"Mom? How did you get this number?" Layla knew for a fact that Thanos had only installed this phone hours ago. There was no way he had given her parents the number.

"What are you talking about? This is the same number you've had for years. I do admit it's been while since we called, but it hasn't been so long that I've forgotten your phone number. Of course, it was your turn to call us, but we waited a few weeks before getting worried."

Layla wanted to smack herself! Granted, a lot had been going on in her life, but still. She and her parents had decided years ago, when Layla first went off to college, that they would take turns calling the other. One month she would call them, then vice versa the next month.

"Oh gosh, mom, I'm so sorry. I've been swamped with work and life in general." She gave Thanos a pointed look, and he grinned back. She was sure this phone call was amusing to him.

"As long as you're taking care of yourself," her mother predictably replied. "But Layla, your father and I were talking, and we thought it would be lovely if you came to visit us over Spring Break. Your kids will be on vacation, so you won't be busy, I'm sure." Layla's heart grew; she hadn't visited her parents in a few years, mainly because they lived a few states over. She would love to catch up with them.

"Oh, and Layla, remember what we discussed last time?" Huh? Layla tried to recall their last conversation, but found herself failing.

"You know? About getting a boyfriend (and a husband)? You know I want to live to see grandkids." Layla wanted to melt into the earth. Her mother had been trying to get Layla to find a forever boyfriend for years.

She was also reminded how incredibly fortunate it was that her parents didn't believe in television, and that they didn't get any newspapers delivered to their farm. She could maybe wriggle her way out of this….

"You know how excited I would be if you could bring over a boyfriend…assuming you have one." Layla's mother always knew how to guilt-trip someone. It was her manipulative voice; even Layla's father couldn't deny it.

"Well," Layla started slowly. "It just so happens that I do have a boyfriend, mom." Thanos, who had been smirking the entire time, sat up straighter, a look of faint surprise on his face. "I was going to keep him a secret for a while longer, but…"

Layla had to move the phone further from her face as her mother squealed in delight. "Oh my goodness. Is he handsome? I'm sure he is. I bet he has a respectable job too. Where does he live? Is he *gasp* living with you?"

As soon as she found an entrance, Layla quickly replied, "Mom, I promise I'll answer all your questions when I come over. Just…try to stay patient until then." Layla hung up as quickly as she could, before burying her face in her hands. This had been the perfect opportunity to tell her mom - and she chickened out. It was almost predictable.

"Am I a coward?" Layla's muffled voice traveled between her hands. Thanos chuckled.

"Coward isn't the word I would use to describe you. In any case, it matters not. You will have another chance when we visit them." Layla groaned. She wasn't looking forward to this at all. She thought she had finally readied herself, mentally, but now the situation was finally reality, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. After the way her friends reacted, it was very plausible that her parents wouldn't fare any better.

She must have looked even more pitiful than she felt, because even Thanos softened. "If you truly don't feel up to it, I don't have to accompany you. We can save this for another time." It was cute (and almost frustrating) at how accommodating Thanos was trying to be.

"No, no," Layla sighed. "Spring break still isn't for a few more weeks; I'll manage to work up some courage until then. I've made up my mind." Her voice wavered at the end, because of course, her speech wasn't unconvincing enough already.

Quickly changing topics, Layla arched an eyebrow at Thanos. "So…I was under the impression that we would have a completely different phone number for this house, but I appear to be mistaken? Care to fill me in?" She had hoped to see him fidget a bit, but he looked her straight in the eyes as he answered.

"Your so-called friends are under the assumption that you are moving, and thus, also assuming that you will acquire a new phone number. Naturally, until you give them this fictional number, they'll have no reason to dial the old one." Layla felt a headache coming. "I have already stated that I don't wish for them to have any more communication with you than is absolutely necessary."

Layla held up a finger to stop him. "First off, I do have a cell phone. They can just text me there." Seeing Thanos look surprised at his oversight almost lifted her mood. "And second…I get what you're saying, but I've had enough of you trying to take control of my life and micro-managing everything. If I want to speak to my friends, I will."

"I'm only looking out for your best interests," Thanos countered with no sign of repentance. "If you feel smothered, I apologize, but…"

Layla stood up. "No offense, but I don't need you to make decisions, and I don't need you to look out for my best interests. I can do those things myself. Did you ever stop to think that maybe I didn't want to move?" Thanos stood up as well, and seeing as how he towered over her, it made her previous action irrelevant.

"You were in distress. That much was obvious. What kind of lover would I be if I did nothing? Perhaps I may have acted that way in the past, but I'm not heartless like so many believe. Not with you." He paused, before admitting, "I didn't enjoy seeing you in pain. If I could lessen that pain…I would." Layla huffed, but…Thanos wasn't one to share his feelings easily. It was a vulnerability that he didn't like. It was sort of touching…even if it wasn't exactly a full-blown apology.

She reached out to cup the side of Thanos' face. "I was upset - no, I was heartbroken after my friends seemingly abandoned me. I appreciate what you were trying to do. But do you think, maybe, instead of making huge decisions like this without me, that we could discuss them first? Like equals?" One of his larger hands moved to hold hers.

"Very well," he grumbled, looking slightly self-conscious with himself now that the worst had passed. "I didn't mean to upset you the way I did. I suppose that I lack the necessary relationship experience that you are probably used to."

Damn him for being cute at the least-expected moments. "Well, I guess that's why I'm here." She reached up to kiss him on the cheek, before heading off to finish dinner for the night, her spirits at a new high.


A few weeks passed, and Layla found herself whistling as she brushed her hair. She was still nervous, but visiting her parents was almost always the highlight of that month. She loved seeing them, and visiting the old farmhouse. She briefly wondered if they had done any renovations, but then dismissed the idea. Her parents hated change with a passion, and that included technology and other updates. She was pretty sure that her father only gave the barn a fresh new coat of paint once a decade.

"I suppose this isn't a black tie affair?" Layla rolled her eyes at Thanos, who was simply lounging around.

"Casual wear will be just fine. I don't think the full armored look will go over so well for a first meeting. You're intimidating enough as it is." Thanos nodded his agreement.

After making sure she was presentable (because if she was anything less, her mother would fuss), Layla followed Thanos downstairs. As they headed to the garage, Layla reflected on how they decided that Thanos would be driving. Her parents lived far enough away that it took a few days to visit, even by car. However, as Thanos had his Titan stamina, he could drive non-stop, without the need for any sort of pit stop.

Of course, the first problem to get brought up was the unnecessary attention Thanos would get at basically every highway tollbooth. So it was decided that Thanos would once again don his telepathic "human disguise." As long as no one recognized Layla, it would be a smooth drive.

"Four hours down, a bunch left to go," Layla drawled, bored out of her mind. Ever since she had gotten her driver's license, she had never been in the passenger seat. She had forgotten how tedious it was with nothing to do. With their GPS, she didn't even have the job of trying to figure out the over-complicated map.

She turned to Thanos. "Hey, let me drive for a while. I've already taken a nap anyway." Thanos smirked and shook his head. He was obviously having way too much fun, though whether his amusement came from driving or tormenting her was a toss-up.

"I told you that I could have easily teleported us to your parent's house. I seem to recall that you wanted to enjoy the more scenic route." Layla didn't need him to remind her; she had been regretting that for at least three hours.

"Fine, then can we at least stop for some lunch or something? We're not reaching the farm until tomorrow morning anyway. No sense starving until then." Thankfully, Thanos agreed. Unfortunately, they were in a large stretch of nowhere, so it took another hour and a half just to find a small burger shack. It had the quaint name of "Aunt Odetta's Burgers".

Layla initially wanted to eat in the car, but Thanos disagreed. "This is the perfect opportunity to see if anyone recognizes you. I'll even make a wager; if no one does, I'll let you drive next." Layla quickly agreed to it.

The waitress who took their order gave them a critical look. "I hope this isn't a first date for you two. I've always been of the opinion that first dates should be at fancy restaurants or something." Then she winked, before walking away to bring the food.

The meal was surprisingly good. The burgers were fresh and juicy, and the fries were filled with steaming potato. For dessert, the apple pie was as classic as it got, and to Layla, that was no bad thing. As a bonus, Thanos gave her his pie. It wasn't to his liking, she supposed.

Spirits lifted and stomach filled, Layla felt serene as she drove for the next few hours. She even turned up the radio to it's highest setting and sang along with the bouncy pop music. Thanos grumbled under his breath. Once the sky grew dark, she handed the wheel to Thanos once more as she went to sleep. Right before she went under, she bemusedly noticed that Thanos had switched the radio off.


"Destination in one mile." The robotic and yet feminine voice of the GPS woke Layla up. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she wished that her car came with some drapes for the windows. She couldn't deal with the sunlight right now. There were in the farm area, which meant there weren't even any huge clusters of trees to block the sun.

"Ah, good. I was just about to wake you. As you said, you want to look presentable for your parents, and I don't think being half-asleep helps with that goal." She ignored him as she checked her cell phone in case her mother called while she was sleeping, but she was in luck.

Still, much as she tried to ignore it, now that they were getting closer to their inevitable destination, hesitation was starting to gnaw at her again. Stupid, she chastised herself, but it was true. Even after days of resolving herself, she was starting to get cold feet once more.

She had to bring it up all casual-like, though. "So, I was thinking. I normally spend the night at my parent's farm anyway, so maybe we don't need to bring up the fact that you're an alien right away. I mean, why rush it? This way, they can get to know you first." The more she spoke, the more into it she got. And why not? She thought it was a fine idea, regardless of her motivation.

She looked at Thanos hopefully, but didn't miss a small flash of disappointment in his eyes. It was gone so quickly that she tried to convince herself that it was never there.

"So you wish for me to continue the charade with your parents? I don't suppose that deceiving them will make them more inclined to trust me?" He arched a brow at her. Layla ignored it.

"I don't know. What if the shock of it is too much for them? I really think easing them into it is the better move." She nodded as she spoke, as if this was truth. Thanos gripped the steering wheel harder than necessary, but his words were calm.

"Very well, we'll try it your way. But we will need a cover story. A charade is doomed to fail when the people carrying out aren't on the same page." Having read enough secret agent books to realize that he was right, the two spent the next few minutes quickly coming up with a name and backstory for Thanos' alter-ego.

Layla plastered a cheery smile to her face as they drove up to the farm. As expected, her parents were already waiting in front of the staircase that led into the house. As Layla exited the car, she noted how fresh and clean the air was. It was one thing she missed from living in the farm.

"Oh Layla, you're looking so well," her mother murmured as she hugged her daughter. Layla felt a genuine warmth in her chest; speaking on the phone just wasn't the same. When the hug ended, Layla quickly looked over her mom; despite her age (late 50s), her hair was still a dark golden-brown. Unlike Layla, who kept her hair down, her mother preferred keeping it in a bun. While her face showed some wrinkles, Layla was of the opinion that it made her mother's smile even cuter looking.

"Hey, kiddo." Her father, not quite as touchy-feely as the women, stepped forward and ruffled Layla's hair, something he had never out-grown. When she was a teenage, she had pretended to hate it, but she didn't bother with that anymore. Life at the farm had kept him tan, and he was still large enough to wrestle some of the younger farmhands. He had also taken to wearing a wide-brim straw hat all the time. He claimed it was because it was passed down from his father, but Layla suspected it was to hide his coming baldness.

"Why do I even bother brushing my hair," Layla joked as she winked at her father. Her mother elbowed her husband, but chose not to scold him - this time.

The slamming of a car door got her parent's attention, and Layla turned around to see Thanos awkwardly shuffle towards her. In a less important situation, it would be amusing to see Thanos like this.

"So, I'm assuming this young man is your boyfriend." It wasn't worded as a question, and there was no judgement in his statement, but Layla didn't like how her dad crossed his arms in an apparently intimidating way.

When Thanos got close enough, Layla snaked her arm around his waist and pulled him close. "Yeah, he is. Mom, dad, this is Thane Titus." Thanos gave a stilted wave of his hand. Obviously, this wouldn't be easy.

She practically had to grab Thanos' wrist and direct it towards his mom, who would be easier to win over. "Thane, this is my mother, Joan." Layla wasn't sure whether to be relieved or exasperated when Thanos decided to turn up the charm.

"It's a pleasure, Mrs. Dunham." Thanos kissed Joan's hand, something Layla was sure he had picked up in one of the romance films she had made him watch. Still, it seemed to work. Joan gave an impressed gasp.

"And here I thought chivalry was dead. I must say, young man, I'm impressed. It seems to me that most of the men in this young generation could learn a thing or two from you." Blushing lightly, Joan moved aside so that Layla's father could step up.

"And this is my father, Randall." Layla knew her dad would be a trickier sell; she don't think he approved of any of the guys from high school, even the ones she didn't date!

Thanos gripped Randall's hand tightly, showing no sign of weakness. Looking her father straight in the eyes, he gave shook his hand firmly. "Mr. Dunham, your daughter has told me much about you. I understand that her impressive work ethic originated from you." Layla could see her dad's stony face soften a tad; one reason her father never respected most of the guys her age was that they all tended to cower in his presence; just the fact that Thanos was able to talk with a voice that didn't wobble was probably a step-up.

"Well, Mr. Titus," Randall began, in a tone that sent many boys dashing, "you have me at a disadvantage. I don't know squat about you." Ruffling his mustache with one hand, he motioned at Thanos' body with the other. "My daughter doesn't normally go for larger men, so something about you must have impressed her, anyway." He looked like police officer about to start an investigation, but Joan grabbed his arm.

"Dear, there is still a small chill in the air. Surely, we can finish this inside." Randall grumbled, but agreed once Joan gave him what Layla dubbed "The Look". As the two headed inside, Layla and Thanos stalled for a moment.

"I told you I would be on my best behavior." Thanos sounded as smug as he looked, but Layla wasn't quite as satisfied.

"It'll only get harder from here. Honestly, my dad is a nice guy, but he always asks my potential boyfriends way too many questions." Thanos clearly wasn't happy with the comparisons to past men.

"I am quite sure that none of the other men your father met had any spines to speak of. I assure you, I have faced far more threatening specimens than this human." Walking with a bravado that Layla wish she felt, Thanos headed up the staircase. Reluctantly, she followed him inside the house.


Author's Notes:

Like I promised, Layla's parents have finally appeared. At first I wondered if making the dad dislike Thanos would be too much of a stereotypical dad thing, but eh. It's tried and true, right?

And now just two weeks to Infinity War!

As usual, thanks to all the reviews - positive and negative! Guest Sorry you feel that Layla is annoying. I know most OC's aren't well liked, so I did my best to not make her a Mary Sue or anything like that. Also, admittedly, I don't think I ever would have thought of pairing Thanos and Maria Hill. :P As for Hela, well, keep in mind I began writing this fic years before Ragnarok came out.