They rode together out to Downtown Tacoma in Robert's red, Ford Fiesta, Loki sitting patiently in the back seat as Robert tapped his fingers along with the music on the radio. He watched the buildings pass by his window, and Sara looked back at him from the passenger seat and smiled. He gave her a nod, and Robert tapped his hand again, and Robert parked near a building called The Harmon Brewery and she undid her seat belt and got out.
People walked along the seat as they stood on the sidewalk and waited for Robert to pay the fee for six hours of parking. He looked around him, taking in the buildings and admired the dome like structure of one building that was called Union Station. It was a wonderful, red brick structure that was crafted in an artistic style that was not of this era, his eyes following the arches and curves that held up the interesting architecture over the entry doors and he turned his head as a two car vehicle trundle past them on the tracks impeded in the street. It rang out with two sharp tones to clear, the intersection as it approached, and he followed it with his eyes as it turned and moved out of sight. The legend: "Sound Transit," across the back of the vehicle as it vanished.
He watched a woman walk a dog on a leash, and she cleaned up the animal's feces in a bag before depositing it in a trash can and walking on. A younger person on a skateboard rode by, and he stepped back before he was run into and he watched the young man sipped a Coffee drink through a straw in the top of his cup. The loud beat if some form of music pumping through some device over his ears, making him knot his brows as he observed the green haired youth move on.
"Sorry Bro!" The kid yelled back, and he followed Sara and Robert to the tattoo shop with bright, neon signs and painted art all over the walls. Robert pressed a button on a post, and they waited for the vehicles on the busy street to stop and allow them to cross. They walked to the shop, and Robert opened the door, holding it open for Sara, and Loki held the door for Robert. Entering the warm shop as a man with several tattoos on his bare arms looked up, and nodded to them as he closed his magazine with a grin. His ears had large, ivory colored plugs in them, and his nose was peirced through the septum, the silver ring hanging down over his upper lip. He smiled wider at him, and Robert gave the man a hug as he looked at his guests.
"Vince! My Dude I'm here to get tortured for the sake of art. I put myself into your hands man." Robert said, and the gruff looking man laughed. Vince smiled at Sara, giving her a polite nod as she folded her hands over her green sweater and smiled. She looked a bit nervous, but relaxed as he tugged his braided beard and made a clicking sound at her. She blushed as he flirted, waves of jealousy coursing through Loki as he watched.
"Robert! My man! Ready for the fill in today?" He asked, and they stood together. "And who is this pretty Lady? Damn girl, I could just draw you for hours!"
"Yeah, these are my friends Sara and Loki, they tagged along for moral support. Loki is sort of curious about the process, he is awesome with art too. You should see the painting he did on Sara's wall." Robert explained, showing him a picture from his phone, and the man sized Loki up. He opened his arms to give Sara a hug, and she accepted it. She gave him one, and she smiled as he patted her back.
"Damn, that is some cool shit! You got some real talent Bro, keep that up." Vince said, holding the phone and handing it back to Mark. "One of you want some ink too? I got an open chair and an artist that had a client cancel. Maybe the lady wants a piercing, Moira is really nice to pretry ladies." He offered, and jutted his chin at Loki as Sara looked nervous at the idea of getting a tattoo. "What about you bro? Something to show off to the ladies? I gotta ask."
"I'm a needle chicken, I'm going to pass." Sara admitted, and the man laughed and took her hand. He opened a book, and let her look through it, and Loki was sure at that moment he had sold Sara on a tattoo. He secretly hoped not, because she was beautiful enough without one, and marring her skin would be a crime.
"I am just here to observe. Robert invited me to see another artist at work." He said and the man grinned, and gestured for them to follow. He looked at Sara, and smiled broadly in offering. Definately wanting to get his artist friend some work, and Loki could appreciate that.
"Do you pierce ears?" Sara asked, and the man laughed as he gestured for them to follow. They walked past a room, and he looked at the woman with torn jeans and a tattoo of a snake wrapped around her upper arm. She was wearing a black, polkadotted dress, and her makeup was heavier than he would have liked, but she was still attractive in her own way.
"Moira, could you help this pretty lady with an ear piercing? She was asking about it, I'm gonna take my client, and his friend to get started." The woman got up, and set her book aside and held out her hand to lead Sara away.
"You thinking standard ear piercings? Or do you want a daith, or cartridge?" She asked Sara, and he watched as Sara looked at a case of earrings and the woman smiled at her. They walked together, and Sara smiled as they talked to eachother, her head nodding and the other girl laughing. Loki stayed with Mark, and they went to another room with a few chairs, and a tray set up with different inks and tools.
"Go ahead and take the stool, we will be gentlemen and let the Lady have the other tattoo chair when she gets here. One thing about us men, we gotta take care of them." He said, and Loki sat down and watched as Robert took off his hoodie and got comfortable in the other chair. Vince picked up a razor, removing some hair from Romert's upper arm and he looked at the healed outline and marked a few spots with a pen.
"I'm going to start the shading today. I think I can get all the way through Darth Vader today, we will see if we can get a little color in the Death Star and Chewbacca. Any issues with healing Bro?" Vince asked and Loki watched as Vince put on a pair glasses, and then a of tight gloves and started sanitizing the skin. Robert shook his head, and laughed a bit.
"Itched like a mother fucker, but my girlfriend is a Nurse Practicioner, she helped keep the ointment on it, and checked me for infection." He said, and Loki looked at the book of other tattoos that Vince had done. The grizzled man grinned, and he heard a hiss front the other room, followed by a yelp of pain.
"Almost done sweetie, you did awesome on the first ear!" He heard Moria say, and Sara laugh nervously as she yelped again. He pressed his lips together, and tried not to clench a fist. He knew that pain was voluntary, and he focused himself on Mark and the man in front of him.
"Sounds like she got brave. Good for her, Moria is real patient. She works with alot of abuse and assualt survivors, amazing artist." Vince said, looking up as Moria walked in and dug through a cabinet for tome items and put them into a bag. "She okay? Her friend looks a bit worried about her."
"Yeah, she was nervous, but she is all smiles right now and admiring herself in a mirror." Moria replied, and gave Loki a grin. "She will be back in a minute, I gotta explain care for her new piercings." The woman vanished, and he watched at Vince marked where he wanted to shade, and turned on a light as Mark closed his eyes against the brightness. Sara walked back just then, and smiled with her hair over her shoulders.
"Want a soda or something Sweetie? You can help yourself to one if you want." Vince said, and Sara held her purse in her hands as Vince gestured to the other chair. She shook her head, and held her purse in both of her hands. "Told you that Moira would treat treat you good pretty lady."
"She did, thank you Vince." Sara said and Robert raised an eyebrow as she pushed her hair back further, and showed them the fresh ear piercings. She had two dainty, gold hoops in her lobes and she smiled widely as Vince clapped his hands.
"You came to the right place for that Darlin, never go to the Mall for an ear piercing. Those damn guns can't be sanitized, and they cause way more damage to the skin and ear. The gold hoops are good for healing too, just be sure to keep them clean." Vince said and Moira leaned against the doorframe behind her. She smiled at Sara, and crossed her arms.
"She was a brave little trooper." Moira said, and she lifted Robert's other arm and admired the work. "Vince did amazing on this arm, you going to start at the shoulder today for shading and color?"
"Yeah, I figure it will be easier to start at the top and work my way down." Vince said, and Sara sat on the other chair, and watched as Vince picked up his Tattoo Gun and added some ink to it. He turned it on with a switch at his foot, and started adding some shading to one of the characters. Moira looked at Loki, and pointed at him.
"You that guy from New York? You sure look like him." She asked and Loki stared at her in mortification. The buzzing machine paused and Vince looked at him, and Robert let out a long breath.
"He is not so bad, he is staying with Sara and saved her life. He is our friend now, so can we all be chill?" Robert said, and Vince shrugged and started up the machine in his hand again, getting back to work.
"If Robert vouches for him, and the Lady there is comfortable, he is okay in my book." Vince said, and started shading part of the piece and wiping away excess ink with a clean paper towel. "Let it go Moira, we all got bad shit in our past, we ain't nobody to judge. Hell, I got a record too, we can let shit go."
"Yeah." Moira said, and jutted her chin at him. "You want ink or a piercing? I got time, and want to make sure."
"No, but thank you Moira. I am just here to observe." Loki replied, and he turned the page to see a design down the back of a man. It was tribal in a way, and very well done in the way the black ink stood out from the pale skin. She walked over, showing, turning the page and showed him another design.
"That one is mine. I did it for a total douche of a guy who thought he was tough, he cried like a baby through the whole process." She said, and Loki laughed as he studied the image of a snake around the man's thigh. He shook his head, and snorted.
"It is well done, and I think men try to be brave when a woman is watching to seem stronger." He said, and she laughed as she adjusted her Rockabilly hairstyle in a mirror. Robert gave him the finger, and Loki returned a grin of satisfaction and Robert pressed his lips together. He closed the book, and looked at Sara's new piercings and watched her as she kept her eyes on Robert as the man worked.
"It is strangely calming, that buzzing sound." Sara said, and Vince grinned at her. He added more ink, and laughed as he worked some more.
"I have had women fall asleep while getting tattooed in my chair. It does not even phase me anymore Darlin, you sure you don't want anything? Moira can do something really pretty while I work on Robert." He said, and Sara looked at Moira, and she folded her hands over the purse in her lap. She looked nervous, and let out a long breath quietly.
"No, I am sure. I'm a total pain whimp and am happy just having my ears pierced. I'm glad I did it here, from what you said about Mall Piercings." Sara replied, and Loki set the book aside. Vince worked on, and she sat back in the chair and watched him work. Moria left them, and Loki focused on the artist at work. Robert flinched, and hissed a bit as Vince gave him a moment and he nodded. Sara leaned over in the chair, tucking her feet under her and resting her head on her arm.
"Some people think they are, until the find out how much that statement is a lie." Vince mused, and worked on. Robert looked over as Vince changed colors and rolled his neck, streching the tendons and popping the joints. He started again, working on, and Robert flinched and hissed again.
"Shit." Robert groaned, and put an arm across his eyes. Her bit his lower lip, and clenched the fist on the arm Vince was working on. "You found an old scar, that hurts like a bitch."
"Sorry Bro. Need a break?" He asked, and Robert shook his head. The scruffy man looked over at Sara, and gave a grin as he gestured with his tattoo machine. "There is a blanket in the cabinet behind you there, the little Dralin' fell asleep on us."
"She is a tiny thing, but she is learning self defense. She could probably beat all three of us up and not think twice." Robert said, and Vince laughed and started up again. Loki found the blanket, and covered Sara as she curled on her side.
"I got a daughter, cute little ladybug. She is fiesty as hell though, and I would end the world to keep her safe. I should get her into some karate classes soon." Vince said, and cleaned the place he was working. Robert streched his legs, and tucked his other arm under his brown haired head and smiled up at the ceiling. "Too many assholes out there who don't respect when a girl says no."
"Sara has Loki looking out for her, he is a good guy. He wouldn't let anything happen to her." Robert said, and Vince lifted his head and gave him a smile before going back to work. Loki felt put on the spot, and he scratched the palm of one hand as he looked back at the floor between his feet. It was true though, he also would kill and one who dared hurt Sara, or any woman for that matter.
"Purely selfish reasons, to be completely honest." He confessed, and Vince gave a rough laugh at his statement. Vince worked on, and shook his head.
"May as well tell her you got it for her, a girl that pretty, someone is going to snap her up. You don't want to miss your shot." Vince said, and Loki shook his head and smiled. Robert grinned and spoke for him, and Loki silently agreed with Robert.
"Its complicated Vince. Don't go there dude." Robert said, and Sara let out a small snore as she slept on. Vince grinned at her, and shook his head as he talked.
"Computers are fucking complicated, cars are complicated. Feelings are not complicated, you either have them, or you don't have 'em. Pull up your big boy pants and deal with them, or someone else will." He said, waving the machine a bit and began working on another section. "I would sure miss my Old Lady if I didn't shoot my shot, wouldn't give her up for the world."
Loki smiled and nodded, he wanted to, and he knew that Sara was hiding feelings for him. He could see it in her eyes everything they talked, but something always held her back. He knew what that was, and he knew it could never be.
Vince worked on, and Loki watched as Sara shifted and sat up. She saw she was covered with a blanket, and she rubbed her face. She blushed, and Vince gave her a smile as she shifted and Robert closed his eyes.
"Did I miss something?" She asked, and Robert gave her a grin and shook his head.
"Nah, Vince is just giving relationship advice. Nothing big." He said, and Loki scratched his palm again as Sara shrugged and sat up on the chair. He moved his hands apart, hiding his nervous habit, and he flexed and wriggled his fingers. He hated that he had it, and tried to hide it any chance he got. Especially, since he was ridiculed about it by Volstagg once, ending in blows being thrown and he ending up in the infirmary with a fractured arm.
"Great, remind me to not ask what guys talk about when women are not around." She said, and she looked at Vince. "Do you have a bathroom I could use?"
"Sure Darlin, down the hall and to your right. Give a good knock, the door does not close securely sometimes. Brace your foot against it, don't want anyone walking in on ya." He said, and she looked nervous for a minute. Loki stood up, and offered his hand to her. She smiled, and walked without taking it. They made their way to the toilet, and he held the knob behind his back as she used it to keep her safe. He felt the tug after a moment, and she emerged as he turned and smiled at her.
"Better, thanks for doing that." She said, and Loki gave her a silent nod as she walked back to sit on the chair and wait for Robert to take them back home. He watched her for a moment, and he silently walked back to his stool, sitting down with his hands in his pockets.
--
Sara cleaned herself up for bed, and looked in the mirror at the dainty gold hoops that now adorned her earlobes in her bathroom. She smiled at them, and opened the velvet box on the counter, and lifted the diamond and sapphire drop earrings that had been in her family since they first immigrated to America. She held them over the hoops, smiling at how they looked against her skin and grinned to herself.
She lay them back in the box, and looked at the rest of the jewelery that she had taken back from Darla after the funeral. She put the pearl choker around her throat, and smiled as she pulled her hair up into a soft bun and lowered her robe off her shoulders to admire herself while wearing it. She was doing something thrilling, something that had been forbidden to her, and she was not caring if the ghosts judged her.
She put on the diamond and emerald necklace, and pouted her lips and laughed to herself as she blew a kiss to the mirror like a 1940's Starlet would. She was never allowed this, to have jewelery, or to dress up. She was going to do whatever she wanted, and she was going to be happy doing it. She listened down the hall, and heard Loki moving around in his room and she grinned to herself as she turned back to the mirror and smiled at the image.
She giggled then, and turned to look at herself over her shoulder and began laughing. She couldn't help it, she was acting like a little girl, playing dress up with her Mother's costume jewelery. But this was so far away from that tiny, Seattle apartment and she was not that innocent girl anymore.
She was so lost in her own thoughts, and memories as she held another pair of earrings over the hoops that she did not realize that he was standing in the bathroom door. She jumped with a scream, dropping the earring and it rattled to the floor and covered her mouth in shock. He crouched down, and picked it up, taking one of her hands away from her mouth and placing it in the palm of her hand.
"I did not mean to scare you, I heard you laughing and became curious." He said, and she blushed as he looked at the necklaces around her neck. She collected herself, taking off the jewelery and putting them in the locking jewelery box and she tried not to be embarrassed. She cleared her throat, and licked her lips, trying not to be flushed as he leaned against the door frame.
"I was just... I was not allowed to touch these as a kid, or any time for that matter, I was..." She said, and she felt embarrassed at what she was doing. How could she explain it, and not sound like a complete moron.
"You were being defiant toward the person who hurt you most." He said, and smiled as she began putting ointment on the gold hoops and moving them through her ears. She made sure she had the antibiotic cream in the holes, and he smiled at her.
"Something like that." She said, and she started putting away her cleansers and she stopped when he kept staring at her. She looked at him, and her eyes met his, she swallowed hard and she realized that her robe was still off her shoulders and he was tracing her throat with his eyes. She had to change the subject, and fast.
"Did you need something? I don't think you came in here to stare at me, I'm not really that great." She said, being standoffish, and her heart relaxed a beat as he stepped away from the door. He sat in the chair, and waited for her. She finished up, and he kept his eyes on her as she put the jewelery box back in the closet and she sat down on her bed.
"I heard you that day, I did not want to embarass you, so I went outside and began cutting wood to make you think that I was not listening." He said, and her eyes went wide. She folded her hands, expecting him to get mad at her, call her a whore. All the things that Darla screamed at her, and she fidgeted with her hands. She felt warmth pool in her belly, and he stood up and walked toward her. "I am sorry, it was not my place to hear such things."
"I... It's okay, and I am so going to leave this out of my report for the week. I don't think Fury needs to know about the, the stupid mistakes I am making." She said, and she looked at her hands. She waited, and she clenched her hands together so tight, the knuckles turned white as she began to shake. "I will not do it again, it really is not something I should be doing anyways. It's immoral, and..."
"Stop. It is natural, and defiant toward whoever put such things in your head. Explore yourself all you want, I just thought it was only right to confess how I tried to give you privacy." He said, and she stared up at him. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth fell open as his fingers touched the satin robe that covered her collarbone. "I am aroused by you, and I cannot help it Sara. I have to confess that, I... I am not sure why though. I want to keep you safe, and hold you to me at the same time."
"We can't... SHIELD could lock you up... it would be my fault..." she said, and her voice shook as he pressed his lips together. She knew she was hurting him, and it hurt her back. He trusted her so much, he told her things about himself. Things she would never tell, and now she was breaking his heart. She would never forgive herself, but she had to push him away.
"I understand." He said, backing away and walking to leave the room. He was laying his soul bare, and she was closing herself off to him, just like everyone else. "Friends then? It still is a form of love."
"Yeah." She said, and she blinked back tears and wanted to hide her face as he watched her. She cared about him, hell, she felt the same too, but it could not happen. She pulled her bedding back, and took off her robe and he smiled at her, a smile that was filled with hurt and longing.
"Goodnight." He said, and he left her alone in her room. She fought with herself, clenching her fists and she wanted to run after him. She wanted to catch him and stop him before she regretted this moment in her life. She couldn't though, she had other things on her mind, and she had to keep moving forward.
She lay on her bed, covering herself and curling on her side. The massive bed was so empty, and she was so small. She sighed, and turned onto her back as she stared above her and fought the urge to cry. She turned onto her other side, but could not find a comfortable position and she heard the shower come on down the hall. He was cleaning himself up, and probably angry with her. She hated herself more than ever then, and she hated Darla more.
"Fuck." She said in a whisper of a voice, and got out of the bed and walked down the hall. She was going to get a glass of wine from a bottle in the basement, but his bathroom door was open, miking her pause. His clothes for the night were laying on the bed, and she stayed still. She stood in shock, her eyes on the way the light spilled from the door and onto the bed.
His bed. The bed he slept in, and the sheets that kept him warm.
She stared, knowing she was hidden in the shadows and she heard the water turn off. The shower curtain rings scraped against the metal bar above, and she could her the sounds of him cleaning himself up for bed. She shifted to the side, and he eventually came out of the bathroom and her eyes went wide at the low slung towel around his hips and waist. He streched his arms above his head, the defined muscles shifting under the skin of his back, and she felt warmth flood her veins.
He was sculpted, made of marble, and he was perfect. He took off the towel, tossing it aside with his back to her. Her eyes staring at his back, and the way his waist tapered a bit until his spine met his ass. Her mouth went dry at the sight, and she had to move, she couldn't let him see her staring at him. She had rejected him, and now she was staring at him like he was her personal chew toy.
It was so wrong, she had to get out of there and now. She slipped down the stairs, and remained as quiet as one of the ghosts in the house as she stepped over the loose boards in the flooring that creaked. She made her way to the basement stairs, and slowly descended them, and reached the bottom.
She needed to get very drunk, and now.
Why the hell did she turn him down? She was a damn moron, she couldn't believe herself.
She found a red that she was looking for, and she carried it back up the stairs and held the bottle in her hand as she looked for the corkscrew. She needed this, she needed to put out the fire that seeing him naked put in her. She found the corkscrew, and she opened a cupboard and took out a glass and opened the seal on top of the bottle and removed the foil.
"I can't believe how stupid I am. Fuck my life." She groaned, and slammed the corkscrew into the soft cork and twisted to open it. It came free, and she poured herself a glass, not caring if she should have let the wine breathe before drinking it and took a large drink from the glass. She coughed, swallowing the liquid in her mouth, and she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. She drained it as fast as she could, and filled the glass again.
"Why is he so damn sexy?" She muttered to herself, and she sat at the table and began sipping her glass of wine in the dark kitchen. She toasted the air, and sat back, her head already spinning a but and she grinned. "This is for you Darla, I hope you are getting assfucked by every Demon in Hell. You ruined my past, and you are made me terrified of having a future with anyone."
She drank her glass and filled it again, her hands becoming clumsy, and she almost spilled the bottle as she reached for it. She managed to fill her glass again, and she leaned against the table in front of her and started to cry. Honest tears fell down her cheeks, and she raised her glass again and thought of another toast. Her hands moving as she gulped down the bitter liquid, and poured herself another.
"To me! The worm, who may never have actual love in her life, thanks to my own fears." She said, and she drained her glass as she opened her robe and put her foot up on the table and grinned. "Oh no Darla, you better come and get me. I have my foot on the table, and I am not sitting like a lady!"
She laughed, not realizing how loud she was getting and she grinned and felt her eyelids droop a bit. She pulled her nightgown up, and lowered her leg to spread herself wide. She grinned and drank more of the wine, and she set her glass down and she put her hand over the crotch of her panties.
"I'm touching myself Darla, you better stop me. There is a man in the house that might come and see me, and then I will be a real whore." She said and closed her legs, lowering her nightgown and she picked up the bottle and refilled her glass. "You fucking bitch, I hate you and everything you were. I could be happy now, but you... you had to screw it all up by treating me like your slave. I DESERVED BETTER!"
She stomped her feet, and she drank her glass of wine and her head began to spin with the room. She filled her glass again, sloshing wine over the table as she struggled to get it into the glass. She was never much of a drinker, so she had no tolerance for alcohol. Her eyes bleary, and filling with tears.
--‐--‐--
"I had my pussy waxed too Darla, the hair never grew back because of the magic potion that made me what I am now..." she slurred and she laughed to herself. She stood up, dancing around the room with her robe open, and hummed to herself. "I will be alive while you are nothing but dust. And you know what you dried up bitch, I may just go upstairs now and suck the dick of a hot God. You can't stop me."
"I would have to refuse, you are a bit to intoxicated for my tastes." He said behind her, and she screamed and turned to see Loki standing behind her. She swayed on her feet, and he took the glass from her hand and smelled it. He cringed at the wine, and took a sip of it and grimaced. "That is awful, I don't recommend any more."
"You are being a party proper, I was just down here... minding my own business, and having a conversation with Darla." She said, and she walked over to him. He helped her into a chair, and she swayed as she sat by the table and reached for the bottle to drink straight from it. He took it from her hands, and she glared at him as he put the cork in it and shook his head. "I wanted some more!"
"You have had enough. Now what exactly brought this on? Why are you down here, in the dark, talking to a ghost that obviously is not haunting this house, and drinking wine as if it were water?" He demanded and she folded her hands in her lap and she started to cry. She sobbed, her face crumpled and her breath hiccuped in her chest. He couldn't take her tears, and he knelt on the floor in front of her and held her face.
"I... I have a massive crush on you, and Darla is still in my head!" She cried out, making him laugh and she slapped at him. "Stop being an asshole! I... I don't like it!"
"I am not being an asshole Sara, I swear it. I am confused by your statement, you are your own person, make your own choices. You are letting a dead woman dictate your happiness, and that confounds me." He said, and she looked at him. She swayed, and he put his hand on her side to keep her from tipping over. Her eyes were bleary, and he pressed his lips together and let out a long breath through his nose.
"She said I would be a whore though..." she said, and he put his fingers over her lips before she could say the rest of her statement. She looked at him, and her face moved toward his and she kissed the tip of his nose. "You have the most serious nose I have ever seen, and it is so goddamn cute!"
"Lets get you to bed Sara." He said, his voice as gentle as he could make it. She frowned, looking at him and she almost started to cry again as he lifted her off the chair. He couldn't do this now, not while she was inebriated and not in control of herself. He was not going to admit what he felt, not now, she was far from ready for this conversation.
"I wish I was pretty." She said, and her eyes filled again, he let out a long breath and he looked at her as he carried her up the stairs. "I'm so ugly."
"Sara, you ARE pretty, beautiful in fact. Please, don't cry now, you will make yourself ill." He said, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. Her breath became steady, and he realized that she had fallen asleep. He walked her down the hall, amd settled her into her bed, watching her shift and turn onto her side and whimper in her sleep. "You are going to be in a great deal of pain tomorrow Sara. Get your rest now."
He left her, and she lay still on her side and snuggled under the covers and curled into a tiny ball. She looked so damn lonely, but he was not going to cross any thresholds while she was not in control of herself.
--‐--
She stumbled again, her body refusing to cooperate as Loki ran on. She gasped for air, her head pounding as she tried to keep up. She groaned, stopping and leaning over to catch her breath. She fought the urge to vomit, and she tried even harder not to cry. She felt sweat trickle down her back and under her sports bra, her light blue hoodie sticking to her body and making her skin crawl with the sensation.
"Come on, we are almost a mile." He said, and she shook her head. She stayed in her spot, her body revolting against her. She wanted to throw a rock at him, and she panted as she stared between her feet.
"I... I can't, we gotta go back." She gasped out, her hangover making her dizzy. He shook his head and pointed on. She straightened up, and crossed her arms.
"It is your own fault for drinking so much, come and finish the mile. We will walk back." He said and she glared at him. She turned around, beginning to walk back toward the house, and he stopped her. He grabbed her shoulders, turning her around and started running again. She stayed in her spot, crossing her arms and he turned back to see her. "Don't be stubborn now, you are almost there, you are the one who got intoxicated and screamed at your dead Stepmother last night. Now, start running again."
"You are punishing me, I totally see what this is. I turned you down, and you are having some masculine tantrum." She said, and he laughed as he shook his head. She raised an eyebrow, and her fists clenched. "Stop laughing!"
"I will, when you come to your senses. You are only angry, because you know that it accomplished nothing to drink to excess and rant in the middle of the night. Now come on." He said, turning and beginning to run again. Anger raced through her veins, and if she had been thinking clearly, if her head was not pounding with a hangover, she probably would not have said what came out of her mouth next.
"You know, you are not in charge here. You don't get to boss me around, or bark orders at me." She spit at him, and he stopped mid stride and he turned on her. "In fact, if it were not for me, you would probably be dead. You wanna be in control of someone, go be the King of whatever bullshit you thought you were owed! Because here, the only thing you are in charge of is Jack and Shit, and Jack left town about eight months ago."
"I beg your pardon?" He hissed at her, and walked toward her. She stood her ground, and fished the tablet out of the pocket of her purple sweatpants and her thumb hovered over the command for an emergency response. She gritted her teeth, and willed her body to not shake with fear.
"Dont you fucking dare." She warned him, and he laughed in her face. He shook his head, and his eyes focused on her. "Take. A. Step. Back."
"You don't have it in you, I know you so very well. You are a weak little girl, barely able to stand your own ground in a fair battle of wits. Perhaps I misjudged you, and your ilk. You are all beneath me Sara Pruitt, especially you." He growled, his voice lowering as the dark morning shrouded them both. She glared at him, darkening the screen on the tablet, and shoved it in her pocket. She turned on her heels, refusing to let him see her cry and she began walking back home.
"I'm going back, you can go fuck yourself for all I care. Do whatever verbal masturbation makes you feel better about yourself, and go Jack off in the woods." She said over her shoulder, and gave him the finger. He laughed behind her, and she heard the words that made her completely snap come from his mouth.
"I suppose your Mother would be so proud of you, seeing as how she used her femininity to try and trap a powerful man. Her daughter did rather well for herself, seeing as how her blood runs through your veins as well." He spat at her, and she gritted her teeth and he walked up behind her, his words making her see red. "Like Mother, like Daughter, I suppose. I know your type rather well, they all found their way into my bed eventually. All of them, spreading their legs, just like your Mother did for your Father."
She formed a fist, and turned on him, her hand flying out and her knuckles connecting with his cheekbone before he could react. His head rocked back, and she let out a scream of pure rage as he spoke. He fell backwards, landing in the gravel and dirt at the side of the road and tears began to fall. She screamed again, and pointed at him, her hand shaking.
"MY MOTHER WAS RAPED!" She screamed in his face, her entire body shaking and she raised her arm to punch him again and stopped. "My Father, the sperm donor, held her down and raped her! I heard how it happened when Darla was angry about me existing, he admitted it when I was twelve years old to her! Twelve fucking years old! I'm the product of a nobody who crossed paths with a powerful man! I'm living proof of how she suffered. He got her drunk, beat her up, held her down, and used her! She was no more a whore than whatever woman you had in your bed! You ever think they were afraid to say no? Fucking think about that one before you judge me!"
"Sara..." He began, and she saw the swelling and bruising begin to form on his cheek. She was about to hit him again, and his eyes were filled with pity for her. She let out a long breath, and turned on her heels and walked back toward the house.
"I think it is time that Fury moved you somewhere else, I can't deal with you anymore. I tried to be nice, but this is a line you never should have crossed." She said, and walked back to her home, her personal prison. Toward whatever life of hers that she could salvage now, and she ignored him. She was ready to explode, she was ready to scream, she was ready to break every piece of something to finally get her rage out.
She was done, and she was never going to allow herself to feel guilty for who she was ever again. She made that promise to herself, and she walked with her head high.
--
He held the bag of frozen corn wrapped in a kitchen towel to his swollen eye, and groaned to himself. His cheekbone ached with each beat of his heart as a reminder if what he had done, and he stopped to see a new picture on the wall of the stairwell as he passed it. He felt a sinking in the put of his stomach at the image of all of them standing with Mt. St. Helens in the background, part of him knowing he had overstepped when he insulted her mother. He walked up the stairs, and heard a creak above him as Sara came down from her office and stopped as she stared at him.
She was still angry, and she had every right to be.
He did not blame her, and she held the keys to the house as she kept herself neutral. He stepped aside, giving her room to pass and she walked past him to continue down the stairs. She took a moment, and looked back at him and cleared her throat.
"I have to go pick up some groceries, try not to burn my house down while I am gone." She said in a neutral tone, and he lowered the bag and held it in his hands. He looked down, and gave a nod, licking his lips to get any form of moisture on them.
"I will pack my clothing, for when Fury comes to collect me." He said, his stomach dropping as he spoke. "It has been a pleasure to get to know you and the rest Lady Pruitt." He said, and she looked back at him, she let out a long breath and he chose his next words extremely carefully. "I... I spoke without thinking, and what I said... what we both said to eachother... gave me a great deal of grounding. Your Mother, whom I do not have the honor of speaking of after my hurled insults, sounds to me to be a very honorable woman. She created a very beautiful and intelligent daughter, from a horrific situation. I apologize for the sharpness of my tounge, and hope that you can forgive me for it."
"I accept your apology, I left a copy of my report to Fury on your desk. I have to go." She said, her voice softening and he nodded. She pointed to the eye then, and he realized he was breaking a rule by bringing the food up the stairs. He watched her leave, and he walked into his room and picked up the printed sheet of paper. Reading what was written on it, and his eyes went wide at her words.
"This week, Loki showed more growth than I have observed from him in the past.. He went with my friend, Robert and I, to a Tattoo Shop in Tacoma to watch an artist work on the tattoo sleeve my friend was getting, and he interacted with the artist. He complimented his artistry, and spoke in a respectful way to the man. He is coming out of his shell more, and I believe he is ready for some form of gainful employment to earn his own money, and take on more financial independence. His interactions with my friends are more open, and he seems more interested in group activities. He enjoys art still, and has offered his skills to the Town, as they are looking for someone to paint a mural inside the Police Station. I think it would be good for him, and it would give him the opportunity to speak with Humans outside of the immediate friend circle that he has now. I believe he may be showing progress in the correct direction, and hopefully will be ready in a year to have the tracking chip in the back of his hand removed."
He sat down on the bed, his eyes on the paper in shock. Why didn't she request he be housed somewhere else? Why was she praising him after what he said? Why was she still keeping a door open for him?
He deserved no better.
He set the letter down, and looked around him when he saw a black box sitting on his bed with the legend: Galaxy S11, written in raised ink across it, and a plastic package next to it labeled: Otterbox. He picked up the box, finding it to be light, and he lifted the lid to find a brand new phone nestled in a plastic liner. He read the yellow, adhesive note on it, and he swallowed as he looked at the device in his hand.
"Loki, the number for your phone is 253-555-6145. You can set your own lock code, and if you need any help, I will walk you through it later. I already programmed everyone's numbers into the phone, so you can send them messages whenever you want. I also put the screen protector on it for you. Sara."
He held the slim, black phone in his hand, turning it over and he pressed the power button on it. He watched the Verizon Logo dance across the screen, and he let it do whatever it had to do as he looked through the box and found a charging cord and plug, what he assumed was something for listening to music through, and a small instruction book in it. He looked through the items, and laid them all out on the bed, and picked up the package with the phone case in it.
He turned the plastic over in his hands, and went to the desk to take out a pair of scissors to cut it open. He got it started and gripped the flap of plastic and gave it a tug, he tried again when it did not tear open and his hand slipped and two of his fingers grazed the sharp edge of the plastic and he hissed in pain.
Blood welled up from the cut across his middle and ring finger, and he slapped his hand over the cuts and Sara bounded up the stairs and looked at him. He gritted his teeth against the sharp pain, and he looked at her as her mouth fell open.
"Holy shit!" She said, and grabbed the towel from around the bag of frozen vegetables and pressed it over the wound. She held her hand over it, and he groaned as she looked around at the phone and the dropped package with the case. Blood fell to the floor, and he stared at her as she tried to stop it. "This is deep, I gotta get you to the Clinic for the cut. Hold this town over it, and keep the pressure steady."
"Sara..." he said, his eyes going wide and he saw his blood on the palm of her hand. He looked at her, and she bit her lip and he noticed that she was moving down the hall before he could say more. She returned with the tablet, and another towel and she wrapped his hand. Her thumbs where flying over the tablet, and she hit send as she shoved it into her purse and added her wallet.
"I forgot my wallet, that is why I came back. It is a good thing I did too, come on. Just head toward the car in the driveway, we can clean up the blood on the floor later." She said, and she picked up the bag of frozen vegetables and she urged him to hurry down the stairs. Her phone rang, and she answered it as she walked. "It was an accidental injury, he cut himself opening a package on a phone case. I am erring on the side of caution and taking him to get it checked out... Yes, I will file an addendum to my report with the facts of the incident... He has a pretty deep cut, I gotta get him checked out... Thank you."
She opened the door to the Merceedes, and he settled himself into the seat as she leaned over him and buckled his seat belt for him. He felt his lower lip shake, as he held his hand and kept pressure over the wound that was still bleeding. She started the car, and she began driving and she put her hand on his knee.
"Don't worry, Amy knows we are coming, and she said she would have a room ready for you. We will get your hand checked, and everything will be okay." She said, turning onto the highway, and her voice remaining calm and soothing as she talked. He couldn't figure out why she was being so kind to him after how he treated and spoke to her, and he swallowed hard. "Don't get sick in my car, these seats will never let the smell go. Just breathe Loki, it is going to be okay."
"I think I will be fine." He said, and she shook her head and shifted gears as she drove, turning toward town and she stopped at a light.
"Let's get the opinion of a professional, do that for me?" She asked, and he held the towels tighter and nodded. She started the car forward again, and she turned toward the building she had he cast removed in. She found parking, and he waited until she opened the door and helped him with his seat belt before getting out. He walked with her, and he realized from the look on her face, that she was honestly worried for him and his body stiffened at the revelation.
She cared about him, and his wellbeing.
They enterd the building through the doors and the receptionist saw him with his hand wrapped and gestured for them to go back and handed Sara a clipboard. She fished a card out of her wallet, and handed it to the woman and she began typing information off of it.
"SHIELD has him on their insurance, it should cover everything. His address is the same as mine, and I will be his responsible party for any Billing." She said, and Loki felt his fingers throb as he stood and held the towels. A Nurse came out, and she put a hand on his arm and gestured to the door she had walked through. Sara was still talking to the woman, and the Nurse looked at him.
"This way, we need to get some info for your chart. Miss Pruitt can come back after she finishes checking you in." She said, and Loki allowed the woman to lead him through the door and into the facility.
--
Sara walked back, and saw him laying on an examination table with his hand soaking in a bowl of antibiotic solution. His thumb and part of his hand was yellow from it, and he glanced at her as she sat down in a chair next to him. His other hand was on his stomach, and his black hoodie was laying over his legs as he waited for a doctor to see him. He didn't glance in her direction, and she sat forward and studied his profile.
"You okay?" She asked and he gave her a quick nod, his hand not moving from the solution. "Does it still hurt?"
"I have been better, and been in worse pain. They asked about the eye, I told them I was clumsy and I did not need care for it." He said, and Sara smiled back at him and moved closer to the bed he was laying on. She put her hand on his arm, and he hissed as pain and grimaced as a twinge shot up from his fingers. "They said I may need to have the fingers stitched."
"They use a glue, it is more sanitary, and you can still shower without worrying about getting the wound wet. You may have a couple more scars though." She said, and she held his good hand and he gave her a squeeze. She let out a breath, and Amy walked in with the nurse after her and she crossed her arms and shook her head as she looked at the both of them.
"Okay, who threw the first punch." She scolded, and Loki cocked his thumb at Sara with a grin. Amy shook her head, and walked over and the Nurse lay an absorbent sheet over his legs and the bed under the bowl of solution and she then began laying out everything Amy needed to close up the wounds on a tray.
"She threw the only punch, and I deserved it. I spoke without thinking during a heated argument, and insulted her Mother's memory." Loki said, and Amy put on a pair of gloves. She laughed to herself, and the nurse prepped a syringe of numbing solution as Amy took a towel and lifted his hand out of the bowl. She dried the hand, and looked at the still oozing cuts and she shook her head.
"Yeah, I heard the story, you are lucky Irish is not about to take your knees out. Can you feel when I pinch the tips of your fingers?" She asked and Loki nodded as she turned it and looked at the cuts under the light.
"I can." He replied, and Sara looked at Amy and watched her friend as she took the syringe and began to numb up the area and the Nurse prepared a tube of glue. "Damn!"
"It is going to hurt, until I get it numbed up, but you got lucky and didn't damage the nerves or tendons. Those damn packages cause more injuries than I think they prevent theft." She said, and lay his hand back down on the pad. "You two make up? Because I am not picking sides in the Divorce."
"We did, don't worry about it." Sara said, and she squeezed his hand as the Nurse smiled at him. Amy waited for the medicine to take full effect, and she smiled at her friends. "He apologized first, I will get him an ice cream to apologize for the eye."
"The brand with the Peanut Butter candies in it would be a perfect apology, and I am impressed with how you hit." He said, and Sara laughed and tried not to touch toss his sass back at him. She fetl relief at his words, and she gave him a thumbs up.
"I have to agree with that one, that ice cream is the best. Spooky, you better have said sorry, from the looks of your eye, you got yours." Amy said, and Sara watched as Amy pinched the edges of the cut together and began applying the glue. Loki took in a deep breath, and swallowed as he watched what was happening. "Keep an eye on this for any swelling, it could mean that you have in infection. If you get a fever, or any discoloration around the wounds, come back for some antibiotics. I'm going g to splint these to hold them stable so that you don't accidentally open the wounds back up, you can remove the finger splints when you shower, but put them back on for the first week of healing."
"Should I do anything else for them?" He asked, watching Amy finish the first finger. His nails were stained yellow from the solution in the dish, and his skin looked sickly on that hand. "I want to keep my hand."
"No, this glue will come off on it's own in time. Until then, it should keep the wounds sanitary. Next time though, get some help opening packages." She said, and Sara looked at him. She patted his other arm, and Amy gave her a sheepish grin. Sara felt self concous then, her eyes lowering as she tried not to look like the overly concerned girlfriend.
"Thank you Amy." He said, and the Nurse handed her another tube of the glue so she could start on the next finger. She smiled at Loki, and Amy pinched the wound shut gently, and Loki jerked with a hiss.
"Did that hurt?" Amy asked, and he nodded. She picked up the syringe of numbing medication and gave him a few more injections around the area. He closed his eyes, his face pinching from the pain. Amy sat back, cleaning away the blood, and waited as the Nurse put the empty needle into a sharp disposal container. Sara saw the other one laying on the tray, and she blinked at it.
"What is that one?" Sara asked, and Amy glanced at it. Loki raised an eyebrow, and he looked over at the tray as the Nurse handed it to Amy.
"A flu shot. He hasn't had one yet, and he has never been exposed to the Seasonal Flu, he is getting one today as part of his treatment plan." Amy replied, and Loki blinked at the syringe as his brows knitted together. Amy looked at him, and picked up the liquid stitches again. "Dont argue with me, Flu could kill you."
"I suppose I should get it then, thank you for that." He said, and Amy began sealing the other cut. Loki watched her, his eyes on his friend's hands as she worked and Sara gave his good hand a squeeze again. He looked at her, and she blushed a bit as hit thumb caressed her fingers in his hand. "I am not dying Sara, you don't have to hold my hand. I have had worse injuries on the field of battle, one time..."
"Please, I really don't want to know how many times you beat the Reaper. I have enough craziness in my head as it is." Sara said, stopping him and the Nurse laughed, Amy grinned a little wider. Sara gave her a look, but did not let go of his hand.
"You two should just hook up and get it over with, you already sound like a married couple." Amy said, and Loki's mouth fell open and Sara felt her stomach sink at her words. She added a bit more of the liquid stitches to both of his fingers, ensuring a good coverage and let them dry a bit.
"I... No! Amy! You are awful!" She stammered out, and Amy laughed as she sat back and laughed at the both if them. She took put her phone, and took a picture and laughed harder.
"Your faces are priceless! This is why I love you Bugs!" She laughed, and threw her head back. The Nurse left the room and Amy pulled Loki's shirt sleeve up, and cleaned his shoulder. She laughed and picked up the syringe, and steadied herself.
"We are purely platonic, that was abusur... OW!" Loki said, and Amy cut him off by jabbing the needle into his arm. He wipped his head around, and glared at Amy as she held up the syringe and winked at him. His mouth fell open, and the needle retracted into the syringe as she grinned sheepishly. "You tricked me. I'm impressed."
"Got your mind off the shot, you are protected until Spring." She said, and Sara frowned as Amy as she reached in her pocket and took out another syringe. "Your turn Bugs."
"Shit." Sara grumbled, and took off her jacket. She hated needles, and was trying to avoid getting it. She looked at Loki, and he held her hand and gave it a squeeze as Amy prepped her arm.
"Three!" Amy said, and jabbed her with the needle and Sara squeezed Loki's hand.
"Bitch!" She hissed, and Loki snorted at her reaction as Amy rolled her eyes. She moved her hair back with a gloved hand, and shook her head.
"Getting your ears pierced had to have hurt worse than that. Quit being a baby." Amy teased, disposing of the syringe and waved a finger in a come hither motion at Sara. She knew she was in for a lecture, and she sighed as Loki watched them both. "Keep your hand still until the Nurse comes back with the splints and dressing. I need to have words with our mutual friend, and she is going to listen."
They stepped into the hall, Amy pointing to an empty room and she looked at her friend. They both entered, and Amy closed the door and locked it, Sara keeping her eyes on the floor as the other woman sighed. She shifted her feet, her friend crossing her arms and giving her a look that screamed "disappointment."
"What isngoing on with you Sara? This is not you, the guy in the resturant, and now Loki? You can't just go beating up people, you are way smarter than this." She said, keeping her voice low so no one outside head their conversation. She took out a pad of paper, and scribbled on it as Sara fidgeted with her fingers. "You are lucky I don't have you put on a seventy-two hour hold at Tacoma General. If it were not for Spooky, I would have your bed reserved now."
"Giggles..." She started, and Amy handed her the paper she tore off the pad and handed it to her. She read it, and it said: "Dr. Marks," followed by a phone number. Sara rolled her eyes, and her friend grabbed her hand.
"No Giggles, you need help. You are spiraling, and I am not going to watch you crash like the last time." She hissed, holding her hand tighter, tears in Amy's eyes. "This can't go on, I care about you, but you need to figure out what you need, and what is most important to you. I don't want another phone call at two in the morning from my Dad, like the one I got six months ago. It scared me, scared the shit out of everyone, and we almost lost you for real."
"I'm sorry, it is just really complicated right now. I don't think you would understand, I don't even understand it. I'm... I'm just so fucking confused." She admitted, her heart pounding and Amy rubbed her face. She shook her head, and pressed her lips together as she crossed her arms.
"Try to explain it to me then, use small words if you have to, just fucking do something before we end up in another situation where I legitimately have to call a Social Worker in for you." She hissed, her eyes narrowing and Sara covered her face with both hands. She swallowed hard, and tried not to cry. She licked her lips, and she stared at her feet.
"I'm... I... Fuck, this is way too hard." She sighed, and Amy cocked her head. Her mouth fell open, and she nodded as she looked at her. "I can't have something I want, and I... it is making me hurt really bad."
"Oh shit. You fell for him." Amy groaned, and let out a breath. Sara nodded, and threw her hands out, unable to say anything more. She blinked back tears, but a few of them still came through, she wiped at her cheeks with her hands. Amy letting out a long breath, and handing her a tissue. "Want my advice?"
"Yeah." She replied, and nodded her head and wiping her face. The room around her feeling small, and cramped. Amy smiled at her and gave her a hug, letting her have a moment before saying she needed a Shrink.
"Roll the dice Bugs, take the chance." She said, and Sara held the paper in her hand as she blinked in shock. She put it into her coat pocket, and ran her thumb along the edge, feeling it glide along the whorls of her fingerprints. It was not enough pressure to cut, but it grounded her in a way. The smooth texture giving her some focus, and she licked her lips as she listened. "Maybe he is good for you, but you will not know until you try. Stop being afraid, and live a little."
"I will think about it." Sara replied, still rubbing her thumb over the edge of the paper and Amy took her back to the other room. She thought about Amy's words, and she struggled with her jumbled feelings as she waited in silence.