From the looks of it, Natasha is fully ready to eat this entire family-sized bag of cheese puffs, and there is nothing anybody can do to stop her.
The four of them are seated around the living room, and now, the awkward small talk begins. Fortunately, with the cheese puff delay, they only have about 35 minutes to kill until it's time to kick Clint and Natasha out. As long as it's an uneventful 35 minutes, he doesn't care all too much.
It's awkwardly quiet for a few moments, saved only by the sound of Natasha's crinkling bag. Finally, Clint opens his mouth. Loki beats him by the slimmest margin.
"Have we met before?"
Clint furrows his brows. "What do you mean?"
"You look very familiar," Loki says. "Do I know you at all?"
"Uh..." Clint glances at Tony uncertainly, and Tony gives a minute shake of his head. Clint then looks at Natasha, but she's just enjoying both her cheese puffs and her friend's discomfort. Finally, he answers, "I don't think so. I was on a call with Stark one night and you came in, so maybe that's why...?"
Tony cocks an eyebrow. That was... a surprisingly good lie. And it's not even a lie, which makes it an even better lie because it's an entirely plausible explanation.
"Ah, that would..." Loki nods thoughtfully. "That would make sense."
Clint changes the subject, presumably to what he'd been about to say a moment ago. "How's Earth treating you?"
"It's been rather nice," Loki says. "A lot different than the world I'm used to."
"Different how?" Clint asks — but conversationally; it's not an interrogation like Natasha and Fury's visits became.
"In just about every way, really," Loki says. "I assume that if you work for SHIELD, you know that I come from Asgard?"
Clint nods.
"It's much louder here," Loki tells him. "The world itself feels much busier. But I've lived in a palace most of my life, so this is a much more relaxed environment."
"That's good," Clint says. He pauses. "Is that good?"
Loki cracks a smile. "So far, it seems good."
"Okay, good," Clint says.
"I swear to god," Natasha interrupts, "if I hear one more person say 'good'--"
"You are not helpful," Clint tells her.
"I know." Natasha beams, then chomps down on another cheese puff. Clint just rolls his eyes, lightheartedly exasperated.
Though Loki and Natasha most certainly did not get along the first time they met, right now, he doesn't seem to mind this at all. He looks between Clint and Natasha, an amused smile on his lips, and any annoyance that may have been building up in Tony dissipates. If there's a choice between watching Natasha antagonize Loki and watching her antagonize Clint, he'll glady pick the latter.
Shifting his focus back to Loki, Clint asks, "What's your favorite thing about Earth so far?"
Loki huffs a quiet laugh. "Of all Tony's guests who have asked me about myself, you have by far the nicest questions."
Clint chuckles awkwardly. "Yeah..." He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sure SHIELD looks like it's full of assholes, but we're only assholes when we're on the clock, and fortunately, we're on break right now."
"That's... nice? I think?" Loki says uncertainly, but Clint's look of amusement is enough to keep him amused, too. "But don't let me interrupt if you want to talk to Tony. I'm sure you're here to see him more than you are to see me."
YOU ARE READING
Still Holding On
Fanfiction"I have built dozens of holes in this plan," Loki hisses. "Find them." When Loki tries to sabotage his own plan, the only reasonable explanation Tony can think of is that he wants to go back to Asgard, and that alone is more than enough reason to ke...
