Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 59

"The dance floor's nearly empty," Loki remarks. "Is the party coming to an end, or has dancing merely lost its popularity over the last hour?"

"Well, it's getting late," Steve says with a shrug. "I guess people are starting to think about leaving."

"The party's not over, though," Natasha adds, which is really the piece of information Loki was looking for. "I'm guessing we still have another hour or two until we start packing it up."

Loki smiles. "Lovely." She's really in no rush to go back to her room. There's not a whole lot of fun to be had once she does.

"With that said, of course," Thor adds, "now is certainly not too soon to leave. You'll notice many of Stark's guests have done so already, and more will surely join them soon."

Loki scoffs. "How could I leave my first Midgardian celebration without even a single moment on the dance floor?"

Thor crosses his arms and heaves a very dramatic sigh.

Loki looks up at Steve with a flirtatious smile. "Captain Rogers, would you like to accompany me to the dance floor?"

Steve sucks in a breath through his teeth. "Yeah, um, dancing's not really my thing..."

"You don't have to be good at it to enjoy it," Loki says. She's certainly not the most talented dancer in the world, but she's going to enjoy the hell out of it anyway.

"I know," Steve says. "I'm just not a fan. Sorry." He shrugs awkwardly.

Loki eyes him for a few moments, trying to decide whether it's worth pursuing, but he seems pretty confident in his decision, so she does the next best thing. She turns to Natasha and takes her hand, her flirtatious smile returning in an instant. "How about you, Ms. Romanoff? Would you like to dance?"

"Hmm, I don't know," she says, a playful smirk on her lips. "I'm feeling a bit like an understudy right now."

"Oh, on the contrary, darling," Loki says. "I was merely afraid you would steal my spotlight. But I do believe that is a sacrifice I am willing to make for the pleasure of your company."

Natasha huffs a laugh and shakes her head to herself. She glances at Clint, who just shrugs. She looks up at Steve, who's looking between the two women with an amused smile, and he subtly gestures for her to go for it.

Natasha returns her gaze to Loki's face. "I was a dancer half my life," she says. "You think you can keep up?"

"I think I'd like to find out," Loki says. She tugs on Natasha's hand, leading her over to the dance floor.

Meanwhile, Bruce is wishing he never moved in.

He taps Thor on the shoulder and whispers, "Is this weird to you, too?"

"Mm..." Thor tilts his head back and forth in a so-so motion. "She's done stranger things."

Bruce scoffs. "Stranger than that?" he says incredulously, jerking his thumb in Loki and Natasha's direction.

They glance at the two women, who already seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Ordinarily, Bruce would say Natasha is dancing sexually, but that pales in comparison to Loki's dancing.

"Unfortunately, yes," Thor says. "She was a very... interesting... child."

Bruce shakes his head to himself. "That is so weird."

"If this is a sign that her antics are beginning again," Thor says, "you will get used to it eventually. There comes a point where nothing surprises you."

"You know, I don't think I want to reach that point," Bruce says.

"I don't know that you'll have a choice," Thor says.

Bruce looks back over at Loki, who's taking a break from her sexual dancing to spin Natasha around. The assassin just laughs.

Clint elbows Steve's side. "So? What d'you think about her?"

Steve shrugs. "I don't know. Nice girl."

Clint raises his brows. "That's it? Just nice?"

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Steve asks. "That 70 years ago, I would've thought she was a prostitute?"

Clint snorts. "No, that's actually better than anything I would've wanted you to say," he says. "So, not a fan, then?"

"No, no, I do like her," Steve says. "She's a sweet girl. She's just very..."

"Slutty?" Clint substitutes.

"Flirty," Steve says.

"Same thing," Clint says dismissively. "So? You like her, huh?"

Steve rolls his eyes. "Clint..."

"She's cute, right?"

"Did Nat put you up to this?" Steve asks.

"No, not yet," Clint says, "but I'm sure she will, so I figured I'd just cut out the middleman and start with this now."

Steve shakes his head to himself. "You guys are ridiculous."

Steve just happens to look around the room at the same time Tony does from across it, and when they lock eyes, Steve gives him a small smile and a nod of acknowledgement. Tony furrows his brows and gives Natasha and Loki a pointed look. Steve just shakes his head, silently telling him not to ask.

Tony starts walking over to him, and Steve can tell he's going to ask anyway.

Both conversations come to an end as Tony approaches, and if it hadn't been so obvious that there are more interesting things going on, it would probably seem to Tony that they were talking about him. As it is, he doesn't seem the slightest bit phased by it.

Tony jerks a thumb in Natasha and Loki's direction. "Who's Miss Alexis Texas over there?"

"Friend of Thor's," Steve says.

"That's literally all we know about her," Clint adds. "That, and she's apparently a princess."

"Oh?" Tony looks up at Thor. "Well, spill the beans. What's her deal?"

Thor shakes his head, looking incredibly exasperated. "Believe me, you do not want to know."

Tony raises his eyebrows. "Well, now I really want to know."

"She's been hitting on Steve and Nat all night," Clint tells him.

Tony snorts and looks up at Steve. "Well, Your Highness, when's the wedding?"

Steve lolls his head back, seeming just as exasperated as Thor is. "Really, guys? You're all gonna do this now?"

"Well, not all of us," Tony says. "Not yet." He looks over at Bruce. "C'mon, help us out. I want to go to a royal wedding."

"Uh..." Bruce awkwardly glances at Loki on the dance floor. (Thor was right: she really shouldn't be dancing in that dress.) "Yeah, no, I think I'm gonna stay out of this one."

"If she lets you," Thor mutters under his breath, and Bruce stares at him, concerned.

"Well, I wanna meet her now," Tony says. "You think she'll stick around 'til the end of the party?"

"Looks like it," Steve says.

"No, she is not," Thor says.

Clint cocks an eyebrow. "Do you not like her? I thought you two were buddies."

"We are," Thor says. "That does not mean I want her here."

Tony raises his brows. "And just for that, I do want her here. I like her already."