AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is one set on Polyvore for this chapter. Link to my polyvore account is on my profile.
After the gifts, Eir was glad to find that Steve and her friends found great amusement in their gifts from the Wizarding Realm. She promised to get them something better but the Avengers and Pepper were adamant that she didn't need to. What she had gotten them was perfect enough.
Bruce, Clint, and Steve were quite fond of the Sugar Quills right off the bat, Pepper and Natasha the hair color changing candies, Tony the chocolate frogs, and Thor the candies that gave him either ears or snouts or tails and animal vocal chords. The group spent a fair amount of time trying out the different candies and cracking jokes at one another while also testing their limits with the Firewhiskey.
Not even Natasha, the Russian Vodka Drinking Queen, could keep a grimace from twisting her features with only one shot.
As the night progressed, Eir started to feel antsy so she and Steve retired early to her room. Since Steve was the guest this time, she tried offering him her bed but he would have none of it. After playful arguing for more than ten minutes, both Steve and Eir ended up on the sofa after Eir magicked it bigger and softer. With her legs curled up to her side of the sofa, Steve stretched out his legs behind her back and the two watched television until they fell asleep.
.:HP/AVNGS:.
By the next morning, Eir finds herself wearing one of her Christmas gifts already. The gift from Bruce- the shawl cowl tunic- is comfortable and actually a bit warm. Paired with a pair of denim skinny jeans and black transparent lace ballet flats with little bows covering her toes, Eir combs her hair straight to let it hang and frame her face.
By the time Eir and Steve surface on the communal floor, Mousy has breakfast cooking and Thor is readying to depart to New Mexico for a few days before heading back to Asgard. Tony is practically drowning himself in coffee while Bruce readies his usual cup of morning tea.
The group eats a hearty breakfast and Thor is ready to return to New Mexico to be with Jane but not before Eir reminds him to not let any muggles who were not in the know about magic see his magical treats. With hugs, words of friendly love, and promises to keep an eye out for any future dark threats, Thor finally departs.
Bruce and Tony leave for the labs to work and tinker just as Natasha, Clint, and Pepper follow their noses to the kitchen. Steve and Eir declare a lazy day as the others eat, the duo- who have yet to actually talk about any type of relationship- falling easily onto the large sofa to watch television.
Steve and Eir are mindlessly watching the television screen in silence when Eir decides to stretch out. With her head cushioned by the arm rest and a sofa pillow, Eir kicks off her flats and place her feet under Steve's thigh only to have the man pull her feet out and place them in his lap. She wiggles her toes in his lap, giggling when he pulls at the smallest of her toes and then curling her toes inward when Steve runs his forefinger down the sole of her left foot.
Pepper and the assassin duo finish their breakfast quite quickly and Pepper is back in CEO mode and appears to be a woman on a mission as her heels click against the flooring. She thanks Mousy for the breakfast and tells Eir that she'll see her after work before disappearing in the elevator. Clint and Natasha are not that far behind the CEO but only disappear to the roof where a quinjet is set to pick them up and deliver them to the Helicarrier for paperwork when they find out that Steve and Eir plan on staying in the same spot for the entire day.
With promises of popcorn, non-leaping and non-pranking candy, Clint and Natasha leave to get their paperwork over and done with so they can come back and laze about.
The moment the floor falls silent with the exception of the voices coming from the TV, Eir flops on her back while bending one arm beneath her head and bending her knees to shove her toes under Steve's thigh once more. "So.."
"So.." Steve repeats, adjusting his position on the sofa and leaning on Eir's knees. "What?"
"I don't know. You tell me," Eir retorts, smiling as she closes her eyes and the duo lapse into a silence.
Steve laughs and shakes his head while leaning back and unbending Eir's knees to have her feet in his lap once more. "When did things between us become so awkward?"
"Probably around the time we admitted to being mutually attracted to one another but have yet to actually talk about it." Steve's chuckles come to an abrupt halt and Eir cracks open one eye to take a peek at him. He's staring down at her feet and she can see the redness of his embarrassment creeping up the side of his neck. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about," she calls him out on it. "We already got over the hard part. Admittance. Now all we have to do is actually do couple-y things."
"I-Is that what we are? A couple?"
"Uh, yeah," Eir scoffs before abruptly sitting up. "I don't kiss anyone just for the hell of it, Mr. Rogers, and I hope you don't do the same."
"N-no. Of course not," he is quick to assure her. "I was, well, I'm not sure what I was thinking," he finally admits, deeply breathing out before he starts tracing his fingers around her ankle. "I guess I was just waiting for you to bring it up. See how you labeled this- us."
"Well," Eir trails off, a grin slowly making itself known. "I've never officially had a boyfriend," she admits. "At least not one who I was able to hold hands with or go to parties with or even admit that he was my boyfriend in public. I'd like to finally experience that if that's okay with you."
"Y-you're sure you want that with me?" He avoids eye contact.
"Mhm," Eir hums in amusement.
"Well then that's what I want with you, too."
Steve finally looks up at her and catches her gaze, and Eir can't help the ear to ear smile that overtakes her small grin or the urge to suddenly lean forward and plant a kiss to his lips. There's a quick peck that quickly turns into two.. then three as she cups Steve's cheek. Feeling Steve smiling into the kiss only makes her smile more.
"Excellent," she then mumbles against his lips. "Now my boyfriend can take me for a ride on his motor bike that I've been too scared to ask before."
"My motorcycle?" He laughs as he pulls away just enough to take in her excited features. "You do know how cold it is outside, don't you?"
"Of course, I do," Eir rolls her eyes. "But you do remember that I'm a witch with a wand, don't you? Warming charms are quite handy."
It takes a moment for Eir's words to register in Steve's mind and when they do, he slowly matches Eir's amused expression before he's up on his feet and pulling Eir to hers. She laughs as he tries to pull her after him while at the same time she's trying to slip her feet back into her flats.
It appeared that a motorcycle ride was very near in her future.
..
..
By the time Natasha and Clint make it back to the tower with treats in hand, Eir is fast asleep on the sofa with her feet once again in Steve's lap. One arm rests along the back of the sofa while his other free hand is laying atop Eir's feet, and the assassin duo make quick work of popping popcorn and pouring candy into different bowls for easy access.
Just as Natasha plops down on one of the plush sofa chairs and Clint takes the floor between her and Steve so the Captain can have access to the treats, Tony strolls in to the room with the sleeves to his black Metallica t-shirt rolled up to his elbows and various oil stains on his jeans. Soot suspiciously covers his cheek bones but no-one questions it.
"Oohh, snacks." He makes a be-line for Clint who holds up a bowl of popcorn and a bowl of m&m's. "What are we watching?" Tony asks as he then moves to sit in the only available sofa chair.
"The Fifth Element," Natasha supplies as she maneuvers to drape her legs over the arm rest while leaning her back against the other.
Tony groans and Clint and Steve smirk in response. They know how much Tony loathes the movie. "Nope. No, we're not. JARVIS," He calls out to his trusty AI. "-play Wanted."
"Right away, 'sir," JARVIS replies.
"Assassins?" Natasha huffs with a roll of her eyes though she doesn't demand a different movie- Clint and Steve still smirking. "Could you be any more predictable?"
"You love it," Tony waves her off before gesturing towards Eir's sleeping form. "Should we wake the witch up? She won't want to miss this film."
Steve shakes his head, halting Tony from leaning forward and poking Eir awake. "Let her sleep," he tells his friend. "She hasn't been sleeping good for the past couple of days and she actually seems peaceful for once."
"Nightmares?" Natasha guesses, peering over her shoulder to look at the witch in question.
"I'm not sure," Steve shrugs. "She whimpers and cries in her sleep but when she wakes up, she doesn't remember anything. She's always happy so I don't question it."
"Has she talked about it?" Clint asks, keeping his eyes on the TV where the movie was now starting. "About that night."
"No."
"No?" Tony leans forward now, completely ignoring the beginning of one of his favorite movies. "Come on, Rogers, you know that isn't good for her. She needs to talk about. If not, everything's just going to build up-"
"I'm not going to force her," Steve cuts him off with a frown. "Would you want to talk about the night your own mother tortured you?"
"Fury still wants to brief her," Natasha suddenly throws in.
"Yeah, well, in Eir's words.. Fury can shove it," Steve deadpans.
Tony and Clint both choke on the popcorn they're shoveling into their mouths, Tony being the one to beam proudly at Steve while Natasha hides her grin. "I like the new you. You make me all tingly with amusement," Tony tells him before suddenly turning serious. "But I stand by what I say and I'm sure Assassin One and Two will agree with me. She needs to talk- to vent- or else it's going to be one ugly breakdown."
Steve lets Tony's words hang in the air and when Natasha nor Clint voice otherwise, he sighs deeply before staring down at Eir's sleeping face. With his finger tapping a random rhythm against her ankle, Steve slowly nods. "Soon. She'll talk soon."
With nothing else being said, the four Avengers turn their attention to the TV screen and settle in for a movie marathon.
.:HP/AVNGS:.
Eir yawns long and spine-tingling good that she hasn't quite noticed her surroundings. She remembers falling asleep lying down so she's quite confused as to why she's sitting up, and when she tries to stretch, she realizes that she's bound to the chair she's in.
Heart picking up speed, Eir lifts her head to finally take in her surroundings. The moist cave-like stone walls that are glittering with the dim lighting is a dead give-away to where she's at but no- that's impossible! She was in Manhattan when she fell asleep so how in the hell did she land herself tied up once more in the dungeon of her childhood home all the way in England?
She struggles against her bindings only to feel them tighten the more she moves. Whimpering out in pain and fear, Eir stops struggling, but at her cry of defeat- the sconces that are lined up along the ceiling of the room flare brightly. Eir cringes at the sudden brightness of the room and tries to calm herself when she realizes no-one is in the room with her.
The door at the top of the stairs- that she sits directly across from- creaks open and Eir is suddenly alert again. She doesn't hear any heavy breathing or footsteps so when Natasha's head suddenly appears hovering mid-air, Eir tries her best to not startle.
"Oh, Banning, what did they do to you?"
"Natasha?" Eir's brows furrow in confusion. The Black Widow is staring sadly at her- staring without really seeing- and the back of Eir's mind tingles with a memory. Shaking away her confusion for the time being, Eir wiggles in her seat. "Natasha, what are you-" A green light comes out of nowhere, striking the Black Widow dead center of her chest before she even sees it coming. The assassin falls dead to the ground and Eir chokes on a sob. "No! Tasha! No!"
She struggles harder against her bindings just as a familiar cackling sounds behind her. Eir doesn't care that her bindings are getting tighter- she only cares about getting free and avenging her friend's death. The door upstairs creaks open again and the cackling suddenly stops. "Agent Romanoff?"
"Steve?" Eir freezes, eyes going wide.
"Down here, Cap. Bring one of the witches or wizards with you" Natasha's voice echoes around the room even though her body lies lifeless not two feet away.
"No!" Eir screams as tears stream down her face. "Don't! Steve, don't come down here!"
"Eir. Eir, wake up."
Rushed footsteps sound and Eir struggles even harder against her bindings once more. Captain America- Steve- comes into view and skids to a stop right before her. "Eir?" And the moment her name leaves his lips, a green light hits him too.
"No!" Eir wails as she watches her boyfriend fall dead before her eyes. "This isn't- this can't be real," She sobs.
"Of course it isn't." The familiar voice of her mother coos next to her ear. "But this is."
Fingers snap right next to Eir's face and for a split second, her vision blackens. When her vision clears, she finds the room empty with the exception of her insane mother standing before her. She realizes that she's staring down at her mother rather than peering up, and when she tries to move her limbs, she realizes she's hanging once more from the ceiling.
Tears instantly filling her eyes, Eir kicks out only to have her body swing back and hit the wall with a painful thud. "No, no, no.." She mutters. "This can't be happening." She closes her eyes tightly and wills herself to wake up from what only can be described as a nightmare. "This isn't real."
"Hmm, it might not be but it is familiar, is it not?"
Eir refuses to open her eyes, to see her Mum once more, but the sudden breeze hitting her stomach has her abdominal muscles clenching in fear. The burning sensation of the first cut has Eir crying out in pain.
"Eir! Wake up!"
Eir's eyes snap open but the lingering sensation of being carved alive has her still wailing. Hands grip her shoulders, keeping her in place once she starts to thrash and it's only seeing the horror struck face of Tony Stark over Steve's shoulder that has her quieting. Her vision blurs and she quickly blinks it clear only to pull back and stare wide-eyed at a shell-shocked Steve.
"S-she killed you. Y-you and Tasha. She killed you." Eir's bottom lip trembles and she suddenly finds herself being pulled into a hug. Steve is gripping her tightly as if he's afraid she's going to disappear on him when she notices that Tony keeps casting side-glaces to his right.
"It was a dream. Just a dream," Steve's voice practically rumbles through her. "You're safe now."
Eir can't stop trembling and when she sees Tony cast a glance to his side, she follows his gaze. Clint and Natasha are standing back- both equally as wary as the other- and the TV screen is shattered and smoking. Eir's heart clenches at the thought of her magic acting out while she was sleeping and when she can't calm down, the lights starting flickering.
"I'm s-sorry." She cries, her hands coming up to hug Steve back. "I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay. You're safe now. That's all that matters."
The moment the words leave Steve's mouth, Eir breaks down in his arms. She's a mess of tears and possibly snot but none of it seems to phase the room's occupants. She's crying and crying, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. She realizes that no-one is telling her calm down or to get over it which just makes her sobs get louder as she gets it all out of her system.
The minuter her sobs get louder, though, glass shatters somewhere in the distance and Steve actually flinches. "Just get it all out, kiddo." Tony's voice is even and rough as she feels a hand that doesn't belong to Steve start rubbing a circle on her back. "Let it all out- scream if you must." He goes on to tell her. "We have a gym that's great for taking out your anger in."
There's a good minute or two where no-one says anything but Eir's crying doesn't let up. After hearing her continuous crying, Tony shakes his head. "Up. Get up," He tells the hugging duo. "We're going to the roof."
"Roof?"
"Yeah," Tony shrugs at Steve. "She needs to get it all out and I'm betting a good scream is what she needs."
"Tony, we don't have time-"
"Just trust me," he sighs and when Natasha or Clint don't deem it a bad idea, Steve frowns and stands while pulling up Eir with him.
..
..
By the time they make it to the roof, Eir is a sniffling mess who's tucked comfortably into Steve's side. Tony led the way with Clint and Natasha bringing up the rear, and with the wind whipping around Eir's hair she finally realizes that the sky is darkened and stars are twinkling.
Tony, Clint, and Natasha all spread out- Steve and Eir standing in the middle of a helicopter landing pad.
"Go on. Have at it." Tony spreads his arms wide as he gestures to the rooftop they're on. "Let the screaming rip through. It's soothing afterward."
Eir looks uncertain, not quite believing that this is Tony Stark's brilliant idea. Of course, she knows that letting it all out is what she needs- that she should have talked about her Mum kidnapping and torturing her sooner rather than later but she couldn't bring herself to speak of it. Looking around now, she's surrounded by those she's come to call her friends and her boyfriend.
Tony appears to be the only one who doesn't look at her, the billionaire choosing to lean against the glass wall railing of the roof top as he peers out over the city. Sniffling, Eir disentangles herself from Steve and stumbles a few feet away as he, Clint, and Natasha watch her with cautious eyes.
If screaming was the key to getting some of the weight off of her chest- her shoulders- well, then, she'd scream. Sort of.
She avoids the gazes that are locked on her, Eir sniffling as she slowly turns around in a circle as tears drip off her chin. Without so much as a word or a whimper, she lowers herself to the ground and transforms into her animagus form.
The white wolf whimpers as she trots around the rooftop in a circle- Steve, Clint, and Natasha tensing and spreading out even more to keep her away from the railings of the roof. The last thing they need is Eir attempting to do something stupid.
The wolf's whimpering is what catches Tony's attention but the moment he turns around and spots the wolf, the wolf sits back on it's haunches and throws it's head back in a howl. Every beating heart that's atop the rooftop clenches at the sorrow-filled howl, and for being people who are excellent at masking their emotions, there are a bunch of suspicious glassy eyes blinking rapidly and/or avoiding eye contact with everyone else.
A second howl pierces the air but tapers off in a whimper seconds later when the wolf lowers herself to lay on her stomach and rests her head atop her paws.
The four standing Avengers glance at one another now not knowing what to do.
"Is it- is it safe to approach her?" Tony asks.
Clint shrugs. "I dunno. Cap?"
Steve frowns and steps forward cautiously before squatting down. "Eir? You wanna change back now? We need to get back inside."
The wolf only whimpers in response, lifting it's head up to stare at Steve before snuffing and lying it's head back down.
"I take that as a no," Tony chuckles in the background. "Come on, Cap, pick her up. I didn't think it'd be this nippy out."
Steve rolls his eyes but as he sees each of his team members closing in around him and Eir, he notices that each of them are hugging themselves to keep warm against the wind. With a sigh, he cautiously reaches forward until his fingers meet the top of the wolf's head. When Eir merely twitches her ears, Steve stands before getting as close as possible and bending down to pick up the wolf.
With the wolf now cradled in his arms, Natasha and Clint lead the way back inside and back to the warmth.
..
..
As the team cram into the elevator, Steve completely forgoes the communal floor where everyone else gets off and continues on to the lower level where his and Eir's mini-apartments reside.
With a quick shout up to JARVIS, the AI is opening the door to Steve's room since his hands are full of wolf, and the soldier strides straight towards his bedroom.
It doesn't seem like Eir was going to transform back any time soon with what the slight whimpering still going on so instead of trying to coax her back into human form, Steve lays her on his bed. The moment he takes a step back though, Eir's whimpering gets louder as she lifts her head to stare at him.
"What?" Steve frowns. "What's wrong?"
Without changing back, Eir stands up on all fours and paws at the bed sheet- bringing it back to expose the bed. She wants him to lay down.
Steve's frown falters as he figures out what Eir wants and as he fidgets in place, Eir whimpers some more with her tail tucked between her legs. Sighing out, Steve starts to toe off his boots. "Only if you're sure," he mutters and could've sworn he saw the wolf roll her eyes. The second Steve sits down on his bed and moves around so he's comfortable enough to lay down, Eir walks over to him and curls up at his side, laying her head on his chest. Smiling to himself, Steve chuckles. "Don't get too comfortable. I still have to shower."
Eir snuffs at him and as Steve shoves one arm behind his head, he uses the other to lay on Eir's back and delve his fingers through the wolf's fur.
Without much warning, sleep consumes him.
.:HP/AVNGS:.
When Steve wakes, it's to an entirely different day. His room is dimly lit up and as he turns his head to the side towards his bedside table, he sees that it's barely after 9AM. The fingers on his hand that's not under his head twitch unconsciously and it's then he realizes the fur and warmth beneath them.
He had fallen asleep with Eir still in wolf form.
His head snaps to the left only to find Eir staring at him. The fur beneath her eyes have streaks or dark and matted down fur as if she had been crying. Bringing up his hand, Steve runs his fingers over her ears. "Did you sleep at all last night?" He yawns. The only answer he gets in response is a whine. "I'll take that as a no."
Eir whines again and Steve allows his eyes to close for a bit as he plays with her ears. He'd probably regret it later because this was a human but he can't stop his fingers. As his mind processes the previous day's events, he can't help but frown and not want Eir to wallow anymore.
Does she deserve a day to herself? Yes.
Does she deserve time to cope with what happened to her? Of course.
But the kidnapping and torture happened, and Eir had time to herself to cope. She was even given the chance to talk about it but she refused and while he doesn't want to push her, he doesn't want her to fall into a depression. Especially after yesterday's breakdown.
Groaning, Steve stops petting Eir and nearly rolls out of bed with Eir watching curiously. "Get up," he mutters, yawning and stretching some before settling his gaze on her. "I get it, okay? You went through something quite traumatizing and you're trying to deal but this," he gestures to her lounging quite pathetically on his bed. "This isn't going to make you better. Lying about in your wolf form and hiding away from others will only make you depressed. Trust me, I've been down that route after they thawed my body from nearly seventy years of being frozen." Eir whines yet again, laying her head on her crossed paws but Steve is having none of it. "Nope. Get up. Transform back right now and get your butt in the shower. Midnight tonight will mark the new year and you're not going to miss it. You're mother is locked away in another country and you're safe with us. It's time to celebrate, not hide away."
Eir continues to whine while staring up at Steve but all he does is cross his arms over his chest and stare right back. Her ears twitch and Steve rolls his eyes though the corner of his lips twitch upward in a smirk.
With a yawn turned sneeze, Eir stands up on all fours with a slight wag of her tail. Right before his eyes, Steve watches the awkward yet captivating transformation back into a human. The fur recedes and in it's wake is skin and clothes. Canine limbs elongate and shift into arms and legs, paws turn back into hands and feet, and the wolf head shifts and transforms back into a human head and hair.
Eir's skin is paler than normal, her hair is a tangled mess, and her eyes are swollen red and puffy. "Is my wand here?"
"Yes," Steve answers, moving towards the bedside table and pulling open the drawer. When he pulls out the wand, Eir scoots forward on the bed and takes it from him. "What are you doing?"
"Well if I'm going to take a shower, I need clothes," she mutters, standing up and straightening out her tunic. "I'll be right back."
Before Steve can suggest that Mousy bring her what she needs, Eir is gripping her wand tightly in hand and turning on the spot before disappearing with a distinct crack!
Steve snaps his mouth shut and within a minute, there's another crack! and Eir is standing before him with her clothes rolled up and tucked beneath her arm, and a pair of navy converse hanging from her fingers.
They stare at one another for a brief moment and when Eir's gaze darts towards the bathroom, Steve stops her from leaving suddenly. "Are you okay?"
She sighs, tosses her shoes at the foot of Steve's bed, and takes a moment to think about it. "I'm getting there." Steve is on the verge of frowning and asking if she wants to talk about it but the attempt at a smile she gives him has him biting his tongue. "I'm just gonna," she trails off as she points towards the bathroom and Steve quickly nods.
"Yeah.. yeah. I'll just wait out here."
..
..
Throughout the entirety of Eir's shower, Steve paced his room. He managed to pick out his own clothes so he could shower next but that was as far as he'd gotten. No-one had bothered to check up on them- something that he was grateful for- and wondered if Eir would be up for the night's events. Knowing Tony, there was a party planned.
When Eir had steps out of the bathroom, her damp hair is twirled and pinned in a bun with her wand holding in it place. A violet and blue plaid shirt- with the top two buttons undone- hug her upper body, and a pair of khaki shorts showcase her long legs.
Steve's lips twitch at the plaid and khaki, and Eir actually smirks. "I totally wear it better."
He laughs, rubbing the back of his head and nods. "I won't argue with that."
She flashes him a genuine smile as she walks up to him, setting her palm against his abdomen and leaning up on her tiptoes to press a kiss under jaw. "I left my clothes in a pile in the corner. I'll have Mousy retrieve it later."
"That's fine. You going to wait in here or go see if anyone's awake yet?"
"I-I'll wait," Eir tells him. "I'll probably have Mousy bring me a light breakfast. Do you want anything?"
"Uh, no." Steve frowns at the thought of Eir eating her breakfast in the room and not out in the kitchen. "I'll eat after my shower with everyone else."
"O-okay." She smiles back, letting him head towards the bathroom for his own shower.
The second the door closes behind Steve, Eir lets out a deep breath and plops down at the edge of Steve's bed. She fiddles with the hem of her shorts before reaching for her shoes and pulling out the socks she had stuffed inside of them.
Steve was right. Of course he was right. Not only was she in a funk and headed down a dark path towards depression because of what had happened but she was in a funk as well because she was embarrassed.
Eir didn't cry in front of people. She wouldn't.
Ever since she was old enough to take a dark curse, it had been drilled into her head that crying meant you were weak. And last night, she cried in front of nearly everyone.
She hadn't meant to but the dream played on her fears of her friends dying because of her and she couldn't handle it. Plus, dreaming her Mum torturing her once more didn't help as well either. And well, once she had woken and found her magic acting out, the dam broke. And with the dam broken, she couldn't build it back up fast enough before her emotions got the best of her.
The water inside the bathroom turned on and Eir pulled on her socks. Instead of worrying over what the reactions would be when she eventually followed Steve to the communal floor, Eir stood and walked over to the recliner a few feet away. Once settled, she pulled her wand free from her hair and spelled it dry to let it hang in waves around her face.
"Mousy," she summons while laying her wand back on the bedside table.
Mousy appears with a crack! and dramatically bows before Eir. "Yes, Mistress?"
"Little Mouse," Eir playfully chastises, using Mousy's nickname. "What have I told you about calling me Mistress?"
Mousy immediately perks up and smiles. "Not to, Lady Banning."
Eir rolls her eyes while shaking her head but smiles nonetheless. "Right," she drawls before getting back on topic. "Will you bring me some breakfast, please? Yogurt and whatever fruit is available."
"Right away, Miss Banning." Mousy bounces happily in place. "Anything else?"
"No, thank you," Eir refuses. "But if any others are awake and asks about me, tell them Steve and I will be up shortly."
Mousy beams happily at her Mistress, glad to see that she's up and about and in good spirits. "Mousy will be back shortly." And with a farewell bow, the tiny house elf disappears with a crack!
Eir sighs out deeply when Mousy leaves, picking up her feet and tucking them beneath her. It seems like she only has her eyes closed for a few seconds before the tell-tale sound of apparation sounds and Mousy is placing a tray in Eir's lap. "Mousy has found vanilla yogurt with a side bowl of sliced strawberries."
..
..
Eir is eating the last few slices of her strawberries when Steve steps out of the bathroom. He sees the empty tray in her lap and smiles at her, towel drying his hair as he pads barefoot towards her. When she sees that he's in khaki pants and a form-fitting white tee, she can't help but ogle him.
"I was wondering when you would start objectifying me," he chuckles.
Eir snorts in response, setting the tray aside and vanishing it to the kitchen. "I'm allowed to. I'm the girlfriend."
Steve's chuckles turn into a full blown laugh as he nears her and bends down at the waist to press a kiss to her lips. "Mmm, yeah, I remember." He kisses her again, this one a little longer than the first and less chaste. When he pulls away, he smiles and licks his lips. "Strawberries?"
"And yogurt," she breathlessly adds.
Before Steve can make fun of her, there's three obnoxiously loud knocks on the main door to his mini-apartment. Steve and Eir stare at one another and shrug when neither of them have a clue as to who it is.
"Sir, I believe Mr. Odinson is waiting for you to open up." JARVIS' voice answers their unasked question.
Steve and Eir stare at one another yet again but before Steve can head for the door, Eir stops him. "Finished getting dressed," she tells him. "I'll answer the door and see what Thor wants."
Steve nods and as he heads to his closet, Eir leaves the room to go answer the main door. When another knock sounds, Eir rushes forward and pulls open the door with a grin.
"Friend Eir." Thor's voice booms, a smile slowly turning up the corners of his lips. "You look well this morning."
"Hey, Thor. Come on in." Eir waves him in.
When Thor enters, she notices that he's in his Asgardian gear complete with his cape and Mjölnir hanging from a leather strap around his right wrist. Once the door is closed behind him, Steve appears in the room dressed in a light blue plaid short-sleeve over his white-tee and dark brown boots on his feet. In his own hands, he has Eir's converse which he hands over as soon as he's close to her.
"Hey, Thor, what can we do for you this morning?"
Eir smiles at Steve as she takes her shoes, moving towards the sofa to sit down and slip them on her feet. She's in the middle of tying her shoes when Thor's answer catches her off guard. "I'm actually here for Eir," he tells Steve while his gaze darts between the soldier and the witch. "My father got a message to me saying that my Mother wishes to have an audience with her."
"W-with me? An audience with me?" Eir's voice comes out meek and she may or may not be a teeny bit scared.
"Yes." Thor nods, moving to stand closer to his long-time friend. "Just her, though. She wishes to speak with you for a moment or two. I'm to take you there and bring you back."
Eir bites her lip in contemplation, her heart thumping wildly when it's Steve who answers. "No."
She blinks owlishly at her boyfriend and Thor actually seems offended. "Excuse me?"
"No," Steve repeats. "Eir's not going to Asgard."
"I'm sorry, friend Steve, but I don't see how it's your decision to make."
Steve falters in his slight anger but doesn't give up. "I have some right to make that decision." He stands just a little taller now, puffing out his chest. "You weren't here last night. You didn't see the breakdown or the loss of control on her magic. She will not be traveling to another realm just when she's getting-"
"Steve," Eir's meek voice stops him mid-rant. "It's okay. It's- It's Frigga. I have to go. I need to go."
"You don't have to do anything." Steve turns to her now, moving to sit beside her on the sofa and takes one of her hands in his.
Eir stares back him, a sad smile making itself known as tells him she does. That Lady Frigga.. Queen Frigga is a kind woman who would mean her no harm. She also has wise words of wisdom and given everything she's been through, a visit to Frigga would probably soothe some of her anxiety and fears.
All the while they talk, Thor is watching them with curious eyes. "Friend Rogers.. are you- are you courting Lady Eir?" Steve blushes as Eir laughs and nods at Thor's question. Immediately, Thor beams. "This is most excellent news! Mother will be quite pleased about your decision," he tells Eir before giving Steve his full attention. "And friend Steve, once we return, I greatly look forward to having the talk with you."
"T-the talk?" Steve gulps and Eir snickers.
"Yes," Thor nods proudly. "I believe all big brothers speak with the male courting their little sister," he explains. "And while we are not related by blood, we are still family."
Steve reluctantly nods and gulps when Thor's friendly smile suddenly turns rather threatening in a friendly way. Averting his gaze to Eir, he sighs. "There's no changing your mind, is there?"
"Nope." She shakes her head, popping the 'p'. "I'm sure it'll be a quick trip there and back."
"A quick trip indeed," Thor supplies. "Mother only wishes for a talk and quick catch up. They've assured me that Lady Eir will be back in time for the New Year."
Steve sighs but knows that even though he told Thor he did have a say in what Eir was going to do, he really didn't. It's Eir's life and he'd let her do whatever it is she pleases. He was just grateful that she didn't call him out on it in front of Thor but he's pretty sure he'll get an earful when they're alone.
"Fine," Steve finally concedes. "But we're going up to the communal floor and you're telling the rest of the team about your visit to Asgard."
Eir frowns but it quickly turns into a small grin. "Fine. Let's go!"
I am so sorry! I'm a terrible writer. I know you were expecting some sort of PTSD but I'm not that great of a writer and all I could come up with was this.
Now as for this trip, while I have seen Thor and Thor 2, I'm not comfortable at all writing about or even attempting to describe Asgard and the character of Frigga. I would do it no justice at all so while Eir leaves for her trip, we'll be staying at Avengers Tower with Steve and the others.
Sorry to disappoint you.