Into The Shadows
Chapter Nine
I didn't bother knocking when I walked into Fury's office. I don't think I ever did, and this was something that regularly earned me a chewing out on respect and efficiency. I think out of all the Avengers, Tony ad I very vying for the spot of Fury's least favorite. Most of the time it was neck and neck, but at the present moment in time, I was pissing him off more than usual.
I walked in, letting the door slam behind me, waiting expectantly for the bark of "Agent Reynolds!" that I usually got, but, surprised, I got something else.
"Wondering how long it'd take you to turn up. Have a seat."
I did a double take and stared at Fury across his desk. Thor had risen from his seat when I'd arrived, and had his head bowed.
"I think you've met Thor before?" Fury asked. I nodded. We'd only met twice, but on both occasions he'd put Steve to shame with his chivalry.
"Dude, it's cool, you can sit down." I murmured as I took the chair next to him. Thor waited until I was comfortable before he lowered himself.
"Agent Reynolds, we were discussing your sister." Fury told me, leaning back in his chair and looking at me with his one good eye.
"Tony and Steve told me."
"We are planning to enter her house on the night of the 17th. Thor's told us that night is the time when Loki is most likely to come and attack your sister."
"What would he want with my sister anyway?" I asked Thor, who sighed.
"It is unclear what my brother wants with your sister. However, I believe he may make an attempt to take her to Asgard."
"Oh great." I muttered, feeling something heavy hit the pit of my stomach. It might have been my heart.
"Now, we've got a plan." Fury told me. I turned back to him, but I could still feel Thor's gaze on me.
"Okay, good."
"We're going to get to your sister's apartment at about 22:00 hours. Travelling there, though, may be a problem. We have reason to believe that Loki will have men looking out for us. We're going to get into her apartment building, pull her out of there and get out as fast as possible."
"Sounds like a plan. You good with this?" I glanced at Thor, who was still watching me curiously, his head tilted to the side, kind of like a puppy. A puppy dressed in curtains, holding a hammer.
Okay, maybe not a puppy.
"Problem?" I asked him. He leaned across to me and caught my jaw with one hand, tilting my head left and right, examining me.
"Uh, Fury?" I asked. Thor dropped two fingers to feel the pulse in my neck, confusion clearly on his features.
"Look, Thor," I began, "I don't know if this is a totally cool thing where you're from, but here this kind of thing is a third date deal."
"Quiet." he grunted, feeling the pulse in my wrist with his free hand. I stared at him indignantly for a few moments.
"Excuse you, but -"
"Agent Reynolds, shut up." Fury said, calmly. I closed my mouth.
"Midgardian." Thor murmured in a low voice, "Your blood... it is... Not ordinary."
"Well I feel flattered that you noticed, Thor." I tried to push his hand away from my neck, to no avail.
"Your blood is..." Thor paused for a moment, looking me in the eyes. "Your blood is of fire."
A silence hung over the room, and I glanced across at Fury, who was watching with mild interest.
"Is he talking about my acid blood?" I asked, and Fury shrugged.
"Probably."
"Well then, you're a little late to the party, dude." I told Thor, who was shaking his head, baking away.
"I must... I must leave. I will be back in the morning." He looked from me to Fury, and ducked into a low bow before disappearing, leaving the room feeling very empty.
"What in the name of Hell was that?" I asked.
"Taste this." I ordered, pushing a wooden spoon into Steve's face. He tentatively tasted the Spaghetti sauce and mumbled 'mm', swallowing.
"Good?" I asked. He nodded enthusiastically and grinned at me, moving to sit on the island counter. I pushed him off straight away.
"No way are you sitting on this counter while I'm cooking, Rogers." I told him, pushing the spoon back in his face. He laughed and dropped back to the floor, stepping behind me and winding his arms around my waist.
Although my skin was a lot thicker because of the genetic modifications something that hadn't changed was my ticklishness, and Steve knew it. I squirmed as he wrapped his arms around me, and I heard his gentle chuckle as he put his head on my shoulder, inhaling deeply.
"It smells great." He told me, hugging me tighter. "You're a very good cook."
"JARVIS," I called, snuggling into the hug and smiling, "Change the heat setting on the sauce down to 1, would you? I'm gonna let this stuff simmer for twenty minutes."
"Heat set to 1, timer set for twenty minutes." JARVIS' automated voice rang out. I grinned and put down the spoon, turning around to hug Steve. I wasn't quite sure what to call us. We hadn't really been out anywhere together, so we weren't exactly dating. We hadn't slept together, so Tony's nickname of Fuck-Buddies wasn't quite apt. We just hung out a lot, and kissed. I also spent more nights in his bed than my own.
Steve smeared away what was probably a drop of wine from my cheek. I had used some in the sauce and some of it must have splashed onto my face. His eyes raked my face for a few long moments, and he leaned in to kiss me.
"Hey kids!" Tony's voice came from the doorway, and we leaped apart., embarrassed. "I let you two live here with me because SHIELD ordered tenants out while re-decorating's going on, not because the beds are comfier." He winked at me.
Steve opened his mouth, confused, but I dug my elbow into his ribs and he closed it again. I didn't to engage Tony in conversation and keep him here any longer than he had to be.
"Pepper and I are going out for dinner. Save me some sauce, okay?" He said, retracting his head from the doorway ad leaving us in peace. Steve turned to me, still looking confused.
"What did Tony mean, by the beds being comfier?" he asked, and I couldn't help but laugh as I explained, taking his hand and leading him from the kitchen to the living room. By the time we'd reached the living room, he was looking pretty uncomfortable.
"Pick a film." I told him, taking my turn to wrap my arms around him from behind, leaning my head on his chest.
"Mm, can't I just stay here?"
"Well I'm hungry, so if you don't pick a film, I will." I told him with a laugh.
He gave an audible groan and arched his back as I hugged him a little tighter, and sighed.
"I don't know. I don't know many recent films." he admitted. "Perhaps we could watch - No, never mind."
"What?" I asked his shoulder blade.
He gave a gentle laugh. "Gone with the wind?"
I grinned. I could almost see his cheeks going red. "Sure thing." I said.
"JARVIS?"
"Yes Miss Reynolds."
"Could you get Gone With The Wind up and ready to play for us?"
"Yes Miss Reynolds. Also, you may like to note that you have five minutes left on your timer."
"We might as well get back to the kitchen," I told Steve, who slipped one arm around my waist as we walked.
I walked in, letting the door slam behind me, waiting expectantly for the bark of "Agent Reynolds!" that I usually got, but, surprised, I got something else.
"Wondering how long it'd take you to turn up. Have a seat."
I did a double take and stared at Fury across his desk. Thor had risen from his seat when I'd arrived, and had his head bowed.
"I think you've met Thor before?" Fury asked. I nodded. We'd only met twice, but on both occasions he'd put Steve to shame with his chivalry.
"Dude, it's cool, you can sit down." I murmured as I took the chair next to him. Thor waited until I was comfortable before he lowered himself.
"Agent Reynolds, we were discussing your sister." Fury told me, leaning back in his chair and looking at me with his one good eye.
"Tony and Steve told me."
"We are planning to enter her house on the night of the 17th. Thor's told us that night is the time when Loki is most likely to come and attack your sister."
"What would he want with my sister anyway?" I asked Thor, who sighed.
"It is unclear what my brother wants with your sister. However, I believe he may make an attempt to take her to Asgard."
"Oh great." I muttered, feeling something heavy hit the pit of my stomach. It might have been my heart.
"Now, we've got a plan." Fury told me. I turned back to him, but I could still feel Thor's gaze on me.
"Okay, good."
"We're going to get to your sister's apartment at about 22:00 hours. Travelling there, though, may be a problem. We have reason to believe that Loki will have men looking out for us. We're going to get into her apartment building, pull her out of there and get out as fast as possible."
"Sounds like a plan. You good with this?" I glanced at Thor, who was still watching me curiously, his head tilted to the side, kind of like a puppy. A puppy dressed in curtains, holding a hammer.
Okay, maybe not a puppy.
"Problem?" I asked him. He leaned across to me and caught my jaw with one hand, tilting my head left and right, examining me.
"Uh, Fury?" I asked. Thor dropped two fingers to feel the pulse in my neck, confusion clearly on his features.
"Look, Thor," I began, "I don't know if this is a totally cool thing where you're from, but here this kind of thing is a third date deal."
"Quiet." he grunted, feeling the pulse in my wrist with his free hand. I stared at him indignantly for a few moments.
"Excuse you, but -"
"Agent Reynolds, shut up." Fury said, calmly. I closed my mouth.
"Midgardian." Thor murmured in a low voice, "Your blood... it is... Not ordinary."
"Well I feel flattered that you noticed, Thor." I tried to push his hand away from my neck, to no avail.
"Your blood is..." Thor paused for a moment, looking me in the eyes. "Your blood is of fire."
A silence hung over the room, and I glanced across at Fury, who was watching with mild interest.
"Is he talking about my acid blood?" I asked, and Fury shrugged.
"Probably."
"Well then, you're a little late to the party, dude." I told Thor, who was shaking his head, baking away.
"I must... I must leave. I will be back in the morning." He looked from me to Fury, and ducked into a low bow before disappearing, leaving the room feeling very empty.
"What in the name of Hell was that?" I asked.
"Taste this." I ordered, pushing a wooden spoon into Steve's face. He tentatively tasted the Spaghetti sauce and mumbled 'mm', swallowing.
"Good?" I asked. He nodded enthusiastically and grinned at me, moving to sit on the island counter. I pushed him off straight away.
"No way are you sitting on this counter while I'm cooking, Rogers." I told him, pushing the spoon back in his face. He laughed and dropped back to the floor, stepping behind me and winding his arms around my waist.
Although my skin was a lot thicker because of the genetic modifications something that hadn't changed was my ticklishness, and Steve knew it. I squirmed as he wrapped his arms around me, and I heard his gentle chuckle as he put his head on my shoulder, inhaling deeply.
"It smells great." He told me, hugging me tighter. "You're a very good cook."
"JARVIS," I called, snuggling into the hug and smiling, "Change the heat setting on the sauce down to 1, would you? I'm gonna let this stuff simmer for twenty minutes."
"Heat set to 1, timer set for twenty minutes." JARVIS' automated voice rang out. I grinned and put down the spoon, turning around to hug Steve. I wasn't quite sure what to call us. We hadn't really been out anywhere together, so we weren't exactly dating. We hadn't slept together, so Tony's nickname of Fuck-Buddies wasn't quite apt. We just hung out a lot, and kissed. I also spent more nights in his bed than my own.
Steve smeared away what was probably a drop of wine from my cheek. I had used some in the sauce and some of it must have splashed onto my face. His eyes raked my face for a few long moments, and he leaned in to kiss me.
"Hey kids!" Tony's voice came from the doorway, and we leaped apart., embarrassed. "I let you two live here with me because SHIELD ordered tenants out while re-decorating's going on, not because the beds are comfier." He winked at me.
Steve opened his mouth, confused, but I dug my elbow into his ribs and he closed it again. I didn't to engage Tony in conversation and keep him here any longer than he had to be.
"Pepper and I are going out for dinner. Save me some sauce, okay?" He said, retracting his head from the doorway ad leaving us in peace. Steve turned to me, still looking confused.
"What did Tony mean, by the beds being comfier?" he asked, and I couldn't help but laugh as I explained, taking his hand and leading him from the kitchen to the living room. By the time we'd reached the living room, he was looking pretty uncomfortable.
"Pick a film." I told him, taking my turn to wrap my arms around him from behind, leaning my head on his chest.
"Mm, can't I just stay here?"
"Well I'm hungry, so if you don't pick a film, I will." I told him with a laugh.
He gave an audible groan and arched his back as I hugged him a little tighter, and sighed.
"I don't know. I don't know many recent films." he admitted. "Perhaps we could watch - No, never mind."
"What?" I asked his shoulder blade.
He gave a gentle laugh. "Gone with the wind?"
I grinned. I could almost see his cheeks going red. "Sure thing." I said.
"JARVIS?"
"Yes Miss Reynolds."
"Could you get Gone With The Wind up and ready to play for us?"
"Yes Miss Reynolds. Also, you may like to note that you have five minutes left on your timer."
"We might as well get back to the kitchen," I told Steve, who slipped one arm around my waist as we walked.
