Finally Found You (Loki x Gender Neutral Reader)

Chapter 20 - With a Horse?!

1015 words

3rd person pov

Steve and Bruce walk up the aisle in the local book shop, steadily breathing a mix of fresh and worn pages. Steve scans the spines on a shelf labled, 'How Tos'. "Bruce, look at this, 'The Art of Close Up Magic'. Loki is a sorcerer, maybe human magic might interest him." Steve laughs, flicking through instructions of hoops and card tricks.

"I don't think we should give him any ideas, he can be mischievous enough," Bruce smirks and then awkwardly gulps. He then grazes his fingers on the shelves on the other side, "I think he would like some information books, ah, like this..."  Bruce slides out a heavy book bigger than his head.

Steve puts the magic book back and turns to look, "'The Encyclopedia of Paleontology'? What is that?"

"It is the science of expired life. Like fossils, fascinating stuff, but I haven't had time to look into it recently..."

"Okay add that to the pile. I'll look in the ancient section, we don't have a lot of things before the 1700s. I only know that because I heard Loki quietly moaning about it once." Steve walks past, patting the growing selection in the basket, before setting off on his search.

Bruce puts the encyclopedia on their pile, continuing to walk around the human and world science section.

"'Oceanography - What We Don't Know', hmmm let's get that." Another in the basket.

"'The Definitive Book of Body Language', I feel like he may already know a lot of this but I guess this will be good." One more on the pile.

"What else..."

Bruce scratches his face as he ponders, when suddenly...

"WHAT ON EARTH!" Steve shouts at a book which he quickly slams shut, holding it an arms length away.

Bruce runs to Steve in panic, "Are you okay Steve?"

"LOKI DID 'IT' WITH A HORSE!" Steve is now heavily blinking and rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wipe it from his memory.

Bruce presses his lips together, failing to keep a straight face as a snort escapes his nose, "With Svaðilfari, the builders horse, am I correct? I believe he gave birth to an eight-legged horse called Sleipnir. This happened because-"

"NO, I DO NOT NEED TO KNOW, I READ THE REST OF THE STORY, I WASN'T EXPECTING THE HORSE TO BE HIM!" Steve crosses his arms like a 5 year old in a huff, oblivious to the handful of customers taking a peek at the comotion.

"Calm down Steve, you are causing a scene", he is right, a small crowd of people has formed around them. Bruce leans back on the pristine shelves and waves them off, "Anyway, I doubt that actually happened, it is just mythology, you can ask Loki if you want to, you know he was a horse when it happened-"

"Stop!"

Steve looks as if he is going to puke, Bruce covers his grin with his hand. He gives a final glance at the curious onlookers and quickly steers Steve toward the checkout, patting his shoulder.

~~~time skip~~~

Back at the headquarters Bruce and Steve put all the books in a large box and tie it with string.

"Should we give it to him personally or..." Bruce asks.

"I think we can leave it in his room with a note."

"Good, I'm still not sure how to talk to him." Bruce is relieved.

Steve writes something quickly down on a piece of paper and slides it under the string.

"Let's go."

Bruce nods and trails behind him, crouching, hiding and looking for any signs of Loki. After all, if they get caught trying to get into Loki's room, he's be sure they would be done for.

Creeping past everyone's rooms Bruce sees Y/n's door is slightly open and through the crack is the God of Mischief, recounting some sort of poem to Y/n. He does a double take, watching the gentle sparkle in Loki's eyes as he smiles at Y/n resting inn bed. Bruce lightly sighs, "We should be fine Steve, Loki won't be in his room." 

"You saw him?"

"Like last time."

Steve stops, nearly butting Bruce in the face, "What!? Is he is Y/n's room?"

"Yes, he is reciting a sonnet by the sounds of it. He's quite sweet like this." Bruce's lips curl into a soft smile.

"He does spend a little too much time with Y/n than a friend would, I understand why Tony's concerned." Steve slowly lines his eye up through the small crack in the door and back again. He eventually huffs, "They both seem happy I guess," his brows furrow and then he nods to himself, "that's all we can ask for. Does anyone else know? That they are... enjoying eachother's company."

"Not to my knowledge, we we're the only ones who visited Y/n after Loki joined them in the lab I'm sure.

Steve smirks, "Lets leave them be and get on with our mission." He continues to creep to Loki's room.

Bruce rolls his eyes "It's not exactly a mission... well, I guess the stakes are about the same."

"Exactly let's get it over and done with before Loki returns and turns us into frogs."

"Frogs?" Bruce resumes his crouching position, "I have enough grief turninig into the Hulk, I don't need another green creature in my repertoire."

Steve chuckles and advances to Loki's room, opening the door with quiet caution as Bruce keeps a look out. They both step in, taking in the mystical ambience of the room.

"Turn the light on, there might be traps." Steve orders a little too seriously for the situation.

Bruce flicks the light off and on again, "It was already on."

"What? Why is is so dark? It's only 4 o'clock!"

"Just drop the box and let's get out of here!" Bruce whisper shouts.

So Steve chucks the box on the dark quilted, velvety bed. Looking around before saying, "Let's go, mission acomplished", and leggs it before Loki sees them.

"Hey! Don't leave me!" Bruce follows, almost tripping on a cabinet due to the lack of light. 

They both run out and to the living room where Nat and Wanda sit chatting.

"Woah, what were you boys doing?" Asks Nat.

"Nothing!" They both say insync.

Nat smirks at Wanda who laughs and offers some popcorn to 'the boys'.

"Who's up for a movie?"