My children were raised
You know they suddenly rise
They started slow long ago
Head to toe healthy wealthy and wise

-Heroes and Villains; by the Beach Boys

Opal Cunningham was overthinking, that was what she believed. She'd think too deeply into Thor's sudden attitude change. She'd think too hard on what Erik had told him the night before. She'd really think about the steady growth of her conflicting emotions for Thor. It was kind of torturous. Opal didn't want to think so much into things like that, but once her mind started on something, it would keep going and going, diving deeper and deeper into it until it drove her nearly insane. Letting out a sigh, Opal rubbed her face. She'd have to calm herself down, but she wasn't sure how at the moment. After her little discussion with Thor, she chose to make breakfast. Erik hadn't awoken yet, and time would only tell when he would. He was certainly drunk the night before, and if his hangover didn't get him sick, maybe the smell of breakfast would. Looking back at Thor, Opal's mouth thinned a little. He was setting the table, as per her suggestion. He was being as careful as possible with the dishes and silverware, but somehow he was still managing to be a little too rough with them.

Maybe I should've done that, Opal thought solemnly. Shaking her head, she tossed the thought from her mind. Thor had to do something, too. He couldn't just sit around and do nothing. The one thing Opal did notice was, and it was only a recent discovery, was that Thor seemed a little more eager to pull his weight. He'd set the table if Opal asked him, he'd check on Erik if it meant seeing if the older man was OK. He'd listen. Before, it was obvious Thor hadn't had a single person tell him no in his entire life. He had everything handed to him on a silver platter. Opal could admit, wholeheartedly, that she did enjoy the change in him. He wasn't so arrogant, he wasn't making demands or expecting people to follow him wherever he went. It was a very nice change, seeing him listen and do what he was told. If he is a prince like he says he is, Opal thought, how nice would it be to see this kind of difference? Whoever his people are ought to be relieved, right? With a silent chuckle, she turned her head back to what was in front of her. She chose to cook scrambled eggs and bacon. If the smell woke Erik up from his stooper, it would certainly make him sick. And if he was able to hold down food, she'd get him some toast and water.

"I've finished setting the table," Thor announced. He sounded a little proud of himself, which made Opal try her hardest not to chuckle at. In a way, he was acting almost like a little kid, when it came to finishing simple tasks. Thor wanted the approval and acknowledgment for what he'd done.

Turning back to glance at him, Opal could see his chest puffed out just a little, and an excited gleam in his eyes. "You did good," she responded. "I'm gonna start making breakfast, OK? If you want to watch TV or whatever, go ahead."

"Would I be able to assist?"

The question caused the young mutant to arch a brow. "You want to help make breakfast?" she pressed. "Are you sure?"

Thor nodded firmly. "After my failure with the coffee, I believe I should make up for what I did," he exclaimed.

Opal studied him for a moment. He sounded so sure of himself, wanting so badly to help out, even if he didn't know what he was doing. It was definitely heartwarming, Opal would admit that much. She did have to wonder just how long Thor's willingness to help and listen would last. For some people, the ability to change was something that occurred easily, for others it either happened for a limited amount of time or not at all. Thor Odinson was a little difficult to tell.

"You don't need to get all worked up over the coffee," Opal responded. "Mistakes happen, it's normal. Now get over here if you're so determined to help."

O.O.O.O

Teaching Thor how to make breakfast foods was an adventure in and of itself. He didn't know how to be careful or gentle, so when Opal tried to tell him how to effectively crack open eggs, he practically destroyed almost half the eggs in the container. That task was quickly taken away from him. He assured her he'd be able to mix the eggs in order to prep them before cooking, but he splattered a good portion of it on the stove. Opal, in the end, had him sit back and watch. She knew he'd make a mess, but he was so adamant — asking her all kinds of questions and wanting to know what to goes where. But when it came to the mess he made, Opal knew she couldn't allow him to keep going. She should've known better, honestly.

"Do you always cook breakfast for Selvig?" Thor asked, watching as his companion seasoned the cooking eggs.

"Sometimes." She glanced over at Thor for a moment before focusing on her task. "He usually settles for coffee most mornings. Working with Jane doesn't allow much time for breakfast most days."

Thor simply nodded. The two sat in a brief silence before groaning could be heard from Erik's room. Thor immediately stood up, his body tense and his eyes alert. Opal just put a hand on his upper arm, hoping to calm him down.

"He'll be fine," she said gently. "He's just not feeling well."

"Should we assist him?" Thor exclaimed.

"Let's have him work it out himself, first. I'll get some water and medicine ready in a little bit."

While Thor didn't like the idea, he chose not to argue further on it. He had a feeling Opal knew what she was talking about. Grabbing a mug, Opal filled it with water and placed it on the counter beside the stove. She'd removed the eggs from the heated surface, not wanting to burn anything. Thor chose to stay behind, not wanting to get in the way.* When Opal left the kitchen, that left the uncertain blonde to wonder what he should be doing. The sounds of Erik were still going on, only some muffled words were accompanying them. The amount of alcohol the older man drank was impressive, and the thought of a hangover, one especially brutal, didn't seem to process in either Thor's or Erik's minds. For Opal, however, she seemed rather unimpressed with it all. Which, in a way, could be expected. She looked up to the astrophysicist, and having to see him come back completely hammered probably wasn't something she was comfortable with.

After a couple minutes, Opal returned to the kitchen and sighed. She looked a bit frustrated.

"Is something the matter?" Thor asked.

"He's sick." The mutant simply shrugged. "I'll wait until he's done and give him his medicine."

"...I'm sorry for that."

"You don't have to apologize. Erik won't usually drink that much; but I could tell he had fun."

"Still..."

"Still nothing." Opal gave Thor a stern look. "I don't know what went on with you two last night, but I'm happy it happened. Just don't worry me like that again."

Thor gave a single nod in response.

Sighing, the mutant nodded in return and then buried her face in her hands. It had been a long morning. "The eggs are pretty much done if you want to serve yourself," she muttered. "I'm going to lay down for a little bit."

"Are you feeling ill?" The worry in the blonde's voice was heartwarming.

"Just overwhelmed. I didn't expect a morning like this, is all." Opal could tell Thor was on the brink of another apology, but she cut him short. "Don't you even think of saying 'I'm sorry'. Honestly, you don't have to keep saying that."

"I feel as though I'm doing a lot of things wrong."

"We're all doing things wrong right now." Opal gave a halfhearted smile. "Eat up, save some for Erik and I. Check in on Erik, too, would ya?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

(A/N):

Not my best chapter, but it's all I could come up with at the moment. School and work have been brutal, which is one of the reasons why this chapter was put up so late. If you guys could give me a little bit of slack in that regard, I'd appreciate it. Other than that, leave some thoughts on how I can improve this.

Nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and an excitement for INFINITY WAR's release. If you've got an idea for subplots or an OC, PM me or leave a review and I'll add them in as soon as humanly possible.

Thank you.

Judith W