Packless Monsters

Chapter 11

 "I apologize in advance for tomorrow," you told the group a couple days later at dinner. They were all going out on a mission after the meal. You still hadn't started going on missions with them yet. Cap was still strategizing on how to best add your abilities to the group dynamic, so you stayed with Loki most of the time. It was rare for him to be called out with the others.

"What's tomorrow?" Tony asked stupidly.

"The full moon, doofus," you replied sourly, fighting the urge to growl at him. Your wolf still hadn't forgiven Tony, so you tended to be more short with him than the others. Your temper was already bordering on short right now.

"I think Tony meant why do you need to apologize for tomorrow, love?" Loki said calmly from the chair next to you, sipping calmly on his tea. You saw the smirk of his enjoyment at your taunting of Tony.

"Because my temper will be much shorter than usual until after the full moon tomorrow night," you explained, staring at your nearly untouched plate. You hated talking about things like this, but they deserved to know.

"We can handle the Hulk's temper. You can't be nearly that bad," Tony quipped. You glared at him across the table, though he had a point.

"Thank you for the warning," Cap said firmly to shut Tony up. "We should get going," he told the others. "Loki, I got an update that there will be enhanced. Suit up, you're coming too." Loki looked up, shocked, then looked at you.

You rolled your eyes at him. "The preternatural creature can spend a few hours alone in her locked house without a babysitter, oh high and mighty god," you teased him.

"Maybe we should leave you a babysitter," Tony chuckled. You glared at him in reply, tempted to throw the salt shaker, or your dinner knife, at him, but stood with the others instead, choosing to ignore him.

"I'll get the dishes," you told Cap. He nodded and everyone separated to go get ready. Loki touched your arm as you started gathering the dishes so you could wash them. It was the least you could do.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Loki asked you softly.

You huffed and rolled your eyes at him again. "I'm fine, Lo," you teased. He glared momentarily, an automatic response to the nickname, but laughed, grumbling something about an annoying puppy. You had somehow gotten away with shortening his name, and Thor thought you were the most amazing person for managing to do so without getting stabbed.

His expression sobered when he saw you wrap your plate and shove it in the fridge, intending on eating it later, and knowing you wouldn't. "Love, have you eaten anything all day?" His voice and expression were nothing but concern.

"I'm not hungry," you replied instead of answering that question. You hadn't eaten more than a few bites of anything all day, but you couldn't tell him that. Most days you ate as much as he and Thor did. You couldn't lie directly to Loki, so you had a tendency to lie with the truth. It was a well practiced skill among the werewolves. So much so that many became lawyers.

"Y/N," his voice was an unhappy warning. He looked you over more closely. "You're flushed," he said softly and touched your cheeks, then your forehead with his ice cold hand. "Tell me, love," he bid you softly when you melted under his cold hands. You laid your head on his chest and would have purred if you were a cat when he placed his hand on the back of your neck.

"It's the full moon," you told him. You didn't know how to explain what you were feeling to someone who wasn't a wolf, who didn't get this way every stupid month. There was no way he'd understand the feeling of heat, anxiety, over-fullness of power, near sickness at the moon's call. "I-I can't explain it. I swear I'm fine, or I will be after tomorrow," you amended before he could claim you were getting too close to the line of a lie. He hesitated, but Cap called for him to hurry up.

"Very well," he finally said softly.

"Go on, you have work to do," you teased and pushed him to the elevator, your hands firm against his back while he fought with all the maturity of a jelly-legged toddler.

He paused at the elevator to use magic to change into his battle armor, then turned back to you. "My room is kept cool," he reminded you. "You're welcome to spend the evening there if it would be more comfortable." He had noticed that you melted under his icy hands.

"Thanks, I'll consider it," you replied and stood up on your toes to kiss his cheek. He shifted with a mischievous grin and kissed you lightly on the lips instead. The kiss was chaste, his lips soft on yours, but you felt the shock of ice down your spine when his lips met yours. You looked up at him shocked when you were back on your feet. You hadn't expected it, or how much you would enjoy it.

"I'll return as soon as I am able. Be safe, little wolf," he bid you with a smirk at your shocked expression and was laughing as he got into the elevator to go meet up with the others at the jet upstairs.