Raccommodage

With his sons outside and running about and his brother most likely keeping an eye on them and possibly bonding with them Loki's mind was finally given the chance to relax. His fingers threaded through his daughters hair and he sighed in relief when she leaned against him and closed her eyes letting her mind race and drowning herself in her thoughts. He let his head fall back over the back of the couch and shook it to get his shoulder length hair out from under his weight and over the couch.

He was so tired and out of it he didn't notice when the couch pressed down under a new, added weight. He sighed once again relaxing even more despite his current circumstance. It wasn't ideal but way better than what he'd been through. Unpleasant images and memories flooded his mind, his eyes squeezing shut as a way of hiding. Something he'd learnt comforted him. He was snapped out of his thought when a steady but gentle voice got to him.

''So what'd you do?'' The young female asked. Loki lazily turned his head to the side. It bobbed slightly before he opened his eyes and looked at the girl blankly his exhaustion clear. It took a while for his mind to catch up to reality before he sighed and looked the girl dead in her eyes.

''Tried to rule the earth. Died a few times. Almost destroyed a realm. Didn't work out though. You know? Nothing exciting. The usual.'' Loki said nonchalantly trying to pull off a shrug but failing.

"Yeah.....sure...'' The brunette mumbled mostly to herself. "So Loki was it?''

"Mhhhhm." Was all she got in response.

"...Nice..."

"And what of you?'' Loki asked voice barely above a whisper.

"Hm? Oh I uhm I'm Riley..."She stumbled on her words nervously and fidgeted with her hands. Loki found it cute and he looked at her with a certain fondness in his eyes. She reminded him of his beloved so much; but she also reminded him of a lost child in need of guidance. He was conflicted about his emotions but thankfully not to the extent he was when pregnant with Sleipnir. Those were some tough months. "Im a newbie...'' She finished off, a proud tint of pink rising from her neck, to her cheeks and stopping at her ears. 

"Didn't know they were taking recruits. Would've signed up too." Loki commented sarcastically a smug grin growing as he watched Riley turn positively red from his comment.

"I'll have you know I didn't have to 'sign up'. They chose me. Probably 'cause I'm soo much better than that paperclip god and I'm too awesome that even the bad guys can't hate me enough to fight me." She teased raising her chin up and sticking her chest out her cheeks puffed proudly and lips curled in a sneaky smile.

"Oh really? Did they say that or is that all self proclaimed?'' Loki teased right back. He didn't understand the paperclip reference but that was another question for another day. He found himself fighting to contain a smirk and failing terribly causing his chapped and beaten lips to tear making him wince in discomfort. He had hoped Riley didn't notice and relaxed when just that happened. She was too busy straightening herself to make herself look confident.

"Maybe but no one's ever said otherwise." Riley reasoned. Loki chuckled softly. It sounded just like something Sleipnir would've said. Riley froze staring at the older man.....god? She didn't know. Either way she was confused. He was chuckling. Chuckling. And not even an evil chuckle. A genuine, soft, joyful chuckle. That slowing grew into laughter as he remembered all the best moments of his life. Riley's heart hurt. She felt blush rise to her cheeks. Her chest felt tight as she watched the sight in front of her. Loki didn't seem bad. The stories the others told her didn't seem accurate compared to the Loki in front of her.

She was confused. How could someone so....bad seem so...good? She was sure she was supposed to hate the man that lay before her. He attacked earth and her friends and, dare she call them, family. He was a liar and manipulative and cared for only himself. Yet, she couldn't hate him. Especially not when he looked so hurt and vulnerable and maybe even happy. She was confused. Conflicted. What was the right call here?

"That's a first." Loki admitted after he finally contained himself. He was still sittinh on the couch, his head laying at the side almost looking like a doll though he looked more lively than before, the whole posture didn't help the 'I'm dead on the inside and I've been through much worse than a naive mind like yours can imagine' vibe he was giving off. Riley was pulled out of her thoughts by the gentle but hoarse voice coming from beside her.

"First what?'' She blurted out her thoughts not catching up to reality as quickly as her body.

"You're the only.....-'' Loki abruptly stopped cutting himself off as he seemed to zone out and go elsewhere. All humour and joy drained from him as his shoulders slumped and his head fell over the couch as though his soul left his body completely. His eyes remained open staring into nothingness but they were glazed over and hazy. His breathing was starting to become shallow and strained and Riley saw when he gulped. She heard it as well. He got up abruptly and pulled Hela up with him holding her gently as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her nose where the shoulder and neck met. Loki groaned in pain but continued strutting out the door and out of sight.

Riley remained where she was stunned and confused. She didn't know what to do. Should she tell them what happened? But they would definitely scold her. Should she follow after him? Something in her gut told her that wasn't the brightest idea. She stared at the door a little uneasy when she heard shouting only coming closer and growing louder before Loki walked through the door once again with Jormungand wrapped around his leg and Fenrir and Sleipnir following obediently after Loki.

"Brother I urge you to tell me whats wrong. You most definitely are not 'Fine'." Thor boomed his voice gaining the attention of the others conversing quietly in the kitchen.

"Thor....I request you press on this matter....another time..." Loki insisted. Now that Riley was actually paying full attention she noticed his shortness of breath and the way he seemed to stumble while he walked. If it weren't for the strong, but not confining, grip Thor had on Loki's arm she was sure he would've fallen by now.

"Brother....'' Thor continued although his tone was less demanding and more pleading. He stopped pulling Loki to a stop as well, "What is wrong?" Thor watched intensely as Loki heaved, his chest rising up and falling down at an unnatural pace. Loki looked around as though taking in the area and situation for the first time. His eyes locked with Tony's and something seemed to spark between the two as they both couldn't find it in themselves to look away.

Loki seemed to melt in-between the intense look the two held and the strong hold Thor had keeping him grounded to reality. His knees buckled before he looked away and straightened himself pulling his arm away from Thor and straightening seeming to have calmed down if his even, but still shallow, breathing was anything to go off of.

"Where will I be staying?" Loki asked his voice shaking a bit but still holding a demanding tone that left no room for argument. Thor looked at his brother sadly before letting his shoulders sag and the tension drain from his body as he told Loki the directions to his sleeping quarters. As soon as Thor was finished Loki spun on his heel making him slightly dizzy before snapping his fingers and gaining the attention of the two children that had wondered off desperate to distract himself. They ran towards him and followed him without question continuing their playful argument quietly. Loki stopped at the bottom of the stairs and glanced at Riley a small, sad smile making its way to his face. 

"T'was a pleasure, mistress." He said before continuing up the stairs silently. Thor looked at Riley confused and watch as she sunk into the couch and tried to hide her reddening cheeks. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Tony looking at her with a look that demanded she explain. She opened her mouth to talk but Wanda beat her to it.

"Didn't you guys see the two sitting and conversing like best friends? She even got him to laugh. Quite cute the two actually." She said nonchalantly pulling all the attention to her. She winked at Riley and smirked when the teen ran off to her room in an attempt to dodge or at least delay the scolding she knew she was going to get. Thor was the first to break the growing silence.

"Who was that young maiden?" He asked not trying in the slightest bit to hide his curiosity.

"Riley." Tony answered stiffly.

"And?" Thor egged on.

"Weren't you paying attention?" Clint teased though he too was stiff at the thought of the beloved teen getting close to the 'Evil maniac'.

"She's a newbie." Wanda said when everyone else remained silent. It was moments like this when she missed Vision or Bruce(Though he was still slightly uncomfortable around her. she was glad that he made an attempt to open up to her and get to know her and hide whenever he flinched because of something she did or said)or Natasha. "We uh...We 'saved' her and trained her." Wanda cringed at the thought of Hydra and had to search around her vocabulary to phrase the sentence as best as possible. Thor thought for a minute before opening his mouth again.

"And she and Loki.....had hm....enjoyed each others presence?" he asked stumbling over his words a bit. Wanda raised her eyebrows slightly before she understood what was going on.

"Oh yes~ I've never seen her so happy. Must be all the teenage hormones and lack of communication with people her own age. Ya know?" She had more to say but stopped herself when she saw the glare Tony sent her way. She held in her laughter looking at anything but Tony and Thor. Thor too was glaring but he seemed to be glaring at nothing looking a bit distant.

Thor in all honesty was jealous. Welp he didn't know he was jealous but he was. He'd never been jealous before so he couldn't truly identify the feeling bit it was there. He'd known Loki for all of his life yet here this random mortal was making Loki happier than he could. He cleared his throat and brought himself back to reality in time for Tony to direct his glare to Thor and speak up.

"Why do you care?" He asked a warning hidden in his sentence. Thor faked a smile and cheery tone as he clapped his hands together.

"In the words of mortals...." He trailed off taking a moment to remember the human saying, "I plan to 'Hook them up'!"