Chapter 12 : Hershey

"Okay, Loki. No questions, alright?" I instructed, holding his gaze firmly. He nodded, though curiosity was evident in his eyes. With a swift motion, I summoned the sling ring and opened a portal. "Go on. I'll follow you," I urged.

Loki hesitated, casting one last glance at me before stepping into the shimmering gateway. I quickly followed, and with a flick of my wrist, the sling ring vanished, leaving us standing in a new world.

"Hershey Park?" Loki read the sign aloud, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Yep! You're going to love it. This park is all about chocolate and sweets. Just a fair warning—you might leave here a few pounds heavier!" I laughed, the excitement in my voice contagious.

Loki offered a small smile, intrigued. "Chocolate... like that brown drink you introduced me to at that Midgard café?"

"Sort of. That was hot chocolate, a mix of chocolate and milk. But this place has the real deal," I explained, pulling him towards the park's entrance. "Remember that brown bar I gave you from the candy store?"

He nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Yes, it was incredible. It felt as though I was transported to Valhalla." His tone was almost reverent, making me chuckle. "Or just close to Valhalla." He cleared his throat.

"Well, that's chocolate for you," I replied, leading him through the gates.

Loki looked around, his expression a mix of fascination and mild confusion. "This place is strange. Why do all these food pictures have eyes?"

"Humans are peculiar creatures," I replied with a smirk. "It's kind of creepy, making children's favorite candies into living characters. You'd think it would mess with their minds or something."

Loki laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "So, where do we begin? I'd like to try some of this chocolate."

"Not so fast! I don't want you eating too much and then throwing up all over me," I teased, tugging him through the park. "We're starting with the rides first."

"Rides? Like horses? I don't see any horses," he said, his confusion deepening.

I rolled my eyes playfully and stopped to point towards a towering rollercoaster. "See those metal tracks in the sky? Watch closely." As if on cue, a cart whizzed by, filled with screaming passengers. "That's a rollercoaster. You sit in a seat, and it follows the track."

He watched the cart with narrowed eyes. "But why are they screaming? Does it hurt?"

"No, they're either scared out of their minds or too excited to hold it in. Trust me, you'll love it." I grinned, pulling him further along.

We approached a massive rollercoaster with the name "Candymonium" plastered across the entrance. The screams of riders echoed around us, and Loki hesitated, rubbing his thumb in small circles on his hand—a nervous habit I'd come to recognize.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice low.

"Oh, come on! I promise you'll love it. The first ride is always the scariest, but once you're off, you'll be begging to go again."

"Darling, a god does not beg," he responded with a haughty tilt of his head.....

After our first ride on Candymonium, Loki was hooked. "We have to go again. Please, Mer, just one more time!" His earlier bravado had melted away, replaced with the wide-eyed excitement of a child.

"We've already ridden it five times! There are other rides here, you know—ones with even more twists and turns," I teased.

His face lit up at the thought. "Oh, please, Mer. I've never experienced such thrill in my life."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Wait, was that you begging? I thought gods didn't beg."

"I'll only beg for you because you're mine," he replied with a smirk, making my heart skip a beat.

"Alright, alright. There are ten more rollercoasters in this park. After that, I want to take you to the water park, the Kissing Tower, and maybe the Triple Tower."

"Kissing Tower?" He raised an eyebrow. "Is kissing forbidden elsewhere in the park, only allowed there?"

I burst out laughing. "No, silly! The Kissing Tower is a ride that lifts you high into the sky so you can see the entire park. It's named after Hershey's Kisses, the chocolate. I'll show you later." I took his hand, leading him onward.

Just then, I heard a voice that made me groan. "Kid!"

I turned to see Steve, Tony, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint walking up. "What the hell are you all doing here?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Language, Miranda. There are children here," Steve chided with a smirk.

I huffed, "Why are you all here? How did you even find out?"

Tony grinned, clearly proud of himself. "I was showing the team the new security system at the compound, and then I got a notification saying you bought two tickets to Hershey Park."

"That doesn't mean I invited you," I shot back.

"I invited myself and brought the gang along," Tony replied with a wink.

I sighed, realizing that my quiet day with Loki had just turned into a group outing. "Fine. But don't wimp out on us, okay?"

The group nodded, though Bruce looked uncertain. "Remind me again why I was brought here?"

"Don't worry, Bruce. I'll stick with you," Steve said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'd rather eat chocolate than ride the rides anyway." They headed off toward Hershey's Chocolate World, leaving the rest of us to our rollercoaster marathon......

By the end of the day, we had tackled all the major rides—Fahrenheit, Great Bear, Wildcat, Skyrush, Storm Runner, Lightning Racer, Cocoa Cruiser—and, of course, revisited Candymonium at Loki's request. Loki wasn't a fan of the Triple Tower, claiming it made him feel off-balance, but he did enjoy the bumper cars, where we had an all-out battle. I had to show him that steering wasn't as straightforward as it seemed, and he caught on quickly, laughing alongside the rest of us as we bumped and spun around.

The Claw ride was another highlight. I taught Loki to close his eyes and focus on the sensation of the wind rushing past him, a meditative moment amid the chaos. He enjoyed it, though not as much as the rollercoasters.

We eventually met up with Steve and Bruce at the Kissing Tower. Loki stood behind me, his arms wrapped securely around my waist as we looked out over the park from our lofty perch.

"This is incredible. I can see all the rides we went on," Loki marveled, his breath warm against my ear.

"It really is," I agreed, resting my hands over his. The moment felt perfect—peaceful, intimate.

"I don't deserve you," he murmured, his voice tinged with something I couldn't quite place. He rested his head on my shoulder, and I was struck by how close we were in height. "I wonder what my life would be like if I hadn't met you."

I smiled softly. "Miserable," I teased, earning a laugh from him.

"Yes, it probably would be," he admitted, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Get a room!" Natasha called out from across the tower, making me giggle.

"Oh, hush," I shot back, playfully. "By the way, Tony, just a heads up—Loki and I are sharing a room at the compound."

Tony raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Yeah, I heard from Happy. Just keep in mind—I don't want any little Lokis running around just yet."

"Oh my god, it's not like that!" I exclaimed, turning to Loki, who was wearing a mischievous grin. "Wipe that smirk off your face, or you're sleeping on the couch."

He laughed, pulling me into a warm embrace. "You're an amazing woman, Mer."

I smiled, trying to hide my blush but I knew it wasn't inevitable. "And you're an amazing man, Loki. I'm glad I met you."......

As the day wound down, I found myself trying to negotiate with Tony about our curfew. "It's not my fault you didn't bring swim clothes. And no, you can't swim in your regular clothes either!" I protested, eager to have some alone time with Loki.

"Fine," Tony relented, "but you'd better be home by 11 or else."

"Tony, I'm an adult!"

"That's exactly why I'm giving you a curfew," he countered with a smirk.

I sighed dramatically. "Fine... 12 o'clock, alright?"

"Deal. But if you're not back by then, I'm sending the cavalry," Tony warned.

"Okay, okay, we'll be back by midnight!" I grabbed Loki's hand and sprinted away, laughing.

"What does my sneaky darling want to do now?" Loki asked, his voice full of playful curiosity.

"Hmm... water park, then chocolate," I replied, watching his eyes light up with excitement.

We used a bit of magic to change into our swimsuits and headed to the water park. Loki was overly protective, making sure I was covered until we got into the water, but that didn't last long. I dragged him onto the water slides, then the lazy river, and finally the tube rides. We spent the entire afternoon there, finishing off with a peaceful sunbathing session. Loki offered to dry me off with magic, but I declined, wanting to simply lay there, soaking in the moment.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, I realized we needed to get to the Chocolate World building before it closed. I took Loki's hand and led him back to the bathrooms, where we discreetly changed back into our clothes. Loki wasn't too thrilled about not using his magic in public, but he went along with it.

Once we were changed, Loki eagerly pulled me toward Chocolate World. His enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself just as excited.

"Okay, wait here," I said, seating Loki at a table.

"Why?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Just trust me. I have a huge surprise for you," I replied with a wink. He sighed but nodded, agreeing to wait.

I quickly grabbed a bag of Hershey Kisses and a Hershey bar, along with their gigantified versions. After paying, I hid the larger ones in my magic pocket and hurried back to the table.

"I'm back!" I announced, placing the smaller chocolates on the table. "These are Hershey Kisses, which is why the tower is called the Kissing Tower. And this," I said, holding up the bar, "is a Hershey milk chocolate bar."

"May I?" he asked, reaching for the bag of Kisses. I nodded, and he carefully unwrapped one before popping it into his mouth. His eyes widened in delight. "Oh, the Norns... This is divine! I will die content."

I laughed at his dramatic reaction. "It seems you like chocolate more than me!"

"Hardly," he replied, savoring the candy. "But I do wonder why only one of the Nine Realms has chocolate.... When Thor becomes king, I'll make sure he introduces chocolate to the other realms," Loki declared with a playful grin.

"Or you," I suggested. He looked up at me, his expression suddenly serious. "Thor doesn't seem to want the throne," I continued. "He might just hand it over to you. Thor hates being confined, and that's exactly what a king is—caged."

"But a king can have anything he desires. They are the rulers of their world," Loki mused, his tone thoughtful.

"No," I countered gently. "A king is a prisoner of his world. Every decision he makes impacts everyone. The weight of the crown crushes him. He doesn't even have free will because there's always something to worry about."

"It would all be worth it if he had a loving queen by his side," Loki murmured, his voice soft.

"Maybe. But a king also has to live with the constant threat that his queen could be targeted to hurt him. If you were king, would you choose a war that could kill thousands, or the life of your queen?" I asked quietly. Loki returned to fiddling with the chocolate wrapper, lost in thought. "A king is a prisoner in his own life," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "One wrong move, and people get hurt. And he can never run away."

"I miss your optimism," Loki said with a dry chuckle.

"I was being optimistic until you argued with me," I teased, nudging him playfully. "But enough of that. I have a bigger surprise for you."

His head shot up, curiosity rekindled in his eyes. "Close your eyes," I instructed. He complied, and I summoned the gigantic Hershey Kiss and chocolate bar. "Okay, open them."

Loki's eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the enormous chocolates before him. "What?! How?! What kind of magic is this?" he exclaimed, examining the oversized Hershey Kiss.

"This," I said with a grin, "is why Hershey World is the best."

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