Hey peeps, sorry it's been awhile. I know my chapters are usually quite short, but this story's a long one so I'm cutting it up into tasty bites. :) I don't think there's much point in me answering reviews this week :( There quite addictive aren't they reviews? (not-so-subtle hint there) So yeah here's chapter four! btw try to forgive any mistakes, it's really late over here. Review if you can!
Chapter Four
Natasha sighed when she looked at her watch, seeing it was time for babysitting duty. She had been both dreading and anxiously waiting for it the last twenty-four hours. After agonising over it during the night she decided it didn't really matter if she had the hots for Loki or not- so long as nobody found out.
Walking down the hallway she caught herself glancing at her reflection in the windows. Jesus, Romanoff, get a grip of yourself, your acting like a bloody hormonal schoolgirl. The thought of herself as one of those simpering teems scared her enough for her to calm down slightly.
Putting her usual black look on her face she walked through the steel doors…. to find absolutely nothing at all.
"Shit!" She whispered repeatedly, quickly glancing around the room. Yup, Loki definitely wasn't there.
Trying to keep composure she tapped into her earpiece.
"Steve? He's not here."
Who's not here?
Natasha inwardly groaned. "Santa Claus. Who the hell do you think Rogers?"
Oh… yikes well that's just swell isn't it? Who was with him before you?
She quickly answered that it was Tony, while taking several furtive glances over her shoulder, hoping no one realised how much shit they were in.
Look, you interrogate Stark; I'll try and find him. Let's try and keep this from Fury for the time being, shall we?
"Took the words right out of my mouth Cap'n" Natasha muttered as she powered walked back through the halls.
Bursting through the doors in a flurry of Red she grabbed Tony by his collar and pinned him against the wall.
"Stark where the hell is he? What the hell are you doing, you know you're not supposed to leave until the next shift arrives!" She spat, trying desperately not to kill him.
"Natty, I'm afraid I can't understand you." He choked out, trying to pry her hands from his throat.
"Loki! He's not in his goddamn cell!" She hissed, releasing her hold on him slightly seeing as he was turning a slight purple.
"Well, with my powers gone, I'm afraid I can't be in two places at once." A silky voice purred from behind her.
A mixture of relief and fury bubbled up inside her as she turned to see Loki's amused expression.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side Agent Romanoff."
"I think you already are, bud" Tony piped up, as he clapped Loki's shoulder, before sitting back down on the leather couch.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Natasha asked through gritted teeth.
"I have Daddy Fury's permission, does it really matter what it was for?" Tony answered hurriedly, shooting Loki warning glances.
"Oh I'm intrigued."
Loki grinned. "Mr Stark asked for my assistance in a mission he was trying to complete."
"Reindeer Games, I'm warning you..."
"What mission?" Natasha asked cautiously, as she texted Steve to call off the search.
"It would appear that he wasn't able to complete a level on this… video game. It's quite entertaining actually. Human kind has been infected by this fungus that turns them into mindless cannibals."
Natasha stared at Tony incredulously.
"You let the psychopath play a Zombie Apocalypse game?"
Tony shrugged. Natasha turned back around in time to see Loki smash a zombie's head into a wall.
"Take that you fish-faced, one-eyed, son of a harlot!" Loki muttered furiously tapping at the controller.
"Yeah you tell him, Laufyson!" Tony called as he opened a beer.
"Want one?" He offered, shovelling peanuts into his mouth. Once again, Natasha was taken aback at his ease of mind.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing" She hissed, knocking the can from his hand.
"Goddammit, Widow… and yes of course I know what I'm doing. See, the way I figure it, is that Loki has some deep rooted anger issues."
Natasha stared at him blankly.
"I thought that was a given."
"Let me finish. You see I guess that up in Valhalla or whatever; he didn't have a proper outlet for that anger, so he took it out on Earth. So now, to prevent him from taking his next his next tantrum to Mars, I have given him a new method of releasing his inner torment." He finished with a smug smile that practically screamed 'Praise me! Praise me!'
"And your great idea was have him kill virtual people instead of real people?"
"Not people. Zombies." Tony corrected. Natasha rolled her eyes.
"Fine Stark. Whatever the outcome is I hope you know it's on your watch." Natasha spun on her heel and was about to march away I her signature huff, when she heard Loki call her back.
"Do stay Agent Romanoff; I could use your expertise on battle strategies… Son of a..! Stark where are these coming from?" He was suddenly distracted by a new attack on his avatar. Natasha sighed. She was supposed to be watching Loki anyway.
"I hit him! I killed him! Tony this game is wrong!" Natasha called, flinging the controller at his head. Loki laughed.
"I do believe that it is Mr Starks turn." He said with a grin picking up the empty bowl Natasha had knocked over in her outburst. She shook her head.
"Screw this. I'm tired anyway. Seeya tomorrow Ironman." Stark saluted her from the couch. "Later's Widow."
Natasha felt Loki's eyes on her. She threw him an awkward wave, before heading out the door. His gaze was still trained on the door several moments after she left.
"You should do it you know." Tony said, his eyes not leaving the screen.
"Do what?" Loki asked half-heartedly.
"Go after her doofus. I could totally see you checking her out." Tony said, taking on the speech of what Loki gathered to be the average adolescent on Midgard. All the same, he didn't need to be told twice.
"Agent Romanoff, wait!" Loki called after her, half running through the empty hallway. Natasha froze for a couple of seconds, which allowed Loki to catch up. She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not.
"Allow me to escort you to your chambers." He said slowly, as if suddenly remembering that that wasn't done on "Midgard"
"Really, really not necessary, Loki." She said quietly, not trusting herself to look at him.
"I insist."
They walked in silence for a few minutes until Natasha couldn't it anymore.
"You should really go, try and get some sleep. I can find my room on my own."
"Really, I don't mind. And you already know that I can't sleep."
Natasha nodded, remembering their interlude from the day before.
"Oh right, the nightmares. Penny for your thoughts?" She stifled a laugh at Loki's confused face. She rephrased the sentence
"Do you want to talk about them?"
"I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours." He suggested, staring ahead, but glancing at her through the corner of his eye.
"Deal." Natasha answered, waiting for him to start. Seeing that she wasn't going to give up Loki sighed.
"They're about… The Other." He started. Natasha noticed his hand was shaking slightly.
"He was… one of the leaders of the Chitauri. He swore to me, that if I failed, there was no barren moon, I could hide. That I'd lust for something sweeter than death once they found me."
Natasha was surprised at the sympathy she felt for him. She knew what fear of failure was like.
"But Tony he… he blew up their planet didn't he?" She stuttered. Loki scoffed.
"Indeed he did, but I would be surprised indeed if The Other didn't survive that."
Silence fell upon them once more as Natasha digested the information. Loki let out a short breath then grinned at her.
"Now. Your turn."
"The Red Room." She said simply. "Usually The Red Room. Occasionally it's the people I killed, taking their revenge, but not a lot." She sighed. "I suppose you can run from your past but you can't hide from it."
She suddenly noticed that they were at her room.
"This is my stop." She unlocked the door and went to step inside but Loki caught her arm.
"What was it? The Red Room?"
Natasha shuddered. "Oh no, mister, I'm not nearly drunk enough for that conversation. Maybe another time."
"Well then Agent Romanoff. I bid thee goodnight."
He made a stiff bow, then turned to walk away.
"Natasha." She called after him, immediately wishing she could bite back the word.
"What?" He asked dumbfounded.
"Call me Natasha. Agent Romanoff is quite a mouthful to be saying all the time."
She gave him a small, awkward grin then shut the door behind her.
"Natasha." Loki muttered to himself as he walked away, trying out the name on his lips.