Loki through the multiverse

Happy Birthday!

"Welcome home," Jarvis said as the elevator doors opened with a distinctive whoosh to the communal floor of the compound.

The familiar quiet hum of the place greeted you like an old friend. Unlike your little flat in Manhattan there was always movement in the compound, always some degree of active energy that acted as a comforting reassurance that you weren't alone. While you loved the peaceful solitude your flat provided when you needed a timeout from being one of earth's mightiest heroes, you always gravitated back to the compound and the familiar presence of those who occupied it.

Carefully setting down your bags to the side, but keeping hold of the small one dangling from your wrist, you strained your ears for any sound to indicate who, if anyone, was here with you.

"Jarvis, who's here?" You asked Tony's assistant, walking deeper into the communal floor and searching for any sign of life.

"I have detected four other persons within the compound, miss. Mr Odinson is in the kitchen, Mr Laufeyson is in his bedroom, and Ms Romanoff and Dr Banner are in the lab." Jarvis replied in seconds, your heart giving an involuntary skip hearing that Loki was here.

"Thanks, Jarvis." You replied, setting off with determination towards the kitchen.

As you got closer you could hear the sound of a woman's voice, followed by Thor's very angry "I am beating it", which was a tad alarming. Just who was he with and what was he beating? You slowed your footsteps as you approached, peeking around the wall to the kitchen and immediately fighting to contain your laughter.

There was Thor standing at the huge kitchen island with a mixing bowl in one hand and a whisk in the other, his attention laser focused on the small screen in front of him as he followed along with the instructions. All around him sat various jars and baking implements, and a thin coating of flour covered most of the island surface. You had seen Thor try his hand at almost anything, but baking wasn't something you had thought the God of Thunder would be caught doing.

His concentration on what he was doing was absolute, his gaze never once wavering from the screen as he used his hands to knead the dough. He hadn't even noticed you peeking around the corner, so you made the small jar of cinnamon to his right float until it was at eye level and let it hover. His attention was so focused on what he was doing that it took him a few seconds to notice the little jar hovering to his right. He jumped just a fraction, but merely pushed it gently back down to the countertop. You waited a few moments, just long enough to ensure he wasn't thinking about it, and made it levitate again. This time whacking the little jar gently against his temple.

His reaction was immediate. "Loki, enough!" He bellowed, hands spraying pieces of dough over the kitchen floor as they emerged from the bowl to swat away the offending object.

You bit back a laugh as the jar returned to the surface, watching Thor continue to look left and right expecting to see his brother emerge from some hidden corner. You waited longer for the finale, waited until he had decided there was no further threat and his attention was again focused solely on his baking expedition, and made the jar rise up again. This time he saw it and reached to slap it back down but you were too quick. Up and up you made it rise until it was just within his reach hovering over his head, and when he looked up you let it fall right on his head.

"Loki, come out here!" Thor roared again, his hand rubbing the spot where the jar had hit him, though you doubted he had even felt it.

You couldn't stay hidden any longer, the sheer effort of trying to hold in your laughter was too much. You were practically falling out of your hiding place.

"Oh, Thor, I'm sorry!" You managed to apologise between laughs. His expression immediately changed from mild annoyance at Loki to a beaming smile when he saw it had been you playing tricks on him again.