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split second of bliss fading away once she realized what had happened. She deeply sighed,sitting up in bed. The other side of the bed was still neatly made, in a room she had never occupied before. She couldn't bring herself to sleep in her actual room in HQ, as everything reminded her of Tony. He had set it up for her, after all. Seeing as shoving her into a closet/makeshift room all those years ago didn't work out too well. Or, depending on who you asked, it did turn out well. Nevertheless, he set aside a room specifically for her while she was gone, as if it made him believe she'd one day return.

She sat on the edge of the bed, hearing hushed voices out in the other room.

"She's still sleeping?"

"I believe so."

"Where was she this morning?"

"She wanted to take Peter to school. She knew it'd be hard for him to go alone."

"Let her sleep."

"I don't think we've fully discussed you being back. I'm not sure I totally trust it."

"Neither do I. You're shifty."

"Am I supposed to be offended?"

"We'll see what she decides."

"As if she'll ever decide to be away from me--"

The three men were cut off by the door in front of them opening. Alex's small frame paired with an annoyed expression stared back at them. Steve and Sam watched as she stepped forward, took Loki's hand and left the room.

"I could've bet on that one." Sam chuckled.

Alex and Loki stood on the balcony overlooking the water, a silence upon them. He had so many things he wished to say, but he couldn't quite figure out where to start. Alex, however, hadn't talked much at all for the last five days. Everyone was good about giving her space, especially Loki. He understood loss, it was practically a good friend of his.

As the days passed, everyone began to move on. Clint went home to his family. So did Scott. Peter finally felt good enough to go to school today. Steve and Rhodey stayed at HQ. However, Alex was having a hard time moving on. She woke up every night in a cold sweat, and every time she did, she regretted her bed being empty. But, she knew she needed time.

She just didn't know how much she'd need.

"How are you today?" Loki quietly asked.

She shrugged, her eyes on the water. "The thoughts haven't gone away."

He nodded. "Do you want to talk about them?"

"No."

"Alright."

She regretted rejecting him as soon as she did it, but she had no idea where to start with processing her grief. It had nothing to do with Loki, and all to do with herself. She hated the thoughts she had started to have, and didn't tell anyone about them. The night after the battle, she briefly confided in Loki before she began to have a panic attack. She only got one thought out before she shut down.

It's her fault.

"Alex," She heard a soft voice behind her. Pepper. "It's time for the will reading."

She nodded, happy to leave the awkward moment with Loki and turned to walk with Pepper. Then, she turned back toward him, meeting his eyes.

"Stay with me tonight?" She softly said once Pepper was out of ear shot. Loki's eyes widened a bit before nodding.

"Of course."

She mustered up a smile before turning to leave.

She drove with Pepper to the Avengers Tower, where she had diligently worked for Tony for years. She felt a twinge of emotion come over her when they stepped inside those glass doors she once walked through daily. Flashbacks of her doe-eyed younger self played in her mind, remembering the times when she was merely a test subject. She'd spent long nights and early mornings in Tony's lab with him and Bruce, trying over and over to crack the code that was Alexandra Clark. 

It was in this tower that she was kidnapped by Loki, and Tony stayed in this tower just in case she ever suddenly came back. He never told her that, however. He also never told her of all the failed suits that occurred on the way to her first one. She'd never know how he wouldn't stop trying until he got it right for her. 

"Miss Clark, we are pleased that you joined us." A man in an expensive suit said. 

She gave a polite smile before scanning the glass conference room. The lawyer in the expensive suit sat at the head of the table, unknowing that's where Tony always sat. Pepper took her seat on the right side of him. Happy was also there, and Alex was glad to see so was Peter. She took a seat next to him. 

Alex and Peter barely had a relationship. It wasn't like there was much time in between their first encounter in Lepizig and battling Thanos to get a cup of coffee. Tony had mentioned to her once that Peter was somewhat jealous of her, simply because he thought Tony had favorites. She only laughed when she found out, knowing Peter probably didn't know the full extent of their relationship, which would be the only reason she was the favorite. She knew Tony would want him looked after, so she made a vow to herself that she would do so. 

"Let's begin, shall we?" The man picked up the lengthy will. 

This should be fun, Alex sank into her chair. She remained silent and inattentive for the majority of the meeting, only perking up when her name was read. 

"'To Alexandra Clark, I leave Stark Industries to you'." 

She almost choked on air. 

"There must be some mistake," She countered. 

"No, ma'am, that is what it says,"

"Give me that," She snatched the will. 

To Alexandra Clark, I leave Stark Industries to you. As assuming CEO, the company is in your capable hands. 

"Alex," Pepper tried. 

"That's all he said? Here's my company. Have fun! No instructions." 

"Well, he added something else," The lawyer took the will back from Alex, straightening his glasses. 

"What?" Alex said with anticipation. 

"'I also leave with Alexandra Clark, the full and final design of AC-31'. It's a suit." 

She buried her head in her hands. "Jesus Christ." 

<>

Alex stood in Tony's office, looking out the window at the vast city. She had left the will reading to clear her head, and somehow ended up in his office. Or, hers. The thought clouded her head even more. She only turned around when she heard a faint knock. 

"Excuse me, this is a form--" The petite girl stopped her sentence when Alex turned around. "Alexandra C-Clark, I'm a huge fan," 

"I can't imagine of what," Alex countered before shaking her head. "Sorry, rough day. Thank you, it means a lot. What's your name?" 

"I'm Diana Lewis, I've studied your case since I was eleven," She sheepishly admitted. 

Alex smiled. The girl couldn't have been older than sixteen.

"So you've studied me a lot then, huh? Tell me then, do you think I'm capable of running this?" She gestured to the office. 

"Absolutely."

Alex thought for a moment. "Hm. What's the form for?" 

"Oh--I was chosen for the internship you founded. It needed to be signed by Mr. Stark to be completed."

Alex's heart then sank. She had remembered when Tony had the idea for an internship for her to kickstart. It would be for a high-school student who exemplified what it took to work at Stark Industries. However, Tony picked the recipient because he wanted to find someone who, in his eyes, was a younger Alex. 

So, in front of her, stood was Tony's idea of her. 

"Um, here's my number," Alex fought back a tear. "If you need anything, ever, please call me." 

The girl looked astonished, staring at the piece of paper. She thanked Alex, took her signed form and left, leaving Alex to her thoughts. 

Which, she should note, was not a place she enjoyed to be. Her thoughts had recently been something like a storm, clouding her mind and blinding her reasoning. They swallowed her whole, and spit her back out. This would be where she would look back and realize that was the point where her thoughts became dangerous. 

However, she didn't know that yet. 

"Peter," She spoke up once he entered the office. "Do you need a ride to school?"

"No, I know the girl that just came in. I'll just go with her. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," 

"Thanks, Pete. I'm alright. How are you holding up?" 

He shrugged. "It sucks."

"It does suck."

"Well, I'll see you around, yeah? At least there's some Avengers still left like us, right?" 

"Sure, kid." 

He waved happily before running out of her office. She sighed, grabbing her things and leaving the office. She closed the glass door, looking back at the desk with the portrait of Tony above it. She locked it, with no intention of returning. 

<> 

Night came quickly, to Alex's delight. She made her way to the room she had been staying in, which was still not hers. Inside the doors was exactly who she'd been expecting. 

"Hi," She softly spoke to the man who sat on the bed patiently. 

"Hello, dear." 

"Nice pajamas," She attempted to break the tension. 

"Yes, well, Steve made his rounds to make sure everyone had a pair." 

"Does that mean we get to match?" 

"It does,"

She chuckled before going to the bathroom to change. While doing so, she tried avoiding looking herself in the mirror, but this didn't last long. She knew she wouldn't recognize the woman staring back at her. 

And she didn't. 

Her hair had grown really long, with split ends confessing she hadn't been taking care of herself. She had bags under her eyes from her lack of sleep, and she'd lost her natural rosy cheeks. She took a deep breath before entering the room, knowing they needed to talk if they wanted to move on at all. 

She opened the bathroom door, startled when Loki was on the other side with his fist raised as if he were about to knock. She looked up at his eyes, butterflies settling in her stomach as she hadn't been this close to him in a long time. 

Not with him physically there, anyway. 

His eyes pierced hers, saying so much that she couldn't handle. For a moment, time stopped. It was just Loki and Alex, communicating not with words, but with their gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. 

"I'm sorry," She blurted. 

"For what?" 

"For not believing you. For not trusting that you had your reasons to betray me,"

"Admittedly, my track record was against me," He pointed. 

"But I loved you, I should've trusted in you. I had just been betrayed by you before, so it was hard to--"

"Alexandra, you've done nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing. You've dealt with everything with such a grace, a poignance--"

"You're talking like a Disney prince again," She mustered up a small chuckle. 

She looked at him again from where they both were leaning on the bathroom counter talking. His face had changed, become more tired, but he was still beautiful to her. He met her gaze, his less loving and more desiring. He stood up straight, now in front of her. She stood up as well, allowing his two fingers to lift her chin. 

That's when he kissed her. 

He kissed her slowly yet passionately, his hand caressing her cheek and holding her face close to his. 

"W-Wait, don't we need to talk?" She pulled back an inch. 

"My dear Alexandra, is talking what you wish to do right now?" 

She thought a moment. 

"No." 

His lips smashed to hers, pushing her back against the counter. His hand came to her head, sinking his fingers into her hair and giving a sharp pull. She gasped into his lips, holding his bare biceps tightly. He easily picked her up, placing her on the counter behind her. 

She wrapped her legs around his waist, her head leaning back as his lips danced on her neck. She let out a soft moan, igniting the fire within him. Her fingers hovered over the hem of his shirt, hungrily tugging at it. He stepped back to tear off the shirt, allowing her to take in the god-like frame. Alex ran her hands over his chest, the grooves of his abdomen under her fingertips. 

"Take me to the bed," She breathed. 

"Thought you'd never ask," 

He picked her up, her legs still around his waist. He carried her back into the room, gently setting her down on the large bed. She immediately pulled him on top of her, her lust growing as he placed his hands on both sides of her head. She felt his terse muscles as she ran her nails down his back. 

Alex swiftly switched their positions so she was on top of him, dipping down to kiss him. She slipped her t-shirt off, allowing Loki's hands to roam all over her. Her confidence was one of his favorite things about Alex, so his excitement was through the roof. 

He switched them again, pulling back to look into her eyes. "I love you, Alexandra Clark." 

"I love you too, Loki, now--" 

She whispered something descriptive into his ear, causing him to pull back with widened eyes. His lips slid into a grin, and he did exactly what she said. 

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𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚗

𝙰𝙽𝚈𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝚜𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚞 𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚡'𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗? 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚍𝚘 𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝?? 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚘 𝚞 𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚡'𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛??

𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚞𝚛 𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚒𝚕𝚢