BOILING BROWN COFFEE POND
OLIVIA IS TRUDGING ALONG THE BEACH. Her anger has long since ebbed away, and now she’s just wondering who the eyepatch man was. She supposes he must’ve been someone Loki knows— after all, she’s certainly never seen him.
She wonders what kind of shitty day he must’ve had. This is far too intense a dream to be spawned by her agitation with Bruce alone.
She suddenly notices that her feet aren’t sinking into the ground anymore. She looks around at a clearing in the forest with a cliff towering above, wondering how she got here; she was walking along the coast, last she recalls.
She turns around to the treeline and starts through it, deciding to figure it out after she gets back to the beach. However, when the trees end, she finds herself back in the clearing with the pond. The waterfall crashes down into the water, clear and loud.
Olivia realizes immediately that trying to walk through the trees will yield her no results. Still, she learned in grade school that the first result isn’t always indicative of a pattern. With that in mind, she turns to enter the forest once more, figuring that if it happens again then she’ll know for sure.
When she re-enters the clearing, she nods to herself. That was the result she expected, but not the one she hoped for.
Well, at least she gets to have some time alone, she supposes.
Sitting down at the pond’s edge, Olivia looks around at the clearing. There are a few stones covered with moss, scattered around like gnome chairs. The cliff is too tall to see the top; about four stories, she thinks. There are vines creeping up the sides— too steep to climb.
Even if it weren’t, the water splashing up from the vertical river makes the rock too wet and slippery to grab onto. She would fall before she even made it high enough to hurt. Disappointing, but probably for the best; she was never good at rock climbing.
The water of the pond itself is crystal clear, and it would be easy to see the bottom if it weren’t for the falls disturbing the surface so much.
The crunching of leaves from behind her catches Olivia’s attention, and she turns to see Loki emerge from the treeline. His gaze lands on her, and confusion instantly turns his face.
“Get bored of the beach, did you?” he wonders, lingering near the clearing’s edge instead of coming close. She shrugs.
“Not on purpose,” she replies. “But uh, I can’t actually leave now that I’m here.” Loki blinks, and she gestures to the trees in invitation. After a moment’s pause, he turns with a curious furrow of his brows.
Olivia turns back to observe the waterfall while he does his thing. So much for her alone time.
Well, she doesn’t mind that much.
She glances back, seeing Loki turning to charge back into the trees and pop out in the same spot he entered. An amused smile forms on her face as she watches him turn away as if to give up, only to dash to the side into the trees.
“What, are you trying to trick the forest?” she calls when he emerges from the same place. He huffs, annoyed, and divides his glare between her and the trees by way of some quick glances.
“I’ve had quite enough of this dream,” he decides. She nods with a little huff of a laugh.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” she agrees. A deep sigh exits her mouth, and she pushes her still-wet hair out of her face. Her gaze turns to the sky, which houses no sun to tell her the time. “At least it’s pretty.”
“Oh yes,” Loki agrees sarcastically. “We are trapped in the middle of nowhere, soaking wet, with no idea when we will awaken. But it’s all good, because at least it’s pretty!” There’s silence for a moment, and Olivia raises her eyebrows once he’s properly cooled down.
“Are you done?” she prompts flatly. “Cause I did literally just agree this dream sucks.” He simmers down, but gives her a side look.
Suddenly, his face drops into a blank expression. He blinks. Then, he sighs, his face dropping slightly.
“I know,” he admits. “I’m just frustrated. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” She looks up at him, a little confused, as he approaches to sit on a mossy rock near her.
“Okay,” she states, “what’s with you?” He gives her a look.
“Well, if we’re to be stuck together like this for long, I might as well stop yelling at you,” he reasons. “What was it you said? You’re just you, and I’m just me.” She watches him with some suspicion.
“I mean, you’re right,” she agrees slowly. “That is what I said— word for word, actually. I didn’t think you would listen, though.” He raises his eyebrows in slight offense.
“I’m not an animal,” he replies, with a small scoff. “I can see reason. And, as you said, we are soulmates.” Olivia’s eyes narrow slightly at Loki. Then, she nods.
“Ah,” she recognizes. “You’re trying to trick me; get my trust, for whatever reason.” His face drops in surprise.
“What?” he wonders. “What in the nine realms would make you think that?” She shakes her head, rolling her eyes.
“I’m actually not an idiot,” she informs him. Sarcastically, she raises her hands and shakes them. “Shocking, I know.” Her hands drop and she turns her gaze to the sky. “I’m definitely not helping you get better at lying to me, though.”
“I’m not lying,” he denies quickly. “I just think that I should treat you more as my—,” he starts.
“—equal?” Olivia finishes for him. “You can recycle my words all you want. I know it’s a futile attempt to appeal to my vanity.”
Loki’s expression sours. Still, even if it isn’t helpful to him, he can’t help but be a little impressed by how sharp she is. He collects himself before she looks back at him— maybe he can still save it.
“It is not,” he denies. “Really. What must I do to prove myself?” She raises an eyebrow, an amused smile forms on her face. She turns to look at him, a challenge in her eye.
“Fine,” she agrees. “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone, then. A secret— and it has to be personal. Then I’ll trust you. Hell— I’ll tell you one of mine.” Loki blinks, a little taken aback. Well, that should be easy enough.
But as he opens his mouth to say something, he finds himself suddenly stricken. He can’t bring himself to actually tell her he’s a frost giant. Something personal?
Olivia hums; he couldn’t do it, just as she thought. For some reason, when someone asks her to tell them a secret, it suddenly makes even things she had already wanted to say seem too private to verbalize.
Olivia’s attention is caught by a noise from the water. She turns, and skitters away from the water just in time to avoid getting splashed by the suddenly boiling brown liquid. A certain smell wafts from the pond.
Coffee.
Olivia groans quietly; fuck, she hates these stupid dreams.
Loki’s nose crinkles in distaste as he looks at the pond with genuine surprise. He’s been distracted from his goals, at least for now.
“Is that… coffee?” he wonders. “Why is the water coffee?” He looks to Olivia for an answer, finding her glaring at the coffee pond with frustration.
“It’s Bruce’s fault,” she grumbles angrily. Loki looks between her and the coffee with raised eyebrows; what the hell is going on there?
“Ah, Banner,” he acknowledges, grimacing slightly at the memory of Bruce’s green alter ego. “He would be your brother, correct?” Olivia nods shortly.
“Yeah. He would,” she confirms, tone clipped all of a sudden. Loki’s mind whirls with ways he could use the obvious animosity between them to his advantage.
Maybe he could pretend to relate to her— he also has a rocky relationship with his own brother. He can understand what it’s like to be so angry at someone you grew up with for so long. He knows that feeling.
…he knows that feeling.
Loki recognizes that maybe it wouldn’t really be an act. Maybe he really can relate, and understand.
He immediately tosses that plan to the side. Genuine sympathy would make the whole thing go sideways; it would be a disaster if he tried to scam her and then somehow managed to actually start liking her.
Other opportunities will arise; he doesn’t have to push himself into a plan that may end in being emotionally compromised. The last thing he wants is to get attached to this woman.
Olivia wonders why Loki spends so much time staring at her, obviously planning something. Well, obviously, she’s not gonna let him get away with it no matter what the reason— but still, it’d be nice to know what he wanted.
She picks up a small rock and chucks it into the boiling coffee pond. It makes a satisfying ‘plunk’ and then sinks all the way down. She opens her mouth.
“Hey, Loki? What—?”
She jolts forward on her bed, heart racing from the sudden loud knocking on her door.
Bruce is standing in the doorway, holding the picture frame he borrowed at her house.
“Fuck,” she groans, slumping back onto her headboard. God, she hates her brother more with every day that passes.