Invisible Chains [Sequel to I Do(n't)]

Chapter 8

Ida's POV-

"Why is there a bathing suit hanging up in our room?" 

I looked up from where I was sitting at the bar top, surprised to see Loki downstairs. Aside from myself, Natasha and Steve were also in the room, all of us drinking coffee.

"I woke up in the night and took a walk on the beach" I replied simply.

"When did you wake up?" he asked.

"I don't know, around 4:15, I guess?"

"Why?"

"Nightmares" I looked down.

Sighing, he sat down beside me and scrubbed his hands over his tired eyes. 

"Did you sleep alright?" I wondered.

He shrugged. "I think I slept weird on my arm, or something, but nothing crazy"

"I hate when that happens" Steve chimed in. "I do it all the time"

"It's probably because your big fat muscles get in the way" Natasha snickered.

"Maybe"

"Good morning, everyone" Tony came walking in from his office, setting his empty mug down in the sink. 

"Are you finished with your thingy?" Natasha asked him.

"I have a few more kinks to figure out, but so far it's fine" he propped against the counter and crossed his arms. "Anyone seen Clint this morning? I was going to take a break so we could bring in the tree and decorate it"

"I believe he is still asleep" Steve took a sip of his coffee. "Haven't seen him all morning"

"Well, does someone want to go wake him up?" he asked.

"I'll do it" Natasha jumped up. "Be right back"

"Loki and Steve, can you guys go grab the lights from the basement?"

"Where are they?" Steve asked.

"They should be tucked in a corner on the left" he replied. "And El, you can help me find the ornaments in the attic"

"Okay" I slipped off the stool, then followed him up a few flights of stairs. 

When we reached the top, he opened the door, leading the way inside.

"How many boxes are there?" I wondered.

"Maybe three" he began to rummage around.

"Why did you put Steve and Loki together?"

"Because I want Steve to have enough and kill him"

"WHAT?!"

"I'm joking, geez" he chuckled. "They are both guys and I think that it is always a good thing to push someone out of their comfort zone"

"I guess"

"Where are these damn ornaments?"

While he continued his search, I looked all around. There was so much junk up here. It was funny, because the rest of his house was pristine, not a speck of dust on the floor. Yet up here, there were cobwebs and dust bunnies on literally everything. You could barely see the floor because boxes were covering nearly all of it. There were also really random things up here, like old lamps and mirrors, and photographs that were yellowed from age.

I wandered over to one of them and picked it up. "Who is this man?"

He glanced over at it, then looked back down in the mess he was digging through. "That was my dad, Howard"