Thanks for all the reviews, faves and follows so far :)
Tuesday
Light filtered through a gap in Darcy's bedroom curtains and hit her square in the face. She groaned and burrowed further under the blankets, squeezing her eyes shut.
God, why was it so bright out? It could have only been 5 or 6 am, since her alarm hadn't even gone off yet.
With an exaggerated sigh, Darcy flipped over and squinted at the numbers on her alarm clock. 8:28? That didn't make sense. She fumbled for her glasses on the nightstand next to her, shoving them on her face and scooting closer to the edge of the bed for a close-up view of the time.
"Crap, crap, crappity crapballs!" Darcy kicked the tangled blankets away from her legs and bolted out of bed. It was almost 8:30! Why hadn't her alarm gone off?
She ran into the bathroom, quickly stripping down and taking the fastest shower of her life. If she skipped breakfast and her makeup routine, she could still make it to work on time.
After dressing quickly in the same pants as yesterday (because she was in a rush, and totally not because Loki had been eyeing her butt in them), she grabbed her hair dryer and tried to speedily dry her hair by bending over and letting the wet mass fall forward over her face.
"C'mon, c'mon..." Darcy muttered, raking her fingers through the still damp tresses. "Meh, good enough." It wouldn't be her best hair day, but that was nothing her favourite beanie couldn't fix.
She lowered the arm holding her hair dryer and was rewarded with a sharp tug at her scalp.
Dread slowly seeped into her as Darcy moved her arm again only to feel her hair pull painfully. Reaching up with her empty hand, she followed the strands of hair until her fingers reached a big frizzy knot wound into the nozzle of the dryer. Oh yeah, it was stuck good.
"Nooooo..." she whined out loud, "I do not have time for this!"
After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to pull her hair loose, she noticed her manicure kit sitting open on the countertop, complete with a little pair of silver scissors.
She grabbed them quickly and without thought, but then she continued to just stand there, awkwardly bent at the waist, as she tried to psych herself up for what she was about to do.
"It's just hair. It'll grow back. Man up, Darcy." She told herself.
With one last deep breath, she started snipping.
When Darcy entered the lab, it was 8:59 and she was feeling pretty proud about that.
"The on-time streak continues!" She announced, pumping her fist in the air.
"Just barely." Loki said dryly, looking up from the thick textbook he held. "Are you going to get rid of that?"
"Good morning to you, too." Darcy said sarcastically as she fired up her computer. "Get rid of what?"
"That abomination on your head." Loki responded, eyeing her with thinly veiled disgust. Darcy had removed her coat and gloves but her hat firmly stayed put on her head.
"Hey! I love this hat." Darcy reached up and touched her knitted beanie, stroking it soothingly, "It's ok baby. He didn't mean it."
"And now you speak to it?" Loki blinked at her before burying his nose back in his book, "Strange girl. I will never understand you."
"It's part of my charm," Darcy quipped, flashing him a wide smile.
"Charming indeed." Loki muttered into his book.
Darcy sighed, "Look dude, it's been a rough week so just let me wear my hat in peace."
"A rough week?" Loki echoed, "Darcy, you realize that it is only 9 o'clock on a Tuesday."
"Thanks for the update, father time. And yes, it's a rough week. I had to stay late last night inputting data after that coffee fiasco-"
Loki raised his eyes at that, smirking at Darcy wickedly.
She tried to ignore him (and the sudden memory of his hand on her chest) as she continued her rant, "and for some stupid reason my alarm clock didn't go off this morning and my poor hair-" Darcy stopped abruptly, realizing that it was probably a bad idea to mention her hair troubles. That was perfect teasing ammunition that she would absolutely not give to Loki.
"Your hair?" At that, Loki snapped his book shut and set it aside as he slowly approached Darcy. "Is that why you wear that ridiculous hat?"
Aw, shit. She had baited him and now he was very, very curious.
"Let me see." Loki demanded, leaning in and bracing his elbows on Darcy's desk as he studied her inquisitively.
Darcy shook her head so hard that her glasses slid down her nose. "Nuh-uh. Not a chance. I will wear this hat to my grave." She declared overdramatically.
A slow, mischievous grin spread across Loki's face. "Ah, I see. So how about a little wager, Miss Lewis? I bet I can rid you of that hat by the day's end."
"Really?" Darcy met Loki's challenging grin with one of her own, "What's in it for me?" She loved a good competition and beating the God of Mischief would feel really, really satisfying.
"If you win, I will do your bidding for the remainder of the week." Loki offered.
"Ooooh, my own lab bitch! You will fetch me coffee and rub my feet." Darcy rubbed her hands together, delighted by the idea.
"Only should you win." Loki reminded her, "But if I am successful, you must kneel for me." The look he gave her was positively devilish.
"Oh hell no! That whole 'you were made to be ruled' ship has sailed, buddy." Darcy crossed her arms, adding to her look of annoyance.
"Then don't lose." Loki retorted, "Unless you are too afraid to place a bet with a god. In that case, it appears that I may have overestimated your boldness. Such a shame, I was beginning to find you refreshingly different from the rest of you weak and spineless Midgardians."
"Aaahhh," Darcy let out an aggravated exhale as she slumped forward in defeat. He knew exactly how to play her. "I am bold as fuck, thank you very much. I think I proved that point the night I tased Thor and he dropped like a sack of potatoes."
Loki's lips quirked up at that. When Darcy had first told him the story of the night she, Jane and Erik came across Thor, Loki had laughed for five minutes straight before wiping his eyes and looking at Darcy appreciatively. "Well played, Miss Lewis" he had said, making goosebumps break out all over Darcy's skin from the way her surname rolled off his tongue.
Darcy pushed the memory away and stuck out her hand to Loki. "You've got yourself a deal." They shook, and the bet was sealed.
All morning, Darcy tried her best to avoid coming within five feet of Loki so he couldn't snatch the hat off her head. Childish, yes, but she would do whatever it took to win their bet.
Thanks to him, she was also jumpy and overly suspicious of every little task Jane asked of her. Darcy was beginning to think that making a bet with a bonafide trickster hadn't been one of her brightest moments. Maybe his plan was just to wait her out until she stressed herself to death. At this rate, it would happen sooner rather than later.
As Darcy stared at Loki wondering when he'd make his move, he happened to look up at her from his place across the room. Darcy glared fire at him with narrowed eyes and he smiled back innocently. That little shit.
"Whatever you two are doing, cut it out." Jane spoke up, interrupting their silent staring contest, "Darcy, I need you to come over here and help with this." She pointed to a large metal contraption that sat precariously on Jane's workspace. "When I turn it on, the output of energy is going to make it move, so you and Loki hold it steady while I record the readings."
Darcy reluctantly left her chair and approached Jane's desk, standing as far from the device (and Loki) as possible.
"Oh c'mon Darce, it won't bite. Just hold onto it. If this thing flies off the table and breaks, it will set us back weeks in research." Jane prodded her closer, poking at Darcy's back with her finger.
"Okayyyy..." Darcy edged closer to the table and wrapped her hands firmly around two of the thin metal legs supporting Jane's device. She looked up and found Loki standing opposite her, his hands around the other two legs.
"Hello Darcy," he purred in a deep, smooth voice, "It seems as if I've barely seen you today. You wouldn't happen to be avoiding me now, would you?"
"Oh, I'm absolutely avoiding you." Darcy replied easily, deciding to play the truth card and catch him off guard.
It worked for a second. Loki's eyes slightly widened and his mouth went slack with surprise, but then it was instantly replaced with his usual smug look.
"Darcy, Loki, are you two ready?" Jane called, hand poised over a large black knob that Darcy assumed powered whatever this thing was.
"This isn't gonna kill me, is it?" Darcy asked, "Cause I have a certain bet I'm going to win in a couple hours and it would totally suck to die before I get to collect on it."
She heard Loki scoff at her comment before Jane turned the dial, bringing the machine to life slowly.
"Huh, this isn't so bad." Darcy commented. The machine was definitely shaking but it was pretty weak, like a cell phone on vibrate.
"That's because it's only at 4 percent power." Jane said, giving the knob another twist. "Increasing to 20 percent!"
The vibrations went from cell phone to jackhammer and Darcy felt her insides quaking from the force. She looked up at Loki, gauging his reaction. His brow was furrowed in concentration, like he was doing complicated math equations in his head. Darcy didn't find that comforting.
"Um, Jane? Is this supposed to be happening?" Darcy called out, her voice raising slightly in panic. The whole desk was shaking now, causing Jane's empty coffee mug and a container of pens to topple over.
"Turn it off." Loki finally spoke up, his voice loud and commanding. "The calculations are wrong. Turn if off now before you set off an earthquake and level this entire facility."
Jane swore and started hitting buttons and switches, trying to stop the machine. Across the lab, one of the glass window panes cracked.
"Oh my God," Darcy cried, "I am gonna die! I still had so much to do! I never got to see Asgard, or the Eiffel Tower...or you naked." She spoke the last part to Loki.
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Meh, if I'm gonna die I might as well put it all out there." Darcy shrugged as much as she could manage while still tightly gripping the malfunctioning machine in front of them.
The overhead lights exploded with a loud pop raining down shards of glass and plunging the lab into darkness.
Darcy couldn't stop the low whine of fear that escaped her throat. In the darkness, Loki's hand found hers, gripping it tightly while their other hands tried in vain to steady Jane's device.
"Darcy," Loki had to almost shout over the noise of the rattling lab, "If it is any consolation, I too would have the same regret."
It took Darcy a minute to decipher his words but when she did, her pulse spiked with exhilaration instead of fear. Holy fuckballs, Loki liked her just as much as she liked him.
She was a minute away from letting go of the machine in favour of launching herself at Loki and spending her last living moments making out with a god, but then the shaking stopped.
"It's turned off!" Jane called out wearily from somewhere in the dark room. "Is everyone okay?"
Darcy let out a shaky exhale and released her death grip on the machine, grimacing in pain as she stretched out her stiff fingers. "Yeah, we're good. You alright, boss lady?"
"Fine, fine." Jane answered distractedly, "I just don't understand how the field codes could have been off...I did the math three times..."
"Jane," Darcy interrupted the scientist's muttering, "how about you find us a maintenance guy to replace the lights and get rid of all this glass. You can't fix your codes when you can't even see your hand in front of your face."
"Right, the lights. I'll be right back!" Darcy heard Jane fumble her way through the dim room, shoes crunching on broken glass as she made her way to the door.
Once Jane was gone, Darcy turned back to Loki. He still held her hand and used it to pull her closer so Darcy was chest to chest with him. She could just make out the whites of his eyes and was really, really wishing for more light so she could fully see his face right now.
"Darcy..." he drew out her name, making her shiver.
"Yes?" Darcy licked her lips, inching just a little closer. He smelled like soap and mint and it was making her dizzy.
Loki leaned in. His warm breath tickled her cheek and his lips brushed her ear as he spoke in a low tone, "I win".
"Hmm?" Darcy hummed, too caught up in his smell and body heat to really pay attention. Then her eyes snapped wide open and she pulled her hand free of Loki's so she could reach up and check her head.
Sure enough, her hat was gone.
"You fucker." Darcy fumed, swinging her arm blindly in the dark as she tried to punch him. She missed, and Loki's deep chuckle just served to make her angrier.
"I look forward to collecting on our wager." He said, sounding far too pleased with himself, "Not now, of course. I would not want you to damage those lovely legs of yours by kneeling on a floor of broken glass."
"Gee, how considerate of you." Darcy huffed, sagging against the desk once all the fight had left her. She perked up a bit when she heard voices at the door of the lab.
Jane appeared, holding a battery powered lantern that lit the room enough to give Darcy a decent view of just how much damage had been done. Along with the shattered lights and cracked window, it looked like some of the ceiling tiles had fallen, littering the floor with dust and rubble. It sure wasn't pretty.
"Guys, this is Jason from maintenance." Jane gestured to the man next to her wearing blue coveralls with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo sewn on the pocket. "He's going to clean up here. Since there's not much else we can do today, you're free to go home, Darce. Loki, I guess you can go back to your living quarters."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Darcy carefully stepped over a particularly nasty shard of glass and retrieved her purse and coat from her desk.
She, Jane and Loki walked out of the lab together in companionable silence, heading towards the elevators at the end of the hall. It was the ring of Jane's cell phone that finally broke the quiet.
"Hello? Yes..." Jane was looking increasingly worried with each passing second, "Okay. I'll be right up." She ended call and sighed loudly.
"Who was that?" Darcy asked, curious since there weren't many people who truly intimidated Jane.
"Agent Hill." Jane replied, fiddling with her phone nervously. "Apparently Director Fury has already heard about our little lab accident and wants a full report from me right now."
"You'll do fine." Darcy assured her as Jane entered the elevator looking like she was about to pee her pants out of nervousness. "I'm sure he won't go too hard on you – you're his favourite astrophysicist!"
"Darcy, I'm S.H.I.E.L.D.'s only astrophysicist!" Jane called back worriedly as the door started to slide shut on her.
"Go Janey!" Darcy patted the closed door and then turned to Loki, "Soooo...Guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
Loki nodded, "Until tomorrow, Darcy." He began walking away then stopped and turned to face her. "I almost forgot. This belongs to you." He pulled her beanie out of his back pocket. Darcy tried not to stare but only mildly succeeded.
While staying at S.H.I.E.L.D., Loki had unwillingly traded in his heavy Asgardian leathers for regular men's dress pants and button-up shirts, which Darcy heartily approved of. The way those pants fit...Darcy had to stop that train of thought before she started drooling onto the floor.
Loki held out the hat and Darcy quickly snatched it from his hand, hugging it to her chest. "Aww! You're giving it back to me? For real? I figured you already burned it or cut it up into a hundred pieces."
Loki lifted his shoulders in a shrug, "You obviously love that piece of rubbish. Far be it from me to keep a lady from her most treasured possession."
"Thanks." Darcy beamed up at him, shoving her hat into her coat pocket. "Hey Loki, about what happened back in the lab..." Her face grew serious as she paused, deciding how to word her question, "Did you know we would be okay? I mean, you didn't use your magic to stop the quake so did you know we weren't in any real danger?"
"Why do you ask?" Loki asked somewhat warily.
"I guess what I'm wondering is...did you mean what you said about me?" She finished in one big rush of breath.
Loki was silent for a long time and with each passing second Darcy could feel her face turning redder and redder with embarrassment. She was just about to turn and leave when his soft response stopped her.
"Yes."
Darcy held her breath, waiting for him to continue.
"I knew Dr. Foster would turn off the machine in time." Loki spoke slowly, as if he were choosing his words carefully, "As for your other question, it was my intention to distract you long enough for me to win our bet, but that does not mean my confession was untrue."
"Wow, so um...just to summarize, I wanna see you naked and you wanna see me naked." This was one incredibly awkward conversation Darcy never thought she'd be having.
"You are correct." Loki was trying to look serious but Darcy could see his lips twitching with humor.
"Okay. Glad that's settled." She nodded approvingly, trying to play it cool even though her stomach was doing cartwheels and she wanted to run home and squee into her pillow like a 12 year old girl.
"Darcy?" Loki was looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face. He stepped closer, taking a piece of her hair between his thumb and forefinger and tugging it lightly.
"Uhh, yea?" She responded unintelligibly. He was so close that Darcy could see the little flecks of blue in his eyes. It was kind of mesmerizing.
"The next time you wish to cut your hair, I advise that you seek out a professional. I do believe that this is even more unflattering than that absurd hat." His eyes flashed with amusement before he stepped back and strolled down the hall.
Darcy glared daggers at his retreating form. That was the second time today that she had gone from wanting to kiss him to envisioning herself strangling him in the span of 0.2 seconds. It was starting to make her question her sanity, and to top it all off, this was only Tuesday.
