Loki's Endgame

Chapter 10

Your alarm clock blares an ugly ringing sound. You groan and sit up in bed. It's 8am, the day of Tony's ball. Loki's weirdness aside, you had been so excited about this all week. Natasha had been counting down the hours since the previous Tuesday.

"147 hours until the ball guyyyyys!"

You loved her enthusiasm, she'd had such a troubled upbringing so the chance to let loose and party with her friends had overjoyed her. You couldn't wait.

At that moment, and if on cue, Nat comes crashing through your door, a huge grin on her face.

"I heard your alarm go off from next door, we need to get up and get ready, we have so much to do to prepare!"

She speaks almost in singsong, grabbing your arms and pulling you off the bed, you both land on the floor giggling.

"Okay! Okay! I'm up and relatively awake! What's the plan?"

"We're meeting up with Pepper and Laura at 10am at the mall, then it's a spa day, hair, nails, makeup, dress fittings and finally collapsing into that ballroom like exhausted goddesses!"

"Sounds perfect!"

You jump up and drag her off the floor. You run into the bathroom to brush your teeth and wash as Nat stands behind you clapping enthusiastically.

"Hurry. Up. We. Need. To. Go!"

She hands you some black leggings, Van's trainers and a tank top from your closet which you pull on.

"Lets gooooo!"

"Nat, if I don't eat something, I will be an exhausted fainting goddess by this evening!"

Nat laughs, "Come on, we'll go grab some breakfast at the cafe on the corner, I'm not feeling cereal and toast today, let's make the whole day an event!"

She grabs your hand and drags you out the door, half pulling you down the stairs. You both shriek hysterically as you pass Clint in the hall.

"Keep outta trouble ladies, I expect my Laura to come back in one piece for tonight!"

As you run through the dining and kitchen area towards the front door you spy Loki leaning on the kitchen counter, a mug of tea in his hand, quietly thinking to himself. Nat breaks his concentration by shouting across the room.

"See ya later Loki, we're off to cause some trouble!"

Loki looks up and regards the scene in front of him... An over-excited Nat dragging you by the hand through the complex, stumbling through doors and cackling hysterically together. Your unkempt hair was flying in every direction, half blinding you. You haven't brushed your hair again... well shit. You burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

To your surprise, Loki laughs too, giving you a grin and a wave as you leave. You find yourself smiling, partly because of the excitement of spending the day with the girls, but also because Loki, in those brief seconds your eyes had just met, was back to his old self.

*
Loki

Loki watches her being dragged comically out of The Compound, chuckling to himself at her stumbling blindly alongside Natasha. He offers her a small wave and a smile, feeling the ice and delicacy between them melting slightly.

"Oh man, with those two... Laura will have her hands full."

Loki turns to look at Barton, who walks into the kitchen from the corridor, shaking his head at the slammed door in which the girls had burst out of. Loki drops his head, smirking a little.