A Night Out

Plot: Loki and Mantis spend the night out together.

Tone: Fluff, Hurt and Comfort

Loki sat alone below deck, twirling part of his locket around in his fingers. A week had passed since Loki had given up the throne of Jotunheim and it had been relatively quiet since then, much to Loki's relief. So much had happened during those few days with the jotuns, it was honestly too much. Loki gazed at the picture in his locket. Memories flooded back to him.

It was the day Loki was going to New Asgard with Tony's family, only mere hours before they were supposed to catch their flight, and none other than Tony was doing Loki's hair (by Loki's request).

"I'm glad you're letting me do your hair," Tony chuckled, running the brush through Loki's hair. "It's a complete mess."

Loki smiled, rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on, Tony. My hair isn't that messy…"

"Yes, it is. I'll be honest, in New York, I thought you looked like an evil Christmas tree…" Tony put the brush aside, taking Loki's hair and separating it into three parts. "And the reindeer antlers on your head didn't make that any easier…"

"You do know I don't know what either of those things are right?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tony smiled somewhat ominously. "You will… in due time…" He braided Loki's hair and tied it together with a hair tie.

Little did Loki know that Tony would later make him look like an "evil Christmas tree" again for their Christmas photo. He had only gone along with it because, for some reason, he enjoyed it when Tony styled his hair. Well, now he knew the reason.

Loki let out a sigh. There was a longing in his heart, not just for Tony, but for that time he was with him. Everything had seemed so simple…

"Loki! There you are!" Loki perked up at the sound of Mantis's voice. He shut his locket as Mantis made her way toward him, smiling as brightly as ever.

"Hi," Loki greeted with a wave. "I was just… chilling." He wiggled his fingers, and some snowflakes appeared.

Mantis smiled. "That was really bad," she replied, sitting down next to him. Loki looked away, his cheeks turning red.

"Well, you don't have to give me the cold shoulder," Loki replied, rolling his eyes. His heart skipped a beat. "Okay, that was unintentional."

"Uh-huh sure," Mantis replied, her eyebrow twitching up. They both chuckled to themselves. "Loki, what are you really doing down here?" Mantis asked, her tone suddenly serious.

Loki's smile faded. He let out a sigh, gazing down at the table. "I was… well, reflecting." He held his locket out.

Mantis's eyes widened. "Oh…" She scooted away. "Should I leave?"

"No!" Loki grabbed her hands. He immediately let go and backed away, shame washing over him. "Please, don't leave…" Loki's voice was hardly more than a whisper.

"I won't," Mantis replied, resting her hand on his shoulder. There was concern in her eyes. "Are you okay? I mean... do you want to talk about it or cheer up?"

"It's the same thing I've talked about over and over again," Loki replied, twirling his locket around before letting it fall against his chest. "I just want to feel better."

Mantis smiled. "You got it," she replied, with a wink. Loki just raised an eyebrow. "So… do you want to watch Avatar or something?"

Loki shrugged. "We just watched most of season three. Besides, I want to save that four-part finale for another time."

"I don't want it to end either," Mantis replied, resting her head on the table. Loki's face scrunched up as he forced himself not to smile. Dammit, she found out… again.

"We'll find another show…" Loki rested his head on the table as well. "One day."

"Just as good as Avatar?" Mantis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Absolutely not." Loki and Mantis both snorted with laughter as they sat up. "But perhaps one of those Star Wars shows I heard about will fill that void."

"Yeah…" Mantis nodded. "Maybe…" She looked away, her gaze fixed on the table.

Loki stared at her. Unconsciously, his fingers weaved themselves into his hair, making a small braid. Mantis met his gaze. Loki looked away, his cheeks burning furiously. He conjured up a brush, rapidly running it through his hair to get rid of the braid. Why is this so awkward all of a sudden?! We're friends! We've been friends for months!

"Um…" He put the brush aside, glancing back at Mantis. "Can you um… braid this? My-my hair… It keeps getting in my face."

Mantis's face seemed to light up. "Sure."

She grabbed the brush. Loki turned around, smiling as Mantis stroked his already smooth hair with her soft fingers. She used the brush too, of course, but Loki barely noticed. After a while, Mantis put the brush aside.

"Hair tie." She held her hand out. Loki conjured up a hair tie and handed it to her. Mantis went back to his hair, separating it into three chunks and braiding it slowly but surely. Then she tied it all up with a hair tie.

"Thank you." Loki turned to Mantis again.

"Can you braid mine too?" she asked, lifting part of her hair with her hand.

"Okay." Loki immediately scooted closer, gently taking Mantis's hair in his hands. He struggled to focus on braiding. It was hard not to simply stare at her dark hair, or run his fingers through it… so much volume… so smooth and pretty…

"What are you doing?" Lokis' eyes widened as Mantis's voice shook him from his trance.

"Just… checking for tangles," Loki replied, separating the hair into three parts. His heart pounded out of his chest as he forced himself to focus on braiding Mantis's hair. Conjuring up a hair tie, he tied the braid up. Then he backed away. Mantis glanced at him, her smile fading.

"Are you okay?"

Loki glanced at her. "Yes," he answered, forcing a smile.

Mantis raised an eyebrow. Loki didn't make an attempt to move away as she rested her hand on his.

"You're very… confused." Loki moved his hand away.

"Yes! I am very confused all the time!" He shrugged, forcing a chuckle. "These are confusing times, after all."

Mantis's eyes narrowed. "Stop lying."

Loki frowned. Since when was I this bad at lying? Before he could reply, footsteps echoed down the staircase. They looked up. Quill was standing at the foot of the stairs.

"Hey, we're stopping on a planet soon!" he announced, gesturing to Loki and Mantis.

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

"I don't know its name," Quill admitted with a shrug. "But it has intelligent life forms on it and by the looks of it, some cities so we're gonna stop there and blow off some of the money we got from robbing those rich people."

Loki smiled. "Alright," he replied, standing up.

He and Mantis made their way upstairs and toward the others, who were all sitting in their seats at the front of the ship.

Another very earth-like planet stood in front of the ship, bright lights flickering from the surface of the planet. It was clearly a city. The ship zipped through the atmosphere, slowing down as it neared the ground. Lights were glowing from the buildings.

Mantis squinted at the city. "It's so… bright."

Loki stared at her, letting out a sigh. "Not as bright as you…"

"What?" she glanced at Loki, her head tilted to the side.

Loki's eyes widened. Oh god, I said that out loud. "Nothing!" he exclaimed, his heart pounding. Dammit, that was supposed to be in my head! What the hell?!

The guardians began snickering to themselves.

"There's no hiding it now, Loki," Rocket replied, gesturing to him with his paw. "You've fallen hard."

"Yeah!" Drax added, cackling like a psycho. "You have feeli-"

"Shut up," Loki growled, glaring at the blue alien. "Just shut up. Right now." Drax cleared his throat, looking away. Loki's fist clenched. Well, that was the worst possible way I could've revealed that.

When the ship landed, everyone began making their way into the city.

"Lokes!" Quill called, gesturing to Loki.

Loki made his way toward him, eying him curiously.

"You know, you've got a really low-key flirting style," Quill commented, smirking.

Loki facepalmed. "I didn't mean to say that out loud," he grunted, looking away. I'm just a wreck today.

"Love has made you foolish," Quill replied, nudging Loki's shoulder.

Loki glared at his friend. "Alright, I admit it. I have… feelings for her…" He folded his arms. "Although I'm not sure I'd call it love. What should I do about this?"

Quill took a deep breath. "First off, stop acting like this is a bad thing. You have a crush, not a tumour." Loki's eyes widened.

"Well, that escalated quickly," he commented, taking a step back.

"Second, ask her out on a date." Loki glared at him. "Trust me," Quill insisted, resting his hand on Loki's shoulder. ���Spending time with someone one on one can help you find out how you really feel. Believe me-" he paused to chuckle. "I know."

"Why do I have to ask for everything? Why can't I just let her ask me?"

Quill raised an eyebrow. "You really think she will?"

"Loki!" Mantis called. She was making her way toward Quill and Loki.

"Hi…" Loki greeted, shifting in place.

"So, I was wondering…" Mantis looked away, twirling her hair around in her finger. "If you weren't doing anything, do you wanna… go somewhere, just the two of us? Maybe get dinner?"

Loki blinked. "Sure," he replied in a heartbeat.

"Great!" Mantis smiled, turning toward the ship. "I'll, uh, see you in a bit." She made her way up the ramp and disappeared inside.

Loki and Quill gazed at each other, each bearing expressions of shock. "Did she just-"

Loki nodded. "Yes, she did."

"Well-" Quill shrugged, nudging Loki forward. "Mission accomplished. Go get dressed for your date." He smiled and walked away, leaving a still bewildered Loki alone.

Loki stood outside the ship, adjusting his tie and straightening the fancy shirt he was wearing. He was shaking like a leaf in the wind. It had felt like hours since Mantis had asked him out and yet she still hadn't come out of the ship. Maybe it was a trick… maybe she didn't like me at all and is just doing this to embarrass me. Loki took a deep breath. No, Mantis wouldn't do that.

"Loki!" Loki let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Mantis, there you are-" Loki turned around, his eyes wide. Mantis was wearing one of the tuxedos Loki had stolen from the rich mansion, a white and dark blue one. Her hair was still braided from earlier.

"Um…" Mantis clasped her hands, looking away shyly. "Is it too much?"

"No, no, you look nice," Loki insisted, taking a step closer. He usually paid no attention to how people looked, but damn did Mantis look beautiful.

Mantis smiled. "Thanks…"

She held her hand out. Loki took it. The two made their way into the city together, their hands still entwined. Loki was quiet the whole time. He kept gazing at Mantis, wondering if he should say something, and what he should say, but he was at a loss for words. This was all so strange to him.

After a while, the two found a place to eat, both of them getting a simple noodle dish, without the meat. Loki gazed at Mantis. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. Dammit, why am I so bad at this?! Just talk to her!

"Um… How has it been lately?"

"It's been alright," Mantis replied with a shrug. "That stuff on Jotunheim was pretty crazy." She and Loki both smiled. "I'm glad it's been quiet lately…"

"Me too," Loki murmured, looking away.

"Do you ever want to go back to Jotunheim?" Mantis asked, leaning forward a bit.

Loki's heart pounded as he gazed at her. This is just like how we normally talk, so why am I so… nervous?!

"Definitely not," Loki admitted, resting his arms on the table. "It was never my home, and I trust Farbauti and Randolf to look after the realm." Loki gazed at his cup of water. "I still wish I hadn't given up the casket, though," he admitted, turning parts of the water into ice cubes, which floated to the top of the cup.

"You are getting good at using those powers without it," Mantis replied, gesturing to the ice cubes.

"I suppose-" Loki paused to chuckle. "But I'm still no Elsa."

"Huh?" Mantis tilted her head to the side.

"Oh, that's…" Loki looked away with a sigh. "You haven't seen those films, don't worry about it." He gazed at his locket. Loki quickly forced himself to look away.

"We could watch them some time," Mantis suggested, leaning forward. "What are they called?"

"Frozen and Frozen two, they're animated films about a queen with ice powers."

Mantis smiled. "That sounds like you."

"Yes," Loki replied, also smiling. "It sort of does…"

Once Mantis and Loki finished their food, they paid for their bill and made their way into the town. They held hands, looking around the city. Everywhere they looked, people were watching them, with looks of curiosity and teasing. Loki avoided their gazes. However, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable knowing they were looking at him and Mantis like that.

Eventually, the two made their way toward the edge of the city. They stopped in front of a field. Loki and Mantis sat down on one of the benches, gazing at the forest that loomed in the distance. The air was still. Nothing moved within the darkness, apart from the breeze, gently rustling the leaves and blowing through their hair. Loki gazed at the sky. White stars flickered in the distance, the light from the city blocking out any of the bright blue and red hues that usually painted the night sky.

"Finally," Mantis sighed, shifting beside Loki. "Some peace and quiet." She rested her head on his shoulder, resting her hand on his. Loki wrapped his arm around Mantis. He pulled her closer, finally relaxing and smiling a bit. This is much easier when it's just us.

Mantis moved away slightly. Loki turned to her, and his heart skipped a beat when she rested her hand on his cheek. She stared at him. Loki ran his fingers through her hair, smiling as they gazed at each other. Mantis smiled back. Closing her eyes, she began to lean forward. Loki gazed at her. He began to lean closer, his eyes starting to shut.

"No…" Resting his hand on her lips, Loki looked away. "I can't… I'm sorry…" Loki's eyes watered and he shook like a leaf in the wind.

"It's okay," Mantis sighed, scooting away. Loki's heart stung when he caught a glance of Mantis, her head hung low and her hair covering her face. He had wanted to return the kiss, at least for a moment. So why didn't I?

Loki glanced at his locket, his heart aching as he gazed at Tony's picture, now just a mere memory. I don't still love him, do I? No, that wasn't it… He would always feel something for Tony, but now that he had been gone for months, Loki didn't feel the same spark he once did when he thought of him. He closed the locket, glancing at Mantis. In his heart, was the same spark that Tony had made him feel… but he wasn't ever this nervous around Tony.

Loki scooted closer to Mantis. "I should probably explain…"

"You don't have to," she sighed, holding up her hand.

"I know, but I want you to know…" Mantis glanced at him, her gaze unreadable. He rested his hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel about me, and I feel the same way… but being any more than friends is… terrifying to me-" Loki let out a sigh. "-and I'm not sure why."

"You're scared of being hurt again," Mantis replied, her antenna glowing. "This is all going too fast for you. I understand…" She moved Loki's hand aside, scooting away a bit. "And I'll be patient." Her smile reached her eyes.

Loki smiled back. "Thank you." He pulled Mantis in for a hug, resting his chin on her head. Mantis hugged back.

"Should we find the others?" she suggested, backing out of the hug.

"Probably," Loki replied with a shrug. He summoned a tracker and looked for the guardians' signal. "They're already back at the ship."

The walk back to the ship was silent. Loki avoided looking at Mantis, or anyone in the city who were watching them pass. It was all a bit too awkward. Finally, they found the ship, which was parked in the same place at the edge of the town.

"Hey, um…" Loki glanced at Mantis. She was twirling her hair in her finger again, and her cheeks were as red as pizza sauce. "Can I uh… kiss your cheek? J-just once?"

Loki cracked a smile, his cheeks warming up. "Okay," he replied, stepping closer.

Mantis smiled. She jumped up and pressed her lips against his cheek. Loki smiled. He rested his hand on his cheek, reveling in the warm feeling. They pushed the ship door open. Quill was alone in the middle of the ship, dancing his heart out to 'Hooked on a Feeling.' Loki let out a chuckle.

"Oh!" Quill slipped and flopped onto the floor. He staggered to stand, turning the song off. "Hi! I didn't see you come in!"

"You didn't see me either, genius." Gamora stepped out of the shadows, holding a camera.

"Gamora!" Quill gasped, staggering back. His face was so red he looked like he was about to explode. "Don't show that to anyone else I beg you!" He dashed toward Gamora, trying to grab the camera but she pushed him back, holding it just out of his reach. She smiled as she watched Quill struggle.

"Relax," Gamora replied, taking a step back. Quill flopped over again. "I'm just going to show it to my sister. She already knows you're an idiot."

Quill grunted, folding his arms. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this." Gamora shrugged, then turned and made her way downstairs. Mantis followed her, letting out a yawn.

"Goodnight, Loki," Mantis called, waving to Loki. He waved back.

"So, how did your date go?" Quill asked, his condescending smirk returning.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Quill, can you and the others do me a favour and stop joking like that?"

Quill's smile faded. "Did it not go well?" he asked, concern lacing his tone.

"It went fine, but we're not together. I'm not ready for a relationship, to put it simply." In truth, there was a myriad of small reasons, but that's what it all boiled down to.

"That's fair." Quill looked away. "Um… I'm sorry if I pressured you at all to… be with her."

"It's alright. I know you were just trying to support me." Loki nudged his friend as he brushed past him. "In your own weird way."

Quill smiled. "Goodnight, Loki."

"Goodnight, Quill."