Working Title : Loki & Annie

41 Calm Before the Storm

Thor wasn't certain what to do with the shopping cart with its contents so he decided to push it out of the way and leave it for Annie. He took the wagon off the top and set it on the floor, careful to not hit Loki as he did so. His brother was still awake but his little head was bobbing as he fought sleep, the little ball on his hat wobbling with every jerk.

"Come, Loki." He grasped Loki under the arms with care, making sure to keep his movements plain and clear. He would have no misunderstandings. 

Loki brought his hand out from under the cape, still clutching the sticker. Without letting go he brought it around to grasp his Hulk figure while his other hand gripped the Thor one. He allowed himself to be lifted from the seat of the cart, bringing both arms around Thor's neck. He lowered his head to his brother's shoulder and closed his eyes.

Thor pulled the cape free from around Loki as he laid the boy on the couch, resting his head on a pillow. As Loki turned to lay on his side Thor tucked the cape around him, making sure to pull the hat from Loki's head. He stood staring down at Loki, his mind churning through so many thoughts.

He needed to talk with Stark, to learn what mage Strange was going to do about getting Loki's collar off. Everything hinged on that, getting Loki's magic back so he could shift back into himself. Any other difficulties could be solved after that. He ran a hand over his head, pushing through his hair while telling himself that it wouldn't be much longer before everything was being set to rights. The knowledge that Odin had already refused to temper Loki's punishment was pushed to the back of his mind, that problem would be solved when Loki could come up with a plan. Thor knew he just needed to be patient. Just for a little longer.

He ran a hand over his face,  once more thinking how tired he was. He had fought for hours in battle and not come out this tired. His thoughts swirling about in his mind, looping back on themselves as he tried to think of every possibility. He knew Loki was the better of the two of them at making plans however Thor couldn't help but think that he needed to have his own ideas. At least to have something to contribute to the conversation or else Loki would wonder how Thor had been spending his time.

He went to the window near the front door and looked down towards the street and watched the two women talking. He didn't wish to cause conflict between Annie and her friends, he didn't want her to have to choose between them. Perhaps he should not have gone outside.

 

"Really? Have you lost your mind?" Sherise's voice was disbelieving. "Do you know who that is?"

Annie nodded, "Yep, pretty sure I  do."

"That's that guy from New York, the one who claims to be an alien or god or something." Sherise shook her head, "How do these people find you?"

Annie shrugged while giving a snarky grin, "Google probably."

Sherise narrowed her eyes, "Seriously now. You have got to tell me how all of this happened."

"I will. But right now I'm exhausted and I still need to make dinner." She gave Sherise a wide-eyed look, "You have no idea how much food he can eat."

"Uh, have you cooked for Mike? The man eats like his mother never fed him and he's making up for it." Sherise looked like she had a sudden thought, "Come over tomorrow for dinner. Mike's off work."

"I'll ask Thor, though he already met Mike this afternoon." She gave a wry smile while holding up a hand to forestall Sherise from asking about it. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow, though I'm sure you're going to hear about it from Mike tonight."

"Oh yes, I will." Sherise shook her head while humming, "You can count on it."  Her eyes softened with concern, "I worry about you."

Annie's own face lost some of its tiredness, "I know."