Collins hummed quietly to herself as she cleared her desk off. Things had been surprisingly quiet around the office that day and she had been left in a good mood.
She thought about popping up to the Avengers' floor to surprise Cooper and beg him to have dinner with her. He had yet to turn down her company and she was in danger of wanting to spend all her free time with him if he continued to be so pleased by her presence.
The way his eyes lit up when he saw her stepping off the elevator left Collins with butterflies in her stomach and tentative dreams of more in her heart.
She sighed at the thought of seeing him, a smile curling her lip, and jumped when someone knocked on her office door.
Collins looked up in time to see a familiar blond crack open the door.
"Lady Collins, may I trouble you for a moment of your time?" Thor grinned shyly at her as he poked his head through the doorway.
"Oh, hey Thor!" Collins waved at him cheerfully and sat down a stack of papers. "C'mon in. What are you doing down here?"
The blond Asgardian came inside, a bit more confident now, and closed the door behind himself. He watched her with interest, propping his hip up against the side of her desk as she continued straightening up her paperwork and setting her pens back in their drawers and holders.
Collins always had to straighten up her work station before she headed out, elsewise she'd never find anything and let herself fall into the chaos that was the desk in her apartment.
"I came to see you, actually. I understand this is an early day for you?"
The tilt of Thor's head told Collins that he didn't actually understand what the phrase meant and she smiled kindly at him.
"I get off work early on Thursdays, yes."
And on occasion, such as that particular week, Collins was also given her Fridays off. In the end, that usually meant her Mondays the following week ran extra long, but those three day weekends were worth it more often than not.
"Then, might I have your help with something I've been meaning to do for some time now?"
"Of course." Collins nodded amicably and checked her desk over once more. The only thing left to put away was her tablet, which was tucked into the safe beneath her desk, and then she turned her full attention to Thor. "What exactly are you trying to get done?"
"I find myself in need of a wardrobe. Midgardian style, to be precise." Thor looked a touch bashful as he gestured to the plain T-shirt and sweatpants he was currently wearing. "I can conjure myself clothes well enough, but I think it would be best to have a variety in my closet as well."
Collins blinked in surprise. She had expected him to ask her to explain how to use a cellphone or use the toaster (again). Not shopping.
"Well, I can definitely help, but are you sure you don't want to go with Doctor Foster or Steve?" Her brow furrowed at the thought of his girlfriend and wondered if there would be any backlash from seeing him around the town from her. Thor was friends enough with Steve, too - and had the benefit of a man's opinion with him.
"Jane…" Thor went a touch pink in the cheeks. "Jane is my reasoning for the wardrobe. I - Well, I believe my choice of attire on our last date was poorly chosen. She won't say it, but I'm aware I embarrassed her. I'd like to better my knowledge of Midgardian fashion - and what is appropriate in certain situations - and look less… homeless as Cooper put it."
Collins bit her lip and tried not to laugh at the mental image of the always well-dressed Cooper going to town with his criticism of Thor's clothes. It wasn't funny. Or, at least, it shouldn't have been so funny to her.
"He would be the one to do that…" she sighed, attempting to keep some of the fondness from her tone. She smiled reassuringly at Thor. "I think it's sweet, what you're doing for Doctor Foster. I think she'll appreciate the effort."
Thor beamed down at her, looking as bright as the sun.
"I hope she will." His brow furrowed in concern as he continued. "You're sure this won't inconvienence you? I know you've had little time to yourself as of late."
Collins waved off his concern.
"Nah, it's fine. It'll be like that bit in Pretty Woman." She slipped her purse onto her shoulder and looked up at him. "Do you mind if we stop by my apartment so I can change and set out some food for my cat first?"
Thor bowed graciously and gestured for her to go first.
"Lead the way, my lady." His head cocked curiously. "But tell me, what is this pretty woman? Is it a movie?"
Collins led the way to her apartment, chattering happily about the movie, along with a few others she was fond of. Thor told her of what Doctor Foster and their friend Darcy had talked him into watching with him, leading Collins to laugh herself silly at his recounts of the Magic Mike movie. She gave him a few recommendations she thought that Doctor Foster might like and would also give him the benefit of not seeming totally clueless next time he had a movie night with her.
Collins left Thor to look around her living room while she slipped into her bedroom, firing off a quick text to Happy Hogan as she did.
She exchanged her dress suit for a pair of jeans and a comfortable T-shirt and sneakers, tossed her hair into a messy bun, and grabbed a little handbag to slip her phone and wallet into.
It took her less than five minutes and she moved out to the balcony to refresh Oliver's water bowl and set out some more food for him in case he visited while she was away. Despite her being out of the apartment more often than not these days, he still seemed to stop by just as frequently as ever.
Collins missed lazy Saturdays when he'd slip in and spend the day splayed across her chest while she watched terrible horror movies and binged on snacks.
Thor took the chance to look around her apartment, admiring the abundance of plants on her balcony. Her bookshelves were filled to bursting and double stacked, some shoved sideways in an attempt to fit, while others found homes in piles on the floor and side tables.
He tapped at the dainty keys of her kalimba, charmed by the music box sounds they produced, and ran a hand over the unfinished crochet projects she left in a basket by the sofa.
So much personality, so many hobbies she left unspoken when she visited the penthouse. Unspoken to all but Cooper, it seemed.
Thor paused by the television stand, stooping to peer at the framed photos there, most of a young Collins and girls her age, or a pair of older adults she shared features with.
One in particular caught his eye, the young woman wrapped around a boy who looked delirious with joy.
"Is this a relative of yours?" Thor picked up the picture and waved it a bit, calling Collins' attention to it.
She joined him by the bookcase and took the frame, smiling at the young faces in it. One was obviously her, rounder cheeks and still barely on the cusp of adulthood, and the other was a puppy-eyed boy with too long hair and a wide smile.
"Oh, no." she said with soft fondness. "He's a good friend of mine - we actually dated for a couple of years when I was in college."
"You speak well of him." Thor said with faux-casualness. "I mean, as if you still have love in your heart for him."
"I do. I always will, I think." Collins said honestly. "We broke up because circumstances weren't the best for a relationship to flourish, not for a lack of love. I…"
She trailed off awkwardly and put the picture back.
Would it have been weird to say she still would have married him if he'd ever asked her? Or would it seem too much like she was still holding onto a dream long since dead and buried?
Teddy had been her best friend and her first love - she hadn't tried too hard to find a new relationship since him, but what she had blossoming with Cooper made her nervous. She didn't want things to fizzle out with him like they did before.
"I see…" Thor said carefully, watching Collins closely. "He was lucky to have you in his life for as long as he did."
Collins and Thor avoided each other's eyes as they headed back out into the hallway. Thor tried to fill the silence for a little while, rambling on about something Darcy said that made little sense to him, but made even less sense when he recounted the tale. Thor, it seemed, was incredibly long-winded when he felt awkward and had more words than his body seemed capable of holding.
Collins could only smile and nod politely when there came an opening, but was relieved when they saw Happy waiting for them by the car.
The man grunted at them irritably and Collins hurried Thor into the car before he chewed them out for taking so long. The Asgardian didn't seem to notice and Collins took the chance to change the subject and play tour guide for the foreign prince. She pointed out the little shops around the Tower she liked to visit and a few street vendors who sold great food.
Happy dropped the pair off at a haberdashery and Collins took great joy in sending Thor into the changing room with a pile of clothes. She picked a little of everything for him to try, from crisp jeans and polos to suit pants and button-ups. The latter could be tailored to fit him better and Collins was sure to impress the need for a good tailor to Thor. She had seen enough of Queer Eye to know that herself.
They'd have to find someone before the next Stark Party to get him a nice suit made up for the occasion.
Upon leaving the store, all of the bags were settled into Thor's muscular arms and Collins relished the ability to shop and not have to carry the purchases herself.
Thor came to a stop just before they reached the car, his eyes fixed on a little store tucked between the haberdashery and a tourist shop. A little, floppy eared dog watched them curiously from behind the glass door.
"Is that one of the animal shops?" Thor's visage brightened at the sight of another puppy in the window wagging its tail.
Collins smiled at the sight and nodded. "A pet store, yes."
"I visited one when I first met Jane. Did you know they don't sell horses?"
"They are a bit too small for those." Collins bit back her laughter at the idea, wondering what the stores on Asgard sold. "A horse auction is fun to go to, though."
"You're familiar with horses?" Thor raised his brows and looked around at the city dubiously, not spotting many animals apart from pets walking with their owners and the birds overhead. He was likely wondering where a horse could be kept among the cars. "Do you ride?"
"I did as a kid." Collins nodded and gently ushered him towards the trunk to put away their purchases. "My granddad kept horses for my mom and aunt. By the time I came around, he'd sold most of them, but he kept a couple for me. I was his only grandchild for a while and he liked to dote."
She fell silent as she slid into the backseat, filled with a suddenly remembered love for the open fields and tall trees she had spent all her childhood exploring. The city was so far removed from everything she had grown up knowing and, while she could honestly say she loved living there, Collins dearly missed the little country town she came from.
It was the people, mostly, some lost to her forever while others still waited by the door for her to come back and settle down once the charm of city lights dulled in her eyes. Her mother was one left hoping.
Her daddy knew she wasn't coming back for anything but a visit.
Collins never could tell if he was happy for her or disappointed.
"Has he since passed?" Thor asked, his tone impossibly gentle.
Collins thought back to the old man who had carried her around on horseback and took her wading through the river for shiny rocks and shells. Of the baseball cap perpetually on his head and weathered cheeks and calloused hands from working outdoors. Of the smell of tobacco and oil. Her grandfather.
And her heart ached still.
"Yes, about ten years ago." She said quietly, her voice thick with the threat of tears. "I still miss him."
Thor seemed likewise pensive. "I understand the sentiment. My… my mother died not too long ago."
Collins closed her eyes, feeling once again like the scum of the earth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Thor."
She'd never make another suggestion for movie night.
"Time has eased her passing somewhat, but at times I wish for nothing more than to hear her voice again." Thor sighed wistfully, but smiled at her. "I think she would have liked you, Lady Collins."
"You think so?" Collins raised her brow in surprise. She fiddled the ring on her index finger. "I hope she would, especially if she was anything like you."
"I like to think I learned her better traits rather than my father's. However, it is my brother who truly resembles Mother."
Collins stared at her hands.
Thor's brother? The God of Mischief and Lies? The one that tried to bend Earth to his will?
She felt ill.
"... Loki, you mean?" Collins dared to ask, hoping there was another, unmentioned brother.
Thor quickly dashed her hopes.
"Loki, yes." He nodded, seeming disappointed. "I take it his name is familiar to you."
"By name only. I wasn't in New York or Pepper's assistant at the time, so the Battle was only something I saw on TV."
Collins remembered the day well, the fear and horror and the pit in her stomach that came from knowing that Earth wasn't alone in the universe. That life out there wasn't all friendly.
So much for ET.
"It is unfortunate, then." Thor sighed, leaning back against the seat and turning to the window. He couldn't seem to meet her eyes. "Loki is not as terrible as he seems. He had a great shock put upon him and was left with the pressure of maintaining our kingdom when our father fell ill and I was… otherwise occupied."
Banished to Earth. Collins had heard the rumor, though she found it hard to believe Thor could have done anything to result in banishment. He was rather like a puppy once you got to know him.
"So what? The pressure was too much and he cracked under it?"
Collins thought back to the days right after the Mandarin incident and all the calls and demands she'd fended off as Pepper's stand-in. It had been unbearable - and that was just a company she worked for. She couldn't imagine having to rule a kingdom, an entire planet, let alone Nine Realms while her father was sick and another of her family away. She wondered what else was weighing on Loki's mind when he took the throne. She wondered if he'd ever expected to be in that place, the younger prince.
It was kind of like Prince Harry being stuck on the throne when
everyone expected William to be the heir.
"You might say that." Thor turned back to her. "He was lost to us for so long after that and when he reappeared here on Midgard he was not himself. Loki had been many things when we were children, but he was never so malicious. I'm at a loss for the cause."
"What happened to him?"
"He was imprisoned for a time, but I released him for Jane's sake and the sake of avenging our mother." Thor admitted, surprising Collins with his veracity and the fact that his mother hadn't merely died, but had been murdered. She was astounded that he seemed gentled by the fact rather than enraged. She wondered how Loki had felt, considering that Thor thought him the most like her and likely having a closer relationship with her. "Loki was nearly killed in the process, which I now believe was purposeful on his part. He was always so close to Mother, and Father had forbidden her to see him. He could do nothing when she…"
He trailed off into silence, his voice thick and his face troubled.
Collins felt her heart clench and she slipped a hand over his, giving him a gentle squeeze.
"I see…" she said softly. "I'm sorry for both of you, then. He must be having a hard time with everything, too."
And wasn't that humbling? To know that someone perceived as nothing more than a villain was someone hurting and struggling, too?
"You are too kind, Lady Collins." Thor smiled at her, a touch of amusement in his eyes. "I think even my brother could not be hardened at all to your charm."
Collins laughed nervously and felt her ears warm.
Her? Charm Loki? Impossible.
"So, about the pet store!" She exclaimed, scooting away from Thor a bit. "Did you want to take a look or could I show you a better alternative?"
"What did you have in mind?"
Collins grinned and leaned between the front seats to have a word with Happy. The man put on a show, exclaiming about how he didn't have all day to take them around and that it was really Mister Stark he was there to drive around, but in the end he caved to Collins' begging and took them across town to a small brick building with chain link fences on either side. There was a pair of cartoon animals - a dog and a cat - painted on either side of the front door.
An animal shelter.
It didn't take much convincing to get them in the door and through to the back. The employees looked on in awe as Thor threw himself into the midst of the furry friends, ending up beneath a pile of happy dogs smothering him with wet kisses and wagging tails.
Collins giggled at the sight, a tiny kitten draped over her shoulder while she took the opportunity to film the whole thing on her phone. She'd send the pictures to Mister Stark later. They'd end up on the Avengers' social media with some witty caption eventually.
"And you say that some of these animals' lives are at risk for lack of homes?" Thor frowned at a particularly old dog curled up beneath his arm, the pup watching contently. His muzzle was tinged silver and his tail thumped slowly, but his long ears were soft as velvet.
"Yes," One employee chimed in rather nervously. "Unfortunately many places just don't have the funds or the room. I wish we could be a no-kill shelter, but…"
Thor shook his head.
"Say no more. I quite like these fellows. I would have one if I didn't share a home with the team. I'm not sure how a dog would do in a penthouse." He pouted a bit, sending one of the girls behind Collins into a flutter, and she tucked her face into the kitten's fur to hide a smile.
Honestly, she thought having a dog around the place would be a plus for the team. Dogs had no conditions for love and affection. And they could bring someone out of their headspace long enough to remind them that they were alive and had needs too.
"You could talk to Mister Stark." Collins offered brightly. "There's employees on the lower floors like me that have pets."
"Marvelous!" Thor beamed and rose to his feet. The old dog remained in his arms, as content as anything. The safety of a god's arms was nothing to turn your nose up at. "Now, I should like to bestow a gift upon you in the meantime. I have little use for this Midgardian money and Jane will only allow me to share so much with her. How much would you require to expand your shelter?"
Everyone stared at him.
"Is -" The manager stammered, turning to Collins with wide eyes. "Is he serious?"
She giggled. "I think so."
Thor was most serious in his endeavor and wrote out a check to the shelter with ease, taking guidance from Collins on how to fill out the paper. A few of the employees there burst into tears, their emotional outbursts only furthered when Thor offered them hugs, and had to step into another room to collect themselves. The God of Thunder was truly a people person and quickly became a favorite celebrity with the people that worked in the shelter.
Collins was willing to bet the place would be rebranded with the expansion, likely in honor of their unexpected benefactor.
They left the shelter with reluctance, Collins cooing at the kitties and fighting the urge to bring Oliver a friend home.
Thor gave out another round of hugs and even took a few selfies with the employees, some for personal use and others for the place's website. They all hoped his patronage there would draw others in to adopt their own pets.
Collins and Thor were in high spirits as they rode back to the Tower, grins firmly in place as they ignored Happy's complaints about his seats being covered in animal fur.
"Thank you for accompanying me today." Thor looked down at her with a teasing grin. "I dare say you could have spent it happily with Cooper instead."
Collins went pink. "I didn't mind at all, Thor."
"I think Cooper will."
A whine left her throat and she slid down in her seat. "Is everyone going to tease me about him now?"
"He is very taken with you, my lady." Thor shrugged.
"Yes, well, it's obviously mutual - as everyone can see." Collins huffed and rolled her eyes, through with trying to deny the fact. She was totally smitten.
"I am happy for you." Thor said earnestly. "I think you are good for each other - you humble him, much like Jane has humbled me."
"You know, Pepper said something like that the other day, too." Collins smiled wryly.
"It's true. Cooper needs more people on his side. He spends so much of his time alone - it's not healthy." Thor looked her over with approval in his eyes. She wasn't sure why, but his acceptance made her shoulders slump in relief, like she had passed some unspoken test. "And what better to bring him out than the lure of an exceptional woman like yourself?"
"He's got a point, kid." Happy spoke up from the front seat, startling them. "Any guy'd be lucky to have you - if they can get through me and the boss."
He sounded serious, which was all the more surprising.
Collins looked at him in bemusement. She didn't think he cared all that much. Perhaps she had misjudged him.
"You, too?" She laughed incredulously, wondering just who else was going to get involved in her love life next.
"You have many people fond of you, Lady Collins, do not doubt that." Thor informed her. "Why, I believe I even heard Cooper reciting poetry about you the other night!"
"Thor!" Collins shrieked, her face coloring with embarrassment.
He wasn't deterred.
"For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings."
"Sounds like Shakespeare." Happy commented when Thor was through.
Collins pouted and covered her face. "It is."
"As I said, he's very taken with you." Thor grinned triumphantly.
"I will kick you out of this car, Thor, I swear!" Collins threatened, scowling at him from between her fingers.
His laughter filled the car as they continued back to the Tower, uncaring of her red face and ears.