Appeal to My Humanity
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No beta's were used in the making of this fic.
Chapter 11
"He said, 'The Mad Titan' – that could only be Thanos," Sif called as she jumped onto her steed, shooting ahead of Thor and the Warriors-Three as they raced after her towards Heimdall's post. The four men rode in silence down the shimmering Rainbow Bride to find the giant golden god awaiting their approach – Thor slowed and stopped, jumping off of his steed and turning to Heimdall.
"Is it true?" was all Thor asked. His mouth was set in a hard line of grim determination.
"It is Thanos," Heimdall confirmed, his expression never wavering, "He has obliterated the north palace of Alfheim."
A puzzled look crossed Thor's face. "The north palace only?" Thor asked.
"Everything else was left untouched."
"What was he looking for?" Volstagg interjected.
"That I could not say," Heimdall responded.
"There are several relics under Alfheim's protection, many of which are contained within the vaults of the north palace. The only link between relics stored on Alfheim and those within our own vault are the Infinity Gems. There are six of them scattered throughout the universe," Thor said, crossing his arms and looking out into the universe at a million twinkling lights. He looked up from his deep thoughts at Heimdall.
"This is what you saw coming," Thor stated. It was not a question.
"It is. Thanos was able to mask his identity from me. His sorcery rivals that of your brother's; I could feel the ill intent but could not discern from whom it came," Heimdall said. He turned his gaze over the broken Rainbow Bridge and looked back into the vast expanse before him.
"Speaking of my brother, what news?" Thor asked, "how fare he and the lady Darcy?"
"Thor," Sif chastised, "this is hardly the time to collect family gossip." Volstagg and Hogun said nothing; Fandral nodded in agreement with Sif.
"He has not attempted to mask himself from me since he regained his powers," Heimdall told Thor, ignoring Sif and answering a direct question from his king. "He and the girl are faring better than you had anticipated and the queen had hoped. However, he has not been forthright with the lady Darcy regarding his powers' return."
"And he continues to assist in lady Jane's research?" asked Thor.
"Aye."
"This is good news," Thor remarked, wondering to himself if his brother had truly changed or if this would be a temporary phase. He let his mind wander for only a moment; he had a kingdom to protect and he had only the most fleeting of chances to ponder the wayward prince.
Thor took in a deep breath and turned to the four warriors- he was met with their own determined, steady gazes. "We mus rally the people and prepare our troops. Come," Thor called, climbing back onto his steed and beginning the ride back to the castle, his friends following closely behind.
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Darcy stepped into Loki's quarters without knocking; he had been expecting her and they now had an open door policy with one another's personal space. She even had her own drawer for extra clothing and items when she spent the night in his quarters on work nights. She set her bag down and walked into the kitchen to find Loki, shirtless, preparing their dinner. Darcy took a seat on a bar stool and watched him, leaning her elbows on the counter and inhaling the scent of the meal he was arranging. Loki said nothing as he continued to work steadily when Darcy spoke up.
"How long has it been since you were sent here?"
Loki looked up for only a moment before returning his attention to the pan and spatula in his hand. "Approximately one year, perhaps one year and one half. I lost count after being in confinement with no access to any distraction for several months, and I was not introduced to yourself and Jane until several months after first I requested a book."
"And all this time we've been working non-stop on the Bifrost project. I need a break," Darcy admitted. Loki dropped the spatula and stared forward into nothing, his eyes held a blank, strange expression. Darcy looked closely at him and watched as he paled; she gasped as she realized what he thought she meant. "No, no! Not a break from us!" she exclaimed, motioning between the two of them with her hands. "A break from this! From work, Loki. I'm saying we should take a vacation. Its been a long time since I've had a getaway of any kind and I'm burnt out. I'd like to take it with you if you want to come with me."
Loki exhaled deeply and picked up the spatula, washing it with soap and water before returning to his cooking.
"Are you okay?" Darcy asked. Loki plated their dinner in silence as she watched, taking hers when he handed it to her. Loki took a seat on the bar stool next to her and placed a hand on her knee.
"A vacation is an excellent idea," he stated. It was Darcy's turn to exhale.
"Oh my god, Loki. You had me scared to death for a second. I can't believe you actually thought I was breaking up with you!" she said, a smile on her face.
"You were acting very strangely today," Loki said. It was a simple sentence that spoke volumes and Darcy threw her arms around his neck with such force that he almost toppled off of the bar stool. She showered his face with kisses and he heard a faint giggle escape from her throat. "What is so funny, young lady? And why were you behaving so oddly today?" he asked between kisses.
"You are so funny, actually. And I'm pretty embarrassed about why I was acting weird today, but I might as well just come out with it. I went to see Nick today to ask him if he could move you into my apartment, and he shot me down. I was acting weird because I didn't know how you would feel about it in the first place, and even talking about it now is making me kind of squirmy especially when you keep looking at me like that." Darcy told him quietly. She watched his face carefully for his reaction but it held no expression. "So... What are you thinking?"
Loki was silent as he regarded the woman before him and her words. He stood from the barstool and placed his hands on either of Darcy's arms, looking into her eyes intently and drawing a deep breath. "I am honored that you would even consider it, Darcy."
"I love you," Darcy blurted out. Loki's eyes widened for a fraction of a moment before softening, and Darcy kissed him deeply. The frustration and apprehension of the day seemed to melt away as the lovers embraced one another. Loki broke the kiss and held Darcy's face in his hands.
"Darcy, I-"
She cut him off. "You don't have to say it back," she said quickly. "I have very strong, very human feelings for you. I get that you've been around for a long time and you might not feel the same way, but I've never been one to hide my feelings and this time is no different."
"I was going to say, you impatient twit, that I love you as well," Loki responded, smiling. Before Darcy was able to say another word Loki claimed her mouth in a bruising kiss, tangling his fingers in her hair and taking her breath away. "Since the day first we met you have captured my interest," he breathed into her ear. As she remained seated on the bar stool he placed himself between her legs and dipped his head down to the sweet spot on her neck, drawing an erotic gasp from her lips. "And here I am, a slave to your indulgences. I would do anything for you, Darcy. Anything. Name it, and it shall be yours."
"More," she managed to breathe out, grinding against his bulge and eliciting a growl from him.
"As you wish," said Loki, and in one fluid motion he threw her over his shoulder with a delighted shriek of surprise from Darcy. He brought her swiftly into the bedroom, tossing her unceremoniously upon the bed. Before he could make another move, she propped herself up on both elbows.
"Pants," she told him, looking him up and down. He knelt to begin working at hers, but she slapped his hand away. "Not mine. Yours," she ordered. There was no hesitation as his deft fingers made short work of his trousers. Within seconds he stood before her, naked and staring down at her, a dark look of hungry arousal dominating his features.
"You are wearing an astounding amount of clothing," Loki observed aloud, immediately causing heat to rise deep within her.
"You're the big bad sorcerer. Why don't you do something about it?" Darcy dared, and almost before she was able to complete the question he was on her, working at her blouse, when she noticed that her skirt was already gone within him having touched it. She almost mentioned it when Loki placed his lips firmly on hers, one hand behind her head and the other reaching down to begin working her clit through her panties, which caused all thoughts to evaporate completely from her distracted mind.
Before Darcy could blink she realized that she, too, was completely nude but couldn't recall when Loki had worked her bra off, or gotten her stockings off of her for that matter. Confused, Darcy stopped momentarily and looked at Loki as he kissed his way down her body when his head stopped between her legs. Their eyes met as he began to work her with his mouth and she couldn't remain focused on the source of her confusion. He began the rhythm slowly, building the heat within her, that by the time he began to work her with his fingers she unraveled in seconds, clutching the sheets and switching from breathing his name to making indecipherable sounds of wanton pleasure.
He allowed her to rest for only seconds before climbing atop her, allowing his mouth to claim a breast and an arm to wrap around her waist. He positioned himself at her center and did not wait for her go-ahead before sheathing himself within her. Their eyes met and Darcy was taken aback and thoroughly aroused all at once to see Loki's animalistic visage drinking her in with only his eyes. He leaned his head down to bite her neck as he worked his hips, pumping into her, faster and faster. He listened for the hitching of her breath and took the signals from her body – he would not allow himself to hurtle toward the edge until he had satisfied her once more. Only when she tightened around him did he allow himself sweet release as he followed, collapsing atop her as they both breathed in the heady scent of their lovemaking.
Their dinner sat untouched, cold and forgotten, on the kitchen counter.
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"Nick, we need a vacay," Darcy stated, her voice even.
"All right," Fury answered without skipping a beat, continuing to type up an e-mail and not looking in Darcy's direction. She shifted in her seat as she waited for him to say 'but'. When he didn't say it, she continued.
"I mean me and Loki. Together. Getting away from here for a week, preferably two," she clarified, wary at his agreeable attitude.
"I know what you meant, Miss Lewis, and yes, you two can go. Have fun. Just know that we're assigning agents to your detail and there's no negotiation on that matter," Fury continued to type. Darcy gaped at him for a moment, taken completely aback at the fact that it was too easy to convince him.
"What's the catch?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"The catch is that you have to bring me back a souvenir," he answered. He stopped typing and looked up at her, giving her an almost-smile. "You two have been working hard and you have time on the books for it. I would never hear the end of it from HR if I refused you time that you've earned. And contrary to popular belief SHIELD isn't solely faceless, over-lording company – when we keep our agents and our associates happy, work gets done. So you two go and have a good time."
"Which agents?"
"You mean which agents will be maintaining watch over our highest-profile alien prince prisoner whose kingly brother holds the key to the most powerful technology Earth has ever seen? Let me think... oh, right, our best agents. Romanov and Barton," Nick told her, and Darcy felt suddenly childish for asking in the first place.
"Thanks, Nick, I really appreciate it. And you know what? I don't care what Agent Coulson says about you, you're a great guy," Darcy joked as Agent Coulson entered the office, looking up only at his name with his even look of amusement. She gave a dazzling smile to both men as she left the office, heading back down to the lab to tell Loki the good news.
Later that evening Darcy was sitting cross-legged on his bed, looking at vacation destinations on her laptop. Her glasses sat atop the bridge of her nose as she scrolled through dozens of websites, unable to choose.
"Ooooh, how about Fiji?" Darcy called to Loki who was in the shower.
"Is it hot?" Loki called over the jet of the shower.
"It's not known for being cold," Darcy called back, "So no hot places at all?" Darcy heard the shower shut off and Loki grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist before entering the bedroom.
"I'm not partial to heat in general. I recall the Scandinavian countries to be quite cool – are they still the same? It has been many centuries since I have visited," said Loki, sitting on the bed and peering over Darcy's shoulder to look at the screen. She shifted to allow him a better view.
"I can't imagine why you'd want to go to a region where they worshiped you as a god," Darcy smirked, pulling up various pages on Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and skimming them.
"I am a god," Loki replied.
"I hate to shrink that ego of yours, but you're an alien," Darcy stated matter-of-factly, and continued speaking before Loki could answer, "According to this website they have temperate climates, so it wouldn't be too hot or too cold. Do you want to go there? I don't care where the hell we go as long as I get to stay in a nice hotel and take in some new culture."
"Pick one of the three and we'll journey forth," he replied, laying back and letting his towel fall off of himself. Darcy ignored his blatant nudity.
"We'll journey forth," she responded, imitating his accent with a grin. She continued to stare at the laptop screen. "They all look like we'd have a good time, I can't really choose. Okay, how about..." Darcy closed her eyes and placed her finger on her laptop screen, moving it around randomly on the map displayed there before landing in the right side of the Scandinavian peninsula. "Sweden it is," she told him before maximizing the screen for the Swedish tourism website she had opened previously. She pored over the pages, taking in all that she could about their destination in silence before closing the laptop and looking over at the still-naked Loki, who had taken to laying back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.
"So... are we going to talk about why you can't stand heat?" asked Darcy as she repositioned herself on the bed to look at Loki.
"In time," Loki replied, stiffening at the question.
"No time like the present."
"In time," he repeated.
"You know that that is seriously frustrating, right? You're all dark and brooding one minute and then you're seemingly happy the next. You know you can trust me," she urged. Loki remained silent and it was clear that Darcy wasn't going to get anything out of him. "When you're ready. But keep in mind that I love you and that nothing you tell me will change that," she told him quietly. Darcy picked up on his apprehension became silent, allowing her mind to wander.
"Does it ever bother you that Heimdall can totally see you naked?" Darcy asked suddenly, and Loki glanced at her in amusement, relaxing at the change of subject.
"We've all known each other for eons, Darcy. Everyone has seen everyone naked for one reason or another at some point. Heimdall can hear the grass grow and was born of nine mothers; I hardly think it necessary that I should be ashamed if he can see me nude or not. And he most certainly is looking now, considering how many times we've said his name," Loki told her, not bothering to cover himself and giving her a large grin.
Back in Asgard, a look of amusement flashed in Heimdall's normally stony face as he observed the prince and his curious companion. In the next moment he continued his watch, as was his eternal duty, for the ever-increasing threat against his home.
