Maisy's cold had eventually gone away, of which she was immensely glad. There was only so much a girl could take before having her husband constantly worrying over her got annoying. It seemed that Loki was immune to colds and since no one else who was susceptible spent any time with her, the illness ended with her.
By the time she was better it was about a week and a half out from Christmas. She had no idea when Yuletide celebrations would be, but she had already started combining the two holidays in her head. This annoyed her roommate to no ends.
"I don't want a lot for, uh, Yuletide, there is just one thing I need," Maisy sung to herself as she was knitting, "And I don't care about the presents underneath the… Yggdrasil Tree!"
"What are you singing about?" Loki asked as he entered the room. Maisy's eyes widened and she quickly stuffed her knitting under a pillow on the couch before he could see. She smiled innocently at him, which made her look a lot less innocent. Loki gave her a look that said he clearly wasn't fooled.
"I'm just singing some Christmas songs," she replied, "Sadly, I don't have any downloaded on my phone so I can't show you what they actually sound like."
"The tune of whatever you were just singing is unbelievably… Midgardian."
"Is that good or bad?"
"The hard part about Midgardian music is that some of it is brilliant and some of it makes your brain feel like it's melting from the sheer stupidity," Loki dropped his jacket over a chair and collapsed on the couch next to her, "From what I heard, this Christmas song falls in the second category."
"Oh come on!" Maisy laughed, "It gets better!"
"Sing the rest of it and I'll be the judge of that."
"I don't remember all of it," she said and then grinned, unable to keep from belting out what she knew of the catchy song, "I won't ask for much this… Yuletide, I won't even wish for snow. I'm just gonna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe!"
"Why would you wait under a plant?"
Maisy ignored his question, scooching closer to him on the couch.
"I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know! Make my wish come true, baby all I want for Yuletide is you!"
For her big finish, she shot forward and gave him a surprise kiss.
"You're right," he grinned when they moved back an inch, "It did get better."
They resumed kissing after a moment of laughter and probably would have continued to do so for quite some time, had their door not flown open and hit the wall with a loud bang.
"Brother! Oh."
Maisy and Loki, tangled together, both looked at the door in shock and Loki swore loudly. Maisy blushed and laughed, getting up off the couch and running to give their visitor a hug.
"Thor!" She grinned, "How are you?"
"I am well," Thor's face had a slight red tint to it, but he was also incredibly smug looking, "And it appears you two are doing really well."
"What do you want, oaf?" Loki grumbled, getting off the couch and walking over stiffly. Thor gave him an awkward hug and a pat on the back.
"What? No 'welcome home, brother' or 'thank you for not allowing the Avengers to kill me, brother' or 'so glad you're home safe, brother'?"
"Welcome home, brother-in-law! Thank you for not allowing the Avengers to kill my husband, brother-in-law! So glad you're home safe, brother-in-law!" Maisy giggled and Loki flicked her arm in annoyance.
"Well, I am glad to see someone is happy to see me," Thor laughed, ruffling Maisy's white and green hair, "To answer Loki's rudely worded question, I am back to give you both exciting news!"
"Is it that you have a terminal illness and will be spending the remainder of your short life on Midgard?" Loki asked and Maisy swatted him.
"No…"
"Then how exciting can it be?" Loki smirked and draped himself in one of the chairs at the table.
"It has to do with the Midgardian holiday of Christmas!" Thor sang and Maisy grinned.
"Christmas?"
"Tony has agreed to allow you both to stay at the Tower for the week of the holiday!" Thor all but squealed in delight with his message.
"What?!" Loki hissed.
"Really?" Maisy's eyes were wide with excitement.
"How in the nine realms did you get Stark to agree to that?"
"Well…" Thor rubbed the back of his head and looked down, "He didn't say 'no' anyway."
"Did you even ask him?" Loki was sitting up straight now.
"I sort of told him. And I even got Father to agree!" Thor said, "He agreed more easily than I thought he would, actually. Said something about it being good for you."
"No."
"Oh my gosh!" Maisy was so excited that she didn't even hear Loki's negative response, "You mean, we get to spend Christmas on earth in Avengers Tower?!"
"If that is what you wish!"
"We aren't going," Loki declared loudly, "So let's just drop the idea right now."
"What are you talking about?" Maisy exclaimed, "I know you and the Avengers don't exactly get along-"
"That's putting it lightly. I am not willing to spend a whole week - or more should you have your way - being tormented by them. It sounds like hell," Loki crossed his arms and set his jaw in determination. He felt that determination crumble just a fraction when Maisy's shoulders slumped in despair.
"Why don't you go and enjoy yourself?" He suggested, thinking that would solve the problem.
"You… don't want to spend out first Christmas together together?" She asked quietly.
"Brother!" Thor huffed angrily.
"It's not that I don't want to celebrate your holiday with you, Maisy," Loki replied, "But I refuse to spend it with the Avengers."
"Loki, c'mon, please?" Maisy walked over to him and took his hand in hers, "I haven't been to earth for, like, seven months!"
"So?"
"I love being here, but I'm homesick too!"
"What if Odin doesn't let you come back?" Loki reminded.
"I will make him," Thor said determidly, "You have my word."
"Please," Maisy begged, "Spend Christmas with me on earth! We don't even have to spend that much time with the Avengers! We can do other stuff! There is a lot to see and do in NYC."
Loki sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes in thought, picturing all of the ways that the Avengers could make him miserable. But then, there was an image in his mind of Maisy, smiling at him with snow falling around them. He groaned and opened his eyes.
"Fine."
"Wait, really?"
"I will spend this stupid holiday on your stupid home world with the stupid Avengers if it will make you happy," he grumbled. His expression softened some when Maisy clasped her hands to her mouth in excitement and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"When do we leave, Thor?"
"Tomorrow."
"Ah!" Maisy gave him a hug, "This is amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Of course," Thor smiled and when Maisy moved to give Loki another kiss he winked, "I'll let you two get back to it then. See you tomorrow."
A note from the author: I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update. Life gets in the way of fun sometimes. :P Thank you for being patient! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the Christmas fun to come! :D
Thanks for reading!
And, as always, a special thanks to my lovely reviewers:
ferbette: No worries, Maisy will definitely have a bit of a chat with her father.
Ninja Squirrel: Excuse me as I go whip up an awkward family dinner chapter because I can't believe I missed that opportunity. He's going to be wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.
nina del carmen: Okay, one hint! IF Maisy and Loki has a baby, it will not be for quite some time. But hypothetically that may be in the works for this story. Maybe. ;)
Until next time you wonderful people, you!