Who: Darcy and Loki What: Darcy is fuming at Loki When: After this Rating/Warnings: TBD
It wasn’t something Darcy had planned to do. Her plan was to bury herself in work, much like she did yesterday. But there was only so much she could do. So, for the past three hours she was doing nothing. Least nothing work related. And after making sure Tony had ate she was left alone to do what she wanted. Which was looking at that cell phone and looking at those pictures and videos… Again.
She’d done the same thing yesterday, when she realized it wasn’t her phone. But after a few hours she was looking at those videos again. Hearing the tone in her voice, the way he stared at her. It was something Darcy had never seen or experienced. So she was a bit envious of this Darcy, but she left and she had replaced her and ruined that man’s entire world. She felt for him, and talking to Thor didn’t help or Jane for that fact.
She thought she could get through the day without looking at that phone, but when she was done, that was the first thing she did. It lead her to texting Loki, and when he blocked her she emailed. It was unusually easy to banter with him via email, until he put her in spam. Darcy wasn’t really angry, more so annoyed. But her threat was made, so she made sure to go through with it.
About ten to fifteen minutes later, Dary was back at that warehouse. With her car parked and her keys in her pocket she grabbed the phone and made her way to the front. After a few knock, she made her way inside after learning the door was unlocked. And after that diagram and key left specifically for her, she walked through the halls and finally made her way to Loki’s room. She remembered the painting in the hall. After taking in a deep breath that harden knock was made on his door.
“Loki! Open this door!”
Next to the painting in the hall is a taped up picture of Taylor Swift making heart hands. Loki would insist it is not part of the artwork, if only he was not hiding behind his door. His door, which was locked and barricaded with a small pile of broken furnishings.
This? This was unexpected.
She shouldn't be here. What she said after her arrival was still too fresh a wound. He was trying to avoid her and his damnable treacherous ways were backfiring in his face once again. As usual.
Belatedly doing what he should have done, Loki was rendered momentarily mute. His hair was a loose flowing mess. His tunic had a rip in it. There were a few crumbs of chocolate Pop-tart on the sheets of the slightly tilted bed, and Darcy's pillow was squished in the middle like he had been hugging it. Books were scattered. Trinkets toppled over. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot. Indeed, it was quite the scene, of anguish made manifest.
But the crowning glory of this off-putting moment was his expression. He was staring at the door as he heard stomping heading his way. The surprisingly loud pounding of fists on his door was the rough equivalent of seeing the Hulk come crashing into the arena...and then having Thor, that blundering idiot, pointing out to the beast right where Loki was sitting.
He gulped past the lump forming in his throat, steadying his voice so he sounded calm, cool, and collected.
"I'm afraid not. I told you that I was indisposed, Miss Lewis. Perhaps you might visit at a different time?"
That was good. It sounded reasonable. Very diplomatic, Loki thought.
Darcy had taken notice of the Taylor Swift picture and made a face at it. A shake of her head was made focus, Darcy is all she thought as she came to look at Loki’s door. Her brunette hair was let down in soft curls as she wore something different today. Today she had on a very low cut and form-fitting dress, with a belt around her waist to enhance her natural curves even more. Black heels at her feet. Since she didn’t have to fetch coffee, she was able to dress a bit more professional. Plus it was fun giving Tony a heart attack that morning.
Her coat was over her frame as she came to bring her hand and bang on the door. “ You are not busy!” She cried out as she brushed her hair from her face. “Now open this door so I can kick your ass, or else!” She cried out as she took a step back and glanced around the hallway to make sure no one poked their head out to see what all the noise was. In reality, it was just the Asgardians in the building, and she hadn’t seen Thor or Frigga.
Though she suspected it was Frigga who left the door unlocked and the diagram to Loki’s room for her. A smile crept over her face at the thought. Clever mom
A clever mother who had been there to check in on him earlier, gave him a gentle hug, listened to what he did and told him that no matter what, Darcy's heart was the same. Of course, Loki didn't see the things that his mother saw. He truly was blind to himself.
That said, he wouldn't be surprised at all if this bore the mark of his mother's romantic meddling.
Loki shook his head to clear his thoughts, shaking his hair back over his shoulders as he did so. This wouldn't do. He was the God of Mischief, after all. He was safe in his room and what could this copy of his Darcy do, other than rile at the door while screeching at him like a beautiful harpy?
Nothing. That's what.
Both hands went to his hips and he stood there, disheveled but defiant.
"I refuse," he said a little too smoothly and sweetly, as though each word was taunting by poking a verbal word stick back at her. "Go away. My ears are aching already under such an onslaught. It is like the cry of a dying bird, plummeting out of the sky with ineffectual wings. Sad to behold. Painful to listen to."
Loki the Liar smirked, feeling quite pleased with himself.
With a lick to her lips, Darcy came to remove her coat as she placed it on a side table in the hall. Reaching into the pocket she took out the key to Loki’s room. “Fine.” Is all she said as she put the key in the lock and started to turn it.
When the key rattled, every particle of smug was obliterated. Who gave her a key? Only his mother had been in to see him and she had used magic to enter and leave, not the door!
Regardless? That key was turning.
"Oh shit," was all that Loki managed to whisper as a ripple of green light washed over the entire room and himself. The illusion wasn't hard to maintain. Every piece of furniture was intact, not a hair was out of place, and he looked well rested. Now clothed in black Midgardian attire, he rushed forward to kick the furnishings aside so nothing appeared to have been broken. Then he quickly stepped back trying to make it look as though he was interrupted doing....something that he would...um...make up as he went along.
Darcy had no idea what was going on, on the other side of that door. But as she pushed the door open she glanced towards Loki, who was dressed in all black. Sapphire eyes came to look around before her hands came to rest at her hips. “Spam, really?!” Is all she said as she folded her arms under her breast. Breast that were pushed up thanks to her fitted bra and dress. Darcy was small in height, but the young woman was also curved in all the right places that would make any man or God fall to their knees.
The room looked the same way she remembered it to look, except for a non-naked Loki. Still, steps brought her towards the large man as she came to poke at his chest with her finger as she stared up at him. “That’s just rude.” And there it was. Darcy, purposely came into his personal space, just to get a better look at him.
Those eyes that she stared at for hours thanks to those pictures and videos. Luckily she left the phone in the pocket of her coat. But for now, she had to pretend she was angry. So, she huffed and puffed at him.
If that was her plan, then it worked well and caught the Trickster off guard. There was a skittering sound that caused him to tense further, as some of the illusioned over wood pieces moved as she opened the door. As she drew near, he nearly gave in to the instinct to go step-dancing backward. The only thing that stopped him was:
1.) He only did that when it looked like Mjolnir was about to be dropped on his chest.
2.) He had a magnificent view of Darcy Lewis' breasts.
The closer she got, the better the view became. He felt a pang of guilt for looking. This wasn't his Darcy. That thought caused something indescribably painful to twist in his chest. This was the same face, same temperament, same voice, and same finger poking at his chest.
He glanced down at that finger before his gaze flitted back over her glorious bounteous assets again, finally resting on her face.
"Ah. Well?" He thought for a moment, looking down at her poking finger again. "You sent images unbidden and therefore it qualified you to be part of the spam filter. A worthy inclusion."
Darcy came to scruff at him suddenly. Only to stare up at him. “You,” he said pointing at him once more. “Are unbelievable.” She said poking him once more. Her small frame came to step away from him, before turning to stare at him once more. “You liked those pictures, better than Taylor Swift.” She said pointing to his bedroom door, because outside across it was that poster with hearts all over it.
“Seriously, Taylor Swift? Pictured you as more of an Imagine Dragons person.” Slowly she came to exhale as her hands rested on her hips easily. Sapphire eyes taking in his facial expression. No, Darcy had no idea this was all an illusion if she did she would have called him out on it…
“Look… I’m sorry about freaking out yesterday like that.” She said as she came to step closer towards him. But the more she stared at him, the more she thought about those pictures. Videos.
"I do like them. Quite a lot, actually?" he replied to the comment about Imagine Dragons, with an ease that surprised even him. "Taylor Swift is merely Thor's attempt at humor to..." His voice trailed off. He couldn't say 'cheer me up' as that might leave the wrong impression. "...not be an idiot. Which he continues to fail miserably at."
He hadn't a clue that he wasn't the only one hiding something then. If he had the illusion, then Darcy had her old counterpart's phone. And he told her....his Darcy....to delete those things. The odd photo here and there, certainly. But he had no idea that anything further than that was on the phone. And since it was Darcy's phone, not his, he hadn't had a second thought about her taking it. It went out of his mind as soon as he realized Darcy forgot about him and accused him of rendering people to dust. Which he didn't do. There were plenty of other things to accuse him of, that he was actually guilty of. Things that he never apologized for.
So when she approached him, he gave her a weary and wary stare. It was only for a moment, before looking over the top of her head, around at their surroundings. Anywhere else but at her.
She was still too tempting. She was the one unbroken and perfect thing left in that room, like a shining beacon he felt himself longing to be drawn back toward, a beacon of false hope. He very nearly succumbed to the allure, before her words sunk in and he quickly looked away.
"I think that was a normal reaction, given the circumstances. I do apologize for being in a state of undress." After an uncomfortable moment of silence ensued, he motioned with the wave of one hand to where her belongings were in a couple of boxes, in the corner of the room. "Allow me to make amends. There are your belongings. Nothing more than your games and clothing, and items from the bathing room."
“I.. didn’t come here for those.” She stated as she came to stare up at him. A deep breath was taken as she brushed her hair back from her face. It was hard to breathe around him. Even though, she wasn’t entirely sure why she was even here. Still, she came to focus on him for the moment. “Take me out of spam… and unblock me…” She said as she pressed her lips together to try and make a mad face, but couldn’t.
“Please.” She added finally as her features came to soften. A step was taken closer to him, as she reached her hand out to slowly and careful brush her fingertips over his. It was a soft motion of her hand, but something she wanted to do.
It wasn’t long before thoughts of those videos came to mind, and her bottom lip was soon captured by her teeth, as she bit teasingly.
"You didn't?" was his faintly spoken question, right before his silver tongue turned into a lead weight in his mouth.
She was a demanding creature and brave to come into a villain's lair to make demands so soon. Much braver than he ever imagined to dare to touch him in such a manner without knowing him. And she was so close. Close enough that his breath was drawn in, but felt as though it was never fully being let out again. He was lost in the way her fingers rested on his lips to silence him, the way she bit into her lower lip.
It left him with that sensation he felt so keenly these past two days. That slow twist of an unseen knife lodged deep in the middle of his chest.
"I'll consider it," he said, his voice as soft as velvet while his lips barely moved against her fingertips. "If you answer but two questions. The first? Tell me how you came across a key to my chambers." He almost said our, but caught himself. "The door was never locked in that manner."
While there was a keyhole, but he had the only key. Otherwise it unlocked, depending on who touched the handle or if there was an urgent need. He removed that spell for Darcy's hand when she left. Everyone else had to knock, teleport in as mother did earlier, or push crude drawings under the door like Thor did.
She came to stare at him for the moment. Swallowing down. But a curious feature came over her. The door was never locked? “When I came downstairs there was a diagram of how to get to your room and the key,“ she said easily as she let her thumb trail over his lips a bit more.
But her fingers soon moved from his lips down to his neck. Oh, she shouldn't touch. But Darcy couldn't contain herself. She'd seen things already and it filled her curiosity about him. “And I'm not giving it back.” She stated, just in case it wasn't made clear before.
Now it was.
Loki's eyebrows eeked up at the mention of a diagram. Mother's doing. It must have been one of the magical skeleton keys made for pranks when he was younger. She must have kept one in her dimensional pocket after she took it away from his younger self, and never cast it aside before she died. Until now. Convenient, since it was said she had the gift of foresight through her weaving. He wasn't even sure to what degree, as she never would fully disclose it.
Payback for being precocious when younger? Perhaps. Trying to make him feel better while simultaneously playing matchmaker? Definitely.
What Loki considered a mind-spinning turn around was the way this Darcy was behaving compared to the morning before. He continued to watch her with some wariness, holding all the illusions firmly in place. Despite his unease, he wasn't pulling away from her touch like he was inwardly screaming at himself to do. Instead he remained perfectly still, enduring her ministrations with over a thousand years of practice at covering up his true motives.
Of course, all semblance of composure went flying directly into the Devil's Anus when she made such a bold claim. His eyebrows shot up as far as they could go. The God of Mischief looked reluctantly impressed.
"Is that so," he asked, without really asking. It wasn't a point he was allowed to debate by the sound of it. It was amusing enough that the hint of a smirk tugged at one side of his mouth. "Brave of you to make such an assumption. I'll allow it to be made and take your demands under consideration."
He took hold of her hand to guide it away from his neck. Either out of knowing what he had lost or wanting to make sure she didn't touch him again, he didn't let go. He held it in his own, gently, giving her the choice to pull away. It was both a show of tenderness...and a test.
"Second question. If not to gather your things, why are you here? Surely, if you knew me to be Thor's brother, then you know what I have done. By rights, you should be running away."
That was what he was trying to give her the opportunity to do. What he tried to offer her, multiple times before.
When his second question came, Darcy really didn't have an answer for him. What was she supposed to say? That she had videos of them, that she was slightly envious of the way he looked at her . Still, a heavy sigh escaped her lips.
Her eyes closed a moment as she felt him.take her hand. Her fingers coming to lock with his for the moment. “You're right, I should be running. But instead I'm standing in front of you, holding hands.” a long pause is made.
“Wishing you'd kiss me.” that last sentence was said in a whisper. Like a confession no one was supposed to hear.
Loki's hold on her hand tightened slightly. He certainly wasn't expecting that, after callously telling her to leave and guiding her out the front doors. He tilted his head a little, as though he wasn't hearing correctly. Perhaps his restless mind was dredging up wishful thinking and making him hear things.
"...beg pardon?" he asked, even though he was almost certain he saw her lips move. How could he not notice? He was staring at them quite a bit at that very moment.
He was the one who let go of her hand. If this was a test of his own resolve, then he had just failed it.
"Darcy? Forgive me. I meant, Miss Lewis." Having caught his mistake, his own hands clasped together as they had yesterday morning. The fingers were subtly clenching over each other, an outward sign of internal tension or troubled thoughts. "We were caught up in a minor debate. While the fires of that debate were raging, you might have misconstrued............things."
If Loki's inner dialogue could be heard by the world at large, it could be summarized as: That was eloquent. Well done, self.
Damn. He'd heard her. She was hoping he hadn't. Caught in her confession, a confession only brought on by curiosity because of those videos. Still, Darcy was never one to hide. “I said… maybe I came here for you to kiss me…” she said once more as her lower lip was bitten at.
The feel of his hand letting hers go came next, and already she could sense regret. She wasn't sure if it was from him or her, but it was there. Hearing him.cordect himself, she sighed. “Ms. Lewis is my mom. Just call me Darcy.” Please
Hearing him talk about the reason for why she came, because of the email, she figured it was easier to just believe that. A heavy sigh escaped her. “Yeah… sure.” is all she said as she shook her head suddenly. Collecting herself. No, she wasn't some stupid damsel in distress so she wasn't going to act like one.
Shifting she stepped back as she brushed her hair past her shoulders. “A debate that you started.” She said making sure he knew who started things.
Him.
He was half tempted to call her Lady Darcy, as that would be more formal and was used during introductions. He was half tempted to give her the kiss that she came there for. That might stop her from biting on her lower lip that way, the effect of which was only accentuated by the ruby red lip stains she favored wearing. He was further half tempted to take hold of her hand again, but Darcy was not the sort to need saving from anything. Perhaps herself, as she often found herself surrounded by trouble, and then he was half-tempted to stab anything or anyone that might bat an eye at her the wrong way.
That was a lot of temptation there, and all of it was contained in one little Midgardian woman standing before him in a room she didn't know was a wreck around her. Someone he loved soon after he first saw her, but now didn't know.
His mouth opened to say something about the kiss - it wasn't proper, not yet, could there be a yet? - when the entire conversation came to an abrupt halt because she was actually trying to blame him for the debate? Oh no. That would not stand. As much as she wouldn't be standing, if she tried to lean or sit down on any of the furnishings that were merely illusions and not really there.
He stood up straighter, tilted his chin up defiantly, and looked down his nose at her. Those three things combined gave him the powers of Haughty Space Prince.
"I beg to differ. If anything, you are to blame for pestering me. If you had not sent your vapid correspondence, then you would not be here making odd requests." He paused to give her a smug little smirk as he folded his arms over his chest triumphantly. "All of which is your fault. In this, I am blameless."
And because it needed tacking on, he quickly added, "For once."
Was her eye twitching? It had to be because she felt it twitching. “You think you're so cute.” She said poking at his chest at this point. “well you are… I mean you're not. Whatever!” she said annoyed with him all over again.
Her heels removed and kicked to the side as she hitched her skirt up a bit and came to tie her hair up. Readying herself to kick his ass at this point. “Oh, I'm so kicking your ass now”
Her eye was twitching. His smugness only intensified. And it became an avalanche of smug when he caught her slip up and her finger jabbed at the middle of his chest.
So feisty. Now that the burden of all he had done was no longer upon her, this Darcy was much more vigorous, indeed.
"Oh, but I heard that slip of your tongue, Darcy. Never fear. I will not debate your astute assessment," Loki replied, gesturing with his hands held out to his sides and a little shrugging motion. "Nor shall I move, as I am gathering you will use any poorly fabricated excuse to lay your hands on me. Case in point? The sending of electronic letters that you instigated. So by all means, punch me in the tits, or whatever crude phrase it was that you once lobbed at me in the past. Pray, do not hurt your hand! I would hate for you not to be able to write such incredible wastes of my time."
Even if this Darcy, standing before him, didn't remember it or do it? It was an incredibly amusing phrase, nonetheless.
“Oh, you little shit.” is all she said as she drew closer to him. The fact that he heard her comment and was being an ass about it just made her make a face in his direction. “Ok, first of all, I'm not going to hurt my hand, you ass. And second. Shut up.” is all she said as she stood toe to toe with Loki.
Sapphire eyes looking up at him as she came to lightly step on his toe. Noting with force, if anything it was more playful than anything else. But the look in her eyes was anger.. possible lust, it was hard to tell.
Winding Darcy up was always that which he delighted in, and it was so easy to do. Perhaps in that way, his mother was correct. Darcy's heart was the same. He could see as much in her expression, although he surmised the girl had no idea what she was getting into, or what he had done to her. That was a pity.
In the meantime, he expected a slap. A poke. A push. Or a punch to the chest if she was feeling particularly churlish. Then her foot was on his and he stared down between them for a long moment, before his incredibly sarcastic stare moved to her face without raising his head at all.
The sheer ridiculousness made him feel less...burdened, all of a sudden. Still. It wouldn't do to project his residual feelings for the mortal he loved onto her. And then, oh, how swiftly he felt that burden weighing him down again. Even if it was lesser than before.
"...really," he asked, and it wasn't meant to be a question. It was a flat confirmation that she actually was doing what she was doing. "Well done. For if you were aiming for my ass with your foot, you have missed. Magnificently."
Darcy smirked at him for the moment. This time the soft step turned into a full-blown stomp at this point. Only to laugh as she moved to the side and kept laughing.
Steps lead her back towards that green and gold chair as she went to take a seat.
His eyes squinted slightly at the stomp and he let out a soft (and not really offended sounding), ".....ow."
In actuality, he was trying his hardest not to smirk at her impetuousness. There were several snarky quips ready to roll off his tongue. He was trying to choose the best one when he turned in time to see Darcy about to sit down. In the usual fashion of Loki's 'let's wing it' plans starting to backfire into chaos, everything after that became a blur.
Frantic, he heard himself snapping at her, "Darcy, no!"
It was swiftly followed by a lunge forward to grab hold of her before she could fall through the illusion of a chair that wasn't there. Both arms held her in an embrace and, before he hit the floor, he rolled his body in the same manner he had when he knocked Thor out of the way of Hulk on the Statesman. His back landed hard enough he exhaled sharply, with Darcy safely on top of him.
Oh shit. Again. His eyes went shifty as he tried to think of an excuse for the chair that wasn't there.
"There's a leg gone loose," he explained.
Sure there was.
Her nicely shaped ass was about to sit, before she heard Loki scream no. Before she knew it she was suddenly in an embrace. The sound of his back hitting the floor didn't go unnoticed either as she landed on top of him suddenly.
After opening her eyes she came to look down at him. One leg between his and the other hiked up his thigh as she came to stare down at him. Words.. he was speaking words because his mouth was moving.
“Loki, are you okay?” she finally asked as her hands came to cup at his face suddenly and softly at that. The tone in her voice was a mix of surprise and concern.
"Of course," he replied with a soft smile.
This too backfired on him. It quickly set in that the position they landed in was rather...compromising. Then her hands moved onto his face, he saw that she looked concerned for him of all people, and he briefly forgot what happened in the first place.
Or in the second to last place.
Or anything in between.
All else ceased to exist past everything that was his lost Darcy. Her lips were so close, her breasts pressed against him, her shining dark hair pooled on his chest. He wanted nothing more than to rise up from the floor and let his lips meet hers in a frantic kiss that he would surely regret very, very soon after it started.
But he wasn't Thor. While calculated and cunning, he wasn't so impulsive or brave as that. Rejection was a very real possibility. And Darcy might say she wanted him to kiss her, but it might be out of guilt from the day prior. It had to be and he did not want that sort of pity.
"Allow me to help you up," he politely offered, his hands moving to her waist to guide her off him. "And then, perhaps, we can depart this room. And go...elsewhere. Fetch an iced coffee or the likes."
A fine idea and a perfect distraction. Because any Darcy Lewis, anywhere in there, was going to wreak havoc or uncover what he was hiding. There was a lot of clean up to do before anyone was sitting down, without landing on their very nicely shaped ass.
“You don't look okay…” she stated as she felt his hands moving to her waist, her frame slightly sliding off his as she took a step back. Fixing her hair and her dress blue eyes came to stare at Loki. A slow blink was given as she listened.
Did he just ask her out on a date? That's what it sounded like to her. A slow nod was given. “Ice coffee… I like ice coffee.” She said as she swallowed down for the moment.
“Also, get your chair fixed” she added with a light wink given in his direction. Was this bad? It was, wasn't it? It was a horrible horrible idea…
It was the perfect idea.
"Yes," Loki replied and he almost said 'dearest' before his lips pressed together in a hard line, and he glared at the chair that wasn't there. "I'll do that."
After helping her up onto her feet, he stood close by her side, pointedly not answering her insinuation that he didn't look well in any way. He was fine. He was 'okay' as the Midgardians were so fond of saying. Everything was okay.
Only it really wasn't. This seemed a horribly bad idea for a distraction. One that was so horrible and bad, that it almost seemed perfect. Certainly, he was becoming more accustomed to that twist of an unseen knife in his heart, enough to endure it some more if it meant he might cling onto the last shreds of what was lost. For as long as he could stand it, and then he had little doubt he would have worked through the grief by that point, and they could both scamper off on their merry ways.
Yes. This was an excellent plan and less grieving, which meant he could plot and plan and be more useful. It would not involve changing one's profile to 'its complicated' on social media sites, either. Because it wasn't. It was simple. Therefore, it couldn't fail.
"Oh, I do as well," he said soothingly, now resting a gentle hand on her back so he could guide her to a door that wouldn't be slammed. An entirely different treatment. "If you would but give me a moment to change into something more comfortable? I will meet you downstairs, shortly."
Darcy has no idea the thoughts that plagued Loki. Just like no one had any idea what she was going through either. Though what she was dealing with, was the possibility of a crush. So quickly, because of those videos and pictures.
When she felt his hand on her lower back she exhaled softly. A nod was given as she stepped out of his room and grabbed at her coat. That key slipped in her bag as she made sure to keep it close to her. Like the phone.
Sure, just don't keep me waiting too long.” She teased as she waited.
"Oh, of course not." He smiled at her so sweetly as he leaned to one side while closing the door. "What is it that saying? Oh yes. Psyche."
The door closed and he leaned against it, simply to see what she would do if she thought he was kicking her out again.
Oh, he had every intention of having coffee and a chat with Darcy Lewis. Eventually. He only did this on a spur-of-the-minute whim.
Why? Because Loki is a little shit.
And because winding Darcy up was still too gloriously easy.