Tony had returned to his seat, as had Thor, who observed curiously whatever fresh horror Clint had brought to his and Steve's attention. Bruce had entered and sat slightly apart from the others while you'd been in the kitchen, and you returned the wave he gave you, quickly gliding over to steal the empty seat next to him. You were sure Loki couldn't have forgotten how badly the Hulk had kicked his butt before, making Bruce probably, strangely enough, one of the safest people to sit next to at this point in time. I mean, considering that you'd basically just told Loki to stick a trunk in his tradesmen's entrance. You greeted Bruce with a forceful smile, trying to shake off the confusing mixture of fear and anger Loki had elicited from you. Loki entered the room, his thin shapely mouth flat and tightly shut. You warily glanced his way. He gave you one cold, disdainful look, before ignoring you entirely and leaving. A small, flowering relief blossomed in your chest, as you focused more completely on the small-talk you were exchanging with Bruce.
Suddenly Natasha rushed into the room, spotting you immediately and coming over to you with what appeared to be a bundle of clothes in her hand. "Sorry, I got called in by Fury for some last minute transport run. He wants some extra eyes to make sure the cargo reaches its intended destination. Clint, you're with me. These clothes will get you through the night," she said, pressing them into your hands carefully. "We'll go tomorrow. Promise." You nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. She nodded, then gestured for Clint to follow her, as she made her way to the elevator. After they had gone, Tony shook the small amount of scotch remaining in his glass in a circular motion, smirking. You narrowed your eyes at him.
"What, Buns of Iron?" you asked. He chuckled.
"It seems that even Fury ships Clintasha." You bit your lip, trying to contain your snickering unsuccessfully. Bruce smiled, shaking his head. Steve and Thor were still looking at the screen of the laptop, when Steve looked at Thor, obviously conflicted.
"Should we, Thor?" Steve asked, sounding scared.
"I know not, Brother Steve. This has, so far, been a rather traumatizing experience. Midgardians are so very strange," Thor replied. You went over to them, going around to lean between them from behind the couch. Steve and Thor turned to you, as you looked at the empty google search they had pulled up.
"What did Clint tell you guys to pull up next?" You flitted your eyes between the two of them, as you awaited their answer.
"Well," Steve began, turning red from the possibility that he was about to say something extremely inappropriate.
"It's okay, Steve, you can just whisper it to me, okay?" you said, giving him a sympathetic smile. He nodded, leaning over and covering his mouth and your ear with a tentative hand. He whispered the word, and you blanched, quickly seizing the laptop and holding the power button until it shut off. Slamming it closed, you shook your head, walking back around to your seat. "Nope, nope, hell no," you said, plopping down. You looked over at a very shocked Steve and perplexed Thor. You waved dismissively at them. "No, you're both far too innocent and adorable. If he tried to tell you about that again, I will kill that stupid bird-brain."
"Roger that, ma'am," said Steve, blushing when you referred to him as 'innocent' and 'adorable,' considering how much younger you were.
"Lady _, I trust your judgment," said Thor, chuckling and full of mirth.
"That probably wasn't very good for the laptop," Bruce pointed out. You gave Tony a malicious grin.
"Don't worry, Bruce dear! Nat and I can get a new one with Irony Man's platinum card tomorrow, if need be." Tony grimaced. "Oh, please! You're a freakin' billionaire, you'll live."
"Sheesh, you're such a gold-digger," he huffed.
"Except gold-diggers usually have to give before they get and that's never happening," you said.
"Guess that just makes me a sucker," he said, pouting.
"Guess so." You both pretended to be legitimately annoyed, until you caught Tony's eye and burst out laughing, with him following suit.
After you both settled down, you stood, smiling still. "Listen, I'm gonna go ahead and throw these pj's from Nat on, but I'm gonna be right back. So, could one of you guys show me to the library? I mean if that's alright," you said, bumbling shyly over the last part.
"You read too? That is so sexy," Tony quipped, receiving a deadly glare from Steve.
"I'll show you the way," said Bruce, jumping in before Tony could start something.
"Thanks," you said quietly, scurrying to your room, trying not to worry about bumping into Loki again.
All the doors down the corridor looked remarkably similar, so that halfway through you stopped, feeling nervous. "Jarvis, dear?" you prompted with an anxious chuckle.
"Yes, madam?"
"Where the hell am I, in relation to my room?"
"You have passed it already, madam. It was doors before the one at which you stand now."
"Ah! Danke schon, Herr Jarvis."
"Bitte schon, Frau _."
You giggled, not having expected the AI to play along. You retraced your steps to the right door, slipping inside quickly and shutting it behind you. The room felt a bit bare now that you really looked at it, but you felt you shouldn't get comfortable. "Better to not get attached," you muttered to the still air surrounding you. A strange tremor and tingle rippled through your spine and up between your shoulder blades, causing you to convulse slightly. You shook it off as a chill, laying the clothes tucked in your arms down on your bed, spreading them out to get a better view of them. Nat had given you a heathered, dark-grey t-shirt, light-grey sweatpants, plain, white ankle-socks, and a clean pair of underwear. Wasting no time, you changed into these clothes, retaining only your bra and folding your old clothes in a neat pile.
Feeling much fresher, you sighed when you realized you didn't have a brush or a comb, and your hair had just about dried. Oh, well, you thought. After all, you had bigger things to worry about. You knew you could've just asked Jarvis for directions to the library, but you wanted the chance to get one of the Avengers alone. You had questions, and you were glad it was Bruce who you'd be directing them towards. He was sweet, but also in the know. Also, it would be nice not to be alone. For several reasons…
You hurried back down the hall, finding Bruce alone, still waiting for you. With a small smile, he stood and beckoned for you to follow him. The elevators' sleek, reflective doors slid open silently, as you both stepped inside without speaking. "The library is on this floor," Bruce began, indicating a particular button. "But Jarvis could've easily told you that." He gave you a searching look.
"I know," you admitted, sighing. "Honestly, I was just hoping to get some answers from someone."
"Such as?"
"Like when I might be able to go home?" you said, bottom lip trembling the slightest bit. You looked at the wall, at the guard rail, and then the floor, avoiding Bruce's kind, warm, brown eyes.
"Hey, I promise that I am going to do my best to figure that out. But, I won't lie, it could be a while, _." Your hands were clenched in fists, as you crossed your arms to hug yourself, attempting not to cry. Bruce gently laid a hand on your shoulder, and, before you knew what you were doing, you turned into him, burying your face in his chest.
Recovering quickly from his surprise, Bruce put his arms around you hesitantly and patted you on the back, as a few tears escaped from your tightly closed eyes. When the elevator doors pinged open, you quickly pulled away, wiping your eyes and sniffling a little. You stepped out with Bruce into what was presumably the library, looking up at him with a slight blush tinting your cheeks. "Thanks, Bruce. I should be fine from here. I just needed to ask…Not that I don't have a million more questions," you said with a shaky laugh. "I just need more time to adjust before I think I'll be ready to ask those questions." He nodded, sympathetic and attentive.
"Well, if you're sure you're alright for now, I've gotta get back to my lab, but like Cap has probably already told you, just get Jarvis to tell us if you need anything, okay?" You nodded, awarding him with a watery smile. He gave your shoulders a squeeze, before heading back to the elevator. "Alright, I'll see you later, _," he said reassuringly. Then he was gone, leaving you feeling a tiny bit relieved of some of the upset you'd been hauling around, trying to suppress and regulate it, as you always did with strong, tender emotions.