Summary: Darcy didn't expect Loki to show up at her weekly coffee shop trips. She wasn't even sure what she would say if he did…
Pairing: Darcy Lewis/ Loki
Warnings: None
A/N: I wrote this due to a conversation Almostvivian and I had over on tumblr. Wherein we discussed how the ladies of Marvel needed to form a team and solve all the world's problems. Also how Darcy's background in Political Science would mean she had a lot of opinions about Loki's terrible plots for world domination. Decided to finally post it here so it was easier to find.
A/N2: Book mentioned is Outlander.

When Darcy told Loki about her weekly trips to Toby's Estate, she hadn't really expected him to show up. To be honest, she wasn't even sure what she would have done if he did. He obviously needed to talk about his feelings but she doubted he'd open up to her so easily, even if he thought her critique on world domination was intriguing. So when she sat in her usual spot, coffee, book and croissant in hand and he was nowhere in sight, it was just a normal Sunday. Though occasionally, the hairs on her arms stood up and shivers ran down her spine. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched but when she looked up, everyone in the café were busy with their own lives. Deciding she was being overly paranoid, Darcy went back to Jaime's red hair and strong jaw line, ignoring the strange sensation as well as the disappointment.

This continued for the next few weeks until one rainy Sunday. She almost didn't go to the cafe but sucked it up. They roasted their beans in house and she simply could not recreate their cup of coffee at home or the labs so she fought the rain, sticking her hair under a knit hat to hide the frizz. After settling down, the usual goose bumps speckled down her arms and Darcy looked up out of habit. This time though, across the café she saw Loki, sitting with a muffin in front of him and ignoring her. Darcy waited for him to look her way, to move over…something to show that he at least acknowledged her- but nothing. Deciding he was still whacked but harmless at the moment, Darcy went back to her book.

It became somewhat of a routine from that point on. Loki would arrive after Darcy, pick a chair and sulk. Sometimes he would glare at her and sometimes he pointedly sat with his back to her. Either way, Darcy chuckled over the display. Being over 500 years old didn't mean he still wasn't a man-child. Though he was obviously working up to something. Each visit, Loki moved closer and closer to Darcy's nook in the corner until he was sitting at the table right in front of her.

The next café day, Darcy finished her book. Letting out a breath, Darcy shut the book and leaned back, sipping the rest of her now cold coffee. She closed her eyes, thoughts still buzzing in a world of Jaime and Claire. Cheesy romances were a bit of a weakness for her. Her weekly Toby's Estate visits were a time where she could read whatever she wanted, no matter how trashy, without the eyes of the super ladies. Not that they would judge her but in a world where women kicked ass and took names, sometimes Darcy wanted to read about women getting saved. It seemed sacrilegious somehow, like she was betraying some of them. So she saved it for when she was alone.

Scraping of a chair caught her attention and she opened her eyes to find Loki sitting in front of her. Darcy's brow rose and she waited for him to explain but the lines in his face were grim and his lips twitched slightly. After a lengthy pause, Darcy smirked.

"Couldn't stay away, could you?" she said, delighting in the way Loki's eyes rolled and his lips twisted into a smile he couldn't hide.

"Since you seemed so adamant that I visit you privately, I thought it was only just for me to grace you with my presence," Loki stated, lips pursed and voice aloof.

"I'm touched," snorted Darcy. They fell into another silence, Loki suddenly interested in the quiet bustle around them. Darcy looked down at her book, flipping the page corners under her thumb. Eventually, Loki turned back to her, uncertainty in his eyes.

"I…have been considering what you said when we last met," Loki cleared his throat.

"You mean when you kidnapped me and I told you why your world domination plot was totally whacked," Darcy said flatly. Loki's lips twisted into a frown at her bluntness, shifting in his chair.

"I still believe it has some merit."

"Okay then," Darcy leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Impress me and then I'll tell you why you're wrong."

At the challenge, Loki's brow lifted and he smirked, devilish glint in his eyes. Darcy's heart began to race and she wondered how much bad was going to come out of this. Either way, she'd probably enjoy the ride.