You got changed as Loki requested, finding out that not only did he fix your super suit, your boyfriend also changed it slightly, he added gold fingerless gloves, similar to his and the whole suit had a subtle sort of gold shimmer to it. The whole thing seemed to fit that much better too, not that you had any problems with the fit before, but now it was practically perfect and you didn't know how to feel. You walked out of the bathroom, mask in hand with your arms crossed, looking at Loki with a raised brow while asking him what this was all about, clearly referring to the changes he made. But Loki only gave you a smile, he thought you looked so good in your suit, the fit wasn't unflattering before, but now it hugged your curves that much better, showing off your amazing figure.
"Loki, I'm being serious, why did you change it?" you ask, before saying you weren't angry, well not like a lot anyway, you didn't understand what you were feeling and you were mad about it. Loki couldn't help but smile wider and even laugh a little, thinking the grumpy expression you gave him was absolutely adorable, wanting nothing more than to grab your cute face and shower you with kisses. Loki still wasn't saying anything, just giving you a weird, almost sly smile, so you walked right up to him, waving one hand in his face as you said, "Earth to Loki, this is mission control, is anyone home?". You liked teasing him sometimes, and Loki himself was definitely liking it too, especially the grin that had formed on your face, but even more than that, the look of surprise you had when he suddenly pulled you into his arms. Loki pressed a kiss to your lips, before saying "I just wanted it to be the best for you, as you deserve the best, my sweet mortal", and you broke into a blush at his words, trying very hard to be mad about it but you couldn't, merely letting out a groan as you pressed your face against his chest.
You walk into the living room where Thor, Hulk, and Lily were waiting and you can already hear your snakey baby, she wanted to go home and sleep, no doubt tired from being up this long. Lily would normally sleep at least 16 hours like most other snakes but she was up last night waiting for you and only slept once Loki brought her over and she was exhausted. "Okay, okay, I hear you, Lily, you can go home and rest now", you say, before turning to the guys saying you'll have to drop Lily off at home first, explaining next that you could communicate with animals as both Thor and Hulk looked a little confused. Loki already knew about this ability, occasionally making fun of you because only "Disney Princesses" could talk to animals, while Thor just seemed a bit impressed, as he wished he could understand what Lily said, but Hulk remained quiet, just staring at you, wondering if what he was thinking was even possible. "Healing factor... tough as nails... talks to animals... no claws though... hmm..." Hulk thought before asking you straight up who your dad was, to the surprise of everyone in the room.
The Asgardians thought it was quite weird for the big green guy to ask you something like that, with Loki even getting a little mad about it, as he knew the answer but you calmly responded, "um... I don't actually know, my mom said he was just some Canadian guy she met at a bar... I do remember her saying he gave off "lumberjack vibes" though, based on the way he was dressed when they met". "No, it's not possible," Hulk thought, trying to convince himself to unthink what he thought, asking about your mother next, hoping to avoid the awkwardness. You tell Hulk that your mom is Dr.Rachel Andersen a Geneticist, and he knows who she is, saying as much, having the displeasure of encountering her some years ago, or at least Bruce did, but he didn't tell you that part. You looked down at your feet, letting out a large sigh as you gripped your one arm tight and knowing how your mom could be you apologized, stating that you weren't like her. Hulk knew that, giving you a smile, ruffling your hair before you fixed it and popped on your mask, saying that you'd be right back as you walked up to Loki and asked extra-sweetly if he wouldn't mind teleporting to your house to drop Lily off.
Loki seemingly didn't mind taking Lily home and of course, you had to go as well, wanting to tuck your sweet snakey baby into bed while grabbing a few things once you were back at the house. You knew it was supposed to be a surprise but you asked Loki if they were leaving the country, as if that were indeed the case, you would have to make another stop to exchange some currency, just in case you wanted to buy something while you were there. Loki did confirm that they were staying in the U.S. so that was good, you wouldn't have to make anymore pitstops and could just go straight there, wherever "there" was. So with that, you packed up your official Aurora backpack, it was white, had a hard outer shell, and your logo in gold, showing it off to Loki as you were kind of proud of yourself that you were able to make it.
You then popped on your bag, before turning back to Loki, staring at him for a few minutes while looking very tense, but you soon snapped out of it and quickly wrapped him in a hug. "Pet, are you alright?" Loki asked as this hug seemed out of nowhere, but you shook your head, before gazing up at him, removing your mask so you could look him in the eyes as you spoke. "Um... Loki, I'd like to tell you something, assuming we don't have to leave at this exact moment" you began, turning your gaze away before locking eyes again as Loki spoke, saying you could tell him anything. "Okay, well... you seemed very sad that you weren't there to protect me and I'm not sure what I can do to make it better... I just want you to know I'm not mad or sad or anything, and when I said it felt like I was dying it wasn't from the physical pain, it was from the emotional... I don't know if you're able to understand how truly intense my feelings can get for me, but you really did save me... and it's not like I would have killed myself but for me, it really felt like the end of the world... and you made it better, whenever I've freaked out bad like that before I always had to get through it by myself, it was always hard, but with you, it was so much easier, I just wanted to make sure you know that what you did, it meant the world to me", you said, hoping you didn't sound crazy or overly dramatic. You then placed your face up against Loki's torso, snuggling as close as possible, like you did back in his room, but this time, you lit up, letting your light ability flow through him, hoping he found it comforting, you clinging to him like this, and he did, much more than you knew.
You squeezed Loki tight for another full minute, gently rubbing and patting his back before pulling away like nothing happened asking if you could leave now, giving your boo a big smile as you slipped your mask on and took his hand to teleport back. It did, however, take a few seconds for Loki to snap out of it, about to say something when you both heard your mother calling, asking if you were there, and you weren't sure what to do. "Yes, mother I'm here but I'll be leaving in a few minutes, I should be back this evening", Loki spoke, in your voice and you just stare at him blankly wondering if you really sounded like that. You then heard your mother call back, "I'm leaving now to the airport and I won't be back until Wednesday at the earliest", with Loki responding again for you, "okay, mother, have a safe flight". You hear the distant sound of the front door being slammed shut and you turn to your boyfriend, looking more than a little surprised, not so much that he could sound like you but because he said pretty much the same thing you would have, and that was weird, to say the least.
You laughed for a moment before asking, "am I really that predictable?", letting out another small laugh telling Loki that what he said was pretty much what you were going to say. "I wouldn't say you're predictable, exactly... well not completely..." Loki said with a little hesitation, not wanting to upset you, but you only smiled at him, "well, then... I guess I'll have to be more spontaneous". You then proceeded to try and do something different, jumping your boyfriend, wrapping your legs and arms around him, whispering in his ear, "you're so cute..." before giving him a wide grin. You then leaned in close, ripped off your mask and said "mine", just before you grabbed his face and gave Loki a passionate kiss, well what was meant to be just a kiss but it lasted a lot longer than a normal one would have. You got kind of aggressive for a minute there, biting a little and you hoped you weren't doing it too hard, and Loki soon took a seat, letting you do what you wanted, enjoying this sudden spontaneity of yours.
"And what took you guys so long?" the Thunderer asked, raising an eyebrow at you and Loki while also giving you an almost sly smile and you straighten up, unsure of what to say. "Her mother was still at home and she heard us, we had to wait until she left to teleport back, in case she came upstairs to chat" Loki offered, completely cool and relaxed, entirely unfazed by his brother's inquiry. "Yeah, sorry, I might have been a little loud and she might have heard me, sorry... wait I said that already..." you then proceeded to awkwardly laugh for a few seconds before clearing your throat, asking if everyone was ready to go, wherever it was they were going. Thor and Hulk said they were and came closer, with you soon taking the big green guy's hand, as well as Loki's with the other, and the Thunderer placing his upon his brother's shoulder, so the God of Mischief could teleport you altogether. Before poofing away, however, Loki made you promise to keep your eyes closed, as it was still supposed to be a surprise, so you did, even though you were nervous to do so.
It suddenly felt hot, and although your eyes were closed you could feel the sun shining brightly so you knew you were outside, with you soon asking if you could open your eyes. As you felt both Hulk and Loki pull away free from your grasp, you heard the God of Mischief say "not yet, but soon" feeling someone take your hand again, pulling you gently along. You could tell it was Loki, and not sure of what kind of terrain you'd be walking on, you decided to float, not wanting to trip and embarrass yourself in front of two Avengers and your boyfriend. You grew more tense with each second that passed, getting more and more nervous about where you could possibly be, but soon Loki stopped moving and you asked again if you could open your eyes. You could feel Loki pull you close and he held you out in front of him by your upper arms, and you asked for a third time rather quietly if you could open your eyes now, with the God of Mischief whispering back to you, "yes".
You open your eyes and you're kind of in shock, and you start to light up as a result before smiling so wide it hurt your face, you couldn't believe they'd bring you here. "This is... Vista Verde, New Mexico... this is where Hulk and the Agents of Smash live and hang out..." you say in disbelief, getting even more excited, so much so you had a problem actually containing it. You had a really hard time staying still, appearing as if you were vibrating slightly, lighting up so bright that the others had to cover their eyes, and without warning, you shot up into the air. You somehow managed to do several backflips in the air before landing a few meters away from everyone, running around so happy as you really did want to visit Vista Verde and do all the silly touristy things. You were pretty much pulling yourself apart, trying to decide which Hulk-themed thing you'd do first, but while you were doing that, Loki was struggling to hide his emotions, seeing you so ecstatic and excited was almost too much for him, how were you this cute?
"She looks really happy brother," Thor said before complimenting Hulk as it was his idea to bring you here and it was definitely the right thing to do in order to cheer you up. Although each Avenger was more than a bit surprised by just how truly excited you were, with Hulk soon asking Loki, "so that does it for you, huh?", with the God of Mischief turning away in a huff, saying it wasn't like that, you were just friends. But Hulk wasn't that dense, he knew the truth, but he understood why the Asgardian wanted to keep it a secret, soon saying, "no, I get it, it's hard for people like us... a lot of enemies... you just want to protect her". Hulk then proceeded to pat Loki hard on the back, it probably wasn't meant to be that hard but the God of Mischief definitely felt it and it certainly left several bruises behind, but he managed not to wince from the pain. Hulk said he'd meet you down there as he passed by you, walking down over another sandy hill, and you gave him a thumbs up while shouting, "okay", watching as he made his way towards the town below.
You watched Hulk disappear into the town, out of view from where you and the Asgardians were standing, when you suddenly let out a gasp, spotting something awesome. "I can see Herb's Gamma Burgers from here!" you cheered before running back over to grab Loki, trying to drag him off so you could treat him to a burger or something. "Come on, let me buy you lunch babe", you smiled, not that anyone could see as you had your mask on still, but Loki could imagine it easily and it made him smile. "Darling, hold it, Thor and I aren't staying, we just came to drop you off," Loki says and your light goes out instantly, as you ask why, trying not to sound as sad as you felt, following up with "but it won't be as fun without you". "Sorry Miss Gracie but my brother and I have business in Asgard and will return this evening to retrieve you", Thor said, as he walked over, soon giving you a small warm smile. "Oh, okay then, be safe," you say giving both Asgardians a hug goodbye, taking a little extra time with your boyfriend saying, "I thought you weren't staying because you tricked Skaar into picking up the Odinsword, getting him arrested in Asgard a while back... so seeing the Agents of Smash now would be more than a little awkward, right?".
"You... you know about that?" Loki asked and you nodded, saying it was an episode of the Agents of Smash Web Show, it was really good, mainly because it guest-starred your favourite Asgardian. "But of course, my favourite episode of all time is... this one," you began, pulling up screenshots of young Thor and young Loki from when Hulk was chasing the Leader through time. "You were so adorable!" you giggled, telling Loki part of you wished you could go back in time to give younger him a hug and to squish his cute face before you let out a squeal, you couldn't control yourself thinking about how precious your sweet little prince of Asgard was as a child. "Delete those now!" Loki ordered while trying to take your phone from you, embarrassed by all the photos you had of him when he was little as you edited more than a few with hearts and the like. "Not happening Prince Charming" you argued, saying that even if you did delete them what was stopping you from getting them back, threatening to make young him your wallpaper on your lock screen. "You're wicked," Loki declared, with you simply slipping off your mask for a moment, giving him a smile as you whispered, "rotten to the core" before pulling the God of Mischief in for a kiss.
With that, you took a step back and put your mask on, waving goodbye as Thor called to Heimdall to open the Bifrost for them, while Loki told you to have a good time, but not too good, giving you a little wink, which made you giggle. You watched as they left, still waving as you shouted "same goes for you babe" and soon they disappeared and you whispered under your breath, "but really Loki, be safe... because... I love you". You contemplated for a minute, wondering if you'd ever be brave enough to say those three words directly to his face or if you should tell him at all, finding yourself full of doubt once again, he was so awesome, what could he possibly see in you? You simply took a deep breath and cleared your mind, reminding yourself that Loki did care about you, he wouldn't have taken care of you while you were injured if he didn't. You try to remember all the sweet little things Loki had said to you in the past, they were harder to recall but eventually, a few moments came to mind, and you smiled. You tried to hold on to these pleasant thoughts as you turned back and headed off to meet Hulk and the Agents of Smash, hoping that you could also meet Devil Dinosaur.
You headed down towards the town, and although you tried, you couldn't help but feel a little sad as you really wanted to spend time with Loki, hoping to share another cool experience with him but as you thought about it more, this was probably for the best. You didn't want to admit it, not even to yourself but it was unlikely that Loki would get along with them considering their history, it wasn't a relationship you could patch up in one afternoon. And although the God of Mischief more or less made peace with most of the heroes he's dealt with in the past, the Agents of Smash were not among them, with part of you wondering if it would ever happen. But you tried not to dwell on it too much, you were supposed to have a fun day, Loki wanted you to have a fun day, and you would, not just for him but for yourself, meeting some of your favourite heroes was going to be amazing. You perked up as you thought about it more, you couldn't wait to spend a whole day with the Agents of Smash, it was going to be so awesome and you found yourself lighting up again, just a little as you zoomed off towards the small town.
"So what's this all about big guy?" Jen asked, a little confused on what exactly was going on, a fellow hero was coming, but there was no mission or anything, they were just here to hang out. "Come on Jen, we're awesome, who wouldn't wanna chill with us?" Rick said, obviously pumped about it, he was always down to meet new people and Skaar seemed excited too, although that could just be because A-Bomb was, but Red was less than thrilled about it. The General was of the opinion that it would be just another loudmouth, arrogant, pretty-boy looking for publicity, saying as much as he wasn't the kind of guy to keep his mouth shut. Hulk told him to shut it as he shoved Red away, knocking him over, with Ross ready to go a few rounds with old jade jaws, when they all heard someone shout "hey Hulk" out of nowhere. They turn to see you, a cute little hero in white and gold waving while on the approach, with Jen saying, "yep, now that's an arrogant pretty-boy if I've ever seen one" while Red just told her to can it, not appreciating her sarcasm at all. You said a cheerful hello as you arrived, now waving with both your hands, practically giggling with joy, as you were over the moon to finally be meeting the Agents of Smash. You quickly headed over to stand close to Hulk, trying to keep still and not squeal with delight but you struggled, "oh my god, I'm sorry for fangirling a little, you guys are just so cool, I love your web show". "Smashers, this is Aurora, a friend from the Shield Academy," Hulk said introducing you to each member of his team, and being so happy you lit up a little, with Skaar saying he liked the "tiny light lady".
"So kid, what do you want to see?" Hulk asks and you quickly respond, simply saying, "everything", before letting out an awkward laugh and explaining, "I want to do all the silly touristy things... all your favourite activities and go to all the spots you like to hang out... but I mean, it's your town, give me the tour". With that, the Agents of Smash showed you around, and you were so happy to see everything, practically skipping your way through town, with everyone but Red loving your positive energy. You became quick friends with Jen, Rick, and Skaar as the day went on, asking each other all sorts of things and soon the topic of dinosaurs came up, with you admitting you absolutely loved ancient animals, dinos being your favourite. "Although I love dinosaurs my all-time favourite prehistoric animal has got to be the Liopleurodon," you said with Rick soon asking, "a magical Liopleurodon?", and you get so excited, "of course, how else are we supposed to get to Candy Mountain Charlie?". Skaar then got really excited, thinking about a mountain made of candy, with Red, who was getting really annoyed, shouting that there was no Candy Mountain. Rick quickly fired back, "Shun the non-believers", and you join in, loudly stating "shun" while sticking out your arm to physically shun the Red Hulk, before you and A-Bomb both burst out laughing. He came over to give you a fist bump, while Hulk and the others seemed really confused but Rick promised to show them the video later, explaining it was just an internet thing.
"You can blur out my face right?" you asked, not wanting your secret identity to be found out but Rick confirmed that he could so you took off your goggle mask but you did keep your hood up. "This is so good" you exclaimed, taking another bite of your Gamma-themed veggie burger, stating it was the best burger you had in a while, enjoying every bite, finishing the whole thing in record time. Well, it was record time for you but it was nothing compared to Skaar, who quickly ate all his food and any other that wasn't claimed and being a little scared you slid him the rest of your fries, wanting to stay on the warrior's good side. Skaar quickly popped the lot of them in his mouth, picking up the ketchup bottle next and squirting the entire thing into his mouth with you awkwardly blurting out "that's a lot of ketchup".
You all soon finished up, drinking the last of your sodas when Rick casually asked if you were seeing anyone, and you nod your head, "yeah, I'm seeing somebody, they're great". "Ooh, tell us about this boy," Jen says, leaning in closer to get all the details while you simply respond with, "how do you know it's a boy?" and at your words, Red chokes on his drink. You couldn't help but burst out laughing, taking a minute to calm down and apologize, "I'm sorry for giggling General Ross, but your reaction was too funny... I'd love to see it again in slow-motion". You then said you would love nothing more than to go on about the person you were dating as they were amazing but that you were keeping it kind of a secret, with you being new to the whole Hero-community, it could be dangerous for them and you to reveal your relationship status. Jen really wanted to know and Rick said he could edit it out of the web show, your answer, however, was still no, but they were persistent, with Hulk soon telling the others to knock it off.
After that, you head to their home base, where you get to meet the one and only Devil Dinosaur, absolutely losing your mind in the process, but for Devil's sake, you try to stay calm. You lit up so bright but remained still on the spot, before taking several deep breaths as A-Bomb brought him over to you and to the surprise of everyone, your light went out. "Hello Devil," you calmly said as you approached, reaching out your arms as Devil leaned down towards you, with you placing your hands upon his snout, rubbing gently. You slowly make your way under his jaw while giving the beautiful red boy some well-deserved compliments, scratching the parts he wanted as you could understand him just like any other animal. This Thunder Lizard was putty in your hands, and soon he was laying on his back while you lay on his tummy, giving him all the belly rubs in the world while you told Devil about your sweet baby Lily, and seeing as the Smashers were right there they asked about her too.
Hulk said he met Lily this morning, she was a huge white snake, with you shouting over that she was pushing almost 9 meters now, which in American, was nearly 30 feet. Jen and Rick said that was cool but Red was doubtful, so you pulled out your phone to show him and the others some photos and videos from your Lily Album, you had an album for pretty much everyone, even a separate one for group photos, as you were very strict on how you organized everything on your device. I wonder if you guys would be friends" you said sweetly to Devil, while Red said "t-rex versus giant snake, now that's something I'd pay to see", earning a glare from you, Hulk, Jen, and Rick. "You're not allowed anywhere near my Lily," you say bluntly to Red, before laying down against Devil's side, with the dino soon wrapping his tale around you as he could sense how apprehensive you were. A sort of awkward and tense cloud fell between you and the others, at least you thought so, but you tried to remain calm, telling yourself everything was fine while the other Smashers continued to not say anything.
You felt less awkward as Rick and Hulk invited you to play video games with them, and seeing as they were ones you had played for hours on end, you kind of kicked their butts. Hulk wasn't too happy about you winning but A-Bomb was over the moon, he was absolutely thrilled someone was able to de-throne the big green guy, as Rick would always lose to him. "You're gonna have to come back and whip Hulk's butt again" Rick cheered while doing some sort of victory dance, even though he came in third, but it eventually clicked that he was cheering for you. Honestly, you probably should have realized sooner, at least that's how you felt once you figured it out, mentally chiding yourself on being so dense when what Rick actually said clicked and you froze up. "Uh... kid?" Hulk said while waving his hand in front of your face, trying to get your attention, as you seemed to have gone into shock but you just turned to look at him with tears in your eyes asking "you guys would really want me to come back?". "Of course, kid, your sweet and fun, we like having you around," Hulk said as he gently ruffled your hair and you let out a huge sigh of relief before admitting you were afraid they were just putting up with you.
Hulk and the other Smashers got serious for a moment, asking why you'd think that and you let out a huff, "well... I kind of always feel that way... I don't like to be a bother, I want to be a part of things but I guess with the way my brain works I just feel like an outsider most of the time". It was a feeling that was hard to get rid of, you used to be always by yourself but now, surrounded by people, you were that much more anxious, not wanting to screw up and have people you've come to care about hate you. "Sorry, I made it super awkward," you say, letting out a nervous laugh before suggesting they play another game, asking if they had Minecraft, as you hadn't played it in a while. You do a complete 180, switching back to calm as you looked through all the games they had, asking what they wanted to play, but they didn't answer your question, asking one instead. Hulk asked, if "he" made you feel that way too, and you found yourself frozen again, thinking about Loki, unsure of what to do at first, as with the negative implication it shifted the conversation for you into unfamiliar territory. You turn around to look back at Hulk, "he... you mean my bestie?" you inquired, making sure you were on the same page and the green guy nodded his head so you continued, "no, it's the opposite with him actually... I feel like he gets me, you know? He lifts me up and it doesn't matter how upset or overwhelmed I am, with him... I'm not exactly sure how... but I know everything will be alright".
You smile while thinking about him, but instantly get flustered when Rick and Jen ask about him, even more so when they show interest in meeting him and you start to panic and stutter, unable to give them an answer at first. "Well, um... it's complicated... I, um... well, you guys actually know him, sort of... but, um", you falter and hesitate on your words, afraid to reveal the truth to them. But Hulk had your back, telling you to just breathe, take a minute to clear your mind and gather your thoughts, so you do, turning away you take several deep breaths and build enough confidence to speak the truth. You turned around and looking down at your feet, you began talking, "okay, so... the person I'm talking about is a hero but he hasn't always been... you've had several encounters with him and it wasn't pretty...". You manage to tear your gaze up from the floor as you continued, with your emotions starting to leak through with each word spoken, "I truly believe with every fibre of my being that he is a good person, despite what he's done... he inspires me because he's trying to do better... and I want to be better, so with that in mind... please don't freak out". They promise to not freak out and Hulk just smiles, knowing they were definitely going to lose their minds finding out your best friend was Loki Laufeyson, Prince of Asgard, and God of Mischief.
As expected, they did freak out but managed to hide it, for the most part, well, except for Red who blurts out that Reindeer Games was not to be trusted, he was a master of lies and you were going to get hurt. "I didn't know you cared so much Red," Hulk said, finding it "cute" that the General had a heart after all, but Red denied it, saying people like him couldn't change, he was just pointing out the obvious. They argued about it for a while so you left the room, going outside as you needed some air, with a certain red dinosaur soon following behind to keep you company and of course, you didn't mind in the slightest. Devil even let you ride him around, although you had a hard time staying on when he picked up speed, as you had never written anything before besides a bike, not a horse and certainly not a dinosaur. But you had fun nonetheless, even though you were unsure of where Devil was taking you, with part of you not really caring, happy to feel the surprisingly cool breeze while watching a beautiful sunset.