california 02 // loki's romanoff prelude

sixteen // los angeles, pt. II

When Natasha woke up, there were two notes waiting for her.

One was from Loki, in his perfectly formed handwriting. The other was printed in blocky letters, and it said:

Natasha Romanoff: Go to the beach today. I'll tell you about Frisk's whereabouts.
From Agent Barton, S.H.I.E.L.D.

She read it three times before throwing it into the wastepaper basket.

Natasha was already awake when he returned, sitting up in their bed with the bright clean sunlight shining all over her. She was holding his note, and her red hair was fire in the early morning sun - and she looked up when he came in.

'Good morning,' she said.

Loki laughed. 'Since when were you so polite?'

She pulled a face at him, and he pretended to be scared, which sent her into fits of laughter.

'You're such an idiot,' he told her, handing her her plate.

'No, you're the idiot. You could have gotten room service, and stayed in bed with me all morning instead.'

'I knew that. I fancied a walk,' he told her, which was half a lie, and as they ate, he moved to lean against her. Her back was so warm and soft under his skin. His breathing got shallower.

'Loki?'

'Mm?'

'I got a lead, and I've been thinking. I think we should go to the beach today.'

The beach. Loki didn't like the beach. The few times he'd went with Thor, Thor splashed him in water and sand got into his shoes.

He swallowed. He put down his plate on the bedside table and lay back down on the bed. He closed his eyes as her fingers threaded through his hair - and it was so cool, so comforting, so relaxing. He let out a sigh.

'If you need to go,' he told her, 'then I guess we go. Right?'

'You're the best, Loki.'

The best. Not second best. The very best.

He kissed her. She tasted different in the morning - fresher, sweeter, somehow. More like bacon, and less like bubblegum.

He couldn't get enough of her.

'Loki, take your shoes off.'

'No. I hate being barefoot.'

'Oh, come on.' She tapped him with one of her bare feet, getting white sand on his black pants. 'You shouldn't have worn your full outfit, you're going to be sweating.'

Loki glanced at her black vest and her 1970s checked skirt. He thought about wearing that, and shuddered.

'You should have at least worn a T-shirt,' said Natasha. She held his hand, and she dragged him towards the sea, where the waves lapped gently onto the shore.

Barton wasn't here yet, and it had been ages since Natasha had been in the sea. She waded ankle-deep, then knee-deep. Loki stopped at ankle-deep, stepping back onto the sand in his boots.

She shouldn't have done it, really, but she wanted to see his reaction. And it had been ages since she had last been in the sea.

Loki was watching some people surfing in the waves when he got a splash of seawater in his face.

'Natasha!'

She was laughing at him, already wading thigh-deep into the water, out of his reach.