A/N: Firstly, thank you sooo much for reading! I know there're a whole bunch of Avengers fanfics, and something made you pick mine.
...That something may have been peer pressure, but at least you got to chapter two. :D
Secondly, I promised it'd be longer! ...Curses, why am I a teenager? I can't say anything without it meaning something else.
Anyway, hope you enjoy! Also, if you think the story's moving a little too fast, don't worry. It's supposed to be like that. ;)
Chapter 2: Bonding
Jess, Amy and Rose stood in a row, shoulder to shoulder beside the elevator. They had been informed of the arrival of the mysterious thing they'd have to guard and that whatever it was was on its way up right now. Jess knew the other two could sense her standing tense and ready. Better for them to know how stressed she was, to know the danger, in her mind.
Through the massive window, the worst of the storm seemed to be receeding. Despite the storm, at least three helicopters hovered outside Stark Tower
None of the women were ready when the lift gave off a signature cheerful ding! to signify the arrival of the thing that they would spend the next year or so guarding.
It seemed like an eternity passed before the elevator door opened, almost in slow-motion. It was another heartbeat before two bulky-looking security men carrying very large, very dangerous guns exited. For a second, the girls held their breath, waiting.
A slender figure stepped out of the lift, again almost in slow motion. Jess noted the handcuffs holding the figure's pale wrists together in front. She noted the strange, mostly green and gold attire. She saw the black hair slicked back. The figure raised its head slowly and caught sight of the girls with a pair of unnaturally green eyes. They seemed to take all three in; examine them, almost. Like they could see into their very souls. Beside her, Rose shivered. The lips on the figure's face curled into a smile so cunning and so threatening Jess was surprised no one had fired any shots yet.
"Loki..." Jess breathed, trying her best to keep her face expressionless as he stared each of them down in turn.
In a heartbeat, the moment was over. The God of Mischief was followed soon after by a tall, shining hunk of metal. The gold and red paint gave it away immediatelly. Iron Man.
Tony Stark was in his trademarked suit, the mask raised, looking primed for battle. His eyes never left the back of Loki's head, like he was just waiting for the excuse to open fire. Jess noticed with a sinking feeling the billionaire's eye was twitching. He was obviously on the verge of a breakdown, but holding it back bravely. Jess had to give him credit. If she'd been in his shoes, she'd be openly sobbing in a corner.
All this happened in under a few seconds.
Once the group cleared the elevator, they all stood around- in formation, obviously- waiting for some kind of signal.
The elevator reappeared a moment later, and out stepped Thor, God of Thunder, Hawkeye, or Clint Barton, and Captain America, or Steve. Dr Banner was not present, for obvious reasons. Otherwise, the whole team was there, minus Black Widow. She was off in Australia, trailing a target. Way too important to drop just to transport one guy to a tower.
The Avengers exchanged glances, before Stark finally lowered his defences and stood back. The two surly men walked closer on cue, moving smoothly. It was as precise as a ballet. One man unlocked the handcuffs on Loki, much to Jess' alarm. She said nothing, only watched as the second man interrogated the God quietly, to which Loki seemed strangely calm for a prisoner.
After their duties were complete, the two security men entered the elevator, leaving the girls with most of the Avengers and a suspiciously well-behaved God.
The superheroes didn't seem to take much notice of the three guards standing beside the elevator.
Loki, however, was watching them again. Jess noticed his eyes lacked the searching look from earlier. He seemed more bored than cunning, to which Jess raised an eyebrow. He chose that moment to fix his gaze on Jess. The corner of his mouth twitched, and she had to bite back a sudden burst of giggles by clearing her throat and shifting her feet a little. That seemed to finally draw the attention of the Avengers. Tony frowned at the girls for a moment, then a look of realisation got rid of the frown and he smiled at them ruefully.
"Hey. Guys, meet the Agents S.H.I.E.L.D. sent to live with me for a year." Tony turned to the rest of the group, still a little on edge. Clint smirked at them. Thor nodded his head in respect. Steve sighed and smiled apologetically to them. Jess smiled back at each of them in turn, though found herself a little frozen when she met Tony's gaze.
"I'm Amy Cobb, this is Rose Reynolds and that's Jess Tyler." Amy decided it was best to introduce themselves. Each Avenger greeted them in their own way before Clint smirked.
"I feel sorry for you guys." Clint spoke, still smirking. "You have to deal with Mr 'Genius Billionaire Playboy Philathropist' for a whole year. Maybe longer."
Tony turned to him with an eyebrow raised, as if to ask why that was an issue.
"Excuse me, Legolas. There're enough rooms here for all of you. If you're so worried, why don't you hang around and keep an eye on us?" Tony smirked.
"Maybe we will. Right, guys?" Clint turned to look at Thor and Steve, who both acknowledged the archer's question.
"Why not?" Steve reasoned.
"It would be preferable for me to remain here to keep an eye on my brother." The Asgardian replied.
"Then it's decided. You guys'll help us guard Reindeer Games here as well as make sure I behave. Something tells me this is gonna be interesting." Tony settled the matter.
"Oh good, my sentence is an adult's sleepover." Loki spoke for the first time, suddenly reminding the Avengers of his presence.
The evening was a very tense affair. The residential part of Stark Tower was on high alert, since the God of Mischief was to be kept there. He was given strict instructions to remain in one of three rooms- his bedroom, complete with en suite bathroom, the kitchen and finally the living space where they'd first gathered. On that floor alone was Jess' room, Amy's room and Rose's room. Tony, Clint, Steve and Thor were one floor up.
For now, Loki was to stay in his room unless absolutely necessary.
The girls had since changed out of their suits and into more comfortable attire. Amy wore combat trousers, bulky boots and a red t-shirt that had 'Quiddich' written on it in what was unmistakably the Coca-Cola font, her short blonde hair in its usual get-up-and-go style. Jess had dark blue, worn jeans, a pair of mid-length boots, a Batman t-shirt and a leather jacket. Her red hair hung over her shoulders. Rose, the fashion queen of the three, had light blue jeans, a black one-shouldered shirt, grey high-heeled shoes and a red leather jacket. Her brown hair was plaited over one shoulder.
The three of them were equipped with a gun and told never to let it leave their sight.
Jess leaned her hip against the island in the kitchen, arms folded and fairly grumpy. All three of them had decided it best to guard each room Loki was technically allowed to visit. Jess had gone to the kitchen and Amy to the living space, leaving Rose with standing guard outside Loki's room. Jess was currently wishing she'd chosen the living space, since random bursts of laughter floated down the hall to where she stood. The Avengers had gathered around the sofas and were- from the sounds of it- playing some sort of fighting game with Amy on the massive TV. The laughter and shouts were soon replaced with a chant, growing steadily louder.
"A-my! A-my! A-my!" A round of cheering followed, and Jess could clearly hear the disappointed groan of Clint Burton.
"Yes! The Midgardian girl wins again! Friend Clint, you really must improve your strategy." The voice of Thor could be heard from miles away.
"Seriously, Clint, I thought you said you were good at this." Steve's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"But she's just button-mashing!" Clint cried indignantly.
"Suck it up, Legolas." Jess could practically see the grin on Tony's face. "You've been beaten by a girl."
"Are you saying you'd win against me?" Amy challenged.
"Oh, you're on, Cobb!" Tony replied.
More cheers and shouts followed as the next game began. Jess decided to tune them out and instead focus on the interior of the kitchen. It was fairly modern and despite being mostly black, it was quite bright. The cupboards and fridge-freezer were all in-built to the wall of black panels. An island- the one Jess was leaning on- took up most of the floor space, but still left over a meter and a half of space between it and the cupboards. A small, portable radio was perched precariously beside the sink. It looked old and paint-splattered, like it had been used during countless redecorations of other buildings through the years. Jess hadn't yet mustered the courage to turn up the volume of the random station she'd chosen to ease the boredom. The speakers expelled some quiet tune she kind of knew.
Jess sighed and flicked her hair. She straightened up from the island and decided she might as well make herself comfortable. The kettle sat in a little alcove in the panel-wall, next to the microwave and it didn't take long for her to find the fridge. An idea struck her when she found the cupboard filled with different types of tea, coffee and hot chocolate. The kitchen would have to remain undefended for a second, however.
The Avengers plus Amy were all strewn around the sofa. Amy, Thor and Clint were on the sofa, with Tony sitting on the arm of it. Steve was sitting on the ground with his back leaning against the sofa. Each was staring at the screen with varying levels of concentration. Both Tony and Amy were jabbing at controllers in their hands in an attempt to battle each other on-screen. Thor, Clint and Steve were watching in amusement, yelling out encouragement every now and again. None of them noticed Jess' arrival, carrying a tray of hot chocolates, biscuits and marshmallows. She set it down on the shiny white coffee table, being careful not to block their view of the screen. To Jess' surprise, the noise coming from the TV stopped, and the cheering died down. Each person on and around the couch looked very happy at Jess' arrival.
"Ahh, you're a life-saver!" Tony grinned at her, dropping his controller and snatching a red mug, along with a handful of marshmallows. The others soon followed.
"Thanks, Jess!" Amy beamed, taking a sip of her beverage. Thor was a little hesitant in trying the sweet drink, but a pleased grin stretched across his face when he took a large gulp.
"Ooh, hot chocolate." Steve picked up his own mug.
"Not bad." Clint nodded in approval, dropping a few marshmallows into the brown liquid.
Tony set his mug down on the ground for a second and turned to the people on the sofa.
"Squish up." He instructed. The others did as he said, if a little sluggish in their movements. Eventually, there was enough room for Tony to sit on the sofa, leaving the arm free. He picked up his hot chocolate, marshmallows stacked a little dangerously on top and patted the arm of the sofa beside him, glancing up at Jess as he took a sip. He swallowed and voiced his request.
"Join us." He patted the arm again. Jess exhaled in disappointment.
"I can't." She sighed. "I have to guard the kitchen in case Loki decides he wants a midnight snack. Besides, Rose is probably bored too. It wouldn't be fair."
A noise of annoyance raised from the group.
"Ah, c'mon! Join us!"
"If Loki comes at us with a butter-knife from the kitchen, we'll handle it!"
"C'mon, Jess!"
"Do join us in our merriment, Agent Jess. Tis a truly entertaining evening!"
"Go grab Rose and make her join us too!"
Finally, Jess grinned in defeat.
"Okay, but just remember I was forced to join you against my will." Jess made her way into the hall to fetch Rose.
Hours later, the group had stopped their gaming session and were watching some TV. Somehow along the way, they changed places. Sitting on the couch were Jess, Tony and Rose. Clint, Steve, Amy and Thor were at their feet.
Finally, Tony commented on what they were watching.
"Why did I give Jess the remote?" He groaned as the cartoon ponies on-screen started a new episode. Jess had forced the group to watch five episodes of 'My Little Pony', and now they were starting another. The intro song still made the rest of them cringe, but Jess was thoroughly enjoying herself. This episode was one of her favourites. One dark pink pony was telling a bunch of foals about an evil character called 'Discord'. He used to rule Equestria as a King of Chaos.
"Remind you of anyone?" Jess said quietly, nudging Tony. She felt his laugh rumble silently beside her. They were a little too close together, but neither was complaining.
As the episode went on, the group found themselves a little too into the story. When the main characters had to find the 'Elements of Harmony' to stop Discord from taking over again, Jess felt movement at her feet and beside her. The superheroes were worried for a group of six cartoon ponies. The Agent grinned. She was going to convert them no matter what.
"Fluttershy!" Clint gasped when the hedge maze the ponies had to complete separated them, leaving the shy little yellow pegasus terrified and on her own. The archer clamped a hand over his mouth in alarm at his outburst, but no one made fun of him.
As each character became 'discorded', or the opposite of their normal personality, the group felt very worried. When Twilight Sparkle was left alone and finally became discorded herself, Jess was positive she heard a sniff.
Eventually, the two-part episode came to an end with the ponies saving the day. The group relaxed a little more and Tony shifted a little to check his watch.
"Ooh, half one. Maybe it's time for bed. You guys have to be guarding Loki, remember?" Tony winked at Jess, who hit him lightly on the arm.
"Yeah, bed sounds good." Rose was the first to stand up. She stretched and turned off the TV. She turned and her eyes widened at something behind them all. Jess knew, but turned in her seat to see if she was right.
Loki stood by the hallway, leaning against the wall, arms folded and watching them with a smirk.
"Hello." Loki's smirk grew and he stood up straight, releasing his arms and letting his hands disappear behind his back.
Everyone jumped to their feet. Rose and Amy drew their guns, and Clint pulled a bow from God knows where. Mjolnir was in Thor's hand in a second. They were all ready to fight.
Loki raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"Calm yourselves. I only wished to see the source of amusement you had. It was awfully boring in my room all alone." Loki began to pace towards them, hands returning to his back. Strange how, even without his magic, he gave off an aura of authority. Jess almost belived he was born to rule.
"You are not welcome here, brother." Thor growled menacingly, not fooled by his charade. His grip on the hammer tightened.
"Apologies, Thor. I did not wish to disturb your colourful equine experience. Though, the character of Discord was truly inspiring." The God of Mischief grinned.
"Why are you here?" Clint spoke threateningly, his bow drawn.
Loki looked almost taken aback.
"Well, after my attempts to rule Midgard failed, Thor brought me back to Asgard to be tried. My power was removed and I was sentenced to exile on Earth for as long as would be necessary to learn the error of my ways and become a better person." He explained. "Never mind that I was being controlled." He added with a sigh. Thor's eyes narrowed, but he began to lower Mjolnir.
"My brother does not pose much of a threat to us now." Thor reminded them. Weapons were lowered, but the atmosphere remained just as tense.
"What I meant was why did you leave your room?" Clint questioned, just as harshly as before.
Loki was now merely a few feet away from the sofa and the group. He stopped.
"As I said before, I was bored. There were strange, cheerful noises coming from this room. I came to investigate." Loki reasoned with a smile. It was a little unsettling.
A worried thought came to Jess' mind.
"How long were you standing there?" She asked.
"Oh, a few hours, certainly. I arrived just as you finished fighting each other. The show 'My Little Pony' was not what I expected you to enjoy." He smirked at the adult males in the room.
"You were told to stay in your room." Tony stated calmly, ignoring Loki's prodding.
"Really? Oh, I must have forgotten." Loki lied smoothly.
"Never mind. Let's just get you back to your room." Amy sighed and holstered her gun. Loki smiled at them all again before turning on his heel and making his way back to the hallway.
"Do not bother yourselves, I shall return myself." The God disappeared down the hallway, leaving the group a little dumbfounded and more than a little shocked. Loki had been watching them for hours and he'd done nothing threatening. They had had their guard down, too.
"Goodnight, Agents." Thor smiled at the three girls. The group was disbanding for the night and everyone was saying their goodbyes.
"Night, gals." Clint nodded at them.
"Goodnight." Steve waved.
"G'night, ladies." Tony winked.
"Night, guys!" The girls chimed together. Together, they headed down the hallway, past Loki's room, past the kitchen. Two doors were side by side, while the other was on the opposite side.
"Night Amy, night Jess." Rose yawned, disappearing into the first room.
"Night, Rose. Night Amy." Jess opened the door of the room beside Rose's.
"Night, guys." Amy entered the room opposite them.
As Jess donned her pyjamas, she thought back over the day.
It had started off waking up early because of a call from Coulson. She'd headed to the nearest private airport and was up in the air soon enough. Then, she'd been told her mission and dropped off in New York. She'd hung out with most of the Avengers. Now she was going to sleep in Stark Tower, for the first of many nights.
Stark. Something about him drew her in like a magnet. There was no denying his attractiveness, but there was something else there that had sparked something inside her. She refused to believe she'd fall for her... client? Boss? What even was he to her? Either way, it was just an attraction. She could ignore that. She just hoped feelings didn't follow.
It was this worry, and not the fact that she was sleeping on the same floor as a killer, that prevented her from sleeping until finally, she drifted off.
A/N: Pointless goodnights are pointless. That honestly didn't affect the plot in any way, shape or form. And I'm not just saying that to throw you off.
...Or am I? You'll have to wait and- no. No, really, the first part of that last paragraph was beyond useless. :D