[ Instead of brushing her away, his hands slide up to cup her face and he closes the distance to press a firm, quieting kiss over her frantic lips, thumbs curving around her temples and black-nailed fingers sifting into pink hair. Loki huffs an understated laugh, green eyes bright and fond as he ignores the passers-by tutting at the two of them in the middle of the street.

In a low voice intended to be as steady and reliable as a mountain, he barely moves his lips away from hers. ]

The only reason I want you to stay out of harm's way is that I am not that resilient. If anything happened to you I would raze this city to the ground to discover the truth. [ Realtalk is happening. ] I am not a hero, my dearest friend, and if you believe I am strong enough to brush you away then you underestimate how lost I would be without Verity Willis in all her fleet, high-heeled glory.