#if magic use was frowned upon even if Loki is a woman it would be ‘oh of course she should be allowed to she needs to make up for lacking X’

[worstloki]

Tom Hiddleston once suggested Sif's actress Jaime Alexander could have played Loki instead of him.

Do you think your feelings about Thor 1 and 2 would change in any way if Loki were cast as a woman? (if the plot stays exactly the same or minor differences)

I feel like it absolutely would change my thoughts about Thor 1 and 2 but hear me out because the gender change in the context of what I understand of Asgardian society would mean Loki starts out as a younger sister thanklessly expected to mediate Thor’s violent tendencies and by the end of the movie she’s turned into what is basically Hela

[kingcenred]

Spearing a piece of meat on his fork, he swallowed down his bite and his frown returned; there had certainly been several of his advisors suggestions that he did not appreciate, and hardly wanted to repeat. But it was important that he and Loki were on the same page. "Yes...there was talk of them simply finding a suitable woman to produce heirs for us in the er- traditional way."

Not that he would be terribly against the occasional introduction of a third party into their bedroom, if it was something Loki wanted, but this suggestion seemed rather complex. How exactly would they select a willing woman, who had no ulterior motives? Surely the risk that she wanted a claim over the child, or even a share in their thrones, was too great?

"Adopting a child is perhaps the most straightforward, but there is the risk that he would not be accepted as a true heir. It seems we do not need to give our enemies anymore reasons to attack," he huffed, as he downed his glass of wine. The alcohol sent a pleasant warmth through him, and the ache in his thigh lessened somewhat.

"There are a few promising spells we could use. One that would mean both of us would be the baby's biological father," despite his lack of interest in children, his expression softened as he imagined a tiny version of Loki running around. "Would a child of ours inherit your magic, do you think? Or would they be boring and take after me?" he queried, his lips curving upwards once more. "But even that relies upon a woman to actually carry the child. I'm not sure I even wish to know how my advisors plan to choose a suitable woman."

Though a fond smile had sprung to Loki’s lips at Cenred’s playful complaint, the way he reached for his wine and admitted that there had been more pressing matters than the battle was enough to give him pause, the dark-haired prince lowering his fork and listening intently as his husband went on to explain the source of his current consternation.

They wanted heirs.

It made sense, Loki knew that much, and it had indeed been a very close call back on the battlefield, but truthfully it was quite a surprise to hear that the council were so insistent. It was hardly an unwelcome prospect, he supposed he’d always known that it would be expected of them to have a family eventually, and though he wasn’t especially paternal yet he’d always had a fondness for children — it was just the sort of thing that he had always thought they’d be able to discuss in their own time.

“Suggestions?” He repeated, a tinge of dry amusement to the remark as he huffed out a laugh. It was one thing to have the entire council meddling in their lives day to day, but to have them sticking their noses into such intimate matters admittedly chafed a little. “Like what?”

[fanficshiddles]

Bargaining, One Shot (Slight spoilers for Ep5!)

Summary: You get pruned and think you’ve died, but when you wake up you find President Loki staring down at you. You beg him to help you. So he makes a bargain with you. In return for safety, he wants your body. 

Warnings: Dub-con

-

Your eyes fluttered open, expecting to see some kind of bright light or angels, perhaps. Or maybe you’d gone to the depths of hell, so would see demons and fire everywhere. But you were surprised, and confused, when you opened them to see dark clouds above and a man with black hair and a weird horned crown popped into view, looming over you, with some others surrounding him.

‘Oh dear, is she dead?’ President Loki asked.

One of the others he was with nudged your shoulder with his foot. Making you groan as you blinked hard to focus.

‘Apparently not.’ Loki chuckled.

You rolled round and got up onto your hands and knees, looking up at the men surrounding you. There was then an almighty roar from not too far away. You looked over and saw the most terrifying monster in the clouds.

‘You’re not a Loki, are you?’ Loki asked you.

‘A what? Loki? What do you mean?’ You frowned.

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. ‘Clearly not. Waste of our time.’

‘Do we kill her, sire?’ One of the men asked, making your eyes widen.

‘No, Alioth will get her soon enough.’ Loki sneered and turned around to leave with the others.

You quickly put two and two together that Alioth was the name of the terrifying cloud monster that was getting closer and closer.

‘WAIT!’ You scrambled towards Loki. ‘Please… Please, don’t leave me here.’ You begged.

He turned back to face you, raising an eyebrow. ‘Why should I help you? You’re not one of us, no one but Loki’s survive here.’

‘Please… I’ll do whatever you want, anything, just please don’t leave me here. I beg you.’ You cried and was literally begging at his feet. You looked up at him through teary eyes. ‘I’m scared, please.’

Loki tilted his head as he stared down at you. Then he tapped his lower lip in thought for a moment, before a wicked smirk spread across his lips. You noticed he was then actually looking at you rather thoroughly for the first time.

‘I suppose, having a woman around could be rather useful.’ He hummed. ‘It has been so long since I’ve felt the soft lips of another…’ He reached down and brushed his thumb against your lower lip, making your lip quiver at his meaning.

Though the thought of doing sexual favours in return for safety didn’t exactly sound like a bad idea in this situation. Besides, he was rather good looking. And considering you’d thought you had died, the chance at survival was too great to pass up.

‘Please.’ You whispered again, pleading him with your eyes.

You knew he was dangerous, it was obvious. The fact that he and the others with him were even alive in this place. Even at first glance you knew it wasn’t a safe place to be.

He stood up straight and slid his hands into his pockets again. Then he nodded once. ‘Come with me.’

You scrambled up to your feet and followed as he started heading off quickly, it was hard keeping up with his large strides, but you managed. The others were staring at you weirdly, not sure whether to trust you or not. Since they didn’t trust anyone, really.

The monster was getting closer, making you shake more and more in fear. But Loki was completely calm as he led the way. Then eventually, after what felt like hours but was actually just a few minutes, you came to a large circular hatch in the ground.

Some of the others opened it up and started climbing down. Loki looked at you and motioned to the ladder. But you were frozen, the thought of going down there and being trapped god knows where…

‘Suit yourself. You can come down and take your chance with me, or you can stay out here all alone with the monster. But no one apart from Loki’s ever survive here alone.’ He said darkly, smirking a little.

He went towards the ladder, but you quickly moved forward after hearing another roar from the monster. ‘I’ll come down.’ You blurted out quickly.

Loki grinned and motioned for you to go first as he took a small step back. You hesitantly began to climb down the ladder and Loki followed. When you reached the bottom, you turned around and were faced with even more people that you assumed were other Loki’s. They all had various weapons aimed at you, making your eyes widen.

‘Hey, hey, hey! Back off, she’s no threat. She’s mine.’ Loki growled at them all roughly when he got down the ladder behind you.

They instantly backed down, obeying their King.

Loki gripped your upper arm firmly and led you through the other Loki’s, he started spouting some green energy from his hand when one of them tried to get over to you. You gulped hard, just what exactly had you gotten yourself into?

He took you through to what you assumed was his private bedroom. It was just as weird and dark as the other room. But this one at least had a bed.

Using some magic, Loki locked the door without a key.

‘Well now.’ He said as he shrugged off his black jacket, leaving the rest of his clothes on. But he started rolling his sleeves up his forearms. You weren’t sure why, but you felt the green waistcoat and tie really suited him, like it was his colour.

‘Are you going to hold up your end of the bargain?’ He growled low, licking his lips.

You felt your own mouth go dry as you looked down and saw a bulge in his trousers. Not knowing for sure what he might be capable of, and holding up your end of the bargain, you walked over to him and sank down to your knees.

A smirk tugged on his lips as he gazed down at you. You were so nervous as you reached up and slowly started palming at him through his trousers. God, he felt so big. You were kind of scared to see for sure.

‘Come on, pet. Don’t keep me waiting, it’s not too late for me to chuck you back outside to the monster.’ He said in warning as he narrowed his eyes at you.

With a gulp, you began to free his cock. And when you did, it didn’t ease your nerves at all. You felt his piercing gaze upon you as you tentatively started stroking him, slowly becoming bolder and bolder as you got used to his rather intimidating size.

‘Don’t be scared. This beast doesn’t bite much, unlike the one outside.’ He chuckled.

You licked your lips and then looking up at him, you leaned forward and took him into your mouth. His eyes fluttered and his mouth parted in a throaty groan when he felt your warm mouth engulf him.

‘That’s it, good girl.’ He growled and reached down to slide his long fingers through your hair.

You felt a delightful shiver run down your spine at his praise for some reason. You hollowed your cheeks and tried to suck him down as far as you could, pleasing him that you were trying. But what you couldn’t take down your throat you made up for with your tongue work.

His hand in your hair suddenly tightened, and to your shock he started fucking your mouth roughly. Giving you no option but to take him down your throat, making you choke on him. You put your hands on his lean thighs for support and was pleasantly surprised with how muscular they felt beneath the fabric. But you didn’t get long to think on it as your throat started to hurt.

‘Your mouth is simply wonderful. Oh, yes. I think this was a very good bargain indeed.’ He snarled.

When he was close to cumming, he eased up and just rested on your tongue. You didn’t want to disappoint him, to have him toss you out. So you moaned around him, causing vibrations to dance all over his cock. And you moved your tongue along the underside of him, doing everything just right. So when he came, he came hard, shooting down your throat. You did your best to swallow all of his cum, some dribbled down your chin but that only made him lust after you even more.

After his loud moaning and grunting, he took a few deep breaths to compose himself. But his eyes were still full of dark lust as he pulled out of your mouth.

‘Get on your hands and knees.’ He demanded gruffly, his cock bobbing, still aroused.

You were slightly startled when he waved his hand and suddenly you were completely naked. But you didn’t get time to dwell on it, because he moved behind you as you did as you were told and got into position, you gasped when you felt his fingers sliding against your cunt. ‘Ohhh, pet.’ He cooed and rubbed over your clit, making your body jump. ‘It seems this bargain is not only satisfying for me, but it seems it is for you too.’

You hung your head down in shame at how wet you were just from sucking him off. But Loki’s firm grip in your hair suddenly tugged your head right back, making you gasp.

‘No, no. Do not hang your head in shame. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sucking your King off.’ He growled seductively into your ear, then licked up the side of your neck, making you whimper.

He let go of your hair and instead wrapped his hand around the front of your neck as he lined up with your sopping wet cunt. In one smooth thrust, he was inside of you, filling you up completely. His hand around your neck controlled your breathing, only letting you do so when he deemed fit.

You had never been so aroused in your life. It was evident with the obscene noises coming from between you both as Loki pounded into you.

Your own orgasm hit you like a train crash, you’d never felt anything so animalistic and purely chaotic in your life. It felt so rushed and needy, but it was the most mind-blowing orgasm you’d ever had. Not long ago you thought you had died, and now you felt like you were dying all over again but this time in over pleasure. With Loki laughing wickedly over you from behind as he spilled into you from his own orgasm.

He collapsed on top of you, knocking you down to the cold hard ground on your stomach. But you didn’t care much, feeling his heavy weight on top of you didn’t bother you either.

‘Mmm… This is a good deal indeed.’ He murmured as he nuzzled his nose into your hair. ‘I give you my word, that I will keep you alive and safe, pet. If you keep your body available to me, always. Can you do that?’

Your mind was so fuzzy, you could barely even think straight. But you nodded and managed to squeak out your answer. ‘Yes… My King.’

[your-highnessmarvel]

From Bleak to Bright - Part Eight

All other parts on on my masterlist, link provided below.

AN: this chapter is long but the end is worth it puppies;)

Warnings: angst, language

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MASTERLIST - SERIES MASTERLIST

PART EIGHT

Loki never came back home that night. Nor the next morning. It was odd without him in the loft. You ventured to other rooms, which as you’d guessed, were other rooms. You didn’t want to sleep in Loki’s gold bed with silk sheets. You didn’t want to give him the wrong idea if he came back home from some sort of battle or whatever he did when he was out. 

You didn’t want him finding his soulmate in his bed and think something was going to go down.

Not yet anyway. 

You cringed at that thought, sitting on the side of the bed you’d borrowed last night. Your feet hung from the edge; the bed was so gigantic you’d practically thrown yourself into it to be able to board the goddamn thing. 

You peaked from the open door, listening for any sound, but the loft was dark and quiet, just as you’d left it the night before. There were no windows in this place, so you went through the hallway and kitchen, flicking on lights in your cotton pajamas you’d taken from Loki’s wardrobe. 

He’d stocked the kitchen with all assortment of human candies. Twizzlers. Starbursts. Lucky Charms. 

Sour Puss? Why did Loki buy eighteen-year-old liquor? 

You made yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms, playing with your cereal, wondering what the hell you were supposed to do for the day. As far as you’d seen, there were no books. No internet. No computer to play games. What the hell did Loki even do in this loft anyway?

A fleeting thought answered you. All of this is temporary. This is not his home and it never will be.

The bare walls, the rooms full of nothingness, no paraphernalia of any kind anywhere. There weren’t any of his clothes in the wardrobe either. Loki just slept here. Barely. 

The bathroom was sparkling, as if no one had ever used it. The loft smelled like a new car, the leather couches gleaming and new.

You weren’t going to stay here long, either. 

Loki was on Earth temporarily, surviving on Lucky Charms and illusions. 

You didn’t know what to make of yourself, and you certainly weren’t about to lie on your bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for the God of Mischief to grace you with his presence. No. 

After breakfast, you dressed in black trousers and t-shirt, and a pair of boots that would sustain a lot of walking. You tied your hair in a low braid.

You took one large breath before grabbing the front door and yanking. If Loki had locked you in, you’d kill him.

But the door swung open, breaking open the cap on the noise. Chatter, clanking, beeping, smoke came crashing to your senses as you opened up the door to the lab sitting just on the other side. The unbearable heat washed over you as you stepped out, your eyes taking in the ragged, sprung up lab life vibrating before you. 

Curiously, you ventured deeper, keeping close to the wall, making sure no one really paid attention to you. Everyone there seemed really, really into their job, anyway. As if they were in a trance. 

Mind control, you thought shyly. Loki had used his staff, you were sure. Upon closer inspection, heart beating in your chest, inching closer to a woman overly invested in a piece of glass, you saw it. The blurred gaze. Irises as blue and nebulous as the tip of Loki’s staff. Broken, chapped lips. Skin ashy and sickened, as if she hadn’t eaten or drank anything in days. Or slept. The sunken, black skin beneath her eyes told you this lab worked 24/7. 

Gulping, you whirled, trying to find the exit. People milled by you, paying you no mind. As if you were just another one of them. 

This was making you sick, the moral of it all reaching a valuable place inside you. The fact that Loki has stuffed these peoples’ heads with - what? - and turned them into living, breathing robots made you want to yell. At him, mostly.

Just then you spotted a sign over a door. Exit. Well, at least Loki cared about fire safety. You walked to it, determined, and all but burst through the doors, the sound of them slamming shut behind you echoing into the hallway, which you walked through with the same harsh pace. 

It was only when you’d burst into the warehouse, the sound disrupting the small bubble of peace, did you finally take a deep, soothing breath. The outside world shimmered before you, just beyond the yawning mouth of the warehouse. You saw a shimmering horizon, hot, blazing cement.

This wasn’t a warehouse, you realized. It was a hangar. A huge, awning hangar with a stolen, SHIELD-issued jet in the far left corner. 

You remembered how you even got here - the tightening of your skin, the feeling of it ripping and rippling as time and space shivered around you. No wonder you didn’t remember the extent of the “warehouse” when you’d landed here, the state of your mind and stomach making you woozy.

“Hey!”

Someone came running to you. It was one of those tall, all-black clad figures. His reflective mask glimmered in the lights of the hangar as he jogged to you, left hand on his hip, where a baton dangled.

“You’re not supposed to leave,” he said, his voice monotone, emotionless. Robotic. Controlled.

Frowning, taking a careful step back, you said, “I’m not allowed to leave?”

“Correct.” Then, more harshly. “Loki’s demands.”

There was a brief, hot red moment where you wanted to batter your fists against this man’s entire being, but then you remembered he didn’t even know he was here. He was being mind controlled. He was just a body, just like the entirety of the lab buzzing behind you. 

“I want to leave,” you said, squaring your shoulders.

“Impossible.”

You set your jaw, looking at this guard from under your brows. “Loki,” you said, unsure if this would work. “Loki, tell this idiot to step out of my way or so help me God I will destroy your precious little lab behind me.” Just to emphasize your words, you put your hand back on the doorknob.

There was a second where you thought the guard would just burst out laughing and bend over, mocking you. But he just stood there, reflective mask showing you your distorted reflection. 

And then his head cocked, his hands flexed. 

You knew Loki was listening, through whatever kind of bond he’d set on these people. 

“Let me go, Loki,” you grit through your teeth. 

The guard shrugged. “I am inclined to watch what you’ll do with this little freedom,” the guard said, Loki’s words in his mouth distorted. “But I am afraid the Avengers are hot on your trail.”

Your fists clenched. “There’s nothing but Lucky Charms in the loft,” you groaned. “What in the hell am I supposed to do?”

The guard chuckled. “Wait for me to come home in a little skirt with dinner?” he suggested sarcastically.

You wanted to hit him, but you knew you’d only be hurting this mind-controlled man and not Loki. 

“Wow, I never took you for a backwards and traditional man,” you gritted.

Another chuckle, but this one felt condescending. “I am only expressing my deepest fantasy, darling.”

“Ew.” Then you inhaled, closing your eyes, mustering the energy to talk to him. “Loki, please, I - “

The guard put his hand up. “I am coming back soon, my darling,” he said, again, his voice distorted by Loki’s words. “I have stocked the living room with books you may enjoy in the meantime.”

And then the guard shuddered, his head dropping momentarily, Loki’s persona stripping itself from the stranger. The guard inhaled sharply, took one long look at you, and then turned on his heel and headed back to his post. 

You were tempted to make a run for it, but where? You had no idea where you were. The shimmering, hot horizon indicated not New York. And it’s not like you knew how to pilot a jet. 

With a bruised ego and a slump to your shoulders, you walked back to the loft, passing through the heated, messed-up lab without a wayward look. And as Loki had promised - through the guard - the living room table was stacked with leather bound books.

You picked one up. Legends and Myths of the Gods; Odin’s Pantheon. You rolled your eyes. Of course, Loki had stocked your book requiem with stories about him. How had you not seen this coming?

You huffed, throwing yourself on the brand new leather couch, opening the book, the spine cracking from time unused. 

The first chapter was all about Odin’s conception, down right to Loki’s adoption from the Frost Giants on Jotunnheim. A brisk, fleeting thought went to young Loki, learning that his father was not really his father, and that his mother, who loved him so, was not the one to bring him into this world. 

You skimmed through the chapters on Thor, because, let’s be honest, all you truly wanted to get to was Loki’s life. 

You read about his trickery, his skill and love for magic, something he’d picked up from the Queen. How Loki loved horses and literature. He loved delicacy, the richness of royalty, women, and - 

You read it over. Yes, Loki loved women. A lump formed in your throat as you skipped along, trying to find mention of any women in Loki’s life. All you found of concrete evidence was the women in his realm had started calling him Silver Tongue.

A blush crept up your cheeks, heating the flesh so bad that you had to slam the book shut.

And Loki stood right behind it, leaning against the wall leisurely. You all but jumped in your seat, knees to your chest, book clattering to the ground. 

He laughed. “Curious about good ol’ Loki’s past?” he asked, sauntering over, throwing himself down next to you. He lounged his left arm over the back of the couch, his dark blue sweater stretching over the expanse of his chest. 

Oh, if only he knew just what past exactly you were looking at. 

He spread his knees, black trousers clean, completely at ease. 

You gulped, pressing your knees further into your chest. He quirked his brow, his question still unanswered. 

“Oh,” you said, stuttering with the next words trying to come out. “I was just, um, reading through your family history.” Silver Tongue, you wanted to say. 

He huffed. “Nothing interesting there,” he hummed. You felt like there was something more to it, but you didn’t want to dig deeper because maybe you’d unveil something you didn’t want to see.

“Where were you?” you asked, deciding that maybe this conversation was going in a direction you rather not go. Yet.

He smiled. “Didn’t want to wait for me with dinner?”

You rolled your eyes. “I couldn’t find a skirt,” you mumbled sarcastically.

His brows rose so high on his forehead, you thought they’d fall off his face. “I could provide one, if you wish.”

You rolled your eyes, fighting the heat on your cheeks. You unbent your knees, picking the book off the floor and replacing it on the pile. “I don’t like skirts,” you said, not really sure why you were saying this. 

“Why?” he asked, frowning. His left hand, the one draped over the couch, was dangerously close to the back of your head. “You’d look good in them.”

Again, heat rose to your cheeks, a group of butterflies taking flight in your belly. “No, I’m, uh, self-conscious.”

He leaned closer, frowning, the smell of him invading your senses in a rush. His knee bumped yours and your eyes fell there, where there was only the fabric of both your pants separating your skin. 

“Why?” he said, his voice low. 

You gulped. “I’ve never liked... my legs,” you admitted with a nonchalant shrug, still looking at his stupid left knee. 

There was a silence, a long silence, and you still stared at his knee as if his knee would start telling that your legs were nice.

Instead, his left hand landed on your thigh, not gripping, not groping, just lightly touching. When you looked up at him, his eyes bore into yours with a sincerity you’d never seen before. 

A small smile tugged at his mouth. “I’m sure you’re just as beautiful from the waist down.”

It was a weak attempt at making you feel better, but at least he tried. And even if it almost made you laugh, the idea that Loki thought you were beautiful made something tug deep in your belly. 

His hand shifted, fingers grazing exposed skin at your neck, tracing lines on your flesh. Raising goosebumps. Humming to himself. 

“You have such wonderful skin,” he murmured. You looked down at his lips molding the words. His fingers inched to your jaw, tracing up to the corner of your eye, bringing fire up with him. “Such beautiful eyes.” His words were like a melody to you, your body buzzing, reacting as much to his words as his touch.

His finger slid down to your lips, tracing the bottom one with his thumb, and you involuntarily turned to him. His eyes dropped down to your mouth quickly, returning to your gaze with a new, flickering flame. “Such a charming mouth,” he said, his voice roach, low, almost a whisper. 

You swallowed hard and Loki watched your throat bob. 

He inclined his head, his forehead grazing yours. You wanted to reach up, grasp the strands of his hair, but your fists were glue at your sides. 

He smirked, huffing. “I’ve wanted a soulmate for so long,” he admitted in a low voice. He licked his lips. Inching closer to you on the couch. “I want to do so many things to you,” he whispered.

You felt the heat creep up your face and you looked down, Loki’s thumb pushing against your lips, and he chuckled softly. 

“If you want to kiss something, I’m right here,” he said mockingly, and you smiled, pushing his hand away. He laughed softly, replacing his hand on the back of the couch.

He gave you a second to regain the normal temperature of your skin before chuckling to himself. “If you were in Asgard,” he said, his voice faraway. “People would bow to you. They’d call you Princess. You’d have a title and land. A crown. They’d call you My Lady when you are being stubborn.” 

You tried not to imagine it, really, you did. You tried not to imagine what a life could be like with Loki, on splendid and gold Asgard, living out your mortal days with a God. You really tried not to imagine it all because then it meant leaving Bruce behind, and leaving him in New York had not been easy, but leaving your brother forever? The thought was unimaginable. 

A lump rose in your throat when you said, “Tell me more.” You leaned into the couch, bringing your knees to your chest, chin on your kneecaps. 

Loki smiled brightly, his fingers lightly playing with your hair, and told what your life would be like if you were immortal, if you were Asgardian, if you were not truly and wholly you.

tags:  @subtlemalice @yallgotkik @buckyandlokirunmylife @kaz11283 @legolas-bromance @shylittlemountain @tofeartheunknown @feelmyfckngsoul @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay @caffiend-queen @tomhollandsslilslut @lady-loki-ren @nathan-no @rosaline-black @abundanceofcarolines @my-own-oracle @it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream @marvelouslovely @drbaureid @bored-as-hell-666 @youhavemyfantasticbeasts @theinfinitenerd @toe-vind-ek-jou @ink-and-starlight @blank-bakabane @sunshineonloki @holaamishamigos @palegoopbearlight @heyarely16 @pleaseexecuteme @athalahild @help-i-need-a-social-life @tapismyforte @coloursforyourportrait @celestialstarshadow @fukyouthink @lust-for-pan @thic-thor 

[haileygarciasunshine]

Sentient World Observation and Response Department

Pairing: Loki x Fem!Reader

Written: January 4th-14th, 2021

Posted: January 14th, 2021

Warning: PLEASE DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR WANDAVISION. I MADE THIS BASED OFF THE HOUSE OF M COMICS, AND THEORIES FROM THE INTERNET ALONG WITH MY OWN THEORIES

Author’s Note: This took me an long, long, time and took me an insane amount of research. My longest imagine to date.

Word Count: 2,072 

House of M Masterlist

“Good luck out there.” You spoke giving both Wanda and Vision a hug. “You’ll do great!” 

Loki quickly mirroring your actions.

Gazing around the square, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“What is it peaches?” Loki questioned as he pulled out your chair. Rounding you, he moved to sit beside you.

“I...I don’t know. I just have a weird feeling.” You frowned furrowing your eyebrows together in concern.

“Look.” Loki spoke grinning. “It’s their turn.” He grinned jutting his chin out towards the stage.

Following his gaze, you watched your sister and brother in law do their talent for the show. Glancing around the square, the citizens had been acting weird.

Before you knew it Agnes was leading a standing ovation for Wanda and Vision. Raising an eyebrow you stood clapping your hands together for them.

Letting out a sigh, you knew deep down that you were in trouble. That Wanda was in trouble. Gazing around the townspeople were acting as if they were being controlled. Agnes had acted on her own, yet there was still something strange about her.

Tears began forming in your eyes. You knew you had to get out of the fake reality you were trapped in. Gazing at Loki you knew he wasn’t your Loki. He was just a fragment of your imagination.

---

“What’s wrong, Love?” Loki questioned gazing at you. He raised his hand to caress your cheek.

Snuggling into his touch, you closed your eyes basking in the moment.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” You whispered.

Loki rested his forehead against yours, causing your breath to mingle. “Try me.”

“I...Let’s just enjoy the time we have together.” You muttered, squeezing your eyes in an attempt to seal the tears off. Reaching down, you intertwined both of your hands.

---

“I assure you, I’m married.” You could hear Wanda speak to Agnes in the living room. “To a man. A human One.” Moving towards the kitchen door, you gazed at the pair. 

“I almost forgot!” Wanda spoke quickly moving towards the kitchen. Turning towards the door, she halted her movements once she saw you peeking in. “Agnes, this is my sister, Y/N.” She spoke grasping your wrist gently tugging you in.

“Hello.” You spoke, quickly becoming weary of the neighbor. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same to you.” She spoke shaking your hand. “I have to leave ladies, sorry!”

Quickly, she left leaving you alone with Wanda.

“Who is that?” You hissed, feeling uneasy about her.

“She’s our neighbor.” She spoke shrugging her shoulders. 

“She sure asks a lot of questions.” You spat rolling your eyes.

“That she does.” Wanda giggled.

---

“Y/N! Loki!” Wanda exclaimed tugging you in for a hug. “I’m so glad you guys could make it!” She moved to give Loki the same attention.

“Of course, we wouldn’t miss it for the world.” You grinned. “Hello, Vision.”

“Well, if it isn’t my beautiful sister in law and my brother in law.” He greeted pulling you in for a cautious hug.

“Nice to see you too, Vis.” You giggled.

“This is Arthur Hart.” Vision spoke, motioning towards a balding man with glasses. “He’s our neighbor. And this is Mrs. Hart.” 

“Nice to meet you.” 

Grinning you shook both of their hands as you greeted them. “You as well.”

“Come girls, let’s get dinner finished up.” Mrs. Hart spoke, motioning for you and Wanda to follow her.

---

“Thank you for having us over, Wanda and Vision.” You spoke, taking a seat at the dinner table.

“Oh of course!” Vision spoke.

“Thank Mr. and Mrs. Hart for joining us.”

“Who would like some wine?” Vision questioned grinning while holding the bottle of wine.

Pouring wine into his glass, you glanced at the lab. The name stirring something inside you that you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

‘Maison du Mepris.’

As time went on, dinner went by without a hitch. Before you knew it, there was a sudden change in energy. Glancing up, you gazed at Loki, as he locked eyes with you seemingly telling you he felt it too. Turning to face your sister, she was engrossed happily in a conversation with Mrs. Hart.

“Where did you two move from?” You heard Mrs. Hart ask Wanda. “How long have you two been married? And why don’t you have children yet?”

Gazing at your sister, you saw uncertainty etch along her face. Her point finger was raised off the table, slightly moving in circles, signaling that she was unconsciously doing magic.

“Our story...” Her voice trailed off as she furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion.

“I think what my wife means to say is that we moved from...” Vision spoke stopping midsentence as he couldn’t remember where they have previously lived.

“Moved from where? Married when?” Arthur questioned becoming impatient. Smacking his hand down on the table, everyone jumped before turning their attention to him. “Dammit, why!” He continued smacking the table.

Wanda turned her attention towards Arthur with widened eyes.

“Oh, Arthur.” Mrs. Hart spoke. “Stop it.”

Arthur continued hitting the table as Mrs. Hart continued telling him to ‘Stop it.’

Gazing at Wanda and Vision, you didn’t miss the concerned expression they shared.

---

As you were sitting in the kitchen reading the Westview Harold, you glanced around the room. Doing so, you caught color coming into reality.

“What the-”

“Good morning, Love,” Loki spoke entering the kitchen wearing an outfit from the 60′s. 

Gasping, you looked down seeing you were wearing something similar from that era. Groaning, you pinched the bridge of your nose before letting out a frustrated huff.

“I’ll be back.” You spoke. “I have to pay my sister a visit.” 

Arriving at Wanda and Vision’s, you were taken by surprise to see their house had morphed into a completely different one from the outside. However, it did fit into the era.

“Y/N!” Wanda and Vision exclaimed, opening the door. “We have some news to share.”

Furrowing your eyebrows together, you were confused. Walking through the threshold of their house, you observed how everything was different.

“What-” Your mouth fell open slightly when your eyes fell upon Wanda’s stomach. “What is that?” You pointed to her stomach.

“Oh, this?” She questioned leaning into Vision beaming with joy as she placed a hand on the bump. “We’re pregnant.”

“You’re what?” You screeched. “How is that even possible?”

Wanda and Vision chuckled. 

“Well, I’ll leave you ladies to it.” Vision spoke, placing a kiss upon the crown of Wanda’s head. 

Once he left, you raised an expectant eye at Wanda.

“Oh, don’t be so cynical.” She muttered, moving to sit on the couch.  

Joining her, you both allowed silence to fall between you.

“Wanda we have to talk.” You muttered breaking the silence first.

“For goodness sakes.” She groaned in frustration. “We used my magic to get pregnant.”

Huffing you shook your head. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about.” 

“Then what is it?” She questioned growing impatient.

“I...There’s something wrong here.” You spoke, turning to face her. “I think we’re-”

Before you could finish your sentence, you were reverted to your previous position in the living room where Wanda and Vision were announcing Wanda’s pregnancy to you.

Furrowing your eyebrows together, you gazed around the room feeling a sense of Deja vu. Allowing things to play out, you hadn’t bothered questioning their announcement as you had done previously.

Sitting on the couch, you were holding one of her glamorous magazines.

Knock.

Knock.

Gazing at each other in confusion, Wanda opened the door revealing someone you had seen around town. She had black hair that was permed out, while her skin was darker than Wanda’s. The sense of Dejia Vu returned. You had met her before, yet you couldn’t remember.

“Wanda.” Her voice rang through, as she stood in the living room before you both.

“Who are you?” She questioned quickly becoming very serious.

Gazing between the Two, you could there was a sort of animosity that neither remembered.

Before you knew it, Wanda had sent the mysterious woman flying through her walls.

“Wanda!” You gasped turning to face her. “What-”

---

“Good morning Love.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” You grumbled. “Morning.”

“Well, it seems someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.” Loki sing sang.

Groaning, you rubbed your face. Every morning with Loki had become repetitive. Almost as if he was a puppet being controlled.

“I have to go see my sister.” You spat, leaving the house not bothering to wait for Loki’s response.

---

As you ventured down the sidewalk, you gazed around seeing another glitch. A new era. Groaning you let out a frustrated huff. 

Arriving at Wanda and Vision’s house, it was already different. It fits into the new era you had just walked into. Not bothering to knock, you bolted straight into their house.

“Wanda.” You spoke in a stern tone. “We have to-” Your jaw falling slack. “What..”

Walking into the living room, you gazed at two cribs. Promptly, the two babies inside tossed their pacifier’s into the air startling Wanda and Vision.

“Y/N?” Wanda questioned turning to face you. “I...We...We weren’t expecting you.”

“I know.” You huffed. 

“This is Thomas and William.” She spoke motioning to the cribs.

---

“I don’t understand.” You muttered pulling the blankets back before making yourself comfortable under them.

“What don’t you understand?” Loki questioned with a raised eyebrow, mirroring your actions.

“I...It’s just....” Letting out a sigh, you pinched the bridge of your nose. “Forget it.” You muttered, laying on your side facing away from Loki.

At first, when you arrived in Westview things with Loki had been everything you could’ve ever wished for. Him still being alive. Now, you’re almost wishing things were back to normal. It seemed that you had waken up from this dream you were living. Loki was just a shell of himself, you wouldn’t go as far as to call him Loki. Your sister and her husband seemed to be having the time of their lives. 

As much as you were concerned with the current situation, you couldn’t bring yourself to pull Wanda out of it. She would need to come out of it herself, you thought. Wanda had practically everything she’s ever wanted with the exception of Pietro. Sighing, you couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t here in this reality with you.

--- 

Waking the next “day.” You could already tell you were in a new era. Gazing around, you were in a more modern era. 

Bounding down the stairs, you didn’t bother greeting Loki. Repeating your similar actions from the previous day, you made your way to Wanda’s house. It seemed to be Halloween.

“Auntie!” You were promptly greeted with two small bodies hurdling theirs at your legs. 

“Woah.” You muttered. “Hello there, little ones.” You couldn’t help the smile that made its way to your lips.

“Mommy, Mommy!”

“Auntie’s here!”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.” Wanda grinned, gazing at you.

“Neither did I.” You smiled, pulling her in for a hug.

---

“Well, I’ll be back ladies.” Vision spoke, leaving the house.

Frowning you gazed at Wanda. “What’s going on with him?” 

“He...He’s just going through something at the moment.” She frowned but was happily distracted to get candy for the trick or treaters at the door.

---

Placing his hand on Agnes’ head, a stream of glowing yellow raced from his fingertips. 

“Am I dead?” She questioned turning to face Vision, her expression etched in seriousness.

“No, why would you think that?” Vision questioned.

“Because you are.” She whispered.

“You’re one of the Avengers. Are you here to help us?” She whispered.

Before Vision could respond there was a glitch causing Agnes to cackle with laughter.

---

“Wanda.” Vision spoke coming through the front door. His costume had turned into one from his days as an Avenger. “I think something’s wrong here.”

“Speaking of, that’s what I want to talk about.” You spoke nodding your head in agreement.

---

“You think a villain who goes by the name Nightmare trapped us here?” Wanda questioned crossing her arms along her chest. Instantly becoming defensive.

“I do...I think he’s been using your powers..” Your voice trailed off.

“This is our home,” Wanda spoke gazing between you.

“Then let’s fight for it.” Vision responded grasping her hand, gazing at the perimeter of Westview that was under attack.

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[sserpente]

Synopsis: After his lucky escape, the Tesseract takes Loki on new adventures--but unfortunately, his journeys through space do not go unnoticed and he soon ends up on TVA’s radar. The deal is a simple one: Become a recruit and help the Time Variance Authority fight time crimes to earn your freedom again eventually or die. Loki accepts the challenge. It would not be long until he could use their own weapons against them, after all. If only that, however, were his only concern. Least of all did he expect that with his reluctant arrival at TVA, a woman would step into his life and wreak havoc in his heart. He does not know what it is about her that he seeks her presence like a bee hunting for honey--but he is determined to find out.

A/N: Gaaaah, I haven’t nearly pre-written as many chapters as I would like to have pre-written before starting to post but I just can’t wait any longer! I finally want to share this story with you guys, I am so hyped about it! So, without further ado--enjoy the first chapter of “Pastel Blue”! I hope you like it! ♥

Chapter 1

Tick Tock. That clock on the wall was driving her crazy, it had been ever since she had been assigned to this dull office. She spent most of her time in the lab, working in midst of dangerous and highly sensitive equipment and delicate devices.

Tick Tock. She was going to smash it—with a big hammer, perhaps, or even better, a jackhammer. It was ugly too. Made of wood and obviously antique, late 18th century probably. What had Mobius been thinking?

Oh yeah, him. Mobius M. Mobius, her I-am-not-your-father-but-I-will-treat-you-like-my-daughter supervisor and babysitter, thank you very much. Granted, he was old enough to be her father, taking into consideration that in her mid-twenties, there wasn’t much need for a parental figure in her life anymore.

Tick Tock. She sighed. The pile of paperwork she had been handed this morning had seemingly not shrunk by even an inch. She could swear she had not been stalling today. Breakfast, work, lunch break, work… Tick Tock. She rolled her eyes. No. This was unreasonable. Grunting a few not so decent swear words, she gathered the spreadsheets and dozens of handwritten notes, sending the calming ruffling of paper through the air and exited the room without so much as thinking about what Mobius would think about her wandering places around the TVA during work hours again.

Besides, the kitchen and common room right around the corner of her desired destination was equipped with the best coffee machine modern technology had to offer. Hot chocolate with mint and a hint of vanilla? Oh yes, please!

At this time of the day, the lab in question was deserted. Pens, pliers and other small tools lay scattered all over the metal tables as if someone had just finished their work for the day. Some of the devices in here could cause major damage if activated accidentally or even at the wrong time. Now there was the thrill, the proximity to endless possibilities.

After turning a few laps around the tables to see if anything had changed or improved at all since the last time she was here (which would be yesterday), she eventually made herself comfortable at the huge desk fully equipped with a cup holder, sockets and a fancy table lamp. The chair was the best part, enabling her to swirl around whenever she felt like she needed a refreshing spin.

She had just pulled out her burrow from her hair, having twirled it around one of the lighter strands. Her guess was the sun had bestowed its warm kisses upon her chocolate brown hair in the summer. Leaning over her papers, she got back to work.

But it was only five minutes until she heard the heavy metal door with the see-through glass panel being pushed open, followed by someone clearing their throat.

“Jess, do you have a moment?” Mobius asked. Jess tilted her head, the slightest frown accompanied by a gentle smirk decorating her face. What, no chastising for changing work locations today? She swirled around on her chair, expecting to see the man in question in his grey suit and the signature scar across his nose stare her down with arms akimbo. Instead, he was holding on to the door tensely, right next to him, seemingly out of place in the threshold, a man with raven hair and the most stunning pair of blue eyes she had ever had the pleasure to lock her gaze with. Her eyes were blue as well—Loki’s, however, seemed to shimmer green in the artificial light of the lab. She didn’t get much daylight, all the way down here.

“M?” Jess smiled. She rose, ignoring the slight trembling of her knees as she approached the two, keeping a safe distance. Her heart skipped a beat with every single step, her chest resembling a magnet pulling her towards Loki like a powerless needle.

“I’ve told you, repeatedly, to stay in your own office.” Ah, there it was.

“I have asked you, repeatedly, to re-locate my office here.” She retorted with a smug expression, eyes darting over to Loki. Mobius shook his head. “An introduction is probably redundant. Jess, this is Loki.”

He was wearing the orange prison clothes TVA had manufactured a few years back. She had to admit, orange suited him rather well, bringing out his cheekbones and the dark hair framing his flawless face. His lips were thin, his jawline to die for. She would be lying if she denied his attractiveness. Loki was a god, after all. Most prominent to his appearance, however, were the shackles around his naked wrists and the metal collar hiding most of his long neck—a chunky but firm reminder his powers were all but a myth as long as the light was blinking bright red like a traffic light screaming stop at him like a sleep-deprived police officer.

Loki lifted his chin, allowing pride and confidence to flood his aura. Out of all the people he had encountered in this strange place so far, alterations of his very own self on an old-fashioned projector included, she was by far the oddest. Jess, so he learned, wore a colourful choker around her neck as well as two bracelets of the same kind. They reminded him of sugar pearls. If he had asked her about them, she could have revealed to him that they were indeed candy necklaces—and that she wore them because Mobius had stressed there were no edible snacks allowed at work. The elegant pieces of jewellery hanging down her earlobes, however, appeared to be non-edible. Two delicate silver charms, holding what Loki identified to be moonstones. They suited her, complementing the long brown hair and the outstanding colour of her eyes. Blue—just like his.

“The God of Mischief.” She completed, the fraction of a second after he had studied her conspicuous appearance. She added a court but polite nod. “I was kind of hoping to meet you one day.” And so she was. The rumours had spread across the entire facility like wildfire, reaching even the Minutemen based in different timelines. Loki, the Norse God of Mischief, had stolen an Infinity Stone and escaped his respective timeline—a timeline reaching all the way back to 2012—creating a new branch of reality entirely. Unsupervised, he could have caused serious damage to the very fabric of time and the multiverse. He had to be stopped, had to be captured, had to be persuaded.

Mobius had expressed his interest in getting the infamous Trickster to work for him frequently. Loki was skilled, intelligent, witty, a talented fighter and most of all, one of the most capable users of magic the multiverse had to offer. His stories of victory and defeat were known to most of the TVA and yet, they resonated with her to an extent her colleagues could never fathom. Above everything Loki had had to experience—above all Loki will have had to experience—there was a thick layer of loneliness clouding his aura like a blanket of ice-cold snow. It was a suitable comparison, given his heritage.

“I didn’t just hear that.” Mobius intervened. He sized her up like an unpredictable teenager. “The God of Mischief has retired. Loki here has just agreed on working for us.”

“With you,” Loki interrupted. “Not for you. Reluctantly.” That would leave her wondering what exactly it was Mobius had offered him in return.

Jess chuckled. “Now that is a matter of opinion, trust me. I would know.” Raising an eyebrow, she gave Mobius a challenging glare.

“I need you to cover a shift.” He responded matter-of-factly. Jess’ eyebrow rose even higher. “Reese just jumped back from 1792.”

“And?”

“He almost made his personal acquaintance with the guillotine. They’re patching him up in the hospital wing right now.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Jess took a step back, realising just what kind of favour, no, requirement Mobius would ask for. Reese had been in the TVA for more than three decades—he had not aged a day since his accession as a matter of fact—and his experience and excessive excitement over the Avengers had made him the perfect candidate to keep an eye on Loki while he was still not to be trusted—if he was ever going to be trusted, that was. He was the God of Mischief, after all.

“I’m on probation, remember? What makes you think I should cover for him of all people?” Loki rolled his eyes and for a moment, you almost felt sorry for excluding him from a conversation that was clearly about him.

“Call it an experiment. Prove to me that we can rely on you and I’ll end your probation.” Jess resisted the urge to shake his hand off her shoulder when he leaned forward to touch her in a fatherly manner.

“Sir, do you have a moment?” A Minuteman had appeared behind them. Jess had never quite figured out how they moved so quietly. Their shoe soles must have been made of feathers. In turn, the stilettos she usually wore to smuggle a few more inches to her height were loud and made satisfying noises ricocheting through the hallways when she walked, emitting confidence and even smugness. She needed that boost every once in a while.

Mobius nodded. As he released Jess’ shoulder and pushed past Loki—who did, much to her amusement, not move an inch for the senior manager—he pointed a finger at him. “Behave.”

The lab door fell shut behind him, drowning all noises from the outside like a soundproof recording room. Jess gaped at Loki for a second, her body once again threatening to overwhelm her with the magnetic pull she felt towards the Trickster, fascination setting her veins ablaze.

“You do not look human.” Loki suddenly said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Jess pouted.

“Excuse me? I am hoping you meant that as a compliment, I am as human as I’ll ever be.” Loki frowned, then responded with a hum.

“I take it you hop timelines for him too then, fixing the damage others have done.”

“Me? No.” Jess shook her head. “I am not a Minuteman. I wish I was, trust me, but I have got nothing to do with that, unfortunately. I work in the linguistics department, spending all day translating protocols and time recordings from all sorts of languages. Now I know what you’re thinking. With its technology, shouldn’t TVA be able to translate everything using a smart computer program?” She shrugged. “Well, technically you’re right. But there’s a bunch of languages out there that simply don’t exist either here on Earth or any other known realm. We’re only human—and a computer program is only as smart as its creator. It can’t translate a language that does not consist of words, for example, that would go against the very human comprehension of its programmer.”

“Then how do you speak them?” Loki probed.

“That’s my superpower. I don’t know why I can understand them, I just… do. And what did it get me?” She raised her hands in a dramatic motion. “Paperwork. Lots of paperwork. The only way for me to get in on the real action is this place here. Take a look at this.” Loki watched her move towards what resembled a toaster, shaped like a metal suitcase that had been left open. Smiling, she reached for a shining red apple on the table and placed it on the black surface before activating the switch. She had seen the scientists do this dozens of times before. In fact, she was sure she could handle most of the devices in here in her sleep. As the small machine hummed to life, it sent a deafening vibration through the room and then, just like someone had hit fast-forward with a remote, the apple shrivelled and rotted.

“Pretty cool, huh? It works the other way around too once it recharged. They haven’t figured out how to make it work for living beings, including humans, just yet, though. This is just a prototype anyway, the real thing is supposed to help re-animate the dead for a short amount of time to solve time crimes and shit. I swear I’d get a major in science if I lived another life. My father was one. Before he died, that is.” Jess wasn’t quite sure what made her open up to the God of Mischief and tell her about her personal family drama. She usually babbled when nervousness got the better of her but this was a new level of openness entirely. They all knew her story, after all, but apart from Mobius, they all pretended they didn’t. “You see? TVA is not all bad, even if it may seem so at first. M can be an arsehole sometimes, I know. He calls our main timeline in which everything began,” Jess continued with a dramatic voice, “the Null-Time Zone. I never figured out why and he won’t tell me.”

“Because you don’t listen, Jess.” Mobius answered, holding the door open with the Minuteman who had asked for his advice impatiently but mutely waiting for his turn again behind him.

“So?” She probed, pointing at the God of Mischief with her chin, her arms crossed. “If I am to play babysitter for a while, where am I staying? Where is Loki staying?”

“Your place.” Jess blinked, incredulousness spreading on her face like a clean swipe of butter on warm toasted bread.

“My place?”

“Your residential unit is supervised and equipped with modern alarm systems, just in case you decide to make trouble again, remember? We’ll position security outside the door in addition to that, killing two birds with one stone. Besides, it’s only temporary. Reese should be up and on his feet again in no time. The blade only grazed him before he made the jump back.”

“That does not sound reassuring!” Jess stood up straight to prove her point and yet, even compared to Mobius, she was nowhere near tall enough to make an impact with her body language at this time.

“You can take the rest of the day off as compensation. Show Loki to your unit. Make yourselves acquainted. I’ll send security to collect him in five minutes—to the second!”

 ~*~

She seems familiar almost… like part of me has known her forever. It was a thought which jumped into Loki’s mind and implanted itself in his head like a parasite. A mere mortal, how could there possibly be a connection between them? But it wasn’t just magnetic fascination and intrigue. Loki felt a need to keep her in his presence much like she was about to be his cherished bride. Irritation crept up the back of his neck as he followed her through the branched corridors and back to the modern lift he had had to use upon his arrival.

He would only love to know just what it was that had gotten her on probation. Abuse of machinery for her own selfish purposes, perhaps? A prank which had gone too far and done damage to the organisation? Murder? No. Despite her toughness, he could not imagine the delicate mortal standing next to him in the elevator being capable of killing anyone.

When the elevator doors slid open again, the young woman gave him an almost sheepish smile. She hardly appeared worried by having to escort him all on her own, across empty hallways which were only too inviting to overpower her and escape. Something held him back. She did, so he realised with another wave of irritation electrifying his body.

“…the most dangerous missions they usually leave to Justice Peace and Death’s Head. Ever heard of them? They are like celebrities around here.” He heard her say just then. But Loki couldn’t possibly take less interest in this so-called Time Variance Authority. All he needed to know was that it was yet another, partially human-led secret organisation imagining with the naivety of a child that they held power over him. SHIELD had made this mistake in the past and they had paid the bitter price. TVA would be no different.

“The units here are labelled with our initials and the department number. This one.” Jess pointed at the first door coming into sight to their right and quite apparently, Mobius had not made any empty promises concerning Jess’ safety and surveillance. As they turned around the corner, they were greeted by a grimly looking security officer clutching one of those small devices Loki identified as a Taser, one which of the like Darcy Lewis had once used on his brother. He kept a straight face even as Jess unlocked the residential unit using her fingerprint and entered but gave him a provocative smirk before following her.

His own chambers back on Asgard—another life entirely, so it seemed now—were a reflection of who he was with their green accents, the countless books, the tidiness and the ancient parchment rolls on his dark mahogany desk from Vanaheim. If anything, analysing her personal living space to the very last grain of dust would satisfy his need to learn just why he felt so drawn her, perhaps.

The first item of furniture he took in was the long bookshelf towering all the way up to the ceiling, every inch filled with clearly read books about as thick as his wrist. He made a note to study the titles later. A coffee table full of empty peanut shells and a new package of peanuts still sealed neatly in their plastic bag, a caramel sofa on which he found more sealed peanut bags as well as a golden cushion with cheesy pom-poms. A drawer, a TV with large speakers and another electronic gadget resembling a fridge and two separate doorways which led to a bathing area, so he presumed, and her bedroom. Even with the overall lack of more furniture in the room, Jess had somehow managed to add her very own personal touch to the sterile residential unit.

“The bathroom is to the right, you’ll find refreshments and snacks in the fridge next to the TV. My bedroom is out of bounds. I hope you enjoyed the tour.” She chuckled, grabbing a blue leather jacket from the hook on the entrance door behind them. “Big meals are eaten in the cafeteria at certain times of the day though. Mobius wants to strengthen the team spirit but the cooks never say no to a late breakfast or a midnight snack if you ask them nicely.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t you feel like a prisoner in this place?” A lackey for someone else to take the credit for your hard work, he added silently. He knew two of that kind—one being his brother, the other his alleged father. Loki suppressed a begrudged growl. Just in that moment and before she had a chance to reply to his provocative remark, there was a vigorous knock on the door.

“That’ll be your cue.” Jess announced. Loki had to force himself not to turn his head and catch one last glimpse of her as the grimly looking security man escorted him back to Mobius and, other than Jess, kept pushing him forward like cattle and yet, he was convinced he could feel her curious gaze resting on his back long after he had turned back around the corner, stepped into the elevator and even when he was reluctantly reunited with Mobius near the lab where they had first picked her up.

He was speaking to the same Minuteman who had interrupted them earlier—quietly, vividly and so engrossed in the seemingly heated conversation that he noticed Loki and his new bodyguard approaching only after his exceptional hearing had picked up shreds of information he made another mental note of using against them, sooner rather than later.

“You do realise that they’ll come after us with a vengeance, right? That could be the end of TVA once and for all, you know very well what he is capable of.”

“Let that be my concern. This is just a temporary solution—one which I am very curious about.”

“But it already—“

“I realise it already happened and that’s exactly why I’m doing this. All we need to do is stop it from happening again by observing the situation intently, stitch up the loop and we’ll be safe. This isn’t my first rodeo, Dave, you of all people should know this.”

“And what about the Tesseract? Wouldn’t it be smarter if we—“

The security officer cleared his throat, announcing their arrival.

“The Tesseract,” Loki interrupted with a glare, strutting towards them like the king he was born to become and despite his shackles, “belongs to me. It called out to me, it is mine.”

“You’ll find a lot of people in this facility who will disagree with you on that. Trust me. We’ll make sure you won’t get your hands on that cube again.” Dave snorted. “I hope you like your new lodging. Now come on, mischief maker. You’ve got a lot of work to do.”

~*~

A/N: And Scene! So what do you think, what do you think, what do you think? 🤯 I’m so excited to dive into this story! I literally recorded myself on my phone in the middle of the night a while back when all the ideas I had finally came together so I hope I’ll be taking you on an exciting journey with me!

Chapter 2

[lailyn]

Supermarket Sweep

“Now remember, guys. We are here to get a few items, and these items only,” Stephen warned. 

“Come on, Stephen. Live a little.” Tony slung an arm around his husband’s shoulders. “It’s been a while since we’ve gone grocery shopping together. You never want to take any of us with you when you go.”

“Yes, because when I go to the shops to get bread, bread is what I get. Not a gazillion boxes of mince pies and Christmas pudding.”

“They were on discount!” Tony argued.

Stephen rolled his eyes. “It’s already Easter, of course they were!”

“They were covered in edible gold dust,” Tony said with a defensive shrug. “Loki said the puddings looked really pretty.”

“Yes, they were,” Loki said dreamily.

“Fine, but no more! It’s not the healthiest thing, eating Christmas pudding for breakfast every day, and I had to do it for weeks,” Stephen ranted. “Can we please get something you’re actually going to eat this time? Here, if we stick to the grocery list - ”

“Yes, yes,” Loki sighed, grabbing the list out of Stephen’s hand. 

“Thank - ” and Loki crushed the list in his fist and dropped the ball of paper onto the ground, “ - you,” Stephen finished glumly.

“Tsk-tsk, Loki,” Tony chastised. He patted Stephen on the back and bent to pick the crumpled list from off the ground.

“Thank you...“ Stephen’s voice trailed off at the sight of Tony chucking the list into the trash can. “Tony.”

“Tsk-tsk, Stephen. Why do you always concern yourself with such inconsequential matters?” Tony asked, mimicking Loki’s crisp accent. “You’re going to give yourself wrinkles.”

He ruffled Stephen’s hair affectionately, before making his way toward the store entrance where Loki was already pulling out not one, not two, but three shopping trolleys. “Hey, Lokes, wait up!”

“Wrinkles,” Stephen muttered, resisting the urge to finger his face for fear of finding new ones. He was sure a few had just cropped up and they had not been here five minutes. 

__________________________

Loki stood at the fruits and vegetable section, half-listening to Stephen and Tony argue over the merits and demerits of getting imported fruits over local, seasonal ones for Happy Hogan’s fruit basket, who was currently in hospital recovering from something called a pacemaker operation.

Loki did not understand why they were making their own fruit basket as a get-well gift instead of doing the conventional thing by ordering it online.

Stephen had said something about how a personal human touch would make anything more special and...Loki could not very well argue with that, having acquired not one, but two personal humans of his own. 

Oh look. A little human. 

"Hello," he said mildly as a woman pushed a trolley past him. 

She only gave him a suspicious look before clearing her throat. 

Loki took a few steps to the side to allow her access to the ready-to-eat chilled soups and packaged salads. 

Soon, he found himself locked in a staring match with the toddler sitting in the trolley.

Loki wondered what it would be like if they had little humans of their own. Their place was certainly big enough for a dozen of them.

He reached for the 'Free Fruit for Kids' display basket, picked a banana from the pile of loose fruits and held it out to the boy.

"Eat it," Loki commanded.

Tony lunged and grabbed the banana out of Loki's hand, before dragging his lover down the aisle as far away as possible from the boy and his mother, who by now, was looking seconds away from calling the police.

"Loki, you can't feed other people's kids without their permission!" Tony hissed, while Stephen apologised profusely to the woman in the background.

"I see," Loki murmured, unperturbed. "If I wanted to feed little humans, I have to make sure they are my own." 

"Huh?" Tony asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Loki only hummed appreciatively at the revelation and walked away. This required some thinking and quite possibly a serious discussion with his humans.

________________________

“Sumac? What do you even use that for?”

Loki shrugged. “It’s the only one we don’t have. It is not my fault that the ancient Romans settled for so many letters in their alphabet system.”

Loki was obsessed with the supermarket’s own-brand must-have A-Z selection of spices. He hardly cooked but whenever he deigned to help out in the kitchen, Tony and Stephen had better use one if not most of the spices. 

“What do you mean? There’s plenty of spices starting with S.”

“Name one.”

“Sage.”

“You said sage makes your eyes water.”

“Salt. Salt begins with ‘S’.” 

“Salt isn’t a spice.”

“Is too.”

“A spice by definition is a seed, fruit, root, bark or other plant substance. Salt isn’t any of those, is it?”

“You just want to collect all the bottles, don’t you?”

“They’re pretty,” Loki said simply. He nuzzled his pout against Tony’s stubbled jaw. “I like pretty little things.”

“Yeah?” Tony asked huskily. “What else do you like?”

Loki’s smile widened.

_______________________ 

“You do know there is a reason why supermarkets are laid out the way they are?” Stephen asked dryly upon finally locating his husbands in the cereal aisle after a fruitless search of the first few aisles, which they had obviously bypassed. “This is why it takes ages shopping with you guys.”

His two husbands appeared to be engaged in a hushed but heated discussion about something. 

Stephen frowned. “What’s going on?” 

“Nothing,” Tony and Loki said, almost in unison. 

“Loki, please step away from the trolley,” Stephen requested politely.

Loki tried to stand his ground in front of the trolley, but groaned in frustration when Stephen simply put his hands on Loki’s hips. 

Loki could never win against his husband’s tactile style of persuasion. Very, very reluctantly he stepped away from the trolley. 

Stephen dug through the boxes of all sorts of sugar-free, multi-grain based breakfast cereals, all offerings to appease Doctor Stephen Strange. 

Just as he expected, right at the very bottom of the trolley, were a few boxes each of Frosties, Fruit Loops and Honey Nut Cheerios.

“Can you leave me just one?” Loki pleaded. “Please?”

Stephen had to smile to himself. Innocent subterfuge aside, Loki could have used magic to conceal his treasure trove of teeth-rotting cereal but he did not. 

He replaced the healthy cereals back on the shelf, leaving Loki’s selection untouched in the trolley. 

Tony and Loki stared at him in bewilderment. 

“Live a little, right?” Stephen sighed. “Just as long as you eat them, I’m happy.”

Stephen had never seen Tony beam more proudly or Loki’s eyes shine as bright, and he wondered if he had not been bewitched, just a little bit. 

_______________________

“That was such a good trip, wasn’t it?” Tony gushed as he stepped out of the portal.

“Yep.” Stephen had to agree. “There was no magic, no stealing, no stabbing. I think we did alright, considering.”

“We did awesome,” Tony corrected. He had to pause in the midst of gushing to enjoy the sudden kiss Stephen was planting on his mouth. “See? I was right. We should do more of these things together, just the three of us.”

“Oh.” 

Tony and Stephen turned. 

“What is it, Games?” “Did you forget to get something?” They spoke at the same time, noticing the frown on Loki’s face. 

Then Stephen noticed a brown paper bag in Loki’s hand that had not been there when they left the store. “What have you got there, babe?” 

From the bag, Loki slowly retrieved a chocolate Easter bunny half the size of a football. Then he took out two more, arranging the three of them neatly on the kitchen counter. 

“I don’t eat chocolate, but thanks anyway,” Stephen said, relieved that Loki’s secret purchase had simply been chocolate. Their not-strictly-human husband had brought back some strange items in the past. 

Loki rummaged through the paper bag again.

“There’s more?” Tony raised an eyebrow. “Sorry to disappoint you, Lokes, but the bunnies are 100% chocolate, they only wrap them in gold paper - ”

A tiny Easter bunny joined the family of three on the counter. 

A silence so absolute fell over the house that Loki could practically hear his human husbands’ fantastic brains turn and their heartbeats pick up pace. 

“What do you think?” Loki asked, hoping his shaking voice would not give his fears away .

“What do we - ” Stephen swallowed hard. “Are you saying that you’re - ?”

Tony was lost for words. He hurried to Loki’s side. 

“No, no.” Loki shook his head vehemently. “No…” Before he could hesitate for too long, “But I could be.”

The tightening of Tony’s arm around his waist gave Loki the final push he needed. “I suppose what I am trying to ask is...could we be?”

Tony and Stephen’s exchange of stunned looks lasted only a second before Stephen dropped the grocery bag he was holding onto the floor. He marched across the kitchen and closed the distance between them. 

Before Loki knew it, Stephen had wrapped his arms around them both, engulfing his husbands in a rough hug.

“I’m in.” Stephen kissed Loki and Tony’s temples one after the other, over and over. “I’m so fucking in.”

“Tony?” Loki called his name uncertainly. 

“Gosh, Loki. You promised you wouldn’t make my eyes water,” Tony managed. 

Loki bit the inside of his lip. “I would apologise for that, but uh, does that mean you’re in?”

“Of course I’m in, silly!” Tony laughed. “Someone needs to inherit all my billions!’

[notyetneedcoffee]

Soul Seer, pt. 15

Loki Master List

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Warnings: just fluff!

Author’s Note: Takes place right after Avengers 1, with time travel elements and hints of Infinity Wars. Does NOT follow cannon after Avengers.

 Your fingers trailed along the steel frame of the wall of windows lining the walkway. Outside the sun gave the illusion of warmth, even though you knew it was cold. For the moment you aimlessly wondered, having free time before meeting with Steve and Natasha. You’d begun learning to fight a few months back.

Since staying at the Compound, Loki spent most of his days working with Banner, occasionally meeting over video conference in disguise with the other members of the worldwide team Stark put together to plan the energy migration. There was a lot of work to be done, and it needed to happen at human pace… or at least a Stark and Banner pace… because Loki was supposed to be dead.

A flash startled you from your musings. Out in the lawn now stood Thor, looking serious. His eyes moved quickly about, and when they landed on you a bright smile lit his face. Odd, you thought the windows were solid black from the outside.

Thor pointed to the end of the building. You knew a door led outside there, so you began to walk in that direction. His long strides allowed him to be inside and climbing the open stairs to the second floor. His booming voice echoed down the hall as soon as he saw you.

“Ah! Lady Y/N!” He smiled. “How fare you?”

“Well,” You accepted his warm hug. “I’m doing well here.”

“And my brother?”

“Way better than I ever would have thought.” Steve Rogers’ voice interjected from the stairs. “When did you get here?”

“Just now.” The two shared a back slapping greeting.

“Come on down,” Steve motioned to the elevator with a tilt of his head.

The three of you descended to the lower laboratories of the complex. You could see Bruce leaning against a work table, one arm wrapped around his middle and the other hand rubbing his forehead. Loki paced the room talking animatedly with his hands.

He wore your favorite dark green silk shirt. It always made you want to rub against him. You paused at the door, admiring his graceful strides. Bruce must have thought your hesitation was something else, because he waved you in and met you at the glass sliding door.

“We’re just on audio.” He spoke quietly.

Loki argued with someone on the line about power consumption. His voice, not his own, sounded higher and with a distinct eastern seaboard accent. “I can assure you, Mr. Archer, this solution is not a temporary one. The need for your power plants to run on fossils will be forever obsolete.”

“If you think we’re going to leave our shareholders hanging while…” The anger in the man’s voice was unmistakable.

“This guy just won’t buy in.” Bruce rolled his eyes.

Loki saw you and waved you closer. Your arms automatically slid around his waist as his right arm pulled you closer. His body language looked calm and relaxed. He felt calm and relaxed to you. However, his voice held an all to human tension when he spoke. “I don’t want to call in the Council, Mr. Archer.”

This set the man off again. Loki just grinned.

“I’ll be calling the Secretary of Energy and Senator Rowlins about this.”

“Please do.” Loki replied. “Let them explain it you. You need to remember we’re offering this five year transition period and incentive package so your shareholders won’t unduly suffer. But if you refuse to adapt your plant to the new technology obtained from the alien research, or some other form of renewable energy, you’ll just be forced out of the game.”

“Do not dictate to me, young man!”

“No, I’m just pointing out your choices. Adapt or die, that’s the way of things. You’re being offered good recompence and decent amount of time. The Council could just release this technology tomorrow. What would that do you shareholdings?” Loki grinned.

You absently rubbed you fingers over his silk clad stomach. He loved this, upsetting these people’s world order, causing chaos in their shelter selfish worlds. It fed his mischievous nature.

“You’ll be hear from our lawyers!”

“Can’t wait.” Loki touched a button, ending the call. He pressed his lips to your forehead. “Miss me, my pet?”

“Always.” You grinned.

Thor and Steve watched the two of you from the hall. Cap leaned a little closer, whispering. “I think he really likes making all these world industry leaders dance.”

“What is the Midgardian saying? He’s using his powers for good?” Thor whispered back.

Steve chuckled. “I s’pose.”

“I never thought I would see him so calm.” Thor mused.

“Oh, he gets in a rage, gets frustrated.” Steve buried his hands in his pockets. “But it blows over, and he keeps his word, and so long as she’s safe… that keeps him… balanced.”

Thor nodded, lifting a hand when Loki’s eyes turned to him. A frown crossed the darker brother’s face. He pulled away from you and walked out to the hall. You followed.

“Thor.”

“Brother.”

They stared at one another. Finally, you broke the silence. “What brings you around? Everything okay? Or is this just a social visit.”  

“Father asked me to come.” You felt Loki tense, but gave no indication as Thor continued. “Heimdall has been keeping his eyes on you and reporting on your activities.”

“If Heimdall is watching, then why send you?” He snapped.

“Loki.” You frowned, looking up at him. “Did you mean that to be as rude as it sounded?”

Thor’s brow arched in surprise. Steve bit his lip to hold back a grin, he learned chuckling at the way you corrected Loki was disastrous for everyone.

Loki looked down at your scowl and blew out air through his nose. “It’s old habits, I suppose.” He turned his eyes back to Thor, rewording his question. “So, what is it that Father wants?”

Though not an apology, the God of Thunder could scarcely believe his brother allowed you to admonish him, much less that he would heed your words. He knew the two of you shared a bond, knew that you’d touched each other’s minds. But, he could feel this was different.

“Perhaps we should discuss this in private.” Thor began to venture.

“You might as well spit it out, brother.” Loki rolled his eyes. “I’m not granted anything as privileged as privacy here.” Then he smirked. “Besides, there is no one in this company who would betray a trust.”

Thor crossed his arms and shrugged. “Father sent me, but it was a mother’s bidding.”

“What of mother?” Loki became instantly more in tune. You knew how he felt for her, knew how he missed her.

“She says something rare has occurred, says she can feel it in her magic.” Thor gave a lopsided grin. “Now that I’m here, I think she’s right.”

“What? Dammit, get to the point!”

“She says you’ve taken a mate.”

Loki’s mouth fell open. You and Steve looked at each other, confused. You never said in traditional words but no one doubted that you and Loki loved one another. So why was shock and confusion rolling through Loki’s mind.

“I don’t get it.” Banner looked between Thor and Loki.

“Our kind, our people, love and marry. It’s not unheard of, though they are not always monogamous. Even then there are exceptions, like our parents are now. But even early on, father was known to wander and mother had…”

“Don’t say that cretin’s name.” Loki scowled.

“But a mate,” Thor continued. “A pair that is tied together for the centuries of our lifetimes, is a rare thing. It is more common with the Alfheim, but it occurs with every race upon Yggdrasil. I don’t know if it was the touching of your minds, or if that was just a catalyst to what was destined to be, but I agree with mother. It’s true.”

A mixture of awe and elation filled you, only to be drowned in a crashing wave of sorrow and desperation. Your hand reached for Loki’s, and he gripped your fingers tightly. Tears filled your eyes as you tried to bite back a sob.

Steve said your name quietly, seeing the change.

You looked to him, tears falling silently. “I don’t have centuries. In what will seem like a blink of an eye, I will grow old and die and there’s nothing Loki can do to stop it.”

Cap’s face fell. He knew that heartache and would not wish it upon anyone, ever.

Thor’s strong hand gripped Loki’s shoulder. His other gently touched your cheek. “Do not do this. Do not mourn for what has not happen yet. Live joyously right now. I will tell Mother what I’ve seen. She will not allow such a tragedy to pass, especially when it’s within Father’s ability to prevent it.”

Loki gave him a sad smile. “I am sentenced to a century for my crimes. He’s not going to grant me an Apple with less than one in a hundred years served.”

“Mother is persuasive, you know better than most.” Thor beamed. “It may take a year, or five, or ten, but Mother and I will make Odin see what needs to be done.” Thor turned to you. “You understand of what we speak?”

The Apple of Immortality. You knew. Trying to weed through the bad memories of all the times Odin hurt and disappointed Loki, you searched for all the times Frigga’s influence worked upon their Father. Little concessions for the children to serious matters of state, she did hold sway over her husband. Suddenly you realized she held so much influence, that she used it sparingly as to not abuse it.

It might be okay after all.

You nodded slowly. “You mother is a formidable woman, kind, and she loves you both. Alright,” You smiled up at Loki, wiping your tears away. “There’s no point in wasting energy on worrying. You’re right, we live for today. But, Thor, we’re placing our trust in you.”

His big arms pulled you close, despite Loki’s growl, and he dropped a kiss into your hair. “I will not fail you, little sister. Mother is going to adore you.”

“Stop manhandling her,” Loki grumbled. “She is mine.”

You giggled, slipping from Thor’s bear hug and into Loki’s arms.

“How long are you staying?” Steve asked, not one hundred percent sure of the agreement, but satisfied that you were all happy.

“You need to tell her right way.” Loki answered at the same time Thor boomed “There is time to feast and celebrate!”

You squeezed Loki a little tighter. “We can wait a night. Maybe Thor will get you drunk and I’ll get to take advantage of you for a change.”

Loki’s eyes grew wide before he laughed heartily.

Yeah, you sighed, things were going to be alright.  

TAGS:

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[bonjour-rainycity]

Odin’s Ward ~ Chapter 5

Link to previous part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/630063393754284032/odins-ward-chapter-4

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Word count: 2240

Warnings: None

Y/n: 18 // Loki: 20 // Thor: 24

Y/n’s POV

Jovial music fills the air, encouraging the plethora of people in attendance to dance. Since I came of age weeks ago, I am eligible to join in the festivities. Today is Thor’s birthday, and Asgard has spared no expense. Food and drink line every available surface, people don lavish dress, and the hall boasts various shades of red and gold. The King and Queen sit at the high table, eyes sparkling in humor.

Thor’s booming voice cuts through the music, and all sound ceases immediately. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me here tonight.” He stumbles a bit, clearly under the influence of alcohol. “I—I….” He purses his lips, trying to gather what he wishes to say. His friends begin to chuckle, but everyone else knows better than to laugh at the Crown Prince. “I am so happy that this party is happening.” He licks his lips and leans on the nearest person for support. “I love you all, and I know you all love me.” A cheer goes up at that, and I can’t help but join in. Thor is behaving utterly ridiculously, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy myself. “Thank you for being here, and enjoy the festivities. Music!” At his command, the music begins once again, filled with a vigor it didn’t quite have before.

“Lady Y/n! What a delight it is to finally have your luminous presence at one of Asgard’s little gatherings.” Fandral saunters up to me with a sultry smile. “Might I be so bold as to beg a dance?” He offers me his hand.

“A dance is fine,” I respond. “But I will not be joining you in your bed this evening.”

His eyebrows shoot up and he freezes. Then, he bursts into laughter. “How charmingly direct. I shall endeavor to change your mind.” He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles.

“And I shall endeavor to watch you fail.” I keep a smile on my face so he knows I’m still his friend, then take his arm and allow him to escort me to the center of the floor.

Asgardian dances are more complicated than the ones I saw on Alfheim when I was younger, but I have had nearly a year of practice during my lessons with Queen Frigga and her ladies. Fandral keeps me occupied for the next two dances, twirling me around and stepping on my toes due to his level of intoxication. Still, I laugh along with him, enthused to finally be allowed to attend the festivities.

When the second dance is done, Fandral bows to me and I curtsy in response.

“Lady Y/n, thank you for your company. Perhaps I shall encounter you later this evening?” He waggles his eyebrows in time with his words.

A laugh barks past my lips. “You wish!”

He chortles good-naturedly and takes his leave, already looking for the next person upon whom to bestow his ‘charms’. A man with light blonde hair shyly asks me to dance, and I accept. He’s nice enough, but too quiet to hold my attention.

Three dances in a row is a little tiring, so I curtsy to the man and excuse myself, going off in search of a drink. I find one of the many stations to the side of the room and pour myself a glass of water. Before I can take a sip, a series of hard claps on my back causes me to tumble forward, effectively spilling water all over the table.

“Hey!” I whip around to yell at whatever idiot caused the incident.

I’m met with the chest of a grinning Prince Thor. “Lady Y/n! I’m so glad you could make it. Are you having a good time?”

Knowing now that he didn’t mean to cause me to spill my drink and that he’s just too strong—and drunk—for his own good, I let it go. “I am! Happy birthday, Your Highness.”

A radiant smile lights his face. “Why thank you! Allow me to fix you a drink.”

I’ve never had alcohol before, but now is as good a time as any to try some, so I nod eagerly. Thor grabs a cup about the size of my face and fills it with a mixture of sharp-smelling liquids.

“My creation is complete!” Cheers erupt from the ten or so people around us, and I can’t help but laugh at Thor’s exuberance. “Drink up, Lady Y/n.”

Shrugging, I bring the goblet to my lips and confidently take a gulp.

The sting has me doubles over and coughing before I can even properly swallow. Thor laughs heartily and takes the goblet, patting me on the back until I can stand up straight.

“A valiant effort, Lady Y/n,” he decrees, and the people respond with enthusiastic claps.

A smooth voice comes from behind my left shoulder. “Brother. Do you think it wise to begin Lady Y/n’s evening with one of your more…powerful concoctions?”

“Ah, Loki!” Thor claps him on the back and even Loki sags a bit under the weight. “My well-meaning brother. It would be so sad to let this drink go to waste. Besides, Lady Y/n handled it well, didn’t you, Lady Y/n?”

“Oh, yeah,” I respond with manufactured enthusiasm, my eyes still watering from the sheer force of the drink.

Loki sees through my facade and eyes me warily. “Very well. I shall not let it go to waste.” He deftly plucks the goblet from Thor’s hand, presents it to him with an exaggerated bow, stands up straight, and downs the entire cup without taking a breath. The group surrounding us reacts wildly: jumping up and down, cheering, tripping over each other. Loki maintains his composure and proudly presents the empty cup. He doesn’t so much as grimace. I stare at him in disbelief, and he offers me a smug grin. “All in due time, Lady Y/n, shall you be as strong as I. Now, brother,” Loki turns to Thor, “I wish you the happiest of birthdays. Would you now permit me to steal Lady Y/n from your presence?”

Thor guffaws and begins making himself a drink, nodding absently.

Loki offers me his arm and we walk in tandem to the opposite edge of the room. I frown, realizing something. “I never did get my water.”

With a flourish of his hand, Loki conjures a goblet from thin air and hands it to me.

I drink gratefully. “Thank you. I must say, your ability to down that entire drink was impressive! I could have done it myself with a bit more practice.”

The gleam in his eyes tells me he very much doubts that, but retains enough politeness to refrain from saying so. “I’m sure.”

I take a sip of my drink and lean casually against the stone pillar behind me. “Too bad you didn’t actually drink Thor’s concoction.”

Loki blinks. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”

I give him a long look from over the side of my shoulder. “So you’re saying it’s not stored away in whichever secret dimension you favor?”

His lips twitch as he fights a smile. “My dear friend, it is rude to question a prince of Asgard.”

“Is that a threat?”

He’s fully grinning now. “Perhaps.”

“Mm,” I respond, not taking my eyes from his. “I will keep that in mind in the future. Perhaps until then, however, you could humor me with the truth, just this once.”

What follows is quite a lengthy staring competition. Feeling my eyes begin to burn, I make a face that causes him to break with a laugh.

“Alright,” he concedes. “You have me.” With a sigh and a playful roll of his eyes, he procures the drink he pretended to consume earlier.

“Ha! I knew it!” I point a finger at him, solidifying my victory. “You liar.”

He grins. “Trickster god, you mean to say.” He takes my outstretched hand in his. “Since you have found me out, I do believe I must occupy the rest of your evening. I’m afraid I cannot allow you to be left alone to spread word of my deceit.”

“No.” I try to bite back my smile and fail. “I’m sure you can’t.”

“Then may I have this dance?”

I shrug, pretending not to care. “Only because you’re the Prince of Asgard and you’re so important.”

With a roll of his eyes and a noise of playful exasperation, he leads me to the center of the room. The music starts and he draws me only as close as propriety allows. We sway and spin in time with the music. He’s far too graceful for my liking, so I try to trip him about halfway through.

“Why you—” He cuts off with a laugh as I spin away. He chases after me, but each time I deftly avoid his grip. We weave in and out of the other dancers. Some laugh, some grimace, but no one interferes with our game.

With a quick glance back, I see Loki just behind me. Intending to speed up to evade capture, I instead crash into an innocent bystander.

“Oh wow, I am so sorry, I—Loki!”

He laughs with abandon, throwing his head back and circling his arms around my upper body. “Silly girl, thinking you can escape me.” Still laughing, he pulls me once again to the side of the room.

“How-how did you do that?!” My voice is made higher with surprise.

He leans in conspiratorially. “I have learned to create doubles using my magic. There’s still a lot to perfect, but I feel as if I could one day be quite skilled.”

“Yes,” I laugh along. “And then you can continue to catch unsuspecting women who are just trying to enjoy a simple dance.” I do my best to put on an innocent air but can’t quite manage it.

“Mm, that will surely be the case.” He rolls his eyes yet again. I’m certain it is one of his most practiced skills. I tell him so.

“Well,” he responds with a fake huff, “I wouldn’t have to get so much practice if I didn’t have such an exasperating woman in my life.”

I shrug. “Not my fault it worked out like this. You should have better social skills, maybe then you could score better friends.”

He chuckles wryly. “Perhaps. In the meantime, however, I will just have to learn to cope.”

Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. “Poor you.”

We stand in comfortable silence for a moment, taking in the scenes around us. Out of nowhere, Loki grabs my waist and turns me so that I can see the far right side of the hall. “Y/n, look!” His voice is equivalent to that of a child discovering a wonderful gift has been left for him.

I immediately see why.

Thor, who is quite drunk at this point, is making a fool of himself trying to catch a woman’s attention.

“It seems as though my brother is trying to convince that poor maiden to accompany him to his bed.” It doesn’t escape my notice that Loki’s hands have not left my hips. I swallow and do not mention it.

I don’t intend to be so quiet when I speak, but I can’t force any more volume behind it for fear that my voice will begin to shake. “She won’t refuse him. Most women here tonight are trying to earn his affections. Haven’t you noticed? They’re doing the same to you.”

He scoffs. “No, they’re not.”

“Yes,” I counter, a little too forcefully. I demure. “It would be quite advantageous to gain the attention of one of the princes.”

Loki grins. “How jealous they must be of you.”

“What can I say?” I put on a haughty air, feeling much more comfortable in the realm of humor than intensity. “I’m just that important.”

We chuckle at our shared joke and return our attention to the spectacle.

Thor has now succeeded in getting the woman to take his arm. Two seconds later, however, he trips over his own two feet and takes quite a stumble. Loki laughs so hard he has to lean against the pillar for support. This causes him to take his hands from my hips, and I suddenly feel cold.

The unnamed woman kindly helps Thor from the ground and tries to tug him out of the ballroom. A light that I am quite familiar with enters Loki’s eyes.

“Loki, no—” before I can stop him, Loki conjures up an extra pillar in front of Thor’s face, causing him to smack straight into it and go crashing to the ground. Loki practically explodes in laughter. Thor begins to suspect something is amiss and whips his head wildly around the room in search of his scheming brother.

“Ope!” Loki quickly grabs me and sprints to the dance floor, burying us in the array of couples. Nearly breathless with laughter, we take turns twirling around so we can see Thor’s progress with the woman. Tired of all the antics, she leaves Thor standing by himself with a frustrated look on his face.

“You are bad,” I scold, turning back to my favorite prince. I’m sputtering too hard to put any real reproach behind my voice.

Loki just winks and twirls me once more.

A/n Let me know what you thought and if you would like to be added to the tag list :)

Masterlist

Link to next part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/631916582484017152/odins-ward-chapter-6

Tag list: @80strashbag @dark-night-sky-99

[ninjakitty15]

Chapter 19: Good Impressions (Loki x OFC Pairing)

I looked in the mirror and couldn't help but grin widely, baring my teeth even as a sense of giddiness filled me. It was very rarely I ever actually dressed up or even really did much to prepare for an upcoming battle beyond gathering power, planning and making sure I had all my war ducks in a row, this was extra but it was the good kind in my opinion.

"You know...I read that the Spartans, the fiercest ancient warriors our world had at one point, would pretty themselves up before battle and spies from enemy lines that caught them doing that would overestimate them. Apparently real men don't wear makeup into a war," I told Loki who walked up behind me, watching me check myself out. "Funny thing is in this country and probably a lot of other countries today have this thing called war paint which might not make them look fabulous like a Spartan but it might as well be makeup as it's primarily worn on their face."

"I remember the Spartans, Odin was impressed by their tactics and way of life, especially their stand against the Persians, the odds weren't in their favor and yet somehow they gave them hell before defeat," Loki recalled.

"Quality over quantity," I added. "Those people were literally born to be warriors, only the strong babies survived the first of many tests they were forced into." I combed a hand through my hair, considered messing it but decided against it. "I used to be more of a silk or velvet kinda girl but I gotta tell ya, I'm really digging the leather. It's fashionable, it's sexy even, and it's pretty decent armor, I mean it's no breastplate or Kevlar vest but those are a bit too obvious and that's the last thing we want right now." I took a few swaggering steps, glancing at my backside curiously to see how it all fit together.

"You're enjoying this entirely too much," he mused.

"I know it hasn't been that long since we met, but are you really surprised at this point?"

"No, not really. How long are you gonna fawn over yourself in the mirror before we actually put this plan into motion?"

"Relax, I got this. I just gotta get a few things down pat before we jump head first into this oncoming shit storm." I grinned again. "What's the hurry?"

He watched me, a glint of amusement in his eyes as he shook his head at my antics. "You got the smile right and I'm not sure how you were able to copy my walk so quickly but the humor needs to change if you insist on chattering before things get started."

"But...humor is why I'm still kicking," I protested. "And it's a far cry from your own, which mind you I'm glad you have any at all, some other gods can't seem to grasp that concept despite being eons old. Still, it's a lot more...eloquent than I'm used to."

"Then perhaps don't say anything at all."

"And leave you to do all the talking, hell to the no, spank you very much."

"What's wrong with me doing the talking for once?" he crossed his arms in challenge and arched an eyebrow, daring me to answer.

I gave the god an unapologetic and unamused look. "I'm not the only one that's been muzzled here, maybe your brother was onto something when he did it to you."

"How dare you? You take that back right now!"

"Or what? Whatcha gonna do, huh? Take your shot, green boy, you got me deadbang."

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly interrupted our usual bickering match and we both turned to see a half amused half arachnid smirking at us with his unnaturally muscular arms crossed as well. "You know this is technically playing with yourself, right? I mean if that's the case, could you get a room that isn't the only bathroom in the apartment, please?"

"How long since this plan was in motion did you wanna use that joke?" I teased the kid.

Peter shrugged and pretended to look bashful but now that he too was throwing in dirty jokes, the facade of him being an innocent kid was now out the window. "You sure I can't tag along?"

"Kid, you got your own enemies to fight and this might be a bit above your skillset which means if you tag along theres much less chance of you coming back."

"But you could just bring me back yourself, right?"

I scowled at his optimism. "Doesn't work that way, I only bring back the ones that can't pass on on their own and want another chance at tying up loose ends, and you better not be one of those people, you're a kid, which goes against my personal code of bringing back zombie kids, that's just fucking depressing having an army of rotting midgets."

Peter sighed in despair and slumped his shoulders. "I never get to do anything fun."

I rolled my eyes at his whining. "I'd also be held responsible for letting you come with and I kinda don't want to be hunted down by a team of go getters and fancyass technology, no spank you. I already have Hydra for the latter. So do me a favor, sit your five dollar ass down, before I make change."

Peter scoffed at my implied threat but stopped bugging me, it might have been his plan that could get the odds in our favor but it sure as hell wasn't his fight and I had no intention of dragging another cute super powered person into my personal vendetta. "Aunt May says you can come back anytime, just give one of us a heads up next time...and maybe something that gets black bloodstains off any surface just in case."

I would've blanched if I wasn't pale already. "Oh no, did I ruin something, I can pay for that."

"No no, just, I think she thinks you'd only come here if you're in trouble like you were this time and she's worried you might miss a spot next time if that's the case, normal blood you can just use hydrogen peroxide, but I'm not too sure it works on corpse blood."

"Noted and tell her thanks for everything, same goes for you of course since you were the one to let us in before she agreed to it. And also not informing the A team, that's important...you didn't tell them right?"

"Not like they take me all that seriously or even answer my calls if I did," Peter muttered. "You're all good there, promise."

"Excellent! You stay sharp and cute, the second either of that fails, you're fucked."

"Thanks, I think."

"Right then." I turned to Loki with another smirk. "How's this for a first impression?" I asked in smooth sorta British sorta something else accent.

He scowled at me but couldn't complain it seemed. "I'm getting the sense you've been working on that before this came to pass."

"Anyone can do an Avenger impression, hell anyone can wear their costumes, right Peter? But I'm not about the hero life, so why waste time on them when I've been giving it all to you?"

Loki was silent at this and it was Peter that actually responded to me. "That was actually really sweet."

"You say that like it's a surprise, physically dead here, not emotionally dead, thank you. My heart hadn't reached that stage where it becomes calcified like a fetus that won't leave its womb."

"You always have the oddest choice of metaphors," muttered Loki. "So you have the walk, the voice, the smile even though I'm not sure that's even necessary at this point."

"When are you going to prepare for the plan then?" I challenged. "Go on, see how well you know your part."

"Don't you worry about my side of the plan, I've been doing this sort of thing for the sheer fun of it long before you decided to do it out of sheer boredom."

I snorted and rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, we're all very aware of your old age, you don't have to remind us like we have to remind you, old man."

"Ye of little faith," he mocked, earning a bar of soap flying at his face he was lucky enough to duck. "Your aim needs improvement."

"I'm sorry, did you actually want to be hit in the head by something solid and hard and not a pillow, because I missed on purpose, you cotton headed ninny-muggins."

"Seriously, is all you two do bicker at each other?" asked Peter.

"Well I mean you wouldn't let us have any real adult fun while we crashed here so we gotta get that pent up energy out somehow, right?" I reasoned.

"She's not wrong," Loki agreed.

"Besides, no one's getting hurt from it, I'm convinced this is our own special way of showing we love each other without being a bunch of saps. I'm 99 things but a sap ain't one."

"What's wrong with being affectionate?" asked Peter, almost sounding offended.

"That implies I have more emotions than I'm willing to admit to anyone including myself, I'm generally not ok with having that much feels." I grinned, slicked back my hair again before doing a little dance for funsies.

"I'd refrain from doing that little jig when the plan's in full swing," warned Loki though he was still smiling in amusement.

"Oh but I like this," I purred with the accent again.

The smirk on his own face twisted, like I said something that somehow offended him and all his ancestors and pissed him off or deeply upset him. "Don't make me take it away from you till right before the fight starts."

"Oh come on, maybe you just need to hug it out and join the fun, bring it in, big guy." I opened my arms wide for emphasis. "There's no better love than self love."

He rolled his eyes at my stellar pun and green magic rolled over him as he changed into character. "I bet you were just dying to make that joke."

I stared at him and it was my turn to glare. "Was that your attempt at a dead joke? Oh hun, you gotta do better than that to fit the bill."

"Don't patronize me, woman, I wasn't even trying then."

I walked over and patted his cheek just to mess with him. "Sure you weren't. Do me a favor and work on that but also turn around for me."

"Why?"

"Just...do it."

He did begrudgingly and I frowned upon studying his form thoroughly before he faced me again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, you got it right, it's just...I didn't realize it looked like that and now I'm suddenly an insecure teenager. Peter, is this how you feel all the time because, dude, this really sucks and I feel for ya."

"You say that like you were never one yourself," Peter noted.

"I know I was but like, I don't remember what it was like then, I couldn't tell you what I was like as a teen."

"Why not?"

"No memory of it, at all."

"You mean like it was so long ago that you can't remember that far back or lots of stuff happened during it so fast that it's all a blur."

"I mean it's not even accessible, it's gone from my mind completely."

Peter frowned, probably trying to understand what I was getting at. "Amnesia?"

"Mindwipe."

"Like Bucky Barnes?"

"No, that's brainwashed...wait, those do sound synonymous, damn, hadn't even thought about that. Brainwashed is basically having your mind overridden and reprogrammed, there's memories there but they're not real ones. Mindwiped is just nothing there to reprogram at all."

"Did Hydra do that too?"

"No, Hydra can't touch this, something they need to have programmed in their heads for all the times they tried and failed any of their aims when they had me. I can't tell you the who, but I can tell you it was painless and done willingly and without regret."

"You chose to have memories taken from you?"

I nodded simply, unable to elaborate as per the deal.

Loki, knowing there was some things I couldn't talk about for reasons he wouldn't know until hopefully later, chose to cut in then. "I think that's enough curiosity for now, we should get going and finish the plan you concocted for us."

I smiled thankfully at Loki and nodded in agreement. "Yes, of course.  Parker, if I don't make it back by tomorrow...just wait longer."

"Stop teasing the child, Nell, you could be really testing his patience with your antics and we wouldn't be welcomed back."

"You wouldn't, I would because I'm a delight to be around." I strutted after him anyway and he shook his head and beckoned me out of the bathroom and unfortunately out of the apartment.

"The Hydra agents and people that turned on you would say otherwise."

"The Hydra agents don't even know what joy is, the only time they're smiling is when they think they're about to take over the world and people are dying around them...the traitors are just pussies which means it doesn't take much to make em weep."

"Again with the metaphors."

"Maybe you should start taking some notes, eh? Give you a head start seeing as I'm all caught up on my end, unless you got something to add there?"

"Well you still haven't proven you can get the mannerisms right and mannerisms maketh men."

"But we are not men..."

"No, we're immortals."

[mayasshitposts]

The Magical Man of Wonderland (Ikemen Revolution AU)

Title: The Magical Man of Wonderland Game: Ikemen Revolution Details: Ikemen Revolution AU/Alternate Folktale, An almost Wizard of Oz kinda story Characters: Harr Silver, Loki Genetta, Oliver Knight Prompt: Write a short story where a Joker, Cat, and a Doll are the main characters Notes: Fantasy, Unrealistic, fairytale-like, with magic and stuff, an ikerev AU, Wizard of Oz,

Characters: Harr- Joker, Loki- Cat, Oliver- Doll

It was a stormy night in Cradle. Dark clouds hung over the dimly lit streets. Rain poured from the clouds. Lightning struck the earth as thunder roared. However, most citizens of Cradle were either asleep or seeking shelter at the bar near the civic center. In one of the houses, a young boy lay awake, flinching at every loud noise. After a particularly loud clap of thunder, the boy shot out of bed and ran straight to his mother's room. His mother was awake, reading a book. She noticed the boy and smiled softly as she patted the spot on the bed beside her. The boy climbed onto the bed and clung to her as lightning struck again. The woman sighed, "Can't sleep?" She asked. The boy nodded, "The storm is too scary!" He whimpered. The woman smiled as she held the boy close to her. "Would you like me to tell you a story?"

The boy nodded eagerly, "Oh yes please mother!"

The woman laughed a little as she shut her eyes, "Then how about the story of The Magical Man of Wonderland?" She asked. The boy looked at her as she started to speak.

 In a land far far away called wonderland, lived a young man named Harr Silver. He was a fugitive of sorts, always on the run from the law, and the preferred to live alone. He was nicknamed the Joker, as he possessed strong magic in his left eye. This magic would turn him into a dark beast of sorts, and if it spiraled out of control- like it often did- it would kill everything in his surroundings. Many people feared the joker, although he was often a hot topic for speculation and gossip.

 Harr Silver lived in the depths of the forbidden forest, tucked away from civilization. However, he was not alone. He lived with his prized student, Loki Genetta. Loki Genetta was young, energetic, and admired the joker as his teacher and parental figure. Harr had met Loki while traveling and found out that he was cursed like himself. Loki's curse gave him feline features, including ears, a tail, enhanced agility and a strong dislike for water. This was why people nicknamed him the Cheshire cat. Loki too was a hot topic for gossip in Cradle, and people often made fun of him, making him feel isolated from society. Loki was ecstatic when he met Harr, and started to depend on him for survival.

 Loki and Harr would often fish for food every few days. As fish were abundant in the lake near their home. It was on one of their fishing trips that they met the doll-like Mad Hatter, Oliver Knight. Oliver had come to Wonderland from the Land of Reason, taken by the Disciples of Magic, been experimented on and cursed to live in the body of a child. Despite his childlike appearance, he possessed a temper as short as himself and wit as sharp as a knife.

The Mad Hatter told his two new acquaintances that he was on his way to see the Magical Man of Wonderland in the Tower of Magic, to find a cure for his condition.

Loki was excited to hear about the possibility of a cure for their curses, but Harr was skeptical. With much pleading from the Cheshire Cat, the Joker agreed, as they joined the Mad Hatter on his quest. Before long, the three men had become close friends. They found comfort and joy in this newfound friendship as they traveled day and night to reach the Tower.

 Upon reaching the tower, they were greeted with a sign that said, "Welcome travelers. You are permitted to meet the Magical Man of Wonderland by climbing up the invisible staircase one by one, and he shall fulfill any and all of your wishes." The three friends look at each other wondering who should go first when Harr speaks up. "Oliver, you should go up first," He said. Loki nodded in agreement, "Go ahead Oliver, fulfill your wish."

 Oliver thanked his friends before going up to the tower and about twenty minutes later, he walked back down to where Harr and Loki were waiting, except, he was still a child. Loki's eyes widened as he asked, "What happened? Why are you still a child?" Oliver shrugged and said, "The Magical Man said to wait for nightfall."

Harr was about to question Oliver but bit his tongue. He was curious who the Magical Man was. Almost as if he read his mind, Loki asked, "What did the Man look like? Was he scary?" He asked. Oliver scoffed and said, "He wasn't as much a man as he was a small ball of fire."

"Now I really want to go up there to meet the Man," Whined Loki. Harr smiled softly for a moment before returning to his usual stoic expression. He nodded, "Alright Loki, you may go to see the Magical Man next. Remember, if anything feels wrong, send me a signal." He said. Loki winked at Harr, "Of course I will Harr, you know I will!" Loki then scampered up the invisible staircase to the top of the tower.

 After what seemed like an eternity, Loki returned, with a big grin on his face.  He skipped over to his friends and twirled, "Look! I have no tail or ears anymore!" He said. In a moment of carelessness, Loki's eyes glowed red, sending Harr and Oliver flying back. Harr managed to bring Loki's power under control. He frowned since Loki's power was now stronger than before. "Loki, what did you see in the tower?" asked Harr. "Just a giant magic crystal," He said, tilting his head to one side.

 Without any further words, Harr used his magic to teleport himself to the tower, furious. "Amon! Show yourself you coward!" He bellowed.

"Well well, if it isn't the joker," Said the man, Amon. "Harr Silver, what is your wish?"

Harr gritted his teeth at the man's voice as he looked around the large room, only to spot the familiar robed man. His long white hair and sharp features only added to the fearful nature of his menacing grin. "What have you done to Loki and Oliver?" Harr asked. Amon laughed, "Well, I granted their wishes, each with their own consequences. Oliver will be a child by day and adult by night, while the cat will have magic power even stronger than yours." He cackled as Harr watched on.

 It turned out that Harr was an old student of Amon, and left the tower after learning about Amon's plans for destruction. Amon looked at Harr as he pulled out a magic crystal, "How about I grant your wish now, you wanted an end to the magic in your left eye didn't you?" He asked as he crushed the crystal. Harr cried out in pain as his left eye burned, tears streaming down his face. His eyes were glowing red. Unable to bear the pain any longer, Harr fell unconscious.  

When he awoke, he was outside, Loki and Oliver on either side. "Amon? Where's the Magical Man of the Tower?" He asked frantically. "And my eye, why can't I see out of it?"

Loki looked at Harr as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Harr, you just appeared here, the man is probably still in his tower. And Your left eye, Oliver says the injury was too severe, you won't be able to see out of it."

Harr shut his eyes and sighed heavily. He decided not to tell Loki and Oliver about the tower, instead, he said that his wish was granted. Oliver returns to the central quarter afterward, as Loki and Harr return to their house near the Lake of Tears.

 The boy looked up at his mother as she finished her story, "And what happened next mother? Where did the Man in the Tower go?" She shrugged as she smiled. "I don't know about that my son. But we don't need to worry about that yet. Now. Go to bed, it's getting late."

[fanfictrashdump]

Queening a Pawn, 19

If you're new: this is my procrastination fic. It is what I drabble around with when I'm being my worst self, and ignoring all my other WIPs and responsibilities! Enjoy!

X

Summary: During the Time Heist, Loki stole the Tesseract and escaped. He did not expect, however, to be pulled through a Time Loop that delivered him to a Midgard more than a decade older, wiser, and bitterer. Having just lived through his unsuccessful attack in New York, Loki must learn to live in Midgard after the defeat of Thanos (post-Endgame). The question is, who is Loki without a quest for a throne or total domination?

Pairings: Loki x OC

=

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Delilah inhaled deeply, stirring suddenly out of slumber. Her eyes barely opened and focused on a shadow in front of her before the scream ripped out of her throat. Loki sat up beside her, daggers brandished and in search of blood, eyes wild and unfocused.

"For fuck's sake, Bucky! What the hell!?" Delilah shrieked, throwing pillows at the shadowed figure. For what it was worth, he looked apologetic for having nearly given her a heart attack. She did not, however, appreciate the fact that the only thing between Bucky and her naked form was 800 threads of black Egyptian cotton she was holding up with her left hand. Or the fact that he had found them asleep in Loki's quarters. Or that he found them naked in Loki's quarters. They had made it a point to be careful, and yet here they were.

"Sorry, Li. You didn't answer your phone."

"What's up?" She asked, once her heartbeat had gone back down. Loki groaned, falling back onto the pillows to slumber.

"There's a situation, we're going off on a mission. We were hoping we could borrow him," he replied, jutting his jaw out at Loki, who turned his eyes to stare curiously at the Winter Soldier. "It's that group Dwyer was part of–"

"And you want to take Loki? On a mission?" Delilah glanced to her right, cutting across the calculating green gaze piercing the dark. "He's clear for it on my end, but you might want to, you know, ask him."

"You in? Two days, tops. We're just raiding a warehouse." Bucky stared expectantly. "Strange could use some magic back-up."

Loki narrowed his eyes at Bucky before he sat back up, turning his gaze at Delilah. A hand rested on her bare back, sending a shiver down her spine. "I don't want to leave you alone."

"I have Einherjar and this," she replied, tugging at the silver chain around her neck. "And about a million different daggers. It would only be two days." She shrugged, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes with the heel of her right hand. "Do you want to go?"

"I'd like to assist, yes."

"Good. Wheels up in one hour." He left before the other two could respond.

Loki took care dressing. It had been a while since he had pulled on any clothes that weren't Midgardian in fashion or design. Even for training, he had gone for Earthly training garb, weighing himself down with discs to mimic his armor. He had not felt the need to parade around in his royal dress, and at current moment he debated whether he wanted to break the streak.

The simpler battle leathers hung in his wardrobe fit comfortably. There were no flashy embellishments or trinkets–just leather and magic in black and green, layered and spelled to keep the better part of injuries at bay. Delilah had insisted on helping, despite the fact he could spell his armor on faster than he could explain how each piece fit. Still, there was something soothing about her, still naked from the night before, lacing up his vambraces after a little direction. They had ended up having to refasten his cuisse after a lone brush of her fingers down his chest had caused him to all but rip his trousers off and sink into her warmth.

"Are you nervous?" She asked, sitting cross-legged in bed after summoning the energy to dress. The jeans and T-shirt she wore were no less appealing than her bare skin, so he tore his eyes away before another re-doing of his armor was needed.

"Only about leaving you unattended. Norns know what could happen when I'm gone." The notch that formed between his brows confirmed his concern, but Delilah was quick to brush it aside. Not to mention, she could feel his anxiety as easily as her own.

"I'll be fine. Just hurry up back to me, OK?" Loki nodded, dropping to his knees before her and making a point of kissing her so thoroughly he could sculpt her lips from memory. "Let's go. It's almost time."

"I love you," he said, knowing it would be impossible to say once they got to the helipad.

"I love you, too."

Sam let out a cross between a groan and a yell when they arrived at the helipad ten minutes later. "Frickin' finally! How long did it take you to tear this fool away from a damn book?" Both Loki and Delilah were confused but tried not to show it in their expressions. "Also, why are you in the library at 3 am? Do you have nothing better to do?"

Loki rolled his eyes, looking nonplussed. "Some of us knowhow to read, Falcon," he sassed before cutting his eyes at Delilah. Delilah, however, was mouthing a quiet thank you to Bucky, who shrugged.

Stephen poked his head out of the Quinjet, watching Loki cast one last longing stare at Delilah before marching past him onto the ship. Strange rolled his eyes, frowning at the woman. "Oh, come on! I thought you were better than that!"

"Lower your expectations, Strange. We're all trash," she joked, rolling her eyes just as petulantly. "I want you all back in one piece, OK? Be safe!" She watched Sam, Strange, and Bucky pack into the jet. Loki lingered by the doors as they closed and offered a half-wave that she returned before they had slipped through a portal Strange had evidently created.

--

"Delilah." There was no answer as Pepper waved a hand in front of the other woman's face. "Lilah. Lilah! Lilah! LILAH!"

Seemingly snapping out of it, Delilah turned her eyes at the redhead with a frown. "Did you say something, Pep?"

"Like twenty minutes worth of something, yeah," she joked, closing the files on Delilah's desk with a sigh and pushing them aside. "How long has it been, then?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know that face. I invented that face." Pepper leaned forward, propping her elbows on the desk. "How long since he left on mission, Li?"

Color rushed to her cheeks, and she slumped in her chair despite the desire to deny the accusation. It was no use. She was distracted and jumpy ever since the mission had gone on radio silence. Ever since she felt Loki's last emotion tugging at her through space. "It'll be twenty-nine hours… now," Delilah replied, glancing at the minute hand of the clock on the opposite wall.

"I would say that the waiting is the worst part, but… that's not true," Pepper admitted, eyes softening.

Delilah sighed, not knowing whether to feel better or worse. She had never considered the possibility of anything going wrong. It sounded ridiculous. "I'm not worried. Quick warehouse raid. Two days."

"Oh, you sweet innocent child." Lilah shuddered at the implication behind her expression. "Always add two days to whatever estimate they give you. Always expect them to come home with significantly fewer limbs. Don't watch the news."

Delilah had heeded Pepper's warning. For the most part. She had added extra time to their time away since the team had not shown any signs of returning after 48 hrs. Missing limbs weren't really a concern to Loki, who somehow cheated death an extraordinary number of times. After nine days of no information, however, she had succumbed to the temptation to turn on the news.

"We're coming to you now, live, from the scene of the battle. Early yesterday afternoon the underground movement known as PURITY took arms against the superhero group formerly known as the Avengers. Local infrastructure has been severely damaged and the city evacuated, though local authorities have no estimate for when the area would be safe to return."

Delilah stared the screen, teetering on the edge of her seat as she watched mortar and brick explode in dusty clouds.

"Local witnesses report the sighting of one Loki of Asgard working alongside the superheroes. Loki is better known as the figure responsible for the 2012 attacks in Germany and New York City that ended in the invasion of the Chitauri aliens."

Out of the corner of the screen she could see a pair of golden horns stretching towards the sky in a gentle swoop. He was running, pumping his arms before throwing a dagger in his right hand, dispensing with a group of attackers in a single shot. The image shook and Loki whirled around on a dime. A building in the background was trembling on itself and out the bare front threshold, Sam ran out with a bundle in his arms, one metal wing bent and smoking. Loki glanced up, momentarily frozen, before he made off like a shot. With a twist of his hands Sam flew off to the side, leaving Loki with his arms up, trying to manipulate the building to keep it standing.

Bucky and Strange came out a few moments later, their arms equally laden with bundles that Delilah realized were children. She gasped, a hand covering her mouth–if to keep herself from screaming or crying, she didn't know. On the video, Loki's teeth were grit in effort and concentration, and as time trickled past, his whole body trembled, all in the name of allowing Sam another run inside.

Another building imploded nearby just as Sam skirted by. There was a shouted exchange that Delilah could not read as the air thickened with dust and destruction. She didn't notice that she had kneeled in front of the television set, mere inches away from the picture. With bated breath she watched him slowly turn, trying to get distance between himself and the collapsing structure. Out of the far left corner a group of attackers was closing in. They opened fire upon the god. He threw his mouth open in a roar and in a flash of lights, there was nothing left but rubble.

"Loki!" Delilah squeaked, tears running down her face. As the haze cleared, she could make out Bucky sorting through the stones while Sam and Strange tried to pull him away. Another group was closing in and they had to move. The signal flickered before it went dark.

Lilah wasn't sure how long she had stared at the blank screen for. "FRIDAY, where's the Quinjet?" She demanded as she pleaded for the transmission to restart.

The AI prickled overhead. "The Quinjet is in stealth mode and cannot be tracked."

"Don't give me that shit, FRIDAY. I know Tony patched that bug!"

"I don't have any information, Del. I'm sorry."

She growled, getting to her feet and pacing around the room. Her hands itched to toss things around, a reaction that was very much atypical for her, but there was a desperation in her soul that she could not logically explain away. Sure, Loki had survived far worse, but at what point did the lottery stop pulling up his lucky numbers.

The predatory stalking persisted into the early hours of the morning. She had not stopped to eat or drink, only to bark annoyedly at FRIDAY who continually told her that she had no information. The news channels had lost their feed. She was in the dark both metaphorically and literally. Her pacing had outgrown the expanse of both hers and Loki's apartments, and so she had taken to the hallways. Her stomping footsteps made it abundantly clear that she was not in the mood to talk to anyone. Even Tony's hologram promptly backed away when he naively asked what the matter was.

Around twenty minutes past four in the morning, on the eleventh day, Delilah happened to be walking past the cargo bays on her usual circuit. The complex doors opening caught her attention from several hallways away and she wasted no time in running towards the disturbance.

"You could be bleeding internally, you idiot! Go see Banner!" Delilah could make out Sam's voice yelling over the strained sound of a scuffle.

"Listen here, you pathetic worm. She thinks me dead–"

"And you will be if you don't get checked out!" Sam interrupted. As Delilah turned the corner, she could see Sam holding Loki in a chokehold, and doing his best to hold his own and try to wrestle the Asgardian onto the floor.

"Loki." The name dropped from her lips in a whisper before she had even noticed it. It had been exceedingly quiet, but she felt like, at that moment, he could have heard it across the Nine without issue. A wave of relief washed over her like a riptide that left her momentarily dizzy. They needed to work on controlling emotions through this connection, but that was a topic for another day.

The Asgardian sunk to the floor without any more hesitation and Sam panted. "Will you just tell her you're in love with her so I don't have to deal with your erratic ass every time we go on mission? I can't have you going from chill to feral at the drop of a hat!"

"Dude." It was Bucky who spoke, leaning against the jet doors with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. He wiggled the fingers on his left hand and Sam focused on the silver band glinting in the nightlights.

The Falcon turned to Loki with a scowl. "Then, what the hell was that all about?"

"She thought me dead," he repeated, much gentler this time, having eyes only for Delilah. Leaving Sam to mutter angrily under his breath about having to deal with him being crazy for days while turning to unpack the Quinjet with Bucky.

Loki hissed, struggling to get his feet under him. Delilah found she had suddenly frozen to her spot, unsure as to whether or not this was real or if she had become so desperate to see her lover again that she had hallucinated. His right eye was swollen shut and his nose was most likely broken. Though his armor covered most injuries, he was holding his left arm at an odd angle and limping on the same side. Every time he stepped, he left behind a trail of blood droplets from an unknown source.

He still made it to her, close enough for her to close her fists around the loose leather chest piece to keep him from collapsing. Their lips connected in a short but intense kiss that tasted bitter and metallic to her tongue. When she focused, she noticed his mouth was full of blood and she hoped to any deity that would listen that it was his own.

"I need a medic quite urgently."

"FRIDAY, get Bruce to the Medbay."

"On it, boss!"

When Loki came to several hours later, the sun was streaming through the windows of the hospital and threatening to trigger a headache. Beside his cot, Delilah sat, slumped in her chair, asleep, looking about as tired as he felt. They really needed to control their shared emotions. A world away, he had felt the utter terror of when that damn building fell, pinning him down in the process. He felt the despair of thinking him dead, and he was sure she felt his desperate attempts to get back and prove that rumor incorrect. It wouldn't do for them to always have to deal with that. Still, he felt like he had earned the right to her feelings and didn't want to deprive himself of them, ever.

"Hey, you're awake!" Bruce exclaimed, and Loki drew a finger to his lips, gesturing towards Delilah. "Sorry," he continued, much quieter. "You're lucky you're not human or else you'd be pretty much a goner. You maxed out your nanobots treatment in an hour. You'll be out of commission for a while." He tapped at his tablet to page through his medical chart. "Barnes said you saved an orphanage."

"Yes, we did."

"No. He said you saved an orphanage," he corrected, glancing over his glasses.

Loki eased himself up with a hiss. "Yes, well. I am not overly fond of watching children die in a war they didn't ask for." He reached over for Delilah, brushing a curl out of her face with a smile. "Is she going to be alright?"

"She'll be fine. You're the one bleeding internally."

"I'm made of steel. She's cotton wool. I'm a lot more worried about her."

Bruce grinned knowingly. "A little sleep deprivation. She'll be good in a few hours." He replaced the tablet in the slot at the end of the bed. "Should I expect an invitation in the mail or…?"

Loki chuckled. "I'm more likely to shout it off the rooftops now that people know, if I'm honest." He shrugged, exerting as much seidr as he had left to float Delilah into his cot beside him. "I didn't think everyone would be this interested."

"We've learned to appreciate the little things." The giant man shrugged, smiling affectionately at how Loki tucked the girl into his side and wrapped her tight in blankets. "Get some sleep and recover so she can do the same." Loki nodded, snuggling down into the medical bed with a groan. "You did good, Loki."

"Thank you, Banner." Loki frowned at how heartfelt the sentiment became. He felt like, at some level, he was erasing some of the errors of his other self.

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

The Flour Follies (one shot)

Characters: Loki x Reader

Genre: Pure, unadulterated fluff

Rating: PG-13, some kissing and a bit of innuendo

Summary: When you are left behind from the latest Avengers mission, you turn to cooking to ease your anxieties, but the God of Mischief can’t help but get in the way.

A/N: This is for @babylevines​ 4k writing challenge! Congrats on so many followers! My prompt was: “You can’t be mean, because I cook the food… and I could technically poison you.”

“Ow! God that hurt!”

It was oddly quiet in the Compound, despite your cursing. The majority of the team had left on a mission, leaving you and Loki behind. Untested and untrusted, both of you. You weren’t ‘ready’ for it yet, and Loki hadn’t fully proven himself to be trustworthy in perilous situations. He probably never would, even though he had been living here for almost a year without incident. Well, serious incident. 

One can’t fault the God of Mischief for pulling a few harmless pranks - although his definition of harmless and that of everyone else may differ slightly. The time that he switched out the dummy training weapons for real ones hadn’t caused any harm, but that was only because Nat had seen the glint of sharpened steel just before she embedded it in Sam’s side.

You absolutely hated it when they left you behind. You’d only been part of the team for a few months, but you were still itching to go out and help your coworkers - and let’s be honest, friends - take on the big bad guys. Staying behind just made you anxious. It wasn’t productive to just sit around and wait for them to return, turning over more and more gruesome scenarios in your mind for the myriad of ways that they could get injured.

One thing that always worked to keep your mind and body busy was cooking. It was hard to consider gruesome ends to the lives of your friends when you had to keep the exact steps or measurements of a recipe at the forefront of your thoughts. Plus, everybody liked to come home from a long day of work to delicious food waiting for them, and it was a small thrill to have actual Superheroes compliment your cooking. So, while they sped away to fight crime or save the world or something else equally heroic, you toiled in the kitchen, intent on vanquishing their hunger as effectively as they did their enemies.

Well, judging by your cursing, it was a little less effective.

You pulled your fingertip into your mouth, giving the slow cooker a glare for having the gall to burn you. With your free hand, you, carefully, layered in the roast you had purchased, along with plenty of potatoes and carrots around and on top of it.

“You summoned me?” A velvety voice that you knew all too well called from behind you.

Pulling your finger from your mouth, you rolled your eyes and poured the broth that had been waiting beside the slow cooker inside of it. “You are not the only god, Loki.”

“But I’m the only one that matters.” You could practically hear the arrogant smirk that accompanied the words.

“What are you doing?” he asked, silently coming up beside you, peering at your work. He wouldn’t see much, as you’d already put on the lid and that had fogged up considerably, but he could still pretend that he was looking at something.

“Making food, smart one,” you explained bluntly, rolling your eyes.

Suddenly two arms clasped the counter on either side of you, boxing you in. You turned around and crossed your arms over your chest, an impressive feat considering how close he was to you.

“You know better than to insult me, mortal,” he rumbled, voice deep as he glared down at you.

“Oh shove off, Loki. I gotta make cookies.” You uncrossed your arms to push on his chest lightly, knowing that putting any force behind the gesture was useless. Super strength was not one of your abilities, so the only way to get him to back off was of his own volition.

He did his best to look menacing, but the predatory gleam in his eyes was lessened by the uptick of the corners of his lips. “We are all alone on this floor. I could do whatever I wished with you and no one would be any wiser. Your powers are no match for mine.”

“Whatever you wished with me?” You winked, shimmying your shoulders in an overdramatic seductive manner. 

With the quirk of your brow, you accepted his unspoken challenge and ducked underneath his arms faster than he could move them to compensate. You darted to the fridge before turning to stick your tongue at him. He was fast, but you were faster. “You were saying?”

He stalked toward you, head tilted forward and emerald eyes watching you from beneath sooty lashes, but you slipped behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry. Were you being threatening? I’ll stand still.”

Loki’s hand reached out to snag your wrist as he whipped around, firm enough to hold you to the spot but not enough to bruise. “You are playing with fire, Y/N.”

You just smiled innocently up at him. In all the time you’ve spent here and interacted with Loki, he had made countless threats against you. It wasn’t a new vocation for him. But he had never acted upon any of them, and you firmly believed that he never would. No matter how much you pushed his buttons. And, oh, his buttons were fun to push. 

“Oh, I thought I was playing with a god. My mistake.” Not your best line, but it earned you the tightening of the skin around his eyes nonetheless.

“Do not disrespect me. You will regret it,” he threatened, towering over you, his nose inches away from yours as he tried to use your significant height difference to his advantage.

You didn’t cower, instead choosing to puff out your chest and return his sinister expression. “You can’t be mean, because I cook the food… and I could technically poison you.”

He tilted his head to the side, an arrogant smirk spreading across his pale, elegant features as he released you. “Your Midgardian poisons would do nothing to me.”

You went to the fridge and pulled out butter and eggs, setting them carefully on the nearest counter. You felt his eyes on you as you went to grab the flour from the pantry, and with your back to him, you quickly dipped your hand into the bag to grab a small handful of the fine powder. “Wanna find out?”

He hissed your name in warning and you just knew that he was coming up behind you. So predictable. When his long fingers clasped over your hip and flipped you around to face him, you didn’t resist the movement and used the momentum to take your handful of flour and slap it onto the smooth, soft material of his black button-down shirt.

His face contorted in shock, his jaw dropping and eyes wide. You burst out into laughter. It was too rich to see the pretentious god covered in flour, his typical black wardrobe highlighting the mess too perfectly.

“Oops!”

An impish smile tugged on his lips, and his eyes flicked behind you. Before you could consider the possible reasons for the mischief glinting in his gaze, the entire bag of flour was dumped onto your head, thanks to his magic. You sputtered in his satisfied face. After a stunned moment, the absurdity of the two of you standing there covered in flour bubbled up from within you and you gave in to it, laughing boisterously. Head thrown back, mouth wide open, eyes closed, and absolutely covered in flour you were sure that you looked like some wild thing, but you didn’t care. 

“Serves you right, wicked woman,” he teased, circling his arms around your waist, pulling you firmly against his chest.

You ruffled your hands through your hair, sending flour flying over the both of you. Flour dusted both of you more thoroughly for your efforts. It clung to his sharp jawline and lightened his dark eyebrows and hair. The effect was almost ghostly when partnered with the lightness of his skin. But the warmth in his eyes still sent your heart skittering as he gazed down at you as your laughter died down. That look, of pure happiness and adoration, was for you alone.

It was difficult to manage when he was so adorably disheveled - he’d have a fit if he knew you thought that about him - but you looked up to him with a false look of frustration on your face. You knew he didn’t buy it, you couldn’t stop the smile that parted your white-powdered lips as you rested your hands on his chest, but it was still fun to pretend. “Now how am I supposed to make cookies?”

He dipped his head to capture your lips in his, tasting of flour and coffee, his soft lips working against yours with practiced motions that you had perfected over the last few weeks. His fingers rubbed against your back pleasantly, making sure to send warm tingles through you and steal your breath away.

Having enthusiastically silenced you, he pulled away and smiled at your dazed expression as his nose nudged yours. “Forget about the cookies, pet.”

His insistence reminded you of your own mission, and you actually pouted. Somehow still able to focus on your task despite the handsome man gazing down at you, you thumped your hands against his chest lightly. Small white puffs of flour scattered into the air with each light hit. “But I promised Sam I’d make him my famous chocolate chip cookies. They’re irresistible.”

His hands tugged on your hips until they met his, and he brushed his lips along the soft skin of your neck. “I can think of another thing that’s irresistible.”

“You’re incorrigible,” you murmured, pushing against his chest lightly. “But I really need to get these made, so if you could unhand me…”

He relented with a heavy sigh, dropping his head to your shoulder. “Love.”

“Order more flour for delivery, and then we’ll talk,” you haggled, running your floured hands through his black hair, making an absolute mess of it.

A pleased hum vibrated out from his chest, and he lifted his head to press a kiss to your forehead, pulling away with a frown from the bitter taste of the raw flour on your skin. “You bargain with me?”

“Yup,” you replied, your lips popping the last syllable loudly between the two of you. You slipped out of his hold to gather the rest of the ingredients that you could find, leaving a cloud of flour in your wake.

When you finally stopped moving about, stationed in front of the stand mixer with the ingredients laid out before you, you turned your head to watch Loki over your shoulder with a quirked brow and a small smile on your lips.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., order more flour for the accursed cookies,” he commanded, staring at you as if you were a glass of water and he was stranded in the desert.

Your laughter echoed throughout the empty room as he lifted you over his shoulder and carried you away from the disaster of a kitchen.

“I believe that a shower is in order. Wouldn’t want to have errant flour falling into the recipe and ruin the whole batch of irresistible cookies.”

[lov3nerdstuff]

I Found {Part 3}

*Loki x reader*

Part: 3/8

Words: 3.3k

Summary: Loki finds himself stranded in Underworld, a kingdom hidden deep inside a desolate planet. In order to survive, he puts himself in the service of the tyrant king, who promises to give Loki his freedom back if he fulfills one simple task. Loki is to set out and bring the mad king his newest toy: You.

~A dangerous forbidden love. Abduction. Slavery. Tortured conscience. A mad tyrant... Escape?~

Request: A song fic based on 'I found' by Amber Run, requested by @strawberrysandcream​

All Parts can be found on my Masterlist!

______________________________

Without wasting another moment, you stepped into the dark, freezing lake. Loki could tell by the sound of the water parting, and by the way your breathing hitched ever so slightly as you walked further and further. He should stop you, prevent you from willingly trying to speed up your own death… but he couldn't.

There had been a time when, to him too, death had seemed very much preferable to submission, to shattering, to a life in silent torture. So he would do you the favor and let you escape in this sinister way.

He wouldn't dare looking at you now, and he didn't need to, as the echoes of your movements gave him a clear enough picture of what was going on.

"Well, aren't you quite the gentleman, Loki?" Agatha chuckled as she stepped into his line of sight, carrying a pile of folded fabrics. Honestly, he was glad that she drew him out of his mind, out of the darkness and confusion.

"I'm following orders." He replied calmly, finding it way easier to keep up his facade when talking to her than when addressing you. "The king will have the head of anyone who dared to look."

"Oh, I'm certain the king would have your head if he knew that you are still here in the first place."

"Likely."

"Then why are you?" Agatha asked with a small smile, in an almost teasing manner that made Loki wonder yet again if she could see right through him or if she was just trying to mess with him.

"I can't have her running away. That would put a bad light upon me, and I will not have that." He lied, keeping his head high and his eyes fixed on Agatha alone, even though he heard you coming back to the shore in uneven steps.

While you got dressed he still looked everywhere but at you, until finally the rustling of fabric had subsided and he felt it was safe to focus on you once more.

"That's hardly suitable for the low temperature of these caves." He blurted out immediately as his eyes fell upon the skimpy thing Agatha had made you wear, and the blueish tint your skin had gotten by now.

Damn his conscience yet again! Why was he still here again? Because his foolish legs wouldn't obey his mind, and his mind wouldn't obey his reason. And his reason was the only thing that had kept him alive down here for all those weeks and months.

"It is what the king has ordered her to wear." Agatha replied in a sigh, and Loki could tell that the woman thought as little of the king's choice as Loki did himself.

"But she won't be seeing the king until her… training, is over, isn't that the case?" He found himself arguing, following a small silver line guiding his conscience to a slightly less troubled place.

"Training? What are you talking about?" You frowned, teeth chattering as soon as you stopped clenching your jaw.

"True…" Agatha answered to Loki reluctantly, ignoring you for now and making you roll your eyes exaggeratedly. The sight almost made Loki smirk.

"I should just run and rip the damn dress apart in the process. I would get caught of course, but I would at least be entertained." You mumbled, staring down on yourself in disgust. "But then again… the dress rises my chance of freezing to death."

"I will not have you freezing to death." Loki stated certainly, and for once he didn't have to lie, as the sight of your shaking form became more and more unbearable. To hell with his plan of letting you escape into death… He couldn't let you die, maybe couldn't even let you come into harm's reach. His reasons for keeping you safe however were entirely his own, even if his behavior would give away the extent of his concern. With an annoyed sigh directed solemnly at himself, he conjured up a fur laced cape that he had worn one very cold winter, for it was the only thing he could think of at the moment that was warm enough to steal you back from death's cold hands. Loki wasn't in the mood for creativity.

Your lips parted in surprise, and your eyes widened as they fixed on Loki's hands and the slowly vanishing green glow along the silhouette of the cape. Was there no sorcery in Underworld? You surely looked like you had never seen magic before, and the sight did an odd thing with Loki's heart. He frowned it away though and held out the heavy fabric to you.

"That should keep you warm." He commented quietly. "And don't think about trying to freeze to death again. Or to end your own existence in any other way, for that matter. I prefer for you to stay alive and unharmed."

You nodded your head in silence, eyes still filled with awe and quite possibly shock, as you took the cape reluctantly and wrapped it around your shaking frame. It was way too large for you, but at least you might be able to use it as a blanket of sorts as well. Who knew where you would end up after this.

"How did you do that?" You finally asked in a breath, still staring up at Loki with wide eyes. It made you look even more innocent, and he hated it, averting his own gaze with a frown.

"I don't think you need to concern yourself with sorcery." He replied smoothly, not even with the intention to lie or belittle you, but simply because he didn't know what else to say. Loki was a man of many words and little truth, that was maybe one of his biggest gifts. The little truth he could give in this complex universe of possibilities was not for everyone to hear, and he thus used it very sparsely.

"I'm not sure the king will approve if he takes note of this alteration of garments." Agatha spoke quietly, but still let you wrap yourself up in the thick fabric.

"You may tell him that it was my doing. I will deny it of course, but you may tell him nonetheless." Loki answered blandly, then paused before he spoke up again quietly. "What is going to happen to her now?"

You frowned at Loki, but he kept looking at Agatha in a questioning frown of his own. Oh how badly he wanted to talk to you though, to look at you, but that would make things only more difficult for him, so he willed his mind to ignore you for now. A difficult task, considering his ever growing inclination to you.

"I'm taking her to the king's residential wing. Or more precisely, to the quarters of the… servant girls." Agatha told Loki in a calm and collected voice, and he slowly got the impression that the old woman might sport an equally practiced facade as he did. "The king kindly locks his toys away so that other men won't be tempted."

Loki snarled quietly upon that, considering his next words carefully. "Do you wish for me to see both of you there?"

"Why would I?" Agatha smiled innocently, and Loki could definitely tell that she was messing with him now. That old bat...

"But I may run." You said suddenly, to Agatha, only broken seconds before Loki would've turned to leave. "Can you keep me from escaping, all by yourself?"

"I'm afraid I cannot." Agatha mused with a curious expression. "But would you run?"

"Oh I may… You never know." You replied with a faint smile, glancing up at Loki for exactly as long as it took him to notice. His heart did that thing again. He couldn't bring himself to hate the sensation as much as his reason wanted him to.

"Well, in that case it would be irresponsible not to have Loki accompanying us." Agatha smiled at you, then at Loki for a short moment before she started moving towards the exit.

The three of you moved through the dark tunnels in silence, Agatha in the front, you in the middle and Loki in the back. He wasn't sure if he had ever been to this part of the palace, but he made sure to add it to the map of Underworld he was drawing in his mind. The tunnels got narrower, and the torches on the walls more scarce, while the echoes of their footsteps seemed to close in on Loki to make him feel highly uncomfortable. At least while in the light of the torches, he could see that you had finally stopped shaking and it somehow relieved him more than he had anticipated.

"So…" You spoke up all of a sudden, and Loki almost flinched. He simply couldn't get used to the silky-smooth calming-cool that was your voice… it made him shiver. Pleasantly, unfortunately. "Am I supposed to be scared now?"

Loki's brows furrowed the second you said that, and he wondered if you weren't scared for real or if you were simply very good at pretending.

"Most girls are scared at this point. Many cry…" Agatha answered as she plucked a torch off the wall and carried it in her hand as she moved on into the dark tunnel ahead. "But is it necessary, you ask?... No. The king will take good care of you and you will not miss a thing as long as you show obedience."

"And now the honest version please." You asked politely once the older woman fell silent. "Obedience is not my What is going to happen precisely from this point on?"

"Are you plotting to escape?" Loki asked in return, reminded of his own questioning session.

"Are you?" You shot right back with a small smirk, as he could clearly hear even without seeing your face. He remained in the silent knowledge that you were probably plotting something indeed, and he felt almost giddy to know what it was. By now, he was fairly certain that you were way smarter than you let on. Maybe that should've made you all the more scared.

"I am not to judge the procedures and ongoings chosen by the king himself." Agatha finally said, vaguely, waiting for a response.

"We understand. Your intention is informational alone, and we will understand it solemnly as such." Loki replied in the same tone, also in your best interest. He'd had conversations like this a million times back at home in the asgardian palace… it really was the same everywhere. If one wanted information from the servants, it had to be made explicitly clear first that no one was criticizing the royalty. Annoying procedural nonsense.

"I see you know your way around at court." Agatha smiled. "Very well. First you will be brought to your quarters, Y/n dear, and you will meet the other girls. Don't let them scare you with horror stories though… most of them are rather cynical by now and take joy in scaring the new girls."

"I'm not scared." You replied calmly. "I'll be fine."

"You say that now, but wait until you meet the king… You would be better off being scared of him indeed." Loki muttered gravely under his breath, and you turned your head to look at him over your shoulder for a moment, in silence. The light of the torches reflected in your eyes, sizzling flames mixing with your very own spark, but it didn't distract from the subtle message that stood out to Loki clear as day. You were scared indeed, probably a great deal even. But you were forcing yourself not to be, pretending not to be, creating an illusion for yourself to live in that maybe would make you believe your own lies eventually. Not at all unlike what Loki was doing himself. The only thing he didn't see was why you would show this truth to him, to the man who was responsible for your reaping.

"Anyway…" Agatha continued, and you turned back to look ahead of you, while the image of your almost glowing eyes, along with the knowledge there was so much he had yet to find out about you, remained with Loki nonetheless. "In two weeks you will be officially presented to the king, and he will decide if you are to be kept or dismissed. Until then, you will be instructed by the girls you're living with in the arts of submission and pleasing."

"That's all? Charming. Very charming." You sighed, in actually decently feigned confidence and annoyance. Or at least Loki thought it was decently feigned, for he only could tell you weren't honest in your indifference by the small moment of truth you had granted him. As much as he despised it, that one glimpse of your real self had him hooked even more now, and his poor stupid heart picked up speed as he followed you and Agatha through the dark.

They would arrive any moment now, and Loki would have to part from you, from this brief speckle of something he couldn't quite progress for once. Then he would go his way and you would go yours, whenever that may lead either of you. Most certainly not into the same, or even similar directions. The thought was yet again more painful than anticipated.

Sooner rather than later, Agatha came to a stop in front of a large winged door that was guarded by two men. They eyed Loki rather suspiciously, but didn't comment on his presence for now.

Agatha gave the guards some short instructions and a key, and they opened the door, revealing the dim light of multiple torches on the other side, illuminating a rather small cavern. Loki couldn't help peeking inside, being the inherently curious god he was, and his eyes landed upon some scantily clad, crouched down girls who were huddled together in the far corners. A rather miserable sight, really… His stomach was in knots in an instant, as was his conscience. This is where they would lock you up…? A dirty hole that was even colder than the rest of the palace? Surely this would break anyone's spirit over time… well, probably not his, and hopefully not yours either. He took a step backwards and looked to the dirty ground, making sure that he had the way to this hellhole memorized. Just in case.

"Well, dear, this will be your new home for the next two weeks!" Agatha smiled at you encouragingly, giving a good example of badly feigned confidence and joy. "Go on in."

But instead of going inside, you turned around to face Loki, unwrapping the cape from around your shoulders only to have Loki stop you in said action a second later.

"Keep it." He said a little too sternly, too commanding for his taste, inwardly rolling his eyes at himself at his ever increasing desire to protect you. "Like I said, I will not have you freezing to death."

"You really are being sincere in not wanting harm to come to me, aren't you?" You asked with a small and thankful smile as you wrapped the cape back around yourself tightly. It was so cold down here that the cape would keep you from biting the dust, but not from suffering of cold.

"Obviously." Loki replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable to have this conversation with two guards and one old bat around, eavesdropping.

"I have only ever heard the worst things about the king's reapers, to be honest. They surely had the same orders as you, to stay away from the girl they were bringing… But neither you nor I want to know what these caverns have seen happening in the shadows." You said quietly, and Loki felt the hair in his neck stand up once more. "So I will do the least I can and thank you, Loki, for keeping me safe up until this point. I may not know the reasons why such a decent man is willing to do such an immoral task, but I'm sure you will have your reasons indeed. I won't make it any harder for you, as I assume you are still here because of your bad conscience, and just leave now so you may forget about me." With one last half smile, you turned around and moved into the room behind the doors while all words died on Loki's lips. He had meant to reply something, but the words were tangled in his mind, a yarn of unease wrapping around his throat that slowly cut off his ability to breathe. And thus the doors fell shut behind you, being locked yet again by the guards before they handed the key to Agatha and left.

Loki frowned first at the door, then at the guards vanishing around the curve of the tunnel and finally at Agatha who stood smiling in front of him.

"You're wondering why they left?" She asked in amusement.

"I certainly can think of reasons enough." He replied quickly, his mind slowly rising up the facade again now that you were out of reach. The thought of leaving you here clawed at him, nagging at something hidden deeply within him. "You are the keeper. An old woman will not likely fall at risk to violate the king's property, as the guards may. Yet they were here for the instance of the door being open, to prevent anyone from escaping. Old legs won't run fast."

"My legs may be slow, but my mind most certainly is not." She rose an eyebrow at Loki, motioning for him to follow her into the direction the guards had left. Reluctantly he obeyed, for he didn't know what else to do anyway. No, he did know what to do! He was to collect his reward, was to come up with a plan, was to escape! How easily your eyes had made him forget… how easily your voice had unsettled his mind.

"So you're a sorcerer?" Agatha asked curiously as she led him through the tunnels. Loki didn't know where they were headed, but every new tunnel added to his mental map of the palace was currently very welcome.

"You could say that, yes." He replied in a sigh. What harm could she really do with the knowledge? He hadn't made a secret of it on his end, so why should he start now.

"Does the king know?"

"I doubt it."

"You don't seem bothered by the fact that I may tell him."

"Because I'm not."

"Why though?" She asked curiously, and Loki could hear the smile in her voice as she was yet again messing with him.

"Would you be bothered by me telling him that you feel sympathy for the girls?" Loki asked in return, intertwining his fingers behind his back as he walked next to her once the tunnel became wide enough.

"No. It's no secret, but a string of character."

"It is, indeed. As is my magic."

"You really are quite the intelligent young man." She chuckled.

"I'm most likely older than you." He mused, watching her reaction out of the corner of his eyes.

"Oh I doubt that, dear… A couple thousand years are hard to surpass." She laughed now, and Loki frowned upon her words.

"Pardon me, did you say a couple THOUSAND years?" He rose his eyebrows as he turned his head towards her completely. She couldn't… or could she?

"That is exactly what I said." She chuckled. "The people of Underworld grow quite old too, dear. Not just the aesir, or the jötunn in your case."

Loki stopped in his track immediately, unclasping his hands and standing up straighter on impulse. "What do you know of my heritage? How?" He asked, demanding and dangerously low.

Agatha came to a stop as well and turned around to him with a sincere smile, for once. "Your mother was right, you know… You really are a remarkable man."

______________________________

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[sserpente]

Pastel Blue (Chapter 9)

Synopsis: After his lucky escape, the Tesseract takes Loki on new adventures–but unfortunately, his journeys through space do not go unnoticed and he soon ends up on the TVA’s radar. Working for them, albeit reluctantly, he keeps finding himself in the company of a young woman, Jess, who works in the linguistics department and who has a truly strange effect on him. Smitten by her confidence and smugness, he seeks her presence like a bee hunting for honey and lets her wreak havoc in his heart without really knowing why. But he is determined to find out. He means to escape his new prison anyway.

Find all chapters on my masterlist! ♥

A/N: I am in LOVE with the Loki series. Anyone else?! Oh, I know you are. WE ALL ARE. Enjoy the next chapter, everyone! ♥

Also, now that the series is out, I‘ll be working in little canon details so beware of mild spoilers for the latest episodes from now on! ♥

“What were you doing when it happened?”

“I don’t know!” Jess was pacing back and forth in her living room after covering up the camera with a towel she’d say she ‘accidentally’ tossed there after taking a shower, munching on some peanuts to calm herself down. “I was working on those stupid translations and I realised I’d forgotten some of my books and then I ran out of ink and…” She stopped, looking at him with her lips parted. “I was too lazy to get up and then… I was suddenly there.”

“So your thoughts triggered it. Interesting… Has it happened more than once?”

She shook her head. “No. But I put the earrings in my pockets after. I’m surprised that Mobius didn’t see them missing when I ran into you guys.”

Loki smirked. “Well, he certainly was too occupied with his own employee’s stupidity to notice, I presume.”

“This isn’t funny!” She yelled. Her defending him to do hovered in the air unspoken. “How did I do that? Why can I do that?”

“Mobius knew, Jess,” Loki said matter-of-factly, repeating what he had already told her. She only gaped at him.

“But… Why would he hide that from me? Why would he keep me from using this power if it could be of so much help?”

“I presume that the risk of you drowning the multiverse in chaos instead appeared to be too high for him, especially with the Tesseract somewhere in the facility as well. With your backstory, how likely is it that one day you decided to go your own way, so to speak?”

“But I’m not powerful.”

“Not right now you are not. But with practice… I am sure you could be. You don’t know how far your teleportation skills reach. They could take you to other places entirely, realms even.”

“At least that would explain my obsession with Doctor Who.” Jess sighed. She approached them, dropping the remaining peanuts on the coffee table and sat herself down on his lap, straddling him. Loki reacted to her advances immediately, his hands cupping her waist. “So what are you saying? That I should practice in secret? And then what?”

“I would say find out where it will take you… eventually.”

“This doesn’t even make sense. None of this does. I shouldn’t be able to do that. For Fuck’s sake, not even Infinity stones work in here! Why can I teleport myself?”

“What?”

“Magic doesn’t work in here.” She continued upon noticing Loki’s puzzled expression. “Have you never tried to use your powers?”

“No, I did. It was fruitless. What did you mean by ‘not even Infinity Stones work here’?”

“I mean they don’t work. They’re useless. The Tesseract isn’t the only one that ended up here. There’s dozens. They use them as paperweights even.”

Loki frowned, realisiation hitting him with a start and making him swallow thickly. This place… was more powerful than he had assumed. To think… to think that he had had to risk his life and endure the worst tortures imaginable for just one of them and the TVA used them as paperweights… he gritted his teeth, even more determined now to escape this nightmare.

“L-Loki?”

“It is rather bold of you to assume that I would need my powers to burn this place to the ground.” He purred. Jess raised her eyebrows. Fine… don’t tell me why you just dazed off then.

Beat. Jess leaned her forehead against his and let the comfortable silence between them consume her for a moment. “Are you going to tell me what happened today, Trickster?”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Is that really what you wish to talk about now?”

“Please. What was it you called him again? A mewling quim?” She chuckled, making Loki smirk.

“Dave,” he spat his name, “meant to play hero and stop the cloaked figure Mobius saw on his computers. He ran straight towards the eruption.”

“He kinda made it sound like you caused the eruption though.”

He laughed bitterly. “Yes, that is what he would like to believe.”

“So what happened?”

“I pulled him out of there before the pyroclastic ash could get to him. I saved his life.”

“And the cloaked figure?”

“Got away and killed a few Minutemen.” He finished. “He blames me for it and claims I pushed him.”

Jess raised her eyebrows. “Oh, Jesus… that sounds an awful lot like kindergarten to me.” The God of Mischief growled. “But if Mobius did see it, then rest assured, he’ll receive a lecture. It doesn’t really matter whether his employees are time criminals or not, M loves order as much as I like peanuts.”

“Dave does seem to be eager to get rid of me soon though.” He stated, rubbing his nose against her neck, inhaling her scent. The sweetness of her candy necklace filled his nostrils, tempting him to bite off one of the hard pearls.

“You know that no one around here trusts you… oh…” She moaned quietly, feeling his lips against her skin. “What are you doing?”

“Enjoying a snack…” He mumbled, sucking on the candy necklace and making sure his tongue darted out to lick over her delicate neck. He purred. Oh, it tasted much better than the sugar pearls.

“S-speaking of which… H-How’s your neck?”

Loki leaned back, frowning. Surprise flew over his face. “Alright. I guess…”

“They don’t usually do this… I mean, they usually just use them to loop you back in place, so to speak. You must have really pissed Dave off.”

“One might say that is in my nature.”

“Oh, it probably is.” Jess giggled before her face fell. “I could… I mean I have some cream that you could use for the burn… I’m not sure if it works on you though, being a Frost Giant and all.” Loki raised his eyebrows. This woman truly never ceased to surprise him over and over. So he gave her a court nod, watching her slide off of his lap, hurry into the bathroom and reappear with a small reddish tube.

Her expression was focused when she applied a small amount of a gel-like substance on her fingers and then slipped them as far under the collar as she could, spreading it all over his skin until the coolness kicked in and Loki sighed.

Jess smiled. “Feel good?”

“Admittedly, yes.”

“Come on then. Let’s go take a walk.” Loki raised his eyebrows, incredulousness swinging in his voice when he spoke.

“A walk?”

“I need some air.”

“Now I thought we’re doing… something else.” He tilted his head, making her grin.

“So insatiable, huh? Come on… it’s only a matter of time until they realise that you’re unsupervised.”

Loki sighed, following the brown-haired woman reluctantly. She had a point though. He probably didn’t have another hour before Mobius would come lunging for him again. It was likely he was already watching him via the security cameras as soon as they left her unit.

He remained silent when she came to halt eventually, leaning against the railing. It wasn’t fresh air per se… but the view, this massive city stretching out before them like a landscape was indeed rather nice. Futuristic.

“It impressed me the first time around.” Loki hummed. Jess shrugged her shoulders.

“Yeah… I guess it is quite impressive.” She said. Only she sounded like she didn’t mean it at all. Loki looked at her.

“I keep asking myself… if the timekeepers created everyone around here… then how come they let in an outsider like you? You are not a Variant.”

“No… at least I don’t think so. Not that I know of. I never received a trial like you did. I don’t think I could be reset.”

“Then how would you explain Mobius finding out about your powers?”

“Maybe my criminal parents got involved with them. What do I know? Maybe they could teleport too and caused havoc. It would make sense.”

The God of Mischief paused. “I’m going to get out of this place, Jess.”

“If anyone can manage to escape, it’s you.”

“And what of you?”

“This is home.”

“It is not. It is anything but home.”

“I don’t know, Loki. Honestly. How often are you going to bring this up?”

“I’m sorry.” Jess’ lips parted. Had he just… apologised to her? She turned her gaze towards him, searching for hints of mockery or sarcasm. His expression was genuine.

“Mobius did not fail to point out how I cannot return to my own timeline. But I refuse to accept this place as my new purpose.” He spat. Jess took a deep breath. Loki truly was a riddle and a really hard one at that. It mattered little that his silver tongue had danced across her clit last night—his heart was a fortress and the more time she spent around him, the more she longed to usurp it and get to know the man… god… he really was.

“What else did he tell you?”

“The truth, I presume. According to the TVA, I am nothing but a failure that exists for the thriving of others. Of heroes.” He scoffed.

Jess breathed in sharply. “M showed you your tape, didn’t he?” She realised.

Loki nodded. “Have you…?”

“What? Seen your tape? No… I read all about it but I’ve never seen it.”

Heavens… it was hardly short of a miracle now that Loki was so insistent on keeping Mobius at a distance. It was rather rare the senior manager let anyone see their original timeline—you didn’t know yours either, if there was one to begin with.

His fascination and quite frankly, obsession for Loki was understandable given that he specialised in particularly dangerous Variants but this? This was new.

“Loki… I don’t know what Mobius told you but the way I got to know you, you are the God of Mischief but you’re not a villain. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Remember, I’ve done shit too.” Loki’s expression darkened.

“I wouldn’t trust that sentiment if I were you.”

[et-lesailes]

wildest dreams // rhee’s 1k celebration

details on rhee’s 1k celebration ! SPOTS STILL OPEN !

pairing: steve rogers x ghost!reader (? kind of?)

word count: 2010

summary: the battle with thanos has ended and all the long lost loved ones have returned to their respectful homes; however, steve has lost you, his beloved girlfriend, in the process. throughout his months of mourning, you still show up in his dreams, though this particular one seems the most eerie.

themes: mentions of death, sad boi hours to the max.

taglist: @viarogers , @evanstush , @chibi-crazy ,  @pining-and-tired , @songforhema, @sebabestianstan101 , @tanyam93 , @bval-1, @wonderwinchester , @little-miss-exo, @poerebel , @gogomez-509 , @patzammit, @a-distantdreamer, @malthestorytellerblog, @rainbowkisses31, @jbug491writinghelp, @melannie77, @gigistorm, @lille-kattunge, @teller258316, @rohaintahquil, @deidrashouseofpain, @firstangeldragonranch, @peach-acid, @allsortsofinterests​, @xoxabs88xox​, @heyiamthatbitch, @cptn-sgrogers, @heyyouwiththeassbutt​, @bangtan-serendipity​, @troublermalik​, @beardburnsupersoldiers​, @captainscanadian​, @rumoured-whispers​, @lemonster120​, @puddlejoy​

** if you have asked to be on my taglist and don’t see your name here, please let me know! i lost the note i had with all the urls and so everything’s been a bit messed up lately, my apologies!

note: submitted by @navispalace​. tbh this one was a challenge for me because i usually avoid writing sad things but it was a good challenge at the same time. i’ve never written something like this before so i hope it’s okay!

GIF:

It had been nearly five months now.

Five months since Steve had lost you, the love of his life, the woman he was supposed to marry and have kids with one day. Everyone was enjoying their time with their newly returned loved ones now that Thanos’ snap had been reversed for good, but Steve could never be reunited with you--- no, you had sacrificed yourself in order to save the world, and you were gone. Permanently.

He had been tempted to use the Pym particles to go back to a timeline where you were still alive. Before everything happened, before Thanos happened. But Bruce had warned him that it was too complicated, too risky. Natasha had reminded him of everything he had preached after the snap. He had held group sessions for God’s sake, telling people that they needed to learn to move on. He knew he would be a hypocrite and unfair if he simply ran away back to the past to be with you, especially when other people did not get such a luxury. But God, it was difficult. Life was difficult. Waking up to no familiar body beside him, the other side of the bed completely untouched. Seeing something that reminded him of you, making him smile and immediately pull his phone out to tell you-- and then remembering you were not there. The apartment being so damn quiet, no longer filled with your contagious laughter or cheesy jokes. No one to sit in comfortable silence with, no one to talk to about his day, no one to touch. No one to care for. Sure, he had the other Avengers as his friends, but obviously, this was not the same as a girlfriend.

The simultaneous best and worst part was that he still saw you in his dreams. Very vividly. He had literal conversations with you in these dreams, ones so real and eerie that he woke up wondering if you were actually dead. Loki had resurrected God knows how many times-- could there be hope for you, in this messed up world of magical stones and alternate timelines? Though the second he’d have these thoughts, he’d force himself to push them away. He couldn’t live with this much hope. It would only crush him even more. 

He took sleeping pills every night. Even if he was already dead tired. The thought of having to lie awake for even a minute, stuck with nothing but thoughts of you would send him into chronic depression. Bruce had quite literally made these pills for him in his lab, due to the fact that normal ones would not work because of the serum. Perhaps these pills had to do with the reason he had these dreams, but he was too scared to stop taking them. He just wanted this pain gone, and yet dreamland only seemed to make it worse in the long run.

Tonight’s dream took place in quite a random location. A diner. A very familiar one, Steve realized, as he looked around. He suddenly felt a presence directly behind him. Upon turning around, he saw you there, adorned in a beautiful lacy white dress. Steve now remembered why he knew this place. But why were you here? You hadn’t even been born yet, your parents probably hadn’t even been born yet. 

“Y/N. What are we doing here?” he asked quietly. As if you controlled this. He had no idea who controlled this, but he wished they would give him a moment of peace. You gave him a smile, a beautiful one he remembered so well-- one he was paranoid would eventually slip from his mind as each day went on. “I only got to meet you after you were melted from the ice.” You murmured, stepping closer to him, the white dress and light aura about you making you seem almost like some type of angel. “But I know I would have fallen in love with this Steve too, and I wanted you to know that.”

You lifted a delicate hand, gesturing to the nearest booth. Steve swore nobody had been sitting there moments ago, but as he looked now, he saw a figure he would never imagine he’d see again, unless in a very old photo. There sat a scrawny, pre-serum Steve Rogers, with his best friend Bucky Barnes sitting directly across. “Oh, these ladies, Steve, they’re somethin’ else. This one’s perfect for you, she’ll love ya, buddy. You got nothin’ to worry about.” Present day Steve couldn’t help but roll his eyes, though unable to help but feel a nostalgic fondness for Bucky’s obsession with double dating during this time period. He remembered this date, and he very much remembered that this girl certainly did not love him. Like all of the other double dates, the one meant to be Steve’s girl simply had her eyes on Bucky the whole time. It appeared the duo could not see you or him, though, and that was probably for the best. He could only imagine how pre-serum Steve would react seeing a girl as beautiful and ethereal as you. 

“Do we have to be watching this right now? Because you’re only going to feel secondhand embarrassment the whole time.” He told you with a flicker of amusement in his eyes, and you let out a laugh that made him want to smile and cry at the same time. “You know why I love you so much, Steve?” you questioned, turning to face him and stepping closer. “Because you’ve always been so confident about who you are, even before you became Captain America. Even now, you may be making fun of your past self but I can see that you still see him as a part of you. That kind heart, that determination, that loyalty…” you paused, looking to past Steve with a smile before looking to present day Steve, standing on tiptoes to give his cheek a light kiss. It felt like something light and feathery, not completely tangible yet just tangible enough for his heart to leap out of his chest. “You don’t change for anyone. You’re unapologetically you.” 

He gulped, tears beginning to sting at his eyes. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t have anyone to be me with. I could only be me when I was with you.” You frowned and gently held his face, and he couldn’t help but let a tear slip. “That’s not true, Steve, and you know it. I’m not the reason for the wonderful man you are. You were always that by yourself. And that’s why I fell in love.” He was crying now, arms suddenly wrapping around you to pull you close to him. “Come back to me,” he muttered pathetically through his tears, fully aware that this was much more embarrassing than the diner scene, but he didn’t care. He felt your arms around him in return, the aromatic smell of your soft hair under his nose. “I’m with you, Steve. I promise.” 

When he pulled back, he looked around in confusion. The two of you were standing on the battlefield, the very one where you had been killed. This time, however, there was no Thanos, no merciless army, no Avengers, even. It was simply the two of you, surrounded by destruction and flames. He looked to you and you were wearing your battle gear, suited up with not a single flaw or blemish. If only you had stayed that way on that fateful day. 

“This was the only way, my love,” you whispered, stepping closer to him again. “But I promise you’ll move on. You’ll be happy. Please don’t ever give up on being happy.” He frowned, slowly reaching out to caress your cheek. “I… I’ll try.” He spoke deeply, his cheeks damp from his tears. “But…” he trailed off, looking down at the ground for a few moments before looking up at you. “I can’t keep seeing you. It’s too hard for me. I-- please, Y/N, you have to stop.” 

You blinked in shock before your face fell, and he immediately felt bad. “You’re right. I understand,” you whispered, and you sounded so heartbroken, he wanted to take it all back. Before he could say anything else, however, the scenery around him changed. His heart hurt even more than before as he recognized the small cafe nestled in the boroughs of New York City; the location of your first date. As he looked to the very same table the two of you had sat at, there you were, adorned in the same outfit. Pretty floral dress, sandals, nothing too extravagant and yet you looked like a goddess. He slowly came to sit in front of you. 

“Our first and last date,” you murmured, and his eyes widened slightly, more tears sliding down his slightly flushed cheeks. “Why.. why are you doing this, Y/N? It’s torture, I can’t take it.” You reached out and held his hands, smiling sadly. “I’m not the one doing this, baby. You are. You keep bringing me here. This is your dream, these are all the places and conversations you keep thinking about.” You brought his hand to your lips, kissing it lovingly. “You keep thinking about the past, Steve. It’s time to think about your future. I love you so, so much, and that’s why I want you to move on. It won’t be easy, but I believe you can do it.” He sniffed, unable to help it. “The diner…? I don’t get it, why am I dreaming of that?” he asked, perhaps trying to stall, getting an eerie sense that this moment would be over soon. You smiled and leaned forward, pressing another soft kiss to his cheek. “You’ll figure it out.” You whispered, looking up into his eyes for a few moments before standing up.

“I had a great time, Steve.” You spoke as if it was your first date, sending chills up his spine. “Thank you. For everything.” 

He woke up with a start. His face was practically soaked from all of his tears. As he looked towards your side of the bed, he only started to cry more upon seeing the untouched sheets. He got up from bed, grabbing his leather jacket and tossing it on along with a pair of jeans and his favorite baseball cap. It was around five in the morning, still well before sunrise. He ran outside and jumped onto his motorcycle, heading straight for the diner. He hadn’t been to that part of New York in God knows how long, he had no idea what to expect. He wasn’t even sure why he was doing this. It was a dream, for all he knew, it was all nonsensical and pointless. But as he thought about how vivid and real you and your kisses felt, he decided this was worth looking into. 

When he got there, he almost crashed into a damn lamppost from how shocked he was.

He hadn’t remembered the original name of the diner, but now, in big letters, a sign hanging overhead proudly stated, “Y/N’s.” He abruptly parked and dashed inside, staring at the menus and napkins on the counter personalized with the same label, the name of the love of his life. As he adjusted his cap to hide his face more, the lady behind the counter arched an eyebrow, looking to him. “Just one, sir?”

He stared at her for a few moments, a million questions running through his mind. He wanted to ask all of them, but for some reason, his instinct told him to go with it. To accept it, to have peace with it, to have somewhere to celebrate and cherish your memory. Perhaps it was you telling him all of this.

“Y-Yes. Just one. Outside, please.”

She guided him to a table outside, leaving him with a menu before returning inside. As he looked out into the distance, the sun now up and the morning just beginning, he felt the tears run down again, unable to help but think of how much you would like this place.