If any of my previous readers are like, "what the HECK? ANOTHER fic?"

Yeah. I'm sorry.

[][][]

Sutton had to forcibly drag Sprinkles into her room when going to bed that night. Her dumb dog had been persistent about trying to get into the guest room to jump on the bed Steve would be using. But Sutton needed the large doberman to be close by and available just in case one of the men tried anything funny. She wiggled under the piles of blankets stacked on top of her mattress and shot daggers at Sprinkles while the dog whined at the bedroom door.

"You are the worst, most traitorous guard dog of all time. What's that stranger ever done for you, huh? What's so special about him?"

Sprinkles huffed and snapped her jaw and Sutton groaned as she moved some of the blankets.

"Come on," she said. She pat the mattress a few times firmly. "You can sleep up here."

Sprinkles understood the gesture and looked at the door only once more before she took two large strides and flung herself up onto the bed.

"Hurgh!"

The air was almost knocked out of Sutton's lungs as Sprinkles landed on top of her and shimmied over to be as pressed up against her side as physically possible.

"This is why you have your pillow on the floor."

But Sutton knew very well that Sprinkles often found herself sleeping up on the mattress more often than not.

[][]

Tony lifted his locked gaze from the surface of the well and clutched the crystal in his chest as he gasped in relief.

"What? What is it? Are they safe?"
He panted a few moments, righting himself, before he addressed his assistant and wife, Pepper.

"They're alive, dear," he said. He turned towards the redhead and smiled for the first time since the curse had been cast. "I believe they're seeking refuge with some commoner woman."

Pepper breathed easier with him.

"Well, summon them back," she said. "What are you waiting for?"
Tony grimaced. He held up a finger as he began pacing around the room.

"Well, see, my dear, sweet, lovely, darling, precious-" Pepper's eyes widened.

"Is it that bad? Tony, where were they sent to? The Eastern Kingdoms?"

"No," said Tony.

"The Ever Changing Gardens? The Ice Hills? Where?"

He stopped pacing and ran both hands through his dark hair.

"No, no. Those would be simple, easy places to fetch them from. Loki went particularly diabolical with this curse."

"Tony, my love," Pepper said sweetly, "if you don't simply tell me where they are in the next few seconds-"

"A land without magic," Tony confessed. There was a twitch in his eye. He hadn't had that twitch in a long time. "A world without magic to be precise."

Pepper froze, her eyes darted down to the well then back up to Tony.

"Does such a place exist," she questioned. She kneaded her temples and let a short hiss escape through her teeth. "So you cannot reach them. You need magic to connect with magic. I recall you saying that."

Tony nodded, a faint smile flashing across his face at someone actually paying attention when he spoke. Though he shouldn't have been surprised. It was Pepper.

"There is apparently only one thing that can breach those divides. And Loki is quite obviously in possession of it."

Pepper cracked one eye open to watch as her husband began digging through various sheets of loose paper.

"The Vessel of Light and Space."

He pulled out a single sheet of paper and held it out for her to see. There were scribbled runes all around one single illustration. A large cube with inky blue lines of light arcing from its center.

[][]

When Sutton woke the next morning she and Sprinkles were a tangle of limbs and there was dog drool on one of her pillows. She hummed contentedly and rubbed at Sprinkles' neck, shifting to a belly rub as her dog arched and turned over lazily.

"The life of a pet," she mused quietly. Sitting up and yawning, Sutton stretched her back and rubbed at her face as her eyes fell on her closed bedroom door.

Right. There were houseguests. Steve and Bucky.

At least they hadn't made any attempts to break into her room during the night. And Sprinkles hadn't been alerted to any loud noises either. She hoped that meant they hadn't made off with her TV, at least.

Slipping on a bra, she grabbed a bundle of clothes and quickly darted to the bathroom in order to shower and change. If luck were on her side, the others wouldn't be up yet and she could get ready for the day without the added stress. She left her bedroom door cracked open so Sprinkles could get out if she wanted to, but the pooch looked content to lay limp on the bed a bit longer.

When she was showered, dressed, and had put on a layer of makeup, she more confidently walked back to her room to rouse Sprinkles.

"Let's go," she urged as Sprinkles moaned deep in her chest. "Get up, you need to go out. Get up!"

Sprinkles let out a growling complaint and stretched, cutting her eyes at Sutton as she watched her person struggle and tug on her legs.

"Why are you like this," Sutton whined herself. "I rented this apartment specifically because there was a dog park nearby and this is the thanks I get?"

"Do you need any help?"
Sutton yelped and jumped at the voice. Steve stood in her doorway; his face shifted from amused to chagrined as he noted he'd frightened her.

"Sorry," he said. "I did not mean-"

Sprinkles yipped happily and sprang from the bed, trampling over Sutton and pressing her into the mattress, to get to Steve. She did a circle in front of his legs and then sat on her haunches and lifted a paw. Sutton let out a sharp, agitated breath and fixed the bun Sprinkles had knocked her hair out of.

"You shameless little-" She cut herself off and cleared her throat at Steve's raised eyebrows. "Seems like there's a new favorite," she said sharply instead. "You should be honored."

Steve shifted awkwardly and rubbed at the back of his neck with one hand as he pet Sprinkles with the other.

"I've always had a way with animals," he said. "I'm sure it's not personal."

Sutton grunted as she pushed herself off her mattress and stood fully on her feet. She idly brushed the wrinkles out of her shirt and eyed Steve from under her brows.

"Sleep alright," she asked. Steve bobbed his head.

"Again, I thank you for your hospitality. You will be well recognized in Andolasia as a help to the crown." He paused, lips twisting to the side as he thought. "Whether you believe it or not," he added.

"I appreciate the thought."

They both smiled politely, at an impasse with their points of view, and Sutton rocked on the balls of her feet as she gnawed briefly on her lower lip.

"Well, uh, I should get Sprinkles outside before she has an accident."

"Of course," said Steve. He moved out of her doorway to let her pass. Sutton nodded in thanks and rushed passed him on her way to get Sprinkles' harness and leash. Bucky was sleeping on the couch. He still wore his chainmail sleeve.

She slid her feet into a pair of boots by the door as she shook the leash.

"Let's go out, Sprinkles," she called quietly. But Sprinkles was stuck to Steve's side as he made his way down the short hall. He smiled apologetically.

"I can always accompany you, if it's easier."

Sutton sighed, her face going slack in defeat. Steve looked around her at the door.

"Is there a purpose to the pans tied to the door?"

"Nope! Nope; none at all!"

[]

It was still raining as they walked down to the patch of grass Sprinkles used to do her business. Sutton had given Steve her umbrella to hold since he was taller, and they both huddled under it to avoid getting wet. They were uncomfortably close. Sutton could feel the heat radiating from Steve's body and their arms would often accidentally brush.

There were a few people out and about despite the rain. If the weather kept everyone homebound, they'd never get anything done on their side of the state, and it was enough to help her not feel so isolated and estranged. Despite allowing Steve and Bucky spend the night in the first place, she was trying to remain wary.

She could admit, however, that he didn't exactly have a threatening air about him. Sure, he was muscled enough to clearly hold his own, but he didn't have that predatory curl to his shoulders. No sheen in his eyes that said he was looking for a fight or an opportunity. He was actually quite genial. With the way he tried to open doors for her and make sure she was adequately covered by the umbrella he was, dare she say it, princely.

She giggled to herself and Steve tilted his head down to look at her, silently asking for an explanation. Sutton ducked her head and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Sorry, just amusing myself," she explained. Steve nodded, but didn't press when she didn't explain. Sprinkles ran ahead when they reached her designated patch of grass and Sutton turned to give her some privacy as she waited. Steve watched the people passing, dressed in their dark raincoats as they ran from eave to eave and made their way across the city. Sutton rolled her bottom lip between her teeth and rocked on her feet once.

"So, uh, what's Adolasia like, then?"
Steve adjusted his grip on the umbrella handle and looked from her back out at the city block.

"Why are you curious about a place you don't believe in," he asked. "No longer able to amuse yourself?"

"Ouch," Sutton said in a hiss, exaggerating her offense to hide a bit of real chagrin. "Alright, that's fair. I guess I haven't been representing my best self. Sorry, if I made you feel bad. It's just- it's a lot to hear. I'm just trying to understand."

Steve accepted her apology and explanation with grace. He eased the umbrella over her way marginally when he noticed that a few drops of rain fell onto her shoulder.

"I suppose it may come as a surprise to realize there are more worlds than just one. Bucky and I were astounded ourselves. Although it's a bit haunting to know there are places that hold no magic. How does anyone here ever achieve a happy ending?"
Sutton bit her tongue to hold back her first retort. She'd just apologized; it'd be no good to go back on it so quickly.

"You believe in happy endings," she asked instead. Steve eyed her with a pitying look again.

"You don't?"
"I think that people can be content with what they have. That if you're blessed you can find someone to share life with. I don't know if that counts, but it's the best we can hope for. But I think it's really sweet that you do."

Steve's face turned an interesting shade of pink and he cleared his throat and looked away. Sprinkles kicked her back legs out over the grass and Sutton sighed in resignation and reached into her pocket for a plastic bag.

"Just give me a second. You don't want to be a part of this."

[]

"It's greener," Steve said suddenly on their way back to her apartment. Sutton pulled her eyes away from where they'd been staring in the distance and looked up at his profile. "Even in the main city, it's still greener. More colorful. There's a forest right across from the castle walls where I used to play and hunt. The road up to the castle smells like bread and spices when you pass the villages. And people, my people are more welcoming than those here."

Sutton kicked lightly at a puddle as she allowed his words to sink in. She let out a quiet hum and tried to imagine a kingdom like from one of her picture books as a kid. Or something from Sleeping Beauty. Tall spirals and waving banners and fresh baked loaves carried by tunic wearing peasants.

"It sounds lovely." She flashed him a smile, attempting to make up for her previous offenses. "I've always wanted to see a real castle. But I'll have you know that my land is considered the Evergreen State. We're just not in the best place to see it at the moment. But we could be greener than you."

Steve didn't look like he was inclined to agree, but he politely dipped his head in acknowledgement anyway. Sutton laughed.

"How very diplomatic of you." She teased. "Is that a prince's way of saying 'I doubt it'?"

His lips twitched and he paused to open the apartment building doors for her and Sprinkles.

"I couldn't say."

"Mmhmm."

They rode the elevator back up without any complications this time. When they reached the fifth floor Bucky was hovering right in front of the elevator doors.

"Your majesty!"

"Whoa! Hey now, what're you-"

"You were all gone when I awoke," Bucky accused. "I feared the worst."

"Being left behind," Steve asked with some degree of humor. Bucky frowned in irritation.

"Your injury."

Sutton laughed.

"At whose hand? Mine? Look at him. He's built like a brick house."

Steve reddened again and Bucky's face flickered. A smirk slowly crawled up his face as he noticed Steve's reaction.

"So you admire his physique."

Sutton short-circuited, her mouth gaping a moment before she found her footing again.

"Wha- that's not what I said! I made a factual statem- I barely know either of you. Please."

She scoffed and brushed back her hair as she pushed passed them. Sprinkles resisted, grumbling as her paws tried to plant themselves into the carpet. When Sutton ignored her protests she caught Sutton's coat sleeve between her teeth and yanked it sharply down.

"Hhng!"

Sutton stumbled awkwardly, barely catching herself before eating it on the carpet. She straightened herself, silently fuming, and refused to turn around as she called out behind her.

"Would you mind coming along, your majesty?"

Footsteps padded behind her accompanied by chuckling and Sprinkles was suddenly cooperative. Sutton scowled down at her dog's happy face, tongue lolling out in contentment.

"You are the world's worst dog ever."

Her door had been left open, it seemed, in Bucky's haste and Sutton took a couple quick steps to try and hurry towards it. One of her neighbors was peering passed the threshold and Sutton clicked her tongue once on the roof of her mouth. Sprinkles snapped to attention and pushed against Sutton's side.

"Gary," Sutton called sharply. The man at her door straightened quickly, his face sheepish but quickly slipping into one of passiveness. "Thanks for watching out for me," she continued. "There was a bit of a misunderstanding. Thankfully I wasn't gone long."

Gary was one of her less savory neighbors. She wasn't exactly super chummy with anyone on her floor, but out of all of them she trusted Gary the least. He hadn't actually done anything, so she felt a little bad that her, and Sprinkles', hackles rose every time he was near. But it was just a gut instinct she couldn't quite shake off.

Gary's eyes flickered behind her and he took a step back while wringing his hands, a forced, genial smile crinkling his face.

"Have overnight visitors," he asked. Sutton felt her face warm.

"My, um, cousin is visiting, actually. And his friend. My cousin and his friend." She held an arm out in invitation and gestured to Bucky.

"Yep, my older cousin. Bucky."

Bucky didn't move and Sutton turned to look, shooting him a scathing glare as she mouthed,

"Get over here."

He hesitated and then took a few steps forward. Sutton threw an arm around his shoulders, or at least as close as she could reach, and grinned falsely at her neighbor. Bucky gave the man an unimpressed once over.

"Pleased to meet you," he said flatly.

Gary only edged away, no longer interested in checking out her apartment and less interested in getting to know her guests.

"Staying long then," he asked. "You know how the landlord is about extra roommates."

Sutton maintained her smile and spoke through her teeth.

"It's just a visit," she insisted. Sprinkles growled lowly and Gary's gaze flickered over to her. He took another step back.

"Well," he said as he began to walk away, "you should be more careful. Leave your door open like that, anyone can get in."

"I'll keep that in mind."

She watched as he slinked away. When he was further down the hall she dropped her hand from Bucky's shoulder and slipped into her apartment. Sprinkles' hackles were still raised as she unclipped her leash and Sutton sighed as she knelt down to rub her head.

"Easy," she said. Sprinkles eyed the door a moment and watched until Steve silently closed it behind him. She anxiously licked her chops and whined.

"Easy," Sutton said again. Sprinkles huffed, shook herself out, and Sutton smiled. "There we go. Who's a good girl?" She smooshed the loose skin on the side of Sprinkles face and rocked her head back and forth as she cooed. "You're a good girl, yes you are." Sprinkles let her tongue hang out and Sutton pressed her forehead against Sprinkles'. "You want a treat? You get a treat for chasing off ol' Scary Gary."

Sutton stood as Sprinkles booked it for the cabinet that held a box of milkbones.

"What was that?" Steve frowned as he shifted in the room, angling to follow after Sutton as she made her way into the kitchen. Sutton pushed Sprinkles out of the way and opened the cupboard to pull out two bones.

"That, my friend, was Gary. Resident of apartment 19E." She turned and tossed one of the treats at Sprinkles who reared up on her hind legs to catch it. "He's a bit of a creep, but he hasn't actually done anything. Although leaving my front door open could certainly give him an opportunity."

Bucky blanched. He ran his hand through his hair and then back over his neck.

"My sincerest apologies; truly. I should never have panicked like I did. I was foolish in my haste."

Steve didn't speak up to tell his friend that dramatics weren't necessary, so Sutton relented. Sprinkles tried to knock the second treat out of her hand and Sutton made a negative noise in the back of her throat while holding it out of reach.

"Nothing happened," she said. "Luckily we were on our way back."

"You live alone with him on the same floor," Steve questioned. If Sutton were crazy, she might've thought he sounded concerned. She held up one hand, palm out, toward Sprinkles and waited until she sat before switching to holding up a pointer finger. The treat was sat precariously on Sprinkles' nose as she stared cross-eyed at the bone and began to drool.

"First of all, I don't live alone. I have Sprinkles here," Sutton said. "Secondly, you can't exactly evict someone just for being vaguely creepy. Kinda illegal."

"Forgive me for saying so, but he doesn't seem very trustworthy."

Sutton shot him an amused smirk, her eyes sparkling.

"Well I did call him Scary Gary in earshot of you. I'm sure you have a bias now, given I'm the only person you sort of know in this building."

"That isn't the reason," Steve insisted. Sutton cut her eyes to Sprinkles who was being very diligent about balancing her treat.

"Ok," she said. Sprinkles flipped the treat up into the air and caught it in her mouth with a loud crunch. "Anyway, please just remember to close the door."

Sutton moved to the coffee pot and started a fresh brew. The men watched her. She could see them fidgeting as if they didn't know what to do in her peripheral vision.

"So, any ideas about how you two are getting….home?"
They both sighed and resigned to sit down at her dining table. She turned to look at them fully at the extended pause. They were casting uneasy glances at each other. Steve's face crinkled in displeasure as if something distasteful was said to him. But neither was actually talking. Eventually, Steve sighed.

"I do not know," he said. "You've made clear you have no sorcerers here. I fear our only option is to wait for rescue to come to us."

"Oh," said Sutton. Her tone lilted up to a higher key as she leaned against the counter. "So how long-"

"We will not intrude upon you," Steve insisted, cutting her off. Bucky looked as though he wished he could protest. "If you would be so kind, however, to allow us one more day. As you offered yesterday? We would be ever grateful."

Sutton, much to her own surprise, found herself wanting to instantly agree. It wasn't like her, exactly, to be so reckless. She'd lived on the same floor as Gary for over a year now and not once had she ever been inclined to even offer him a cup of coffee. And yet, here she was, willing to agree on another night with people who were no more than strangers.

She coughed into her fist and scratched the back of her head, fidgeting. Stalling.

"Yeah, sure," she said. "I said a day or two and I'm not taking it back now. And, I mean, those gold coins of yours are probably worth a few days, to be fair."

Bucky lifted his head and straightened his spine. He eyed her with a certain calculating glint and Sutton turned to the fridge quickly.

"A few," Bucky questioned. "That is more than a couple."

"Right, well, I mean, I could maybe- I mean-"

Sutton made a face while hidden by the fridge door as she reached for the eggs. She wasn't actually thinking of extending their stay allowance was she? No! She had to work tomorrow. It was one thing to be stupid enough to let them in while she was in her house, but it was a new level of dumb to leave them there alone. Alone with Sprinkles!

When she emerged from the fridge with the eggs and a thawed package of bacon, a polite refusal and correction on her tongue, Bucky had his pouch of coins sitting on her table top. Sutton snapped her mouth closed.

"Bucky," Steve admonished. But Bucky only watched her reaction. Sutton smoothed over her expression and raised a brow.

"Are you trying to buy my cooperation?" Bucky grinned.

"Yes."

He pulled out a handful of coins and watched her as he sat each one down; three individual coins with three individual clinks. Sutton frowned. He sat down a fourth one. Her eye twitched. His grin widened.

Four thousand. That was at least four thousand dollars that he'd just dropped on her table like it was no big deal. Like it was pocket change to toss around. Where did they even get that kind of money? Sutton shook her head. No. No, as much as it'd make her life a million times easier for awhile, she wasn't going to steal from two crazy, yet nice, and obviously oblivious men.

"I can't accept that much," she said. "Where did you even get all this? Do you understand how much this is worth? That's, like, two month's wages."
Bucky eyed the coins with scrutiny.

"Truly?"
Steve leaned over the table, resting on his elbows, and tilted his head.

"It's being offered, not stolen," he said. Sutton shook her head again.

"No, I can't. Look, wherever you're from, you must not understand the exchange rate. But gold is decently valuable." She started preparing breakfast and sighed. Sprinkles was once again trying to steal as much attention from Steve as she could. She was laying next to his chair and resting her head on his feet as if she needed the physical contact. Sprinkles trusted him. And Sprinkles did not trust Gary. The stony resolve in her chest cracked.

"You can stay an extra night or two," Sutton relented. "But I'm not accepting any more than what's fair."

Both of them still seemed puzzled by her decision when she finally sat down a bowl of scrambled eggs and a plate of bacon on the table. Two coins remained sitting out at the table's edge. Sutton stared at them a moment. She tapped them lightly with two fingers before she smiled thinly and slipped them into her pocket.

"I'm going to have to go grocery shopping," she said serving herself a plate after they appeared to be waiting. "For two coins, I think I can feed you better than the top ramen in my pantry."

[][][][]

I promise I'm working on my other fics. I swear.