It was New Year's Eve now, six days since Christmas and six days since you've seen Loki, you missed him so much, but you couldn't exactly hang out with him as your mother was constantly breathing down your neck. She barely left you alone and it was getting on your nerves, constantly bringing up Adrien Cross, and it didn't take you long to figure out she wanted you to date him, well more so marry him, but obviously, that kind of thing doesn't happen right away. You probably should have caught on earlier, like at the restaurant, but at the time, you were thinking your mother was telling you all those things because his family invested in a company she worked at and partly owned. You thought she was bringing you along on this lunch date thing to show you off like she used to do sometimes before you quit ice skating and therefore wanted you to be on your best behaviour. But no, your mother wanted you to marry this rich guy, spending all the days up until New Year's Eve trying to get you to see him again, promising to take you shopping and buy you a new wardrobe and make-up so you'd look nice for him. She told you about all the things you had in common, how easy your life would be if you just dated him, and even saying it was the least you could do for her, to give him a chance, you might actually like him and didn't he deserve a chance?
You were getting ready for the party now, your mother already did your hair, putting it into a high and thick ponytail but only after curling it, making sure the wavy ringlets were perfect before adding a bit of your favourite glittery hairspray. She then moved on to your make-up and not wanting her to turn you into a Courtesan, you tried to slyly mention that you read up on Adrien Cross a little, saying that apparently, he liked less make-up on girls. You hoped she would take the bait and she did, using natural tones to accentuate your face, a bit of contour but thankfully not as much as usual, using a little highlighter and blush to give you that "glowy look" all the young people on Tiktok were doing. Moving on to jewellery, she popped in a large gold ivory diamond and pearl flower hairpin, with matching earrings and necklace, with you soon looking like the height of sophistication.
As for your dress, your mother had several picked out but wanted you to wear this gold and silver form-fitting two-piece dress that had a huge slit up one side and intricate straps in the back, showing off nearly everything. The dress itself was very pretty but not really your style, it was more your mother's, besides you didn't like how the dress showed off your mid-drift and back, it made you very uncomfortable. You wanted to wear something else, the handkerchief dress you made for example, hell, you'd even wear your medieval princess dress over the ones your mother picked. In all honesty, though, the dress you really wanted to wear was the one Loki got you for Christmas, you didn't know how he got your measurements, although you had a sneaking suspicion that it had to be on Halloween. You recall showing Loki the pattern and notes you made for that dress as he asked you more about it so you showed him the original sketches you made, one of the pages also had your measurements on it. It didn't really matter to you too much, how Loki got your measurements right, you didn't care, as the dress he gave you made you throw all logic and concern out the window.
It was the most beautiful dress you had ever seen, one of the dresses you had dreamed about getting married in, assuming you'd ever get married, but you didn't tell Loki that part, only that it was your favourite Cinderella dress. Loki gave you the ball gown from 1998's Ever After, although the one he gave you was a tad more silver, with a seemingly more intricate pattern of lace, pearls and other jewels found on the dress. It didn't come with the wings though, but to be fair they probably wouldn't have fit in the box, not that you minded, you didn't need them, already feeling like a beautiful sparkly princess. You considered briefly making or buying a pair of wings to go with it but decided against it in the end, spending your free time crafting something else that would go with the dress. You tried to show your mother what you made, but she shut you down before you even got the chance to take it out, simply hurrying you along as you still hadn't picked out a dress yet.
You decided to wear the dress Loki got you, simply waiting until the last minute so you wouldn't be able to go and change even if your mother wanted you to, although you would be hiding it under your long winter coat until you got to the party. Before leaving however you did add a little bit of extra highlight so you'd look a little bit more like Danielle from the movie before rushing out the door, nearly tripping in the sparkly silver kitten heels your mother got you. Luckily your mother wasn't really paying attention as you got into the car and only after arriving did she complain about it, saying this wasn't a costume party. She couldn't bring down your mood though, you were still so happy about looking like a princess to care, even noticing the accessories you had on went well with your dress, giving it perhaps a modern little touch.
Eventually, you ran into Ms.Seki and her husband, they absolutely loved your dress, you even gave them a dramatic spin to show it off, having a hard time keeping still. You felt very confident and chatty, being so happy, going up to most of the guests to say hello and hand out compliments, receiving many yourself, even your mother received some on your behalf. "You're practically glowing my dear," one older lady said and looking down at your dress you realized you were actually glowing, just a little bit and you quickly excused yourself to go hide and calm down. You quickly left the ballroom, heading down what was, unfortunately, a somewhat dark hallway, making it more obvious that you were actually admitting light but you soon arrived at a well-lit hallway and slowed down as a result. You found an unlocked door and entered into an empty room, quickly closing the door behind you, walking further in, sitting down at a window seat to stare out through the glass at the falling snow.
You realized you were in what used to be an old drawing-room, not uncommonly found in the older giant, mansion homes in New York, there weren't many of them left though, at least in Manhattan. You didn't care too much about it, as you had much more pressing matters at hand, the fact that you weren't in control of your powers again and might have just exposed yourself as a mutant was freaking you out. You wondered if you should just leave and go home, first trying to figure out how you'd get to your house from here as you couldn't drive, nor were you planning on walking, taking the subway or a bus this late into the evening. You were certain your mother wouldn't notice you leaving as after introductions you'd be lucky to see her at all before the following day, often catching a ride home with Ms.Seki and her husband. You gazed out over the city and the gentle falling snow, the wind blowing it this way and that, it was so soothing and peaceful, helping you relax from the sudden stress you had been feeling, but unfortunately, the new serene atmosphere was disturbed by some unwanted company.
You weren't really paying attention, too distracted watching the snow but you did see the light from the hall reflecting on the window as someone opened the door. You suddenly straighten up, knowing you probably weren't supposed to be here and as you turned around your nervous feelings did not go away, as it was Adrien Cross who walked in. You immediately got up, planning on leaving right away but you realized almost instantly that if you wanted to leave, you'd have to get by Adrien and you became even tenser. "You know, this was the room I used to sneak off to when I was younger... when I was avoiding my grandfather or my tutor, for some reason they never checked here, but to be fair there are a lot of rooms in this place", Adrien began, slowly shutting the door behind him. "I didn't know this was your house..." you say rather bluntly, you really did have no idea this was his place, one of the nicest mansions in New York belonged to the one guy you were trying to avoid. "One of several actually, but this is the one I grew up in," Adrien said nonchalantly, his current mood and behaviour feeling very different from the day you first met. You told him it was lovely and he thanked you for the compliment, before saying, "speaking of lovely, you, Ms.Andersen look absolutely stunning in that dress, truly enchanting, like a princess". You couldn't help but grin, before staring down as you tried to hide it, thanking him before saying that it wasn't true, but he insisted, you were truly gorgeous. "May I sit," Adrien asked politely, and you looked at him a little confused, merely stating, "it's your house, I'm pretty sure you can sit wherever you want". This earned a breathy laugh from Mr.Cross, who sat down on the opposite end of the window seat from where you were a few minutes before, asking you to join him, and against your better judgement, you do.
You chatted for a while, about this and that, he told you about all the pressure he was under, from work and from his family to get married and have kids, "mother keeps reminding me how she's not getting any younger", he spoke, letting out a sigh. "I know what you mean... my mother was really set on me going to the Olympics, she was certain I would win the gold... all the pressure got to me and I cracked, quitting professional skating in the process", you admitted, understanding exactly where he was coming from. Adrien then asked you what you were going to do and you paused to think about it, you said you were really into the arts, painting, writing, and acting, hoping to do something with that. "I would show you some of my work but I left my phone with my jacket," you say, a little upset as you loved talking and going on about art, not as much as dinosaurs but still, it was nice. "Oh don't worry about it, we can go get your phone a little later, and you could show me everything, but for now..." Adrien began and you looked back to make eye contact, shocked to find him so close to you.
You instantly back away, getting up as he was way too close but he grabbed you, pulling you in and you end up sitting partly on his lap, face no doubt as red as a tomato, frozen on the spot. You snap out of it pretty quick surprisingly, demanding that he let you go, threatening to scream again like you had on Christmas, but Adrien only found it amusing, simply smirking, and by his slightly red face, you could tell he had been drinking. He watched you struggle to pull away for a moment before speaking, "even if you did, there's no one around to hear you, besides, even if somehow you screamed loud enough for your voice to travel to where everyone is the music is far too loud". "I don't know what my mom said to you but I'm not interested", you say, getting more frustrated than scared, while trying to break free from his grip but he was stronger than you were, by a fair amount. "You really expect me to believe that?" Adrien asked, and you respond with a loud stern "yes", still trying to pull away, ordering him to let you go or else. "Or else what?" Adrien laughed, inquiring if you were going to feed him to your snake, and you just glare at him, letting out a groan, saying without thought that he would make her sick. "No my best friend will kick your ass... if not kill you, which is probably a little concerning... but nevertheless, when he finds out about this you will regret it," you say angrily, finally breaking free, backing away out of arms reach.
Adrien smirked again, getting up from the window seat, not taking your threats seriously, merely saying he meant what he said, he liked you, all you had to do was obey and he'd give you the world. He found you truly fascinating, you weren't like other girls he knew, you weren't interested in his money but he'd still get you to do what he wanted. "No" you shouted, as you continued to glare at him, saying that you didn't want anything to do with him, slowly retreating towards the door while keeping your eyes on Adrien, you weren't going to turn your back on him. This annoyed Adrien, you couldn't get it into his head that you didn't want him at all, and he continued, saying he was tired of your games, rolling his eyes before swearing that it was you who would have regrets. You thought about his words and he was right, saying as much, "finally, you've come to your senses, now we can..." Adrien began, only stopping as you opened the door. "Where are you going?" he demanded and you turned back saying, "I don't want to have any regrets... there's somewhere else I need to be tonight, goodbye Mr.Cross", and with that, you were gone. You quickly took off your heels, picked up your dress, and ran down the hall to get your coat and phone as you needed to make a call, hoping that Peter's offer was still on the table. You left a very stunned Adrien all alone, not that you cared about him in the slightest, and for once you didn't feel bad about that, but you were glad he didn't follow you out of the room, as he was kind of too intoxicated to.
It wasn't as late as you thought it was, as it was barely 10 o'clock, and with your coat in hand, you headed for the roof, glad that the stairs leading up to it were on the opposite side of the building. You stepped out onto the rooftop balcony, promptly slipping on your jacket and shoes as it was cold and still snowing, but only lightly, so it didn't bother you much, if at all. You pull out your phone and made the call hoping that Peter was serious about what he said yesterday; you called him up to ask a few questions involving Shield regarding Lily but it soon divulged into catching up, not that there was much to say, as you were together just over a week ago. You talked to him about your plans for New Year's, the party you had to attend as your mother would make you go, confiding in him about what happened with Adrien, worried he would be there. Peter told you not to worry if anything happened, if you saw him, or just felt weird or unsafe you could call him and he'd swing by and take you to the Avengers New Year's party instead, well technically it was like a ball or Masquerade or something, but either way, telling you again that he was only a call away. You thanked him for the offer, certain that nothing would happen, thinking at the time that even if you did see him, it was a big party, you wouldn't have to talk to him for more than a few minutes.
Peter picked up quite quickly, giving you a speedy hello, before jokingly asking if you needed that rescue they talked about, but when you told him that you did, rather seriously, he straightened up, saying he'd be right over, already knowing which building in Manhattan you were at, and luckily it wasn't far away from the Avengers New Year's ball. You thanked him, telling Peter with a smile to swing safely before saying goodbye and hanging up, feeling so much better than before, so grateful to have a friend like him. You put your phone away, tucking it into an inside pocket, double-checking to make sure you zipped it up tight so it wouldn't fall out while swinging across the New York skyline with Spiderman. While waiting for Peter you pulled out the accessory you made to go along with your dress, running your hands over the details that felt the nicest, putting it back in your coat once the wall-crawler arrived.
Peter wasted little time getting you out of there, only having you take off your shoes as they would likely fall off once they started swinging, as it had happened before, to MJ specifically. So once Peter picked you up, you took off your shoes, holding them in your hands, gripping them tightly as your arms were wrapped around Spidey's neck and shoulders. It was amazing, swinging through the city with him again, and luckily this time you weren't infected with some weird glowing substance so you could actually enjoy the ride. You soon arrived, landing on the empty balcony of a large fancy building that you were pretty sure Tony Stark owned, but you weren't sure, as you weren't that familiar with Stark Industries or anything involving Ironman that wasn't directly concerning the Avengers. Peter carried you over to a bench, carefully sitting you down so you could put your shoes back on before you thanked Peter for rescuing you, with him soon asking what happened. "Well..." you hesitated, as it was kind of crazy, the kind of thing you thought only happened in the movies or in Animes, but taking a deep breath you gave Pete a quick summary of what happened while trying not to get too upset.
"Yeah... Loki's going to kill him," Peter said while nodding his head, certain that your Asgardian bestie would no doubt destroy this guy, he would bet money on it, assuming he had money to bet that is. You then pulled out the accessory you made again, asking Peter if he would help you put it on as you were worried it would fall off and also that it might mess up your hair. You gently held up your ponytail with one hand, holding your masquerade mask in place against your face, letting Peter secure the Hook & Eye Fasteners before he carefully slid in the small hairpins that were attached to either side of the clasp. You added them in so your mask would be less likely to fall off and although they were pretty, you were happy your curly thick ponytail hid both the fasteners and the hairpins from view.
You technically found out about the Avengers New Year's Ball before Christmas as Loki told you about it, wanting to invite you but he already knew you had to attend your mother's party, it happened every year at a different rich benefactor's mansion, which would probably sound like fun but it wasn't, at least for you. So after getting the Cinderella dress from Loki you already had masquerade on the brain, deciding it would be cool to make a mask and wear it for New Year's before your mother's dismissive behaviour made you chicken out at the last minute. You found that you already had lace that was similar in colour and with a little work you made it match, making a mold for the top half of your face so it would fit perfectly. You added the silver-grey lace, little pearls and even more sparkles, thinking it was one of the best things you ever crafted, at least it was one of your favourites.
You knew you needed a mask to get in as anyone with a secret identity was wearing one, and you were so glad you brought yours along, despite your mother's words, as you really didn't want to walk in as Gracie Andersen. You really weren't ready to come out as a mutant, nor did you really think you'd ever go completely public with that, deciding for tonight you'd be someone else, I mean, that is what Masquerades were all about. You thought about it for a moment, before deciding that at least for tonight, you'd go by the name Aurora, like the dawn, and with your light powers, it kind of made sense. You turn back to face Peter, "okay Spiderman, as of now, just for tonight, I'm not Gracie, I'm Aurora," you say giving him an adorable smile as you were ecstatic, as there was something very exciting about wearing a mask to a party.
You were a little nervous as you walked in, pulling off your coat and adjusting your dress, asking Spidey if you looked alright, as you were anxious about what Loki would say, even though he was the one who got you the dress. "You look great, Miss Aurora", he laughed, before telling you to be careful as that name might stick, did you really want that to be what the whole hero community called you? You thought about it for a moment before dismissing his concerns, literally waving him off with your hand while saying, "it's not a big deal and besides I like the name, it wouldn't be the worst "hero" name out there, would it?". You head in with Spidey, taking the elevator down to the party, handing your coat over at the check-in booth, before entering the ballroom, blown away by everything you saw there.
You could have mistaken it for a modern palace, as the ballroom was certainly grand, the walls were at least 50 feet, although it could have been higher, you couldn't really tell. There were several chandeliers arranged around in a circle, lighting up the whole room, but as beautiful as they were, they paled in comparison to the enormous crystal chandelier that hung in the very center of the room. As you stepped down the stairs onto the main floor of the ballroom you couldn't help but stare up and around at everything, it was all truly breathtaking and you couldn't stop smiling. You lit up a little, and the second you noticed you got nervous, looking around for a place to hide, but Spidey stopped you from running off, "hey, it's okay, most of the people in this room have powers, you don't have to hide here, you're among friends". "Okay..." you stuttered out, taking deep breaths to prevent yourself from freaking out, even closing your eyes for a few moments, until you felt better.
You relaxed, thanking Spiderman, giving him a smile, about to inform him that you needed to find a certain Asgardian but before you could MJ spotted you, coming over giving you a big hug. "Hey Girl," she says and you say "hey" back before Spidey dramatically introduces you as Aurora, and playing along, you curtsy, "a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Spiderwoman", letting out a laugh as she leans forward, giving you a bow, "glad to be met, Miss Aurora". "It's good to see you, but I need to find Loki right away," you say a little nervous and MJ told you she saw him on the far side of the ballroom about 20 minutes ago or thereabouts with Thor. You thanked her, yanking her into a hug while whispering "no regrets" before running off to go find Loki, absolutely terrified about what you were going to do.
"Oh come on brother, it's a party, let us drink, dance, and have a good time," Thor spoke merrily, already a bit drunk, but Loki wasn't having any of it, not in a good mood at all. "You know... I haven't seen you wear that jacket before, is it new?" Thor asked, with the God of Mischief letting out a huff, reluctantly admitting that it was a Christmas gift from you, and the God of Thunder got all excited. Loki wore the leather jacket you gave him instead of a blazer, and with the rest of his suit being completely black, minus the dark green tie, he looked so good. The God of Mischief was really looking forward to showing it off when he first tried it on, but that was before the whole situation involving your mother, how the hell could someone so sweet like you be related to someone so horrid like her? Thor then turned to Loki, "it really suits you brother, your lady has excellent taste" with the God of Mischief quietly replying that you made it, special, just for him. The Thunderer then smiled, impressed by your skills as a seamstress, before saying "and that dress you got her, it's truly lovely, and it looks even better with the mask".
"What are you talking about Thor I didn't give her a..." but before Loki could finish his statement he felt a hand on the back of his arm, hearing a familiar voice saying a simple "hi", and his eyes went wide, recognizing who spoke immediately. The God of Mischief turned slowly, to see you standing there in the dress he got you, looking more beautiful than he imagined, very much liking the mask you were wearing with it. "You're here..." Loki said a little stunned but you just smiled, nodding your head, before informing him and Thor that tonight your "codename" was Aurora, so your real identity wouldn't get out. Both Asgardians gave you a warm smile, but Thor soon headed elsewhere, politely excusing himself, knowing his brother would probably want some alone time with you. While Loki, simply pulled you aside, leading you by the hand over to a quieter spot behind one of the giant pillars holding up the open balcony/upper floor to talk a little more in private.
The God of Mischief was very glad to see you, soon asking how you got here, and you admitted that a certain wall-crawler might have come to your aid, swinging you here. Loki looked at you with concern, while you looked at him a little confused, asking if he was alright, not realizing that you implied that Spidey "rescued" you from something or someone. Loki asked you what happened and you go a little pale, looking down at your feet as you began to tense up, "no, it was nothing, I'm fine, really I am," you say, but the God of Mischief sees right through you. Loki took your face with one hand, gently guiding you to look back up at him and you blush, the sudden contact made you uncomfortable but because it was him, you didn't pull away, as his touch was something you liked and wanted to get completely used to. Loki asked again what happened, and like before you were dismissive, reiterating that you were fine, but eventually you cracked saying, "I can't tell you, you'll get mad and..." you caught yourself, promptly shutting up, but it was too late. "You tell me right now what happened or I'll read your mind and find out for myself," Loki threatened, the anger and concern clearly showing on his face, but you just start to panic, telling him no, practically begging him not to, very worried, knowing exactly what he'd find. You immediately give in, promising that you'd tell him what happened but in private, somewhere they could be alone, as this was something you didn't want anyone else to accidentally overhear.
Loki took you to the upper level, into one of several sitting rooms on that floor, this one had a beautiful large window overlooking a private courtyard attached to the building and you zoned out for a minute, just staring down at it. After making sure there was no one else around Loki came over to where you were and he noticed how nervous you appeared, but there was something off about it, you were more than just anxious, you seemed scared and it worried him. Loki cleared his throat, making his presence known, and with a heavy heart, you told him all about Adrien Cross, literally spilling your guts to the God, spending a long time sharing every detail from the Christmas lunch and New Year's party as well as everything your mother had been doing, to try and convince you to date this guy. You acted like it was no big deal but what Adrien did really bothered you, it made you feel so gross inside, like it was somehow your fault, admitting how you felt to Loki while holding back your tears, who reassured you the only ones who were at fault were this Adrien and your mother.
As you told Loki everything his blood began to boil, the fear of him possibly killing Adrien was accurate, as the God of Mischief literally had to fight himself from teleporting away to end this pervert, but seeing how upset you were getting as you continued to speak made it a little less difficult, as comforting you was his first priority. You had pretty much told Loki everything at this point, everything except the whole "regrets" part but seeing as how upset you were and how upset you could tell he was, it became overwhelming, to the point where you started lighting up again. Loki told you that he would deal with Adrien but you grabbed his hands to stop him from leaving, in case he was planning on dealing with him at this moment, trying to explain yourself but you found it difficult. Loki could see you struggling and did his best to actually calm down, not wanting his personal feelings of needing to protect you, his mortal, to upset you further.
You eventually managed to speak, telling Loki, "he doesn't matter, he's not the reason I left the party, well not the main one anyway, I... I needed to tell you something and it couldn't wait another moment," you began, doing your best to stay determined and keep eye contact. You gripped Loki's hands a little tighter as you continued, "I can't live like this anymore, I know it sounds dramatic but I don't want to have any regrets, I like you Loki, like more than a friend, so much more... you're like the coolest person I have ever met, you're so smart and beautiful, you make me happy, I feel complete when you're around...". You turned away briefly, as you started to tear up but you continued anyway, "when I'm around you, I don't feel like I'm different, I can just be myself, you make me feel seen and important, I'm the best version of me when I'm with you and I... I..." your voice cuts off, you were too overwhelmed and weren't able to continue, only being able to make eye contact for a brief second before looking down, while trying to find your voice again. But you didn't have to, as Loki spoke up, "Gracie... I thought it would be best to just be friends..." and you felt your heart tighten at his words, but you did your best to listen as he continued.
"It will be complicated but I can't stay friends with you... I like you too Gracie, too much not to try", the God of Mischief couldn't deny his feelings any longer, not after what happened, not after your confession, and certainly not after you stood here and bared your soul to him. You look up at Loki, a look of shock on your face while thinking if you heard what you clearly just heard, as you started to breathe heavier, not sure of what to do now. Loki slowly pulled his hands away, placing them instead on the sides of your face as he leaned in closer, with you staring blankly up at him, seemingly frozen on the spot, but somehow you still manage to push off onto your tiptoes, running your hands up his torso and around his neck as you began to close your eyes. You could hear the countdown beginning and as the other party guests could be heard shouting "happy New Year", you locked lips with Loki for a kiss, hopefully, the first of many.
*+.:* End of Act 1 *:.+*