"What is that you're reading there, mortal?" Loki asked, and you jumped, your best friend just teleported into your common area out of nowhere, startling you so much you fell off the couch. You weren't expecting him today as it was Thursday, a day you don't normally hang out, although you probably shouldn't have been so surprised as Loki had been popping over the entire week. You asked him from your spot on the floor why he was coming over all the time as you thought it was a little weird, but you made sure he knew you weren't mad or anything as you loved hanging out with him. Loki smiled as he leaned forward, gazing down at how cute you looked; your back remained on the floor, your thighs pressed up against the couch while your feet and lower half of your legs were still on the sofa. What you were wearing was pretty cute too; you had on a pair of little light pink pyjama shorts on and they were covered in dinosaurs, a white fitted spaghetti-strap tank top, an open sweater, the kind with long sleeves but wasn't meant to do up and in a colour, you would describe as a sandy brown, and super cute monster slipper boots. Your hair was up in cute little space buns, with loose tendrils poking out from them, but he liked it, as you looked better with messy hair, it added to your bright and playful personality.
Loki told you that he just wanted to see you, to hang out with his best friend which made you super happy, you smiled big before you did a somersault, quickly getting up to give your super sweet bestie a hug. In actuality, Loki was worried about what happened in the park on Saturday, as they hadn't apprehended the shooter yet and seeing as you were with them you could become a target too. It was a very real possibility that someone was trying to get to Thor by hurting Jane, and seeing as you were seen with them... Loki was beside himself with worry over you. Not that he'd say anything as he didn't want you to be scared, as he's seen you panic before, you could get worked up pretty quick and it could sometimes take you a while to calm down. He knew that showing up at your school would be weird too, he would have to pretend to be a new student or something, and even then he wouldn't be able to stay with you all the time. Loki had other responsibilities, and he literally had to fight himself on whether or not to go and watch you all day or basically kidnap you and keep you safe until the shooter was caught. Thor insisted you would be fine, as apparently your school used to be the home for Spiderman and his team, so Shield had it tricked out with a lot of weapons and security measures. It was probably the safest school around, so he relented, and seeing as Loki was busy with Avengers stuff during the day for the most part he would just pop over in the evenings to check on you.
Loki sat down with you on your giant sofa, showing him what you were looking at, it was a copy of the script for the Spring Musical, the tryouts were just before Winter break in a week. "Well, I figure if I wanted to be an actress I should get some practice in, to see if it was something I'm even good at," you admitted, letting Loki look at the thick booklet. You explained that the Spring Musical was the one big show they put on every year, there would obviously be a lot of singing but also a lot of dancing and you loved doing that stuff. Even if you got a small part or just an understudy role it would still be a lot of fun; going through the whole process, the costumes, the make-up, and the song and dance numbers, would be a total blast.
Loki can see how excited you are and asks you which role you were hoping to get and you tell him you wanted to be the antagonist, although you probably wouldn't get the role as the villain was supposed to be a dude. "Why do you want to be the villain?" Loki asked while letting out a small laugh under his breath and you look at him like he's joking, "oh come on Loki, the villains are so much more fun, they get the coolest costumes and the best musical numbers". The God of Mischief raised an eyebrow at you and you got more excited as you continued, "not to mention historically speaking the villain archetype is really interesting, as they were really the only characters allowed to explore their gender and sexuality, diving into all extremes of humanity... in the past, and even still today the "heroes" always have to be perfect, or what society considers perfect or ideal but people aren't like that so it's a lot easier, at least for me, as someone who isn't seen as "normal" to fall in love with these characters and root for them even though they're sure to lose".
Loki was fascinated as you went on about the many different classic character archetypes and tropes in Midgardian films and tv shows, and how it has changed over the decades. You eventually caught yourself and you pouted for a few seconds before saying sorry to Loki, as it seem your mouth ran away with you, again, but he didn't seem to mind. You were still mad at yourself, as you didn't mean to gush like that, you knew sometimes you talked too much when you got excited, and you apologized again before saying it was his turn to talk now. Loki laughed again and he turned away for a moment, the whole it's "his turn to talk now" was kind of funny and the fact that you were serious about it made it even more so, but then again, he found most of your quirks so endearing. You were really silly and sweet but also blunt yet polite, sometimes to the extreme but he liked it, you were truly his chatty little ball of sunshine that lit up his day.
You and Loki ended up cuddling for a while, during which time he read a book and you popped on your headphones and did your homework on your laptop. Loki had his one arm around your torso but you didn't mind, you always liked having something resting against your abdomen when you leaned forward, to work on your laptop or draw on your tablet. Although usually, it was Lily who would be wrapped around you, but seeing as Loki's arm was about the same thickness you didn't really notice the difference and enjoyed it as well. Loki for his part liked it when you would subconsciously squeeze his arm slightly while thinking, he was glad you were so comfortable around him to just automatically snuggle up. He liked being close to you, it was a feeling he wasn't completely used to, as it was rare for anyone to get near to him like this but he became addicted to it oh so quick, most of the time not wanting to let go.
It went on like that until the following Wednesday when the Avengers apprehended the shooter as well as the person who hired him to kill Jane, so Loki could finally breathe. To be honest, Loki had no time to himself besides when he went to bed, assuming he could sleep and it was starting to get to him, he spent the entire last week and a half worrying about you, it was so bad even the other Avengers started to notice. They knew Thor was important to him, probably the only person he did care about but still, it was odd, and seeing as they didn't know about you, it stayed that way. Thor didn't say anything to them about you being his best friend or girlfriend, or whatever he thought you were to Loki, so when it was explained to the others you were just an acquaintance they knew and that they happen to run into you that day when Jane was attacked. Thor knew how important it was to you to keep your existence on the down-low, with your powers and the like, and even though the God of Thunder didn't really understand, he respected your wishes.
Loki was so relieved when they were arrested, he came over right away to see you, earlier than usual, pretty much showing up just before you got home from school. He popped in to say hi to Lily, who greeted the prince of Asgard warmly as she liked him, not as much as you, but still, she was happy to see him again. You walked in upstairs calling out to Lily, saying how excited you were to show your snakey baby the several projects you received back from being marked. "Loki!" you say surprised, as you walked into your craft room, not expecting to see the God of Mischief, at least until later and you quickly hid your other backpack, not wanting your best friend to see your silly little art and fashion assignments, as more than one was based on him.
Before Loki can ask what was in the bag you squeak, "it's nothing", and rush off to your bedroom to put your stuff away, embarrassed thinking about his reaction. You don't know where to hide the bag and before you could Loki was there, wanting to see what you had in your backpack but you shook your head no, saying it was just stupid and silly school stuff. Loki insisted you show him as you sounded so happy earlier, even if it was absurd or goofy if it was important to you then it couldn't be stupid, and you eventually relented and showed him. You first pulled out the fashion projects you made, you had three, first a long knit sweater for Lily, it was pretty much just the world's longest well-knit leg warmer, and you told Loki you had to show your teacher a picture of Lily before she let you do the project. You laughed about it for a second before informing him the other two things were sewing projects that turned out awesome, as you didn't make any mistakes on them, you were actually kind of proud of them and you couldn't wait to wear them.
Loki was intrigued, and before you could pull them out he stops you, asking you to put them on instead, as he much rather see you in whatever you made. "Really?" you asked a little surprised but weirdly happy at his interest, so you did as he requested, getting up and going over to your closet to change. You quickly came back out wearing a Loki hoodie, it was modelled and designed after his usual Asgardian attire, except the hood you added was lined with fur instead of the collar, and although the hoodie you made was a little longer, it was nowhere near as long as his actual jacket. He noticed that pretty much all the little details were correct, but instead of metal you just opted for metallic fabric, telling Loki as much as you gave him a little spin before asking what he thought. Loki walked right up to you, giving your handy work a closer inspection, pulling your hood up, running his hands along the faux fur lining, and down the length of the zipper, and you suddenly got all flustered. You tensed up as you feel Loki examine the details on the sleeves, letting out a little laugh under his breath as he noticed that embroidered on both cuffs were the words "Team Loki".
Loki was really drawn in by all the details of the garment, very pleased to see you dressed like him, the idea of you in his clothing did come to mind and he relish the thought. He then noticed how nervous and tense you looked and quickly backed off, letting go as he realized he must have gone too far with you, apologizing for getting too close as he stepped away. You said that you were fine but Loki could tell how flustered you were and said, "you need to tell me when you're uncomfortable, as I don't want to upset you, and I won't take it the wrong way if you tell me to back off". You nodded your head as you looked at the ground, still a little embarrassed but not for the reason Loki was thinking and you decided to explain, "no I wasn't uncomfortable per se, I guess I was, kind of... I like you being close to me but I... I don't really know what I'm supposed to do and when that happens I freeze up and my brain goes all fuzzy and I don't know what to do".
Loki is quiet, looking away for a moment before turning back to lock eyes with you and you're confused by his expression and you ask if he's alright, as he seemed off or something. Loki said he was fine and taking him at his word, you perked up, giving him a little smile before rushing off to change again into your other fashion project, telling him it would probably take a few minutes. Loki said "no rush darling, take your time," as he sat down on your bed, gazing out your bay window at the quiet street below before letting out a large sigh as he started to relax. He then turned back to see something else sticking out of that other backpack you had, it was sitting on your bed and being curious Loki didn't hesitate to remove it and check it out. Loki soon discovered it was an art book, filled with countless drawings and sketches using all kinds of mediums, they were lovely as each page had so much detail. There were some interesting abstract pieces, lots of drawings of Lily, one of Peter Parker, another of Spiderman and other heroes, and a few of Mary Jane. There were several more who he determined were your other school friends, mostly males, and although their portraits were well done he didn't like them, finding himself feeling a bit jealous as he turned page after page. That was until he reached one of himself, and another, then several more, there were just as many sketches of him as there were of Lily, in all different locations and outfits, some he had never worn before. He also recognized a lot of the landscape pieces as well, they were places you had been to together, the park where they had lunch on your birthday, the Asgardian exhibit, the ice rink, and even that spot in the woods where you first met, they were all so beautiful.
Loki could hear you call out to him, saying that you were ready, but by your tone, he could tell you were nervous and asked if anything was the matter, putting your artbook away as he came over to check on you. He stood right outside the door to your closet, about to walk in but he paused when you started speaking, "sorry, I'm okay... I guess I'm just a little apprehensive for anyone to see what I made... well, more so to see what I made while it's on my body... I don't usually wear things like this". Loki watched as you poked your head out making brief eye contact before getting shy and hiding back in the closet, making the God of Mischief inwardly laugh, you were so cute. He then walked into your closet, saying as much, wanting to see what all this fuss was about and was at a loss for words as he saw the garment you made, you looked so beautiful.
You were wearing a lovely A-line dress with a natural waist, and the whole thing cut off just above your ankles, the fabric itself appeared light and airy and was a pretty pastel mint, or was it more of a pale seafoam, Loki couldn't tell. It had a heart-shaped neckline and short butterfly sleeves, with a layered handkerchief skirt, the whole thing appearing rather enchanting. Adding to the whimsical theme were the small realistic fabric flowers that were sewn in all over the skirt, with more along the edges, fading in quantity the farther up the gown you went. There were also a few lining the edge of the top half of your dress, it was a super pretty asymmetrical border, and you could see the slight variation in size and shape a bit easier. The flowers were pastel shades of all colours, although, for the most part, they were light pink, a soft purple, sky blue, and pale yellow, practically the definition of spring. You were also wearing a matching headband, it was beige and had a lacy/twine sort of texture with several of the same fabric flowers decorating it on the one side. Your hair was pulled over into an elegant side ponytail and you had changed your shoes, putting on your black ballet flats instead while also throwing on a simple gold chain necklace with a flower pendant and matching flower earrings. You thought it was weird to wear a fancy-ish dress without accessories, it was something your mother taught you, a social rule you followed as you felt weird when you didn't.
"Is it that bad?" you asked freaking out a little as Loki was just standing there and hadn't said anything yet and you grew increasingly worried that you looked dumb or childish. You then rush as you began to take everything off, starting with the necklace and earrings but at the same time, Loki snapped out of it and stopped you. He grabbed your wrists before you removed one of your earrings saying that you looked beautiful, explaining that it caught him a little off guard as he wasn't expecting you to be wearing something like that. "You really think I'm pretty?" you asked letting out a little laugh, and Loki released your wrists and turned away so you couldn't see his face, saying you were indeed very pretty. You thank the God of Mischief for his compliment, before admitting no one besides your mom or Ms.Seki had ever said that to you before, and Loki turned back, seemingly surprised but you didn't understand why he looked so mad. You ask Loki if you said or did something wrong to make him feel weird but he told you no, looking you in the eye while saying, "everyone around you must be a damn fool if they don't see how truly beautiful you are Gracie, inside and out".
After that, you got changed into some silly and cute little pyjamas and just hung out for the rest of the evening, with you running downstairs to make some dinner for the two of you. You ended up just popping one of your premade dinners into the oven as you didn't want to spend too much time away from Loki, as you always had a good time with him. You soon return with tea, informing Loki that you just put the lasagna in the oven, it would be a while until it finished cooking so you offered to make him a snack like popcorn or something if he was really hungry. Loki told you he was fine, asking if they could watch a film and of course, with you being pretty much always down to watch a movie you quickly agreed, immediately heading over to pick one out. You asked what kind of movie he wanted but he wasn't sure, and neither were you, so you left it up to fate, pulled up a random number generator to pick a movie and the one you ended up watching was Coco.
You had dinner and Loki really liked it, although he usually loved what you made, you were a good cook, but of course, you did have a few years of practice, as you were home by yourself a lot. Instead of having your usual pint of ice cream with Loki, you decided to bake cookies together, you ended up making snickerdoodles, as they were your favourite next to gingerbread. While baking you asked Loki what he wanted to do for his birthday, as it was only a few days away, but he wasn't sure, admitting that he didn't really celebrate it. This made you stop in your tracks, you turned off the mixer and turned to him, "okay, no, you made such a big deal about my birthday, we have to do something for yours, it's only fair". You wouldn't let him protest, they would be doing something together and you would be baking a cake for him, pretty much ordering him to tell you what his favourite kind was. Loki told you not to go to any trouble over him and you cut him off, grabbing his face and pulling it close to yours saying, "you are my best friend, it's no trouble at all Loki... and you better get on board cause we are celebrating whether you like it or not". You tried to remain firm while attempting your best pout while staring him down until he caved, even though you didn't like being pushy, you did your best.
Loki really was your best friend, and you would do anything for him, but he pulled free from your grasp and took your hands to hold instead, telling you no, he still didn't want you to go to any extra trouble over him. You let out a sigh, as your face turned kind of gloomy, looking away as you spoke, "you're really important to me Loki... you make me happy... I just want to make you happy too... but if you really don't want to do anything, I understand". You pull free from Loki's arms, going back over to finish the dough, putting it in the fridge to chill while you mix some cinnamon and sugar together to coat the outsides before baking them. "I like Strawberry cheesecake," you heard from behind and you turn back giving Loki a big smile, saying you were going to make him the best cheesecake ever, now in a super good mood once again.
You started rolling out the cookies and when you asked Loki if he wanted to come over and help he said he needed a minute, he would just be stepping outside for a moment to clear his head. "Okay," you said bluntly while giving the God of Mischief a little smile, before turning back around as you wanted to get the cookies in the oven as fast as possible. Loki stepped out into your backyard, pulling his hair back as he leaned up against the house, letting out a huge sigh, the words you spoke echoing in his mind, "you make me happy". "Fuck," Loki whispers to himself while staring up and out at the night sky and lightly falling snow, unsure of what to do regarding you, it was getting harder and harder for him to be around you, as his feelings for you only increased with each passing day. He wanted to tell you, part of him needed to tell you, sometimes what he was feeling was so strong he had a hard time fighting the urge to just pick you up and never let go.
"Loki?" you questioned, you had popped outside when he didn't come back in right away to see him staring off at nothing, he looked troubled and didn't hear you when you spoke which was concerning. If he was contemplating something important you didn't want to disturb him but, if he was upset you wanted to know why to help him if you could and you fought yourself on whether or not to leave him alone. You went back inside for the moment and although part of you wanted to leave him be, in the end, you decided to check on him to make sure he was okay. You managed to grab his attention when you held out a cup of tea in his direction, and he turned to see you in an oversized hoodie and a pair of slip-ons with two cups of tea in your hands.
"It's chilly out tonight, I thought you might need this," you smiled, handing the tea to Loki before taking a sip of yours then commenting on how nice and peaceful it was, with the God of Mischief quickly agreeing. You asked him if he was okay, and he stared down at his drink, telling you he was fine before thanking you for the tea and taking a sip, saying it was good, as always. Loki didn't notice but your right eye began to twitch for a moment, all the "signs" pointed to something being wrong but he said he was fine, however, as his best friend you should make sure he's okay, that was part of the job of being a best friend after all. You opened your mouth to say something but found that you couldn't, you didn't want to upset him by pushing further, considering you already pushed it with his birthday, as he seemed a little upset from that.
The alarm for the cookies went off and you almost jumped out of your skin, and you found yourself calling Loki's name before your brain could even process what you were saying. Loki turns to you, waiting for you to continue, finding your slight panic cute, as always and he ends up speaking before you, "I believe that sound is indicating that the cookies are done". You nod your head before turning around to go back inside to pull the tray out of the oven when you pop back out seconds later saying, "if you're upset, tell me, and I'll do my best to listen". You then left Loki outside to get the cookies before they burned, hoping you got what you wanted to say out and across to him in the way you meant it, as you felt awkward about what you said.
You ended up watching Walking With Monsters: Life Before Dinosaurs, as it was one of your favourite documentary series as it talked about ancient life, which you found fascinating. Loki didn't mind as he wasn't really paying attention to the screen, he was watching you, he was still so happy he didn't have to worry about the shooter coming after you and before either of you realized it, he had fallen asleep. Loki didn't really sleep at all over the past week and a half and it finally caught up with him, he felt so relaxed around you he couldn't help but drift off to sleep. It was a while until you noticed, you turned to Loki, to tell him your favourite part was coming up when you saw him asleep on your couch and you didn't hesitate to get up and grab him a blanket.
You turned off the show and dimmed the lights, not wanting to wake Loki up, you had seen this series at least a dozen times and you could always finish it later. It was late after all, and you didn't mind the idea of your best friend staying the night, in fact, it made you quite happy, the thought of waking up and having breakfast with Loki. You also grabbed a pillow along with a blanket, carefully lifting up his head, slipping the cushion under it so he wouldn't wake up with a sore neck as you hated when that use to happen to you. When you were younger, before your powers kicked in, you would fall asleep in random places around your house, the weirdest probably being on top of the kitchen island and you would wake up a little sore.
You then turned back around to grab the blanket, taking an extra minute to make sure he was all covered when Loki started to move which startled you a bit. He kicked off his blanket as he turned this way and that, and you began to slowly back away quietly, as you didn't want to make any noise, not wanting to wake him up. You then raised your hand, carefully lifting the blanket with your powers being extra careful to again, not wake him up when something happened where you couldn't stop trying to wake him up fast enough. Loki had grabbed you while still half-asleep, you called his name multiple times but he wasn't responsive, he then pulled you against him before adjusting his position to go back to sleep.