Do You Remember? || Closed

Parties were never much Steve’s thing. He figured it was something left over from when he was just this scrawny kid from Brooklyn who was never cool enough to get an invite. Still, since he lived at the Avengers’ compound just on the outskirts of Manhattan, he was expected to show up. That and he could only tolerate but so many of Tony’s disapproving looks. Instead of focusing on what people in this day and age focused on at parties—it wasn’t like he’d actually be able to get drunk anyways, his body would just metabolize the alcohol too quickly—he focused on cherishing the company of good friends; of how Thor would regale him with stories of battles, Nat’s quick wit and charming smiles, or of Bruce’s quiet way of injecting him into conversation. He knew, probably just as good as any of them, that these moments of camaraderie were a chance for them to blow off steam. Or to just sit and be…regular humans for once. Regardless of the looks he and the others got, they weren’t the Avengers now. This was their chance to relax. To have fun.

For show, he had a bottle of beer in one hand as he leaned back against the couch, cheeks hurting from smiling so broadly at a rather comical story Thor was telling him. Steve thought the stories of these distant realms, that would almost seem too fantastical to be real, something that interested him greatly. There wasn’t much that didn’t fascinate him, to be honest. He figured that missing out on a couple of decades tended to do that to a person. There was so much new technology, so many things that had changed in his time “on the ice”, as Tony would say. Steve was still trying to learn, adjust, and cope with everything and fit in as much as he could.

“Get you another drink?” He offered Nat once he noted her martini glass had run empty. The redhead nodded and handed him the empty glass. Steve stood and shot her a small smile before turning and striding over to one of the many bars that Tony—or Miss Potts—had arranged around one of the larger communal areas of the place. Somewhat loud music was thumping through speakers throughout the room and it seemed like a majority of the people that worked in the building had been invited on the festivities. The line for the bar was at least three or four people deep, so he had to wait a little in line to even get to the bartender.

“Hey Cap,” a voice with a thick New Yorker accent caught his attention as he was about to turn away from the bar with Nat’s cocktail. A middle-aged gentleman stood off to the side, looking up at Steve with eyes full of awe and wonder. “I hate to bother ya at a party like this, but d’ya think you could sign this picture for my kid?” He held out one of Steve’s old promotional shots from WWII and for a moment, Steve looked at it fondly, a small smile curling his lips before his clear blue eyes flicked up to meet the man’s.

“Of course, what’s his name?”

The exchange was over quickly, but after Coulson’s death and the guilt that weighed on Steve for not at least being more open with the gentleman, he’d never not do anything for the people that looked up to him. A sigh left him after the man thanked him and walked way, an extra bounce in his step as he’d probably make one little boy very happy whenever he woke up in the morning. With a nod, Steve turned, taking his time to make his way back to Nat with her cocktail.

---

“Regas, your next assignment is security detail for the Asgardian.”

“I was unaware that Thor needed any security, sir.”

“It isn’t for Thor. Its for his brother, Loki.”

“The ‘god’ who called humans ants? The one who led an alien race to lay siege to the world? Are you sure there isn’t anyone else I can be on security detail for?”

“Accept the assignment or you can kiss your freedom goodbye.”

Eris’ face screwed up slightly as she threw back her third shot in a row. Sliding the empty shot glass back to the bartender, she grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray before turning and striding away from the bar. To say she’d had one hell of a day was an understatement. She was seeing red. She was livid. Eris was a good employee, a good little soldier who did was she was told, but the assignment she’d been handed not hours before the party took the cake. She’d worked security details for high profile criminals before, but this was unlike anything she’d ever done before.

She was certain she was going to lose her job at the end of it all for slaughtering the so-called “god” who had tried to take over the Earth. Eris knew that Loki was known for his sharp tongue and his aptitude for trying to bring out the worst in people. She was certain that he was going to say something and she was going to snap. While she was sure the whole point of security detail meant that she was supposed to watch him and make sure he didn’t go awol, it didn’t mean killing him.

Flicking the end of her dirty blonde ponytail over her shoulder, she made her way from the bar, figuring that it’d be best for her to just keep a slight buzz for the evening. Eris was the consummate professional and didn’t to end up dealing with a hangover and the resident asshole. She’d had little interaction with Thor, but she knew she wouldn’t have minded him, but Loki? No. Absolutely not. There was no way she was going to be even remotely close to being happy during the duration of this assignment. She took a long sip of champagne, purposefully dodging her group of coworkers to avoid having to make small talk with them. Eris wouldn’t have been very pleasant to talk to anyways.

“Regas! Get your ass over here.”

Eris paused, eyes slipping shut as she sighed heavily. The dolts she worked with were misogynous assholes, so she was sure they were only calling her over to ogle her in a dress or made some rude remarks about her new assignment. Tugging the hem of her black sheath dress down a bit, she turned on heel and made her way over to the group that had congregated off to the side of the room. Her lips were pursed slightly and it was all-too apparently she was not pleased with being called over in such a manner, but she would bite her tongue and play along for a bit before excusing herself. She was one of the lucky few who had quarters on the compound, so it’d be nothing for her to disappear off to her room for the night. She doubted anyone would miss her anyways.

Alex took a small sip of her beer, watching as the party went on around her. This wasn’t her first Tony Stark party, and she figured it wouldn’t be her last. Her former supervising officer would make her come to these, telling her that it was important to get to know her peers outside of work. Which she understood, she really did. But it was difficult to shake off the feeling that she should be doing something else other than sipping a beer and making forced small talk.

“Stop thinking so much, rookie.” The voice made her jump a little. She turned, raising a brow as her focus settled on Clint. She rolled her eyes and let out a little pfft.

“You know that you were never actually my supervising officer, right? Pretty sure she was the only one allowed to call me a rookie.” A little pang shot through her at that. Supervising officers and their trainees rarely worked together beyond the training, which was rough. They’d spent so much time together, her S.O. had felt almost like a parent to her. The last she’d heard, her former S.O. was off working a mission in Dubai. But that had been more than a year ago.

“I’m pretty sure I can call you whatever I want, kid. I’m an Avenger now.”

Alex snorted as she lifted the beer to her lips and took another sip. Her eyes flickered around the room, settling on the broad shoulders of one Steve Rogers himself. She blamed the beer-and-a-half that she’d drank for why her gaze lingered on him longer than necessary.

“You meet the Star-Spangled man yet?” Clint asked, nudging her in the side with his elbow lightly. She gave a shake of her head and took another long sip of her beer. “C’mon, I’m sure he’d love to hear something other than Thor’s war stories.”

“I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t. Thor’s from another planet.”

Clint wouldn’t hear of it. “Yeah, well then I’m sure Nat would appreciate not hearing about them. Other planets don’t impress her.” With that, he grabbed her arm and started leading her to the group.

---

The room that they were holding him in was dreadfully plain. There was a bed, a little shelf that folded out from the wall, a small table where he could eat his meals, and a single chair. That was it. He was aware that it could have been worse. He could have been back on Asgard, for one — but at least on Asgard they would have given him something to read.

Loki got up from his spot on the bed, his fingers rubbing absentmindedly at his jaw as he approached the glass wall of the cell. He was quite sure that the metal muzzle his brother had put on him after the battle had been made tighter than it needed to be. He stopped rubbing his jaw long enough to brush his fingers against the cool glass. It was thick, thick enough that breaking it was out of the question.

Meals were three times a day, the times they were served just off enough that he was never quite prepared to try anything in order to break out. Or rather, never quite prepared to trying anything in order to break out successfully. He was still working out the kinks to that plan. He didn’t know the layout of the building. He didn’t know where the Tesseract was. He didn’t know how to get off Midgard.

He didn’t know a lot of things.

Loki did know one thing, though — that they most likely weren’t going to kill him. If they were, in fact, planning to kill him, they would have done it already. No use in keeping a high-risk prisoner around this long if they were just going to off him.

”Step away from the glass.” The voice came in from somewhere in the room, a little tinny and crackly. Loki sighed, but didn’t move. The voice repeated itself, this time a little more annoyed. Loki blinked slowly. It came a third time, although this time it injected the word fucking just before glass.

Really, if they wanted him to move, they’d have to do better than that.

If it hadn’t been as quiet as it was, he wouldn’t have heard the soft ‘click’ that signaled a door being unlocked. His mind raced. Odds are they weren’t going to kill him, even if he tried to escape. Thor had too much compassion for that at the very least, and deep down it remained still for Loki. And the little piss-ants couldn’t study Loki if he was dead. His best chance for escape was forcing them to let Thor take him to Asgard, and he’d somehow escape before they got to Asgard.

It was a shit plan, but at the very least, it’d break up the monotony. Or he’d be dead by the end of it, which wasn’t the worst option either.

The door slid open and two armed guards stepped in.

“Back away from the glass,” the one said. Loki turned his head, slow and lazy, pressing his entire palm against the glass. The other guard stepped forward, and that’s when Loki made his move.

Conjuring his dual daggers, he moved faster than the guards had anticipated and slammed it into the neck of the first guard. Midgard armor was nothing against Asgardian steel. That guard dropped while the second moved towards Loki. He dodged out of the way of that guard, wrapping his arm around that one’s neck, tight enough that the Midgardian could breathe, but barely. Sometime during the fighting, the door had shut. But that was fine.

“Free me or this one dies as well.”

Steve finally made his way over to where others had gathered around Thor and his boisterous storytelling and handed the drink he’d fetched for Nat to her. She offered him a thankful smile before turning to listen more to the tale that Thor weaved for those that gathered around him. Taking a sip of the beer he’d been nursing for the last hour or so, he tried to focus more on what the Asgardian god was saying than the feeling that he didn’t quite fit in. Ever since he’d woken up, Steve had the feeling that he was this inept child, with his eyes opened wide to try to take in everything. He didn’t recognize the clothing people wore, the music that played on the radio, the films showing at the movies, or the actors that played in them. When they’d fought the Chitauri, it’d been easy to push these thoughts aside in lieu of saving the world. Now that it was quiet and he’d been given time to actually think about these things, it was nearly overwhelming.

The super soldier was easily distracted the the approach of Clint to their group with a woman he’d never seen before following beside him. Steve could tell she looked a little less-than willing to go speak with them and it brought a wry smile to his features. Clint had a certain way with people, that was for sure. He could appreciate at how dedicated a fighter the marksman was, and certainly could appreciate how he fought to keep his work and his family life separate. Steve could remember a time when a woman had ensnared him enough to make him want to settle down. They’d never even gotten an opportunity to go on a date. Steve forced himself to end that line of thought right there, not wanting to bring his mood down.

“Hey Clint,” Steve greeted him as he approached, determined to stop his mind from digging up painful memories from his past. “How’s it going?” Clint grinned up at the man and clasped him warmly on the shoulder.

“It’s going pretty good, Cap,” Clint replied, taking a sip of his own before motioning toward the woman he’d pulled over to Steve with it. “Have you met the rookie yet?” Clint looked a little too pleased with himself and in amused Steve. Steve’s attention turned to the dark-haired woman beside Clint with a bright smile, eyes taking her in for a brief moment. There was something about her that reminded him a bit of Peggy upon first glance. It could’ve been the cut of her hair or the color of her eyes. Steve didn’t allow himself to dwell on it too much.

“The rookie, huh?” His smile turned a bit more crooked at the name Clint had provided for her. He shifted his beer from his right hand, to his left wiping the condensation from it off on his jeans, and extended it to her to shake her hand. “I’m—“

“Captain America.” Steve let out another laugh, shaking his head at Clint’s interjection.

“Steve. Just Steve. Steve Rogers. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

---

“Lookin’ good, Regas.” It was everything Eris could do not to swipe the legs out from underneath all of these assholes who had congregated around her like she was some show pony. “Who would’ve know you had legs like that hidden away?” A quiet laugh left the woman, though it was mostly sarcastic and the look in her eyes was brimming with dark intentions.

“All the better to kick your ass with,” she retorted, a sharp smile curling her lips. A chorus of laughter surrounded her as her expression dropped. If only they knew what I could do to them, what I want to do to them…she thought sourly.

“We heard you got a new assignment.”

“Yeah, it’s a great one.” If they detected the sarcasm in her tone, they certainly didn’t react to it.

“Care to tell us what it is?”

Someone was suddenly tapping Eris on the shoulder, pulling her attention away from the jerks she had the privilege of calling coworkers. She was surprised to see someone in a uniform staring at her with a rather stark, serious expression on their features.

“Regas, we’ve had a change of plans.” She merely stared at them blankly for a moment. “Your assignment starts now.”

Eris was rarely shocked by her anger, but this white hot bout of it nearly caused her to crush her hand around the champagne flute in her grasp.

“What happened?”

After her debriefing in the elevator ride down into the leveled basement of the compound, Eris had time to gather herself and calm down a bit, though under the surface she was simmering. Not that she was mad about being dragged away from an overly loud party, but it was the circumstances with which had called for it. She didn’t even have time to change into something more practical, not that attire had ever dictated how well she did her job.

By the time she’d stepped into the area surrounding where they were holding the one Tony had called “Reindeer Games”, she noted the temperature had dropped several degrees. Immediately, she was given an earpiece and she slid it into her ear without question. Someone went to take her glass of champagne from her and she pulled away suddenly, shooting them a hard stare that was enough to have them back away. “Open the door,” she told the attendant and there was a quiet click of the locking mechanism opening and the door was sliding open.

The room was eerily quiet, spare the click of her heels against the floor as she strode into the holding cell. There was a certain feeling of finality as the door slid back into place behind her and the lock clicking into place. The first thing her eyes laid on was the dead guard on the ground that had bled all over the otherwise sterile-looking floor. “We’re a messy boy, aren’t we?” She drawled before her cat-like, green eyes flickered up to meet her next assignment for the foreseeable future. A short hum left her as she took him in. The last time she’d seen him had been on the news coverage that played for weeks after his attack on New York City. It was a bit more intimidating being in the same room as him, but her expression remained cold and unfeeling. If there was anything Eris was most known for, it was her pokerface.

“And you’d been behaving so well up until this point,” she told him, shaking her head slowly with disdain. Sipping slowly at her champagne, she settled into the single chair in the room, making sure to keep her attention focused on Loki. “Drop the guard and we’ll talk,” she said brusquely, fingertips tapping against the glass flute in her hand. “Or not. I’m already in a pretty foul mood and I’d like to see what would happen if you decided to test me.” Eris knocked back the rest of the bubbly beverage, setting the empty glass off to the side.

Alex hadn’t spent a lot of time around bigwigs like the Avengers, but she liked to think that she could keep her cool around them. They were people, just like her. Well — save for Thor, but he was a demigod. He didn’t count. Steve Rogers, though, he was a person. He might have super soldier serum running through his veins, but he was still a person. There was nothing to be intimidated about. She knew that. She knew that.

An unbidden thought ran through her mind, briefly reminding her of the time in seventh grade she had told her friends that she would ’throw Captain America’s tea into the harbor — if you know what I mean’. Christ, that’s embarrassing.

Emerging from her thoughts, her focus honed in on the present as Clint stopped walking. She bristled at his words, rolling her eyes. As irked as she was at the introduction, it was hard to maintain with Steve Rogers holding his hand out for her to shake.

If only seventh-grade-Alex could see her now.

She reached out and took his hand, shooting him a grin. “Alex Geseni, nice to meet you.” His hand was warm and softer than she’d been expecting. Did the super soldier serum make it so you didn’t need to use lotion? Or did he use it?

“Rookie here looked about as bored as you probably feel, Cap,” Clint said, barreling on right through.

“You know I haven’t had an S.O. for two years, right? I’m not a rookie anymore,” Alex interjected, jabbing her elbow into his side.

“Anyway,” he said, giving her a grin. “I thought it’d be good to introduce you two. Thor’s stories are only interesting for so long.” That last sentence earned a glare from the God of Thunder, making him pause in his story before continuing.

Alex looked over to Captain Am — Steve — and shot him a conspiratorial smile. “It’s kind of a miracle Loki was captured when you have this guy backing you up,” she said, motioning to Clint.

---

It was difficult to tell the exact passage of time from when he killed the first guard to when the door opened, but he judged that it was most likely ten minutes, if not longer. That meant that they weren’t just sending in even more armed guards, which was smart on their part. He’d just start mowing them down. It was funny, that they thought a few barely-armed guards could contain him. They were hardly trained for actual combat, let alone guarding an Asgardian.

Loki’s brow raised almost imperceptibly as the door opened, and a woman stepped through. His gaze slid down her figure as the door slid shut behind her. Attractive features for a woman; a slim figure, toned arms, long legs. No outward display of fear, which was impressive. His eyes slid back up to her as she spoke.

“You have no idea,” he replied. For a moment, he wondered when the last time he’d been called a boy. Probably Friga. Something painful squeezed in his chest, but he pushed it aside with ease. He focused on the champagne flute in her hand. It was too much, really. The evening gown, the alcohol, the lack of reaction towards him. It felt a bit like theater, like the agents were trying so hard to get him to…

To what, he wasn’t sure. It was difficult to ascertain just what they were hoping to gain from this interaction. To gauge his reaction towards a woman, to see how he would interact with her? Was this their last-ditch effort in order to somehow subdue him? The thought almost made him laugh.

“If only you would have saved me a sip of your drink, I may have dropped him.” His grip tightened on the guard’s throat. A slow, lascivious smirk spread across his lips as Loki tilted his head. They wouldn’t just send a person, regardless of gender, in there without being armed. There was no doubt that she was capable of handling herself against a human enemy. But if they thought her so capable of handling him, well, who was he to not rise to the occasion? “I would love to see what would happen if I test you.”

If Steve knew anything, it was that Clint had as much talent easing worries as he did causing them. It wasn’t difficult for him to tell that Clint knew something about Alex that Steve didn’t. What it was, he couldn’t say, nor would he pry too much into it. It wasn’t his place to, even if Clint made it his business to know. Instead, Steve focused on the grin the ‘Rookie’ was shooting him and her hand in his. His smile only widened as she finally introduced herself. He grasped her hand a bit more firmly, shaking it a few more times before he pulled it from hers. He noted how his hand nearly encompassed hers completely and it made him realize just how surrounded by men he seemed to be—how he always seemed to be.

His gaze darted over to Clint as he spoke, a quiet laugh leaving him at what he said before his gaze slipped back over to Alex. Their banter was entertaining and it was apparent to Steve that they were quite familiar with each other, especially with the way the woman had elbowed Clint in retaliation. “I’m assuming you two work with each other. For S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Steve questioned, eyes slipping between the two of them. His clear blue eyes rested on Alex as he gave a shrug of his broad shoulders.

“Parties never really were for me, to be honest,” he told Alex with a wry grin in response to what Clint had said. “Beer doesn’t affect me as much as before either, so it’s kind of pointless to come to them expecting to get drunk.” He gave a short laugh, lifting his beer bottle to his lips and taking a sip. It was room temperature by this point, not that it bothered him too much. “I like the company though.”

Steve’s gaze shot over to Thor at the long pause in the demigod’s story—it was still unfathomable for someone like Steve to imagine he’d ever meet the mighty Thor. Portable phones? Believable, and useful, even if Steve hadn’t even gone near one of them. A mythological being that wielded thunder and a hammer? Steve still had to pinch himself at times to remind himself that Thor was real. That any of this was real.

There was something really charming about the grin on Alex’s lips and then with her next comment, Steve beamed over at her as he laughed. “To be honest, the Hulk did most of the work for us,” he commented. He glanced over at the archer with a smirk. “Clint’s got good intentions. He just has a funny way of showing them. If he’s not trying to pick on you a bit, he probably doesn’t like you.”

“Says America’s golden boy. Do you still wash your mouth out with soap after cursing?” Clint rebutted, to which Steve let out a sharp laugh and playfully slugged his arm.

---

Eris’ stomach gave a traitorous twinge at his reply to her comment on being a messy boy. Damn her proclivity towards bad boys. She immediately remembered all that Loki had done and she steeled herself against more unwanted feelings towards the asshole. Perceptively, she let her gaze flitter over the guard in Loki’s grasp before studying the being. He was, unfortunately, quite handsome—regal features, bright blue eyes, and dark hair. Still, he was insane. If Eris’ exes had been any indication of where she drew the line, it’d be at insane.

The guard looked like a frightened animal. He had his hands wrapped around Loki’s forearm and was pleading silently with the woman to save him. If she felt any sort of pity for the man, she certainly didn’t show it. Her brows lifted slightly as Loki spoke again, mouth pursing slightly at his words. “It was practically sparkling grape juice. Certainly not the best champagne I’ve had. I don’t think you would have liked it,” she retorted, trying to focus less on the smirk he wore and more on the man frantically trying to find purchase on the demigods bracers. She clicked her tongue against her teeth at what he said next. “How predictable,” she murmured before slowly rising to her feet.

Slowly, she crossed the distance between the two of them, keeping her gaze focused solely on Loki instead of the guard. Eris stopped just shy of him, her feline-like gaze flickering over his features. “You’re a bad guy. They’ve got a thing for monologues, right?” She mused bluntly, head tilting slightly to the side. “Here’s mine.

“My parents named me after the Greek goddess of chaos. I don’t think they realized just how much the name would come to fit me. I could have made this all so much easier for you, but…I should have guessed you to be difficult.” Her expression still remained blank, though her mouth had tightened just a bit. The guard attempted to reach for her and she batted his hand to the side without taking her eyes from Loki, much to the disdain of the person buzzing in her earpiece. “I was hoping we’d get off on a much better foot than this, but you seem set on ruining everything, I suppose this is where we are.” Crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight to one hip, she drew in a deep breath of air.

“If you’re the messy boy, I guess I’m what you could call a glorified nanny—your nanny. You’re being allowed your own quarters, out of this cell and above ground level, but I get the burden of making sure you stay in line. Starting now.” She paused for a long time, ignoring the voice in her ear telling her to back away or the other voice behind that one telling her to save the guard. Eris blinked a few times, letting the silence sink in before quickly reeling her fist back. Channelling all the anger she had for the prick into her right fist, she let it fly, hard, into his nose. He felt far more solid than she was used to fighting. Nothing like saying hello with a sucker punch to the face.

Alex let out a hum of mmhmm just before she took a sip of her beer. “I’ve been with S.H.I.E.L.D. for three years officially, not counting my time at the Academy,” she said after she’d swallowed. “My supervising officer is good friends with Barton, so I was unfortunate enough to be stuck with him on a decent number of missions.” She shrugged her shoulders as though it had been some great burden to have gone on missions with him.

In all fairness, she’d learned a lot from him. Not only could she handle a bow-and-arrow far better than most of the agents she’d come across, she was used to having to abandon the initial plan and improvise as she went along. It had come in handy since she’d been officially promoted to working without an S.O., but some of her memories with Clint made her cringe.

“Say, you hear from Simmons recently?” Clint asked, referring to her old S.O.

She shook her head, frowning a little before turning back to Steve. “So do you actually like the taste? Most people I know don’t drink it for that,” she said, raising a brow at him. If he hadn’t been Captain America and were just some guy on the street, he’d look like a beer drinker. Hell, throw him in a baseball cap and a long sleeve shirt and he’d look like any other guy at a sports bar. Maybe just a little… bigger.

Alex let out a snort of laughter at the Hulk comment. It earned Steve a wide grin, her nose scrunching a little to accommodate it. “I’m not surprised. Doctor Banner always struck me as the overachieving type.” She’d never met the man in question, but she’d had to study some journals he’d written during her time in school, and the level of detail that had been in them had made her head spin at the time.

“I hate to disagree with you, but Clint’s just an asshole,” she said, laughing at Clint’s jab. Clint let out a scoff at her words.

“You mother would be ashamed of you if she heard you saying that,” Clint laughed, eliciting a huff of laughter from Alex.

---

Loki raised a brow at her, noting the way her gaze slid over him. He was well aware that he was attractive by Asgardian standards, not to mention Midgardian ones as well. He mused about how it would affect her, if it would. Humans weren’t infallible. Despite the fact that his captors assumed that she was competent, it didn’t absolve her of any flaws. It just meant that her buttons were more difficult to push, so to speak. But humans were, well, human. If they were swayed by anything, it was usually the desires of their flesh.

“Manners are manners, regardless of how it was. A good host would have offered me a glass.” He’d never had sparkling grade juice, but he could imagine the taste of it. He also highly doubted that that would be served. He roughly knew where he was, enough to know that he was in a building owned by Stark. And that man would not serve anything less than the best to his minions.

He watched as she shortened the distance between them. Something twitched in his gut. If it were another situation, he’d be half tempted to take her to bed. She was precisely his type — hard to read and possibly capable of killing him. He quirked a brow at her words, making a face when she mentioned monologuing. It made sense in stories, when the heroes needed more time to break free of their bonds. In his opinion, it just wasted time. Kill them off, monologue later.

Thor had said a lot of things about him throughout their years together, but there had been one instance where the God of Thunder had made a one-off joke about his proclivity for death and how he was most likely aroused by it. At the time it had been annoying at best, but when the woman before him batted the guard’s hand to the side, something shot through Loki. Attraction, plain and simple. He hummed, soft in the quiet of the room, as she continued to speak.

He waited for the other shoe to drop. It made absolutely no sense to him that he should get his own quarters, or that they were giving him a babysitter. He could take her easily if he so choose to, he could —

His nose hurt. Nowhere near a break, but harder than he’d expected a Midgardian to hit. He stepped back, keeping his arm around the guard’s neck as he shook his head. If that’s how she was going to handle this, then two could play at that game. With his free hand, he conjured one of his dual daggers from the body of the other guard and plunged it into the second guard’s neck. Blood spurted out in bursts and he let the body fall to the floor. He held his hands in the air, making the daggers disappear with a little wiggle of his fingers. “You should probably clean up the mess, Nanny.”

Steve kept his eyes trained on Alex as she spoke, an easy smile curling his lips as he listened to her. His brows shot skyward at the mention of her being with the group for three years and working closely with Clint for most of those missions. “Three years? That’s impressive. Especially if you’ve had to withstand missions with that one,” he commented, jutting his chin over in the direction of a playfully scowling Clint. The smile he wore widened a bit before the playful look in his eyes softened to something more warm. “And you like it? Working for S.H.I.E.L.D?” He questioned.

While Steve wasn’t officially an operative under S.H.I.E.L.D., he fully intended on helping where he could, whenever he could. Thinking back, even to when he was all skin and bones, all bark and no bite, he had a distinct want to protect people. Now that he found himself in a position to do so, he wasn’t going to waste it. And it gave him less of a chance to dwell too much on all he’d missed.

His brow furrowed slightly at the mention of her past supervising office and a lack of communication from her. The smile fell slightly as he glanced between the two of them, wondering exactly how long it’d been since Alex had made contact with this Simmons person. Maybe he could help her try to get back in contact with them. Though it wasn’t the most morally sound thing for him to do, what was the point of carrying the title of ‘Captain America’ if he couldn’t sway people in his favor.

A short laugh left him at the next comment Alex made, bright blue eyes crinkling a bit at the corners as he smiled broadly. “I can certainly say that it’s far better than what it used to be. Kinda tasted like what you’d skim off the top of an old garbage can in a back alley,” he said, grin going a bit crooked. “Now, it’s only moderately gross. The taste isn’t that bad, I guess.”

The grin she wore warmed something in his chest, especially the way she looked after her nose scrunched up. Alex was definitely charming and sharp; he understood why she and Clint got along so well. “At least Doctor Banner is a bit more reserved with his achievements. I can’t say the same about the big guy,” he commented wryly. His eyes slipped between both of hers before nodding over toward the last place he saw Bruce. “Have you met him yet?” He gave a pause before added with a laugh. “Doctor Banner, not the other guy.”

He watched the banter between Alex and Clint, finding it a bit more exciting than whatever story Thor was still trying to tell. “So, Alex, do you have anything in particular that you specialize in for S.H.I.E.L.D? Or are you like Clint over here and just stay up in a nest and shoot pointy things at people?” He was curious as to what she did for S.H.E.I.L.D. and interested in why she joined them in the first place.

---

If the file on Loki had warned Eris on anything, it was that he was unpredictable. Which was to be expected. He was an intergalactic being who was being held captive after unsuccessfully trying to take over the world. That’s why it didn’t surprise her in the least when he commented on her lack of manners. “Forgive me. I must’ve forgotten I’m in the presence of royalty,” she snarked, the corner of her lips canting upwards for a moment before her expression fell back into one of neutrality.

She almost laughed aloud at the face he pulled at her comment about bad guys and monologuing, though she managed to keep up the unaffected front. There was something akin to satisfaction at pulling such a response from him. And he hadn’t tried to attack her yet, which meant that she was already doing better than the guards. Perhaps there would be some enjoying this assignment after all.

Her fist was screaming with pain when she pulled it back, drawing in a deep breath of air to quell the curse that threatened to fly from her lips. All thoughts of her own pain vanished when Loki jabbed one of his daggers into the guards neck. Her eyes settled on the blood that freely flowed from the wound, following the guard’s body fell to the floor. She stood, mesmerized a bit by the twitching of muscles before the body stilled. Her tongue poked into her cheek at his use of the term ‘Nanny’ to refer to her, finding it did something quite unwelcome to her pulse.

Slowly, her eyes lifted to meet his, emotionless as ever—even with the voice in her ear piece that was yelling at her for her failure. Without blinking, she plucked the device from her ear and flicked it across the room. “I don’t think you’ve understood what I’m trying to say here,” she finally said, stepping gracefully over the body and stopping in front of Loki. “I can reward you for good behavior and take away privileges when you’ve been bad.” Running her tongue over her lips, she tilted her head to the side. “I guess you could say, I’m the god here. I can say when you’ve deserved a four course meal or—” She paused, the slightest bit of snarl curling her upper lip as she glanced over him once more. “—I can say when you don’t even deserve to lick the scum of the city from my shoe.”

Her gaze hardened for a moment before she turned on heel and stepped away from him, openly turning her back to him. “Now, if you make it to your new room without any mishaps, your Nanny will see what she can do about getting you a glass of that champagne,” she said calmly, stopping just shy of the door and turning to face Loki expectantly.

“It’s a fucking miracle I’m even alive,” Alex said, her eyes widening when she realized that she’d just swore in front of Captain fucking America. “Crap, are you really offended by someone swearing?” She asked, looking between Steve and Clint nervously. Clint, to his credit, didn’t say anything and instead just started cracking up. She offered him an embarrassed smile as she answered his questions. “I like it, yeah. It feels good to be able to do help people. And I’d be pretty bored with a desk job.”

A lot of her classmates had been second- or third-generation S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits. Not her, though. She’d been plucked straight from her high school. Her grades combined with her SAT score and placing second statewide in track had apparently made her stick out to some recruiters, and there she was, years later and fighting aliens. It was weird, but she wouldn’t change it for the world.

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Clint would pester her more about her old S.O. when they weren’t at a party. Riley Simmons may have been busy, but she was never busy enough to let it be over a year without contacting those she was closest to. Even if it was two words relayed through her handler while she was undercover, it was always something. Just enough to let them know that she was alive. But Alex put a stop to that thinking, knowing just where that rabbit hole ended up — with her drinking too much and stressing herself out while trying to find any information on that top secret mission, or whatever it was.

She scrunched up her nose at the description, suddenly thankful for her moderately gross beer. “In that case, I’m never going to complain about beer again,” she said. She wondered what else was new for him. Not only was beer better tasting, apparently, but technology was a thing too. Her fingers tapped against her beer bottle as she made a mental note to ask Clint if Steve had gotten a cell phone yet. She could easily see him with a flip phone.

“I haven’t met either of them, actually. Just caught a glimpse of the big guy during the big fight, but that was a few blocks away.” What she didn’t add was that she’d almost shit her pants at seeing the Hulk that close. He might have been a few blocks away but he was big enough that it hadn’t really mattered at the time. She was just glad that he was on their side. “To be honest, I had to study some of his medical journals in school and I’m a little bitter at how much info I had to memorize from him. He’s kind of long winded,” she murmured, taking care that the man in question wouldn’t overhear.

Alex laughed. “I’m nowhere near as good as Clint with the arrows. But right now, they’re just throwing me in wherever they need a person. I specialized in undercover ops throughout my training with my supervising officer, but more recently they’ve had me going in to retrieve various items that would be of interest to some higher-ups.” In all reality, they’d had her being a thief. It just didn’t sound as good when she put it like that.

---

“It would do you best to remember it,” Loki said idly. He almost feigned a yawn just for good measure. There was something about her that made him want to goad her, to push her until her chest was heaving with every breath, the anger rolling off of her in waves. He wanted to see just how far she would go, just how angry she would get before she snapped. It was difficult to say whether her snapping would be trying to fuck him or trying to put a bullet in him, but he had to admit: either way would be a hell of a lot better than being stuck in that cell.

He watched for her reaction, trying to take in any semblance of anything that he could get. For a Midgardian, she was terribly hard to read. Weren’t they all supposed to be pesky little ants stepping underfoot? Even Stark, with all of his intelligence, hadn’t felt like he’d really stepped up to be anyone impressive. For a human, he was smart. But beyond that? Just another ant bitting at Loki’s ankles.

“Would you like that?” The words were flying out of his mouth faster than he could even stop and think about them. “Would you like me to lick the scum from your shoe?” He asked, his voice low. He mirrored her prior movement, his tongue dragging across his lips, taking his time. He would not fight this. Getting into a nicer room would help his plans move along considerably. He would have to somehow hold his tongue for the duration of it to lull her into a sense of security.

His eyes slid down her torso and rested on her ass as she turned around. He kept his eyes trained there, taking his time to look back to her after she’d turned around. “Your Midgardian drinks won’t do anything for me, don’t bother.” He took a few steps forward, arms out to his sides a little and palms open, facing her to show that he wasn’t a threat.

In that moment, anyway.

“WIll I be seeing my —“ He cut himself off for a moment, lips pressed together in a thin line as something sour shot through him. Loki Laufeyson. It still stung to think about. “Will I be seeing my brother soon?”

Steve’s eyes widened a bit at what Alex said. It wasn’t at the cursing, but at the entire comment. It only took him a few seconds to follow Clint’s suit and he burst into laughter. The laughter lasted for a few more moments before he found his voice once more. “I heard far worse in the army, Miss. I think I’ll be just fine,” he assured her, his laughter dying down as he watched her. Her personality was quite charming, if not a bit brazen. Steve appreciated women who challenged standards. “Clint’s a jokester, sure, but I’d trust him with my life.”

“Aw, Cap’,” Clint playfully clutched a hand over his heart, “I’m touched and honored that the Captain Winghead trusts me with his life.” Steve let out a chuckle and shook his head.

“I’m beginning to see your point now, Alex,” he deadpanned, staring for a few moments at a Clint before turning to look back at the young woman who had stolen the majority of his attention away from the party. “It always feel nice to find your purpose in life and feel that you suit it well. It’ll never be a job then,” he told her honestly, smiling warmly over at her.

She was scrunching up her nose again at his comment and his stomach jumped awkwardly. A quiet laugh left him as he hurriedly looked away, realizing that he was staring a bit. “I probably over-exaggerated a bit, but I think beer is one of those acquired tastes,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I hated beer the first time I tried it, but stuck it out because I wanted to look tough.” A dry laugh left him and he shook his head. There were still times when there wasn’t a mirror around, when he still felt like the scrawny kid who’d come home with shiners or a busted lip from trying to stand up for himself or someone else.

Steve nodded a bit at what she said next before the full weight of it soaked in. “You fought the Chitauri then?” He questioned, gaining new respect for the woman beside him. Not many would openly run toward a fight of that magnitude, especially one involving a terrifying alien race led by a demigod who wielded a weapon that could turn you into a zombie to do his bidding. He got caught up in what she said next, laughter anew escaping him. “He can be, yes. Running the risk of sounding like an idiot, I have a hard time understanding him or Tony when they get on certain subjects.” There was a short pause and Clint interjected.

“They’re practically speaking a foreign language, Steve. I tend to just block them out when they launch into science or robot talk.” Steve shot the man a look and a small smile before his attention shifted back to Alex.

“Sounds like risky business, Alex,” he told her honestly, dimples pitting his cheeks as he grinned over at her. “I’ve never been one to be very covert, so you’ve got my respect and appreciation.”

Clint elbowed Alex’s side a couple of times, grinning knowingly over at her. “You hear that, rookie? You’ve earned his respect.”

---

Eris lifted a brow in Loki’s direction, wanting to scoff and roll her eyes at his comment, but she managed to keep her facial expressions under control and quiet. She could already tell he had lived a pampered life wherever he was from, but that statement had only solidified one fact in her mind about him: he was severely spoiled. She would know. She had never wanted for anything her whole life either. “Of course, your highness,” she continued, the corner of her lips wobbling for a moment.

His questions gave her a bit of a pause, but it was the tone of voice and the lewd swipe of his tongue across his lips that momentarily stalled the synapses in her brain. She paused for a moment before they all jumpstarted at once and she was reacting instinctively before she had time to think it all through. A soft hum—akin to something a predatory animal would make—vibrated in her chest as something dark flickered in her gaze. ’There’s something else you wouldn’t mind him licking,’ something whispered inside her and her stomach flipped. “You sick, depraved being,” she softly chastised, the hint of a rasp in her tone. There was a long, pregnant pause as a broad grin curled her lips, eyes glinting dangerously. “Of course I would,” she continued, her voice low. She let her eyes swoop slowly over the whole of him before she looked away, mouth still slyly turned upwards at the corners.

There was a part of her that knew she was playing into whatever game he was setting up. She knew letting him believe that he was tricking her would only help her in the end. If it ended with her having a nice hate fuck from the “Silvertongue” himself, so be it. She wasn’t below pleasure where she could get it. Her suspicions were confirmed as she caught his gaze slipping back up her body. Eris knew she had to play up whatever it was she was doing — within believable reason. “Now, who’s the rude one?” She paused, crossing her arms over her chest. “What would you like in reward for your cooperation? And it has to be reasonable: an equal exchange for a glass of champagne.”

Thor, or just family in general, was clearly a touchy subject for Loki. She made note to use that against him, should she need to. However, she decided against telling him that Thor had always been able to come and see him, knowing it probably wouldn’t go over well. “As long as you behave yourself, I can arrange for you to go see him,” she told him softly. The door to the cell slid open and she noted the lines of guards leading to the elevator.

“Regas, you’ve broken about ten different protocols—”

“It can wait,” she snapped, eyes flashing as she strode out of the cell and to the elevator, heels clicking across the floor. No one else dared to comment on what rules she’d broken with the tone she’d taken. Once she reached the elevator, she held the button to keep the door open, her dirty blonde ponytail swishing slightly as she leaned over to peek out the door and watch Loki. “Coming, your highness?”

Alex could feel the flush tingeing her cheeks. Christ, that was embarrassing. He had to be close to her age, minus the years he spent in the ice. Of course he was fine with swearing. She needed to just wear a muzzle, she was sure of it. “Wasn’t sure how much of the anti-swearing was actually you, and how much of it was just trying to get kids not to swear.” She reached up with her free hand to scratch at the back of her neck. A small smile spread across her lips as she watched Clint. For as much joking around as he did, she knew that it meant a lot to him.

She let out a snort of laughter before glancing around the room. The place was big enough that it wasn’t filled to the brim by any means, but there were a decent number of people there. Most of them were engrossed in their own conversations, although a few she caught stealing glances in their direction. She didn’t blame them. Steve had a presence that was just known. She turned her attention back to him and hummed a quiet mhmm. “Most of the days it doesn’t feel like a job,” she conceded without explaining further. The last thing she wanted to do was complain about S.H.I.E.L.D. higher-ups were right there.

“I’m not sure. I think most beer nowadays tastes like piss. Can’t imagine it was any better back then.” Great, now she’s talking about piss. This was great. She was fine. Where was that muzzle she’d been thinking about earlier? “If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure that I only started drinking it for the same reason.” She tilted her beer towards him a little to punctuate what she was saying before bringing it up to her lips and taking a sip.

She waited until she’d swallowed to reply. “It wasn’t necessarily like I had a choice. I had a gun and I was capable. The team I was with was in an area that had a lot of them and there were civilians.” She gave a shrug of her shoulders before taking another sip of her beer. It was apart of her job, nothing to really be surprised about. “Their stuff is above my pay grade,” she mused, grinning as Clint chimed in.

Alex looked over to Steve, raising a brow. Her cheeks went red — moreso than they had earlier — at the praise. “It’s not as risky as fighting a demigod, but I do what I can.” She glanced over to Clint, shooting him a scowl at the elbowing. “Would you watch it?” She sniped, blatantly ignoring his words. “You’re going to break one of my ribs.”

---

Loki took a moment to bite back a smirk. It looked as though she were doing similar, his gaze honing in on her mouth. He thought about correcting her. Knowing his true parentage, he doubted that a Midgardian should really be using the term, especially in his current state. But hearing her call him that made something dip in his stomach. The title coming from her sounded better than it had from anyone else throughout the years. It made him think of the multitude of things he could do to her.

His eyes widened at her words, the long pause making him listen to her with anticipation. He swallowed. She was playing him. Of course she was. No doubt she was just going along with his game to lull him into passivity. She seemed to be a far cry from stupid. It was quite similar to his plan, really. Which wasn’t a surprise. Anyone with half a brain could have come up with a similar plan. “Quite a dirty nanny, aren’t you?” He mused, his voice just as low as hers.

He pressed his lips together, eyes dropping to her chest for a brief second before flicking back up to her face “Don’t play coy. We both know you take it as a compliment,” he said, the corner of his mouth flicking upwards. He glanced around his cell as he tried to think up a reasonable request. After a moment, it came to him. “Some reading would be appreciated. Preferably something a bit above the general intelligence level, if you could.” It wasn’t much, but it would help him kill time while he waited.

He raised a brow at her words. She would take him to Thor, not the other way around. That could go either way. Most likely, he’d only have one shot at provoking his brother far enough that he would attempt to take him back to Asgard. If he requested to see him more than once, Thor would grow suspicious. He went to reply as as the door opened, but promptly stopped himself when he heard the voice outside. Ah yes, the guards ensuring that he wouldn’t step out of line.

Loki stepped to the door, hesitating in the hallway. He raked his gaze over the line of guards, their fingers ready to pull the trigger on their guns or beat him with their clubs at a moment’s notice. A small, sly grin spread across his lips. “At ease, gentlemen,” he said, in that lazy way that only those with much wealth can pull of off, as he headed to the elevator. He stepped in, leaning his back against the wall. He didn’t say anything else, instead just choosing to watch her.

There was a bit of a crooked smile pulling at Steve’s lips at the sight of a faint flush on Alex’s cheeks. There was a part of him that was thrilled to see such a reaction from her, even if he wasn’t the direct cause of it. The smile only widened a bit as she spoke again, clearly amused by what she was saying. “Times have changed a bit. I guess children learning swear words that could make a sailor blush and saying them has some sort of comedic value to it,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Despite himself, he glanced over to Alex to gauge her reaction, liking the look of the smile on her lips perhaps a little too much and he looked away. He caught Clint glancing between the two of them, using the opportunity of Alex looking around the party to shoot him a knowing look—one that Steve returned with a look of confusion. What was he playing at? His attention turned back to Alex at the sound of her hum and he found himself nodding a bit. “Oh of course, I’m sure even the best jobs have their bad days,” he told her.

A quiet laugh left him at what she said next, eyes lighting up as he glanced over at her. He took a sip of his beer, licking his lips after he’d swallowed. “Well, I would hope you wouldn’t know what piss tasted like to compare it to beers,” he jested and Clint chortled off to the side of them. Steve watched Alex with a sly smile as she spoke and took a sip of her beer. “It definitely seems to be working,” he told her, no hint of facetiousness in his tone as his eyes warmed a bit.

“I can’t imagine many would want to fight them, given the choice,” Steve told her honestly, eyes searching hers. “You could have risked the consequences, tucked tail, and run, but you didn’t.” A broad smile curled his lips as he shook his head. “You saved lives that day, regardless if it was by choice or not.” A quiet laugh left him at her next comment, his smile turning into something a bit more crooked.

If Steve thought the color that painted her cheeks before was becoming, it was nothing to the flush she wore at his words. It certainly wasn’t his intentions in saying what he did, but he was pleased with the reaction. “Don’t diminish what you do. It’s still just as important as anything that any of us do.” His brows shot skyward at her sharp words to Clint, fighting to keep the grin off of his features.

“Are you really mad at me or just mad that the Captain’s made you blush twice now?” Clint asked, which in turn had Steve turn to Clint as his grin dropped suddenly as the faintest bit of color rose to his cheeks. It wasn’t so much the question, but the insinuation behind it. Behind the idea of making a woman blush. If there was something that Steve was really out of touch with, it was definitely women.

---

Eris felt a surge of power run through her at the expression she’d been able to pull from the Asgardian before her. She always knew she’d been good at charming others, but to be able to charm him felt like a feat. Her gaze darted to his Adam’s apple as he swallowed, managing to keep the smug look off of her features. The woman blinked a few times heat swelling in the pit of her stomach at the tone he was using. Eris actually had to remind herself that she was not trying to pick someone up for the night. She was dealing with a criminal on a global scale and an assignment at that. It still didn’t stop her from keeping her gaze on his as she said, mimicking his tone, “I could be, if you behave.”

Her head tilted to the side slightly at his next comment, features dropping back down into neutrality. “I am a little flattered to at least turn the head of someone who I’m sure has had centuries of beautiful women at his disposal, I’ll admit, but don’t worry. I won’t let it go to my head,” she said, eyes narrowing at him for a moment as her lips twitched a little at the corner again. She was honestly a little surprised at what he’d requested. It was remarkably…docile. She expected snark. She expected sarcasm. Hell, she even expected him to request a kiss or sexual favors or some bullshit like that.

“Believe it or not, your brother insisted your new quarters have plenty of books and other reading materials,” she told, her voice quiet and soft. “I can at least make sure they’re books worth reading and perhaps add a few of my own suggestions, if you’d like.” Perhaps this was going a bit far, catering to a criminal, but she had to let him know that—as long as he did as she told him to—she would follow through with his requests.

Eris openly rolled her eyes at the comment Loki made to the guards, thankful that she was hidden behind the panel of the elevator. Truthfully, she was a bit irritated they felt the need to show up, en masse, to greet the two of them, and then try to scorn her on how many protocols she’d broken. That wasn’t an excuse for Loki to give them any reason to attack them, even if she hadn’t implicitly or explicitly said to keep quiet. Her feline gaze darted over to him as he finally entered the elevator and she let go of the button keeping the door open.

Taking a step back, she leaned back against a wall caddy-corner to the one Loki was leaning against. Eris crossed her arms over her chest as the door slid shut and the elevator began to lift, but her gaze never left him. Being in such close proximity made her extremely aware of him and she was reminded of just how solid he’d felt against her knuckles, and how her hand still throbbed a bit.

Alex grinned. “I’m sure their parents are mortified, but watching a YouTube video of a one-year-old saying fuck does have some appeal to it.” Her stomach flipped when she noticed the smile that was on Steve’s face. She was attracted. There wasn’t anything to deny. She’d have to be dead to not be attracted to him. And that was fine. Being attracted was fine. She wasn’t going to make a move, so it was fine. Everything was fine.

“So speaking of jobs — are you working for S.H.I.E.L.D. now? Or is it more… freelance-style work?” Director Fury had put together the Avengers, she knew that. But it was still pretty murky in terms of who actually ran them. And anything Tony Stark was a part of meant that ‘running’ was a term to be very, very loosely used.

She shrugged in lieu of a response. While she had a hilarious story of how her and her S.O. had had to resort to purifying their own piss to not die of dehydration when they’d been on a mission that had gone south so fast, she felt like that wasn’t really the thing you told Captain America at a work party. She grinned at his words. “That’s pretty smooth for a guy that’s been on ice for decades.” Was she flirting? Could she joke about that?

Those specific worries went out the window as he continued to speak. He was so honest, so earnest. This was bad. “You’ve never met the special ops guys, then. I’m sure they were chomping at the bit to get their hands on some Chitauri,” she said. And that was all she could think to say. It was a little overwhelming, having America’s poster boy for patriotism say such things about her.

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, downing the rest of her beer in one long sip. She went to reply, to say something that was probably ‘thank you’ when Clint asked her a question that made her freeze. She turned to Clint and scowled at him.

“Jesus, Clint,” she said, staring at him. She might have been in shock. A decent response wasn’t moving to her at all. So she turned to Steve and mustered up a grin. “Do you want more beer? Because I’m going to need a lot more beer in my system if he’s going to be hanging around.”

---

Most of the time, Loki was able to keep a tight control of his facial features. Years upon years upon years of practice made it second nature. But in that moment, a grin slipped out despite himself. It spread across his lips, unbidden in a way that briefly caught him off guard. He went with it, though, tilting his head towards the ceiling as he let out a throaty chuckle. “Are you this way with all of your prisoners, or am I special?” He asked, raising a brow as he looked towards her.

He watched her for a moment. There was something a little fascinating about watching her expressions. Her eyes narrowed, her lips begging to be allowed to smile or react or anything beyond what she was giving him. He wondered how long it would take her to break, to give in to him. Hell, it wouldn’t even have to be of a sexual nature. Just whatever lulled her into a sense of complacency so he could exploit it to his advantage.

He frowned a little at her words. “Oh, did he.” It wasn’t a question, not really. His voice was flat. He was under no allusions as to what his brother thought of him. While Thor would not kill Loki, he did find it hard to believe that Odinson really requested that Loki have reading material. In all reality, he wouldn’t be surprised if Thor had suggested they gave Loki shittier accommodations than what he’d been staying in. “I would appreciate it. I doubt Thor’s preferred texts would be similar to mine.”

Loki looked her over as the elevator door shut. Being that much closer to her made it easier for him to take in the little details. How she carried herself was more obvious. The fabric of the dress was clearer to him. How he wanted to take that dress off her was clearer as well. He blinked at her and smirked.

“Does your boss truly believe you incapable of handling me, or were the guards merely an intimidation tactic?” He asked, thinking back to how she’d ignored her orders and taken out her earpiece. There was something there, something to needle her about, he was sure of it. “Because I’ll have you know, in terms of intimidation, I’ve seen much worse.”

Steve was honestly thrilled enough to understand what she was meaning by the word ‘YouTube’. The last time he was on a computer, Bruce had introduced him to it, having to navigate him through it, but he had show him a compilation of funny videos. He could easily imagine a cursing child being featured on one of them. “I’ve been on that YouTube once,” he commented, sounding a bit proud of himself. Clint snorted off to his side and Steve shot him a playful scowl before turning back to Alex.

He had to consider her question for a moment. Steve hadn’t been officially hired on by S.H.I.E.L.D., but he knew that he wanted to help them as much as he could. Fury had approached him a few times for some low-profile missions, but nothing that could be considered full time. He just supposed they were still trying to get him acclimated to the twenty-first century. “It’s more freelance at the moment,” he told her honestly, “but there’s not much for me to do outside of it…so I’m hoping they approach me with something a bit more permanent.”

Her grin did something that wasn’t entirely unwelcome to his pulse and her comment warmed him considerably. Steve glanced away for a moment, a cheeky sort of smile pulling at his lips before he looked up at her. He took a sip of his beer, trying to think of something equally as witty to say. This had never been easy for him, but he didn’t exactly mind flirting with Alex. Swallowing, he looked over at her and gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. “Well...ice can prove to be pretty slick sometimes. Maybe I picked up a trick or two."

“No, I haven’t met them. But it’s safe to say that’s why they’re special ops: more apt for a fight, I’m assuming,” he said with a wry laugh. His gaze warmed a bit before adding, “It makes what you did a little more special, I think.” He could tell that Clint was watching the two of them closely, his observant gaze bouncing between the two of them. Steve glanced over to him for a moment to find him grinning crookedly, with a look on his face as if he’d known something like this would happen.

Steve returned his focus back to Alex, watching her as she tipped her bottle of beer back. His cheeks burned a bit at what Clint has said and he could tell that Alex was a bit gobsmacked by the comment as well. Again, with the grin she was giving him sent a warm feeling through his chest, like what Clint had said didn’t affect her in a way she disliked. A short laugh left him and he shot a quick glance over to the man who’d introduced them. “Yeah, I could go for more beer,” he said. “Want me to walk with you to the bar? I’d sure like a small break from bird brain over here.”

---

Again, Eris was rather pleased with the reactions she was pulling from Loki: the grin, the way his head tilted back, and the laugh that left him. For someone who had seemed to calculated about what he showed outwardly, she seemed to be doing a decent job at surprising him. Instead of verbally replying, she merely offered him a slow, crooked grin and a quick wink before that trained neutrality settled across her features once more.

If all else failed, the woman knew that Thor would be the subject with which she could dig at Loki the most, to drive a proverbial knife beneath his armor and strike the soft underbelly. While she knew using that would ultimately result in Loki treating her much like the guards that lay dead in his cell, it’d work if it ever came to it.

He was wearing a smirk again and she knew she wouldn’t like what would next leave his mouth. She remained quiet for a few moments, the elevator smoothly ascending the floors. A short hum left her as she tilted her head to the side. “Who’s to say the guards were there for you?” Her voice was quiet and as unaffected as her expression as her eyes flickered between both of his. She let the silence linger for a few moments before she turned away, studying her nails for a moment.

Soon enough, the doors of the elevator were sliding open and Eris was pushing away from the elevator wall and striding through the open doors into the corridor in front of her. Off to one side, lay only windows, overlooking the grounds of the compound at night and the lights that dotted the pathways. It was lush and green and under any other circumstances, she would have thought the view was peaceful and quiet. Stopping in front of the door she had been instructed to, she used her thumbprint to access Loki’s new quarters.

It seemed innocuous enough, upon her first inspection pushing open the door; dark, yet warm decor and large windows spanning the opposite wall from the door. She turned to eye Loki for a moment, to make sure he wasn’t getting up to any trouble before studying the room a bit further. It was then her eyes laid upon a few items that had her reeling; there was a Grecian-looking bust on a bookshelf that was hers, her collection of old records and record player. Her stomach dropped. It was then her eyes laid upon two items really made her angry, what got under her skin the most. A single rose lay on a small table just inside the room and a handwritten note that lay just beside it that read, “Welcome Home, Miss Regas.”

Alex clapped a hand over her mouth to cover up the snort that was definitely coming. That YouTube. She wondered if he’d phrased it like that on purpose to be funny, or if he hadn’t thought twice about it. The last time she’d heard someone call it that YouTube was her ninety year old grandfather. He’d been complaining that her little sister had been on her iPad too much. “You’ve only been on there once? You should check out more of it then. Get Barton to show you Vines. That’s hours of fun right there.”

She hummed, nodding her head slowly. He’d do well at S.H.I.E.L.D. full time. Although, she couldn’t really picture Alexander Pierce being above Steve Rogers. It wasn’t that she had anything against the guy, but he’d never seemed like the type to work there. It would be a weird dynamic if they ever interacted. Then again, she’d only met the guy maybe three times, so what did she know? “I’m sure they will. We could use all the help we can get.”

Okay, so Steve Rogers was flirting with her. She was pretty sure. Especially with that last comment. ‘Maybe I picked up a trick or two’? Really? The guy may have been like, eighty or something, but he wasn’t dead. And judging by the way Clint was choking back laughter, she figured that she was right. She shot him a grin, gaze flicking across his shoulders. They were nice. “Oh, I’d say at least three tricks were picked up, easy,” she said, laughing.

“They’re more apt for a lot of things.” While she’d almost died well more than a handful of times in the field, any time that she’d been stuck on a mission with a special ops team, she’d been that much closer. She lifted her beer to her mouth only to remember that it was empty. “I, uh, I’d have to argue with you on that,” she murmured, slowly lowering her beer to her side.

“I’d love for you to accompany me,” she said, sounding far more confident than she felt. Internally, she was ready to murder Clint Barton. She could flirt just fine on her own, but having it acknowledged like that? Just out of nowhere? By Clint fucking Barton, of all people? That was just too much. She started towards the bar, weaving her way through a small group of people before pausing to wait for Steve. “So I’ve got to ask,” she said, shooting him a small grin while pausing for a moment. “Have you been out to Queens yet? There’s this great pizza place out there that pretty much beats anything downtown.”

---

Loki quirked a brow at her words. He wasn’t dumb. She might not necessarily follow rules, but he couldn’t imagine the sheer stupidity that it would take for someone to assign her to watch over him if she needed a squadron of guards to watch her every move. “Do they believe you incapable, then? Or untrustworthy?” He mused. It wasn’t that entertaining, prodding her with his words, but her reaction would tell him at least something.

He stepped out of the elevator after her, pausing to look out the windows. His gaze was greedy as he committed to memory anything he saw. The green distracted him a little, reminding him of the forest near the palace. It hadn’t been as the ones were on Midgard, spanning far, far beyond the eye. But the green was similar. A memory floated through his head, one of when he and Thor were children, climbing over stones and logs before being called for their lessons. If he thought hard enough, he could recall the exact shade of green that the leaves had been with the sun filtering through them.

Stepping forward, he was surprised as he took in the room. Maybe Thor had spoken up for him. His captors didn’t seem like the type to cater to their enemies, regardless of how powerful they were. But it was nice. Warm browns and windows — actual windows — were visible. He followed her gaze, quirking a brow at the bookshelf. Stepping over, he ran his finger over the thin sides of… something. “I didn’t know they took me for a fan of —“ He paused, wracking his brain for the answer. “Music?” He’d seen them before, briefly, but it hadn’t been enough for him to care to commit it to memory.

As he turned around, his eyes followed hers to the table. He glanced to her, wondering what he was missing. He didn’t see any outward indicator that something was wrong, but she seemed like the type that would have said something by then. He walked over to the table, plucking the rose off of it and twirling it in his fingers. “Was this your touch? My brother was never the type for flowers.”

Loki glanced down, his gaze flicking over the note. Well that wasn’t expected. He looked to her, trying to get a read on what she was thinking. He could ask her what was going on, but he didn’t like knowing less than anyone in the room. “Regas, is it? Nanny Regas. has a nice ring to it.”

Steve glanced between Alex, who was covering her mouth with her hand, and Clint, who was watching him with an amused expression. A confused grin curled his lips, deep dimples pitting his cheeks, as he looked between the two of them. “What? What’d I say?” He asked innocently, still smiling even though his brow had furrowed a bit.

“Dude, you’re such an old man,” was all Clint said, shaking his head slowly.

Steve paused for a moment, eying Clint warily before returning his attention to Alex. “Yeah. I don’t really spend a lot of time on computers…at all,” he told her. He glanced to Barton at the mention of something called ‘Vines’ and vaguely wondered why he’d need to look at plants for a few hours before he realized that ‘Vines’ must’ve met something different than what he thought. “I’m assuming your not referring to what I’m thinking of as Vines.”

For a moment, Steve wondered if he did end up working for S.H.I.E.L.D. that he’d eventually would be teamed up with Alex on a mission or two. Something about that excited him, but he wasn’t exactly sure which aspect of it; the part where he’d get to see her work, or maybe it was just the opportunity of spending more time with her. “I guess I’ll have to talk with Fury the next time I see him. See if I can’t tag along for the long haul.”

There was a moment where he thought that Alex was going to outright laugh in his face and walk away, Clint in tow. Maybe it was just left over memories of all the times he’d tried to flirt with girls and they’d only just end up joking him and looping arms with Bucky before they left. Then she was grinning and it felt like he’d done something right, even if Barton had pulled his lips in between his teeth and was trying very hard not to laugh. “Good to know all my time spent with ice didn’t go to waste then,” he jested.

A short hum left him at what she said next, taking a sip of his beer. In his experience, the special ops guys were a special make. They charged headfirst into things, without any fear. While the Howling Commandos hadn’t been given a special ops label, he could definitely see them being something of the sort now. They were a tight-knit group and there was a slight twinge in his chest at the thought of where they all were now. “I’m not known from backing down from arguments when I feel I’m right, miss,” he shot at her, a crooked grin on his lips and a spark in his eyes.

When Alex started to walk away from the trio they’d formed, Clint shot Steve a wink, which only solidified his assumption that the marksman had planned for something like this to happen all along. The soldier merely rolled his eyes and followed after Alex, a flush tingling at his cheeks despite himself. When he met up with her, he could hear her just fine, but he leaned in a bit to reply so he didn’t feel like he was yelling at her over the music. “I haven’t been back to Queens yet, no.” He paused for a moment before adding, a smile on his features as he watched her. “You’ll have to show me the place sometime.”

---

Loki must’ve really thought himself quite the smooth-talker if he thought she was going to spill exactly why there had been so many guards outside of his cell. Eris was not naive, but she certainly wasn’t going to give the God of Mischief any leverage on her. Well, at least she didn’t intend on giving him any leverage, but then she was looking at her things in an apartment that was intended to only house Loki and a note that only drove the last nail in the coffin of her suspicions. Tony had better have a good explanation for this.

Her gaze shot over to Loki’s as he spoke, the ‘Nanny Regas’ comment snapping her thoughts back into reality, Her green eyes were as sharp as knives as she stared him down for a few moments. Eris was only interrupted by the quiet ‘ding’ of her phone and the buzz of it in her pocket. Without taking her eyes from his, she reached into the pocket of her dress, turning so that he’d have to merge with the wall to read over her shoulder. The notification was of a text from Tony and she was angry enough that she almost didn’t read it. She swore this would be the last time she’d humor him.

’Sorry for the last minute change of plans. I promise to make it up to you somehow.’ Eris let out a sharp exhale through her nose. Having her room with an alien who insanely tried to take over the world? She couldn’t think of much that could make up for this. ’My sources said they’re onto you, gáta.’ It took every bit of self-control Eris had for her not to show how that last line affected her. Her stomach dropped sharply and she felt the color leave her cheeks. ’Having you room with Rock of Ages was the only way I could think of keeping you safe and keeping you on your job at the same time. You are in the least likely place they’d find you. Rest easy tonight, Eris, and if you’re going to kill Loki, at least make sure I’m watching or J.A.R.V.I.S. is recording it.’

Poking her tongue into her cheek, she let everything sink in. She let the panic well up within her until she felt like it almost might break to the surface, eyes staring blankly ahead, and then, she stamped down on it, hypothetically, with the sharp stiletto heels she was wearing. Eris Regas was not a woman who would scare easily or back away from her challenge. Locking her phone, she slipped it back into her pocket before turning to face Loki. “I just realized we hadn’t been properly introduced. I’m Eris Regas and, yes, I’m your new nanny.”

She reached forward, fingertips brushing along his skin as she delicately took the rose from his hand—Goddamn, his hand felt like ice beneath hers. Her eyes flickered between his hand and his eyes for a moment before she turned and strode further into the apartment. Thankfully, it was an open floor plan and it didn’t take her long to find the kitchen area. Pulling open a stainless steel refrigerator, she hummed approvingly to see it was fully stocked. Leaning over, she grasped a bottle of champagne from the door before righting herself. “I know you said us mere mortals have shit alcohol, but how about that drink?” Tonight, she was going to get drunk. Tomorrow, she’d cope with the hand that life dealt her.

Alex ducked her head, failing to bite back a snort of laughter. “It’s —” She tried to come up with something else to say, but then Clint was calling him an old man and another snort of laughter left her. Looking over to him, her heart jumped amidst the laughter when she saw the grin on his face. Steve Rogers was cute. Not that that was any sort of surprise to her, but it felt different, more real to see him in person. He was a cute guy, one that she would very much like to take home with her if they were under different circumstances. “They’re six-second videos. They’re funny. You’d like them,” she clarified, offering him a warm smile.

“I can’t imagine that Fury would turn you down. Honestly, he might even get excited for once.” She couldn’t picture Director Fury getting visibly excited over anything. For as long as she’d been at S.H.I.E.L.D., he’s been the best at remaining stoic, even when angry. The eyepatch didn’t help, either.

She raised a brow at his words, a wide grin taking over her features. “It definitely wasn’t a waste. I’d say that you should ask literally any citizen of New York right now, but that battle pales in comparison with the bad jokes you’ve got.” Her chin dropped to her chest a little before she looked up at him through her lashes, hoping that her flirting wasn’t awful. She wasn’t really used to this, actively flirting. Usually she just joked around until something happened.

“I’m not known for that either, Rogers, so it looks like we may be here for awhile.” Her heart gave a jerk in her chest at his grin. If you would have told her back in seventh grade that years later she’d be fucking flirting with Captain America himself, she wouldn’t have believed you. She wondered once more if he had a cell phone, and how she might get his number.

She raised a brow at his choice of hers. She’d have to show him the place sometime? That’s what she’d been aiming for, but she hadn’t expected him to pick up on her desires so fast. Most guys were a little slow on the uptake. Glancing over to him, she matched his smile with one of her own. “You’ll have to let me know when you’re free, then. Queens is a bit of a hike from here.”

---

So there was something wrong, then. Loki picked up as much from her reaction, or lack thereof. His comment didn’t even elicit a response. Instead, her attention was dragged to that infernal phone of hers. While he could appreciate their usefulness in some aspects, annoyance prickled at the back of his mind. He didn’t necessarily want to admit it, but he’d been enjoying the little jabs that were traded back and forth. At the very least, she seemed like a woman that could take as good as she gave.

He watched her as she read whatever it was over the phone. It was clear that something had happened. She was pale. It was difficult to tell for sure in the lighting, but he may have actually watched the color drain from her cheeks. He stepped towards the bookshelf, eyeing up the spines of the books appreciatively. There were books, thankfully. It was difficult to tell what they were without picking them up, however. And while he wanted to flip through them, he knew it was best to wait for another time.

Loki turned back around just in time for her to face him. He raised a brow, giving her a slow nod. “Everything going to plan?” He asked, motioning towards her phone. Had she been aware that they would be sharing quarters? It was unexpected that they’d do such a thing. Theoretically, it’d be infinitely easier for him to kill her like this. All he had to do was wait until she was asleep, conjure up a dagger, and stab her in the throat.

Not that he would, he didn’t think. She was entertaining. And it’d be a shame to harm such a lovely neck. He let her take the rose, noting just how warm her touch was against his skin. He wondered what she would feel like, pressed against him, mewling beneath him in bed. Now that was an idea that he could get behind. He watched for a moment as she walked away, taking the time to collect his thoughts.

He just had to hold out long enough for them to let him see Thor, and then he’d push his brother into taking him back to Asgard. It would be as simple as that. He waited a moment longer, hearing Eris’s voice call from across the apartment. He walked forward, leaning against the counter as he watched her. “Well, I never say no to a beautiful woman. Or alcohol, for that matter.” This didn’t really seem to be professional in any capacity. By Midgardian standards, anyway. “So we’re rooming together, then?”

Steve was no stranger to getting this sort of reaction. When he’d been younger, it had been the bullies that had taunted him for how little he and his mother had, how sick he often was, or how tiny he was for a guy. But this? This didn’t bother him in the slightest. He’d come to terms with the fact he’d be ignorant to a lot of things. That and neither Alex or Clint seemed to be malicious in their comments or their laughter. He was at a severe disadvantage after decades spent asleep, put into this very extraordinary position that he was in. The grin stayed on his mouth, despite still being terribly confused. “Huh,” he mused, “six seconds. That’s not much time to tell a joke, let alone get a punchline out.” He appreciated the smile on her lips, like she was trying to understand the situation he was in.

A short, sharp laugh left him at the thought of Director Fury being an excitable person, both in positive or negative situations. “I don’t think there’s much that could get a rise out of him, not even a super soldier who had been on ice for a little over half a century,” he said shrugging. His story sounded even stranger when he said it out loud. Clint let out a laugh of his own at Steve’s comment. He was greatly tempted to get in contact with Fury in the morning to see what he had to do to join S.H.I.E.L.D. for the long term.

His grin turned into something a bit more wry as she spoke then when she’d finished, he let out a full belly laugh, head tilting back with the force it left him. It at least helped him forget how his stomach gave an awkward flip at the way she was looking up at him, brown eyes sparkling beneath her lashes. “As bad as my jokes may be,” he said once his laughter died down some, “it seems like they’ve entertained you enough.”

The soldier had to remind himself to breathe. She was flirting with him…and he was making attempts to flirt back. It didn’t seem like Alex was only joking around with him and it certainly didn’t seem to be overly concerned with him being Captain America. He honestly couldn’t remember a time when he’d tried flirting with a girl and have it actually work. Something warm settled in his chest at the way she referred to him as “Rogers”. Just as he went to respond, Clint cut in.

“Rookie, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill argument we’re talking about with Steve. Cap here would argue with a wall until he was red, white, and blue in the face if he thought the wall insulted America.” Steve shot Clint a less-than pleased look, despite chuckling a bit under his breath.

The sight of her raised brow caused him to worry a bit, like he’d overstepped his boundaries or invited himself to pizza with her. Though, what other reason would she have mentioned it to him other than to have them go together? His gaze held hers, stepping forward as the line they were in inched closer to the bar. Her smile calmed his fears, if he even had any left after she’d spoken. “Of course,” he told her, trying to avoid sounding overly eager. “I kind of only have free time, unless Fury will have me at S.H.I.E.L.D.” Steve paused for a moment, nostalgia washing over him in waves. “I wonder how much Queens has changed since the last time I was there. Maybe you could give me a tour.”

---

Eris could tell that she’d probably given Loki more than enough indication the news of her rooming with him had been a surprise. He was many things, but he certainly wasn’t dumb or unobservant. What was surprising, however, was the question that he posed once she’d pulled herself away from her phone. She doubted he was asking over concern for her, but instead only how whatever news she’d just been told would affect him, if at all. “Yes,” she replied, pleased that her voice held the same strength that it always had, “everything is going just as planned.” It’d be a cold day in hell if he thought she’d go into any more detail than that.

“And you’ve behaved well so far, minus the mess with the guards. Consider me pleased,” she commented, an underlying edge of a threat under her words—the threat of their conversation and evening taking a turn should he decide to misbehave. It took her a few tries of opening cabinets to find the one that housed the glassware.

Once she found it, she wasted no time in grabbing two champagne flutes and setting them down on the counter. Her eyes flickered up to meet his as he spoke, showing no sort of response as he called her “beautiful” as he stepped into the kitchen. Eris unwrapped the foil from around the top of the bottle, deft fingers undoing the cage that held the cork in place and setting it off to the side. “Yes,” she said, “I’ve been told your room is to the left and mine is to the right. Everything’s already furnished, but if something isn’t to your liking, let me know and I can work something out to fix it.”

For a moment, the setting seemed too…intimate. The majority of the apartment was lit only by side table lamps and it was eerily quiet. If she ignored the burning rage she held towards him—and whatever the hell it was that he was wearing—she could almost imagine this was what most couples felt when they first move in with each other. With a renewed resolve to get drunk at that thought, she grasped the bottle with one hand and the cork in the other. Eris angled the bottle away from the two of them, or any glass, and expertly tugged the cork free with a satisfying pop. A sigh left the woman and she murmured under her breath, “I love that noise so much.” Filling the glasses and setting the bottle to the side, she turned fully to Loki and stopped just shy of him.

“I have just one rule that, should you break, I will take on a personal level,” she told him, her voice quiet and low. Her sharp eyes peered up into his as she took one more step toward him, closing the distance so that their chests were almost touching. “I’ll respect your alone time, if you respect mine. If I don’t get a little time to myself to decompress, I tend to start breaking things…and I will make it a point to start with your things.” The slightest bit of maliciousness flickered at the corner of her lips, settled into the golden-flecks of her green eyes. “Its the least we could afford each other if we have to try and make this cohabiting work.” She knew that if the God of Mischief lived up to his name, he could make this arrangement miserable. Little did he know, she could turn her misery right back around onto him.

“You underestimate the creativity of my generation,” Alex said, shooting him a grin. What would he think of Vines that were about him? There was a specific one, the one where the guy says something about Cap’s shield being the size of a dinner plate so he shot him in the legs, that came to mind. Steve seemed like the type to take most things in stride, but it was hard to tell. Despite him technically being close to her age — biologically — he was from a different era. Then again, even if he didn’t find it funny, he really didn’t really come across as the type to hold it against her.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He could just save it all for when he’s alone at home, let it all out then.” She paused for a second, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “Does he even have a home? Or does he just crash here?” She looked over to Clint for an answer, but he just barked out a laugh and shrugged his shoulders.

“Hell if I know,” he said, lifting his beer to his mouth to take a drink.

His laugh was nice… as was his neck. Her gaze slid across him as his head tilted back, her stomach twisting in that sort of way that it did when she was attracted to someone. A couple of people glanced their way, curious as to what Captain America found to be so funny. “Maybe I just have a terrible sense of humor.”

Alex barked out a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not insulting America, now isn’t it?” She caught the look that Steve gave Clint and wondered what it was about. Was it just the teasing, or was he not as gung-ho about America as she’d been taught to believe? Regardless, she was pretty sure that the party was not a place to open that can of worms.

She hummed in response, pleased at his response. “It’d be a shitty tour. I didn’t grow up in Queens, but I have family there, so I have an approximate knowledge of the place,” she said, pausing as they got closer to the bar. There was a crowd of people there and she really didn’t feel like pushing her way through. She glanced over to him and grinned. “So did they give you a phone yet, or do you still need to buy one?”

---

So there were things going on that he wasn’t to know about. Unsurprising, since he was the prisoner. But her reaction to the note and whatever she had read on the screen made him think that she hadn’t necessarily known about their living accommodations either. Was this some sort of test that a higher-up was devising? A way for them to somehow, for some reason, get her fired? It all seemed a bit risky for them to go to all this work. If she was caught off guard, there would be an easier time for him to get out. “I’m sure it is,” he said, ensuring that condescension leaked from his tone.

“I’m always a good boy for nanny,” he murmured, his voice just loud enough for her to hear. He wondered how much mileage he’d be able to get out of those jokes, or just how lewd he could get. There were most likely a system set in place in the apartment to monitor him at all times. Would her superiors care if they fucked? It could be a way to get him to Thor faster. Fuck her, get her in trouble, brother has to step in and deal with Loki as always.

Loki nodded his head as he watched her begin to open the bottle. She hadn’t responded to his prior comment. Interesting. He didn’t bother to respond as she spoke next, instead merely taking in the information. It shouldn’t be that difficult to get into her room, regardless of what sort of locking mechanism they used in an attempt to keep him out. Midgardian tech was pathetically subpar compared to anything on Asgard. It’d be child’s play to get in.

There was a pop as she opened the bottle, making his gaze focus in on the champagne. Was it the same as the kind that they’d been serving at the party? Inevitably, his thoughts turned to his brother and the freedom that he currently had. It was a bit unfair, really. Thor had never genuinely tried for anything a day in his life, and he has everything handed to him. Loki? Loki is stuck in a fucking apartment trying to outwit the only Midgardian that’s ever been close to potentially outsmarting him. His thoughts started to take a sour note as he realized that she was turning, focusing her attention on him.

“I promise you, I’m nothing if not a gentleman.” His lips were pressing together tightly, but he allowed the left corner of his mouth to try and twitch up into a smirk. He actually appreciated her words. It seemed as though they were cut from the same cloth in that regard. He’d always found it frustrating when people were in his space that often. It made him feel as though he were coming out of his skin. He looked down at her, noting just how close she was to him. “I assume this wasn’t your idea then, us staying together?” He asked, letting his voice drop a little. There was no need to speak at a normal tone when she was that close.

Steve was taken back by her comment, thinking through what he’d say next carefully. Depending on what he said, he ran the risk of sounding too much like an “old man”, as Clint so artfully put it. “That’s fair enough,” he finally settled on with a nod of his head and a crooked grin on his lips. “Maybe you’ll have to show me a few of these Vines so see if what you say is true.” Honestly, he knew he was just saying this to perhaps spend a bit more time with Alex, but if he learned a bit more about today’s society in the process, it couldn’t hurt anything either.

A short huff of a laugh left him at her next comment about Fury, mouth tilting upwards at the corners despite himself. Sure, he respected figures of authority, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t find humor in the idea that, when alone, Fury liked to cut up and actually laugh about things. He shook his head a bit at the reply that Clint gave, eyes darting between the two of them. Steve felt he didn’t know Fury well enough to joke about him, nor did he want anything getting back to him, should he try to get in full time with S.H.I.E.L.D.

“Nah, I think your sense of humor is just fine,” he murmured, scratching at the back of his neck nervously for a moment. There were plenty of times, both in the 40s and now, where people would laugh at anything they perceived to be a joke. Because he was Captain America. He was someone and they wanted to make sure that he heard them laughing, like it would give them his stamp of approval or something. Alex genuinely seemed to find humor in what he was saying, however bad his jokes were. It was something that he could appreciate.

She…wasn’t trying to tell him that she didn’t want to go have pizza with him at some point. In fact, she was telling him that she wouldn’t be the best kind of tour guide. Steve felt relieved that she wasn’t trying to avoid him. “Don’t say that. I’m sure any tour you’d give would be okay, not to mention full of your horrible sense of humor,” he jested, grinning over at her. “Last time I saw Queens was in the 40s, so it’s not like I have any expectations on what I’d see there.” He turned to her as she questioned him about his phone, pleasantly distracted by her grin for what seemed like a moment too long.

“My…telephone, right,” he replied slowly, pulling the small device from his pocket and turning it over in his hand a few times. Steve was reminded that this was a way to contact someone a world over with just a few presses of buttons. Something that wasn’t morse code or telegraph. “Clint said it’s pretty similar to what they give old people so they can learn how to use one. To be honest, I haven’t really even touched it and I’ve only answered it once.” He glanced up from it to offer her a sheepish sort of grin. He wouldn’t mind being able to call her up and talk to her, but he hadn’t the slightest clue how to even go about how to ask for her number, let alone how to enter it in the phone. “At this point, I think it’d only be good to throw at someone’s head for some sort of diversion tactic.”

---

Eris knew that Loki didn’t quite believe what she was saying. It wasn’t her most convincing tone, true, but she wasn’t about to waste the energy on trying to cover up just how much she felt like all the blood in her body had retreated back into her heart the moment she’d read the words ‘They’re onto you’. But the tone that Loki had taken only solidified the fact. She was here because Tony thought she was safe here. Just how safe she could be with a magical Asgardian who had a god-complex was up for debate, but she had done well enough this far, sans the dead guard and the bruised knuckles she was going to have come morning.

She should have never referred to herself as his nanny, she was realizing. Though, she was certain that the tone he was taking could have made anything as dull as the morning paper sound like it was full of debauchery. Eris realized this gave herself a bit of leverage over him—this back and forth of just how dirty they could get with words. Part of her wondered just what it would take to get this being, who had once said that submission was only natural for humans and beckoned them to kneel, to get on his knees for her. How badly could she get him wrapped around her finger to “degrade” himself in such a way?

Slowly, a grin not too unlike that of a predatory cat curled her features as heavy-lidded eyes looked over to him. They traced a familiar path up and down his frame before settling on his eyes once more. “I think that’s for me to decide,” she retorted in a similar tone before turning her attention away from his as she tried to ignore the way her chest had felt a bit tighter and like someone had cranked the temperature in the apartment.

Her gaze narrowed slightly as he responded, taking note of the way his mouth tilted upwards at the corner. Eris didn’t doubt, being royal and all, meant that he had manners, but whether or not he was a gentleman was yet to be said. “Of course,” she replied, her voice slightly flat. She blinked a few times as she took in just how close she was. Perhaps a little too close. Her stomach flipped again as he spoke, his voice low, but lacking the lewd inflection it had before. “No.” Her voice was just as quiet as his was as she spoke. “But it’ll have its benefits, being this close to you, I’m sure.”

Setting his flute of champagne on the countertop beside him, she glanced up at him and took a sip from her own glass before striding around him and into the living area of the apartment. Eris drew in a deep breath of air as she took in all of the personal items she hadn’t noticed had been placed around the room. She really didn’t like people touching her things, so instead of focusing on how angry she was, she focused on the view of the grounds surrounding the compound. “Do you have any rules I should be aware of?” She called, slowly turning from the window to face the room instead.