The Scientist (Loki x OC)

Pt. 30: Always So Perceptive

The first few days of the New Year progressed as they had for the past few months as though nothing had changed. Interactions went as desired, and peace in the home remained sustained. Luna's holiday break from work would last for another long weekend, as would the snow surrounding her apartment complex. Once the time was gone, it was back on the grind.

Loki was getting his fill of her, watching her every move whether she was aware of it or not. He carefully gauged their conversations, asking questions to things he felt she may shy away from, each time toeing the line set between them. It was tempting to cross it or sway Luna to move it, but he staved off such desires. It was too soon to take such heavy risks.

Engrossed in his new device, Loki perused the internet, reading clickbait-y tabloids and watching cat videos, all from the palm of his hand. If he had such a thing on Asgard, he would have never bothered to venture outside his room. As much as he detested Stark, his products were fantastic.

On the opposite end of the couch, Luna was deep into her own activity, her own phone sitting in her room. In its place, she busied her hands with a bundle of strings and a piece of paper dictating instructions on how to tie them.

"What are you doing?" Loki inquired.

She threw him a side glance. "Making a friendship bracelet for Tony. I promised him a Christmas present, so here it is," Luna said, tying another colored knot.

"I thought you said he wasn't really your friend."

"Yeah, but what do you get a man who has everything and can buy anything?" She held up her partially-done creation. "Something handmade, of course."

Loki gave a light chuckle. "Of course," he echoed.

She set the bracelet back in her lap and continued. "If you're jealous, I can make one for you too. I used to do it for all the Avengers, no matter if they liked jewelry or not."

Loki put his gaze back to his phone. "If you wish, I won't object," he said, missing Luna's little smirk. She could read him well, but sometimes he suspected she forgot how well he could read her. Or rather, how hard he tried.

He could assess her emotions with ease, but their origins were tricky. He got a goodly amount of information from her diaries and the personal belongings he looked through, but the blank spaces were a mystery. Any piece he came upon, he filled in with his own experiences involving other people. Such things have been unreliable in his past. However, when push came to shove, he was forced to make do with them now.

Forgetting the random blog post on the screen, Loki pondered on his findings in regards to his unlikely friend. She was kind, headstrong, loving, intelligent, and realistic. Any problems she had, she dealt with and didn't try to create more. She kept a sturdy house despite being alone in it. It perplexed him, but he accepted it wholeheartedly.

But Luna's sides didn't stop. Peter and Tony were closest to her, but she wasn't entirely comfortable with them. Mentions of her family were met with quick diversions, and talks of love or past relationships were countered by indifference and disdain. She hid something from him. As impressed as he was by her ability to do so, he craved the unknown.

And now she makes friendship bracelets for people she's not friends with. Interesting.

Clicking his phone off, Loki angled his body towards Luna. "I think I've got it."

Luna glanced his way. "Got what?"

"You."

She raised her eyebrows. "Me?"

"Yes. I've finally figured you out."

She scoffed and returned her attention to the assembly of the bracelet in her lap. "Alright, tell me what you think you know about me." She acted as unfazed as she felt. She's heard such lines from the boys she was acquainted with in college. In this instance, Loki is no different from them, so she expects falsehoods and misconceptions.