Ordinary (A Marvel Fanfiction)

Chapter Three

When I woke  up, I wasn't entirely convinced everything that had happened last night wasn't a dream. I couldn't imagine any world where I ended up sewing up a killer on my couch. I sat up in bed, looking around the studio, and was immediately convinced it was real. There was still blood staining the wall.

I sighed, reaching up to hold my head in my hands. It was a lot to handle and I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed with everything that was happening. Banjo started meowing from his spot on the bed, irritated that I was disturbing his sleep. I rolled my eyes, reaching over to pet him. He purred slightly, leaning into my hand.

When Banjo started batting at my hand to get me to stop, I pulled away, slipping out of the bed. The frigid air almost had me hopping back under the blankets, but I steeled myself and slipped on some sweatpants before heading to the kitchen.

I quickly made myself some eggs and poured Banjo some food before sitting at the table and pulling out my laptop. I had a report to finish before class tonight and I wanted to get as much done as I could before I had to go to work. Banjo finally dragged himself out of bed in order to eat, and when I finished my eggs, I let him lick the plate.

"You're going to get fat." I warned him, but I reached out to pet him in order to soften my words.

I managed to get a third of the way through the report before I sighed and got to my feet. I quickly changed into my uniform before pulling on a coat over it. It was freezing outside and I hoped Pete had managed to fix the heat in the diner.

The walk to the diner seemed to take forever. The wind whipped around me, causing me to shrink even further into my coat. I was grumbling to myself when I stomped into the back door of the diner. Louisa was sitting at the desk in the office, the door wide open. She chuckled at my disorganized appearance. She laughed even harder when I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Did Pete get the heat fixed?" I asked, taking off my coat and shoving it in one of the lockers near the door.

"Yes, thank god!" She exclaimed, sighing, "I love the man to death, but I cannot work anymore in the cold. I will hold a strike!"

I rolled my eyes. We both knew she would never hold a strike, if only because she was dating the owner. Her and Pete had been together six years now, and although they weren't married, they had a cute little family together with two kids and a puppy. They were infatuated with each other, and while it was kind of nauseating to watch at work, I couldn't help but smile at their happiness.

I tossed my hair up in a ponytail and tied an apron around my waist. On my way out to the dining area, I grabbed my notepad and pen. The diner was slow this morning, but I knew it was the calm before the storm. The lunch rush would be here soon enough.

I went immediately to the coffee pot, pouring myself a cup.

"Hey, honey!" Rodger, a regular, called from across the bar counter. "How about we get another one of those over here!"

I laughed, pouring him a cup as well. I carried both over to him, leaning against the counter across from him to sip my own cup. I glanced down at the paper in front of him.

"32 across is superlative," I told him, grinning.

He groaned, scribbling the word into the puzzle. He glared playfully up at me, his mouth screwed up into a crooked smile. He said, "I was stuck on that one for an hour, and you walk in and bam!"

I laughed, grinning at the old man. He had been coming to the diner since his wife died a couple years ago. I think it gave him a reason to get out of his empty house. He had become a sort of surrogate-grandfather for everyone at the diner.

The bell above the door jingled as it swung open, revealing a family of seven. I groaned, downing the rest of my coffee. Rodger smiled at me sympathetically.

"I'll see you later, honey!" He called after me as I hurried to take the family's drink order.

The next few hours was a steady stream of customers. I bustled around the diner, falling into the familiar routine. When my break came around, I sighed, relieved. Louisa took my place and I marched to the back, falling into the couch in the office. Pete grinned at me from behind the desk.

"You need to hire more people." I groaned, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

"Now why would I do that when I have you and Louisa?" He asked, letting out a rumbling laugh. I opened my eyes to glare at him slightly.

As if called, Louisa ducked her head into the office, her gaze meeting mine almost immediately. She frowned, as if reluctant and I started getting to my feet, knowing she needed my help.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized, "But a group of 12 just walked in and there's a guy at table 3 who has been waiting for awhile!"

I smiled at her, reassuringly. "I'll get table 3, don't worry."

"Well, just be careful. He looks dangerous." She warned me, before bustling out to take the group's order.

I turned around to glare at Pete who had a sheepish look on his face.

"I'll start looking for applicants." He said, trying to soothe me. I nodded, satisfied, and hurried out to take table 3's order.

I looked at my notebook as I walked towards the table, crossing out the previous order. I only looked up when I was three feet away. The flash of metal and bright blue eyes made me freeze in my tracks, as I met the gaze of the very man I had stitched up the night before.

"It's you!"