"I should send a babysitter with you two," Cap commented at breakfast the next morning. You weren't even doing anything, just minding your business eating your pancakes.
"I thought I was the babysitter," you replied between mouthfuls of pancake.
"That's a terrifying thought," Tony quipped. You threw a dagger at him across the table. He fell out of his chair, even though you had vanished the dagger again before it even touched him. "They fight the same now," Tony grumbled while Loki gave you a proud, pleased look.
"You guys weren't invited, Cap. Strange only wants to meet with the sorcerers who caused the power spike," you reminded Cap logically, returning to your pancakes.
"Y/N, whatever you two do, do not make this man our enemy," Cap ordered firmly.
"We won't, Cap. We'll be polite and see what he wants," you replied. "All he said he wants is to meet us."
"Just be careful,"
"I'll be careful, and armed," you reminded him.
"Don't go looking for a fight," Cap added.
"Cap, I'm going in a dress and heels. Believe me, I do not want to fight in these clothes." You finished your pancakes and got up to deal with the dishes. You were wearing a black and white dress that usually lived in Nat's closet. It was more professional looking than most of your dresses. It also somehow gave you an innocent air, especially with your hair loose. You were going for the innocent, mischief-free look when you went to your meeting with Doctor Strange. Loki was Loki and wouldn't be able to get away with an innocent act no matter how he dressed, so you were hoping Strange would underestimate you instead if things went poorly.
"Are you driving, Loki?" you asked. He usually preferred to do the driving when the two of you went out. He nodded and stood, vanishing his own breakfast things into the kitchen. He was wearing his perfectly tailored all-black suit.
You took his hand and squeezed it as you both walked to the elevator. You were nervous about this meeting. "Darling, it will be alright," Loki reassured you in the elevator. That didn't stop you from leaning up to kiss him. "Kisses are always pleasant, witchling, but we do have a meeting to get to," you sighed, but walked with him to the car you always took. You weren't quite sure who the car actually belonged to. You had a suspicion that it was Tony, but it didn't much matter.
It was a short drive over to the address Doctor Strange had provided. It was a huge building with a giant circle window at the top. Loki offered you an arm and you placed your hand on his arm in a now-familiar movement. You dropped Loki's arm when you reached the front door of the place and raised your hand to knock when you suddenly saw a circle of golden light under Loki's feet. "Loki?" you asked, staring at the circle.
"That is not me," Loki replied dumbly. You both knew that. You knew the feel of his magic quite intimately after saving Spiderman. You reached for him to try to pull him out of the golden circle, but before you could get a hand on him he fell through the circle with a yell.
"Loki!" you yelled at the spot where he'd been. You whirled, a dagger drawn and blue magic gathered in your other hand, when the door opened beside you.
"Miss Y/N," you were greeted by a tall gentleman in a blue kimono tunic and bright red cape. "No need for such dramatics," he added, eyeing your dagger and the magic bolt gathered in your other hand.
"Where's Loki?" you demanded, figuring this man had been the one who created that golden light circle.
"He's safe. Come inside and we can discuss this without all of New York watching,"
You glared up at him. "Your word that Loki is safe?" you demanded.
"I swear it on my medical license," he replied. You could hear the truth in his voice, another trick you'd picked up from Loki. You vanished the dagger and bolt of magic and stood straight again, rising from the fighting stance you had automatically assumed. Nat would be proud that you had automatically assumed the stance. You straightened out your skirt and stepped inside the building. The door closed behind you. The next instant you were sitting in a comfortable chair facing him across a desk. "Tea?" he asked as a cup of tea appeared in your hand.
"Doctor Strange, I assume?" you asked as you sipped on your tea. He inclined his head.
"I am the Sorcerer Supreme, a wizard, if that explanation makes you happier. I keep a list of people and beings in all the realms that may be a danger to Earth," he continued, not one for long introductions it seemed.
"And you think I'm on that list?" you surmised, setting your tea down.
"I know your boyfriend is, and he is the one teaching you magic, is he not?" You heard the threat in his tone. If Loki was on the list, you were on the list.
"He is the one teaching me to use my powers," you replied carefully. "He's also working with the Avengers now, or did you miss the press conference?" you asked with a touch of temper in your voice.
"But you're human," he replied, looking at his notes. You shrugged.
"Apparently my magic is close enough to his for him to teach me." You weren't going to tell him that at least one of your parents was Asgardian. It wasn't something you wanted to advertise, and was none of his business. "Besides, my primary power is healing. I really don't think that qualifies me for your list. I'm also one of the few things in this realm that Loki actually likes and one of the few people he'll actually listen to, which are both excellent reasons for me to continue being alive,"
"You misunderstand, I have no intentions on killing you, Miss Y/N,"
"Then what are your intentions?" you asked, trying to remain polite. Cap had made you promise to be polite.
"First, I wish to give you a tour of this place and an explanation of what we do here," Doctor Strange stood. You got to your feet and weren't terribly surprised when you were in a room full of books of magic. "This is a place of magical learning." You were next in a training yard of people practicing that golden magic. "We are all here learning to defend the Earth from outside threats." You were suddenly back in the entryway. "You're a strong enough sorceress to be a true asset to the Earth. I know you wish to work with the Avengers, and I won't try to convince you away from that goal, but I will offer that you are always welcome to stop by to study here. Provided you stay off of my list," he added with a smile. "I will even allow that boyfriend of yours to study here as well...as long as you're here with him, fetterer,"
That was the second time that word had come up recently, and you felt the pendant on your necklace warm under your shirt. It was another word to add to the list of weird words that kept coming up recently. The other one was Kærasta which you still hadn't had the chance to look up the definition of.
The door to the outside opened in front of you.
"I'll be needing my boyfriend back," you reminded Strange.
"Oh, yes, of course," he replied as if he'd actually forgotten that he'd stole Loki. With a small circle of his hands a golden circle appeared in the ceiling of the room. Loki fell through it and crashed hard to the ground.
"I have been falling for thirty minutes!" Loki snarled as he jumped to his feet with daggers in his hands. You rushed over to him and placed a hand against his chest.
"Loki, it's ok," you told him gently.
"It is most certainly not ok," he glared over your head at Doctor Strange.
"Loki..." Your tone was exasperated as you touched his cheek. He finally took his attention off of Doctor Strange and back to you. "It was a misunderstanding, you can drop the daggers." He glared at Doctor Strange one last time before vanishing the daggers. "The Doctor is very sorry for the confusion and offered to let us study magic from his shiny rare books. Right, Doctor?" you asked, turning to face Doctor Strange again, your arm around Loki's waist in case he decided to cause trouble.
"Of course, Miss Y/N. Apologies, Loki for the confusion,"
"C'mon, Loki, I think thirty minutes of our presence is all the Doctor can handle for one day," you teased. Doctor Strange looked like he agreed with your sentiment and was glad to see the two of you go.
"You are planning on telling me exactly what happened in there, right, witchling?" Loki asked as the door slammed shut behind the two of you.
"Duh," you replied. He laughed as you linked your arm with his to walk back to the car. You told him everything that happened with Doctor Strange.
"You would not prefer to study with the Sorcerer Supreme, instead?" Loki asked softly, his tone had that bruised scared edge to it that you thought you had kissed out of him by now. In reply you grabbed his tie and pulled him down gently to kiss him. He chuckled and let you so he wouldn't get choked by his tie.
"Of course not, silly Trickster," you replied after a couple of kisses.
*
"Report!" Captain Rogers demanded the second you and Loki got off of the elevator on the common floor. You should have been expecting him to wait for you. Your hand was in Loki's, you tapped one of your fingers against the back of his hand, a silent warning for him to keep his mouth shut. You didn't want to tell Cap about the falling for thirty minutes incident. You gave Cap a very abbreviated version of events where Doctor Strange wanted to meet you, verify what side you were on, and offer the use of the sanctum for magic studies.
"He's an ally, Cap," you finally concluded
"Good work," Cap answered, not questioning your story, for which you were grateful. You didn't want to tell him about Loki being kidnapped by Strange. Loki apparently thought it wise not to bring it up as well.