The Witch's Familiar

Chapter 12

"That sounds like a good idea," you told him with a smile and went over to the DVD shelf to grab the entire stack of Harry Potter DVDs. "You promised to watch the movies with me," you told Loki.

He inclined his head. "I did," he agreed. You grinned.

"Now we need to set up the living room properly," you informed him. "It's proper Midgardian tradition to be comfortable for movie viewing,"

"And we cannot do that on the couch?" he asked. You shook your head.

"Well, of course I must learn the proper customs," he replied with a smile.

"Yay! First step is ditching the formalwear," and you were suddenly in your pajamas, long pajama pants and a t-shirt pajama top. He hesitated because of propriety or something silly, but at your insistent glare finally relented and was in black pajama pants and a green shirt and instant later. You worked together to move the coffee table out of the way, and built a nest of pillows, couch cushions, and blankets. Right as everything was set up to your satisfaction, Jarvis announced the arrival of the pizza man.

You took Loki's hand to climb out of your nest and headed for the elevator. "What are you two children up to?" Cap asked at your childlike glee. His words were kind, though and you waved your hand to remove his cat-ears.

"Movie night," you told him. "We ordered pizza,"

"Need help?" he asked. You shook your head.

"Between the two of us, we can get the pizzas," you replied with a smile as the elevator doors slid open. Loki was following behind you, bewildered at how he was being dragged along like a favorite stuffed animal. He somehow didn't seem to mind either. "Not that I care at all, I think they're adorable, but I know you're shy. You might want to put an illusion over your ears while we talk to the pizza guy," you told him softly as the elevator headed down to the lobby.

"Adorable, huh?" he asked with a smile, but you saw the shimmer of green magic around his cat-ears and tail. He didn't want the mortals to see them. They had enough issues with him as it was.

You smiled at the pizza guy. "Hey Dave!" you greeted him. You always had the same couple of deliverymen.

"Good evening Sorceress and Loki, right?" he replied with a smile as he set the last of the pizzas on the counter in the lobby. Loki was a couple of steps behind you, letting you deal with the pizza guy, though he did watch the interaction with interest as you left a ginormous tip and signed the receipt. You guys all loved this particular pizza place. They always got your order right, sent deliverymen you knew, the deliverymen were polite, and it was always fast and hot when you got it.

You nodded. "Yes, Loki's living here now," you replied a bit warily.

"I hope you enjoy our pizzas, sir," Dave replied with a nod to Loki, perfectly polite, apparently willing to give Loki a chance as long as the Avengers were vouching for him. "Have a good evening," he told you before he left to his other deliveries. You divided the pizzas into a slightly uneven stack, making sure a couple more were on Loki's than yours. He gave you an approving smile as he picked up his stack.

"He was polite," Loki commented pleasantly as you got back in the elevator.

"That's part of why we like this pizza place so much. They're always polite and don't get star struck,"

"Even to me," Loki said softly with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"Of course. You're part of the team," you reminded him with a smile. He was smiling again when the doors opened to the living room. You set the pizzas on the counter in the kitchen and took two of them to your nest of blankets and pillows, as well as drinks, popcorn, brownies, and all sorts of junk food.

"Surely we cannot eat all of this," Loki commented when he saw your selection of junk food.

"You'd be surprised. We have 18 plus hours of movies to watch,"

"We're not stopping are we?" he asked, resigning himself to that fact.

"You're so smart," you replied with a grin as you set up the first movie and settled in among the pillows and blankets. He didn't seem to mind.

You spent all night watch movies, munching on the snacks. You enjoyed ever single moment of Loki loving Harry Potter. After the first movie you somehow ended up cuddled up together under the blankets to watch the rest of them. No idea how that happened. But it was perfect. It was also easy to tell when he was happy. His purrs were rumbles in his chest.

*

You finished the movie marathon just in time for breakfast the next morning. Luckily someone else cooked so you didn't have to postpone breakfast. You weren't interrupting the movie marathon just for something as trivial as breakfast. Loki claimed he couldn't eat another thing after you'd devoured two extra large pizzas, plus like ninety percent of the snack food. He still ate a heaping plate of eggs and bacon. Gods were bottomless pits.

*

It was almost two weeks later before all of the cat-ears were gone besides Thor's, Loki's of course, and Stark's. "So, will you remove the cat-ears now?" Thor asked you with a pout. You hadn't yet, because he really hadn't seemed to mind. "It was a lovely trick, but I would much appreciate returning to normal."

"Leave Stark's," Loki told you before you started removing cat-ears. You raised an eyebrow at him, but removed Thor's cat-ears while Tony yelled. "I have a bargain for him. There is something I require his assistance with. In exchange, I will remove the cat-ears for him," Loki answered your unspoken question.

"You need help with something?" you asked, an offer to help him with whatever it was.

"Nothing to concern yourself about, darling. A simple matter between gentlemen," Loki reassured you. That was less than reassuring.

"Loki..." Thor's tone was a warning.

"Well then, shall we discuss business?" Stark asked, seeming amused by this game, whatever it was. The two of them headed into another room. You and Thor silently followed them a minute later to find out what this was all about. What on earth could Loki need Tony's help for?? "So, what do I have to help you with to get rid of these?" Stark demanded, gesturing angrily to the cat-ears.

Loki hesitated. He hated asking for favors, but this was a bargain, not a favor. Neither man saw you or Thor eavesdropping. "I wish... to... ask Lady Y/N on a proper Midgardian date... but I do not know the customs..." he started a little shyly, hesitantly.

"Ah, well, this I can help with," Stark replied and began hashing out details of a perfect date and how to ask without waiting for more of an explanation from Loki. It was actually rather nice of him, with how much he and Loki seemed to hate each other.

Thor grabbed your arm and dragged you away from where you were eavesdropping as soon as Loki had finished his first sentence. "Loki was correct, this is not something for us to be eavesdropping on," Thor told you firmly while you tried to silently protest that you should listen longer. Thor glared at you, took a firmer grip on your arm and dragged you bodily away. "Let him do this properly. He is trying so very hard to impress you," Thor told you firmly.

It warmed your heart that Loki really was going to such lengths just for you.