Loki and the Witchling

Chapter 9

After the fantastic kiss, you finally opened your room's door to see what Tony and the others had done to it. Your first thought upon entering the room was that it was beautiful. The second was that there was no bed. That seemed like a horrible oversight. You stepped into the room, noting the plush carpet under your feet. The room had a nice desk, a couch, a TV and every other inch of wall space was packed with crammed bookshelves. On the wall opposite from your bathroom, you realized there was a new door that hadn't been there this morning. You opened it to find a separate bedroom. Tony had made you a suite instead of just a room. You stared in awe and nearly in tears that he had been so nice to make you something so fancy and awesome.

"Witchling, it looks like Tony left you a note," Loki said from your livingroom. He had followed you in to see what the workmen had accomplished. You made your way back in there and he handed you the note.

Kid,

Yes, I made you a suite. Most of the rest of us have other homes besides just our rooms here. This is your home, so it should feel like it. No need for sentiment. Enjoy the books. Yes, the laptop is yours. Don't argue.

-Stark

In a different hand at the bottom of the note was:

Ignore him, he's a moron. I hope you love your suite. If anything isn't perfect, let me know. Welcome home

-Pepper

You smiled and put the note carefully on your desk where it wouldn't get lost. You looked around your suite again and finally, finally felt like you were at home.

*

The very next morning, Loki started teaching you as much magic as you could devour. He commented more than once that you were a natural and caught on way faster than he had ever thought possible.

A few days later the group held a small birthday party for you in the tower's main livingroom. It was filled with cake and laughter, and somehow Thor got Loki to wear a party hat. Cap mentioned that the party was small because it was 'just family'. He couldn't have said anything better to make you feel loved and welcomed. Your presents were strange, but all perfect, truly cementing your life here: an official SHIELD uniform, your first paycheck (as well as the bank account that it had gone into, which you were pretty sure had more money in it than it should have), a passport, an entire second identity courtesy of Natasha, and a college acceptance package from Tony were among the highlights.

Loki got you a delicate silver bracelet, which somehow went absolutely perfectly with the necklace you never took off and no one had ever seen. Somehow, the chain of the necklace always seemed to be the exact length for the pendant to be hidden under whatever you were wearing. You wondered how Loki had picked out something so beautiful that matched it so perfectly. "Thank you, Loki! It's gorgeous!" you exclaimed. He chuckled and clasped it on your wrist for you.

"I am glad you like it," he replied. You leaned up to kiss him, which made him blush in front of all of these witnesses. Loki liked kisses. A lot. But he was still shy and reserved around the others, though neither he nor any of the others were outright hostile anymore. His reservation extended to being uncomfortable kissing you in front of the others. You usually respected his reticence and saved most of your kisses for when there was privacy, but you had to thank him properly for the wonderful present.

"Get a room!" Clint called. You threw a wad of wrapping paper at him while poor Loki turned even more red and looked like he just wanted to hide.

"Oh, like you haven't all been in the livingroom kissing someone before," you grumbled at them. "And Tony, don't even get me started-"

"Leave me out of this!" he protested. "I didn't say anything!

"And you're not going to either," you replied. He didn't want you telling the group that you'd walked in on him completely naked in the livingroom.

"It is unwise to upset Lady Y/N, especially on her birthday," Thor boomed, coming to everyone's rescue. Loki still looked like he was going to run away, so you did the only logical thing you could to make sure he stayed. You stood, swung him around in a little dance for a few steps, making him laugh at your antics. The second he had relaxed, you pushed him onto the spot on the couch that had previously been yours and curled yourself catlike in his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck. He started to protest, but you just indicated Pepper who had her feet in Tony's lap while she was checking her phone, and Nat who had somehow taken over half of Clint's seat while he was in it.

"I couldn't have you running away from my birthday party," you whispered in his ear. He sighed and huffed and looked put-upon, but he didn't complain, and you could tell he secretly enjoyed having you in his lap. He laughed in delight when you put your ice-cold toes on Thor's stomach when he stretched and his shirt rode up. Thor made the most excellent shriek of surprise.

"Loki! I thought I taught you when we were children to as least tell me before you put your icy toes on me!" he shouted before he looked to see whose toes were on him. The whole room laughed. Thor finally looked and saw who the toes were attached to. He swallowed back more cursing at Loki. Loki was just smiling, the perfect image of innocence. He was usually no such thing, but this was your bit of mischief and he enjoyed second-hand mischief just as much as mischief of his own.

"But Thor! You're so warm!" you protested with an innocent smile.

"Warning would be nice next time, Lady Y/N," Thor finally said. His manners said that he couldn't curse at you.

"Duly noted," you replied with a mischievous grin. You had no intention of warning him next time. Or any time after that. His reaction had been too good.

It was the first birthday you could remember being filled with so much fun, laughter, and actual family.