Chapter Text
Sun streamed in the wall of windows by her bed, and Darcy groaned, pulling the blankets up until only the top of her head was visible. Then she remembered it was Saturday. Thor was taking Jane up to Asgard for some sort of festival thing, and she had the entire apartment to herself for the whole weekend. She pulled the blankets back down and cautiously opened her eyes a crack, clumsily scooping her phone off the nightstand so she could check the time.
It wasn’t as early as she thought. In fact, it was practically lunch time. At the thought of lunch, Darcy’s stomach rumbled. She scrubbed her hand over her face wearily. When she took the job at S.H.I.E.L.D. she thought it would be fun, working with superheroes, trading political science in for legally sanctioned hacking. On paper it looked great. In reality it was a lot of late nights, not enough decent coffee, and a dwindling social life that consisted of Netflix and weekly shawarma meetings courtesy of everyone’s favorite iron-clad billionaire.
Not that she minded those. Truthfully they were the highlight of her otherwise boring week. Especially since Thor’s semi-reformed brother had started attending. Darcy squeezed some toothpaste onto her toothbrush, and stuck it in her mouth. As she brushed, she considered S.H.I.E.L.D.’s newest addition.
Despite showing up each week along with his brother, Loki wasn’t exactly friendly. His usual social mode was set just short of antagonistic. But there was something Darcy couldn’t put her finger on. He was almost like an abused animal that expected nothing but more abuse from the people around him. That had a way of tugging at her heartstrings.
He was also wickedly funny when he wanted to be. It took a lot of work to make that happen, though. Fortunately, Darcy was nothing if not persistent. Loki had initially avoided any contact with her, but lately she noticed that he was gravitating to her side of the table, and if there was an empty seat next to her, he usually took it.
This meant she was often treated to a nearly inaudible commentary from him on everyone else in the room. He was also supposed to have had his magical abilities severely curbed, but Darcy was sure he still had access to some, because there was no way Thor was that prone to knocking over water glasses. And she was positive Loki had been changing her plates from white to a soft, pale green the last couple times they'd met.
It was weird, but somehow Darcy felt like she was cultivating a sort of friendship with the dethroned God of Mischief. Not that any of it had been easy. She sighed as she rinsed her mouth and set her toothbrush back in the holder. He could switch from engaged to distant at a moment’s notice without a hint of explanation as what sparked the change. If being cryptic ever became an Olympic sport, Loki would take the gold.
Darcy turned the taps on in her shower, and stepped inside. She began to wash her hair, still ruminating on Loki. Fifteen minutes later she was standing in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear. No one was home. She had no plans to go anywhere. Frankly, if she wanted to run around in her underwear all day, she totally could.
That was actually sort of appealing. Whatever. She was doing it. Darcy grabbed a pair of novelty undies with a big A on the butt in sparkly, patriotic script, and tugged them on. Then she pulled her favorite, threadbare t-shirt out of another drawer and yanked it over her head. There. Dressed. Three seconds later she’d fingercombed her wet hair into a semblance of order, and headed off to the kitchen.
It didn’t take her long to pulled together some lunch. As she was taking her meal into the other room to eat, Darcy noticed Jane had left her keys, sunglasses, and small tote she kept her toiletries in behind. She shook her head. Typical Jane. It was surprising that the astrophysicist hadn’t left her head behind as well. It wasn't the first time Darcy had to use the direct line to Asgard for this very purpose.
Taking a deep breath, she yelled at the ceiling, “Attention Asgard, this is Darcy Lewis speaking! Heimdall, if you can hear me, please let the absentminded professor know that she’s left half her luggage behind along with her keys. Tell her I’ll stick them out on the balcony in case I go out, and she can just Bifröst her butt back down here and get them at her convenience.”
Message hopefully delivered, Darcy plopped down on the couch to eat her lunch. Not ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. She set her plate down on the coffee table, and went to give Jane her belongings.
“What would you do without me?” she called through the door as she turned the doorknob.
“I expect I would enjoy those interminable shawarma meetings with that group of assembled village idiots far less,” a voice with an all too familiar British-sounding accent responded.
Darcy froze, door halfway open, and Jane’s sunglasses dangling from her fingers. “You’re not Jane,” she said stupidly, trying to come to terms with the fact that she was unexpectedly standing in front of Loki while only wearing a pair of festive Avengers themed panties and a practically see-through t-shirt.
“Was there ever any doubt?” he inquired calmly.
“Um… I’m not exactly sure how to answer that. What are you doing at my door in your underwear? I mean, in my underwear,” she stammered, mentally smacking herself in the head. “Disregard all of that. I haven’t had my coffee yet.”
Loki cocked an eyebrow at her. “I assure you, Miss Lewis, any undergarments I may be wearing belong solely to me.”
For a split second Darcy was consumed with wondering if Loki was a boxers or briefs guy. Somehow, she couldn’t quite picture him in either. That left commando. She fought furiously to rein her imagination in before it could even start to go there.
His eyes widened slightly, lips curving up into a smirk. “Are you quite alright, Darcy? It seems like my presence has flustered you.”
That dick. He was totally enjoying this. Leaning against the doorframe with her hand on her hip, Darcy answered, “No. I answer the door in my underwear for random Norse gods all the time. What do you think?”
“I think perhaps I ought to drop by unannounced more often if that is the case,” Loki responded. “The view is rather inspiring.”
“Oh my God, Loki, this is weird enough without you getting flirty. What did you need?”
She could swear he looked her up and down before asking, “Need?”
“Yes. Need. You showed up at my door without notice on a Saturday afternoon. I’m assuming you need something, or you would be over in your apartment being a broody, quasi-emo, ex-baddy as usual,” she replied.
“I have no pressing needs, Miss Lewis. I merely wondered if perhaps you would enjoy some company, seeing as how my oaf of a brother has taken your friend off to Asgard and left you behind alone,” Loki said.
Darcy blinked with surprise. “I’m sorry, but did you just ask if I wanted to hang out? Like, just the two of us?” She gestured between them in case there was any question about what she meant.
“I believe I did, yes.”
“Here?” she practically squawked.
“Well, I suppose we could use the corridor if you prefer. I must admit, when I planned this endeavor I had imagined that you would invite me inside,” Loki remarked.
She stared at him for a second contemplating her options. There really weren’t any manuals on what to do if immortal alien royalty showed up at your door asking if they could come in to play. Plus there was the fact that she was barely decent. Although she’d been standing in front of him barely decent for the past ten minutes, and it hadn’t seemed to phase him. If she let him in she could always put on pants. Finally she gave a massive mental shrug, swung the door open fully, and asked, “Would you like to come in, Loki?”
His gaze met hers, and she could see amusement swirling in the depths of his green eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
And that was how Darcy came to be sitting on her couch, now wearing a pair of shorts over her underwear, finishing her lunch while Loki sat at the other end looking completely out of place in his dramatic leather armor.
“You know,” she said, using her fork to point at his clothes, “even Thor owns jeans. You should try them sometime.”
He glanced down at himself and then back at her. “I prefer to wear Asgardian attire.”
“Really?” she asked. “Is that stuff comfortable? It doesn’t look comfortable.”
“Comfortable like yours?”
This time she was sure he was checking her out. His eyes slid over her body, lingering in a few very specific places.
“Dude, knock it off or I’m going to wrap myself in one of your brother's spare capes,” Darcy said, putting her empty plate down on the side table, and settling back against the cushions of the couch. “I’m not a piece of meat.”
He immediately shifted his eyes back to her face, hands held palms up in a gesture of apology. “Forgive me. I had no intention of offending you. I was merely admiring your attire.”
“Uhuh,” she replied, not remotely convinced. “So, back to you. I get the whole preferring to dress like an Asgardian thing. It’s what you’re used to, that’s cool, but why so formal? I mean, it’s just me right now. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this or not, but I don’t really have a dress code going on here. Don’t you own something less...I don’t know...battle-ready?”
For a couple of beats Loki just seemed to be considering her question, and then a strange, blurry glow encompassed most of his body. As she sat there watching, his armor morphed into a soft olive green tunic, and different pair of leather pants without bunches of metal squares fastened onto them. He kept the boots. Darcy was okay with that.
“Is this more to your liking?” he asked.
“I knew you could still do magic,” she exclaimed triumphantly. “Did you turn my plate green last week?”
“Minor tricks,” he replied nonchalantly. “You seemed bored, and I was curious if you would notice.”
Darcy grinned at him. “I noticed. Are you behind Thor’s inability to use a glass without dumping the contents everywhere too?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about. My brother’s lack of grace during meals has nothing to with me,” Loki said, but she caught a brief glint in his eyes that said otherwise.
“You’re totally lying right now, aren’t you?”
“Do you actually believe I would admit to lying, Ms Lewis?”
She shook her head, still smiling. “Nope. I bet you don’t admit to anything unless you have some seriously compelling motivation.”
Loki’s eyes met hers. “Your powers of perception are shockingly accurate.”
Darcy couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or being serious. Knowing Loki, it was a little of both. Either way his unflinching eye-contact was making her a little nervous. She got up and took her plate to the kitchen. When she turned back around again, she found his eyes fixed on her once more. There was a hungry edge to his gaze that made her shiver.
“Do you have any idea how lovely you are?” Loki said as she returned to her spot on the couch. “I am still questioning how Thor ever chose Jane Foster with you so close at hand.”
The electricity in the room climbed several more notches. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Loki wasn’t prone to compliments. Sarcasm, teasing, and mocking yes. Calling her lovely? No. She decided to go with a neutral answer.
“Glasses,” Darcy said, tapping the frames that were perched on her face. “Some guys just can’t see past them.”
He leaned forward, gently taking the plastic frames between his thumbs and forefingers, and setting them aside. Cupping her face in one hand, he studied it intently. She held her breath, heart pounding from the intimate gesture.
“I see the same woman,” Loki finally said. “Witty, compassionate, unafraid to say what others will not. As I said, you are lovely. These neither change, nor detract from that fact.” He lifted her glasses, settling them on her face again.
Darcy’s chest hitched, and she exhaled slowly, every inch of her body suddenly way too aware of his. “Why are you being so friendly?” she asked, unable to keep the suspicion out of her voice.
He sat back. “You would prefer I was insulting?”
“I would prefer you were less hard to read,” she replied.
“My compliment was hard to read?” Loki arched a questioning eyebrow. “Here I believed it was utterly transparent.”
“No. It’s not the compliment.” She slid a hand through her still-damp hair, ruffling it in frustration. “All of you is hard to read. The whole package. At the risk of making this conversation even more uncomfortable, I have to ask, what is this about? Because if you're just amusing yourself with the pesky mortal girl, or trying to antagonize Thor by screwing around with me, you can just go back to your apartment, and find someone else to sit with on shawarma nights.”
Her diatribe was met with silence. It went on so long that Darcy started to fidget, twisting the fringe on one of the throw pillows between her fingers.
Finally Loki spoke. “I had hoped we were friends. Although I would be lying if I didn’t say the added benefit of our acquaintance causing discomfiture to my brother isn’t appealing.”
“Okay,” she said slowly, leveling her gaze on his face. “Which comes first? Us being friends, or us being friends annoying Thor?”
“Had my main goal been just to anger Thor, I would have had you in my bed and discarded you already. Does that answer your question?”
She snorted. “Wow, you give yourself a lot of credit for someone who probably hasn’t been laid in like...the past four years.”
He stared at her for a second and then started to laugh. Darcy watched apprehensively. It wasn’t exactly the reaction she’d expected.
“You have an appalling lack of fear,” Loki eventually said, amusement still present on his face.
“Actually it’s more like I have an appalling lack of a filter,” she told him. “You’re not about to kill me and bury me under the floorboards, are you?”
“Relax, Ms Lewis. I haven’t enough magic to dispose of you without leaving a mess. In addition, I find you far too diverting to want you dead. You’re safe for the time being.”
“That’s comforting.” Darcy rolled her eyes. “So friends, huh? What exactly does friendship with the God of Mischief entail?”
“I have much enjoyed watching you eat in your undergarments. We can add that to the definition if you’d like,” he said with a smirk.
“I put shorts on,” she corrected.
He eyed them briefly. “Indeed. They are charming.”
Darcy couldn’t think of a witty reply to that other than to call him an ass. It somehow didn’t seem like enough, so she decided to overlook his comment. “You know, we could always do stuff. Together. Friends do that. You could explore the city without an invading army for a change. It’s much nicer that way.”
“Will you be wearing that?” Loki inquired, gesturing at her outfit.
Darcy shook her head. “Absolutely not. And you won’t be wearing that either. The last thing we need is for people to recognize you as the nutcase who leveled half of midtown a few years ago.”
The space around Loki went blurry bright for a moment, and when it cleared he was wearing a tailored suit with a long scarf around his neck. He cocked his head at her. “Better?”
“Sorry, but Stuttgart Maniac isn’t really an improvement over Psycho Who Destroyed New York. Besides it’s almost June. You’re going to be too hot in that. Go home. Figure out something less black tie and more cold beer in a plastic cup, and meet me back here in twenty minutes.”
“You are serious?” he asked incredulously.
“As a heart-attack. Go get changed. I’ll see you in a little bit, and then we can take this city by storm.” She remembered who she was talking to and added, “Figuratively speaking, anyway. Besides, technically I think it would be Thor who takes cities by storm, right?”
Loki seemed completely unimpressed with her awkward attempt at a joke. His lips thinned out to the point where they almost disappeared. Without another word he got up and left the apartment. It wasn’t clear if he actually planned on returning, but Darcy decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and headed off to her room to change.
Twenty minutes later exactly, there was knock on her door. Darcy answered it to find Loki standing there in a pair of dark, fitted jeans, a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of black leather shoes. She looked him up and down appreciatively. “Look at you, all pretty and shit. I knew you’d be hot in jeans.”
He glanced down at them disdainfully, and said, “I will take your word for it.” Then he took in her strappy sundress and said, “Perhaps changing was worthwhile after all.”
The look on Loki’s face as his gaze raked over her made Darcy feel naked despite her dress. It was nearly as bad as the way he was looking at her earlier in the kitchen. The worst part was that she’d be lying if she said she didn't like it. It was because of of that liking it that Darcy quickly said, “Nevermind the clothes, let’s just go.”
He shrugged. “As you wish.”
“I don’t even know what I wish anymore,” she muttered, brushing past him to the reach for the ‘down’ button on the elevator. “This day just gets weirder all the time.”
“I find myself unable to disagree,” he replied.
“With which one?” Darcy pressed the button for the lobby and leaned back against the rail as the elevator started to move.
Loki mimicked her posture, lounging along against the opposite wall of the small, square space. “What if I said both?”
“Nobody could argue that this day hasn't been weird, but you don’t know what to wish for?” she asked him. “I thought you were permanently set on world domination.”
“Actually,” he replied, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly, “I believe it is more that I know what I wish for, I’m just questioning the sanity of it.”
“Look, not to burst your bubble, Loki, but sanity isn’t really your m.o.” Darcy remarked dryly. “So I wouldn’t worry too much about that.”
“You truly aren’t afraid of me, are you?” he said quietly, studying her face. “You never have been. Why is that?”
It was a good question. In truth, it was one she’d asked herself on more than one occasion. Why wasn’t she more afraid of him? He’d done terrible things. Darcy had seen the footage first hand, and yet she had this strong conviction that the guy who’d caused all the destruction wasn’t the guy standing across an elevator from her right now. She had no real proof to base that on...just a gut instinct.
“I don’t know,” she answered slowly. “I just sort of...sympathize isn’t quite the right word, because I don’t sympathize with what you did. But I do think maybe there was a lot that led to you doing what you did, and maybe that those things are less of an issue for you now. Plus you’re trying. Other than that, there’s just something I can’t put my finger on. I just kind of like you,” Darcy admitted. “Is that crazy?”
“I imagine your friends must think so,” Loki replied.
“Lucky for you that I totally suck at taking well-meaning advice then,” she said. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I have this habit of doing what I want. It lands me a lot of trouble, actually.”
The last part was said more to herself than him. Just look at what she was doing at the moment, for instance.
He tilted his head thoughtfully. “I must say, I find the impetuous side of your nature quite appealing.”
“Big surprise there,” she said.
Before he could respond the elevator came to a stop. Darcy took a deep breath, and stepped out into the lobby with Loki. She was well aware of the hidden cameras posted all over the tower. At this point all of S.H.I.E.L.D. probably knew she and the God of Mischief were hitting the town together. Monday morning was going to be fun to say the least. Darcy could only imagine the debriefing session Nick would have in store for her. It almost made her want to ask Loki if he’d rather go back upstairs to learn the finer points of Monopoly instead.
“You are concerned as to what Nicholas will think of our little outing?”
Her head snapped up in alarm. “Are you reading my mind?”
“No, you were staring at the camera over the doors, frowning and holding your breath. At any rate, mind reading is hardly necessary with you since you appear to have an utter inability to contain the thoughts running through your head.”
Relief washed over Darcy. There were things in her head she definitely didn't want him seeing. Some of the stuff she thought of on shawarma nights while he was sitting next to her was far from innocent. Like last week, when she noticed how nice his hands were and then started to wonder what they would feel like on certain, strategic parts of her body. The last thing she needed was for him to know that.
“That’s good. I don’t really like the idea of someone invading my head,” she said.
“Neither do I,” he said, features darkening, and she wondered if he were referring to Thanos.
“Can you read minds?” Darcy peered up at him, but all Loki gave her in answer was silence and an enigmatic smile.
She wondered if were refusing to tell her because they were still on camera, or if he didn’t trust her with the information. That was sort of silly, though. Him not telling was more or less a resounding yes. Unless it was a no and he just wanted to keep her guessing, which was completely possible.
They were nearly to the doors by this point, and Darcy realized that she didn’t have a plan for what to do once they were on the other side. Her mind spun with options, finally settling on one.
“How do you feel about snow leopards?” she asked, tugging open the long glass door. The summer heat surrounded her in a hazy burst as they stepped outside.
“I was unaware that I should feel something for them,” Loki replied.
“No, I mean, would you like to see some? They’ve got them at the Central Park Zoo. We could go there if you want.”
“You are taking me to a menagerie?” He paused on the sidewalk, people surging around them impatiently while he stared down at her.
“If you want. I thought we could do that, and then maybe you could see some of Manhattan from the ground while you weren’t wearing a muzzle and chains.”
“You truly wish to take me to a place full of innocent families out enjoying the day?” Loki’s brow was furrowed like he was trying to add up a complicated mathematical formula and failing spectacularly.
“Are you going to threaten, maim, or otherwise injure those families?” she asked.
“I… No. I suppose not.”
“Well then, I don’t see the problem.” Darcy left him standing there still looking dumbfounded, and got to work hailing a cab. She wasn’t about to use one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. issue town cars. If Nick wanted to do further spying, he’d have to have them followed.
It took a few tries, but a dented, mustard yellow taxi finally rolled to a stop in front of them. To her surprise, Loki leaned around her and opened the door, gesturing for her to get inside.
“Look at you being all chivalrous,” she said, giving the cabbie the address, and sliding across the vinyl seat so Loki could join her.
“You expect me to be mannerless? I was raised in a palace,” he retorted sharply.
Darcy sighed. “That was a compliment, dumbass. Does everything have to be a fight with you?”
He didn’t reply. She turned to find him sitting stiffly on the seat next to her, gaze fixed on the traffic outside his window with his fists clenched on his knees. Clearly she’d hit a nerve.
“Yo,” she said, poking him in the side. “What’s wrong?”
When he spoke, his tone was low enough that Darcy had to strain to hear it. “My entire life has been a fight, Ms Lewis. It is a hard lesson to unlearn.”
“Not with me,” she replied.
“Excuse me?” His bright green eyes swiveled over to her face.
“Your life may have been a fight, but that fight wasn’t with me. I like you, remember? I’m taking you to the zoo and everything.” As Darcy spoke she noticed his posture relaxing a little, the hard set of his jaw softening. Encouraged, she went on. “Look, I can only imagine how shitty things were back on Asgard. Your stepfather, or whatever he is, seems like a pretty epic douchebag, and Thor was kind of a dick when he first got here. So I assume growing up with them as family was less than ideal for you. But I wasn’t there for that, and I’ve been nothing but nice...well, mostly nice...since you got here. Even though being nice to you means that Fury will probably start wire-tapping my phonecalls and bugging my room if he isn’t already. Which will really put a damper on my quality ‘me time’, if you catch my drift.”
Loki’s lips twitched. “Did you just mention my father, Nicholas Fury, and self-pleasure in the same breath?”
Darcy wanted to bang her head against the seat rest. Had she really just said that? To Loki? He was right. Reading her mind was pointless when she sucked so bad at keeping her mouth shut.
“Um, yes,” she said finally. “I did. But trust me, those things have absolutely zero to do with each other. For real. I have never, ever thought of anyone in your family or from work while doing that.” Except him. Thank God she hadn't blurted that out at least.
His expression seemed suspicious, and Darcy recalled Thor once saying that Loki had an uncanny ability to tell when someone was lying. What if he could tell what she’d said was untrue? He might be working out the possibilities as they spoke. She cleared her throat loudly, and turned towards her window in an attempt to keep him from noticing the deep flush that was starting to creep up her neck.
“Is there something you would like to tell me, Ms Lewis?” he asked, and it was impossible to miss the smugness in his tone.
Shit. Darcy cleared her throat again, refusing to make eye-contact. “Nope.”
Fortunately the further conversation was interrupted by the cab grinding to a halt outside the gates of the zoo.
“We’re here,” she said unnecessarily. The massive brick archway with its iron animals dancing around a central clock made their location pretty obvious.
Loki followed her out of the cab and waited while she paid. A few minutes later they were standing in front of a tired looking woman behind a plexiglass window, purchasing tickets. To Darcy’s surprise, Loki pulled a sleek leather wallet from his pocket while she was still rummaging around in her purse for hers, and paid both their admissions.
“This was supposed to be my treat,” she said, as they made their way inside.
“I was under the impression that Midgardian men are responsible for that sort of thing,” he replied.
“Um, what?” Darcy came to a screeching halt mentally. “What ‘sort of thing’?”
“This type of Midgardian courtship ritual,” he answered simply, and she decided it would be best to sit down on one of the benches nearby. In fact, she was strongly debating on whether or not she should put her head between her knees and count to twenty.
The whole morning began to move through her head in a series of rapid-fire images. Loki showing up to keep her company while Jane and Thor were gone. The weird semi-flirting. Her offer to take him out and show him around New York City.
Oh. God. Oh God, oh God, oh God. She was out on a date with the God of Mischief. A date. They were...this was… Yeah. She needed to get some clarification before her thoughts ran away with her completely.
“Loki, is this...a date?” Darcy asked haltingly.
“I find that term less than appealing,” he responded.
She rubbed her hand over her forehead. “Duly noted. Is that what this is, though?”
“Is it not?” His expression took on a guarded cast.
“Okay, please don’t get angry, but remember when I said you’re hard to read? You are really, really hard to read. So I’m going to ask you a few things, and all I need you to do is answer without going batshit crazy. Is that fair?”
Loki remained standing for a few moments longer, and then joined her on the bench, arms folded over his chest defensively. He stared ahead, muscle twitching in his cheek. “By all means, Darcy, ask what you want. I will make every attempt not to murder the tourists.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she explained, trying to suppress the way it made her feel to hear him finally say her name. “I just don’t want to make you mad at me.”
He turned to face her. “Ask.”
“Right. Okay. Um, the flirting. You aren’t just trying to throw me off, are you? You’re actually flirting. With me.”
“I dislike that term as well, but yes. I am.”
“Because…?” She looked at him expectantly.
“What is it that you want to hear?” He ran his hand through his raven locks in a gesture of frustration. “That you are the only person who has treated me with any semblance of respect or kindness since I was banished to this backwards planet? That I find you charming in ways I never would have expected or imagined, and I spend an inordinate amount of time wondering what I could do to make you smile or laugh because of it? Or perhaps what you are looking for is that all of my ‘quality me time’ as you call it, has been completed with your name on my lips of late.”
Darcy choked gracelessly, mouth dropping open in shock. “Did you just imply that I’m part of your spank bank?”
“No,” Loki said. “I implied that you are the entirety of it.”
She sat there reeling while Loki grew more and more agitated with every passing second that she didn’t speak. Finally she managed, “We suck at first dates. Oh my fucking God, for real. We’re terrible at it. I hope we’re better at sex.”
His mood shifted abruptly, mouth starting to curve with amusement. “This is a date then?”
“Yeah. Yes. Clearly.” Darcy looked at him for a moment, a smile starting to quirk up her own lips. “I took the God of Mischief to the zoo on our first date.”
“I think you will find that I paid. Therefore, I believe I took you.” Loki was outright grinning at this point, and she sagged back against the bench, trying to process what had just happened.
“Since I paid for the cab, let’s all it even Stevens,” she told him.
“Your Midgardian colloquialisms leave much to be desired,” he replied dryly. “However, I will allow it. Did you intend to show me the zoo, Darcy, or are we just here to visit this bench?”
“You know, being nice to your date is usually helpful if you want to turn your spank bank ideas into reality” she advised him.
“In that case, I think you will find me chivalrous to a fault.”
Darcy laughed, pushing herself off the bench and brushing off the back of her skirt. “I’m totally in trouble now, aren’t I? Come on, Prince of Asgard. I think I promised you leopards.”
Loki had just gotten to his feet, long frame unfolding in a way that made Darcy want to tackle him back onto the bench, when her phone started blaring Black Sabbath. She almost pocketed it without bothering to check the text, but there was always an off chance Tony had a valid reason for texting that had nothing to do with something ridiculous.
Three seconds and one annoyed sigh later, Darcy held the phone out so Loki could see the words Emergency Shawarma Meeting ASAP. No Exceptions. I’m buying. in bold font across her screen.
“I should have removed those bracelets before dropping him from the window,” Loki said darkly.
“‘Dropping’ is putting it mildly, don’t you think? I’ve seen the footage. It was more of a launching motion. Anyway, yeah. Next time remember the bracelets.” She had her eyes fixed on the screen as she texted back a reply. “Sorry about the date getting wrecked. Or whatever you want to call this, since you hate that word.”
“Who said it was over?” he inquired, placing a hand on her lower back and using it to steer her towards the exit.
“What, you want to continue this at shawarma?” Darcy gave him an incredulous glance.
“No, I want to continue this at my apartment. Specifically, in my bed. As that wish appears to be a futile one at the moment, I suggest we make the most of it.”
She stopped just under the archway, forcing him to halt as well. “I’m sorry, but are you under the impression that this was going to end in sex?” Loki didn’t reply, just arched an eyebrow at her. After a brief standoff, Darcy exhaled noisily, shaking her head. “Okay, fine. You’re right. Just don’t get all smug about it, you want it as bad as I do, and we both know it.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a smirk.
“Shut up, Loki,” she huffed. “Let’s just get this stupid meeting over with so I can get those jeans off of you.”
His smirk turned positively sinful. “Mmm, there’s that impetuous streak I find so appealing.”
“Did you not hear me say shut up?” she retorted over her shoulder as she hailed a cab.
“Impetuous and demure,” he teased. “Like a delicate wildflower.”
Darcy rolled her eyes at him. “Stop making that face at me, and get in the goddamn cab, asshat.”
“Did I mention ladylike?”
“Get. In. The. Cab.”
“As you wish.”
She watched as he slipped gracefully into the taxi and waited for her to follow. There was a light in his eyes that made her think shawarma was going to be even more interesting than usual. In fact, Darcy suspected interesting didn’t even come close to covering what was in store for her during dinner. Fantastic.
With a weird combination of lust and trepidation swirling through her system, she slid into the cab next to the God of Mischief. Well, whatever the the rest of her day had in store, at least it wouldn't be boring. As the wheels began to roll, and Loki’s knee brushed tantalizingly against hers, she decided not boring was going to be pretty damn good.