DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the marvel characters just the one I create. Also not for profit.
"I thought you said that the purpose of this belated Thanksgiving, as you call it, was for your friend; who is now an hour late." Thor tugged at the collar of his shirt. He had been convinced to stay for this so-called Holiday by Jane. Based on the story she had told him, Thor wasn't sure if it was a good or bad holiday.
Last month, Jane had explained the history of how Thanksgiving came about. Yet even though Jane expressed her distaste for the holiday, she still celebrated it. What was also adding to his confusion was the annoying attire that Jane had made him wear. The dark jeans were okay, but the shoes were stiff and the crimson button-up shirt made him feel like he wasn't wearing a shirt at all because of its lose fit.
Darcy, Jane's friend, let herself into the apartment. Jane thought that it was frivolous of Darcy to have even gotten the place across the hall. She was over at their place enough and Jane had enough room to have another person. But Darcy refused, claiming that she didn't want to be anywhere near the couple when they decided to do the horizontal tango, a reference Thor was not familiar with until Jane had explained it to him a few months ago.
"She's not here yet?!" Darcy gasped.
"You know Tristan. She probably got sidetracked." Darcy looked around the room.
"Where's the all talk spaz in green?"
"Here." Loki stepped out in black dress shoes, black slacks and a dark green button up shirt with the first two buttons left unbuttoned. His hair was slicked back, the ends flipping out. "Is your friend aware it's rude to make others wait over an hour for a dinner that was moved for her?"
"Are you aware of the rudeness of taking over a planet and killing a bunch of innocent people?" Darcy threw back. No matter the effort and no matter what they did, Loki and Darcy would still occasionally clash – hard.
Jane was checking the turkey to make sure it was still okay, but she looked up to say,
"If you two won't play nice, you will both be placed in time out."
"Remind me again why didn't we just have him killed?" Darcy gave Loki a glare before turning her back on him in order to face her friend and co-worker. Loki sulked over by the window.
"He needs to learn the error of his ways." Thor replied. "Death is the easy way out for him. In addition, I wish for my brother to not leave me soon."
In hopes that Loki would change, he had been strapped with the last thing given to ones before death. It was a last ditch effort on Thor's part to help his brother. Loki wore thin silver and gold manacles on both wrists, easily hidden by long sleeve shirts. Put on by Odin himself, they were unable to be removed except by one of two ways: the person learns the lesson they are to learn that is spoken before the manacles are placed on the person's wrists or death. After the manacles were placed on Loki, Thor was to bring him back to Earth to help return to normal that which he had destroyed before the Avengers had stopped him. Thor was to stay behind to keep watch on his brother until everything was fixed.
"I am not your brother." Loki mumbled to himself, not in a mood to fight with Thor. Thor took a seat on one of the barstools that were seated next to the island in the kitchen.
"Tell me about this lady Tristan." He requested.
"Tristan is the shiz. She worked near us in New Mexico. She's this bitchin' photographer who travels all over the world taking these amazing pictures." Darcy explained, giddy with excitement.
"Why did I not meet her when I was in New Mexico?" Thor inquired.
"That was because Tristan was in Ireland taking pictures of different castles." Jane, who was basting the turkey, replied. "Her latest job at the time hired her to take all these pictures of all these different castles because they were doing a book on them."
The doorbell rang seconds before the door was flung open. "The fun has arrived!" A tall red head stood in the door with her hands thrown up. Darcy and Jane exclaimed cries of joy as they ran over to her.
"You are so late." Jane chastised while hugging her.
"I know. I'm so sorry. But as I was coming into town I couldn't help to stop and take pictures. I am going to make bank on the ruins of all these building thanks to the person who did it."
"He's right over there if you want to thank him personally." Darcy pointed her thumb towards Loki's direction. Dropping her stuff by the door, Tristan said,
"I should have come five months ago when it all happened. Well, after, to get the good stuff." She made her way over to Loki. "Thanks for the great pictures. I'm going to make bank because of you and your power trip." She slapped his shoulder before going over to Thor. "Now who is this?" She eyed him up and down.
"This is Thor." Jane answered. Tristan's jaw dropped.
"And I thought this Thanksgiving was going to be another fun filled estrogen party like all the others."
"This holiday we get the muscle bound God and his brother who tried to destroy Earth." Darcy glared at Loki.
"Thor's brother must have something good in his favor." Tristan looked over at Loki. "He's got fabulous hair going for him." Tristan held a hand out his way, looking back to the others. Loki grunted as he got up from his spot.
"Let me help you talk about me like I am not here." He locked himself in the spare bedroom. Tristan gave a laugh.
"What is his name again?"
The table was set and ready; the only snag was that Loki refused to leave the spare room. Hearing a knock on the door, Loki muttered,
"Thor, I said no. I am not eating." Loki was stretched out on the double bed. He rolled his head over to the door when he heard some jingling from the door knob. Tristan walked in, stopping at the end of the bed with her hands placed firmly on her hips.
"Get off your ass and join us for dinner now."
"No." Loki replied, moving his gaze to the ceiling. Climbing on the bed, Tristan moved so that Loki was between her legs as she stood above him.
"You are going to get your ass out in the dining room and be on your best behavior as you enjoy a meal that my friends worked on. Whether you like it or not."
"Or what?" Loki defiantly asked. Tristan dropped down onto the bed and onto Loki, elbowing him in the stomach.
"Don't make me come back in here." She threatened before leaving the room. Loki came out rubbing his stomach.
"Dude, you messed with Tristan and her food." Darcy was biting back her laughter over what her friend did to the God of Mischief who had worked on wiping out New York.
"How does me not attending dinner affect her eating? One less means more food." Loki asked as he took a seat. Grabbing at her napkin to place on her lap, Tristan replied,
"Thanksgiving with us is about friends and family. Jane and Darcy are not only my besties but family too. You and Thor are family. So enjoy this meal with us in the manner in which it is intended or I will elbow you in the stomach again."
"He is not family." Grumbled Loki.
"Today he is." Tristan answered.
With the help of Jane, Thor carved the turkey. It was fun to watch the God of Thunder participate in their traditions even if Loki clearly didn't want anything to do with anyone. Everyone else chatted and laughed over the meal. Pointing her fork at Thor, Tristan asked,
"So if I took a picture of you, you'll show up on film right?"
"I will." Thor replied before he took a bite of one of the turkey legs.
"I am so getting my picture taken with you and with Loki." Holding his drink in front of his lips, Loki said,
"You are not having your picture taken with me."
"Oh I am, Salazar Slytherin."
"Oh my God! That's who you look like!" Darcy gasped. "I knew he looked familiar; I just couldn't place it." Jane rolled her eyes.
"You two and those damn Harry Potter books."
"What are they talking about?" Thor inquired.
"I'll explain later." Getting herself more mashed potatoes, Tristan said,
"I can't help it. You know my love of wizards and anything Alan Rickman."
"Unfortunately." Jane laughed.
When Loki left the table an hour later, no one noticed. Laughter followed him all the way to his room where he hoped no one would follow him.
After dinner was done and the dishes were cleaned, the four made their way to the living room to relax and let the food digest. When Thor and Jane got too mushy for Darcy and Tristan, they went over to Darcy's place.
"What is Loki's deal?" Tristan asked when she came out of Darcy's bathroom. Polishing off her drink, Darcy asked,
"What do you mean?"
"I figured that a guy who nearly leveled New York would be less of a moody Judy." Waving her off, Darcy explained,
"He's pissed because Odin slapped these bracelets on him that suck his magic. And he has to wear them forever unless he either really learns the error of his ways or dies. Plus he has to help rebuild New York while being babysat by Thor."
"Just because he learns the error of his ways doesn't mean that he will be good if that option happens."
"That's what I said when Thor explained the bracelets to me." Bringing her feet under her as she sat on the couch, Tristan admitted,
"For a emo I could be Salazar Slytherin, Loki's kind of hot."
"Give it a few days; you'll want to rip his throat out." The two were laughing at Darcy's sarcastic comment when they heard a light knock. "Speak of the devil." Darcy got up to answer the door where Loki stood on the other side.
"They are at it again." He said, making his way inside.
"The rent's good, but the walls are horribly thin for a tickle pickle." Darcy explained seeing Tristan's questioning look. Tristan threw her hands up.
"Damn you! Now I want to watch A League of Their Own." Looking at the two, Loki's hands went behind his back.
"It looks like we are out of room for everyone to have a place to sleep." He commented.
"You still have the spare room. Tristan has the sofa." Darcy said as she returned to her spot in her chair.
"I do?!" He asked skeptically.
"I love sofas." Tristan stated. "Especially comfy ones because of when I was a child." Loki's eyebrows furrowed at Tristan.
"Has anyone told you that you are strange?" He didn't wait for an answer; instead he walked straight into the spare bedroom.
"I'm strange?!" Tristan exclaimed, pointing to herself as she turned to Darcy.
Loki woke up in the middle of the night. He hadn't been sleeping that much as of late. Shuffling himself out into the kitchen to get a glass of water, a light blue glow caught his attention. Tristan's laptop had been left on. Going over to it, Loki slid the machine over to him as he sat down. His gaze quickly went over to Tristan, whose back was to him as she slept.
His attention went back to the screen when the picture dissolved into another. The new image which appeared was of Tristan; a younger picture of her to be exact. She was lying in a hospital bed, looking like she was on the edge of death as she slept. She had no hair and dark circles under her eyes.
"That was the day Jane and Darcy saved my life." Loki looked over to Tristan who was now awake and facing him. "Their blood type matched mine and the blood they gave me was enough to help me stay alive through the last of my cancer before I beat it. That was like 10 years ago." The picture dissolved into another showing all three girls.
"Your race is weak."
"That attitude is never going to get those bracelets off and your powers back." Loki slowly stood.
"Worry about yourself."
"The road you're on is exhausting when you are going it alone. I should know; I was on it until I met Darcy and Jane." Tristan pulled the covers up to her chest as she turned her back on Loki, quickly falling back to asleep.
The next day, everyone was gathered around the breakfast table when Tristan busted in, wearing just her sports bra and shorts. "I didn't even need to exercises to get my endorphins going today. Good news bitches! I'm staying until after New Year's!"
"Seriously?!" Jane asked. Tristan joined them.
"Totally, thanks to the boy wonder here." She nodded towards Loki. "I made bank on the pictures I took yesterday and sent to a few buyers. So I'm sticking around a little longer to see if I can get more photos." Tristan filled her plate with some food.
"It's been forever since you've been in one spot for so long." Darcy said giddily.
"Which reminds me, can I crash with you?" Darcy quickly nodded.
"Of course you can."
"Hey! You said the next time you were staying for a while you'd crash with me." Jane said with a pout on her face.
"You have a blonde haired God in your bed and apparently the two of you can't keep each other's hands off one another. So I'm staying with Darcy since the walls are super thin." Tristan smirked as Jane blushed up to her ears.
After the Avengers had taken down Loki, Jane and Darcy were asked to stay behind and help S.H.I.E.L.D. out with a few things. Tristan, of course, tagged along.
Tony Stark was in heavy conversation with Bruce Banner when the group walked in.
"Tristan?!" Tony called out when he saw her.
"What other extremely hot red heads do you know?" Tristan asked, hugging him.
"How do you know Tony?" Darcy asked.
"We met last year when he flew me here from Canada so I could do a photo shoot for him and his company." Tony had an arm around Tristan as he added,
"I needed the best when it came to making me look good."
"You don't need me for that, Rico Suave." Tristan laughed. Loki watched the two's display of affection with disgust. Looking at her, Tony asked,
"What brings you here?"
"Come to see the besties for the holidays."
"Lucky us." Tony looked at Jane and Darcy with a grin. Tristan slid out from under Tony's arm.
"Well, have fun you guys."
"Break my heart. You're leaving us?" Tony placed a hand over where his heart would be.
"Thanks to Loki, I made bank on the destruction he created when I was came to town yesterday. Now I am going to make even more." Tristan left the group.
Mid-way through the day, Tristan found her way back to the others.
"I knew you'd come back to me. They all do." Tony, who was now in his suit for Iron Man, said with a smile.
"What have I told you? No sweet-talking me unless you have presents." Tony grabbed a flower from a nearby bush.
"For you, my lady." He said, handing it to her.
"What would Pepper say?"
"She doesn't have to know." Taking the flower, Tristan shook her head.
"Thanks, but no dice. I'm more afraid of what she will do than what you will do." Tristan made her way over to Thor. "Tell Jane that the tree will be delivered tonight. The eggnog is on her."
Tristan was waiting for the others when they got off work.
"You got a tree?!" Darcy exclaimed as she clapped her hands in excitement.
"Of course. We need to get ready for a fun Christmas now that I'm here."
"Why don't the two of you take Loki back home and wait for the tree. Thor and I will get the eggnog." Tristan leaned forward to ask,
"He's allowed to be around others without supervision from Thor or one of The Avengers?"
"He is harmless without his magic. Plus if he gives you trouble, Darcy is more than happy to taser him. Which she has permission to do so." Jane answered. Darcy smirked about being able to taser Loki. Tristan pointed at him.
"Okay average Joe, let's go. It's time to have some Christmas fun that, no matter what, you can't get out of."
"I forgot how pushy your holiday spirit is." Jane laughed as Tristan pushed an unwilling Loki down the sidewalk while Darcy held onto her taser.
When Jane and Thor arrived back at Jane's place, the Christmas music was playing and the door was swung wide open. The two gaped at the living room as they entered. Boxes, enough to decorate both Jane and Darcy's apartment, were everywhere.
Jane was still trying to register everything as she sputtered out, "Where….where did this all come from?"
"I got them. I know you and Darcy weren't much on having decorations for the holidays." Tristan opened one of the boxes that had a few nutcrackers in them. Watching Tristan, Jane informed her,
"You went overboard this year."
"We have to show Thor and Loki a super fun Christmas, duh." Loki, meanwhile, was hiding in the corner hoping to be forgotten.
"Exactly Jane." Darcy grabbed for the eggnog that hung in her hand.
They had Thor bring in the tree and set it up once it had arrived. Next they had the usual lights debate; 800 lights on their tree was too much in Jane's opinion but just enough for Tristan and Darcy. So, as usual, they landed on 600. Once that was done, they began to hang up the ornaments as they enjoyed the buzz from the eggnog.
Loki was sitting on the chair by one of the windows ignoring everyone until an ornament was dangled in front of his face.
"Here." Smiled Tristan.
"No." He turned his head back to the window. Taking Loki's hand, Tristan placed the ornament in his palm.
"You are going to participate. And when I walk away, if you break this ornament or any other one as well as not participate, I'll do more than elbow you in the stomach." She threatened before smiling and rejoining the others.
A knock at the door pulled Darcy away from the tree.
"Carl!" She called out. Tristan looked to Jane.
"Who's Carl?"
"The guy I told you about that she's been having that texting relationship with." Looking back over to the couple, Tristan commented,
"He's kind of cute."
"I can't believe he is real." Jane snorted.
"Sorry for the random showing up. I figured since I can and before I leave town, I'd stop by when I had the guts to do so." Carl explained after Darcy asked what he was doing there.
"Hey you two!" Tristan called out, pointing to the mistletoe that hung above the front door.
Tristan had a little fun with the stuff and hung it wherever she felt like. The front door was one of the many places. Darcy didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed Carl's shirt, pulling him into a kiss.
"Get a room." Tristan joked.
After the tree was decorated, Tristan had the others decorate the apartment. Well, apartments as they ended up going back and forth between Jane and Darcy's.
Tristan was coming out of Jane's apartment heading to Darcy's as Loki was going to Jane's when they got caught under the mistletoe.
"Looks like Loki may get lucky." Darcy joked.
"Excuse me?" He glared, clearly not amused with everyone who were still buzzing from the eggnog.
"Don't listen to her, she's just being silly. Now are you going to kiss me or what?"
Everyone watched to see what would happen next. Loki straightened up and walked back into Darcy's apartment. Not fazed by the action, Tristan just shrugged it off before gasping,
"Oh my God you guys!"
"What's wrong?" Jane asked as Thor braced himself ready for something bad to happen. Holding her hands up with wide eyes, Tristan replied,
"It's going to snow tonight."
"The weather is supposed to be nice tonight." Carl brought up.
"She has never been wrong about the first snow since we've known her. So if she is claiming it's going to snow, it will snow." Darcy declared, grabbing some more decorations. Continuing to get excited, Tristan exclaimed,
"I am so stoked about this!" Clapping her hands, she hopped back inside the apartment.
Loki had gotten up to use the restroom. Following his trip to the bathroom, he decided to get something to drink so he made his way to the kitchen. On his way to the kitchen, he found Tristan sitting in the window. She was watching the snow fall.
"Looks like you were correct about the snow. Though doesn't Darcy have windows at her place?" Loki asked. Looking over at him, Tristan explained,
"The view is better over here. Come look." She waved him over.
"I am good. It's just snow." Tristan got up to drag Loki to the window.
"Stop for five seconds from all your hating and 'I want to take over the world' and start enjoying the beauty that is the first snow." Loki watched in silence for about a minute.
"I believe an apology is in order." Tristan turned to Loki.
"For?"
"For the incident with the mistletoe earlier today." Tristan waved the apology off.
"That wouldn't be the first time that's happened to me. Hell! I've done what you've done and walked away from someone before."
"It's something I still should apologize for." Loki was facing her now. They stared at each for a moment before Tristan cupped Loki's face and went in for a kiss. The kiss got heavy and lasted for a good few minutes before Tristan pulled away with a smile.
"Apology accepted." Loki stopped Tristan from moving, keeping them only inches from each other.
"The first snow is not only beautiful, it is magical." This time, he went in for the kiss.
Not breaking their kiss, they stumbled into Loki's room. Once the door was shut, the clothes were stripped off. After shedding their clothing down to their underwear, they went for the bed.
Tristan pushed Loki onto the bed and he took in every inch of the women before him. He couldn't believe that a human, of all creatures, could look so beautiful. Tristan bit her bottom lip climbing above Loki.
Darcy walked into Jane's apartment with Carl on her heels. Jane and Thor were enjoying their breakfast
"Have you guys seen Tristan?"
"No." Thor answered with a mouth full of food.
"It's odd, we haven't seen her either. Tristan has always been up before us." Jane mentioned, getting up from her chair. Coming right back, Jane's eyes were the size of saucers. "I found her."
Tristan walked into the room wearing the same clothes as yesterday and scratching at her head with a yawn as Loki showed up behind her a few seconds later.
"I thought I smelled bacon." Tristan sat down, taking some bacon off of Jane's plate.
"You care to share something with the rest of the class?" Darcy asked, looking to her red-headed friend for the answer.
Finishing the piece of bacon she had, Tristan replied, "It snowed around two this morning." Tristan grabbed another piece of bacon before heading to Darcy's place. The other two girls followed after her.
"You slept with Loki?!" Jane gasped.
"That I did."
"The guy nearly took out New York and hates Earth?! And yet you still sleep with him!….what was it like?" Leaning on the back of the couch, Tristan replied,
"Absolutely amazing."
"He's evil." Jane stated, clearly not that happy in the direction that the conversation was going.
"Then what is the purpose of having him help rebuild everything if not to try and make him a better person? Plus Thor believes he has good in him so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt." Darcy gasped.
"I know that look! You like him!"
"Tristan, no." Jane groaned.
"I couldn't stop it!" Covering her face, Tristan fell back onto the couch. Darcy and Jane walked around the couch.
"You are aware that nothing is going to come of this." Jane told her.
"Like nothing is going to come of you and Thor?" Tristan asked, moving to face them.
"She has a point." Darcy agreed. "What makes Thor any different from Loki? They are both Norse Gods." She sat next to Tristan. Doing the same, Jane replied,
"The fact that one is good and the other one is bad."
"I don't know why you two are up in arms anyways. I've liked many of guys but as soon as the mood comes along or the next job offer happens I'm out." Tristan stated, placing her feet up on the coffee table. Darcy crossed her arms.
"At least tell us what it was like; in detail." Jane looked over at Darcy.
"You weren't this interested when Thor and I got together."
"Because you two weren't subtle as the walls hid nothing you two did." Tristan nodded in agreement.
"Seriously?!" Jane exclaimed. "You heard us doing it?"
"The first night I was here, Loki crashed in Darcy's spare room because of you two." Jane blushed a crimson red.
"If that's so, why didn't we hear you two last night?" Tristan smirked.
"We know how to be quiet."
The girls rushed after their friend, leaving the three guys alone.
"Loki, you shouldn't have." Thor chastised him.
"Why? Because you are the only person who can have anything more with these creatures?"
"No, because you still think they are beneath you. Jane is every right my equal." Loki leaned back in his chair.
"What makes you believe that I don't think of Tristan that way?"
"Your attention span for women has never been long."
"Well that's a good thing. Darcy said last week that Tristan has a short attention span for guys." Carl, quiet until now, interjected himself in the conversation. The two brothers slowly turned their heads to the man who just spoke.
"Why are you even here?" Loki asked.
"Don't get snippy with me. I'm not the one getting chastised for getting lucky last night." Carl threw back at Loki. Thor turned back to his brother.
"If this somehow hurts Jane, I will hurt you."
"Why would me being with Tristan hurt Jane?"
"Jane, Darcy, and Tristan are very close; if one is hurting so are the others." Thor explained.
"Well, it should. I've had their blood in me. How much closer can three girls get?" Tristan said as the three of them walked back in the apartment. Carl stood.
"Are you able to take me to the bus stations before work?"
"Can I come with you guys?" Tristan asked. "I have to get some more pictures and I haven't been down towards the bus station."
"Well duh. I have some more questions about your recent hook-up." Darcy quickly snuck a look at Loki.
"Sweet! Give me five minutes." Jane glared at Loki after Tristan left the apartment.
"Listen here. Tristan has had enough to deal with in life. You hurt her and I swear none of the Avengers will be able to save you from me."
"She is a grown women and can take care of herself." Loki said. Tristan walked back in and asked,
"Who can take care of themselves?"
"You. Thought your friends here think that I am somehow going to hurt you and have threatened me with physical violence." Zipping up her jacket, Tristan shrugged and said,
"It's the same with all of us. If Thor or Carl hurt Darcy or Jane, I would have no qualms about hurting one of them. I even know how to get rid of a body quickly and easily, thanks to my trip to Thailand. But they shouldn't be the ones to worry about; it's me you need to worry about."
"That's why we're best friends." Darcy laughed.
"Let's go, you guys." Tristan said, throwing her camera bag over her shoulder.
Tristan had Darcy drop her off at a spot that she thought to be perfect for some pictures. It had been dark for a few hours when Tristan finally returned back to the apartments.
"Where have you been?" Jane had just sat down at the table with the others for dinner. Grabbing herself a plate, Tristan replied,
"I have gotten some great pictures so no time to talk. I've got some major work ahead of me." Heading back to Darcy's apartment, she called out, "Thanks for dinner."
"Looks like she is going to have another all-nighter." Darcy mentioned.
"She takes pictures. How can she have this all-nighter?" Loki questioned. Darcy pointed her fork at him as she spoke.
"Her work is used all over the place. She gets royalties up the ying-yang. If Tristan didn't donate most of her money from the royalties to cancer treatment places, she could afford to live in a mansion. With a staff of like 30."
"Why does she not keep all her riches?" Thor asked.
"It doesn't mean that much to her. She is doing what she loves. Showing people the beauty in everything." Jane said as she poured herself something to drink.
Darcy plopped down onto the couch in her apartment.
"What did you think of Carl?" She finally asked after a long silence. Tristan looked up from her computer.
"What don't you like about him?" Sighing, Darcy replied,
"Absolutely nothing." Closing her laptop, Tristan frowned.
"I'm confused. What's the problem if there is nothing?"
"I think I'm just waiting for that second shoe to fall." Tristan moved to sit next to Darcy.
"I say forget the second shoe. Carl is a total catch."
"I can't help it."
"I was going to give this to you in a pretty frame and everything as part of your Christmas present, but it looks like you need this now." Going through a stack of papers and pictures, Tristan handed Darcy the picture once she found it. "For when you have doubts about Carl. It's the way he looks at you that shows he isn't going anywhere anytime soon - if at all."
It was a picture from when they were decorating the apartments. Darcy was hanging one of the ornaments with Carl off to the side waiting to hand her another one. All Darcy's boyfriends had stared at one thing, well things: her boobs. Carl was grinning like the Cheshire cat as he stared at her face and nothing else. Going back to her laptop, Tristan said,
"I never saw once him look anywhere but your face. Jane either. Which, speaking of the girl genius, where is that heifer?" Tristan looked around.
"One guess." As if on cue, Loki walked through the door.
"Seriously?!" Darcy stood.
"It's been like that since they started working on New York."
"Who knew that Jane was that horny" Tristan joked.
"Well I'm going to take a long bath before going to bed. Thanks for the picture" Darcy went into her room. Loki took Darcy's empty spot. Tristan looked over at him.
"What?"
"Nothing." Shaking her head, Tristan wouldn't let it drop.
"There is no such thing as nothing when you are involved." Tristan said before continuing on what she had been doing before Darcy came in.
"For a human, you are not that bad."
"Tell me something I am not aware of." Loki leaned back as he crossed his legs.
"I assume there isn't much that you don't know."
"I know! Now if only everyone else understood that, things would be easier." Loki watched her for a moment.
"If you want some company for the night. You know where to find me." Seeing she was completely enthralled in her work.
"Right back at you." Tristan said as she typed something up.
The next day, Darcy shuffled out of her room yawning to find Tristan in the same exact spot that she had left her last night.
"Did you sleep?"
"The usual five hours." Closing her laptop, Tristan held up an envelope. "This came this morning when I went across the street for some coffee." She handed Darcy the invitation. "I think Jane got one as well. It's to Tony Stark's Christmas Party." Looking at the invitation, Darcy commented,
"I've gone to a few of his parties. They are amazing."
"You know what this means?" Tristan smirked.
"SHOPPING!" The girls screamed out. Loki walked out of the spare room, rubbing his eyes.
"What is with all the screaming?"
"It's what girls on Earth do when they get excited about shopping." Tristan answered him.
"That could have been done at a lower level." Both girls rolled their eyes.
"Suck it, Loki." Tristan told him.
Tony's Christmas party was in full swing.
"Where is Tristan?" Jane asked. The four had gone without her when she said that she would meet them there.
Darcy was about to answer when the elevator doors dinged before opening and out stepped Tristan in a bright red strapless dress. The bottom of the dress puffed out with white fuzz rimming the end of the red velvet material; a black belt buckle was around her waist with three buttons up the front of her dress. Tristan had a pair of white stockings that stopped mid-thigh and she wore a pair of black ankle boots. The entire outfit gave her a Santa Claus look. She stepped off the elevator on Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye's, arm. Darcy looked to Jane.
"Did she tell you she had a date?"
"No. I didn't even think he was her type." Darcy watched the two enter the room. By this point, Loki was fuming and clenching his jaw. He was doing everything in his power to not lose control. Walking over to the group, Tristan thanked Clint before he walked off.
"What is going on?" Jane asked.
"He isn't even your type." Darcy added.
"I ran into Clint on the way up here. Some drunk guy dressed as Santa was trying to grab my ass as he slurred his words about making me his Mrs. Claus. Clint was nice enough to do something about it."
"You sure know how to take the attention away from me." Tony stated as he walked up. Turning to him, Tristan quipped,
"You couldn't have it all."
"Dance?" Tony asked, holding out his hand. Tristan took his hand.
"Pepper okay with it?"
"Why wouldn't she be? I'm dancing with you; not taking you home." Tristan allowed Tony to take her out onto the dance floor.
"You couldn't get me if you wanted to." She teased.
"Don't flatter yourself." He smirked.
"Ditto."
Jane had gone to the restroom and Darcy was talking to some friends; Tristan sat at a table with Thor and Loki.
"You look nice, Lady Tristan." Thor complimented Tristan.
"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." Clint stopped by, bending down to whisper something to her. "Sure, that would be great."
Loki watched Tristan intensely as she got up and headed onto the dance floor with Clint. That was the second Avenger to put his hands on her. It was bad enough that she was getting a lot of attention from a bunch of men at this party because of that outfit. An outfit which, though he would never admit it out loud to anyone, was driving him crazy. It was only a matter of time before she danced with the other two male members of the Avengers, Bruce and Roger.
Tristan never returned to the table after the dance. She and Clint danced one more song before they moved off the floor, introducing her to Natasha. Loki tuned out everything as he watched Tristan with Clint for the better part of the night. He couldn't figure out what she was playing at.
Watching them sitting in the corner, Loki didn't pay attention to the others around him until a hand was waving in his face.
"Just because you two slept together doesn't make her committed to you." Darcy told him when he looked at her. He glared at the raven haired woman.
"That's exactly why she should be." Darcy snorted with a shake of her head.
"It was just a hook-up; nothing more. Tristan is complicated and will always want that sure thing. Which she knows will never happen because she never has the attention span to stay with something or someone for very long to find out if it's a sure thing since she had cancer. It's why she loves photography. It keeps her moving and it's always changing."
Loki didn't like what he heard, but he knew that Darcy would know better than him. After all, he had never known that this women existed until now. What made things worse was that he had never really cared for these creatures and their lives were so easily snuffed out.
"So Natasha is okay with you spending all this time with me?" Looking over at the equally pretty red head before bring his attention back to Tristan, Clint replied,
"No, why do you ask?"
"I just figured you two might be an item or something."
"Most definitely no on that. Which I am glad because I am talking to the prettiest women here." Tristan blushed.
"You are sweet for someone who is slightly intoxicated."
"Only a little buzzed." He laughed. Tristan got up.
"Let's dance it off than." As they made their way onto the dance floor, Tristan stopped Clint.
"What?" He asked. Tristan moved much closer to him before replying,
"Mistletoe." She pointed up.
The second they went in for a kiss, they were pulled apart. Both turned to see Loki as the other Avengers quickly approached. Loki quickly planted a kiss on Tristan's lips showing to everyone in the room that this women was his.
"What the hell?!" Tony gaped. Tristan held up her hand after they broke apart.
"It's okay, I've got this, you guys." She pushed Loki towards a room for some privacy. Tony caught them by the door.
"Tristan, this guy tried to take out Earth."
"He has no powers. What the hell can he do?" Tristan asked before disappearing behind the door. "What were you thinking?! I've been waiting all night for the perfect moment for Clint and me to kiss. And just when we were about to, you ruined it." Tristan stood there, waiting for an answer, but Loki said nothing at all. "Seriously nothing? You've had something to say…" Loki's left hand wrapped around Tristan's waist as his right hand went through her hair to the back of her head. Dipping her back a little, Loki kissed her firmly. Tristan's hands hung onto Loki's waist as she felt his mouth claiming hers for the second time in a span of five minutes. Coming up for some air, Loki finally admitted,
"I didn't like the thought of another man's lips on yours."
"I find it hot that you are possessive and I shouldn't because no one owns me. I can kiss who I want, where I want, when I want. Especially since you and I are not together."
Tony looked at his watch as he, the other Avengers, Darcy and Jane waited outside the room that Tristan and Loki had gone into.
"They have been in there awhile." Natasha said.
"A little too long." Tony opened the door.
Loki was sitting on a chair as Tristan was straddling him. Their lips were locked while Loki's hands were snaking up Tristan's dress. Tony cleared his throat and the two stopped instantly, looking to the group gathering at the door. Tristan quickly got off of Loki, her face going horribly red. Tristan looked back at Loki.
"We need to go. Nice party, Tony. I hope I get a chance to attend another one." Taking Loki's hand, Tristan walked past Darcy and Jane. "See you guys back home."
"Am I the only one who finds this every shade of weird that the guy who tried to destroy our planet is getting lucky?" Tony asked.
"This way he is busy where we can have some fun without having to worry what he is up to." Darcy brought up before heading back to the party. Pointing in her direction, Tony had to agree.
"She has a point. Back to the fun." He left too.
Tristan straddled Loki as soon as they made it back to Jane's apartment and into Loki's room.
"You know us is never going to actually happen."
"I do, but until then, you are mine." Loki moved so he was on top while going in for a kiss. Breaking the kiss, Tristan smirked.
"I so don't belong to you."
"You do." Loki declared before claiming her mouth again.
Tristan was sitting on the couch when Darcy came out of her room the next day.
"Did nothing happen with Loki last night? Because by the looks of it, when we found you and him, things were pretty hot and heavy."
"Oh, things happened, I just had some things that needed to be done this morning that were more important than lying next to a hot Norse God." Popping her head out from behind the fridge door, Darcy said,
"Let me get this straight. You left a person, who is supposed to not be real and who you find attractive – which I'll never get because he's a dick – to be over here on my couch doing work. Do I have that right?"
"You got it." Tristan replied, clicking on a few things.
"I'm never going to get you." Darcy muttered before going back to the fridge.
Tristan got on a roll and no one saw her for the next few days.
"I thought Tristan was to say through your New Year's." Thor brought up as they sat in the living room at Jane's apartment.
"She is." Jane said as she blew on her hot chocolate.
"Then why have we not seen her as of late?" Thor asked. Darcy finished her cup.
"She's in the zone right now which means that nothing else matters to her but getting the right picture."
Carl had come up for Christmas to spend with Darcy and the others, but mainly Darcy. Tristan saw him in passing as work seemed to consume most of her days up until she came barreling in on Christmas Eve as everyone was sitting down at the dinner table.
"I am so, so, so sorry you guys." She rushed out as she joined them at the table. Jane handed her a plate.
"You must be getting some really good pictures."
"The amount I got done, I don't have to do anything until I leave after New Year's. Which reminds me, I have to leave January first." Darcy looked up sharply from her plate.
"You're leaving than?!"
"I'm leaving that night so I can sleep my hangover off on the plane. The job offer I gotten was pushed up a few days." Tristan replied, throwing a bunch of food on her plate.
"What's the job?" Carl asked. Tristan got up to get something to drink.
"I'm flying out to Liechtenstein to take pictures of some royal family or something and the one father by marriage or birth just recently became ill and looks like he is not going to make it so they want so family photos of everyone in case he doesn't make it. Guy's like 94." Tristan explained, stuffing her mouth.
"Wow Liechtenstein. I just figured it was some guys name in A Knight's Tale." Carl said.
"That's what I thought too until I flew out there on my first trip to take pictures of the land of Liechtenstein!"
After everyone finished eating, the dishes were cleaned, and the leftover food was put away, everyone gathered in the living room around the tree to open presents.
It was getting late as time flew with everyone gushing over the stuff that was given and laughed about all sort of things. At some point, Tristan had gotten comfy on the couch and crashed, but she jerked awake when she felt someone shake her lightly.
"What?" She asked groggily.
"You fell asleep." Loki informed her.
"Why didn't you leave me?"
"Because as is tradition with your kind, I have a present for you." Tristan sat up in surprise.
"Really? You said that you refuse to participate in such silly things and that it was bad enough we made you participate for Thanksgiving."
"I always lived for myself and no one else, but then you came along and now I want nothing more than for you to be mine and no one else's." Tristan rubbed at her eyes.
"I'm going to punch you if you keep telling me I belong to you which does not make me happy because that would be bad Santa juju."
"I don't know what Santa juju is but I figure it's some human thing that should be added to the list of things I find odd about your race."
"What is the present you got me?" Tristan took the gift that Loki handed to her. When she opened it, she gasped. It was a silver necklace and hanging on it was a little vile. Inside the vile was snow that it looked to be falling out from nowhere as it fell from the top of the vile to the bottom; there was a slight white glow coming from it. "Where did you get this? It's beautiful."
"I had help from Thor getting it to work properly since my magic is gone. But it's so that you can have the first snow with you always." Tristan had Loki place it around her neck.
"This is absolutely amazing."
When Jane and Thor came out of their room on Christmas morning, it was to find Loki and Tristan cuddling on the couch as they slept.
Before anyone knew it, New Year's Eve had arrived and everyone was, of course, at Tony's bash. Tristan had, of course, slipped a tight sparkly short dress on that made her boobs look bigger than they really were.
"How?" Tony asked, finding Tristan alone.
"Oh, I had Darcy and Jane get me in this dress. It was pretty freaking hard to slip on myself." Tristan replied, looking down at herself. Taking a sip of his drink, Tony shook his head.
"No. How can you shack up with Loki? That's been bugging me."
"Apparently not that much if I'm just hearing from you now."
"Seriously, I need this explained to me. I can see why Jane likes thunder boy; he is blonde and buff. But Loki?"
"It's the sex." Tristan answered just as Loki arrived with drinks for himself and Tristan. Tony soon left the two alone.
"What did he want?" Loki asked, sounding not too happy about it.
"He wanted to know why I would hook up with you. I told him it was because of the sex." Tristan replied, taking a sip of her drink. Watching her, Loki stated,
"I don't want to be here."
"Well I do. So do me a solid and stay until midnight and I'll show you a fantastic rest of the night." Loki wasn't thrilled to be staying any longer, but he couldn't leave her because the thought of others trying to pick her up concerned him. He wanted everyone to know that, for this moment, she was his.
The next day, when Loki awoke, Tristan was gone. A quick search of the apartment showed that her stuff was gone and that she had already left for the airport with no goodbyes. He had known that this was going to happen, but he hadn't planned on feeling so troubled about the situation.
TWO YEARS LATER
Tristan shuffled out of the bathroom. She was filled with so much pain and plagued with exhaustion as she slowly made her way back to her bed.
"I was told that your sickness had returned, but I didn't believe Thor when he told me." Loki stood at the end of her bed.
"I thought you went back to Asgard when New York was finished." Loki glanced around at some of the beeping machines.
"I did." He confirmed.
"Then why did you come back?"
"Because I realized – and I hate admitting this – nothing matters unless I am with you." Tristan coughed hard, catching her breath once the fit was over.
"You are a little late. I don't have another fight in me to survive this a second time."
"Come with me back to Asgard, for good."
"Loki, this is going to kill me. I don't have much time left." Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms and headed for the hallway.
"Sir, excuse me sir, you can't just take her." One of the nurses called after him, but Loki ignored her. Thor was waiting outside of the hospital with Darcy and Jane.
"What…what's going on?"
"We're saving you again." Jane said. Both girls had tears in their eyes as they saw the pain that the cancer was causing Tristan.
Before anything else was done, Tristan was knocked out. When she awoke, she was laying in the middle of a giant bed. She slowly sat up as Loki walked through the doors.
"Where are we?"
"Asgard."
"Seriously? Why?" Loki placed the tray of food next to her on the bed.
"Build your strength. The magic that was used to remove your cancer took a little more out of you than I would have liked."
"What? It's gone?"
"Yes, you couldn't get married being that sick." Tristan's head shot around to him.
"Married?! What the hell?! What makes you think I want to get married?"
"Neither one of us is happy without the other. I watched you every day for a year, seeing the same sorrow and pain in your face as I felt in my heart. But neither one of use will admit how much we feel for each other because you and I are stuck in our ways and to stubborn for anything else. So I've decided that we're getting married." Grabbing for some of the food, Tristan grumbled,
"It sucks that you are freaking right and I hate you for that."
"I know."
THE END