Frostwitch

Wanda didn’t hide the fact that Thor’s mysterious brother intrigued her. He made her want to know everything about him. He was tall, handsome, and enigmatic—qualities that, for some reason, drew her in.

For company and a sense of security, she persuaded Natasha, Steve, and James to join her for a walk. At first, none of them were eager to go—thanks to their raging hangovers—but after several minutes of Wanda’s persistent pleading, they finally gave in. A bit of fresh air wouldn’t hurt anyone.

“Isn’t it a little too cold for a walk?” Steve groaned, adjusting his beige beanie.

“It’s the middle of February. What did you expect?” Nat retorted, shooting him a pointed look. She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and followed Wanda and Loki, who were leading the way.

The weather that day was surprisingly nice. The sun was shining, and though the streets were still covered in snow, there was no wind, and the temperature hovered around 24.8°F. For midwinter in New York, these were fairly tolerable conditions.

“Look!” Natasha suddenly exclaimed, causing the group to halt and turn toward her. “They’re opening a new butterfly house and aquarium at the Central Park Zoo. Wanna check it out?”

Bucky shot her a skeptical look.

“Natasha… It’s the middle of winter, and you want to go to the zoo?” he asked, his steel-gray eyes fixed on her. “How old are you again?”

“Thirty-one, but that doesn’t change the fact—”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Wanda interrupted.

“Quit whining, Bucky. We’re going,” Steve said, grabbing his friend by the arm and dragging him forward.

It took them only twenty minutes to walk from Midtown Manhattan to the world-famous zoo. Along the way, they passed several interesting (and less interesting) sights, which Wanda eagerly pointed out to Loki.

Rather than ignoring her, as one might expect from him, Loki listened attentively, his gaze shifting between her and whatever she was pointing at.

“Good afternoon! What can I get for you?” the cashier asked as Natasha stepped up to the ticket window.

“We’ll take two senior tickets and three regular ones,” she replied with a smile.

“That’ll be ninety-three dollars and seventy-five cents.”

Moments later, they each had their tickets in hand. None of them encountered any trouble at the entrance—except for Loki. The unfamiliar technology nearly sent the god into a fit of rage. No matter how many times he tried to scan his ticket, the machine refused to cooperate.

Bucky and Natasha had no qualms about snickering at his struggle.

Wanda rolled her eyes and sighed, clearly exasperated by her friends’ behavior. She stepped forward and approached the frustrated trickster.

“Here, let me help you.”

She took his paper ticket and ran it through the scanner, which immediately lit up green and unlocked the gate. Loki took back his ticket, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the nearest trash bin.

Wanda gave him an amused look and let out a short laugh.

“Anger doesn’t suit you,” she teased.

They rejoined the rest of the group.

“So, where to first?” Steve asked.

“The aquarium,” Bucky answered without hesitation.

“Oh, come on…” Wanda groaned. “Let’s go to the butterfly house first.”

“Then go on your own. You’re a grown-up,” James shrugged, popping another piece of gum into his mouth and heading in the opposite direction.

Natasha and Steve also shrugged and followed him.

Wanda spun on her heel and crossed her arms over her chest, her frustration evident. Loki watched the others disappear through the aquarium’s glass doors before shifting his gaze back to her.

This time, her face was set in an irritated scowl.

“Sometimes, I swear I could tear them apart, split them in half, crush them under a massive column, or just blow their loud mouths right off,” she muttered, irony and amusement lacing her voice.

Slowly, they made their way to the nearby butterfly house. Inside, the air was thick and humid, but the breathtaking scenery made up for it. Strange plants covered the walls and ceiling, while colorful butterflies fluttered all around them. There were also benches scattered throughout the exhibit and a glass incubator displaying cocoons in various stages of development.

Wanda sat down on one of the benches, and Loki took a seat beside her.

“Tell me something about yourself,” she said. “Why, despite supposedly not liking us, do you choose to stay here instead of going back?”

“You seriously care who I am?” Loki asked, his sharp green eyes narrowing in surprise.

“Does that surprise you? You show up out of nowhere, claim to be the brother of my friend—who, mind you, has never mentioned you before—and on top of that, it seems like everyone here has some kind of history with you… Don’t you think that’s intriguing?” she explained.

“Well, if you insist…” he sighed.

“Oh no, I’m not insisting. If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. You don’t even know me,” she said, lowering her head slightly as her auburn waves fell over her face. “I know what it’s like… to fear your own past, to be afraid of thinking about it—let alone talking about it with others. Even with the ones you trust the most.”

The tense silence was suddenly interrupted by a tiny blue butterfly landing right on Loki’s nose.

Wanda quickly pulled a small camera from her bag and snapped a picture of the unexpectedly adorable moment.

“Some believe that sommerfugl is a harbinger of change—a symbol of love and beauty,” Loki mused, gently removing the insect from his nose.

“And where do people believe in fairy tales like that?” Wanda chuckled.

“In the fairy tale I come from,” he replied. A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered across his lips as he conjured a copy of Norse Mythology and handed it to her.

From that moment on, Loki became even more of an enigma in Wanda’s eyes. There was something dark and deeply hidden within him—something she was determined to uncover. She had always loved solving puzzles, and Loki Laufeyson was the most intriguing one she had ever encountered.

She had to know what lay beneath the surface.

⸻

“You know…” Wanda began, suddenly sounding a little nervous. “I think we should probably get going.”

“Why? It’s nice here,” Loki replied, still gazing at the colorful fish swimming behind the glass.

“Because in two minutes, they’re going to close this stupid zoo—with us still inside!” she nearly shouted.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he asked, equally startled.

“Because I forgot!”

“Alright, no time for explanations now,” he said, grabbing her wrist. “We need to hurry.”

He pulled her along as they sprinted toward the main gate. From a distance, they could see its heavy iron doors slowly closing. On the other side, James, Steve, and Natasha were waiting.

At the very last second, they managed to slip through. They nearly crashed into each other in the process, stopping just inches apart.

“You guys made it just in time,” Natasha remarked. “What were you even doing in there for so long?”

“I bet a hundred bucks it was fondue,” James smirked, exchanging a high five with Steve, who was doubled over with laughter.

“You guys are insufferable… What are you even talking about?” Wanda huffed.

“Never mind,” Steve said, straightening up, still trying to stifle his laughter. “I’ll explain someday. For now, let’s keep the night going—there should be a traveling amusement park nearby.”

Without another word, they all followed Steve.

By evening, the temperature had dropped slightly, and light snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.

Through the trees, colorful lights and towering rides started to come into view. A massive Ferris wheel loomed over the other attractions, likely offering one of the most breathtaking views of New York City at night.

“Loki and I are going on the Ferris wheel,” Wanda announced, pointing at the structure.

“We are?” Loki arched a brow.

“You? Up there? With your fear of heights? Not likely,” Steve teased.

“You don’t think I can do it?” she challenged.

“I do. I just prefer to watch from the ground,” he replied. “Who knows if that rickety thing won’t come crashing down?”

Flipping her auburn hair over her shoulder, Wanda grabbed Loki’s coat sleeve and tugged him toward the ride.

“You know,” she said as they stepped into the gondola, “sometimes I feel like—”

“Tearing them apart, splitting them in half, crushing them under a massive column, or blowing their loud mouths right off? Yes, I remember,” Loki chuckled, repeating her earlier words.

Leaning against the railing, they both gazed at the breathtaking cityscape below.

“It looks magical,” Wanda sighed.

“It does,” Loki admitted. “You’d love Asgard. It’s a city of wonders—like something out of a fairy tale. Though, to me, it’s simply… beautiful.”

“To me, everything feels like a fairy tale compared to my hometown.”