Relationship: Dark!Bucky x Reader, King!Loki x Reader
Summary: The Odinson Kings take over Midgard, appointing commanders to help them colonize the entire planet. Commander Barnes finds you during a raid of untouched lands and claims you as his own. You endure months of torture and abuse at the metal hand of the cruel man, and are set to suffer even more when he sends you to King Loki to break you further. Upon meeting the feared man, you find that looks can be deceiving, and rumors are not always what they seem.
A/N: Thank you to my editor @green-mischief-managed for helping me with this fic! Let me know if you want to be tagged!
Warnings: Minors DNI, 18+, very NSFW. Fingering, oral sex (f and m receiving), handjobs, blood and gore, torture, rape, knives, death, mutilation, choking, burning, breeding kink, forced pregnancy, vaginal sex, mentions of suicide. This fic deals with dark themes such as rape, abuse and torture. If these themes make you uncomfortable, please do not read!
Previous Chapter Masterlist
Lorelai. The name rattled around in your head, pinging off your skull as you tried to discern the reason for her hostility.
Loki’s new little friend, she said. What was that supposed to mean? How did she even know who you were? And why was she looking at you like something on the bottom of her shoe?
It irritated you, to be honest. Derision filled yourself at her treatment, and you opened your mouth to give her a fitting reply, “I’m-”
“Flower.” All the tension left your body the minute you heard his voice. His hand touched your lower back, then Loki appeared beside you. You wrapped both your arms around his bicep and leaned into him. “Lorelai.”
“Loki,” she purred. Her eyes flickered down to where you held onto his arm. “I see you’ve brought a friend.”
Sharon appeared shortly after, hands folded across her chest as she took in the scene before her. She paused a little at your close embrace with the king. “Hey,” she whispered in your ear. “The fuck is that?”
“No idea.” If Loki heard you, he did not let on. Instead, he addressed the woman before him with a steady tone.
“Is there a problem here?” The look on his face made it clear this Lorelai woman had caused many, many problems in the past.
“None,” she told him, lifting a slender hand to caress his shoulder. “Now that you’re here, that is.” You shared a look with Sharon.
Clearly, this was the other woman those two girls told you about that night in the harem. The red hair was a clue, but the familiarity with which she spoke to and touched him was the giveaway.
“I’m only here for the summit.” Loki removed her hand, face still blank. “I would thank you not to cause any trouble while we’re here.” Lorelai’s face curled up into a smile.
“Trouble?” she echoed. “That’s more your thing, isn’t it, Loki? Though, I suppose we’ve both had our fair share of fun together.”
Together. You didn’t like the way she said that word.
“That was in the past,” Loki’s voice was curt. “I’ll not put up with your shenanigans this time. I’d thank you to take your leave now, as I’ve some important business to attend to.”
Lorelai did not look at him. Her eyes flickered to you instead, running over your form once more. Finally, she settled on your eyes. You stared back without wavering. She seemed to like that.
“You’re probably right. It’s quite clear there’s to be no more fun between us.” She smiled- not unkindly, which confused you further- and turned on her heel, then she was retreating down the hall in a flurry of green skirts.
“Well,” said Sharon, breaking what was about to be an uncomfortable silence, “that was eventful.” She turned to the king then, fixing him with a cool stare. “I hear you have something to say to me.”
Sharon Carter was a no-nonsense woman. Loki noticed that the minute he saw her approach you. He watched how she glared at Lorelai, whom she did not know, simply because the woman was a nuisance to you. He watched her link her arm in yours and lead the way to the library he intended to use for their chat — though he was unsure how she knew which one — and trailed behind, feeling quite out of sorts.
He had grown used to you always wanting to be by his side. It was silly, he chided himself. Sharon was your friend. He was your…What were you? Your friend for sure, but something more. Something softer, sweeter; something that—
“I’ve been told you want to speak to me.” Sharon’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. They were in the library now, with Sharon leaning against the table. You stood awkwardly between them, eyes darting from one to the other. “Out with it.”
“No, it’s okay,” Loki assured you. “It’s fine.” He turned his attention to Sharon, all five foot eight of blonde hair and reproachful expressions. “I wish to apologize,” he began, “for the part I’ve played in your suffering. There is nothing I can say or do that will erase what you’ve—”
“I don’t like you.” Loki stopped, lips paused at the beginning of the word he never got to say. “I really, really don’t like you,” Sharon continued, “and I don’t care for your apologies. I don’t care if you feel bad and I don’t want to hear any of your rehearsed lies. You want something from me. Spare me the theatrics and just tell me what it is.”
And for maybe the third time in his life, Loki was at a loss for words. He had an entire speech planned. Of course, he meant every word. A younger, lesser version of him might appeal to her emotions to sway her to his side. Valhalla knows he had done it many times before, but not now, not knowing what he knew.
Luckily for him, you seemed to know exactly what to say. You glided over to Sharon and took her hands in yours. “It’s not like that,” you murmured. “We need your help, Sharon. Loki thinks that some of the commanders were stealing from Asgard.”
“Stealing what?” Sharon wanted to know.
Chocolate eyes swung to him. “A flower? And what do you presume they did with this plant, your majesty?”
“They used it to kill my mother.” Now, she went silent, and Loki continued. “That was why I took over Midgard in the first place. Someone from your realm was able to steal a flower from a heavily guarded place under the watchful eye of Heimdall, and they used it to kill my mother. After that, I decided humans needed to be put in check.” His eyes flickered to you; to your sweet face full of nothing but understanding. “I was wrong.”
“Loki just wants to help,” you explained. “He knows what he did was wrong and he can’t take it back. He knows this was his fault, but Sharon, things are bad. The Commanders are afraid of Loki, yes, but they hate him. That hatred made them kill a goddess!”
“I agree they need to be stopped, but I’m not sure how I can help you.” Most of the bite had gone out of Sharon’s voice, replaced with an emotion akin to fatigue. Loki concluded the babe she obviously carried was partly the reason and made a mental note to get his healers to check on her before the day’s end.
“We need information,” Loki told her. “Any information. Did Captain Rogers ever receive any shipments unaccounted for? Ever see him meeting at weird times with anyone?” Sharon folded her arms in thought.
“He was off with James a lot. If you ask me, I’d say they were secretly in love.” You and Sharon shared a look before she continued. “Honestly, I couldn’t tell you where Steve went. He never brought anything strange into the house, and even if he did, I’d never ask him. I knew better than to go looking.”
She stopped speaking. A flicker of doubt crossed her face. Loki pounced on it immediately. “What? You’ve just remembered something. What is it?”
“Loki.” The admonishment came from you. “Give her a chance. Sharon,” you grabbed her hands again, “is there something you remember? Anything you can tell us will be of help.”
“There’s a room back home he never let me in. I wasn’t supposed to see it, since it was hidden.” Loki lifted a brow.
Sharon’s eyes roamed the room. They stopped on an oak bookshelf spanning the entirety of the opposite wall. “There’s a shelf in his study. Full of books he never reads. One day, I was dusting the books and pulled a few out. I can’t be sure which one did it, but there was a click, and the shelf moved out of the way.”
“What happened next, Miss Carter?”
She shrugged. “Nothing. Steve came back and I told him I found it and he made me promise not to go back. He put a camera in and locked the door to the study. I figured it was more trouble than it was worth. We did move into an old SHIELD base that was refurbished. It wasn’t uncommon to have hidden rooms.”
“Did you get a peek inside?” Loki asked, though he knew the answer before Sharon shook her head. “These flowers are magic. They can live even after they’ve been plucked. If he was keeping them in there—”
“I’m not going back into that house,” Sharon interjected. “I’m not going back. Especially not with James there.”
“James.” Loki stiffened. “James is on earth?” He cursed under his breath. It was a terrible idea to speak to Sharon before informing you of his conversation with Fandral. “Loki, you told me he was being sent around the realms. How did he get back on Earth?”
“I’ve no idea,” he answered you. “Fandral only just informed me of this. I was going to tell you after we finished here.” He looked at Sharon. “You do not have to return to Earth. Starting today, you are officially under the crown’s protection. You can stay here or return to the palace with us when it is time to do so. Your unborn babe shares the same protection.”
“Who killed his father?” Sharon asked suddenly. “Was it an accident? I can’t imagine it was.” Loki’s silence was enough. “Of course”
“To be fair, the intent wasn’t to kill him.”
Sharon gave him a look. “What was the intent?”
“Questioning,” Loki replied. “Maybe a little torture. Can’t always tell how these things will go.” At his admission, he swore the woman almost smiled. The corners of her lips twitched up a bit before she pulled them back into a neutral expression.
“Well, this has been an enlightening conversation. I think it’s time for me to head to bed. This little one,” she rubbed her stomach, “always has me beat these days.”
“Do you want me to walk you to your room?” you offered. “Or stay with you?”
“No, I think you both have things to talk about.” No explanation was needed to discern what she meant. “I really need some rest.” She made her way to the door, stopping when she was nearly out in the hall. “Your majesty, I’ve been told you’re quite taken with my friend. You’re both adults, so I can’t tell you what to do, but if you hurt her, I will hurt you.”
Loki smirked at that. The fire he received from the blonde woman was the first thing that led him to believe a cordial partnership was on the horizon. Her snarkiness was not unwelcome, and he might have cracked a smile had you not approached him with worry creasing your face.
“James is back?” Trembling hands reached for him, prompting him to pull you close to his body. “Loki, James is back. What are we going to do?”
“You are not going to do anything. He cannot touch you from Earth.” Loki rubbed his hands in a soothing pattern, up and down your arms until your shaking stopped and your forehead rested against his collarbone.
“He’s going to be so angry,” you whispered. Your breath tickled the base of his throat as you spoke. The warmth raised goosebumps on his flesh, making his eyes roll back at the proximity of your mouth to his body. You had such pretty lips. “He’s always so mad at me.”
Loki cleared his throat. He shoved his pervasive thoughts to the back of his mind and cupped the back of your head. “He will not lay a hand on you. This I have promised you before, and I promise it to you now.” You looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “James cannot make it to Asgard on his own. Heimdall will see him coming if he tries, and he’ll be arrested at the bridge. He will not hurt you again.”
A tear fell from your eye. Loki brushed it away with a gentle stroke, following it with two more. He held your face and kissed your forehead, allowing you to cry into his brand-new tunic. It was the first time you ever let him comfort you through your tears, and he was struck by just how much you had come to consider him. In many ways, you were not just the woman who flinched at a touch and walked around as though in a trance. You were becoming much more, and Loki felt glad that he seemed to have contributed to that in some way.
You sniffled. “Who is Lorelai?” Ah. “An old girlfriend?” He almost laughed at the mundane word.
Loki did not have girlfriends or boyfriends. He had lovers, men and women and all in between with whom he shared a mutual attraction and partook in pleasures of the flesh. There were often no real feelings on his part. He would ride out whatever time he spent with them until they wanted more, which he could not give, or they moved on to another. And he never once regretted letting them go. His heart could never seem to get involved.
That was until he met you.
“Lady Lorelai is an old lover of mine,” he told you. “Troublesome, meddlesome, and as good a liar as myself. Except, she takes it too far.”
Your brow creased with fret. “She knows who I am, Loki. She knows who I am and I’ve never met her before.”
“Lorelai likes to keep tabs on me. She is as proud as she is envious, and I can admit now that getting involved with her was a mistake.” He took your hand and led you over to lean against the desk. “You’ve nothing to worry about. Lorelai may think she is a threat, but she has long fallen out of favour with me. And she does not have the use of her gifts anymore.”
“Gifts?” you repeated. “What gifts?”
Loki lifted your hand to his chest. He held it there, smoothing his thumb over your well-nourished skin. “Lorelai has the ability to bend men to her will. She is able to do so with just her voice. Of course, it depends on the will of the man. Lesser wills are easily broken. Stronger ones, not so much.”
“And I suppose you were a much harder conquest?” You looked up at him from beneath your lashes, eyes filled with a hint of teasing.
“I’m immune to most magic, being one of the most advanced sorcerers across the realm.” He could not help but puff out his chest a bit. “Lorelai’s was still tricky to navigate. After we ended things, she began stirring up trouble. Made an inordinate amount of men do her bidding. I am entirely sure she could have caused an uprising if she wanted.”
Alarm crossed your face then, making Loki regret his words. “Do not be worried,” he assured you. “Lorelai was stopped. My mother made a charm bracelet that she is forced to wear by order of the king. It dampens her magic so she cannot use it on people even if she tried.”
“And she really can’t use it?” The fingers of your hand, which he had not let go, were now intertwined with his. He wondered if you even noticed. “She really agreed to wear it?”
Loki chuckled. “It was that or a rather unbecoming muzzle that prevented her from speaking at all. Vanity is as vanity does. At least the bracelet looks rich enough.” His eyes dipped to your hands- fingers woven together as though they were the threads of life themselves. Loki never cared much for silly displays of affection before. Now, he found himself wondering if the spaces between his fingers were crafted specifically for yours to fit.
“You must be tired from the journey,” he said. “Would you like to rest before the dinner? I can come fetch you later.” He moved your hands to your sides- still connected- and began leading you out the door. “I took the liberty of getting us adjoining rooms. Please tell me if it was too presumptuous. I just thought you would feel safer with me nearby.”
“No, that’s fine,” you said, and he could tell by your smile he had made the right choice. “What time is the dinner?”
“I will send someone to fetch you an hour or so before. Our rooms are just down here. Come.”
As it turned out, Loki was right. The rest did you a world of good. You weren’t sure how long you slept, but by the time a servant came in to wake you and help get you ready, it was nearly dark outside.
Night descended quite differently on Asgard. On Earth, the sun would set into a brief dusky grey before the darkness actually fell. Here, the sky seemed to come alive. The disappearance of the sun heralded hues of purples and blues that seemed to reflect the ocean below. The black night fell like a blanket, dotted with stars so bright you often had to look away before your eyes began to burn. It was truly the most beautiful place you had ever seen.
“Lady Dee?” The maidservant’s voice drew your attention away from the window. “You have a visitor. The king.” You smiled.
“He can come in. I’m nearly finished. You can go have your supper now.” She curtsied before you just as Loki walked in, dressed to the nines in formal garb. His trademark smirk was on his face.
His eyes roamed over you from head to toe. You were, of course, wearing one of the many new dresses he’d sent you, this one a simple gold, made of silk held up by delicate chain straps with a cowl neck. The rest of the dress hung off your body like a waterfall, showing off just enough of your newly filled-out figure. “You look wonderful. Something is missing, though. Would you turn around?”
The maidservant was long gone, the door closed to give the two of you some privacy. Loki handed you a silver-backed mirror to hold to keep your neck in focus. In his other hand, the necklace from earlier appeared. He approached you from behind, so close you could feel the ends of his tunic poking into your back.
“Lift your hair for me, darling.” You almost moaned when you felt his breath on your neck. He fastened the necklace with practiced perfection, and you were pleased to find it blended quite well with the dress you chose. It sat nestled above the neckline, adding an extra air of refinement to the plain dress. “Perfect.”
“It’s lovely.” Loki moved your hair back in place as you admired the jewelry. As he did so, you noticed the bracelet you bought him secured on his wrist. “Hey,” you caught at his arm, “you’re wearing it.”
“I told you I would.” He let his hand rest on your bare shoulder. “Would you look at that,” he mused. “They match.”
They really did. The emerald eyes of the golden serpents glistened in the light as though alive, and they were the exact same shade as the teardrop emerald in your piece. “Did you do this on purpose? The necklace?”
Your eyes met in the mirror and he grinned. “Maybe.” He moved some hair away from your ear, lips encroaching on the space near your lobe. “Or maybe, I just wanted to see my colours on you.”
Oh fuck. Loki had flirted with you before, but it was never as intimate as this. His voice had never before dropped this low, nor did his eyes appear so heavy. And his thumb had certainly never run across the skin of your shoulder and up the side of your neck as it was doing now.
“We don’t have to attend the dinner,” he told you. “I can always have it brought here. It’s just a formality anyway.”
You thought for only a second. “You can do that?”
“I’m the king,” he reminded you. “I can do most anything I want.”
The mirror vanished from your hand. Loki released your shoulder, opting to take your hand and give you a little spin. You giggled as he twirled you and then pulled you against him. Your hands went around his neck to steady yourself while his rested on your waist.
“What do you say?” he asked. “Do you wish to endure a boring dinner, or do you want to stay here with me?”
A knock on the door interrupted your acceptance of his proposal. The annoyance on his face as he let you go to answer the door no doubt mirrored your own. Fandral was standing at the door when it opened. He gave you a cheeky smile before addressing the king.
“Loki,” he greeted in that grand way of his. “The Lady Sharon has agreed to your plan. She thinks it best to go at once, with your approval, of course.”
You had joined Loki at the door now. While you weren’t sure what plan they referred to, you could tell any plans you had for the evening were now fully squashed. “What’s going on? What plan?”
“I wish to search the hidden room in Rogers’ house. I sent word to Lady Sharon while you were asleep. In honesty, I had not expected her to agree so quickly.”
“Oh.” That was the only word you could seem to get out in response. “Are you going?” You didn’t want him to go. As silly as it sounded- because you knew he could protect himself- you were worried for his safety if he were to go to Earth.
Loki shook his head. “I’m not going. I’m sending a few men so as not to arouse suspicion. They’ll be in and out and none will be the wiser, but I must brief them, meaning-”
“You’ll be late for dinner.” It was much easier to say this than make Fandral privy to your real plans. “It’s okay. If there is something in that room that can connect them to your mother, it’s better to do it now.” You placed your hands on Loki’s arm. “Go on ahead. I suppose I’ll go to the dinner for the time being.”
“I’ll be back,” Loki promised. He brought your hand to his lips for a kiss— the second that day alone— and you could not help but wonder when he would make advances towards another type of kiss. “I’ll see you soon.
Dinner was a fantastic affair. Lords and ladies sat around an enormous table filled with more food than you had ever seen, dressed in the finest jewels and clothes. Laughter filled the hall and conversation flowed. At one point, a friendly fight broke out: two lords drunk off mead, both wanting to show off their newly crafted swords. And yet still, you were bored out of your mind
There was a goblet of Asgardian ale in your left hand. One of the servants kept refilling it at intervals. The taste did not particularly delight you, but you sipped it to give yourself something to do. At first, you were intent on waiting for Loki to return, but three courses and five ales later, you noticed the meeting would not soon end.
Either way, you were finished here. You pushed your chair back and exited the dining room, goblet still clutched in hand. A kind servant topped you up on your way out. You thanked him with a smile and began the long walk to your room. Maybe, if you were lucky, you would still be awake long enough for Loki to return. You could both spend whatever was left of the night talking until you fell asleep like you did at the palace.
“Lady Dee,” purred a familiar voice. You paused, squinting ahead to see who it was. Lorelai appeared before you in a green dress with her red hair done up in an exquisite bun. You soured a bit upon seeing Loki’s colour draped all over her. “I thought that was you.”
“‘Tis me.” You noted then, to your embarrassment, that your ‘s’ was a bit slurred.
“Why do you hold your head in that manner?” Lorelai enquired. You did find her to be a little askew. Actually, your entire field of vision was off-kilter, and you straightened your head with a flush of your cheeks. “Gotten into the ale, I see.”
You placed the cup at your side. “I’ve had alcohol before.”
“Not Asgardian alcohol, I’m sure. This packs quite a punch. Nothing on Earth can compare to it, although I suppose you might have realized Midgardian spirits have little to no effect on you.”
In truth, you just thought you had an abnormally high tolerance. The vodka back home would burn your throat, but that was as far as it went. “Did you need something from me?”
“I wanted to apologize.” She sounded so sincere you almost believed her. “By now, you’ve heard that Loki and I were involved. He was special to me, and it was very hard for me to let him go. Sometimes, I get a bit in my head when I find out he’s seeing someone new.” She paused to give you a look. “You are seeing each other, aren’t you?”
Your answer did not come soon enough, and she noticed your hesitancy. It delighted her, you could tell, evident by the little quirk of her eyebrows. “Seems I was wrong-”
“We’re taking things slow,” you blurted. “Loki and I.” Lorelai laughed.
“Slow? Loki does not take things slow. He was taking me over the desk of his study daily within the first week of us meeting.” She let out a dreamy sigh, making your stomach churn. It also could have been the ale, but you felt queasy either way. “He’s a very good lover. Once, he tied me up and—”
“I do not wish to hear of your past with Loki. Some things should be kept private.”
“Well, privacy isn’t always Loki’s strong suit. In time, you’ll come to find he doesn’t mind an audience.” She looked you up and down. “Or maybe, you won’t. Since you’re taking things slow.”
You rolled your eyes. Lorelai was a bitch, and you didn’t need to stand here and take this. “I’m leaving. Loki’s waiting for me.”
“Is he? I just came from the library and heard him in a meeting. Sounds like he has more important things on his mind.” She ended her statement with a frown so sad you couldn’t tell if she was faking it. “Why don’t you come back to the dinner with me? I’m sure many gentlemen would love the pleasure of your company.”
“I don’t want them. I want Loki.” Petulance abounded in your voice. You were aware you sounded like a spoiled child, but you could not care.
Lorelai hummed. “My dear,” her hands came to rest on your arms, “I’ve already told you Loki is in a meeting. He’s busy! Why would you want to bother him?” She let her hands wander to the end of your hair. “He doesn’t like to be bothered.”
“But he won’t mind,” you protested. “He never minds me.” At least, he never had before.
“This is a beautiful necklace,” she complimented. Her slim fingers traced the chain around your neck. “Did Loki give it to you? He does have a thing for giving his women jewelry.” She lifted her wrist to show you the golden bracelet dotted with rubies. “He gave this to me. Gorgeous, isn’t it?”
You pushed her hands off of you. The goblet in your hand fell to the floor, splattering drink all over your dress. “You’re lying! Loki’s mother put that on you because of your powers. It’s not the same.” Lorelai smirked.
“Loki’s mother enchanted the bracelet. I already had it, because it was a gift from him.” She twisted her hand in the air to show off the piece. “I love rubies. He knows me so well.”
“I’m leaving,” you told her. “I don’t believe any of your lies.”
“But you believe Loki’s so easily,” she countered. “I can’t blame you. He is the God of them, after all, and he tells them so well. Who can blame a sweet girl like you for falling for him?”
The way she spoke to you made your blood boil. It was as though you were a child with no brain of your own and all the naivety in the world. This woman- so proper and prim- had no idea the terrors your faced. She didn’t know of your life, or that you knew well the nature of men probably even better than her.
“I must go,” you announced. “Loki and I have plans.” You pushed past her without a second thought.
“Wait!” She grabbed your hand, grip strong like a vice.
“Has he kissed you, at least?” Her fingernails dug into your skin, leaving deep crescents of pain in their wake. “Has he?” Her lip curled, nostrils flaring into the ugliest look of contempt. “Has he pressed those liar lips up against yours—”
“Fuck you!” You wrenched your hand from her grasp and ran.
Sometimes, Loki hated being the king. He remembered the times when he was a young prince, when he coveted the throne and envied his brother’s place in line for it. He recalled all the mischief he made to get the crown. Now that he had it, he often had vivid fantasies of stomping it under his foot.
The crown meant power. The crown meant he and his brother were untouchable, but also in the most precarious position of their lives. Everyone wanted their favour or heads — to serve the throne or capture it for themselves. The crown was as dangerous as it was secure, but right now, all he cared about was that it had ruined his plans with you.
It took longer than usual to get the men briefed. They had never been in the house before, so he had to start by mapping the area and the building. Sharon’s intel was of good use, and he only wished he could wake her for more. Yet, he was loathe to bother her in her condition. Now that the meeting was over, he only wanted to see you.
So it was just his luck that he happened to see you walking up the hall just as he was coming down. “Flower.” You did not answer him. In fact, you looked rather destroyed.
Long tears cut a path down your face, falling from red eyes all the way to a trembling mouth. Your hands were clasped tightly together at your waist, and he could see a light sheen of sweat on your skin. “Flower? Whatever is the matter?” He reached out to you. You pulled away.
“I’m tired,” you said. “I want to sleep.” Your voice cracked with emotion as you told the lies he so easily sussed out.
“I do not think that is true.” He spoke as though tending to a wounded child. “You’re upset. Please tell me what happened.” He spied it then— five long scratches running down your arm. “What is this?” He gestured to the angry redness of your skin. “Who did this?”
Your eyes dipped to your hand as though noticing the marks for the first time. “I ran into Lorelai—”
“Lorelai.” Fury burned in his chest. He reached out to take your hand, and this time you did not stop him. “I knew she was jealous, but I did not think she would attack you-”
“Why won’t you kiss me?” you cried.
Loki was so shocked he released your hand. “What?”
You threw your hands up. “Why won’t you kiss me? Lorelai says you used to be all over her all the time. She said you were always having sex, and you’re not one to take things slow. I thought you liked me!”
“I do!” Loki replied in a hushed tone. “I do like you, flower. Why was Lorelai even speaking to you about me in the first place? I told you she lies.”
“But you said you were together!” You wagged a finger at him, and it was then he smelled the ale on you. “You said that! So I know she’s not lying. She also said you gave her jewelry, too, just like you did to all your women.” You touched the necklace you wore. “Is that what this is? A habit?”
Never in his life had he wanted to strike a woman the way he wanted to smack Lorelai right now. He knew he should have left her in that dungeon. Alas, he was young, and that youth led him to convince his father to release her under condition. She was going straight back as soon as he found her.
“Darling, you need to tell me exactly what Lorelai said. She’s very good at twisting words and situations-”
“Oh!” Anger flared on your face. “And I’m just some silly little girl who didn’t know she was even Asgardian, so obviously I’d fall for it.”
Loki gaped. “That’s not-”
“It’s because of James, isn’t it?” you asked, and his eyes widened at the accusation. “You don’t want to kiss me because of him. You think I’m spoiled! Rotten and raped and abused and dirty-” You stopped suddenly, back going rigid.
“Flower?” He was too afraid to touch you. Instead, he let his hand hover near you in case you felt the need to take hold of it. “Flower, are you okay?”
In response, you hunched forward and vomited all over his shoes.
You had never been this humiliated. Not even through James’ abuse, through him laughing at your pain and suffering, did you ever feel this level of mortification. If you had to guess why, you’d say it was because you’d done it to yourself. You drank the ale, you allowed yourself to be tricked by Lorelai and you threw up all over Loki’s shoes.
To his credit, Loki did not flinch once. He simply kicked off his now ruined shoes and led you barefoot back to your adjoined rooms. From there, he instructed you to take a bath while he got some servants to clean up the mess you made. The bath did help some, but the hot, lavender-scented water was not enough to wash away the shame you felt. By the time you were finished, you only wanted to sleep and pretend this night never happened.
Loki was waiting for you when you were done. You stepped out in your sleeping robe to find him placing a tray near your bedside table. He turned over his shoulder to look at you. “Come.”
You cast your red eyes down as you approached the bed. Loki pulled back the covers without a word, allowing you to enter. He then tucked them around you and took a seat at your side. “Drink this,” he handed you a glass with a clear, fizzy liquid. “It will help prevent any headaches and further nausea. Drink it all.”
While you drank, he took ahold of your hand. He let his fingers hover over the marks inflicted by Lorelai, and one by one, they disappeared. It was like pulling a blanket over the lines, completely obscuring them from view until only unblemished skin remained. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He took the empty glass from you. “Rest your head. Gentle now.” He ran the back of his hand over your check, moving it all the way up until his palm rested on your head. “I’m sorry I was late to the dinner. I wish I could have prevented Lorelai from happening upon you.”
“It’s not your fault,” you whispered. “I should’ve never listened to her. I was wrong.” You wiped a tear from your eye.
“Yes you were,” Loki agreed, much to your surprise. “You were wrong when you said that I have any sort of avulsion towards you due to the sufferings you have endured. The reason I am often careful with you, the reason I do not take liberties, is not because I find you repulsive. Rather, I want to ensure I do not cross any of your boundaries. The speed at which I am courting you is not for lack of wanting.”
“I never should’ve said that,” you told him, still reeling from his admission that he was, in fact, courting you. “I was just angry. Lorelai got into my head.”
“As she is wont to do,” Loki finished. “I will deal with her at a later time. Yes, I got her the bracelet. Lorelai likes expensive things, and I often oblige to my lovers’ wants. You have to remember this was a very long time ago. My feelings for Lorelai were nothing but lust. Everyone I got involved with knew that. We haven’t even spoken since we ended all those years ago.”
Loki leaned forward to press a kiss to your forehead. You could not even muster up the annoyance that it was, once again, not your lips. “Do not ever think less of yourself because of what was done to you. It was not your fault. James will be dealt with as soon as possible and as safely as possible. All of my efforts right now are diverted toward bringing him to justice without getting you more involved than you already are. Have some patience with me, and you will soon see that”.
You nodded, unable to form any words after the complete spectacle you had made of yourself.
“And one more thing,” Loki said. He lowered his face to yours, so close your noses touched. “If you wanted me to kiss you, all you had to do was say so.”
And with that, he pressed his lips to yours.
Taglist: @howdidurhammergrowchris @thedistractedagglomeration @soxysarah92 @vicmc624 @mischief2sarawr @scram1326 @booksandbenbarnes @lalalalokii @marvel-universe-of-masterlists @mistress-ofmagic @lokiismygodalone @cjand10 @sweetdreams25 @justlovelifeblog @mad4marvelloki @multifandom-world8 @sallymagnoliaposts @user13cabs @my-love-of-books @benwishaw @oceanmermaidwitch @alexakeyloveloki @midnightvitality @meyocoko @dren-whalen @jbarness @kattreffic @orangechickenpillow @dreamyrainy @trickster-maiden @freshfruitforrottingvegetablez @james-bucky-barnes-bitch @dark-night-sky-99 @somegirlfromasgard @yoongissidebitchh @findmedontlooseme @xstonedxslasher @johnmurphysass @lost-forest-heart @lovecleastrange @vickie5446 @silverfire475 @trickster-maiden @megumisbabymomma @bunny24sstuff @blog-the-lilly @ari-writes-sometimes @bean-bean2000
