Chapter 9

Darcy thought that morning was beautiful in Asgard as she awoke the following morning, a smile gracing her face. She couldn't wait to see Loki. After sleeping in the same bed as him for the past two months, it had taken her some time to get to sleep the evening before. She missed him; missed him holding her possessively even in sleep. She missed his presence. Getting out of bed, she quickly dressed and made her way to his room. Stopping in front of his door, she knocked and waited.

Loki was deep in thought when he heard the knock on his door. He smiled deviously for he already knew who it was. He had been unable to sleep the night before because he needed to feel her against him. He wanted to possess her so completely and waiting was becoming difficult. He had not been lying when he told her that had she stayed with him the night before he would have taken her fully and completely. He wanted to make her wait outside the door only until he could get his need for her under control.

"Who is it?" he called, even though he already knew.

"Loki?" came her soft reply.

He sighed then went to open the door, however he had not expected her reaction when she finally saw him and had to catch himself from falling over when she jumped into his arms.

"Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, Darcy. But what brought this on?" he asked after a lengthy silence between them.

Blushing she answered, "I missed you."

"Darcy, would you allow me to court you?" he asked

Darcy looked up at him and gasped in surprise. She knew the difference between courting and dating. Him wanting to court her meant that he wanted to marry her whereas if he simply wanted to date her just to get to know her. The fact that he was asking to court her only cemented the fact that he really did want her in his life permanently. A smile broke through and she nodded as she had completely forgotten how to speak at that moment.

He couldn't wait any longer, he needed to kiss her. He pulled her closer and placed a soft, gentle, kiss to her lips purposely teasing her to comply with his unspoken command. She responded exactly as he knew she would and kissed him back with her own passion.

He pulled back before he did something she was not ready for. She didn't have to tell him that she was untouched, a maiden, an innocent, and a virgin. He had known from the moment he had first kissed her. It was one of the reasons he loved teasing her so very much. He loved seeing her blush every time he whispered something naughty he wanted to do to her into her ear.

"Shall we go break our fast then my lady?" he said with a grin.

"It would be my pleasure, your Highness," she giggled at their play acting.

After they ate, he took her on a tour of Asgard. The marketplace quickly became her favorite place and she noticed that everyone seemed wary of Loki and asked why.

"As you know I am the God of Mischief and Lies, Darcy. My reputation is not exactly a good one. Many fear me here. I may have played one too many tricks on the residents here as a child and a young man."

"What kind of tricks exactly? And are you afraid I will think differently about you just because others see only the person you used to be? Loki, I don't care if all the realms fear you or if everyone in Asgard can only see you as the monster you think you are, I can't and won't see you that way. I have seen a part of you that you don't show to others and it's the part of you that I love the most."

"Darcy," he breathed her name and right there in the middle of the crowded square he kissed her. After breaking the kiss he said, "I love you Darcy Lewis of Midgard."

"I know," she whispered after noticing that not only had he confessed to her his love but he had done it in the middle of a crowded square. A crowd that was now staring at the two of them with amazement written all over their faces.

"Shall we return to the palace, my dear? Perhaps I might tell you a few of the tricks I played there," he said with a wink after looking around at the crowd.

"Yes, I think we should."

Xxx

Thor and Odin were on the balcony overlooking the marketplace and could see Darcy and Loki standing in the middle of the square.

"Thor, do you really think he could overcome the hatred that the people feel for him? He has played one too many tricks on them in his lifetime."

"Yes, Father, I think he can. He loves her as much as I love Jane, if not more. She can help him through anything that would stand in his way of being a good king. Which I am still surprised that you are choosing him as your successor."

"It was not I that chose him, my son, but the Fates. I only hope that they know what they are doing," Odin chuckled at that.

"When will you tell him?"

"I think I will wait until they are both ready to hear it. However, I am ready to step down, my son. It is time for the younger generation to take over the ruling of Asgard."

After a moment of silence Odin spoke again, "Is Miss Foster going to be staying on Asgard or will she be returning to Midgard?"

"She had said that she would like to stay but is asking that she be allowed to return to Midgard occasionally. Her reasoning is that the Avengers will still need me on Midgard and when I go back to help them she could tag along. Though I told her it would be too dangerous, she does work for SHIELD so I could not say no to her but I did tell her I would talk to you about it."

"Your lady is very wise Thor. She has my permission to go to Midgard anytime she wishes, though she really doesn't need it as she is not yet my subject only my guest."

"Father, thank you."

Xxx

Later that evening Loki walked Darcy back to her room and bid her good night. As he walked back to his room he knew that a long courtship was not going to work. He wanted to possess her so completely. He wanted her heart, her soul, her very being to belong to him. No other woman had ever accepted him as she had.

He had once wanted her purely out of lust but now it went so much deeper. He loved her. She deserved to be loved and cherished unconditionally. He wondered silently if it was too soon to ask her to marry him. Rationalizing, he knew that they had only known each other for a few months but he had been watching her for far longer than that. He had not stopped thinking about her since the day he had first seen her. He dreamed about her every night and couldn't wait to see her every day. Thor was right, he would destroy the realms and cause what mortals called Armageddon if he were to lose her.

He walked into his room to see his mother sitting on his bed waiting for him.

"Mother," he said as a way of greeting her.

"Loki, you need to ask her soon."

"Ask her what?"

"You know what my son."

"You do not think it is too soon?"

"Loki, that woman loves you more than life itself. She will be the one person that you love so completely that you would do anything for her," Frigga said placing a gentle hand on her son's face.

"Mother, I want to ask her, I do. Except I do not think she is ready."

"She is ready Loki. Your father has already asked her if she would accept you should you ask and she told him she would in a heartbeat. She is ready. You just have to ask."

Loki thought about it and knew his mother was right even if he was a bit surprised that Darcy would say yes when he did ask her. "I will ask her soon, I promise."

Satisfied with her son's answer, Frigga left and Loki was left to figure out exactly how he was going to ask he to marry him.

Xxx

It took Loki almost a month to finally get up the nerve to do as his mother had said and ask her. A month of courting her, of getting to know her even more than he had before. So it was on a sunny day that he took her on a walk in one of the palace gardens. It was there that he knew that he had to ask her. So he stopped walking and turned to her before kneeling and taking her hand in his.

"Darcy Lewis. I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could or would love anyone. You have taught me how to love. I love your sarcasm, your wit, your laughter, your anger. I love your innocence and naivety. I love your curiosity. But most of all I love the fact that you love me. All of me. I love the fact that you can love the monster within me. I know that I am not the monster that I used to see myself as and I have you to thank for that. I don't have much to offer you other than to live here with me but I love you and I am asking if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Throughout his proposal Darcy had been trying hard to keep from crying. It felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest in joy.

"Loki, you said that you have nothing to offer me but you are wrong. You are the only thing I need. The only thing I want. Of course, I will marry you!" she said throwing her arms around him and kissing him passionately.