This is a long one, I hope you like it! I don't usually do song recommendations but I listened to The Balcony by The Rumour Said Fire about a dozen times while writing this chapter. In fact, these lyrics inspired this entire fic:
I can sense a world of heartache but I love the sound
Of your hair when it falls down from the pillow late at night
On the brink of illusion it's the devil in my eyes
Waiting for the moment to kill me inside
How we'd love to die more often
As always, thanks for your reviews and favourites!
She'd been stood up.
Darcy wasn't all that surprised really, especially after the events of last night and Loki's hasty departure. Her body flushed as she recalled the feeling of his hands on her skin, his mouth hot and needy against hers.
Shaking off the memory, she looked around the expansive library she stood in.
"Asshole," she spoke aloud to the empty room, "wherever you are, you'd better be working on Jane's spell."
Since she had nothing better to do, Darcy figured she might as well snoop around and do a little reading. The sheer volume of books in the room made her want to drool. Darcy had always been a reader. Fantasy, crime, non-fiction; she dabbled in a little bit of everything.
She wandered through the tall, winding shelves, studying the hundreds and hundreds of thick, leather-bound books. They all contained some strange symbolic writing she didn't understand. After some time, Darcy finally found a section of the room housing books in English. She gathered a few titles that sounded interesting, setting her armload of reading material on the long, boardroom-style table that sat in the middle of the library.
A Complete History of Asgard, Fables and Fiction of the Nine Realms, and Magical Enchantments for Beginners were her selections. Darcy picked up the enchantment book first, hoping it might contain the light spell that Loki had learned as a kid. She plopped down into a plush chair next to the window and opened the book, crinkling her nose a little when she was hit by an old, musty smell.
She read for a few hours before her eyes started blurring with tiredness and the complex, old-timey English writing became too difficult to understand. Darcy stretched, feeling something in her back pop, before she threw her legs over the arm of the chair and reclined, closing her eyes. There was a perfect beam of afternoon light shining through the window and warming her. She'd just take a little cat nap.
When she reopened her eyes an hour later, she found Loki looming over her.
"Fuck!" She jolted fully awake, nearly falling out of the chair, "Were you watching me sleep?"
"Did you wait for me all morning?" Loki asked, pointedly ignoring her question.
"No." Darcy said sharply, closing the heavy book that was still open in her lap. "I was not waiting for you. I just wanted to see the library."
"I see." Loki said, though the tone of his voice implied that he didn't believe her.
Darcy moved from her reclined position, letting her feet drop down onto the floor. She studied Loki furtively, seeing that he looked just as tired and haggard as he did the previous night. Dark smudges under his eyes told her that he had obviously not slept.
Darcy bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from rehashing their last discussion about Loki's lack of a plan. How much longer could he keep playing Allfather before exhaustion and stress made him inevitably screw it all up?
Still, Darcy couldn't help but bring up his appearance, "You're looking rough, dude. Are you sure you're gonna have enough energy to do Jane's healing spell?"
Loki looked down at her, raising his eyebrow in a haughty expression, "You question my abilities? I have more power in a single finger than any mortal could ever hope to comprehend within their measly lifetime."
"Just asking. Sheesh." Darcy stood, raising her arms up over her head to stretch out her stiff muscles.
She saw Loki's eyes follow the movement, his gaze narrowing in on the small strip of her stomach exposed by her raised shirt. His eyes darkened and Darcy held back a smirk. Nice to see that he hadn't completely forgotten about last night.
"So what's on the agenda today?" She asked, dropping her arms and letting them swing loosely at her sides.
"I must travel to Nornheim." Loki stated simply.
"Noon-ham?" Darcy scrunched up her face as she awkwardly pronounced the word, "Why? What's there?"
"A specially charmed stone bowl created by Nornheim's native race, the Rock Trolls. I believe you Midgardians would call it a mortar and pestle." Loki looked at Darcy for confirmation and when she nodded, he continued, "Once I mix the healing elixir in that bowl, the remainder of the spell will be quite simple. I will need only to prepare myself mentally and physically for the amount of magic I will be expending."
"Great," Darcy clapped her hands together with excitement. Finally it seemed like they were making progress. "Can I come with?"
The look Loki gave her was shocked and incredulous, "Absolutely not."
"Awwww..." Darcy whined, "Seriously, you can't tell me that magical rock trolls exist and then not let me see them!"
Loki's mouth was set in a hard line as he shook his head at her. "You will only get in my way."
"Please, Loki? Please please pleeeeeease?" Darcy begged, clasping her hands together under her chin in a pleading gesture. "I won't say a word and I'll be glued to your side the entire time."
Loki exhaled loudly, running a hand through his dark hair. "If I say yes, will you quit your blasted whining?"
Darcy nodded eagerly, making a show of keeping her mouth shut.
"Fine then." Loki muttered, "We must leave immediately. The moon cycle on Nornheim is different than Asgard; it will be close to nightfall before long and we will not want to remain in Nornheim once the sun has set."
The ominous tone of his voice made Darcy shiver. "Okay. Noon-ham at night equals bad. So do we take horses, or..." she trailed off when she saw Loki smile wickedly.
"For that," he replied, "we use magic. Come here." He opened his arms and Darcy awkwardly stepped into his embrace, feeling her face flush at the contact.
"Suddenly shy, are we?" Loki's voice was teasing before it grew gravely serious, "Hold on to me tightly and do not let go. You could be lost between realms and then even I would not be able to find you."
"Well, that doesn't at all sound terrifying." Darcy commented sarcastically as she wrapped her arms securely around Loki's waist. He was thin enough that she was able to lock her hands together behind his back, keeping herself firmly attached to him.
Loki's arms wound around her shoulders and he pulled her into his chest tightly. Every inch of Darcy was plastered against him and it would have been kind of hot if it weren't for her fear of that whole 'possibly being lost in space' thing.
"Ready?" He asked, his voice sounding very deep and rumbling with Darcy pressed so close to his chest.
"Ready." Darcy confirmed, tucking her head under his chin. She could hear his heart beating strong and steady. The noise was oddly comforting.
"Off we go." There was a hint of excitement in Loki's voice but before Darcy could register it, she felt her whole body start to fizzle like she'd just jumped into a swimming pool full of soda. She buried her face in the fabric of Loki's shirt while she literally hung onto him for dear life.
Teleportation was a weird and highly uncomfortable sensation. Darcy much preferred the fun lights of her Bifrost trip with Thor. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would be over soon.
A moment later, Loki spoke.
"Darcy?" His voice was tinged with amusement, "We have arrived. Perhaps you could loosen your hold and allow me to breathe?"
The rock trolls were not at all what Darcy had expected. She imagined short, happy little beings with mushrooms growing on their backs. Instead, she was greeted by a burly, seven foot tall Neanderthal with skin as rough and coarse as sandpaper. Damn Disney for giving her unrealistic expectations.
"Loki Odinson. What brings a prince of Asgard to our humble realm?" The troll spoke in a deep, heavily accented voice and Darcy couldn't tell if he was being sincere or mocking.
"I am no Odinson." Loki replied, raising his eyebrows slightly, "Surely news of my lineage has travelled to you by now, Murin?"
The troll waved his hand and the sound of rock grating against rock made Darcy cringe, "We do not concern ourselves with such gossip."
Loki nodded, looking slightly relieved, "I seek a charmed mortar for use in a healing spell."
"There is time for business later." Murin's thick neck turned slowly until his gaze settled on Darcy, "First, I wish to know about your companion. She is not Aesir, of that I am sure."
Darcy opened her mouth but Loki was quick to elbow her in the side, a silent reminder that she was supposed to keep her trap shut.
"She is of Midgard." Loki confirmed, easily weaving a lie with a few small truths scattered within, "She made the foolish mistake of entering into a contract with me which she later forfeited. Her punishment is now to be my personal attendant."
"Does she have a name?" Murin tilted his head, looking at Darcy curiously.
"I suppose she did at one time, though I simply call her 'the girl'." Loki and the troll shared a laugh over that and Darcy clenched her fists, trying to keep her anger in check.
"A mortar, you say?" Murin turned his bulky body, moving slowly towards the mud hut behind him. "I believe I have just the thing."
Darcy grabbed Loki's arm before he could follow the troll, "What was that?" She whispered angrily.
"I know what I am doing, Darcy," Loki spoke under his breath, keeping a careful eye on Murin in the distance. "Trust me."
Trust.
That was a whole can of worms Darcy definitely wasn't going to open up right now.
She reluctantly let go of Loki's arm, following behind him like a good little servant as they approached Murin's hut.
Inside the small home was damp and dark. A fine layer of sandy grit seemed to cover everything and Darcy could already feel her eyes itching from it. She couldn't wait to take a bath once they got back to Asgard.
Murin was rooting through a collection of bottles and dishes that sat on a rickety wooden shelf attached to the wall. It looked like the poor old shelf would collapse at any minute.
"This should do nicely." He handed Loki a small stone dish.
Loki inspected the bowl, slowly turning it over in his hands. "Yes, I believe it will. I have brought you payment in return." He reached into the top of his boot, extracting a short and dangerous looking pickaxe.
Darcy's eyes widened. Had that been in there the whole time? How did he not slice his foot off?
While the trickster and the troll made their exchange, Darcy's attention wandered to the interior of the small hut. There wasn't much to see: a small kitchen area that looked like it has been chiseled out of the wall and a ratty looking curtain hanging behind Loki and Murin, probably hiding a bedroom or bathroom. Did rock trolls have indoor plumbing?
Darcy sighed, shifting on her feet. Great. Now she had to pee.
She was trying to decide how long she could hold it for when she noticed the curtain move slightly. Weird. Was there someone in there? The hut didn't look big enough to house a whole family.
The curtain moved again and this time, Darcy caught a glimpse of coarse sandpaper skin. So there was someone hiding behind there, but why?
Darcy's stomach knotted as a bad feeling settled in her gut. She inched towards the curtain slowly as Loki and Murin continued their conversation, unaware of her. They were probably still laughing it up over how weak and dumb she was. Ha ha.
She was just about to reach for the curtain when the body behind it moved, racing forward and almost knocking Darcy off her feet.
It was another troll and in his hand he held a long silver dagger. As he began to approach Loki from behind, Darcy's eyes widened.
"Loki!" She called out, her voice panicked. She looked around her, quickly grabbing the closest thing she could find: a large ceramic plate. Trying to remember everything her dad had taught her about pitching softball as a kid, she hurled the plate at the troll with all her strength.
It hit him square in the back of the head, breaking with a loud crack.
The troll turned around slowly, his beady, black eyes zeroing in on Darcy. He growled and raised his dagger at her.
"Oh, fuck." Darcy cringed, lifting her arms to protect her face, but no attack came.
When she looked up, she saw that Loki was already fighting the troll with a dagger of his own. Behind him, Murin lay on the ground, badly injured as thick, dark blood ran out of a gash in his side.
"An ambush, Murin? Really?" Loki ducked, narrowly avoiding a hit from the troll's massive stone hand.
"It was well deserved after what you did to me, Odinson," Murin hissed, clutching his bleeding side.
"Hah!" Loki barked out a humorless laugh.
In one quick, agile move, he spun around, grasping the troll around the neck and slicing his throat. The troll dropped to the floor and Loki stood over the body, smiling down darkly.
Darcy could do nothing but stare at the scene in front of her. Loki's hair was disheveled and there was a smear of dark troll's blood on his cheek. When he looked up at her, his eyes were wild and manic.
She swallowed hard, finally understanding all of the past warnings Jane and Erik had given her about Loki. He was quick, ruthless and seemed to take a perverse kind of pleasure in killing. It was a far cry from the Loki who had so kindly given her his light sphere just a day ago.
A loud, angry cry in the distance startled Darcy out of her thoughts.
She saw Loki quickly pocked the stone dish before craning his neck to look out the door of the hut.
"The others are coming. We have to leave. Now." He was breathing heavily as he expertly twirled his dagger in his hand before pocketing it.
Darcy nodded dumbly, forcing her feet forward. Her foot slipped on the blood-coated floor as she stumbled her way out of the hut. Loki caught her elbow before she fell.
"You may flee now," Murin's voice was thin and rattling behind them as he called out to Loki, "but you can never truly run from your mistakes, Loki. They will catch up to you one day. I only wish I could see that moment."
"Old fool." Loki muttered as he led Darcy away. He hid it well, but she could see that Murin's last words had an effect on him.
Feeling numb, Darcy allowed Loki to pull her along the path behind the hut. When he stopped, he slipped his arms around her, preparing to teleport.
"Hold tight, Darcy." He growled out the instructions when she didn't lift her arms.
In a mindless, mechanical motion, Darcy clasped her hands around his middle. His shirt was soaked in the blood of Murin and the other troll who had tried to kill him. It seeped into Darcy's own clothing, leaving her skin feeling hot and sticky. She suddenly wanted to throw up.
She shut her eyes tightly, making a small whimper of protest when she felt the familiar bubbly feeling of teleportation begin. Loki's hand found the back of her head, cradling it and smoothing down her hair. His efforts would have been a whole lot nicer if Darcy hadn't just witnessed him murder two giant trolls in the span of five minutes.
Instead of returning to the library, Loki transported them back to Darcy's bedroom. As soon as they arrived, she quickly extracted herself from Loki's grasp, stumbling backwards on shaky legs.
While Darcy tried to process what had just happened, Loki seemed to think that it was a fine time to unleash his anger on her.
"I told you I had everything under control!" He shouted, his eyes alight with fire.
Darcy blinked at him, her shock slowly giving way to outrage. "Oh, and was being stabbed in the back part of your master plan?" She shot back. "I was trying to help you!"
"I didn't need your help!"
"They would have killed you, Loki!" Darcy exclaimed, spreading her arms out in a helpless gesture. "What was I supposed to do?"
"Most others would have watched with pleasure." Loki's voice had lost some of its edge.
"Well I'm not most others." Darcy took a deep breath, trying to control her temper. She took a tentative step towards him. "I don't exactly want you to die, okay?"
"Darcy," Loki closed the distance between them, gripping her shoulders tight enough to make her wince, "Swear to me that you will never, ever do something so incredibly stupid again." His voice was hard and serious.
"I don't regret throwing the plate." Darcy replied stubbornly.
Loki sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he worked to control his frustration, "I am fully capable of protecting myself, but you..." his fingers tightened their hold on her, "I would not wish to see you harmed."
Darcy blinked up at him, surprised by his admission, "Really?"
"You have a contract to fulfill. I need you to at least try to stay alive." He added in a rude, sneering tone as he withdrew his hands from her shoulders.
"Pfft, whatever. Just admit it, you totally like me." Darcy grinned, poking him in the chest with her finger.
"I most certainly do not." Loki scoffed, staring at her as if she'd just said the most offensive thing in the world.
Darcy leaned into him, no longer caring about the blood on their clothes as she pressed her cheek against his chest, "We'll agree to disagree then."
"You are the most hopeless Midgardian I have ever had the displeasure of knowing." Loki grumbled though he didn't push her away. He stood there, stiff and awkward with Darcy resting against him.
After a moment, Darcy broke their silence, "I really need to go get cleaned up," she commented. She felt like a nasty mess and probably looked like it too.
Loki, on the other hand, looked practically edible in his leather get-up with his dirt-streaked face. Even through the drying blood and mud, Darcy noticed that he still smelled nice. Like leather and rich spices. Damn him.
"Yes," Loki cleared his throat, "I suppose I should do the same." He tried to step back but Darcy caught his arm, stopping him.
"Stay."
A look of candid surprise passed over his face before he schooled his features into a hard mask, "You shouldn't say that," he warned, his voice deep and serious, "I will ruin you, Darcy."
"Don't care," Darcy said in a nonchalant, sing-song voice, "Besides, isn't your whole plan to 'ruin' me anyway after we heal Jane? Unless you only want a woman when she's unwilling, in which case I will punch you in the face and castrate you in your sleep."
"Goodness, no." Loki looked at her with a mix of shock and revulsion, "I would never take a woman against her will. I may be a monster but I am not barbaric."
"Who said anything about a monster?" Darcy was confused by his comment, "Oh! You mean the whole Frost Giant thing, cause that doesn't sound so monstrous. It's actually pretty awesome. If I had icy super powers I'd be flaunting that shit."
Loki's eyes narrowed in anger, "Who told you? It was Thor, wasn't it? I will cut out his tongue-"
"Woah, woah." Darcy held up her hands, "First of all, that is just straight up nasty. No one will be cutting out anyone's tongue. Secondly, I didn't hear it from Thor. It was actually Tony Stark who told me all about your New York adoption temper tantrum. I kinda work for him now. Well, I work for Jane who works for him." Of course Darcy was 99% certain that Tony gotten his information from Thor, but she wasn't about to tell Loki that.
"Who?" Loki looked at her with a blank expression.
"Jesus, Loki." Darcy rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, "Tony Stark? Iron Man? You trashed his tower and threw him out a window? The least you could do is remember the guy's name. He's still not over that, by the way. You should really apologize. Maybe send him a fruit basket."
"Fruit...?" Loki looked thoroughly confused, "Are you always this incoherent?"
"Nope," Darcy replied with a grin, "Get a couple drinks in me and I'm even worse."
Miracle of miracles, she made Loki laugh. The sound sent shivers of delight across her skin and before Darcy could stop herself, she reached for his hand.
"C'mon. You can get cleaned up here. This is your room, after all." She tugged at his arm until he followed her into the large bathroom attached to the bedroom.
Loki stayed uncharacteristically quiet as Darcy began to strip off her muddy clothes. His eyebrows were drawn down as if he was deep in thought but Darcy didn't notice. She was too busy mourning her poor jeans that were now covered in stains. Whether it was mud or blood, she couldn't tell. She dropped them into a pile on the floor before unclasping her bra and wiggling out of her panties.
Calling the bath a 'tub' would be an understatement. It was large and circular, built into the floor and about the size of the Jacuzzi Darcy had used the last time she stayed at a decent hotel which, on her old intern's budget, wasn't often.
She stepped up the smooth stone steps and dipped her feet into the water. How it managed to stay warm all day long, she had no idea. Just another perk of Asgard, she supposed.
Darcy took off her glasses, setting them beside the tub before she totally submerged herself in the warm water, scrubbing the sweat and grime from her face.
She heard the water splash behind her and turned to see Loki stepping into the bath. It was her first full view of him naked and she couldn't help but stare. He didn't have the heavy muscle mass of Thor, but his strength was well defined in his arms and abs. There was a lithe sort of power about him that made Darcy realize just how deserving he was of his Godly title.
Her eyes unconsciously drifted lower, finding that he was half-hard already and Darcy suppressed a shiver of anticipation. This dangerous, powerful being wanted her. There was a nagging little voice in her head telling her that she really shouldn't do this again, but Darcy blatantly ignored it.
Sex with Loki once in a dark hall could be excused as a lapse of judgement. She could blame it on her emotionally vulnerable state after learning how sick Jane was. But this was no rushed, lusty romp; it was slow and calculated.
Loki approached her slowly as if he were giving Darcy plenty of time to change her mind and run away. Maybe he hoped that she would.
"You look as if you were rolling in a pile of rocks." There was a soft hint of fondness in Loki's voice as he reached out, picking a few small stones from Darcy's wet, tangled hair. "Always making a mess wherever you go, hmm?"
"What can I say, I guess I like it dirty." She hadn't meant for her comment to sound so sexual, it just kind of happened. He was so naked and so close to her, she was having a hard time thinking straight.
Loki made a low hum of amusement as he stepped closer, his hands finding her wrists and slowly sliding upwards to her shoulders.
In reply, Darcy reached out and let her fingers roam along the muscles of his back. When Loki made no complaint, her actions grew bolder and she dipped her hands under the water to trail along his hipbones before she brought them to his front, letting her nails drag lightly up his stomach.
Loki shuddered against her. A low moan slipped from his lips and his eyes slid shut. When they popped open a moment later, his gaze was dark and hungry.
"Turn around," he instructed, his voice hoarse.
A shot of pure lust ran through her as Darcy turned to face to edge of the tub.
Loki`s hand trailed down her spine, making her shiver. He stepped closer until his body was flush against her back as his arms wrapped around her, his hands palming her breasts and making her whimper.
Darcy could feel the hard length of him pressing against her. It was making the ache between her legs unbearable. She needed friction. She tried to move against him but Loki wouldn't allow it.
"Not yet." He spoke lowly, his mouth working its way down the side of her throat.
He continued to taste her skin, his tongue sweeping across her collarbone and the top of her shoulder while his hands massaged her breasts until Darcy was reduced to a panting, quivering mess. His thumbs rolled over her nipples and Darcy cried out loudly, arching her back and trying vainly to press herself against him.
"Please," she moaned, "Need you." God, she couldn't even put together a complete sentence. He was driving her crazy.
"Spread your legs for me, Darcy." Loki's voice was hot in her ear.
Darcy could have cried with relief. She widened her stance and bit her lip when she felt the length of him slide against her.
Loki's hands slid over her thighs before he firmly grabbed her hips and sunk into her core.
Their moans were simultaneous.
Loki moved slowly, nearly drawing out of her completely before slowly sliding all the way back in. It was the best kind of torture, Darcy thought. Pleasure (she never wanted him to stop) and pain (if he didn't pick up the pace soon, she might actually die of sexual frustration).
"Fuck, Loki." She gasped when he changed angles, hitting some new and wonderful spot inside her. "Don't you dare stop."
"I have no intentions of that." He panted, lowering his head to drag his teeth against the juncture of her neck and shoulder.
Loki's hands left her hips and moved up her ribcage, seeking out her breasts. He timed the work of his hands and hips, creating waves of unbelievable pleasure for Darcy.
She rocked against him, tightening her inner muscles and trying to drive him just as crazy as he had done to her.
Loki choked out a moan, burying his face in her wet hair as he spoke in some odd, foreign language. Asgardian swear words, Darcy assumed. He had to teach her some of those.
"You are..." his voice was rough and breathless as he struggled to find the words to describe her.
"Darcy?" She offered with a smile as she turned to look at him over her shoulder.
"Darcy." Loki repeated, grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling until she tilted her head back enough for him to find her lips, catching them in a demanding kiss.
His hips suddenly picked up speed, causing Darcy to moan into his mouth. She pulled her lips away, focusing all her energy on meeting Loki's hard thrusts with her own. Her thighs were trembling and she could feel her pleasure swell like a tidal wave moments away from crashing down.
She came hard, crying out Loki's name and letting her head drop onto her forearms where they rested on the tub's edge. Everything seemed to fade away for a moment as she literally saw stars.
When her focus returned, Loki was swearing again in that rambling, old language.
"Don't hold back." Darcy murmured in her post-orgasmic haze, "I wanna feel you." She moved her hips lazily against him, making Loki groan.
"Darcy..." He choked out her name as he came apart, emptying himself inside her with a deep moan of pleasure.
Darcy shivered, loving the way her name sounded when he uttered it mid-climax.
Afterwards, they dried off and slipped under the sheets of Darcy's bed, lying on their sides to face each other. They didn't touch, but to Darcy it felt just as intimate as if their bodies had been fully entangled.
"You know, you never actually told me what you did to make Murin angry enough to want to murder you." She said, propping herself up on her elbow to better look at him.
"Ah, well...I may have killed his father." Loki grimaced.
"Of course you did." Darcy flopped back onto her pillow with an exasperated sigh. He would never learn.