quelquechosedhorrible

[quelquechosedhorrible]

I Can Explain, Really

@creativepromptsforwriting #379 inspired

“The stains were impossible to hide and hard to explain.”

@creativepromptfills

Written for @lokibingo

Square I3: “Oh, don’t worry; the blood isn’t mine.”

An “everybody lives in the tower as a happy found family, and, yes, Loki’s there too” fic with banter then fluff between Loki and teen!reader. And Reid is a friend’s name, so I just used it.

                  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You tried to be as quick and soft-footed as you could, basically gently hopping on the balls of your feet and trying to do your best impression of a gazelle as you moved down the hallways. You wore only socks as to even further minimize any noise you’d normally make. Your objective? Make it to the laundry room without running into anyone or alerting anybody to your whereabouts.

Balled up in your fist was your school gym t-shirt. All you had to do was get it washed before anybody saw you. You made one final jump, landing on the wood laminate of the laundry room. Yessss! You thought to yourself. As you opened up the washing machine, you heard a voice, low and smooth, behind you in your left ear.

“What are you up to, Y/N?”

You spun around, startled. “Shit, Loki! What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?” You huffed out a breath trying to calm your rapidly beating heart.

“I asked you first. I saw you, leaping about like a graceless, newborn deer. What are you trying, and failing at I might add, to be all stealth about?” He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing you.

“What? Nothing,” you answered quickly. Too quickly.

“What are you hiding behind your back?” Loki had caught you trying to keep the hand with your shirt pinned between you and the washing machine. He didn’t wait for an answer before reaching around and yanking it from your grasp.

“Hey!” You yelled, but any further protestations we’re cut off.

“Y/N, what in the world is this?” Loki gasped as he let your shirt unfurl. There were several rather large bloodstains on the torso area. His gaze went from your gym shirt to the current shirt you were wearing, wondering what wounds you could be hiding. “Are you injured?” His brows furrowed in concern.

“No, no; it’s nothing like that.”

“Then what is it?” He demanded. “If some sniveling child at your school is harming you, I swear on Odin’s beard, I—”

Now it was your turn to cut him off, especially before he got so angry and worked up over non-existent bullying. Though you had to admit you were touched at how much he, and the other heroes, cared for you.

“Oh, don’t worry; this blood isn’t mine.”

This statement did absolutely nothing to ease his alarm.

“What?!” He shouted. Loki then realized his outburst might bring other team members to the two of you. He lowered his voice. “Have you harmed someone? Did you kill them?”

“What? No!”

“Must I help you hide a body?” In the span of a little over a minute, Loki had gone from suspicion, to concern, to earnest panic.

“For a frost giant, you have zero chill,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Also, if you’re willing to help me hide a body, I guess I can probably come to you with just about any problem I have. Good to know. No, I didn’t kill anybody.”

“Then what’s the meaning of this?” Loki gestured towards you with your bloodied shirt.

You hesitated. “Well…” You started slowly, drawing out the word. “I nailed Reid in the face with a dodgeball during PE, and Coach wrote me up.”

“Why would he write you up for an accident during class?”

“It wasn’t an accident,” you admitted looking at your feet.

“Why would you hit her in the face on purpose? I thought you and Reid were friends.”

“We had an argument, and she was being a bitch. But after I did it, her nose started bleeding, and I felt really bad about it. I apologized and gave her my shirt to hold against her face.”

Loki nodded in understanding. “Ah, that explains the blood. How did your teacher know it was on purpose? It’s my understanding the goal of this dodgeball game is to hit people with the ball, though not in the face of course.”

You were quiet. “Y/N…” Loki coaxed, his voice slightly stern.

“I might have shouted ‘Take that, you mewling quim’,” you muttered quietly.

Loki let out an audible sigh through his nose.

“I thought it’d be classier than straight up calling her a whiny c—”

“Stop,” Loki said abruptly. You were still looking towards the floor. “Y/N, look at me.”

You reluctantly looked up at him though your chin was still pointed slightly downward.

“Is Reid alright?”

“Yeah, the bleeding stopped fairly quickly. No permanent damage to her nose.”

“And did the two of you settle your differences? You’re still friends?” He asked.

“I think so; yeah.”

Loki pulled you in for a hug. “I suppose that’s what matters then.”

“Sooo..I’m not in trouble? You won’t tell the others?” You felt Loki move one of his hands to cradle the back of your head.

“No, my dear. We’ll keep this between us.”

“Thanks.” You pulled back slightly from the hug to look up at him. “Loki, do you really think I’m capable of killing someone?”

“Well, you can get incredibly angry during weekend game night,” he said with a small smile.

“Hey! I’m just really competitive; I hate losing,” you pouted.

“I know, I know; I hate losing too.” He again pulled you into a hug and kissed your head. “And I truly do hope you feel you can come to me with anything that troubles you.”

You smiled and nodded against his chest. The phone rang, and you heard Steve pick up. After a few murmured words you couldn’t make out, he bellowed, “They have in school suspension next week for doing what?!” You looked up at Loki with widened eyes.

“Perhaps you should have focused on intercepting the phone call from the school rather than washing your shirt,” Loki said looking down at you.

“Y/N!” Steve shouted from the living room.

“Loki, hide me!”

[quelquechosedhorrible]

Study Break

You’ve been buried with schoolwork since taking advanced classes, and your time spent with your best friend, Loki, has become nonexistent. He wants to change that.

Note: Eep! First posted fic! I hope people enjoy it. 🤗 I used a divider by @firefly-graphics. Check out their work; it’s great!

Warnings: Eh, one minor curse word?

Words: 868

“I think you should take a break from your studies. Let’s go for a walk.”

You looked up over your laptop toward the doorway to your bedroom. You saw Loki leaning casually against your doorframe.

“I can’t; I have this AP English essay due soon, and an AP World History exam the day after tomorrow. Which also has a freaking essay I have to write,” you grumbled. “A timed essay.”

“I just think you’ve been working excessively hard.”

“Then go to the next PTO or school district meeting or whatever and complain about all the work teachers give us.”

You were being snarky, and you knew it. But you were stressed, and you just wanted Loki to leave you to your schoolwork. Instead, he made your papers, books, and laptop disappear.

“What the hell?!”

“Ah ah ah,” Loki said waving an index finger at you. “Mr. Patriotic would not appreciate that language.”

“Y’know, why don’t you go to my school and make the teachers’ shi-,” you stopped yourself. “Crap disappear.”

Loki sighed. “It won’t be for long. Just a little walk. A study break; you’ll be able to focus better after.”

You frowned at him. “I was in the zone.”

“We haven’t gone for one of our walks for some time now,” he said softly.

It was true. You and Loki were tighter than tight; he just seemed to get you the most out of everyone else in the tower. The regular walks you two would take were a time when you could talk to him about things that were bothering you or ask his advice on situations or things you needed to do. Both he and you valued that time spent together.

But as you took increasingly advanced classes, your workload seemed to quadruple, which left less and less time to hang out until it had become virtually nonexistent.

You looked at him for a moment and saw how much he truly wanted this, how much it’d mean to him. And you had to admit, you really, really missed those meandering walks along the city streets or around the parks with him.

“Alright, alright, lay off the puppy dog eyes,” you muttered, but there was a small smile on your face.

—

“How about some ice cream?” Loki suggested.

The two of you were walking around the city, looking through shop windows at everything from little boutiques with vintage clothing to small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants that all seemed to be emanating delicious smells.

“Loki, it’s February, and freezing.”

“It’s never too cold for ice cream,” he said as though the mere thought were absurd.

You smiled and walked with him to the ice cream shop. You were greeted by the shop owner when you entered.

“Two hot chocolates? That’s my most popular thing right now. Made with real melted chocolate and whole milk too,” he said.

“Oh, actually we’re here for ice cream,” Loki told him.

“Heh. Don’t get many requests for it this time of year, but we’ve got a limited selection of flavors available. What can I get ya?”

—

“Y/N, that looks disgusting.”

You’d gotten three scoops: chocolate, lemon cookie, and bubblegum. You had to admit, the brown, yellow, and pink swirled together where they’d melted slightly did look gross, but they all tasted delicious.

“If it weren’t for me, you’d still think of grapes and nuts as sweets.”

Once you’d introduced Loki to Midgardian confectioneries, he’d discovered he had quite the sweet tooth. He wasn’t much of a pie or cake eater, but he enjoyed ice cream and things like Skittles and Sour Patch Kids. And don’t get him started on the wonders of cotton candy. The Asgardian loves it.

“What’d you get anyway?” You asked peeking into his cup. “Pistachio?”

You made a face.

“What? It’s very good. Want a taste?” He offered.

“Nah. Not really a nut kinda person.”

“Oh? Are you not one yourself?”

You rolled your eyes and mocked laughed. “Ha ha ha.” When it came to you, Loki had dad jokes for days.

“You’re my favorite nut, Y/N.”

—

After you two had returned to the tower from your walk, you both settled in on the couch to watch an episode of your favorite show. Afterwards, you both just enjoyed the quietness of simply being in each other’s company.

“Hey, Loki?” You spoke up.

“Hmm?”

“Spring Break is only a few weeks away; I’ll have a whole week off. We can plan a bunch of things to do and hang out; get back to old times when we never went a day without at least some time together,” you told him softly.

You felt bad for pushing him aside this whole time as you let worries about school overtake you.

“Or, we could even just sit in the library together while I study and do homework, and you read. I just want to spend time with you again like we used to.”

You were leaning against his side, head on his shoulder, playing with the sleeves of your hoodie. The arm he had around you pulled you closer, and you felt him plant a soft kiss on your head before he gently rested his chin atop it.

“I’d really love that, Y/N.”