Packless Monsters

Chapter 26

   "Stark, have you had any luck finding out where that box came from? Or how it got under the Christmas tree?" Cap asked over breakfast Monday morning. Loki and Thor must've told Cap and Tony about the collar Jareth had sent you.

"It came in with the mail. No one thought anything about yet another Christmas present coming in. We all get so many," Tony answered finally, sounding frustrated. "Jarvis is screening any future mail that comes for the puppy so we don't get any more nasty surprises,"

"I'm not a puppy!" you growled down the table at him, though you were relieved that the team had looked into it and were finding a way to keep something like that from happening again.

*

You held tightly to Loki's hand as you boarded the SHIELD jet that came to collect the team after breakfast. "What's wrong?" Loki asked when your grip tightened on his hand.

You loosened it sheepishly. "Sorry. Nervous. I've never flown before," you explained.

Loki gave you the barest hint of a smile. "Nothing to fear, little wolf," his tone had changed, getting a harder edge around the SHIELD agents. He was more hostile and defensive around them, though in the absolute most polite way possible. It was a defense against how badly they disliked him. All it made you do was to comfort your Loki and get him to smile again. You also saw what he wouldn't say: even holding your hand was showing more sentiment and feelings than he wanted to display in front of these strangers.

You dropped his hand and smiled at him when he looked at you to see what you were up to. He was so used to your presence nearly always including physical contact that the absence got his attention. He huffed in exasperation when he realized that you'd read him too well and had taken his comfort into account above yours. He draped a possessive, protective arm over your shoulders, glaring at the agents who dared look at you. "Finally found a Midgardian whose company you can stand?" one of the older agents teased. You grinned, he had seen through Loki's act too.

"Yes, this little mortal amuses me. And she's mine," Loki glowered at the man who was looking you over, interested in the person who Loki could stand.

"I'm no more mortal than you are, your highness," you teased, sticking your tongue out at him. He turned to you with a disapproving look, he'd been avoiding announcing you were a werewolf. You bounced up on your toes to kiss him. "Drop the act, Lo. They've seen through it. Besides, we've been plastered kissing all over the tabloids and news. I think they know you like me." Loki sighed heavily in exasperation, but his cold mask faded away.

"Annoying puppy," he grumbled in loving exasperation.

"Stubborn god," you teased back. With that settled, you finally took seats in the jet. Tony handed over the briefcase that held his Ironman suit. The rest of the uniforms and weapons were also given over to the agents, except Mjolnir, since no one else could lift it.

The jet took off and you watched out the window like an excited child, fascinated. The novelty wore off quickly, though and you settled back in your seat. Loki was reading, as per usual. You peered over his shoulder to see what he had chosen. It was some text on magic you couldn't read, so you lost interest in that quickly. You looked around for something to do. Loki wrapped his arm firmly around you and pulled you against his side without looking up from his book. "If I'm telling you not to go looking for mischief, that is a bad sign indeed, little wolf," he teased, still holding you firmly. You stuck your tongue out at him in reply. He handed you a book. "Read quietly," he told you firmly, but warmly. "I dislike flying and I feel better knowing you're safely here with me as opposed to bouncing around annoying everyone," he explained.