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It did. You hated every second of waiting for dinner, but finally it came and you were silent as you stood in the kitchen, almost pacing and fidgeting for Steve to walk in.
"Antsy?" Tony asks as he scrolls through his holopad, his legs crossed over the table. You glare at him.
"Feet off the table, Tony," Pepper tells him as she brings in a large plate of warm fajita meats. Tony pulls his legs down and licks his lips hungrily. "Did you get enough for Thor, too?"
"He's got his own plate on the way," Pepper tells him. Banner, scratching his ruffled hair, slips a blue pen behind his ear. His baggy eyes tell you he's been up working in the lab again. Soon behind follows Clint, clapping his hands and sighing.
"Oh this smells so wonderful, miss Potts," he says as he pulls up a chair. Natasha enters the room as well in a full yoga outfit, pulling her growing red hair into a tiny bun.
"Why thank you, Barton," Pepper says as Thor enters. He looks sweaty, wiping his face and hands with a rag.
"My apologies for my unsightly appearance, brother was helping me in the arena," Thor explains as he sits next to Tony. You're getting impatient. Loki walks in in a silky black shirt, his sleeves folded up and his black slacks and shoes making his face seem pale. Those eyes. For some reason your heart jumps as you see those beautiful emerald orbs and you look away. Thankfully he makes no eye contact with you as he pulls up his seat.
"Sit down," Tony tells you.
You want to throw the nearest object at him and almost begin to until Steve steps in, sighing and rubbing his head as he looks at a phone.
"Still can't figure out the flashy screen-" Tony begins to say with a smirk when Steve holds up an index finger to him to say 'hold on a minute'. A low voice comes on from the device in his hands.
"-sustaining the entire division," Fury's voice says.
"I understand, sir, but we're finding no leads," Steve tells him.
"Then keep looking," he says. He must have shut off because Steve sighs and slips the device into his pocket.
Banner turns in his seat to face him. "Is Fury not joining us?"
"He had something come up," Steve answers as he pulls up his seat. Now's the time.
"Steve, tell me where my family is," you say forcefully.
The room goes silent and they look at you.
"Tell me," you say again. "Where. Is. My. Family?"
"I'm sorry...but that's classified," Steve explains slowly.
"CLASSIFIED!?" you exclaim. "Since when is it classified for me to know where my loved ones are!? I WANT to KNOW!"
"I'm sorry, but-"
"You know I think she has a right to know," Tony cuts in. He looks to you. "JARVIS alerted us the second you asked about it."
Figures.
Banner looks at Tony. "I don't think it's a good idea to disobey orders..." he says cautiously.
"Oh come on, they're her family," Tony explains. He grabs his drink and begins to sip. "They've gone missing."
Your shoulders drop and so does your stomach. It feels as if your entire world just flipped upside down. "What."
"They're gone," Tony says. "Missing, vanished, poof."
"What...?" You can hardly believe this. "Missing...?" You look to Barton. The archer fidgets with his hands and looks away guiltily.
"They...weren't there when we went to your house," he explains slowly. "The place was destroyed. No evidence of where they may have gone. And...we've found no leads on their location."
No. No. This can't be...no...your knees get weaker by the second. Gone...? Destroyed...? Missing...?
In one second you want to fall to your knees, run away, and scream in anger and frustration all at once. You decide to go with the second option and bolt to your room, not slowing as Steve calls your name.
You race to your bedroom, throwing open the door and climbing into the bed, sobbing and shaking. Gone. Missing. Gone. Your heart can't comprehend it, stilled and numb, but your mind echoes with those two words. Gone. Missing. Gone.
Over the next few hours, each Avenger comes in to visit you, Clint apologizing for not being honest, Steve trying to excuse his actions because he "was following protocol and trying to keep you from the pain of knowing," Tony trying to cheer you up with the offer to watch Big Bang Theory, Natasha silently stroking your hair for a time, Banner trying to come up with words to help but eventually leaving wordlessly, and Thor lastly, holding you in a comforting embrace and offering to stay up with you and help you sleep. He, also, after you silently ignore him, retires to his room.
It's late, almost past three AM on your clock when you finally open your eyes. It feels like time has stopped. Nothing moves. Just you, alone, cold and unable to move from the numbness that fills you. You close your eyes, sniffling, hoping sleep will come and ease your stinging eyes and heart.
You hear the rustle of something at the door. You try to mumble the words "go away" but it comes out as a pitiful whimper. The sound stops, but then a weight presses on the bed and two hands pull you up into a gentle embrace. This time it's not large and warm like Thor's, but soft, soothing, and as cold as your heart feels. The body that holds you doesn't move an inch, just holding you closely, and you cling to it weakly, too emotional to care who it is or how you must look.
"Why does this have to happen to me?" you finally whisper. Your voice is hoarse from sobbing and it's scratchy to the ears.
"No one else could have done it," the voice replies. The accent and higher pitch tells you it's Loki. For some reason the sound of his voice brings comfort to you and you cling tighter to his shirt, rubbing your eyes in its fabric. Who cares if you're getting it wet, you feel terrible. Loki's answer made you feel bitter.
"Steve's family died some years ago," Loki begins, his voice soft. You want him to shutup, you don't want to hear this, but you listen soundlessly. "He was frozen in ice for seventy years, and his family, everyone, thought him to be dead. They all died with that knowledge that he was. It wasn't until recently that he was found. He is the last of his time."
You finally look up, but Loki's head is buried in your shoulder and you only see the faint curls of the tips of his ebony hair. His voice continues, and as he speaks, your sniffles slowly fall away until they stop, as do your tears.
"Tony's father died when he was young. He was raised by his father's friend. His father never showed love to him. Natasha and Clint never knew their parents. Banner's parents abused him. Thor and I...Thor's parents spoiled him. My parents...abandoned me. I was adopted by Thor's family and raised as one of their own."
"Why are you telling me this?" you ask him.
"So you know that you are not alone," he tells you, looking to you. Those bright eyes look so dark now, showing you in just his glance the pain he feels. He shares it...it isn't the same reason, but it's the same pain. That makes your heart ache in a way you have never felt it, and you cling to him tighter, another bout of sobs escaping you. You don't even fight them, choking and crying into Loki's chest as your fingers clench his sleeves. Soundlessly he cradles you, rocking you gently and slowly, not making any move or sound. Slowly, slowly, you fall away into the darkness behind your eyelids, and the world becomes dull, the comfort of his body and the numbness in your own finally sending you to a peaceful sleep, where you are not plagued by dreams but by the soothing passage of slumber alone.

Description
It did. You hated every second of waiting for dinner, but finally it came and you were silent as you stood in the kitchen, almost pacing and fidgeting for Steve to walk in.
"Antsy?" Tony asks as he scrolls through his holopad, his legs crossed over the table. You glare at him.
"Feet off the table, Tony," Pepper tells him as she brings in a large plate of warm fajita meats. Tony pulls his legs down and licks his lips hungrily. "Did you get enough for Thor, too?"
"He's got his own plate on the way," Pepper tells him. Banner, scratching his ruffled hair, slips a blue pen behind his ear. His baggy eyes tell you he's been up working in the lab again. Soon behind follows Clint, clapping his hands and sighing.
"Oh this smells so wonderful, miss Potts," he says as he pulls up a chair. Natasha enters the room as well in a full yoga outfit, pulling her growing red hair into a tiny bun.
"Why thank you, Barton," Pepper says as Thor enters. He looks sweaty, wiping his face and hands with a rag.
"My apologies for my unsightly appearance, brother was helping me in the arena," Thor explains as he sits next to Tony. You're getting impatient. Loki walks in in a silky black shirt, his sleeves folded up and his black slacks and shoes making his face seem pale. Those eyes. For some reason your heart jumps as you see those beautiful emerald orbs and you look away. Thankfully he makes no eye contact with you as he pulls up his seat.
"Sit down," Tony tells you.
You want to throw the nearest object at him and almost begin to until Steve steps in, sighing and rubbing his head as he looks at a phone.
"Still can't figure out the flashy screen-" Tony begins to say with a smirk when Steve holds up an index finger to him to say 'hold on a minute'. A low voice comes on from the device in his hands.
"-sustaining the entire division," Fury's voice says.
"I understand, sir, but we're finding no leads," Steve tells him.
"Then keep looking," he says. He must have shut off because Steve sighs and slips the device into his pocket.
Banner turns in his seat to face him. "Is Fury not joining us?"
"He had something come up," Steve answers as he pulls up his seat. Now's the time.
"Steve, tell me where my family is," you say forcefully.
The room goes silent and they look at you.
"Tell me," you say again. "Where. Is. My. Family?"
"I'm sorry...but that's classified," Steve explains slowly.
"CLASSIFIED!?" you exclaim. "Since when is it classified for me to know where my loved ones are!? I WANT to KNOW!"
"I'm sorry, but-"
"You know I think she has a right to know," Tony cuts in. He looks to you. "JARVIS alerted us the second you asked about it."
Figures.
Banner looks at Tony. "I don't think it's a good idea to disobey orders..." he says cautiously.
"Oh come on, they're her family," Tony explains. He grabs his drink and begins to sip. "They've gone missing."
Your shoulders drop and so does your stomach. It feels as if your entire world just flipped upside down. "What."
"They're gone," Tony says. "Missing, vanished, poof."
"What...?" You can hardly believe this. "Missing...?" You look to Barton. The archer fidgets with his hands and looks away guiltily.
"They...weren't there when we went to your house," he explains slowly. "The place was destroyed. No evidence of where they may have gone. And...we've found no leads on their location."
No. No. This can't be...no...your knees get weaker by the second. Gone...? Destroyed...? Missing...?
In one second you want to fall to your knees, run away, and scream in anger and frustration all at once. You decide to go with the second option and bolt to your room, not slowing as Steve calls your name.
You race to your bedroom, throwing open the door and climbing into the bed, sobbing and shaking. Gone. Missing. Gone. Your heart can't comprehend it, stilled and numb, but your mind echoes with those two words. Gone. Missing. Gone.
Over the next few hours, each Avenger comes in to visit you, Clint apologizing for not being honest, Steve trying to excuse his actions because he "was following protocol and trying to keep you from the pain of knowing," Tony trying to cheer you up with the offer to watch Big Bang Theory, Natasha silently stroking your hair for a time, Banner trying to come up with words to help but eventually leaving wordlessly, and Thor lastly, holding you in a comforting embrace and offering to stay up with you and help you sleep. He, also, after you silently ignore him, retires to his room.
It's late, almost past three AM on your clock when you finally open your eyes. It feels like time has stopped. Nothing moves. Just you, alone, cold and unable to move from the numbness that fills you. You close your eyes, sniffling, hoping sleep will come and ease your stinging eyes and heart.
You hear the rustle of something at the door. You try to mumble the words "go away" but it comes out as a pitiful whimper. The sound stops, but then a weight presses on the bed and two hands pull you up into a gentle embrace. This time it's not large and warm like Thor's, but soft, soothing, and as cold as your heart feels. The body that holds you doesn't move an inch, just holding you closely, and you cling to it weakly, too emotional to care who it is or how you must look.
"Why does this have to happen to me?" you finally whisper. Your voice is hoarse from sobbing and it's scratchy to the ears.
"No one else could have done it," the voice replies. The accent and higher pitch tells you it's Loki. For some reason the sound of his voice brings comfort to you and you cling tighter to his shirt, rubbing your eyes in its fabric. Who cares if you're getting it wet, you feel terrible. Loki's answer made you feel bitter.
"Steve's family died some years ago," Loki begins, his voice soft. You want him to shutup, you don't want to hear this, but you listen soundlessly. "He was frozen in ice for seventy years, and his family, everyone, thought him to be dead. They all died with that knowledge that he was. It wasn't until recently that he was found. He is the last of his time."
You finally look up, but Loki's head is buried in your shoulder and you only see the faint curls of the tips of his ebony hair. His voice continues, and as he speaks, your sniffles slowly fall away until they stop, as do your tears.
"Tony's father died when he was young. He was raised by his father's friend. His father never showed love to him. Natasha and Clint never knew their parents. Banner's parents abused him. Thor and I...Thor's parents spoiled him. My parents...abandoned me. I was adopted by Thor's family and raised as one of their own."
"Why are you telling me this?" you ask him.
"So you know that you are not alone," he tells you, looking to you. Those bright eyes look so dark now, showing you in just his glance the pain he feels. He shares it...it isn't the same reason, but it's the same pain. That makes your heart ache in a way you have never felt it, and you cling to him tighter, another bout of sobs escaping you. You don't even fight them, choking and crying into Loki's chest as your fingers clench his sleeves. Soundlessly he cradles you, rocking you gently and slowly, not making any move or sound. Slowly, slowly, you fall away into the darkness behind your eyelids, and the world becomes dull, the comfort of his body and the numbness in your own finally sending you to a peaceful sleep, where you are not plagued by dreams but by the soothing passage of slumber alone.