Largo Descent (Loki x Nebula)

Wires and Confetti

Loki
He watched her warily, looking for any sign that she would snap and attack him again. After a few moments of dead silence, Nebula seated in the pilot's chair, Loki spoke up.
"Do you know where the Heidesium Asteroid Belt is?" She was silent for a while longer before answering.
"Yes." She didn't look back at him when she answered.
"I have an acquaintance there that can help us decipher the map."
"Fine. We'll go there. If you try anything, I will throw you out the nearest airlock." She warned, plotting in the course on the ship's worn touch screen.
Loki smirked at that.
"I'd expect nothing less."
Another beat of silence. Loki looked around idly. He glanced over the dingy ship. A few panels were missing here and there, the engines had a whiny sound to them that promised trouble if they were not repaired soon. He leaned forward and peered down the hallway that led to the rest of the ship. There was only a miniature kitchen area just past the hatch and a small cupboard sized room that looked to be the lavatory. Crammed in the small space between the cockpit and the other wall was a narrow cot. At the end of the way that led to a cargo bay that took up half the ship. He turned back to looking out the windows at the expanse of the void around them. The only interesting things to see were the tiny pin pricks of stars and the cyborg herself. He rocked back and forth on his feet for a second.
"It is a very nice ship you have here." He ventured. When he got no response, he pursed his lips. He looked around again.
"Is your nearest airlock in the cargo bay?"
Nebula slowly looked over her shoulder at him, eyes filled with annoyance. "Do you want to find out?"
"Only if you give me a proper send off, I always pictured something grand to celebrate my final moment."
"I'll get the confetti." She drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Loki smirked at this. "Delighted, although I'd have to insist on glitter. No send off is entirely proper without a bit of sparkle."
Nebula snorted. "Classy."
Loki's smirk grew at that. "Oh, but class is my middle name. Although you wouldn't know much about that." He raised a brow and looked pointedly around the practically disintegrating cockpit, voice dripping with mockery. Nebula's fingers flew deftly across the controls, adjusting their position before she glanced back at him. She narrowed her eyes on his worn jacket. "Then you must be a fraud."
Loki scoffed in false hurt, smoothing out his jacket.
"Fraud? You wound me."
Nebula turned back to the controls, "Good."
Her tone was harsh as always. He glanced over her reflection in the glass of the cockpit. Her all black eyes flicked with superhuman speed across the screen. The small maneuvers she made to correct the course of the ship had an accuracy only a machine could accomplish. Every movement was as quick and fine tuned as a deadly weapon. But he supposed that was precisely what she was. Whether she was a weapon that was more tool or threat, he had yet to find out. Most Likely, both.
"How long until we reach the Heidesium Belt?" He asked.
"A few hours," she responded.
He nearly groaned in boredom. Hours?
"Well, do you have anything that could provide entertainment in the meantime?"
He saw her roll her eyes in the reflection. She gave no verbal response. After standing for a few minutes too long, the god grew antsy. He paced closer to one of the places missing a panel, looking over the exposed wiring.
"Have you thought of redecorating, possibly? Some silver trimming would really-"
"Be quiet."
"I'm quite serious. Some silver could really distract from all of this-" He gestured at the whole of the ship, "Dilapidation."
Still more silence.
"Or perhaps a few succulents?That could really liven up the place."
Nebula whirled around in her chair to glare at him.
"Will you shut up?"
Loki paused and gave an over the top sigh. "If you insist."
Nebula gave an exasperated huff and turned back to the controls. A sudden idea sprang upon the mischief god. He walked purposefully out of the cockpit and found what he was looking for on the floor next to the hatch. He scooped up the mirrored vase and marched back into the cockpit. He plopped it firmly down on a worn shelf in front of the exposed wiring. He put his hands together with a single, loud clap.
"Ah! Much better."

Nebula
She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, staring at it for a second before peaking over her shoulder to see what new antics the Trickster was up to. Her brows descended as she took in the ridiculous, ugly shiny vase now taking up perfectly good shelf space.
"What the hell is that doing here?" She swiveled her seat to face him. Loki nudged the vase slightly to one side, leaning forward and squinting at it. He turned it slightly before stepping back. "There we are! It adds a bit of life to this horridly drab ship, don't you agree?"
Nebula gaped slightly before standing and shaking her head.
"What the- No. That is not staying on my ship." She stalked over to the vase and moved to snatch it, but Loki stepped in front of it protectively.
"You made me buy this . . exquisite thing," he struggled to find an endearing word for the vase, "I may do with it whatever I please."
Nebula crossed her arms. "You didn't buy that! You stole it. Remove it."
Loki sighed, giving a fake pout. "Why must you deny me so?"
Nebula gave him a withering look. "My ship, my rules."
Loki sulked and turned, picking up the vase before moping off to put it back where he found it.
What a child. She thought to herself. Her patience, tenuous as it already was, had been worn exceedingly thin. She had already physically and verbally snapped at him. It was only a matter of time before her self-control broke fully. The only reason he was even breathing still was due to the fact that he had a valuable contact. The second he used up what little worth he had to her, she was going to dispose of him. Whether she ended up dumping him on some abandoned rock or murdering him just for spite had yet to be determined. Nebula had learned not to waste precious time and effort with unnecessary cruelty or killing, but for someone as irritating as Loki? She might just have to make an exception. She plopped back down in the pilot's chair, running a hand over her face. She quickly checked her pockets, relaxing slightly in relief when her fingers brushed over the metal box. She had been keeping her guard up in case the mischief god tried to slip it off her, but it never hurt to check.
The faint spell of relief vanished immediately as Loki sauntered back into the room, still pouting like a toddler. Here we go again.
He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He mercifully didn't say anything for a long while before piping up again.
"How long till we reach our destination again?"
Nebula let out a long, slow breath through her nose. "A few hours."
Loki made a discontent noise and shifted. "You said that last time. I'd highly appreciate it if you were to be more specific."
Nebula tightened her hands on the controls. With a quick, harsh move she swiped at the screen and the time left until they reached the Heidesium Belt fizzled into the air as a hologram right on the dash.
"3 hours, 12 minutes, 2 seconds, and 3.42 milliseconds." She stated, her voice clipped. Loki nodded. "Thank you."
She scoffed in response.
Loki was silent again. She could feel his eyes on her, studying. Searching for weakness, cracks in her armor where he could slither through like a snake. She'd never let him. She had sealed off all the gaps in her armor long ago.
He sighed and let his head fall back against the wall with a soft thump.
This was going to be a long trip . . .