New chapter! Sorry for taking so long, I've been a little distracted. I'm working three fics and answering prompts on tumblr so it's hard not to get lazy. Here you are though another update! This one flows a little faster than usual because of all the dialogue but oh well. I'll try to have the next one up soon.

Amora though...*sighs* why do I love Amora? She's such a hoe. But goddammit if she isn't a classy sociopath.

Disclaimer: Does not own Marvel Universe

Warning: Language

Comments/critiques are welcomed!

I had a question about Pepper…my answer is this:

I suck and I'm sorry. Pepper's great and I love her but it's hard to keep up with everyone. I didn't want to neglect any of Steve's friends directly (i.e. Bucky especially) so while I may mention characters—like Pepper—at some point in the story it may have just been that I needed a name or I had a plan for her I just had to make some changes as I was writing. She's still there! Originally I was going to have it so that she was dating Stark and it was bothering Loki but I decided against it. Loki deserves better anyways, right? Hehehe.

Steve groans when he's jabbed roughly in the back. He pulls his pillow over his head and grumbles into his mattress. It was too early. What could his mother possibly want this early on a Saturday? In fact—why was his mother even awake? Steve grunts when the person jabs him again, climbing onto the bed to straddle his thighs. He opens his eyes and attempts to sit up with no luck. Steve tosses his pillow aside and looks over his shoulder, squinting. Natasha smirks at him.

"What the hell?"

"Good morning, sunshine!" she grins, shifting to sit on his mattress. Steve rolls onto his back and rubs his eyes. "Get up, I need your help."

He yawns, clearing the sleep out of his throat. "I'll repeat the question: what the hell?"

"Oh, what, like I didn't know you lived in this shithole?" Steve makes a face at her. "Relax, no one else knows. Now get up, I have a job for you."

"It's my day off," he sighs. "Besides I-" Steve catches himself, biting his lip. "I have plans." He was supposed to take Loki out later today. Loki would be pissed if he ditched him for Natasha again and seeing as how last time brought on an extremely ugly fight Steve didn't want to repeat that.

"Had plans. Now you're helping me."

Steve sighs and pushes himself out of bed, grabbing his jeans off the floor and pulling them on. "How did you even get in here without my mother noticing?"

She snorts, laying down and propping herself up with her elbow. "Picked the lock of course. Besides that woman's so passed out drunk I doubt the apocalypse could wake her."

"Thanks, Nat."

He scratches his side and walks out of his room, checking in on his mother. Her TV was still on—like usual—and it made it that much harder for Steve to hear if she was still breathing. Steve had learned long ago not to touch the TV and how to tell if his mother was inebriated enough that she needed to go to the hospital. Today she seemed like she'd live.

Natasha follows him down the stairs, Steve starting up his coffee and yawning. It was going to be hard to tell her no. But Steve had chores to do. He needed to clean the house, wash the bed sheets, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and he had his date with Loki.

Loki was his priority for the day.

"Are you even going to ask what I need your help for?"

Steve shakes his head. He pours his coffee and takes a sip, letting out a sigh. "No, because I'm busy today. I have a date."

"But my problems are important."

"Tough." He sips his coffee and grabs two waffles from the freezer. "Frozen waffles?" She shakes her head. Steve shrugs and puts them in the toaster.

Natasha crosses her arms. "So…what? You're not even going to help me at all?"

"You could stick around until my mother wakes up," Steve hums, pouring himself some more coffee. "But other than that I'll just have to give you some advice and send you on your way. Cancelling my plans for you last time led to a fight and it was one I'd rather not have again." He scratches his head and yawns. "So…what's up?"

"What's up," she pouts. "Is that I need your help planning my party. You're creative, Steve, and I don't want any cheesy decorations, you know? Plus literally everyone is going to be there so it's not like I need a lot of them. You're the only one that can help me."

He knew what she was doing. She was making it sound like the problem was his fault so that he'd feel guilty and want to help her. Steve needed to stand his ground. He'd give her some ideas while he cleaned up the house and then go out with Loki…even if he hadn't thought of a date yet. That didn't matter though. Loki had sounded happy on the phone last night that Steve even wanted to spend time with him.

"You know, Clint's creative too." The toaster dings, his waffles popping up. "In his own…special way."

"If I wanted my party to look like paintings from an asylum for the criminally insane I would've asked him first," Natasha grumbles. Steve spreads peanut butter on his waffles and takes a bite out of one of them. "I'm starting to get the feeling you don't want to spend time with me."

"And I'm starting to get the feeling you want to spend too much time with me."

Natasha scoffs. "I can't help it if I don't have a boyfriend right now. My boy toys got tired of being toys."

"Actually, Bucky just got tired of feeling like he was disposable."

"Exactly. Which you, by the way, encouraged."

She sits back in her barstool and swivels, her lips pouting. Steve was expecting more of an argument. He finishes off his waffles and coffee, opening the fridge to finish off the last of the orange juice, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Either Natasha knew something he didn't or she wasn't actually trying to ruin his plans for the day. It was unlike her to just show up and demand his attention. Then again she could be high. Steve looks her over, Natasha catching his eye. He quickly looks away and tosses out the juice carton. No, her eyes weren't bloodshot.

"Nats…don't you have any—you know—girlfriends you could spend the day with?" he sighs. "I really am busy today…"

"Janet has to work, Bobbi and I aren't technically friends, I hate Carol now, I'm not really sure why Christine's in my contacts, Jessica lives two hours away, and if I call Darcy we'll just end up making out," Natasha replies bluntly, picking at her nails. "And Pepper's—actually I don't know what Pep is up to today."

Steve furrows his brow. "You and Darcy actually do that?"

"Yeah," she blinks. "Why?"

"I dunno…I always thought she was joking."

He shrugs and starts loading the old dishes into the dishwasher. Steve really did have too much to do today. If he didn't already tell Loki he was taking him out tonight he might have put it off. He'd have to figure out how to clean his mother's room and her sheets without her flipping out on him.

"Look…I'll help give you some ideas, but you'll just have to go out with someone else to help you with the shopping part, okay?" He scratches his back and groans. "And thanks for waking me up so early…"

Natasha frowns, rolling her eyes. "So…that's it?"

"What else do you want me to tell you, Natasha?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know, Steve," she scowls. "I just thought you'd be more willing to help one of your friends. After all—if Laufeyson really cared about you he'd understand, wouldn't he?"

Steve laughs dryly, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, well, Loki's not exactly fond of cancelling plans-" He bites his tongue. What just happened? "I—I mean—uhhh-" Did Natasha just get him to admit he was dating Loki? She smirks at him. "Oh, shit…" Now what? Was that why she came over? Natasha chuckles and hops down from her stool, walking around the counter to grab a mug from the cabinet and pour herself a cup of coffee. Steve watches her, his body slowly tensing up in defense. What was he supposed to do now? There were so many questions rolling through his brain. "How long have you known?"

She hums, leaning against the counter. "Awhile. Thor's party I think."

He hesitates, suddenly feeling almost afraid of Natasha. It wasn't normally her style to catch him this off guard. "So…"

"So…?" she raises a brow.

"So…now what?"

Natasha laughs, the hairs on the back of Steve's neck standing up. She sips her coffee and gives him a look. "What are you expecting me to do? Blast your relationship all over the school? Make it this year's top gossip?" She scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Come on, Rogers, that's not my style."

"You're—not going to yell at me?"

"I already scolded Laufeyson. Not much sense in scolding you too."

"You—you what?" Steve scowls, Natasha arching a brow. "So Loki wasn't just being paranoid?"

"No, he probably was."

"We had a huge fight about that, Natasha! What, I yell at you for telling me what to do all the time so you go and harass Loki instead?"

"Jesus, Steve, calm down," she sighs, running a finger over the rim of her mug. "It's not like I told him you used to be a geek like him."

"That's not funny, Nats."

"It kinda was…I mean you had the taped up glasses, braces, inhaler, you wheezed all the time, your clothes were too big. Oh! And you were REALLY into Pokémon."

"You mean the wheezing from my chronic asthma and the baggy clothes I was forced to wear because my drunk, abusive father was too cheap to buy me proper ones? Yeah, hysterical."

"God, Steve, lighten up," Natasha snorts.

"I'm serious, Natasha," he orders, forcefully. "You can't tell anyone about us. And you have to leave Loki alone."

Natasha groans audibly. She lies limply against the counter and tosses her head while rolling her eyes. "God fucking damn, Steve! Fine. I'll leave your psycho little Prince of Hell alone. It's no fun messing with him now that you know anyways." She sits back up and sets her mug on the counter, furrowing her brow. "I—just have to ask…"

Steve sighs. "What?"

"How long do you think this is going to last?"

He sneers at her and turns away. "Why do you have to ask shit like that?"

"Posterities sake."

Steve rolls his eyes. He and Loki were doing fine. Steve didn't have any concerns right now. He didn't like that he still had to push and prod for Loki to talk to him about what was going on when he was upset but Steve didn't mind. It wasn't like they'd been dating for a year or something it had only been a few months.

"We're doing great so don't bring it up again," Steve laughs bitterly. "And you know what's crazy? He actually seems to like me, Nat."

"Look, Steve, Loki's interested in you now but what about in a few days or weeks or months? I get that it's high school and that relationships come and go but—you do know that Loki doesn't actually like you, right?" Steve scowls at her, Natasha raising her hands defensively. "I'm just saying from experience—he only cares about two things, okay? Attention and money. Now how does he get attention? He latches onto someone's affections for him and pulls and tugs and wrings them up nicely, admiring them from afar like a piece of art, until he gets bored. Then his toy is left broken and hurt. Look at how he is with Thor or his mother…"

"And Darcy?"

Natasha shrugs. "Everyone has an exception. Me, I have you. I'd never hurt you in a million years-"

"And neither would Loki."

She shakes her head and sighs. "That's not how it works, Steve-"

"He's not a puzzle, Natasha," he snaps. "He's a person. He doesn't just fit into one of your algorithms, okay? Loki's already proven enough to me that he's not what everyone says he is and I'd like to believe him. People don't just toy with other people like that."

"Sociopaths do. What aren't you getting about that? He's been manipulating people for years, Steve, that's why nobody likes him! It's just that now he's too drugged up to act like he normally does around everyone. But he'll say anything to get you to stay with him, Steve, why do you think it is that whenever you two fight he's so willing to work it out? He likes you because you give him attention, because he knows he can make you do whatever he wants, he's pushing your limits. He's only keeping you around to see what he can make you do before he dumps you just for the hell of it-"

"SHUT UP!" he yells. Her eyes widen slightly, surprised by the outburst. He takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I think-" Steve pauses, softening his tone. "I think I'd like you to leave now."

"Steve…" Natasha makes a face, standing up straight.

Steve looks away from her and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath. "Please?!" She hesitates, walking out of the kitchen without another word. Natasha closes the front door behind her. Steve sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He was self-conscious enough about Loki without everyone else telling him it wasn't going to work. Steve wanted it to work. He wasn't sure why, he just did. Steve really liked Loki. He thought he was amazing and yes, he was a little difficult to get along with but it didn't mean Loki was just using him like a puppet. And that wasn't how it was with Thor or Frigga either but he didn't have a way to describe how it was. Steve sighs and rubs the back of his neck. He had a lot of cleaning to do.

"Okay…favorite type of candy."

"But I like all kinds of candy. I don't have a favorite."

"Loki…"

"What? You said to answer honestly."

"Alright, fine, chocolate? Or vanilla?"

"I like both."

"Loki-" Steve laughs. "That's not the point!"

When Steve called asking if he was still up for going out Loki was happy to agree. Steve picked him up and started apologizing profusely about how he'd gotten behind with his chores and that he still had to go to the store but that afterwards they could go out to eat whatever Loki wanted. Loki assured him he didn't mind. In fact he couldn't remember the last time he'd been to a grocery store and actually gone inside. He felt like he should be tweeting about rich kid problems.

He honestly didn't mind though, Loki didn't understand why Steve got so worked up. Though he figured it had something to do with the fact that his temperament wasn't always the greatest. It didn't mean Steve had to be embarrassed about having to go to the store.

Loki's only condition was that he got to ride in the cart.

"Alright," Loki sighs. "I—prefer chocolate in all variations of everything sweet. I got in trouble once when Frigga baked a chocolate cake for a bake sale and I ate the whole thing."

Steve laughs, wheeling him past the produce section. He was apparently more than happy to push Loki around in a cart…and to pile his groceries on top of him. "And you're still skinny because…?"

"I can't eat when I'm mad. I'm usually mad at something."

"Ah, teenage angst at its finest."

"Shut up." Loki sticks out his tongue.

For a Saturday the store wasn't very busy. Mostly old ladies and a few people Loki got the feeling were there just for the sake of doing something. Of course there were two grocery stores in the area. This one—which was closer to Steve's house—and the one closer to Loki. One always seemed busier than the other and it certainly wasn't this one.

"Okay…what about flowers?"

"Flowers?" Loki smirks. "Are you courting me, Rogers? Trying to flatter me?"

"I don't know I just think it'll be a good idea to have some artillery the next time we fight." Steve grins at him, Loki rolling his eyes.

"Lavender."

"Lavender? Really?"

"And occasionally sunflowers," Loki hums. "But I really only like them during the summer months where they belong."

"Sunflowers?"

"What?"

Steve smiles. "Nothing, nothing, they're just so—cheerful."

"Hey!" A disgruntled looking employee walks up to them. Loki smiles innocently at the man while Steve keeps his grip on their cart. "Look," the man snaps, rather rudely. "You can't ride in the carts, alright? I don't care if you're here with your-" the manager raises a brow at Loki, "boyfriend?" Steve scowls. "Now get up." He shoots a look at Loki. "Come on, come on, get up! Out of the cart." Loki frowns. He wasn't about to give up his cart without a fight and certainly not to a rude, overweight man that smelled like mushrooms. "Let's go! Out of the cart."

"He can't," Steve replies rather calmly, Loki looking at him and raising a brow.

"Yes, he can, now let's go or I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"He can't because he can't walk." Loki widens his eyes at Steve. He blinks and looks at the manager and nods. Steve keeps his expression very calm, his eyes narrowing. "He has no supportive muscle tissue in his legs and uses crutches to get around. But even with those he has trouble keeping up with me sometimes and bumps into things, knocks them over. You can imagine how embarrassing that can be. Besides…it's been a long day and his arms are tired. So he's going to ride in the cart." Steve raises a brow. "Unless you have a problem with the fact that my boyfriend can't walk on his own?"

A woman passing by them gasps and gives Loki a sympathetic look. The manager sighs, staring at them both. "Fine. But if I catch you riding on the cart too you're both out of here."

Steve wheels Loki away and glances over his shoulder to make sure the manager was gone. They both let out a laugh. Loki couldn't help but feel immensely proud over the fact that Steve just lied about him having a condition just so he could stay in the cart.

"I'm afraid I'm rubbing off on you, Rogers," Loki grins.

He shrugs. "Yeah, well, I didn't like the way he talked to us. Besides…it could've been true. You have bird legs." Loki sticks his tongue out at him. Steve leans forward to kiss him and Loki smiles, nipping his bottom lip. "Always with the biting," Steve grins.

"I don't hear you complaining."

His phone goes off. Loki sighs, shifting around to dig his phone out of his coat. It was probably Darcy or Frigga wondering what he was up to or where he was or what time he'd be home.

UNKNOWN: still together i see 6:13 pm

Loki frowns. He hadn't gotten a message from them in a while. Not since—Loki bites his lip. Not since someone posted those pictures of him and Steve at the homecoming dance. Loki shoves his phone away. He looks around, furrowing his brow. Most of the people here were old ladies. No one suspicious or recognizable.

"You okay, babe?" Steve blinks, giving him a soft smile. Loki nods. "Okay…you just—have a look."

He hesitates but decides against it. Steve hadn't gotten a text. At least he hadn't checked his phone. If they both ended up with one then Loki would worry about it.

"No…I'm alright."

"Well…" He pulls a list out of his pocket and looks over it, humming. "It looks like we're just about done." Steve pushes the cart forward. "What do you want to go eat?" Loki chews his lip, sitting back in the cart. He hadn't really heard him. If things were good between them again were they just going to take another bad turn? Loki didn't like this. These ups and downs. Although…he was also letting Romanoff get in his head again. "Loki?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure you're alright?" Steve frowns.

"Yeah, yeah, it's nothing."

"Okay…you know—you can tell me if something's wrong."

Loki smiles. "I know."

His mind was still wrapped around the text message. Why wouldn't they still be together? Loki wasn't undatable he was just difficult. He had his reasons. Most of the people he dated being idiots for instance. Steve wasn't though Steve was—he enjoyed Steve's company.

"Oh, shit," Steve sighs, stopping in the aisle they were in. "We probably need laundry detergent. I'll be right back, babe, don't-" he snickers, "-don't roll away."

Loki rolls his eyes. Steve was a dork, that's what he was. He sighs and looks over some of the food Steve had picked up. Half of it was practically just sugar. How the hell did Steve keep that boyish figure? Loki snorts. Then again he probably had the metabolism of an Olympian. He'd also picked up all these weird meats and cheeses for sandwiches. What was it with him and sandwiches?

It was kind of cute really. Being able to see all the foods Steve kept in the house. Loki couldn't imagine Steve's mother eating for some reason. She seemed to be on the alcohol cleanse.

He hums when someone nudges the cart, not bothering to look up from his phone.

"That was fast."

"Woooowww," Amora smirks, snapping her gum. "Aren't you cute in your itty bitty basket?"

Loki sighs. "Hello, Amora," he puts his phone away, "I was wondering when you'd slither out from under your rock. Did you realize there were people you hadn't sucked the life out of yet?"

"Oh, Loki, always so funny…" She blows a bubble with her gum. The hoops she so religiously wore dangled against her neck. "Don't be like that, boo. We used to be friends."

"Emphasis on the used to be."

Amora's eyes flash. "Now, now, Loki, no need to be rude. After all…you've been doing so well."

He scoffs, raising a brow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Hey, babe, sorry about that I—oh." Steve makes a face. "Hello." Amora glances at Loki and smirks. She smiles at Steve, Steve not bothering to smile back. "Everything okay here?"

"Steve," Loki sighs. "You remember Satan."

The icy stare Steve gave her must have been something of legend. Loki couldn't have been more proud. He sets his detergent in the cart and sighs. "Right…Amora, is it?" She hums and cocks her hips slightly, Loki rolling his eyes. Steve smirks. "How's your—err—friend? Not too sore is he?"

Amora's face falls quickly into a scowl, Loki snickering at her. "Good to see you're still as cheeky as the last time we met, rube."

Steve opens his mouth to respond when Loki tugs on his arm. "Hey, Steve?" he smiles up at him. "Would you…mind running over to the bakery section and finding the freshest box of those snicker…doodle something cookies for me? They're for—Darcy. Her favorite."

He eyes Amora suspiciously before shrugging. "Sure, babe." Loki pulls on his coat to kiss him, Steve pulling away and glancing over his shoulder. "I'll be right back." He narrows his eyes at Amora as he disappears around the corner.

"Cute," she snorts. "We not allowed to talk in front of the pocket change?"

"Don't make fun of him."

"Whatever," Amora sighs.

Loki crosses his arms and narrows his eyes at her, trying to look as intimidating as he could sitting in the cart. "What are you doing here?"

She scoffs, placing a hand on her hip. "Buying tampons. Not that it's any of your business…then again since you seem to be menstruating 24/7 maybe you should stock up." Loki rolls his eyes. Like he hadn't heard that one before. "So…" Amora hums. She picks at her manicure. "You're still together I see."

"Yes, if that wasn't obvious enough-" Loki furrows his brow. He glances at his phone and back at her, his eyes widening just slightly. His lips curl over his teeth. "You?" he hisses. "It was you-?!"

"Easy, princess, I've had some help."

"Help? Wha—why?!"

Amora sighs exasperatingly and leans against the cart. "I don't know…at first it was for fun but now…" She frowns, her eyes darting to him. "Now it's to mess with you." Loki scoffs at her. He'd heard that one before. "See…I don't appreciate you openly mocking me in front of people and then having your little boy toy be all noble and make an even bigger fool of me."

"Awww," Loki pouts. "Did I ruin your new boo's reputation? Poor baby."

"Oh please…like I could care less about Skurge's rep. The only thing I care about is the fact that you aren't part of my clique anymore you little bitch. I can't wear you like a ring. You aren't under my thumb. Hell, you didn't even buy from me the last time you ran out."

He rolls his eyes, slouching. "Like it fucking matters who I buy from?" Loki shoots a look at her. "What are you going to do? Post a list of all the drugs I'm currently hooked on?"

"Yeah, like that would do anything. Who the hell would care? Everyone already knows you're more doped up than a pharmacy. Besides…" Amora smiles and turns to grip the cart, tapping him on the nose. "You and I both know you aren't going to be able to keep it together for long. You're the one who's going to mess up this one, Loki. Not even you can keep a guy that ripped and perfect all for yourself. You're going to panic, you're going to sink, and you may drag him down with you…" She leans forward and smirks, whispering. "All I want is a front row seat."

Loki glares at her as she pecks his lips and pulls away, snapping her gum. Amora gives him a little wave and disappears down the aisle. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Hey," Steve appears from around the corner, handing Loki his request. "What did she want?"

He shakes his head, smiling up at him. "Nothing. Just petty threats. Amora's all talk." Steve leans down and kisses him. He runs his hand over his hair and sucks on his bottom lip. Loki hums when Steve pulls away and gives him a smile, pretending he wasn't struggling to breathe.