afterglows || loki laufeyson [3]

chapter 23

"it was just a bit of fun."

belle's pov!

that afternoon at 5 p.m., loki and i finally returned to my apartment. loki's been talking about escaping since the first day we happened to visit, but stark hadn't let us.

the only reason we got away with it this time was because we needed to wrap the presents and bake stuff for tomorrow's small family get together.

loki and i each showered, once again separately (to my utter delight at his scowling face). then the both of us, instead of doing something useful, went to bed early.

we woke up around 3 a.m. fully refreshed. we dragged ourselves to the living room and started with our individual gifts.

tony stark had decided to call us to his lab a few days ago, and demanded we pull one piece of paper out of this random tophat.

the pieces of papers had names written on them, and it was then did we all get informed that this year there will be a fun secret santa thing.

"instead of getting all the time, now is the perfect excuse to give. this season's about giving after all."

and no matter how right those words are, coming from tony, it just sounded cocky. we all had scoffed, but agreed to the exciting prospect of mysterious getting and giving.

we were to tell no one who we were giving to. but loki and i were sort of forced to tell each other, since there was no hiding it when we started wrapping the presents across from each other.

things went smoothly, the jazz playing in the background, candles being the only source of light then, casting a warm hue on our faces. but at that moment, i caught a whiff of him, and stopped midway wrapping bruce's sci-fi movie cd's and kids d.i.y. science experiment kits as a joke.

"why do you..", i inhaled deeply, "smell so good??"

"i always smell good."

"no, you smell amazing today, my gosh i just want to- to bottle up this smell and make it my perfume."

"a pity that this is my natural scent or else i'd give you my cologne."

"no, i refuse to believe that. it's gotta be the shampoo or soap or something."

"it's natural, i'm surprised you've only noticed now."

"i'm surprised too.", i said with curiously raised eyebrows, "why do you smell so good?"

"if it's any consolation, you smell good too.", he said, jaw resting on top of his palm, as he watched me watch him.

i blinked, unconvinced.

"come now love, pay attention to wrapping dr banner's present. wouldn't want it messed up just because you were occupied, drinking in my delicious scent.", he grinned as i tried so hard to keep my mouth from hanging open, "purple suits him by the way, contrasts wonderfully with his bright green."

"now- now that's just rude.", i said with a huff, ignoring his other comment, "bruce's present looks amazing, and i didn't choose purple because of how it looks on hulk, i chose purple because this shade of purple reminds me of the shirt bruce loves to wear all the time. yeah, yeah, i know i'm a person of sentimentality."

"you're basically overflowing with it, love."

"i'll take it as a compliment.", i murmured, taking the handwritten letter i had previously written for bruce a few days ago.

i checked the words written in golden marker ink on the front of the letter one last time, just in case.

heyyy bruce, merry christmas! may miracles and magic fill you up this very season.
- from my not-so-sciency spirit, your secret giver

i nodded satisfied, slipping the letter inside, before sealing the present completely.

loki sighed relieved, "finally, i was worried you'd take the next century to finish that."

"natasha's present wasn't as hard to wrap. in fact, i remember that red dress and heels coming in a box."

"and yet, i recall wrapping the outside too, though..", he pointed out with a smile, "you're so slow."

"no, you're just fast."

"fair point, my love.", he said, "cookies time?"

"yep, dirty time.", i said nonchalantly, blushing when i saw loki raise a brow at me.

"shut up."

"make me."

"lokiii~", i almost whined, covering my heated cheeks, "why do you keep doing that?"

"it was just a bit of fun.", he laughed, pulling my hands away from covering my cheeks.

my cheeks still burned, but this time i laughed along with him. 

author's note:

EXAMS ARE OVERRRRR! i'm so excited to do nothing and everything at the same time.

also next chapter might be a bit mature..just a bit you know, i thought i'd let everyone know beforehand. and if it seems a bit too mature, i might have to change the story settings to mature >:D