We could've been walking into Hell. "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" scribed above the laboratory door, but we passed through the gates, hand-in-leather-bound-hand. Confidence rising in me as I walked with a minor amount of grace that I took from Loki. His head held high, back straight, shoulders down, and eyes homed in on an unseen target. I did my best to mimic him. Pretend that I belonged.
He liked that I was close to him. Walking by his side. Pacified desire echoing in low vibrations, from him, to me. Slowly, it rippled from my flushed cheeks to my stomach. That mild heat.
Only two bodied occupied the lab before us. Dr. Banner sitting at a large white surface with hologram documents, calculations, and diagrams circling through like a power point as he scribbled something down on a tablet. He was tense. Shoulders clenched tightly around his stiff neck, hunched over his work like a predator protecting its prey. I could feel his heart racing. The other was Agent Hanna, swiping through her own tablet. She had a crisp white lab coat thrown over her standard blue suit. She was unreadable. Even as I focused in on her, nothing manifested. It was like she had an on-off switch tucked inside her brain.
Two black eyes latched onto us as we walked into the room. I could feel her terrible glare burning a hole into my soul. Loki gave my hand an affirming squeeze. I was able to take a deep breath and relax. But just for that second.
"What's all this?" Hanna asked, pointing to our clasped hands with her stylus.
Loki held our hands up. "This? This lovely lady was making sure I didn't get lost," he teased. He planted a polite kiss on the back of my hand and released me again. I had to steel myself to harness the confidence I mustered on the way here.
"Okay," Agent Hanna smiled almost playfully. "Thank you for getting him here safe, you can go now."
"No," Loki snapped, "I've instructed her to stay with me. She's my assistant."
Her playful demeanor shifted like a glitch. A quick crease in her brow as her dark eyes narrowed. In a second, she was back with a placid friendly smile. "We shouldn't waste Miss. Bright's time with our numbers and calculations. She's busy with her own work."
I looked to Loki for words. He didn't bother to even glance my way. He was too busy glaring daggers at Agent Hanna. A silent war. "Actually, you haven't given me any assignments other than to escort Mr. Laufeyson and keep him in check. If keeping him in line is part of my job, I should be here. Especially if you still see him as a risk. We wouldn't want Dr. Banner's life to be in any danger," I stammered. Banner's head snapped around.
"Who's in danger?" he chirped.
"No one's in danger," Hanna quickly replied. Her eyes fixed on me like a knocked arrow. "Miss. Bright, S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer sees Mr. Laufeyson as a top priority threat. You assured us, with confidence, that he no longer was. In terms you might be able to understand, he went from red-level-threat to a yellow, maybe. Does that make sense?" she uttered slowly, mockingly. She placed her tablet on the table beside her and smiled like a host of a morning show for kids.
"Yes, but-" I began.
She took a step closer to me. "No buts, Miss. Bright. If you understand, than please show me by leaving." Another step. She was about seven feet away.
"I was instructed to stay with Mr. Laufeyson and keep him in line," I insisted. I stood my ground, rooting my feet into the floor. She continued to walk towards me with slow methodical strides.
"Miss. Bright," she smiled, her cheeks reaching her eyes, "I assure you, if Mr. Laufeyson steps one toe out of line-"
She reached for the gun that was holstered on her hip. I blinked and Loki was standing between us like a tall dark shield. He towered over me and was at least six inches taller than Hanna.
Primal heat surged from him like a fire to repel a beast. It was anger. Enraged fury billowing up from his hot core and rushing through his veins. It burned like acid as it seeped into me. I could feel the anger rise up in me. It was terrifying and powerful, like a shot of adrenaline straight into the heart. My face burned with the violent fever. Feet tapping impatiently against the smooth hard floors. Instinctively, I cracked my knuckles like I was preparing for a fight.
Loki's face was stoic and hard. He didn't show his anger through flared nostrils or primitive prostrating. He just stood there like trained solider. Fists clenched like he was holding a knife.
"Whoa, okay, folks," Banner popped up from his seat. "Officially, this is my lab and I have jurisdiction here. Agent Hanna, thank you, but I would love to have Elaina stay with us for the day. Another pair of hands can't hurt, right? Alright, go team!" he chuckled nervously as he clapped his hands together.
Hanna shot him a fierce look and returned to her station. Loki exhaled. He was still tense, but I wasn't worried he was about to kill someone. He quickly turned to me and softened his face.
"Are you okay?" he muttered quietly; concern laced through his heated his voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. I was rattled, but it only felt right to keep up with appearances. Not let Hanna see me scared. "You didn't have to do that." I told him.
His hand slipped into mine. His eyes fixed on me with a glimmer of admiration. "You'll come to learn, bunny. I protect what's mine." His voice was hushed though I could hear the sultry purr slip from his throat. Icy blue eyes pierced through my façade, making me quiver pleasantly. That familiar erotic shiver. Loki's voice slipped around my neck like a collar and his words tugged on me like a leash. He finished me off with a wink before leading me towards Banner who resumed his place with his holograms.
I couldn't make heads or tails with any of Dr. Banner's notes. His calculations were written in a mathematical language I wasn't smart enough to learn in high school, or college. Documents appeared in languages only spoken by dead tongues. Well, dead tongues and Loki. Through their conversations, I surmised that they were looking for a weapon. I assumed it was the weapon Loki mentioned earlier, but I wasn't going to admit that I knew about it. From how they spoke, Loki never mentioned he was looking for it. He made it seem like everything was knew information, like he was hearing about it for the first time in centuries. He had them both convinced, but I could feel his lies.
According to Dr. Banner, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been searching for this artifact for the last year. A legend like Mjolnir. A weapon that appeared on Earth centuries ago used by a Viking lord, name forgotten to time, to lay waste to enemies and armies until it was lost, like his name, to time. Nordic myth claims it was a wand, or spear, or sword, or axe, forged either by Loki or for Loki. So many scripts in so many languages that with conflicting accounts. Loki himself assured them that the relic was real. It was secured in Odin's vault for 300 years until it went missing. Asgardian armies scoured the Nine Realms, but never found it. There was truth muddled with his lies. Through it all I kept my mouth shut.
Pictures depicting the weapon passed through the holograms. Stone carvings of a dagger or knife. A simple spear drawn on taut animal skin. A mystical sword inked on yellowed parchment.
"What should we be looking for?" Dr. Banner asked as he scrolled through the various pictures.
"A sword, maybe," Loki replied. His uncertainty was genuine. "It supposedly changes based on the wielder."
"Did you create it?" Dr. Banner circling back to geographical maps of Europe.
"Do I look like a blacksmith?" Loki scowled, "I don't know who made it." A lie.
"So, it was made for you," Banner inferred.
"No. It was just a weapon in Odin's vault. Probably created for him during his years of conquest," Loki lied smoothly. Arms crossed over his chest. "I don't know where how you people linked me to the legend." He shrugged.
"What can it do? What are its limitations?" Agent Hanna chimed.
Loki peered back at her, eyes searing with irritation. "I don't know," he bluffed again.
Hanna cocked an arched brow, twisting her lips perturbed.
They went back and forth about possible locations. Debated myths and facts. Loki gave them small snippets of knowledge, funneling it through vaguely thin truths and passive shrugs. I couldn't feel Hanna's anger, but I could see it crease along her brow. Her artificial smile only held back so much. It was clear she tolerated Loki. He didn't even give her that, making his feelings clear. Dr. Banner played his role as mediator, quelling the tension when it rose. I watched from the other end of the table, reclined in a less-than-comfortable chair. My focus was on Hanna and Loki. The stress that swelled between them. It almost seemed like he was provoking her. Trying to find cracks in her mask. The moment they'd appear, she just smoothed them over, and carried on.
They worked in the lab until the sun settled beneath the skyscrapers and cityscape. The sky was darkening to a blanket of lavender with indigo clouds. The sun still painted the horizon a pale shade of orange. A transparent moon appeared in the distance. I rested my head on crossed arms as my eyes began to flutter closed. I could hear the tapping of keys as Banner worked his magic on a laptop. Hanna pressed her stylus to her tablet, scratching it against the screen as she scribbled notes and theories. Loki mumbled to himself in a language I didn't understand. It sounded beautiful. He rolled r's over his tongue in a sing-song voice with a light accent, Norwegian, I think. His finger slipped beneath a page in an old tome, flicking it over as he continued. His words were melodic. He could've been singing. I wasn't sure, but his voice grew louder as he approached.
"Vargen ylar i nattens skog," he caroled softly like a lullaby, "Han vill men kan inte sova".
I sank into my closed arms like a pillow, giving into my heavy eyelids as they closed.
"Hungern river i hans varga buk. Och det är kallt i hans stova," Loki hummed, his voice trickled down into my ears like warm honey. He was standing next to me, his hand stroking my hair as he crouched down. "Tired?" he whispered close to my ear.
"Mhm," I muttered through closed lips.
His hand gently cascaded down my hair and over my back, trailing up and down the length of my spine with a careful soothing touch as he hummed his song. It was something old. Something that belonged to him long ago. I could see a mother, wrapped in lacy silk robes, rocking her children to sleep as she sang this song.
"Would you like me to take you to bed?" Loki asked.
"Mhm," I nodded, rising my heavy head and peering around the room. He closed his book with a loud clap, announcing to the room that he was done.
"I'll see you tomorrow. I'm going to take Miss. Bright back to her room." He took my hand, still gloved for protection, and helped me to my feet.
No one opposed him. Dr. Banner waved goodbye from his desk. Agent Hanna shot me a harsh glare beneath her polite smile.
He held my hand from the lab to my room as I leaned against his arm, weighed by fatigue. All the while, he hummed his song quietly. I never knew he had such a rich and lovely voice. I suppose, I shouldn't have been surprised. There wasn't much he couldn't do.
I led him to my door. The end of our day together. The cold steel knob was right there. The moment I reached for it and turned it, the day would be over, and we'd go our separate ways. It was only temporary, but I still didn't want it to end. I might see him in my dreams, but it wasn't the same as being with him like this. I felt pathetic. Not wanting to let go of his hand. I wanted to invite him inside, have him hold me like lovers do.
"Elaina," Loki broke through the silence.
"Loki," I replied, my voice gritty with sleepy. I felt the subtle surge of happiness come from him as I said his name.
He slipped his hand out of mine and touched my cheek, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. "Thank you for the wonderful day," he smiled kindly.
"No problem," I smiled back faintly.
"With your permission, I'd like to try something. Feel free to say no," he began. His eyes were flickering with excitement and curiosity. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was nervous.
"Depends on what it is," I replied.
He pulled his hand away from my face and began plucking the fingers of his glove, slowly peeling it off. "Would you like to try?" his voice was soothing like warm tea on a blistery night. He presented his bare pale hand. "I have a theory that I'd like to test."
"What's your theory?"
"I believe your abilities can be controlled through acclimation. Exposure allows you suppress outside influence and gain control over whether or not it affects you. Therefore, the more we're around each other, the easier it'll be for you to deal with my emotional baggage, in a way. I've also been working on the intensity of said baggage."
"So, you think if we touch again, it won't be as intense?" I asked, staring at his hand. I wondered if it was as cold as in our dreams.
"In theory," he smiled weakly. I couldn't detect a lie. Still, my fears rippled through my body. It must have shown on my face because his smile faded. "You're not scared of my 'baggage'," he stated knowingly. I bit my lip and felt a sharp pinch in my heart.
"There's a sickness inside of me. Inside my brain. It's always been there, and it can't go away. I'm scared that I could infect you with it and it'll make you hurt yourself," I admitted. My voice shook with fear. Images of crimson spattered against a poster covered wall like red paint. Glittery white fragments drifting from the ceiling like snowflakes.
He could see it plastered across my face. Fear, sadness, regret, remorse, and the abundance of guilt. All fighting for dominance. "Depression is difficult. It's scary when your own worst enemy lives inside your brain. I know how you feel, and I support you in whatever decision you make. I'm offering you the chance to hold my hand, my real hand, regardless of the consequences. I'm prepared to take on that burden if it means we can have these moments," Loki said, holding out his hand. His slender ivory fingers waiting to take my hand. "It's your choice."
My heart was racing as a cold grip locked around it, trying to squeeze every ounce of pain inside. I sucked in a deep breath, steeling myself for journey ahead. Slowly, hesitantly, I pulled each finger out of my glove, and hovered my hand above his. An air of frost circled around his skin. With my middle fingertip, I lightly touched his palm. It was like a wave of frozen waters lapping at my feet. A soft currant of chills creeping down my spine. His face didn't change. I dipped another finger into his palm and another until our hands were flat against each other's.
I could feel him. His fears, his pain, his guilt, just barely pulsing in the background. I took a deep breath as his emotions ran through me. His joy, bright like the sun. His desire, roaring like a flame deep inside a dragon's throat. There was something else. Something soft and delicate echoing in the foreground. Something new to him. Something he couldn't name.
"Is this okay?" he asked calmly.
I nodded, processing everything at once. He locked our fingers together and brought me close to him. A slow gradual pull until my face was buried into his chest. I kissed where his heart would be, feeling the beat beneath his pectoral. With his gloved hand, he pulled my chin up to meet his gaze. His eyes were sparkling pools of clear blue.
"Is this okay?" he asked, leaning in.
"Yes," I replied.
His lips inched closer to mine. The air between us thin and hard to grasp. The space between us disappeared as his soft icy lips pressed into mine with a delicate touch. There was a spark. A jolt that ignited a fire within me. Like a candle being lit by a roaring flame. I leaned into his kissed as an amorous force drove me forward. A smirk crept along his lips. My heart hit the stone wall of chest with fervent desire. Each pulse forcing it through my veins. I could feel his lust circling my core. He kept it quiet, trying to suppress it, but he couldn't hide it.
"We should stop," he broke our kiss as he stifled a lascivious smirk.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I'm not sure I'll be able to call myself a gentleman if we continue," he muttered through his teeth.
His muscles tensed as he tried to restrain his latent desire. Overcome with feverish lust and newfound confidence, I teased his lips, passing the tip of my tongue over them before pulling away. A raspy growl echoed in his throat as he clenched his gloved fist. "You'll regret that," he threatened.
"Will I? I thought you were a gentleman." I joked.
He put a hand to my chest and pushed me into the door before pressing his hard body against mine. "I warned you," he growled as a devilish grin tugged against his lips.
"People might here us," I said.
"Then I'll gag you," Loki purred.
"The bed might be loud," I warned.
"Then I'll take you on the floor," he hand reached for the knob and twisted the door open. He lifted me in the air, wrapping my legs around his hips, I could feel him stiffen between my legs. He walked me inside and shut the door, making sure to lock it before dropping me on my bed.
|A/N: Lyrics are from "Wolf Song" by Astrid Lindgren|