Title: The Sweetest Lie.
Rating: M
Warnings: Mild language, sexual content towards the end.
Summary: Natasha hadn't been on vacation for a while and decided to travel to the Eternal City. She didn't count on being spotted by some gangsters with a grudge. To make matters worse, she soon runs into another newer enemy. An enemy she thought safely locked away on another continent… Black Widow/Loki oneshot. Possible AU
Crossposted: A03. I'm relatively new there however so haven't really started posting properly!
Author's Notes:
I visited Rome recently so that was my inspiration for the setting. I may have taken certain liberties with the geography of the city and how little people would respond to a shoot-out in the middle of town. So apologies to any locals reading if I got something wrong!
I am British but as with all my fics mostly in a US-based fandom I have tried to use American English as best as I can. If anyone notices something that needs reverse-Britpicked, do let me know!
This is also my first fanfic for a couple of years or so – I feel a little rusty.
This is set an undetermined amount of time after The Avengers movie but will probably become out of place/contradicted by Thor The Dark World and The Winter Soldier. Hence I put "possible AU" in my summary. I am fascinated by the idea of Natasha and Loki somehow ending up involved with one another but realise this is a difficult thing to do and keep everyone in character. I hope I managed as best I could.
-0-0-0-
The sun beat down relentlessly and warm air crept around every last part of open space in the Eternal City. Natasha Romanov, as a red head born and bred in much cooler climes, cursed herself. Whoever advised her that the worst of the Roman summer was over by September had clearly never set foot here. However, she had accepted her decision to travel there for her first proper vacation in two years. She wasn't entirely blameless for the reason why she spent more time seeking shade than seeking the sites.
It was a cloudless afternoon and shade wasn't very forthcoming. She explored the remains of the Roman forum, her light cotton sundress only doing so much to cool her down. Her guide book served mostly as a fan, the pages hardly touched by her hands. At least she was enjoying some quality time to herself. She did like the others, mostly, but they were like a family to her now. And family often grows tired of one another. In truth, she was just sick of living in Stark Tower, now dubbed Avengers Tower. So when Fury told her it was high time she took some time off, she jumped at the chance.
Not that she could leave her cautious nature as an agent behind her entirely. She walked the streets of Rome with a small hand gun strapped to her thigh. Getting this past all the security checks had been ridiculously easy. At the airport she made up some bullshit story about being a bodyguard for an international dignitary, complete with forged documents to back her up of course.
Airport security was sceptical at first but she had another weapon in her arsenal. She flirted shamelessly until she got her way.
So getting into the Forum and Palatine Hill had been a piece of cake. She flashed her passes stating she was allowed to carry her sidearm for the protection of her client. Her client had given her the day off so she had decided to take in some culture. Job done - they let her through if she promised not to flash the gun around.
In all honesty she felt naked without some form of sidearm and right now she was glad of its presence. She had no proof but a hunch that she was being followed had seized her thoughts. Now it was her sole focus but if she was indeed being followed they were very good at slipping away. Every time she stopped to pretend to check her map or fix her hair in her pocket mirror, she saw nothing.
That was until she saw two suits walking towards her.
She tried to appear engrossed in the ruins of the Temple of Caesar but with the remains of the structure being mostly a series of misshapen blocks, it wasn't believable to linger too long. The men were getting closer – and she soon noticed a third bigger guy coming from the other direction. These did not look like the sort of gentlemen who would be here legitimately. She doubted they'd even paid the entry fee.
The last straw was when she noticed one of the men reaching into his jacket. She had spent the majority of the past few years of her working life avoiding being shot at "I am on vacation!" she hissed under her breath.
Thinking fast, looking all around her, she observed that there was currently some scaffolding covering part of the medieval palace, now part of the Capitoline Museum. It would not be stable and she had to jump but at this moment she saw it as her only escape route. She casually headed towards the remains of the Temple of Saturn. It did not go unnoticed by the three men following her.
The guy with the yet to be revealed gun started to make a run for it.
Knowing it would draw attention to her, but seeing no other choice, Natasha bolted up the walkway behind the temple columns. At the top she leapt into the air, grabbing a metal bar and using her weight to swing onto a wooden platform. Wearing flat sandals today had been a brilliant idea.
The rest of the climb was fairly easy, save for her tote bag smacking into her back every now and again. "Out of the way!" she yelled to the crowd on one of the museum viewing balconies. Several pairs of eyes stared at her, not one person moved.
Natasha looked back down towards the ground; one of her pursuers was at the temple footpath now. "I am not kidding!" she shouted towards the balcony. Some of them shuffled back, muttering to one another, shrugging at the crazy woman on the scaffold. She readied for her jump, edging as close to the end of the platform as she dare. The balcony was off at an angle – and she planned on getting through today without falling and breaking her legs.
Mercifully she cleared the gap, and even avoided most of the barrier on the balcony. Her left heel clipped it, causing an ominous dink and suddenly she was off balance. Many in the crowd attempted to catch her but she fell too fast. She landed with a crunch, her knees absorbing most of the shock and her tote bag sliding towards her belly just enough to cushion the blow.
"Signora? Signora? Are you hurt?" asked one of the museum visitors.
Natasha shook her head. It was a lie. One of her knees was burning in pain and she was sure she had bruised a rib or two. There was no time to dwell on her injuries. She accepted assistance from an older couple who helped her stand up but after a short thank you she ran, the voice of one of the men shouting "but signora, you didn't pay!" ringing out behind her.
She took cover on one of the museum staircases, taking care to remain out of view of anyone who may walk past the bottom most steps. Crouching in the corner, she assessed the damage. Her knee wasn't bleeding, good. Her ribs weren't broken but would probably bruise quite angrily in the morning. The only casualty was her cell phone. It wasn't her regular phone, but it was currently her only way of contacting the other Avengers. During her undignified fall onto the museum floor it had been crushed underneath her. The screen was cracked, fluid spreading like a multi-coloured disease underneath the layer of broken glass. It would be unusable now.
With a sigh, she removed the SIM, slipping it into her bra for safe keeping. She threw the remains of the phone onto the floor and stamped on it to compound the damage. Hopefully nothing could be salvaged it. She gathered into a tissue, taking care not to get anything on her hands, and threw it out of a nearby open window.
Before she moved on she fished out her set of multi-purpose keys from her bag and stuffed those into her bra too. It wouldn't be wise to go back to her hotel for the time being so she snapped her room key card and threw that out to join the cell phone. She planned to be extremely good at playing the dumb tourist who lost her room key later.
Last but not least, she loaded her gun. With sadness she also tore off the bottom of her sundress, allowing easier access to the holster that was fixed part the way up her thigh.
The sound of men running and shouting startled her. Was that them? Or had one of those visitors reported her for not paying? Either way, she needed to get out. She continued climbing the museum levels at a brisk pace, stumbling across the main exit by sheer luck.
There was a large white staircase outside the museum that led back down the Capitoline Hill. She pulled her sunglasses back down to cover her face and followed the crowd.
At the bottom of the stairs she turned off onto another street, then another and another hoping that it was enough to lose anyone chasing her. Somehow, without even realising, she managed to find herself back on the main road that ran past the Forum and down to the Colosseum. "Crap!" she hissed. This was the last place she had hoped to end up. "I really should pay more attention to the guide books!"
She surveyed the area, spinning around on her heel when she felt a shadow fall across her back. She was sure she had seen somebody, dressed in black…tall. Whoever it was had made no effort to go after her so she put it out of her mind. That was a mistake.
From one of the other side streets, two of the original suits appeared and spotted her instantly. "So much for this being over…" she sighed.
She ran as fast as she could back towards the Colosseum. There would be even bigger crowds of people there. Crowds were good.
Her pursuers continued their tireless efforts to catch her however, knocking over tourists and locals alike. She pushed extra hard, so hard that her lungs felt they might burst. It was no user, the gap was closing. She shed her sunglasses and her tote bag of guide books, anything to relieve the weight she was carrying around. She could always get more money and ID later.
She glanced over her shoulder. The gap was closing. Wide eyed and gasping for air, she wasn't concentrating when she hit the pavement awkwardly and almost stumbled over her own feet. Suddenly another force hit her full on in the front. The sky, the people and the Colosseum all spun around her. Everything blurred into one as she was dragged behind a newspaper stand with enough violence to wind her further. She sank to the ground.
"Interesting friends you have Agent Romanov," the voice was sly, silky and all too familiar.
God damnit she thought. "What the hell are you doing here?" she spat. Her vision refocused and confirmed that unfortunately the figure hunched over her, one hand resting on her shoulder was indeed Loki. He was blending in a little more than usual, dressed relatively normally for him. After all, who would pay much attention to a guy wandering around Rome in a dark tailored suit? He could just be some businessman.
But this wasn't some business man. This was Loki. This was a person who was supposed to be in isolation in Avengers Tower right now. Supposed to being the essential phrase. "You're welcome," he smirked, deliberately avoiding her question.
"Whatever," she replied, standing up and smoothing down her skirt. "I'll deal with you later. I'm a little busy right now,"
"And you're handling the situation so expertly," he replied. She glared at him. This was a whole new distraction she didn't need. He still had a hand on her shoulder and looked her up and down. She could've sworn she saw the bastard lick his lips slightly.
"Hey, eyes up here!"
He laughed quietly. It was dismissive and cold "do not think of me as the same as the rest of these apes, I was merely observing you are not correctly attired for such a strenuous chase,"
"Yeah well, neither are you," replied Natasha, trying to keep a lid on her anger. She remembered her breathing exercises, and then she resolved to ignore him. She flattened herself against the hot wood of the newsstand. Slipping half way around the structure she noticed that her would-be captors were walking in entirely the wrong direction, back towards the Forum. "You. Stay here," she commanded.
She knew he'd pay no attention.
Natasha had very little time to think but continuing to flee to the crowds of the Colosseum on foot was clearly not going to work. Quick as a flash she stepped back out onto the road just as a moped was about to pass. She upholstered her gun and the terrified driver soon stopped, putting up both of his hands. Out of the corner of her eye, Natasha noticed Loki crouching behind the newsstand. He appeared to have a grin on his face. Nice to know that my imminent demise amuses you, bastard she thought.
"Sorry, I need this," she said calmly to the driver. He didn't put up any resistance. He ran off shouting for help. Evidently most witnesses were too bewildered to act. Natasha holstered her gun. She hoped on and set off as quickly as the vehicle would allow. It wasn't the fastest, but it was better than being on foot.
Her pursuers soon noticed her. They proceeded to have the exact same idea.
Natasha ignored red lights, she did as best as she could to swerve and avoid pedestrians but a few still toppled over behind her. The Colosseum was soon upon her. She cut through the hordes of waiting tourists, bypassing the line and entering the outer structure of the ancient building. It was easy to get everyone to move out of the way. The engine had startled many of them.
She ditched the bike as soon as she got close to the waiting lines on the inside. Out of nowhere another suit had caught up with her, presumable back up for the original guys. He had no qualms about shooting at her in plain sight. She ducked as the first shot was fired. People screamed and scattered in all directions. He shot at her again as she rushed past a security gate. The alarm sounded as it detected her firearm but nobody tried to stop her.
That second shot had bounced off a wall and hit a young woman in the shoulder. She collapsed onto the floor, her friend holding her and trying to calm her. Natasha hadn't seen the commotion unfolding behind her. She definitely didn't see that Loki had ignored her instruction and followed her. She did not witness him kneeling next to the two girls and shushing them by touching his finger to his lips. He swept his hand over the injured girl's skin and pulled out the bullet using magic. She was instantly healed. He crushed the remains of the bullet in the palm of his hand. Again he touched his finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone," he whispered.
Even if Natasha had seen that, she would've questioned her sanity. It wasn't like Loki to care.
The girls were dumbstruck, seized by another enchantment. As Loki took a leisurely stroll towards the centre of the Colosseum he heard them debating in German if either of them could remember what on earth just happened.
Those few moments had been much rougher on Natasha. She knew the others had joined their friend. She'd heard their bike engines stop outside and their subsequent (shouted) conversation in Italian about splitting up to look for her. To make matters worse, the pavement outside was now swarming with national police.
The Colosseum, after years of improvements, was not the sort of place where you could easily avoid the designated tourist routes. She rushed to one of the viewing platforms on the ground level, hurtling into a tour group who had been startled by the earlier gun shots. "I'm sorry!" she called, not even sure if they understood English but what the hell, she was in a rush!
Her knee was still killing her from her climb into the museum earlier but she willed her body to ignore it. With a little less grace than she could usually manage, she leapt over the metal barrier, catching it with her hands as she twisted mid-air. Quickly, she lowered her body and dropped down to the hypogeum.
"Shit," she hissed, observing that yes, there were plenty of corners and aisles to hide behind down here but…if they had seen her, she was a sitting duck. She knew she needed to avoid the central aisle, she would be exposed there. There were two choices; hide in one of the remains of the side rooms but risk still being visible to those above or hide in the elliptical corridor at the side and be more exposed in general. Visibility was poorer in the corridor for those on the upper levels so she dashed into the shadows, using the modern wooden platforms above for extra cover.
She slipped behind a column and waited. "Not your best idea Agent Romanov," Loki had appeared behind her. She jumped around at the sound of his voice, snatching her gun from its holster and pointing it at his face. "Really?" he tilted his head "you know that can't harm me,"
"I can have fun trying…" she replied. She was extremely steady, even after all that adrenaline. At this range, she would be a good enough shot to cause him at least some temporary pain. "How did you get here so fast?"
"I can be wherever I want to be whenever I want," he smirked. Well if that wasn't a dig at her co-workers, her co-workers who were meant to be holding him prisoner…
"I really don't have time for this," she stated.
"What exactly is your plan?"
"Right now, you stay here and shut up. That's as far as I've got," she shuffled around one of the columns and behind a wall that will have once housed gladiators or exotic animals. This room was still partly in shade and she still didn't have a good view of the platforms above.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" called Loki, but she decided that no advice from him would be worth heeding. She kept her back flat to the wall and continued her journey.
Bang. Another gun shot. The bullet missed her, ricochet off a nearby column and shattered. A piece of shrapnel travelled at great speed, hitting her in the upper arm. She winced and fell to the ground, suddenly exposed.
Trying her best to ignore the searing pain spreading through her entire left arm, she picked herself up and ignored her earlier rule as she dashed through the central aisle. Another shot was fired. She skidded underneath the archway at the far end. At that moment there was a yell from above and one of the suits came crashing down in front of her. He had been shot through the heart.
"I thought I would be courteous and return his property to him. I hope he's grateful," Loki gloated as he walked towards Natasha. "Oh dear…he's expired,"
"They can't see you, can they?" said Natasha. Loki grinned and tapped the side of his nose. "Urgh! If you're going to keep following me, why not actually help me and make me invisible," she snapped.
"Take my hand," replied Loki, stretching out his fingers.
"This had better not be a joke, trickster," she slotted her palm over his and rose to her feet. He squeezed her hand. Then it went black.
-0-0-0-
There was a rushing sound in the darkness. It was like waking up from a nightmare to hear your heart thundering in your ears, your lungs gasping as though what you had seen in your mind had really happened. She felt dizzy. She felt like she was flying.
Gradually colour returned to her world. She was standing on solid ground, she knew that much. She tried to step forward, and then slipped. Loki grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back "Careful spider!"
"What the...? Where are we?" she demanded, the wind very much giving away that they were up high. She didn't need to wait for an answer. They were on one of the topmost archways of the Colosseum. It was evidently somewhere usually inaccessible to tourists and hell, anyone with sense. "Are you insane?" she screamed, turning to face him.
There was a beat. He shot her a sarcastic look.
"Yeah, stupid question," she admitted.
"You asked to be made invisible. Up here, you are invisible to them. Even if they do see you, they can't reach you,"
Now she gave him a look, pulling away from his grip "so am I supposed to stay up here forever?"
"Do you have a better idea?" he snapped.
As a matter of fact, she did. "You can teleport right? Take me to the Peoples' Square,"
"Are you going to be nice?" Loki teased.
"I am being nice," had this been anyone else, this would probably be classed as flirting. Oh god, was she flirting? Natasha ignored that thought and offered her hand.
To her surprise, he took it. "To the Peoples' Square then," he replied. Then the blackness returned.
-0-0-0-
"Why are we here?" was his first question when they landed.
"Why are you here?" she spat.
"Perhaps I heard your travel plans and thought it sounded like an excellent idea," he replied with a grin.
Natasha was shaking her head, willing all her senses to return to normal. They had thankfully materialised in a small alley, away from anyone likely to be freaked out by their sudden appearance. "This isn't my first visit to Rome, but it's my first time being here as a traveller," she said, finally answering his question.
"You have been to the Eternal City previously and not actually seen any of it? Shame on you dear spider," ok, seriously. That sounded like flirting.
She led him down another deserted side street. A hawker attempted to sell them a rose but she dismissed him. However, she had been tempted to take it…wondering how funny it would be if Loki was unaware of that scam. He probably didn't even carry any money. "I spent some time as a drug smuggler when I went freelance, before I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Those guys who were chasing me, well, I stole some of their drugs,"
"They must really hold a grudge," said Loki. Of course, he knew all about Natasha's past. There was no need to tell him how long ago this all occurred. He already knew.
"Yeah, was kinda hoping they wouldn't be in Rome anymore. Or they wouldn't recognise me if they were," she stopped and pointed at a circular manhole cover. Like most of such covers in Rome, it as adorned with the letters SPQR and not much else "here," she said "we need to get underneath here without causing a scene,"
Loki took the hint but wasn't happy about it "Am I now your own personal transporter?"
"I only need it just one more time. Besides, your teleportation…thing…makes me want to throw up," she bit back.
The next thing she knew, she was in an abandoned sewer under the street. And true to form, she felt like she was going to hurl. She crouched down a little, spluttering a few times. Her vision returned but it remained dark. As though he had read her mind, Loki conjured a ball of light. It flickered in the palm of his hand, shadows dancing around the ancient brick work and highlighting the sharp angles of his cheekbones.
"There should be a ladder not too far away from here," Natasha informed him.
He swept the light along the tunnel "such a charming place," he remarked.
"The door to my safe house is sealed from the outside, this is the only way in," she said, wrinkling her nose as the smell of stale damp assaulted her senses "if you want to complain, you can stay out here,"
Loki snorted and continued his search for this fabled ladder. Over on a far wall, just before a junction, he noticed a series of simple metal pipes jutting out of the wall. They had been bent into a u-shape and fashioned into crude steps. "Is that it?" he asked.
Natasha nodded, pushing past him and hoisting her body up onto the first step, wincing as the shrapnel in her arm made its presence felt. She was about half way up the ladder before it occurred to her that there wasn't the familiar clunk clink of someone climbing up behind her. That and the light, still located in the palm of his hand, rapidly faded around her. She called over her shoulder "are you going to follow me or what?"
"I was waiting; it would not be decent of me to follow so closely,"
She rolled her eyes "I've had worse guys than you staring at my ass, besides…I need the light, dummy,"
He grumbled something inaudible under his breath and put one hand onto the bottom rung. Quickly realising this wasn't going to work; he floated the ball of light up towards her. It illuminated another grate immediately above her head. She fished her keys out of her bra and inserted one of them into the lock. It clicked, and the grate popped open.
-0-0-0-
He clambered into the apartment not long after her. Safe house was merely a phrase. This was a small dwelling, barely enough for one person. The kitchen and sitting room were next to one another, open plan. There was a battered old couch and a coffee table in the middle of the sitting area. The kitchen was basic too, with a small table and two chairs in the centre, a gas stove and a sink. There was a book-case resting against the sitting room side of the counter. There wouldn't be much space to prepare a meal but something told Loki that Agent Romanov didn't use this apartment to entertain guests.
He closed the grate, securing it in place with a latch. She had already connected the electricity and was now in the cupboard under the sink to turn on the water supply. "I've not been here for a while, but I still pay the bills," she said, shuffling back onto her feet.
"That must be a costly exercise,"
"Yeah? The woman who owned this place was extremely wealthy. When she died, I acquired her bank accounts. And her identity," she smoothed down her skirts and walked into the sitting room.
"How did she die?"
"I killed her," Natasha replied impassively.
"Heh…" Loki couldn't help admiring that "I suppose I really did not need to ask,"
"The tenants too…"
He splayed his fingers over his heart and made an exaggerated motion as though he were fainting "Oh do stop Agent Romanov, you have no idea how this is speaking to me!"
She scowled and sank down onto the couch. She reached underneath, disturbing a considerable amount of dust to retrieve a computer she had stashed away many years ago. It still worked. Its only requirement was a little juice from the nearby wall socket.
Like a child waiting to be given an instruction, Loki simply stayed in the middle of the room.
"You may want to take a shower," Natasha stated, not looking up from her typing. She had put so many levels of security onto this machine so was having to work hard at remembering how to break through. "The room on the right, the one next to it is the bedroom,"
"Are you implying I need a shower?" he asked.
She sighed, glancing at him grumpily "no, though it is hot and we've both done a lot of running,"
"You did a lot of running. I had a decidedly easier method of getting around this city,"
"We're going to be in here for a while. So you can either sit staring at me while I work, or you can fill up your time with something else. There's the shower. And then there are a few books over by the kitchen. Take your pick,"
Even a part frost-giant needed to cool down occasionally. He picked the shower, and headed towards the room on the right.
"There should be some towels in there," she said, still staring at her laptop screen.
He disappeared out of sight. The only sound was the faint but constant drum of water hitting the shower tray.
-0-0-0-
Natasha used some of the time in the safe house to hook up to the S.H.I.E.L.D network. It was always her policy to keep spare technology in all of her properties. Even the old piece of shit laptop she was using now would suit. Not wanting to draw too much attention to herself (she was tapping into someone else's Wi-Fi signal) she sent one encrypted message to Stark saying that she had to lie low for a little while. Some old enemies had discovered her. She told the Avengers not to worry; she would get out of Rome as soon as she could. She made no mention of Loki.
Speaking of Loki, he had been in the shower an awfully long time.
"I hope you're not trying to escape in there!" she called out in the general direction of the bathroom. The water stopped running, meaning someone had to be in there to turn it off. Good.
She shut the lid of her laptop and paced slowly towards the bathroom. He emerged from behind the half open door, his hair still wet and wearing nothing but a towel tied around his waist. Natasha was taken aback, clearly not expecting to be confronted by a half-naked god, especially not him.
Her reaction did not go unnoticed by him. A wry smiled crept across his lips. "Did I frighten you dear spider?" he asked.
She opened her mouth as though to speak but instead decided to raise a dismissive hand and walk away. The muscles in her face twitched as she tried in vain to stop the blush that was slowly filling her cheeks. She justified it to herself in that she hadn't got any in a while, so obviously any hint of the male form would set her off. However, if she was honest with herself she actually liked what she had seen. His body was a lot more defined than she expected, lean but still well built.
The only thing that spoiled it was the red marks, scars of deep cuts into his flesh that wound around his upper arms. She dreaded to think what his back looked like. Whatever evils Loki had committed he had obviously suffered as a consequence.
Natasha cleared her throat "Could you please put on some clothes?" she then strode over to the kitchen table.
"What am I permitted to wear?"
"I don't know whatever makes you comfortable. Nobody else can see you," she picked up a book from the limited selection on the shelves behind her. Don't talk to me was her overall message.
There was a cold rush of air in the room as though magic had entered the atmosphere. Loki joined her at the table, much to her annoyance. He had chosen an outfit that was an understated version of his battle armour, though it was still overdramatic for a dark apartment on the back streets of Rome. He wore a loose green tunic over leather pants with an open black overcoat that reached his knees.
"The others will realise it's a decoy eventually," she said flatly. He gave her a questioning look. "I assume that's how you're here. Some sort of long acting illusion,"
"Such a clever girl," he mocked "though I can't say I am surprised. You have proven yourself a capable adversary previously," he slotted his fingers together and leaned forward "need I remind you, that I have been afforded more freedom lately. Especially since I started cooperating,"
"For leaving illegally they'll lock you in your room for months. You'll be living in those special shackles we made for you for at least half that time,"
"Perhaps you might tell them that you owe me your life," he replied.
Natasha threw her book on the table "I don't owe you of all people anything," she snapped "I'm going for a shower, find something to do that doesn't involve bothering me,"
-0-0-0-
When she left the bathroom Natasha noticed that he had moved to the couch. He was sprawled out, one hand resting on his chest and staring at the ceiling. To her relief, he made no attempt to communicate with her as she snuck past towards the bedroom.
The room was in keeping with the apartment theme - simple. The only furniture was a small wardrobe in one corner, a vanity table backed up against the left hand wall and a basic double bed. She rarely stayed in her safe houses for more than one night. With the climate outside she never bothered to alter the bedding beyond four pillows and a thin blanket. There was a single window, with the curtains permanently drawn, on the right hand side of the room. A tiny blue vase rested on the sill, containing a browning stalk of a flower long dead.
She dropped her towel to the floor and raided the wardrobe. She'd not been to this apartment for around two and half years but her dresses still looked in a good condition. There was a little dust and she knew everything needed washing but it was nothing a spray of perfume couldn't temporarily fix. She retrieved a small vial from a draw at the bottom of the wardrobe. She pulled off the lid and sniffed. The perfume was still good, not at all pungent. She coated one of the dresses in a fine mist. It was adequate.
The dress she had chosen was elegant, black and nipped in at the waist. It wasn't especially low cut but with her figure it was difficult to wear something that didn't emphasise her bust. She had accepted this a long time ago. Believing that she wasn't in civilised company she decided to forego a bra, though she wasn't sure what motivated her to do so. She had thrown everything she had been wearing previously into the bathroom sink anyway.
She stood in front of the vanity mirror and combed through her hair. The humidity had caused it to dry very quickly. Without bothering to style it her hair fell in natural red ringlets over her shoulders. Again, she decided there was no need to look presentable.
The air dropped cooler for a moment and she shuddered. She shrugged her shoulders and continued to comb her hair. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt, and saw in the mirror, a hand slide over her waist. "You are being very presumptuous," she said, glaring ahead at her reflection, her voice not faltering.
"I apologise dear spider," he cooed, bringing his head down to rest his chin against her shoulder "I thought you required some assistance,"
She fought so hard not to roll her eyes "I am perfectly capable of dressing myself,"
"That's not what I meant," he whispered into her ear. He ghosted his free hand up her left arm until he reached the piece of shrapnel embedded in her skin. She felt a strange warm sensation spread across the wound, it twisted underneath, deep in the muscle until there was a slight pop. She gasped as the flake of metal left her and her flesh knitted together as though new. The warmth left her after that.
He had completely healed her. There was no longer any pain, no blood.
Her knee had stopped hurting too.
She fixed her gaze on his reflection "I didn't ask you to do that,"
"Call it a gift," he replied, removing his hand from her waist.
"I didn't tell you to take your hand away either," the words had left her mouth before she had even realised what she was saying. Too late now, better just go with it.
He frowned, his confusion seemingly genuine. "You gave off the impression my intrusion was not wanted. I may be a lot of things Agent Romanov, but I will ultimately respect a lady's wishes," it was almost sincere.
"I'm no lady," she shuddered again as he returned his hand to her waist, this time he rested his fingers a little lower on her hip "and you may call me Natasha until we leave this place,"
He nuzzled against her neck before pressing his lips back against her earlobe "what game is this Natasha," the way he emphasised her name was glorious, "are you not repulsed by my advances?"
"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm just playing you," she stated matter of fact.
He let out a short chuckle against her throat, almost instantly all of her exposed skin was covered in goose bumps. This was starting to feel dangerous. She hated to admit it but the danger sort of turned her on. Damn you she thought I hate you.
"We could continue this dance of deception, each desperately attempting to gain the upper hand over the other," he said, his hand trailing lower along her thigh "or we could just accept the inevitable and…as your species so crudely puts it, fuck,"
An audible whimper escaped her lips. Suddenly she was extremely aware of an ache, a need, pooling between her legs. I definitely hate you, bastard.
"What…" she stammered, one of the rare occasions where she felt her icy façade failing her "what if I say no?"
His hand skimmed from her thigh back up her body and up to her chin. He used his thumb and index finger to tilt her face towards his; it forced her to actually look him in the eyes, rather than at his reflection. There was darkness in his expression, but it wasn't malicious. This was something else.
"As I said, that is your right," his hand dropped again, this time he curled the hem of her dress around his fingers, bunching it up just enough to expose more of her thigh.
Natasha swallowed hard. All her training had leaked out of her brain through her ears. She felt like some dumb high school kid, giddy with anticipation on a first date. But this was no date. This was her enemy and he was trying to seduce her. To rub salt into the wounds it was working.
At times like this, Natasha hated her libido. "I suppose there's little else to do," she tried to make it sound dismissive, insulting, the way he had spoken to her earlier.
"Oh come on now," he smirked "this is worth so much more than that," his hand disappeared underneath her dress now, sliding up her thigh towards the cause of her sudden flushed appearance. The ache grew stronger, pulses of desire radiating from her core. "No undergarments Natasha?" he purred as he cupped his hand between her legs "anyone would think you did this on purpose,"
She lurched forward as he slipped a finger inside her. Her thoughts were incoherent, her vision clouded. She slammed her hands on the table to steady herself but this caused her ass to jut out against his body. He was already aroused by this. That much was evident as even through a layer of leather she could feel he was hard. She gasped as he inserted another finger. He moved his fingers slowly, exerting just enough pressure against her to bring her close. His movements were deliberate, teasing.
In an attempt to gain some form of revenge, Natasha made sure that she maintained contact with his body. As he thrust his fingers into her, so she thrust back against him. He growled and nipped her ear between his teeth. His breath was hot and heavy. She was sure she heard him moan.
He steadied her with his other arm wrapped around her upper body. He pinched one of her nipples through her dress and then stroked her breast in time with his movements below. "No brassiere either," his breath hitched as she pushed her ass into him hard "quite the little vixen, aren't you?"
The pressure at her core was bubbling agonisingly close to completion. She shamelessly moved against his fingers now and cried out almost unable to bear the pleasure as he increased the speed of his thrusts. Agent Romanov never begged but Natasha the civilian, in desperate need of a release, forgot herself. "Please…" she murmured.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, his mouth pressed to her throat again.
"Please," she moaned "please…Loki…" he jolted her in such a way that she was held firmly against him now. She couldn't help imagining that hardness pressed into her back buried deep inside her. All levels of pretence were abandoned; she wanted him to fuck her. She needed him to fuck her.
A moment after that thought her pleasure peaked. She cried out his name as she throbbed around his fingers. She felt a strong heat concentrated on her clit. It rapidly spread throughout her entire nervous system. It was as though her climax was happening to her entire body. It was too much, far too much. She gasped as a few aftershocks washed over her, her head slumping down and her hair falling over her face. She couldn't stand to even look at her own reflection right now.
Loki steadied her and gave her another gentle jolt. "Look at your reflection Natasha, don't be afraid. Look at yourself," he soothed. He curled his fingers under her chin and encouraged her to lift her head. Wide eyed and unsure of herself, Natasha stared at the figure opposite. She almost didn't recognise herself. She had lost control, she was dishevelled. "Do you not feel this is much better than an enraged scowl? You're so wanton, so beautiful like this. This is a raw physicality you often deny yourself. I know you do,"
A part of that statement stung. She knew he was referencing Clint. Under Loki's spell Clint will have told him everything. Everything. Attempting to be Clint's lover had so easily fallen apart. She was too closed off, too unwilling to reveal every aspect of herself. In the end Clint couldn't stand it and she didn't blame him.
Sex had become just another part of her job. Or occasionally it was like picking at a scab. She craved it but she was always in control. Few men could bring her to the state she was in now, because she wouldn't allow it.
He encouraged her to turn around and face him. He was smiling at her, oh it wasn't benign, he looked quite smug in fact but she couldn't help a weak smile flickering across her lips. "Are we done here?"
"If we are, I confess I will be disappointed," he replied. She grabbed his hand and raised it to her mouth. She pushed his fingers into her mouth, maintaining eye contact as she sucked him clean, mimicking exactly what she would do if she were a little lower down. His jaw almost fell open in surprise but like her, he was well trained in keeping his composure. "I'll take that as a no," he chuckled.
He stroked her face. She nuzzled against the palm of his hand before he trailed his fingers down her throat. He then embraced her, searching for the fastenings at the back of her dress. He slowly pulled down the zip, the dress falling from her shoulders and exposing her breasts. The garment bunched around her waist but she shuffled her hips and it fell gracefully to the floor. Suddenly she felt very exposed and tried to pull away from him. "Don't be shy, it doesn't suit your character," he whispered.
He knelt, raising one of her legs at the same time. This forced her to perch on the vanity table slightly. Her heart fluttered as she looked down at him, his eyes closed and his lips pressed just above her knee.
"Do you want me Natasha?" he asked, skimming his lips higher along her inner thigh.
"Do you want me?" she shot back. He opened his eyes, glancing up at her with a wicked glint. He liked that she had asked that. Of course he already knew the answer to his question. Every touch was eliciting a response. An arch of her back, a gasp, and a flush of blood under the skin – her body very much betrayed her desires.
"I do," he responded "I've wanted to have you ever since you visited me in my glass prison. You tested me…and I adore challenging women," he paused to bite lightly on her thigh, sucking in enough breath to leave a red mark. She arched her back again, shifting her weight and trying desperately to move him closer to what she wanted. "I want to be inside you, I want to feel your every tremble, every climax against me, I want to watch your face and test exactly how much pleasure you can withstand. Does that answer your question?"
"Can you stop talking now?" she asked. He smiled against her thigh, a short chuckle rumbling in his throat "I'm serious; you could be putting that tongue of yours to better use," she arched an eyebrow when he gave her an exaggerated questioning glance.
He liked that she was being so straight forward. He lifted her leg over his shoulder and steadied her by the hips as she stumbled slightly. His grip was just enough to keep her balanced comfortably on the edge of the table. She was glad of it, her wrists felt too weak to support her weight, especially when his mouth found that sweetest spot between her thighs. His tongue was greedy and just as precise as his fingers had been. Her whole body shuddered and his response was to pull her hips closer still. A low moan vibrated against her. She could not imagine how much this was frustrating him, being so obviously turned on but concentrating on her pleasure alone. But the fact he was enjoying it was something she had not expected. That knowledge was almost enough to send her over the edge.
Feeling a little bolder she tangled her hands in his hair. She didn't push; she simply wanted the illusion that she was guiding him. It was decadent, forbidden. She had genuinely never slept with someone who seemed to relish every moment his face was pressed to the most intimate part of her. If only we weren't sworn enemies sighed her internal monologue, I would keep you forever.
Her climax ripped through her quickly, much quicker than the previous. It was intense, enough for her breath to catch in her throat. She was still panting, her body shaking and overwhelmed as he got up off his knees. He kissed her. It was hungry, passionate, everything you could wish for in a first kiss. She loved that she could taste herself on his tongue. In her mind there was no more perfect indication of a job well done.
Somehow she ended up underneath him on the bed. He continued to kiss her with such force that she almost forgot to breathe again. She tried to push her hips up towards his groin but he was still frustratingly fully clothed. "Fuck me…" she gasped against his cheek "I need you to fuck me…"
"Insatiable…" he replied, sweeping a hand along the length of her body. He pushed his fingers insider her again, withdrawing them swiftly to spread some of the wetness within over her folds. She felt that familiar shimmer of magic as his clothes disappeared.
"Not fair," she protested.
He stilled his hands "oh? Did I deny you the privilege of undressing me?" he teased.
"No," she moaned, desperately fighting the urge to just wrap her legs around his waist and get on with it. "Denying me the chance to look at you properly,"
He untangled their limbs. She almost whined at the loss of contact. "Then look,"
She propped herself up on her elbows. He was standing at the end of the bed, staring down at her with not a single flicker of embarrassment on his face. At first she didn't dare to look any lower than his shoulders but his unblinking expression was beginning to make her uncomfortable. He stayed still as though being naked was the most normal thing in the world. There was no posing and no awkward scrambling to cover any part of him.
His upper body she had already seen but she lingered over his arms, admiring the power that was evident within them. His brother was generally considered the brawn but Loki could clearly hold his own in a fight. Underneath his clothes he was definitely not the weakling that many assumed him to be; he just preferred a game of wits to a wrestling match.
Even in the gloom his skin glowed white, almost alabaster with a bluish hue. He was mostly hairless apart from a trail of dark hair that started just underneath his bellybutton and met the black curls surrounding his member. Natasha felt a fierce blush when she realised that she was now looking intently at his penis. He was still hard of course, the only colour over his entire body being the light red flush at the head. She guessed he was slightly above average in both length and girth, nothing that should trouble her greatly. Apparently fantasies that gods had dicks that could split you in half were just that, fantasies. She supressed a smile at that thought, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.
She shuffled back towards the pillows, beckoning him to join her. As he crawled across the bed she spread her legs wide. No point in being ashamed, he was already well acquainted with her.
He was upon her again, crushing his lips to hers. She moaned as he nipped her bottom lip between his teeth. She ached for him to be inside her to the point of pain but as she felt him nudge against her opening she suddenly froze. "Protection…" she muttered.
He stopped, his only movement being a reassuring stroke of her side. "I won't hurt you. You will not fall ill, I promise," She chewed on her lip, still looking uncharacteristically worried "oh," a thought suddenly occurred to him "worry not dear spider, in another world you would be worthy of bearing my offspring but…unfortunately in this world, it is impossible,"
This time she smiled "you really know how to charm a girl,"
They resumed their kisses and Natasha caressed every contour of his body that was within her reach. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist and pressing her heels to his back. A strong hint, she hoped. He pushed his entire length inside her, filling her the way that her body had been screaming for ever since he'd first placed his hand on her hip. It felt like an eternity ago.
She moaned quietly with every thrust, her senses heightened to the point where there was nothing else but this moment. "Yes…yes…" she gasped against his neck, her hand resting on the back of his head, bunching his hair between her fingers. Her other hand cupped his face, her fingertips caressing his cheekbone. He kept his gaze fixed upon her the entire time. His pupils were wide and dark. This close she noticed that although his irises were mostly blue, there was a green tint to them that made his eyes quite striking.
He pulled the both of them up slightly, resting both his hands underneath her in a way that forced her legs to drop from around his waist. He guided her thighs, forcing her to place a foot over each of his shoulders. She cried out as the angle allowed him to penetrate her even deeper. He hit a spot within her that sent a sharp, overwhelming sensation to her spine.
She bucked against him, her head and upper body thrashing against the pillows. He moaned as he felt her tighten around him. She threw back her head, writhing with abandon as she came. True to his word, he watched every last tremor that seized her body.
Still inside her, he pulled her into a sitting position, resting back on his heels at the same time. She fell limp against his chest. He raised her chin and captured her mouth in another kiss "I'm not finished with you, little spider,"
She leaned back slightly, clasping her hands together at the back of his neck for support. Her fingers tenderly brushed the scar tissue that covered his shoulder blades. She began to slowly rock her hips. In this position, she was in the most control but that did not prevent him from thrusting in time with her movements. "You look good this way too," she said.
Her thighs were slippery now, coated with a film of fluids from the both of them. She increased the grip around his sides, taking care not to crush too hard though she was certain even her legs would never be strong enough for that.
"Natasha…" he whimpered "I can't last much longer," the rise and fall of his chest becoming more erratic.
She snorted "are you seriously asking for permission?" She wasn't even close to another orgasm but she didn't care. After everything he'd done, he deserved to get his. She deliberately sped up, grinning wickedly as he growled in response.
He clawed at her back and she held him close to her, his breath hot against her breasts. Now he cried out, shaking underneath her. He exhaled sharply two or three times as finally, after being in so much agony as he pleased only her, his own release claimed him. He was still now with only the flesh and sinew in his arms twitching involuntarily.
After waiting a few moments for her heartbeat to calm, Natasha lifted herself away from him. Her thighs were soaked by his seed already seeping from her. It didn't bother her, sex was messy. That was a fact.
He rolled over to one side, resting his head on a nearby pillow. He was still panting but with less vigour. Unsure what to do next, Natasha stayed where she was, drawing her knees up under her chin. "Now what?" she asked.
"Now…" he exhaled heavily "that depends. I will leave if you want me to, all you need to do is ask,"
"I won't feel safe letting either of us leave this place until the morning. At the very least,"
"Well then," he replied turning his head to look at her and stretching out the arm closest to her "we can continue this charade, this false tale of being lovers," he wiggled his fingers "come, lie down next to me,"
His mood was far too serene for this to be a trick. Still, Natasha was wary. She did as he asked, curling up next to him and resting her head on his chest. How bizarre it felt to be so close to the man who had threatened to kill her not many months ago. And yet…she was soothed by the sound of his heartbeat, the gentle way he played with her hair. He even kissed her forehead, as tenderly as any real lover.
Who would've guessed that the way to quieten Loki's sadistic streak was to give him an orgasm? I don't know how I'll explain THAT to the others she thought.
"I'm afraid we soiled your bedding," he said.
"Don't worry about it. I don't really care about this place,"
With so much of the evening and night remaining, Natasha supposed it would be best to sleep. A part of her still didn't trust him but her will to stave off post coital fatigue was slowly draining from her. Eventually she noticed that his eyes were closed and his breathing steady. He was sleeping. She finally felt safe enough to do the same.
-0-0-0-
Natasha awoke a couple of hours later on her side. The fog of unconsciousness had yet to completely lift and so for a couple of seconds she almost forgot what had happened. She became very aware of a strong arm draped over her, the hand lightly groping her breast.
"Mmh…you're still here?" she asked sleepily.
The next thing she noticed was that he was rather brazenly pressing his dick against her lower back. And he had called her insatiable?!
He brushed the hair away from the nape of her neck, soft short kisses fluttering over the skin. "As you were stirring, I thought I would seize an opportunity," he replied, his hand leaving her breast, skimming over her stomach and down to her thigh. She pushed back, lifting her lower body just enough for his dick to tease the heat between her legs. He positioned her topmost leg at a better angle then entered her slowly.
She moaned as his fingers found her clit, circling in deliberate concentrated movements. The last haze of sleep left her as she began to pulse around him. Her hips jerked in time with his thrusts, prompting him to speed up and press harder with his fingertips. "Keep doing that…" she whispered "feels so good…" she twisted her neck just enough so that she could kiss him. His left arm snaked underneath her, supporting her torso so that she could comfortably deepen the kiss. He whined into her mouth as he felt that tell-tale tightness that signalled her pleasure.
She broke the kiss and turned away from him, bucking wildly and crying out his name. He stilled his fingers and gripped her body, moaning hotly into her ear as he came deep inside her. They were silent for a while, clinging to each other as all their senses returned, crashing down from a heightened state.
"I never expected you to be so…sexual,"
Loki rolled onto his back again, pulling her with him to rest her head over his heart again. He chuckled "when you live for as long as I have, you do tend experiment," he was playing with her hair again, apparently fascinated by it "believe it or not, I quite enjoy fucking,"
Natasha shivered "urgh, in your voice…that sounds way too hot,"
"Would you prefer I call it intercourse? Copulation? Mating?" he laughed.
"Alright, alright, fucking will do, you've made your point!"
"Heh…are you embarrassed Natasha?" For that she gave him a light smack on the thigh. Embarrassment just wasn't in her vocabulary. Or her nature.
"No," she replied coolly "but there's a danger, using those words, that my legs will remain closed to you forever. Stop using those words,"
"Would coitus be acceptable?"
She slapped him harder this time "last warning!"
He kissed her chastely on the lips and then sank back into his pillows, a huge smile fixed upon his face. He fell into what she guessed was a fairly contented sleep. She decided that now was as good a time as any to take another shower.
-0-0-0-
This time Loki was the one who awoke to a surprise. He was a fairly light sleeper, after all – why be a god if you always needed rest? However, somehow, without his notice, she had driven his sleeping form to a physical response and taken him in her mouth, all without him rousing until…
She had curled her fingers around the base of his length, stroking him as she sucked on the head, sealing her lips over him with just the right amount of pressure. He raised his hips to meet her. This alerted her that he was awake. Instead of ceasing her ministrations, she looked up at him through half lidded eyes and took him deeper into her mouth.
She moaned around him, the vibrations of her voice against his skin such a blissful shock that he jolted his head back. She withdrew him from her mouth, leaving only the very tip upon her lips, swirling her tongue over the underside. Experience had taught her that this was the one spot that would drive most men wild, apparently he was no different. He gripped the sheets, attempting with all his might to keep his hips flat against the bed. She took almost all of him back into her mouth and moaned again.
He spilled into her mouth and she swallowed every drop, taking care to lick the final few that clung to him. His taste was cooler than she expected and not quite as bitter as the average human male. She sat upright, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and licking her lips. "Huh, apparently you don't taste of evil,"
Loki chose to ignore her remark, partially deflecting the subject back onto her "and that must be part of your unique skillset. No wonder men are so easily fooled into believing you love them,"
"But you know better…" she replied.
"You cannot lie to a liar,"
She looked around the room, not focusing on anything in particular "this entire room is a fiction," her observation was whimsical, but not sad.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, sitting up slightly "and isn't that the sweetest of all lies? For a few moments we can pretend that this room, everything that has happened, will change things between us once we depart,"
She shook her head "no, no it won't. You'll go back to your cell,"
"And you can go on behaving as though I don't know you carnally," he smirked.
"You know that list of words? That word is going on it," she slipped off the end of the bed, retrieving her discarded dress from the floor and tugging it back over her head. She didn't bother with the zipper. "I'm going to figure out a way to get us some food, you hungry?" he didn't reply "suit yourself,"
Before she could leave the room he had rushed up behind her, turned her around and slammed her against the wall. He took her there so hard that she thought she might pass out. When it was over, and her trembling had subsided she made another observation "your stamina is quite something,"
"I'm a god," he replied as though she needed reminding, withdrawing from her and allowing her feet to find the floor. "You were also in need of a reward,"
"Because I sucked your dick? I'm not keeping score y'know…" she reached behind her to zip up her dress "not that I'm complaining, but can you keep your hands off me for just a few minutes. I need to get that food,"
He kissed her with no agenda, no hope of resuming any physical activities. For now. "I have taken care of it," he informed her "the kitchen, go and see,"
She was sceptical but decided to indulge him. Her jaw dropped when she left the bedroom and saw not just food, but an entire feast scattered on the kitchen table and countertop. There was a whole roast chicken! And mountains of toast, eggs, bacon and vegetables. A huge ceramic flagon of wine became a make shift centrepiece for the kitchen table but there was water too. "Is this real?"
"Of course it's real!" he retorted.
"It's just…how?"
"I conjured it," she gave him a searching look "don't worry sweet Natasha. It isn't poisoned or laced with anything that will make you fall hopelessly in love with me,"
"That would be tragic," she scoffed.
He led her over to the table and pulled out a chair. As she took a seat, she noticed that his leather pants had materialised. The corner of her mouth twitched in amusement at his decision to remain topless though she liked the notion of having a nice view as she ate her early morning snack. "Please eat," he said, sitting opposite her.
Just as she was about to take a bite out of a chicken leg, there was an awful screeching noise originating from the couch. Her piece of shit laptop was making a fuss about something. "I'm sorry, do excuse me,"
Loki gave her a courteous smile.
Perching on the coach, Natasha opened the laptop. A request for a sound connection from Stark Industries flashed across her screen. Good, she was in no state to take a video call. "Nat? Do you read me Nat?" it was actually good to hear his voice.
"I hear you Stark, everything's fine," she replied.
There was a little static and then…"sorry, this connection is really bad," she heard another series of beeps "is this frequency better?"
"Much better," she had to cover her hand to stifle a giggle, Loki was in her field of vision first pretending to yawn with boredom and then making what she could only assume were lewd gestures on Asgard.
"Where are you? We can't locate you," said Stark.
"I'm in one of my old safe houses. I'm still in Rome. I think I lost the guys chasing me but I wanted to be sure,"
"Alright well stay put –"
"NO!" she yelled "apologies Stark, I mean…no. I do not want these men to find this place. I'll meet you back at my hotel. I hope you have back up, just in case,"
"Barton and Rogers are in the jet. Thor didn't like the idea of travelling somewhere that is over 80 degrees so he's babysitting Banner back home. There was…uh, an incident last night,"
"Sounds fun," Natasha remarked.
"Yeah, seriously, do not give that guy tequila slammers. Especially not six of them," he paused "anyway, pick you up in a couple of hours, Stark out,"
There was a click as the connection was severed.
Natasha returned to the kitchen area "I suppose this really is the end now," she said, finally tucking into her chicken leg.
"What are you going to do with me?" he enquired.
"I don't know, maybe I'll put in a good word for you. Say that you killed one of those guys. It might shave a couple of months off your punishment," she gave him a weak smile, curious as to what would happen to her if any of the past few hours of her life were recounted "you know, you do have some leverage over me now,"
"I will be discrete. If you don't trust me, you could sew my lips together. You wouldn't be the first,"
She laughed. "You know that lie you mentioned?" she asked. He nodded "I think we can keep it going, just a little longer,"
He poured her a glass of wine, then one for himself. "You mean you're actually starting to enjoy having me around?"
"Something like that," she replied, arching a brow.
The first slither of dawn was streaming through the shutters and the birds were singing outside. Soon the streets would be full of the bustle of a new day. This hadn't been such a terrible vacation after all.
End.
End note: I enjoyed writing this so much I already have an idea for a (much more plot based) sequel. We'll see what happens!