Elemental {Avengers}

29. Mind Games

I opened my eyes, blinking in a dark room. Plastic crinkled underneath as I moved, got out of bed, moving aside the heavy blankets piled atop myself. It was automatic, have to get up, get dressed... wait. No clothes.

Last night flashed in my mind, like a fast forward movie. The blood, the tears. The kiss.

I could feel my cheeks redden as I walked to the bathroom, scrubbing my face clean with my bare hands. Was the kiss something to remember, or to forget?  A large bruise still had a home on my face, others dotted on my torso and neck. Still there, still there for at least a couple of days before the super serum healed them quicker than any human body would.

Someone had left a bag of clothes and toiletries for me beside the bed, the ones I had bought yesterday. I smiled as I remembered the skiing. Storm howling as we raced down that snowy slope. Good memories, I realised. A good memory, one to keep, not to try to forget.

I changed into a plain black jumper and leggings, thankful for the warmth against the chilly room. Of course, there wasn't any heating in the house. Only the fire downstairs that I bet had everyone crowded around, trying to keep warm despite not being winter yet. It was going to get a hell of a lot colder, and we were going to have to be ready for it when the storm comes.

I walked into the kitchen, still wiping sleep out of my eyes, surprised to only see Steve, Clint, Nat and... Loki.

My eyes went straight to him, like a magnet in the room, and he smiled ever so slightly, petting Storm behind the ears, how she likes it. She jumped off his lap and waddled over to me, asking to be picked up, of course. I carried her to the kitchen bench, finding fresh toast, bacon and eggs ready in a steaming pile.

" Morning" Clint said, serving up more eggs. He and Nat were working as a team, both weaving around themselves in the kitchen as efficiently as if they were on a mission. " Sleep well?"

I forced my face into a state of calm, as I could feel my cheeks reddening again. " All good. No sleepwalking this time. What's on the agenda today?"

Steve spoke up, leaning against the bench with a coffee in hand. " Tony's going to pick up his backup suit somewhere up north. The three are going up with him too. They'll be at least a day, I think."

" Anything I can do?"

" Not today. Not for the next couple of days anyway." He looked towards my neckline, and my chin, and then my wrists, checking me over, seeing if I was alright. I opened my mouth in protest, but Steve stopped me. " As fine as you make it out to be, Maeve, you still have injuries. You can't just carry on like they never happened."

I gritted my teeth. " I want to help the team in any way I can"

" You're helping by staying here" Clint said, not looking up from where the eggs were cooking on the stove. " You can look after the fort. Protect it from bears"

Unimpressed, I caved; they would just keep making up excuses anyways. " Fine. Whatever. Does that mean that you're all going out?"

" We decided we might make a trip today because winter's coming, and we want to get out of the house as much as possible"

I almost whined that it wasn't fair, but composed myself. " Where? I thought we got all the supplies yesterday"

" We thought we might take a ride in the car, scope the area in a 5 kilometre radius around the house. See if any spies have found us yet. We'll be close"

" So, you're looking for trouble?"

 Nat nodded her head, smiling slightly. " Well, you could say we are."