little fox

24

A/N: wassup mother fuckers? I'm not dead yet. God has let me live another day and I'm going to make it everyone's problem. Hope you're all doing well.

Loki POV

I scan the faces of my mates, trying to assess who is feeling what.

Tony, Steve, Sam, and Thor are surprised, sad, yet proud.

Natasha, Bucky, Stephen, Clint, and I keep our faces completely neutral.

Peter and bruce are horrified and guilty.

Zoey is... Zoey. she's drinking her coffee and enjoying the chaos Rayn generally causes, while quietly creating her own. I don't remember when she got here, she just... materialized. I haven't seen how she and Rayn interact under normal circumstances, but I can already tell we might need to spend some time cleaning and weeding out all the traps and glitter bombs from the tower before it's safe to walk anywhere. I definately want to be on their side when that happens.

I turn back to Rayn.

"So you're saying that we're coddling and crowding you too much, to the point it's bordering disrespect, and you need space?" they nod.

"I'm sorry, Rayn. I didn't mean to-" Rayn looks at Peter.

"Peter, stop. You're an angel, and if anyone disagrees with me then we're gonna have a fight." we all laugh in response because Rayn was right. Peter blushes and looks down. I smile slightly. Rayn sighs before continuing.

"But in all seriousness. Stop coddling me. If I need coddling, I'll tell you. And nat," Natasha sits up, removing her head from my shoulder. "Don't slap me if you don't want to have a fight on your hands." we all look at each other in surprise. Our youngest mate glares.

"I'm serious. I was about to stab you." we gape in shock. Zoey shrugs.

"At any given point in time, they have about two to fifteen knives on them. It's not uncommon for them to pull out a knife and start twirling it in the middle of a conversation." we all look at Rayn in a new light. Our mate was not a damsel in distress, waiting to be saved.

They were the one saving the damsel.

Rayn glares at Zoey.

"Well, now they know! And they're going to search me every time I leave. Dear god, Zo. get with the program." those of us that normally have concealed knives and weapons on us laugh. The Brit rolls her eyes and drinks her coffee.

I study my red-headed mate, trying to pinpoint what exactly they were feeling. Unfortunately, they have perfected their neutral face. I can't see even a single crack in their mask. Smooth, cool, and beautiful porcelain, perfectly crafted, covering everything underneath. Taking a guess on their clothes and makeup, I would say they're expecting a negative reaction, and to go on the run shortly after. If we aren't careful, we could lose our precious fox. Losing a mate wasn't something any of us are prepared for. The elevator dings and we all turn our attention to the opening doors as Wanda, Pietro, and Vision step out.

Or float, in Vision's case.

"Sorry we're late, we hit some traffic on our way back from the airport," Wanda hums. No one has noticed Rayn yet.

"There shouldn't have been that much traffic at this hour. Based on past dates, there was nearly three times as much traffic as usual," vision chimes.

"Who's the goth ginger in the corner? She looks like she's going to-" Wanda and Vision look at Rayn, finally

"I'm gonna stop you right there, I am not a goth or a girl." Wanda and Vision look at Rayn, finally noticing them as Pietro points them out. Wanda squeals and rushes over to the smaller redhead.

"I'm Wanda. It's going to be so nice to have another young person around here!" Rayn looks surprised by the enthusiasm, but smiles. Wanda wraps them in a hug, resulting in a series of surprised squeaks. I smile, enjoying the wholesome interaction.

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that she said she wasn't a girl?" I freeze, as do all of my mates. Rayn narrow their eyes.

"No. go ahead, ask your question." Pietro hesitates, sensing danger. "Go on. No one here is getting any younger." Stephen, Tony, and I laugh quietly, earning a glare from Pietro.

"How are you not a girl? You look like a girl." I smile as Rayn tilts their head slightly, further unnerving Pietro. They knew what they were doing.

"I'm non-binary and gender fluid. Meaning at any given moment, I could be a boy, girl, or neither. It's not really that complicated." Pietro gapes, unused to people talking back. Rayn just stares him down, silently daring him to say more.

"I sense a growing tension in the room," vision declares.

"No shit, sherlock," Rayn grumbles. I stifle a laugh. Wanda blinks, surprised at the sarcasm and snark that the small ginger radiates.

"I love them! Please tell me they're staying," Wanda squeals, squeezing Rayn into a tight hug. I laugh at the look of shock on Rayn's face. They glare at me.

"Being completely honest, I'm not sure. The amount of disrespect in this room is huge. Loki." a few of my mates laugh. I roll my eyes and smile slightly when Rayn stumbles as Wanda sets them down.

"If we have anything to say about it, Rayn will be staying. But in the end, it's their choice," Tony declares, wrapping an arm around Rayn's shoulder. They purr slightly and press into his side. I huff, crossing my arms and leaning back on the couch, rolling my eyes. Pietro gapes.

"Wait. so is sh- are they your mate?" Rayn gives him a look.

"If Tony wasn't my mate, I would have stabbed him many, many times." tony looks down at the five-foot redhead and slowly pulls away. I roll my eyes again.

"Are they always this violent," tony whispers to Zoey. the blonde smiles.

"Yeah. Usually more than this, though." Pietro stares at Rayn, newly terrified for his life. i can already tell that everything will work out well, as long as we communicate with each other.