A/N: Chapter Ten is here! The ever promised THOR will make his debut, cookies will be used to bribe, (yum,) the Avengers suspicions grow.
Disclaimer:Steve, and the Avengers are not mine. But Harper is! I bow down to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that created the Avengers, and give them all the credit! Except Harper's mine. There will be other new characters as well, but for now, meet Harper!
"What's with the poster board?" Steve opened the apartment door a little past midnight about a week later to find Harper sprawled on the living room floor, the TV on, surrounded by poster boards of various shapes and sizes, all blank.
"I was gonna do homework, but then I got bored." Harper explained, refusing to pull her attention away from the TV.
"Harper. Did you finish your homework?" Steve walked to the kitchen, pulling the milk carton out of the fridge, placing the grocery store sack he'd walked in with on the kitchen island. He made as much noise as possible, catching Harper's attentions, just as he'd intended.
"Technically, yes. Yes, I did." Harper watched as he pulled out two glasses and filled them up with milk, though she didn't move. Steve pretended to ignore her, focusing on pulling out two plates, then moving back to the grocery sack, revealing a dozen pre-baked cookies. Steve didn't look up, not even when she shot up at the sight of the cookies, arranging a few cookies on each plate. He only looked up when she stood on the other side of the island, eyeing the cookies hungrily. He grinned. As she reached for the cookies he pushed the plate out of her reach. She glared at him.
"Talk." He insisted. She groaned, but sat down at the bar.
"Technically, it's not homework. All the seniors have to do a service project, which means we volunteer somewhere, log our hours, make a presentation about it in front of a few teachers, and we get a grade. It's a grad requirement, but not homework."
He pushed the plate toward her, and she grabbed a cookie, stuffing it into her mouth.
"Mmm!" She savored the cookie, Steve grinning wryly as he watched. "So where are you volunteering for your hours?"
Harper swallowed. "I'm not telling you."
"Why not?" Steve asked, generally confused.
"Because I don't want to." She answered stubbornly, grabbing another cookie.
"Why do you have to be so difficult about everything?" Steve pushed the plate of cookies away from her again.
She glared. "You can bribe me to get SOME answers, but you're not getting this one. If I have to pry those cookies from your cold, dead, hands, I will. Give. Them. NOW." Harper's glare intensified each second Steve stalled. He quickly pushed the plate towards her and she grabbed another cookie. Steve grinned, and took a bite out of his first cookie, walking around to sit by Harper on the other bar stool. When he finished his cookie and looked up, Harper was on her sixth cookie. She caught Steve's surprised stare and grinned.
"Cookies." She said simply, as if that explained everything, and reached for yet another cookie. Her hand paused inches from it though.
"Wait. How did you know that you would need to bribe me into talking?" She sent him another glare.
Steve could stare down the best of them, Fury included, in some instances, but something about Harper's glares made him go all gooey inside. He caved instantly, everytime, and she knew it.
"The principal called me, informing me that he was quite surprised by the work involved in your senior project, and suggested that I might try to convince you to do something less…daunting."
Harper snorted, her glare disappearing. "Please. I can handle this project, Steve, don't worry about it. I just won't be home as much, which isn't a problem because you're busy on your new case. Steve?"
Steve had tuned out right after she had said "Home." It was the first time she'd referred to their place as home, and Steve prayed it meant progress.
"Sorry. I was thinking. You're right, we're both going to be pretty busy. My case isn't going well." Harper winced. "Right, I know, Rule 2, no work information. We've already broken that rule, you know." Steve pointed out.
Harper shrugged. "I've elected to ignore it. It was your only free pass though, bub. Don't forget."
"Right, sorry." Steve grinned. "Well, you better get to bed. School in the morning."
Harper rolled her eyes. "Right, gross." She grabbed the rest of the cookies and dashed to her room, yelling night, and shutting her door so fast Steve couldn't reprimand her for the cookie dash. He laughed softly as he walked to his room. He wasn't going to tell her that the principal had told him what her project was. He was impressed, and touched. One thing he was sure of; Life with a teenager was never dull.
PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak
"You're late."
"You're unreasonably peppy for seven in the morning. Go away."
"I live here."
"Move."
"Ouch. What's with you today?"
Steve sat at the couch, coffee cup in his hand, the news flickering on the TV, watching Harper rush from her room to the living room, in a mad dash to get ready quickly.
"Sorry." She stopped for a minute by the couch, giving Steve a sheepish smile, her hair half in a pony tail, half out, her feet bare, her tank top rumpled and her top still gripped in her hand. "Today's going to be a busy day. My volunteer project starts on Saturday and set up starts today."
"Hmm." Steve replied noncommittally.
"Do you have today off or something? You're usually gone by now." Harper rushed back into her room, so Steve raised his voice as he answered.
"I do have the day off. We've been chasing our tails for a while, and decided a day to regroup wouldn't be too remiss."
"Fun." Harper hollered from her room.
" Yup. I think I'm going to clean up a bit here, then run some errands," Steve's cell phone went off as he was talking, and he looked down to check it. He groaned.
"What's up?" Harper walked out of her room more calmly, her hair done, shoes on, and fully clothed, her bag slung over one shoulder.
"Work stuff. My day off just got canceled." Steve stood from the couch, shrugging at Harper, who stood their grimacing sympathetically.
"Bummer, man." I know how hard you've been working. Well, let's hope you have a better day then me! Don't die!" She sent him a wave as she marched out the door, slamming it shut behind her.
Steve glared at the text message he'd received, not understanding how two little words could make him worry so much.
Thor's Back.
PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak
What exactly did that mean?
"Thor." Steve shook the taller man's hand, wincing slightly at the exurbance behind the big guy's handshake.
"Captain! It is quite good to see you again! How have you fared?" Thor beamed at him, happier then Steve had seen the guy before. Maybe that had to do with the fact that the first time he met him Thor was forced to fight his baby brother. Evil baby brother, but still.
"I am good, Thor. Things have been, interesting, to say the least." Steve grinned, thinking of Harper. "Are you here for business or pleasure?" Steve inquired politely.
Thor turned solemn for a moment. "A little of both. Since the attack I have been hard at work in Asgard, rebuilding the bifrost and helping my father with political matters. I came down for a reprieve, and heard of your slight problem. I decided that since I was here, I could help where I can." Thor's speech was impressive, and though a small part of Steve believed that Thor wasn't telling him the whole story, he brushed it off and gave the tall blond man a genuine smile.
"Well, we're delighted to have you. Has Tony filled you in?" Steve stepped forward from the entryway, where Thor had rushed to greet him to catch Tony's eye, who was sitting on his couch, his girlfriend and CEO Pepper at his side, Clint and Natasha sitting at the bar while Bruce rummaged around in the kitchen.
"Nope, not yet, we were waiting for you to get here Cap. Quick question first; why are you always the last to arrive?"
"I have a life, and an apartment, Stark. I can't just roll out of bed and be at work like some people." Steve snapped, walking over to the loveseat opposite Tony, sitting down, Thor following him as well.
"Technically you could. There's a guest room here with your name on it and everything." Tony noted cheekily.
"Stark. I need my space, specifically from you." Steve glared, demanding wordlessly that he drop the topic.
"Man of Iron," Thor interrupted in an effort to change the subject, "Perhaps it would be best if you just"
"Tony, Thor, call me Tony." Stark interrupted. "And we've currently been dealing with a new threat that is apparently quite adept at hacking because even I can't retrace their computer footprints,"
Stark droned on, saying much more than was necessary for the explanation, Thor nodding at intervals. From the look on Thor's face, Steve knew he was going to be there awhile. He sent a text to Harper letting her know he would be home late AGAIN. She responded with a smiley face, then said, at least you're not at school! Steve grinned to himself. Work and school. Which was really the lesser of two evils? Watching Thor slowly go from following along to being completely lost, Steve would rather be at school.
THOR! He's back for a reason...a reason in which you will found out soon! I am so excited. And what's with these stupid hackers?! How are they two steps ahead of Shield?! Stupid hackers...Ah well! Cookies to all who have reviewed, especially to the one who offered to call an ambulance for me, THANK YOU FOR CARING! Reviews and follows and favorites keep me going. ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!