Chapter 2
Morning After
AN: ok so here the wrap up chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed the story.
Thanks to all who reviewed. Lottielue1, Varan Nightshade,
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but I wouldn't mind renting Loki... or leasing him. or you know... just a play date...
I smile as I sit at the breakfast table in Stark's house, sipping my coffee as people wake up around me, hung over and hungry.
"JARVIS has breakfast cooking, few more minutes, coffee and tea is ready thought" I tell a limping Banner. He nods and slumps in his chair, laying his head on the table, his hand grasping for his mug.
"I didn't do anything bad last night I suppose... since I'm still in the clothes I was in yesterday. That's good. My controls getting better... I can't remember anything thought." He groans, taking a slow drink of coffee.
"Darcy had Steve man the video camera once everyone got settled and started to act like normal people... since he can't get drunk you know. Gave him something to do I guess. I'm sure we'll all get to see it when were all up and less hung over." I tell him, getting up to refill the pot, setting more to brew, mixing up a batch of hangover remedy, nothing to exotic just a virgin Bloody Mary with some extra spice and kick. Getting fluids into everyone would be a good first step to the day. I wince and throw a glare at Thor as he stomps in, grinning like an idiot, totally not hung over.
"GOOD MORNING MY FRIENDS, ARE WE FIRST TO RISE?" he booms.
"Lower your voice Thor, we don't process alcohol as well as you do." I say softly as I press a glass of Bloody Mary to Bruce's hand, giving him a soft smile. He nods and down the drink, laying his head back on the table beside his coffee.
"I am sorry little one, I keep forgetting. May I have some of the wonderful coffee beverage?" he asks in a more normal volume of voice. I nod and pour him a mug, downing my own glass of virgin Bloody Mary. I make up a plate for myself and Bruce as the food is served, patting his shoulder to tell him food was here.
"It's just coffee, not coffee beverage. How do you guys cope on Asguard without coffee anyway?" I ask as I sit back in my seat, eating slowly.
"We have something like it I suppose, but I like coffee much better. And pop tarts, do we have any?" he asks, perking up. I shrug and motion to the cabinets.
"Look in the cabinet over the toaster, if there aren't any there... ask JARVIS. He probably knows if Tony has any or not." I tell him as I eat. He nods and goes, grinning as the others file in slowly. We all sit around the table, eating our breakfast, getting fluids into us.
"So does anyone want me to watch the video from last night and edit it or should we just watch it all at the same time?" Darcy asks after we're all much more awake and alive. We all shrug, heading to the den to relax and watch the video.
"Might as well watch it all together. Don't what you to edit anything out that we might think is funny." Tony says as he flops on his couch, taking up the whole thing before Pepper shoves his feet off and sits by him, making him behave. I sit on the back of the chair that Natasha's curled herself into, looking around, shaking my head as I spot Clint up in his little cubby on top of the book shelves. I frown as I do another head count.
"Wait... where's Loki? Please tell me he hasn't run off." I say, looking at Thor. He shrugs and shoves another poptart into his mouth.
"I knocked on his door a bit ago and he grumbled something about... needing to shower. Perhaps the video will explain why he needs to wash for so long this morning...?" he says. I sigh and shrug, at least he was still in the house. He didn't make a habit of running off but... there was always a chance. We all settle in with our drinks, Darcy nodding once everyone's settled, plugging the camera into the laptop, loading the video from yesterday and projecting it against the wall, sitting back to watch just what mischief we all got into.
xXx
"So, Hi... I'm Steven Rodgers, well Captain Steven Rodgers... I'm never going to get used to that, seventy odd years and I still think it's weird that I'm a captain. Anyway, the lovely Miss Darcy Lewis has given me the responsibility to record out first ever Avengers and SHIELD, the new SHIELD that is, Fourth of July... picnic I guess. It's not really an outing but we did go to the parade, which was interesting. Everything's so big and extravagant any more. I miss the simple days where it was just... simple." Steve says to the camera, holding it out in front of him, learning the controls. He grins as he realizes he can flip the view screen to see himself. He turns the camera around, stalling as he flips the screen back so he can see it.
"So... we are at Stark's house... manor... monstrosity... thing. Honest if I hadn't known Howard before, I would think Tony had a few screws loose. So let's see who all is here... we have Tony and Pepper of course, and Happy... odd name for a fellow but then I suppose Bucky was an odd name for a person as well. Oh and there's Loki, he really isn't all that bad I suppose, a bit of a pain but I don't know if I'd be any better if I were in his place. That is one odd family for sure." he says, focusing on Tony and Pepper and then on Happy and Loki. He takes us through all of those in attendance, everyone either acknowledging the camera or unaware they are being filmed.
We watch as the day progresses, people swimming and eating, playing games in the yard, enjoying the fun of the holiday, laughing as we relax in the sun, our first real day off in weeks... if not longer. I watch as Loki keeps drinking, sliding into the dark end of inebriation slowly, letting go of all his stiff upper lip and actually being a person. I should probably have a talk with him about drinking problems, just in case... since he still hadn't come out of his room yet. He was doing so well... I hoped he didn't go hermit... again. He had been doing so well, he still had issues with crowds but I didn't have to fight to get him to go out of the apartment, on outings. I shake my head, focusing back on the video.
xXx
Loki POV
I wake up slowly, groaning as I peel myself off the bed, rubbing my eyes. What in the nine hells did I do last night? Why did I feel like I did something... incredibly foolish and lasting? I sit up slowly, rubbing my face as I try to wake myself. I groan as I stand and make my way to the bathing room, turning on the lights, looking at myself in the large mirror over the sink.
"What in the..." I say softly as I look at myself. My usually pale perfect torso is... covered in red, white, and blue paint. I rub at my eyes and frown into the mirror, making sure I really was seeing what I was seeing. I rub at the paint, trying to get it off, jumping slightly as Thor bangs on my door, asking if I'm up.
"Yes I'm awake, I need a nice long shower, Midguardian alcohol is different then what I'm used to. I believe I partook too much yesterday. Go on I'll be out later. Go away." I snap, going back to rubbing at the paint on my chest. He humphs at me and stomps off, leaving me be. I grumble and continue to rub at the paint coating my skin, turning to the shower and turning it on, stripping out of my pants and boxers, checking for any other... art works on my skin. I sigh as I step into the shower spray, trying to remember what all happened yesterday. I squeeze some of the body wash into the scrubbing cloth and work the paint off my skin, scrubbing until my usually pale, if not blue skin, is pink. I stand under the water, trying to remember anything from yesterday after we got to the party. I shake my head and wash my hair as I come up blank; I needed food and tea to clear my head. The hot water was helping but I was still missing a large chunk of time.
I huff and step out after I'm washed and paint free, wrapping a towel around my hips as I dry, combing my hair out, trying to think of more specific things then just generalized 'what happened'.
"Ok... we came here, we went out to the pool, I... socialized, got food from the one called Happy... I... played games? Maybe? Damn I must have drank more than I thought if I can't remember this much. Midguardian alcohol shouldn't affect me this strongly." I grumble as I sit on the bed. I shake my head and magic yesterdays clothing clean and dress, trying to make sense of it all. Trying to remember... something. I kept getting a horrible feeling I was missing something, something important and I just couldn't grasp what it was. I sigh heavily and stand, heading out to the main area where the others are gathered.
xXx
Hannah POV
I shake my head and sit back as I watch the video, laughing as everyone relaxes and enjoys the day off. Pulling pranks and throwing people into the pool, splashing, eating, and playing games. We all quiet as the camera jerks, Loki coming into full view, his eyes glazed slightly, paint covering him from waist to collar bone, mimicking Steve's Captain America uniform.
"Hello... I am Loki... of Asguard... and I want everyone to know... I am sorry. For so much, I... I have done... such horrible things. And I don't know what else to do but say I am sorry. I have commandeered the recording device from the man out of time... to tell you all this. I... I should be punished. I should, I've been a bad... a very very bad boy. I would like my agent to be the one to punish me, if possible. I believe she would do very well as a top. Or the red ledgered thief, she would do well of course, I can see why Barton likes her as he does... perhaps both of them? Is that a thing on this odd little rock?" Loki slurs and stumbles out, wavering as he stands with the camera. I look down at Tasha in shock, trying to come to terms with what we just heard. Loki wanting to be punished... by US! How the hell had that happened...? I turn back to the recording as he starts talking again.
"I don't know what I was thinking when I tried to rule this... planet. Course I wasn't thinking really was I? I was just so... angry... about so much. I do try to be better... I do. No one wants to hear my problems... maybe that's part of the problem. Everyone listens to THOR. He has friends and... and comrades in arms... and what do I have? Huh? I have... 'Daddy issues' and 'abandonment issues' and 'relationship issues'. Well who wouldn't have issues? Left on a frozen rock to die as an infant, lied to my whole bloody life, never the favorite. Did you know Thor always got EVERYTHING he wanted... everything. It's ridiculous, I mean honestly... couldn't they have told him no once?" he shakes his head and slumps into a lounge chair, struggling with someone off camera.
"Go away Rodgers I am not finished with it yet. I will give the damn thing back when I'm through. Now... where was I..." he starts, the recoding pausing as we all still, Loki's voice coming from the doorway.
"Oh... damn... now I remember."
AN: ok so it was a little choppy but I don't think it could be told any other way. Hopefully just one more chapter and I'll be done.