And we're off!
As would be expected, Loki worked very hard on achieving his goal once he had a course charted in his mind. Darcy had to flop in an ungainly way across the stone floors to get him to call the session to an end once it started. Much like before, learning a new way to work the magic was physically and mentally draining in a way that left Darcy laying there for near a half an hour. Loki sat nearby, pressing random kisses to little bits of skin when the mood struck him as he read through yet another book in order to further his research. Without a distraction and without her mind whirring with sensations brought on by Loki's ever-present quest for knowledge, Darcy was able to get a good look at the room around her. Wall to wall bookshelves rose high towards the ceiling, stuffed nearly full with all kinds of interesting books and scrolls. A very sturdy looking desk stood nearby, stacks of more books set haphazardly around the perimeter. There were lounges and chairs dotting the rest of the space, side tables nearby for more ubiquitous tomes.
What struck her the most was the softness of everything in the room in that the fabrics, the cushions, even the freaking drapes all looked like a body could sink into them and revel in comfort. No part of the room consisted of a rough edge or sharp corner, as if every detail had been eroded by a strong flow of water. Darcy wondered if Loki's consistent habit of using magic in his day to day life had anything to do with it. Though the power had never felt rough to her, there was always a physical aspect to it, a definite feeling of the magic as it flowing in and through her body.
When Darcy felt like she could sit up without falling right back over, she pushed up to her elbows and observed her partner in magical exploration. He was sitting in a rather boyish pose, cross-legged on a nearby rug, his head dropped elegantly into his open palm. She could just see the dark green of his eyes as they flicked across the page in a rapid fire pace while his mind worked to absorb the information. It occurred to her that this was something he probably did often as a way to pass the time, which totally made sense. Loki was an academic, if she ever saw one and his mind (from what she had felt and seen) was as acute as Jane or Dr. Banner. Nothing was too obscure for him to devour and nothing seemed to escape his notice. It was an aspect of his personality that she absolutely adored.
Soon enough, Darcy wouldn't be able to do this as often due to the vomit-inducing nature of inter-realm travel and their respective jobs (although she really wasn't sure what his royal duties happened to be). She had never had a long distance relationship—but, then again, nothing about this particular relationship had been what she would term normal for Darcy Lewis. Darcy was a woman who remained firmly in control of guiding the romances she'd had in the past and Loki seemed to pull all of that control from her with a single heated glance. It was nearly impossible to keep calm and collected when all of these new experiences were being thrown at her over and over on the daily. She couldn't even keep her hands to herself like a normal person, constantly reaching for him even in sleep.
It wasn't like it was her fault, exactly, because he was seriously gorgeous and his mind coupled with their affinity only added to the appeal of the man. Who could blame a girl for being unable to control her raging hormones? She was only human, after all. Darcy took Loki in a little while longer, memorizing the way his mouth puckered as he read and the slide of his hands over the pages. Then, she reached out and tapped his arm.
"How about some food?" She asked, pushing to standing.
Loki looked between her and the text several times with an uncertain expression until Darcy rolled her eyes and took the book from him.
"It will still be here when you get back. Food, and then you can get back to," she looked at the cover, "Magic and Mayhem." Brow rising, she chuckled, "Really?"
Loki shrugged as he, too rose to his full height. "The author speaks on long-distance magic preparation."
Shaking her head, Darcy set the book aside and pulled Loki along to the door. "Lead the way, magic man, I'm starving."
Loki's knowledge of the inner workings of the castle was a humongous testament to adolescent years exploring with his brother and, likely, hiding from his parents. There were tiny little alley ways and doors camouflaged in the stone that dotted the estate, providing the pair with the rare opportunity of traveling unseen and unmolested towards the kitchens. Edging into the balmy room, Loki guided her to a chair and began to pull random bits of food from cupboards and ice chests. Darcy leaned forward hungrily as he used a bit of magic to light a fire on which he set a deep saucepan. It seemed that, for the first time since coming to Asgard, she would receive a hot meal that included some kind of animal protein.
Pulling a knife from a block, Loki began to skin, chop, and dice several strange looking vegetables into little color-coded piles. He then poured some kind of herb filled oil into the pan and set to work on the meat. Sliced into thin strips, the fibers stretch a little as he ran the knife through them, pulling fat from the edges as he went. Salivating, Darcy waited eagerly as the meat was dropped into the pan, the smell wafting through the room and inciting her already hungry stomach. He seared it, turning the slices over until cooked on both sides before adding the vegetables and a sort of broth for moisture.
When the mix was assimilated and the juices were sizzling in the pan, Loki plated them both a portion and sat opposite her at the island that cut the room in half. Darcy dug in without a thought, forking a bit into her mouth and chewing for several seconds before the taste actually hit her tongue. As her taste buds caught up with the rest of her body, she closed her eyes in pleasure.
"This is really good," Darcy very nearly purred. It could have been the lack of morning bacon, or it could have been the sweet and fragrant herbs in the oil, but the food in front of her hit the spot on her hunger with startling efficiency. She only managed to keep from shoveling the whole plate into her mouth by telling herself that she had to savor something like this—that, and she didn't have a napkin and shoveling definitely required some clean up afterwards.
Loki hummed in agreement, "My childhood punishments often consisted of washing dishes for the cook. I paid attention to her meal preparation whenever I could."
"If my opinion counts for anything, this is a total win," she murmured, stabbing a bit of something orange something and popping it onto her tongue.
He laughed, "Of course you opinion counts. Besides, the things that come out of your mouth are infinitely amusing."
"I'm so glad I entertain you," Darcy retorted dryly. "My life is now complete."
Loki's brow rose, "As it should be, lovely mortal, when a god holds you close."
She rolled her eyes, "Ego much?"
"I can tell you that my ego is well deserved."
"And," she scoffed, "I can tell you that if your head gets any bigger, you won't be able to walk through a door, let alone the slim paths to get back to our room. I'll have to spend the night all by my lonesome." Darcy had a lot of experience playing coy and batting her lashes at boys to bring about a whole range of emotions from lust to jealousy. There was a familiarity in playing the role of the flirt that helped her to access her feelings for Loki on a deeper level. She wanted him to want her, above all others, and she wanted validation of his want in any form she could get it. Loki, as usual didn't disappoint, leaning over the island between them to pressed a herb laced kiss to her mouth, his tongue touching her lower lip even as he pulled away.
Smiling into the final bites of her meal, Darcy allowed herself to really feel the happiness bubbling inside her and to send out that happiness in the form of positive thoughts and wishes out into the universe. She pushed away the knowledge that they only had a week of this kind of intimacy left, choosing instead to believe that the memories would be more special now that there was a time constraint. It was a vacation from reality that she desperately needed, but vacations couldn't last forever—nor were they meant to, as normalcy had no place in escapism.
As in his childhood, Loki cleaned the dishes with meticulous attention while Darcy wondered over how he could perform such a domestic activity while still maintaining his masculinity. He was wearing a freaking apron, for Christ's sake, and yet he still looked as if he were working a photo shoot rather than scraping seared herbs from a saucepan. It was a paradox, if she had ever seen one, and Darcy was inevitably fascinated by the image displayed before her. Here was this powerful magician and Trickster and he was washing dishes by hand, scrutinizing them before setting them aside to air dry.
After finishing his work, Loki dried his hands and leaned against the counter, his eyes taking her form in with a steady gaze. Darcy tried not to blush, jutting her chin out to hold his stare in petulant challenge. As always, Loki found her courage amusing and sauntered over, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her to his side where he nuzzled her skin affectionately. Taking her hand, he led her back through the winding halls to the study where he dropped onto one of the couches.
Following his downward motion, Darcy stretched out atop him and snuggled close in an effort to soak up the comfort of his embrace. They lay like that for a long time all the while watching the sun dip low and finally disappear over what little of the horizon was visible through the open windows of the study. She was so very comfortable, so very content in a way that hadn't seemed possible before what with the whole world barging in to provide overwhelming daily stimulation. Her whole life had slowed to long days spent in Loki's company walking the paths of the gardens and now practicing their magic once more. And, though there was hesitation about returning to her home, Darcy knew life would never quite be the same. She would never be at ease in the city with its abundant distractions and constant need for attention.
As some point in the night, Darcy woke to Loki carrying her through the doors of the bedroom and setting her upon the sheets. He shushed her when she stirred, pulling the covers to her chin and slipping his fingers through hers. Again, she drifted off into sleep with hardly a second thought, her contentment rising above all other things.
The sun on Asgard didn't seem to produce the kind of heat that Earth's sun did, even though it shone three or four times as bright. Darcy squinted into the rising light, the reflection off the golden architecture only serving to exacerbate ire being awake so early. Leaning up her elbow, Darcy performed her morning ritual of scanning the room for Loki, finding him sprawled half covered next to her. She smirked at the wayward tufts of hair, knowing he would smooth them instinctively as he drifted towards consciousness. It was nice to see him so unguarded, so vulnerable, after being exposed to his terminal defenses for most of their relationship.
Slipping from the bed, Darcy stepped as lightly as her feet could take her to the large glass doors that opened to the private balcony. The sun hadn't risen very high and the air outside was crisp with the previous night's dew. Hugging herself, Darcy observed the skyline, the buildings shooting high in alien formations all over the panoramic view. The crevices between buildings were filled with rivers of water that dropped off of sudden ledges to cascade into the depths where gravity seemed to bend into nothingness. In the light of the morning, the whole of Asgard was shining with shifting light that made the whole realm seem so damned alive.
The padding of bare feet against stone floors signaled that Loki had noticed she was gone from their bed prematurely. He swept in behind her, his hands bracing on the rail before her, in effect caging her in. Darcy turned in his arms, pressing her fingertips to the skin of his chest, warming them against the cool morning.
"We need to invest in some curtains," Darcy asserted with a smile. "The sun almost blinded me this morning."
Loki shook his head in amusement, "Perhaps around the bed as I would not like to share you with all of Asgard. But, on a point of culture, to shield oneself with curtains intimates that one has something to hide. The crown cannot afford that luxury."
Darcy wasn't one to argue about cultural differences. "Then I accept your compromise," she replied, sighing into his skin.
Loki pulled her away from the rail, his hands urging her from their place on her hips. "Come back to bed." Darcy went willingly, a girlish giggle sounding from her throat as Loki peppered kisses over her face and neck. They fell in a tangled heap of awkward limbs that wrapped around one another until Darcy wasn't quite sure that they were separate people any longer. Loki's mouth followed along familiar and pleasing pathways, pulling moans from her with startling efficiency. He shifted her body so that he could reach the bits of skin he wanted, moving clothing to the side without preamble.
Darcy managed to slip his shirt from his torso while she was still relatively coherent, running her hands over the freshly revealed skin. The color and texture of it was familiar, smooth and pale, with a spattering of fine hair marking the center. She pressed her forehead to the bend of muscle near his shoulder, running the damp skin of her mouth down over the hills and valleys of his chest, her fingertips teasing his sides. Below her, Loki was breathing deeply and his hands, for once, remained still in a concession for her exploration. It was a concession that Darcy took full advantage of while she could as Loki's patience, she knew, would wear thin quickly.
Just as his body began to tighten in anticipation for her next action, a knock sounded firmly at their door. Surprised, Darcy turned her head so quickly at the sound that her neck cracked audibly. Groaning, Darcy rubbed at the blooming ache and waved off Loki's concern so that she could slip to the door, find out who had interrupted, and possibly kill them for ruining a moment she had been wanting for over a year. The door swung open to reveal a stiffly posed man who was dressed in the uniform of the staff. His glance was carefully neutral as he bowed in greeting.
"The Allfather wishes to see Prince Loki in the throne room," he announced a little too loudly, as if Loki wasn't sitting half naked not ten feet behind her. "Immediately," he amended before turning on his heel and strutting from the door. Darcy watched him go, her lips pursed to keep from shouting something obscene at his back. Then, she spun around and flicked the door shut, feeling inordinately satisfied at the 'click' of the latch settling into place. Loki observed her from the bed with a smirk and a light shake of his regal head.
"You're being summoned," Darcy said somewhat disappointed.
"So it would seem," Loki replied with a sigh as he stood.
Sliding onto the bed, Darcy rolled to her stomach and watch as Loki dressed for the day, "This happen often?"
"Not at all." He shrugged into a tunic and the leather coat he favored before leaning down to kiss her. "I will return as soon as I can."
Darcy shrugged, "No rush, I'm sure I'll find some kind of trouble to get into."
His chuckle somehow remained in the room for several minutes following his departure, sounding off in Darcy's ears as she relaxed into the bed. She drifted off for a few more hours, only waking when her hands tingled beneath her torso. Shaking them out, Darcy pushed her hair from her face and stepped into a pair of jeans. Pulling a t-shirt over her head as she went, Darcy ran a brush through her hair and pulled it into a high ponytail. Shoes on her feet, she moved through the study to the halls, craning her neck each way to see into the rising morning.
Having walked this part of the estate with Loki nearly every day, Darcy had some familiarity with the length of hall in either direction. Heading out, she skimmed the wall with her fingertips, her pace slow and steady. The architecture of the place was a tribute to the movement and flow of air as almost every room or path had an open angle or large set of windows. The tapestries, rather than light and gauzy (as she had expected) were heavy enough that a stray burst of wind barely fluttered the fabric. She sauntered along down the length of the hall and turned off towards the entrances to the gardens. The hall became a pseudo-balcony overlooking a large and perfectly manicured courtyard. From her perch Darcy could observe several of the residents as they went about their daily activities.
Couples strolled along the stone walkways, some talking animatedly, some simply enjoying the scenery. There were groups of women enjoying their breakfast at tables set near one of the corners, the fabric of their gowns enviable. Darcy wondered if long, flowing dresses were required for those living in the royal mansion. It seemed everyone who wasn't staff was dressed to the nines at all times and Darcy was exhausted just looking at them, thinking of all the work that had to go into just one outfit for breakfast. She shoved away from the balcony and descended down a set of stairs, veering off into a quieter section of the gardens.
The high hedges offered a bit of seclusion and darkened the path into shadows so that Darcy wasn't squinting against the sunlight. She moved around until she found a familiar bench folded into the embrace of a towering tree. Easing her weight on it, Darcy relaxed against the tree trunk and rested her head against the bark, her eyes slipping upwards towards the sky. As much as she really loved Asgard with its slower pace and its magnificent sights, Darcy missed home. She missed going to her mother's for dinner and movies and freaking hamburgers with French fries drenched in ketchup. She missed eating lunch at her desk with Coulson looking on disapprovingly. She missed her apartment with its thin walls and the crying children down the hall. Darcy simply missed Earth, with all of those things that entailed.
Sitting beneath the tree, Darcy thought about how life was going on back home, whether or not Coulson had gotten his paperwork done without his secretary. He was efficient enough to take on the myriad of forms that needed filling out at the end of each mission, but she liked to think that he couldn't wait until she got back so that he could pass off those tedious hours of work onto her. And, Darcy wouldn't mind doing it, loving the feeling of being helpful and needed by those she considered important.
Soon, the hedges wouldn't keep back the noonday sun and the air around her heated with the rising light. Darcy stood and stretched her arms high above her head, rocking left and right to work out the kinks in her neck and back. Then, she stepped out of the gardens and up the stairs before heading back to the room. She spent a little time perusing the bookcases, pulling out random volumes and trying to read the strange characters lined up along the pages. Squinting at the print, Darcy decided it was worse than Spanish class—at least then she'd had the entertainment of a woman wearing such garish makeup and costume jewelry that every day seemed like an opportunity to guess which prints would be mismatched. Setting the books aside, Darcy took a turn around the room, touching random objects set on the shelves.
One such object caught her attention, a small orb made of etched glass. Delicately, she held it aloft to the light, turning the orb with a small rotation of her wrist so that she could see the designs. Tiny dots connected by thinly carved lines sprawled across the surface of the glass in what looked a little like the constellations Jane was always staring at. But, these shapes looked entirely unfamiliar to her eyes, seeming more arced and graceful than Earth's box-like representations of figures in the night sky.
Darcy set the orb down carefully on its stand and moved on, not wanting to break the thing in her curiosity. She glanced at a few of the portraits hanging on the walls, mostly landscapes that didn't seem to be of any significance. The room was Loki's, as was the bedroom beyond, she knew this to be true. Yet, no individual object in the room gave away anything about the resident. In fact, Darcy had to stand back against the wall and gaze at the space in its entirety to even glean the tiniest bit of information. All of the interesting bits of the room were well hidden and it took time to pick through them, but Loki was very good at concealing the things he felt were dear to his heart, fearing the appearance of weakness. She shook her head, Darcy knew him well enough without investigating in this way, but part of her felt like he had this whole other life of which she hadn't even scratched the surface. Loki was many-faceted and mercurial at times, moody and depressed one minute and then sharp and smirking the next.
Again, Darcy shook herself physically to rid her mind of these contemplative thoughts that did nothing to serve her. She shouldn't be so unsure when he had proven to her time and again that there were feelings that ran deep between them. Darcy had never been unsure before, had never walked so cautiously in a relationship, and her apprehension was unnerving. She had met his mother, got on well with his brother, and had pretty much saved his life—everything was going great. Maybe that was the problem, things were going so great—Darcy had never had a relationship that didn't contain at least one or two blow out fights or random acts of jealousy and spite. The Disney-story-come-to-life aspects of her life, complete with a fairy castle were seriously turning her love life on its head.
Flopping down on one of the lounges, Darcy rubbed anxiously at her face. Get it together, Lewis. She told herself to buck up and to have some of that Lewis family bravado. When the other foot dropped, as it inevitably would, she would be ready to face whatever it was head on. Pep talk complete, Darcy forced her mouth to smile and pulled a Peter Pan until the happy thoughts replaced the irksome ones and the stress worked its way out of her body. She didn't know how long it took, but by the time she had worked her way towards Christmas, Loki returned with a subdued entrance.
"Hey," she called. "How'd it go?"
Loki pulled his jacket from his shoulders and draped it over the back of a nearby chair before settling in beside her. "As well as most meetings go."
Curious, Darcy edged, "What did he want?"
"To congratulate me, I suppose," Loki replied, leaning his head back against the couch. "On my… recovery."
Sitting up fully, Darcy put a hand on his arm, "That's a good thing, right?"
He shrugged, lifting an arm to wrap around her shoulders and pull her close. "I can never be sure what his plans are or where I fit in them."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Exactly as I said," he asserted with a little bite in his tone. "The Allfather is always planning something."
Darcy laughed lowly, "So are you."
"Yes, but I am very open about my plans, darling."
"Uh huh, you keep telling yourself that," she retorted with a smile. "You're as shifty as they come, Loki."
"Sometimes," he sighed into her hair. "Sometimes."
They went about their normal routine until the evening hours were upon them and they found themselves sitting out on the balcony. From somewhere below, Darcy began to hear music floating upwards—strings of some sort. The melody started out softly, slowly, until more and more instruments entered the song and the music swelled into something truly fantastic. She closed her eyes at the sounds, once again homesick for her ipod and stereo as she realized that this was the first music she had heard since she arrived in this parallel realm.
After the strains of the melody played a few times over, Darcy started humming along, tapping her fingers along the arm of the chair. Her gaze far away and her focus remaining on the notes, she failed to notice her companion's eyes shift from the scenery before them to her face and body. It wasn't until he pushed to standing that she noticed that amused expression building in his countenance.
"What are you doing?" She asked as he pulled her up and to him, stepping out a little towards the open space behind their chairs.
"Experimenting," Loki replied with a hint of suggestion in his tone. Darcy kept a suspicious eye on him as he arranged her body against him in an all too familiar stance.
Scoffing, she said, "I hope you don't like your toes, because I'll probably step on them."
"I think I can manage… now, something slow." Their dance was indeed very slow, just a simply sway of bodies to the beat of the music, a little turn now and then to keep things interesting. Darcy relaxed into his embrace, noting her 'spaghetti arms' and not really caring. Soon enough, however, Loki began to throw in a few more complex moves, always returning to that slow swing so that Darcy could recapture her balance. Once or twice she stepped out of turn and he barely managed to dodge her wayward feet, though she clipped him a few times. All in all, she was pretty damn proud of herself for picking up the rhythm of something more complicated than the middle school sway. They danced for several songs, most them alternating between sweet and sultry with smooth, easy transitions. Loki kept her close, only allowing her to step out and away for a moment before pulling her back in with such assuredness that she was fairly sure he had, had lessons of some kind. And, Darcy simply enjoyed the movement, the pace, and the heat of him while she could. Not many of her boyfriends danced, and still fewer would dance to a string instrumental. The newness of it all was as comforting as it was surprising for her.
The music faded to a mere whisper before disappearing completely so that their movements slowed to stillness and they were left standing, wrapped up in one another so completely that Tony could have strolled by in drag and she wouldn't have noticed. Darcy laid her head on his shoulder and listened absently to his heartbeat and breaths. Through her contented stillness, Loki became less and less immobile, his hands running idly over her skin beneath hemlines and seams to the bends of her spine and neck. Darcy shivered with the increase in sensation, lifting her head to touch her mouth to the skin behind his ear, dampening it with a swirl of her tongue. She smiled into the motion when his hands tightened around her waist and a bit of power sparked uncalled from his fingertips.
Rolling with it, Darcy sent back her own brand of magic in the form of short staccato kisses along his jaw line until she reached his lips. As hard as she tried to hurry the kiss along, to deepen it, Loki managed to remain a step ahead, keeping the interaction light and teasing. Darcy let out a sound of frustration, resorting to a hard nip in order to get her point across that teasing was not what she needed right now. What Darcy needed was hard and fast and fucking deep because Loki had been too close for too long, just near enough to taste but not to have fully. That, she decided, would stop tonight, if she had to tie him down just to get him to sit still enough for her to employ long unused seduction skills.
Loki stepped backwards into the room and Darcy mimicked his steps to maintain and close the distance between them. She thumbed open the buttons down the front of his shirt and proudly tossed it aside before ducking down to work eagerly on his pants. As seemed to be his habit, Loki was able to distract her long enough to roll her onto the bed and remove her clothing. His precise ability to get her undressed in mere seconds never ceased to amaze her and, thus, she was left momentarily vulnerable as comprehension of this unique talent dawned on her—a vulnerability of which Loki took full and complete advantage.
He caged her body in with his arms, his head dipping down to mouth along the center division of her torso. Darcy, having caught up to current events, pulled at his hair in an attempt to guide him to where she knew it would feel best even though she was slowly coming to understand the Loki always did things the way he wanted and he would get there when he so chose-thank-you-very-much. She arched beneath him, reveling in as much sensation as she could despite her prone position. Though she was certainly enjoying herself, Darcy was well aware of the undisputable fact that she needed more, and soon, if the anxious beat of her heart was any indication. In an attempt to speed things along, Darcy pulled from him a small burst of power, rolling it between them in what surely felt like a physical caress down the length of Loki's body.
Shuddering above her, Loki paused and she could practically feel him working hard to collect himself and to keep this torturous pace. Darcy was having none of that and she pulled yet again, now confident enough in her magic-wielding that she could call it forth at will without the nasty repercussions of headaches and fatigue. Over and over, she manipulated the power, feeling her own arousal grow in tandem with the current. Frozen in place above her, Loki could not conceal the shivers racking his body or the pounding of his pulse as it reverberated over her flushed, dewy skin. He swallowed visibly before lifting a scorching gaze to her.
"Darcy," he began, his voice rough, "You don't know what you're doing."
Very nearly rolling her eyes, Darcy simply shrugged, "Maybe not, but it looks like it's working, so score one for me."
The laugh that bubbled up from his throat shouldn't have sent heat through her nerves like it did and it certainly shouldn't have made her skin tighten in anticipation to the point of near pain. Yet, there were such promises to be had in Loki's darkened eyes, such pleasures in the roll of his tongue along his lower lip, that Darcy couldn't help but to breathe hard in response. Crawling up the length of her body, he pulled her legs over his thighs and slipped his hands beneath her hips. Arching over her, Loki's eyes closed briefly before a sudden and intense shot of magic shot forth into her skin, racing over her senses with hot electric pulses.
Gasping, Darcy's eyes rolled back as she reached out blindly for purchase against the feelings coursing through her body and mind. It breached every defense she had, breaking down pieces of her that Darcy hadn't known existed. And then it restored every destroyed inch, replacing whatever discomfort had occurred with unending ripples of exquisite pleasure. Tossing her head back and forth, Darcy tried to gain control over her rebelling limbs only succeeding in kicking the bed sheets to the side and tangling her long hair.
Loki relented fleetingly, his mind already occupied by the idea of tonguing the skin beneath her chin. He inhaled deeply, fingers gripping a little too tight in his need and, for a moment, she thought he might burst with the penned in energy boiling beneath his calm exterior. Darcy, thinking quickly, scooted her body downward and slipped her hands between them to unfasten his pants. Her feet and legs joined in the mission, pushing the fabric down over his ass and thighs. She counted it as a major victory when she was finally able to take him in her hands and elicit a new and intriguing sound from him. Starting so low that she almost missed it, the groan built in his chest and rolled through his body.
Gripping her wrist, Loki pulled his hips back out of her reach and settled hotly between her knees. She held her breath as he glanced up at her to determine her readiness and when she nodded, he pressed forward and inward in a smooth unceasing motion. That breath held so sharply in her lungs hissed out from behind her teeth as he filled her. To stem the flow of curses and adulations pouring from her mouth, Darcy bit down on the available skin of his arm. She wanted to howl, wanted moan and writhe and growl at him, but something told her to hold still, to wait until he sat fully inside her to give in.
Patience, Darcy knew, was never one of her strong suits, but somehow she managed to hold her place for a moment longer than expected before her hips were reaching up and twisting to create such delicious friction that sounds which couldn't be exactly classified as human were wrung from Loki. He pushed forward recklessly, kissing her so hard that Darcy could feel her lips bruising with the force. Pinning her wrists to the mattress, Loki used the leverage to slide deeper and to change the angle to suit his liking.
Whimpering, Darcy called out to him and begged (though she would deny it later) for a release she desperately needed. She felt it rising at the base of her spine, shaking her to awareness and sizzling into her body until every muscle in her body clenched. Curling upwards as much as possible, Darcy groaned low, her chest rising in quick successions of breath. From above her, there was a string of words in a language she didn't understand flowing out of Loki as he, too, fell over the edge. Movements slowing, Loki nearly collapsed above her, angling off to the side at the last minute so that he wouldn't crush her with his weight.
It took about five minutes for Darcy to regain the ability to speak, her parched throat working to form the words bursting animatedly from her buzzing brain. "Mind equals blown."
Face buried in a pillow, Loki's chuckle was muffled but she rejoiced in the shaking of his shoulders that signaled his amusement. She stretched luxuriously, wincing when a muscle pulled a little too firmly for her liking. Glancing at the offending limb, Darcy's brows came together a little as she caught sight of a pair of bruises that looked suspiciously like hickies dotting her chest. There were more along her stomach and one or two on her left wrist (had he even kissed her there?) It looked like she was going to be wearing a long sleeved sweater for the foreseeable future because that was one conversation she really didn't want to have with any member of Loki's family.
Darcy rolled over and draped an arm around Loki, who had obviously passed out cold. She snuggled into him, not minding that their blankets were thrown to the floor, feeling sleep begin to overtake her. Sometime before she lost consciousness, Darcy decided that this was the best vacation she had ever taken, despite the circumstances that led her to Asgard in the first place.
There's only one more chapter of this one, so we're winding down to the end. I'm going to wrap up the loose ends and let the story close as naturally as I can.
FYI for those who responded that they would like to see the sequel to PTK... there is a first chapter written and being edited. I'm working on some continuity issues and hopefully should have something ready for public consumption in the next two or three weeks.