well, damn
- - -
Their heavy panting filled the room, that silent moment where you stare at one another and almost feel like its their eyes that are grounding their heart and lungs enough for them to stop heaving. Still joined at their centers, neither knew quite what to say, but the silence was broken by two innocent fireworks of power emanating from both their chests, purple and green met and exploded together in hundreds of tiny glittering particles
When one of said particles fell in Cora's nose, her eyes widened, and before Loki could question it, a speck fell on his forehead and he jumped, his head butting with his bedpost as he abruptly sat slightly up
"That's outrageous", he exclaimed, his eyes as comically large as hers, "Insane", he insisted
Cora was trying to contain her laughter, but it just wasn't possible anymore, "Did our powers just-", she couldn't finish her sentence before exploding at the horrified look on his face, "Oh, you don't have to look so appalled!", at her carelessness he looked even more appalled
"Are you kidding me?! We just- that was a fucking mating ritual!"
"Well, we didn't really have a choice in the matter did we!?", she argued, pulling at his arm and trying to lay her head on his chest.
Loki pulled his arm back just as quickly, "This is not a game, Coralina! This is serious binding magic", he was met by a sarcastic 'duh doy', "Barbaric and heinous in the most pure sense-"
"Oh, fuck you too, Friggason, we're not werewolves, we're not mates or whatever," she scoffed in a mocking tone, "it's just magic", she added with a roll of her eyes, "Clearly, you couldn't be more disgusted, good news for you, you can choose, so," she started gathering her things, not even thinking about the fact that she was leaving her own room, "don't worry this never happened, and we were obviously not acting of our own accord-"
She was stopped by a hand cradling her cheek, "I wanted it to be different", he muttered, his eyes begging her to stay, guiding her back to the bed "When it dawned on me, the first thing that came to my mind was that I'd somehow taken-", he gulped and tried to get the words out, "that I had taken advantage of you", his voice was the softest she had ever heard, and the words made something inside her ache instantly, her flight response vanished and she leaned into his embrace further, desperate let him know just how much that wasn't true.
"I swear I wanted you with all my being: magic, mind and body", she spoke each word with as much sentiment as she could convey, "all of me wanted all of you", he felt himself let go of the panic that had arisen within him and finally held her close, no magic guiding his actions
He opened his mouth to speak, but found his throat dry. Without a word spoken, a glass of water was held in front of him, handed to him with a soft and caring smile, he accepted and tried again, "I feel like I ruined the beauty of what just happened with my panic", he said with an awkward cough, tracing different patterns along her skin
"Eh, maybe", she shrugged, earning a soft smack on her arm. They both laughed, "But, hey! We managed to save this before blowing it all to shit", she held her hand up for a high-five, but a lift of Loki's left eyebrow had her pouting, "Fine, you managed to save this before I blew it all to shit"
"Better" he hummed in agreement, while holding her closer and taking in the smell of her hair, a pleased hum coming from his throat
"And, hey", she said, lightly twisting herself to face him, "the night is young, we have plenty of time to reclaim it as ours"
"Temptress", he sneered, in a voice so low Cora wondered if he'd even meant for her to hear him. She didn't have much more time to think about it before lips crashed into hers, and hands grabbed at her hips with a need much resembling the one bubbling from her insides. "I want you", he whispered against her chest, right over her heart
"You have me, Loki", she muttered back, her whisper the most luring song as they moved together until the space between them was just a breath
- - -
"Dyeing my hair, yes or no", the voice of Tony Stark interrupted the peaceful breakfast, "Just like a gold and red streak on the side", he added, running a hand through his hair to show.
"People know you're Iron-Man", Natasha sighed tiredly, "You have to let it go, Tony", at that the rest looked at her questioningly, "Someone asked for a picture with me instead of him, and he got handed the camera, so", everyone looked at him with either mock pity or laughter
"Sorely mistaken, Miss triple agent, I'm just digging a trip to the hair-salon", he deflected poorly, "But, it would look great right?"
"How many times do we have to say we do not care, Stark?", came a new voice, which instantly perplexed the team. The last few days, they'd gotten used to the feeling of physical dread at having to be in the vicinity of the fighting couple. The disbelief was clear in everyone's faces when said fighting couple walked into the room hand in hand with smiles and a bit more life in their eyes.
It was quick that they all silently agreed to not even touch the subject and just take the win and be happy that whatever had happened seemed to be over. That didn't stop Pietro and Peter to send knowing looks to Loki, and when the latter caught their secret fist bump, he discreetly sent a wisp of magic to their cups, spilling the warm coffee on their laps, and continuing to guide Cora to their empty seats with a hand hovering over her low back.
Silently, Loki grabbed the back of Cora's usual chair, he could feel her behind him and instinctively he moved his hand, blocking her incoming attack -in the form of poking his sides-. He looked at her hand, then at her with a raised brow
"That's my chair", she replied easily, both standing her ground and trying to move around him so she could sit
"Yes, and I'm trying to obviously steal your spot", he countered with sarcasm, while wrapping his hands around her shoulders to stop her from moving, "Stay", he ordered. And of course, he was only met with more resistance.
While Loki tried and failed to get the woman to just stand for a single second, the rest of the heroes, inevitably, turned to the scene, biting back laughter at the pair. The snickers from his teammates was enough to almost drive him to the edge, so, with a wave of his hands, he momentarily turned blue as he froze her in place, and he made a show of slowly pulling the chair back, a sarcastic smile on his face. He unfroze her, grabbed her hand, and helped her sit down, then pushed her close to the table before taking his own seat by her right.
At her embarrassed blush, realizing she had wrongly assumed he was stealing her chair, everyone chuckled then continued with idly breakfast chatter. Cora was laughing along to a joke Pietro had told, when a shiver ran down her spine and Loki's breath met her left ear, "You do recognize the fact that you make it very difficult to court you, don't you?"
She answered by throwing her arm around his shoulder and giving him a loud kiss on the cheek, "Thank you, my lord and saviour", she teased, but her joke went ignored by the prince, who suddenly looked alarmed, like he had made a mistake, and yes, in his mind his brain screamed at him, how could he have forgotten?
"What happened last night?", he asked her, but he didn't let her answer before his eyes flashed with anger, "Where did you send her?", now he directed his questions to Steve Rogers, who was peacefully finishing his chocolate oatmeal, "Why was she sent alone? She could've died!" Why didn't she have a backup team? And rescue? She came back with half a breath! I'm sure the elevator is still fucking flooded in her blood!" with each sentence his anger rose, and soon he was towering over the table to an astonished Captain America
"Loki, stop", Cora mumbled, warily looking at everyone on the table, who now looked surprised at the outburst, and at the fact that the almost unbreakable woman had been so physically impaired by a mission, it left her feeling naked and vulnerable.
"It was a trap", she muttered, shying away from their questioning glares and their concerned frowns, "I don't know who, or why, but it was not from around here, that's for sure, it managed to get inside my head, it managed to make me bleed, it managed to stop my healing-", she stopped before her breathing got too laboured. "Heimdall saved me", she admitted to the group, the breakfast table turning into more of a meeting table with the change of energies.
The Gods looked at each other in surprise, never before had Heimdall intervened in Midgardian matters in that way, "Did you call for him?" Thor questioned, she only nodded
"What attacked you?", she shivered at Bruce's question
"It took the form of a child, I was taking information from an abandoned experimentation camp, she looked like a prisoner, so I told her I'd help", she sighed, running her hands through her hair, "next thing I know, it turns into something like a demon, and I couldn't stop it from invading my mind, I-", she turned to look at the brothers with fear, "It showed me the fall of the realms"
- - -
Everyone got to work instantly, Tony ran every database available to find something, some clue they could follow to find their culprit, Natasha tried to question old contacts, asking to keep their eyes open, Thor left to Asgard to speak with the gatekeeper, Loki took over Wanda's training, and the rest focused on training and trying to use each of their skill sets to the maximum
Cora was sneaking to her room to meditate when she was stopped by one Vision, "Hey, man, what're you up to?", she asked casually
"You have always been intriguing, Coralina", he mused, much to the woman's confusion, "I'm lending my help", he answered her silent question, "I am supposed to be a vessel of knowledge, yet curiosity has sneaked itself into my system, the desire to find and understand the answers I still don't have. It's my human trait", he continued, following Cora after she silently gestured to join her in her room
"I don't know what's going on, or how to stop it from hurting others, if that's your unasked question", she confessed, but he just nodded as if it was the most obvious fact
"What is troubling you?", he asked, crossing one leg over the other, and leaning on the couch further
"I know more than I'm letting on", he just looked at her, "Not really, I don't know know, but I know. I have theories, very solid and probable theories", she stopped abruptly, "This is a private conversation, right?"
"I won't divulge anything you share, that's my machine part", he assured
"You make a good therapist, it suits you", she chuckled, before clearing her voice, "there are things that just have to happen, things that are supposed to happen and people all over the world who make sure they happen. You know I'm more than what I let on, you let me know that in our first conversation. I don't know what you know, I'd be honored to know though", he coughed to stop her from rambling, "Sorry! So, I'm powerful, meaning in the whole ladder, I'm above many people, I feel like I'm at the top, I have power over destiny, but not in its entirety. I would be idiotic to ignore all that is above me, all that is in charge of my destiny"
"And the demon that attacked you, was he your destiny?"
"What do you know about me?", she asked in retort.
They stared at each other for a long time, trying to discern the other's thoughts, the air felt thick even for him, who didn't even need to breathe
"I know your last name, and therefore who that makes you", he resolved in saying, his eyes calculating her reaction
Her mouth was only able to open and close, "How?", she managed to ask
"The stone", he began, "I'm slowly managing to access its knowledge, it's been around since the creation of the cosmos, and sometimes it speaks to me, only in a language I have yet to master", he stood and started pacing, "I still have not grasped much about the afterlife," he tried ignored the gasp Cora let out, "I understand there are voids, there are heavens, there are intricate systems that determine where souls go. But I also know there are disputes, I imagine your terrain is the 9 realms, but what of the rest of the universe? or the universes, plural?"
"Valhalla and Helheim have always been neutral, humans put religion so high on their priorities, yet they have no idea how simple it actually is for them, there are worlds where their afterlife changes almost every week, we have been rock solid for more than seven-thousand years", she sighed, "Sorry, I am somewhat of a politician after all", she said chuckling. "As I said, I'm very high on the ladder, but I'm not entirely alone, there are others at my level, but, because we like our crowns, we have accords set in place, limits and regulations for everyone, it's natural that when given power, some just want more. We're above that, we are peaceful." She bit at her nail, before a disapproving glance from the synthezoid stopped her, "There are a few known people who want to violate the accords, who have tried to invade my territory, infiltrate it", she stopped, looking at the cameras and doing a spell to change the footage, Vision only stared at her in amusement, "I can't be sure who sent the demon, and, again, there are people in charge of making sure that what has to happen, happens, so I might not be even supposed to stop it, who knows?"
"So, what's your next step?"
"I go home, try to find some answers", Vision only nodded and made his way to the wall, ready to phase through it and leave her to do whatever she had to do, she stopped him by calling his name, "Thank you, you have no idea what it means to talk somewhat freely", her eyes glossed with emotion, and the android found himself nodding, accepting the woman's gratefulness, recognizing how real it was
"I hope that only encourages you to come clean with the rest", he said with a light chuckle in his voice, her own joining him. A hearty promise from Cora that she'd be trying harder was covered by alarms baring through the sound system, and quickly the voice of the compound's AI joined
"Incoming attack, southeast wing"
Without saying a word, they jumped to action, both their suits magically settling in, Cora offered a hand to her friend, and they both materialized right where the rest of the team had assembled, her eyes involuntarily fleeted to find Loki, relief flooded her when she saw him helping the Sokovian witch, she hadn't landed perfectly after teleporting them
"Been some time since we got attacked here", Clint said conversationally as he adjusted his bow and arrow, a few strained laughs in agreement was all he got in response. They all looked ahead of them, in the grass, sat awaiting a dark figure, keeping its back to them amidst the chill of the evening. Tony huffed out a laugh, then started making his way towards it
"I think you got lost, Darth Vader, need directions?"
"You'll find that the ones in need of direction", the figure started, a deep saturated voice echoing to their ears even if he wasn't even speaking above a whisper. He started standing up and a red mist covered him, before it cleared, "are you", as he finished, the team saw how he had grown in size, easily beating the ant-man in his biggest form. Sensing the attack, everyone moved to be nearer Tony, who stood ahead of them.
"You're outnumbered, darling", the grey-eyed Avenger challenged, her hands matching Wanda's and Loki's as they readied their magic.
In retaliation, he sent a ball of fire towards her, which she blocked, her hands neatly turning the burning red to lilac, she smiled smugly and threw it back to him, waiting to see her damage, her grin morphed into recognition as in front of their eyes, the demon took in her power and without blinking, took Cora's form
"You're outnumbered, darling", gone was the previous voice, now replaced by an uncanny imitation of the woman's. The shock everyone was going through didn't even get the chance to be spoken, no one had the time to even gasp in shock before a rope of magic shot towards Cora and grabbed her, pulling her to its side. Her own soft hand forcibly cradled her neck and kept her eyes ahead. "Watch, Cory, just stay watching"
The team tried to move towards their teammate, who found herself trapped by her copy, her magic was going into overdrive trying to beat itself, she was failing, bested by herself. The second they got too close for the demon's liking, thirty other copies of the woman materiliazed and wasted no time before attacking them, Cora kept being grabbed by the imposters, teleporting her every other second, in the middle of the battle then far away, so rapidly that the Avengers soon started pulling their punches, afraid to hit the actual Cora.
Steve had one on their knees, his shield high on the air, ready to strike down on her, "Steve, stop! It's me!", she pleaded, making him doubt himself long enough for her to pluck the piece of vibranium off of his hands and have him on the floor above her, "So gullible", she sneered, though her voice much more distorted by malice. The copy was ready to attack him with his own weapon, when with a thud, she fell and vanished from thin air.
The Captain looked up to see Loki offering him a hand, "The trick is in their hearts, the illusions don't have one", Steve just nodded and followed his advice, using his bettered hearing to make sure he wouldn't hurt their friend. After successfully bringing down two copies, he relied the same information to the rest of the team, and it wasn't long before there were only two, both held at gunpoint and immobilized by Stark's latest paralysing tech
Wanda took a step forward and brought magic to the front of her being, trying to get a feel of both minds, trying to decipher who was the imposter, trying to focus over the woman's duplicated voice, echoing "It's not me! Don't listen to her, I'm the real one". She shook her head in frustration, her mind berating her for not being able to get it right, ultimately her head hung low in shame, she couldn't recognize her mentor, "I can't, they both have her walls, I'm sorry", she addressed the team, her accent thick, she went back to look at the women and this time addressed them, "I'm sorry"
One looked at her sadly but nodded, the other stared silently ahead, burning holes into the God of mischief, who quickly felt her eyes on him and retaliated by staring right back
"Okay, just, actual-Sabrina? Put down your barriers for a second and we'll just look at your memories and stuff, if they don't show you in like Hell, or whatever, then we'll know it's you, right?"
"I'm afraid that won't work, Stark", Loki replied, still maintaining eye-contact with her, "If she puts down her barriers, the demon can infiltrate her mind freely, then make us see fake memories". The rest of the voices dissipated as he focused on the two Cora's in front of him, specifically with the one who kept her eyes on him the whole time, he racked his brain, there had to be something he could use to know for sure. He widened his eyes.
He took a step forward and grabbed her left hand, his eyes never leaving hers for a second, as he leaned in and kissed her ring, his eyes closed and without breaking apart from her, he sent a poisoned dagger flying to the other Cora, impaling her in the center of her chest
The team had already jumped to stop Loki, but they halted when the attack left the demon dropping its mask. Loki paid no mind as the rest of the team moved to take the hideous creature into custody. Under the retrieving sun, the two deities stayed staring at one another, Cora hugged him and thanked him, profusely, she hugged him tight and it was just then that Loki managed to get a pin on her feelings; she had been genuinely scared. He'd helped her. He hugged her just as tightly
"How did you know?", she asked with such admiration in her eyes that they twinkled
He made a dismissive wave of his hand, "Well, just looked for your heartbeat, of course"
"It might be a demon, but it still has a heartbeat", she countered with a roll of her eyes
"No, dove", he said slowly, his right hand on her chin, and the other touching the emerald ring with a sentiment so foreign and inviting, "I looked for your heartbeat"
She smiled a wide toothy smile, an unabashed display of the strongest of fervors. She felt her mouth open, her mind had no time to interject, she couldn't even think about stopping those three little words from spilling and making a mess in between them. Coralina opened her mouth, but all that came out was a bloodcurdling scream, a sound of pure agony that brought the God back to reality, where the team had apprehended the demon after it tried to escape, yet no one had time to react before the same poisoned dagger pierced through her heart, this time the only morph the weapon caused, was the colour that drained from the woman, the venom spitting tendrils of darkness through her veins in her chest, quickly getting to her whole body. She couldn't utter a word, she couldn't move nor make sense of where it hurt worse
Her eyes were bloodshot, and they were the only thing that she could still move, her brain was slowly trying to shut down, send her to sleep, but she tried her best to fight it in panic.
She saw herself, not in the way she could stare hours into the mirror pointing her errors, or passing a window that allowed her to see whether her hair was intact. She saw herself reflected in the icy eyes of her lover, she could take the hint that he was screaming at her, something along the lines of holding on, but she smiled, she saw him and thought hard, she thought those three little words so hardly she might've bled from that if she hadn't already been losing it thanks to the dagger, she kept repeating it in her mind and hoped that somehow he'd know.
Ilove you, with that, she let go