#and i put the freezer & walk-in away and scrubbed the floors and switched out all the trays

[brainedstew]

garfield moment

[aliteama]

Pranking Hc's with Gojo, Nobara & Itadori? BTW congrats on 100 followers! :D

♡Headcanons♡

S/O pulling pranks with them

♡ A/N: Hello Anony!! For this one I wanted to make it longer than the event stuff so I just tagged it differently and switched up the layout ٩(•ᵕ•)

Gojo Satoru

♡ His number one victim is Nanami and throwing you into the mix makes the poor man never want to step on campus again, you guys would do things like switch out all the drinks in the vending machine to something he doesn’t like or sneak into his office and trap all his supplies in jell-o.

♡ The worst thing the two of you have done is flip Yagas office upside down when you guys were students, you both got detention for months but it was worth it to see his desk hanging from the ceiling.

♡ Gojo probably did little things like swapping out Geto and Shokos cigarettes for those realistic candy ones while you distracted them.

♡ Just because your his accomplice it doesn’t mean you get a pass, his favorite thing to do is wrap the doorway in plastic wrap at the crack of dawn so when your morning mind is all foggy you run into the blocked off entrance and get stuck.

♡ You once tried to retaliate and move his bed onto a lake while he was sleeping but he just ended up floating around for a bit and used it as an excuse to get out off work.

♡ Warm water heated your shaking bones, soap lathering your body in a mess of suds and bubbles to clean the grime that stuck to your skin from training. Reaching over to pick up the labeled bottle of shampoo you let a generous glob fall into your palms and that ran through your hair. With closed eyes you rinsed off tangled strands, red water pooling around your feet and dripping down your body. Eyes snapped open to crimson stained hands, mouth dropping as a scream escaped your lips. 

“Are you ok?!” slamming the door open Gojo peeled the curtain back and let out a loud obnoxious laugh at your fearful expression, “Oops.. that was meant for Shoko” 

Smacking a wet hand to his chest the water seeped through his uniform and a red hand print was left behind. Reaching back to grab the shampoo bottle you tugged at his damp uniform collar and let the soap stain his white hair that now bled red.

“Warn me next time period head!”

Nobara Kugisaki

♡ Never thinks her pranks through, she picks someone who looks like they could use a joke pulled on them then goes with the funniest thing she can come with, just silly things like tying together all the laces of their shoes or putting an airhorn under their seat.

♡ Loves to do that thing where you flip a cup filled with water over so the next person to walk by has to try to lift it without making a mess, her favorite person to do this to is Itadori because he always struggles to move the cup.

♡ Likes to take the gum out of the wrapper and put wasabi instead and she’ll just sit there and watch you chew on it until the burn kicks in but if you ever try to do it to her she just feels so betrayed.

♡ The worst prank she's done is freeze mentos in an ice tray and forget about it so when you decided to put ice in your soda her warning was too late, not allowed to go into the freezer without supervision anymore.

♡ Swinging a key around her finger you watched Nobara grip the doors handle before turning to you with a grimace, “Ok so here’s the thing. I don’t really know how to drive so this is a first time experience” with a nervous hand she swung the door open and seated herself in the drivers seat.

Making your way around to the passengers side you watched her grip the wheel and put the key in the ignition before bringing the engine to life, “If you crash I’m out of here” throwing a glare your way Nobara inched the car forwards, your head jerking every time her foot came off the gas.

Insisting she pull a prank on her childish teacher Nobara roped you along with her antics, driving his beloved car away from the school lot and taking it to a complex lot down the way. You knew it was a bad idea and the two of you would get in trouble but the excited gleam in her eyes when she had successfully snatched his car key had you rushing down the halls with her. Slowly but surely she had managed to move the car unscathed into a deserted lot with a proud smile on her face. 

Too bad the two of you hadn’t realized that your dear Sensei had been holding onto Iijichi’s keys the whole time.

Itadori Yuji

♡ Every three weeks he declares prank wars on everyone and goes full out, says no teaming yet he’s always outside your door with puppy eyes and toilet paper rolls in his hands.

♡ Bought one of those fake spill plastics and puts it on Fushiguros papers whenever he leaves the room and Fushiguro does not find it amusing in the slightest, he’s so used to it by now that when water actually does spill he’s shocked to see its real.

♡ He has no limit, replaces toothpaste with mayonnaise, switches salt with sugar, makes the onions look like apples, puts poppers under the toilet seat, Itadoris a menace.

♡ Adding onto the salt and sugar thing he actually thinks its the funniest thing in the world when the lid is loose and salt spills all over your food, but when he sees your not laughing he feels bad and offers to replace your food.

♡ Likes to do cute little pranks too though like he’ll put confetti filled balloons in your room and cover the walls in sticky notes that have positive affirmations on them.

♡ Stepping into the bathroom to wash away the paint on your arms from Itadoris suprise color bombs you scrubbed furiously with the bar of soap that would not lather up, groaning in frustration you realized he had covered all the soap bars with nail polish. Settling for the soap dispenser which was luckily untouched you dried your hands before stepping out into the hallway, looking down the corridors to make sure you were out of your boyfriends vision. 

Rushing into your room to avoid this weeks prank wars you were shocked to see he had attacked your room already, googly eyes placed on all your belongings and pillows arranged on your bed to make it look like someone was under the blanket.

“Yuji I swear if you jump scare me” quickly ripping the sheet off the bed you let out an anxious breath to see it really was just pillows.

A loud shriek sounded as Itadori grabbed onto your ankles from under the bed, a teasing grin on his face as he shimmied out and stood at full height, his clothes colored in paint and hair decorated with globs of glitter.

“I technically didn’t jump scare you” sticking his tongue out Itadori smashed an egg against your head, ribbons and sparkles making a mess all over your head and falling onto the floor.

But at least it wasn’t an actual egg like last time.

[fragmentedink-archived]

Hell to Pay: Chapter Fifty-Five

I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, IX, IX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XVIIII, XXX, XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL, XLI, XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, XLIX, XLX, LI, LII, LIII, LIV

cowritten by @lux-scriptum​

Sorin hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but when he stirred the next morning, Cyrus was still breathing, even if he was still very much unconscious. Sorin checked that very carefully, resting his paws on Cyrus’ chest and sniffing at the witches face until he felt Cyrus’ breaths ruffle his whiskers. Satisfied with how steady they were, Sorin dropped to the floor silently and padded into the kitchen.

Cameron was already up, or maybe he’d never gone to bed. He was currently cooking, and he even had coffee going in the correct coffee maker. Sorin padded closer, tail tip twitching. He propped himself up, poking his head above the counter. Being the size of a large dog, he didn’t need to do much to see what Cameron was cooking: bacon and eggs and judging by the smell coming from the oven, biscuits too.

“Shift back,” Cameron said.

Sorin’s ears flattened, but he did so, taking a step back from Cameron now that he had two legs and a pair of hands. Rather than snipping at Cameron, Sorin pulled down a couple of mugs. “How is Darius?” he asked.

Cameron flicked his eyes in Sorin’s direction before sliding back to the bacon he was currently focusing on. “He’s sleeping,” he said, after several heartbeats. “I’ll need to make more food that he can eat, if Lev was anything to go by.”

Sorin lifted a brow. “Well feel free to use our kitchen,” he responded dryly.

Cameron just put a plate in Sorin’s hands before promptly returning to his cooking. Dismissing him.

Sorin set the plate down, looking back at the bedroom. “If he needs easier food, we’ve got everything to make chicken noodle soup. The chicken is in the freezer.”

Cameron nodded tersely. “Thank you,” he said, stiffly.

Sorin nodded, and then paused, picking up on movement in the bedroom. He padded away , and all but threw himself on Cyrus as soon as he realized the witch was pushing himself upright.

“Ow,” Cyrus muttered.

Sorin hugged him, before he pulled back. “Hey. You’re okay?”

Cyrus nodded. “Yeah, just tired.” He reached over, ruffling Sorin’s curls. “No magic, though.”

As Sorin watched, Cyrus rubbed his face with shaking hands. “No magic?”

“Cant feel any,” Cyrus muttered. “I expect that was the price Asmi mentioned.”

“Cameron is making breakfast.” Sorin fluffed Cyrus’ pillows. “You feel up to eating?”

“Yeah, just help me up,” Cyrus said.

“Oh, no, I meant-”

Cyrus leveled him a patient look. Sorin shut up and helped Cyrus to his feet. When Sorin settled Cyrus at the table, Cameron placed a plate in front of him too.

“I told Cameron that he could use our kitchen to make Darius soup.”

Cyrus gave Cameron a long look, and then gave a very convinced, “Hm.”

“Glad to see you’re still alive,” Cameron said with a straight face.

“Are you and Darius staying here?” Cyrus asked.

“We’ll be gone within the next few hours,” Cameron replied.

Cyrus took a few bites, likely just so Sorin would stop glaring at him, and then waved a hand to shoo him away, even when Sorin huffed at him. “Is he awake?” Cyrus asked.

“Not yet,” Cameron said, finishing up the food he was preparing, likely for Darius. “I’ll let him sleep for a bit yet. I imagine he’s feeling a bit drained. Until then, I will leave this in your refrigerator to eat when he wakes.”

Cyrus dipped his head. “Of course,” Cyrus said. “I would like to talk to him before you leave, if he’s up for it.”

“I will make sure he knows,” Cameron said. “Do you need anything else from me?”

“No,” Cyrus promised. “I’m sure I’ll nap for a good several days once you’ve left, but that can wait.’

“Alright,” Cameron said. “Then I’ll excuse myself while you eat.”

Cameron went to wash his hands carefully before disappearing back through the house, likely to Darius’ room.

Sorin watched Cyrus until he was sure that his witch had eaten his fill, and then scooped him up. Cyrus might have an inch on him, but Sorin had demonic strength to help. Once he was sure Cyrus was tucked into bed, he ducked back into the kitchen to start cleaning. And maybe get himself a cup of coffee.

---

Cameron quietly slipped into Darius’ bedroom and shut the door behind him. Darius’s eyes were closed, making his face smooth and serene in his sleep. That particular look, that expression, that face had been buried so deeply into his subconscious, Cameron hadn’t let himself think of Darius not even once since after the punishment bestowed onto him by his brother and the horde of demons under his thumb.

Cameron moved to sit on the chair he had placed next to the bed; as close as he could get without disturbing Darius in his sleep. Cameron laced his fingers in his hair and heaved a quiet, low sigh, dragging more weariness from his chest.

Even if he could go back and do it again, if he was left alone to be beaten and fucked to the point of blood and pain and blackout, Cameron would have made the exact same decision and received the exact same punishment without any regret.

Cameron closed his eyes and breathed for two heartbeats before carefully brushing his fingers along Darius’ folded hands. Warmth was still leeched away, unsurprisingly, but they were still soft as they had always been.

He tracked every rise and fall of Darius’ chest, even through the tightness in his throat. He tried swallowing it down, trying to force it down. Even though it didn’t budge. It was almost as if the last five hundred years of very carefully placed glass started splintering around him and he couldn’t cement them all back together- couldn’t refortify them.

He hastily wiped away any wetness from his cheeks and scrubbed his face, only to be met with a very cool hand on his.

Cameron’s head snapped up and he almost pulled back, but Darius was already latched on, weakly, but latching on nonetheless. Cameron forced himself to look up from the delicate brown hands in his pale ones to the gold, concerned eyes staring at him.

“You should be asleep,” Cameron said, ignoring the tightness in his voice. He cleared his throat, or at least tried. “You need to be resting.”

Darius gave him a faintly amused look that suggested he was well arrested enough as he brushed his thumb across Cameron’s cheek.

He pulled back only to grab the stick-it notes from the night stand to scribble, 'You should try it sometime, my Cameron.'

Cameron’s nose wrinkled, but that didn’t stop him from trying to blink away more tears. Darius cocked his head and wrote, 'When was the last time you slept?'

“I’ve been busy.”

'Busy taking care of everyone besides yourself,' Darius retorted.

Cameron was too exhausted to roll his eyes and slumped forward against his will. Darius running his fingers through Cameron’s hair made his throat close up even tighter. More tears shed than he cared for, but he wasn’t able to stop them.

Darius pressed his lips to the top of Cameron’s hair, inhaling deeply. He heard the stick-it notes be moved to the bed. After a heartbeat, and then one more, Darius' voice could hardly be made out. “I forgive you.”

---

Cyrus waited until Cameron was off packing the car (with what, Cyrus wasn't sure, but he suspected it was a ploy to get out of the house for a moment) before he snuck into Darius’ room. He meant to stand and talk to him, but as soon as he made it to the room he flopped down beside Darius.

“Nice to talk to you without relying on magic,” Cyrus said, eyes sliding shut despite himself.

Darius scribbled a 'You as well.' On his pad of paper.

“You’ll have to get my phone number when Cameron gets you a phone. I doubt I’ll be allowed to visit any time soon. I’m pretty sure I’ve been barred from demonic territories. Understandably so.”

Darius nodded thoughtfully. 'Of course. I’m sure I can have Cameron bring me to you if needed. Maybe this time there will be less black magic and a little more black tea?’

Cyrus smiled. “I’d like that,” he said tiredly.

Darius returned his smile. ‘You should rest.’

“I should,” Cyrus agreed. “But you are my guest.”

‘I will be out of your hair soon.’

“You’re not a problem,” Cyrus assured him.

Darius looked rather amused with Cyrus’ sentiment, but his eyes flicked to the doorway where Cameron appeared moments later. “I’m finished packing the car,” Cameron said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’ve already wired money to your account for your troubles.” He turned his focus to Darius. “I’m ready when you are.”

“You don’t have to pay me,” Cyrus said.

Cameron looked at him as if Cyrus were a pest that needed swatting. “And yet I already have,” he said, dismissively. “Put it in charity and I’ll double it. Besides, I’m sure you’ll be looking for a new place to live soon since you’re exiled from Razya.”

Cyrus sighed, looking over at Darius instead. “Good luck, going home with him,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll need it.”

Eyes crinkling, Darius’ warm smile returned, more amused than anything else.

---

Lev was the closest, so he trotted tiredly to open the front door when he heard someone knock. He was quite surprised to see Cameron carrying Darius. Lev skittered back automatically, even as a smile broke across his face.

“Darius!” He switched his gaze to Cameron. “You’re home.”

Darius waved at him, but Cameron had already started down the hall, presumably to the bedroom. “Is the kitchen clean?”

“Is the- oh!” Lev scampered after him, eyes wide. “Yeah. Yes. I went over it twice once Nik was done cooking. There’s even some leftovers in the fridge for you too.”

“Good.”

Lev scrambled to open the bedroom doors once they reached their destination. He watched Cameron hesitate, ever so slightly, before walking in and gently placing Darius on the made bed. “I will be taking residence in one of the other bedrooms, as this one already belonged to Darius. You and Nik will also sleep elsewhere- in your rooms, if you wish.” Cameron very pointedly didn’t look at Darius as he said any of this. “Is the loud-mouth still here?”

“Nik?” Lev asked, in confusion, before, “-Oh. Ash?”

Cameron gave him an irritable-yet-patient look.

“Yes, Ash is here. And Celeste and Dakota. I’ve been trying to help Celeste.” He hesitated, “And keep an eye on Nik. He’s been in a mood.”

Cameron sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “When isn’t he in a mood,” he muttered. “Will you go find him before he cracks his head open on the way here?”

Lev ducked around him, surprised to find Cameron let him as he threw his arms around Darius as gently as he could. When he breathed deep, the scent of cinnamon and sunlight was mixed with the faintest, almost familiar scent of death. “I’ve missed you,” Lev promised, pulling back.

For just a moment, Darius pulled him back enough to hug him a little tighter. When he let Lev go, there was a small smile on his face. Lev squeezed his hand, and then turned around.

“I’ll go get Nik,” he promised Cameron, lingering long enough to almost touch Cameron’s hand.

“I said Ash,” Cameron said.

“You-?” Lev frowned, pulling back. “Oh. Sorry?” He backed out of the bedroom.

Ash was sitting in the makeshift nursery they’d set up for Dakota, holding the infant. Celeste was reading in a chair nearby, but she looked up when Lev came in the room.

“Is everything okay, Levant?” Celeste asked.

“Yeah,” Lev said, watching Ash angle his head in Lev’s direction. “Cameron’s home. He wanted to see Ash.”

“Well it’s not like I can see Cameron,” Ash retorted, but glowered once Celeste cut him a look. “Stop looking at me like that. I know you’re looking at me, Celeste,” he said, irritably.

“Then stop giving me a reason to look at you like that,” She replied, getting up to take the sleeping babe from Ash’s arms. “He’ll go with you.”

Ash got to his feet and started in Lev’s direction. Lev hesitantly took Ash’s arm, avoiding Ash’s russet gaze even if he couldn’t see anything. The walk back was a very quiet one. The silence was particularly pointed, and Lev was not willing to break it.

Cameron was seated on the edge of the bed by the time they got back. Darius had laced his fingers with Cameron, and didn’t seem inclined to let go. “He’s on the bed,” Lev said to Ash.

Ash focused his attention in that direction. “Well? What did you want?”

“Are you able to do your healer thing or are you only as good as your magic?” Cameron asked, ignoring the cutting look Darius gave him. “If you are, I can have Lev retrieve Sazra.”

Anger and embarrassment warped Ash’s features. “Not without my equipment I can’t. I’m about as useful as a human, no thanks to you.” Darius looked pained, but Ash seemed unfazed.

“I can go get Sazra and see if she has equipment you can borrow,” Lev offered.

Ash pulled away from him. “Oh you go do that.”

Lev winced, but went trotting off again, stifling his sigh. It seemed like everyone was in a mood today. Sazra certainly wouldn’t be pleased to see him; she never was.

Her striking silver eyes pinned him in place the moment he stepped into her workspace. As always, he tried not to be unnerved by the lack of pupils, and instead took a small breath. “Um. Cameron sent me? He, uh- Ash? Needs to borrow some equipment? Darius- Cam brought Darius home. And- um. Please?”

Sazra pulled out from her desk. “I’m not too sure what that blind fool can do with my supplies and I do not feel like letting him try, either.” She grabbed a few supplies. “I will come myself, as he is a demon. Your angel can focus on being useful for someone else.”

Lev nodded quickly. “O-oh okay,” he said. “Can I help,” he added automatically. He flushed, and added, “Carrying things or, um, anything?”

She gave him a very long assessing look before holding out her supplies. “Don’t ruin any of these,” she warned. “They’re older than you.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lev said, cradling them close.

When she swept out of the room, Lev scuttled after her, keeping a respectful distance between them. If it seemed like she hesitated before leaving her basement rooms, well surely Lev imagined it.

---

Raziel knew better than to leave her wings out; or at least, it was an old instinct she had yet to curb. In the demons’ castle, it’d never been a good idea to flaunt that she was an angel.

Still, she was here on official business; this meeting had been set almost a year ago, now. If she was the type to think so, she would have thought Biela had set it so far in the future on purpose.

But no, likely the young queen had lots of things on her plate. Raziel didn’t need her magic to tell her that.

Biela didn’t keep her waiting. When Raziel knocked on her office door, she got called in immediately. Though she knew how busy Biela was, Biela’s desk was clear. It didn’t surprise Raziel, but she was quietly pleased about it nonetheless.

“Thank you for seeing me,” Raziel said politely.

Biela gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat. What did you want to talk to me about?”

Raziel sat, folding her hands over one knee. “It’s been several centuries since I’ve been able to ask this of a monarch in Razya. I used to come freely, to speak with Mizra in their temple, and I’d like permission to do so again.” She smiled slightly. “I have had a connection with Mizra for a very long time, and the most recent war has kept me from visiting. While Baylor is working to dismantle the structures Mikael built to disrupt the gods’ presence in Liewen, I’d like to reestablish contact with Mizra here.”

Biela had not returned her smile. “Yes,” she said, folding her hands on the desk. “I imagine war puts a damper on spiritual practices. We’re still in the process of rebuilding many of our temples that Mikael’s army burned to the ground. Very few were left untouched.”

Raziel inclined her head ever so slightly. “That was something else I wanted to speak to you about. I’d like to help fund some of the rebuilding; not just for Mizra’s temples, but the rest of them, too.” For the most part she left her mind open, so Biela could see without effort that she meant it.

Biela leaned back and eyed her, gaging her. But eventually she said, “That would be helpful. There may be a temple or two you could go to, though it will be entirely up to the priestesses there if they allow you to connect to Mizra. I am not about to overstep my bounds with the priestesses. They can be rather troublesome when provoked.”

“I’m aware,” Raziel promised. “It’s been a while, but Vanja and Kanta should still remember me, if they’re still around.”

“Sure,” she agreed. “I believe they’ve managed to keep out of the crossfire. I believe they managed to save some of the older texts as well. I would suggest reaching out to them first- so they are not caught off guard. Many of the priestesses are new and rather leery of outsiders.”

Raziel nodded. “Of course,” she promised. “I wouldn’t want to cause them any more distress than they've already been through.”

“It is the decent thing to do,” Biela said. “Was there anything else you needed to ask of me?”

“No,” Raziel said, standing. “Thank you, both for your blessing, and for your time.”

“Very well, then,” Biela said. “You may take your leave. And tell your granddaughter to stay out of trouble while you’re at it.”

Raziel nodded, and would have passed through the doorway without another word if something hadn’t struck her. While her connection to Mizra had waned, the blessing the god had given her was still considerable, when she listened. “Congratulations,” Raziel said automatically, looking back at Biela, before she closed the door behind her and went on her way.

---

Sazra finished looking Darius over and confirmed with the witch and her useless mate that Darius was indeed intact and healthy. She only noticed his weakened muscles and his fragile state as the result of not being used for well, five hundred years due to the unfortunate circumstances of being dead.

“I think that a similar treatment that you used on that one will suffice for Darius. There seems to be nothing out of the ordinary besides being rather weak.” She cut Lev a sharp look. “And if there is a heat, I would suggest doing as your body wants instead of falling ill. I do not think it wise to tempt the gods a third time with idiotic choices.”

Lev made the choice of climbing up on the bed next to Darius, as if the weakened demon between the two of them was a sufficient defense against Sazra’s ire. Darius took her hand in his as if to say that he would follow her advice to the T.

If Sazra was the sentimental type, she might even say she missed him, too.

Sazra took her hand back and smoothed down the simple grey dress hanging from her frame. She turned to Cameron, who was watching her rather keenly. “I do warn you, he has been dead for a far longer period of time than your pet was. So it may take longer for him to be back to peak form. He might not even get back to peak form at all.”

Toying with things outside the realm of nature rarely had good consequences. There were sure to be consequences for this latest bastardization of natural forces. At least if the screams she had heard the day before were any indication.

“Noted,” Cameron said, evenly. “I will have you check on him every few hours then. You and the witch and hash out a schedule later, I’m sure.”

The lady witch nodded. “I will be sure to talk to her later,” she promised.

With Cameron’s permission, Sazra found her way back to where she belonged, in the rooms Cameron had needlessly made larger when he inherited the house from Asmadai’s death.

She had not stepped foot outside of this house in well over three thousand years and had no intention of ever doing so again. She found her little dwelling the least stressful and full of far fewer threats to face.

She went to work finding and making more medicines and ointments that would surely help aid Darius in his recovery from, well, death.

She made sure to include the angel’s suppressants in her work as well. She did not need any more extremely loud and annoying children disrupting her learning and working.

---

Raziel was surprised at how quickly the priestesses had approved her visit. She’d expected to wait months, and she’d not even left demonic territories before they’d invited her to come. She’d turned around when she knew; no point in wasting a trip and coming back later.

Mizra’s temple, or at least the one Raziel was visiting, had been mostly untouched by the war, though she assumed that was partly because of how deep in Razya it was hidden. The temple itself was pretty simple, but there was an elegance to it that Raziel had always appreciated.

She moved through the temple quietly, making sure that she kept her gaze politely averted from the younger priestesses. Their gazes followed her, and the weight of the confusion, fear, and even a little anger. Understandably so. Raziel was an angel in their holiest of places, their sanctuary from all the horrors of the world that they’d already faced. She hated knowing she was the one to cause them more distress.

Vanja was the one to greet her, and if the warmth in her green gaze was buried under tiredness and grief, it was still there. Her blonde hair was eternally swept up in a half bun, out of her face and still free to tumble down her back like rays of sunlight.

“It’s been a long time,” Raziel returned the greeting, forcing her mouth up into the socially correct smile. “Even for us.”

“It has been a rather long war, I would say. It is a pleasure to see you as always.”

“Would that I could have returned sooner,” Raziel said, refusing to hold the tension in her shoulders any longer. “I didn’t see Kanta. How is she?” Considering everything that had happened in the excessive amount of time since Raziel had visited, she was surprised that Kanta wasn’t glued to Vanja’s side, even with her duties. They’d been close, exceptionally so, the last time Raziel had seen them.

A warm, rather loving smile graced Vanja’s face. “She is well. In fact she is helping a few new acolytes get adjusted to their new home. Mizra surely will be glad to have such devoted followers.”

Raziel dipped her head. “Kanta was always good with the younger generations,” she conceded. “I’m sure I’d have appreciated her guidance when raising my sons, and my grandson. It was never as easy as she made it seem.”

“I am sure she would have loved to help you. I do miss when tensions were not so high. It was easier to share knowledge with each other- and not not feel the weight of death so frequently.” She inclined her head. “I am sorry for your losses.”

Raziel was practiced enough to keep her old grief tucked far away from her expression and tone. “It’s part of life that some end earlier than others, as much as I’ve hated outliving partners and kin alike. I appreciate your condolences, however.” She waited the appropriate beat before, “I was hoping I could attempt to restore my connection with Mizra today.”

“Of course, of course,” Vanja said. “We mustn’t keep them waiting. I am sure they are aware you have arrived.”

“As they are of all things,” Raziel replied with a smile. She followed Vanja back to one of the empty alcoves that dotted the temple. Not really empty, Raziel corrected herself, as there were candles and plants and even pillows to kneel on, but certainly devoid of another person at the moment. Though Vanja had taken care to situate her far from the acolytes that inhabited the temple, Raziel noted.

“Thank you,” Raziel said, touching Vanja’s elbow with a featherlight touch. Yet another learned gesture, but a well practiced one. “I appreciate your willingness to accommodate me, even after all this time.”

“Of course,” she said. “I will leave so you can acquaint yourself unencumbered. Please let me know when you wish to leave so I can make the necessary arrangements.”

“Of course,” Raziel promised. She waited until the priestess made her leave before she settled in the alcove, unable to fully shake the stiffness she held herself with as she closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she was in a familiar room. The iridescent decor was as delicate as she remembered, and, unsurprisingly, Mizra looked exactly how she remembered them. Pale skin, nearly translucent, and hair the same color, or lack thereof. The only bit of color on the god beyond the simple grey dress were the same striking silver eyes Raziel herself had. A gift, or so Raziel understood it, that went along with the magic Mizra had bestowed upon her all those millennia ago. Raziel no longer remembered what she looked like with the golden eyes Lev had inherited. As far as she was concerned she might as well not ever had them.

“Well it is about time you graced yourself with my presence.”

The first genuine smile Raziel had worn in months cracked her usual facade, though it was small and quickly faded. “I missed you too, old friend,” she replied. “Much has happened, and I’m sorry this war has kept me from you for so long.”

Mizra sniffed and waved a dismissive hand. “You silly mortals and your silly wars. It is as annoying as it is hinderous. I find it tedious.”

“As you do many things,” Raziel countered. “I think the war is over, for now. You’ll have my company for a few centuries before another breaks out, I should hope.”

“Oh yes, yes,” Mizra said. “Your little rulers do seem to be competent in their jobs. Baylor sharing my gifts should hold promise.”

“Should,” Raziel agreed. “I’m sure you’ve got plenty to tell me.” Even as she thought about sitting, a chair was there, so she sank down in it with a contented little sigh. “I’ve missed our talks.”

“I have as well. My siblings can only hold my interest for so long,” Mizra said, sinking gracefully in their own chair. They had two cups of tea appear in their hands. “Tell me more about Cameron. He has been rather… distant and I find his lack of acknowledgement to be rather insolent on his part. Now that that awful woman is no longer tied to his life.”

“I imagine he doesn’t have anyone to point him in your direction,” Raziel mused. “And from the very little amount of time I’ve spent in his presence, I think she’s still very much tangled up in his mind and heart, as much as he’d refuse to admit it. Asmadai did damage to his mind and spirit that only a mother could.” She blinked slowly, accepting the cup of tea handed to her. “Though I did not expect him to become so entangled with my grandson.” She couldn’t quite lie to herself and say had she known she’d have raised him any differently, but...

“Oh yes,” Mizra said, eyes sharpening in thought. “Your interesting little breakable bird of a grandson does make Cameron all the more captivating. He and his little band of broken boys. I want you to fix him for me.”

“I’m not a therapist,” Raziel replied with a frown. “And stars know I was never a good mother; I’m not the best at guiding anyone down the path they should take.” Her frown deeped. “I’m sure you know he doesn’t trust me. He has no reason to; I’m half convinced he’s only a step from open hostility at all times when it comes to me, though I’ve done nothing to him personally.”

“I am sure it was your little war that has his mood so sour,” they said. “Anyhow, I do not care for his feelings, I care that he is worshipping me so he can access the full extent of his abilities. He’s so far disconnected from me, he might as well be magicless.”

Raziel considered her words carefully. In the end she simply said, “I will do my best to send him your way. Subtle maneuverings will get us nowhere; I’ll simply tell him you wish his presence. Even Cameron wouldn’t dare tell a god no.” She hoped, anyway.

“If he values his self preservation as much as I know he does he will,” Mizra said, glibly. “Besides, what does he think kept his skin attached to his bones for the last five hundred years. His winning charm? That would be incorrect.”

Raziel found herself laughing, albeit quietly. “You guided him well, even when he could not hear you. I’ll try to help put him on your path, or at least point him towards the correct signs and let him think he’ll figure it out on his own.”

“Yes.” Their eyes narrowed in deep thought. “Men do think they’re far more intelligent. Their little wars would be less violent if they listened to reason. It is with good luck that Cameron chooses to listen to what I have to say. I expect results, Raziel, do not fail me.”

tagging:  @incandescent-creativity @solangelo3088 @lil-miss-red @halstudies @littleyellowdinosaur @caelisis @idreamonpaper

[in-tua-deep]

Hi, I'm the anon who asked for the fluffiest most heartwarming headcanons and they really cheered me up thank you so much! ❤️

asdfghASFGHJ i can give some more random headcanons if you’d like >:3c

we’re gonna go with a theme of food since i went grocery shopping today

After a while in the apocalypse, some things started to grow back. Plants are tough, and a fantastic way to supplement a diet of insects if you know which ones are edible

that’s a long way to say that the siblings witness Five just stuff an Entire Flower into his mouth and he also randomly will stoop while walking and just grab some clover or something and stuff it in his pockets

“And y’all say I’m weird.” Klaus says while they watch Five absently pick and eat an entire patch of dandelions on their Forced Family Bonding Picnic

Five isn’t the only one with food issues - Klaus and Ben also come with food issues and surprisingly Luther also has food insecurity thanks to his time on the moon (everyone noticed that nice note which asked his dad to please remember to send more food right)

Klaus lived with homelessness and Ben hasn’t eaten actual food since he died regardless of the fact that Klaus always sets a place for him or saves him a cup of coffee or tea to include him, and the day that Klaus manages to make Ben manifest enough to actually eat and drink is going to be a Whole Barrel Full of Emotions

honestly what i’m saying is that there is some really wholesome mealtime shenanigans where everyone takes turns providing dinner or lunch and everyone has to attend because it’s family time and there is. varying level of success.

Luther’s food is a little basic but edible enough once they all grab some seasoning. He doesn’t do anything fancy with it, but he can put together a fairly solid meal - and if he actually genuinely studied for this and watched a bunch of youtube channels on cooking well he’s allowed to do whatever he wants on his free time thank you very much

Diego is. Well. He’s been living on his own for a while he’s technically capable of putting a meal together. And if everyone is served scrambled eggs on toast then hey it’s breakfast for dinner shut up that’s a real thing screw you all. (He might have forgotten it was his turn until someone casually mentioned it and he had to make do with whatever was in the kitchen oops)

Allison looks competent in her life but the first time it’s her turn to do dinner they end up having to order pizzas because Allison gets distracted and everything burns. There is some extreme heist shenanigans scrubbing everything down and busting out the air fresheners before Five gets back and Five scowls when he finds out but is actually endeared though he’d never admit it

Everyone expects Klaus’s dinner to be a fucking disaster and it was but that disaster is not what the family was fed so it all turns out okay in the end. Mainly because they went shopping earlier and ended up with a bunch of freezer food and so the family is served a wonderful mean of turkey dinosaur shaped nuggets with sides of kraft mac n’ cheese and microwaveable steamed broccoli

look Klaus is easily distracted and inclined to experiment to the point of inedibility which is not a fantastic combination for family dinner night. the only reason it goes decently is because Ben exists to act as Klaus’s one brain cell and Ben’s intervention depends entirely on how much his siblings have pissed him off this week so.

Five probably just fucking. Proudly dumps a bunch of cans of food on the table and considers his job in ‘providing’ for his family done. When question he defensively says “they aren’t even out of date yet!” and everyone is left squinting at these metal tubes containing their dinner

Next meal though, after much explanation on what they mean by family dinner nights, is probably some kind of stew?? probably a really bizarre and weird veggie stew because you can just kind of toss whatever in a stew pot and go with it which is probably one of the only real things he knows how to make. He may or may not build a fire in the courtyard to cook it since he isn’t sure how to do it making an oven and stove but like. baby steps y’all baby steps.

Ben gets to opt out of being in the roster for family dinner nights due to. his dead-ness. plus the fact that Klaus isn’t reliable in keeping him corporeal yet, but he does make some bomb ass desserts on klaus’s dinner nights when klaus has the energy to manifest him (as long as ben bugs klaus to remember to get whatever it is out when it’s ready)

Vanya makes so many casseroles y’all. When she was on her own she looked up stuff she could make that could be made in one dish and kind of went from there. Did she watch too many shows as a kid where a kindly neighbor brought over some casserole? probably. but her food is actually both edible, homemade, and freeze-able which puts her a leg up on pretty much all of her siblings tbh

the last day of the week, bc ben doesn’t cook, goes to Grace and everyone eagerly awaits those days because let’s be real Grace’s food is the best food and yeah, they might have come up with this thing to give her a break in the first place but damn if she isn’t the real expert and at one point or another they all end up seeking out her advice which she is always pleased by

Five might mainline coffee but surprise! He’s actually not alone in that. Vanya has long long hours of orchestra practice and needs a kick to stay awake, and Allison is completely unashamed with her starbucks obsession. Klaus is always eager to accompany Allison and gets the biggest most sugary drinks possible (as long as she’s paying)

Vanya does try to switch and keep to teas though. Especially after the whole apocalypse debacle. Look her powers are linked to her emotions and she’s going to drink whole gallons of calming whatever tea if it means she isn’t going to punt her idiot brothers through a few walls and go full on Carrie (even if they totally deserve it). She does have some regrets about the frequent bathroom breaks though

Luther is the sibling who tries the teas with Vanya. It’s quiet, they don’t really have to talk to each other, and it’s supposed to be calming so it’s their little bonding thing since god they both need it a lot tbh

Diego thinks coffee pollutes his system and probably keeps a whole bunch of sports drinks. and SMOOTHIES or like those dumb blended drinks? everyone loses respect for him the day they witness him voluntarily drink something with not one but multiple raw eggs in it

even Diego “my body is a temple” Hargreeves balks at Allison’s health smoothies which havekale in them. Allison insists they don’t taste that bad but everyone sees her grimacing when she thinks they aren’t looking. The only one that dares drink Allison’s smoothies is Five and everyone is convinced his taste buds died with the rest of the world in the apocalypse

Allison and Diego team up at least once to try and get the rest of the siblings to go on a health kick. Luther reluctantly joins their side because of the power of Allison and is regarded as a traitor by the rest. Vanya was almost persuaded until Allison said they were having spaghetti and brought out spaghetti squash. 

Klaus is ardently against this health kick because he wants waffles for breakfast, mainly. Five is only against it out of spite because they tried to throw away his marshmallows for his sandwiches

Klaus gets really hungry after using his powers to manifest Ben. His power is usually passive but when he’s actively using it, he’s burning calories. This probably leads to at least one collapse before Five elbows his way in to coach Klaus on How Not To Pass Out and to keep snacks on his person

Five’s power is similar in that jumps burn calories for him, which is why he almost never jumped in the apocalypse unless his life was in danger. The peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches were created to give himself some much needed calories and energy. He fainted a lot as a kid and knows how to handle this kind of bullshitbut Klaus is kind of garbage at taking care of himself so i mean. it’s a big old learning curve going on and tbh both Klaus AND Five don’t eat enough they’re both too skinny smh

Everyone takes turns going grocery shopping except for Five and Klaus. Five because he’s not driving to the store alone because he might get arrested (plus his grasp of paying for things is. very loose). 

Klaus because of the Incident that Shall Not Be Mentioned involving a local grocery chain store, an entire aisle of baby food, just a little bit of public nudity, and a wet floor sign. That, and Klaus always came back with the most ridiculous things possible anyway so

Klaus tries to wheedle everyone into letting him go because Ben is with him, guys! But no one falls for this. Ben is petty and will take Klaus’s side or egg him on almost as much as he acts as Klaus’s sole brain cell, and Klaus also has a history of ignoring Ben even when he is acting like that one brain cell

Klaus does occasionally tag along with the others. Mainly Diego, because Diego has a not-so-secret Klaus-shaped soft spot. Klaus usually demands to ride in the trolley and knocks things off shelves like a small toddler or particularly mischievous cat

Everyone in the house teams up to make sure Klaus eats at least one (1) fruit or vegetable at least every other day

okay that’s all i got for now i have to take a shower but enjoy ;3c

[vampirefreakism]

The Scientist (Chapter 26)

Summary: In the events following Asgard’s destruction, Loki finds himself on Earth seeking refuge to await the inevitable. Much to his surprise, it comes from a source he would never have expected.

AO3 Link

The Soundtrack So Far

Warnings: some fluff, some tension, idk ice? cold stuff?

Word count: 3.9k

A/N: Tell me something: why do I have to make these chapters so long? Why can't I be a more normal writer and release chapters that are, at most, 2k words in length? At this rate, I'll be 250k+ words before I'm done and omfg that's an "at least" prediction. Anywho, I'm seeing Captain Marvel tomorrow, and I am so excited. My soul might leave my body and transcend into the next dimension all from my love for women. Hell to the yeah, folks.

Masterlist

----------

The voice of the newscaster resounded about the shared apartment, holding the attention of one Norse god. His human companion sat near him, on the floor, still in the process of fixing his damaged armored suit. The rips and tears littering it were all stitched up using various techniques, and the scuffs and stains all distant memories. The boots and shoulder pieces, however, were a challenge. They were not ripped but scraped and frayed. Such damage to hard material could not be sewn back together or scrubbed clean with soap, water, and alcohol.

Luna grabbed a few extra items from her room – quick-dry epoxy, a scrap piece of cardboard, and a flat stick – she believed would work in laying down and repairing the tattered areas. Loki kept a watchful eye on her, as he always did when she handled his close personal belongings. She didn’t mind. It was the one time she meddled in the things she hadn’t bought him, so as per common decency, she handled them in front of him.

“You think that’ll work?” Loki chimed, his green gaze set on the woman seated on the floor.

She lifted her eyes to meet his. “In fixing it? I sure hope so.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“I just keep trying different things until I feel like giving up.” Luna returned her attention to the shoulder piece.

She smoothed the clear epoxy mix firmly and carefully till it was too tacky to continue. Slowly, she switched to the other side. The layers made it tricky, but she had all evening if she didn’t want to leave the house. Loki was satisfied for the moment, the fridge was stocked with enough leftovers to last them the weekend, and, in case they were plagued by unwanted sleepless nights or the occasional dark emotion, the freezer had plenty of ice cream pints.

Loki stuck to his program. The subject matter interested him in a way Luna could not fathom. To each his own, she reminded herself. If he didn’t attempt to create unrest under her roof, he could do as he liked. She liked the peace in her home too much to let someone else disturb it. It seemed he liked it as well and took steps on his own to ensure it.

Satisfied with the job she had done, Luna slowly got up, suit top in hand, and walked it to the empty chairs by the counter. She set it down on one, resting the undried epoxy patches away from any surface. She dusted her hands. Another job well-done, if she said so herself.

Upon returning from putting her supplies back where they came from, Loki called her attention.

“Tell me, who is that?” He pointed to the television playing a local news station, in particular at the figure the story was about.

“Him?” Luna confirmed. “That’s our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

“Oh, I know that but who is he exactly? Beneath the mask?” Loki was a tad perturbed.

Luna shrugged and lied. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t think anyone does.”

“They trust a hero they cannot see? Odd concept.” The master of lies believed her. Another victory of the day.

“I'm sure people are skeptical, but he's never done anything malicious, and he helps out the little guy. You know, the underappreciated.” A little slice of truth for him.

“Huh. I suppose he is appealing.” Loki crossed his arms and observed the individual clad in red and blue. “Is he an Avenger?”

Luna chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh, no. No, he is not. Good thing, too.”

“How come? He seems capable enough.” Luna paused.

“Because, uh, he, uh, that’s his job. You know, he’s more of a freelance vigilante than one tied to an organization like the Avengers.” She could see the look on Loki’s face. He didn’t believe her for a second. “You know, I don’t really know. You know I mainly keep to myself, so any newbies go right under my nose.” She waved a hand in the air.

“Mm-hm.” Loki eyed her, not sounding convinced, but he didn’t need to be yet. Luna feigned ignorance well enough.

The pair watched the rest of the program with Luna now perched atop the couch arm. She was at a loss for what to fill the rest of her afternoon and evening with. The oncoming snow storm looked to be getting worse each day it didn't show. There was residual fear of being snowed in, or at least cautioned to not venture outside. Shopping needed to be done, and additional activities had to be seen to, for either of the apartment occupants could easily succumb to cabin fever. Loki was a patient fellow and didn’t show his restlessness easily, but he hated being cooped up as much as Luna did.

An idea popped into her head, making Luna snap her fingers. “Hey, after we do some shopping, how about we do something?”

“What kind of something?”

“A fun something, at least before it snows. Like, uh,” she tapped her lower lip, “ooh! Like ice skating! If we go now, we can make it before there are too many people.”

“Ice skating?” Loki was perplexed. “Where would we be going?”

"Rockefeller Center," Luna said as she scurried to her room. “It's stunning this time of year." She called out. She shuffled back into the living room, phone in hand. “Ok, I can reserve some tickets online. So, yes or no?”

“This place is not in Manhattan…is it?” Loki asked tentatively.

Luna paused. “Yeah, but you’ll be fine. It’ll be fine,” she said quickly, waving a hand around. “Come on, let’s get ready. We need to at least get you a coat before we’re snowed in for a week.”

--------------------

“You know, I don’t even really need the coat. My jacket is enough,” Loki said, grabbing cradling his rental skates. The new garment reminded him a bit too much of his Stuttgart outfit, and it was wholly disconcerting.

Luna picked up her pair after him. “I am aware, Mr. The-Cold-Never-Bothered-Me-Anyway, but it is about 30 degrees out and getting colder, and since we’re going to be around a lot of people, you not wearing a coat would be cause for alarm.” She hastened over to a free bench and sat down. Loki followed suit and took his place by her side.

He watched as she pulled her boots off, stretched a foot out, and force it into the bladed skating boot. She repeated the action with her other foot and laced them up with practiced precision. Loki looked at his own and copied her to the best of his ability. The crisscross of the laces he was able to get, but their desired tightness proved more difficult.

Luna had tested her laces a few times – loosening them, retying them, standing up, and repeated the procedure – before Loki first finishing his. Luna stood upright and firm as though she were on the flats of her feet, not balanced on the edges of twin blades. She shifted her weight from left to right and felt satisfied. Loki mimicked her, but he did not feel the same.

With a stumble, he sat down and roughly undid his laces. Luna, noticing his agitated state, sat back in her spot.

“Aren’t you supposed to be an expert with the blade?” She joked, hoping to dissipate some of Loki’s frustration.

“Yes, in wielding them. Not wearing them.” He quipped back with an evident edge in his voice.

Luna knocked the edge of her boot against his. “You can wield these too. They can cause some serious damage if they’re sharp enough. I’ve pricked myself on my own skates more times than I can count when I was younger.”

Loki fiddled with the stray lace. “You did this a lot?”

“Oh, yes. I used to be quite the figure skater.” Luna smiled, recalling the memories from her youth.

“Figure skater?” Loki pondered, knitting his brows. None of his investigative endeavors have yet provided an inkling of this kind of information. He was curious.

“It’s like ballet, but on the ice.” Luna glanced down at Loki’s still-undone boots. “Here, let me do that for you.” She twisted around to straddle the bench they sat on and spun her hand around, gesturing for Loki to do the same. He did as she asked and faced her full-on.

Wishing to get on with the task, Luna gave Loki’s left leg two firm pats for him to lift it. She had to scoot back once he stretched it out. It was easy to forget how long he was. She maneuvered his foot into a proper resting position and got to work, loosening and retightening his shoe.

Loki felt the tap-tap of her fingers through the thick material, but her light touch barely preoccupied his thoughts. It was clear he did not know everything about her and his snooping could only take him so far. He wondered how much her Avengers knew. If they knew more than him. He felt jealousy grow at the prospect of missing out. However inconsequential it may be, Loki loved being the first in the know about everything.

Tentatively, he continued the conversation. “You miss it?”

Luna looked up from her task. “Hmm?” With his head, Loki gestured to the skate in her hand. “Oh. Uh, yeah.” She nodded, a little despondent. “I almost completed my training when I had to stop.”

“What made you? Stop, I mean.”

“School.” She jerked his foot a bit as she fastened the laces around the metal loops. “I had to choose between spending my time practicing triple axels and working on homework and, well,” she chuckled, “my three science degrees should be enough to tell you what my decision was.” A few more tugs and a knotted bow finished the job. “Alright, circle your foot around. You want it to feel firm on the joint, but not painfully so.” Slowly, Loki lifted his foot and rotated it clockwise, switching directions once he felt satisfied. “How is it?” Luna asked.

“It’s good,” Loki muttered.

“Good,” Luna echoed, smiling lazily and placing a hand on his opposite knee. “Now for the next one.”

--------------------

Loki, gripping the edge of the rink wall, stood as static as his body would allow. “So how on earth do you move with these?” He was capable on the ice, but the kind he has experienced in the past was always blanketed with a thin layer of snow. The surface beneath him now beheld no such traction.

Before him, Luna kept a watchful eye on his posture. “You just, you know, stand. Like this.” She presented her feet, the blades positioned in a small V. “And push with the edge.” Her foot facing away propelled her forward to Loki’s side.

“I've been doing that, and it's not working.”

“That’s because you’re treating it like you’re walking.”

“Oh, you make it sound so easy.” Loki sneered a little.

Luna let out a low groan and moved backward to stand face-to-face with him. "Pretend you’re dancing. Feel the ice beneath you and use it. Follow it as you would a partner. And, if you want,” she held her gloved hands out, “I can help lead you.”

Loki kept watch of her open hands as he slowly extended one of his towards them. Settling a firm grasp on the one he held, he let the other follow. “Don’t worry, I got you,” Luna sent him a sweet smile, careful not to lose her grip on him. Loki presented himself as calm. He had captured the attention of the right person and, though he loved attention, was intent on not drawing more.

“Now, stand up a little straighter and push gently.” Loki did as he was told and pushed with the blade at an angle. Luna glided backward, guiding him steadily over the shallow divots in the ice. “And again. And again. See?” With a pivot of her foot, she swiveled to stand beside Loki, still holding onto the hand furthest from the wall. “Not so hard.”

Loki looked down at her, smirking a little, and nudged her. “Well, I have an excellent teacher.”

Luna giggled and bumped him back. “Hey, don’t jinx it just yet. The last time these skates were sharpened was probably during the time of Lewis and Clark, and this ice is already pretty cut, so it’s very easy to trip on.” A glance down confirmed her feet to be at a safe distance from Loki’s. “Fresh, smooth ice is like heaven to be on, but you probably know that already.”

Loki hummed in response. He had an idea of how it would be. Being on the ice at this moment was pleasant. In tandem, they skated in silence, staying close to the wall for safety but far enough away to let other struggling patrons cling to it.

The cold crept up on Loki, quickly and quietly. It didn’t hurt him like it would a human, but he knew it was there. The air alone took less from him than if he came into contact with the ice itself. One touch from his bare hand may expose him. He wasn’t willing to take the risk. Not in a crowded area filled with people whose lives he had directly affected. He was lucky to be holding the hand of someone with a giving and forgiving heart. The couples and families around him would not grant him as much grace, no matter what pretty lies he may spin.

His eyes strayed from the people in front of him to the decorations above and around him. The settling darkness in the sky enhanced the brightness of the colored lights. The ice reflected them, making it seem like he was floating above a white sea of rainbow stars. The Christmas tree stood high above them, a beacon of glad tidings during a happy season. A sweetness settled within Loki’s heart, but it did not come without a thin lining of bitterness.

“Answer me something,” he asked Luna.

“Okay,” she replied, keeping her voice hushed.

Loki paused, feeling the words circle about, and spoke. “Was this place destroyed?”

“When?” Luna knew what he was referring to, but she had to make sure.

“During…,” Loki looked down, “my first visit.”

“Probably,” she stated, “but look how nice it is right now.”

Loki didn’t bother. Visions of destruction plagued his mind, obscuring his view. He enjoyed the place and his present company. Thinking of it no longer existing didn’t sit well with him.

Luna sensed the storm brewing inside him and squeezed his hand. “Don’t dwell on it.”

“Why not? It’s my wrongdoing.”

“Because it doesn’t do any good. Dwelling never fixes anything.”

Loki blinked and looked down at the crown of Luna’s head as he regarded her statement. The first time she had confronted any issue regarding his past, and it was over and done with before he could spare any additional words. And how nonchalant she was about it. Loki was almost convinced she had forgotten about the incident or never heard of it. No, she was worlds smarter than that. Loki was the one who forgot and took her for granted. She was as merciful as she was gracious.

Yes, dwelling doesn’t fix anything. He would follow her example and brush it off for a time when it is a problem, for it wasn’t now.

Carefully, Loki changed the subject. “You know, many centuries ago, people used these as a method of transportation.”

Luna peered up at him, eager to know the context with which he spoke. A tilt of his head towards the ground gave her what she needed to continue.

“And you traveled with them, I suppose?”

Loki snickered. “Heavens, no. That was well before my time, around the era of my grandfather Bor’s rule.”

“Did you know him?”

He paused. “Also before my time.”

“I never knew my grandfathers either. One died of cancer; the other, a stroke.” Luna caught herself. It was early enough to stop. “Sorry. You didn’t need to know that.”

Alas, more information Loki couldn’t find in her diaries. “What do you know about them?” He had to know more.

“Well,” Luna assembled her words, “I know I would have liked one more than the other. But isn’t that how it is with all family?”

Loki let out a laugh. “How right you are.” Memories of times passed surfaced here and there in his thoughts. Yes, how right she was. If she only knew how much.

Unabashedly, as his gaze fell elsewhere, Luna admired him. She had gotten him to smile out of genuine amusement. And his laugh. A reward in and of itself. ‘Tamed the beast,’ an onlooker might say. But such a statement couldn’t be farther from the truth. He was no beast.

The two skated further around the rink, passing straggling children trying to stay on two feet and teens doing their best not to get too rowdy. No one bothered to notice them. Glances were spared only to prevent any unnecessary collisions. They spoke naught for they felt no need to. The peace they achieved at home had extended out past the threshold. To say the least, it was nice. Others could do the chattering in their place. Until, of course, one decided to take the reins.

“So, is it true?” Luna asked, a slight smirk making its way onto her face.

“Is what true?” Loki asked back, not bothering to look away from the ice before him.

“About Sleipnir?”

Confusion passed over Loki, as such a thing had not crossed his mind in many a moon. But, he caught on to what she meant and snickered lightly. “Dear, no. He was real, yes, but he was another being from before me. I took a liking to the creature while in my youth and most people mocked me for it, aptly calling me his ‘mother.’”

Luna smiled at the sentiment. “That’s nice you gave him company, though. How beautiful he must have been.”

“Quite so. A magnificent animal. Odin didn’t appreciate him properly, but then again, he rarely did with anything." Rather than get into another tense topic, Loki dispelled any increasing strain. “However, perhaps in another universe, he would have been my true son.”

Luna paused and tittered a little. “Yeah, and you would have vibrant red hair and a whole wife.”

“My goodness, just imagine!” Loki bolstered, pulling a laugh from her.

Moments like these granted him a precious second to admire the beauty of his young friend. Could he call her ‘friend?’ As he thought on how delightfully warm he found her smile, he found himself treading back into dangerous territory. Friends, in his experience, were never around for long and he was so blinded by the wishful thinking he couldn't catch their lies until it was too late for his heart. Maybe they did like him, but they never preferred him. Then again, they were not her. None from his past were like her, and perhaps it would be alright for him. But, for now, only the Norns could tell.

Before long, announcements were made for all active skaters to vacate the rink for the Zamboni to makes its rounds. Luna and Loki took their sweet time, unlike a select few who thought it would be fun to race to the exit. The loud, rapid scraping of their blades alerted those around to their oncoming presence; a presence Luna did not keep track of.

Heads were turned, and gazes averted. The instance spelled disaster. Luckily, Loki possessed a distinct taste for it. He felt the moment coming a breath before anyone else did. One individual was going too fast, got bumped by a friend, and was careening towards the spot Luna was gliding towards. With a rough yank, Loki took hold of her and moved her out of the stranger’s path. He held her tight against the wall to prevent her from slipping and rendering his efforts naught. The stranger recovered quickly, threw them an apology, and continued on their way.

The two stood for a spell; Loki’s arms around her torso and Luna’s hands gripping his coat’s collar. Slowly and steadily, he leaned back.

“Are you alright?” He asked, a bit breathless.

“Uh-huh, yeah.” Luna moved her hands to the sides of his shoulders. “Thanks,” she whispered. He was closer than usual. Not something she was used to.

“Of course,” he whispered back as he stared into her eyes. They were full and dark from the night sky, shining in the lights from above. Again, they captured him. Inconveniently, at best, but it couldn’t be helped.

Time caught up, and Luna slid her hands down to his biceps with the sole purpose of gently pushing him off, but one touch and she stopped. The words of May Parker surfaced in her mind. Loki was indeed firm and strong by the way he held her. She knew so from her first dance with him but feeling him again like this was a whole other matter. Coupled with the intenseness of his gaze, he made her feel hot under the collar. A completely involuntary reaction. It couldn’t be helped.

Dragging herself back into reality, Luna gave his arm a tap. “We, uh, we should get going before we’re forcibly removed.”

“Oh, yes,” Loki muttered, pulling back and standing at his full height. He gestured to the ice in front of them on the path to the gate. Ever the gentleman, he allowed Luna to go first if she wished. Eager to escape the awkward situation, she took the invitation and skated off with Loki trailing behind her.

In the sitting area, they sipped on individual hot chocolates and let their minds scramble in different directions. No thought led gracefully to another. The abruptness of their proximity left no room for control. They faked it well, though. Luna gradually regained it by tapping out the beat to a song playing over the speakers.

The first thing she consciously felt was comfortable. A bit rattled from the experience, but not wishing she could get away from Loki. She didn't have to try with him, in the best way. She'd admit it was scary, for it might be too good to be true. She wondered how he was in his past. If anyone else felt like this around him. Perhaps they did. Maybe it was none of her business. No harm in imagining, though.

“You must have had a lot of friends on Asgard,” she said, snapping Loki out of whatever musing he was in.

He turned the cup around in his hand. “Why would you think something like that?”

“Because it takes no energy to hang out with you.”

Loki creased his brow. “Thank…you?” In all his years, never had he heard something like that.

Luna laughed, a little nervous. “No, no, it’s a good thing. It’s inviting, at least to people like me.” She fiddled with the plastic lid, trusting he could see what she meant. The growing grin on his face gave her a hint of what he felt.

“Well, for your sake,” he held up his half-empty cup, “I’m glad,” and tapped it gently against hers.

Cheers to someone who preferred his company. Cheers to someone he liked to be around. Cheers to his beautiful friend named after the moon.

----------

Taglist:  @the-doctor-9-10 @pinkieperil @sherlockfan4life

[hymn2000]

Called To Be A Rock - Frostiron feat. Spiderson AU fanfic - C18

Chapter 1  Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17

Comments/reviews/questions welcome as always

Overall Desc.:  Peter is staying with Tony and Loki one summer while his aunt is away working/travelling.

Chapter Desc.: Emotions are running high on another yo-yo-like day. Filters seem to be a thing of the past, and no one asked for awkward conversations, but that’s what they got

Ship(s) involved: Tony x Loki aka Frostiron

Verse: Personal AU

Ongoing Warnings/themes/cw mentions: domestic, hurt/comfort, family dynamic, mental health issues, problems, bedroom stuff/talk, awkward, Tony in Dad Mode, nsfw stuff, teenager stuff

Chapter 18 -  Pray You Never Feel This Same Kind Of Remorse

-

Loki awoke to the sound of Peter and Tony shouting at each other. He sighed heavily. It was only 7.30am, and he was tired. He pulled the pillow over his head, but soon even that wasn’t enough to block it out. He sighed, dragging himself from the bed and going out to the hallway where the shouting was taking place. They didn’t notice him at first. Peter was shaking all over from his anger, and Tony was trying very hard indeed not to lose his temper. He was very close to losing that battle. Peter kept goading him. 

“Come on then! I thought you were supposed to be punishing me, so just do it!”

Loki was surprised at the venom with which he shouted. It all seemed so out of character for him.

“Just hit me! Why won’t you do it? You’re fine with hitting your own boyfriend, aren’t you, so why won’t you hit me? Do it!”

Loki grabbed hold of Tony by the wrist, stopping him, pulling him back with his other arm round his chest. 

“Don’t do it: he’s just trying to get a reaction out of you”

Tony ignored Loki, staring Peter down.

“I swear to god, if you were my own kid, I’d slipper you good and proper. What the hell has gotten into you? You need to learn to channel your aggression” 

Peter stepped back slightly, suddenly cautious. He hadn’t expected Tony to actually take a swing at him. He knew he’d pushed him too far. 

“Get to your room” Tony snapped. “I’ll be with you in a minute”

Once Peter was out of sight, Loki let go of him. Tony turned round, burying his face in Loki’s shoulder. 

“I have no idea how to cope with this. I don’t know what’s gotten into him”

Loki hugged him tight. “He’s just upset. I don’t think he knows how to cope with it either” 

“I feel like I’ve screwed up”

“You haven’t. You’re good with him. He respects you. He’ll be back to his usual self in a day or two” 

Tony stepped back, keeping his hands on Loki’s hips. “I’m sorry we woke you. I’ll sort this. Why don’t you go back to bed for a bit?”

Loki knew it wasn’t really a suggestion. He gave Tony another hug, kissing his cheek.

“You know where I am if you need me”

-

Loki slept a while longer, but dragged himself from Tony’s bed at around 9am. He found Tony in the kitchen, working on his laptop. He went to give him a hug, but stopped, spotting something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw Peter on his hands and knees, a scrubbing brush in one hand, and a bucket of soapy water at his side.

“What are you doing down there?”

“Channelling my aggression, apparently” Peter mumbled bitterly. 

Loki looked at Tony. “You’re making him scrub the floor?”

“Yep, and you’re not to help him” 

Loki decided not to comment. He gave Tony a quick hug and went to switch the kettle on. He got his mug down from his cupboard, and looked through his boxes of teas, deciding he quite fancied chai this morning. He took down the box, and found it was suspiciously light. He opened it and found it empty. 

“Why the hell would you put an empty box back in the cupboard?” he threw the box at Peter.

“Ow! Hey!”

“Oh come on, that didn’t hurt” he slammed his cupboard, retrieving the box and throwing it in the recycling. 

“Have darjeeling instead” Tony suggested. “You’ve got loads of that”

Loki went back to his cupboard, opening it again and choosing the Lady Grey. He was a bit annoyed now. 

“I’ll have to go shopping later: I’m fast running out of tea” 

“You’ve got an almost full box of darjeeling” 

Loki rolled his eyes. “I’m running out of biscuits too. And ice lollies”

“I bought you a box of Twisters two days ago”

“I’ve only got one left”

Tony looked up from his laptop. “You need to limit yourself”

Loki shrugged, pouring water into his mug and leaving the tea to brew. He went over and closed Tony’s laptop.

“Uh, I’m trying to work here”

“You’re entitled to a break”

“Not when I’m this busy” he opened the laptop, and Loki immediately closed it again. Tony sighed. “What do you want?”

“Attention”

“Sit on my lap then. But sort your tea first. And have something to eat”

“I’m not hungry: I might have finished your stash of cereal bars” 

“Add them to your shopping list”

Loki went and sorted his tea, and returned to Tony, climbing onto his lap. Tony opened his laptop again, typing with one hand so he could hug Loki with the other. 

Peter looked up at them for a moment. He made eye contact with Loki but quickly looked away. He didn’t want to be watched. He was fed up. His knees were sore and rubbed from kneeling on the wet floor in his jeans, and his hand already hurt, and he’d only done a small section of the floor. It was going to be a long morning. 

-

Loki went out around 10am, leaving Tony and Peter alone once again. Peter was feeling more and more fed up. Tony made a snide comment every time he stopped scrubbing, so he had no time to rest. His wrist ached and he felt sore all over. ‘I’ll never be able to look at a chess board again’ he thought to himself as he rubbed away at the tiles. 

It was tiring work. He hated that Tony was working in the kitchen instead of just leaving him to it. He hated that the only sounds in the room were the brush against the tiles, and the sound of Tony’s keyboard, occasionally broken by the sound of the brush being dipped in the water bucket. He was upset. He wanted his aunt. He wanted Loki. He wanted to erase the previous night so that he’d never gotten into trouble. He started crying quietly, tears blurring his vision and dripping down his cheeks. He hoped Tony wouldn’t notice. 

-

They were still working away when Loki returned. Loki ruffled Peter’s hair gently while Tony wasn’t looking.

“They didn’t have any of the Frosties ones” Loki said, setting two boxes of Rice Krispies cereal bars down on the breakfast bar. 

“Those ones are fine, thanks, sweetheart” 

Loki put his ice lollies in the freezer and went over to the counter by his cupboard, putting the rest of his shopping away. He set a box of chai tea down on the counter by the sugar bowl. He made eye contact with Peter, pointing at him and then the box, mouthing ‘Yours’ at him. Peter felt too weak to smile. 

-

The floor seemed to stretch out for miles. It felt like a never-ending task. He was rubbed and sore and tired and achy and hungry. He felt drained. He just wanted to sleep. He cursed Tony for having such a big kitchen.

-

Eventually, every inch of the floor had been scrubbed. Peter stood up slowly, sucking his breath. Everything hurt. His knees had seized up. He’d been on his hands and knees for so long. His back ached like anything, and his hands and knees were terribly rubbed. Tony looked at him, nodding.

“Good. Empty your bucket and put it back in the cleaning cupboard. I hope you’ve learnt your lesson” 

Peter nodded weakly, emptying his bucket into the sink, dropping his brush into it, and shoving it back into the cleaning cupboard. He never wanted to see it again.

He stumbled off to the back room, flopping down on the futon and pulling a nearby blanket over him. He felt like he could sleep for a week.

-

Loki set the tray down on the lamp table and knelt in front of the sofa, giving Peter a shake.

“Peter, time to wake up now” 

Peter stirred, whining a little as he woke up. Loki smiled at him.

“How do you feel?”

Peter thought for a moment. “...Sore”

“I thought you might. Do you want a hug?”

“Yes please”

He sat up, leaning forwards to hug him tight. He was still hurting, both physically and emotionally. It felt good to get a bit of positive attention. Loki gave him a squeeze and let go, grabbing a cushion and plonking it onto Peter’s lap.

“Right, you need to eat. You must be starving”

Peter nodded, and Loki took the tray from the lamp table and set it on Peter’s lap. 

“Eat. It’ll make you feel better, I promise”

“You made this?”

“Naturally. Do you really think I’d palm you off with a ready-meal?” he sat down beside him. “Tony’s in octopus mode today, so I just made something relatively quick and simple. You do like lasagne, don’t you?”

Peter nodded. “I do... Thank you”

"You’re welcome” Loki nodded. “Come on; it’ll go cold if you leave it too long”

Peter looked down at his plate. It looked good, and it smelt good too. He picked up the fork. 

That first mouthful tasted incredible. He stopped for a moment, closing his eyes and savouring it. It seemed to make him realise just how hungry he was, because he soon opened his eyes and dug in properly. 

“You should cook more often”

“It’s Tony’s job” Loki said, but he was pleased. 

“Y’know, I didn’t think cleaning the floor would hurt so much. I think I would’ve preferred the spanking”

Loki laughed at him. “Ah, you say that now, but you don’t know how hard he can hit”

Peter shrugged. “Well, it’s different when he does it to you. It’s that weird grown-up stuff” he stopped, lifting his head, suddenly remembering; “He smacked you last night”

Loki looked at him. “Did he?”

“Yeah... Y’know, when you tried to walk away. He hit you...” 

“Oooh” Loki nodded, and shook his head. “That wasn’t a smack”

“I saw it happen. I can’t believe he hit you”

“He didn’t” Loki said, firmly. “It was a tap. Something of a warning. That’s all. You worry too much”

“It sounded like he hit you so hard though. Didn’t it hurt?”

“Not a bit”

“Are you sure?”

“Peter” Loki placed a hand under his chin, looking him in the eye. “Tony would never hurt me. It really was just a tap”

Peter looked at him, and found he believed him, and that was a huge relief. He breathed out, going back to his plate and picking up a slice of garlic bread.

“I think I knew that really” he said, munching. “I just got scared last night. I think I was confused, y’know, because I was drunk...”

“I think you probably were” Loki said. “I wouldn’t worry if I were you”

“You say that a lot for someone who worries so much himself”

Loki stood up. “I’ll be back in a minute”

“Where are you going?”

“I just need to grab something”

-

Peter felt much better now he had a full stomach. He moved the tray aside and wrapped the blanket round his shoulders. Loki returned, book in hand. He sat down on the futon, pulling Peter onto his lap.

“What did you mean when you said it was warning?”

Loki didn’t need him to clarify. “He didn’t hit me to hurt me: he never does. It’s a hard tap that means different things depending on situation. Last night, it meant; ‘don’t push me’. It really is nothing you need to worry about”

Peter nodded. “I’m glad you’ve cleared it up. I’d hate to think that Mr Stark could do something to hurt you”

Loki held him tight. “He wouldn’t. I think you know that”

Peter settled against him. He knew. Loki opened the book. 

“When Marilla took Anne up to bed that night she said stiffly: ‘Now, Anne, I noticed last night that you threw your clothes about the floor when you took them off. That is a very untidy habit, and I can’t allow it at all. As soon as you take off any article of clothing fold it nearly and place it on the chair. I haven’t any use at all for little girls who aren’t neat’”

-

All of the pain of the morning and the evening before faded as Peter relaxed against Loki and listened to him read. Loki was right: he was enjoying it, and he loved Anne: she was so unreserved and unapologetic about her mind. He didn’t know what it was like to be in her position, of course he didn’t:- but he related to her nonetheless. Loki’s voice was so soothing. He read with such devotion. It was obvious this was a story that had grown to mean a lot to him, and as such, it allowed Peter to feel the same about the work.

“Marilla felt helplessly that all this should be sternly reproved, but she was hampered by the undeniable fact that some of the things Anne had said, especially about the minster’s sermons and Me Bell’s prayers, were what she herself had really thought deep down in her heart for years, but had never given expression to. It almost seemed to her that those secret, unuttered, critical thoughts had taken visible and accusing shape and form in the person of this outspoken morsel of neglected humanity” 

The book was closed, and Peter was silent for quite some time.

“I wish I had a family”

Loki was a little surprised. “You’ve got one, haven’t you?”

“Well, I’ve got aunt May...”

“What about your parents?”

Peter swallowed. “They died when I was little. I don’t really remember them at all”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know” 

Peter shook his head. “It’s ok. There’s no reason why you should. I do still feel very sad about it sometimes... What about you? You were adopted, weren’t you?”

“I love my adoptive mother. My real father left me for dead. I don’t know anything about the other parent. It doesn’t matter anyway. They can’t have cared either, otherwise they wouldn’t have left a newborn baby on a rock to die”

Peter shifted off Loki’s lap, looking at him. “Mr Loki? What are you?”

“I’ll show you. But it’s not nice” He closed his eyes.

Peter looked at him quizzically, and his eyes widened as Loki’s pale skin tinged blue. He jumped back, putting distance between them. Loki’s skin turned a rich blue, raised markings appearing on his skin. He opened his eyes - and Peter jumped. They were red, completely: he didn’t seem to have pupils or an iris at all. He couldn’t help feeling utterly terrified - just for a moment.

Peter shifted closer,swallowing hard, kneeling up and taking Loki’s face in his hands.

“You’re cold...”

He traced the raised marks of his skin with his fingers. He still felt scared - but despite this appearance, this was still the Loki he knew and loved. 

“Loki”

Peter and Loki both looked up, sharpish, and saw Tony and Thor in the doorway. The blue faded, and as Loki’s skin turned back to normal, Peter felt the heat return to his body. 

For a moment they were all still, and then Loki’s shoulders started to shake and he covered his mouth with his hands. Peter panicked. 

“Mr Loki? Mr Loki, are you ok?!”

He was pushed aside, and Thor pulled Loki close, and Loki clung to him. Peter suddenly burst into tears too. 

“Please don’t cry! I don’t want you to cry, Mr Loki!”

Tony pulled Peter into a hug, and Peter accepted it. Tony and Thor exchanged looks. Tony felt funny:- Loki’s Jotun form had always unnerved him, and he knew Loki hated that form too. 

-

Loki stopped crying after a few minutes, pulling away from Thor and wiping the tears from his face. He wasn’t sure what had come over him. He moved Tony aside and held Peter close until he managed to quieten. 

“There now” he said gently. “It’s ok. Shh” 

Peter looked up at him. “I love you so much. I don’t want you to be sad anymore!” And just like that, he started howling again. 

Loki sat down on the futon, pulling Peter onto his lap. “Shh. I’m ok. I just got a little upset. I didn’t find out about what I was until a few years ago... I shouldn’t have showed you. I know it’s horrible”

“It’s not horrible” Peter sniffled. “You’re still handsome when you’re blue. But it’s not you. This is you, all pale and poorly-looking. But I wish you didn’t look poorly”

Loki didn’t know what to say to that. He kissed Peter’s head gently.

“That’s enough now. It’s time to stop crying” 

“It’s so hard”

“I know. But you still need to try”

Peter started to calm down, and within a minute, had gone quiet completely. Thor sat to Loki’s right, and Tony to his left.

“Are you alright, brother?”

Loki nodded, holding Peter tight. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you” Thor said. “Your eye is starting to look better”

Loki stood up, Peter in his arms. “We need some time to ourselves”

Thor and Tony watched them go, and turned to each other.

“What’s that look for?” Tony asked, defensively. “I don’t know what’s gotten into them either”

Thor relented, sighing heavily. “He’s taken a shine to your little spider-boy. He’s a good kid. I think they may be good for each other”

“They’re friends. Loki needs some friends. He lost a lot when we stopped going out to our bar”

“I don’t know what’s going on between you two” Thor said. “But I know you’re capable of making him happy. You need to start treating him right again. It breaks my heart to think he’s hurting”

“Well if you stopped throwing your accusations around, that would help” Tony said. “You always upset him when you come round”

“I worry about him. And I don’t trust you”

Tony stood up. “Get out of my house. I’m sick of you showing up and accusing me of being a wife-beater”

“I’m not going to stand by and see you hurt him” Thor stood up, poking Tony hard in the chest. “I’m keeping a close eye on you, Stark. One false move, and I’ll make sure you never see my brother again”

Tony held his tongue. He didn’t feel like another shouting match. He glared at Thor, staring him down until finally, he broke and walked away.

-

Peter swallowed. It felt good, oddly.

“I use this myself. It’s expensive, but it’s well worth it. Cleaning chemicals can be harsh on your skin” Loki continued rubbing the cream into his hands. “It’ll help”

“How did you find that out?”

Loki gestured vaguely. “Who do you think keeps this place looking like something out of Good Homes?”

“I thought Mr Stark had a cleaner” Peter said, surprised.

“Have you seen a cleaner about?”

“Well, no, but...” he stopped. “You do all the housework?”

“Well. Not all of it. But most of it” He let go of Peter’s hand, screwing the lid back onto the hand cream. “Tony’s the breadwinner, so I keep the nest tidy. Mostly. He does the bins and the laundry and some of the hoovering and most of the cooking. And we both tidy up after ourselves. It goes a long way to keeping the house clean”

“I gotta admit; I didn’t expect this”

“No? Well, we had to set out a job list quite early on. Tony used to drive me insane. So now he has his few jobs, and I do the rest. I don’t mind: it’s my home too, and I like it to be nice”

“Wait, so it’s you who’s been changing my bedding and cleaning the sink in my room?”

“Why is this such a surprise to you? Yeah, I clean. As I said; I don’t mind. You can do most of it on auto-pilot anyway, so I don’t really think about it” 

Peter tried to imagine Loki cleaning mirrors and mopping the floor. Somehow he couldn’t conjure the images up. Loki ruffled his hair. 

“Being a God doesn’t mean I don’t know how to flick a duster, you know”

“I know, but still. I thought Mr Stark would have a cleaner”

“I think he used to. But it’s a good way to channel yourself, cleaning - as you probably know by now - so he did a lot of it himself. And we haven’t had one since I moved in. We’re not messy people. Scruffy, maybe, but not messy. We don’t need any household help”

“Well another thing; I didn’t think Mr Stark even knew how to cook before I came here” 

Loki grinned. “I’ll forgive you for that one. Pepper forced him to go on a course. It was a while ago now, while we were still in our clubbing phase. I wasn’t sure about it. Pepper said I’d thank her one day. She was right: now that he’s learnt, he’s a pretty good cook”

“Ok. But one more thing: that is, if I can be blunt”

Loki nodded. 

“I still don’t get the whole spanking thing”

Loki looked at him blankly. “What?”

“How can people enjoy being hurt?”

“Oh. Oh” Loki could see what he was getting at. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “You really have no filter”

“I know, but it’s not like there’s anyone else I can ask about this kinda stuff; and I don’t trust the internet”

Loki laughed awkwardly. “Ok, can’t say I blame you”

He went and put the hand cream back on it’s shelf in the en suite and returned to Peter, lying on his side on the bed, facing him. 

“Fire away”

“Is there really any pleasure in it?”

“Uhhh. Well, I like it” he felt horribly awkward. 

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just do. It’s one of those things” 

Peter frowned. “But doesn’t it hurt?”

“Well, yeah, but it hurts in a good way”

“How can it hurt in a good way?”

“It just does. I think you’re missing that it isn’t done out of anger or malice. It really is a thing of- well, love, I suppose. You have to put a lot of trust in people if you’re doing that kind of thing” Loki could feel himself blushing. 

“So, like, what position do you do?”

“Right, that’s enough!” Loki sat up quickly. “You need a sex ed lesson. You should ask Tony”

Peter sat up. “I can’t talk about sex with Mr Stark!”

“Why not? He’s your mentor, isn’t he? I’ll ask him for you”

-

Loki was out of the room before Peter had time to react. He struggled up from the bed, running after him and jumping on his back.

“Don’t!”

“Ow! Hey, watch where you’re putting your feet” 

“Promise you won’t ask him then!”

“Promise you won’t ask me what?” Tony asked, appearing at the sound of the kerfuffle. 

“Your son needs a sex ed lesson”

“Shut up!” Peter clamped his hand down over Loki’s mouth. “You promised you wouldn’t!”

Loki pulled his hand away. “Did I heck! Now get off my back”

Tony laughed at them. “Alright, alright. I’ll get into dad mode. Come with me, then”

“No! Loki! This is your fault!” Peter head-locked Loki, still on his back. 

Loki grinned. “He wants to know about BDSM culture”

Peter squeaked indignantly. “Shut up!” 

“Ow! Hey, watch it!” Loki prised Peter off him. “God, you’re a strong kid”

Peter faced him head on, shoving him. “You’re rude!”

Tony grabbed Peter by the shoulders. “Come on; leave Loki alone. We’ll go and have a little talk, ok?”

Peter was furious with embarrassment, but he could see that A) Loki had well and truly landed him in it, and B) Tony was 100% not going to let him back out of it. He glared at Loki.

“I will destroy you”

Loki stuck his tongue out at him. “I’d like to see you try”

Tony held him tighter, shaking his head at Loki and turning Peter round, guiding him towards the back room.

-

Tony sat down on the sofa with Peter, who sat back with his arms crossed over his chest, feeling sulky. 

“What’s that face for?”

“I don’t need a sex ed lesson”

“Well, Loki seems to think otherwise. What did you ask him?”

Peter turned his head away. He didn’t want to do this, not with Tony. 

“He said you want to know about BDSM” Tony persisted. “What do you want to know?”

Peter glanced at him. He was facing him, leaning his elbow against the back of the futon. He looked relaxed, and his body language was open. Peter turned to him properly. 

“I don’t get it”

“What don’t you get about it?”

“Well, all of it. How can hurting someone be an expression of love? How can there be pleasure in being hurt? Isn’t love about being soft?” 

“Love comes in many forms. BDSM is just something that some couples like. It’s consensual, of course, and-”

“I know people do it, but I don’t understand it” Peter interrupted. “It just seems scary”

Tony nodded. “I know. Look, I’ll be completely honest with you: I looked at this stuff online before trying anything with Loki. And some of the things I saw made me feel physically sick. It was like watching torture. I still don’t understand that. It looked like agony. And it was scary, is scary. But obviously those people must get something out of it, otherwise they wouldn’t do it”

Peter swallowed hard. He’d stumbled across similar stuff before. “But you do it...”

“We’ve never really thought about it as BDSM. It sounds like a strong term. But I suppose that’s what it is, even if it’s a mild version. There’s still a huge amount of trust that goes into it”

“So what, do you just jump them one day and go from there?”

“No! No, absolutely, most definitely not! You can’t just attack your partner. I know it seems like some weird grown-up thing to you right now, but if you ever get into it when you’re older, you absolutely have to communicate absolutely everything. You both need to consent. There’s a thin line to cross before it’s abuse” 

“But what if they like it at first and then stop liking it? What then?” He was suddenly overcome with embarrassment, and turned his head away quickly. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this...”

“It’s natural for you to be curious. I think it’s better you learn it from me than some dodgy website” Tony said. “Do you know what a safe word is?”

Peter nodded. He was familiar with the concept.

“They’re an important tool. As soon as someone starts feeling uncomfortable or they don’t want to carry on, they can just say the safe word and their partner will stop” 

“What word are you supposed to use?”

“Well. That’s up to you and your partner. We used ‘Police’ for a while, but we moved on to the traffic light system” he answered Peter’s questioning look: “Green means it’s all good, amber or yellow means unsure, and red means stop”

“I suppose that’s self explanatory” he was starting to feel more comfortable talking about it now. “Mr Stark, can I say something unrelated?” 

“Go ahead”

“You scared me when you hit Loki yesterday”

Tony looked shocked. “I didn’t hit him! What are you talking about?!”

“I-I know it was just a warning tap, but it sounded like you’d hit him properly. I believe Loki, it’s just... you really haven’t hurt him before, have you?”

“Of course I haven’t. I’ve never laid a hand on him. Aside from in the bedroom stuff, but like we’ve said; that’s consensual. Do you really think I could hurt him?”

Peter shook his head. “Not intentionally, no” 

"I would never hurt him. How could I?" 

"I know. Sorry. I just worry about him. He's my friend" 

"I know he is. I'm so glad of it too. I was 100% prepared for a really difficult summer. Loki wasn't happy when I told him you were coming to stay. Scratch that: he was downright furious. We had a massive argument. I think he was just being territorial - didn't like the idea of someone else in his home. He finally came round to the idea, but was adamant he'd have nothing to do with you"

Peter couldn't help feeling hurt. Tony noticed. 

"Hey" he said gently. "That was all before he got to know you. He loves you now, so don't fixate on the past" 

Peter nodded. "I love him too... Um, Mr Stark?" 

"Yeah?" 

"This conversation is just between us, right? It won't leave this room?" 

"Sure, if that's the way you want it" 

Peter nodded again, swallowing hard. He trusted Tony completely, but he was still nervous. His stomach was squeezing and it took him a few minutes to find his voice again. All the while, Tony sat by him, holding his hand and telling him to take his time, that there was no rush. He took a very deep breath and closed his eyes. He exhaled and opened his eyes, looking up at Tony. 

"You were right" he said, voice cracking slightly. "I think I might have a crush on Loki" 

Tony nodded slowly. "I know. I know you do" 

"I don't know what to do" A single tear dripped down from his eye.

"Come here" Tony pulled him close. "There's nothing to cry about. So you've got a crush. It shouldn't upset you" 

Peter buried his face in Tony's chest. "What should I do?" 

"Nothing. There's nothing you can do" 

"But I love him" 

"I know. But you're still just a kid. This might just be a fleeting thing. At the end of the day, you're a kid crushing on your mentors boyfriend. That's all it boils down to" He rubbed Peter's back firmly. "Alright, it's time to stop crying now. This doesn't change anything. You can still be his friend, you can still carry on doing what you're doing. I'm not going to tell him. And I don't think you should either. Just stay friends. You mean a lot to him, too"

- 

They didn't talk about the crush too much. They went back to sex ed talks for a while, and Peter felt like something had been alleviated once they'd finished. Peter was tired. It was late afternoon, but it felt like the day had gone on for weeks already. He wandered by Loki's room. It was empty, so he went and settled himself on the bed. It was more comfortable than his own. He lay on his side and got out his phone, clicking into incognito mode. Tony had cleared up a lot of stuff, but he was still feeling a little curious... 

- 

Loki kicked his shoes off at the front door and hung up his coat. He was tired. He headed to his room, ready to flop. He was a little surprised to find his bed occupied. 

"You appear to have stolen my room" 

"Your bed is better than mine" 

"Memory foam" Loki said, climbing onto the bed and lying behind Peter, looking over his shoulder at his phone. "Hold on, are you looking at porn?!" 

"Just some gifs and stuff" Peter said, unphased. "Mr Stark cleared up some stuff, but I'm still trying to understand it" 

Loki sighed. He felt there was going to be some more questions soon. He sat up against the pillows, pulling Peter onto his lap. 

"It's weird. Some of it is really horrible" he held up his phone, showing Loki quite an extreme image. 

Loki's lip twitched. "I know" 

Peter continued scrolling. "Some of it is OK though. I can almost see the appeal"  

Loki peered down at Peter. It seemed he really was just looking out of curiosity.

"The world is so weird. I don't like all this sex dungeon stuff. It just looks scary. And this looks uncomfortable" he showed Loki an image of a woman on her back, ankles bound, legs held up by the man who was hitting her.

“It’s humiliating” Loki said, speaking from experience. He took Peter’s phone from him, closing the internet. “That’s enough now”

Peter took his phone back and put it in his pocket. He didn’t protest: he’d seen more than he’d planned already. He was quiet for a little while, thinking. He took his phone back out, opening the internet. 

“Show me something you like”

“What did I just say?” Loki said sharply.

“I didn’t mean it like that! I mean just, you know, something you like” 

Loki wasn’t sure what he was expecting. He decided to play it safe. He let Peter hold the phone while he opened YouTube and put on Nate Ruess’s Nothing Without Love music video.

-

Peter looked up at Loki. 

“You think he’s cute, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I like him. The girl is cute too” he said. 

“I like the video. It’s... artistic” 

He didn’t really see what Loki got from it. He thought the singer was a bit funny, definitely not handsome in the conventional sense.

“He dances like Mr Stark” 

He looked at his phone, clicking on the next suggested video - Why Am I The One? By FUN. 

The music video didn’t make all that much sense to Peter, but it was quickly apparent that this was a song Loki felt connected to. He hugged Peter close, resting his head against his. Peter found himself smiling. Loki sensed it, and was relieved that he seemed to like the music. 

-

“Any other suggestions?” 

“Yes, but it doesn’t have a music video”

“That’s fine” Peter said. 

“It’s a cheesy love song” Loki said, typing. “But I like it”

Loki selected a lyric video for his next song - Amazing. Peter didn’t know many Take That songs, so this was new for him. 

Loki was right about the love song bit, but Peter wasn’t sure cheesy was the right adjective. He liked it. But what he liked more was the warmth of Loki’s embrace, the heat of his skin against his own. He closed his eyes, focusing on him. He could smell his familiar smokey, minty, musky smell. Loki kissed him on the cheek, and any kind of composure on Peter’s part went out of the window. He suddenly felt hot all over, and his heart was thumping. He dropped his phone as the song finished, wriggling round and adjusting position so he was facing Loki. 

“They’re underrated” Loki said. “They’re good, don’t you think?”

Peter nodded, looking up at him, looking at his deep eyes and defined bone structure. He thought, just for a moment, about how Tony usually went in to kiss his with lips parted, and how Loki always seemed to automatically respond and know what to do. 

Loki took Peter’s face in his hands for a moment, kissing his forehead. He sat back slightly, combing his hair back with his fingers. He stopped, looking at Peter with some low-level concern.

“Are you alright? Your cheeks are a bit flushed”

“...Yeah...” 

He knelt up, winding his arms round Loki’s neck and burying his face in his shoulder. Loki was a little surprised, but hugged him back all the same. 

“Hey, you’re shaking. Are you sure you’re ok?” 

Peter moved back slightly, arms still round his neck. Loki stroked his hair gently, and Peter looked at him, at the concern in his eyes and the softness he’d grown so used to. He felt sick, nervous, his heart beating so hard he felt it was in danger of bursting through his chest. He thought of Tony for a split second again, swallowing hard. He looked at Loki, mouth slightly open.

And he kissed him.

*

[lovethecoffeemom-blog]

New Years is typically a time for change. This year, my change is to live as more of a minimalist. Clutter has been a point of contention in my home for a while now. We have too much unnecessary clutter in all areas of out home, so this year I am determined to de-clutter this home and simplify our lives!

The first area of my house to undergo the purge was my kitchen. This was a large undertaking because I know I had let it get pretty bad. I just put on some music and started to it.  I started with the pantry. It had become a cluttered mess over time and it was becoming difficult to find what i needed when  I needed it.

Pantry Before

I started out by taking EVERYTHING out of the pantry. This was quite a task and ended up taking a little more time than I had anticipated, probably because every time my daughter would see something I was taking out she would ask to eat it. After I had gotten everything off of the shelves I wiped them all down to make sure they were clean and then started going through what I had. Anything that was expired I tossed out, and anything that I had that was good but I know I wouldn’t use I gave away to friends who would use it. I also made use of some bins that I had purchased from the Dollar Tree to store snacks and other smaller items. I like using bins from the Dollar Tree because it allows me to get rid of bulky packaging, and the bins are only a dollar!

Pantry After

I felt so much better after the pantry was cleaned out, but that was just the first part of my kitchen organization journey. Next I moved on to the spice cabinet, where everything was just thrown in there and a terrible mess. Once again, everything was moved out onto the counters so I could wipe down the cabinets and see what all I had.

All the Spices Pulled Out

Turns out I had a TON of duplicates. Two half empty bottles of the same thing, so I married them together to save on space. Some of these had been expired for a while because they got pushed to the back of the cabinet to die. After throwing away what was expired and marrying half empty bottles together, I was able to organize everything into more Dollar Tree bins and put everything back in the cabinet. The long Dollar Tree bins are excellent for spices because it allows you to pull out a bin at a time when you need to use some of the spices and keeps the cabinet from becoming a cluttered mess!

Spice Cabinet After

The last area that needed a good cleaning was my refrigerator and freezer. I started the process once more of taking out all of the products, cleaning the shelves, and putting what I was keeping back in an orderly manner. This time I had my little daughter helping me, she really enjoys cleaning (she did not get that from me).

Before

The refrigerator and freezer were probably the worst, as you can see. They really needed a good cleaning, and I am pretty sure there was leftovers in the back of the fridge that had been there for way too long! There was also some seriously sticky mess on the shelf, but with some good cleaning products and elbow grease I was able to get it right off!

Best Cleaning Products Ever

*Post may contain affiliate links*

I like to switch it up between the Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Spray and the Method All Purpose Spray. Both products are great at cleaning but the major benefit is that they are safe products to have around kids and pets. I never really thought much about my products until I had kids, but after becoming a mother I really started looking into my products and decided it was time to start using products that I felt more confident in. You never know when a small kid is going to try to spray some in their own face or mouth, because you know that’s what little kids do.   Along with the sprays I have recently started using Skoy Cloth. They have really awesome Scrubbies and Eco-friendly Cleaning Cloth. They have pretty much replaced the rest of my cleaning clothes and sponges.

After scrubbing out my refrigerator and refilling it with all the food I kept, my purging and cleaning extravaganza was just about over!

Last think I had to do was clean my baker’s rack and clean my floors. My baker’s rack had, for a long time, been used as a catch all so there was so much in there that just needed to go. Most of the stuff I had been holding onto was perfectly usable, but I had no need for it so I packed up what I did not want and hauled it off to donate.

I absolutely despise mopping and sweeping, but I recently purchased this nifty Bissell Symphony , which makes the whole process so much easier. It steam mops and vacuums at the same time, cutting floor cleaning time in half! I usually keep the tank filled with just water but I put a floor cleaner directly on the floor, which helps sanitize and make the whole room smell amazing! If you are anything like me and hate cleaning, definitely look into one of these spiffy mops.

Best Invention EVER! Stay tuned for a full review!

All in all the kitchen purge was a success! I need to go back to the Dollar Tree and grab a few more bins to use in the pantry, but I feel so much better walking into my kitchen now! It is like a weight has been lifted and I am loving it! I am ready to take on the rest of this house now!

Do YOU have any cleaning tips or organizational hacks that you like to use?  Leave them for me in the comments below!

This year, my change is to live as more of a minimalist. New Years is typically a time for change. This year, my change is to live as more of a minimalist.