Mischief and Magic

Chapter 20

Loki stayed awake until he was sure Morgan was asleep. He took his job of protecting her very seriously. He eventually drifted off into a light sleep, protecting his little fox friend. It was the perfect way to sleep, especially with her gentle purrs.

They were both jolted awake early in the morning when a call came through Jarvis on Morgan's phone. "Hello?" She asked into the phone groggily. She was adorable as she rubbed her eyes, her floofy fox ears all droopy. She yawned hugely, flashing a bit of fang.

"Hey kid. It's safe to come back to the tower. I'm sending a car to pick you and Reindeer Games up. Point Break said that he'd be drained after teleporting you out of town," Tony explained in his usual fast manner. His mind and Morgan's both worked faster than most other peoples'.

Loki opened his eyes and threw on a shirt his shirt as he sat up. He wasn't taking chances with his life and being half-naked with Tony's daughter wouldn't end well.

Morgan nodded, despite that Tony couldn't actually see them through the phone. "See you soon, Dad," she agreed "Love you," she told him with a simple affection before she hung up. When the call ended, she looked to Loki "Lokes, I kinda need clothes other than fox jammies..." She reminded him a bit sheepishly. Her jammies were very adorable, but not the most appropriate for the drive back to the tower. Especially if there was any chance of being seen by the paparazzi.

Loki nodded and summoned a clean set of clothes for her. A pair of jeans that left room for her tail, a modest shirt with a fox on it, and a soft, warm jacket. He also gave her some soft socks and comfortable sneakers. He had an eye for what would look good on her and what was appropriate. Morgan looked over her new outfit, spinning so Loki could inspect his handiwork. "Thank you!" she told him with a beaming smile. She was so open with her emotions, unlike her father. Her tail swished happily, displaying her emotions even more clearly.

Loki couldn't help smiling at her expression and exuberance. "I'm glad you like it, Darling."

"I do~" she reassured him. Loki needed lots of reassurance and praise to survive. He was like a fairy like that. Though if anyone called him 'Tinkerbell' they were sure to be stabbed. Repeatedly. Morgan's tail stopped swishing as their situation and her newly found heritage hit her properly. "How much is Dad going to kill us?" she asked softly, looking up at Loki with worry in her eyes. She didn't want anything to happen to him. And she definitely didn't want to lose him. Her dad might very well try to keep the pair apart.

Loki thought for a moment, giving her question and concern proper consideration. He cared about her and her feelings and showed it in how he reacted to her. "Me? Definitely. You? The worst you'll get is grounded."

"And dad has some explaining to do about how he hooked up with a Vanir..." Morgan's own mind was running fast, trying to come up with ways to keep Loki from being murdered. Distracting her dad with questions he didn't want to answer would probably help.

"He really does." Loki had no idea how even such a playboy would come

"I would think even drunk that he'd notice his partner had a fox tail..." Morgan didn't fault her father for his past. He'd changed his entire life when she'd come into the picture. That didn't mean she couldn't comment on it.

Loki chuckled. "I don't know about that. Thor doesn't notice much when he's drunk." Loki avoided getting drunk, so he relied on second-hand knowledge of the subject.

Morgan giggled. "I can imagine," she agreed as she and Loki headed outside to meet the car. Tony wasn't taking longer than necessary to get his daughter home safely. Loki kept her close, tucked against his side protectively. He didn't recognize the car and wasn't risking her safety. The driver got out and Morgan relaxed with a sigh and touched Loki's arm, drawing his attention to her. "It's alright, I know the driver," she reassured him and waved. "Happy!" She greeted him as Happy approached quickly to look her over to check to make sure she was alright. He'd practically helped raise her and while he pretended to be tough and uncaring, everyone knew that he loved Morgan as if she were his own.

Happy opened his mouth to say something about Morgan's appearance, but was glared into silence on the matter by a warning look from Loki. Instead, he asked "You need a cheeseburger on the way home Morgoona?" He teased with an old nickname from when she was a kid.

Morgan laughed and let Happy walk them to the car and open the door for her. "When have I ever turned down a cheeseburger on the way home?" She replied warmly, the simple exchange a reassurance that she really was ok. Loki followed her into the back of the car. The trip back home wasn't a long one and Happy swung through a drive-through on the way to get Morgan the promised cheeseburger.

Loki kept chatting with Morgan on the way, trying to keep her distracted. He knew she was nervous. She couldn't be seen through the darkened car windows, but that was only one of her worries. The other was facing her father. So Loki told her stories and held her hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of it, soothing her. When her magic started to spark, even after an application of a greasy delicious cheeseburger, Loki lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft gentle kiss to her knuckles, drawing her attention back to him. "Don't fret, darling. It will all be alright,"

"Dad isn't going to be happy..." Morgan fretted, worried about how he'd take her new appearance, how much of her life had just changed.

Loki understood how she felt all too well. He caught her gaze with his own emerald one. "I understand, darling. All too well do I understand. Believe me, it will be alright. Your father loves you for who you are. He always has and he always will. This change will make him love you no less, will make him accept you no less," he promised her. His silver tongue could weave lies, but he could also spin the most beautiful truths. His own father hadn't loved or accepted him, even knowing that Loki wasn't Asgardian from the beginning. Loki had been through something so similar, but knew from the bottom of his very soul that Morgan's experience would be so different from his own.

He would make sure it was. Even if he had to kill every single person who hurt her instead of accepting her.

That was a perfectly normal reaction, right?

Sure it was.

At least for a morally gray god who had suddenly found himself in love. Definitely normal in that case...