Loving someone is hard, to keep them safe is even harder (Loki and Male!Reader)

Part 26 - Dinner

Dexter took of his mask and Loki made it disappear. No more hiding his face at home. As they made it to the tables and sat down, they saw that the first round of made food was done and everyone, besides the cooks of course, digged in. They still did give the plates with the food through and to one another. Loki, Laufey, Frigga and Dexter had a steak, housemade Pasta salad and Curry mango sauce on their plates. Dexter waited for Loki to dig in first. Loki did the same and Frigga and Laufey looked at them in amusement.

"Dig in Loki. I wanna see what your expression is.", Dexter finally said and Loki blushed.

He cut a piece of his steak off and dipped it softly into the Curry mango sauce. As soon as he chewed on it he hummed in approval and closed his eyes, enjoying the taste.

"And ?", Dexter asked.

Loki swallowed. Then he opened his eyes and looked at a grinning Dexter.

"It tastes perfect. I never tasted anything like this."

"It is still the same meat, just not cooked the same way. Instead of cooking it, it got grilled. Means it had more natural cooking than in the pan and on the oven. The flavour is more natural and not spoiled with butter or oil, like the meat in the pan."

"Why use butter or anything in the pan and on meat then ?"

"Because it sticks on the pan, if you do not use oil or butter. You would have a huge problem with getting it off of the pan.", Dexter chuckled.

Loki blushed. He never asked the cooks at his home, because he never cared. He was ashamed now, or else he would have known that.

"Have you never asked your own cooks at the palace ?", Dexter asked.

"No. I never was interested in such a thing.", Loki mumbled.

Dexter sighed and leaned back, watching as Loki stuffed his mouth again with a piece of steak and Curry mango sauce.

"Cooking is not easy, Loki. It is almost like magic. At least for the cooks at the palace, I guess. They have to spice it right, they have to cook it right, they have to have it ready at time, they have to obey wishes and many more things. They probably even have to keep all their recipes in their heads. Would be too much for me after 3 days. And then maybe some spoiled prince comes passing by and suddenly starts to yell at you that it wasn't cooked right or something. They are under much pressure. Even our restaurants here have such times, but not too much. And they aren't terrified of losing their heads, just their job. You get what I mean ?", Dexter asked.

Loki nodded.

"You have to appriciate them. You have to thank them. And when the meal didn't taste as good as you hoped, then you go after eating the rest and gently tell them what you would like them to do with that food, if they ever do it again. When you yell at them, nothing good comes out of it."

Loki nodded again in understanding. Suddenly something was sizzleing loudly.

"Oh no !", someone yelled.

Dexter jumped up and ran over to one of the cooks.

"What is going on ?! Are we under attack ?!", Dexter yelled.

"No...I-I burnt the s-steak, B-Boss...I am sorry !", one cook cried.

Loki looked around and saw them. It was the second cook, the one in the middle.

"It's okay. We have plenty of that. One steak isn't going to kill us. Calm down, Jen. At least you didn't burn yourself. Go back to work, there is nothing to cry about. The most important thing is that you are healthy and alright, okay ?"

"O-Okay, Boss...Again I am sorry..."

"It is alright."

With that Dexter returned to his seat and sat down. Now he also digged in and ate his food.

"To be honest...I would have yelled at them and threatened them...", Loki said ashamed.

"You grew up in a royal family, it got teached to you, Loki. Now it is time to change for the better.", Dexter said.

Loki looked at Dexter in awe.

"It is time to become like Frigga. Nice and calm, Loki. Just in your own ways."

Loki nodded, determined. Then they continued all to eat.

"So how is the weapon going ?", Laufey asked Dexter.

"Project 20 8 1 14 15 19 is making progress. We are hanging a little behind, thanks to someone, who just had to sabotage it. The weapon itself is more than very stable.", Dexter answered.

"Sound good. Who sabotaged it ?"

"...Rat."

"Oh boy...is he dead ?"

"No no, he isn't. He fooled HYDRA into believing that he gave them what they wanted, but it wasn't. He didn't tell me tho. Until I beated him up. He could have straight told me, without getting beaten. He had it coming. He knows the consequences and rules."

"What was his punishment ?"

"He will scrub all floors without carpets in all the houses and he will have more work than the others will get. This all will go for one month and then everything will go back to normal."

Laufey whistled in respect.

"That isn't that harsh, but also not really that soft.", he comented.

"He had it coming. I can't go to him, stroke his head and then say 'Good boy in letting us believe that you betrayed us, no punishment for you.' Nope not gonna happen, Laufey."

"How is he ?"

"He is okay. A little back pains, but more not. He told me yesterday. I asked Fox to give Rat painkillers over the days. He agreed, so I guess it will be better. There is nothing broken, I checked. I healed him after all this beating I gave him. He can be glad that I didn't kill him, for calling me Dexter."

Laufey gasped.

"He didn't !"

"He did."

"Oh my god...he could have died !"

"He didn't seem to care."

"I am so sorry Dexter."

"Doesn't matter. We are all on good terms again."

Laufey then nodded in agreement.

"Why is it actually so bad to say your name, instead of saying Boss ?", Loki asked.

"I always got called Dexter, but everytime I get called by my name I get bad flashbacks. Also they are much younger than me and I practically adopted them. They have to show at least a little bit of respect."

"Oh..."

"It wasn't always like that tho. Dexter made that rule after Melanie betrayed them. So no one will know his name ever again.", Laufey added.

Dexter took a deep breath, clenching his jaw and he had red eyes for a split second.

"Oh...Sorry pal. I forgot that you hated the mention of her name.", Laufey apologized.

"It is quite alright.", he said happily.

Loki knew that Dexter faked it, but meh...he will talk with him later. Right now he will enjoy all the foods and try everything out. Like the Pasta salad on his plate right now. Loki chewed and hummed in approval.

"The salad is good. Delicious. Who made it ?", Loki asked.

"I did with Fox and Icebird.", Dexter replied.

"Great work !", Loki praised.

"Thanks. I made that recipe up on my own and changed it a bit over the years."

Loki nodded, smiling at him and then continued to eat.