GREEN SHIMMERS
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME. Olivia might have even preferred dying at the hands of Stupid McDumbName. Loki and the Avengers are plenty migraine-inducing on their own, but together?
God only knows what kind of armageddon this will become.
There’s a knock at the door, and Olivia bolts out of her chair to be the one to answer it. She knocks shoulders with Tony, but muscles her way in front of him. He shuffles back a little, only mildly perturbed.
She opens the door, revealing Loki— no, Leo— on the other side. His eyes flick around the room in a quick half-second scan, then focus fully on her. She can see the devious tint to his gaze.
“Leo,” she starts, keeping her voice light in greeting even as her eyes scream at him not to fuck this up. He smirks.
“Darling,” he greets, swooping directly in for the kiss. She relents after a brief instance of surprise, figuring that this is probably the most benign form his mischief could take.
“What a greeting,” she comments, raising her eyebrows at him once they pull away. She turns without a second thought, seeing the rest of the Avengers. Steve has averted his eyes awkwardly, Tony is gaping, and Bruce mostly just looks deeply uncomfortable.
“You gonna introduce us, or should we start guessing?” Natasha inquires, offering up an amused but languid smile. Olivia smiles.
“Leo, these are the Avengers— and you remember Bruce. Guys, this is Leo, he’s my boyfriend. As juvenile as that sounds,” she tacks on, dropping back into her chair as if she were tossing Leo to the proverbial wolves.
“I’ve heard of them,” Loki muses, trying to keep his smile contained at an appropriate amount of wry.
“Wish I could say the same about you,” Tony replies, shifting from one foot to the other. “So what, are you also some kind of secret criminal? Do you steal stuffing from build-a-bear? Do you even know who you’re dating?”
“Tony,” Olivia interjects sharply. If looks could kill, hers would have stabbed him in the gut by now.
“Actually, I do,” Loki interjects, flashing an annoyed smile. “And I think of the people at this table, she’s the last I’d call a killer.” Tony’s eyes widen, and the whole room stills.
“Leo,” she interjects softly. He glances at her, and she stands, gently pulling him to the door. “Excuse us for a second.”
She doesn’t stop until she’s swept him into the nearest single-person bathroom, being sure to lock it behind. He returns to himself in a shimmer of green, and she watches as his expression changes too— into a mad one.
“I have half a mind to level the whole building,” he seethes, glaring at nothing and whirling around to satiate his anger. “How dare he mock you? The dull, petty creature— I should— you should— why did you allow that?” He turns on Olivia, slumped against the wall.
“I need him to like me,” she reminds him. “I don’t think he’d let me live in his tower if I was constantly raging against him.”
“Then don’t stay here,” he suggests, for the billionth time. “Come with me. No one will dare to speak ill of you there, not while I draw breath.” His searching gaze coaxes a deep sigh out of her.
“I can’t do that,” she denies. “My family is here, my life is here. And maybe it’s less dangerous for me there, but what about you? What happens if I suddenly show up for good, how are you gonna explain your way out of that one? What happens to me if you get yourself killed, huh? No. It’s not— it’s just not a good solution.” She turns her head away from him, and he tries to search her expression.
“…do you trust me?” Loki inquires, stepping closer to her. Olivia glances at him, and he watches the flash of vulnerability as it crosses her face. It disappears, and she pushes off the wall.
“No,” she whispers solemnly, turning away from him.
He manages a halfhearted smile, walking up and wrapping his arms around her from behind.
“You’re a terrible liar,” he reminds her softly. She says nothing, her head dropping back against him.
“God, this got depressing,” she whispers after a long silence. “Can we go back to making the Avengers’ lives slightly more uncomfortable?” He chuckles.
“That could certainly be arranged,” he agrees. “Perhaps a few more minutes first?” She immediately breaks from him, heading for the door. The lock clicks, and Loki shimmers back into Leo, almost instinctively.
“If we take too much longer, they’re gonna think we’re having sex,” she replies, shooting him a look. “And before you ask— no.” He rolls his eyes good-naturedly as she swings open the bathroom door.
On the other side is Bruce, his hand raised to knock. He freezes. Olivia freezes. Loki stills.
“Hi. Um, just… came to check on you,” Bruce claims awkwardly. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your, uh… sex talk?”
Loki starts snickering.
Yeah, no. Whatever she said before? That was idiocy.
This.
This is the worst possible outcome.