Nine Days Of Loki

Sitting with her head in her hands, Sif tried to process her conflicting emotions.
Having ripped a bed sheet into make-shift bandages, she had assisted Loki in wrapping the deep gash which ran diagonally across the back of his left hand, right around to his wrist.
Under normal circumstances, such a wound would have been quite an insignificant injury to one of such a higher race of beings. But the extraordinary amount of blood loss due to the depth of the cut was more reminiscent of what a mortal would suffer, proving once more that the mind gem rendered Asgardians extremely vulnerable.

He had been sat statue-like now for at least the past twenty minutes, shirtless with his tightly bound arm raised above his head in order to stem the flow of blood.
A grim expression adorning his handsome face, his pallor was sallow and almost sickly looking.
She peered at him through her fingers, surveying him closely. Barely a word had passed between them and the silence in the room was so heavy it almost felt suffocating.

Finally she could bear it no longer. So many thoughts rattled around inside her head; colliding with each other like ball bearings, she thought she might go mad if she didn't voice some of them.

"Loki....I am sorry for my anger. You must know that I did not intend to inflict such a wound on you..."
She ventured softly,
"...I do not understand why you continue to wear that ring. Can you not remove it? Then you will not be suffering so from your injury."

"It will heal Sif. Please, do not concern yourself."
He replied simply, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further.
Much to her irritation.

Turning in the chair, he fixed his intense gaze upon her,
"What I need to know is, where are the S.H.I.E.L.D agents now? Will the earth's mightiest avengers be along shortly to cart me off to their floating fortress in the sky?"

She stiffened slightly at his words.
Natasha had instructed her to act naturally, and to play him at his own game. But she was not as skilled at deceit as he was. And in spite of his scheming, lying and questionable behaviour, she could not just simply switch off her feelings. Though it wasn't through want of trying.

"They will not come for you-"
She managed at last, but he cut her off sharply.

"So they want you to take me to them."
He stated rather than asked,
"Is that your intention Sif? To hand me over to my enemies?"

"No, but you are obliged to cooperate with them Loki and assist them with their investigations."

"I am under no obligation to anyone!"
He roared, becoming suddenly vexed. His nostrils flaring in indignation,
"They can question Lorelei. I was merely her pawn."

"But they helped you Loki, it is the least you can do after the havoc you have repeatedly wreaked on this planet."

His jaw tightened,
"I owe them nothing....and do not insult me by taking me for a fool. They intend to apprehend me one way or another, and I know now where your loyalty lies."

Unable to believe what she was hearing, and struggling to contain her rising anger, she rose to her feet,
"Do not speak to me of loyalty, you who are a double-crossing master of treachery."

"I trusted you, and you repay me by siding with those who wish to see me caged yet again."
He hissed, his lip curling like a snarling dog.

"Do not play the victim here, you need to take responsibility for your actions."

"And I was willing to do that, for you Sif..."
His tone altered dramatically now, his voice and expression appeared to be tinged with sadness,
"...I would have returned to Asgard. I would have sacrificed my freedom....for you."

She stared at him hard, taking in every line of his face. Searching his expression for signs of sincerity. He certainly sounded sincere, but that meant very little.
"And I was willing to remain here on Midgard with you..."
She countered,
"....but that was before."

"Before what?"
He challenged, and quite forgetting his injury, he lowered his arm in order to point one of his long fingers at her,
"What has altered between us?

"Everything!"
She folded her arms firmly across her chest defensively, creating a subconscious barrier between them.
"I have since learnt that you are an arms dealer. You are more of a threat to this realm now than ever. Just thinking of the horrors you help orchestrate, sickens me!"

"Oh please! I am a broker, nothing more than a middleman with a phone, computer and bank account.."
He scoffed,
"...the humans slaughter themselves in droves. They always have, and they always will. They're destructive by nature and will be their own destroyer."

"Do you not feel the gravity of your actions? Innocent people will have suffered at your hands for having supplied the evil doers of this world with instruments of death."

Visibly bristling he now averted his eyes, affixing his gaze on the floor as if suddenly fascinated by his bloodstained shirt which lay discarded on the carpet.

"Your behaviour is disappointing..."
She went on.

"It has never been anything other. Why break the habit of a lifetime?"
He retorted sardonically.

"You're so cold."

"Yes I have been told that before....I take after my father. My real one that is, although my foster father is a cold hearted bastard."

"Stop it!"
She cried, taking a step towards him,
"You may find this amusing you insufferable wretch, but I grow weary of your games."

Leaping to his feet, the chair almost tipped backwards due to his brusque movements.
"What games? Has my behaviour towards you not been sincere?"

She felt a slight heat rise in her cheeks, knowing that he was referring to their sexual exploits. Which she did not wish to discuss. Especially knowing that agents Romanoff and Coulson were in fact listening in on the conversation.

"Tell me?"
He shouted fiercely, but for a moment she was sure she saw tears forming in his traitorous eyes, which betrayed a vulnerability that made her heart ache.

"You do not understand...."
She began to explain softly,
"...being physically intimate with someone is not the same as opening yourself up to them. Bedding someone is nothing more than a carnal exchange when feelings run no deeper than mere attraction-"

"So you expect me to lay myself bare for you Sif? In every sense of the word?"
He quipped, looking at her scornfully,
"You wish to learn all of my secrets, in order for me to show you a softer side? And how precisely would that prove anything? Must I risk exposing my weaknesses in order to convince you we may have shared something more substantial than just a good fuck?"

She flinched at the vulgarity of his words, but chose to ignore them because she sensed he was trying to provoke a reaction from her.
"It is more than that, you fool.."
She fired back angrily,
"...you have always been so guarded and emotionally detached. There is no sin in being vulnerable Loki, it's what gives us humility, empathy and compassion....you are seriously lacking in all of these attributes. You're not like a living being, you're more like a device...all cogs and wheels, calculating and scheming relentlessly-"

"Enough!"
He bellowed, rapidly closing the distance between them,
"You must have found something appealing Sif, otherwise you would not have slept with me in the first place."

Her embarrassment cranked up yet another notch, and she desperately attempted to silence him on the subject in order to save what was left of her reputation and dignity,
"I have just said, pleasures of the flesh do not extend beyond that when there's no trust, sincere feelings or emotion."

"No feelings or emotion?"
He repeated incredulously as he drew nearer, he looked visibly stunned now as though he'd just received some alarming news.
"I can give you real emotion Sif.""
And suddenly he was gripping the front of her blouse tightly, pulling her into him, catching her small mouth in a deep kiss.

As exquisite as his kisses were, she was enraged by his bold move.
He was either incredibly brave or monumentally stupid for attempting such a manoeuvre on her whilst she was still so rattled.
Forcing herself to break the kiss, she pulled away from his embrace.

"Do not do that!"
She fumed, oblivious to his apparent surprise,
"Your actions prove nothing."

At that, he found the echoing of Lorelei's words yet again bouncing around, resonating inside his head once more...."do not mistake lust for love."

Taking a step back, he raised his hands in mock surrender,
"Forgive me Sif, I should not have misjudged the situation so badly. The problem is that whilst the last thing on your mind at present is indulging in any form of carnal activity, my first instinct is to show you my passion by making love to you."

Scowling deeply at him, she made to speak but he swiftly brought his hand up and gently placed the pad of his index finger to her soft lips, to prevent her from interrupting.
Half expecting her to bite him for his trouble, he almost sighed with relief when she silently permitted him to continue.

"Nothing would delight me more than to take you in that bed, not up against a wall, or on a pool table. I want to savour your every touch and taste...."

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly as he continued his passionate proclamation,

"....it was never merely a drunken one night stand, or a frivolous fling for me Sif, it has always been more. So much more, and I realise that now. You deserve to be worshipped like the Goddess you are. Which is why it always grieved me so, seeing how you favoured Thor all those years. I was a fool allowing myself to stand by and idly fret, my silver tongue too tongue-tied to tell you. I was content to wallow in self pity and denial due to my cowardice. Well I may have lacked the necessary courage to be open, but I'm opening my heart to you now....as you so wish."

Blinking rapidly, as tears suddenly began to prick her eyes, she found herself biting her bottom lip nervously. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as he cautiously reached out and entwined his slender fingers around her dainty ones.

"L-Loki..I..."
She stammered, lost for words but not daring to even think that what she thought he might be saying to her, was true.
She couldn't dare allow herself to think it.
But the problem was, she already was thinking it, and now her heart was in her mouth as she silently willed it to be true.

"I understand that my feelings may well not be reciprocated, and I do not blame you for having your reservations. My malicious nature, untrustworthiness and callousness was never likely to endear me to you...."
He went on remorselessly, his self-deprecating, scathing remarks surprising even himself,
"....but to me Sif you are the moon that rises, the sun that sets, and everything else in between. I long to make love to you, because...I do love you."

The air in the room seemed to thicken as their eyes locked.
He could see the fear in her eyes give way to want, but would not press his luck by attempting to kiss her again.
Instead he slowly released her hands, and stepped away from her. Allowing her space and time to digest his bombshell.
It wasn't every day after all, that the God of mischief declares his love for you.

Swallowing hard, for a moment she felt as though she might actually melt into a puddle on the floor.
She had to be dreaming, and half expected to wake at any moment to find none of this had been real at all. But that was the problem. Loki was slippery and you never really knew what was real. All she knew was that his words had sounded very real, and the effect they had equally so.

"Loki, I do not know what to say.."
She managed finally.

His expression remained unreadable, but his blue-green orbs betrayed his true feelings. The look of love in those eyes was unmistakable.
It made her heart flutter as if it had grown wings, as it dawned on her how familiar that look was.
She had seen it before. Many many times before, but only now did she truly see  it....she hadn't known then, or dared think that it was love she saw there.
All those sideways glances they'd exchanged over the years had not been meaningless after all.

"I never realised...I wish I had, even though it would have been just as impossible, and we would never have gotten to share this moment."

He smiled weakly, and she thought she recognised a fleeting flash of disappointment on his clever face,
"It is lacking romance somewhat. And there never would be a perfect moment Sif. You never had eyes for me in the presence of Thor, and I won't be your second choice."

Confusion clouded her expression, as his words threw her completely.
He really was the most exasperating man she'd even known. Even now, did he not see how she felt for him? She was just simply struggling to put it into words.

"The moment is what you make it. You have taught me that, Loki. And this is not about you being second choice, the only choice to be made is by you. Instead of craving power, or greatness, what if you were to choose love instead?"

Seemingly agitated, he began pacing back and forth, not even attempting to hide his irritation,
"Sentiment..."
He scoffed,
"...please do not drive me blind with frustration Sif. We know how this ends, with you and I parting ways. I dare not think of the future and what it holds for me. You on the other hand will return to Asgard victorious, having accomplished your mission, and all we have shared will fade into the mists of time."

"Do not say that!"
She snapped,
"Do not speak as though it is of no consequence. Yes you are terrifying Loki, and strange and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love. I am also terrified of what I have done, and even of who I now am. But most of all.....I'm terrified of leaving this room and never feeling for the remainder of my existence, the way I feel when I'm with you."

His eyes snapped to hers, and in that instant there was no more time to be wasted.
He longed to be as close to her as possible, physically and emotionally, and she would willingly allow him.
There was no slow approach or hesitation as he welcomed her into his embrace. Enfolding her in his strong arms as she pressed her petite body against his tall one, she strained upwards, intent on consuming his mouth.
Their lips met each other urgently, as they moved slowly, him guiding her towards the bed whilst simultaneously fumbling to unbutton her blouse.

The room fell out of focus, and Lorelei and S.H.I.E.L.D along with everything else ceased to exist. The outside world paled into insignificance as they tumbled onto the bed, he lowered her down, his upper body following; bearing her back against the soft mattress.
She revelled in his heat and the feel of her bosom pressing against his soft skin, as he flung her bra to the floor.
Parting her lips eagerly to allow his velvet tongue to enter her warm mouth, their tongues probed and explored each other tentatively.

She ran her hands across his chest of sculpted marble, causing him to break from the kiss; his breath ragged.
She didn't want the moment to end, he was addictive. She could easily become addicted to this. Addicted to him. If she wasn't already.
This was not the right time to be allowing her basic instincts to take precedence over her duty. But he was her weakness, and his heartfelt proclamation had made him more irresistible than ever.
Whether she wanted to face the fact or not, she could no longer deny her love for the wretched trickster.

He buried his face against the curve of her shoulder, placing a trail of hot open-mouthed kisses along her neck, creating tingling sensations as his lips glided downwards across her collar bone, ghosting over the swell of her breast.
Biting back a moan, she gripped onto his broad shoulders tightly as he gently kissed and suckled each of her nipples, so they rose to greet his skilled mouth.

"You are so beautiful, Sif."
He murmured against her breast, his voice sending a cluster of shivers wriggling their way down her spine, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.

His large hands tugged at her trousers, pulling them down; conveniently taking her underwear with them.
She blushed deeply, feeling momentarily awkward as he leaned back in order to disentangle them from her athletic legs. She could feel the heavy weight of his passion-filled eyes staring down at her, unblinking and filled with need as he set about removing his own.

Gazing up at him in awe, she marvelled at the sight of him as he stood naked and unashamed before her, his large erection rising proudly, defying gravity.
The subtle throbbing sensation began between her legs, intensified as he leaned above her, tracing circles along her thighs with his hands.
Lowering himself back down, he feathered kisses along her navel, moving lower and lower, his hair tickling her stomach as he edged further south.

"L-Loki.."
She stammered reluctantly, as the realisation of his intentions suddenly hit her,
"....this is too risqué...I have never...."
He words trailed off as he boldly pressed her thighs apart, and she grew increasingly alarmed.

"Well I will be the first man to taste you."
He purred lasciviously, unable to hide the satisfaction he felt, knowing that his beautiful shield maiden had not engaged in this particular form of intimacy before.

Settling himself between her legs, he lowered his head and....

"My god!"
She squealed, her hands grasping at his hair, as he nuzzled into her most intimate area.

Resisting the urge to reply with "Yes I am." a low growl escaped his lips as he lapped at her hungrily. Her grip on his hair tightened painfully; twisting her fingers through it, as she pressed herself against his hot mouth.

His deft fingertips roamed upwards to simultaneously caress her breasts, as she writhed beneath his touch.
Any shame she had initially felt, melted away as his expert, teasing licks caused the sweet maddening tension to spread throughout her body.

Muttering pleas of desperation, she felt certain she would snap under the pressure of the tightening. The fluttering dips caused her to tremble all over and her need for release pushed her to what felt like the edge of insanity.
Her back bowed as he held her firmly in place, and with the softest nudge of the tip of his tongue, he skilfully pushed her into the sweet abyss.

Crying out for him, as her entire body spasmed with the intensity of her climax, he released her from his clench and ceased his tantalising assault.
He watched her, transfixed; revelling in having witnessed the effect his silver tongue had on her. The fierce heat that pumped through his veins stirred his desire further.
He needed to take her. He wanted to fill her, to take possession of her exquisite body and satisfy her every need.

"I breath you..."
He rasped, his voice husky and low,
"...you're everything. You're the air."

Her heart swelled at his words, at the adoration, passion, and love she saw in his aquamarine eyes. No one had ever looked at her this way before.
He looked at her as though she were the only woman in the entire nine realms.
Merciful Norns, how had she not been able to see it before?
All those wasted years. She felt like an utter fool.
But all that mattered was the here and now. She wanted them to conjoin, to feel him inside her, to see him come apart, to become one and know they had done this together.

"I'll give you anything, Loki. My body, my soul, my heart....take them, they are yours. You can have it all. Take everything."
She whispered softly, as he positioned himself atop her, ranking between her shaky thighs.

Holding her breath as she felt his shaft throbbing against her slick entrance, he nudged gently, pushing into her maddeningly slowly, inching further and further until she sheathed his length completely.
He immediately froze for a moment, and placed a large hand at her hip to steady her and ensure that neither of them moved.
Her dark eyes rounded and locked on his, and without breaking eye contact he slowly began moving; pushing and retracting gently.
The initial discomfort due to his size began to fade, and the overwhelming sensation of having him moving inside her, made her head spin.

She saw his face contort with pleasure, as she raised her hips to meet his thrusts, bringing her slender legs up and crossing them at the ankle behind him, enabling him to push deeper.
He propped himself up on one elbow; forcing their bodies even closer as he increased his pace, and she could no longer refrain from groaning with each thrust.
The inimitable sweetness and heady tension began stirring once more, as he hit just the right spot in order to send her rapidly hurtling towards ecstasy.
Her hands slid down the tensing muscles in his back to his taut behind, smoothing over the curve of his perfectly formed rear, feeling his sensuous, rhythmic thrusting beneath her touch.
Her moans turned to cries of pleasure as the surging heat she felt building grew closer to erupting.

Overwhelmed by the sudden urge to take control of him, her dominant prince, she used all her strength to push against him; forcing him to move onto his side.
Following her lead, he obligingly rolled onto his back, allowing her to push him to recline, enabling her to straddle his narrow hips.
He surged forwards, kissing between her breasts, before enveloping the sensitive nub of her right nipple in his mouth.
She gasped at the dual erotic sensations, and sensing his urgency she mercilessly teased him by repeatedly raising and lowering herself onto him painstakingly slowly, delaying entrance each time.
She wanted to drive him wild with want, and set his senses alight like he did to her.
In response he muttered an expletive which dissolved into a low groan.

She leaned towards him so that their noses were only a fraction apart, and moved against him,
""I'm going to watch you come apart beneath me."
She moaned breathlessly.

"I'm afraid you won't have to wait very long for that, my love."
He informed her, as he jerked his pelvis upwards to meet her grinding.

She reached down to catch his mouth with her lips, their tongues entwining hungrily.
Tangling his long fingers through her silky hair, he tugged on it gently, nipping her bottom lip sensually as she quickened her movements.
They were moving, moving, not fast but with determination, the synchronised connection of two lovers conjoined, moving in perfect rhythm.

They broke for air, their breath now coming in ragged pants as he touched her ribs and smoothed over her waist before slipping his hands under the mounds of her buttocks, so he could lift her slightly, increasing his leverage.
She yelped as the sweet intensity increased...nearing...nearing as he splayed his long fingers across her behind, guiding and moving her but following a gentle pace.

Holy mother of Surter, he never wanted to stop, but she felt so divine he didn't know how much longer he could last. A skilled lover, due to having had plenty of practice, Loki had mastered the art of delaying his own release, but Sif tested his limits.

Her movements sped, and he plunged into her harder. Each of them bathing their senses in extravagant pleasure, until the wild beauty of what they were doing to each other drove them both to a mutual shattering climax.

The sublime intensity ripped through her body; waves of exquisite pleasure coursing through her veins.
The quivering wetness contracted around him as her body convulsed due to her soul consuming orgasm. The deafening sound of her own heartbeat rang in her ears, and it was only when a strangled half-moan half-cry tore from Loki's chest, did her coherency return.
Reaching out, his hands balled into the sheets at his sides, as his entire body shook aggressively beneath her.
She felt the intensity of his release pulsating through her, and allowed her body to collapse against his in a satiated heap.

*************

It was sometime later, after having been lay with Sif in his arms; his long legs entangled with hers as she slept peacefully with her head against his chest, that Loki rose carefully from the bed.
She stirred slightly, but did not wake.
Much to his relief.

Outside, dawn was breaking and as he hastily rummaged through his bag to find fresh clothes. In the pale light he could see the white of the bandage on his bound wrist turning crimson as his blood continued to seep through it.
Wincing slightly, he chose to forgo struggling with his shirt, and instead opted for one of his illusions.
Transforming his midgardian attire into the leather armour that he hadn't worn for so very long, he slowly made his way to the door.
Hesitating in order to look upon Sif's sleeping form once more, he sighed heavily and reluctantly left the room with a heavy heart.

As he stepped into the cool crisp morning air, he was greeted by a mob of agents, guns drawn as they advanced upon him. With great effort he raised his arms as a gesture of surrender,

"Agent Romanoff, how delightful to see you again."
He remarked casually, slipping on his preferred mask of arrogance.

The petite woman approached him cautiously, noticing the way he was gritting his teeth and seemed to be favouring his left arm.

"You knew we were here. But I don't need to ask what took you so long."
She responded dryly, and sensing that he posed no great threat at present, she folded her arms defensively.

His brow furrowed slightly,
"Yes I knew your agents of espionage would be keeping vigil. And my surrender is regrettable but necessary..."
He indicated towards his lame hand,
"...I will assist you with your enquiries, but I will require your assistance in return."

An awkward silence ensued, until at last she nodded slightly,
"Okay."

He began to walk and she fell into step beside him, her hand still clutching her taser gun. Her eyes never left him, and he sensed she was anticipating his every move.

But she needn't have worried, he was in too much pain to try and escape. He was surrendering himself willingly, and was at their mercy. He was vulnerable. He needed medical attention, and he needed to get to Lorelei. Above all else he needed that damn ring off his finger. And the sooner the better.

Yet in spite of all his concerns and ulterior motives, there was one thing now playing heavily on his mind above all else.

"When you said you needn't ask what took me so long, what did you mean by that?"
He asked suddenly, unable to let the remark slide,
"Has your hawk been up in his nest, spying again? I always did suspect him of being a voyeur."

Shooting him a hateful look that didn't go unnoticed by him, she replied simply and her response was like a punch to his gut,
"Not watching. Listening. The cell phone was bugged. And admittedly I did tell your girlfriend to act naturally.....but I didn't think she'd take it that far. She deserves an Oscar for that performance, as well as a knighthood for going above and beyond the call of duty."