Monsters and Magic

Chapter 36

 The next Sunday was pancake morning, just as every Sunday was. Loki loved pancakes, and Clint liked bribing the god to be in a good mood and like him. That was easily accomplished with food, especially in the form of pancakes. Clint handed you your plate with your usual orders not to share with Loki, or else you'd give him all your pancakes just to see him smile.

He handed a larger stack of pancakes to Loki. "Try not to steal the kid's pancakes when you finish yours," he teased Loki. It was a kind friendly teasing, not malicious at all, and he was just poking a little fun about Loki's love of sweets. And his giant adoration of pancakes. Loki just smirked in reply, making no promises

"Happy it's pancake morning?" you asked Loki as he took the seat beside you. You loved seeing your Loki happy and pancake morning usually did the trick to make him happy. Instead of giving you a proper answer, he proceeded to stuff his face with pancakes with childlike abandon. You giggled at his antics and started eating yours like a normal person as opposed to his impression of a pancake vacuum.

However, before he knew it, his pancakes were gone and he pouted pathetically at the empty plate. "Aww, poor noodle ran out," you teased him brightly as you always did on pancake morning and moved to dump the rest of your pancakes onto his plate.

Before you could, Bucky came around to your side of the table and lifted the chair you were in. While you were still sitting in it. "Hey!" you protested indignantly as he lifted you chair and all and moved you so you were sitting between him and Nat. Nat stole your plate before Loki could steal the pancakes off of it and placed it in front of you once your chair had been moved.

"Those are yours. Odinson can steal from someone else, or go make his own," Bucky told you firmly, overruling your protests. He glared at Loki for even thinking of accepting your pancakes after what had happened so recently in Asgard, especially when you were still recovering. Loki glared right back at both Bucky and Nat for stealing both you and your plate of pancakes.

"Don't glare. You know damn well she'll give you all of hers just because they're your favorite, and conveniently neglect that she needs to eat," Nat scolded him. Very few people would dare scold Loki, especially over you or pancakes, but he respected Nat so she could get away with it.

Before Loki can come up with a witty or snarky reply, there's a very distinctive rainbow light that appears outside the tower's windows. Everyone looked over at the rainbow light and then between Thor and Loki, confused for a moment because those are usually the only two who travel by Bifrost.

"I take it that's mommy-dearest?" Stark finally asked dryly when no one moved quickly enough.

At that, Loki and Thor jump to their feet and rush to the elevator so they can go greet Frigga. You weren't surprised at all that Loki was in the lead. You stood at a more reasonable pace and made it to the elevator as it arrived. Loki was almost bouncing in excitement all the way down to the lobby. You waited in the lobby behind the shielded windows while they ran out to the Bifrost circle outside to go see their Mother. You could watch them from your vantage point away from the sun. Loki's charm protected you from going blind in the sun, but it still drained you, and you weren't recovered enough to deal with that.

Frigga had indeed just arrived on the Bifrost and she lit up with a huge smile when her sons came rushing, nearly running, over to greet her "Hello, my sons," she greeted them warmly as they both hugged her and kissed her cheeks.

"It's so good to see you, Mother," Loki greeted her brightly, truly happy to see his beloved mother.

Frigga hugged them both back in turn and kissed their cheeks. "I have missed you, my sons. Things are quiet back home, so I thought I'd take you up on your offer to visit," she told them warmly. "I hope it is not an inconvenient time..." they had told her she was always welcome, but she was still concerned.