I eagerly await her arrival," he said, and you could hear the haughtiness oozing out of him.
"Friday, noooo."
"I'm sorry, Miss, but Loki is right. Either you go in or I'd have to tell him you're out here. I figure the kitchen is a more comfortable place to settle the matter."
"You're right," you sighed, "The babysitter can't leave the kid unattended."
You stood up and reluctantly made your way back to the compound. You entered through the same side door and navigated the halls back to the kitchen. Pausing outside, you poked your head in cautiously. Loki wasn't there.
"Oh shit," you whispered. "Friday, where is he?"
"He was just at the table."
"Nope, I'm out," you said, turning to rush out of the room, but screaming when you practically ran right into Loki.
"Sorry, darling, but you're not running out again," he smiled.
"Hey, Loki," you greeted nervously as you backed into the kitchen. "So...did you finish the puzzle?" You couldn't even ask it jokingly without breaking out laughing. You didn't care that you weren't trying to move away from him anymore.
Surprisingly, Loki was chuckling too.
"It isn't often I get pranked, mainly because no one is stupid enough to try. I'm impressed. You do know this was a declaration of war?"
"I wasn't aware of that at the time, no, but I guess I shoulda seen it coming," you answered, still giggling.
"Yes, you should have. Now, if you please?" He stuck his hand out, and you more than happily placed the missing piece in it. He walked swiftly over to the table and finished the puzzle.
"Ta-dah!" he said, standing back to admire his work.
"Beautiful," you stated drily, walking over to the fridge. "Sandwiches ok for dinner?" you asked, "I don't feel like investing energy into making something more elaborate."
"I'll be forced to eat whatever it is you make, so drop the pretense of caring about what I want."
"You right, you're getting a sandwich regardless."
Ten minutes later you and Loki were having dinner, on the end of the table opposite that of the puzzle, or "masterpiece", as he called it.
"How did you know I'd left through that door?" you asked.
"Come again?"
"The door down the hall from the training room, how did you know I had gone out that way?"
"I have my ways," he gloated, "I take it your little partner in crime was filling you in?"
"Yeah Friday was doing a good job, weren't you Friday?" you called out.
"I do try, Miss."
"It was terrifying, I felt like I was in a horror movie."
Loki's look asked his question without him needing to.
"Scary movies, like the ones I watched today. Though, those were paranormal ones, and running from you felt like hiding from Michael Myers."
"I take it that's worse," he deciphered from your tone.
"Big time. Michael Myers is my favorite horror movie villain. Oh my gosh I know what we're watching tonight!"
Loki rolled his eyes.
"No, you'll love it. Literally, the best Halloween movie of all time."
"Oh, well in that case," he replied sarcastically.
"Seriously, hurry up and finish your food."
"I'm done," he pointed out.
"I was talking to myself," you said, popping the last of your sandwich in your mouth and grabbing both of your dishes quickly.
You had Friday queue up Halloween, while you made popcorn for the two of you. After turning out the lights and giving Loki his bowl, you reclined on the other couch and pressed play.
"What an original title," Loki scoffed.
"Shhhhhh, talk during this movie at your own peril."
"If only I had a compelling reason not to bother you," he continued talking, ignoring your hollow threat.
"Ok, pay me back for my prank some other time. You'll wanna hear what's being said to understand what's going on."
Thankfully, that must have convinced him, because he remained silent for the rest of the movie.
"Now, wasn't that the best hour and a half of your life?" you said, turning to look at him as the credits rolled.
"Far from," he answered, "But it did have its moments."
You stood up to carry your bowl back to the kitchen, and Loki followed.
"So, is there another one?" he asked.
"Why, you that interested?" you teased.
"The ending was surprising, that is all. I assume that means they finish the story."
"Oh, they finish it. Again and again and again."
"What does that mean?"
"I'll explain the messy timeline of the sequels later."
It was almost 9:30, and you had to make sure you were up whenever Loki was up tomorrow, so you decided to call it a night...you didn't have time to start another movie, and honestly you were kinda tired for whatever reason. Probably because you'd been staring at a screen most of the day. Additionally, if you were going to be staying with heroes, you had to learn to get up early.
"Come on, I have to walk you to your room."
The two of you discussed the movie on your way up, pausing outside your rooms to finish your conversation.
"Well, I guess we'll have to watch the second one won't we?" you concluded.
"I suppose we will," he smirked.
"Night Loki," you yawned, opening your door.
"Goodnight."