Elemental {Avengers}

32. Think happy thoughts

" So, you put the foundation on, and then the concealer, and then the powder"

" And what if I don't want to?"

" -and then the bronzer, and then the eye shadow, eyeliner, brow pencil, mascara, lip pencil, lipstick, and of course, setting spray. We don't want you looking like a panda by the end of the night" Natasha smiles, as if she's done it before, many moons ago.

I blended the foundation with a sponge, one that Nat had bought on the way here. She took it from me and touched up the parts on my neck and chin. " Thank goodness we both have the same skin tone. And thank god that I decided to drop by the makeup store on the way here."

" So.. you do this everyday?"

" Mostly, I don't want to blow my cover. Hey, what hair colour did you use? I like it"

I noticed that she was dodging the conversation, but went with it. " Two packets of bleach and one that said platinum. I recommend using a better quality one though, my hair has turned to hay"

" We can fix that." She assured me, blending some of her eye shadow.

It was early evening, two hours before we had to get going. I was nervous, there was so much we had to remember, so many espionage training manoeuvres and masks I had to put on.
I shouldn't be nervous, I knew, it would only make me look even more out of place. After Nat had finished with her face, she did mine, applying makeup so that my face looked different, the contours less sharp, the shape of my lips fuller. My eyes were red and black, the colours deep and strong. She also gave me some fake eyelashes, which blocked my vision partially, but she explained that all I would need to do was flutter them, and I would get a mans attention.

Loki had transformed into a black suit, morphing his body into a somehow taller, handsomer version of himself. He had a medium-sized quiff, and short stubble, jet black hair as always. Somehow, he had managed he had managed to come off imposing, yet laid back, choosing a sophisticated and charming body.

I had told him to lose the righteous walk he always had, instead pushing him into more of a swagger, teaching him how to come off as charismatic and alluring. Of course, it had taken a longer time than I had intended, but the end result was accurate, brinking on me wondering if it was actually Loki looking at me, and not some total stranger.

The dreams hadn't come back, not for the last week or so anyways. The last one was the worst, and just made me fear them even more, wondering every night if they'd come back, wandering if they would come to kill me at last. Wondering when they would come back.

Loki had comforted me through it, telling me of his nightmares, of his past and his mistakes and his dreams, which had been mostly about teaching his father and brother the true meaning of revenge, but alas, they were still Loki opening up to me, and I appreciated them all the same.

Mischief was how we had passed the time, sneaking onto the roof with alcohol, wandering the forest, even once swimming in the lake, which lasted about two seconds before we both jumped out, frozen to the bone and laughing our asses off.

" So, what do you really think of the Avengers?" I had asked him on the roof late at night, sipping the fourth glass of wine that hour. " And I mean really. Not 'Oh, they are beneath me, like children'. I mean what you really think of them"

He had smiled, looking up to the sky. " They are all the same to me. Although, different at the same time. All of them fight for some childish justice and juvenile-"

" You're doing it again"

He had rolled his eyes, running his hands through his hair. " They all desire the same wish; to save people. But, I don't understand it. If they wanted to save lives, couldn't they use their abilities to fight for a better future as well? I mean, world threats happen once every, well, year? What do they do with their time?"