Chapter 20
“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter says as he drops down from the ceiling.
“Christ kid,” Tony swears. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
Peter shrugs. “Not really, no.”
“Then why were you on the ceiling?” Tony asks.
“Oh! I had a question for you and it seemed like a good place to wait.”
“Peter,” Tony sighs. “There are literally two couches in this room. How was the ceiling a better option?”
Peter shrugs. “I don’t know. Anyway, I was wondering if Loki could come with me to get coffee? MJ and Ned were going to meet me there.”
“I don’t know…” Tony starts.
“Please, Mr. Stark! It’s almost the end of the summer and I won’t be able to hang out with Loki as much when school starts.” Peter uses his Parker Puppy Dog Eyes™.
Tony sighs. “Fine. Just make sure you don’t let Ted and MJ figure out who she is.”
“Thanks Mr. Stark!” Peter yells, already halfway out the room.
Tony rubs his temples, wondering how he got saddled with two teenagers. He winces thinking about school starting again, and Loki having nothing to do but bug Tony all day. (In the back of his mind, he starts to consider the pros and cons of sending Loki to Midtown with Peter.)
“Loki, I need to talk to you,” Steve says.
“What seems to be the issue?” Loki asks from behind a pile of books.
Steve sighs, holding up a piece of Tony’s Iron Man suit that has strange symbols carved into it. Steve has long ago learned that assuming things with Loki is a bad idea, and doubly bad if Loki thinks she’s being reprimanded. “What are these markings?”
Loki mumbles her answer.
“What?” Steve asks. “I need to know what’s going on, Loki.”
Loki looks away. “What does it matter?”
Steve sighs. There goes the attempt to not make Loki put up her guard. “As the leader of the Avengers, I need to make sure my people are safe.”
“I know what I’m doing!” Loki snaps.
“I never said you didn’t. But I don’t know what you’re doing.” Steve shakes his head. “You’re not in trouble. I just want to know what’s going on.”
“They’re protective runes,” Loki whispers at the table.
“May I ask why you feel the need to carve protective runes into Tony’s armor?”
Loki raises her eyebrow. “Have you taken a look at what you do on a daily basis, recently?” Loki shrugs, but she seems sad. “Midgardians have short enough lives as it is.”
“Okay,” Steve sighs again. “Do I have your word that these won’t accidentally harm any of us?”
“Yes,” Loki says. “Also, you might want to check the inside of your armor. I put them there too. Thor’s armor already has them. I didn’t touch Lady Natasha’s or Barton’s though, because I think they would murder me.”
Steve doesn’t disagree with Loki’s assessment. Loki returns to her book, having clearly decided that their conversation is over.
Loki wears her hair down to go to the coffeeshop with Peter. It isn’t proper for an Asgardian woman to wear her hair down in public — but when has Loki cared about the “proper” thing.
Crossing through the living room to the elevator, she waits for Thor to start ranting about how having her hair down is against Asgardian culture or her honor or something like that. But Thor doesn’t say anything. Loki is pleasantly surprised.
Loki and Peter get to the cafe first. Peter orders a hot chocolate (he wanted to get a coffee but Loki told him he was already hyper enough). Loki orders a frozen hot chocolate.
By the time MJ and Ned get there, Peter is halfway through a very long rant about how frozen hot chocolates are pointless and betray the concept of hot chocolate in the first place.
He only stops when he notices that MJ has her sketchpad out and is drawing him. Loki looks over MJ’s shoulder and thinks MJ captured Peter’s fake anguish quite well.
“Who are you?” MJ asks Loki when Peter finally stops ranting about frozen hot chocolate.
“This is my friend!” Peter starts, eyes widening when he realizes he maybe shouldn’t introduce her as Loki.
“Elle,” Loki cuts in smoothly. “My name is Elle.”
“Nice to meet you, Elle,” MJ says. She noticed Peter’s hesitation in naming Elle, of course she did. She files it away for later.