Starling (OC x Loki & Steve Rogers) MCU OC Story

Ch. 14: Stark Party

Streets of New York

May 2, 2015 

Pre- Stark Party 

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"I'll be back soon, okay? Cut Thor some slack. He just lost his brother, and he needs us to help him grieve. I'm still looking for an outfit for the party, just give me another hour," Madelyn says into her phone to Stark as she walks down an alley in New York. 

She laughs to herself as she hears Tony's groan before she hangs up and puts her phone in her bag. As she is looking down into her bag, she bumps into a tall figure. 

"Oh I'm so sor-" She starts as she looks up, catching herself on the figure's chest. She stares in disbelief as she sees that familiar face, "Loki?"

She stares up at him in his dark suit, hair black and sleeked down to his shoulders. He looks...good...and not dead. She briefly recalls the moment she had with the fake Odin she met at his funeral, and she remembers wondering if that was Loki and if he was actually dead. Why would he fake that? Why would-

"My apologies," Loki sighs, keeping his head down and trying to move out of the way without much attention.

"Nope. Nah uh," Madelyn huffs, turning and following him. She shoots a light beam out at him; it brushes just passed his arm, not harming him but sending a warning. 

"Are you insane?" Loki says, swiftly turning and looking at Madelyn with a look of shock and frustration. 

Madelyn storms toward him, "You can't seriously be asking ME if I'M insane when YOU are the one who is supposed to be dead!" She whisper yells at him, trying not to cause attention, but people are starting to perk up at their interaction. 

Loki huffs, noticing the attention, and he quickly grabs her arm roughly and pulls her deeper into the alley away from people, pushing her against the brick wall, "Keep your voice down."

She snatches her arm away from him, "You know I was actually sad to hear you died, especially when you were actually proving you could be good according to Thor, but now? Oh, you're just the same old trickster that doesn't care who he hurts!" She's seething now. The thought of Thor grieving over his brother when he is standing right in front of her makes her blood boil, but part of this anger is coming from her own grief. She didn't want him to die; she wanted him to be good. She thought maybe someday they could reconcile...I mean they were so similar...

Loki scoffs, "Please I've faked my own death before, I'm surprised he fell for it again."

There's a hint of something in Loki's voice...he's hiding his true feelings. 

"I can't wait to tell him he can stop grieving over you. He'll be so relieved, and then maybe we can actually teach you a-" 

"You're not telling my brother," Loki commands, stepping closer to her, staring down into her eyes. 

"You don't control me," Madelyn practically spits back at him.

"Please."

Madelyn is taken aback. His voice...the vulnerability in that simple command...

"Please don't tell him," Loki pleads.

Madelyn can't believe her ears.

"He thinks I died a hero...I don't want to disappoint him again, I-" Loki shakes his head. 

Why is he confessing this to her?

"I'm just gonna stay on Asgard as Odin. I just brought him here to a retirement home to rest. I'm not gonna cause anymore hurt or trouble. Please, Madelyn."