Stargazing

Plot: Loki and Mantis share a moment.

Tone: Sweet and Somber

Loki sat outside on the porch, gazing up at the clear night sky. It was the fifth and last night the Guardians spent on Earth and finally it was clear enough to see the sky again. Loki smiled. The past four days had been filled with Star Wars. The first day they had watched the entire original trilogy, which pretty much everyone unanimously liked the most. The second day, they watched the prequels. Loki cracked a smile. Even after watching Phantom Menace, Quill was unwilling to give up on the prequels. It was pretty funny seeing him flip his shit. On the third day, they had agreed to just watch the two stand-alone films since they had less time. Then finally, they watched the sequel trilogy earlier that day. The door creaked open.

"Loki?" Glancing over his shoulder, Loki spotted Mantis at the door.

"Mantis?"

"What are you doing out here?" Mantis asked, pushing the door closed behind her. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Well..." Loki looked away, gazing back at the stars. "Sort of... I was, um... looking at the stars." Mantis sat down beside Loki, gazing up at the sky.

"They are…" A smile formed on her lips. "Nice."

"They're nicer by the lake…" Loki stood up, gesturing to Mantis. "Come on, I'll show you."

"Um… alright." Mantis walked down the stairs at Loki's side, stepping out into the darkness. Loki led her through the forest, stopping in front of the familiar lake. They gazed at the water. Streaks of blue and red shined across the sky, reflecting off the lake and lighting up the area around them. Loki gazed at Mantis. Her eyes were as bright as the stars on the surface of the water.

"You are right," she murmured, sitting down on the lakeshore. "It is beautiful." Loki sat beside her. "I have never seen the stars so clearly before."

"I hadn't either," Loki replied gazing at the water. Light ripples were surging through the water, occasionally distorting their reflections. "Tony actually brought me out here… when I still lived here…" Loki clenched his teeth, a tear streaming down his cheek. Mantis scooted closer. She rested her hand on Loki's shoulder, her antennae glowing. Warmth surged through Loki. He exhaled harshly, his previous sadness ebbing away.

"What did you just do?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I eased your sadness," Mantis replied, letting go of his hand.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"It only works for a short while, and only to a certain extent."

"What is the extent of your abilities?" Loki asked, scooting closer and gazing curiously at Mantis. "How much can you alter one's emotions?"

"Oh… um…" Mantis looked at the water. "I can ease someone to contentment like I just did to you. I can also make a stubborn person more compliant… or calm down an angry person. I can even put people to sleep." Loki's eyes widened.

��That's… impressive," Loki admitted, looking down at the lake with a smile. He thought back to the final battle with Thanos. It wasn't a day he liked to remember though when he thought of Mantis inducing the Chitauri to sleep before beating them up, Loki couldn't help but smile. That was the first time he had ever really thought of her as powerful.

"What about you?"

"Huh?" Loki asked, shaking himself free from his thoughts.

"What can your powers do?" Mantis asked, tilting her head to the side.

Loki cracked a smile. "What can't my powers do?" He flicked his hand, summoning one of his signature daggers into his hand. "I know quite a few spells." He flicked the dagger away, scooting away as he summoned the casket into his lap.

"There's also my frost giant abilities..."

"I saw you use those during the battle," Mantis replied with a nod.

Loki nodded back, flicking the casket away. "I can also see people's thoughts and memories and even influence them to an extent."

"See people's thoughts?" Mantis asked, leaning forward. "What am I thinking right now?" Loki squinted, scanning her thoughts.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" he asked, his cheeks reddening.

Mantis's eyes widened. She looked away. "Yes."

Loki smiled. "Thank you," he murmured, scooting closer. "Well, I think you are too."

"Oh," Mantis cracked a smile, chuckling. "You don't have to lie. I know I'm ugly."

"What?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "Why would you think that?"

"It's not what I think, it's just the truth." Mantis shrugged. "You don't have to lie to me."

"Come on, I'm not lying." Loki took Mantis's hand, gazing deep into her eyes. "You'd know if I was, wouldn't you?" Mantis met his gaze, eyes wide.

"You really do," she murmured, letting go of his hand. "But you also… like me?" Heat surged through Loki's cheeks.

"Alright, what do you know?" he asked, looking away.

"That's all, just that you care about me, and not because of my looks." She let out a sigh. "That's a relief." Loki raised an eyebrow. Who made her believe these things?

"Um… About your frost giant powers." Mantis was clearly trying to change the subject. "Do they only work if you have the casket?"

"I believe so," Loki replied, summoning it back in front of him. "The casket is the source of the Jotuns' powers."

"What happened to the other Jotuns?" Loki's heart skipped a beat.

"They're dead… I'm the last one left."

"Oh…" Silence descended upon the forest.

"It was my fault," Loki blurted out. "It was… back when I still lived on Asgard. My father kept it secret that I was a frost giant, even from me. When I found out… I went to extremes I never should have…"

"It's in the past," Mantis insisted, reaching toward him.

"No! Loki exclaimed, jerking away. "Don't touch me! Not like this!"

"Loki?" Mantis retracted her hand, tilting her head to the side.

Loki let out a sigh, flicking away the casket. "I'm sorry… I can't risk hurting you. The touch of a frost giant can be deadly to others."

"But I've touched you before and I've been fine."

"Not in this form." Loki gestured to himself, though his skin was already turning its normal shade again.

"It's just how you look. Besides, weren't you enchanted to be more like an Asgardian?" Loki glanced at her. He never really did know the extent of Odin's enchantment.

"I suppose…"

"Then let me see the real you." Mantis stared at Loki, pleading with her eyes. Loki let out a sigh. Instead of summoning the casket, he simply changed his appearance to that of his frost giant form. He met Mantis's gaze. Without a word, she held her hand out to him. Loki's eyes widened. Gulping, he lifted his own hand, shaking as he inched closer and closer to her. Then their hands touched. Loki's eyes snapped shut, his entire body trembling.

"Loki." Mantis murmured, her voice gentle. Loki opened his eyes. He gazed at her, sighing in relief when he saw that she was unharmed. In fact, she was smiling at him. Loki looked into her thoughts, surprised to find that she thought this form was beautiful. This form… It was one thing not to mind it but to think he still looked beautiful... Loki's hand fell to the ground.

"Loki?" Loki's eyes filled with tears. Mantis reached toward him, her antennae aglow, but Loki put his hand up to stop her.

"Give me a moment," he murmured, blinking away the tears. Loki smiled as he looked back at Mantis, tears still covering his face. After a few moments, Loki wiped the tears away, turning around to gaze back at the water. Mantis did the same.

"Loki, are you okay?" Mantis asked, glancing at him.

"Never better," Loki replied with a smile. There was silence once again as Loki stared at his reflection in the water. Blood red eyes looked back at him. Inching closer to the water, Loki reached out and rested his hand on the surface of the lake. He smiled at the cold feeling.

"Ooh!" Mantis scooted closer, beaming at Loki. "Can you freeze the water?"

"With the casket perhaps," Loki replied, lifting his hands and preparing to summon the casket.

"No, with your hands."

Loki's eyes widened. "Oh… um… Well, I can only do so much without the casket..." Mantis beamed at him. "Though I suppose I've never tried…" He rested both of his hands on the surface of the water. How do I do this? He closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the water. The water's movements stopped completely around his hands, though it remained a liquid. Then an idea hit him. Loki opened his eyes, directing his attention to lifting the water. His eyes widened. A cool feeling flowed through him, filling him with strange energy as the water began to float out of the lake. He stood up, pulling his fingers backward, forming a ball of air in his hands. The water formed a ball in the air.

"Cool!" Mantis cheered, clapping.

"I suppose," Loki replied, reaching out to rest his hands against the water bubble. "But I'm not trying to lift it…" Loki grunted, twisting his hands in all sorts of directions. "I'm trying…" Freeze, water! Freeze! "To freeze it!" Finally, Loki let out a sigh, letting the water drop back into the lake.

"I have no idea how to do this," Loki admitted, sitting back down.

"You'll figure it out. Maybe you could check the Internet?" Mantis suggested, scooting closer to Loki.

"I seriously doubt the Internet will have information on Frost Giant powers."

Mantis shrugged. "You never know."

"I'll look into it tomorrow," Loki replied, cracking a smile. "I'll have to ask Pepper for a spare laptop, however…"

"What's a laptop?" Mantis asked, tilting her head to the side.

"It's a piece of Earth technology that can access the Internet. I could show you tomorrow."

"I haven't used much earth technology."

"What planet did you grow up on?" Loki asked, curiously.

"Oh…" Mantis looked away, her eyes wide. "Several... but they all suffered the same fate."

"What?" Loki asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh... I..." Mantis let out a sigh, gazing at the water. Loki gazed at her reflection. "I was raised by a celestial. He only kept me around so I could help him sleep." A pang of sympathy surged through Loki.

"So…" He looked at Mantis, meeting her gaze. "You only existed to serve a purpose to a more powerful being?" Mantis nodded, looking away. Loki rested his finger on her chin, raising her face to gaze into her eyes. "I... know how that feels."

"How can you possibly know?" she asked, moving his hand and looking away.

Loki let out a sigh. He extended his hand to Mantis, allowing her to take it. Her antennae lit up. "My father lied to me my whole life about what I really was all so I could serve a purpose I no longer can. It made me feel worthless... like.."

"Like less of a being," they both murmured at the same time. Mantis looked up, finally meeting Loki's gaze.

"The Guardians helped me find a new purpose… A new family."

"A healthier family." Loki nodded. "I feel the same way..."

"You do understand..." Mantis scooted closer, taking both of his hands in hers. Loki's cheeks warmed up. He looked away for a moment, before looking back at Mantis. The two smiled at each other. Closing their eyes, Loki and Mantis leaned closer, pressing their foreheads together. They stayed that way for a while. Loki smiled, appreciating Mantis's warm fingers brushing against his cold skin. Mantis moved closer to Loki's cheek. He opened his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Loki asked, scooting back a bit.

Mantis's eyes snapped open. She let go of his hands, her antennae returning to normal as she looked away. "N-nothing," she murmured. Her cheeks were redder than roses.

"Uh…" Loki looked away. "Should we… head back?" he asked, standing up.

"Um… yes…" Mantis stood up, still not meeting Loki's gaze. "I'm sorry…"

"What are you apologizing for?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-nothing," she replied, clasping her hands together. Loki raised an eyebrow though he made no comment. The two of them walked back toward the cabin side by side, not looking at each other.

"What did you see?"

"What?" Mantis asked, looking at him and tilting her head to the side.

"When we touched hands… I'm just curious."

"I felt your peace… and comfort." Mantis smiled, stepping closer to Loki. "It was the most calm I've ever known you to be." Loki smiled. The two continued back toward the cabin and went their separate ways for the night.