It's lunchtime. I go to my kitchen and look for what to make, and I remember a recipe for traditional Hawaiian chicken long rice, and remember I had bought the ingredients a few days ago, and I really need to use those ingredients soon or they'll go bad. I get the ingredients out and start cooking. Soon I have two plates of chicken long rice, which I carry to where Loki is reading a book on astronomy Thor gave me for my birthday a month ago. "Lunchtime," I inform him, holding out the plate.

He looks at it. "What is it?"

"Chicken long rice. It's really good." He looks skeptical, but he takes the plate and fork I offer him. Trying to put him at ease, I smile. "Consider yourself lucky. The first time I cooked for Thor, I made him eat squid. And I gave Tony sashimi, or raw salmon. I don't have any in the house right now, or you'd be eating that." He shudders at the thought, and seems to relax slightly. I grin and take a bite of my rice. "You should have seen Thor's face when I put that bowl of green, fishy-smelling goop in front of him. I like it, but I don't think he did."

He smirks slightly. "Why do you make such unusual foods?"

"They're traditional Hawaiian dishes, things my Kuku Wahine made when I was a little girl. I grew up cooking and eating these foods."

"Your culture sounds very strange."

"I guess it is, to an outsider. We're really a combination of different cultures in some ways." I gesture to his as-of-yet untouched plate. "Eat. You'll never get well if you don't eat anything."

We enjoy our lunch quietly, and I put up our plates and get the first aid kit. "I need to take your temperature, so I can see in there's any change." When I check the thermometer, his fever's down, and I'm starting to notice a little color coming back to his face. I smile at him. "At this rate, you might be well by tomorrow morning."

"And then you will turn me in to your superiors at SHIELD."

I look at him. "I haven't decided yet. If you're really nice, I might let you stay here. But you're moving to the couch the second your fever's gone. I want my bed back."

He looks at me, confusion in his eyes. "Why?"

"Because, you're not so bad. When you're not trying to take over the world. Behave, and I'll be nice." I stand. "I'm going to take a shower and watch some TV. Give me a shout if you need anything."

Loki POV

I watch the woman leave. She is a curious one. She is a SHIELD agent, and an Avenger, but she is so kind to me, the threat that brought her team together in the first place. I could have done without her force-feeding me her pancakes, but I can see from her behavior that she truly has my best interest at heart. Unless it's a clever ruse to gain my trust and turn me in. I am intrigued by that strange culture of hers. The food she gave me was strange, but it tased rather good. And her hair the way she has it now is my favorite color. She is a truly unusual woman. I do not know what to think of her. I will have to learn more before I leave once I'm well.