Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 99

Loki hasn't been sitting in bed long when he hears the knock on his door. Snowflake lifts her head from Loki's lap, then lowers it back onto his leg and closes her eyes.

Loki glances at the clock, and holy shit is it later than he thought. He's not sure who's on the other side of the door, but his answer is the same to whoever it is: "Why are you still awake?"

"The same reason you are, probably," Steve says. "It was a long party."

Loki huffs. "I noticed."

"Sorry to bother you so late," Steve says, "but a new friend of mine wants to meet Snowflake."

Loki knows damn well who this friend is, but he still asks, "Is this new friend of yours someone I would know?"

There's a pause before Steve answers, "I don't think so. She's out here with me if you want to open the door."

Loki scoops Snowflake up in his arms and stands up. He holds her against his chest, but she has other plans, and she climbs up him and drapes over his shoulder. He chuckles, scratching the top of her head.

He walks up to the door, but, with his hands full of cat, he can't exactly reach for it. He uses his magic to open it, and it swings open, revealing Steve and Darcy waiting outside.

Darcy gasps at the sight of the cat lying on him. "He's so cute!" she squeals.

Loki gives Darcy a distasteful look, then says to Steve, "When you'd said a new friend, I hadn't anticipated it to mean one of Dr. Foster's."

Steve raises his brows. "You do know her?"

"I do," Loki says. "I nearly killed her once."

Steve's eyes go wide, and the panic he tries and fails to hide as he looks down at Darcy is almost enough to make Loki laugh.

"Yeah, but you weren't trying to kill me; you were trying to kill Thor," Darcy reminds him. "And you didn't, so it's all good!"

Loki just raises an eyebrow. Oddly optimistic, but then, he'd sort of figured that much out during the hours they spent together with the others at the party, so he can say he's surprised.

"Can I pet the cat?" Darcy asks.

"If she bites you, it is your own fault," Loki warns her, as though Snowflake would ever bite anyone. He puts her down on the floor, and she rubs up against his legs.

Darcy crouches down and holds a hand out, and Snowflake trots up to her, rubbing her head against her hand. Darcy scratches the back of her neck, and Snowflake purrs softly, content with the attention.

Darcy looks up at Steve, still petting the cat as she says, "You know, you don't have to hang out."

Steve hesitates, gaze straying to Loki uncertainly.

Loki rolls his eyes. "JARVIS," he says, "I give you my full permission to alert the Avengers if I try to kill, main, or otherwise injure Ms. Darcy."

Steve sighs. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it," he says. "Since you don't seem to like any of Thor's friends."

"What, like Sylvie?" Loki asks sarcastically.

Darcy looks up at him, lips pressed firmly together to keep from laughing.

"Well, yeah," Steve says, "and Jane—"

"I have no quarrel with Dr. Foster," Loki interrupts. "I think she is a fine woman, though I do think she could do far better than my brother."

Darcy snorts.

Steve shakes his head to himself, but he seems to find that a little bit amusing, too. "And then there's Sif—"