Room AU

Chapter 01 - Birthday Cake

Loki groans as the lights flicker on and off from the single light in Room. She glances over at Fenrir, who is still asleep. She rolls out of bed and stands, stretching her limbs out the best she can.

She glances over the small room and wills herself not to cry or picture the outside world. There is only Room and Fenrir. She feels her stomach growl, something more that is more common than not, and she takes the few steps to the "kitchen" area.

The small kitchen cabinet to her left holds their only dishes on a single dish rack: two big and small white plates, bowls, cups, spoons (one with a melted handle), can opener, wooden spoon, and spatula. Next is a basic stove with rags on its handle, the only thing close to potholders. There are several things that are attached to the wall, limiting their range of motion, such as: dull butter knives, forks, the pair of scissors, a serrated knife, and the pots and pans. Thanos took no chances. Next to the stove is the small refrigerator, with toys on top and the paintings on the door, next to it a tiny trash can.

Loki glances back at the bed after pulling half a granola bar from the fridge and sees Fenrir's eyes wide open. Loki gives her son a soft smile and shhh's him back to sleep. "Happy Birthday, my love. Sleep for a few more hours."

A sudden flashback hits Loki, a vision of intense pain and screaming. She tries to forget the pain of having to birth Fenrir alone, staring up through the skylight begging the gods to come and save her. She tries not to remember crying for her mother, father, and brother. She tries to forget wanting to die.

What she does remember are the first cries from Fenrir as she wraps him in the cleanest blanket she had. She remembers holding him to her breast, his lips latching for the first time. She remembers thinking that he was the best thing that could ever come out of Room. For the first time since she had been kidnapped, Loki feels love.

"Hello, Fenrir."

"Ma! I'm five!"

"That you are, my love, now it's time to rise. I'll make breakfast."

Loki looks to Fenrir and pours out two small bowls of cereal.

"Morning lamp, morning rug, morning wardrobe." Fenrir greets each of the furniture in the room with a happy smile. He stops at the long string of eggshells. "Morning Eggsnake! It is my birthday!"

Loki puts the breakfast on the table and directs the boy to it without a word. She quickly breaks a vitamin pill in half and gives it to him. Loki takes the other half herself, along with a contraceptive pill. Fenrir digs into his cereal quickly.

"Ow," she winces, holding a hand to her cheek after taking a bite.

"Is Bad Tooth Hurting, Ma?"

"Mind over matter, love," Loki responds, tapping her head.

"If we don't mind, it doesn't matter!" Fenrir giggles. The boy digs back into his cereal, shoveling into his mouth quickly.

"Guess what we are going to make later?"

"What?"

"A cake."

Fenrir's mouth drops open in astonishment, they've never baked a cake before. "Like on TV?"

"But for real." Loki cannot deny that she too is excited for the cake.

"Fenrir, teeth," Loki directs, and the little boy grins and Loki hands them their shared toothbrush which is frayed from overuse. "Spit."

Fenrir does into the little sink. Loki quickly brushes her teeth, carefully avoiding her bad tooth. She puts a new toothbrush on her list of things to ask for later on. She spits into the small sink and sticks the toothbrush in a little plastic cup.