it was raining, pouring actually.
loki was dressed in a black trench coat with a black umbrella, trying desperately to keep himself dry for the two blocks from the metro to the tower.
a car came up behind him, kicking up a puddle.
loki turned before the dousing and froze the muddy water solid. it dropped to the sidewalk and shattered. he turned into an alley, a shortcut he hoped.
he had almost gotten to the next street when he heard a low hiss in front of him.
a feline made itself known in front of him. its dark pelt would have camouflaged it well had a neon light not been on just beyond the corner.
the green light shone on the wet cat and loki looked down on it. he approached it carefully and lent down, picking the creature up with his free hand.
"you and i," he whispered, "are one in the same."
he tucked the wet cat into his jacket to keep it warm and held it up by the crook of his elbow. he walked home and took the elevator to the main communal area of the penthouse.
loki folded his umbrella and set it aside, moving toward his room. once inside, he peeled off his jacket and brought the black cat into the attached bathroom.
without the cat's agreement, he cleaned it gingerly in the sink. once finished, he towered it dry and carried her (yes, he found out it was a her) to the kitchen for some food.
bruce banner stood in the kitchen making coffee in his plaid pajama pants and blue tee shirt.
"a tad late for coffee, no?" loki asked, setting the feline on the counter.
"that's a cat."
"indeed, it is a feline." loki went to the fridge and pulled out some tuna cuts. he pulled two and put them on a plate, presenting them to the cat.
"tony's going to let you keep it?" bruce sipped his coffee.
"she's staying."
"so you haven't talked to him-"
"i don't need his approval, doctor. she is my cat and i will feed her and care for her. if he won't allow me to feed her the food in the fridge, i will purchase food through my own doings. if he doesn't want her around the public areas, she can stay in my bed quarters and wander outside my fire escape," loki stated quickly. he took a breath to calm himself down. "i'm sorry for my outburst," he spat out sourly.
loki could put away his pride for it was this doctor who gave him such a terrible beating during the new york attack.
"you're good," bruce said calmly. "i think she's pretty, as pretty as a cat can get. brilliant green eyes," he commented and pat her softly.
loki tightened, worried he'd hurt her.
"i agree."
"do you have a name for her?"
"i fancy the name prudence."
"prudence," bruce repeated. "it fits her." he nodded and said goodbye, taking his leave to his laboratory.
loki lifted the scraggly cat and began to depart to his room.
when he turned around, his eyes landed on the billionaire they'd just been talking about. "evening, loki."
"evening."
"that's a cat."
"indeed it is."
tony looked at prudence. he was a good ten feet away, and scanned over her small body a few times. loki prepared his argument.
"it can stay. what's its name?"
"prudence. why're you letting her stay?" loki relaxed his shoulders.
tony crossed his arms.
"loki, you may not know this, but you don't strike me as a compassionate person. so when you do even a small something in a kind way, i'm obligated to allow it."
loki grinned. "very well. thank you, mister stark."
"don't mention it," tony replied.
loki went off to bed. after closing the door, prudence leapt out of his arms. he peeled off his dirty clothes and pulled on fresh ones. he climbed into bed and just before his mind gave out for the night, he felt prudence settle against his back.