loz-3

[loz-3]

moodboard by @chennqingg divider by @fictive-sl0th

Biker!Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader | No Outbreak AU

Warnings for this Chapter: horses? slight suggestive smut & talks about nudity, fluff!

Word Count: 1,9k

a/n: I adore this chapter. Definitely one of my favourites.

《 M a s t e r l i s t 》

《 Chapter Fifteen 》《 Chapter Seventeen 》

Chapter Sixteen...

...in which you return home to your family in Montana, but can't help but to miss the man you had left behind in Georgia - and so a plan is made.

You had been so occupied with focusing on your study and actually studying, that you never noticed how much you had really missed home - until you set foot on the Willow Creek ranch again and reuniting with your sister, uncle and aunt. That was the moment realisation set in and a lot of tears were shed. Happy tears, of course.

What got you emotional as well, was laying eyes on your piano again. You had missed making music, without a doubt. But nothing... Absolutely nothing overcame the moment you visited Arrow again after almost four months. Pure joy and happiness weren't even remotely enough to describe how you felt. The palomino Mustang stallion was your best friend, after all - and oh, boy, was the feeling mutual. Arrow was beside himself; almost kicking in the door to his horsebox. You spent hours with the stallion. You had a lot of catching up to do - as stupid as it sounded. You thoroughly groomed his fur and took him for a long ride through the snow. You didn't care that it was cold. You needed this, and so did Arrow.

Now you were seated inside the horsebox, wearing a thick jacket and thermal pants. A blanket was draped around you for some extra warmth. Arrow had made himself comfortable beside you; enjoying the endless scratches and cuddles you gave him.

Although your body was in Montana, your mind was currently in Georgia; thinking of the man you had left behind. It had been not even four days since you had seen him, but your heart already missed him dearly. It was aching to see Daryl again. Sure, you stayed in touch, but it wasn't the same. Still absent-mindedly petting Arrow's neck, your mind stuck with the biker - until you felt the stallion's muzzle gently nudging your cheek.

"Huh? What is it, sweet boy?" Only now did you notice that your hand had stopped in its 'task'. "Oh, uh, sorry," you giggled and started to scratch that one spot again. "I've been thinking about Daryl, you know. The other man in my life." Arrow huffed. You scoffed and giggled. "Yeah, no, you're not the only one anymore. You'll have to come to terms with that, sorry. You'd like him, I'm convinced of that. He's a great guy. And I'm certain he'd like you, too - even though he's afraid of horses." Arrow huffed again; followed by a rather loud neigh. "Don't be a drama queen now," you laughed. "I'm not gonna stop loving him only because he's scared of you. Not happening, mister." Arrow seemed to accept his 'fate' then. "There you go. Good boy."

You kept on giving the animal love, but found yourself spacing out more and more. "I miss him, Arrow..." You confessed then; sighing. The stallion whinnied. "You think I should call him?" As an answer, he gently nudged your shoulder. "Okay, okay, yes. You're right. I'm calling him." You fished for the smartphone in your jacket pocket, unlocked it and quickly searched for Daryl's contact; calling him.

It took the biker quite some time to pick up the call, as you noticed. "Hey, sunshine." "Hey, uh, I'm not disturbing you, am I?" The man on the other end of the line grunted and scoffed instantly. "Hell nah. Ya never do. I was jus' steppin' outta the shower when I heard you callin', and well... Had to look fer a towel first. Can't run 'round the trailer butt naked." "Why not?" You giggled. "It's not like a curious granny is living next door and spies on you." Another grunt left Daryl's lips. "Yeah, it ain't, but you've been in my trailer before... Too many windows for a too small place. And 'm not livin' in the most private area either, or in a damn skyscraper. A granny might be not livin' next door, but possibly across my trailer. Don need 'er or somebody else seein' my junk."

You couldn't help but to erupt in a fit of giggles. The image in your brain was just too funny. But at the same time, you were glad about his ways of thinking. He was now officially yours, after all - and as weird as it sounded, so was his 'junk'. All of him. Mind, body, soul and heart.

"Tha' ain't funny, sweetheart." You cleared your throat and took a deep breath; calming down. "Yeah, yeah, I know, sorry, I just... The scene in my head was too funny for a moment. Granny's teeth would probably fall out from seeing you naked - and that's a compliment." "Pft," Daryl scoffed. A small chuckle left his lips. "But no, honestly, I'm glad you think like that. I don't want a hot chick passing by, seeing you like that and then trying to get her hands on you." "Dun worry, sunshine. Yer the only hot chick who is gonna get 'er hands on me - if ya choose to. Promise." You giggled at his words like a schoolgirl; blushing.

Since the day you left Gainesville with the knowledge that you and Daryl were in a proper relationship now and granting him that second chance, everything between you felt so naturally. So light and... uncomplicated. Not at all tense or strange. It felt right. It was different as night and day - compared to your first encounter, and the absolute false start you had.

"Well, I'm relieved to hear that." A short beat of silence passed, in which you could clearly hear Daryl rummaging - most likely, through the drawers in his wardrobe. "Wha's goin' on, darlin'? 'M quite sure yer ain't callin' to talk 'bout my package and grannies." Another laugh escaped your lips at his words. "Nope, not really," you said and paused for a moment. "I... I missed you is all. Missed hearing your voice..." you admitted shyly; feeling your cheeks heat up once more. "Ya... missed me?" Daryl more or less croaked out. He was audibly stunned. "Yeah, I did... Still do." Another signature grunt could be heard from the other end of the line and you could swear he was blushing as well; certainly at a loss of words in that moment. "I miss ya, too, sunshine. Can't wait ta see ya again." His words caused a light bulb to light up in your brain as an idea crossed your mind. "Hey, what about you spending New Year's Eve here, with me, in Montana? You could finally see where my actual home is... Meet my uncle and aunt... We're making Burgers!" The smile was audibly in your voice. "Well, unless you got other plans, of course," you added quickly then; not wanting to 'pressure' him into cancelling possible plans just for you.

"Nah. Ain't got other plans," Daryl dismissed immediately. "I'd love to spend New Year's Eve with ya. Sounds real nice, but... Do ya think's a good idea? I-I mean Tess really hates me 'n I ain't blamin' her for tha'..."

Shit... You forgot about that for a hot minute...

"R-Right, yeah, but..." You took a deep breath. "Okay, okay, listen... I'm gonna talk to her. Have to, anyways. I don't want to keep you a secret. Not again. My aunt and uncle won't be the problem. I'd say quite the opposite... They grew tired of only Tess bringing home boys a long time ago, so..." You couldn't help but smile at the memories, which crossed your mind - but you quickly snapped back to reality.

"Tess has to accept it. You're the man I chose - whenever she likes it or not. I'm gonna explain everything to her, yeah? Don't try to worry too much about it. I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually. Perhaps not right away, but sometimes."

On the other end of the line, Daryl was listening to your every word; gnawing on the tip of his thumb. He trusted you, of course. He trusted you to calm Tess down, so that the whole family meeting thing won't go south and end catastrophically.

"A'right. I hope yer plan works, darlin'." "Me too, but... It simply has to." You and Daryl paused for a moment, before you asked in a quiet, hopeful voice: "So... Does that mean you're gonna spend New Year's Eve here?"

Daryl smiled - unbeknownst to you. "Yeah, absolutely. Gonna pack a few things, gas up and leave first thing in the mornin'." Your heart skipped a beat at his words. "Perfect, baby. Can't wait to see you again." "Same, sweetheart."

Knowing that Daryl was on his way by now, meant you had about forty hours to tell your aunt and uncle about him and drop the bomb on Tess - which was going to be one hell of a task. An inevitable task...

"Tess?" You approached your big sister in the cowshed, while she was feeding the cows. "Hey, little sis," she smiled. "Everything alright?" You nodded, "Uh, yeah." but fumbled nervously with your fingers. "Can we talk?" "Absolutely, hon. Just give me five minutes to finish up here, alright?" You gave her a soft smile and nodded. "Sure, no rush. I'll be waiting inside. It's fucking cold." "Noted, sis." You backed up; starting make your way out and back to the farmhouse.

Since your aunt and uncle were grocery shopping, the house was pretty quiet and empty. Well, given the reason why you wanted to talk to your big sister, it was probably better that way...

Arriving in the kitchen, you made yourself and Tess a big cup of hot cocoa; topping hers with some extra mini Marshmallows - just how she loved her hot cocoa.

Nooo, you absolutely didn't try to butter her up...

Sitting down on the large, folksy, but nevertheless comfortable corner bench in the dining room just across the kitchen, you waited; nervously tapping your fingernails against your mug. You just hoped this conversation was not going to end in a disaster...

Barely five minutes later, you could hear the creaking of the front door - announcing Tess' arrival. Some shuffling and clattering later, she entered the dining room, "Here you are..." and sat down opposite you on the chair. "Ooo, and you made hot cocoa!" Her eyes lit up instantly. "Even with mini Marshmallows! Thanks, sweetie." You tried to play it cool and gave her a smile. "You're welcome." She smiled and took a small sip; humming in satisfaction as the delicious treat hit her taste buds. "Okay, so, what do you want to talk about?" Her eyes settled on you; looking at you with anticipation. You swallowed. You had racked your brain within these few hours on how to exactly break the news to her. Hence, on how to even start... Taking a deep breath, you met her eyes as well.

"Well, I... I got a boyfriend, and he's coming over for New Year's Eve. I still have to talk to auntie and uncle, though," you just blurted it out then; kinda overwhelmed by the whole situation.

Tess' eyes widened for a moment. She blinked and her jaw slacked, before a cheeky smile spread over her face. "Well, now you got me hooked," she giggled and leaned slightly over the table. "I wanna know everything. Who he is, where he comes from, how he looks... If he's a great kisser and of course, how good he is in bed." She shot you a cheeky smirk and a wink. "Gotta make sure he's worthy of you. Unlike that asshole Dixon."

Fuck, you cursed internally. You were definitely screwed, weren't you?

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[loz-3]

Thrown - Chapter 51: Solstice

Summary: The final preparations for are made for the longest days of the year.

Word Count: 2,192

Author's Note: Here we are, the penultimate chapter. Come back Saturday for the end.

Thrown Masterlist Loki Masterlist

"This is absurd." Loki scoffed. You shrugged, unaffected, packing a few tools and supplies into a cardboard box. "My dress, my rules." "If I don't see it beforehand, how can I know that it's appropriate for the occasion? If I'm to be seen with you then surely I should be aware." You cocked a brow. "You doubt Elof's skills? Should I tell him?" He frowned. Elof was unquestionably the best tailor around. Losing his favor would be unwise. Loki sulked and crossed his arms. "No. Obviously I would never call Elof's craftsmanship into question." "Great." You closed up the box. "Then it sounds like we don't have a problem."

Loki rounded the table, trying one last bid. "What if there is some adjustment that needs to be made?" "Well it would be too late now anyway, wouldn't it?" You poked him in the chest. "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow." "Darling," he took your hand with slanted brows, "had we but world enough and time...." You rolled your eyes and pulled your hand away. "It's one night. Stop being dramatic." You picked up the box and started toward the door. Loki scowled, glancing toward your bedroom and calling to you across the room. "Suppose I simply go have a look for myself? There are only so many places it might be." "It's not here at all." You called back. "Val agreed to hold onto it for me." "Traitor to the crown!" He hissed as he crossed the room, where you were waiting. "I'll see to it that she is punished." You smiled sweetly. "I'm sure you will." You nodded toward the door, which he opened and followed you through.

"There was a time when my threats were respected." Loki muttered as he walked down the road beside you. "I'm not sure how circumstances have changed so drastically." "You're not allowed to walk with me if you're going to pout the whole way." "I am not pouting." "What do you call it, then?" You shifted the box in your arms for a better grip. "Do you really intend to carry that all the way?" You looked at him sidelong. "A gentleman would have asked to take it by now." He smirked. "Ah, there's the trouble. I'm no gentleman. You can ask anyone. They'll all tell you the same: I'm a scoundrel." The box vanished in a ripple of green light. With your hands now free, you wore a thoughtful smile and laced your fingers with his. "I think maybe you're both." He brought your joined hands up to his lips to place a kiss on your knuckles. "Your good opinion is the only one I seek." "I never said it was good." He chuckled and squeezed your hand.

He only noticed now, but your pendant was missing from your ensemble. Unusual, he had quite possibly never seen you without it since he first presented it to you. "You aren't wearing your necklace." "I am not." Loki narrowed his eyes. "That wasn't an answer." You cocked your head with a smile. "I don't believe there was a question." A valid point, he conceded. "Well, I think-" "How's Thor doing, with everything?" He studied you for a moment. Clearly you had every intention of wriggling out of this line of questioning. He could circle back later. "He's worked himself into a near-frantic state. I feel like his mother, chasing after him to make sure he's eating and sleeping. It's ridiculous." You frowned. "Have there been any issues?" "No!" Loki threw his hand in the air. "That's the most ridiculous part. Everything seems to be going perfectly! It's almost as if he can't believe he's doing something well." He looked at you meaningfully. "I may need to enlist your nefarious skills to convince him to take a break this evening." You chuckled. "I'm always up for an underhanded good deed." He smiled softly. "This I know."

**

The hall truly was impressive. Not only the size, which was grand, but aesthetically it was the perfect representation of New Asgard. The materials largely fit in with the town's original Nordic style, but the form was reminiscent of their home realm. The building swept upward in ways that seemed to defy gravity, but where on Asgard much of it would have been gilded, here the stone and plaster finish remained. The pillars of the facade were much the same shape as one could have seen in the palace, and they were similarly carved with intricate knots, but these were wood rather than a polished gold or bronze. Thor had worked extensively with the designers to ensure that this hall fit the vision he had for their people, and it certainly paid off. The end result had the effect of being familiar, and traditional to Asgard, while also integrating here in their new home. Loki would have stopped to admire the building a bit longer, but he could tell you were anxious to see inside, so he wasted no time leading you through the door.

Inside the hall was a flurry of activity. Dozens of people bustling this way and that, hanging decorations, arranging tables and chairs, organizing supplies. Looking around, Loki would guess that the people working were an even mix of Æsir and humans. You stood in appreciative wonder, taking in the scene. Thor was nearby, holding a clipboard and speaking seriously with someone who was rolling a cart of kegs. Asbjorn and his sons had made a significant quantity of Asgardian spirits, and great care was being taken to ensure that they were clearly identified, marked, and segregated from the human liquors. Thor finished whatever his instruction might have been, the man dutifully continued on with his cart, and Thor took notice of the two of you.

He grinned and called your name, waving you over with the clipboard. You couldn't seem to keep your eyes in one place as you approached. "Thor, this is amazing! I've only seen it from the outside." He chuckled and spread his arms. "Well-met, and welcome to the hall of New Asgard." You gave him a knowing look. "I heard it's called Bilskirnir." Thor looked away bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. "A nickname some have taken to calling it. The hall hasn't been given its name yet." "I have a feeling it's going to stick." You spoke with a smile. Thor shook his head and brushed off the comment. "Come, there is a little time, I can quickly acquaint you with the place."

Thor pointed out the banquet tables, which were already being laid out with warming plates, then here were the tables for guests, the dance floor, the space where the musicians were setting their chairs. He brought you onto the dais where he would stand and make his speech tomorrow night. He showed you the doors that open to the field out back. This hallway led to the kitchens, which were well-occupied, whereas these stairs led up to rooms that would one day serve to host guests. You were thoroughly impressed with all of it, naturally. As he brought you back to where he began, your gaze drifted up to the rafters. They were large dark wood beams, each was carved with runes, which had then been accented by gold leaf. The beams encircled and criss-crossed the room.

You pointed upward. "What do those say?" "They are names." Thor looked up at the rafters. "Of those we lost. So they are still here with us, where we celebrate." You bit your lip and stood quietly for a moment while your eyes traced the room again. "There's so many. I... I knew it was a lot, but seeing them all...." Thor patted your shoulder. "Yes. But we are still here, and we carry them with us as we can." You nodded as you looked up again at the rafters. "This was a great idea." "It was Loki who suggested it." You looked at Loki with an expression that made his heart swell. He gave a noncommittal shrug. "He's misremembering, I'm sure." Suddenly you had an arm around each of their necks, pulling them into a hug. You held them close and spoke softly. "Oh, boys, I'm so proud of you." Loki was grateful his face was hidden.

You stepped back and took a breath. "Okay, tour's over. Time to get to work." You surveyed the space, and presumably the tasks you intended to address, then turned to Loki. "Could you put my box over there?" Loki obliged, and your box of supplies appeared as directed. "Thank you. And now I think you two have your daily walk?" Thor grimaced. "Oh, I don't think so. There are still so many things to do." "Then how lucky we are that we have so many people to do them." You chirped cheerfully as you gestured to those working throughout the room. "Truly, there just isn't time-" "Sure there is." You slipped the clipboard out of his hands before Thor even recognized what was happening. "We can manage for a few minutes without you." "But..." He looked to Loki helplessly. Loki shook his head. "I find it's easier not to fight it." You scoffed. "You fight me every time." Loki smirked as he leaned toward you. "Well, that's because I enjoy a challenge." "I simply can't." Thor cut in with what was likely meant to be a firm tone. "Of course you can." You easily dodged Thor's attempt to retrieve the clipboard. "Go on, I promise to save some work for you to do when you get back." You had turned him by the shoulder and were pushing him toward the door.

"Loki, please." Thor pleaded over his shoulder. Loki was following behind casually. "Brother, I don't know why you are still laboring under the delusion that either of us have a say in this matter." He placed a sympathetic hand on Thor's shoulder as he began walking him to the door. "Bending to her will is really the only option." "That's the spirit!" You quipped with a smile and hung back as they continued forward. "Have a good time! We'll still be here." "I... I suppose a short break...." Thor relented as his feet carried him outside.

Loki looked over his shoulder and shot you a wink. You flashed a proud smile before turning on your heel and setting to task.

**

"-and it's completely ludicrous." Loki fumed. "She refuses to let me see the dress at all before tomorrow evening." Thor nodded sagely. "It's understandable. The dress is very becoming, I can see why she would prefer the reveal to be a surprise." "You've seen-!" Loki stopped short and carefully studied Thor, who had continued a few paces before turning back to his brother with a blank expression. Loki narrowed his eyes. "She did not show you the dress." Thor laughed and kept walking. "It suits her so well, you'll be very pleased with it." Loki quickly caught up. "I know she didn't show it to you." "You don't believe me. Here, let's ask her now." Thor was pulling out his phone. "Don't bother. I already know, she would catch onto your game and give the same obfuscating answers. Absolutely infuriating, the both of you." Thor broke into a hearty chuckle.

Their walk brought them out of the town, away from the road, into the surrounding hills. "There has been talk lately," Thor ventured, with eyes cast firmly to the ground as he walked, "among the townsfolk, the elders. They've been speaking of a coronation." "Hm. Rightly so." Thor looked surprised. He nodded. "You are so very different from the Thor that I once knew." Loki glanced at him for just a moment before looking forward again. "The Thor I knew was brash, careless, boastful. Not someone ready for the throne. I've seen you now; thoughtful, considerate, wise. You work hard for your people and take nothing for granted." He turned to meet Thor's eyes. "You've grown into a great leader, and one that I would be honored to call my king." Thor did not respond immediately. They walked on for a moment more before he finally cleared his throat. "Thank you, brother." "Certainly."

They came to a stop at the crest of a hill. In the distance the hall was visible, as well as the field behind it, cast golden in the late afternoon. They could see people making preparations for Midsummer; moving furniture about, carrying supplies. Some were stacking wood for bonfires. Children were playing on maypoles. Figures scurried back and forth and from here it was difficult to tell which were human and which were Æsir.

They stood and watched in silence for several minutes. "Quite a sight." Loki finally remarked. "Agreed." Another moment was spent in quiet observation, when Loki turned to find Thor watching him with a strange, thoughtful look on his face. "What? What is it?"

Thor gave him a half smile. "I can't be certain what it will mean to you." He turned and looked out over the hills again. "But I happened to notice that the sun was shining."

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At the start of this chapter Loki is quoting the poem To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

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[loz-3]

Bucky's Favorite Person

Pairing: Bucky x female reader (Y/N - not dating... yet?)

Summary: Bucky dislikes how the team is taking advantage of you while your bosses are out and decides to take matters into his own hands to help you relax.

A/N: I'm supposed to be working on a lot of other things but my brain decided to do this instead... I've been kicking this idea around for a while and it won't leave me alone so I need to write it just to get it out of. I hope you all like it ❤️

Sitting at the end of the oval table in the conference room, you glance anxiously at your watch. If this meeting ends on time, I should have exactly fifteen minutes before my next one. I think that'll be enough time to head upstairs and make another cup of coffee. Your leg bounces under the desk restlessly while you listen to Agent Hill wrap up the meeting.

"Remember, if you need to order any new tech, equipment or weaponry, Y/N will be able to help," she says and you force a smile as you close your laptop.

Yay me, you think sarcastically when all of the Avengers look in your direction briefly before getting up.

You're not supposed to be the go-to person for requests of this type but for the last two weeks, you have been running the Supply Chain Subsection of the Logistics Division for SHIELD. Your manager is on maternity leave for the next few months and as luck would have it, the day after she left the section director was called away for jury duty. The decision was then made to place the most senior analyst in charge of the supply chain for the foreseeable future and that just so happened to be you.

You sigh deeply as you skim through the emails on your phone, nearly a dozen new requests have been submitted since you checked this morning. I should just deny all of them at once and close my inbox, you think when you begin to see duplicate forms and requests you've already refused to approve this week. You know you can't though. As acting head of supply chain, you need to formally respond to each with a detailed explanation of why it was denied. With your head down and your attention still on your phone, you enter the kitchen and walk straight to your favorite appliance in the Tower.

You let out a surprised yelp as you walk directly into what feels like a very muscular wall, causing you to drop your phone but thankfully not your laptop. "Oh crap, I'm really sorry," you apologize quickly when you realize you've bumped into a super soldier and not an immovable object. Taking a step back, you watch Bucky's metal fingers wrap gently around your phone before you even think to bend down and get it yourself.

"It's okay," he says when his eyes meet yours, your stress melting quickly when he smiles.

"Thanks," you can't stop the nervous giggle that escapes you when his vibranium hand brushes against your warm skin when you take your phone back. Between the unbroken eye contact and his unbearably cute smile, you briefly forget why you came into the kitchen in the first place. It's not until he talks again that you remember your mission to get coffee.

"Long day?" he asks with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Very long," you answer, walking past him towards the coffee maker.

Bucky walks away, taking a seat at the island with an open book and a drink from the fridge but you focus on the task at hand. You open the drawer that holds the coffee pods and quickly select your usual, happy to see there are plenty to get you through the rest of the week. Before you can put the pod in the machine, a familiar voice causes you to turn around.

"It's a little better now that you saw me though right?" Bucky jokes from behind you.

You smile and answer him in a sarcastic tone, "Of course, because you're my favorite person." You keep up your long standing joke with your crush, hoping he can't tell you're being honest or that just hearing him laugh made your day ten times better.

"Hey Y/N, the request Peter and I submitted for new lab equipment got denied," Bruce complains. "Again. It's like the third time. Can you see what's going on?"

"Sure, have him send in another one and I'll see what I can do," you offer even though you are the one who keeps refusing to sign off on it when the form crosses your desk. The new equipment he is asking for is almost twice his department's budget for the quarter, there's no way my bosses would ever approve it if they were here, you think. I'm pretty sure that's why he waited until they were out to request it in the first place. This also confirms my theory that no one reads the rejection emails I send cause I already told him why I denied it.

"Great, thanks," he smiles as he leaves. "You're the best."

"Yep," you mumble and turn back to the coffee maker, pushing the button but nothing happens.

You groan and push it again as you begin to get frustrated when Bucky says, "You didn't put the coffee in."

A blush spreads across your cheeks at the realization that he's watching you struggle from the island instead of reading. "Right, thanks," you look at him briefly over your shoulder to see him smiling then open the top to add the coffee. "That's why you're my favorite, always keeping an eye on me," you joke as you push the button for a third time then look up when someone calls your name from the doorway.

"Sorry to bother you here but I know you have a ton of meetings this afternoon," your intern bites her lip anxiously, holding her tablet tightly to her chest.

"It's fine," you offer her a smile knowing she's probably just as stressed as you are since her first day was also your managers last day. "What do you need?"

She let's out a breath of relief then walks closer to you quickly. "I have a question about this form Thor sent, he marked it urgent but I don't know why. Would you be able to help me?"

"Of course," you take the tablet from her and read it over quickly, shaking your head then you give it back to her. "Forward this to me and I'll take care of it."

"Thanks!" she smiles and types on the tablet while exiting the kitchen.

You can't help but look towards the island and notice Bucky's eyes on you instead of his book. "It's the second time this week Thor has ordered pop tarts and claimed they were necessary equipment for a mission," you explain, shaking your head lightly.

He chuckles, "If you've been around Thor when he's hungry you know they absolutely are."

"He's still not getting them," you laugh then pick up your coffee mug and take a sip. Scrunching your nose, you set the mug down and open the drawer to find the sugar you forgot to add.

"Hey, just who I was looking for," the newest member of the Avengers says as he walks over to you.

"Hi Scott," you try not to seem annoyed by yet another interruption during your very short break. "What can I do for you?" You stir your coffee after adding the sugar, blowing on it lightly before taking a sip and setting it back down.

"I tried filling out that form to request a new suit but I can't figure it how to submit it," he shrugs. "All the little code boxes turn red but I don't know where to get any of that information. Clint said to just send it to you and you'd fill it out for me."

You force yourself not to roll your eyes then tell him, "I'm really not supposed to fill out the request forms for you guys. That kind of defeats the purpose." He frowns as you begin to explain the reasoning behind the process but your phone beeps, alerting you that your next meeting is starting in five minutes. "Just send it over and I'll take a look. I gotta go."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver," he calls after you as you leave quickly and head down the hall.

It's not until you push the button for the elevator that you realize you're holding your laptop in one hand and your phone in your other hand. "Crap," you mumble when the doors open, knowing you don't have enough time to go back for your coffee.

Staring at your computer screen, you pinch the bridge of your nose when you hear a knock on the door. Oh come on, it's almost 5. Can't I get out of here on time just once, you wonder as you tell the mystery person to come in.

"Hey Y/N," Bucky's friendly voice fills your office and you relax for a moment until you see he's holding two coffee mugs.

"Hi," you sink into your chair a little as he comes closer to your desk. "What do you need help with?"

"Nothing," he answers, setting one cup down in front of you.

"Come on Bucky, you only bring me things when you need something," you slide the mug closer while he sits across from you.

"Oh, I didn't realize that," he responds a little hesitantly.

"Don't worry about it, it's why you're my favorite person here," you say with your typical sarcastic tone and the smile reappears on Bucky's face. "But it's only cause you bring me snacks when you have questions," you remind him playfully.

Last week he came to your office with a strawberry donut, telling you they were leftover from a morning briefing. While in your office, he just so happened to mention that he needed a replacement part for his bike and couldn't figure out how to fill out the forms. The super soldier has brought you cookies, coffee, pastries and a few other treats over the last couple of months and it's where you're joke about him being your favorite began. You truthfully never mind when Bucky has questions or issues, even if he didn't bring you a little treat in return for your help. He is the only person you work with who seems to value your time and apologizes for not being able to keep up with the newer systems.

"Well I don't have any questions this time I promise. I just dropped by to make sure you got your coffee fix," he explains and you hide your widening smile behind your mug. "I know it's late but every time I checked, you were in a meeting."

Taking a sip, you sigh happily when you realize he made it exactly the way you like it. "This is perfect, thanks Bucky," you smile and he grins proudly. A loud knock on your door pulls your attention away from the super soldier and you miss how quickly his smile fades. "Come in," you call hoping whoever it is doesn't need anything important.

"Hey Y/N, oh... and Bucky," Tony greets you both as he walks in.

You take another sip of your coffee, not wanting it to get cold since Bucky went through the trouble of hand delivering it to you. "Hi, what's up Tony?"

"I just sent in a handful of requests for some tech upgrades and your intern said you aren't going to get to them until tomorrow," he says in a disappointed tone.

"Oh yeah," you agree with your intern's response to him. "You sent..." you turn to open a few windows on your screen, "...twelve requests. A little more than a handful, it's gonna take me a while to go through all of them."

"I really need an answer on them tonight," Tony stands right behind Bucky who is holding his mug tightly in his metal hand.

"Tonight?" you check the clock on your desktop and sigh then look back at him. "Sure, yeah I guess I could work late again-"

"You've worked late every night for the last two weeks," Bucky interrupts your response. While you wonder if you complained to him about that and forgot he adds, "Whatever you need can wait until tomorrow."

"It'll only take a few hours and it's not like she doesn't get paid overtime," Tony counters and instead of Bucky letting you agree like you were going to do, he stands up to face Tony.

"I'm taking Y/N to dinner. She can deny whatever ridiculous requests for equipment you don't need in the morning because we both know you and everyone else keeps asking for things her bosses would never approve of," his words take you by complete surprise but thankfully it doesn't seem like he's expecting a response from either of you. "Grab your coat," he turns to you with that cute smile you can't get enough of and you nod, closing your laptop as you blush.

"I- uh... yeah, tomorrow is fine," Tony takes a step towards the door but Bucky's already forgotten he's in your office.

"So, where would you like to go?" he asks and you barely notice the door closing when he moves next to you behind your desk.

Giggling at his sudden closeness, you look up at him, "Honestly, I'm just excited to eat a meal that's not at my desk. You can pick since it was your idea to go out for a date." Your cheeks flush with embarrassment and you shake your head, "Dinner, I mean dinner, sorry."

He smiles and cups your cheek gently with his metal fingers, "It's a date Y/N and don't worry, I think I know just where I want to take you."

"Oh really?" you ask, trying to sound calmer than you really are when his other hand settles on your lower back and he pulls you closer.

"Yep," he leans closer to you and just when you think he's going to kiss you he pulls back with a smirk, "But it's a secret. Come on, if we stay here any longer someone else might have a question for you."

You agree quickly and giggle when he takes your hand and leads you out of your office. While you wait for the elevator, Bucky let's go of your hand to wrap his arm around you and pull you closer. Smiling, you look up at him and joke, "Is this cause I said you were my favorite person?"

He chuckles, "It's because you're my favorite person."

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did ❤️❤️ Please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

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[loz-3]

Thanks for the reblog! I’m glad you liked it!!

@eleniblue thank you for the great starter!

Alone in Paris

Words: 1,615

Fluff, bit of angst but resolved at the end

No warnings

— — —

“Come away with me.”

“What?”

“Come away with me.” Loki leaned across the narrow table separating you and him, palms flat against the polished surface.

You tilted back in your chair, peering over the laptop open in front of you. He had a sly smile painted across his face. Of course he did. As per usual, you were sure he was plotting something. "I don't think I can...", you murmured, glancing back to the spreadsheet on the screen, ".. too many deadlines coming up."

He sighed, grabbed a chair from the next table, and slumped into it. His expression of mischief didn't change however, and the moment you resumed your work, he reached out and sharply pushed the laptop closed. "I do not care for your work. You need a break."

"Loki, I can't just bail..."

"You can. I have already cleared it with your superiors." His face shifted to a smug grin, "So I ask again, come away with me." He sat stiffly and extended a hand towards you, waiting for your answer.

You shook your head as you reopened the laptop, “As much as I would love to...." You trailed off as an email popped into your inbox. It was the shortest message you had gotten in a while:

TIME OFF APPROVED

See you next week :) ;)

-B

You snorted and rolled your eyes, "Well, where are we off to then?" Reaching forward, you placed your hand into his. Even after the almost three years of you being a couple, he never failed to surprise you.

Loki gripped it tightly, pulling you to your feet. "My darling, have I ever led you astray? You shall know when we arrive." He winked and steered you towards the exit.

———

You sat on the plane, slightly annoyed with your captor. “I can’t believe you didn’t let me pack anything! …I don’t even have underwear.”

Loki snickered and reached for your hand, “There was no time, darling, you resisted me too long at the office.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “I suppose I can pick some things up when we arrive. Can I know where our destination is?”

He was already shaking his head, “No, it would ruin the surprise.”

“What if I guess?” You angled your face toward him, pleading with your eyes.

“You can try.”

You spent the next hour rattling off extravagant and random places to vacation. Each guess was confirmed with a ‘no’ or a shake of his head. You thought harder, clearly you were missing something. “Ok, how about one of my bucket list places?” You asked, fishing for a hint.

“Perhaps.” Loki didn’t elaborate.

You shot him a grin, “Then it’s Paris. Seeing the Eiffel Tower at sunset is a must-see for me.”

His answer of ‘wait and see’ confirmed it enough for you so you spent the rest of the flight thinking about what else you’d be doing in Paris.

———

"I have an urgent matter I need to attend to. Will you be alright on your own for the afternoon?"

You laid the back of your hand to your forehead in mock distress, "How ever will I function in a city such as this without you?" He turned and looked intently at you, clearly making sure you were actually ok. "Go..." You gently shoved him, "I need to find something to wear anyways...since we didn't stop to pack before leaving."

His grin was back, splayed across his face. Loki crossed the distance and took your face between his hands, pressing his lips softly against yours. Your eyes closed, reciprocating the kiss eagerly. Too soon, he pulled away. "I will be as quick as I can be." he promised, before stepping to the door and out of the room.

As the door latched, you allowed the disappointment to spread across your face. You had wanted to spend the day exploring the medieval city with Loki, but it seemed you would be on your own. With a sigh, you got to getting ready to head out. The hotel was very close to the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre, so you planned to start exploring there. The goal was to make it all the way down to the Arc de Triomphe, hitting the shops along the way. Hopefully by then, Loki would be back and you could both go watch the sunset from the Eiffel Tower.

"Well, off I go!... I guess." You spoke aloud to the empty room before heading out on your way.

— — —

The day went by quicker than you had expected. The cathedral was gorgeous, having freshly reopened after extensive restoration and the Louvre was full of wonders... although the Mona Lisa was far smaller than you had expected. You had spent a good portion of the day in the Denon wing going over all the great masterpieces, but you still needed some sort of clothes to get through the rest of the weekend.

You wandered up the Av. des Champs-E'lyse'es and found a quaint coffee shop amongst the high end shops. You grabbed a cup and a pastry, taking a seat at a small corner table to plan your shopping routes. Your phone buzzed in your pocket, the message that flashed across the screen didn't help raise your spirits.

'I regret that I am further delayed. Meet me at the Tour Eiffel for 8pm. We cannot have you miss the sunset.'

You responded with a quick "Ok." and shoved the device back into your pocket with a scowl. Checking your watch, you still had several hours before you had to even begin to head to the tower. "No rush then..." you muttered to yourself as you downed the coffee, flipping through a shopping guide book for the area.

You steered away from the top designer shops, you mostly needed daily wearable items for this trip. There were several cute boutique shops just off the street that had everything you needed. Arms loaded, you stepped back to the main road to catch a cab back to the hotel when a glimmer caught your eye.

In the window of the Versace shop stood a mannequin wearing a dark green mini dress. It was exactly Loki’s shade, down to the gold pinning that held the whole thing together. You had to try it on.

You opened the door to the shop, somewhat awkwardly as you were carrying many bags, and approached the sales girl.

It was exactly your size. This would be your gentle revenge for him ditching you all day… and it was still early enough that maybe the salon in the hotel could squeeze you in.

———

You glanced out at the darkening sky, then down at the silent phone sitting on the table. It was nearly sunset and he had not showed up yet. 'I hope everything is alright..." you wondered to yourself. It was out of character for Loki to be this late. Especially when he had seemed so focused on the time.

Another ten minutes ticked by. The sun crept closer to the horizon on its descent. The first floor of the pavilion had begun to clear out, people trickled off the elevators and heading down to the esplanade. You noticed that no new people were arriving to go up the tower. That was odd, as the tower complex allowed ascents until midnight. Something was wrong.

You began to gather your stuff. There was now no other visitors on your level. Maybe you were in the wrong place? A member of the tower staff suddenly rounded into view, walking towards you. "Salut mademoiselle, please, come with me!" He clapped his hands together and swept past you towards the elevators to the top level. You stood and followed close behind, curious as to how he knew you and throughly confused.

"Excuse me sir, but..."

"Non, non, you must go up! Votre bien-aimé attend!" He pressed the call switch and the lift door opened. He ushered you inside, hitting the TOP button before stepping back out. He waved as the door slid shut and you began to rise.

———

The doors opened at the top with a soft ‘ding’ and you stepped out into the golden light. The platform was vacant of people, but a candle-lit table set for two sat at the far edge. ‘Strange..’ you thought, as movement to your left caught your attention. You turned to see Loki’s silhouette against the setting sun, his back towards you. He was fidgeting with something you could not see.

You slowly approached him. The sound of your heel falls caused him to turn, an anxious smile on his face until he saw the outfit you were wearing. His jaw slackened and his normal finesse with words was lost, “Darling, I… apologize… you look…”

“You don’t think it’s too much?” You gave him a spin, allowing him a full 360 degree view.

He finally got his head together and stepped forward to catch you in your spin, “Truly ravishing, my love.”

You froze in his arms, “…that’s a new one.” you blurted, referring to the new nickname ‘My love’.

Loki dipped his head before letting you go and taking a short step back. Pulling a small box from his pocket, he slid onto one knee and popped the black velvet cube open. A deep green jewel sparkled from within. “Would you grant me the honour of binding your soul with mine for eternity?”

“Oh Loki…absolutely I will!”

His responding grin lit his face brighter than the glorious Parisian sunset as he rose to capture your lips with his.

Votre bien-aimé attend - Your beloved awaits

[loz-3]

Thank you!

@eleniblue thank you for the great starter!

Alone in Paris

Words: 1,615

Fluff, bit of angst but resolved at the end

No warnings

— — —

“Come away with me.”

“What?”

“Come away with me.” Loki leaned across the narrow table separating you and him, palms flat against the polished surface.

You tilted back in your chair, peering over the laptop open in front of you. He had a sly smile painted across his face. Of course he did. As per usual, you were sure he was plotting something. "I don't think I can...", you murmured, glancing back to the spreadsheet on the screen, ".. too many deadlines coming up."

He sighed, grabbed a chair from the next table, and slumped into it. His expression of mischief didn't change however, and the moment you resumed your work, he reached out and sharply pushed the laptop closed. "I do not care for your work. You need a break."

"Loki, I can't just bail..."

"You can. I have already cleared it with your superiors." His face shifted to a smug grin, "So I ask again, come away with me." He sat stiffly and extended a hand towards you, waiting for your answer.

You shook your head as you reopened the laptop, “As much as I would love to...." You trailed off as an email popped into your inbox. It was the shortest message you had gotten in a while:

TIME OFF APPROVED

See you next week :) ;)

-B

You snorted and rolled your eyes, "Well, where are we off to then?" Reaching forward, you placed your hand into his. Even after the almost three years of you being a couple, he never failed to surprise you.

Loki gripped it tightly, pulling you to your feet. "My darling, have I ever led you astray? You shall know when we arrive." He winked and steered you towards the exit.

———

You sat on the plane, slightly annoyed with your captor. “I can’t believe you didn’t let me pack anything! …I don’t even have underwear.”

Loki snickered and reached for your hand, “There was no time, darling, you resisted me too long at the office.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “I suppose I can pick some things up when we arrive. Can I know where our destination is?”

He was already shaking his head, “No, it would ruin the surprise.”

“What if I guess?” You angled your face toward him, pleading with your eyes.

“You can try.”

You spent the next hour rattling off extravagant and random places to vacation. Each guess was confirmed with a ‘no’ or a shake of his head. You thought harder, clearly you were missing something. “Ok, how about one of my bucket list places?” You asked, fishing for a hint.

“Perhaps.” Loki didn’t elaborate.

You shot him a grin, “Then it’s Paris. Seeing the Eiffel Tower at sunset is a must-see for me.”

His answer of ‘wait and see’ confirmed it enough for you so you spent the rest of the flight thinking about what else you’d be doing in Paris.

———

"I have an urgent matter I need to attend to. Will you be alright on your own for the afternoon?"

You laid the back of your hand to your forehead in mock distress, "How ever will I function in a city such as this without you?" He turned and looked intently at you, clearly making sure you were actually ok. "Go..." You gently shoved him, "I need to find something to wear anyways...since we didn't stop to pack before leaving."

His grin was back, splayed across his face. Loki crossed the distance and took your face between his hands, pressing his lips softly against yours. Your eyes closed, reciprocating the kiss eagerly. Too soon, he pulled away. "I will be as quick as I can be." he promised, before stepping to the door and out of the room.

As the door latched, you allowed the disappointment to spread across your face. You had wanted to spend the day exploring the medieval city with Loki, but it seemed you would be on your own. With a sigh, you got to getting ready to head out. The hotel was very close to the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre, so you planned to start exploring there. The goal was to make it all the way down to the Arc de Triomphe, hitting the shops along the way. Hopefully by then, Loki would be back and you could both go watch the sunset from the Eiffel Tower.

"Well, off I go!... I guess." You spoke aloud to the empty room before heading out on your way.

— — —

The day went by quicker than you had expected. The cathedral was gorgeous, having freshly reopened after extensive restoration and the Louvre was full of wonders... although the Mona Lisa was far smaller than you had expected. You had spent a good portion of the day in the Denon wing going over all the great masterpieces, but you still needed some sort of clothes to get through the rest of the weekend.

You wandered up the Av. des Champs-E'lyse'es and found a quaint coffee shop amongst the high end shops. You grabbed a cup and a pastry, taking a seat at a small corner table to plan your shopping routes. Your phone buzzed in your pocket, the message that flashed across the screen didn't help raise your spirits.

'I regret that I am further delayed. Meet me at the Tour Eiffel for 8pm. We cannot have you miss the sunset.'

You responded with a quick "Ok." and shoved the device back into your pocket with a scowl. Checking your watch, you still had several hours before you had to even begin to head to the tower. "No rush then..." you muttered to yourself as you downed the coffee, flipping through a shopping guide book for the area.

You steered away from the top designer shops, you mostly needed daily wearable items for this trip. There were several cute boutique shops just off the street that had everything you needed. Arms loaded, you stepped back to the main road to catch a cab back to the hotel when a glimmer caught your eye.

In the window of the Versace shop stood a mannequin wearing a dark green mini dress. It was exactly Loki’s shade, down to the gold pinning that held the whole thing together. You had to try it on.

You opened the door to the shop, somewhat awkwardly as you were carrying many bags, and approached the sales girl.

It was exactly your size. This would be your gentle revenge for him ditching you all day… and it was still early enough that maybe the salon in the hotel could squeeze you in.

———

You glanced out at the darkening sky, then down at the silent phone sitting on the table. It was nearly sunset and he had not showed up yet. 'I hope everything is alright..." you wondered to yourself. It was out of character for Loki to be this late. Especially when he had seemed so focused on the time.

Another ten minutes ticked by. The sun crept closer to the horizon on its descent. The first floor of the pavilion had begun to clear out, people trickled off the elevators and heading down to the esplanade. You noticed that no new people were arriving to go up the tower. That was odd, as the tower complex allowed ascents until midnight. Something was wrong.

You began to gather your stuff. There was now no other visitors on your level. Maybe you were in the wrong place? A member of the tower staff suddenly rounded into view, walking towards you. "Salut mademoiselle, please, come with me!" He clapped his hands together and swept past you towards the elevators to the top level. You stood and followed close behind, curious as to how he knew you and throughly confused.

"Excuse me sir, but..."

"Non, non, you must go up! Votre bien-aimé attend!" He pressed the call switch and the lift door opened. He ushered you inside, hitting the TOP button before stepping back out. He waved as the door slid shut and you began to rise.

———

The doors opened at the top with a soft ‘ding’ and you stepped out into the golden light. The platform was vacant of people, but a candle-lit table set for two sat at the far edge. ‘Strange..’ you thought, as movement to your left caught your attention. You turned to see Loki’s silhouette against the setting sun, his back towards you. He was fidgeting with something you could not see.

You slowly approached him. The sound of your heel falls caused him to turn, an anxious smile on his face until he saw the outfit you were wearing. His jaw slackened and his normal finesse with words was lost, “Darling, I… apologize… you look…”

“You don’t think it’s too much?” You gave him a spin, allowing him a full 360 degree view.

He finally got his head together and stepped forward to catch you in your spin, “Truly ravishing, my love.”

You froze in his arms, “…that’s a new one.” you blurted, referring to the new nickname ‘My love’.

Loki dipped his head before letting you go and taking a short step back. Pulling a small box from his pocket, he slid onto one knee and popped the black velvet cube open. A deep green jewel sparkled from within. “Would you grant me the honour of binding your soul with mine for eternity?”

“Oh Loki…absolutely I will!”

His responding grin lit his face brighter than the glorious Parisian sunset as he rose to capture your lips with his.

Votre bien-aimé attend - Your beloved awaits

[loz-3]

*New Story Announcement* Coming soon...

Fleeing an abusive would-be mate, you’ve spent the past three years hiding out in the forests of Soviet-occupied Europe, with only the people of a small village nearby for company. When your safe solitude is broached by an intimidating Alpha in need of his own hideout, your deepest fears turn into an intense, mutual desire. But exactly how dangerous is this mysterious Winter Soldier? Will your village have to pay the price for the love of a brute stranger?

PAIRING: Alpha!WinterSolder!Bucky x Omega!F!Reader GENRE(S): A/B/O Romance; Angst/Comfort; Smut CONTENT WARNING (18+ ONLY): A/B/O dynamics and all that entails (smut, breeding kink, knotting, biting, mating, a very loose interpretation of ‘phasing’); violence; domestic abuse; descriptions of torture and blood/injury; more to come (see individual chapter warnings)

MASTERLIST TO FOLLOW If you want to be added to the taglist, please reblog! (some no-pressure tags in the comments!)

[loz-3]

I love "Alone in Paris."

I’m soo glad 🥰😘

[loz-3]

@eleniblue thank you for the great starter!

Alone in Paris

Words: 1,615

Fluff, bit of angst but resolved at the end

No warnings

— — —

“Come away with me.”

“What?”

“Come away with me.” Loki leaned across the narrow table separating you and him, palms flat against the polished surface.

You tilted back in your chair, peering over the laptop open in front of you. He had a sly smile painted across his face. Of course he did. As per usual, you were sure he was plotting something. "I don't think I can...", you murmured, glancing back to the spreadsheet on the screen, ".. too many deadlines coming up."

He sighed, grabbed a chair from the next table, and slumped into it. His expression of mischief didn't change however, and the moment you resumed your work, he reached out and sharply pushed the laptop closed. "I do not care for your work. You need a break."

"Loki, I can't just bail..."

"You can. I have already cleared it with your superiors." His face shifted to a smug grin, "So I ask again, come away with me." He sat stiffly and extended a hand towards you, waiting for your answer.

You shook your head as you reopened the laptop, “As much as I would love to...." You trailed off as an email popped into your inbox. It was the shortest message you had gotten in a while:

TIME OFF APPROVED

See you next week :) ;)

-B

You snorted and rolled your eyes, "Well, where are we off to then?" Reaching forward, you placed your hand into his. Even after the almost three years of you being a couple, he never failed to surprise you.

Loki gripped it tightly, pulling you to your feet. "My darling, have I ever led you astray? You shall know when we arrive." He winked and steered you towards the exit.

———

You sat on the plane, slightly annoyed with your captor. “I can’t believe you didn’t let me pack anything! …I don’t even have underwear.”

Loki snickered and reached for your hand, “There was no time, darling, you resisted me too long at the office.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “I suppose I can pick some things up when we arrive. Can I know where our destination is?”

He was already shaking his head, “No, it would ruin the surprise.”

“What if I guess?” You angled your face toward him, pleading with your eyes.

“You can try.”

You spent the next hour rattling off extravagant and random places to vacation. Each guess was confirmed with a ‘no’ or a shake of his head. You thought harder, clearly you were missing something. “Ok, how about one of my bucket list places?” You asked, fishing for a hint.

“Perhaps.” Loki didn’t elaborate.

You shot him a grin, “Then it’s Paris. Seeing the Eiffel Tower at sunset is a must-see for me.”

His answer of ‘wait and see’ confirmed it enough for you so you spent the rest of the flight thinking about what else you’d be doing in Paris.

———

"I have an urgent matter I need to attend to. Will you be alright on your own for the afternoon?"

You laid the back of your hand to your forehead in mock distress, "How ever will I function in a city such as this without you?" He turned and looked intently at you, clearly making sure you were actually ok. "Go..." You gently shoved him, "I need to find something to wear anyways...since we didn't stop to pack before leaving."

His grin was back, splayed across his face. Loki crossed the distance and took your face between his hands, pressing his lips softly against yours. Your eyes closed, reciprocating the kiss eagerly. Too soon, he pulled away. "I will be as quick as I can be." he promised, before stepping to the door and out of the room.

As the door latched, you allowed the disappointment to spread across your face. You had wanted to spend the day exploring the medieval city with Loki, but it seemed you would be on your own. With a sigh, you got to getting ready to head out. The hotel was very close to the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre, so you planned to start exploring there. The goal was to make it all the way down to the Arc de Triomphe, hitting the shops along the way. Hopefully by then, Loki would be back and you could both go watch the sunset from the Eiffel Tower.

"Well, off I go!... I guess." You spoke aloud to the empty room before heading out on your way.

— — —

The day went by quicker than you had expected. The cathedral was gorgeous, having freshly reopened after extensive restoration and the Louvre was full of wonders... although the Mona Lisa was far smaller than you had expected. You had spent a good portion of the day in the Denon wing going over all the great masterpieces, but you still needed some sort of clothes to get through the rest of the weekend.

You wandered up the Av. des Champs-E'lyse'es and found a quaint coffee shop amongst the high end shops. You grabbed a cup and a pastry, taking a seat at a small corner table to plan your shopping routes. Your phone buzzed in your pocket, the message that flashed across the screen didn't help raise your spirits.

'I regret that I am further delayed. Meet me at the Tour Eiffel for 8pm. We cannot have you miss the sunset.'

You responded with a quick "Ok." and shoved the device back into your pocket with a scowl. Checking your watch, you still had several hours before you had to even begin to head to the tower. "No rush then..." you muttered to yourself as you downed the coffee, flipping through a shopping guide book for the area.

You steered away from the top designer shops, you mostly needed daily wearable items for this trip. There were several cute boutique shops just off the street that had everything you needed. Arms loaded, you stepped back to the main road to catch a cab back to the hotel when a glimmer caught your eye.

In the window of the Versace shop stood a mannequin wearing a dark green mini dress. It was exactly Loki’s shade, down to the gold pinning that held the whole thing together. You had to try it on.

You opened the door to the shop, somewhat awkwardly as you were carrying many bags, and approached the sales girl.

It was exactly your size. This would be your gentle revenge for him ditching you all day… and it was still early enough that maybe the salon in the hotel could squeeze you in.

———

You glanced out at the darkening sky, then down at the silent phone sitting on the table. It was nearly sunset and he had not showed up yet. 'I hope everything is alright..." you wondered to yourself. It was out of character for Loki to be this late. Especially when he had seemed so focused on the time.

Another ten minutes ticked by. The sun crept closer to the horizon on its descent. The first floor of the pavilion had begun to clear out, people trickled off the elevators and heading down to the esplanade. You noticed that no new people were arriving to go up the tower. That was odd, as the tower complex allowed ascents until midnight. Something was wrong.

You began to gather your stuff. There was now no other visitors on your level. Maybe you were in the wrong place? A member of the tower staff suddenly rounded into view, walking towards you. "Salut mademoiselle, please, come with me!" He clapped his hands together and swept past you towards the elevators to the top level. You stood and followed close behind, curious as to how he knew you and throughly confused.

"Excuse me sir, but..."

"Non, non, you must go up! Votre bien-aimé attend!" He pressed the call switch and the lift door opened. He ushered you inside, hitting the TOP button before stepping back out. He waved as the door slid shut and you began to rise.

———

The doors opened at the top with a soft ‘ding’ and you stepped out into the golden light. The platform was vacant of people, but a candle-lit table set for two sat at the far edge. ‘Strange..’ you thought, as movement to your left caught your attention. You turned to see Loki’s silhouette against the setting sun, his back towards you. He was fidgeting with something you could not see.

You slowly approached him. The sound of your heel falls caused him to turn, an anxious smile on his face until he saw the outfit you were wearing. His jaw slackened and his normal finesse with words was lost, “Darling, I… apologize… you look…”

“You don’t think it’s too much?” You gave him a spin, allowing him a full 360 degree view.

He finally got his head together and stepped forward to catch you in your spin, “Truly ravishing, my love.”

You froze in his arms, “…that’s a new one.” you blurted, referring to the new nickname ‘My love’.

Loki dipped his head before letting you go and taking a short step back. Pulling a small box from his pocket, he slid onto one knee and popped the black velvet cube open. A deep green jewel sparkled from within. “Would you grant me the honour of binding your soul with mine for eternity?”

“Oh Loki…absolutely I will!”

His responding grin lit his face brighter than the glorious Parisian sunset as he rose to capture your lips with his.

Votre bien-aimé attend - Your beloved awaits

[loz-3]

It’s Loki-rune tattoo day at Folkvangr in Edinburgh! My little souvenir to myself whilst touring the UK with my mum!

I will also have the first of my requests up today! Sorry for the delay, it’s been hectic but I finally finished one with more on the way!

[loz-3]

It’s Loki-rune tattoo day at Folkvangr in Edinburgh! My little souvenir to myself whilst touring the UK with my mum!

I will also have the first of my requests up today! Sorry for the delay, it’s been hectic but I finally finished one with more on the way!

[loz-3]

Guardian Angel

Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader

Summary: When Pamela Milton makes the big mistake to threaten Daryl and his family, the archer isn't afraid of protecting what's his - at all costs.

Warnings: usual TWD stuff, violence, blood, choking, injuries, threatening a baby, attempted murder & murder, mentions of birthing a baby, protective dad!Daryl, fluff & babies!

Set in Season 11!

Word Count: 3,4k

a/n: I wrote this for @dixonsstinkysock , 'cause she was so excited about dad!Daryl, hehe. Thank you for the inspiration! I LOVED writing this! Hope you like it, too.

Disclaimer: Some words of the interaction between Carol and Daryl aren't mine. I just used them to fit the plot.

EoH Masterlist °☆• LITRM Masterlist °☆• Daryl Masterlist °☆• Masterlist

A father... He got blessed with becoming a father. Never ever - not even in his wildest dreams would've Daryl thought that the end of the world was going to bring this his way. Never. And yet here he was. It was incredible and borderline unbelievable. The archer would've scoffed and laughed into everybody's face who told him that in the beginning of this shit show.

Daryl buttoned up the fresh black grayish shirt he was just forced to slip into. Kudos to the tiny bundle of joy who had gotten to see the light of the world only a mere week ago and decided to 'burp' milk all over his shoulder. Daryl forgot to use a burp cloth; still adjusting to this whole new situation.

He couldn't help but smile to himself, as deft fingers worked the buttons.

The archer's heart was close to exploding with all the love he felt for you and his baby girl.

"What got you smiling so cute?"

Your sudden remark catapulted Daryl out of his thoughts. He finished the last button on the shirt, then lifted his head properly. His eyes met your frame; standing in the doorway - and it was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. You were wearing one of his sweaters, sweatpants and fluffy socks. Clothes who did not tick many boxes besides being absolutely comfortable. Comfort was all you cared about at the moment - understandably. Besides the easy access to your daughter's food source, of course. Speaking of her... She was neatly tucked against your body to provide body warmth; hands cradling her bum and head. Eyes closed and most likely sleeping; milk drunk and satisfied.

He merely shook his head; still smiling. "Nothin'. Jus'..." Daryl crossed the short distance between you and him. One hand gripped your hip gently, the other cupped your cheek. "...this. You. Our daughter." His oceanic blues gazed into your Y/E/C ones. "Ain't never been happier in my life, I think." Daryl's words caused you to smile as well. Turning your head slightly, you kissed his palm. "Me too. Even more now since we go back home." He nodded in agreement, "Yeah. 'S gon be perfect." and pressed a tender, lingering kiss against your forehead. His goatee tickling your skin.

"I love you, Dar."

Although he heard you say it about a million times by now, his heart never failed to skip a beat. "I love ya, too, sunshine." His eyes flickered to the newborn in your arms. "Both 'a ya." You smiled; eyes speaking the language of pure, unbridled love.

"'M gonna go check if the others are ready. 'N I gotta get my bike, too," the archer said; thumbs caressing your soft, delicate skin. You nodded. "Sure, go. I'll get everything ready here. Could you send Jude and RJ over? They have to check their room again and make sure they got everything." "'M gonna send the kids over, yeah, but you, darlin', ain't gonna do anythin' besides movin' yer cute ass over to the sofa 'n lay down."

A last loving look was exchanged before he grabbed his angel-winged vest, slipped inside the signature piece of clothing and left.

You wanted to open your mouth and say something in protest but Daryl was quick to leapfrog you. "Nah. No buts. Yer gonna rest. Yer body is still recoverin' 'n we got a long way home." You sighed, but nodded; knowing that arguing wouldn't get you further. Plus, you couldn't deny that your partner was actually right.

"Okay, yeah. I'm gonna lay down." Daryl smiled, "Good girl." and dipped his head to bestow a soft kiss on your lips before he let go of you. His thumb brushed over one tiny foot of his daughter; safely confined by the romper she was wearing. "I won't be long," he promised; marveling at the baby's smallness. You watched Daryl with yet another smile. How his eyes stuck on the tiny girl. His gentle touch. "Yeah, I know."

He had managed to make it a one on one; killing one of the men. The clearly weaker fighter. The other one was stronger and harder to defeat. One moment of negligence was enough to get into a predicament. That was the moment the guy became a problem. He gained the upper hand and had the archer now pinned to the concrete floor; choking him. Daryl tried hard to fight it. He couldn't and wouldn't die. He had a family to look after now. To protect. To provide for. You and his newborn daughter.

Little did the archer know that he was going to fight for his life only a few minutes later...

He had reached the meeting point; carriage completely abandoned and messy. Wooden boxes laid on the ground with their content mostly destroyed and distributed on the ground. No Maggie. No Hershel. No Jude or RJ. Nobody. Daryl frowned, kicked down the pedestal of his bike to park it and immediately started to analyze the scene; quite confused. The traces led him into the warehouse behind the scene, but he didn't have the time to 'investigate' any further. Two men sneaked up on him - the perfect ambush. Before Daryl could even blink, he found himself in a fight again. Two against one - not even remotely fair, but not really a problem for the experienced fighter. Yet.

"They got the kids, Maggie," Daryl panted and breathed hard to get air back into his lungs. His eyes met the ones of his best friend; showing his gratitude. "They got everyone," Carol stated. Daryl's eyes widened to the size of plates as the meaning of his friend's words hit him like a truck. If Pamela's men tried to abduct everyone of the group, it meant... "Y/N..." Daryl gasped. "Fuck. I gotta go. I gotta check on 'em." Carol nodded in understanding. "Go, but be careful, yeah? Don't act headless. I know you." Daryl merely nodded; already halfway disappearing around the corner. Carol looked after him with a worried look. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to split up.

No, he wasn't going to die. Not today. Not here. Not now. And certainly not because of this asshole.

Help was just around the corner, though. Carol, who apparently had the same thought as him, appeared behind the men and used a slat to hit the prick on the head who was currently choking her best friend. Daryl got quickly up and grabbed his knife - just in time to watch the man he killed take a bite out of his former colleague. It was an easy task to get rid of the threat then; driving his weapon through both men's skulls.

Daryl more or less ran back to the house in which he shared an apartment with you. He hurried up the steps as fast as his legs carried him - only to find the door slightly ajar. His heart thumped hard against his ribcage; almost bursting at the sight. He already feared the worst, but then the signature cries of his baby urged to his ears. Without hesitation, he stormed inside.

The scene he walked into made his blood boil. The apartment was messy; signaling the archer that you had clearly been involved in a fight as well. His eyes frantically searched for you. It didn't take him long to do so... A man had pinned you to the wall beside the sofa and crib. One hand firmly around your throat, the other trying to reach for the tiny girl in the grip; attempting to cover her mouth to keep her cries muffled. Wheezing breaths left your lips as you tried to stay conscious. Your hands wrapped around the man's wrist as he choked you; scratching and pulling. Your legs kicked repeatedly against the shins of the man, but all of it wasn't quite helping. Usually, you had no problem to fight a man - or more. Daryl had taught you very well, but right now you didn't stand a chance. Not after birthing a baby only a few days ago. Your body was still recovering and not strong enough for a fight.

Daryl balled his hands to fists; jaw clenching. The primitive urge to protect his woman and child stronger than ever before. He was about to absolutely lose it and run over to fight the man who hurt his family - but then your eyes flickered up and landed coincidentally on your partner. Out of instinct, your eyes widened and you started to wriggle even more against your opponent's death grip - a mistake. Your understandable but obvious behavior blew Daryl's cover; took him the advantage of going unnoticed away.

The intruder noticed, of course and looked over his shoulder to witness the archer on the verge of storming over. Unfortunately wasn't the man stupid. He let quickly go of you; carelessly, and took a step to the left - towards the crib with his hands hovering about the crying infant inside. "One step closer and the baby dies!" The man yelled, causing Daryl to literally freeze in his movements. The archer threw him a death glare; heart racing in his chest. Fear and anger pumped adrenaline through his whole system.

"Touch 'er 'n I kill ya," Daryl growled through gritted teeth. "Try me," spat the man in return. The tension was thick; cuttable with a knife.

You sat on the floor; body slumped against the wall. Your strength was running so low that you weren't even able to keep yourself on your feet. Especially not after being halfway choked to death. You barely registered the conversation and stare contest between your attacker and partner since your body was too occupied in getting air back inside your lungs. You coughed; breathing hard and unsteady. It broke Daryl's heart to see you like that... In pain and suffering. He wanted to hurry over to you. Help you. Make sure you were okay, but he couldn't risk it. He'd never forgive himself if this innocent, tiny life got hurt because of him.

Your body may have been weak, but your motherly instincts strong. The cries of your baby - cries of helplessness and discomfort sent you into a frenzy. "P-Please, don't, please..." You stammered out; tears gathering in your eyes. "T-That's my baby, p-please!" You were begging the man, while trying to heave your exhausted body closer to the crib. But he didn't have any of it. "Stay where you are! Nobody moves, or...!" He put his hands dangerously close to the tiny girl's neck. Both, you and Daryl knew that it wouldn't take much. She was barely a week old; still so tiny and fragile.

He had unlocked the animal inside of the archer with threatening his baby and its mother, and was now paying the price. With his life.

Daryl's brain worked feverishly to find a way to get both his girls safely out of the situation, while you kept whispering 'Please' over and over again like prayer.

"Whaddaya want?! Where did ya take the others?!" The archer started to indulge the man in a conversation; hoping to distract him enough to get his knife out of its sheath unnoticed. "Freeing the Commonwealth of a plague," the man hissed. Daryl shook his head; hand working subtle and precisely. "Ya didn't answer my question, ya prick. Where are the others?" "I don't know, scum! And I frankly don't ca- Ahhh!" A painful yelp slipped past the man's lips as he was forced to cut off his own sentence. Daryl's plan had been a success. He had freed his knife, took the risk - he had to, and threw said knife which was now plunged in the man's shoulder. It caused him to stumble a few steps back - away from the crib and the newborn inside. That was Daryl's start signal. He lunged forward to literally tackle the intruder to the ground. From that moment on, everything happened so fast. Fists colliding with skin and bones, until they were bloody and went to wrap around the throat. The man underneath Daryl was struggling and desperately trying to shove him off and away from him, but it was no use. Daryl was too strong; too dominant.

His heart clenched.

"Told ya I was gonna kill ya, prick," Daryl growled, pulled his knife out of the man's shoulder to pierce his skull with it instead, before he crawled off of the lifeless body. He quickly wiped his bloodied knuckles on his shirt and lifted himself off the ground to tend to his still crying baby. His fatherly instincts kicking into overdrive.

Daryl approached the crib; hovering over the wooden furniture. The tiny girl inside was wriggling around in her warm confines like crazy. Cheeks stained with tears and red from all the crying.

"Hey, lil' angel, dun cry," he whispered hoarsely yet gently and reached carefully inside to cradle the miniature human in his big hands. "Sh, sh, sh, 's all good. Daddy got ya, sweetpea." He lifted her up to lay her into the crook of his arm to provide some body contact and warmth in an attempt to calm her down. His pointer finger softly traced her cheeks and the small hands which were closed to fists with the even smaller fingers attached.

Once your breathing got even and regular again, one hand reached out to cover Daryl's - which was cupping the newborn's bottom to keep her safely tucked in his arm. You looked up; eyes meeting your partner's - and he knew. He saw the longing in your eyes. The urge. The need to hold your daughter. So, without a word, the archer maneuvered the baby girl cautiously in your arms. She protested at the short loss of warmth with a whine, but once she felt that her mama was close, the world was perfectly alright again. You buried your nose in the baby's tufts of chestnut brown hair; deeply inhaling her scent and pressing your lips repeatedly against the utter softness.

At her father's words, touch and comfort, the little girl calmed down. Her cries got quieter and quieter, until they faded into soft coos.

"S-She okay?" Your broken, shaky voice urged to his ears and he instantly looked up to face you. You were still sitting on the floor; wiping away some stray tears and trying to get a grip and grasp what just happened. Daryl hadn't forgotten about you. Of course not! He just thought it would be best to tend to his crying infant first. He nodded; eyes thoroughly scanning the baby's body again. "All good. She's fine, sunshine." A relieved breath you didn't even know you were holding left your lips.

The archer stepped over and sat down on the floor beside you; back propped against the wall. He opened his arm for you. "C'mere. Gotta make sure my woman is a'right as well." You didn't let yourself tell that twice. You slid closer - into Daryl's awaiting arm and cuddled against his side. His closeness (and your baby) being all you needed right now. He instantly tightened his grip around you; chapped but gentle lips peppering your forehead repeatedly with kisses. "'S okay. 'M here. I got ya," your partner whispered as he tried to offer as much comfort and love as possible. "Ain't lettin' anythin' happen to my family." You were still in a state of shock, so you said nothing at all and just held on to Daryl. Closing your eyes, you relished in his touch and inhaled his natural scent. Leather, smoke, something earthy and musky, and a touch of blood and sweat.

She was okay and safely back in your arms.

Daryl adjusted his position; was now seated behind you. His back against the wall, your back against his chest as you sat between his open legs. Strong arms pulled you protectively closer; tucking you neatly against his front.

"Ya okay, darlin'?" He muttered softly, as his thumbs started to rub soothing circles into the clothed skin of your sides. You nodded. Merely, but you nodded. The shock was the worst - besides the still lingering pain around your neck and throat. Daryl's eyes flickered over every visible body part of yours; making sure. They got stuck on your neck, of course, and saw the bruises forming already. He swallowed. Another wave of rage crushes into him. He was angry. Angry of Pamela for breaking the deal and kidnapping his friends and family. Angry of himself for not being here to help earlier. For letting this happen.

The archer's head dropped to your neck, where he peppered the bruised and hurting skin with gentle kisses. "'M sorry," he whispered. "'M so sorry. Shoulda been 'ere earlier. Then this wouldn't have happened. Fuck, should've never even left from the start..." His voice broke at the end; close to shedding tears.

You had listened to his every word. Your eyes watered as well. You shook your head and freed one hand from the now sleeping newborn in your arms to reach behind and cup Daryl's head; fingers buried in his curls. "It's not your fault, Dar. You couldn't know that this was going to happen..." "Dun care. Shoulda been here. 'S my job to protect the both 'a ya, 'n I failed. I dun even wanna know what would've happened if I didn't..." He trailed off and swallowed hard; unable to finish the sentence. It hurt too much. "Daryl..." You whispered his name and angled your head; lips brushing his stubbly cheek, then his lips. "Stop, baby. What happened happened. You can't change it. But we're alright, okay? We're here. We're alive - and whatever Pamela throws at us... We're gonna make it. We're gonna find the others and make it. Together. Like we always do."

Your heart sunk.

Daryl swallowed once more. You were right. He couldn't change the past, but the future. He swore to himself to protect you even better. And together you were going to make this. Like you always did. Starting over.

His lips searched and found yours; entangling them in a linger kiss filled with love and the promise to keep you and his baby safe - until the very last breath he was going to take on this godforsaken planet. You melted into the kiss. It gave you the strength and confidence you needed. It always did. Daryl was the bright and shining light in this dark world. Always was, and he always would be.

Once you ended the kiss, Daryl started to shift then; gently squeezing your sides to urge you on to stand up as well. "C'mon, sunshine. We should go, 'n find Carol." You nodded and started to move as well; Daryl helping you stand up. After all, you had a cute, tiny creature tucked in your arms... "Carol managed to flee? Thank god..." The archer nodded and grabbed the most necessary backpack you had packed - filled with baby stuff. Diapers, bottles, fresh clothes, blankets and such things. "Yeah, 'm glad too, but I think nobody else beside us made it to escape."

"W-We gotta find them. Help them." Daryl threw the backpack over his shoulder and took the tiny girl from your arms in his so that you were able to slip in your 'outdoor' clothes with your weapons attached. "And we will, sunshine," he promised you and lastly helped you slip inside the baby carrier with one hand. "We'll find each other again. 'S what we do. 'S what we always did. Ain't nothin' in this world is gonna keep us apart for long." Daryl maneuvered the little girl into the carrier. You made sure that she was safely and securely strapped inside; luckily still sleeping. "We're gonna safe 'em and Alexandria."

A surge of hope and confidence swept over you at his words. You took your partner's hand; intertwining your fingers and gave his big hand a squeeze. You nodded, "Let's go." and smiled. Daryl dipped his head to bestow another kiss on your forehead then gave you a small smile in return, before he started to guide you out of the apartment. You had to find Carol, find out where the others had been taken and then get the hell out of this place.

One thing was certain... The archer was done playing games.

Tags: @angelwings-crossbowstrings @dixonsdarkelf @dixons-sunshine @negansbestie @bigbaldheadname @ellasdixon @loz-3 @imadisneyprincessiswear @mayday2007 @huntedmusicgardenn @belitoxx @marvelcasey05 @stitchintimefan @whore4romance @making-the-most-0f-it @erebus-et-eigengrau @km-ffluv @cakesandtom @sweetz1919

[loz-3]

Thrown - Chapter 50: Threads of Fate

Summary: Loki contemplates textiles.

Word Count: 2,364

Author's Note: I can't believe we'll be finishing out this story next week. Surreal.

Thrown Masterlist Loki Masterlist

New Asgard's harbor was teeming with activity. This is, of course, the nature of harbors, but right now it was exceptionally so. Between the fishing boats and other standard commerce it was busy enough on an average day, but Midsummer's steady approach meant a tremendous influx of supplies coming through the docks. Not only were the last of the materials for the final furnishing of the hall being delivered, but the ensuing ball had inspired a great leap in intake. Every craftsman, every vendor wanted to lend their hands to the event. Everyone wanted to contribute, and so a number of new commodities were making their way into the town every day.

With all the work to be done it had grown difficult to wrangle Thor away for their daily walk, but Loki was persistent, which is why they were now ambling along beside the docks. The Valkyrie had joined them this afternoon, as she had been instrumental in convincing Thor to leave his post.

"I'm so sick of Midsummer." Valkyrie groaned. "I can't wait for it to be done with." Thor chuckled. "It will be over soon enough." He glanced at Loki before grinning. "And then there will be next year." Another groan as she covered her face. "No, please! We can't do this all again." "I have to agree." Loki chimed. "Thank you, Loki." Valkyrie balked. "Words I never thought I would say." Thor looked at his brother skeptically. "You truly think we shouldn't do this again next year?" "Of course not." Loki waved the idea away. "Next year we'll be much more established. The hall will already be in place. The event should be twice as grand, at least." Thor broke into laughter while Valkyrie glared. "You're the worst." Loki only offered a satisfied smirk.

The trio meandered through the streets and eventually the brothers' humble home was in sight.

"Dinner?" Valkyrie offered. "I could eat. We could order something." Loki shook his head. "Leave me out of it." Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you're still too good for pizza." Thor raised a brow. "I suspect he simply has other places to be." "Yes." Loki nodded. "But she was correct as well. Pizza is beneath me." Thor laughed as they reached the doorstep. "My own brother, I hardly see him." He gestured dramatically to the house behind him. "I assume he still lives here, but I can't be sure." Loki scoffed. "We have all the time to spend together." "I can recall when I believed that were true." Thor's tone was still light, but there was something swimming in his eyes that drew Loki's concern. "Whatever. It's nice having a break from him." Val muttered. "I'll never know what's wrong with her but bless her for taking him off our hands." With that she pushed past the princes and made her way inside, calling back over her shoulder that she would place the usual order.

Thor turned to follow her when Loki caught his elbow. "Thor, am I spending too much time away?" Thor smiled and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We work together every day. We have time enough." He straightened and took a step back. "There are moments that may weigh on me, when I recall the times I thought I would never see you again. But that is my own burden." Loki stood quiet for a moment. "I'm not going anywhere." Thor wore a wry smile. "I know." He pat Loki on the shoulder as he shifted into a grin. "It seems I may never be rid of you. Now go see your lady. Give her my regards."

**

Loki made his way down the road toward your home, thoroughly distracted by what Thor had said. He ruminated on what his brother might be carrying unseen. They often spoke of the past, even the parts of their history that didn't overlap with the other, but perhaps it was not enough. He was so caught up in this concern that he very nearly didn't notice the figures in the distance, but eventually the movement caught his eye. It was a buckskin draft horse, cantering over the open hills at the behest of its rider. He recognized both.

You had apparently already spotted him, as the horse was very decidedly moving in his direction at speed. He stopped and stood still to better appreciate the sight. Breidr was so large, and you always seemed so small in comparison. The stark difference made your control of the animal all the more captivating. It was effortless. You put him in the mind of a warrior queen, sure and strong and riding into battle. Fearsome and beautiful. He could stand and admire you for ages. He was still caught up in his awe as you came up alongside. Brought the horse to a stop beside the road and looked down at him expectantly.

"You look ridiculous up there." He sniffed. "I didn't know you even had a saddle for that beast." Your smile said that you saw right through him. Loki generally avoided lying to you, and he was beginning to worry this might have put him out of practice. You seemed to spot every one. "I don't take him out like this very often but every now and then the fancy strikes." You patted Breidr before turning back to Loki. "Where are you headed?" He sighed as he reached up to stroke the horse's neck. "Oh, a desolate place. A ramshackle cottage in the middle of nowhere, outside of any semblance of civilization." "Wow. I can't imagine why a prince would deign to visit such a place." "Yes, well, it seems the woman I love lives there." "Hm. Unfortunate."

You clicked and the horse started forward at a leisurely walk, Loki had to quickly step back out of the way. "I beg your pardon!" "You are pardoned." You called behind you. He quickly caught up and kept pace beside you. "The polite thing, in this circumstance, would be to offer a ride." You pursed your lips, then shook your head. "Sorry. This ramshackle saddle isn't made for two." "Darling you know I adore your cottage and that was simply a jest." "Yes, but I need you to walk." "Why is that?" You smirked. "I'm just really enjoying looking down on you for once." He rolled his eyes. "Petty."

Despite the indignation, he walked beside your steed all the way back to your home, where the two of you shared an evening that was absolutely perfect in all the mundane ways.

**

Loki was immediately aware that this was a dream, a particularly strange one at that. He was standing in a room that was unmistakably on Midgard, though he had no knowledge of it whatsoever. It was entirely unfamiliar, but it appeared to be a bedroom. As he scanned the surroundings his eyes fell on a shape that he recognized instantly. You were huddled on the floor against the wall, face hidden in your hands.

He immediately made his way over and knelt down beside you. "Darling?" You startled, looking up at him with confusion in your eyes. "Loki?" He nodded, looking around the room again. "Yes, it seems-" You flinched as there was a loud banging on the door, and an angry voice on the other side. Loki didn't recognize it, but he could guess who it belonged to. He placed a hand on your arm, and only then did he notice there was no scar there. "My dear, this is only a dream. You're safe, I'm here." That did not seem to ease your worry, though you were clearly trying to listen. "Yeah, yeah. Ok." "We only need to-" He stopped as your face took on a new expression of terror, your eyes fixed on the door.

When Loki turned he saw that the door was now much larger, it was open, and an imposing silhouette stood in its way. The figure was impossibly large, it was not human, and it filled Loki with the same dread you were wearing on your face. Loki quickly turned back to you, the bedroom wall you were huddled against had been replaced by the metal bulkhead of a starship. Behind him he heard the Mad Titan stepping forward.

Loki took your face in both hands and urgently turned you toward him. "Listen, this is a dream, and we are going to wake up, alright?" You nodded feebly, your eyes cutting to the figure behind him. "Wake up now." He shook you gently as the steps grew closer. "Now!"

The both of you jerked into consciousness in your bedroom. Loki sat up and you scrambled into his arms as he pulled you close. Your eyes instinctively turned to the bedroom door, but it was familiar, closed, and held no threats on the other side. Loki held you against him and for several moments the only sound in the room was the two of you catching your breath.

You swallowed. "Was... was that...?" Loki nodded grimly. "Yes." You closed your eyes and dropped your head against his shoulder. "I don't understand what just happened." "It would seem... that we have shared a dream." "That's a thing people can do?" "It is not completely unheard of." "Is it your seiðr?" "No, this is something else. A bond." "What does it mean?" "I'm... I'm not entirely sure." He sighed and leaned back against the headboard. "My mother would know. I wish I could ask her." "I wish you'd paid more attention in magic school." He chuckled and prodded your ribs, you squirmed for a moment before settling back against him.

Silence fell again while this new development was processed. Loki mulled over what this might mean. The exact nature was unclear, however there was one implication that was unquestionable. As the revelation washed over him he felt a lightness in his chest. A joy. It became a quiet chuckle, which eventually grew to a fierce laugh.

He looked at you and found you wearing a bewildered expression. This prompted another laugh and he pressed a kiss to the top of your head before holding you tighter. "Oh, this is wonderful." Your brow furrowed. "Is it?" "Yes, don't you see? It's a bond, between us." "I thought we had lots of bonds already." "No, its-" He paused a moment to search for the best way to explain. "I assume you are familiar with the Norns?" You cocked your head in confusion. "Yeah, a bit. Are they relevant?" "Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld, together they weave the tapestry of fate, and the destinies of all beings are contained therein." "Right." He looked down, fiddling with the bed sheet. "For... for quite some time now, I have considered myself to be a stray thread, broken loose from the loom." He avoided your gaze. "Without a proper place. I don't belong here-" "Loki." He had expected your admonishment and corrected himself. "I wasn't intended to be here. I had an ordained pattern and I was pulled from it. There is a time and place for a Loki to be, and this was not it. Or so it felt." He took your hand in his. "But this, this bond says differently. It is something distinct and rare. It is not a fluke or coincidence or happenstance. You asked what it means, it means we are connected. I am linked to you and you to me. Woven together." He paused a moment, looking down at your hand, turning it over in his. "I am not a stray thread. I do still have a place in the grand design, and it is here." He pressed a kiss to the back of your hand and met your eyes. "With you." You wore a warm smile as you pulled his hand to you. "I could have told you that."

You leaned to him for a kiss, tender and sweet, before snuggling down again with a sigh. "I guess having proof of your cosmic belonging makes up for the rest of it." He looked down at you, perplexed. "Makes up for what, exactly?" You looked up and grimaced. "It's not great, right? Two people prone to nightmares, sharing dreams. It's going to be rough." He shook his head and waved dismissively. "No, it won't be like that." He laid back down in bed properly, bringing you to rest against him. "Now that we know it's happening, we won't be taken by surprise. We can change it." He gestured in the air. "It will be wonderful. I will show you Asgard. The palace. Other realms, even. Sights you can't fathom." He smirked. "I'm sure there's some quaint place of interest you could show me as well." You glared and moved to pinch him. He caught your wrist with a laugh, placing another kiss on your hand before bringing it to rest on his chest. You relented and laid your head against his shoulder. "So you're pretty sure it's going to happen again." He hummed in agreement. "Hm. Yes, I actually suspect it has happened before." "You think so?" "Indeed. I wonder now how many indecent dreams were actually your doing." You smug smile. "Oh? You've had indecent dreams about me?" "Well, it makes much more sense now that I know my subconscious was being corrupted by your influence." "Don't try to use dream magic to blame me for your perversion." He nuzzled against your ear and growled. "I would argue that you are responsible for it, regardless." This earned a quiet giggle from you.

The both of you settled back in for the night. Loki let his mind wander to the possibilities of this new discovery. There were so many things he wanted you to see. There would be so much more time. Eventually, his thoughts came back to the bond itself. That warmth settled into his chest once more, the certainty that he was where he was meant to be. It was unfamiliar and comforting.

You had drifted back to sleep. He closed his eyes and listened to your soft breaths and felt foolish for ever believing this could be anything other than fate.

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[loz-3]

Stop Worrying

Pairing: Steve Rogers x female reader (Y/N)

Summary: Steve comes home early when he hears you're sick but his efforts to help leave you feeling like your super soldier boyfriend doesn't think you can take care of yourself. After you tell him to stop worrying and leave you alone, you run into Bucky who explains how ill Steve was before the serum and how much anxiety it causes him when the people he cares about get even a little bit sick.

Warnings: Angst (because why the hell not), being sick (it's just a cold), being a moody person when your sick (sometimes you just want to be left alone to feel awful), Steve getting yelled at for just trying to help, mentioning how Steve's mom died and all of his childhood illnesses (which I googled so hopefully they are right, if not oh well I guess)

A/N: Well... this was supposed to be super fluffy and cute but that's not what happened lol. There's a bunch of angst that was not planned but if you know me you should have known I wouldn't write anything straight fluffy, not sure why I tried lol. I hope you all enjoy this! 💚

A coughing fit forces you to sit up on the couch, reaching for a half empty bottle of water while you cover your mouth with your other hand. After finishing the water, you toss it in the small trash can you brought in from the bathroom and lay back down. You shiver and pull the blanket tightly around your body then sigh and pick up the thermometer next to the tissue box. Closing your eyes, you kick the blanket off your warm lower half and wait for it to beep.

I better not have a fever, you think and close your eyes when you feel like it is taking too long to register your temperature. Hopefully this is just a stupid little cold and I'll be fine by the time Steve comes home this weekend. I'm so tired, I'm really just not in the mood for captain perfect to see me all sniffley and gross.

You're eyes open quickly when a sound interrupts your thoughts but it's not the beeping you are waiting for, it's the front door.

"Y/N," Steve's voice fills your shared apartment just as the thermometer finally beeps. He closes the door and takes off his jacket while you try to stifle a cough and read the results. "I heard you were sick, are you okay?"

You nod, unable to answer as you begin to cough. Steve goes to the kitchen and returns with an open bottle of water, handing it to you as you finish coughing. You look up briefly at him and see his expression full of worry.

While you drink, he picks up the thermometer and checks to see the last reading. "No fever, that's good," he says but he sounds overly concerned when he puts it back down. "Did you have one earlier?"

You shake you head and clear your throat. "No, I was just getting the chills a bit so I figured I should check it."

"Oh, that was good thinking," Steve agrees when you sit up on the couch, covering your legs then bending them to give him room. He sits near your feet and rests his hand gently on your knee over the blanket.

"Thanks," you mumble despite feeling like his approval isn't really necessary. It's not my first time feeling like garbage. If you're hot and cold at the same, you take your temperature, it's not really a big deal, you begin to feel annoyed. You know your boyfriend isn't really what's bothering you, you're completely exhausted from not being able to sleep and because you've felt terrible for the last two days. It's nice to have him home but you really didn't need him to see you like this either.

Steve doesn't seem to notice your sour mood though, his hand gently squeezing your knee when you look at him again. "Why are your home? I thought you didn't get back for a few days," you ask, drinking a bit more water while you wait for an answer.

"They're still out in the field but Nat called and told me you were sick," he explains. "Tony and Clint can handle this one without me."

"You didn't need to do that. It's just a cold," you respond, feeling more than a little irritated that your mutual friend was keeping an eye on you for him. She is a spy though so I guess that's what she does, you remind yourself

"Are you sure?" he questions you. "Did you see anyone in the infirmary? I'm sure Dr. Palmer wouldn't mind taking a quick look at you. It could be the flu or an upper respiratory infection or-"

"It's a cold," you interrupt him, letting your annoyance show more than you meant to. "Stop worrying, I'll be fine."

"I always worry about my sweetheart," he says with a warm smile, his hand moving up and down your shin lightly over the blanket.

You feel yourself forcing a smile and you know he can tell when his smile falters and he clears his throat awkwardly. Normally, you love when Steve is sweet and touchy but right now all you want is to be alone until you feel less miserable.

"Did you eat anything today?" Steve ask after a long moment of silence.

"Yeah," you respond then realize he's waiting for you to prove it. You try not to sigh out loud but you're starting to feel as if he's treating you like one of his new recruits, double checking everything you say or do. "I had a little dry cereal this morning and some soup like an hour ago."

"That's not very much," he sounds disappointed in your answer.

"I haven't really been hungry," you shrug, not making eye contact with him as you reach for a tissue to sneeze into.

"Bless you," he says as you quickly turn so your perfect boyfriend doesn't have to watch you blow your nose. "I could make you something," his hand gently rubs your knee again.

You toss the tissue, "I'll make more soup later."

"No, I think I'm gonna rest for a bit," you look up at him, thankful when he gets up from the couch so you can stretch your legs out again.

"Okay, just make sure you don't forget to eat. You need to keep your strength up to fight whatever you have," his words sound almost like an order and you nod then avoid looking at him by fixing the blanket. "Do you need anything? More water or a new box of tissues?"

"Okay sweetheart," you can feel his eyes moving over your body as you pull the blanket up higher. "How about some tea? It would be good for your cough. I can put honey in it if your throat is bothering you," he suggests when you begin to cough.

You shake your head although you have to admit that might be a good idea. You just can't help feeling annoyed by the way Steve is constantly making suggestions and questioning your decisions. He's always been a fixer and a leader in the field during missions but right now all you want to curl up in a ball and be left alone.

"You sure? That cough sounds pretty bad," Steve says as he begins to clean up the few tissues on the floor that must have missed the garbage can.

"Just leave them, I can clean up later," you tell him, embarrassed as you watch a super soldier handle your snotty trash.

"I don't mind helping Y/N," he says with a caring smile.

"I don't need help," you snap without thinking. "I can take care of myself Steve. I'm not a little kid or one of your new soldiers that you have to lead around because they're useless."

"I didn't say that," he sounds confused by your reaction which only annoys you further.

"You're acting like it though," you tell him.

"I'm sorry, I-" he begins to apologize but you interrupt him.

"Can you just leave? I really want to rest," you lay down and fix the blanket, getting frustrated when it tangles around your foot.

He gently tugs the end of the blanket free from your foot and you sigh. "Maybe you should sleep in the bed," Steve says and you glare up at him. He visibly regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth and he tries to take them back. "I just mean-"

"Stop worrying and just leave me alone Steve," you roll over, facing the back of the couch and folding your arms over your chest. Closing your eyes tightly, you breath deeply to try and avoid a coughing fit when you hear the door open and close.

"Do you know why Steve slept on my couch last night?" he asks.

You walk into the common kitchen, still exhausted from another mostly sleepless night and go straight to the fridge. You cover your cough as you grab a bottle of water then pause when someone knocks on the open fridge door. You close it partially and see Bucky looking at you curiously.

"Oh," you mumble and close the fridge door. "I yelled at him."

"Did he do something stupid?" Steve's friend assumes.

"Not really I guess," you shrug but Bucky's expression makes it clear he's looking for the full story. "I don't know... He's so overbearing sometimes. I know he means well but he left a mission early cause Nat told him I'm sick. I'm not a child or something, I can take care of myself. I've been doing it my whole life."

Bucky rubs the back of his neck with his metal hand then says, "I think you should talk to him."

"Bucky I'm not apologizing cause I don't want to be babied," you tell him, sniffling while you pull out a cough drop from your pocket.

"That's not what I mean," he says and before you can respond he asks, "What do you know about Steve from before they gave him the serum?"

"Not much honestly," you admit after thinking for a moment. "I know he was short and kinda skinny but that's pretty much it."

He takes a seat at the island and you copy him, feeling like this is going to be a longer conversation than you originally thought. You crack open your bottle of water and wait for him to start talking.

"Before he was a super soldier, Steve was a really sick kid," Bucky says. "Poor guy was anemic, had diabetes, a heart murmur, scoliosis, asthma and partial hearing loss from scarlet fever when he was really young."

"Wow," you say quietly in disbelief.

"Yeah... he also had a terrible immune system. If anyone had a sore throat or the flu or literally anything contagious, you could count on Steve getting it. I had to take care of him a lot back then, he was sometimes too weak to get out of bed by himself," you bite your lip as Bucky talks, trying to imagine the super soldier you know needing that much help. "When his mom died, everything got worse," he looks down at his hands while he talks.

"How did she die?" you ask as you quickly realize you've never asked Steve anything about his life before he was the famous Captain America.

"She worked as a nurse in a tuberculosis ward and unfortunately she caught it from her patients. She passed right before Steve's 18th birthday," Bucky looks up at you.

"I had no idea, that's awful," you say, wishing you had gotten to meet her or at least heard other stories about him mom.

"Yeah," Bucky agrees with a slight nod. "Steve was always a bit of a... we'll call him a worrier when we were growing up but he sort of spiraled after watching his mom get sicker and sicker. Now I can see it was anxiety and some sort of panic disorder but those weren't things people really understood or talked much about back then."

You fidget with the water bottle, peeling the label off while you listen to Bucky quietly.

"I tried my best to help him but a few years after Sarah, his mom, died I got the flu pretty bad and he was a wreck," Bucky continues. "He wouldn't leave my side for a minute, even after the doctor told him I'd be okay. Steve did everything he could think of. Brought me food and water, tracked my medicine and read to me when I was too tired to hold the book up myself. It took me a few weeks to get back to normal but it took him way longer to let go of trying to take care of me."

"I'm not saying Steve isn't a lot, cause we both know he can be," he chuckles lightly and you smile a little, "but maybe cut him a little slack? I know how much he cares about you and I think you getting even a little sick brings back those feelings from when we were younger."

You're quiet for a moment, digesting everything Steve's oldest friend told you then you shake your head. "I can't believe I didn't know any of this," you frown and wonder how well you really know the man you're living with.

"Go talk to him," he says encouragingly. "He's probably still in my apartment if he didn't head down to the gym yet."

"I will, thanks," you get off the stool, grab your water and head to Bucky's.

Steve sits on the couch, tying his shoes without looking up when you open the door. "Sorry Buck, I'll be out of your hair in a minute." He stands and finally sees you waiting quietly by the door. "Y/N?"

"Can we talk?" you ask him, fidgeting with the water bottle in your hands.

"Yeah," he sits back down on the couch and you sit next to him, placing the bottle on the coffee table.

"I talked to Bucky," you start, "He told me you were here."

"I wasn't sure where else to go," he shrugs.

"I shouldn't have told you to leave, I'm really sorry Steve," you tell him and he reaches for your hand squeezing it gently. You sniffle and he hands you a tissue which makes you crack small smile. "Thanks."

"I just wanted to take care of you," Steve says when you turn away from him to blow your nose. "I wasn't trying to upset you."

You nod and look back at him, "I know... and that's really sweet of you but I'm not used to anyone helping me like this. I've always done things on my own and the way you just came in and started asking me all kinds of questions and suggesting things really made me feel like you didn't trust me to take care of myself."

"That's not how I wanted you to feel at all," he says. "I was worried about you but that doesn't mean I think you're incapable of getting better on your own. I just don't think you should have to do it all by yourself, I want to be here for you."

"Maybe we can split the difference a little," you suggest and he furrows his brow a bit in confusion. "Instead of throwing a ton of things you think I should do at me all at once, just suggest one thing and if I say no, listen to me."

"I can do that," he smiles as he relaxes for the first time since he heard you were sick. He leans over and kisses your cheek.

"Thank you," you rest your head on his shoulder, covering your mouth when you yawn.

"Should we go back to our place so you can rest?" he suggests almost nervously.

A smile spreads across Steve's face, "I'd really like that. It's been a long time since I've talked to anyone other than Bucky about her."

"Yes please," you get up, holding his hand tightly. "And maybe later, you can tell me some stories about your mom. Bucky told me a little bit about her and I'd like to know more, if that's okay?"

"I guess I never asked you anything about your life before I knew you," you say when he opens the door to the hall for you. "I had no idea you had such bad health or why you got so anxious when you heard I was sick."

"How long did you two talk for?" he asks in a half joking manner.

"A while," you answer with a shrug and a smile as you walk together towards your apartment.

He chuckles, "I'll tell you all about how scrawny and weak I used to be as soon as you're all better. I don't want to make you laugh too much while you still have that cough." He moves his arm around your waist to keep you close.

"I really just can't imagine you being short," you giggle.

"That was the least of my problems back then," he assures you

Steve opens the door to your apartment, his arm gently holding you around the waist as you cough hard. When you catch your breath he asks, "Do you need anything or do you want me to head out for a bit so you can go back to sleep?"

You look up at him, knowing exactly what will make you feel better, "Can I have some soup please? And cuddles."

He smiles and kisses the top of your head lightly, "I can absolutely help with both of those. Go get comfy, I'll be there in a few minutes sweetheart."

"Thanks handsome," you sniffle and walk towards your room, pausing when you get to the doorway to turn and look back at him. "I love you."

"I love you too, now go rest," Steve says from the kitchen. "I'll be right in to take care of you."

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did 💙💙 Please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

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[loz-3]

Follow the Crow - Chapter Thirty

Pairing: Norse Mythology Loki + OFC + OMC

Tags: Love triangle / Romantasy / Norse Mythology AU / Shapeshifting / Magic Realism

Warnings: I don't think there are any (apologies if I missed anything)

Length: 3k

Summary: In which Dee watches a fight and is then engaged in a battle of her own.

Chapter List

Full Master List of all works

Sweat broke out along Dee’s brow and a shiver of concern trickled down her spine. Dislodging a salty droplet with an annoyed shake of her head she frowned. Normally, the Inbetween was cold enough to freeze the tits off a witch and sweating had never been an issue, so why now?  The temperature hadn’t changed, but something had.

When she was alone, the process of skating along the edge of the Inbetween felt like skimming a pebble across the smooth surface of a pond–exhilarating and effortless–but this time, however, the shadow felt thinner and less substantial than she was expecting.

A current of darkness eddied around her ankle and she stumbled, almost losing her footing. Were they sinking deeper? Alarm sparked through her system. Was that because of the size of the team she was trying to carry or had the consistency of the shadow beneath them subtly changed?  Her knee scraped against some unseen obstacle, tearing a yelp from her throat. Clearly something was different, but it was too late to turn back now. Swallowing back the tears, she focussed on the steady pull from the Wayfinder and summoned every remaining shred of strength to drag them clear of the murky undertow.

Had she been over confident? Twelve was a lot of people, far more than she’d ever tried to carry before. And it wasn’t like these were just regular sized humans either.  She was attempting to shift a metric tonne of pure muscle, not to mention the additional baggage of all that ego and attitude. What if Sy was right and she couldn’t manage it?  What if she wasn’t strong enough and lost her footing in the dangerous terrain?  What if…?

As if sensing her internal doubts, Sy’s arms tightened around her waist and through the rushing air and the howling chaos she heard him whisper, “You’re doing great. It can’t be much further.”

Shutting down the terrified thoughts of failure she leaned back into his steadying embrace, closed her eyes and summoned the image of Loki to guide her. The pull was stronger now, telling her they were getting closer. A few seconds later she could see the tear in the barrier. Teeth clenched, she forced them over the final few yards and when they were a finger tip from the shimmering rent, she changed direction, wrenching them back through the barrier and out into the clear, crisp, Alaskan air.

Barely giving their feet time to hit the hard packed snow, the soldiers were immediately preparing to join the battle. A wave of unnatural energy crashed over Dee, taking her feet out from under her, as they seamlessly shifted from man to beast without even breaking stride. If it hadn’t been for Sy’s firm grip on her waist, she would have ended up in an inelegant heap on the floor.

“Are you okay?” he asked, turning her around so he could scour her face.

Summoning her bravest smile Dee nodded. “All good,” she said, relieved that her voice didn’t waiver. “Just glad to be back out in the fresh air.”

Despite her breezy tone, Sy looked unconvinced and a sharp line drew his brows together. “It was too much for you,” he muttered. “I knew it was too much.  We shouldn’t have–”

Dee patted his arm and took a breath, praying that her head would stop swimming. “I’m fine. Give me a few minutes to recover and I’ll be ready to take everyone home again.”

His expression didn’t change as his eyes searched her face.  “You’re pale.”

This time her laugh was real. “How can you possibly tell?” She waved a grey-blue hand through the air. “This is just my natural colouring now!”

He leaned closer and pressed his forehead against hers, his voice a low growl.  “I can tell.”

His words rippled through her and her skin tingled. Dee closed her eyes, instinctively leaning into the unspoken offer of support when a blood-curdling wail from the other side of the hill interrupted the moment, bringing a sharp reminder of why they were here.  Her stomach lurched.  The fresh wave of troops she’d just transported had reached the battle ground and engaged the enemy.  Sy cast a worried look over his shoulder in the direction of the noise.

Carefully disengaging herself from his grip, Dee managed a weak smile and took an unsteady step backwards.  All her remaining strength was now focussed on remaining upright but she kept her expression firm as she met his gaze. “You didn’t come all this way to babysit me.” She jerked her chin towards the sounds of fighting in the distance. “You’ve got a job to do, Mister.”

Sy took a step forward, guilt and concern battling for control of his features. “I…”

Tremors were starting to shake her legs but Dee held her ground. “They need you.”

He shook his head and moved closer. “They’re fine. You need–”

Holding up her hand, Dee halted his progress. “I repeat. I’m fine. The quicker you get this over with, the quicker we can all get out of here.”  Another howl tore through the air and her smile waivered. Swallowing the lump of fear in her throat she said, “Just keep them on the other side of that hill and I’ll be perfectly safe.”

Sy’s gaze whipped back and forth between her face and the crest of the hill. His jaw clenched. Cupping her chin in his palm he tilted her face to his. “You’ll stay right here?”

Dee nodded as far as his grip would allow. “Right here.”

“And if anyone comes over that ridge who isn’t me–”

“I’ll dive straight back into the shadow.”

“Promise?”

Gently disengaging his fingers from her face she nodded again. “I promise.”

His hand dropped to his side as he took a reluctant step back. “Okay then.” With soft whump of feathers his wings unfurled and Dee felt a wave of heat sweep through her, battling the chill Alaskan air.  Damn!  Who knew that watching your boyfriend spring new appendages could be so hot!

Boyfriend??? That word jarred her thoughts to a standstill.  Where had that come from?

Before she could question the random thought any further, Sy crouched, bracing his bare feet against the hard packed snow and then launched himself skyward. In one fluid motion he swung his bow free and reached for an arrow from the quiver slung over his shoulder. 

Dee swallowed hard, forcing moisture back into her mouth. Even at this distance she could see the muscles in his shoulders flexing with every beat of his wings and the look of grim determination on his face as he notched an arrow, taking aim at his unsuspecting foe. 

Oh she was in so much trouble!  

Closing her eyes she finally released the death grip she’d held on her exhausted muscles and tumbled boneless into the snow.  Utterly spent, she rolled onto her back and watched Sy’s spiralling ascent against the pale blue sky. Circling over the battleground he was immediately barking orders to the soldiers on the ground before swooping low and disappearing below the ridge line.

She groaned and closed her eyes again. She’d never felt this bone crushingly tired before, like she could sleep for a week and still need to snooze her alarm for five more minutes when it went off.

For the first time since suggesting they venture into the Inbetween, she allowed herself to relax, sinking into the soft blanket of snow and was about to surrender to the lure of sleep when a vicious snarl from somewhere beneath her on the hillside snapped her awake. Where had that come from?  Was there a second battle site or was that the walking wounded trying to make their escape?

Her muscles screamed in protest as she pushed herself into a wary crouch.  Injured they might be but potentially still dangerous. A low growl of curses reached her ears, steadily increasing in volume and Dee tilted her head. The distinctive voice was all too familiar. Loki!

Not questioning why the sound of his voice sent a sudden burst of energy through her tired limbs, Dee jumped to her feet and a smile tugged at her lips as she took a tentative step in the direction of the one-sided argument being conducted in at least three different languages. Belatedly, she remembered her promise and the smile faded as she cast a guilty look over her shoulder.  Shifting her weight, she hesitated and engaged in a swift heated debate with herself.  Yes, Sy had wanted her to stay right here, but he just wanted her to be safe.  Surely the safest thing for her to do, would be to find Loki… right?

Maybe it was just a side effect of her utter exhaustion, but she couldn’t form a cohort argument in either direction. Abandoning any attempt at logic, she decided to ignore the original question and follow the siren sound of Loki’s voice.

It took her a second or two to spot him, a few hundred yards from the main fight, but clearly engaged in a desperate battle of his own as he wrestled his magic against the rippling tear in the barrier separating the realms.

Gathering the last of her strength, she limped towards him.  Her knee was already starting to stiffen up; she must have given it a real whack during the journey. Ignoring the pain, she picked her way with care over the icy ground.

Loki jerked his head around at her stealthless approach; his expression immediately morphing into one of concern as he took in her state.

“You’re hurt!” he said.

Dee shrugged one shoulder. “Took a knock on the way in. Nothing too serious, but it’s probably going to slow me down for a while.” She cocked her head towards the rip in reality and her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on here? Is there a problem?”

Loki returned his attention to his work and growled, physically trying to pull the edges of the tear together. “Something has changed,” he muttered. “It’s not holding.”

He didn’t need to explain further; Dee could see the issue for herself. He was attempting to use the same suturing technique he’d employed before, back in London but this time the stitches weren’t holding. The edges of the tear were fraying with each attempt and the rent grew wider.

“Let me see if there’s something I can do.” Without giving any further thought to her actions, Dee dropped to her knees and sank her hands into the barrier, feeling for the shadow.

She hadn’t imagined it earlier! The shadow felt thinner, much less substantial than the barrier she was used to. What was happening to it? Closing her eyes she ignored Loki’s bark of alarm and thrust her arms deeper. Somewhere in its depths she could feel a strange, unnatural current eddying around her fingers. Her brow furrowed as she followed the tide, where was it going? 

“It’s being drawn away,” she murmured.

“Drawn away? By what?” Loki moved closer but Dee was fully absorbed in her task of tracking the energy flow and paid him no attention.

What was left of the shadow streamed through her fingers and she let her thoughts drift, allowing her consciousness to be carried by the tide.

She’d never done this before.  Not intentionally at least. Deliberately allowing her mind to venture into the Inbetween while her body remained firmly in this realm was an unsettling experience; the armour of her physical self stripped away, leaving her fragile thoughts unprotected and exposed.

Somewhere in the distance she heard Loki’s voice. “Dee? What are you doing?”

Unable to answer, unable to even shake her head she pressed on. Here and there, through the gossamer thin strands of shadow, she could glimpse the gnarled and twisted trees of the Inbetween.

The current of darkness jostling around her thoughts suddenly dipped downwards and her breath caught as she was dragged along with it. As her consciousness plummeted through the twisted branches of the forest she caught a glimpse of a tall figure, hunched over, resting his weight against a distorted trunk with one hand, while the other clenched around a slim, dark rod.

Who was that? she wondered, trying to slow her descent enough to get a proper look. And what was he holding? It didn’t appear to be a branch hewn from one of the trees, for one thing it was far too straight. It occurred to her that she’d never seen anything approaching a straight line in the inbetween. Everything in that space was warped and twisted. But the rod was so linear it almost hurt her eyes. Ultimately, however, it was the colour that gave her the clue she needed: an intense black that seemed to attract and absorb all the darkness around it, feeding on the shadows streaming in its direction.  Somewhere far away from her conscious mind, her fingers tightened around the tiny figurine in her hand and she gasped.

Nightshade!

As if hearing the unspoken word, the stranger’s head snapped up and he growled into the darkness, his blazing, amber eyes searching the gloom.  The fist holding the rod tightened and Dee felt a tremor run through the shadow surrounding her.

She froze.  She was sure she’d never laid eyes on him but there was something uncomfortably familiar about the imperious tilt to his chin. His eyes narrowed as his gaze swung in her direction and his lip lifted in a snarl. Could he see her?  Slowly releasing a breath, she let herself sink into the darkness, praying she could hide from that vicious gaze.

Without warning, a distant, unseen arm wrapped around her waist and jerked her backwards.  Someone was trying to pull her free of the barrier.  Frantic to break her connection with the shadow, Dee collected her scrambled thoughts and tried to disentangle herself from the cloying darkness To her horror, she found the task of peeling herself away from the dark realm far more challenging than she’d expected. The shadow had welcomed her presence and freely allowed her to drift along with the current but it seemed less happy at the prospect of her wanting to leave.  Tendrils of darkness wound themselves around her thoughts, snagging on her wishes and diverting their intention. Without the physical strength of her body, it was becoming harder and harder to tell where her thoughts ended and the shadow began.

Did she truly want to leave? It had been so long since she last visited the Inbetween...

Were those her thoughts or the shadow’s tempting whisper, promising she’d be safe, welcoming her home?

Confused, Dee stumbled and her thoughts spun.  What was she doing?  Where was she going?

Somewhere in the distance a familiar voice whispered her name and she instinctively moved towards that sound. It was Sy. The magnetic north to her thoughts, tugging on her internal compass and giving her direction.

But he sounded so far away?

How long had she been in here, she wondered? She hadn’t realised she’d wandered this deep!  The steady pull on her physical self grew more insistent.  Long fingers digging into her hips and trying to drag her bodily back through the barrier.  “Wait!” she wanted to scream but she could no longer force her vocal chords to obey.

She had to get back before that happened!

Dee was absolutely sure that if her corporeal body was wrenched free from the barrier before her mind had the chance to return, the tenuous connection could be severed, leaving her consciousness adrift in the dangerous sea of the Inbetween, her thoughts scattered and lost in its ever growing darkness.

Summoning every ounce of failing control she focussed on the voice, dragging her thoughts free from the shadow and forcing herself back the way she’d come.  But it felt like wading through thick sludge and her strength ebbed.

Help me! Her thoughts were almost lost in the chaos and swirl of the Inbetween but she tried again. Help me, please!

The shadow swelled and then settled, almost like a heavy sigh, but it stopped fighting her, at least. An instant later, she could feel it rallying around her, lifting her thoughts and carrying her back through the darkness.

Ahead she could see the tear in the barrier and the darkness weeping through the rent which had been made. So much pain, so much fear. Another thought occurred to her, although she wasn’t sure of its provenance.  If she stayed, she could repair the barrier. She could seal up the Inbetween and stop anyone passing through from the other realms. That would keep them safe. That would keep them all safe.

It was the sibilant hiss at the end of the final word that told her the thoughts were not her own. Even so, she found it hard to argue against them.  How much damage were they doing to the barrier with this unending war? How long before it failed entirely and unleashed the full horror of the Inbetween on the unsuspecting world.

Pale grey arms extended through the divide, the Inbetween leaching all colour from their skin.  Dee hesitated. Was that her? One hand curled into fist around a precious object while the fingers of the other were clawing at the shadow, trying to find purchase in the remaining wisps of darkness. Even from this distance Dee could see she was losing the battle against the strong arms trying to pull her away.

“Wait!” she screamed in silent plea. She was so close.  She just needed another few seconds and she’d be able to–

The barrier flickered and glowed as the small hands vanished, and for one, brilliant moment, so did everything else. Then the glow faded and her world faded black and silence.

[loz-3]

moodboard by @chennqingg divider by @fictive-sl0th

Biker!Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader | No Outbreak AU

Warnings for this Chapter: so much fluff and romance

Word Count: 2,1k

a/n: I love this chapter with all my heart. I hope you do, too. ☺️

《 M a s t e r l i s t 》

《 Chapter Fourteen 》 《 Chapter SIxteen 》

Chapter Fifteen...

...in which you and Daryl get closer - closer than either of you expected.

Okay, screw it. This is ridiculous, Y/N. We are talking about Daryl and not some random stranger you hooked up with somewhere, you told yourself and pushed the covers aside to get up. Tiptoeing over to the bedroom, you tried to open the door as quietly as possible and slipped inside before closing it just as quietly. Then you made your way cautiously over to the bed; setting one foot in front of the other to not crash into something. It was dark, after all, and the pale, faint moonlight peeking in through the window was the only small source of light you had.

You thought through every possible way the idea in your head could turn out. Good and bad.

But when the wind rattled against the walls of the trailer again and managed to shoot another shiver throughout your whole body, you had enough.

Once you reached your destination, you felt for the blanket to lift it, slowly sinking onto the bed and underneath the covers. A wave of warmth hit you immediately and you could've cried of happiness. Unfortunately did the movement manage to wake up the man sleeping inside said bed...

"Y/N?" A deep, raspy and sleepy voice suddenly urged to your ears and you froze midway; staying as quiet as a possible for a moment. You had to think of the right words to say first. "Sorry, Dar... Can't sleep. I'm freezing so bad..."

You wouldn't have expected him to send you away or be angry at you. You knew he wouldn't. It was against his nature and besides... He did have feelings for you.

And of course, Daryl didn't. Quite the opposite. You could instantly feel the shift of his weight on the mattress. Seconds later, you felt a warm hand against your bare knee - which sent another shiver down your spine. But not from the cold this time.

"C'mere," Daryl whispered into the darkness of the room. His voice was still thick with sleep. And of course, you instantly caved. How on earth could you not?

You moved to cuddle against his warm body, into his waiting arms - and gods, it felt so good. So right. As if you belonged there. Probably, you did.

For the biker, it was like heaven on earth. He didn't anticipate this to happen. Not in his wildest dreams, and yet here you were... It caused the butterflies in his belly to run wild. Without thinking, he lowered his head, causing his nose to bump against your cheek. The realisation of how close you really were sent his heart almost flying off the edge of the cliff. So did yours - yet unbeknownst to him. All you knew was that you were drowning in that man. His warmth, his scent, his closeness. It sent your senses and feelings into overdrive and caused your heart to take over; brain switching off. All you could feel was him.

Perhaps it was too soon. Perhaps it was rushed. Perhaps it was just the heat of the moment, but you couldn't care less. Not right now. Your heart was screaming at you to just let go - so you did.

"B-Better?" He asked after what felt like an eternity; voice on the verge of failing him. "Mhm," you affirmed, "Way better." and let your hand fall into Daryl's. Your fingers slipped through his – naturally.

Letting your guard down, you inched a little closer and lifted your head what caused your nose to brush his. His lips were only millimetres apart from yours now. "Y-Y/N? W-What-" Daryl breathed with a slightly high-pitched voice at the sudden, rather intimate contact. You didn't let him finish his sentence. Before he could utter his question, you pressed your lips gently against his; testing the waters. You felt him freeze at first, but then he reciprocated the kiss. His lips moved cautiously against yours.

You would've lied if you said you didn't feel like flying in that moment. It was perfect. Just like for Daryl. By now the biker was sure that he had died sometime this night and gone to heaven. Fireworks exploded inside him. Sure, it was 'just' one kiss, but Daryl nevertheless needed quite a few moments to get his thoughts straight again after your lips left his; heart hammering relentlessly against his chest.

It was only then that he noticed you were not wearing the ugly Christmas sweater, but his shirt. A small chuckle left his lips. "Ya changed yer mind, sunshine?" Of course you knew immediately what he was referring to and rolled your eyes playfully - unable for Daryl to see, since it was too dark. "Shut up," you teased; trying not to smile too bright, but he noticed. He didn't need to see you to tell. Daryl just snorted out a laugh and shifted slightly to provide you even more comfort. And when you took the offer and cuddled even further against him, he felt complete. As if the missing puzzle piece in his life was slotted perfectly against him now.

The next morning, you woke up in an empty bed. Not quite to your surprise. Some of the times where you stayed over night at Daryl's motel room back in Montana, you'd wake up to an empty bed as well. That man was certainly no long sleeper. Rather the early bird.

Maybe it wasn't too soon... Maybe it had been just the perfect moment...

Stretching and yawning, memories of last night flooded your brain... The sofa, Daryl's shirt, how you 'snuck' into his bed and, of course, at the forefront of your thoughts: The kiss.

You could feel your heart starting to pick up its pace at the mere thought of his lips on yours. You smiled to yourself.

You relished for another moment in the warm, fuzzy and funny feeling in your stomach the kiss provided you, before you pushed the covers aside and stood up; making your way out of the small bedroom to find Daryl. When you heard some shuffling and clattering coming undoubtedly from the kitchen, you crossed the trailer and peeked inside the room.

The biker was definitely more than awake. He was already preparing breakfast. His sleep clothes were exchanged as well and with a smile you noticed that he was wearing the grey sweatpants from yesterday evening - and the ugly Christmas sweater you had given him.

"Good morning," you said in a quieter voice not to startle him and stepped inside the room. His gaze landed immediately on your form - clad in nothing but panties, fluffy socks and his shirt. Daryl chew on his bottom lip; eyes raking up and down your body. You looked utterly cute, but also utterly hot. Your look definitely didn't fail to sent a spark of desire through him - which he pushed quickly aside. Now wasn't the time.

"Mornin'," he greeted you. A smile spread over his face. "Slept well?" "Heavenly," you stated and gave him a smile as well. "Yeah, ya always do, 's long as I seem ta be in the bed as well." Before Daryl could register what he said, was it too late. He didn't intend to remind you of the past - of the things he had fucked up. "S-Sorry..." The biker immediately added and turned away from you; back to the stove and pan, in which currently sizzled another pancake.

You said nothing and just stared at his back for a moment. Daryl wasn't wrong... You did always sleep well when he was around...

Biting your lip, you approached the man. Your arms found their way around his middle, while your head rested against his shoulder blades. He flinched shortly at your sudden touch, but his muscles relaxed instantly again. "No need to apologise, Dar... You spoke nothing but the truth..." He swallowed hard; head lowered. "Yeah, but..." Daryl didn't dare to spell it out. Not that he wanted to either - but you knew. Deciding to answer nothing, you just stayed in that position for a long moment instead; squeezing him a little tighter.

Daryl just grunted and scoffed in return, but failed to hide the little smile on his face.

"Ya hungry?" He spoke up first then. His voice a bit hoarse to change the topic. "Made a whole lotta pancakes." You smiled against the fabric of the Christmas sweater, "Definitely. Smells very delicious." and stepped away again; giving him space to move.

A few minutes later, you found yourself sitting at the table again - opposite Daryl, the both of you munching on said pancakes. "You're a better cook than you're willing to admit, Mr. Dixon. I can definitely detect some serious cooking skills here."

"I, uh, should be really going now, I think," you announced then, before an awkward silence could spread between the both of you. There already was some kind of strange tension in the air... "Still have to pack some of my stuff and check out of the motel... Got also a long car ride ahead of me... Promised to be home by Sunday evening, actually..." Daryl chewed on his bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah, 'course," he said and already moved to accompany you to the front door; watching you put on your shoes and jacket. "Dun want to detain ya... Or be the reason yer late ta see yer family." "Daryl... You didn't detain me. I enjoyed spending time with you, and I love how this date turned out. In fact, I love how those two weeks turned out." Daryl buried his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants; ducking his head to hide the blush on his cheeks. "Yeah?"

After the delicious breakfast Daryl had prepared for the both of you, you helped - of course, again to clean up the kitchen like yesterday evening. This time, though, the man didn't try to object; knowing already that it would be fruitless anyway.

"Thank ya, for helpin' me cleaning up my mess." You giggled; shaking your head as you leaned against the counter and watched him put the last dishes away. "No need to thank me. You cooked for me after all. Gotta express my gratitude." Daryl just gave you another soft smile in return.

You smiled and went to cup one reddened cheek in your palm; feeling his soft stubble scratch your sensitive skin. "Yes." He lifted his eyes - blue-gray orbs meeting your Y/E/C ones. "So, uh..." He cleared his throat. "Wha's tha' between us now? I-I mean after 'em dates a-an' tha'... kiss?" You stayed silent for a moment; time freezing around you. Your brain recalled every moment, every detailed memory you experienced together with the man standing opposite you. You were aware that your heart already knew the answer to his question. It was your brain which needed to come around and trust the decision your heart had made. Daryl deserved a second chance. Everybody did. Sure, the scar he had left would be staying on your soul forever, but sometimes you had to take the long way round, right? And he meant it. You could tell. You saw it in his eyes, his gestures, his words. Daryl was a changed man; had let his walls come down and opened up his heart for you.

"Y-Y/N?" The gentle, quiet call of your name grounded you again. Meeting the biker's gaze once more, you gave him a soft smile; not wanting to keep him on edge any longer. He had been so careful, nervous and anxious to take another wrong step which would push you even further away from him the whole time. You couldn't leave him like that. It would cause tremendous heartache.

So, you let your hand glide from his cheek down to his chest and over his shoulder to wrap around his neck; the other hand joining. Standing on your tiptoes to reach his face, you pressed a slow, sweet kiss against his lips. The man flinched shortly, but immediately melted against you; locking your body against his with both palms resting on the small of your back.

Breaking the kiss with a soft 'pop', your thumbs started to caress the back of his neck; fingers buried in his long brown curls. "Is that answer enough for you, Mr. Dixon?"

Another kiss later, you finally bid your goodbye to Daryl. He reluctantly let you go, only after you had promised him to drive carefully and keep him updated during your journey to Montana.

And then Daryl smiled. Sincerely, genuinely smiled. One of the most beautiful smiles he had ever given you.

"Y-Ya really mean tha'?" "I do, yes. But we're gonna take things slow, okay? One step after another. I... I have to get to trust you again." Daryl nodded. He understood. "'Course, sunshine. One step at a time. Like ya said... We're doin' this properly."

Tags: @fictive-sl0th @angelwings-crossbowstrings @dixonsdarkelf @dixons-sunshine @negansbestie @bigbaldheadname @huntedmusicgardenn @making-the-most-0f-it @erebus-et-eigengrau @imadisneyprincessiswear @loz-3 @ffsjustletmesleep @mayday2007 @lisluvstwd @belitoxx @dilfdixon

[loz-3]

Thrown - Chapter 49: This Could Be Home

Summary: Loki runs an errand and considers where he is.

Word Count: 1,571

Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for your patience and encouragement. This hiatus went on so much longer than I intended. The final four chapters have been written, there's still some editing to be done but I'm feeling pretty good about sticking to the post schedule on the masterlist. We're riding this train to the solstice, let's goooo.

Thrown Masterlist Loki Masterlist

Thor released a grunt of frustration as he placed his phone on the table which was currently covered in documents, forms, blueprints, and schedules. "There's a problem at the hall. They need me there immediately." He sighed and swiped his hands down his face. "But I need to get these papers to Brynjar's office. I should have already been on my way." Valkyrie shrugged. "I can bring them." Thor shook his head. "No, I need you at the harbor to receive Arnison's shipment. After that incident with Rutger he said he will only deal with you ." "He's just saying that because he has the hots for me." "I suspected. Nevertheless, I swore you would be there." "I'll take your papers into town." Loki offered as he sipped his tea. Thor and Valkyrie both stopped to stare. "You would do that?" Thor looked a little stunned. Loki scoffed. "This may surprise you but I do know the way." "Yes, but-" Thor paused, glanced at Valkyrie, who shrugged, then he held a folder out to Loki. "It would be a great help." Rather than take the folder, Loki twisted his hand in the air and it vanished in a flash of green light. "Happy to do it." He finished his tea and headed out the door, unaware of the looks being exchanged between Thor and Valkyrie.

It was, by all accounts, a gorgeous day. Warm, certainly, but that was to be expected with Midsummer just around the corner. The sun was bearing down but a stiff breeze lessened its effect. The walk through the streets of New Asgard was pleasant, and he greeted a passer-by here and there. The climate was all the more lovely out on the road, despite the higher-than-usual traffic, likely due to the Midsummer preparations. He appreciated the summer. The world was so very green. Winter made it easy to forget. When your studio came into view, he was pleased to see the door was propped open. There was time enough for a quick diversion, he decided.

You looked up from your wheel and smiled. "Hey." Your brow furrowed and you checked the time. "An early visit." He assured. "I'm running an errand in town." "Oh, well it's nice to see you." You stood and stepped toward him. Loki held up a finger to stop your approach, eyeing the clay covering your hands. "I'm on official business, it's best you keep your muddy hands to yourself." He immediately recognized his mistake by the glint in your eyes. "Darling, I mean it-" You were now approaching urgently, hands-first. "It's important that I appear professional-" Your grin only broadened as you closed in. "This is completely uncalled for-"

The clay on your hands vanished just before they clutched his lapels and pulled him in for a kiss. Despite your insolence, Loki leaned in to savor it. His hands were on your waist by the time you broke away.

"You are a menace." He mumbled with affection. "Takes one to know one." You snipped, then noticed your now-clean hands with disappointment. He simply raised his brows in smug triumph. You huffed and changed the subject. "Are you really on official business?" "I am. Thor would be doing it himself but matters arose that required his attention." "Oh? Will he still make it for dinner?" Loki waved dismissively. "I'm sure it will all be resolved well before then." "And you're not scared of talking to Brynjar, now?" "I was never scared to speak to the man. It's the crushing bureaucracy of his meetings with Thor that I simply... prefer to avoid." You shrugged. "Seemed scared to me." He glared. "Oh, I will teach you fear." His fingers briefly dug into your ribs and you quickly surrendered under a ticklish laugh.

He stayed only a few more minutes, discussing what you were working on today and the plans you had for dinner. You asked him to pick up a couple items while he was in town, which he assured you he was happy to do. He bid you farewell with another quick kiss before stepping out your door and onto the road once more.

In town he stopped on the street to say hello to a vendor from the market. When Mrs. Hansen approached on the sidewalk he quickly excused himself, citing his official business at city hall. Loki felt a slight pang of guilt at the flash of panic in his companion's eyes, but self-preservation came first. At the city hall, Brynjar received him in his usual jolly fashion and the papers were handed off to the appropriate parties.

Brynjar was absolutely bubbling with excitement about the hall and the upcoming festivities. Loki lingered for a while and they spoke at length about the finishing touches being put on the hall itself, followed by what the midsummer ball would entail. Brynjar had questions about etiquette and customs, whether the clothes he planned to wear would be appropriate, what sort of food will be on offer. He was very occupied with making certain that this first Asgardian festival went well in general, and that he in particular did not make a fool of himself or cause any offense. Loki answered all his questions, and found he did not mind doing so. Eventually Brynjar apologized for holding him so long, and ushered him out the door.

Loki made the stops necessary to pick up the items you requested. When he entered the grocery store he briefly reminisced on the first time you had brought him there. The corner of his mouth twitched upward at the memory. Once your needed supplies were secured, Loki was once again on the street and began on his way. That memory of your trip to the grocery tugged at him again. At the time he could barely tolerate your presence, and traveling to the human town was absolutely miserable. The town, now, was filled with fond memories rather than tension and shame. Largely due to you, he admitted.

As if taunting his comfort, Loki noticed that up ahead, on the sidewalk, two young women stood at the corner. They were unfamiliar to him. One looked at him with a flash of recognition and moved to draw the attention of the other. Loki felt his chest tighten. In other circumstances, in another time, he might have crossed the street to avoid them. Today, he decided, he would keep to his route. He didn't look at them directly, instead kept his gaze forward and stepped with confidence. Just as he was about to pass, one of them stepped into his path.

"Hi, sorry, I know you're probably busy. Can we get a quick picture?" Loki balked, and quickly glanced over his shoulder, just to be sure his brother hadn't followed him. "A picture?" "Yeah." She held up her phone as explanation. "If you have a second?" "I-... Certainly."

The girl grinned and pulled her friend over. The both of them stood in front of Loki, much closer than he expected, and smiled brightly at the screen held out at arm's length. Once they had the photos they desired, Loki tried his best to recall what Thor did in these situations. Somehow, asking "who's your favorite avenger?" did not seem appropriate. He managed to make polite small talk for a few minutes then excused himself, at which point the girls thanked him and went on their way.

He walked for several minutes in sort of stupor. Had that truly just happened? Had it been what it seemed? Perhaps they were mocking him. He shook his head. No, the interaction had felt genuine.

The trappings of town fell away and he found himself on the open road. The sun was setting, and as he appreciated the landscape he mulled over the unexpected meeting. And it had been very unexpected. When he first came here he never would have expected humans to ever view him favorably. And now he had been here only a little over a year and, by all appearances, he had just encountered fans. The fact that opinions seemed to have shifted so quickly was startling, to say the least. Certainly, by this point in time, he was no longer terribly surprised that he seemed to have turned the opinions of those he worked with closely. The locals had come to know him and he had made himself trustworthy. Nor was he foolish enough to believe that there weren't still those who would banish him from this world, if it were in their power. He had, after all, met several of those sort also. Still, the fact that a pair of strangers seemed to view him in a positive light? It was heartening. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It certainly warranted further thought.

Soon he was strolling along your low stone wall. The familiar shapes of Breidr and Goat stood in the distance. He slowed a moment to brush his fingers against the trunk of your yew tree. It was the marker he had long since come to think of as "halfway home." He stepped onto your porch and stopped to relish the warm glow of your windows. He could hear friendly conversation inside, and the sound of your laughter rose up and drifted to him. Halfway home.

As he turned the knob to step inside a new feeling rose in his chest.

Perhaps he was home.

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[loz-3]

Vocal - Steve Rogers x Established Relationship Reader 🍆

Summary: Steve has a reputation for giving orders and commands as well as his unfiltered opinion. Little does the team know, the only place he’s silent is the bedroom. You decide to change all that and encourage him to become more…. vocal.

Warnings / contains: Teasing and denial. Slightly submissive Steve. A lot of moaning and talking during sex. Bit of begging and pleading.

Words: 1,700

“God, you really never stop yappin’ huh.”

Tony rolled his eyes and leaned back in the leather office chair, his arms crossed. He glanced towards you for solidarity. “Does he ever stop? God it’s giving me a headache. If I wanted this much self-congratulatory yackin’ I’d watch reruns of Oprah.”

You smirked. Steve had been stood in the middle of the boardroom talking about the next mission, peppering his monologue with justifications of why his strategy was superior. He punctuated his points with sharp gestures of his palm cutting through the air. Hearing Stark's words, Steve shook his head in the billionaire's direction and sighed, folding his arms. "Tony."

Stark placed a hand over his own face for dramatic effect. All of a sudden he sat upright and pointed at you as though he was struck with divine inspiration. “Muzzle ‘im. Ball gag. Yeah that’ll do it.” He stood up, firm hands on thighs. “Well, glad that’s settled.”

You grinned to yourself as Tony walked off. The soles of leather loafers squeaked on the polished floor as he stopped next to Steve. “Think a ball gag’ll work?”

Steve tilted his chin down, incredulity dripping from his deep tombre. “I wouldn’t know, Tony.”

Romanoff sensed the change in the air and followed Tony out. Auburn hair caught the light as she looked at you then at Cap. “If she was my girl, I wouldn’t keep quiet. Gag or no gag.” With a wink, she was gone. Steve cleared his throat.

A sharp intake of breath from you was all he needed to put you in your place.

“Don’t, honey. Just don’t.”

Two hours passed and the next time you saw him his perfect tush was resting on the top of a server box. He was engrossed in a briefing on the new comms system. Wires lay strewn about the floor with the odd screwdriver or two. Despite his industriousness, Tony’s comments hung in the air like a particularly obnoxious air freshener.

God, does he ever shut up?

Tony would never guess. But the bedroom was the only place that rendered Steve quiet. The only sound that came from him would be little sighs and the occasional hum of pleasure. In your less confident moments, you wondered if he enjoyed it at all.

Steve’s internal experience was quite different. When he came the feeling exploded through every artery, fire rushing through his veins, overwhelming him, overpowering him. But he never let himself verbalise his pleasure. Whether it was down to stoicism or military training, he wasn't sure. It felt uncomfortable, awkward maybe, to be loud when he was with you, as though his masculinity would escape through his own groans like gas from a Coke bottle. Your sounds drove him insane. He felt dizzy as he watched you throw your head back, moaning, letting go, completely free and uninhibited. In the heat of the moment, he had to admit - he wanted a little piece of that.

“You’re not gonna gag me, are ya?” Steve’s quip left his lips without him even looking at you. He heard your footsteps and smelled your perfume the second you set foot in the sever room.

You looked around at the tools on the floor. “No.”

“Then what are you doin’ here?” He dropped the briefing down to rest on his thigh.

“I was just… thinking.”

“Oh yeah? Me too.” He placed the papers down on the top of the server box. “Come ‘ere.” A cock of his head caused your feet to move forwards without any conscious thought. In a heartbeat you were standing between wide open thighs. “Thank you for not sayin’ anything to Tony. Thing is, I… I know it’s an issue, and - ”

“Steve, it’s okay, really - ”

A gentle finger rested on your lips. “Let me finish honey. Please.” Even when he shushed you, he was respectful. It was incredibly on-brand. He paused, gathering his thoughts. “What I wanted to say is, I want you to… to help me.” He swallowed down on his nerves. “To help me use my voice.” He glanced around the server room. It was soundproofed. It had a locked door.

Ordinarily you would have jumped at the chance. Unfortunately for Steve, you had formulated a plan of your own in the hours you had been apart.

“Baby, I would love that. But I’ve been thinking too. The best way to have you use your voice is to make it extra pleasurable. And - ”

“Well I like the sound of that.”

You tilted your head. You hadn’t finished. “And to do that, we’ll need to wait.”

His lips parted. “Wait? Honey, for how long?”

“Three days. No more. No less.”

“You’re gonna withhold sex from me for three days??” To the untrained ear, he sounded reasonably calm. But by the soldier’s usually grounded standards, he was hysterical. You justified your reasoning and doubled-down on your promise. He placed his hand on your lower back and pulled you into him. His voice was husky in your ear. “Honey, I can’t. I’ll explode.”

“You won’t explode, Steve. God. Always so dramatic.”

He ignored your teasing and doubled-down on his theatrical bid for your sympathy. He rested his forehead against yours. “Honey, please. I need you. I need you right now.”

The warmth of the server radiated through Steve’s jeans. He kept you pulled close. You heard him whine.

“I’ll withhold too. So we’ll be in it together,” you bargained.

“Uh-uh, absolutely no way. You’re not gonna suffer too.”

You grinned. He played right into your hands.

He would still be allowed to get you off. But he couldn’t, under any circumstances, let himself release. Not with you. Not with his hand. He agreed to your plan, though the wisp of his sigh kissed your ear.

You had never seen Steve so worked up. He followed you around campus, taking every opportunity to kiss you in the elevator, to hold you and squeeze you in a tight hug in the kitchen, to press himself against you in the gym. He was starving. And he was grateful for crumbs. The morsels of your body, your scent, the very feeling of you was the only thing keeping him going.

On day three he woke up hard. He climbed on top of you, bucking into you with the excitement of what was to come. When you reminded him he had to wait until tonight, he looked as though he might sob.

He actively avoided you all day. You were certain he was furious, done with your deal, and had broken the pact with a particularly vigorous hand job in the gym shower. The bumbling, stuttering, slightly clammy-faced man who arrived at your bedroom door that evening told you otherwise. He had kept his word. And he was desperate for you.

He was overly polite, accommodating, extra sweet and compliant. This wasn’t Steve.

“Look I’m not gonna edge you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“You’re… you’re not?”

“Unless you want me to - ”

“No no, please God no!” Two palms faced you in desperate surrender. Hysterical Steve had returned. He bit his lip and softened his tone. Glassy blue eyes looked up at you. “Please, baby. I need you so bad. I can’t wait.”

You reached up and held the back of his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss, your tongue easily dominating his. “Take all of your clothes off. And lie down on the bed.”

“Yes ma’am.”

You had never seen a pair of jeans and a tshirt hit the floor so fast. He lay down as instructed. He was already hard. Of course he was.

You wasted no time in mounting him, keeping your dress on. Seeing him this worked up had you slick and ready.

“T-tell me what to do, honey. I wanna use my voice for you.”

His sweet words earned him a kiss.

“Can I touch you honey? Please?”

With your permission granted, the soldier’s strong hands rested on your hips. He sighed, mixing in a breathy moan.

“Good, Steve. You’re using your voice already.” You positioned yourself above him, reaching into your dress to pull your underwear to the side. “There are no rules, okay? I just want you to be as loud as possible. Moaning, groaning, dirty talk, it all counts. I want you to let go. Got it?”

“Yes honey.”

“Good boy.”

Your words made him bite his lip. His mouth opened into a deep oval as you guided him into you, the feeling of your warmth around his cock making his head spin.

“Oh god, baby, god you feel so good… honey, oh god….”

He wasn’t even trying. The words were tumbling out organically. You felt so good, so tight, so incredible around him that expressing his pleasure felt natural. You rode him slowly and he tilted his head back, eyes closing, moans falling from his lips like promises. It wouldn’t be long until he peaked and you wanted to relish hearing his pleasure just as he was lost in experiencing it. You offered him prompts, asking how he felt. You were met with praise and loving words and more moans.

“You feel incredible around me, your body is just perfect sweetheart, it feels so good. I wanted this so much, I’ve been goin’ crazy. I need you honey, god, I need you so bad….”

You sunk down onto him, masterfully grinding your hips as you rode him. One palm rested on his strong chest, the other stroking his bicep.

“Ohhhhh sweetheart, this feels incredible, don’t stop….”

Within minutes he began groaning. Wide eyes met yours, apologetic, searching for forgiveness or permission, he wasn’t sure.

“Awww honey…. oh my godddd….. ffffffuuuuuuuck I’m gonna, honey I’m I’m……”

“Come for me, Steve. Come for me and tell me how good it feels.”

“Ohhhhhh baby I’m coming, I’m coming for you honey oh goddddddd…..”

The most animalistic groan punctuated his words and he came harder than he ever had, groaning over and over, his climax lasting longer than either of you were used to. You rode out his high and when he was done, you rested your head on his chest. He stroked your hair, looking dreamily at the ceiling.

“You know what, sweetheart? I think I enjoyed bein’ a little more vocal.”

Perhaps Tony was right.

Maybe a ball gag was exactly what you needed.