When it came to most things, Loki and Maisy had vastly different approaches to handling situations. Maisy treated the Avengers with kindness and Loki with sneers and death threats. Maisy spoke to their apartment neighbors in calm tones and politely asked them to turn down the volume and Loki magically unlocked their door, stormed in, and turned off the TV with a threatening growl. Maisy generally tried to stop arguments before they could happen and Loki liked to rile people up into arguing about things they weren't previously mad about.
However, there was one situation that they both reacted the same way to. When Linn came home crying after school, Maisy and Loki were both out for the blood of whoever had caused the tears.
On one particular occasion, Linn came home with puffy eyes and poorly hidden tear tracks on her cheeks. She walked past Loki and Maisy, who were trying to figure out how to make dinner, and slammed her bedroom door behind her. Her pseudo-parents looked at each other and then at the door to her room.
"She's upset…"
"Thank you, Captain Obvious."
"Maisy, she was crying, what do you think happened?"
"I don't know, Loki! I haven't asked her yet!"
"I think the slammed door means she doesn't wish to speak with us," Loki crossed his arms.
"Or maybe she's waiting to see if we'll come talk to her and make sure she's alright!"
"If she wanted comfort then she would have stopped to say hello and seek out our advice."
"Unless she's too distraught for words," Maisy pointed out, "And she's hoping we'll notice."
"I'm fairly certain her body language indicated that she wants to be left alone."
"And I'm fairly certain I want to know who hurt my friend so I can go shove that person into traffic," Maisy said.
"That's true," Loki glanced at the door again, "And the only way to find out who we need to murder is to ask Linn."
"So, it's settled? We'll find out who hurt her and then we'll find that person."
"And rip that person's throat out."
They shook hands and went to knock on Linn's door.
"What?" The teenager inside the room moaned.
"Dearest Linn," Loki said tentatively, "Is everything alright?"
"You seem upset," Maisy added, "We just wanted to see if you wanted to talk about it."
"No! You wouldn't understand!" Linn said angrily.
"Okay, that's fine," Maisy said, "We just wanted to make sure no one hurt you or anything."
"Because if someone did, you know I am more than happy to gut them and hide the body," Loki offered.
"Ugh! No, leave me alone!"
"If you need us we'll be in the kitchen, okay?" Maisy said.
"Whatever."
Loki and Maisy exchanged looks again and went back to figuring out dinner. When it was done Loki knocked on the door again to tell Linn, but she told him to go away again. He had to admit that part of him was a little annoyed that she was treating them so coldly. Especially since they were royalty and she a mere servant. But he knew that she was much more than that and if he even suggested that Linn treat them as he was accustomed to being treated then Maisy and Linn would gang up on him and remind him that they weren't on Asgard.
And besides, she was his friend.
"We'll save you some food," he said through the door, "In case you change your mind."
"Go away."
An hour later Maisy came up with an idea to cheer Linn up and she went to knock on the door. There was no answer.
"Hey, I was thinking tonight might be a good night to watch some movies. I have a bunch of Disney movies on my computer and I was thinking you and Loki might like to see them sometime!"
There was still no response.
"Okay, um, well… it's a Friday so we'll probably be up pretty late if you want to join us. I think we're going to start with Bambi."
Nothing.
"Nah, you're right," Maisy leaned against the doorframe, "It's probably not a good idea to show Loki that one. Uh, the, uh mom dies in it. Yeah… I think maybe we'll start with Mulan instead. You'd probably like that one a lot! It has this awesome girl who saves all of China and kicks butt."
Linn didn't make a sound.
"This silence is starting to scare me, Linn," Maisy straightened up, "Can you at least yell at me so I know you're alive and that you haven't tried to climb out the window or anything?"
"You're gonna watch movies?" Linn said quietly.
"Yeah! I thought we could make popcorn too and maybe I can run to the store and get some soda! You like Orange Crush, right?"
"I do," the teenager sighed, "If you get the orange fizzy drink then I'll come and watch a movie wif you guys."
"That would be awesome! I'll be right back, okay?"
"Kay."
Maisy ran out to the living room and grabbed her jacket and shoes.
"Where are you going?" Loki asked as he put a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
"Take the plastic wrapper off first!" Maisy pointed at the popcorn, "I'm going to get some orange soda and then we're all going to watch Mulan."
"I thought you said we were going to watch a movie about a deer."
"Changed my mind," she snatched her purse and ran over to give him a kiss on the cheek, "Be back in a few!"
"I don't think you should really be going out alone in the dark," Loki stepped in front of her when she headed for the door, "Let me come with you."
"You should stay here with Linn in case she wants to talk to you or something," Maisy said, "I'll be fine, I promise. My phone's fully charged and I'll only pop down to that convenience store down the street."
"Maisy…"
"Loki, I'll be fine."
"Take this with you," Loki handed her a dagger that seemed to appear from nowhere, "I know it is not your favored weapon, but it will fit into your purse more easily than a bow staff."
"Is there something I need to be worried about?" Maisy asked suspiciously, tucking the knife into her bag, "I've walked in the dark alone before and you haven't made me take a knife. I walked two blocks from here yesterday and you didn't say anything."
"Just concerned for your well being," he kissed the top of her head and tried not to think about Blaze roaming the streets of New York. The red haired crazy woman was probably back at a Hydra base by now. She wouldn't have lingered after passing on her message to Loki. It wouldn't have been logical. Unless she'd followed him home just to see where Maisy was so that she could kill her.
"I'll be fine. You're sure there isn't anything that's scaring you?"
"I don't get scared," he scoffed, "Stark said something about increased crime rates in the area. There have, apparently, been quite a few muggings lately."
"Really?" Maisy bit her lip nervously, "In our neighborhood?"
"Nearby, yes."
"Huh, maybe you should come with me…"
"I would feel much better if you let me."
"Okay, I'll just tell Linn that we'll both be out and then we can go," Maisy went back to Linn's door, "Hey, Loki is going to walk with me to the store. You gonna be alright here by yourself?"
"Yeah. Peachy."
"We'll only be a few minutes!"
And they were. It didn't take them long to get the soda and then get home, but Loki felt like they were being watched the whole time and he wasn't sure that he could let Linn and Maisy walk the streets by themselves until he knew Blaze was out of the area. There was no way to be sure of when that was, so he figured he'd be walking his dear ones to their locations more frequently.
Once they were back in the apartment Maisy pulled up her laptop. They did not possess a television and now they were pondering how best to sit all three of them around the tiny computer screen.
"We could get my really big magnifying glass from my design room and hold it in front of the computer," Maisy laughed.
"Or we could try something a bit more fun," Loki touched the computer screen and then threw a ball of light at their blank wall. Everything pictured on the computer was cast onto the wall, only with a slight green tinge to it.
"Whoa! You're like a projector! That's so cool!"
"Think it will suffice for movie watching?"
"It's perfect, thank you!" Maisy grinned and then went to knock on Linn's door again, "You've got to come see this! Loki put my computer screen on the wall with magic! It's great! We can watch movies like we're at the theater!"
Linn slowly came out of her room, wearing her pajamas (which consisted of the T-shirt with Maisy's face on it and shorts) and a fuzzy blanket as a cape. She still had puffy eyes and looked like she'd been crying again, but a tiny smile graced her features.
"Is dere popcorn?"
"Yup! Extra buttery kind," Maisy linked her arm with Linn's and led her friend into the living room, "Isn't this so cool? It's like having our own theater!"
"You guys should put on your jammies too," Linn said, "Den it can be like a party."
"Yeah!" Maisy ran to her own room and came out a few minutes later with fleece pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt with the Avengers logo on it that she may or may not have stolen from Thor's closet.
"I suppose I am meant to lounge around in my bed clothes as well?" Loki asked.
"You hafta," Linn crossed her arms, "Or you can't watch wif us."
"Fine," Loki blinked and he was in cotton black pants and a green shirt, "Happy?"
"Yes," Linn's smile grew a bit.
"We need more pillows to make the futon more comfortable!" Maisy exclaimed and then ran into her room and came out with an armful of blankets and pillows, "Linn, get yours too!"
Once the futon had been made into a luxurious seating area and the popcorn had been poured into a large bowl (they'd made three bags worth), Maisy clicked "play" on her computer and Mulan started playing on the magical projection. When the movie was done Maisy couldn't help but grin at her companions' reactions.
"Dat was amazing!" There was no trace of sadness left on Linn's face, "I dunno what China is but I want to save it too! Mulan kicked butt!"
"It was a decent story," Loki shrugged, "I feel Sif would have enjoyed it."
"We gotta show her sometime!" Linn exclaimed, "She'd love it!"
"Mulan is definitely my favorite Disney Princess," Maisy laughed, "And maybe that's why I like Sif so much, because she reminds me of Mulan."
"What's a Disney Princess?"
"Mulan never became royalty," Loki commented.
"She's still a princess," Maisy leaned forward to find another movie on her computer, "And since you guys don't know what Disney Princess' are we are going to watch all of their movies! I have most of them."
"Oh Norns," Loki rolled his eyes when Maisy clicked on a film titled Cinderella, "This looks dull."
"Shush," Maisy hit play and snuggled into his side, "It will be great."
They watched for some time with Loki scoffing at the most unrealistic or romantic bits. When it got to the scene during the ball where the prince and Cinderella danced off through the garden and began singing "So This is Love" he burst into laughter and Maisy hit him with a pillow to silence him.
"Sssshhh! This is the most romantic part!"
"Really?" Loki fended off another pillow attack, "They've just met each other and now think they are in love? How absurd!"
"Says the guy who married a girl he didn't even know," Linn said plainly. Loki bit his tongue after that and watched the rest of the film in silence. When the golden book closed at the end he was surprised to hear Linn sniffling.
"Are you well?"
"Yeah," Linn wiped her eyes, "It was just so beauty-ful!"
"Wasn't it?" Maisy sighed, "I used to love this movie when I was little. I haven't seen it in ages."
"And it reminded me so much of you two!"
"How in the nine realms did it remind you of us?" Loki scoffed.
"A beauty-ful girl with a crappy family finds her way to a royal palace and sweeps the prince off his feet!" Linn giggled and jumped off the futon, twirling around the room, "Den she goes missing and the horrible villain locks her up wif no hope of escape and the prince is super sad and determined to find her! Den she escapes and gets her man and dey live happily ever after!"
"She has a point," Maisy grinned, "You are my charming prince, after all."
"And yet," he stood up and pulled her with him, "We've never properly danced at a ball."
"We danced at our wedding, that counts," Maisy laughed.
"It wasn't a ball though, was it?"
"But dere was dat ball at the beginning of Taka af Brúðr!" Linn exclaimed, "Are you telling me dat you two did not dance?!"
"I, uh, got locked in a closet for most of the ball," Maisy winced.
"What?! You mean Loki never got to see you in dat dress I made?! And you never danced?!"
"No, we didn't," Loki pulled Maisy closer and put one hand on her waist, "Care to remedy that?"
Maisy grinned and put a hand on his shoulder and he immediately twirled her around the room, lifting her off the ground at times. They were both laughing joyfully and Linn hopped around breathlessly giggling and singing "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes". The three of them were graceful by no means, but that didn't matter as they danced in their living room and bumped into each other and the furniture. They soon got to laughing so loudly that their downstairs neighbor hit his ceiling with the end of a broom and the little family fell onto the futon with happy grins and gleeful shushing.
"I don't know if we can top Cinderella, but do you guys want to watch another Disney movie?" Maisy whispered to them, even though the neighbors probably wouldn't have heard her normal voice.
"How about dat one? Beauty and the Beast? I fink the school is putting dat on as a play in a few weeks."
"We should watch it! That's another great one!"
"And the title seems more like it will relate to our relationship," Loki scoffed and both Maisy and Linn gasped and looked at him, "What?"
"You're not a beast."
"We all know that isn't true."
"Loki," Maisy put her hand on his cheek, "You are not a beast or a monster or anything like that."
"I was making a joke," he turned away, but only found Linn looking at him with a raised brow.
"You ain't a beast," she told him, "You is not always the nicest, but you ain't a beast."
"I'm a Frost Giant, that is synonymous with 'beast' I'd say."
"You know what?" Maisy changed the movie, "We're not watching this one. Linn and I can watch it later. We're gonna watch Frozen instead."
"Oh that's funny," Loki sneered, "Is that about a Jotun as well?"
"No, now shut up and watch," Maisy hit play. They were all silent for the entire movie (except the part where Hans betrayed Anna and Linn screamed a few curse words) and when it was over Maisy turned to Loki.
"You're not a monster. So let it go," she told him and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh very well, I shall not bring it up again."
"If you need to talk about it, we can talk about it," Maisy said, "But neither of us sees you as anything other than our Loki, right Linn?"
"You betcha!" Linn hugged him and he patted her head.
"Thank you," he told them. And though he thought the cartoon movies were silly, he truly meant it. "Now that I've been made to feel incredibly awkward, I demand to know what had Linn upset earlier."
"I'm kind of curious about that too," Maisy looked at her friend and Linn's smile dropped, "If you don't mind telling us, of course!"
"It's nuffin."
"Then why were you crying?" Loki asked.
"I wasn't!"
"You were."
"Wasn't.
"Were."
"Wasn't!"
"Linn, were you upset? We just want to make sure you're okay. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, but we can't help if we don't know the problem."
"It's nuffin important," Linn pulled her blanket closer and drew her knees up to her chin, "Just school stuffs."
"If it's important to you, then it's important to us."
"I don't know about that," Loki said and Maisy elbowed him, "What? She thinks Bjorn is important and I couldn't care less about him."
"Bjorn is important!" Linn snapped, "He's very important!"
"Is the reason you're upset something to do with him?" Maisy asked gently.
"Maybe."
"Loki, get your butt out of here," Maisy said, "Only people who care about Bjorn are welcome in this conversation."
"You can't just kick me out of my own living room," Loki stuck his chin out defiantly.
"Hey, it's our living room and it's mostly mine because I'm the one who has to deal with the landlord and writing the checks since someone is an intergalactic criminal prince and doesn't know how to budget."
"Fine, fine!" He got up, "But I expect a full report later and if I hear that Bjorn has caused Linn to cry then I'll find him and fly him on a flagpole by his undergarments!"
"Go away!"
When he was gone (meaning he was in his room with his ear pressed to the door) Linn started tearing up again. Maisy quickly hugged her friend and they sat like that for a few minutes before the girl started to spill.
"I was sitting wif me friends at lunch and we was talking bout our club and bout other stuffs and fings and den Carl came to the table!"
"Who is Carl?"
"He's the guy of the school."
"Oh. Like in all the movies how there's a popular guy that everyone likes?"
"Yeah. He's the guy. And he came over to our table and sat down," Linn wiped her nose on her wrist, "And he flirted wif me!"
"Okay…"
"He's super hunky," the teenager sighed and leaned back on the futon, "Like super duper. And he asked me out!"
"Whoa, that's, um, exciting?"
"It was! But den me friends were yelling at Carl and telling him bout Bjorn and I was so embarrassed! And Carl told me the offer was still open if I changed my mind and I didn't say anyfing and he left!"
"But it's good that he backed off, right? Because you have Bjorn?"
"Yes!" Linn answered quickly, "I love Bjorn. He's the bestest boyfriend ever."
"So it's good that Carl left, right?"
"Prolly," Linn buried her face in a pillow, "But me friends kept asking me why I didn't tell Carl straight off dat I have a boyfriend."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because," she sniffled loudly and then smothered her face with the pillow as she explained her reasoning.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that."
"I said, because I forgot!" Linn gasped, "I forgot bout me own boyfriend! And now me friends fink I'm some kinda floozy and I forgot about Bjorn!"
"No one thinks you're a floozy," Maisy chuckled lightly and pulled Linn into a hug.
"I forgot about Bjorn and I prolly would have gone out wif Carl if Bibi hadn't said anyfing! I would have cheated!"
"But it's okay. Bibi spoke up and you remembered right away."
"I'm a horrible girlfriend! I should break up wif Bjorn so he doesn't have to be stuck wif someone so awful! I'm the worst."
"You aren't the worst. That Carl guy just dazzled you with his hunkiness for a second. Boys do that sometimes," Maisy told her friend, "Some guys are just so gorgeous that your brain can't process it and it forgets everything for a bit."
"Really? Has dat ever happened to you?"
"Well…" Maisy laughed, "Yes. But you can't tell..." she gestured toward her bedroom door where Loki was straining to hear, "You know who."
"I won't, I swear!"
"Sometimes if Steve stands too close I can't think about anything!"
"He is a major hunk," Linn agreed.
"It doesn't help that he wears a skin tight suit!"
Both of them burst into laughter and from behind the door to the bedroom Loki was rolling his eyes and thinking of turning the captain into a toad next time he saw him. Or a pig. See how good a pig looked in the skin tight spangly outfit.
"But you seriously fink it's okay dat I blanked?" Linn asked.
"Hey, you felt terrible afterward and we both know that you would never intentionally hurt Bjorn. I'm sure your friends know that too."
"I hope so."
"So… you good?"
"Yeah," Linn threw her arms around Maisy, "I'm good. Fank you."
"Anytime. What are friends for?"
"Can we watch more movies now? I'll go get Loki!""
"Let's do it! You'll love Tangled!"
Loki quickly composed himself and returned to the living room with Linn when she came knocking. He did his very best not to bring up Captain America for the rest of the evening and eventually they all three fell asleep with a Disney movie playing in the background.
A note from the author: Fluff, fluff, and more fluff! Because... well, do I need a reason? It's fluff! ;)
Thanks so much for reading! You guys are the best!
Special thanks to my reviewers (I can't believe we're already almost at 300 reviews!):
nina del carmen: I'm also really excited about the new Loki series! It's going to be awesome I bet!
Ninja Squirrel: Thankfully, Loki has yet to discover the internet. If he did then he would probably turn into an internet junkie. He'd spend the majority of his time on tumblr probably. Or watching YouTube. He'd love YouTube. XD
Dragoncat: Don't worry, even though I mention Thanos a bit, he doesn't show up in this story. I'm pretending he's just leaving Loki alone. Because I hate Thanos and I don't want to write him. :P
Thank you so much, you spectacular people you! :D Until next chapter!