Spaces Between

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•Chapter Thirteen•
Episode I: My Pranks Backfire....Kinda
(STARK TOWER)

I was up and slipping out of my room at the literal butt crack of dawn.

I'm serious, the sun hadn't so much as peeked over the horizon.  Did I wish I was still sleeping?  Yes.  Was pranking Tony the priority? Most definitely.

Käro was sleeping just outside my door, so I didn't have to go very far to find him. But that meant he was grumpier then normal when I accidentally hit him with my door.

"If you were a pup, you would have been long since taught a lesson." Käro grumbled. I shrugged and gave him a look.

"Don't act like you aren't excited to prank Tony."

Käro snorted but didn't say another word.

We snuck down the rest of the hallway towards Tony's room. I explained my plan under my breath as we walked and by the time we stopped in front of his room, Käro was awake as ever.

We set up the prank and then I was back in my room like nothing had ever happened.

***

It was about 7:30. I had came back out of my room around seven as I had been the whole visit and I was sitting with most of the others in the living room.

The scream came first. Then a string of curses so vulgar that it would have made a sailor cringe followed after. I burst out laughing and everyone in the room's heads simultaneously whipped towards me.

"What did you do?" Natasha accused, green eyes narrowed.

Once I could momentarily contain my laughter, I quirked, "nothing you can prove."

Natasha opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by an irate Tony storming into the living room—a smug looking Käro trailing after him. Tony threw a familiar horse mask at me and I cut it before it could hit my face.

"What the HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Tony thundered. There was an ounce of humor in his voice as if he couldn't help but fine my prank somewhat funny but the rest was just utter annoyance. My lip trembled from trying not to laugh.

"Language, Tony." I teased, jumping up from the couch when Tony lunged for me. I took refuge behind Steve.

"What did she do?" Steve asked, giving into my need for a human shield. I heard Tony let out an agitated sigh.

"I woke up to a freaking," (he didn't say freaking) ,"Asgardian wolf standing at the end of my bed wearing the freaking horse mask I bought her." Tony erupted, throwing a finger at me. The glare I was getting was priceless.

I gave him a grin.

All eyes looked between Käro and me. Käro still sat with a smug look on his face.

"I regret nothing, " he mused, pawing the ground.

"How did he even get in your room in the first place?" Clint chuckled. I could tell from the playful glint in his eyes that he found this situation very amusing.

And it was.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y let them in." Tony steamed, and then looked up at ceiling angrily, "You freaking traitor."

A small beep came from the coms before it was followed by F.R.I.D.A.Y's voice, "sir, Lorien is very persuasive."

Tony shook his head and muttered something along the lines of, 'I'll dismantle you,' under his breath.

"Dude, you were tag-teamed by a dog, a teenager, and your own AI system," Clint cackled.  He was holding his stomach, trying to stop laughing.  "Didn't you get her that mask to prank Loki with?"

"Yeah, he did."  Natasha said, a smirk of her own slipping across her lips.

"I would bet money that it was our infamous God of Mischief that put his sister up to this," Clint suggested.  Tony glared at me.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

Tony narrowed his eyes and pointed another finger at me.  "You know, I'm surprised that you didn't get Snowflake and your Aequumian boyfriend in on it as well."

My face exploded with heat.  I didn't get a chance to even try to cover the red painting itself across my cheeks and ears like I did last time.

"Stark."  I could barely hear Natasha's warning voice over the ringing in my ears.  From the look on Tony's face, I realized that he regretted what he said the moment he finished, but that didn't stop the embarrassment coursing through me.

My eyes shot to the couch where Alrekr and Tove were sitting.  Alrekr was frozen to his spot, but the look on his face wasn't as surprised as I thought it would be—instead there was an almost curious look in his eyes.  I felt my blood pounding in my ears.

"Lorien, I—" Tony started but I cut him off with a glare.  I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest and every ounce of my being telling me to run off somewhere and cry for a very long while—but I wasn't going to do that. 

"He is not my boyfriend," I said slowly.  I needed to let this out before I lost any little confidence I had left.  "Alrekr is my friend.  And yes, Tony, I have crush on him.  I have since my fifteenth birthday."

My gaze slowly shifted to Alrekr.  My voice wavered as I said," and if you don't return my feelings, I understand."

I think I almost started to cry.  A gentle smile crossed Alrekr's face as he stood up.  Tove stayed on the couch as he approached me—the former just giddy with a larger grin on her lips.

Alrekr stopped in front of me, looking down at the floor with pink flaring across his own cheeks as he said in a little more then a whisper, "Elskling, is the Asgardian word for darling."

My thoughts shot back to every time he had called me that and both him and Tove refused to tell me what it meant.  Every time Tove would just look like she explode from excitement.  Every time I would turn thinking Alrekr was looking at me, and he would look away.  I realized that to Alrekr, he probably thought I was the one that didn't return his feelings.

"Oh," I murmured and swore Tove punched the air—must have learned that from me.

"Thank the Norns."  She giggled and both Alrekr and me blushed even harder.  I heard Käro snort behind us and then Natasha shook her head.

"Stark, you're lucky that this worked out or I would've kicked you into next week." 

After she spoke, I became very aware of all the Avengers still sitting around us.

"I guess now I know why Loki asked for his room to be at the complete opposite end of the hallway," Clint quirked.  I resisted glaring at him until he added, "awww, young love."