Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 3

Loki had ended up in the common room at the end of his search for Morgan. He glanced around and saw that she had built herself a nest of blankets, a book, her phone charger, etc at what he assumed was her usual place on the couch. In fact, her setup looked like she hadn't left that spot on the couch for days except to make sure he ate.

She'd been waiting all alone for word from the team, he realized.

And had been sleeping on the couch while she waited.

And that just made him feel worse for how he'd been treating her.

He'd rectify that. Just as soon as he tanned her hide for scaring him with her disappearing act.

"Miss Stark had errands to run. That is all she would tell me, besides not to inform her father that she left the tower," Jarvis finally replied. He didn't sound pleased either, but Morgan hadn't forbade him from giving Loki information.

Loki groaned, preparing to argue with the stupid computer. He really hated the primitive computer system. And Jarvis didn't much care for him either. "Of course she did not say," he growled. "Does she have anything by which she can be tracked? It is not safe out there for her alone," he reminded the stupid computer. The girl was blind and without protection. She was living with the Avengers and related to Tony Stark. There was no doubt she was a target for any wrongdoer in the city who heard she was out without protection.

Jarvis paused. "She has her phone," he told Loki. Jarvis could track her phone anywhere, especially since it had Jarvis tech in it. But that wasn't what was having the AI pause. It was Loki's interest. "You... wish to track her?" Jarvis sounded disbelieving, or as disbelieving as an AI could sound. Loki didn't care about anyone except Wanda and Thor. Occasionally Bucky. And he only cared about Thor because Thor was his brother and he was required to love him, not like him.

And he'd only spoken with Morgan a couple of times.

Loki sighed and glared at the ceiling. "With the team gone, Lady Stark is technically in my care. I will not let anything befall her because she decided to run errands on her own without protection," Loki told Jarvis firmly. "Now tell me where she is," he growled.

Jarvis could write a book about how headstrong the young Miss Stark was. And how of course she went off without protection when given half a chance. And of course she hadn't bothered Loki to ask him to go with her. They'd only spoken a couple of times and she didn't think they were friends yet.

But Loki knew all that already.

So Jarvis gave him the location of the shop Morgan was currently in. Loki nodded and glanced at his outfit. He hadn't seen anyone in days and hadn't paid attention to what he was wearing. An Asgardian style tunic and soft black pants wouldn't do for appearing among the Midgardians. So Loki used magic to change his clothes into jeans and a black button down shirt. He was more presentable, though of course it wasn't enough to disguise his sapphire skin, crimson eyes, or the horns. He growled again that he had to leave the tower like this, but there were no better options.

So he headed to the elevator to track down the pesky little blind Midgardian.

Who knew that one little Midgardian could be so much trouble?

She had only wandered off a few blocks, so he walked it. The Midgardians stared. They always did. Loki tried not to let it bother him. It bothered him greatly, but he couldn't exactly blame the Midgardians for staring at the monster he was.

Everyone stared at him.

Except the one little blind Midgardian he found in a little farmer's market a few blocks from the tower. She was oblivious to the fact that he was there and looking for her as she was feeling and smelling tomatoes to choose from for them. She already had bags of shopping on one arm, full of groceries. Loki watched her for a moment. She seemed so lovely in this quiet moment of domesticity. And she seemed happy in what was probably her first real moment of self -sufficiency since her accident.