The Fates' Favorite (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 6

The first week was rather simple, easy. No missions for me yet, but I enjoyed training between Wanda and Loki.

I had learned that Loki was working with the Avengers after building himself quite the reputation, between ruining his brother's coronation, trying to kill Thor, and a supposed terrorist attack not too long ago, it seemed he wasn't the all-smiles god he had seemed to me.

I had learned in passing from others within the group that Thor managed to talk his father into banishment instead of imprisonment after his brother almost died for him, and that lead to him being here. How either of them managed to get Nick Fury to keep him out of the Raft was beyond my comprehension, but I had a bad feeling nobody other than the team and Nick really knew.

I was up late one night in the commons, after what I thought was everyone else had went to bed. I had yet to actually sleep well in the tower, but I was only just starting to mind it. I had figured a late night snack might help me fall asleep easier, which brought me here.

I was eating a strawberry Pop-tart and reading another one of Loki's books, Notes From the Underground, when Thor came and sat directly across from me. I really didn't speak to anyone on the team other than Tony, Loki, and Wanda, so I was a bit surprised he chose that seat over any of the others. Nat and the others were at least cordial, but Cap and Thor both had what seemed like hatred for me. I wasn't quite sure why, though.

"Lady Aurora." He said quietly, nodding his head once at me.

"Thor." I matched his tone and volume, and Thor cleared his throat.

"You lifted Mjolnir." He stated pointedly.

"I did what?"

"My hammer. His name is Mjolnir."

I felt my eyebrows raise. "His? The hand tool is a him?"

Thor let out a soft chuckle, the first I had actually gotten out of him. "Yes. He's.. He has a mind of his own. You lifted him, which... Means something."

"What's it mean?"

"That you're worthy." He said even softer. "You're the first, actually, other than me, to be worthy." He paused for a moment, before a small grin broke out onto his face. "Well, other than the red man... But he's an infinity stone. "He shrugged and made a face, making me laugh.

"I'd be more concerned if he wasn't worthy, at that point."

"Should've met the other guy." Thor commented, leaning his elbows on the table. "He was awful."

"You're telling me Tony has made more than one stone man?" I asked, amused with the idea. Thor nodded, still smiling.

"It destroyed a whole country. We fought a bunch of flying mechanical men; it was awesome."

'Awesome' most definitely wouldn't be the term I'd use for the mass destruction of a country, but I finally understood why Loki treated his misdeeds as minor. They both clearly didn't think much of battle or destruction, the silly gods.

I giggled at the idea of what their home must be like, my gaze falling down to the table before I looked back up at Thor.

"Well. I suppose I should thank your... Mjolnir, one day. For deeming me worthy of holding him."

Thor's grin grew as he nodded. "We'd like that."

I was laughing when I heard a throat clear from the kitchen, bringing my attention over to the kitchen. "Hey Lo." I said with a smile.

"Aurora." He responded flatly as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I furrowed my eyebrows a bit. Since we met, Loki rarely ever used my name, and he never had that tone with me.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." He almost growled at me.

He sauntered off back to the hallway rather quickly with his water in hand. Clearly something was wrong, he never acted like this. His brother acted as if it was nothing abnormal, based on the way he casually leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes... but it was abnormal. To me, it was completely abnormal.

"Excuse me." I mumbled at Thor, before I teleported myself to Loki's bedroom door.

"Get out of my way." Loki huffed.

"No, grump. What's the matter?" I folded my arms across my chest and raised my eyebrows, replanting my feet.

"Aurora." Loki said, his voice husk as he warned me.

"Loki."

"I thought we agreed you'd try that wonderful pastime called sleeping. But instead you're up coquetting with Thor."

"Coquetting?" I said, honestly lost for a moment before I remembered the definition of the word. "Oh, flirting. You thought we were flirting?"

"I saw you." He said with his jaw clenched, his hand gripping the water almost to the point of the bottle bursting.

"Look, Lo. I wasn't flirting with Thor. He was telling me about Mjolnir." I responded, uncrossing my arms to speak. "I apologize, though. I didn't realize I wasn't good enough to speak to your precious brother." I rolled my eyes and walked across the hall towards my door, sending my shadow after the book and Pop-tart.

"That's not why I..." Loki began, but he huffed and gave up.

He walked into his room and slammed the door, almost making me jump as I waited on my shadow.

"Asshole."