Excuse Me?
“It’s gorgeous.”
“Mediocre at best.”
“You’re mediocre.”
Loki’s eyelid twitched when you returned his snark.
The blue eye nearest to you was cracked open, sharp and focused on your face. It was a harsh contrast to the rest of his relaxed form resting in a hilariously low beach chair, long legs stretched in front of him. You were settled on a blanket, cross-legged and happily munching on a sandwich from the hole in the wall deli you had passed on your way out.
In front of you both was a gurgling water fall that sent a comfortable humidity into the warm air. While it was only a few metres high, the water rushed over the edge and provided the perfect white noise for you to relax and enjoy lunch. The pool below was crystal clear with minnows swimming back and forth to their heart’s content. Your perch was a wide, flat stone at the edge of said pool, whose surface had been weathered by the flow of water long ago.
You were adamant that a break from the team and missions was necessary every now and again. Loki, for one, couldn’t agree more and jumped at the opportunity to get away. So, Bucky was kind enough to fly the pair of you from upstate to D.C., where you rented a car- with Tony’s black card, of course- and drove into Appalachia.
While the peace of the mountains and river was exactly what you were searching for, Loki spent much of the time comparing the ‘Midgardian’ sights to those of Asgard.
“Don’t give me that side-eye.” You reached over and covered his eyes, receiving a smack to the knuckles.
In the process, you successfully dumped mayo from your sandwich to your blanket, at which the God wrinkled his nose.
“Remember who you’re talking to, my dear.” Loki’s words would have been a threat to any other Avenger, but to you they were a mere tease.
“Yeah you’re real terrifying.” You chirped, “especially in that outfit.”
Loki looked down, lowering the aviators that were perched on his aristocratic nasal bone. “Now you make fun of my dress. Remind me again why I agreed to this nonsense?”
You surveyed Loki’s clothes, from the rather tight black jeans to the gray t-shirt bearing a small Avengers logo on the left breast. You were fairly sure he stole the shirt from the compound gym, and you knew he thieved the aviators from Tony’s admittedly excessive collection.
“Because you’re madly in love with me and we both needed a break?” You suggested, throwing a leg over Loki’s thighs and sliding onto his lap.
He hummed, hiking up on the chair so he was able to kiss against your exposed collarbone. “Not sure about madly. Stupidly, perhaps.”
You lifted your sunglasses and pointed a finger at his face, leaving no room for movement. “Watch it. I’ll throw you in.”
Loki, ever the one to push limits, poked a finger back at you. He tapped your chin and followed it with a soft flick to your nose. “Darling, if I go in, you’re coming with me.”
A giggle fought its way into your throat, but you choked it down to continue the banter. You leaned into the shell of his ear, pressing a kiss to the lobe in the process. The shudder that wracked his body was worth all the work.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Loki.” You breathed, “I love to be wet.”
It took no time for you to sense the arousal growing, but you refrained from enjoying it just yet. Where Loki was concerned, arousal and mischief went hand-in-hand. Whether it be magicking your clothes off before you were completely in your bedroom, turning your underwear into licorice or creating a duplicate to tease you before disappearing, things were never as they seemed.
Not right away, at least.
“Do not jest, woman. You are far too prude to carry through with your insinuations in a public location.”
On a normal day, Loki would be one-hundred percent correct. You were far too nervous to consider sex- or anything that might involve the removal of clothing- in a public place. Hell, you held your bladder on a ten-mile hike the previous day because you refused to pee in the forest, even with an invisibility enchantment on you.
However, the secluded falls combined with the two White Claws you downed had you far more relaxed than normal. That, and you really did not want Loki to have the satisfaction of being right.
“Fine.”
You stood from Loki’s lap, being sure to ‘accidentally’ palm him as you did so. The God swallowed, watching you from behind mirrored lenses. To be dramatic, you turned away from him and huffed loudly before beginning to shuck off your crew neck. Quickly following was your t-shirt and shorts, making a puddle of colorful fabric on the rocks.
“And just what are you doing?” Loki had set his book aside and was now sitting upright in the chair, enjoying the stripping but keeping hands to himself.
You shrugged, reaching around for the bra clasp that he hated so much. “I told you. I love to be wet.”
Loki drew to his feet as you tugged at your underwear, sending a final glance around the area to ensure solitude. Your only witnesses were the soon-to-be traumatized fish and the glaring southern sun.
But just as the God reached for your hip, you launched yourself from the rock into the depths below. The water was cool, rushing over your naked body and washing away any remaining self-doubt. You stayed beneath the surface for a moment, raking your fingers through your hair to push it back before returning.
Loki was standing gob smacked on the side of the rock when you resurfaced. One brow was lifted in a silent challenge, and his arms were crossed over the Avengers t-shirt.
“You did that to prove me wrong.”
You snorted. “I know how much it hurts your feelings, Lokes, I apologize.”
He seemed to make a decision then, removing the sunglasses and tossing them back onto the chair. Before you could prompt him to answer a question, his hands reached for the hem of his shirt.
It was then you realized you were in for it.
“No matter.” He tossed the shirt onto your pile of clothes and began working on the button to his jeans. “We swam nude on Asgard rather frequently in our youth. Not to mention the bath houses.”
Your brain was more focused on Loki’s bared body than anything else and failed to register how close he was to jumping in when he made the leap. You squealed, pushing off the bottom to swim away. His dive was, of course, perfect.
You made it approximately three feet when a hand latched onto your ankle and yanked until you were trapped against pale skin and inhuman muscle. Too often you forgot just how strong Loki was. Regardless, you continued to play, wrestling against his body.
“You really think you’ll escape?”
You managed to get an arm around the back of his neck and use a nearby rock to push off, launching yourself- rather slowly because you weren’t considering the four feet of water around you- onto his shoulders.
All credit to Natasha for that trick, as you would not have mastered it if it weren’t for days of repeated training.
“Who says I want to?” You leaned down towards his ear, only to be sent spiraling back into the water when he abruptly dunked both of you to gain the upper hand.
Too quickly for your human brain, Loki had dragged you from underwater and pinned your arms to the rock beside the waterfall; your hands were locked above your head and your chest heaving just below the water’s surface. You could barely distinguish the sound of the babbling water from the blood rushing in your ears. It only grew louder when Loki crashed his lips to yours, tongue tracing patterns into your bottom lip and teeth grazing your mouth.
You moaned when his thigh slid between your legs, nudging them apart until he met your core. You ground against the limb, eliciting a hungry sigh from the God of Mischief. He paused to look at you, raven hair wet and pushed back from his face as it curled around his ears. You were sure your face was flushed and your lips were swollen, all while your lower abdomen throbbed with desire.
“Loki…” You moaned as he attached his lips to your neck, licking away droplets of water and following them to your mouth.
“Excuse me?”
Loki spun around at the sound of a woman’s voice, one hand reaching behind him to cover you. You pressed against his back, worst fear realized as you watched the female park ranger move to the spot you’d been sitting minutes earlier.
“Hello.” Loki began. “We were just-”
The park ranger, who looked to be in her mid-fifties, held out a hand. “Oh hell no. Don’t tell me. Just- not here.”
You couldn’t help the strangled laugh that escaped your mouth as Loki opened and closed his like a fish. “Apologies, madam.”
“Yeah whatever, King Henry. Just do me a favor and get outta here before the families come in for the afternoon.” With that she turned to walk away, but paused halfway to the trail. “Next time it’s a public indecency charge.”
You gripped Loki’s shoulders as he turned. “That poor woman.”
Loki only furrowed his brow. “I have a fantastic physique, she should be impressed.”
You rolled your eyes. “Oh whatever, King Henry,” you mimicked her poking fun at his accent, “Let’s go before we traumatize any children.”
“Who is Henry, and why is he king?”
Your palm flew to your forehead again. “An old historical figure that used to be the King of England.”
“So she understands where I truly belong.” Loki nodded. “It’s very apparent.”
“Whatever you say, Loki. Whatever you say.”