Loki’s cool arm slid around her waist, and a warm smile tugged at her lips. She felt the god press his lips to her hair before nuzzling against the side of her neck. “Couldn’t sleep, precious?” he asked, his voice soft, but laced quite heavily with sleep.
She’d woken him and she knew it. Kate put her arms over his and sighed. “No... Nightmares again.” She murmured, leaning back into him.
His other arm slid around her shoulders, and Kate rested her chin on his arm, simply glad to be held. Staring out of the window she felt him rock her gently. “Katherine, you could have woken me as soon as it happened. You should have. My darling sparrow, you ought to know by now that I do not mind, if it would help soothe your mind.”
Kate swallowed down the tears that threatened to spill out, and she tightened her grip on his arm around her waist. “I know. But you looked so peaceful, and I didn’t wanna ruin it.” The young woman leaned her head over against his, sighing. She took a moment before wiggling in his arms to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her head against his chest.
“Oh, Katherine....” he murmured, feeling the girl shake in his arms, and he held her just a tad tighter to let her know he wasn’t going anywhere. “Hush little sparrow. I won’t leave you here.”
The soft murmurs from him didn’t really help all that much. Especially when she was so terrified of her own mind. “Kate... precious, please look at me,” he urged, stroking her hair. “I promise they will go away soon enough. I promise you...”
Kate looked up at him and felt a tear drip down her face, which he wiped away and he gave her a soft smile. “Absolutely promise?” she questioned, her voice shaky and quiet.
Loki nodded at her. “I absolutely promise, precious. They won’t hurt you any longer.” He kissed her forehead, resting his cheek on the top of her head, humming a soft lullaby from his childhood.
Leaning against the railing on the balcony, the sun set slowly over the horizon dragging out the last bits of life for the day, and Kate watched with a blank face. She was just watching for the sake of being outside and not of having anything to do, or even anything in particular at that moment that she had to do. It was soothing just being away from things and she knew that she couldn’t stay there all night, though that sounded like a good idea.
She quiet sound of footsteps pulled her focus from the shifting colours over the water’s horizon to the man who stopped in the door way. “Loki, hey.” She smiled softly, leaning her back against the railing.
“Hello, precious. What are you doing out there? It’s bound to get cold soon with the sun setting.” He asked, moving closer and standing beside her, his hands resting on the railing.
Kate shrugged. “Enjoying the peace and quiet in comparison to everything that’s going on inside.” She turned t gaze back out over the water. Loki was right though. New York in the winter was alright, but once the sun set, the cold set in pretty quickly. Not that it bothered her much these days. Between movie nights on the couch and Loki soothing her after nightmares, she was used to the cold now. In fact, she almost welcomed it.
Loki nodded, glancing over at her and smiling. “I understand that, my little sparrow. Things can get rather... boisterous when Tony puts together an event, I have noticed. Did I mention that you look absolutely lovely this evening?” He reached over and brushed his knuckles against her cheek.
This small, kind gesture made her blush and she looked down at her hands. “No, you didn’t, but, uh... thank you, Loki.” Kate felt like an idiot for blushing over such a little things, but she did. And it made the God laugh softly, which made her blush harder.
His laugh was like velvet that slithered down her back and it was the most luscious sounds she ever heard. It was no wonder Clint loved him so much. The sound of his voice alone was almost like walking sex. Not to mention the way he moved sometimes was very similar to his voice.
She looked over at him, swallowing down the fit of giggles that she was trying to avoid for fear of feeling stupid. The goosebumps raised on her shoulders as the breeze started to pick up, and the final shred of the day dipped below the horizon and Loki soon had his jacket off and around her shoulders. The girl drowned in his jacket, but the thought was what counted. “Thanks.”
“Well we don’t need the little sparrow getting sick, now do we? I believe Clinton would have my ass, as he so eloquently put it, if anything were to happen to you.” He countered, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Come, darling, before I cannot keep you comfortable and warm. We can sit in the quiet of your room if you’d like for a while?” he suggested, mostly trying to coax her inside.
“Clint worries far too much about me for his own good, Loki, you know that. I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself, most of the time.” With some reluctance, she sighed, and nodded, pushing off from the railing, and adjusting the jacket around her shoulders.
“Yes, Katherine, I believe I do know this fact rather well.” The God replied, waiting until she was inside and closing the French doors behind them.
“Well good. I’m glad someone does,” she smirked, sliding his jacket off and laying it over the back of the chair, and turning to look at him. “So how’d you know I was here?” That always baffled her. How the hell Loki could find her even though they had no connection to each other? She thought he may have just had like a mental GPS of his little archers or something. Either way she was glad to see him, even if it wouldn’t be for very long.
“That shall remain my little secret, darling.”
Kate pursed her lips and tiled her head, giving him a look like he was full of shit. “Whatever Loki,” Kate rolled her eyes, laughing a bit. Yeah, she figured he wouldn’t tell her, but it was worth a shot.
“Come darling, I am sure both our dates shall be looking for us soon. I believe the dancing was just about to begin, and I do know how much you enjoy dancing, Katherine.” Loki offered his arm to her, like a perfect gentleman, which made Kate laugh again, handing him his jacket and linking her arm with his, picking up the trailing end of her skirt so she wouldn’t trip on it.
Kate knew that Loki hated the thunder, and the thunderstorms that New York got. She knew it actually frightened him because that was usually a sign that Thor was up to something. Or something along those lines. And even though it took her a couple hours she managed to make it to his apartment, which luckily wasn't flooded.
"Loki?" she called, pushing the door open. She only heard a squeak and the pounding of the rain on the window. She was soaked, and probably traipsing water across his floor, but that was going to be dealt with later.
"No, no it is fine, lovely, do not fret over Loki. Thunder has... never been something we have enjoyed."
She nodded, moving to sit beside him, nodding. "I know. That was why I figured you shouldn't be alone." She leaned into his side. "Not like I'm planning on going back out in the rain any time soon."
Loki glanced down at the girl, slipping his arm around her shoulders. "Katherine, you should not have been so silly. You are drenched, and may get sick." he chided her, not a lot, but a hint of his lacing his words.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Drenched, yeah I know. I'm feelin' it, don't worry."
"Well come, little bird, let us get you something... at the very least dry. I am positive there is something you can wear." Loki stood and held out a hand for her to take, which she did and got to her feet.
Kate glanced herself over. "Okay, yeah... definitely soggy. Remind me never to think that was a good idea, again."
Loki chuckled at her. "It is unfortunate, yes, but I shall try to remind you, yes. Come, lovely, I should have something."
Kate followed the God to his room, where he snooped in his closet, glancing at her once in a while, like he was sizing her up then snooping some more. "Ah, yes here we are." He mumbled mostly to himself, pulling out something he hoped would fit the girl. "You are much shorter than Loki is, even in lady form, but this should fit you." He smiled, almost what could have come across as warmly if Kate knew what a warm smile from him even looked like.
Kate took the clothes from him and nodded. "They look like they should. Thanks. I'll... uh go change then." She muttered, wandering towards the bathroom.
Taking off whatever she had been wearing was a hell of a lot harder than she thought it would have been, but that was the issue when everything was wet and clung to her skin. She hadn't really paid attention to what Loki had given her until she was putting it on... A dress. Damn it. But it was dry and better than nothing. She huffed getting into it and zipping it up before letting her hair down and shaking it out a bit, hoping it wouldn't dry too terribly messy.
Coming back out after hanging her clothes from the shower curtain bar, Kate padded back into the living room where Loki was pacing, almost impatiently. "I uh... could almost wonder if you didn't buy this one for me, Loki.... It fits really well."
The God's emerald orbs glanced the girl over with a bit of a smirk. "It seems we are very similarly built as women, Katherine. You look gorgeous."
The girl glanced down, flushing a bright crimson red and letting her hair fall in her face. "Thanks. I uh..." she paused, kind of lost for words.
"Well come here. Loki wishes for a better look. We shan't do more than that, if it is uncomfortable." He held out a hand for her, very gentlemanly like and Kate giggled, chewing on her lip as she walked over and took his hand. He spun her, in what seemed more like a dance move than a look over, but Kate wasn't complaining.
"Well? Approval? Or should I go search for something else?" she asked.
Loki shook his head. "No, no, we very much enjoy this on you."
The girl chuckled, and pulled out her iPod and flipping through her playlists. "I have the perfect idea to help you forget about the-"
Kate was abruptly interrupted by a large crack of thunder followed soon after by several flashes of lighting and she could see him cringe at the sound. She felt his hand tighten on hers and she squeezed back comfortingly. "Hey, it'll be fine. You're not by yourself anymore. I'm right here. I have an idea." she smirked turning on a slow dance playlist she had set up and turned the volume up on the speaker and pressed play. "C'mere. All you gotta do is focus on the music, and me, 'kay?"
The trickster looked a little nervous about it at first but nodded slowly, sliding his arm around her waist, and naturally Kate’s slid up around his shoulder. She smirked. "Remember just listen to the music and ignore the thunder. I promise it'll be okay."
It wasn't much, but Kate knew he was at least glad that she had shown up, even in the horrid weather. About the third song into the playlist Loki had pulled Kate snug into him, resting his head on hers, already lost in the music, the movement, and the company. There wasn't any sexual tension, there wasn't any uncomfortable feelings. It was all very calming and Loki found himself enjoying the Midgardian dancing, much like this, a lot more than he imagined he would have.
Kate was just glad he wasn't so terrified any more. She knew he would love the instrumental music she had, almost as much as she did.
Loki kissed the top of her head, continuing to dance, even after her playlist ended and he mumbled a 'thank you' into her hair, with which she tiled her head and kissed his cheek in return before leaning back in against his chest, glad to dance as long as he wanted.
Kate had her reservations about going into the Tower, let alone going up to Loki's floor. But on the other hand, what if he was telling the truth? Normally she didn't even think twice about going to see Loki. But this wasn't normal. Kate scrubbed her face and shook her head; no she had to see with her own two eyes and hear him say the words to know if he was lying or not. It was the only sure way to tell.
Padding across the room to the open door onto the balcony, Kate stood in the doorway, watching him fore a few moments. Honestly she wasn't even sure she could say anything in that moment. But she also knew Loki would know she was there and that would be that.
