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lokisprettygirl · 1 year

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Under his influence (Post Avengers! Loki x female reader)

Read chapter 5 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 6

Summary : The date with Chase ends horribly but Loki is there for you. He's your friend afterall.

Warning: mention of drinking, sweet loki is sweet, maybe he wants to be called pretty names and be cared for (maybe), midgardian men being an ass

"You are so cute aren't you?" He smiled at the compliment, he loved it whenever you complimented him, he probably would have found it demeaning if an Asgardian woman had said it to him but with you he didn't have to pretend to be someone he was not. Your tone wasn't condescending or filled with a sense of mockery, you just found him cute. Just cute.

"I am cute?" He giggled like a child high on sugary sweets, you were in the kitchen making something but he couldn't smell it, what was happening here? Oh!! He must be dreaming, because he knew you weren't attracted to him in that way. Right?

"Ohhh you are so cute.. adorable" you walked towards him and sat down on his lap which made him gulp, the proximity always made him want to do sinful things with you. Your fingers tucked his hair behind his ears and he felt every inch of his skin tingle. You leaned into him to kiss his cheeks one by one and then you kissed his forehead, the action immediately made him want to curl up to you again, maybe that's why he was having such an offensive dream. He wasn't sleeping in your arms tonight.

"Thank you" he mumbled softly and it made you smile, your thumb brushed over his lower lip which made him gasp a little.

"God you are pretty, you're a pretty pretty boy aren't you?" You whispered against his mouth but you weren't kissing him just yet and he really wanted to kiss you. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about it since last night. You looked down and there was a mischievous smirk on your face, he was getting hard because of all the touching and the praises. Definitely the praises.

"I apologize darling..I uhh--" before he could finish his words you pressed your index finger on his lips to shut him up.

"Shhhhh it's okay, i love that" his eyes widened at the statement, but then this was his dream after all. You wouldn't want him like that would you? He didn't think you felt the heat with him that you so badly craved, he was just a friend, no, not even that, he was just that man who had invaded your life and your personal space. You were probably just nice to him because you felt bad for him. The forehead kisses brought him back to focus on the dream, a part of him felt guilty thinking about you like this, you trusted him and gave him space in your room, you made him a part of your life and he didn't want to lose that.

"You like this?" You questioned as you pressed him against the back of the couch.

"I do" he could hardly whisper as your lips latched onto his neck, sucking and kissing every soft spot you could find.

"Such a good boy, I love you"

He woke up with his heart beating faster than ever, he had fought battles and been in wars but he had never been so out of breaths before.

For once he has awakened before you so at least you weren't up to see the disheveled state he was in at the moment. That and the raging erection he was sporting right now.

He averted his gaze to look at you, you were sleeping on your front with one of the arms right under the pillow, perhaps the reason why you didn't feel uncomfortable having his head on your arm all night, you were used to having yours. Your legs were folded in L shape and it made him smile. He laid down on the bed again to think about the filthy dream he just had about you, well he wasn't seeing Thanos and his men at least so that was a good change. Though he had no right to have such dreams about you, you were going to court some mortal that he knew would break your heart and hurt you.

Did you feel the heat with this Chase fella? You must, why else would you agree to date him if you didn't.

He couldn't sleep again so he got up and took a cold shower. He needed it. He knew he was starting to develop sexual feelings for you but the dream was something else entirely, did he actually want to be beneath you in bed?

He had hardly ever participated in such an affair before, he once attempted to be the submissive one in bed but backed out at the last moment because the lady he was woth seemed too harsh and he didn't feel comfortable enough to ask her to slow down or be gentle with him. In Asgard it was uncommon for men to behave in a subservient manner or excude gentleness so openly, it was frowned upon because it showed weakness.

As he opened the bathroom door he found you squirming with your legs crossed,

"Godd I was this close to peeing in my sink" you walked past him as you mumbled.

"Why didn't you just knock?" He questioned you

"I am not going to have a conversation with you while I'm literally trickling here okayy?" You shut the door on his face and he took a step back. Did he do something to upset you? You seemed furious, the snark in you had returned for some reason.

You didn't come out until you were all showered and dressed for work. How long was he in there for it to be morning already?

As you were doing your makeup you could feel his eyes on you. How dare he not come cuddle you last night? Okay you could have done it but he started it in the first place so he should have been the one to come to you after that silly argument or whatever that was, so what if you had a date? You both are just friends. Right?

"What are you looking at?" You asked him so he shrugged and went back to reading his book.

"I see you are getting yourself all prepared for your randevouz…with Chase. Quick question, why would anyone want to name their child Chase? " He asked you as he flipped the page of his book.

"The date is in the evening alright? I'm going to work"

"Are you okay darling? You seem a little…bent out of shape" you glared at him as he said that.

"What about you, what got your knickers in a twist?"

"My knickers are absolutely where they belong" he smiled and it annoyed you even further.

"You're so annoying, live with that" you snapped at him as you grabbed your bag and stepped out of the apartment, you noticed how his face went gloomy as soon as he heard that, he loved the bantering as long as it remained just that. He never wanted you to feel hurt by his words.

As he heard the door shutting with a thud, his eyes teared up, why was he so weak of heart? Should he just leave? Maybe he should, you probably were just done with him and needed your privacy. He decided to talk to you about it in the evening, the last thing he wanted was to lose whatever respect you had for him, perhaps he shouldn't have joked with you first thing in the morning, that Chase guy did get his knickers all twisted like you had said. He couldn't bear the thought of that buffoon putting his hands on you.

You were distracted throughout the day at work, Chase kept winking at you and it only made you want to hurl for some reason. You shouldn't have been so rude to Loki, he was just being playful like always or maybe just maybe he was jealous but that was wishful thinking right? He was a thousand years old and he must have been with plenty of women who must have been much better than you in every sense.

Chase told you that he'd pick you up around eight so you made your way back home. When you opened the door he was sitting on the sofa watching the tv, as soon as your eyes met he turned it off

"I want to apologize"

"I am sorry"

You both mumbled at once and it made you both smile, you sighed and walked towards him to sit next to him. You kept a foot of distance though.

"You're not annoying lo, I'm sorry.. I'm probably just pms'ing" He knew what that meant, you had told him all about it when you had your last menstrual cycle.

"I can be quite taxing sometimes darling.. it's not your fault" he smiled and it made your eyes tear up. You called him the one thing you had despised being called all your life and maybe he was used to feeling that way too and now the one person he considered a friend had told him that he was annoying, that must have hurt. It would have hurt you immensely if it was the other way round.

"You're not annoying, it's just me you know, that's how I am, I can't keep good people in my life, I do something or say something that I absolutely don't mean the majority of the time. It drives them away but I don't want to drive you away lo" his heart fluttered as you said that. Perhaps you didn't find him annoying afterall and he hoped you still wanted him to be here.

"You could never drive me away darling " he whispered softly so you chuckled

"If I had a dollar for everytime I have been told that then I'd be fucking rich right now" you mumbled as you got up. Maybe you needed to get a grip on your emotions today. "Did you clean up around here again?" You asked him as you looked around your space

"Yes, I just wanted to do something nice before I –" he stood up as well.

"Before you what?" You crossed your arm so he rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness.

"I just thought you were feeling troubled by my presence so–"

"So you were going to leave?"

"I just–"

"Where would you go Anyways huhhh? Are you trying to get yourself caught by those Avengers?"

"No I just–"

"Don't leave …pleaseee" your lips trembled as you raised your voice a little so he walked closer to you and hugged you, as soon as you felt his calming embrace you couldn't help but sob. You didn't want him to leave you, you didn't want to lose him too.

"I won't, I'm sorry my darling, I'm sorry " he cupped your cheeks to make you look at him and his thumbs wiped your tears, he leaned down to kiss your forehead and it made you want to cuddle him instantly. And kiss him. And fuck him into oblivion. Unfortunately you had a stupid date to attend. Maybe this date was the reason everything has been awkward between you two because it definitely felt fine before you mentioned it.

He kept looking at you and his eyes were moist too, you just hoped he wanted to stay here with you as much as you wanted him to stay.

"Are you still upset?" You asked him so he shook his head once.

"I never was, i thought you were"

"No I'm just…hormonal " you muttered the last word under your breath

"I will be mindful of that from now on"

You chuckled as he said that. He let go of your face so you stepped away too. He didn't say anything after that and neither did you. You wanted to be done with this date once and for all so you could come back here and you definitely wanted to sleep with him snuggling in your arms tonight. God only if he knew how obsessed you were with him.

"You look beautiful" He mumbled softly after you were done getting ready so you gave him a smile.

"I'll be back soon"

"Have a good time" But not too good.

"Thank you, you be here when I'm back okay?"

He smiled as you said that, you heard the door buzzing but instead of bringing him up you decided to go downstairs instead. Chase wasn't a bad guy per say, he was tall, handsome and nice to you, well atleast for now but you were definitely comparing him to Loki and Loki was a god, he was extra terrestrial and he was way out of your league but that wasn't going to stop you from dreaming about him. Maybe your standards were a tad too high for your own good.

"So Lyla told me you were like a lesbian or something so I was really surprised when you said yes" you scoffed as he said that, even the way he was just eating was ungodly and not at all elegant, everything Loki did was so regal and other men seemed like pests as compared to him, you definitely felt like a horrible person..

"Trust me I'm not lesbian but sometimes I really wish that I was" you answered him and he didn't get you at all. Loki would, he'd atleast smile and look Adorable as fuck even if your words had gotten over his head.

You couldn't wait to get out of the restaurant so you finished your dinner quickly and chugged the wine all at once, you were definitely skipping dessert.

He dropped you home and you told him that you didn't see yourself falling for him, he was upset for sure but at least you weren't stringing him along so that made you feel less guilty. Chase told you that he was thirsty and wanted to get some water so you took him upstairs unwillingly, you just hoped that Loki would hear you talking to him and disappear. As you stepped inside you didn't find him anywhere, you couldn't help wondering where he was though, Was he sitting on the couch or the bed?

"Here.." you passed Chase a glass of water so he sat down on the couch.

Loki glared at him because he was sitting right next to him, the smug look on his face didn't go unnoticed by him. He didn't have a good feeling about this guy and it wasn't even his jealousy this time.

"Look i know you don't want to date me or whatever but maybe we should just fuck and get it over with ya know?" Chase smirked and your face contorted in disgust.

"I think you need to go"

"I think you need to be a babydoll and sit on my lap"

"Okay get out now asshole" you told him as you walked towards the door and opened it, you were starting to feel really creeped out now. So he actually wasn't a nice guy huh? Surprise surprise.

"You're such a bitch" Chase said as he stood up and walked out of your apartment, you closed the door immediately. When you turned around you found Loki staring at you from the couch.

"So I'm assuming you didn't get to feel the scorching heat with him did ya?" He mimicked Chase's accent and it made you chuckle. He was enraged by the way that inferior man had just treated you with such disrespect but he wasn't going to make a big deal out of it, he knew you were fairly capable of dealing with such men in life.

"Heat? Forget heat, It was a glacier" he chuckled as you said that. Norns if he wasn't delighted that you weren't into that toe shaped male any longer.

"Are you alright darling?" He questioned as he walked towards you, your feet were glued on the spot in front of the door as he continued to get closer to you.

"Yeah ..men like him don't scare me" you mumbled as you took a step back and your back hit the door,

"What kind of men scare you then? Do I scare you?" Your breath hitched as he placed his arms on the side of your waist, his wrist twisted in order to lock the door which you had forgotten to do earlier.

"You're a god, but you don't scare me.. because I know you would never hurt me" you looked up at him and he opened his mouth to say something but the words died in his throat because he couldn't stop staring at those luscious lips of yours. Although he knew he had to say something before the moment would pass by him and he'd lose you to some another Chase.

"I would never want to hurt you" he mumbled softly.

"Why? Is it because you care about me? Because I'm your friend?"

"That is absolutely true" you bit on your lower lip as he said that.

"Okayy" you placed your hands on his veiny forearms in an attempt to push him away from the door so you could get away but he didn't budge at all. You looked up at him again and he leaned down to kiss your forehead but like all those times before he didn't stop there this time, he pressed a small peck on your nose as well

"Lo.." you whispered his name and your fingers curled around his neck. As you got on your tiptoes his one arm wrapped around your waist while he used the other one to tuck your hair away from your face. You placed a small kiss on his chin first and then none of you could stop yourself from crossing that line, at that moment you didn't care about anything else. As soon as your lips met with his you felt it all, everything you had ever wished for in life, it was right there in that little kiss. At that moment you just knew nothing would ever compare to the feeling of being able to kiss him like this. His lips moved against yours in perfect sync, he tasted divine, so sweet just the way his whole existence has been.

He pressed your body against the door as he pulled away for a moment to look at you.

"Heat?" His brows furrowed as he questioned you.

"It's melting lava out here lo" you cupped his cheeks and kissed him again, he was overjoyed that you wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted it, he really enjoyed doing it and he knew he'd be addicted to this feeling of you. All his life he had felt as empty as you did, he never could have imagined that he'd ever find someone to fill that hole in his heart. He wanted to tell you how intensely he felt about you but he didn't want to scare you just yet, he wanted to hold onto you for as long as you'd have him.

You only unlatched from him when the desperate need to breathe kicked into your system, it was a weird feeling to actually find the man you had dreamt of all your life but it was too soon for you to tell him that, you didn't want to scare him away, a part of you knew someday he'd get bored or would get annoyed by the little things you do that he must find really adorable right now, you knew someday he'd lose his interest in you but in that moment you just wanted to be the one he wanted to be with for as long as he did.

"Ummm i… " He stepped away a little as you mumbled "Loki..I still want to be your friend..I love being your friend" he noticed how you were fiddling with your fingers as you spoke to him. Your friendship with him wasn't something he wanted to lose either. That bond he shared with you was pure and precious and he always wanted to keep you close to his heart in every possible way.

"I love being your friend" you smiled as he said that.

"Okay..ummm so..we can be friends who kiss sometimes and they cuddle"

"And friends who don't see other people"

"Yes ..that…absolutely that…I was going to mention that..it goes both ways right?" you chuckled nervously as you asked him that.

"Absolutely Princess" The pet name would be the death of you.

"Okay cool.. nice doing friendship with you mister Loki" you brought your hand forward so he grabbed it and placed a small kiss on the back of your hand.

"Anything else Madame?" He smirked

"Noppeeee…buddy" you slapped his chest playfully before you walked away from him. Okay!!!! You desperately needed a moment alone to process what had just happened. You also needed to change your panties.

"I'll go shower" you told him but he kept giving you that killer smile that made you want to run up to him and kiss him again. You closed the bathroom door and sighed deeply, your breathing felt erratic, there was a tingling sensation in your nether region that didn't seem to go away. You just wanted him to touch you everywhere and in every way. Is this what it felt like to actually be into a man you would get to have sex with someday? God this feeling was awesome.

As you stepped out he was already in that tiny bed of yours, the lights were out already so you walked towards the closet and put a lotion on, you also noticed the lack of the princely bed. That was an invitation right? He wanted you to get into that tiny bed right? Of Course he did, you two just kissed and it was the hottest thing ever. Atleast for you.

You walked towards him slowly and he scooted a little to make space for you, you both got into the usual position in just a few seconds, his head was snuggled between your breasts, your leg was curling on his waist and he had his arm around your waist, you sneaked your hand under his head and he purred like a kitten in response.

"God you're so cute" you giggled and his eyes widened, that's exactly how it felt in his dream this morning. Dreams do come true sometimes.

"Am I?"

"Absolutely..you're adorable" I love you. You wanted to scream but it was too soon to show him your crazy side.

"I love the way you hold me princess, I have never been held like this before" he murmured against your chest so you placed a soft kiss on his head.

"Well better get used to it"

He pulled his head away to look at you, even in the faint moonlight you could tell that his eyes were teary and they made you feel sad too,

"What's wrong?" You asked him softly but instead of answering he just went back to finding comfort in your embrace. He was so soft, he was the softest thing you had never known and even though you knew he was a powerful magical being in all regards, deep down he just wanted to be held and adored, he wanted to be cared for, he held a softness you had never witnessed in men around you, maybe that's what attracted you to him in the first place.

Life wouldn't stay the same forever you knew that very well, at the end of the day he was still an escaped fugitive and you feared the day they'd find him here and take him away from you.

What would happen to him? What would they do to your lo? The thought really bothered you. The fear made your heart clench so you tightened your grip around him and hoped that this night would last forever, even though you knew it wasn't possible.

💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

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loki-cees-all · 22 days

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Chapter 7 - All the Tiring Time Between {TLTGYA - Post!TVA Loki x OFC Longfic}

Previous Chapter / TLTGYA Masterlist / A03 Link / Next Chapter

Pairing : Post-TVA!Loki x Oliviette (OFC)

Chapter Summary : Sometimes the sharpest boundaries require the gentlest touch.

Chapter W/c : 8.7k words

Chapter Tags / Content : Angst (as always), brief mentions of blood and injuries. Also there's a bunch of Tesseract lore and Loki's history with Thanos that I really got carried away with while writing this.

18+ Only - Minors DNI

⊱ �� ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ─ ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅ ─ ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ─ ⊰

The silence in the cell was electrifyingly tense, and Loki wished he had something else to focus his attention on.

His jaw ached as he took another bite of the flavorless, perplexing bread that was both stale and damp at the same time. He should have been grateful for it and its distraction, despite the woman having offered it without even so much as looking at him. But it just reminded him of the year he’d spent with the Mad Titan: Wretched. Forsaken. Totally and completely hopeless.

Loki tried desperately not to think about it, but it was getting harder to fight as his exhaustion grew.

The woman sat across from him in the cell, her knees pulled to her chest and her expression blank. She’d said absolutely nothing after dismissing his question about Anathema the night prior, not even when the peculiar guards brought in their cruel attempt at a meal. She didn’t even flinch when they set the tray down in front of her, nor when the duo stared, cold and unmoving, presumably waiting for her to beg for her life like all the others…but she did wait until they were finally gone to pull the tray closer.

She had grabbed the chunk of bread first, and extended it towards him in the shadows like it was second-nature to her. As if it wasn’t ever an option that she wouldn’t share it, and despite the fact that they were in stark disagreement about their respective situations in this place.

He felt guilty for accepting the offering, but unfortunately, he felt like he had no other choice; his eyelids were growing heavier by the minute, his muscles were becoming weaker with each new day of disuse, and his nerves were perpetually fried with wary energy. He was constantly stifling another yawn, and was dangerously close to falling asleep, to having another nightmare again.

Loki didn’t know if he ever talked in his sleep, but he didn’t want to risk revealing any compromising information about himself or his past; the less anyone knew about him here, the better off they all were.

But other than the food she’d shared with him, there wasn’t much else for him to distract himself with. The woman wasn’t talking anymore, and her questions had faded away alongside the hope she may have once had about escaping. That left Loki to alone deal with his questions about her, and their inscrutable answers.

The problem with that, however, was that his mind was nothing but a tangled mess; a rat’s nest, made up of lies and false memories, the betrayals of the life he’d left behind, and all the lives that never were. Before him lay a scattering of dots, all seemingly unrelated and centered around a woman who claimed she didn’t know what they wanted with her, and he couldn’t seem to make heads or tails of any of it.

Loki used to pride himself on his ability to see the bigger picture, especially on a galactic scale. But he had come here to hide and to wallow, to purposely let his mind atrophy into a cobweb of nothingness, because that was easier than continue trying, and failing, to be happy. He felt comfortable doing that, and letting this become his legacy, because he hadn’t ever expected a riddle to fall into his lap again. He hadn’t ever expected her.

As Loki swallowed the last of the bread, he forced himself to look at her again. She was still huddled against the wall, illuminated by the dim lantern light from the hallway and shivering in the cold dungeon like a scared little child. He was flabbergasted that she was still here, that they’d bothered bringing her back after being caught during an escape attempt. And he couldn’t help but hate himself, because the old Loki could have figured out why that was a very long time ago.

Next to her, the bowl of porridge sat on the floor, mostly untouched and definitely not enjoyed. Her expression was sullen as she stared off into the distance, and her limbs were folded around herself as she retreated deeper inward. It almost made him feel…something.

Of what exactly, Loki wasn’t quite sure; the feeling was old and familiar, something that was long lost while never really being understood in the first place. He told himself that the feeling was irrelevant, because it was just the mystery he found equal parts infuriating and intriguing. He just needed a bit more time than usual to settle the question marks, and then he could finally return to the blissful void of apathy.

And maybe she wasn’t lying when she claimed to not know who Anathema was, but he didn’t believe for a moment that she had no idea why the guards were so interested in her. Either she had something of theirs, or she knew some mysterious piece of information they didn’t yet - but they were obviously willing to play the long game in order to acquire it, and that couldn’t have been for nothing.

Perhaps it had something to do with the gem dangling from her necklace. Loki had seen her touching it, frequently and absentmindedly, running her slender fingers over the deep blue stone during stressed and quiet moments like now. Clearly it meant a lot to her; someone who loved her had given it to her. Someone she loved back, someone she probably missed dearly…

As he started to wonder if anyone was out there looking for her, Loki realized he was staring and quickly averted his eyes. They landed once again upon the bowl of uneaten porridge next to her, and a new form of discomfort wove itself between the muscles of his shoulders and neck. It wrapped around his nerve-endings, stinging the open and frayed tendrils that had been worn bare from the pain of still being alive.

He was quite vulnerable existing like this, even though he knew she couldn’t see him hiding in the shadows. That she didn’t know what he was thinking, or where he was looking. That she was unaware of the fleeting relief that poured into his veins when she was brought back to the cell alive, or his shame at feeling anything that had immediately replaced it.

Loki had been flippant when she was initially brought in here. He was angry the first time she tried to share a meal with him. And then he was conflicted, at best, when she was dragged back in the second time. This paltry range of emotions was far more than he was previously used to; he felt like he was drowning in it, like it was slowly collapsing his airways and squeezing out every last ounce of oxygen from his lungs.

Because there was only one person on this planet who knew his name. A single individual, throughout all of space and time, knew where he was. She was the sole witness to his current existence, and he’d never felt more uncomfortable or on display than here and now. She had met him at his worst, in his ultimate moment of triumph when he’d finally been able to remove himself from any and all equations, from every problem that ever needed solving, and he absolutely hated that.

Loki thought he’d finally accounted for everything when he had stepped through the Time Door and into this dungeon. He thought he’d finally fixed the issue, himself, for literally everyone - and then this tiny little variable had shown up so unexpectedly to completely ruin it for him.

He should have been angrier about it. He should have been furious and seething and shaking with rage over this egregious betrayal of the universe. Being alone had been the whole point, keeping everyone safe from him had been his only intention, seeking protection from the pain of both betrayal and being betrayed was all that Loki had left. Why wasn’t he allowed that meager peace of mind?

Damnation clung to Loki like a frightened child clung to his mother’s skirts, trembling in the dark and begging for acknowledgement of its traumatized state. It lurked around every corner and it haunted every shadow, constantly weeping and whimpering and howling out its anguish to cruel and uncaring souls. It was always there, lingering in the corner of his eye, reminding him of just how helpless and useless he was. That he should just give up. That he should just end it already.

But sometimes, the damnation would transform into something far more sinister, into the tall, skulking form of a cerulean demon. Hanging over his shoulder and digging its claws into his neck, the demon would spit cruel maledictions into his ear. Didn’t Loki know that everyone around him was already doomed? Wouldn’t it be kinder to just kill them now, rather than waiting for him to ruin their life and then cruelly and inevitably take it from them?

Hiding in the dungeon was the only reasonable compromise between the frightened child and the viscous demon warring in his mind. If only he had stuck with that plan, if only he hadn’t revealed that someone else was alive in the cell with her, then maybe he wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

Regret, his oldest and only friend, wouldn’t be blaring its horn and sounding the alarm bells and crying out for solace. So why did it bother him so much now that she wasn’t eating?

Loki shifted uncomfortably on the stone floor, weighing the options in his mind. The regret of initially engaging with this woman didn’t mean he couldn’t change tactics; and if she wasn’t eating, then it wouldn’t be too much longer until he was on his own again. That had been his initial plan, and there was no reason he couldn’t return to that now. Wasn’t being alone all he ever wanted?

“You should finish your meal. There’s no telling how long it’ll be before they bring another…” The words felt like acid on Loki’s tongue, dripping down his throat to eat away at his insides. He hoped they had come out as bluntly as he’d intended, but in reality, it just sounded like something his mother would have said.

This time, the woman didn’t shudder when he finally broke the tense silence. She didn’t even react at all, other than to sigh heavily and respond in a low and flattened tone. “What’s the point…?”

“Well, clearly they’d prefer you to be alive, for whatever reason…” Loki’s jaw tensed as he paused, struggling to understand why he was even bothering. “Even if they bring food on an irregular basis, it’s still more than anyone else gets…”

“Maybe the only reason they want me alive is so they can continue mocking and hurting me.”

That was a more difficult point to contend with; perhaps the guards had just grown weary of the simple and mundane murders, and they’d decided to go with something more entertaining this time. What if there wasn’t a more complicated explanation for the guards' motivations? What if he was searching for logic that didn’t even exist?

Loki stifled another yawn as he leaned back against the stone wall, raking his fingers through tangled curls that were just as chaotic as his thoughts. There had to be something he was missing while attempting to put this puzzle together. “So what did the guards say when they caught you escaping?”

The woman let out a heavy exhale, and her tone shifted into a more sarcastic tone. “Oh, normal things like what are you doing out of your cell?, and no one’s coming to rescue you. Typical kidnapper things, you know…”

Loki couldn’t help but roll his eyes at her nonchalant answers, but what else was he expecting? He was beginning to wonder if it was even worth putting this much effort into avoiding sleep. Nothing else in his life prior to meeting her had been easy, so why was he expecting this to go smoothly?

“Actually, the guard did say something strange before knocking me out…” The woman trailed off, pausing as she furrowed her brow.

Loki cleared his throat as he looked towards her again. “Strange how?”

“Maxine - or Nulan, whichever one it was…They caught me upstairs in their private quarters. Just before attacking me, they said what is gone…may never return.” The woman pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she recalled the memory. “I’ve never heard it before, and I have no idea what it means…”

What is gone…may never return. Loki turned the phrase backward and forward in his mind, trying to find its place in this absolutely confounding puzzle. But he’d never heard anyone say anything even remotely close to it, so there was nowhere for it to go. The phrase’s sentiment, however, he understood perfectly well.

“It was probably just a threat, or a taunt…” she continued with a dismissive shake of her head. “They were just mocking me, for losing everything…”

“Or it’s a prayer. A desperate request, for some kind of reprieve…” Loki murmured in reply. He didn’t want to think about whether anyone had ever hoped for the same thing after he’d finally walked away, but he was positive that they had. And he hadn’t meant for his interpretation to sound so melancholy, but as his gaze caught the woman’s matching expression, he could feel her understanding of his meaning. Loki hated that.

She must have sensed that as well, because she quickly forced a false smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “No…surely they must have been talking about me losing my boots.”

Her smile faded just as quickly as it had appeared, shifting into a grimace as a violent shiver shuddered over the limbs she struggled to pull close enough. She breathed out a heavy sigh and lowered her forehead to her knees with another tremble, and for once, Loki was grateful for the Jotun physiology keeping him relatively comfortable. But the woman didn’t share the same luxury of such a curse, and she was clearly suffering in these dank and grim conditions.

Loki turned his attention towards his fingers, twitching and fidgeting restlessly in his lap. This particular guilt was both new and unwelcome, like the haunting of fresh ghosts he thought he’d finally manage to not brutally murder for once. It wasn’t directly his fault she was here, that she was suffering. She was a complete stranger, after all, and this couldn’t have been his problem, or his responsibility.

But as Loki lifted his gaze again, carefully moving his eyes to avoid looking upon her once more, he caught a glimpse of the woman’s forgotten boots in the shadows, the ones carelessly stripped away while the guards were searching her the night before.

He recalled one of the first lessons Odin had explained about ruling a kingdom, that sometimes tact and finesse were far more effective than blades or might. Perhaps if Loki was kind instead of harsh, and if he returned the boots to the frozen woman, then she might help alleviate the nagging questions he still had and allow him to fight off sleep for just a little bit longer.

His brow furrowed, and he swallowed hard as he realized this was the least he could do for the both of them. It wasn’t much, but it felt like chopping off a limb when he cleared his throat and forced himself to speak again. “Your, um…boots are in here. They might help you with the…cold.”

The woman’s head popped back up, and her eyes narrowed as she scanned for them in the darkness. “Where are they? I don’t - ” she replied, clumsily attempting to push herself upright, obviously eager to get them back on as soon as possible.

Loki felt an odd sense of duty, one that had been buried deep underneath the many eons of pain, and it compelled him to act before he had the chance to second-guess himself. He moved slowly, shifting his weight onto his hip, and extended his arm out. His fingers were just long enough to barely grasp the black leather pull loops, to drag them closer and then place them within her reach while maintaining a safe distance, and without the need for him to stand.

A faint smile crossed her lips as she stretched to pull them closer. “Thank you so much, Loki.”

He couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact anymore; it was hard enough to listen to the bewildered gratitude in her voice. His every movement had stayed within the safe confines of the shadows, and he imagined that she saw her boots reappearing as if from the loving aid of a benevolent god, of someone else who was capable of caring.

“It was nothing,” he told them both.

He had fully intended to return his attention back inward, but he found himself distracted by the woman as she shifted on the floor. Curling and stretching her limbs, gracelessly attempting to pull a boot back on with a single hand, and then reluctantly, with both hands. She let out a gasping whimper as she tried to extend out her left arm, and Loki noticed her fingers trembling as she tried to push through the pain.

Obligation flared along his spine again, but this time, Loki questioned it. A childhood memory surfaced, of when his father would return home from war, bruised and exhausted and weary, and Loki would rush to his side, eager to help with removing his armor and assist in any way he could. He thought maybe if he proved himself useful, eager and determined, like his older brother was, then Odin might finally give him a chance to fight alongside him.

But even though his seidr had been well-advanced for his age, his father had always refused to bring Loki along, despite never leaving home without Thor. Odin had said that Loki wasn’t ready yet, that he wasn’t strong enough, that it was too dangerous for a little boy to be out on the field and surrounded by their mortal enemies.

“Such a young prince falling into the hands of Asgard’s opponents could prove disastrous to the realms,” his father had said, even though that fear had never stopped him from bringing Thor into battle. It wasn’t until much later that Loki realized the truth, that the only real use he had wasn’t needed back then - not until the direst of circumstances forced his father’s ultimate and final hand.

The woman let out a sharp groan, bringing Loki back to the present. She had collapsed back against the wall, sniffling and brushing the messy strands of crimson hair away from her face. “Loki, I’m so sorry…but can you please…?”

His eyes widened, and hers were full of tears. Her cheeks reddened, and her lower lip trembled as she spoke with a cracked voice. “Please help me? I’m so cold, and I can’t…I can’t get these back on…”

It wasn’t like the cold, calculating demands he was previously used to, and Loki realized that it pained her to ask like this. She wasn’t trying to get anything out of him, she wasn’t manipulating her way into something more than she deserved, or trying to get him to commit atrocities in her name.

It wasn’t a game or a trick designed to be laughed at later with her friends; she genuinely just needed his help. But the problem was that this kind of assistance not only required him to vacate the shadows, to come closer and share the same air as her - it necessitated physical touch. Loki was sure he couldn’t handle that.

The muscles in his fingers articulated of their own accord, separating and curling into just the right place to summon and concentrate his seidr, intent on disassembling the atoms that made up the woman’s boots and reassembling them back where they belonged.

A suitable compromise, Loki believed, except that absolutely nothing happened. The warmth that normally accompanied his magic was nowhere to be found, that familiar connection to the past and the present, to his mother, wasn’t opening its loving arms to welcome him back home - and that was when he finally remembered.

Loki’s seidr was dead, because he was supposed to be dead.

He’d forsaken his magic as soon as he’d arrived here. Once he willingly stepped through the Time Door and into this dungeon, once he’d realized that the first thing this newly-freed universe had done was trap him yet again, he decided that this time it was really meant to be.

So he didn’t bother fighting it, and he willingly let go of the tendrils of seidr he had once clung so tightly to. He didn’t deserve the honor of wielding it, not after what he’d done in New York. And what use would that magic have been to the hollowed-out shell of a person he was now? What good could he have possibly done with it anyway?

“Loki?”

Once again, the woman’s quiet voice refocused his attention. Her expression had fallen even further during his silent brooding, and she was staring woefully into the dark, desperately hoping to see him finally coming to her aid. A deep sense of dread rose up within his chest, thick and impenetrable, oozing between his ribs to singe and suffocate his lungs like molten lava.

Loki didn’t know what to do, and yet, he moved anyway. Pressing his palms flat against the stone floor, he bent his knees and carefully pushed himself upright. His joints cracked and popped, his muscles were stiff and sluggish as he slid one foot forward, and the belt around his waist was far looser than when he’d initially put it on.

Taking another step closer, his mind suddenly dizzied, and his body began to sway dangerously from the juxtaposition of pushing himself forward while he’d been wasting away. He quickly grabbed onto the wall with a sharp gasp, trying to steady himself as his legs tingled themselves awake.

“Loki…are you alright?” the woman murmured, her brow furrowing with concern.

“I’m fine, it’s just - ” Loki sighed heavily, his heart pounding and muscles trembling. “I’m just not used to…standing.”

Loki closed his eyes and leaned against the wall for a moment, willing his body back into operating under his own control. But despite his best efforts, weariness and exhaustion were still permanently at the helm, relentlessly steering him back towards collapsing and passing out again.

“It’s alright. Take your time…”

Loki’s eyes snapped back open, painfully aware that she was still watching him closely, and he did everything he could to both avoid her gaze and her reassurance. Nothing about this was alright, and he could hear his father’s chastising voice from beyond the stars, criticizing him for allowing enervation to consume him - even though that was the only way to keep himself out of trouble.

His eyes flitted across the dungeon cell, feverishly taking in the stone walls and steel bars of the door, then out to the flickering lantern light of the hallway. Loki had never even bothered to take a good look at his coffin before committing to staying in it for all eternity, but from this elevation, he could clearly examine the cuts that made up the large slabs of the walls and floor. Meticulous, flawless, precise - too perfect to have been sliced by hand.

His gaze moved to the cream-colored candlestick suspended within the single lantern in the hallway, evenly melted away and without a single speck of soot upon the glass encasing it. From there, he could make out the grooves carved by the steel bars into the doorway’s arch as it swung open and closed, and the streaked and dark stains, smudged against the grayed and leadened floor, leading from the hallway back into their cell.

The woman’s blood, he assumed, and Loki’s hands clenched into fists. His throat tightened, and the slightest hint of outrage began to reluctantly wake from its slumber.

Forcing the feeling away, Loki finally closed the distance and carefully crouched in front of the woman; only then did he let her be the focus of his attention. Loose and uneven strands of crimson had been pulled free from the long, disheveled braid nestled untidily over her shoulder;her skin was wan and pallid, and her lips were tinted with the faintest hint of blue.

Dried blood had smeared on her ear, her neck, the lengths of her hair and along her cheek. It was everywhere, mixed with the dirt and muck from the floor, coating the corners of her cracked lips and the freckles that dotted her cheekbone. The fact that the blood was dried, meaning the original wound was at the very least no longer actively bleeding, did nothing to make him feel better.

Loki lowered one knee down to the floor, precariously settling his weight onto one ankle, and the woman’s attention was now entirely fixed on her boots. She swallowed nervously, and Loki silently agreed with the sentiment. How long had it been since he’d touched another person? Did he even remember how to be gentle? How to not contaminate?

Moving cautiously, he took a boot into his grasp, threading his fingers between the loops and slowly pulling to loosen its laces. While he worked, he focused on the soft leather: its scent was herbal, earthy, and with just the barest suggestion of sweetness. Intricate designs, swirls and constellations and rays of light emanating from an overly-stylized sun were stitched into the leather, extending from the collar and flowing down way past the ankle.

Soft, pliable and shiny, the leather still showed signs of its latest polish, applied with a healthy dose of high-quality wax, from underneath the layers of grim. The boots had been methodically cared for, regularly and recently, and probably not too long before the woman found herself in custody of the mysterious guards. Loki found himself curious about the circumstances of her capture.

Stained in the same shade of night as the leathers covering her legs, they blended seamlessly together with the rest of her clothing, from the thin stockings on her feet to the chipped lacquer on her fingernails. Everything was the exact same color, save for the thin, flowing emerald tunic that had long since come untucked, and the gem that hung from her neck.

And everything she wore was undoubtedly expensive, most likely customized for this particular owner, and she had obviously not dressed for being locked inside a damp and grimy dungeon. At best, she was prepared for a pleasant walk through the woods on a mildly chilly evening; Loki tried not to think about it too much.

Out of his peripheral vision, Loki could see the woman stealing glances up at him. She watched him carefully, her sea green eyes shifting cautiously between his face, his hands, and the boot he was unlacing - obviously examining and judging the hideous monster whose help she had no choice but to accept.

Loki began to feel self-conscious. There was no doubt that his own appearance wasn’t any better than her own at the moment; in fact, he was sure it was much, much worse. Dark and unkempt curls hung way past his shoulders like sinister snakes. The skin on his hands was sullen and pallor, shifting dangerously close to bluish gray, and he had no idea if his eyes had begun to drift back into their original shade of ruby-red or not. He promised himself that this would be the only time she ever saw his face up close.

When he could no longer justify stalling with the laces, he cleared his throat, and forced his fingers to tap the underside of her leg; a featherlight touch that could have been easily missed if one hadn’t been expecting it. But the woman again mercifully sensed his meaning, and she positioned the appropriate foot for him to slide the boot on.

Too well, Loki noticed, as he pulled the collar up to settle around her calf; she was exceptionally practiced at having others put footwear on her - at tensing the right muscles at just the right moment, and extending the leg with just enough force to seat the foot comfortably against the insole.

“Sorry about this…” she mumbled as Loki pulled the laces tight and began looping them back and forth around the hooks. “Although, this is probably the most exciting thing you’ve done in a while, huh?”

She was trying to lighten the mood, to distract from the previous awkwardness of such close quarters. Loki’s response was flat and measured, his attention focused on tying instead of talking. “Like I said - it’s nothing.”

A nervous silence followed, one that was far more uncomfortable than the awkwardness. Loki hadn’t meant to be so dismissive, and perhaps he’d been far too frigid for someone who was supposed to be helping her. When he finished the final loop, he cleared his throat again and forced himself to look up again.

“Is that…too tight for you?” he murmured softly.

The woman managed a weak smile as she flexed her ankle. “No. It feels fine.”

Loki noted that her pupils dilated ever so slightly when she met his gaze, and he took that as a good sign that her head injury wasn’t a completely serious one. He wasn’t sure why he was noting that, but nonetheless, he had, and he didn’t have the energy to start questioning it. Instead, he busied himself with picking up the other boot and threading his fingers underneath its laces like he’d done with the first.

“Is this all I have left? Just waiting in this cell to die?”

Her voice had taken on a somber, more sorrowful tone now; apparently open anguish was much easier for her than polite small-talk, and if she hadn’t been so exhausted, Loki would have guessed there would have been more than a tear or two accompanying her questions. He wasn’t sure how to answer her; bringing up the fact that the other prisoners before her had never lasted more than a day or two, or the fact that they were never returned once removed from their cells, probably wasn’t going to help her mood very much.

“At least they’re leaving you alone for the most part,” Loki answered, lightly tapping his fingers underneath her other leg for the placement of its boot. “Be thankful for relative peace.”

The woman sighed heavily as she cooperated. “Relative peace. That’s all I have to look forward to?”

“For some, that’s all they’ve ever wanted,” Loki said absentmindedly. “They’d kill for it, and others willingly die in its pursuit…”

The woman’s eyebrows raised in troubled concern, and Loki tried to ignore it. He couldn’t understand why he was like this, either speaking too familiarly with the woman, or far too flippantly. He was out of practice when it came to any sort of normal conversation, but he didn’t want to be accustomed to it again. In the end, she was just a temporary distraction, and he wasn’t supposed to even exist at all.

“That’s very enlightened, coming from someone who has nightmares every time he closes his eyes…” the woman replied as he finished tying the laces on the other boot. She flexed that ankle, and then nodded her approval while pulling her knees back against her chest.

Loki’s brow furrowed as he met her gaze once more. Her eyes were wide and open, appearing to be without a single shred of judgment, only empathy. Loki couldn’t help but scrutinize her for that. If she only knew how little he deserved kindness, and he was irritated that she’d noticed how bad his nightmares were at all. He’d rather have not known that his weakness was on complete display, and thus, beyond his complete control.

Slowly pushing himself back up to standing, grateful that the task and its requisite close proximity were finally over, Loki’s fingertips trailed along the cold stone as he backed into the shadows again. But lethargy was creeping back in, along with the ever-present unsettled and restless energy, and when Loki returned to sitting, he wasn’t quite as far into the dark as he had been before.

“You know, it may help your nightmares to talk about them,” the woman suggested cautiously. “Perhaps unburdening yourself a little would be a good thing…”

Loki grimaced. Of all the ways she could have worded it, he wished it hadn’t been in that specific way. As it were, various burdens of all sorts were already going to haunt him until the end of time, it seemed, and he preferred not to be reminded of the purposes initially set upon him by Thanos. And even if he wanted to, where should he begin?

He still didn’t quite understand what exactly had happened to him on Knowhere; that entire year was just a chaotic haze of torture and manipulation, through both physical and psychological means, and it was impossible for him to decipher what was real and what was a lie. Even now, he couldn’t even recall the exact circumstances that led to his descent from the Bifrost and into Thanos’ control.

Sometimes, he could clearly remember the decision to let go of Gungnir and fall into the abyss; other times, he was absolutely convinced that his brother had pushed him in a jealous rage, furious that Loki’s short tenure as King had proved far more successful than any longer one Thor could have ever managed.

Either way, the fall had resulted in him becoming Thanos’ prisoner, and then later, as a member of the Black Order - but only after they’d finally conceded that physical torture was never going to work on the body of a Frost Giant, on an Asgardian prince raised as a warrior, or on a powerful sorcerer who already had extremely complicated feelings about being alive in the first place.

But once they realized that he just wanted somewhere to belong, they finally started to see real progress, and the emotional manipulation that followed was probably more effective than they could have ever hoped for. It was so very easy to muddy the rough waters of Loki’s psyche thanks to the Chitauri Scepter and his tremendous heartbreak - a kind word here, a clever lie there, and nothing but speeches about revenge and betrayals, destinies and purposes, salvation and redemption, and scorned Kings and their disgraced sons.

After Loki had been welcomed into the fold, Thanos explained his need for the Tesseract; if Loki acquired it, then he would be granted an army to help take Midgard by as excessive and violent force as he deemed necessary. The God of Mischief already knew that he wanted to be as destructive as possible - to both completely cripple his brother’s fondness for the pathetic humans, and to show Odin that he would settle for being a terrifying leader if he wasn’t permitted to be a good one.

His idea for retrieving the Tesseract had been a clever one; so clever that Loki wasn’t surprised that Thanos or the Black Order hadn’t ever considered it before. But getting to suggest it meant that his new Master was immediately pleased with his usefulness, something that had rarely happened with his previous keeper, and Loki was so grateful for the opportunity to satisfy.

Out of the six Infinity Stones, the Space Stone was unique in that it could generate massive amounts of self-sustaining energy. Its power signature was incredibly easy to track, and it didn’t take long for Loki to determine the Tesseract’s location inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility. Under Fury’s careful and watchful eye, the mortals were studying its capabilities for power production, no doubt to be used in some kind of advanced weapons manufacture instead of something that could actually be used to help mankind.

A stereotypically short-sighted action, one that would soon be their downfall, because none of those weapons would ever be able to stop him from completing his task. Had they realized the stone’s true potential, as Loki had, then perhaps the humans might have fared better during his invasion.

Because he knew something that apparently no one else did, something he now prayed that no one else would ever be able to figure out. Loki was in the unusual position of understanding exactly how the Bifrost had operated, of how it could easily send and receive anything from across the galaxies with frightening and pinpoint accuracy. As a child, he was fascinated by the Bifrost, and more than once Heimdall had to stop him from attempting to disassemble it while searching for the details of its inner workings.

Once informed of her son’s unyielding curiosities, his mother had patiently redirected that energy towards Asgard’s massive libraries. There, he spent many late nights pouring over the texts and histories of the magnificent Bifrost. Once he’d devoured all he could from words, he then spent his time exploring the Realm and looking for means of travel that didn’t involve going to the Bifrost at all.

And thanks to the Mad Titan’s relentless and universal conquest in search of the stones, Loki had access to incalculable amounts of lore, research and history that had been stolen from countless cultures and societies. He spent months buried in books and manuscripts, performing calculations and practicing his seidr, searching desperately for the perfect combination of science and magic to get him what he needed.

All of that, when combined with his extensive knowledge of the Bifrost, allowed Loki to realize that all he needed was a power-source. It must have been fate and its impeccable sense of humor, because the Space Stone could be the engine, and the Tesseract was going to be the gateway - a terrible, incredible bridge between where you were, and where you desperately wanted to be.

For Loki, the Tesseract was going to deliver him to vengeance, respect, authority and glory - in a way that no one would be able to undo once he finally got it. His brother, his father, the entire Nine Realms and beyond, all of them would be powerless to stop him once he figured out how to open the Tesseract’s portal from the other side.

Returning to his research with a new sense of delirium, he gave up on sleep, and food, and his sanity while he searched for the answer. His cheeks became hollow, his eyes were sunken deep into his skull, and his skin grew weak and frail. His nerves were on the verge of total disintegration, his heart ached and his mind was hazy.

His every waking thought was consumed by the Tesseract, and on the rare occasion that he actually passed out, so were his nightmares. He became too lost to even carry on a conversation; all he could manage were grunts and groans and strange approximations of the word “Tesseract”. Every part of himself, anything that had once been Loki, had all but slipped away.

But occasionally, Loki would come back to himself. He would look down at his hands in horror, and he wouldn’t understand where he was or how he got there. While screaming and lashing out, the one called Ebony Maw would preach about balance, about salvation and judgment and how Loki was destined to assist the Great Titan in saving all of life, by ending half of it. He was instructed to be grateful for being allowed to take part in it.

But it didn’t make any sense, and Loki tried so hard to resist, to fight them off, to scramble to the exit and free himself, to warn someone of the terrible thing that was coming. Then, something would happen, something would touch him, and his mind would cloud back over with rage and madness. The dangerous craving for the Tesseract would return tenfold, and then he would be back on task, more eager than ever to please.

After a quick journey through the minds of the men known as Selvig and Barton, Loki finally had everything he needed to complete his sacred mission. The astrophysicist filled in the last remaining gaps about the Tesseract’s functionalities, and the archer revealed information about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security protocols - how many personnel were on site, what types of weapons they had, where they’d been trained. The details of every file stored on their secret servers, every individual’s personal histories - including that of the beings once considered to join the so-called Avengers, the ones that might be called upon to stop him.

On his first attempt, Loki succeeded in opening the Tesseract’s portal. One moment, he was standing on Thanos’ ship, and the next, he was inside the research facility, shrouded within a haze of smoke and mania. By the third second, he was ferociously attacking, moving and acting without consideration for the stealth or secrecy he’d been trained with as a child. He didn’t even bother dodging the humans’ pathetic projectiles; instead, he focused on murdering the ones he had already deemed useless to his cause, and using the Sceptre to convert the ones that were worthy of it

Nor did he bother mincing words with Fury as the Director stalled for time, not even the ones ripped directly from Ebony Maw’s impassioned and self-important speeches. Loki already knew how unstable the gateway was, and that was by design. During his maniacal studies, he had determined how best to sustain the portal’s opening for safe and easy passage - first, in order to allow entry for the Chitauri forces, and then to facilitate easy travel for Thanos to find the rest of the stones later on.

Loki’s first act of murder had been intentionally not stabilizing the portal as it opened inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility; he had wanted the structure to collapse in a stunning display of destruction. Whether it was to be an ominous warning for what he was about to do, or if it was to serve as a call to action for the only ones who could have prevented him from succeeding, he still wasn’t quite sure.

Either way, he ultimately failed in the only way that had mattered. Loki didn’t achieve vengeance or respect or authority, and there was no victory or glory waiting for him after it was over. The Chitauri Forces were destroyed, the Tesseract was not handed over to Thanos per their agreement, and he’d made a great many vicious and unforgiving enemies that day.

In the end, the only thing waiting for him was a prison cell on Asgard, and all he’d managed to do was to make everything worse.

And presumably, after it was over, Thanos still had access to all of Loki’s research. Losing out on the Tesseract would have infuriated him and the Black Order; a minor inconvenience, sure, but it wouldn’t have hindered their quest in the slightest. Thanos still knew how to use the Tesseract because of him - and more importantly, he understood how to use it in the most destructive way possible. That was completely and entirely Loki’s fault, and he just hoped that Thanos was arrogant enough to keep that information to himself, that no one else would try and fail in the same catastrophic way that Loki had.

Maybe the Tesseract wasn’t meant to be used as a gateway, and in doing so, Loki had ensured that he’d never get what he wanted, and that he’d lose what little he had left. All of that madness and frantic chaos and deliberate carnage had been for absolutely nothing. Maybe the Tesseract was cursed, and maybe, so was he.

Because every single time Loki had come into contact with it, his life had taken a drastic and even more devastating turn for the worse. Attempting to acquire it for Thanos had broken him - mind, body, and soul; fleeing New York with it had landed him in the clutches of the TVA; and apparently, it had been his ultimate destiny to die while trying to keep it from the Mad Titan.

The absolute last thing Loki ever wanted was to be reminded of the Tesseract - more than he wanted silence, or solitude, or to rot. And now this woman wanted to know what his nightmares were about?

Even if he had made it to the prison cell on Asgard, he wasn’t planning to explain himself to anyone. What was he supposed to tell his brother, his mother, his father? That he’d been deceived? Were they going to believe that he’d fallen for someone else’s lies so easily, and without question? That the God of Mischief himself had been tricked, played for a fool and made to be the universe’s largest and most pathetic scapegoat?

No, trying to justify his actions would be a grave disservice to the innocent lives he’d taken, and telling the truth was next to impossible. Even just talking about the betrayal of his family would be too much for him to bear, and that was the only aspect of the entire thing that Loki had never, ever second-guessed.

The woman continued stealing glances in his direction, from just a few feet away now. Still waiting for him to say something, anything, to help keep her mind distracted from her own plights. For the briefest of moments, he actually considered asking if she’d ever heard of the Tesseract, or the Infinity Stones. If she knew who Thanos was, if he’d ever been to this planet before…but as Loki fidgeted with his tie, running his fingers over the frayed and broken seams in the cloth, he knew the answer didn’t matter.

The appropriate time to have asked that question would have been when he’d first arrived, back when the TemPad still had the power to take him some place else if need be. But now the TemPad was dead; he was trapped here, and the longer he could go without hearing about the Tesseract, the better. The longer he could go on in the blissful ignorance of relative peace, and without talking about himself, the easier this would be for everyone.

“How did you wind up here anyway?” He winced as he spoke, hating himself for being more than a little curious about it. “I can’t imagine the guards asking you to come along nicely…”

The woman hesitated for a moment, no doubt replaying the events in her mind and wishing she had done something differently. Her fingers grasped the gem that hung from her neck, and she swallowed hard. “I was…taken from Tessaway, my home, in the middle of the night.”

She paused, her eyes focused on something non-existent in the distance. “I don’t know how they made it past the sentries, but they…managed, somehow. They took me from my bed, while I slept…”

Loki shook his head, trying to appear sympathetic. “You lived in a heavily guarded city. It must be a very dangerous place…”

“Tessaway isn’t a city,” she corrected, furrowing her brow as she looked over at him. “It’s the castle in Fayrest. You know, the capital city…?”

He didn’t know any of that, of course, having never left this cell. The woman looked like she wanted to say more but was afraid to, and he couldn’t help but think about why she had seemed to imply before that no one was going to rescue her. “Wouldn’t someone from the castle have noticed your absence? Surely they have to be looking for you by now…”

“No…” The woman shifted uncomfortably in place, her expression broken and forlorn. “No, I was just a servant. No one important enough to miss…”

Loki had been studying her carefully ever since he’d realized her captors were going to keep her alive for much longer than they had the others. Her movements were elegant and refined, her clothing and jewelry expensive and customized, her speech graceful and enchanting; the kind of charming that could only come from years of practice. He didn’t believe for a second that she was just a servant working in a castle.

But she was also clearly in a tremendous amount of pain, and for whatever reason, was keeping the origins of her birth a secret. Loki wondered what might have happened to him if he had been given that luxury, if he hadn’t been the only one to not know the truth about himself.

“Ah, a servant,” he replied, trying to lighten the mood a little. His unpracticed lips curved into a forced and lazy grin. “That certainly explains why you’re so concerned about my well-being…”

The woman’s eyebrows raised in amusement, and she tilted her head curiously as if taking his comment as a challenge. “What’s the matter? Are you not used to someone worrying about your well-being?”

Loki’s jaw tensed; perhaps he hadn’t been behaving as opaquely as he hoped, and he hated that she could see through him just as well as he could through her. He glanced over, and decided to provoke her right back. “Well, I’m sure they’ll miss you at the castle eventually. Like when there’s pots that need washing, or linens that need changing?”

“Yes, yes, that’s very funny…” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I get it, the thing about servants is that no one knows your name until something you normally do suddenly isn’t being done anymore…”

The woman turned, and she met his gaze with a considering and dissecting one of her own. “Like you - you don’t need anything from me, so why would you ever bother learning my name?”

From just a few feet away, the woman stared deep into his soul, tugging at the strings that still held him upright and all but questioning if they were even necessary. He waited until she looked away to furrow his brow again, because while she was right about him not needing anything from her, she was surely mistaken about the other half of her point.

Because he did actually know her name; it was the first new name he’d learned in such a very long time, and he thought it suited her quite well, all things considered. But he had been trying to avoid acknowledging it, not wanting it to mean something more than what it was.

It was just a name, after all; a series of specific vocalizations designed to get her attention. Saying it out loud didn’t mean that they were friends, or that they were even important to each other. It wouldn’t bind them in any way, or obligate him to care. But if that were true, then why did he have such a problem with saying it?

Loki could feel a nervous energy creeping relentlessly up his spine again. He wished it would stop receding, that it would stay put, because the constant shifting between relaxing and stressing was completely wearing him out. He told himself he just needed to say it out loud and get it over with, before he could start second-guessing and talk himself out of it again - especially now that she had noticed his careful avoidance of her name.

“What kind of servant knows how to fight with a staff anyway?” Loki asked, affecting an innocent and casual tone. “I guess servants named Oliviette do…”

After he answered his own question, Loki looked towards her again, and Oliviette was already smiling back at him; it was a bleary and quiet acknowledgement, but the sentiment was definitely noteworthy. For the first time since they’d met, he could see the dimples in her cheeks, and it was impossible to miss the way her eyes lit up with mirth, or how her lips pursed before she finally responded.

“What? Am I not allowed to have hobbies outside of work?”

Loki struggled to not return her smile. He almost felt a sense of appreciation for her snark and the much-needed diversion from the constant aching in his chest. It was only then that he remembered that this was supposed to be a temporary distraction; he couldn’t afford to spend needless energy that didn’t directly involve finding out why the guards were keeping Oliviette alive for this long.

Keeping a safe distance was paramount, his new glorious purpose. Trust was for children and dogs, wasn’t that how he’d put it to Mobius during their first meeting? As long as he stayed here, keeping himself isolated and protected, then he couldn’t ever be tricked into being someone else’s attack dog ever again. He couldn’t ever hurt anyone again.

Besides, it was highly implausible that her life would end in any way other than tragically. Loki’d already had quite enough of that - and would it be worth getting close to her, even if it didn’t?

⊱ ─ ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ─ ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅ ─ ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ─ ⊰

Click here to be added to my Loki fic tag list! 💚

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fla-t-line · 3 months

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#daddys favorite somewhere ig #child of thanos loki #loki #loki fanart #fanart #loki laufeyson #hes got the cuuube #art #myart

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oswildin · 2 months

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Allies of Circumstance (Loki x GN!Reader) - SHORT

Summary: He was the God of Mischief, they were a child of Thanos. They were allies of circumstance, that was all… Or was it?

A/N: No use of Y/N, they/them pronouns used with no descriptors. From Loki’s POV.

Was this what it felt like to have someone who understood?

To know how it felt to be a pawn, used in another’s game? To never feel quite good enough, that you have to prove yourself constantly, and still it was never quite enough?

Was this what it felt like to… care for another… with no ulterior motive… except simply wishing to see them succeed? To be more than fate had seemingly decided…

Loki’s sea-blue eyes scanned their profile, taking in the lines of resilience, determination… survival. They were softer than they appeared. The hardened edges of their gaze fading ever so slightly, ever so slowly… Tentatively, they were lowering their guard - a dangerous thing. For two beings who always believed sentiment and vulnerability was a weakness, they had somehow allowed their walls to lower around one another. Curious.

Their eyes flickered to Loki who was sat beside them, seeing him quickly avert his gaze to look at the fire before them, watching as he let out a slow, quiet breath. Interesting.

“What?” Their voice broke the silence, brows furrowing. “Why were you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” Loki’s voice murmured, daring to glance their way once more.

“Like…” They trailed off, unsure what the words were. “I don’t know.” They narrowed their eyes, lips pursed, a contemplating look on their face.

“Neither do I.” Loki smirked faintly, tilting his head as he regarded them. Their own lips tugged upwards, before they shook their head, turning their eyes back to the fire. The sound of the flames dancing filled the air. It was soothing. Loki pursed his own lips, brows twitching. “You know… it’s been a while since you’ve threatened to stab me.” He commented, a hint of amusement colouring his tone. “I would go so far as to say that’s progress.” They scoffed, raising a brow, gaze once again finding his.

“People like me and you always manage to take one step forwards and two steps back.” They replied lowly. “So don’t hold your breath. You may still do something that makes a threat fall from my lips.” Loki chuckled softly at that.

“I look forward to it.” He replied smoothly, lips tugging upwards, eyes glinting with his signature mirth. It seemed to pull a small smile from their lips also, before it quickly disappeared. But for that brief second, it was the most wonderful thing Loki had ever seen. And he had seen a lot in his long life.

Was this… what love… felt like?

Loki again averted his gaze, almost worried that they could suddenly read his mind, or could see the thought in his blue eyes. This wasn’t what he expected. Not at all - not with the hostility they both first expressed towards each other. And yet, there he was… Considering the ridiculous notion that he…

“You’re acting weird.” Their voice broke his thoughts, an almost undetectable breath leaving his lips. “Well, weirder than normal.” They smirked. “And that’s saying something.” Expect, Loki didn’t smile, didn’t smirk… Strange. They furrowed their brows, eyes studying him closely. “Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts-“

“No-“ Loki quickly cut them off, shaking his head briefly. “No… it’s not that-“

“Then what is it? Because you’re starting to put me on edge.” They sighed, shifting to angle themselves slightly more towards him. Loki took a deep breath, steeling himself, eyes flickering to the starry sky above them momentarily.

“I…” He began, voice breathless. “We… We are… not so different.” Finally, his eyes met theirs. They could see the faint traces of awkwardness in his frame, on his sharp features. “And that can be good. As well as bad.” They raised a brow, struggling to follow along with where he was headed with his words. “What I’m trying to say is…” Another sharp inhale. “Well, actually, I don’t quite know what I’m trying to say.” He sighed, shaking his head.

Norns, why was this so difficult?

“Neither do I.” They echoed his earlier words, lips quirking into a smirk. “I get it.” They said lowly. “This… alliance… Allies of circumstance thing-“ They paused, biting their lower lip, shrugging casually. “It’s temporary.” Loki’s brows furrowed. “Don’t worry, I’m not expecting you to stick around once-“

“No, that’s not it, no-“ Loki quickly shook his head, shifting now so he was angled to face them. “No.” He murmured, voice softening.

“Then what?” They asked, a hint of frustration colouring their tone. A beat of silence fell between them. And then another. And another… They let out an irritated breath, before moving to stand, missing the way Loki’s eyes followed every movement.

“Wait-“ Loki rushed out, pushing himself to his feet. “What if…” He trailed off, watching as they slowly turned to face him. “I mean, what if it… wasn’t temporary?” He asked tentatively, uncertainty in his voice. They blinked, tilting their head. “I, uh-“ Loki cleared his throat, hands moving to rest at his hips. “I don’t find your company… completely awful.” He tried to say casually, making them fold their arms over their chest. Their silence told him enough.

I’m messing this up.

“In fact, it’s quite the opposite.” Loki admitted quietly, eyes darting to the ground. “And I- Well, it would be a shame… if once this is all over… We never saw each other again.”

There. I said it. In my usual, indirect way, but still.

The silence stretched, Loki feeling a strange sense of nervousness settle in his chest. “Say something.” He urged. “Anything.”

And finally…

“Okay.”

Loki blinked.

“Okay?”

They furrowed their brows.

“Are you deaf?”

“Not last time I checked-“

They nodded.

“Good.”

Loki nodded.

“Good.”

The pair stared at each other, postures still slightly tense, but with an easy tenseness… If that was possible. Well, it was. For them.

“Shall we…” Loki gestured back to where they had been seated on the grass, fire still crackling before them. They gave a small nod, moving to retake their spot as Loki did the same. After a few moments, Loki allowed himself a small pleased smile, a warm feeling in his chest.

Yes. I think this is what love feels like.

#loki #loki x reader #loki fanfic #loki laufeyson #loki laufeyson x reader #loki imagine #marvel x reader #mcu x reader #loki marvel #mcu loki #Spotify

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worstloki · 2 years

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Further proof that Thanos really doesn't like loki. By not making him a child of thanos. I see it as a win tbh

you don't know that

#MCU doesn't mention his child of thanos phase bc loki doesn't mention it bc loki considers it his flop era

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kusakichan15 · 1 day

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Lokius - Hero x Villain AU

Jack Kincaid / Child of Thanos! Loki - "Lovers who are fated to kill each other"

Jack Kincaid obtains The Source and becomes the protector of Earth until Loki turns up in his life one day to befriend him not knowing that he was sent to Earth by Thanos to obtain an Infinity Stone within The Source

#Kusa Art 0-0)/#listened to a ton of anime songs while drawing and it kept making me emotional #Styx Helix is mainly one of them #Lokius Drop #time husbands #lokius #loki series #loki tv #loki season 2 #loki #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki friggason #mobius #mobius m mobius #agent mobius #tva #time variance authority

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missvelvetsstuff · 1 month

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With Friends Like You, Who Needs Enemies

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Reader is a mutant with the ability to turn sound into light who was 'adopted' aka stolen as a child by Baron Von Strucker to use for experimentation. She was given a form of the Super soldier serum so in addition to her mutant abilities she also has super strength, enhanced senses and healing. When he starts experimenting on his volunteers, the Maximoff twins, she tries to convince them to escape with her but they tell the Baron that she's planning to escape so he doubles her cell security. Steve and reader met when the team recovered Loki's scepter from Strucker.

She falls in love with Steve and becomes good friends with Nat but they aren't the friends she thinks they are.

Notes: this story is canon adjacent except that Thanos never happened.

I try to keep my readers description vague but, as always, she's female and above average height.

Chapter 8

Warnings: swearing, a little angst, a little fluff

The next morning Helen Cho examined Nat and gave her a clean bill of health. In her report to Tony she noted that Nats vision had likely returned weeks ago but she had rescheduled her appointments multiple times, confirming his belief that Nat was stringing them along.

When the room Nat had been living in was cleaned the maintenance worker brought a box of items that were left behind to Tony's office where he was having a quick lunch with Pepper.

As Pepper went through the few items, Nats bandages went in the trash, books returned to the library but a pair of blue boxer briefs caught her attention.

"Tony? Were these Natashas? They don't look like they would fit her."

Tony looked at the offending item curiously

"While I can't say for sure as I have no idea what she wears or what size, those don't look like they would fit her." He held them up to his waist and chuckled, "Don't look like mine, like I would ever wear some poly blend, but I have an idea."

He cleared his throat

"FRIDAY? Could you tell Rogers I need to speak with him when he has a moment?"

"Of course, Boss." The AI replied.

A few hours later Steve knocked on Tony's office door "What's up, Stark?"

Tony chuckled "Just working on a little mystery. Look familiar?" He picked the briefs and showed them to Steve whose eyes grew wide when he recognized them.

Steve turned red and stuttered nervously, unsure where this was going "oh uh yeah, th those are mine. They caught in the dryer or something?"

Tony smiled menacingly "Nope. They were in Romanoffs room. Any idea why that would be?"

Steve chuckled "I uh I don't know. I went to talk to her a couple of times, trying to understand her point of view but, I'm ugh I don't know."

Tony shook his head "You're A shit liar Rogers. Just come clean so I don't have to check the footage from her room."

Steve tried to bluff "What do you mean Stark? What are you trying to accuse me of?"

Tony looked him in the eye "Jesus, Steve are you really unable to admit you were still fucking her? After everything you both did, how badly you hurt Y/N and you still couldn't let her go? Must be some enchanted pussy."

Steve flinched "It's none of your business who I'm intimate with, Tony. She's gone so let it go."

Tony tsked "I don't really see it that way since she was a duplicitous bitch and your continued association speaks to your character. I need to know what else you've hidden from the team and I want your word that you will leave Y/N alone."

Steve shook his head "No. I'm not hiding anything that you need to know and I'm definitely not giving you shit. If I want to pursue Y/N and try to fix what I've done it's between me and her."

Tony folded his arms over his chest "If it potentially messes with my team then I need to know. I guess you can try to fix things but that doesn't mean I have to make it easy for you. That poor girl has been thru enough, why can't you just let her and Barnes be happy."

"Never thought I'd see you stand up for Bucky, Stark."

Tony shrugged "Never thought you'd turn out to be a lying POS. Winter Soldier aside he seems a better man than you."

"Fine, Tony I have things to do." Steve stalked out, fuming.

On his way to his room he passed the common room where Rainbow and Bucky were cuddled up on the couch, quietly talking with lots of giggles and kissy noises.

Steve scoffed "Don't you both have private rooms where you can ahem fondue instead of hanging all over each other out here? What happened to modesty?" he grumbled as he walked off.

Bucky and Rainbow looked at each other confused at Steve's outburst. Bucky shrugged she giggled and they went back to their bubble until Sam showed up.

Sam grinned at them "Well, aren't you love birds just adorable." He started singing "Rainbow and Bucky, sittin in a tree, K I S S I N G-" He teased.

Bucky blushed before he glared at Sam, cutting him off, not wanting him to make Rainbow uncomfortable.

"Grow up, Sam. You'd think you had never seen a happy couple. Must have been one Hell of a dry spell."

Sam laughed "Nah, I just enjoy getting you flustered."

Bucky had enough and raised his voice "You need to stop-"

Rainbow softly touched his cheek and Bucky closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, Sam all but forgotten

"It's ok Jamie, he doesn't bother me. Nothing else matters when I'm with you."

Sam smirked "Aawww, ain't you the

cutest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About a month after Nat left the compound, there was a fundraiser for the New York library. Bucky and Rainbow were hesitant to join the team on a nite out but Tony did everything short of calling it mandatory so they agreed to shut him up.

Details about the triangle with Rainbow, Nat and Steve had been leaked including some racey pics, everyone assumed by Nat, and the teams popularity took a hit. Steve's approval rating was down more than anyone besides Nat.

Unfortunately they received funding from multiple governments and other rich benefactors besides Tony and the negative numbers made some of them twitchy. Tony was convinced that coming out together and showing a United front would help.

There hadn't been any huge incidents that required Avengers level intervention so Rainbow and Bucky hadn't been on any missions while he taught her how to fight hand to hand.

Steve was doing everything he could think of to get alone time with Rainbow but distracting Bucky wasn't enough. The entire team worked to keep Steve away from her which made him short tempered. He disappeared for a few hours at least 3 late nights a week and would be less awful the next morning but it didn't last long.

Everyone assumed he was hooking up but only Tony had a good inkling of who Steve was meeting up with, which meant she was still in town.

That concerned Tony. After the reveal of Nats multiple faces he didn't trust her, or Steve's, intentions so kept a close eye on Steve and kept the other eye open for her to try to worm or cheat her way back on to the team. Or cause them more damage. He couldn't find any trace of her or evidence that she was up to something but knew they hadn't seen the last of her. Tony kept it all to himself so that he wasn't needlessly worrying the team, who all had their own suspicions.

He had FRIDAY watching out for her without any luck, knowing that her particular skill set would help her stay under the radar.

Wanda and Rainbow went shopping to find outfits for the library gala. Rainbow found the perfect dress, a pastel ombre floor length gown with spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline.(like Faith Hills 2002 Oscar dress).

Rainbow was so excited, her first event as an official Avenger and a chance to dress up and go out on Bucky's arm.

She was also nervous about such a big event and all the people that would be there. It wasn't Tony's event or his venue so she was a little nervous about security and Nat trying to pull something.

Or Steve trying to get her and Bucky apart. Steve and Nats deception made her nervous and skittish about trusting anyone but Bucky, Sam, Tony, Bruce and Wanda. Steve was another story, he kept pursuing her but never even apologized for what he had done, trying to convince her it didn't happen how she remembered.

The day of the event Pepper called in a beauty team to help get the ladies ready so they could relax. They gossiped and giggled about the men in their lives, over champagne, carefully avoiding any mention of Steve or Nat.

Once it was time to go they went to the lobby to meet their men who were waiting, mostly patiently.

When Bucky saw Rainbow his mouth dropped open and his eyes darkened. It took him a moment to speak

"Damn doll, you look more beautiful every time I see you. All the men there are gonna be green with envy when they see my girl." He kissed the back of her hand.

Rainbow admired Bucky's all black look with a small splash of color in a pocket square that matched her dress.

Sam was also there with a very cute girl from the research team, they had bonded over Red Wing. Lauren was very sweet and a little crazy and not used to the kind of attention Sam lavished on her but she loved it.

As they headed towards the stretch SUV a familiar but unwelcome voice called out "Oh good, I got here just in time." And proceeded to insert himself between Bucky and Rainbow, hand on her lower back as he opened the car door for her.

Rainbow pulled away from Steve with a look of disgust on her face, Bucky bumped Steve with his shoulder to force him away from Rainbow.

Steve scoffed "Isn't this whole outing supposed to show we are still a united team, ready to work together and protect humanity? Who's going to buy that if everyone is giving me dirty looks and flinching away?"

Tony sighed "Dammit, he's right. We need to just hold our noses and look like one happy family." He looked at Rainbow sadly "You should probably dance with him at least once just for show."

Bucky shook his head "No fucking way, he needs to keep his hands off of her." his arm went around her shoulder and pulled Rainbow closer to him.

She looked in his eyes, touching his cheek softly "They're right but it's ok, Jamie. I don't want to be separated from you but it's only a dance or two and I can take care of myself."

Bucky sighed then glared at Steve "I swear to god Steve, you hurt one hair on her head and I'll kill you in your sleep."

He helped Rainbow into the car and scooted in after her before Steve could get between them and sit next to her.

The drive was tense, the lighthearted vibe from earlier was gone thanks to Steve's insistence on being part of the group, without regard to the feelings of anyone else. Bucky had Rainbow pulled close to him while giving Steve his best Winter Soldier stare.

When they arrived the door was opened to the red carpet, shorter than your typical Hollywood event but enough to let fans and paparazzi get a look at the Avengers.

Of course Tony and Pepper went first with a positive reaction of applause and shouting.

Wanda and Vision were next with a similar reaction from the crowd and camera flashes popping everywhere.

Rainbow stepped out of the car and the crowd erupted. Applause, whistles, shouting and requests for autographs and selfies. She smiled nervously, never having expected so much love.

Bucky followed her and received a positive response, if a bit muted.

Steve stepped out of the car and the crowd went silent, all that could be heard was whispers and flashes. Then a smattering of boos and hisses sounded and Steve clenched his jaw before striding past everyone and into the library.

Tony shrugged and smirked at the crowd and led everyone inside to stop at the bar first.

After snacking on some appetizers to offset the alcohol she was drinking Rainbow wandered around the room, holding Bucky's arm and chatting with the people Tony introduced them to.

Then came some speeches about the money raised and the good work the libraries did. A couple of local celebrities performed and then the music started. Steve appeared out of nowhere to grab Rainbows arm and drag her to the dance floor. She started to pull back before she remembered what Tony said, united front- happy family, and tried to relax in his arms.

She was doing well until a short, curvy blonde in a strapless, glittery, red dress with a cut outs and a slit high up her thigh approached Bucky. Rainbow didn't recognize her face but there was something familiar about her. Bucky shook his head but the woman wouldn't take no for an answer so he finally gave in, emphasizing that he would only give her one dance.

When the song ended Rainbow and Bucky pulled away from their dance partners, practically running back into each others arms. They swayed to a slow song, staring into each others eyes like they were the only people in the world.

A more lively song started and Bucky pulled her into the simple swing dance moves making her sport a real smile. When he went to spin her the crowd seemed to move together to come between them and Rainbow ended up in Steve's arms. He worked to move them down a hallway towards the bathrooms where Rainbow saw something that made her chest ache.

The sultry blond in the red dress was kissing Bucky hard, hands in his hair pulling him closer to her. When Rainbow saw, a gasp left her mouth and the blonde woman barely pulled back from Bucky to quickly smirk at her before pulling Bucky back to kiss him again. Steve turned Rainbow before she could see Bucky pushing the woman away and wiping all traces of her from his lips while looking for her. Rainbow felt a pinch in her neck and everything went black.

Bucky looked around frantically for Rainbow but her, Steve and the blonde woman were nowhere in sight. He moved through the crowd in the direction Steve had been moving, through the hall past the bathrooms to the service entrance but they were gone.

Bucky raced back into the main room, searching for Wanda first in the hopes that her powers could help find Rainbow.

He grabbed Wanda's hand and pulled her to interrupt Tony and Peppers dance and blurted out

"She's gone! Natasha was here and helped Steve separate us and now they're all gone."

Chapter 9

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #james bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #angst with a happy ending #james bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x female reader

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