Children and Stories

A tall figure in an all black suit walked silently through the pristine halls of Avengers Tower, a dagger twirling around their hand with impossible grace. The figure's black hair fell in inky waves to their shoulders and they ran a hand through it in an attempt to keep it out of their face, irritation flashing through their bright green eyes.

The figure sighed deeply. He was trying to find the kitchen so that they could get dinner before the Avengers ate it all and left nothing for him to eat. He supposed that he could always make himself food if they ate all of dinner, but the Avengers hated them and it was easier to stay away from their common areas as much as possible. Making dinner was the complete opposite of staying away from the Avengers' common areas.

They turned a corner and stopped dead in their tracks. A window was open, which wasn't that unusual. What was unusual was the teenager in a skin tight red and blue suit half hanging out of the window. The teenager had loose messy brown curls and paused in their efforts to get in the tower upon seeing Loki. Or more accurately, Loki's dagger.

Loke quickly vanished the dagger. This was a child. Children were revered on Asgard and it had always been drilled into Loki's mind, as it had everyone else's, that children were to be treated well. Children didn't deserve to be scared, even if said child was half inside Avengers Tower.

Loki stalked forward and grabbed the child by the back of their neck, tight enough that the child couldn't slip from his gasp but loose enough that they weren't hurting them. The child squirmed in their grasp and Loki rolled his eyes. The child would hurt themselves if they kept that up.

"Calm yourself," he said impatiently, the usual layer of harshness in his voice softening with conscious effort. He didn't want to scare the child. "You will injure yourself if you keep flailing around like a lost maggot."

The child stilled and didn't say anything, even as Loki requested directions to the kitchen from the A.I. that ran the tower. Loki made sure their steps made noise as they approached the kitchen where the Avengers were eating dinner. Loki had learned the hard way that if the Avengers didn't hear them approach then they were likely to be shot and or stabbed.

"Who is this?" Loki demanded, holding the child up higher. The child just waved. "It wasn't with you when I attacked and it was dangling out of the window just now."

Romanoff looked faintly amused as she grabbed another piece of garlic bread but she didn't say anything.

Stark's fist clenched around his fork and Loki wondered if the man would try to stab him. "Put him down Loki."

Loki raised an eyebrow. Who was this mortal man to tell him what to do? How dare he presume he was in charge of Loki.

"Hi!" the child chirped, speaking for the first time, seemingly unbothered by dangling from Loki's hand like a spider. "I'm new. I'm Peter and I use he/him pronouns. What about you?"

Loki looked at the child, blinking away the cracks in their sneer. Nothing, not even cats, had the right to be that innocent sounding. "I am Loki of Asgard and I am burdened by glorious purpose."

Several Avengers smirked or laughed, but Stark just glared. "Put the kid down, Loki."

"It's fine Mr. Stark," the child said, still overly happy. "Nice to meet you Loki. What are your pronouns? I don't want to misgender you."

Loki's eyes narrowed. Was this child trying to trick him into what mortals called 'coming out'? But then they looked the child in the eyes. The child didn't flinch, only smiled at him in a disgustingly genuine way. Loki wondered if this child was anything like the Avengers, who tricked and lied to get information, or if he was truly as genuine as he seemed.