A/N: Based on a prompt by a lovely anon: “Youre free to ignore this but imagine Loki becoming infatuated with a ballet dancer who happens to be good at sorcery as well”. As per usual: please like, comment, and especially reblog – that’s the only way to make sure other people see it too. Here’s my TAGLIST and my MASTERLIST for more.
Ballet
He’s gone to one of the shows, expecting something slightly boring but at least classier than what Thor would prefer.
And there she is: light as a feather as she spins and leaps across teh stage. And it's not just the dancing in itself, it's the fact that she uses magic so subtly that no one else picks up on it - just Loki, knowing the delicacy of the arcane himself.
She uses it to hover just a second longer in the air, for her dress to flow just right, and the light to glimmer in her eyes in a way that damn near enthralls him too.
He has to shake his head to clear his mind of the allure...but it's not enough.
He is back the next evening. And the one after that. Each time closer to the stage until he's gotten the front row, middle seat.
She's elegant, lithe but deceptively strong in a way that reminds him of the way he himself moves when he dances or even fights - dexterity over brawn.
The way she bows down, gracefully sweeping the very tips of her fingers across the floor before her before straightening up under thunderous applause.
A practiced smile.
And then their eyes meet.
Using his own magic, Loki discreetly changes the colour of his suit, causing her to arch a delicate brow. Then she bows once more, tears her eyes from him and traipses off teh stage.
He waits for her by the back entrance of the theatre, pleased to find that she's the last to come out so no one will come upon them in the dimly lit alley.
When she emerges, it's with an air of bravado and calm...and for once Loki finds that he is the one to suffer from a certain nervousness as he extends a hand.
“Loki...yes, I recognize you,” she smiles, accepting the greeting by placing her slender hand in his.
He brings it to his lips and kisses the knuckle ever so lightly.
“You’re a woman of many talents. Care to...become acquainted?” he asks, earning a smile.
one-Shot | Comforting Loki when he finds out that he is a frost giant
Summary: After Loki confronts his father about being a frost giant you show up. You comfort him and remind him that he is loved.
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When you entered the artefact room you were a bit shocked at the sight before you. Odin was lying on the stairs, visibly drifting off into Odinsleep. Loki was holding his hand, and he had the most broken expression on his face that you had ever seen. The guards took Odin away, while you stayed with Loki.
"Loki, what happened?" you breathily asked while rushing towards him. He looked up at you surprised, he hadn't noticed your entrance.
By the time you reached him, his eyes were already filling with tears and when you dropped down next to him he collapsed into your arms. You held him close, rubbing comforting circles on his back. His hands clawed into the fabric of your shirt, desperate for some support while his whole life was falling apart in front of his eyes.
"Hey, it's alright. I'm here. I'm here for you" " you whispered repeatedly into his ear, occasionally pressing a kiss in his hair. "No, it isn't! I-" his voice broke.
"Shhhh," you whispered pressing your cheek to his head and cradling him closer to you. " I'm here and I'll stay. You don't have to tell me what's going on right now." He nodded as he buried his face deeper into your shoulder, allowing himself to freely cry in your arms.
You stayed like this for quite some time. When his sobs eventually turned into quiet sniffles and finally died down completely you loosened your grip a little, testing if he let you pull away or if he needed to be held a little longer.
He did not protest, so you pulled away just enough to cup his face with your hands and look at him. His eyes were red and swollen from crying, and the expression on his face resembled that of a sad puppy. You were sure your heart would break any minute.
"Want to tell me what happened now?" you asked with a loving smile, wiping away his tears.
He nodded and turned from you to sit on the stairs more comfortably. You sat down beside him and took his hand. He then told you what he had found out about himself and about his conversation with Odin.
"I have never been more than a political instrument. And now that doesn't matter anymore?! Y/N I don't know who I am anymore." he cried. You pulled him closer and pressed a kiss to his head.
"You are Loki Odinson. I see how you understood Odin saying the political plans he had with you don't matter anymore as 'you don't matter anymore', but I think that's not what he meant. Can't it be that those plans don't matter anymore, because now you matter? Can't it be that he abandoned his original plans because he loved you as his son?" you suggested.
Loki let out a heavy sigh considering your words. "He could have told me before. Instead, he just hoped I would never find out. What 'loving father' does that"
"A lot of them actually" you answered. "How parents communicate, or don't communicate, to their children that they are adopted is often a problem. And I so agree with you that Odin should have told you at some point himself."
"He told me he wanted to protect me from the truth." Loki cried "From what? From what I am? Am I such a horrible monster that I need to be protected from myself?!" Your heart broke for him at these words.
"Oh dear, no! Look at me.", you lifted his head from your shoulder and brought your face close to his. "You are not a monster. Don't you ever believe that. Listen to me. You. Are. Not. A. Moster" You reassured, caressing his cheek with one hand.
He leaned into your touch with closed eyes. Tears streaming down his face again. "How can you be so sure when you haven't seen it yet."
"Because I know you.", you press a kiss to his forehead, "And I see you, and there is not the faintest trace of a monster."
Loki got up, pulling you up by your hand. He wordlessly guided you down the stairs, to the casket. You followed him, squeezing his hand in an attempt to offer some comfort.
When you reached the casket, he touched it with both hands, just as he had done earlier. Ever so slowly his skin turned blue and curious shapes appeared on his body. He turned his head towards you, sad red eyes staring into yours.
"Do you see it now?" He cried.
He expected you to be shocked. To turn away from him. Just the thought of you leaving him was more than he could bear at the moment. If you would hate him now, he was sure that no one could love him.
But to his surprise, you did none of that. You climbed between his arms, which were still holding onto the casket, and smiled at him with so much love in your eyes that his worries melted away in an instant. Loki closed his eyes when you cupped his face with your hands and pressed another kiss to his forehead.
"This doesn't change anything" you smiled. "You are not defined by your genes. Yes, you may have been born a frost giant, but you were raised in Asgard. You are an Asgardian, and even if you can't see it right now, you are so, so loved here."
Tears seeped out of his eyes again as he let go of the casket and placed his hands on top of yours, holding them in place.
"Thor loves you, a lot. Even if you stab him sometimes." you chuckled
"He doesn't know it yet" Loki whispered. "I don't think that it will make a difference to him," you said.
"He's been talking about slaying frost giants ever since we were children! How can you say it won't make a difference to him!" Loki whined.
"I know Thor, and you do too. He won't think of you differently, just because you turn blue when it gets cold. And I think his views about genocide might change once he comes back from his punishment." you chuckle.
"And your parents love you. Your father too, even if you can't see it at the moment. Even if he majorly fucked up."
"He claims to love me. But does he? He's always favoured Thor. I don't think that I can ever be good enough for him." He bites back.
"And that's fucked up. But he still loves you even if he sucks at being a father. But you don't owe him any love of yours, just that you don't misunderstand me. But I think that, when he wakes up, you two should have an honest talk. Maybe you'll find together again, maybe you won't. Nonetheless, there are people who love you here. Even if you feel alienated from everyone now, you are not alone, my dear."
He didn't know what to do with your words. He loved his family. And he wanted nothing more than his father to love him and to be proud of him. But he couldn't see it. Not right now. Not with what he had just found out.
And now you were standing here, telling him that he was indeed loved. Could that be true? He desperately wished it to be. And after all, you grew up with him, you nearly spend the same amount of time with his family he did. So maybe, just maybe you were right?
"And I love you Loki. I love you so much. No matter what happens I will always be at your side. I will always be there for you. I love you so so much." He closed his eyes again at your words.
This was what he had been longing to hear since you entered this room. You still loved him. Even if everyone else would turn on him, even if he had been no more than a political instrument for his father you still loved him.
This was the one thing you said, that he could believe at this moment. You had seen what he was and still loved him.
He let himself sink into your arms again. When he felt your fingers running through his hair he let out a small whimper.
With every touch, you pierced his shattered soul back together. Every hug, every caress of your hand, every forehead kiss put a piece back into its place.
You two stood there, in front of the casket, for a long time, just holding each other.
Finally, you broke the comfortable silence :
"I understand that Odin won't wake up for some time, now that he is in Odinsleep. And with Thor banished, all the responsibility will be on you now. If that's too much for you at the moment, if you want to take some time to process everything, you can stay at my place for a while and escape everything, just for now. Only if you'd like, of course", you offered.
He pulled out of the hug, just so much that he could look you in the eye. "I'd very much like that, thank you" he smiled at you, sad, but also thankful.
Note: I did not proofread this so if it sucked I'm sorry. If I ever find the motivation to go over it again I might edit it and make it better I guess.
summary. after taking a trip to midgard with thor, you are shaken with the shocking discovery that your once praised body was looked down upon.
warnings. hurt/comfort, insecurities, overthinking, loki being a good big brother, thor is oblivious, humans suck, blunt loki, kind of dieting? (if you squint).
۶ৎ a/n .ᐟ | thank you so much @lilacprincessofrecovery for your request! i really did have a fun time writing this and was happy to try my hand at a platonic relationship, and it's safe to say i greatly enjoyed it :]
— links .ᐟ masterlist | ao3
Growing up in Asgard, you had never really had any qualms about your weight or height; hell, you hadn't even thought about it. Your people were more worried about drinking and large feasts rather than what your body looks like.
In Asgard, everyone was desired, everyone was equal and deserving. You had never once grown up feeling like you lived in your brothers Thor and Loki’s shadows.
So when Thor had offered you to come to visit Midgard with him, it was safe to say you experienced a major culture shock.
It was the simple things that you had begun to notice during your stay there; people side-eyeing you, their gaze lingering for longer than you were comfortable with, often having look a disgust on their faces.
For the first time in your life, you hadn't felt comfortable in your own skin, wanting nothing more than to go back home to hide in your chambers.
Expressing to Thor that you had felt a little home sick, he bid you a farewell.
Loki could tell the difference in your demeanor once you had arrived home, briskly walking past him and into your room.
All you could do was think, nitpicking every single part of your life leading up to this moment; what did the Asgardians think about you? Did they find you as revolting as the Midgardians did? Did your people think you weren't fit to lead due to the size of your body?
Yes, you had to admit that when you were a child you had indulged in the delicacies that were Asgardian sweets, but was that such a crime?
Loki knew that humans could cruel, not having a sense of acceptance when it came to looks like Asgardians do. He was aware that you were different, and he wasn't trying to be cruel, but it was blatantly obvious with your short height and extra weight, but that was a sign of good health, fortune, and riches.
The only thing Loki didn't know was that you began to grow jealous of him; jealous of his confidence, his height, and his build.
You began to think that, that was the body of a warrior, the body of someone that was built to lead. For the first time in forever, you weren't sure about yourself, and you hated it.
You watched longingly as your friends and family feasted, the only thing on your plate consisted of a piece of meat and vegetables. Loki could see it in your eyes that you were unhappy, but Thor was none the wiser, messing around and laughing. Loki wasn't one for these parties, but the difference in your behavior was what drew him here, to keep an eye on you.
Loki took a seat next to you. “Not one for the festivities today, little sister?” You heard him ask. You turned your head to look at him, acutely aware of the fact that your stomach growled. “I've been training a lot recently, must be making me tried.” You said with a tight lipped smile. You could tell that Loki didn't buy it.
“How about you come take a walk with me? It's quite suffocating in here with all the meatheads in one place.” That pulled an actual laugh from you, Loki now adorning a small smile as he waited for your answer. “Yes, that sounds lovely.” You both quietly exited, no doubt no one would notice the both of your absence.
The night was silent, Loki's hands clasped behind his back as he walked besides you silently.
“You know midgardians are fools, do you not?”
You let out a sigh, not daring to look into his eyes. “I wouldn't say fools exactly.” He scoffed, “Then superficial may be the correct word.” You couldn't argue with him about that one. “Their opinion should not matter to you, sister. You are a God, they are merely a speck of dust compared to you. You are above them, you are what protects them, if they knew who you were they'd bow at your feet.”
“It's not just that Loki, I— it doesn't matter if I'm a god. It matters what my people think. What if they don't think I'm fit to lead because of my body? It makes sense if they think you or Thor are. You both have the body of a warrior, someone that is fit to lead, and fight, and I'm— and I'm just… soft.” You rambled, tears stinging in your eyes.
“Stop.” He said, his voice hard. “You don't need a body like mine or Thor's to be fit to lead. You are the strongest woman I know, inside and out. You have the attributes of a queen, of a solider, someone that can take care of their people,” He stopped so that he could set both of his hands on your shoulders.
“Yes, having a fit body does help, but that is nothing compared to the bravery that is needed.” You hadn't realized it, but Loki's words were exactly what you needed to hear for the past week. Allowing him to pull you in a hug, you silently cried into his chest.
Now, Loki was never one for sentiments, but you were his little sister, so there would always be a soft spot in his heart for you.
Ship: Loki x Reader OR Loki & Reader, because it could be read as platonic or as a budding relationship. I might write a part 2 in the future, and I will tag that accordingly if I decide to make it more of a romance.
Type: Fluff
Wordcount: 1819
TW: None
Synopsis: Loki hires you to petsit, without you knowing who you were petsitting for. You're extra surprised when you see the creatures you'll be sitting.
Day 5 of AU-gust: "Pet Sitters"
A/N: A day late, but I love this a lot.
Shoutout to the @augustwritingchallenge who suggested someone petsitting a god's creatures, because I don't think this would've came to mind if they hadn't.
As you followed the directions to where you were going, you stumbled upon a large, closed gate. There was a small building with someone inside, and the woman slid open a little window so you could hear her. “May I see your ID, please?”
You were a bit surprised by the security of the place, but quickly nodded. “Uhm yeah, of course.” you said, fumbling around in the glovebox for your ID card. You finally found it, handing it over to the woman. “Here you go.”
She looked it over, then scanned it with some sort of device before nodding and handing it back to you. “Do you have any weapons in the car with you?”
“Uh- pepper spray?” You said, unsure if that would qualify as a weapon. The lady just smiled slightly and shook her head. “That’s fine. You're all clear to go in.” She said, punching some buttons in on her side, opening the gate.
“Thank you!” You said, putting your ID back into the glovebox and continuing down the road. Of all the sitter gigs you’ve had, you’d never come across a place with this level of security. You were hoping this would mean generous tips.
The driveway was around mile long, and you could see trees running around the property to give it more seclusion. You finally reached a series of buildings, completely lost on where to go. One of the bigger buildings had a big “A” on it, and you figured it must just be a family name or business.
Unsure of where to park or go in, you pulled up the text conversation you had with the person you were pet sitting for. ‘Park at the SouthWest entrance, and you can enter there. The front desk will have someone to show you where to go. You can call or text me if you have any questions.’
After some driving around, you found where to park and were able to get inside the building. There were a lot more people than you were expecting, so you figured that it must be a company where some people live.
You made your way to the front desk, smiling. “Hi, I’m here for-” You started, but the man at the desk interrupted you. “The pet sitter?” You nodded, surprised he knew what you were there for. The woman at the gate must’ve sent a heads-up. “Follow me.” the man said, and you did, following him into a fancy elevator-that also required a keycode.
Once the elevator reached the floor you were going to, the doors opened. “Go straight until you see a set of stairs, and after those, turn right.” You nodded, thanking the man as the doors to the elevator closed back.
You followed his directions, finding yourself in what looked like a common area. There was a boy sitting on the couch-he appeared to be a teenager-who smiled when he saw you. “You must be Mr. Loki’s pet sitter!” He said, standing up to shake your hand.
“Yeah, I’m here to pet sit.” You replied, slightly surprised by the name of your new client. You figured that their parents must've appreciated mythology.
“I’m Peter.” The boy said, smiling. “Nice to meet you, Peter.” You said, introducing yourself to him. After a short conversation with Peter, two men walked into the room, appearing to be deeply immersed in a conversation.
“Mr. Loki, the pet sitter is here.” Peter said, and Loki’s eyes snapped over to you. “My apologies, dear, I didn’t see you there.”
You looked over at Loki and the man next to him, recognizing the blonde, and suddenly it clicked in your head who you were working for. “Loki… as in Loki who-” You started but the man rolled his eyes.
“-Who attacked New York? Yes, yes that Loki.” He interrupted, sighing. “I can assure you I’ve put those days behind me, and am now working alongside the Avengers for the time being.”
Stunned, you opened your mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. “So I’m… In the Avengers headquarters?”
The man beside him, whom you recognized as Thor, scrunched his eyebrows. “You didn’t tell her who she was working for?” Loki threw his hands up, seemingly exasperated. “No, because if I did, I would risk someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing taking the job because they want to see their ‘oh-so-famous’ heroes.”
“Yeah, sorry, I’m just a bit shocked.” You said, regaining your professionalism. “I’m here to do what I came for, so if you could just show me to your animals I can get started?”
Loki nodded, giving you a bit of a smile. “Right. Follow me.” He led you down several hallways, and one flight of stairs, before stopping outside of a door. “You said you were good with… exotic pets?”
You nodded, smiling. “Yes, I’ve worked with many different types of pets before.” You confirmed, and Loki opened the door, a dog immediately springing out at you.
The dog began to run to Loki, but upon noticing you, it ran over and jumped at you. “Awww. Hi baby!” You cooed, petting the dog on its head, scratching their ears.
“I haven’t seen a dog that looks quite like this before, it almost looks like a wolf.” You said, laughing, as you continued to pet the dog.
“He is a wolf.” Loki said, and you looked up at him with a smile, assuming he was joking. Once you saw his face, your smile faltered a bit.
“Really?” You asked, examining the creature a bit more. He did certainly look like a wolf. Loki nodded, rubbing his arm. “Is this alright with you? I can assure you he will not hurt you. He’s a sweet boy, aren’t you Fenrir?”
The wolf wagged his tail, and you laughed, continuing to pet him. “No yeah, it’s totally fine. Something new I can add to my resume.” You joked, doubting anyone would believe you if you were to say you petsat a wolf.
“Well, good, because the next one might surprise you a bit more.” Loki said, and you prepared yourself. “Alright.” You said, following him into the room, Fenrir tagging along.
You were astonished to see a large tank of water in the room, and even more so to see what was swimming inside. There was an unfathomably large serpent slithering around, and it appeared to be holding onto its tail with its mouth.
“Wow.” You breathed, not sure what to say. “What uh, what type of animal is it?” You asked, your curiosity beyond peaked.
“A sea serpent.” Loki replied, before reconsidering. “Kind of. He’s not really from around here though, so he has some qualities that Midgard’s sea serpents might not.”
As the creature swam around, you watched, mesmerized at the way it moved so freely. “What’s his name?”
“Jörmungandr.” Loki replied, and your eyes widened. There was no way you were going to pronounce that right.
“Whor-Man-dr?” You tried.
“No. Jörmungandr”
“Yo-Mun-Gr?” You sounded out, but Loki shook his head.
“Jörmungandr.” He repeated, and you tried again.
“Yor-Moon-andr?”
“Closer. It’s not an easy name to pronounce, but that’s close enough for now.” Loki said, and you nodded. You had heard many crazy pet names, but this one might be one of the hardest you’ve ever had to pronounce.
“How do I feed him?” You asked, a bit confused on how you were going to get anything into the tank.
Loki pointed to the top of the tank. “There is a set of stairs to get level with the top of the tank, and there's some buttons to open it. His food is all up there in fridges and freezers, and I have a sheet for you for each of the animals and what you’ll need to do.”
“Alright then. So, I count one more animal? The horse I believe?” You ask, and Loki smiled and nodded. “Sleipnir.” He said, leading you back through the door and into an elevator. Fenrir followed, happy with the ear scratches you gave him every now and then.
Loki took you and Fenrir outside, going to a fenced-off field, entering through a barn. Inside the barn, a horse ran up to you, Loki, and Fenrir, evidently happy to get visitors.
“This is Sleipnir.” Loki said, and you gently pet the horse’s muzzle. You noticed the horse had eight legs, double the amount of normal horses, but you weren't overly surprised after your encounter with Jörmungandr.
“Hi buddy.” You said, stroking Sleipnir’s mane as he let out a snort. “I have to ask, do his eight legs make him a lot faster than other horses?” You asked, and Loki smiled.
“Oh yes. Sleipnir is one of the fastest horses, if not the fastest horse in all the realms.” Loki said, proudly. “Isn’t that right?” Sleipnir neighed in response, causing you to laugh.
Loki’s phone buzzed, and his smile faded a bit as he read whatever notification he had gotten. “Alright, me and the team have to leave, but I’ve sent over the instructions you’ll need over to your phone. Since this mission might be a few days, Stark has set up a room for you so you don’t have to travel back and forth. Security knows who you are and where you’re staying, so you shouldn’t have any problems.”
He gave the horse one more pat before leading you and his wolf outside of the barn, closing the door to prevent Sleipnir from getting out. “I’ll go ahead and show you where your room is. Fenrir usually sleeps in my room, but if you’re not comfortable with him in there he can just roam the common areas.”
You nodded, following Loki as he walked you back through the building and up to a door. “Here is where you’ll be staying.” He said, and you smiled and thanked him.
“If you need anything, feel free to ask FRIDAY, the building’s AI system. She can give you directions if you need them, as this is a rather big building and it’s easy to get lost. She should also keep you updated on when I’ll be back. Feel free to leave if you need and come back, you don’t have to stay here the entire time. There should be plenty of food in the common areas which we passed through, so just help yourself.”
After you thanked him again, he bid his goodbye and left off to go do whatever it was that the world-famous Avengers did. You opened the room, surprised at how big it was. “Well then.” You said, setting some of your things down on the bed. Fenrir followed, but you didn’t mind.
You read through the directions Loki had sent over for each of the animals. It was going to be a lot of work, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to pet sit for a god’s creatures, wasn’t it?
A/N: So... I might make another part to this if anyone's interested?? I think it would be fun! Especially when reader finds out Fenrir can talk...
Tag List (Comment or inbox me to be added/removed; along with what to be tagged for): @michief-dream
Summary: you realise Loki doesn't know much about midgardian coffee, and you offer him a solution to adapt his Jötun tongue to the hotness of the espressos.
Word count: 900
Tags: pure fluff. Loki's personality is once again like a cat.
Loki takes his coffee black—the bitterest one, if possible. He takes his own damn time making it too, and never lets anyone do it for him. He may from time to time leave a cup of fresh tea for his brother, if he's feeling bold, but Thor never takes it —distrusting; is this a prank? Is this poisoned?
The first time you've ever came to the actual compound —in need of an unfinished job from Tony's lab on your own city— you've found him hidden in a secluded area of the kitchen, a corner of the squared island, legs spread long over the next chair and his mind focused on a book. You observed him for as long as you could without him noticing —or at least, he seemed not to notice— and wondered why he hadn't touched his steaming cup of coffee, seemingly fresh.
You later found out he was a frost giant. It came out in lab chatter, and Tony spitted it out like it stung on his tongue —he's never been very fond of the God of Mischief; he called him a silent nightmare to live with, a war that's yet to unleash. He was certain, one day Loki would stop playing as an innocuous member of the Avengers and bring the chaos and disaster he was supposed to from the beginning.
You were sure, after a few weeks of moving in, that Tony was imagining things. Loki seemed like a —more or less— trustable man. Time had just done him poorly, and he had to keep his guard up, much like Tony himself.
Loki didn't have much to do, unlike the rest of the avengers, when it came to filling the day with activities. Stark and Potts were highly busy, as always. The two Captain Americas were always booked with interviews. The rest would keep on with their lives with families or friends, and all of them always dedicated a great part of the day to training with their favourite methods.
Loki, however, didn't have many social activities to pass the day. You saw him waking up earlier than most —walking into the kitchen to make his bitter cup of coffee before six in the morning—, and frowning in recognition.
"You're up early", he stated. But he didn't elaborate on any kind of conversation, and you didn't force him to. He knew your name, and what you were doing there. That was enough at the time. He was like a frightened cat, and you needed to approach him slowly to befriend him.
He would read the entire morning. You did the same, up until ten, and then would go to Tony's lab. He didn't kick you out, and you took that as a sign that it was okay for you to stay in the same island kitchen, reading in silence. You noticed his curious eye roaming around you and your book from time to time, never daring to ask what you were reading. He sensed your strategy —reading with the book against the table, for him to eventually ask you out loud if he wanted to know—, and smirked.
You notice now, seeing him start to drink his already completely cooled down cup of coffee, a disgusted expression, gulping it down without care of its taste anymore.
"You don't like it?".
He is staring at you and setting the cup down, taken aback by your sudden communication—it's been weeks and you hadn't said anything if he didn't start it first.
"Not exactly".
"It's better when it's hot", you push him a little. He smirks in amazement, knowing you know he can't drink it hot. He is a frost giant, after all.
"Well, I don't take it hot".
"Why don't you go with the cold, then?".
"Beg your pardon?".
"Let me make you a cold brew", you propose. "It's gonna be better than chilled down espressos".
"Absolutely not", he says, pretending to come back to his book. You sit down again and come back to yours.
"You could see the step by step if you needed to", you murmur. "I'm not planning on poisoning you and killing you yet. I have to get you fat first", you joke, and that's exactly what makes him come back to the conversation.
"Get me fat? You don't plan on eating me, don't you?", he teases, and you want to pull your hands together and thank the Gods you finally made him cut some slack and joke with you. He is always so serious.
"Well, not like that. You'd be too fibrous, and my canines are so weak".
"Very funny", he rolls his eyes, a smirk still on his lips. "What is that cold brew you were saying, pray tell?".
“It’s good. A way to drink the coffee cold without having to stand that gross abomination you’ve been drinking ever since you came here”, you point at his almost empty cup. He frowns.
“Why haven’t I seen it so far, then?”.
“It’s been snowing for the past week. It’s a summer drink… unless your passport says Jötunheim, of course”.
“You think you’re so funny”, he chuckles, getting up alongside with you and walking to the brewing machine.
“I am”.
“I know. I like you”.
And just like that, you realise, you won the God of Mischief’s friendship.
The sight of the raven haired man made you swiftly turn around, away from him, hoping he hadn’t seen you. You hadn’t seen Loki in months, and now he just appeared out of nowhere at the restaurant where you were working. You assumed that he was there looking for you. Maybe he had heard the news already, now that you had no way of hiding it anymore. You put a hand on your growing belly and spoke softly to the little life that was growing inside of you.
“Don’t you worry darling. It’s just your daddy being a fool as always. Let’s hope he doesn’t cause a scene this time.”
“[Your name]!” Loki called out in the restaurant, causing people to stare at him.
“Damn it,” you muttered and turned around to look at him. He was just a few metres away from you and was holding out his hands as though he wanted to show you that he was unarmed.
“[Your name], I…” he trailed off and his greenish eyes widened with surprise at the sight of your belly. “So it’s true then. You’re pregnant.”
“She’s mine. Don’t you dare come here and claim her as your own after you disappeared on me like that. It’s been months since I last heard from you! That’s not how this will work! You can’t come and go as you wish. Either you stay with us, or you stay away from us,” you told him angrily.
“Her?” Loki asked with a smile as he was taking a step towards you. He seemed genuinely happy. “Are we having a girl?”
“It’s a girl,” you confirmed wryly. You had still not forgiven him for just vanishing like that after you opened up your heart to him. You thought you had scared him off forever.
“I’m sorry I left without a word,” Loki said apologetically. “There was something I had to do. It was important.”
“Yeah. Clearly more important than I am,” you muttered.
“It was to protect you,” Loki said defensively and placed his hands on your belly. You flinched away from him at his gentle touch and he sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“It always is with you, isn’t it?” you scoffed.
“Well, I suppose it may seem that way,” Loki replied. He tried to look like he was sorry, but he couldn’t hide the big smile that had been on his face since he heard you refer to your daughter as her. He was excited about the news. “I came to find you as soon as I heard,” he told you. “If only I had known sooner, I would have helped.”
“I’m managing just fine without you,” you told him irritably.
“Yes, I can see that,” Loki said. “But now you don’t have to do this all alone. I’m here now, and I plan on staying with you. I want to be present in our daughter’s life. And yours,” he explained. “It may be a bit too late for this, but I love you too. I meant to tell you that the night I disappeared. But something else came in the way.”
“What exactly came in the way?” you wondered.
“I can’t tell you,” Loki replied. “I’m sorry.”
“I need you to convince me that you won’t leave our daughter like that, if something comes in the way again,” you told him seriously. “Can I count on you to always be there for her?”
“It was a witch. She was going to kill you. I hunted her down and killed her, so now she can’t hurt you anymore,” Loki explained. You frowned at him, unable to decide whether he was telling the truth or just making things up.
“Well, will there be more witches coming for us then?” you demanded and crossed your arms.
“It was one of the last ones. I seriously doubt that they will bother us anymore,” Loki assured you. “So, can I stay?”
“Do I have your word? Will you stay with us no matter what?” you asked him seriously.
He looked you straight in the eyes and nodded. “I’ll stay with you, no matter what. You have my word,” he said and put a hand on his chest. “And you have my heart.”
The anger you had felt for the last few months washed right off you. You felt great relief as you let go of the hard feelings and let him into your heart again. “And you have mine,” you whispered softly into his ear as you embraced him. Tears ran down your face as he wrapped his strong arms around you. You felt safe and somehow healed.
As you found yourself on an alien planet, dangling off the side of a cliff two hundred feet off the ground, the only thought that ran through your head was Huh. This is definitely not how I expected to die. It wasn’t as if S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had a good track record of dying peacefully in their sleep but falling off a cliff wasn’t such a common occurrence either. Since becoming an agent, you had always assumed you would give your life in battle for a teammate or sacrifice yourself to help save the world. And even after Director Fury had assigned you to be the S.H.I.E.L.D. emissary to Asgard, you had expanded the list of possible deaths to include things like intergalactic eels, getting sucked out into space, or accidently eating a fruit that was deadly to Midgardians. But death by falling off a cliff still had never crossed your mind.
Yet, here you were, barely managing to hold on to a ledge with one hand while the other hand clasped the golden box you had been tasked with retrieving. Or more specifically, you had been tasked with retrieving the magic amulet contained within the golden box. Thor had tried to explain exactly what it did, but all the space magic hocus pocus went right over your head. But you had gotten the gist of things: amulet was powerful = mustn’t fall into the wrong hands.
And so, while Thor had distracted the guards, you and Loki had snuck into the Vanaheim warehouse to steal the box. Everything had gone according to plan, until something tripped you during your escape and you slid off the side of the cliff. Luckily, you had managed to grab a small ledge that jutted out of the cliffside, stopping your descent. However, you knew neither the ledge nor your arm could hold out forever.
Loki was on his knees peering over the edge of the cliff, his face a mixture of fear and uncertainty. He glanced between your two occupied hands and called down to you, “I can’t help you while you are holding the box. Hand it to me, then I can pull you up by your free hand.”
“I can’t do that. Thor made me promise to guard the amulet and never let it out of my possession.”
“Well, I think he would make an exception in this case. And you can have it back as soon as you have ground beneath your feet again.” Suddenly, your hand that was grasping the ledge slipped a few centimeters as some small rocks broke off under your clenched fingers. You and Loki locked eyes, both pairs frantic with panic, knowing there wasn’t much time left. He leaned over the cliff on his stomach, reaching his hand towards you. “Please, let me help you! For once, just trust me!”
You stared at him a moment longer, then gently tossed the box into his outstretched hand. As soon as it was securely in his grasp, all panic drained from his face as it was replaced by the sly, pretentious smirk you had come to know all too well. Loki flipped his hair back as he raised himself up to his knees, sneering down his nose at your still dangling form below him. “Sorry my dear. It hurts, doesn’t it? Being lied to. But you know, God of Mischief and all that. You really should be more careful about who you trust in the future.” He glanced down at the long drop beneath you. “Well, if there was a future for you. Now if you excuse me, I have a galaxy to conquer.”
With that, he stood and began to turn away from the edge of the cliff, opening the box as he did. BANG! The box exploded into hundreds of tiny, jagged shards just as you had rigged it to do. You heard Loki scream in agony as the metal pieces tore into him. He whipped around and you saw that his hands and face had taken the brunt of the damage. The worst of the injuries were a large piece of shrapnel that had embedded itself into the bottom of his chin and another slightly smaller piece which was sticking out of his now ruined eye socket. You laughed humorlessly as you realized it made him look like a cheap imitation of Odin. Oh, he’s going to despise that!
As Loki glared down at you, blood dripping like rain on your face, you pulled the amulet from your jacket with a cruel smile. His one good eye widened in amazement. You yelled up to him, “If you recall, I never said I trusted you, you asshole! I figured you would try and pull something like this, so I removed the amulet and used one of my explosives to booby trap the box. After knowing you for this long, did you really think I would forget about all your tricks?”
“Ah, but it seems you forgot about this one!” His face was a mask of fury as he dramatically waved his hands in your direction. Nothing happened.
Loki looked down at his hands in confusion, not comprehending why his magic hadn’t worked. You laughed harshly. “I didn’t forget but it seems you did! Thor said that that specific box was used to hide the amulet because it blocks magic. Which means that as long as all those tiny pieces are still lodged in your face, you can’t access your magic! You’re completely powerless!” You watched as he tried again and again to get the slightest spark of magic, but it was no use.
Finally, he gave up and hissed down at you. “So, what now? There’s nothing else you can do. You’re out of options. Just hand me the amulet and I might just look past this little indiscretion and still save your traitorous hide. After all, I am the only one who can help you. You’re dead without me.”
“You’re wrong, Loki.” You stared back unflinchingly. “There was never anyone here who would help me. I was dead the moment I fell off the edge of this cliff.”
Tucking the amulet close to your chest, you let go of the ledge. As you fell, some sick, twisted part of you was kind of glad that the last image you would ever see was Loki’s wounded, bloody face full of astonishment and disbelief. You had finally pulled one over on the trickster god. You just hoped Thor would find your body with the amulet before Loki did.
