The one year rental (Loki and Thor- as brothers)

Blackout: part 2

A/N usually the chapters are set a week apart but Blackout part 1 and 2 are set in the same night, so there will be one extra chapter for this month.

No-one is really fond of the dark, you can be used to it, or one with it, but never fond. There's something uncertain about it, anything could be lurking in the shadows. Most of the Avengers have acclimated to the dark, their friends are more weary of it. Bucky finds the dark disturbing, it reminds him of the old days, his Hydra days, he isn't afraid, just uncomfortable. Loki is afraid that he has too much in common with the dark, and he fears it will swallow him again as he falls into oblivion. Wanda knew nothing but darkness while she was in the hands of Strucker, and when Pietro died she felt as if she was being suffocated by darkness.

However, in each other's company, and with the eery glowing lights provided by Loki and Wanda, the blackout is bearable. In fact each of them forget that there even is a blackout, Bucky in Natasha's company, and Loki and Wanda in each other's. Natasha realises Bucky's discomfort and takes him to one of the workout rooms, which as luck would have it is one of the rooms with power.

Loki and Wanda sit together at the breakfast bar, Thor has engulfed all of the food his stomach can hold and is off somewhere with Steve, Tony and Bruce now, leaving Loki and Wanda alone.

He's not nervous to be around her, he speaks with confidence and enjoys her laugh, he finds her fear of bugs hilarious "what was that?" She says, hearing something pat against a wall.

Loki looks around for the cause of the noise, he sees something flitter in front of his eyes "it's just a moth"

Wanda's eyes widen as she spots the small brown creature, crashing against the walls and flying around the green lights "I hate moths" she grimaces, watching the moth carefully.

"It's attracted to the lights, it won't hurt you" he adds the last part when he notices her fear. Determining people's fears for his own gain has always been a hobby for him, using them against his victims is thrilling to watch, it's a difficult habit to get out of. Even so, this fear seems irrational, it's in no way her biggest fear, but it's a fear nonetheless, people don't like things that fly in their faces.

The moth flies close to her face and she ducks quickly, swatting at it with her hand, Loki laughs quietly to himself as she lets out a squirm, a noise he's never heard come from a human "it's... annoying"

Loki chuckles "it's harmless"

"No, it's a vicious bug determined to bother me!" She puts up her finger and tries to zap it with her powers, but it moves too quickly and flys back towards her, she squirms again and swats at it, waving her hands frantically, Loki laughs aloud at her behaviour, causing her to narrow her eyes at him "don't laugh" she says, hitting his arm "I don't like them"

"It's only little"

"Just..." she watches it carefully "get it away"

Loki looks inquisitive at her "so you can fight murderous bad guys, but not a small bug?"

"Are you mocking me?" Wanda speaks in a playful tone, keeping an eye on the moth through the corner of her eye.

The mischievous god smirks a little, raising one eyebrow "possibly"

The moth approaches Wanda again, without breaking eye contact with her, Loki captures the flying bug with his magic, immobilising it in the air and coating it in his signature green glow. Wanda looks at it with wonder, he could probably teach her a thing or two "you caught it" her mouth stretches into a small smile.

"I did" he pushes the moth towards the small open window, and then closes it with his magic.

Wanda is now the one who looks inquisitive, tilting her head at him slightly "what is it you fear?" She could use her red magic to show him, if she could, somehow he's blocking her.

Loki looks her dead in the eye, he has many fears, not that he would admit to them "being alone"

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Halfway through the night Bucky comes back up to the lounge area, drenched in sweat wearing workout clothes, he comes into the kitchen and grabs a tall glass, filling it to the brim with water "did Nat kick your ass?" Wanda asks with a smile.

"Nobody kicked anybody's ass" Bucky shrugs as he downs his drink "it's strange, she knows what I'm going to do before I do it"

Wanda smiles and takes her coffee in her hands, holding it for a moment "maybe she's been studying you"

"Yeah, maybe"

All while Wanda and Bucky have been talking, Loki's been studying his metal arm, the vest he's wearing make's it visible, he's come far from not even wanting to take off his jacket "how did you get that?" Wanda puts her hand on Loki's and looks at him, shaking her head, as if telling him he shouldn't have asked.

Bucky pauses, staring at his empty glass for a moment "people who wanted to turn me into a monster gave it to me" his tone is mournful.

"And did they succeed?" The thought of discovering another monster living life on the straight and narrow is intriguing to Loki, though there are many monsters on the Avengers team.

Wanda squeezes his hand, suggesting he stop while he's ahead. Bucky narrows his eyes at the god, trying to determine what his angle is "yes"

Loki takes his own coffee and takes a sip "then we have something in common"

"We all do" Natasha's voice joins the rest, she enters looking just as sweaty as Bucky. Her eyes notice Wanda's hand on Loki's, she looks worried for a moment "I'm going to bed, Wanda, you coming?" The Sokovian nods, putting her empty cup of coffee in the sink after she lets Loki's hand go and gets up to join Natasha "good night boys" Natasha offers her signature smirk, to Bucky only, before disappearing down a corridor with Wanda in tow.

Loki gets up too, before leaving he turns to Bucky "the little witch could unscramble the mess in your mind, perhaps then you would understand why Natasha feels so familiar to you" he leaves before Bucky can ask him how he knows about all of that, though he's not 100% sure that he wants to know.

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Tony has the tower fixed by morning, each of them leave with the knowledge that when you trap a group of people in the dark together, you learn more about each other than anyone would have intended. Wanda leaves with a greater understanding of the trickster god, knowing things about him that not many people are privi'ed to, Clint picks her up in the morning, he had arranged to treat her and his family to breakfast "I leave you all alone for one night..."