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It was about three in the morning when you, Wanda, and Nat entered the lobby of the compound trying to keep quiet after a rather adventurous girls’ night. Nat always could hold her liquor, she never appeared too intoxicated even after she outdrank everyone. You couldn’t tell if that was because she was enhanced, or because her widow training just made her always calm and collected.
Wanda and you were giggling, holding slices of pizza, attempting to eat them as you unsteadily walked through the compound. You all made sure everyone got to their rooms safely and gave them hugs goodnight. As soon as you walked in your room you dropped your pizza on the floor while trying to wrestle off your shirt. It hit the floor, cheese side down with a dramatic splat.
You laughed more than was probably necessary, “oh nooooooo” you said out loud. Not wanting to wait until breakfast, you headed to the kitchen to try to scavenge for a snack. It was harder to walk than you anticipated, still feeling quite wobbly from all the alcohol you drank.
When you made it to the kitchen you attempted to raid the cupboards, “there’s gotta be snacks around here.” You cringed whenever you knocked a bottle or can over in the cupboard, hoping that no one was hearing how loud you were at this hour. When you finally found a bag of chips you let out a small cheering sound as you pulled them out of the cupboard, knocking several other items out with them.
“What in the NINE are you doing?!” you heard an angry voice call from across the room.
You opened the bag of chips and began munching noisily on them, “Nine what?” you asked, completely serious. Loki stepped closer into view, making you smile gleefully despite the enraged look on his face. “Mischief! Do you want some chips?”
Loki’s eyebrows raised in shock, “Are you… intoxicated?”
You laughed, “very.” You shook the bag in front of him, “Chips?”
Loki eyed you, his eyes settling on your chest, “Where is your shirt?”
You looked down, not noticing until now that you had successfully taken off your shirt in your room but didn’t think to put one on before you came to the kitchen. You were just in your lacy black bra; you probably should feel more embarrassed about it but the liquor was making you feel bolder than usual.
“In my room, I think. I was hungry. I dropped my pizza on the floor.” You said, beginning to giggle as you remembered the smacking sound your pizza slice made as it hit the floor.
“You are besotted, shirtless, and stomping around the compound knocking things over, where are your friends?”
“In bed, we all made sure we got to our rooms okay, but my pizza.” You explained.
Loki’s frown grew deeper, he just stood looking at you with mild irritation. “You woke me up.”
You dropped the bag of chips, “oh no.” you whispered. But instead of picking them up, you stepped closer to Loki who eyed you apprehensively.
“What are you…” he asked skeptically as you reached up to touch his cheeks.
“Shhh…. I’m just turning your frown upside down.” You giggled, pushing the corners of his mouth up with your thumbs and laughing even harder when you forced his lips into a smile. “There, much better. You’re so handsome when you smile.”
Loki brought his hands up to grab your wrists, slowly pulling your hands off his face. He was staring at you with a look of fond exasperation.
“Don’t get me wrong, you’re handsome all the time. But you give me butterflies when you smile.” You admitted, giggling some more. You leaned forward and rested your head on his chest. “Sorry I woke you up.”
Loki was silent for a moment before he released your hands and ran his fingers through your hair. “That’s quite alright. I’m sorry for getting upset.”
You wrapped your arms more securely around him, squishing your face further into his chest. “You smell really good.” You mumbled against him, “you smell like winter. Like snow and pine. Do you have fancy detergent?”
Loki’s chest rumbled with silent laughter, “The noise aside, there is something rather charming about you when your inhibitions are lowered.” He wrapped his arms gently around you.
“I had a bit more gigglejuice than usual tonight. Nat challenged me in a game of shot for shot and I couldn’t back down.” You admitted, snuggling deeper into his embrace. “You’re so warm, like a toasty cinnamon bun.”
“Gigglejuice?” Loki asked questioningly.
“My word for alcohol, cause it makes me giggly.” You laughed, “See?”
“You are quite the wordsmith,” he teased, “You should get to bed, you’re going to feel dreadful in the morning.”
“Morning, schmorning.” You snorted, “Carry me?”
Loki barked out a laugh, “It would also appear that your gigglejuice makes you bold, demanding to be carried by a god.”
You reached up and gripped his biceps, “I just thought you’d want to show me how strong you were,”
“Silly creature.” Loki chastised as he lifted you up bridal-style and carried you out of the kitchen and down the hallway to your bedroom. “Thinking you could trick the god of mischief with your shameless flirting.”
“Clearly it worked” you smiled, leaning your head against his shoulder, feeling more exhausted by the second.
Loki pretended to drop you for a moment, making you clutch onto him in terror, he laughed when you scowled at him. “Don’t be too arrogant about your victory, darling.”
You nuzzled his shoulder, “You just wanted me to hold you tighter. You could have just asked.” You grinned, reaching up and patting his cheek. He turned his head and lightly kissed your palm, leaning into your touch.
He reached your bedroom and unlocked the door with magic, carrying you inside. He carefully avoided the splattered pizza on the ground as he made his way over to your bed, gently laying you down and tucking you inside the covers. You snuggled into your bed but then realized that you still had your makeup on and tried to get up.
Loki pressed your shoulder down, sitting on the side of your bed “rest. I wasn’t lying about you feeling awful tomorrow, you’re probably going to be sleeping all day.” He smoothed your hair away from your face.
“My makeup, I need to wash it off.” You mumbled sleepily.
Loki hesitated for a moment and then held his hand up to tell you to wait. He got up and went to your bathroom and brought out a warm, damp cloth to clean your face. You went to take it from him, but he shook his head. “Allow me, if you’re comfortable.”
You nodded, smiling gratefully.
Loki began gently wiping your face in gentle strokes, smiling at you when he made eye contact.
“You’re so gentle” you whispered, feeling sleep weigh heavily on you.
“You seem surprised by that.” Loki teased, wiping off the last of your makeup and tossing the cloth in your nearby hamper.
“I just didn’t think I’d get to experience it.” You yawned, taking his hand. “Will you be this sweet tomorrow?”
Loki caressed your cheek and leaned down to kiss your forehead, “Will you even remember this tomorrow?”
You snorted, “good point.”
“Sleep. Little demon. I’ll come check on you in the morning.” He assured you.
You felt your eyelids droop and slowly fell asleep holding Loki’s hand.
“Precious thing,” Loki mused as he pulled his hand out of yours after he ensured you were asleep. Under different circumstances, he would have been happy to stay. But given how intoxicated you were, he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. He laughed to himself as he waved his hand over the pizza mess on your floor, cleaning it up, and he conjured a glass of water and left it on your bedside table. It wasn’t much but he wanted to make sure you were taken care of. He felt a warmth radiate through his chest as he looked at you fondly one last time before leaving your bedroom, “I really do hope you remember this tomorrow.”