#loki's entire problem with everything is that even when he gets to talk no once listens to him!

[loki-us]

Welcome to my Mega Problematic Sylvie post

I wanted to make a list of everything problematic about Sylvie in s1 and s2 because she gets away with whatever she wants and it bugs me to no end that she never takes accountability for any of the pain she causes.

You have been warned. So let's get into it.

1. Sylvie’s way is the only way and she expects everyone else to just bend to her will without complaint

2. She is physically mentally and emotionally incapable of trusting anyone besides herself

3. She uses other people's emotions to manipulate them into getting what she wants

4. She refuses to even entertain the possibility that anything besides her own opinion is correct

5. She criticizes others' attempts to clean up the mess she caused while she herself does absolutely nothing about it

6. Always looking to ruin and run, taking the easy way out and avoiding any accountability

7. Puts her own need for revenge above the well-being of everyone else in the multiverse

8. Blames everyone else for the problems she herself caused

9. Insults everyone at the TVA for their lack of empathy despite it being the exact reason she didn't want to return in the first place. Every critique she delivers just illustrates how much of a hypocrite she is

10. Berates Mobius and all the people who are actually trying to fix her problem even though they never once blamed her for the mess they're in

11. Acts like she's doing everyone a favor just for being there and insulting everyone when in reality, Loki had to ask multiple times before finally getting her to return

12. Never willing to put in more effort than just destroying everything and walking away

13. Even when directly asked for her help, Sylvie straight up refuses. She couldn't care less about anything besides her McDonald's employee-of-the-month badge

14. Sylvie gaslights Loki into thinking they're the same, that she's not in the wrong because they're both only thinking of themselves. In reality, Sylvie is thinking only of going back to her own timeline, alone, while Loki is thinking only of making his friends happy, because that's what makes him happy too.

15. While being completely unsympathetic to Loki struggling with his greatest fear, Sylvie makes the decision that Loki's friend's are all better off where they are now. But is it really better for them, or just better for Sylvie?

16. And now, after 11 episodes and countless requests for Sylvie's help, she actually cares about the rest of the multiverse. And yet it's still solely because her own timeline is finally in danger

17. When Loki ends up sacrificing himself to solve the problem Sylvie created, her only response is a joyful shrug that she's now happy, alone, and responsibility-free.

Overall, I know Sylvie's only purpose as a character is to be a darker mirror of Loki and everything she does is understandably informed by her trauma. This is likely a result of having a limited-episode-series and having all male/not diverse writers creating female characters. Sylvie is used only as a comparison to Loki before he met Mobius, and unfortunately is never given any thoughtful character moments like Loki had showing how he was aware that his actions hurt others. In 1x1, Loki talks about how he doesn’t enjoy hurting people and only does it to maintain control. The only time we ever see Sylvie reconsider her actions is when she didn’t kill Timely, which I think is more because she saw herself in Timely as someone who didn’t want to be controlled by their ‘destiny,’ not because she developed any kindness or compassion toward him.

I understand the fact that Sylvie was never given someone like Mobius to allow her the opportunity to change like Loki did, but I don't think that should excuse her causing so much pain and being so self-centered. Sylvie never trusted or cared about anyone and that's also my biggest argument against Sylki; her loving or being driven by anyone besides herself is just so inconsistent with her entire character.

Anyway, my purpose here was not to be hateful or to search for any reason to criticize Sylvie, but instead to look critically at her character since I've seen a lot of people praise her as the strong, independent female Loki whose behavior can always be forgiven. Unfortunately, the way she was written is that Sylvie turned her own trauma into everybody else's problem and they all spent 2 seasons trying to clean up her mess. That's my take thank you and goodnight

[cosmicjoke]

See, this conversation really highlights everything that's wrong with not just the Loki show, but the MCU in general now.

What they highlight here, about Loki's conversation with Mobius, and how dismissive and flippant he is while talking about what he did he New York, like it's all some silly joke that shouldn't be taken seriously, like it wasn't a big deal, like what he was feeling while he did what he did wasn't a big deal, is really the heart of the problem. Nobody takes anything seriously in universe, so how the hell is the audience supposed to take anything they do, think or feel seriously?

They've reduced Loki's entire character to a joke. They've reduced what he went through in the first Thor film into to a joke, what he went through when he fell through space and landed in Thanos' clutches into a joke, what happened during the first Avengers film into a joke. Everything's a big, fucking joke now. How can anybody like this? Don't they see what the writers of this trash are doing? They're shitting all over you by shitting all over the thing you love. By making fun of it and undercutting it, they're telling you you were stupid to ever take any of it seriously. It's the ultimate form of disrespect to the fans. It's a blunt insult.

This kind of shit drives me absolutely up a wall. It's so awful. And what they say in this video is so spot on. Loki started out having such depth and gravitas and presence. He started off as such a commanding, attention grabbing, complex character. And now, he's just some guy who eats pie and talks about his feelings, but with a flippancy which tells you that he doesn't actually have any feelings at all. He's just a hollow cut out that's full of shit. It's such a god damn joke.

People shouldn't settle for this. They shouldn't praise it because 'well, it's not as bad as the first season'. Because that's such a high bar to clear? Loki getting kneed in the nuts over and over by Sif. That's the bar you're clearing. Loki falling in love with a variant of himself after knowing her for five whole minutes, for no discernible reason, because who the fuck would love Sylvie, the most obnoxious bitch in the universe ? Loki getting man-handled and getting his ass handed to him by a bunch of humans with taser sticks. Loki being made a fool of every other scene. Loki losing every fight he gets into. Loki being tricked and outsmarted at every turn. Loki being so narcissistic and brain dead, that he can't see when he's being manipulated. This guy is supposed to be a genius. He's supposed to be terrifyingly smart. Anyone who knows anything about this character knows that. But reverse psychology works on him, I guess.

So Loki does a little magic which, more than anything, just highlights the utter void of creativity in these writers minds, and we're supposed to cheer and clap? Loki is a god. Loki is the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard. He can do pretty much anything you can imagine. And this is the best they can come up with? He holds someone down with shadows on the wall. Wow. So impressive. Get the fuck out of here.

But that's really the problem. They've reduced Loki into such a shadow of what he once was, that even the barest crumbs of it that we get now, we get excited about. We praise and point to as proof that things are "better". They're not better, though. This Loki is still a clown and an idiot and acts and conducts himself in ways nothing like what was originally established with this character. This Loki still has nothing to do with the original character's story or history in the MCU. They make passing references to that history, and play it off for laughs, instead of actually delving deep into it and exploring it and helping the audience to really understand and sympathize with Loki as a character.

Loki talks here about being "angry" with Thor and Odin. Okay. That would be great, except he says it like it's a joke. Imagine if instead of that, it was actually treated seriously, and we finally, finally, got an examination of what Loki was going through emotionally during the first Thor film? Imagine if Loki actually got to acknowledge the devastation he felt when he found out he was a frost giant? If he got to really acknowledge the alienation and rejection he felt upon discovering he was the very thing that his own people, the Asgardians, had always considered to be lesser beings, and not only that, but literal monsters? Imagine if he got to really express the turmoil of that? Of finding out you come from a race of beings you were raised to believe were inferior, in all ways. If he was allowed to process why he had such an overwhelming emotional and mental breakdown, that he tried to destroy Jotunheim and then take over Midgard. Imagine if we got an actual acknowledgement of what lead up to all of that, with Loki feeling like an outcast, a reject among Thor's friends, among the Asgardians in general, always seen as lesser than Thor in everyone's eyes. Does nobody remember how disrespectful practically everyone was to Loki in the first Thor film? From servants to the Warriors 3 and Sif, to Heimdall. They all treated him like shit. Fucking Christ, there's a literal world of ideas and character depth to explore there, and they just... don't. They could have devoted the whole show to this and it would have been riveting. Imagine, imagine, imagine. But nope. Instead, we get a passing reference to it, written and delivered as if it was all some big comedic skit, and the rest of the show is about finding Kang so they can set up Avengers 5. Holy shit. People should not accept this as good. People should not praise or even give positive commentary on this because it's "better" than the first season. It's not better. It's more of the god damn same.

People shouldn't accept mediocrity. They should demand better. Because if they don't, Marvel and Disney will just keep putting this same shit out and think they can get away with it.

[justanancientfangirl]

A bit of a rant: on Sylvie

Okay, look, as a preface: I do not hate Sylvie. I feel like I see a lot of hate for the character from a lot of people not Sylkie shippers, and I definitely do not hate her, even if the ship is something I struggle to see.

I actually like Sylvie's character a lot. She has had to struggle and fight and flee for something like a thousand years. I honestly don't begrudge her desire to stay in a quiet universe and just live a life. I want that for her, even.

Is she being a huge dick to Loki every time they interact this season? Yes. She refuses to listen to him (though he isn't being entirely straight with her either, to be fair), and she continually belittles his own choices and refuses to take responsibility for her own. She blames him and the TVA for the destruction of timelines, even though Dox's crew was, at the time, acting as a rogue element, and the issues that the timelines and TVA are currently facing are entirely her fault.

Again, I totally understand why she didn't listen to Loki at the end of season 1. It makes sense that she wouldn't want trust anything that He Who Remains had to say, and it makes sense that she wouldn't trust Loki at all. She barely knows him, and she's been alone her entire life. She doesn't really remember her life before the TVA ruined it. She has no friends, no allies. So yes, it was foolish of her to not stop and think for like ten seconds, but killing He Who Remains had been her ultimate goal for centuries. Of course she was going to do it.

HOWEVER. Because she killed He Who Remains, the multiverse is in danger. And just because I understand her inability to accept responsibility for her actions, does not mean I condone it. The lady is incredibly emotionally stunted. Of course she doesn't know how to take responsibility. She's been blaming other people for her problems her entire life (and most of that was 100% justified). To stop doing so now, when she hasn't had a chance to learn, would be bad writing.

I am all for a good character arc and a redemption story. Loki's himself has been...a little rushed. And they haven't touched on the trauma that was his time Before New York at all since that like, thirty seconds in season 1. Sure, he mentions NY a little flippantly here in season 2, but we all know that was just a way to get Mobius to talk. Point is, they have set Sylvie up for a good character arc, and kind of fast tracked Loki's without actually talking about some of the things I'm most interested in, but...eh, whatever. I can rant about that another time.

What I don't understand though, is Sylkie shippers. Like...number one, are we watching the same show? Season 1 seemed to have some unrequited pining going on, on Loki's side, especially before Loki and Mobius made up, but Sylvie has never shown any interest in Loki beyond that of a tentative ally. And really, there's no reason she should. When would Sylvie have had time, ever in her life, to think of romance beyond, possibly, an errant daydream? And this season, it really seems like she can hardly stand him.

Every time they interact, she lashes out, she tries to hurt him. She has told him, unequivocally, to leave her alone, multiple times. She listened to him say that he feared being alone most of all, and then she left him (I assume she has a tab at that bar, otherwise who the hell paid for those shots, and also, I've never met a bartender who would hear 'two bourbons' and just pour shots immediately, if it isn't a common order for that patron, but that's yet another rant for another day).

Like, she just seems to be going out of her way to be cruel, to drag him down, to blame him for everything, and to paint him as the bad guy. Sure, he wants to have his friends back, and maybe that IS selfish, but he ALSO wants to save the TVA because he believes that will save the multiverse, and that isn't, but she knows that once she pokes any holes in the story he's concocted for himself, he's only going to dwell on the bad side. Which he does. Her goal, I assume, is to get him out of her hair and leave her alone. She doesn't want to be involved with all this TVA stuff anymore. And...yeah, fair enough, except that the multiverse is actively disintegrating. Which is at least...oh, 45% her fault. (I'll grant that most of the fault lies on the heads of the old TVA, He Who Remains and Ravonna. And maybe like 3% Loki's fault. Everyone can take somewhat a share of the blame, but she really was trying to do the most. And she is the only one of our 'heroes' who hasn't taken any responsibility for the problems now facing the multiverse).

Look, I have shipped Loki with almost every single character he has had screen time with, if the story is well written enough for it to make sense. I've even read a Sylkie story that I actually managed to really get behind. (It took place before season 2, the premise being that in their fight at the Citadel, there was an accident and they ended up in Westview during the events of Wandavision, and were paired as a husband/wife duo for the show. It made sense, and there was enough of a build of their relationship that I was like...yeah, sure).

The writers of this show have NOT done their due diligence to make Sylkie make sense. In season 1, I could see that he might have a thing for her. But I never saw that being reciprocated.

Sylvie needs friends, she needs to learn how to trust, she needs stability, and she needs to figure out who she is as a person when she isn't on the run. She does NOT need a romance. A romance at this stage would be incredibly bad for her, really, if we give a shit about a fictional character's mental health.

I like Sylvie as a character. I think her arc has been interesting, but she is definitely still in the middle of it, and it is nowhere near resolved. I can't see a single instance in the show where she showed a romantic interest in Loki. (And...what, she kissed him? That was only to get him distracted enough to kick him out a time door so she could kill He Who Remains).

If this season ends with Sylkie endgame, I will have honestly lost faith in Marvel's ability to write a good story entirely. If they want the two of them to be together, they have to write them together. They have to actually be a team, not just constantly bickering (or in this season, Loki begging for her help and her telling him to stuff it). She only comes to help because her own universe gets shredded, not because she wanted to help Loki or save the other universes. She would not be good for him, at least not right now. That relationship would be hella toxic. Has she ever done anything for him? Just for him, not because he was useful to her in some way?

Look, TL;DR, I like Sylvie as a character and I want to see her grow and thrive, but Sylkie makes no sense and if they go that route this season it is bad writing. MCU has always been bad at romance and character development, but this would take the cake.

[sciencestyled]

Chaos, Mischief, and the Fine Art of Utter Pandemonium

There I was, minding my own business (yes, really), flipping through Midgardian channels with no small measure of delight. Humans, it seems, have mastered the art of befuddlement, spinning endless tales of order and control. They think they can tidy up the entire cosmos with mere charts and timetables, as if they’re locking away their laundry. Yet they fail to grasp that, much like me, the universe loves nothing more than a bit of havoc. And so, what do I find? An old bearded scientist droning on about “order in the universe.” I nearly choked on my ambrosial mead.

Naturally, I’m compelled to intervene. The problem was clear: humanity needed a reminder that the cosmos thrives on unpredictability. No better messenger than yours truly, Loki, God of Mischief, Prince of Pandemonium, Sultan of Surprises. But how? I needed a way to worm my way into every mortal’s smartphone, TV, and, dare I say, podcast queue.

It came to me in a flash. I'd orchestrate a spectacle on the very concept humans fear most: chaos. Of course, I wouldn’t simply scare them off with a crash course in mayhem (too easy); I’d play the wise teacher, the sage of… “Chaos Theory.” A bit of irony, don't you think? Me, explaining “the rules” of something that supposedly has none? Perfect. A sprinkle of Newton, a dash of quantum mumbo-jumbo, and, for the pièce de résistance, a deep-dive into that thing they call the “Butterfly Effect.” Oh, I could practically hear the mortals gasping! Just one measly butterfly flapping its wings in some corner of Midgard, and—boom!—your weather forecast’s up in flames!

To get a feel for the human reaction, I tried it out on a few Asgardian folks. Thor, bless his heart, was baffled. "Why would anyone want to listen to you talk about tiny creatures flapping about and weather disasters, Loki?" he asked, scratching his hammer-wielding head. But I saw it in his eyes—the curiosity, the uncertainty. He’ll never admit it, but Thor’s as clueless as a squirrel in a whirlwind when it comes to concepts that don’t involve brute force. If I could get him perplexed, Midgardians wouldn’t stand a chance.

It didn’t take long for the idea to spiral out of control. I soon realized I’d need some visuals. And a human narrator, too. No offense to my velvety voice, but my true visage can be a bit…distracting, and I needed people to actually listen. So, I hunted down a mortal who could manage this without screaming or falling over. Then I set to work.

A little here, a little there—I threw in some math formulas, the kind that makes Midgardians’ eyes glaze over, and a few classic examples of utter chaos. I even sprinkled in bits about stock markets and weather patterns, just to drive home that everything humans cling to is as stable as a house of cards in a gust. It was going to be a symphony—ahem—a true display of unpredictability’s charm.

At last, my masterpiece was ready. And now, it waits in the mysterious web called “the internet,” a place mortals approach with reverence and bafflement alike. Once they hit “play,” they’ll find themselves teetering at the edge of comprehension, wondering if that cup of coffee they spilled this morning could one day cause a typhoon in Tokyo.

Chaos, you see, is not just a theory. It’s a way of life.

[worstloki]

appropriate reaction

[pics-and-fanfics]

So Annoying

Pairing: Loki x Gn!ADHD-Reader

Warnings: Reader has ADHD! Fluff, people being annoyed by Reader, Tony is a jerk in this one bc he doesn’t accept that ADHD is a real thing (like teachers i’ve had)- Bullying/emotional abuse, soft Loki

Summary: You, Reader, have ADHD. Your best friend Loki helps you deal with all the problems that result from this when he comes back from his week-long mission.

Find my other works here!

You laughed, talking with Steve, lounging on the couch. Your phone lay forgotten on your lap, the book you had been reading still displayed on the screen.

“But Steve, there were more important things going on. Like a war!”

“Howard said there were going to be flying cars by now.” Steve says, the low volume of his voice contrasting with your excited one.

“But the point is-“

“Could you just shut up? I’m tired of hearing you yell all the time, Y/n.” Tony says, walking in. You shut your mouth, looking down at your lap.

“Sorry Tony.” you say quietly.

“There we go! That’s a much more acceptable volume.”

“I’m sorry.”

😔

You sit at the table, trying to listen to Tony. And yet, despite your efforts, your mind wanders. You start tapping your pen on the table, not even noticing what you’re doing.

“Y/N! For Christ’s sake! Either stop tapping that pen on the table or get out!”

You look up at Tony, putting the pen down and putting your hands on top of your lap. “Sorry.” you mutter, your face burning.

😔

“What are you doing? I said we needed to go half an hour ago! How are you still not ready?” You look up at Natasha, seeing she was all dressed up, ready to go.

“What? No, you said that only 5 minutes ago!” you say, checking the time. Oh shit.

“Hurry up! We need to go!”

“Shit I’m sorry! Just give me a minute, I'll be right out!” you say, grabbing your brush and running it through your hair before grabbing your shirt.

😔

“-and I know it’s a problem, but I really just want all the books in the series and I’ve already read the first two, I just need to read the third, but I figured that if I have all three books I’d be able to reread them anytime I want. Oh, that reminds me- I need to go to the library and give them some more books that I know I’m not going to read, but I need to clean out my bookshelves first.

“Oh, but that would take forever, and I know I’m going to stop in the middle of it and entirely forget to do it for weeks. I’m really sorry by the way, I know I talk too much. Okay, I’m going to shut up now.” You shut your mouth, wishing you could just shut up for once. Why did you have to talk so much?

“Thank god, I was wondering when it was going to end. Why do you always have to talk? Blah blah blah, 24/7. It’s so annoying.” Tony says, and you scowl.

“What is your problem with me? I’m getting sick of you berating me, Tony.” you say, turning around on the couch.

“You! You are the problem! You're always talking, your too loud, you always have to make everything about you-”

“Okay first of all-”

“-and what is it with you and ignoring the time? Things need to be done in a timely manner, Y/n. And those ‘overstimulation’ tantrums you throw are so fucking fake!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” you yell, getting up from your seat and walking towards Tony.

“Oh! I don’t? Stop trying to use ‘I have ADHD’ as an excuse. It’s not real.” Tony says, mocking you.

“It is a real thing, dammit!”

“No it is not! Stop making excuses and start trying to act like a mature adult!” Tony yells, getting in your face.

You blink back tears, sniffling.

“Oh here we go again! Stop acting like a baby, you’re not two, it’s not cute, it doesn’t make me feel anything except disappointment for you.”

You wipe your face, turning around and walking to your small apartment in the building, trying to stop yourself from crying. You slam the door shut when you get to your share of the building, and rush to your room, tears falling down your face as you wrap yourself in blankets.

😔

“Darling! I’m back!” Loki says, putting away the last of the groceries. He knew you’d forget to get groceries pretty often, so he usually got you some whenever he went somewhere.

He’d just finished a mission, and tried to call you, but you hadn’t picked up. Three times. It was unlike you.

“Darling? Is everything alright?” Loki looks around, putting the plastic bags in your designated basket for store bags.

Loki frowns, pulling his phone back out. He dials your number, and hears your ringtone coming from the bedroom. He follows the sound, softly knocking on your closed door.

“Darling? Are you in there?”

“Leave me alone.” Your usually happy voice was full of annoyance, making Loki worry even more.

“May I come in?”

“Leave me alone, Loki!” Again your voice was filled with venom, but he heard your voice crack.

You watch as the door slowly opens, light spilling into your room from the hallway. “I said-“

You get cut off when you feel the mattress dip next to you, and Loki’s eyes on you. You cover up your face, embarrassed. You should have gotten over it hours ago. And yet it stung, almost as if Tony had actually hit you.

“I’m fine, Loki.” you mutter, keeping the blankets over your head.

“Darling-”

“Leave me alone, my god!” you say, flopping back into the mattress.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong! Just leave me alone!” You could feel the tears gathering in your eyes, and you wipe them away, frustrated. “Why are you so insistent that something’s wrong? I’m fine!”

“Because you usually can’t wait to tell me about your week, and you're always so excited to see me that your words spill over themselves.”

“God, just leave it be. I’m fine.” Even you didn’t believe it, you heard the tears in your voice, which just made you even more frustrated.

Loki peels the blankets away from your face, the small sliver of light from the open door falling across your face. Your eyes were red and puffy like you had just been crying, probably for hours.

“Darling, please. Tell me what’s wrong.”

In response, you roll over, and Loki rubs your back. When he hears your quiet sniffles, he sighs, getting up. “Do you want some food?”

“Grilled cheese?” you ask, your voice soft. Vulnerable.

“Of course, dear. Come on, get up.”

😔

“Why does Tony have to be such a jerk?” you ask, and Loki puts your sandwich in front of you, a look of questioning on his face.

“What did he do?” Loki asks, trying to contain his anger. If he laid a finger on you-

No. He would let you figure it out on our own, you had told him that you needed to learn to defend yourself, that you didn’t want Loki fighting all your battles.

But still-

“Can I just show you?” Loki looks at you, searching your eyes.

“Of course.” He slowly takes your hands when you offer them, closing his eyes with you.

He watches the events of the last few days unfold through your eyes, feeling everything.

When you open your eyes, you see Loki, anger written on his face.

“I am going to show him just how much-”

“Loki!” He turns back to you and you sniff, rubbing your nose. “It’s fine. See? I’m fine!”

“Darling, you’re not fine. That’s abuse.” Loki says, sitting next to you, watching as you stopped chewing your food.

“I’m fine.” you bite out, annoyed with yourself. You were not going to cry again.

“Either you talk to him, or I will. Darling, this can’t carry on. I don’t want to see him bring you down anymore. That is enough.”

“I will. Just not right now. Can we just watch a movie?”

Loki looks at you, seeing how close you were to crying again, the tears gathering in your eyes as you stubbornly wiped them away over and over.

“Sure. What do you want to watch?”

😔

Well! This is somewhat based (probably like, 25%-30%) on some of my experiences with ADHD, which kinda sucks sometimes.

I hope you guys liked the story, and don't forget to let me know if you want to be tagged in the future! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Also, sorry I haven't been posting, I've just lost all motivation to do anything, I don't even want to watch Youtube. But I'm pushing through! I have exams this week too, so that's fun. 🫥 But yeah. Love you!

@vbecker10 @mochie85 @michelleleewise @fictive-sl0th @silverfire475 @huntress-artemiss @vickie5446 @sheris532 @lokixryss @lokidokieokie @stupidthoughtsinwriting @crimson25 @peaches1958 @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @mybuckynotyours

[softforloki]

I was wondering if you could do one where reader is always taking care of other people. That she has had barely any time for herself. She is getting worn down and no one seems to notice besides Loki.

Loki and reader have been together for a long while and he notices it and she refuses any help when he offers it.

Few days go past and she is growing tired and reader has been falling asleep and not eating and Loki decided he needs to do something

So the next day he lets her sleep in and tells everyone to get out. They all nod in understanding and he makes u food. Makes you laugh, there’s taking a relaxing bath together and massage and then after you braid their hair when he goes into his female form (genderfluid Loki) you even cuddle and you rest your head on her chest and they laugh about it as you fall asleep once again.

YES. Yes. I love everything about this.

Summery: Loki watches as you run yourself into the ground, then is there to pick you back up.

Word Count: 1,924

Warnings: Slight mentions of nudity, nothing overly explicit tho

Masterlist

Rest and Relaxation

As the on-site clinical psychologist of the Avengers meant that you were never not doing you job.

Each and every person on the team had a seemingly never ending list of personal problems. The day you’d asked Tony to list a few of his stressors, and he’d replied “I’m going to need two bottles of whiskey and fifty feet of paper to even begin.” would forever be known as a day that would live in infamy.

Interestingly, it was also the day you started drinking.

Loki knew you had to take care of people- it was literally your job- but when that caused you to fail to prioritize your own wellbeing, that was when he started to have an issue.

“Darling, are you well?” Loki stood behind where you sat at your desk, placing both hands on your shoulders comfortingly.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” You barely looked up at him, your fingers never ceasing their clicking across your computer’s keyboard.

“Because you missed dinner. Have you been here the whole time?”

“It’s fine, I had a snack earlier.” You dismissed.

“What are you even doing?”

“Compiling a list of books and texts on the study of alcoholism as a coping mechanism. Both Tony and Thor tend to turn to booze when they’re trying to get through something emotionally- which I’ve told them multiple times is unbelievably unhealthy, but don’t listen to the licensed mental health counselor, I guess- so I’m trying to find them some actually concrete evidence so they don’t just have to take my word for it.”

Loki normally found it adorable and endearing when you spoke of your occupation and what you learned. This was different, though. You weren’t talking excitedly about something you were passionate about, your words were tense, manic, even. You stumbled over them in an effort to get them all out.

“Dearest,” Loki began, gently pulling your swivel chair away from your desk. “I think you need a break.”

“I’m fine, I have to-”

“It’s not your job to micromanage everyone’s behavior.”

You scowled, pointing indignantly to your framed college degree hanging on the wall of your office. Loki couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip at the look on your face.

“I was under the impression that your job involved you giving your expert opinion to your clients on how they can better handle themselves. Whether or not they improve is entirely up to them.” He pointed out. “I believe you told me once, “I get paid regardless of whether they get better or not”, does that not still hold true?”

“That’s different,” You insisted. “With regular clients, yes. But I act more as a consultent with you guys. My job is more to monitor everyone and step in if I see someone going off the deep end. Besides, I’m genuinely worried about Tony and Thor.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at you. “If I let you continue here, do you promise that you’ll go take a break when you’ve finished with this?”

“Yeah, I’m almost done, anyway.” You smiled weakly. “I’ll go get a snack, or something.”

Loki sighed and acquiesced, letting you roll your chair back to the computer. He leaned down to kiss your cheek. “Your work here is admirable, love, but please don’t run yourself into the ground for our sakes.”

“Hmm,” You leaned into his touch, gazing at him so lovingly that it made his knees go a little weak. 

It had not escaped Loki’s noticed that you hadn’t agreed not to keep tiring yourself out.

. . .

He couldn’t blame you, Loki realized. He certainly wouldn’t want to be put in charge of the mental and emotional wellbeing of the Avengers, a group of people who had long histories of trauma and other personal problems.

You were working as hard as ever, gluing yourself to your computer for hours at a time, or sitting and talking with a member of the team, trying to convince them to either get their own therapist or take better car of themself for stretches of time that seemed to go on forever.

To their credit, a few of them started to take your advice (mostly after Loki haggled them to do so), but it still didn’t stop you from crashing and burning.

Loki had only started showing up to group meals with the team at your behest, but you starting showing up less and less. He stopped seeing you around the tower at all, having to seek you out in your office.

He knocked on the door one evening after the table had been cleared at dinner. “Darling, you missed dinner.” He held the plate of food carefully in one hand, knocking again with the other when you didn’t immediately respond. “Darling?”

Still no reply. Loki cracked open the door, peaking inside. You were slumped over at your desk, head cushioned by your folded arms. He silently approached you, gently setting your dinner on the desk, and leaning over you. You were fast asleep.

He sighed, smiling fondly at you. He carefully eased you out of your chair and into his arms. He magically transported you to your apartment, setting about putting you to bed. He made a mental note to later take care of the food he’d brought to your office as he carefully changed you into sleepwear.

“Sleep well, my sweet.” Loki whispered, pressing a delicate kiss to your forehead as he tucked you into bed. Before he left, he made sure your alarm was turned off. 

. . .

You woke up the next morning to the smell of breakfast cooking. You looked around your bedroom, confused, not remembering coming back home. You were even more confused when you saw that you’d slept in. 

You got up, feeling more well-rested than you had in days, and went to investigate the kitchen.

Loki stood at the counter, pouring coffee into two mugs. He turned at the sound of your foot steps. “Good morning, my darling love,” He greeted with a smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, actually. How did I get here?” You rubbed your eyes, squinting at him.

“You feel asleep in your office last night. I brought you here. You’re taking a day off.”

“Lokes, I can’t-”

“You most certainly can. I’ve already told everyone that you’re not to be disturbed. They were all quite understanding- it seems I wasn’t the only one to notice your lack of self care.”

You sighed, knowing there was no arguing with him. “I’m sorry you have to do all this. I’ve just been so busy lately I haven’t had time for much else.”

“You needn’t apologize, love, it’s alright.” Loki pulled you into his arms, his hold on you tight but secure. “I’m always happy to take care of you.”

He kissed you, and you finally let yourself relax. You realized just how much you’d missed this. You’d been so busy trying to solve everyone’s problems you’d left yourself no time for Loki. Your hand creeped up to tug lightly on his beautiful hair as he deepened the kiss, humming in contentment.

When you parted, you reached around him to grab one of the coffee mugs. He laughed as you attempted to maneuver yourself so you could drink, but still be held by him.

. . .

You were drawn into the bathroom by the sound of running water that was too loud to be the sink, but was definitely not the shower.

You peeked inside to see Loki crouching at the bathtub, carefully monitoring the gradually increasing water lever. You watched, smiling in realization that the hand which turned the hot and cold water knobs was smaller, daintier, and more prettily manicured than before.

“Hey there, pretty lady.” You joined Loki by the tub as she looked up at you, a flirtatious smile on her lips. 

“Hello, darling. Care for a bath?”

“I can’t remember the last time I relaxed and took a bath,” You admitted. “Join me?”

Loki pressed her lips to yours in a chaste kiss. “As you wish.”

You undressed as she finished adjusting the water. She let out a low whistle as you exposed more of your skin, to which you responded by throwing your shirt at her face.

You slipped into the hot bath as Loki followed your lead and began stripping. She’d gotten it perfect, because of course she had. The water was perfectly warm without being scorching. She tucked herself behind you, pulling you close so you were practically resting in her lap.

Her hands crept up your arms and over your shoulders, gently squeezing as she went. You groaned appreciatively as she carefully kneaded the tense muscles, her lips trailing kisses in the wake of her hands.

“Loki,” You practically whimpered as she mouthed at your neck.

“Feel good, love?”

“Feels perfect. You’re perfect.”

 She chuckled, wrapping her arms around your waist and leaning forward to rest her head on your shoulder. “And you are divine, and deserve the best things I and this universe can offer you. I’d pluck the stars from the sky if you asked me to.”

“I think I’ll pass on the giant balls of heat.”

Loki laughed at that, pinching your side. “You make it sound utterly unromantic when you put it like that,” She complained.

“I’m just saying; it’s a cute idea in theory, but a disaster in practice.” You protested, squirming away from her fingers.

When you were dried and dressed, Loki pulled you into your bedroom. She collapsed with you in tow, landing in a tangle of arms and legs.

You laughed, grabbing a lock of her hair. She always let it hang longer when she presented femininely, so tonight it cascaded down her back instead of pooling at the shoulders. Either way, it was gorgeous. “Can I braid your hair?” You asked.

“Oh, please do. You always make it look so pretty.” She quickly sat up and turned around so her back faced you.

You followed suit, leaning over to your bedside table to grab a hair brush. You ran it gently through her perfect inky curls, marveling at how it seemed to flow like water through your hands. Loki always liked when you did her hair, so you’d taught yourself to do every type of braid you could think of. You decided on a relaxed fishtail tonight, so you could have tendrils loose in front to frame her face.

You were silent as your worked, savoring Loki’s quiet hums and low groans of pleasure as your fingers brushed her scalp. She leaned into your touch, eyes slipping closed as you deftly wove strands of hair together.

“Done,” You announced, tying off the end. 

Loki brought the braid over her shoulder to see. “I love it.” She declared, shifting so you could see her face.

You smiled, taking her hand in yours. “I love you,” You told her.

“I love you, too.” She pulled your gently down so you were lying on the bed again. You adjusted so you could lay your head on her shoulder.

“Thank you for taking care of me today.”

“It was my pleasure. I look forward to doing it more.”

You laughed, snuggling further into you. “Hopefully I’ll learn how to do it myself so you don’t need to.”

“Don’t think I won’t still pamper you.”

“I wouldn’t think that for a moment.” You kissed her gently, feeling her smile into it. “I know you too well.”

She laughed quietly, holding you tightly as you drifted off to sleep.

[youlackconviction]

not me reading this romance writers’ tips masterlist and noticing a whole bunch of red flags about the way they wrote LOKI x sylvie in the “bad relationships” section...

this post will address three topics: 1) signs you may be in an abusive relationship 2) why the ‘surprise first kiss’ must go 3) signs your story is sexist against men

this gets long so... after the cut

let’s start with, signs you may be in an abusive relationship. of the supplied list of 12, the sylvie-attitude-towards-LOKI checks five of those boxes.

we see this all the time in the series. idiot, clown, shut up, not a serious man... there’s more but i don’t want to rewatch it right now to collect them up. sylvie is continually verbally abusive and LOKI just allows her to speak to him that way throughout and never once calls her out, or, flings names back at her.

everything is LOKI’s fault, nothing is because of sylvie’s bad planning or rash decisions. for example, she has a tempad... in fact she has MANY tempads. but only keeps one on her person when she goes to the TVA, despite being intimately familiar with their operation, having collected and used them for many years. she doesn’t confirm that it has sufficient charge for escape or further use, despite knowingly walking into danger. yet it’s LOKI’s fault when it goes flat on lamentis1. she accepts none of the responsibility for their plight, even though he was only trying to save them both from being pruned. knowing of course that she wouldn’t offer to save him too, if he left the choice up to her.

in the final episode, sylvie turns on LOKI and accuses him of betraying her, refusing to abandon the monologue despite having no evidence. she’s guilt tripping him into compliance by making him feel bad about breaking a promise to her - which he legitimately has not broken; but she’s framing it that way to get what she wants. you can see how hurt LOKI is by the accusation, he’s almost in tears that she would even say something like that after everything he’s done to support and help her. then - she kisses him, to distract him so she can take the tempad from the desk - another emotional manipulation.

plenty of evidence of this. it can be argued that initially they are enemies from her POV so attacking him is not part of a toxic relationship, but what about in their final scenes? she reverts pretty smoothly to type, wouldn’t you say? and in that whole final fight scene while ‘he who remains’ munches popcorn, she’s the aggressor, and LOKI is just trying to stop her hurting anyone.

LOKI is definitely the victim here. he only defends himself, not actually attacking her in retaliation, throughout their association. his entire approach to her is to de-escalate, to talk, to be rational and calm. yet somehow he’s the villain and she’s the hero? bitch please.

okay. now let’s move on to the “surprise kiss” scene at the end. this article has a lot to say about why it’s so damaging and inappropriate. and here’s a couple of relevant excerpts:

SURPRISE KISSES ARE FORCED KISSES

this gets especially squicky when you understand that sylvie kissed LOKI to distract him so she could gain a tactical advantage. so not only was she ignoring consent and therefore dismissing his right to choose, she was also LYING to him at the same time. but it’s not presented as being an underhanded villainous tactic which is the real problem with the scene. it’s dressed up as fluffy true love and honestly that makes me feel a little bit sick.

if it was presented as a dark and ‘evil’ act by someone with questionable morals whose goal was to win at any cost, then sure, put that in the script, but don’t try to convince the audience that it’s a pure or healthy cornerstone emotional moment between these two individuals.

at best LOKI was deceived (if we decide that he secretly wished she might kiss him even though we have zero evidence of that from anything that he said or did for the entire six episodes “i just want you to be okay”); at worst he was sexually assaulted AND deceived.

if this is what passes for a love story with disney these days, miss me with that shit.

finally, although there’s so much more to say, i will touch on the idea that the sylvie series is sexist against men, and more specifically, feminine men.

MALE CONSENT IS DISREGARDED

we have already noted how sylvie’s unilateral decision to make their association sexual/romantic was not presented to LOKI respectfully in order that he has the option to decline or discuss it. she just made the choice, and he went along with it. imagine if it had been reversed? if LOKI had forced a kiss on her at that high-stakes moment and then used her flustered and distracted state to take advantage of her the way sylvie did? newsflash it’s gross either way, folks.

FEMININE MEN ARE MOCKED OR DEMONISED

i mean if this entire passage doesn’t SCREAM how LOKI was portrayed in the series to you, we might not be talking about the same character.

he wasn’t shown as cowardly - small mercies i suppose - but he was definitely shown as physically incompetent - which given LOKI’s extensive screen combat history was just totally unjustified.

his decorative and deeply expressive personal clothing was literally stripped off his body in the opening sequences, and we cannot overlook the symbolism in having him actually displayed naked “for the fans” demonstrating very clearly that this story was not going to be about respecting LOKI as a person. i mean this is LOKI, we’d barely seen his wrist bones before, he was not a person who flaunted his physique in those gratuitous ways, which made the strip scene all the more distressing and uncomfortable to witness.

and once he “earned” his way out of the prison jumpsuit by agreeing to cooperate with his jailers LOKI was dressed as OfficeMan™ for the entire remaining show, explicitly contradicting several remarks he made about attire and his own views on it, IN the show.

“well i think i would have worn a suit” and “being a LOKI is about style...”

not anymore apparently.

his whole personality (even his legitimate hurts and personal tragedies... “ice runt”, anyone?) was played for laughs, and scenes which were genuinely distressing were turned by the wider fandom and the showrunners into thirsttraps (LOKI being beaten in the genitals by sif) or opportunities to laugh directly at him (whenever some decision or other of his backfired foolishly).

for marvel to treat this beloved queer character in these deeply harmful and abusive ways and then try to tell us it was all in fun... no. not sorry, just no. what a shame they didn’t hire actual competent showrunners who understand these harmful fiction-tropes and why they should be avoided in good writing.

[astaroth1357]

The MC is a Valkyrie

Demigod MC Series: Intro

Greek: Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2, Poseidon, Ares, Hestia, Nyx

Norse: Valkyrie

A bit of a change of pace this time! No worries, I'm not done with the Greeks or anything. I just had this idea and wanted to get it out. 

Valkyries aren't really demigods, but are a part of Norse myth as the minor divinities that help choose and deliver fallen warriors to Valhalla to join the ranks of the einherjar (the souls who will fight when Ragnarok comes). Valkyries are depicted as women who are fierce warriors in their own right. Despite their place as the gatekeepers of the Chosen, they've been said to sometimes take heroes and mortals as lovers or take residence in Midgard posing as daughters of royals/nobility. 

Lucifer 

At first, they thought they grabbed an heiress - which would have been bad enough - but then the MC grew wings, drew a spear, and asked who among them wanted a glorious death...

How hard is it to find ONE damn human on Earth? Isn't that realm supposed to be full of them??

Diavolo was thankfully able to talk their winged friend down from skewering Asmo and accepting the exchange on behalf of the human wo-… Midgard. 

Living with a Valkyrie is different for sure. The MC is a proud woman who takes her role very seriously and she's seemingly deemed him and his brothers as candidates for einherjar (despite being demons).

He's tried many, many times to explain to her that they're not interested, but she's unconvinced. Now the MC watches his brothers like a hawk waiting to cart one of them off to Valhalla! Any mortal wound could be an excuse...

He's had to save Beel and Satan twice from getting dragged to that infernal palace… For whatever reason, she seems to have taken to them the most. Is it old Norse culture to favor the brash and strong? He has no idea...

At the very least, she knows better than to try to drag him into her little plans. Though he's sure he could qualify for the einherjar (obviously, why wouldn't he?) he has no interest in leaving his life here behind.

To think he'd actually have to put surveillance on his own brothers for their safety… But they're not going to get drafted into some ancient Norse war, not if he can help it.

Mammon 

She’s an heiress… An heiress!!

Well, her human world identity is an heiress to a well-respected (and rather magical) rich family but that still technically counts! She’s crazy loaded back there! He’s in love!!

The only problem is that in the Devildom she doesn’t have a cent.

… and the fact that she keeps trying to get him killed. That’s also a problem.

In a way, things are not as bad and exactly as bad as that sounds. The MC apparently wants him to go to Valhalla (dope) but she can’t just take him there… He technically has to die in some kind of “vallent battle” first.

Her solution? Pick fights with nearly anything that moves and drag him into it!

Honestly, it’s pretty annoying… Sometimes he just wants to have a fun night out without getting into a barfight, you know??

At least the MC can handle herself… Hell, he was her "babysitter" but she barely even needed him. A lesser demon once made the bad idea of trying to cup her ass and lost a hand for his trouble…

Though, what this amounts to is the MC starting something then fighting alongside him like back-to-back badasses while looking for any excuse to scoop him up and fly him to Asgard!

Why does he put up with this? Well for starters human world rich is still rich, all he has to do is get himself a portal then he's living the high life! And secondly, well… what's the harm?

Sure, she technically wants him dead but he's the secondborn! The list of people who can take him down is so slim that it's not like he's in any danger. She even fights with him so things are a piece of cake!

Is this a case where he's 100% more forgiving because she's rich? Yes. Absolutely. But a golddigger's gotta eat somehow, right?

Leviathan 

Is it weird to be jealous over someone not wanting you to die...?

Okay, that's an oversimplification but Levi can’t help but feel snubbed that the MC doesn’t have any interest in taking him to Asgard. Like, none! And why not??

He’s strong! He’s tough! He’s part snake too! Don’t the Nords have a thing about that? Like, there’s a giant snake they’re all worried about?? Maybe he could communicate with it!

Logically, Levi knows that he really shouldn’t press her on this… MC is pretty much a Grim Reaper with a Norse coat of paint and Asgard doesn’t really sound like his speed. No anime, no video games, not even cable! It’s just eat, train, and drink all day… Ew.

But still… What makes him an odd one out? 

At best, she just knows he wouldn't be happy there. At worst, she's underestimating his skill… or maybe she's gauged him just right? He's always known he was weak!! 😫

Oh well... at least she's not a bore to be around. Far from it. She treats EVERYTHING like a life or death trial - he's pretty sure that if he challenged her to rock, paper, scissors she'd commend him for his bravery and swear on her sisters that she won't lose.

He once made the mistake of inviting her and Simeon for a game of Devil Party and they both got so into it that they nearly had a duel to the death as a tiebreaker… 

Thank Devil that the game had a pre-programmed minigame for that kind of thing… It would have gotten messy otherwise.

Well, even if his other brothers go to Asgard, he can just chill out here with Lucifer and Asmo… right…? Actually, no, that sounds horrible! MC, he changes his mind!! Take him too!!! 😭

Satan 

How many times does he have to say that he doesn’t want to go to Asgard?!?

Well, okay that’s not entirely true. Out of scientific curiosity, seeing the godly realm of the old Nords would be fascinating but he doesn’t want to stay, which the MC seems to have trouble understanding…

He’s not even sure why she's singled him out for einherjar status… Any one of his brothers are powerful beings in their own right and he’s not particularly, uh, “even-tempered” himself...

His best guess is she saw him wipe out a handful of lesser demons at some point and declared him Ragnarok material. He always ends up throwing around at least three of those idiots a week so checks out… 

If he's being honest, her very existence raises so many questions… Does this mean that Ragnarok is real? Will the human world be swallowed up by the sea? Will the gods of Asgard fight and die as a new world is established? When??

Unfortunately, the MC won't tell him when it all will come to pass (he suspects even she doesn't know) just that Loki will trigger it… Someone keep tabs on that guy.

Until then, he just has to put up with her attempts to convince him but his patience is wearing thin… He's pretty sure he threw a bookshelf at her once but she caught it anyway so yeah...

He did challenge her to a proper duel too but… well let's say she's a Valkyrie for a reason and leave it at that. (Being saved by Lucifer was so humiliating… He's done here, move on already!!)

Asmodeus

First things first, she's gorgeous. Beautiful! Divine! (Literally 🤭)

Now that that's out of the way… She may also have a screw or two loose.

Like, he gets it. She's a Valkyrie and snapping up strong souls is her thing but come on… Mammon? Really? Why would he get into Valhalla instead of him, huh??

Why can't he get to go to the beautiful afterlife of the old Norse with all their strapping warriors, lovely maidens, and endless partying?? It's not fair!!

Ugh… and now she's got him sounding like LEVI! How frustrating…

Well, it may not be that bad. According to MC, he'd have to do battle training in Valhalla and that wouldn't really agree with his beauty routine. Like dirt, sweat, blood, and muscles? No thanks! Not for him.

He asked MC if he could get some kind of pass, but no dice… Maybe he could still convince her to let him vacation there… Or go for a visit? Just one? Surely that couldn't be so bad right?? He's heard that Thor looks NOTHING like people think he does and he's so curious!!

The closest he's ever gotten was challenging the MC to a fashion contest for a visit, but he dropped that idea quick when she proposed that they somehow include a wrestling match in the dressing room (and he knows she didn't mean the fun kind...)

As much as he'd love to get skin-to-skin with MC, the idea of getting locked in a chokehold was less appealing for some reason. 🤔

Ah well, he'll just have to make due admiring her wonderful body clothed for the time being… There's something to be said about muscular ladies, no?

Beelzebub 

So she’s almost convinced him to join the einherjar like twice now…

He’s not the best at making decisions when he’s hungry and the MC keeps hyping up the food… Apparently it’s really good up there and MC says that she’s never seen an empty platter... Just thinking about it makes his stomach do backflips.

Thankfully for him, Lucifer usually steps in before Beel can sign his soul away and reminds him that he can’t just abandon the family for a meal, even if it is a feast.

You'd think he'd be annoyed but Beel isn't really bothered by her habit of trying to bring everyone to Asgard. At least not on a personal level.

Like Lucifer, he doesn't want to see his family broken up so he'd rather she wouldn't… But she's a Valkyrie right? It's what she does. It's not like she can help it.

In a weird way, he also thinks she means well. She just respects them and wants them to have a good afterlife. It would be kind of sweet if they didn't have to die for it first…

If he's being honest, he's not that worried about it anyway. His family is pretty tough, not a lot in the Devildom can take them down. As long as they're careful, everybody should be alright. 🙂

Maybe he could get MC to make some Valhallan food for them in the Devildom… Or he could get one of those immortality apples?? Though those would extend his life wouldn't they…? Oh well...

Belphegor 

Belphie's attempt to kill the MC went something like this:

Belphie: *switches to his demon form* "I can't believe you actually trusted me!"

MC: *blinks* "Oh. So you want to challenge me then?"

Belphie: "What?"

MC: "Ah, now I see! You want to fight to prove your valor then die by my hand??"

Belphie: "What are yo-??"

MC: *summons wings and golden spear* "I like your spunk, demon!! Fight me with all you have and perhaps I'll take you to Valhalla! May you join us in our fight as a brother!!"

Belphie: "What the hell are you talking about!?!"

To his credit, he put up a good fight and probably would have gotten into Asgard if Lucifer hadn't intervened to save his life.

It can be said that the MC's Valkyrie-hood took Belphie completely by surprise. Sure, he thought she was a little weird for a "human" but challenging him to a duel to the death? That came out of nowhere!

His uneasiness about her only grew after he found out that she's been literally trying to get Beel killed! How in the world were his brothers so relaxed about this?? She's insane!!

So say what you will about the MC, but she's managed to do the impossible. She got Lucifer and Belphie to make up and work together on something! (i.e. making sure she doesn't send them all to their deaths)

Between Lucifer monitoring his brothers and Belphie watching the MC, they'll keep everybody in the Devildom where they belong. That's a promise!

[tokoyamisstuff]

This Is New For Me

Loki x Reader

Summary: Life on Asgard can be straining - especially if the God of Mischief has taken a liking to you.

Warnings: Loki being so terrible at flirting it physically hurts, bullying, this got way angstier than I initially intended

Words: ~2800

A/N: I’ve written this trying to distract myself from personal problems, but honestly I can’t think straight rn. Dunno I kinda hate how this turned out but here you go I guess...sorry.

Loki Odinson must really despise you.

No matter how often Thor would stand up for his brother and try to justify his behavior, there was no other explanation for you other than that he must truly hate you with every essence of his being.

In the beginning, having been invited in the palace to train magic under the Allmother sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime chance - yet all that’s left from your initial excitement had been replaced by pure annoyance.

Lately, whenever you knew that you had to attend class with that certain raven-haired prince, your insides would churn before you even arrived.

Weeks have turned into months, never once ceasing his condescending remarks or childish pranks. Of course, he wasn’t called the God of Mischief for nothing.

All nine realms had tales to tell about his sheganinans - yet with you, he seemed especially invested. There was not one encounter where he could leave you at peace, always ending with you being victim to his wicked humor. 

The man did not seem to respect you at all - and it made you furious.

Today, you’d show him just what you were capable of!

“Greetings, great Allmother.” Polite as always, you bowed deeply in front of your queen, her magnificent presence still making you jittery beyond belief.

“No need for formalities, my lovely student” she responded heartily, only making you admire her even more - until a loud, exaggerated sigh cut through the calm atmosphere.

“Her again?” There he stood, maintaining his defensive pose as he rolled his eyes at you. “Mother, why would you keep on bringing a lowlife like her to defile this holy place?”

This was probably the millionth time that Frigga apologized deeply for her son’s behavior, and you were always amazed by her patience with him. How could a person so formidable end up raising such a troublemaker?

But then again...if she believes that there is good in the God of Mischief, then so would you.

“For today, I have prepared a spell that can only be cast by two mages at once”, Frigga explained, while Loki would still not bid you a single look. “So throughout this lesson, you will need to work together to succeed.”

Irritation was clearly visible on his face - and if you were perfectly honest, you weren’t really fond of that idea either. Yet if it was your scolar’s wish, none of you would protest.

“Spontaneous creation of complex concepts puts a huge stroll on one’s mind and body, so do not be frustrated if it doesn’t work within the first try.”

The idea was simple: Create a blooming meadow in midst of the palace floor, since creating life would be way too complex - only masters of the sorcery arts could take this spell to completion.

You and Loki were now sitting on the bare floor in front of each other and only now you realized how tense he had become, sweat dripping from his forehead and biting his bottom lip.

Was your presence really so terrible that he couldn’t bear with it?!

“Hey” you whispered, taking his hands to form a ring just as instructed “Don’t worry, we’re gonna get this!”

“I don’t need your encouragement...” he spat between gritted teeth, now that you noticed his palms were just as sweaty as his face seemed to be.

One second. Two, tree...fourty....a hundret and two...

“Relax” Loki repeated to himself as if it was his mantra - but now, with your fingers entangled in his? Sheer impossible.

Distraught, he shot his mother a desperate look, just for her to point  towards you, sitting cross-legged and seemingly completely relaxed.

Since your eyes were closed, Loki took this chance to observe every detail of your face, without having to fear that you’d notice his little infatuation.

By the norns - you were as fair and bewitching as always. So way, way out of his league. An unreachable, vigorous being. No angel, valkyrie or similar could ever reach up to you - at least in his eyes.

Was this what they called love at first sight? Loki only knew those sentiments from novels he always ridiculed before he got to know you.

Slowly and steadily, Loki aligned his breathing pattern with yours, picturing the cycle of energy the two of you formed. Carefully, he began infusing you with his magic, trying his best to allow yourself do the same to him.

Another minute passed by and you were finally able to let your magic flow through each other’s bodies entirely, like a serene stream.

With things being like this, he felt so different from the Loki you knew.

His magic was strong, indeed - but so gentle, warm and somehow comfortable to be coated with. You wondered-

“HEY!”

As soon as Loki slapped your hand away, breaking the cycle, all of the flowers that had previously bloossomed through you would wither in an instant.

“What the hel do you think you’re doing, you mewling quim?!” Loki shoutet as loud as his lungs allowed him to, while his mother’s face distorted in second-hand-embarrasment at her son’s choice of words. “Who do you think you are?!”

“I-I’m sorry, I just-” You only wanted to scan his emotions through the magic bond you shared, just peek under the cover for a mere second - what was he so afraid of you to find?

“Know your place, woman!” The god pointed at you before he rushed up, ignoring the ache in his heart as he saw your face contort in sadness. “You are beneath me, never forget that!”

Why were you even surprised?

“You’re right” you sniveled quietly as you balled a fist in your dress, and Loki hated himself so much that he wished to just disappear. “My apologies. You don’t have to put up with me ever again.”

As always, instead of fighting, you made your leave without ever fighting back.

Frigga’s pleads for you to stay and talk this over were all for naught when you rushed away, muttering curses directed towards youself rather than anyone else.

Instead of scolding her son, she’d punish him through her silence, furiously shaking her head as she rushed away as well.

Why did he always have to ruin everything?!

The God of Mischief was very well aware that whenever you were close, his mind went completely blank - and that made him panic.

Never before he had felt so goddamn vulnerable in front of anything, terrifying him beyond belief.

And Loki loathed that feeling: Losing control over himself, being reminded once again how alone and  unloveable he is, facing a goddess as stunning as you are every single day.

So he concluded it to be best to cope like he did all those millenia: Cover up those insecurities, shove his anxieties in the back of his heart and protect his heart from anyone coming close.

Good thing you believed that presumptupus, disoblinging duplicity of his to be his true self.

That would make it easier for the both of you, having as much distance as humanly possible. Vicinity could become dangerous terrain.

Yes, he would only save you some time - it would be a waste if you would try to actually give him a chance, just to be let down by what kind of disappointment he truly was.

But it wouldn’t end here - since the only way Loki Odinson first and only communication was through causing mischief.

A scream of yours startled the servants early in the morning, with your personal maiden being the first to rush to your side.

“Milady, wha-” She stopped in her tracks as she saw you standing in front of the mirror, touching your scalp in disbelief, where everything had been cut short.

That was it. Enough of it!

Dismissing the servants, you took a scissor and tried to at least make an acceptable hairstyle out of the mess he had made, before you would leave to the royal garden.

“You!” Pointing towards Loki, innocently sitting on a bench to watch the sunrise, you screamed and let a strand of hair run from your fingers to the floor. “You did this!”

“Now relax, would you” he chuckled, wearing his smug grin like a trophy as he defendingly held his hands into the air. “You should be grateful, it looks much better like this.”

Next thing he knew was the feeling of your backhand, mercilessly crushing against his collarbone.

Usually, you’d be shocked at yourself, for you had never been a person to choose violence ever before - but right now, you were too full of anger and hurt to even realize.

“You conniving craven pathetic worm!” you exclaimed, breathing heavily as you swung yet another fist towards the prince - however, he grabbed your wrists, trapping you in his hold.

In his life full of wrongdoings, he had been called worse than that - yet still, hearing insults coming from you of all people shot arrows through his heart with every word escaping his lips. Not that he’d ever admit, though.

“It was just a little prank.” Loki would’ve never thought that his actions would affect you this much. “What are you so worked up about?”

“All this time I believed there could be a good person beneath all that...but now what?” The compassion you detected in his eyes were only upsetting you even more. “You are a selfish, cruel and terrible person, and I gave up on you.”

Loki let go off of you, staring at you in disbelief:

You actually believed in him, all this time?! That was impossible!

If anything, the Odinson had always believed you to ignore his existence completely, if he wouldn’t use such drastic measures to attract your attention.

“Wait a second, I-”

“I hope you know that you deserve to be alone...” you sniveled, turning around to face him one last time before you fled the scene. “And you always will be.”

Several minutes had passed until Loki had given up in silencing he voices inside his head that told him you were right: He was indeed a despicable being, tainting your pure goodwill - repelling anyone that would still be willing to give the God of Mischief a chance.

Out of a whim, he jumped up from his place, wanting to rush after you. He was very well aware that he was probably beyond forgiveness by now, yet he at least wanted to make things up to you - even though he had no clue where to start.

“Calm down, Lady Y/N.”

Thor’s voice drang to Loki’s ears just a mere second before he saw that particular heart-wrenching scene unfold in front of him:

You were lying in his brother’s arms, crying to your heart’s extend while soothed you, softly petting what remained from your hair.  Loki remained hidden in the shadows, even though his guts told him to stab his brother right here and now.

“My brother...you know-” The God of Thunder was trying to find the right words, even though poetic speeches were not really his forte. “It’s just his speecial, twisted way of interacting. Who knows where he got that from.”

“I rather wonder if he realized how his behavior truly makes me feel” you snapped back, unwilling to keep defending him. “Weak and worthless, that’s how I feell. And every time our ways cross, he’s making it worse!”

By the gods, Loki never wanted to make you feel that way, let alone think such ways about yourself! He of all people, who knew best what its like to feel unfit and nowhere near enough.

Loki grabbed the fabric of his shirt tight, feeling that his heart might burst if he didn’t. It took everything in him to not let out a loud sob and be caught - but then, his brother snapped him out of it with an impossible question:

“Do you still love him?”

“L-Love might not be the right word, I mean-” Lately, you had let Thor in on your secret admiration for his younger brother. “With the way he’s treating me, and all-”

You just couldn’t help being drawn to him against all reason. After everything you had endured, just to be close to him - and he never even acknowledged your feelings.

And still, here you were, crying over a man that didn’t want you.

“Lady Y/N?”

Loki’s voice made you panic, immediately wriggling out of Thor’s embrace. The Odinson understood immediately, nodding towards his brother before leaving the two of you alone.

“Since when have you been standing there?!” Panic dropped to your stomach, wondering just how much he had heared.

“From the very beginning.”

Before you could even think about what to do now, Loki summoned a dagger, cutting off his raven locks in one swift move. “Wha-”

“Please, accept this as means of apology.” The man now dropped to one knee, humbly facing the ground. “I have never intended to make you doubt your most perfect self.”

Frantic, you were scanning his voice, face, anything for the slightest hint of a lie - but nothing. Loki seemed determined and sincere when he looked up to you, hesistantly taking a hold of your hand.

“This is new for me...” he uttered under his breath as his lips graced your knuckles, and only now you realized that he was trembling ever so slightly. 

“I-Is that another trick?!”

“What kind of vicious being do you think I am?” Well, after everything he had commited it was only natural of you accusing him. “There are lines not even I do not cross.”

Only for a brief second your heart felt a little bit lighter, as his eyes were locked with yours, lost in this moment you have been waited for so long...

...a little too unexpected, right?

Suddenly, you tugged your hand away, and Loki could only sigh in frustration. Of course it won’t be that easy for him to gain your trust. “I don’t need your pity, Loki...”

No matter how he racked his brain around the matter, he had burdened your shared past probably beyond the point of repair.

That would be his last chance, maybe the last time he’d ever see you again. He was so desperate in his attempt, and yet - what else could he do?

So for the first time in millenias, the God of Mischief decided to speak from the heart for a change:

"Y/N, I-I...As I said, this is new for me, so...” he cleared his throat before continuing, stress literally dropping out of every pore. “From the first day we’ve met, you...I mean...you were the most magnificent being I ever laid eyes upon, and...when I think about it now, I-I may be enarmored with you.”

Your eyes widened at this wholeheartedly confession, a sincere smile playing on his lips in contrast of sole tears running down his face.

Never before you had seen him like that: Flustered, vulnerable, and honest...

“I thought to be unworthy of your affection, so I tried to belittle you, to...I don’t even know. I’ve been told many times I am quite assertive of anyone but myself. I-I mean, I am a mess...I don’t understand my own feelings and thus drive away any chance of happiness, and...how could you ever-?”

“Mhh...” you silenced the man as your lips crushed over his, falling straight into his arms. It took Loki quite a second to fully grasp the situation before deepening the kiss, his arms wrapping around you as if you’d disappear if he was to ever let go.

“Y/N...” the prince gasped when your lips parted from that breathtaking kiss - and this time it was you who wore that thug grin on your face.

"Apology accepted” you giggled, just to smother the face of this flabbergasted man in yet another thousand smaller kisses.

This had to be a dream, he thought...and immediately, a wave of guilt washed over him. He did not deserve this in the slightest.

“Now, don’t give me that look.” Cupping Loki’s face in your hands, you gifted him that heartwarming expression he had ignored for so many years, thinking it was not meant for him. “That kiss wiped my memory from everything you’ve done...by now.”

Out of sheer, genuine happiness, Loki leaped from the floor and excitedly swirled you around in his arms.

After another kiss that would kick the air right out of your lungs. the god would peck a more gentle one afterwards, as sweet and tender as no one ever thought he could be.

Even if it’s gonna be a long way, Loki would prove to be worthy of your love.

“Lady Y/N...if you are to believe in me, then I swear I will be on my best behavior from now on!”

"Let's see about that."

[sserpente]

A/N: Request from @wrenstrange! Put up the decorations, it’s finally time again! Enjoy, everyone!

Words: 1957 Warnings: pure fluff, blood sample/needle/syringe, soft!Loki, fatique, fainting

You dropped like a piece of wood right about when you were making yourself a cup of tea in the kitchen. Knees ceasing to support you any longer, vision darkening, stars dancing around you making you dizzy. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head and before you knew it, your body finally won and shut down.

Although if you could have chosen, you would not have fallen straight into Loki’s arms whose reflexes caught you, preventing you from hitting the hard floor beneath you. He cradled you with his brows furrowed, his blue gaze almost helpless as he looked at Thor and Stark for support.

Then, everything went black.

-

“Welcome back.” You blinked, the artificial lights above your head blinding you. A hand held you down when you attempted to sit up drowsily. Bruce was leaning against a metal table in Tony’s lab, hands crossed before his chest and with a concerned expression on his face. “You blacked out,” he explained, “out of the blue.”

“How are you feeling?” Tony added.

You only realised then that it was Loki who had held you down. He was sitting on a chair right next to the makeshift bed they had carried into Tony’s lab and he was observing you with Argus eyes. Your heart sped up when you noticed. You usually tended to avoid the God of Mischief at all cost. There was a part of you that was afraid of him after watching him making an entire crowd kneel in Stuttgart, the other was hands down swooning over him. It had all started when he had rescued a cat from a tree, honouring a cliché he had not even been aware of. But someone who helped defenceless little kittens had to have a soft heart deep down, no?

Thor had brought him to Earth along with him after Asgard had been destroyed. He could not exactly be considered an Avenger but he had long surpassed the villain image… at least, to some extent. Well, you were no Avenger either. You used to be a SHIELD intern and then somehow ended up with the superheroes themselves. Apart from some basic fighting skills and the ability to use a gun, you had been trained to spend most of your time in front of a computer, often working twelve hours or even more a day. What did they say? Evil never sleeps.

“Any idea what might have caused this?” Bruce continued.

You shook your head. “No. But I’ve been having migraines and a persistent fatigue that just won’t go away.”

“I see… anything else?”

“Um…”

“You can talk to us, (Y/N).”

“Well, I… I’ve been dizzy a lot lately but that sometimes happens during my special week of the month so I didn’t think anything of it.” You took a deep breath but hesitated.

“And?”

“I’ve been sweating way more when working out. Like, a lot more. Instead of making progress… I feel like I’m getting weaker every day. It’s frustrating.”

“Uh-huh. I’m taking a blood sample. FRIDAY will run a couple of tests on you to figure out what’s wrong.”

“What? No! Nothing’s wrong! We don’t need a b-blood sample.”

“No one faints for no reason, (Y/N), especially not on Loki.” Loki rolled his eyes but did not leave your side, even when Bruce started fiddling around with some gear and apparently, a first-aid kit and then approached you with a syringe and a small clear vial.

“I’ve done this a million times before, I’ll be gentle.”

“No! No, no blood test, Bruce, please!” Almost hysterically, you moved back on the bed, your heart in your mouth.

“(Y/N),” Loki suddenly said calmly. You shivered when he spoke your name, his head tilted slightly. “Are you afraid of needles?”

“N-n-no…” You lied. Loki raised an eyebrow.

“Look at me.” He said. Hesitating only a little, you did as you were told. It wasn’t like his tone allowed any contradiction anyway. In fact, it reminded you a lot of his strict and bossy tone when he had caused chaos in Germany. “It has to be done. Hold my hand and do not take your eyes off of me.”

“Who are you and what you have done to Reindeer Games?” Tony tossed in, throwing the Trickster a suspicious glance. Loki rolled his eyes once more. As if he had any obligation to explain himself to Stark of all people.

In the meantime, you were panicking even more. Loki was being nice and considerate with you and Bruce was about to pierce your skin with a needle. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck… your breathing sped up.

“Look. At. Me.” Loki repeated. You obeyed this time, allowing him to take your hand and press it gently. Much to your surprise, it immediately calmed you down a little. You gaped at him unbelievingly. You didn’t even feel the needle going into your skin and drawing blood. Wait… was he casting a spell on you?

“There. All done.” You could not bring yourself to look where Bruce brought your blood sample but when both Tony and he stepped away and turned their backs on you, you swallowed.

“T-thank you…” You had to ask—not because you did not think he was not capable of offering his help without seeking a personal advantage and not because you didn’t think he was too evil to even think about being selfless… but because you were genuinely curious about his motivation. Loki did nothing without a reason, he was always one step ahead. “You put a spell on me, didn’t you?”

He nodded. “Why… why did you do that for me?”

“We are all afraid of something.” It was the only response he gave you. For a few moments, you merely sat there quietly, neither of you uttering a single word. Only when Bruce and Tony returned did you realise that Loki was still holding your hand.

“Okay… I’ve got the results from your blood test and FRIDAY couldn’t find anything suspicious.” Tony announced, scrolling on his tablet. Bruce adjusted his glasses to take a peek.

“You said you’ve been feeling tired? You sweat a lot, you get dizzy, and I’m presuming you barely have an appetite?”

“I don’t have time to eat a lot to be honest…” You confirmed.

“Any concentration problems?”

Pressing your lips together to a thin line, you thought about it for a moment. Now that he mentioned it… it had gotten obnoxiously hard to focus on your work lately. Eventually, you nodded.

“Sounds like severe exhaustion to me.” Bruce said. “Do you have issues with low blood pressure or diabetes or any other medical condition? No, FRIDAY would have found something like that. You know what I think? You overworked yourself.”

“Like… a burnout?” You probed.

“Most definitely.”

You grunted. Oh, that was just great. There you were, attempting to squeeze in regular workouts in this awesome training hall the Avengers called the HARM room after work to get stronger and hence, eventually gather up the courage to speak to Loki and now you looked exactly like what you did not want him to see you as—a weak and meagre human.

“The best medicine would be for you to quit work for a while and stop physical exercise altogether.”

“Banner is right,” Tony added. “Take a few weeks off and rest, sleep in, eat more and healthy… the whole program. I officially give you a holiday.”

“You’re not my boss, Tony, you can’t give me a holiday.” Your smile was weak. “But I don’t have time for this anyway! I can’t believe this is happening so soon before Christmas!” You whined. “I can’t stay in bed, I’ve got so much to do! I have to buy presents and decorate and bake biscuits and make gingerbread… Besides, I’m gonna fall behind on all the data.”

He shrugged. “I’ll take care of that. Let me talk to Fury. You let us know if you need anything. Can you take her to her room, Reindeer Games? And please, no funny business.” Beside you, Loki was just frowning, utterly ignoring the billionaire’s request.

“Why were you pushing yourself so hard?” He finally spoke when the two Avengers had left—whether it was genuine confusion or mere curiosity in his voice, you were not sure. “Why were you training for battle in the first place? I have never seen you out on a mission.”

You sighed. Time to let the cat out of the bag, it wasn’t like you were still going to make a good impression on him anymore now.

“I wanted to impress you, I guess…”

“Impress me?” Loki repeated incredulously.

“Yeah… catch your attention… in a way. I mean, part of me is still terrified of you, of course but… you have a good heart, Loki. I knew when I saw you rescuing that cat from the tree.”

The God of Mischief rolled his eyes. “I knew this was going to damage my reputation.” He responded with a sly smirk, making you grin. “It was an innocent kitten, what was I supposed to do?”

“See?”

Your heart skipped a beat when his blue eyes locked with yours. He appeared… uncertain; not used to dealing with affection. Loki swallowed.

“Can you walk?”

“I’m not sure…”

The God of Mischief sighed, his lips pressed together to a thin line. Without any hesitation, he snuck one of his arms under your knees and wrapped the other around your waist. He lifted you off the makeshift bed as if you weighed nothing—and to him, you probably didn’t.

Loki carried you to your room in utter silence and eventually lay you down in your bed. Your heart jumped when he sat down on the edge of the bed himself, with a peculiar interest in his hands so he would not have to look you in the eye.

“There is no need to impress me.” He suddenly said. Your head shot up. “I did not think anyone would even… never mind.”

Oh. It almost felt like you were finally getting to know each other, for real this time.

“Do you want to stay for a while? I was going to watch some Christmas movies if I’m not allowed to get out of bed.” You sighed. “I can’t even decorate. You have no idea how many decorations I have to put up. None of the others care to make it a little more festive here, especially not Fury.”

“Yes, I have seen the boxes.” Loki replied. “It’s a little… corny, wouldn’t you say?”

“Honestly, when living among superheroes who risk their lives every single day, you could use a little corny.”

“I see.” Loki simply waved his hand and before you knew it, your entire room was decorated. Green and red tinsel shimmered on your window sill, holiday lights were blinking above your door and fake—but incredibly real-looking—snowflakes hung from the ceiling. Many of your favourite decoration items were now sitting on your nightstand and your desk, including your tiny little Christmas tree. The rest of the decorations, so it seemed, Loki must have spread all over the Tower.

“Oh my Goodness… Loki, this is amazing!” The God of Mischief winked and when you looked down on yourself, you noticed you too were wearing a green and gold Christmas sweater. Heavens, you could kiss him. “Thank you so much! What did you… is the entire Tower…”

“Yes.” He confirmed. He didn’t have to. Tony did only a fraction of a second later.

“Thor! Can you tell me why my Ironman helmet just grew metal antlers? I swear to God, if Reindeer Games has something to do with this…” It was then you exploded with laughter despite your exhaustion.

-

A/N: If you enjoyed this story, I would appreciate it so much if you considered supporting me on Kofi! It’s either for caffeine or red wine, I’ll take both. ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥

[iam93percentstardust]

Prompt: Stony, animal transformation

I realized about halfway through writing this that you probably meant a spell or something but I wrote shifters instead and I really liked what I had so I kept going. Sorry it’s a lot crackier than you were probably expecting; you can blame @maguna-stxrk for that

As always, everything I write is also available on ao3

~

“No.”

The first time Tony met Steve Rogers, he was both delighted and irritated. Delighted because hey! Captain America is another cat shifter! And that means that Howard was wrong and Tony is, in fact, like Captain America (in some ways at least; in others, that remains to be proven).

“I won’t do it.”

And irritated because Captain America is another cat shifter.

“You can’t make me.”

Tony knows that there are cat shifters out there who are perfectly friendly and like being around other cats. He is not one of them. There are multiple reasons why he and Steve clashed on the helicarrier and only one of them is Loki’s staff. Tony’s breed is highly territorial and everything in his tower is his and he doesn’t want another cat in there rubbing up against his stuff. But there Fury is, insisting that the entire team move into the tower.

“I don’t want them there,” Tony says flatly. That’s not entirely true. He doesn’t really want any of them there but he’s willing to put up with them. The only one he really truly genuinely doesn’t want there is Steve.

It’s probably a good thing none of the rest of the team is here to hear him complaining about them. But, well, they should know better than to expect friendliness out of him. He’s not friendly. He’s majestic and aloof and not in the mood to have anyone else around to see him when he’s not being majestic and aloof.

Fury eyes him. Tony doesn’t know what kind of shifter he is—he keeps that kind of paperwork on actual paper, ew—but he wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something sneaky and devious like Fury himself (probably a snake. Tony hates snakes).

“Stark, the ways I could make you do what I want—”

“—are all against the Geneva Convention,” Tony finishes smoothly. In his reflection on the table, he realizes that the tuft of hair behind his ear isn’t lying flat. He licks the back of his hand and reaches up to smooth the hairs back down.

“Stark.”

“Fury.”

“We are running out of options—”

“Well, that sounds like a you problem.”

“—for Clint.”

Tony shuts up. Sighs. Glances through the window of the conference room where he can see Clint leaning against the wall, stuck in partial shift since Loki and the invasion. His golden tail is tucked between his legs, his ears are drooped, and he flinches like a kicked puppy (not an inaccurate description) every time someone walks by.

“How bad is it?” he asks.

“People don’t want him on the helicarrier,” Fury says. “He makes them nervous. His pack bonds were broken when Loki took him, and with Coulson—well.”

Yeah, that. Dog shifters like Clint rely on pack bonds, even those formed between non-dogs. Tony’s always been more of a loner so he can’t really imagine what Clint is going through but judging by the way Clint looks, he can guess it isn’t easy.

“They’ve all been briefed on what it’s like living with a cat, even Rogers, and they know about your idiosyncrasies in particular.”

And that’s the crux of the matter. “I don’t want him there,” Tony says quietly.

“He’s not the same breed—”

“But he’s got the same instincts!” He sighs frustratedly and almost runs his hand through his hair before he realizes how much that’ll mess up his hairstyle. His tail lashes agitatedly behind him, instincts urging him to claw, to bite, to protect his home from the invader. “Why can’t it just be Clint?”

“Because where Clint goes, Natasha goes. Besides, Clint needs the pack bonds, which means he needs the whole team.”

Tony hisses, crosses his arms, pouts. “Fine,” he says eventually. “But I don’t like it.”

And then, before Fury can feel too smug in his victory, he keeps aggressive eye contact and knocks Fury’s water glass off the table, darting away before he can hear more than the bellow of rage.

 ~

“I don’t want you here,” Tony says, ears laced back irritably. It’s the first time he’s come across Steve in the tower so far and of course the man (well, actually he’s shifted into his cat form right now) is lying in Tony’s favorite sunbeam. The nerve of some people.

The single eye that Tony can see slits open and stares at him for a long moment. In the next moment, a ripple comes over the cat and then Steve has partially shifted back, stretching lazily as he yawns. “Okay, Tony,” he agrees.

“You’re in my sunbeam.”

“Okay, Tony.”

“I want you out of it.”

“But it’s such a nice sunbeam.”

“It’s mine.”

“We could share it.”

Tony lets out an offended yowl. They can’t share it. That would defeat the purpose of it being his. Steve stares at him for a long moment and then stretches again, muscles rippling in interesting ways that make Tony want to knead them for—no. No kneading. No accepting the interloper.

“Come on, Tony. It’s sunny and I want to nap. We can share the sunbeam,” Steve says around another yawn before flopping over onto his side, still mostly human. Tony wants to bite his tail. But… he does want a nap. And this is favorite sunbeam. And he shouldn’t have to find another one since there’s no way Steve will be leaving this one (sadly Tony has not yet figured out the right strength the armor needs to move him).

He carefully lays down, putting several inches of space between him and Steve. Almost immediately, he can feel the effects of the warm sun on him, pulling him under into a light doze. It’s not enough to fall asleep entirely, not when he can still feel Steve at his front but then Steve starts to purr and oh, that’s kind of nice. He hesitantly lets out an answering purr of his own. Steve’s rumble grows louder and almost without meaning to, Tony finds his hands kneading the ground contentedly.

~

But that won’t stand. It can’t stand. He conceded ground on the sunbeam because it and Steve were warm and that was clearly a mistake because now Steve is standing in the kitchen, drinking coffee from Tony’s favorite coffeepot out of Tony’s favorite mug as he talks to Natasha.

And this injustice cannot stand!

“Mine,” he hisses, fingers shifting into extended claws, ready to tear into Steve for daring to drink from what clearly belongs to Tony.

At his hiss, Natasha’s skin ripples until she’s scaly and blending in with the cabinets. Smart of her to stay out of his way. Few things are worse than a territorial cat and even someone as lethal as Natasha would hesitate to face him when he’s like this, even though Steve gives her an amused look and says, “Really?”

Steve takes another sip out of the mug. Tony’s hiss turns into a full-throated growl. “Tony, you have to learn to share.”

“No.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Mine.”

“Yeah, you said that.” Steve doesn’t sound very impressed. Or even particularly intimidated, damn it.

“It’s my mug, it’s my favorite mug, you have to give it back,” Tony says, eyes tracking the mug as Steve lifts it to his lips again—wow, they looked kind of pink and pretty in the morning—no, focus. “Give it.”

“Alright,” Steve says agreeably and holds the mug out. “Here you go.”

Tony’s tail lashes and he hisses again. “You know I don’t like to be handed things.”

“Oh right,” Steve says, sounding remarkably unconcerned. “Too bad then. Guess you’re not getting your mug back.” He takes another sip from the mug—Tony’s mug.

“No,” Tony whines, drawing the word out so that it has at least eight additional syllables. He flops over onto the kitchen table, rolling around mostly so that he’s treating this situation with the hysteria it deserves but also so that he can scent mark the table, which currently smells of the rest of the team and not like him.

“Tony, stop being overdramatic,” Natasha orders, apparently deciding that she doesn’t need to blend in with the background anymore. “Steve, stop being a shit and give him back his mug.”

“No,” they both say petulantly.

She pulls out one of the many, many knives she keeps on her person. Tony hurriedly rolls off the table. Steve quickly puts the mug down and pulls out another one. Immediately, Tony darts to his mug—all his, no one else’s—and cradles it to his chest.

“That’s better,” Natasha says smugly and stalks out of the kitchen.

Tony waits until she’s gone and Steve has filled his new mug. Then, as Steve busies himself with cooking his breakfast, he slowly, cautiously reaches out and bats Steve’s mug off the counter. He gleefully sprints out of the kitchen to the sound of Steve’s outraged yowls, clutching his own mug close.

~

“Clint says you’ve been working too long,” Steve says, surprising Tony so much all the fur on his tail stands straight up.

“Fuck,” he spits. “I have a heart condition, you know.”

“Yeah,” Steve agrees like the asshole cat he is. “But I don’t think I’m going to give you a heart attack just by sneaking up on you. Not my fault you were in a zone.”

Tony grumbles wordlessly under his breath. It’s true that he’s been in a zone for the last couple hours or so, something that he achieves only through kneading or inventing, but that’s no reason for Clint to be concerned.

“Why do you care if Clint says I’ve been working too long?” he asks. Steve picks up one of his screwdrivers and spins it between his fingers before setting it back down. Tony immediately picks it up as well and rubs his cheek on it to cover it in his scent again. Steve shoots him a mischievous grin and promptly moves further away to do the same thing to a different screwdriver. Tony resigns himself to losing another couple of hours to scent marking everything once Steve is gone.

“I don’t,” Steve says, now rubbing up against one of the armors (and no, Tony is not thinking about how good Steve looks like that). “I thought we were doing a great job of ignoring each other. But he says it’s been more than twenty-four hours, which means it’s time for a break.”

“Says who?”

“Pepper, apparently.”

Tony winces. Okay, yeah, he can ignore pretty much everyone except for Pepper. She’s important.

“So you’re… what, here to drag me upstairs for dinner?”

Steve shakes his head and holds up a bag in his hand. “Thought I’d offer to split a bag of catnip with you.”

Huh.

“Huh,” Tony says out loud. He eyes it suspiciously. “It’s not laced with anything else, is it? You’re not going to take me to knock me out and take me to Medical.”

“Just pure catnip.” Steve opens the bag and Tony’s eyes dilate at the intoxicating scent. “Why, do you need to go to Medical?”

Tony thinks of the two cracked ribs he suffered during the battle yesterday that he’d wrapped himself. “Nope,” he says blithely. Steve’s eyes narrow but he doesn’t argue. “Are you going to judge me for straight up eating it?”

“Are you going to judge me for doing the same?”

“Fair,” he says and holds out a hand for the bag. Steve upends it and dumps half in Tony’s hand, watching without judgment as Tony stuffs half of it into his mouth.

And when Tony comes back from his catnip-induced high to finds himself fully shifted, Steve’s own shifted form wrapped so tightly around him that his short tabby fur is mingling with Tony’s longer white fur, there’s no judgment there either, just Steve purring and purring and purring.

~

“Why do you do it?” Tony quietly asks Steve one night. Some animated movie is playing on the screen but Tony doesn’t think anyone is actually paying attention to it. The rest of the team is busy sleeping together in a cuddle pile in their shifted forms, Clint’s golden retriever spooned by Thor’s panda, Bruce’s owl perched on top of Clint with his head tucked under his wing. He can’t spot Natasha’s chameleon but he can smell her so he knows she’s there somewhere. He and Steve are sitting apart from the rest of the team, studiously ignoring them. It had surprised him when Steve hadn’t gotten down there to join them—tabbies tend to be more social than other cats—and instead chosen to curl up next to him on the couch in his partial shift, but to his shock, he isn’t complaining about it.

Idly, Steve twines his tail around Tony’s twitching one and purrs, relaxing him until he’s a puddle on the couch. “Nat said it was a good way to get your attention.”

“What, picking a fight with me?”

“Tony.” Steve gives him a long look and then leans over to lick his ear. It should make Tony stiffen, run away, groom over that one spot until he no longer smells of Steve anymore. It doesn’t. It just makes his ear flick curiously. “I never wanted to fight with you.”

Oh.

Oh.

Suddenly, Tony’s brain is sifting through every interaction he and Steve have ever had, looking at them in a new light. Okay, and yeah, now that he’s thinking about it, he can see that this has all been Steve’s clumsy, well-intended attempt at courting him. And maybe he’s never really thought about Steve like that before but he’s thinking now and what he’s thinking is that when Steve isn’t stealing his things and laying in his favorite sunbeam, he actually really likes Steve.

“You’re not very good at this,” he informs Steve.

“Yeah, I’m getting that impression.”

“Natasha gave you bad advice.”

“I’m pretty sure she did it on purpose to stir up trouble.”

“She’s worse than either of us,” Tony agrees. “Now, hold still.”

“Wha—” He leans over Steve and licks at his ear, carefully grooming him. Steve purrs beneath him, eyes half-closed with pleasure. Tony’s own eyes drift shut as his heart beats a rhythm to the tune of mine, mine, mine.

~

“Hey, babe,” Tony says, coming up behind Steve. He drapes himself across Steve’s shoulders like the affectionate cat he is, giving a very sharp grin to the young socialite who has been holding onto Steve’s hand for the last minute. Doesn’t she know that that’s Tony’s? “I was wondering where you got off to.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” Steve replies, relaxing now that Tony is here. “Got stopped by Miss—I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.”

Tony knows Steve well enough to know that that’s absolutely not the case. He’s just saying it to irritate her. But she doesn’t know that, especially because none of them are allowed to be in partial shift for tonight’s gala—Fury’s orders—and Steve’s shifter form is a closely guarded secret. So she doesn’t know that Steve’s just following his instincts as a cat. Tony does though, and he smothers his laugh in Steve’s shoulder.

“Whithers,” the girl says, irritation bleeding into her tone.

“Pleasure,” Tony says, making no attempt to hide the fact that he thinks it’s the opposite. He twines himself around Steve so that he can reach his lips for a quick kiss. “If you don’t mind, I have to borrow Steve here. Although, I really don’t care even if you do mind. See, he’s mine and I don’t really like it when people touch what’s mine.”

And then, before her face can do much more than register shock, he bats her champagne glass out of her hand.

[wrenhyperfixates]

Not as Bad as You Think

Pairing: Loki x reader Summary: After a bad grade on a test, Peter is being very hard on himself. Loki helps you cheer him up. Warnings: none A/N: Enjoy :)

Permanent Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiant @lunarmoon8 @twhiddlestonsstuff @lokistan @lowkeyorlokificrecs @gaitwae @whatafuckingdumbass @castiels-majestic-wings @kozkaboi @cozy-the-overlord @birdgirl90 @myraiswack @mythicalgarlicknot @what-a-flammable-heart @marvelouslovely​

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think,” you comforted Peter, patting his back.

“You’re right,” he replied, voice muffled by the pillow he was hiding his face in. “It’s probably worse.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

The disgruntled teenager rolled over onto his back and gave you a look somewhere between annoyed and upset. He’d come home to the Tower saying he failed a big History test he’d had. Despite him saying he failed, you were pretty sure he was just over-exaggerating. The boy kept up a nearly perfect gpa and was an Avenger. It was no easy feat, and you knew how much pressure he put on himself to keep up his good grades. You wished he’d go a little easier on himself.

“Besides,” you continued when he said nothing, “even if it is bad, everyone’s allowed one not so great grade every once in a while. You’re still doing great, kid.”

“I guess,” he mumbled halfheartedly, smooshing his face against the pillow again.

You frowned. During the time Peter had been on the team, he’d become something of a little brother to you. You hated to see him down like this. It was easy to remember all the normal pressures of being a teen, and he had the pressures of being a superhero on top of that. Sometimes you wished he took a day just to be a kid. Though, when you said that, you meant more of him taking some time off to have fun, not stress about his grades.

“I know what will fix this,” you said with a smile.

“Cookies?” he said, peeking up at you again.

“Yup. And hot chocolate. How does that sound, Petey?”

“Well, I don’t know I deserve it,” he started before seeing the stern look on your face, telling him to ease up himself. “But yeah, I want some.”

You stood and ruffled his hair. “Coming right up.”

Taking your frustrations out on the cookie dough you were mixing and cocoa you were whisking, you tried to figure out a way to get Peter to enjoy his youth. You were so focused, you didn’t notice when Loki came in, and he was able to snag one of the freshly baked treats before you could smack his hand away.

“Naughty Loki. Those are for Peter,” you giggled, poking him in the side.

“And you can’t spare just this one for me, darling?”

“I suppose you can be my taste-tester,” you grinned, giving him a kiss before he could take another bite.

“Thank you, my love.” You smiled at your boyfriend as he polished off his treat and licked his lips in delight. He pulled you into a hug and rested his head on yours. “Delicious as always, darling.”

“Thank you, Loki, but I have to keep my eye on the hot chocolate.”

“Allow me to guess, that is for the spiderling, too?” he inquired, grabbing a mug out of the cabinet for you to pour the warm liquid into.

“Mhm,” you replied. “He had a bad day, and I was trying to cheer him up. Nothing was working, though, so I’m hoping these treats will.”

Loki knew how close you were with Peter, and he loved seeing your older sibling instincts take over, despite not actually being related to the boy. Admittedly, he was glad Thor didn’t act the way you did. If that was in his nature, Loki was sure the God of Thunder would be entirely overbearing. He had started acting a bit more brotherly recently, however, which was nice. Of course, all that just meant Loki wasn’t exactly the best equipped to help sibling problems.

Loki frowned as he wiped a few spilt drops of hot chocolate from the counter. Your brow was furrowed in concentration and thought, and he pulled you back to kiss the lines of worry away. He hated seeing you upset or distraught in any way. After all you’d done for him in showing him he was worthy for love, he never wanted you to experience a single bad emotion. He knew it was part of being human, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. And he could do everything in his power to keep those negative feelings at a minimum.

“Darling, why don’t you just take it easy. I will go take these things to the spiderling and have a chat to cheer him up,” he told you, rubbing up and down your arms. “I will take care of it.”

“I don’t know, Loki. Nothing I was saying was working. And I feel kinda bad to let you take care of this while I put my feet up.”

“Well then, allow me to handle this, and you can make me some of that delicious hot chocolate.”

“Fine.” You smiled at the way he was so concerned, not just for you, but for Peter, too. And of course you’d be more than happy to make him some cocoa, even if he was just suggesting that so you would take it a bit easier. “Just tell me if he’s still feeling down, alright?”

“We have a deal, darling. Leave it to me.”

And so, the trickster god found himself outside Peter’s door, trying to figure out what exactly to say to him. Before the drink could get cold, he just knocked and hoped the right words would come to him. Peter beckoned him in, and Loki walked inside, cookies and cocoa in hand.

“Oh, hey Loki,” Peter said, sounding sad. Though, he did perk up when he saw the snacks.

“Greetings, spiderling. I hear you are having some troubles. Perhaps I could help?”

“I dunno.” He took a cookie off the plate and dunked it into his drink. Then he offered Loki one, which he gladly accepted. “There’s not much that can be done. Unless...”

“Unless?”

“Can your magic turn back time?”

“Sadly, no,” he laughed. “But maybe you’d just like to talk about what it is that is plaguing you?”

“I guess,” he sighed. “I got a bad grade on a test. And I studied so, so hard. I thought I did way better, but I just didn’t. I’m supposed to be able to handle all the pressure and stress, but I just don’t think I can. I need to try harder, do better.”

“Come now, spiderling. From what I hear, you are doing wonderful in your classes.” Loki hesitantly pat the boy on his back. “There is only one life to live, and it is not very long. You should be enjoying each minute to its fullest.”

“Haven’t you resurrected like three times, though? And aren’t you thousands of years old?”

“Regardless,” Loki waved the comment off, “none of it is worth it if you are not enjoying life. You are doing wonderful, we could not be more proud of you. Just be proud of yourself and a little kinder to yourself, too.”

“You really think so?”

“I may be the God of Lies,” Loki chuckled, “but I assure you, I could not be more honest in this moment.”

“Well then, if I’m supposed to be doing stuff I enjoy, do you maybe want to do a movie marathon?”

“That sounds absolutely perfect. You may pick what we watch, too.”

“Yes!” he cheered. “I hardly ever get to pick!”

As Peter set off to grab pillows and blankets and set up the movie, after finishing his treats of course, Loki waltzed into the kitchen with a sly grin on his face. He walked up behind you and hugged you. You jumped a little at first, but quickly recognized the arms encircling your waist. You leaned back into his chest and smiled up at him.

“It went well, I take it,” you said.

“Indeed it did. In fact, we are having a movie marathon. You are, of course, welcome to join.”

You decided to take him up on that offer and handed him his hot chocolate. You made some popcorn, too, and put it into two bowls; one for Peter, and one for you and Loki to share. Peter sat on the floor by the TV where he’d set up the original Star Wars trilogy to play, and you and your boyfriend snuggled together on the couch. About halfway through the second movie, a thought occurred to you.

“Hey, Petey,” you said. “What grade exactly did you get on that test.”

“Oh, uh, that? Who cares,” he scoffed, though he’d gone bright red and wouldn’t meet your eye. “You wouldn’t want to hear about that.”

“Peter.”

“Fine,” he sighed. He ducked his head and mumbled his grade. “I got an 85.”

“Peter! That’s amazing!” You didn’t know whether to cheer for him or strangle him. You decided playfully hitting him with a pillow was the way to go.

“Loki! Help!” he laughed as he tried to block your attacks.

“Coming to your rescue, spiderling!”

The three of you ended up in a pillow fight, and eventually collapsed in a pile on the floor, out of breath from laughing. You smiled at your boys and realized that even if things were difficult sometimes, you always had each other’s backs. It was more than just Peter being like your little brother, or Loki being your boyfriend. You were a whole little family, and really, who could ask for more than that?

[ohmygoodnessgraciouss]

Reality Check - Chapter 5

Here we are once again!  Check out the #Reality Check Masterlist tag on the bottom if you need the other chapters.  A new masterlist will be created sometime this week! Enjoy! <3 I love you all 3000

Summary: Y/N and Wanda were very close after returning in 2023.  The two bonded over the loss of their partners.  It wasn’t enough to keep Wanda grounded after she found Vision’s body though, and Wanda wants the best for her friend.  Unfortunately for Y/N, this means she’s going to be thrown into a reality she wasn’t expecting.

Notes: Y’all are going to lose your minds.  There are no warnings.  I can’t spoil when we’re this close.  Just know that this has been in mind the entire time.  I couldn’t let you all know the entire plot so early on ;) 

Just as you were finishing up breakfast the lights went out.  The only light now was the sun peeking through the windows of the kitchen, illuminating the room with a soft glow.  The bacon was still sizzling in the pan and you groaned.  Suddenly, the water pipe burst in the sink as well, causing water to spray everywhere.  “Can this day get any better?!” You ran over to the water pipes underneath the sink, turning the valves until they shut off completely.  

Water continued to drip from the counters, soaking everything near it.  Just as you were grabbing towels Loki walked in, his eyes still showing signs of sleep in them.  “What happened?  I heard you yelp,” He asked, concerned. 

“The power went out and the water pipe burst.  A great combination if I do say so myself.”  Your voice was laced with sarcasm as Loki brought a few more towels over, covering the floor and stomping on them to soak up the water.  

“Don’t worry about it love, these things happen.” He smiled a little, trying to help you feel better about it.  

“Well, look at it this way,” You said, walking over to the other side of the counter.  The plate of pancakes and bacon sat there, perfectly made, unharmed from the water.  “Fate gave us a break with breakfast.” You grinned, holding up the plate to him.  He laughed lightly and pulled out two smaller plates from the cupboard. 

“A not-so-perfect start to the day, but a start nonetheless.” 

~

You placed the plates in the sink once you were done, completely forgetting that you couldn’t clean them up just yet.  You thought about what you could do and decided it may be best to go see if Wanda or Geraldine were having similar issues.  It would be a chance to get out of the house and find out if the entire neighborhood was having these problems too. 

“Loki, I’m going to go out and see if anyone else is having problems.  It could be better than asking an electrician to come over just yet.” You stated, putting your shoes on.  Loki walked over to you before responding. 

“Alright, stay safe, my love.” He kissed the top of your head.  You smiled at the affection but you were slightly confused. 

“I’m just going out around the neighborhood.  I’ll be alright, I promise,” You laughed a little.  Loki’s concern seemed so out of place for him.  You didn’t remember him ever being that protective of you.  Then again, how long ago would that have been exactly? “What’s got you so worked up lately?” 

“It’s nothing much.  It just feels like so much is changing so quickly.  And it feels like you’re changing with it.  Not-” He quickly stopped himself, “Not in that sense.  I mean, it’s changing you in a way that I’m worried will harm you.”  

“Things may be changing, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing.  It’s good that there’s change.  Maybe it’s something we need here.” You smiled.  “I’ll see you later, hon.”  

You walked out the door and down the street.  Oddly enough, there weren’t many people outside.  Taking a peek into their windows you could see that it was all dark.  Not a single light shone in them, nor did a person walk by.  It was like they were frozen in time.  

As you made your way to Wanda’s house, you noticed Agnes and Vision talking.  It looked like Herb was next to Agnes.  The three of them seemed to having a nice discussion as they laughed about something.  What you found odd, however, was the man standing across the street watching them.  His black hair was slicked back and he was in a suit.  It was Scott.  

You waved over to him and walked across to say hello.  After the ordeal that went down with him yesterday, a part of you was just drawn to him.  You weren’t sure if you wanted to apologize for being rude or find out what he was going on about.  Either way, he noticed you and smiled, breaking your train of thought.  “Y/N, how lovely to see you.”  

“Hey Scott, what’s with the suit?  It’s a Saturday, who goes to work today?” You asked, laughing a little.  He looked down to the ground quickly before meeting your eyes again.  A kind of sadness seemed to loom in his eyes. 

“I had to go into the office today to take care of some work.  The boss apparently decided that I needed to get something done by Monday if I wanted a promotion.  It didn’t take long, but it ended with a meeting so I had to make sure I dressed properly.” 

“The boss needed you on a Saturday?  Well, I can’t say much, except that I feel sorry for you.”  The two of you shared a laugh which she seemed to catch Agnes’ eye momentarily.  You noticed the quick glance she gave the two of you before resuming her discussion.  “Well, aside from that, how are you doing?” 

“Well, I’m... Alright, we can say.  I was actually looking for you, so I’m glad to see you.” He said.  Your head tilted in confusion. 

“Me?  Why were you looking for me?” 

Something in his eyes seemed to change again.  You couldn’t place your finger on the emotion though.  He hesitated before he responded, as if he was trying to choose his words carefully before replying.  It was like he needed to know what the right answer was to a simple question.  “I wanted to check on you.  Gossip spreads around this town faster than you think.  Agnes had already mentioned you running off from the talent show to me.  I wanted to check on you.” 

“Check on me?  Oh, that woman.  She’s so nosy, it drives me up the wall sometimes.  I swear if you ever mentioned what you told me to that woman, she’d let the entire town know in less than sixty seconds,” You shook your head.  He chuckled, nodding in agreement.  

“Yes, I know.  That’s why I trusted you with that information and not her.  However... I wanted to apologize for that.  That was a lot I asked from you in such a short amount of time, especially when we had just met.  Could we start over?” He asked. 

“Absolutely, Scott.  I wouldn’t want anything else.”  You grinned.  

~

“Wanda, are you sure you want to go here?” You asked, looking down at the address she had written down.  She nodded, watching you grab the car keys and pull on a jacket. 

“Vision wanted me to go there.  He wanted me to see it.  Even if he’s not there to see it too.”  She looked down dejectedly.  You brought her into a hug before pulling the address up on Google Maps.  

“Alright, let’s go see this place.” 

The drive itself was quiet, the radio muted as you listened to the directions.  Neither of you spoke a word on the three-hour trip.  It was all the way over in New Jersey, which confused you.  What was so special about this place?  

You drove into a town that seemed run down.  People still lived in it, clearly, as you saw them walk down the cracked pavement following the street.  Some sat down in front of restaurants as others spoke in hushed whispers, clearly confused by the visitors coming to their town.  

You turned down countless streets that all looked the same.  Houses lined up next to each other with busy lawns, filled with weeds and trees that grew to monstrous heights.  Some of the homes didn’t seem to be very well taken care of, leading you to believe they had been abandoned there for years.  “Are you sure this is it?” You asked her once more, breaking the silence. 

“Yes, I’m positive.”  She looked down at a paper that she had finally pulled out ten minutes ago.  You couldn’t look down to see it, but out of the corner of your eye you saw red markings on it.  

“If you’re sure.  Then, this is it.”  You pulled up to an empty lot that sat between houses.  You stopped the car, watching her take a deep breath.  You finally looked at what the paper was.  It was a deed for the land.  The red markings were a heart, with a small message from Vision.  You smiled sadly at the note.  

“Thank you, Y/N.  Thank you for doing this.” She said, her voice failing her towards the end.  You placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she unbuckled.  

“Do you need some time here alone?  I need to go get gas anyway for when we leave.  I can come pick you up in a few minutes.” You offered.  She contemplated it for a minute before finally nodding.  By the downward turns at the corners of her lips you could tell she couldn’t say anything. She got out of the car wordlessly and walked to the center of the lot.  

You drove away, watching her with sad eyes through your mirror.  You knew she needed this moment and you hoped it would only help her move on.  

You drove about a mile outside of town to get gas when you noticed the bright burst of energy behind you.  You could only watch in amazement as the red magic filled the air, creating a huge barrier.  You recognize it immediately as Wanda’s magic.  

Instead of getting gas you got in the car and drove back to Westview, reaching the barrier.  Its magic swirled and the energy radiating from it was warm, almost trying to drag you in with it.  You walked slowly to the barrier, looking for anyone else around.  There wasn’t a single soul.  

You knew you should’ve called someone, anyone, to help you.  You had no idea what this magic would do, but as you pushed your hand through it you knew it was too late.  You were immediately pulled into the barrier and you blacked out.

~

“Y/N, may I ask you a question?” He asked, watching Agnes talk to Vision once again.  You followed his eyes, noticing the strange aura that seemed to float around them.  It looked tense, as if they were about ready to start fighting about something.  

“Of course, what is it?” You asked. 

“Do you remember the time-” He stopped himself.  “Nevermind, it’s not important.” He saw Agnes look over at him, a deadly glare in her eyes.  Whether it was from fear or anger, her eyes seemed to send a chill down his spine involuntarily.  “I should get going.  There is some more business I must take care of and I’m sure you were on your way somewhere too.” 

“Oh, yes!  I was going to see if Wanda or Geraldine had power.  It seems like the power went out in a few parts of the street, so there’s your warning.  You may go back to a dark house!” The two of you shared a laugh. 

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” He began to walk away as you walked across the street.  Vision and Agnes were tense, so maybe you could break the ice. 

“Hey neighbors, how are you all doing?” You asked.  They turned to you, their faces breaking out in wide smiles.  

“Hi hon, what are you doing all the way over here?” She asked. 

“I wanted to see if Wanda was having any issues with the power as well.  It seems like something knocked out the power down the street.” You smiled.  Agnes nodded understandingly.  

“Unfortunately my house got knocked out too.  I just got it back though, so you may be in luck when you get home,” She turned to Herb once she finished her statement. 

“Well either way, hello Vision, how are you doing?” You asked, turning to him now that Agnes clearly didn’t want to talk anymore.  

“I’m doing just fine, Y/N, thank you for asking.  Well, I could be better.” He said, looking over to the house momentarily. 

“Why’s that?  Something wrong at home?” 

“Well, no not exactly.  Wanda was pregnant and she just had our two sons, Billy and Tommy.” He said it proudly, but then his mood took a turn.  “I’m just not prepared for it.  I’m worried something will go wrong.” 

“Wanda was pregnant?!” Was the first thing to come out of your mouth.  The last time you saw her was just yesterday and she wasn’t showing at all.  How did it happen so quickly? 

“Yes, she was.  It was a surprise to us all, I can assure you of that.  A happy surprise, of course,” He chuckled, trying to ease his worries himself. 

“Oh, don’t start with that Vision.  This will be wonderful!  You two have an even bigger family now.  And you know everyone around here is going to be super supportive of you two the entire time.  We’re all neighbors, we’re here to help whenever you need it.” 

He smiled, looking at the ground.  “Thank you very much, Y/N, it means a lot.  Wanda and I will probably need it every once in a while.  Handling one son would be a handful, but handling twin boys will be a challenge we didn’t expect.” 

“It’s nothing you guys won’t be able to handle, I’m sure.  Is she feeling alright?  Could I go see her?” 

“Oh yes, absolutely.  I’m sure she would be delighted to see you,” He smiled, stepping aside.  “I have to discuss something with Agnes anyway, so I will see you inside.” 

You smiled and nodded, walking into the home.  There you saw Wanda and Geraldine holding the babies.  “Well isn’t this a joyful surprise,” You commented.  Wanda turned around quickly, her eyes lighting up at your presence.  

“Y/N!  Welcome, come in, come in,” She smiled, looking down at Billy in her arms.  “I want you to meet my boys, Billy and Tommy.” 

Geraldine smiled softly and handed Tommy to you.  His eyes were shut but you could tell he looked just like a perfect mix of Wanda and Vision.  He fit in your arms perfectly, snuggled in his blanket.  “They’re beautiful, Wanda.” 

Tommy slowly woke up, his bright eyes staring up at you in curiosity.  You were surprised to see newborns be so active, but what did you know about babies?  Maybe they’re just a little different.  

He stuck one of his arms out of the blanket, pressing his hand up against his eye as he slowly woke up, trying to rub the tiredness out.  He cooed a little and you could see the love in Wanda’s eyes as he did.  “Hey there, little guy,” You smiled, holding up your hand near him.  When you placed your pinky in his hand he immediately grasped it.  It was such a simple act that made your heart skip a beat.  

You giggled and slowly moved your finger away from him.  “Oh, Y/N, could you please go grab something from my bedroom upstairs.  I have a book up there on the shelf.  It’s the second door on the right.  It’s a baby book and I want to know what else to expect from these two,” She said, pointing up the stairs.  

You nodded.  “Of course!  Here, Geraldine, can you take Tommy?” You gave her Tommy and started making your way upstairs.  

You found the door and entered.  It was a simple room.  The bed had a dark frame with white sheets.  The red comforter was tucked in neatly and the pillows were underneath.  The bedside tables had matching lamps, a clock on one side.  To the right you could see a closet hidden by two doors.  A bookshelf stood next to the closet.  That must have been the shelf you needed. 

The bookshelf was littered with different colored books of all sizes.  One was a dictionary, another was a fiction novel, another seemed to be on some sort of philosophy.  It was almost like you could pinpoint whose book was whose.  

The one book stood off to the side.  A baby blue cover, a little binkie on the front.  The title was simply “What to Expect: The First Year.”  It had a small red glow around it, much like the items in the store just yesterday.  You picked the book up and the glow dissipated.  You flipped through the pages lightly while beginning to walk out of the room. 

You stopped in your tracks when you heard a loud crash come from downstairs.  You ran towards the stairs, hiding immediately when you saw the large hole created in the wall.  Wanda stood across from it, the eerie red glow surrounding her hands.  It had to have been Geraldine who had gone flying through the wall.  She wasn’t there anymore and the hole was large enough for a person. 

You watched in amazement as Wanda began moving her hands around, the wall repairing itself.  It was like magic.  The red glow faded from her hands and she straightened out her dress.  She turned back towards the twins.  

To avoid raising suspicion, you began walking down the stairs.  “I found it!” You said, handing the book over to her.  She smiled and thanked you for it, opening the book to a specific chapter.  “Where’s Geraldine?” You asked, looking around innocently. 

“She had to go.  She didn’t belong.”

Oh yeah.  You have to get out of there. 

___________________________________________

Scott walked up to the house, knocking on the door.  He straightened out his suit as he waited for an answer.  This had to be the right house.  No other house was like it on the street.  If it wasn’t, he was about to be in big trouble by the boss.  

Loki opened the door, a gentle smile on his face.  “Hello-” He was immediately cut off as Scott walked in, taking his shirt collar.  He shut the door and slammed Loki up against it.  Loki’s eyes widened at the action.  “What are you doing?” 

A knife was quickly placed against his neck.  Scott glared at the man before him with steely eyes.  “Who are you?” 

“And why are you pretending to be me?” 

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@emberfulclass @momoneymolife @high-priestesss @hailey-the-heathen @mochminnie @dpaccione @intricate-melody @lindseyrae20 @storminateacup15 @ilovemollyweasley @bookgirlunicorn @chims-kookies @austynparksandpizza @yikesdameron @littleladdty @three-eyed-snail @kymera-casterwill @justsomerandompersonintheworld @followthepastelcloud @11mb0 @carolinesbookworld @from-hel-i-with-love @grimalkynslee @boywivlove @prettysbliss @youreobsessedwithmarvel @th3gl1tt3gram3roff1c1al @luthien-t @lokilove3000 @treblebeth

[strawwritesfic]

Thor Odinson x Female!Midgardian!Reader: Adventures in a Realm Without Divorce Court [Ch. 8]

Summary: It was supposed to be a standard Vegas trip: drinking, gambling, a night out on the town with your best friend, Jane.  A bit too much of the first has you pass out–through your entire wedding! Waking up to find yourself married to your best friend’s boyfriend? Not that great. Even worse? He’s not from Earth, not by a long shot. Worse still? They don’t believe in divorce in his Realm, and  you never wanted to be a princess.

Challenge: “A Twist on ‘I Do’” challenge by Aqua4044 on Lunaescence Archives.

Ratings/Warnings/Tags: T (drinking problems; slow burn; hate to love; sexual references; jerk!Odin; not woobie!Loki; foul language; references to broken families; references to broken-off engagements; love triangles galore; siblings!Sif & Heimdall; set in between Avengers (2012) and Thor: The Dark World;  not canon compliant; Jane & Reader friendship; Darcy & Reader  friendship; Clint & Reader friendship; Sif & Reader friendship;  Loki & Reader friendship)

Pairings: Thor/Reader; Thor/Jane; Jane/Thor/Reader; Clint/Darcy/Fandral; one sided!Sif/Thor

Tag List: @imaginesfire​

Master List

Chapter 8: There’s a First Time for Everything

Thor gave up pretty quickly on trying to convince you to eat. Part of you felt stupidly disappointed about this–having anyone concerned over your well-being was touching–but you mostly felt relieved. You could not have touched your plate of expensive meat if you wanted to. How could you consider putting something in your stomach when you felt you could barely get oxygen into your lungs? Every eye in the room was on you, or so it felt. The longer you did nothing of interest, however, the more people turned away to their previous occupations of dancing and eating and talking.

Your gaze did fall once upon Darcy to see her grin, wink, and gesture toward Thor, but you looked away from her quickly enough to ignore that. Did she really think it was so easy? For Darcy, maybe it was. She could sit up there, eat, schmooze, play nice with her new husband. You wouldn’t have wanted her in this position any more than you wanted to be in your position, though. The only person you wanted up here was Jane, and Jane was nowhere to be found.

You balled your trembling hands into fists around the tablecloth. It was the only thing you could do to distract yourself from the burning in your eyes and the churning in your stomach.

Unfortunately, this was something that Thor noticed. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“I need some fresh air,” you answered, throat so tight that the words came out as a whisper.

“I think that would be ill-advised. If you could only wait–”

Already you were on your feet. If leaving would cause problems, then by God you were going to leave. Because what were you other than a problem? Of course everyone turned to look at you again, look at the stupid, gawky, out-of-place Midgardian woman that had drunkenly stumbled into their midst. Let them look, you thought as you tried your best to walk primly to the balcony doors across the floor from the head table. What did it matter? Your father-in-law already hated you, as did your husband, as did your best friend. You had no one left to offend, so you might as well do what you damn well pleased.

You kept your back straight and your eyes forward until your hand found the doorknob. As soon as you pushed out onto the balcony, you allowed your face to crumple. Your back stayed the same even once the doors swung shut behind you. The sounds of music and laughter that you could not help but assume was at your expense cut off with a faint click. This allowed you to be alone a last, to finally cry…but you didn’t. You fixed your eyes on the sparkling, unfamiliar constellations above and tried to simply breathe.

Perhaps the oxygen up here wherever the heck you were supposed to be was thinner, or maybe it was cleaner, but whatever the reason, it made your head spin. Those distant pinpricks of light danced around you until you let out a long-held breath and allowed your forehead fall against your arms resting on the railing.

“I really am an idiot,” you said.

“’scuse me, but this balcony’s already reserved for pity party, party of one? You’re gonna have to wait your turn.”

At this point, you were tired even of being startled by people. You lifted your head and found Clint perched a few feet away on the very same balcony you were supporting yourself on. He wasn’t dressed for the occasion. In fact, he was wearing the same clothes you’d seen him in last–you thought. Really, you hadn’t been in the best state of mind to notice such things lately. You wished you were. Now here was another of Jane’s friends to disappoint.

“What are you doing here?” you asked dully.

“I could ask you the same question,” he answered. “Don’t you ever knock? Está ocupada.”

“No es un baño, asno.”

Clint smiled as he hopped off the balcony. “I’m impressed.”

You snorted, turning your eyes back out onto the view below. “Don’t be. Mom’s fluent, but I can only remember a few bits and pieces.”

“Just figured you could do with a bit of a boost. Mind if I ask what you’re doing out here for real? This is your big shindig, isn’t it?”

“Why aren’t you in there? It isn’t your big shindig, is it?”

Clint snorted and rested his chin on his folded arms. “So it’s like that, huh?”

“Is it like what?”

He just shook his head. “You homesick?”

You tossed him a funny look. Why were you standing out here talking to Darcy’s flame when the guy that was supposedly your flame was waiting inside for you to come back to dinner?

“Why would I be homesick?” you asked.

“Dunno. Talkin’ about your mom, ditching your party, speaking Spanish. I wouldn’t blame you if you were. We’re a long way from home, and it doesn’t sound like they’re letting you go anytime soon.”

“Well, maybe that’s for the best. I was getting pretty sick of the place anyway.” Your attempt at sarcasm was sorry indeed; the look Clint shot you afterward was clearly pitying.

He was nice enough to pretend he believed it, though. “Mind if I stay?”

“Why do you want to stay here?”

Okay, so you hadn’t heard about the Avengers, or Jane’s superhero boyfriend, or said boyfriend’s crazy brother’s attempts to run the Earth over. But SHIELD you’d heard of–who hadn’t lately?–and weren’t agents bigwigs in the long run?

Clint let out another single bark of laughter.

“Why would I want to go back there?” he asked, looking more amused than anything. “My best friend just wants to give me a lecture, and I’ve got a feeling my boss is pret-ty pissed off at me. It’d be best to lay low until they get over it. Say, a few months?”

“Yeah, well, everyone here is pissed off at me, and my best friend probably won’t speak to me ever again,” you sighed. “Why are you asking me?”

“Well, you’re the princess, aren’t you?”

“Hardly.” Despite yourself, you chuckled. “You want to be princess?”

“If it’ll get me to stay, sure,” said Clint. “Though I’m not sure I can pull off that outfit.”

That had you laughing. The feeling was so alien at this point that it almost hurt. You reached over to shove Clint on the shoulder. “Stop it. You’re making me laugh.”

“Good. You could use a laugh, I think. Unless you met Thor’s kid brother down in the basement?”

“Oh, yeah. He’s a laugh riot.”

“I thought so, too,” Clint said. “Well, if he didn’t make you laugh, at least I could. If I move here permanently, you’d be my princess, too, eh?”

“Don’t let Darcy hear you saying that,” you muttered darkly.

He laughed again. “What does she care? Having the time of her life with two brawny alien guys. I bet she feels like a princess already.”

You had a pretty good idea of what Darcy felt, and it wasn’t like a princess. If anything, her ecstasy at the moment had more to do with successfully making Clint jealous than getting some grinding in with a couple of benevolent war gods. But you weren’t about to let Clint on to that notion; you had enough romantic problems of your own to worry about without playing matchmaker for those two knuckleheads. So instead of bringing any of that up, you shook your head.

“What would you even do here?” you asked.

He shrugged a second time. “Court jester? If I can make you laugh, that’s the hard part. Thor laughs at pretty much anything.”

You turned a quizzical eye to Clint. That idea didn’t jar at all with what you knew of your husband. Thor appeared to you to be hot tempered and cranky. Then again, you had just married him against either of your wills. You probably weren’t the best person in the world for him to turn to for laughter, let alone anything else. Clint and Thor were friends, however; you didn’t expect Clint to appreciate your point of view any more than anyone else around here did.

“You’ll have to ask him, then. I don’t think the in-laws are going to be keen on me making decisions on anything anytime soon.” Or ever.

“Bummer. I could get behind not making decisions for a while, though. Suppose we could trade outfits and lives? I don’t think I’d look as beautiful as you do, tho–”

Clint broke off as the double doors leading to the balcony opened. Light and laughter spilled out from behind the dark figure standing in between. When he stepped closer, you could see he was one of Thor’s friends: the blond one, the one you remembered that you didn’t particularly like.

“There you are!” he cried delightedly, his eyes falling upon you. Then he saw Clint, and smirked. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” you answered with a scowl.

“No need to hide anything. Polygamy goes both ways. If our beloved ruler may have a wife and a lover, I see no reason that you should not have a lover and a husband yourself.”

“We weren’t doing anything. Just talking. Like friends do,” Clint said, coming to your rescue.

You offered him a thankful smile, which on second thought was probably a bad idea.

Fandral’s lips twisted up in a smirk even as he made a polite bow in Clint’s direction. “Of course. Pardon my mistake.”

“There any reason you’re out here, too?” Clint asked conversationally. “It’s getting a little crowded out here. We’d rather commiserate in peace, if you don’t mind.”

“Commiserate!” Fandral cried, in what was obviously the most fake dramatic voice he could manage. “And why might the two of you be commiserating, may I ask? And why together?”

“He was here first,” you grumbled.

“You wanna join in?” Clint asked.

“Oh, no. I would never dream of commiserating on such a wonderful night. One of my best friends is married. What is there to mope about?” Fandral chuckled to himself, shook his head, then fixed you with a gaze much more sober than you expected. “I came out here to find you, in fact.”

That didn’t bode well. Still, you kept your narrowed eyes glued to him. You didn’t need Fandral to find out just how good he was at getting under your skin. “Why do you need me?”

“It is not I that needs you, Lady [Name]. It is the people of Asgard!” With a dramatic flourish, he pushed the doors back open.

The crowd inside had parted, creating an aisle down the middle of the glittering floor. Hundreds if not thousands of eyes blinked owlishly out into the darkness at the trio standing there. There at the end of the line stood Thor, his eyes on you, his arms stiff at his sides.

“Yikes,” Clint muttered. You couldn’t agree more.

“Time for what?” you demanded.

“Why, time for you and your husband’s first kiss.”

“Oh, jeez,” came a faint voice from inside. “Excuse me. I said excuse me!”

You knew that voice, much to your dismay. Sure enough, out of the close-packed throng Darcy appeared, shoving and grunting until she finally popped out from between a couple of women with raised eyebrows. She seemed not to notice the attention she had elicited, pausing only to adjust her fancy (Earth) dress with a small “humph” before stomping up the aisle over to where your trio was standing so very cozily.

“[Name],” she hissed, as though everyone on the entire planet (or in the entire Realm, whatever) wasn’t already staring at her.

“What, Darcy?” you asked at normal volume.

She glanced around herself, then picked her way slowly over to where you were standing by Clint. As was the norm at this point, she loftily ignored him.

“You’re wanted inside,” she said.

“I already told her that,” Fandral put in.

“And you did a great job of it, seeing as she still isn’t inside,” Darcy said. “You really have no idea how to convince a woman to do anything, do you?”

Fandral spluttered for a split second, just long enough for Darcy to hold her palm out to him. “Look, Wesley, I don’t want to hear anything outta that mouth unless it’s ‘as you wish.'”

“My name isn’t Wesley,” Fandral said at last.

Darcy rolled her eyes, then gestured to you. “Come on, let me see.”

“See what?” you asked.

Instead of answering, she stepped closer to peer at your face. Whatever she found there, she didn’t say. She just grabbed your wrist and pulled you toward the open doors. You tugged her backward, a feat made easier by her Midgardian high-heels. Seeing that everyone was still staring at you, you yanked the doors shut.

“I don’t think they’re going to like that much,” she remarked once the four of you had been left in darkness once again.

“I don’t care.”

“What’s your problem?” Darcy asked.

You took a deep breath to inform her that the fact that Thor was a buff, alien prince did not make this whole affair easier to accept, but she darted around behind you and started shoving you toward the doors again.

“You’re not crying or anything, so just get out there and do some making out, and then you can go to bed, okay?” she said.

This was somehow better than Fandral’s condescending urging from before? Darcy’s continued tugging on your hand eventually got the best of you. Either that, or the crowd you knew was waiting silent on the other side of those doors did. God, you’d given lectures before, discussions on articles, but almost always with a few mouthfuls of schnapps or the like, and never in some alien dress that felt like it was precariously close to falling off.

You swallowed around your suddenly dry mouth and threw one terrified look at Clint. He wasn’t even looking at you. His soft eyes were on Darcy’s back. Of course.

“Ah, [Name], if you have a moment?” Fandral said.

Darcy shot Fandral a look, but he wasn’t watching her, and with his arm across the door and his presumable Asgardian strength, getting though him would be impossible until he got what he wanted anyway.

You looked at him with as much disdain as you could muster.

As usual, the only effect that this had on Fandral was his finding you more amusing still. He curled his mustache with a flourish and made you yet another tiny bow.

“No need to look like that, your highness. I wished only for a bit of your time tomorrow afternoon. Volstagg, Hogun, and I feel that it would please Thor greatly if we were to make sure that his wife felt welcome. Surely you could not turn down such a request?”

You could. What was more, you would. But not right now. Later. After you had got through this next humiliation. After you had the chance to find out what spending a bit of time with Thor’s friends would really entail. After you tried again (without really trying) to be so off putting that these people would have to let you go back home. Going home had been humiliating when you had set out from your abandoned apartment on Earth, but now it seemed the best thing that could happen to you.

“Yeah, yeah, pencil her in for two o’ clock,” you heard Darcy grumble. “Now get out of the way!”

Fandral lifted his arm, and, with one final tug, you and Darcy stumbled through the doors. Your little huddle out there seemed to have bored the crowd, because they had returned to milling about.

This was an unspeakable relief–or it might have been, had Fandral not followed the two you in and cleared his throat. The sound got the attention of those closest to the balcony. His decision to shout, “Ladies and gentleman, may I present the Lady [Name]?” got everyone else’s.

You felt the familiar prickling of nerves at the ends of your limbs. Suddenly the walk up the makeshift aisle and up to where you had been picking at food with Thor seemed a lot longer. If this prickling went on too long, it would be a wonder if you could make it three feet before passing out. But you would not run. You would not make yourself more of a fool in front of those people–especially not Fandral, whose smug smile you swore you could feel aimed at even your back. Knuckles pale around the skirt of your Asgardian dress, you took an enormous breath, set your eyes on your husband, and took a step.

Walking was something you were capable of doing, and doing better sober. With this in mind, you forced yourself to take another step, and another, and another. Soon you could no longer feel Darcy hovering behind you, just the hundreds of eyes on your stiff shoulder blades and face. Slowly, the visages of your new family came into better view: the impatient, sharp scowl from Odin, the soft; sympathetic smile from Friga; and the stiff, almost frightened expression of Thor.

As your first foot reached the raised dais, someone in the back of the throng began to clap. Several more started up when Thor took your hand pulled you over to his side.

It seemed a real round of applause was about to start–until Odin stepped up to the plate.He kept his eyes purposely away from you. Surely you weren’t just imagining that. The room grew so quiet that you could have heard a fork drop. You almost wished Darcy would drop one just for kicks. Of course, this was the one time that she remained a part of backdrop.

Seconds passed. A bead of sweat ran down the side of your face. If you sprinted from the room, how long would it take them to find you? No. You swallowed. Peeking at Thor’s expression let you see it flat and dull, the first time you’d ever really seen it like that. Around Jane, he was all smiles. After ruining their lives so thoroughly already, how could you make things worse by trying to hide? He’d have to come after you; Odin would make sure of that.

With so many eyes on you, you couldn’t close yours. Instead your fingers tightened around Thor’s hand so hard that any normal man would have flinched. He didn’t. He didn’t even seem to realize you were there, so focused was he on what his father was about to say. Maybe Thor still hoped Odin would see sense and let the two out of this. Surely your behavior at this gala hadn’t done anything further to endear yourself to your father-in-law.

“Friends,” Odin said stiffly, “family.”

Oh, cripes. For real? They had bad speeches in this Realm, too? Were there any benefits to being stuck here? You wished you’d kept your old apartment instead of ditching everything to have one last hurrah with Jane before going home. That last hurrah really had been doozy. Not that things had been going stellar before Garrison ditched you–but it was better than this.

“We join here this evening to celebrate the rather…sudden union of my son, Prince Thor.”

A few voices rose in the back; your eyes flashed over to see Thor’s friends cheering. Sif was noticeably absent. You had seen her earlier, but it wasn’t like you were friends with her, or that she any obligation to be present. This didn’t seem any more her type of party than your own. But you were getting distracted, and Odin continued to drone on:

“Though we do not know much of his chosen consort, we do understand that she is from Midgard, and therefore her life is fleeting and frail. As it is, Prince Thor has promised to love and protect her for what remains of that fleeting life.”

Terrified enough of the sea of strange faces turned up toward you, it didn’t take much to convince you to turn and shoot your father-in-law a glare. As it turned out, this did nothing to effect any Norse god, let alone their king, and he didn’t falter once in his speech.

“We ask that you as well cherish her, as long as she is with us. Without further ado: Prince Thor, and Princess [Name].”

Your stomach gave a horrible lurch at the word princess. All of this was like a horrible twisted reality of a dream you’d had only in your youngest years. Only instead of a ball gown, you were wearing an ill-fitting dress lent to you by your mother-in-law. Only instead of your hair done all up in curls, it was pulled up in some entirely non-flattering alien style. Only instead of marrying your true love that you met at a ball while escaping doing your chores, you were marrying your best friend’s boyfriend that you’d met drunk while trying to escape all your poor choices up to that point. If you ever met your fairy godmother, you were going to give her the swiftest kick in the ass she’d ever received.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” called a familiar someone in the back. “Kiss her!”

Little though you knew your acidic look would do to Fandral, you still tried to find him the crowd. The attempt did nothing but make you more nauseous. Out there, your friends’ faces seemed to stand out the most. Darcy looked close to chewing on her fingernails–with stress or anticipation, you couldn’t say. Clint had actually bothered to come inside to watch, much to your distress. All you could say that was good in the situation was that Jane wasn’t around.

Your heart gave a painful squeeze, but you had no time to mourn the loss of younger dreams of having her around for a wedding. You were just glad she didn’t have to see what followed: Thor gracelessly bent to push his lips against you.

The kiss was awkward. The kiss was hard. His hands moved up to grip your upper arms when those watching murmured appreciatively. Thank–what did they say here? Odin? Bor?–whatever deity these people had that there was no tongue action involved. The kiss was long, but void of passion, though when you finally broke apart, Thor’s face was as dark as yours felt.

Someone (you suspected Darcy) started a slow clap that grew and grew until Thor and you stood surrounded by a throng applauding you both for something you’d probably done more skillfully with more beloved people hundreds of times before. Embarrassed, all you could do was cling to his hand while you waited for this agonizing evening to draw to an end.

End it did. Whether or not your mother-in-law simply desired to take pity on you, or because she could read your mind and knew how close you were to starting to scream like a deranged woman, she fluidly came to stand in front of you and Thor to smile graciously at the guests.

“Thank you ever so much for coming,” she said. “I hope you all have had lovely evenings. You are welcome, of course, to stay however long you like and partake in the food and drink. On my part, I believe it is time to turn in. With your blessings, my lord.”

She swept Odin a curtsy that he returned with an annoyed wave of his hand. After turning back to the guests and bowing her head to them, Friga walked gracefully of the dais and disappeared. Thor waited only until he could be sure his mother had left the room before he looked at his father.

“We are leaving,” he told him. When Odin scowled and opened his mouth, Thor spun away. “Now.”

You were sure that this wasn’t going to win you any points with your new father-in-law-slash-ruler, but at this point you were desperate enough to be gone yourself that you didn’t argue. Thor lifted an enormous hand to wave at his guests. Hesitantly, you waved as well. This was met with a few titters from the corner of the room you’d last seen Darcy and Thor’s friends in.

Then, with your hand still in his other, he turned to lead you from the platform. For once, you followed eagerly, even when Thor continued on in silence. At least that gave you the opportunity to check behind you ever few paces to make sure that no one was following. No one did. And even if they had, he seemed so intent on getting the two of you elsewhere that he wasn’t likely to have stopped no matter who they were.

When he pulled to a stop at last, you were surprised for a moment to find yourself back in front of his quarters–a testament to how tired and frazzled this whole ordeal had made you. Of course he had brought back you back to his quarters. They were also your quarters now.

The thought made what felt like a bucket of ice cascade down your insides. You had no idea if the concept of a honeymoon meant anything to Asgardians, but–oh no. You weren’t prepared. It wasn’t even a matter of being physically prepared; you really didn’t think you could mentally handle sleeping with Thor that night, or any other time for that matter. Jane still had to be in love with him. How could you betray your best friend like that?

You anxiety came to an abrupt halt when you noticed that Thor had already abandoned you by the doorway and headed in the direction of what you assumed (having only seen your own bedroom and bathing area) was his bedroom. Suddenly you were completely alone. Having been around people all day, you would have thought you would enjoy the sensation. Unfortunately, now that it came, you found yourself almost terrified at the thought of being left to your own thoughts and feelings, especially considering what you had just left: the scene of your very first kiss with your husband.

After pausing to make sure that Dalla wasn’t lurking somewhere behind you, you scurried after Thor through the massive sitting area.

“Can I help you?” he asked as you fingers brushed softly at his admittedly impressive bicep.

Immediately you remembered where your thoughts had been headed before he’d left.

“Where are you going?” you asked instead of answering.

As impressive as Thor probably looked naked, you weren’t in the mood to see that, not now–possibly not ever. He lifted his eyebrows. “To bed,” he answered, as though this was obvious.

“Oh. Uh…”

“Your bedroom is that way,” he said, pointing back the way you had come from.

“No, I know that. I just…” you shrugged.

To Jane you might have been able to admit that you’d never been able to handle this amount of stress on your own. You hardly knew Thor, though, and the way Garrison had reacted to your clinginess didn’t make the idea of confessing to your strange new husband appealing in the slightest. When you did not make to explain yourself, Thor shook your hand off his arm and took a step into the bedroom beyond the doorway.

“We are married. That I accept. We will stay that way because it is the only way to make sure my father does not behave rashly, and the only way to keep the Realm together. What I do not have to accept is us being any more than that.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning I have my room. You have yours. They are still 'our’ quarters. My father will have no reason to complain.” His face was like that of a statue.

You felt your own warming quickly. Back to square one, then: Thor thought this was your fault.

As though he could read your mind, he softened somewhat. “I am sorry, [Name], but I do not love you.”

“Not that it’s any big secret, but I don’t love you either. We’re sort of stuck, though. I’m not asking for a honeymoon. Just–you know, some companionship would be nice.”

He paused, then shook his head. “Not tonight.”

“But–”

“We will figure things come the morning. For now, all I desire is to sleep. You should sleep as well. I doubt you slept much last night, and I am sure that tomorrow will be just as trying as today, if not more. Goodnight, [Name].”

Without waiting for you to complain, he closed the door behind him. You stood there for another minute or so. Why, you didn’t know. Thor didn’t come back, and you weren’t sure if you wanted him to anyway. Your hand reached out for the knob, but you never found out if he had gone so far as to lock you out. He was right. This was your fault. If you had never intruded on his and Jane’s vacation getaway, they would probably still be snuggled up in bed back in Vegas, enjoying room service for breakfast.

You turned away with a sigh to trudge back to the other bedroom-your bedroom, you recalled once you had found your things on your bed where Dalla had placed them. There you were, a tiny speck among a huge room and huger quarters with nothing that belonged to you save for the tiny pack in your hands. Sleep wasn’t going to come easy here, that was for sure. As you slipped out of the room, you pulled your cellphone out of the bag. Having a sleepover with Thor was out. Maybe Jane felt just as desperate for company as you did.

<i>“Did u get ur bridge stuff worked out?” you typed into the phone.

As you did, you settled onto the comfortable couch back in the living room. At least this room wasn’t “yours” exactly. You felt less like you were being watched there, and less like Dalla was bound to pop up at any second to ask if you needed anything. Maybe you could even sleep. Staring at your phone screen, you felt your eyes start to itch with exhaustion, but you wanted to talk to Jane so badly. You waited. And waited. And waited.

“Message failed to send.”

Sighing, you rolled over and let your dying cellphone fade back into darkness. No service in Norse God space. Just figured. It wasn’t like Jane was going to talk to you anyway, right? For now, all you could do was soothe yourself with the idea that you’d talk to her in the morning. Jane always made things better. Always. And then there was that meeting with Thor’s friends.

Crap. Thor’s friends.

No more thinking for you that night. No, you put your phone down and rolled over. Even then in the dim light, it took you hours to finally drift off to sleep.

[sweetea-rosey]

Ooo hi I saw you take requests? I have a writing request if you want to :))

So here is my idea:

Remus has a notebook given to him by the other sides to write his thoughts down in. See, Remus has clear impulse control problems so this notebook of for him to write his thoughts down instead of just doing and saying whatever comes to mind. It gives him a chance to think about it. Sometimes, maybe like once a week give or take a few days one of the other sides will sit down with him and read his thoughts with him just to make him feel validated and heard. Well this particular time one of the sides (of your choice) sat down with the notebook and found some rather interesting things.

Now, you can take this one of two ways (it’s really all up to you!)- You can make this something angsty (hurt comfort), or you can make it something shippy! It can be any Remus ship you want but I personally am more partial to intrulogical hehe 💙💚

Take your time and have fun with it!! Have a good day :)

Ah! Ty for the request! I started writing it on the day you submitted it, but Tumblr deleted it after a while of not saving :') so now my motivation to do this is deterred

Anyway, this'll be my first time not writing something Roman centric =w=""

Remus held the book in his hands. He remembered the day Roman gave it to him, when he risked traveling into the dark scape because he knew his brother needed this. Because he did, too.

An outlet.

A place for his monstrosities to be, other than inside his head, allowed to torture him to their best abilities. The illusions his mind creates are no longer just in his eyes. It's no longer insanity- it's creativity. The journal isn't the first one. But he and Roman make sure to keep eachother stocked up; they get filled rather quickly. The Imagination holds an entire library dedicated to their filled journals from over the years.

The journals have also become sort of diaries to them. So, imagine what were to happen if one of them got lost? The possibility of their secrets being seen by unbidden eyes.

Remus burst into Roman's room, "Ro!"

Roman jumped from his spot at his desk, "Jeez- ! What is it?"

Oddly, for Remus, he seemed almost anxious, "Have you seen my latest journal?"

Ah, that explains it. Roman understands the severity of losing something that holds your private thoughts. He stood up from his desk chair, turning to face Remus better, "No, I haven't. Is it missing?"

Remus nodded, unable to speak through the panic coursing through his veins, the hormone mixing with the feeling of the plasma we call blood rushing through veins and arteries, rest in his heart, which is thumping with vigor, the- Remus shook himself. The imagery coming on its own with nothing to do with it, "Thoughts, thoughts thoughts, thoughts, blood, where? Everywhere? It is me, I am thoughts and blood and gore and death and slime, and..."

Roman pulled his brother in, the physical touch of his second half grounding him, finally balanced out with his brother there to help him.

"Breathe, Ree...I get it...I'll help you look for it, okay? Do you have any spare journals?"

Remus shook his head. He had just started this one, he was too busy brainstorming on the pages to remember to restock.

"Okay, do you have the focus to conjur any, right now?"

Remus shook his head again. No no, of course not! He's too focused on the one that's missing!

"Alright, that's okay, Ree. I get it. Here, use this for now," As Roman spoke, he pressed a plain black book in the unstable man's hands, "Get some thoughts out on that, then we can start looking, okay?"

Instead of answering, he made the rest of the way into the prince's room and started letting the thoughts out.

.

.

.

"Feel better?"

Remus let out a breath and nodded, "A lot, thanks. Can we go look, now?"

"Of course, let's go."

It took hours. The sun was gone in Thomas' living room and they were still tearing the place apart, searching absolutely everywhere. Remus was tempted to just dismantle the mind palace and look through the stuff that gets left behind. The fear was boiling in his gut in the ocean of acid.

"What if we don't find it? My blood, sweat, and tears went into that book! Pieces of my heart are in there, I can't lose it, what if someone else finds it and reads it?"

Roman shuddered, because he didn't believe that Remus was being metaphorical, "I understand the severity of the situation, Ree. We should go look in the Lightside, now..."

Remus shrugged as much as his slumped posture will allow, "Sure..."

"We'll find it, Ree..."

"That's not what I'm worried about. If I lose it? Fine, I have others, I can start a new one. I'm scared of someone else finding it and reading it... there's things in there I don't want others seeing..."

"I get it, you know I do. We'll get it back before anyone else can even know it exists, alright?"

Remus just shrugged off his comforting hand, "Stupid prince, always making promises you don't even know if you can keep. Don't do that to yourself and don't do it to me. I'm not stupid enough to fall for that shit."

Roman recoiled, almost physically, "Sometime, people just need reassurance."

"And then, when you're wrong? I know you don't like breaking promises, Princey."

"...Then hopefully we'll figure it out."

"You're such a fucking optimist, it's gross."

Roman rolled his eyes, "I'm helping you look, be nice, you doofus."

"Oh wow, "doofus", I'm so offended," Remus said without much effort.

Roman ignored him.

.

.

.

"It's not HERE!" Remus screamed, a pot crashing through the wall.

Roman manged to muffle the noise and quickly put it back together, "We will, this was only the first room in the Lightside. You need to calm down."

"I can't! What if someone else already found it and read it? What if they hate me? What if they never wanna talk to me again because nothing in there makes sense, what-"

Roman caught his hands, "Woah! Woah...Remus, when did you start caring so much about what the others think of you?"

"I don't!"

"But...-"

"I don't care about what Logan and the other think of me."

"Of what...Logan and the...? Remus...is this about Logan?"

Remus hesitated just long enough.

"Oh great Aphrodite, it is..."

"Aphro-? NO! No, I don't!"

"Remus, is there something about Logan on that book?"

Remus said fuck it in his mind and sighed, "Yes... I...some fantasies...that he might not approve of..."

"Oh, Remus..."

"What if he finds out, and he...? He just doesn't...?"

Roman hit his brother on the head, "This is why you're a doofus. It doesn't matter if he finds it, you have nothing to worry about."

Remus rolled his eyes. Literally. He rolled them like dice and Roman had to look away, but got the message.

"How would you know?"

It was Roman's turn to roll his eyes (PROPERLY).

"I'm leaving you to figure that out. But, I do."

"Sure. Whatever. Asshole."

Roman moved on to look in the next room.

.

.

.

A flash of green leaped onto him and he was tumbling over, the item in his hands flying out.

"Remus!"

The man scrambled over and snatched the book up, "Did you read it?"

"I- no, Remus what is it?"

"It's mine. Roman, I found it!"

Roman? Since when do those two talk? But, as Remus said, Roman walked in.

"Oh, thank Hades."

"Logan had it."

Roman sucked in a breath, "Did he read it?"

Remus shook his head, relief is a weird expression on the man's face.

Logan wouldn't mind seeing it more.

"What is this about?"

Roman took the liberty of answering, "The book is Remus' and it's private. Reading it would be invasive."

"Oh, my apologies, then. But, I had just picked it up, it was left over from Remus' running through the room and into the Imagination, along with some other debris I cleaned up."

"It's alright, nerd."

Logan's gaze lingered on Remus a bit, before he bid his farewells, reminded Roman of some work he needs to do by Friday, then left.

"Y'know," Roman said as they turned to walk back, "You could tell him how you feel."

Remus scoffed, "I'm not self destructive, like you, RoRo."

Ignoring Remus' jabs is difficult for the prince, nevertheless, "And do, pray tell, how it's self destructive?"

"Because he'll say no and that will hurt. I don't like when things actually hurt. I'm not risking him hating me even more."

"Woah, woah, he doesn't hate you."

"Doesn't he? I'm chaotic, irrational, vile, ik everything he fights to keep under control."

Roman digested this and thought hard on how best to explain this, "But that's exactly why you two are perfect for each other. You help him let loose when he's being a stick in the mud and he helps you keep in control of yourself and stay organized.

"You're delusional. He doesn't like me, he can't Ro. It goes against our very beings! Go ahead and fool yourself, but you can't do that to me. That's just cruel." Remus disappeared and Roman sighed as he tried to brush off his brother's words.

As the embodiment of romance, he thinks he'd know when a couple will work out or not. How will he convince his brother and Logan of that? He supposes he can't blame them for that, who would listen to the love advice of someone who loves someone that loves someone else? Kinda hypocritical.

.

.

.

"Just leave me alone!"

"Remus! Would calm down? Just listen to me!"

"No! You're a liar and I hate you! Do you want me to get hurt? You're an asshole you good for nothing prince!" He screamed. Why won't his brother let this go? Doesn't he see that everyone is better this way?

"Fine! You're right! Is that what you want to hear? Call me an asshole, call me stupid, call me evil or whatever! But I'm not wrong! Why don't you believe me? Ha! Why am I trying to reason with the self proclaimed unreasonable?"

Remus looked down from his perch on the guillotine, "Wait, RoRo-!" But he was gone.

"Fuck."

He rushed out, hoping to Loki that he didn't do too much damage.

"Roman!"

But he found who he wants looking for.

"Why are you screaming in the middle of the common room?" Came that cool and sexy voice.

"Looking for my brother, duh."

"Funny, I just spoke to him."

"Where'd he go?"

"Not sure, but he told me to stop being a robotic fake and confess to you."

"He- ? ROMAN!" Remus summoned a hammer and maybe there's a new hole in the wall.

"He was right, surprisingly."

Remus was not expecting that, "Come again?"

"I have noticed, over the course of our interactions, that I have developed feelings that I didn't recognized until Roman brought them to my attention. Remus...I have romantic feelings for you."

And it was the last casual and calculated confession Remus ever heard. He imagined something with ropes. But it was the best thing he ever heard. He didn't expect to be crying.

"Remus?"

"I like you, too..."

Logan brightened and stood up, his heart beating unnaturally, yet pleasently, as he moved closer, "Then... perhaps we...?"

But before he could finish, Remus pulled him in and there was no need for words.

Part 2 with what happened with Roman afterwards?

Ty so much for the request and I apologies for the long wait.

@fireflyjunkie