shards - pietro maximoff

chapter four ; books and their covers

Avenger's Aircraft
Location: Classified

The flight back to the base was filled with a tense silence, everyone suffering with confusion and worry.

Dahlia's solution for this harsh situation was eating popcorn, because that's the rational reaction to an emotional stressor, obviously.

Bruce looked particularly shaken, the stress of going in and out of his 'green monster' state really took a toll on him.

Dahlia watched as Natasha spoke with Bruce, trying to calm him down with her words. She smirked, knowing that what Natasha felt for Banner was far more than friendship. When you've known someone for seventeen years, like Dahlia had known Nat, you got to know how to read their face and their feelings.

Nat definitely liked him.

And Dahlia was here for it. Maybe Bruce could be like her father, if they got married!

Needless to say, Dahlia was watching them with great interest, her bag of popcorn resting between her knees as she observed the two conversing.

"If you hadn't been there, there would have been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory." Nat said, trying to comfort Bruce.

Dahlia was a little offended at the fact Bruce was apparently her best friend, but for the sake of romance she brushed it off, stuffing a handful more of popcorn into her mouth.

"You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear." Bruce grumbled, curling up into fetal position.

"How long before you trust me?"

"It's not you I don't trust."

Her heart went out to Bruce, really. She couldn't imagine what it was like. It probably sucked ass.

"Thor, report on the Hulk?" Natasha turned to Thor, who was currently trying to steal some of Dahlia's popcorn, key word being 'trying'.

He turned to Nat and smiled wide. "The gates of hell are filled with the screams of his victims!"

Dahlia smacked him on the head as Natasha sent him a death glare.

"Uh- Uhm- Not with screams of the dead, of course. No no, uh... wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained ankles and uh... gout." Thor stuttered, trying to cover his tracks. Dahlia patted him on the back.

"Nice save."

"Why thank you." Thor's voice boomed.

"How do you still not understand sarcasm after living with your brother for what, ten thousand years?"

Loki and Dahlia had met on occasion a few times, obviously he was always in some form of confinement since he always seemed to be, but the two got on surprisingly well for a S.H.I.E.L.D agent and a god of mischief. His sense of humor was one that no one else in their compound appreciated, but Dahlia had often found it amusing.

"I'm still confused as to why the two of you get along so well. You're so... mortal, no offense. Loki hates mortals in general." Thor and Dahlia had been friends since he had come to Earth, so the fact that she also got along with his brother was quite surprising to all parties involved. Let's just say Natasha was not a fan.