Merry Christmas, Spyri!
Title: Baby-Sitting Christmas Eve
Series: Avengers MCU
Characters: Agent Coulson, Loki, Ikol
Rating: G
Word Count: 600+
Baby-Sitting Christmas Eve
***
"I'm really sorry," Steve said again. He was dressed as Captain America, and if Coulson didn't have all of his phones and computers turned off, he was sure Director Fury would be on the horn demanding he deal with whatever situation had developed.
The newly preteen Loki stood in front of him, looking unimpressed. A magpie sat on his shoulder, head tucked under its wing.
"It's all right," Coulson said again. "Go do your hero things, sir."
Steve looked torn. He was evidently trying hard not to say that Loki had killed Coulson the last time they met. He was also equally evidently worried about not dealing with whatever the problem was.
"Go," Coulson said gently, stepping aside to let Loki into his home. "I can manage."
With one last worried look, Captain America headed off into the night.
Coulson looked at Loki. Loki looked at Coulson. This younger Loki seemed different from the madman he'd met on board the Helicarrier. Happier, a little bit. More hopeful. Less burdened. A lot like one of Coulson's nephews, with the sulky "you suck" look he had.
"Well," he said after a moment. "Let me get my coat, and we'll go down to Central Park."
Loki shot him a confused look. "It's snowing."
"That's why I need my coat." Also, to cover his under-arm holster, but Loki didn't need to know about that. "You can come see if there's anything in the closet that would suit you."
Loki rolled his eyes. "I'm not bothered by the cold."
"Suit yourself."
A few minutes later, they were walking down the street to the subway. Loki kept glancing at the other people out and about then down at his own clothes. He chewed on his lip a moment, then shrugged. Around the next corner, his Asgardian garb changed to something more like a New Yorker's, and the magpie moved into his hood.
The two of them didn't say anything, not even after they got to the park. But Coulson saw the way Loki's eyes lit up at the light displays. The magpie popped back up onto his shoulder to take things in, now and then jabbing Loki with its beak when the boy was about to walk into something.
Coulson stopped at a coffee stand and got them both hot chocolate. Loki hardly seemed to notice when it was pressed into his hands.
Absently, he took a sip then made a startled noise. "That tastes good!"
Coulson nodded. "Hot chocolate."
Loki glanced at him then took another drink. "Midgard's okay," he said at last. "I like it here more than Asgard."
"Mm."
"Everyone doesn't expect me to go crazy here."
"Will you?"
Loki gave him a hard look. "No!"
"Good." Coulson drank some of his own hot chocolate. "I should tell your brother about self-fulfilling prophecies."
There was a long silence. Then, Loki said quietly, "Yes. You should."
The sound of the night market came to their ears, and Coulson steered Loki in its direction. The boy's eyes lit up again as they wandered into the place. The air smelled of warm bread and honey, and there were so many stalls of hand-crafted gifts. Loki's magpie took off, poking curiously at various shiny things.
Coulson bought a couple of rolls and handed them to Loki. If he remembered correctly, there was a woman who did fantastic plush animals around here...
He found her stall while Loki was still peering excitedly at the beeswax candles. Her usual collection of fantasy creatures had expanded to include creatures of Norse myth. "For obvious reasons," she told him as he paid for the eight-legged horse.
Loki's face lit up when he saw it, and the magpie hopped down to arrange itself in the stuffed horse's mane.
-End-
Series: Avengers MCU
Characters: Agent Coulson, Loki, Ikol
Rating: G
Word Count: 600+
Baby-Sitting Christmas Eve
***
"I'm really sorry," Steve said again. He was dressed as Captain America, and if Coulson didn't have all of his phones and computers turned off, he was sure Director Fury would be on the horn demanding he deal with whatever situation had developed.
The newly preteen Loki stood in front of him, looking unimpressed. A magpie sat on his shoulder, head tucked under its wing.
"It's all right," Coulson said again. "Go do your hero things, sir."
Steve looked torn. He was evidently trying hard not to say that Loki had killed Coulson the last time they met. He was also equally evidently worried about not dealing with whatever the problem was.
"Go," Coulson said gently, stepping aside to let Loki into his home. "I can manage."
With one last worried look, Captain America headed off into the night.
Coulson looked at Loki. Loki looked at Coulson. This younger Loki seemed different from the madman he'd met on board the Helicarrier. Happier, a little bit. More hopeful. Less burdened. A lot like one of Coulson's nephews, with the sulky "you suck" look he had.
"Well," he said after a moment. "Let me get my coat, and we'll go down to Central Park."
Loki shot him a confused look. "It's snowing."
"That's why I need my coat." Also, to cover his under-arm holster, but Loki didn't need to know about that. "You can come see if there's anything in the closet that would suit you."
Loki rolled his eyes. "I'm not bothered by the cold."
"Suit yourself."
A few minutes later, they were walking down the street to the subway. Loki kept glancing at the other people out and about then down at his own clothes. He chewed on his lip a moment, then shrugged. Around the next corner, his Asgardian garb changed to something more like a New Yorker's, and the magpie moved into his hood.
The two of them didn't say anything, not even after they got to the park. But Coulson saw the way Loki's eyes lit up at the light displays. The magpie popped back up onto his shoulder to take things in, now and then jabbing Loki with its beak when the boy was about to walk into something.
Coulson stopped at a coffee stand and got them both hot chocolate. Loki hardly seemed to notice when it was pressed into his hands.
Absently, he took a sip then made a startled noise. "That tastes good!"
Coulson nodded. "Hot chocolate."
Loki glanced at him then took another drink. "Midgard's okay," he said at last. "I like it here more than Asgard."
"Mm."
"Everyone doesn't expect me to go crazy here."
"Will you?"
Loki gave him a hard look. "No!"
"Good." Coulson drank some of his own hot chocolate. "I should tell your brother about self-fulfilling prophecies."
There was a long silence. Then, Loki said quietly, "Yes. You should."
The sound of the night market came to their ears, and Coulson steered Loki in its direction. The boy's eyes lit up again as they wandered into the place. The air smelled of warm bread and honey, and there were so many stalls of hand-crafted gifts. Loki's magpie took off, poking curiously at various shiny things.
Coulson bought a couple of rolls and handed them to Loki. If he remembered correctly, there was a woman who did fantastic plush animals around here...
He found her stall while Loki was still peering excitedly at the beeswax candles. Her usual collection of fantasy creatures had expanded to include creatures of Norse myth. "For obvious reasons," she told him as he paid for the eight-legged horse.
Loki's face lit up when he saw it, and the magpie hopped down to arrange itself in the stuffed horse's mane.
-End-