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‘’Nooo, please, I really don’t want to go. I haven’t spoken to these people for ages!” She threw her hands up in the air as a sign of an unbearable suffering and almost hit the book that Loki was flipping through, which, as he dodged the hit gracefully, didn’t look like an accident at all.
He sighed and shifted slightly with a smirk hiding in the corners of his mouth.
“I have already sent back the confirmation. And, may I add, the design was not as horrendous as I expected. Looked quite professional. You are attending the ball, and I will personally make sure you do so.”
He then swiftly stood up to dodge yet another vicious attack, this one clearly being purposeful and very deliberate.
The exaggerated agony in her eyes almost made him laugh. Almost. Instead he stood there and watched as the love of his life dramatically threw herself on the sofa where he has just been sitting, moaning and questioning her own existence in this cruel reality she was forced to live in.
“But I’ll have to like, talk to them. And they will ask questions and I’ll have to answer them.” The pillow in which she has buried her face in muffled her voice, but she made sure her grumble expressed the agony she was experiencing.
“Oh no, not the words, the deadly weapon of the devil himself, your only weakness!” He mocked her while finally finding the chapter he was looking for. Instead of reading it he folded the right page and set the book on the coffee table, kneeling in front of the couch.
He knocked on the pillow with his fingers, and there she was, with her eyes squinting at him with spurious hatred. He tapped her nose lightly and the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve into a light smile, even though she didn’t want them to. It was her weakness, that cursed boop on the nose, and he knew that darn well. She lifted herself up from the laying position and instead put her back against the sofa.
“What is it about the thought of seeing your former classmates that distresses you so horribly?’’ He asked while drawing small circles on her knees.
She dropped her head to look at her hands.
“It’s just... So much has changed since I last saw them. And I didn’t even technically finish college, you know? I dropped out near the finals because a certain highly influential organization practically adopted me into this little Avenger club.” She chuckled softly, shadow of a smile dancing on her lips.
“And don’t get me wrong, I would do the same exact thing if I were to choose again. The problem is, I just disappeared, like, one day I just stopped attending the classes and my phone went dead. They thought I was kidnapped or joined a gang.”
Loki smirked.
“What?” she asked, finally looking at him. “Don’t you think I would be a perfect addition to a gang?”
Loki stopped smiling and regained his composure.
“Of course, love. You would be absolutely terrifying as a gang leader. Even I would bow down to all your requests.” He answered with all his seriousness.
She lifted up her chin as a sign of victory.
“Exactly. See? I have no idea what they thought happened to me. I mean, the school was informed that it was family emergency of some sort and that I would probably not be back for graduation.” She leaned back against the sofa. “But come on, they saw me being escorted out of the cafeteria by four very serious men in black. Thank heavens Tony was considerate enough not to show up himself, I can’t imagine the outcome of that.”
Loki stood up and sat next to her, taking her hand into his and playing with her fingers.
“I heard that story from the man himself. He says it is one of his biggest regrets that he was busy that day. He also thinks it is a great idea that you attend, darling. Meeting up with your acquaintances will surely do some good for you. Don’t you miss them, not even in the slightest?”
The corners of her lips went up and she smiled at last. She did miss them. She actually managed to make friends there, which she didn’t expect when starting college. The girls she befriended were just so sweet and helpful, and they quickly adopted her as one of their own. She even messaged some of them after disappearing to ensure she was fine, but they still worried, bless their hearts. She felt guilty ignoring them, but she just couldn’t bring herself to lie to them, so their conversations died out slowly.
“It’s been three years, Loki. Three years. I didn’t even know you back then. I feel like I’m a completely different person now and they wouldn’t even recognize me.” She said with sadness in her voice. “What would I even talk to them about? I can’t tell them what I’m doing on a daily basis. And you know damn well I’m a terrible liar. That’s your specialty.”
“Oh, pardon me, my love, but it is called technical manipulation and purposeful misinforming. I do not lie, that brings me no joy whatsoever.” Said the Trickster proudly. “And you will not need to lie. When they see the dress they will not have any questions about your secret whereabouts, believe me.” Loki reached out for the book and sat back comfortably, opening it where he left out.
“What… What dre…” A loud knock on the door cut her midsentence when Wanda marched into the room with multiple clothes covers on a moving rack, followed by Natasha with various bags and boxes in her hands. They both smiled in the most charming and innocent way as they put all the things on and around the bed and made themselves at home on the couch, as if it wasn't treason at all.
“I can’t believe you’re BOTH taking part in this. I TRUSTED you, and that’s how you repay me?” She threw another vicious look at all of her supposed friends. "That's it. I'm getting out of here. And you can't stop me!" She stood up quickly and bolted out of the room, tripping on the carpet which made Loki glance at her from behind his book. Natasha looked at the door and stood up as well.
"She won't run far." Said Wanda with a smirk. They could hear a loud bang in the corridor followed by a sound of multiple things falling on the ground. "Thor was just behind us with the shoes."
"I'd kill for those shoes." The Black Widow whispered as she left the room to help saving the precious footwear.
She wanted to go, she really did. Deep inside she was so excited to meet up with her friends, to chat, to dance and simply have fun; to forget about her worries even for one evening. To remember how easy her life once was.
But anxiety was creeping into her mind and wouldn't let her think straight. Nervousness was taking over her as she glanced at the dress chosen from dozens of luxurious creations brought by Wanda and Nat. They both were a great help at choosing the perfect one: it was a simple yet gorgeous, dark-blue, off-shoulder evening dress. Beaded bodice shone with dark, almost dark gemstones going all the way to the waist where the skirt began, consisting of several layers of tulle falling softly and ending just above the ground, rustling with every move. And it had pockets.
I should pack the rest of the things soon, she thought to herself looking at a clock by her bedside. There was no time to doodle.
Her back straightened up, she took a deep breath and smiled sweetly at her reflection, deciding it was not a place for more worries. She tucked a loose strand of hair back into her elegant half-bun created by Wanda and her magic hands when she heard knocking on the door.
"Are you ready?" Loki peaked into her room.
She turned just in time to see how his face changed at the sight of her smiling face. For the past few day leading to the ball he made sure she felt comfortable going, knowing how stressed yet excited she must be. Now as he saw her preparing readily for the short journey awaiting her in a few hours he felt peace knowing she’ll be fine.
“You look entrancing, darling.” Loki said while approaching her and placing a soft, loving kiss on her forehead. “Although I would argue that there were dresses of a more preferable color scheme among the ones I proposed earlier.”
“I liked this one best. The rest was too flashy for my anxiety levels. Besides, not everything revolves around you and you precious greens.” She gave him the sweetest of her smiles and kissed him quickly. Loki smirked mischievously and her teasing tone.
“I will have my greens in the end, love, don’t you worry about that.” He looked around the room. “I came to help with your things. The team is almost ready to departure, so I wanted to make sure you are all set for your trip.”
“Oh, most of the things are already on the jet. It’s just the dress and I’m ready.” She gathered the small things needed for the trip into a shoulder bag while Loki zipped up the clothes cover and lifted it up gently. They marched out of the room and into the elevator taking them both to the hangar where her jet was being checked up before the flight. On their way there they passed agents packing up the second one, the big jet used for missions, and they caught a glimpse of Clint scolding a young, terrified agent for misplacing his bows.
“Are you sure you guys don’t need me? I can always…” Loki managed to shush her with his glance only.
“It’s a simple one. If everything goes as planned there will be no need to even draw weapons. So do not worry about us, love, just enjoy your evening, hm?”
“Fine. But I want updates on the mission. It will be easier for me to relax knowing you’re all fine.” She felt a bit guilty knowing that while she’ll be partying, the rest of the team is going to have to departure on an escort mission on the other side of the country. Tony however assured that there are no major risks, and if things go smoothly they will be back to the base within a day and a half. The billionaire, as if sensing her doubts, suddenly appeared from behind and spun her around to face him.
“How’s the star feeling, huh? Ready to break some hearts and snatch the crown?” She chuckled at his comment.
“It’s not a prom, Tony, besides, we’re all old friends there. There will be no snatching and no competition.” He eyed her up and down.
“Oh, we’ll see about that. I doubt anyone will be able to top THIS.” Loki cleared his throat a little too loudly. “Come on, Reindeer Games, don’t give me that look. Better hurry, both of you, we are departing in five minutes.” He winked at her and walked away, ignoring Loki’s vicious glare. She grabbed the Trickster’s chin and made him look at her, placing a kiss on his lips to distract him from Tony walking away whistling a happy melody.
“How I hate to let you go alone.” He whispered closing his eyes and bringing her closer to him. They stayed in a hug for a while, remembering each other’s warmth, before Loki sighed deeply and placed one last kiss on her forehead. “Call me if anything happens. And do not forget to have fun.”
“It’ll be so much harder without my favorite Avengers though. And same goes to you. Let me know when you arrive safely.” She pushed her anxieties aside and smiled and her prince. “See you in a day or so.”
“Every second will be like a torture.”
*We’ve landed, everyone is still alive, UNFORTUNATELY. Thor sends his regardsdtstg*
She smiled at the message followed by a photo of the happy blond god squishing Loki next to him to take a perfect selfie. She was glad they were bonding (even forcefully, as the photo showed), knowing that their relationship was not always perfect.
The phone landed on the edge of the table as she fell back into the seat of the jet. She still had an hour till landing, and then some time before the ball began. She’d prefer it was already done, she thought standing up again and walking in circles, trying to get some stress out of her body. She didn’t want to message Loki, not only to interrupt their mission – she didn’t want to worry him. Tony, being himself, left way too many bottles of alcohol on board for her to choose from, but she couldn’t even look at it. Getting drunk was not the option tonight, or ever for that matter – being even slightly tipsy among other people made her so unbelievably nervous that she just preferred to stick to ‘’kids’ beverages” as others teased her.
She sat down again and grabbed her headphones. You can do this, girl. You’ve fought worse things in your life.
“Oh. My. God. Amy, I told you I can see ghosts. I’m seeing one right in front of me, looking dangerously fabulous. Kick me for I can’t believe my own two eyes.”
Damn, so there’s no hope of sneaking into the ball unseen. She remembered that voice. Kate’s sparkling personality was too hard to forget. Both girls smiled widely as she stepped out of a car and waved goodbye to the driver, adjusting her dark-blue dress around her ankles. She then breathed deeply and smiled back.
“I doubted anyone would recognize me, but you haven’t failed me, as always.” She said with a chuckle, feeling a wave of warm, peacefully pleasant memories reminding her of all the happy moments spent in their company.
“It’s really her, Kate, it’s her, I TOLD YOU SHE’D COME.” Blondie with a pixie cut threw her arms to embrace a newcomer, almost tripping as they both tried to keep their balance. They hugged tightly and soon Amy joined them.
“Okay girl, you’re material. No ghosts here tonight. Although you have plenty of explaining to do.” Said Amy when they finished hugging. “And you’re late.”
“I thought everyone would already be inside. What is happening?” She glanced at the queue of people dressed in fancy dresses and suits, all waiting to get into the building.
“Oh, the security is tight here. Last year some guy brought fireworks inside and fired them at midnight. So this year they are making sure no one brings anything stupid in. But they could check us a bit quicker, I’m freezing here!” She shouted at a security man by the entrance.
“Excuse me, madam.” A man dressed elegantly in black glanced briefly at Kate and Amy but quickly focused his attention and the third girl. “Would you please follow me? I was ordered to bring you inside.”
“Why… Is something wrong? I have the invitation here…” She started opening her purse.
“It’s just standard safety procedure. I believe it’s nothing serious. Please, this way.” He bowed slightly and showed her the way with his hand.
“If you say so… I’ll meet you inside, alright?” She whispered to the girls and followed the man through the main door, passing by the long queue and entering the lobby through a separate security gate. She looked nervously at the people behind her who began to recognize her. She gave them a shy smile, but when she turned back, the man who let her in was gone.
Instead, she was met with a wide and proud smile of Anthony Stark in his best party suit, holding what looked like his third glass of champagne.
“There she is! Come in, come in, we were waiting for you to finally get this party started. Someone give this girl a glass and let’s go!”
“T-Tony? How… Why- Oh dear.”
“I do think she will actually need one today.” The soft voice said just behind her ear. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Of course.
“How stupid of me to think that I could forget about you guys, even for a moment.” She felt familiar arms hugging her and she felt Loki’s chest close to her back. She let him hold her for a while before turning to face him.
“So that big and important escort mission was all a lie, huh? I thought you despised lying.”
Loki raised one corner of his lips and presented her with his famous mischievous smirk.
“Who said we are not on a mission, dear? I am taking care of a very important person who most definitely needs escorting as we speak.” He reached out a hand but she ignored it, gathered her skirt and turned away from him.
“No. Not you. I am mad at you. For… approximately seven minutes. See you then.” She looked around and saw the rest of the Avengers further in the lobby.
“Thor! Would you mind showing me the way? Seems like you’ve already made yourself at home.” The God of Thunder grinned from ear to ear and approached with gliding steps offering his arm to her, which she accepted gladly.
“Hi, sorry guys, there was an… Issue… With the invitation… Nevermind, did I miss something important?” She found Kate, Amy and two other boys, which she recognized from the football team, standing around the chocolate fountain and talking about something. They all raised their heads at the sound of her voice.
“You!” Exclaimed Amy. “You are not going ANYWHERE before you spill all your secrets. We need to catch up. Arthur thinks you’ve joined a cult and I need your permission to call him an idiot.”
“Yeah girl, it’s been too long, and you’ve never fully explained what happened to you.” Kate sipped her drink while maintaining an eye contact. “ Sooo? Come on, spill the beans.”
“I… Well, it’s a long…”
“Everyone has their secrets, right? It simply makes life so much more interesting.” A cold hand rested on her waist as Loki handed her a glass. She accepted it and cursed him in his mind for what he was probably about to do. But she was glad he was there. “Seven minutes have passed. Will you introduce me to your friends, love?”
There it was.
“So, this is Loki, my…”
Kate choked on her drink. There it was.
“I can’t believe you’ve actually done that. He is my friend, and now he will be scarred for life. I had a good reputation among these people, you know?”
“You? I refuse to believe that. I am certain you had each one of those poor boys wrapped around your finger.” Loki teased her jokingly. But it made her smile as she hit him lightly on the chest.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“And you are welcome, dear.”
"Welcome? For what?"
"You know for what. I’ve been telling you from the beginning you would not regret attending the ball."
"You only failed to mention that you would all overtake my college reunion party. You could have at least hinted it, you know?"
"Oh, I wouldn't dare to spoil a thing. Where is the fun in that?" He leaned in for a kiss. “I love what you did with the dress.” He whispered glancing down at her gown.
“I didn’t do anyth…”
As expected, it was emerald green.