⢠He flirts like itâs a weaponâsharp smile, silver tongue, every word tailored to make you flustered.
ââBut when you call him beautiful? He gets quiet. Almost shy. Like he doesnât believe it yet.
⢠Youâre the only one allowed to see him undoneâcrown off, hair loose, voice low. When heâs with you, heâs just Loki.
⢠He gifts you enchanted trinkets: a ring that glows when youâre in danger, a pendant that warms with your heartbeat, a mirror that always reflects your true self.
⢠You find out he leaves glamoured illusions of himself to follow you when you travel aloneânot out of control, but out of protection.
âââYou think Iâd let you walk Midgard alone without a shadow watching your back?â
⢠When heâs thinking deeply, he braids his fingers into yours absentmindedly. Youâve become his grounding spell.
⢠Arguments are⌠intense. Words like daggers. But apologies are poetry. He will kneel, kiss your palm, and whisper,
âââYou are the only soul I kneel for willingly. Iâm sorry, my storm.â
⢠Midnight conversations often spiral into things heâs never told anyone:
ââhow the stars whispered to him as a child, how Asgard never quite felt like home, how you do.
⢠He keeps a journal. You find it onceâfull of sketches of your eyes, notes about your laugh, a spell for keeping your dreams sweet.
⢠When you fall asleep beside him, he traces constellations on your skin with his fingertips. And sometimes he says,
âââEven if the Nine Realms fall, I would still choose you.â
synopsis: When you're the only Avenger who treats Loki like a friend (with a side of shameless flirting), you don't expect much in return, especially not feelings. But when you start getting closer to the good captain, Loki's feelings manifest themselves in mischief, of course.
The Tower was uncharacteristically quiet when you slipped into the lounge with two mugs of coffee. One plain for yourself and one laced with just enough cinnamon to please a particular god who would swear he didnât have preferences. Loki lounged on the sofa like an indolent cat, leafing through a thick volume of Midgardian mythology (half-scoffing, half-cackling at every other paragraph.)
You set his mug beside him. âMorning, Your Highness of Questionable Reading Material.â
He didnât glance up. âYou persist in these unnecessary offerings. I do not need Midgardian stimulants.â
âAnd yet your hand is already reaching for the cup.â
His long fingers hesitated, then casually closed around the handle. Slow enough to imply disinterest, quick enough to betray the opposite. A tiny grin tugged at the corner of your mouth. Youâd made it your personal mission to treat Loki exactly like any other teammate. A little teasing, a dash of flirting, but never the fear or reverence everyone else showed him. And it was paying off; he rarely tried to hex you these days.
Rarely.
Today, though, he only sipped once before muttering, âIf Thor discovers I indulge in mortal comforts, he will never cease braying.â
âOh, please,â you drawled, sinking into the armchair opposite him. âYour image is safe with me. Though, if you want to upgrade from coffee, I have a killer recipe for hot cocoaââ
âEnough.â His gaze flickered to you, emerald eyes unreadable. âYour incessant hospitality will not soften me.â
âWouldnât dream of it. Though the thought of softening you is intriguing.â
The book snapped shut. âYou are incorrigible.â
âAnd you havenât told me to stop.â You winked. A faint, almost imperceptible flush bloomed along his cheekbones before he vanished behind another sip.
A WEEK LATER
Steve Rogers laughed as you regaled him with a story about your first disastrous attempt at piloting the Quinjet. You tossed a casual arm over his broad shoulder, nearly knocking his shield off the back of the sofa. Friendly, harmless, the same brand of camaraderie youâd shown Loki a hundred times.
But, from the hallwayâs shadow, the god of mischief watched. He did not like the tight clench in his gut, nor the ping of something that felt embarrassingly like hurt.
The next morning, Steveâs alarm clock rang at four a.m. and immediately sprouted legs, sprinting laps around his bedroom in a screeching circle. At breakfast, his protein shake turned into bright-green lime gelatin mid swallow. During training, every punching bag he struck let out a high-pitched giggle.
You caught him in the corridor afterwards. âCap, why do you look like youâve fought a circus?â
âI think I am fighting a circus,â he muttered. âA very magical circus.â
Across the room Loki strolled by, inspecting his nails, looking all but utterly innocent.
Later in the day, you were perched on the edge of the Mission Room table while Nat patched code into the computers. âSeriously, why is Loki tormenting Steve all of a sudden? I thought we were past the ârandom harassmentâ phase.â
She didnât look up. âYouâre cute when youâre clueless.â
ââŚThanks?â
âJealousy, genius.â She saved the file with a final keystroke and faced you. âLoki has a crush. Youâre the object of his affection. Steve is collateral damage.â
You opened your mouth; nothing came out except a weak, âLoki? Crush? Onâon me?â
Natasha arched an eyebrow. âTry using those brilliant deduction skills on yourself for once. Talk to him before he turns Steveâs shampoo into glow-in-the-dark glitter.â
Starlight flooded the glass dome as you approached Loki that evening. He stood alone, arms folded, gazing at New Yorkâs nightscape as though heâd rather be anywhere else. âGot a minute?â
âI always have minutes. Whether I choose to waste them is another matter.â
You came to his side. âWhy are you tormenting Steve?â
Loki gave a theatrical sigh. âI was bored.â
âTry Sudoku next time.â You leaned on the railing. âNat thinks youâre jealous.â
âRomanoff needs a new hobby.â
âSo youâre not jealous?â
Loki rolled his eyes. âPlease. I have no reason to covet the company of that star-spangled fossil.â
You smirked, poking the bear. âGood, because I was thinking of asking him out.â
The reaction was instantaneous. A crackle of green energy flickered at his fingertips before the city lights behind him dimmed as if intimidated. âAbsolutely not.â
You tilted your head, enjoying the rare crack in his composure. âWhy not? Steveâs kind, handsome, heroicââ
âHe is insufferably noble and far too occupied with his moral compass to keep you entertained.â
âHmm. So who would be worthy?â
âSomeone clever.â Loki's voice softened despite himself. âSomeone who sees past façades and understands the burden of a façade of his own.â
You swallowed a grin. âSomeone wearing green, maybe?â
He glared. âIf you must be obtuse.â
Your hand found his. âThen Iâll date the clever one in green.â
His eyes darted to where your fingers meshed. âI do not âdate.ââ
âFine. Court? Consort? Raid the Nine Realms with? Pick your vocabulary.â
A reluctant smile tugged his lips. âYou are intolerable.â
âAnd yet you tolerate me.â
After a heartbeat, he interlaced his fingers with yours properly, squeezing just once. âInform Rogers he is safe. For now.â
âI will.â You leaned closer, dropping your voice to a murmur. âBut you still owe him a few normal days of shampoo.â
âUgh. Very well.â He turned away, but not before you saw the smile on his face. âNow cease your blathering and show me this âhot cocoaâ I have heard rumors of. I reserve the right to despise it.â
You bumped his shoulder with yours. âDeal. But if you love it, I will never let you live it down.â