Just myself

Chapter Nine - Three Dudes In A Room Saying Absolutely Nothing

Who knew that living with the person who nearly killed you and another person he pissed off would be so weird? 

Steve showed us our rooms, cooked us lunch, we watched TV, we ate dinner and then we went to our separate rooms, all of which was done in complete silence punctuated only by me asking random, weird questions. Like, 'Has anyone ever wanted to strangle a child?' or 'Do you think feet are disgusting?' or 'Has anyone ever realised you can't spell subtext without butt-sex?'. Steve laughed but there still wasn't any conversation. Right now, I'm lying in my bed, in my new room, thinking about how there's a whole new day of awkwardness ahead. The sun shines through the shafts in the wooden blinds and onto the bright white walls. I sit, letting my sheets fall, and stretch my arms above my head. Time to get up. Loki can't leave his room until I'm up... ehehehe

I rise from my bed and summon some denim shorts, fishnet tights, a black t-shirt and a black, button-up shirt. I dress then pull on my green boots, pull my hair into a bun and leave my room. My legs carry me to Loki's door where I press the button to the left of the door and speak into it. 

"Asshole, get up." I shout into the speaker. I hear him stir from within and, seconds later, Loki appears at the door.

"I have a name, you know?"

"Yes, so do I, I'm not just called 'mortal'. Come on, I'm hungry." Loki follows me to Steve's kitchen, grumbling about how 'It's too early to be up' and 'stupid mortal woman can't even tell the time.' Dude, it's half past nine, that's not early!

I walk to the fridge and pull out the carton of eggs . "Hey, ass, you want some eggs?"

"No." he falls onto the sofa, crossing his arms, and stares at one spot on the ceiling.

"Fine, then." I mutter as I crack five eggs into a jug, for Steve and I. I scramble them in a huge pan with salt and pepper as I muse over the changes that have happened recently. I went from living in an apartment that I loved with my own things but no friends to living in the Avengers compound with Captain America and Loki, babysitting the latter and becoming friends with the former. Not to mention, some kind of friendship with Tony Stark and a possible job with the Avengers. That all sounds great until we bring in the bit where I'm hiding what I am because I could be captured and killed, or worse, by the, man-child that I'm babysitting and his freakishly good looking brother with the terrifying hammer. The cons should outweigh the pros but fuck it, I'm friends with Captain America.

I pour the eggs from the pan onto two plates then I take one for myself, sitting down at the counter. 

"You know, you're going to have to eat sometime." I tell Loki, putting another forkful of eggs into my open mouth.

"I'm not going to eat that vile food, eggs belong with their mothers." He counters, crossing his arms around his chest defiantly.

"I can make you something else? You dying would jeopardise my career and, yanno, can't have that."

"No." 

Well, that's over, I guess. I continue to eat my eggs in silence, the fork clicking against the plate every now and then in the deafening silence. Once the eggs have disappeared, I take my plate to the sink and submerge it in the hot soapy water. I clean it and then sit, once more, at the counter, phone in my hand, to look through my Pinterest feed. It is, admittedly, mostly Doctor Who. I love that British show with my entire being but I prefer Matt Smith to David Tennant, although David Tennant does have a certain je ne sais quoi that makes him compelling... and also a little hot in a very weird way, like a rat...

"Morning, Elizabeth." A deep, American voice greets me at it enters the room. 

"Morning, Mister America."

"There should be a Captain in there somewhere." Steve replies.

"I made you eggs." I tell him, gesturing to the plate and turning back to my phone. I was in the middle of reading a post about how Mary Poppins is a Timelord and, honestly, I can believe that. She is pretty damn awesome.

"Thanks kid." He takes the plate and sits beside me, shovelling the eggs into his mouth.

"Dude, chill. We did eat yesterday, yanno." I quip as the ninety-something year old man inhales eggs with the fury of a hobo who hasn't eaten anything besides a suspicious sandwich that they found on the path two weeks ago.

"I know, I'm just hungry!" He answers defensively. A small piece of egg hangs from the corner of his mouth, completely undoing any of the scary qualities that he may have possessed. 

"Slow down or I'll put you on the naughty step." 

"... what?" 

"I don't know. I'll never do that again."

"Good."

He finishes breakfast in silence then turns to me and says "I'm going out today, you guys can keep yourselves entertained but remember, if you're going out, take someone else." and with that, he leaves, leaving Loki and I in silence once more.

"So," I begin as I wash Steve's dish "what're we doing today?"

He doesn't answer me, merely looks up slightly.

"I know you heard me."

"Yes, I heard you, I just didn't want to so I ignored you. To answer your question, absolutely nothing." 

I place the dish on the dryer then skip to the sofas where Loki lounges. His legs are stretched out on the cushions and his hands are placed behind his head, the very picture of comfort but behind it, I know the cogs are spinning in his brain to find a suitable synonym for weak or pathetic. I slump onto the other sofa, my eyes never leaving his angular face.

"We have to do something, I can't sit still. We could go to Disneyland or Australia or... anywhere, I don't know, I just have to do something."

"The man of Iron will not let me leave."

"Yes, he will, he'll just track us because he doesn't trust you but that doesn't mean we can't go out."

"Fine, if you'll shut up we can go somewhere."

"Ihop it is. FRIDAY?"

"Yes, Miss Poppy."

"Call Tony down here please?"

Two minutes later, Tony arrives, somehow managing to look both pissed off and excited at the same time as looking like a child on their way to the dentist. "What's up kiddo?"

"We want to go to Ihop." I swivel so that my feet are against the wall and my head hangs off of the seat.

"And?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to come."

"No, I've got stuff to do but you should probably take Thor because he's eaten forty Poptarts within the last hour and I cannot buy any more, I've already bought out Walmart three times." Ah, so Tumblr was right.

"Okay, which floor is Thor on?" 

"Top, adios."

And with that, he leaves giving a jaunty wave. I stand and summon my green jacket, "Loco, get up, we're going."

"It's Loki." He snaps as he heaves himself upright.

"Yeah, whatever." Tendrils of my magic snake over to him, wrapping him up until I snap us both to Thor's floor. "Sup, thunder."

Thor leaps from his seat, "Lady Poppy, how can I help you?"

"Do you want to come with His Royal Arse and I to IHOP?"

"IHOP?"

"International House Of Pancakes."

"Let us go, to the pancake house!" He booms, louder than necessary.

Off we go.

My sister just told me my top looks like a meatball... 

What?