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Chapter Text

Despite having worked alongside Tony for four years now and been trained by the black widow herself, the team still thought it best for you to stay home during missions. It was beyond annoying and you were completely over it -- your entire life Tony had been the overprotective older brother. Sure, he never actually showed affection towards you, but you had never been harassed or bullied by your parents like he had, and you knew it was because he was taking the brunt of it.

You had been adopted into the Stark family when you were eight. You never knew exactly why, but after being bounced around foster homes for your first seven years, you weren’t complaining about the new life of luxury. Tony had usually ignored you as a child - he was an angsty teenager at the time, and he was dealing with a lot of shit from your parents - but the one good thing that your parents’ deaths did was bring the two of you together.

Still didn’t change the fact that you were pissed he got to go off and save the world, and you were stuck house sitting. It was fine while you were in college, but now you were out and just bored.

Nothing fun ever happened at the tower.

You sighed, hauling yourself out of bed and down to the kitchen. If you didn’t get to go out on a mission soon, you were going to bake yourself into a stupor. You whipped out some cookie dough, deciding to just get a spoon at the last minute instead of cooking them.

Settling down in your corner of the couch, you grabbed the remote and turned on your latest binge watch. The show itself was pretty shitty, but you had put in too much time at this point and felt like you owed it to the characters to finish their stories.

A noise in the kitchen made you pause the show. It was silent for a few heartbeats, but you still felt uneasy. No one else should be in the tower…

Deciding to investigate - and kicking yourself for it since you always told yourself you wouldn’t be that person in horror movies - you unpaused the show to put the intruder back at ease and set your cookie dough aside. Pulling out one of Natasha’s many hidden knives from under the couch, you silently walked over to the kitchen. You took one last deep breath and stepped into the doorway.

“I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

The figure looked up, startled. It was… a man. No, more than a man… you were trying to place his face… Your eyes widened. “Holy shit,” you whispered.

This was the man who terrorized the city. This was the man that killed eighty people in two days. This was the man who wasn’t even a man at all. This was Loki, god of lies.

And he was trying to open a bag of popcorn.

He took a step towards you, causing you to take one back. You repositioned your hands on the knife. Loki paused, holding his hands up. “I mean you no harm.” You frowned. “I take it that you were not informed of the new arrangement?”

“I take it you are going to enlighten me?”

Loki smirked at that. “The queen of Asgard somehow convinced the Allfather to change my punishment. Instead of rotting in a prison cell for eternity, I am to be here on Earth, atoning for my crimes.”

You hesitated at his explanation.

“By all means, call the others to confirm my words.”

You nodded, pulling out your phone and dialing with your free hand. It rang once, twice- “What do you want.”

“Tony, is Loki supposed to be here right now?”

“Shit, I knew there was something I was forgetting.” There was some laughing on the other end of the line. “Yeah, Thor went to get him last night, he shouldn’t bother you much, just tell Jarvis if he does something and I’ll have him expedited off world.”

“Gee, thanks for the heads up. See you later.” You hung up, putting your phone back away and lowering the knife. “Sorry about that.”

“No apologies necessary, I would have expected nothing less, Lady…?” Loki paused, unsure of how to address you.

“Stark. (Y/N) Stark.” Loki raised an eyebrow. “Tony is my brother.”

“Ah.” The two of you fell into an uncomfortable silence. You fiddled with the knife and Loki turned the popcorn bag over. “What were you-” Loki started.

“Do you want-” You said at the same time. “Shit, you first.”

Loki gave a little bow. “No, you, Lady Stark.”

“Alright, we’re nipping that in the bud. If you’re going to be here long term, we have to be on a first name basis. I’ve been ‘Miss Stark’d too many times to put up with this in my own home.” Loki nodded. “Now that we’ve got that settled, I was going to ask if you needed help with that?” You gestured towards the bag of unpopped popcorn.

“Er… yes. I was going to bring it to you as a peace offering, but the cursed thing won’t open.”

“Well that’s because you haven’t cooked it yet, here.” You took the bag from him and tossed it into the microwave. The silence returned in the ensuing minute, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable this time. You looked at Loki. He seemed different now than he did in the security footage you saw. For one, he was in Earth clothes - a loose fitting shirt and low riding jeans - and he seemed less stressed. You could tell things still sat heavy on his conscience, but active anxieties were pushed deeper down. Not to mention, he had the most beautiful green eyes…

The microwave interrupted your observing. “Alright, now that the popcorn is cooked, the bag opens easily - reach into that cabinet and get a bowl for me, please.” Loki did as asked, and you dumped the popcorn into the bowl. “Be careful, it’s hot, but now you can eat it.” You smiled, offering Loki the bowl. He took a piece, skeptical, and slowly put it in his mouth.

Loki swallowed quickly. “That is terrible.”

You laughed, startling Loki. “That’s because it’s shitty microwave popcorn. It’s better when you get shitty movie theater popcorn.” You grabbed the bowl, heading back into the living room. “Come on,” you added when Loki didn’t move.

You sat back down and patted the cushion beside you. Loki sat down another whole cushion away, so you set the popcorn down between you. “Thanks for the snacks, by the way. It was very thoughtful of you.” Silence once again encased you, and this time you felt Loki’s eyes on you as he thought your attention was captured by the show. You let him look, it was only fair after your judgements of him just a few minutes earlier.

Eventually the season ended and you decided it was high time you go to bed. You got up off the couch, stretching your hands high above your head. “Have you been given a room yet?” You asked Loki.

“Indeed, on the thirty-first floor.”

“Oh! That’s the same floor I live on.”

“Apologies, my lady. I will speak to Thor about moving my quarters,” Loki gave you a little embarrassed bow with his head.

“Nonsense, it just means we get to walk up together. I am not going to uproot you because you think I might be uncomfortable. Come on,” you held your hand out for Loki. He took it after a moment’s hesitation and you helped him to his feet.

You lead him to the elevators and then up to your shared floor. “Well then,” you said when you got to your door. “Goodnight, Loki. See you tomorrow.” He smiled, and you slipped the rest of the way into your room.

You paused on the other side of the door. Three heartbeats passed before you heard Loki walk away and go into his own room. He was definitely different. You had not been a part of the Battle of New York, and you weren’t fool enough to trust Loki completely yet, but you would swear that he wasn’t the monster everyone was making him out to be…

Chapter Text

The next morning, the team was coming back from the mission. You hauled yourself out of bed and downstairs into the kitchen, getting started on their ‘welcome back and congrats on not dying’ treat. You had started the tradition half as a joke when you moved into the tower, but it just kinda stuck. Today was Steve’s choice, so you were going with some classic brownies.

Pretty soon, you felt a presence in the doorway. “I don’t know how it is on Asgard, but here it is considered rude to lurk in doorways.” Loki chuckled, stepping the rest of the way into the kitchen. “If you give me two minutes to get these into the oven, I’ll let you lick the bowl.”

“I am not sure I trust your cooking after that horrid popcorn you had me eat last night,” Loki teased. You just laughed.

“That is designed to be shitty. These are homemade double chocolate brownies. If you don’t like these, there is simply no hope.” Loki rolled his eyes, but watched as you poured the batter into a pan and put it into the oven. As soon as you had the timer set, you grabbed two spoons and sat down at the kitchen table. “Well come on, you can't try it from all the way over there.”

Loki sat down and you scooped him a generous amount of leftover batter. He took the spoon from you skeptically and slowly placed it in his mouth, mirroring his actions from the night before. This time, however, instead of spitting it out, his eyes lit up in surprise. He quickly masked his excitement when he saw your shit eating grin and replaced his court mask.

“I suppose this is not as terrible as I would have believed.”

You snorted. “Here,” you grabbed the spatula and gave it to him. “Just use this, it is easier than a spoon.”

“You don’t want any?”

You took your own generous scoop with your spoon. “Nah, this has me set for now. Thank you, though.” Loki nodded, turning back to the bowl. You smiled, going back into the main part of the kitchen to clean up your mess.

Brownies were fresh out of the oven when Jarvis announced the arrival of the team. Moments later, their muted arguing emerged from the elevator. As soon as the doors opened, they all practically fell out. Steve immediately perked up at the smell of the brownies.

They all turned to the kitchen in search of your confectionary treats, but stalled when they saw Loki at the kitchen table. Except for Thor, he just plowed ahead and grabbed two brownies.

“Are you all just going to stand there like zombies?” You finally broke the silence. “Seriously, someone would think that this was the life threatening battle, not whatever you just came back from.”

“It’s just- You know who- I dont trust-” The whole team overlapped.

“We weren’t expecting him to be here,” Tony finally said. “After everything he’s done, we didn’t think he would leave his room.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you did have to agree in order to have Loki here?” You countered.

“Well, technically Steve had the final say… but yes…”

“Then, why on earth would you be surprised Loki was in the tower? This is his home now, and it would be cruel to expect him to stay in his room twenty four seven.” The team shuffled around, at least having the decency to look ashamed. All except for Tony, who was the most stubborn person you knew and was still adamant that Loki shouldn’t be in the kitchen. “No brownies for you until you apologize for being a dick. Everyone else can help themselves.”

You turned back into the kitchen to apologize to Loki on behalf of the team, but he had disappeared. You frowned, disappointed in the team. They had already gone back to their post mission rituals, grabbing treats and heading their separate ways to decompress. You grabbed two corner pieces and a mug of tea before going upstairs.

Reaching the floor you and Loki lived on, you gently knocked on his door. There was no response. “Hey, it’s me… I just wanted to apologize for their behavior. I know I have a different experience than them since I wasn’t here for the battle of New York, but they can be absolute asses. Despite being Earth’s protectors, they are terrible at hiding emotions. Just… grant them a little grace? And I’ll ask them to do the same for you. There’s more to you than what we saw last time you visited, I can tell. Don’t… don’t let them force you to hide what lies behind your walls.” You paused for a moment, waiting to see if he was going to respond this time. You saw a shadow move from under the door, but he still didn’t make a sound. “I grabbed you some brownies and tea -- I don’t know if you like this kind, but I did take the corner pieces and those are the best. I’ll see you later.”

You placed the brownies and mug down in front of Loki’s door before heading into your own room. A few seconds later and you heard Loki’s door quietly open and close. You smiled, turning to your room fully. You took a quick shower and made yourself presentable for the outside world.

Natasha and Pepper were waiting for you downstairs - the three of you always promised to have a girls day whenever the team got back, and today was no different.

“The brownies were incredible, as always,” Pepper told you. “I managed to snag one of the last ones - baked goods don’t tend to last long in the tower, do they?” You and Nat laughed.

“No, I suppose they don’t,” Natasha agreed. “But goddamn it if we don’t deserve an abnormal amount of brownies everytime we save the world.” The three of you chuckled again before heading downstairs and piling into the car.

The whole ride to the mall was just joking around and a little catching up. Pepper didn’t get to hang around the tower as much since she was busy running Stark Industries, so any time you got to hang out with her was well appreciated.

“It is just so hard to find people to work the front desk,” Pepper said. “Something about the constant threat of the building being attacked, and not many people have the required self defense training that the position needs.”

“You know…” You interrupted, “I’m just sitting around the tower all day. Nat trained me so you know I can defend myself enough to at least run away if attacked. I may not have a lot of experience with working at a desk, but I am fluent in seven languages.”

Pepper paused, clearly thinking about the offer. “Tony doesn’t want family in positions of possible danger. It was only because I was his assistant before we got together that I got the job so easily-”

“Is Tony CEO of Stark Industries?”

“No.”

“Then I think the choice is up to you,” you said. “No pressure in actuality, I know there are way more factors to consider when hiring someone, but just know I have a lot of free time and I’m not scared of a fight. And you don’t have to add me to the payroll since I’m technically an Avenger and already have income from that.”

“You’re hired.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Pepper chuckled, “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier! You’re perfect for the position, so thank you for offering.”

“You’re the best, Pep. Thank you for giving me an excuse to not sit on my ass all day,” you laughed.

“I swear if you’re sitting on the ass I worked so hard to get into shape and letting it go to waste, I’m going to kick said ass to Hell and back,” Natasha shot at you. The three of you laughed.

When you did get to the mall, you immediately made a beeline for Starbucks. No girls day would be complete without overpriced coffee. The three of you spent the day shopping and making fun of high end designer clothes that just ended up being ugly as fuck. You grabbed some dinner before meandering back to the tower. Even when you got back, the three of you just tucked into facemasks and your leftover cookie dough from the night before. When you eventually did go back to your room early in the morning, you found a small mug of tea sitting in front of the door.

The tea and brownies were very nice, thank you. This is my favorite tea from Asgard as a thank you for your kindness
~ Loki

You picked up the mug and the note, walking into your room and placing the note on your desk. Taking a sip of the tea, you were filled with the sensation of warmth and love. The flavor flooded throughout your whole body, and you couldn’t help but sigh at the feeling. Anyone who could make tea like this - they couldn’t be all bad, right?

Chapter Text

Pulling on your jacket, you took a moment to look at yourself in the mirror. This was the first day of your new job, and for once all of those suits that were just collecting dust in the back of your closet were coming in handy. You had to admit it to yourself, you looked pretty damn snazzy.

You gave yourself one more once over before opening your door. And you were shocked to see Loki standing outside of it, hand raised to knock. His eyes widened at seeing you, and you’re sure your own face mirrored his surprise.

“Um… Good morning, my lady. I was just…” Loki sputtered. You could tell that you had caught him at some crossroads and that he wasn’t actually planning on talking to you yet this morning. “I was just wondering if you would make some more of those brownies? They were quite good… for Midgardian food, that is.”

You chuckled. “Brownies aren’t usually a breakfast food, but I could make some muffins. They’re just cake that is socially acceptable to eat in the morning.” Loki nodded, his curiosity peaked.

You lead the way down to the kitchen, checking to see that there was no one else there. It was early enough that everyone else was still asleep. “Alright, I have a little bit of time before I have to get to work - should be just enough to whip out some muffins.” Loki cocked his head. You grabbed some bowls and ingredients, explaining as you did. “Today’s my first day. I’ve spent so long just sitting on my ass around the tower, Pepper - she’s with Tony, but she’s not a dick one hundred percent of the time - offered to let me sit on my ass at Stark Industries working the front desk. It seemed like a better use of my time than watching the Star Wars movies again.”

By this time you had thrown together a quick batter and put the muffins into the oven. Loki sat at the table and eagerly took the bowl you gave him to lick. You cleaned up while they baked and Loki enjoyed his treat, taking the bowl back from him when he was done and putting it into the dishwasher. “So what about you, my lord” you teased Loki, “What are you going to do today?”

“Given that every occupant of this tower hates me, I will be staying in my room and reading.”

“That’s not true.” Loki just scoffed. “I don’t hate you.” The timer went off and you pulled the muffins out of the oven. “These are still hot but I have to go. Give it a couple minutes and then you’ll be good to take them and escape before the smell lures down everyone else. See you later, try not to stay cooped up in your room all day.” You grabbed a cup of coffee and then you were out the door.

The walk from the tower to Stark Industries was short, but you did appreciate the brief moment it gave you to decompress. Sure, you had done some intern work before, but never a front desk position. You were surprised to find yourself a little nervous.

“Hey! Welcome,” Pepper said as you walked through the doors. “Follow me and I’ll get you set up.” She led you to a huge desk at the end of the hall and explained how to use the computer system. “I think that is all you need to know, don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions, and watch out for Tony - he should be dropping by later and I haven’t exactly told him that you are working here.”

“What the actual fuck is going on here?” A voice boomed from the other end of the hall.

“Speak of the devil,” Pepper grimaced. “Hello there, Tony. May I inquire as to why you are disrupting the work day at my company?”

“First of all, I am the company. Second of all, I told you I didn’t want the people I care about in the line of fire!”

“Okay, your name may have created this company, but I built it to what it is today. My name is what holds it up now.” Pepper had taken on that scary low tone that she only took on when she was really pissed. “I know you don’t like it when things are out of your control, but guess what: you can’t put a suit of armor around the world, or around your world. She can take care of herself, I can take care of myself. Attacks on the company happen, but that is why we are both qualified to be here.”

“If I may,” you hesitated for a moment. “I love you, Tony, and I appreciate everything you have done for me and will do for me. But I’m an adult. And just like Pepper, I can take care of myself. And I promise I will run the other way if I am out of my depth. Now go and do important Avenger business, I am going to sit behind this desk and point people to the bathroom when they can’t find the bigass sign right above me.”

Tony still looked upset, but Pepper had really put him in his place. That scary tone she used would strike fear into anyone’s heart. You were just the cherry on top, and for once your brother didn’t actually have a witty comeback. He just opened his mouth a couple times, trying to come up with something before storming away.

“Nice takedown,” you told Pepper. She fistbumped you in return. “Okay, go and run a multi billion dollar company. I am excited to reorganize my desktop.” Pepper laughed, walking off to be a real life superwoman. You took your place at your new desk, immediately playing around with the spinny chair.

The day overall was really mundane. You did actually end up pointing several people to the bathroom despite the bigass sign right above your head, as well as explain to people that if they didn’t make an appointment, there was nothing you could do, and no, this wasn’t a retail store and they had to take their returns somewhere else.

You did enjoy it though. People approaching the front desk were so preoccupied with themselves, there was no Stark name pressure and you weren’t pressing your ass print on your cushion of the couch at the tower, so it was overall a good day.

When it came around to five o'clock, you packed up your belongings and started your walk home. Pepper offered to give you a ride, but you wanted to walk. The city was different in the afternoon than in the morning. In the morning, the air was filled with the hustle and bustle of people coming off the graveyard shift or running late to opening. In the afternoon, the families came out. People walked their dogs or played in the park with their kids. Tourists were looking around Times Square and taking pictures with every Elmo they saw. It was a fun place to be.

It still didn’t make you upset when you got hit with the nice air conditioning of the tower. You headed right up to your room, immediately changing out of your suit and into your comfies. Now dressed in a baggy shirt and some shorts, you opened your door and were met with Loki, his hand raised to knock once again. You laughed. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this!”

Loki chuckled with you, stepping aside so you could exit your room. The two of you stood in the hall, but there was strangely no awkwardness. “How was work?”

“Boring and perfect. People can be dicks, but that’s to be expected when you’re working the front desk. How were the muffins?”

“Definitely on the brownie side of the scale, not the popcorn,” Loki teased.

You laughed. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“Hm… doubtful.”

“Hey! The popcorn wasn’t even my idea! You initiated that, you… you mischievous scamp!”

“Mischievous scamp?” Loki looked scandalized. “Never in my centuries of life have I been called a mischievous scamp. I am a god, not a scamp.”

“Really? You seem like a scamp to me. Nothing you have done so far has really screamed ‘high and mighty god’ to me.” Now you were just teasing, but you saw Loki get a glint in his eye. Not dangerous, but he was up to something. Half of you was nervous - this man did have some homicidal tendencies - but the other half, the half that won out, trusted him for some crazy reason, and you were dying to see what he was up to.

“I will be here at 8 o’clock sharp. Dress nicely, and get ready to meet Loki, god of mischief, chaos, and lies.”

Chapter Text

You spent the next couple of hours getting ready. You couldn’t help but chuckle - it was almost like you were getting ready for a date. Loki hadn’t specified exactly how nice you needed to dress, so you ended up wearing a baby blue cocktail dress and pairing it with some small pieces of jewelry. You think you looked pretty, it was the first date-like thing you had gone on in a while. You were a little rusty.

A knock sounded on your door right at eight o’clock. When you opened it, Loki was standing outside, dressed in an all black suit. He had a small bouquet of roses, which you took happily. “Thank you, Loki. They’re wonderful,” you said with a smile.

“Of course, my lady,” Loki replied. You set the roses on a table inside the door, and Loki promised to get you a vase later. “Shall we?” He held out his arm, and you took it.

“I will say, this is very nice and all, but I’m not sure if this says ‘high and mighty god,” you teased. “More like a gentleman who isn’t just thinking with his dick. Still a welcome change, don’t get me wrong.”

Loki laughed. “We’re getting there, darling, just be patient.” You huffed, but resigned yourself to whatever wonders Loki had planned.

He led you to the elevator and clicked the button for the roof. You raised an eyebrow at him - he was really pushing the limits of his house arrest. Loki just shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. When the elevator doors opened, they revealed the roof. It had been transformed as if it was the fanciest restaurant in New York. Plants and candles surrounded a single table, which had been dressed with an incredible golden cloth and place settings.

“Loki, how did you do all of this?” You were in awe.

“I believe you will find the lobby lacking in decor this evening. And one terrified intern was able to guide me towards the storage for your brother’s formal events,” Loki explained. You could hear the pride in his voice from your reaction.

“Aw,” you turned to face the god, “you talked to an intern for me? How sweet!”

“Well, I talked to an intern in order to defend my position as ‘high and mighty god,’ to use your words.”

“You definitely have ‘high’ covered,” you said as you peered over the edge of the tower. You had never been all the way up before, at least not like this. “I may still need some convincing for ‘mighty god.’”

“Let me convince you then, Lady Stark,” Loki replied with a wink.

“Hey, I’ve been letting your ‘my lady’s slip for now, but what did I say about Lady Stark?”

“For tonight, Lady Stark, you are not in charge.” Loki offered you his arm again and you took it, letting him lead you to the table. “You challenged me, and I am not one to back down from a challenge. Let me do this for you tonight, and I will stop with the formalities.”

“Very well, My Lord,” you teased. “I will allow it.”

Loki bowed his head before pulling your chair out for you. “The only true way to prove to you my status as god is to treat you as a goddess,” he said as you sat down. “I have enlisted the aid of the interns that I was tripping over pulling this all together.” By the time he finished, Loki had sat down and interns were coming out of the elevator with plates in their hands.

“No magic? Doesn’t seem very god-like to me…”

“Darling, are you always this obstinate?”

“Signature Stark quality, what can I say.” You stuck your tongue out at Loki to prove your point. He just rolled his eyes.

The interns finished laying out all the plates, and lord there a lot of them. “Unfortunately, due to our location and your odd Midgardian cooking implements, I could not match them perfectly, but I have prepared a dinner of my personal favorite Asgardian dishes. Please, ladies first.” Loki sat back in his chair, a smug smirk already plastered on his face.

You scoffed, but did take a little bit of everything. “You know, the others aren’t going to take lightly to the fact that you’re terrifying interns into - holy shit.” Loki’s shit eating grin grew tenfold. “Holy shit! This is incredible, how the hell did you get all this done before you picked me back up? You only had, like, two and a half hours to set up the roof and cook.”

“High and mighty god, Lady Stark.”

“Fine, you have now covered both ‘high’ and ’mighty.’ But still just a guy who is willing to go the extra mile, not quite god level.”

“Obstinate Lady,” Loki shot.

“Mischievous scamp,” you shot right back. Loki laughed, and you reveled in the sound - it was quickly becoming one of your favorites. While you ate, you talked about yours and Loki’s days. Loki had stayed holed up in his room until your return, but that was to be expected. You would get him to branch out before his sentence on Midgard was finished, you were sure of it. You told Loki about Tony’s outburst at the beginning of the day, and Loki agreed that it was inappropriate for him to have reacted that way.

The food was absolutely incredible. You thought the tea Loki had left for you last night was the best it could get, but clearly you were wrong. Not that you would tell Loki - you were determined to keep the right to call him a mischievous scamp - but the food was undoubtedly godly.

“So,” Loki said when you were done, “have I earned my title?”

“No,” you lied, “it seems like I have won this round.” You smiled wide, milking your victory.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Loki’s shit eating grin from earlier was back. He pointed one finger straight up at the sky. Your gaze followed it, and all of a sudden you were standing.

“Holy shit.” Your voice was barely audible, and your eyes were wide open. Years of pollution had been cleared away, revealing thousands upon thousands of stars in every direction. “How? How on earth did you do this?” Loki walked up behind you, guiding you to a little viewing area he had set up on the other side of the roof.

“High and mighty god, my lady,” he whispered in your ear.

“Loki, this is incredible.” Your eyes were still glued to the sky. “I’ve never seen this many stars in my entire life - you win, no questions asked.” You could vaguely see Loki smiling out of the corner of your eye, but you were too busy trying to count the stars to tell.

You spent the rest of the night out there, counting and losing your place and counting again. You didn’t remember falling asleep, but when your alarm woke you up for work the next morning, you were back in your bed. You laid in the pillows for a minute, trying to remember if last night was a dream or reality. Looking over at your nightstand, you saw the roses in a small vase. Ah, so not a dream - your heart fluttered at the realization - I hope I can go stargazing again...

Chapter Text

“Hey, we’re headed out again,” Natasha told you as she walked into your bedroom. Knocking wasn’t always her forte, but she had some kind of sixth sense where she could tell if it was okay or not to barge in, so you just rolled with it. “Some kind of superpowered disturbance in Europe. Don’t know how long we will be gone, but I’ll make sure to call you when we have more information.”

“Alright,” you said. “Oh- can I take Loki out of the tower yet? It's been, like, a month since he got here. And he hasn’t tried to kill anyone.”

Natasha leaned against the doorway. “Maybe not, but the interns have been rather skittish around him and keep whispering about something on the roof?” She raised an eyebrow and you gave her an innocent smile.

“You know how interns are, always whispering to each other about something.” Natasha was not having any of it. “If I remember correctly, it is your turn to choose the post mission treat... Perhaps something lemony?” You saw her eyes light up slightly, but she still held out.

“Loki stays here and you’re babysitting him. If you feel you need to take time off from work, you’re welcome to - Pepper already knows of the situation, so just text her if you take a day.”

“Okay, I’ll see everyone out.” Nat nodded and you got up to follow her to the roof. The rest of the team was already there, just waiting to say goodbye. You hugged each of them, ending with Tony. “Try not to die, please. It would be terribly inconvenient for me.”

“Right back at ya,” he said. “It would kinda suck if I got back from a soiree in Europe just to find you dead. It would mean a lot of paperwork.” You scoffed and punched Tony lightly in the arm.

“Really though, don’t die. I love you,” you gave Tony a hug. He grunted. “You have to say it back.” You started poking him when he didn’t meet your demands.

“Alright! I love you, too,” Tony said, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “See you when we get back.”

The team all boarded the quinjet and you stood back by the door, out of the way of the plane. Only Natasha and Clint sitting in the front could see you, but you waved goodbye at them until they were just a pinprick far away in the sky.

You went back inside once you were done, heading down to the living room and immediately making yourself a blanket burrito. “Lokiiii!!”

He was immediately standing in front of you, armor on and weapons drawn. “What? Where is the threat?”

“No threat,” you giggled. “The team is gone and they will be for a few days. They woke me up early as fuck and now I have some time to kill before I have to head out to work. I figured it would be fun to watch a show together or something.”

Loki rolled his eyes and his armor shifted into a sleep shirt and flannel pajama pants. “Darling, please do not scream like that unless there is an emergency. I was worried something happened to you.” He flopped down onto the cushion next to you.

“Awww,” you cooed. “You were worried about me? You’re sweet.” You snuggled up next to him and you could almost swear you felt his heartbeat increase a little… Whatever it was went back to normal as quick as it happened, and eventually his arm found its way to rest around your shoulders.

The two of you watched reruns for the next few hours, taking a brief break in the middle to make french toast.

“What is your obsession with sweets and sugary breakfast foods?” you teased. “Not that I’m complaining, I like making them - no one else has been so eager to eat my cooking before.”

Loki took a large bite of his breakfast. “It’s unlike the treats we have on Asgard,” he said, “nuts and berries are our fun snacks at the end of a meal or for a small celebration. No brownies or muffins or french toast.”

“Hold up- you don’t have candy back home? That’s crazy!” Loki chuckled at the large laugh you gave. “We are going to have an official candy tasting when I get home tonight, and I am not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Whatever you say, darling,” Loki laughed.

When you were done and the kitchen was clean, you returned to the reruns until you had to get ready for work. Life at the front desk wasn’t the most eventful, but it did give you lots of time to plan what candies you were going to have Loki try first. You stopped by the gift shop on the way out, grabbing m&ms, reese's peanut butter cups, twizzlers, and a couple other essentials - you decided to ease Loki in before hitting him with the sticky caramels and 70% cacao dark chocolate.

You double checked that you were logged out of the computer and all the drawers were locked before turning to head back to the tower, armed with your bag of goodies.

And that was the moment the walls caved in.

Chapter Text

Ringing.

And Screams.

Ringing and screams were all you heard as you came too. Debris was all over the place. The ground floor of Stark Industries was completely destroyed. In your chaotic state, you wondered how the rest of the skyscraper was still being held up.

You painfully dragged yourself to your hands and knees, trying to focus your mind. Breathing hurt. You imagined that you had some broken bones or internal bleeding from being thrown from the blast… the blast. You looked up, trying to find what the source was. You didn’t have to look far, quickly spotting someone glowing white-hot from their chest, literal fire coming out of their hands.

Yeah, they looked like someone who would blow a hole in Stark Industries.

The ringing was persistent, causing the world to move in a slow haze. All you could do was clutch onto your bag of candy. You heard them bellow something about Pepper and your world snapped back into real time.

Crashes and fires were all around you, but you had to get to Pepper and get her somewhere safe.

You stumbled to your feet, running over to the wall in order to brace yourself. A glance told you that whoever the intruder was had been looking at something else and not seen you. Good. You ducked into the stairwell to catch your breath and come up with a gameplan. Pepper’s office was halfway up the building right in the middle of the hall.

Freaking ‘centralized for everyone!’ office making you climb more stairs than you had since highschool.

The building kept shaking as you made your way upstairs. You were seriously concerned about the structural integrity. Not to mention that pieces of wall and ceiling were falling down around you and it was slowly heating up below you.

When you finally reached the floor you needed to be on, you immediately spotted Pepper guiding people to the fire escape and getting them out.

“Pep! Pepper!” you yelled.

She turned to you, her hand on the back of a young intern. Her eyes met yours before shifting to look behind you and widening. You heard a ripping noise and the space behind you was filled with immeasurable heat. A controlled burst of it threw you into the wall.

“Shit that hurt,” you groaned. Your attacker whipped around, literal fire in their eyes. “What the hell do you want with Pepper anyway?” As of right now, you had no time. So there was only one thing left for you to do - get them monologuing. They launched straight into a tirade about how ‘Tony Stark ruined their life so they were targeting his loved ones’ and so one and so forth. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. Completely unoriginal.

While they were talking on and on and on, Pepper was able to get the last of the interns safely out through the fire escape. You gave her a nod and watched her also duck out.

“Alright dude. My brother is the world’s biggest dick. I literally set up a website just for people to file complaints and there’s a whole division devoted to cleaning up his messes from before. And honestly,” you continued as you got up, “Have you turned on the news recently? Read a newspaper? Tony Stark almost died trying to save yours and every other life here on Earth. And he continues to try to atone for his and our parent’s mistakes every day that there is breath in his lungs. Yeah, his a dick - oh my god, he is one of the most stubborn and stuck up people I know - but fuck you because Tony would never sink to this level. And if you think hurting Pepper is going to make him wallow in self pity and destroy him, you’re wrong. All it would do is make him destroy you.”

Okay, surely that was enough time for everyone to get out and to safety. Honestly, it sure as hell had to be because the fire villain was mad as fuck - probably because you were right, you were always right - and your life was in immediate danger.

They picked you up, burning your ankle, and threw you against the other wall Hulk-style. Before you even had a chance to catch your breath, they did it again. You could feel your ribs breaking and you cursed under your breath. A weapon… you had to get a weapon.

You grabbed a clipboard from on the floor in front of you, using all your strength to rip the metal part off of the top and turning just in time to huck it at your attacker. It lodged itself in their forehead, which only made them angrier. Think, think, think.

Fire… this was just like Avatar, fire was weak to water, so where in the hell could you get some- You spotted the fire alarm behind a rapidly approaching, pissed off, fire enhanced individual who was on their way to kill you.

“Alright, I think it’s about time to wrap this up.” You heard sirens, faint but rapidly getting closer. You threw the rest of the clipboard, slipping around them as they demolished it in their rage. When they turned around to find you, your hand was already on the switch. “This wasn’t fun. Let’s not do it again.” You pulled the switch.

They screamed when the water hit them - you understood, it was making your burns sting like a bitch - but they seemed okay overall. You didn’t feel bad. The white-hot glow faded. They fell to their knees. Water soaked everything.

The building shuddered. “Oh shit,” you cursed. Rushing forward, you grabbed the now defeated attacker. “Fuck you. Fuck you for attacking my place of work after a perfectly pleasant day, fuck you for burning me to hell and back, and fuck you for making me save your sorry ass after you turned my day to shit!”

You hefted them over your shoulder, rushing through Pepper’s office and onto the fire escape. You could hear shouting from the front of the building as people were dodging bricks and debris while you escaped down the back. Just as you reached the ground, the front half of the building collapsed. “Look at what you did,” you hissed. They just groaned. You huffed, readjusting them and walking around to the demolished front of the building.

The crowd hushed as you rounded the corner. You silently approached the police and dropped your quarry at their feet. “This is for you. I’ll give you a call when I’m ready to make a statement. I’m going home.”

You walked, bloodied and burned, back to the tower. You were sure Pepper had already been taken to give her statement and that she was safe. The adrenaline rush was wearing off, but some part of you believed all you needed was a lukewarm shower and a week of sleep and you would be fine. The other part knew you needed to go to a hospital, but you really just wanted to go home.

When you got back, you went straight up to the living area. Loki was standing right outside the elevator, charred cookies in his hand. “Welcome home! I found a recipe with your handwriting on it and tried to follow it, but I don’t think I-” Loki faltered, taking in your appearance. He darkened. “What happened?”

“Pissed off fire user. But…” you dug through your pockets. “I brought some candy for you to try.” You gave him a halfhearted smile, fading fast. “You- you might want to put them in the freezer, they got a little melted when I put them in my pockets and then battered around like a sack of potatoes.” You pushed the candy into his hands, making your way to the couches in the living room. “I’m just gonna take a little nap and then we’ll get started on the… on the taste test.”

You sunk into the cushions, laying down and not even bothering to adjust the pillows under your head. “Darling, don’t- Wake up!” Don’t wake up… that sounded good. “(Y/N)!”

Chapter Text

It was freezing when you woke up again. Your blanket was way too thin and it felt like your ass was straight on the bed. Not to mention people kept talking.

“Can we all please just shut up,” you groaned, turning away from the sound. Shit that hurt.

“Darling!” You could hear the relief in Loki’s voice. You held up a single finger.

“Shhh,” you whined, “sleeping now, talking later.” You pulled the blanket up over your head, hissing as it dragged over your back. “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw.”

“That sounds… horrendously uncomfortable.” Loki helped to roll you back over and sit you up a bit. “I would ask how you are feeling, but I assume that it is not very good?”

You groaned. “Yeah, that’s gonna be a no. What even happened? I remember needing to get to Pepper and shoving chocolate in my pocket… But nothing other than that.”

Loki sighed, sitting down next to you and gently holding your hand. A nurse swirled in and out, checking on vitals and saying something about a Doctor Cho being nearly there. Once the nurse was gone again, Loki told you about the fight and the details of what landed you in the hospital. “You have second and third degree burns on your back and ankle,” he explained. “There is a doctor coming in and I’ve heard whispers of a device that she is working on. Until she arrives, however, I am afraid you are going to have to rely on Midgardian medicine.”

You laughed. “Loki, I - along with the rest of the human race - have been relying on Midgardian medicine my whole life. It hasn’t failed me yet.” Loki just scowled, clearly unimpressed. You laughed again.

Eventually they took you to get your burns cleaned and debrided. It was painful as all hell, but that wasn’t nearly as bad as what was waiting for you when you got back to your room.

“Alright, who snitched on me to my brother?”

Tony had hijacked the tv in your room and projected his very pissed off face onto it. “What the fuck?? I have a distinct memory of you telling me you would run the other way if you were out of your depth. Actually, those are your exact words, I checked the fucking security tapes. Now, I know you’re adopted, but I would have hoped that you would have at least an inkling of ‘Stark Brains’ or some common fucking sense!”

“Hey!” You snapped. “Too far, that was uncalled for! Whoever that was, they were there for Pepper. I had to make sure she got out, and if I escaped with only some burns, I say that’s not a bad outcome.”

“Well, it’s still not a good one either,” Tony grumbled. He had calmed down a little now that he had seen that you were actually okay. You groaned and went to shift in the bed, and Loki left the corner he was standing in to help you. “Okay, what is he doing here? It’s bad enough you are heavily injured, I don’t want him near you.”

“Anthony-”

“Don’t you ‘Anthony’ me.”

“Anthony,” you said. “He is on house arrest, and he is in the house! It’s literally just another level of the tower, and he is the only other one here, so you are simply going to have to deal.”

Before anyone could say anything else, a doctor you hadn’t seen before walked in. “Good afternoon Doctor Stark, my name is Doctor Helen Cho.” You gave her a smile as she continued. “Mister Stark gave me a call informing me of your injuries yesterday, and I believe I have something that can aid in your recovery.” She motioned to someone standing by the door, and they wheeled in some kind of contraption.

“I have been developing something that can create simulacrum tissue based off of the organic tissue next to it, essentially reversing the wound itself - I call it the Cradle. I have progressed the project far enough, and it is time to begin human trials. Your burns are ideal for a first test,” Doctor Cho finished explaining.

“Wait, hold up,” Tony interjected. “When I called you I didn’t realize she would be the first of your human trials. Deal’s off, thanks for the offer.”

“Okay, now you wait,” you scowled at Tony. “This thing, how long for results?”

“Immediately, Doctor Stark.”

You looked at Loki. His face held a perfect courtroom mask, but you could see the curiosity in his eyes. “Please give me a minute to think about it. You’ll have your answer soon.”

Doctor Cho nodded. “Of course, let me know whatever you decide.” She and her assistant ducked out, leaving just you, Loki, and Tony.

“There’s no way you’re doing this, just wait till we get back-” The screen went black. You sighed and put down the remote, turning to Loki.

“Thoughts?”

“Well,” Loki began. “She wasn’t lying, I would have been able to tell. As with all experimental medicine, there is a risk. As much as I dislike its primitive and inefficient methods, your doctors do have ways to treat this.”

“Could you bring it over here?” Loki nodded, wheeling the machine over to you. Scooting to the edge of the bed, you pulled up the control panel of the Cradle. From there you were able to go through its history and diagnostics. “It really is rather incredible…” you mused. Shifting even farther, you were able to dismantle it a bit - just enough to really see how it worked.

As you worked, Loki watched. “If you don’t mind my asking, there was something your brother said that I was hoping you would elaborate on.”

“Shoot.”

“He said you were adopted?”

Your hands stalled for a moment. “Yeah, when I was eight. Never knew why, my father in particular never even paid attention to Tony, let alone a random little girl. My money is on some kind of publicity stunt, I was paraded around a lot for the first few months before being left to my own devices. Not a ton of love in the household, bits and pieces from my mother and Tony, but it had its perks. I was able to learn a lot, work on what I wanted to.”

“What was it you wanted to work on?”

“Magic,” you smiled. “Seemed silly at the time, just a childhood indulgence, but after Thor appeared… there’s been an uptick in that field, and I’m just trying to stay ahead of it.” You paused. “I did hit a rough patch after New York. I wasn’t there, but I seemed to have hit a wall after the Tesseract was taken to Asgard - not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s dangerous and there are too many here that would and have used it for harm - but in an attempt to make up for the loss of an infinity stone, I pushed myself too hard. Hit major burnout. That’s how I ended up working the front desk for my brother’s company.”

The both of you fell quiet once again and you started putting everything back together, satisfied with what you saw. “He’s wrong, you know,” Loki finally said.

“He often is, you’re going to have to narrow it down.”

“You’re incredibly intelligent. More so than he is.”

“Not sure I would go that far, he is truly one of the greatest minds of our time. But don’t go to him for anything about magic here on earth,” you teased.

“Trust me, darling, the less I interact with him, the happier we both will be.” You both laughed and you finished putting the Cradle back together. “Shall I call the doctor back in?” You nodded and Loki brought Doctor Cho into the room once again.

“I want to try your project. The sooner the better, because the pain meds are wearing off and I would like to sleep in my own bed tonight.”

“Of course, we can get started right away.” Doctor Cho took the Cradle and positioned it at your ankle. You watched as it sprayed some kind of liquid and your skin was healed. For all you knew, it was almost like watching magic. The only thing that really revealed that you had even been injured was the slightest bit of discoloration around the edge.

“That’s… wow,” you breathed. Doctor Cho smiled and moved the Cradle to the side. You rolled over with Loki’s help and then she untied the back of your gown to expose that burn. “Remember, eyes up, Loki,” you teased. Loki blushed, looking directly at a very interesting spot on the wall.

You felt as the liquid hit your back and the pain faded away. “The slight discoloration is a little more pronounced since this is such a large area, but still an improvement from what you would have had with a traditional treatment plan. I still recommend rest and make sure to care for the skin, but you should be able to resume your day to day life. I will follow up with you next week and again as needed.” You thanked Doctor Cho and she laced you back up before heading out with the Cradle and her assistant.

Once she was gone, Loki helped you up and back to your room. “Thank you,” you said, “For being with me today. I’m sorry about the candy tasting, maybe we could do it tomorrow?”

“Of course, darling,” Loki smiled. “Whatever makes you happy.” He stood there for a moment and for once you were unsure of what to do. Loki had just spent all day with you in the hospital and before he had taken you to a candlelight dinner on the roof - there was an undeniable connection there and you felt butterflies in your stomach for the first time in a long time.

Before you even knew what you were doing, you had leaned up and kissed Loki on the cheek. When you pulled away, there was a light blush on his features and a little smile on his lips.

“Goodnight Loki.” You gently shut the door. 

Chapter Text

“Darling?” You looked up from where you were poking at a tablet. Loki had put down his book and was looking at you hesitantly. “Why did you stop your research? I understand that there was a lull after… after the Tesseract was returned to Asgard, but why would that stop you entirely?”

You gave him a half smile, putting the tablet down completely. “I worked with the Tesseract once before Shield started using it to make weapons - when they were building their cover story of clean energy. I had already made a little bit of headway when it came to mutations that resulted in magic, but this was entirely new.” You got up, crossing over to some bookshelves and searching through the titles. “The Tesseract was different, she was pure magic.” You found what you were looking for and brought it over to Loki.

He flipped through the first pages before looking back up to you. “A journal?”

“My journal,” you clarified. “One of many ranging from the ramblings of a child all the way to doctoral notes. Every kid thinks about magic, hopes they’ll be the ones to find out they have powers, so I used my own dreams as a very base point.” Loki nodded, looking back through the journal. “I ended up in a genetics loophole since that’s the easiest to study right now - there is Doctor Strange and other sorcerers, but they are incredibly secretive, no way I’m getting in there to ask how they got their magic.”

You sat back down next to Loki, gathering your thoughts. “You asked why I stopped. I spent a lot of time with the Tesseract, hours upon hours upon hours. She is different from anything I have ever seen. She is alive, and she talked to me. Not- not explicitly, but she pushed me in the right direction, gave me hints every so often. Not even just about the clean energy project, about everything. I’ve never made progress like that before.”

You smiled to yourself. “I think she liked me, that’s why she helped me so much. Losing her, it was devastating scientifically, and even a little bit personally. Even after I was taken off the project, I could feel her in the back of my mind, supporting me. That connection was lost when the Tesseract was taken off world. I lost my only link to pure magic and I no longer felt like the best version of myself. I just hit a slump. Research was slower, I found myself getting frustrated easier, I just needed a break. Haven’t found the inspiration to start again yet.”

You sat in silence after you finished. Loki silently flipped through pages taking in both the childlike hope and in depth research. “As a natural magic user,” he finally said, “seeing this is incredible. Things that come intuitively to me are written out here in extreme detail, processes that we don’t even think about.”

He put down the journal, turning to you. “I’m sorry I stole all of this from you, truly. Your work is quite amazing, and your connection to the Tesseract is intriguing. Losing it must have been terrible.”

You smiled at him, readjusting and cuddling close. “It’s not your fault, Loki. I was taken off the Tesseract project as soon as I had done enough for the cover story. It is good that the Tesseract is gone, too much harm was done with it while it was here.” Loki wrapped his arm around you hesitantly, clearly unused to people being this comfortable around him. “This is our last night without the rest of the team infecting the tower, what do you want to do? I could make dinner.”

Loki hummed. “We could make something together? I would love to learn how to make something you like if you would be willing to teach me.”

“That sounds perfect,” you agreed. Getting up, you pulled Loki with you to the kitchen. You opened the fridge, looking at what was there to work with. “We could do tacos? Nothing fancy, just the stuff that comes in the kit - it’s a good beginner meal for someone who burns toast every time they try to make some,” you teased. Loki scowled, but grabbed the taco kit box to look at the directions.

The two of you worked in tandem, quickly browning the meat and mixing in the taco seasoning. You knew they weren’t real tacos, but they got the job done. “Okay,” you said once all the components were ready, “I am going to get the cheese, you put away the rest of the spices and stuff we used, then we can eat.”

You turned around, and there Loki was, not two inches from your nose. He looked down, clearly not having thought this through. “I was just… you told me to… you’re in front of the cabinet,” he sputtered.

“Of course,” you breathed.

Neither of you moved for three heartbeats.

Loki’s head inched downward, you could smell chocolate on his breath. Butterflies filled your stomach and your fingers clamped down on the counter behind you. Your eyes fluttered shut, feeling Loki’s lips barely even graze yours.

“I’m going to get plates.” You ducked out from under the god, making a beeline towards the other end of the kitchen.

*

You were kicking yourself. Dinner had been fine, the pair of you quickly slipped back into your normal banter from whatever that was.

Were you interested in Loki romantically? Sure, he was interested in everything you had to say, and he made an effort to share things he liked with you, and being around him was just so easy and carefree… but there was no way you liked him. He attacked your homeworld not long ago and almost killed your brother.

But he also licked the bowl every time you made sweets.

“Ugh!” You yelled and brought your hands up to your face. Why did this have to be so complicated? A soft knocking sounded on your door.

“Darling? I heard yelling, are you alright?” Your frustration melted, replaced by a small smile on your lips. Loki was checking on you.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Thank you,” you called back. Loki stood outside your door for another moment before you saw his shadow start to retreat. “Loki?”

The shadow paused.

“Do you want to come in and lay with me for a while?”

There was nothing but silence for a heartbeat, then Loki opened your door and quietly made his way to your bed. You scooched over, making room for him. He climbed into the bed, laying down and letting you arrange yourself against his side. His arm hovered for a moment before coming to rest around your shoulders. Neither of you said anything, but your confusion was gone. You had undeniably fallen for the god of mischief.

Chapter Text

You woke the next morning to the sun shining directly into your face, which was weird because your room was on the west side of the building. You rolled your eyes - you must have slept all day and you were still tired. Grumbling, you made to get out of bed and close the damn blinds.

That was until you registered the cool body holding onto you.

Loki was still dead asleep, his face tucked up against the back of your neck and his legs tangled up with yours. He shifted when you did and you held stock still, willing him back to sleep. Once you felt his body relax, you relaxed your own, sinking back into his embrace.

You laid like that for who knows how long, watching the people on the street out your window and letting Loki get some much needed rest. Eventually he flipped over and you were able to escape the bed. You turned back, tucking him in and after just a moment of hesitation, giving him a small peck on the forehead. Writing him a note to say you had just gone to the kitchen and he was welcome to stay as long as he wanted, you slipped silently out of the room.

Waiting for you downstairs was one pissed off Tony Stark. You were half surprised his pacing hadn’t worn a stripe in the floor yet. “It is just so dumb of her! He is a cold blooded killer and she has the audacity to sleep with him?! Doesn’t she know that he tried to kill all of us? He is only here to serve out punishment, and he is honestly lucky I didn’t kill him right when-”

“Sir,” Jarvis interrupted.

“What?”

“Miss Stark has arrived.”

Tony whirled around to see you standing just outside the elevator. You gave him a little wave. “I can’t fucking deal with this today!” And with that, he stormed off to the stairs, presumably to go to his lab.

You stood there for a minute, contemplating what you wanted to do. Tony had said some things you really wanted to go and argue with him about, but you decided he was way too heated to have any sort of constructive conversation. Instead, you pulled out all the ingredients for lemon squares.

“It’s about time, these are usually ready when we walk in the door,” Natasha said as she came into the kitchen. “You got Tony pretty wound up, he’s been ranting pretty much since we got back.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” you snorted. You mixed all the wet ingredients together. “What exactly did I manage to do this time?”

“Your little late night cuddle session with a certain trickster god seems to have rubbed him the wrong way,” she teased as she swiped your spatula. You gave a deep sigh, shaking your head and just moving on with the lemon squares.

Once you had practically thrown the pan into the oven, Natasha finally stopped you. “Alright, we are going to grab Pepper and go for a night out, and you are going to just let everything you’re angry about out. Then you will come back and have a productive grown-up conversation with Tony.”

You took a couple breaths, controlling your anger. “Yeah, that sounds like just what I need right now. You get Pep, I’m going to change out of my pajamas.” Natasha nodded and you set off upstairs.

Back at your room, you quietly opened the door. Loki was sitting up on your bed, and his head whipped around when he heard the door open. You came in the rest of the way, shutting the door behind you. “Hey there, sleepy head. How are you doing this evening?”

“Evening?” Loki looked outside. “Norns, I haven’t slept that long in… in quite some time.” You chuckled, crossing over to your closet. “Are you going out?”

Nodding, you explained, “The team is back and Nat, Pepper, and I are going for some drinks as per our tradition. What do you think, red or green dress?” You held up two cocktail dresses for Loki to look at.

“The green one, darling,” Loki replied easily. You smiled, as if it was even a choice for him. Loki automatically closed his eyes and you got to work changing. The dress he chose was a green velvet, falling halfway down your thigh and having a deeper neckline than you typically wore.

“Okay, it’s safe,” you said. “But I actually need you to zip me up.” You toddled over to the bed and turned around to grant Loki access to the zipper. He stood up and all of a sudden you were very aware of the fact that there was no space between you and you were practically half naked.

Loki’s hand gently grasped the top of the dress, holding it together while the other slowly pulled the zipper up from your tailbone to shoulder blades. His hands stayed there for three heartbeats despite having finished their job. Once the third heartbeat had passed, Loki ran both his hands down your sides. “The fabric had pulled up over your hips a little,” he breathed.

“Mhm.” Your eyes had fluttered shut and you were leaning lightly into Loki.

“Darling, you have a prior engagement to get to,” he said gently. “Let me…” Before you even really knew what was happening, Loki had expertly done your hair and makeup. “Only the best for you, love. And...” he leaned in right next to your ear, his voice dropping, “It’s designed to last all night.”

Chapter Text

“Holy shit!” You slammed the shot glass back on the table. Natasha was looking almost impressed and Pepper just looked downright scared. “Honestly,” you said, “They’re both asses. Tony needs to butt out of my personal life and Loki- lord give me strength.” You groaned and Natasha disappeared for a moment before coming back with another round.

“Tony just worries about you,” Pepper said. “You grew up with him, you know how he is.”

“Yeah, but he also loves to get all up in other peoples’ business,” Natasha countered.

“Counter point,” you took another shot, “what was he doing in my room? Loki and I had already gone to bed pretty late, why was Tony checking on me?” That caused Natasha to fall silent. You sobered up at the change in mood, looking between Nat and Pepper. “What? What happened?”

Natasha shifted her drink. “This last mission… It was hard for him. Really hard. It took us all over the world and we ended up learning some things about your parents’ deaths. That’s why he was so riled up when you got hurt, and when you weren’t standing in the kitchen waiting for us, he got worried and went to check on you.”

“Oh,” you sat back in your chair, all your anger vanishing. A mission about your parents - you always knew Tony was more affected by their deaths than he let on, but you were never sure quite how far his grief went. “What… what did you learn?”

“That’s not for us to tell you,” Natasha said. “Do you want to go back to the tower now?”

“Yeah, I need to talk to Tony.”

The ride back to the tower was silent. You sat in the back seat, trying to come up with what they possibly could have discovered. Your parents had died in a car accident. That was the whole story.

Wasn’t it?

Once you were back home, you made a beeline for the lab. Bruce was in there with Tony when you arrived and he silently left you two be when he saw you. Tony clearly knew you were there, but he was actively ignoring you. You played his game, grabbing a lab coat and going to your corner of the room.

It had been a while since you had actually spent any substantial amount of time in the lab, and your workspace was clearly showing it. You cleaned off some old papers and trash, eventually uncovering one of your journals. It had been the one you were working on up until you were shipped off to the west coast due to an impending alien invasion. You reread your notes, trying to come up with a place to start again.

“There's a picture of some runes to your right. They might help,” Tony said from the other end of the room.

“Got it, thank you.” The pair of you fell back into silence as you worked on your respective projects.

You studied the picture. These were norse runes, that much was easy. There was a picture underneath it of the runes tattooed onto someone’s arm. They wrapped slightly around the wrist on the inside of the arm. Wait, you knew that arm… Loki. It was Loki’s arm.

Loki had three runes tattooed onto him: Isaz, Naudiz, and Ingwaz. Although, now that you thought about it, they probably weren’t tattooed, just placed with more magic. You grabbed your journal, copying down the runes. Isaz was ice, Naudiz was necessity, and Ingwaz was personal development. You had absolutely no clue why these three were together or what they were trying to achieve, and you were living for it.

You did some research on nordic runes, going down a rabbit hole until Tony cleared his throat from his side of the room. You put down your journal, spinning your chair to look at him.

“I’m guessing Natasha told you? That’s why you ended your ‘girls night’ early,” Tony asked.

“She told me this last one was hard,” you said, “and that you learned some things about mom and dad.” Tony nodded, turning back to his work. You let him, knowing he was just calibrating his thoughts.

“It started as a series of assassinations in Europe, but the more we dug, the more we uncovered. The guy who had been doing this had apparently been working for the past few decades at least. A whole bunch of shit happened and basically…” he trailed off for a second. Tony turned to look at you, and you could see the gears turning. “The Winter Soldier killed our parents, and he just so happens to be Steve’s best friend from before the ice.”

You could hear a pin drop. It was silent in the lab as you processed the information you had just been given. You had spent the entire time believing your parents’ deaths were an accident. The people who had taken you in and turned your life around, who gave you the best brother you could ask for, had been murdered.

You got up, storming to the door and grabbing one of Natasha’s hidden knives on the way. “Hey- hey! Where are you going?” Tony scrambled to get in front of you.

“I’m going to kill the Winter Soldier, I thought that much was obvious,” you snarled. “He’s downstairs in Loki’s backup cell, I assume?” Tony’s eyes widening slightly told you that you were right. Your march continued to the stairwell.

“Stop!” You paused. “The situation is more complicated than what you know.”

“Then explain it to me.”

Tony ran a hand through his hair. “I get it, I really do. I wanted to kill him when I found out, too. But he’s Steve’s best friend. Just… come sit back down and I’ll explain.” After a moment of hesitation, you relented and went back to your chair in the lab. Tony grabbed strawberries from the lab minifridge and offered them to you, trying to make peace through snacks. You appreciated the effort.

As you snacked, Tony explained Hydra. You knew about the organization, of course, but you didn’t know the extent of their influence. Tony also talked about Bucky Barnes - his name was familiar, and it clicked that he was the same James Barnes that you had learned about in school. Then Tony talked about mind control. All the things that he had found in the Hydra lab, the detailed notes of the tortures Bucky had gone through to have his mind turned to soup and remolded in their image.

Your anger dissipated as you learned. Yes, of course you were still upset. Your old grief was ripped open again and it was going to take time. But you knew that Bucky wasn’t the one at fault here. It was Hydra that had your parents killed. They were the real enemy.

“I’m sorry you had to find all that out on your own,” you said when Tony was done.

“I wasn’t completely alone,” Tony chuckled. “I tried to rip Roger’s a new one when I found out. We hit each other a couple times, now Barnes is being held downstairs until we can get him the help he needs.”

“You’re a good friend, Tony.” You got up, stretching and looking at the clock. It wasn’t too late yet. You started off towards the stairs again.

“Where are you going this time?”

“I’m going to go say hello to our new guest.”

Chapter Text

When you got downstairs, it was just… sad. Bucky was tucked up in the very corner of the holding cell, head ducked down between his knees. You could only imagine what he was going through.

“Hello,” you said.

His head shot up, gaze zeroing in on you immediately. You looked into his eyes. On the surface, they were the eyes of a killer - they had seen countless horrors committed and showed it. But when you looked deeper, you saw the pain. The pain and longing and hurt that longed to get out. Bucky was coming back into control, but as of now the Winter Soldier was still a part of him.

“You’re a doctor?” he asked.

You looked down at your lab coat. “Oh! No, not a medical doctor,” you took off your coat. “I’m Howard and Maria’s daughter.” The pain in his eyes came to the surface.

“I’m so sorry,” he croaked. “It wasn’t me, they twisted me, used me-”

“Hey, hey,” you walked to the edge of the cell and sat down. “It’s okay, I know it’s not your fault. The same people that did this to you - those are the people that killed my parents. I don’t blame you.” Bucky sighed at that, muscles relaxing as he tucked his head down again.

You sat there next to the cell, observing. He had a metal arm that was poorly attached and surrounded by scar tissue. You couldn’t fathom how much pain that was causing him, it would need to be replaced soon. Something that wasn’t as much of a permanent reminder of who he had been. He looked back up at you while you were observing.

“Do you want a makeup wipe?” You asked. “You have some eyeliner around your lashes and it’s not good for you to just leave that on.”

Bucky chuckled, leaning his head back on the glass. “You came down here by yourself, to one of the deadliest assassins since the forties, the person who killed your parents, and you offer me a makeup wipe to clean my eyes?”

“Yep, sounds about right,” you agreed.

“You are not what I would expect from Howard’s daughter,” it was Bucky’s turn to observe you. “But, yeah. A makeup wipe would be nice.” You nodded, getting up and quickly heading back to the lab.

Tony was tinkering, waiting for you to get back. He looked up when you came in. “Well?”

You talked as you searched your desk. “We need to get him a new arm, that old one is definitely causing him physical and emotional pain. Jackpot!” You found a full pack of old wipes, pulling a couple of them out. “He seems nice - in deep pain and desperate need of a good therapist - but like a good man.”

You dashed back downstairs, wipes in hand. “I got the goods,” you smiled as you walked in. You went straight to the little passing section at the edge of the glass, putting the wipes in and pushing them through. Bucky stood up to get them and you realized just how tall he was. He grabbed the wipes out of the bin with a grateful smile.

“You look tired, doll,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what time it is, but I’m sure it’s getting late. I’ll bid you goodnight for now.”

You chuckled. “Goodnight, Sergeant Barnes. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You went back upstairs, bypassing the lab and going straight to the kitchen. James Barnes was in your holding cell… you were going to have to talk to Steve and see how he was doing, but you knew he was off somewhere, doodling and getting his thoughts in order. You saw that someone had taken the lemon squares out, and you grabbed two to take upstairs.

Getting back up to your floor, you knocked on Loki’s door. His shadow appeared under the door. “Hey, Lokes, it’s me. Can I come in?” The door swung open and Loki was looking at you intently. It was only then you remembered that you were still fully made up and the last thing Loki had said to you was teasing and clear as to what could happen tonight. “Shit, sorry, it’s not like that. I just- I’m dealing with some stuff right now and could use a friend.”

Loki stepped aside, inviting you fully into his room. “Of course, darling. I’m always here, no matter what you need.” Once you were inside, he gave you some of his clothes and a rag, and gestured you towards the bathroom to get changed. You gave him a grateful smile before ducking inside. You washed off your makeup and took your hair down. Changing out of your dress, you put on Loki’s tunic and pants, both oversized on you. You smiled and gave yourself a little hug.

When you came back out, Loki had made tea and set out the lemon squares at his little side table. You sat down, taking the mug into your hands. Now that you were in comfy clothes with someone you completely and utterly trusted to break down around, you did. Tears came rushing and some snot dripped out of your nose. It wasn’t the pretty kind of breakdown you would have preferred to have in front of Loki.

Undeterred, Loki immediately picked you up and brought you to a more comfortable chair, cuddling you close while you cried. You didn’t know how long you sat like that, but you did know when you started to taper off, there was a very large wet spot on Loki’s shoulder.

“When you’re ready,” Loki said gently, “Tell me what happened to upset you so that I can make it better.”

You sniffled, wiping your eyes with your sleeve. “This isn’t something that you can make better, Loki.” The god remained silent, waiting for you to continue. “I just found out my parents were murdered. I thought this whole time that they had died in an accident, and it was sad, but it wasn’t anything that anyone could change. But it turns out they were killed on someone’s orders! And I was sitting at home, researching magic!” You sobbed again, leaning into Loki’s shoulder.

Loki rubbed your back, doing his best to soothe you as you grieved. “Darling, you need to control your breathing a little more or you’re going to hyperventilate. In and out, breathe with me.” You took a few shallow breaths, filling your lungs before taking the time to even them out. “Good, now drink some of the tea, it’s not as good as water, but you need to stay hydrated.” You sipped the tea, trying to reset.

“Very good, darling,” Loki praised. “You keep breathing and drinking, I am going to talk. I have a limited view on the situation, but I do understand the grief of losing a parent, even if my situation was different from yours. I was robbed of my birth parents and only found out a short while ago. That led to the realm’s largest tantrum and I ended up invading your home. I am still working through the emotions that came from learning of my adoption… You found out that what you thought you knew as fact was in reality a lie. Feel your feelings, don’t bottle them up. Your grief will not disappear, but it will get smaller, more manageable, and life will go on. This is not the end, love. I promise.”

Chapter Text

You woke up in Loki’s bed, with the god in question nowhere to be found. You must have cried yourself to sleep while Loki was still holding you, because you didn’t remember actually going to bed last night. You laid there for a while, thinking about what Loki said… feel your feelings. You chuckled, you definitely had a lot of feelings to feel. Unfortunately, your thoughts were interrupted as you laid there and began to actually smell yourself. Turns out a night at the bar, followed by the adrenaline rush of getting bad news, followed again by a major sob fest was not the right mix for personal hygiene.

You dragged yourself out of bed and trudged down the hall to your room. It felt strangely empty, despite the fact that you had been living there for four years and never shared the room before. You pushed the thought to the back of your mind, heading straight to the shower.

The water felt nice and you let it cascade, trying to feel your feelings like Loki said to. You cried again, but not as heavily as you did last night. When you were done, you sniffed, trying to regain your composure. You finished the shower and put on some clean comfy pajamas, heading back into your room.

A knock sounded on your door, but when you opened it, no one was there. There was, however, a mug of tea on the floor and you smiled to yourself. You took the tea and retreated back into your room, settling down into a chair.

You sat there for a while, sipping on the tea and thinking. Not just about your parents and whether or not there was anything you could have done - you knew logically there wasn’t, but logic didn’t really get a say here - but also about other things. You let your mind wander, and it eventually came back to Loki.

Loki

You were totally, irreparably in love with him. You had no clue when or how - if you listened to Tony you were supposed to be in fear of him, he was a killer after all - but he also was the one who had never eaten candy before. He was kind and caring, always willing to give without any expectation of getting something back… He was the one who brewed you his favorite tea when he knew you were upset. He -

You sat straight up in your bed, eyes wide.

He was in love with you, too.

Your mind spun a bit with the revelation. How did you not see it before? Loki let you into his room, for norns sake. Even Thor struggled to get into Loki’s room. You couldn't help yourself, you leaned back and quietly squealed just like the girls did on the coming of age rom coms.

You were in love with Loki and he loved you back!

Slamming down your mug, you practically leapt out of your bed and raced down the hall to Loki’s room. You knocked, waited, and knocked some more. There was no shadow underneath the door or the sound of any movement to signal that the god was even in his room. You huffed, spinning on your heel and heading downstairs.

The kitchen and living room were both completely empty. This was highly frustrating - you had just come to a huge revelation and no one was here for you to tell it to. “Jarvis?” you finally asked.

“Yes, Miss Stark?”

“Where is everyone? No one told me about any mission and I swear I am not the only one living in this tower,” you paced, impatient to get your answer.

Jarvis responded immediately. “They are on the roof, Miss Stark. Thor and Loki are being called to Asgard.” Your eyes went wide and you spun again, racing to the elevator. You pressed the button repeatedly, silently willing it to come faster. When the doors did finally open, you sprinted onto the elevator and hit the button for the roof. Loki hadn’t told you about any trip to Asgard, he definitely would have told you if it was a planned something. You had to get there before the bifrost opened.

The elevator dinged, drawing you from your anxious thoughts. As the doors opened once more, you were met by the blinding light of the sun. Both Thor and Loki were already standing in the middle of the roof, and Thor was about to raise Mjolnir to call on Heimdall.

“Wait!” you cried.

Loki’s eyes went directly to you, and your heart warmed as you saw how his eyes lit up when they met yours. He was standing stock still, hands held behind him and eyes cast to the ground just moments before - the exact opposite of how he acted when it was just the two of you. You were no longer running, but you set your path straight for Loki.

Thor thwarted your plans when he stepped between the two of you. “Greetings!” he bellowed. “Loki insisted on letting you rest this morning, I am glad we were able to see you before we departed.” Thor’s arms wrapped around you, pulling you into a bone crushing hug and lifting you up with his enthusiasm. Despite your frustrations at being kept from your target, Thor’s joy was infectious and you hugged him back with a smile.

“I’m glad I was able to see you, too,” you said. “Do you have any idea when you’re coming back? This isn’t a planned visit, is it?”

Thor returned you to the ground, patting both of your shoulders. “It is not - Father and Mother have called Loki for an audience.” Your gaze darted over Thor’s shoulder, meeting Loki’s eyes. It was then that you were able to recognize the anxiety found within their depths. He hadn’t seen his parents since coming here months ago, and it wasn’t on good terms. Thor looked between you and Loki, stepping to the side after a moment. “I think it would be best if you talked to him,” the god said gently. You placed a hand on Thor’s arm, giving him a thankful smile before closing the distance between you and Loki.

“Good morning,” you said quietly when you got there, suddenly nervous.

“Afternoon actually,” Loki returned in that same quiet tone. After a moment he added, “I’m glad I got to see you before I go.”

Your tone turned sharp. “Hey, don’t say this like it’s goodbye forever. You are coming back,” you said harshly. “Are you going to be okay? I’m sure that there is some excuse we can come up with to keep you here if it’s going to be too much for you to go back-”

“Slow down, darling,” Loki interrupted. You took a breath, slowing your thoughts. “It’s going to be okay. I have faced Odin before and I am going to do it again.” His hand came up to your face, fingers tracing the curve of your cheek. “And I’ll be thinking of you the entire time I’m there.”

Your eyes searched Loki’s, finding more and more of the love that you felt for him reflected back at you. It was only the harsh caw of a raven that finally pulled your focus away.

“It’s Huginn and Muninn,” Thor said. “I’m sorry, but it is time for us to go.” He put his hand to Loki’s shoulder, guiding him away from you to prepare for the bifrost.

“Wait, no! There’s something I need to-” you reached for Loki, but a hand wrapped around your waist to keep you firmly out of harms way. You twisted away, ducking down and racing over towards Loki.

“Heimdall!” Thor called, Mjolnir raised.

“Loki, I love you!” Your call was just loud enough for the god to hear. As the rainbow descended you searched Loki’s gaze, watching as his words resonated. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything in response, he was gone.

Chapter Text

You stared at the empty space in front of you. At your feet was the dimly glowing etch of the bifrost, proof of what had been taken from you. The hand around your waist loosened and you staggered as you felt both your weight and the weight of your grief. You didn’t know when Loki would come back, if he even could come back.

“What did you say?”

You turned around to see Tony. He had been the one to pull you from the bifrost’s blast, the one to always look out for your safety. In his eyes lay a deep sadness - a resignation to what he obviously hoped wasn’t true.

“I love him, Tony,” you said. Your voice flooded with the helplessness you felt. “I know you don’t like it, but I am in love with Loki.”

Tony sighed, gaze falling to the ground and hand going automatically to his hair. He stood like that for a few heartbeats, and you looked at him nervously, scared about how he would respond. After what seemed like a lifetime, he finally sighed again and looked up. “You’re right, I don’t like it,” he said. “But you are your own person and I trust you. If you believe he has changed, I’ll take your word for it.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, immediately wrapping your arms around Tony in a tight hug. He was headstrong and sometimes an ass, but he was also your brother and you loved him with your whole heart. Hearing him say that he trusted you and supported you meant more to you than you initially realized.

“We’ll make sure he comes back,” Tony said, his own arms returning the hug. “But let’s take it one day at a time. What do you want to do now?”

You pulled back from the hug, a few tears escaping, but nonetheless okay. You thought for a moment, glancing at the assembled avengers behind you, concern in almost all their gazes. Except for Natasha. “I want to train,” you said. You wiped the tears away, looking Nat directly in the eye. “I want to be able to beat the shit out of Odin for everything he’s done.”

Natasha laughed, turning to the elevator and leaving you to follow. She had expected nothing less from you. Your heartache turned to determination as you both rode down to the training rooms. Natasha silently handed you a set of gym clothes from the extras kept downstairs, and you changed quickly. Energy was buzzing just beneath your skin in a way that it hadn’t in a long time.

You fell into a fighting stance as Natasha put on some music in the background - neither one of you liked to train in silence. “Okay,” she finally said. “Show me what you’ve got.”

She immediately came at your head with a right hook. You parried it up, following quickly with a couple jabs to her stomach. She grabbed the hand you had used to parry and twisted, forcing you to spin and press your backs together. She used that momentum to start to haul you over herself to lay you out on the floor, but you managed to land firmly on your feet and you responded in kind by bringing up a knee to try and smash your nose.

You didn’t know how long the simulated battle lasted. Although, you also weren’t sure just how simulated it was. Both you and Natasha were going almost full out, only coming out of it unharmed due to both of your skill and the barely there control you were both exercising. Finally it ended when you were on your back with a knife at your throat, Natasha standing over you with a knife at her heart. You weren’t even sure when the knives got pulled. Natasha gave a satisfied huff, stepping back and holding her hand out to you. You took it, exhausted, and allowed her to pull you back up to standing.

“Are you ready to talk about it now?” Natasha asked, taking your blade and putting it away.

You sighed, burying your face in your hands. “I’m scared for him, Nat,” you said reluctantly. “He is just starting to heal and I don’t want that progress to go undone. And I really don’t want to risk Odin going back on his decision and putting Loki back in the dungeons.”

“And…” Nat prompted.

Your cheeks burned but you couldn’t deny it. “And I can’t let him go without him knowing how much he is loved.”

“There it is. Come on, let’s get you into something comfy. It’s been a rough 24 hours for you.” Natasha wrapped her arm around your shoulders in an effort to comfort you. She was right, it had been a rough 24 hours - you learned your parents were murdered, realized you loved Loki, and were ripped away from him without any real time to process.

Natasha left you in the elevator so that she could go take a shower, and you finished the ride up to your floor to take a shower of your own. You kept the water cool in an attempt to clear your head. The attempt was in vain. Your body was exhausted after the prolonged fight, but your mind was still going at a thousand miles a minute. The only thing that could keep you sane right now was working.

You slipped down to the lab after your shower. Bruce was in there, deep in his own project, and you sat down at your workstation. Pulling up security footage of Bucky’s holding cell, you zoomed in on the juncture between his prosthetic and his shoulder. It was a crude attachment and something that you would have rectified. You set to work.

Using the Iron Man schematics as a base, you isolated the left arm. Your specialty may have been in magic, but you were still a Stark and you knew your way around technology. You modified the armor to fill the empty cavity where a flesh arm typically went, as well as adding the synthetic nerves and other necessary components for the metal to act organically.

You sat back after a few hours to appreciate your handiwork. You had completely customized the arm to be an actual prosthetic instead of just armor, and designed a new base to connect the arm to Bucky’s actual shoulder. Your back ached from being hunched over the projection, but it was worth it to have done something helpful.

“It’s impressive work,” Bruce said from the other side of the room.

“Thanks,” you responded wearily. “I’ll probably actually build it tomorrow, then I need to talk to Sergeant Barnes about if he even wants the replacement and the surgery he would need to put on the base…”

Bruce pushed his chair back from his own workspace. “What you need to do is talk to someone about everything you're feeling. And I won’t pressure you, but I understand strong emotions and I am overdue for a break from this,” he gestured vaguely in the direction of whatever research he was doing.

You closed your eyes and let your head fall back. Stupid overprotective team being right about dealing with your emotions. You groaned. “I figured it out this morning,” you started. “That I’m in love with Loki. And it was following that revelation that I realized he loves me back - I don’t even know if he knows. And now he’s in Asgard, a place that has done almost nothing but traumatize him. I don’t know what he’s going through, and I don’t know if he is going to be able to come back. Not to mention I just learned that my parents were murdered and I don’t think it's unreasonable for me to be a bit bent out of shape over that.” Tears were in your eyes again, but they couldn’t bring themselves to fall.

Bruce silently crossed over to you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders in a hug. You took a deep breath, sinking into the embrace. Bruce had a reputation for being a bit standoffish, but that was just for civilian’s sake, in case one of them should trigger the Hulk. In reality he was one of the most caring and comforting people you knew. “He’ll come back,” Bruce finally said. “We’ve all seen the way he looks at you, there’s no way he’ll let you be separated for long.”

You let go of Bruce, getting to your feet and shutting off your workstation for the night. “I hope you’re right.”

Chapter Text

“I love you, too-” But Loki was back in the bifrost chamber before the first word had even left his mouth. His chest burned at the realization and Loki whirled around to face Heimdall. “Send me back!”

“Loki, we have to face Father,” Thor tried reasoning with Loki. He failed to recognize the fact that Loki was beyond reasoning with in this moment.

Loki stormed up the few steps till he was nose and nose with Heimdall. “I don’t care,” he all but growled. “My lady is back there, vulnerable from news of her parents, and I didn’t even get the chance to tell her that I love her back! Return me to Midgard. Now.”

If Heimdall was fazed by Loki’s anger, he didn’t show it. “Welcome home, my princes,” he said in the even tone he always spoke with. A perfect court mask that could rival Loki or Frigga. He pulled the sword out of its slot to operate the bifrost, resting the tip between his feet. It was a silent message. Loki was not going back until after he met with Odin. And even that was still up in the air.

“Please,” Loki’s voice almost broke as he sank back down the steps, gaze cast out to where the bifrost shot itself across space. “Please just let me see her before I have to see him.” His rage was gone. It had been replaced by the pleas of a young man who just wanted one more taste of freedom.

It went silent in the bifrost chamber as Loki’s heartache seeped.

“Perhaps I can help, my son.”

Loki’s head whipped around to see a woman standing at the entrance to the rainbow bridge. She was dressed in warm gold fabric head to toe and her arms were outstretched, a warm smile dancing across her lips. Despite everything that Loki needed to get back to, he couldn’t help the relief that settled on his heart at the sight of her. “Mother!”

Both sons raced across the chamber and into their mother’s arms. She embraced both of her boys tightly, resting her hands on their cheeks when she finally pulled back. Loki’s hand covered hers as he sought comfort from his mother. “It is good to have you both home,” Frigga said, “I always rest easier knowing you are safe.”

“Mother,” Loki prompted. He loved his mother dearly and would spend all the time in the nine realms with her… after he knew what she meant when she said she could help.

“Once we get back to the palace, love,” Frigga promised. Loki nodded, accepting her terms for now.

All three royals mounted their horses, Frigga riding side saddle and elegantly as ever. She caught up with her sons as they rode, hearing about Thor’s adventures with the team and Loki’s lady. A lot about Loki’s lady. It had been a long time since Frigga had seen Loki this carefree and passionate about anything.

When they got back to the stables, they split up. Thor looked a little guilty about dragging his brother back to Asgard and then abandoning him, but Frigga shooed the elder brother off to go find his friends. She was more than capable of spending time with her youngest son. She led the way through the halls to her chambers. She walked up the winding staircase from the hallway to her chambers proper. Loki followed behind like the obedient son he was.

“Here darling,” she interrupted Loki’s rambling about the studies of magic on Midgard. Frigga reached into her vanity, pulling out a golden hand mirror. It was a simple shape, with etchings on the back fit for a queen. She handed it over to Loki with a soft smile.

“A mirror?” Loki still hadn’t understood. Frigga waved her hand over the reflection and Loki felt her imbue it with power.

“What do you wish to see, my son?”

Loki felt his heart stir and he understood. “I wish to see my love,” he whispered.

And there you were.

He recognized you were in the training rooms, sparring with Natasha. It was clear that you had been fighting for a while - both of you were covered in a thin layer of sweat and blades were moving at expert speed. Loki knew that you had trained with Natasha before he ever got to Midgard, but he had never seen your skills in action. It was extremely attractive. And he realized just how much wasted potential you had working a desk job at Stark Industries.

“She is quite beautiful,” Frigga observed. “And quite an established fighter.”

“She is the most beautiful woman I have ever had the privilege of laying eyes on,” Loki agreed.

Frigga moved to exit the room once more. There was, after all, an audience to get to. “I know it is not the same as being there with her, but it is the best I can do at this moment,” Frigga sympathized.

“It is perfect, Mother, thank you.” Loki caught Frigga’s hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles in thanks. He wouldn’t abuse his newfound power to watch over you, but it put his heart at ease to be able to make sure you were safe. He knew that you were able to defend yourself, as well as having four other highly capable warriors at your side, but you were his lady. Your safety was of the utmost importance.

Satisfied with Frigga’s temporary solution, Loki stored the mirror away. “Is there any way I get to know what this summons is about before I have to stand before the Allfather?” he asked.

“Even I do not know everything that your father has planned,” Frigga said, “But I believe it has something to do with your sentence on Midgard.” Loki bristled. “Rest assured, dear, if your father planned to go back to his original sentence, he would have said something to me first.” Frigga took on an icy tone with her last sentence. If Odin decided to make a choice that big without talking to her - especially one that impacted her sons - he would be sentencing himself to a future worse than Helheim.

“I appreciate knowing that I will not be returned to the dungeons,” Loki breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mother.”

“Of course, darling.” Frigga pulled her son down to give him a reassuring kiss on the cheek. In the time it took for them to discuss the possible paths ahead, they had reached the throne room. Frigga waltzed in first, taking her place beside Odin. Loki allowed himself one last steadying breath before making his way to the base of the throne.

Chapter Text

The walk to the throne seemed to stretch longer than ever before. It was a walk Loki had made many times in his years, but even when he made it the last time, the time he was sentenced to the dungeons, it hadn’t seemed this bad. Back then he had nothing left to lose. Now he had you.

Thor had already taken his place on the steps below Odin. He was doing his best to look optimistic for Loki, but Thor could only do so much. His court mask wasn’t nearly as refined as his younger brother’s, and his anxieties about this preceding were much more pronounced. Loki’s were cleverly hidden away, schooled deep below his court mask as he extruded the air of confidence.

He stopped at the base of the stairs, clicking his heels together and standing tall. He would not let his fear seep through. Odin banged Gungnir to call the attention of the court.

“Loki Odinson,” Odin began. “You have committed great crimes against the realm of Midgard. You were sentenced to live out the rest of your days in the dungeons, stripped of your influence and left to rot. Against my better judgment, I listened to the requests of my Queen, and allowed you to face justice by serving those that you once wronged.” He paused for dramatic effect. Loki’s punishment was known throughout the Asgardian court, so he had no clue what this impromptu summons was for.

After a beat, Odin spoke once more. “It was more freedom than should have been granted to you. And what have you done with this freedom? Nothing more than beginning a dalliance with a Midgardian woman!” That got a bit of a reaction in the court.

Loki felt the beginnings of anger deep in his chest. That was Odin’s play - get the courts to turn firmly against Loki once more and put him back in the dungeons. Odin wouldn’t risk upsetting Frigga again by ordering the decree himself, but if the courts demanded Loki be returned to Asgardian custody, Odin could use their rage to hide his cowardice.

“Not one effort has been made on your behalf to do what you were charged with doing on Midgard. Have you even once fought to protect those you harmed? Have you ever stepped foot outside of the spire that they call a home? Have you done anything aside from baseless flirtations with a Midgardian who you will outlive five times over?” Loki gritted his teeth. Odin knew the answers already. “Since your penance is going unserved, I return the issue to the courts-”

“Father, no!” Thor shocked everyone by speaking up. Not only by speaking up, but daring to interrupt the Allfather. He shocked everyone even more by leaving his station on the stairs to stand next to his brother. “Before you relinquish control over Loki’s fate, please let his defense be made.” It was phrased as a request, but Loki heard the demand for what it was. Maybe he underestimated Thor's political prowess.

A new wave of cold anger rolled off of Odin, but he had spent so long favoring Thor that he couldn’t deny his elder son.

Thor turned back to the masses of Asgardian nobles gathered to see this sham of a trial. “Loki’s inability to serve those he harmed is not his own doing.” Thor’s voice raised to carry over the crowds. “His first challenge was to earn the trust of those who were once his enemies. As anyone could expect, it is one of the most difficult quests one can embark on. To make those who you once tried to kill, and once tried to kill you, into your allies. It has taken time, and Loki has begun to earn his allies. Beginning with his dalliance.” Thor turned to face Odin now.

“Calling what Loki has with his Lady a dalliance is doing them both a disservice.” Loki could feel warmth in his cheeks as his brother defended him. But he also felt a surge of emotion as he realized Thor had forgiven him. Everything Loki had done over the years, all the hurt he had caused. Forgiven as if it were nothing more than a boyhood squabble. It meant more to Loki than he would ever admit. “What I have seen shared between the two of them is bested only by the love I see shared between you and our Mother. It is a love that has just begun to take root, and it would be nothing but cruel to take that away now. For both of them.

We have all made poor choices in our lives. Committed wrongdoings that ended up hurting those we care about most.” Thor’s gaze flickered over to Loki. He was asking for forgiveness too. Forgiveness for not seeing how much pain Loki had been in for so long. Forgiveness for putting his own needs above taking care of his little brother. Forgiveness for his part in Loki’s suffering.

Loki gave an almost imperceptible incline of his head. Just as Thor had forgiven Loki, Loki had forgiven Thor. They may not always see eye to eye, but the brothers were bonded as if they had come from the same flesh and blood. Thor broke into a smile, clapping his hand onto Loki’s shoulder. Thor turned to the court once more. “Give my brother one more chance. I swear he will not disappoint you.” He gave the court a formal bow, held a second longer than necessary to truly drive in his point, then returned to his place on the stairs.

Loki heard the murmurs behind him from the gathered court, but his eyes were fixed on the Allfather. Odin had put his fate in the hands of the court, and he couldn’t take it away now. And it was clear what their decision was going to be. Frigga had a soft smile on her face. Even she couldn’t hide the pride that she felt for her sons in this moment. Odin banged Gungnir on the floor to quiet the court once more.

“One more chance,” Odin decreed. “Loki will get only one more chance to prove himself.” He banged Gungnir one last time and the trial was over. Loki gave a formal bow to the Allfather and to the court, and then he swiftly exited the throne room.

He marched straight through the halls to his room. He slammed the door behind him, intent on hiding away from the high emotions coursing through his system, but even he couldn’t stop the shock he felt when he saw the state of his chambers. This was the first time he had been back in them since before he fell from the bifrost, and they were exactly the way he left them. Down to the dagger and whetstone sitting out on his desk.

Tears slipped down Loki’s cheeks. It had been a high emotion day between the summons, the declaration of love, being taken away, the trial, and the forgiveness on both sides. Loki was slowly realizing that he may have more people that cared about him on Asgard than he cared to admit to himself. Loki wiped away his tears. It wasn’t like him to let emotion take over, and quite frankly, he wasn’t all that comfortable with it.

A distraction. That’s what he needed. He pulled out the mirror that Frigga had gifted him. “I would like to see my love.” The request was barely vocalized, but the mirror compiled without hesitation. Loki couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips and the ease upon his heart.

You were hunched over your workspace in the shared lab. From the looks of it, you were several hours into a new project - some kind of alteration to the Iron Man suit. Loki stifled a chuckle as he realized you were doing the exact same thing he was. Distracting yourself. His fingers traced carefully over the image of your face. “Don’t worry, love. I’m coming back to you,” he promised.

Chapter Text

You paced nervously outside of the operating room. You had given the new arm to Bucky and explained that its corresponding base would need to be surgically placed in order for it to function properly. Despite all of your anxieties over the unprompted gift, Bucky had been beyond grateful for it. Especially coming from you, the daughter of the couple he killed. But you didn’t blame Bucky - it was mind control. Hydra was solely to blame.

“He’s gonna be okay.” Steve was doing his best to comfort you, but you knew he was just as nervous as you were. Bucky was his best friend from before the ice. His brother.

You sighed. “I know. It’s just… if this goes wrong, I feel like it's on me. I designed the arm, I made him have the surgery. And we don’t have any magic users currently on hand in case this goes wrong.” You fwumped down into the seat next to Steve. He gave you an understanding smile and put a hand on your shoulder.

“You didn’t make him do anything. If I know Bucky at all, this is going to do worlds in terms of helping him heal,” Steve said.

Both of your heads whipped up when the door opened. Bucky was unconscious being wheeled out on a bed, obviously being taken to the recovery room a bit down the hall. As much as you would never admit it to him, Tony really had the right idea when it came to putting a miniature hospital in the tower. You had used it when you were burned and Bucky definitely didn’t need the added stress of being in a new place right now. Not to mention it was used constantly after missions.

The doctor followed behind a moment later. She was startled with how fast you and Steve cornered her, but she shook it off a moment later. “Replacing the base for the prosthetic was a complete success,” she said with a smile. “I am expecting Sergeant Barnes to make a full recovery, and you can attach the full prosthetic in one week.” Really the doctor should be the one to attach a prosthetic for the first time, but this was Stark technology and you knew it better than anyone. And she could be there to observe the whole time.

You felt the tension leave your body at the news. Steve thanked her profusely and left to go sit by Bucky’s bedside till he woke. You thanked the doctor as well, but instead went to the elevator. You punched the button for the main living area and rode in silence, trying to convince yourself not to spiral despite the good news you had just received.

It had been just over a week since Loki and Thor were called to Asgard. You had managed to distract yourself working on Bucky’s new arm, training more than ever with Nat, and cleaning every inch of the tower you could get your hands on, but you wouldn’t be able to last much longer. Fear for Loki’s safety and wellbeing was eating away at you.

Not to mention, the last thing you told Loki was that you loved him, and you have no idea how he took it.

You knew that Loki loved you back, his actions said that plainly, but you didn’t know if he had admitted it to himself yet. The last thing you wanted was to scare him away. If he came back and told you that he didn’t want to pursue a romantic relationship, you would respect it. Anything to keep your best friend in your life.

Tony was in the kitchen when you got there, combing through the fridge to see what all ingredients were left. “You could do meatball subs, I think the ground beef is about to go bad,” you suggested, assuming that he was looking to start dinner.

A grunt of acknowledgement told you that your assumption was correct. A moment later Tony returned from the depths of the fridge with ground beef, sauce, and cheese. You watched as he made the meatballs and started to brown them. And tried not to spiral. Tony sighed.

“Cut,” he said as he placed a pile of hoagie rolls and a knife in front of you.

“Thank you.”

You took the knife and dutifully began cutting the hoagies open. “I’m sure he’s okay,” Tony said from the stove. “For all that he pisses me off, the guy is a god, and a damn crafty one too. If anyone can talk their way out of whatever this mess on Asgard is, it’s him.”

You couldn’t help the small smile that spread across your lips. “I know you’re not Loki’s biggest fan,” you began.

“True.”

“But it means a lot to me that you’re trying to be nice. Even if you only started being nice after he left the realm,” you teased. It really did mean the world to you that Tony was trying to put old grievances aside.

Tony took the cut rolls from you and laid them out on a baking tray, layering on meatballs, sauce, and cheese before putting everything in the oven. “I’m starting to see what Loki means to you,” Tony said, turning back to you. “Even if I don’t understand it, I trust you enough to know that whoever you choose to be in your life - in any capacity - is clearly someone worth a damn.”

Tony was engulfed in a hug before he had time to process what was going on. You knew about his trauma, his personal stake in this. Tony had been alone in Stark Tower with evil Loki during the invasion, with no suit and no backup other than his wit. You were asking a lot of your older brother, and you would be forever grateful to him.

“Alright there, don’t start crying on this, it's cashmere,” Tony said softly. He wouldn’t actually push you away, but you could respect his request for space.

“I want homemade fries,” you demanded with a smile.

“Homemade fries… I can do that. Now go annoy someone else, I have a meal to finish.” He made a shooing motion with his hands and you retreated back to the elevator, intent on showering and getting into your comfies before dinner.

You spared a glance at Loki’s door down the hall when you got back upstairs, but headed into your own room with a sigh.

The roses Loki had gotten you the night you had a rooftop picnic were still sitting on your nightstand, fresh as the day they had been cut. It gave you a bit of hope - surely if something had happened to Loki, his magic maintaining them would dissipate. Since the roses were okay, you had to trust that Loki was okay. Momentarily reassured, you focused back on your task.

Which went smoothly until everyone saw the flash of the bifrost glow through the windows at dinner.

You were the first one out of your seat, your heart in your throat, bypassing the elevator to sprint up the stairs to the roof. You had to see. You had to know if Loki was okay.

You burst through the doors, shivering slightly in the cool night air. You saw Thor first, the red of his cape immediately catching your eye. His gaze raked over your face before he stepped to the side. And then you saw him.

Loki was there, safe and sound.

You couldn’t have stopped yourself if you wanted to as you ran forward and launched yourself into his arms. Loki’s eyes held the tiniest bit of surprise at your actions before everything was overtaken with joy. Your arms were clamped around Loki’s shoulders as he used your momentum to pick you up and swing you around. It was only once your feet were safely on the ground once more that you pulled back at all–

Only to be pulled in once more as Loki connected your lips to his own.

You melted into the kiss, hands immediately resting around his shoulders and buried in his hair respectively. One of Loki’s hands found its way to your waist while the other cupped your jaw in a mixture of gentleness and need. Loki had missed you just as much as you missed him. His lips were cool and soft as they pressed against yours. Both your lips and his danced together as several months of buried feelings burst to the surface. You only dared pull back once your lungs were burning for air.

Loki was all smiles and small kisses, peppering your face with them as you caught your breath. His other hand came up to join the first on your jaw, pulling you in for one more real kiss before both hands dropped back to your waist. And then Loki’s silky voice reached your ears.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Text

You pulled Loki in for another kiss, unable to share your feelings with him any other way in that very moment. Loki smiled into the kiss, completely giving into your pull and wrapping his arms all the way around your waist. You loved Loki and he loved you back. It was perfect.

At least, until the rest of the team finally piled onto the roof. You tried to ignore them, but eventually Clint’s feigned retching noises pulled your attention away from what was quickly becoming one of your favorite activities. You glared non threateningly at the offending archer and chose to overlook the money that was passing from Natasha to Bruce.

“Can you two please go get a room,” Tony said with an eyeroll.

“Hm… we do have two to choose from,” you mused, “And I can definitely think of more enjoyable things to do there than standing here facing ridicule from you all…”

“Ew! Nope! Point taken, I do not need to know what my little sister does when I’m not around!” Tony covered both his ears and turned on a heel to go back downstairs. You laughed a true belly laugh at that and even Loki smirked, despite the light blush covering his cheeks at being caught in such a vulnerable position. In front of Thor was one thing, in front of the others was something entirely different.

“Alright, jokes over. Thor, Loki - downstairs. I want to know what was so urgent back on Asgard.” Steve brought the entire conversation back to reality.

The team threw out ‘welcome back’s and ‘glad you’re safe’s to Thor and Loki as they headed back downstairs for the briefing, and Thor clapped you on the shoulder before heading down himself, simultaneously giving you and Loki a moment to yourselves.

You gave Loki a small peck on his jaw. “I’m glad you’re home safe and sound,” you told him.

He caught your chin between his fingers and angled you for a proper kiss. Quick and chaste, but perfectly memorable nonetheless. “I missed you, too, love,” he said earnestly. “Although I truly do not want to deal with my brother’s friends at this moment,” he sighed.

You smiled, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the door. “Come on, Lo, just a quick debrief to keep Steve in the loop and Thor can do most of the talking. Then we can cuddle together and catch up in detail.” Loki let himself be dragged, surrendering to you completely.

The team was already settled into all their usual chairs and couches by the time you both got down there. You plopped Loki on your couch before heading into the kitchen. You quickly put together two plates with the leftovers that had been abandoned at the sight of bifrost lights, bringing them back out to the living room area and handing them off to the Asgardians.

Thor and Loki took turns explaining and eating as they recounted their summons. Thor explained that Odin did not believe Loki was doing enough to serve penance on Earth, and that essentially Loki’s probation had become stricter and this would be his last chance. Loki needed to start going on missions, and he needed to start going on them now.

“The Allfather then proceeded to delay our return as long as he could for his own petty sense of control,” Loki added. “Between the useless legislative documents he suddenly needed my idiot brother’s opinion on and insisting to Mother that the changes she made to the restrictions on my magic needed to be double and triple checked, this was the soonest we could get back.”

The group lapsed into silence as the story was completed. You were pretty pissed off. Everything Odin had done was to toy with Loki and show him that Odin still had power over his life. It was unfair and unjust, but you had to play by Odin’s rules for now. That didn’t mean you had to like it.

“Thank you for updating us,” Steve said. “Loki, from here on out, you will be an active teammate when we get called in. I am choosing to trust you, don’t make me regret it.”

No one else would be able to tell, except maybe Thor, but you saw Loki’s surprise at being accepted. You could tell he still thought that when push came to shove, the team would throw Loki flat out on his ass. “Thank you,” Loki said after some hesitance. “I won’t.”

The meeting was over after that, and you went to grab the dirty dishes, but they disappeared in a flash. You smiled and shook your head. “Loki, I am perfectly capable of putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher.”

“And I am perfectly capable of cleaning them and putting them away with much less effort,” he replied in kind. And you couldn’t argue with that kind of logic. “I am also capable of doing this.”

He pulled you into his lap and a flash of green later you were both in his bed. You smiled from your position straddling his lap as he leaned back into a pile of pillows. “Mischievous scamp,” you teased.

“Obstinate Lady,” he shot back. And then your lips were on his again.

You stayed like that for who knows how long, passing kisses back and forth and both sets of hands exploring above the belt absentmindedly. This was definitely your new favorite activity. Finally, you sat back on Loki’s legs, hands lollygagging on his chest. “Are you really okay?” you asked Loki earnestly. “Truth only.”

Loki sighed, letting his head fall back against the pillows. “I expected it to be a lot worse,” he finally said. “I truly was not sure if I was going to make it back to you. It is only because of Thor that I was able to return at all, I am in his debt - although do not tell him I said that.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“It was nice to see Mother again,” Loki mused a few moments later. “And despite the einherjar constantly failing to keep me from noticing that they were following my every step, being in Asgard outside of my cell was not entirely miserable. Especially not when I had moments to check up on you.”

“Check up on me?” you asked. Loki’s magic was bound by what you recently found out was Frigga herself. You had no clue how he was able to check on you without full access to his magic.

Loki removed one of his hands from where it had woven itself with yours and a moment later he was holding a beautiful golden mirror. “A gift from Mother,” he explained. “She placed a scrying spell on it - just say what it is you would like to see.”

You thought for a moment. “I would like to see Bucky, please.”

Golden magic swirled on the glass of the mirror before the image settled. You could tell Bucky was still on the hospital level, but he seemed to be sleeping peacefully and you couldn’t see any kind of inflammation or signs of rejection around the edges of the newly installed prosthetic base. “Now that is a handy little tool,” you said.

“It certainly helped to keep me sane this past week,” Loki agreed. “But I swear I did not abuse this ability. There are things that I would never wish to see unless you choose to show me and I never want you to think that I would invade your privacy. That is why I wanted to tell you about the mirror sooner rather than later.” He flipped it around and pressed the handle into your palm. “It belongs to you now.”

“Oh, Loki,” you leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against the tip of his nose. “I trust you. Gifting me this mirror or not - I trust you always.”

Your heart broke slightly at the shock that was clearly spelled out across Loki’s face. Despite all the time you two had spent together, despite your confessed love, he still didn’t realize just how much you cared for him and trusted him completely. “Show me the person who I have complete and utter faith in. Who I would trust with my life without a second thought.”

You turned the mirror around, allowing Loki to see himself in the reflection.

“I love you, Loki. For now and for always.”

One hand took the mirror from you to place on the nightstand while the other came up to gently grip your jaw and pull your lips towards his. You didn’t know what time you ended up going to sleep that night, but you did know there was no place you would rather be than Loki’s arms.

Chapter Text

You honestly should’ve seen it coming. But when Bucky wandered into the living room a couple days later while you and Loki were watching a movie, you weren’t in the least bit surprised when Loki was immediately on his feet, daggers in hand. Although he wasn’t in full battle armor. Progress!

“Loki, it’s okay.” You placed a hand on his forearm, urging him to get rid of the knife. “Sergeant Barnes is a friend. And only a friend,” you added that last part before Loki’s jealous side could flare.

Loki glanced quickly between you and Bucky, but seeing how at ease you were, he vanished the dagger and reclaimed his spot on the couch. You gave him a peck on the tip of his nose before getting up to check on Bucky. “Hey there, Doctor Stark - it is Doctor, right?” Bucky greeted you, shaking off the adrenaline spike that came with an angry god in the room.

“Congratulations, most people don’t look past the ‘adoptive sister of Tony Stark’ far enough to see the PhDs I earned for myself,” you said with a smile. “But I am going to insist you drop the formalities. No official business once I walk through the doors of this tower.”

Bucky cracked a smile. “Well then that’s my bargaining chip. I drop formalities if you do - deal?” He held out his right hand, which you took firmly, completing the deal with a solid shake. “I just wanted to see a bit more of where I’ve been told I’m going to be living,” Bucky explained, “and thank you if I managed to run into you.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for,” you insisted. Your eyes simultaneously darted over to his left shoulder. There was no longer an angry scar running along the seam of metal and skin, and the wound seemed to be healing well in the two days since surgery. Luckily, the Avengers had access to the best medical equipment and staff around, and Bucky would be completely healed by the time you were allowed to attach the rest of the prosthetic arm.

“Bull,” Bucky said with an eye roll. “Designing this was no easy feat, I know it’s not your specialty. I had also been living with the old one for so long, I hadn’t realized how much physical pain it was causing me. I feel almost new with this.”

You smiled, pulling Bucky in for a lopsided hug so you wouldn’t bump the healing prosthetic base. “I’m just happy I could help.”

Loki cleared his throat loudly from across the room.

You sighed, but weren’t actually upset. “I suppose introductions are overdue!”

You turned to Loki. “Lo, please meet Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. World War II hero, supersoldier, and newly rescued prisoner from Hydra’s control. Redesigning and refitting his prosthetic arm helped keep me sane while I was worrying over you.” You turned back to Bucky. “And this is Prince Loki Odinson of Asgard, god of mischief, chaos, and lies. He is also newly rescued from his own kind of prison - this is the face to the name I’ve been telling you about for the past week or so.” You added that part both for context on Bucky’s behalf and reassuring Loki that you hadn’t been replacing him.

He knew you loved him, but it never hurt to reaffirm that fact.

Loki stood swiftly and crossed to where you were standing, holding his hand out for Bucky to shake. “Thank you for taking care of her when I couldn’t,” Loki said.

“She did more taking care of me, but it’s nice to finally meet the man I had to hear about near constantly for a week straight,” Bucky joked in reply as he shook Loki’s hand. You could sense the tension leave Loki’s body as Bucky essentially told Loki that he had no intentions towards you.

“Ah, look at you boys, playing so nicely,” you teased. You grabbed Loki’s free hand and led him back to where you had been previously sitting. “Bucky, you’re welcome to stay, but I’m not restarting the movie.”

Bucky chuckled. “Thanks for the invite, but I’m going to pass this time. I want to finish getting my bearings and I think that boyfriend of yours needs to talk to you.” You twisted your head around to look at Loki, who was looking back at you intently, clearly wanting to discuss Bucky once he had gone. “I’ll see you later, doll,” and Bucky ducked back out of the living room.

You grabbed the remote and paused the movie once you were sure Bucky was safely in the elevator. “The night before you were called to Asgard… I came to you and told you the truth about my parents’ deaths and that the man who killed them was in custody, remember?” Loki nodded. “That was the man. But before you get all avenger-y!” You pressed your hands onto Loki’s shoulders to physically stop him from getting up. “It was mind control. Bucky was just the weapon that Hydra used. We spent a lot of time together while I was making him a new arm - he’s become a really good friend of mine.”

You could feel Loki relax beneath your hands. He knew a thing or two about mind control.

“And Hydra… I’m assuming you don’t mean the multi-headed beast?” Loki cocked his head slightly.

You chuckled. “I wish - I honestly think it would be easier to deal with. Hydra is an organization that’s been around at least since at least World War II. Steve thought he had pretty much put an end to it when he went into the ice, but no matter what the team does, it always manages to show up again. There’s a reason they named themselves after the creature that grows two more heads when one gets chopped off.”

Loki wrapped an arm around you and pulled you in to press a kiss onto the crown of your head. You could tell he was mulling over all the new information, but at least he didn’t seem to think Bucky was a threat.

At some point Clint came down to the kitchen, and the rest of the team trickled in, lured by the smell of dinner. You all ate together, as was typical, but you noticed all of them trying to make an effort to more actively include Loki. Each time he was directly addressed, you felt him shift in surprise next to you - poor god didn’t realize that when Steve said Loki had his trust, it meant he had the entire team’s trust, in the heat of battle and out.

You were simply happy your family was finally accepting Loki like you had.

Okay, maybe not exactly like you had. Because when you went to bed that night pulled safely to Loki’s chest, you knew you never wanted anyone to be in that spot but you again.

Chapter Text

“Suit up.”

That was all the instruction that had been thrown your and Loki’s way the next day. You knew that Loki was going to be on active duty now, but you couldn’t help but glare a bit at Steve’s back as he went to gather the rest of the team. You hated when your people were in danger. Especially while you were still benched for some unknown reason.

Loki kissed the top of your head, beginning the process of extracting himself from your cuddle pile on the couch. You sighed, putting the journal you and Loki had been reading aside and allowing him to get up fully. “You promise me you’ll stay safe?” you prompted.

“Of course, darling,” Loki replied automatically.

“And keep an eye on the rest of the team?”

“Of course, darling.”

“Including our idiot brothers?”

Loki pulled you in for a hug, his chest rumbling slightly as he chuckled. “I swear that I will do my absolute best to keep everyone alive and in enough of one piece to enjoy whatever confectionary treat you have ready for us upon our return.”

You smiled, pulling Loki down far enough to kiss the tip of his nose. “Thank you, Lo,” you teased and let him go. A moment later and his battle armor shimmered into place. Loki graciously waited as you triple checked all of his hidden dagger sheaths he had shown you, knowing you wouldn’t let him go till you were satisfied.

You both knew that last bit was hyperbole - Loki was highly trained and deadlier than anyone you knew. He had a job to do and you certainly weren’t going to stand in his way, you trusted and respected him too much to try and stop him from clearing his name and proving himself. But he still allowed you to dote on him anyway, which you appreciated.

“Okay, you’re ready,” you said once you had completed your checks.

“Not quite, I’m missing one thing.” Before you could question it, Loki had cradled your head in his hand and wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you in for a breathtaking kiss. You were honestly a bit dazed when you came out of it. Loki smirked. “Now I’m ready.”

You scoffed, lightly hitting him in the chest. “Mischievous scamp!”

Loki allowed your blow to send him back down onto the couch. He clutched his chest dramatically and threw his head back. “I’ve been wounded! I must remain here under the careful watch of my Lady.”

“Your Lady isn’t going to watch a damn thing. Not while you’re being a tease.” You tried to feign anger, but your overdramatic Loki had an uncanny ability to always put a smile on your face.

Loki’s gaze darkened almost imperceptibly. His head tilted forward and he shifted so his lap was open. “I would never dare leave a Lady wanting,” he said, voice dripping with honey. You were half tempted to take him up on his obvious offer.

“You have a battle to go and fight,” you finally said.

You cursed yourself for caring about the greater good.

“She’s right. Stop eye fucking each other in the living room,” Natasha piped up from by the elevators. You couldn’t help but laugh, and even Loki had less of a blush than he typically did when caught actively flirting with you. “Come on, lovebirds, we’re heading out now.”

You and Loki followed obediently into the elevator and up to the roof where the quinjet was waiting. The rest of the team was already assembled.

“Where’s your suit?”

It took you a minute to realize that Steve’s question was aimed at you. You looked down at the sweatpants and tank top you were wearing. “Um… pretty sure I’m all suited up to work in the lab while you go test your mortality,” you joked.

Steve sighed, turning towards the quinjet. “Stark, get her suited before we’re in the thick of battle.”

Your gaze flickered over to Tony quizzically. He absentmindedly tossed you a thin metal band. “Consider it an early birthday present,” he said as he boarded the jet.

You studied the band. It was about an inch wide and thin as a sheet of paper. There was a single clasp in the back, countered perfectly by the gemstone centered on the front. Your birthstone. You let your fingers trace over the two parallel lines that ran the length of the necklace above and below the stone.

“It’s a nanotech suit,” Tony called from inside the jet. “Put it on and get your ass in here. It's high time you were on active duty, too.”

Your eyes went wide as you processed the information. A heartbeat later and you were racing towards the jet, a grin spread wide across your face. Loki was right behind you, reveling in your joy. Four years you had been out of school and ready to fight. Four years of combat training and studying battle stats and wanting to be out there protecting the earth with the rest of your family. You were beyond ready for this.

“Loki?” You held out the necklace to him once everyone was actually in the quinjet. He took it carefully and you pulled your hair to the side. A moment later and the cool metal was resting just above your collarbone. “How do I activate it?”

“Double tap the stone in the center,” Tony instructed. “Then you’ll be able to access helmet controls from the gauntlet - Jarvis will be patched in and able to help you once the helmet is on.”

You turned to the mirror in the back of the jet. It had been added as a joke by Clint, who teased that Tony couldn't be away from his own reflection that long, but you definitely weren’t upset it was here now. You took a steadying breath and double tapped the stone.

Metal traveled out and down from the edge of the necklace. You watched as it flowed smoothly over the contours of your body - silver base layers first to form the mechanics and inner workings of the suit, followed quickly by the suit’s protective outer layer. Barely three seconds later and you were wearing your own iron man armor. Yours was a dark green color, like that of a fern. And upon closer inspection, you realized that along with the necessary grooves of the armor itself, there were also etchings of vines intertwined with the silver and gold accents. It was beautiful.

A massive smile broke out across your face as you twirled. It was beyond perfect. A light flashed on your nondominant arm and you were able to quickly pull up helmet controls from a projected screen. Once you had activated your helmet, the look was complete. And you were practically on cloud nine.

You raced over to Tony and attacked him with a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Hey, cool it!” he squeaked. “You’ll damage both our suits, and I prefer mine to be at full functioning capacity when I’m going into mortal danger.” You let go and gave Tony a quick once over to make sure you hadn’t crushed anything - super strength in the suit was going to take a bit of getting used to. “But I’m glad you like it. I think everyone here can agree that it was long overdue,” Tony added.

“Careful, it almost sounded like you were going to apologize,” you teased. Tony just rolled his eyes and put his own helmet on.

“Alright team,” Steve gathered everyone’s attention except for Natasha, who was busy flying the ship. “We don’t know exactly what we’re up against. All we know for sure is that there aren't any enhanced - make sure they get a chance to turn themselves in, then use your best judgment. Thor and Loki, you’re our heaviest hitters. Keep as much of their attention on yourselves as you can. Iron Man and Hawkeye, you’re on perimeter - don’t let any of them escape. The rest of us are support and crowd control. Always choose a citizen’s life over getting your guy.”

Everyone nodded and you could feel the shift in the air as the jet approached the battle. As ready as you were to be fighting on the front lines with the rest of the team, you were also painfully aware of your limited field experience. But you would trust in your training and trust in your team. It was time to be one of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

Black Widow touched down a few blocks away so that Bruce could wait safely away from the fight unless absolutely necessary, and the team dove out the back and ran towards the action. Loki caught your hand before you could follow. “You promise me you’ll stay safe?” You deactivated your helmet and pulled him in for a kiss.

“I promise.”

And you both raced to the fight.

It was more chaotic than you anticipated.

When you had fought the fire enhanced asshole at Stark Industries, you were essentially one on one. Now you had terrified civilians to deal with. You got yourself a running start before launching into the air. The enemy was easy to spot - all of them had a red Hydra logo plastered on the left sides of their breastplates. “Jarvis, track as many as you can.”

“Yes, miss.”

Then you switched your attention to the task Cap assigned you - crowd control. There was a bus flipped over in the middle of the intersection. You sighed. There was always a bus full of civilians in the middle of a battle. It was like some kind of cosmic joke.

You landed next to the middle doors, prying them open. People flooded out and suddenly Cap and Black Widow were there, leading them into the subways and out of direct danger. With them safe, you took back to the skies.

Thor and Loki were doing an excellent job at keeping the majority of the fight centralized just a block away. You could see Black Widow getting the last of the civilians off the street and to safety, and Cap was running to join the two gods in the center. You shifted your trajectory to follow him.

“Need a lift?” Cap held up his hand without even checking to see who exactly you were and you grabbed hold of it, giving him a boost to the main fight.

You circled in the air, burning a circle around the street to shrink the perimeter - Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Black Widow could take care of whoever wasn’t trapped. You fought from above, shooting repulsor blasts and keeping the enemy contained. This was Hydra. They didn’t need an opportunity to surrender.

You felt as anger started to harden your heart. These were the people who had killed your parents and tortured one of your best friends. Who knew how many countless others they had hurt.

Jarvis’ tracking program made your job easy while you continued your assault. Red flashed across your vision as Jarvis warned you of dwindling power. You didn’t care. You switched to hand to hand - the suit was streamlined enough that it was practically the same as fighting without it. You used the nanotech to turn excess armor into blades. You took down agent after agent.

You tossed your knife into a backhand grip, swinging your entire body to take down the next. Expert hands disarmed you and held you tight so that you couldn’t move. You thrashed, kicking your legs and throwing back your head.

You had to keep fighting.

You had to save them.

“(Y/N)!” A silky voice reached your ears, laced with worry. “(Y/N), the battle is won! You did your duty, it’s time to rest.” The blood rushing in your ears started to quiet. Slowly, reality came back into focus. Loki was behind you, his arms tight around you as he held you in place. Thor was not far off, his concern evident, and Clint and Natasha were carefully approaching where you stood. Tony did not have the same reservations.

He landed harshly a few feet away and ran straight up to you, shouting an order for Jarvis to deactivate your helmet. Tears had clearly been running down your face, although you hadn’t even recognized it. “Are you okay? What happened?” Tony demanded.

Exhaustion started to weigh heavy on your body. You turned to face Loki and buried your face in his chest, arms wrapping loosely around him. “I’m okay,” you were able to mumble loud enough for your brother to hear.

Tony’s voice sounded behind you. “Get her home.” Loki gathered you carefully in his arms and a heartbeat later you were both in your bed back at the tower. He carefully reached up towards your neck, giving you plenty of time to register that his hand was there, and deactivated your armor.

Loki let you sit silently tucked up against his side for probably longer than you deserved. “Are you okay, darling?” he finally asked. “Truth only.”

You hesitated. “I… I don’t know what just happened. I know it was me, but I didn’t feel in control. Did…” you hated to suggest it. “Did something happen to my suit?”

Loki sighed. If you truly didn’t know what happened, he would explain it to you. “No, my love, what happened to you is an affliction that happens to all warriors at one time or another. It was unfortunate that it struck during your first battle.” He shifted, pulling you more directly into his lap and running his fingers absentmindedly through your hair.

“I’m not sure there is an English equivalent for the word, but essentially you fell into a specific kind of bloodlust.” Loki switched to Asgardian and spoke a word you didn’t understand. “I recognized the sigil on their uniforms - these were Hydra fighters. This battle immediately became personal for you and I should’ve told someone to get you away from the fight.” He paused for a moment to take a breath - your safety, physical and emotional, were Loki’s priority and he had failed to take care of you. “When a warrior has a personal stake in the battle, it becomes too easy for the need for revenge to take root. Any other thoughts leave the mind, killing becomes the only motive.”

“But Tony was there, too,” you protested, “He didn’t have the same reaction I did and he has the same personal stake.”

“Stark fell victim to his bloodlust when he initially found out about your parents. He let it run its course as he attacked Rogers,” Loki explained. You blinked back your surprise. But the more Loki explained, the more it made sense. Tony had experienced the same reaction as you, he had just already beaten it into submission.

“How do I make sure it doesn’t happen again?” You sat straight up. You couldn’t lose control like that a second time.

Loki pulled you in and pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. “I’m fairly confident that you’ve already gotten most of it out of your system, so to speak. You’re aware of the feeling now, so you can recognize its onset, and I swear that I will not allow you to go that far again.”

You shook your head. “It shouldn’t be your responsibility to keep me in check like that. Especially if we’re mid-fight and you need to also be paying attention to a million other things at the same time. We’re a team, the two of us. We support each other and will do our best to take care of each other, but we cannot be dependent on the other to keep our morality. I’ll do some research, learn some coping techniques, and I’ll be ready to bench myself if I think it’s the best move.”

Loki smiled, snuggling down into the pillows and pulling you with him. “What did I do to get the honor of being at your side, my darling warrior?” You stretched up, kissing him along his jaw.

“You let me love you.”

Chapter Text

The rest of the team was, understandably, concerned for you over the next few days. But many reassurances and a pecan pie eventually put them at ease and they resigned themselves to just promising to keep an eye on you the next time everyone was called out.

There was the inevitable press conference to introduce both you and Loki as official members of the team, and to convince the public that Loki really was on their side and he was going to protect them just as much as the rest of the team did. It went shockingly well. Which may have been aided by the fact that you were playing up the ‘doting girlfriend’ angle quite a bit and Loki could never say no to you.

But life continued fairly uneventfully. You were getting back into regular training sessions - especially with your new armor - and working in the lab again. And you were counting down the last few days until you could attach Bucky’s new arm. It had finally been a week since his surgery.

The doctor did a quick checkup to make sure that Bucky was healed enough for the new prosthetic - he was - and then stepped aside to let you work. She would stay to supervise, but this arm was unlike any prosthetics she was used to working with, and you had designed the damn thing, so you both agreed you would be the one to put it on for the first time.

Bucky sat on the edge of the exam table, looking at you expectantly. Beside him lay the brand new arm. It was a dark gray color - much darker than his original silver - with blue detailing running along the ridges of the metal. You had chosen the same blue as Steve’s original Captain America uniform. It was a comforting color for Bucky and wasn’t prominent enough that it would clash with anything he might wear.

You picked up the arm and studied the locking mechanism for a final check; everything looked correct. “You ready for this?” you asked Bucky.

He smiled. “Been ready for about fifty years,” he laughed.

You disinfected both the arm and the base and lined up the mechanisms. “Lean in,” you instructed. Between Bucky pressing into the arm itself on one side and you holding it up on the other, you were able to free one hand to quickly punch a series of hidden buttons along the edge. Almost silent mechanics whirled into place and Bucky winced. “Sorry! I forgot to remind you about the nerve ends connecting!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Bucky reassured you. “It was just a little pinch - I’ve dealt with worse.”

You nodded, allowing yourself to be reassured. It took just another moment for the last of the locks to engage, and then it was done. You slowly took your hand away from Bucky’s shoulder. “How does it feel?”

You watched as Bucky rolled his left shoulder, getting used to the new mechanics. “It feels… good.” He curled his fingers in and out of a fist repeatedly. “Really good. It almost feels natural.” You broke into a smile.

“Excellent! Just let me run a few diagnostics…” You grabbed a nearby tablet and opened a port on the inside of Bucky’s wrist. Connecting the tablet, you were able to have Jarvis run a complete scan to make sure that bio matter and metal were integrating smoothly. You also showed Bucky how to detach his arm and all the necessary access points along the limb. “I don’t like sending you out into the world with weak spots, but having these will make it much easier to repair and upgrade as needed,” you explained.

“It’s perfect, doll.” Bucky caught your gaze. “Truly. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Bucky. It was nothing.”

“One of these days you’re going to have to acknowledge all the good you do for those around you,” Bucky sighed. “But I know today isn’t gonna be that day.”

You just smiled and unplugged your tablet. “Diagnostics gave the all clear. As soon as the doctor here says you’re good to go, you better find Steve to let him see that everything went smoothly.” Both of you glanced back at where the doctor had been silently observing and she gave a quick nod. “I’ll see you later - don’t break that arm too quickly now.”

“No promises!” Bucky teased as he hopped off the table, and then he was out the door to go look for Steve. You thanked the doctor for her work and set off to find your wayward god.

Not that it was a hard search.

With barely a knock to announce your presence, you burst into Loki’s room. He was sitting on his bed, as expected, with his nose halfway through a book. His arm lifted automatically at your intrusion and you quickly cuddled up underneath it as he pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. You adjusted so that you could see what he was reading.

“This is my journal,” you observed.

“Darling warrior, you said that I could read them,” Loki responded without breaking his concentration.

“This is my current journal,” you clarified. “The one I keep in the lab which you should not have access to.” You saw Loki’s gaze jump from the sentence he was on to the top edge of the journal. There it was.

“Ah… about that-”

“Don’t worry, scamp, I won’t turn you in.” You placed a kiss on his jaw. “Honestly it wouldn’t hurt to hear your thoughts on the most current stuff.”

Loki put the journal to the side and wrapped his arms around you. You squealed as in one fluid movement he flipped you onto your back, still cradled in his lap. You grabbed the collar of Loki’s shirt, pulling him down for proper kisses.

“If you went through all the trouble of stealing my journal, you can at least tell me what you think about my work,” you finally said after releasing Loki many kisses later.

He immediately leaned back down. “Or we could just continue this wonderful activity.”

“Nope!” You scrambled back with a giggle, putting several feet between the two of you. “You’ve got me in science mode now. No more kisses until you tell me.”

Loki scowled. “We both know if I entertain this whim of yours I will not be getting any more kisses. You’ll just want to work in the lab.”

You crawled forward once more, pecking Loki on the tip of his nose. “I promise. Any insight you have will be rewarded.” After a moment of hesitation, Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. He never could say no to you.

“Your focus on runes is interesting,” Loki began. He picked up your journal once more and leafed to the page where you had taped the picture of his wrist. Isaz, Naudiz, and Ingwaz were all carefully documented and annotated. “You’ve almost gotten these figured out - they were placed on my skin by the Allmother to heavily limit my magic while I was relatively unsupervised. Since my last trip to Asgard, they have changed.”

He put down the journal and passed one hand over the inside of his wrist. In addition to the original three, two more glowed gold against his skin. You took your journal back and copied them down. “Ansuz and Teiwaz. God and Warrior,” Loki read them aloud. “They allow me almost full access to my seidr. But the most interesting part of this little experiment is that.”

You looked up from the fading runes on Loki’s wrist to follow his gaze down to the open page in your lap. The freshly copied runes had the faintest silver glow to them - it was so dim you wouldn’t have been able to see it had you not been in Loki’s poorly lit bedroom.

“They still hold their power, despite not having active magical intent behind them,” Loki mused. “And that is something I think may be worth looking into.”

Your brain was racing at a million miles a minute and you absolutely loved it. You practically leapt from the bed. “Thank you, Loki! I love you!” you tossed the words to Loki as you ran out the door.

Loki sighed, but he couldn’t stop the smile from forming as he stared at the space you had just been. “I knew I wasn’t going to get any more kisses.”

Chapter Text

“How long have you been in here?” A voice sounded from vaguely behind you. You ignored it, opting instead to focus back on your microscope. You had blocked off all outside light around the stage so that you could properly see the dim glow off of the paper you were studying. “Kid, come on. You need to take a break.”

You squeaked as your chair was pulled away from the table. Stupid wheely chairs. You were able to identify the voice as Bruce spun you around to face him. His eyes raked over your face as he took in your appearance. “You should go upstairs and sleep,” he sighed. His gaze darted back to see the pile of clementine peels next to your workstation. “And eat a real meal.”

“I’m fine, Bruce,” you insisted as you weaseled your chair out of his grasp. “There are just a couple more experiments I want to do before calling it a night.”

“It’s almost noon.”

Ah, that would explain why your eyes felt so heavy. You had been locked in the lab for about twenty hours. You shrugged. “Before calling it an afternoon, then. I’m almost done, I swear.”

You heard Bruce mumble something about stubborn Starks and not knowing how to take care of themselves as he turned to leave, but you were too focused on the task at hand.

As soon as Bruce had cleared the door, you asked Jarvis to dim the lights. It was almost pitch black, but you kept just enough light to see what you were doing. Taking a pen and a loose sheet of paper, you carefully wrote down one rune. Kaunaz. Fire.

The rune glowed silver and a heartbeat later, the edges of the markings were singed.

“Shit!” Despite your exhaustion, your heart leapt in your chest. The magic was working even when coming from a non magical being. This opened a flood of questions - where was the power coming from? Did this mean that Earth was an inherently magical world? How many runes would show physical manifestations? Was it just norse runes, or would others work? What would happen if you combined-

“That is quite the discovery, darling warrior.”

You screeched, whipping around and throwing out a fist before you could even register Loki was behind you. You could barely see in the limited light, but he caught your hand easily and quickly changed his hold to cradle it rather than contain. Your mind caught up with you a heartbeat later. “Loki! I am so sorry, I didn’t hear you come in!”

“Now, now. Who am I to judge a lady for defending herself against a supposed intruder? Your overall form was excellent, however you should twist your hips more for maximum impact,” he critiqued.

You shook your head, starting to turn back to your work. Loki could stay and observe, he would know better than to interrupt you.

“Alright, none of that.” Suddenly you were being scooped into the air and cradled against Loki’s chest bridal style. “You are overworking yourself, and I seem to recall being told that if I gave you my input, I would receive kisses. And here I am, having received not a single kiss.” He looked down at you disapprovingly. “It is not good to lie to the god of lies.”

You squirmed, trying your absolute hardest to free yourself. It was no use. No matter how you twisted your body, Loki kept you in an ironclad grip. There was nothing you could do. You collapsed back into Loki’s arms with a grumble, folding your own arms across your chest.

“I only said you would be rewarded,” you pouted. “And I never said when.”

Loki laughed, his chest rumbling against you as he did. “I suppose you did. Next time I’ll make sure you clarify.”

“Does this mean I can get back to work?”

“No,” Loki said without any room for argument. Which was only proven when he exited the lab with you still in his arms. He clearly didn’t trust you to not run back to your station. He was right. “Obstinate ladies need to be taken to bed.”

“I thought I was your ‘darling warrior’ now?” you teased, stifling a yawn.

Loki mulled it over. “Depends on the moment,” he decided. “You get to be my darling warrior when you are being particularly brilliant or courageous. You return to obstinate lady when I get called in to make sure you’re taken care of.”

He arrived upstairs - when did you even get in the elevator? - and walked down the hall to his room. Once inside, he settled you gently on the bed.

“This is not my room,” you said.

“Excellent observation,” Loki replied. He took off all your excess layers until you were down to your tank top and shorts, pausing right before tucking you in. “I’ll move you to your own bed if you wish.”

“No,” you protested. “But I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything, love.”

You opened your arms towards him, clearly inviting Loki in. His features softened and he removed his own overlayers so that you wouldn’t be pressed against any irritating zippers or rough fabric.

Loki climbed into bed beside you, letting you hug him tightly as you nuzzled his chest. His arms came to rest around you as he protected you, even in the safety of his room. “I hope you know this is your reward,” you said sleepily.

“This is a better reward than I could ever ask for.” Loki leaned down, careful not to disturb you, and pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. “Sleep now, darling warrior. You can continue your work later.” You wanted to say something witty in response, but sleep claimed you before you could even take a breath.

Chapter Text

“What’s with the sudden resurgence of these assholes?” Black Widow’s voice pinged through the comms.

“I don’t know, but I’d like to send them back to history where they belong,” Cap nearly growled his reply.

“Not your wittiest comeback, Cap,” you said. You flew in a tight circle around the group of Hydra agents. This had been their third attack in as many weeks - after decades of being dormant they had finally decided to start rearing their ugly heads in quick succession. The team needed to figure out why and put a stop to it. Soon. “Everyone buddy with a flier - I have an idea.”

You and Iron Man dipped quickly to the street, picking up Loki and Black Widow respectively. Hawkeye and the Hulk were both already clinging to the sides of buildings, and Thor flew close along the pavement, grabbing Cap on his way.

“What do you have in mind, darling?” Loki asked from where he hung in your grip. He knew you would never drop him, but you knew he preferred to have his feet on the ground.

“Think of it as a little practical experiment,” you said with a giddy smile. “Just be ready with some extra magic when I say the word.”

“This is going to end poorly.”

“I love you, too!”

You shifted your hold on Loki, transferring him to dangle from one hand and trusting the enhanced strength of your suit - although, you would abandon your plan completely to catch Loki if he started to slip. You hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Firing up one of your repulsors, you started to work. You carved one long line into the ground. Then two small triangles, sealing it all together with a circle encompassing the Hydra forces before flying back up to see the whole thing. Barkanan. Birch tree.

The rune shone ever so slightly - you were fairly certain the only reason you could see the glow at all was because you calibrated Jarvis to look for it earlier.

“Loki, now!”

Green power shot down from directly beneath you. The silver glow was overtaken by that same green light as magic powered the rune to the fullest extent. Trees began to burst through the concrete, ensnaring the enemy in their bark. By the time the glow faded there was a patch of dense forest within the perimeter of your circle and each agent was immobilized. “Jarvis, please tell me you got that recorded so I can study it later.”

“Yes, Miss Stark.”

You lowered Loki to the ground carefully, deactivating your helmet and running to the thicket to study your handiwork. You couldn’t help but gasp as you ran a hand along the grooves in the wood. The trees were as real as if they had been planted twenty years ago. “I can’t believe that actually worked!”

“Very impressive indeed, darling warrior,” Loki complemented as he strode up behind you. “We will need to figure out how you can tailor your spells - I had to make sure the wood wouldn’t grow straight through the agents.”

You sighed. “Loki, I am a non magical human who is on the cusp of figuring out how to use magic on Earth with no prior training. Let me revel in this.”

“Reveling’s over, how are we supposed to deal with this?” Tony landed a few feet back and deactivated his own helmet. “There’s not exactly supposed to be a grove in the middle of Brooklyn.”

“Party pooper,” you stuck your tongue out at your brother. “Just make it a park. The city can always use more parks!”

“It’s in the middle of an intersection,” Steve chimed in as he approached.

“Fine! Cut down all my hard work,” you threw your hands up in resignation. “See if I care! But at least put the wood towards a public playground or something?”

Tony chuckled. “I can make that happen.”

The next few hours were spent getting the Hydra agents back out of the trunks, as well as doing a bit of cleanup and answering a few press questions here and there. The majority of the trees had to be left for another day, but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel that bad. They were your magic trees after all.

Surprisingly to no one, not a single person felt like cooking that night. Except for your traditional ‘welcome back and congrats on not dying’ sweet treat, of course. It was honestly a bit unfair since you were an active member of the team now and came back just as exhausted as everyone else, but who were you to break tradition. So while everyone else ordered an obscene amount of takeout, you threw together some chocolate chip cookies.

Well, you could call them cookies, but the oven never even got preheated. Everyone just grabbed a spoon and helped themselves.

“Anyone picked a movie yet?” you asked as you plopped down with two spoons next to Loki. He took one of them from you, trading you a takeout container.

“The Princess Bride,” Clint replied, pulling it up onto the screen and making sure captions were switched on - not that they ever got switched off.

“A classic! Loki, you’re gonna love it.” You snuggled close to the god.

Loki was skeptical - he was fairly hit or miss when it came to Midgardian entertainment. “If I don’t enjoy this, you owe me more cookie dough,” he teased.

You laughed. “As you wish.”

You didn’t need to make any more cookie dough that night.

Chapter Text

You were pulled from your journal as Pepper slammed bags of snacks and wine down in front of you. Arching a brow, you silently bookmarked your spot and set the journal to the side. “Do I dare ask?”

Pepper started unloading the bags. “We missed the last few girls’ nights, I refuse to miss one again. Just because I’m not out there fighting with you doesn’t mean I don’t deserve a break.”

“And no one in this tower would dare argue that,” Nat chimed in as she joined the two of you. You broke out into a smile and helped Pepper unload - it had been too long since you had a girls’ night.

“What’s the plan then?” you asked eagerly.

Pepper just held up the first two bottles of wine. “Is this not plan enough?”

“This is plan perfect,” you laughed. “I’m gonna run upstairs real quick and let Loki know this floor is reserved for the night - pick out a game by the time I’m back!”

“Just warn him! No boyfriends!” Natasha called after you.

You were giddy as you rode the elevator up. You almost couldn’t remember the last time you had a post-mission girls’ night, and the one you could think of hadn’t ended well. Of course it ultimately gave you one of your best friends, but getting drunk and finding out your parents were murdered wasn’t exactly your idea of a good time.

Getting drunk and playing board games, however, was exactly your idea of a good time.

You rapped two quick knocks on Loki’s door while simultaneously barging in. “Hey scamp, I wanted to warn you not to come down to the living floor. Pepper, Nat, and I have taken it over for our post-mission girls’ night-”

You cut yourself off when you saw Loki. She was sitting at her vanity, her long black locks were in her frozen hand as you made eye contact in the mirror. You recognized a guardedness that you hadn’t seen in months. She was scared. You crossed to her in one fluid motion, taking the braid and finishing it out. “Hair tie?” Loki practically melted in relief at the domestic moment.

“Anyway I was coming to tell you to stay away for your sake,” you continued your thought from earlier, “but this is perfect! Come down to girls' night with me.”

“Darling-” Loki faltered. Her hands folded in her lap and she cast her gaze downward. This timidness wasn’t something you were used to seeing on your Loki and it broke your heart.

Turning Loki’s chair, you knelt down and gently turned her chin until her eyes met yours. “You are my mischievous scamp. My Loki. Always. The team are your friends now, too, they accept you in any form you come in. And if anyone makes a comment about it, I will personally defend your honor and then we can come up here and cuddle until they apologize. Please come downstairs with me?”

Loki’s eyes searched yours. She gave you the smallest smile when she realized they held no lies. “I never can say no to you, love.”

You broke into a massive grin, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the elevator. Nat rolled her eyes with a smile when she saw the two of you arrive back downstairs, but Pepper just shoved glasses of wine into your hands. “Natasha,” you warned.

“Hey, I never said anything about girlfriends,” she defended herself. “In fact, girlfriends are encouraged at girls' night!”

You looked back and saw Loki trying to hide her smile with her wine. It warmed your heart to see her happy like this. You didn’t know what had happened before to make her so scared to show this part of herself, but if you could make sure she was loved in her Midgardian home, that was more than enough for you.

“What game are we playing?” You brought the attention back to the task at hand. Pepper had pulled out Parcheesi and you groaned. You should’ve known better.

“Now what on earth could elicit such a sound of contempt?” Loki teased?

“A game that Pepper knows she isn’t supposed to play,” you glared across the table as Pepper set up the board. “We play by house rules, you’ll pick it up as we go,” you reassured Loki. You would’ve made an attempt to explain it, but honestly your house rules were just easier to learn on the fly.

The true lesson Loki learned was that you had no loyalty when it came to board games. The first few rounds, she was relying on you to help her learn, and that was her fatal flaw. During girls’ night, it was adapt or die. Especially as wine glasses were replaced with wine bottles.

“I want waffles!” you announced after who-knows-how-many games and bottles later. Natasha gave a drunken cheer and slumped back against the couch. But she was doing better than Pepper, who was sleeping on the floor. It wasn’t often the three of you got together to drink like this, so all of your tolerances were down. Even Nat’s.

“Darling, are you sure you should be cooking in your condition?” Loki asked gently. Her cheeks were barely rosy with alcohol. Stupid god metabolism keeping her almost sober.

You pouted, pushing your almost empty bottle into her hands. “I am positive I should be cooking in my condition. The people want waffles!” Another encouraging grunt from Natasha. “And who am I to deny the people?”

With a shocking burst of balance, you stumbled to your feet and into the kitchen. Loki was right on your heels. “Don’t try and stop me,” you said, “but you can keep me company.”

“Very well, Obstinate Lady,” Loki laughed.

You stuck out your tongue at her. “You’re the obstinate lady.”

“Yes darling, I am the obstinate lady,” Loki agreed. “Let me at least help with this.”

Somehow, with Loki’s help, you were able to not only make waffles, but make pumpkin chocolate chip waffles. They were one of your favorites, and you wouldn’t settle for less. You set a plate down for Natasha to enjoy before heading back to the kitchen.

“Don’t worry about cleaning up, love. I will take care of it in the morning,” Loki started to guide you back to the living room.

“Lo, I can’t leave a mess.”

“You can and you will, darling,” Loki insisted. You indignantly plopped yourself down at the kitchen table, cradling a waffle close as you snacked. “As fun as this night has been, you need sleep.”

You tore apart the second half of your waffle, handing the last piece to Loki. She took it with a smile. “I suppose I could be persuaded,” you mused.

“And how might I go about that?”

You tried, and failed, to hide your drunken smile behind your last bite of waffle. “I’ll go to sleep if you give me a kiss.” You burst out into girlish giggles and stuck your final bite into your mouth.

Loki pulled you up gently from the chair, setting you back down on the kitchen island. Her hands ran up the sides of your legs, along the contours of your body, and eventually rested on either side of your jaw. “I could never leave my Lady wanting.”

You met her halfway, pressing your lips carefully to hers. They were just as soft and cool as always, wintermint mixing with chocolate and pumpkin as your lips danced. Your hands tangled in her hair as you pulled her close. No matter how many kisses you shared, every kiss was a moment you would never want to forget.

“Stop defiling the kitchen,” a voice sounded from behind you. Had you been in the right state of mind, you would have been embarrassed that Steve Rogers walked in on you making out with your girlfriend like a high schooler. But right now you couldn’t find the bandwidth to care.

You turned back around from identifying the intruder to bury your face in the crook of Loki’s neck. You had no clue how late it was and it was catching up to you.

“Earlier this evening would have been a death sentence for any man on this floor,” Loki teased Steve while you snuggled up to her. “I don’t know if their threats would be made true at this point.”

You heard Steve chuckle. “Just came to see if you girls needed anything. But it seems like you’ve got everything covered?”

“Yes, Rogers,” Loki said. “Thank you.”

“Just let Jarvis know if anything comes up. I’ll make sure Bruce delivers hangover cures in the morning. Good luck trying to get those three to an actual bed.”

“No bed,” you mumbled as you heard Steve leave once more. “Best part of girls’ night 's sleepover.”

Loki pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. “Very well, my darling warrior. But I made true on my end of the bargain, now you have to sleep.” You wrapped your arms around Loki’s shoulders as she carefully gathered you to her chest.

“‘m in love with you, Loki,” you slurred as alcohol and sleep finally took over.

“I’m in love with you too, my darling.”

Chapter Text

Hydra had been quiet since you had encased a squadron of their men in spontaneous botanical growth. Strangely quiet… Patrols increased drastically the first few weeks, but when everything remained peaceful no one could justify the added hours.

So after two months you decided it was high time you and Loki went out on a date. A real date. Which was something you had never done as a couple before. You had plenty of nights in together, fought battles together, even studied magic together - well you studied magic while Loki provided advice when asked for and snacks when needed - but had never actually gone out on a proper date.

“I’ll be back here at 7 o’clock to pick you up,” you told Loki as you stood on opposite sides of his doorway. “Dress nicely and don’t be late.” You were back in your room before he had a chance to respond.

You spent the afternoon primping more than you had in years. Hair, makeup, accessories - the works. It was yours and Loki’s first official date and you weren’t going to hold anything back. Your final choice came down to a floor length blue dress with two slits running scandalously high up the sides of your legs or a backless silver cocktail dress that managed to hug you in all the right places. You opted for the silver one.

At 7 o’clock on the dot you stood in front of Loki’s door, a bouquet of white lilies tucked in the crook of your arm. The door opened just as you raised your hand to knock.

Loki was standing in front of you somehow managing to look even more stunning than ever. He was wearing a dark green vest with ever so slightly darker embroidery so that upon first glance you couldn’t even tell it was there, but when you looked longer you saw the artistry and dedication that went into making the piece - and from what you could tell from the front, it was corseted in the back, which just about made your knees buckle. The cuffs of his white button down were rolled up just past the thickest part of his forearms, and you could see the muscles move as he opened the door. At this rate, you weren’t going to make it out of the tower.

The sound of Loki chuckling ultimately pulled you out of your sinful daze. “Enjoying the view, darling?” he asked.

“Only because I know you’re enjoying it too,” you teased, simultaneously holding out the lilies in front of you. “For you.”

He took them with a soft smile. “Thank you, love, they’re wonderful.” A moment later they were in a vase by his bed. “Now what delightful activities do you have planned for us this evening?”

“Ah, ah,” you smiled wickedly. “No spoilers!”

“Darling, how am I supposed to take you out if you don’t tell me where we’re going?” Loki pushed.

You grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the elevator to start your trip to city level. “That’s where you’re mistaken,” you said. “I am taking you out tonight. Let me pamper you.” Loki arched one eyebrow at you, but he seemed to concede for now. You smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek.

You made it down to the main lobby and climbed into the limo you had waiting outside. “Can I at least get a hint, darling warrior?” Loki inquired once more.

“Hmm…” you sat back in your seat, playing with the ceiling light dimmers as you thought. “No.”

“You are turning into quite the tease,” Loki observed with a crooked grin.

“Only because you’re such a bad influence,” you shot back.

“Ah, who am I to complain?” You laughed as you practically watched Loki’s ego swell.

The limo came to a stop outside of an alley just off Broadway. You climbed out of the limo, taking Loki’s hand in yours. “Almost there,” you promised him. Loki followed dutifully just a step behind you, fingers interwoven with yours, as you led the way through a couple twists and turns before coming to a stop in front of a completely unassuming door. Your knuckles rapped against it three times before you stepped back.

A slit opened up two thirds of the way up the door. “Pull aside the veil…?” a voice sounded from the other side.

“And look beyond!” You bounced on the balls of your feet in excitement and the slit snapped shut. A heartbeat later and the door opened.

“Please enjoy the show,” a masked doorman pointed the way as you and Loki entered.

The inside of the building was decked in purple and red curtains and cloths, and smoke was lazily weaving around your feet. Sporadic fairy lights really brought the entire image together. You could see the gears working behind Loki’s eyes as he desperately tried to figure out what on earth you were doing here - you were just reveling in your joy of being here with him.

As you walked down the hall, you peered into small alcoves to see masked actors performing magic tricks. Making coins disappear, rope grow and shrink, damaged playing cards pristine again - every single close hand magic trick you could think of. You finally arrived at the end of your short walk and the narrow hallway gave way to a warehouse. Tables were scattered all over, most of them occupied at this point, and masked waitstaff buzzed around taking care of patrons.

“Welcome! What name is your reservation under?” The hostess asked as you approached.

“Stark, party of two” you said.

She searched for just a moment before finding your name. “Doctor and Mister Stark, welcome! Please follow me this way and enjoy the show!” You thanked her and followed her to your table - the very center of the first row.

“I do not know how much I appreciate being associated with your brother,” Loki sneered.

You rolled your eyes. “It’s my name too, scamp. Don’t let it spoil our fun.”

You could see Loki’s mild irritation melt away as he finally realized where you were. “Love, have you brought me to-”

“A magic show!” you squealed. “It normally books out months in advance, I had to pull a few strings to get us in on such short notice. I figured since you are a master of the seidr and helping me figure out how to unlock it on Midgard, it’s high time you see proper Earth magic in all its glory.”

Loki laughed, his joy evident. “You, my darling warrior, are the most perfect woman I have ever had the immense good fortune of calling my own.”

Your face burned under the sincerity of Loki’s words, but you wouldn’t change them for anything. “I love you, Loki.”

“I love you, as well, my darling.”

Loki’s eyes locked with yours and you found yourself falling deep into their emerald depths. You could see every layer of him, everything that he had chosen to share with you, every piece he had bared for better or worse thus far. Your heart swelled as you fully realized that you had found the person that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. You wouldn’t give him up for anything.

You were pulled back to reality as a waiter came to take your dinner order, along with two glasses of champaign. You and Loki chatted for a few more minutes before the house lights began to dim. A flash of the blinders and a puff of smoke and suddenly the magician had appeared center stage. You suspected a trap door.

The show had you absolutely hooked. Part of you couldn’t help but try to puzzle out the secret of each trick, but the other part was more than content to be mesmerized by the feat of magic. The dinner was absolutely delicious, and your company couldn’t have been better. The magician made a mistake when he called for an audience volunteer. Being in the center, your table was immediately singled out, and of course Loki wouldn’t be able to resist. But after all, this was half the reason you brought him here.

“What is your name and where do you come from, young man?” the magician asked once Loki had been brought onstage.

“I am Loki, of Asgard, and I promise I am not as young as I look,” Loki replied with a flash of his devilish smile. The magician’s eyes widened as he realized Loki was the real deal. You worried for a moment that his surprise would turn to fear, but you were quickly proven wrong.

“Ladies and gentlemen it seems the trickster god himself and prince of Asgard has decided to honor our show with his presence!” He turned to Loki. “Please tell me, your highness, have you been enjoying yourself tonight?”

The feel of the stage lights and the rapt attention of everyone in the room was egging Loki on as he peacocked around the stage. “You, mortal, have yet to perform any feat of true magic. You have used hidden mirrors, flashy assistants, and hidden compartments to divert our attention and keep us guessing as to how your mischief is performed. You have lied and lured us here under false pretenses of magic.” He paused for dramatic affect. “But your tricks have been entertaining, and my Lady’s joy has been infectious upon me.” Loki gave you a flashy smile. “I have decided to be benevolent tonight and will bestow a blessing unto you!”

The magician seemed to be ecstatic with Loki hijacking his show. “Thank you, my lord! I-”

“But first, a lesson.” Loki’s eyes flickered with mischief. “And a reminder of what you try to emulate.” What followed next was a display of magic so powerful and precise that even you couldn’t figure out what Loki was going to do next.

Loki disappeared only to reappear in several spots around the audience. He made the fire from the candles dance over the audience and turned decorative ropes into snakes. He shapeshifted into several feminine, masculine, and animal forms. He even sent a chill down your spine as he sent whispers through the room, carrying praises about the show on wintermint scent, despite the fact that Loki never opened his mouth. He performed feat after feat, leaving you reeling in the wake.

The showstopper, for you at least, was when Loki drew out a single rune in the center of the room. Dagaz. When he was done, he lifted his gaze to meet yours and held out his hand. You went to him, letting him guide you to a crouching position, your hands tracing the lines of the rune. “Use my power,” he whispered into your ear.

Green magic flickered where Loki’s fingers rested on your wrists, turning silver the moment it touched your skin. You felt the magic gather beneath your palms, and with a breath you pressed it into the rune. A flash of silver turned gold as before your very eyes, a small sun rose up. Its warmth washed over you and you could feel Loki’s proud smile against you as he kissed the crown of your head. “Congratulations, darling.”

The audience erupted with applause, and the magician was shellshocked standing on stage. The spotlights kicked back on, knocking him out of his stupor. “Prince Loki of Asgard, ladies and gentlemen!”

Loki helped you up, and your sun disappeared as your hands left the rune. You both took a bow and headed back to your seats as the magician thanked everyone for coming and encouraged them to take a look at the closeup magic on their way out. In another puff of smoke, he was gone.

Loki took one glance at the mob starting to make its way to your table and turned to you. “Where to next, my love?”

“The pier.” You took his hand and in a flash you were both standing by the water. You pulled him forward and Loki laughed, having fully accepted that this was his fate tonight.

At the end of the dock was a modest boat, lights draped over an open deck in the back, with chairs, glasses, and a bottle of champagne already set out for you. You could see the small bit of wonder and surprise in Loki’s eyes as he helped you onto the boat. “Darling, when did you have time to organize all of this?”

“Sometime between breakfast and asking you out,” you chuckled. “We don’t generally get a lot of opportunities like this, so I decided to jump at the chance while it was here. And Jarvis is driving, so you don’t need to worry about any other silly mortals for the rest of the night,” you teased.

“Good.” Loki pulled you close and music started playing from somewhere. “You are the only silly mortal I ever want to worry about.”

Following Loki’s lead, you danced in the moonlight. It was straight out of a movie and everything you could have ever wanted. “Did you like the magic show, Loki?” you finally asked.

“I loved it,” he reassured you. “And it was an impressive feat of magic you performed. You, my darling, are the single most incredible being in this entire realm.”

You laughed. “I don’t know about that. It was your magic after all.”

Loki pulled away from the dance, looking you straight in the eye. “All I did was give you a jumpstart. Think of me like a battery - I provided the first spark, but the rest was self sufficient.” You thought for a moment before bursting out laughing. Loki looked on quizzically. “What is it?”

“Sorry, sorry! I was just picturing a little version of you squished into the back of a TV remote.”

Loki threw his head back, his voice gleeful as he laughed. “Norns… I can’t wait to marry you,” he said.

Your heart leapt into your throat as Loki pulled you close once more. His laughter still shook his body slightly. You could feel your entire chest swell, already picturing what it would be like to walk down the aisle to Loki at the end.

Then the boat capsized.

Chapter Text

The water was cold. The breath shot out of your lungs as the shock hit you. You blinked rapidly, trying unsuccessfully to see through the water. You were only barely reminded not to take a breath as a strong grasp wrapped underneath your arms and heaved you upwards.

Your chest burned as air finally reentered your body. Your shoulders heaved as you tried to compensate for the lost air. You didn’t even register a hand come up and activate the stone on your necklace. Within seconds you were encased in armor, and without thinking, you grabbed that same hand and took off into the skies.

Loki dangled underneath you as you rose above, finally turning around to look once you were at a safe distance.

The boat you had been on mere minutes ago was rapidly disappearing into the depths. Surrounding its fading silhouette were several heavily armored divers. Your suit immediately honed in on the Hydra emblem on the left breastplate.

“Get me by the water,” Loki instructed.

You curved downwards, getting enough distance between yourself and the enemy to give Loki enough time to do whatever it was he was planning. Only when you looked down to see how far was left between you and the waves did you notice Loki’s hand was blue.

You blinked back your surprise. Loki had summoned his Asgardian armor - that part was expected - but what you weren’t prepared for was the sight of Loki’s skin turning pale blue, and ridges forming along the contours of his face and hands. And you weren’t prepared for the fear in his blood red eyes as he glanced up at you.

Your shock only lasted a moment before Loki had returned his attention to the task at hand, blasting green and blue magic towards the water. It froze on impact and you finally understood Loki’s play. You dropped him safely on his iceberg and flew back around to the other side of the Hydra agents.

“You interrupted my date night!” You shouted at them. Lifting both hands, you fired off twin repulsor beams. You managed to puncture two of the oxygen tanks, and the people they were attached to were shot off to who-knows-where at the force of the explosion. They would live.

Loki had made quick work of the next three. His magic shot out in green blue arcs of energy, his victims covered in a thin layer of frost. They were definitely hit with a chill, but a quick scan told you that they would live, too.

The remaining Hydra agents seemed to be quickly getting the drift that just because you and Loki had been having a romantic evening on a boat, it didn’t mean that you were vulnerable to attack. You could see them preparing to dive once more.

“Oh no you don’t,” you said to yourself before calling across the water. “Loki, darling! I think it’s time to go fishing!” His gaze darted up to you and you watched a flash of mischief enter it.

Loki raised his hands and summoned his magic, quickly weaving the green strands together. In a heartbeat he had created a human-sized fishing net. You flew forward and grabbed one of the ends, swiftly diving below the waves and wrapping up the remaining Hydra operatives. You burst back out from under the surface and presented your catch.

“I got you a gift, my lord,” you teased.

“Ah, my lady spoils me,” Loki purred back. “I’ll have it kept on ice for us.”

Protests started to sound from the net, but it was gone in a flash before a full word could be heard. “Loki…”

“Don’t worry, love. They’re in the holding cells back at the tower, where they will remain until they can be properly questioned,” Loki reassured you. “You fought admirably, my darling warrior.”

You landed next to Loki on his iceberg and deactivated your armor. Now that you were next to him, you realized that he had grown several inches taller. You could hear the strain in his voice - his desire to keep the conversation light, but the fear of showing you this side of himself. It was the same fear he had when he showed you his feminine form.

You bundled up to Loki’s side. “Can you take me home?”

Loki gathered you in his arms, and in a heartbeat you were safely back in the tower. Your feet hit the ground and you realized Loki had teleported you to the hallway rather than into either one of your rooms. He was quick to take his hands back off of you. “Take a shower and rest, darling,” he gently urged. “You’ve had an eventful night.”

You grabbed his arm as he turned away. “I want to know you, Loki.” He paused.

“Take a shower.”

And then he disappeared into his room.

You stared after him for a moment before heading into your own room. Every time you thought Loki had fully opened up to you, something else appeared. You loved Loki with every fiber of your being, but you didn’t know how to make him see.

You stood under the water of the shower for a long time, letting it warm you all the way to your bones. It really had been such a wonderful evening. It had been months since Hydra reared its ugly heads, why show up now? And Loki had completely changed his appearance, something significant enough to impact his magic. You had never seen it manifest blue before.

Part of you was tempted to go to bed, to let Loki have the space he was so clearly trying to create between you. But the other part of you got angry. Angry that Loki kept trying to keep you at arms distance, despite his words saying otherwise. And that was the part of you that won.

You dressed quickly and stormed into Loki’s room, barely a tap on the door to announce your presence. “You can’t push me away, Loki.”

His eyes darted up to you in surprise, their typical green having replaced the red once more. He was bundled in the center of his bed, sheets wrapped tight around his shoulders. He held what appeared to be a picture book in his hand.

“I love you,” you said, shutting and locking the door behind you. “I love the masculine part of you, I love the feminine part of you, I love the fluid part of you.” You marched over to the bed. “I love the mischief, I love the sincerity, I love the strength and the weakness.” You climbed onto the mattress, burrowing through the blankets and holding Loki tight in your arms. “I love you when you support me, I love you when you need to be supported by me.”

“Darling-”

“I love all of you, Loki. Hear the truth in my words.” You watched as Loki opened his mouth to protest only for the realization to flood into his eyes. Your anger melted as he softened. “I want to know you, Loki.”

Only then did you give Loki the space he needed. You held him gently as he gathered his words.

“I… I’m not originally of Asgard,” he started softly. He flipped open the pages of the book in his hand. He paused when a blue creature, not unlike what you had seen him turn into, appeared among the illustrations. It was drawn with spiked teeth, weapons of ice, and an evil gaze. Loki flipped the next page, revealing a drawing of the creature attacking what you could only assume was an Asgardian village.

“Jotunns,” Loki said, bile in his voice. “Frost Giants from Jotunheim. Odin stole me from the temple when he invaded the realm. He changed me when I was an infant, I don’t – ” Loki broke off. He paused, his gaze locked onto the page. “I don’t typically turn into one of them.”

You reached forward slowly, taking the book from Loki and shutting it. “Tell me about them. The Frost Giants.”

Loki’s hand wrapped around your forearm, stroking slowly as he spoke. His voice was thick with emotion. “They’re monsters. Evil creatures from the stories used to scare children at night. They fight and kill without a second thought, their civilization is in ruins because of their savagery.”

“Who told you this?”

Loki’s hand stopped moving. “What?”

“You told you?” You asked again. “Odin? Thor? Those who have waged war against the Jotunns and won?”

Loki blinked. “I… I suppose.”

“Oh my sweet love,” you murmured, pulling Loki in close. “Stories are written by the winners. Of course those who were defeated would be written to be conquered. No hero wants to hear tales of how he defeated a peaceful people.”

Loki was quiet for a long time.

“Oh.”

“I don’t know your culture,” you said. “I don’t know where the truth in the stories resides or what the history books have omitted. But I know you. I know your kind spirit and desire to protect. You use your strength to fend for those who don't have it. And I don’t know about you – ” You shifted so that you were looking Loki in the eye. “But that seems pretty admirable to me.”

Tears welled up in Loki’s eyes. His gaze searched yours, looking for some inkling that you were lying to him, setting him up to play him for the fool. But there was nothing but love reflected back at him. His face contorted with emotion and he crumpled into you, clutching onto your body as his own heaved with sobs.

You held Loki for what seemed simultaneously like long hours and mere seconds. You held him until his tears tapered off, replaced by small sniffles and gulps of air. You held him until he carefully extracted himself from your embrace, wiping the last of his tears from his face.

“Would you…” Loki hesitated. “Would you like to see?”

He seemed so small, like a child asking for a friend.

“Of course.”

Loki closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. The blue spread across his skin from his heart, the ridges appearing not long after. Now that he wasn’t in his armor, you could see them properly. They followed along the contours of his body, rising and falling with the curvature of his muscles. You ran a featherlight touch over his arm and Loki took in a sharp breath in response.

“Does it hurt?” You asked worriedly.

“No,” Loki breathed. “Just… different. You’re warmer than usual.”

You let out a slight chuckle. “I think you’re colder,” you teased. Loki smiled, his body relaxing. His frame grew larger, putting on height and mass he didn't typically carry. Not much, not enough to make him foreign to you, but enough to make the mattress dip. He opened his eyes, letting you see all of him. The red that had shocked you so much just hours before now seemed familiar. He was still the same Loki he always had been.

“Your eyes are like the first rays of the sunrise,” you nearly whispered. “You’re beautiful.”

Loki’s gaze quickly welled with tears once more and his voice thickened. “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

“What triggers the shift?” you were both lying down, Loki’s head cradled against your chest. He had moved past tears and shifted back to his Asgardian form, his arms wrapped around you as he allowed himself to be comforted.

“Not much,” Loki sighed. “My biology changed when Odin took me. I'm not fully Jotun, but I'm not fully Asgardian either. I can always trigger the change voluntarily. On Asgard there is an artifact called The Casket of Ancient Winters - when I come into contact with it, I shift. On Midgard… It is extremely rare, but rapid changes in temperature force me to change.”

“Like getting plunged unexpectedly into the Atlantic.”

Loki smiled. “Yes, like getting plunged unexpectedly into the Atlantic.” He shifted, locking his gaze with yours. You ran your fingers through his hair, pushing it gently out of his face. “You’re the second person I have ever met to not be horrified by what I am.”

“You’re my Loki,” you said without hesitation. “I could never be horrified by any facet of you.”

Loki pushed himself forward, capturing your lips in a kiss. You melted into it, letting him flip you so that he was now holding you. Once your lungs began to burn you pulled back. “I thought I was the one comforting you, scamp,” you teased lightly.

“I meant it when I said I couldn’t wait to marry you,” he said gently. “I would do it right this moment if I could.”

Your heart swelled in your chest. His comment from the boat had been pushed to the back of your mind with everything that happened - you would’ve politely forgotten about it if it had seemed Loki wasn’t going to bring it up again, but now…

“This moment?” You could feel your cheeks flushing. You would say yes in a heartbeat, of course you would say yes. You would marry Loki in a back alley with pigeons at witnesses if that's what it came down to. Honestly the fierceness of the love you were feeling was a little overwhelming.

“I am in my pajamas. I’d at least like to be wearing a dress,” you teased.

Loki chuckled. “A dress… I can manage that. What else does my obstinate lady demand?” He knew your playful tone by heart at this point; he wouldn’t take your comment as rejection.

“Hm…” you flopped onto your back next to Loki, grabbing his hand and pulling it onto your chest. “I have notes on your proposal. Firstly I want us both to be decked out to the nines - and candles. I would like a thousand candles and ambient romantic music coming from no discernible source. Are you getting all of this?”

You looked over to see Loki watching you ramble with love in his eyes. “Dress nice, candles, music - got it. I am a high and mighty god, remember?”

“I remember,” you laughed. “Sometimes I still hear interns whispering about it.”

“Good. They’ll remember exactly who I am.”

“Yes they will." You shifted onto your side and pressed a kiss to Loki’s cheek. "A complete sweetheart who goes out of his way to do nice things for the ones he loves.” 

“I am going to have to rethink my reputation.” Loki turned onto his own side and pulled you in for a long kiss. He wrapped his arms around you and rested his chin on the top of your head. You let yourself lay like that for as long as you could, and then just a little bit longer.

“Loki…” you started.

Loki sighed. “I hate it when you take that tone. It means I have to do something responsible and stop lying here with you.”

You managed to extract yourself from Loki’s arms, stretching as you stood up. “That was a Hydra attack. We need to update everyone else.”

Loki sat up in the bed with a scowl. “Like I said, now I have to do something responsible.”

You leaned back onto the mattress, smoothing out Loki’s bedhead and placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “Come on, scamp. They need to know.” Loki allowed you to grab his hand and drag him out of bed, onto the elevator, and all the way downstairs.

The rest of the team were all gathered in the living room. Paddington was playing on the television and popcorn had been spilled in at least three different places. Bruce looked back at the sound of footsteps, and he smiled when he saw the two of you. “Hey! We’re not that far in, we can restart the movie if you’d like.”

“Thanks Bruce,” you said. “But I am afraid we’re here to interrupt movie night.”

Natasha groaned, burying her face in a pillow. Steve just quietly paused the movie and shifted to give you and Loki his full attention. “Report.”

You sat down in your usual spot on the couch, Loki sitting right next to you. You took a breath. “Hydra is back… again. Eight of them ambushed Loki and I.”

“Is that why three scuba divers magically appeared in the cells downstairs a few hours ago?” Tony asked.

“Yes,” Loki confirmed. “The real concern is that they knew exactly where we were going to be and when. Even I was not privy to this information. We have a leak.”

Your eye shot over to Bucky. His jaw was clenched and his right hand was tracing over the patterns of metal on his left. You followed his gaze back to Steve. Steve was stock still, mind already racing with the new information.

“We need to go on the offensive,” he said. “No more sitting and waiting for them to strike again. Tony, I need you to start feeding out several pieces of false information - the same goes to you,” Steve threw the latter half of the instruction your way. “You both have the highest clearance. Nat and Clint, you do what you do best. Get me every piece of intel you can. Have Bucky help you but he doesn’t go in the field.”

Bucky immediately protested. “Steve-”

“You don’t go in the field.” Cap’s tone left no room for argument. “You haven’t been cleared. I won’t risk civilians; the same goes for Pepper. Bruce, stay benched for now. We’ll keep you up to date on findings - I want you to start looking for patterns as soon as you can.” Bruce nodded.

Cap turned off the television and stood up. “Everyone get some rest. Starting tomorrow we work from sunup to sundown. It’s time to burn the heads.”