7: How To Fluster A Prince

Kat played pack-mule, and grabbed as many bags as she could and dashed into her room. After putting clothes away, she looked for Clint. He was digging through his things when Kat poked her head in the doorway. He turned and held a camera aloft.

"I stole this from Tony a while ago. This'll be the perfect way to give it back to him." Clint grinned.

"Okay. You go set that up, I'm gonna go change." Kat said.

"Wait, where is he?" Clint asked.

Kat tilted her head. She glanced out the window. "He's usually outside at this time. We're good."

"How do you know where he usually is?" Clint frowned.

"I have my ways." Kat smirked before dashing off to change. She managed to get the tags off of the garments, and put them on without calling for Natasha's help.

Natasha knocked on her door as she was tying the laces of her blue converse. Kat recognized the knock. It was kind of weird how people knocked differently, but then, it also made sense that they would. "Come in!" Kat said.

Natasha stepped opened the door, as Kat finished. She stood up and posed for Natasha with a shit-eating grin. "What do you think?" She spun around.

Kat was covered in the ways that were important. While the shorts were short, her rear end wasn't hanging out. Natasha smiled and shook her head. "You'd turn heads." She paused for a second. Her smile gained a mischievous smirk. "You know, if you want Loki's attention, you don't have to disguise it as a prank."

"Auntie Tasha!" Kat whisper shouted. "No! No, it is so not like that!"

Natasha laughed. "Anyway, I helped Clint set the camera. It's rolling. I warned Laura about what we were doing."

"What'd she think?" Kat asked.

"She shook her head. But she's used to her brother's antics by now. I think she's more worried for Loki." Natasha said.

Kat tilted her head. "If Uncle Clint's a legacy, does that make Cooper and Lila legacies?"

"Clint and Laura got close when they were kids. Friends in the orphanage. They aren't biologically related, so Clint's status as Uncle is an honorary one." Natasha said.

"And you're Auntie Tasha 'cause you're together." Kat nodded, understanding.

Natasha frowned for a second. "Wait, together?"

"You two share a room." Kat shrugged. "I might be oblivious, but I'm not that dumb."

Natasha didn't know what to say to that. 

"Who knows that you guys are together?" Kat asked.

"Just the people in this house."

"Not even your boss?"

"No, not even Nick."

"His name is Nick?" Kat asked, trying to hold back a grin. "Nick Fury?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"His name is Pirate Nick, now and forever more." Kat grinned, and walked downstairs.

"Wow." Laura said as Kat came down. 

"What?" Clint asked, and then turned to follow Laura's eyes. "Oh my gods, Kat."

"I know, right?" Kat grinned.

"As an uncle, I feel like you should not be wearing that." Clint said awkwardly.

"Relax, Clint. I think she looks great." Laura said. "Loki is going to have quite the sight."

"I am just now realizing that and am slightly worried." Clint frowned.

Kat laughed. 

"What if he tries something?" Clint asked, frown still in place.

"Then I'll kick his ass. I'm stronger than him anyway." Kat shrugged.

"You're stronger than him? But I thought he was a god?" Laura frowned.

Kat's eyebrows became marginally closer as she looked between the two. She absently thought that if this were a video, someone would have added wii music in the background. "Wait. You didn't tell her?"

While Clint floundered for words, Laura gave him a stern gaze that Kat recognized as one she gave her kids when they got in trouble. She'd only seen it used a few times. "Didn't tell me what?"

Since Clint couldn't put words together, Kat spoke up for him with a sigh. "I'm a goddess." 

Laura looked at her with wide eyes. "You're a goddess? But I thought you were a... Clone?"

Kat smiled. "Oh, I am."

Laura rubbed her forehead. "How does that work?"

"Well," Kat said, and sat down across from her at the table. "My brother was a demigod. But he was so powerful that the gods," She coughed twice, placing a 'Zeus' between them, "decided to make him a god so that he couldn't turn against them. Then the Fates decided to split his soul. So now there's two of us."

Laura blinked. It was quiet for a minute. "So... You have half a soul?"

"No, she has a whole soul. It's just that she and her brother share it." Clint said.

"If that makes any sense." Kat added.

"Maybe?" Laura admitted. "It'll probably take a bit of thinking before I fully understand that."

Kat laughed. "Yeah, I feel that. I only understand 'cause I made Loki explain it to me really slow."

"You made Loki explain it to you?" Clint asked. 

"Yep. He made a funny face every time I reminded him that I know very little about magic." Kat shrugged, grinning. "Anyway, speaking of him, he should be back soon. Usually checks on me about this time."

"He checks on you?" Clint narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, to make sure I'm not insane or brain-dead." Kat rolled her eyes. "Relax, it's fine." Kat stood up from the chair. "Where'd you put the camera?"

Clint pointed to a little space between some knickknacks on a shelf, and waved at it. Kat grinned and made a little circle, showing off her outfit to the camera. "It has audio, right?"

"Of course." Clint said.

"Just making sure." Kat said, and waved to the camera. She then took up position, leaning against a kitchen counter. "This good?"

"Perfect." Clint said.

Natasha came down the stairs. "He's on his way inside. You have maybe thirty seconds."

"Okay, okay. Act normal, people." Clint said.

"You don't need to tell us." Laura said.

"Right. When do we have to leave to pick the kids up?" Natasha asked.

"They can take the bus, you know." Laura said.

"But they like riding with us." Clint practically whined.

"True. You spoil them and then they want me to drive them all over the state. I've got work." Laura said. "Speaking of, don't you two have things to do?"

"Yeah. We'll only be leaving one at a time though." Natasha said.

Then they heard the door open, and casually light steps enter, before closing the door. Kat grinned. "So, can I have that ice cream now?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Natasha said.

"Yes!" Kat fist-pumped, and began to walk to the fridge.

"You got ice cream?" Laura asked, at the same time as Loki entered the room.

"I won a bet with Uncle Clint, and that was my reward." Kat grinned. Her speech drew Loki's attention to her. Clint and Natasha had both slipped into what Laura called their 'work mode'. They easily kept a straight face as they watched Loki. 

He took a second, but they saw his eyes fall from her face, and then realize how little she was wearing. They saw his eyes widen slightly in surprise, and he quickly looked away. 

Kat gasped. "Loki!" He turned at his name, but couldn't quite figure out where to look. Kat ignored his struggle. "Have you ever had ice cream?"

The prince recalled his status, his teachings, and found her eyes. "No, I don't believe I have."

"Oh no." Kat said. "Nope, we are fixing that. Come here, I'm gonna give you some to try."

Loki walked into the kitchen, but seeing as Kat had turned around, he couldn't look at her eyes anymore. She opened a cupboard and grabbed a small bowl, then retrieved two spoons. Loki found the window to be an adequate place for his gaze.

"You like chocolate though, right?" Kat asked as she opened the freezer drawer. Loki happened to glance over, and quickly looked back to the window as he got a brief view of her shorts.

"Yes, I do enjoy chocolate." Loki said.

Kat grinned, and closed the freezer with her knee. Opening the tub was easy, but she was aware that his gaze was elsewhere. "How much do you want?" She asked.

"Whatever is appropriate." Loki replied.

Kat made an insulted sound, which drew his gaze back to her. "Everybody has a different idea of what an 'appropriate' quantity of ice cream is. Me, once I give you some, I'm gonna eat the rest of this entire tub. Before the kids get home, so that they don't get mad at me."

Loki didn't know what to say to that. She began to serve some into the bowl, and Loki was very aware of the tube top. The window was interesting again.

"Okay, that should be good." Kat said, nodding to herself. She held the bowl out to Loki. "Here you go." 

He accepted the bowl with an averted gaze. He nearly had a spoonful in his mouth when Kat suddenly blurted. "Oh! Don't bite! It's really cold and it'll hurt your teeth."

"Thanks for the warning." Loki said politely, and took his spoonful. He found that he did quite like it. It was very different from anything that he'd had on Asgard.

Kat caught the slight change in his eyes that told her he liked it. She turned back to the tub, holding it in one hand and digging into it with her own spoon. "I thought you'd like it." 

Loki remained quiet for a few seconds. He looked to Kat. He seemed to have decided something. "Do... Midgardians usually dress so?"

Kat smirked and twirled. "Like this? Yeah, when we want to."

"Ah." He said and turned back to his bowl of ice cream.

"When are we leaving to get the kids?" Natasha asked again.

"Oh, they get out at 3:10, so to get there before the rush, maybe about 2:45?" Laura said.

"Okay. So we have a couple hours." Natasha said. "What do we want to do until then?"

"Oh! Do we have any board games?" Kat asked, hopping up to sit on the counter.

"Off the counter." Laura said without looking over. 

Kat slid off the counter, looking scolded. Loki would have laughed at the goddess being treated like a child by a mortal, but the goddess was wearing very little clothing and according to Asgardian customs, she would be considered naked. At the very least, she was unfit to be seen by the public eye.

"Anyway, games are in the cupboard under the stairs." Laura continued.

"The cupboard under the stairs? Isn't that a Harry Potter thing?" Kat asked.

"Why do you think the games are there?" Laura asked mischievously. 

They had themed sets of games. Kat and the assassins ended up with Clue and the kitchen table, while Laura went upstairs to work. Loki slipped away, and once the three were sure he was far away, they laughed.

"Did you see his face?" Clint howled.

"Only a bit, 'cause he kept looking away!" Kat replied.

"I would have thought he'd blush." Natasha wondered.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he used illusion magic to hide it." Kat answered her. "Felt a little extra magical stuff."

Clint howled more. He had to hit his fist against the table a few times. Natasha's mischievous side shone through when she looked Kat dead in the eye. "You should wear that more often."

Clint looked at Natasha like she was the bringer of all things good. It made Kat wonder how nobody had realized those two were a couple. And then she thought that they didn't often get the chance to be themselves around other people.

Clint and Natasha got up, and began the process of turning off the camera. Apparently it was much more complicated than a normal one. Considering it was Stark tech, Kat wasn't surprised.

They got out the game, and then they went to pick characters. Kat snatched up blue Mrs. Peacock, saying "Dibs!" Clint was Professor Plum, and Natasha was Miss Scarlet.

Nat won the first game, and as they were setting up for a second game, Loki returned. He gave the game a curious look.

"Wanna play?" Kat asked him. "You can be Mr. Green." She added, holding the piece aloft.

"I don't know." Loki said dismissively.

"It's a game about smarts. A murder mystery puzzle." Kat said invitingly.

Loki raised an eyebrow. 

"C'mon, we'll teach you. You've got to be bored anyway." Kat added.

Loki joined at the table.

Partway through the game, Kat had to put her ice cream away because it was melting. Loki caught on quickly to the rules and how to play. A few games went past, and they decided to take a break for a while. Clint probably wanted to get away from Loki who had won more than he had.

Kat gained a thoughtful look as she stared at Natasha who was putting Clue away. Natasha felt it, and frowned at Kat. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Um." Kat said. "I just, um. Can you take the pendants off?"

Natasha looked between the two gods in the room. "Isn't it a bit early for that?"

"I'm tired of the way they change you guys. It's like a bad snapchat filter." Kat admitted.

Natasha sent a questioning look to Loki, who shrugged. "I'll be here if it goes wrong."

"Clint!" Natasha called out, because he had gone to the bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"Come here."

"Coming." Clint came around the corner, and raised an eyebrow. "Did I do something?"

"No. Kat wants us to take off the pendants." Natasha explained.

"Oh. Are you up for that?" Clint asked.

"We're about to find out." Kat replied.

With a nod from Loki, Natasha took off her pendant. Kat stood still, and stared at her. Loki was intently spreading his senses to her mind. The goddess turned to Clint, who took his off. After a minute, Kat turned and walked over to the couch, rubbing her forehead.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. It's just a headache. I think... I think I'll just lie down for a bit." Kat said. She made herself comfortable, and actually fell asleep.

A/N

Did I get 'flustered asgardian prince' right?

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