A/N: Two posts in one night; whaaaaat?! I can't stop writing, all the ideas and feels I have right now...

Chapter 10

The restaurant Darcy's parents took them to sat in the middle of the little town. Darcy and Tom had here been before, on two previous occasions with Darcy's parents. But this was before Harry was truly serious with Tom, and he was just as fascinated as Loki when they entered. The entire restaurant had the feel of an old, traditional theatre: golden papered walls adorned with heavy red curtains set around the windows; intricately carved patterns entwined around each-other upon the ceiling; worn red carpet with golden threads embroidered through it; and wall lights which looked as though they were probably genuine Victorian gas lamps, though Loki noticed the innards had been replaced with electrical bulbs.
"Wow..." Harry exhaled, grinning. Tom was looking at him with a smile Loki noted as different to his typical one. Where Tom's smile usually portrayed happiness and jest, cheeky and slightly sarcastic to everyone around him... The elements that reminded Loki of himself, the inner trickster, were gone. This was all happiness. Love, he thought it must be. It was the smile his mother wore even when she was most exasperated with himself and his brother for whatever misdeeds they had recently carried out. Always still that smile of pure love.
"A table for 6, if you please," Richard said to the waist-coated man who stood at the miniature front desk, slipping him a crisp, folded $50 note as he shook his hand, "A window table."
"No problems, sir. If your party would follow me," the man led them through the central tables, most filled, towards the back where a single empty table sat among the filled ones, each table with its own wall-length window. Loki's observational skills on top form tonight, he did not miss Mr. Waist-coat slip the small Reserved card from the edge of the table, replacing it on a more central 6-seater as he departed.

Drinks were ordered, starters were eaten, and main courses devoured as the evening wore on. Conversation remained pleasant enough, with Darcy competently pulling off the white lie to her father about why it was necessary to spend a great deal of money on new clothing for Loki. She even crafted a wonderful story of how they met, with Loki as a gifted psychology student on a brief exchange from England visiting their college. Apparently it was love at first sight, by the end of his trip Loki could not bear to return home long term, and took actions to move here immediately.
"Of course, it was a stretch to switch from an English university to an American college, but more than worth it..." Loki smiled, staring at Darcy, attempting to copy the look he had witnessed on Tom earlier, and placed a kissed on the top of her head.
"Were your parents not concerned?" Catherine frowned at him.
"Oh, not too terribly," Loki shook his head, "My mother worries, of course, but father actively encourages the furthering of my education. This move of schooling leads me to repeat two years of learning, you see, when I would normally be finishing my education in England. But the college here has been more than welcoming. Not that my parents would have much say in the matter, but it is good to know they approve."
"Well I think your parents should be allowed some say in these big life decisions, surely?" chuckled Richard, though with a serious look upon his face.
Loki continued to smile, "I am a couple of years older than Darcy here. At 21 I am already rather independent of my parents, though as I said it is pleasing to know I have their full support."
"Ahh, I would not have guessed you were already of such an age, compared!" exclaimed Catherine, and Richard smiled at this too, safe in the knowledge the boy was respectful of his elders.
As the dessert menus arrived, Catherine turned to Darcy and changed the subject.
"You know your cousin Susan has just got engaged?"
Darcy nearly spat out her mouthful of lemonade, "What?! But I used to play princesses with her, like, yesterday!"
"Contain yourself, Darcy," her mother scowled at the sudden drop of her formal demeanour, which Darcy had managed to maintain so far, "Susan is nearly 24 now. Young Charlie proposed and of course she accepted. Still... Winter wedding. It is so much more romantic to wed during the summer, when the sun lasts into the evening. Though of course it was more apt to propose now than wait until later; they have both been out of education for long enough and are not getting any younger."
Darcy knew where this was leading but could not resist her retort, disguised under her polite tones, "Well I'm sure Susan wished to establish her career before settling down. Companies are less understanding if a brand new employee immediately goes on maternity leave, I'm sure."
"Well," her mother sighed, "Charlie is in the pharmaceutical industry, I'm sure he makes more than enough for the both of them. Medical professions are highly lucrative these days - doctors, pharmacists, psychiatrists," her eyes flicked pointedly to Loki, who was perusing the dessert menu in his hands, "I just don't see why she needs a job at all. Before she knows it she'll be at retirement age and still raising her children, that's what all these career driven women don't acknowledge at this young age. Look at you, for example. Of course your father and I would be so proud to see you succeed, Darcy, but we don't want to be too old to help look after our grand-"
"I need to use the bathroom," Darcy said suddenly, standing, "If the waiter returns I would like the raspberry torte, please." She hurried around through the maze of tables and eating people - couples, families, friends - turning the corner into the little inset in the wall where the toilet entrances were and running into the ladies, slamming the door shut on the nearest empty stall before falling to the floor and heaving into the toilet.
Lovely. She was throwing up in the toilets of an upscale (considering the standard of the town) restaurant because she was too scared of her own mother to admit that at 19 she was not ready to marry her fake boyfriend who she had realised over the course of the evening she was probably actually in love with, maybe, and was really over a thousand years older than her and not even from the same freaking planet, though was definitely rich enough for her parents taste in reality because he was a stinkin' prince of that planet.
This was so screwed up.

Loki sat himself up once desert was ordered.
"Excuse me, I'm just going to make sure Darcy is okay. She has been gone for quite some time."
"Such a caring boy," Catherine whispered as he left, "Darcy has chosen a wonderful partner in him." Both she and Richard missed as Tom raised his eyebrows at Harry, whose eyes widened worriedly.
As Loki entered the small alcove for toilets, Darcy emerged from the ladies. She looked exceptionally pale, the makeup around her eyes slightly smudged and her lips mostly returned to their natural shade rather than that of her dark lipstick.
"Oh!" she said, stopping in her tracks, "Sorry I left you with them, I was jus-"
"I am so sorry," Loki said, concern etched into his face, his eyes filled with sadness that was clearly for her.
Darcy was slightly taken aback at his sincerity, "What for? You haven't done anythin'."
"I understand the pressures you are under. Believe me, my own upbringing has not been without the need to stamp out ideas of arranged marriages and pre-decided life paths. Though thankfully only from my father. If my mother set any of these rules to me I fear I would not be capable of denying her. Few choices are left open to you as second in line to a throne."
"Not much is left open as first in line, either," Darcy scoffed.
"Are you... What happened to you?" Loki motioned to her damaged makeup and dishevelled hair.
"That bad? I threw up," Darcy groaned as a woman exited the bathroom and shot her a half worried, half put-out look, "And I'm pretty sure the whole bathroom heard it."
An expression of concern crossed Loki's face, though it felt unfamiliar to him, and for the second time that day he allowed himself to lean forward and comfort the young woman in front of him. He was more aware this time, perhaps he let himself be now that she was clothed, and he could feel the sight heat radiating from her core that always accompanied sickness, he could feel her hair tickle his arm as it fell down her back whilst he embraced her, he could feel her heartbeat against his own chest.
He broke away suddenly as he heard light footsteps approaching, his slightly amplified senses thankfully not diminished by his lack of magic.
"Do you trust me?" he whispered swiftly.
Darcy nodded without thinking. She opened her mouth to say "Of course," but was cut off.
And out of nowhere he was kissing her. It was deep and passionate and his lips perfectly moulded around her own. Her already slightly open mouth allowed for their tongues to meet and entwine around each other, too, as his arms shifted on her back from their friendly hugging position to a firm but somewhat romantic hold, his left hand in the small of her back and his right upon her waist. She didn't hesitate to respond to this sudden change in behaviour, her hands falling to rest on his hips as she stood slightly on tiptoe to better accommodate their height difference, closing her eyes against the worries of her ruined makeup and her parents and her life and the prospect of eating a sickeningly chocolatey dessert with her already churning stomach. This was blissfully perfect.

A/N: I could have made this chapter a little longer because I already have the next 1000 words or so planned out, but I decided I wanted to end here with a bit of drama and suspense...