Reblog If Ur Neurodivergent And Want To Bite Things. Bite Bite. Nom.

Reblog if ur neurodivergent and want to bite things. Bite bite. Nom.

[id: a white userbox with a gold border and pink text that reads "this user is obsessed with ever after high." on the left is an image of the ever after high logo. /end id]

I LOVE THIS FIC SM- I'VE RE-READ IT SO MANY TIMES IT'S SO CUTE-

Timid Hearts and Fresh Starts

Loki x Shy!Alien!Reader

SFW; angst to fluff, platonic, budding friendship

Words: 5976

Summary: The God of Mischief is not at all happy about becoming a resident of the Avengers Tower, even less so about the awkward interactions that come alone with living amongst the group of people he once tried to kill. When he drives away the one member of the team aside from his brother who isn't troubled at all by his presence or by his past, he sets to make things right, and in the process, hopefully to make his first proper friend since moving into the tower.

Warnings: Disgruntled Loki, feelings of guilt from both parties, self doubt + negative self talk, fluffy tickles

DISCLAIMER: This fic was originally written in January and I fine-tuned it a bit but I'm unsure about it. I hope the themes I'm trying to convey come across correctly. I imagine that if Loki were to ever live in the Avengers Tower with the others, there'd be a lot of self isolating and hesitancy to trust someone who wants to show him kindness and isn't fearful of being around him. Reader's guilt sort of reflects my own guilt process (a.k.a. hell LMAO) Overall, I just hope this tells the story of two struggling individuals who find common ground and start to open up to each other.

Also, reader's blushing is described as a luminescent pink and purple, because they're not human in this story. I do not, and will not, use color to describe blushing in other fics. Ages might not be accurate in this, and please forgive me if some characters seem ooc T-T Writing for multiple characters is a task. All the characters are still alive in this fic because I need some happiness rn 😭 Think of this as a self indulgent What If? (I'll probably rewrite this one day)

To say Loki was pissed was an understatement. Sure, he knew this was a chance at redemption for him, to start anew and do right by his family, but he could feel the mistrusting eyes follow him when he walked into the room. Of course, Thor always greeted him with a smile and an overly eager pat on the back, but it was hard to focus on the positive attention when the rest was negative. He knew it would take time to earn their trust, but the looks and aversion to interacting with him didn't help him to feel like he wasn't a monster. There was, however, one person on the team that never gave Loki any indication that they didn't trust him.

Y/N was a newer recruit, from a different planet by the name of Thauria, though they still had been on the team longer than Loki had. He didn't know much about them, aside from the fact that they were very quiet, and very shy. They were easily embarrassed, and would often resort to hiding their face in their hands if something flustered them. Loki had barely heard them say a word. The Thaurian knew about Loki's past. They knew about his attack on New York, but they were also the only other person aside from Thor who understood to the fullest extent that he'd been mind controlled during the attack.

Although Y/N knew people would have expected them to be afraid of Loki, they weren't. Why would they be? When Thor first introduced Loki as the newest member of the team, Y/N gave a warm smile, and greeted him with their home planet's non-contact way to say hello. He watched curiously and confusedly before being surprised by their small voice. It shouldn't have been as shocking as it was.

"W-Welcome to the team, Prince Loki of Asgard. It's nice to meet you." They were so formal, so polite. The God would be lying if he said his heart hadn't fluttered.

"Thank you... I suppose..."

He hadn't intended to sound cold, but if Y/N had been hurt by his words, they didn't show any signs of it.

"I hope you're able to get comfortable quickly, Prince Loki. Make yourself at home." Y/N left after that, but not before saying farewell to Thor, who couldn't help but pat their head affectionately, which made them giggle, their cheeks, ears, and nose glowing a luminescent pink and purple, a reaction that Loki found to be very cute, though he wouldn't dare say so.

Tony stared from the couch in complete disbelief, jaw dropped from what he'd witnessed. Everyone else was shocked that Y/N was so unafraid of Loki. Of course, Thor hadn't been shocked at all. He knew Y/N was a friendly, bubbly soul, and most of all, they were a very empathetic being. Even though they were without a doubt the most introverted person on the team, whenever Loki walked into the room, they would give the tiniest simper, and wave briefly in Thaurian, before resuming what they were doing. Before long, the timid smiles and waves were accompanied by other acts of kindness.

They noticed that he'd begrudgingly take whatever old mug was clean to use for his tea or coffee, and one day while out in the city with Wanda and Vision, bought an emerald green ceramic mug, and tied a little label on the handle with twine that read "For Prince Loki." Suffice to say, Loki was taken aback at the sight of the mug sitting cozily on the counter one morning. There was no indication as to who it was from, but his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Wanda gently nudging Y/N's shoulder with a bright smile out of the corner of his eye as he sipped his drink from the mug.

The next act was in the form of a book, which Y/N had actually worked up the courage to give him. It was a book of Thaurian poems, which they'd decided to give to Loki after Thor mentioned how much Loki loved poetry. They initially asked the God if he could be the one to give it to Loki, but Thor felt it would be more meaningful coming from them.

"I... I thought this book might interest you and wanted you to have a copy... It's a collection of poems from Thauria. I hope you find them to be a good read," Y/N had said quietly. "Take care, Prince Loki."

Loki spent days just staring at the book, frozen by confusion, and frustration. Why the Hel was Y/N being so kind to him? No one else in the tower aside from Thor trusted him at that point, so why did they? Why did this near stranger smile at him with such respect and adoration in their eyes? It angered him. He had been wary enough about joining the team already, given how they felt about him, and continued to feel despite knowing what Thanos had done to him.

The Asgardian Prince felt that no matter what steps he took, he could never redeem himself. It was irritating him that Y/N wouldn't just stay distant and mistrusting like the others. They never overstepped his boundaries, and gave him space, but they never went out of their way to avoid him or ignore him. He didn't understand. He didn't feel he deserved to be treated so respectfully, not after everything he'd done. There was a growing, slow boiling rage growing in his heart over it. One day, he couldn't take it anymore.

It had just been him and Y/N in the common room. He'd walked in to see them sitting there, and had tried to make his way back out, but Y/N noticed, and assured him he could stay to read if he wanted to. Loki awkwardly accepted the invitation, and sat down on the couch. As Y/N sat cozy in their chair several feet away, silently reading with a small smile on their lips, completely at peace, Loki grew annoyed and finally asked the burning question he'd been dying to ask since the first day the two had met.

"Why do you do this?"

They looked up at him with a bewildered expression, eyes widened a little more than usual, brows knitted ever so slightly. "What do you mean, Prince Loki?"

"What is it with you and being so friendly to me? Why are you so relaxed despite my presence? Why not flee the room when I enter or avoid me entirely?"

Those questions confused Y/N even further. They tried to answer, but Loki had already continued. "Are you that naive?"

"W-What...? Naive about what, Prince Loki? About you?" Y/N inquired, feeling themself grow uneasy from the question he'd asked. "Of course not... I've been well informed about what happened a few years ago."

"Yet you're not wise enough to stay away?"

"Have I made you uncomfortable...?" Y/N asked, their expression changing from confusion to worry and guilt. Loki's hostility was worrying them. "I apologize sincerely. My only intention was to make you feel more welcome-"

"Stop. Just stop that already," Loki's voice had grown louder and the Thaurian winced. "I don't need your pity. You have no bloody idea who you're talking to."

"P-Prince Loki... I don't pity you, I respect you..." Y/N could feel their sinuses burning from the urge to cry. Although they tried with every bone in their body to hide their reaction, they knew they weren't succeeding.

"It would do you some much needed good to stay the Hel away from me like everyone else on this Godforsaken team," Loki hissed. "Admit it already, Y/N. I see that look on your face. Admit it! I'll always be the monster people tell me I am!"

"I-I don't believe that... Prince Loki." The Thaurian's words were firm despite the tremble in their already small voice. "I know how daunting the journey of self forgiveness feels. I know it's hard to be optimistic about redeeming yourself, but-"

"Just stop." Y/N jumped. Though Loki hadn't been very loud, it was still startling. Another louder noise had their arms retracting toward their body, staring down with wide and glassy eyes at where their book had landed on the hardwood with a loud thump. Loki wasn't done, his ire still fueling his words.

"Stop trying to understand me, Y/N." He spat, pointing at them with indignation before he drew back and placed his hand on his forehead, his voice softening. "Please... You don't know a bloody thing about me. I assure you, it's better this way..."

The tears were screaming to fall, but the Thaurian refused to do so. Not yet. The guilt Y/N felt was overwhelming, and with one deep breath, they uttered one final response.

"You're right, Prince Loki. I promise, I'll leave you be...

Y/N bit their cheek, quietly leaving the room, book still lying open on the floor where it had fallen. As soon as they were in the hallway, they allowed their wings to materialize, before shrinking down. They flew into the library as fast as they could, making their way to a little space at the back.

Given that they often had a habit of shrinking down in size when they were distressed, scared, or needed time alone, Wanda, with Tony's blessing, used her magic to create miniature spaces around the compound that Y/N could use whenever they wished. Y/N then used their own Thaurian magic to decorate each one.

The one in the library was without a doubt their favorite, and they quickly opened the little nook, closing the door, drawing the outer window curtains shut, and curling up on the tiny bed inside, crying into the quilt, too wrapped up in their melancholy to think about much else. In the midst of their weeping, their body grew far too tired to remain awake, and minutes later, they'd fallen asleep, restless as their guilt plagued their dreams.

Y/N wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed, but they knew from the nook's window that the sun was setting. They didn't want to leave, and considered just asking F.R.I.D.A.Y to have someone bring dinner when it was ready. Tony had made sure the AI had been installed in the nooks and seeing Y/N use the feature was hilariously endearing. They remember his reaction to seeing them use the feature for the first time.

"Oh my God. Yup. If I get any cavities, I'm blaming you. This is genuinely sweet and it's pissing me off."

The genius' reaction had Y/N giggling.

"Y/N!" Thor's booming voice echoing in the library made Y/N jump with a cry. Their still-fragile state had left them very easily startled. "Are you in here, little fairy? Please come out."

Y/N stayed quiet, even as the God grew closer to the nook. He knelt down to be at eye level with the doors, delicately and gently using the little knocker before softly calling his teammate's name again. Hesitantly, Y/N opened the door and peeked out.

"Oh thank the Nine Realms! Hello there, little Y/N. It's just me," Thor assured them. "May we talk?"

"Okay..." Y/N relented, moving out of the door and sitting down on the little balcony. The Asgardian was grateful for the power of The Allspeak, since in their tiny form, Y/N could only speak in their native tongue.

"Little fairy, did something happen with Loki earlier?" Thor asked quietly.

"I made him upset..." Y/N answered, lip already quivering as they tried not to cry anymore than they already had. "It's my fault, Prince Thor... Please forgive me..."

"Your fault? What makes you say that?"

Y/N couldn't stop their tears any longer, and they began to cry again. "I was bothering him. I'm certain I made him uncomfortable. I really am naive and foolish... I'm so sorry, Prince Thor... I made Prince Loki hate me..."

"Little fairy, that couldn't be further from the truth!" Thor smiled sadly and held out his finger, which Y/N slowly placed their hand on, a gesture that never failed to melt Thor's heart. "He's been worried sick about you. He'd been searching for you five hours already when I arrived back at the compound from my mission."

"F-Five hours...? I m-made him worry..." The Thaurian was overwhelmed with a new wave of tears, and they began to apologize repeatedly, burying their face in their hands and wailing. "I'm so horrible! First I upset him and then I stress him out! I'm such a terrible person!"

"No! No you most certainly are not," Thor argued softly. "You're a very beloved soul with such a gentle heart."

"I'm not, Prince Thor... I'm oversensitive and weak..." Y/N was spiraling into self doubt and judgement. It happened quite a bit when things went awry. Their mind was also their biggest enemy and the overthinking was a huge hurdle to have to overcome as a member of the team.

"What makes you think you're either of those things?"

"It's the truth, Prince Thor... Prince Loki has every right to be mad at me. I'm going to give him space for the time being..."

"I can't stand this any longer, brother. I'm coming over."

"Loki, wait!"

Y/N jumped at the sound of Loki's voice and began to panic. They tried to rush back into their nook, but Thor placed his hand in front of it. "Prince Thor, please move!"

"You don't have to hide, little Y/N! Please don't hide."

"H-He's gonna be s-so angry with me! Please! I-I can't face him right now!" Y/N insisted tearfully, freezing their attempts to move Thor's hand when they realized Loki was standing a few feet away.

Thor unblocked the door to the nook, but Y/N remained frozen still, like a deer in the headlights. Loki slowly stepped closer, and that's when Y/N had quickly retreated into the corner of the balcony, breath hitching at the impact of their back on the railing. With an audible whimper, they tucked their legs into their chest. The tall Asgardian was a bit taken aback by just how little they were, and noticed their skin had become much more pink than before, which he guessed was the true hue of it.

He felt a pain in his chest at the sight of Y/N being so scared. When he spoke, his voice was hushed, and gentle. Although Y/N could still understand English in their shrunken form, Loki opted for using The Allspeak to speak in Thaurian, hoping it would make Y/N feel a little less fearful.

"Hello, little one," he greeted, kneeling down so he could be at eye level with the tiny Avenger. "May we talk for a moment?"

Y/N's eyes widened at hearing Loki speak in their native tongue, and the term of endearment. They looked up at Thor, who gave them a reassuring smile and patted Loki on the back. "I'll leave you two to converse."

Thor left the space and made his way to the front of the library, looking back once before leaving. When Loki looked back over at Y/N, they grew tense and averted their eyes, still crying.

"I never took the time to thank you for the gifts. Thank you, for the mug and the book of poems."

"Y-You're welcome, Prince Loki..."

The few seconds of absolute silence that followed made the two rather uncomfortable.

"Y/N, I wanted to apologize for what I said to you earlier..."

"I should be the one apologizing to you, Prince Loki..."

"You have nothing to apologize for, darling," Loki insisted sadly, before taking a deep breath. "Would you allow me to explain myself? I have no intentions of trying to justify the way I acted. I only want to assure you that it wasn't your fault..."

Y/N silently nodded, still sitting in the corner as they patiently waited for Loki to speak again.

"When you welcomed me to the tower so warmly... I was... confused. I know you were not on Earth during my attack on New York, but I figured that after the team had explained what I had done, that you'd be just as mistrusting of me as they are," the God said quietly. "For a very long time, I have had no hopes of ever redeeming myself. I have been unable to forgive myself for anything that I've done... It hurts to say but it's the truth. You were right, Y/N."

"I never should have assumed. It was wrong of me to say..." The Thaurian countered. "I had no business saying what I said, Prince Loki. We may be teammates, but I don't know you, and I acted like I do..."

"But that's just it, little one. You weren't assuming," Loki looked down at his hands. "You were merely seeing what I hoped no one else could see as vividly as I. That is why I got upset."

There was a brief pause as Loki fought to keep himself composed. He shook his head with a hollow laugh, unable to stop his eyes from watering with pure sorrow.

"I couldn't believe that a soul as sweet as you, was so willing to welcome me with open arms and show me such kindness. I don't know what you see me as, Y/N, but I cannot see myself as anything other than a monster, and that has kept me from accepting your cordiality..."

Those words made Y/N incredibly sad, and seeing the tears in Loki's eyes hurt them immensely. "I've never seen you as a monster, Prince Loki. A hurting soul is far from a monster..."

Despite their anxious thoughts telling them not to, despite the fear that they might upset him further, they slowly moved to sit right on the edge of the balcony, and silently beckoned for Loki to move his hand up to them. He eyed them curiously while he obliged, but when he realized Y/N had placed their tiny hand on his finger to comfort him, the tears finally fell.

"Y/N, from the moment I met you, you've been eons kinder than I ever expected anyone on this team to be toward me... Truthfully, I was warming up to you, much faster than I anticipated, and I was afraid that letting myself get close to you would result in you being hurt." Another empty and pained laugh left Loki's lips as he wiped his eyes with his free hand. "Yet I only managed to hurt you and frighten you in the end anyway. I can't tell you just how contrite I am for pushing you away, and for making you doubt yourself."

Y/N watched another fall from his eye, and began to flutter their wings, slowly at first, before they blurred from the speed at which they moved and began to lift the Thaurian from the balcony. They flew upward, then carefully got closer to Loki, using their sleeve to wipe his cheek. It became drenched instantly, but with a glow of their magic, it dried once again. The sweet gesture only served to move Loki to more tears, and the Thaurian panicked.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Prince Loki!"

Much to their surprise, the Prince began to smile, and that smile became warm sounding laughter. "IhIt's alright. It's alright. These are happy tears this time."

He gently held up his hand, encouraging Y/N to land on it, and they did so, holding onto one of Loki's fingers for support before carefully sitting in the palm of his hand. The Thaurian timidly stared down at their lap when Loki carefully lifted them closer to his eye level.

"A-Are you... are you sure you're alright, Prince Loki?"

"I'm right as rain." Loki's smile was brighter, and his expression was soft, a look that Y/N was not used to seeing on the God's face. "However, please, call me Loki. I admire your etiquette and formality, but it is not necessary now. We're acquainted a bit more properly, aren't we?"

The slow timid nod from Y/N was followed by a tiny smile. "I suppose we are, Loki."

"Y/N, I'm so sorry for everything I that I said to you earlier. You're not naive, and you're not foolish," Loki said quietly.

"I-I don't blame you for being upset, Loki... My actions were smothering and unwarranted-"

"No. No they were not. You respectfully kept your distance while showing me kindness." The God's voice was soft despite his sudden interruption. He looked into their eyes, and took a small breath. "Y/N, may we start over? Would you be willing to allow me the chance to earn your forgiveness?"

"We don't have to start over. You've made amends. You already have my forgiveness, Loki." Y/N felt fresh tears stream down their cheeks, that deep feeling of guilt still having a hold on their heart like a vice grip on someone's wrist. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Whatever for?" Loki questioned.

"I m-made you worry... I'm sorry I hid, and I'm so sorry I caused so much distress when you couldn't find me," Y/N stated.

"Of course I forgive you, little one." The God very carefully brought his other hand up, delicately wiping what tears he could from their face.

"Thank you, Loki. I-I don't know why I cried so much," Y/N sniffed, embarrassment written all over their face. "I-I'm nearly one thousand and forty five years old. I should have a handle on myself by now."

"Everyone cries, Y/N. You're not oversensitive, nor are you weak. It doesn't matter how old you become. It's okay to cry." The Asgardian averted his eyes briefly before looking at them again. "Especially when someone's been unkind..."

Y/N nodded to acknowledge his words, more tears rolling down their cheeks when they blinked in an attempt to clear their vision.

"Care to know something?" Loki asked with a gentle smile, leaning closer when Y/N nodded. "I'm not much older than you. One thousand fifty-nine years, and here I am, just barely starting to get a handle on myself. I'm certain you've noticed my trial and error."

Y/N blinked, before an unexpected giggle bubbled in their throat. Loki's grin was instantaneous, and he chuckled softly, which only made Y/N giggle harder. He hadn't heard their laugh since the first day they met, and Norns, he wanted to hear it every day.

"Are you aware of just how saccharine your giggles are, little shortcake?"

And there it was. He saw the luminescent pink and purple rise to their nose, cheeks, and the tips of their ears. "Lohoki..."

"What a little darling you are~" he mused, words filled with playfulness and mischief, the side of himself he'd not shown Y/N before at all. "That glowing blush of yours is only serving to prove my point."

"S-Stop ihihit..." Despite being flustered by Loki's words, and their voice getting higher in pitch, their smile was growing. Loki gently placed a finger under their chin, with the intent of lifting them to look at him.

It initially startled him when they flinched and moved their head, but the giggle he heard right after caused him to smirk with realization. "Oh? Is someone ticklish~?"

The word in English flustered them enough already, but hearing it in Thaurian made them squeak. Despite their reaction, they shyly shook their head, pressing their lips together in a poor attempt to keep from laughing any longer.

"No~? Are you sure~?" Loki lightly brushed a finger on their neck, chuckling when their shoulders scrunched up, arms and hands folding closer to their body. "You're not ticklish~?"

Y/N began giggling harder, biting their lip and squeaking again when Loki teasingly wiggled his fingers closer. The sight had butterflies fluttering around in their stomach, a sheer feeling of giddiness washing over them. A loud squeal was followed by high pitched laughter when Loki gently tickled their sides, causing them to fall back on his hand.

"Lohohohokihihiiiiii!"

"You mean to tell me this isn't tickling you~?"

"Ihihihit ihihihihiiiis! Pfffhahahahaaa!" They lightly kicked their legs, partially hiding their face behind their hands. "Nahahahahahat thehehehehehere! EHEEEP! NAHAHAT THEHEHEEERRRRE!"

Loki continued gently brushing his finger across their belly, and noticed that their hands had fallen by the sides of their head, leaving their abdomen unshielded from the tickling. Since they were tiny in that form, they felt the sensations all over their torso, no matter where the tickles were targeted. They'd made no attempts to actually avoid his playful attack, and the God quickly connected the dots.

"Oh now that is absolutely precious~" he hummed. "Does someone like being tickled~?"

Y/N was too giddy to try and lie about it, and bashfully nodded, too embarrassed to look at the God and resorting to closing their eyes. Loki chuckled and poked at their sides again.

"Now now, no need to hide or feel embarrassed, little one. Where else are you ticklish, hm? Care to give me some hints?"

The Thaurian shook their head defiantly, grinning with glee and abdomen still shaking with hiccupy giggles. Loki teasingly hovered his finger above other spots, before using his finger and thumb to delicately attack their hips. The screech Y/N emitted had Loki laughing heartily. Their giggles were full of little gasps and squeaks.

Suddenly, their little body glowed and they were back to their normal size, wings de-materializing and pink hue fading from their skin. Loki had been quick to shift his hands, with one supporting their shoulders while the other was underneath their knees. They were still giggling, and Loki couldn't help laughing again over the sudden startling change.

"IhIhI'm sohoho sohohohorry!"

"IhIt's okahay! Ahare you alrihight?" He asked, his heart fluttering when Y/N nodded with a giggly simper and rested their head on his shoulder. "I'm ever so glad."

"IhIhI've gohot buhuhuhutteheherflies thouhouhough..." The Thaurian admitted through their laughter. "IhIn thehe fihiguratihihive sehehense..."

That particular phrase had absolutely bewildered Y/N when they first came to Earth. When Wanda once mentioned that she had butterflies in her stomach, Y/N was genuinely worried.

"H-How did they get in there!? Are they okay? Are you okay? Sh-Should we call Dr. Banner?"

Wanda almost cried from how sweet their concern was and assured Y/N that she was just fine. That's when the Thaurian learned it was just a figure of speech. Their added statement to clarify they meant figuratively had Loki internally fawning over them.

"Ah yes, the stomach butterflies," Loki affirmed, gently setting Y/N down on the floor beside him, still turned sideways with their legs over his as his arm stayed around them for support. He looked ahead with a smile, before turning and looking down at the precious alien sitting next to him. "You know what you should really watch out for, little shortcake?"

"W-What?" Y/N's voice had become a hushed whisper, eyes widening with curiosity and slight uneasiness. When Loki lifted his hand and slowly wiggled his fingers in the air with a smirk, their uneasiness was replaced by bubbly excitement.

"The tickling spiders~"

"H-Hehehehey! W-Wahahait! NaHAAAAA!" Y/N kicked their legs reflexively when Loki lightly attacked their knees, hiccuping and gasping in between squeaks of laughter. "LOHOHOKIHIHIII!"

"Uh oh~ Unlike stomach butterflies, these spiders can move anywhere they wish~" the God sang. "I wonder~"

He lightly tickled the spot where the back of their thigh met the skin behind their knee, and was a bit startled when they snorted, louder cackles leaving their lips before dissolving into the high pitched giggles once more. They hid their face in his Asgardian shirt, legs still kicking weakly as the laughter temporarily took their strength. Loki stopped before they grew tired, and grinned.

"Still with me, little one?"

"IhIhI've gohohot thehehehe gihiggles nohow," they hummed. Their laughter was so contagious that Loki began chuckling all over again.

After a few minutes, when the sounds of mirth had subsided, Loki stood with Y/N in his arms, and then gently set the Avenger down. "Shall we go get dinner?"

Y/N nodded, timidly fiddling with their sleeves, working up the courage to ask Loki a question.

"W-Will you eat with us? With me...? It's game night, so we'll eat together and then play some board games... Earth games are fun."

As much as Loki wasn't looking forward to seeing the other members of the team aside from his brother, Y/N's optimistic smile brought his mind a little bit of peace, and he accepted. Y/N let out an excited squee and bounced on their heels, before timidly asking if they could give the God a hug. Norns... Y/N was a darling. Loki felt bad about being so cold and distant for as long as he had been. He opened his arms, beckoning them to move in, and let out a huff of air in surprise at how suddenly they wrapped their arms around his waist. His chest rumbled with a laugh, and he happily returned the embrace.

"Loki... Thank you."

"Thank you, Y/N. I look forward to getting to know you better."

The team was shocked to see Y/N leading Loki to the dining room table with a smile on their face, but Thor was beaming with pride. Though it was a bit awkward at first, Loki found himself having fun, and enjoyed being mischievous during a game of CLUE with Wanda, Vision, Y/N, Sam, and Bucky.

"So why'd you get to be Miss Scarlet, Sam?" Bucky challenged.

"Because, I'm goddamn flawless," Sam answered with a snap. "Your turn, Colonel Grumpy."

"Mustard."

"I said what I said, grumpy."

Loki took the victory as Professor Plum, and Y/N cheered him on, clapping with the brightest smile. He was a little embarrassed, but he couldn't hide his joy. The others were stunned by how cheerful he seemed, but they weren't complaining. Not that most of, if any of them would admit it, but it was a pleasant change from his usual brooding and isolation. Y/N took the victory in a game of Candyland, which had been their all time favorite board game since they first played it with Peter and Steve.

"How fitting for the real life embodiment of Lollipop royalty to win a game of Candyland~" Loki mused.

The pink and purple glow crept up on Y/N's cheeks, ears, and nose in an instant.

"Y/N, I think that's the brightest I have ever seen you glow," Steve commented with a smile.

The Thaurian's attempt to cover their blush was thwarted when it grew brighter and illuminated through their fingers.

"Aww, Y/N!" Peter grinned at the precious sight. "That's so cool!"

"When the geek gets geeked," Sam joked, causing Bucky to break into laughter.

The longer the night went on, the more fun Loki had. Thor was overcome with happiness over it. His younger brother had even managed to share some lighthearted banter with Tony. As the games slowly came to an end, with most of the team having retired to bed, Y/N and Loki remained, along with Thor, who announced he was off to sleep.

"I'm so glad you two worked everything out," he declared. "Thank you for joining us tonight, brother."

"Y/N helped me come out my shell a little more today," Loki stated, smiling at the Thaurian with pure adoration. "Thank you."

Y/N giggled, their glowing pink and purple blush illuminating the dimly lit room. Thor patted Loki's shoulder, before gently patting Y/N's head, making them giggle even more.

"Goodnight, you two," he stated.

"Goodnight, brother."

"Goodnight, Thor."

It was just the two of them after that. There was a brief moment of silence, before Loki turned to look at them.

"Are you feeling tired?" He questioned, lips pressing together in understanding when

Y/N shook their head.

"I... I fell asleep in the nook after a few minutes... When I woke up, the sun was setting."

Loki knew they'd probably cried themself to sleep after they'd fled the room and his stomach churned with guilt. He offered his hand, and Y/N slowly placed theirs in his.

"I can't tell you enough how much I regret my harshness toward you," he muttered.

"Loki, I forgave you," Y/N reminded him with a sad smile. "We're okay."

Those words echoed in Loki's mind long after Y/N had said them.

"Would you like to stay out here a little while longer? Perhaps, I could read to you?"

Y/N's eyes lit up with excitement, and they nodded, maybe a bit too eagerly, but their bubbly reaction was adorable. Loki realized that they looked as if they were about to ask something, but were hesitant. "What's on your mind?"

"May we sit by each other, like... like how we did in the library? Please, if it's alright with you?"

Loki wasn't used to the idea of people wanting to be so close to him. He'd come to terms with being seen as a monster, someone to stay far away from, but he realized that if someone as kind-hearted and loving as Y/N, chose to be around him, and wanted to spend time with him, that perhaps he wasn't the monster he saw when he looked in the mirror. Of course, it would take time for him to trust and believe that for himself. Until then, he'd trust Y/N's kindness. It helped him reflect on his reconciliation with Thor as well. Thor saw his potential, his true heart, and since they'd made amends, he had been the only one Loki trusted for a long time.

"Of course we may."

He used his magic to change into more comfortable clothing, as he figured they'd be out there for more than just a little while. When he caught Y/N's look of awe out of the corner of his eye, he playfully raised an eyebrow. Y/N giggled before their own glow of magic ran down their body, their clothes transforming to pajamas. Loki chuckled, before motioning for Y/N to move closer. They moved their legs over his and leaned on him, casting their magic to summon a quilt for them to share, while Loki retrieved his book of choice with a glow of green.

"What book did you choose, Loki?"

"A Galaxy of Sonnets," Loki read in Thaurian. Y/N was beaming as they realized it was the book of Thaurian poems they'd gifted him a couple weeks before. "Thank you for this book, Y/N. I apologize that I hadn't yet read it."

"It's okay, Loki. I hope you enjoy it."

"I most definitely will, darling. Now then, shall we begin?"

The following morning, the team was utterly flabbergasted to see Loki lying on the couch, poetry book still in hand, with Y/N curled up to his side, legs still over his and both of them beneath the same quilt. The two were sleeping soundly, completely at peace in each others' presence. It would still be months, if not years, before Loki truly felt at home in the Avengers Tower. Until that day came, he'd do his very best to find joy and comfort amongst his older brother and new best friend. In time, Loki would find peace in his fresh start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The self indulgence is real. I'm so unsure of my old fics agsjsjdkdjd I shall go hide 👉🏾👈🏾 Loki is a favorite character of mine (and another dream ler- what can I say?). I plan to write more Loki fics with pronouns aside from he/him in the future as well. I hope you enjoyed this (if my self doubt were harvestable it could be a new energy source 💀)

I have a froggy hat

@spidey-bie @somehow-still-here-7

i also wana start a picrew chain so just tag as manny ppl as you can and make a little guy of yourself

little guy maker｜Picrew

mine

@sad-trash-pigeon @hyperbolic-havoc @literally-maria @willprobablychangethis @willows-woes @heartstopperstuff @sproldenlover @pessimistonsteriods @person4924 @katelyn-heartstopper @artsimmys @acuteobsession @apersononearth011 @faulty-radio @linavloger

PLEEEEEASE DRAW MY OCS FR