Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 15

Thor couldn't help smirk when he saw that Loki's cheeks had turned purple. Though he was so relieved that Loki's eye had turned green again. He was on the right track to solving this curse. Thor wanted nothing more than for his brother to be happy again. And he seemed so much happier with Morgan than he'd seen him in years. Especially over the last year of being cursed. "I'm glad for you, brother," Thor replied warmly. He saw Loki's relief that his brother was being supportive. All Loki ever wanted was love and acceptance from his family. However, they were brothers, and Thor had to smirk and add: "However, Stark is going to kill you," he teased.

Loki chuckled. "I can handle Stark. Let him try to kill me. It will just end up with him thrown out of a window,"

Thor boomed his laughter. "You would say that," he replied jovially. Loki had a habit of chucking Stark through the defenestration window whenever the mood suited him. There was even a tallyboard at the Tower to prove it.

Loki shrugged. "The man grates on my nerves. I wonder how many times he has had to have the defenestration windows glass replaced..." he mused. Tony tended to go flying through it frequently.

"Well, last time he did not replace it with the special bullet-proof glass used in the rest of the tower; and hydra broke in through there and nearly abducted his daughter. I am sure he has done a better job with the window this time," Thor told him. Stark was pissed at himself when he realized that's how Hydra had broken into the tower. He'd left one window less defended and they'd found that tiny weakness and had exploited it.

"I am quite sure," Loki agreed, then gave his brother a look. "You did warn Stark that I was bringing Ana here, did you not?" He didn't trust the oaf to follow simple directions.

Thor rolled his eyes. "Of course, I did. He was not pleased until I reminded him that Hydra could not harm her here and that she would be under our guard and perfectly safe,"

Loki nodded. "Good. Then Stark has little reason to try and kill me for that," he wanted to limit the number of reasons Stark wanted to kill him.

"No, he will only kill us for his daughter becoming Asgardian and for you kissing her. Or is it courting her?" he asked with a teasing smirk. It was rare for his brother to be interested in anyone enough to kiss them, much less court them.

So of course he took the opportunity to tease his brother when it came around. The gods only knew that Loki would have done the same.

To Thor's surprise, he actually got an honest answer instead of a snippet remark. "I'm not sure yet, to be honest," Loki said with a sigh. "And her becoming Asgardian is her decision. Neither of us even made her the offer. Stark has no say in it,"

"He will still blame us," Thor said mournfully.

"Of course he will. Me especially," Loki growled at how unfair it was.

"Especially when he catches you kissing his daughter," Thor teased.

Loki shrugged. "Yet again, that is her choice to make,"

"You try telling her father that. I will burn incense in your memory,"

Loki glared. "How considerate of you," he said dryly and stomped off to where his lady and his mother were chatting near the head table. His mood lightened immediately upon approaching them and he kissed his mother's cheek.

Frigga gave him a warm smile and her expression brightened even more when she saw his green eye, but she could tell by his mood that now wasn't the time to ask about it. He was annoyed with Thor and it was lucky that Frigga was in the room or Thor would've gotten stabbed. "Hello, darling," she greeted him as warmly as ever as she kissed his cheek in return.