Halloween Hearts • Loki Odinson

17 • Shopping with Scarlet Witch

For the next four days, Loki seemed to be in a much better mood. He wore his signature grin almost constantly, but it was less malicious and more smug and satisfied - as if he had accomplished something.

And he had: he was going on a date with Vivian King.

The Avengers were suspicious and a little scared. What was he planning? Another attack? Should they start monitoring and checking up on him again?

Even Thor, who had begun to warm up to him back during Ragnarok was now confused and worried about whether or not Loki could be trusted.

Admittedly, Loki was also anxious beneath the confident facade. Yes, he was very happy that he was going out with a person he actually liked, but he couldn't help but wonder if he'd make a mistake. Which is why everything had to be perfect.

"Thor?" Loki asked, walking into the room where his brother, Tony, Steve and Wanda were training.

"What it is?" Thor narrowed his eyes at Loki's grin. It faltered when he saw Thor's scrutinising expression.

"What? What are you looking at? Is something wrong?" Loki inquired, noticing how Thor examined him.

"Are you in a good mood?" Thor asked.

"No, not particularly." Loki lied, but his grin never faded. He instead curled a finger over his lips in an attempt to seem less giddy.

"Then why are you smiling so much?" Thor asked.

"I can't smile?" Loki responded.

"No, no, it's just...odd," Thor said.

"Sorry, I'll stop." Loki rolled his eyes playfully and forced his grin to disappear, but it soon came back up and he chuckled slightly, tongue darting out to wet his lips as his smirk returned.

"What is wrong with you?" Thor said.

"Nothing, sorry. Are you done yet? I'd like to ask you something." Loki said, and Thor looked at him strangely again before nodding at him to continue.

"Right, so, I was wondering if you knew much about Midgardian fashion?"

"Fashion?!" Thor asked, a little too loudly, and Wanda perked up.

"Fashion?" She questioned, before smiling excitedly.

"Why do you need to know anything about fashion? I thought you were content with looking like a witch?" Thor mocked.

"Hey." Loki glared at him before Wanda walked over with an almost scheming grin on her face.

"What's the occasion, Loki?" Wanda asked.

"Occasion? There's no occasion." Loki said, suddenly becoming quite nervous.

"O...kay...do you need to dress up for something?" Wanda asked.

"I just need to look...nice. Well, I already look fantastic. I need to look better than usual." Loki said.

"Why?" Thor asked.

"None of your business." Loki hissed.

"Nice how? Like, casual nice? Formal nice?" Wanda asked.

"Formal! Uh-- and possibly practical." Loki said, face turning a light pink out of embarrassment that he was saying all this although there was nothing that he should be remotely ashamed of.

"Practical?"

"I mean that...so, if I can't run in it, probably a no," Loki said.

"Can you run in a suit?" Wanda asked. Loki looked up and to his left before he nodded slowly.

"I believe I have in the past..." He says.

"Then you should probably wear a suit," Wanda said.

"Would that be enough?" Loki asked, mostly to himself.

"Are you trying to impress someone?" Wanda asked with a smirk.

"I don't know anyone worth impressing." Loki lied.

"Then I guess that's enough." Wanda shrugged, and Loki internally panicked. She was clearly holding back on the fashion tips. Loki clenched his fist as Wanda began to walk away before she stopped at the sound of his voice.

"And if I was trying to impress someone? Hypothetically, would that be enough?" Loki asked. Wanda began to beam - but it was fucking terrifying. She almost looked more mischievous than Loki at 8 years old when he turned into a snake and stabbed Thor. Almost, but not quite.

"I think it's time to go shopping."

...

"I look like a party clown."

"Is dressing like an avocado in fashion?"

"Is this more string? I feel like a marionette."

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"Right, I do believe I'm about to be choked to death by...whatever polyester is."

Loki complained and complained and complained more as Wanda made him try on another article of clothing. He wrestled with the cotton and struggled with silk - everything hurt.

"Okay, the last one," Wanda said, holding a big black mess of fabric on her arm.

"I don't believe you," Loki said.

"I promise! Unless you don't like it - I will make sure that you impress this mysterious person." Wanda declared.

"That was a hypothetical situation," Loki said.

"Hypothetically real."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Try this on already. Yeesh, who knew a god could be such an ass?"

"I heard that!"

Loki pulled the curtain forth again and changed into what Wanda had handed him.

He looked at himself in the mirror and for once since Wanda had dragged him outside to shop, he liked what he was wearing: a dress shirt and slacks with a vest and blazer, dress shoes and a tie - all black. He had worn very similar outfits in the past, but this one seemed a little more special than the others. Maybe it was the fact that he was convinced it was black yet he somehow saw green in the mirror. It was like that dress that people couldn't decide if it was black and blue or white and gold. Not that Loki knew about that debate; he'd just think that Midgardians are more foolish than he first perceived - arguing over such a trivial matter as colours on a dress.

"Not bad..." Loki mumbled, fixing his hair and smiling while admiring himself. He couldn't help but envision Vivian's reaction at that moment. And then he imagined how she would look, how she would sound, how she would smile, how she would fee--

"You done?" Wanda asked, pulling Loki out of his thoughts. He grumbled something incoherently as he pulled the curtain back, annoyed that his daydream had been interrupted.

Wanda nodded in approval and Loki turned around at Wanda's demand.

"It's really nice, actually. So, are you gonna take it?" Wanda asked.

"I think so," Loki said, and Wanda nodded and smiled again. Loki changed back into his own clothes and they made their way to the register until Loki noticed that he probably couldn't afford the clothes.

"Wanda, am I going to have to--?" Wanda cut him off by whipping out a fancy looking black credit card and smirking.

"Stark's paying."