Innocence Found

Bruce stood, completely transfixed by this young boy in front of him, frozen in one place. Darcy wasn't even sure if he was breathing anymore. She did know, however, that Little Loki was a bit weirded out by all of this because he had begun to grip onto her jeans and fist the material in his small hands. Darcy coughed once more, hoping to bring Bruce into the living world.

"Wow. Darce, when you said a little problem involving Loki… You meant little. Didn't you. Is he…"

Darcy looked down at Loki who's eyes had begun shining a small amount. She had started to realise that Loki was a very sensitive child and so she spotted an empty desk in the corner of the room and told Loki that the chair was spinny and could he go and play for a little while because she needs to speak to Bruce. Loki was a little bit reluctant at first but when Darcy knelt down to his level and promised him they would carry on with their adventure once after she had spoken to Bruce he began to soften and he was putty in her hands when she leant forward and placed a kiss on his forehead. Who knew the Ice Prince was partial to a bit of lovin'? Darcy raised herself back up and watched as Loki stumbled away to the desk and hoisted himself onto the chair. She turned back to Bruce and raised one eyebrow. "Continue Brucey."

"How did this happen? Tony said he was just a 'bit sniffly' yesterday?" Bruce leant back on the desk behind him, more to steady himself than anything else.

"He was sniffly yesterday. He was Large Loki. Then I woke up this morning to that little bundle of Odinson."

"Laufeyson."

"What?"

"Loki. He's Laufeyson. Not Odinson."

"Really?! That's what you choose to say?! Help me Brucey! And don't tell him that!"

"Oh. Sorry Darce. Errr." Bruce rubbed the back of his head in a nervous motion. Darcy just continued to stare at him, wide eyed, hoping that his massive, humungous, brain would pop into action and he'd be able to fix the problem that involved a miniature version of Loki completely butt-naked bar her hoody. "Wait! Darce. That orange substance? Loki was covered in it before he got sick. That must be it. But why would some-one want to make Loki baby-sized?" Darcy shook her head at Bruce. She assumed that Loki had caused the orange goop. She didn't even think that it could have been an outside party. This is why she was poli-sci and not… sci-sci.

"Loki was sniffly when I went to see him and then he started complaining about feel all dizzy and seeing three of me and he practically passed out before I fell asleep."

"Yes. Well. The dizziness might have been the orange substance setting into him."

Darcy was glad that Bruce hadn't picked up on the fact that she had slept in the same bed as him before all this happened. The last thing she needed was speculation running riot about her sleeping with Loki. Not, like, doing the nasty. Obviously. Just being in a room with him without him making some kind of snarky comment that annoyed her and caused her to storm out of the room. Walking loudly and everything. Darcy tuned Bruce out as she watching Little Loki organising papers on the desk. It appeared that he was measuring the distance between them. He had the side of his face pushed to the side of the desk and a concentrated look on his face. Darcy's breath caught in her throat when the papers flew off the desk and Loki sat up straight, grinning from ear to ear. Oh shit. Even at this age Loki was interested in magiks. This could spell even more trouble for the young student in the wrong place at the wrong time. Darcy turned back to Bruce and saw him looking at the orange mess in a small test tube. He must have taken a sample from the other lab before the clean up. Good ol' reliable Brucey. Darcy looked down at her leg to find Little Loki pulling on her jeans.

"Hey, what's up little man?"

Little Loki smiled up at her with wide eyed wonder in his green gaze. "Lady Darcy, I'm very hungry. We did not have breakfast before we left." Wow. Darcy's mom would be every so proud of her. Firsy kid she's ever come in to contact with and she's already forgetting to feed the poor mite. "Ok Lokes, what would you li-" Darcy cut herself off mid sentence because she recalled asking Thor that question once and he answered with some obscure Asguardian meat so she decided against asking Little Loki and settled for telling him to sit back at the desk and she would bring him some food.

"Brucey, what do we feed little Princes for brekkie?" Darcy questioned Bruce because if it was up to her she'd stuff the little sucker with poptarts so much so that he'd be waddling for the next three days yet bouncing off of the walls on a sugar high in a kind of beautiful paradox.

"Toast is fine. I'll go get him some toast Darce. Did you want anything?" Darcy shook her head and watched Bruce go toward the door and out the way that led to the kitchen. She went over to the desk that Loki was playing at and sat on the edge of it, watching as he span around on the chair, using his feet on the side of the desk to propel himself when he began to slow down. At that moment, Darcy envied his innocence and the pain returned when she thought back to the news footage of five months ago. Of him standing in some town in Germany digging an odd contraption into that old man's skull. She shuddered at the thought of this beautiful little boy becoming that crazed mad man.

Bruce came back with some toast for the little boy and Loki hardly even waited for it to be put on the table in front of him before he began devouring it. Darcy wasn't sure if his mom hadn't worked on table manners yet or if he was just so hungry that he forgot himself. Little Loki closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair when he was finished. The toast having assuaged his appetite, for now. He noticed that Darcy's big friend had also brought him a glass of white liquid and he grabbed the cup with both hands and guzzled the contents down without a moments thought. He looked up at Bruce, banging out that puppy dog look, and asked him for some more. Before promptly hiccupping quite loudly and then clamping his hands over his mouth in shock. Darcy giggled slightly before ruffling his dark hair and telling him that maybe he should wait a bit before drinking some more. Little Loki nodded his head, hands still firmly clamped over his mouth, and hiccupped once more.

Bruce turned 'round and picked up his notebook once more and began scribbling his chicken scratch throughout, every now and again looking up at Loki. Darcy could see Little Loki was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable so she struck up a conversation with him. "Loki. Remember our secret adventure?" He nodded. "Well I need to go get you some clothes for us to go out in, so you don't have to wear my hoody everywhere, is that ok? Will you stay here with Brucey until I get back?"

Loki was not pleased with the idea of Lady Darcy leaving him. Especially with the strange, mop haired, man that seemed to like looking at him a lot but he trusted in Lady Darcy when she said she would return to him soon. He asked her if it was acceptable to ask her friend for food if he felt hungry again. Darcy smiled, surprising herself as to how protective she felt towards the young price, every time he spoke she saw in his face the features that would grow into Large Loki and he showed some characteristics in the way he spoke that reminded her of his older counterpart. She told his that it was alright to ask Brucey for anything he liked because Brucey was lovely. Loki looked over to Darcy's big friend as he blushed at that last statement and Little Loki narrowed his eyes slightly. Lady Darcy was wearing his colour and she had said she was his and Loki was not prepared to share her affections so soon after meeting her. Darcy swooped down and placed a kiss on the young boys head and patted her friend's shoulder on her way out of the large white room and a smirk found its way onto the young boys head. He got a kiss and her big friend didn't. Loki knew then that he was Darcy's favourite.