Appeal to My Humanity
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Take heed, traveler. This tale is un-beta'd.
Chapter 9
True to his word Nick Fury had indeed removed the bugs from Loki's quarters, much to Darcy's great relief. Darcy fell back onto the bed after a quick trip to the bathroom and wrapped one black cotton sheet around her naked body. She rolled to her side, facing Loki, who was coming back into the bedroom after having used the RF detector at Darcy's request. He looked so relaxed that she was almost envious of his languid form as he flopped haphazardly onto the bed, pulling her close to him.
"Finally," Darcy sighed resting her for head on Loki's chest and allowing his arms to envelope her completely.
"Finally?" Loki asked, his quizzical expression unseen by Darcy who had closed her eyes with contentment.
"Yup. We finally, you know, got together. You had to have known that I've been attracted to you since we met," Darcy admitted sheepishly, "Why else would you've pursued me so aggressively?"
Loki still, mulling over her surprising words. "I confess I didn't know that. I pursued you because I wanted you."
"And I allowed it because I wanted you too, but..." Darcy started, her voice trailing off. She wasn't sure how she wanted her next words to come out.
"But?" Loki pushed hesitantly.
"But I wasn't kidding when I said I barely know you. We flirt. You tried to destroy my world. You tried to destroy my hometown, before that, but I feel like I hardly know anything about you besides a few short conversations," she told him, fiddling with a corner of the sheet.
"I fear that if you knew anything more about me you would run screaming from this room and I would never see you again. I could not bear to lose you, not when we are just starting... whatever this is," Loki said, swallowing involuntarily with a look on his face that Darcy had never seen before – apprehension.
"Try me. How am I ever going to know you if you don't open up?"
"Darcy, you must understand - I am trying. I am, truly. But to reveal my weaknesses to you would be to seal the promise of your departure from my life. It isn't easy-"
Darcy cut him off. "Loki, you killed a ton of people and were hell-bent on destruction and evil and all that world domination bullshit. It didn't work out. And here I am, in your bed, engaged in pillow talk with the God of mischief himself. I'm still here, Loki. However damaged you think you are, I'm still here. I've seen that you're trying and in order for you to try in the first place you have to want to try. I am willing to work with you if you'll just open up. And to be honest, I can't be with you if I don't even know who you are. The whole truth that is Loki – I want it eventually. I don't expect you to spill your guts right now but eventually I'd like to really get to know you."
He held her closer and was silent for almost a full minute. The pregnant pause was deafening to them both, and Darcy was startlingly close to leaving when Loki finally spoke.
"And what would the lady like to know?"
Darcy rolled her eyes. "Anything."
"When I was a child I used to cast enchantments on the frogs in the pond outside in the courtyard. They would all make their way to the castle and hide in Thor's bedroom to scare him. He would-" look he said, before realizing he was openly discussing his brother, his enemy, his childhood friend.
"He would...?" Darcy pressed.
"I would rather not discuss – him."
"You don't have to. But I will say he can fall like a sack of rocks when he's tased," she told him, hoping to pique his interest. It worked.
"You tased him?" Look he asked, a sly look reaching his eyes.
"Sure did. He was freaking me out."
"I confess I find you more appealing the more I learn about you. Tell me, mortal, do you make it a habit of being present when the gods make landfall in your realm?"
"That's a good question. Maybe it's fate," she joked before closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his torso.
"Nothing is ever set in stone Darcy," Loki said absentmindedly as he felt the coolness of the sheet that separated them. It had been so long since he had just been held. He had forgotten how relaxing and nice it felt.
"Tell me more. Tell me something more recent," she murmured her question into his chest.
"Everything more recent, that is to say anything that had taken place the last thousand years or so, is usually entangled with my so-called family. It is not the best subject to broach considering how much I don't want to ruin this evening," Loki told her. He couldn't let her know everything about him. He hadn't been bluffing when he admitted that she would run screaming from the room if she knew everything there was to tell.
"That's it, we need liquor," Darcy informed him, landing a hard smack on his bare ass and looking up at his face with a wide grin before rolling away from him.
"You'll pay for that, mortal," he warned with his own grin, but his idle threat cause Darcy no alarm. Loki simply lay there, watching her as she began to dress.
"Yeah, yeah, save that mortal stuff for the bedroom," Darcy replied, shimmying into her skirt and clasping her bra back together around her breasts.
"My lady, we are in the bedroom presently," Loki informed her.
"I know that, smart-ass," she laughed, throwing her panties at him and hitting him in the face. He didn't even attempt to block it and they fell innocently to the floor. "We need dinner and liquor. Can you get drunk?" she asked him.
"And why would you need to know that?"
"Oh, no reason," she said, smiling and looking up at the corner of the ceiling much too innocently.
"Well then I see no reason to divulge that little fact," he told her casually, toying with her
"Well then I see no reason to come back here after I go get my things at my apartment," Darcy smiled, challenging him.
"You wouldn't dare, you minx," Loki told her as he narrowed his eyes.
"Wouldn't I?" Darcy asked cocking her head to one side. "I need to get my clothes for this weekend and I can pick up some dinner while I'm out. But I need to know if you can get drunk before I go," she said before slipping on her green halter top.
Loki sighed as he looked at her. "Yes, Darcy, I can get drunk. But I should warn you that it is very difficult," he informed her, wondering to himself if divulging that secret would land him in any kind of trouble. So long as Darcy stayed with him for the weekend he found that it took a monumental effort for him to even pretend to care.
"Great! Then I'll be back in an hour or so," Darcy said with a mischievous grin. She looked over at Loki from her place in the doorway. "Can you walk a girl to the door?"
Loki got out of bed immediately and followed her, naked, to the front of his quarters where he helped her into her blazer and opened the door for her. Darcy looked out into the hallway with an alarmed expression, hoping that no one would see them. They were blissfully alone; however, she did linger at the doorway as he gave her a deep passionate kiss.
"Are you forgetting something?" Loki asked, "Maybe a few somethings?"
"What?" Darcy asked. Loki looked pointedly down at Darcy's bare legs and then back up at her.
"Oh my pantyhose? And my panties? Yeah, I don't think I'll be needing those for a one hour trip," She told him while tossing him a sly smile, turning around, and sashaying away from him. She knew he was staring after her ass as she walked away.
Darcy approached the guard she had met the first night that she came to see Loki. He glanced up at her with a slightly surprised look on his face, but said nothing when he saw that she was walking his way.
"Hey," Darcy started, as she peeked down at his name tag, "Mike. I have a question for you. What's the policy on allowing liquor past you guys?"
Mike answered, "Are you working?"
"Nope, I'm a nine-to-fiver. I'll just be in Loki's quarters all weekend," Darcy said keeping her head held high as she spoke. Her steady gaze pierced through him, daring him to say anything about the seemingly taboo relationship.
"You're allowed to bring liquor past us if you're not working," Mike informed her, "you need to keep it in the residential portion of the building; it can't go past any of the Level Four security doors."
"Thanks a bunch, Mike," Darcy told him flashing him a dazzling smile and continuing out the doors of the building.
The guards sat in silence for only a moment before one of them turned to Mike. "Wasn't she wearing pantyhose earlier?"
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Loki heard a knock on his door just over an hour later. He opened it, surprised to find that Darcy had help and that her arms were full.
"Oh thank god you have clothes on," Darcy told him, pushing past him and stepping into the foyer.
"Yes, thank god," he replied dryly.
"Oh, don't be like that. Would you grab that box from Mike?" Darcy asked, disappearing behind the wall that separated the kitchen and the foyer. She set down a duffel bag full of clothing and toiletries along with a plastic bag that contained boxes of their evening meal. Loki peered into the hallway to find the guard that Darcy had referred to as "Mike" standing there, looking as apprehensive about the entire situation as Loki felt. Mike handed Loki a box that appeared to be filled to the brim with nothing but different types of alcohol, causing Loki's eyes to widen as he shot a quick glance back at Darcy.
"Exactly how drunk were you planning on getting, Miss Lewis?" Loki asked, ignoring the guard who was looking anywhere but inside Loki's quarters.
"We, Loki. We are getting drunk tonight. And just how drunk depends on you," Darcy called from the kitchen. She popped her head out from the kitchen and looked at the guard. "Thanks a million, Mike. I owe you one."
With that the guard left, Loki closing the door behind him and turning to look at Darcy. "Were all of these bottles really necessary?"
"You said it was hard to get you drunk. I was just covering all of my bases," she replied, a hint of glee in her voice. "Now why don't you set up dinner for us while I go stash my things in your room?"
At the mention of food Loki realized just how hungry he had been. He hadn't eaten anything since lunch and quickly set to portioning out servings of rice pilaf, Greek salad and lamb for the two of them. He set the hummus and pita bread between their two plates and waited for Darcy's return before beginning his meal. He ate what was on his plate and took a second helping, knowing that the food in his stomach would slow the effects of the alcohol and he would be able to keep control of the situation for that much longer. When they were done with their meal, Darcy and Loki washed their dishes together. When they had completed that task Darcy walked to the box of liquor and picked out a tall, thin bottle with a clear liquid inside. Loki turned to Darcy with his eyes narrowed, his face masking the suspicion and apprehension that he felt.
"Pick your poison," Darcy ordered, motioning toward the box full of different-colored liquids, "Have you ever played Questions?" Darcy asked him, opening the bottle of vodka for herself and pouring half a shot into a glass.
"I cannot say that I have," Loki told her, his apprehension only building. He held out a shot glass to Darcy for her to fill it with the vodka she had in her hand, but she shook her head.
"I don't think so. You're drinking out of this," she said, pulling out an eight-ounce drinking glass from the cupboard. "'Difficult to get drunk', my ass," she muttered, almost to herself. "I guess we'll find out tonight, won't we?" she asked, pouring him a god-sized shot of the liquor before putting the cap back on the bottle.
"Questions is kind of like 'Truth or Dare' but without the dare. Not that you know what 'Truth or Dare' even is, but just know that I know you would have never asked for 'truth' if I got you playing that one."
Loki gave her a blank stare – it was clear that all of this was going over his head.
"Alrighty, so, 'Questions' is usually played with a group of people, but it'll work for us two just fine. We can flip a coin to see who goes first, but one of us will be the questioner and the other will be the answerer. You have to ask a question, and you have to answer it in only one word without hesitation. If you hesitate or if you answer in more than one word, you have to take a shot. Then when that turn is over we switch, and it goes on until... well, until it ends, I guess. Are you game?"
"Have I a choice?" Loki asked, arching one delicate brow as he took her in.
"Of course you have a choice. You don't have to play if you're scared. I'll just put all of this away and we can watch another movie or something," she said, goading him.
"I never said I was frightened. I merely worry for your pride, and how badly you will feel when I obliterate you during the course of this evening. I am game, my lady," he said, drinking the entire contents of his glass in one swift gulp. "I'll even give you a head start."
"You did not just trash talk me, Loki," Darcy said, smiling. "That's more like it."
The coin toss determined that Darcy would be asking the first question. The two of them sat on the couch with their drinks in hand.
"I'll start off with something easy. What was your first kiss like?" Darcy asked, looking up at him through her eyelashes.
"Awkward. How many lovers have you had?" Look he asked, attempting to appear nonchalant.
"Eight. Have you ever been in love before?" Darcy asked.
"No. What is your favorite time of day?" Loki asked.
"Twilight. What is your favorite season?" Darcy asked, fingering the half-shot in her hand.
"Winter. What did you want to grow up to be when you were a child?" Loki asked.
"Happy. What did you want to grow up to be when you were a child?" Darcy asked.
Loki hesitated. "King," he said finally.
"Aha! You have to take a drink," Darcy told him, smiling, "you didn't answer immediately."
Loki downed his second glass full of vodka. He poured himself another as he thought of a new question for Darcy. "What's your favorite position in bed?" Loki asked, steering the conversation away from such heavy topics while mentally berating himself for asking the damn question first.
"Doggie-style, for sure," Darcy answered, before taking a voluntary shot from her own glass for answering in more than one word. "Totally worth it."
The two went back and forth for well over an hour, both becoming steadily more inebriated. Darcy learned that Loki had been afraid of lightning bugs as a child, that it took him about 2,500 years to learn the sorcery he already knew (and he hadn't learned everything there was to know yet, even) and that his mother was his favorite family member. Loki learned that Darcy had three older brothers along with a set of parents who couldn't care less what she did with her life (she took a drink explaining that one), she had read over 500 books in her short 23-year lifespan, and that her favorite place in the world was a forest she had visited with her family in California when she was a child.
Darcy had started cutting her liquor with water at one point, explaining to Loki that she didn't want to get "shit-faced", a term that Loki took to mean "mind-numbingly inebriated." Before Loki even argued with her Darcy explained that he wouldn't want to take care of her in the morning if she drank too much more.
Darcy held her drink lazily in her hand, leaning back onto the the arm of the couch and placing a bare foot on Loki's lap.
"You will rub my feet, Loki," she ordered before setting her drink down on the coffee table, resting her head back on the armrest and closing her eyes. She was surprised to find that he actually went for it, kneading her arches in a manner that was positively heavenly. Loki watched her, amazed at how content she seemed to be in his presence – it had been well over a thousand years since any being who wasn't family had voluntarily spent any amount of time with him and actually seemed to find it enjoyable, and much to his surprise he found that he had missed it. It was a welcome change from the hostility and mistrust that usually met him, whether it was deserved or not. Darcy switched her feet without warning, tucking the already-rubbed foot under him to keep it warm.
"A girl could get used to this," she said absentmindedly, stretching her arms above her head and arching her back in an almost cat-like manner. Loki openly watched her body move beneath her clothing, appreciating the view. "If you keep doing that I'm going to fall asleep. What time is it?" Darcy asked.
"About 10:00," Loki answered. Darcy took her foot back and sat up.
"Oh, that's not so bad for a Friday night. We should go to bed," Darcy suggested. She stood and began clearing the half-dozen empty bottles from the coffee table.
"Bed? I thought you said that wasn't so bad for a Friday night," Loki remarked, standing and helping her clear the bottles and glasses as well. She set the bottles into the recycling bin in the kitchen and gave him a sly smirk.
"I said bed, not sleep. And you'll have to catch me if you want to play," she said, catching him off-guard as she dashed from the kitchen toward the bedroom, leaving him alone with an armful of glass bottles and wondering how she was able to run so quickly in her tipsy state. A thrill of excitement ran through him as he dropped the bottles with a clash into the recycling bin before running after her, an involuntary smile on his face.
He sprang through the open bedroom door to find an empty room, but the en suite bathroom light was on with the door closed. He approached it and knocked gingerly, waiting for an answer. When none came, he knocked louder, and he finally opened the bathroom door to find it empty. Before he had the opportunity to turn around, Darcy, who had been hiding behind the open bedroom door, pinched his ass and ran as fast as she could out of the bedroom, giggling with glee and Loki hot on her heels.
Loki finally overtook her after a quick game of cat-and-mouse that ended with the two of them on the living room floor. He had her wrists pinned above her head with one hand while he worked her halter top off with his free hand and his teeth, her heat rising with every touch. Darcy felt the weight of him as he wedged one knee and then two between hers, rendering her immobile under his grasp. His movements were urgent as he unclasped her bra, claiming her exposed flesh with quickly his mouth and eliciting a sensuous moan from her lips. She ground her hips into his, feeling his hardness through his leather trousers and pulling a moan from his own lips.
Loki gave her breast a light bite, moving his head downward to graze his lips over her exposed stomach before dipping his head between her legs and releasing her hands. He pushed her skirt up and found to his delight that she was still not wearing any panties, a fact that Loki took advantage of when his tongue went to work. Her hands tangled in his hair as she arched her back and closed her eyes, bucking her hips into him occasionally. She felt the pressure of one long finger, then two, enter her; his silver tongue continued its dance as he pumped his fingers into her rhythmically, getting incrementally faster. When Darcy came undone with a sharp cry Loki offered no mercy and continued working her, prolonging her orgasm and causing waves of pleasure to shake through her until she begged him to stop.
"Lo- Loki, ohmygodnomore," she breathed, turning into a puddle when he finally showed clemency and removed his mouth and hand from her center. He leaned over her, seizing her lips in a feverish kiss and grinding himself between her legs. With one fluid motion he flipped her onto her stomach, raising them both up to a kneeling position with her back to his front. Darcy leaned her head back against Loki's shoulder as he worked her breasts with his hands, leaving teasing bites on her neck.
He removed the top half of his own clothing between kisses and freed himself from his trousers, gently easing Darcy down on all fours before entering her in one fluid motion. Darcy gasped as his length entered her, arching her back and pushing backwards into him, allowing him deeper access. Loki wrapped Darcy's hair around one of his hands, and, with a firm but comfortable grasp on her hair he drove into her center roughly with his hips. He slowed immediately, alternating between fast and agonizingly slow thrusts, building her second orgasm. He gained speed when Darcy's gasps became sharp and uneven and pushed into her with long, fast strokes until they both came together.
Loki pulled Darcy up to him, and, while they were both still on their knees, he embraced her from behind where they stayed in the dimmed lighting for several long moments. He slipped out of her and helped her rise from the floor on her shaky legs, not bothering to pick up their clothes before heading to the bedroom.
After Darcy cleaned herself up in the bathroom she joined Loki in bed, rolling into him on her side until they were spooning. Within minutes Darcy had fallen asleep and Loki simply watched her shoulders rise and fall with each breath. He draped one lazy hand around her waist and, just before drifting off to sleep, Loki wondered to himself if he would have ever considered such bliss to be possible a scant year ago.
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