Working Title : Loki & Annie

44 Slumber Party

Annie had watched Thor leave the apartment pushing the shopping cart out of the door then as he carried it down the steps. At the bottom he simply lifted it up to balance it on his hip, one arm reached over it to grasp the other side as if it were made of wicker instead of metal. He had turned to give a quick wave then headed towards the back of the property where the giant oak tree grew in the yard. Curiosity drew her from the front door to the French doors leading to the balcony however just as she was reaching for the doorknob there was a crack of thunder and flash of brilliant lightning that happened so close together they seemed like one event.

A yelp of surprise jumped out of her throat and she blinked rapidly from the blinding white light. Once she got the door open and made it to the balcony, she could see more than white spots but looking over the yard Thor was nowhere in sight. "I suppose that's one way to return it." She muttered as she went back inside.

After closing and locking the door she leaned back against it to look at Loki. He had been set back on the couch and had found his Hulk and Thor figures which were once more tucked up under his chin. While he didn't exactly seem emotionless he also did have an obvious expression she could decipher to see what he was feeling and thinking. He just seemed to be waiting, his fingers rubbing against the soft fabric in a slow rhythm.

She pushed away from the door and made her voice sound cheerful, "Well your brother is kind of a show-off, isn't he?" She didn't expect a reply and wasn't disappointed. Walking into the kitchen she kept talking, "So I just need to get the kitchen cleaned up, and then we can get your clothes put away and you ready for bed. Then maybe we can find something to watch for a little bit, okay? How does that sound?" She glanced at him as she started packing up the leftovers, a few vegetables, and a slice of French bread. 

While she worked Loki was staring at her, both Hulk and Thor tucked under his chin. They were just slightly moved back and forth, the fuzzy fabric brushing his skin as a little finger rubbed along the Hulks side. Periodically his other fingers would squeeze, sinking into the figures like a cat kneading its claws.

She gave him a small smile while loading the dishwasher. She rarely used it since it was just easier to handwash her few dishes. However, she had a feeling it was going to be getting a lot of use now that there were three of them and she was making full meals. A wrinkle appeared between her eyes, Loki had refused to eat despite her gentle coaxing. Thinking on that she got one of his cups and filled it with water. 

"Hey, bud, how about a drink?" She brought it over to him, relief filling her face when he reached out and took it. He sipped from the straw, only taking a few swallows before stopping. "Nice job. I'm almost done, then we can hang out." She went back to the kitchen and grabbed a small plastic bowl and the box of Honeynut Cheerios. She opened it up and counted out ten, dropping them one by one in the bowl. Leaving it on the counter for now she finished cleaning, wiping the counters down as the final task.

She was aware of Loki staring at her, again she wondered what he was thinking. He had been virtually left with a  stranger, though she got the uneasy feeling that right now everyone in his life was a stranger. She hoped that she at least was someone he was becoming comfortable with, she thought she was.

"Okay, the kitchen is all cleaned up." She grabbed the bowl and brought it with her then set it on the coffee table. "So." He was looking up at her, his face just waiting for her to do something. "Okay." She bit her bottom lip. "Yeahh. Let's get you ready for bed. Which means out of those PJs and into a new pair. Of PJs." She looked to the piles of laundry that had been shoved to one end of the coffee table or onto the couch. She grabbed a pair of them and held them up, "Captain America?"

Loki's eyes shifted from Annie over to the bright blue fabric with little round shields on them. He contemplated them for a moment before looking back to Annie and giving her a single nod of his head.