Chapter Ten
Nick Fury's long leather duster flared out dramatically from his legs as he approached Darcy and Loki. He said nothing as he swept his gaze over the tall man standing behind the brunette. He looked vaguely familiar, but the SHIELD Director couldn't place him.
Darcy knew that Loki had done a magical thingy so people wouldn't recognise him as the Psycho Alien Loki while they were out on their date. They did get one or two strange looks, and some excited ones, oddly enough, from girls in their early teens. But all she saw was him. And she certainly saw him. It had left her slightly confused all night, as she knew he had neutered the bond-mate spell - the dreams were nowhere near as persistent and he had touched her tattooed hand several times and she managed to stay upright, lady parts mostly unmelted - but all she had wanted to do was lick that bit of skin that stretched from his shirt collar to his earlobe.
Confusing. And frustrating.
Actually, mostly frustrating.
She even had a plan for conversation which had gone belly-up as soon as he stepped out of the luxury sedan outside her apartment. All thoughts of asking him about parentage, both hers and his, turned to goo when she took in his elegant figure encased in a dark charcoal suit, the perfectly fitted emerald green shirt and a tie, the exact shade of the shirt.
Then he smiled as he held the car door open, and her response was an elegant, 'guh'.
She was just starting to wrap her head around approaching the subject again when Natasha appeared out of nowhere and pointed a gun at her. She's so off the Christmas card list. If Darcy had a Christmas card list.
"So, who is he?" Fury asked in his terrifying monotone.
Darcy shifted from one foot to another, looking for an escape, but unfortunately, she's no SHIELD agent. Not even an intern. "Um, my boyfriend?" She felt Loki's hand lightly touch between her shoulder blades. At least he hadn't freaked and slaughtered them all.
That might give him away somewhat.
Fury glared unamused with his remaining eye and Natasha raised a brow over the revolver she had pointed at them. "And does your boyfriend have a name?" He spat.
Shit. A name. A name- She cleared her throat, "Edward?"
Oh, great thinking, Darce. Damn Stark and his nicknames. She resisted the urge to face-palm. Okay, let's go on the offensive.
"Tash, please. Could you not- I don't feel comfortable with the whole, you know-" she waved her hand at the weapon.
Natasha smiled reassuringly. "I don't have it pointed at you, Darcy."
Darcy stepped back closer to Loki. "That's not helping. At all." She reached back and felt his hand slide into hers.
"Ms Lewis," Fury continued. "Have you or, Edward," he sneered the name, "had any contact with aliens apart from Thor Odinson?"
"Not that I'm aware of," she replied, as coolly as possible.
"Loki of Asgard has not tried to contact you in any way?"
"Loki? Thor's brother? Thor's DEAD brother?"
"That's the one."
"Uh, no," she chuckled uncomfortably, "No dead gods have tried to communicate with me. Ever."
She could tell Loki was becoming increasingly unamused with the whole situation. His grip on her hand tightened and he was beginning to shift his body slightly in front of hers again. "Is this necessary?" He said, gritting his teeth.
Darcy tried not to start as the accent that came out of his mouth was distinctly American, rather than the British-type one she was used to. Familiar too...
"This won't take long, Mr-"
Loki's jaw locked and Darcy began to think that that was it. A confrontation between Fury and Loki would be on so many levels more messy than any between Loki and Tony. Especially as Fury's side had a lot more guns.
A clap of thunder shook the air and a flash of checked flannel and blue jeans streaked towards them. All four took hasty steps backward as Thor crashed to the ground between them, perfectly crouched, Mjolnir clutched firmly in one hand.
Natasha's mouth dropped open and the grip on her gun faltered. "Thor?" Her normally low voice was pitched higher than usual.
Thor's eyes flicked up to his audience, and he stood quickly, taking in the scene. He laughed loudly, probably trying for nonchalance, but instead arriving at 'laughing at the bosses' distinctly unfunny joke'. "Lady Darcy! There you are!" He laughed again. "And your- male companion! Good evening!"
Ugh. Thor. Just- stop.
The blonde god whirled around to face Natasha and Fury. "My friends! How good it is to see you this fine night!" Fury looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. "I was just- out. Looking for Darcy and-"
"Edward," Darcy supplied helpfully.
"-and Edward. To go, uh- to a function-"
"Thor," Fury growled.
"-with Jane and myself! Ha, ha!"
"Oh, good grief," Natasha muttered.
A car horn startled them all into turning towards the street. Tony was leaning out of the window of a sleek black SUV, waving cheerfully. "Nick! Tash! Hey, guys!"
"And our ride has arrived," Thor grinned maniacally.
Darcy was not one to turn down a golden opportunity like this one. Wrapping her arm around Loki's trim waist, she whispered frantically, "In, in!" And shoved him towards the vehicle. Of course, he insisted in dragging her along with him, nearly lifting her off her feet in their urgency to get to the car.
"Darcy," Natasha sighed, holstering her gun.
"Catch up soon, Tash!" She whooped as Loki threw her into the backseat.
"Everyone in?" Tony said. "Good. Let's get the hell out of dodge." He slammed his foot down on the accelerator and took off with a squeal.
"Oh, so smooth there, Big Guy," Darcy laughed breathlessly. Thor turned and grinned goofily from the front seat. "I sense Oscar material."
Loki sat sprawled on the wide seat next to her, taking up most of the space with his long legs, breathing rapidly.
"No thanks from Mr Sparkly in the peanut gallery," Tony drawled. "Typical."
"You-" Loki swallowed visibly, then turned to Darcy, "You could have been k-killed. They would have shot-" he shuddered.
"Hey, hey," she said, concerned. She ran a hand over his shoulders. "I'm okay. It's okay. Loki-"
He suddenly twisted to her, running his hands over her, seemingly checking for injuries. Also seemingly unaware that she was gasping and squirming at the sensations his hands were producing. "Loki!" She gasped.
"Darcy," he groaned, and crushed her to him. She tried to calm her rapidly beating heart and patted the dark god somewhat awkwardly on the back. She cast a quick look at the front seat, where Thor was blatantly staring with hope in his shiny blue eyes and where Tony was gaping into the review mirror mouthing, 'What the fuck.'
Then all thought processes stopped as Loki pulled her across his lap so she straddled him, wove his hands through her loosening hair and pressed his mouth against hers. She made a surprised sound in the back of her throat, which quickly turned to a moan. Loki pulled back, capturing her face between his large hands and whispered brokenly, "Oh, my love. I can't-"
He dove in for another round, this time parting her lips. His tongue flickered against hers before taking possession of her mouth. Darcy's mouth had no issues with being occupied by Loki's tongue. None at all. In fact, she probably encouraged it by spearing her fingers into his soft dark hair and tracing the space behind his top teeth with her own tongue with a sound that she was pretty sure she had never made before in her life.
His hips jerked beneath hers and she pressed hers forward, grinding into him, even as he pressed a hand into her lower back, encouraging her closer. She inadvertently flattened her hand over his heart, and he tore his lips from hers with the sexiest whine she'd ever heard.
She vaguely heard another sound.
"-the FUCK. STOP MAKING OUT IN MY CAR."
Shit.
Darcy thought that she may have possibly answered the question of whether she was attracted to Loki for real. She pulled back, panting, Loki's hands still firmly on her hips. His thin lips were swollen and red from her favourite lipstick and his usual ice green gaze was hazy. He blinked several times before pulling his head up from the seat and sharply focussing on the two occupants in front. Without dislodging her, he slid out of his suit jacket and swung it over her, silently encouraging her arms inside the too long sleeves. After securely wrapping his arms around her, he continued to glare at Thor and Tony.
"Thank whatever gods are still left up there," Tony snarled as he drove into the Stark Tower carpark. "My modes of transportation are not for the giving and receiving of sensual pleasure for homocidal gods and their girlfriends."
"Shut up, Stark," Darcy replied, slightly muffled in Loki's embrace. She caught Loki's eye and grinned naughtily. "You might actually learn a thing or two."
Loki snickered as Tony gagged loudly. Thor still couldn't look at anyone without blushing heartily.
"At least I wasn't making out with Edward Cullen," Tony retorted.
Silence.
"What?"
"Darcy!"
Not expecting the greeting, Darcy jumped somewhat, dropping her handbag which had been loosely clutched in her hand ready to leave. Facing the surprisingly-loud-for-her-size astrophysicist standing at the door to the Communications office, she adjusted the glasses which had slipped a little down her nose.
"Rude, Jane. What have I told you about using your indoor voice?" She said, unimpressed.
Jane blew a raspberry and waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever, Miss I-can't-be-bothered-getting-up-so-I'll-throw-something-at-you Lewis." She wrapped up her friend in a hug. "You look so much better!"
"Uh, thanks?"
"I mean it. Things are better, right?"
Darcy hesitated. "I suppose so?" She looked around at the other office staff uncomfortably. "Let's go get some drinks."
They both slid into a booth at a bar not far from the Stark building. Jane took a healthy sip of her red before pointing at Darcy. "Come on, Darce. You've been avoiding me for weeks, and I'm worried." She laid a gentle hand over Darcy's. "Are you okay?"
Darcy took a sip of her own house white and met Jane's eyes. "To be honest, I still think I'm gonna wake up and it'll all be some sort of weird sleep deprived dream I slipped into. I don't-" she paused, looking away, "I don't know if I'm dealing with this very well."
Jane's eyes softened and her brows drew together worriedly. "Oh, Darce. Darcy," she breathed, "You have been dealing with this amazingly. Well, apart from the not talking to me." That coaxed a small smile from her friend. "Tell me. Come on," she encouraged.
Darcy took a deep breath. "I went out on a date with Loki last night." She dropped her head back and laughed mirthlessly. "Date with Loki. That sounds so weird. Anyway," her head dropped forward again, "we went out and I wanted to ask him, you know, about my birth parents. And maybe his. But mostly mine. However, we were interrupted. By SHIELD." Comprehension dawned in Jane's eyes. Thor must not have told her the whole story about his impromptu rescue. "I want to know if he knows who they are. Do you think he knows?" She looked pleadingly at the other woman. "Do you think Thor knows?"
Jane felt slightly guilty, knowing how much she and Thor, along with Tony and Pepper, had speculated about Darcy in the last few weeks. She pushed it aside and hoped Darcy would forgive her for that. "I've asked Thor about your birth parents." Oh, there's the guilt again. Damn Darcy and her big blue eyes looking all hopeful and vulnerable. "He doesn't know, Darce."
Darcy's face fell, "No?"
"If Loki knows, we wouldn't be able to tell. He speaks to you more than Thor."
Darcy fell back into her seat, sighing heavily. "This really sucks, you know."
Jane grimaced. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."
"Not your fault, dude," Darcy grinned wryly. "Well, anyways, I've managed twenty-five years without them, so I think I'll be okay if I don't know."
Jane grinned back, relieved that Darcy really did look better. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "So, uh- You and Loki are- You know, really dating?"
Darcy lowered her head to meet Jane's, noses nearly touching. "Yes," she whispered, straight faced.
"Holy crap," Jane giggled, "That is just so- so-"
"Unexpected?"
"No-"
"Hot?"
"Well-"
"Terrifying?"
The astrophysicist laughed. "Maybe," she snorted. "Look, when we first met in Asgard I may have been a bit out of it with the almost dying and such. And I did hit him," she smirked as Darcy's mouth dropped open, "but he and Thor- you could tell they were brothers. That Loki cared. It wasn't what I expected from the god that went on a killing spree on Earth."
Darcy paused a moment, taking a sip of her wine. "Yeah," she conceded. "He's not really what you expect, huh?"
A great big bunch of flowers was sitting on Darcy's kitchen bench the next morning. Since they weren't there when she went to bed the night before, and was pretty sure she'd remember letting someone in to leave them all-pretty-like on display, she was fairly confident that they came from the god who was wooing her.
She shoved her hands on her hips and stared at the ceiling, letting the taste of that swirl around her brain for a bit. Rocking back and forth on her heels she hummed tunelessly, waiting for it to sink in.
Hmm. Yeah, nah.
She shrugged and approached the deep red lilies, taking a whiff before reaching for the card nestled in the blossoms. The card shimmered with a pearl-like gold and the writing was neat and flowing. Not used to the to the style of script, she narrowed her eyes at the message before she gaped. She could feel herself turn as red as the flowers as the heat rushed through her body.
Oh, he did not just write that.
Kinky bastard.
Waving a hand at her face, she blew out a breath, and looked around instinctively for witnesses. None. Good. She grinned a little to herself. That message was going nowhere. Darcy slid the card into an unused kitchen draw, safe from all eyes but hers.
Darcy stood uncomfortably next to Pepper as Daniel Greene-Taylor and his posse finally turned up to the meeting room. The two women and a half-dozen representatives from Stark Industries had been waiting in the painfully pastel coloured meeting room at the Greene Software headquarters for a good fifteen minutes before the CEO decided to show.
She would have felt more at ease had the meeting been on her home turf of the Stark building, but it was hard to reinforce a restraining order when you were in the building owned by the guy you had restrained.
She tried not to fidget as Daniel's dark eyes swept over her. Yuck.
"Ah, Ms Potts and team! Welcome, welcome!" His voice cut through the noisy air-conditioning like a knife.
Pepper immediately held out her hand to shake. "Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Mr Greene-Taylor." Daniel took her hand in both of his and shook it slowly. Darcy could see a slight twitch in Pepper's eye as the man held on. "We hope we can sort this out as amicably as possible."
Pepper visibly fought not to snatch her hand back as Daniel let go. The CEO stared at her a moment longer before he smiled widely. "Let's all take a seat then, shall we?"
Despite Pepper's best efforts, however, the conversation quickly turned sour.
"This technology you're harbouring is dangerous," Daniel snarled. "Need I remind you of the damage to property and loss of life that has occurred in this city alone due to accidents with ill-planned technology that we don't understand."
"I understand where you are coming from, Mr Greene-Taylor," Pepper replied through gritted teeth. "What I don't understand is why Greene Software is so interested in the R&D Department of Stark Industries. Our primary research revolves around green energy alternatives-"
"Stark should not be allowed exclusive access to this technology-"
"Stark developed this technology, what gives you the right to demand access to intellectual property developed by our company?"
"The right that demands that this city be safe from egomaniacs such as Tony Stark and his ilk!" Daniel thumped a fist on the table. Darcy fought not to jump at the violent movement. "Don't think I don't know that you use alien technology in your R&D. Only a fool would miss an opportunity like that, and Stark may be many things, but he's not a fool."
The pen in Pepper's fingers looked like it was about to snap in half. "The technology developed by Stark has been instrumental in saving this city, Mr Greene-Taylor. At no point in the last five years has anything we developed been used for a destructive-"
"Nothing?" Daniel stood suddenly. "Nothing? Exhibit A, Ms Potts."
The Stark team leaned back as one in their seats, away from the erratic CEO, whose dark eyes were opened wider than what was considered sane. The two security guards that came with them cautiously touched their hands to their weapons.
Daniel reached into his open suit jacket and drew out what looked to Darcy to be a Sonic Screwdriver. Before she could guess which Doctor the screwdriver belonged to, he activated the device, high in the air, and the windows behind the Stark team shattered as an invisible surge of energy pushed everyone away from the table.
Chairs toppled and Darcy's legs went up over her head with a shriek.
She looked up from the floor and cried out in horror as the the two security guards lost their footing and toppled over the edge of the space where the window was meant to be.
Snarling, Loki appeared where the two men disappeared and threw his hands out, one towards the falling guards, another to Daniel Greene-Taylor and his shocked employees.
Daniel froze where he stood, arm still aloft.
In the window, Tony Stark in full Iron Man regalia ascended, a guard clutched in each of his gloves. Setting them safely inside the room, he nodded to Loki, who unfroze Daniel and was at Darcy's side in an instant, helping her from the floor, gingerly avoiding the broken glass.
Daniel blinked again in surprise as he realised Iron Man was directly in front of him, point blank range, hand glowing mere feet from his face.
"Well, THAT escalated quickly, don't you think?" Tony's voice sounded pleasant enough behind his mask, but the rage was clearly there.
Daniel recovered quickly enough to hiss, "Your technology, Stark. You only have yourself to blame."
"No," Tony spat. "I only have YOU, Doctor Horrible." His voice rose, "Negotiations are over. We're leaving. Edward." He turned sharply to Loki.
Loki had wrapped himself quite effectively around Darcy, but unwound himself reluctantly to help the rest of the Stark team off the floor, with Tony gently reaching down for his girlfriend.
"This is not over, Stark," Daniel said menacingly.
"Oh, it so is, Doctor. YOU are over."