You woke to grumblings from your boyfriend. "What the Hel has happened to my hair?!?" you heard him as he stood to go look in the mirror. You laughed as you sat up to watch him from where you had slumped over on the couch to doze.

"You fell asleep in front of your girlfriend while possessing long hair," you replied while you laughed. Your braids had come out quite nice actually. And Loki with braids was definitely hot. Not that you cared much about hotness factor at the moment. Just because you didn't want sex, didn't mean you couldn't appreciate the view.

Loki looked over your work in the mirror. He was half-terrified for his precious hair and half-checking to see how you'd done with the braids. He finally sighed and relaxed. "Nicely done, Lady," he finally replied with a smirk and a bow.

"You don't mind?" you asked nervously. It had been soothing to do, so you hoped you would have the opportunity again. You didn't want him upset over you messing up his precious hair, though.

"Not at all. I was simply surprised," he reassured you. He had a soft, fond smile on his face when he continued. "We often wear our hair braided for events such as feasts and battles. The style you chose was different, but it is definitely not something I mind," he added. You had made very simple braids, but maybe he'd teach you to braid his hair properly at some point. It had also taken you longer than you'd like since you kept having to restart so it would be perfect.

"Good. It was fun," you told him with a grin.

He smiled back at you. "Then I mind even less," he told you warmly before you stood and went to hug him, wrapping your arms around his slim waist.

You didn't bother changing to go to breakfast. It was a Sunday morning. Most of the supers slept in anyway, and they were all family. Plus, you were wearing Loki's clothes, which were too big on you anyway. Loki looked put-upon when you wouldn't let him put his hair back down, but he was laughing. He'd only been teasing. You knew he'd blame you anyway when the others teased him for it. "I must love you," he told you when he let you drag him downstairs with his hair still braided.

"I worked really hard on that," you grumbled at him, giggling. He sighed, but followed along after you anyway.

Even Helene gave him a smirk when she saw him. Loki wouldn't be mean to the housekeeper, though, so she got away with it without being stabbed.

You ate our breakfast in peace, but it wasn't long before the other supers started coming down for theirs. Tony came down too and Loki got up to let Tony join you at your table.

"Hey, Kat, how are you holding up?" he asked gently. He was walking on egg shells around you, unlike Loki.

You gave him a smile, trying to reassure him that you really were ok. He didn't need to know you still felt dirty. Or violated. Or raw. "I'm doing a lot better," you told him, and actually wasn't lying. It was straining to hear all of the buzzing of people's thoughts, but it wasn't as bad since Loki had helped you learn to deal with them, it was just an annoying background noise at the back of your mind. You were doing a lot better, which was saying something about how poorly you had been dong.

He looked you over, looking for the lie, and was finally relieved when he couldn't see one. He then looked you over more closely, scrutinizing something. "What the hell are you wearing?" he asked.

Oh. That's what he was whining about this time.

"Pajamas," you replied dryly. That was obvious.

He glared, but thankfully dropped the issue. He turned to Loki. "Nice look, princess," he said to Loki instead, making fun of Loki for his hair. He and Loki still didn't completely get along. Though they usually weren't completely antagonistic.

"Uncle Tony..." you warned. They were supposed to behave.

"Fine, I'll leave your stupid boyfriend alone. For now," he glared at Loki.

"Uncle Tony, enough!" you snapped at him.

Unfortunately, Tony's bowl of cereal decided to burst into flame at that moment.

"Lock it down, Kat!" he snapped back at you.

You glared at him across the table. "Leave Loki alone!" you snarled at him. You finally bit back the emotions, trying to calm yourself to ease the ache in your head.

The bowl of cereal, now reduced to a bowl of milk, was still on fire.

"Darling, he does not mean it," Loki told you softly, gently. He was trying to calm you so the fire would go away. "He simply dislikes me because I am courting you,"

"I know," you told him tiredly. You were tired of their argument. Tired of feeling like shit. Tired of the chaos your life had become. "That still doesn't make it ok," you added that part to Tony.

He nodded. Antagonizing you right now wasn't the best idea and he finally seemed to realize that. "I'm sorry, Kat. I just don't like you dating anyone,"

You nodded, but put your head in your hands to rub your temples, trying to ease the pain. "Are you working today?" you asked after a minute, trying to change the subject as you looked back up.

"Of course. I think that's all I do anymore," he grumbled

"That's because you're too good at your job," you reminded him.

"Flattering imp," he laughed at you and gave you a hug goodbye before he had to go to work.

"So what are we doing today?" Loki asked as he reclaimed his seat.

"We're sitting on the couch and I'm studying," you told him. He pouted.

"But that's boring!" he whined.

"Loki, I have my AP lit exam tomorrow, bio on Tuesday, Latin on Wednesday, and history on Friday" you reminded him, trying to be patient with the bored go. "I was only supposed to take a couple hours off of studying for the party. These exams are really important." You had explained the whole AP thing to him a couple weeks before when all talk during those classes had turned to the exams. "I promise I'll play with you all day Saturday," you added. Again.

You'd had this conversation already too.

"Fine..." he sighed. He still pouted, but at least he wouldn't fight you, not when this was so important to you. You went to sit on the couch in the common room.

"Can you get my school bag?" you asked him. You didn't feel like walking back upstairs to get it and it wasn't a strain for him to summon your things from upstairs. "And the big scary binder of AP lit notes?" Both items appeared next to your spot on the couch. He sat down, but still looked pouty.

Thankfully, you had prepared for a bored trickster of a boyfriend. You dug in your bag and pulled out the wrapped box you had hidden in there and handed it to him. "This should help keep you entertained while I study," you told him brightly, taunting him into leaving you alone.

"When did you-?" He asked, shocked. You had the feeling he was amazed you had escaped his watch long enough to make a purchase.

"While you were grounded. Nat was pissed I made her come shopping with me, but I let her drive my car, so she forgave me. I figured you were going to be a problem when exam time came around," you stuck your tongue at him so he knew that you was joking. Though he was going to be a problem. His pouting and bored expression told you that clearly enough.

"Thank you," he told you looking touched that you had thought to give him a gift. He opened the box to find a handheld video game system and an assortment of games. "I appreciate the gift, but what is it?" he asked, puzzled by the Midgardian technology.

You laughed and showed him how to turn on the system and explained that it was a game. "This one is about a hero named Mario who has to save a princess," you told him, opening one of the games and showing him how to put it in to the system.

Soon, he was entranced and contentedly playing his new game. You smiled at how adorable he was and got to work prepping for your exams.

Things were quiet until the super kids decided to play Superhero Musical at the other end of the room. You managed to drone it out while you were working through a complicated sample question, until the singing began. Your head jerked up as memories of the party flooded through you. You shrieked as pain roared through your head and flames burst up around the room full of flying objects.

"Turn that off!" Loki shouted at the kids, who in a moment of brilliance, did exactly as they were told for once. Loki turned to you, wrapping you in his cool arms. "Shh, love, it's ok. You're safe. The party is over. You're at home with your family," he soothed, rubbing your back, petting your hair until you finally calmed.

Your breathing eased and you finally forced yourself to calm. "I'm sorry," you told him softly, embarrassed.

"It is not your fault," he replied gently. One of the kids was a firestarter and had already taken care of the flames. Somehow nothing was ruined. Loki let you go and you looked over at the kids.

"Sorry!" you called to them. They gave you waves and laughs in reply. This compound could be kind of chaotic and it wasn't uncommon for powers to go out of control. It was common enough that they just waved it off.

"We were due for a bit of excitement! Exam season is usually so boring!" one of them called. You relaxed at their understanding.

"But maybe we'll pick a different movie," another one called. That seemed like an excellent idea.

You had gotten tired of looking at English questions and asked Loki if he would get your other binders so you could study something else for awhile. He did so without complaint and went back to his game once you were resettled with your studying.

You were actually feeling good about upcoming exams when Fury came up to see you that evening. You looked up at him confused. He usually didn't come to this wing unless something was wrong. "Uncle Tony?" you asked him, jumping to your feet. That was the only reason you could think that he'd be coming to see you: if something had happened to your uncle

"He's fine. He's out on patrol with the team. They just called in to say that all's quiet," Fury told you . You sighed in relief. You hated it when Tony got injured out on patrol. It didn't happen often because of his suit, but it still happened occasionally. "Tony and some of the others in the lab have been working on this for the past two days straight and we finally got the finishing touches complete," he got to the point, handing you a thick metal...bracelet? It looked nearly identical to the one on Loki's wrist, the one that limited his powers. "Anytime you are out of the compound while you're learning control you are to wear it," Fury told you firmly, leaving no room for disobedience. "It will block your powers completely, or so I've been promised. You will learn control, Kat, and this isn't a punishment, but your powers are too strong and too deadly when they're out of control. I can't lock you up here away from the world. You need to go to school and have a life," you nodded, but weren't sure about this. You knew someone had told him how powerful you really were, despite Loki trying to protect you. Fury hesitated, but continued. "I also need to protect this compound and everyone who comes here to learn control. The city can shut us down if I let untrained supers out in the world. It's a compromise, Kat," he insisted.

"I understand," you replied. You did understand, even if you didn't like it.

"We really should test it..." Fury said. Though you didn't know how to call up your powers on purpose, as you were trying to avoid using them until your mind had healed enough to attempt control, or at least not excruciating pain any time they were activated. "Also don't tell anyone that we have these. They'll want to round up all of the supers and bind their powers, and that's not a good idea. Besides, they're a fairly new invention. We only just perfected it for Loki's,"

"I trust your work," you replied quickly, and you definitely wouldn't tell anyone about the gadget.

Fury finally agreed that it would be ok without testing and left you alone. you sat back on the couch, looking over the metal bangle on your wrist.

"Are you alright, darling?" Loki asked when he was gone. You could hear the concern in his voice.

"You're just stuck being security for us while we're out for awhile. Besides my daggers, of course," you gave him a tentative smile, hoping this would work at least well enough for you to make it through exams. You hadn't known Tony could make these kind of gadgets. You thought he had been able to block Loki's magic because it was magic not powers. Tony was a genius, though, so apparently he was capable of anything. Besides, people weren't supposed to know about them, so of course you hadn't been told before.

You went back to your lit notes and Loki got back to his game. It was about 10pm when your books and bag disappeared. You glanced up at Loki. "Where'd my notes go?" you asked him, knowing he was behind the disappearance.

"Your room," he replied calmly as he packed up his game.

"And why are they there? I need them here where the studying is occurring," you reminded your silly trickster. You couldn't study without your notes.

"The key to doing well on an exam is to get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast," he told you quite calmly and innocently.

"Surely another hour of studying-" you protested.

He just gave you a look.

"You have done nothing else all day, darling. You are still healing, and need rest," he told you firmly.

You sighed. You knew a lost cause when you heard one. "I just want to do well on these," you told him softly.

"And you will. I have every confidence that you will pass them with flying colors. Why don't we have some ice cream before bed?" he blatantly bribed. You laughed at his blatancy, but nodded.

"Fine, pesky trickster," you replied. He vanished his game and took your hands to pull you to your feet so you could go raid the freezer. You found a pint of your favorite right in the front of the freezer in plain sight. It hadn't gotten stolen because Helene had written your name on it. You smiled at it, grabbed the pint and two spoons, and carried it all to the diningroom.

"You are not getting bowls too?" Loki asked.

"You can kiss me, but not share a container of ice cream?" you replied with a smile. He laughed and came to join you, sitting at your usual table, eating ice cream directly from the container. It was nice to have a normal end to your evening.