The rain was unyielding.
Just like the terror he had, if only briefly, unleashed unto the city, there was no pause, nor let up, even for a moment. Outside the world was still moving, still as swift as it always was in this modern time. Behind him, he felt someone shift, and a familiar, broad hand curled around his shoulder in an affectionate, brotherly squeeze.
No words needed to be spoken, and the second the hand left, he was feeling just as cold as he had before.
"Darcy."
"Looooooooki." She mocked him, and even in her half-drunk stupor, he had to admit she looked quite pretty, if only a tad ridiculous, wearing his helmet from her perch upon the table.
"A young woman should not behave in such a manner." Despite his somewhat stern tone, the corners of his mouth quirked up, and she saw it; her blue eyes flickering with mischief that sparked his own.
She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, eyebrow raising as she gazed down at him intently, "Why don't you make me behave, then?" Her red lips pulled into a smirk, before she leapt off the table with as much grace as a flailing dog, and lingered in the doorway. "I bet you can't catch me, old man."
Loki's head tilted to the side, as he took a step forward, looking her up and down swift. "I bet that I can, little girl."
Darcy huffed slightly, but recoiled swiftly, and shrugged, biting her lip in quite the taunting manner. "Then why don't you show me what'cha got?"
A moment later and she was off, laughing through the halls of Tony's home. Soon enough his own joined, if only a bit softer, as she ran on after the tipsy young woman, feeling lighter then he had in years.
"Loki?"
He turned swiftly, finding Jane staring at him with a mixed expression - one he didn't want to analyze at the moment. "Yes?"
Jane stuck her hands in her pocket, sigh slightly. "Me and Thor are going to be making dinner. Would you like to eat with us tonight? Maybe even just have a coffee, or desert?"
As mentally appealing as those things sounded, he honestly wasn't sure if he could bring himself to actually indulge; it would be as last time, when he merely wound up sitting there, staring at a plate of food that smelled and looked delicious, with no real appetite to eat it.
Still, he hardly wanted to worry her; she had turned out to be quite the confidante, after she got over the fact that he nearly cost Thor his only way of returning to her. "Dinner sounds lovely. I will try to make it." He had other engagements, after all.
And that, she understood. "Of course."
"Did you seriously just bypass that hunk of delicious steak...for the ice cream?"
Darcy was looking at him with a very appalled expression that was amusing. He simply shrugged, taking another spoonful of the chocolate delight. "It will still be there when I am done."
Ever the meat-enthusiast, she scowled slightly, and tore a piece of her own steak, eating it happily, while glaring half-hearted daggers at him. Probably because he was making a point to eat it in what he believed to be a very...suggestive manner. To make the experience more enjoyable for herself, of course.
He could be very accommodating.
"Loki, could you scooch over some? Hulk Hogan and the missus are taking up so much damn room over there." A quick look over on the couch, and he saw that Thor and Jane were rather spread out.
With a nod, he moved over, and allowed her some more room, as well as mildly invade his personal space. Which, surprisingly, he did not mind too much.
Sort of like how he didn't mind waking up on the couch with Darcy sleeping soundly on his chest, snoring softly. He couldn't move very much without waking her, and some of her wild hair was even - somehow - in his mouth.
And still, he couldn't bring himself to care.
The walls of his room were fairly bare, as they usually where. Space was used proficiently, with a few treasured pieces from Asgard scattered around in a decorative fashion, on the bookshelf, dresser and tables. Still, rarely had it ever really looked so...so very lonely.
All of the ornaments and reminders of home and good days he spent in Midgard could make the feeling go away.
Fingers trailed against the black silk sheets on his bed, green gaze seemingly lost within the dark void of the material. So many memories were woven into the sheets; all of which were tucked away carefully in his mind.
Safely kept, and handled with the utmost care.
The door to his room opened, immediately catching his attention, though he did not move, nor seem awake to whomever entered. A stroke of lightning flashed outside.
"Loki?" A hushed, familiar voice whispered, mildly distressed.
Brows furrowed together, as he sat up, the moonlight, however shaky due to the storm, from outside revealing the intruder. "Darcy...what is the matter?"
She looked nervous; and he had never seen her quite this nervous. Not even when he was evil. She had still stood up to him with her taser, shouting declarations that he hardly understood at the time, but he knew to be words of pride and bravery. "I'm...scared. Really fucking scared." Darcy paused, and looked away briefly. "I hate storms." Her murmur was barely heard.
He blinked in confusion, but choose not to quiz her senselessly about her fear. "I cannot make it go away, I'm afraid," Loki supplied somewhat jokingly, hoping it would help ease her nerves. It did, but then she punched him in the shoulder.
It didn't hurt, but he acted like it did. "Ow."
"I know that, duh! I just, well...I was hoping you'd...you know, let me stay? To sleep with you to avoid locking myself in a closet and rocking back and fourth like some mental patient, and all."
Despite his initial desire to agree, he refrained. "I am not sure. It would seem -"
"Scandalous?" She provided, offering a flash of teeth in a megawat smile.
His heart may or may not have skipped a bit of beat. "Quite."
Her hand laid on his bare shoulder as she sat somewhat on the bed, a look of pure, innocent pleading on her face. He could see the truth in her eyes about the fear
. "Look, I promise I won't like, molest you in your sleep. I just really need to get some shut-eye, and I don't want to snuggle between the big blonde and the brunette. As much as I love'em...heh." She trailed, and he understood perfectly.
In the apartment, there may be the four of them, but at that particular moment, she had no one but himself.
She stayed the night, and he never slept better then when he did strangely entangled with the unusual mortal.
Shrugging on his jacket, he fixed the collar silently, ignoring the constricting feeling of his chest slowly caving in on itself. The rain had not quite let up, but it did not matter. He did not fear, nor dislike the rain; if anything, he quite enjoyed it.
No one questioned him when he left, and for that, he was glad.
Hands in his pockets, he allowed the rain to wash over him as he ventured down the block, ignoring any looks he gained from those with umbrellas, and the like. Mortals. Afraid of even the rain.
Loki chuckled mentally, and it brought on only a brief sense of relief and pleasure.
Slipping into the familiar store, he made a bee-line for the back, knowing exactly what he wanted to purchase. A bouquet with a fairly pretty mixture of daisies, roses, and carnations - she could never choose which ones she liked the most.
"Will this be all, sir?" The cashier spoke pleasantly, and he nodded, handing her the cash from his pocket without so much as a blink. "Yes, thank you."
Bouquet in hand, he left, noting that the rain seemed to be slowly letting up. For a moment he paused, face raising to the sky, allowing the droplets the run along his face. It was almost as if it were washing away all of his pain, all of his anger, all of his sins.
"Good morning," He murmured into the nest of hair in his face, resisting the urge to smirk when it's owner simply rolled over, stealing all of the covers. "Tsk, now. You're more mature then that."
"No I'm not," Darcy snorted, cocooning herself in the comforter, even as he moved closer, pressing a light kiss on her neck. "Stop that. Cheater."
Loki smirked, arm wrapping around her for a moment, before ripping the covers off. She squealed, and he chuckled at her poor attempt to stay warm. It ended, invetiably, with them cuddling.
Truth be told, he was not quite sure what they were. Friends, certainly…but, certain things crossed over into territory that he had very little experience in. He rarely enjoyed labeling things, particularly people. Even so, he liked to think of Darcy as his.
His friend. His lover….his everything.
The cold slab of stone seemed to look back at him, almost mocking his presence as he stood there, flowers in hand.
Kneeling in the grass, he placed the bouquet along the front, shoulders slumping. Green eyes moved along the engraved name that caused his heart to both fall in despair and warmth with joy.
He was soaked to the bone, but it meant nothing. By nature he was already fairly cold; and the only one who could truly make him become alight with passion or joy, was now far out of his grasp.
"Darcy," Loki murmured, throat forcing a swallow of emotion he constantly tried to ignore. A low clap of thunder raised through the sky, bringing on another memory, and another ache in his chest. "I….miss you. I miss you so much." He choked out slightly, glad that there was no one around to slowly watch him fall into a million pieces.
After all, there was no one to put him back together again. "Your ridiculously large smile, the way you steal all of the covers and kick me in your sleep…even that obscenely pink lipstick you are so fond of…I miss it all." Leaning over slightly, he bowed his back, curling into himself, as if to keep some parts of him from completely unraveling, however futile it may seem.
"You told me everything would be alright. But…I just don't know. I don't know anymore love, and you know how I hate not knowing."
"….Do you?"
Loki tried not to look too nervous, but he was. After all, he just confessed that he was in love with Darcy, and she didn't say it back. Wasn't she suppose to? Even he was fairly certain that was how things went with such practices.
"Maybe." Her tone with flippant, and obviously, she was toying with him. She grinned, nursing down another sip of the eggnog, before wandering over to him, pressing a kiss against his cheek. "What's it to ya?"
Everything. It was everything to him, but it was hard to put into words with her being so close, smelling so good, and looking so downright evil.
He tried to scowl, and managed a half-hearted look of contempt. "Do not toy with me woman." At least he managed to sound imposing, with his heart beating at a mile a minute.
She shrugged, and sashayed out of the room, a smirk on her lips.
"You silly man," Darcy murmured against his lips that night, tasting of her favorite mango vodka, and chocolate. "Have I ever given you any reason to think I didn't love you? 'Cause I do, kind of a fucking lot."
He was crying.
His soul ached; a part of him was missing, and it was a part of him he would never be able to get back. Despite all of his magic, and all of his power, he couldn't do anything to bring her back, or ease his pain.
Loki could only cry, and hoped that the rain shed tears for him when he could not do so anymore.
