Thor had left for Asgard far sooner than I had expected. Loki was recovering from his many injuries, but slowly.
He was on his way, as I was kindly notified by Bruce, so I had enough time to go out and get some clothes for the god of mischief. I got a lot of green and black clothing (because that's all I knew that he liked), before heading back home.
He was dropped off at my house by six SHIELD agents a few hours later. I led Loki inside once he arrived and then to the spare bedroom down the hall. When I had offered to help him, he had cringed away from my hand, embarrassed enough that he needed any help at all, and too proud to accept it when it was offered.
He wasn't dressed in his usual armour, but instead had black pants and a faded, almost black, green shirt. When we reached the bedroom, he closed the door in my face and didn't talk at all.
I decided I would let him stay quiet for maybe a day and then it was down to business.
I walked back down the hallway to see Bruce with two other SHIELD agents. I gave Bruce a small hug before addressing the SHIELD agents.
"Agent Romanoff," One of the Agents nodded to me, "I'm Agent Anglen and this is Agent Markins." Both were young looking, but Agent Markins had silver hair near his ears. "We'll be patrolling the outside of your house to make sure you're alright. We'll be here for a few days before two different agents will take our place."
Agent Anglen, the one who had been talking, smiled.
"Thank you, agents. And, Bruce...?"
"Oh, I'm just making sure you're alright."
"I'm fine, but thank you." I said and gave him a smile. Bruce smiled in turn.
The agents nodded again and left through the front door. I looked at the time and saw that it was almost six o'clock. I walked over to the stove pulling from the cabinet a pot. I decided to make soup, not quite sure what Loki might like or what food they ate in Asgard. After a few minutes it was ready and I took it off the stove.
I grabbed two bowls from a cabinet and filled the soup with each. Placing one on the island for me, I grabbed a spoon and took the other one to Loki's room.
I knocked on the door. "Loki?" I asked softly, but didn't get a response. "Loki?" I called again, louder this time. "Are you hungry?"
Still no response. Did he escape? A panicked thought rushed through my head. I tried the door, but it was locked. Heart pounding, I ran to the kitchen, placing the bowl on the island next to the other before running out the front door.
"Agent Romanoff?" I turned to see both guards standing at the front door. "You okay?"
"I-Ill be right back. I need to check something!" I continued to run along the front of the house and then the side before coming to the back. The window that led to Loki's room was closed and the light was on. I peered through carefully and saw Loki sitting on the bed, reading a book that I recognized to be a book I had gotten a few years ago. So he hadn't escapes through the window.
I sighed. He has been deliberately ignoring me. I guess I wasn't surprised, and I should be happy that he hadn't escaped. I shook off every thought - I had a job, and I planned on doing it.
I went back to the front of the house.
"Everything alright?" Asked Agent Markins.
"Yes, I'm sorry if I alarmed you."
I walked in, grabbed the soup off the counter and continued on to Loki's room. I knocked harder this time. "I made soup."
With no response still, I muttered under my breath and turned to the kitchen. I dumped the soup in the sink and put the bowl in the dishwasher before picking up my own bowl and eating the soup in that.
The bowl eventually joined the other in the dishwasher once I finished.
I sighed and walked to my room, glancing quickly down the hallway to see the light still shining under the door of the spare bedroom.
I sighed and walked in my own bedroom. After brushing my teeth and undressing, I lay in bed thinking. I guess it wouldn't be too bad if Loki stayed in his room all of the time. That way, I couldn't risk interaction with him. On the other hand, I had a duty to do. I closed my eyes, recalling the last time Loki and I had spoken.
I stood outside of his cell, my hands at my sides, waiting for him to realize I was there.
He hadn't yet turned around when he spoke, "There's not many people that can sneak up on me." He then turned toward me, striking me with his piercing, icy blue gaze.
"But you figured I'd come." I responded.
"After." He said, "After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm, and I would cooperate." He gave me a wide smile and I glared back.
Arms still at my sides I spoke, "I want to know what you've done with Agent Barton." I felt panicked at the thought of him, imagining him chained and tortured, forced to give up all of the information he knew before he was killed...I shuddered at the thought.
"I'd say I've expanded his mind." Loki said with a small smirk, speaking as though it was the most obvious thing in the universe.
"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain," I approached his still form, standing in the cell, "what happens to his mind?" I crossed my arms, standing tall.
Loki looked at me curiously, his eyes narrowed, "is this love, Agent Romanoff?" He asked me.
"Love is for children," I responded blankly, "I owe him a debt."
Loki raised his hands from his side, allowing me to speak. He backed up to the seat in his cell as he spoke, "Tell me."
I sighed, looking toward the floor? How much could I tell him? How much did he already know?
I started to pace as I responded, "Before I worked for SHIELD I, uh, well, I made a name for myself." I smiled slightly, finding a seat. We now were far away but still facing each other. He sat at one end of his cell and I sat outside of the other. "I have a very specific skill set."
He watched me, listening, taking in the information as if it was all new.
"I didn't care who I used it for, or on." He watched me, barely moving except for when he blinked. "I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call."
He looked away, nodding slowly before looking back at me again. "And what will you do if I vow to spare him?"
I laughed quietly, "not let you out."
He laughed too, his smirk wide on his face as he leaned toward me, "No, but I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man." He stared at me intently, his smile slowly fading away.
"Regimes fall everyday." I cut in, "I tend not to weep over that. I'm Russian. Or I was."
He looked at the ground and licked his lips, thinking about his reply, "And what are you now?" He looked from the ground back to me and I felt my heart skip a beat at the look in his eyes. I stood up, letting his gaze follow me as I neared the cell.
"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out." I crossed my arms, waiting for his reply. There was a small smile on my face.
"Can you?" My eyebrows furrowed at first, and whatever smile I had vanished. "Can you wipe out that much red?" His gaze was innocent, questioning. "Dreykov's daughter. Sãu Paulo," every word was a jolt in my heart. He knew. He knew everything. "The hospital fire?"
He narrowed his eyes at me, leaning back slightly. "Barton told me everything." He stood up and approached me. I watched his every move, my heart sinking further and further in my chest. "Your ledger is dripping. It's gushing red and you think that saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will to change anything?" My heart was pounding now, filling my ears. "This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic!" I watched him, horrified that he knew so much about me. Things I've only ever told to Clint. "You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors."
I took a small step backward, scared. He was close, only the glass separated us until I backed up slightly.
"But they are part of you," he continued. "And they will never go away." He slammed his fist against the glass, causing me to jump. I watched him, horrified. "I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear." Loki glared at me, his mouth in a snarl, his fist pressed against the glass above his head, "And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work," my heart pounding my mouth dropped open and I stepped away from him, turning away so I couldn't see him. My breathing was quick and scared, "and when he screams I'll split his skull." I kept walking but stopped when he quieted down.
"This is my bargain, you mewling quim." He spat out at last.
My eyes that were closed opened quickly. I gasped, sitting up in bed, my heart pounding. I couldn't believe that monster was in my house, on the other side of the wall, waiting awake with the light on. I sprinted to my bedroom door, locking it before sliding to the floor in a heap.
I couldn't do it. I had to tell Fury that I couldn't do it.
Hey everybody! Thank for reading my book so far, and I hope you like it! If there is anything you would like to happen in future chapters, please comment below or DM! Also I am still continuing with "Lost With You," even if I am writing this one now, and I will try to update both books in the near future. Thanks again!