Love The Way You Lie
Darcy flopped her arm over to where Loki should've been, but felt only empty pillows and smooth linen.
She was alone.
There was no snuggly koala-Loki in arms distance.
Slowly she turned to look where he ought to be, feeling a bit groggy and disoriented. The bed felt startlingly empty without him. Much too empty.
She knew he wouldn't have gone far. He'd left once before but then changed his mind and come back after all, so surely it was highly unlikely that he would decide to run off somewhere and leave her all by herself now.
But still, she suddenly began feeling a teensy bit panicky.
It was all well and good to lay musing about love's young dream, and teddyhood, and love hearts, but she needed to be realistic.
Loki was the God of Mischief.
And lies.
When he'd opened his thoughts and feelings up to her, she'd felt undoubtedly deeply privileged, and moved to the point of tears. It had given her hope that their relationship would actually really work, and God knows she desperately wanted it to.
But could they get passed all of the potential issues? Would she be able to trust Loki, and not drive herself insane worrying that he could go walk-about and not return?
Ugh.
No she couldn't allow herself to go there.
She needed to get a grip and stop the doubt from rearing it's ugly head. He'd be furious. Especially after having lowered his guard and granting her access to his most personal emotions.
Although....technically he was the chief game player. Renown for his uncanny ability to manipulate people.
Even if he was on the level, who was to say that he might not be tempted to change his mind and withdraw at some time in the future?
Oh God.
She forced such unpleasant thoughts aside, and did her best to return her attention to the present moment.
She needed to focus on the here and now instead.
She still wasn't wearing any clothes, which was always a big 'no no' for Darcy.
What if there was an emergency? A fire or something? And then she would have to leave in a hurry. In all honesty, she figured she'd rather burn right along with everything else, rather than run the risk of having to flee naked.
But hey, she had a justifiable excuse for falling asleep in her birthday suit.
Nothing killed a moment quite like turning to your bed-partner and saying, "Let's get dressed now shall we?"
Besides, that would be a crying shame where Loki was concerned. Not only was he a mouth-watering sight to behold, there was also something very persuasive and convincing about him being naked. As if you sort of wanted to cast all inhibitions aside and be naked with him.
Rolling over, she buried her face into his pillow and breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of him, and smiled to herself. He smelt as beautiful as he looked.
A few moments later the bedroom door opened, then he slinked in and all the air in the room left.
Darcy kept her eyes partially closed, watching him move slowly.
The diffused, hazy light that seeped through the gaps in the drapes kept the room in a silver-grey filter, but she could see he was wearing black suit trousers, and just a simple white shirt.
He brought his hand to his hair, which was still still tied in the messy bun, and pulled it loose, shaking it out like a lion does it's mane.
Wow.
Loki was the sort of guy who could make a black garbage sack look sexy.
He looked adorably dishevelled with his dark tresses hanging messily around his face, and not combed back behind his ears into slicked-perfection.
She watched him knowing he didn't know she was awake, as he moved quietly with graceful strength through the room, not wanting to disturb her, and something inside her stirred.
Oh God she wanted him.
She wanted him again.
She was greedy for him, too much could never be enough -- although her lady parts might've disagreed, as they were most definitely tender -- but he'd turned her into a raging nymphomaniac.
Just then Loki turned, and paused. "Aren't you going to ask me where I've been?"
Surprised, she moved, lifting her head up a little. "Uh, I guess so. So where have you been?"
"I went to your ex boyfriends room."
"You did what--?"
"Undetected of course. Cloaked by an invisibility spell. I thought perhaps he may have a spare credit or bank card amongst his possessions. But they've all been removed."
She shifted around, feeling a little uneasy at the thought of stealing from Greg. "You would've used one of his cards to pay for flights?"
"Yes. Why not? When one sees an opportunity, it would be foolish not to take it."
Detecting the shift in his mood, she decided to change the subject quickly. Refusing to acknowledge the elephant in the room. The pressing matter of how they would get back. She would ask him again about contacting Thor. But not right now. She didn't want to sour the mood.
"You knew I wasn't sleeping didn't you, smart ass?" Playfully, she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Darcy, you know I can always sense when I'm being watched." He flashed a boyish smile, looking coy and bashful. Deceptively so, in fact he looked so innocent she was having a hard time believing that it was the same man who had repeatedly reduced her to a quivering mess.
And just like that, suddenly she felt quite shy. Which was stupid.
"Yeah but I like watching you." She managed casually, returning the smile.
He walked over to the bed and stood idly looking down at her. "And why is that?"
"Because I enjoy looking at you."
"Is that so? Hm. So do you like what you see? He sniggered.
Then with a simple hand gesture his clothing shimmered with golden light, and as it dispersed his clothing disappeared along with it, revealing him to be completely naked.
Her breath stuck in her throat.
The man had no shame. Talk about an exhibitionist. But she wasn't about to complain.
If you've got it, flaunt it. And by hell, Loki most certainly had it.
His body was well worth flaunting.
"You know damn well I like it. Now get that cute ass of yours over here and I'll show you just how much." She giggled, moving over so he could sit down on the edge of the bed.
He cackled slightly maniacally, evidently thoroughly amused. Only he didn't sit on the bed, he climbed right back into it, wearing nothing but a foxy grin, diminishing the likelihood of getting up and going anywhere anytime soon.
"Shall I let you into a secret?" He purred, draping his arm around her.
She cuddled into his side. "Mmm. Please do. I'm intrigued."
He still smelled amazing, even after a few hours since bathing and having worked up quite a sweat with their arduous sex sessions. Clearly she was addicted to Loki's particular mix of cologne, natural scent and pheromones.
"That day when you walked in unexpectedly after I'd just showered.....I was naked."
Her eyebrows shot up. "For real?"
He nodded, his eyes looked pale green in the silver-ish light, and twinkled with mirth. "Yes, when I heard the door click open I hastily cast an illusion to spare us both from embarrassment."
"But those lounge pants were seriously snug-fitting and you were still all bare chested and everything. Why didn't you cast an illusion of your leather armour?"
"I wanted you to see a more casual side to me. To appear slightly less intimidating, and more approachable." He explained with a wry smile.
"Sounds very calculating to me, space boy. And more approachable? That's funny. You couldn't have been more intimidating if you'd tried. You were a complete grouch. You bit my head off!"
"Well your presence did irritate me. It was nothing personal, of course. I just resented being allocated a 'carer'." He admitted, his smile increasing, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. "But I wanted to make a strong impression, one that would test and unbalance you. Although I didn't realise it would affect you quite in the way that it did. I wasn't prepared for the possibility of you finding me attractive or desirable."
"That makes two of us then. But I wish I'd known you were naked that day. Man, what a wasted opportunity!"
Lazily he traced around the circle of her nipple with one long finger, watching the little nub swell as a result of his sensual ministrations. "Hm. Well then, might I suggest that we make up for all such wasted opportunities?"
Her breath quickened as she tilted her head back to gaze up at him, and his eyes immediately latched onto hers. They were wild, and crystal blue now, and out of control, making the hairs at the nape of her neck immediately stand to attention.
Those eyes....those lips.....that face....
Heady waves of attraction pulsated through Darcy's body. She could practically see the electricity arc between them. As could Loki. She could see the recognition in his beautiful changeling eyes. And boy did she feel it.
And then Koala-Loki was back with full force, and he was clinging to her as though she were the last eucalyptus tree on earth.
His lips found hers as they became locked together in a passionate clinch, hands everywhere, bare legs tangling together.
Her body was no longer heavy with sleep. Her limbs tingled with excitement, anticipation and arousal, as he caressed her breasts sensually, and pressed himself against her quivering body. The skin-on-skin contact was glorious as she brought her hips up to meet him, and he was already hard as steel.
Holy shit, he was going to be the death of her.
She was going to die this way.
Death by God-sex.
Merciful heaven, Darcy knew that they needed to work on a plan to get out of there. That they needed to get back to New York, but suddenly that wasn't a good enough reason to get up. She was exactly where she wanted to be.
And there was nothing in Paris she wanted to see, other than one thing, and he was currently wrapped around her, nuzzling into her neck.
"You're insatiable." She gasped delightedly, then hurriedly added. "Not that I'm complaining though. Because I'm totally not. Not at all. Far from it!"
Loki chuckled. "Good. I'm very glad to hear it. Because I'm going to ravage your exquisite little body, again, and again, and again, until you beg me to stop."
"D'you promise?"
"Oh yes."
They rolled over together, their bodies becoming entangled in the twisted sheets. It was a strategic move on Loki's part, subtly positioning himself so that he was lay beneath her. Darcy fought to steady her breathing. She was poised and braced, eager for his penetration, when suddenly a strange sound filled the room, making her jolt abruptly in surprise.
Confused and startled, she hurriedly rolled off of Loki's sinewy body, and it took her a moment to register exactly what was happening.
There was a swirling portal in the middle of the room, distorting the atmosphere, making the air ripple. It was red around the edges, and she could see through to the other side, which looked oddly familiar.
But then to her horror the familiar figure of Thor -- dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie -- suddenly stepped through, accompanied close behind by Doctor Weird.
Instinctively Darcy immediately dived for cover beneath the sheets. Which on reflection was pretty pathetic, as she knew her form would be a visible, human-shaped lump in the bed, but it was her natural response nonetheless.
To be caught naked, and in bed with ANYONE was embarrassing enough. But Thor was Loki's brother! And it hadn't completely escaped Darcy's mind that she had been given a job to watch over the God of Mischief. Not sleep with him. That was nowhere in her job description.
Shit.
She'd more than likely lose her job over this. Not to mention Loki. He was in seriously deep trouble now.
"Loki!" Thor's deep, masculine voice filled the room, practically making the walls shudder.
Loki was perceptibly shaken by the pairs sudden appearance, and he hastily scurried to sit up straight against the pillows, pulling the covers up to his waist in an attempt to preserve some modesty.
But he quickly regained his composure, and slipped on his usual mask of arrogant indifference.
"Hello brother. I see you still have no sense of social propriety. But given the circumstances, I suppose it's necessary for me to excuse such an intrusion of my privacy."
"To hell with propriety, you traitorous little--"
Loki held a hand up to silence him, and Darcy shifted around awkwardly. She was finding it difficult to breath, and her anxiousness wasn't exactly helping.
"Please, spare me the torrent of abuse." Loki said calmly.
"Where is Darcy? What have you done with her you miscreant?" Thor demanded.
Darcy heard the muffled voice of Doctor Strange through the bedclothes...
"Um, yeah. I don't think that requires any explanation."
"You're absolutely right, Doctor. That conundrum is quite self-explanatory." Carefully, Loki drew back the sheet from her head, enabling her to breath -- but also be seen.
Dammit! He'd just outed her. But she couldn't really be pissed at him, after all her feeble efforts to hide couldn't have possibly fooled anyone. Surely?
She emerged apprehensively -- hair mussed, face red as a beet -- clutching the top of the sheet right up to the tip of her chin. Her cheeks were burning hot, as she reluctantly took in Thor's stunned expression.
"Um, hey Thor." She mumbled. "H-how's Jane?"
The God of Thunder's eyes widened comically. "Darcy! What--?"
"Take all the time you need." Strange said sardonically, deliberately averting his gaze. He looked visibly awkward, like this was the last place in the world he wanted to be. Which it probably was.
Thor's gaze flicked from Darcy to Loki in obvious confusion, making Darcy almost feel sorry for his endearing naivety.
"Darcy, what in the name of Valhalla are you doing? What goes on here?"
"I should think that's rather obvious." Loki drawled.
Darcy glanced back at Thor nervously. He was blinking at her in shock. "Darcy? Are you...? By the Gods!....The two of you....?"
Darcy smiled at him sheepishly, and shrugged her shoulders.
He looked at Loki again, who gave a triumphant -- almost smug-looking -- smirk. "Yes brother, the two of us. Now, I'm sure you didn't just come here to stand there and gape at us like an idiot."
Darcy shot Loki a quelling look, which he duly registered.
But Thor seemed to have shaken off his disbelief, and his face now turned a shocking shade of red.
"You deplorable wretch!" He said gruffly. "Have you no shame? Not even a shred of decency left? Darcy is one of our closest friends. She is like family to Jane. Not simply another conquest. A mere notch on your gilded bedpost. How could you do this, Loki? Lead her astray in such a way? There is a line you simply do not cross!"
Incensed, Loki sneered openly in response. "Oh I led her astray, did I? Hm. I don't think so, brother. I think you'll find the lady needed very little encouragement."
"Hey! I am here you know!" Darcy threw in, but Loki was seemingly on a roll.
Seeing Thor bristle with anger appeared to entertain him, so he proceeded to taunt and mock him further....
"Ooh. Does it burn you, Thor? A mortal finding me desirable? Tell me, how does it feel to learn you're not the only Asgardian capable of making a human wench squeal--"
"Shut up, Loki! If you do not silence that filthy mouth of yours, I shall gladly do it for you!"
"Can we please focus on the bigger picture here?" Strange interrupted, fixing Loki with a withering look. "It's none of my concern who you're sleeping with. You could be sleeping with the pope for all I care...." He faltered slightly, rethinking his words. "....okay so if it was the pope then maybe I would have some morbid interest. But what I really do give a damn about is how you came to be here, when you're obviously not meant to be. I sent you back through the portal--"
"I can explain." Loki interrupted. "But at least afford me the courtesy of getting dressed before you begin the interrogation."
"To hell with that, use one of your tricks!" Thor scowled.
Heaving a heavy, theatrical sigh, Loki used his magic to conjure clothing so he was able to climb from the bed with his dignity still in tact.
Darcy noticed he was now wearing the designer lounge pants that she liked on him so much, and a simple black T.shirt that was so tight she could see his nipples through it.
"Start talking." Thor ordered.
"Look, I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about." Loki forced a fake laugh, feigning innocence. "It was a happy accident. A freak occurrence, caused by a seismic blast of my mystical aura. It disrupted the electromagnetic atmosphere and interfered with the teleportation."
"Impossible." Strange stated, flatly. "In order for you to alter the course of your intended destination you would've had to have done so deliberately."
"No!" Darcy chimed-in, jumping to Loki's defence. "It was a complete accident. He explained it to me. He was just as surprised and stressed out by it as I was!"
"Then he lied." Strange countered. "As a sorcerer who understands the workings of teleportation, I'm telling you that was no accident. Anyone will tell you he's a perpetual liar."
"That depends on who you ask." Loki said evasively. "The word I would have gone for is 'habitual'."
Darcy frowned, feeling her heart crumple in on itself. "No. That can't be right. He didn't send us to London on purpose. It was just because he was angry, it messed with the magic and stuff. Tell them, Loki."
But to her dismay, Loki remained stubbornly silent. His expression cold and haughty. Even now, dressed casually and his dark hair a wavy, curling mess, he looked every inch the damned aristocrat. You could see it in every angle of his body.
"You attempted to escape. And you kidnapped Darcy in the process." Thor hurled at him.
"Do not exaggerate, it was hardly kidnapping--"
"So you do not deny the fact that you deliberately tried to escape? You admit your guilt?"
"What crime is there in attempting to gain ones freedom?" Loki threw back at him, defiantly. "If seizing an opportunity to escape unlawful detainment is a crime, then I stand guilty as accused. As are you and your associates, for holding me against my will."
"You know perfectly well why you had to adhere to those rules and stay in the tower! Your acts of crimes against humanity cannot easily be forgotten."
"I have served my sentence for those past deeds. I was imprisoned on Asgard."
"We're not on Asgard now, brother! This is earth. And the agreement was in order for you to remain here, you would have to prove your trustworthiness. Which of course you have failed to do, once again. I was a fool to think I could trust you."
"You brought me here!" Loki snarled back. "I never would've agreed to return if I'd have known that I'd be confined like a prisoner! You ought to know me better than that, brother. If you truly believed that I would comply, then yes. You are indeed the fool I've always taken you for!"
Thor advanced on him aggressively, fury evident in every line of his large body. He grabbed Loki roughly by the front of his T.shirt, and punched him.....hard.
Darcy's heart was in her throat, as Loki stumbled back against the wall.
Blood trickling from his bottom lip, he straightened and said calmly.. "I suppose I deserved that."
"That is the least of what you deserve!" Thor roared, radiating sheer outrage. And hurt. "Yes, I alone trusted you, and once again you have betrayed me."
Darcy opened her mouth to speak, but Strange beat her to it. Stepping forward he cautiously placed a hand on the God of Thunder's broad shoulder.
"Alright, Thor. That's enough. Let him be."
Thor spun and glared at the sorcerer furiously. "I alone vouched for him when all the others opposed his return to Earth. You along with them, Strange! It took much coercing, persuading Stark to grant him access to the tower. And how does he repay me? He conceals the Tesseract, then attempts to flee at the first available opportunity.."
"And I was that opportunity, right?" Darcy said in a small voice, turning her watery gaze to her wretched lover. "I stupidly enabled you to escape. You.....y-you used me!"
"It wasn't like that." Loki answered, tartly.
"It must've been like that. You had it all figured out, and....oh God, wait! Was....was this...." She gestured between the two of them wildly. "....was all of this just part of the plan?"
Loki wiped his bloodied lip on the back of his hand, as his gaze slid to her, narrowed with disbelief. "No. And you ought to know that is the truth."
"How can I possibly know what's true anymore?" She exclaimed. "What else have you lied about, huh?"
"I'm not doing this here." He glared at her for the length of a few breaths, and then he looked at his brother with all the rage and resentment of a thousand years of scorn and rejection. "Will you at least grant Darcy and I some privacy, if not now then when we return to the tower? I have the right to defend myself and explain."
"You're in no position to make requests." Thor answered, but then his eyes skittered to Darcy, and his blistering look softened. In fact he was looking at her almost pityingly. "However, Darcy deserves an explanation. That is, if she wishes to hear what you've got to say for yourself, traitor!"
All eyes turned to Darcy, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl away and find a deep, dark hole somewhere, and curl up into a ball.
"Yeah. I do wanna hear what you've got to say for yourself." She said at last.
Begrudgingly, Strange closed the portal, and he and Thor stepped out of the room.
"You've got two minutes." The sorcerer informed Loki, curtly. "And if you even think about trying to pull any stunts....well, do yourself a favour, and just don't. It won't end well for you."
Loki perceptibly bristled, but didn't respond. Which was most definitely out of character.
The instant the door closed, he turned to Darcy, hands outstretched beseechingly. "Before you unleash your wrath upon me, allow me to explain--"
"Too right you'd better explain!" She snapped, as she began fumbling beneath the covers. She felt the bundle of...something....down by the foot end, and dove to retrieve it.
Once she'd pulled out her bunched-up robe, she hastily threw it on, securely pulling it around her as if it were a magical cloak of protection. Or a comfort blanket. Or armour even, that would help shield her from the pain she was destined to feel during this conversation. And she was thankful not to be naked anymore. Suddenly she felt exposed in Loki's presence. Not physically, but emotionally. Like a raw nerve.
"I want the truth, Loki." She told him, fighting to keep her tone calm. "I want to know everything. I mean it. Don't you dare lie to me. Even if....even if this has all been a lie, I deserve to know."
Her words gave him pause, and he studied her closely. Scepticism visible in his stormy eyes.
"Are you sure you can handle the harsh truth, Darcy?"
Her heart was rapidly plummeting like a stone that had been dropped out of the sky, and she felt a wave of nausea begin to swirl in her stomach.
"Try me." She managed.
"Fine." He took a breath, and slowly began his characteristic pacing. "Then I shall start at the beginning. I wanted rid of the Tesseract. Initially, I had thought to use it as a bargaining tool, in the hopes of Thanos granting me a reprieve."
"So.....you would have betrayed Thor again, and the Avengers....to save your own ass?"
Loki smiled in grim amusement. "I told you, I'm all the villain you think me. It's called survival. You would do the same if the roles were reversed."
"I wouldn't have taken it in the first place. Why didn't you just leave it on Asgard?"
"You can't simply destroy an infinity stone so easily." He explained, stalking around the room like a big, black cat. "But, I digress. Whilst confined in Stark's ivory tower, it gave me time to reflect, and I had to accept that there are no second chances with Thanos. I failed him. So he would kill me regardless, there is no reasoning with a madman."
Darcy's bottom lip trembled a little. Even now, in spite of everything, the thought of Loki falling victim to the monster from her nightmare -- and his nightmare -- filled her with pure panic and dread.
"So you hatched your plan, to use me to get out of the tower--?"
"I...I gained your trust, and you earned mine. I placed my trust in you when I told you I had the Tesseract. Which isn't something to be taken lightly."
"Maybe not, but you still used me. You became friends with me just so you could carry out your shady activities, you fucking jerk!"
Loki's jaw clenched, his expression altering between annoyance and acceptance. "You offered me your friendship, and I told you right from the start that I was in need of an ally."
Darcy scowled at him, watching him pace. "Yeah, which I took to mean 'friend'. Anyway, go on. Let's get to the part where you decided to go on the run, instead of going back to the tower."
"That was not premeditated. It was more of a spur of the moment decision. You see, during our journey to the Sanctum, I found myself enjoying the freedom. If you recall, I wanted Strange to let us leave the way we had arrived. Perhaps if he'd have done so, I would have returned. But he sent me through the portal against my wishes, so I decided to use that to my advantage."
"So it's his fault?" She snapped, sarcasm lacing her voice.
"No. But seeing as you chose to follow me into the portal--"
"So it's my fault?"
"No. Will you be quiet and let me speak, woman? Strange gave us two minutes not two hours."
"And why London?" She asked, blatantly ignoring him.
Loki shrugged almost dismissively. His expression now giving nothing away. "I was just coming to that. When you joined me in the portal, I remembered you were familiar with that city. Thor had spoken of his exploits there, with his precious mortal, and yourself of course, during the time of the convergence."
Darcy was struggling to breath now. Her chest tightened painfully. It felt like she was being crushed slowly by the weight of his confessions.
"Okaaaay." She wheezed. "So are you saying that all that bravado....all that, "we must get back to New York" stuff was all bullshit? Because if it was, then you deserve a fucking Oscar nomination for that performance!"
"Actually, I only intended to be away from the tower for a day or two. As a sort of impromptu mini-break, so to speak. So my concerns were not an act. I hadn't taken into account that you wouldn't have any money. And I knew the illusion I had cast of myself would last no longer than 48 hours, at best."
"But we'd been away longer than that by the time we arrived in Paris!" She pointed out.
"Correct. Which is why I continued to keep us cloaked with a spell that would prevent Strange, Heimdall, and even the S.H.I.E.L.D agents from finding us."
"But without your double....the illusion, the Avengers would have known you were missing. And obviously I didn't show for work. How did you expect to worm your way out of that once we got back?"
He ceased pacing, and his eyes slid to hers. "By then I had a mind to not return at all. And I even entertained the hope you would stay with me."
At that her mouth literally fell open, eyes widening, so that she resembled a fish out of water. "S-so you weren't kidding? You weren't just joking around when you said that stuff last night? About going on the run together?"
"Well, they were not my exact words....but no. I was deadly serious. I want my freedom, just as I want you, Darcy."
"But...but you deceived me right from the start. You set out to manipulate me, and used me like a pawn in your twisted game!"
"I did, but--"
"Wait, shut up and let me speak! What about when we were in London?"
"What about it?"
"Did you....oh, shit! Was that all part of the plan too? The making out and....and stuff? Were you trying to deliberately get under my skin? Or did you just decide to use me for sex?"
Loki's eyes darkened, impaling her with a daunting stare, then he turned his face away from her abruptly.
"Tell me, Loki! Tell me the truth!" Her voice raised considerably, along with her temper. She was trembling now, and on the edge of the bed, the anticipation crippling her.
She saw his tall frame sag slightly, his shoulders slumping forwards in defeat.
Or shame.
"You must understand, it had been a long time since a woman had touched me. A very long time. I found you relatively appealing. You showed an interest. I knew there was an underlying attraction, which therefore would make it oh so easy...." His words dissolved into a deep sigh, which sounded almost melancholic.
"Bastard!"
Darcy was on her feet and springing towards him before she even had time to think about what she was doing. Her body seemed to react without her being in control of her actions, overriding her head. She rounded on Loki, hand raised, and delivered him a sharp, hard slap to the face, which made the most undeniably satisfying sound.
His head snapped back violently with the force of the blow, and he looked visibly stunned for a moment.
"Well, I definitely deserved that." He brought a hand up to his face, rubbing his reddening cheek.
"No shit you did!" Darcy supplied with a snarl.
"But you didn't let me finish. Admittedly, that is how it began. As a pleasurable distraction. A harmless flirtation. A drunken dalliance. But I wasn't prepared for how your affection would affect me. I had already grown to like you very much. You know that. I realised you were special. Which is why I loathed your ex boyfriend so vehemently."
Darcy swallowed. Her head became overloaded to the point of exploding, as her blood chugged through her veins, forcing little ripples of blood to her throbbing temples.
"It felt surprisingly good holding you." Loki continued, eyes growing misty. "And having you hold me. I never intended to fall victim to my own game. To be ensnared by your feminine wiles. Captivated by your unlikely charms. Our connection goes beyond the mere physical. With you, I felt a part of myself stir to life again. A part of myself I thought long dead. A man who could love, and be loved."
Darcy felt her eyes grow watery, and she squeezed them shut, trying to stop herself from crying. But she failed, and big, fat tears began to roll silently down her cheeks.
"You have seen my thoughts." He was saying now, as he drew closer to her. His voice soft, and sad. "But I will show you again if that is what it takes to satisfy you. To convince you that what I feel is real, and true."
Gently he brushed her tears away, causing a riot of conflicting emotions. Her thoughts were a tangled mess. She knew her loyalty should be with Jane, and Thor, and with the Avengers. The 'good guys', but she had fallen for the villain.
Darcy had always had a weakness for bad boys. But Loki took that to a whole new level.
She had known when they'd become 'involved' that he would hurt her somehow.
He was the God of Mischief. Not the God of Blissful Happy-Ever-Afters. And she'd still gone there. Telling herself that she could handle him.
And she could. It was just his nature. He was wild and untameable. Destructive and predictably unpredictable.
And yet, she, Darcy Lewis of Earth, had somehow succeeded in capturing the trickster's brittle heart.
His mind would probably always be cold and calculating, but his heart.... His heart belonged to her.
"There's no need to show me your thoughts." She heard herself say, bringing her hand up to stroke the side of his face, brushing a thumb along his strong jawline. "I knew what I was signing up for. You're not human."
"Well, obviously." He gave a wary smile as he leaned into her touch. And his eyes momentarily flickered shut, grateful for the tender contact.
"No, I mean you're more like a device. All cogs and wheels. Always plotting and scheming. But that comes with the territory, and I'd be an idiot if I expected you to change. I'll admit you're like some terrifying enigma.....something that not everyone would know how to love. But I do. I told you I love you and I do. I love you for who you are, even the bad parts. And I'm not going to stop."
For a few moments Loki looked shocked, and a little bit confused but relieved. He stared at her unsurely, and she swore she saw his irises turn from blue-ish to a pale, translucent green.
"You're not going to stop?" His brows rose in obvious -- and gratifying -- surprise.
She shook her head, allowing her hands to run across the tense, broad set of his shoulders, before resting them against his chest. His breathing was unusually rapid, she noticed, as his fine, muscular chest heaved up and down beneath her touch.
"No. Why would I? I'll always stand by you. No matter what."
Her courageous declaration hit him hard. His expression told her that it was completely unexpected. And she felt happy and saddened all at once. Then he was gathering her up in his arms. His strong hands so certain, as they held her.
Just then the door burst open, making Darcy jump, but Loki still didn't relinquish his hold on her, even as a very disapproving-looking Thor strode back into the room.
"I see you two have kissed and made up." Strange commented, dryly. "'A Fool In Love' rather leaps to mind. Do you know the song? It's Tina Turner."
Darcy shot him an unimpressed look. "I do, but actually I think 'Love The Way You Lie' by Rihanna is more accurate."
Against her, she felt Loki's chest swell with pride, and his eyes glittered with uninhibited gratitude and amusement.
*********************************
Almost as soon as they had stepped through the portal, and found themselves in the conference room of the Avengers tower, several heavily-armed guards descended on Loki.
"This all feels very familiar." He smirked. Defiant to the last, as they cuffed his wrists behind his back. "Are you going to clamp a mouth-guard on me next?"
"Don't tempt me." Agent Natasha Romanoff said in a clipped voice, from where she sat at the end of the long table.
Loki's grin widened. "But I haven't even been offered a drink yet, have I Stark?"
Tony threw him a disdainful look. "Sure, how about a nice, sharp drink? I'm thinking a glass of water filled with razor blades."
"Such hostility, and after all I've done for you." Loki laughed humourlessly. "By entrusting the Tesseract to the good doctor's safe keeping, I have prevented global annihilation."
Tony gave a small nod of the head. His indication to the guards to remove the troublesome trickster from his presence.
As he was hustled away, flanked by the guards, Darcy darted after him, cutting ahead of the entourage.
"Loki.....I...." Her words dissolved into a choked sob.
"It's alright, Darcy." He replied simply, looking at her softly, his expression grave.
The guards moved onwards, forcing her aside. And she had no choice other than to watch helplessly as he was led away.
"Where are they taking him?" She turned to Tony, ignoring his judgmental expression. "Is he going to be put in a cell?"
"Gee, your concern for your sweetie-pie is touching, Darcy--"
"Are they taking him to a cell?" She demanded.
"No, they're taking him on a road-trip to Vegas. Of course he's being put in a cell. What do you think we're going to do, let him wander off by himself and get into even more trouble?"
Darcy glared at him furiously. "And then what?"
"And then he needs to be contained. Like any other threat." Strange interjected.
"Well he will be contained, the facility here is secure enough to hold him for now." Tony responded, as the two men shared a knowing look, which did nothing to assuage Darcy's growing unease.
"But he isn't a threat!" She insisted.
"He broke a man's arm in two places, fractured three of his ribs, and completely shattered the bones in four of his fingers." Natasha added unhelpfully, looking up from the papers that were laid out on the table in front of her, and Darcy fleetingly wondered if they were Greg's medical report from the hospital.
"But he did willingly hand the Tesseract over to Steven." Bruce Banner pointed out. He too was sat at the table across from Natasha, arms folded.
Thor gave a bitter little grunt. "Loki only gave the Tesseract up to save his own skin."
Darcy's hands flew to her hair, pulling on it with sheer frustration. "But he still gave it up. That has to count for something?"
"He isn't safe to be let loose." Strange insisted, looking at Darcy, his expression cool. "He deliberately used his magic to deceive Stark by casting an illusion of himself in his place, manipulated you into accompanying him from the tower, interfered with the portal to get away, then cloaked himself, and you, to avoid detection. And the only reason we were able to locate you when we did, was because his cloaking spell slipped."
"Why did he let it slip?" Bruce asked, his curiosity piqued.
"He didn't." Strange pulled out a chair, and joined the others at the table. "It happened accidentally, whilst his mind was on other...ahem...things."
Tony's eyebrows raised in comical bemusement, Thor perceptibly shuddered, Natasha eyed Darcy suspiciously, and Bruce just looked confused.
"Ironic that when you'd most want to cloak yourself, for privacy reasons, said reason creates too much of a distraction and makes you lose concentration." Tony mused, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
"Yeah." Bruce agreed. "It almost makes you feel sorry for the guy doesn't it?"
"This is no laughing matter." Thor grumbled.
Tony looked to where Thor was standing by the long windows. "Take it easy, Point Break. Nobody's laughing."
Darcy's face flamed, and she grew increasingly hot and prickly with discomfort. It didn't help that she was still dressed in the hotel robe. That in itself had earned her a few raised eyebrows and questioning, judgmental looks.
"Okay, so Loki was out of line. And admittedly he can be a little shady--"
"A little?" Natasha scoffed.
Choosing to ignore the Black Widow's barbed remark, Darcy continued. "He didn't mean any real harm. Not this time. He had a taste of freedom, and it proved to be too enticing for him to resist."
"That wasn't the only thing that proved to be too enticing." Tony said. "And he wasn't the only one who couldn't resist. Clearly. Which makes it very tempting for me to say, 'I told you so' but I won't."
"Alright, so me and him had a thing." She admitted. "It wasn't planned. It just happened. God, he's not a monk. He's not taken some sacred vow of chastity or been castrated!"
Tony smiled at her outspoken honesty. "Maybe he should be. There's an idea for a fitting punishment."
"Preferably without anaesthesia." Natasha threw-in, sourly, and Bruce made a face, visibly wincing. "But who knows, maybe it's a little late for that." She added.
"What do you mean by that?" Thor enquired, curiously.
Natasha made a point of staring directly at Darcy, as she leaned back in her seat. "Well who's to say. Maybe in nine months time we'll be hearing the pitter-patter of tiny frost giant feet."
Thor openly grimaced, obviously regretting having asked, and various groans and sharp-intakes of breath followed.
Darcy was stricken, but did her best to conceal it by matching the red-haired agent's accusatory glare with a daunting glower of her own.
Bitch.
Why did she have to go and say something like that?
And worse still, the possibility of falling pregnant hadn't even crossed her mind. Which made her feel stupid and surprisingly shaken.
She had read in Loki's file that Asgardians and Jotuns were immune to human diseases and ailments. So she knew she was safe on that score. And since being with Greg, Darcy had been taking the contraceptive pill.
Only....she hadn't had any whilst she'd been away, because she kept them in her bathroom cabinet.
Oh holy hell.
"This is not a joke." Strange broke-in, his clever eyes narrowing at Tony. "We're all in agreement that Loki is a serious threat, and that issue needs to be addressed. So might I suggest we sit down and discuss it sensibly.....without his girlfriend being present." He turned briefly to Darcy. "No offence. But your feelings are clouding your judgment."
Beyond pissed now, Darcy squared up to the sorcerer. Which was much easier to do now that he was sitting down. "Um, no offence. But you're talking shit!"
Tony tried, and failed, to suppress a chuckle, and even Bruce couldn't hide a snigger, as Strange's eyes rounded in surprise at her feistiness.
"He isn't a threat. Compared to last time, what's he actually done? Apart from me? Which everyone needs to get over. Okay, he went AWOL, and he kicked my stupid exe's ass. But that's nowhere near as bad as leading an alien army attack on the city, and mind-controlling a bunch of agents, is it?"
"So you can at least acknowledge that his past behaviour was unacceptable." Natasha said coldly, voice dripping with disdain.
"Of course I can."
"So if he's such a snake, why would you sleep with him?" The agent challenged, putting her on the spot. "He's an egomaniacal, psychotic killer."
"Yeah? And how many people have you killed in the past, agent Romanoff?" Darcy blurted, without thinking.
The room became deathly silent for what felt like several millennia. Save for Bruce giving a small, nervous cough. Natasha was shaken by Darcy's bluntness, but she regarded her with a look of resentful admiration.
"Touché." Tony supplied, with a thin smile. "Look, Darcy, why don't you go take a shower, or have a coffee. Maybe put some clothes on? It doesn't necessarily have to be in that order, but....you get the idea."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and steered her toward the door.
"Yeah I get the idea." She grated. "Get rid of the girlfriend, so you can all talk about the big, bad God in private."
"You know, you're funny and feisty, Darcy. It's cute. Especially when you're mad. I can see why he likes you."
As she left the room, Darcy was met by Jane, who unexpectedly threw her arms around her, pulling her into a quick hug. Then she reprimanded her, for falling for Loki's charisma.
This lecture continued, as they made their way to the lounge, where they sat at the table, drinking coffee together. And Darcy's mind drifted to Loki, the memory returning of when she had last sat in that same spot, talking over coffee with the God of Mischief, and it made her heart ache.
"I don't know what you were thinking." Jane was saying for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Loki. Of all people. And...is it true that you were....sleeping with him? How did that happen?"
Darcy forced a tight smile. "What, you want all the gory details?"
"No, no. I mean....how did it even start? I never would've thought the two of you would get it together. I mean, Loki? He isn't even a fully-functioning being. He's like an android. I thought he'd be against engaging in any form of intimacy, but especially the physical kind--"
"Well he isn't an android. He's a hot-blooded frost giant, and he still has a penis."
"Darcy!"
"What? You asked! And in answer to your question, it really all kinda started when I realised how surprisingly sweet he is."
Jane eyed her sceptically. "This is Loki we're talking about?"
"Yes. It is. It just sort of happened. I saw a different side to him, and the next thing I knew I'd developed feelings for him. So it wasn't just sex."
Jane's large brown eyes grew wide. "So you really did have sex?"
"Twice. That's all. Almost three times, but that didn't happen thanks to your blundering boyfriend."
Jane shifted awkwardly in her seat. "I keep telling you, Thor's not my boyfriend."
"Yeah, and I'll keep ignoring you. Anyway, maybe it's a good thing Thor interrupted us when he did. It will probably take me at least a month to fully recover from the steamy sessions we did have."
Jane's neatly-plucked eyebrows drew together in a perplexed frown. "Really? Why?"
"Why?" Darcy's mouth quirked in amusement. "You of all people should know what God sex is like. Jeez. I had high expectations, I'll admit, but he sure surpassed them. You know what, until Loki, I thought multiple orgasms were just a myth."
"Multiple orgasms?" Jane echoed, voice dropping low.
"Yeah. And we ain't just talking two or three, are we? I mean, last night I actually lost count! That's the frickin' stuff that legends are made of!" Darcy made a fanning gesture with her hand. "The only downside is the telltale saddlesore, cowboy-walk you're left with afterwards. But it's damn worth it, right?"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously what?"
"You're not making this up?"
"Um, no! Why would I be making it up? Wait, does that mean it wasn't like that with Thor? When the two of you--?" She fell silent as Jane shook her head slowly, looking decidedly perturbed.
"Oops. Sorry." Darcy pulled a comical face. "My bad. I just presumed that having your world rocked...repeatedly....came as standard with God sex."
"Well, it doesn't. And can you please stop saying 'God sex'?"
Darcy giggled, feeling grateful for Jane's company and the lighthearted conversation. It served as a helpful distraction. Even though her guts were still in knots, her muscles wracked with nervous tension, as Loki's fate played on her mind.
"They're not going to lock him up forever, are they Jane?" The words tumbled passed her teeth before she could stop them.
But giving voice to her fears, helped alleviate some of the silent burden she was carrying. And she was desperate to hear any words of comfort. Even if they were lies.
But she should've known better than to ask Jane, who was always painfully, brutally honest.
Jane sighed, and gazed down into her coffee cup, as if the dark liquid somehow held all the answers. Like a gypsy reading tea leaves.
Now that would've been handy.
"I don't know what to tell you, Darcy." She said, voice gravely serious. "It would be so much easier if it was just some fling you'd had, but now you care about him...it's going to be so hard. Especially if Doctor Strange has his way and banishes him to the mirror dimension."
Darcy's head snapped up. "What? What the hell is the mirror dimension?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"Of course I don't know, that's why I'm asking!"
Jane took a deep breath, refusing to meet her friend's eyes. "It's a parallel universe. Nothing that happens there can affect or harm anyone outside of it. You can't enter or leave, unless you have one of those sling rings that Doctor Strange uses, which makes it a good place to contain threats to the outside world."
All the air left Darcy's lungs on a strangled gasp, as her heart squeezed painfully.
"Y-you mean--?"
Jane reluctantly raised somber eyes to hers. "Yeah, without a sling ring.....it's basically a prison. But the worst kind, because there's no visiting someone there. And there's no escape."