You Want It Darker? (OC x Loki x Winter Soldier)

CHAPTER TEN

"Ms. Rushmore?" Happy grabs my attention and smiles a bit scared at me. "You can follow me now."

"Great," I smile back at him and we leave the room where Tony and Pepper are still having a heated debate on whether or not to clone me.

Happy guides me out of the training room and we walk back to the elevator.

"You..." He attempts to break the silence between us. "You sure pack some strength for a paralegal," He laughs awkwardly at me.

"Ha yeah..." I scratch the back of my head trying to come up with an excuse. "Big fan of yoga," I smile and cringe at my horrible attempt at lying.

Happy looks confused at me for a second but doesn't press on it any further. He walks up to the elevator and the doors automatically slide open for him.

"To Tony's office." Happy yells out. I look utterly confused at him. Is he expecting me to do something or...?

"Right away, sir." A smooth British voice speaks from the elevator walls, as the doors of the elevator close and we start moving.

"What the hell is that?!" I shriek.

"MIss Potts didn't tell?" Happy smiles a little too proud to have managed to jump scare me.

"My name is JARVIS, Miss Rushmore." The voice erupts from the walls again. "I'm Mr. Stark's personal artificial intelligence assistant, pleased to meet you."

I glare at Happy for a moment so see if he's not taking the piss out of me, before addressing the walls. "Eh... Nice to meet you too, JARVIS," I give an awkward smile.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to him," Happy says confidently. The elevator dings and it seems we are on the 86th floor. Happy steps out and leads the way as we walk through another extremely well designed impressive hallway. The hallways are adorned with sleek architecture and lights.

As I walk behind Happy I notice him taking out a similar card Pepper gave me. We walk towards a set of doors and he holds the key card in front of a small electronic pad. A small green light blinks up and the sound of a lock unlocking can be heard.

"Make yourself at home," he says as he opens a door and slips the card back in his pocket. As we walk in a large bright modern room is revealed, with in the middle a modern desk. The wall at the back of the room consists of floor to ceiling windows looking out over the concrete landscapes of New York City. The rest of the walls are tall shelves filled with folders and boxes. In front of the desk are two lounge chairs, and a larger couch is positioned on the side of the room, with a small coffee table.

Happy glares at me, observing my reaction and points at a massive pile of boxes filled with paperwork on the large desk. "You can start with those boxes over there."

"Thanks," I give him a forced smile. I pace towards the pile of boxes and pick up one of the lids, scanning the contents. It all looks like pure gibberish to me. "Miss Potts wasn't joking when she said you guys were behind on work," I say as I try to look interested in the contents.

"Yeah, Starks got a real talent for producing paperwork for his... Hobbies," Happy sighs in frustration. "Just try to ignore him and his antics as much as possible and you might just survive it here."

"Thanks, you're very... Helpful." As I speak, my voice carries a smooth, almost seductive tone. With practised ease, I reach for one of the boxes stacked neatly on the desk, my fingers tracing the edges as if searching for something. Yet, at the crucial moment, I allow my grip to slip. The box falls from my grasp, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud, sending papers flying in all directions.

Shock registers on my face as I watch the chaos unfold before me. "I am so sorry!" I gasp and swiftly drop to my knees. Frantically, I scramble to gather the scattered documents, my movements clumsy and uncoordinated.

Happy comes rushing over. "These dang boxes everywhere, it was bound to happen at some point, butterfingers," he crouches down next to me and helps me clean up the mess I caused.

"You really don't have to-" I pout as I look up at him, giving my most innocent expression.

"Don't sweat it, sweetheart," he stammers as he shoves the stacks of files uncoordinated back into the box. I sit back on my heels and grab a few more papers as Happy picks up the rest and lifts the box back up to the desk. I follow him, getting back on my feet.

As he gingerly sets the box down on the desk, I seize the opportunity to close the gap between us, my movements deliberate and calculated. With practised precision, I lean in close, my body brushing against his as I reach for the box he's standing in front of. As my fingers deftly gather the remaining papers, I let them linger just long enough to graze his hand, a subtle yet intentional gesture.

"Here," I murmur softly, a coy smile playing on my lips as our eyes lock in a fleeting moment of connection. "Thanks for helping me clean up my mess."

Happy's response is hesitant, his words faltering as he searches for a suitable reply. Seizing the momentary distraction, I inch even closer, my gaze unwavering as I lean in ever so slightly. With a flutter of my lashes, I maintain the pretence of innocence while my fingers deftly slip into the pocket where he had placed the card moments before.

"It's—uh—yeah—" Happy stammers, his throat clearing awkwardly as he takes a hesitant step back. In that fleeting instant, I smoothly manoeuvre my arm behind my back, concealing the stolen card as I casually lean against the desk.

"Hmm?" I prompt, my tone laced with playful anticipation, awaiting his response while concealing my clandestine action.

"It's no problem, Miss Rushmore. I- I gotta get going, yeah. You remember JARVIS? Just call for the robot if you need anything," Happy stammers and stumbles over his words in a hurry as he shuffles back to the door. I give him a smooth smile as I watch him open up the door behind him.

"Bye, Happy," I wave, twirling my fingers.

"Yeah- Have a wonderful day Miss," he stumbles over his words, looking a final time at me in disbelief before letting the doors fall behind him.

I chuckle to myself and lift the plastic card up in front of me. "This is going to be too easy."

I move over to one of the lounge chairs positioned in front of the desk and plop myself down on it. I take a deep breath in, leaning my head back and close my eyes for a moment. It dawns on me this is the first time I've been alone in months, properly alone. The silence, it's almost foreign to me. It's... Peaceful. I wonder what the Winter Soldier is doing with this time alone. Sleeping? Preparing for the mission? Ah yes, the mission.

I let out a deep breath and pull myself out of the chair before I get too comfortable.

"Pull yourself together Shadow," I mutter to myself and run my hands through my hair.