Loki and the Witchling

Chapter 7

"I didn't. Natasha got them for me so I wouldn't steal her clothes. She said you'd like the shirt," you grinned back at him. Really she'd said 'your boyfriend', but you knew she was teasing you about your friendship with Loki.

"She was correct," Loki commented. He turned red and looked like he wanted to say more, but didn't know how, or wasn't brave enough to. So you turned your attention to your pancakes.

"Did Thor snore too loudly?" you asked, changing the subject for him.

"He snores so loudly," Loki grumbled. "He's also a lot bigger now than the last time we'd shared a bed. He hogs the bed and the blankets," he whined.

"I'm sorry. You can have your bed back tonight. I'll sleep somewhere else, even if Tony hasn't fixed my room yet," you told him, feeling bad that he hadn't slept because he'd been displaced, because of you.

"Nonsense. If Tony does not finish your room, you will stay in my shielded room,"

"Loki..." you started. He just gave you a look. You sighed. It would be a waste of breath to try to argue with him, so you'd jump off that bridge later and hope that Tony got your room finished before it became an issue.

"Fine," you grumbled at him, letting him win this round because you knew fighting him would be a waste of breath.

Tony walked into the room while you were finishing your pancakes. "Kid, Happy is going to drive you to school. We'll pick you up to go shopping afterwards. Clint said he left a list for you?" You grabbed the list from the table and handed it to Tony.

"I don't need a ride to school," you told him. He gave you that same stubborn look. Why did they all have that same stubborn look?

"Happy is driving you," he replied.

"Fine," you sighed. This wasn't shaping out to be a good day if all of your teammates were going to tell you what to do all day. It wasn't your fault that Tony blew up your room

"Why does your shirt have his ugly hat on it?" Tony demanded, gesturing at Loki.

You shrugged in reply, fighting off a grin. "Ask Natasha, she picked it out," you replied innocently. "Um...Tony...what do I need to do to be considered by the university?" you asked him shyly. You needn't have been so shy or worried about asking him. His eyes lit up in excitement.

"I'll make a couple of calls," he replied.

"Thank you." It still felt like you were taking a handout, but it was his suggestion, and Loki was right, having options for your future was definitely a good idea. You checked the time on your phone. "I've got to get going," you told them, bouncing up from your seat and taking your plate to the kitchen. You grabbed the backpack Natasha had left for you on your way to the main entrance. "See you guys later!" you called, waving to them both.

Happy drove you silently to school and you spent a long fairly boring day there. Your teachers forgave your lack of homework. Apparently Tony had come through in getting you off the hook for the homework he blew up. All of your teachers gave you full credit for it and thankfully you didn't have to make up any of the work from being sick yesterday either. That was at least a bright point to your day. The other good things was that it was Friday and you didn't have to think about school for two whole days.

You weren't prepared for the whirlwind that was shopping with Tony, Pepper, and Natasha. They all had so much energy, not that you didn't, but they also had crazy good fashion sense, and insisted that you were getting nice things. All of the stores also recognized all of them, and catered to Tony's every whim. So you somehow picked out an entire bedroom suite, new carpet, decorations, and paint for the walls, plus an entire wardrobe of clothes, everything from jeans and t-shirts to dresses and ball gowns. You had tried to protest on the dresses and gowns, but were overruled quickly by everyone who insisted you needed nice things too. Jewelry was picked out and you were dragged into the salon to have your hair professionally done for the first time you could ever remember.

Before you left the salon, Nat and Pepper shoved you into the salon's single person bathroom with one of the dresses they had picked out for you earlier that day. "Guys!" you shouted at them through the bathroom door.

"Trust us!" Nat called through the door.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" you demanded.

"Maybe after you change," Pepper replied. You huffed at them, but changed into the dress. They weren't going to let you out of the bathroom until you had. Why was everyone telling you what to do today?

"I need some shoes!" you called through the door once you had the knee length green dress on. The door cracked open wide enough for a pair of dressy sandals to be handed in to you. You slipped them on, bagged up your comfortable clothes and shoes. You opened the door again once you were dressed. Natasha and Pepper both complimented how you looked and shoved you back in the salon chair and let someone do your makeup. "Seriously, are you two going to tell me what's going on?" you demanded once that horror was finished.

"Nope!" Natasha replied pleasantly. You glared at her. Pepper laughed and you wondered briefly where Tony had disappeared off to. Happy was nearby, obviously guarding Pepper. She was the CEO of Stark Industries after all, and had no powers of her own, besides the incredible ability to corral Tony.

"You're staying out of the tower while the sweaty workmen finish your room," Pepper finally told you as you all left the salon. Natasha was carrying the bag with your comfy clothes in it. A car was pulling up, and parked in one of the spots in front of the salon. "There's your company for the evening. Right on time. This whole thing was set up by Tony, by the way. Unless it goes well, then we'll admit that we helped," she laughed.

You had no idea what she was talking about until Loki stepped out of the driver's seat of the car that had pulled up wearing a perfectly tailored single breasted all black suit, including black dress shirt, and black tie. You were struck dumb by how handsome he looked.