Hello, Darling. (Loki Imagines/One-shots)

I Hate Christmas

POV: Second

Ship: Loki x Reader

Type: Angst + Fluff

Warning: Mentions of dead family, holidays are mentioned but its like an inclusive thing this isn't really Christmas specific it's centered around all the holidays.

Wordcount: 1280

Prompt: "I Hate Christmas"

Synopsis: You happen to notice that Loki has a hard time around the holidays. You let him know that he isn't alone.

A/N: Kinda love this ngl. Hope y'all enjoy

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Loki hated the holidays. To him, it served no purpose other than to show him how everyone else was happy and thriving.

It also reminded him of his home, when Frigga decorated everything for the Yule holidays and gave Loki and Thor special gifts. One year, when Loki was in the process of learning magic with his mother, he received a rabbit's foot. The foot heightened his magic and made his spells stronger until he could build them up on their own. Now that all of that was gone, the holidays served as a bitter reminder of what once was.

So, when the holiday decorations began to come in, Loki shut himself out. He spent less and less time in the common areas of the tower, not wanting to see the reminders. And there were lots of them.

Since the Avengers had grown over the years, several different holidays were celebrated. While Christmas was what the majority celebrated, it wasn't the only one. Plus, everyone celebrated everything so that it was an all-together event. It didn't matter what they believed, they all did it together so that no one was alone with their holiday.

There was Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and even the Winter Solstice-what Loki and Thor would celebrate back home. Christmas trees, Menorahs, Mishumaa Sabaas, and yule logs decorated every inch of the tower. Everyone was happy for the holidays, Tony even told them there had been an overall decrease in crime. Villains celebrated too, Loki guessed.

His brother tried to rope him into the festivities. He couldn't avoid all of them, much to his dismay. He went to some, made just enough appearances to not be suspicious, but spent the rest in his room.

He assumed that nobody would notice his absence, except for maybe Thor, but he was wrong. You noticed how Loki would look uncomfortable every time the holidays were brought up, how when people discussed gifts he looked for a reason to leave. Every time you would frown to yourself, but couldn't bring yourself to talk to him about it. You didn't want to hit a nerve, as you sensed it could be a sensitive subject to him.

But when he didn't show up to draw names for dirty santa, you knew you had to do something. He was the God of Mischief, and if he were to decline such a great opportunity, something was absolutely wrong.

Nobody mentioned his absence, so you volunteered to draw a name for him and said you would take it to his room. You checked the little slip of paper to ensure that Loki didn't get himself.

"Tony"

You smiled. Now Loki surely wouldn't miss the opportunity to play a prank on Tony.

You made your way to his room, knocking on the door. There was no response, so you knocked a little louder. Still, nobody responded. You tried once more, and finally the door swung open.

"Thor, I already told you, I don't-" Loki grumbled, but stopped when he saw you looking up at him with surprise and sheepishness. "Oh."

You gave him a small smile. "Sorry if I woke you from a nap or something. I just noticed you weren't there when we were drawing dirty Santa names, so I got a name for you and brought it down here."

He regarded the slip of paper in your hand. "I would rather not participate in whatever this 'dirty Santa' is." You sighed, frowning.

"See, I thought you might say that. Can I come in?" You asked. He considered before opening the door a little wider to allow you entry. You walked over to his bed and sat down. "Look, we also need to talk. It hasn't gone unnoticed how you seem to avoid everyone and everything around the holidays."

Loki huffed. "A mere coincidence, then. I prefer avoiding everyone at all times of the year. There is no correlation." You gave him a look that told him you didn't buy it.

You lowered your head, looking at the ground. "Listen, Loki, the holidays are typically a time where families get together and be happy. It can be hard seeing others so happy with things we might not have."

Your voice was somber, careful, yet Loki still got upset. "It is not hard for me to see. I do not care for such childish notions of holiday joy. The Avengers can do what they want, but they let it distract them from all the dangers and wrongdoings of the world."

Loki's eyes met yours. "It's hard for all of us." Your voice was soft, barely above a whisper. Tears threatened to spill from your eyes. Loki had no idea why. "You think all the Avengers feel nothing but joy during the holiday season, but you are mistaken. Family is promoted so much, yet most of us have none. Parents absent or dead, siblings torn away, we are children of tragedy."

"Tony's parents are dead. Wanda was there when her parents died, then her brother was killed in front of her. Natasha was ripped away and trained to be a murderer when she was very young. Cap, Banner, Peter, Clint, we're all without much family and left with a whole lot of trauma. The only family we have is each other, those who live in this tower. We make the most of it. I know you hurt, and I know that it can be worse during the holiday season."

You stood up and walked over towards him, tears spilling down your face. "But you have to understand that you're one of us now. Like it or not. Now, you might not get along with some of them, and that's fine. But a lot of us are still here for you. I'm here for you. So if you ever need to talk, you can talk to me. We can work through all the shit life's thrown our way together and hope to build something new."

Loki was surprised and wasn't sure what to make of your comfort. He could tell that you were being genuine, and he wanted to pull you into a hug. You must have read his mind, because you wrapped your arms around him. He slowly did the same, letting your head rest gently on his chest.

"Thank you." He whispered, ever so slightly, just so you could hear. "I needed that."

You unburied your face to look at him, smiling. "I know." You said simply, a couple tears still slipping down your cheeks. You looked beautiful to him, even in this state.

He brought his nose down to yours, and you gulped. "Can I kiss you?" He asked, and your eyes widened.

"Yes." His lips met yours, softly, and he could taste the salt from your tears. He caressed your neck, looking into your eyes after the kiss ended.

You both struggled to find your voices, and surprisingly enough, you found yours first. "Uh, so, the name." You fished through your pocket, handing him the slip of paper. He opened it, reading Tony's name, and frowned.

He held it up. "What does this entail?" He asked, and you smiled.

"Oh, you're going to love it. Or, at least, part of it. Dirty Santa is where everyone picks a name and you have to get some sort of wack gag gift for the person. You usually pair it with a real gift, but I already saw your paper, so I can help you with that part." You explained, and Loki nodded.

This certainly would make for an interesting game. Maybe Stark would end up lucky, ending up unscathed, or maybe not. It was all in good fun.