The Place That I Call Home

Loki x Darcy. Post Avengers. Loki has made an agreement that lets him stay on Earth after he's defeated. When the deal almost results in his death, Darcy makes it her business to get the Trickster out. Probably not cannon. Title from Florence + the Machine's song Heartlines, which is this chapter's recommended listening

Chapter one: Irrational Trust

The first time I saw him up close was three days after the final battle. He was limping slightly and had his thin mouth was sewn shut.

"Coulson, what is he doing here? I thought he went back to Asgard."

He shrugged. "Thor told me that Loki asked to stay here. We agreed as long as we were allowed to do research."

I watched three Shield agents lead Loki down one of the side corridors. "He agreed to be… experimented on?

"Don't sound so put out. We aren't going to hurt him." he shot me a disapproving look, "Miss Lewis, he tried to take over Earth."

"So we get to treat him like a lab rat?" I marched into my office before he could answer, slamming the door behind me.

That had been the first time. This was the second.

I scurried down the hall toward the labs, checking carefully to make sure no one was nearby. Every room was dark, and probably locked.

"Okay, where are you…" I muttered, going up on tiptoes to peer through the narrow window.

Empty. I moved down the hall to the next cell and peeked inside. There wasn't anyone inside.

I checked three more before I found him. Loki was curled up on his side, head pillowed on one arm. They had put him in thin, light blue hospital clothes and removed the stitches on his mouth.

His eyes snapped open. In an instant, Loki was directly behind the door, ice green eyes locked on mine.

I waved sheepishly.

He gave me a curious look.

I shrugged, tapped on the window, cupped a hand behind my ear, and cocked my head.

It was his turn to shrug.

I rolled my eyes. "Can you hear me through the glass?"

"Yes."

His accent was lighter than Thor's and his voice was a bit lower with a slightly gravely edge.

"Why do you sound English?"

He blinked. "What?"

"You speak with an English accent." I explained. Maybe he didn't know what the different accents sounded like.

Loki chuckled. "Do they know you're down here?"

I blushed. "Err… no. I won't tell if you don't."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Was he mocking me?

"Why did you ask to come back? It is part or some master plan or something?"

"Or something."

"What is it?" he didn't answer, "Loki, you have to have a reason. Why did you want to come back here?"

He snorted and turned away.

"Fine!"

Loki didn't move.

"I… guess I'll see you again some other time?"

"I'd like that."

I ran back down the hall and ducked into my office. Exactly three minutes later, Coulson stuck his head in the door and dropped a stack of papers on my desk.

~OoOoO~

It was a two very boring weeks before I saw Loki again. He was expecting me this time. "Hello…?"

"Darcy." I supplied.

He bowed slightly. "Please to meet you, Miss Darcy."

"Is that an Asgardian thing?" I waved my hand at him, "the bowing and… all that stuff?"

"Old habits are hard to break." He said bitterly.

I changed the subject. "I brought checkers! It would be easier if the glass wasn't in the way, but I think we can manage."

"One moment, please."

Green fog collected on the window and the glass disappeared. My mouth dropped open.

"Parlor tricks."

I shut my mouth with a click and slid the board half way through the used-to-be-window. Then I set up the pieces, black for me, red for Loki. I moved one of mine up and to the left.

"Why did you come back?" Loki asked, moving a checker.

"I was curious. And then you turned out to be a lot nicer than I was expecting, so…"

"I'm not nice, Darcy."

I shrugged and moved again. "You seen nice to me. You know, aside from the whole taking over the world thing."

That made him laugh.

"Glad you think I'm funny." I said sourly.

"You're the first person I met here who knows what I am, and what I've done, and does not hate me from the moment they meet me."

"What you are? You mean Asgardian?"

Loki moved another piece, refusing to answer.

"Loki!"

He hesitated. "Thor… didn't tell anyone?"

"Tell anyone what?" I asked impatiently.

"Darcy, I would appreciate it if you would just-"

"No. Tell me. Whatever it is, it's obviously bothering you and you have to talk to someone."

Loki jumped one of my pieces and swept it off the board with long, slim fingers, refusing to look at me.

"Loki Odinsson. Tell me."

He glared at me. "Odin is not my father, Thor isn't my brother." He looked at his hand, still clutching the checker, "I'm a Frost Giant."

"But… aren't they really, really tall? And blue?" I asked.

Loki sighed and held out his hands. For a moment, nothing happened. Then his skin slowly turned cobalt.

My mouth dropped open again.

He let his hands fall and his color went back to… was is normal?

"I'm one of those things in the stories we told children to make them behave. "Go to sleep or the Frost Giants will get you", "listen to your teachers or the Jötunns will come back". I used to play Aesir and Jötunns with my friends…"

I slid my hand through the window and let it rest on his arm. "You aren't a monster just because you turn blue."

"Thank you, Darcy." He held up the checker, "May I keep this?"

"Sure. Are you going to be alright?"

He smiled thinly. "I think so. Will you visit me soon?"

"No problem."

A/N: poor, sweet, damaged Loki… he was the only character I actually cared about when I saw the movie aside form Darcy. And I ship it so much…

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