Two of A Kind

Epilogue - A Visit

Aite was sure she'd lost her last marble, but she wasn't fighting it anymore.

It had been weeks since she'd decided Loki was just enough fun to dare breaking her heart over.

She hadn't gotten up the nerve to do more than kiss the man, despite every nerve ending in her body screaming at her to just throw him down and have her way with him, but they'd been out together several times.

The team, while understandably anxious about two trickster gods running around the world together, quickly came on board when they realized she was actually having a positive influence on him.

Their first official date had been to a museum, where they searched for their likenesses in ancient sculptures, tapestries, and artwork. Things went well until Aite overheard a human girl commenting about how she would eagerly bow before the Norse God of Mischief. When the woman started going into detail about what she wanted to do to Loki, Aite snapped.

The woman spent the better part of the next hour barking like a chihuahua.

Loki was amused.

The team was not.

At first, Stark was ready to lock them both in the tower.

Luckily, Natasha stepped in. "Come on, Tony. What would you have done if you were enjoying a day at a museum and someone started talking about Pepper like that."

"I certainly wouldn't turn them into a dog."
.
"Only because you can't." Aite countered. "Besides, it was temporary and only her voice."

Loki smirked, "It was a rare show of jealousy. I'm sure it won't happen again."

Aite huffed and jumped back to her perch on top of the bookcase.

"You have no reason to be jealous, darling." Loki smiled, waving his hand to materialize a pillow in her hands.

Aite turned the pillow in her hands and giggled at the choice of design. One side had a happy, smiling Loki face and the other side was a sleeping, adorably rumpled picture. The rumpled picture was set so that if a person was to lay their head against it, they would have the illusion of laying their head next to his.

Aite had the pillow in her room weeks later when her aunt, Aphrodite, came for a visit.

"Aite!" She called as she materialized in the living room.

"Again?" Tony yelled, flicking his wrist to pull up the security for the building. "Full diagnostic. We can't just have people showing up whenever they want."

Aphrodite shook her head indulgently and turned to Aite as she came into the room.

"Auntie!" Aite squealed as she skipped toward Aphrodite.

"There you are," Aphrodite hugged Aite close. "I've been worried about you."

Aite stepped back and tilted her head questioningly. "Worried. Why."

"You've been fighting my gift."

"Gift?" Loki asked as he entered the room.

"You didn't!" Aite gasped.

"Of course I did." Aphrodite answered. "How else could I be sure you wouldn't follow your father's footsteps?"

"I'm confused." Tony added. "What gift."

"My Aunt has the ability o make people fall in love." Aite glared, crossing her arms across her chest.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "You know it doesn't work like that. There has to be a spark or else it won't take."

"Tell that to the mortals who fell in love with dad." Aite huffed, "Or Narcissus."

"Um, hello," Tony waved a hand to get the newcomer's attention. "Still confused. Who are you?"

The woman smiled warmly. "Aphrodite."

"Aphrodite? Like, the Aphrodite?"

"One and only." Aphrodite beamed. "Goddess of Love, part time matchmaker."

"Full time meddler," Aite grumped.

"Spoken like a true cynic." Aphrodite turned to her niece. "Why have you been fighting my gift?"

"What do you mean fighting it??" Loki asked.

"Finaly! Someone asking the right questions." Aphrodite turned to her niece "I can see why you like him."

. "Enough," Aite rolled her eyes. "Just say your peace and leave."

"You get your stubbornness from me." She smiled. I

"Don't make me call dad!"

"Fine," she sighed. "Your father's wife sent me. Typically, she doesn't like his children that aren't hers. You, it seems, are the exception. She says it pains her to know you have found your true love and hesitate because of your father's past. So she has ordered me to reveal my gift to you. Normally, I would protest, but I've been watching and I can't let my perfect match go unrequited."

Aite groaned in boredom. "Enough with the double talk,riddle, bullcrap. Just say it!"

"You, my stubborn niece, are all that is standing between you and the happiest of love stories. A story truly worthy of a Goddess. So Stop. You're ruining it." She stomped her foot in frustration.

" You're saying you put this together?" Tony asked, curious.

"Why else would she be on Asgard, of all places?" Aphrodite motioned vaguely toward Loki. "No offense, of course."

Loki raised an eyebrow and turned to Aite. "Is it possible?"

"About as possible as a time traveling Goddess coming to save half the universe and falling for a God known for the same mischievous nature she was known for." Natasha smiled from the doorway.

—-End—-