Working Title : Loki & Annie

Chapter 37- Bullies and Bananas

It only took about thirty minutes for the three of them to be ready to leave. The time was spent by Thor taking a warm wash cloth to Loki's face and hands while Annie spent it getting the lunch dishes into the dishwasher. Putting the left overs into containers and then the fridge was finished at the same time Thor brought Loki back out to the living room.

Smiling over at them Annie took in Thor's change of clothes. Jeans lose enough to fit his boots under them and a bulky, oversized black hoodie that had been pulled over his t shirt gave him the look of an average guy. She tried to see if she would recognize him but couldn't get past the fact that she already knew who he was. Of course he looked like Thor, he was Thor. Maybe he could pull the hood up if people were looking at him.

"You look good." She decided it wouldn't hurt to let him know.

Thor gave her a pleased smile, "Thank you, Lady Annie. I will admit that Midgardian clothing can be quite comfortable. Though most of it is rather soft and offers no protection against a blow."

Annie huffed a laugh, "I'm not sure many designers think about protection when coming up with a new line. Maybe you should design your own line of clothes." Thor looked thoughtful and hummed rather than answered. Looking to Loki, Annie asked, "So how do you feel, kiddo? You look handsome in your new jammies."

Loki for once wasn't surrounded by Thor's cape, that item was tossed over one of the gods shoulders. Loki balanced on a hip, one thin arm placed around Thor's shoulder. The boy was still wearing his slippers, the Mjolnir ones. The pom-pom balls on his knit cap bobbled each time he turned his head. At Annie's words his hands went to the hem of his shirt where his fingers toyed with it, plucking at the fabric. He didn't say anything though his head did lower to look at the PJ's that covered him.

"They are warm, yes?" Thor asked while running his hand along Loki's flannel covered leg.

Loki didn't answer Thor either, though he did keep rubbing at the fabric. 

Annie came closer to them, a question coming into her mind as she looked at Loki in Thor's arms. "Hey, I just thought of something." She looked to Thor, "Can Loki stand? Or walk?" She looked to Loki, "I mean, I know his feet might still be tender, " She shrugged, "But I'm just wondering."

Thor's expression clearly told that he hadn't asked himself the same questions. He leaned back to try and catch Loki's eyes, "Let's set you down, yes?"

This time Loki turned his head to look at Thor, green eyes studying blue for several seconds before he nodded his head once. He looked down as Thor swung his body carefully around to right above the floor. The slipper clad feet stretched their toes down to touch the floor and Thor let Loki down those last few inches so that he was standing. 

When his weight settled on his soles there was the sound that was meant to be a hammer striking. Loki held on to Thor's arms, letting his brother steady him while they watched as he carefully tested out how standing felt after having been off his feet for so long.

Annie watched while trying to remember to breathe, Loki moved his feet side to side then took several hesitant and small steps away from Thor, looking up to see Annie watching him. With a smile both of encouragement and because of the sounds, Annie nodded, "You're doing a great job. Does it hurt too much? Do you need to be carried?"

In answer Loki turned to face Thor and held out his arms, he wanted to be picked up again. It was such a normal action, a little kid raising his arms up, wanting to be held.

Thor swept Loki up, "That was very good for your first try. Next time you'll do better." Thor didn't want to let his mind linger on the fact that once more Loki was so weak compared to his previous self. He tried to not let those thoughts cloud the fact that Loki had stood and that he had taken several steps, small though they were. It was a start. He thought hard to convince himself that was good enough, at least for now.