Author's Note: This is going to be more of a short story with multiple parts. I'm hoping to aim for roughly 5 at the most, but I'll do as many as needed to complete the idea. Enjoy!
She gripped her book tighter as the black ink that colored the words on the page finally revealed the morally gray second male lead. His dark hair and hypnotic blue eyes were enough, but to finally see him in action sealed the deal. She found her favorite character and would stan him for the rest of the series. There was certainly nothing wrong with the main male lead. His golden locks with warm hazel eyes were perfect for his morally upright and devoted to justice persona. He was the best option, the safe option.
Ugh, it hurts to see him stand idly by while the hero takes the girl, but I can't help rooting for him! "He deserves happiness too! Who says he's not worthy!?" She cried out loud without realizing it, her book held up high in the sky at arm's length, as she wallowed in her mind over her bittersweet obsession. "I must be a glutton for punishment." She groaned under her breath as she brought the book back against her lap, curling into the corner of the sofa even more as she dove back into the story.
Loki and Thor watched this outburst of theatrics, the blond far more bewildered than his brother, who was now used to these and more so amused. For the umpteenth time, she had forgotten there was a guest in the house. Another Asgardian god, no less. The raven haired male, who was now accustomed to such outbursts, found it charming.
Just how cute can you be? You make it hard to resist teasing you. How can I not toy with you a little before speaking to you? You'll forgive me, right? Or maybe you should run from someone like me…what will you do? He watched her settle back into the comfort of the fictitious world, the corners of his lips naturally curling upwards.
"Is…she alright?" Thor whispered, his eyes flicking between the now silent young woman on the couch and his brother, who sat across from him at the table. There was not an ounce of concern on the trickster god's face, which confused Thor. His voice quickly brought Loki back into the present.
I nearly forgot he was here. "Hmm? Eva's perfectly fine, she's just reading a book. Don't mind her." He waved off before picking up his glass and taking a sip. "Now, what were you saying before? The Avengers are requesting my assistance? Well now, that's certainly a surprise."
"Is it really? I told you, they now know you were not yourself, the mind stone was influencing as much as you were trying to use it. They have come to accept the truth and work past this." He entreated his younger brother to reconsider. This was not his first visit to these humble accommodations Loki lived in, but each time he wished it was the last. Not only did he want his brother to be accepted and be able to live in quarters that were worthy of him as prince of Asgard and a god. "You will have a much better place at the Tower as well. You wouldn't need to suffer in this place anymore."
Loki knew what his older brother was trying to do, and he secretly appreciated it. However, he would never let his gratitude show. It was embarrassing, to say the least, but it was not the only reason. If given the choice before, Loki would have happily exchanged his living arrangements for something grander without a second thought. The compound was large and lavish to house larger-than-life individuals, and he was no exception to this. Even so, the frost giant liked this place, and it was somewhat difficult to part. Taking another sip of his drink, he stared at the cheap wooden table the two of them sat at.
No, I'm not attached to this hovel. It's that peculiar young woman I've been living with. If I were to go to the Tower, she would be left alone and in search of yet another flatmate. Our paths crossed by chance, who knows what deplorable imbecile she would stumble into if I went. Would there be a way for him to have her come along? She worked fairly close to the tower. Perhaps she could quit the drudgery she was forced to endure at her current place of employment and work with that agency? What was it called again? He pondered for a moment. Ah yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. There must be somethingthere for someone like her. The problem is, how would I bring that about? They might find it suspicious that I'm bringing this random Midgardian with me and suspect that I have her brainwashed. I rather not have them prying about my private life as much as possible. "As flattering as that offer is, I can't simply leave her to fend for herself. You know this, you assist in my being able to stay here without too much interference."
"Yes, that is true." Thor sighed, carefully leaning back in his seat out of fear of breaking it if he was too careless with his strength. "Perhaps we can find her someone else to live with? We managed to find her, I'm sure if we were to repost her advertisement online, she will find another."
And risk her finding some deranged Midgardian who might be looking for his next victim? From those documentaries she loves to watch, there are many of them out there who have gotten away with murder time and time again or swindled into believing she needs to assist in paying for something. He frowned at the option that was brought to the table. Just last week, he was the one telling her to not look at any of the homeless people and keep her money to herself. Not too long before that, she managed to get herself caught up in a store robbery while trying to buy some eggs. She somehow managed to de-escalate the situation well enough for the thief to be taken into custody. Let's not forget how she abruptly chased after a purse snatcher in the middle of our stroll two days ago. She'd tackled him to the ground before I could stop her. She's foolishly brave in her sense of justice…a magnet for trouble. "I agreed to stay here for at least two years to pay for the lease. Who is to say the next person won't leave as well?" He calmly countered, purposely trying to invoke Thor's honesty and pride.
"We did make a promise to remain here for that length of time." The god of thunder begrudgingly agreed and slouched in his seat. He lightly tapped his fingers on the table as he mulled over what they could do to make this work in their favor. The younger prince watched his brother carefully consider all viable options that would not leave Eva left to fend for herself. The sincerity of his consideration warmed his chest in a way he never thought possible before, but here he was happy to see Thor care for the young woman who became part of his world.
He's only thinking of ways to keep her here and safe, though, and that just won't do. I'll need to be careful on how I approach this. I won't allow someone taking away what is mine. "Perhaps," Loki was the first to speak up after a lengthy pause, grabbing his brother's attention. "We-no, never mind, it's a foolish idea." He shook his head and sighed, leaning back and crossing his legs.
"What is it? It may not be as foolish as you think." Thor sat up and leaned in closer.
"I," Loki started again. "No, no, it's not possible." He sighed, cutting himself off once more.
"Surely it is not that impossible. You are one of the smartest people I know, Loki. I'm sure it's exactly the solution we are looking for." He eagerly praised his brother, hoping to get him to speak up and unknowingly falling right where the cunning trickster wanted him too. Loki expertly masked the wily smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips and sat up.
"Well, if you insist," he expertly played his reluctance by extending his first word. "I was thinking she could come with me to the Tower. She's been seen with me, and by extension that leads to you and the Avengers. As you know, there are many unsavory characters who will stop at nothing to see the Avengers fall. If they caught wind of her no longer being in our protection, they will dive in to use her as leverage and will not shy away from causing harm to her." He carefully painted a potential outcome that would press at all of his elder brother's little hero buttons. He watched as Thor's eyes went from wide-eyed shock to clouded with concern and guilt if anything were to happen to her.
"You're right, we had not considered that." He mumbled, looking at the young woman who was still curled up on the sofa, oblivious of the conversation that was going on. She was an innocent civilian now tangled in danger she did not know. "Very well, I will speak with the others about this. She is not a threat to our safety, but we have brought danger to her. Rogers will understand, it's Stark and Fury who will put up a fight. No matter, I will handle it. You simply stay ready and prepare her for the move as well." He stood from his seat, and Loki followed soon after.
"Of course, I have the utmost faith in your success." He smiled, and the two turned to Eva. If not, I'll simply just bring her with me. It's not like I intend to simply bow my head to Stark's wishes.
The feeling of being watched pricked at the back of her mind, so she lifted her head to see that she was in fact being stared at by the two Asgardian royals. "Uhh, did I miss something?" She tucked the bookmark between the pages and closed her book, giving her full attention to the two.
"No, my brother is leaving." Loki motioned to Thor, who smiled at her.
"Oh, ok," she quickly stood up from her spot and made her way around the coffee table, narrowly missing the sharp corner she always managed to hit thanks to cramped space. "I'm sorry I didn't really host you much again. You only come for short visits, and I figured you wanted time with Loki. Thanks for stopping by, he may not say it, but he does appreciate it." She grinned, the god of mischief scoffing and rolling his eyes. "Next time you come, try to stay longer. I'll cook some food!" She continued on, unfazed by Loki's reactions, which made Thor chuckle.
"I will try to make some more time for my next visit. I've heard your cooking is quite delicious. Have a good evening, Eva, Loki." He nodded his head to the two.
"Good night, text us when you get back home, so we know you're safe." She waved to him as he made his way to the elevator, watching him laugh as the doors shut behind him. Once out of sight, she returned to the apartment and turned to face Loki as he shut the door. The room suddenly felt so spacious now that Thor was gone. It was odd how one person could so easily fill up the room. Then again, no one is as big as him. That's not important right now! Arms crossed, she turned to the handsome god she called her flatmate, giving him a look of smugness that held a hint of exasperation.
"Can I help you?" He raised an eyebrow at her, amused by how adorable she looked with her chest puffed out with pride. She thinks she has the upper hand on me, such a silly little thing. She's going to talk about my brother and I.
"Yeah, mind telling me why you can't just accept the truth of liking your brother? You don't need to act all macho lone wolf with him."
"Come now, do you really expect me to tell him that I enjoy his overbearing adoration and smothering care? He comes almost every evening. If he thought I enjoyed that, he may just move in with us, and there is barely enough space for the both of us here." He tried his best not to laugh at guessing correctly.
"I hear you complaining, but I see you smiling! You can't hide from me, I know when you're hiding a smile, and you're always hiding it when Thor comes around!" She poked at his cheeks, grinning with pride at her ability to read the deity of illusions.
"Sounds like you've been lost in one too many fantasy novels again." He scowled and pulled her hands away, but kept hold of them in case she tried again. Aren't you a little too cheeky right now? Constantly saying the name of another man while I'm right here? He's gone, and you should leave it as such.
"The god doth protest too much!" She snickered, dropping the subject for now. "All that aside, my cooking is delicious , huh? Last I checked, a certain someone was telling me it was "edible" and "nothing like what the chefs at the palace prepared"," she leaned in closer to him in hopes to get a rise out of him.
"Darling, have I ever said it wasn't delicious?" He closed the distance between them, leaning down to whisper in her ear. Slowly, he trailed his finger along her jaw until he reached her chin to tilt her head up to look at him and locked their gazes. His touch was barely there, a caress like the wind, but it left a lick of heat in its wake. "Saying it's edible is merely stating a fact and when I said it is nothing like the chefs in the palace, I mean their cooking can never hold a candle to the dishes you make for me." He purred the words as he slid his fingers down her throat, his gaze following them. She swallowed audibly, it suddenly became parched.
His eyes found a misplaced lock of her hair before picking it up between his thumb and forefinger. He gently rubbed the silky strands until they were evenly spread side-by-side. His brilliant blue eyes kept her frozen in place as they leisurely found their way back to hers.
Those beautiful eyes, they always see through me. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he saw the look of shock and awe in them. The innocent confusion and hesitance was obvious. They were always filled with such emotion, observing and asking questions all the time. Searching and always learning, but never staying on him. How can I get you to only look at me, hm? He asked her, knowing he would never get an answer to the secret question. Tell me what I have to do to get through to you, just how much you've gotten me so twisted around your little pinkie and don't even know it. His eyes narrowed as he focused on her lips as she bit at the lower one.
"Lo-Loki?" She shakily whispered his name, unsure of what to say or do. The way he looked at her was different, and she did not know how to take it. She tried to say more, but her voice locked itself away as his finger trailed down her skin, silencing her like some sort of magic seal.
"Hmm?" He hummed his response, a small, troubled smile tugging at his lips at the sound of her calling his name. That's unfair, you don't even know what hearing you say my name does to me! He chuckled at himself, realizing how pathetic he sounded. You just take all the air from my lungs and get me so tongue-tied. Her cheeks burned with a blush as he watched her with such kind curiosity, as if he had no clue what he was doing. That smile stole the words right out of her mouth, choking the beats painfully out of her heart, as if it had it on a string all along.
There was silence that followed the soft sound before his face started to lean closer to hers. She watched in wide-eyed shock as he came closer still. His eyes slowly began to close, the mysterious blue optics now mostly hid by his lashes. Her heart sped up, beating a mile a minute as he came closer. The white puffs of his breath warmed her lips, sending her heart into a greater frenzy. Unable to look anymore, she squeezed her eyes shut and waited. For what, she did not know. She knew she was hopeful, though, and that only confused her further. A few moments passed before she hesitantly opened one eye to see his lips pressed to the hair he held in his hand. Her eyes flew open as soon as his eyes opened, her breath stolen from her.
She could not see it, but a small smirk tugged at his lips. He had thought about kissing her, his body acting on his own as he saw how her cheeks slowly colored a deeper red. The moment she had squeezed her eyes shut, it was over.