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"Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry I'm not cool enough to breathe in flavored air!" Sara yelled and threw her phone across the room.
Someone came into her room and with fast reflexes, grabbed the phone with magic before it shattered against the wall.
She gasped and placed her hand over her mouth.
"Is that any way to treat your electronics, darling?" Loki shut her door and handed her back her phone.
"I'm sorry," she apologized profusely. She was quite thankful he had saved it, she didn't want to deal with having to buy a new one. "Thank you."
"Now, how's my favorite scholar? And what provoked her to toss her device so carelessly?"
Sara sighed and turned back to her desk, placing her elbows on top and dropping her head in her hands.
"College sucks. Even if it's my last year, it still sucks." She sighed heavily. "The one classmate group I had, they are making fun of me because I wouldn't vape with them."
"Vape? What is a vape?"
"It's when people pay a lot of money for tiny USB sticks to feed their addiction of breathing in flavored air. My air is free! I don't want it to taste like a blueberry sundae, thank you very much!"
Sara ended her rant and Loki chuckled in amusement, placing his arms on her shoulders and lightly squeezing them.
"They don't deserve you. You are much better than they are." He tried to comfort her. "You live with the Avengers, you practically are an Avenger, you are related to a Stark, and you are courting a God. What more could you ask for?"
He turned the desk chair around and she huffed. "They don't know that, though. I've managed to keep my school life and my private life separated. They would definitely treat me differently if they knew who I really was."
Loki rolled her chair closer to the bed so he could sit down while still holding onto the armrests. "Hmm," he hummed in thought. "Why don't I take you to school tomorrow?"
Sara's eyes widened slightly. "What? I can't ask you to come with me, Loki. That would be unfair to you. You probably have way better things to do—,"
"Now now, my dear," he tutted. "Do not get all fussy over nothing. I am merely offering my company to walk you through your campus."
"But...my friends will—,"
"Friends?" Loki scoffed. "The ones who constantly brought you down? Who left you because you wouldn't partake in a dangerous activity with them? The ones who always commented on your hair, clothes, and even your handwriting? Those are not your friends, Sara. They are bullies."
Sara placed her hands on her face again. "I guess you can come with me."
Loki beamed and removed her hands from her face, holding them tightly yet comfortably in his own. "Wonderful! When you show up with me, they won't be able to take their eyes off you."
He heard her laugh at his attempts to lighten the situation. "Right. I guess I'll see who my true friends are."
"Have no fear, you don't need to tell me. I already know that I am one of your true friends." He stated proudly.
"But we're not friends," she tilted her head and cracked a smile.
"You're right. We're best friends." Loki countered with a cheesy grin.
That made her laugh more. "Thanks. I needed that." He let his features soften as he looked at her cuddled in one of his Midgardian sweatshirts, matching sweatpants, and socks. A cozy outfit for the crisp autumn weather. "We can get drinks tomorrow if you'd like?" Sara offered and he nodded. "But now, I need to finish this stupid ten page paper for my marine biology class. I'm two pages in. Wish me luck!"
Loki stood and let his finger brush under her chin to tilt her head up so she would look at him.
"May fortune favor you." He let the tip of his thumb trace her lower lip. "If you need me, I'll be in the library."
She smiled and he leaned down to press a soft kiss against her lips, before retreating from her living space and leaving her to her own.
—
It ended up being just past midnight when Sara shut her laptop and leaned back in her chair to stretch.
After staring at a screen for six hours with no food, her head ached and she was starving.
She left for the kitchen and ate her meal, now wanting to see Loki after being occupied for so long.
Sara remembered Loki said he would be in the library, but she was hesitant since she took a while. She doubted he was even in there but looked anyway, smiling softly when she saw him leaning against the end of the couch with a book held between one splayed out hand while the other brought a teacup up to his mouth.
Loki set the cup down after a moment and sensed her presence, looking up in her direction, making eye contact with her. He returned her soft smile and wordlessly beckoned her over to sit with him.
He moved his legs apart so she could lay in between them and rest her back against his chest.
"Finished?" He whispered softly in her ear and kissed her crown.
"Mhmm," she hummed out, barely having any energy for words. "Tired," she mumbled and turned slightly so she could lay her head against his shoulder. "Comfy."
Loki conjured a blanket and draped it across her, wrapping his arms around her frame and resuming his reading until he himself was tired.
He carried her all the way to her room and tucked her into bed, kissing her forehead.
"Goodnight, my sweet Sara."
—
The next morning, Sara got up and got ready, despite her lingering sleepiness.
She put on jeans and a cozy tan sweater with matching boots, did her makeup, then put on her jewelry, slipping on her promise ring that Loki got her their third month of dating.
A knock sounded at her door just as she was brushing her teeth and she opened it to find Loki all ready to leave.
She left the door open, silently inviting him in. She walked back into her bathroom, and spit out the toothpaste, finishing up.
"Which one?" She pointed to her golden tray of a handful of expensive perfumes. Loki loved all of them but held up his most recent favorite. She sprayed herself a few times and set it back on the tray. "Come on. Let's go get these drinks."
He held his hand out and she quickly grabbed her backpack, phone, wallet, and keys before taking his hand and allowing him to lead her to the garage.
"Where you goin', kid?" Tony interrupted their walk, coming out of his lab.
"School," she replied.
"With him?" He asked, still not liking the idea of her dating the man who ruined New York, but he was getting used to it, most of all noticing how Loki had significantly changed.
"He's walking me to class." Sara answered and slowly tugged Loki's hand as to tell him to keep walking.
"I'll come with you."
"Why?"
"Reindeer here told me what happened yesterday with your faux friends. I never liked them anyway. But I'm sorry it happened."
She shrugged. "It's alright. But we are leaving now, so if you want to come, we have to leave in the next four minutes."
Tony nodded and sprinted up the stairs to change into the famous genius billionaire playboy philanthropist he presented himself to be, not just the scientist who stayed in his lab all night working on a suit.
Tony had so graciously bought Sara a new car of her favorite brand, claiming how his favorite (and only) niece deserved to be spoiled.
He returned in record time and caught up to them just as she placed her backpack in the backseat.
She quickly ran around the other side to open both passenger doors for them.
"After you, my passenger prince, and back passenger uncle." She bowed and slowly came back up with a smirk.
"As you wish," Loki grinned and got in the car while Tony rolled his eyes and sat in the back.
She shut the doors before getting in herself and speeding off to her favorite coffee shop.
Sara bought the three of them a warm drink for the cool day, her a chai latte, Loki a earl gray, and Tony a regular coffee with a donut.
How Loki could drink earl gray tea straight with no sugar baffled her, but he seemed content with it so now she drove to her college.
The University campus was packed and all students had assigned spots in the parking lot, which Sara had a spot close to the middle.
Loki got out of the car first this time and opened her door for her. "Princess," he repeated her earlier actions and bowed to which she laughed.
She grabbed her backpack and Tony begrudgingly opened his own door.
"Buy yourself somethin' pretty," he slid his sunglasses on and threw a rolled up 50 dollar bill at her, which she fumbled to catch. "So this is where my money is going to," he hummed. "Looks nice."
"Now please," Sara stood in front of them and placed both hands on either of their chests to keep them from walking. "Do not embarrass me. This is the first time anyone has seen you both here, so do not do anything stupid."
Tony just saluted while Loki grinned. "Yes, dear."
She narrowed her eyes at the two but started walking, both of them following behind her like two bodyguards.
Students stopped to stare, wondering why their classmate was with two Avengers, but she ignored them and continued to walk on the pathway.
Sara suddenly stopped and they both bumped into her, watching her spin around.
"Don't look now, but there is that one group from yesterday." Immediately both men looked up and around at the clique of four girls and three boys. "Guys! I said not to look!" She hissed.
"Forgive me, but you should just ignore them," Loki whispered.
"No, go up there and give those bullies a piece of your mind!" Tony encouraged in a much louder whisper.
"And here you thought I was going to cause chaos?" Loki asked smugly and Sara groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "Why don't we walk past them?"
"Ugh, why do they have to be in the middle of the walkway?"
"Ask them to move. Or better yet, let something shove them out of the way," Loki grinned and let soft green sparks emit from his open palm.
"If we don't move now I will be late." She begrudgingly turned around and started to walk but Loki grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze of comfort. She looked back at him gratefully and made her way to the group. "Excuse me," she muttered.
They parted, not caring who asked but one looked up and gasped.
"You're Tony Stark!"
That got the rest of them to look up at the three of them.
"Sara?" One asked in shock as she noticed their conjoined hands.
"What's someone like you doing with the Avengers?" One 'popular' girl bravely questioned.
"Mind your tongue before I cut it out and stuff it down your throat." The girl gasped, taking a step back while Loki glared at her and Sara gently pulled him back.
"Be careful about how you speak to my niece. If you upset Rock of Ages, I don't know what he'll do," Tony shrugged and took his sunglasses off.
Sara wondered why he even had sunglasses since it was a cloudy day.
"Niece? You're related to him?" They gasped and she nodded.
"But your last name is Star...k. Stark! You're a Stark!" They looked at each other in shock.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get to class."
They started to walk away but a different girl stopped them. "Do you want to hang out with us after school?" She asked and bit her lip.
Sara knew they were only inviting her and being kind because they now knew who she was.
"No." She said in finality, walking away. "Enjoy your flavored air," she called over her shoulder and the boys huffed while the girls pouted, all of them hiding their vapes.
"Those can kill you!" Tony walked backwards and winked, doing finger guns at them.
"Very good job, darling," Loki complimented and she smiled up at him.
"I couldn't have done it without you guys, if I came alone they would've either ignored me or continued to bully me."
"Anytime," Tony hummed while Loki glared at them over his shoulder before turning back to her.
"First lesson of the day is here. Thank you for walking me." She hugged her uncle and he told her he wanted to see what they were learning, so he quickly ducked inside her open classroom.
"They won't bother you again. And if they do, come talk to me."
"Alright. I will."
"Promise?" He raised a brow and brought her closer.
"Promise," she grinned up at him and he captured her lips in a searing kiss, in front of all to see.
"Hey, Reindeer, stop doing that to my niece's face and let's get out of here before they make me donate something." Tony hastily skipped down the steps and bounced on his feet as he impatiently waited for them to finish up.
"I'll be back around lunch and take you out, yeah?" Loki offered.
"Take me out on a date or with a sniper?"
"Either if you'd like," he smiled and Sara laughed.
"Lunch it is."