The next night at dinner, Pepper came in with a little girl.
Tony beamed. "Hey, Princess! How was the sleepover?"
"Who's that?" Morgan asked as she pointed to Loki.
Loki stood (as a prince does when a lady enters the room) and smiled. "My name is Loki. And who are you, little nugget?"
"I'm Morgan. Why are you here?"
"Morgan!" Pepper chastised.
Loki took a step towards them. "No, it's fine. I think a good curiosity about those around you is healthy." He held out his hand and she tentatively took it. He gently shook it. "I'm old friends with Asta, and Thor is my brother."
"Oh!" Morgan's eyebrows went up. "You're Loki!"
Loki was visibly confused and missed Asta's blush.
Morgan giggled. "I've heard Asta talk about you."
He turned to Asta. "I've been the topic of your conversations?" he asked with a grin.
"I've told the girls of Asgard and our adventures," Asta replied uncomfortably.
Loki's grin turned into more of a smirk and he spun back to Morgan. "Well, Lady Morgan, I look forward to speaking more with you. I seem to have joined the team, so we'll be seeing each other a lot."
"Do you like Frozen?" Morgan asked.
Everyone else held their breath in anticipation of how this would go.
"Frozen what?" Loki replied.
Morgan giggled again. "It's a movie! All about a queen that can freeze things. It's got the best songs! Wanna watch it with me?"
Loki felt the tension around him and wanted to pass this test. He had very little interaction with children, but he knew Asta was watching and waiting for his response.
"Well, perhaps tomorrow we can watch this film together?"
"Sure! Do you have a princess crown?"
Loki sputtered for a moment. "I'm afraid not. Though, I am a prince where I come from. Could I wear a cape instead?"
Morgan pondered that. "Yeah. It'll do. Maybe I'll bring a crown for you too." She settled into her booster seat and happily accepted her plate from Tony, who was struggling to hold back his laughter.
Loki sat down again and leaned over to Asta. "What have I gotten myself into?"
"An hour and a half of Disney songs and animation. Don't worry, I'll watch it with you guys and walk you through it. I don't mind watching it again."
"I appreciate that." He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"Oooooh!" Morgan teased.
Loki smiled. He had a feeling that Morgan was going to be someone special.
The next day, Loki, Asta, and Morgan settled into the theater room to watch the movie. Everyone else was just happy to not have to participate again. Asta adjusted Loki's crown and smiled. Even the small crown he made for himself had a mini version of his signature horns.
Loki was trying very hard to ignore Asta's plastic tiara, but he loved how it looked and dared to hope she'd be wearing real ones all the time if and when she agreed to marry him. But he couldn't rush that yet.
"So, give me some background on this," Loki said as he sat down with a tub of popcorn.
"Elsa is the queen and she's got these ice powers. And she hides because of it," Morgan began, not realizing that Loki was asking Asta. "And her little sister misses her. And then there's a big ice problem at the corn-nation and Elsa runs away and Anna has to find her. And there's a bad guy and a snowman! And a reindeer! Hey, like Daddy calls you 'cause of your crown!"
Asta took a cautious look at Loki. Knowing what she had recently learned about his true heritage, she hoped the whole ice powers and isolation thing wouldn't bother him. But he shocked her.
"Well, Lady Morgan, this sounds like a fascinating film! Are we ready for it to start?" he asked.
Morgan settled onto Asta's lap. "Yep! And this is the sing-along version, so the words come up when they sing, if you want to sing too."
"We shall see." Loki took the remote and started the movie. He wanted to pay attention, but he kept glancing over and seeing the interaction between the "sisters." He had never thought about having children before, but this sight did something to his heart and made him think perhaps…
"Loki! Are you watching?" Morgan interrupted.
"Yes, of course! Just watching your reaction as well."
Asta grinned as Morgan hopped down to dance to "The First Time in Forever." She leaned over to Loki. "For being the god of lies, you aren't very good at telling them."
"I take offense to that! It's just more difficult to lie to a child as perceptive as Morgan."
"Sure… ok."
Loki huffed, but he knew he'd been caught. He smiled as Asta sang along (mostly to Anna's parts as Morgan was usually Elsa). And as the song ended, he was shocked when Morgan climbed into his lap and curled up against him.
"You're comfier than you look," she said.
"Thank you?"
Morgan merely nodded her satisfaction and continued watching. Asta's heart instantly melted and Loki's doubts about having children shattered.
As the movie ended, Morgan jumped down and began asking Loki all sorts of questions about how he liked the movie. He answered all of them to her approval.
As they were about to leave, Asta nudged Loki. "I don't know your comfort levels with it, but if you wanted to show Morgan your special gifts, I'm certain she'd be impressed," she whispered.
Loki paused. He'd never thought of his Jotun powers as a gift before. "Well, anything to impress my lady's family," he said with a chuckle. "Lady Morgan!"
The little girl turned around. "You know, you can just call me Morgan."
"Very well, Morgan. Can I show you something special I can do?"
"Ooh! Do you have powers? Like Asta or Peter?"
"Indeed." He twisted his hands in the air like Elsa and made snowflakes appear.
Morgan's eyes widened as she saw what he was doing. "You have ice powers like Elsa?!"
"I do. Now, do you want to go outside and I'll make you an ice sculpture?"
"Yeah! Let's go!" She grabbed Loki's hand and began pulling.
"Lady Asta, will you join us?" he asked as he was hauled to the door.
"Oh, I wouldn't miss this!" Asta replied with a laugh.
Once they were outside, Loki sat on the low wall to be at Morgan's level. "Ok, nugget. Think of something you love and we'll see if I can make one."
"Unicorn!"
Loki chuckled. He stood up, closed his eyes, and waved his hands dramatically. Morgan watched in awe as snow and ice appeared and formed into the shape of her beloved unicorn.
"It's amazing!" she cried as she ran around it to look from all sides.
"Thank you," Loki said with a bow. "Now, unfortunately, I can't make this last like Olaf, but she'll last for a few hours, probably."
Morgan hugged him around his legs tightly. "Thank you, Loki! I'm glad you came to see Asta!" She ran a little closer to the building yelling, "FRIDAY! Tell Mommy and Daddy to come see this!"
Asta smiled as she stood next to Loki. "You may have just become her favorite person."
"And am I your favorite person?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to his side.
She returned the gesture. "You have been for quite some time. But this just gave you even more points."
"Well, I do strive for perfection."
Asta squeezed him a little tighter and leaned into him. "You're my perfection."
Loki sighed happily. Asta didn't have to see his face to know it was a blend of happiness and amazement that someone cared for him.
Morgan ran back over then. "Asta! Hey! Is Loki your boyfriend?"
Asta's eyes widened. "What makes you ask that?"
"'Cause you both keep making mushy eyes. And you always talk about missing him."
Loki grinned, knowing just how much Asta loved him all along, but decided not to tease her. "Well, Morgan, would you be alright if I was Asta's boyfriend?"
He hated that term, but suitor, paramour, and consort probably weren't in her vocabulary.
Morgan shrugged. "Yeah, that'd be fine. I love Asta a lot. She's like my big sister! But I think you could be ok together. Please don't make her sad."
Loki put a dramatic hand over his heart. "I swear to you, I will never, ever mean for any hurt to come to your beloved sister. And I will protect her with everything I have."
"That's good. I'm glad you finally got back to her." And with that, Morgan ran off to admire the ice unicorn that was sparkling in the sun.
Loki stood dumbfounded for a moment. "Did you miss me that much?"
Asta turned to face him. "Yes."
The simplicity of her answer made him gasp. "My darling, I am so sorry."
"Hey, no apologies! We're here now. And we're perfect now. And you are winning over my crazy Midgardian family one person at a time. And let me tell you, getting Morgan on your side is key. Everyone follows Morgan."
Loki chuckled, his spirits lifted a bit. "Even Rogers?"
Asta scoffed. "Please. Steve is the biggest pushover of them all! If he sees Morgan loving you, then he'll have to give you a chance. Even Tony falls in step with this little princess."
"Glad to hear I'm off to a good start then."
"Yep. Besides, everyone loves me too and no one wants to mess with me and Morgan together. You're in, my mischief. You belong."
Loki merely smiled, suddenly unsure of his own voice.
Morgan's happy voice brought him out of his own thoughts. "Mommy! Daddy! Look at my ice unicorn! Did you know Loki has powers like Elsa?"
Tony smirked and Loki inwardly groaned. A new nickname was imminent now…