Chapter 11 : Shopping

"So, do you think my healing abilities will be strong enough to save someone who's been shot multiple times?"

The Ancient One, ever serene, pours us tea with her usual grace. "Yes, as long as time remains on your side," she replies, her tone measured and calm.

I hesitate for a moment, gathering my courage. "I was wondering..."

She interrupts me with a sigh, a knowing look in her eyes. "You desire a Sling Ring, don't you? Of course, you do." She reaches into her robe and pulls out a Sling Ring, placing it in my hand. "But remember, Miranda, this is not a tool to be taken lightly. Guard it well."

I can't help but smile as I hug her. "You have no idea how awesome you are," I say, feeling giddy like a kid on Christmas morning. "Can you show me how to use it?"

The Ancient One smiles warmly and nods. "Sling Rings are worn on the second and third digits of the left hand. To create a portal, trace your right hand in an anticlockwise circular motion while focusing on a specific destination. Focus, Miranda, and envision where you wish to go."

I slip the Sling Ring on and follow her instructions, concentrating on my bedroom in Stark Tower. Golden sparks swirl in front of me, and soon, a portal forms, revealing my room on the other side.

"Wow... this is incredible." I close the portal, still buzzing with excitement. "Seriously, do you know how cool you are?"

She smiles softly. "Much cooler than Stephen, I imagine."

"Definitely," I agree, thinking of how Doctor Strange would probably freak out if he knew I had this. "I'm probably going to have to hide this from him."

"That would be wise," she says with a knowing smile.

"You know what would be amazing? Seeing the Quantum Realm," I suggest with a playful grin, wiggling my eyebrows.

The Ancient One chuckles again, a rare sound that feels like a gift. "Perhaps one day," she says, her eyes twinkling.....

"Small double espresso, please." I hand the cashier my card, when suddenly, a voice I know all too well fills the air behind me.

"My, my. Who do we have here?"

I spin around, my heart leaping as I nearly launch myself into Loki's arms. "Loki! When did you get back?" I pull away just enough to look into his eyes, my excitement momentarily masking the seriousness in his expression.

"An hour ago," he murmurs, holding me close. "I thought I'd find you here, indulging in your Midgardian addiction."

I laugh, but the sound quickly fades when I see the cloud of emotion darkening his eyes. "Loki... are you okay?" I ask, my voice softening with concern.

His arms tighten around me, as if he's afraid to let go. "Frigga is dead."

My breath catches in my throat, the ground beneath me seeming to tilt. "What?" The word comes out as a whisper, disbelief and dread twisting my insides. "What do you mean Frigga is dead?"

Loki gently pulls back, just enough to meet my gaze, the sorrow in his eyes piercing through me. He doesn't speak right away, and the silence feels like it's closing in on us. Finally, he leads me to a nearby seat, his hand still holding mine as if it's the only thing grounding him. "Thor's mortal—she found something... a powerful weapon. The Dark Elves came for it... And mother... she's gone," he says, his voice breaking.

"But... the convergence isn't supposed to happen yet," I say, shaking my head as if that could somehow undo his words. Loki's brow furrows at my words, and I realize too late the implications of my actions.

I moved the timeline. I pushed the events of the Winter Soldier forward, and now... now this universe is scrambling to align itself. Dark World shouldn't be happening yet, but it is—because of me.

"Loki... this isn't how it's supposed to be," I murmur, the words barely escaping my lips as the weight of Frigga's death crushes down on me. The guilt coils around my heart, squeezing tighter with every breath. How could I have been so reckless?

Loki's eyes narrow, a flicker of confusion mingling with his grief. "What are you saying?" he asks, his voice laced with a tension that matches my own.

I struggle to steady myself, the panic rising in my chest. "I think... this is my fault," I confess, my voice shaking. "I altered the timeline. I moved things forward that shouldn't have been touched, and now..."

Frigga is gone—because of me. Because I tried to control the uncontrollable, to play with forces far beyond my understanding.

Loki's grip on my hand tightens, his touch grounding me even as my world spirals. "What do you mean, Mer? How could this be your doing?"

I pull away, the gnawing guilt forcing me to stand, to move, as if I could outrun the crushing weight of my actions. "I'll find a way to fix this," I say, though the words feel hollow and desperate.

Loki rises too, quickly closing the distance between us. "We can't dwell on the past, Mer. This isn't your fault," he insists, his voice firm yet gentle as he cups my cheek, drawing my gaze back to his. "I believe she knew, even before it happened. There was a peace about her..."

"Your mother once told me that death is inevitable," I whisper, the memory of Frigga's words piercing through my despair. "It's just a matter of when, not if." Loki brushes a strand of hair from my face, his touch tender as he tries to soothe the storm raging inside me. "But I thought... maybe I could change the timeline, change fate..."

"You never cease to amaze me," he murmurs, a sad smile tugging at his lips before he kisses me, the sadness in his eyes a reflection of my own. "But this isn't something you should burden yourself with, Mer. You have the power to do so much good, but this... this was never in your power."

His words wash over me like a balm, easing the sharp edges of my guilt, though the ache remains. "I just wanted to help," I whisper, my voice breaking.

"And you do, every day," Loki says, his voice full of conviction. "But some things are beyond even your reach. We can only move forward from here."

"Mer, order's up!" the barista calls out, breaking the moment.

I reluctantly pull away. "That's mine," I say, moving away from the son, and man I love, I failed to grab my drink.

——⏳——

Weeks have passed, and Loki and I have been practically inseparable, spending our days in the tower, waiting for the inevitable chaos. We eat together, sleep together, cuddle... We're together all the time, except for when nature calls. I've even roped him into joining me on my morning runs now that Steve is off searching for Bucky. Loki has begrudgingly become my new running partner.

"So, is Thor coming back?" I ask as we walk back into Stark Tower after our run.

"No, he's busy ensuring peace across the Nine Realms," Loki replies, holding the door open for me.

"How did you get out of that?" I ask, stepping inside.

"I simply said no," he laughs, clearly proud of himself.

"What?!" I exclaim, pressing the elevator button.

"I told Odin I wanted to return here. It's not like I owe him anything. Sure, he saved me, but he also made my life miserable... plus, Thor stood by my side." He chuckles.

I grin and punch him lightly in the chest. "I'm so proud of you for standing up for yourself! You're growing up so fast."

He rolls his eyes, smirking. "It's all thanks to you and your manipulative personality."

"Hey! It wasn't manipulation; it was therapy with a side of stubbornness."

"Call it what you like," he says, ruffling my hair as if I'm a child.

I swat his hand away, fixing my hair. "I'm taking a shower," I announce as the elevator doors open.

"Can I join?" he teases, laughter in his voice.

"Loki!" I say, trying to sound stern but failing as I join in his laughter. "No, but we can cuddle after. Maybe sit in front of the fireplace and read some books?"

"I would very much enjoy that," he says, smiling as I head to the bathroom.

As much as I cherish our time together, there's a part of me that can't fully commit. I know Loki wants to court me officially, but I keep thinking about how I'm not really Meredith. I could be ripped away from this world at any moment, leaving Loki behind. What if Meredith wakes up, hates Loki again, and destroys everything we've built? It would devastate him........

I'm jolted awake by my phone ringing on the nightstand. Tony Stark—calling at 2 AM. Of course.

I groggily answer, "Tony, what do you want? It's 2 in the morning. Don't you ever sleep?"

"Nope. Too much to do," he replies with his usual energy.

"Get to the point, Tony," I grumble, trying not to wake Loki, who stirs beside me.

"The new Avengers building is finished," Tony says, and just like that, I'm wide awake. "I'm sending a moving truck with Happy tomorrow to collect my stuff from the tower. If you want, Happy can take yours too."

I sit up in bed, my heart racing. "Yeah... Sure, that would be great. Thanks." I pause. "Now, go to bed before I put a sleeping curse on you."

Tony laughs, and I hang up the phone.

Loki, now fully awake, wraps his arm around my waist. "What's going on? What did Stark want?"

I let out a long breath. "The new Avengers building is ready. Tony's sending people to move our stuff tomorrow."

Loki pulls me closer, sensing my unease. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I reply, though I'm not entirely sure. Everything has been so calm, and now it feels like the calm before the storm. "Just shut up and cuddle with me."

He chuckles softly. "You and your strong words. I'll never get used to you."

"You better," I mumble, snuggling into his chest. "Because this is what you got."

"I love you, Mer," he whispers, pressing a kiss to my head.

"I know," I reply with a smile.

He humms, kissing my forehead again as we drift back to sleep.

The next morning, I walk into Tony's lab to find Happy overseeing the move. "Hello, Miranda," Happy greets me with a nod.

"Hey, Happy. Did you get everything?" I ask, still feeling the weight of last night's conversation with Tony.

"Just about. Did you have anything else you wanted us to take over?"

I think for a moment. "Just my clothes, books, and lab tech. Oh, and can you move Loki's stuff to my room too?"

Happy nods, ever efficient. "I'll take care of everything. If you want to leave today, you're all set."

"Thanks, Happy. I really appreciate it."

I head back to the kitchen, where Loki is busy cooking breakfast. I walk up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist as he flips an omelet with one hand and holds my hands with the other.

"Did you talk to Happy?" he asks, and I nod against his back, making him chuckle. "What's the plan for today, now that the mortals are invading our space?"

"A surprise," I say, starting to massage his shoulders. "I promise you'll have loads of fun."

He turns around, placing the plate of food on the island. "And what exactly is this fun you've planned?" he asks, smirking.

"Do you like going really fast in loops?" I ask with a mischievous grin, enjoying the confused look on his face......

"Oh, come on!" I pull Loki down the sidewalk, trying to contain my excitement.

"Remind me why we're going to an amusement park?" he asks, clearly puzzled.

"Because we're going to have fun before life throws its next curveball at us." I pull him into a clothing store, heading straight for the swimwear section.

"What happened to my optimistic Mer?" he teases.

"She's on a break right now," I reply, handing him various swimming trunks. "Here, try these on."

He looks at the shorts like they're something foreign. "Why are you handing me shorts with these hideous designs?"

"These are for the water," I explain, pulling him toward the dressing rooms. "There's a water park, and I want to go to it."

"I'm going to hate all of these," he mutters before disappearing into the dressing room. A few minutes later, he emerges, holding a plain black pair. "These will do."

"You're so boring," I tease, before grabbing a few bikinis for myself.

Loki's eyes widen as he sees what I've picked out. "How is this appropriate? It shows all of your skin!"

I laugh at his reaction. "This is normal swimwear on Midgard, Loki."

"I will not allow you to walk around in these... undergarments," he says, pulling out a long-sleeve top and skirt bottom. "This is more acceptable."

"Loki, this is what women wear here. No one will think it's inappropriate except you," I explain, holding a green bikini against my body.

He smiles, but quickly shakes his head. "I still think it's wrong," he insists.

I sigh and grab a cover-up. "How about I wear this. Cover myself with this robe until I'm in the water?"

He studies both the bikini and the robe before finally conceding. "Fine. But as soon as you're out of the water, you put the robe back on."

"Deal," I say, smiling. "Now, want to see me in the bikini?"

His smile returns. "Lead the way."

I change into the bikini and step out of the dressing room, letting him see. His eyes light up, and he wraps his arms around me.

"Darling, you look wonderful in my color," he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Now get dressed. I hate seeing people stare at you."

"They're only staring because it's unusual for a man to be so close to a woman in a bikini," I laugh.

"Just get dressed so we can leave for this amusement park," he says, pulling me into another kiss.

"Fine, fine," I giggle, changing back into my clothes.

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