A/N: This chapter should hopefully be longer. Now here, we get a little more Thorki interaction, but nothing definitive (far from it, we're still a long way off). I'm also planning on having Steve be a slightly larger part of this chapter. I think we'll also dive a little farther into Loki's...history...here, a few stray facts about being a werewolf in Asgard thrown in there. I'm not sure on that last one. Anyway, I hope this is a good chapter, I really haven't had much self-confidence lately, not to mention sleep-deprived due to #insomnia (which is totally fun, not).
Disclaimer: Do I even have to put this anymore? Marvel/Disney's. Not mine.
5. Although I Know You're Not Begging
As Loki had promised Natasha the night before, the morning following Loki's self-hate episode found the Trickster searching the Tower for Thor. If any of the others found this the least bit strange, no one commented; Loki wondered if that was Natasha's doing. Knowing her, she may have threatened them all into silence.
As it was, it took Loki at least an hour to find Thor in the training room. Avengers Tower was really quite large, and without his magic quite difficult to navigate. Loki suspected he'd learn the layout eventually, but for now he was content to lean against the doorframe, catch his breath, and watch as Thor practiced.
Watching Mjolnir fly away of its own accord and then back to Thor's hand had always been interesting. Loki still couldn't quite fathom the magic behind it, the magic of the dying star of Nidavellir imbued into the metal. How only those who the hammer's magic deemed worthy could pick it up and wield it. And the way Thor so effortlessly used it to call down lightning and just to take down enemies - or in this case, target dummies - in general with a well-placed throw. They moved together, the hammer seeming to respond to Thor's will. It was a truly mesmerizing sight, every time.
Thor noticed Loki and stopped. Mjolnir flew back to his hand, but he set the hammer on the ground.
"Hello, Loki," Thor said. Loki couldn't place his tone.
"Thor," Loki replied, voice equally as neutral.
"You seem less snarly today," Thor remarked.
Loki shrugged. "Natasha forced me to come apologize. I was tired last night."
"You also sounded like you hated yourself last night," Thor said, concern lacing his voice. "I'm worried about you, Loki."
Oh, gods. Not this again. "I didn't come here to deal with your frankly misplaced concern," Loki scoffed, his defenses flying up again. "The only reason I'm here is because of Nat."
Thor studied him with keen blue eyes. "I don't think so."
Loki cursed quite colorfully in Russian. "Thor, why is it that every time I try to talk to you, you end up annoying me?" Loki growled.
"I'm not intentionally trying to annoy you, brother," Thor tried.
"I'm not your brother," Loki snapped.
Thor held up his hands in surrender. "Okay. Okay. I just want to know what's going on inside your head, Loki, that's all I've ever wanted."
Loki sighed. "Trust me, Thor, you wouldn't like what you saw."
Thor crossed the room to where Loki stood, hesitating a few inches away. Loki tensed; Thor hadn't come this close to him since when the Thunderer first met the other Avengers, mostly due to Stark crashing into him.
"Let me find that out for myself," Thor said. "Please, brother."
"Not your brother," Loki muttered again, backing away. "I've made my apology. That's all I came to say."
Thor watched him from the doorway as Loki turned and practically fled the scene.
Loki wasn't paying attention to where he was going and therefore didn't see the Avenger incoming until they literally crashed into each other. Loki steadied himself, a hand going to his head instinctively. If only he'd had his magic...he could have avoided that collision.
He looked up to find that he'd crashed into none other than Steve Rogers. Of course. Captain America himself.
As it was, Rogers didn't seem all that ruffled. "Something wrong?" he asked, voice as neutral as Thor's had been. Loki sighed inaudibly; he got the feeling that most of the Avengers would be using that same neutral tone around him until he convinced them he'd changed.
Until he convinced himself that he'd changed.
"No," Loki lied easily. "Just a little absentminded today."
Rogers surveyed him, but could obviously detect no trace of the lie. "Well, that collision may have been my fault," he said. "I wasn't paying attention either."
Loki sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically. "What is it with you hero types always apologizing and/or blaming yourselves for everything?" he growled, throwing his head back for dramatic effect. Just because he couldn't do magic didn't mean he wasn't allowed to indulge in a little drama every now and then.
Rogers looked confused. "What?"
Loki shook his head, bringing it to the opposite extreme and into a motion universally known as 'you're-giving-me-a-headache-with-your-stupidity-shut-up.' Rogers only looked mildly offended.
"You know what? Don't answer that," Loki sighed. "You heroes. I'll never understand you."
"You know, Loki," Rogers said, "you could be a hero if you actually tried."
Loki snorted. "Please. Being a hero is not in my nature. It never has been, and it never will be."
Rogers studied him. "Don't be so sure of that," he siad. "I believe you have a good heart under the cold facade, Loki. You just need someone to help you let it shine through that wall you've built around yourself."
With that, Rogers walked away, leaving Loki to turn back and watch him retreat down the hall.
I seriously need some air, Loki thought. He headed downstairs (thank all the gods for elevators) and tried to exit the building only to find that the doors would not let him out.
"What the -?" Loki muttered to himself. He looked up at the ceiling; Stark's AI thing, JARVIS, was built into the Tower, after all. "Open the door!"
The AI's automated voice, with a faint English accent, resonated from the hidden overhead speakers. "I'm afraid Sir will not let me do that. My programming forbids it."
A familiar female voice sounded behind him; Loki turned to once more see Natasha approaching. "Let him out, JARVIS, I'll be with him the whole time."
"As you wish, Miss Romanoff," replied JARVIS. "Though I must warn you, Sir is not going to be happy about this."
"Yeah, well," Natasha muttered as she all but dragged Loki outside. "He knows not to mess with me."
The moment they were outside, Loki relaxed, leaning against the side of the Tower with a soft sigh of relief. The air was cool; fall had officially arrived. Loki gazed around the city; there wasn't much evidence of the season change, but the trees that lined the side of the road had leaves that were starting to turn.
"Steve would like to draw this," Natasha remarked. "Then again, Steve just likes drawing in general, but he seems to like drawing us and the city the most. The city in fall is most likely one of his favorite settings to draw."
Loki glanced at her. "Я не знала, что Роджерс любит рисовать," he said. [I didn't know Rogers liked to draw.]
Natasha shrugged. "Он точно не афиширует это. [He doesn't exactly advertise it.] After all, he's supposed to be the leader of the Avengers, right?"
Loki nodded. "I guess it makes sense."
"Come on, лазерный мозг," Natasha laughed. Loki was a little affronted that she'd just called him a laser brain in Russian.
"Вы ведь понимаете, что я не знаю, что такое «лазерный мозг», верно?" he told her. [You do realize I don't know what a "laser brain" is, right?] "Also, where are we going?"
"Да. Я знаю," Natasha chuckled. [Yes, I know.] "You seriously need to watch Star Wars. As for your other question, следуй за мной и узнай!" [Follow me and find out!]
Loki rolled his eyes but followed her anyway. She was in civilian clothes, he noted; gray-and-black striped jacket, black T-shirt, dark blue jeans. Loki then looked down at his own outfit - thank the gods he'd decided to wear some of the Midgardian clothes he'd packed. He hadn't actually intended to go out today, mostly because of Stark's rule, but he figured he may as well dress like them. It was less formal than his usual Midgardian clothing of choice, as it was just a green shirt and black jeans, but at least it was comfortable.
Natasha led him to Central Park, and Loki had to admit, the view was amazing. Fall had taken Central Park by storm, and the shades of red, orange, and gold that the leaves had turned was enough to take anyone's breath away. Loki's hand unconsciously went to the magic-suppressing bracelet on his left wrist. He wished he didn't have to wear these accursed things, especially now - the things he could do with his magic and a scene like this...
"Красиво, правда?" Natasha murmured in soft Russian. [It's beautiful, isn't it?]
Loki nodded. "Да." [Yes. Pronounced "da"]
"I like coming out here in the fall," Natasha told him. "It's peaceful, it's beautiful, and hey, it's away from all the boys. I used to do this all the time with S.H.I.E.L.D., too."
"Used to?" Loki echoed. "Aren't you technically still with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"Да...технически..." Natasha shook her fiery head. [Yes...technically...] "But living with the Avengers...this is my job now. I don't really have time for normal S.H.I.E.L.D. work."
Loki looked at her. "Наташа. Вы немного расстроены. Что не так?" [Natasha. You sound upset. What's wrong?]
Natasha shifted. "Ничего, я просто..." [Nothing, I just...] She shook her head. "I don't know."
Loki had to say he was concerned, but he didn't press. SHe'd figure it out on her own, and tell him if she wanted to.
In the meantime, he decided to break the silence by doing something he never expected to find himself doing: openly talking about his history. He left out some of it, due to the werewolf thing, but he began to talk, switching from English to Russian periodically. Natasha merely listened.
"I've always been mischievous," Loki said. "It used to annoy Odin greatly. I loved playing tricks on Thor. There was this one time, when we were kids, when I turned myself into a snake, because Thor loves snakes, so he went to pick up the snake to admire it, and one he did I transformed back into myself, screamed 'BWAHH IT'S ME', and then stabbed him. It's a fond memory for me. Not so much for him, but..."
Natasha laughed. "Ты сумасшедший, Локи," she told him. [You're crazy, Loki.]
Loki took a bow. "Спасибо, я знаю," he laughed. [Thanks, I know.]
Natasha shook her head. "You actually turned yourself into a snake just to play a trick on Thor?"
Loki nodded. "Да."
"Why?" Natasha chuckled.
Loki gave her a dramatic, scandalized look. "Come on. I'm the God of Mischief. Do I need a reason?"
Natasha shook her head again and laughed. "Нет, наверное, нет," she said. [No, I guess not.]
"Feeling better?" Loki asked.
Natasha glared at him. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
"Да," Loki grinned. "Did it work?"
Natasha grinned back. "Да. It did."
Okay, so no werewolf stuff (since Nat and the others still haven't been told/figured out Loki's secret), but we did get that story from Ragnarok so... *grins* I love that scene. Anyway, I know I said this would be longer, but these chapters are all kind of short, aren't they? Oh well. Please leave a review!