Beautiful Chaos

{part four | chapter one}

~time: pre-ragnorok~

🥀🥀🥀

"Lilith." The sound of her name being whispered - barely inches away from her ear - startled her awake. She sat bolt upright in her bed in the Barton's spare room, looking around with wide eyes. The only person around her was Wanda, sleeping peacefully in her bed on the other half of the room. Lilith sighed and checked the time on her phone. She squinted at the bright screen and saw that it was around one in the morning. It was August twentieth, only five days until her birthday. She and Wanda had been staying with the Bartons for almost two years without incident. Just peaceful, everyday life. She lay back in her bed and stared at the ceiling. She could hardly believe it was almost her twenty-first birthday. 

Her twentieth had passed without any fanfair, just a simple chocolate cupcake left in the refrigerator with a note from Wanda: Happy birthday! Love, Noodle. Lilith had smiled and ate the cupcake and thanked the universe and especially Clint for keeping Laura away from the idea of a surprise party. This year would be different, she knew that well enough. Laura had been hinting at a celebration all month. She was grateful for the Bartons and their fantastic ability to feel like a normal family despite their super-hero family member and guests. 

When she woke up again seven hours later, the sun was bright and warm and the breeze was just cool enough to send a chill up her spine as it blew through the open bedroom window. Wanda was already awake, which was out of character for her, seeing as how ever since their first morning at the farm, she had slept in until nearly eleven every day. Lilith inhaled the sweet scent of autumn air and sighed contentedly. Crawling out of bed, she pulled clothes out of the closet and threw them onto her mattress. She finally decided on a pair of high-waisted ripped jeans, a plain white tee-shirt, and a long, soft, burgundy sweater. After slipping on a pair of warm socks and her favorite black combat boots, she sat down in front of the full-length mirror hanging on the wall by the window, crossing her legs in a pretzel shape. 

Taking her make-up out of the bag she had dubbed 'her natural stuff', and dug through the various tubes and bottles and palettes until she found the right products. She nearly messed up her close-to-perfect eyeliner when Cooper burst into the room unannounced, a cone shaped party hat on his head. His excited grin was slightly crooked. 

"Mom says come downstairs."

"Coop! You're supposed to knock!"

"Yeah, yeah. Come down stairs, Loser."

"In a minute, Dork." He rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. She finished painting on her eyeliner and applied a set of false lashes and some mascara. 

"Lily!" She heard Cooper shout through the door he had walked through moments earlier, "Lets go!" He dragged out the word 'go', whining like Nathaniel whenever the toddler didn't get his teddy bear at the exact moment he asked for it.

She let out an exasperated sigh as she carefully spread a coat of matte, burgandy lipstick over her lips and stood up from the floor. She opened the door to her and Wanda's room quickly and abruptly, causing Cooper to stumble slightly, as he had been leaning against it.

"Great!" He said, Reaching up and placing a plastic tiara on her head, "Now we can eat cake!" Lilith followed Cooper down the stairs and towards the kitchen where the rest of the family was waiting. 

"Lilith." She paused slightly, creasing her brow. Who said that? She looked down and saw her dog Gerber, an enourmous, grey, Great Dane, sniffing her shoes. 

"Hey there, Booger Eater," She chuckled under her breath and gave the dog a pat. She had adopted him last winter when the Bartons had found his mother and the rest of his litter hiding out in their barn. She walked the rest of the way into the kitchen and everyone shouted 'Happy Birtday'. Lila even had a small party popper that she popped directly into the older girl's face, making Lilith laugh as confetti obscured her vision. 

Clint snuck up behind her and ruffled her recently brushed hair.

"Pops! I told you to stop doing that!"

"I told you to stop calling me 'Pops'," Clint retorted, "Makes me feel old." 

"It's a term of endearment, asshole." She only mouthed the last word so Nate wouldn't copy her like last time. Clint smiled at her as he lit the candles shaped like the number '21' that had been placed on the cake that Laura had made. 

"This is entirely unnecessary."

"And you're entirely annoying," Wanda laughed, hugging her friend from behind, "Just accept the party and be thankful we didn't invite-" 

"Lilith." Lilith stiffened at the sound of her name being called again. 

"What?" Wanda asked, feeling the girl's change in mood.

"Nothing, just thought of how horrible it would be if you had invited Fury."

"Yeah he's not really the party-going type," Clint commented. Lilith chuckled. 

"Lilith."

"What?" She turned to face Cooper who was standing next to her. 

"I didn't say anything."

"Oh, weird." 

"Sit down! It's cake time," Laura said excitedly. Lilith took a seat at the head of the table where balloons had been tied to the chair and the cake had been set. She laughed as she swiped her finger across the side of the cake, popping her pink-frosting-covered finger into her mouth. Her family began to sing 'happy birthday' out-of-tune and off-key around her. The kitchen lights were dimmed and the candles were lit and Lilith was completely happy.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you... Happy birthday dear-"

"Lilith." The girl jumped and turned around in her chair to face the dark hallway behind her. She thought she saw the shadows shift slightly. Blinking rapidly to focus better in the dim lighting, she was sure there was a movement. 

"Are you alright, hon?" Lilith ignored Clint's question and continued to stare into the dark hall. 

"Lilith." She stood abrubtly, knocking over her chair in the process. The cake knife was now gripped tightly in her fist. 

"Lily?" Cooper called.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Laura asked.

"Hey," Clint said, "Lils, what's going on?"

"Quiet!" She snaps, holding a hand up to silence them but never removing her gaze from the shadows. Seconds passed. Minutes. Lilith was lulled into a state of comfort. She turned to pick up her chair and sit back down. When she did, she saw the concerned faces of her family in front of her. She smiled weakly at them. They all let out the breath they had been holding. 

"Lilith." And she was bolting down the hallway and slamming her full body weight against the intruder. Sharpened kitchen knife pressing against his throat as she interrogated him, spitting the words like venom.

"Who are you?"

"You don't recognise me?" Green light wrapped around them, illuminating the intruder's face. Lilith began to feel lightheaded. She never even saw the horrified expressions on her family's faces when she finally spoke his name.

"Loki?"