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Ghost

word count: 6,500

pairing: loki x fem!reader (platonic)

cw: mentions of death, mentions of family struggle, mentions of loss of a loved one, hurt/comfort, mild swearing

summary: You were quiet. Verbally, yes, but physically, too. You have this thing about scaring every one in the tower. All but one.

author's note: Thanks to @crimson25 for the original prompt! It was very very fun to write! Also, thank you all for the patience for this fic. I went thru a bit of a hard time, but I'm a lot better now. You all rock. Hope you enjoy!!!

Apparently, it was a thing you did. For a while, you had no idea you’d even been doing it; the members of the tower refraining from scolding you for it.

Sure, you noticed the gasps and how quickly their heads would whip around to see you standing behind them, but you’d never thought it was because of you. You assumed maybe they’d been doing something that they didn’t want you to see.

That was until this morning when you came across Tony and Natasha in the briefing room discussing a mission report from the day prior. You’d been searching for Nat exclusively in hopes that she would finish telling you the rest of her story about reuniting with her sister, Yelena. She was almost done once she got pulled away by Stark and Rogers to go to Peru, leaving you hanging on the edge of your seat.

By the time she had returned, it was past midnight, so you weren’t going to force her to finish her telling of the tale after she’d just returned home. You weren’t a sadist.

So, you waited until well past morning when the sun was high in the sky. You heard Nat’s raspy voice counter Tony’s condescending tone and decided then and there it was best to wait until they were finished with their conversation.

It didn’t seem secretive by any means considering they were talking loud enough for you to hear down the hallway, so you rested your shoulder on the doorframe, patiently waiting and listening.

“And you’re sure it was an accident?” Stark interrogated her, raising an eyebrow. Nat groaned, her hands wildly gesturing to the billionaire.

“I’m positive, Tony. Why would I have any reason to lie? Barnes is a good Agent and has proved himself time and time again. Why don’t you trust him?”

“Because he used to be a threat, that’s why!”

“Key words: used to! Barnes is past that and you know it. Yes, we got into an argument. Yes, it got heated. And yes, I got stabbed by his knife, but it wasn’t Bucky’s fault. He was about to get floored, so without thinking, I kicked one of the guys in front of him just as he was about to protect himself and he nicked me instead. It was completely my fault.”

Tony was uncharacteristically silent for a few seconds, tapping his pen against the desk. He huffed, then leant down to scribble his signature onto the paperwork. “If anything had happened to you…”

“Aw, Tony,” Nat cut in, jutting her bottom lip out in fake gratefulness. “It actually sounds like you care about me.”

“Don’t get used to it. You know I don’t have emotions.”

Stark slid the piece of paper into a folder and pushed it across the desk just before turning on his heels to head out of the room. Nat followed suit, both of them spotting you in the doorway.

“GEEZ”

“SHIT”

The pair of them jumped and yelled at the same time. Your eyes instantly went wide, their reaction having scared you as well. Tony clutched onto his chest as he gasped to bring air back into his lungs.

“Okay, seriously…” Nat snarled, her hands instinctively covering her eyes in embarrassment. “You have got to stop doing that!”

You raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them incredulously. “Doing what?”

“Sneaking up on people!” Nat chastised you.

“What are you even talking abou—”

“Ah-ah! I got you figured out, American Bandit,” Tony cut you off. “One more infraction and I’m forcing you to rob banks for a living.”

“You’re like a ghost,” Nat held a hand up in front of Stark, keeping her focus on you. “Haven’t you noticed how edgy everyone seems when they turn a corner and you’re suddenly there?”

“Well, yeah, but I just thought it was because they didn’t like me or something…”

“No, no, you’re just so quiet and…” Nat tilted her head at you in confusion, “…you really didn’t know? You’re not doing it on purpose?”

“I swear I’m not!”

“Well, this talent that you’re completely unaware of will certainly work to our advantage,” Stark said as he began making his way out of the room. “FRIDAY, remind me to send the American Bandit out on more stealth missions.”

“A reminder has been set, sir,” The AI voice spoke. Tony left you standing in bewilderment, along with Natasha, who had something of a silly grin on her lips.

“You really had no idea you were scaring people?” She asked, picking up her belongings and shuffling closer to you.

You shook your head in disbelief. “No, not at all. I mean, I’m kind of new to the team, so I genuinely just thought everyone was on edge when I’m around because they didn’t want me to interact with them.”

“God, no! We all like you. You’re funny and courageous and sharp-witted, but you scare the shit out of us, sometimes,” Nat laughed, pushing you on the shoulder. “It’s actually a little funny now that I think about it; the Earth’s mightiest heroes never see one of our own coming.”

You chuckled along with her, thinking back to other times this might have happened. There was that time with Sam when you’d tapped him on the shoulder to ask if he’d seen Bucky. He’d been in the common room, blissfully unaware, and inhaled sharply once your skin came into contact with his.

Then, there was a different time with Peter. He was in the gym, practicing with his new web shooters on special targets that Tony had made for him. He’d hit the bullseye every time and once he was finished, you applauded and congratulated him. He turned around so quickly you thought he gave himself whiplash and squeaked a little.

Okay, maybe Nat was right.

“Why did you wait until now to call me out on it if you thought I was doing it on purpose?” You questioned her, following her out of the briefing room.

“We all thought you were just trying to be funny… like playing a prank on us.”

“Definitely not,” You replied, letting a breathy laugh come through your nose. “I’m sorry about all of that, then. I’ll try to be more conscious about it in the future.”

And you really did try! You’d walk a little louder than normal and make a bit of noise—like sniffling or clearing your throat when coming down the hall so they’d hear you coming. It worked for a couple of days, but then you’d forgotten to think about it.

It was never something you’d been aware of. It just happened naturally, so when going about your day, it wasn’t on the forefront of your mind.

That proved to be a mistake when you came across Bucky alone in the kitchen where he was making coffee. You had slept well the night before. So well, in fact, that when you woke up, you felt as if you’d been hit by a bus. It was one of those deep sleeps that made you feel a bit disoriented once you woke. Coffee was the only thing that would energize you.

You padded to the kitchen, noticing Bucky pouring his own cup when you arrived.

“Enough for one more?” You asked politely. Bucky instantly jumped, spilling coffee all over the counter and onto the floor.

“Shit!” He hissed, shaking his metal hand out to rid it of the scalding hot coffee. You gasped and rushed over, grabbing a few paper towels and assisting him in cleaning the mess.

“Sorry,” You apologized sheepishly. “Really, really sorry.”

“Agh, it’s fine,” The soldier grumbled, pushing his coffee cup away and taking more paper towels to soak up the liquid. “We gotta get you a bell or something.”

“I’m not doing it on purpose, I swear,” You said, wiping up the last bit of coffee and tossing the paper towels in the trash. “I’m trying to be more self-aware. Obviously, I forgot today.”

“How do you do it?” Bucky asked, resuming his routine. He reached into the cupboard above him, pulling out a mug for you, too. He filled it three quarters of the way so you’d have enough room to put some cream in it. “I mean, how are you always so silent? I didn’t even hear you coming and I have enhanced hearing. I should hear you coming.”

“I don’t know,” You shrugged. “I didn’t even realize it was a thing I did until a couple of days ago when Nat told me.”

“Yeah, you’ve been scaring us all shitless for weeks. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great advantage in the field, but it’s a little embarrassing for a super soldier such as myself to scream every time you walk into a room unannounced.”

You snickered, taking a sip of coffee. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

For days after that, you made sure to announce your presence any time you walked into a room. You’d wear shoes around the tower rather than socks. You’d bump into things on purpose just to make sure everyone heard you.

Sure, it was a little unnecessary, but if it stopped your teammates from jumping and screaming at the sight of you, then you’d do it.

Once the weekend had mostly come and gone, you found yourself aching for some normalcy. Being so aware to look out for everyone else had become tiring. You could never not be on your guard because of the fact that dozens of people lived in the tower and any one of them could be just around the corner.

So, when you were asked to join the Avenger’s in a group setting, you let out a very large and very visible sigh of release.

“Game night, Ghost Rider. You coming?” Tony asked as he came across you in the kitchen flipping aimlessly through a magazine. You rolled your eyes at the nickname, but smiled and leapt off the bar stool to join him at his side.

“That one doesn’t even make sense,” You quipped. The two of you walked down the hall towards the game room Stark had specifically designed for nights like this. A room filled to the brim with television screens, board games, video game consoles, anything you could think of—it was in there.

“Sure it does. You’re quiet and you scare people… Ghost, and you can drive a motorcycle… Rider. They don’t call me a genius for nothing.”

“Just stick to American Bandit and call it a day, would you?” You jabbed him in the ribs with your elbow. “Besides, that one makes me sound cooler than I actually am.”

“Whatever you say, Michael Myers,” Stark jested back. You snickered and entered the room where most of the team had already resided. A chorus of welcomes were heard from the group as you shuffled to the mini fridge to grab a beer, then settled yourself on an open seat next to Wanda.

“First game night with the team,” She openly expressed. “Are you nervous?”

“Whyhy would I be nervous?” You giggled, raising an eyebrow at her.

“We can all get pretty competitive,” Wanda explained. She gestured to Sam and Bucky across from the two of you. “Those two almost killed each other over a game of Scrabble last month.”

“Hey!” Sam shouted, pointing at Wanda then over to Bucky. “He was cheating! He started making up some random ass words that no one knows.”

“They were Romanian words!” Bucky bellowed. “Read a damn book for once.”

“No one else here knows Romanian!”

“I do,” Thor voiced, raising his hand.

“Not the point!” Sam held a hand up in his direction, but kept his eyes firmly onto Bucky. “Wanda speaks Sokovian, Nat speaks Russian, Thor speaks almost every language known to man, and yet, the only cheater I see is you!”

“You’re just mad because you’re stupid and can only speak English!”

“Oh, that’s real mature!”

“Boys!” Natasha yelled over the bickering. “You’re scaring her.”

The room went silent as everyone turned their heads towards you, suddenly mindful of how wide your eyes had gotten during the verbal scuffle. You laughed nervously, shifting in your seat to hide the fact that they had, in fact, intimidated you a bit.

“Serves her right,” Sam said, raising his bottle of alcohol. “She scares us all the time.”

You groaned and buried your face in your hands, embarrassed that this quirk of yours had been brought up. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you guys, but I’m not doing it on purpose.”

“I think it’s interesting,” Wanda announced, “I mean, yesterday, she took down 4 guys by herself because they didn’t hear her coming. That takes skill.”

“Skillful in the field, terrifying in the tower,” Bucky grumbled, taking a sip of beer. “Every time I turn a corner, she’s there.”

“Raise your hand if Tower of Terror has ever snuck up on you,” Tony addressed the room. To your surprise, every single person had put their hand in the air. “Raising an extra hand for the kid since he’s not here and I know you almost made him pee his pants a couple of times.”

You blushed as you glanced around the room. “Wow, uh…”

“You have the power to scare beings who are not even from Earth,” Nat mentioned, smirking as she nodded to Thor. “Take it as a compliment.”

“Who, pray tell, is scaring others?” A deep, lilted voice asked from the doorway. “And why is it not me?”

Heads turned to see who the voice belonged to, though everyone already knew. Loki’s eyebrows were raised as he awaited the answer to his question.

“Brother! Have you come to join us this evening?” Thor beamed as he moved to make room on the loveseat for him. Loki’s face scrunched up, as if he’d smelled something bad, and he leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Absolutely not. I was on my way back to my room from the library since I couldn’t get any peace and quiet,” Loki glared at the two previously bickering men, “and I simply overheard the rest of the conversation. So, who seems to have taken the reigns of mischief around here?”

You instantly sank in your seat, knowing that you were seconds away from being scrutinized by the God of Mischief himself. You’d come across Loki a few times since you joined the team. Once when you sat next to him during your first mission briefing. Another time when you’d accidentally bumped into him when you were texting Nat—he teased you for it, but made sure you knew he was only jesting. And last night when you returned home from a mission and trotted into the kitchen where he was reading and drinking tea. He asked how the mission had gone and you told him it went well.

That was the extent of your relationship with Loki. Acquaintances at best.

Sam, Bucky, and Tony all pointed at you, causing your cheeks to turn crimson. “She’s scared every single person who lives in the tower,” Bucky accused you.

Loki marched into the room, rounding the couch to be able to see your face, and perched himself on the arm of the chair Nat was occupying. “On purpose?”

“No!” You answered a little too quickly. Inhaling sharply, you recovered. “Everyone says I’m too quiet. I sneak up on people by accident.”

“Like the other day when Tony and I were discussing a mission, she’d been standing in the doorway for at least 2 minutes and we had no idea,” Nat commented.

“Or when she came across Vis and I in the park. I nearly jumped out of my skin,” Wanda chimed in, turning to look at you. “Vision likes to say that you were unable to scare him, but I saw him flinch a little.”

You had to smile at that.

“She’s terrified even me, brother,” Thor bellowed. “I was simply enjoying Midgardian television when the young agent snuck up behind me and asked what I was watching. Quiet girl, that one.”

You averted your eyes to the floor, suddenly aware of how everyone else’s had landed on you to gauge your reaction to all of this. Loki’s gaze, in particular. His stare burned a hole through your head as he tried to figure out if you were a match for him. Either as an equal or a threat.

“She has yet to sneak up on me,” Loki muttered, his eyes still locked on you, though talking to the rest of the team as if you were not there. “It would be quite impossible to.”

“See, that’s what I said because of my enhanced hearing, but she surprises me time and time again,” Bucky stated. Loki huffed, albeit good-naturedly, and turned his attention to the super soldier.

“You truly think your serum-enhanced hearing can match that of a God?”

Before Bucky could retort, you butted in. “Guys, it doesn’t matter. I don’t intend on planning to scare anyone.”

“Why not?” Nat asked. “Attempting to scare the one person in the tower who is apparently immune to such would be very funny. Take it as a challenge.”

“I would advise against that,” Loki cautioned, looking to you. You shook your head frantically.

“I would also advise against that!”

“Smart girl,” He smirked.

“Aw, come on! You know you wanna try it,” Sam egged you on. “I’ll pay you $50 if you do it successfully.”

“Sam!” You chastised, though with a grin tugging at your lips. “I’m not going to willingly scare anyone! Especially Loki.”

“Especially Loki? Why especially Loki?” Bucky asked with a grin. These idiots were baiting you. For what, you didn’t know exactly. Possibly to get you in trouble with the God himself. Or maybe to get you to slip up on your words.

“Yes,” Loki hummed. “I’d like to know the answer to that, as well.”

“Anyone have any popcorn? This is getting good,” Tony finished his drink, setting his glass down with a clink. You groaned, your face finding a home in the palm of your hands once more.

“I just mean… like…” You mumbled into your hands before realizing that the room probably couldn’t hear a word you were saying. Sighing in defeat, you lifted your head. “I mean, like, Loki is good at mischief. That’s his thing. Why would I try and challenge that? He’d probably come up with something even worse just to get revenge!”

“Right, you are, darling,” Loki smirked down at you. “It would be wise not to antagonize me.”

“I don’t plan on it,” You forced a tight-lipped smile, trying not to show just how flustered you really were. “Can we, uh, get back to the game now?”

“Yes, I suppose I’ll leave you all to it, then,” the dark-haired God stood and made his way out of the room. The clobbering of his boots could be heard as he disappeared down the hallway. Once the only sound to be heard were the breaths of your teammates, Sam spoke up.

“Seriously, $50.”

“No!”

The room boomed with laughter as the game began and surprisingly, no one brought it up again after that. Despite the fact that you had almost been sabotaged, you finally began to feel like a part of the team.

You were recruited recently; only 6 dollars to your name and the need to avenge. The Avengers hadn’t known about your sister’s death, nor had they known about the team sent to kill her. They only saw what they wanted to see—you taking down the men responsible one by one.

You had left the leader for last, only to make sure that he knew you were coming for him, but the Avenger’s had caught you first. They were destined to throw you in jail and lock away the key, but there was a flicker of desperation in your eyes that Natasha had seen, and she let your story be heard.

So, when you pulled up to Viktor Borisov’s multimillion-dollar mansion, you were not alone. For the first time in a long time, you had backup.

You didn’t kill him that day. You knew it wouldn’t bring you a peace of mind. In actuality, you barely lifted a finger—letting Nat and Bucky have their way with him. It was after that when you had a long and grueling conversation with Steve, Nat right by your side explaining to him that having you on their team could be beneficial to you and to them.

Reluctantly, the Captain agreed and here you were almost two months later, proving yourself day after day. This banter—the jokes, the nicknames—you needed it. It made you feel like you belonged here rather than just being the agent that stalks around the tower scaring people because of how stealthy she is.

You had laughed more during the 2-hour long game of Pictionary than you had in months and you left the room that night feeling rejuvenated, almost. Like it was a new you walking around the tower.

And it didn’t go unnoticed, either. You had a bit more pep in your step in the days following, which in turn caused you to have heavier footfall. Bucky noticed it first.

“You seem happy today,” He commented, eyeing you from across the gym. You smiled and shrugged.

“Yeah, I am, I guess.”

“Your mood… it reflects your demeanor.”

“What do you mean?” You raised a brow before throwing a couple of punches to the bag in front of you. Bucky waltzed over to you, watching as you struck it with lethal precision.

“Every time you walked into a room, I heard you coming. You haven’t scared anyone recently. You think that’s a coincidence?” He asked. You barreled your fist into the bag once more before wiping the sweat off your forehead and turning to face him.

“You think the reason no one has screamed bloody murder when I’m around is due to the fact that I’m happy?”

Bucky grinned, patting you on the shoulder. “That’s how I see it.”

The super soldier swiftly made his way to the other side of the gym, preparing himself for a sparring match with Steve. What he said made you stop and think. It did make sense. Before game night, you’d been a shell of a person; hollow and empty. You never outwardly showed that, of course, but it was still noticeable. Your steps were quieter and your breathing was near silent, so sure, it made sense as to why you kept accidentally scaring people.

But for the last couple of days, your mood had significantly lightened and now that you thought about it, not one person had flinched, gasped, or cursed under their breath when you came into a room or walked up behind them. They had heard or seen you coming. It was an interesting revelation to say the least.

But unfortunately, happiness didn’t last forever. A few days after that, you’d gotten a call from your mother asking you to come home for the weekend to help sort through your sister’s belongings. You’d been avoiding even the mere thought of it since she passed, not wanting to sift through her childhood. You wanted to keep her memory the way you’d always seen her—young and free.

You’d flat out refused and that obviously made your mother upset. Her choice of words being “I can’t believe you would choose people you barely even know over your own sister.”

Now, that struck a nerve. You screamed, she screamed, you cried, and she told you not to come back home until you’d come to your senses. Immediately hanging up, you let your frustration tears fall. Then, without a second thought, you made your way through the tower to find Steve.

He noticed your tear-stained cheeks, but didn’t ask if you were alright. Instead, he let you speak. You didn’t say much; you only asked if he could exclude you from the mission the entire team was due to embark on that night. He pardoned you from it, saying that the team would be fine without you.

Thanking him kindly, you left his office and wandered back to the comfort of your room, spending the rest of the night mourning your sister and the relationship with the rest of your family.

It took time for you to come to terms with the whole ordeal and by time you meant the entire night. You had only slept for a few hours—a nightmare pulling you from your slumber. Groggily, you got out of bed, running your fingers through your hair and straightening your clothes. You had no real desire to change considering you’d slept in a t-shirt and shorts—something you wore around the tower on any given day.

You padded down the hall and around the corner to make your way to the kitchen, in search of some tea to soothe your mind. A few feet away from the entryway, you heard rustling. Odd, considering you thought everyone had left for the mission last night, leaving you alone in the tower.

A step or two more and you peeked your head around the corner, sighing in relief as you caught sight of Loki making a cup of tea for himself. You silently thanked all the Gods that you wouldn’t have to pull out any combat moves on an intruder at 8 o’clock in the morning and continued on your journey.

“You mind if—”

You never got to finish your sentence due to the shrill scream that left Loki’s lips. You flinched in response, eyes widening as the Asgardian whipped around, spilling his tea in the process. If you hadn’t been so shocked, you might have laughed, but the surprise on Loki’s face matched yours as the two of you took in what had just happened.

“I—Loki, I—”

“You little wretch,” He growled, scowling at you menacingly. You gulped and backed away from him.

“I’m sorry, really, sorry. I-It was an accident.”

“You expect me to believe that after the conversation we had last week?” He asked you, stalking closer to you. If you hadn’t known he would never intentionally harm you, you might have cowered in real fear, but you knew his anger was laced with pure mischief. “You really think bailing on the mission just to execute this little prank was smart?”

Your eyes widened farther and you spluttered in response. “What? Loki, no, I’m serious. It was an accident. I thought you were gone on the mission until a minute ago!”

“Lying in the face of a God,” Loki trailed off. “How very bold of you.”

He made another stride towards you, and you tried to match it and take one backwards, but your back collided with the wall. “Look me in the eyes and tell me I’m lying,” You frantically declared. Loki met you toe to toe, leaning closer to your face to do as you said. His gaze was unrelenting for seconds on end, but you captured the exact moment his facial features morphed from misplaced irritation to genuine concern.

He observed your bloodshot eyes and the puffiness surrounding them. He saw how red your nose was. It was at that moment, that Loki realized that you were telling the truth. “Are you alright?”

He backed away from you, but his eyes never left yours. You let a breathy laugh slip through your nose and you bit your lip.

“That’s a loaded question,” You answered, swerving around him to tend to the mess he’d made because of you. Loki put a hand in front of you, shaking his head firmly to tell you not to. He’d clean it up. He grabbed his mug and placed it in the sink before flourishing his hand—the spill disappearing before your eyes.

“Would you like some tea, darling?” Loki asked gently. Clearing your throat, you nodded.

“If you don’t mind.” You settled yourself on a barstool, focusing on Loki’s hands as he made you a cup of herbal tea. “I’m really sorry for scaring you. I don’t know why it keeps happening.”

Loki chuckled, his attention still on the mug in front of him. “It’s quite alright. I was only startled because I thought you’d left last night. I don’t think you would have scared me, otherwise.”

He placed the tea bag into the cup, then handed it to you along with a spoon.

“Thanks,” you said sheepishly.

“Of course,” Loki responded. He took his place next to you, glancing at your face every so often to try and gauge if he should ask the same question twice. He settled on a middle ground. “I’d be open to listening if you wanted to talk, you know.”

Stirring your tea, you peered up at him with the slightest grin at his uncharacteristic shyness, and shrugged. “It’s a lot to unpack.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“Hm,” You hummed.  You licked your lips, then looked at Loki. He was sincere. Sincere enough to get you to agree. “I had a sister. She was captured and murdered about 6 months ago. She’s basically the reason I’m on this team.”

“I did hear about that. I’m sorry for your loss,” Loki voiced, placing a comforting hand on top of yours. It was warm. You never thought his hand would be warm. The touch brought another grin to your face.

“Thank you,” you whispered. “Anyway, to make a long story short, my mom wanted me to come home for the weekend and help clean out her childhood bedroom, but I said no. She made a big deal about it and told me not to come home until I saw the ‘error of my ways’ or whatever. She thinks I’m choosing being an Avenger over my own sister.”

Taking another sip of tea, you let the silence of the moment wash over you. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“You loved your sister and I’m sure she would understand why you chose this course of action,” Loki stated. “There’s no right or wrong. You just do what’s best for you.”

You let his advice sink in, shutting your eyes and thinking about your sister. Loki’s right. She would understand. She knew how obsessed you were with the job and that nothing would get in the way of doing it.

“Yeah…” You muttered, finishing off your beverage. “Thank you, Loki.”

“You’re welcome,” He took the mug and made way to the kitchen sink, washing it thoroughly before depositing it in the dishwasher. You giggled quietly as he did, causing him to turn around with his eyebrows furrowed. “Something you’d like to say?”

“Uh, noho, I’ve just… never seen you like this. You’re normally so… hardened,” You told him, biting the inside of your cheek to keep from fully laughing. “It’s sweet.”

“I’d watch where you’re trying to take this conversation, agent. I still haven’t forgiven you for frightening me earlier.”

“Where do you think I’m trying to take the conversation?” You swiveled in the stool to fully face him as he leaned back on the counter.

“You’re trying to imply that I’ve gone soft,” He said. “I can assure you that is not the case.”

“I’d never say such a thing!” You impishly gasped, your hand pressing against your chest. “And besides, I already told you it was an accident!”

“Ah, but you still made a fool of me and I hate to say this, but that cannot be tolerated,” Loki pushed himself away from the kitchen counter and began trekking towards you. Instantly, you slid off the seat, using it as a barrier between the two of you.

“Well, how is that my fault? You said scaring you was nearly impossible. Are you a liar, Loki?”

“Watch your tongue,” Loki seethed through gritted teeth, though you could see the beginnings of a smile on his face. Admittedly, you were egging him on, just to see what he’d do. You knew he’d never harm you, so curiosity killed the cat.

“Not only are you a liar, but you also scream like a girl!” You laughed. “I can’t wait to tell everyone when they get back.”

“Allow me to persuade you not to tell anyone about our little interaction from this morning,” He chuckled maniacally. Your life flashed before your eyes as Loki vanished into thin air and you felt a pair of hands on your shoulders. You squeaked as the real Loki spun you around and bent down to throw you over his shoulder.

“EEP! Loki! Put me down!” You shouted, tapping on his back in quick succession. He didn’t respond—he merely sauntered out of the kitchen and down the hall. You squirmed in his grasp, attempting to wiggle off of him. “Where are you taking meEHEE?!”

Loki had squeezed your waist to keep you from falling off his shoulder, and you squealed at his ticklish touch. Shit.

You felt more than heard the God’s deep, rumbling laugh as he spun on his heels and began walking the way he came. “Oh, agent. This seems to have become very unfortunate for you and very fun for me.”

“You say that as if this wasn’t already amusing to you! Put me down!”

“I was going to throw you into the pool, but now I think a bit of tickling might get the message across,” Loki punctuated the word with another harsh squeeze.

“EEHEE! NO! I’ll take the pool! I’ll take the poohool!” You yelled, jolting when he dug his fingers into your side. Before you knew it, you were thrown down onto the couch in the common room, landing with an oomph and being pinned underneath a very hefty and muscly God. “Plehease don’t!”

“I can’t give you any slack, darling. You’ll think I’ve gone soft.”

“I-hi never said that! You dihid! All I said was that you scream like a GIHIHIRL, LOKIHI NO!” You were interrupted by Loki’s nimble fingers prodding into your ribs. Your hand quickly darted out to grab at his wrists, but you were already weakened enough to have trouble pushing his hands away.

“Dear me, you are quite ticklish,” Loki noted with a mischievous lilt to his voice. He switched to pinching at your sides, noting how your laughter audibly pitched up an octave. “Ooh, such an easily accessible spot, too. Tell me, darling, is this enough convincing for you?”

Through your bubbly giggles, you shouted, “Nohoho! I-hi need toho hold this over yohour hehehead!”

Loki glared at you non-threateningly, moving to find a more ticklish spot to weaken your resolve further. He settled his thumbs into the divots of your hips, toggling his thumbs into circles and scratching at the skin with his blunt nails. “It’s as if you’re just asking me to find your weak spot.”

“I-HI… NO!”

“I will find it eventually, agent, make no mistake and once I do, I’ll have no choice but to exploit it until you surrender and promise to never speak of this morning again.”

Loki spidered his fingers back up to your sides, smiling when you tried arching away from him, then continued his path upwards towards your ribcage again.

“Lohokihi!”

“Yes, darling?” He answered, never relenting. He clawed into the middle of your ribs and in an instant, your elbows clamped down onto his hands.

“Don’t, dohon’t!”

“You are giving me a map straight to your most sensitive spots, little spy. Is there something you don’t want me to find up here?”

You growled in response, but it turned into howling laughter once Loki shifted his hands one rib higher. He was able to move his hands higher and higher despite the fact that you were using all your strength and energy to attempt to block him from reaching the one spot you didn’t want him to. The only thing to get him to stray off course would be to appease him.

“OKAY! OKAHAHAY! I-hi won’t tehell anyone! N-Nohot there, plehehease!”

Loki stilled his fingers straight away, peering at you in disbelief. You took this moment to catch your breath, inhaling and exhaling evenly to fill your lungs. “You’re bluffing.”

“Look me in the eyes and tell me I’m lying,” You replied with the same sentence as before. Loki did as told, searching your eyes for a hint of a lie. All he could see was joy. The sadness that held you hostage just a few short minutes ago had ebbed away and here you were, a smile on your face and your tension washed away.

Loki knew within seconds that you were telling the truth, but he didn’t miss how this tiny bit of playfulness had lightened your mood.

“Alright, I believe you,” He spoke. Loki kept his hands pressed against your torso, detecting the exact moment when your expression went from relief to disappointment. Well, who was he to deny you a distraction? “But you’ve got me curious now, darling. I’ve simply got to see what the fuss is all about up here.”

“WAHAIT! NO!” You yelled. Loki snatched a hand out from under your bicep to grapple with yours, swiftly catching one and pinning it to the couch cushion above your head. He left your other arm free, so you began batting at his shoulder.

“You must be devastatingly ticklish here if you keep fighting this hard,” Loki commented. “Is this your worst spot?”

Drunk on your anticipatory laughter, you said, “Whyhy don’t you fihind out for yourself!”

That obviously turned out to be a mistake because in a second flat, Loki’s fingers where wiggling gently into the hollow of your underarm—barely covered by the thin fabric of your shirt. Even just the lightest touch seemed to send you into hysterics.

“AAHAHA! WAHA-WAIT, NOHO! DAHAMN IT!” You screamed in ticklish agony, legs kicking out from underneath him to try and find some traction to escape.

“Seems to me like it is. How lovely, this is!” Loki exclaimed. He was switching techniques every few seconds; digging, ghosting, poking. He never let you get used to a sensation, keeping you on edge for the duration of your attack. When you started hiccupping through your roaring laughter, he stopped to let you breathe again. “Very entertaining.”

“Yohou… I hahate you,” You said through an exasperated breath. “What’s to stop me from telling everyone now?”

“Asking for more, are we?” He scratched at your belly briefly, listening to your high-pitched giggles and watching your cheeks turn pink.

“Noho! No! Okay!” You pushed him away, prompting him to vacate his place on your legs to let you sit up. “Ugh, you are the worst.”

“Comes with the title, I suppose,” Loki snickered. “Keep this morning’s interaction between us and I won’t tell anyone that you’re ticklish.”

You rolled your eyes as he smirked at you, but you weren’t able to keep the light-hearted grin off your face. “Fine.”

You shook his hand to seal the deal, but that didn’t stop the fleeting thought of telling Sam that you successfully scared the God of Mischief. You could really use that $50.

No, you scolded yourself. You’d keep this secret.

Because you got to see a side of him that no one ever gets to see and it would be too precious to ruin.

DAY 9: Lie ˚✧₊⁎・⁎⁺˳✧༚ (Marvel)

TickleTober 2023 🎃

Presented by @august-anon

Lee!Peter 3

Ler!Doc Ock

Words: 2,400

Summary: Spider-Man’s snarky quips have always helped him out of intense situations. Except when one particular Spider-Man (Peter 3) quickly realizes that his iconic quips aren’t enough to hide the silly weakness he “totally doesn’t have” from a certain eight-limbed, but surprisingly playful, scientist.

Peter 3 hummed to himself as he dangled upside down on one of the infamous actuators of Doctor Octavius. He never thought he’d be casually sitting in the same room with the once notorious villain from Peter 2’s universe.

The three Spider brothers had decided to hang out together earlier that day in the oldest Peter’s world. Except, Peter 2 had forgotten that he had to help assist Otto in the lab that same day.

“Aw don’t tell me you’re secretly helping him build another doomsday machine,” Peter 3 had joked.

The oldest rolled his eyes. “Relax. He’s dropped out of the villain gig for good. I was only supposed to help him sort and organize stuff around the lab, that’s all.”

The youngest Peter pouted. “Awww so what does that mean? You won’t be able to hang out today?”

Peter 2 was about to say something when the younger spiders both gave him their best puppy dog eyes stare. He grimaced. He could never deny his little bros with those looks. “Okay, look,” he finally said with a sigh. “Even though I’m supposed to help Otto today, I guess…you guys can…tag along too? As long as you don’t break anything, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind your guys’ company.”

“Alright!” The younger brothers cheered. “Let’s go!”

Things went smoothly upon arrival. Doctor Octavius was a bit surprised that all three Peter Parkers showed up, but he didn’t mind. While he and his Peter worked away at sorting through cabinets and desk drawers, the doctor let the younger Peters play around with his metal tentacles to keep them occupied.

Peter 1 was having a blast; swinging and dangling from the actuators, and letting them hold and lift him up.

Peter 3, however, wasn’t exactly having the same amount of fun. He simply sat down on a nearby swivel chair, pretending to be occupied with his web shooters. He was still a little unnerved about Doctor Octavius.

Okay, he had to admit, those artificially intelligent metal arms of his were really cool in a way. But they still seemed kind of…scary? Intimidating? The way those pointy claws curled and snapped shut, and the fact that were intelligent with a mind of their own that used to take control of their maker’s mind. Shudder.

It wasn’t until Peter 2 announced for a coffee break, that got the younger Spider bros’ attention.

“I’m just going to grab a couple coffees from Starbucks for us,” he said while grabbing his coat. “Anyone want anything from there?”

“Oooh! Oooh!” Peter 1 frantically waved from his upside down position on the actuators. “I’ll take a mango dragonfruit lemonade! Make it a venti!”

“Got it. Peter 3? You want anything?”

Said Peter hummed in thought. “Umm…a mocha cookie crumble for me. Make mine a venti, too.”

Peter 2 nodded. “Got it.”

The youngest spider chirped. “Wait! Can I come with you? You might need an extra pair of hands to carry all the drinks, heh.”

“Good thinking, little bro.”

“Awesome! Okay, uhh…can you guys let me go?” Peter 1 sheepishly asked the clingy actuators. They whirred understandingly and set him down, and all took a turn to give him a quick hair ruffle.

“You guys need me to come, too?” Peter 3 asked, getting up from his spot.

“Actually…” said the oldest. “Peter 1 and I can handle it. Thanks, though. In the meantime, you can hang back here in the lab. We won’t be long.”

“You can chill out here with Doc’s cool arms!” Peter 1 chirped. “They’re really fun to be around. Super clingy, too, but affectionate.”

“Oh. Okay then…” the middle brother eyed the mechanical arms wearily from the corner of his eye.

Peter 2 wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Hey, I know what you’re thinking. There’s no need to be afraid or intimidated by him. It’s all good now. I know you don’t know Doc as well as I do or even like Peter 1 has gotten to lately, but this is a chance to get to know him, too. Oh, and don’t be scared about those metal arms of his. They won’t bite.”

Peter 3 rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, whatever. Just go get my coffee already. I need my caffeine!”

“Relax, bossy,” the oldest said with a poke to the middle’s ribs. “We’ll be back in a little bit.”

Peter 3 flinched and bit back a smile. It got super quiet in the lab now that the other two left. It was a little too quiet for Peter 3.

Doc Ock noticed how uneasy the middle Peter looked. He gave a little sigh. He must still be intimidated by me. He couldn’t blame the young Spider-Man. He knew he must’ve always looked intimidating to anyone who came across him.

But still, he didn’t want the young Parker to be afraid of him forever. Maybe his Peter’s suggestion earlier about leaving the two of them alone wasn’t such a great idea after all.

Then one of his nearby actuators chirped. Oh, yes. I almost forgot about that. Let’s just hope that what my Peter says about him is indeed true.

The scientist cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. “Y’know, you can have a look around my laboratory if you’d like. You don’t have to be confined to one spot.”

Peter 3 nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Octavius shyly extended a metal tentacle towards him. “Would you…like to have a seat?” I know your other counterparts really enjoy it. Especially the littlest Peter.”

The middle Spidey hesitated or a moment. “Well…okay.” He climbed on top of the extended actuator. It suddenly lifted him up high off the ground. “W-Whoa! What the heck?!”

Doc Ock had to bite back a smile. “Sorry. Too high?” The actuator lowered. “That better?”

Peter 3 nodded. Feeling a little more relaxed, he let himself instinctively dangle upside down from the metal arm. Huh…he had to admit, this was nice. “Yeah. Don’t worry, it’s not your fault. Sometimes I forget those metal arms of yours have a mind of their own.”

The scientists hummed in agreement. “They can be quite a handful sometimes. But in reality, it’s like having four puppies attached to my back at all times.”

As if on cue, the other actuators slithered over to Peter 3, chirping curiously as they closed in. Peter 3 shrunk back a little. “W-Whoa uhm…they aren’t—they aren’t gonna like, attack me or anything, right?”

“Relax, they don’t bite.” Otto paused. “On second thought, technically they do, but you’ll get used to it.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Easy now, Peter,” Otto chuckled. “Before you get alarmed, I must ask…are you ticklish by any chance?”

Peter 3 could feel his cheeks grow warm in an instant. The question caught him so off guard, and already made butterflies fill his belly. “U-Uhhaahm…” he laughed awkwardly, averting his gaze. “Um…n-no..?”

“Hm. Your hesitance and the color of your cheeks says otherwise.”

Peter 3 awkwardly rubbed at his face, as if that would wipe away his blush. “W-Well I’m not hesitating. So…yeah. A-And I’m not ticklish, either.” He scoffed. “I mean, why would I be, right? That’s just not something that really works on me, y’know?”

Otto nodded. “I know, Peter. Which is why I’m gonna do this.”

Peter 3 suddenly squeaked like a mouse as he felt a jab to his side. “AaHHEAA!” Another squeeze, this time to his other side. The culprit? Two sneaky actuators. “Whoa, hey, d-don’t get any ideHAA! HaHAHeheheyyy! Nohohoho!” This time, both curious actuators simultaneously nuzzled against Peter 3’s sides.

The tallest Spidey was starting to lose his balance so he hopped off the metal tentacle. But as soon as he touched the ground, all four actuators surrounded and hovered over Peter 3, their claws teasingly pinching and wiggling in the air just above him.

Peter 3 squeaked and curled in on himself. His arms wrapped around his torso protectively. Air tickles always drove him crazy! It made his spider tingle go off over and over, which made the fuzzy feeling of anticipation even worse!

“Oh, and another thing, Peter,” Doc Ock’s voice cut in. “Your other two partners in crime explained to me how you’re still hesitant to be around me. I don’t blame you, boy. I now I can look very intimidating, but you don’t have to be afraid of me. I can be very fun to be around with, y’know!” He smiled over the sound of the tall Spidey’s cackles.

Peter 3 couldn’t answer properly with his mad giggling and squeaking. He couldn’t believe how teasy and casual the scientist was being! Okay, maybe his other spider bros were right about one thing: maybe he didn’t have to be intimidated by Doc Ock anymore.

But still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling like he had been set up. His question was immediately answered.

“I was also told by my Peter that the best way I could warm up to you was through silly play like this,” the scientist emphasized his point by having two metal arms squeeze at the boy’s ribs. “Since you love to play round and laugh. His words, not mine.”

“WhaHAAAhat?! I-I knew you guhuhuys were uhuhup to somethiHHEEE!! Something eheeHEE—evil when you were tahahahalking!”

“Why, I did no such thing,” Otto innocently answered. “I’m simply trying to show you how friendly and warm I can be. You, on the other hand, have brought this upon yourself by lying to me!”

“WhahAHAt?! I nehehever lied!”

“Mhm, did so. You lied about being ticklish, and I will not tolerate any liars in my lab!”

“B-Buhuhut I wahahasn’t lying! I-I swear!”

“Then lift your arms up.”

“W-Whahahat?!!”

“You heard me. Lift your arms up. If you aren’t ticklish like you say, then clearly this shouldn’t affect you, right?”

“Riiiihihight?”

“Well, then go ahead.”

Being ever so stubborn, Peter shook his head and wrapped his arms even tighter around his torso. “Noho wahahay! I knhohohow what you’re gonna do!”

Otto couldn’t help but laugh at the flustered Spider-Man. “Good lord, you must be extremely ticklish to be this jumpy and giggly.”

“I-I aham nahahahat!”

“Another lie right there! That’s it, now you’re going to get it!”

The four actuators descended onto Peter 3, two grabbing his wrists, making him screech. “NAAAAHAHAHAO PLEASE!”

The scientist actually jumped back at he sudden reaction and quirked a brow. “Too much? I’m sorry, I’ll tone it down if you’re too overwhelmed by this.”

The metal tentacles pulled away like nothing had happened. Otto stole a quick glance at Peter 3, and was sure his heart was going to melt at the sudden look of shock and disappointment on his face.

Was he…pouting?

“Something on your mind?” The doctor asked with a soft grin.

“U-Uhmm….I-I hhhmmffhh…” the flustered Spider-Man averted his gaze and fumbled with his hoodie sleeves. “Y-You don’t—you didn’t have to…necessarily stop…”

“Oh? Is that my cue to keep going?” The metal tentacles were back, pinching the air above Peter 3’s sides.

“W-Whoa! Watch ihihit with those thihihings! A-And what? Keep going?” Peter’s 3’s face flushed as red as a cherry. “You couuuuld if you wanted to…” His lips suddenly curled into a cheeky smile. “But you’re wasting your time ‘cause I’m not even ticklish!” He stuck his tongue out and made a run for it as soon as the actuators descended on him again.

Otto shook his head with a smile at the Spider-Man’s cheekiness. His Peter warned him about how stubborn Peter 3 could be when admitting something like being ticklish. But he also said that was just Peter 3’s silent way of asking for more tickles or to keep going as he always provoked the other person instead of asking for it; he was just too shy to ask the dreaded question.

Otto had his metal tentacles make a grab for him again, resulting in Peter dashing for the door. He, of course, didn’t make it and was once again grabbed and pinned by the actuators. “What is with you lying to my face? You’re literally giggling and squirming already and I haven’t laid a finger on you!”

Peter 3 just shook his head, sputtering more giggles as his blush darkened and reached the tips of his ears. “I-Ihihit’s your freaheeheeheaky arms! Make them stohohop thahat!”

The older scientist was confused at first, but quickly caught on when he saw his actuators hovering over the boy’s body, the claws teasingly wiggling and slowly lowering and pulling away at the last second. “Ohhh I see. You can’t stand anticipating tickles, can you?”

Peter 3 stuck his tongue out in response.

“My goodness, you just have quite the attitude today. I’m guessing you don’t want me to go easy on you then. For that extra lie, you’re getting all four actuators!”

“W-Wait huh? What does that me—HEEEEEEheahaHAAAAAhaha!!” Peter 3 didn’t have the time to finish his sentence because all four metal tentacles attacked him at once. One was squeezing at his ribs, another shoved under his arm, another scribbled at his belly, and the last one was trying to get at his kicking feet.

Despite not being restrained at all, Peter 3 made no real attempt to get away. He just laid there on the floor, squirming like a worm on a hot sidewalk, and cackling like a hyena.

“AaaHAAAAhahaeheAAAAheeHEEEEEEHEE!! HeeheHEEEEheHAAAAhaha!!”

“Interestingly enough, you’re not making much attempt to get away. I don’t even have to hold you down with my extra arms!”

“ShsHDHSHshuhuhut uhUHUP!! AAAAAHH! Wahahahait!! NAAAAAAHAHAHAO!! EEEEEEK!!”

“Oh? Is this a bad rib of yours?”

“YEHEHEHES!!” Peter 3 shook his head madly. “T-Thahahat one’s off limits—NAAAAAAHAHAAA!! N-Not there EHEEEHEHEEE—either!!”

Octavius shook his head with a chuckle. “Is there any part of you that isn’t ticklish?”

“I-I d-HAAAAAAHAHAA don’t knoHOHOW!! *snort*”

“Dihihid you just snort?!”

“N-NOHOHO—*snort!*”

Unbeknownst to them, two figures were watching the playful spectacle from the slightly ajar door.

Peter 1 giggled behind his hand. “Peter 3 does sound like a hyena!”

Peter 2 lightly shushed him. “He sure does. I’m just glad Otto took my advice after all when we left. Well played with you too, little brother; tagging along with me to get those two alone.” He ruffled the younger spider’s hair.

Peter 1 squeaked happily at the touch. “Hey, you don’t think Peter 3 will get mad at us for doing this to him on purpose, do you?”

“Nah,” Peter 2 shook his head. “You know how much he secretly loves to be tickled. Besides, this way he won’t be afraid of Doctor Octavius anymore just like we all once were. Despite the scary metal arms, he really does have a soft playful side.”

THE END (*´꒳`*)

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

INKTOBER DAY 10: 'FORTUNE'