The Sound of Silence

Chapter 13

   "Where are you going?" Cap asked a few weeks later when you grabbed one of the sets of car key's from Tony's wall of keys to cars he was willing to lend out to the team. You just gave Cap a look and rolled your eyes. Obviously you were going out. "I'm not trying to stop you," he added quickly, "just want to know where you're going," you sighed and put the keys in your pocket. You were under Cap's guardianship, technically the Avenger's guardianship, but that really just meant Cap's. Since the government was keeping a stupidly close eye on what you did so they could rearrest you and use your powers... well of course Cap wanted to know what you were up to when you were out of the tower.

[The store. Sammi is coming over tonight and we need food besides Thor's poptarts] you explained quickly.

He nodded. "Take Loki with you," he told you firmly. You rolled your eyes at him.

[I don't need a babysitter] you reminded him bravely. You weren't going to be held prisoner in the tower, that was only barely better than your mother hiding you away, though it was fantastically better than the prison.

"No, you don't," he agreed kindly, "but I'd feel better if you took someone with you. People know about your prophecy powers and I don't trust it to only be people we can trust. It's not difficult to snatch one of us off of the street, yes even in the middle of a perfectly safe Sunday, but it's harder to take two. Besides, Loki's getting on Tony's last nerve." You nodded, unable to argue with Cap's logic, and went to go find where Loki was annoying Tony. It wasn't hard. They were both in Tony's lab.

"My way is better," Loki was saying with a smirk, pointing at Tony's screen where he'd obviously been making corrections to whatever Tony was working on.

"You're a magician, go away and leave the science to me," Tony growled in reply.

"Science and magic are one and the same in Asgard," Loki replied pleasantly. "Besides, my way is better." He still had his superior smirk. "Do you need me to explain it to you again?" Tony just growled snarled something completely uncomplimentary in reply. You giggled and knocked on the door to the lab to get their attention.

"Please tell me you're taking reindeer games far, far away from here," Tony turned his growl on you.

You nodded in reply. [I'm going out. Cap wants me to take someone with me] you explained when Loki raised an eyebrow. [It's fine if you don't want to go. I only ask because of Cap] you added quickly. Loki was having fun annoying Tony.

"I will accompany you. It's no trouble," Loki replied with a smile and came over to kiss the top of your head. You waved to Tony, who turned back to his work the moment Loki was leaving him alone, took Loki's hand and strolled back upstairs with him. "So where are we going, darling?" he asked and leaned down for you.

Over the last few weeks you'd found that as long as you whispered and were very careful, the Asgardians could withstand your voice. "Just the grocery store. Sammi's coming over tonight," you reminded him in a very careful whisper, your lips brushing his ear as you spoke.

"And you would like to feed her something besides my idiot brother's pop tarts?" Loki surmised. You grinned and nodded. "Can we also find something for lunch while we are out?" You agreed quickly. It was rare for either of them to actually say anything, but both of the Asgardian boys were bottomless pits. If Loki was saying he was hungry, he was probably starving.

Cap was conveniently waiting near the garage where he'd be able to make sure you were taking someone with you when you left. You waved to him and he nodded in reply, obviously relieved you were following orders. Loki held his hand out for the keys. You stuck your tongue out at him and held your hands up for rock-paper-scissors. He huffed and rolled his eyes, but agreed and you played for the right to drive, which you won. You smirked at him and climbed in the driver's seat. [You can drive home] you placated him when he pouted. Even with the Asgardians, you usually signed, it was safer.