𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈

6

That gave Loki hope. He wanted to grow old with Tom just like his parents.

"Is Thomas being nice? You don't seem like the type to horse around and wrestle dear." She joked. Loki laughed softly, "I'm not, and he has been. He's..really the only friend I have."

Diana frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that sweetheart. I hope you know you can come over here whenever you'd like okay? Tom told me you have it a bit rough at home."

Loki gulped. What had he told her? He trusted Tom with the secret of Thor and knew he wouldn't have told her, but what exactly did he say?

"I-I do, but I don't want to be a bother."

Diana placed a hand on his shoulder, "Loki, you wouldn't be a bother here. Thomas told me you go through a bit of emotional abuse at home, right?"

Loki nodded glumly.

She pulled him into a hug and rubbed his back. "Then you are always welcome here. Make yourself comfortable and stay as long as you'd like to. If you need anything at all you tell me and I'll make it happen."

"Thank you." Loki whispered, feeling tears threaten to spill over. Diana smiled, "You're welcome. James may be a bit of a hard-arse, but he's here if you need him too."

Loki nodded and she pulled away, wiping his tears with her apron.

"Thomas! Come set the table with your friend darling!"

Tom was in the room not a moment later and smiled at Loki, showing him where the plate cabinet was. 

Thomas had subconsciously placed his hand on Loki's lower back as they faced the cabinet and Diana smiled knowingly as Tom rubbed circles with the pad of his thumb there. She knew. She had known since Tom gushed about him earlier that morning before leaving for summer school.

"Make sure you also grab the spare dining chair from the pantry Thomas." Diana said, her smile growing when Tom squeezed Loki's hip and scurried off to the pantry. Loki grabbed enough plates and turned around, "How would you like me to set them Mrs. Hiddleston?"

Diana turned the stove off and grabbed three of the plates, "I'll show you sweetheart, and call me Diana. No need for formalities here, okay?"

"Okay." Loki said softly. He already loved this woman.

They set the table and Tom came back with a chair for Loki, setting it beside his own. He noticed Loki and Diana smiling at each other and felt a rush of giddiness in his chest. This was what he hoped would happen, and it was happening.

"James, dinner!"

***

Dinner was absolutely delicious. Loki had to refrain from scarfing it all down in one go.

His own mother was a decent cook, but she rarely did. They had been living off of pizza and fast food for as long as he could remember. Some nights they wouldn't even have dinner because Loki's mother didn't feel like cooking or grabbing something. He usually ended up eating a sandwich.

"So Loki, what are your plans after high school?" James asked, flashing him a smile. 

Loki swallowed his bite and hesitantly met his gaze. "I'm going to film school to become a director."

James nodded approvingly, "Do you have any schools in mind?"

"I thought of going to the New York Film Academy or University of Essex." Loki replied, trying hard not to blush when he felt Tom grasp the underside of his knee and drape his leg over top of Tom's.

"Very prestigious schools. Diana tells me you're in the school's drama program?"

Loki gulped, "I am. Although I mainly work backstage."