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You awake to a rude jostle at your shoulder.
“What is it? What’s so important that you need to wake me up? Something bad happening?”
“Oh, indeed,” you can hear Loki’s bemused laugh above you, “Someone is being very persnickety about my generous and beautiful awakening.”
You groan and turn around.
“Now now, we have things to do! Up up. I want ice cream.”
“Get it yourself then!”
You growl as he flops down next to you on the bed and throws his hand over your face. You resist the urge, just barely, to bite it viciously in revenge for the lack of sleep.
“Nooo, I want a particular kind. The Man of Iron gleaned it from a very small quaint place that I can’t remember. I do believe that it was in Brooklyn? Hmm, perhaps the ferry. Oh, or even the seaport! The land of Chelsea…” he muses, removing his arm from laying atop of you to stroke his chin. “Suppose we should try all of them, see what sticks. I need this ice cream in my life. It’s the most beautiful taste.”
“LOKI!” you yell to his amusement. It’s obvious from it that he was just trying to push your buttons, but you could care less. “I am trying to sleep in. Not humour your ridiculous demands for ice cream. Get your ass out of here.”
“Mhmm… no.” You scream and push him out of your bed, throwing yourself out of it and grabbing some clothes.
“Fine! You win. Let’s go get your stupid ice cream.”
He sits up with a smirk and outstretches a hand, already up and elegant. You roll your eyes and take it: in a puff of green-hued smoke, the two of you vanish.
~~~
It’s been three different ice cream joints, each more expensive and ludicrous than the last. You’re forced to follow him down the streets as he walks straight-backed through the city. Not to say that you hadn’t had some delightful iced treats, but you’re more than tired of it at this point. It feels like he’s never going to be satisfied with the tastes he’s getting.
“Well,” he says, throwing an ice cream cup from his latest bounty into a nearby trashcan, “That wasn’t it. Not quite what I’m looking for.”
“Loki! I can’t take any more of this!” you shout at him, reaching up to smack his shoulder. He turns around and raises his eyebrows at you. If you were paying attention a little better, you’d see a peculiar light pop up in his eyes.
“Whatever do you mean? I’m having a lovely time with you.”
You splutter for a moment at his genuine words but quickly return to your anger. “I’m not your little pet that you can tout around town, Loki.”
“I don’t believe that was the purpose of this outing at all. I’ve been trying quite hard to taste this ice cream, you know.”
“I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE ice cream, LOKI! It’s my birthday and you only care about your dumb ice cream,” the end of your rage-filled statement is weaker than the strength you had tried to muster. Loki’s face falls and he steps over to you, putting his hand on your shoulder.
“I’m sorry, darling. I hadn’t meant to make you feel that way. Here,” he bends down, his beautiful clothes mussed by the dirty sidewalk, and wipes your developing tears away with his sleeve. “Let’s go home. We can do whatever you’d most like on this special day.”
“It’s not even that special… it doesn’t matter at all. It’s a stupid day.”
“I think not! It’s the day you were born. And that’s something quite precious to me indeed,” he winks and stands. “I’ll take you home now.” Before you can protest and question his words, you’re whisked away once more, back to the Avengers.
You stumble off of him and directly into a huge-
“SURPRISE!!” you cup your hands to your mouth as the whole of the Avengers, and the folk related with them, surprise you with a party. Streamers, confetti, balloons, and perhaps a little bit of webbing, float onto your head. You can’t help but laugh at the merry sight: all these strong heroes, the Earth’s Mightiest, decked out in party hats and smiles.
“Oh my, what’s this? What a total surprise,” Loki leans forward into view with a smirk.
“Liar,” you manage amidst the happy tears.
“You’ve got me,” he laughs. You turn to him, expecting something more maybe, but he takes a step back instinctively.
“Go… go enjoy your party. You seemed upset at all the time I forced you to be with me, anyway.”
You look away and slink into the party, greeted with the cheers of your closest friends.
~~~~
It’s hours later, and your second cup of ice cream, when you see Loki next. He’s outside, on the deck, eating some of the celebratory ice creams that were given out at the party: alongside cake, doughnuts, cupcakes, and muffins. You watch him for a moment: his slim frame silhouetted by the setting sun, his large hands gently spooning ice cream into his mouth with a plastic spoon. He lets out a dry chuckle.
“What are you doing, darling?”
“Oh… I’m not all that sure. Is that ice cream suitable? Better than all the others you’ve had today?” you move to stand beside him. The view of the sunset and the sound of Loki’s voice is a marriage so beautiful that you have to stick another spoonful of ice cream into your mouth to stop yourself from commenting on it.
“Haha… you can say that. Still not exactly what I’ve been looking for,” he turns to you, peeking at your face with a smirk. You give him a quizzical look.
“What? Is there something on my face?”
Loki laughs again. A sweet little laugh that is so different from the ones you’ve heard escape him before… more genuine and pure. A laugh that one retains since childhood, a laugh too stubborn to leave but too shy to show itself.
You blush at the thought.
“You can say that…” he leans over and kisses you softly. Sweeter than the ice cream itself. When he pulls away, his own light blush dusting his features, Loki licks the ice cream that he’d gathered off your lips. A smile stretches across his features.
“There’s the ice cream I’ve been looking for. I hope you don’t mind, but I find myself still peckish for more,” he winks, though his hand trembles with fear. You reach over and cup his hand securely.
“Oh really? I knew where it was all along. Could’ve lent you some this morning,” you laugh. Loki blushes deeper. “And for what it’s worth… this is the best ice cream I’ve ever had. And the best birthday. Thank you, Loki.”
With that, you give him a proper kiss, ice cream and all.