Green sunrise | Loki fanfiction

Part 4: Chocolate pudding

I walk behind Tony and Loki and neither of them seems to care if I can keep up with their pace. I get slightly annoyed, not everybody has such long legs. Loki ignores me the whole way and I start to ask myself if I have done something wrong. Then I get angry at myself for blaming me. Loki is probably just exhausted. And I know that he likes me and my upbeat attitude, he just doesn't like to show it. What is weird, I have to admit that.
We go to a lower floor and finally arrive in a big, cozy room with a long table and tasty looking food. The table is illuminated by lamps hanging from the ceiling which let the bowls and the food gleam. The Avengers are sitting around the table and chat happily, Thor tells a thrilling story with his booming voice and everybody listens and laughs with him. When Tony sits down, they start to eat.
Loki and I sit down and join in. As soon as Thor finishes his story, Tony begins to speak.
"I think it was a very productive day and we are all a little better than we were 24 hours before", he says and smiles.
"Since when are you the one giving motivational speeches?", Steve chuckles.
"I wanted to welcome our new member because I am the leader of the team", Tony answers.
"Leader?", Steve asks and frowns.
Before Tony can respond, Natasha interrupts the two. "What was your point, Tony?"
"My point is", he continues, "that I succeeded in convincing Doctor Strange to come over tomorrow and have a look at (y/n)."
"Oh, I think that would be a great idea", Loki mumbles with sharp sarcasm in his voice.
I throw him an annoyed glance. The corner of his mouth twitches up as he returns my look.
"I think it would be great too, minus the sarcasm", Bruce says. He heard Loki although he sits at the other side of the table and now points with his fork at Tony. "When will he come?"
"Tomorrow morning, as soon as we start training at nine", Tony answers. "I am looking forward to know what powers are waiting inside you, (y/n)."
I smile shyly onto my plate. "I do too."
I think about my first day. Of course it had its downsides, but all in all it was very enjoyable and I had a lot of fun. The training with Loki has been exhausting but exciting, in the breaks I was talking with Natasha and Thor and now dinner is promising new experiences. A smile spreads over my face and I finish my plate happily.
Then, when everybody has finished, Tony stands up and stretches his arms out. "As you know, it's movie night today!"
The Avengers cheer and Thor carries a plate with seven chocolate puddings to the table. Loki throws a look at it and says: "I am not participating, you guys have your fun." He then disappears to his room.
I look after him but soon get distracted by the others handing over the puddings to each other. Tony slips mine into my hand, I get myself a spoon and everybody heads to the door to the living room. Then I notice something.
"Why isn't there pudding for Loki?", I ask.
Tony ignores me and Natasha answers. "He usually doesn't want to participate at movie night."
"Yeah, but doesn't he like the pudding?"
She shrugs and flips herself onto the couch next to Steve who takes the remote and starts the tv.
I stand for a moment in the dim light the tv emanates. Should I ...? He was really nice to me at training.
I sigh and turn around. I go upstairs again and it takes me a moment to find the door to his room. After a small hesitation, I knock.
A little pause, then: "Come in."
I open the door and see Loki sitting on his bed, the only light is coming from the green shimmer of his magic he uses to illuminate the pages of the book he reads. His bed is standing in the left corner and I can see the silhouette of a table standing at the right. As far as I can see it in the dark, the walls are painted with a light green colour.
"Hey", I say and take a step into his room. I feel a bit awkward, as if I was going into foreign territory. "I was wondering ... I mean ..." I walk over to him and show him the chocolate pudding and the spoon. "I got this for you."
Loki looks at the pudding, then at me. I presume to sit down on the edge of his bed. His mattress is surprisingly soft.
"But it's yours", he says.
I wag the spoon a little. "I want you to have it."
"I don't like it."
"Don't try to fool me, everybody likes chocolate pudding."
"I ..." He sighs. "They don't want me to have it."
"Just because the others don't include you into activities and you are now taking steps back and spiral deeper and deeper into your lonely isolation it doesn't mean I want that to happen. I know you want it to look like you don't care but it makes you sad and lonely."
Loki frowns lightly. "You know, I hide my emotions because I don't want others to read them."
I wag the spoon again. "Eat this pudding."
Loki says nothing.
"You know what? I will compliment you until you take this spoon and eat."
Loki looks a bit frightened. "No. I hate that."
"Oh, your hair!", I start and can't help but smile. "It looks so elegant and it shimmers like black silk in the sun!"
"No! You can't even see it right now!"
"And your eyes!", I drown his voice. "Green and beautiful."
"Stop it."
"And how your dagger flies through the air when you throw it, so precise!", I giggle.
"Okay, fine! I am eating the pudding." Loki grabs the pudding and the spoon out of my hands. He chuckles lightly as I continue laughing. After a while, he says: "Mhm. This actually tastes good."
I grin and hop on the bed next to him. I squeeze my eyes and try to read the book, but I can't see the letters in the dark. I try to create magic sparks as a reading light like he did.
"Stop, you are going to burn the pages", Loki says and waves with his hand holding the spoon. A green shimmer flows to the book. But I still can't read it.
"It's in Asgardian", I say disappointed.
"Yes", he snickers.
"Tell me what it is about."
"I don't talk with a full mouth. You made me eat, now live with the consequences."
Fair enough. I become quiet and let my glance wander through his room. The shapes get more clear the longer I stare into the dark. I identify an armour standing at the right wall, the two horns of his helmet black in the darkness. I realize that the curtain is open and I can see the first stars in the nightsky.
Then a delicious smell of chocolate reaches my nostrils. I turn my head and see that Loki is halfway done with his pudding. I miss my pudding a little bit.
Loki looks at me and smirks. "Regretting your decision?"
"No", I say.
He still looks at me, then he rises his hand and with a green shimmer, a second spoon pops up in the air. I laugh and take it, and now we are eating together. The noise of spoons hitting the glass sounds from time to time. When the bowl is empty, Loki levitates it onto the nightstand. Silence ensues. I wonder if I should leave, but he doesn't ask me to, so I don't.
"Loki?", I ask.
"Yes?", he answers.
"Thor told me you could do little fireworks with your magic", I say shyly.
Loki sighs. "What else does this oaf tell people about me." But he raises his hand and soon tiny sparks in all colours explode over his palm, not bigger than an apple.
"Wow", I say and watch the little dots rise and explode. It bathes mine and Loki's face in yellow, red and blue light.
I stretch out my hand to touch it. It feels just a bit warm.
"Can you teach me?", I whisper.
Loki turns his head to look at me. A soft, attentive, almost vulnerable expression lies on his face. "Sure", he says. "I will try tomorrow."
I smile and he returns that smile honestly. Then he looks like he is almost afraid of himself and looks away quickly to watch the fireworks glittering above his hand.