Twisted [Degenerate Series, Book 1][Blackfrost] ✔️

Chapter 8

"So I was thinking we could go to the local coffee shop just down the street?" Bruce offered when I climbed into his car.

"That sounds good," I said and smiled.

The drive was only about three minutes, and we were silent the whole way. Once we got out and found a table, I ordered a coffee and a chocolate donut while he got coffee and an english muffin.

"So how are things going with Loki? Have you gotten any information?" He asked me and I bit my lip and stared at my lap. Did everyone know Fury's mission for me? I felt embarrassed to talk, that even after days of time I handn't managed to get anything.

"No. He won't give anything up."

"What have you tried so far?"

"I've been asking him, mostly. Treating him kindly, with hospitality." I responded, taking a sip of my coffee that the server had just brought. "I'm hoping he will give me what I need to know on his own."

"Loki won't answer to that." Bruce eyed me, also sipping his coffee.

"Can we not talk about Loki anymore?" I asked, my stomach twisting as I thought of all the ways to get information out of someone.

"Sure." Bruce responded with a small smile.

We were both silent and neither of us said anything when our food was brought. I took a bite into my donut, my mind trailing away from the cafe and back to my house. I wondered what Loki was doing, and if maybe I should have made the SHIELD agents keep an eye on him until I got back.

"Nat?" I realised I had been staring into space and jerked my head back toward Bruce. "Are you alright? You seem distracted."

Was I alright? I took another bite of my donut, my mind straying again.

"Nat?" Bruce said again.

"Sorry, Bruce." I responded looking at him. "What did you say?"

Bruce sighed, "Never mind. "You know, maybe we should do this another time. You don't quite seem on top of things today. Come on, I'll get you home."

He didn't look angry as he spoke, thank god, just slightly put out.

"I'm sorry, Bruce, maybe we can go out tonight or something."

He nodded and gave me a small grin. I returned it, feeling better now that we were leaving. I, in truth, was worried about what Loki was doing so much that I hadn't been paying attention. I mentally slapped myself for being so rude.

Bruce put some money on the table, leaving behind my half eaten donut and our coffees. We hadn't spent much time here at all.

The ride back to my house was just as silent as the ride to the coffee shop. I hugged Bruce goodbye, feeling slightly awkward as his gaze followed me toward the front door of my house. He stayed behind in the car, and I felt bad. I had been thinking about another man throughout our whole date, even if my intentions were good. I should have been more responsible and had someone watch Loki before leaving my house. I made a mental note to do that next time. There would he a next date, right? When I turned around at the front stoop to wave goodbye again, he was already pulling out of my driveway and wasn't looking at me.

I sighed and nodded my hellos to the SHIELD agents, which they graciously returned. It was two new agents and I hadn't yet learned their names, but I decided now wasn't the time. I had to check on Loki to make sure he hadn't destroyed the house.

My heart slowed and I let out a breath of relief as I stepped inside. The house looked perfectly normal, other than five, rotting apple cores strewn across the counter along with an empty apple bag. Loki was such a slob. Apparently, he was neat when it came to his things, but didn't care about leaving someone else's house a mess.

I glanced to my right and saw Loki sitting on the couch, reading a book, facing away from me.

I sighed and walked over to the counter, throwing the apples in the trash before going to the living room and sitting on the chair in the corner of the room near the couch.

"You're back earlier than I expected." Loki said, shooting me a glance. "Things didn't go as planned?"

I could hear the nastiness in his voice, his false sympathy for my date with Bruce being so short. "It went well actually." I responded, "Besides, the date wasn't even that short. You managed to eat an entire bag of apples while we were gone."

He rested the book in his lap, his attention now fully on me. "That didn't take me very long."

My face got hot as I thought of a retort. Why was Loki getting so up in my buisness about this? So what if my date with Bruce had been short! Every moment of silence there was between us as I thought of a comeback, his smirk grew larger. I wanted to think of something that would really make him angry. I felt my own sudden anger stirring in my stomach. Why was I getting so angry about this? "Well," I spat out, standing up to leave, "even if it makes you jealous, Bruce and I had a very nice time together and I can't wait to go out with him again."

I saw Loki's eyes flash as I crossed the couch out of his view toward my room. "Jealous?" I heard his unbelieving reply, "of a mortal and her relationships? Of course of I'm not jealous. That's just pathetic!" But I had already slammed the door of my room closed. I heard Loki's grunt of anger and managed a small smile, but I had not yet calmed myself down.

I sank against the wall, wondering why I was so angry. Loki shouldn't be getting all up in my business. So, maybe my date with Bruce was quick but only because I was worried about Loki being left alone. He shouldn't be making fun of me for that. Then again, he didn't know.

I left my room after a while when I hadn't heard Loki retreat to his own room. I couldn't stay hidden forever. When I opened the door I saw Loki sitting at the kitchen table. Apparently after the apples this morning, he now felt he was welcome to anything in the fridge, because there were mounds of food on his plate. Muffins, brownies, a week old blueberry pie. Strawberries, cheese, and slices of pepperoni, with a carton of milk on the side. I wondered what could possibly be left.

"Is that your dinner?" I asked him as he ate.

Loki said nothing, just nodded. He was clenching his jaw, watching me out of the corner of his eyes. He was tense. Did he still think I was angry? Was he still angry? Like I cared. I walked over to the fridge to see what I could whip up for myself.

The fridge was practically empty. There was an almost empty jar of pickles and a head of lettuce. "You emptied the fridge," I said, "there's nothing left for me!"

I stared at Loki as he ate. He just shrugged, still tense and possibly angry. He didn't even care that he ate the rest of the food in the house!

"Aright," I muttered, "whatever. I'm going to go and get a drink."

Sorry for the late update. Editing took a while.