Halloween Hearts • Loki Odinson

19 • Nat's Technique

"I'm gonna fall over."

"You won't, I promise."

"Loki, you can't just keep telling me directions and except me to not bump into something," Viv complained, nearly bumping into another tree. Her eyes were closed as Loki stood next to her, leading her to some unknown place.

"Well, where we're going is a surprise, so you'll have to keep your eyes closed a little longer," Loki said.

"I'm gonna fall!" Viv laughed, before jumping slightly as she felt someone wrap an arm around her waist from the side.

"Don't worry, it's just me. Hopefully, you won't fall if I'm holding you." He chuckled, watching her face heat up.

They eventually came to a stop and Loki let go of her.

"Open your eyes." He said, and Viv peeled her eyes open before gasping and smiling like crazy.

The pair stood before an ice rink, illuminated by fairy lights and a lit-up yellow sign for a semi-fancy restaurant next to it. There was an arch made of flowers and shrubbery letting them enter, and Loki flashed a few tickets that Viv was previously unaware of before they entered.

"I wasn't entirely certain what you would enjoy, but this seemed like something you could, at the very least, appreciate." Loki smiled nervously, and Viv hugged him, making his eyes go wide.

"I love it. It's beautiful." She said, finally letting go of him.

"I'm glad. Would you like to start with dinner?" Loki asked, and with a nod of Viv's head, they entered the restaurant, Loki stating his reservation.

The evening went off without a hitch. There were no awkward silences between Viv and Loki during dinner and no one gave them a sideways glance or anything, probably not recognising Loki as the God of Mischief or the man who tried to rule New York. They talked the night away and eventually, dinner ended and Loki pulled Viv onto the ice rink.

Now, Vivian Margaret King can do many, many things - ice skating is not one of them.

"LOKI!"

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap--!"

"What is going on?!"

"Odinson, you better not let me fall!"

Being one of the only ones on the rink, she panicked as much as she wanted and Loki just relished as she relied on him to help. He was a frost giant - anything to do with ice came naturally to him. Not only was Viv enjoying figuring out how to ice skate with a great guy, but she was also appreciating the warm hands that held her wrists, waist and hips whenever she was the slightest bit unstable. She couldn't have picked a better date activity herself.

Eventually, the pair had to leave and they began walking to where they had parked, hands intertwined and cheeks slightly red.

Before reaching the car, however, they were met with a bothersome issue.

At the other end of the pavement, dangerously close to Viv's car, Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff and Thor Odinson lingered.

"Loki...?" Viv asked, and he turned to her obediently before casting his gaze to where she was looking at the three highly suspicious seeming Avengers, dressed in sketchy trench oats, dark sunglasses and matching fedoras.

"Of course. Of course, they had to." Loki groaned.

"It's okay, I mean, they know we're on a date, are they really gonna interrupt?" Vivian asked, before turning to Loki who looked incredibly nervous all of a sudden.

"Lo? We good?" Viv asked.

"Well...I may not have actually told anyone we had a date..." Loki admitted sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Viv asked.

"I didn't really want them to know, that's all. I have to suffer Thor's relentless teasing as it is. So, I decided to just...tell them I was going out. Alone." Loki shrugged.

"Oh my god." Viv groaned.

"In hindsight, I can see how that seems a little suspicious. They must've tracked me down to see what I was doing." Loki sighed, before he and Viv both looked up to see the trio coming closer. Viv scanned her surroundings for a way out, but the only way to go was backwards and that would only delay Tony, Wanda and Thor seeing them.

A thought suddenly came to Viv, but she was unsure of how Loki would react. It was unlike her, but the best option to deal with their situation.

"Do you trust me?" Viv asked. They were only a few feet away and miraculously hadn't recognised them yet.

"Of course." Loki nodded, before being roughly shoved against the wall. Viv brought his head down, cradled his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly and sensually as the three nosy Avengers walked past and didn't even look back to see Viv and Loki's first kiss.

She eventually pulled away, leaving them both breathless and flustered. Loki's eyes widened once he opened them again, staring at a grinning Vivian incredulously.

"I, uh-- PDA makes people uncomfortable, they usually look away. Nat's technique." Viv smiled.

"Ah...just an escape route, then." Loki nodded, visible disappointment in his eyes at the knowledge that the kiss held no real significance, despite feeling so meaningful.

Viv quickly caught onto the disappointment and snaked her hand around his neck once again, leaning into him slightly.

"Oh, no. Well, I mean, it was a way to "escape" but that was also the best opportunity I had to kiss you. I've been thinking about that all night." Viv smiled, and Loki chuckled at her words before leaning down and gently kissing her again, this one not lasting as long but feeling just as magical. He pulled away, only for his fingers to find her hips as he whispered against her lips, wicked and teasing grin gracing his features:

"That makes two of us, darling."