Chapter 34
Sylvie followed Loki out to a balcony she hadn’t even known was there.
“Loki,” she said softly as she approached, “Hey, hey look at me…”
Loki had his hands braced against the railing and was breathing heavily as his heart raced.
“Loki,” she touched his back gently, “look at me…”
He heaved a deep breath and turned his head to her slowly, eyes downcast, “I’m sorry… I didn’t want you to see me like this…” he said quietly.
“Like what…? We fought the first time we met,” she studied his face in profile as he stared out over the city.
“Out of control…” he said bitterly, “I lost my head back there…” he turned to her, brow furrowed with regret, “I thought I had changed… but when provoked I reacted the way I always did… like an animal.”
“Hey,” Sylvie cupped his cheek, pulling his face to look at her, “you, are not, an animal.”
Sylvie searched his eyes, pleading with him to hear her, “No more than I am,” she said softly.
Loki’s expression softened at that, hand cupping hers gently against his cheek.
“What did he say that provoked you?” Sylvie asked softly.
Loki looked down, embarrassed by his behavior, “it doesn’t matter…”
“It matters to me,” she said firmly.
His eyes met hers ruefully, “he spoke of you disrespectfully… and I warned him—but he kept pushing, until something inside me snapped.”
Sylvie smiled sadly, “sounds like he was trying to find a nerve…”
“And I suppose he found one… not an entirely unpredictable one either,” he said feeling like a cliché.
“Maybe not,” she said softly, “but I’d do the same if it were me…”
His brows drew together with affection, “I apologize, for allowing myself to be baited, and reacting so foolishly…” he straightened up taking her hand in both of his, “I wanted to make a good impression, show them all I’d changed… but I failed Stark’s little test miserably…”
Sylvie huffed an incredulous laugh, “I don’t care what they think…” she stepped closer, her free hand cupping his neck tenderly.
“I know this was important to you,” she said calmly, “but you were the perfect gentleman—you gave your brother the stones—and you look, utterly devastating,” she said the last part with a mock seriousness which made him chuckle softly, “not to mention you showed up with me on your arm… how could they not be impressed?” she smiled gently.
Loki smiled softly, “you aren’t cross with me? Or disappointed…?”
“Of course not,” she as though he were being completely obtuse, “though I may need to have words with Stark,” she said firmly.
“That’s really not necessary,” he said softly.
“I don’t do things because they’re necessary, I do them because I want to,” she said plainly.
“I do love that about you,” he smiled, pulling her close.
“Just one of so many things…” he whispered softly, “you really do look utterly ravishing in this dress,” his breath picked up a little as she ran her hands down the lapel of his suit, resting at the base of his sternum.
Loki kissed her slowly, hands circling her waist and loving the feel of her body beneath the dress. He rested his forehead against hers and focused on calming his mind. Loki listened to Sylvie breathe and sighed, his own breathing more even now.
“I’d be lost without you…” he murmured against her lips.
“Mm,” Sylvie hummed faintly, “perhaps… but I’d find you…I’ll always find you.”
They stood like that a while longer, breathing together as one, before Sylvie slid her hands back up his chest. She cupped his jaw in her hands, pulling back to look at him.
“I’m going to go get us another drink… stay here, I’ll be back soon, then we’ll join the others for dinner,” Sylvie instructed calmly.
Loki looked into her eyes fondly, giving her a small nod and watching her go before turning back to look out at the city.
Back inside, Steve and Natasha had gotten Thor to sit on one of the couches which bordered a large coffee table set into the floor. He had been upset seeing his brother lash out so violently but was too inebriated to fully understand what was going on.
Thor lay back on the deep couch resting his hands over his stomach looking melancholy while Steve and Natasha spoke in hushed voices.
“—he thought he was protecting us, I guess he hoped to expose Loki—” Steve said wearily.
“Yeah well that sure blew up in his face…” Natasha sounded irritable.
Steve sighed, “still, at least he didn’t manage to convince Bruce to spike their drinks…”
“That wasn’t happening. I kept an eye on Bruce at the bar just in case,” Natasha said plainly.
“I don’t think he would’ve gone through with it either way, his heart wasn’t in the idea—”
“Would somebody PLEASE tell me WHAT THE HELL. IS GOING ON!” Thor said, voice rising in anger.
Steve and Natasha both looked to him uneasily, not sure how to begin.
“I made a mistake,” Tony said from behind them, standing firmly with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a glass of scotch.
Thor turned to look at him, eyes ringed with unshed tears, “Explain Stark, how did you do this?”
“I wanted to prove Loki was still dangerous, so I pushed him,” Tony said calmly, a hint of bitter resignation in his voice.
“Still dangerous? He is a prince of Asgard, he has fought in more battles than you will ever see in one lifetime, Stark,” Thor rose from the couch defensively, somehow sobering with new found purpose, “battles in which he fought by my side, I shall have you know.”
“I know, I’m sorry man—”
“I don’t think you do, your life is but a brief moment in the face of the universe,” he stepped over the couch boldly, “for hundreds of years Loki lived, fought, and yes—played harmless tricks—in Asgard,” Thor stood proudly before Tony, looming over the man, “His transgressions of late were regrettable, deeply so… but they do not define my brother. He is more than the paltry villain in your story, Stark.”
Tony looked up at Thor, chin out defiantly, “and I am a dad looking out for his kid,” he said coldly. “I know he’s your brother, and I maybe shouldn’t have pushed so far, but I had to see what set him off… last time we spoke he threw me out a window on the top floor of Stark Tower—but he did it because I challenged his authority—this time was different,” Tony said plainly, “I just had to know.”
Steve walked around the couch toward Thor, “and now he does, right?” He gave Tony a sharp look.
Tony rolled his eyes, “yeah man, what have I been saying for the last ten minutes?”
“Good. So there isn’t any more need for confrontation,” Steve said firmly, hand flat between them in a pacifying gesture.
Thor stared at Tony for a few moments reading his face, then nodded his assent.
“Tony—”
“Yeah, yeah, I hear ya, I’ll make peace with the Game of Thrones, Jared Leto lookin’ motherf—” Tony walked away toward the balcony muttering the last part to himself.
“Well, I guess that’s the best we could’ve hoped for,” Steve said sounding slightly sarcastic but mostly just relieved to have the ordeal over with.
As Tony walked toward the balcony they heard the glass door open and close.
“Ah, I was just on my way to see yer fella—”
“Stark?” Sylvie’s voice said coldly.
“Uh yeah—”
There was the sound of skin meeting skin and a thud as Tony hit the floor. Natasha got up quickly followed by the others in time to see Sylvie standing menacingly over Tony on the ground.
“You may have thought Loki was dangerous, but you have noidea what I’m capable of when provoked…” she held out a warning finger menacingly, “this is the only warning from me you’ll get.”
She walked briskly over to Natasha who was smirking, arms crossed over her chest. The two women went to the bar murmuring to each other as Tony rubbed his jaw.
“What happened?” Thor asked with concern, “did you provoke her as well?”
“No I was headed to apologize and she decked me…” Tony said absently as he climbed to his feet and looked after the women at the bar, “with a surprisingly hard right hook…”
Thor laughed happily and clapped a hand on Tony’s shoulder, “Yes Asgardian women hit harder than most, count yourself lucky, Stark, that she stopped there.”
“Geez, you’re telling me…” Tony stretched his jaw distractedly.
“You alright, Tony?” Steve asked.
“I’ll be fine, certainly taken my fair share of punches from women, even if most of them didn’t hit quite so hard…”
“I guess that’s not the best first impression—” Steve lamented.
“I dunno,” Tony said absently with a smirk, “I think I kinda like her.”