Loki
He had noticed. Danielle was anything but herself lately, and Loki had noticed immediately. The pit it dug in his stomach had only continued to grow as days passed without any change.
She appeared at the feasts and celebrations with a smile on her features, but it wasn't her smile. Half the time, Loki was almost sure it was an illusion. She had busied herself with her work, staying in the healing wing at odd hours and using Frigga's absence for the celebrations as excuse. But Loki had noticed.
She isolated herself with the exception of those few celebrations, having no desire to spend time with Sigurd, Thor, or any of the other warriors she usually acquainted with while he was busy. Even Ingrid had asked him if she was okay, as she had been avoiding everyone.
"Mother." Loki hummed as he stepped into Frigga's chambers, directly after yet another spat with Dani over working late in the healing wing.
That was another thing. Arguments had been a daily activity now, and Loki couldn't for the life of him understand why.
"She's pushing you away as well?" Was Frigga's immediate response.
Loki felt his heart sink even further, nodding slightly as he plopped down in his mother's chair without an ounce of grace.
"I'm unsure why."
"Has she met Sigyn? Perhaps it's just a bit of misplaced insecurity?" His mother asked, knowing the woman had came with her mother, Freya, for the festivities.
Loki shook his head. "No, I don't think she has."
Sigyn had rightfully avoided both Loki and Dani, and with Dani's new secluded nature it was easy to do. Loki also didn't think Dani would be insecure, not about Sigyn. She knew well that he never really wanted to marry her, or even liked her for that matter, and, at least in Loki's eyes, comparing the two was like comparing a cold, dull stone to a glowing diamond, no matter how nice or pretty Sigyn was.
"You said she used to celebrate in Midgard, yes? Perhaps she misses her home."
That... That thought made all the sense in the world to Loki. On his birthday, when discussing how close Jól was, Dani had lit up as she spoke of Christmas. Lit up in a way he hadn't seen often in a long time, and it hit him rather suddenly that she was likely struggling not being able to celebrate with her family.
Loki would offer to take her back home for the holiday, but it would be risky, and the avengers couldn't all come together, not when the majority were now wanted criminals. On top of that, Tony had practically shunned her away before they took her back to Asgard.
"I'm going to make a trip to midgard." Loki now stated, leaning back in his chair. "Perhaps I can lift her spirits."
Frigga smiled at that. Loki was never one to care about others' feelings, except perhaps her own, and she had never seen him so determined to make someone happy. She knew why. Loki was madly in love with the woman Frigga had grown to adore as well, and he was the happiest anyone had ever seen him. Loki had desired only to make Danielle just as happy as she made him, and he would do anything to accomplish his goal.
"I will let your father-"
"He's not my father." Loki corrected nonchalantly.
Frigga huffed, "I will let him know, about your departure. I will encourage him to allow it."
Loki shifted uneasily. He didn't want to speak with Odin. Though Loki could easily say that, in recent weeks, his relationship with the Allfather had improved; that didn't mean either of them actually cared for one another. In fact, Loki had suspected Odin only treated him more fairly in order to get his and Dani's guard down. He worried it was all a long, manipulative plan.
Loki knew he wouldn't be trusted to go to Midgard alone, which meant Thor would have to go with him. But Loki also had no desire for Thor to leave the palace instead of staying by Dani's side, making the situation irrefutably annoying.
"It's alright, my child." His mother cooed at him as if she already knew his concern. "I'll speak to him."
As he stepped onto the bifrost, he was sure Odin would have told Heimdall not to allow his passage, but instead the being before him nodded, uttering the words, "Prince Loki" as he went towards the sword.
Loki felt his eyebrows raise. Not only had the Allfather agreed to allow him onto Midgard, but he also allowed him to do so alone, a move Loki truly hadn't expected. He was grateful, though, because that meant Thor would be there in case anything happened before he returned.
He had left Dani lying in their bed, fast asleep. That was another issue he had noticed, her lack of sleep. She would sleep less than a few hours before tirelessly getting back up, something Loki knew she shouldn't do sheerly because of the amount of magic she used.
"Where do you wish to land?" Heimdall asked, snapping Loki from his thoughts.
"The usual spot for Thor will do." Loki responded, knowing it would be Stark tower.
Heimdall nodded before opening the bifrost, and less than a minute later Loki stood at the roof of the building. He quickly shifted into a good Thor illusion and walked into the tower, immediately looking for the older Stark inside. Stark would know how to properly cheer Dani up, whether he actually cared she was upset or not.
"Stark!" Loki exclaimed in Thor's tone as best he could.
After a millennia, he was quite good when it came to Thor's mannerisms, however he had noticed minuscule differences in Thor since his imprisonment. He wondered how spot-on his impression was anymore.
"Point break, what brings you in?"
"Elle is having a hard time, with the holiday coming up."
Tony's eyebrows furrowed a bit, his chin tilting upwards. "Yeah, well... I told you last week she probably would, since it's the first Christmas we aren't together. Plus her birthday, I mean, you know how much she loves December."
"Right..." Thor had been speaking with Tony about Dani? Loki wondered how much he knew. "I need some... Assistance, helping her through it. I thought perhaps decorating her room with one of those, um, trees, would help."
Stark stared for a second, before smiling slightly. "You should take the one we used when she was a kid. I'm sure she'd love to have it." He said as he walked to the elevator, ushering to be followed. "Battery operated lights, so no worries when it comes to electricity. The bulbs are expensive, though, so be gentle with it."
When they reached the penthouse of the tower, Loki saw the beautiful 6ft tree in the very center of the room. It was a deep green with white ornaments, each with little names and dates on them written in gold. Other ornaments were bulbs of various sizes, all in different shades of tans and golds. It had warm lights that added to the gold of the ornaments, and white, glittering flowers within the branches. At the very top was a small bouquet of the same flowers within the tree, and Loki silently thought how nice it was that it perfectly matched Dani's aesthetic.
"Perfect." He mumbled as he looked at it.
"I suppose I can get it taken down, so I c-"
"No need... I will, uh... Get it myself. Thank you, Stark."
Tony nodded, walking towards the bar. As his back was turned, Loki swiftly threw his hand to the side, putting the tree in his subspace and silently praising himself for cleaning out the interdimensional pocket before coming.
"You should take her Stark tablet, it has The Grinch on it. You planning on getting her any gifts? I, uh. I got her something; it's that gold box over there. I was hoping you'd come before Christmas so you could give-" Tony froze as he stared where the tree once was, before snapping back to making a drink and continuing his sentence. "Give it to her for me."
Loki nodded, "Of course. What do you think she'd want?"
Tony smiled as he slid one of the glasses across the counter, "She's always liked jewelry. She's sentimental; she likes things with story and history, things she can keep forever. It's why she never asks for flowers, even though she loves them." He started, smiling as he spoke of the girl. "She pretends as though she hates cheesy gifts, but she loves them. Stupid stuff, like poems and written letters. She's a sucker for sweet words."
Loki nodded as he threw his drink back like Thor always did, drinking the bitter contents quickly and setting the glass back down on the counter. Tony poured another.
"Is she getting along well, on Asgard?" He asked as Loki threw that one back as well.
"She's doing amazing, truly. She runs the healing wing almost completely herself, her magic is superior to almost everyone else's, and she's made many friends. She misses you, and the avengers, but... Dani is a light; people gravitate to her, find it impossible not to love her. She has no problem finding support." He gushed about the woman, feeling himself smile at the thought of her when she wasn't in such a bothered state.
He felt far more comfortable doing so as Thor. In all fairness, Thor commonly gushed about Dani. It wasn't uncommon for him to dote on the girl, to the point that his parents knew well of his Midgardian best friend long before she ever came to Asgard.
Tony's smirk grew as he nodded, and Loki picked up the gift and tablet, thanking him again as he began to walk towards the elevator.
"I'm just glad she's doing okay. Be good to her, Reindeer games."
Loki froze, turning back slowly to the man before huffing at his knowing smirk, his knowing expression. He let his illusion drop, leaving him standing in the middle of Stark's living room as himself now.
"I suppose my Thor impression is no longer the most accurate."
Tony shook his head, "It was good; you had me going for a minute there."
"What was it?"
"There's a real difference... Between someone who gushes about another person because they adore them, and someone who gushes because they're in love." Tony sighed, leaning against the bar. "You gush as if you're in love..."
Loki clenched his jaw, looking to the side to avoid Tony's gaze.
"She did the same when she first got back here. I suspected she was angry with you, about something, but she gushed nonetheless. The books, the walks, the secret sharing... That you saved her. Her hero, y'know. That whole thing." Tony breathed out a chuckle, shaking his head, "Nearly made me vomit just hearing it."
They each shared a small smile, and Loki nodded.
"If I get a chance to see her at some point, I'd love to. I, uh... I think I have quite a bit of groveling to do."
Loki grinned at that, an airy chuckle now escaping his lips as he nodded at the man.
"Yes, I think that would be appropriate. For now, I'm sure the gift will suffice." He cleared his throat as he pressed the elevator button. "Thank you, Stark."