Halloween Hearts • Loki Odinson

3 • Vivian

"Ria, what do you want to be for Halloween?" Viv asked. Even though she didn't have that much time, there being only a week and a half before the thirty-first, she was determined to make this work. She and Ariel had watched countless movies and TV shows leading up to Halloween.

"Something from space!" Ariel suggested, and that sparked an idea in Viv's head.

Space, of course! It was the one thing Ariel loved the most. She didn't understand half of it but the stars and planets fascinated her.

But Ria wasn't going to show up as a simple alien, Oh no, she would be adorable and Viv would have amassed many pictures to show other mothers and effectively compete with them.

Oh yeah, and Viv would have something to match.

And soon enough, Halloween came and Viv was all set. She had a costume for her and Ariel and a little pumpkin bucket to collect candy in.

Viv quickly dressed her daughter, since the costume wasn't exactly easy to put on, and then quickly got dressed herself. With some difficulty, Viv came out and she and Ria were ready to go trick-or-treating...

...in all their Baby Yoda and Mandalorian glory.

...

And a little further upstate, Pepper Potts was getting Morgan Stark into her costume. She was dressed as her father, Iron Man, and of course Tony had built her an actual suit with glowing lights and FRIDAY available in the headpiece, just in case anything were to happen.

And instead of having Pepper or Tony go with her, Morgan had picked her guardian for Halloween, and his name was Loki Odinson.

"What? Me? You want me to look after your daughter?" Loki had asked when Tony Stark asked him to go with Morgan.

"Hey, hey, she was the one who asked you to come. It's a scary holiday, I guess she thinks you're scary." Tony shrugged.

"I don't like it either, I don't trust you. But you've been civil for a while now, your brother convinced me that she'll be safe with you. But still, if you try anything Reindeer Games-"

"I would never, Stark. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but Reindeers are a Christmas thing." Loki smirked.

"I'm serious, Loki, I want my daughter back unharmed," Tony said sternly.

"What would be the benefit of me hurting her? She'll be safe, I promise." Loki raised his hands in defeat.

"Fine. Oh, and she said to wear your, uh, battle gear or whatever. The scarier you look, the more candy she gets." Tony grinned, before closing Loki's bedroom door and leaving.

"Oh, Gods."

...

Viv and Ria walked around the neighbourhood, knocking on doors and amassing candy. Neither were actually recognisable because of Viv's helmet and Ria's Yoda mask. She kept complaining she couldn't see because the eye holes were tinted black so Viv had to take it off when they were walking and put it on before ringing a doorbell.

"Let's go that way!"

"I don't think you want to, Ri."

"Why not?"

"Because all the rich people live there and rich people give out gross candy." Viv tried to avoid the side where the more classy people lived. All they did was hand out bitter chocolate and dress like vampires, a lesson Viv had learned when she was a kid, going around with Marshall and Kat.

"Okay, mom." Ria nodded. Viv had taken off her helmet and walked with it under her arm, she didn't realise just how uncomfortable a fake space helmet would be.