Your ears flicked and you perked your head up with a soft growl when you heard footsteps coming toward the library. Loki petted your head. "I heard him. It's just Stark," he told you softly, in the perfectly calming way he had.

"Hey, Reindeer Games. If you see the wolf, let her know we want to see her downstairs. Cap's worried he hasn't seen her eat anything. You know how he gets," Tony announced as he walked into the room, as if he just expected that Loki would be here. You lifted your head to look over the back of the couch at Tony. "Shit! You could've said she was here," Tony growled at Loki, who just chuckled.

"You did not ask," Loki replied pleasantly while Tony spluttered, surprised to see your wolf again. Loki turned his attention to you. "Are you alright to change?" you nodded, it had been a couple hours. "Why don't you go change? I'll entertain Stark and then we can all go see what the Captain wants." You nodded again, hopped lightly down from the couch and ducked back into the side room to change forms again. You came back out a minute later to find Loki forcibly keeping Tony's back turned to the room you had changed in.

"Why were you a wolf again?" Tony asked as you headed back down to the main floor. He was just curious, so you answered and explained how you would heal faster by shifting forms. He thought that over, but didn't say anything else, for once.

"Hey, Cap, you were looking for me?" you asked as you entered the dining room. You cursed your wolf again for loosening your tongue. She was comfortable and liked these people. That was strange indeed. She hated your pack. Not that you blamed her, but it was still weird that you knew these people for less than a day and she liked them better than anyone you'd ever met.

You were shocked when you saw the dining room table. It was covered in literature, print outs, and some kind of weird tablet-y screens. A quick glance showed that it was all research on werewolves. You stiffened, wondering if they were researching to help or hurt you. "Cap, I told you to clean this up before Tony found her," Nat grumbled from the kitchen. "Sorry, Y/N. The boys wanted to understand your culture better and didn't want to be rude asking questions,"

"So they asked Google?" you laughed, making your way to where Nat was cooking some delicious smelling concoction. "You guys can just ask me," you called into the other room.

"Why don't you come join us?" Cap asked kindly. You had walked past the group to the kitchen. You were going to have to learn quickly how to be around groups again, but for now...Nat had food and that was way more interesting than a room full of boys.

You laughed again. "Because the food is out here!" you replied with a tentative smile to Nat. She was a harder one to figure out, but she seemed nice enough. She gave you a smile in return.

"Get a bowl," she gestured to the cabinet with her head. "You can have get some first." You got three bowls out of the cabinet. Nat raised an eyebrow as you filled the three of them with her stew-like creation. You handed one of the bowls to her.

"Chef gets first dibs," you told her with a smile. She looked touched at your thoughtfulness. You took the other two into the dining room and handed the extra one to Loki. He looked up shocked, touched, and...confused, when you handed him the bowl. You shrugged with a shy smile. "Thought I'd save you the trouble of fighting the others," you told him and sat down to focus on your bowl of stew, and not why on Earth you had thought that was a good idea. The chef getting the first serving was just good manners and tradition. But Loki? Damn wolf felt smug about it too and you grumbled at her about whatever she was up to. You looked over the documentation on the table while you ate, laughing at some of the ridiculous things people thought were true.

No one interrupted you while you ate. They were getting food too and there was a scuffle over the stew pot while they jockied to get to the meal. Nat sat next to you while they fought, obviously pleased that she wasn't in on the brawl.

"So, Y/N, any help you'd like to give us about the wolves?" Clint asked, gesturing toward all the research that cluttered the middle of the table.

"Um..." you hesitated, not sure what he was looking for. You gestured to the document you were laughing at. "We don't turn into horny slavering idiotic beasts at the full moon," you quipped. "Don't know where people got that idea. Yes, we have to shift at the full moon, but I'm still me when I'm a wolf... And as you saw we can obviously change at other times too. We have higher metabolisms," you added when Loki handed you another bowl of stew. You hadn't paid attention to him getting up. "Thank you," you directed that comment to Loki as he settled back in his chair with his second bowl of stew. "So I eat like a teenage boy, or an Asgardian apparently," you shrugged and dug happily into the stew.

The team let the subject drop there for now. They'd press you more later, but you gave them enough basics for one night. Cap went over the press conference for tomorrow and the team sat around telling stories until late that night.

*

You finally checked your phone before bed that night. There were tons of angry texts and voicemails from the pack. And unfortunately from your mom. You made the terrible decision of calling her back, pacing up and down the hall as you spoke to her. "No, mom, I'm not coming home. I'm finishing my degree." You saw Loki peek his head out of his room as you paced past. You held a finger to your lips. You'd forgotten that he would possibly overhear your conversation. You were used to the girls in the dorm who didn't care as long as you weren't in their rooms on the phone. "Yes, mom, the Avengers are letting me stay with them. Yes, through graduation. No, I haven't spilled any pack secrets to outsiders," you chose your words and meanings carefully. "I'm not coming home," you told her firmly. "Mom, I don't care how hot he is. Hotness is not a defining character trait. I'm finishing my degree," you told her firmly. That was as close as you could get to telling her that you had no interest in the arranged marriage. You weren't going to marry that douche-bag, no matter what she said. "I'll talk to you later, mom," you said and ended the call. You sighed and glared at the phone.

"Are you alright, love?" Loki asked, concerned.

You gave him a smile. "Moms, they always worry," you replied instead of answering his question. You were used to censoring your words. You couldn't lie to werewolves. "Sorry, I got used to the dorms where the only place to pace was the hallway. Didn't mean to disturb you,"

"It's no trouble," he replied, still concerned.

You gave him a better smile. "Goodnight, Loki," you told him and headed back to your own room, turning your phone to silent so you didn't have to deal with the pack anymore for awhile.

"Goodnight, little wolf," he replied fondly. You grinned at his familiarity, knowing it was a rarity for him to get attached to anyone this quickly. You'd learned a lot about the team during the stories they told that evening. Thor was one thing, he loved everyone and reminded you of one of the puppies.

*

The next morning you found yourself backstage at the location Tony had picked for the press conference. You weren't quite sure where it was, you hadn't been paying attention on the drive, instead you were drawing small anxious circles on the back of Loki's hand with a finger. He had noticed you were twining your hands and clenching your fists in nerves. He'd offered his hand silently so you didn't dig your nails into your palms anymore. Drawing the anxious little circles were helping your nerves.

"It'll be alright, Y/N. Cap's doing all the talking. He's good at this sort of thing," Nat told you. You were wearing a demure dress that you had borrowed from her, luckily you were close enough in size that the dress fit and looked good on you. You were going shopping after this to replace your wardrobe.

"Y/N, can't you do anything else with your hair?" Tony asked. "It looks like you were raised by wolves,"

You growled at him. "I was raised by wolves, and spent almost all of my time in the woods. I have two hair styles, ponytail or down in a mane of curls. Pick one," you grumbled. "And before you say anything, no, I don't own makeup, never have, and have never worn the stuff," you continued grumbling, defensive and anxious.

Nat sighed and sat you on a chair in front of her. "Let me," she told you.

"Seriously, Tasha? Move over," Clint told her and took her chair. "Close your eyes, Y/N," he said as he took the makeup from Nat and got to work. "I have way more experience at this than she does,"

"I wouldn't go that far," Nat replied.

"I would," Clint quipped back pleasantly as he worked on your makeup. At the same time, you felt gentle fingers in your hair, teasing the curls out to look more manageable and braiding the sides back into a knot, forming a half-ponytail.

"How did you get so good at that?" Nat asked the person working on your hair. You had assumed it was her, not bothering to listen to your senses which were already on edge from the press conference, but obviously it wasn't her.

"Practice," Loki's voice replied calmly as he worked. His own hair was shoulder length, but you couldn't imagine him braiding his own hair.

They were both soon done with you and you were shocked when you saw yourself in the mirror. You'd never looked so nice. "Thank you both."

"It's time!" Cap called to your group. You all started toward the stage.

"One last thing," Tony told you. He came up behind you and with a practiced gesture had clasped a necklace around your neck, lifting your hair so the necklace landed properly. "You need a bit of bling," he explained.

You followed the others out onto the stage and were grateful that Cap was doing all of the talking. You were impressed with his lies that you'd been working with the team this entire time. His honest nature sold the lies, though you still tasted them. You tried to call on your wolf when he allowed questions, but she was lethargic...asleep?... and couldn't offer you strength, so you had to answer the questions on your own. Cap was standing right next to you and fielded questions you couldn't or wouldn't answer, but you answered what you could, said again that you had saved Pepper's life and the lives of the others in that room and how you would continue working with the team.

You were relieved when the press conference ended. It had been way more draining than you had expected. Way more draining than it should have been. You stepped forward and took Loki's arm as you walked off the stage. He hadn't offered it, but didn't seem to mind and didn't show any surprise when you did. Instead he just shifted his arm to better escort you. You focused on the feel of his suit jacket under your hand and keeping your feet moving, wondering what was wrong with you.

You tried calling your wolf again, but she didn't stir.

The second you were backstage again, you stumbled into Loki. "Sorry," you murmured, exhaustion and darkness clouding your thoughts.

"Y/N? Are you alright? Did your wounds reopen somehow?" Loki asked as he steadied you. His voice was concerned. You shook your head.

"No, I'm not injured," you told him softly. Why was everything so...lethargic? It was so hard to focus on anything or anyone.

Your knees buckled and you crashed into Loki, hard. He actually stumbled as he caught you. "Y/N!" he exclaimed. He had steadied you, but your eyes had shut and you couldn't get your legs to support you again. He swept you into his arms, but laid you on a nearby bench a moment later.

"What's wrong?" the others demanded, circling around worriedly, but you couldn't get your eyes to open again. Everything was too much effort. You just wanted to lie down with your wolf and sleep. She already was asleep...

"Wait," Nat's voice. She touched your neck. "What's this red line-? Shit!" She grabbed the necklace Tony had clasped on you before the press conference and carefully unclasped it, removing it as quickly and carefully as she could. "Where'd she get this?" Nat demanded.

"Stark put it on her before the conference," Loki's voice. "What's wrong with it?" his voice was angry, demanding, accusing.

"She needed something nice to wear," Tony protested.

"It's silver. Werewolves can't stand silver. That's in every werewolf story ever." Nat snapped at him.

You made a soft noise, fighting to wake before your wolf. She would be pissed when she woke from whatever this was. It was a struggle, but you finally got your eyes open. "Y/N!" Loki's voice and expression were such open relief.

"I'm ok," you told him softly, fighting to sit up. Loki helped you. It took all of your willpower not to lay your head against him and go to sleep.

"Why didn't you tell us you're allergic to silver?" Tony demanded, angry that he looked bad for you being in this state. You looked past Loki to him.

"I only knew it was silver weapons that we have issues with. That didn't seem relevant," you told him tiredly. You would've been embarrassed by what had happened had you been more awake and aware.

"Can you walk? We should really get out of here and back to the tower," Cap's voice was gentle, but he was urgent. You nodded and let Loki help you to your feet.

"I'm ok," you told them. You were sure you weren't convincing. In fact, you were sure you weren't convincing at all. Loki wrapped his arm around you, supporting you on the walk back to the SUV. You were asleep with your head on his shoulder moments after you were both in the backseat of the SUV. You couldn't stay awake with your wolf still lethargic and asleep.

The scary monster werewolf had been taken out by a pretty, but unremarkable, silver necklace.