Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Loki and Thor discover bubble wrap
Thor was frowning at a large cardboard box when Loki came into the room.
"Has the box displeased you in some way, Odinson?" Loki's tone was exactly the right mix of wryness and sarcasm to achieve maximum annoyance from Thor.
Thor shot Loki a look that should have stopped anyone in their tracks. Loki just shrugged, pouring himself a drink and then striding to the windows to look out over the city. The rest of the Avengers were giving Loki a wide berth, even though he'd proved himself admirably in yesterday's battle, but Thor remained stubbornly insistent that, as brothers, they must reconcile. Loki had rather mixed feelings about that, but kept them to himself for now.
Thor was pulling objects from the box, each one encased in some sort of protective wrap. The package in Thor's hand gave a sudden series of pops, and Thor dropped it, startled. Loki, watching through the reflection of the windows, quirked an eyebrow. "Are you being attacked?" he asked without turning around.
Thor frowned at the package and prodded it gently with one finger. "I... do not think so," he said slowly. He began unwrapping the protective layers. "It appears this is wrapped in some sort of inflated material. I believe I may have... popped it, by grasping it too firmly." Loki half-turned in order to get a better look at the material, which appeared to be covered in small bubbles. Thor poked at one experimentally, and it gave a soft pop, the bubble flattening. "I am continually amazed at Midgardian ingenuity," he mused. "Look, brother! Since they do not have magic to send items, humans have discovered a way to cushion things in a layer of air to protect them." His grin was far too blinding. Loki turned back to the windows.
"Ingenious," he agreed, in a tone that clearly showed Loki thought Thor was insane.
Thor frowned at Loki's back for a moment, then picked up a square of the protective wrap. "I must ask Tony or Bruce about this. Perhaps there is some magic on Midgard after all," he said in a wondering tone as he strode from the room.
Loki waited until Thor's footsteps faded away, then moved to take a closer look. The sheet of bubbles was marred where Thor's grip had deflated them. Loki stretched out one elegant finger, pressing against a bubble until it gave way with a soft pop. He pressed his palm down against the wrap, smiling as he felt the tiny bubbles exploding under his hand. He laid another sheet smoothly on the floor, and jumped onto it with both feet. His boots prevented him from feeling the bubbles giving way, but the loud pops were strangely satisfying. He laughed softly to himself. "Ingenious," he repeated in delight.
When Thor returned a few minutes later, he found Loki seated at the table, methodically poking each bubble into submission and frowning when he encountered one already deflated. Thor grinned, and left him to it.
