The Scientist (Loki x OC)

Pt. 14: Learn About Yourself

Loki's eyes opened from underneath the book he nodded off to while reading. Removing it from his face, he marked his spot with a bookmark and rose to investigate what had disturbed his almost-nap. Luna stood by the door she had recently closed and locked. As Loki looked at her, his brow furrowed. Something was different about her. Shedding her jacket, she spoke to him.

"So, I finally got that haircut I've been talking about. What do you think? How does it look?" She held her hands out and slowly spun once in place.

"It's shorter."

"Yeah, but does it look good?" He looked over her appearance, neglecting to answer her. To him, she looked fine as always. She waved a hand to dismiss him. "Never mind. I know I look cute. I'm gonna go change real quick." She swiftly left to her room, shutting and locking the door behind her.

Luna shed her clipping-covered shirt and turned it inside-out to dust her head and face off before tossing it in the laundry hamper along with her pants. She opened her closet and looked inside, deliberating on what to wear to relax in. She absentmindedly ran her hands over her slightly dry skin, feeling the transition of the smooth area to the itchy raised ones. Making a mental note to put moisturizer on after her shower, she reached for a fresh shirt and a pair of clean workout leggings. While finishing dressing, something caught her attention from the inner corner of her closet: the outfit Loki had first arrived in.

It had changed since she last saw it. She picked it up and turned it around to the back and then to the front again. Keeping her gaze glued to the clothing in her hands, she slowly walked back out into the living room.

"Hey, wasn't this green when you came here?" She said, catching Loki's attention once more as he tied his hair up. He got up and walked closer to where Luna stood.

"It seems the charm I placed on it has worn off," Loki said, thumbing the cape fabric.

"How come it's blue? I thought you liked green."

"The leader of the last planet I was on liked blue. He was...is a bit of a tyrant but I needed to win his favor, so I chose this to wear."

"And did it work? Winning his favor?"

Loki grimaced a bit and nodded his head from side to side. "For a time."

Luna raised an eyebrow and turned the cape to reveal the opposite side. "And the yellow?"

"Something to contrast." He moseyed back over to the couch, having had enough of the conversation. Luna felt that much from him, but she needed to get the last word in. She held the suit at arm's length and visualized him wearing it in her mind's eye.

"I know green is your color, but you really do look good in blue."

She smiled warmly, more for herself than for Loki. She was content with her comment, and, unbeknownst to her, so was he. Though he knew she couldn't see, he still bent his head to hide the charming smile gracing his features.

Luna drew the suit closer, almost to an embrace, and ran a hand over the menagerie of leather, fabric, and armor, every piece as dinged and damaged as the last. The singed areas rubbed her skin in all the wrong ways, and the rips weren't any better. She was glad Loki didn't have to wear it any longer than he needed to. Still, it felt a little wrong to have something uniquely his be so damaged in her own home.

Setting the garments at the foot of the couch, Luna marched back to her room to get her sewing box. She toted it back out and put it down next to her on the ground. Unfurling the cape from the pile, she lay it secure across her lap and opened her box to pick a dark blue thread.

"What are you doing with that?" Loki said with a start.

"I'm mending it for you," Luna replied as she threaded a needle. "But don't worry, I'm a pretty capable sewer." After tying a knot, she began mending a tear on the blue side.