A Love For Eternity (LokixReader)

Chapter Twenty

(Your Pov)

"Magic?"

"Yes."

"Here?"

"Yes, Rogers. Here, and now." Fists rested on your waistline as you stared down the soldier, quite insistent on this term of your new and improved Avengers agreement. "Hasn't he proven himself?"

Loki glanced between you and the team, wisely staying out of your bouts. You knew he wanted his magic back, and you thought it would be a well-deserved apology after you had avoided him all week. But even if he wanted his magic; the prince would never ask. He would never dare beg for his powers back.

Which is why all of this was your idea.

"Proven himself doing what?"

"Oh, I don't know." You pause a moment to compose a list of everything good the god has done of his own accord. "Obey every overbearing rule you could come up with? Help me with my own magic? Protect me when you asked? Hell, he even tolerates the hate you throw in his face." Steve couldn't help but glance at the one you defended so strongly, slowly adopting a guilty expression. "Is that not enough to warrant the slightest reward? I'm not saying to give him everything back, just enough so he can actually defend himself or... shut off a water spigot if needed."

They couldn't argue that you were wrong. Loki had been helpful today, and for quite a while now. Not that the Avengers ever connected the reasons why. Only the princeling knew what benefit came with suddenly trying to stay on the team's good side.

It totally didn't have anything to do with his sudden enthusiasm that sparked whenever his eyes caught your own.

Tony changed the restrictions on Loki's manacle, allowing the magician access to his abilities once again. Nothing too big, but he was no longer restricted to just the most basic of spells. It was enough freedom for the princeling to start to teach you properly.

Your lessons continued, and inevitably you learned to rely on the trickster. He was different around you. More... kind. Less like the standoffish and arrogant delinquent he liked to play for the others. To you, Loki was a kind and humorous gentleman. You welcomed the change of pace in such a harsh modern world.

One thing you could never deny in Loki's nature, however, is mischief.

"Miss L/N?" Jarvis chimed from the ceiling, his voice hurried for all that he tried to remain calm. "You are needed in the living room."

You glance up, confusion tainting your visage. You were never "needed" by the Avengers around the tower, only wanted here or there. "Why? What happened?" If the team was needing their healer? You could only guess what horrible accident must of happened.

"Mister Stark is fighting with Loki."

Oh shit.

Without a second thought you rush to the living room, contemplating just how bad this could go. Neither genius nor Jotun could stand one another, and you suppose this was ought to happen. You just hoped they would have reached some reasonable truce before it could.

When you enter the living room, there is no blood. There are no broken bones or gunshot wounds or mangled, burnt corpses that you needed to stitch back together. No broken glass, no shards of thrown cutlery, and no burn holes in the wall from repulsor shots. However, there was a scream.

Your scream.

As you spotted the brown and fluffy mess of fur pouting on the couch. His ears pinned back naughtily as if he knew exactly why he deserved this curse. When you entered the room, his brown eyes snapped toward you like any dog's would, a light trace of gold laced within them. Wagging his tail just for a second to let you know he welcomed your arrival. "He's so cute!"

Tony huffed, annoyed at your reaction from his ailment. Loki however, smirked from his perch on one of the other couches. He had jumped when you yelled, but now the prince couldn't help but smile. "He is, isn't he?" You glanced between the god and the victim of his wrath, quickly coming to a sensible conclusion.

"So why did you turn Tony into a wolf?" At the mention of his curse, the Stark-dog groaned and shuffled his body around on his couch cushion. Huffing and puffing like this was the worst way to go about his life.

You disagreed. Greatly. Plopping on the couch to hold out your hand and offer loving attention to the poor cursed billionaire. He accepted it reluctantly, first beneath his chin then as you rubbed that perfect spot just above his eyes.

Loki thought for a moment, looking put upon. "He was annoying me." Stark glanced back at the magician for that response, giving a low growl. "Don't start that, or it'll be two hours."

"He's a wolf for an hour because he annoyed you?" You laugh, as the dog leaned against you to get more rubs. To the embitterment of Loki, whose eyes flashed for the smallest fraction of a second with a new variation of jealousy. A protective, possessive, envious beyond all rational measure kind of jealousy.

If he wanted pets, the trickster could turn himself into a wolf for all you cared.

"He might have said some things about my person that I don't care to repeat. If it consoles you, I did warn him." Loki returned to the book in his hand, acting as though your activities with the quadruped didn't concern him.

But when Tony saw this, and heard the prince's reenactment of what most definitely was not what happened before, a dogish grin broke out across his lips. In reality, the things Tony had said purely as a joke were not strictly "of Loki's person". They were of sensitive and emotional matters, and quite frankly the sudden introduction of the topic and following accusations made the prince snap just for some peace and quiet.

"Well then. I suppose you can live for an hour in another body, Tony. It's not the end of the world." He wagged his tail, and you assumed he agreed with you. Before paws started to climb on your chest, a wet nose and doggy kisses smeared across your face. "Yes, yes. You're welcome. Thank you so much for the kisses."

Tony-wolf didn't stop, and despite how you knew it would take an eternity to remove all the slobber, you couldn't help but enjoy it. You've missed dogs. They used to run free around the lands with their chosen packs, always adopting any magical beings they crossed. You loved the playful fur balls who loved you and your magic all the more.

Your hands grabbed the sides of his neck, as you hugged the wolf as long as you dared. Before pulling away, shaking the fur so it would thread through your fingers like air. "Enough with the kisses, don't forget I'm not your girlfriend."

It was meant as a joke.

You didn't think to double check your statement with the others around you. Or even to see where the dog's sights were pointed at as he looked over your shoulder during the hug.

There was a reason Loki didn't tell you what Stark had said.

*

(Stark's Pov)

Worth it.