Thor and Loki shared a look. "The humans have gone mad." Thor laughed. "It's quite possible." He leaned back over the couch and called into the kitchen. "Are you done in there yet? There seems to be more arguing over hats than cooking!" Steve went into the dining room, carrying a plate of eggs. "Mostly. Chef Barnes was tasked with the waffles." Bucky followed rotating the waffle iron in his hands. "Steve you know you are the only one who actually has any idea of how to use this." Steve went back into the kitchen and came back with the sausages. "But you are the master chef here. Surely you can figure that out." "Ah. Yes. Does the hat not help with making waffles?" Loki called from the living room. Thor walked into the dining room and began to help bring put out the plates. Loki followed after his brother, but stood in the corner watching them set the table. "I have heard great things about that hat, it'd better not disappoint." Thor laughed and gave Bucky a look. "You have said a lot about that hat." He nodded toward Bucky's chef hat. Bucky went back into the kitchen. "I guess I better make some really good waffles." Ten minutes later the waffles were ready. "Ta-da." The waffles were slightly burnt along the edges, and seemed to be under baked in the middle. Steve started laughing and Bucky hit him with a waffle. "Are those supposed to make a noise when they hit the floor?" Loki was regarding a waffle that had fallen off the plate onto the floor. "I don't think I am going to eat that. Perhaps you would do better without the hat." He gave the waffles still on the plate a dubious look. Bucky put the plate on the table. "Why don't you try and do better?" He challenged Loki and leaned back in his chair. Steve looked over at them. "Well, we already have breakfast. Maybe Loki can make the pies." "If you can call this breakfast." Loki muttered. He sat in the chair across from Bucky and they glared at each other. "I will make the pies," he told Steve. Thor looked up from his seat at the other end of the table. "Brother, you don't even know what a pie is!" Loki glanced over at him. "I will manage." Thor gave his brother a uncertain look and shook his head. He leaned across the table to Steve. "You may not want to eat those pies." Loki glared a Thor, who settled back in his chair and shrugged at his brother. "Well, I'm not helping Loki with the pies." Bucky said. "For two reasons. One, he insulted my waffles. Two, I'm going to be plenty busy with the turkey." Steve nodded. "Seems fair enough. Regardless, we won't be cooking the pie or the turkey until Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Today though, we can go gift shopping." "Gift shopping?" Loki looked confused. "For each other? Really?" He shook his head. "We barely know each other. I only just recently met Bucky." Thor sighed. He pushed his chair back and stood. "You'll be fine, brother." He took his plate to the sink and started up the stairs. Bucky continued staring Loki down. "I hardly know you. Keep this up and all I'm getting you is coal." Steve heard them on his way into the kitchen. "This won't end well." he remarked to Thor. Bucky was still giving Loki a look, that if looks could kill, might. Loki was matching Bucky's glare. Thor looked back at the two of them, who appeared to be in a staring match but were glaring instead. "No. No it will not." He looked worried. "I'm going to have to keep a close eye on Loki." He looked back at the table. "Prepare yourself." Steve came back into the dining room. He snapped his fingers in front of Bucky. "Alright. Break it up." Bucky looked over at Steve. "Fine but only because you asked." Bucky pushed in his chair. However before he left he gave Loki another look. "This isn't over." "Oh, most definitely not." Loki stood and shot him one last glare before disappearing upstairs. Thor came out of the kitchen. "We'll have a crisis on our hands if this keeps up." He commented to Steve. "Yup. Maybe I can talk Bucky out of whatever this is." Steve said. "Ahem. I'm right here." Bucky was behind them. "Why are you so quiet?" Steve asked him. Bucky shrugged. "Skills I guess." "Try not to provoke my brother." Thor told him. After seeing the look on Bucky's face he quickly added, "Or let him bother you. He's trying to get you upset. Please don't let him." "I'm right here, brother." Loki appeared behind his brother. Thor spun around angrily. "I thought I told you no illusions." Loki arched his eyebrows. "Please. When have I ever listened to you? Besides, you didn't mind this morning." Thor sighed and held up a hand.
"Stop bothering Bucky. And quit with the illusions." Bucky shot one last glare at Loki. "I'm going upstairs. Loki, don't bother coming after me." Then he went to his room. Steve watched him go. "I'm going upstairs too." "What makes him think I would want to follow him?" Loki watched Steve head upstairs after Bucky. Thor sighed. "I'm also going upstairs. Do not bother Bucky." With that, he headed up the stairs and too his room. Loki stood at the base of the stairs a moment longer before finally heading to his own room, closing the door behind him. Bucky was sitting on his bed, his notebook on his lap. "Hey Steve. What are you doing?" Steve looked at the notebook still lying open. "You want to come with me to the store? I realized we don't have anything to decorate the tree with. I thought we could pick out some lights and ornaments." Bucky gave him a look. "That's not why you came in here. But, " He stood, leaving the notebook on the bed, "I'll come. I need a break from Loki." Steve nodded. "Alright, we can go wherever you're ready." Bucky followed him out of the room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Loki watched them leave, invisible in the hallway. Thor was still in his room. The front door closed, and he dropped his illusion and tried Bucky's doorknob. Finding it locked, Loki quickly picked it and the door creaked as it opened. He walked in, careful not to disturb anything. The notebook was open on the bed, and Loki walked over and picked it up. Thor opened his bedroom door, and Loki quickly disappeared, before quietly going back in his room, notebook in hand. Thor noticed Bucky's open door. When he didn't see anyone, he shrugged. "Must have gone to the store." Thor went to Loki's room and walked in. Loki hid the notebook with an illusion and turned around. "Yes, brother?" "Making sure you were not causing any problems." With that, he turned and left. When Steve and Bucky came home from the store, the house was quiet. Too quiet. Bucky frowned. "Loki is up to something. I'm going to check my room." He handed a roll of lights to Thor and set the bag of ornaments on the couch. Then he went upstairs. Steve watched him and turned to Thor. "Uh oh." Bucky immediately noticed that his bedroom door was open and that his notebook was missing from his bed. "LOKI!!" Next: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/963599214 Previous: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/963596500