You Have Heart

Chapter 15

"So you're not taking the job?" Tony asked, raising and eyebrow and sounding disappointed.

"Of course I'm taking the job," you replied indignantly, then added more bravely than you felt "and you're going to pay me extremely well for it too." You saw Loki's smirk of approval at your addition.

Stark sighed "Naturally," he complained good-naturedly.

Loki was getting bored by the conversation. You could tell by the fact that Thor's hair suddenly turned purple. Which made Loki frown before it shimmered to pink, which seemed to be the correct color in Loki's opinion, as that made your trickster soulmate smile. Well, you had promised him that he could play a trick on Thor if you got to spend time with the team getting to know them.

Thor didn't notice for awhile, until he caught his reflection in one of the windows. He glared at his brother. "Loki~"

"What, brother? It looks better that way," Loki replied innocently while the team laughed at Thor's new hair color. It was very much Hello Kitty pink and didn't suit him at all.

"You've had your fun, put it back,"

"You're no fun," Loki replied, but gestured in Thor's direction and his hair returned to its normal color. You weren't sure how long it was going to take to get used to such casual use of magic. You were still in awe of it.

Before you could contemplate that too deeply, a loud alarm started blaring through the tower. The whole team snapped to attention, jumping to their feet with scattered curses. Loki pulled you to your feet with a mutter of his own and a look in his eyes that you would have sworn was panic. He started to lead you to the elevators, his arm around your shoulders too tight.

"Loki, the mission-" Thor protested.

"I will be there in a moment," Loki told him firmly. "Let me get my Lady to safety first,"

Thor nodded. "Be quick," he said and headed off with the rest of the team to get ready for whatever this mission was.

"Loki?" You asked, even as Loki was herding you into the elevator.

"That alarm means there is a mission that the team is needed for," Loki explained quickly, his voice impatient. You could hear a tinge of fear in it. He didn't want to leave on this mission. He didn't want to leave you alone in the tower. "And now that I am working as part of the team, I must also go on these missions," the elevator rose quickly back up to your floor. Loki kept his arm around your shoulders.

You noticed that his clothes had changed into his battle armor. You hadn't noticed when they had changed, but at some point they had. He really was scared for your safety if he was already in his armor.

You thought he was escorting you back to your room, but when he got to the doors for your rooms, he turned to his room instead. "My suite is shielded," he explained as he opened the door and led you inside. He didn't give you an opportunity to protest as he pulled you inside, past his shields, into his suite. "Nothing and no one can get into these rooms without my express invitation," Loki told you as he finally let you go, turning to look into your eyes. "Please, drotning, please stay here until I return for you. I cannot bear the thought of something happening to you, of losing you before I even get the chance to get to know you," you saw the heartbreak in his eyes and knew that he had been through too much. Something happening to his soulmate when he had the capability to protect you was too much for him to bear. You saw the vulnerability in his eyes.

"Alright, mischief. This time, I'll stay here," you promised, knowing you had no way to protect yourself if something were to happen while the team were away. "Next time, though, we'll have come up with some solution where I don't have to hide behind your shields. Deal?"

Loki leaned down to kiss your hair. "It is a bargain, drotning. Now, please, stay safe. I will return as soon as I am able," he promised. He swept out of the room with a flourish of his green cape as the door closed behind him, leaving you alone in the safety of his shielded suite.