Loki x Reader: Into the MCU

Chapter 23: The Prank Wars

(If you don't know the Gummy Bear song, then I feel sorry for you. Go listen! It makes an appearance...also why couldn't we get the hug we all wanted and deserved in Ragnarok 😭)

"If they seem cranky when they find out what happened, just know they're not really mad at you," you cautioned, knowing that you laying here injured after a day alone with Loki was not going to look good.

"I can handle them," Loki assured arrogantly.

"I never said you couldn't, but you should still know that they're not really angry with you. You already think enough people hate you. But you did a heroic thing last night, and I'll make sure they know that."

"I saved you because I had to."

"Oh I know that was the main motivation. You're Loki after all. But I'd say fifteen percent motivation was out of the goodness of your heart."

He gave you a look. "Ok, fine, ten percent."

Loki just grinned, "Your optimism is misplaced."

"That's what Thanos says to you before you send the Hulk on him!" you exclaimed.

"And so you see, darling, he and I are not so different."

You could be wrong, but he looked partially upset.

"Nah, you are," you reassured him, "Are you forgetting who, out of the two of you, stands up for the right thing in the end?"

"It isn't the first time I have tried to overthrow someone in power over me. The fact that I try it again is hardly uncharacteristic of me."

"No, this was different, trust me. The classic Loki thing to do would be to join Thanos until it was convenient for you to betray him. Also remember that mere moments before that, Thanos was about to kill Thor and you stopped him."

"Regardless, I lose in the end...again," he said bitterly, "That, my dear, is one thing I know we can both agree on...that I am destined to lose."

"What makes you you isn't that you lose, but that you never stop trying. You may have died in the end, but that was your biggest victory, Loki. You wanna know why? Because you succeeded in proving everyone wrong, even yourself. You've convinced yourself you're good for nothing but mischief, but that's all part of the illusion. You freed yourself when you chose to do the right thing. And when I look at your life before that, I don't see a loser, but a survivor. No one could ever take you down, even when you were defeated. You always came back. Perhaps, and I'm just spitballing here, but just maybe the times you lost were because you were fighting for the wrong cause...the wrong side. I mean, you fought the right fight in the end, but the odds were stacked against everyone, not just you. I think that, given the chance, you can succeed at doing the right thing. Imagine what you could do if you didn't have to go it alone? If you let yourself be a part of something? You could accomplish anything. Because no one has your kind of determination, Loki, not even the Avengers."

He was staring intently at you, his expression difficult to read. His mouth opened, but the words were cut short by the commotion of multiple superheroes charging into the room. Loki looked up from his seat, and you craned your neck to see the Avengers standing by the doorway, their clothes and faces filthy and cuts on some of them.

"You guys ok?" you asked.

"Are we ok?" Tony barked, "What the hell happened here? Friday's been cut off from the compound, the power was off, and she said she detected multiple douchebags approaching last night."

"I believe I said lifeforms," she corrected.

"We would have come sooner," Steve explained, "But we got into a bit of a scrap right as Friday lost contact with you guys."