In Little Ways

Chapter 1

Loki watched from the top of the hill as his brother fell over his duplicate. He couldn't hear what Thor was saying, but he could tell the man was deeply saddened by his "death."

"It's already happened once before. It will probably happen again. Maybe I'll even pretend to break my neck next." Loki said to himself, chuckling at that idea. He watched as Thor walked away with his followers, leaving the body where it lay. Loki growled and waved his hand to make the apparition disappear.  

"I'm tired of dying." Loki groaned and tried to think of what to do this time as he leaned against the rock behind him. He could return to Asgard and take over as Odin. However, that idea held no excitement in Loki's eyes. His mind wandered back to Thor and Midgard where his team of do-gooders reigned, then further still to the woman there who had caught his eye. He smirked as he remembered the feel of her soft skin under his fingers, how she smelled of lavender and another strong scent that he couldn't quite place, and how even though she was terrified of him, she was sarcastic and quick-witted. He liked that in his partners. 

Loki smirked as he made his decision. "I wonder how the princess has faired."

****

'I can't go to Midgard looking like this. I need a disguise.' Loki thought to himself, thinking about the garb of the Midgardians as he fazed through the portal he has made. He finally found the outfit he was thinking of and changed his appearance. He looked down at himself and smirked, seeing the finely pressed black suit, the emerald green pocket kerchief, and the polished black shoes. When he caught a glimpse of himself in a window, he felt like something was missing. He tried to think of something before his eyes slid to a large photo of a man. He was wearing a covering over his eyes and had a beard. Loki hummed in thought and ran a hand down his face, making the coverings appear on his face and the beard as well. 

The New York streets were alive, with people on their way to work and homes. Loki watched the people run around before he looked to the Stark Tower. The last time he had seen his Princess, she had stumbled into Stark's home. If he wished to find her, that would be the best place to start.

****

"Hello Sir, welcome to Stark Tower. How may I help you this fine morning?" A woman asked, her chipper mood making Loki smirk.

"Hello, milady. I would like to see the tower, if I may." He purred, and the woman giggled, blushing slightly as she pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Okay, sir. We have a tour starting soon. May I get your name?" She asked, and Loki smirked a little more mischievously.

"My name, my dear, is...Tom." He said, catching the name from the front of a book. The woman smiled and wrote him a little badge with the name on it before handing it to him, then pointing him towards a seating area. Loki added in an extra smirk and wink before walking over.

He only had to wait a few minutes before the tour began. He ignored a single thing the tour guide said, simply looking around for anyone that looked like the woman. He tried to remember the name that Stark had used and was severely disappointed when he came up with nothing. 

The tour came to a close after thirty minutes, and he knew nothing of where the woman could be or who she was. He angrily marched from the tower, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't think of anything that would work well enough, maybe figure out what to disguise himself as a security guard. Glad that he may have a new idea, he decided that it was good to find a place to stay and looked around for the tallest building besides the Stark tower. After all, he was all about grandeur.

~~~~

Cecilia looked up from her work as she heard Jason laugh.

"What are you laughing about?" She demanded, and he pointed towards the window to their lab. Lia looked over and saw that same man who had been walking alone through their hall almost consistently the last few days. He had the name tag, but she couldn't see the rest of the tour group. So Lia sighed and stood from her table, walking into the hall as he turned a corner. She followed him as he went up to higher levels than the tour was even allowed, noticing that he seemed to know exactly where he was going but still seemed to be searching for something.

"Excuse me. What are you doing here?" She demanded and watched as he jumped slightly, turning toward her suddenly.

"Oh! I...got lost." He said, a smirk taking over the surprised reaction. Lia blinked a few times before stepping towards him.

"Okay, but I have seen you every day for the last five days walking these halls. I have a feeling you aren't actually lost, so I'm going to escort you out." She said and motioned for him to follow her. "So, Tom, why are you here?" She asked, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw him look confused for a second before shaking out of it.

"I told you I got lost. I have always loved the inventions of Stark industries and wanted to see the whole thing...maybe meet the infamous Tony Stark myself." He trailed off as she looked at him, her mistrust showing. Lia huffed and kept walking.

"So, you know my name; what is yours?" He asked suddenly, and Lia raised an eyebrow, shooting him a look.

"Don't worry, my dear. I am perfectly harmless!" Said Tom; his smile reminded her of someone. When she couldn't place it, she shrugged the idea away. She was sure that she would remember a man as attractive as this man was.

"Cecilia. And since we are now in the lobby... goodbye." Lia said, shooting him a quick smile before turning to leave. Before she had even gone two steps, she felt a hand grab her own. Lia turned to see Tom holding her hand in his own, leaning over to place a soft kiss on her knuckles.

"Farewell, dearest Cecilia. Thank you for the escort." Then he was gone, leaving her standing in the middle of the lobby, her hand tingling where his lips had touched.