A/N: A very special thank you to Live To Rise for requesting the physical climax of this chapter and suggestions on the cause. I hope it satisfies. Also, King Kong is referenced again.
Disclaimer: This sandbox belongs to Marvel.
Steve doesn't summon Loki on Sunday. Instead he goes to church, goes for a run, goes shopping for groceries and art supplies, and goes to bed early. But the Trickster is never far from his mind.
Steve doesn't summon Loki on Monday, either. He gets caught up on what he missed during the Saturday breakfast discussion. And there are additional meetings on how to locate and capture the missing god. (Steve is convinced the team will find out his secret and is greatly relieved when they remain oblivious.) The other big topic of discussion at S.H.I.E.L.D. is the announcement by some celebrity couple that they are getting a divorce. Steve has never heard of them and doesn't understand why anyone would care. Then there is a team training session and dinner afterwards. The Captain doesn't get home till late, and he's very tired.
Steve doesn't summon Loki on Tuesday. The evening is spent with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. The self-proclaimed genius has decided to personally install a blu-ray player and set up a NetFlix account so that the soldier can watch whatever movies he wants. Bruce is there to explain how to use everything in a way that doesn't require a degree in electrical engineering. (The missing cat is noticed but quickly explained by the word 'stray'.) The billionaire also graciously, in his opinion, gives Steve all three versions of King Kong plus Dracula, Jaws, Alien, the original Star Wars trilogy, and the Die Hard movies. Tony insists they get sushi and watch Jaws once everything has been set up. As the soldier falls asleep that night, he decides it will be a long while before he takes a swim in the ocean. That leads to his last thoughts: Loki in swimming trunks, wet and walking on the beach. Steve falls asleep with a smile on his face.
On Wednesday morning, the celebrity divorce is still dominating the infotainment news and the small talk at S.H.I.E.L.D., at coffee shops, and at other places where people gather. Steve doesn't understand why people care. Not only do they care, but they want to know every detail about it. As odd as it is, it inspires the artist. That afternoon, he leaves very early and goes to some second-hand shops to find items to use.
When he gets to his apartment, he sterilizes the items with rubbing alcohol. He wants them clean when he uses them on his canvass. Once satisfied, he taps his left arm three times. "Loki. Please come."
"I thought you had forgotten about me," comes a silky voice from behind.
A smile automatically appears on Steve's face before he turns around. Loki is in his Asgardian green leathers looking aloof and ever so slightly upset.
"How could I ever forget about you?"
Loki shrugs. "It's been four days."
"Four long days. Three very lonely nights."
"For me as well." They look at each other for a moment. Both can feel that something has changed, but neither of them knows what it is. "What did you have in mind for this evening, Steve?"
The artist bites his lower lip. "Is your back healed?"
In answer, Loki's clothes change to grey slacks and a thin forest green v-neck sweater. He pulls off the sweater and turns to show Steve his back. "Does it meet your requirements?" He can hear footsteps coming closer. They stop a moment before he feels a hand glide gently down his spine.
"Perfect." There is a pause before the soldier asks, "And your ass?"
The god unfastens and drops his trousers.
Steve gently cups each firm cheek in his hands. He wants to bury himself between them, but that will have to come later. For now, he contents himself with giving them a squeeze, wrapping his arms around the god, and kissing one of the exposed shoulders. "My beautiful, delicious canvass," he coos.
The god can't help but smile. "Where do you want me?"
The artist is all business now. "On the bed…face down, arms out, feet together for now."
Loki removes his shoes and socks and steps out of his trousers before lying down. Steve takes two strands of rope and ties the god's wrists to the bed. Then he takes off his own shoes, socks, and shirt, leaving on the beige trousers and white undershirt. He sits on the side of the bed, one hand holding a razor, the other once again running over his canvass.
"Ready?"
"Always."
Steve shifts to get a better angle. He makes the first cut, a straight line to the far left of Loki's spine. He makes another, shorter and perpendicular to the first. The god is doing his best to remain still, allowing the pain to wash over him, center him, bind him to the present moment. In the end, there are 14 total cuts made to spell out 'FAME' across the center of Loki's back.
The razor is put away. A red marker is brandished. The word 'love' is written over Loki's left shoulder. On his right is written the word 'joy'. Across the god's ass, Steve writes 'PRIVACY' so that the V is centered, its point lost in Loki's crack. The artist takes a step back. He writes 'acceptance' and 'understanding' on either side of the original word.
Another moment is taken to review the progress. Something seems off.
Steve takes the razor again. He traces the word 'PRIVACY' with the blade. The cuts are shallow, but it gives the word more emphasis than the ones written solely in ink. The artist considers somehow linking all of them to the one cut so deeply into Loki's back.
Using the razor, he draws two lines, one on either side of the spine, between 'FAME' and 'PRIVACY'. Then he makes several slashes across those lines as it runs down.
Loki's eyes are closed. The initial cuts have been the most painful. Then there was the cold, tickling sensation of the pen. When the sharp edge of the razor returned, the god was grateful. And now there is an even more familiar sensation and the accompanying sound of riding crop against skin. He only gets four hits to his back. They are carefully aimed, strategically placed. But once they are done, the crop comes down fast and heavy along his arms and legs. The god grunts his approval.
The artist loses himself as the riding crop becomes an extension of his hand. He can almost feel Loki's skin as the flexible stick makes contact. He's turning the Trickster's upper arms and thighs red, almost as red as the marker he used. Steve barely hears his canvass moaning, only just notices how each strike is threatening to break his tool. It isn't until a blow to the upper right thigh draws blood that he stops, his breath heavier than Loki's.
"My Darling," the god murmurs. "How I've missed you."
Steve sets down the crop and shoves Loki's legs apart. Again the thought of taking his lover right then plays in his head, and his hands travel up the calves and thighs. He tells himself it isn't time yet. It isn't finished. But he still allows himself to fondle Loki's cock just a bit, just enough to get its attention. As soon as he feels the god grinding into his touch, he takes his hand away.
The lubricant is open and ready. The artist uses it on the small end of a kitchen funnel. "You might feel a slight discomfort." He decides to use his finger first. The touch teases the entrance to Loki's anus, causing the god to moan. Steve pushes inside, stroking all along the way. "Purr for me, Kitten."
Loki purrs as he raises his ass up, wanting more of the artist inside him.
"It's not time for fun yet," Steve admonishes him as his finger is removed. "I'm not done with my canvass." He gently pushes the ass back down before inserting the narrow end of the funnel.
The artist looks critically at what he's done. The funnel head is obscuring the word across the ass, and it doesn't convey what he's going for. He shakes his head before removing the object from his work.
"Let's try something else," he says as he grabs a folding spyglass. Steve lengthens the hand-held telescope to its full length. He sheaths the small end, where the eye would look, in a condom and adds lubricant. Then he pushes that into the ass.
Loki groans uncomfortably. The object is cold and has edges that scrape against him. At least the other item had been smooth.
The canvass looks better, but it still isn't right. The viewer should be looking into the ass, into the private place. Instead, it appears that the ass is looking out into the world. Steve pulls out the spyglass. He doesn't hear the god whimper slightly.
At first the artist attempts to use the same condom on the large end of the handheld telescope. That doesn't work so well and ends up being very messy. He throws the condom away and uses a new one. It's difficult to get it on the end, and finally the artist gives up. He'll just have to wash it really, really well and clean it with rubbing alcohol before using it for its intended purpose.
Steve looks at the large end of the spyglass and at the god's ass. "I'm going to have to open you up a bit to make this work."
"Of course, Darling," Loki replies, the thought of his lover back inside of him filling his mind with anticipation. He feels one then two fingers enter him. He moans softly. A moment later, a third finger joins in. The three work to stimulate him…open him, and his body begins to respond. Loki closes his eyes. His dick begins to come to life as he is stroked and stretched. He begins to wonder if he'll get properly fucked before his lover finishes whatever art he's becoming. He's moaning now as the fingers inside him move farther and farther apart.
Loki's erection is straining against the bed. He wants cock, not fingers. But he knows he mustn't say anything. The artist will enter him eventually. He just hopes he doesn't come before that happens.
And the fingers keep trying to move farther and farther apart.
Steve's dick is pressing tightly against his trousers. But he won't take the god, not yet, not until he finishes this. He hopes what he's done is enough, because he doesn't know how much longer he can restrain himself. He pulls his fingers most of the way out. With his other hand, he sets the large end of the spyglass against the anus. One of the fingers is completely removed from the god. The other two remain to guide the brass instrument in. It's big. Steve has to remove all of his fingers first and then really push it in.
There is a howl. "Yggdrasil! Yggdrasil!"
The artist is concentrating completely on getting the spyglass into Loki. It takes a moment before he hears the word his canvass is straining to repeat over and over again.
"Yggdrasil! Yggdrasil, damn it!" Loki's body is shaking from the pain. "YGGDRASIL!"
It takes another moment before Steve remembers the significance of the word. He freezes.
"YGGDRASIL!" Loki cries, straining hard against the ropes. They are about to break from the force the god is using.
Steve's eyes grow large as panic sets in. He immediately pulls out the telescope. He's too preoccupied to notice the blood sticking to it. "Oh, God. Oh, Loki. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he says as he quickly unties the god's wrists.
Loki brings his legs and arms close to his chest and curls up into a fetal position. His body is shaking, and soft whimpers are emanating from his throat.
Sitting on the side of the bed, afraid to touch his vulnerable lover, Steve can only say, "I'm sorry, Kitten. I didn't mean to…I didn't know. Are you okay? Can I get you something?" The only response is a small shake of the head. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Kitten. Honest I didn't." His hand hovers over Loki's head. "What can I do?" He waits for an answer that never comes.
Finally, needing to provide some comfort, Steve slowly lowers his hand and strokes Loki's head. To his surprise, the god doesn't jerk away. Instead, a pale hand reaches up, grabs his hand, and pulls it against a trembling chest.
Steve moves lower and leans his body against his lover. "I'm so sorry, Kitten," he whispers. "Please forgive me."
There is only silence from the god.
"What can I do? How can I make this better?"
When he finally speaks, his voice is shaky and soft. "You can't. I need time to heal."
"Of course. Whatever you need." Steve searches his mind for something, anything. "I can make dinner, and we can watch a movie. I have that one I was telling you about before, the one the reminds me of you."
Loki takes a shaky breath, then two. "I should probably go," he whispers.
"No, Kitten, please. Let me make it up to you. Let me take care of you." He kisses the god's shoulder. "Whatever you want. Whatever you need."
Loki looks into his lover's eyes. Only Thor has ever come close to looking at him the way Steve is doing now. He wants to hate him, wants to leave and never come back. But the god knows it wouldn't last even if he could. It's too good between them. He kisses Steve and tries to smile through the tears he can feel slowly trailing down his face. "Go make dinner. Leave me here to heal." The golden head nods in response. "Steve? I'm sorry I could not take it."
The artist's eyes tear up from concern. "No, Kitten, don't be sorry. It was my fault. I should have known it was too big."
A small, sad smile flitters across Loki's lips. "And I was so looking forward to you entering me. That will have to wait a few days, I'm afraid."
"It'll be worth it, I promise." The sincerity in the blue eyes takes Loki's breath away. Steve gets up, covers Loki with a blanket, and heads to the kitchen.
The god watches the Captain as he gathers ingredients and cooks. All the while, Loki reminds himself that he is not and can never be in love. He's just feeling vulnerable and is simply moved by the soldier's kindness. He's not used to kindness.
Loki eats standing up. It hurts too much to sit down. Steve does the same and spends dinner trying to describe what he was attempting to create. The god makes him take a picture of the unfinished work. The Trickster praises what he sees, says he understands why the artist wanted to use a spyglass, and apologizes again for not being able handle it.
Steve wraps his arms around Loki and holds him tightly. "There will be other works. And I can always draw the spyglass in when I sketch it." He kisses the slightly taller man. "I'm just sorry I hurt you. I never meant…" Loki kisses him before he can continue.
The soldier cleans the kitchen by himself before putting the original King Kong in the blu-ray player and joining Loki in bed. When it starts, the god immediately asks why everything is grey. "It's called Black & White. Almost all of the movies were like that back then. Color movies didn't become popular until later."
Loki nods, and they watch the movie in silence. Steve pays more attention to Loki's reactions than to the movie itself. He can tell that the god is identifying with the big ape and sees how heroic the creature is in his own land. The artist catches flecks of anger and concern in the green eyes when Kong is taken to New York. And he thinks he sees a tear or two when the great ape finally meets his end. And then those famous words are spoken.
"Do you really think me like King Kong?" Loki asks quietly as the movie ends.
"I do. I think you're mighty and savage and heroic in your own way and…misunderstood."
"And you are my blond beauty?" he asks as he plays with the hem of Steve's shirt.
"I'd like to think so."
Loki looks into those brilliantly blue eyes. "You are. Except I'm the one who gets tied up and sacrificed to you."
"Yeah, well, I never said we were exactly like the movie." He sweeps a lock of black hair away from Loki's face. "Stay the night? We don't have to do anything, just sleep." A change in the god's look makes him add, "You don't have to if you don't want to. I just…I want to make sure you're okay."
Loki smiles. "I would love to stay." He gives his lover a slow, deep kiss. Then he nestles himself against the artist. "I've missed you," he admits.
"Me, too, Kitten." Steve begins petting the god's hair. "So Stark told everyone that I named the cat Loki. Thor wasn't happy." He feels Loki chuckle. "They're all still worried about you, Stark and Barton especially. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell them that you let us win."
"I never let you win, Darling. I just didn't do everything to the best of my abilities. I gave you a chance is all. You still had to earn your victory."
"True," Steve agrees. "Are you ever going to tell me why?"
"Not if I can help it."
Steve uses the remote controls to turn off the electronics. He then reluctantly excuses himself and goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth and remove his clothes. He walks back out wearing only his white boxer shorts. Loki gets up and uses the bathroom next.
Looking into the mirror, he hardly recognizes the man staring back at him. He lived millennia with very little change. And now in just a handful of Midgardian years, his entire world has disappeared, transformed. He is not who he was. His family is gone. His lover is Midgardian. And his ass hurts more than he cares to admit. If it had been at the hands of anyone else, they would have been slain. His reflection asks why he did not simply use magic to make the object smaller or his anus bigger. There were so many ways his magic could have been used. And yet, it was not.
"The pain clouded my mind," he tells himself then feels a fool for having said it out loud, especially since it isn't true. Loki was playing his role as submissive. He did nothing for two reasons. One, Steve did not tell him it was allowed. Two, and more importantly, it was a test for the artist. Could he stop? Could he be trusted? The answers came slowly but did come with a resounding YES. Loki smiles at his reflection. Within this apartment, he could trust Steve completely and utterly. Here he is protected.
The god returns to his lover, who silently welcomes him back to bed. Strong arms envelop him, and gentle lips kiss his forehead.
"Good night, Kitten. Please be here when I wake up."
"I shall, my Darling. Sleep well, and may Niorun send you only pleasant dreams."
Steve gives his lover one final soft kiss before closing his eyes. The evening hadn't turned out as he had planned. But as long as Loki is in his arms and safe, he considers the ending to be perfect.
Question for the readers: Is it almost time to expand their world? Do we want to see how Loki & Steve try to keep their secret in a circumstance outside the apartment? Let me know if you care one way or the other. Silence will be considered as a vote for "Whatever. I don't care as along as there is still sex in every chapter." Which leads me to...
Half-Hearted Apology: Sorry if you were disappointed by the light sex in this chapter. It just didn't feel right for them to get physical again after Loki got hurt. But it will return next chapter. And now I will stop rambling. Thanks!
