Work Text
Loki was in a Mood.Well, alright, he always was. Sometimes it was a quiet, broody kind of mood and sometimes it was a manic, irritating kind of mood. There were a whole host of moods on either side of that spectrum and Darcy had cataloged all of them over the last few months. She’d had the opportunity (if you could call it that) since SHIELD had casually installed the God of Mischief in her and Jane’s lab and dared them to complain.(She had. For weeks. They ignored her. Dicks.)Today’s Mood was of the ‘I’m bored and making that your problem’ variety, which meant annoying little pranks and playing Icelandic folk music without headphones and asking overly complicated questions that he could google and didn’t.“Haven’t I explained quantum physics to you before?” Jane asked a little desperately, rubbing her temple and doing her goshdarn best to not glare at Thor’s little brother.Darcy squinted at Jane’s handwritten notes and decided that was definitely a ‘j’. Or was it an ‘h’? Shit. “Like, six times already, boss lady.”“I have a poor memory,” Loki shrugged, unbothered.She snorted; what a crock. Darcy was pretty sure he had an eidetic memory or something close to it. He definitely remembered everything ever said to him based on the way he loved to throw people’s words back in their faces.Jane pursed her mouth before venturing: “Do you really?”“For your human terminology, yes,” he lied glibly, tapping his fingers against the top of his desk. He had memorized Dr. Foster’s explanation of human physics after the first time he’d asked but he was terribly bored.Darcy narrowed her eyes at his tapping and looked at her screen. Sure enough her Times New Roman had magically transformed into Nordic runes and past experience told her fixing it wasn’t as simple as changing the font back.Swallowing back several choice curses, she swiveled her chair to glare at her resident pain in the ass. “Change it back.”“Whatever do you mean?” he asked, tilting his head. He’d almost look innocent if she didn’t know who he was.“The ten pages of notes I just typed up that are ‘so mysteriously’ in Old Norse all of a sudden.” She glowered at him over the top of her glasses. “Change it back.”Loki made a show of considering her request, laying a long finger against his cheek and humming thoughtfully. While Dr. Foster might be vaguely amusing when irritated, Darcy was entirely captivating which is why he saved this particular trick for her. If he didn’t do as she asked, it would take her an hour or more to retype her notes and she'd be furious. “No, I can’t say I had anything to do with it.”"God, you're such a brat. I oughta - " take you over my knee. Darcy bit back the second half just in time, flushing. Thaaaat is not work appropriate, Darce, even if it was tempting as hell. Before she could start fantasizing (too late!), she glanced sidelong at her screen and found her doc was writing itself now. Still in Norse runes. Fuckssake. “Loki. Change it back. Now.”Loki’s spine straightened automatically, quite without his meaning to, and he blinked at her. What in the Nine…He’d never heard her take that tone before: so commanding and expectant and he nearly wanted to obey. His fingers itched to, as a matter of fact, which is the only reason he held back.Closing his hands into fists, he arched an eyebrow elegantly. “Or what?”She mirrored his expression, staring him down. “Or I’ll stop bringing you those double chocolate mochaccinos you like so much.”His shoulders hunched and he wrapped a protective hand around his to-go cup, pulling it toward him. He had no idea where she purchased the drink or else he’d summon it himself but as it stood, he was dependent on her for this little slice of Valhalla.“I never knew you were so cruel,” he said, more than a little accusingly, before he wove his fingers through the air and sniffed haughtily. “There. Done.”Darcy checked her screen to confirm and there were her notes in plain old Times New Roman. She scrolled up and everything was hunky-dory again, not a single rune in sight. She threw him a grin. “Thank you.”Loki frowned a little as she turned back to her work. That was all? Just a thank you and a kind look for doing as she asked? That hardly seemed worthwhile but what more had he expected? A prize? Lavish praise? He rolled his eyes at himself and turned back to the imbecilic report SHIELD had sent him to read.🍧Try as he might, he couldn’t stop thinking about that peculiar tone of voice Darcy had taken with him the other day. It echoed in his skull and he couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed - she was by the far the most pleasant voice rattling around his thoughts. Loki had heard many demands in his life, from his family, his people, his many enemies…But none of them had affected him quite the way Darcy’s had and that intrigued him. Why had he reacted so strongly to this little mortal’s insistence he undo his mischief?He tapped a pen on the surface of his desk irregularly, taking note of the muscle twitching at Dr. Foster’s jaw. No doubt she was biting back the urge to yell at him; she had admirable restraint really but such restraint was boring. She was incredibly intelligent in her field, he’d give her that, but he’d yet to see what Thor saw in her. Probably for the best. They fought over enough without adding lovers to the mix. Besides, he preferred someone who could appreciate his particular brand of chaos and Dr. Foster certainly didn’t meet that criteria.Darcy, meanwhile, was bobbing her head to the music she was playing and ignoring him entirely. He pursed his lips, twirling the pen between his fingers, and wondered how best to irritate her. She was so much more fun in her reactions than her mentor - she actually called out his behavior, instead of meekly accepting it, which always entertained him. It certainly didn’t hurt that she was beautiful when she snapped at him, with her blazing eyes and plush mouth so ready to put him in his place.She pulled out her headphones before he could decide how he wanted to draw her ire today. When she finally noticed his staring, she stuck her tongue out at him with a wink and Loki…fumbled his pen, slapping it down under his palm so she hopefully wouldn’t notice. He glamoured away the heat coloring his cheeks; was he some green youth? Norns, he was in his 11th century, not his first. Irritated with himself, he picked up the moldy tome SHIELD had sent him to read through today.Wondering what had his panties in a twist, Darcy stretched her legs out from where she'd had them tucked under her on the chair. Based on the pins and needles in her foot, it was past time for her to get up and check on the printer, take a bathroom break, and maybe get some more coffee. She eyeballed her travel mug and the half inch of nasty cold coffee left in the bottom. Bleck. Buuut it was also like, 2 P.M. and if she wanted to sleep tonight, she should probably switch to water or something.Sending her data sheets to the printer, she moseyed on over to the Beast and prayed it actually worked today. It was always touch and go, even though the thing was brand new and state of the art (as if Stark Industries would allow for anything less), and Darcy swore it could smell fear. She was about to reach out and lovingly pat it when it beeped angrily, one of its beady little lights flashing red, and she groaned.“What’s wrong now?” she muttered, inspecting its display screen where a literal frowning emoji stared at her accusingly. Whose idea was that?A word bubble popped up saying ‘Feed me!’ and she had a sudden flashback to her middle-school tamagotchi. Rest in peace, little buddy. Shaking her head, she poked at the screen. Did it want ink or paper? The bubble changed to say ‘Paper please!’“Oh well that’s easy," she muttered to herself, calling over her shoulder: "Jane, I gotta get paper for the Beast. BRB!"The supply closet was just down the hall, smack dab between their lab and Dr. Banner's, and she eyeballed the shelves despairingly. Who had organized this cluster fuck? No one judging from the looks of things. She spied the box of paper on the top freaking shelf of all places and turned on her heel, heading back to the lab."Loki, can I borrow you for a sec? I need your tallness."Raising his eyebrows, he followed her to the supply closet, watching the alluring swing of her hips as she walked. "And how might I be of service?"The room looked as though a wind storm had been through, or perhaps a band of marauders. Papers and various office supplies were scattered everywhere without rhyme or reason."Could you - ?" She gestured vaguely upwards."I suppose," he sighed, put-upon, and twisted his wrist, directing his seidr to righting the disaster. In short order, it was all neatly organized with someone of Darcy’s stature in mind. “Was that all?”She blinked at the closet, finding the heavy box of paper she needed on the bottom shelf now where she could easily grab it. “Oh, uh…I just wanted you to help me get the paper down, but thank you. This is great.”Darcy went to pat his back and he jerked against a shelf, out of her reach. Her eyes widened and he cursed himself.“I - I’m sorry!” She held up her hands at shoulder height, surprised. Well, not entirely. Loki wasn’t exactly touchy-feely and he never seemed to like when Thor slapped him on the shoulder. “My bad. No touching, got it.”Loki swallowed hard, pinching his mouth together angrily. That wasn’t -! He wanted -! Damn it! It had been months and he still expected every touch, intentional or accidental, from friend or stranger, to send pain reeling across his senses. It was absurd and embarrassing. Darcy could hardly hurt him and he wanted her to touch him. If he could just get over this ridiculous aversion…“No. No, you can - ” Half-desperate, he caught her wrist and brought her hand to his chest. His shirt was thin and the heat of her palm practically burned but he relished it. Meeting her eyes, he quietly said: “You can touch me, Darcy.”Between them, the air felt suddenly charged and Darcy licked her lips, hyper-aware of the feel of his hand over hers and the texture of his shirt - was it silk? - and how close together they were. Under her fingers, his heart beat quickly but she couldn’t judge him, not when her own heart was hammering even faster than his. Slowly, Loki dropped his hand away, his eyes still burning into hers as he waited to see what she would do.She could end this weird moment between them right now if she wanted. Could pull her hand back and laugh it off and make this no big deal.Or she could see where this went.“Can I use both hands?” she asked softly, tilting her head. He nodded but that never cut it for her. She tapped a finger against his chest firmly. “Out loud please. Yes or no?”It took Loki a moment to find his tongue. She was using that same tone she had the other day and just like then, it sent a thrill up his spine and made him want to comply. Unlike that first time, he had no issue doing what she wanted immediately. “Yes.”“Good, thank you.” It wasn’t easy to swallow her instinctual praise but this wasn’t like that. This was…something else, she decided, and raised her other hand to press against his chest.Slowly and firmly, she dragged her hands down, feeling the definition of his musculature as she passed over his abs and stopped at the edge of his waistline. He inhaled, stomach quivering under her touch, and his hands twitched.“Is this okay?” She had no intention of going below his belt - that would require just…so much talking first and maybe, y’know, not being in the work supply closet where anyone could walk by.He hesitated and she immediately withdrew her hands.“No! Please…Darcy, keep - ” He wet his lips, a blush splashing across his cheekbones, but he pushed the words out in an exhale, quiet and barely there. “Please keep going.”God. How could she refuse? She should. Absolutely, 100%, she should walk away from whatever the frick this was, but looking up at Loki, with his pupils blown satisfyingly wide and his cheeks pink and him nearly panting…Darcy knew to her core that if she walked away now, she’d be kicking herself for the rest of her goddamn life.She met his hands where he’d half raised them to grab her, squeezing his palms briefly before circling his wrists. They were surprisingly thin, his pulse thrumming under her fingers, and she was seized by the crazy urge to kiss them, to feel his heart race under her lips. Jesus, down girl! Instead, she bit her bottom lip and took her time dragging her hands up his arms.It felt divine. Everywhere she touched tingled and buzzed and warmed and Loki craved more. Oh this was dangerous, this wanting, this near-desperation for her, and it was entirely for Darcy. He wouldn’t let anyone else touch him thus; he didn’t want anyone else to. This odd little situation he’d created, that Darcy had permitted, was more-or-less innocent but it didn’t feel it. Her hands glided over his arms and shoulders. They were both fully-clothed but he felt laid bare before her.At last, she let her hands rest against his collarbones, brushing a thumb softly over the hollow of his throat. Loki inhaled shakily when she touched his bare skin and she couldn’t help thinking now what? Did she just…what? Disengage and go back to the lab like nothing happened? Did she linger here? Take it further? Her thoughts blanked out at the last option; take it further how? They didn’t have any kind of relationship or, or - agreement! She couldn’t exactly tell him to meet her in her apartment after work so they could explore this, so she could find out exactly how compatible they were (because this? Was pretty damn indicative. Or was she projecting? Please don’t be projecting, brain, pleasepleaseplease.)“Loki, I - ”“Darce?” Jane’s voice came from down the hall and they both froze. “Are you okay?”Shit. Darcy hoped the smile she gave Loki came across more apologetic than grimacing as she (so reluctantly) let him go and popped her head into the hallway. “I’m fine! Just grabbing the paper!”“Okay. Oh, grab some pens too, would you?”“Sure thing!”Dr. Foster’s voice had served to break whatever spell had fallen over them and he tried to regain his composure. He could still feel the ghost of Darcy’s hands on him and he…He missed it already. She’d touched him willingly enough - perhaps pursuing her was not the folly he’d originally thought.Feeling awkward as fuck, Darcy grabbed a pack of printer paper and scooped up a bunch of pens, wishing she wasn’t so freakishly aware of the generous bulge in Loki’s pants. She wasn’t judging him or anything - poor guy seemed to be some kind of touch-starved and she’d practically fondled him; of course he’d popped a boner. If anything, she was hardcore judging herself for wanting to take it for a ride, flimsy un-locking door be damned. Clearing her throat, she really hoped Loki didn’t notice the way her face was on fire.“I’ll just um…head back now.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, never mind that his eyes were closed as he breathed. Why did he have to be so gorgeous? “Maybe er, take a minute. I’ll say you went to the bathroom or something.”She skedaddled out of there as quick as she could, wondering what the fuck that whole…thing was about. She dropped the pens on Jane’s desk and hightailed it to the tamagotchi/printer hybrid, dumping paper in the tray. It beeped happily and started spitting out the reports she’d sent to it what felt like a million years ago. She didn’t even remember what they were for at the moment and she shook her head at herself. Get it together, Darce.Loki paused in the lab’s doorway. Dr. Foster’s head was bent over her work and Darcy was at the printer, tapping her fingers idly against the plastic edge as if nothing had happened. A weight settled over his chest; he’d thought…She had taken no interest in his aroused state and he’d assumed it was because they were still at work, but perhaps it was because she wasn’t interested in him. He bit the inside of his cheek and sat at his desk, staring blankly at the surface. This wasn’t the first time he’d miscalculated in matters of the heart. But then why had she touched him? He could still feel her hands at his throat, rising and falling with his breath and hot enough to brand. Annoyed, Loki rubbed the feeling away.It only took a moment before Darcy’s voice cracked through the quiet of the lab like a whip. “Loki!”He made a show of finishing writing notes (meaningless scribbles) before looking up with his most innocent expression. “Yes?”Her glare could fell armies but he refused to quake, and she visibly reeled in her ire. “Could you c’mere a minute? Please.”Her voice was saccharine sweet except for the last word, which rang with intriguing authority. Loki wasn’t so rude as to ignore a polite request, not when it coincided with precisely what he wanted, but he still took his time crossing the room to her, amused by the way she nearly vibrated with irritation.“What did you do to the printer?” she demanded in a hiss as soon as he was close enough that she wasn’t yelling and drawing Jane’s attention. Whatever the fuck was happening between the two of them right now, Jane definitely didn’t need to know.Hands in his pockets, he raised his eyebrows, expression so patently innocent she could almost imagine a freakin’ halo above him. One held up by devil’s horns. “Whatever do you mean?”“God, you’re annoying,” Darcy muttered to herself. She jabbed a finger at the display screen where Norse ruins had taken over like the damned Matrix code. “I don’t even care. Just fix it.”He pretended to peer at the screen. “I’m afraid your technology is so archaic, I don’t know where to begin. You’ll have to call one of your technicians. Is that all?”Darcy fought the urge to kick him in the shin and drag her hands over her face, screaming. He was such a little shit! But…She chewed her bottom lip, wondering, and met his eyes. They’d dropped to her mouth before flicking back up, she was sure. “If you want my attention, you have it,” she whispered, darting a glance at Jane but she was preoccupied entirely by her work as always. Thank God. “What do you need, Loki?”He viciously suppressed a shiver at her question. The way she asked…as if she genuinely cared and would oblige him if he’d only speak. ‘Out loud please’ she’d ordered in the supply room and he wet his lips, finding his mouth unexpectedly dry. What did he need? Was it just Darcy’s attention? Certainly no one else’s attention gave him the same thrill, not with how disdainful the Avengers and the SHIELD agent assigned to mind him were. Not with how Thor put up with his antics out of familial duty and long-suffering brotherly love.He thought of Darcy’s hands on him and felt his prick twitch again. Maybe all he needed was a good tumble; Norns knew it had been long enough since his last encounter. But it was hardly advisable to suggest just that so baldly. How should he couch it? Dinner with her wouldn’t precisely be a hardship, he imagined.Darcy watched a dozen micro-expressions and emotions flit across his face and realized he had no answer to her question. He was like a little kid - he wanted her attention but didn’t know what to do with it once he had it. It’d be cute if it wasn’t kind of sad too. At least she had experience with this kind of twenty questions.Uncomfortably aware that Jane was less than ten feet away, Darcy touched his arm - nothing too questionable about that even if his bicep was totally grope worthy. “Do you want to be touched more?”Somehow she managed to make that sound reasonable, rather than utterly pathetic. He inclined his head and her thumb began to sweep back and forth. “Darcy…”“Yeah?”How to phrase it without sounding utterly crass? Or worse: needy? “I want…more.”His eyes darted to hers nervously, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, and Darcy felt like she was going to spontaneously combust. Loki wanted more? More touching? More - her brain flailed, offering up a bevy of progressively filthier fantasies she’d maybe secretly been harboring about the God of Mischief. (Could you blame her? He was the hottest thing she’d seen since the motherfucking sun, never mind his attempt to conquer Earth or lackluster social skills.)She forced herself to loosen the white-knuckled grip she suddenly had on his arm, letting her hand trail down slowly. “More could be…good, maybe,” she agreed, ignoring the sensible part of her brain that was screaming this was a terrible decision (it sounded alarmingly like Jane and that was just…wrong). “Maybe we can talk about it after work?”Loki hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly, without even any convincing on his part, and he agreed before she could realize her mistake. “Certainly. After work then.”“Now can you fix the printer please?”He blinked at her, feeling just a tad sheepish. “Ah…To be entirely honest, I don’t think I can.” He poked at the screen, a green spark frizzing angrily under his finger, and then a puff of smoke billowed up from the machine.They both stared for a moment and then Darcy laughed. It was that or cry. “I can’t believe you bricked the printer, dude.”🍧
What the fuuuuuuuuuck.
The question had been careening around her brain on repeat for the last few hours and honestly? She still didn’t have an answer. Kicking the door closed behind her, Darcy dropped her keys and ID badge in the bowl and maneuvered around Jane’s stack of boxes. (She’d been promising to move the ‘last few’ boxes to Thor’s place for like, two weeks now and so far: natch.) In the kitchen, she grabbed a glass of water, leaning against the counter and staring out at the disaster zone that was the living room.“What in the fucking fuck?” she asked herself out loud.Okay. It wasn’t like Loki had been aloof before; he’d never treated her or Jane like they were beneath his notice or anything. That would’ve been kind of hard to pull off when he was so devoted to annoying the everloving fuck out them, the little shit. When SHIELD had so rudely announced the would-be conqueror of New York was going to be their new lab buddy (backed by Thor’s devastating puppy-dog eyes), Darcy had kept a strict eye on him because if he so much as breathed in a threatening manner, she was going to call in the cavalry and get him booted off Earth. But while he pretty obviously didn’t want to be in their lab anymore than they wanted him there, he was civil enough.Actually, he’d been pretty freakin’ rude but he never gave off ‘I’m going to murder you slowly’ vibes so she relaxed a little. And yeah, he drove them both bonkers if SHIELD didn’t give him something riveting enough (he was doing some sort of magic consulting for them as part of his asylum), but he was harmless. Or - well. Not actively harmful was probably a more accurate description.Whatever. The point was that, okay, Loki and her sort of talked like really weird work frenemies but she didn’t think he liked her. Or lusted after her or…or…whatever. So to say today was kind of a surprise was an understatement. The thing in the supply closet had been hella unexpected. A) She’d only wanted him to get the paper down for her - he was a freakin’ giant compared to lil’ ol’ her, but then he’d gone ahead and just…organized it all for her. B) The er, fondling sure had been something, huh?Darcy let herself get lost in remembering, biting her lip dreamily. Oh sure, he didn’t have muscles as big as her head like Thor but anyone who thought Loki wasn’t just as ripped was delusional. She’d felt it for herself and damn. What she wouldn’t give to see him shirtless. And the way he was so clearly affected by her hands on him, not even trying to hide it? Yeah, that shit was so going in her spank bank.Shaking herself out of it, she headed to her bedroom for her purse. They’d agreed to meet for coffee to discuss whatever the frick had happened. She just couldn’t figure out what had started it. Sure, he could’ve just decided to mess with her or maybe this had been building for him for a while, she didn’t know, but…He’d killed the printer when they came back from the supply closet and if that didn’t scream ‘pay attention to me’, Darcy didn’t know what did, all because he still wanted her to touch him. And the way he’d let her take the lead…Honestly, if Loki wanted anything to do with her, she would’ve expected him to make the first move. But it didn’t have to mean anything, she lectured herself; so what if he was bratty and a little bit passive? That didn’t mean he wanted her like that.But damn, if he wouldn’t look so damn pretty tied up and under her…Darcy snorted to herself. So would a ton of people. That didn’t mean they wanted to be Dommed or spanked or any of the other things she enjoyed doing to her sex partners. She left her chunky cardigan by the door - it was warm out, unlike in the lab - and grabbed her keys and badge again, hesitating at the last second.On the off chance Loki was into this kind of thing, it’d be better to be prepared, wouldn’t it? Just in case? She grabbed her BDSM primer from her room and threw it in her purse.🍧The coffee shop Darcy had brought him to was practically swarming with humans and Loki instantly felt discomfited. While the full tables and long line spoke to the quality of the establishment’s goods, he often went entire days without leaving the Tower and he didn’t see all that many people within either. On Asgard, he’d often had to endure crowds of people but he’d always preferred to be solitary and that hadn’t changed when he relocated to Midgard. In fact, being alone was significantly easier. Modern Midgardian society seemed designed for it actually, with its bevy of deliverable services and a preference for staying indoors to avoid any kind of weather.“Loki?” Darcy was peering up at him and when he met her eyes, she touched his arm. “Why don’t you scare us up a table on the patio? The weather’s nice enough.”It was quite pleasant out, he could admit, and he nodded. “Very well. You won’t need assistance carrying our beverages?”She rolled her eyes with a smile, tapping her fingers against his bicep. “I can get a tray if it’s that dicey, bud. Don’t worry. Shoo.”With her leave, Loki couldn’t deny the relief he felt stepping into the sunshine. There were still far too many people about but being able to see the sky and the trees lining the street helped him feel less closed in. The patio was full of others taking advantage of the nice weather but that was easily solved. Smirking, Loki set snakes climbing up the table supports and chair legs and watched as chaos ensued. People screamed, scrambled for their belongings, and ran for their proverbial lives. Fools. The snakes were harmless little things and he gathered one in his hands as he took a seat on the now-deserted patio. It curled over his knuckles, tongue flicking out to taste the air as he stroked its small head.“What did you do?”He looked up to find Darcy with a tray holding both their drinks and two paper bags that piqued his interest. Had she gotten pastries as well?“I cast an illusion,” he said with a negligent shrug, letting the snake in his hands disappear in a puff of green smoke. “I must say, humans are frightened by the silliest things.”One of his snakes slithered over the toe of her shoe and though she startled, she didn’t scream or drop the tray. She merely sighed and set the tray down on the table. “This is on me. I did say to ‘scare’ us up a table. But being afraid of snakes isn’t ‘silly’ - it’s an evolutionary advantage.” She took the seat opposite him and pushed his coffee and one of the bags toward him. “I got you one of those chocolate croissants you like.”Delighted, Loki plucked it from the bag and inhaled the buttery aroma. Asgard had pastries of its own but they rather lacked a critical component in his opinion, namely: chocolate. It was one of the few things Midgard did better than the Realm Eternal. He bit into the pillowy treat and nearly moaned in bliss; the chocolate was still melty. “Mm, thank you. It’s still warm too.”“Well yeah. I had them heat it up for you,” Darcy shrugged, licking croissant flakes from the pad of her thumb; she’d chosen a cheese one. Loki felt a warmth spread through his chest but decided to chalk it up to the swig of coffee he’d just taken. “Anyway, consider it a thank you for organizing the supply closet. I really appreciate it.”He waved a hand. “It was nothing.”Darcy narrowed her eyes at him as she sipped her coffee. He was probably right; if the spell had taken any effort, he hadn’t shown it, but she didn’t like that he assumed she wanted to take advantage of his magic. She’d 100% planned to tackle it herself, even if there’d been a decent chance of her dying underneath a tsunami of falling paper. She set her cup down and carefully covered his wrist. He didn’t jerk it out from under her hand, just looked at it before looking at her.“Uh, no, it wasn’t ‘nothing’,” she argued, passing her thumb back and forth over the knob of his wrist bone. “It would’ve taken me hours to organize myself and I probably would’ve tweaked my back or something stupid too, so: thank you, Loki. What you did was really helpful.”Loki felt his cheeks flush traitorously. This was…nothing, a simple thanks that he should take as his due and which she gave well-meaningly. She couldn’t know about the centuries of similar acts he’d done for Thor and his friends without gratitude ever crossing their minds. Give her time to grow used to it, she’ll stop thanking you, a cruel voice whispered in his mind and Norns knew it was right but it didn’t need to pipe up all the time, did it?“Yes, well - ”Darcy cut him off quite rudely. “No ‘yes, well’s, mister. Just say ‘you’re welcome Darcy’.”She was such an impertinent little chit, daring to tell him what to do, but…He smiled at her, amused, and dutifully repeated: “You’re welcome, Darcy.”“Good boy.”The words were out of her mouth before she thought about them and her eyes widened, wondering if she could apologize before he squashed her like a bug (or y’know, verbally eviscerated her and poofed back to the Tower to wreak hell on her unattended apartment). Maybe she could play it off as a joke? Or babble so much he forgot all about it? Maybe? If she could just wrench open her stupid mouth and say something!Wincing, she looked at him, an apology on the tip of her tongue but it died a quick and forgettable death. Loki was perfectly still, staring back at her with his face flushed red and lips parted in surprise. The other-wordly green of his eyes was just a thin rim around his dilated pupils.
Oh.
Oh fuck.
Darcy knew what a newly-discovered kink looked like and Loki had it written on him like a fucking neon sign in the middle of a blackout. Thankfully the patio was still deserted; she didn’t think he’d appreciate random New Yorkers knowing what he looked like ragingly horny. Hell, he might not appreciate her knowing but it was a little late for that. Leaning forward a bit, she reached out and lifted his chin with one finger. His mouth shut with an audible click as his teeth met and he swallowed.He cleared his throat roughly, finally managing to tear his eyes away from her and look blindly down the street. He was desperately hard under the table and he cast a subtle glamor over his lap to hide the more…obvious evidence of how those words had affected him. Being called ‘good’ in that approving and pleased tone Darcy had used…Norns, he still felt breathless with it. It was mortifying and more than a little intriguing and he hardly knew what to do with himself.“So that’s a thing,” Darcy observed quietly and he felt her fingers pry into his fist, making his hand uncurl so she could trace the lines on his palm. He didn’t manage to suppress his shiver entirely. “You said you wanted more, after the whole supply closet thing. What did you mean?”He bought time by drinking the last of his coffee, watching her finger trace light shapes over his palm. Words like ‘you’ and ‘this’ clamored in his mind, fighting to make it past his lips, but he didn’t say either of those things. “I was intimating a…physical relationship.”“So…sex?” she clarified bluntly, raising an eyebrow and grinning at the way he blushed again. God, how was he hot and cute? It was totally unfair. “I mean, I thought so but it’s best to be on the same page for these kinda things, y’know?”“Agreed.” Darcy seemed remarkably at ease with his suggestion and it emboldened him to flip her hand over and trace the lines on her palm. She flushed prettily at the attention. “And you’re…open to having me as a partner? I doubt it needs to be said, but I did try to enslave your planet.”“Under coercion you said. Right?” It was the story Thor had told the Avengers and SHIELD (and her and Jane) and despite how everyone else harped on the ‘God of Lies’ bit, she believed it.“Well yes, but - ”“Hey! No ‘well yes’s, remember?” she teased, squeezing his hand. "But yeah, sex sounds good, especially with you.”She winked and Loki knew, with a sinking clarity, that she enjoyed making him blush. Norns help me. She had remarkable composure considering the topic of their discussion; most people he’d come across considered frank discussions of sex in public places rather taboo, but Darcy didn’t seem to have the same hang-ups and he wondered why. She bit her lip for a moment, clearly debating something, and he was struck by the desire to soothe the abused flesh under his thumb.“...There is something I'd like you to take a look at first though,” she said at last, her heart racing like she’d run up ten flights of stairs even as she reached into her purse and took out the BDSM primer. She could be entirely, devastatingly wrong about this but she couldn’t shake the feeling she was right. Nervously, she held the plain-covered paperback out to him. “This isn't a requirement or anything, but I think you might be into it? Read as much as you want, and we'll pick this conversation up again tomorrow, okay?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Darcy was a bundle of nerves all day. She hadn’t seen Loki since they’d parted ways last night in the elevator and she kept flipping between thinking lending him that book was a good idea and being convinced she’d scared him off entirely. She’d said it wasn’t a requirement at all - she was totally cool with keeping things vanilla between them! But she couldn’t help worrying that if he thought the lifestyle was too extreme, he’d be better off pursuing someone who didn’t bring it up on the first date. Or whatever their little coffee discussion was. It had kind of been a date, hadn’t it?Darcy shook her head and tried to focus on her work. Labels were hella unnecessary. Especially since she didn’t even know if he was still interested or if she’d run off her only prospect in…two years, FML. Running around with a scientist that a shady government agency wanted to poach had done her love life negative favors. She hadn’t even been to a club! She lived in New York freakin’ City and she hadn’t even googled the BDSM scene here! She was the living embodiment of the crying emoji right now.The only thing that got her out of her little pity party was the sound of Thor’s booming voice in the hallway. A second later, he came through the lab door with Loki in tow behind him, still loudly discussing…something confidential apparently since she couldn’t make out the words. Loki had used the spell before and Darcy had learned to just tune it out rather than drive herself crazy wondering what she and Jane weren’t supposed to know. Besides, he usually only employed it when he and Thor were walking through the Tower and sure enough…“...why you must be so surly all the time, brother.”Loki rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Because, Thor, I have no reason to be otherwise. Now if you don’t mind, I have research to do. Go bother Dr. Foster, since we both know she’s the only reason you accompanied me to the lab.”Thor had the decency not to dispute the fact, even if he did turn red. “Ah, yes, well. It was good to catch up with you, Loki.”Loki made a noncommittal noise and dropped a stack of books on his desk before sitting. SHIELD had dug out more nonsense tomes for him to pour over, as if Midgardian magic was anything more than conmen and lunatics writing down their imaginings as facts. The human species didn’t live long enough to develop seidr - something he’d certainly mentioned to Director Fury in the beginning but he’d been told to “Look anyway. We humans might surprise you.”Perhaps they would but it wouldn’t be with any latent magical talents, he was sure. Their sexual appetities on the other hand…He glanced surreptitiously over at Darcy before quickly looking back down. The book she’d asked him to read had been…riveting. In truth, he hadn’t been able to put it down, nor keep his hands off his cock. The power exchange the book presented was not one he'd ever considered before but it inflamed his imagination. Some of the chapters and subheadings had stars drawn in beside them and those were some of the ones he responded to strongest. He'd wondered if Darcy was some manner of seer, knowing him better than he knew himself, before he'd found her sticky note in the back pages: a star and then in Darcy's quick scrawl my favorite ways to play. He'd read the entire book through twice but found no confirmation of which role Darcy preferred to take. Top or bottom, Dom or sub. Her behavior with him suggested the former and he hoped he was right. The idea of her, so small and soft, taking him in hand, controlling his pleasure…Loki had worked himself to completion multiple times thinking of it. Of her.Thankfully (and he’d never thought he’d think that), his meeting with SHIELD had taken most of the workday and he needed only to endure another hour or so before he could speak with Darcy about her fascinating reading recommendations. With an impatient sigh, he cracked open the top book.🍧Darcy yawned and made a face, rubbing her jaw hinge as it cracked. Ouch. She wasn’t even 30 yet but her body sure liked reminding her she wasn’t 25 anymore either, the rude bitch. She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms and legs out and catching a sunbeam on her cheek through the blinds. It was nice and toasty and she turned her face into it, closing her eyes. She really needed to talk to Jane about keeping the lab at subzero temperatures.Alas, Thor had already kidnapped her boss for the weekend which meant Darcy got to close the lab down early. She wiggled a little dance in her seat before scooting back to her desk and saving all her files. Shutting down the computer, she scrawled a reminder about the temperature on a sticky note and slapped it to her monitor to be addressed Monday morning. She swung around ready to boogie her way to the elevator only for everything - her body, her brain, the universe - to screech to a halt when she saw Loki.He was leaning against the front of his desk, long legs neatly crossed at the ankle and her book held in front of his - Well, that was probably coincidental, she thought, quickly dragging her eyes up to find him looking back at her, an amused lilt to his mouth.
Maybe not so coincidental then…
"I read your book. It was...illuminating," he announced, giving her zero indication of how he felt about it aside from a sort of vague interest. But he did sound genuinely curious when he asked: “You've engaged in this...type of act before?"Darcy nodded, clearing her throat and wetting her lips before she found her voice. "Yup. A friend thought I'd be good at it, said I could make decent money, so I tried it out. I worked as a Dom for a few years to save up for college. You'd be surprised how many people want to be wrapped in a fluffy blanket and told they're good and smart and strong."Loki swallowed, feeling heat rise over the back of his neck. He was surprised by the force of his own longing for something so simple and...innocent. "And did you have sex with these men?""And women, yeah, sometimes,” she admitted easily, taking note of the way his eyes widened in surprise. Guys usually found it theoretically hot that she’d been with other women, less so when they realized it wasn’t for their enjoyment, but she’d give Loki the benefit of the doubt. “But I always had the final say if we took a scene that far. Sometimes I'd just get them off, or they'd only want me to get off."Loki seemed to digest that before he tapped the book against his hand once and held it out to her. "I, um, took notes.""Of course you did," she smiled indulgently, taking the book and fanning the pages out, stopping at the tri-folded parchment tucked inside, her name on the front in green angular writing. There was more than one sheet there and she was dying to know what he thought but she wasn’t about to read it while he stood there on tenterhooks, the poor guy. “Do you prefer coffee or ice cream?”He blinked, thrown by the question. What did that have to do with -? “I don’t believe I’ve had ‘ice cream’ before. What is it?”“Ohmigod, with your sweet tooth, you’ll love it!” she declared, grinning so wide he felt his own lips tug up. She grasped his hand. “Come on. I just have to grab my purse and then I’m introducing you to one of Earth’s greatest inventions.”Amused, he let himself be pulled along to the elevators, enjoying her hand wrapped around his. His palm tingled pleasantly at the contact and she didn’t let go even in the car, instead using the hand holding her book to push the button for her floor. Darcy hummed some cheerful tune under her breath as they ascended to the residential floors, and Loki wondered at her. Several times, he nearly opened his mouth to restart their conversation, to ask if she cared about his notes or had any intention of reading them or asking him about them and every time, he decided against it. Perhaps the conversation was simply on hold until they had procured this ‘ice cream’.“Sorry about the mess,” Darcy warned as she unlocked her door and invited him in. Jane’s boxes were still everywhere and yikes, she should probably clean up after herself a little more. She didn’t want him thinking she was a slob, eesh. “Jane’s taking her sweet time moving out still. I’ll just be a sec.”She disappeared into what must be her bedroom - he could see a hint of purple walls through the door but little else, and he took the opportunity to look over the rest of the apartment. It was indeed a mess, as she’d said, and he wrinkled his nose at the haphazardly stacked boxes. Dr. Foster was cohabitating with his foolish brother, a move that Loki was sure no one on Asgard knew about since it would cause quite the scandal. Their mother would certainly be making noise about nuptials if she knew, and he felt a pang in his heart thinking of her. He hadn’t seen her in over a year and he didn’t know when or even if he would see her again.Shoving that melancholy thought away, Loki waved a hand at the boxes, dismissing them to Thor’s apartment. It was absurd they were still here but he supposed the happy couple were too busy enjoying the benefits of close quarters to worry about such material things. Loki shuddered at the thought. What his brother and Dr. Foster got up to behind closed doors was, blessedly, none of his concern.Darcy returned quickly but her steps slowed as she noticed how empty the living room was. “Dude, what happened to Jane’s stuff?”“I sent it to her new living space,” he said, voice fading as he looked at her. Once more, she’d removed the bulky sweater she often wore in the labs and once more, he found his mouth dry. She wore a short-sleeved shirt underneath, one that hugged her ample breasts and curves, and dipped into a tantalizing vee at the collar to reveal a glimpse of cleavage and creamy skin. Today’s shirt also happened to be green and he couldn’t help wondering if that was on purpose. Finding his voice again, he added: “It seemed rather inconsiderate of her and Thor to let them muss up your apartment.”Huh. It was true, sure, and she’d planned on needling Jane about it this weekend, maybe casually show up at her front door with a box in hand to get the ball rolling, but Loki had conveniently solved that entire problem for her. Without her asking or even hinting at it. Going up on her tiptoes, she pecked his cheek real quick. “Thank you, Loki. C’mon; there’s an ice cream parlor a couple blocks from here with good reviews.”🍧Loki found himself paralyzed with choice. The establishment, 32+, was small and out of the way, offering only a handful of tables for its patrons. The bulk of the space was given over to a bevy of display coolers, all filled with tub upon tub of colorful ‘ice cream’ - a dessert Darcy had described as a semi-frozen mix of cream and sugar. At the front of each display were neat placards with outlandish names that he could make no sense of, though many had made Darcy laugh. The man behind the counter had long since turned to other tasks waiting for Loki to order and Darcy had taken out her phone, typing rather busily on it while he pursued flavor descriptions for each of the shop’s current set of 32 flavors (the + from their name indicated an additional selection of ‘popsicles’). Certainly, he gravitated more toward the chocolate flavors but there was something about ‘Berry Proud’ that intrigued him. Possibly the lurid purple color…“You can ask for a taste, y’know,” Darcy said beside him, tucking her phone away. There was no hint of impatience in her tone or her body language when he glanced sidelong at her, though there was a heavy dose of amusement. She turned to the employee. “Excuse me. Can he get a sample of - Which one were you thinking of?”“Ah. Berry Proud.” The man passed him a small spoon with a sampling on it and Loki put it in his mouth. It was cold, obviously, but it was silky smooth and as the flavor hit his taste buds fully, his eyes widened and he looked at Darcy.She grinned at his expression; she could practically see the dopamine hitting his brain and it was adorable. “What do you think?”His eyes fluttered shut, humming around the spoon. The berry flavor was floral and intense and the sweetness…He sighed happily. “It’s sublime.”“Good. One scoop of Berry Proud and one of Nut What I Mint, in bowls please.”The employee hopped to, scooping generous servings for them both, and Darcy paid before they took a seat by the window. “Er. Before we get started, could you - ” She waved a hand in a circular motion, wishing she had more than Harry Potter spells for her vocabulary. “ - make sure our conversation is private? I don’t think mom and kiddo over there need to hear us.”She had a point. Their topic of discussion was hardly for children’s ears and he didn’t particularly want anyone older to eavesdrop either. “It’s done. No one will comprehend what we’re saying.”“Thank you.” Popping her spoon in her mouth - the mint and pistachio was delicious, she pulled out her book and dropped it on the table between them. “So, I don’t think I’ve ever actually done this with someone new to the scene so if you have any questions or concerns, I need you to tell me right away. Are you um - are you still interested, knowing I prefer to top?”“Honestly? That’s part of the appeal,” he admitted softly, meeting her eyes for a charged moment before he dropped his gaze to his bowl of ice cream and scraped more of it onto his spoon. “But yes, I’m interested, Darcy, regardless of our roles.”Pursing her lips, she adjusted her glasses. That had…technically answered her question but didn’t tell her his preference. She’d negotiated before with subs who had danced around what they wanted or tried to answer the way they thought she wanted - most of the time it hadn’t been on purpose but she’d still had to coach them to be honest, even if the answer wasn’t what she’d been hoping for.“Loki.” He looked back up at her, eyebrows tilted in question and he looked so absurdly innocent and boyish, it was practically criminal. “Do you want to Dom?”He hesitated. Picturing Darcy on her knees and willing to please had been titillating right up until he’d imagined himself holding her bonds. That kind of power was intoxicating, overwhelming, and he’d lost himself to that madness twice now. He was…tired of it. “I think power of that sort would ill suit me. I'd much rather leave it to you, Darcy. Especially since you say you have professional experience in the area.”“So you want to sub?” she clarified and his nose scrunched like an angry kitten. It was cute but not an answer and she sighed. “Loki, this kind of relationship requires explicit, constant communication. I’ll accept that you don’t want to Dom, but if you don’t like the idea of subbing either - ”“I do!” he interrupted firmly, surprising her. He made a face before admitting: “The terminology leaves much to be desired in my opinion, but I do want to…Eugh. Bottom for you. No, I hate that term too. Is there not something more palatable? Or is it just the two options?” Darcy laughed, relieved he did actually want to play even if he was being absurdly fussy about labels. She cocked an eyebrow slyly. “Well you could always be my good boy.”Just like the first time she’d called him that, Loki felt punched breathless by arousal and he stared at her. She was teasing him and he liked it. “That…works.”Yeah, she could see that with the way he’d instantly flushed and shifted in his seat. She had little doubt he was rocking a chub under the table but she was hardly going to call attention to it in public. Instead, she tugged his notes free from the book and flipped them over - there was a freakin’ wax seal on the back, green of course, embossed with what looked like a ‘greater than’ symbol that she thought might be a rune.“So…I really want to read this,” she assured, tapping a corner of the letter on the table. “But I want to discuss everything with you too, y’know? I’m sure you have questions and I know I do. The way I usually do this is we discuss the basics first: what I expect from a sub, what you expect from a Dom, what you want from our play, and any potential pitfalls you’re already aware of.”“What do you mean by pitfalls?”Darcy bit her lip, darting a look out the window and down at her bowl instead of meeting his eyes. She knew he’d been coerced into attacking Earth and she could read between the lines well enough to guess just how much ‘coercion’ had been used to make Loki compliant. He wasn’t exactly a pushover but she didn’t want to just blurt out ‘torture triggers’ without fair warning. “I mean, like, if you already know you’ll react badly to - I dunno - being tied up or blindfolded or whatever. That’s something I 100% need to know to keep us both safe in a scene.”“Ah.” Loki frowned. That made perfect sense and the book had gone over safety concerns, though he had admittedly not paid that chapter as much attention as it deserved. “I don’t expect you to know every single thing that’ll make you…uncomfortable, especially if you’ve never done anything like this before, but if you think of anything, I need you to let me know. I um, I won’t ask questions about the ‘why’ either. You don’t have to tell me details.”Loki pushed his spoon through his bowl, smearing purple around the white edges. He was…reassured she wasn’t demanding answers and explanations but he didn’t like the way she seemed to know these ‘pitfalls’, as she called them, existed. He’d told no one what had happened in the Void. “I…will consider it. Should there be any concerns, I will tell you of them.”“Okay.” She’d take what she could get and right now, that’s all he was offering. Time to change the subject. “I know a lot of BDSM comes across as leather and whips and pain, but that’s not really how I roll. I prefer to use a softer touch; I’m a gentle Dom. A little bit of pain can be fun but I prefer to focus more on pleasure for pleasure’s sake. I don’t do humiliation or anything that can easily lead to bleeding. Do you - Is that what you’re looking for or were you thinking more of a traditional BDSM partnership?”“I think -” having this conversation in public was a mistake. Under cover of a glamor, he adjusted himself and tried to corral his thoughts. This was a simple discussion. About sex, yes, but that was no reason to behave as though he had no self-control. “- your style will work well for me. I’ve never had an interest in pain in that way and I rather despise humiliation so that won’t be a problem. What do you expect from your…Well, from me?”Man, he really hated the word ‘sub’, didn’t he? It was kind of hilarious but she guessed identifying as submissive couldn’t be anything but a negative trait in a warrior culture like Asgard’s. “I expect you to talk to me. I’m real big on communication so I need to know what works and what doesn’t, what you like or don’t like and how strongly you feel about either side of that. I expect you to tell me that stuff, even - no, especially when you think I don’t want to hear it. I expect you to follow the rules we’ll agree on, and to accept the punishment if you break them. And I expect you to respect my limits, just like you can expect me to respect yours.”He nodded; that all seemed fairly reasonable, but Darcy reached out and touched his hand, looking surprisingly fierce.“...I also expect you to answer me out loud unless I say otherwise. Can you do that for me, Loki?”Oh. He could not recall the last time someone had insisted on him speaking and he nodded again before her words truly sunk in. She made a noise of displeasure, squeezing his hand meaningfully.“Sorry.” He wet his lips. “Yes. That’s all acceptable.”She smiled, pleased, and brushed her thumb back and forth over his hand. “You said you read the book. What parts were you most interested in?”Quite a bit if he was honest, but he’d explained it all in the notes she said she wanted to read. Perhaps he could settle for recounting the highlights. “The sections that were starred were the most…intriguing. I confess: I didn’t realize why they were singled out until I found your note in the back. I think it’s safe to say our interests overlap significantly.”It had been a while since she’d needed to consult the primer and she flipped to the back, wondering what note he was talking about. Oh yeah…She had starred the stuff she liked doing the most and she mentally patted herself on the back for that bit of forethought. It made things easier. “So…light bondage, orgasm control, sensation play, that kind of thing?”“Yes,” he gritted out, swallowing thickly.How in the Nine was she discussing this so casually? Loki shifted in his chair, entirely too aware of his erection pressing against the zip of his trousers. What had he been thinking, agreeing to have this conversation anywhere other than the comfort of his apartment? Even there his poor self-control would have been embarrassing, he supposed, but at least there wouldn’t be a small child staring at him from less than six feet away! He wasn’t sure he’d ever been more thankful for his illusions outside of battle before.Darcy propped her chin up in her hand, her pink tongue broadly licking the back of her spoon. He clenched his fist and thought of the least-arousing things possible: cold baths, Thor, Bilgesnipe rutting season, his grandmother Nox, Thor’s white ass clenching as he fucked some serving maid and hadn’t that been scarring for life. He still avoided that alcove, just in case.“Hey, you okay? We can take a break or be done for tonight.” Or forever, if he was rethinking things. His ‘yes’ had been kind of terse and maybe the realities of BDSM - the seemingly endless non-sexy negotiations and discussions before they ever reached the bedroom - could be a buzzkill, but she wasn’t compromising either of their safety or consent.“No, no.” He chuckled lowly and rubbed a hand over his face before reaching for her hand. “I’m…fine, Darcy. What else would you like us to discuss?”His hand around hers was…nice. She hadn’t held hands with anyone in a while (as long as making sure Jane was beside her while they ran for their literal lives from a giant fire-breathing death-bot didn’t count). “Um, not much really. We’ve covered the basics and we seem to be pretty compatible so far. Oh!” Speaking of Jane… "Can we keep this kinda on the down-low? Private, I mean. ‘Cause er, BDSM still kinda has a bad reputation and well, sex is still pretty taboo.”Ah. He couldn’t rightfully be disappointed, not when he had no desire for anyone to know his preferred role. He could easily imagine the type of mockery he’d have to endure if others knew. “Of course. My lips are sealed.”“Awesome.” With that settled, she managed to pull out her phone without disentangling their hands. “I’m gonna email you a few things to read and look into, just so we both have a better idea of what you like. We can talk it all over tomorrow over dinner, if you’re free.”“I am. And what then?”“You mean when do we have kinky, hot sex?” She laughed at his expression, equal parts abashed and horny, but she considered the question. “We can finish up our negotiations tomorrow, I think, and assuming we don’t hit any hiccups, I think we could probably have our first session sometime next week. Or would you rather keep sessions to the weekends ‘cause that’s fine to-"“Darcy, I have no interest in waiting longer than I must to assuage your concerns regarding compatibility and safety.” He met her eyes across the table and she felt confident that if they weren’t in public, he’d be all over her already. It was hella flattering and she squeezed her thighs together. “A weekday is more than acceptable for our exploits. Though speaking of…I think I would appreciate if these sessions had a consistent schedule.”She watched him swallow uncomfortably and look out the window, and she realized this was a Thing for him. She squeezed his hand; she could give him stability if that’s what he needed. “Yeah, we can do that, Loki. Maybe once a week, every week, on the same day? And at the same time? Will that work?”“Perfectly.” Tension unwound from his chest at her easy capitulation, cluing him into just how important this was. He hadn’t expected his time in the Void to have such far-reaching and unusual consequences, yet here he sat, relieved to have a schedule for sex of all things.“Okay. We can do the same for our post-session talks too - y’know, where we discuss what we liked or didn’t and what we want to do next time.” Because the talking never really stopped with BDSM. “I like to do those over coffee or ice cream or whatever, as like, a little treat.”Loki arched an eyebrow, looking between their empty bowls and her. “Is that why you’ve taken me for both of those things?”“Er, kinda?” She ducked her head, laughing a bit. “But it’s nice, isn’t it? Getting out of the Tower for a bit and having good coffee? Or ice cream, depending.”He supposed, though he had no problem simply staying in the Tower. Navigating sidewalks full of rude and impatient humans who cared little for his personal space was a trial he could do without. “The coffee was good, but I think I prefer this establishment. I quite enjoyed ice cream.”Plus it was quiet. Less than a handful of other patrons had come and gone in the time they’d been here and no one had interrupted their leisurely discussion. “Yeah, mine was good too. We’ll come here again then. Sound good?”“Quite.” There were, after all, 31 other flavors to sample.🍧“You didn’t have to walk me back to my apartment, y’know. The security here is pretty tight,” Darcy chided lightly, digging through her purse for her door keys. Loki rolled his eyes a step behind her as they walked down the hallway. “That’s rather beside the point. It’s the chivalrous thing to do.”And besides, he found he didn’t quite want them to part ways just yet. He’d enjoyed Darcy’s company, even disregarding their fascinating topic of discussion.“Un-huh. Sure.” She didn’t seem convinced if the amused curl to her mouth was any indication. She held her keys aloft successfully, jingling them. “This is me. Obviously. I’ll message you about dinner tomorrow, ‘kay?” She pointed her key at him seriously. “So actually look at your phone, dude. I know you have one. I’ve seen you playing Candy Crush.”Ignoring that blatantly offensive (and woefully accurate) accusation, Loki held his hands up peacefully. “I will keep an eye on the device, I assure you. Provided I can kiss you goodnight.”Darcy’s eyebrows flew up to her hairline. “A goodnight kiss, huh?”It was a daring gambit, yes, but one he thought worthwhile. Shrugging, he grinned boyishly. “Tonight was practically a date by Midgardian standards, was it not? And all our talk is meaningless if we do not share chemistry.”She wasn’t sure if she wanted to roll her eyes or be utterly charmed by his dorkishness. Both. Both works. “I think we’ve got plenty of chemistry, mister, but alright. You can kiss me.”As cool as she was playing it, her stomach was a mess of nerves as she stepped into his space, sliding a hand from his chest to his shoulder for balance. She couldn’t believe Loki, Mr. Superiority-Complex himself, wanted little ol’ human her, but she wasn’t going to question it. Not when he looked at her the way he did, not when his hands engulfed her hips and drew her flush against him and goddamn, that trouser snake of his felt like a frickin’ anaconda.But his lips were soft and sweet against hers and she curled her fingers into his hair. He sighed against her as they traded kisses again and again, both of them unexpectedly content to keep it…innocent. Darcy would’ve expected them to devour each other, her back jammed against the door and him copping a feel, but this was gentle and easy and nearly shy. She couldn’t help smiling as he slowly drew back, dragging in a breath through parted lips.“Darcy…” He hadn’t expected this - this tenderness. His heart felt nearly buoyant in his chest and she was still pressed against him, lightly combing her fingers through his hair.“Loki.” She kissed the corner of his mouth before reluctantly (!?!??) pulling away. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. ‘Night.”“Goodnight, Darcy.”Ignoring the terribly soft look in his eyes, she shut the door between them and knocked her head against its surface. What are you getting into, girl?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Absurd though it was, Loki’s hands were sweating and he wiped them impatiently on his trousers. Tonight would be fine. More than, even. He could still imagine Darcy’s lips moving against his, her body so warm and soft in his arms, and he held fast to the feeling. She hadn’t turned him away when he suggested a goodnight kiss, and her texts confirming dinner tonight had read as positive (excited even, if he read into her use of ‘smilies’). He had no cause to be nervous.Despite that, his heart still raced when he heard a knock at the door and he took a second to inspect his apartment. Everything was as neat and clean as always and he rolled his eyes at himself. He was being ridiculous.Opening the door revealed Darcy on the other side, looking radiant and tempting in a short, tight skirt and pretty, sleeveless top scattered in flowers. She smiled brightly at him. “Hey Loki.”“Hello.” Dragging his eyes up her body, he swallowed down a bolt of lust and stepped aside. “Come in. How are you?”“I’m good, got a lot done today,” she told him, casually looking over his place as she toed off her shoes. In classic Stark style, it was big and upscale, all stainless steel and white tiles, oversized windows and dark woods. It was nice but…impersonal. There wasn’t a single thing in the kitchen or living room that said ‘Loki’ to her other than the stack of books she spied on one of the side tables beside the leather couch. “How about you? Have a good day?”“It was…pleasurable,” he said, meaning the innuendo entirely. “The reading you gave me was quite entertaining.”Darcy set her bag down on the couch, amused. Considering her ‘reading’ list had included a bunch of suggested porn searches, she just bet. “And did you get through everything?”“I did. Would you like something to drink? Wine perhaps? Or water?”“Water for now, thanks. I’ve got a major craving for souvlaki, if you’re okay with Greek?” she checked, pulling up a delivery app on her phone.Taking his cue from her, he brought water for both of them to the couch and folded a leg under him as he sat. “Greek is acceptable but allow me to pay. You’ve treated me these past two days and it’s only right that I return the favor.”Darcy blinked at him. “Do…you even have money? Earth money, I mean. Ugh, American money.”One elegant eyebrow flicked up. “I receive a stipend from SHIELD, yes, and it’s paid in American dollars last I checked. Darcy, did you plan on paying for all our outings yourself?”Well, when he put it like that…“Kinda?” “That's ridiculous,” he chastised lightly, laughter threading through the words and taking out any sting. “Let me pay for dinner.”“Fine, fine. I’m not gonna argue about it.” She checked off the meal combo she wanted and passed the phone over to him so he could make his choice. While he pursued the menu, Darcy took the BDSM primer and his notes out of her bag, setting the book on the cushion between them and unfolding the parchment. “I gotta say: you have quite the way with words.”Placing the order with the credit card SHIELD had issued him, Loki handed back her phone. He was uncertain what she meant, whether it was positive or negative, and he settled for a simple: “Oh?”“Yeah.” His notes had been practically poetry in some places and the insights he gave into Asgardian culture, specifically their ideas about sex, were so vivid, she could almost imagine she’d been there. “I um, couldn’t put them down to be honest. And I maybe read them more than once. Or twice…”“I’m flattered. As I said -” He tipped his head to the parchment, “- Asgard has no such concept of BDSM and I found myself quite enthralled by the ideas presented in your book. I don't mean to sound like a braggart but I’ve had my fair share of lovers and none of what we did compares.”“Really? I would’ve thought with all the leather, you guys might have something similar.” And who knew? Just because Loki didn’t know about it didn’t mean it wasn’t happening behind closed doors. BDSM had been closeted for decades or more before it gained traction in popular media as a normal thing on Earth. “And you and whoever never did any like, role-playing or spanking or anything?” Colour filled his cheeks and Loki drank from his glass. Somehow he hadn’t considered Darcy would ask so pointedly about his past experiences in the bedroom. How foolish of me. “Perhaps the occasional…blindfolding or hair-pulling, but nothing of particular note. Certainly nothing as…organized or in-depth as this.”“We don’t have to dive into the deep-end with this, Loki,” she assured, reaching out and putting her hand on his knee. “We can take it slow if you want. Just have regular sex and introduce the things you like one at a time or whatever.”Loki contemplated the way her thumb swept back and forth over the bunches in fabric at his bent knee. His chest tightened at the touch but not unpleasantly. “You would do that for me?”“Yeah, if that’s what you want. I only suggested BDSM ‘cause you seemed like you might be into it but I don’t want you to feel like it’s a requirement if it’s overwhelming you.”“Overwhelming isn’t quite the word I’d use.” It was…amusing that she seemed to want to protect him but it was entirely unnecessary. He took up her hand, marveling at how small and delicate it was, and pressed his lips to her knuckles. “I think ‘excited’ is more fitting.”She blushed, annoyed at herself for it. It was just a hand kiss, and so what if he was a literal prince? That was no reason to go swooning. Clearing her throat, she pulled her hand back. “Excited is good. We can work with excited. Uh, I’ve got a basic interest checklist here I want you to go through. I’ve already done mine and you can look at it first or go over it as you fill yours out or whatever.”“May I read yours first?”She handed him her tablet but hesitated at the last second, eyeing him critically. “My answers aren’t going to influence yours, are they?”He rolled his eyes. “When have you ever known my opinions to be so easily swayed? Give it to me.”Give it to me…Mm, she could almost imagine him demanding her fingers or strap-on like that. But not yet.“Alright, alright, sorry! Here ya go. Anything in red is a hard limit which mea-"“Which means it’s non-negotiable and not a line to be crossed under any circumstance,” Loki explained. “I did do the readings you gave me, Darcy.”“Fine then, mister. Anything in orange is a soft limit which means…?”His mouth pinched in the corner and she wasn’t sure if it was in amusement or annoyance or a mix of both. “It is negotiable but something over which you hesitate or require certain parameters to be met before you would willingly do the activity. Now would you like to continue quizzing me or may I read your list?”She gave him leave and he bent his head to the tablet. Darcy appeared to have at least some experience with most of the activities listed, though her own interest varied considerably. Fortunately for him, the activities he was most intrigued by largely matched with the ones Darcy expressed enthusiastic interest in and he grew hard imagining all the scenarios they could engage in. In the privacy of his apartment, with Darcy beside him as they discussed this relationship, he saw no need to hide the evidence of his arousal.Her comments largely stated her preference to Dom for each activity but there were some she enjoyed being on the receiving end for - sex acts obviously, but she apparently liked being bound, blindfolded, and spanked, amongst other things. His stomach and prick warred at the idea of doing those things for her; on one hand, the visual of Darcy enjoying herself those ways made him groan in want but wouldn’t he have to be the dominant partner for that?“What’s up?” Her voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked over at her. “You look worried about something.”Did he share his concerns? He could keep himself in check to give her what she wanted, couldn’t he? But safety was paramount with BDSM and he had no wish to risk hers. His mouth twisted unhappily and she reached out, lightly rubbing the crease between his eyebrows.“Loki, whatever it is, it’s okay,” she assured and he wanted to press into her touch. “Tell me.”Her tone was only fractionally demanding but he still gave in immediately. “Very well. I… You’ve indicated you enjoy certain things that would require me to be in control and I…I’m not sure I’m interested in that role.”She scooched over on the couch to see what he was looking at exactly and he highlighted the sections for her automatically. “Okay, I see why you’d assume you have to be a Dom for those, because if I was doing them to you, I’d be the Dom, right?” He nodded. “But think of it this way: if I tell you to hm…tie me up and spank me, then you’re just being my good boy by obeying, aren’t you?”“O-oh.” He flushed, shifting in his seat, and she grinned. He really, really liked being called that. “That um -” He cleared his throat, trying to smooth his expression, “- That’s acceptable.”She pulled up a fresh form for him and he angled his body and the screen so she could comfortably read over his shoulder. It made sense for her to review his answers as he wrote them, even if he had to firmly quash a wave of self-consciousness. Darcy was hardly going to judge his preferences.“I don’t believe explanations are required for my hard limits, are they?” he asked, looking askance at her as his finger hovered over ‘Immobilization’. She had been the one to bring up his so-called ‘pitfalls’ after all, and he had considered them after they parted ways the night before.“No,” she said softly, resting her hand on his knee. “I just need to know what they are, not why you have them, Loki.”That was a relief. Talking about the previous year of his life would dampen the mood considerably, he expected, and he’d rather not dwell on those memories.“Hmm. I’m uncertain if spanking would be titillating or merely put me in mind of being an unruly child.”Darcy couldn’t help laughing, drawing out a smile of his own. “Yeah, that’s a pretty common worry. We can try it out though. If it makes you feel like a kid getting in trouble, then we won’t do it again, and if it makes you horny, we’ll keep it in rotation. Easy-peasy.”“As you say.” He was impressed by how unperturbed she was that he may or may not like it. It was reassuring in a way. He carried on filling in the list, pausing next at ‘coming on partner’. Glancing sidelong at Darcy, he opined: “I’d much rather come inside my partner all things being equal, but I bow to your preference of course.”“Mmm, you will, won’t you?” Imagining him doing just what she told him, she slid her hand along his thigh and he inhaled sharply before pressing his leg further into her touch. Cutie. “Actually, that reminds me...”Clearing her throat, she adjusted her glasses and twisted so she could face him better. “I’m on the pill - an oral contraceptive. Will that work on you?”He tilted his head thoughtfully. “I see no reason it shouldn’t but regardless, I know several preventative enchantments.”“And they’re guaranteed?” He stared at her in slack-jawed offense but she merely stared back, eyebrow raised expectantly.“Yes, they’re guaranteed! What do you take me for? An irresponsible imbecile, sowing my seed through the Realms and leaving behind dozens of bastard children?” he scoffed angrily. Never in all his centuries - ! He wasn’t Fandral.“Well, no. Not dozens. I was thinking like, one or two.” Loki’s mouth fell open in an ‘o’, horrified and indignant, and she snorted, shoving his arm. “Chill out, dude, I’m not serious. I don’t exactly have a lot of experience with magic, okay? The pill’s only like, 99% effective in laboratory settings so I’m just wondering if your voodoo is similarly effective ‘cause I’m not into being your baby mama.”“Nor am I interested in fatherhood, in absentia or otherwise. My enchantments are entirely effective, Darcy.” His tone brooked no argument, not that that would stop her. Lucky for him, she believed him and if nothing else, she wasn’t about to stop taking her birth control.“Alright, good. Second question: are there any space diseases I should worry about catching if we bump uglies? I’m disease-free, by human standards anyway.”“As am I.”She nodded, feeling stupidly nervous over her next question. It doesn’t matter, she told herself firmly, but the way her heart was trying to climb out her throat suggested otherwise. “Er, do you…plan on sleeping with anyone else while we do this? You can! If you want. I mean - we just need to take precautions if that’s the case.”She thought he’d take another lover? It was…flattering, he supposed. Or possibly insulting, depending on how he looked at it. Regardless: “I rather think I’ll have my hands full with just you, Darcy. In the unlikely event that should change, I will be sure to let you know.”“Right.” She bit her lip. Inexplicably, her heart had dropped down to her stomach. That hadn’t been the firm declaration of monogamy part of her had apparently been hoping for. WTF, Darce? They weren’t dating, they were just negotiating a BDSM contract. Feelings had no say here. “As long as I’m your only sexual partner, then we can forego condoms and er, exchange bodily fluids should the situation arise."There was a knock at the door, startling them both, and Darcy practically threw herself off the couch to answer it, hoping to leave her weird feelings behind. “That must be dinner! I’ll get it, if you get plates and stuff? I’d do it but I don’t exactly know my way around your kitchen and you’d probably have to end up taking over and -” Oh God, she was babbling and she wanted to slap her hands over her mouth to forcibly shut herself up since her brain couldn’t seem to do it itself. Quit making it weird, girl!Loki checked the wards he had carved into the doorframe as soon as he’d taken up residence and confirmed it was indeed their delivery person at the door (one could never be too safe, he’d found). “By all means, Darcy.”He saved his file, surreptitiously watching as she scurried to the door. That skirt certainly emphasized her less obvious assets, but he exhaled, redirecting his thoughts. There was still much for them to discuss, he surmised, before sex was on the table. While Darcy confirmed their order with the poor sod sent to deliver it, he conjured place settings for them both on the kitchen island that served as his dining table.“Thanks!” Darcy called into the hall, hip-checking the door shut before dancing to the kitchen. “Oh man, this smells so good.”“Would you like something else to drink or more water?”“Actually, I think I’ll go for that wine now, thanks.” One glass wouldn’t hurt and she doubted he was a light-weight, or that Earth wine could even affect him for that matter. She set their respective meals at their seats and popped her styrofoam lid open, drooling. “Greek potatoes, my beloved, come to momma.”Loki chuckled outright at that, all deep and velvety and amused. “Shall I leave you and the potatoes alone?”“What, no!” She carved a corner of pure deliciousness off one of the potato halves and speared it before offering it to him. “Get in on this party. Try it, c’mon.”Amused, he closed his hand around hers, steadying the fork, and accepted her offering. Darcy met his eyes, a delicate pink rising in her cheeks, as he sealed his lips around the tines and slowly pulled back, releasing her hand.“Mmm, that is good.” The morsel practically melted in his mouth and he could understand her love for them. “Would you like to try some of mine?”“Oh, sure.”He cut into his stuffed pepper and offered her a forkful of the fragrant rice and tomatoes. She leaned forward and parted her lips, giving him an expectant look that heated his blood. Carefully, he leaned closer and fed her the bite, wondering if she’d found this as arousing when he’d done it a moment ago. I certainly hope so.She hummed, chewing, and wiped her mouth with the edge of her thumb. “Good choice. I might have to get that next time.”They dug into their respective meals, knees knocking gently under the counter. It was nice, sharing a meal with somebody else, even if they were too busy eating to speak much. She hadn’t realized it, but she’d missed this since Jane had moved out. They’d never been great at sticking to a consistent food schedule but they’d always eaten together. Lately, Darcy had been settling for a bowl of cereal on the couch whenever she remembered to eat (usually around the time she had to turn lights on because the apartment had gotten too dark).Sipping her wine, she revived their earlier conversation. “What day works best for you?”He startled, blinking at her over the napkin he was wiping his mouth with. “I have no particular preference…or any other engagements we need schedule around. What day works best for you?”“I don’t exactly have what you’d call an ‘active’ social life.” She made finger-quotes and everything. “I’m always free, but hmm…I’m kinda leaning to the beginning of the week? I don’t want to make you wait too long after all.”She winked, grinning, and Loki couldn’t help matching it. “How considerate of you. Monday evening would make for a delightful beginning to the week, but then so would Sunday, would it not?”“Geez, you’re not going to suggest tonight too?” she teased, shaking her head at him. She had a bit of sauce in the corner of her mouth and he reached out to wipe it away with his thumb, curling his fingers against her cheek. “Would you say yes?”“Nope.” She sucked the tzatziki off his thumb, watching his eyes dilate and his Adam’s apple bob. It was a heady thing, having this power over him, and it was so tempting to give in but: “We still have too much to talk about, mister. But I like the sounds of sinful Sundays. And ice cream on Wednesdays to talk it over?”“Certainly,” he agreed roughly then cleared his throat. “Er, is after dinner acceptable for Sundays and after work on Wednesdays?”“Certainly,” she parroted back, eyes twinkling. “I can’t say how long each session will be - they vary depending on what we have planned and how much aftercare you need slash want, but rule of thumb is to put aside a couple of hours. Our ice cream chat doesn’t have to take long. Maybe 20 minutes? But I’ll put aside an hour for it so we’re not rushed. Sound good?”He nodded. “I’ll plan accordingly. Did you have a…location in mind?”She propped her cheek on her hand, considering him. “Where do you want to play, Loki? My bedroom or yours?”“...Both have merit.”Called it. He was doing the thing again, where he avoided giving an opinion so he wouldn’t contradict hers, whatever it ended up being. It wasn’t a tic she would’ve guessed he’d have but she’d just have to work around it. “I guess they do, but I want you to pick.”His brow furrowed. While Darcy’s bedroom held the allure of the unknown, his own had the benefit of familiarity and though he hated to admit it, he was uncertain of the precise etiquette following aftercare. If it was set for a certain amount of time, would she dismiss him from her abode as soon as that time was up? He didn’t really think she was so callous but the worry nagged at his thoughts. “I suppose my own, if you’re comfortable with that.”“I am,” she stated plainly. “We’ll have our sessions in your bedroom.”He could hardly argue with that when she spoke so decidedly. “Very well. More wine?”Darcy swirled the last little bit around the bottom of her glass, debating, before she shook her head. Better not risk it. “No thanks, but I’ll take another glass of water, please.”He vanished their cutlery and empty takeout containers and conjured a pitcher of ice water since she seemed to favor it tonight. Refilling their water glasses, he inquired: “Do you not care for wine?”“No, I do. I just don’t like mixing alcohol with play,” she shrugged, leading the way back to the couch and curling up in a corner. “Not that I’d be like, drunk off my ass if I had a second glass or anything, but I prefer to be totally clear-headed for this stuff, even if we’re just talking about it.”He scooped her tablet up off the cushion where he’d left it and took its place on the couch, the water pitcher floating to the coffee table for their use. “I’m placing myself in safe hands then, if you take this much care when all we have planned is talking.”“Of course! I take my role as a Dom hella seriously, Loki. You’re trusting me to take care of you in inherently vulnerable scenarios, to help you enjoy things that maybe you’re not 100% comfortable with. Your safety and pleasure are my responsibility and I would never do anything that could jeopardize either of those things. If that means I can’t indulge in a little wine on Sunday night, that’s totally worth it.”Loki was staring at her and she turned red, shifting back off the arm she’d leaned forward on while she went on her little rant. She averted her eyes, sipping her water, and muttered: “Anyway, I just mean that, yeah, you’re safe with me, Loki. You can trust me.”How was he supposed to not kiss her? She was so passionate about this, with her eyes bright and snapping and color high in her cheeks, looking utterly beautiful. She’d sat back and he followed after her, setting his glass aside so he could take her chin in his fingers and draw her face to his. “I do, Darcy. I trust you.”She tapped him on the nose, making him go cross-eyed, and it was hard not to laugh or dart in and kiss him like he clearly wanted. “Thank you. But calm down, mister. You can get a goodnight kiss if you’re good but I wanna go over rules and punishment still, and you still have to finish your list.”He groaned, retreating to his side of the couch in defeat, and she couldn't hold back her laugh this time. "C'mon, haven't you ever had to work for something before, Your Highness?""Often," he grumbled under his breath, picking up the tablet and making short work of the rest of his list (the only points of contention were the activities necessitating a third partner to which he gave a resounding 'no'. He was far too jealous to share).Darcy took the tablet back once he was done, skimming over his answers again. They weren’t an exact match, which would’ve been weird and put her on guard, but Loki’s interests did seem a tailor-made fit for her style of Domming and she subtly pressed her thighs together. She could barely wait to get started but her resolve couldn’t crumble now or she’d have no authority with him. Damn it!Making herself relax, she brought up what she figured would be the real sticking point with a God of Mischief: rules. “So I have a few rules in mind already but I wanna remind you this is a discussion and negotiation. I have no problem explaining my reasoning if you want, and I’m okay with making adjustments to better suit us both, okay? There’s only like, one or two that I’m setting in stone. But I want to hear your thoughts on all of them, Loki, and if you have any rules you want to add, tell me.”He hesitated to nod. Her rules could not chafe any more than the ones he’d lived under on Asgard as a Prince of the Realm, nor the ones he lived under here on Midgard. But still… She was right: there was an inherent vulnerability to sex and certain rules could serve to increase that vulnerability. But this was Darcy - he did trust her with this and she was far too kind to take advantage of his interest, in her or BDSM. He nodded.Damn it! Darcy bit the inside of her cheek and resisted the urge to be so dramatic as to pinch the bridge of her nose. Either he’d forgotten or he hadn’t taken her that seriously but either way, now was kind of the perfect time to bring it up again. “Rule number one that I’m not budging on? You have to answer me verbally, Loki. Always. Nodding or shaking your head or shrugging isn’t enough. I want to hear you.”“I had no idea you enjoyed hearing me speak so much, Darcy. I can be as loquacious as you wish,” he said but in truth, he felt wrong-footed. She wanted him to speak? She’d said as much last night, yes, but he couldn’t quite reconcile it in his mind. Surely she’d come to regret her little edict.“You’re such a brat,” she laughed brightly as he’d hoped and poked him in the arm. “Joke all you want, but I mean it, Loki. Answer me out loud or else.”“Or else what?” he asked playfully, but something knotted in his stomach, tensing. Or else had never accompanied anything good in his life.“Or else we stop what we’re doing.” Confusion swept over his face and she wondered what he’d expected her to say. “I mean, I’ll remind you if it just happens once or twice but y’know, ‘third strike and you’re out’. If I have to remind you to talk three times, obviously something’s wrong or you’re not into what we’re doing. So we’ll stop playing and talk it out.”“...Ah. That’s -” Not what he would’ve predicted in a hundred lifetimes. Or else had never been something so utterly…benign and he felt a weight lift off his chest. “- perfectly acceptable. I’ll do my best to answer you aloud when it’s required, Darcy.”“It’s required whenever we’re playing,” she clarified pointedly, looking at him over the top of her glasses.A small smile curled in the corner of his mouth. “As you say, Darcy.”She still felt a bit like he was humoring her but she figured that was as good as it was going to get. “Right. Rule two: no insulting us mere mortals. A) your and Asgard’s superiority complex is totally unfounded and b) it would seriously undermine our power exchange. I mean, how can I have control over you if I’m just a weak, dumb, short-lived, little human?”Loki opened his mouth to argue and then shut it, propping his fist in front of his mouth as he considered her and what she’d said. “You…have a point.”“That Asgard’s superiority is complete bullshit and speciest propaganda?”He gave her a look and corrected: “That it would undermine our dynamic. I’ll agree not to disparage your species while we’re playing, but if I should slip up?”“Then I’ll have to punish you.”“And what would that entail? Or am I not permitted to know in advance?”“Of course you can know. Punishment has to be something we both agree is fair, not something I unilaterally decide on. This isn’t a monarchy.” She couldn’t resist the dig and he breathed a laugh. She continued: “I think a fair punishment would be to leave the bedroom for say, thirty minutes? So you can quietly think about why we have this rule, why we both agreed to it, and why I might be upset that you broke it. Does that sound fair to you?”“Would we return to the bedroom after?”She made a face. “That really depends on how we’re both feeling after - if the mood’s still there, y’know? If we both still feel like getting freaky after, then sure, of course, but I can’t guarantee it.”“That’s acceptable then.” He didn’t particularly like it but then it was a punishment. He wasn’t supposed to like it. “What else?”“Er…” This one she had serious doubts about: about whether she really wanted it as a rule or whether he’d even entertain it. “Hear me out on this one before you blow up at me, okay? I um, kinda think we should put limits on your magic when we play.”“Explain.”Nervously, she pushed her glasses back up her nose and hoped she didn’t fuck this up entirely. “How can I Dom you when you can magic yourself out of any situation I come up with? Never mind your super strength but if I tie you up, who says you won’t just magic yourself free? It’s another power imbalance, and not one I can counteract in any meaningful way since I don’t have magic.”“Who says I would try and get free?” he countered frostily. “I am putting myself in your hands willingly, am I not, Darcy?”“Yeah, you are.” She frowned, struggling to parse what exactly he was getting at, and when she thought she had it, her face fell. “Loki, I would never tie you up without your permission. I meant if you tried to get free playfully, to be a brat and annoy me, that’s all.”He tilted his head, voice thawing out a dozen degrees. “Why would I wish to annoy you when we’re playing?”She snorted a laugh, giving him a knowing look. “Because you love annoying me? Isn’t that kinda what got us here in the first place?”It was but: “I hadn’t thought that type of behavior would be permissible in the bedroom. Surely you require your partner to be, well…submissive, don’t you?”“Being a submissive doesn’t require being passive, Loki. I don’t want to play with a doll, I wanna play with you. You can snark back or refuse orders or I dunno, misinterpret them, whatever you want, I don’t mind. Hm, actually, okay, I’ll let you know if you start pissing me off, but if it’s all in good fun, then -” She shrugged loosely, smiling. “Why not? I’m actually surprised you even agreed to any of this thinking you just had to like, lay there and think of Asgard.”“To clarify: you…want me to be a ‘brat’ and disrupt your plans and generally annoy you when we’re playing?” That sounded incredibly unrealistic, there was no way - “If you want, and within reason. Don’t try to piss me off, but yeah. You’re the God of Mischief. It’d be pretty stupid of me to expect you not to be mischievous every now and then, or all the time. Whatever you want, Loki. If you want to be bratty one week and not the next or three weeks in a row or -"He chuckled, unexpectedly relieved in a way he couldn’t quite name, and swept his fingers up and down the bare skin of her arm. “Peace, Darcy. I understand your meaning. I may be true to my nature, even when we play, but you do not require me to be…constantly mischievous.”“Yes! Exactly! But um -” She bit her lip. He was smiling so contentedly and she hated to take it away but she had to finish this conversation. “- about the magic thing…I’m not saying you can never use it. If there’s some sort of emergency situation or whatever, then yeah, of course you can use your magic, and I can think of a few ways magic could make things hella hot in the bedroom, but not without my permission.”Exhaling deeply, he debated her proposition. There would be nothing actually limiting his seidr, just an agreement between them, and he had faith in his ability to convince her to give him leeway. He traced his fingers down her arm to her hand, tangling their fingers. “Seidr.”“What?”“What you call magic is more accurately termed seidr. If you’re going to have a say over when and, presumably, how I use it, I’d appreciate you using the correct word.”Oh. Oh, he was agreeing? Holy shit! She squeezed his hand and sounded out the foreign word: “Say-der. Okay. And if you slip up, well…I mean, I guess it wouldn’t be fair of me to blame you - you’ve been using mag - seidr - for longer than the English language has been around! So how about this? If you slip up, I’ll give you three warnings; third warning means leaving the bedroom and thinking about why we have this rule. Does that sound okay?”Not precisely. He could understand her reasoning, and if he were in her position - human, without seidr, with a partner who did have it - he may even have come up with the same rule. None of that meant he liked it though. But the ‘punishment’ was light and he couldn’t imagine walking away. “Yes, that is tolerable.”Disentangling their hands, Darcy quickly typed the rule out in the document she was putting together. She switched back to his interest form, doing another skim through. “You’re interested in forced orgasms. What about multiple orgasms?”His mouth went dry, heat curling low in his belly. “I’m amenable.”“What about a combination?”He busied himself with refilling his glass, lest he reach for her and snap the fraying thread of his control. After gulping down cold water, he managed a hoarse: “Yes.”“Hmm…” She was driving him crazy, she knew. The poor boy looked pained and his hands were closed so tight around his glass, she was worried it was going to shatter. Not to mention the impressive bulge in his pants. “Have you ever tried edging? Where you get close but stop just before orgasm, again and again and again?”Loki made an inarticulate, needy kind of noise, looking down into his glass like he was contemplating trading it for hard liquor or maybe dumping it over his head. “I -” Mortifyingly, his voice cracked and he cleared his throat quickly. “I’ve only done that alone and infrequently, but if you want to, I’m more than open to it.”She hid her grin behind the tablet, feeling giddy. She was going to wreck him in the best way. “Alright, then keeping all that in mind, I have one last rule: you can’t come until I say so.”He sucked in a less-than-steady breath. Unlike her other rules, he didn’t have to think about this one or couch it in ten words when one would do. “Yes.”Her smile was bright and teasing and he wanted to kiss it - her - desperately. “‘Yes’? That’s it? You’ll let me decide when you come? No arguments or debates?”“Yes,” he repeated, wetting his lips as his thoughts darted ahead. Did he dare…? “On one condition.”“Oh, here we go!” she laughed, rolling her eyes, but he wasn’t dissuaded.“Let me have a sample. Tonight. Now.” he said lowly, meeting her big, blue eyes; they widened in surprise and he pushed onward, heart thudding hard against his breastbone. “Let me see what it’s like, having you dominate me, and I’ll agree to all your rules without argument, Darcy.”She shivered, his baritone washing over her and adding to the wetness at her core. She was tempted. So, so tempted. She could say no, make him wait until tomorrow, but… She didn’t really want to. “You read about the stoplight system. What do the colors mean, Loki?”That…That sounded like it could be an agreement and he swallowed his shock, quickly answering: “Red means stop, yellow means slow down and/or check in, and green means continue.”“Good. I’ll always listen to your color. But if you need to end a session immediately, have you picked your safeword?”He had. “Mjolnir.”“Myuh-myuh?”“Mjolnir,” he repeated, exasperated at her continued butchering of the word. He was amused too, but that was neither here nor there. “I can’t imagine any reason I would say it outside of its use as my safeword. I assume you have one as well?”“Pineapple.” She stuck her tongue out at him when he made a judgy face. “What? It’s not a word I’ll use otherwise when we’re getting hot and heavy, and I’ll have you know fruits are like, the most common safewords.”He held his hands up, eyes crinkling adorably. “I believe you. Our safewords are mjolnir and…pineapple. What now?”Slowly and deliberately, Darcy took off her glasses, folding the arms and setting them with a quiet click on the coffee table. Her prescription was pretty weak and she mostly wore them to help with the strain of staring at computer’s all day and night, so she could navigate fine without them. Which was good since they tended to get in the way of makeouts and sexy times.“Now you show me your bedroom, Loki.”With arousal burning in his veins, Loki managed to set his glass aside and lever off the couch; there was little point in adjusting his trousers - his erection was obvious and had been for some time, long enough for him to have caught her peeking. Chivalrously, he held out a hand to Darcy and she took it, allowing him to help her up and lead her to the bedroom.It was nothing compared to his rooms on Asgard, though he understood it was still quite opulent and large for an apartment in this city. Still, part of him wished he was showing her the bedroom he’d inhabited for more than ten centuries with its lush furs and indulgent velvets, all rich green and deep black against glints of gold. Of course, if they were on Asgard, he would not be wound half so tight with interest and excitement, wondering what she had in store for him.Darcy darted a critical look around the room; it was bigger than her and Jane’s rooms combined and the bed matched of course. The tufted headboard wasn’t ideal for bondage, nor was the lack of a footboard but she figured Loki could magic up a solution if she asked. There was a little more personality here then out in the main rooms - he obviously appreciated comfort, if he’d chosen the half a dozen blankets on the bed and the bevy of different pillows, all in lux fabrics and shades of green. She nodded to herself; she could work with that.He stopped at the foot of the bed, obviously waiting for her instruction as he rubbed the palm of his left hand. There was no denying he was eager for them to start but he looked so sweetly nervous and uncertain. God, the things she wanted to do with him, to him…Licking her lips, she said: “Get on the bed, Loki. Sit with your back against the headboard.”“Should I undress?”She shook her head. He’d look fucking gorgeous naked, she was sure, but… "Not tonight. On the bed, sweetie.”He flushed, ducking his head at the pet name as he somehow made climbing into bed look regal and graceful. The shuffling wiggle he did to get his back against the headboard was much more awkward and she bit down on a laugh. She followed suit, clambering up until she was kneeling flush against his side, knees pressing against his thigh and hip.“Are you comfortable?” she asked softly, carding a hand through the hair at the back of his neck. It was exactly as silky soft as it looked.He shivered and tried not to melt at her delicate touch, at her breasts pushed against his arm, and the gentle heat of her body so close to his. He nodded, then remembered her odd rule about him speaking. “Yes.”“Good. Do you still want that kiss, honey?” “Norns yes,” he breathed, reaching for her eagerly and sealing their mouths together. Last night’s kiss had been nearly chaste but this…This was scorching. He licked into her mouth at the first opportunity and she sighed, letting him slide his tongue against hers and tangle his hand in the hair behind her ear. It felt so good, being wanted like this, being kissed like this - Darcy nearly couldn’t remember the last time she’d been made to feel this way. But she had plans. Shifting up on her knees, she took control, deepening the kiss until he moaned under her, his head thunking gently against the headboard as she pressed him back.Slowly, she withdrew, sweeping her thumb over his swollen lips. He was beautiful under her, his eyes blown wide and his cheeks flushed, and he kissed the pad of her thumb.“Darcy…”“You’ve been neglected, sweetheart. Let’s fix that.” She trailed a hand lazily down his chest to his belt, relishing his ragged gasp. “Undo your pants, Loki. I want to see you.”Something about the way she said it - the near whisper against his mouth or the slightest emphasis on ‘you’ perhaps - had his eyes closing and gooseflesh rising on his skin, even as he hastened to comply. He made quick work of his belt and trouser fastenings and boldly freed his cock, hissing as the cooler air of the room hit his heated skin. He was red and engorged, his foreskin peeled back fully, and his slit practically wept precum.“Aren’t I a lucky Dom, getting to play with this, hm?” she purred, sliding her hand firmly along his thigh. His cock twitched, all eight, thick, inches of him that curved just a little to the left and God, he was going to feel so fucking good inside her…When she eventually let him. For now, she’d just have to imagine and break out her dildos when she went home tonight. “Why don’t you show me what you like, Loki? Touch yourself for me, sweetheart; go ahead.”Oh. He swallowed hard; he’d thought - he’d never…done this with someone watching but he was far from opposed. Wrapping a hand around his prick, he jerked up, shuddering at the sensation, and smeared his precum around the head, slicking himself up. Darcy’s gaze was heavy on him and while there was a prickling of self-consciousness still, it was invigorating too. She watched avidly as he worked himself, tentatively at first then relaxing into it, moving rougher and faster. She took mental notes: a tightening there, a twist here, pay extra attention to the ridge of his head, a lighter touch for his frenulum. Loki worked the edge of his thumb in his slit, a muffled grunt escaping his mouth, and she wondered…“Are you always so quiet, honey?”“Um.” It took a second for him to marshal his thoughts on the matter and she laughed softly, kissing his cheek and effectively distracting him from his answer.“I’d like it if you made noises, Loki. It helps me know what’s working, what’s driving you crazy,” she explained, curling her fingers in his hair and tugging lightly. A moan tripped past his lips, head falling back against the headboard as he kept jerking his cock. Kissing along his cheek to his ear, she whispered: “I wanna hear you come apart, sweetie.”“Fuck,” he gasped as she sucked on his earlobe. “Darcy…Norns, Darcy, kiss me.”“Are you gonna tell me when you’re close, like a good boy? Remember: you can’t come unless I say so.”He groaned, squeezing the base of his prick to stave off a sudden burst of pleasure. “That’s - that’s not helping things, calling me that.”“Come here, Loki,” she chuckled, cupping the far side of his jaw and drawing his mouth to hers. She was learning he liked open-mouthed kisses best as he eagerly sucked and nibbled on her lips, sweeping his tongue inside as soon as she let him. She shifted, rubbing her thighs together, trying to get some friction to her clit because she really kinda badly wanted to swing her leg over his lap and ride him til she screamed. But that was less ‘a sample’ and more the whole package. Damn it, she should’ve waited until tomorrow but he was just so tempting… Burying her hands deeper into his hair, she yanked his head back so she could brush barely-there kisses against his swollen lips. Between them, his fist was still working, making little ‘plap-plap’ noises.“Dar - Darcy,” he panted, face screwing up and straining toward her. “I’m almost…I’m going -"“Stop.”His eyes snapped open at the order, staring at her in shock. “Wha - what?”“You heard me.” She bit down on a grin at his obvious disbelief, striving to keep her expression even. She injected that little extra bit of authority into her voice and told him: “Let go of your dick, Loki, and put your hands on your thighs.”He swallowed hard and debated ignoring her. It wouldn’t take much more to push himself over but… He couldn’t deny how exciting this was. He set his palms on his thighs as she’d told him, digging his fingertips into his trousers to calm himself.“Look at you, about to pop but still listening to me,” she praised, watching him squirm with his nose scrunched and fingers twitching. “What’s your color?”He turned to her quizzically. They weren’t doing anything…? But he hoped they continued, so: “Green.”“Good. I don’t want this to end just yet, do you?”“No.”Darcy smiled, tucking some loose hair behind his ear and rubbing her thumb there, a gesture that made him sigh and lean toward her. “I want you to breathe for a bit, okay? Slow and easy. I’m not going anywhere and we have time to drag this out as long as we want.”She was going to be the death of him. Or at least this ‘edging’ business was. But he complied, slowing his breathing down. He was very much aware of the arousal still coursing through his veins, his cock still erect and on display, but he tried to put it out of his mind. Just sitting with Darcy like this, close and comfortable and warm, was…nice. Her every breath pushed her breasts against his arm and he pinched his mouth tightly - thinking about undressing Darcy and laving his attention on her ample bosom was not helping him ‘calm down’.Lightly, she traced a finger between his knitted eyebrows and down the proud slope of his nose. “Whatcha thinking, sweetheart? You’re frowning.”Slanting his eyes at her, he huffed. “Vanishing your clothes and sucking on your no-doubt lovely nipples.”Fucking yes please! Except no, bad Darcy! As amazing as giving in would definitely be, she couldn’t. That wasn’t part of the game, giving him exactly what he wanted right off the bat. Plus, as she firmly reminded herself, this was supposed to be a freakin’ sample of how she Dommed, of how she ran a session and controlled him, not ‘How to Make Darcy Lewis Come in Ten Minutes or Less’.“Maybe next time,” she hedged. “Think you’re ready to go again or not yet?”“Touch me and find out,” he dared and her plump lips curled in amusement.“Oh it’s like that, is it? You think you get to call the shots here?” she asked archly. “Y’know, I was thinking about it, jerking you off and letting you come all over my hand. But now I’m not so sure. Maybe this was ‘sample’ enough and I should leave you hanging until tomorrow, hm?”Loki bit his tongue. Why would you push, you idiot? How could he rectify this and achieve his goal? “Surely you can forgive me my inexperience, my lady. This is only my first session and I’m still growing used to the expectations of my role. I am ready whenever you see fit. If you see fit,” he amended.“God, does anyone ever manage to say no to you?” she laughed brightly, taking him by surprise. She didn’t wait for his answer (yes, almost daily) but darted in and kissed him. “I’ll forgive you, you sweet talker, if you promise to call me ‘my lady’ again. I like it.”“Of course, my lady,” he murmured against her lips, smiling when she kissed him again. She felt his smile widen as her hand crept down his chest and stomach, stopping just short of his dick. “Can I touch you, Loki?”“Norns yes,” he hissed, kissing her eagerly until she pulled back and wrapped her palm and fingers firmly around his cock. “Fuck! Darcy, please -”“Relax, sweetheart,” she crooned, sliding his foreskin up and down with delicious friction. “I’ll take care of you.”She imitated his moves from earlier, touching him just the way he touched himself. He could so easily close his eyes and lose himself in the sensation but her small hand wrapped so confidently around his prick was a sight he wanted to savor. “Do you have any idea how wet I am, Loki?”He snapped to look at her so fast his neck cracked. Darcy looked back with hooded eyes and a curl to her lips, looking like temptation itself. He wanted rather desperately to push her back into his pillows and make her feel as good as she was making him feel.“I’m soaked through, honey, and it’s all ‘cause of you,” she admitted, twisting her wrist over his head and making him shudder. She wasn’t lying either; her thighs were slick with arousal.“I could help with that,” he murmured hopefully but she shook her head.“Nu-uh, tonight’s about you, Loki. But don’t worry, I’ll definitely let you help me out soon.” She gave his cock a gentle squeeze. “I want this beauty deep inside me, and between you and me I’m not very patient.”She shared it like a secret and a thrill shot up his spine, both at her touch and at the idea of being buried inside her welcoming quim. “I’m - unh - willing to adjust our plans tonight, my lady.”“How very generous of you,” she teased but it was nice to know he wanted her too, not just his own pleasure. “But not tonight, sweetheart. Are you getting close again?”“Yes,” he grit out and she dragged her eyes away from his face to his dick, watching for the telltale signs of his impending orgasm. “Darcy, I’m - let me - please.”This was his first time edging with a partner so she supposed she could take it easy on him. Mostly. “Just a little more, Loki. You can do it.”He positively squirmed as she kept working him, trying desperately to hang on like she’d asked. She made it even harder when she captured his lips with hers, curling her tongue around his filthily, and he groaned into her mouth. “Come for me, Loki.”He did with a punched-out grunt, hips jerking up and his every muscle tensing and exploding in golden pleasure. Darcy grinned, watching bliss wash over his face and leave him slack-jawed as he spurted thick ropes of cum over her hand. He’s so beautiful. She gently milked him, sliding her hand up and down slowly, encouraging every single drop out.It took him a moment to pry open his eyes - he felt entirely weightless, tied to the physical plane solely by Darcy’s hand still wrapped around his prick, dragging his orgasm out until he was oversensitive and shivering. He stilled her wrist. “Darcy…No - no more.”She obliged immediately, merely holding him in her hand, and she kissed his cheek. “Look at the pretty mess we made. You were so good for me, Loki.”“Was I?” he murmured, aiming for suave and cocky but falling short. There was a traitorous note of uncertainty in his voice and he hated himself for wanting that reassurance. He was a prince and a god and a grown man - he shouldn’t need to be told he was good! Covering that moment of weakness, he grabbed her chin and kissed her.She felt his dick twitch in her hand and knew she had to wrap this up. A ‘sample’ sure as fuck didn’t include a round two. Releasing him, she gentled their kiss, drawing back to kiss the corner of his mouth, his cheek, the tip of his nose. Nuzzling her nose against his, she was happy to reassure him: “You were, sweetheart. Now let’s get you cleaned up.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
One of the pluses of living alone was that Darcy could crank her tunes as loud as her bluetooth speaker would allow before the sound quality went to shit and no one would complain.
My anaconda don’t -
my anaconda don’t -
my anaconda don’t want none
unless you got buns, hun!
Was her sexy-times playlist cliche and ridiculous? You betcha, but she loved it. Rapping along with Nicki Minaj, Darcy toweled off from her shower and wrapped her hair in a turban. She always did her hair last - wiggling into some of her outfits tended to mess up her curls. Boogying in front of the vanity mirror, she scooped up a handful of body butter and slathered it on her arms, working her way up to her neck and chest. Mmm, it was tempting to linger on her boobs - she loved lavishing attention on them, rubbing and squeezing and - Hold your horses, girl! Sure, she technically had time to rub one out before she met with Loki but that would cut into her primp time and, well…She wanted to wow him and that took time.Resolutely, she massaged the sweet smelling lotion into her stomach and hips and down her legs, before contorting herself awkwardly to get her butt and and as much of her back as she could reach. Face moisturizer was next while she decided on makeup or no makeup. Hm, depends on the outfit, she decided, and went to rifle through her closet.🍧Shit.Darcy dug a finger under the bra band and despaired. It was way tighter then she remembered. All of them were. And the waistband of her panties wasn’t much better.
Balls.
Apparently she’d put on a little weight since she last Dommed. ‘Course, she wasn’t surviving off ramen noodles and energy drinks anymore either which maybe explained things. Stupid healthier diets and real food. Peeling off the set, she stood in front of the full-length mirror on the back of her door. If she ignored the red marks where the bra and panties had dug in, her reflection was nothing to sneer at. She liked her body, even if it was a little bigger than when she was broke and twenty-two. It was soft and strong and pretty. And she’d always had more than her fair-share of admirers, a list that now somehow included the literal Norse God of Mischief which was freakin’ wild, no matter how she looked at it. Plus her body could do some cool stuff, like hug people and heal itself (more or less) and pet dogs and cats and other adorable animals.She just wished she didn’t have to buy new lingerie. It had been hard enough fitting the girls back in the day; she could only imagine the frustrating nightmare it was going to be now that she was a size or two bigger. Stupid thin-obsessed designers! But that was going to have to be a problem for another day; right now she had to find something sexy to wear for her session tonight. In a pinch, she could wear an everyday bra and matching panties but she kinda maybe wanted this to be…special? Loki wasn’t used to this lifestyle and okay, she didn’t know what passed for lingerie in Asgard but she had (used to have, RIP) some stunning little numbers that had blown more than a couple of minds. Could she really be blamed for wanting to knock the prim and proper socks off of her pretty alien prince?Digging through her collection, she looked for something looser - a teddy or babydoll; she was sure she had some. It went with her whole soft, nurturing aesthetic - very ‘let mommy take care of you’ for those with that kink.“Aha!” Victorious, she held the navy babydoll aloft. It was designed to be flowy and loose and should be forgiving, size-wise. She worked the halter top over her towel-turban and slid it on. So far, so good. The matching lace thong was doubtful but a quick paw through her underwear drawer turned up a satin pair that matched well-enough and definitely fit. Wiggling into them, she inspected herself in the mirror and did a little twirl, loving the way the sheer fabric flared up.Right now she was a touch more cute than hot but a cat-eye and red lipstick would fix that right up.🍧The wards around his door glowed a soft blue - the color he’d assigned to Darcy’s presence - and Loki ruthlessly shoved down his nerves. Last night had been…incredible, truly (even if he admitted it only in the privacy of his own mind) and their parting had been warm and sweet, much like their first kiss the evening before. Tonight promised to be just as enjoyable based on the request Darcy had texted him earlier.Answering the door, he cordially invited her in. “Good evening, Darcy.”“Hiya,” she returned, looking curiously at the blue glow around the door. “That wasn’t there yesterday, was it?”“No. Here -” He held out his hand for her as she reached for the wall to take her shoes off and she took it with a smile that made his stomach swoop. “I adjusted my wards to include you, since you’ll be a recurring guest.”“Oh that’s cool! Is it like a door cam? Like, the wards let you know who’s there so you can decide if you wanna bother answering?”He thought of the rather nasty curses he’d set for anyone who might try to force entry and nodded. “Something like that. Can I get you anything?”“No thanks, I’m good. Did you eat?” She eyeballed the spotless kitchen - pointlessly since he could pull a Disney and magic everything clean in half a second. Right. She turned her judgy look on him instead.“Yes, I did.” He arched an eyebrow at her, bemused. Was she worried he hadn’t? How unnecessary. But it was…nice, having someone care. “Did you?”“Yeah. Are you, um, ready to start or did - ?”“Yes,” he interrupted without meaning to. He hadn’t expected her to tack on ‘or’ and he smiled apologetically. “If you are, of course.”Grinning, she teased: “My, my, so eager…Well go on then.” She shooed him to the bedroom, only a little disappointed that his tunic hid his spectacular ass as he walked ahead of her. His whole outfit seemed casual compared to his usual buttoned-up suits and she wondered if this was his weekend look. Following him, she closed the door behind her, feeling anticipation settle in her stomach. The bed was neatly made, devoid of all but two pillows at the head and the coil of rope he’d left on one. Loki crossed his arms, holding a fist loosely in front of his mouth, as she walked past him to inspect what he’d conjured. Taking the rope up, she marveled at how soft it was - it couldn’t be an Earth fiber, or at least not one she’d worked with before.“This is crazy soft,” she commented, turning to him. “Is it something from Asgard?”“It’s my own creation. Is it acceptable?” He watched her close her fingers around the rope and tug it taut between her hands. He swallowed hard. “It matches your specifications.”He’d made it wholesale from his magic - seidr, not magic, Darce! - and while she didn’t know what that all entailed, it was still impressive as hell. “This is amazing, Loki. You’re amazing.”He flushed immediately and wished such simple praise from her didn’t affect him so. She was only stating the truth; he was one of the greatest seidr masters in the Nine Realms, he was amazing. “It’s acceptable then?”Darcy tilted her head; he struggled with compliments if his eyes on the floor and the tightness in his jaw meant anything. Well, she could work on that. “It is, thank you. Remind me what our rules are please.”“I will answer you verbally, I won’t mock your species or use seidr without permission.” He managed to tamp down his grimace over the last bit, but only barely. “You decide when I can climax.”“Good boy. What do our colors mean?”“Green means continue, yellow means check in, and red means stop.” Guessing where she was going, he went ahead and added: “Our safewords are mjolnir and pineapple.”“Very good boy,” she praised, eyes twinkling as she perched on the edge of the bed facing him. “I’d like you to recite those two things to start every session.”“Whatever for? I’m perfectly capable of remembering our rules and safety checks without repeating them out loud every week, and I’m certain you are too.”Let the bratting begin, she thought wryly, but he did seem genuinely baffled. “Yeah, you’re right - they’re easy to remember and I doubt either of us would forget something as obvious as green means go, red means stop. But I’m not asking as a memory check, Loki. If you repeat the rules before every session, then you can’t pretend you forgot them or didn’t know you weren’t supposed to, and neither can I. And repeating the stoplight colors and our safewords primes our brains to recall them faster when we’re thinking of other things, like how good - or bad - we feel. Does that make sense?”“Oh.” Feeling distinctly abashed even though Darcy had explained her reasoning calmly and without annoyance, he looked down at his hands, plucking his left palm. “I understand. I’ll recite them before our sessions, my lady.”He heard her pad across the carpet and then she touched his cheek lightly. “Look at me, Loki.” He lifted his eyes to find her looking back at him, a slight furrow between her brows that didn’t belong there. “I get the feeling you’re kicking yourself for asking but you’re allowed to, y’know? If you have questions, I want to hear them, Loki. Always.”She couldn’t possibly be serious but…He wanted to believe her, foolish though that might be. Turning his face into her hand, he shyly kissed her palm. “Alright.”“Now, do you want to get started?”“Absolutely.”“Then get undressed, sweetheart.”Norns…Such a simple directive but one that left him desperate and aching, and he actually found himself taking a step to follow her to the bed before he caught himself. She retook her seat on the edge and turned her expectant gaze on him. Before she needed to prompt him, Loki reached behind his head for the neck of his tunic and pulled it smoothly over his head, letting it fall to the floor. Darcy had heard the phrase ‘breathtakingly beautiful’ before but she thought it was hyperbole, some nonsense people made up to get into each other's pants or something people said about high art or sunsets on mountaintops. But when Loki’s tunic hit the floor… No, yeah, that was a real honest-to-God expression because holy shit. Underneath all his stupidly expensive suits, Loki was apparently hiding a body that would make Michelangelo weep. His muscles were sleek and expertly chiseled and the way they casually flexed under his skin as he breathed had her biting her lip to keep from whimpering. Black hair was scattered sparsely across his chest, more thickly on his forearms and - hnng - under his abs in the the most tempting treasure trail she’d ever had the pleasure of ogling.He was literally mesmerizing, making her forget to breathe and that he was supposed to fully undress until his hands went to the laces at the front of his pants, deftly undoing the tie and pulling them loose. Hooking his thumbs into the waistband, he shucked them down, revealing his dick and - day-um boy! - powerful thighs. Darcy had a little Victorian swoon over his calves and ankles and then his pants were kicked aside and he stood totally, gloriously bare before her.Slowly, she dragged her eyes back up his body - and what a body! Unf! - overwhelmed by the desire to touch him, claim him, make him hers. “God, do you know how gorgeous you are, sweetheart?”A thousand memories of being overlooked for Thor played in his head without his permission and he scoffed out loud, startling her. “If you’re going to lie, I hardly think we need bother continuing. I don’t need false praise.”
Ooh boy. Crossing the three little steps to him, she looked up into his face and arched an eyebrow. She probably didn’t pull it off half as well as he did but whatever. “You think I’d bother lying to the God of Lies? Even I’m not that stupid.”“Wha - You’re not stupid at all, Darcy,” he hastily assured. He thought her quite intelligent actually. “I wasn’t implying you were!”“No, you just called me a liar and a shitty one too. So let’s get one thing very clear.” She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I don’t lie when I play. And I don’t fuck people I’m not attracted to either. You are drop-dead fuck-me gorgeous, Loki, and it’s ridiculous you don’t know that.”“I…apologize?” He wasn’t entirely sure that was the response she wanted but it felt right. She was upset and he’d insulted her, however inadvertently - he should apologize.“Is that a question or a statement?”Ah. “A statement. I’m sorry.” One of her eyebrows went up leadingly and he quickly added: “For implying you were lying.”“Thank you. I accept your apology.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “We all make mistakes; it’s okay. Now sit on the bed like a good boy.”Waiting until he was seated, Darcy tugged on the bow around her waist until it unraveled and her wrap dress parted. Tracing her fingers along the edges of the fabric, she pulled the sides apart, revealing the babydoll she had hidden underneath. Across from her, Loki’s eyes darkened and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. She let the dress fall to the floor.“You’re stunning,” he declared, drinking her in. She was a vision - her soft curls cascading down on either side of her breasts, lovingly encased in navy lace, with sheer fabric flowing down over her hips and offering a tantalizing view of her torso and panties. He’d quite like to tear it off her.“You think so?”“I do.” His hands fairly itched to touch her, to slide over her soft skin and find all the places that would make her moan and sigh and press into him. He smiled charmingly. “I’m sure you’d look even better naked.”“I just bet you do, mister,” she laughed, shaking her head. Grabbing the rope off the bed, she gestured for his hands and teased: “Maybe if you’re really, really good, I’ll let you undress me one day. In the meantime, let’s get you tied up, sweetheart.”He thought about resisting (playfully, of course) but he was far too intrigued by what she might have in store for him. She hadn’t told him what the exact plan was for this inaugural session, only that she’d wanted a length of rope and the bed to be cleared. Some small shadowed part of him worried at that, at the uncertainty and the potential for harm, but he banished it. What harm could she do?“How would you like me?”Lust struck her like a bolt of lightning through the top of her head, igniting a filthy slideshow of fantasies, and electrifying her all the way down to her toes. Holy shit, how wouldn’t she like him? On his back, on hers, against a wall, in the bath, with her fav strap-on…the list went on. And on. And on.So she’d maybe fantasized about him a lot. So what? Who wouldn’t?Licking her lips, she managed to ask: “What do you mean?”His eyebrows dipped in that particular way of his, the one that made her fantasize about something else entirely - something nauseatingly sweet and domestic and ridiculous. “Do you want me to lay down on my back perhaps? Or… Well, I don’t know what you had in mind for tonight but…”“Oh!” Right. Positioning. That made sense. “I want you on your back tonight, yeah. Let me tie your hands first though, okay? I’m just gonna do a simple handcuff tie.” She gave him a stern look as she began winding the pale gold rope around his wrists. “I’m going to give you a little wiggle room, not enough to slip free or anything, but enough so the rope doesn’t dig in. I’m trusting you to tell me if it’s too tight, either physically or - or mentally. I want you to be comfortable, Loki. Do you understand?”“Yes, Darcy.” He watched her nimbly work to bind his wrists so his palms faced each other and felt his heart beat faster, anticipation winding tighter in his stomach. At last, Darcy tucked the end of the rope under itself and held his hands in hers. “How’s that?”The rope brushed softly, teasingly against his skin when he rotated his wrists and it held satisfyingly firm when he tried to separate his hands. It was odd; having his hands bound in any other scenario would’ve caused him to lash out and yet in this one, he felt…peaceful. “It’s comfortable, my lady.”“Good.” She squeezed her hands around his before releasing him. “Lay down, sweetie. I want your hands above your head, if you can.”Loki nearly scoffed at that as he maneuvered himself to the middle of the bed and threw up his arms, wincing unexpectedly at a pull in his shoulder. He supposed he hadn’t had much cause to put his arms above his head since… Rolling his shoulder, the twinge subsided and he tried to push away the sudden queasy feeling in his stomach as Darcy tucked a pillow under his head.“What’s your color, pretty boy?” she asked, smoothing his hair back and cupping his cheek, effectively disrupting all his thoughts.He felt his cheeks burn red. Pretty boy? “Green.” He meant to leave it at that but: “‘Pretty boy’?”“Well, you are very pretty,” Darcy explained matter-of-factly, before her eyebrows drew together. “Or is it weird? I won’t use it if you don’t like it.”“No - no, I do!” he interrupted, squeezing his eyes shut in mortification. Did he have to sound so absurdly eager? Face flaming, he traitorously found himself admitting: “I like it.”“Oh I see.” She sounded very knowing and he opened his eyes to see her grinning like the cat that got the cream, but she blessedly didn’t comment on it further. Instead, she shifted down the bed. “I know you weren’t sure about having your feet tied too, so I’m going to place your legs where I want them and I want you to keep them there as best you can, alright?”He followed the urging of her hands, bending his knees slightly and letting his legs fall open on the mattress, leaving him feeling more than a little exposed. His cock bobbed in the air, looking for attention, and he wondered again what in the Nine Darcy had planned for him.“God, you look so good like this, all laid out for me.” He was like a statue in an art gallery, inspiring lust and awe, one she’d touch as soon as the guard’s backs were turned because how could she resist? But instead of marble, he was made of flesh and blood and, lucky her, he wanted to be touched. “In the supply closet, you said I could touch you. Can I now?”He remembered how hot her hands were, bringing every nerve ending to life, and he nodded eagerly. “Please.”Darcy dropped a kiss on his mouth, smiling. “Good boy, remembering your manners.”“Excuse you, my manners are impeccable and I always employ them.”“Except when you don’t,” she snorted mildly, reaching up to trace her hands over the inside of one arm. His muscles flexed and she admired them. “Which is pretty frequently, especially when your SHIELD shadow or the Avengers are around.”Loki sniffed delicately. “If you’re going to include those cretins, then I suppose I must concede the point.”“Such a brat,” but she said it fondly and something warm unfurled in his chest as she ran her hands over his opposite arm.Darcy caressed his forehead softly and his eyelids fluttered shut with a sigh. It was so innocent but it felt lovely, even more so as she drew her fingers over his cheeks and nose and chin. He felt her move closer and then her lips pressed lightly first to one eye and then the other, like a blessing. When she kissed his mouth, he tilted up into it, wondering how upset she’d be if he hooked his wrists behind her head and pulled her closer. Before he could commit, she shifted away.“When was the last time someone touched you like this, sweetheart?” she asked softly, kissing under his jaw and down his neck. His Adam’s apple was a temptation she couldn’t resist and she nibbled at it, earning herself a moan that instantly went into her top five sounds ever.The last time…? He couldn’t immediately recall. When had he last bothered taking a lover? “Too long, I think.”She tsk’ed, dragging her hands down his chest and following with her mouth, sending electric sparks through his entire body. “Well that just won’t do, sweetie. You deserve to be touched just like this, say, oh…once a week?”He chuckled at that, feeling her grin against his sternum. She nuzzled there, over his heart. “Darcy…”“Hm?” She lifted up off him, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Are you uncomfortable, honey? What’s your color?”“Still very decidedly green, and not uncomfortable precisely…But if you’d be so kind as to move a little further down, I rather think my prick deserves your attention, my lady.”She couldn’t help it: she snorted, breaking into giggles, but he didn’t seem offended if his crinkled eyes and smile were anything to go by. “You think so, huh?”“Mmhm, I’ve been very patient,” he suggested, hyper-aware of her hand inching down to his stomach and that much closer to his throbbing cock.Darcy started tracing his abs, smirking evilly when he wriggled under her touch. “Ticklish, are we?”“Don’t even think about it, Darcy,” he warned, narrowing his eyes.“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she lied. Knowing the God of Mischief was ticklish was prime blackmail material, but it had no place in their sessions. Her touch was obviously too light so she made it heavier. “Better?”He stayed tense for a moment but when she made no attempt to betray him, he relaxed. “Yes, thank you.”Dragging her hands down his ribs, she hummed thoughtfully. “You know, you have been pretty patient, letting me do what I want without asking questions. You really are a good boy, Loki.”Norns, why did that phrase do so much for him? It was as though she’d poured arousal directly into his veins and set it aflame, and he had to swallow twice before he could speak. “Do I get a reward then?”Keeping one hand grounded on him, Darcy slipped between his legs, grinning at his sharp inhale. “Depends on what you want, sweetie. My hands or my mouth?”“Fuck,” he groaned; how could he chose? Both sounded utterly divine but his attention caught on her red mouth. It was so bright and lush and he bit the inside of his cheek, dropping his head back to the pillow. “La - lady’s choice.”
Lady’s choice, huh?
She mouthed at the crease where his thigh and hip met, enjoying the startled little sound he made, his head popping back up to look down at her. Hunger sharpened his features and he swore in some guttural language - Asgardian presumably, or whatever they called it. As he watched desperately, Darcy moved as though to take his dick in hand and then stopped at the last second.“Y’know. Lady’s choice sounds nice but it’s kinda a cop-out. What if what I want is to leave you here and go watch T.V.? Are you cool with that?”Loki grit his teeth. Absolutely not. But he’d not keep her here if her attention was elsewhere. “Not exactly.”“Then tell me what you want.”“Your mouth!” he blurted, her commanding tone leaving him no other choice. Finally. She pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his shaft, making his entire body tense and a garbled noise fall out of his mouth. “There. Was that so hard to say, honey?”“Darcy…” He grit out her name, thinking very seriously about doing…something. Vanishing his bonds and switching their positions and driving her as mad as she was surely driving him. Slowly, she sucked kisses up his length, each one making breath catch in his throat. Getting into the scene, she’d learned a lot about herself and her likes and dislikes. It turned out she actually enjoyed giving head if her partner wasn’t trying to use her like a glorified fleshlight, and even better if she had full control. Rising up, she took him in her mouth, holding his hips down with a light touch, and swirled her tongue around his head.Loki could do nothing but try and survive the sweet onslaught of Darcy’s hot mouth and dexterous tongue playing with his prick. Norns, she was talented, and he bit his tongue to keep from embarrassing himself by begging for more. Her thumb swept back and forth over the crease of his thigh, a caress that helped ground him alongside the slight ache between his shoulder blades.Pulling off his dick with a wet pop, Darcy murmured: “I thought I said I wanted to hear your noises, sweetheart. You’ve got my permission to be as loud as you want.”“I’m - I’m not usually very vocal.”She tilted her head, considering the pattern of veins along his shaft. That was kind of disappointing but lots of her subs had been quiet. Emphasis on had.Grinning evilly, she swallowed him back down and cupped his balls. His thighs tensed on either side of her, a bitten off groan escaping him, and she rolled them around her palm. Clenching his hands into fists, Loki’s attention was torn between the pleasure she was stroking to life and keeping mostly still (he certainly didn’t want to buck his hips and risk her teeth in such a delicate area). She swallowed him to the hilt and he shouted, back arching off the bed.She licked her lips, looking up the length of his body. She should’ve propped him up on a few more pillows; all she could really see was the underside of his chin when she’d rather see his face. Oh well. “How’re you doing, pretty boy? Still at green?”Panting, Loki squirmed on the bed, finding the air too cold after being in her mouth. “I - Yes, green. Can I - Will you let me come soon?”“Aww, you’re asking? Look at you being such a good boy,” she praised, kissing the inside of his straining thigh. She worked her thumb into his slit and he gasped prettily. “Are you close, Loki?”“Getting there,” he grunted.Darcy considered her options. She always started a session with more than one plan in mind but her sub was the one who dictated what happened - what they needed, what they wanted… Her goal was always to fulfill that. But she had her own wants to balance too. Seeing him up close and naked, his dick twitching in her hands, she really, really wanted to ride him into the sunset and she couldn’t imagine Loki objecting.Chewing her lip, she wondered: “Can you hold off for a bit, sweetheart?”He grimaced. He’d rather not, truth be told, but their foray into edging yesterday had been worthwhile. Though how much more he could endure without climaxing was debatable. “I’ll try but Darcy, I make no promises.”That was good enough for her. Climbing on top of him, she nestled the damp crotch of her panties against his cock, groaning at the immediate pressure against her clit. God yes. Loki’s head shot up, looking at her in utter shock as she settled her palms on his firm chest. “Is this okay?”Gobsmacked, he could only stare at her, a vision above him and an agonizingly perfect weight atop his groin. Darcy lifted an unimpressed eyebrow at his silence and he remembered himself. “Yes. Yes, this is more than okay. Norns.”Darcy bit her lip, pleased, and shifted around until she hit that perfect angle that had the head of his cock nudging her clit through her underwear. She shuddered; he’d feel stunning buried inside her but that felt like too much too soon when he hadn’t asked for it yet, not really. This would do for now, she decided, and started rocking.Under her, Loki groaned, rolling his hips up into hers. She moaned approvingly and he hoarded the sound, keeping up his undulations to draw out more from her. The satin of her underwear rubbed against his cock, her growing dampness there changing the friction between them, and pleasure coiled in his gut, threatening to escape his control. Gritting his teeth, he screwed his eyes shut, forcing his breath to slow. He hated to deny himself the magnificent view but nor did he wish to disappoint her by spilling too early.“Loki,” she panted, grinding down on him. His face contorted, a barely-there whimper escaping his thin-pressed lips, and her focus sharpened - that could be a good sound or a bad sound but the line was fine this early in a relationship. Reaching forward, she rubbed her thumb over his mouth. “Loki, honey, you okay?”“Yes,” he breathed, sucking her thumb between his lips. His eyes stared into hers, the thin rim of his iris like green fire, and her breath caught. He nipped at her skin and she shivered. “Are you?”“Un-huh.” Grinning, she resumed rocking against him, wondering if she could actually manage to come this way. It felt spectacular, his hard dick pressing against her folds, his head just nudging her clit, but the sensation was muted by the thin layer of fabric still between them. What to do, what to do? She shifted her hand, offering him her index finger.Arching an eyebrow, he took it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the pad. She waited until he had it good and wet before removing it and working her hand under her waistband. Her clit was swollen and needy and her slicked up finger felt so good skating over it. Loki craned his neck up to watch, the poor boy - next time, he definitely needed more pillows, but the thought was subsumed by more pressing needs. Grinding against his length, giving her clit all the attention it wanted - her orgasm was building deliciously.Loki had never seen such erotic beauty. Her skin was flushed such a pretty pink, contrasting with her dark hair and the navy lingerie that hid everything from view and yet still excited him. Her breasts swayed with every agonizing rock against him, her hand moving tauntingly under that scrap of satin as she touched herself. Norns but he wanted to touch her, to help her, bring her to her peak, and the rope around his wrists dug into his skin. The strain in his neck from watching her pulled the muscles between his shoulders but he couldn’t bear tearing his gaze away - not when she bit her lip, sitting back as she gave herself over to her own gratification. Her nails scraped against his abs as her hand drew back and he couldn’t help his shaky moan.“Darcy.” He wet his lips, desperation curling along his spine and pressure building in his cock. “Darcy, I’m - I need -”Her eyes opened in slits, dark and heated, considering him but still maintaining her movements without pause. “Do you need to come, Loki?”Several curses built up behind his clenched teeth but he swallowed them down. “You know I do,” he ground out, breathing hard. “Are you asking - ah - for permission, sweetie?” she asked, rolling her hips hard against his.“Fuck! Yes, yes, let me come, Darcy!” he all-but-begged. If she didn’t say yes soon, it might be out of both their hands.He was so good, asking her, not forgetting in the heat of the moment, and she rewarded him with a nod. “Go ahead, Loki. Come.”He did with a tight, drawn-out groan, face contorted and neck straining as he dug his head back into the pillow. Fuck, it felt good, ecstasy blotting out his senses and silencing his thoughts. When they returned and he pried his eyes open, Darcy had evidently climaxed, slumped in his lap as she was, her face glowing with bliss. Disappointment creaked in his chest; he would’ve liked to have seen her fall apart.Breathing hard, Darcy savored the aftershocks of an excellent orgasm, lazily circling a finger around her clit - it was just enough sensation to draw it out without being too much. Clenching around nothing, she sighed and opened her eyes, pulling her hand from her panties. Her finger was shiny with slick and she wiped it absently on his abs, raising her eyes up his body. Loki was looking back at her and she smiled, hoping it hid her blush. (What was there to blush about after what they’d just done?)Crawling off him and shifting up the bed, she started massaging his bicep, working blood back into it. He sighed deeply as she did, tension smoothing out of his forehead. She moved up his arm and then provided the same treatment to his other one.“You’re very thorough,” he murmured, following her gesture and lifting his hands into hers. The ache between his shoulders pinched enough to make him wince.“Loki? You okay?”“Fine,” he lied smoothly. A bit of seidr later would ease the strain. “Just some…pins and needles.”“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. Here, let me untie you.” She made quick work of the rope, dropping it over the side of the bed, and inspected his wrists for any abrasions. There was nothing of course, not with his fancy accelerated healing, but she still pressed kisses to each of them. “Is that better?”Warmth filled his chest even as he rolled his shoulders and pushed up on one elbow, tangling a hand in her hair and brushing his lips against hers. “Much.”She grinned into their kiss; he was adorable. “I’ll be right back; ‘m just gonna get a cloth to clean up.”Taking that as an indication they were done playing, Loki let emerald seidr wash over them both, leaving their skin clean and fresh. “No need.”“Oh nifty,” she declared approvingly. That was convenient as heck. She arched an eyebrow, challenging: “Can you get us water too or do I still have to get up?”A ceramic pitcher appeared on the bedside table, dripping with condensation, along with two matching cups. She turned back to him, impressed, and found him propped up amongst his hundred or so pillows. Darcy wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to magic but it definitely had its perks.Swiping the thick, black fur from the end of the bed, she shook it out over top of him and cupped his cheek, kissing his forehead. “Thank you, sweetheart.”“Whatever for?” escaped his mouth without his leave. He’d been little more than a prop for her during their play, his cock something conveniently firm for her to grind her cunt against. He’d enjoyed it, to be certain, but he didn’t require thanks for it.“For cleaning up and getting us water,” she said, handing him a cup and gulping from her own. The duh was silent. “I appreciate it, Loki.”Instead of responding, he chose to sip from his own cup, quietly baffled. Those spells were thoughtless, requiring no effort whatsoever, and benefited them both. His inner cynic attempted to rise up only for Darcy to set her empty cup aside and slip under the fur beside him. “Did you like it?” she asked neutrally.“Very much so,” he answered, and he had! He would’ve liked to touch her, to perhaps have been a more active participant but… Well, that hadn’t been in her plans for this session and that was fine. Next time might be different. “Did you enjoy yourself, Darcy?”“Mmhm,” she hummed, threading her fingers into his hair and scritching along his scalp. He 100% melted, his posture going loose and slack, and he scooched down on the pillows. She chuckled, encouraging him to rest his head on her boobs while she played with his hair, and he resettled contentedly. “I did. You were such a good boy for me tonight, Loki.”He made a small noise of acknowledgement, pressing his head into her fingers. She took the hint and scratched harder, making sure to use her fingertips and not her nails. He sighed softly. “I find myself quite tired.”“That’s normal, sweetheart,” she assured, dropping a kiss against his crown. “Your brain just produced a ton of wild chemicals and now it’s flushing them out. That takes a lot of energy. Are you hungry at all?”He shook his head; he felt well and fully sated in every way. Darcy’s fingers felt divine against his scalp and without his meaning to, he drifted off.🍧Loki woke instantly, dagger in hand, and oriented toward the door. Something had triggered his wards but after a long moment, he slumped back into the mattress, vanishing his weapon. Someone must’ve bumped into his door frame from the hallway or something equally innocuous. All was well and he reached for Darcy.Except she wasn’t there.Sitting up, he inspected his room, his heart sinking. Night had fallen behind the curtains, leaving everything in shadow but he could see well enough that her dress was gone from the floor. Foolishly, he glanced to his en suite, but it was dark and the door wide open beside. Straining his senses, he hoped to hear her puttering around the kitchen but the apartment was silent aside from his breathing.Her passing through the wards was probably what had woken him, he realized, swallowing tightly.She hadn’t even said goodbye or left a note. (He wasn’t so pathetic as to check his mobile phone to see if she’d texted him - he sincerely doubted it anyway.)He’d thought…Well, he’d been wrong evidently.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next morning dawned misty and gray and Loki wound his tie into a complicated knot with jerky movements. He’d slept poorly, which had done nothing for his mood of course. He waved a negligent hand at his bedding to straighten it on his way out of the bedroom and vanished the two cups on the nightstand.In the kitchen, he made his customary bowl of hot cereal and ate it standing, mechanically, his thoughts winding themselves into tangled knots. Last night had gone well, or so he’d thought. Darcy had called him good…had seemed pleased with him and what little he’d done during their session. But then she’d left without saying goodbye. Clearly, he had massively misinterpreted last night. Where had he gone wrong? The longer he thought on it, the less certain he was. Was it just him? Was he lacking in some fundamental way? Everyone else he’d ever been close with seemed to think so. Why should Darcy think any differently?Sending the bowl back to the cupboard clean, he freshened his breath and stepped into the Between, coming out in his desk chair in the lab. Dr. Foster jumped at his sudden appearance but Darcy had yet to arrive. “...Morning,” she greeted uncertainly and Loki nodded in return. They rarely, if ever, engaged in small talk and he wasn’t about to start now.A new stack of reading had been haphazardly dropped on his desk over the weekend and Loki irritably laid the books and photocopies out. SHIELD’s courier could take a bit more care in their work. The photocopy on the bottom was folded in half, for Norns’ sake. And some of these books were antiques by Midgardian standards! Disrespectful, impudent… Loki repaired the dented corners and cracked spine of the oldest tome with a ripple of seidr.Exhaling forcibly, he put the careless, irreverent courier out of his mind and picked a source at random to waste his time on. It didn’t matter which he began with - everything SHIELD gave him was tripe anyway, nothing but busywork. He wasn’t going to find what Director Fury was looking for. Even if he did find something that suggested a way for a human to harness real seidr, he certainly wasn’t going to tell an organization that had zero oversight and had been willing to catastrophically bomb a major metropolis. At last, Darcy came careening into the lab, five minutes late but bearing her usual offering of coffee for Dr. Foster and himself. “Morning guys!”The women immediately launched into a recap of their weekends, Darcy sharing a version where he and their activities were entirely absent. Understandable, he forced himself to note, but that did little to ease the sting of being a dirty little secret, or worse… Perhaps she had put him out of mind already. But no. No, Darcy took pride in her role as a Dom; whatever else happened, she would do him the courtesy of discussing their session over ice cream. She wouldn’t ignore him.Indeed, she smiled just as she always had when she dropped off his coffee on the one free space of his desk: genial and polite without any deeper feeling. He thanked her as a matter of course but she’d already turned to her own desk, diving into work and still chatting with Dr. Foster. …Understandable. What had he expected? Hoped for? Gross public affection? Cruel scorn? Darcy would show neither as long as they worked together; she was professional mostly. Shaking his head at himself, he hoisted his to-go cup and took a long draught, but it wasn’t his usual order. This coffee was…black, with perhaps a little sugar, and Darcy’s words from the other day struck him anew: “...or else I’ll stop bringing you those mochaccinos you like.”He set his jaw, and the cup down. He’d done nothing to deserve this! He’d followed her asinine rules, allowed himself to be bound - Darcy herself had praised him, called him ‘good’... He shut his eyes. Hadn’t he been good?“Eugh! Darcy, I think you switched our coffee order!” Dr. Foster’s disgust lingered on her face as she crossed to his desk with the to-go cup she’d taken a swig from. “This is nothing but sugar! How can you stand it?”“Shit, sorry guys!” Darcy hurried over, plucking the cup out of Loki’s hand without so much as a ‘by your leave’. She squinted at the scrawl on the side - a shorthand he’d yet to decipher. “Yup, this one’s yours, Jane. Sorry about that. I must’ve gotten my hands mixed up. Why didn’t you say anything, Loki?”He read accusation in her tone and fairly bristled, arching an imperious brow at her. “I haven’t yet had a chance, but now that you mention it…” He turned to Dr. Foster. “How can you drink this bitter sludge?”“Years of academics,” she shrugged, stealing the cup out of Darcy’s hands and throwing back the piping hot liquid. How she didn’t scald her tongue was a mystery but perhaps it, too, was related to ‘years of academics’. “Anyway, thanks Darce! Enjoy your sugar bomb, Loki.”He grunted an acknowledgement and pulled off the lid of the cup she’d left behind. It looked like his usual order but now he didn’t trust it.“What, you don’t want it now that Jane’s had some?”Loki flicked his gaze up to Darcy who was rather boldly perched on the edge of his desk. “That certainly doesn’t help matters, no. Can I help you with something?”Darcy’s eyebrows flew up to her hairline. Um, rude much? She looked him over; he was as impeccably dressed as always, his tie done up in a complicated knot she was pretty sure had to be magic, and his face was maybe a little annoyed but mostly neutral. She guessed godly-types were too…well, godly to have bags under their eyes so she had no clue if Loki had slept well after she’d slipped out. She guessed he had - he’d been sleeping soundly, and she’d been amazed at how young and peaceful he’d looked asleep.“Are you okay?”“Fine.” It was scarcely a lie. He wished she’d return to her own desk and stop pretending to care - but no, he was being unkind. Darcy did care, even if it was unwilling; he’d seen the evidence of that since his first day in the lab. That still didn’t take away the sting of her abrupt departure last night. “As you can see, I have plenty to read so if you’ll excuse me…”“Sheesh, alright.” She was pretty sure he had all week to read this batch of whatever but if he didn’t want her in his space, fine. Settling back in at her own desk, she chewed her lip. This level of grumpiness wasn’t exactly unusual for him but she’d keep an eye on him, just in case.🍧Agent John Walters, age 36, was a caucasian male of average height with brown hair and eyes. He was perfectly normal, even boring looking - his own words - and he’d been a SHIELD agent for over ten years now. SHIELD liked to recruit people like him - that could blend in and go unnoticed in a lot of locales. He was a middle of the ranks kind of agent, nothing like Agents Barton and Romanov, but he was capable. A good shot. Always filed his reports on time. Part of him, the part that had geeked out about the Avengers fighting aliens, wanted to see more action. Instead, he was stuck babysitting ‘Loki of Asgard’. No word on if he was still ‘burdened with glorious purpose’. As far as Walters knew, all he was burdened with nowadays was reading a bunch of moldy, dusty, allergy-inducing books. He understood the guy’s assignment - Fury wanted him to find evidence that humans could harness magic too - but that didn’t change how boring it was. At least his lab partners were easy on the eyes. The Foster chick was movie star pretty but way too nerdy for Walters’s taste. SHIELD had "officially" stopped trying to recruit her but if he got his hands on anything pertinent - however he got a hold of it - he was to report it immediately. Her assistant on the other hand was all kinds of his type. She had a huge rack, big, blue eyes, and lips that could make a saint think impure thoughts. Walters would’ve asked her out, maybe pumped (heh) her for info on her boss’s research, but she was only hot until she actually opened her mouth.“Aw fuck, not you again,” she bitched and Walters felt his libido shrivel up and die.“Good morning to you too, Ms. Lewis. Don’t mind me, I’m just here to check in with Loki.” He nodded politely to her and her colleague, but gave the bulk of his attention to the literal freakin’ alien in their midst. “Morning, Loki. Have a good weekend?”What was the saying? ‘You catch more flies with honey’? It never hurt to be polite, and it was a lot harder to come back from being rude if you needed an in with someone powerful. And Loki was powerful. He was a damn sorcerer from outer space with a royal pedigree to boot, even if he did seem to be on the outs with daddy.“It was fine, thank you,” he answered blandly. Agent Walters had never done anything untoward that he knew of but Loki found his presence inherently irritating. He didn’t need a minder, let alone one so low-ranked. Plus, Darcy had been quite vocal about her dislike of him and he trusted her judgment. “What do you need, Agent?”“Oh, just checking in. Seeing how things are going.” He looked around the lab innocently, and Loki obscured the whiteboards to show nonsense equations. He didn’t trust SHIELD with Dr. Foster’s Bifrost anymore than he trusted them with seidr. “Could’ve just sent an email then, couldn’t you?” Darcy snarked, glaring at the creep. He rubbed her all the wrong ways and she thought of her taser in her bag. If he tried anything, she wouldn’t need it - Loki would probably poof him off to some oxygen-less asteroid at the other end of the universe. He and Thor were chivalrous that way, and honestly? She didn’t hate it. But she still felt better knowing her taser was nearby. A muscle in Walters’s jaw tensed before he smiled, fake as hell. “I’ll be out of your hair in no time. Don’t mind me. How are things, Loki? Enjoying your research project? Find anything interesting yet?”Loki kept from rolling his eyes through long practice. Whatever Agent Walters thought of himself, he was utterly transparent in his attempts to both ingratiate himself and to gather information. “This project is fruitless, as I’ve told your superiors many times. The closest thing to interesting I’ve found is what appears to be a ‘ketchup’ stain on this 17th century historical document. I recommend SHIELD find itself another courier, one who doesn’t stop to eat street food during deliveries.”“I’ll uh, pass that on to the higher ups,” Walters lied, ignoring Darcy’s very ladylike snort in the background. 🍧Other than that gross little interlude with Agent Creep, Monday passed without incident. She and Jane got lots of Science done. The Beast (Mark II, since Loki had bricked the first one) behaved. Loki did too, which was unusual. The keys on her keyboard didn’t stick, her font didn’t change to Old Norse, her swivel chair didn’t squeak out the tune to Flight of the Valkyries. It was downright unsettling. Worse, she didn’t think Loki had said two words to her all day after the coffee mix-up.Normally that’d be a good thing. Sure, a silent Loki was probably a plotting one but at least she wouldn’t have been distracted from her work. But ‘normally’, she hadn’t started a BDSM relationship with him and had kinky sex. ‘Normally’, she wasn’t worried about subdrop or regrets or his mental state. Chewing the skin around the edge of her thumbnail, Darcy looked at Loki, head bent over another book, and worried. She’d never worked with any of her subs before. Of course not, she had worked at a brothel for fucks’ sake! (For tax and legal purposes, it was technically a high-end massage parlor.) Her clients booked a timeslot and came to her, and she arranged their session to include their required aftercare time. She’d been available through text and email for further aftercare and discussion, and if they wanted, she’d meet them at the coffee shop across from Natural Release Massage to chat. But otherwise, she had zero interaction with her clients - if they saw each other in the street, the most she’d do is nod and smile politely and they had to agree to do the same. She didn’t owe them anything outside the hours they paid for, and most of them didn’t want her to acknowledge them anyway.But Loki was different. They shared a workspace, spending a good eight hours, five days a week in each other’s - and Jane’s - company. It’d be weird if she ignored him. But it’d be equally as weird if she kept asking him how he was, if he was okay, if he regretted agreeing to her (in retrospect) absolutely batshit insane idea to introduce a Norse god to BDSM. She could text him, she supposed. She had his number and he had hers. But did he have his phone on him? Would he answer it? Pfft, would he answer it honestly? Auuuuuugh! Why was this so complicated and why hadn’t she thought this through? Her stupid monkey brain had latched onto the idea of sex with stupid Loki and never mind the details or what happened after. God damn it! “You’re staring.”Darcy blinked, refocusing, only to find Loki looking at her with a very judgy eyebrow raised. “Ah, um, sorry. I kinda zoned out there,” she explained, giving her head a shake as if that would dislodge her worries. “How’s er, how’s the reading going?”He considered her and she felt weirdly like he was trying to decide if she was worth answering. Get a grip, girl! He’s never been that bad - it’s all in your head.“Dully as ever.”“Darce, do you know where this month’s Astronomy Monthly ended up?” Jane asked, totally ignorant of her and Loki’s little chat as she sifted through the stacks of paper on her desk. “There’s a study I want to give a second look.”Darcy sighed, equally fond and annoyed. Her boss was a mess. “It’s with all the other journal subscriptions. Y’know, on the bookshelf behind you?”“Wha - ? No it’s not, I looked!” she insisted, spinning around to scan the shelves. “I swear, Darce, it’s… Right here.” She was blushing a brighter red than today’s flannel when she turned around. “Sorry. Thanks.”“No problem, boss lady.”🍧Rubbing his eyes, Loki dropped the photocopy to his desk and leaned back in his chair. Humans were either complete imbeciles or else very gullible, or perhaps just wildly imaginative. Either way, reading about their attempts at magic all day had left a crick in his neck that was threatening to become a proper headache. Tilting his head back against the headrest, he squeezed the back of his neck and massaged the base of his skull to alleviate the tension there, sinking some seidr into the muscles to help things along.“See you tomorrow, guys,” Dr. Foster said on her way out of the lab. Darcy returned the goodbye but he merely grunted, not bothering to open his eyes. Perhaps he should’ve taken up SHIELD’s offer to become an agent of theirs (despite the extenuating circumstance, there was too much bad blood between him and the Avengers for him to join the team). At least then, he wouldn’t have had to spend countless hours hunched over reading nonsense.Of course, the alternative was spending countless hours working for a disreputable group of humans more concerned with power than goodwill and putting his body on the line, fighting their foes.No, he’d most definitely chosen the lesser of two evils.He heard Darcy approach his desk but he made no move to acknowledge her, feeling something miserable tighten in his chest. Perhaps if he ignored her, she’d carry on her way and leave, and he wouldn’t have to wonder what mistake he’d made last night.“You feeling okay, Loki?” she asked softly, dashing his hopes. “You look like you’re hurting.”Damn it all. Making an effort to smooth his expression, he sat up. “Just a minor neckache - nothing to be concerned over. Are you headed out for the evening?”She bit her lip, eyebrows still drawn together in worry, and he wished he could kiss it away but he doubted very much she’d welcome such a gesture. His interest in her… He should tuck it away in the back of his mind, like he did with all such things it was easier not to think about.“Yeah, I was going to lock up if you’re done for the day. And um -” Her mouth pulled to one side. Might as well rip off this bandaid. “I was wondering if you wanted to grab ice cream? Instead of on Wednesday? Oh, but if you’ve got a headache or whatever, then never mind I guess…”She wanted to discuss their session now? Two full days early? That boded ill. Some small, childish part of him had hoped he was reading too much into her leaving but clearly that wasn’t the case. He was surprised how much it hurt, to be honest, knowing she was about to end things before they’d even really begun between them.Still, he rallied - he’d agreed to this and he’d see it through. No matter how much it stung. “It's fine. Shall we?”“Yeah, I just gotta grab my purse.”Bowing to the inevitable, he inclined his head and followed her to the elevator. He would much rather do away with the pretense of their ice cream date but the words to force the conversation to a head stayed trapped in his throat. For once, he couldn’t speak, his silver tongue failing him, and he trailed after Darcy silently. 🍧Remembering last time, Darcy was ready to cool her heels while Loki took his time deciding but today, he ordered promptly without even glancing at the displays.“One plain chocolate.”“In a bowl or cone?”“...A bowl, please.”The server scooped up a single serving quickly and passed it over top. “And for you?”“Uh…” She had expected half a second to think about it while he debated the merits of one flavor or another but apparently not. She gave the displays a quick once over. “Strawberry shortcake, thanks. Also in a bowl, please.”“Sure thing.”Loki managed to pay before she could so much as get her wallet out and he nodded curtly at her thanks before directing them both to the same table they’d sat at Friday. Someone had added potted ferns to the window sill beside them.He waved his hand, allowing a wisp of green seidr to form at his fingertips so she could ‘see’ his casting in action. It was wholly unnecessary but he found humans preferred a visual marker. “There, I’ve set the aural obscurification spell. You wished to discuss last night?”Okay, they were jumping straight into it. Right.“Yeah, I did. Um, sorry, by the way. I know we originally scheduled this for Wednesday but I didn’t think…” She shook her head at herself, inhaling deeply. “I should’ve realized I’d want to discuss our first session sooner, to check in with you right away, and let you know in advance instead of springing it on you. Sorry. And thanks for agreeing to have it now.”“It’s fine, Darcy.”There was that word again. ‘Fine’. She almost wanted to quote The Princess Bride to him (“I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”) but she figured it would go over his head and confuse things and ugh. Instead, she braced herself and forged ahead.“Did I do something wrong?”Loki’s eyes snapped up to hers, stunned. “What?”Her face tightened and she poked at her bowl. “Last night, or um, today even. Did I do something to like, upset you or -? ‘Cause you can tell me, Loki. I won’t freak out on you or whatever. I promise.”She thought -? “What makes you think you’ve upset me?” he asked carefully, watching her.Darcy raised her eyebrows and gestured to all of him with her spoon. “Uh, the whole…moody schtick you’ve got going on? You’ve been grumpy all day and look, maybe it’s self-centered to think it has anything to do with me, but… Well… Last night was your first time being Dommed so I dunno. Did we do something - did I do something you didn’t like?”“No. No, not at all,” he said, shaking his head with a forced smile. His voice sounded false to his own ears but he hoped she wouldn’t notice. “I enjoyed our session thoroughly. Didn’t I say so last night? No, it’s…it’s nothing to worry yourself over.”In his chest, his heart thudded heavily, discomfort twisting in his gut. He couldn’t recall the last time such a slight lie had tasted so ashen on his tongue. He had enjoyed what they’d done and she certainly hadn’t done anything he hadn’t wanted. No, the fault lay with him; somehow, he had done - or not done - something that had made her leave. As always, he was the source of his own unhappiness. She frowned. His sudden cheer was setting off alarm-bells in her head, not the least because when had he ever been happy-go-lucky? It was freakin’ weird. “Uh, okaaay. So, what is it then? What’s got you in a funk?”“Hm?” He smoothed the back of his spoon over his ice cream, trying valiantly to keep his emotions in check. It shouldn’t be this hard but he’d always found it so. “Nothing, nothing. I…simply woke up in a poor mood last night. Was there - was there anything you didn’t like about our session?”“Nope, it was all good,” she admitted readily, licking her spoon clean. “I don’t think I really realized how much I missed Domming to be honest and last night was a really great way to ease back into it. Thanks for that, by the way. Agreeing to try this out with me.”Her answer was a relief (and confusing. Why had she fled his rooms as soon as he was asleep then?) and he let himself be amused. “I can honestly say I’ve never been thanked for sex before.”Darcy snorted, reaching across the table to smack his arm, but he leaned back out of the way, smirking. She pretended to pout. “Brat. Anyway, I don’t really have any ideas for next week yet - I mean, it is only Monday, but I’ll shoot you another text beforehand. Was that enough yesterday? Or did you want more info next time?”Relief coursed through him - she wanted to continue their sessions, she wasn’t putting him aside. He had another chance to prove himself worthy, to be what she wanted, and this time he wouldn’t fail. He wouldn’t let himself. But her question tested him already. Did he tell the truth or would that be another black mark against him?She watched a dozen micro-expressions flit across his face, too fast for her to interpret, and she sighed internally. He really did have the worst case of overthinking she’d ever seen. She leaned forward and gently touched his wrist. “Loki. It’s okay if you want to know what to expect, and it’s okay if you want the surprise too. There’s not a wrong answer here.”“Of course not,” he scoffed, covering his hesitancy with scorn. “To answer your question: I do not need a detailed itinerary but perhaps a…broad suggestion of what you have planned. Just enough to whet the appetite.”He said the last suggestively, voice turned velvety and dark, a sinful curl to his lips and Darcy suddenly couldn’t wait until next Sunday.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The rest of the week passed swiftly. Loki finished his SHIELD readings and filed his report (all half a page of it, detailing in as many words as possible how there was nothing to find) early Friday morning, enduring another visit from his minder that had quickly devolved into fawning over Thor since he, too, had been in residence. It was revolting and he lamented Darcy’s absence - she was in a meeting with her and Dr. Foster’s boss and thus couldn’t use her particular charm to show Agent Walters the door.Eventually even Thor grew uncomfortable with the man and claimed he was needed elsewhere, and Loki took the opportunity to vanish as well. According to Midgardian convention, the work week was over by now anyway.It had been difficult but he’d done his utmost to put his and Darcy’s little tryst out of his mind while at work. Obsessing over it, over what he could do better next time, what she’d prefer, for an entire week was a poor use of his time and would fray his nerves straight to breaking, he was sure. And he’d mostly succeeded. He had lost himself in his reading, in physical and seidr exercise - he’d even deigned to dine with his brother and Dr. Foster one night. (Their mother would be proud - they managed to pass the entire evening with only a few insults passing between them.) Falling asleep had proven problematic. His mind had always been active, turning over problems or recalling stories from books, and, as he'd grown older, worrying over who had said what at court and what the implications and ramifications might be spinning out over centuries. It was why his mother had taught him meditation very early on, so that he could quiet his mind and get the sleep a growing child needed. Now, he was out of practice and he found it harder to unknot his thoughts and let them fade into the background.But it was officially the weekend now, their next session less than two days away really, and he turned his thoughts - and his internet searches - to how he might better please Darcy.🍧From Darcy: How about some chest and arm shibari this week? You’ll look so good in the y-harness https://www.theduchy.com/takate-kote/From Darcy: And either edging or multiple o’s, your choice!From Loki: You flatter me. Shall I conjure the same rope again? In the appropriate lengths of course.From Darcy: Please and thanks! Looking forward to it ;)From Loki: As am I🍧Smoothing her dress down, Darcy tried to wrestle her nerves under control. I’m a cool, confident Dom; I’ve got this!She’d been lowkey looking forward to tonight all week, her excitement only ratcheting up as Sunday evening came closer and she decided to introduce Loki to shibari. God, he was going to look stunning all wrapped up in rope, like the prettiest present under the Christmas tree just for her. Raising her fist, she knocked on the door and it opened promptly, that blue glow around the edges still surprising her. “Hey Loki!”“Hello Darcy, come in,” he welcomed her, his nerves winding higher. He flicked his eyes over her quickly, taking in the thick braid drawn over her shoulder and the simple dress she wore. “You look lovely. May I offer you anything?”“Aww, thanks!” She stepped inside, going to kick off her shoes, and Loki automatically held his hand out to her again, just as he’d done last week. She took it with an appreciative smile; she was a little bit of a sucker for that princely charm. “I don’t need anything though. Do you?”He shook his head. “No. I’m ready to begin when you are, my lady.”“Go ahead then, Loki.”Taking a steadying breath, he nodded briskly and led the way to the bedroom, well aware of Darcy’s gaze on him. His prick was half-hard in anticipation already, arousal swirling in his bloodstream. It nearly overpowered the uncertainty that still clung to his thoughts, but no, he would please her tonight. He wouldn’t make a mess of this as he had so many other things.At the foot of the bed, he stopped and turned to her, clasping his hands behind his back and straightening his posture as several forums had suggested.“Tell me our rules and colors, honey,” she prompted.Training his eyes on the floor, he answered clearly: “I will always answer you out loud, I will not insult your species, or use seidr without permission. You decide when I come. Red means stop, yellow means check in, green means go, and our safewords are Mjolnir and pineapple.”“Good boy. But before we get going, you never answered my text about how you wanted this session to go. Do you wanna be edged or do you wanna have multiple orgasms, Loki?”He pinched his lips together. He hadn’t answered because he didn’t know which one she wanted. Their previous session, and the ‘sample’ before that, had both involved edging though, so perhaps that was evidence enough of her preference. Wetting his lips, he quietly told her: “Edging, my lady, if that pleases you.”Something niggled at Darcy’s brain, some sense of weird-ness, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She knew better than to ignore her gut instinct, especially when it came to BDSM - that was how people got hurt - but she didn’t know what exactly was setting off alarm bells. She chewed her lip, trying to figure it out, until Loki shifted his weight and she realized he was waiting for her to speak.“That works just fine, sweetheart,” she said at last, closing the distance between them. He didn’t look up to see her approach and maybe that was what was bothering her. She cupped his cheek and frowned when he still didn’t make eye contact. “Loki, is something wrong?”“No, my lady,” he assured swiftly, cursing himself. He was tempted to forget the whole charade and just look at her, but he didn’t want to jeopardize things further. Instead, he bit his tongue.“Are you sure?” she pressed. The longer Loki avoided looking at her, the louder her mental sirens clanged. Something was definitely up. “Because I don’t think you’ve looked at me since I got here and that’s…unusual.”Loki swallowed, chest twisting. This behavior was supposed to be what she expected, not something that worried her! Hesitantly, he explained: “...You haven’t given me permission to look at you, my lady.”“Oh…kay.” Since he wouldn’t notice, Darcy felt free to make a face because WTF? “Uh, we never agreed to any behavior restrictions, but -” Here she brightened her voice; she didn’t want him to feel judged because she wasn’t judging! It was just…unexpected. “- if that’s something you want to incorporate in our play, that’s totally cool! You’ve just gotta give me a little head's up next time, alright? Are there, um, any other restrictions you want me to enforce, honey?”“No, my lady.” He didn’t even like this restriction but if he wanted to be a good sub for her, he had to show his deference - all the articles he’d read had emphasized that. “I apologize for not warning you; I thought…” Loki shook his head, cutting himself off. A sub shouldn’t blame their Dom for their own misunderstanding. Anxiety twisted his stomach but he pushed it aside. “How will you punish me, my lady?”Darcy felt like she was getting whiplash. First he suddenly wanted to include eye contact restrictions and now he thought she should punish him for not warning her about it? Seriously, she couldn’t keep up, and she held her hands up in a ‘T’. “Hold on, time out! I don’t know what the frick’s going on here, so let’s talk about it. Can we do that? Please?”Loki nodded helplessly. What else could he do? Everything he’d tried, the changes he’d made to his behavior - it seemed to be making things worse and he didn’t understand. His throat tightened as his control of his emotions slipped. Why couldn’t he get this right?She didn’t make him answer aloud, just gently tugged on his arm until he followed her back into the living room and the couch where they both sat - her angled toward him, him stiffly staring straight ahead.Biting her lip, Darcy took in his clenched jaw and the tension pulling tight at his shoulders and spine. “Loki, what’s going on with you tonight?”“Nothing.”“Doesn’t seem like ‘nothing’,” she needled. Did he really expect her to believe that crap? It was maybe the worst lie she’d ever heard him tell, right up there with his ‘I’m fine’s from Monday. “Come on. Tell me what’s going on. Are you - I dunno - nervous about trying some more intense bondage? Because we don’t have to! We can take it slower; that’s not a problem.”Here was a ready made excuse for him to latch onto, one she would entirely believe since it was of her own conception, and yet he couldn’t make himself agree with it. He wanted to be bound and at Darcy’s mercy, wanted it viscerally in a way he didn’t fully understand but was more than willing to pursue. The bondage wasn’t the issue. “It’s nothing, Darcy,” he tried again, clenching his hands into fists on top of his lap. “It’s… I’m fine.”He so clearly wasn’t, and what wouldn’t she give to be able to read minds right about now. Instead, she had to keep trying to pull teeth.Leaning in, she covered his fist with her hand and used her most cajoling voice. “Please Loki, I can’t make things better if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”He stared at her hand, small and soft over his own, and something in him cracked. “What - what do you need me to be, Darcy?” He darted a glance at her and just as quickly dropped his gaze down, unable to bear her reaction. Forcefully, he made himself continue, keeping the desperate confusion out of his voice with effort. He was sure it would do him no favors in her estimation. “I’ve tried determining it on my own but nothing I do seems to be right and I am sick of failing! I…I want this to work. Tell me what mistake I’m making. Tell me and I’ll change.”Darcy’s eyebrows flew up in shock, then furrowed in confusion. She tried puzzling it out but got nowhere fast. “What do you mean, Loki? I don’t -” She shook her head. “- What do you mean? You don’t need to change for this to work.”He stiffened, anger simmering under his ribs. So she meant to pretend ignorance? He breathed a mirthless laugh and cut his eyes at her. “I thought you weren’t so stupid as to lie to the God of Lies.”She had to take several deep breaths to keep from lashing out just like he was, the ass. “What makes you think I’m lying, Loki?”Norns, she was committed to her innocence, wasn’t she? He brushed her hand away. “Clearly, I am not enough if you sneak away in the middle of the night, Darcy. Why you insist on denying it is beyond me. No one else would hesitate to detail my failings.”Darcy gaped at him like a fish. Where did she even start…?Rubbing her forehead, she figured addressing the most immediate issue would be best. “Is - is that what this is about, Loki? The fact that I left after you fell asleep?”He worked his jaw; it sounded so…pathetic when spoken aloud, but it was too late to deny it now. Still, he hated how vulnerable he sounded when he asked: “Why did you leave? Had I - Did I disappoint you somehow? What did I do wrong? Tell me and I’ll fix it, I swear!”“Oh Loki…” Hearing him made her heart hurt and she just wanted to gather him in her arms (and lay out whoever had made him feel this way). “Honey, you didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t disappoint me either! I left because we hadn’t talked about me staying the night and I didn’t want the morning to be awkward. That’s all.”Honestly, it hadn’t even occurred to her until after he’d fallen asleep, and he’d looked so peaceful that she hadn’t wanted to wake him up for something that she thought was inconsequential. And… Well, she’d never spent a full night with any of her clients and she’d started to get antsy the later it got, never mind that Loki was definitely not a client. It was just sort of a habit. …But her clients had all been experienced subs who knew what they needed from aftercare, and Loki didn't. He was brand new to all of this and she'd peaced out way too soon after his first session.
Shit.
“It had nothing to do with you,” she promised, reaching out and squeezing his hand again. “I…I should’ve thought to bring it up beforehand and I didn’t and I’m sorry, Loki. This is on me.”He stared at her, eyes stinging traitorously. “You’re…sorry?”“Yeah. I had no idea this would upset you, and regardless -” She winced, wanting to kick herself. She just realized she’d forgotten to bring it up again tonight. “I should’ve brought it up before we started playing. Last week and tonight. I’m sorry, Loki. Will you let me make it up to you?”She was…apologizing. Genuinely and without him all-but begging her to, without even blaming him. How many times had Thor begun an ‘apology’ with “Well if you hadn’t __”? His chest felt too full and it hurt and it took too much force of will to keep from crying. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he wondered: “How do you propose to do that?”“Talking about it to make sure this doesn’t happen again, mainly." Like she should've from the start. "Do you want me to stay the whole night after we play?” His cheeks pinked but he nodded, then hastened to add: “But if you do not want to, I can content myself with only an additional hour or two.”If she was wearing her glasses, Darcy would’ve looked at him over the top of them. After all this, he was going to pretend he’d be fine with less? Deciding there was only one way to get through to him, she took his face between her hands. He looked at her with wide eyes.“Loki. If you want me to stay all night, I’ll stay all night. It’s not exactly a hardship - I mean, I dunno about you, but I don’t exactly love leaving a warm bed,” she said with a laugh and his lips twitched up a little. Success! “C’mere, we need to make up for lost cuddle time.”
Lost cuddle time…?
He watched bemused as she plumped up the cushions closest to her and set them against the arm of the couch. Turning back to him, she took his hand and tugged him along as she laid down, encouraging him to lay on top of her. A small part of him worried about putting his weight on her - he was denser than humans - but the rest of him was quite happy to settle his head on her chest and let her body cradle him. “Is it okay if I rub your back, sweetheart?” she asked softly, already carding her fingers through his hair, knowing he liked it.He exhaled, tension seeping out of his frame already even though her question had him shying away from memories he’d rather not recall. But Darcy had never harmed him and he liked it when she touched him, however she touched him, and that she’d asked beforehand… Slowly, he nodded against her. “Lightly please.”“Sure.” She swept along his spine and around his shoulders, feeling him sink into her with each circuit. She hadn’t realized just how uptight and stressed out he’d been tonight - heck, all week probably - until he finally relaxed and she felt awful about it. Craning her neck, she pressed a kiss to the top of his head and he hummed contentedly, nuzzling against her boob.“So we should probably discuss the morning if I’m staying all night. I usually get up at 7:30ish -” Here, Loki interjected a noise of disgust and she breathed a laugh, continuing: “- I like to shower in the morning, eat breakfast, and go get coffee for the lab, which leaves me just enough time to clock in at 9. When do you get up, Your Highness?”“As late as possible,” he muttered, deciding to be bold and play his fingers over her shoulder cap. She made no objection, and he specified: “At quarter to 9 usually.”“Lucky!” she complained, going to poke him before catching herself. Poking him when he was upright and could see it coming was one thing, but she didn’t want to accidentally trigger his fight or flight response. “How’s this gonna work then? Do you want me to wake you up before I go or -?”He’d much rather her stay through until he had to be up but he understood she had her routine and he wasn’t quite prepared to give up his morning coffee. “I think that would be best.”“Alright, honey, I will. Now about what happened when we went to the bedroom…”Loki groaned and thought about slinking down so he could hide his face in her belly. “Must we?”“We need to talk about this,” she told him firmly. She wasn’t going to budge and he eventually muttered "fine" into her dress. “Tell me what you were thinking. Help me understand.”Norns, at least they weren’t face to face and that made explaining marginally easier.He still wasn’t sure how to start though and he made several false starts before committing to his words. “I thought the reason you left was that you were….disappointed in me, in my performance during our session, so I sought to rectify that. The internet suggested ways to be a good submissive: showing deference to you, only speaking or making eye contact when told to, submitting to punishment. I thought to please you. I…still don’t understand why I didn’t.”He said the last part so quietly she barely heard it and her heart twisted. He was trying so hard for her, which surprised her though she couldn’t pinpoint why exactly. Maybe she’d been thinking he’d agreed to this relationship on a lark but she was starting to think that wasn’t the case.“Okay, a) you didn’t disappoint me, Loki. I want to be very clear about that. I'm the one who messed up here. And b)...” She tugged on his hair a little until he grudgingly rested his chin on her chest and looked at her. There was so much vulnerability lurking in his eyes. "You did please me, I promise. If you’re ever worried you didn’t, that you’ve done something wrong, all you have to do is tell me. That’s the best way to be my good boy, Loki: just talking to me. I promise I won’t leave you in the dark to guess, sweetie.”“...You truly mean that, don’t you?” He searched her face and found nothing but honesty reflected back at him. “I do. I told you: I don’t lie when I’m playing, Loki,” she reminded him, combing his hair back from his face absently. Some of it had come loose from his usual slicked-back style. “All I want from you is for you to be comfortable and enjoy yourself when we do this, and for you to obey our rules, sweetheart. You don’t have to change or ‘be’ anything but yourself.”She’d said so before but he still couldn’t believe it. He wanted to though and he turned his head to kiss her palm. “Oh but um, did you…like any of those quote-unquote ‘good sub’ suggestions? Like, do you wanna include them going forward?”“Norns, no,” he scoffed, disgusted by the idea, and he felt her giggle under him. “Dude, you’re ridiculous. Okay, new rule,” she proposed. “Neither of us are allowed to do anything we hate for each other. Agreed?”“Oh very well.”All of this felt a little surreal; cuddling with a (really heavy - seriously, he was like a sentient weighted blanket) Norse God, soothing his anxieties, laying out rules for their play. But it was nice too and Darcy tilted her head, tracing his smile with her thumb. “You’re very sweet, you know. Doing research for me. Nerdy, but sweet.”Color rose in his cheeks. He couldn’t recall the last time anyone had called him ‘sweet’ and meant it genuinely but it was clear Darcy did. The tenderness in her expression made him feel absurdly exposed and he settled his face back against her sternum. Her heart beat steadily against his ear and one of her hands sank into his hair, cradling his head against her, while the other still rubbed soft circles up and down his back. When he’d imagined tonight, he never would’ve guessed it would go like this: a calm, reasoned conversation with plenty of understanding and reassurances, followed by an abundance of comforting touch. His anxieties felt overblown and silly in retrospect and he was glad she couldn’t see his embarrassment in this position. Unexpectedly, her thumb swept under the hinge of his jaw and Loki sucked in a breath. The faint stirrings of arousal inspired by Darcy’s fingers running over his scalp became a full-on flood and he muffled a groan against her breast. One of her legs was tucked between his and she felt him grow hard, his hips jerking once against her before he stilled himself. Combined with his noises, it painted an intriguing picture and, being a consummate scientist, Darcy rubbed her thumb a little more firmly under his jaw, thrilled when he gasped.Humming, she worked her thumb in a circle over that spot, turning him into a shivery, horny mess. “You’ve been such a good boy tonight, Loki,” she told him sweetly and he whined quietly in his throat, making her grin. "You didn't want to talk this through but you did. And you had good intentions, wanting to please me. Though next time you're not sure how to do that, you'll talk to me first, won't you?"She combined the chastisement with a tug on his hair and he moaned, lifting his head to look at her with wide-blown pupils.“Y-yes, Darcy, I’ll talk to you first,” he promised huskily, curling his fingers into the edges of her dress. Norns, he wanted to rip it off her, take her right here on the couch…“Good. And such good boys deserve rewards, don’t you think?” For a moment, he was overwhelmed by all the possibilities ‘rewards’ implied before he remembered himself and nodded quickly. “Yes, they do. I do. What - what did you have in mind?”Darcy knew exactly how she was going to reward him - reward both of them - but she pretended to think about it, tapping a finger against her mouth. “Hmm, I don’t know… Do you still want to try out shibari?”“Yes.”“Then let’s go to the bedroom, sweetheart.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Taking a deep breath, Loki eased his weight off of her and bit back a moan as his erection slid against her thigh while he got his knees back under him. Her dress had rucked up in the process too but he made himself drag his eyes up to her face and the little knowing smirk curving her lips. Darcy knew precisely what she was doing to him, the minx, and he grinned back.Standing, he offered her his hand. “My lady.”Darcy took a deep breath herself, finally able to without what felt like 500 pounds of Asgardian on top of her. Seriously, if they cuddled in the night, she better be on top or something, or else she’d wake up pressed flat as a pancake. Taking his hand, she let him help her to her feet, not entirely surprised when Loki bent to kiss her. She did make a noise of surprise when one of his big hands grabbed her ass and hauled her tight against him and his hard-on, not that she was complaining. He made to release her at her sound but she grabbed the front of his shirt, slinging an arm over his shoulder. She had zero issue with him copping a feel and the strength conveyed in his grip was getting her hot and bothered. What else could he pull off with all that muscle?It was only when he started gathering her dress up in his fists that she pulled away, lips buzzing and feeling a little lightheaded. Damn, he was a good kisser. “Mmn, hey now, patience is a virtue, mister,” she chided, catching his hands and pulling the hem of her dress free. It swished against the back of her thighs, making her shiver. “I want you all tied up and pretty for me before this comes off.”“Patience is overrated,” he complained, pouting, even as he followed her lead to the bedroom. The view was lovely from back here at least.Rolling her eyes, she sat on the end of the bed, taking the ultra-soft rope he’d conjured in her hand. “Undress for me, Loki, and tell me our rules again.”He did, as quickly as possible frankly, uncaring how eager he might seem for once. He doubted very much that she didn’t already know how much he wanted her, wanted this, and for a second he boggled at how differently this scenario felt compared to their first attempt so shortly ago. “God, you’re so gorgeous.” She couldn’t get over it, letting her eyes travel over every square inch of his naked form. He made her want to create art - to sketch or paint or carve his likeness into every available surface, but at the same time she selfishly wanted to keep this view of him all to herself. “Did you look at that link I sent you, sweetie?”“I did.”“Good boy. But for your reward, I’m going to need your hands free. The shinju harness is the exact same layout, just without tying up your wrists first, okay?”She wanted his hands free? His prick twitched at the possibilities that suggested and he licked his lips. “That’s fine.”“Come here then.”Loki walked to her and took a deep breath before he turned his back on her, immediately feeling ill at ease. He breathed out slowly, reminding himself that he’d thought this through, reading every step of the tutorial she’d sent and watching the video. He knew exactly what she was going to do behind him. It was fine. This was as far removed from his circumstances on Sanctuary as he could get, he was sure, and he trusted Darcy.She touched his ribs and he tamped down a flinch. He wanted this and he wouldn’t let his past experiences dissuade him.Darcy threaded the rope under his arms and low around his chest, drawing the double tails through the loop and pulling it firmly against his spine. Loki’s muscles rippled and she bit her lip in admiration, reversing the tension and winding the rope down around his side, letting her fingers trail against his skin. Reaching around his front, she felt him inhale shakily.“What’s your color, honey?” she asked lightly, taking note of how tense he’d gotten in the twenty or so seconds she’d been behind him.“Green.”She didn't believe that for a second and she made her voice stern. “Loki.”“...Yellow,” he admitted unhappily, pinching his mouth together tightly. “I’m sorry, Darcy, I -”She let the rope go slack immediately and came around so she could face him. “Don’t apologize, sweetheart, it’s okay. Talk to me; how can we make this better for you?”He frowned; he wasn’t sure they could, to be honest. “I trust you, Darcy, I do! And I know you have no interest in - in causing pain, especially in this context. But -” He sighed, closing his eyes briefly, wishing he could just move on already. “I find myself still…uncomfortable with another behind me where I can’t see. I - I thought I could do this. I’m sorry. It seems I’ve derailed our session yet again tonight.”“What if we did it in front of a mirror?” she wondered and blushed immediately hearing how that sounded out loud. She quickly tacked on: “I mean the bondage part! Not the - not the sex part, oh my God. Um. Sorry. But would that help? You could see me in the reflection. Or do you think this is more like a hard limit?”A faint smile tugged at his lips seeing her so flustered but he was far more amazed with her handling of the problem. Or rather, how she refused to let it be a problem at all. She didn’t fuss or question, or think his issues should automatically mean the end of the night. Instead, she offered a work around so they might still enjoy themselves.“A mirror might work,” he agreed, conjuring a gilt full-length one across from them. “Shall we try again, my lady?”Darcy arched an eyebrow at the ornate mirror. “I kinda meant the mirror in the bathroom since I didn’t give you permission to use seidr, brat. Consider this your first warning.”“Ah.” He attempted to arrange his expression contritely. “Sorry.”He totally wasn’t and she doubted he ever would be, the little shit. But they could deal with that over ice cream.“Kneel for me.”Huffing a laugh, he couldn’t help but wonder: “And how long have you wanted to order me to do that?”
Since we met.
“What? You’ll be able to see me better if you’re not towering over me,” she insisted and he gave her a knowing, lopsided smile before sinking fluidly to his knees in front of the mirror. She nearly whimpered at the sight.Getting a hold of herself, she dragged a hand over the firm line of his shoulders before taking his chin in hand and tilting it up to her. “You’re such a good boy, Loki. I’m gonna make that worth your while.”Loki gulped, finding himself mesmerized by how close her mouth was and how easy it felt being on his knees for her. “How so?” he murmured, wondering if she’d object to him rising up enough to kiss her. He’d still technically be kneeling… “You never did tell me what my reward is.”“Didn’t I?” she asked innocently, joining him on the floor. Carefully, she picked up the rope that had fallen to his hips and readjusted it to wind low around his chest. “I could’ve sworn I did.”“You most certainly did not.” Watching her dark head bowed just behind his shoulder as she worked was helping and he could actually enjoy the feel of her fingers and the rope moving against his skin this time. “I would recall.”Tightening the top hitch, Darcy kissed the top of his shoulder, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “Good boys get to undress their lady.”She kissed the juncture of his neck, gently sinking her teeth into the muscle and making him shudder. “And touch her.”Lifting up, she kissed behind his ear and whispered: “Very good boys might even get to fuck her and make her come. How does that sound?”Like perfection.He swallowed thickly, his nails biting into his palms to keep from reaching for her, to keep from hauling her into his lap and burying his prick in her cunt and fucking her until they both collapsed in sated exhaustion. It wasn’t easy, but better to leash himself than have her reprimand his control and decide he ought to be punished instead.“Have I been very good, Darcy?” he asked lowly, barely recognizing his own voice, it was so full of desire.She paused in winding the rope into a ‘v’ over his sternum; his voice had gone dark and deep and her pussy clenched. But she made herself continue, tucking the rope under the top layer of the harness and over his shoulder, and laid a quick kiss on his cheek. “I think so,” she said, moving behind him again to finish off the harness. Since she hadn’t tied his wrists first, there was a lot of leftover rope and she wove it back and forth between the straps, ending with a kiss between his shoulder blades. “There. All finished.”Hooking her chin over his shoulder and stroking his sides, she admired his reflection. “Look at you. Such a pretty boy.”He was quite a sight. A flush had warmed his usual pale tone, and the golden rope almost seemed to glitter where it was wrapped so expertly around his chest. He inhaled deeply just to watch, and feel, it press into his skin. His cock twitched at the sensation, smearing precum against his stomach.“How’s it feel? Is it comfortable?”He met her blue eyes in the mirror, dark with arousal and so sweetly concerned, and nodded. “It is, my lady.”“Good.” She stood up and crooked her finger at him, smirking. “Now stand up for me, sweetheart, and help me out of this dress.”With pleasure.Pushing to his feet, Loki stood behind her and locked eyes with her in the mirror. He dwarfed her considerably but she held all the power here and it was intoxicating. She could order him to do just about anything and he’d do it eagerly if only she praised him. “Will you move my hair real quick?” Darcy asked, eyes twinkling in her reflection. “We don’t want it in the way, do we?”Obligingly, he brushed her braid to the side and rested his hands, warm and heavy, on her shoulders, sweeping one thumb over the nape of her neck. “What next?”Darcy smiled cat-like, leaning into his hands. “Mmm, that’s what I like to hear, sweetheart. Do you see the hook there at the back seam? If you undo that, you’ll find the zipper. Got it? Go slow now, you don’t want it to get stuck. It’s a real pain when it does.”He tugged the zipper down slowly, tracing the opening seam with the tip of his finger. There was a collar of navy lace before he touched warm, bare skin and then sheer fabric down her spine until the zipper went no further. He wanted very much to push the dress down her arms and off her body, to see if he’d guessed correctly and she was wearing the same enticing lingerie as last week, but he waited for her word.“Go ahead, Loki. Take it off for me,” she ordered, ignoring the nerves fluttering to life in her stomach. She felt annoyingly self-conscious as he pushed the sleeves of her dress down her arms to reveal the same babydoll she’d worn last week - she’d had zero luck finding anything new in her size and had had to make do getting dressed for tonight. Maybe Loki wouldn’t care but she did, damn it!He pushed the dress down her hips, letting it pool at her feet, and took in her reflection. He’d been right about her lingerie, and he wet his lips.“Beautiful,” he murmured and she blushed fetchingly. “May I touch you now, Darcy?”“But you haven’t finished undressing me,” she said with practiced innocence. His hands still hovered at her hips and she covered them with hers, urging them up under the flowy fabric of the babydoll, over her stomach and under her boobs. “This too, honey. It’s an elastic band; it just goes over my head.”Swallowing, Loki curled his fingers under the elastic and gently pulled it up and over her head and arms. It dropped from his hand to the floor but he scarcely noticed to be honest, as he drank in her reflection. “You’re magnificent,” he decreed, and curiously, her blush darkened, spreading down her chest.“Sweet talker,” she said, brushing off his compliment. She cupped her breasts and squeezed, the feeling going straight to her pussy. “The girls love attention. Stroke ‘em, knead ‘em, kiss ‘em, anything you want really.”“‘Anything’, hm? What about biting?”“Oh.” She shivered and sighed, leaning back into his chest. “Biting can be nice. But not too hard, okay, sweetie? Don’t take a chunk out of me.” He scoffed. “Of course not, I’m not some slavering beast. What else should I know?”She rolled her nipples between her fingers before pulling on them, savoring the sweet sting and the way Loki’s fingers dug into her ribs. “I love love love having my nipples played with. I get so wet from it.”“Do you?” His voice was rough and he dared to lean down and kiss the side of her neck, sucking lightly and making her moan. “Let me touch you, Darcy. Don’t make me beg.”“But you’d do it so well,” she pretended to pout, laughing at the nearly murderous look he gave her before she gave in. “You can touch me, Loki.”He didn’t hesitate, immediately sliding his hands up her body to cradle her breasts in his big hands. He could hold so much more of them than she could and it felt so good, especially when he dragged his calloused thumbs back and forth over her nipples.“Is this to your liking, my lady?” he asked against her ear and a shiver rocketed up her spine. “Do I please you?”“Oh yes,” she gasped as he pinched them. She couldn’t resist anymore and she leaned back into him, widening her stance so she could slip a hand into her panties. Loki’s hands tightened on her boobs and she smirked lazily, stroking a finger through her wet folds. God, she was practically dripping after so much buildup between the two of them and they were just getting started…She turned her face to him, seeking out his mouth, and he met her in a kiss readily, like he’d been waiting for it too. “Fuck, I’m so lucky, getting to play with you,” she panted against his lips, grabbing his hand and bringing it down to replace hers. “Touch me, Loki.”“Gladly,” he practically growled, sliding his palm over her damp curls and pressing two of his fingers up against her cunt. Darcy hadn’t been exaggerating about how slick she was and he groaned, his mouth watering.She let him do what he wanted for a moment, riding the sensations he was drawing out, before she took charge. “Touch my clit.”He obliged her, seeking out her engorged bud and tracing circles over it. “Like this?”“Uh-huh,” she moaned, locking her suddenly weak knees. “I like circles or up and down mostly but honestly, it’s an attention whore - anything works. And if you ever want me to come, it needs a lot of attention. Having a dick or fingers inside me feels great but the chances of me coming from just that are slim to none.”“Duly noted.” All of his previous female partners had required clitoral stimulation to reach their peak too but it seemed in poor taste to mention them at the moment when his hands were gloriously full of Darcy. He switched to stroking up and down her clit while gently twisting her nipple and she whimpered beautifully, arching into his touch. “P-put one of your fingers in me, sweetheart.”Because of their height difference, Loki was already quite hunched over to reach between her legs. It wasn’t precisely comfortable but he’d thought nothing of it until he stretched down further and the middle of his back spasmed. Gritting his teeth against a curse, he shoved the sudden pain down - he wasn’t stopping until she’d come or Darcy told him to. Besides, he’d endured worse in less pleasurable conditions.Feeling him stiffen, Darcy pried her eyes open and bit back a groan at the sight of them in the mirror. Christ on a cracker, they were hot. But never mind that! “What’s your color, Loki?”“Green, my lady,” he assured, teasing a finger around her entrance. Her eyes fluttered shut again, biting her lip. “And yours?”“So, so green, honey. You’re doing so well, making me feel so good. Now put that finger in me like a good boy.” He did, pushing in slowly, and she clenched around him immediately, groaning. “God, I love your hands, honey. They’re so big and your fingers reach so deep. But oh, I’ve seen your dick - you better stretch me out if you’re gonna fuck me, Loki. I think three fingers oughta do it.”“Fucking Norns, Darcy,” he groaned, nipping at her throat. She was going to be the death of him, or at least the star of his fantasies for the next several decades, the minx. But she had an excellent point and he plunged two fingers into her cunt, scissoring them to a chorus of her moans and sighs.God, her legs were going to give out at this rate and she grabbed onto his arm to steady herself, stroking his skin. “Sweetie - mmn - can you press your fingers forward? Just like that; perfect. Now go down a little bi -"She gasped, bucking her hips and clutching at his arms as he found the sweet spot.“F-fuck, yes, oh God. That’s my, um, g-spot. Kinda like -" What the hell were words? She was totally blanking on a decent (and accurate) description that wasn’t a cavewoman grunt.He crooked his fingers and pressed his thumb to her clit, savoring the keening noise she made. “I’m familiar, Darcy.”Yeah, she could tell. Adding a third finger, he watched her in the mirror. Her skin was flushed, glistening with sweat and, between her thighs where his fingers pumped in and out, something sweeter. Her breasts heaved with every breath and above them, she was biting her lip but it did nothing to muffle the wonderful sounds she made - the ones he earned from her, touching her in the exact way that pleased her best. Despite the pain in his back, the unbearable ache in his neglected cock, Loki grinned triumphantly.Darcy slung an arm back around his neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Be a good boy and make me come, Loki.”How could he refuse? Setting his thumb to her clit, he made sure to rub it with every thrust and, at her urging, he curled his fingers against her inner wall.She was beauty incarnate when she came a short moment later, bliss washing over her face and her voice cracking over his name. He slowed his strokes, drawing her pleasure out, until she gripped his wrist, stilling him.“That’s enough for now,” she told him, still catching her breath. It felt awesome but she didn’t want to go for a double-O when his dick was still poking her in the back, rock hard and patiently waiting for attention. “You did so good but it’s your turn now, honey.”Reluctantly (and with some trepidation), he straightened up, relieved when his back didn’t spasm further. He resisted the urge to bow backwards and stretch it out or massage it - he could do that later should he still need to. Doing so now would only worry and distract her.Instead, he arched an eyebrow down at Darcy as she turned in his arms, pressing all her delicious curves against him. “I didn’t realize we’d be taking turns. Shall we keep score too? Let me write it down lest we forget.”“Brat,” she accused but her lips were pursed in a grin. She hooked a finger around the rope over his sternum and gave a tug. “C’mere. I want you to come whenever you need to tonight. Got that?”"Yes, my lady."He bent down willingly for her kiss, moaning into her mouth as her hot, little hand wrapped around his prick. It only took a few of her expert strokes for him to spill with a rough grunt and a rush of pleasure that had him forgetting his back entirely. He opened his eyes to find Darcy licking the cum from her fingers and forgot speech entirely.Noticing his attention, she made a show of sucking her fingers clean. The sound he made was composed entirely of consonants.She laughed. “Is that Asgardian for something or are you actually a little bit speechless right now?”“I’ve never been speechless a day in my life,” he informed her, recovering himself. A momentary lapse didn’t count.“Un-huh, sure,” she drawled; he was totally full of it. Hooking her thumbs in her waistband, she wiggled her panties down, feeling his eyes heavy on her. She straightened up, kicking them aside, and ‘eep’ed as she was immediately lifted up and pressed against Loki’s firm chest, his lips crashing against hers. Darcy relaxed, locking her legs and arms around him as he easily took her weight (seriously, it was like she weighed nothing!), and kissed him back, sucking and nibbling at his lips. Under her ass, she felt his dick perk up.He pulled away, short of breath, rolling his forehead against hers. If this was a normal dalliance, he’d have her on her back already and he’d be buried to the hilt in her cunt, fucking her to her next orgasm, but this was different. He’d given all the power to her.“Please…Darcy…”“Are you begging, sweetie?” she murmured, pleased, and kissed the corner of his mouth. “But what are you begging for, hm? You gotta use your words.”Growling against her lips, he palmed her ass, teasing her cunt back and forth over the head of his cock. “You know precisely what I want, Darcy.”Okay, that was evil and super unfair. Biting her lip, she tried to angle her hips so he could slide inside but he hoisted her up with a cruel “Ah ah ah.”“Oh, you wanna play like that, mister?” she challenged, winding her fingers into his hair and pulling his head back. Excitement lit up his eyes and she couldn’t resist kissing him again. “Tell me what you want or you won’t get it, Loki. I’ll end this session right now and leave you hard…and aching…and desperate.”She whispered each part of her threat against his ear while she ground herself against his abs, pulling on his hair, and he may have miscalculated. He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’d be left wanting too.”“Uh, would I though? Just ‘cause I won’t let you come doesn’t mean I won’t rub one out,” she pointed out with relish, enjoying the way his eyebrows bunched together. “In fact, I could probably get off just like this. You have auh-mazing muscle definition, y'know.”She gave him a minute to grapple with that, watching his jaw clench and feeling his fingers flex on her ass.Abruptly, he moved, carrying her to the bed and laying her out on it. He knelt between her legs, supporting himself with his hands on either side of her body, effectively caging her in place.“You -” He kissed her clavicle. “- are -” His dark head dipped down to suck one nipple into his mouth before letting it pop free.“- infuriating,” he declared, shifting down to kiss her stomach.Before he could sneak any further down, Darcy caught his chin, making him look up at her. “And where do you think you’re going, mister? Did you ask to eat me out?”“I don't recall you ever saying I had to.” He inched a little further down, flicking his tongue into her navel. She squeaked and he couldn’t help chuckling. “Besides, would licking your cunt not be a suitable act of submission, my lady? I could even get on my knees if it would please you.”
Oh this little shit…
How was she even supposed to argue that? Eating her out would be submissive, if he wasn’t topping from the bottom, the brat. And he was technically right: she’d never said he had to ask to do anything to her. But no way was she letting him get away with this.“You’re right. It would be pretty submissive,” she sighed forlornly, turning her lips down. “I guess you can go ahead; it’s just that… Never mind.”“...’Just that’ what?”Darcy grinned internally but on the outside, she shrugged. “Just that I was so looking forward to having your big, thick cock buried in my tight, hot, little pussy is all. I was so sure you’d fuck my brains out tonight since you’re such a good boy… But if you’d rather eat me out…”Swearing, he surged up her body, crashing their mouths together and aligning their hips. Pulling back panting, Loki rocked against her, his prick gliding easily against her wet cunt. “Fuck. Fuck, Darcy, let me… Can I fuck you?”“God, yes!” She reached between them eagerly, guiding his cock to her entrance and grabbing his ass to encourage him.Mindful of her earlier comments about stretching, Loki forced himself not to immediately bury his cock as deep as he could in her. Gritting his teeth, he inched forward, sinking inside her tight heat slowly, giving her time to adjust to the intrusion - not that she was making it easy. Her nails dug into his ass, urging him on alongside her verbal demands as she tried to pull him forward.“Jesus, Loki, you feel so good.” She squeezed around him and wished he’d bottom out already so she could feel all of him. “Fill me up, sweetheart, come on. I won’t break, promise.”Clenching his jaw, he swore to himself. He hadn’t expected her to have a filthy mouth - he loved it, but how in Yggdrasil was he supposed to survive with his dignity intact? It felt as though he could spill from her words alone and that wouldn’t do at all.This was ridiculous. It was obvious he was only holding back on her account despite her pretty freakin’ clear instructions. Frustrated, Darcy quickly set her heels in his ass and used the leverage to lift herself and take him balls deep.They groaned in unison.Loki looked down at her in complete surprise. “Darcy -”“I told you to hurry up, honey. Now show me how you fuck.”He shuddered as her demand washed over him; that tone of voice affected him to the very depths and he couldn’t refuse. He didn’t want to, not when it was just the two of them, pressed skin to skin.She was still holding them close together but he was far stronger than her - he slid his hands down to her hips and pushed them back to the mattress, unsheathing all but the head of his prick before shoving back in. That punched a moan out of Darcy and her legs fell open on either side of him, her hands bracing on his forearms.That was all the encouragement he needed.Giving into his base desires, he fucked her as he’d been craving, hard and fast, alternating nearly withdrawing and slamming back in with short, shallow thrusts. His hands around her were the only thing keeping her from sliding across the sheets as he chased the pleasure coiling in his groin and spreading outward."Norns, føles så godt," he snarled, as she clenched tight around him, whimpering. She had no idea what that meant but it sounded hot as fuck, and she rolled her hips to meet each of his punishing thrusts. “Come on, Loki, just - just like that…”Her breasts bounced every time he rocked into her and he wanted them under his hands, in his mouth, wanted Darcy to scream his name because of how he touched her. Bending over, he kissed her messily, teeth clacking in his haste, but he didn’t care, sucking her bottom lip between his teeth and pulling. He was consumed with want, with her, and she’d yet to check him as he expected.Urging her legs around him, he curled his spine, palming one of her glorious breasts up so he could drag his mouth over her impossibly soft skin. Darcy moaned encouragement, burying her hands in his hair, helpfully arching her back to press into him. Grinning, he thanked her by licking over to her rosy nipple and sucking it into his mouth.“Fuck, Loki,” she whined beautifully, locking her ankles behind his ass.He scraped his teeth over the sensitive bud, releasing it with a ragged breath when her hands fell to scrabble at his shoulders. She didn’t once slip and touch his back, instead wrapping her fingers in the lines of rope she’d bound him in.“Say it again,” he rasped, snaking a hand down to where they were joined. “Say my name, Darcy.”“Say please.”He growled, burying his teeth in the slope of her breast, but Darcy just laughed, low and husky.“Where are your manners, hm? Don’t tell me you forget them as soon as you get your dick wet.”Caving, he laved his tongue over the bite. “Please, my lady. Say my name.”“That’s my good boy… Loki…”He shuddered, the combination of her words and her nails against his scalp threatening to overwhelm him. “Fuck, Darcy. Again. Please.”“Loki,” she breathed against his ear, and he could hear her grin even over their panting breaths. “Are you gonna be a good boy and make me come again?”His thrusts stuttered, a whine building in his throat before he swallowed it down. Just because he liked being called that didn’t mean he had to go and lose his head every time she used it. Recovering, he sought out her clit and kissed under her ear, promising: “As often as you like, my lady.”“I like the sound of that,” she chuckled, ending in a whimper as he circled his fingertip under the hood of her clit. “Oh fuck, Loki - Loki, right there, honey.”Darcy reached between them, fisting her hand around the ropes over his sternum, over his heart, and feeling welled in Loki. As his thrusts grew wilder, as his fingers worked her over, his orgasm (and hers) building into a crescendo, he kissed her hotly. “Loki… Loki…” she murmured between moans, clenching around his dick. She wasn’t surprised a millennia old god with his looks was good at sex, but she was deeply, deeply grateful, especially when he glanced against her g-spot and sent her hurtling off the cliff.She was stunning when she fell apart; her plush lips parting in a gasp and a tiny furrow forming between her eyebrows and Loki memorized the expression greedily. But the sweet fluttering of her cunt around his prick triggered his climax and pleasure whited out his senses.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
She wondered if this would become a routine for them, Loki laying on her chest, pillowed by her boobs, and her combing her fingers through his hair. She wouldn’t mind; she liked the post-coital cuddle, and so did he based on the way he was practically purring, pushing into her hands like an affectionate cat. He was pretty heavy though, and they were both sweaty and sticky now, and she should really undo his harness.Sighing, Darcy patted his bicep. “Sorry, sweetheart, but we should get these ropes off you.”A wisp of green darted in front of her and then sank into his back. Grumpily, he muttered: “There. It’s off.”She rolled her eyes. Brat. “I know you’ve got super-healing or whatever, but I still want to check and make sure you didn’t get hurt, Loki. Also: you weigh a ton and I’d like to clean up.”It was pretty impressive just how much unhappy reluctance he managed to convey simply by rolling off her. On his back, he spread his arms wide, inviting her inspection. “I don’t know why you won’t take me at my word.”She could think of a few reasons but none that wouldn’t start an argument. Instead, she ran a hand over his chest carefully. There wasn’t a single blemish of course, not even a hint of angry pink, and she bent her head to press a kiss to his sternum, smiling when he inhaled in surprise.“All good here. What about your back?”Loki’s mouth pursed and he looked to the ceiling. “It’s fine, Darcy.”She didn’t think it was, but she’d basically promised not to ask about any of his hangups. “Okay,” she said softly, letting it go. Maybe he’d tell her one day, maybe not, but for now she’d respect his silence. “Do you want me to get a cloth or do you want to use seidr to clean up?”He exhaled gustily, relieved she wasn’t pushing. It was fine, or it would be after a night’s rest and relaxation. And the ropes he’d conjured certainly hadn’t left any abrasions - he’d enchanted them specifically not to after all.“Seidr,” he answered, mindful of her speaking rule, and swept them both with his signature green haze, leaving them and the sheets fresh and clean.“I seriously love that trick; thank you.” Leaning over, she kissed his cheek, not objecting when he turned his face and kissed her properly. “We need to rehydrate, hun. Do you have juice in your fridge?”"I believe I might have some fermented grape juice on hand,” he offered innocently, watching her brow crinkle before she snorted a laugh, lightly smacking his chest.“Wine doesn’t count, you ass. I guess water’ll do.” She went to get up but Loki caught her hand, drawing her back. He waved his other hand and a glass pitcher appeared, heavy with condensation and with a pair of matching cups for them, just the same as last week.“How about apple cider, hm? Fresh from Asgard. Will that suffice?”“As long as it’s not boozy.”“It’s a drink for children,” he explained, his eyes crinkling up with his smile. “I remember you prefer a clear head for our sessions. Nothing I summon for us to drink will contain alcohol, Darcy.”“Thank you.” She poured them both cups and passed him one. “Cheers, then.”“Skal,” he returned with a grin, drinking of the sweet, tangy liquid. It tasted of home and his childhood and for a brief moment, he ached with longing to return to those simpler times. Granted, those simpler (much younger) times didn’t include a beautiful and very naked woman in his bed.He reached to refill his cup and winced, the muscles along his spine pulling horribly. Gritting his teeth, he shifted back to his original position, hoping that would help, and used seidr to fill his cup. Avoiding Darcy’s worried gaze was easy when he was busy drinking.“...Would a bath help?”His eyes flicked up to her; he’d expected her to demand an explanation or else ignore it entirely but he evidently shouldn’t have. “...Possibly.”She nodded decisively, patting his leg as she stood and set her cup aside. Grabbing a blanket from the end of the bed - this one was emerald green with a gold border, she wrapped it around herself and headed to the en suite.Flicking the light on, Darcy let out a low whistle. Her own bathroom looked like the ‘before’ of a reno compared to his, which was insane because her bathroom in Stark Tower was nicer then the ones in some hotels she’d stayed in. Seriously, this was all expensive slab marble and matte black hardware, with a ginormous spa shower and an equally massive tub (the toilet was prudishly hidden behind a half wall). She eyeballed the tub critically; she was pretty sure she could lay down in the thing and not touch the sides. Loki could definitely sit with his legs stretched out, rather than under his ears, which was good even if it made her insanely jealous. Her tub was the standard size, which meant a cramped bath. She got the water flowing and checked the temperature against her wrist, adjusting as necessary until it was hot without being scalding. Hesitating in front of the vanity, she decided against snooping and popped her head back out into the bedroom. “Do you have bubble bath or anything?”Loki looked up from where he’d been seemingly staring into space. “Bubble bath…?” His forehead creased for a second before he shook his head, expression smoothing out. “No. No, but I can -” There was a flare of green and then a large glass jar appeared in front of her, floating in mid air. It was filled with coarse salt and herbs, with a little metal scoop attached by a rope to the hinged lid. “Borrowing from Asgard again?” she teased and he offered her a small smile. “How many scoops for your huge ass tub?”“Three should do, thank you, Darcy.”She frowned; he sounded maudlin and she didn’t like that at all. The tub would take a lifetime to fill so she didn’t worry about leaving it, just set the jar on the vanity and climbed back into bed with him.“What’s wrong?”“Nothing,” he answered almost automatically, kissing her forehead and making her insides melt into a puddle. “I’m fine.”Darcy chewed her lip, her insides re-soldifying thanks to nerves. “Look…you don’t have to tell me, Loki, but…if you want to, I’ll listen. And I won’t tell anyone; I’m no gossip.”She slid her hand into his and squeezed, and he felt his mouth pull up. She was one of the more kind-hearted beings he’d come across in the last century.“It is nothing, Darcy,” he assured her, squeezing her hand back and giving her a proper smile. “Just…a touch of homesickness is all. It will pass.”“Alright. I’m still gonna hug you though, okay?” She gave him plenty of time to object before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but he accepted, and returned, her embrace easily. They stayed like that for a moment, just taking comfort from each other, before Loki withdrew, brushing his lips against her temple.“Thank you, Darcy.”“Psh, it’s nothing,” she waved him off and clambered off the bed again, readjusting the blanket she’d wrapped around herself. “I’m gonna check on your bath.”The tub was nearly half filled now and she grabbed the jar Loki had conjured, popping the lid and sprinkling three scoops over the water. It turned cloudy and an herby scent wafted up, relaxing her shoulders. She hoped it would work for Loki too; he had no right being so tense again after such awesome sex. She didn’t know all the details but she knew he couldn’t go back to Asgard, not any time soon anyway. Hell, maybe not even in her lifetime. Based on some terse silences and awkwardly cut off sentences when Thor noticed her listening in, it had something to do with their dad and that had to be all kinds of shitty. Unable to go home, to see his mom, to enjoy his royal creature comforts… Though he could apparently summon some of them, she thought wryly, setting the jar on the vanity again.She called into the bedroom: “Come on, sweetheart. It’s all ready for you.”Loki opened his eyes from their rest and looked at the temptress framed in the doorway. Her braid was terribly mussed after their vigorous activities and what parts of her that weren’t regrettably covered by his blanket were flushed pink from the steam. He was only too happy to go to her, to wrap his arms around her from behind and kiss the crown of her head, to pretend a little longer that she was his.“Your beauty would make even the mermaids of Alfheim jealous,” he told her quite honestly and she snorted, rolling her eyes at him in the vanity mirror.“Bet you tell all the girls that,” she shot back, mouth curling saucily, before her eyes widened and she turned into him. “Hang on, mermaids are real?”He laughed and kissed her because he could. “I believe I just said so, did I not?”“Well yeah, I guess, but you can’t just leave it at that!” she insisted, trying to ignore how flustered he was making her with the forehead kisses and the compliments and sounding genuine about them… "Will you tell me about them? Are they anything like the Earth myths?”As she asked, she casually herded him toward the bath and he went along amusedly, dipping his hand into the cloudy water. It was hot but pleasantly so and he stepped over the edge, sinking down. He sighed as he relaxed back, letting the slope support him.“How’s it feel? Is it hot enough? Or too hot?”“It’s perfect, Darcy, thank you.” It really did feel wonderful and he was grateful she’d thought of it. “Why don’t you join me? I’ll tell you anything you like about Alfheim.”“You don’t have to convince me!”There was nowhere for her to hang the blanket but Loki simply vanished it after she’d taken it off and she climbed in, settling against his chest since he’d gestured for her to sit on his side. A happy sigh escaped her and he made a questioning noise.“I love baths. There’s something so…I dunno, decadent about them,” she explained, finding his hands under the water and bringing them around her middle. “And your tub is actually big enough to stretch out in. I’m super jealous.”He chuckled and she could feel it through his chest. “Is yours quite small?”“Eh, it’s standard-sized for the US, I think, but that still means only kids can sit in them without contorting or like, hanging your legs over the side.”“How absurd. Why wouldn’t you build them to suit your statures?”Darcy shrugged. “Beats me. We’re weird that way, I guess. But tell me about these mermaids I’d supposedly make jealous.”He did, telling her of the half-humanoid, half-aquatic beings who populated the waters of Alfheim, famed for both their enchanting beauty and their casual cruelty. He painted pictures of their scaled fins in brilliant colors and patterns and the way they sometimes glowed under the moons, of their coral cities and their sunning pools where foolish beings might be lured to their deaths. He told her of their siren songs, impossible to replicate, and what he knew of their other magicks.His hands gestured through the air as he talked, occasionally conjuring images but mostly just emphasizing his words as he told her of Alfheim’s Champagne ocean, golden and bubbling with volcanic activity, and its faerie forests where it was so easy to get lost and never be found that only the bravest (or most foolhardy) off-worlders dared enter. He explained the High Court of the Light Elves, where it was so bright that shadows were considered ill-portents and any visitor would be wise to disguise theirs.“It sounds amazing. And hella dangerous.”“All the realms are,” he said simply. “Even Midgard is, with its extreme climates and varied biomes, to say nothing of its inhabitants. Most denizens of the other realms view Midgard as a realm of death and savagery.”“Oh that’s nice,” she snarked, making a face. “‘A realm of death and savagery’. We should get that printed on t-shirts.”One suddenly floated in front of her: white with a cartoonish icon of Earth on the chest, and in classic postcard font over top ‘Welcome to Midgard: Where You’ll Meet Your Doom!’Darcy sputtered before giving into giggles, laughing hard enough to slosh water up the sides of the tub. She twisted to tell him how funny he wasn’t only to find him grinning back, light and unburdened, looking like the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.“You’re so pretty, it’s unfair,” she murmured, reaching up to touch his cheek.Surprised, his smile softened to something barely there and he brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. She meant it, he could tell, but she was one of a few who shared that opinion. On the whole, the Aesir preferred someone of Thor’s build and coloring and he’d been made well aware of that early in life. Cupping her neck, he drew her into a kiss, clasping and brushing her lips, stroking the embers of desire back into flames.Grabbing the edges of the tub, Darcy maneuvered around to straddle him. His dick was already at half mast and she rubbed against him teasingly, grinning when he grabbed her ass and ground her down properly. “Is my good boy gonna fuck me again?” she asked softly, grabbing his chin and directing the kiss. “Is that what you want?”“Yes,” he hissed, sliding his hands up her back and pressing their chests together. “May I, Darcy? Please? You felt so good around my cock.”How could she say no? Why would she want to? Laughing lowly, she nodded, reaching between them to take his dick in hand. He was rock hard now and she guided him between her folds. Oh-so-slowly, she sank down on him, biting back a moan as she stretched around him again. Loki was panting by the time she was fully seated in his lap, his fingers very carefully not digging into her hips though it was obvious he wanted to.“You feel so good inside me, honey.” She kissed him again, tracing her fingers up and down his straining neck, before she clenched around him. He tore away, swearing. “Darcy! Fuck. Tell me I can move, please!”She grinned, his begging like music to her ears. “Of course, sweetie. But you’ve been such a good boy for me tonight, let me do the work.”Loki nodded dumbly, letting her push him back against the tub wall. She braced her hands against his shoulders, pinning him in place, and rose up until he was scarcely nestled inside. The agony only lasted a scant minute before Darcy slid back down, engulfing him in her heat and pulling a groan from his chest. “Norns, Darcy…” His head tipped back against the edge, eyes falling closed. She felt so impossibly good…“Do you like that, honey?” she asked, doing it again. His hands tightened on her hips and she rocked against him. “Mmn, that feels good too though, doesn’t it?”“Yes,” he sighed, skating his hands up and down her thighs. Surely this was a sampling of Valhalla.Loki looked blissfully relaxed and she smiled proudly. She’d done that to him and it was one of the best feelings, right up there with the way his cock felt moving in and out of her. Bending over, she kissed him slowly. He responded in kind, stroking his tongue against hers, as his hand moved inward, his calloused thumb finding her clit.She inhaled sharply, rubbing her nose along his. “You don’t have to, Loki. This is for you.”“Nonsense,” he murmured, catching her lips again. “I want to. I want to feel you come around me again.”Well, she couldn’t argue with that. "You're such a good boy taking care of me, sweetheart. I appreciate it.”He blushed red, lowering his eyes bashfully, the cutie, and she kissed him again, moaning into his mouth when his thumb sped up a little. His lips twitched up as he stroked her clit, drawing her orgasm closer and closer until she was panting out an unending stream of ‘yes’s as she rode him harder.She was a feast for the eyes, bouncing on his cock with her eyes scrunched tight and her kiss-swollen lips parted for air. The water lapped at her breasts with every downstroke, leaving them dripping temptingly every time she rose up, and Loki thought he’d happily watch her fuck him for the rest of eternity. Not that he’d last that long. Her ministrations already had pleasure radiating out from his groin, his body tensing and balls tightening, but no. He grit his teeth against it; he wanted her to finish first, wanted her cunt to spasm blessedly around him and be what sent him over the edge.“Don’t - don’t stop, oh God. I’m sososo close.” She just needed a little bit more and -Darcy gasped, her whole body shuddering as wave after wave of pleasure overwhelmed her. Loki kept working his thumb over her even as he gave in to his own climax, hips jerking up as he spilled deep inside her fluttering quim with a drawn-out groan.She shivered again, hard enough to slosh a bit of water over the side of the tub, and pulled his hand away from her clit. She appreciated his determination but holy hell, she was wrung out. And cold - they’d been in here long enough, the bath had lost most of its heat and goosebumps covered her upper body. But she wasn’t quite ready to lose skin-to-skin contact with Loki so she carefully wrapped her arms over his shoulders and tucked her face against his. He sighed contentedly, immediately holding her close.They stayed like that until he slipped out of her and even then, they parted reluctantly.Yawning, Darcy pecked his cheek. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go to bed where it’s warm and comfy.”He quite agreed, helping her steady herself as she got to her feet and out of the tub before he followed her. He wiggled the fingers of one hand meaningfully. “May I?”Her brow puckered in confusion but she still nodded. “Uh, sure?”She was too trusting of him by far, he thought critically, not that he’d meant anything nefarious. Rather, his seidr washed over them both, leaving them clean and dry and dressed in bedclothes: a tunic and loose trousers for them both. Darcy raised a hand to her now unbraided and combed hair.“Oh, thanks.” She blinked, frowning a little. “Did that brush my teeth too? ‘Cause my mouth feels minty fresh.”“Yes,” he nodded, feeling tiredness pull at his limbs and eyelids. He didn’t even want to fight it for once. “You can use the bathroom first, if you need.”“Thanks,” she said to his retreating back and he nodded, shutting the door behind him. She quickly took care of business and returned to the bedroom, finding Loki sitting on the side of the bed closest to her with his head propped up on his hand, half asleep. Cutie. But that position had to be bad for his back.“Loki, the bathroom’s free, honey.”He jerked a little, blinking up at her before his brain kicked in. “Ah, thank you.”He disappeared and she went around the room, picking up and folding their clothes. She really didn’t want to play ‘find your panties’ at the crack of dawn, and she set both piles on a clear spot on his dresser, admiring the golden trinkets scattered over the surface. She didn’t know what any of them were for, if they were for anything other than decoration, but they were pretty and intricate. She wondered if they were from Asgard or something he had created with seidr.She heard Loki come back into the room and went to help him turn the blankets down. He climbed in right away but Darcy set her phone alarm and shimmied out of the pants he’d conjured before slipping under the blankets with him.“No trousers?” he wondered quietly.“Nah, I don’t like all that extra fabric around my legs. I like the shirt though,” she assured. It was crazy soft and didn’t feel like it would get too hot, even with the long sleeves. “Do you wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon?” At his blank look, she clarified: “Do you wanna hold me, or do you wanna be held?”He gave the question all the consideration it was due and then some. Given his stature, he was most usually the ‘big spoon’ when the occasion arose but he had to admit there was something tempting about being the ‘little spoon’. But they’d already tested his comfort with her out of sight behind him tonight and it hadn’t gone well.Seeing his hesitation, Darcy offered an alternative. “Or we could hold each other…?”“Of course,” he agreed readily, shifting closer to the edge of his pillow and slinging an arm over her waist. She shuffled in closer and kissed him softly. “You were great tonight, Loki. You pleased me very much. Three times in fact.”He chuckled along with her, amused, but he could see what she was trying to do: preemptively assuage any worries that might carry over to this week. Hopefully it would work.“Thank you, Darcy. Sleep well.”“Sweet dreams, honey.”🍧The mermaid looked over her shoulder coyly, one pointed ear peeking out from her curtain of lilac hair, and opened her mouth to sing the song of her people. Darcy leaned in eagerly to listen……only to grunt and slap around for her phone. God, how long had her alarm been going off undercover of her brain pretending it was a mermaid singing? Blearly, she yanked the phone in front of her face and sighed in relief. It had only been two minutes. Dismissing the alarm, she dropped the phone on her pillow so she could rub her eyes.Falling back asleep was hella tempting - she was sleep-warm and the room was still mostly dark and the bed was sooo comfy… But no!
Get up Trinity!
Giggling to herself, she went to get up only to fail miserably as a very heavy - and strong! - arm tightened around her middle. Behind her, Loki exhaled deeply but otherwise didn’t move, and she couldn’t tell if he was awake or not. She tried to wiggle away but he made an unhappy noise and drew her closer, smushing his face into her hair and sighing again.Of course he was a clingy cuddler.And if it wasn’t Monday morning she’d have zero problems with it but it was, so: “Loki, I have to get up.”He grunted.Darcy poked his arm. “Come on, dude. Let me up.”“Mmphf,” he eloquently replied and she had to fight a grin. He was being unreasonably adorable, or she was unreasonably finding him adorable, whichever. It didn’t matter. What mattered was her escaping his evil clutches and getting ready for the day so she could show up at work on time.“That’s a stellar argument, honey, but if you don’t let me up, I won’t have time to get coffee.”Loki squeezed her closer and then let her go, muttering: “Fine.”Snorting, she climbed out of the bed, tucking the blankets back in around him before grabbing her clothes.“I want a chocolate croissant too,” the lump of blankets demanded as it rolled into her spot. Probably stealing her residual warmth, the dork.She snorted again, shaking her head at his ridiculousness. “Anything else, Your Highness?”“Don’t tempt me.”🍧When Loki awoke, there was a text waiting for him: a picture of a to-go cup and a paper bag, and underneath, Darcy had typed ‘for my good boy ;)’
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Darcy went to tip her glass back only to realize it was empty. Grumbling, she hauled herself off the couch and realized, hey, maybe she should turn some lights on. Outside her windows, the sun was huddled low, streaking between buildings, and lights twinkled out of the other skyscrapers like man-made stars.“Crap.”Jane had moved out over a month ago and clearly, she wasn’t adjusting super well to the ‘living on her own’ thing. Doom-scrolling and forgetting about dinner was not how adults functioned. At least, not healthily.Groaning, she pinched the bridge of her nose under her glasses and then shoved them up to rub her eyes. At this rate, she might need a stronger prescription at her next exam and she’d really like to avoid that, thanks. She clicked on the lamp beside the couch and then the kitchen lights, refilling her glass from the sink.Thumbing to her text messages, she thought about texting Jane or Natasha but her eyes caught on Loki’s name and she chewed her lip. She’d only seen him in the lab for a hot minute - long enough to give him his mochaccino and croissant and be stunned by his thankful smile before Thor had come in and absconded with him for the rest of the day.From Darcy: How are you doing?Opening the fridge, she hung her head and sighed again, tossing in a self-pitying groan for flavor. She hadn’t gone grocery shopping. Her options were a jar of pickles and some suspect leftovers and…an onion sprouting new growth. “Cereal it is.”She filled a bowl with cornflakes and poured in what was left of the milk. Shoving a spoonful in her mouth, she pulled up her grocery app before her phone buzzed with a notification.From Loki: Well enough considering the circumstances. Thor and his cronies may have found something worthwhile.She frowned around her spoon.From Darcy: Wait are you still *working*? It’s like 8! Go home! Have you eaten?Never mind her hypocrisy on that front.From Loki: I will in due time.From Loki: But you didn’t mean work, did you?From Darcy: Not exactly but it’s ok :) Just wanted to check in after last nightHe didn’t reply right away and she finished off her dinner, dropping the bowl in the sink before deciding she might as well wash her dishes while she was here. The sink was full of bubbles when she got his text.From Loki: I am well, Darcy, thank you.She smiled, glad. She didn’t want a repeat of last week’s anxieties if she could help it.From Darcy: Good :) You can always text me if that changes, ok? From Loki: Rest assured I will.🍧Tuesday and Wednesday passed in a similar manner. Loki was fully preoccupied by the artifact the Avengers had found - thus far, he’d determined it was not native to Midgard or its system, nor was it from any of the other eight realms. He suspected it was Kree, which he had no desire to inform SHIELD of, and he knew it was broken, which he was debating telling them about. If it was what he thought it was, he didn’t want them trying to fix it.Ideally, he needed to think of a way to destroy it in such a way that the humans couldn’t salvage any of the technology while also not bringing suspicion against his own willingness to cooperate. It was a rather fine line.But as preoccupied as he was, Loki was quite aware of the time as Wednesday afternoon wound down. He had no intention of missing ice cream with Darcy no matter how demanding SHIELD was. When five o’clock struck, he split his consciousness into two bodies and left his double to tinker, while he met Darcy outside her apartment.She nearly crashed into him stepping into the hallway, she was so busy with her phone, but she caught herself in time. “Oh, hey! I guess I don’t have to text you I’m leaving then.”“It would be redundant. Shall we?”“Yeah, let’s go,” Darcy agreed easily, tucking her phone into her bag and leading the way to the elevator. “SHIELD’s been keeping you busy, huh? I almost expected you to cancel or reschedule.”He regarded her curiously; there was a note of…almost relief? in her voice, as though she was glad he hadn't cancelled, and warmth filled his chest. He pretended to sniff haughtily. “I have no intention of letting SHIELD dictate my after-work hours. It’s bad enough they think they can tell me what to do during the day.”“Well, they do pay you, so y’know…” She smiled though and bumped gently into his arm. “So what have you been working on?”He was tempted to answer; she’d been an attentive and interested audience when he’d told her about Alfheim and he’d enjoyed that but… "I didn't think you'd wish for SHIELD to be more aware of you than they already are.”Darcy scrunched her nose and he felt the unexpected urge to kiss the tip of it. “Ugh, good point. Maybe you can tell me the really vague basics? Like, um, I dunno, on a scale of one to ten, how likely is it to destroy the planet?”Quirking an eyebrow, he wondered: “How in the Nine would that be considered vague? If I said anything over five, would you not panic?”“Well, alright then! What can you tell me?” Loki steeled himself against the crowds of humans he was faced with as they stepped outside, grimacing. Norns, humans were prolific. “It’s roughly spherical.”At least it wasn’t cubic. Things hadn’t gone down so great with the last alien cube on Earth.She noticed he’d tensed up and she slipped around to his other side while directing them both to the inside of the sidewalk, closest to the buildings - and further away from all the people.“Doooes it have moving parts?” she wondered, sliding her hand into his and squeezing. “C’mon, I’m really good at twenty questions!”He looked down at their suddenly joined hands and felt a smile form. He squeezed back. “You are ridiculous. Yes, it has moving parts.”He answered all of her increasingly specific questions on the way to 32+ until at last, he held the door open for her, ushering her in. “I’ll answer one more question. Choose wisely.”“Alright, Gandalf.” Despite all her questions, she had no idea what he was working on. Obviously, since it was alien tech. Still, she did have one last question. “Do you like working on it?”That stopped him in his tracks and he looked down at her. He really ought to stop being surprised by her but it seemed he couldn’t help it. “I do, actually. I’d rather SHIELD not hover over my shoulder so to speak, but -” he shrugged easily, “- that can’t be helped.”“Yeah, those a-holes put a damper on things, don’t they? But good, I’m glad you like it. Ooh, they’ve got cookie dough this week!”Directing his own attention to the display cases, Loki debated which flavor to try. Berry Proud and plain chocolate were still available but there were so many others still to sample. He was tempted by one claiming to be ‘Death by Chocolate’ but then his eye caught on one that was pale green and studded with chips of - he glanced at the placard - chocolate. “May I have a sample of Mint to Be?” he asked the person behind the counter. For him, mint was associated with savory dishes and certain enchantments. He’d never imagined it in a sweet palette. Thanking the worker, he took the tiny spoon from them and hesitantly licked it. It was bright and refreshing and pleasantly sweet, and he put the whole spoonful in his mouth. A bit of chocolate melted on his tongue and he hummed happily, shoulders dropping.“Found a winner?” Darcy asked, amusement in the arch of her eyebrow and smile.“I believe so. One bowl of Mint to Be, if you’d be so kind.”“And I’ll have a bowl of Get Dat Dough, thanks.”Luckily, their table of the past two visits was free and they took their seats across from each other. Loki made that same twist of his wrist, a tiny wisp of green at his fingertip, and she imagined she could almost feel the spell settling around them.“So…Sunday was kinda rocky, huh?”“Just a touch,” he agreed, sharing in her wince. Remembering it - his insecurities - brought a flush to his cheeks despite his wishes and he glamoured it away. “But I think you managed to salvage it quite well. I certainly enjoyed it, Darcy.”His voice went a little deeper on the last sentence and she fought a shiver, her evil brain instantly replaying memories of him begging to fuck her and one thought led to another and she shifted in her seat, clenching around nothing. She cleared her throat. “I did too. But um, I didn’t ‘salvage’ anything. We - both of us - talked things through. I mean, I’m glad we got to a point where we both still wanted to play, but it would’ve been okay if we didn’t. Being on the same page, dealing with things as they crop up, is important too.”Loki took another bite of ice cream, pursing his lips. He heard what she was saying and he agreed, mostly. Communication was important and he’d hate for any of her concerns to fester in silence but his own worries… Well, they’d proven themselves overblown. “I too am glad we ‘talked it out’. I…” He cleared his throat, finding a spot over her shoulder to focus on. “I appreciate your understanding. I was out of my depth and…overcompensating, I suppose.”That wasn’t how she’d read it. He’d come across as scared almost, and deeply anxious, but she couldn’t call him out on that. In the grand scheme of things, she barely knew him for one, and for two, who was she to tell him how he was ‘actually’ feeling? Instead, she patted his knee under the table, startling him enough that his eyes zeroed in on hers.“And I appreciate you not stonewalling me when I asked about it. I’m not going to judge you, Loki, not in this. I want to say ‘not in anything’ but for all I know you think anchovies belong on pizza and I can’t not judge you for that, so…” She said it with a teasing grin, hoping he got the joke, and he did huff a tiny laugh. “Seriously though, any time you feel like that, we can talk it out, okay? It doesn’t even have to be on a Sunday or a Wednesday. You can always text me or call or whatever.”“...It wouldn’t be an imposition?”“Nope!” She’d much rather take five minutes or whatever out of her day to talk to him then have him spend an entire week working himself into a tizzy. “Did um - did me staying the night help?”Again he found himself unable to quite look at her and he felt the tips of his ears heat up. He traced his spoon though his melting ice cream, channeling his seidr down the spoon to refreeze it. “Yes. I slept quite well. I hope you did too?”“Yeah, for sure.” Darcy really hoped her face wasn’t as red as she thought it was. She’d slept great actually - like best-sleep-she’d-had-all-year great. And waking up being spooned had been… And Loki refusing to let go without a fight… Suffice to say a girl could get used to that real easily. “Have you been worried you disappointed me at all?”“No… No, not thus far.” Truth be told, he hadn’t had the time to worry about much else other than the Kree device all week, but he felt sure he would’ve made the time if he thought he’d disappointed her again. He was foolish that way. “I don’t see how I could when you were so…vocal about your enjoyment.”He smirked around his spoon as she turned steadily redder. He hadn’t thought he could fluster her with the simple truth but here they were.Despite her flaming cheeks, she rallied, sliding her foot against his calf. “Can you blame me? You definitely know what you’re doing. ‘Sides, you were pretty vocal too, Loki.”“I believe you asked me to…ah, speak up,” he murmured to his bowl, tamping down a shiver as her foot caught under his trouser cuff and lifted it.Darcy grinned, scooping up another bite of ice cream; there was a huge chunk of cookie dough in it.“How did you feel about the bondage? I know me being behind you was a bit…tricky.”Well that was one way of saying it, he supposed. He thought back to the moment, trying to recapture his feelings on the matter, and rubbed a hand over his chest slowly. The feel of the rope, soft against his skin and just restricting enough for him to be constantly aware of it… Her fingers trailing heat against his back and chest as she so carefully tied the harness… The way they both looked in the mirror, him naked and bound and her still clothed and so proud…He wet his lips and when he spoke, his voice came out rougher than he’d expected. “I enjoyed it very much. I think… You could tie me up tighter next time.” “Tighter, huh?” One of her eyebrows lifted in interest and she brushed her fingers against the edge of his hand. “Do you want to feel the rope even after we’re done, Loki?”A spoon clanged noisily to the floor from a neighboring table, reminding Loki that not only were they not alone, they were out in public to boot. He cleared his throat, sitting back a little. Darcy did the same, offering him a sheepish smile that he mirrored.“I’m not certain but I’d like to find out,” he answered briskly. “As to the other matter, the mirror helped as did us talking while you worked. I'd most definitely like to try it again, if you do.""Good, I'm glad. And we can keep experimenting with it, of course!” She had dozens of ideas already but she shook them off; there’d be time to discuss them later. “Was there anything you didn't like about this session?""Nothing comes to mind.” He hesitated before returning the question: “Was there…anything for you?""Yeah, a couple things.” His face immediately shut down, body tensing obviously, and she grabbed his hand before he could withdraw entirely. “Calm down, I told you we'd talk it out, remember? First thing is you used seidr without permission.""I said I was sorry,” he groused, putting her in mind of a petulant teenager."Are ya though?” she asked, scrunching her nose and tilting her head. ‘Cause she really doubted it. “Anyway, that was strike one. The other thing I didn't like was you not admitting your back hurt.”Loki’s mouth thinned and he dropped his gaze to the table. Why did that matter? It hadn’t impacted their session.She sighed, taking his hand between both of hers. “I can kinda maybe guess why you didn't want to, but Loki, I'm not going to use it against you or whatever you’re thinking. I just want to know so we can do things that will stop your hurting - either changing positions or using ice or a heating pad or something when we're done. Whatever works. I don't want you to hurt because of what we do."How could he argue against that? She only wanted to prevent his pain and yet he still balked at the idea of admitting such a thing. But… She’d made it clear from the outset that she required a certain level of honesty regarding anything that might impact either of their safety and he’d agreed."I...didn't want my discomfort - or the cause, to get in the way of something I was otherwise thoroughly enjoying. I don't like to think about it."Her heart broke a little and she squeezed his hand, wishing she could hug him. Of course he didn’t like to think about it - she didn’t blame him for that at all. But there had to be a solution that didn’t involve him suffering in silence and her guessing at how to help.“Okay,” she whispered, chewing her bottom lip as she thought. She wanted to ask specifics but she didn’t want to trigger him, and she’d already promised she wouldn’t ask. Fuck nuggets. “Okay. Do you think you could…tell me after? Like, once we’ve cleaned up? Or… Ugh, I don’t know. We could include a bath afterwards every time, I guess - if that helped?”“It did.” The sex had been memorable too. If she wanted to include that every time as well, she’d hear no arguments from him. “I dunno.” Her mouth twisted unhappily before she struck on an idea. “How do you take care of yourself when your back acts up?”He blinked.“I… Well, I usually…” Ignore it. But he had a feeling Darcy wouldn’t like that answer in the least. He scrambled to think of something that wouldn’t pique her ire. “I use seidr to encourage the muscles to relax and…er, rest. That’s usually enough.”She looked more thoughtful than angry, which he counted as a win. “If that’s what works, then alright.” She pinned him with a stern expression. “But I don’t want you to hesitate to do that while I’m at your place out of some macho idiocy, y’know -” Here, she puffed herself up and put on a gruff voice. “- ‘oh, I can’t show weakness around a woman, I’ll suffer in silence instead!’”Loki laughed at her imitation, shaking his head. How did she keep managing to make his heart feel so light? “I wouldn’t dream of it, Darcy.”“Good. 'Cause you know I won’t judge you for doing what you need to, right?”“Shockingly, I am beginning to get that idea,” he drawled, making her roll her eyes. “You’re such a brat,” she huffed but still gave his hand one more squeeze before she released it. “Anyway, those were my only two issues with Sunday. Everything else was awesome.”He released the breath he’d evidently been holding and was promptly annoyed with himself for being relieved at all. But it was immaterial. His seidr usage was a non-issue as far as he was concerned, and he hoped his back would prove to be so as well.“Oh! What about a massage? Would that help, d’you think?” she wondered, warming to the idea immediately. “Ooh, we could do an all out pampering session: a full body massage, a couple orgasms, and a bath to top it off. Whaddya think?”Her enthusiasm brought a smile to his lips and Loki couldn’t deny how relaxing that all sounded. He imagined she’d have to pour him into bed after that…provided he could tolerate the ‘massage’ part of the evening. Damn. “That sounds wonderful, but -” He sighed, wishing he could trust that he’d be fine, that he’d do more than endure her touch on his back…“I’d be behind you,” she finished, shoulders slumping. The whole point behind the massage was to ease his back pain but he was uncomfortable with anyone behind him and they wouldn’t be able to mitigate the problem with a mirror like last time if he was laying down. But maybe… “I could massage your back with you sitting in front of the mirror? Or we could skip your back entirely, if you’d rather.”Trust Darcy to think of a way around his issues. But he didn’t want this to always be a barrier for him. Or for them and their sessions.“I’ll think about it,” he promised, already planning how he could test his limits before Sunday. Using a double would probably be the easiest method. “But in general, I like your idea for our next session, Darcy.”“Good! You deserve to relax.” Especially since he’d been putting in so many hours over whatever it was the Avengers had found. He actually looked a tiny bit tired right now and she kinda wanted to bundle him up and plop him down on her couch to unwind with something mindless. She wondered what kind of TV he’d be into. Documentaries maybe - he was the nerdy-type. As she scraped up the last of her ice cream, Loki cleared his throat. “Before we part… You seem to favor that navy negligee of yours. I thought perhaps I could change our ropes to match the color…”Darcy blinked at him. A line of pink highlighted his cheeks and the tip of his ears and she wanted to pepper his stupid cute face in kisses. “That’s really incredibly sweet but… Ugh.” She face-palmed. She couldn’t believe she had to explain her wardrobe issue. “I don’t…exactly…favor it. It’s just that, um - God, this is embarrassing. Look, it’s the only lingerie I own that still fits from my Dom days and I haven’t had any luck finding anything in my new size.”“Oh.” He gave her a clinical once-over. “Your size seems to be in the average range for women in this city to me; what’s the trouble?”She raised her eyebrows and gestured to her chest. “Uh, the girls aren’t exactly average-sized.”Loki tilted his head, considering them openly enough to make her a little self-conscious. When his eyes started to glaze, she kicked him in the ankle.Coughing into his fist, he darted one last noticeable glance at them before agreeing with her. “No. They are quite…prodigious. But I can resize your lingerie easily, if you’d like.”“You can? Dude, that would be so convenient! Thank you!” God, if he could magically alter her lingerie collection, that would save her so much money and time. She wouldn’t even mind that he’d see it all before she wore it during their sessions.“It’s no trouble. I can’t imagine the annoyance of trying to find something that suits your tastes and your body. I always found it simpler to conjure my own.”His own? There were some very interesting implications in that statement and Darcy was 100% on board with all of them, but he'd kind of frozen as soon as he realized what he'd said so she wasn't about to pry. At least not yet.For now, she settled for asking: "So how would it work, this whole resizing thing? Could you do a whole bag of pieces at once or would I need to be wearing them to get a proper fit?"He’d only just managed to drag his thoughts away from self-recrimination for revealing such proclivities when her questions shorted out his brain entirely. The logistics fell by the wayside in favor of imagining Darcy in a variety of delicious underthings - all rather tight and threatening to burst at the slightest provocation.“Earth to Loki! Come back, space boy.” She waved a hand in front of his face until he blinked, his cheeks burning. Yeah, she could guess what he’d been thinking, the pervert. Not that she blamed him.“Er, sorry. Um.” He scraped a hand over his face, banishing his blush and refocusing on her question. “Resizing them by themselves is possible but inaccurate. I’d achieve a better fit if you tried them on.”“Is that so?” she drawled, highly amused. It seemed kind of convenient but she was sure he could justify it - at length - if she asked. “Alright. I guess I’ll put on a little fashion show and you can work your magic. …Do you want that to be a session by itself or do you want to take a more professional approach and get it over and done with?”He hesitated. Could he stay professional and unaffected while she modeled who knew what delights of lace and satin?…He very much doubted it.“A session,” he mumbled.“What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.” She cupped her ear, turning it toward him. Was it a jerk move? Yeah. But he needed to get used to asking for what he wanted, and she wanted him to do it confidently. Proudly even, if he could manage it.Scowling, he repeated himself more clearly: “A session, Darcy. Provided that doesn’t interfere with your current plans.”“Good boy,” she praised softly, enjoying the way his eyes fluttered shut. “But no need to get snippy, Loki. I want you to be comfortable asking for what you want. We’ll have our pampering session this Sunday and then the Sunday after, we’ll have our little fashion show. Sound good?”“Very.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Digging his thumb into his eyebrow, Loki stabbed at the carrots on his plate. A headache throbbed dully at the base of his skull and he pictured tearing Nicholas Fury and his imbecilic underlings limb from limb… Or at least releasing fire ants in their personal quarters. Yes, that could work. It would be entirely non-lethal but they’d wish for death which would satisfy his rage nicely.It wasn’t so much that they thought him at their beck and call - though that was galling enough. No, what truly embittered him was that they barely trusted him despite months of “good behavior”. It was as though they still blamed him for the Chitauri invasion despite all the evidence proving he was just as much a victim as any of them.Yes, the lab he’d been working in had spontaneously caught fire and the alien device had mysteriously acted as an accelerant, but that was no reason to spend the better part of a day questioning him! He’d even gone to the trouble of creating illusory burns on his hands and arm. A little sympathy wouldn’t have gone amiss but no, they’d carted him off to interrogate him on the cause of the fire, only offering him (unnecessary) medical treatment as an afterthought.Sighing, he took the final bite of his meal and clapped his hands, leaving the kitchen and island spotless. Fury and his agents had believed him in the end, more or less, and he’d have to content himself with that. The important thing was the Kree device was well and truly destroyed and he was certain it was entirely unsalvageable. He could rest easy. Or at least easier than he had been all week.He pinched the muscles at the back of his neck, sending a warm pulse of seidr through them in a bid to relax the tension there. His headaches were unwelcome at any time but he most definitely didn’t want one tonight. Not when Darcy was due to arrive shortly for what he hoped would be another enjoyable night together. Shuffling to the couch, he collapsed onto it, letting his head fall back against the cushion with a groan. He hoped her massage plan worked out - he could use some relaxation and he’d done his best to desensitize himself to having someone behind him. Norns alone knew if it would make a difference but there wasn’t much else he could do about it now. If nothing else, he knew he’d sleep well tonight; he definitely had last week anyway and he let himself get lost in the memory of Darcy tucked against him, soft and warm and pliant, with her hair and skin smelling of Asgardian herbs. He was looking forward to that almost more than the sex.Almost.His phone dinging on the coffee table roused him and he picked up the device to see a message from Darcy. She was on her way up and anticipation surged through him. It was curious how the simple thought of her could relax him and simultaneously cause all of him to tense as well. Impatiently, he waited for her arrival, his sense of dignity the only thing keeping him from hovering at the door.At last she knocked and he made himself take a moment to straighten his tunic and ensure the living area was tidy before he opened the door. “Good evening, Darcy.”Tonight’s attire was a short-sleeved shirt and loose pants that came to her shin - both in a soft-looking black fabric. Her top clung in such a way that he could see the outline of her bra and the tiny bows sewn to the straps, and he wet his lips.“Hey, my eyes are up here, buddy,” she pointed out, amused, and his gaze snapped up to her face. “Apologies,” he offered, taking her hand and kissing the back of it while she kicked off her flats. “How are you this evening?“I’m fine, you charmer. How about you?”He thought of how long his week had been, how stressful and irritating, and he put it all aside. “I am well enough. Do you require anything before we begin?”“Yeah, I just wanted to run an idea by you before we start. Are you still okay with the massage for tonight?”“Yes. I don’t believe we’ll need to make any adjustments.” Or rather, he hoped they needn’t, but it…should be fine. “What was your idea, Darcy?”She really had no clue if he’d go for it but it had come to her while she was getting ready and she thought it’d be perfect for them. “I want to compliment you, if you’re comfortable with that. I think it would add a little something extra to tonight - and you said that me talking while I was behind you helped so…”“Oh.” She was right: it had, but… “What would you be complimenting?”“Um, your rockin’ bod?” Darcy raised an eyebrow even as he flushed bright red and took to plucking at his palm. She caught his hands, stopping him. “You’re gorgeous, Loki. I still can’t believe you don’t know that but if you let me, I’d like to try and convince you. But it doesn’t have to be just your body - I’m not that shallow. I can compliment that big, sexy brain of yours too if you want. Smart guys are just my type, you know.”He gulped, knowing his cheeks must be as red as Thor’s horrid cape. “Are they?”She grinned; he was so gosh-darn adorable. “Un-huh. Is that okay, Loki? Can I compliment you during your massage?”“I - Yes?” He sounded unsure but at her look, he made his voice a little more firm. “Yes. That’s acceptable. …I presume these compliments of yours will be genuine?”Would he ever believe her? She sighed internally and took his face in her hands. “What have I said, Loki? I don’t lie when I play -” He mumbled it along with her. “- and I’m not about to start. All of my compliments will be completely, absolutely, 100% honest, I promise.”She hadn’t lied to him yet and he already trusted her with so much. Could he not trust her in this as well? “Alright,” he whispered.Pushing up on her toes, Darcy kissed him softly. “Alright. Come on, let’s get you relaxed.”She led the way to his bedroom, taking her usual seat on the side of the bed. Pulling the elastic from her wrist, she gathered up her hair while asking: “What are our rules and colors, sweetheart?”Loki recited them, watching as she expertly twisted and wound her hair up into a top knot. It was oddly compelling, the simple, practiced movement - there was something so private and intimate watching someone style their hair.When he’d finished, she nodded approvingly. “Good boy. Now undress for me. And fold your clothes, mister - you don’t want to leave a mess for me to clean up, do you?”He closed his fingers around his tunic hem just before it slipped from his hand to the floor, arching an eyebrow. That directive was new. But some part of him thrilled at it. “Not at all, my lady.”Carefully, he folded the shirt and set it on the corner of the dresser. Next, he unlaced his breeches, loosening the waist before he pushed them down, balancing a bit awkwardly on one foot, and then the other, to pull the leg cuffs free. He folded those too and set them atop his shirt before turning to her.Darcy shut her mouth with a click, wondering if there was a casual way to wipe her chin of drool. Probably not. But he was so pretty! She loved the slow reveal as he pulled his clothes away and the way his muscles moved under all that flawless pale skin. Still, she had to pull herself together - she could admire him in full and at length soon.“You’re so beautiful,” she couldn’t help sighing and he coloured again. “How do you want this to go, honey? With your back, I mean.”He took a deep breath, filling his chest completely before releasing it. “I had an idea about that. Might I use seidr for a moment, Darcy?”She was amazed he’d even bothered asking but she nodded, intrigued. What did he want to use seidr for? Between one blink and the next, there were two of him and Darcy gasped because what the freakin’ hell!? She looked between the two identical, gorgeous, very naked Lokis with her jaw hanging open like a rube, completely gobsmacked…and insanely horny. She’d always kind of had a fantasy about being with two subs - hell, two partners, never mind the power dynamic! - but the logistics, physical and especially emotional, had always been too complicated for her to give it any serious thought. But if Loki could like, split himself in two…?“Um…”
Pull it together, girl!
Shutting her mouth, she gave her head a little shake and tried again. “What’s this, Loki?”“A duplication spell,” the left hand Loki (the original, she thought) explained. “I created a facsimile of my body in its present circumstances.”“A copy,” she summarized. Right down to the twitch of his erection(s) as she crossed to them and the sight nearly made her trip, her brain practically blue-screening because God, the things she wanted to do with them. Fighting back the urge to jump him, she poked first one, then the other, in the chest. “You’re both solid though.”“Well, I am a master seidrmadr,” he said with a smirk and damn, if that look didn’t make her weak in the knees.She cleared her throat, definitely not squeezing her thighs together. “Right. What do you need two of you for?”“I thought this would be the easiest method of showing you where and how to…to touch my back.”Even now, a strong part of him balked at acknowledging he was anything other than in the peak of health and fitness. Surely she would use this against him, would torment him with the knowledge or use it to her cruel advantage…but Darcy would never. He felt certain of that. She was too kind and caring. He shoved that part of him down; he refused to let his past experiences color this.“Oh! That’s really smart.” Seriously. She never would have thought of that. Granted, she didn’t know he could make a clone of himself until two minutes ago but whatever. “Show me, honey.”He nodded sharply and knelt in front of the mirror from their last session; he’d never bothered to vanish it. In the reflection, he watched his double indicate for Darcy to do the same and they both knelt behind him. He took another deep breath.She jumped a little when the Loki beside her spoke; he hadn’t yet and she’d kind of assumed he couldn’t.“May I have your hand, my lady?”He held his own out to her and, confused, she obliged. “Sure.”Smiling a little, he flipped their hands so he covered hers and then very gently pressed them both to the nape of Loki’s neck. Even watching them in the mirror didn’t entirely prevent him from tensing but it did help, and he made himself relax again.“Some areas are more…sensitive than others,” his copy explained quietly. “I ask that you use a lighter pressure over them.”“Of course! Do you want me to warn you before I touch them? Or like, talk more maybe?”Both Lokis tilted their heads thoughtfully and she had a wild moment of feeling like she was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. “That might be beneficial, yes,” the one beside her agreed. He brought their joined hands to the top of his shoulder. “You can use heavier pressure on my shoulders. They’re often quite tense.”Darcy hummed an agreement; she’d seen him with his shoulders hunched up often enough to have guessed as much. She brought her other hand up to his opposite shoulder, carefully digging her thumbs into the muscles under the skin. They were rock hard but she wasn’t sure if that was just stress or his alien density. Loki groaned and she stopped, trying to pull her hands away but the double kept her in place.“Sorry, sor -”“No, that was good, my lady. Do not apologize.”“Darcy.” She met his eyes in the mirror. “My color is green.”It took a long moment but she nodded and reapplied the pressure. “You’ll tell me if anything hurts.”It wasn’t a question but he responded aloud anyway. “Of course, Darcy.”His double pulled their hands down to his shoulder blade and she followed suit on the other side. “You can use the same pressure here but less around the edge of the bone.”“Like this?”He shifted back into her hands, sighing pleasurably. “Oh yes, right there.”Grinning, she worked over the knots she felt; some would take a real massage therapist to get rid of but she could offer him a little relief at least. After a moment, she eased off, dragging her thumbs along the edge of his shoulder blades without digging in.“What else, sweetheart?”“My ribs are sensitive of course -”“And ticklish?”He gave her an unimpressed look, both his copy and in the mirror’s reflection, and she couldn’t help laughing.“Moving on -” His double skimmed their hands over the outer edge of his torso and down to his lower back. “The muscles here aren’t particularly sensitive but I find sitting in that awful desk chair doesn’t help matters. They have a tendency to ache at the end of the day.”She winced sympathetically. “Yeah, my chair’s not great either. Dunno what the lower back was designed for but it definitely wasn’t office work.”“Perhaps I can rectify that,” he said thoughtfully, more to himself than her. “In any event…” He lifted their hands again, hesitating a moment before resettling them over his spine lightly. Loki’s shoulders tensed automatically, creeping up to his ears, but he blinked away the memories that threatened, forcing his shoulders back down. This was nothing like… He focused on the texture of the carpet under his knees, the comfortable temperature of the air, the sunlight filtering around his curtains, his double and Darcy both warm at his back.Exhaling slowly, he explained: “My spine…and where the ribs connect are… I ask that you use very little pressure.”“Of course,” she whispered, her heart squeezing painfully in her chest. She couldn’t imagine what he’d gone through but she was sure it was the stuff of nightmares. Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face to his shoulder where she knew it was safe to.Oh. He hadn’t expected… But of course, Darcy was empathetic. He covered her hands on his chest, and his duplicate rubbed her back. “It’s alright, my lady,” he tried to assure.It wasn’t. Nothing about it was, but he didn’t want to talk about it and she wasn’t the kind of professional he needed for that. All she could do was offer him comfort and she hoped that was enough.Giving him a squeeze, she let go with a kiss to his shoulder. “Alright. Is there, um, anywhere else I should be careful of?”“No.” “‘Kay.” She bit her lip. “Are you sure about this, Loki? I can skip over your back entirely or we can do something else tonight.”Warmth filled his chest at her concern. She was kinder than he deserved, and he turned around, taking her worrying hands into his and kissing her knuckles. “Peace, Darcy. I trust you.”“If you say so...” Glancing sidelong at his double, she wondered: “Is he sticking around to supervise? ‘Cause if so, could you put on some pants?”“Is my nudity so offensive?” he teased, dismissing the duplicate. He closed his eyes as its memories slotted into place in his mind and when he opened them, Darcy was shaking her head.“More like highly distracting, mister. Do you want to put your hair up before we start? I brought an extra elastic.” Loki touched his hair. It reached below the tops of his shoulders now and he supposed it would get in the way of her work. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he nodded. “If you could…?”“Oh, you want me to -? Okay.” Balancing with one knee on the mattress and her foot on the floor, she gathered his hair together and finger-combed it up into a ponytail. Rolling the elastic off her wrist, she wound it around his hair and fashioned it into a little bun, reminiscent of hers. “There!”Pushing off the mattress, she inspected her handiwork. Of course Loki could rock a manbun, the jerk. He looked like he could be on the cover of some magazine - though it would have to be an adult one since he only had on his birthday suit.“Lay down on your stomach, pretty boy.”At her request, he had stripped the bed of his many blankets and pillows before she’d arrived, leaving just the sheets behind; the top one had been folded down to the end of the mattress. Laying down, he maneuvered around until he was mostly comfortable and turned his head so he could see Darcy.“I’m ready.”She tugged the sheet up over his back, smoothing it over his shoulders. “You can use your colors or safeword if you need to, obviously, but if you want me to use a different pressure anywhere, feel free to tell me, okay? Just relax, honey.”He endeavored to do so, shutting his eyes and deepening his breaths as he did for meditation. This would be fine. She began by sweeping her palms over his back, up and down and side to side, warming his skin. It was pleasant and he felt some of his mental tension ease. Darcy smiled; he already looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him (post-orgasm and pre-sleep aside, anyway). She drew one hand away, leaving one on his shoulder. “Loki, I’m going to pull the sheet down and start using the massage oil, alright?”“Yes.”She folded the sheet down, tucking it firmly over his butt and around his hips, resisting the urge to give it a little squeeze. She had to pace herself. Pulling the bottle of oil from her pant’s pocket, she popped the cap and poured a generous amount into her palm. It was decently warm from being against her leg this whole time but she still rubbed it between both hands; she didn’t want him to start at the cold and end up wrenching something.“I’m going to touch your back again, Loki,” she warned.He responded in the affirmative and she brought her palms to his warm skin, spreading and rubbing the oil in gently. Pouring out more, she splayed her fingers and dragged them down his muscles a little more firmly. He made a pleased sound and Darcy tried not to openly drool. She’d never seen the appeal of those muscle men competitions - talk about overkill - but if Loki wanted to oil up and flex for her, she’d probably watch.…Or jump him. One of the two. Or both. Both was good.Coating his shoulders, she hunted out his knots and dug in, making him groan long and low.“Norns, that’s good.”She was glad but damn, he was tense. Her hands were going to be exhausted by the end of this - probably long before actually, especially since she was out of practice, but whatever. She’d push through.“You’ve got beautiful shoulders, you know,” she said, watching the tops of his ears turn red. “They’re so strong and firm, and they feel so good under my hands. Not even just now, but when we had sex too. In the bath, I felt so secure holding onto them.”O-oh. Something squirmed in his chest. When Darcy had suggested complimenting him, he thought… He didn’t know what he’d thought - that they would be generic perhaps, bland, easily dismissed. Something other than this. How did one even respond to such a statement?Headless of his inner turmoil, she carried on, softening her touch to a barely there brush over his spine, tracing each vertebrae down to his ass and up again. “It seems silly but you’ve got amazing posture. I mean, you are royalty so I guess it comes with the territory, but I don’t know… It makes you seem so confident and capable. Disciplined too, maybe. I’m kinda jealous to be honest.” She was a horrible sloucher.He muttered something unintelligible, two parts denial and one part warbled thanks. His posture wasn’t even -! He didn’t even maintain it consciously! It was an automatic behavior, something he’d been trained into as a child. Would she compliment his diction next?“How’re you doing? What’s your color?” she asked, watching the half of his face she could see. He was pink with embarrassment.“Fine. Green,” he mumbled shortly. The compliments were…uncomfortable but he was curious about what she’d choose to praise next and he…wanted to hear what she liked about him. Plus the massage was lovely.She pursed her lips; he was struggling with the compliments but he hadn’t started arguing with her so that was something. And he didn’t seem to be in any pain so she kept going, working her knuckles into his lower back and garnering another groan.“Your back is gorgeous. All these muscles flexing and rippling under the skin… It’s a good thing you’ve got to wear a shirt in the lab or I’d get nothing done, sweetheart.” She’d be way too distracted. “Remind me to show you some Bernini sculptures later - that guy would’ve killed to use you as a model.”Oh Norns. If it wouldn’t disrupt things, he’d bury his steaming face in his hands. “Surely you exaggerate.”“Maybe,” she said easily. “The guy lived hundreds of years ago. Maybe he’d only bribe someone, I dunno.”Loki laughed; he hadn’t expected that.She skimmed her hands up over all those delicious muscles and moved to his arm, pouring out more oil and working it into his skin. “You have such strong arms, Loki. Do you know how many guys I’ve been with who could lift me up for longer than a second without breaking a sweat? Zero. I was very impressed last week.”He was significantly stronger than any Midgardian but he bit his tongue; saying so could be construed as an insult to her species so he had no choice but to accept the compliment.“You scarcely weigh a thing,” he insisted. He’d lifted heavier weaponry than her, he was sure.“Flatterer.” She dragged a thumb along the outer edge of his bicep where it felt concrete-esque. “It’s hot though, that you could theoretically fuck me standing.”Loki choked.“I’d worry about you tweaking your back or something though,” she carried on, ignoring his dramatics. “So that’s a no-go, but I’m sure we can think of something to take advantage of all that strength, don’t you?”He swallowed, mind racing. “I - I suppose so, my lady. If you’d like that.”“Hm, we’ll see.” She went up his arm and across his back to his other arm. They weren’t using a massage table so this part was a little awkward but balancing one knee at his side helped. “Y’know, you’re usually so buttoned up that whenever you roll up your sleeves, I even find your forearms sexy. It’s silly but what can ya do?”“Have you been ogling me at work, Darcy? I’m fairly certain there are rules against that,” he teased, hoping to fluster her in kind.But Darcy just breathed a laugh, returning to his back. “You’re right, HR would write me up if they caught me staring but you won’t report me, will you? I can’t help it. You’re just so distracting…especially with this perfect butt.”Her hands had traced down his spine but he was still startled when she suddenly squeezed the globes of his ass through the sheet. “Darcy!”“What? Too much?” He sounded hilariously scandalized but it was always better to err on the side of caution. Loki had checked off a few anal-play ideas on his interest list but that might not translate to real life. “Tell me your color, honey.”“Green. My…behind is nothing to - to write home about,” he insisted but the pinch of Darcy’s fingers was arousing, lighting up his brain in familiar - and unfamiliar - ways. What could she do to him if he was bound and on his belly? How would she tease him? Better yet, how would she reward him for being good in that position?“Mm, strongly disagree.” She walked her fingers up to the edge of the sheet and slid it back and forth and down, eliciting a quiet moan from him. His hips started slowly rocking against the bed like she wouldn’t notice and she let him, her lips curving widely. Maybe his interests did translate to real life. “I’d write poetry about it if I could.”Rolling his eyes, he muttered: “Ridiculous.”Casually, he stretched his arms above his head, crossing them at the wrist and imagining rope binding them, Darcy placing them just to her satisfaction… He turned his face into his bicep - speaking of ridiculous… It was one thing to enjoy having his ass played with while in the throes of passion, another to want it by itself while at the complete mercy of his lover - his lady. He shivered without meaning to, imagining all the things Darcy could force him to enjoy, and he ground his cock into the mattress, trying to find some relief.“Loki.” She braced an arm beside his wrists so she could lean down and whisper against his ear: “I feel like you’re trying to tell me something, honey. Do you want to use your words?”The combination of her voice against his ear and that authoritative tone she used made him shudder again. He could feel her hovering over his back, her shirt hanging down to brush tantalizingly against his skin, while her other hand possessively squeezed his ass. Norns…“I…” What if she said no? Or was disgusted by his depravity? His heart flinched. “It’s nothing, my lady.”She raised an eyebrow. She didn’t believe him in the least. "Are you sure?" Not of her reaction, no. But… They'd both written out their sexual interests before they'd begun this relationship, hadn't they? And he and Darcy had aligned in this particular desire, he remembered. She wouldn't be disgusted in the least, nor, he felt, would she deny him. His shoulders slumped.Licking his lips, he asked: "Would you… Would you finger me, my lady? Please?"“Oh,” she breathed, pride filling her chest. She almost couldn’t believe he’d actually asked and she rushed to praise him: “You’re such a good boy, asking for what you want. Of course I’ll finger you. Up on your knees, Loki.”On the heels of her praise, the command left him almost punch-drunk, giddiness bubbling up in his chest as he slid his knees up under him and pushed onto his hands. “Good boy."He looked so good like this, naked and willing on all fours, just waiting for her touch, for the pleasure she could give him. She could just picture him begging for her strap-on, and her pussy clenched. Fuck, she hoped he’d be as into it as she was. But she had to focus on the now, where she had a delectable demigod at her mercy who wanted to be fingered and she was all-too-happy to oblige.She dropped a quick kiss to his shoulder before tracing her hand along his flank, climbing up onto the bed behind him. He felt her kiss the small of his back, her soft hands cupping his asscheeks again, squeezing and pushing them together, teasing him. The usual anxiety of having her behind him and out of sight was subsumed by the arousal thrumming through him like the strongest seidr. Her fingers skimmed down over the back of his legs before she trailed them up the sensitive skin of his inner thighs, making him jerk and shiver.“Darcy…”“Hmm, yeah?” She pressed open-mouthed kisses down one cheek before switching to the other, still stroking her fingers between his legs, tauntingly near his balls but never touching to his dismay.“Must you make me beg every time?” he complained and he felt her smile against his skin.She nipped at his ass and he pushed back into it intriguingly. Filing that away for later, she hummed thoughtfully. “Not every time, no. But it gets me hot, so… Better get used to it, sweetheart.”He groaned, not even sure himself if it was a lament or not, but it didn’t matter. He heard her pop the cap off the bottle of massage oil and anticipation set his heart racing and muscles tensing.“Can you use your awesome little cleaning spell back here for me, please?”He added a disinfecting component as well, feeling seidr tingle between his cheeks. “Done, my lady.”“Such a clever boy, making this easy for me. Safe too,” she murmured sweetly. “I’m so lucky getting to play with such a talented boy, aren’t I?”Loki squirmed. Clever? Talented? Those were new. In other circumstances, he’d take them as his due but in the intimacy of their session, they felt…undeserved. Like too much. He’d only done what she asked and it was easy, barely requiring thought or skill. He was the lucky one, having her to explore BDSM with, to guide him through the intricacies of their power exchange and fulfill his more esoteric desires.“Loki.” Darcy’s voice was hard and flat, her hands stilling on him. “I asked you a question.”“Ah, um…” Right. She expected him to speak when spoken to. He swallowed, quickly recalling the question. “Yes, my lady.”“Better. Remember our rule, Loki. You agreed to answer me out loud when we play,” she chided, tempering the sting of her displeasure by drizzling oil down his cleft. He startled, ass clenching. “Do you need to be reminded of all our rules, mister?”His breath caught as one of her fingers followed the trail of oil tauntingly over his ass, up and down but not quite between. Impatient and frustrated, he all but growled: “No, I need you to get on with it and stop teasing me, Darcy!”“Aw that’s too bad, sweetie. ‘Cause I’m nowhere near done teasing you. I want to watch you squirm and hear you beg for it. Do you think you can do that for me, Loki?”Dropping his head between his shoulders, he groaned. She was cruel, taunting…far too interested in making him beg, but he didn’t object, just muttered a grudging: “Fine.”Darcy rolled her eyes at his lack of enthusiasm but it wasn’t like it was a requirement for her. She’d much rather he express his honest reaction than fake it, but she knew how to improve his attitude. She gave his buns another squeeze and then pulled them apart, blowing air over the strip of skin between. “Fuck!” Goosebumps erupted across his skin, his prick twitching hard. Norns but he wanted - needed more stimulation. He wouldn’t give in so easily though.One of her fingers followed the trail of oil at last, down…down…and over, leaving his hole untouched, the blasted woman! But her finger kept going, pressing up behind his balls and lighting up his nerve-endings with pleasure. Despite his attempts to hold back, he moaned wantonly, pushing down against her finger, desperate for more. She rubbed electrifying circles into his taint, making him pant, sweat breaking out in the small of his back and between his shoulders.“Dar - Darcy…”“Yeah, sweetheart?” She eased off, bringing her finger back between his cheeks but this time she didn’t skip over his hole.He swore, forced to brace his arms lest they give out as Darcy lightly tapped against his puckered skin. It had been so long since even he’d touched himself there, let alone anyone else, and she exhibited no hesitation or uncertainty. She didn’t skeptically ask if he was sure or if it really felt good, as his past lovers had - she knew and she was confident about it. It was intoxicating.There was nothing to be lost by giving in, was there? Only to be gained.“Darcy,” he swallowed and tried: “You said you’d finger me.”“I did,” she agreed, tracing lazy circles around his asshole. She’d barely even touched him yet and his voice was already deliciously rough. “What’s your point?”So much for that plan.Gathering his dignity, he made himself force out: “Please.”“‘Please’ what?” she asked innocently, biting back a laugh at his irritated snarl. “We’ve been over this, Loki. You have to ask for what you want. I’m not a mind reade-”“Finger me! Please! Norns, Darcy, please.”“Oh honey, of course.”Immediately, she poured out more oil over his hole and her finger, getting both good and slick before she started pressing inward. Loki moaned, pushing back against her touch, trying to take more, but no way was she letting him get ahead of himself. She refused to hurt him, even if he didn't care."Relax, Loki, I'll take care of you," she promised, stroking the outside of his thigh with her free hand. "We've got all night to stretch you open, sweetheart." He whined in answer but she continued: "When was the last time someone fingered you?"Damn her curiosity. "I don't - unh, I don't recollect. Norns, just get on with it! I won't break, Darcy."She 'tsk'ed, frowning. "No, you won't but that’s beside the point. Have you always rushed this?”Why did it matter? He shook his head impatiently, a few strands of hair coming loose from his bun and tickling his ear. “Not always, but more or less, yes.”Oh. Now wasn’t the moment to ask how many of his…non-traditional hookups had been rushed and reckless, if he’d been afraid of being caught out and exposed for his preferences, but the question was hard to swallow. It wasn’t any of her business, she told herself, even if it made her heart hurt.“It’s so much better when you take your time and do it right, working your tight little hole open slowly…” Darcy rotated her fingertip in his ass, sinking another millimeter in, and added more of their makeshift lube. More was always better in this area. “With lots of lube so my fingers can slide in and out easily. I’m gonna take my time, Loki, and you’ll be writhing on my fingers before you know it, promise.”Fucking Norns but he’d forgotten her filthy mouth. His cock ached with neglect, his balls heavy, but her hand smoothed up his flank while her finger played with his hole, stretching it so slowly he barely noticed the usual sting. Perhaps there was something to her idea, and it wasn’t as though they lacked the luxury of time. Neither of them had anywhere else to be tonight.Her finger sank in deeper and he clenched around it automatically.“Breathe, Loki,” she advised quietly, kissing the curve of his ass and massaging his hip. “Just relax, I’ve got you.”I know, he thought, but it felt too odd to say aloud. Instead, he followed her instructions and once his muscles loosened, she eased back. Before he could complain, she thrust in again to the same depth, in and out, and he groaned. Sparks of pleasure danced up his spine as Darcy worked her finger deeper until it was as far as it could go.“Faen ja, Darcy,” he hissed, eagerly squeezing around her intrusion, his head falling between his shoulders again. From this angle, he could see his reddened cock bobbing and smearing against his stomach and he wished she’d reach around and stroke him. “More please.”He’d slipped into Asgardian again and she wondered if he’d noticed…and what it meant. It sounded positive though, and his English request definitely was.“Good boy, using your words. And your manners too!” she couldn’t help teasing and he glared at her over his shoulder. She blew him a kiss, winking. “You want more, huh? More thrusting or more fingers?”She demonstrated the former, almost but not quite brushing that perfect spot, and Norns, he hoped she was using her index finger. Her middle finger might just reach and it would feel glorious.“B-both,” he stammered as she twisted her finger, coming that little bit closer to that bundle of nerves. “Let me come.”“I didn’t think you were so close already,” she said with some surprise. “I mean, if you can come untouched, that’s hella hot but -”He grit his teeth, breathing carefully as she withdrew only to circle two fingers around his hole. “I can’t. Or, well, I haven’t. But have mercy, my lady. I only need a touch.”There was a definite desperation in his voice and she shifted on her heels. He was full-on begging and she’d already soaked through her panties. Hell, probably her capris too. Next time they did this, she definitely needed a dildo or a vibe or something. Something to take the edge off.“Do you want to come now, Loki? Or do you want to wait until I have two fingers buried in your ass? Don't you want to come while I fuck you with my fingers, honey?”“Fuck!” He fell to his forearms, gripping the sheets in his fists and rolling his forehead against them. How in the Nine could he choose? “Both. All of it. Just don’t stop. Please.”At least he’d said ‘please’. He was an awfully demanding sub but Darcy liked a challenge, liked to challenge her subs in return too. She hummed thoughtfully, adding more oil to her fingers before easing them both into the first knuckle.“Look at you, pretty boy. God, you’re so gorgeous like this, with that sexy ass up in the air.” She wanted to spank it but she knew he was on the fence about that. Instead, she settled for sinking her teeth into his cheek, making him whimper beautifully.“Darcy! Pleasepleaseplease. Hvor mye mer må jeg trygle?”Reducing him to his first language was insanely hot and she still hadn’t even touched his dick. Ooh, could she make him speechless? Reduce him to nothing but grunts and moans and wordless cries? Darcy squeezed her thighs together tightly thinking of it.She followed the curve of his hip inward, even as she pushed her fingers a little deeper, rubbing circles inside his ass. “Do you think you can hang on for a bit if I touch your dick? Just until my fingers are all the way inside? Can you do that for me, Loki?”He moaned helplessly into the sheets, pushing back against her fingers. They were so deep already but he wanted them deeper, harder… And her other hand was so close to his prick, to taking him in hand and making him explode…“I - M-maybe?” he offered faintly. “I don’t… Norns, it feels so good, Darcy. I can’t think -”“I know, sweetheart,” she crooned softly. “Just try for me, okay? That’s all I ask. You’re such a good boy already.”He whimpered, too far gone to care, as her fingers closed around his cock. His knuckles were white around the sheets, his jaw clenched hard enough to ache, but he held out, breathing hard. Her palm was slick from the massage oil and searing hot as she stroked him slowly…torturously… How did she expect him to last? He couldn’t. It was impossible. Just as she cruelly rubbed over his head, her fingers sank in all the way, pressing firmly into that perfect bundle of nerves, and Loki came with a broken shout.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Just as she cruelly rubbed over his head, her fingers sank in all the way, pressing firmly into that perfect bundle of nerves, and Loki came with a broken shout.
Darcy watched in awe as he came apart, writhing and shaking as she kept going, dragging out the sensations as long as he let her. His ass spasmed around her fingers, his cock spurting that tiny bit more as she gently kept stroking him, further coating her hand. “You’re so amazing, honey,” she praised; he grunted in his throat, apparently not quite up to words yet and she made the executive decision not to push him. “I’m gonna stop now, okay?”He managed an objecting kind of hum but unless he could put some syllables together - in English - she was going to ignore it. She took her time easing her fingers from his ass and gave his cock one last stroke before wiping both her hands on the far corner of the sheet. Pressing gently at his hip, Loki took her hint and curled onto his side, reaching for her in a way that made her want to bundle him up and cuddle him for the rest of forever.“I’m going to tidy you up a little first; just a sec.” Quickly, she wiped the worst of the excess oil from his backside and then briskly wiped the cum from his belly and his softened cock. “There, all done.”She climbed up beside him and he pulled her against him immediately, wrapping his arms tight around her waist and tucking his face into her throat. “You okay, sweetheart?”He nodded and it seemed the moratorium on their speaking rule still held since she didn’t prompt him to answer aloud, which he appreciated. He wasn’t ready to talk just yet for some reason, too wrung out on pleasure perhaps. Darcy slung her leg over his, lightly sweeping her hand up and down his back, and he sighed against her throat. It was foolish and physically impossible but he wanted to be even closer to her, wanted to be surrounded entirely by her, cradled by her body and the warmth of her affection forever. Some distant part of him knew such a thing would be suffocating eventually but he found he didn’t care right now.“That was a lot, huh?” she asked softly after another moment and he nodded again. “Hmm, do you think you can answer me out loud yet?"Wetting his dry lips, he cleared his throat but it took another moment to marshal his thoughts. At last, he quietly said: "Yes. I didn't expect it to be so…"Loki trailed off, unsure of the proper word. The experience was amazing: intensely pleasurable yet equally as vulnerable, and something about the way Darcy had insisted on taking the time and care to finger him properly when no one, not even himself, ever had before - he'd found it…"Overwhelming. In - in a good way, I assure you!" he hastened to add, not wanting her to fret. "It was exquisite. Thank you, my lady."“Aw, you’re welcome, honey. It was my pleasure.” She kissed the top of his head. “Do you wanna continue with our massage or skip to the bath?”“...I’d like to continue, if you please.” He couldn’t deny he was curious about what else she might compliment, even if he found it hard to believe her.Grinning, she wriggled down enough to kiss him on the mouth, feeling Loki insert one of his legs between hers and palm her ass, ready to go again if the poking at her hip was any indication. “Mm, not what I was going for, but very nice. I wanted to say I’m proud of you.”“What?” The word escaped him in a whisper, his ardour flagging. Frantically, his mind ran over centuries of memories, trying to recall anyone ever saying they were proud of him in earnest. Only a few well-worn instances from childhood surfaced. “Whatever for?”She kissed the edge of his cheekbone, unaware of his inner turmoil. “For a couple things. I’m proud that you asked for what you wanted. And that you let me take my time. - Sorry, can you make sure my hands are clean please?”“Of course,” he murmured distractedly, cleansing himself and the sheets while he was at it.Darcy felt his seidr tingle against her palms and promptly combed her fingers up through his hair, softly brushing her thumbs over his eyebrows and the lines beside his eyes. “Thanks. - But I’m really proud of you for wanting to go back to the massage. I know you’re finding my compliments hard to swallow and being touched so much when you’re not used to it has to be kind of hard, so yeah. I’m proud of you, Loki.”He wished, with an edge of desperation, that they weren’t facing each other, that he could hide his face and its expressions, that she hadn’t said such things. Instead, he had to swallow her comments down like hot coals, pretending they didn’t affect him so deeply. (How could she be proud of him for asking for his due, for being selfish, for something so small?)
(Why hadn’t anyone else ever said the same?)
Searching for something glib to say, he only managed deflection: “Speaking of, shall we continue?”“Sure. Lay on your back and get comfortable.”While he positioned himself, Darcy subtly stretched her hands and wrists. She’d gotten a bit of a break there for a bit but she just knew her hands were going to be screaming at her later. Worth it, she sing-songed to herself, taking him in in all his naked glory. It was almost a shame to cover him up but she knew herself and if his dick was out on display, it’d be about ten seconds before her hand ‘slipped’ and she was oiling up his cock like a bad porno. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing per se…but no. She snapped the sheet out and tucked it neatly around his hips.“Now where were we? Oh right…” Darcy drizzled oil over his abs, watching his muscles tense and quiver as it splashed onto his skin. She followed it with her hands, spreading them wide and pushing through the oil and over his six-pack. Loki inhaled audibly, his chest rising, and she couldn’t wait to get her hands on those pecs too. One step at a time though.“I’ve seen you in the gym, y’know,” she told him casually while she worked the oil in, warming his skin and tracing the lines between his abs with firm fingers. “Sparring and working on this amazing body of yours.”They didn’t run into each other often and Darcy was usually too busy getting her ass kicked by Natasha to spend too much time ogling him (or any of the other stupidly hot superheroes she got to share an address with). But whenever Nat switched her attention to Jane, Darcy couldn’t help the way her eyes were inevitably drawn to Loki. “And it’s funny: there’s so many hotties there but you’re the one I always end up watching,” she admitted, embarrassment burning her cheeks. But she wanted to convince him, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was gorgeous and a little embarrassment was worth it. “I dunno what it is exactly. Maybe that single-minded focus while you work out. Or how elegant you are when you fight, like you’re a dancer or something.”He felt himself colour; he hadn’t known she observed him. When he trained, he often lost track of everything but the burn in his muscles and the sweat on his brow, his thoughts narrowing down to how long he’d run or how many repetitions he’d done. It was the same when he sparred, his thoughts entirely focused on beating his opponent. Perhaps he’d felt eyes on him but in the relative safety of the gym, he’d dismissed it as unimportant.Clearing his throat, he belatedly quipped: “My, my, Darcy, it seems you’ve been ogling me all over the tower. One might think you had carnal designs on me.”“Oh I absolutely do, honey,” she practically purred, winking at him as she let her pinky swerve under the sheet, not touching anything but the suggestion was there. “I’ve thought you were unfairly hot since the first time I laid eyes on you. But I figured you’d lumped me in with the furniture so I didn’t bother flirting.”He actually laughed at the idea, deep and rumbling, and dared to catch her hand, bringing the back of it to his lips. “Oh, my lady, you’re far too bold and vivacious to fade into the background. I haven’t been able to tear my eyes from you since we were introduced.”“You’ve got a funny way of showing it, bugging me all the time, brat.”“I thought we already established how much I like your attention. Besides -” He shrugged a little, grinning unrepentantly. “- You’re beautiful when you’re angry.”Well at least he hadn’t said cute, she supposed. But that raised a question and she tilted her head curiously. “In that case, do you want me to be…meaner when we play?”“No. No, I think your teasing is as mean as I care for, Darcy,” he confessed, wetting his lips a touch nervously. His stomach fluttered as her hands slid to his chest. “I am interested in what you’ll be like should I ever require punishment though.”Her eyebrows lifted. “D’you mean punished for breaking our rules or more like ‘punished’ for being a big brat?”Loki inhaled shakily and she didn’t think it had anything to do with the way her thumbs were working out the tension in his pec. “The - the latter.”It was a good question and one they hadn’t talked much about. Sweeping her thumb back and forth over his nipple, she turned it back on him: “What do you think I’ll be like, sweetheart?”“Firm. And commanding.” He hoped at least; he wanted her to use that stern voice of hers, the one that went straight to his cock and made him want to obey. And he wanted… He couldn’t quite look at her as he quietly said: “And you’ll…praise me for taking it so well.”Darcy abruptly straddled him, leaning down to kiss him hard. He made a noise of surprise but responded in kind, opening his mouth eagerly and sliding one big hand under her shirt to hold her flush against him. The other grabbed her ass and she ground against his dick, making him buck up against her.Tearing away and sucking in some much needed air, she told him: “God, that’s exactly right. How do you want to be punished? When you deserve it, of course. Will I get to spank that sexy ass of yours?”“Perhaps.” He still wasn’t convinced it would be arousing but Darcy sounded so excited by the prospect, he hoped it was. Sliding his hands up her waist, he bunched her shirt up under her arms, revealing a black bra with tiny bows sewn to the straps and between the cups. “Norns, your breasts are magnificent. You could edge me too, if you like.”“Yeah?” She pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it to the side impatiently before kissing him again. “I’d like that, seeing how long you can last. Oh, and if you came without permission, I’d have to punish you again, wouldn’t I?”“Fuck Darcy, yes,” he groaned; she was right and he never thought he’d want to fail so very badly. Planting his feet on the mattress, he rocked up against her, delighting in the surprised little moan she made, her hands quickly bracing on his chest. Doing so pushed her breasts together and he couldn’t resist lifting his head to mouth at them, quickly becoming annoyed by how much her bra covered.“You’re overdressed, my lady. Let me rectify that.”“God, did I mention I love your voice?” Muffled against her skin, it had gone dark and deep and it shot straight to her pussy. “It’s like liquid sex. Take off my clothes. I want you inside me, Loki.”Norns, but she’d be the death of him, saying such things. He vanished her clothes and kicked the sheet away, feeling her cunt glide easily against his prick. Slipping his fingers between them, he gathered some of that slick and circled her clit. “You’re practically dripping, Darcy. What’s gotten you so aroused, hm?”There was a growly edge to his voice now and between that and his fingers, she might just come before she got to ride him.“What?” she panted, lifting an eyebrow. “You think you were the only one getting off from me fingering you? Fuck, that was hot, the way you begged for it, taking my fingers so well…”He flushed. Truly, he hadn’t thought beyond his own pleasure but she’d enjoyed it too, had gotten wet from it… Suddenly he was desperate to be in her, to return the pleasure she’d given him, to show his appreciation. Urging her up onto her knees, he took his prick in hand, working the tip back and forth between her folds. Her sighs were like music to his ears and he pressed up into her.Only for Darcy to press back against his chest, stopping him before he’d gotten more than an inch inside. She looked down at him with hooded eyes and that insufferable curl to her lips. “Mmm, what’s the magic word, Loki?”He glowered at her. She couldn’t be serious. But then she clenched around him and damn it all. “Please,” he ground out from between clenched teeth and she had the gall to laugh.“That’s my good boy.” Sinking down, she took him all in one go, relishing the choked sound he made. Fuck, he filled her perfectly, or maybe it was just her recency bias, but right now she couldn’t even remember the name of the last guy who’d fucked her, let alone if his dick compared. All she knew was how good Loki’s felt, thick and hard, stretching her in all the best ways.“I don’t need to compliment this, do I?” she asked, clenching around him meaningfully. She didn’t need to, no, but he wanted to hear it anyway. “Tell me. Please. How do I feel, Darcy?”Her chuckle turned into a moan as he rocked up into her. “So good, honey. You’ve got such a pretty dick and it’s just the right size for me, filling me up so nice. Even better: you know what to do with it, don’t you? You made me feel so good last week.”That sounded rather like a challenge and Loki was determined to replicate his success. He flexed his hips, building momentum and sweat, searching for the angle that would make her scream. Mesmerized by the sway of her breasts as she moved with him, he dragged his hands up her sides, sliding around to cup and squeeze them. Darcy groaned, covering his hands with hers, encouraging him to use more pressure.“I’ve got a thing for hands too,” she told him, closing her eyes and losing herself to the sensations. He pinched and plucked at her nipples until they were taut and tender. “Yours are so - unh - big and elegant, Loki. You gesture with them so much when you talk and I love watching them. And - f-fuck, yes! Oh, that feels good!”He grinned around her nipple, flicking his tongue against it again before sucking gently. He released it briefly just to blow air over it, earning him a lovely whimper. “You were saying something about my hands?”“Brat.” She glared down at him but he merely took her other nipple into his mouth and it was hard to stay angry. Even more so when he touched her clit again, swiping his thumb back and forth. “God, you’re gonna make me come, sweetheart.”That was rather the point and he could say the same in turn if his mouth wasn’t otherwise occupied. She kept clenching around his prick, driving him half mad with how deliciously tight and slick her quim was. Pleasure coiled in his groin, his balls tightening, and Norns, he wouldn’t last much longer but she’d yet to give permission. “Darcy,” he rasped out over her unhappy whine; he’d necessarily had to release her nipple and she didn’t care for that. “I’m - Fuck, I’m close. May I -?”She barely had the concentration to figure out what he was asking, her orgasm was so close, but she nodded a little frantically. “Yeah. Yeah, come with me, Loki. Wanna feel you.”Biting the inside of his cheek was the only thing that kept him from spilling immediately. If she wanted them to finish together, he’d do his utmost to make it happen and he drew her breast back to his mouth, sucking hard while he kept working her clit, rocking his hips up into hers. Her moans turned breathless and barely there and then into a keen, her cunt spasming around his cock as she came, her nails scratching into his chest. Loki was scarcely able to admire her expression - her furrowed brows, scrunched eyes, and bitten lip - before his own climax took him, thighs tensing and hips lifting off the mattress.Panting, he collapsed back to the bed, entire body gone lax and useless, and Darcy fell onto his chest, quite happy to catch her own breath against him. It took a few minutes before either of them even tried to move to a more comfortable position, but eventually she felt Loki shift under her and then they were both clean and under the sheet, one of his hands lazily stroking up and down her back. Sighing, she rubbed her cheek against him, feeling his chest hair tickle a little. This was nice, cuddling like this. There was no clock ticking down in her head to the next client and Loki seemed in no hurry to dislodge her, judging by the way his other hand was curled behind her bent knee, his thumb brushing back and forth absently. A tiny spark of longing filled her chest; she missed having someone like this all the time, not just for one night stands or work. When was the last time she’d even had a real partner? Snap out of it, girl, she scolded herself. Now was no time for a pity session, not when she’d just had her brains banged out by a smokin’ hot demigod.Loki had no desire to move either but she’d established a bit of a routine over their previous sessions and that she hadn’t yet mentioned it had concern brewing in his chest. Raising his head, he pressed a kiss to her hair. “Are you well, Darcy?”“Hm? Yeah, ‘m fine.” She lifted up enough to prop herself on an elbow so she could look at him. “How’re you, honey?”“Well.” He offered her a smile, moving his hand to her waist to stroke the skin there. “I enjoyed that thoroughly.”“Even the compliments?”He winced. Even in the heat of the moment, he’d found it difficult to swallow them without argument or denial. “Ah. Well. I didn’t dislike them.”Darcy merely tilted her head, lifting an eyebrow, and he huffed. Of course she expected a better answer than that waffle.“I struggle to see how you find so much of me attractive! Don’t misinterpret me: I - I appreciate it and I’m grateful, flattered even, but…” He scowled off to the side until she tapped his cheek, drawing his attention back to her. “You’re the minority. People tend to prefer Thor’s looks to mine. They always have.”She hummed shortly, unimpressed with these ‘people’ he was talking about. “‘Kay, first off: I prefer the term ‘elite’ -”He snorted, grinning.“- And second: I can’t speak for other people but I think it’s safe to assume they’re all blind and tasteless. Like, no offense to Jane, but you’re clearly the hotter brother.”Part of him preened to hear her say so but experience insisted she was either being polite or lying. But as she kept saying, Darcy didn’t lie when she played and he’d hold to that until she proved otherwise. Forcing that sourness away, he darted up to kiss her. “You’re too kind, my lady.”Hardly, but she wasn’t going to argue. Instead, she traced the curve of his lips with a finger. “I like this too, by the way. You've got a beautiful smile, so bright and kinda blinding. Like sunshine.”“Now I know you jest.”“I’m serious! You’ve got a great smile! Maybe the sunshine bit was a little too poetic but I’m standing by it,” she insisted, colouring a bit. It had been the first thing that popped into her head but his emo-ass probably objected on principle. “Anyway, I guarantee like, nine outta ten people you pass on the street think you oughta be a model or something, you’re so pretty.”Loki rolled his eyes; she was such an exaggerator. (He still felt a touch of giddiness knowing there was at least a kernel of truth to her words.) “Shouldn’t we rehydrate? What would you like to drink tonight?”As segues went, he wasn’t subtle at all but she let him roll out from under her, admiring the flex of his muscles as he sat up and back against the headboard.“That cider was nice, if you want. Or I could get us some water from the kitchen.” She didn’t know why she even finished offering since he summoned the pitcher halfway through. She scooched over to press a chaste kiss to his side. “Thanks. And thanks for cleaning us up too.”He flushed, mumbling a deflection as he filled their cups and passed one to her. She propped herself up on her elbows and drank like that, draining her glass before she tried again.“I never really got around to complimenting how smart you are, did I?”Loki froze mid-swallow. Oh Norns… “That’s quite alright, Darcy.”“Oh but I don’t want you to think I only care about your body, sweetie.” She knelt beside him, the better to bat her lashes at him, but stopped. She could see he was getting uncomfortable and that was the complete opposite of what she wanted. “...But I can save that for another time.”She kissed his cheek softly and he released a breath, relaxing. He never thought he’d appreciate someone reading him so well; he preferred to be an enigma, appearing as blank and unknowable as possible so that no one might see his discomfort and press the advantage. But Darcy saw it and immediately backed off.“I’m gonna go run your bath, okay?”She left for the bathroom and he watched her go; he hadn’t yet returned the blankets to his bed so she was gloriously nude and he appreciated her form until she was out of sight. Refilling his cup, he sighed and drank deeply. Did she really like all those things about him? He flexed his hand into a fist and then spread his fingers wide, studying the play of muscle and tendon and skin. She’d called them elegant and he supposed he could concede that. Certainly they weren’t thick and clumsy. And he supposed he did have a tendency to gesture with them when he spoke passionately about a topic, though why that would appeal to her was beyond him. Granted, why did anything appeal to anyone? Attraction was all subjective, and he was glad he’d gained her regard. Was that not the important thing? Well, that and how very compatible they were.He remembered how she'd fingered him and couldn’t help his pleased smile, clenching his ass. Darcy had treated him so well and it had been…indescribable. He couldn’t wait until they did it again… But he was getting ahead of himself. This session had scarcely finished; there was no need to look forward to the next one already, not when he was so pleased with how this one had gone.“Sweetheart? I’m all ready for you.”She meant the bath, he knew, but his thoughts still went straight to filth and he had to forcibly put them aside. “Thank you, Darcy.”With a thought, he prepared the bed for sleep and went to her, pleased when she stopped him for a kiss before she ushered him to the tub. Sinking into the water had his shoulders instantly slumping, starting a chain reaction of relaxation that ended with a long sigh and tipping his head back against the edge. Tonight hadn’t stressed his back but the hot water still felt good.Lazily, he peered up at her. “Join me?”“Mm, if you want. But I thought maybe I could wash your hair, honey. I give a good scalp massage,” she offered, rubbing her fingers over his hairline. “I think you’ll like it.”That did sound enjoyable but would it be better than getting to hold her? It was clear to him what she wanted though and he was disinclined to deny her. “Very well. Do you require anything?”“Just whatever you use to wash your hair. And er, I hate to ask but: a stool I can kneel on maybe? Just, your tub is pretty deep…” She wasn’t entirely sure she could reach over the edge comfortably.“Why? It’s no trouble.” He conjured the requisite items for her, including a thick cushion on the low bench for her comfort. He pulled the tie from his hair, letting it fall back around his shoulders. “Is that high enough?”“Yeah, thanks. Okay, scooch down, sweetheart.”She got situated, feeling a little ridiculous with her boobs and coochie hanging out but getting something to cover up with seemed even more ridiculous at this point. And it wasn’t like Loki was going to complain so she put it out of mind and focused on her task. Cradling the back of his head, she guided him back into the water, using her free hand to scoop up water and carefully drizzle it over his hairline. He was watching her quietly and compliments built on her tongue - about the otherworldly green of his eyes and his stupid long lashes, about the proud slope of his nose and his sweet mouth, or how his hair was so inky and silken, moving in waves under the water. But Darcy swallowed them all down, saving them to share later when he might be more open to them.Instead, she gave him something else he needed: praise. “You were such a good boy tonight, Loki.”Like clockwork, his eyes closed, pink rising in his cheeks. “Oh?”“Yup.” Her hands gently urged him up to sitting, squeezing the excess water from his hair, before she poured out some of his shampoo. It smelled similar to the bath salts with an added hint of mint and she inhaled deeply, loving it. Working the cream into a lather, she spread it over his hair, making sure every strand was well-coated before digging her fingers in against the base of his skull, drawing firm circles that had him groaning.“You taught me how to take care of you, and you asked for what you wanted, and you followed all our rules. That makes you a very good boy, Loki.”The praise washed over him soothingly, but he felt compelled to point out: “I didn’t answer you out loud every time though.”It took her a moment to remember when he was talking about. “Oh, pfft. That’s okay; you answered me when I reminded you, didn’t you?”“Yes,” he sighed, listing toward her as she traced lines from the top of his head down to his ears and back along his nape. “Well then. We don’t have to worry about one little slip up - especially since I was distracting you. Okay?”“I can hardly argue - Norns, that feels good, Darcy.”She chuckled - he could absolutely argue if he really wanted, she was sure. “Alright, honey, let’s rinse this out.”He followed her urging to dip his head under the water, relaxing into her supporting hand. Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair, washing out the shampoo, making sure she got all of it from the edges of his hairline and around his ears. The lines in his forehead and around his eyes softened, and she smiled to herself. Loki always struck her as calm and collected but when they played, all his hidden stresses became obvious by their sudden absence and she loved that she could do that for him.“Up we go.”Relaxed as he was, it took a little effort to make himself sit up but sleeping in a progressively colder tub sounded incredibly ill-advised. Darcy sluiced the water from his hair, disappearing for a moment to grab a towel to dry it. He could do it in a second with seidr but he reveled in her pampering. Once she’d dried it as much as she could, she carefully patted water droplets from his face before putting the towel down.“Oh! Your hair’s curly.” She touched one of the curls hanging by his shoulder, marveling. She’d never seen it anything but straight and slicked back. “It looks good.”He caught her hand, kissing it, and finished drying his hair, leaving it in its natural curl for once. He doubted Thor would pop by in the night and electrify it into a frazzled mess. “Shall we retire?”Darcy nodded, yawning, and he was struck anew by how trusting she was of him. She was completely at ease with him, despite all he’d been party to. Impulsively, he kissed the tip of her nose and she giggled, drawing back.“What was that for?”“For being adorable,” he said with a grin; it was part of the truth at least. “Would you like me to conjure sleep clothes for you again?”“Yes please.”Exiting the bath, he cast his usual personal cleansing spells and dressed them both: himself in his trousers and tunic and Darcy in her underwear and a modified tunic. He’d made it a touch longer than was custom but still short enough that the extra fabric hopefully wouldn’t bother her legs.“Oh! Did you change it for me?” She swished her hips joyfully, holding out the hem. It reached her butt, just like all her favourite t-shirts-turned-nighties. She popped up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you! It’s perfect.”Pleased, Loki still felt himself colour a little. “Good. I’ll um, let you use the bathroom first.”While he took his turn, she checked the room for her clothes. She’d let Loki vanish them in the heat of the moment but she had no idea where he’d sent them. Hopefully he hadn’t like…dissolved them back into atoms or something. But thankfully, she found them neatly folded on the dresser beside his own clothes. She smoothed both piles out needlessly, smiling. For a prince who’d presumably always had servants, Loki was surprisingly conscientious.Turning down the blankets, Darcy set her phone alarm and snuggled down, hearing him come back into the room. “You might be onto something with these billion blankets.”“There’s barely half a dozen,” Loki corrected absently, the dork, and slid under the blankets with her, immediately pulling her against him, touching his forehead to hers. “Hello.”“Hi.”He sighed happily, closing his eyes. He was tired and content and he had Darcy in his arms. “You’ve worn me out, minx.”“Is that a good thing or bad thing?” she wondered, admiring the way his eyelashes curled against the top of his cheeks. How did guys always have the longest lashes?“Good,” he murmured, rubbing his forehead against hers. “Thank you for tonight.”Her chest was overstuffed with warm fuzzies and she kissed him chastely, hoping to get some out. “You don’t have to thank me, Loki. I had a good time too. And you pleased me.”A tiny smile tugged at his mouth. “I’m glad to hear it. Goodnight, Darcy.”“Goodnight, Loki. Sweet dreams.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Nearly before he knew it, Wednesday had arrived and the workday ended. He looked up from his report of the lab fire on the weekend (why did he have to write one? He’d been interrogated for an inconsiderate bulk of Sunday! Surely they’d gathered all the information they needed in that time!) to find Dr. Foster had gone for the evening without his notice and Darcy was swinging back and forth in her chair, watching him.When she noticed she had his attention, her mouth crooked up into a smile. “Almost ready to go?”“Oh. Er -” Recovering from her smile took a few noticeable seconds before he gave his head a shake and a firm command to pull yourself together! Quickly, he saved his progress and shut down the laptop. “Yes. I apologize - I didn’t notice the time.”“S’ok.”Since no one else was about to witness them, he thought it safe to tease her: “Have you been ogling me long?”“‘Ogling’? Nah, I’ve just been…observing,” she countered, her lips widening to reveal a glint of teeth. “Does the space between your eyebrows hurt from scowling and frowning so much or are you just used to it?”One of said eyebrows flicked up. “Rude. And if you must know, yes. Your human bureaucracy is astoundingly frustrating.”“Aww, poor baby,” she pouted sympathetically, tempted to rub the spot for him. But that sounded like a slippery slope she wasn’t prepared to ski down. “Come on. You can tell me how superior Asgard’s bureaucracy is on the way.”“How cruel do you think I am?” he queried, following her to the elevator. She hummed, leaning in to bump his arm. “Depends on if you’re about to wax poetic about Asgard or not.”The elevator doors opened and Loki pulled up short, finding Captain Rogers already inside. Suddenly, he rather itched to teleport them both to Darcy’s apartment but he couldn’t - the moronic do-gooder would probably think he was kidnapping her or something equally as asinine. And Darcy had already stated her preference for keeping their…relationship private.“Hey Steve,” she waved kindly, stepping inside and about-facing, giving Loki a ‘get in here’ look.“Hi Ms. Lewis.” His voice chilled a few degrees when he looked at him. “Loki.”He rolled his eyes and joined them, letting the doors close and the elevator continue its ascent. “Captain.”He’d already apologized to each of the Avengers for the part he’d played and they’d all been briefed on his coerced involvement, but they clung to their grudges and erroneous character judgements regardless. It was irritating but he was used to it after centuries with the Warriors Three second-guessing his motives or dismissing him whenever he wasn’t saving their sorry necks. His only disappointment at the moment was that he couldn’t sneak his hand into Darcy’s to hold. He’d been somewhat looking forward to it.Beside him, Darcy’s heart was jumping as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. She hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the elevator, let alone Captain freakin’ America, but here they all were, awkwardly waiting in silence for their floors. It was a freak coincidence that she and Loki hadn’t run into anyone any other time they’d left the Tower together. They’d always left at quitting time, for crying out loud! There were hundreds of employees in the building and she even shared a floor with some of them. But she’d take another SI drone over one of the Avengers any day. Yeah, she was kinda friendly with all of them to some degree but Loki sure as hell wasn’t and she really did not want to deal with the drama if he or Steve snarked off. And of course her floor was way before either of theirs… But no, no, it was cool. She wasn’t changing her plans just because there were witnesses. What she and Loki did in their off time was their business and she wasn’t going to make either of them skulk around in the shadows. They were both adults and she had zero issue putting well-meaning busy-bodies in their place, even if they happened to be a superhero.When the doors opened on her floor, Loki hesitated but she wasn’t having any of it. “Come on, Loki. See ya, Steve!”Clarifying would only raise questions so he nodded civilly to the other man and followed Darcy down the hall to her apartment. She unlocked the door, beckoning him in, and he shut it behind them.“Well that ought to start some rumors.”“Why?”She wasn’t that naive, surely, and in fact, her tone was more challenging than curious. Still, he explained: “The sweet, little assistant to Dr. Foster is spending her free time with the monstrous, would-be conqueror of New -"Darcy whirled around and stabbed her finger into his chest. “Don’t call yourself that.”All he could do was blink at her, taken aback. “You’re not a monster, or a conqueror, would-be or otherwise,” she snapped. “And if the Avengers were that worried about you, I don’t know, corrupting me or seducing me or whatever the fuck, then they shouldn’t have plunked you in my lab for the last however long its been!”“Nine months,” he said quietly, staring into her furious blue eyes. He wanted to kiss her, to pull her into his arms and show her how he appreciated this unexpected defense of him, how he loved her spirit… But today was Wednesday, not Sunday, and he couldn’t bear for her to reject his advances.Darcy huffed. “Whatever. My point is: if they wanna have a conniption, they can knock themselves out. It’s none of their business what we do together! I’m not sneaking around with you. You're not a secret. Not - not unless you want to be.”Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure. They weren’t dating; hell, she’d hesitate to even call them friends, and maybe Loki didn’t want anyone to know they were sleeping together. Maybe he wanted to keep his sex life 100% private. It wasn’t like she wanted random people all up in her business, asking awkward and invasive questions about how good he was in bed or why they weren’t a couple. But she didn’t want to act like she was ashamed or embarrassed by him either -“You’re quite right,” he interrupted her spiraling thoughts, a soft and curious look in his eyes. “Our business is our own. I do not care for others’ opinions so long as you don’t, Darcy.”“Okay. Well. I don’t, so.” She cleared her throat awkwardly, glad that was settled but weirded out by the warm fuzzy feeling in her chest. “I’ll just grab my purse and we’ll go?”“Certainly.”🍧Entering the ice cream parlor, Loki’s eye was immediately drawn to the customer at the counter collecting a large bowl with several distinct scoops covered in some whipped concoction and topped with a brilliant red cherry. He turned wide eyes on Darcy. “I thought it was custom to only have a single scoop!”He sounded so offended and betrayed that she couldn’t help laughing. “Nah, you can have as many as you want. I usually only have room for one though. Sorry, I guess?”Ah. He couldn’t precisely blame her for that, even though part of him childishly wanted to. He waved off her apology. “It is no matter.” What was the matter was choosing from the 32 different flavors on display and deciding on a combination that would be complementary. He was unfamiliar with so many of the options which made things more difficult, and while he did enjoy chocolate, having, say, 3 or more scoops with the same base might become boring.Seeing that this was going to take awhile and that their usual spot was free, she told the girl behind the counter: “Whenever he orders, I’ll take a pralines and cream in a bowl, please and thanks. I’m just gonna grab us a table.”“Sure thing!”Loki nodded in acknowledgement too, the cutie, still staring intently at the rows of ice cream like his decision would have lasting ramifications. Shaking her head fondly, she snagged their table and pulled out her phone. She might as well use this time to catch up on her tumblr dash.“May I have a sample of Death by Chocolate…Strawberry Fields Forever, and…Rocky Road?”The employee handed him the three spoons. The chocolate was possibly too much, with both chunks of chocolate and a fudge swirl, but it was a contender. The strawberry was a sweet shade of pink, dotted with pieces of its namesake fruit, and it surprised him how much it tasted precisely like eating a bowl full of perfectly ripe strawberries. The Rocky Road was…unpleasant. He read the placard again, frowning - it was either the walnut or marshmallow he didn’t care for, or perhaps the combination? Regardless, it was a pass.“May I try Cookie Monster - whatever that means, Nut What I Mint…and Espresso Yourself?” At the employee’s raised eyebrow, he grinned charmingly and tacked on: “If you’d be so kind.”“Sure.” She handed over the spoons. “How many scoops are you gonna get? Maybe I can suggest a good pairing.”“I would appreciate your expertise, thank you.” Cookie Monster was an unnatural shade of blue that he swore he could taste and coated his tongue disagreeably. “I think three scoops ought to do today, and I favor chocolate.”The mint was a refreshing palate cleanser and he hummed around the espresso, quite pleased with the deep coffee flavor. He’d have to try both again, though not necessarily today.“Chocolate’s a classic. And you like Espresso Yourself?” At his nod, the employee considered the coolers, thinking. Darting about, she grabbed three samples. “Try these: Espresso Yourself, Double Truffle, and Salted Caramel.”He did. The truffle was a delight and the caramel was a revelation - who would think to add salt to a dessert? It was delicious and it went perfectly with the other flavors she’d picked for him.“Superb. I’ll take all three in a bowl, thank you. And er, could I get that…whipped topping and a cherry on top?”“A sundae? I gotcha. Do you want a sauce too? I’ve got hot fudge, strawberry or butterscotch.”What decadence! Humans certainly knew how to take indulgence to its extreme. “Hot fudge please. And a scoop of pralines and cream in a bowl for my friend,” he remembered, glancing a little guiltily at Darcy. But she seemed perfectly content scrolling through her phone, despite how long he’d taken.Her small bowl looked positively dainty next to his behemoth of an order and he smiled, thinking amusedly that it rather matched them and their height difference. Shaking off that fancy, he paid and brought their bowls to the table. Darcy immediately traded her phone for a spoon. “Thanks. What did you end up picking?”“A sundae, apparently.” He cast the aural obscurification spell and sampled some of the whipped cream by itself. It was light but tasty, melting in his mouth. “Espresso, truffle, and salted caramel.”“Ooh, nice combo!” Now she was kind of disappointed she’d just gotten one flavor, but there was always next week and her pralines and cream was just what she wanted. “So. I think our last session went pretty well. What about you?”The tips of his ears went pink as he ducked his head, biting his lip a little as he carved out a spoonful of Double Truffle. “I think so too, yes. I’d even go so far as to call it a resounding success.”She grinned back because God, he was adorable. “High scores all around, huh?”“Quite.”They grinned dopily at each other for a minute before Darcy came to her senses and cleared her throat. Sappy long looks were for dates, not post-BDSM session discussions.“Was there anything you didn’t like, or wouldn’t want to do again? I mean, I know the compliments were a lot but…”Yes, they had been. Even now, thinking of them left him feeling discomfited but he shook his head, tamping down the feeling. “No, there’s nothing I’d change, Darcy. I may find it…difficult to accept your compliments and perhaps fewer at once would be preferable, but I did still…enjoy it, in a way.”Knowing she found him so attractive, as nonsensical as he thought it, filled him with a strange mix of pride and happiness. He need do nothing to retain her regard, or arouse her - he simply did so with his existence and what a novel concept that was. “Huh. Well, I’m glad you didn’t hate it.” She’d thought maybe he might’ve since he’d gotten so uncomfortable at the end there. “But fewer at once - I can do that, no problem.”As she crunched down on a praline, Loki gingerly asked: “Was there anything you didn’t care for?”She pulled her spoon slowly from her mouth, thinking, before she shook her head. “Nope. It was actually kinda perfect. I had a great time.”Loki could barely contain his self-satisfied grin. “‘Perfect’, hm? However shall we top that?”“Oh I’m sure we’ll think of something.” Probably a lot of ‘somethings’, knowing her dirty mind, but whatever they did, she’d consider it a job well done as long as it ended with Loki being a long-limbed cuddle monkey, completely relaxed and happy and wrapped around her. She was such a sucker for cuddles.“Where did you learn how to massage? You seemed to know what you were doing - more so than the average person.”The question took her off guard, jolting her from her reverie about Monday morning and waking up in Loki’s arms again. He’d been just as reluctant to let her go as the week before.“Um… Well, it was the cover for the brothel I worked at. Sex work isn’t always exactly legal so our front was a massage parlour. I mean, our prices were way more exorbitant than a real massage place so people could generally guess what kind of services we really offered but just in case someone didn’t, the boss had us take a course on the basics. Plus it translates pretty well to sex stuff so we could use it with our real clientele too.”He grinned salaciously. “Mm, it certainly does, doesn’t it? And may I say: you have incredibly talented hands, Darcy.”Balling up a napkin, she threw it at him, her cheeks warm, but it just bounced off his chest while he laughed.“Well it’s true! No need to resort to violence.” There was an endearment there, on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back, teasing: “It seems I’m not the only one who struggles to accept compliments.”“Shut up,” she muttered. That was totally different. “Anyway. You’d probably benefit from a professional massage. Of the non-sexy variety, I mean. They could actually get all those stubborn knots out.”“Ah. I…suppose.” He tapped his spoon against his bowl, frowning.“Loki?”He flicked his eyes to her before looking out the window. The ferns in front of it were doing well. “I don’t believe I would be comfortable with a stranger touching me in that manner.”“Oh, right.” She deflated. He’d gotten so comfortable with her so quickly that she’d sort of forgotten about his aversion to most touch. “Is it just your muscles or is it your actual spine?”Immediately, she winced. She hadn’t meant to ask that - at least, not out loud. “Sorry! Sorry. You don’t have to answer that. Forget I asked.”Exhaling, he swirled his spoon through some of the melted whipped cream and brought it to his mouth. Darcy had been…politely restrained in their time together - she scarcely ever asked questions and when she did, she always immediately recalled them, expecting no answers. He appreciated it deeply.“...I don’t know precisely. The damage was…extensive and…repeated,” he said quietly, training his eyes out the window where leaves swayed on the trees lining the boulevard and the sun shone, so different from Sanctuary. She listened raptly. “I know a little healing magic - nothing compared to a proper healer of course, but enough to ease the worst of it.”Darcy bit her lip, automatically reaching for his hand but she stopped short at the last second. Would he want to be touched right now? “Have…you seen a doctor at all? I know we’re probably not as advanced as the healers on Asgard or whatever but…”“I have access to SHIELD's doctors but tell me, would you trust them with alien biology?” Her face said clearly that she hadn’t thought of that, nor would she trust them, and he offered her a smile, brushing his fingers against the back of her hand. “Do not fret, Darcy. I doubt they could do much for me anyway. Your massage was plenty helpful, thank you.”She couldn’t even argue with him. She wanted to but she couldn’t. She didn’t trust SHIELD and she was a baseline human! It would be crazy to expect him to trust those creeps and maybe he was right, maybe they wouldn’t be able to help him, but she wished there was something that could.“Look, whenever you need a massage, just let me know, okay? I mean it. I’ll do what I can.”She was far too kind and compassionate to him but he couldn’t find it in himself to dissuade her. “Thank you, Darcy. I’ll keep your offer in mind.” Right. Time to move away from this minefield of a conversation, but what to talk about? “Oh! Hey, do the other realms have sex work? Like, I know you said you didn’t think Asgard had BDSM but they gotta have people who’re paid for like, run-of-the-mill sex, right?”Loki blinked at her and levered his jaw off the table. Her candor and ease talking about sex in public would never cease to startle him. “Ah, yes? All of the realms I’ve visited have pleasure houses, and I imagine the ones I haven’t been to have their version of them too.”“Huh. I kinda expected you to have been to every realm, what with being a prince and all.”Her reasoning made a certain kind of sense but: “You assume Asgard is friendly with all of the other eight realms. There are a few where we are decidedly unwelcome, but that is a topic for a less-pleasant conversation. What made you ask?”She shrugged, licking her spoon clean. “I’m just curious, I guess. I mean, the overall Earth opinion on sex work is pretty negative and I guess I was wondering if Asgard thinks differently since you claim it's oh-so-superior.”Loki broke into a grin, shaking his head. She always found a way to jab at his realm. “While Asgard is vastly superior in an overwhelming number of aspects -” “Oh please.” She rolled her eyes effusively.“- I regret to say that the majority of Asgard share Midgard's negative, and hypocritical, opinions.”“Ugh, typical.” She stabbed her spoon viciously into what was left of her ice cream, hitting the bottom of the bowl. “People are more than happy to pay for sex but the people that provide it get hated on. It’s so stupid!”Anger coloured her cheeks and he had no doubt she could deliver a scathing diatribe on the topic, but he wished to calm her. “I entirely agree, Darcy. As do the Vanir and Alvar. They even support schools of seidr based in the sensual arts.”“‘The sensual arts’...Hang on, sex magic?” She gave him a skeptical look but he seemed completely serious.“It's not something that I personally ever had a chance to study.” Odin had forbidden it, horrified that a son of his might study alongside ‘harlots’ and sully the reputation of the entirety of the Realm Eternal, the miserable, prejudiced old fool. Not that that had stopped him from scouring the library for knowledge. “But it is a respected practice in those realms. I have known enough teachers and colleagues who were versed in it that I've long since ceased to see it in the same way that most of Asgard and, apparently, Midgard does.”Darcy pursed her lips, dragging her spoon through the dregs of her ice cream. She definitely wished she’d gotten a second scoop. “What about if you don’t use seidr? Is it still respected?”“I believe so.” It certainly seemed that way from an outsider’s perspective at least, and he could offer nothing more than that. “So… You don’t care that I used to have sex for money?”Shit. She hadn’t meant to ask that, not ever, because what if his answer was that he did? How would she deal with that? Sure, he supported it in the abstract but with her, personally? When they were sleeping together? She felt like she was going to throw up.“No.”Blinking at him, she repeated: “‘No’?”Loki frowned; she looked so surprised by his answer, a suspicion of tears in the corner of her eyes. Had someone been bothered by it in her past? Or was he the first to know about her prior career? Regardless, he couldn’t let this stand. Setting his bowl aside, he leaned forward and pulled both her hands between his. “No, it does not bother me, Darcy. Not in the least.”Was he perhaps a little jealous of her past submissives and lovers if he thought of them too long? Yes. But he knew that was absurd, and unfair besides. It was those very people that enabled her to Dom him so well.“Really?”“Really,” he assured, ducking his head so he could catch her eyes, and offered her a smile. “How you make your livelihood, what you do with your body, is your business, Darcy, and not for anyone else to judge.” She opened her mouth to object but he held up a hand to forestall her. “People no doubt do but you are above their small-minded opinions.”“Pssh, I know,” she scoffed with all the bravado of someone convinced of their awesomeness, which she was. This had just been…a brief second of self-doubt that she had no intention of ever repeating. His hands squeezed warmly around hers and she could admit his bolstering reassurance was appreciated. “But thank you.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The rest of the week sped by in a haze of data entry and experiments that left Darcy’s head spinning. She was seriously considering taking night classes or something - she could more or less follow along, but if she just understood the math…But that way lay madness, she was sure.Eye-crossing equations aside, Jane was happy with the experiment’s results (and Darcy’s help) and that was all that really mattered. …Well that and the absolutely fascinating development re: Loki’s forearms. She’d have to be blind not to notice he’d rolled up his shirtsleeves a lot more than usual this week and she was positive he’d caught her staring more than once. His smirk had become insufferable by Friday afternoon.She should’ve known he’d take her compliments and use them against her but she couldn’t be too mad about it. A) She got to see his gorgeous arms, with all that corded muscle and the fine, dark hairs she wanted to run her hands over… And b) it meant he believed her, at least in part, which was all she’d really wanted from their last session. He was freakin’ beautiful and he should know that, instead of assuming everyone was gaga over Thor.Before she knew it, it was Sunday again and Darcy was matching up lingerie tops and bottoms to make her little fashion show go smoothly. It would kinda ruin the mood if she had to hit pause and paw through her bag looking for this bra or those panties, and she really, really wanted to avoid that. Anticipation was already pumping through her bloodstream as the hours ticked down and her hands practically itched to touch Loki again. Part of her wanted to throw him down and sex him up as soon as she got through his door, but that was just her libido talking. There was something to be said for sessions that slowly built in tension, each of them waiting with baited breath for the other to break and speed things up.She held up a bustier in green satin - it was more chartreuse than emerald but it still made her think of Loki and the way he’d casually suggested he liked to wear lingerie too before he’d clammed up. Of course anything he conjured would be absolutely decadent and gorgeous in his signature colors, all expensive black silk lace and green velvets. Probably real gold embellishments too, if he was into that (and she was pretty sure he was). Or would it all be made out of fabric that he’d conjured up out of his imagination, like the ropes?Pairing up stockings, she chewed her lip and wondered if stockings were a thing on Asgard, if Loki would wear them. They’d look amazing on his long legs, feel so good under her hands as she dragged them up his thighs to his beautiful ass and straining cock… Would he be wearing panties? Something in a feminine cut and style? Or would it be something more like boxer briefs or some other men’s cut, but in one of those decadent fabrics she knew he liked? The potential for different textures and levels of sheerness had her mind diving straight into the gutter.God, she was wet already.She grabbed her phone and pulled up her texts to Loki. 🍧Loki flicked his eyes from the book he was attempting to read to his mobile phone. Only one person ever texted him and he wondered what Darcy wished to impart so close to their next session. Abandoning the book, he scooped the device up and read her messages, eyebrows rising higher with every word.From Darcy: You could wear something pretty tonight tooFrom Darcy: If you wantFrom Darcy: I’m super into it ;)He swallowed hard, rubbing his fingers over his mouth. He hadn’t meant to reveal that detail ever, to anyone, not just Darcy. His…proclivity was for himself, aware as he was of the censure he’d face if anyone found out about it. Even his most discreet of lovers couldn’t have been counted on to keep quiet about the second prince’s interest in wearing frivolous undergarments.He had hoped Darcy would forget it or at least apply her usual discretion and never mention it again, but he should know better by now. She was always surprising him. But she’d yet to do so in a way he didn’t care for and her texts had emphasized both his consent and her interest. It wasn’t a demand, just an offer, and he didn’t doubt she was indeed ‘into it’. He sat back and considered her proposition.Well, why not? Twirling a finger, seidr washed over him, removing his trousers and dress shirt and replacing them with cool silk. He curled his toes against the carpet, enjoying the shift of the stockings against his skin. Oh, it had been too long since he’d indulged this particular desire. He inhaled deeply for the simple pleasure of feeling the robe he’d conjured glide against his chest. Underneath, his prick twitched in the confines of the lace briefs he favoured.The temptation to stroke himself was strong but the idea of Darcy doing it for him, or even simply watching, her lovely blue eyes heavy on him, stayed his hand. It would be so much better to wait. Besides, he craved something more leisurely than he had time for and she’d be here soon.It was only a few minutes more of fruitless reading before he heard a knock at his door, the runes around the frame lighting up in Darcy’s pale blue. A small illusion maintained his surprise as he opened the door, making it appear to her that he was still dressed for company.“Hello, Darcy.” He dipped his head politely, sweeping his hand to welcome her in. “You look radiant, as ever.”More accurately, she looked positively sinful in her scandalously short skirt and loose knit, baggy sweater. Seeing her skin flash between the loops of yarn made him impatient to tear it off her and his hands itched to slide up her bare legs and under the scrap of fabric one could generously call a skirt. When he finally dragged his eyes up to her face, he found her lips painted wine dark and curled in a smirk already.“Thanks; you look good too.”Shutting the door, he steadied her as she kicked off her shoes and dispelled his illusion. “Do I? How kind of you to say.”She saw a fizzle of seidr out of the corner of her eye and turned to see his day clothes replaced with a slinky green robe, belted at his waist and reaching down to his calves. Dropping her gaze lower revealed he was wearing sheer black hose and she bit her lip in excitement.“You do,” she reaffirmed with a grin, dropping her bag so she could slide her hands around his sides. The robe was silky and warm with his body heat. “Whatcha got on under this? Can I take a peek?”He chuckled deeply but caught her questing hands. “Ah, ah, only if you show me what’s under yours. I’m sure it’s utterly fascinating.”And too tight, she thought wryly, feeling one of the underwires in her bra dig into her side. Annoying as hell but they made her tits look fantastic and since she only ever wore it for a couple hours at the most, it was totally worth it. Or it was before she gained a cup (and a band) size.“Well, come on then, sweetheart. Let’s get started.”Ever the gentleman, Loki carried her bag to the bedroom, setting it down behind the wood dressing screen he’d conjured for the evening where she would have it in easy reach as she changed. He had repositioned the mirror too, so that she could see what alterations he made without having to cross and recross the room endlessly. Darcy hadn’t said how many outfits she needed adjusted but based on the heft of her bag, he surmised there were more than a few and his imagination ran wild.She noted the screen with approval - it would help preserve some mystery about what she wore, ratcheting up the tension as he waited for the reveal, plus she could struggle into things without ruining the mood. …She hoped at least. Knowing her, she’d shimmy into something, jerking and yanking, and face-plant right into the frickin’ carpet. Fingers crossed she managed to avoid that epic fail though.“You’re so thoughtful,” she told him, pushing aside her silly thoughts to cup his cheek. “Thank you for the screen, honey.”Under her hand, his skin warmed in a blush but he pushed into the touch, savouring it. He’d missed her hands on him all week. “It’s nothing, Darcy.”She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “It’s not gonna kill you to just say ‘you’re welcome’ for once.”“Perhaps not but I think it best not to risk it. People might talk if I’m found dead and half-dressed with a beautiful woman in my bed chambers. Why, they might think you did it!”Darcy snorted, shaking her head and laughing. “You’re ridiculous. Alright. Are you, uh, gonna sit on the bed for this? ‘Cause it’s kinda far away.”She had a point and the implication she wanted him close by warmed his heart, practicality aside. Slanting a mischievous look at her, he drew his hand through the air, summoning a little low-backed divan upholstered in green velvet. Technically, they hadn’t begun the session proper yet and thus she couldn’t say anything against his seidr usage and based on the narrowing of her eyes, she knew it too.“Brat. Sit down and tell me our rules, please.”He did, arranging himself comfortably. “I will answer you out loud. I won’t insult humanity or use seidr without permission. You decide when I come, Darcy.”God, that sounded so good. The way his voice curled around her name, handing over that power to her… Goosebumps spread on her skin as heat throbbed between her legs. With a little smirk, she crossed her arms to grab the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head. Loki caught it deftly when she tossed it at him but his eyes were glued on her, dark and hungry. She’d loved this balconette bra from the second she’d seen it on another Dom; the black lace half-cups barely covered her nipples and the ruched satin straps holding up the cups and drawing over her shoulders were fun for the eye and soft against her skin. Of course, now they dug in uncomfortably and her girls nearly spilled out of the cups despite the lace’s best effort.“I don’t think we’ll get very far if you can’t use seidr,” she pointed out wryly and his eyes flicked up to hers. “So you have my permission to use it whenever you need to tonight, Loki.”Licking his thin lips, he quipped: “How magnanimous of you, my lady.”“Always such a brat,” she sighed but she sounded equally fond and amused by that fact. “One of these days I might have to punish you for that, y’know.”“But not tonight.”“Not tonight,” she agreed, cupping his jaw to tilt his face up to hers. She kissed him slowly, only drawing back when his hands began to slide under her miniskirt. “Not unless you really annoy me, mister. What are our colors and safewords?”She stepped out of his reach and Loki leaned forward, elbows on his knees and chin propped up on his crossed hands. “Green means continue, yellow: check in, and red means stop. Our safewords are mjolnir and pineapple.”“Good boy.” She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her skirt and switched her hips back and forth, working it down teasingly until she could let it fall to the floor. Underneath, she wore the matching thong: the ruched straps criss-crossed her hips and disappeared between her asscheeks, while the lace covered her front and dipped between her legs. It, too, was kind of tight but unlike the bra, it wasn’t half as uncomfortable.Putting her hand on her hip, she cocked it, proudly putting herself on display. “Whatcha think? Do ya like?”Norns, did he like -? She couldn’t seriously expect he didn’t, the minx, not when she was so beautiful and bare to him. It was paradoxical, how her lingerie left nothing to the imagination and yet was more erotic than if she were simply naked.“I do,” he said at last, voice unintentionally rough. Lust pounded through his veins and he held out a supplicating hand. “And I see the problem. That can’t be altogether comfortable, my lady. Let me fix it for you.”Darcy took his hand trustingly, letting him pull her close between his wide-spread knees. His robe parted of course but it wasn’t skimpy and she didn’t even see a flash of thigh, never mind what he wore underneath. His warm hands engulfing her hips were nicely distracting though and she forgot about her disappointment in favor of the cute look of concentration forming on his face. “Now let’s see…” he murmured almost under his breath and dragged his thumbs over the thong straps. The touch of his seidr made her shiver and he looked up at her, eyebrows dipping in that boyish way of his. “Darcy?”“It feels nice. Your seidr, I mean.”It was warm and almost ticklish, a barely there sensation that made her want to push into it to feel it better. Oh. No one had ever said such a thing to him; in fact, no one had ever commented on how his seidr felt at all aside from his tutors. Impulsively, he kissed her stomach, smiling into her skin as she giggled and tried to draw back. Evidently he wasn’t the only one ticklish in this relationship.“How’s that, my lady?” he asked, leaning back to meet her eyes, still caressing her hips.“Much better, thanks.” The straps were taut now, instead of digging in, and the overall fit was more comfortable. “You’re such a clever boy, you know that?”Beating back his blush, he demurred: “It’s only a resizing spell. It’s easy enough to master. Now for your brassiere…”He started with the band, smoothing his hands, and the spell, around her ribs to loosen the fabric considerably. With her breasts practically in his face, it took a stupendous amount of will not to reach for the hooks and unclasp her bra but no, he was stronger than that. There were who knew how many more alterations to make and it was far too early to give into his base desires.Subtly clearing his throat, he brought his hands back around to palm her breasts as chastely as he could manage. Her nipples, scarcely covered at all by lace, hardened further under his hands and he swore internally. Thank the Norns he’d had the foresight to make this activity a session on it’s own - how he would’ve survived doing this when sex was firmly off the table was beyond him.“You’re lingering,” Darcy sing-songed teasingly. Not that she was complaining exactly but it was hard to not push into his hands and straddle his lap.Despite his red ears, he smirked up at her. “Can you blame me?”“Nope. They’re pretty great.” She bounced a little on her toes, making them jiggle, and Loki chuckled, shaking his head.She was patently ridiculous but in the privacy of his thoughts, he could admit he liked that about her. Perhaps he ought to wonder about his sanity in that case but it was much simpler to embrace it. Pushing two fingers up each strap, he reinforced the stitching and added a cushioning spell so the weight of her chest didn’t pull quite so much on her shoulders.“There. Go look.” He gestured her toward the mirror. “What do you think?”Inspecting her reflection, she whistled lowly, impressed. With the adjusted fit, she looked just as good in the bra and thong set as she had when she’d bought it back in the day. Better even, actually. She ran a thumb under one strap, pleased with how well it molded to her body without leaving angry red indents.“A+ job,” she declared, turning back to him with a contagious grin. She swooped down and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Loki. I’m really impressed. Gold star.”While he didn’t understand the significance of stars or letters, the meaning was clear: she was happy with his work and he let her praise settle under his ribs, warming him. He kissed her cheek in turn before she slipped out of his reach behind the screen.Settling comfortably against the back of the couch, he reached under his robe to adjust himself, biting the inside of his lip as a shudder climbed his spine. He was fully hard, precum beading temptingly from his slit, but he pulled his hand free. Prudishly, he readjusted his robe so everything was still covered. She hadn’t asked him to undress yet and he thought perhaps he might like to have her order him to.“How many outfits did you bring?” Behind the screen, Darcy paused in pulling up her fishnets and eyeballed her bag. “Um. I dunno, like, a dozen? We don’t have to do them all tonight.”She didn’t know if her restraint could last that long, honestly. His hands had been warm and titillating on her body and she really, really wanted to know what he had on under that robe. After struggling into a new pair of panties and bra, she scowled at the garter belt. It still fit. Technically. It just sat about four inches higher than it was supposed to. Skipping it for a second, she pulled on fishnet gloves (at least they still fit fine) and hooked each loop over her middle finger.“I definitely need your help with this one,” she groused, stepping out from behind the screen. She’d settled for simply holding the garter against where it was supposed to be. “I’m worried if I do this one up, it’ll just rip.”Loki raked his eyes over her and she thought for a second maybe the game was up. He definitely looked like he was three seconds from throwing her down on the bed and devouring her but in the next second, he’d reeled it in.Clucking his tongue, he came to her, circling behind and taking the ends of the garter belt in hand. “How in the Nine -?”He bit off the question too late and she looked over her shoulder, brow arched. “How did it used to fit?”“...Well, yes. Were you ill?” he wondered, frowning down at the gap between the two ends. He couldn’t imagine how thin she must’ve been a few years prior to warrant this much alteration.She snorted. “No! I was a broke kid that counted instant ramen as a full meal. I just eat healthier now.”“Good,” he declared firmly and extended the fabric until he could hook the ends together. He pulled her back into him, kissing behind her ear. “I very much like the curves a proper diet has afforded you, my lady.”Darcy couldn’t help her blush. She was comfortable and happy with her body and she didn’t need external (or masculine!) validation, but… It was still nice to hear, especially in Loki’s sensual baritone as he held her close, his large hands sliding up over her stomach and breasts, adjusting her bra before he set his hands on her shoulders.“Is that better?”“Oh, um, yeah, thanks.” She gave the garter belt a few needless tugs and fluffed up the pink ruffles. “What do you think?”“I quite like the contrast,” he purred, catching her fluttering hands. He pushed both their hands down her hips and over her panties, sending his seidr through their palms. The sensation made her gasp and he brought their hands lower to the tops of her stockings, loosening the bands a little.“The sweet pink frills with such stark black netting… It suits you perfectly, Darcy.” Was he trying to kill her? He must be, holding her against him, his big hands on her thighs, his voice so low and deep against her ear. Between her legs, inches from his fingertips, she throbbed with want, but was she ready to give up the goodies already? Or did she want to wind him up even more first?“I think so too,” she said at last, pulling free of his arms. Hopefully her reluctance wasn’t as obvious as it felt. She tapped him on the chest. “Back to your seat, mister. We’ve got lots to get to still.”Trusting him to obey, she sashayed back behind the screen, pulling off her gloves as she went. He groaned pitifully seeing her go, even as he collapsed indolently back on the couch. So much for his hopes of seduction - she’d hesitated to leave his arms, he was certain, but her willpower hadn’t crumbled and now he was relegated back to the couch, untouched and aching.“I thought you wanted to know what I’m wearing under this robe,” he huffed, wincing at the petulant tone he hadn’t managed to hide.Darcy’s laugh drifted out from behind the screen. “I do, honey, I promise. If you want, you could untie it, give me a peek.”He hummed noncommittally, rubbing the end of the belt between his fingers. He was tempted of course but he wasn’t going to cave that easily unless she made it a proper order. A moment later, she came out from behind the screen.“Ta-da!” She waved her hands jazz-style. “Whatcha think?”“...It’s…red.”Shoulders dropping at his lackluster response, she frowned. “Yeah? Red’s traditionally a pretty sexy color on Earth. Well. In North America? Whatever.”“It’s very nice,” Loki offered half-heartedly, trying to reign in his scowl. He liked the cut and style of this set, and the color, unfortunate though it was, flattered her skin tone nicely.“But?”“It’s red,” he said again, mouth working irritably before he explained: “That’s Thor’s color.”The look she gave him was supremely unimpressed. “And it’s also just a color, Loki. Trust me, I bought this way before I knew either of you so there’s nothing to read into here.”“I’m aware,” he mulishly muttered, stamping down his foolish feelings. The color had nothing to do with Thor, and it certainly wasn’t a dig against him, no matter how the cruel voice in his head insisted otherwise. “Here, let me adjust it, Darcy.”He did a decent job of smoothing his expression as he gestured her over but his shoulders were tense and there was still a tightness around his eyes… Freakin’ Asgardians, she thought with a roll of her eyes. (After they’d moved into the Tower, Jane had given up her few green-inclusive flannels, so it wasn’t just Loki being ridiculous.) She stepped between his legs again and watched him as he adjusted her panties.“I’m uncertain how loose you want these,” he admitted, his eyebrows drawn together. They sat high on her waist, rather than around her hips, and the leg bands were equally high-cut, but the back half was a sheer, flowy type of material rather than the solid, form-fitting fabric of the front.“It’s fine the way you’ve done it.” They fit comfortably again but she didn’t actually care right this second. She grabbed his chin, tilting his face up to hers so she could search his eyes. “...Does the red really bother you, honey? Be honest.”“It’s…fine. It’s just a color, as you said.” A color associated with Thor, his mind tacked on poisonously before he dismissed it and pasted on a self-deprecating smile. “I’m being ridiculous, don’t mind me.”Her fingers tightened on his chin, her plush mouth thinning into a displeased line. “Loki. We’ve talked about this. If you don’t talk to me, I can’t make it better.”He returned her gaze, jaw working, before he sighed and gave in. “The red bothers me. As foolish as it might seem.”“Hey, I’m not judging you,” she promised softly, combing her fingers through his hair. “Y’know, I’m not all that attached to this color. Why don’t you change it?”She would let him…? “What color would you prefer, my lady?”But Darcy shook her head. “I want you to pick.”Loki’s eyes widened and he looked down, thinking. The obvious choice was green of course. She would look stunning in his color, and anyone who saw her would know she was his. Except… Seeing her in such an undressed state was a privilege only he was afforded and if that was the case, it ought to be a color they both liked.Slowly, color bled from his fingertips into her panties and dripped up to her brassiere.He sat back, pleased with his choice. “Much better, don’t you agree?”Quirking an eyebrow, Darcy looked down at herself. She would’ve bet good money he’d dress her in green but she would’ve lost. Her lingerie was now a pretty shade of deep blue that nearly glowed against her skin. It almost suited her better than the red had. “It’s very nice. But why blue?”“To match your eyes,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Darcy swooned.“My eyes, huh?” She went to the mirror, making a show of looking between her bra and her own face instead of dealing with the complicated feelings his comment had inspired. They did match eerily well. Frick. “I didn’t know you were a romantic.”Loki chuckled warmly, appearing in the reflection as he came up behind her, circling his arms around her waist and bending to press his lips to her cheek. “I am many things, Darcy. But I wouldn’t say ‘romantic’... I was thinking of how your eyes look when you ride me after all.”Her cheeks pinked and she forgot all about those pesky feelings in her chest. “Are you hoping for a repeat performance, sweetheart?”“Well I wouldn’t say no,” he rumbled against her ear. “But I’m open to wherever the night takes us.”She turned to face him impishly, walking her fingers along the collar of his robe. “I think our first stop better be undressing you, mister. I wanna see what you’ve got on under this sexy little robe of yours.”It would be easy to give in, perhaps make a show of it for her, or he could resist and make her turn it into an order. What to choose, what to choose… He shrugged carelessly, a smile hiding in the corner of his mouth. “Go ahead.”Her eyebrows lifted and he could imagine her looking over the frame of her glasses at him. His smile became more pronounced.“Sorry, you’re gonna have to be a little more clear here. Do you want me to undress you, sweetheart?”“I’m surprised you haven’t already, to be honest, with how eager you always are to touch me. Yet you always tell me to undress myself…” he mused. (Truthfully, he had no problem with that order. It set the tone nicely for the evening and Darcy was always so openly appreciative while he disrobed. But if suggesting otherwise achieved his goal…)“...Huh.” Trust him to go about this in true bratty fashion, but she was more than up for it. Reaching out, she plucked up the ends of his belt, tugging lightly on them. “Is that how you want this to go? Me undressing you…having my way with you…doing whatever I want?”She whispered the last against his lips, pressed up against him, and Loki’s heart raced. Norns, she made that sound so good and he wondered what she might have in mind. He was eager to find out. “Yes.”It was just one word but combined with his heady gaze, his eyes dark and locked on hers, it went straight to her head, like the one and only time she’d tried Asgardian ale, leaving her feeling drunk and giddy. Biting her lip, she dropped down from tip-toe and pulled on the ends of his belt, the silk whispering as the bow came undone. With careful fingers, Darcy undid the loose tie and pushed his robe open, finally drinking in what he wore underneath. He let her stare for a moment before he couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Well?”“God, you’re gorgeous,” she finally said, still looking her fill. Framed by the edges of his robe, his pale skin stood out starkly. His chest was bare but when she dragged her eyes lower, she found the sexiest pair of briefs she’d ever imagined. Snug and form-fitting, the emerald lace swirled and coiled around his hips and thick cock, cradling his balls. He was fully erect, precum darkening the lace at his head, but the briefs still covered him entirely. Below them, his black stockings came up high on his thighs, each leg band threaded through with a green ribbon that was tied in a neat bow at the sides. She wanted to untie them with her teeth.Restraining herself (barely), she yanked the robe’s belt free. “Give me your hands, pretty boy.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Give me your hands, pretty boy.”
Oh. Adrenaline shot through his veins, doubling his heart beat, and he quickly held his hands out to her.Her eyes flicked up to his even as she loosely tied the belt around his wrists. “What’s your color, Loki?”“Green,” he breathed and she nodded, her mouth curling up in satisfaction.She wound the belt around his wrists and over each palm, the cool texture erotic against his skin. He closed his fists around the straps, able to rub his fingertips against them if he liked, and he shuddered, something calm settling inside him.“What will you do to me, my lady?” he asked quietly, aware even as he did that it didn’t matter what she said. He would happily submit.“First: is this comfortable? Not too tight?” She worked a finger under the belt to check for herself.“It’s fine,” he assured, honest and impatient, and she huffed a laugh, kissing his chest where she could easily reach.“Good. What I’m going to do is ask you to get comfy on that couch, Loki. And lay back, that’s a good boy.”He did as she bid, letting the raised arm of the divan support him and stretching his legs out across the cushion. “That didn’t answer my question.”“Mm, no, it didn’t, did it?” She gestured for his hands and he held them out to her without hesitation. Mindful of his back and shoulders, she slowly raised them above his head, placing his hands against the soft velvet. “Adjust if you need to, honey.”Meeting her eyes, he bent his elbows and brought his hands closer to his head, feeling the muscles along his spine relax a little. The silk tightened deliciously around his wrists.“Good boy.” She bent over to kiss him, slow and lingering, curling her tongue around his until he moaned. “Let me know if it starts to hurt or anything, okay?”“I will. But Darcy -”“‘What am I going to do to you’ - I know. I’m going to take the edge off, honey. I wouldn’t want you to feel neglected,” she murmured, kissing and caressing her way down his lean body. She flicked her tongue against one of his nipples, eliciting a tiny gasp and arch. “How does that sound?”“Generous of you.” His voice warbled between octaves as Darcy slunk lower on his body, her hair pooling and brushing against his skin as she moved. He liked the sensation, ticklish though it was, just as he liked the way her ruffles grazed irregularly against him. Combined with her wicked mouth and soft hands, and his silk bindings, he felt pleasantly overwhelmed.She finally reached his waistband, a vibrant shade of green against his white skin and black hair, and kissed tauntingly along its edge. The hips under her hands bucked up, Loki grunting needily above her, but she wasn’t deterred. The lace was soft under her thumbs as she rubbed them over his hip bones, much better than the usual synthetic stuff, and she bet it felt great against his cock. She kissed his damp head through the fabric and Loki moaned shakily.“Darcy, please…”“‘Please’ what, sweetheart?” She mouthed down along his shaft and nuzzled against his balls. On either side of her, his thighs flexed, one foot falling to the floor to open up more to her. Norns, she was such a tease but he loved it. Her thumbs snuck under the edge of his briefs, taunting bare skin, as she worked her way back up his length, licking up the underside.“Please…” What did he want? He pressed his head back into the cushion, pulling aimlessly at his bindings. He didn’t want her to stop but he couldn’t just ask her to suck him, could he? “Don’t tease, my lady. Take…Take me in your mouth. Please.”“Like this?” she asked, closing her mouth around his head through his briefs and sucking gently.“Oh fuck!” he gasped, shutting his eyes. Her mouth was so hot and damp, and her sucking scraped the lace against his sensitive skin. “That feels…so good, Darcy. More. Norns! Give me more, please.”Darcy glanced up at him; his eyes were shut and he panted open-mouthed, looking absolutely beautiful to her. Under her hands, his hips slowly flexed, rocking the tip of his cock in her mouth. Grinning, she sucked harder, tasting his precum through the fabric, and he swore gutturally.Unfortunately, the lace limited how much of him she could suck on, even though he was obviously loving the texture. She let him go, ignoring his whine of confusion to peel his briefs down, his dick swaying free. Grasping him gently, she drew him back to her mouth and started a steady bob, taking him deeper every time.He was being uncommonly vocal, panting and moaning wantonly, but he couldn’t help himself - she’d picked him apart, turning him into nothing but a pulsing ball of need and pleasure. It felt divine, the way her lips and tongue worked in tandem, one hand stroking whatever she couldn’t fit in that sinful mouth of hers while the other played with his balls through the lace. He heard her inhale deeply and then she swallowed him whole until he could swear her throat contracted around him. With a shout, he jack-knifed up and curled around her, his bound hands finding purchase in her hair - though even half-blind with pleasure he knew better than to exert any pressure. She pulled back with pursed lips and he let her, no matter how very desperate he was, teetering on the edge of climax.“S-sorry,” he panted, hastily pulling his hands from her hair. “You took me by surprise.”Darcy merely tilted her head, licking saliva (his taste, his mind offered up) from her lips. “You don’t need to apologize. You were a good boy and didn’t try to hold me down, Loki. As long as you don’t try to control what I do, you can put your hands on my head.”“Truly?”“Yup. Now, do you wanna come or do you wanna wait?”“I…” He knew his answer - how could he not when she was right there between his legs, her smile so close to his shining prick? But her question gave him pause and his brows furrowed. “Are you limiting how many times I come tonight?”“Oooh, I can! I wasn’t planning on it but if you want…?”“Perhaps another time,” he offered, shoulders slumping in relief. He brushed his knuckles lightly against her cheek, a gesture made difficult due to his bondage but he managed. “May I come in your mouth, my lady?”“Sure. But! You still have to tell me when you’re close, got it?”His mouth crooked up. “Of course, Darcy.”That decided, she leaned back in with a slight smirk playing around her lips, maintaining eye contact until she had him fully in her mouth once more. His thighs tensed on either side of her as he scooched closer to the edge of the couch and spread them wider, giving her more room to work. She took advantage, massaging her thumbs in the crease of his thighs, swiping them down to trace his balls. Above her, he whimpered a little, hips twitching forward before he stilled himself.So, so hesitantly, he put his hands on her head, stroking her hair as she worked him over. It was sweet and she rewarded him by dragging her tongue firmly up along his shaft.“Fuck! Darcy! Norns, Darcy, I’m - I’m nearly -”His warning went unheeded as she hummed around his cock and swallowed him down, undoing him entirely. Everything tensed, his world narrowing down to the hot, wet slide of her lips and tongue, and then he was nothing but bliss.To Loki’s credit, when he came, his hands still stayed light in her hair and she could pull back to a more comfortable depth, making her lips tight as she sucked on him. When it got to be too much, he tugged a little at her hair, grunting roughly. She peered up at him, pulling back until her wine-colored lips just barely closed around his head, and then she grinned, flicking her tongue over his slit and catching the last drop of his cum. He swore in Asgardian and hauled her up off her knees and into his lap so he could kiss her thoroughly. She made a noise of surprise at the quick change in position but didn’t pull away, instead wrapping her arms around his shoulders to hold him close.Eventually, she had to break it off so she could breathe and Loki kissed the corner of her mouth and her cheek as she gulped down air. He was breathing a little heavily himself and she patted herself on the back for a job well done.“Here… Let me untie you.” She plucked and pulled at the silk, inspecting his wrists once they were bare. There were no marks of course but she still felt better for checking, and she kissed both of his pulse points. “How was that?”“Sublime, my -” Cutting himself off, he turned his face and yawned.“Aww, does my good boy need a nap?” she teased, laughing, and he glared at her.“No, you minx.”Kissing her again, he took the opportunity to caress her cheek. He would like very much to lean back on the divan with her and…doze (not nap). Perhaps conjure a blanket over them and whisper sweet nothings to her. However, that fantasy felt more appropriate for the end of the night and he was not ready to jump to that point already. They still had hours ahead of them if they wished.“I believe you still have several outfits in need of adjusting, my lady. I couldn’t possibly sleep through that. It would be unconscionably rude of me.”Darcy rolled her eyes at his veneer of politeness; he just wanted to see her half-naked and all dressed up for him. ‘Course, if their positions were reversed, she’d go back to chugging energy drinks to see the show he’d put on.“Alright, honey.” Extracting herself from his lap, she slipped back behind the screen. “But we really don’t have to do them all tonight. There’s always next time.”On the couch, Loki tucked his prick back into his briefs, ignoring the warmth filling his chest at the promise of ‘next time’. “Well yes, but my stamina isn’t so poor that I need to rest after one orgasm, Darcy.”Behind the screen, she ditched the plunging bra, hanging it on the convenient hooks inset in the wood. “I don’t know… It seemed like a pretty great orgasm from my end.”“It was from my end too.”His voice was much closer than she expected and she jumped, a tiny cut off shriek escaping her throat as she threw the stockings she’d just picked up at him. “Brat! Can I help you?”He caught the ball of fabric easily of course, the jerk. “Actually, I thought perhaps I could help you, if you’d like.”It was an excuse to stay close to her, he could admit that to himself, but doing so didn’t lessen his self-consciousness. Seeing her walk away, seemingly so unaffected after the way she’d made him feel… Well, he wouldn’t have objected if she’d lingered in his lap a little longer. So he’d followed after her like a lost creature and now he rolled what appeared to be a pair of stockings between his hands, hoping she wouldn’t send him away.“...Thank you, Loki. You’re so thoughtful,” she praised, smiling at him and his pinked ears. He was too cute sometimes. “Why don’t you unroll those and you can help me put them on, okay?”“Very well." He ducked his head to hide his pleased grin. While he separated the stockings, she removed her bottoms, trading them for another pair - these ones rather skimpy and a dark plum color, and he endeavored not to stare too openly. Darcy wasn’t putting on a show for him, choreographing her movements to be sensual and titillating; she was simply getting dressed the same way she would if she were alone and the…intimacy of it - and how that made him feel - took him by surprise.“Can you help me with this first, actually? It’s got a billion hooks and I always end up missing one. Plus, y’know, it doesn’t fit,” she tacked on irritably, frowning at the plum basque.“Of course.” Handing her the stockings, he helped her thread her arms through the corset-like garment and inspected the fastenings. There were indeed many hooks and he wondered how one removed it in the heat of the moment without tearing it to shreds. “It’s a wonder the fabricators didn’t use laces. Or a zipper,” he tacked on, recalling Midgard’s penchant for those. “Surely that would’ve been easier for everyone involved.”“Yeah, you’d think.”He smoothed his hands down the sheer panels over her ribs, expanding the fabric so it met neatly over her spine, and began nimbly fastening the hooks. He made it to the middle of her back before he paused, an idea belatedly occurring to him. “...Would you like me to replace these with a zipper?”She craned to look over her shoulder at him and his progress. “God, can you? It’s just ridiculous right now.”“Done.” He dipped to kiss her pretty mouth, pulling the freshly conjured zipper tab up along her spine. “Is it comfortable?”“Mmhm.” She shifted around a bit to make sure, but he did excellent work and nothing poked her or felt too tight anywhere. “It’s perfect, honey, thank you. Y’know, if you ever wanted to switch it up, you’d make bank as a tailor.”He made a face that left her giggling. “I’m afraid my prices would be far too exorbitant to turn a profit. It’d be a terrible business proposition.”Turning around, she pretended to pout, looking up at him from under her lashes. “Exorbitant, huh? I don’t think I can afford that. Can we work out a bargain for tonight?”“Don’t be absurd. I am at your service, my lady,” he said, sketching a shallow bow since they were in close quarters. “A kiss wouldn’t go amiss though.”She obliged happily of course, proud of him for how he kept asking for what he wanted tonight. She crossed her fingers and hoped it wasn’t a fluke or a one time thing. The things he wanted in their sessions were so easy to give, she wanted him to ask for them thoughtlessly.When they drew apart, he took the stockings back from her hand and sank to his knees, his mouth quirking up at her slight inhale. He quickly gathered one stocking up and then grasped the back of her delicate ankle, lifting her foot into the air. One of her hands found purchase on his shoulder for balance and he carefully worked the stocking over her toes and arch, her instep and heel. Setting her foot down on his thigh, Loki rolled the sheer plum fabric up her calf, stopping to press a kiss to the inside of her knee before his fingers pushed the fabric higher, until he could feel the heat of her quim against his knuckles. Fastidiously, he clipped her garter ribbons to the top of the stocking and Darcy released a shaky breath.Wordlessly, he moved her foot back to the floor and she offered him her other one. Again, he worked the bunched up fabric over her foot, pinching and pulling until it lay smooth. He unrolled it over her ankle and up her calf, spreading his fingers wide to drag over her covered skin, making her grip tighten ever-so-slightly on his shoulder. Smiling to himself, he paid her other knee the same attention as the first, taking the opportunity to savor the scent of her skin - a sweet mix of vanilla and citrus. He smoothed the stocking’s cuff around her upper thigh, clipping the ribbons to it and leaning back, drinking her all in.The stockings led beautifully up to her thong and the matching basque in panels of solid and sheer fabric, emphasizing all her alluring curves. Topping it all off were Darcy’s pink cheeks and hooded eyes looking back at him hungrily.“Utterly beautiful,” he murmured honestly, and her cheeks darkened prettily. “Don’t you agree?”With the way he was looking up at her, she felt like a million bucks and she cupped his cheek, bending down to kiss him. “Thank you, sweetheart. You’ve been such a big help to me.”“It’s hardly an imposition,” he replied, which still wasn’t ‘you’re welcome’ but she guessed it was an improvement. It definitely was after he added: “I’m happy to do it.”His hand was still absently caressing the back of her calf as he looked up at her, sitting pretty on his knees, his dick tenting his briefs. That was tempting in and of itself but what really got her was the crooked curve of his mouth and the soft look in his eyes. It made her heart flutter in her chest and her stomach swoop and she forced herself to walk to the mirror and pretend to inspect the fit of the basque. As she needlessly plucked at the arm straps and twisted to look at the new zipper, she wondered: “Hey, what’s Asgardian lingerie like?”Loki paused in his perusal of her bag - he’d spotted something green and hadn’t been able to help himself - to catch her making faces at her own reflection. He found it oddly endearing. “Non-existent,” he answered, returning to her bag. He snagged the green satin and held it up - it looked as though it would go under her bosom and he imagined Darcy would look good enough to eat in it. It was the wrong shade of green but he’d forgive it since it would leave her breasts nicely accessible.She saw him pawing through her bag in the mirror; brat. “What do you mean ‘non-existent’? You’re wearing lingerie right now!”“Well yes, but it’s not of Aesir design. I took the idea from Alfheim.” He’d had several lovers there during diplomatic summits; the Light Elves might find dark coloring like his repugnant on the surface, but behind closed doors several of them had found him quite exotic. It was there that he’d discovered his interest in lingerie. “Aesir don’t wear underclothing, other than chest-bindings for women as a practicality. And even then, most women simply use seidr to keep everything in place.”Was that why he’d clammed up about wearing lingerie over ice cream? Not because it was viewed as feminine but that his culture didn’t have it at all? She couldn’t decide if that was better or not and she dismissed the question to her increasingly-long list of things she wanted to (but would never) ask him.Instead, she went back behind the screen to change into a new outfit. “There goes my plan to ask you to dress me up Asgardian-style.”“Aesir-style,” he corrected automatically, watching her contort to reach the zipper in the middle of her back. He stood up to help her. “You would let me dress you?”Loki swept her hair out of the way and pulled the zipper down smoothly, making her shiver. “Yeah. You could even make it green if you want,” she offered teasingly, but she did mean it. “You’ve got great style, Loki, and I figured it could be a treat for being such a good boy tonight.”Had he been good? The question formed on his tongue before he choked it down. Was the answer not self-evident if she was offering him a treat? He gave his head an impatient shake; if Darcy said he was good then that was the end of the matter. He had no cause to doubt her. Kneeling, he unhooked the garter clasps and began to roll down her stocking, thinking. “I still could. Dress you, I mean. It would be of my own creation, mind you, but I’d take your preferences into consideration of course.”“You’re such a sweetheart,” she couldn’t help saying, watching him take off her stockings without being asked. “And so talented. I’d love it if you made something for me. I know it’ll look amazing.”He flushed at her preemptive praise. He rather thought she’d find a way to make rags look appealing but he’d do much better than that. He thought of what he’d seen of her collection thus far, and what he’d liked best from it. She seemed to favor cool jewel tones (the pink frills and that horrid red aside) and fabrics that revealed as much as they covered. He rolled down her other stocking; despite the lovely pieces she’d modeled tonight, he had a soft spot for that navy negligee of their first few sessions. Perhaps something in the same vein? He felt her thumb rub gently between his eyebrows and he looked a question at her, even as he relaxed into the touch.“You look like you’re thinking pretty hard, honey.”It was cute, that look of concentration he had, but she hoped he wasn’t stressing about this. She almost wanted to take it back, tell him they could do this some other time, but he didn’t seem distressed exactly, more like…intensely thoughtful.Her concern was touching but he shook his head, his expression lightening. He had an idea that he hoped she’d like. But first… “May I remove these too?”His hands curled warmly around her hips, referring to her thong, and she nodded, biting her lip. She steadied herself on his shoulders and he slid the straps down over her legs until she could step out of them. Arousal and nerves prickled along her skin - she was naked in front of him, her pussy level with his mouth… All he had to do was lean in and he could eat her out. But she’d given him a task and he apparently wasn’t one for a detour. Standing, he took her hand and led her to the mirror, centering her in the frame. Leaning down, he whispered: “Close your eyes, Darcy.”She took one last look at them in the mirror, at herself, naked and flushed, and Loki just behind her, in his emerald briefs, open robe, and black stockings, a mischievous tilt to his mouth, and she closed her eyes. She felt the heat of him against her back, the air comparatively cooler against her front. His hands traced the shape of her, spreading goosebumps across her skin, and the barely-there sensation of his seidr followed, swirling and teasing, creating something new.Something airy and light settled over her shoulders, draping over her breasts and stomach and fluttering against her thighs. It cinched together under her bust with something heavy, a clasp she thought, though she couldn’t be sure without opening her eyes. A similar fabric materialized as underwear (which was a little weird feeling) and she felt soft strings tie themselves on either side of her hips. Nothing else changed that she could feel but Loki’s seidr shifted over her skin for another minute before she heard him exhale.“You can look now,” he murmured, stepping back.Darcy opened her eyes and gasped. He’d dressed her in an impossibly soft gossamer negligee, sheer and flowy, just like her babydolls. The fabric was intricately pleated over her shoulders in a way that seemed familiar and then spread smoothly over her breasts. At her waist, the material drew together with a clasp that she really hoped wasn’t real gold (though she thought, with a small amount of panic, that it probably was). It was heavy and cool in her hand as she twisted it up to inspect it: he’d made it in the shape of two fluted lilies facing outward while the stems twisted together to form the clasp. Below that, the material split, kissing the middle of her thighs in front and back, and underneath was a matching bikini bottom, sheer and high cut, tied coquettishly at her hips.And of course, it was emerald green, matching his eyes and briefs.“It’s beautiful, Loki,” she gushed, spinning around to face him.There was a hint of pride lurking in the corners of his mouth. “An easy accomplishment with you as the model, my lady.” She felt her face heat up. “Flatterer.”Loki shook his head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and letting his fingers curl under her jaw. “I’m merely being honest. Do you like it? Is there anything you want changed?”“Nope, I love it.” He matched her wide grin, pleased, and ducked down to kiss her. She loved it, loved what he’d made her, loved that it was his signature color (or at least didn’t care that he’d dressed her in it). Perhaps she didn’t recognize the pleating at her shoulders as a match for the pleating on his armor and he doubted very much she knew his favorite flowers were lilies, but he wondered if she’d even object if she did or if she’d simply shrug and accept it. After all, he would be the only one to see her in this lingerie, so what if he’d designed it like a claim?So what if his heart beat a tattoo of mine, mine, mine? Darcy pushed at the robe on his shoulders and he took the hint, pulling at the cuffs until it pooled to the floor. As soon as it fell free of his hands, he had them wrapped around her again, gripping under her ass and lifting her up against him. Having her face even with his made kissing her senseless much easier and she seemed quite content to wrap her limbs around him.“Loki…I need -” Friction, his touch, his dick, something, because she was wet and desperate and as great as making out with him was, it wasn’t going to release all her tightly wound tension. “I need -”“What do you need, my lady?” he asked, short of breath and dark-eyed. “Tell me and I’ll do it.”God, he said the hottest things.“I want to sit on your face, take that silver tongue for a ride. Is that okay, sweetheart?”“Yes,” he hissed, capturing her mouth again and licking into it eagerly, his prick jumping. As he carried her to the bed, he nimbly plucked at the strings of her bottoms, undoing the ties so he could pull them from her body and leave her cunt deliciously bare against him. Slowly, he lowered her to her feet, savoring the slide of her body against his. With one last kiss, he laid himself out on the bed and patted his chest in invitation.Clambering up after him, Darcy was aware of just how wet she was, slick coating the inside of her thighs as she shuffled toward him on her knees. He’d agreed to this so eagerly and he licked his lips as he watched her approach. She couldn’t wait to have that tongue between her legs but safety first!“Your pretty mouth is gonna be occupied and I won’t be able to see your face, Loki, so if your color changes from green, I need you to pinch me. Do you understand?”He strongly doubted he’d need to, but: “Yes, Darcy.”“Good boy. Now, if you need me to sit up or to take a breather -”“Oh for Norns’ sake!” Her worry was grossly misplaced and he couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “If that should happen, I’ll simply lift you, but I think it much more likely I’ll want you to sit down. Now, would you please queen me already?”Darcy ‘tsk’ed, shaking her head. “I definitely need to put that bratty mouth of yours to better use, don’t I?”She straddled his face before he could back-talk some more, facing the foot of the bed and tucking her knees against his broad shoulders to lower her pussy over his mouth. Before she’d even gone low enough, Loki lifted his head and licked over her, shooting a shudder up her spine.“Such an eager boy,” she murmured, following the pull of his hands on her hips until she was fully seated. “I like that. But let’s see if you have any skill to back it up.”A challenge? He grinned wolfishly. He’d had centuries of practice at this - she didn’t know what she was in for. He started slow, kissing her folds just as he had her mouth: with his full attention and open-mouthed, the better to touch all of her at once. She was delectable and practically dripping as he sucked on her folds, humming around her taste. The vibration startled her into pressing down, moaning, before she lifted up again. Oh no you don’t. Scowling, he wound his arms around her hips, tugging her firmly against him and flicking his tongue against her clit. A soft little ‘oh’ fell out of her mouth, one hand dropping to his chest to support herself. Loki seemed determined to take her full weight, even seemed to want it, and she had to trust he knew better than to suffocate himself in pussy. His tongue swiped through her folds, pointed and firm, dipping against her entrance, and her hips bucked. He hummed approvingly, doing it again, and she took the hint. He wanted her to move against him but not to lift up. Got it.Carefully at first, she rocked against his mouth, her eyes fluttering shut as his tongue and lips moved in tandem against her most sensitive parts. Pleasure rocketed up her spine with every flick and swirl and lick and soon she was shamelessly grinding down, moaning with abandon. “Oh fuck, honey,” she gasped when his lips closed around her clit and he hummed. “Unh, that feels so good, Loki.”Under her, he grinned and dragged his tongue broadly over her cunt before plunging it inside, loving the way she squealed. Norns, he loved this, fucking his tongue into her, the taste of her thick in his mouth, her slick smeared over his face. He was surrounded by her, her legs hot on either side of his face, her hands pressed hard to his chest as she worked herself over him. It was bliss.Darcy whined desperately above him, falling forward onto her arms, hands on either side of his torso. Oh God, he was so good at this, providing all the stimulation she could want and never leaving her clit alone for too long. His arms were still wrapped firmly around her hips and as soon as she changed angles, he hauled her in closer, grunting hungrily around her pussy. One of his big hands moved down to squeeze her ass while the other stroked her spine, helping ground her.“Be -” She licked her lips, dry from panting. “Be a good boy and make me come, Loki. I’m so - so close.”Her toes were already starting to curl from his expert skill, her thighs tense as he sucked her folds with relish, his teeth barely grazing against the sensitive skin. Loki’s thin lips circled her clit tightly and then he sucked.She came hard, stars bursting behind her eyes as she writhed in his arms, but he kept her firmly in place, sucking steadily on her clit and fuck, it felt amazing. She bucked and ground against him, dragging her orgasm out as long as she could stand, before Loki pressed a wet kiss to her mound and released her. She laughed a little hysterically, sweeping her hair out of her face. That had been… Her pussy throbbed and she felt so greedy but she wanted it again. Like, immediately. But she had to let the man up for air at least. Holy shit, her legs were literally shaking as she tried to get them to bear her weight again and she giggled, high on endorphins.Loki smirked at hearing her. Quite obviously he’d pleased her well and he licked his lips. Above him, her sweet cunt was swollen and pink, all shiny with slick and as pretty as a painting. His cock twitched, painfully hard, and he couldn’t decide which he wanted more: to bury his prick inside her tight heat or bury his face between her thighs and lick her to climax again.“That was so good, honey,” she praised readily, dropping a kiss to his abs. “You’re such a good, talented boy. Do you want a break? Or can you eat me out again?”He swore and lifted his head to swipe his tongue over her quim; Darcy moaned and pressed into it, and he grinned. “I could feast on you all night if you’d let me. Perhaps you could be so kind as to return the favor?”His cock was straining against his briefs, the lace damp with precum, and her mouth watered. “You’ve definitely earned it, sweetheart. But: you can’t come until I do, got it?”“Got it.”He yanked her back against his mouth immediately, his tongue diving between her folds, and Darcy hummed. Fuck, it felt good, but her blowjob was going to be subpar at best with how distracted she was. Still, she’d give it the old college try.She shoved his briefs down and his dick sprung free, red and desperate, glistening with precum. Quickly, she rubbed her hand over him, spreading that slickness around, before drawing him into her mouth and starting a hungry bob. She wrapped her hand around his base, jerking the few inches she couldn’t comfortably swallow. With a groan, Loki thanked her by massaging his lips around her clit.Norns, her mouth felt divine, hot and wet and quick, moving up and down his length like she couldn’t wait for him to spill. Her hand, too, was the perfect tightness around him, twisting around and jerking him expertly. Her other hand was draped intimately over his inner thigh, her soft fingers pressing in like brands above his stocking cuff, doing things to him. If his eyes hadn’t already been closed, he’d close them now, the better to lose himself in sensation. Darcy surrounded him entirely like this, her taste on his tongue and his cock in her mouth, and he loved it.He circled her entrance, flicking his tongue against it like a tease, and she pulled off his dick, panting out a chorus of ‘oh’s. She was going to come again and based on the way pleasure was coiling in her pussy, it was going to be a good one. He twitched in her hand, grunting against her wet skin, and she took the hint, working her hand up and down even as she rocked hard against his perfect mouth.“Loki…Loki, fuck! I’m so close,” she mewed, squeezing her eyes shut, her focus narrowing down to everywhere his tongue touched, her hand slowing to a halt.He was close himself until her hand stopped, but rather than stop his own ministrations in retaliation, he simply planted his feet in the mattress and started fucking her hand. It wasn’t as good as Darcy’s attention but it would get the job done and his own orgasm inched closer, his balls drawing up. He could picture the circle of her small hand around his prick, bliss painted across her face as he licked between her shaking legs, her wine-dark lips parted as she chanted his name…“C’mon, Loki. Just - unh - a little more, pleasepleaseplease!”He sucked her clit again and pleasure exploded from her core, waves and waves of it washing over her and whiting out her senses as she curled in on herself. The suction didn’t let up, just kept going, wringing every nerve ending out until it couldn’t offer anything more, and that’s when she rolled off him, legs turned to jello and laughter bubbling out of her.Wiping his forearm over his mouth, he sat up to quirk an eyebrow at the punch-drunk woman spread haphazardly on his bed. “Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”She smiled cat-like up at him. “You are very, very good at that, mister. Like, damn.” Her pussy was still fluttering and pulsing and she wasn’t sure she could even stand right now. Luckily, she didn’t have to and she yawned widely, stretching all her limbs out before relaxing again. She wasn’t sure she could stay awake through their bath but she had to rouse herself. Loki definitely deserved to be taken care of and -Her eyes snapped open and she scrambled up to sitting, appalled at herself. “Ohmygod, Loki, your - I’m so sorry, I totally forgot!”She darted a glance down at his lap - his dick had flagged a bit but she didn’t think it would take much to get him fully hard again.“I suppose I should take that as a compliment.” He did, in all honesty, but he looked ruefully down at his prick. Arousal still coursed through him but he suspected Darcy may be done with their play for the night. He supposed he could take care of it himself but he wanted -"You absolutely should take it as a compliment,” she insisted, letting her voice go husky, trailing her fingers over his ankle. “You were such a good boy, so talented and dedicated, I practically forgot my own name! You should come too, honey. Do you wanna touch yourself for me while I watch? I can talk you through it or tell you how good you are; would you like that?”He swallowed; how had she known? Nodding hastily, he said: “I would, my lady.”“‘Kay.” Darcy managed to coordinate her limbs enough to roll onto her side and prop her head up on her hand so she could see. Her praise had him fully hard again and she smiled at him. “Touch yourself the way you like best, Loki.”Taking a breath, he braced himself upright on one hand and wrapped the other around his prick, setting a quick rhythm. All the while, his skin prickled under the weight of her gaze, winding his arousal higher.“You’re such a good boy, Loki,” she told him lowly, her voice like a caress, and he bit his lip against a moan. “You helped me so much with my lingerie, and you made me something new too, which I love. You’re so talented and creative, honey. You should be proud of your skills. Especially your oral game! God, the way you ate me out… You’re definitely one of the best I’ve had.”A red blush colored his cheeks and ears but he still grinned over his panting breaths, self-satisfied. “Am I the best?”“You want me to decide that after only two examples? No way, mister, I’ll need to collect more data first. I’m a scientist, ya know.”He laughed richly at that, tongue peeking out behind his teeth. “Well then…I look forward to providing more data.”“Me too.” Even though she was totally wiped, watching him jerk off, talking to him like this, it was making her a little horny. But…she sighed contentedly; it was enough to help him get off. “You’re so beautiful to watch. All sexy in your stockings and briefs. Any time you wanna wear lingerie, feel free. I love seeing you all dressed up, pretty boy.”Twisting his wrist tightly, he grunted, glancing sidelong at her. “Do you - ah - really?”“Yup. Or don’t you remember me jumping you as soon as I saw it?”Right. There was that, and the remembrance of the silk taut around his wrists while Darcy sucked him through the lace, combined with his hand harshly working his length was enough to send him over. He grunted brokenly as cum spilled over his fist.“Such a pretty boy,” she repeated softly, admiring him. A lock of hair had escaped and curled over his furrowed brow and his chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat glistened on his flushed skin and cum had splattered a little over his abs. His head peeked out over his streaked fingers and she was tempted to lick him clean. If she did though, she wasn’t sure she could finish what she started so she tucked the image of him, with his emerald briefs shoved down around his thighs, meeting his long, stocking-clad legs, into her spank bank.After a moment, when the glow of climax had faded to leave him sticky and sweaty, Loki swept his seidr over them both, cleansing their skin and exchanging their lingerie for sleep clothes.Darcy sat up. “Oh, are we done?”He froze, looking at her with wide eyes. Weren’t they? He could see she was tired and he’d thought… “Are we not?”“We can be, sure,” she said, shrugging easily as she flopped beside him on the pillows. “I just didn’t know if you wanted anything more, is all. Do you want anything else?”She didn’t seem to be in want of anything herself and he relaxed, summoning cider for them and passing her a cup. “No, there’s nothing else, my lady. I’m quite content.”“Good.” She kissed the edge of his jaw (as far up as she could reach without moving), and cuddled into his side. Obligingly, he lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulders, drawing her closer. “What about a bath?”He sipped from his cup, tilting his head thoughtfully before glancing down at her with an arched brow. “That depends. Would you fall asleep in it?”She fought a traitorous yawn, poking him gently in the side “Hey! I’m not that freakin’ tired, brat. You’re good but not that good.”“I disagree,” he sniffed haughtily, biting down a grin. “But in that case, a bath would be nice.”Passing him her empty cup, she moved to get up but Loki caught her around the waist, pressing his lips to her temple. She heard the faucet turn on in the bathroom and grinned. “That’s convenient.”“Mmhm.” He slouched down to bring their mouths together, sliding his hand along her cheek to cradle her head. She sighed happily, following his lead for once, and he made certain to keep it mostly chaste. There was something about being with her that made his desire for touch - of any kind - hard to keep control of. Her hand brushed under his tunic to settle warmly on his ribs and the temptation to vanish their clothes and move over her surged. He pushed it away though, gentling their kiss and withdrawing to kiss her cheeks and nose, hearing her giggle again.“I enjoyed tonight very much,” he said at last, dragging his thumb along her jaw. “Especially your fashion show, my lady. You have excellent taste.”Darcy rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Oh, well thank you, Your Highness. I’m glad you agree. You do too. I meant it earlier: anytime you want to wear lingerie with me, you can. You won’t catch me complaining!”“Hm. Perhaps I can be convinced,” he demurred before sitting up. “Come. The bath is ready.”Loki took her hand in his and led her to the steamy bathroom. Looking at their joined hands, she wiggled her fingers against his, just enjoying the feeling of holding hands, but he adjusted his grip, threading his fingers between hers, and that was… She squeezed his hand and he returned the gesture almost automatically. He’s too cute.In a swirl of seidr, they were both naked again and Loki guided her into the tub before settling behind her. As soon as she was tucked against him, he sighed heavily, like a weight had lifted off his shoulders and she wondered what it was.“Everything okay, honey? Your back’s not hurting you, is it?” She didn’t think they’d done too much to strain it but it wasn’t like he was super forthcoming about his pain.But he shook his head, dropping a kiss to her crown. “My back is fine, Darcy. Worry not, I’m quite well.”“If you say so,” she grumbled. She wasn’t sure she believed him but she didn’t want to push, not when the hot water was lapping away at what energy she had left after two intense orgasms. “...Can I ask what’s up with Asgard’s obsession with colors? Or is that like, taboo? ‘Cause you don’t have to tell me.”The question surprised a laugh out of him and he shook his head, bemused. “Why would it be ‘taboo’?”Uh because your entire life seems to be? “I dunno. I know you’re…touchy about all Thor-related things, so.” She shrugged a little. It was the truth too. “Ah, I see. Well, you’re not wrong,” he admitted, a touch mulishly before he put it aside. He wouldn’t let thoughts of his idiotic brother ruin his night with Darcy. “Asgard’s ‘obsession’, as you call it, is simply a facet of our long lifespans. After half a dozen centuries or so, the things one favors come to be associated with you as much as one’s name or face. Colors are one of the more obvious associations but there’s personality traits, weapons, great deeds… They all become intimately tied to us.”Part of her (and it was a big part) wanted to freak out about the ‘half a dozen centuries’ part of his answer because holy shit balls. She was sleeping with someone who was born before the freakin’ Magna Carta was signed! But she’d known that going in and he never treated her like anything less than a fully mature adult so clearly it was a non-issue, for him at least.“That makes sense I guess. So obviously you’ve got the market cornered on emerald green, and…mischievousness?” He hummed a note of approval and she took another guess: “Daggers?” Another hum. “What else?”He pulled her hair over her shoulder so he could lean down and kiss the side of her neck. “Oh, many things, but those are the most obvious ones.”He thought about sucking a mark into her lovely skin but checked the impulse, settling for kissing behind the hinge of her jaw. The inhale and moan she made were quite satisfying.“Loki.”But her tone was not a breathy invitation and he relented, tangling their fingers together over her stomach. “Yes, my lady?”Her mouth pursed. She liked this, being held by Loki, teased by him, while they both relaxed after a good session. She liked having him as a sub, but she hated how every question she thought to ask had her worried he’d shut down and turn cold. But maybe she was misreading it all, overthinking like it was going out of style. “I just want to get to know you,” she answered at last, more quietly than she’d planned, and she winced at hearing it out loud. Was it her or did she sound like a needy girlfriend? Ugh.Her words were like a blow to the chest for Loki and he stiffened, thoughts becoming a tangled mess. Why would she want to know him better? Everyone only looked at the surface and judged him by their assumptions. The few who had looked deeper had done so only for leverage against him. And there was one who’d looked so deep, who had rendered him unmade, who had… He quickly turned away from those memories.The silence spread thick over them and Loki had tensed against her and she knew it had been a mistake to get personal! Untangling their hands, she patted his carefully, injecting cheer into her voice: “Forget about it. Why don’t we get ready for bed, huh? The water’s getting kinda co-”“Darcy, wait! Wait…please.” Gradually, he heated the water and tugged her gently into his lap, wary of any sign of reluctance on her part but she showed none. As soon as she was firmly ensconced in his arms again, he buried his face in her hair, using the now familiar scent to center himself again. This was Darcy. He was safe here on Midgard, in this Tower, in his apartment. And Darcy was not one of the sycophants at court, determined to climb the ladder of nobility through any means (blackmail included) necessary. “What -” He wet his lips. “What would you like to know, Darcy?”She squirmed a bit. Nothing if telling her upset him this much! But…he was trying. He was offering her an opening and she was curious and… She’d keep it superficial, she promised herself.“I dunno; small stuff. Like um, what’s your favorite animal?”Something untwisted in his chest; this was indeed ‘small stuff’. “It’s hard to choose, but I’ve always had a fondness for snakes. Direwolves and horses too. But between you and I, I’ve a soft spot for my mother’s cats.”“I’m a cat person too,” she offered. “I love dogs too but… Just not as much, I guess?”“Completely reasonable. Dogs tend to be exuberant and…wet in their affections.” His disgust was obvious and she laughed, imagining his face if a big golden retriever slobbered all over him. “But cats are aloof little beasts.”“And they’re adorable.”“And they’re adorable,” he agreed solemnly. “What else would you like to know?”Loki kept the bathwater hot the entire time she peppered him with questions, his arms circled around her whenever he wasn’t gesturing or creating illusions, his fingers constantly skimming against her skin like he couldn’t get enough of her. It worked wonders in sweeping away her ‘walking on eggshells’ feelings, but she still kept her questions easy.He favored evenings and literary pursuits. He liked winter solely for the comfort of curling up by a fire under a dozen blankets. His favorite place was Asgard’s Royal Library, followed closely by the palace gardens and the Silver Sea (it was a tie). He was the definition of a scholar, preferring museums and art galleries across the realms to any sport. Obviously he chose sweet over spicy, but he admitted prior to discovering Earth’s chocolate, he hadn’t cared much either way. He refused to choose a favorite book, insisting that even if he did, she wouldn’t be familiar with it, which was cheating in her opinion, but he wouldn’t be swayed.“Well, fine! What kind of books do you like?” she demanded and a chuckle rumbled through his chest at her petulance.“I don’t suppose you’ll allow for ‘all of them’?”“C’mon!” she wheedled, definitely not pouting. “There’s gotta be a genre you always reach for! Something you’d prefer over whatever junk SHIELD has you reading.”That criteria didn’t narrow his preferences down at all - he’d read harvest reports over the nonsense SHIELD set him to read. But he understood the sentiment she was getting at. “I like science fiction. Does that appease you?”“Un-huh. It’s official though. You’re a huge nerd.”Instead of being offended, he merely scoffed. “And you’re not? You studied politics and work with a scientist and spout nonsense pop culture references. I think if either of us is a ‘nerd’, it’s you.”“Pot -” A yawn nearly cracked her jaw before she could finish with: “- kettle.”He chuckled warmly and pressed a quick kiss to her hair. “I believe it’s time for us to retire, my lady. Shall we?”“‘Kay.”Warm and drowsy, Darcy happily climbed under the cool sheets, pulling the blanket up to her chin and snuggling into the pillow that smelled like Loki’s shampoo. Only to remember she had to set an alarm for tomorrow. Balls. Huffing, she threw the blankets back to get her stupid phone.“What’s wrong?”“Forgot my phone,” she grumbled, waving off his concern only for the phone to appear in her hand. She blinked at it and then at Loki, as he directed his seidr around the room, gathering their discarded clothes and rearranging furniture. Her lingerie neatly landed in her bag before it floated to sit beside the door, and her sweater and skirt folded themselves onto the dresser. The mirror returned to its spot by the window and the divan shuffled to the end of the bed. He considered the screen before leaving it where it was and then came to bed. “Um, thanks.”Loki climbed under the covers with her, a fond tilt to his mouth she thought. “Of course. You need only ask.”“Still not ‘you’re welcome’,” she teased, setting her alarm and putting the phone on the nightstand.The lights dimmed until the room was dark and he curled his arm around her waist, drawing her back into his chest and tucking his knees behind hers. “Good night, Darcy.”Smiling, she closed her eyes. “Sweet dreams, Loki.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Come on, it’s just rain!” She tried to tug on his hand but she might as well have tried to move a statue for all he budged. “Look, there’s barely anyone out because of it!”“Darcy, it’s raining. I’m not walking to the ice cream parlor in this deluge. And neither should you - what if you become ill?” He shook his head as though her suggestion was the most asinine thing he’d ever heard which she knew damn well wasn’t the case. “No. I refuse.”Uuuugh! He was the one being ridiculous. It wasn’t like she’d suggested they go out and dance naked in it - she had an umbrella for frick’s sake and he could probably do some sort of rain-repelling spell thing, but instead he had to be all dramatic.“We could take a cab?”His lip curled disdainfully. “I’ve seen how humans drive in good weather. I shudder to think how poorly they manage in the rain. I’ve been there enough; I can teleport us there.”She looked doubtfully out at the sidewalk where the rain was just getting heavier. It’d be a bitch to get a cab in this weather and even if they managed, they’d still get soaked getting in… Plus teleportation had always been her superpower of choice.“I’m not gonna like, come out the other side missing an arm or something, am I?”Sometimes she said the most bizarre things. There was little point in asking how she’d come to assume that - half her explanations left him more confused. Shaking his head, he drew her closer.“You’ll arrive in the exact state you’re in now,” he assured, picturing the entrance to 32+: the vibrant stripes of color painted in the doorway, the typical steel and glass door, the cheery ‘Open’ sign hanging at Darcy’s head height. “Close your eyes.”“What? Why -” His seidr swirled around them and she hastily snapped her eyes shut, stumbling like the ground had moved under her feet. Loki steadied her, his warm hands contrasting with the suddenly cool air. The rain was much louder and she cracked open one eye before opening them both, looking out at the deserted street in front of the shop. “Holy shit.”She’d teleported! And - she did a quick mental check - she still had all her body parts and clothes on!“That was awesome!”Ignoring her exuberance, he held the door open and impatiently motioned her in, but she saw that tiny smirk curling his mouth while she walked in. He was totally proud of himself for impressing her under that high-and-mighty exterior. Dork.The shop was empty except for the employee, whom Loki immediately engaged in building this week’s sundae. While they debated the merits of mix-ins versus plain flavors, Darcy inspected the newest batch of options. With the rain and gloom, she kind of wanted something comforting and, as much as it sounded like an oxymoron, warm. Maybe something with a coffee base… But this week’s theme seemed to be tropical and she wandered over to the other coolers, reading names and descriptions, dismissing the majority. She had a hankering for something specific, she just didn’t know what.“Darcy, what would you like?”She looked up in time to see the employee add the cherry atop Loki’s monstrosity. There was a couple inches of whipped cream on top and she felt a little nauseous just looking at it. Talk about a stomach ache.“I’ll get a scoop of…” She gave the cooler in front of her one more search. “...frozen hot chocolate, in a bowl please.”So what if summer was around the corner? Hot chocolate would hit the spot perfectly today, even if it wasn’t in a steaming mug.Darcy went to pay but the zipper on her wallet stuck. It had been fine this morning when she’d bought coffee, and she yanked the tab back and forth without luck. Loki, meanwhile, paid for them both without a word, and as soon as the payment went through, her zipper mysteriously moved smoothly. She narrowed her eyes at the lanky god but he pretended not to notice, merely scooping up his behemoth of a bowl and carrying it to their table.She slid in across from him, kicking his foot. “Real cute. I was going to pay, dude.”“Nonsense. You bought me coffee this morning.”“I buy you coffee every morning!”“Precisely,” he agreed, stymying her. He scooped up a spoonful of mint chocolate and popped it in his mouth. “It’s the least I can do to buy you a solitary scoop of ice cream once a week, Darcy.”When he put it like that… She should probably set up a coffee fund for the lab so she wasn’t spending a small fortune of her own money. She really didn’t want to think about how much she spent in a week, let alone a month or a year. Thoughts for tomorrow.“Well, thanks. What did you get?”He looked down at his bowl, using his spoon to point the flavors out. “Mint chocolate, Nutty and Nice (chocolate with a nut mix, apparently), Brownie Bite Me, and French vanilla. They’re all quite good. How’s yours?”“S’good.” It hit the spot perfectly and she took her time with it, digging out tiny spoonfuls to make it last. She glanced sidelong at the employee who was playing on their phone. “Could you, er -?” She made a gesture with her hand and he took her meaning, drawing his own hand through the air and setting the spell. “Our conversation will be private now.”“Thanks.” She smiled appreciatively, knocking her knees against his. “I had a lot of fun Sunday. What about you?”“I believe I already admitted I thoroughly enjoyed it.” He remembered saying so quite clearly to her after he lavished her with kisses. “You looked - and tasted - delectable.”He spooned up a mix of brownie and vanilla and made a point of licking his lips after, amused by the way her cheeks reddened. For someone so cavalier talking about sex, Darcy certainly blushed easily. “I could say the same about you, ya know. That little get-up you had on was -” she hummed dreamily, biting her lip, and his ears pinked. “I could’ve eaten you all up.”“Ah, yes, well -” It took him a moment to gather any impression of suave confidence but he managed. “As I recall, you did, to extraordinary effect. I quite enjoyed that bit.”“Yeah? How come?” His eyebrows flew up in bafflement and she clarified: “Do you just like blowjobs or did being tied up add something or what?”Oh Norns. Loki was quite certain no one he’d ever known - or would know - would ever make him blush quite as much as Darcy, and his blood was torn between flooding his face and filling his cock as he thought on the question. “I enjoy oral stimulation in all of its forms, but I think… The bondage certainly added something desirable, especially with the silk. But I didn’t like -”He cut himself off abruptly, pursing his mouth as he poked at his slowly melting ice cream. It was a childish complaint and he told himself firmly that it didn’t matter. He’d enjoy their sessions whether it was addressed or not.Darcy sighed internally. She supposed it was progress that he’d gotten that far without her coaxing. Oh well. She tilted her head to catch his eyes. “Hey, it’s okay. What didn’t you like, Loki?”The same objections he’d given himself built on his tongue to provide to her but… Her expression was so open, ready to accept whatever he said without judgment. ‘I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me’ she’d reminded him again this week and he screwed up the courage to tell her.“I didn’t like that you…left…so soon after that. You were changing into another outfit, I know, but I felt…”“What did you feel?”He huffed - he felt ridiculous - but Darcy merely waited, her hand on his arm warm and encouraging, and eventually he gave in. “It felt like you were…unaffected. Indifferent. To what felt rather…intimate for me. I doubt that was the case - you’re hardly the apathetic sort - but. That was how it felt.”“Oh.” She was sorry that was how it felt but he was right: that hadn’t been the case from her end at all. “Wait, is that why you came over to help me dress?”His mouth thinned miserably but he nodded.“You’re too cute sometimes, you know that?” She breathed a laugh at his surprise, but waved it off. “Okay. I wasn’t unaffected and I sure as hell wasn’t indifferent, Loki. But what I’m hearing from you is that you want me to…show that more, is that right?”She was a marvel. There was no censure in her words or tone or even her body language. She wasn’t appalled at his neediness. He cleared his throat. “Yes, I suppose so.”“What would that look like to you? Like, would we kiss and touch more? Do you want me to tell you how hot and sexy you are, or tell you how wet I am?”His prick twitched; he wasn’t opposed to that at all. But it wasn’t precisely what he’d longed for on Sunday either. “I certainly wouldn’t complain if you said any of that and I’ll never oppose more kissing. But I had hoped to merely…hold you for longer after I climaxed. It’s not an issue when we both come, thus far at least, but…I like my lovers to be close after I finish.”“...You want cuddles,” she translated, trying - and failing - to hide her amusement at his long-winded request.The term sounded rather juvenile but he had to admit it was accurate. “Yes.”It made sense. In her experience, lots of people wanted to be physically close to their partners in the after-glow, herself included. “Alright. I love cuddling so that’s an easy fix.” She watched tension drain from his shoulders, a smile flicking across his mouth. “You can ask for this stuff in our sessions too; you know that, right? You don’t have to just go along with it and wait til ice cream to bring it up. I mean, I’m glad you brought it up, Loki, but it doesn’t have to be after the fact.”“I’m aware.” Intellectually, at least. It was much harder for him in practice. “I didn’t want to disrupt your plans.”Darcy struggled not to face-palm. He was so smart but so, so dumb. “‘My plans’ boil down to you enjoying yourself, Loki. That’s it. So asking for what you want is never ever gonna ‘disrupt my plans’; it’s gonna tie right in with them. Okay?”He took his time in answering, crunching down on almond and hazelnut, chocolate ice cream slowly melting on his tongue. Was that the entirety of her plan every week? Stripping away specifics, was her only goal for him to enjoy himself? It seemed that way.“Okay,” he said at last. “I’ll…keep that in mind. What er, what were you thinking for next week?”She wished she could push for something more concrete from him but she couldn’t exactly convince him his wants and needs were just as important as anybody else’s with a snap of her fingers. Hopefully if she just kept reminding him, asking for his opinion and desires over and over again, eventually it would sink in. Maybe. Putting those thoughts aside, she leaned in secretively, an impish smile curling her lips. “I thought maybe I could introduce you to the wonderful world of sex toys. You said you were interested in some.”He had. Some of the videos Darcy had suggested he watch before they negotiated this relationship had featured their use and his interest had been piqued. “In theory. I’ve never actually used any.”“What? Seriously? Not even since you looked up Earth one’s? I thought for sure you might’ve experimented on your own.” Hell, she sure had after she’d discovered they were a thing you could buy!“I find our sessions sufficient release,” Loki explained with an elegant shrug, the back of his neck prickling uncomfortably. It hadn’t even occurred to him to conjure his own version of the toys he’d seen and…experiment with them as she suggested.“Really?” Darcy couldn’t quite keep the note of surprised disbelief out of her voice. The dude looked around her age (give or take a thousand years) and she rubbed one out multiple times a week. But everyone was different and she wondered: “How often did you jerk off on Asgard?”He flushed, darting his gaze around the shop as if someone might be listening in, never mind his spell or the fact they were the only patrons. “Ah, that’s um, that’s quite a personal -”“Dude, I had your dick in my mouth like, three days ago.”“Well if you’re going to frame it that way…” His objection was abysmally weak in light of their intimate dalliance. “I suppose…two or three times a week?”“And since you’ve been on Earth?”He hadn’t taken note of it before. “Once a week, I guess. Perhaps…less.”But that couldn’t be right, could it? He was in his sexual prime. On Asgard, the number of times he masturbated was supplemented with the occasional lover, and honestly, now that he thought back, it was probably a low estimate. If anything, a lack of lovers should’ve increased the number of times he pleasured himself on Midgard but…it hadn’t. As soon as he turned his thoughts to why, he realized and he stared down into his bowl, trying to breathe. Between his time on Asgard and Midgard had been the Void. Nothing sexual had happened (a small mercy), but when his body had known naught but pain for so long… Seeking pleasure had become a nearly foreign thought.Darcy could see where his thoughts had gone in the way his frame tensed so much he nearly shook, the knuckles on his fist turning white beside his bowl. She’d put two and two together maybe before he had but then, she wasn’t as close to it as he was, not remotely. Carefully, she reached out and took his hand between hers. His eyes shut, a muscle twitching in his jaw, but he didn’t pull away.“There’s nothing wrong with that, Loki,” she tried to assure him, thinking on her feet. “Bodies change. Sometimes our libidos are higher and sometimes lower, especially when we’re stressed from -” Torture. “- moving to a new place. It doesn’t have to be upsetting or concerning.”“Doesn’t it?” he ground out, trying to focus on her touch and not how much his fall had taken from him.Shitshitshit. She’d only wanted to suggest that maybe it was a temporary thing; she hadn’t meant to invalidate his feelings. She bit her lip, wondering how to course-correct. “No, it doesn’t,” she suggested slowly. “But if it is, you’re entitled to those feelings, Loki. It’s… It’s okay to be upset.”“How kind of you to grant me permission,” he snapped, the poisonous words leaping to his tongue before he could stop them and though regret filled his chest, an apology wouldn’t come. He knew her intentions came from a place of kindness but… He shaded his eyes with his hand. Would every facet of his life be affected by what happened in the Void? Would he ever get over it and return fully to how he used to be? Right now, the outlook felt pessimistic. Bad enough that he still flinched from friendly touch, that he needed sex to be scheduled, but it even affected his basic needs? If his tormentors weren’t already dead, Loki would wish them a thousand times the suffering they’d caused him. Norns, he wished it regardless.Darcy didn’t know what to do. He was obviously hurting - his sharp words were proof enough, and she wanted to comfort him but it was hard. What would he accept right now? Was there a combination of words that could possibly come across as sympathetic without glossing over whatever he’d gone through? Touch was her go to method, but was he in the right frame of mind to accept it? Or would that just make everything worse? He was still letting her hold his hand though and maybe that was enough. Hesitantly, she shifted her hand until she could slip her fingers into his fist, squeezing his palm. Impotent rage boiled in him, tempered only slightly by Darcy’s gentle hold on his hand. He wanted to lash out and seek revenge, to slash his daggers across their throats and watch them bleed out but… His captors were dead. He’d known their fate as soon as Stark’s bomb had exploded and he’d been finally, blessedly alone in his own head for the first time in months.He’d thought that would be the end of it. Foolishness.He pushed his bowl away, no longer hungry. “So, next week you want to focus on sex toys? That should be fun. I look forward to it.”“Loki -”“Don’t.” He looked pained and a little desperate and it broke her heart. “Surely there are more pleasant things we can discuss.”“Yeah… Of course.” What else could she say? It took her a second to shift emotional direction; all she wanted to do was hug him but obviously he wasn’t open to that. “Um… This week, I really liked that you found ways to ask for what you wanted.”“What do you mean?”She squeezed his hand again, leaning into the little bit of comfort he was allowing. “Like, you asked for kisses, and you offered to help me when you wanted to be closer. You admitted you hated that red set,” she reminded him with a quiet laugh, still shaking her head at how ridiculous the whole color thing was. “I like hearing your opinions and preferences, Loki. Knowing what you want and need helps me create sessions that give you all that. Plus, I um, kinda like getting to know you too.”She said the last with a self-deprecating huff, as if she knew it was a foolish endeavor, and Loki recalled how hesitantly she’d voiced her questions in the bath. As if asking about his favorite places or foods would be met with scorn or dismissal. Was that the impression he’d been giving her? Was he so closed off to her, only willing to allow the intimacy of sex and nothing else? That wasn’t how he wanted her to feel. Not at all. If he were to allow anyone close, to know him in all his multitudes, he wanted it to be her.“I will…endeavor to make my desires more clear, Darcy,” he said quietly, discomfited but forging onward anyway. “I may not always speak them plainly or directly but I will try.”Her bright smile made his offer more than worthwhile. “Hey, that’s all I ask.”As long as he made an effort, she’d have something to work with, instead of guessing blindly and crossing her fingers.“It occurs to me: I never asked about your preferences the other night.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “What should I associate with you?”“O-oh, um…” He couldn’t have just asked what her favorite things were, could he? No, he had to be all suave and smooth about it and make her flustered. “I…guess…purple and blue?” she hazarded and then, more firmly: “A taser, obviously.”“Obviously,” he agreed, grinning. He’d never stop being amused over how she and Thor had met.What else would she be known for, if Asgardian social mores applied to Earth? “I dunno, Goddess of Pop Culture References? Deliverer of Coffee? Official Scribe of Dr. Foster’s Notes?”His mouth quirked up. “I think a case could be made for Goddess of Sex.”“Hey!” She kicked him under the table, the jerk. So what if he was right?“Peace, peace. I only jest,” he assured and leaned forward, passion lighting his eyes so that she couldn’t look away. “In actuality, a god-title goes deeper than what you’re thinking. It’s what you are, your most basic and inherent trait, what your seidr or soul calls to. It’s why Thor is the God of Thunder and not simply god of buffoonery and yelling, and why I am the God of Mischief first and foremost before the God of Lies.”“Because the ‘lies’ bit came later?”“Yes. I wasn’t born able to manipulate the truth; I learned it the same as all children do. But because I excel at it and use it to achieve mischief, it was added to my titles.” Which wasn’t to say he didn’t lie for other reasons of course, but that was beside the point. “Now tell me. What would you be goddess of?”She chewed her lip, looking out the window at the rain. What would she be goddess of? It was the same as asking who she was, and talk about an existential question! She was a lot of things: sarcastic and loyal and honest and kind and a million other things. How could she narrow it down? What would other people call her defining trait? Suddenly, she knew, but it sounded so…grandiose.“Um, I guess…Goddess of Caretaking? If that’s a thing? Might need to workshop it a bit, I dunno,” she shrugged, self-conscious.Loki tapped a finger against his lips, thinking. “It suits you, of course, but perhaps a slight tweak… What do you think of caregiving? It harkens to your selfless nature.”“I’m not selfless!”He pinned her down with a look. “And you look after Jane and Thor and all the rest out of duty and obligation, do you? Or do you expect to be lauded and rewarded for it?”“No, of course not! I do it because we’re friends and I care about them -”“Proving my point,” he argued, cutting her off. “You do it out of the kindness of your heart. Selflessly. Regardless, the wording is your choice in the end.”“Fine! Fine, I’ll be the Goddess of Caregiving! Whatever!” she huffed, throwing up a hand in defeat. “But just see how selfish I can be when it comes to the last doughnut, dude.”He couldn’t help laughing; she was adorable in her petulance and he wanted to kiss her frown away. Alas… “Nothing says you can’t be selfish in your other aspects. Perhaps you could be a minor goddess of always-taking-the-last-dessert?”“You’re joking but I’ll take it.” She swung her spoon up to point triumphantly to the ceiling, declaring: “Darcy Lewis, Goddess of Caregiving and the Last Dessert!”“And sex?”She kicked him under the table again to his unrepentant laughter.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Loki stepped out of the shower, sluicing water from his hair and patting his body dry with a soft towel. Hopefully that settles me. It wasn’t his and Darcy’s impending session that had him feeling unbalanced; no, he was very much looking forward to that. But for the last few days, there’d been a particular itch brewing under his skin and his usual outlets had fallen short. No amount of irritating Darcy or Dr. Foster, no amount of brutal sparring with Thor, no amount of pranking the various visitors to the lab had calmed him (although Agent Walters’ attempt to laugh along despite his obvious fury had been amusing). In fact, all his attempts to corral the feeling had done nothing to lessen it.It was his inherent mischief longing for an outlet of gigantic proportions, the kind that disrupted coronations and longed for battle, to fell giants with nothing but his own cunning and perhaps a misleading illusion or ten. None of those were options on Midgard, alas. …Nor had they been all that advisable to begin with in point of fact, but that was a thought to dwell on another day. Not when Darcy would be arriving shortly.Loki swiped a hand over the foggy mirror, mouth crooking up at his reflection. Perhaps she’d be able to fuck the feeling out of him. He’d quelled himself with an orgy at least once before, but what he lacked in number of partners, Darcy might be able to make up for with her power over him…Clothing himself with a thought, he bit the edge of his thumb, thinking. What if he…? Well, she had said he could stay true to his nature, so why not? He may even earn himself a ‘punishment’ and his blood quickened at the thought. Palming himself through his breeches, he quickly prepared the bed for their activities and turned to leave, pausing at the last second. Did he want…? Yes. He left a coil of rope in the middle of the bed, knowing she’d take the hint as obvious as it was.In the living room, he checked his phone. Darcy had messaged him a few minutes ago to say she was heading up and he’d barely finished reading it when there was a knock at the door, the frame glowing pale blue. He wondered if he oughtn’t change it to purple, considering their conversation from Wednesday.He opened the door to her with a smile, sketching a playful bow. “Good evening Darcy.”“Hey Loki,” she greeted in turn, feeling some of her stress melt away just stepping through his door. A certain God of Mischief hadn’t made the latter half of her week what you’d call ‘peaceful’ but coming here was like a Pavlovian response, chilling her out and simultaneously making her horny. “How’re you?”“Well, and yourself?”“Pretty good. Are you ready to get started or -?”Oh he was more than ready. “Of course, my lady. After you.”He swept his hand toward the bedroom and she took the lead, wondering what she might find inside. Everything seemed to be in the spot she was used to. The blankets on his bed had been vanished as usual (good. The chances of a mess were high tonight, between lube and their own bodily fluids) but in their place was a circle of rope and her eyebrows lifted. She hadn’t requested any rope.Putting her bag down on the bed, she picked it up and smacked the coil against her palm, turning in time to see him swallow hard. “Is this a hint, Loki?”Rocking on his heels, he shrugged impossibly elegantly. “I’m sure you can find some use for it tonight.”“Oh, can I?” He was aiming for something but she wasn’t sure what yet. Excitement buzzed under her skin and between her legs. She couldn’t wait to find out. “What are our rules and colors, honey?”Now was the deciding moment and he teetered on the wire, debating one last time. But mischief itched in his palms, longing for an outlet, and he extended his fingers, seidr dancing between them unobtrusively. Decided, he wet his lips and answered her question…mostly.“Hmm, I -” and he drew out the single syllable much longer than was necessary, until Darcy’s eyebrows lifted up. “- suppose I could refrain from insulting your species, and I put the matter of my orgasms in your very capable hands. Green means continue, yellow means check in, and red means stop. Our safewords are, of course, Mjolnir and pineapple.”“Huh. Pretty snarky and you skipped a few rules there, mister.” She tapped the rope against her leg and a finger against her cheek thoughtfully. “Do you wanna try again?”His prick twitched at her display; Norns, he hoped she bound him tonight, tight enough that the restless feeling in his chest settled to something ignorable.He pretended to think on her question, tapping a finger against his lips. His teeth scraped the skin when he grinned, unrepentant. “No. I think that covers all the rules I intend to follow tonight.”She inhaled and exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders. “Ya know, I was wondering when you’d act up,” she said conversationally. Idly, she played with the rope, letting the loose end fall to the floor while she wound the other end around her fist. From the corner of her eye, she saw the way his eyes stayed riveted on her hands and she let her lips curl a little. “I mean, c’mon. The God of Mischief? Of course you’re like, the biggest brat around. But that’s okay. I know just how to handle brats like you.”“Pardon the expression but: there are no brats like me,” he laughed lowly, pressing his tongue to the tip of one canine. “I’ve been practically docile thus far. Do you really think you can handle me on my worst behavior?”“Yup.”She sounded so utterly confident and calm that it gave him pause and he faltered, scrambling for some witty riposte. All he managed was a derisive snort. “Such big words for one so small. How do you intend to subdue me? You think that rope of yours can hold me if I want to slither out of it?”“If you want to? No.” She’d never tie him up if he didn’t want it, but it was also pretty clear he was jonesing for a bit of bondage. She finished tying the prusik cuffs - he hadn’t seemed to notice she was doing anything intentional with the rope, and waltzed his way. “But deep down, I think you and I both know you want to be a good boy. So. Last chance. Tell me all our rules, Loki.”Norns, that tone… He was hard-pressed not to fall at her feet as her voice cracked like a whip, making arousal spike in his bloodstream, but it wouldn’t do to give in so easily. So he stayed silent.There was a challenge in his green eyes and Darcy couldn’t wait to meet it. Shaking her head in mock-disappointment, she clucked her tongue. “Forgetting our rules, back talking, and not answering me? I’m gonna have to spank you for that, brat.”Loki inhaled sharply, his tongue peeking out to wet his thin lips, as his pulse rabbited in his chest. “You think a child’s punishment will make a god repent?”“Mm, if I do it right, yeah. Give me your hands.”Her tone offered no room to object, not that he wanted to. He played at reluctance before rolling his eyes and offering his hands to her. Perhaps he could wriggle out of them to pique her ire further… But Darcy slipped the cuffs over his wrists and tightened them quickly and he realized there'd be no getting out of them without seidr.“Is it okay if I tie the ends behind your back, mister?” she asked, looking up at him from under her lashes.“Asking for permission? That’s hardly behavior suiting your role, is it?”She worked a pinky under the rope to make sure it was loose enough without being escapable before correcting him seriously. “Loki. You can brat it up all you want but I’m not gonna risk your safety or mine. So when I ask if you’re comfortable with something or what your color is, you’re to answer honestly. Understood?”“...I understand, my lady,” he said quietly, feeling her chastisement sting. But she was right. His flippancy was inappropriate in this matter. “Yes, it’s acceptable to tie it behind me.”“Thank you.” She brought both ends of the rope behind him, drawing his bound hands close under his sternum. “I’m going to knot this good and tight. Tell me if it’s too tight or if you don’t like it, alright?”He would but how to tell her while breaking the rules? He twitched a finger and green light sketched itself into the air for her to read.‘I will’She snorted, crossing the rope and pushing against his sides until he leaned forward a smidgeon; she knotted it firmly to the side of his spine. “You’re creative, I’ll give you that. But I’d still rather hear your voice, mister.”Heat rose in his cheeks and he hummed an acknowledgement, breathing deeply to expand his ribs and have the rope press against his skin. Oh that feels good… Darcy did some more work with the length of rope and he jerked and jostled a little with each pull, his prick full and aching in his breeches. Alas, his hands were bound too far up to touch himself and ease the strain.“Are you almost done?” he sniped.He was getting antsy, nearly verging into irritable, and she quickly made a bow of the last of the rope, sliding a hand around his side as she moved back in front of him. “Relax honey, I’m all done.” She reached up to cup his face, drawing him down to kiss his cheek and, when he made a longing sound, his mouth. “You did so well while I was behind you, but I’m done now. How does it feel? Is it tight enough?”She let him kiss her again and the thread of anxiety in his chest vanished. He straightened up, nodding. “It’s tight enough, yes.”“Good.” Hooking her fingers in the rope between his hands, she dragged him to the bed. “I like skin on skin for this. Can I push your pants down?”He opened his hands in a V, shrugging. “You’ll have to; I’m a tad tied up at the moment thanks to you.”God, she was more than ready to deliver his punishment, the brat. “What’s your color, Loki?”His lips split into a grin, loving the narrowing of her eyes. “Green.”Her hands dropped down to his laces, tugging and pulling impatiently until they came loose. She shoved her fingers under the leather waistband, pushing against his skin to reach behind and squeeze his ass.“Ooh, inspecting the goods, are we?” “You are such a brat,” Darcy practically growled, shoving his pants down just enough that they slipped under his ass. His cock came free too, tenting his green tunic, but she ignored it. “Bend over the bed, Loki. Now.”His eyes fluttered shut at her tone. She was just as he’d imagined: firm, commanding, expectant… He opened his eyes, staring at her. “Why should I?”Darcy bit down on her amusement. Of course he’d keep pushing and yeah, it was frustrating but it got her going too. She couldn’t wait to put him in his place and she pressed up on her toes, whispering against his ear: “Because you want to.”He shuddered, lust pooling low in his belly. She was right: he did want to, wanted to find out what it felt like, if he liked it, and he gave in. The positioning of his hands meant he couldn’t brace himself and it was all a bit ungainly as he bent over the two pillows he made appear under him, to Darcy’s offended squawk. “Are you comfortable?” The sarcasm was thick in her voice but he just grinned. “Quite.”“Humph.” She yanked his hips back from the edge of the bed; no way was she letting him rock his dick against the mattress. Obligingly, he shuffled his feet back and she flipped his tunic up over his back, exposing his pale ass. She skimmed her hands over his cheeks, making him sigh.“Is your back okay like this?” she suddenly wondered.As distracting as her hands were, he took stock at her question, cataloging the various aches and twinges along his spine and ribs and down into his posterior. He fluffed the pillow supporting his chest more with seidr and nodded to himself. “I’m fine, my lady. But if you’re not going to punish me, perhaps I’ll take a nap instead…”God, she wanted to answer his sass with a sharp slap to the ass… She clenched her hand into a fist instead though. Maybe she could do that one day, once this was an established part of their play, but for his first time? Nu-uh, no way.“Since you left out two rules, I’m going to spank you twenty times - ten for each rule. I’ll only use my hand and if you hate it, we’ll switch to a different kind of punishment, alright?”Again, green letters formed in the air: ‘Fine.’Breathing out forcibly, she allowed herself to dig her nails into his ass as retribution. “This is a punishment but I still want you to be comfortable, Loki. If you need me to be gentler, or your color changes, tell me and I’ll listen, I promise.”A knot in his chest loosened. Previous punishments he’d endured had never been administered with his comfort in mind; in fact his discomfort had rather been the point. But Darcy wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t revel in his pain or screams or blood.“What if I want it harder?”Darcy lifted an eyebrow. “Same thing: just ask and I’ll do my best, honey. Oh! One more thing: I expect you to count each one out loud for me. Think you can manage that?”“Well if you can’t keep track yourself…”Her hand met his ass with a satisfying crack.A soft ‘Oh!’ fell from his mouth without his permission. That had felt…“Loki? What’s your color?”He shut his eyes, still feeling the sting of her small palm. “Green.”She waited a beat for him to count off but he didn’t offer anything else. Well, it was the first one. Drawing her hand back, she slapped his other cheek. He gasped quietly, red blooming on his cheekbones to match the mark on his ass. Another beat passed and Darcy scowled.“You’re supposed to count out loud, mister.”Opening one eye, he looked over his shoulder at her. “Oh I’m sorry. Have you begun?”Oh my GOD! He was such a little shit, pushing all her buttons like it was his freakin’ day job. The fact that he was winding her up in more ways than one was irrelevant.Reeling in her irritation, she pinched his hip, making him twist away. “Is that your way of asking me to go harder, brat?”“Maybe,” he offered with a wolfish grin. She was practically radiating frustration and he wondered how much prodding it would take for her to explode with it. “I thought you were going to spank me, Darcy, not lightly tap me.”She inhaled deeply, plush lips pinching together tightly as she blatantly struggled not to scream in frustration, and he pulled against his bindings, longing to stroke his prick. She was so beautiful when she was mad because of him.“Fine,” she ground out, almost, almost wishing for her BRAT-emblazoned paddle. He definitely deserved it but he’d put a limit on impact implements so her hand would have to do, and she slapped his ass hard enough that he jolted forward a bit and her palm stung. “How’s that?”“...One,” he breathed, relenting, and reveled in how good it felt. She smacked his other cheek with the same intensity and he moaned into the pillow. “Two.”By the time she got to five, the pink flush wasn’t fading from his ass and she pressed her thighs together, taking a second to massage his glowing cheeks. “How are you doing, Loki?”She gave his ass a firm squeeze and his cock twitched pitifully, desperate for attention that he knew would be denied. He was being punished after all, even if it felt divine. “Don’t stop,” he implored, a hair's breadth from begging, and she obliged with another blow. “Six.”“You’re taking it so well,” she praised, kneading his hot skin and teasing her fingertips between his cheeks. He pushed back into her hand with a quiet whine. “Oh, do you want me to touch you here, honey? You want your asshole played with?”“I… Yes,” he sighed, embarrassment burning his face. How did she manage to turn him into such a wanton creature with only the suggestion of touch? But there was nothing to be embarrassed by, not with Darcy. He cleared his throat, looking over his shoulder at her. “I don’t suppose you will though, will you?”Tracing her finger up and down his cleft, she pretended to think about it before spanking him again. She waited until he counted it before she answered. “I might. Your punishment won’t last all night, Loki. We’ll still have plenty of time to play after.”Suddenly, the distance between them was intolerable. “Darcy, can I - Can we be closer? I could lay across your lap. Please.”“Well, since you asked so nicely… Of course, sweetheart. Let me help you up.” It wasn’t easy since he weighed a ton and his hands were bound but they managed together. She got comfy on the bed and he maneuvered himself to lay across her legs. He turned his face to her on the pillow he’d conjured and she combed his hair back for him. “Is that better?”“Yes.” He twisted enough to kiss her palm. “I believe we were at seven, my lady.”She answered him with another crack of her palm against his ass and Norns, he hadn’t accounted for his cock shifting against her thighs with each blow. Fuck, but it felt good and he groaned out the next number. It was barely anything really but the sting in his ass, combined with the minute sensation against his prick, had him leaking an embarrassing amount really; he was certain Darcy would notice and indeed she commented on it when they hit ten.'Tsk'ing, she rubbed soft circles over his red flesh. “You’re making a mess, you know that? Your dick’s dripping so much I can feel it. There’s gonna be a big wet patch on my leggings when we’re done."He didn’t deign to answer and she swatted him again. “I - I suppose. Eleven.”“I wonder why that is,” she mused, tracing her fingers lightly over his ass. It was so pretty and red… He was too hardy for her to leave hand prints but she was hoping by the end she might be able to make one out. “Do you like your punishment, mister?Should he lie? It would play into his ‘brat’ persona tonight but it also seemed too transparent to bother with. And being bound and held over her knee was calming the mischief in him - there was still the desire to irritate her of course, but it was slowly and surely being overpowered by her comforting touches after each hit. He wanted to curl around her like a snake seeking warmth and find his pleasure with her in a nest of blankets.Her palm managed to jiggle his ass a little this time, impressing her. She thought he was too lean and muscley for that but hell if it didn’t turn her on. He wasn't the only one making a mess of her leggings.“So rude not answering my questions! I thought you had better manners, Your Highness.”“Twelve.” Loki squirmed a little in her lap before he quietly, hesitantly asked: “Will you… Will you call me good if I answer?”“...Of course, sweetheart. I’m proud of you for asking.” She wished she was in a position to kiss him or something - positive reinforcement! - but the best she could do was cup his face. “You’re always my good boy deep down, Loki, even if you’re being punished.”His eyes fluttered shut, pink splashing across his cheeks and ear, and he nuzzled into her hand. A tenseness he hadn’t been aware of eased at her words. She wouldn’t permanently hold his misbehavior against him; his being ‘good’ was still the default.“I do like it, my lady,” he whispered, as if saying it louder would lead to judgment. “It’s…very arousing.”“Good boy. It is, isn’t it?” She gave his hip a gentle squeeze, smiling. “I’m glad you like it ‘cause I like doing it.”“Yes, I’d rather gotten that impression.” Not only had it come up in their initial negotiations but she’d mentioned it in several sessions with blatant longing in her voice. It was a relief that he enjoyed it as well and he boldly wiggled his behind in her lap, her nails digging deliciously into his tender skin. “Won’t you continue, my lady?”Darcy laughed brightly, gladdening his heart. “You’re such a brat.”Relaxing into her lap and the pillow, he let himself sink into the sensations: the rope tight around his torso, tying his hands together against his chest…his prick trapped between his belly and her soft leggings, shifting ever so slightly with each spank, just enough to drive him mad…her small hand leaving prints all over his no doubt red ass, making each cheek sting and grow hot… Even counting aloud, as wrecked as his voice was becoming, was good, keeping him grounded and present in his mind, reminding him that this punishment had a set end and wouldn’t go on forever to become unbearable.“Oh, six - sixteen,” he rasped, shuddering as she kneaded his ass. “Norns, Darcy, again.”There was a particular note in his voice that made her narrow her eyes at him. His face was flushed, lips parted, and his hair mussed over his forehead. He was so pretty like this, it had her practically giddy. But that tone…“Loki,” she murmured lowly and his green eyes focused on her after a second. “You know you’re being punished, right?”He blinked, adorably confused. “Yes?”“Then you know you can’t come from this, right?” He blinked again and she took pity on him, clarifying: “It wouldn’t be much of a punishment if you got to blow your load, would it?”Understanding dawned with a scowl on his features. “Your vulgarity aside, I suppose I have to accept your reasoning…”She boop-ed him on the nose, much to his obvious displeasure. “Exactly right, mister. Now, do we have to change anything to keep you from coming or can we continue as we are?”The nerve…! “I can control myself just fine, thank you,” he retorted haughtily but Darcy merely grinned at him.“Glad to hear it. There’s only four more to go anyway.”Whether that was meant as a dig or a reassurance was unclear but she followed it up immediately with number seventeen and Loki was forced to count it through gritted teeth, trying to corral himself. He couldn’t spill now, no matter how insistent the pleasure coursing through his veins was, not when he’d made it a point of pride.…But Norns, it felt sublime and she wasn’t helping matters either - he swore she was purposely flexing her thigh with every smack, increasing the pressure against his prick. And she called him the brat!“Eighteen,” he groaned, pressing his forehead into the pillow. He forced himself to steady his breathing, slowing it down, focusing less on his bodily sensations and more on the texture of the pillow. It was velvet and the fibers were pleasantly soft against his face.“You’re doing so well, sweetie,” she said, rendering his attempts at distraction moot as she swept her hands lightly over his ass. He shivered, horribly affected by the contrast. “Almost done.”Her palm met his ass with another loud crack, jolting him forward, and Loki had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from coming. “Fuck! Nineteen,” he snarled. Why did he have to like this? How could this - this - this sharp sting of pain be pleasurable to him? He could’ve simply opted for being edged! Although who knew how long Darcy would’ve drawn that out…“No need to get snippy, mister,” she admonished with a pout that was far too adorable considering their positions. “I’ll let you come as much as you want later.”As much as he hated it, that did pacify him quite a bit. “Fine.”It was cute how he immediately relaxed at her promise, his brief moment of bitchiness transforming to acquiescence again. Brushing his hair from his face, she cupped his cheek again, warning: “Last one, honey.”He nodded, his eyes locked trustingly on her, and she spanked him for the final time.“Twenty,” he sighed, going fully lax.“Good boy,” Darcy murmured, resting her hand on the back of his thigh. “You did so well, taking your punishment, and now it’s over. Are you ready to stand up or do you want to stay like this for a bit?”It was hard to say. Part of him dearly wanted to…cuddle with Darcy but the other part, perhaps the part that was a shade stronger, wanted very much to see what toys she’d brought and experience the pleasure she’d promised. Deciding, he vanished his bonds and climbed off her lap gingerly. His tunic fell down over his ass and he bit back a hiss; Norns, the skin stung! But his cock twitched appreciatively and he almost wished he didn’t heal quite so fast.“Still using seidr without permission, huh? You must’ve really liked your punishment if you’re gunning for another already,” she drawled from the bed, eyebrow lifted lazily as she massaged her palm.His brow crinkled with confusion - ah, the ropes. “If punishment is separate from our play, then we haven’t actually begun yet, have we?” “What kind of loophole nonsense -!”Laughing, he bent to kiss her, feeling her ire melt into a fond smile. “You’ll find I’m the God of Loopholes, my lady. Is your hand bothering you?”“Well, your ass is rock hard, which: don’t get me wrong! I love. But now my hand hurts.” She shrugged. It didn’t help that she was out of practice either. “I’ll be fine; don’t worry about it.”“I won’t,” he quipped, taking her hand up in his bigger ones. “Not since I can help it.”He pressed his lips to her palm, golden sparkles circling her hand and then sinking into the skin. Instantly, the ache faded and she stared at him. Had he just…healed her? “Did you just heal me?” she demanded and Loki chuckled, taking to kissing each of her fingertips. Probably in a bid to distract her. (It was working.)“I have some small skill in that area,” he admitted modestly. It truly was a small skill - one he’d learned so as not to have to visit the Healing Chambers for every ache and bruise he earned in the training grounds. “Do you object?”“I… Well… No, not really, but you’re really pushing it, mister! Go undress and tell me our rules.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “All of them.”He darted in to kiss her again, amusement curling his mouth widely. “I will, Darcy, rest assured. I’m eager to see what you’ve brought to play with tonight.”He was reluctant to leave her mouth but needs must and he stepped away, catching sight of his disheveled appearance in the mirror. His breeches were falling down, his prick was tenting his tunic (where it had left quite the wet patch), and his hair was in a state. Ruefully, he peeled the tunic off, tossing it into the hamper, and his breeches quickly followed. Combing a hand through his hair, he dutifully recited all of their rules, colors and safewords.“Good boy.” Watching him undress was always a treat and she dragged her eyes up slowly from his feet to the smug look on his face - but she noticed his pink ears too so he wasn’t fooling anyone. “I got you a present.”“Oh?”She sat up and scooched over to her bag, pulling out the box she’d put on top. “Here. A brand new toy just for you.”Loki took the book sized box from her with an unfamiliar feeling growing in his chest. She’d purchased a gift for him? Carefully, he opened the discreet black packaging and stared, his mouth going dry. The neat labeling and his own research told him it was a vibrating butt plug… With a remote control “for partnered play”.“I aired it out and cleaned it and fully charged it already so if you want, we can play with it tonight,” Darcy explained, biting her lip. She was pretty sure he’d like it but this was a little more personal than coffee and she wasn’t sure how he’d take it. “And the remote is totally optional but I thought it might make it easier to play with when you’re alone, if you ever want to do that.”“Oh. I…” “Oh and here -” She grabbed a bottle that fit neatly in her hand out of the bag and offered it to him. “- A fresh bottle of lube to go with it. I mean, you can probably magic up something or whatever but now you don’t have to.”“...Has anyone ever told you that you’re overwhelmingly thoughtful?” he managed at last.She made a face, surprise and denial mixing together before she settled on a smile. “Not that I can remember but thanks. Do you like it? Or, er, do you think you will?”“I’m certain I will, thank you Darcy.” He was incredibly touched that she had thought of him, that she had taken time out of her personal life to choose a toy for him, to purchase it - and accessories! - with her own hard-earned income, all solely for his pleasure. He wet his lips. “Shall we begin with this?”“We can, sure! Or you can look through what else I brought and decide,” she offered, not wanting him to think this was his only option if he was on the fence about the butt plug. She counted off on her fingers: “I’ve got vibrators, dildos, some bigger plugs, a couple of cock rings, a chastity cage (not sure if you’d be into it but I brought it anyway)... Hm, what else?”She pawed through the bag, positive she’d brought more stuff. “Oh! Nipple clamps -”She gasped as Loki spun her to face him and lifted her onto the bed in one swift motion. Crawling over her, he crashed his mouth into hers, licking into her mouth, his hand pushing under her sweater so he could palm her tit. As unexpected as it was, she wasn’t complaining, arching into his hand and winding her fingers in the roots of his hair.“You’ve quite the collection,” he rasped, dipping down to shove her sweater up over the swell of her breasts so he could kiss along her bra cups. “Oh, I like this.”Tonight’s bra was sunshine yellow, unlined with a cutout under her bust and he licked a stripe across it. It and the panties she wore had been in her wardrobe last week and at some point, Loki had adjusted them all without her trying them on or even noticing. Sneaky brat.“What -” She groaned as he tweaked her nipple through the fabric. “Damn. What got you going, honey?”“All of it,” he muttered breathlessly between kissing every inch of her ample chest. He couldn’t specify more than that. It was the toys themselves and the fact that she owned them, had used them, on herself and others, and the way that lit his imagination on fire. Which ones had she purchased just for herself? Which ones would she use to make him shudder and spill? “Norns Darcy, I want -” He rocked his cock against her through her leggings and longed for more. Of everything. Her body and her toys and ideas and praise and -She watched him squeeze his eyes shut, his eyebrows knitting together. He was overwhelmed, with possibilities and desire, and she brushed her fingers over the creases in his forehead.“Loki. Take a deep breath and sit back for me, sweetheart.”Confused, he obeyed, filling his chest and sitting back on his heels. “My lady? Did I - Is something wrong?”“Nope.” She shook her head, sitting up with him, and kissed his cheek. “You’re doing just fine. Now, why don’t you help me undress?”“Alright.” He helped her pull her sweater over her head and she kissed his other cheek, her hand soft on his bicep.“Fold it and put it on the couch, Loki.”He did and the restless mischief in his chest settled further under the order.“Now my leggings.”He rolled her waistband down, letting his fingers skim over her smooth legs as they were revealed. Her bottoms matched her brassiere, yellow and delicately transparent, her curls pressing darkly against the fabric. Perhaps her next order would be to remove those as well, and he took the initiative to remove her socks too. Folding each item neatly, he set them in a pile on the divan as she’d requested.“Is there anything else you want me to remove?” “Nope, no need.” Her plush mouth curled up slyly and his prick twitched with the memory of those pink lips sucking him off. “How’re you feeling, sweetie? Are we good to keep going without you shooting off accidentally?”Was that why she’d make him take a step back? Oh, she was a devious little thing, managing him so easily without his notice. He was impressed. “It won’t be a problem,” he assured darkly, putting a knee on the bed to rejoin her. “Now where were we?”“I’m gonna pick a toy and you’ll tell me yes or no.” She figured if she made the initial choice, it would be less overwhelming for him. “‘Yes’ means I show you how to use it. ‘No’ just means no for tonight, got it? You can always say yes to it another time if you want.”“Understood, my lady. Your first choice?” She picked out a little drawstring bag and held it out to him, biting her lip coquettishly. “How about a vibrating cock ring? It’ll feel good for both of us when you fuck me.”Loki swallowed hard. His thoughts whirled but he breathed them down. He only had to say yes or no, that was all. He took the bag from her, working the drawstring open and tipping the ring into his palm. It seemed surprisingly large but then, he lacked experience with this type of object - for all he knew it was average or even small. The diameter of the teal silicone seemed generous enough to fit over his semi-erect cock in any event. Darcy pointed out the square-ish protrusion on it. “This is the vibrator here. It’s only got 3 settings: low, medium, and high.” She pushed a tiny divot on the side and it came to life, buzzing gently, then, with another push, stronger, and with another, very strongly. She pushed it again and the vibration ceased. He rotated the ring, inspecting the small device. He supposed it was easy enough to work with, but when it was in place, pinching down there in the heat of the moment could lead to a painful accident.“Does it have a remote?” he wondered with a slight frown, looking back at her and then explaining: “The controls seem less than ideally placed.”“This one doesn’t, but other models do.” They came with a higher price tag though which is why she hadn’t splurged on them. This one was mostly a dust-collector as it was; she really couldn’t justify shelling out $200 bucks or more for a paperweight. His mouth pulled to one side, dissatisfied, but he let it go. “The vibrator goes at the top to stimulate you?”“Theoretically…” His eyebrow flicked up and she rolled her eyes in response. “It doesn’t really do much for my clit, to be honest. It’s not strong enough. If you point it downward though, you get vibration on your balls and I get a bit of sensation too that I like.”Now there was a thought. He’d never had vibration there but he imagined it would be quite titillating. He handed the ring back to her. “This is a yes.”“Alright.” She grabbed her own bottle of lube and wiggled it at him meaningfully. “First thing’s first: lube, always. Any time a toy is going in or around anything, lube needs to be involved. Dryness is the enemy.”Amusement crinkled his eyes. “Understood.”“And it’s easier all around if you use a water-based lube. Most of my stuff is silicone and a silicone-based lube would straight up ruin them. I’m not sure about oil-as-lube,” she tilted her head thoughtfully, thinking about the massage session. “I don’t think I want to risk it to be honest. Toys aren’t cheap.”“So: always have water-based lubrication, and only water-based lubrication, on hand when we bring toys into the mix?” Loki clarified cheekily, chuckling at the glare she shot him. “Peace, my lady. Your toys will be perfectly safe in my care.”Why did he have to say it like that? Like everything of hers, her toys, her body, herself, would be safe with him and more than that: protected…cherished… It was enough to make a girl swoon.She really needed to get her shit together.“They’d better be,” she mock-warned, popping the top on the lube bottle and squirting some on the inside of the ring. His erection had gone down a bit during her lesson, thank frick, otherwise this would never work. “Since it’s your first time, I’m only going to put it around your dick, not put your balls through too, okay?”“I bow to your expertise.”She spread lubrication over his half-hard cock perfunctorily then stretched the teal ring out between her fingers and thumb, slipping it past his head. The pads of her fingers brushed against his sensitive skin, slick and warm and soft, and his breath whistled in his lungs.Her eyes flicked up to his, mouth curled in amusement. “Just breathe. I’ll be quick.”Minx. He narrowed his eyes at her, fully expecting her to take her sweet time, torturing him. It was what he’d do in her place after all. But Darcy was much kinder - she still teased, her fingers dragging much more than necessary he was sure, but she nestled the ring tight against his base without too much anticipation. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she all but purred, looking up at him as she stroked his cock to full hardness and then some.“Fuck Darcy…” The ring was tight around him, every heartbeat throbbing through his prick. She rotated it carefully until the vibrator pointed down and then she took his balls in her hand, fondling them, firm but gentle. He exhaled forcefully. “Unless you plan on letting me come momentarily, I suggest you cease.”She did immediately and he wanted very much to turn the tables: to torture her with pleasure and deny her her release. He must be mad to willingly agree to this every week, yet here he stood, struggling to compose himself as Darcy pressed kisses on either side of his sternum, her hands stroking his sides. Norns, he couldn’t imagine trading this for anything.“Are you ready for the vibe, or do you wanna pass on it tonight?”“I think I ought to receive the full experience, don’t you?” he asked with a sharp grin.Somehow, she wasn’t surprised. “If that’s what my good boy wants…” Holding him by the hip, she pressed the button, keeping a sharp eye on his reaction as the vibrator rumbled to life. His cool, calm mask vanished as his eyes widened, then shut, a shudder wracking through him.“Oh…”“What’s your color Loki?”It took him a moment to find his voice; the buzz against the thin skin of his balls was a revelation and it required all his considerable willpower not to come on the spot. But his lack of an immediate answer had Darcy reaching for the off button and it was only his inhuman reaction time that prevented that small tragedy.He caught her wrist delicately, pulling it away from the device and to his lips. Meeting her concerned eyes, he at last answered: “It’s green, my lady. Very, very green. I believe you mentioned something about me fucking you earlier?”Her plush lips stretched into a grin. “Well come on then, pretty boy. Get up here and fuck me.”Temptress that she was, she laid back, tracing her hands over her curves to the apex of her thighs, and then she spread them, revealing her panties failed to cover her cunt. Loki’s eyebrows flew up, wonderfully surprised, and he eagerly climbed between her legs. He traced his fingers over her swollen folds, dipping between them and finding her already dripping wet.“Don’t tease,” she warned, grabbing his hand and tugging him toward her. “I won’t tell you again: fuck me Loki.”Her order was not one he could ever imagine ignoring and he took his cock in hand, lining himself up and sinking in. Panting, he braced himself over her, eyes screwed tight. She was so wet and hot and the vibrations from the cock ring…“Mm, you feel good,” she purred against his ear, sinking a hand into his hair. “Take it slow at first. Get a feel for how deep you can go with the ring on. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?”He nodded, mastering himself before she had to prompt him. “Yes.”Looking down between them, he kept an eye on the teal ring around his red cock and pushed in slowly. The ring was about an inch or so wide and he doubted Darcy wanted the toy jammed against her quim, even if it lacked hard edges. With a few more tentative strokes, he was sure he had the depth right and he hiked her leg over his hip, settling into a faster pace.“That’s my smart boy,” she praised, scratching her short nails lightly down his chest, making him flush. “Such a quick learner.”He hadn’t once mashed the edge of the ring against her, which was more than she could say for some other partners. And now he was filling her just like she’d been imagining all week. She had a few dildos similar in size to him but none of them held a candle to the real deal. How could they when they lacked his hands and mouth and his firm body moving over her?She drew him into a kiss needily, winding her fingers into the roots of his hair and tugging a little. He moaned against her mouth and opened to her eagerly when she swiped her tongue against his lips. His hips snapped a little harder against hers and she clenched around him, loving the way he gasped, opening his eyes to glare at her.“Minx,” he growled, before kissing her breathless.“You love it,” she smirked, stretching both hands down to grab his ass.He swore. His ass was still a touch tender from his punishment and Darcy wasn’t shy about using her nails. It rode the knife’s edge of pleasure/pain before it bled fully into pleasure and he groaned, dragging kisses along her neck, sucking and nipping at her delicate skin.She tilted her head back, letting him work away without a thought to hickies and questions - the lab was cold enough she could get away with wearing a scarf still. He was so good with his mouth, and then his lips found the spot just below her ear. Her whimper only encouraged him to lave his tongue over it, to graze his teeth against it, to kiss and suck until she was writhing under him.“Loki…” she practically whined, gripping his hair to dislodge him. That spot was getting hypersensitive and she wanted that single-minded focus elsewhere. “Fuck honey, touch my clit.”He obliged immediately, sitting back on his heels. Under him, Darcy was beautifully sweat-flushed, blue eyes dark and half-lidded, and his prick throbbed inside her. Quickly licking his thumb, he dropped it down to her clit, rubbing slick circles and making her mewl helplessly.“Loki, oh… Loki…” Fuck, it felt so good. The callus on his thumb was driving her insane, scraping against her clit over and over, while he slowly rolled his hips, rocking his thick cock in and out of her. Her hands clenched in the sheets and she tossed her head, biting her lip.“So beautiful,” Loki murmured, his baritone washing over her and making her clench around him. “You’re a feast for the senses, my lady. Hot and tight around my prick, making such lovely sounds as I touch you. And -” He sucked her slick from his thumb before reapplying it to her clit. “- you taste so sweet, just like honey. Tell me: will you let me lick you tonight?”Oh God. Just the thought of riding his mouth again had had her wet all week and now his offer of a repeat performance had her pussy fluttering greedily around his cock, her orgasm beginning to crest.“Hnng. Do - do you really want to?” She managed to string the words together with effort. “Do you like putting that bratty mouth to good use?”“Oh yes.” If the situation were different, he’d create a duplicate to lick her cunt right now while he kept fucking her. He thrust inside her with more force, the image one he quite liked, and he wondered if she’d be open to it in the future. “Having you ride my tongue…smearing your slick all over my face…coming with abandon… I love using my mouth. I think you liked it too, Darcy.”She came with a cry, back arching and hands scrambling for something to hold onto as he rubbed her clit through it. He only stopped when she batted at his hand and hauled him on top of her. He grunted at the strength of her insistence but went willingly enough, bracing himself on his elbows. His cock was still hard and sheathed inside her but she seemed content to allow him the almost-lazy roll of his hips as he scattered kisses over her heaving chest.“Mmm, I needed that,” she sighed eventually, a pleased smile pulling at her mouth. She squeezed around him indulgently, liking the way his breath caught a little in his throat. “This is why I like cock rings - having you still hard in me after I come is great. But how’re you doing?”“Well enough.” Her quim tremored around him with aftershocks still but his own climax was a hazy thing in the distance which was…an odd feeling. The pressure and desire were there but the imminent need wasn’t. “I’m uncertain how much I like it to be honest.”“What’s your color?”“Still green, my lady,” he assured and slipped a hand behind her back, rolling them both to the side. (Bracing himself above her had done his shoulders no favors.) “I don’t dislike it. However I may be more ambivalent about it than you’d prefer.”But she shook her head. “No, nope, it doesn’t matter what I’d ‘prefer’, Loki, not when it comes to toys on or in you. Your comfort level is more important than my preferences. Do you wanna take it off?”His mouth pulled up in one corner. She was such a fierce thing, defending his right to disagree in matters of the bedroom. It was terribly sweet, even if he thought it unnecessary, and he kissed her before gently easing himself out from between her legs.“I think for now, yes.” He reached under his throbbing prick to turn off the vibrating portion. The split second of the higher settings left his gut swooping and he inhaled a touch shakily. “I did like the vibrator though.”“I can work with that.” She definitely had enough vibes for both of them. She grasped the ring and then stopped, flicking her eyes up to his. “You can come when I take this off, if you need to.”Careful of her nails, she pulled the ring down his length until it slipped free over his head. Almost immediately, Loki made a shocked kind of moan, curling in on himself as he spurted cum, the entire load coating his chest in thick ropes. He swore in Asgardian again, shuddering, and Darcy couldn’t help reaching down to stroke him, watching him dribble over her fingers.“Norns Below,” he gasped raggedly, surprised at how hard and fast his climax had torn through him, and it took far more coordination than usual to wrap his hand around hers, stilling her ministrations. “Show mercy, Darcy. Even a god has to catch their breath.”She chuckled and pulled her hands back and up. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. That was super hot.”He rolled onto his back, stretching out. His calves dangled off the side of the bed (they’d never re-orientated themselves after he’d undressed her) but that was fine for now. In his quest for comfort, he rested a hand on his chest - and pulled it away, eyeing the spend sticking to his fingers. Evidently, he’d made quite the mess.“Do you want me to get a cloth to clean up?” Wiping his hand on the sheet, he frowned, wrinkling his nose. “Can I not simply use seidr?”“Oh that’s right: you want cuddles when I let you come,” she teased, laughing a little at his whining. “Go ahead, sweetheart."He blushed but definitely didn’t pout at her ribbing. He was above that. With a twist of his wrist, he cleansed both of them and the sheets, rearranging himself so his full stature was on the mattress. Darcy followed suit, resting her head on his chest, with both arm and leg thrown over him.“There. Is this what my good boy wanted?” she checked, giving him a squeeze.She tilted her head up to look at him just in time to catch a kiss on her forehead. With a quiet chuckle, Loki wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close.“It is, my lady.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They had their little mid-session cuddle and some cider before Darcy crawled down to her bag of toys. “What do you wanna use next?”Personally, she was feeling a vibrator, and she pursed her lips. Which one though? There were so many choices: dildos, bullets, rabbits, wands, clit-stimulators, anal… A rabbit might be nice as long as Loki didn’t have any lame insecurities lurking around - she didn’t really feel like talking him through that tonight. Why some dudes viewed a silicone dick as competition was beyond her.Against the headboard, Loki finished drinking from his glass before setting it aside. “What other delights did you bring?”“Come look.” She inclined her head, inviting him to her end of the bed, and he shifted down. He was still naked and seeing him move so gracefully to her, all pale skin and lean muscle, sporting a chub, had her drooling just a bit. He leaned over her, pulling the side of the bag back so he could look inside.“Norns, how many did you bring? If I’d known this was going to be a marathon, I would’ve prepared better…”She snorted, pushing at his chest. “‘Prepared better’? How? Stretching? Carb-loading?”Though as soon as she said it, the idea of him stretching himself open popped into her head and made her stomach clench. Shit, that’d be hot.But he was fully distracted, eyebrows high on his face, as he pulled out a 10” rainbow-striped dildo. “This isn’t very realistic, is it?”“No but it’s more fun than flesh tones, don’t ya think?” Or the bizarrely ubiquitous hot pink.“I…suppose.” He sounded supremely unconvinced and she chuckled, taking it from him. “You meant the size, didn’t you? I used to get a lot of size queens - people who prefer to be fucked by big dicks with a capital B. Something about how tiny I am with a massive strap-on got a lot of people hot and bothered.”Loki flushed horribly as his own cock sprung to full hardness, aroused and embarrassed by it. Did he…want that? To be fucked? He’d only tried it once in a male body (and only a few times more in a female body) and he’d only trusted his own double to be his partner. It had been…enjoyable but not something he’d thought to repeat, even with another person.But Darcy… Darcy would be kind, would take her time preparing him, would ensure his pleasure. She always did. And there would be no rush to finish, no thread of shame in his chest over being the receiving partner… When she’d fingered him, she’d been nothing but supportive, had assured him, through deed and word, that it was acceptable to want it. She had enjoyed doing that for him, to him.“Loki?” She brushed a strand of hair from his face and he blinked at her. “You with me, honey?”He cleared his throat. “Yes. Yes, I’m with you. Sorry, I was woolgathering.”“Hmm. What about?”His eyes darted down to the dildo again and his mouth did something complicated before he tried to explain. “The…idea…of you…with that -”He trailed off, gaze skipping away, rubbing a crease in the sheet between his fingers.“Do you like that idea? Me wearing a strap-on?”“I…” Why was this so damned hard? She’d never judged him! But some insidious part of him whispered ‘yet’ and he hated it, hated even more how it made him prevaricate. “Perhaps. I’m not certain. What else did you bring?”He said it all quickly and prodded through the bag. He was struggling with this one and Darcy wasn’t altogether sure which part was the problem. Was it the mental image or the activity it implied? Either way, it didn’t seem like an issue he wanted pushed but if it was something he might be interested in, she wanted them to explore that.Before she could come up with a way to ask, he glanced at her again and wondered in an odd voice: "Do you enjoy wearing that?""Yeah. You've seen my interest list. I like fucking my subs. But - look at me -” She made sure he met her eyes before she continued firmly: “- it's not a requirement. I only want to if they - if you do too.""And is that -" He gave the rainbow dildo a pointed look. “- your preferred tool?""This? Nah. It's kinda unwieldy to be honest.” It was heavy and unbalanced and it was a goddamn workout to use. She searched through the bag and pulled out a double-ended black model. “Here. This one's my fav." Both phalluses were more…average-sized and realistic, complete with detailed heads and veining on the shafts. In the privacy of his thoughts, he was relieved by how much less intimidating they were compared to the rainbow model. The connecting angle was a bit mystifying, although the way Darcy held it provided illumination.He pointed to the upright phallus. “This one is for you?”“Yup. And this one would be for you.” She waved to the more horizontal one. “Technically this one doesn’t need a harness but I wear one with it anyway so I don’t have to worry about slippage when I’m really pounding away. Plus! A harness gives you more to grab on to, which I like.”Having a sub scrabbling at her thigh straps, hanging on desperately while she fucked them into the mattress (or against a wall, or over a table, if she wore the right heels) was primo visual stimulation and it always got her ragingly horny.“Ah.” He could feel heat blazing in his ears and the back of his neck. Imagining gentle, curvy, petite Darcy ‘pounding away’ was a heady image and his prick twitched traitorously, smearing precum against his stomach. “That’s um…”She carried on as though he hadn’t spoken (probably for the best, he thought faintly). “I have a smaller version that I’d use to ease you into pegging. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Fingers, then butt plugs, then straps. And smaller first, building up to the big guns - if that’s something you want. Are you? Interested in any of it?”“Yes.” The word fell out of his mouth before he’d even decided to say it, but it was true. He was honestly, completely, desperately interested in all of it. In Darcy fingering him, working a butt plug into him, replacing it with her cock. Norns. He wasn’t bold enough to say anything more than that single word but she was unperturbed.“Do you maybe wanna start with your new plug?” she asked kindly, finding the two bright spots of pink in his cheeks cute as hell. Who knew the God of Mischief could be flustered so easily by pegging?Loki nodded a touch frantically and only remembered himself when she lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, my lady.”“Good boy.” She leaned in and kissed his hot cheek. “Lay down on your side for me.”He moved to obey and Darcy got up off the bed, moving her bag to the couch so it was out of the way. Laying on his side would remove any strain on his back and shoulders, but there was still the issue of her being behind him. It hadn’t been a problem last time she’d fingered him but this would take longer, and she bit her lip. The mirror he’d conjured was across from the bed, just angled wrong.
Here’s hoping it doesn’t weigh as much as it looks.
Loki watched curiously as she poked the mirror’s frame and then swung it to face him head on. His reflection colored to see himself on display, his full stature spread out on the bed, his prick full and hard against his belly, a blatant trail of precum smeared against his skin. Once Darcy seemed satisfied with the mirror’s position, she returned to the bed’s edge.“Why did you move the mirror?” he wondered as she discarded the packaging on her gift to him. “So you can see me behind you,” she said simply, as if the answer was obvious, and suddenly his chest felt too small for all the feeling in it. Oblivious, she held out the plug and its remote to him. “If you want, you can check out the different vibe patterns.”“Darcy…” She was so…considerate, and she hadn’t made a fuss or waited until he was uncomfortable or made him ask, she’d simply done it. He swung upright to draw her between his knees and cup her face in his large hands. He kissed her, pouring as much gratitude into it as he was capable of.“Thank you,” he murmured at last, kissing her once more, and she made a funny face.“‘Thank you’...? Is this about the mirror? You don’t have to thank me, Loki. It’s my responsibility to make sure you’re safe and comfortable.”But he shook his head and kissed her cheek. “Regardless. I thank you, my lady.”He was ridiculous and clearly, she needed to take even more care of him if he thought such a small gesture needed thanks. A small ball of rage took up residence under her ribs but she’d have to work it out in the gym later - she couldn’t very well demand to meet his past lovers so she could tear a strip off them. It’d be a little weird.Shoving those feelings aside for now, she refocused on him. “I thought I told you to lay down, mister.”Chuckling, he released her and laid down again, making himself comfortable with a pillow under his head and his knees slightly bent. “Good boy.” She curled a hand behind his top knee and encouraged it up higher and over, resting it against the mattress. “That’s better. Are you comfortable like this?”Understanding that for the invitation it was, he shifted his bottom hip back further and adjusted his genitals so nothing pinched. “Yes.”“‘Kay. Tell me if that changes. Now, whether you play with the remote or not -” She set the plug in his hand and closed his fingers around it. “- I want you to keep that warm for me while I finger you, alright?”The silicone was a solid weight in his fist, cool and soft to the touch but firm, and a shiver built along his spine, imagining it pressing against his hole.He wet his lips. “Alright.”“That’s my good boy,” she praised, a satisfied tilt to her lips that calmed something in him. She kissed his forehead, brushing away any wisps of hair on his cheek, and then climbed behind him. “How’s the view?”Looking past his own reflection, Darcy knelt on the bed behind his legs. There was no threat here, no need to irrationally worry about what she might do to him while out of sight. He could see her clearly and he relaxed. “It’s perfect.”She agreed; the only thing that would make it better would be him tied up in ropes but he must’ve gotten his bondage fix during his spanking since he’d vanished the rope after. Maybe next time, she thought and picked up the lube bottle, popping its cap.“Can you do that cleaning spell for me, sweetheart? And, hm, maybe warm the lube? I don’t wanna startle you with how cold it is.”He obliged eagerly, enjoying the feel of his seidr tingling between his asscheeks. “Done, my lady. Now please…”“I won’t tease you this time,” she promised, squirting lube onto her fingers, and then cocked her head, thinking. “Well. Not much,” she amended, ignoring his exasperated sigh.Tucking the bottle between her knees, she dragged two fingers firmly between his cheeks, savoring his sharp inhale. He twisted a little more, opening himself up to her, and she smiled to herself, working the lube up and down his cleft and over his taint.He moaned quietly, thighs tensing as she pressed up behind his balls briefly. “Norns… Don’t make me beg. I’ve been good, haven’t I? ”“You have been,” she cooed, squeezing out more lube and zeroing in on his puckered hole, rubbing maddening circles over it. “You’ve been so good for me, sweetheart. I had to spank you first but I can’t hold that against you when we both enjoyed it so much. So no, no begging tonight. I’ll give you just what you want.”Her promise rang in his ears as she slowly pushed one fingertip against his hole, easing him open with excruciating care. He was grateful there was no sting of pain but Norns, couldn’t she go faster? Fill him with her fingers, thrust in and out, light up his mind with pleasure… He could so easily imagine her pressed tight against his back, whispering filthy encouragement in his ear, as her hips slapped against his, her silicone cock shiny with lube as it worked between his cheeks, her hand stroking his prick in a delicious counterpoint. Fuck, it was a titillating fantasy, made all the more thrilling by the complete surety that Darcy would be more than happy to fulfill it.“Breathe for me,” she reminded him sternly and he bit the inside of his lip against a groan. He loved that tone and he made himself inhale and exhale regularly, slow, obvious respirations, as she slid a finger all the way in. It felt stunning and he squeezed around it greedily, a whimper slipping out unawares when she withdrew. No, he wanted more -! “Shh, shh, don’t worry, honey. I’ll take care of you.” She smoothed a hand over his hip and thigh, pushing her finger back into his hot, tight hole, starting a slow thrust. “I won’t leave you wanting.”“I know,” he gritted out, readjusting his grip on the plug for lack of anything else to fondle. "Could you not be faster about it though?”She ‘tsk’ed, moving just the tip of her finger in and out in retaliation. “Such an impatient brat… Didn’t I show you how nice taking your time felt last time?”“Yes but I prefer instant gratification,” he huffed, closing his eyes and trying to relax into the sensations. “Why wait when I can have it all now?”“Sometimes the wait is worth it.” And in this case, it was safer too but that probably didn’t get his motor going, especially given he was used to being an impervious god. But she wasn’t mean; she added more lube and worked two fingers into the first knuckle. Loki groaned between bitten lips, trying so hard not to make noise, to maintain the facade of stoicism, even as he pushed back on her fingers and turned his face into the pillow.“Oh no, honey, nu-uh.” She reached out and grabbed his chin, making him face her. He looked at her from between his long lashes, frowning, and she drew his lip from between his teeth. “Don’t hide from me. I want to see all your pretty expressions, hear all your sexy little sounds… Can you do that for me, honey?”His nose wrinkled with his frown. “I told you: I’m not very vocal.”Bullshit. He totally was when he forgot himself and let himself go; she had the smokin’ hot memories to prove it. But if he wanted to pretend, fine. Rolling her eyes, she pushed her fingers in deeper, making him grunt. This time, his eyes showed his arousal, the green of them dark and heated.Keeping eye contact, she bent over and softly kissed his ribs. “You don’t have to recite poetry or whatever, mister. Just… Feel free to make noise. You don’t have to hold back; I’m not gonna tell anyone you - gasp! - like sex.”Loki laughed, eyes crinkling beautifully. “Oh no, anything but that.”“Right, so you’ll try?” she prodded with a grin.“If you insist,” he sighed, a smile still playing on his mouth. Darcy moved her fingers in a particular way and he gasped. “Faen!”“Do you like that?”Norns, her fingers felt amazing, scissoring gently inside him, awakening all kinds of dormant nerves. He could barely catch his breath with it and a choked moan escaped him as she twisted her wrist.“Y-yes!”“Tell me how much you like it, Loki,” she ordered cruelly, her plush mouth curled into a smirk that he dearly wanted to taste. “Tell me and I’ll give you more. You wanna take another of my fingers, don’t you, pretty boy?”Fucking Norns Below, she was going to be the death of him. “Yes,” he answered her before she did something drastic to prompt him, like stop. He blushed to admit it but it was true. He wanted another of her fingers inside him, working in concert with its fellows to bring him to a no doubt world-shattering climax. “I… I love it, Darcy.”“You can do better than that, Mr. Silver Tongue.” He squirmed under her teasing but that just made her laugh. She brushed another fingertip near his hole as incentive. “Come on. Use your words.”Blasted woman! No one else had ever insisted he explain himself at length, least of all in the throes of passion! But Darcy was a different kind of lover, one that he responded to unexpectedly and eagerly. Her fingers thrust inside him, almost but not quite reaching his prostate, and he imagined what another finger would feel like...“Fuck,” he groaned, wetting his dry lips, but he was determined. “I - Damn it. I love it, Darcy. Knowing your fingers are inside me, stretching me open…gentle but inexorable… Norns, I can barely stand it. You turn me into a wanton, greedy creature so - unh - so easily. I want more. Another finger. More speed. Deep - deeper. Please. Show me how generous, how kind you are, my lady.”
Holy shit.
It took her a second to even remember what she was doing but she snapped her jaw shut and squirted more lube against her fingers where they entered his body. “God, you can be such a good boy when you want to be. You definitely earned another finger, sweetie.”“You do provide unique incentive,” he quipped, hoping to cover how her praise affected him. It was scarcely anything and if it only went to his prick that would be fine, but it went to his heart too, making it feel too large for his chest in a discomforting manner.He forgot it quickly enough when Darcy pressed three fingers against his hole, slowly pushing them inside. Sweat beaded in the small of his back and his breath caught in his throat. Oh. It felt… It was a definite stretch, the slightest sting… But it was like his spanking: the tiny bit of pain ratcheted his pleasure impossibly higher and he wanted more. Switching the plug to his other hand, he boldly reached back and grabbed his own ass, spreading his cheeks for her.“More, Darcy, please,” he urged her, voice husky and wrecked. “I can take it.”“Can you?” she wondered lowly, rocking her fingers in and out as she reached between her own legs. His hand was spread wide over his own ass, fingers digging in and dimpling the flesh, driving her crazy. She’d rim him in a second if he held himself open for her; she bet he’d forget his ridiculous idea that he “wasn’t vocal” real quick if she kissed and licked his asshole, jerking him off and fondling his balls. She’d definitely need a toy for herself though. Oh, what if…? He could create a double of himself, right? She shuddered, plunging three fingers easily into her pussy at the idea.“Yes,” he insisted, twisting to look over his shoulder. He groaned, seeing her hand work between her thighs. “Fuck, are you touching yourself, Darcy?”“Mmhm.” She ground against the heel of her palm, sparks skittering up her spine. “You get me so wet, honey. Watching you…touching you… Hearing you.”She said the last pointedly, a saucy grin taunting him as she pushed her fingers deeper in his ass, making him moan and fall back on his pillow. It felt divine and he pushed back against her, taking a little more. Sounds fell unfettered from his mouth as his hips followed the pattern of her thrusts, making his aching cock bob and bounce.“Faen ja,” he panted, her fingers sliding even further inside, glancing against that perfect spot inside. He threw his head back, dragging the back of his knuckles along his length, plug still solidly held in his fist. “Norns. Let me - unh - let me come, Darcy!”“Not yet.”He clenched his teeth, grinding them together, using the pain to walk him back from the edge. He was still close and she began rubbing circles inside his ass, making her denial worse.“Dar - Darcy, please,” he begged, feeling his balls draw up. What would happen if he finished without her permission? She wouldn’t be best pleased. “I’m - fuck! - I’m so close! Let me come.”There was a whining urgency in his voice that made her pussy throb and she bit her lip, excited. “Don’t you want to have a plug buried in your tight ass, honey? My present will look so good between these sexy cheeks. I think you’re almost ready for it, if you can hang on.”He swore viciously. He did want that but there was no way he’d last. He shook his head quickly, voice tight. “I can’t. Stop or let me come! Please, my lady, please! I’m going to -”She relented at the last second: “Go ahead Loki.”Nearly before his name left her mouth, he came with a garbled shout, curling in on himself, his entire body tensing before he went abruptly lax, panting hard against the pillow. Darcy was impressed; he’d come practically untouched and she didn’t think he would’ve been able to hold back if she’d said no again. It was hot as fuck.He whimpered when she removed her fingers, twitching a little, and she kissed up his side to his shoulder. “You okay, sweetheart?”It took a second for the question to filter through. He was exhausted and floating, yet somehow his body still responded to her warmth pressing up behind him, his softened cock trying to perk up.Slowly, he nodded, managing a faint: “Yes.”“Good. Did you keep your plug warm like a good boy?”He only managed an affirmative-sounding hum, unclenching his fist to hold the toy up to her. He’d kept hold of it the entire time, just as she’d asked.“Thank you, honey.” She kissed his shoulder again and took it from him. “Do you still want to wear it tonight? Or do you need a break?”Norns preserve me… She was trying to kill him. It was the oddest assassination method he’d ever heard of but it suited her. No doubt her body count was in the dozens.He huffed a laugh at himself; clearly that orgasm had knocked some of his sense loose, but it had been well worth it.“I want to wear it.” Somehow, he managed to make his voice sound firm despite how untethered he felt. He did want it; he was certain of that.Darcy took in his dreamy, far-off expression and his loose limbs; if he wasn’t in subspace, he was definitely on the edge of it. She’d sent plenty of subs to that headspace where everything felt good and you never wanted it to end, but it was a sign to her to take things easy and proceed with caution. She didn’t want to accidentally hurt him.“Are you sure, Loki?” she asked sternly, hoping to cut through his endorphin haze.He answered by reaching back and pulling his cheeks apart again, sighing: “Please.”Well she couldn’t argue with that. Coating the plug in lube, she curled up behind him and pushed the toy in slowly. “Keep breathing for me.”He obliged, breathing slowly as the toy breached him. It was thicker than her fingers but not by much and he wanted it all immediately. But she still went slow, moving away when he tried to push back and take more.“Relax honey,” she whispered, kissing his neck. “You can have it all in a second. That’s a good boy.”As soon as he obeyed, she pushed the toy forward until it popped past his ring of muscle and he clamped around it, shuddering in her arms. “Faen…”“Does that feel good?” She gripped the t-bar, pulling on it lightly - not enough to dislodge it, just to tease.“So good,” he moaned, squeezing around it rhythmically. His cock lazily filled again and he thought of her warm, wet quim sheathing him. “Fuck. Will you ride me? I want to feel you.”“Mm, you say the sweetest things, y’know that?” Settling the t-bar against his crack, she patted his ass, making him whine and push back against her. Chuckling, she kissed behind his ear; he definitely liked the plug, the cutie. “On your back for me, sweetheart.”She drew away enough for him to situate himself and as he moved, he realized he could feel the plug the entire time. Its solid weight shifted and jostled inside him as he settled on his back and oh! His breath stuttered out and he bit the inside of his lip to no avail. He groaned audibly. “Loki? Give me your color.” She thought she could tell from the freakin’ bliss on his face but it paid to be sure.“Green,” he managed to choke out. Laying down on his backside put pressure on the base of the toy and it felt amazing. “Fucking Norns, it’s green. Come here.”He reached for her and laughing, she swung a leg over his hips, humming pleasurably as she rocked her pussy over his dick. He was rock hard again and she loved his minuscule refractory period. Holding her hands up, she wiggled her fingers meaningfully. “Can you clean my hands please?”“Of course.”His seidr tingled against her palms and she took him in hand, bracing herself against his cum-streaked abs to lift up and align him with her entrance. Slowly, she sank down on him, her head falling back with a moan. God, the feel of him, thick and long, filling her up…She clenched around him and Loki felt close to Valhalla. She was deliciously tight around his prick and her perfect weight atop him pressed his hips down, making him intimately aware of the plug in his ass. What would it be like when she moved? He couldn’t wait to find out.Leisurely, Darcy started undulating her hips. “Mm, do you wanna try the remote? I know you can handle it.”That made one of them. Every time she sank down on him, he clenched automatically around the plug and it felt phenomenal. But he’d already had two intense climaxes tonight. Perhaps the vibration wouldn’t be quite so overwhelming now, regardless of its placement.“Why not?” he offered with a breath of laughter, reaching for the remote and handing it to her. “Surely you won’t hold it against me should I come immediately.”“Nah. I’d be kinda impressed though.” She hesitated to take the remote, her brow furrowing a little even as she still rode him. “You don’t want to turn it on yourself?”Tipping it into her hand, he closed her fingers around it, feeling unaccountably shy when he said: “I trust you not to push me too hard, Darcy.”She knew, on some level, that he trusted her in a few things, sex being the main one, but to hear him say it aloud? She swooped down to kiss him because what else could she do with all these feelings? One of his hands held her hip and the other lost itself in her hair, cradling her head, as he responded eagerly, clasping and brushing her lips.Finally, she pulled back, knocking her forehead gently against his. “Thank you, sweetie. I promise I won’t make you regret that. Let’s start with the lowest setting, okay? You don’t have to cycle through every setting to turn this one off either, so that’s a bonus ‘cause there’s like, ten.”“I’m ready.” Or as ready as he could be, considering his lack of experience. Torn between nervousness and excitement, he attempted to breathe normally, relaxing as much as possible. He made a point of resting his hands on the sheets, rather than on her skin - he had no wish to bruise her or worse should his reaction be…extreme. Better to err on the side of caution.Darcy pressed the button and Loki jerked, a full body shiver wracking through him as the toy buzzed to life. The hair on the back of his neck and on his arms rose and his stomach clenched, reactions he was as helpless to control as his hands fisting in the sheets or the pleasure pulsing in his groin. Oh Norns…“Breathe Loki. What’s your color?”He managed to wrench his eyes open through sheer force of will to see Darcy’s thumb hovering over the ‘off’ button. Quickly, he plucked it from her hand and tossed it to the side. “Incredibly green.”She lifted an eyebrow, hella amused. She hadn’t heard the remote hit the floor so that was something at least, and he could always summon it when they were ready to turn it off. “That good, huh? Do you like your present?”“Mm, I very much do, my lady,” he assured, sliding his hands up her thighs. The vibrations were incredible but at this setting, not so powerful as to overwhelm him, which he was grateful for. “How ever can I show my appreciation?”His hands were hot on her skin, his long fingers skimming under the back of her panties, and she squeezed around him. His grip tightened a little bit but he didn’t try to urge her back into riding him. Instead, he just stared up at her, black hair fanned out on the pillow, eyes dark and locked on her, waiting patiently for her answer.Arousal pounded in her veins, dark and heady. He wanted to appreciate her, did he? Wanted her to tell him what that meant? It was another act of submission, another layer of control and power he was ceding to her. She could ask for anything, demand he do anything, and it felt like no matter what, he’d happily obey. Slowly, she reached behind her and unhooked her bra, dropping it over the side of the bed. “You can appreciate me by playing with the girls. You know how much they love attention.”“Yes, my lady,” he murmured, letting his eyes drop - and his hands rise - to her ample breasts. “They’re exquisite, you know.”“I may have heard that before,” she said wryly; she’d only been hearing some variation of it since 8th grade. Never in those exact words, though. Leaning forward, she braced her hands on his chest and began rocking against him. “Are you more of a tits or ass man?”Midgardians had such crass sayings, but to say so could be construed as an insult, no matter the veracity of the statement.“In your case, I hate to choose. They’re both mesmerizing to watch when the opportunity presents itself.” Their positions being what they currently were, he quite favored the view of her tits. They were soft as silk, and a warm, heavy weight in each of his hands. He traced along the silvery lines scoring her skin, light and teasing, following them down to her pink areolas. He circled each one with the same barely-there touch, thinking they really would fit perfectly in his mouth, but first, he gently rolled her pert nipples between his fingers, drawing a moan out of her.“You’re such a tease,” she sighed, arching into his touch. It felt good but: “I like a firm touch. You can even be a little rough, if you want.”“As my lady pleases.”After all she’d done for him tonight, the least he could do was oblige her. He wasn’t entirely certain how rough ‘a little’ was but that hardly mattered. Instead, he simply pinched her nipples between his fingers, plucking and twisting as she ground against his pelvis, a flush high in her cheeks. The motion made him very aware of the plug in his ass and he swallowed a groan. He needed to return her generosity, make her feel as overwhelmed as he did, bring her the same intense pleasure she’d given him. It would only be fair. Eagerly, he drew one of her perfect breasts to his mouth as he fondled its twin.“Oh! Yes Loki, that’s a good boy,” she purred above him, a goddess deigning to find her pleasure with him. She ran her hand through his hair, her nails scraping lightly against his scalp, and he shut his eyes at how good it felt - her words and actions both. “I love your talented mouth, sweetheart.”At her praise, he redoubled his efforts, sucking harder on her nipple, laving his tongue against it, while his thumb dragged back and forth against the other one, occasionally rolling it between his fingers to a beautiful chorus of her moans. Darcy had no reticence about being vocal as he did; pleased sighs fell from her plush lips as easily as her kind words and he soaked them both up in equal measure.“You’re so good to me, honey, treating me right, just like a good boy should.” Her nipples were like a direct line to her clit and between his fingers and his mouth, her orgasm was coiling tight in her middle, getting ready to explode. She just needed a little more.Under her, Loki whined deep in his throat, his hips snapping up against hers as he played with her tits, and she grinned. Apparently she wasn’t the only one close and she rode him harder, wanting to see him come again. He unlatched with a wet noise, wishing they were better proportioned so that he might bury his face in her breasts whilst she rode him. With a little effort and half a dozen pillows, he could probably make it possible. Not when he was so near climax though. Alas…Regardless, his priorities weren’t with himself. After two overwhelming orgasms already, he wanted to focus on her.“Dar - Darcy… How -” He licked his dry lips, chest heaving. “- How can I help you? I want to feel you come around me.”“You’re such a sweetheart, y’know that?” She pressed two of her fingers against his mouth. “Suck.”Loki’s stomach swooped at the order, arousal pouring into his blood like fire. These were the same fingers she’d worked him open with and (clean though they were) it was a filthy thrill to open his mouth to them. She slid them inside, gentle but firm, and he swallowed hard before closing his mouth and sucking. His tongue traced over every millimeter of her skin, curling over the joints of her knuckles, scraping over her short nails, diving eagerly between them and around. Something unlocked inside him as he gave himself over to his task, the driving urge in his groin fading to the background as he obeyed her. He actually chased after her hand when she pulled away, his eyes opening stickily to look up at her (and when had he closed them?).“You’re such a good boy, Loki. You did that so well,” she praised him softly, cupping his jaw with her other hand. He nuzzled into her touch. “Now I’m going to rub my clit with these fingers. Are you gonna watch?”“Yes, my lady,” he managed to rasp out, dropping his gaze to where they were joined obediently.“Good.”She slipped her fingers under the front of her panties, zeroing in on her swollen clit easily. Fuck, it felt good and she let her head fall back for a moment while she touched herself, spreading his saliva all over her clit. But she wanted to watch him watch her and she rolled her head up. All his concentration was on her, on her fingers moving in circles, on his dick being swallowed up by her pussy as she bounced on top of him.“Vakker,” he breathed, his voice gone gravelly with pleasure, and he cupped her hips, thumbs massaging the bones.Darcy didn’t know what that meant but he spoke it almost reverently so she assumed it was a positive thing. She loved when he broke into Asgardian, loved his big hands on her and how his cock felt deep in her pussy, gliding in and out. His eyes were laser-focused on her, a flush on his cheekbones and his thin lips parted in a pant. She rubbed herself faster and came, crying out.With her quim fluttering and clamping around him, Loki was helpless to stave off his own orgasm and it ripped through him powerfully, her name falling from his lips as he arched up and collapsed back to the mattress. He gasped for air, entirely undone, and the plug was still vibrating, Darcy still rocking lazily on his cock. Pleasure ricocheted over his senses and it felt divine and wonderful and overwhelming and Norns, he came again, twitching and moaning, his fingers digging into her hips.He made a noise somewhere between a punched-out groan and whimper and she remembered the plug in his ass.“Oh shit, Loki, frick -” She quickly patted around for the remote, thankfully finding it near his calf, and immediately jabbed the off button. “- I’m so sorry, honey! Are you okay? What’s your color?”The effort it took to process her question and form an answer felt so gargantuan he could be forgiven for thinking he’d spoken aloud.“Loki. Look at me.”Her voice was incredibly stern and he felt her grip his chin, turning his face to her. She was beautiful, with her brown waves of hair stuck to her sweaty skin and her lovely blue eyes and her pretty pursed mouth. Her brows were furrowed in concern and his hand twitched, wanting to smooth the crease away but finding that much too laborious. “Are you hurt?” she demanded, searching his face. “Answer me.”“Green,” he breathed quietly, managing to quirk his lips into a smile for her.It took her half a second for his answer to make any kind of sense but as soon as it did, her whole face relaxed, relief coursing through her almost stronger than the orgasm she’d just had.“‘Green’, huh?” She shook her head, amused, and dipped to kiss his forehead. “I like your enthusiasm but I think you’re done for the night, sweetie.”At the bare minimum, he needed a rest, a chance for his brain to come back online because he was seriously spaced out. In any other circumstance, she’d be hella worried but right now, she was kinda patting herself on her back. She broke the God of Mischief’s brain with sex. Go me!He didn’t object, just hummed absently and shut his eyes again, taking a deep breath. His hands had fallen to her knees and his fingers dug in a little behind them, trying - as near as she could tell - to encourage her closer.“I know, I know,” she chuckled, climbing off him with a slight wince. She grabbed the top sheet that had gotten kicked aside and drew it over them. “Cuddle time.”She moved to tuck herself under his arm but he beat her to it, turning onto his side with a grunt of effort and tucking himself against her. Content as a cat, he nuzzled his cheek against her boob and threw an arm over her waist.Bemused, she blinked down at his dark head before mentally shrugging and starting to card her fingers through his hair. Everything felt so…euphoric in his present state. His body felt incredibly well-used: a gentle ache permeated his genitals and exhaustion seeped from every muscle. The weight of the plug in his ass was a comfortable reminder of all the pleasure it had brought, as were the sweat and seed coating his skin. The whole enterprise had been utterly sublime and Loki’s mind was silent in the best of ways. There were no thoughts or worries or schemes, just a blanketing haze of contentment.Against him, Darcy was soft and warm, smelling of sex and citrus, and he maneuvered that little bit closer, having no qualms about smooshing his face into her breast. She’d made him feel so good, had been so full of praise for him, with her sweet kisses…electrifying orders…exciting ideas… He very much enjoyed their Sundays together.🍧She loved cuddling. She really did! But after twenty minutes, she couldn’t ignore how gross she felt. She really needed at least a quick clean-up before he fell asleep. “Loki, honey?” He made a snuffly sound that sounded inquisitive and she counted that as a success.“Can I get up for a sec? Or can you use seidr to clean us up maybe? Please?”Slowly, his brain made the connection between the two questions and he became aware of the itchy, sticky mess on his belly and cock, and the dried lube between his asscheeks. Wrinkling his nose, he realized she probably didn’t feel much better. He let his seidr loose in a green wave, cleansing their skin and the bed, and returning the many blankets and pillows. His sage-colored coverlet, embroidered with Yggdrasil’s many branches, settled over them, and Loki inched up onto a pillow so his face was even with Darcy’s.“Much better, thanks!” She rolled to him with a smile. “How’re you doing?”Loki gazed at her softly, still feeling quiet. “Well. Yourself?”“I’m good.” She cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb back and forth lightly. “I notice you didn’t give us pajamas. Do you still want a bath?”He tilted enough to kiss the heel of her palm, considering. “Only if you do.”“Then let’s skip it tonight, honey. Do you still have the plug in?”“Yes.” He breathed in deeply and stretched his tired limbs, clenching automatically around the plug as he moved. “Thank you again; I love it.”“I thought you might.” She was still pleased as punch that it had been a success though. “It’s a beginner size but I figured you could use seidr to size it up as you get used to it. Only if you want, I mean! I’ve got zero expectations or requirements on my end, okay?”He took in the sweet concern marring her expression and smiled, nudging his forehead against hers. “I understand Darcy, worry not. I think… I think I’d like to work up to something larger in time.”He offered that tidbit shyly and she melted a little, kissing him. “We can do that, Loki. We’ll take our time. But you should take it out now, honey. You can wear this kind for a couple of hours if you want, but you def have to work up to it.”That made sense, he supposed. Already, he was beginning to ache and, with the lube having dried, it chafed a little. “Would you care to remove it for me?” he asked, pushing in a little closer, even though one of them would surely have to move in a moment. His craving for her skin against his was one he could never seem to satisfy. “You were the one who inserted it after all.”Her pussy clenched at the offer. Sure, he’d probably only made it out of a combo of laziness and wanting to be taken care of, but try convincing her hormones of that. Her inner Dom was ready to slap a brand on his ass that read Property of Darcy Lewis, all others will be tased. Which was stupid and possessive and not what he meant or what she wanted.(Her inner Dom disagreed. With teeth. She ignored it.)“Yeah, I can if you want,” she said with a shrug, proud of how nonchalant she sounded. “Roll over.”He did, assuming the same position she’d put him in when she inserted the toy. “How does this work then, with the largest part coming out first?”“Carefully,” she sing-songed, lifting his top cheek. Goddamn, that t-bar looked good nestled up against his crack… But playtime was over and she needed to chill. “But seriously, we just go slow. It might feel kinda uncomfortable but it shouldn’t hurt. Tell me ASAP if it does, okay?”“Yes, my lady.”“Good boy. Just try to relax for me.”He did his best. Part of him wished he’d simply removed it with seidr and avoided this whole conundrum but, well… It still felt more good than uncomfortable.It took a few minutes and a few check-ins (she didn’t trust him or his high pain tolerance…) before the plug came free. As soon as it was out, Loki’s seidr swirled around it, leaving it no-doubt squeaky clean, and he rolled back to her, pulling her down into his arms again. She huffed a laugh; talk about a cuddle fiend!“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she asked, cupping his butt and giving it a gentle squeeze. She’d definitely put it through its paces tonight.“No,” he agreed. It hadn’t hurt at all and his concern (and hers) had been for naught. Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face because Darcy reached up and tapped his nose, making him go cross-eyed. “Hey, whatcha thinking?”Annoyed, he caught her hand, kissing it but tucking it safely against his chest. The word ‘nothing’ hovered on the tip of his tongue but looking into her expectant face, it dissolved and transformed. “Thank you for tonight. I know I’ve been…less than tolerable lately -”“That’s one way of putting it,” she muttered and he slanted a brief glare her way.“- As I was saying,” he continued snippily, even as his thumb gently brushed back and forth over her hand, “I know I’ve been, shall we say irritable? lately but tonight, all of it, has been a soothing balm and I appreciate it.”“Okay, a) you don’t have to thank me. This isn’t some hardship for me, Loki.” She rolled her eyes. As if having crazy hot monkey sex with him wasn’t the highlight of her week. “And b) I’m glad it helped but like, why were you such a grumpy-Gus anyway?”He’d seemed fine after their ice cream chat on Wednesday and then she’d walked into a glitter bomb on Thursday and it had only gotten worse on Friday.Loki sucked his teeth, wondering how best to explain. “There was no inciting incident. I had simply reached my capacity for not causing mischief. You must understand, I’ve been on my absolute best behavior by your Midgardian standards for nearly a year now. On Asgard and the other friendly realms, I would scheme and create mischief daily and on a much larger scale usually.”She chewed on that for a minute. Yeah, she balked at the idea he’d been on his ‘best behavior’ since he’d come to Earth but… If they were talking pranks and mischief, then okay, fine. By that standard, he’d been a perfect angel. (Well. To everyone other than her maybe.)“It almost sounds like… I dunno, more than your personality? Like it’s a…drive that you can’t help?” She wrinkled her nose, laughing self-consciously. “That sounds ridiculous, never mind.”“It’s not ridiculous. It’s not entirely accurate either but…” He propped himself up on his elbow, curling a lock of her hair around his finger. “What you describe is a part of it. As the God of Mischief, I do have a compulsion to create mischief, but it stems from who I am as a person. I was a mischievous scamp as a child, long before I received my title. I…apologize if my pranks angered you.”“Relax. I think the only person you pissed off was Agent Creep. The rest of us were just kinda…annoyed.” Which was maybe sugar-coating it a bit but she didn’t think anybody was going to hold a grudge come Monday. Fingers crossed anyway. “Pretty sure I’ll still be washing glitter out of my hair six months from now though.”The light in her bathroom had caught flecks of green in her hair even after her pre-session shower.He laughed, entirely unrepentant, and kissed her thoroughly. “I think it looks utterly ravishing.”“You would, brat.” She smiled up at him and tucked some loose hair behind his ear. “Has tonight helped calm you down enough or should I still be on my guard tomorrow in the lab?”Loki took the time to think on it. The mischievous urge in his chest had settled under her tender mercies; it was far less insistent now and could probably be successfully ignored for a time. But where’s the fun in that?“Best stay on guard,” he advised solemnly. “One never knows when an enemy - or the God of Mischief - will strike.”His fingers, which had been gently stroking over her ribs, abruptly dug in and she shrieked. “Nononono! No tickling! Loki!”The rat bastard kept going, even as she squirmed and wriggled and shoved at his hands, laughing helplessly between demands he stop. God, he was such a shit and she hooked her leg behind his knee, rolling them both so she was straddling him, pinning his hands down. She’d only succeeded due to surprise but that was all she needed, and she stared down at him in triumph, panting.“Ha! Now what, oh great God of Mischief?”Instead of reversing their positions like she half-expected, he stared up at her in wonder, a soft smile stealing across his face. Green light danced around his fingers and she braced herself but all that happened was the appearance of their pajamas. A pitcher of cider materialized on the bedside table and the lights dimmed.“Loki?”“Now I think it’s time for my lady to rest. She wakes up revoltingly early after all. If you want, of course,” he tacked on hastily, realizing his words could be construed as an order when that wasn’t his intention.As if on cue, she yawned and there went her chances of successfully arguing. But he seemed to be done playing for the night so she climbed off him and flopped onto her back beside him. “Yeah, alright.”They drank cider and took turns getting ready for bed. While Darcy set her alarm, he tidied up and then climbed under the blankets with her, pulling her close. She was pliant and warm in his arms, drowsily tucking her head into his chest, and he pressed his lips to her hair.“Sweet dreams, Darcy.”“‘Night Loki,” she mumbled back and he extinguished the lights.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Time had gotten away from her.Well, away from Jane really. Darcy was super aware of the clock ticking past 5 o’clock, just like she was super freakin’ aware of Loki at his desk, impatience radiating off his lanky frame as he threw a pen in the air and caught it on the way down. She felt bad but she couldn’t exactly bail on Jane in the middle of a science binge. What was she supposed to do? Blurt out that she had a date and land herself in a game of 20 questions? No way Jose!She bit her lip, her fingers flying across the keyboard as if her words per minute would effect how fast Jane nailed down her latest theory. She could lie and say she had an appointment. It was technically the truth and her friend wouldn’t ask any questions, just shoo her on her way. Guilt wormed in her stomach at the idea though - she didn’t want to lie. And ice cream with Loki could wait… Not like, all night, she assured herself. She’d just let Jane rant a little longer and then she’d come up with an excuse.Really.Fifteen minutes later, she shot an apologetic look at Loki who scowled back, unimpressed, and she winced. This was her job though! What did he expect her to do?“ - atmospheric destabiliz - Wait, what time is it?” Jane grabbed her phone in a sudden panic just as the overhead lights flickered.Darcy shot a look at their resident trickster god, who looked waaay too innocent to not be the cause. Don’t you dare cause a power outage, you big baby!Luckily for him, Thor walked in, looking rather dapper with his hair pulled back and a long red coat over his leather breeches and white shirt. “Jane, my love, did you forget about our date?”She flushed, shaking her head. “No! No, I just… I thought of something and didn’t realize what time it was. I did not forget our date!”Thor, the good sport, just shook his head, chuckling. “The perils of courting a scholar… Can you adjourn for the evening or must we reschedule?”The way Jane swooned was nauseating and Darcy couldn’t blame her one bit. She needed her a person like that. Understanding, accommodating, over the moon for her… Outside, she may have rolled her eyes but inside, she was sighing dreamily.“We can go now! I just need a minute to change,” Jane assured him quickly and then seemed to remember the rest of the room. “Unless… Darce, you don’t mind if I bail, do you?”“Nope! Go on, you two lovebirds! Have fun doing whatever!”“We’re going to the Natural History Museum.”“Oooh, for the dinosaurs?”“Yes! I find it hard to believe such large beasts once roamed this realm. Perhaps my ancestors hunted them…" Thor mused excitedly and Darcy snorted. He’d probably love the premise of Predator.“Oh, what are you still doing here, Loki? I thought you would’ve left right at 5,” Jane dared to ask, despite his surly expression.“I’m waiting on your assistant, Dr. Foster. She’s promised me something called ice cream. Supposedly it’s humanity’s best invention?”He slanted an expectant look her way and she really had to applaud his ability to twist the truth.Playing along, she said: “Oh yeah. I figure with your sweet tooth, you’ll lose your shit over it. It’ll be like a cat taking catnip.”Which it totally had been. His eyes had gotten so big and excited; it had been hilarious and frickin’ adorable.“We’ll see,” he pretended to sniff haughtily. “Shall we finally depart?”“Yeah, yeah, don’t get your panties in a twist.” She turned to their local star-crossed lovers. “C’mon, we can all catch the same elevator if you’ve gotta change, Janey.”🍧Stepping off on Darcy’s floor, Loki was quite glad to leave the happy couple behind. Oh, Thor and Dr. Foster had been pleasant enough but this was the second time that he'd had to keep his hands to himself in the elevator and he was less than pleased about it. He was even less pleased that his mood was so affected by something as sentimental as holding hands with Darcy. It was…childish! And so was his irritation about it. It was pure foolishness and a waste of time. Shoving the entire mess of feelings down, he attempted to compose himself while he waited for Darcy to return from her room.Thankfully, she wasn’t gone long, having only needed to shed her usual sweater and collect her bag. “Alright, ready to go?”“Of course.” He’d been ready for quite some time but he hesitated before stepping back into the hall. Darcy had removed the scarf she’d worn all week and he noticed some discolored splotches on her neck and collarbones. “What are those marks?”“Huh?” He gestured to her neck with a frown and she automatically clapped a hand over it. “Oh come on, I thought I did a good job covering them up! Ugh!”She stomped toward the bathroom and Loki resolutely followed, something akin to concern bubbling in his gut. What was she trying to hide? She grabbed a small bottle of what he assumed was a cosmetic from the vanity and dabbed it on a sponge.“Covering what?”Darcy gave him an unimpressed look in the mirror; he wasn’t serious, was he?“Uh, the hickies you gave me Sunday? If it wasn’t so warm out, I’d just put my scarf back on,” she muttered to herself, applying more concealer to her neck.“...What in the Nine are ‘hickies’?” Based on context, he didn’t think they had any relation to the ‘doohickeys’ she and Dr. Foster frequently referred to in the lab but with Midgardians, one never knew.“What are - Are you kidding me? How do you not know what -” Darcy cut herself off, realizing exactly how he didn’t know. She rolled her eyes. “Right, you guys heal super fast. Hickies are basically bruises made by kissing or whatever.”“Ah.”Her attitude suggested these ‘hickies’ were of no import but he found he didn’t feel quite as cavalier about them. He’d left bruises on her. Unintentionally and without malice, true, but regardless. She was human. Mortal. He could very easily harm her if he did not exercise the utmost care, and he clasped his hands behind his back, shamefaced and sick to his stomach.“I could…heal them for you, if you’d like,” he offered, his voice a pantomime of casual. He quirked his mouth in an uncertain smile. “Save you some of your cosmetic product.”“Oh, could you? That’d be super convenient, thanks!”She gathered her hair up to get it out of the way and a haze of gold danced around her neck. Each hickey turned warm as the seidr sank in and she poked one without any sense of self-preservation, finding it didn’t hurt at all. She opened her mouth to thank him again but Loki beat her to the punch.“I apologize. I should have been more…restrained in my passions. It won’t happen again, rest assured.”Darcy frowned, confused. “What do you mean ‘it won’t happen again’? What’s ‘it’?”He lifted a hand in a vague gesture to her neck, turning on his heel as he answered: “Those ‘hickies’ as you call them.”“...What?” The question ended up being more to herself since he’d beat a hasty retreat to the main room but she wasn’t leaving it at that. Scowling, she darted in front of him, holding her hands out to stall him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you apologizing for leaving hickies?”Why was she making him explain? Did she want a more thorough apology?“I bruised you and my lack of intention does not make that any more acceptable. I am well aware of my strength and should exercise more caution in our intimate moments. It won’t happen again, Darcy.”“Loki…” She could see the guilt on his face and she thought she might have a better grasp on the problem now. “Hickies are in a totally different category than the bruises you’re talking about. You didn’t hurt me and I’m not…angry or upset or - or - or whatever it is you’re thinking, I promise!”“It never occurred to me that I could leave marks so easily on you. I’m…grateful you’re not angry with me but perhaps you should be.”She could kick herself. And him. He was in full-on self-blame mode but there wasn't any reason for it! Trying not to spook him, she closed the distance between them and carefully reached up, taking his face between her hands and making him look at her.“If you wanna play the blame game, I should’ve thought to put hickies and marks on our interest lists. In a sexual context, I’m neutral to positive about all of that. If you want to leave them, I’d rather they be in places I can cover up, but you gotta remember: I didn’t stop you on Sunday either and I knew you were probably leaving hickies. It’s okay, Loki. Don’t beat yourself up.”Looking into her eyes, he felt some of his self-recrimination drain away and his shoulders slumped. But it wasn’t in his nature to shrug off his failings as inconsequential. “Are you… Are you certain? I have no desire to hurt you, even in such a minor way.”“And I appreciate that. But if this was something that bothered me, I would absolutely 100% tell you, Loki. Besides, it didn’t hurt. It felt pretty good in the moment,” she admitted easily, shrugging.He believed her, despite his own misgivings, helped by the remembrance that she’d pulled him away when he’d left the hickey under her ear. She hadn’t passively allowed him to go overboard with his attentions and that simple fact made his concerns feel somewhat overblown.“How do you feel about marks and hickies?” she asked, drawing him from his thoughts.“It feels brutish and careless,” he frowned, eyebrows drawn together. All of his past lovers had been as hardy and impervious as himself; if either of them left marks on the other, they faded before they parted ways. To leave marks that lasted spoke of…violence. “It sits ill with me. It won’t happen again, you have my word.”She kind of liked getting hickies - below the collar anyway - but: “Okay. If you feel that strongly about it, then we’ll avoid it. Do you wanna walk to the ice cream place or do you wanna poof?”He raised his eyebrows and looked down at her with all the theatrics of a bad actor. “‘Poof’? Tell me you’re not referring to teleportation thus.”“Alright, I won’t,” she said innocently, biting down on a grin. “C’mon then. I guess we’re walking.”“Irritating woman…” he groused, wrapping his arms around her even as she began to laugh. “Close your eyes.”A second later, the ground lurched under them and she stumbled into his chest. His hands delicately cupped her elbows, helping steady her, and still giggling, she stepped out of his personal bubble. They were on the street outside of 32+, with leaves rustling in a warm breeze and people milling around, none of whom had so much as batted an eye at their sudden appearance.She turned back to Loki. “I have questions.”“If it’s about ‘poofing’ -” The word dripped with disdain and she wanted to kiss his stupid scrunched up nose. “- I’m afraid I have no answers. Shall we?”He held the door open for her and she scooted inside before he changed his mind. “Sheesh, I didn’t know word choice was so important to you.”Crossing his arms, Loki sniffed haughtily, his nose in the air. “Spells and objects have proper names for a reason. Imagine where we’d be if everyone had their own word for every little thing. It would be pandemonium.”“You’re such a nerd,” she sighed, feeling disgustingly fond and sappy, and looked around. The place was busier than usual. “Oh, boo! Someone’s already taken our table!”Two girls occupied their usual seats, chattering excitedly over some papers (school work perhaps, based on the rucksacks slung on the back of their chairs).“I could scare them off,” he offered, wriggling the fingers against his elbow meaningfully. He wasn’t precisely inclined to but all the other tables were similarly occupied and there was no space for outdoor seating.“What? No!” She poked him in the side, making him grunt and scowl back at her. “No scaring anybody!”“Then where do you propose we sit?”Darcy bit her lip. She knew he hated crowds (or was at least hella uncomfortable in them) but he seemed to like the outdoors. “We could go to Bryant Park? It’s like, a ten minute walk. Or I think the Tower has an atrium or conservatory or whatever it’s called. Something with plants.”“A conservatory. An atrium has skylights,” he explained absently, scanning this week’s flavors. “I’d prefer to be out of doors properly though, if it’s all the same to you.”“Alright, the park it is!” She bumped her hip against him and a smile flicked across his mouth as they approached the counter. It was finally their turn. “Hi, can I try a piece of waffle cone? Thanks.”The employee handed a broken piece of cone over and Darcy split it in half, offering one to Loki and popping the other one in her mouth. “Here. If we’re getting ice cream to go, you definitely have to try ice cream cones.”He took the thin - pastry? It scarcely resembled the fluffy cake-like waffles Thor had made him try - and bit off a piece. It was light and crunchy and had a subtle vanilla flavor that was more inoffensive than delicious.“It’s alright,” he said to her expectant face and she nodded, as though filing this detail away for later retrieval. She had said she wanted to become better acquainted with him but he couldn’t imagine anyone caring what foods he was ambivalent about.“You can get a paper bowl instead if you want. Ugh, I can’t decide. Night-in New York or Batter Up?” Both sounded freakin’ delicious and that wasn’t even including Brownie Bite Me, which she kept sneaking glances at.“Why not get small scoops of each?” he suggested as he read the placards for both flavors. Actually… To the employee, he asked: “Can I have a sample of each? Thank you.”Batter Up purported to be birthday cake flavored with a vanilla base and rainbow sprinkles mixed in. It was cloyingly sweet, though he thought he might prefer it in actual cake form. Night-in New York, a cherry cheesecake flavor, on the other hand was tangy and sweet and the cherries offered wonderful pops of tartness.“Oh I like this. May I have two scoops of Night-in New York and a scoop of Death by Chocolate in a bowl to go please? Thank you.” To Darcy, he graciously offered: “You may have some of mine, if that helps your decision.”“...Thanks.” With his high metabolism and love of sweets, she hadn’t thought food sharing would be a thing he’d offer (he’d definitely take advantage if she offered though, no doubt about that), but here he was, surprising her. “Okay, um. Can I get a kiddy scoop of Batter Up and Brownie Bite Me in a cone please?”Just like last week, the zipper on her wallet was so-mysteriously stuck (it was real funny considering she didn’t remember even zipping it closed this morning…) which meant Loki smugly got to pay, the dork. She beat him to holding open the door though and something shy stole across his face.“How chivalrous of you,” he quipped as she fell into step beside him. Obligingly, he shortened his gait so she could keep up easily.“About as chivalrous as you paying again. Thank you, by the way.”Heat filled his cheeks as Darcy licked her ice cream. He’d wondered how one ate the dessert in a cone, if one still used a spoon, and now… Well, now he knew and he ought to get a grip on himself. There was nothing provocative in the act. The way her pink tongue darted out and dragged over the creamy confection before licking her smiling lips wasn't remotely suggestive. Not at all.“You had questions regarding teleporting?” he reminded them both, clearing his throat and directing his gaze to his own ice cream.“Mm, yeah! How does it work? Are you like, breaking down our atoms and rebuilding them at the destination? Or is it more like, hmm, I dunno, popping into another dimension and coming out at a different point in this dimension?”He looked at her, mouth parted in surprised delight. “It’s precisely like using another dimension as a stepping stone. However did you know?”“Lucky guess. I watch a lot of sci-fi,” she shrugged, guiding him around a knot of tourists with a hand at his lower back. “Is that other dimension super freaky or something? You keep telling me to close my eyes before we poof.”He let his objection to her word choice go, too excited to talk about seidr with someone interested to care much. “It’s more unsettling than anything. Picture the blackest black you’ve ever seen, not a single speck of light or color. Now imagine it’s perfectly silent, there’s no scent or taste or breath of air - there’s absolutely nothing. That’s the Between. You’re only there for a fraction of a second before you re-enter this dimension so you could look if you wanted. It wouldn’t harm you.”“Hm. Maybe. Sounds spooky.” It sounded like a great environment for human paranoia to take over, imagining all kinds of horrors in the emptiness with her. But also: how many humans had ever seen the Between before? Damn it, now I have to look. “How come no one noticed when we popped back in? Did you use some sort of ‘notice me not’ spell?”“I did, yes. Midgardians don’t take well to people suddenly appearing, I’ve noticed, so I use a charm that makes others overlook me and my companions. Their eyes slide right past us. You’re remarkably intelligent.”She flapped a hand at him. “I told you: I just watch a lot of sci-fi! Well. Movies in general.”They were at a stoplight and Loki took the opportunity to look her full in the face. “My opinion is unchanged, Darcy.”She blushed fetchingly and he wished very much to cup her hot cheeks and kiss the self-deprecation right out of her. But the pedestrian light changed and his hands were full and there were still four days until Sunday. He tucked the impulse away.Waiting until they’d safely crossed the busy intersection, he held his bowl out to her. “Did you still want some?”“As long as you don’t mind, yeah. Er, do you mind if I use your spoon or do you wanna conjure another one?”“It’s fine. I know where your mouth’s been.” He winked, laughing at her indignant squawk and taking her whack to the stomach in good grace. “Well it’s true!”“Ass,” she muttered without feeling, taking a big scoop of the cheesecake ice cream in retaliation. “Tell me more about teleportation.”His eyes practically glittered at her invitation to get nerdy and he proceeded to launch into a masterclass on magical-means of transportation. He was cute as hell, gesturing with his spoon as he went through the finer points of the importance of knowing your destination, barely aware of the people walking around them. It made her want to kiss his dumb face and see if he could keep his train of thought while she sucked him off…
Bad Darcy! Focus!
Loki’s lecture wound down naturally as they entered the park and he scouted out the lawn, where people clustered together or milled about. “Where would you like to sit?”“You warrior types like to have something at your back, right?” The Avengers did, anyway, and she figured she could include Loki in that list, even if only in her head. They were all similarly messed up. “C’mon, let’s sit by that tree.”She took his hand to pull him along and Loki felt warmth blossom in his chest. She was so…effortlessly thoughtful and understanding and she seemed singularly incapable of making him feel bad for his limitations. How could he not admire her?The tree in question was planted in a square of grass and had a perfect divot between two roots for a person to sit and lean back against the trunk. Darcy gestured him toward it and went to sit herself before he caught her arm, keeping her upright. Before she could complain, he conjured a blanket of green and blue plaid with threads of gold and purple shot through it.“After you,” my lady. On Asgard, it would have been a polite form of address but between them it had become so much more and he didn’t want to share it with passers-by.“Nice threads,” she said, rubbing the blanket between her fingers. It sure as heck wasn’t some poly-blend bought at Target. “I like the colors.”Pink highlighted his ears in the fading sunlight as he tucked himself between the roots, a cushion appearing behind his back. “Yes. Well. It seemed appropriate.”She was gonna swoon. He was too flippin’ adorable, blending their favorite colors into a blanket. “You’re precious, you know that? It’s unbelievable.” She shook her head, ignoring his muttered objection. “So. Sunday. What did you think?”“I enjoyed it very much.” He scraped his bowl and drank the melted remains of ice cream before vanishing it, simultaneously setting their privacy spell. “And yourself?”“Me too.” It was hard to think of anything she’d change or improve for next time to be honest. “I really liked how much you communicated this week. Having that feedback really helped, so thank you.”“It - it was nothing,” he muttered, rubbing his palm. Being reminded, he felt self-conscious over how much he’d asked for. Darcy had given it all willingly, yes, but… “I’m glad it helped. My misbehavior wasn’t too much, was it?”“Oh my God, not at all, honey! No, no, you were perfect,” she rushed to assure him, leaning forward to squeeze his knee. She hadn’t meant for that pet name to slip out in their non-play hours but it was instinct. “I’ll always tell you if you go too far, Loki, I promise. But you were fine. You could push it way further before I said anything. How um, how did you feel about your punishment?”Her reassurance landed perfectly and he inhaled fully again. But her question had him tilting his head. “Was that not obvious? I loved it. I look forward to earning another.”“Of course you do.” She rolled her eyes; he was such a brat. “And I know you liked it Sunday but sometimes people think about things afterwards and they decide they don’t want to do it again.”It sounded idiotic; why deny yourself something pleasurable? But… If he were still a prince of Asgard, Loki wouldn’t dare allow such a thing to reoccur. What if someone found out? Or guessed, or his partner let it slip, or…? No, he and Darcy’s arrangement could never exist in the Realm Eternal and he found himself unexpectedly grateful to be banished to Midgard.“I admit I was - I am somewhat embarrassed by how much I enjoyed it, and it makes no sense to me. I abhor pain but this was bafflingly pleasurable.” He looked to her then, seeking an explanation.“Some people are just wired that way, to get off on pain, and I’m sure someone’s done the science on why a tiny bit of pain can make pleasure hit the brain harder,” she shrugged. She’d always been willing to accept it at face value but maybe she could do some research for him. “And of course you hate the usual sources of pain but… Well, you trust me not to hurt you, right? So maybe you were just um, relaxed enough to enjoy it?”She didn’t really feel comfortable guessing his mental state but it made sense to her in a generalized way. If a sub trusted her, they often found they enjoyed things they didn’t expect to, specifically because they knew she wouldn’t hurt them in a way they didn’t like.Loki hummed thoughtfully, nodding. “Perhaps. Regardless, I’m glad I liked it, knowing that you do so much.”Ugh, he was such a sweetheart. He was going to give her cavities.“I’m glad you liked it too, but it would’ve been fine if you hated it. We don’t have to align in everything, y’know. Just so long as we align in some stuff. I know I talked about it a lot so I’m sorry if I made you feel like you had to like spanking to make me happy. That really wasn’t the case.”“Do not apologize.” He said it so firmly that Darcy’s eyes snapped to his. He stared back decidedly. “I told you when we began that I was interested in trying it, and knowing how enthusiastic you were about it merely encouraged me to go into it with an open mind. If it happens to make you happy, then all the better.”She smiled. “Okay, good. And you were okay with how long it went? Ten spankings per rule wasn’t too much?”“No, it was fine. …Actually -” He flushed, not quite able to maintain eye contact as he admitted: “- you could’ve done more. If - if you were able.”Darcy’s eyes twinkled. “Oh I see… Are you gonna be able to keep from coming if I spank you more though? It was a near thing on Sunday…”He scowled. “It was not. I can control myself just fine.”“Un-huh, sure.” She so looked forward to stripping him of that idea; he’d be so pretty when she overwhelmed him and his ‘control’. “Well, if you don’t mind healing up my hand, I can spank you more, no problem. What about 15 per rule? Or do you wanna go all out and do 20? Or more?”For all his bravado, 20 spankings had almost undone him. If they upped the punishment per rule to 20 and he broke more than one, his body could easily betray him.“15 spankings per broken rule seems fair to start. We can always revisit the matter.”There was something knowing in Darcy’s smile, as if she knew his entire thought process. “Of course we can. 15 per rule works for me. Were you okay with how the punishment ended? Like, you understood it was over and I wasn’t going to hold it against you, right?”“I did. I appreciate that you made it so clear.”He cleared his throat, looking out over the lawn. As the sun sank lower, purple shadows stretched across the park and people filtered out. Hearing her say that his punishment was over, that she couldn’t hold his misbehavior against him… It had been such a relief to hear, and a comfort too.Darcy carefully took his hand and drew his arm over her shoulder, tucking herself against his side. Almost immediately, he relaxed into her, tipping his cheek against her head.“I’ll always be as clear as you need me to be, Loki,” she assured softly. “Like I said Sunday, you’ll still be my good boy deep down, no matter how bratty you get.”Shockingly, he believed her. Any doubt was nothing but a whisper, easily ignored when presented with the proof of her actions. She’d administered his punishment and then praised and pleasured him as always, proving his mischievous behavior was forgiven. What had he done to deserve such a rare gift?“Have you thought about next week?” he wondered.“Hmm, I have a few ideas,” she teased, walking her fingers along his leg playfully.Pegging was the obvious choice but they had to work up to that, physically and (she suspected) mentally. Loki was getting better about asking for what he wanted but he was still pretty shy about it, and it was hard, working past ingrained sexual mores. She knew that and respected that. Hell, she’d had to work past her own social conditioning about BDSM and female domination when she got into the scene. It wasn’t always easy but she’d help him as much as she could.“I was thinking some sensation play mixed with a little bondage. I could tie you to the headboard. O-or I could just tie your wrists together,” she added hastily, not 100% sure if he’d be comfortable with the first option.Loki hummed thoughtfully, casting a subtle glamour over his interested prick. He reacted thus to any suggestion of bondage but being tied to the headboard held a surprising appeal. His shoulders would be more relaxed for one, and he could pull against the anchors… He’d have to reinforce the headboard of course but that was a simple matter since he had to alter the style of it anyway.“We can try your headboard idea; I find myself intrigued by it. What kind of sensations were you thinking?” His mind alighted with ideas.“Textures. Silk. Velvet. Lace. Leather - though I might need you to supply that one. Feathers, maybe. I’d run them over your bare skin at random.”He managed to keep from shuddering but only just. Just the idea of it: his arms bound above him, completely naked and at her mercy, as she teased and taunted with various materials… Beneath his glamour, he was rock hard.“Blindfolding me could make it even better,” he suggested lowly. Not knowing when or where her next touch would come would only add to the excitement.Darcy was hard pressed to hide her reaction to the idea or his voice dropping an octave. But: “I thought you were on the fence about blindfolding.”“I was on the fence about spanking too,” he shrugged, as if to say ‘look how that turned out’. “I trust you, Darcy.”🍧Parting from Darcy was bittersweet as always. She’d consented to a goodnight kiss that he’d done his utmost to keep chaste. How successful he’d been was debatable, but who could blame him? Having her pressed against him, her plush lips under his, while thoughts of Sunday (the previous and next) whirled in his head, his kiss had perhaps been more suggestive than he’d planned.Now, alone and back in his apartment, Loki found himself at loose ends. It wasn’t unusual for him to be somewhat aroused after their ice cream discussions but normally, he ignored it, letting the feeling fade with time and distraction. Normally, however, Darcy hadn’t left her bag of toys behind so he could consider them at his leisure.Perhaps it was time to reclaim his own self-pleasure.Darcy’s plan for sensation play was still at the forefront of his thoughts and he changed his sheets to satin. His pulse jumped at the idea of being naked between them, surrounded by the cool, smooth fabric, and he thought about which toy he wanted to use. She had so many…The butt plug she’d gifted him was tempting as were her various other anal toys, the beads and prostate massagers and the slim dildos, but he wanted to explore those with her. Without Darcy coaching him on in her honeyed tones, her words dripping with praise… It didn’t seem as worth all the preparation required.
Perhaps another time.
There was the cock ring he’d tried on Sunday and while the resultant orgasm had been surprisingly intense so had the one he’d had from her fingering him - and that hadn’t involved any ambivalent feelings. No, he didn’t think he’d be trying it again and certainly not on his own.He scowled at the chastity cage. It would take quite some convincing on Darcy’s part for him to wear it; he didn’t enjoy being denied.She had a few masturbation sleeves and he could somewhat see the appeal. The different textures could be titillating but all things being equal, he could just as easily use his hand and achieve the same result.That left the toys designed to stimulate a clitoris and vagina.Loki rubbed a finger against his mouth. It had been nearly two years since he’d shifted. It hadn’t been safe to in Sanctuary and on Midgard… It was simply easier to present as male. Humans still stuck rather rigidly to their gender binary and Loki had no desire to draw the kind of scrutinization shifting would draw.But in the privacy of his dwelling…He picked up one of Darcy’s pink vibrators. Below the curved phallus, a branch curved up that would stimulate the clitoris. Both ends vibrated and he was certain it would feel divine.Loki drew on the well of seidr at his core and opened her eyes.She hadn’t masturbated with a cunt in ages. She hadn’t had sex with one in even longer; penetration hadn’t proven altogether satisfying with her male partners but her own dexterous fingers had felt good, when she’d bothered. Between her legs, she ached with arousal and she pressed her fingers against herself through her trousers, humming softly. The vibrator certainly had more features than a cock…Vanishing her clothes, she slipped between the cool sheets with the toy, goosebumps spreading over her skin in excitement. The satin felt decadent against so much of her bare body and it shifted teasingly against her breasts with every breath, pebbling her nipples and drawing wetness from her core. She could just imagine the sweet torture Darcy would inflict with her different textures on Sunday and she squeezed her thighs together.Would her lady be pleased by this version of her? She’d said she’d had sex with women before and she hadn’t seemed perturbed by the idea. But she doubted she’d ever been with a shapeshifter before. Would she find it off-putting or disturbing? Loki didn’t know. But she could pretend for now. Assume Darcy would still be understanding and accepting of this new idiosyncrasy, would find her just as beautiful and praiseworthy…Just the idea of it, of her lady calling her good and pretty, made her cunt clench and Loki slipped a hand between her thighs, tracing a finger between her folds. Such a simple touch made her gasp, hips pressing up, and she huffed a self-deprecating laugh, rolling her eyes. Clearly, it had been too long since she’d done this if she was reacting like an untouched maid.Dropping her knees to either side, she spread her slick around, petting her clit lightly - just enough to tease and get her wetter. What had Darcy said? “Dryness is the enemy”? She chuckled and summoned the bottle of lube she’d been gifted. She squirted some on her fingers before smearing it between her folds; it was shockingly cool against her hot flesh but it warmed quickly and she circled a finger around her entrance.It pressed in easily and Loki clamped around it, testing herself. Her body hadn’t tensed up and her finger glided in and out painlessly, thank the Norns. It had been so long, the Void had affected her in so many ways, she’d worried her body would oppose this without any input from her mind - that penetration would hurt and touching her clit would inspire disinterest, if not something worse. Cockily, she added a second finger, crooking them up and moaning.Darcy’s fingers weren’t as long as hers but she had no doubt she’d make her feel just as incandescent. She could almost hear her voice: does that feel good, sweetheart?“Fuck.”What if Darcy was here beside her, guiding and goading her on? She could imagine her pressed warmly against her side, head propped on her hand, as she watched. Maybe… Loki bit the inside of her lip, withdrawing to circle her clit. Maybe Darcy would hold her thigh open, trace her soft fingers over the inside, driving her crazy. She whimpered, heat blooming in her cheeks. Norns… Impatient, she grabbed the vibrator and slicked it with lube, pressing the tip against her entrance.Darcy’s voice echoed in her head, reminding her to breathe as she pushed it in. The phallus was a little slimmer than a real cock which meant it ought to slide in easily but it didn’t - her cunt tightened uncomfortably and Loki snarled. She wanted this, damn it! She wanted to be filled, to fuck herself on the toy as Darcy no doubt had. The intimacy of sharing the toy made her stomach swoop and she exhaled slowly, taking her time as her lady would no doubt recommend. Rubbing her clit, she used the toy to circle her entrance, easing it in and out shallowly until it slid in fully.
Look at my good girl; I knew you could take it.
She flushed; the praise may have been imaginary but it was certainly the type Darcy specialized in. Adjusting the top branch so the end pressed against her clit, she turned both vibrators on the first setting. The moan that tore from her lips was so loud she slapped a hand over her mouth, embarrassed and giddy in equal measure. The walls were soundproof of course so there was no real concern someone would overhear her but oh Norns, it felt so good!Midgardians certainly knew what they were doing, designing such a thing. Both vibrators stimulated her most sensitive parts and she rocked the toy in and out, shuddering as the phallus dragged against her inner wall and the branch pressed into her clit.Biting her lip, Loki dared to increase the vibration and threw her head back with a whine. “Fuck! Norns yes!”Seidr sunk into the toy, taking over the thrusting so Loki could focus solely on how stunning it felt. She hitched one thigh higher, digging her fingers into the soft flesh, imagining it was Darcy doing it for her, encouraging her to take more. She could almost hear her voice, telling her how beautiful she was like this, wanton and needy and desperate. Pleasure coiled in her cunt, her stomach clenching, and she bit the back of her fingers trying - and failing - to muffle the sounds pouring from her mouth.Inside her mind was nothing but a chant of Darcy and oh and yes. She was getting so close…Her imaginary Darcy purred: Come for me, Loki.She did, keening as her body thrummed with pleasure, slick squirting around the toy and onto the sheets. Her legs shook, her cunt fluttering and squeezing around the phallus, until she reached down and removed it with a grunt.Worn out, she laid limply on the sheets, trying to catch her breath as seidr washed over everything. The toy was sanitized and returned to Darcy’s bag, the sheets cleaned and transformed back to their usual cotton, her cleansed body clad in soft sleep clothes. She was well sated and she drew her tired limbs close, rolling on to her side under the blankets with a smug grin.The Void hadn’t taken everything from her after all.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jane was really on a roll with this latest idea of hers, which meant the duo were in full-on Science Binge Mode: data entry, experiments, MacGyvering equipment (never mind their healthy Stark Industries budget), the whole shebang. It was just like old times when it had been just the two of them out in Bumfuck, New Mexico. She and Jane gabbed and bounced ideas off each other for hours on end, staying late and then later and then so late it was technically early, eating cold Chinese and running simulations.The party only stopped when Thor came in as the sun was setting Saturday afternoon, accompanied by Dr. Banner of all people.Jane scrambled up, nearly falling out of her chair trying to get her feet off her desk to stand. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to tidy her appearance. “Dr. Banner! What are you doing here? I mean -!”A clump of chow mein noodles dangled from one of the buttons on her flannel. They plopped to the floor and Darcy winced.“Relax, I’m here as a friend.”“I thought I might need reinforcements,” Thor explained wryly, going to his lady love and sweetly cupping her face. “When did you sleep last, Jane?”Darcy’s mouth dropped, betrayed. “Jane! You said you were only gonna stay 5 more minutes after I left last night!”She had the decency to blush at least, eyes darting between her bestie and her boyfriend. “Well, look, I was going to! And - and then… It occurred to me: what if we input different elements? I mean, yeah, a steel construction is the cheapest but we’re talking about interstellar travel! We need something that will stand up to the forces generated!”“I dunno why I trusted you,” she groaned. She knew Jane always had an excuse when she was in Science Mode but she’d been so tired herself, she’d just assumed she’d be ready to hit the hay too. “When was the last time you slept, boss lady? Thursday night?”“I slept five hours Thursday! That’s plenty!”Dr. Banner cleared his throat. “It’s uh, it’s not. Sorry. Not in a 72 hour period.”The look of full-blown offense she shot him was hilarious. “And you’ve never sacrificed sleep in the pursuit of science, Dr. Banner?”“Ah. Well. Not since the Other Guy. He’s easier to keep calm with 8 hours of sleep.” He shrugged as if to say ‘what can you do?’ “Anyway, yes, I have and it’s not worth it. Chances are you’re making tons of simple mistakes without realizing that you’ll just have to spend more time correcting.”“Et tu, Bruce?” Darcy muttered under her breath, tired enough that she thought she was hilarious.Jane, on the other hand, dug her heels in, crossing her arms and glaring between the two men. “Right. Right. So when I pull a few all-nighters for my theory, I need an intervention, but when Tony freakin’ Stark stays awake for 2 weeks straight inventing an entirely new field, that’s fine. Is that what I’m hearing?”Dr. Banner wisely said nothing, finding the nearest thingamabob very interesting all of a sudden. Darcy had to swallow the reflexive urge to shout ‘don’t touch that!’ - he wasn’t some dumb intern or SHIELD agent…Or Loki, for that matter, the little shit.Thor’s eyebrows furrowed as he took in his teammate’s aura of guilt before turning back to Jane calmly. “If Tony is not sleeping appropriately, we will see him next, my love, rest assured. But you and Darcy should retire now, so that you can return to your work on Monday with a fresh mind.”“You mean I can’t come back in the morning? Darce, help me out here! That’s not fair!”Darcy yawned wide enough to crack her jaw. “Sounds fair to me; sorry, chicky. I’ll see y’all on Monday. I’ve got a hot date with my bed.”“Darcy!”“Nu-uh, don’t even. A one day break is super fair, now shoo.” She chivvied everyone out of the lab and locked up. “Say bye-bye to the lab, Janey.”“Not funny, Darce.”🍧Winding down from Science! took some time but the rest of Darcy’s weekend was chill and mostly spent on the couch, watching whatever Netflix recommended. She remembered to order groceries! In time to have them delivered and put away before she headed to Loki’s too, which deserved a reward as far as she was concerned. If said reward involved driving Loki wild with soft things, well… Lucky her.Loki opened his door to her with that barely-there smile of his. “Good evening Darcy. Please, come in.”“Hiya.” She toed off her flats while he (totally unnecessarily) held her hand to keep her steady, the sweetheart. “How’re you?”“Well. And yourself? I heard you and Dr. Foster overworked yourselves.” He mentioned it with some amusement but she swore he sounded kinda concerned too. She waved it off. “Oh yeah, we were on a binge. Thor and Dr. Banner staged an intervention yesterday though so don’t worry. I’m totally well rested enough for tonight.”She winked and he breathed a laugh. Her reassurance was kind, though misplaced. Her well-being was far more important than whether tonight’s session went forward, but he trusted her judgment. If she said she was rested enough then he believed her.“Shall we, my lady?”“Mm, I love how eager you always are,” she purred; it was such an ego boost. “Come on, honey. Let’s get you tied up.”Loki resolutely did not trip over his own feet but Norns, it took some effort. She said such enticing things and excitement thrummed through his bloodstream as he followed her swaying hips to the bedroom. Closing the door behind them, he clasped his hands behind him, watching her inspect the changes he’d made.“Is it to your liking?” he asked, a kernel of nervousness in his gut.He’d changed the headboard. Before, it had been tufted - the height of modern style, but now it was a dark and heavy wood, carved intricately all over with a scene hidden by the pillows. Noticeably, two eye hooks had been embedded in it and Darcy grinned.“It’s perfect Loki, thank you. You’re so clever, anticipating what I’ll need for our sessions.” She sat on the edge of the bed and waved a hand. “C’mere. I want to test these first.”He joined her, angling himself toward her curiously. “What do you mean?”“Some people don’t like certain textures on their bare skin and I want to know if that’s the case before we get started.” She pulled out the various fabric strips and gloves from the tote bag she’d brought tonight. “Push your sleeve up, honey.”He flipped up his tunic sleeve, holding his arm out to her. “I like the textures you mentioned on Wednesday.”“Yeah but you’re used to fancy-schmancy Asgardian fabrics. Earth fabrics might not be up to snuff.” Not that she’d gotten chintzy stuff but she hadn’t blown her budget either. Clasping his wrist, she pulled it more into her lap and took up a black silk glove, drawing it over his forearm. “Whatcha think?”A shiver built along his spine as the cool fabric whispered against his skin; the hand of the glove fell into his palm and he rubbed it between his fingers, imagining it in other, more intimate places. “It meets my apparently high standards.”“Don’t give me that, Mr. I’m-literally-a-Prince,” she huffed, sticking her tongue out.“I’ve been on Midgard for nearly a year now, Darcy. I think I’m plenty used to your fabrics.”He had a point. His sheets and towels were probably Earth-made - uber high-end, yeah, but still created by humans. But…She lifted her eyebrows. “So you want to skip the foreplay then?”“Ah.” His teeth clicked as his jaw shut. “I didn’t say that.”“Mm, that’s what I thought.” Smugly, she took up the wide strip of delicate lace and let the end fall over his arm, dragging it up and down. Loki squirmed but didn’t pull away. “It’s a little ticklish but I like it. It’s a yes.”“Good boy. I like hearing your opinions,” she reminded him, tracing her fingertip over the lines on his palm. His body swayed toward hers and she smiled. “Ready for the velvet?”He cleared his throat, voice just a touch ragged. “Yes.”The strip was wide and doubled-over, making it heavy as she drew it over his arm. He was hard and aching as he imagined that velvet lazily swishing over his bare skin, up his thighs, his balls, over his dripping cock, his belly and chest…“Very - very much a yes,” he practically panted, eyes locking on her red lips. Their last kiss felt like eons ago.“Oh good. I like how it feels too. Could you conjure up some leather for me, sweetheart? I just know you have Opinions with a capital O.” With that leather get up he wore into battle, he had to, come on.“I do,” he agreed simply, taking her hand between his and tracing the shape of it. “I dabbled a little in leather work as a youth before I took up my seidr studies.”With a thought, he summoned a sheet of undyed deerskin. In other circumstances, he would make these traditionally, carefully measuring and cutting and sewing them by hand but that would take much more time than he cared for at the moment. Instead, he manipulated the leather with seidr, forming it into two gloves, perfectly fitted to her small hands.“Will these do?” he asked and finally noticed the sheer wonder on her face.“They’re beautiful,” she breathed, turning her hands over back and forth, stretching her fingers and making fists. The leather flexed easily with her movements, impossibly supple and, when she touched her own arm, impossibly soft too. “Thank you! You’re so incredibly talented, Loki.”His cheeks colored a little, his mouth opening to deny it - he barely had any skill at all compared to some others his age, but she silenced him swiftly, pressing her lips to his. All his objections fell by the wayside as she cradled his face, her leather-covered thumbs brushing back and forth over his cheekbones. Sighing, he opened his mouth to her tongue, holding her waist as she balanced on one knee. She slid one of the gloves under his collar and he could so easily be satisfied with this one sensation, never mind the rest.“Darcy…”She kissed the corner of his mouth, nuzzling her nose against his even as she withdrew. “The leather is a yes?”“Yes.”“Good. Undress for me, honey, and tell me our rules and colors.” She sat back down, giving him a gentle push, and what choice did he have but to obey? Standing, Loki quickly slipped out of his tunic and breeches, folding both as he recited their rules in full. “Green means continue, yellow: check in, and red: stop. Our safewords are Mjolnir and pineapple.”“Good boy. I noticed you didn’t ‘forget’ any rules tonight; not planning on earning a punishment this week?” she teased, working her dress up and over her head. Underneath, she wore the black balconette bra with the matching thong and he sucked on his bottom lip when he saw it. “Fold that for me please.”He took the dress from her, adding it neatly to the pile of clothes on the divan. “Planning on it, no, but one never knows what the future will bring.”“Always a brat,” she pretended to sigh, as if she didn’t love it. “On the bed with you, mister.”“As my lady commands.” He sketched a shallow bow and climbed onto the bed, laying down on his back in the center. “Are the hooks in the right positions for you?”“Mmhm!” She took the golden rope he’d conjured, threading one end through the nearest eye hook. She knotted it in place, giving it a tug before she was satisfied it was secure. “Give me your hand please.”He offered it to her easily, watching in interest as she looped the rope around his wrist.“Is this comfortable? How’s your shoulder?” she asked, a frown creasing her forehead as the question occurred to her. His back was probably fine but all muscles were connected, right?He shifted his elbow down a titch. “It’s fine, Darcy. You fret too much over me.”“Uh, excuse you. I fret just enough where you’re concerned.” She knotted the cuff around his wrist, making sure the rope had a safe amount of give. “Besides, you deserve to be fretted over.”Something complicated fluttered in his chest and he resolutely pushed it aside. It was sweet of her to say but truly, it was wholly unnecessary. He was comfortable. The rope felt good against his skin and he tugged carefully at it, thrilling at how firmly it held. As he’d intended, the headboard didn’t shift so much as a millimeter. Rather than walk around the bed to the other side, Darcy climbed over him, lingering above him just long enough for the heat of her to register against his body. All of him ached to press up into her and she grinned beautifully, rolling her hips over his cock and making him gasp.“Minx,” he grumbled as she clambered off him and picked up the rope on his other side.“Don’t pout, honey.” She knotted the rope through the eye hook and waited for him to adjust his right arm before cuffing his wrist. “You know I’ll treat you right; don’t you?”There was that feeling again, fluttering and twittering in his heart like a delicate songbird. But Darcy expected him to answer her questions and he smiled, eyes crinkling as he looked up at her. “I do, my lady. You always do.”Pleased, she cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb over his thin lips. “What’s your color?”“Green.”“Good. Do you still want to be blindfolded, Loki?”He nodded, excitement building in his gut. “I do.”“‘Kay.” She circled back around the bed, pulling out the eye mask she’d brought. Actual blindfolds were fun, sure, but the knots got caught in hair too easily, whereas the eye mask had a covered elastic band. She sat beside Loki again and he obligingly lifted his head up so she could position the band over his head. “Tell me if your color changes, sweetie.”“Of course.”She settled the mask over his eyes and he inhaled shakily as his world went dark. He could still feel Darcy beside him, the mattress dipping under her and her gloved hand sweeping gently back and forth over his chest as he acclimatized. His body thrummed with anticipation and arousal; she could do anything to him, touch him anywhere with anything, and he’d have no idea until she did it. Impatience had him pulling at his bonds.“I’m ready, Darcy.”“Are you?” she asked teasingly, but she patted his chest. “Alright. I’m still here, honey, just beside the bed, okay?”“Fine.” He felt her weight shift away, taking her warmth with her, but her citrus and vanilla scent lingered - he’d yet to discover if it was a soap or lotion she used, but it comforted him regardless. Alone on the bed, naked and bound, he waited in the quiet and dark.
They’d blinded him again. His eyes were open, he knew, but he couldn’t see anything, not even the corners of his cell. At least they’d used their version of seidr this time; they didn’t like how fast he healed, even emaciated as he was.
His shoulders ached, an untenable kind of burn and stretch that roiled what little was in his stomach, but he’d learned better than to try to relieve it. They didn’t object to him holding onto the chains holding him up at least; the biting cold of the metal against his palms provided a bit of grounding.
His ears strained for any movement, the slightest hint of where the next blow would come from. But there was just his own labored breathing and the clank of his chains. And then the pain began…
“Loki? Shit.” He flinched back from her touch on his face as she peeled the mask up and off. His eyes were wet and haunted and she felt sick to her stomach.“Loki, are you - are you here with me?” she asked desperately, knowing he wasn’t, not really. She didn’t know what to do though; they’d never discussed what would happen if he was triggered, both of them coasting on the hope it wouldn’t come up. Great fucking plan, Darce! She had to bring him out of it somehow and touch wasn’t going to work. God, she hoped her tone wouldn’t make it worse.“Loki, I’m ending our session,” she said with as much authority as she could muster. She swallowed hard. “Pineapple.”The ropes dissolved as soon as she used her safeword, surprising her. There was a beat where Loki seemed to come back to himself, his eyes locking on hers for a split second, and then he vanished.He barely made it to the toilet before he heaved up the contents of his stomach. Wiping his mouth with his forearm, he lurched to the shower, fumbling with the faucet. In Sanctuary, he’d always been either too hot or too cold, and he breathed a little easier once the water turned on, lukewarm and reassuring.The water flowed over him and he sank to the floor, pressing his back to the cold tiled wall and drawing his knees to his chest. It was over, he told himself.They were dead.He was safe.None of it helped.🍧Guess I don’t have to worry about where he went, she thought numbly, hearing the shower turn on, still staring at the place he’d been on the bed. She’d never had a session end with a safeword before. But Loki had been shaking, sweating, his breath coming shallower and faster and what choice had she had? She couldn’t let him try to - to push through whatever he was feeling, to suffer! She wasn’t like whoever had done that to him.Jerkily, she pulled off the gloves he’d made for her - they really were gorgeous - and shoved them in her tote bag along with all the other fabrics and the mask. She felt awful; she never should have agreed to the blindfold! They’d been doing just fine until she stupidly put it on him!Just as fast as the anger came, it left, leaving her wrung out and heartbroken. Loki was alone and struggling on the other side of the bathroom door, probably beating himself up because that’s what he seemed to do when things went wrong. Her being angry didn’t help him.Wiping her eyes, she knocked on the door. “Loki?”He froze. She was still here?“Go away,” he snarled over the water. Why hadn’t she left?The venom in his voice didn’t sting as much as he probably wanted it to. How could it when she could hear how desperate he was?She knocked again, praying she was doing the right thing. “Loki, I’m coming in.”Biting her lip, she turned the knob and pushed, breathing a sigh of relief when the door opened easily. He could’ve used seidr to lock the door or, hell, kick her out of the apartment entirely, she knew. It meant something that he hadn’t, didn’t it?He looked so small in the shower, curled up as tightly as he was, his face hidden behind his knees, his black hair streaming over his white-knuckled hands. He was still shaking, his shoulders hitching with sobs she couldn’t hear over the water splashing on the tiles. He didn’t have it set very warm; the shower door hadn’t even fogged over.Loki heard the door open and he waited. Waited for Darcy to tell him: sorry, I just don’t think this is going to work anymore. Your problems are too much. You’re too much. But she didn’t say anything and he almost looked up to see if she’d actually come in, or if she’d taken one look at how pathetic he was and left.The shower door opened and he heard her join him on the floor.“Can… Can I touch you, Loki?” she asked nervously, pushing her wet hair out of her face. “You can say no.”His heart seized; she still wanted to…? Hesitantly, he nodded and Darcy immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders, careful not to touch his back at all. “You’re safe, Loki,” she whispered, hoping, hoping she wasn’t missing the mark here and making things worse. When he didn’t object, she pressed her lips lightly to his temple. “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe.”Is it? Am I? But Darcy didn’t lie, not on Sundays. He relaxed into her by inches, slowly, slowly feeling his tension drain away as she rocked them both and he clutched at the arm she had around his front. His hold on her was too desperate, he was sure, but he couldn’t make himself loosen it. He felt too shattered, too broken, to relieve Darcy of the burden of him and all his nightmares. She was all that was holding him in one piece.He was still trembling and she wished she could wrap him in blankets or at least turn the water temperature up, but he’d set it where he had for a reason, she was sure, and she wasn’t going to mess with it. Instead, she tried her best to wrap herself around him, combing his sopping hair back from his face and cradling his head against her chest.“Shh, shh, you’re safe, honey. It’s okay,” she repeated, running her fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. She knew they were weak-ass platitudes but they were all she had. She just hoped they were helping. “You’re okay.”Her heartbeat was a comforting rhythm under his ear and her body was warm around him. Distantly, he noted Darcy still wore her lingerie, that she was soaked through from the shower, that her knees probably hurt, pressed as they were against the hard tiles. Through his wet lashes, he could see goosebumps on her skin. She was cold, and it took a long moment for him to gather the energy to do something about it.A dull burst of seidr turned the faucet off.She blinked up at the shower head and then down at Loki. “Oh, are you ready to get out of the shower now?”He nodded, finding it impossible to meet her eyes. His own had always given away so much of how he felt; he didn't wish to trouble her.“Okay. I’m gonna grab us some towels.” She was only gone a second but when she came back, he was staring at his outstretched hand. It shook and he clenched it tightly, his whole body stiffening as if he were locking himself back up. Slowly, she sank down beside him, taking his hand in hers. “Here. Let’s dry you off.”She wrapped one of the towels around his shoulders and used the other to pat his hand dry. Water dripped from both of them and Darcy wanted so badly to fill the silence, to distract them both, but what would she say? Relating the latest SI gossip felt disgustingly insensitive.Loki allowed her to rub his head dry-ish and she managed to catch his eye when she was done. She smiled gently at him, even when he dropped his gaze. “Hey there. Can you stand up for me, sweetheart? I gotta dry the rest of you off.”He snorted quietly but stood, bringing her up with him. In a second, they were both perfectly dry and dressed in their usual sleep clothes.“Oh. Alright. Thank you.”“It’s nothing,” he mumbled, wishing he could do so much more, like undo his overwrought reaction and go back to what had promised to be a wonderful session. Perhaps he could make it up to her. He cleared his throat. “Do you… You used your safeword but do you wish to return to the bedroom?”She pursed her lips together tightly; if this was what she thought, he was going to make her cry again. “I um, I don’t think either of us are in the right frame of mind for that, Loki. Do you?”He shrugged, his jaw working tightly. What were they to do then? Would she leave? He’d let her of course but he felt bereft at the idea.“I’m sorry. About -”He would’ve continued except she’d slapped her hand (gently) over his mouth, her eyes narrowing dangerously.“I know you’re not apologizing for a reaction you had no control over because that would be dumb, don’t you think? You wouldn’t expect me to apologize if that happened to me, would you?”He pulled her hand away. “No, of course not, but -”She slapped her other hand over his mouth, glaring at him. “No. Buts.”He sighed; he could see this wasn’t an argument he was going to win, even if he somehow had the energy for it. He lifted his eyebrows meaningfully until she took the hint and removed her hand.“No buts,” he agreed with a faint smile.“Good boy. I think we need a different kinda aftercare tonight. Let’s go to the living room, okay?”“Lead on, my lady.” He didn’t know what she meant by ‘different’ but he was more than ready for a distraction.She held his hand as she led him through the bedroom and into his sparse living room. “How’re you feeling?”Terrible. That much was obvious though, he was sure, and he followed after her like a lost creature, watching in dull confusion as she began opening cupboards in the kitchen.“I’ve been better,” he said sardonically, his voice hoarse from crying. “What are you looking for?”“Tea. It’s too late for coffee,” she explained as if that actually explained anything. Seeing his confusion, she offered a small, uncertain smile. “I thought maybe a hot drink would help? Creature comforts, y’know?”“Oh.” He came up behind her and reached over her head to the next cupboard, pulling out a purple tin and handing it to her. “Here.”She read the label: Cadbury Hot Chocolate, and rolled her eyes. Why was she not surprised? What did surprise her was how he shuffled to the fridge to grab a carton of milk and then ducked down to grab a saucepan. Casually, he pushed her aside with his body, taking her place in front of the stove, and began measuring ingredients.“Geez, your sweet tooth doesn’t quit, does it? I was going to make it for you.” He slanted a look sidelong at her as he whisked in the chocolate powder. “I’d rather keep busy, if it’s all the same to you. You could get us mugs though - in the cupboard beside the fridge.”“Can do!” She grabbed two mugs - matte black with golden rims, and set them at his elbow. “Do you want a snack? I was thinking toast might be good.”His stomach still felt a touch unsettled and toast would balance out the richness of their beverages. He jutted his chin to the bread box on the counter. “There’s bread there and plates are in the cupboard beside the mugs.”Darcy found a fresh loaf of artisanal bread in the box alongside a dish of butter and there was a cutting board leaning against the backsplash nearby. Loki directed her to the utensil drawer for a bread knife and she quickly cut a few slices, popping two in the toaster. As she grabbed plates for them, she chewed her lip, glancing at Loki worriedly. His face was a blank mask, like all his emotions had been completely wrung out, and she carefully bumped against his side. He looked down at her and blinked out of his thoughts, offering her a tiny flick of a smile.“Can I do anything for you? Do you need anything?”Her offer was so earnest and kind and he wanted nothing more than to take advantage of it. To ask her to conquer his fears and erase his memories and, in short, to make everything better, but she couldn’t, nor would it be fair of him to ask that of her. But he could ask her for something much more attainable and just as needed. Turning off the stove burner, he moved the pot of hot chocolate back and set a stasis charm over it to keep it hot. “May I hold you?” he asked quietly, tentatively, as if she’d say no or something equally as ridiculous.“Of course!” She opened her arms and he gratefully sank into her embrace, wrapping his long arms around her. “You never have to ask, honey.”He sighed against her neck, feeling the anxiety that had rebuilt since leaving the shower fade away. Darcy kept her hands carefully away from his spine and his eyes stung, appreciating it - her - deeply. He stayed there for a long moment, until his back objected and even then, he lingered.The toaster popped and startled them both.They separated and Darcy swapped the toast out with the other slices she’d cut. “Do you want any butter on yours?”“Just a scraping, please.”“Kaykay.” While she tended to that, he took down canisters of cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkled some of each into the hot chocolate before filling their mugs. “Where shall we sit?”“Hmm, the island, I guess. I don’t want to get crumbs all over your couch.”He nodded and carried their mugs to the island, before tiredly settling into a seat. Everything he'd endured on Sanctuary felt far too close and yet he felt so detached from it, from everything, right now. Darcy set their plates in front of them, squeezing his bicep as she hauled herself into the seat beside him. This, her, and the quiet bubble of domesticity she’d created was the only thing that felt real right now and he leaned into her.“Eat, sweetheart. You’ll feel better,” she encouraged him, taking a bite of her own toast and patting his knee.He did, chewing and swallowing mechanically, but the bread settled his stomach and he took her hand in his, tangling their fingers. She squeezed back.“You’re brilliant,” he murmured, watching her profile absently. Her nose tilted up very slightly at the end. “This was a good idea, I mean.”She’d never seen this mood before, quiet and contemplative (and complimentary). She didn’t hate it but if it only came about after he was majorly triggered, she’d be perfectly happy if it never came up again. Give her his ‘bored and irritating you’ mood any day.“I’m full of them, you know,” she pointed out, sipping from her mug. “Mmm, this is good. What did you put in it?”“Cinnamon and nutmeg. I find it adds depth to the chocolate.”“Guess you’re full of good ideas too.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”He merely hummed in acknowledgement, drinking from his own mug. He knew they should talk about what had happened but what could he say? Darcy didn’t need to know what horrors he’d survived; even if he were inclined to share those details, he wouldn’t share them with a lover. He would not be an object of pity for her. And she had already refused his apology as unnecessary. Not that that had rid him of the notion he should apologize. He should’ve realized what memories being blindfolded would bring up, should never have suggested it in the first place. What had she felt, finding her willing and excited partner vanished and in his place a broken wreck, so lost in memory as to be incapable of remembering something so simple as a safeword?Setting his mug down rather harder than he intended, he said: “I suppose blindfolds ought to be another of my hard limits.”Darcy made a face, considering. “Nooot necessarily. If you want it to be, then of course, yes. But it could be a soft limit too. I mean, maybe the blindfold was only…upsetting…’cause you were also tied up?”‘Upset’ was such a polite euphemism for his bone deep panic and he shook his head. “No. Your optimism is kind but misplaced. I do not wish to subject you to that reaction again. I should’ve realized what would happ -”“What!?” She nearly choked on her toast, because what? “Loki, that’s not how trauma works. Like, at all. You can’t know everything that will trigger you! I mean, why would you assume you’d be triggered by being blindfolded in a sexy situation? You’re totally fine with being tied up in the bedroom but I doubt you are in any other situation! I totally thought that would be a hard limit for you!”As soon as she said it, she winced. She’d been doing her level best to not allude to whatever had happened to him before New York. Ever. At all. As far as she knew, Loki denied anything and everything to do with it - the year between Asgard and Earth was an empty hole in his story that no one was dumb enough to question. The only thing he’d ever copped to was being an unwilling participant in the invasion. But here she was, throwing around words like trauma and triggers as if they weren’t directly related to the big, unspoken elephant in the room.“S-sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,” she stammered, her stomach sinking and her hands sweating. She’d stepped way over the line. “I um - You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, is all. You’re not all-knowing. And don’t worry about me. I was more worried about you than anything.”Her words froze him, dread, like ice, filling his belly. He had told no one about what he had survived - not Director Fury or his superiors, not the Avengers, not even Thor, and they had all demanded the details. For the entire time he had known her, Darcy had never once spoken so explicitly about what he’d gone through; she had always skirted around it, referring to it in vague and veiled references only when she absolutely had to. To hear her reference it so directly…Loki was too tired. Too tired to react, too tired to lash out or speak rationally, too tired for any of it.He merely sighed heavily. “Can we not talk about this tonight?”“...’Kay,” she practically whispered, guilt worming its way into her heart. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he wished for… He didn’t even know really, just…for things to be different. For the Norns to have set him a kinder fate, perhaps. If only. “May I… May I hold you again?” Darcy turned to him, a smile on her lips that didn’t match her eyes. “I told you: you don’t have to ask, Loki. Do you wanna head to bed and we can cuddle there? Or um, the couch is fine too.”She’d cleaned up the evidence of their session but maybe being confronted with where it had all gone down would make things worse? She didn’t know and she hated it.“Bed sounds ideal, to be honest.” Exhaustion seemed to pull at his very bones and falling asleep with Darcy in his arms sounded like the perfect panacea to his memories.While she used the bathroom, Loki returned the blankets and pillows to the bed and realized… He would probably have nightmares. Damn it.“Everything okay?” He turned at her voice; her eyes were still terribly sad and her hands were wrung together as if to keep from reaching for him.He drew her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “As well as can be, my lady. Are you well?”She nodded, burying her face against his chest and carefully wrapping her arms around the base of his back. She wasn’t. She felt like shit (irrationally, she knew, but that didn’t help as much as it should) but he probably felt worse and she didn’t want to put that on him right now. It wasn’t fair.Sighing, he regretfully unwound himself from her, pulling back enough to cup her cheek. She pressed into his hand sweetly and he felt a pang in his heart; she deserved better than him.“There’s a…significant chance I may have nightmares tonight. If you feel the need to wake me -” And he had no doubt she would, as kind hearted as she was, “- then you need to take precautions. I will not wake peacefully and I’ve no wish to harm you even unintentionally. So heed me: leave the bed and touch only my foot. Stay well clear of my reach, Darcy. Do you understand?”
Jesus.
She nodded firmly. “Get out of bed first and only touch your foot. Got it.”His shoulders relaxed and he cradled her face, kissing her softly. “Thank you. I hope there’s no need for it but forewarned is forearmed.”They climbed under the blankets and Loki dimmed the lights, gratefully tucking Darcy into him. She was warm and soft and real and her breath puffed lightly against his throat, reassuring him with its steadiness. Sanctuary was a different lifetime and every caress of hers against his side pushed it further away.“Loki?” She bit her lip, pulling back just enough to see his face in the darkness. “I just wanna say… You didn’t disappoint me tonight, okay? None of this was your fault and I don’t blame you for things going sideways. You’re still my good boy. You know that, right?”There was a lump in his throat and it took him a moment to swallow past it. It took him another to find the words to respond.“I do,” he murmured, the better to keep his voice steady. He knew she would never blame him, not to his face. Perhaps she didn’t even in her innermost thoughts. Hearing her say so helped, but he didn’t believe it himself. “Goodnight, Darcy. Pleasant dreams.”“You too.”Together, they fell asleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They both slept through the night with no nightmares as far as Darcy knew and she’d left Loki dozing in his nest of blankets. He’d seemed okay, had said a drowsy goodbye with one of his rare smiles and a cheek kiss, and she’d been tempted to let him pull her back into bed. But that wasn’t how things worked; Jane needed her and she was a responsible adult who couldn’t bail on work over a rough night. So she got ready for the day and popped an antacid and swung by her usual coffee shop, opting for a smoothie for herself. It was fresh and summery and she bounced into the lab ready to take on all the week’s challenges.Except Loki’s coffee went cold on his desk.The clock hit ten and then eleven and he never showed. His usual stack of books and papers were delivered by the same courier as always, popping their gum rudely and dumping the stack carelessly. Loki would have eviscerated them, so in that respect, it was probably a good thing he was taking a personal day.But Darcy’s stomach twisted in knots even as she tried to focus on Jane and her ideas. Maybe he was just chilling at home, recouping and doing some self-care? Never mind that nothing she knew about him suggested that thought would even cross his mind… She had to hope, right?Surreptitiously, she pulled out her phone and shot him a text.From Darcy: Are you ok?From Darcy: Let me know if you need anythingShe turned her phone over, refocusing on the data Jane was flinging at her. It was fine. He was okay. She’d… She’d done a good job taking care of him and there was no reason for guilt to leaden in her stomach.“Good morning, Dr. Foster, Ms. Lewis!”Ugh, God why? Darcy mumbled some vague greeting in Agent Creep’s direction, the same as Jane did, and wished with her entire being he’d fuck off. There was zero reason he couldn’t check up on Loki via email.“Oh. Did Loki…step out?” Walters’ asked, looking to them for confirmation.“He never came in,” Jane answered absently as she flipped through her notebook, scribbling something down.Walters’ expression went flat and cold in a way that had Darcy desperate to do…something! Cover for Loki somehow, cause a distraction, she didn’t know. He just rubbed her the wrong way so viscerally. It took a lot of effort to remind herself that he was just some low level agent stuck on babysitting duty. How much trouble could he really cause for Loki?“That’s unusual for him,” he commented in that fake congenial tone he always used, as if anyone was fooled by it. “You don’t think he’s sick, do you?”“It’s none of our business, dude,” she answered sharply, before Jane could chime in and give this joker any ideas. “Maybe he’s working from home.”His eyes slid pointedly to the stack of books on Loki’s desk - all his work was here - before looking back at her. “Well, maybe I’ll just check on him on my way out.”“I wouldn’t advise it,” Thor grumbled as he came in, wiping one broad hand over his face. It didn’t do much to dislodge the thick layer of glitter caked to his skin. “He’s not in the mood for visitors.”Darcy felt a lump in her throat, flipping over her phone. Her messages were unread.Jane clapped a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking, as she tried super hard not to laugh at her boyfriend. She squeaked out: “Oh noo, what happened?”Any other day, Darcy would give her props for not busting a gut laughing immediately but today it barely even earned a mouth twitch from her. Ugh, she was so out of it. Thor gave Jane a dastardly look and crossed the lab in two big strides, catching her up in a bear hug and rubbing his green-encrusted beard all over her head. She shrieked, laughing, and tried to escape. As he set her down, Jane picked a piece out of her hair and rolled her eyes at the green glitter.“Oh, real mature. He made them penis-shaped.”Thor groaned and tried again to scrape the glitter off his face. “Neither Clint nor Tony will let me hear the end of this if they catch me.”“Use coconut oil - it should get most of it off,” Darcy advised, remembering her own experiences with glitter makeup. It hadn’t been dick-shaped, mind you, but it had been equally as everywhere. “...Assuming Loki didn’t make it like, permanent.”Thor closed his eyes in long-suffering horror. “Let us hope he didn’t.”“Right.” Agent Creep cleared his throat to bring everyone’s attention back to him, jackass. “Maybe I’ll check in on him another day then. Nice to see you again, Thor. Dr. Foster. Ms. Lewis. Have a nice day.”Darcy waited until he was for sure gone before she sidled up to her lightning bro. “Is Loki okay?”His hulking shoulders rose and fell as he took the damp paper towel Jane passed him. “I imagine so. I did not speak with him; this damn glitter was my only welcome when I knocked on his door.”“Oh, okay.”He slanted a considering look at her that she didn’t like. What was he considering? There was nothing to consider! “Worry not, Darcy. I’m certain he’ll be back to causing you mischief tomorrow.”“Pfft, I hope not,” she muttered, cheeks aflame and the lie leaving a bad taste in her mouth. “I’m still cleaning glitter out of my hair from last week, dude.”🍧Darcy made it through another hour of work and ate her responsibly homemade lunch, even though it tasted like sawdust, and then she couldn’t take it anymore. If she spent one more second bouncing her leg, or checked her messages to Loki again (still not read), she was going to scream.“Hey Jane,” she interrupted, startling her bestie. She winced apologetically. “Sorry, I know we’re in the middle of something. But…is it alright if I take the afternoon? I feel like garbage.”“Oh, what’s wrong Darce? Are you sick?” Jane, the sweetie-pie, immediately came over and held her hand to her forehead. “You don’t feel hot.”“Uh, excuse you, I’m smokin’!” she laughed, rolling back in her chair. “And you’re not that kinda doctor, babe. I don’t think I’m sick or whatever, I just don’t feel good, y’know? Maybe not enough sleep or something. Do you mind?”To her credit, Jane didn’t even hesitate. “No, God, of course not! Go home Darce. Feel better, okay?”“I’ll try! See ya tomorrow!” She grabbed her stuff and hustled to the elevators. She’d just check on Loki and then she’d feel better…🍧With his head pressed to his knees, Loki breathed tremulously, trying, trying to master himself. His arms tightened around his legs, nails biting into his palms, as he reminded himself again that he was fine. He was safe.He was on Midgard.The Other and Thanos and his rotating cast of torturers were all dead.Sanctuary was no more. Just a horrid memory, one year of many in his long life, and he could forget all about it and no one would ever know or talk about it or remind him of it. Except…He’d been fine, eating his breakfast and prepared to head to the lab, and then abruptly, his cereal was the thin slop he’d been begrudgingly fed and he was simultaneously too hot and too cold and his heart was racing and he felt sick and he couldn’t stand it. It was in the past, it was over, and he ought to move on. Why couldn’t he pretend it had never happened? Rage bubbled in his chest and throat and suddenly his bowl crashed into the wall, shattering. He stared at the spot, chest heaving, eyes stinging, and grabbed the only other thing on the island. His cellphone dented the wall with a satisfying thud.He moved thoughtlessly, taking up the next thing and the next and the next, until everything he touched was broken, torn, destroyed, shattered… Until the entire apartment reflected how he felt. He blinked furiously, tears spilling down his cheeks as he looked down at his shaking hands. They were ripped and bloody from the damage he’d caused and they were already healing, like none of it had happened, like it was meaningless and he was struck breathless with the urge to recommit the violence, to make it permanent, so someone would see…Loki threw up in the sink. Self-violence wasn’t in his repertoire of destructive habits. It never had been. Horrified, he’d sunk to the floor right there, the cupboard handle digging uncomfortably into his back until he leaned forward and pressed his forehead harshly into his knees.He was fine he was fine he was fine…There was a knock at the door and he flinched, a dagger materializing in his hand, knuckles white around the hilt. He waited with bated breath and the knock came again.“Loki?” He recognized Darcy’s voice through the door and he banished the dagger, tipping his head back against the cabinet. He exhaled slowly. “Are you in there?”He could ignore her and she’d leave.“Go away!” he shouted, wincing at his idiocy and how wretched his voice sounded. The fact he sounded as though he’d been crying for hours would certainly pique her concern.Darcy bit her lip, staring at the door. He sounded like shit and she wanted nothing more than to run in and scoop him into a hug, as if that would magically make everything better. It wouldn’t, but it had to help, right? Right?“Loki, come on. Please? I’m worried about you,” she pleaded, fully aware that he could ignore her and there was nothing she could do about it. She pressed her hand to the door like she could reach him through it. “Please. I just want to know you’re okay. Then I’ll leave if you want, I promise.”His jaw worked, tears pricking his eyes again. Why did she have to be so kind?Thoughtlessly, he rose to his feet and crossed the detritus he’d left in the wake of his rampage. He took a hitching breath and threw open the door, looking down at her tiredly. She gasped and Norns only knew what she saw.“Loki…” She didn’t know what else to say. He was a mess, with his clothes rumpled and face tear-stained and pale, his eyes distant and heartbreakingly sad. He seemed to hunch in on himself the longer she looked and she dropped her gaze, spotting what looked sickeningly like blood on his hands.Please don’t be what I think that is… “Loki, did you… Are you hurt?” She swerved away from her original question, the one burning in her throat, at the last second. Did you hurt yourself?“What?” He breathed heavily through his nose, lifting a hand to rub his eyes. He stopped, noting the streaks of blood dried on his skin. Oh. “No. Not the way you mean.”Her relief was so strong her eyes pricked and she had to blink back totally unnecessary tears. “Oh good. I’m uh, I’m glad it’s not…what I thought,” she finished lamely, looking anywhere but him. She frowned at the torn book on the floor just inside the door, tracking inward to find broken glass and wood and more books. Had he trashed his apartment? “Loki… Can I hug you?”He nodded jerkily before he could talk himself out of it and Darcy immediately wrapped her arms around him, mindful - as always - of his spine, pressing her cheek to his chest, heedless of her glasses. A second passed and then two and then he cracked, slumping down and embracing her tightly as his shoulders shook. He’d thought he had no more tears to cry but evidently he’d been wrong and he buried his face in her hair.“Oh sweetheart…” Carefully, she rubbed a hand up and down one side of his back, hating that there was nothing she could say to make this better or even easier. But she could hold him as long as he needed - just not in the hallway. She seriously doubted he wanted anyone to see him like this. “Let’s go inside, okay? We can cuddle as long as you want. How does that sound?”She wanted to stay? Was willing to hold him? He was desperate to agree but dumbly, all he could think was: “It’s Monday.”“Doesn’t matter,” she said firmly, leaving no room for argument. Did he really think she’d leave him like this just because it wasn’t a session day? Obviously, and she wanted to kick herself. “I don’t care what day of the week it is. You need some TLC. So come on, let’s get you taken care of, honey.”Determinedly, she ushered him back inside, shutting the door behind them and stopping short. It looked like the Hulk had gone berserk in the living room and kitchen - it was a total disaster area, and she wisely kept her shoes on. Beside her, Loki looked shamefacedly at his hands, rubbing his palm roughly. She put her hand over his, interrupting the repetitive action.“Hey.” She kept her voice soft but he still flinched. Damn it, he was going to make her cry, but she resolutely pushed on. “Is the bedroom okay to go in?”He nodded. “I - I stopped out here.”“Okay. Let’s go to the bedroom then.”She took his hand without hesitation, tugging him along, and he followed blindly. Glass crunched under foot, part of a book kicked out of the way… He should clean up, repair things, but it felt so overwhelming. All he could manage was to sweep a narrow path ahead of them, making it safe for Darcy. Norns forbid she get hurt because of him.“Thank you.” She shot him a smile over her shoulder, squeezing his hand, and he squeezed back. It was nothing.The bedroom was almost exactly as she’d left it this morning except he’d made the bed in her absence. Sunshine poured in through the open curtains and it was such a ridiculous juxtaposition to how both of them felt; it ought to be pouring rain and miserable out, shouldn’t it? She kicked off her flats, not wanting to track shards of glass through the room, and Loki removed his own shoes. She guessed he’d been about to leave for the lab before whatever happened went down.“Let’s get you cleaned up, okay?”Loki just nodded again and she hated that he was practically non-verbal right now. It was alarming when he was usually so responsive but she couldn’t force him to talk. She’d just have to stick to yes-or-no questions until he opened up on his own. She sat him on the toilet lid and grabbed a facecloth, wetting it in warm water and blinking away her tears where he couldn’t see. He had enough going on already without adding her emotions to the mix.Semi-composed, she turned back to him, kneeling down in front of him and wiping first one hand and then the other. “I know we’re not playing right now, but can I call you pet names, Loki?”“Yes,” he whispered hoarsely, watching her wash the blood from his hands. She was so gentle with him. She beamed up at him. “You answered out loud; thank you, honey. One sec.”Rinsing out the cloth, she wrung out the excess water and came back, tilting his chin up to her. “Close your eyes.”He did and she carefully wiped his eyelids and the delicate skin underneath them, erasing the dried tear tracks. She refolded the cloth one-handed and dabbed it over his forehead and cheeks, his nose and chin and throat. Putting it aside, she cupped his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs lightly over his cheekbones.“There. That’s better, isn’t it?”Instead of answering, he circled his arms around her waist, pulling her close between his knees and pressing his face against her stomach. “Oh sweetie…” She cradled his head against her, rubbing light circles over his shoulders. “It’s gonna be okay.”Darcy held him and he simply breathed, centering himself in her. She was soft and here and real, taking care of him, offering him kindness and affection and comfort. He could scarcely believe she’d come, unasked for but needed so desperately, and he wondered what he could possibly have done to earn her attention, to be included among the blessed few she cared for.“Thank you,” he murmured to her and the universe that had crossed their paths.He didn’t need to thank her for stuff like this, for basic human decency, but they’d had that conversation before and it hadn’t gotten her anywhere. Instead, she asked: “Have you had anything to drink today?”He hesitated (she wouldn’t like his answer) before shaking his head.She sighed, combing her fingers through his hair. “Of course not. Alright. I’m gonna grab you a glass of water. Do you wanna get into bed? Or, actually, do you wanna take a bath? I can wait outside.”“Would you… Would you join me? Please?” He pulled back to look up at her, desperate for her to agree even though he knew she had no reason to. “I - I don’t intend anything sexual by it, Darcy; it’s not Sunday, I know. I simply wish to keep holding you. Please.”His eyes pleaded with her and honestly? She could use some skin-on-skin intimacy too. She pressed her lips to his forehead chastely. “Okay, honey. No sex stuff, just holding. Can you run the bath for us? I’ll be right back.”He let her go with obvious reluctance but he didn’t seidr up anything to drink either. Putting her shoes back on, she walked out into the living room and took stock for a minute. He’d done a real number out here - all the furniture was broken in some way including the freakin’ couch, all the inoffensive wall art Stark’s designers had put up had been torn down and smashed, every random book they’d put on the shelves was ripped to shreds. It was scary, the amount of destruction he’d caused with his bare hands, but more than anything, she just felt bad for Loki and how much he must’ve been (still was) hurting to do all this.Shoving her glasses up, she rubbed her eyes. “Don’t cry now Lewis, you’ll never stop. Eyes on the prize.”The ‘prize’ was a tall glass of cold water and maybe some crackers or something since she doubted Loki had eaten today either. Making it to the kitchen, she gagged, reassessing that last thought. Holding her shirt over her nose, she quickly flipped on the tap, rinsing out the sink where he’d clearly thrown up his breakfast. Poor guy. He’d seemed fine when she left this morning and she wondered perversely what had triggered him before shaking the thought off. It didn’t matter and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask. Quickly, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it from the tap before returning to the bedroom, knocking on the bathroom door frame.“Come in,” Loki called out, grateful she’d returned before his dark thoughts could rush back in (or worse yet, his memories). She joined him where he sat on the edge of the tub, still fully dressed, and stepped easily into his open arm so he could curl it around her. “Here you go, sweetheart. Drink up.”He drank the water in measured, steady gulps under her watchful gaze, handing the glass back to her when he finished. “Thank you. I feel better.”“I bet. You’re probably dehydrated.” She didn’t know how long he’d been crying but she could guess. “Are you hungry at all?”His stomach grumbled and turned simultaneously. “Not particularly.”“Hm.” She looked at him over her glasses severely. “I’m making you eat something before I leave tonight. Even if it’s just toast.”“Alright,” he nearly chuckled, surprisingly grateful for her fussing. He’d likely be starving later on. “The bath is almost ready. Shall we…?”He trailed off hesitantly. Usually if they bathed together, they were both already naked from their amorous activities. That was obviously not the case tonight and he had no wish to make her uncomfortable.She reached for his top shirt button, slipping it through the hole before she stilled, biting her lip and darting a look at him. “Sorry. Is this okay?”His lips tightened upward into a tiny smile, his eyes warm. “Yes.”Relaxing, she kept unbuttoning his shirt, working her way down until he had to ruck it up out of his waistband. She finished the buttons down his front while he undid his cuffs, shrugging out of it. It dropped to the floor and she crouched down to work his socks off, adding them to the pile.“Think you can handle your pants?”“Yes.” It would be for the best. His body would likely react instinctively to her, regardless of how mentally uninterested he was in sex at the moment. Standing, he unbuckled his belt and undid the fastenings, shucking the trousers perfunctorily. Darcy had stepped away to set her glasses on the vanity and undress herself, bundling her clothes up on the counter to don again later. Arousal simmered lowly in his blood seeing her naked curves but more than anything, he really did only want to hold her, to feel her skin warm against his.Sliding into the water, he hissed - the heat felt good against his aching back and warmed his chilled limbs. He heard Darcy approach and she laid a hand over his brow, smoothing his hair back.“Is your back okay, honey?”He hummed an affirmative note in his throat, keeping his eyes closed. “It will be fine, Darcy.”That wasn’t exactly what she’d asked but she let it slide, knowing the bath would help him. Carefully, she climbed in, settling between his long legs and twisting her hair up - she didn’t really want to get it wet.“Oh here, let me -” Loki took her curls and piled them neatly on her crown, conjuring a simple clip to keep them in place. “There. How’s that?”“Great, thanks.”Leaning back against his chest, she sighed contentedly, feeling his arms circle around her waist. All her lingering anxiety was draining away now that she had eyes and hands on Loki; he was okay. Well…for a given value of ‘okay’ anyway. He didn’t hate her for last night, he still welcomed her, and he was letting her take care of him as much as she could. She wished she could do more but…she didn’t have a magic wand that could fix mental health unfortunately.“...Do you want to talk about it?” she dared to ask, studiously watching herbs swirl around on the water’s surface.His arms tightened around her. “Not particularly.”He’d much rather wipe it from his mind entirely - to forget the whole sordid nightmare, but for some reason that didn’t seem to be an option. More’s the pity. Darcy laced her fingers with his, squeezing. “Okay. But if you ever need to, I’m here Loki. I’ll listen.”The shocking thing was he believed her. Despite how…structured their relationship was, the firm boundaries they both adhered to (today notwithstanding), he absolutely believed that she would drop everything to listen to him. She’d offer an attentive ear and a shoulder to cry on but he couldn’t fathom telling anyone, let alone her.“I…appreciate the offer, Darcy. You’re too kind,” he settled for saying, pressing a kiss to her hair. “If you don’t wanna talk about it, is there anything else I can do to distract you? I mean, I could tell you about the latest Game of Thrones episode?” she offered and winced, realizing all the brutality in the show prooobably wasn’t the best topic right now. “Or um, my favorite movie? Or the drama in the R&D chat?”Loki breathed the slightest laugh, sounding undeniably fond. “Any of it. All of it. Feel free to chatter away.”🍧They cuddled for a bit after their bath and had dinner delivered, before she went back to her apartment. On Tuesday, Loki came into the lab to work, still a little fragile, a little quiet, but he was there. He’d restored his apartment and forewent his usual oatmeal, opting for eggs instead. He mocked Thor for his glitter-woes (“Perhaps if you simply knocked, instead of trying to force your way in I wouldn’t need to resort to public humiliation.”) and read the nonsense SHIELD had sent. Darcy checked in with him via text in the evening and he assured her he was alright, and he was. Much better than the day before at any rate and he spent the time before he retired reading a sci-fi book she’d recommended. Wednesday sped by, absorbed as he was in reading (still no hint of real seidr-usage but Loki was amusing himself by imagining the implications of the author’s absurd theories on how magic worked), and he only looked up when he heard an alarm sound from Darcy’s vicinity. He wasn’t the only one: Dr. Foster startled at the sound, turning away from the whiteboard she’d been staring at for who knew how long. “What’s that for, Darce?”“It’s uh, it’s 5 o’clock,” she explained, feeling hella sheepish and trying real hard not to look Loki’s way. It felt way too obvious. “Loki wants to get ice cream again and he’s kinda fussy about the time. Remember last week?”“Oh. Alright.” Jane looked between them with a crease in her forehead that could’ve just been from the equations she’d been struggling with for the last like, two hours. “Well, have fun.”“Sure thing, boss lady.” Relieved, she quickly shut down her computer and scooped up her stuff, pausing for half a second. “When I get back, you better not be here. I’ll check.”Jane rolled her eyes at her ‘watching you’ gesture and shooed her away. “I won’t be, you worry-wart. Go!”She wasn’t going to complain. She scooted out the door with Loki following at a more sedate pace, eyebrow arched in amusement. He didn’t say anything until they’d reached the elevators and she’d mashed the button.“Well,” he drawled, hands in his pockets and laughter brimming in his voice. “I never thought I’d see the day. Am I to be your excuse any time you wish to escape your work responsibilities?”She shoved his arm. Jerk. “I’m not ‘escaping’ anything, dude. I didn’t want a repeat of last week; you were about to cause a power outage just ‘cause we were working a little late.”He pretended to sniff haughtily, tilting his nose in the air. “Such slanderous accusations! How do you know it wasn’t my fool of a brother?”The elevator doors opened to an empty car and they stepped in.“Not his style,” she asserted confidently. “But definitely yours, you drama queen.”“If you think Thor is not at least as equally as dramatic as myself, I’m afraid you don’t know him very well,” he teased, brushing his hand against hers and delighting when she automatically took it.Darcy cocked her head, mouth pursed. "I guess. But I still doubt he’d blow the lights just ‘cause he didn’t get his ice cream on time.”“Perhaps not,” he conceded, rubbing his thumb against her hand. “But he would most certainly sulk.”Like he was one to talk. Sulking and brooding had to be one of his lesser-known godly attributes, the way he carried on, but considering how difficult their discussion was going to be, she figured it’d be best not to poke at his ego. He was going to be prickly enough as it was.She grabbed her purse quickly before he noticed the pile of dishes in the sink and the snack wrappers scattered on the coffee table (she was getting to it!), and they headed out to 32+. The weather was way too nice to bother teleporting; the sun was shining and the breeze was turning hot with the first suggestions of summer. The only downside (in Loki’s opinion) was half of Manhattan seemed to be out enjoying it too but Darcy maneuvered them both around the throngs of people deftly.“Do you wanna go to the park again?”He made a face, mouth twisting about. On the one hand, he did enjoy being outdoors but on the other: people. But that fact didn’t seem to bother Darcy half so much so he shrugged.“If you’d like.” It wouldn’t be awful: he’d have her and ice cream to conciliate him.She peered up at him suspiciously. Were they doing this again? “You can say no, Loki. I’m cool either way, but I wanna hear your preference.”Right. For some bizarre reason, that mattered to her, even when they weren’t in a session. “I’d…rather we stayed here today. Though perhaps we could still sit outside…”“Where?” There wasn’t a patio or even a nearby bench.“Leave it to me,” he said with a wink that ridiculously had her blushing.He ushered her inside and began scanning this week’s flavors for anything he might like. I like U(be) A Lot, Strawberry Fields Forever, Orange You Glad, Perfectly A-Peeling… It seemed they were still on a fruit kick but he thought he might prefer something more decadent today.“May I try Tira-Miss-You?” he asked the worker, who handed over a spoon promptly. It was a delicious mix of chocolate and coffee and it would satisfy his sweet tooth nicely. “One scoop of this with Double Truffle in a bowl to go please.”“Coming right up, and for you?”Darcy hemmed and hawed. “Can I try I like U(be) A Lot?”They handed over the spoon and she popped it in her mouth fearlessly. It was pretty mild as flavors went, tasting a little bit nutty and vanilla-ish, but she liked it enough. “A kiddy scoop of the ube and one of Strawberry Fields Forever in a bowl please and thanks. To go, I guess.”“Gotcha.”Out of habit, Darcy reached for her wallet but Loki beat her to paying again and honestly, maybe she should just let him. What did it hurt, after all? It was kinda cute that he wanted to. She held the door open for him and he offered her a tiny little pleased smile before stepping out on the sidewalk. In front of the shop’s window was suddenly a park bench, looking as if it had always been there even though she knew for a damned fact it hadn’t been. Casually, Loki settled himself onto it, a plush green cushion appearing under him and behind his back. When she didn’t immediately join him, he seemed to remember something and a purple cushion showed up beside him. He looked up at her expectantly and she couldn’t help shaking her head, laughing.She plopped into the seat, knocking her shoulder against his. “You’re adorable, you know that? Thanks for paying, and for the cushion. It’s pretty comfy.”“Of course.” He was resolutely not blushing. He wasn’t adorable; adorable was for children and small animals. “Did you want to sample any of mine again?”“And deprive you of all your chocolate? No way! Did you wanna try mine?” She offered him her bowl and he took a scrape of ube. It was a fascinating shade of purple but it didn’t have much flavor. “It’s alright,” he decreed, replacing it with some of the tiramisu which was much more palatable in his opinion.They sat side by side, slowly eating their ice cream. Neither was too eager to start their discussion, considering how their last session had ended, and then everything that had happened Monday… Loki could feel dread settling in the pit of his stomach the longer the silence dragged on; how would she address it? Would she tiptoe around it or be dispassionately blunt and matter of fact? Perhaps he should be the one to begin, to set the tone for how they discussed his…failings. He swallowed with a wince. Or not.Darcy finished off the ube ice cream and started on the strawberry, trying to screw up the courage to start talking. They couldn’t avoid this. She refused to avoid any issue related to play, no matter how small, and this was the opposite of small. It was huge. Ginormous. The size of the whole freakin’ state, but they had to tackle it somehow if only to keep them both safe going forward and it was that thought that helped her to finally speak.“Look, I know you don’t want to talk about what happened to you or anything related to it, but we kind of need to and I’m sorry,” she said all in a rush, body tensing as if he’d start shouting as soon as she stopped talking, or worse: vanish.When neither happened, she yanked her shoulders down from around her ears and looked at him nervously. His hand was in a tight fist on his lap, all her tension mirrored and doubled in him. “You’re right,” he agreed, his voice so tight she imagined a piano wire snapping. He took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. He didn’t sound as bad when he continued: “I apologize too. This…isn’t easy for me. I should have thought to warn you about my possible reaction -”She cut him off because nu-uh, we’re not doing this again. “How could you? You thought a blindfold would make things hotter, right? You’re not the first person to. Just like you’re not the first person to be taken off guard by…surprise memories.”He huffed a bitter laugh. “There’s no sense pussyfooting around it. I relived a moment of torture -” he spat the word with vitriol, “- and had a panic attack. I was betrayed by my own mind and you were forced to bear witness.”Her heart broke. There was so much self-hatred there and for what? Things he had no control over, that he hadn’t even chosen but had been forced into. Very, very carefully, Darcy put a hand on his shoulder. Somehow, he stiffened even more but before she could pull back, he covered her hand with his.“Do…Do you have any idea how strong you are, Loki?” He snapped to look at her incredulously but she forged on. “You’re so fucking strong. You survived all that and can still function so well most people have no clue anything happened to you. I’m sure there’s tons of little things that remind you of what happened every day and they barely bother you. So what if being blindfolded triggered you? That doesn’t mean you’re whatever bad thing I can tell you’re thinking about yourself. It just means we don’t use a blindfold.”He scoffed at her words, glaring down at the cracks in the sidewalk. She was naive, foolish, pathetic… All the things he thought of himself. He’d thought he could escape, that he’d be rescued, that it wouldn’t last so long, that he’d die, that they’d stop resurrecting him… But all of it had turned out to be nothing but the vain hopes of a naive child.“I mean it, Loki.” She knew he didn’t believe her and she doubted a single conversation with her was going to change that, but he deserved to hear it. “You’re brave too. So, so freakin’ brave. You hate being touched but you’re brave enough to let me touch you. You’re brave enough to let me tie you up, to ask me to tie you up, to be my good boy every week. You’re even brave enough to tell me your hard limits and trust me with them. You’re being brave right now, talking to me about this. You’re amazing, Loki, and what you lived through doesn’t change that.”He shook his head, as if to physically shake off her words, and she quickly barrelled on before he could get caught up in denying them. “Obviously, neither of us want this sort of thing to happen again. But we can't pretend that it's not a possibility, and it was kinda irresponsible of me not to have a plan for it before.” She was still so angry with herself about that. “So I need to know if there's any way I could have handled it better, if there's anything you can think of that would help me help you more."Loki looked at her in utter bafflement. “You handled it excellently, I assure you. There’s not a single remark or suggestion I would make, Darcy.”She shoved to her feet, frustration making her want to shake him or kick a lamppost or something. “Can you try? ‘Cause I was flying blind Sunday and I fucking hated it, Loki. I felt like I was putting bandaids on a broken bone: completely useless and maybe even making things worse and I shouldn’t feel that way taking care of you! It’s dangerous! What if I’d fucked up and sent you into a worse spiral? Or what if you’d shut down completely? How would I know if I was hurting you? What if I had to get help? Is there anyone you’d even be comfortable with? I have no idea and I should!”He was staring up at her with wide eyes and abruptly, she ran out of steam, crossing her arms and holding her elbows to hug herself. “Sorry. I just… I’ve been freaking out and I didn’t want to dump all that on you but, well…you’re the only one who can help me out here.”Without a word, Loki set aside his bowl and stood, embracing her tightly. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and she wriggled her arms out from between them to hug him back, clutching her hands in his shirt. She hated falling apart like this but being held made it a little more bearable.After a long moment, he pulled back enough to cradle her face in his hands, his expression solemn. “Do not apologize for your feelings, Darcy. If you had not said anything, I wouldn’t have known. You seemed perfectly confident to me.”“Yeah well, sorry to burst your bubble,” she muttered, wiping her fingers under her eyes.“Do not be.” He hadn’t realized he’d put her on a pedestal, one where she always knew what to do and was unaffected when things went wrong, but he shouldn’t have. No being was perfect and Darcy deserved better than that treatment. He drew her down on the bench with him, angling himself to face her. “A plan would be wise, you’re right. What are your concerns?”“Well, like… Should I have used my safeword? Was following you into the shower the right thing? You did tell me to go away so… I don’t know. I’m kinda questioning everything.” She shrugged helplessly.He thought for a moment, taking her hand between his in his lap. Thinking back on Sunday night was difficult but she needed this from him and he refused to disappoint her. “Nothing you did was the wrong choice, Darcy. Ending our session…brought me out of the memory. If I truly hadn’t wanted you to join me, I would’ve barred your entrance. You… You helped me incredibly that night, and again on Monday. I’m not sure what I would’ve done without you.”Okay, that helped. She hadn’t fucked up as far as he was concerned. “What worked best? Or um, what do you wish I’d done?”He forced himself to think it over. “I fear I don’t have much advice to offer. You are the first to witness me in the aftermath of a…a surprise memory, as you called it.”“A flashback,” she offered softly, squeezing his hand.“A flashback then,” he nodded, squeezing back, unable to meet the kindness in her blue eyes. “Nor do I feel the necessity to treat myself with what you might consider the appropriate amount of care when I’m alone after one.”She’d gotten pretty good at parsing Loki-ese and she frowned at him. “Is that your round-about way of saying you don’t take care of yourself afterwards?”He shrugged, discomfited. “I address my most pressing needs.”“Tell me what that looks like?”Grimacing, he looked at the building across the street, squinting at the sun reflecting off its windows. It was the oddest feeling, finding an action completely reasonable until confronted by her and then knowing with sinking clarity that she’d be furious with him.“I -” He cleared his throat, fingers flexing around hers. “- clean up any mess I might’ve made and take a shower and cancel any plans I might have.”Darcy was trying real hard not to judge. Really. But it was so goddamn hard because it sounded like he cleaned up the evidence and pretended it didn’t happen. But no one had ever accused him of having healthy coping mechanisms. Maybe no one had taught him any.“You cancel plans; does that mean you wanna be alone?” she asked lightly and his hand tightened around hers almost painfully, as if afraid she’d pull away. “No! No, that - that’s not it,” he explained, feeling half-sick with desperation. If she’d left him Sunday… He might still be a sniveling wreck on the bathroom floor. “I am not in a sociable mood after and I know that I would no doubt lash out at any company and come to regret it.”That made sense. He was prickly to begin with; add a traumatic flashback and he was liable to bite heads off at the slightest provocation. “I am…incredibly grateful that you stayed Sunday night and even more so that you came on Monday,” he forced himself to admit. He needed her to understand how important she was to him. “Thank you. Your presence means a great deal to me.”“This -” She gestured between them. “- means a lot to me too, Loki. I know talking about this isn’t your idea of a fun time, so thanks for doing it anyway. In the shower, the water wasn’t very warm - does that help?”“Yes. Immediately after, I…” He exhaled shakily, pushing his hands down his thighs, trying to reel in his sudden nervous energy. “Norns! Why is this so difficult to talk about?”“Not to sound all armchair psychologist but… Maybe because you haven’t before. Just take your time, Loki. I’ve got nowhere else to be.”He nodded in acknowledgement, breathing slowly as he did during meditation. The sun was warm and bright, the breeze smelled a little of flowers but mostly of refuse (another way Asgard was superior: sanitation), the cushion under him was supportive and comfortable, Darcy sat beside him, her hand rubbing soothing circles against his shoulder… He could do this. “Showering with lukewarm water is best in the aftermath. Cold water to drink. Something light and small to eat if I feel up to food.” He kept his sentences brief and simple, hoping to convince himself these were just facts. There was no need to bring emotions into plain fact. “A hot bath is fine after… after I’ve had some time. If you must call anyone, I would choose Thor*. Your touch is wanted but I need you to ask first, right after. I cannot guarantee I will not react poorly otherwise.”“I can do that,” she promised. “And you don’t have to ask to hold or touch me, okay? I’m never gonna say no.”“Does - does that help or do you need more?” he asked, looking pained but determined and damn it, he was going to make her cry.“That’s plenty, Loki,” she assured, reaching out to squeeze his hand. A hug might be too much for him right now. “Thank you.”He laced their fingers together, and they sat for a while. The sun inched down and a few people walked by, totally oblivious to them, each occupied in their own worlds. A group of pigeons fluttered down to the road, strutting about looking for food and cooing at each other until a car passed by, sending them back into flight.Darcy took a deep breath and ahold of her courage. “Hey, um, I wanna suggest something you might not like, okay?”“...Alright. Go ahead.”He sounded more bemused than anything so she blurted it out: “Have you thought about seeing a therapist? Talking to someone might help. I mean, not that it’ll like, magically make it all go away, but it could help? If you wanted.”Based on context, he surmised a therapist to be similar to a mind healer and part of him reflexively balked; he didn’t need a mind healer - he was fine! But that was so patently false as to be ridiculous - he was not fine. Not if he could experience a flashback even while in Darcy’s presence.It was not an easy thing to accept though, nor was he sure it was even possible. “Who could I speak to? SHIELD is not trustworthy and I would not have my secrets sold to the highest bidder.”“I um…I maybe looked into it?” she offered, wincing majorly. Before he could react, she rushed on: “Not to say you need therapy or like, have to go through with it of course but um, yeah. Obviously SHIELD is out and so is anyone they could buy off or who’d share your stuff with like, the news, so I kinda got the names of the therapists Stark has on retainer. He’s had them since he became Iron Man and the tabloids have never gotten ahold of anything. And say what you want about the guy, but he doesn’t trust SHIELD either so you could probably trust his therapists if you ever wanted to…to reach out to them. And - and! There’s gotta be some kind of like, privacy-binding spell thingamajig you could use, right?”For a moment, Loki could only look at her, too overcome to speak. It was obvious just how much thought and work she’d put into this, into finding someone he could trust, and the fluttering in his chest was so strong, he actually put a hand over it, as if that would calm it. Oh God, he was still staring and not saying anything and she felt compelled to keep babbling: “But um, this is all hypothetical of course! ‘Cause it’s totally up to you and I’m not like, trying to force you into it or anything! That would end sooo badly. So yeah. Just a thought! Can you maybe please say something so I can shut up already? I feel like I’m gonna explode from stress in a second.”That got his attention and he shocked her by laughing quietly. “Peace. We can’t have that, now can we?” Lifting their joined hands, he kissed her knuckles with a soft expression. “Thank you, Darcy. I will think about it. Would you like to share another scoop of ice cream? I’m in the mood for Death by Chocolate.”“Oh. Yeah, sure.”He vanished their empty bowls and held the door for her, ushering her to their usual table before ordering for them. Darcy watched him bemusedly. Out of all the possible reactions he could’ve had to her suggesting therapy, this hadn’t been one she’d expected: this zen-like peace. He hadn’t gone nuclear at her audacity or denied the necessity of it or shut down. And now he was getting more ice cream for them. She didn’t know what to make of it but she wasn’t going to complain.Sliding into the seat across from her, he set the bowl between them and produced two spoons. They each dug in and Darcy hummed around her spoon; she’d scooped out mostly fudge and it was delicious.“I dunno why I don’t get chocolate more often; this is the bomb!”“Perhaps because you’re so sweet already,” he suggested, eyes twinkling.She scoffed, rolling her eyes in spite of her pink cheeks. “Flatterer.”“Have you decided on anything for our next session?”Darcy froze with her spoon halfway to her mouth, before she finished the motion, swallowing her ice cream. “Um. Not exactly. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to keep to our schedule. I totally understand if you don’t; I mean, Sunday was… Well, a lot happened. So…”“Right.” He poked his spoon in the bowl, pushing a chocolate chunk around, thinking. Was she simply being polite? Did she need time away from their arrangement? It was possible but… He could always simply ask and be sure. “Do you want to take a break?”“I’m fine either way, honestly. If you want to take a week off or whatever, I totally understand, and if you want a session this weekend, I’m game. It’s up to you, Loki. What are you comfortable with?”“I wish to continue our sessions,” he told her, feeling unaccountably bold for having said it, even more so when he continued, an idea sparking to life. “If you have no plans in place already, I have an idea.”She perked up. He had an idea he was willing to share? Color me intrigued. “I’m all ears.”“Our sessions thus far have focused on my pleasure -”“Hey! My pleasure’s been a big component too!” she interrupted stridently. If he was going to act like this was some chore for her… “I dunno how much more obvious I can make it.”“Rest assured: you’ve made it quite clear.” He could be forgiven his smirk considering how often she’d cried his name in ecstasy. “However, we’ve yet to have a session that focuses solely on you and I would like to put myself at your disposal. What would you enjoy the most, Darcy?”He said her name like a caress and she had to fight not to shift obviously in her seat. He was straight up smoldering at her and she really, really wanted to grab him by his tie and have him poof them back to his apartment but that wasn’t happening. So. What would she enjoy the most? There were so many options…“How am I supposed to choose?” she whined unashamedly, making him chuckle, the jerk. “Don’t,” he suggested, voice dark and sinful and hnng. “Tell me all your fantasies. I’ll do my best to fulfill them.”She was going to combust and it was all his fault, Jesus Christ.She bit her lip, looking out the window to keep from launching herself at him. Okay, she could do this. He wanted to focus on her, to fulfill some of her fantasies, but she wanted him to enjoy himself too. There was no sense telling him about a fantasy that included his hard limits, but that still left tons of options. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was sitting perfectly straight-backed in his crisp, hellaciously expensive dress shirt, green and black striped tie knotted firmly at his throat, hair slicked back neatly. He was so put together and regal (even in Earth clothes). She wanted him debauched, reeking of sex and desperate for her, all his composure long gone and happily abandoned, her hands in his hair as she sat back and let him do all the work…“There is one roleplay I like… Queen and hm, commoner I guess?” She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. Loki could never be a commoner. “Doesn’t really matter as long as my sub is lower in the pretend hierarchy. They’re honored to spend time with me, they’ll do anything that pleases me… They trip over themselves to attend me on my throne for as long as I want. If they do a good enough job, I might even return the favor but there’s no guarantee.”The lift of her eyebrow and curl of her mouth left little doubt about what precisely she meant by “attending” and Loki wet his lips. He could picture it now: Darcy in royal garb, summoning him before her to attend her desires, her skirts pushed up and legs thrown over the arms of her throne, his head buried between her quaking thighs. He was achingly hard and he cast a glamor over his lap.“Would a visiting prince do?” he wondered semi-casually; his voice was a little too rough to pull it off completely and she grinned in a way that left his heart racing.“Perfectly.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Loki looked over his handiwork once more, satisfaction settling comfortably along his shoulders. His bedroom, as large as it was, had been a rather tight fit for the illusion he’d wanted to create but he’d made it work. A few dozen feet had been cut but certainly wouldn’t be missed, least of all by Darcy who had never stepped foot in the original room. Aside from that, it was exactly as he remembered it. …Minus the few cushions he’d added that he knew she’d appreciate.Closing the door on his surprise, he debated what to wear. His usual at-home garb was far too casual for a meeting with a queen and he’d always prided himself on his appearance. He wanted to make an impression (he wanted to impress her). His ceremonial armor brought back too many memories, as did the last iteration of his battle armor (which was inappropriate for the occasion anyway).
Something new then…
Seidr washed over him, the light armor and leathers landing familiarly against his body despite their new configuration, and he inspected the most glaring change. He’d daringly made the leather backing of his vambrace a deep purple, alongside his collar and the padding under his greaves. It would be scandalously obvious where his interests lay were he in court but the fact only made his mouth quirk up. Darcy was certainly worth a scandal.He shook his head at his folly. The chances of his returning to court were slim enough, never mind the chances of a human being allowed anywhere near even the common Aesir. Odin and the old guard would be apoplectic at the mere idea. …It was hilarious to imagine, actually.There was a knock at the door, pale blue highlighting the frame, and Loki composed himself. Odin and his ilk had no room in his thoughts tonight.“Good evening, Your Majesty,” he greeted Darcy demurely, sweeping his emerald cape back as he bowed to her.“Your Highness,” she returned, mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. “I’m not even dressed yet! At least let me get into character!”“Nonsense. Aren’t you queen of the lab?” he teased gently, holding her hand as she took off her shoes. “Hm, good point. I should get a plaque,” she mused and took in his outfit, whistling appreciatively. His cheeks colored. “I didn’t know you won Asgard’s Next Top Model! You look good.”She’d been expecting the armor she’d seen on the news ages ago (she actually hadn’t been 100% sure how she’d react to seeing that - she knew, knew, he wasn’t responsible for what had happened, but it was hard remembering the destruction and knowing he’d orchestrated it, however unwillingly). Instead, he’d donned something new, a little fancier and less battle-ready, which made sense with their scene. The silhouette was leaner. Less intimidating. Black leather still criss-crossed his torso and a raised golden vee was inset over his collarbones. Alongside the new shorter cape, an asymmetrical leather skirt-thingy was belted around his waist, open at the front so he could move easily. Of course his signature emerald was still prominent, if a little darker. It popped under the big golden pauldron over his left shoulder and down his back with his cape. But there was purple too, under the gold metal inserts strapped to his forearms and wrapped in strips around his knees, and she wondered at the color choice.He smoothed a hand needlessly over his torso. “You flatter me. Are you ready for your costume?”“Yeah! I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!” She practically bounced on her toes. Loki had taken the lead on the set dressing for this session and she’d let him, not the least ‘cause he had freakin’ seidr. He could conjure literally anything and he had excellent taste to boot so she’d been sort of losing her mind with excitement the last few days.He chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Close your eyes, my lady.”“Aw man, fine,” she pouted, but obliged him. It was cute how he liked to surprise her.He’d already planned her gown so it only took a moment for him to replace her sundress with it. “Would you like your hair up or down?”She chewed her lip, trying to picture the dress based on what she could feel and wow, was it weird having her tits so perky without a bra. Yay magic!“Up, I think,” she decided; the collar felt pretty high around her throat.He styled her hair up in a braided coif that was common among Aesir women. At the last moment, he remembered a custom of Midgardian royalty and conjured a circlet, setting it lightly on her brow.“Can I look yet?”“Of course, my queen,” he murmured, feeling undeniably indulgent. She was quite literally bouncing in place now and he stepped aside, conjuring a mirror before her.She gasped gratifyingly when she saw her reflection, immediately looking down at her gown and holding out the sides. He’d chosen a purple silk, gathering it in soft pleats above her hips and wrapping it, ribbon like, over her shoulders and above her elbow, letting the ‘sleeves’ trail to the floor. The scaled golden bodice came to two points, up to the hollow of her throat and down between her hips; it gleamed and glittered, matching the delicate crown he’d given her. The braided strips of gold, dotted here and there with shimmery opals, looped and twirled symmetrically atop her head.“What do you think?”“I think I’d make Disney princesses jealous!” She twisted side to side and the skirt shifted with her, brushing tantalizingly against her bare skin - Asgard didn’t do underwear and she wondered how they got anything done. “It’s freakin’ gorgeous, Loki, thank you!”He merely smiled, pleased, and offered her his arm. “Would you like to see your throne?”Nodding, she threaded her arm in his and let him lead her to the bedroom door. “Tell me our rules and colors.”“I will answer you aloud, I will not insult your species or use seidr without your permission, and you decide when I climax. Green means continue, yellow means check in, and red means stop. Our safewords are Mjolnir and pineapple.”“Good boy,” she praised lightly and pink splashed across his cheeks as always. “Considering the plan tonight, I might not remember to ask for your color as often as I should -”“Given the plan for tonight,” he interrupted, “You won’t have to ask for my color at all. I can guarantee it will remain green.”“That’s very sweet -” And incredibly horny, unf. “- and I love your enthusiasm, Loki, but if your color changes, please tell me, even if I haven’t asked, okay?”He shook his head, a fond tilt to his mouth. “You worry far too much, my lady.” Before she could object, he continued with a roll of his eyes: “Should my color miraculously change, I will inform you immediately. Now, please…”The door swung open and he gestured her inside a little impatiently. This would be the first time she ever encountered one of his large-scale illusions and he wanted to see her reaction. Peering around the doorframe, Darcy’s jaw dropped, walking into the changed room slowly. When he had said he’d conjure an appropriate illusion, she thought he meant a stereotypical throne and maybe some fancy tapestries behind it or something, but this…“Holy crap…” she said without really noticing, twisting and turning to take everything in.Loki grinned from his spot leaning against a column, arms crossed over his chest. Awe washed across her face as she wandered Asgard’s throne room - or a convincing facsimile of it - fingers trailing across the carved columns that stretched high up to the ceilings, eyes tracing the knotwork pattern on the floor, the braziers full of crackling flames, the seal of Yggdrasil dominating the wall behind the throne.“Is this Asgard’s throne room?” she asked at last, turning back to him.“It is.” He pushed off the column, joining her at the base of the throne’s stairs. “Will it suit?”She made a face like she couldn’t believe he’d even asked. “Ohmygod, of course! But um…is it gonna bring up any bad memories for you?”She really did fret too much.“None we can’t replace tonight,” he promised. Truly, there was nothing like what she meant, nothing…debilitating, just some sourness. “May I escort you to your seat, Your Majesty?”Feeling benevolent, she agreed, fighting down a very non-imperious smile. “You may.”He took her hand delicately, leading her up the burnished steps to the throne proper, maintaining his touch as she turned and sat. “Thank you, Prince Loki,” she murmured, arranging her voluminous skirts and sitting up as straight as the seat demanded.She wasn’t going to say anything (at least not right now) but talk about ostentatious much? Someone had gone way over the top with gold leaf and no one needed a throne this massive unless they were compensating for something. Which, actually: given everything she’d heard about Odin, he definitely was. She also seriously doubted that the large purple cushions lining the seats existed in the real Asgardian throne room but they definitely made it more comfortable.“Were the cushions your idea?”Loki stepped down from the dais as was appropriate, clasping his hands behind him and dipping his head. “Yes. You deserve a comfortable place from which to rule, my queen.”Oh, she liked the sound of that: his queen. Maybe not quiiite as much she liked being his lady but it definitely fed into her power fantasies.“You’re so thoughtful, Your Highness, thank you.” He opened his mouth to wave it off but she didn’t let him, her voice ringing out louder than she’d planned. “The appropriate response is ‘you’re welcome’.”His jaw shut with a click, swallowing hard as heat bloomed in his cheeks. That tone always did things to him but like this…in this setting…as regal as she was… It seemed to hit twice as hard and his cock practically throbbed in the tight confines of his breeches..“You’re welcome, Your Majesty.”“Better.” She leaned back indolently, super grateful for his cushions or else that sharp edge would’ve dug right into her spine. “I’m tired of your false modesty, Loki. Why won’t you accept my thanks for the things you do for me? Isn’t my appreciation worth hearing?”His brow knit together. “O-of course it is, my queen. But… You needn’t thank me for everything. Nothing I’ve done has taken excessive effort on my part, nor much skill to be honest.”He would’ve continued but she held up one hand, her plush mouth pursed unhappily, and he fell silent.Darcy tapped one nail against the fucking gold armrest (what, marble wasn’t good enough?), satisfied with how the noise carried in the large room. “How long did it take you to learn how to make an illusion like this?”“Uh…” The question was so unexpected it took him a moment to remember. An illusion of this size and detail that they could interact with? “Perhaps…a few decades? But -”“But nothing,” she interrupted sharply, fire in her eyes. “It took you most of a human lifetime to learn how to do this and you don’t think that counts as ‘excessive effort or skill’? What the hell does count then?”Norns, she truly was so beautiful when she was angry with him and he wet his lips, wondering how soon he could taste her. “You’re right, my queen, of course. But I would rather be lauded for other, more…private, skills. Perhaps I could demonstrate them for you, as an apology for not accepting your thanks with grace.”Oh, he was such a little shit, with that silver tongue of his smooth talking her. But she had gotten a little side-tracked there. One day she’d convince him to expect - and accept - thanks for the things he did but in the meantime…“Come here,” she ordered, pointing to the space in front of her. He came immediately and she smirked up at him. “On your knees, Your Highness. I expect your ‘demonstration’ to be very thorough if you want my forgiveness.”“As my queen commands,” he said with a brief bow, a grin curling his lips. He sank to his knees at her feet, an addictive mix of calm and anticipation pumping through his blood.Darcy leaned forward, tilting his chin up with a finger. “Put a cushion under your knees, honey. And if you need to adjust our positions to keep from hurting, tell me, okay? I’m not gonna enjoy myself if you’re in pain.”“I will,” he promised, catching her hand and kissing her knuckles. A thick bolster appeared under his knees and she nodded approvingly, resuming her languid posture. “Let’s see these impressive skills of yours, Your Highness.”It would be too easy to toss her skirts out of the way and lick her to a world-shaking orgasm but there was a time and place for efficiency and speed and it wasn’t tonight. He wanted to take his time…cherish her…treat her as she deserved to be treated: like a queen.Lightly, he brushed his fingers over her slippered foot, capturing the hem of her skirt. “May I lift this, Your Majesty?”Duh. But that didn’t really fit her character tonight. “You may.”Spreading his hands over her shins, he took his time pushing the silk up to her thighs, savoring the way her legs twitched a little, proof that she was wound as tightly as he, waiting for him to strike. But he wasn’t playing the viper tonight and once her knees were fully bare, he carefully tucked her skirt between her thighs and the armrests of the throne. Darcy shifted her legs apart in anticipation, heart racing, wondering when he was going to dive in. At first, she was more than a little baffled by his hesitation - this was Loki, Silvertongued God and serious pussy-eating enthusiast! But a prince wouldn’t dive in, would he? Not with a queen. He’d defer to her - he was deferring to her. She bit her lip, feeling her pussy throb.“You have my permission to touch, too,” she told him, tilting her head. He looked so good on his knees between her bare legs, with his dark hair and glittering eyes, cheeks pink. “In fact, I insist. Touch me, Loki.”The order beat a tattoo in his chest and his fingers trailed up the inside of her legs, savoring the softness of her skin and how she reflexively pushed into his touch, wanting it, craving it. He pressed a lingering kiss to the inside of her knee. “You’re so kind, my queen, allowing me this privilege.”Slowly, he kissed his way in and up her thigh, until he could feel her curls tickle his cheek. She made an expectant kind of noise, tilting her hips to him in invitation, but he pulled back, starting in on her other knee.“You deserve this,” he told her between kisses, slanting his eyes up at her. She was already looking back, eyes dark and half-lidded. “A lover to take the time to worship you properly, thoroughly… To appreciate you for all you do and are.”Mindful of her human frailty, he nipped gently at her inner thigh, more a graze than a bite, making her shudder.“You’re a marvel, my queen. So benevolent and generous with your attention.” He sucked lightly at her delicate flesh, unable to resist. “You take such excellent care of me. I long to return the favor. May I lick you, Darcy?”Guh. He said such stupidly sweet things, melting her into a puddle of goo, and God, the way he said her name: so soft and reverent… It made her knees weak, especially attached to such a filthy question, and it was a good thing she was already sitting.“Why else are you on your knees, Your Highness? Get to it,” she ordered with a wink, more than ready for him to eat her out. She was getting a little drippy.“Thank you, Your Majesty.”Cupping her open thighs, he yanked her to the edge of the throne, making her gasp. Her hands flailed a bit before smacking down on the armrests and hanging on, getting ready for him to rock her world but again, he surprised her with his hesitance. Instead of going for it, he merely looked at her, making her squirm self-consciously. What, did she look bad down there or something? She’d trimmed her pubes and done a thorough wash before coming here so it wasn’t like he had to contend with a scraggly bush or a random bit of toilet paper.Before she could muster up the courage to ask, he sighed “Beautiful” and kissed her cunt.
Oh.
“I offer no false flattery, my queen. I could look upon your quim for ages if I weren’t so tempted to taste it,” he punctured his words with a quick flick of his tongue over the whole of her, making her squeak. She was already flatteringly wet and she tasted divine. “So pink and plush, glistening prettily with your slick. I’m honored to be allowed to touch, to taste…”He lowered his mouth to her cunt, sucking her folds between his lips with relish. “You taste as sweet as you look, my queen. I can’t wait to feast on you..”“I asked for a demonstration, Prince Loki.” She arched an eyebrow down at him, ignoring how hot her cheeks were from his words. “But so far you’re all talk.”A smile flicked across his mouth and he bowed his head, licking a searing strip between her folds that had her immediately moaning. He leaned in, his shoulders nudging her legs further apart as he worked his tongue and lips over every inch of her, hoarding every sound she made deep in his heart. Every lick and suck and flick made her moan and sigh until she was breathless, chest heaving in the tight bodice of her dress. God, it wasn’t fair how good he was at this. His long fingers gripped the back of her thighs, keeping her on the edge of the throne, while his head dipped and nodded between them, his hair silky soft against her skin. His tongue did some sort of twirl over her clit and she cried out his name, her orgasm bursting over her.Loki kissed her wetly before sitting back on his heels; he intended to make her come multiple times tonight and it wouldn’t do to make her oversensitive too early. Instead, he nuzzled his cheek against her trembling thigh, looking up at her. “Did that please you, my queen?”Panting and flushed, it took her a hot second to put together any sort of thought and form a sentence. “It was a decent start,” she managed, wetting her dry lips.He mirrored the gesture, tasting her, rich and salty, on his tongue, and arched an imperious brow. “A start,” he repeated, deadpan. “I see. Well then, Your Majesty, please permit me to try again.”Her heart thudded hard and fast in her chest. The green of his eyes was so bright and intense staring back at her, the lower half of his face glistening in the firelight, and she knew: he was going to fucking devour her. He was going to eat her out and make her come again and again and again until she begged him to stop.She couldn’t wait.“Mm, I guess…” she mused, playing coy as if she were doing him a favor.His eyes narrowed dangerously. His queen was hard to please but he’d soon have her desperate for him; of that, he had no doubt. Methodically, he wrapped his long fingers around first one ankle, then the other, setting her slippered feet on his shoulders. He wanted his hands free for this round. Above him, Darcy swallowed hard, eyes glued to him as he dragged his fingers slowly up the back of her legs until he reached her pussy. Agonizingly slowly, he pushed his thumbs over her folds, glancing against her clit before he pulled them back down. Her hips hitched eagerly and he smirked at her, easing her labia apart and licking broadly over her.“Loki…” He was driving her crazy with the lingering pace and she was sure that was the whole point, getting her back for that ‘it’s a start’ comment. He swiped his tongue over her again, humming like she was some delectable treat, and then pointed it, fucking it in and out of her cunt.“O-oh fuck!”To himself, Loki grinned, gathering her sweet taste on his palette before he mouthed up to her clit, shifting up on his knees and slipping a finger into the mix. Coating it in her slick, he eased his middle finger into her, knuckle by knuckle, until she’d swallowed it all.Arousal built in her gut as he lazily thrust that finger in and out, his thin lips moving around her clit, teasing and taunting.“More,” she croaked, tugging fruitlessly at her dress collar.Under the metal bodice, her nipples were hard and pebbled, aching to be touched, but there wasn’t enough give to the material for her to slip a hand in.He hummed around her clit purposefully, vibrating the sensitive bud and making her cry out as he acknowledged her request. Or is it more of a command? Regardless, he thrust a second digit into her, crooking the tips of them against her front wall.“God,” she squeaked, pressing her feet into his shoulders helplessly. “Yes, right there, honey. Fuck…!”Just as she was about to crest, he slowed down, pulling back to grin shark-toothed at her. His thumb took the place of his mouth, rubbing dexterous circles while his fingers pumped in and out of her, no longer pressing up against her g-spot but only glancing over it. Every time they did, she gasped, hips jerking, but he kept drawing it out.“You’re so beautiful like this,” he murmured, his grin losing its sharp edge as he looked on her. She was flushed and squirming, chest heaving with each desperate breath she took. “Utterly exquisite. You ought to be kept pleased and sated like this always, your lover a slave to your desire.”It went without saying, he thought, that he would happily be that slave, to dance to her whims and do whatever she asked, so long as she rewarded him with her sweet praise and kisses.“I’m not exactly sated,” she ground out, frustrated by his casual touches. Her orgasm was just out of reach and she was about ready to take matters into her own hands. “Come on, Loki! Make me come.”“Of course, my queen.”He obligingly bowed his head, sucking her clit between his lips while his fingers continued their work. He very quickly sent her over the edge, delighting in the way her voice broke over his name, the two syllables echoing in the throne room.“Fuck,” she panted, dropping her head back against the edge of the throne. Her pussy pulsed with aftershocks and the toes on her right foot were about to cramp, she’d curled them so tightly. With a small grunt, she stretched her foot out and let her leg dangle down his back, expecting some complaint about how he wasn’t a footrest but he didn’t say a word. Well not about that anyway.“Was that satisfactory, Your Majesty?” he asked archly but when she rolled her neck to look down at him, he wore one of his tiny pleased smiles.She couldn’t help it: she reached down to cup his cheek, brushing her thumb over that little uptick in the corner of his mouth. He turned just enough to kiss the pad of it, his smile widening.“It was, Your Highness. Give me your hand.”He offered her his dagger hand automatically, mind flashing to the vows of warriors - pledging their weapons and bodies in service to the royal family. He’d pledge himself to her, if she asked.But Darcy merely grasped his wrist, bringing his fingers - coated in her slick - to her plush lips. Holding his eyes, she enveloped his index finger in her hot mouth, sucking on it, her tongue playing along its length in an excellent pantomime of fellatio. He inhaled sharply, shifting on his knees; his cock strained against his breeches and he tried to casually palm it, seeking some relief.She released his finger with a lewd, wet noise, her lips curling cat-like. “How’re you doing, my prince? Do you need some attention from your queen?”My prince… The simple words were like a sucker-punch to his heart. What would it be like to be hers? In truth and not just in tonight’s fantasy? It was a dangerous question.He breathed shakily and licked his dry lips. “I’m well, my queen. It would be an honor to experience your attention but I can endure longer if it would please you.”She hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head and pinning him under her blue gaze. She’d offer to let him hump her leg but she didn’t think he’d go for it, seeing it as a humiliation instead of just another way to enjoy her body. (It would be a little degrading but she would be kind about it, always. She’d love to watch him get off that way, would praise him up and down, and reward him any way he wanted but… She’d have to find a way to suggest it without him getting too wrapped up in being offended at the idea.)Instead, she lifted his hand again, sucking on his middle finger and tasting herself on his skin. She watched his expression and all its gymnastics as she laved her tongue along it, curling and stroking the pad, the first knuckle, the second…all the way down to the third, flicking over the delicate skin between his fingers.Loki watched her longingly, a soft moan escaping his throat. Grinning, she pulled off, kissing his fingertips before releasing his hand. “Take your dick out, honey. I want you to play with yourself while you lick me again.”Loki swallowed hard, fumbling to obey. “May I come?”She sat back on the throne, laughter in her voice. “No. So keep that in mind while you jerk off.”He’d been about to wrap his hand around his prick but stilled, grimacing. “Right.”“What’s your color, Loki?”“Gre -” He hesitated then admitted in a rush: “Yellow.”Immediately, her expression shifted to one of concern. “Why? Tell me what’s wrong.”He pressed his lips together tightly. He could’ve not said anything. It would have been fine! But… But Darcy always said to talk to her and he just wanted to know if…“Will you let me climax at all tonight? Just that you haven’t said and -"“Oh sweetheart.” She cupped his face and kissed the worried furrow between his eyebrows. “Is that what you want? To come tonight?”He nodded, remembering belatedly to answer aloud: “Yes.”“Then you can have it, Loki, of course. I just want you to wait a little while is all.” She kissed his frowning mouth, feeling his face relax under her hands as he kissed her back with fervor. It was a hot minute before she gentled their kiss, drawing away to smooth his hair back. “I’ll let you come before the night’s over, I promise. Was that the only reason you’re at yellow, honey?”“Yes. Thank you, my lady.” He felt absurdly better for such a small concession but regardless… “My color is green.”“Good.” She kissed him chastely. “I’m so proud of you for speaking up, Loki. You’re such a good boy for me. Thank you.”He flushed with her praise, happy to hear it, no matter how ridiculous that might make him.“You wish for me to lick you again, my queen?”“I do,” she purred indulgently, pulling her legs up and crooking a finger at him. “I want you, Loki.”The words sent a shiver through him and he filled his hungry hands with her soft hips, holding her in place as he buried his head between her spread thighs. He was so very eager to please her, to taste her, to make her burst on his tongue like an overripe fruit, juicy and sweet. Nosing his way between her folds, he filled his lungs with her: the vanilla and citrus of her skin and the musk of her arousal... The combination made his mouth water.Darcy groaned, her head slowly falling back as he set to work, sliding her hand into his hair. Fuck, he was so good at this. His tongue was hot and firm as he dragged it over her slit, pulsing it against her entrance and nudging his nose against her swollen clit. He suckled her folds, humming and sending a thrill through her. Withdrawing a scant inch, his breath puffed warm and humid over her.“You taste so fucking good,” he nearly growled before roughly kissing her again, swirling his tongue around her clit.“Loki,” she panted, her hips starting to roll of their own accord. He made an approving noise deep in his throat, squeezing her hips and reminding her why she’d spoken up before she could forget. “Unh, Loki, touch yourself, sweetie. Make yourself feel as good as you make me feel.”He pulled back and spat in his hand, fisting his cock and biting his lip. “Fuck…”She watched him for a moment, mesmerized as he fucked his hand. Bliss and relief painted his expression, a flush rising in his cheeks as his chest heaved, his mouth open in a pant. His lips were red and swollen, practically dripping with her slick and God, seeing the evidence made her even wetter.“Mouth on me, honey. Let’s see if you can make me scream.”Grinning ferally, Loki dove back into his task with renewed vigor. He’d make her scream alright but she wouldn’t have to beg; he’d give her exactly what she wanted and deserved. Lapping at her slit, he stroked his prick lazily, fighting back the urgent need goading him on. She hadn’t said he could climax so there was no point racing to the finish line only to be denied at the last second. Still, he twisted his wrist under his head and shuddered, groaning against her.“You’re so good at this, honey,” she praised breathlessly, clutching a hand in his hair. “I love how talented your mouth is, how eager you are to use it on me. Oh, just like that, Loki. You’re perfect.”Now these were compliments he could readily accept, echoed as they were by past lovers and well-earned. He’d always had a particular knack for this, honed by years of service and a few people who’d had little issue giving direction. Oh, maybe that’s why…? Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so surprised by his interest in submitting to Darcy after all. He always had been quite keen on following his lovers’ guidance.He flicked his tongue over her clit again and again, just as she’d told him to and: “Oh, oh Loki, fuck yes! I’m gonna -!”She came with a wail, grinding herself against his mouth shamelessly, pleasure ricocheting over her senses. He didn’t stop, just kept going, working her through it until she was a shuddery, weak-limbed mess, her pussy clamping around nothing helplessly as it trickled slick onto the throne cushion, soaking it.Half-heartedly, she tugged at his hair, whimpering. “Need a break, c’mon.”With a reluctant sigh, he withdrew, leaning his cheek against her thigh. He pressed a kiss to the trembling muscle. “You can take more than that, my queen. Aren’t you a proponent of multiple orgasms?”She laughed shakily, grinning. “Yeah and that was number three, Your Highness!”“So?” he shrugged, abandoning his cock to draw his fingers lightly over her pulsing quim. Her slick stretched between his fingers in a thick strand and he popped them in his mouth, sucking them clean. Darcy made a vowel-laden sound, watching him with lust and longing plain on her face. He swallowed, satisfied, and reapplied his fingers, pushing them easily against her plush folds. (Privately, he thought they’d look divine split on his prick, clinging to him, but she hadn’t mentioned the possibility of him fucking her tonight so he kept it to himself.)“Why not aim higher, Your Majesty? You certainly deserve as many orgasms as I can give you. More, even.”She blushed. His fingers played absently with her, pushing her labia over her clit and down again, not touching her most sensitive parts but teasing them anyway.
Fuck it. Aim higher, indeed.
“Stand up.”Uncertain of what she intended, Loki obeyed, aware his prick was nearly level with her mouth if she’d but lean forward. Would she suck him off? His cock throbbed at the thought of it. But Darcy stood up too, forcing him to take a step down the dias. Her skirts barely had time to rustle down her legs before she was hiking them up again impatiently, turning away from him.“My queen?”She leaned forward, bracing her hands on the armrests and jutting her lovely ass toward him. She looked over her shoulder at him, eyebrow lifted. “Be a good boy and fuck your queen, Prince Loki. If you're rough enough, I might even let you come twice tonight.”The order set his blood on fire and he palmed her ass unthinkingly. Her skin was so creamy and soft, his fingers sinking easily into the ample cheeks. Norns, he could imagine it reddened from his hand and he swallowed hard, torn with want and unease. Perhaps one day she’d ask that of him and he’d be comfortable obeying but for now, his stomach twisted at her current order.“I don’t want to hurt you, Darcy.”“So don’t,” she said, unconcerned, pushing her ass into his big hands. Yeah, she definitely wanted him from behind tonight. But he still hesitated and she sighed, exasperated. “Loki, do you trust me?”“...Yes.” “Then trust that I’ll tell you if you get even a little close to hurting me, okay? Now give me that big dick of yours and fuck me before the guards come in.”She winked at him over her shoulder and he barked a laugh, that bit of pretend taking him by surprise. “Well, we wouldn’t want your reputation sullied, would we? Best hurry.” He lined up his cock and pushed into her tight heat with a grunt, loving how well she gripped him. “Fuck Darcy…”She clamped around him greedily, arching her back. “Mmm, I agree, honey. Move.”Shifting his hands up to her waist, holding her skirts up, he dared to slam her back onto him, burying himself at once. When all she did was moan loudly, he took courage and did it again, and then again, building a steady albeit harsh rhythm, one where the sound of her flesh smacking against his leather breeches echoed in the hall and her breathy moans urged him on. The jerky movements were affecting her neat coiffure and strands began to tumble down her back and against her face.“Yeah, just like that, Loki,” she panted, quickly swiping her loose hair behind one ear before bracing herself against the armrest again - she didn’t want to end up face first in the cushion. “Unh, you’re doing so good. C’mon, a little - little rougher, sweetheart. You can do it.”He pinched his lips together tightly; he could, obviously, but what more did she want? She was so fragile compared to him and he had no desire to cover her body in bruises. Her hands slipped forward on the wide armrests of the throne, struggling to keep purchase, and without thinking too hard, he grabbed her arms and pulled them straight back along her sides. Holding above her wrists carefully, he used his grip as leverage, hauling her back on his cock with more force. “How - how’s that?”She answered with a whiny moan, squeezing around his cock as it bottomed out. “So good. Love how you fill me up with that big cock. You’ve been so good; do you wanna come?”“After you do,” he insisted darkly, quickly crossing her arms behind her back and pinning them in place with one hand. His free hand shoved under her skirts to find her clit, rubbing tight circles around it and making her whimper. Her brain lit up - his hands were so big, he only needed one to pin her in place and the other was stroking her clit determinedly. That, and his dick slamming in and out of her was perfect, scratching that itch deep inside that only a rough fuck could. Not even the metal bodice or the seidr-bra stand-in was keeping her tits from swinging back and forth as Loki worked to fulfill her wish and she was so happy he was trying, that she’d convinced him enough to go for it.A babble of praise spilled from her mouth: he felt amazing, he was treating her so well, taking care of her, and oh, she was so close, he was such a good boy - all of it in a breathless, gasping whisper as he slammed her back on his cock, his fingers on her clit drawing forth another wave of pleasure. She screamed her ecstasy, shaking in his hold and he quickly drew her back against him, wrapping his arms around her. His thrusts stuttered, once, twice, and then he was following her, muffling his groan against her neck. Both of them struggled to catch their breath, chests heaving in unison. Darcy clutched at his arms around her, partly for the closeness but also she was pretty sure her legs would give out if he let go. They were shaking pretty hard.“Norns, Darcy,” he murmured against her skin, pressing his lips to her rabbiting pulse. “You’re so amazing.”He rocked her gently back and forth, seemingly unawares, brushing soft kisses over every bit of her shoulder not covered by her dress.“You’re pretty great yourself,” she said warmly. “That was just what I wanted, and you didn’t hurt me a bit!”She felt him smile against her neck. “I’m glad. Shall I dissolve the illusion, my lady?”Darcy hummed, liking how his arms felt around her. It made her feel safe and cherished. Loved, almost. She nearly laughed out loud; maybe that last orgasm had knocked a few brain cells loose.“Hey, you grew up with this throne, right? Do you have any naughty fantasies about it?”“We’ve surpassed them all tonight, rest assured,” he chuckled, impressed by her stamina if her questions were intended to lead anywhere. His cock perked up at the idea regardless. “...I suppose I often imagined myself in that seat though. Perhaps being ‘attended to’ myself, if you were so inclined.”“Mm, yeah, I’ve got one more in me.” She wanted to keep this closeness to him though, even if it was doing stupid things to her heart. “Sit down, sweetie; I wanna ride you. How’s that sound?”“Perfect.” He released her to step up onto the dias proper and sidle in front of her. He sat on the throne with all the confidence of someone raised there and Darcy couldn’t deny she found that hella attractive. “You look good there, Your Majesty,” she told him, biting her lips as she dragged her eyes over him. How he managed to look lordly with his dick bobbing in the air was a mystery but he definitely pulled it off, with that man-whore spread and indolent slouch. His nose scrunched, a look like he’d smelled something gross passing over his face in a flash. “I’ll stick to Your Highness, if you don’t mind.”She sensed a story there for sure but she put it aside, gathering her long skirt so she could straddle his lap. “Sure thing, honey. How does my prince want this to go? Slow and sensual or hard and fast? I gotta warn you though: if it’s the latter, you’re gonna have to help me out. My legs are a little jello-y.”How could he possibly temper his smile in the face of her utter Darcy-ness? Smiling openly, he helped her arrange her skirts around them, shivering as the silk brushed against his heated cock. Abandoning them for the moment, he caught her chin in his fingers, tilting her face down for a kiss. Immediately, Darcy sank her fingers into his hair, responding with matching enthusiasm. As enjoyable as the night had been thus far, he had missed this particular intimacy and it pleased him that she didn’t balk at the taste of herself on his lips.Moaning, she pulled away, panting. “I wanna feel you in me, Loki.”“Yes,” he breathed, kissing her again even as he shoved at her skirts, regretting making them so long.She couldn’t help giggling at his frustration - he was the one who’d designed the dress! - even as she helped him haul all the material out of the way. Finally, he circled an arm under the abundance of fabric and yanked her against him, lining her up with his cock even as he still sought her mouth. She sat down, taking him all in one go and they both groaned.Loki swallowed thickly, wetting his lips. She was going to be the death of him. “Set whatever pace you like, my lady.”“Yeah? What if I just wanna sit here?” she challenged, squeezing around him meanly.His breath stuttered at the feel of her, but her threat, such as it was, had him raising his eyebrows. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t tolerate that very long, but if my lady insists…”“Nah.” Her nose wrinkled charmingly as she laughed and she began a slow roll of her hips. “Might be a bit slow though. Is that okay, sweetheart?”“Just fine,” he murmured, kissing along her jaw to nuzzle under her ear. Here, she smelled of sweat and citrus and vanilla and something uniquely Darcy. He committed it to memory, wishing he could somehow bottle it.She felt him inhale and tilted her head, offering him more room which he readily took advantage of, pressing his lips along her neck. They felt almost ticklish in their gentleness and she guessed he was being mindful about creating hickies. It still felt good though and she moaned as he twirled his tongue over her pulse, reminding her of when he’d done that to her clit.His hands were hot on her back, holding her against him as she arched back and his lips dragged further down, stopped only by the heavy collar of her dress around her throat. As beautiful as the dress was on her, Loki thought idly that he’d have to reconsider the high neckline next time. But then her hands tilted his face up and she licked at the seam of his lips and he forgot all about it, losing himself entirely in her.Her hips rolled a little more insistently now and he groaned, burying a hand in her hair while the other fell to her backside, grabbing as much of it as he could. She was Valhalla given bodily form with her ample curves and wide mouth, her arms - and legs - so open and welcoming to him. Her quim, blazingly hot and dripping with arousal, gripped him so tightly as if his prick belonged in her and she didn’t want to let him go. Bracing his feet, his hips began snapping up into her, pleasure coiling in his groin.“Darcy… Darcy, please,” he whispered against her lips, his words as reverent as any prayer. “Norns. What can - what do you need? I’ll do anything. Please.”She ground down against him and the bunched up leather of his breeches, an electric shock shooting up her spine as it rubbed against her clit. “Oh, oh fuck, touch me, Loki.”“Anything,” he promised, fighting her skirts again to find the place where they were joined. His fingers easily found her slick, swollen clit and he followed the direction of her needy little noises, rubbing her quick and firm. “Like that, my lady?”“Un-huh.” She nodded frantically, her eyes screwed shut. “Shit, that feels so good, honey. C’mon, c’mon, I’m almost -”“May I - faen! May I come, Darcy?”“Yeah, yeah of course, you’ve been so good - oh!”Pleasure exploded across her senses and she jerked and shuddered, fluttering deliciously around his dick. She kept rocking against him and his fingers, teasing her orgasm out, until Loki slammed up into her, grinding her hips down as he shot his load into her with a snarl. Panting, he immediately sat up straight, knocking his forehead against hers, tearing down the illusion with a thought. In a shower of green sparks, the vast throne room was replaced with his bedroom, the throne itself becoming a tall, wing-backed chair. With a relieved sigh, he collapsed back against the supportive and cushy leather.Darcy was floating high on gold-tinged clouds of bliss, her brain flooded with a sweet cocktail of endorphins. She was grinning so wide her cheeks hurt and the only thing that could make it better would be comfy pajamas and a good cuddle sesh. Otherwise, she had zero interest in moving beyond tucking herself under Loki’s chin.Loki shifted under her, letting out a quiet, pained groan.Instantly, Darcy’s euphoric clouds disappeared, replaced by a swell of worry. “Shit, are you okay? Is it your back? What can I do?”He huffed and raised a hand to her face, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. “Honestly, you fret far too much, my lady. It’s only a little aggravated, that’s all. I’ll be fine.”“I’ll go run the bath.”She went to get up but he waved his hand in her eye-line, sparks of green dancing around his fingers. “Seidr, remember? Peace, Darcy, a few moments of waiting won’t kill me, but your absence just might.”“Pfft, alright, Casanova.” She rolled her eyes effusively, horribly charmed inside. “Do you wanna lay on the bed at least? Ditch the fancy armor?”Loki hummed quietly, shifting their formal clothes to their usual sleepwear, and pulled her close, tucking her tamed curls under his chin. “Here is fine for now. Are you well, my lady?”“Yeah, I’m good, sweetheart,” she assured, accepting his cuddle-fiend tendencies happily. One large hand was absently sweeping up and down her back and she carefully worked her own hands around him, between the chair and his back. “You were very good to me tonight. I am very, very pleased.”His chuckle rumbled against her cheek. “With tonight’s data points, I think you can concede I’m the best you’ve had, don’t you?”She laughed brightly. “Seriously? You can’t ask me that now. I’ve still gotta review the evidence. That’ll take at least five to seven business days.”He couldn’t even find it in himself to pretend at offense or outrage. Instead, he simply pressed his lips to her temple, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. He was sated and content - an unusual state for him, but one he was quickly becoming accustomed to thanks to Darcy.“It feels kinda like a stupid question but I hate assuming so: did you enjoy yourself?”“Oh, very much so, yes. Attending to my queen is one of my favorite pastimes.”Darcy sat up to look him in the eyes, eyebrows pulling together. “I know you like eating me out but what about everything else? Like, was the roleplay okay? Or the sex from behind? You were kinda reluctant about that.”“I was reluctant to hurt you,” he corrected, collecting one of her hands and inspecting her forearm where he’d held on. There were no marks but he still sank seidr into her skin as a preventative, doing the same to its sister. “The position did not bother me. It’s not my favorite but it does have its appeal. And the roleplay was…enjoyable. Certainly, it’s one of the better ways to experience Asgard.”He grinned widely at her and she couldn’t help mirroring him, laughing: “Tell me the rest of Asgard isn’t that ostentatious! Like, c’mon, that much gold is just tacky.”“Well, there’s no accounting for taste,” he sniffed, not quite able to hide his amusement. “But no, the Hlidskjalf -”“Bless you.”He blinked at her. “What?”“It sounded like a sneeze!”Jutting out his jaw, he rolled his eyes at her absurdity. Ridiculous woman.Clearly and pointedly, he enunciated: “The Hlidskjalf - that’s the name of the throne you co-opted, Your Majesty - is intended to be grand and show our wealth and power. The rest of Asgard is not quite so…performative, shall we say?”“Makes sense.” Earth thrones - real and fictional alike - had all been designed with the same premise in mind. She wondered if she’d ever get to see Asgard the way Loki and Thor did. Probably not. From what she’d heard about him, she was pretty sure Odin would throw a hissy-fit if a human even thought about stepping foot in his precious little realm. Dick.“Come, the bath is ready.”He wondered where her thoughts had wandered but she gave her head a shake and pecked him on the lips, there and gone, before clambering out of his lap. On her feet, she raised her arms above her head, stretching with a tiny grunt. The motion lifted her tunic, showing off her panties and the soft curve of her stomach. Lust spiked briefly in his gut, subsiding when he squinted at the pattern printed on her panties.“Are those…emojis?” “Hm?” She settled back on her heels, lifting the tunic to check her underwear. She hadn’t thought Loki would see them tonight so she hadn’t bothered with anything fancy, just keeping on the ones she’d put on this morning. They had an all-over print of different emoji expressions and her cheeks pinked a little. “Um, yeah. Definitely not one of my sexy pairs. Anyway, bath?”He rubbed a hand over his laughing mouth; she was far too endearing. “Yes, of course.”Gingerly, he raised himself out of the chair, a hand automatically going to the base of his back as support. He winced a little but honestly, it wasn’t so bad. The view afforded by his slouching had been well worth it, even though Darcy now turned concerned eyes on him.“I’m alright,” he assured again but her concern only spread to her eyebrows and mouth.“C’mon honey, let’s get you in the bath.” She stayed unnecessarily close, as if expecting him to stumble, but he couldn’t complain. He liked her being close.In the steamy bathroom, he vanished their clothes and carefully climbed into the tub, hissing at the heat. It was a shade too hot for his preferences but it would help his back, unless -“Is it too hot for you?” he asked her, suddenly worrying. He probably had a higher tolerance for temperature differences than her, as human as she was.She dipped her hand in the water, yanking it back and wincing. “Ouch, yeah. Just a bit.”“Oh, I’m sorry, here -” He drew some of the heat from the water, releasing it as a little trickle of steam from his palm. “Is that better?”Testing it again, she nodded, climbing in and relaxing easily against his chest. “Man, seidr is so cool. I’m totally jealous. Are you sure I couldn’t like, learn it somehow?”For a split second, Loki wondered if all of this - her friendship, their sessions, everything - hadn’t been some SHIELD operation to get him to lower his defenses and “reveal” the secrets of seidr, but even he thought that was a paranoid step too far. She was simply curious, he knew.“Unfortunately, humans are too short-lived for such a thing. I don’t see how it would be possible,” he said and she shrugged easily, letting it go and soothing the suspicious voice in the back of his mind.“Well the throne room illusion was seriously impressive. Was it a lot of work?” she wondered. “I mean, the firepit things - braziers? - gave off real heat and we climbed steps that obviously don’t have an analog in your apartment!”He was inordinately pleased by her wonder. His skills were beyond the norm even on Asgard but there, no one was interested enough to ask about it or express their awe. But Darcy had no such compunctions. As he explained the work that had gone into tonight’s illusion and she ooh’d and ah’d and asked questions of her own, a warm feeling filled his chest near to bursting. The fluttering of his heart was no longer a delicate songbird uncertain in its song but a whole flock, announcing their presence to the day as boldly and naturally as any real chorus at sunrise.Loki stumbled over his words, quickly recovering outwardly so she wouldn’t notice but inside, he was tumultuous. No, it couldn’t… He was being foolish. Of course he felt…fond of her. She was one of the few who seemed to enjoy his company, who sought it out willingly. She was kind to him and cared about him and touched him. They had sex regularly. Of course he was fond of her, but that was all.This wasn’t love.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Perhaps it was the acknowledgement that his libido had been…suppressed these past months that had inspired a clawing, defiant determination to reclaim it or perhaps he was finally returning to normal after far too long. Whatever the reason, Loki found himself nigh on insatiable that week. His mind was a playground of pure filth, filled with nothing but a wide range of sexual fantasies and a ravenous impatience for next Sunday, and no sense of propriety or the workday company of others curbed it.Rather, seeing Darcy in front of him all day was proving to be a wonderfully horrid test of his control. Her desk was situated directly across from his so he could always see her in profile, frequently chewing on her lovely lips or else smiling widely as she and Dr. Foster discussed their work. He wanted to taste those lips, to feel them trail over his body, to have them circled around his prick as she sucked him…He shifted in his seat, clearing his throat, and tried to focus on the dry publication SHIELD had him reading this week.As soon as the day ended, he withdrew to his room, too impatient to even bother with furniture. Leaning against the back of the door, he dropped his trousers and fisted his cock, smearing his thumb through the precum beading at his tip. “Fuck,” he groaned, dropping his head back with a thud. Norns, how he wanted.He was wound so tightly that it only took a few strokes before he spilled. As he caught his breath and licked his fingers clean, he caught sight of Darcy’s bag of toys. She had yet to collect them and arousal still thrummed in his veins. He tugged impatiently at his tie and a wave of seidr vanished the rest of his clothes and summoned a prostate vibrator and the lube Darcy had gifted him. A double appeared as well; he needed an extra pair of hands, as his tie knotted his wrists together in front of him.On his belly, with his arms stretched above his head, he writhed under his own fingers as he worked himself open. He was impatient as always, accepting the stinging stretch in exchange for getting what he wanted faster. Sooner than Darcy would have allowed, he pushed the vibrator against his hole. His double knew precisely what he wanted of course (he’d left their minds joined to better facilitate this) and he plunged the phallus in without preamble, knocking the breath from him. Oh, but it felt incredible and he shamelessly humped the mattress as he fucked himself on the dildo. The vibration clicked on and dialed up, bumping against its goal, that Norns-blessed bundle of nerves inside him, again and again and again. Darcy would have been so smug to hear the way he babbled and begged and swore as he raced toward orgasm with all the finesse and speed of a rampaging bilgesnipe.Tuesday brought the same problems and similar solutions (though, in light of how uncomfortable he’d found sitting to his supper the night before, he adopted Darcy’s slower approach. And more lube. It had dripped from his hole and down his balls and it had made fondling his sac slippery in a way he definitely wanted to repeat).By Wednesday, Loki felt a little calmer and very much satisfied, which was a blessing. Ice cream with Darcy was always arousing enough on its own. He hardly needed to add fuel to that fire.Unfortunately for him, she chose today to declare “sundress season officially open!” Norns preserve him. Yes, he’d seen her in various states of undress and was intimately familiar with her naked form, but something about the pale blue knee-length skirt cinched at her waist was wearing down his control in record time. Perhaps the thinness of the material? Not that he could see anything per se, but when the light struck just right he could see the outline of her thighs when she walked by his desk.Only a work ethic born from centuries of study kept him (mostly) focused on the dull nonsense SHIELD wanted him to read, and not on imagining bending Darcy over her desk.It was a losing battle.In her apartment, Loki leaned against the front door and tried to snatch a moment of meditation while she grabbed her things. He was in control of himself. His base desires could fade to the background. He was not ruled by his arousal, and it would be inappropriate (and painfully distracting) to continue these thoughts while he and Darcy discussed this session. He needed a clear head for that.“Alright, all set,” she declared, coming back into the main room, and Loki opened his eyes and groaned. Her eyebrows lifted. “Uh, everything okay?”She’d taken off her ubiquitous sweater to reveal the bodice of her dress. Only a demure amount of cleavage showed, but the construction did nothing to hide how large her breasts were. The straps holding it all up were thin and his traitorous mind couldn’t help thinking they’d be easy to tear. “Fine,” he said tightly, forcing himself to think of other, unsexual things: Volstagg demolishing a meal...Thor naked…Ugh! Odin naked.“Alriiight.” She definitely didn’t believe him but she couldn’t think of what would be bothering him enough to groan out loud. Unless his back was hurting? But it hadn’t sounded like he was in pain so… “Oh, wait, I forgot my sunglasses, hang on.”She turned away and Norns save him, her dress was backless. Creamy, touchable skin peeked out beneath her chestnut waves and his fingers itched to reach for her. There was a ribbon lacing at her waist, decorative rather than functional, but that didn’t dissuade ideas of unlacing it while he kissed the back of her neck.Norns, he was fucked.“Okay, I’m all set.” Shoving the glasses in her hair, she stopped, cocking her head. Loki had his hands over his face and he was muttering to himself. “Uh… Are you sure you’re okay, dude?”He scrubbed his hands over his face before putting them together and pointing at her, sounding strangled. “You are incredibly tempting in that dress.”She blinked at him and then looked down at herself. “Well, thanks. I think I look good in it too.”“Yes, good enough to eat,” he said meaningfully, eyes dark and hungry. Oh. Apparently, somebody had discovered the sex appeal of sundresses. Smothering a grin, she walked up to him, her sandals clicking precisely against the floor. His Adam’s apple bobbed as she stopped right in front of him, his hands lifting automatically to her waist (and damn, they were blazing through the thin cotton of her dress). Carefully, she straightened the knot of his tie, sliding it tight against his throat. His breath caught, eyes locked firmly on her lips.“Down, boy,” she murmured, patting his chest and stepping back with a wide grin. “You can keep it in your pants while we have ice cream, can’t you?”“Of course,” he growled, following her (reluctantly!) into the hall so she could lock up.She dropped her sunglasses onto her nose, a smug curl to her lips. “Of course,” she repeated.He resolutely walked beside her, determined to avoid the further temptation of her hips switching in front of him. He followed the pattern of the floor tiles, wondering how to share his thoughts without being disgustingly crass.“I’ve been…experimenting the past few days.”“Experimenting…? Experimenting with what? I’ve only seen you reading in the lab -” “Darcy.”He gave her a meaningful look, two spots of pink burning in his cheeks, and she looked at him over her glasses, confused. Understanding hit her like a brick. “Oh! Oh, that kind of experimenting. Right. Good for you! I mean, is it good for you?”The elevator doors opened and thank God no one was in the car. She didn’t think she was capable of keeping this conversation subtle or PG-rated.His flush darkened. “It’s, er, good, yes. Thank you. I just thought you ought to know.”What? He thought she “ought to know”? Norns, he was an idiot.“Well, thanks, I guess.” She pressed the button for the lobby, chewing his revelation over. “Any idea why now? I mean, like, do you think your libido’s getting back to normal or…?”Loki had been quite confident one couldn’t combust from embarrassment alone but now he wasn’t entirely sure. “Getting back to normal,” he said gruffly, coughing into his fist and looking anywhere but at her. “I hope, at least. Do you know you’re incredibly bewitching to watch?”She snorted, flicking her hair over her shoulder and drawing his gaze to the soft skin that would feel so good under his hands…his mouth… He forcibly averted his eyes to the floor numbers ticking down above the doors.“Bewitching, huh? And just when have you been watching me, you creep? You only see me in the lab!”“Your desk is across from mine!” he pointed out irritably. He was hardly responsible for the layout of the lab. “Would you rather I look at Dr. Foster?”Darcy didn’t know what to do with the sudden lurch in her stomach so she ignored it, arching an eyebrow at him instead. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing research for SHIELD?”“Faced with reading that incomprehensible garbage or observing a woman’s effortless beauty, you’ll forgive me for choosing the latter.”He had the joy of seeing blood rush to her cheeks and he considered himself the victor in that little spat.The elevator deposited them in the busy lobby and Darcy immediately herded him around the clusters of people and then to the inside of the sidewalk. He wondered if she was even aware of doing it (he doubted it) but regardless, he appreciated it, even more so when, once they were in their usual positions, she slid her hand into his.He adjusted, threading his fingers between hers, and he told himself the trilling in his heart when she squeezed back was nothing but a product of familiarity. This wasn’t love. This was nothing but rampant lust with a minute dash of affection born from her unfailing kindness. That was all.“Hey, wait a minute. You’ve been ‘experimenting’ and I’m quote-unquote bewitching to watch -” She made finger quotes with one hand, wrinkling her nose because come on. What was bewitching about watching her do data entry and bite her lips to shit? “Does that mean you’ve been fantasizing about me, mister?”“...Is there an answer that won’t leave you furious with me?”She laughed, tugging him to a stop at a pedestrian light that was about to change. “So that’s a yes. I hope fantasy!Darcy is treating you right.”Feeling heat blaze across the back of his neck, he lifted their joined hands to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. “You always do.”Darcy felt like her heart skipped a beat, which was not as good a feeling as people made it sound. Seriously, maybe she should stop dodging that SI annual health checkup she kept getting email reminders about…Rubbing uncomfortably at her sternum, she changed the topic. “I was really impressed Sunday, bee tee dubs.”“Oh, are you finally ready to admit I’m the best lover you’ve had?”She didn’t miss a beat. “You’re in the top three.”He didn’t know if he was more offended to be that low or pleased to be that high in the ranks. He had just decided no, he was definitely offended (had he not made her come five times on Sunday?) when she carried on, leading him across the street.“Anyway, I meant the illusions, dude! I had no idea you could do something that detailed!” she gushed and he found himself entirely mollified.“Well, I am the best illusionist in the Nine Realms,” he told her smugly. A quip about modesty crossed her mind but nah. He’d have to be way more obnoxious first before she said anything.“I’m not surprised! I mean, I could feel the heat from the fires. How does that even work? Is it some sort of mind voodoo?” Her nose scrunched; that didn’t sound kosher.Loki hummed thoughtfully. “If by ‘mind voodoo’, you mean non-consensual and mind-altering telepathy, then no. I would never use seidr of that type with you. Or at all really.” Not since he’d been on the receiving end of such torture. “It’s more like… I take my sense-memories of the object and project them outward. I have memories of the braziers giving off heat and crackling and smelling of smoke so I…make those memories external. It’s hard to fully explain with our cultural disconnect.”“You mean ‘cause I don’t have seidr,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes, but he squeezed her hand.“Because I can’t think of an analog for it,” he corrected patiently. “Your not having seidr doesn’t matter to me, Darcy. After all, it’s hardly your fault you’re human.”He said it with a teasing lilt and she bumped him with her hip, laughing. “Brat. I suppose it’s not your fault you’re a stuck-up Asgardian either.”“Aesir,” he corrected automatically. “And I am not stuck-up!”“Aesir then, whatever, and uh, yeah you are.” She pushed open the door to the ice cream parlor, turning around to hold it open for him. “You’re the one always telling me how much better Asgard is.”“This is slander,” he decreed, mouth twitching helplessly. It was fun, bantering with her. He’d thought so from the beginning of their acquaintance but it struck him anew now.“Nah, it’s just true.”“You wound me.”“You’ll live.”The employee cleared their throat, waving awkwardly when they both looked up. “Can I uh, can I get you two anything or…?”Pink-cheeked, Darcy waved Loki off to plan this week’s sundae while she covered for their rudeness. “Sorry! What er, what are the new flavors this week?”They ran them down, pointing out the popular ones and which was their favorite. It was a tough choice but ultimately, she ordered: “A scoop of Sunset on the Beach in a bowl please.”“Coming right up! And for you?”Loki was still hemming and hawing, eyebrows wrinkled as he debated which ones he wanted to try and it was stupidly cute how serious he was.“Give us a sec, sorry.”Sidling up beside him, she touched his hip, waiting for his quick glance at her before she slid her arm around him. “Whatcha thinking?”He had no idea as his mind had gone completely and pleasantly blank as soon as she’d touched him. She was pressed so warm and intimate against his side, with her arm a satisfying weight against the small of his back and her hand giving his far hip a squeeze. How could he be expected to think anything when she showed him such casual affection as if they did this every day? Clearing his throat, he tried to recall his scattered thought process. It didn’t mean anything. She was just being more tactile than usual, was all.“I was thinking Triple Threat would be a good choice but I’m uncertain what to pair it with,” he managed at last, proud of himself for not being a gibbering fool aloud at least.Triple Threat was a layered mix of dark, milk, and white chocolate and she wasn’t remotely surprised he’d gravitated toward it. “What if you added strawberry or cherry? And one of the nut flavors you like.”“Hm, that does sound lovely,” he admitted. Quite as lovely as the way her fingers were absently stroking his hip above his belt. But he stamped down on those fuzzy feelings, giving his attention to the poor employee. “Could I get a sundae with Triple Threat, Nutty and Nice and hmm…Cherry Trick?”Darcy snickered beside him. “Do you even know what the cherry trick is?”“No. But then I don’t understand half these names so…” He didn’t let it bother him. Some, he knew, he’d eventually grasp but others he’d already consigned to a universal mystery. Why in the Nine was Cookie Monster so blue?“It’s this thing some people can do where they tie a cherry stem in a knot with their tongues. Supposed to be very sexy,” she explained, waggling her eyebrows shamelessly. Then, thoughtfully, she said: “You could probably do it actually.”“Is that your way of admitting I have a talented tongue?”She held her hands up in defense. “Hey, I never said you didn’t!”“True.” She’d actually complimented his “talented mouth” several times in their last session.He paid for the confections while she thanked the employee, and together they settled in at their usual spot. The ferns were growing a touch out of control with all the sunlight available by the window and he had to nudge the pot over so a frond wasn’t splayed on the table. With another gesture, he set their privacy spell.“I believe you found my talents more than satisfactory on Sunday.”Under the table, she had to squeeze her thighs together just remembering. “Oh yeah, you definitely rocked my world. I love your enthusiasm for eating pussy and you’ve got mad skillz too.”“Thank you,” he said primly, swallowing a bite of Cherry Trick and Triple Threat. The tartness of the cherry paired sublimely with the dark chocolate. “It…occurred to me during one of our bouts that I learned those ‘mad skills’ by way of taking directions from a certain few partners who were quite vocal about what they liked in bed.”Darcy hummed around her ice cream before pointing her spoon at him, eyebrow arched. “You like the bossy type.”“Is that really any surprise considering who I've taken into my bed?" He’d never made the connection before but looking back, the theory panned out. He’d always been drawn to those who were self-assured and competent and daring enough to order him around a little. It even explained his ill-advised teenage crush on Sif (eugh, an experience he could’ve done without remembering).She made a noise of mock-outrage. “Excuse you, I’m not bossy! I’m the boss.”She said the second bit in that authoritative voice he liked so much and he reacted as he always did to that tone: with a shiver and dilated pupils and blood rushing to his cock. He was hard-pressed not to do something that would embarrass them both, like fall to his knees at her feet and beg for her attention.He really needed to get his libido under control.“You certainly are, my lady,” he settled for murmuring, adjusting himself covertly.Darcy winced a bit, a nervous laugh bubbling up. “Oh, I used my Dom voice a bit there, didn’t I? Sorry!”He shook his head, a faint smile crooking his lips. “Don’t be. I didn’t complain, did I?”No, he hadn’t, but she seriously doubted he would even if it bothered him. He had a bad habit of keeping his discomforts to himself.“Still. I shouldn’t use it outside of our sessions; that’s not fair of me, so I’m sorry.”She watched the gymnastics his face went through, trying to decide what to do with her apology, before he gave up and shoved more ice cream in his mouth. Well, at least she felt better for saying it, even if it didn’t seem to matter one way or the other to him.“Anyway, what did you like about Sunday?”“Your emoji underwear,” he said immediately and Darcy threw a napkin at him.“Loki!”He laughed, moving his chair back out of range of her kick, a shit-eating grin firmly in place. “What? I’m being honest!”She groaned, burying her face in her hands and muffling her words: “I didn’t think you’d see them what with the costume and everything.”“They were utterly charming,” he said, still chuckling. “Much like you. I enjoyed the entire session, Darcy, undergarments aside.”Cheeks still burning, she half-heartedly shoved at his arm but he avoided it and caught her hand under his instead. “The roleplay was…exciting. I’ve never had a liaison with someone higher ranking than myself,” he admitted, something like amusement hovering around his mouth. “And may I say: you took to the role like you were born to it, my queen.”“It helps when you look the part, so thanks for the fancy getup. You looked really good too.” She waggled her eyebrows ludicrously. “What was with the purple though? I thought you were a green and black only guy.”Her gown had little to do with her royal bearing on Sunday but he suspected saying so would only result in an argument. “I am, for the most part. But I thought to show my loyalty to my queen.” He fiddled with his spoon to cover his nerves, glancing at her and away again quickly. “You claimed purple and blue as your colors.”“Aww, that’s so cute!” she cooed, swooning a little. “You wanted to match!”Loki rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, mumbling something that sounded affirmative. “Yes, well… Isn’t ‘cute’ meant for children and small animals?”“Pfft, I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s ‘charming’,” she finger-quoted, rolling her eyes. That’s totally what he’d meant when he talked about her underoos, she knew it. “Is that better?”“Rude.” He flicked her arm lightly, trying to corral his damned embarrassment. She liked that he’d done it, what was he even embarrassed about? She just stuck her tongue out at him before scooping up more of her ice cream (it was mango and raspberry and it tasted like a hot summer day). “Whatever, dude. Was there anything you didn’t like?”Wrinkling his nose, he made himself think about it. He hated this part of the conversation, even if it was necessary. “I didn’t like worrying that you might not let me come at all,” he managed at last, poking grumpily at an almond. “And I worried about hurting you when you asked me to be rougher. That was distressingly vague.”His eyebrows looked ready to take over his face they were in such an intense ‘v’, and she quickly reached across the table for his hands. “Hey, that’s okay, Loki; let’s talk about it, alright? I’m sorry I was vague.”“Thank you,” he muttered, frowning at their hands. One of hers slipped upward to brush against his pulse point and he didn’t want to be so easily pacified, but it was…nice.“First: do you always want to come at least once per session?”He squirmed, wishing he could rub at his palm but he didn’t want to dislodge Darcy’s hold. It felt childish to demand such a thing; what if she wasn’t interested in giving that to him? He didn’t want her to feel obligated, especially if she wasn’t in the mood. But he could take care of himself alone if need be. Or what if the whole session was specifically about him not climaxing? And then there was always the possibility they’d have a non-sexual session; true, they hadn’t yet, but it could happen and then of course he wouldn’t want to -“Loki. Look at me.” It wasn’t quite her Dom voice, but it was a variation on it, one she’d call her ‘science wrangler voice’ if she had to name it. It worked: Loki’s eyes snapped up to hers. “I can hear you overthinking, mister. Answer the question. Yes or no.”“Yes.” He was relieved she’d snapped him out of his worries. “But -”She looked at him sharply. “I think we’ve discussed “yes, buts”, haven’t we?”“What if you don’t feel like making me come, or my not orgasming is the whole point?” he barreled on quickly. He knew how she felt about addendums but this felt important. “What if we spend a session just…cuddling?”She looked at him strangely and that just compounded his wish to forget the whole conversation and vanish.“Loki…” She bit back a pet name at the last second. “Your yes isn’t set in stone. It can change depending on the context. If we just cuddle, then I’m not going to force you to have an orgasm. You didn’t consent to that. If I somehow don’t feel like watching you get your rocks off -” She made an exaggerated face because there was no way she’d ever not want to see that, “- then I can step out while you do. And if we have a session centered on orgasm denial, then honestly, I’d probably reward you by letting you come at the end unless we discuss something else. Does that make sense to you?”“Yes.” He still felt uncomfortably fretful but she’d addressed each of his concerns calmly and with reason; it helped.“Good.” She offered him a smile, giving his hand a squeeze. “So, in general, and acknowledging the importance of context, do you want to come at least once per session?”Part of him rankled a bit at the question (he didn’t need to be coddled!) but mostly he just felt soothed. “I do, please.”“Okay. I’ll remember that,” she promised; she’d always sort of planned on it anyway but for whatever reason, this had him anxious so she didn’t mind reassuring him. “Now about this hurting me business…”His mouth thinned. “Darcy, do you understand how much stronger I am than even Captain Rogers? I could easily, seriously, harm you if I don’t take care.”“But you do take care, Loki,” she insisted stridently. “You’re super aware of how strong you are! I’ve never once seen you accidentally break a glass or, I dunno, rip a door off its hinges or anything else! And I’m a lot less breakable than a coffee mug. There’s zero reason to think you would ever hurt me.”While his history on Midgard was accident-free, he refused to be deterred. “I’m not exactly thinking straight in the midst of our sessions, Darcy.”She shouldn’t be flattered, she knew, but she totally was. He’d basically just admitted she made his brain all topsy-turvy when they played and she took a second to internally squee, before calming herself because this was a Serious Conversation.“Tell me why you’re worried about hurting me during sex specifically. What’s different about it compared to when we’re in the lab or here?”“Why would you want to risk it?” Anger crept into his words as he pulled his hands back, crossing them over his chest. Something thorny twisted inside his rib cage, making it tight and uncomfortable. “You never proclaimed yourself a masochist yet you ask me to be rougher! I don’t… If I hurt you… I -”He pressed his lips and eyes closed tightly. Half formed sentences and explanations chased themselves in a whirlwind around his mind, the words to make her understand just beyond reach, slipping through his fingers every time he tried to grab them. His breath turned shallow to avoid the stabbing thorns. Why couldn’t he just explain?“Whoa, hey,” it’s okay, she nearly said except it clearly wasn’t. Loki was curled in on himself, breathing way quicker than normal, and shit, his spoon and bowl were rattling on the table like it was an earthquake and she had to assume that was his seidr acting out. Frick, okay, she had to get him out of his head and out of here before he escalated straight into a full blown panic attack. She wasn’t entirely sure what that would look like but it wouldn’t be good for anyone, especially not him.Her chair scraped against the floor irritatingly as she moved closer to him, blocking him from view. It was hella hard but she made herself not touch him. “Loki, hey, how can I help you right now?”He had no idea; he didn’t even know how to help himself, let alone how she could assist.He gave the minutest shrug and she tried again. “Do you want to leave? We can teleport back to your apartment.”Yes! He grasped at the idea desperately. His apartment was safe and quiet and empty of witnesses and surely he’d be able to breathe there, wouldn’t he?Blindly, he reached out and grabbed her hand and as soon as she squeezed back, he brought them to his living room. The room resolved and he released her, scooching away so he didn’t crowd her. She didn’t need to tend to him; she’d just wanted to get away from the public eye. It must be embarrassing being seen with someone so…so addlepated.“You don’t have to stay,” he heard himself say. “I’m fine, really. I’m… I apologize for making a scene, I shouldn’t have… Well, anyway -”Oooh boy. “Loki, can you look at me please?”He wrenched his gaze from the coffee table to look at her. His eyes were practically screaming for help even as his mouth twisted into an awful attempt at a reassuring smile.“Hi.” She smiled at him properly, trying to make her body language as non-threatening and non-judgmental as she knew how to. “Can I touch you?”“O - okay.”It must be really bad if he was using such informal English. She took his fist from his knee and held it between her hands. “I’d like to stay, if that’s cool with you. I think maybe you could use some cuddle time; what do you think?”He stared blankly at her for a moment, his thoughts a maelstrom, before he slowly nodded. “Alright.”Darcy squeezed his hand then quickly plumped up a pillow against the couch’s armrest and laid down, getting comfy before beckoning him to her. He still seemed uncertain but she held her hand out and he nodded again, carefully arranging himself on top of her. Immediately, she began running her fingers through his hair. “You weren’t ‘causing a scene’, okay? I was just worried about you. I know you don’t like a lot of people around when you’re upset or whatever.”He made a noise but left his response at that. He…knew that, that her concern had been for himself and not on whatever anyone else might think, but his mind had always been horribly skilled at convincing him of the worst. It had rarely sprung on him all at once in Asgard; he could count on one hand the number of times he’d had to withdraw from the public eye because of it in the last century. But since coming to Midgard, since Sanctuary, it was becoming more frequent. He wasn’t altogether sure if that was because of his experiences or just the nature of Midgard; it was so loud here, with so many people and so much incessant stimuli. He’d been secretly grateful when SHIELD and the Avengers finally agreed to install him in Dr. Foster’s small lab, where she and Darcy were the only regular occupants and neither woman was prone to playing music over speakers or using flashing holograms or talking over each other.The smell of laundry soap, clinging to Darcy’s dress, was pleasant, and he inhaled deeply, pushing his nose into it. He couldn’t quite identify the scent, assuming it was some artificial amalgamation, but it mixed nicely with her usual citrus and vanilla perfume. Her fingers gently scraped against his scalp and it felt as though they were untangling his thoughts as well.“Can I touch your back, Loki?”“Yes,” he sighed, letting himself relax against her. “Lightly please.”“Of course,” she smiled to herself and began rubbing circles on his back. “Are you feeling a little better?”The thorns had vanished from his rib cage, making it easier to breathe, but now shame crept in. He hated when his anxieties took over when he was alone, never mind when someone…someone important to him witnessed them. (It wasn’t love. It wasn’t.)“Yes, thank you,” he said awkwardly, attempting to push himself up off her, but she hooked her leg over his, her arms tightening, and he froze.“Hey, who said you had to get up? I dunno about you but I was enjoying it, so c’mon. Stay a minute.”She watched some of the tightness leave his eyes before he slowly settled back down, feeling like 30 quilts on top of her. She gave a little prayer of thanks to whichever deity was listening for climate control and the cushy couch making laying under him as comfortable as it was. Going back to rubbing his back, she thought about what had gotten him so riled up.There’d been the issue of his orgasms, which she thought she’d handled pretty well, and then his concern about hurting her was where things had really gone off the rails. So she thought about it: about what he’d told her of Asgard’s views on sex, and what she knew (or could surmise) about warrior cultures, and the language they’d both used when they talked about it. She turned it over in her head, poking at it from different angles, until she thought she had it.“I think,” she said at last, startling him from his light doze, “maybe we’ve been misunderstanding each other.”Rousing himself, Loki adjusted his head on her breast. “How so?”“I don’t think we’re thinking of the same thing when we talk about rough sex. Because I don’t want you to hurt me and I’m definitely not a masochist. I only like a little bit of pain, the same way you do,” she reminded him, giving his hair a barely-there tug (she wanted to drive the point home, not get him horny). “When I ask my partners to be rougher, I’m asking them to fuck me harder. To pull my hair or slap my ass. To manhandle me. It gets me hot, knowing you’re bigger and stronger than me but I’m the one in control, and I like when you show off that strength. Like, when you held both my arms in one hand? Ohmygod, I swear I almost came right there! It ticked a whole bunch of boxes for me.”Just thinking about it had her pussy clenching (seriously: so hot!) but now so wasn’t the time so she ignored it.Oh. That… That reassured him immensely. She truly didn’t want him to do anything that might hurt her.He propped himself up on his elbow, mouth curling up to one side. “I rather like that you’re smaller than me too. It’s part of the reason I enjoy ceding control to you.”Of course he liked that she was short. Why was she even remotely surprised?“Would it help more if I send you some videos showing what kinda rough stuff I like?” It would give him something concrete to work from next time she asked.His cheeks colored. The videos she’d sent him before they negotiated their arrangement had been…incredibly explicit and he felt rather hot under the collar thinking of them, but he nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”“‘Kay. It might take me a little bit; I don’t exactly have ‘em bookmarked, so I won’t ask you to be rougher until you’ve watched them and we’ve had a chance to talk about it again, alright? But for the record: you were perfect Sunday. You gave me exactly what I wanted, Loki.”His Adam’s apple bobbed at the praise, even as innocuously as she’d phrased it. “Did I?”“Yup.” She purposely left it at that, aware as she was of the chub he was sporting between them. It wasn’t the right day of the week to be encouraging that (not that she wasn’t tempted… but no! Bad, Darcy!). Instead, she boop-ed him on the nose, making him go cross-eyed and frowny. “Do you feel better about the whole ‘rough’ aspect now? Or are you still -?” She made a see-saw motion with her hand.“I feel better about it, although I’m still not…eager to attempt it without your instruction,” he admitted, feeling much calmed by their discussion and Darcy’s tender care. “Thank you. For clarifying.”“Any time,” she assured with a kind smile. It would be so easy to kiss her… But it was only Wednesday and he checked the impulse. “For the record: it’s fine that you’re not gung-ho about this, okay? It doesn’t bother me, and I’m not gonna try to, like, force you to have rough sex with me. I mean, I am gonna push you to try it a little but if you really don’t want to, just say the word.”His skin prickled with self-consciousness; she knew him so well.“I will if I need to, rest assured.”“Good. Do you wanna talk about next week?”His mouth took on a wry tilt. “I think we ought to sit up if we’re going to discuss that.”It would be quite rude to spend the rest of their discussion with his erection pressed against her leg after all, and he carefully lifted himself off her, settling cross-legged on his own cushion, pulling a pillow into his lap. Darcy sat up too, tucking one of her legs under herself and angling herself toward him, shooting his pillow an amused look.“Do you have any ideas? Requests?”“You could peg me,” he ventured, hugging the pillow to himself (its size adjusted accordingly and he watched Darcy do a double-take before visibly dismissing it). “If you want.”If I want…? Hell yeah she wanted!! Plus the way he was trying to be all casual and coy about it despite the way his cheeks were on fire was doing things for her. So many things. But she had to be responsible, damn it! Uuugh!“That is very tempting, mister. You know I do, but no.” Loki immediately scowled, opening his mouth to argue, she was sure, but she held up a hand and he waited like a good boy. “It’s great that you want that too. Like…so great. Seriously, it’s killing me a little to say no, but you’re not ready for it.”“I’ll have you know I’ve been practicing!” he practically spat, outraged that she would dare turn him down when she was the one who’d introduced the idea. “I’m plenty ready, I assure you. It’s not as though I have a weak mortal constitution you need worry about. You won’t hurt me.”He said it with such contempt that he rather expected her to object and chastise him.Darcy was still stuck on the first part.The noise she made was stuck somewhere between a whine and keen and she quickly cleared her throat. “What do you mean by practicing, Loki?”Of course she’d ask, he thought despairingly, his face positively scarlet. “I… Well, I’ve been experimenting, as I said. And you left your - your toys behind so I’ve been making use of them. The um, prostate vibrator is…nice.”Flustered!Loki was killing her. Really, honest-to-God, print-her-obituary killing her. She wanted to do horrible, awful things to him that involved rope and seeing how many times he could come before he went dry.“Is it?” Her voice was impressively steady considering how faint she felt. “Did you prep yourself properly?”He glanced at her and away quickly, wincing. “Not as much as you’d like, my lady. But I did have my double work me open first.”He used a double!? Asdfghjkl!!! “Are… Are you alright, Darcy?” he asked with some alarm. She’d made a noise not unlike a dying goat.“...I’m fine,” she squeaked before clearing her throat again. In a more normal tone, she asked: “Could you be a peach and get me a glass of water?”He actually got up instead of seidr-ing a glass, thank frick, so she had a moment to get her shit together. Yes, the mental image of two Lokis was enough to break her brain but a full meltdown could wait til she was back in her apartment (and could do some ‘experimenting’ of her own). Right now, she had to be cool and collected and explain patiently and firmly why she wouldn’t peg him this Sunday.…As soon as she remembered why.In the kitchen, Loki took the opportunity to stick his head in the freezer, telling himself it was just to get ice cubes for her drink and it had nothing whatsoever to do with how mortifyingly embarrassed he felt discussing his masturbation habits with her. It was ridiculous! They had sex weekly! He’d shared some of his most secret desires and preferences with her and she’d fulfilled them without batting an eye, and yet telling her how he pleasured himself was somehow a step too far?
Preposterous!
When he’d dawdled as long as he could, he poured them each a glass of water (with ice) and returned to the couch. “Here you are.”“Thanks.” She took a long sip, grateful for how cold it was even when the ice cubes knocked against her teeth. “Okay. It’s…great that you’ve been doing some anal stuff on your own -”Loki choked on his drink, coughing and wiping water from his chin. “Sorry. You were saying?”Well at least she wasn’t the only one having a conniption about this. “Like I was saying: it’s great that you’re doing that and yes, the chances of me hurting you are uber tiny, but I’m still not going to peg you on Sunday.”Exasperated, he sighed, putting his glass on the coffee table with a clink. “Darcy -”“Hear me out please.” When he didn’t interject again, she continued: “I know I can’t hurt you seriously; you’re a god or whatever. But I need you to understand that I very much do not want to hurt you even a little bit, Loki. Not even accidentally. And especially not when you’re in a vulnerable position, i.e. naked and horny and being the receiving partner. Because in the vast majority of your penetrative hook-ups, you’ve been the one penetrating, right?”“...Yes.”“Right, so, masturbating is one thing. You’re fully in control about what happens, and when, and how fast, and you know right away if something is uncomfortable or painful or just wrong. Whereas if I peg you, you can tell me if something isn’t working but there’s still my reaction time to account for. In general, I’m the one controlling when and what and how fast.” She blew out a breath, biting the corner of her lip. “Plus: unlike people with actual dicks, I won’t get any physical sensation from my strap-on. I’ll be able to tell if there’s resistance but not the same way or with the same sensitivity. It takes a lot of trust, is what I’m saying.”Loki hadn’t considered all of that. He’d known he wouldn’t be in control, of course; that was the nature of their relationship, but it had never occurred to him how much control he had in the moment when he was the penetrating partner. Slowly, Loki sipped from his glass again, turning her words over in his mind.“I do trust you, Darcy. A shocking amount, honestly. I’m fine if we take things slow the first, or even the first few times.”She huffed a short breath, amused and exasperated at the same time. “Great, 'cause we probably will. I appreciate your trust, Loki. I really do. I trust you too. Also probably a shocking amount depending on who you ask and what their opinion of you is. But that doesn’t change the fact that I want to ease you into this. To make this as good for you as I possibly can. Let me treat you right. Please?”Despite his impatience, her plea warmed his heart, making him almost giddy. She didn’t want to be perfunctory about this, to “hit it and quit it” to borrow a phrase he’d heard her use before. The wait would be its own kind of sweet torture but Darcy would reward him. And it would please her, wouldn’t it? He’d never admit it but that knowledge decided it.“Very well.” His words were instantly met with her wide grin and he hated how the sight of it made his heart feel too big. “Provided this easing period doesn’t move at a glacial pace.”
She chuckled. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. I won’t keep you waiting too long.”Just long enough to a) drive him crazy and b) get some cardio training in with Nat. Her stamina was probably shot since the last time she’d used her strap. Hmm, she should probably up her core strengthening workout too…“See that it doesn’t,” he said primly, leaning into his princely mannerisms just to make her laugh again. “If that’s off the table, what will we do this Sunday?”“Well, how about wearing your butt plug for the whole session? Or at least part of it, if you get uncomfortable. You can decide if you want the vibe on or not.”Arousal swooped hot and low in his belly. “Alright. Anything else?”Darcy leaned back into the couch, giving him a considering look. “What else do you want, Loki? Other than to be pegged.”Oh. He looked down, wringing his hands together, suddenly feeling as though the full weight of her attention was too much. What else did he want? What else would she give him?“I want…” He licked his lips, unaccountably nervous. “We haven’t done much bondage. We could do a chest harness? Perhaps somewhat more intricate than the first one?”“Okay. A more intricate chest harness. We can do that.” He’d look so damn pretty in it, how could she possibly say no? Ooh maybe a dual color one… “What else?”He seemed startled by the question and then he flushed, rolling his glass between his hands. “You - you could tie me to the headboard again.”“Oh.” She chewed her lip. “Are you gonna be okay if we do that again? I know last time with the blindfold was um…triggering.”She winced as she said it but Loki merely offered her one of his barely there smiles. “It…was, yes, but I believe it was just the blindfold. Or perhaps the combination thereof. Regardless, I think tying me to the headboard in and of itself will be more than fine.”“Alright,” she agreed. She did trust him after all. “I’d like that. But you’ll let me know right away if it makes you uncomfortable or whatever, right?”“I will.”“Good. Alright, we’ve got butt plugs and bondage, oh my,” she sing-songed. “Are we adding bratting to make it more alliterative?”He chuckled; she could be such a ridiculous creature at times but that didn’t make him any less fond of her. “I’m not planning on it but who can say for certain? Not me.”Snorting, she shoved his arm. “Getting a head start, I see. What else do you want? Or am I just tying you to the bed and playing with the butt plug remote?”His ass clenched automatically and his cock throbbed; there was certainly something to that idea, to having her sit there nonchalant while he writhed with pleasure a scant few feet from her… As long as she held him after, the distance between them might be worthwhile for a single session.“I think I’d like that,” he admitted slowly, “But I wonder if we could… Would you be comfortable attempting the sensation play again? With the fabrics? I know it ended…poorly last time but I’m still very interested.”Oh sweetheart… Darcy reached out to cup his stupid earnest face and he automatically leaned into it, killing her. “That wasn’t anybody’s fault, Loki, especially not yours. I would love to redo that session with you.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They were laying on the couch again, his head pillowed on her breast and her hands skimming along his back. It was so comfortable like this, with Darcy’s soft body cradling him, her scent all around him, as she murmured kind words and praise. His prick was full and hard in his trousers, pressing against the zip and her thigh and he desperately wanted to rock against her but that would be inappropriate. He wasn’t some animal.“Such a good boy for me,” she murmured, lifting her head enough to kiss his hairline. “You had a rough day, didn’t you?”He had, though the details escaped him. His limbs and chest felt tight with wasted adrenaline and his thoughts were a tangled confusion. He made some response (he must have, Darcy insisted he speak aloud) and she cooed sympathetically, rubbing him through his pants.“Mm, let me take care of you, sweetie. Would you like that?”Again, he must have replied and then his trousers were undone, her hand circled firmly around his cock, using long, slow pulls. His breath stuttered against her neck. Fuck, it felt slick and hot and so, so good.“Shh, that’s it, honey. Just relax for me.”He was trapped between her and the couch cushions, half-delirious with pleasure as Darcy lovingly stroked him off, her grip changing so her thumb rubbed up and down under his head. He had to be dripping precum. Every tug on his prick felt like she was pulling at his essence, his soul, and his balls drew up.She whispered against his lips, told him to come for her, and he spilled all over her hand, eyes screwed shut and mouth begging for more.Loki awoke to the bells of his alarm, a pleased smile on his mouth. He dismissed the alarm and flung open his curtains with seidr. The weather matched his mood, bright and cloudless. His dream had been wonderful, not that he could remember it. Perhaps Darcy had featured in it, he mused, slowly and gingerly stretching out.He grimaced, becoming uncomfortably aware of a wet patch on the front of his sleep pants.“Eugh, really?” he muttered aloud to himself, spreading his fingers to rub his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose.Well that answered the question of what his dream had been about. He rolled his wrist, cleaning up the drying cum. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a wet dream but evidently his libido was coming raring back with a vengeance.Rolling onto his back, he threw his arm over his eyes, ignoring the early morning pull in his shoulder. While he appreciated the return to normalcy, nocturnal emissions smacked embarrassingly of youth. He was in his eleventh century for Norns’ sake! If nothing else, he was having sex regularly enough that it shouldn’t be happening.…Had he dreamt of Darcy?Arousal stirred in his groin and he grinned. He could stand to be late to the lab, he thought, snaking a hand down the front of his pants.🍧His good mood couldn’t last forever of course.SHIELD simply had to summon him off site for some sort of meeting with the Avengers, as if they couldn’t email him the details afterward. No one, least of all the Director, enjoyed his answers whenever they sought his expertise but Loki could hardly alter the realities of seidr to appease them.Somehow, he and Thor were the first to arrive. How that was possible when the entire roster lived in the same building as himself was baffling (it wasn’t as though he’d teleported to the meeting; he and Thor were driven by the agent sent to collect them). He’d suspect some sort of trap (benign or otherwise) if he wasn’t intimately aware of the almost allergic-reaction the others had to official meetings.
Children.
He hated them too but he knew from many a council meeting that it was easier to show up on time and get it over with, rather than showing up late and making the meeting longer through chastisements.The door opened and he and Thor automatically looked up to see who had arrived. Rather than any of the Avengers or the usual SHIELD agents, it was an unknown woman who blushed faintly to find herself the focus of both brothers.“...Hello,” she said, quickly taking in the rest of the (empty) room. She wore a white lab coat over her blouse and skirt. “Oh good, I’m not late.”“Ah, no, not as such,” Thor assured her kindly. “My teammates are. They ought to be here soon.”Loki snorted, ignoring his sidelong frown. If they all showed up in the next five minutes, it would be some sort of miracle.The woman took a seat directly across from them, setting a stack of papers on the table. Loki eyed them with some interest. It took a bit of effort to read upside down with Allspeak (the letters had a deplorable habit of shifting through various alphabets before settling on one he could read) but he could make out a few words easily enough: artifact, radiation, magic…“Do you know what this meeting’s about, Ms…?”“It’s Doctor Gillman, actually,” she corrected impatiently, her pink lips pulling down.“My apologies. What are you a doctor of?” he fished in his most charming tones. Perhaps SHIELD had found something interesting for once. (As long as it wasn’t another device he’d have to covertly destroy… He hadn’t enjoyed the interrogation the first time around.)“Archeology, Mr. Odinson,” was the reply, a smug look stealing over her delicate features when his eyebrows dipped with confusion.“What need does SHIELD have for an archeology expert?" Though even as he asked, he recalled that the Tesseract had been found at an ancient human site once upon a time. Had they found another relic of Asgard? Another weapon? He could feel a headache throbbing to life at the base of his skull."Oh you'd be surprised," she said loftily with a Cheshire grin that he had to admit suited her very much. "You'll find out specifics once Director Fury and co. arrive."He sniffed haughtily and turned back to the game of branches he and Thor were playing on a bit of paper. If she wanted to make a mystery of it, so be it. He wasn’t nearly interested enough to try and cajole answers out of her when they’d very shortly be forthcoming.Eventually, the rest of Thor’s cronies filed in and once they’d finished venting their spleens and Fury had lived up to his namesake (again), all was revealed. SHIELD’s researchers, of which Dr. Gillman was a part, had found an artifact in a retreating ice shelf.He and the others listened attentively as Dr. Gillman spoke of her team’s discovery, the types of tests they’d put it through, and the reasons they suspected extraterrestrial origin.“Not only is the artifact seemingly made of a shockingly light-weight stone never before seen on Earth, it somehow transforms when touched.” Dr. Gillman touched a button on her remote and her presentation switched to a new slide showing a series of pictures of what must be the artifact. “Upon discovery it had a pyramid shape as seen here. Once we confirmed it was safe for human touch however, it changed seamlessly into a cube. We touched it again and it became an octahedron.”Thor elbowed him, whispering: “Is that…?”“Shh,” he shot back before someone else did, but he nodded. If it wasn’t what they thought it was, it was preposterously similar.Dr. Gillman (and various others) shot them an unimpressed look before continuing: “The trend continued, with the artifact cycling through various geometric shapes before settling on a torus, whereupon writing appeared on the surface.”A photo of the writing appeared and Thor snorted. Loki barked a laugh before he could help himself and he covered his mouth, trying to tamp down on the laughter bubbling in his throat.The lights went up and Director Fury looked far from amused. “Want to share the joke, gentleman?”“It’s - I’m sorry, Dr. Gillman.” He wiped a tear from his eye, aware that everyone in the room was steadily becoming more irate, especially the doctor who’s research Thor was bent over laughing about. “It’s really not that amusing but it’s caught us off guard. It’s a… Well, it’s an old children’s toy.”“A children’s toy?” Dr. Gillman repeated, going from annoyed to interested in the span of a few seconds. “From Asgard, I presume?”Thor recovered himself finally. “Aye. It was more common for our parents’ generation but we played with one a few times, didn’t we, Loki? This one must be from before travel to your realm was banned.”Any tension in the room dissipated entirely as everyone realized the artifact posed no dangers.“And the writing?” Agent Romanov inquired with one of her tiny coy smiles. “Let us in on the joke, boys.”“It’s -” Thor read it again and wheezed, but still he tried to insist: “It’s not that funny, honestly.”“What, loses something in translation? Had to be there? C’mon, just tell us, Point Break!” Stark insisted, popping another handful of dried fruit in his gob.“It says, and I’m quoting: Volstagg, for my wittle warrior, love your dearest mumsy-wumsy.” He scarcely made it through the inscription without choking on his laughter.Volstagg’s mother was a lovely woman but he’d never have suspected her of this level of infantilized talk. They must have visited Midgard when Volstagg was only an infant, or else he was sure the warrior would’ve regaled them with tales of his time in the realm.“Volstagg is one of my closest friends, a few centuries older than us,” Thor explained briefly. “Norns, I wish I could show him this. His face…”Fury rubbed at his temple. “So it’s an Asgardian kids toy. Probably runs off magic, right? Could it be useful in any way?”Dr. Gillman started, but the question was pointedly directed at Loki, who blinked thoughtfully.“I suppose. You humans are rather ingenious for taking innocuous things and turning them into weapons of destruction. I’m sure your scientists will come up with some way to pervert its purpose, but I have no ideas myself.”And even if he did, he wouldn’t share them. The aesir may have been war-mongering, he’d admit, but they’d never been as self-destructive as humans were. It was frankly astonishing that they hadn’t annihilated themselves yet.Disgusted, the director ended the meeting and everyone filed out grumbling, except for Dr. Gillman.She glanced briefly at Thor before directing all her attention to Loki. “I’d love to hear more about this toy. Purely from an anthropological standpoint, I mean. I’m not interested in weaponizing the technology.”“Of course not,” he agreed soothingly. Scientists and scholars alike never liked hearing about the nefarious purposes their research could be used for, even if it was obvious to others. “There’s not much more to the toy than what your team’s discovered though. It changes shape and eventually reveals a message. That’s all.”“Oh but that’s not true at all, Mr. Odinson! There’s so many things you could teach me - us about your culture. Children’s lives are vastly under-represented in anthropology and archeology, even amongst humans. And then there’s of course the material composition, the educational purpose…” She trailed off, blushing, and tucked a stray piece of auburn hair behind her ear. “Er, in any event, here’s my card and -” She hesitated before hastily scribbling something on the back before holding it out to him again. “- my number. I could let you know if we find any similar artifacts? And maybe avoid more embarrassing meetings like this.”He took the business card politely, tucking it into his trouser pocket without reading it. “I doubt your superiors will like that, so of course. Here’s my SHIELD contact information.”He produced a card of his own from thin air and she took it, bidding them both a good afternoon. Loki teleported himself and Thor back to Dr. Foster’s lab, figuring his brother wouldn’t object. Plus he did so enjoy startling the two women therein.Darcy nearly fell out of her chair when they materialized, she’d been leaning back so far, and both brothers winced at her shriek as she flailed. Dr. Foster was a little quieter in her reaction, merely launching a textbook at them.“Jane!” Thor looked at her in a bizarre mix of astonishment and pride, catching the book before it smacked him square in the face. Pity.“Oh it’s just you two,” she huffed, putting a hand over her heart. “You know you guys could teleport into the hallway and not give us heart attacks!”“Where’s the fun in that?” Loki grinned. “Careful, Darcy. It would be rather embarrassing if you fell and hurt yourself.”She threw a pen at him which he deftly caught and spun between his fingers, sitting down and throwing his feet up on his desk. She glowered at him, satisfying the mischief in him very nicely.“Gimmie back my pen.”“Ah ah ah, you gave it to me. It’s mine now.”She was going to kill him. Back for ten seconds and already pissing her off. Glaring at him, she very pointedly grabbed a new pen from the holder on her desk. Brat.Thor was the only reason her one-sided staring contest ended since he moved into her sight line. Which was probably for the best since she, y’know, had actual work to do.“So…” Thor began leadingly. “Are you going to call her?”“Call who?” he asked guilelessly, frowning at his bulk. He was in the way but it’d be incredibly…revealing to tell him to move.Thor pursed his mouth amusedly. “Dr. Gillman. She was clearly interested in more than discussing that toy.”Darcy’s ears perked up at that. What toy? A sex toy? What? She shook her head a little at herself; no way was Thor casually referencing a sex toy in the middle of the lab where just anyone could hear him.Apparently Loki was just as baffled as her. “What?”The oaf rolled his eyes effusively, as if he were being the obtuse one. “Loki. Come now, don’t be dense. The woman gave you her number. She wrote it on the back of her business card, which means it’s not her office phone number. And her body language was obvious enough.”Well… The bit about her number was factual but: “What body language? She was polite and enthusiastic about the subject, that’s all. She was hardly throwing herself at me.”Dr. Gillman, huh? Darcy sucked her teeth, making a note of her name before stopping and scratching the name out. She really needed to focus, not eavesdrop.“I’m not implying she was, but I assure you she was interested, brother. And she was your type, was she not?”Loki didn’t do something so incriminating as answer aloud but Thor wasn’t wrong. Dr. Gillman was short, buxom, and obviously intelligent. He could admit she was attractive but he honestly hadn’t given her a second thought.“I have no interest in…colluding with someone from SHIELD.” He waved the concept off as if it were an irritating fly, or in this case: a migraine surely waiting to happen. “Now off with you. Don’t you have some sort of ‘team bonding’ activity to take part in or something equally as odious?”Darcy puffed out her cheeks and released her breath in a gust. Loki didn’t seem all that interested in Dr. Whatsherface, or at least didn’t want to moon over her while others could hear. So that was…whatever. He could hook up with her if he wanted. It’s not like she’d stop him. She knew he understood the importance of health and safety to their sessions so she could trust him to tell her if he started banging the SHIELD chick.Thor left and both Darcy and Loki put the business with the doctor out of mind.🍧Waking up late Saturday morning, Loki stretched leisurely, sheets wrapped around her like a lover’s embrace. She’d had a very fun night trying out a number of toys and using her own hands. Her dreams had been pleasant too, she thought, not that she could remember any. They hadn’t been too explicit though based on the lack of wetness between her thighs.With a sigh, she lazily flicked her wrist, opening the curtains to reveal the skyline. What would she do today? Her rather persistent arousal finally seemed banked after a week of indulgence and even if it hadn’t been, she thought she’d like to abstain until her and Darcy’s session tomorrow regardless. Denying herself would make it all the better when Darcy coaxed pleasure from her in that masterful way of hers.She shivered just thinking of it, smiling into her pillow.Breathing deeply, she stretched her limbs to shaking and then rolled over. The bed was rumpled on the other side too (it had been a very, very fun night and a touch acrobatic to boot), and Loki was surprised by the wave of…sadness? she felt at the sight. She extended a hand out, touching the pillow where no head but hers had rested.Why did that make her melancholy?She’d never been in the habit of sharing her bed on a consistent basis. A night here and there, yes, but not enough for her to have ever grown used to seeing a lover on the other side. She rolled onto her back, scowling at the ceiling.Darcy doesn’t even sleep on that side!And why that should occur to her was a mystery unto itself.So what if waking up to Darcy every Monday morning was one of the highlights of her week? She was beautiful in the morning with her tousled hair falling around her face as she leaned over her, making sure she was awake before she slipped away. And she always kissed her goodbye with a smile and Loki was enamored with her smile. And her kisses. Who could blame her for it?Frustrated, Loki threw herself out of bed, righting the bedding with a flick of her fingers. Taking care of her morning ablutions, she conjured a robe, wrapping it around herself before going to the kitchen. Food would chase away this maudlin feeling.Settled on one of the stools, she chewed her bite of eggs on toast. Darcy was so accepting of her but was there a limit to that acceptance? Where did it run out? She said she’d slept with men and women, but where did a shapeshifter fall on that spectrum? Loki glowered at her plate, stabbing a tomato slice with more force than was strictly necessary.She’d never been in a relationship where her lover saw all the aspects of herself. It was always with either her strictly masculine or feminine one. Certainly she’d had lovers who knew she could shapeshift and had seen both public versions of herself, but in private with them, she used either a cock or a cunt, never switching between them. Never being completely, openly herself in all her facets.Which was moronic. Why should she limit herself to keep small-minded cretins comfortable? She should shift as frequently as she felt the desire to, others’ opinions be damned. And if Darcy couldn’t handle that…Better to see her true colors sooner than later.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The doorframe lit up in pale blue and Loki started up from the couch, wiping her sweaty palms on her skirt. She’d already spent half the day debating this course of action but she shoved her doubts aside. They were immaterial. Whatever happened, however Darcy reacted…she’d survive. She always did.(And if her heart already flinched, if she was already preparing for the worst… Well. She’d lived through worse hurts.)Taking a deep breath, she tugged her blouse straight and made herself open the door. “Good evening, Darcy.”She dropped her fist from where she’d been about to knock again and smiled brightly. “Hey! How’s it…going…”Her voice trailed off as she looked at Loki properly. And it was Loki she was looking at, she had zero doubts about that even if he - she? - looked a little different. Loki largely looked the same as always: same height, same lithe build, same inky hair and green eyes and proud nose and thin lips. But tonight, those lips were lined in a velvety burgundy and the usual slicked-back hair curled stylishly against her bare collarbones. The most obvious change was the cleavage though.There wasn't a lot of it but there was way more than Loki usually sported (Darcy was guessing an A cup, just enough for a mouthfu - ) and the chest hair she was used to seeing was gone. The Adam’s apple too actually, now that she looked.
Huh.
She(? And Darcy really ought to pop her eyeballs back in and ask) wore an off the shoulder black top, accentuating her small bust and strong biceps, tucked into an emerald green pencil skirt that hugged her narrow hips. Darcy wanted to eat her up. Dazedly, she noticed the sheer black hose and wondered (with a touch of feverish hysteria) if she was wearing a garter belt and how soon she could find out.Loki cleared her throat. Darcy had certainly looked her fill and no doubt noticed her very feminine appearance, but she’d yet to say anything and that had nerves fluttering uncomfortably in her stomach. At the sound, her eyes snapped up to her face and there was hope in her dilated pupils and flushed cheeks.“Would you…like to come in?” Loki asked amusedly, and she practically tripped over herself to do so, fumbling to close the door behind her.Leaning back against it, Darcy raked her eyes over the freakin’ goddess she was about to spend the night with and wondered if this was what hitting the jackpot felt like. As much as she very much wanted to tackle Loki to the floor (and she really, really wanted to), she needed to reel in her arousal and address the big unspoken thing in the room. Loki had stepped back from the entrance when she’d barrelled in but they(?) were plucking at their palm and the lay of their skirt, eyes darting around between her and the wall and the floor. Loki was nervous and that wouldn’t do at all.“You’re gorgeous,” she managed at last, wrestling herself back under control.Loki blushed. “Oh. Thank you.” She said it like a rote response, not like she believed it. She gestured half-heartedly to the kitchen. “Can I - can I get you anything?”She finally noticed Loki’s voice was a few octaves higher. Still deep for a woman but not nearly as deep as she was used to. She wanted to know what her name sounded like in that voice. Preferably while Loki moaned it.Ripping her mind out of the gutter, she shook her head. “Nope, I’m good, thanks. But uh, maybe we should sit for a minute and talk a little?”“...Very well.”Loki smoothed the back of her skirt under her as she sat on the couch. She was determined to act as normally as possible and “normally” her heart wasn’t in her throat and she didn’t feel so flighty, ready to jump up at the slightest provocation. So she sat as she always did, straight-backed and regal (she couldn’t splay her legs as wide as usual though; her choice of skirt was too narrow for it).“Ask your questions,” she ordered coolly, bracing herself for the worst.Darcy chewed her lip, looking at them. Their walls were clearly up and, well… She couldn’t blame them. She took a moment to organize her thoughts before speaking.“I’m sorry if I mess this up. I promise that it’s not on purpose or to be a bigoted piece of shit, okay?” There. That was a good place to start. Right?“...Alright.”“Okay. Um.” Darcy started chewing on her thumbnail, thinking hard. Some stuff she wanted to ask was probably invasive and she should just shove those questions in a box and then bury it. What did she need to know to keep Loki safe and comfortable during their session? “Oh! Should I uh, still call you a good boy? Or would you prefer ‘good girl’?”Loki sucked in a sharp breath, heat flushing her entire body and throbbing between her legs. She pressed her thighs together, shifting in her seat, and hoped the movement was unobtrusive.It wasn’t.“Oh.” Darcy’s lips slowly curled into a grin, spelling her doom. “Do you like that, Loki? Being called a good girl?”She pinched her lips together tightly, swallowing back a whine. She nodded. “Yes.”“Then that’s what I’ll use tonight, okay?”“Al - alright.” She felt almost shaky with the pet name and the arousal it inspired. “Was there…anything else?”She (and that’s what Darcy was going with based on the good girl thing) was adorable, all flustered and trying not to squirm. She couldn’t wait to get her in the bedroom. “Yeah, um, is there any terminology you want me to use? Or not use?”Loki’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”“Well…” she dragged the word out, walking her fingers across the couch to her knee. When she made contact, Loki inhaled audibly before pushing it into her hand. “If I make a comment on what’s between your legs, what words should I use, sweetheart?”Oh. That… Her question made her think perhaps… Perhaps Darcy would accept her even when she blended her presentation. Perhaps she would understand her fluidity the way she’d only ever dreamed someone else would. She wet her lips. “Cunt. Or whatever variation you prefer.”“Okay.” She nodded, locking that in her head. She didn’t want to fuck up. “Is there anything else I should know before we get started?”She…wasn’t going to ask anything else herself? Just what she wanted to be called and what vocabulary she wanted used? Loki’s thoughts stuttered for a moment before she shook her head once. “No, I think that covers everything pertinent. Shall we?” She stood and looked down at Darcy expectantly.
Hnng.
Darcy wasn’t much for switching, preferring to Top or ditch the power dynamics altogether but… Yeah, no, fem!Loki could 100% Dom her whenever she wanted. Actually, masc!Loki could too (if she ever agreed, but Darcy wasn’t in a rush, not when she made the prettiest little sub for her…)Darcy bounced up from the couch, possibly more eager than her for once. “C’mon, honey. Do you want to make any changes to our plan or are you still down for everything?”“I’m still ‘down’,” she said, mouth twitching at the absurdity of Midgardian language.“Good.” In the bedroom, there weren’t any changes from last week, other than the leather wingback chair. She debated sitting there for a second before deciding the divan would suit her Plans better.“Undress and tell me our rules and colors, Loki. But leave the stockings on.”She blinked at her, remembering the last time she’d worn stockings. Darcy had admired them then too, and she wondered if she ought to wear them every session. If it made her lady’s eyes look like that, it would be well worth it.“I will answer you aloud.” Her hands shook a little as she reached for the side zipper on her skirt. What would Darcy say when she was naked before her? “I won’t insult humans, or use seidr without permission.”Would she say anything? She hadn’t questioned her appearance when she came in. “You decide when I climax.”Loki untucked her blouse and inhaled deeply before pulling it over her head, feeling her nipples harden in the cooler air. She folded the garment and set it on the dresser.“Green means continue, yellow means check in, and red means stop.”She could feel Darcy’s eyes on her, burning her skin, as she carefully stepped out of the skirt, leaving her bare except for her hosiery. She didn’t make a comment, but Loki wasn’t brave enough to meet her gaze. She folded the skirt and laid it on top of her blouse.“Our safewords are Mjolnir and pineapple.”Darcy’s mouth was dry. She didn’t know where to look first and it was like their first session all over again. It was electrifying, seeing her naked for the first time (and oh! She hadn’t been talking metaphorically about a cunt. That was a surprise, but not a bad one!). The miles of pale skin were the same but Loki’s usual sharp angles were softened just a little, her hips a smidge wider. Her breasts were small and pert, and at the apex of her thighs was a neat thatch of black hair covering her mons and trailing inward. Loki’s big hands (still impossibly elegant) twitched as if to cover herself, jolting her out of her inspection.“Look at me, sweetheart,” she ordered softly, getting up from the divan. Loki obeyed, hands dropping to her sides in fists. “You’re stunning. You had me a little speechless there, just like the first time I saw you naked. Do you know how beautiful you are? I’m so damn lucky getting to play with you.”Heat flushed the back of her neck and her ears, nerves still twisting her insides. “Don’t… You don’t care that I’m a woman?”“Oh my God, no! What?” She actually had the temerity to laugh and Loki was torn between deflating in relief and being annoyed at her flippancy. She grabbed up her hands and held them between her own earnestly. “I dunno if Asgard uses labels the way we do, but I’m pansexual. It means I’m sexually attracted to men and women, and everything between too. Trust me: you being a woman doesn’t change how attractive I find you, Loki.”“Oh.” The relief was dizzying and she wasn’t sure what to do with it. It felt as though Darcy was Norn-sent specifically to her; she was so kind and caring and was attracted to everything she was and could be. How could she be real? What had she done to deserve her?“...Wait, did you think I wasn’t going to like it?”Loki winced. “I was…afraid you wouldn’t.”She sighed heavily. Of course she was. Loki had serious issues with acceptance, and not identifying with a single gender probably didn’t help matters. But she was showing this side of herself anyway, despite suspecting (wrongly) that she’d turn tail and run.“Well I do it like,” she said stoutly, reaching up to cup her stupid pretty face and draw it down to hers. “And you’re so, so brave, Loki. Thank you for trusting me with this.”She kissed her then and Loki mentally flailed for a moment. Even in her most idealistic fantasies, she hadn’t really expected Darcy to be so accepting, or if she was, then she would cancel their session for the night, politely explaining that she wasn’t sexually attracted to her in this form. But the way her tongue was in her mouth strongly suggested otherwise. She melted into it, releasing her (apparently) baseless worries to the ether where they belonged.“Such a brave girl,” she murmured against her lips, nipping at them and making her moan softly. “So brave to be yourself with me, sweetheart. Let me reward you. Would you like that?”Loki chased after her mouth, finally recovering her boldness and hauling her in close. The feel of her clothes against her bare skin was driving her mad. “I would, my lady. Why are you still dressed?”The annoyance in her voice made her chuckle, even as Loki mouthed down her neck. “That’s a good question. Why don’t you fix that, hm? Undress me.”Her nimble fingers immediately plucked her peasant blouse over her head. Underneath, Darcy was wearing the blue bra that matched her eyes and something like possessiveness filled her belly. She had picked that color and made it a reality, and now Darcy wore it just for her. It was only reluctantly that she remembered to fold the shirt and set it down neatly, but it was worth it.“Good girl,” Darcy murmured indulgently; she’d been about to drop it to the floor, eyes locked on her chest and the bra she’d magically dyed a few weeks back. “Keep going.”Norns, all she wanted to do was bury her face between her breasts or her legs (she wasn’t feeling particularly choosy right now), and her own cunt throbbed with need. She could well imagine those sweet little fingers pumping in and out of her quim, making her writhe and moan and… Exhaling, she tried her best to calm her thoughts. Soon. Darcy would touch her soon but first she had a task to complete.As she reached for the button of her jean shorts, Darcy tsk’ed lightly. “On your knees, honey.”She swallowed hard; the idea of arguing briefly crossed her mind but she sank to her knees in the end.“Mm, you look so good like this,” she said, biting her lip as she looked down at Loki. Her vibrant green eyes stared back up, her cheeks pink with compliments (and arousal, she bet). “I love it when you get on your knees for me. It gives me such a thrill, sweetheart.”Loki felt a thrill too, obeying her orders, prostrating herself… She slid the button through its hole and carefully tugged the zipper down, catching a glimpse of the matching panties. Her mouth watered and she curled her long fingers into the waistband, pulling them down. If Darcy was different, if she was just another conquest, she’d take down her panties too and thrust her tongue between her legs, taste her sweet musk, suck on her clit until she cried above her.But she wasn’t a conquest at all. She was her lady, and Loki helped steady her as she stepped out of the shorts, then folded them neatly on her lap.“Thank you.” She brushed her knuckles lightly across her cheek and she swayed into the motion, already starving for her touch. Well, she’d have plenty of it in just a sec. “Put them with the rest of our clothes and then bring me your butt plug and lube.”Nodding eagerly, she did as she was told while Darcy settled herself on the divan, leaning back against the tall arm and stretching her legs out. Draw me like one of your French girls, she thought to herself, smothering a giggle. If only she had Jack Dawson’s drawing skills, she’d definitely draw Loki’s backside, bent over as she was collecting the requisite items. It was a thing of beauty and she told her so. “God, I love your ass. I just want to sink my teeth in that thing.” Oooh, leaving a bite mark on one of those cheeks would be so fucking hot. Shit, it was a good thing she healed so fast; she’d be obsessed otherwise.Loki turned sharply, coming up short when she saw her laid out so temptingly. She stared for a second before giving her head a little shake, smiling. “I’d like that, my lady, but I’d rather you sunk your fingers in it first.”Darcy raised her eyebrows, whistling. “My, my… So bold tonight, honey. I like it. Come here.”She crooked her finger and Loki trotted over, willing away her blush over her comment…and her dratted eagerness. Yes, Darcy liked it but she wasn’t used to being so obvious. Handing over the items (she took them and tucked them between the back of the divan and herself), she asked: “How er - how would you like me?”Darcy arched her back provocatively, enjoying the way her tongue peeked out to wet her burgundy lips, then she patted her lap. “Right here, sweetie. I thought we could make out while I prep you. How’s that sound?”A noise escaped her, one she couldn’t classify even afterward, but it was definitely full of longing.“That good, huh?” she asked teasingly, mouth curled up slyly. “C’mon.”Swallowing, Loki swung one leg up and over, settling her knees on either side of her hips. Leaning back against the arm, with her hair spread in waves around her face and over her shoulders, her blue eyes locked on her and her mouth luscious, she was beauty incarnate and she bent to kiss her. Darcy promptly pulled her closer, sliding her hands over her shoulders and down her back to her ass. She made a happy little noise at the touch, pushing into her hands, and she grinned; Loki was such an ass person, which suited her perfectly.“Let me know if anything hurts, honey,” she whispered, stroking her behind lightly. “Especially your back, okay? ‘Cause we can always change position.”She nodded, kissing the corner of her plush mouth. “I will.”“Good girl. And you’ll tell me if your color changes?”She huffed, annoyed. “I will, Darcy. Now touch me.” Darcy arched an eyebrow and she tacked on: “Please.”“Un-huh, your manners are slacking there, missy. You better watch it,” she warned. Not that she really thought the threat of punishment would deter her, brat that she was. “Cleaning spell please.”“Done. Please, my lady.” She pouted a little, curling her arms about her neck. “Please touch me.”It was such an over the top plea (complete with batting her lashes) that Darcy should laugh but uh, nope. It was totally working for her, damn it. But why should she turn her down? She was gorgeous and naked in her lap and practically begging to be touched. People would kill to be in her position, and it stroked her ego knowing it. She was the one who got to see Loki like this, who got to fuck and Dom her once a week, not anybody else.Catching her chin, Darcy slotted their mouths together, licking between her lips. She sighed (finally!), opening for her, curling her fingers in her hair. Her soft hands dragged over her sides and back to her hips and thighs before sliding to her ass. Shamelessly, she pushed back into her hands and Darcy’s mouth stretched into a grin against hers. “So impatient,” she clucked, picking up the bottle of lube and popping the cap. Loki shivered in her arms, diving back in to kiss her with an edge of desperation. “Please Darcy. I’ve been dreaming of your fingers in me all week.”“Fuck.” She couldn’t just say those things, holy shit! Her pussy clenched, wanting to put that filthy mouth to other uses. Maybe later… Digging her fingers into one pert asscheek, she pulled it away from the other side and poured a generous amount of lube down her crack. Loki’s breath caught at the cold sensation as it slid down to her hole, her heart racing with anticipation as Darcy’s fingers stroked down with it. There was no time to worry if she’d tease like last time; she immediately started rubbing circles against her hole, getting her warmed up. A whine escaped her and she pulled away, biting her lip as her hips started to rock.“Does that feel good, honey?” Darcy asked, amusement curling around the words. “Do you want more?”She nodded quickly, answering both questions: “Yes. Yes, please, my lady. More.”“Mm, such a needy girl tonight,” she commented lightly, pushing her fingertip in and making her moan. She clenched spastically around the small intrusion, trying to pull in more, and she chuckled, giving it to her. “But so good for me, telling me what you want and using your manners. You’re such a good girl, Loki.”It was her turn to swear, face flaming and heat pooling low in her belly. Norns, she could feel slick on her thighs and they’d barely begun, and who knew when she’d get relief? By now, Darcy had worked the full length of her finger up her ass and was thrusting maddingly slowly. Oh, how she wanted Darcy to touch her quim too; she should ask… Curling her spine, she dipped to kiss her neck, hunting out that spot that made her shudder. “Darcy…”“Yeah?” She tilted her head, enjoying the way she nibbled across her throat. “Are you ready for another finger, sweetie?”“Fuck, yes,” she hissed, forgetting her own question for a moment.Pouring out more lube, Darcy pressed two fingers against her hungry hole, earning a throaty moan. She took them both pretty easily, reminding her that she’d been “practicing” all week, and if it was possible for her to cream from a thought alone, she would’ve right then and there. “God, you’re so hot, Loki. You’re making me so wet. Are you wet too?”“Yes. Norns, Darcy, come on. I can take it. Truly,” she promised, rocking back to take those two perfect fingers deeper. “Please. Will you - unh. Touch my cunt, my lady.”That ‘request’ veered into a demand but she had said please. Sort of. Whatever.Darcy gripped the back of her neck, drawing her in for a searing kiss that left them both panting. “You want me to touch that pretty pussy of yours, huh? Need me to play with both your holes?”Loki actually whimpered despite her best efforts to hide it; Darcy’s filthy mouth always made arousal surge in her blood and she painted such erotic pictures. “Fuck, yes, please. Norns!”The angle was going to be awkward and she wasn’t even close to ambidextrous but it would take more than that for Darcy to turn her down, especially when she made such pretty little noises for her. Concentrating, she slipped her free hand between them and traced two fingers over her slit.“Oh faen!” Loki shuddered, helpless to stop the gasping, needy noise that escaped her. It felt incredible, having her fingers in her ass and touching her quim. And Darcy wasn’t using a useless featherlight touch either; her fingers were firm and confident as they stroked along her labia.“God, you’re dripping, sweetheart,” she marveled, working her fingers between her labia to the hot center of her. “Does this feel good?”With her eyes clenched shut, she nodded a touch frantically. “Mmhm.”“Nu-uh, use real words, missy. Hums don’t count. Does it feel good? Yes or no.”She pulled her fingers up, finding her clit and rubbing it between them.“Yes! Feels so good, Darcy, faen! Just - unh - just like that.”“That’s a good girl,” she praised, grinning smugly. Loki was falling apart in record time thanks to her and that was always such an ego boost. “Are you ready for three fingers, honey?”“Yes,” she groaned, mind lighting up and body on fire.“Gonna have to add more lube. Hang on a sec.”Loki bit her lip hard to keep from whining when she pulled her hand away from her cunt. Needs must, she reminded herself firmly, but she couldn’t help feeling it wasn’t fair that Darcy couldn’t do it all: touch her clit and ass and pour the lube all at once. Absurd, but true nonetheless. To quiet herself, she leaned into Darcy, tucking her face against her neck to kiss and lick. Her pleasurable sigh ruffled her hair and she grinned against her throat, nipping gently.Quickly but carefully, Darcy withdrew all but the tips of her fingers and poured out more lube over them, working the liquid into her eager hole. She wished she was in a position to see it but having Loki pressed against her in her lap, dragging her lips all over her neck was worth it. Between them, her big hands pushed up her breasts, fondling them through her bra.“God, I love when you play with my tits. Now relax for me, sweetie.” She felt Loki inhale, her body going forcibly lax, and she eased three fingers into her hole, going slow.The stretch, the fullness… It felt utterly divine and she rocked her hips helplessly, wanting more, faster, deeper… All of it. Even better, Darcy let her, trusting her to know her own limits, until she’d taken those perfect fingers to the third knuckle, and Norns, it felt mindblowing. Desperate for more, she gasped and leaned back, bracing her hands on Darcy’s knees, fucking herself harder on her fingers. She didn’t have a prostate in this form but that scarcely seemed to matter with how good it felt, pleasure shooting up her nerves and lighting up her brain.“Darcy… Darcy, please,” she mewled, hardly knowing what she was saying please for. For it to not end, for the pleasure to keep sparking over her senses, for more sensation… Anything and everything because she was a greedy, wanton creature when it came to Darcy.“Fuck, you’re gorgeous like this, Loki, taking my fingers so well.” She was awestruck, watching her. Her pale skin was beaded in sweat, her chest heaving and arms straining as she bounced in her lap. Her lipstick was smudged and she reached out, smearing it more. “I’m impressed, honey. Look at you go. Can you come like this or should I play with your pussy too?”She whimpered. “T-touch my cunt.”She thought about making her say ‘please’ but that felt almost cruel when she was already so wound up. Deciding to be benevolent, she slid her thumb down over her clit and between her labia, gathering up her slick. “Look at me, honey,” she ordered softly, sweeping her thumb up and down over her clit. “Let me see those pretty eyes.”She made an almost wounded sound, wrenching her eyes open to look at Darcy. The vibrant green of her iris was almost lost to her pupils, blown wide with desire. She kept them locked on her like she’d been asked, even as she kept bouncing on her fingers.“Good girl. Let me see you fall apart.” Her eyes nearly fluttered shut but she managed to keep them open, focusing on Darcy’s blue eyes, so smug and aroused and affectionate. Her stomach swooped unaccountably, heart thudding hard against her breast bone, but it was just from exertion she told herself.“Rub me h-harder,” she managed to pant. “Can I - oh - Let me come, my lady.”It was cute (and a little annoying) how she started to ask questions only to change direction and make them demands. Must be the prince in her, used to giving orders and having them obeyed. Freakin’ monarchy. “Hmm, I can, sure. But do you want to come with my fingers up that sexy ass of yours or do you want the plug in first?”“Fuck.” Why did Darcy insist on giving her choices? She wasn’t in a state of mind to decide such things. She didn’t want to stop for the time it would take to put the plug in but the plug vibrated and then Darcy’s fingers would be free to touch her cunt properly and not just the not-enough petting of her clit. It felt good, but she knew it could be better.“The um, the plug,” she decided at last, reluctantly coming to a stop.“Okay. Come here, honey.” She gestured for her to lean in against her. “I’m gonna have to take my fingers out for a sec. Ready?”Loki nodded, nuzzling under her ear. “Yes, my lady.”Slowly, she withdrew her fingers and she whined quietly at the loss. “Shh, shh. It’s only for a second, sweetheart. Can you clean my hand please?”“Yes.”“Thank you.”Her seidr tingled over her skin and she picked up the plug quickly. It was warm from being pressed against her thigh and she squirted lube over it, making sure it was well coated. She poured more over her hole too.“Alright, breathe in and relax.” She did, as best as she was able considering how aroused she was. The lube was cold against her fevered skin but the press of the plug against her hole was divine, pushing in inexorably. The bulbous end stretched her deliciously and she moaned shamelessly, hips twitching, as Darcy inserted it fully, settling the t-bar neatly against her crack. “There, that’s better, isn’t it?” she asked sweetly, patting a hand over her ass before giving it a good squeeze.“I don’t know; your fingers were very enjoyable,” she murmured honestly, kissing her cheek, intending to take her mouth next.“So was watching you on them.” She’d definitely be revisiting that memory in her own bed later. She picked up the remote. “You did good with the first setting last time. Do you wanna up it? I bet you could handle the third one even, if you’re up for it.”Loki suppressed a shiver. She’d been able to handle the first setting, yes, but that had been after two very intense orgasms, when she’d already been almost entirely wrung out. But Darcy’s faith made her want to try… And who knew? Perhaps in this form, it wouldn’t overwhelm her.“I’m willing to try.” She hesitated for a second but Darcy would want her to speak up, she knew. “Could we…start with the first setting and work up?”“Of course, honey.” She held the remote up between them. “Do you want to control it?”She shook her head shortly, feeling shy. “No, my lady. I trust you.”Smiling, she kissed her, cupping the back of her neck. She was such a sweetheart, really. She pressed the first button and Loki gasped, a soft ‘oh’ falling from her lips.“What’s your color, Loki?”Norns, it felt amazing, but it wasn’t as staggering as it had been with a prostate (a fact that she was both thankful for and disappointed by). “Green.”“Tell me your color for every setting, okay? We can always drop down,” she promised. She was sure Loki could handle it but she didn’t want her to struggle to do so either.“I will.” She couldn’t imagine her answer deviating but stranger things had happened. “Keep going.”She pressed the button again and Loki bit the inside of her lip, grunting. She clenched around the buzzing, her hips rocking instinctually, seeking release.“Oh, green. Play with my quim, Darcy, please. I want…” God, she wouldn’t mind playing with her own ‘quim’. Loki was scorching hot, with her sweat-mussed hair and stockings, her thigh muscles flexing with every roll of her hips. She snaked a hand between Loki's legs, getting them wet with her slick, and she trembled at the touch.“What do you want, sweetie?” she asked hotly, kissing under her jaw as she rubbed her clit between two fingers. “Do you want my fingers pumping in your pussy? Or does your clit need all the attention?”She dropped her head back, giving Darcy better access to her neck while she undulated. Desperation and pleasure were coiling low in her belly, the promise of an orgasm building as long as her lady didn’t stop. She heard the click of the remote button and the vibration shot up another factor.“Fuck! Yessss, it feels so good!” The vibrations traveled through the thin wall separating her ass and vagina and Norns, she wanted something long and hard inside her, amping up the pleasure. She suddenly imagined Darcy fucking her with a cock of her own, either her strap-on or possibly a seidr-construct, and oh…!“Does that mean you’re at green, Loki?”Darcy’s voice was sharp and expectant and she nodded frantically. “Yes! Green. Very green.”“Mm, and my other questions? Are you going to answer them or should I turn off the plug?”Shit, what had she asked again? She tried to remember but it was hard when she felt so incandescent. Darcy’s fingers started to withdraw and that was it! “I ah, want your fingers in me, please. And my clit does need attention, my lady. I’m getting so close.”She swirled a finger around her entrance, working her thumb up and down her swollen clit. She wasn’t sure what Loki was used to with this…configuration? These genitals? (Nuance can wait, Darce!) so she went slow, easing one finger into her wet heat.She clenched around her and the plug both and Norns…! How did Darcy always manage to bring her to new heights? Had she ever felt such pleasure with any other lover? She must have, in one form or another, but she couldn’t recall, not with the way her mind was falling to pieces, flooded with sensations.Desperately, she clutched at her shoulders, curling around her to kiss her messily, with tongue and saliva and accidental teeth. She was too enthusiastic by far (too much period), she knew, but Darcy didn’t seem to mind. Her smile felt indulgent where it curled against her own, and as her finger thrust in and out of her cunt, her thumb pressing so perfectly against her clit, she grabbed her chin with her free hand, directing her. Loki gave in immediately, following the silent order to tilt her head more this way, to slow down a little, let her take care of her. “Such a greedy girl, aren’t you?” she murmured between kisses, swirling her thumb in circles just to see how she’d react; she bucked into her hand and Darcy kept at it. “You want it all, don’t you? Something for your pussy and your ass, and something to occupy that gorgeous mouth of yours too. It’s okay. You deserve it all, honey. Do you want another finger for that pussy?”“Hnng, yes,” she whimpered, barely able to care how pitiful she sounded. “Please, Darcy. More.”She worked a second finger into her as deep as she could, crooking them forward and making her breath stutter. “Oh, is that the sweet spot? Right there?”“Faen, Darcy, det føles så godt! Ja!” she nodded desperately, eyes squeezing closed, chasing her pleasure.She bit her lip, grinning. She loved making Loki fall back on her first language, but unfortunately, she didn’t understand Space Viking and she liked her communication crystal clear in the bedroom.“I’m sorry, honey, can you answer me in English? Yes or no?”“Yes! Yesyesyes,” she chanted, trembling, on the cusp. “Norns, can I come? Ver så snill!”She was going to take that last phrase for a ‘please’ of some kind, and she kissed the edge of her jaw. "Come for me, Loki.”She did something clever with her fingers and thumb and Loki came with a loud cry, her entire body tensing and shaking, spine pulled taut like a bow. Bliss washed over her senses and she collapsed in Darcy’s lap, panting.“Beautiful…” she praised softly, cupping her cheek and running her thumb over it. She leaned into her hand. “Come here, sweetheart.”She gently withdrew her hand from between her legs and switched off the vibrator (for now), drawing Loki into her arms. She went willingly, tucking her face against her neck with a sigh. Reaching over the back of the divan, Darcy tugged a blanket off the bed and draped it over them both, smirking at the pleased sound Loki made. “Did you enjoy that?” she asked, stroking her back lightly. “I liked watching you.”Loki felt her cheeks heat up. “I did. It felt incredible. You…liked watching me?”“Yup.” She bent forward enough to kiss the top of her shoulder. “I like watching my subs get off, doing whatever they need to to come and then having to stop and ask me if they can. It’s hot as fuck. You’re hot as fuck. I loved watching you fuck yourself on my fingers.”Loki was grateful her face was hidden, even though Darcy must be able to feel the heat of her blush against her neck. She’d been quite brazen, hadn’t she? “It… It felt good,” she forced herself to admit. “Having you watch me, I mean. I felt…”
Desirable. Erotic. Wanted.
“Sexy?” she offered when the sentence went nowhere.“Yes, I suppose so,” she agreed with some amusement, and then sat up, alarmed. “Oh but you -! I didn’t do anything for you! You didn’t come; I never even touched you -!”She put a finger to her mouth to quiet her, smiling lopsidedly. “We’ll get there, honey, don’t you worry. Wasn’t it you who made a joke about keeping score?”“...I did.” A giddy feeling spiked her heart, knowing Darcy remembered her words from… Norns, from over a month ago now. Cupping her jaw, she pressed her lips softly to hers. “If you need anything, my lady, simply tell me and I’ll be happy to oblige.”“I’ll let you know, promise. Now, do you need anything before we tie you up? More cuddles maybe? Or a drink?”Loki could easily spend the rest of the evening in her arms if given the chance, but there was a rope with her name on it (so to speak) and excitement fluttered in her stomach. “I’m alright, Darcy. Shall I get you the rope?”“That’d be great. Sit in front of the mirror for me, ‘kay?”“Yes, my lady.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Loki was impossibly beautiful like this, spread out on the bed and tied to the headboard, golden rope cuffed around her delicate wrists and criss-crossed in a star pattern over her chest. The star harness was a little more complicated than the shinju, just like she’d asked, but Darcy had chosen it from all the options because it felt amusingly thematic. (She worked for an astrophysicist and Loki was literally from outer space, c’mon. The star harness was perfect!) It suited Loki too, accentuating her pale skin and small breasts, making her look like an entire goddamn meal.Darcy couldn’t wait to eat her all up.But first: “How’re you doing, honey? You okay?”They weren’t using a blindfold tonight (not ever again), but she still worried. Reasonably, she thought, even though Loki’s eyeroll suggested she disagreed.“I’m perfectly well, Darcy. Truly. My color is green.” She wriggled a little on the bed, loving the way every bit of rope scraped gently against her skin with the movement. She was here, in this moment, and her…triggers felt laughably distant right now. But perhaps they weren’t for her lady. “And you? What’s your color?”It was unusual for a sub to ask her color since they were supposed to wholeheartedly trust that she knew what she was about, but it was sweet that Loki asked. She brushed her fingers over her forehead, pleased with the way she sighed into the innocent touch. “It’s green, sweetheart. Just like your gorgeous eyes,” she couldn’t resist adding on, grinning at the blush that warmed her cheeks. “Are you ready to turn the butt plug back on? Or do you wanna leave it?”“On,” she decided firmly, eagerly awaiting the buzz in her ass. “Setting three, please.”Amused, Darcy tapped the corresponding button, watching as Loki’s body tensed and shuddered, her eyes fluttering shut as a tooth sank into her bottom lip. “I knew you could take it. Does it feel good?”“Yes,” she agreed huskily, pressing her hips down into the mattress, making that buzz a little more intense. “What fabric will you start with?”Tucking the remote into her bra, she laid out the options on the bed beside her, making a show of debating. “Do you have a preference, honey? You can pick what I start with or the one I end with. It’s up to you.”There were silk gloves, a wide ribbon of lace, a thick strip of velvet, and the leather gloves she’d made for her. Any of them would feel delectable against her bare skin and she knew Darcy would be teasing about it too, driving her absolutely mad with want. She couldn’t wait.“...I’d like your bare skin last.” Her hands were always so soft and warm and gentle, and she could almost feel them skimming over her body already.She twitched an eyebrow up; that wasn’t technically an option, but she wasn’t opposed either. “Bare skin last then,” she agreed and picked up the opera gloves, taking her time putting them on.Loki watched with bated breath, impatient and anticipatory as she made a show of straightening the arms of the gloves, making sure each finger was fitted perfectly. Unable to take it any longer, she growled: “I’m losing interest.”“Oh, I doubt that,” she chuckled, but finished picking at the glove. Climbing up onto the bed beside her, she traced a single finger over the inside of her arm, watching goosebumps spread over her skin. “Is this what you wanted, missy? Me touching you?”She twitched away, mouth twisting. “It’s ticklish.”She moved her finger to her collarbones, following the rope down to the vertex over her heart. “Better?”Loki nodded, arching her chest up. “Yes. Touch me, please.”“Good girl, asking for what you want,” she purred, dragging her finger alongside the star outline. “With manners too! Should I reward you? Or do you wanna wait?”She groaned. Always with the choices! Instant gratification or delayed? “I hate choosing,” she muttered, making her laugh. “I’ll…wait. I guess.”“I’ll make it worthwhile, sweetheart,” she promised, kissing her until she moaned, pulling at her bindings. The headboard didn’t budge. Her fingers followed the ropes to her breasts, climbing the soft slope up to thumb over her nipple. “You’ve got such cute boobs. They’re the perfect size for you.” She rolled the little nub between her fingers thoughtfully. “Did you decide on that or is it…er, natural?”She winced, biting her tongue. How was that any of her business? Ugh, stick to dirty talk, Darcy!“It’s my natural configuration. I spent most of my adolescence as a male so that form ended up better endowed, if you will, than this one,” she explained. Hormones were a tricky thing for shapeshifters, she’d learned. “Huh. You learn something new everyday.”“I can change them if you’d like,” she offered uncertainly. “Perhaps you’d prefer them large-”Darcy caught her chin, staring at her sharply. “Don’t you dare. Not unless you want to. I like you however you want to be, Loki. I wouldn’t expect a human partner to change their body for me, I’m not gonna expect you to. Is that clear?”Oh. Loki was torn between melting into the mattress and surging up to clutch Darcy to her, to make her understand how much that meant, how much she lov - cared for her.“Perfectly clear,” she acquiesced, smiling softly. “Thank you, my lady.”That ‘thank you’ stabbed her in the heart; she was just exhibiting basic decency as far as she was concerned but clearly, Loki thought otherwise, and that hurt. Had anyone on Asgard accepted her as she was? She had to shove the thought away before her anger got the best of her.Instead, she cupped her cheek, sweeping her thumb over it. “You can always be yourself with me, honey. No matter what.”Pressing into her hand, she sighed contentedly, her heart all a-flutter. “I’m beginning to see that. Is that all the touching you plan to do?”“Brat.” In retaliation, she brushed her fingers over her ribs lightly, making her squirm and scowl, before she drew them over her flat stomach and down to her hips. They canted up to her automatically, making her smirk. “You don’t want me to touch you there already, do you? I thought you wanted to wait for your reward…”Swallowing down curses, she made herself relax, trying to ignore the vibrations in her ass and the needy feeling in her cunt. “My patience is boundless, I assure you.”She snorted, the minx, teasing one hand above her stocking cuff. “Yeah, sure. ‘Boundless’. You’re hilarious.”So it was a gross exaggeration. That didn’t mean Darcy had to mock her for it. But anything she could say in retort was quickly forgotten as her hand slipped between her legs, making her gasp. But she didn’t touch where she was hoping for, only stroked the inside of her thigh slowly. The silk was deliciously cool in contrast to the heat of her skin.Pulling fruitlessly at her ties, she sighed: “Darcy…” She slipped her fingers under the cuff, and her legs shifted further apart, inviting her touch. “God, your legs look so good in stockings. I’d like to take them off with my teeth some time. Especially the kind you wore last time; with the ribbon ties? Rawr.”Her seidr almost rose to the occasion before she caught it, remembering the dratted rule against using it. She could anyway but she didn’t fancy Darcy’s disappointed face when they were done nor did she feel like risking a punishment tonight. (But on another Sunday…)“‘Rawr’? Really?”“What? Is Asgard too good for animalistic sex?” If so, that’d be a real shame. All those warriors and not a single ripped bodice? They were missing out.“I didn’t say that,” she refuted, thinking of just how animalistic she could be. If Darcy wanted her clothes ripped off and to be ravished within an inch of her life, she would eagerly deliver. “But I can assure you no one has ever said ‘rawr’ to me in the bedroom before.”“Hey, I’ve gotta keep it fresh for you somehow,” she laughed, spiraling a finger outward from her navel. “You’ve been doing this a long time and I wouldn’t want to bore you, Your Highness.”“You could never,” she insisted, eyes crinkling up beautifully with her smile. “The day you bore me will surely be the day the universe ends.”She’d only been teasing (...mostly) but Loki said it so earnestly that she felt her face burn and, yup, she definitely needed to up her game because no sub of hers should be coherent enough to make her blush mid-session.“Spread your legs for me,” she ordered in her Dom voice as payback. Pink immediately flushed Loki’s high cheekbones and the tips of her ears. “You’re rewarding me already?” Her voice warbled mortifyingly even as she eagerly obeyed.“Nope. Better position,” she half-explained, climbing into the newly opened space between her thighs. Her hands curled around her ribs, making her breath catch. “Much better. I love having you laid out like this under me. You look so good, sweetheart.”Did she? She tried to imagine how she looked in Darcy’s eyes: all long white limbs, naked and bound, waiting to be touched. She didn’t see the appeal; she was too pale, too thin, too needy… But Darcy saw something pleasing in her; she must or why would she continue their sessions?Leaning over her, she slowly pushed her hands up her delicate ribs, over the bumps of the harness, til she could frame her breasts. She tweaked a nipple thoughtfully, watching the line of her throat as she swallowed. “Are your tits sensitive? Should I pay special attention to them? Or will that not do anything for you?”She’d met a Dom once who said having her chest played with was like having someone play with her elbows; she couldn’t relate but she tried to keep an open mind. She hadn’t noticed Loki responding all that much when she’d paid attention to his chest in other sessions so there was no reason to assume she would tonight.Loki sucked on her bottom lip, shifting a little. “It um, it feels good.”“Yeah?” She ghosted her fingers over the swell of one breast.“O-oh…” The simple utterance stuttered past her lips. The faint sensation of silk shot straight to her cunt. “Yes. Please, my lady… They may not be as responsive as yours, but it feels…quite good.”“You’re adorable,” she declared laughingly, bending down to kiss her. Seriously: ‘quite good’? She was ridiculous.Her objection turned into a moan in her throat as Darcy pressed her body against her. Norns, she felt good, all her lush curves warm and heavy against her. One gloved hand kneaded her breast while she licked into her mouth, stealing the breath from her. She chased after her tongue, pushing into her hand, begging wordlessly for more. Arousal licked at her insides, burning hotter and higher, until she felt almost dizzy with it. Darcy’s thigh nudged against her quim and she rocked against it eagerly, a whine building in her chest. “Such a naughty girl,” she murmured indulgently as she mouthed down her neck, nipping at her throat. “Grinding against my leg… Did I say you could?”Her hips stilled and she blinked, a tiny bubble of panic floating to the top of her chest: Darcy hadn’t given her permission to use her body thus. But just as quickly as it came, it passed.“...You never said I couldn’t,” she argued comfortably, humming as Darcy sucked on her pulse. “In fact -” She resumed working her cunt against her thigh. “- I could argue that you want me to, since you put it there. You could always, ah, move.”“Oh, can I?” Pushing her thigh flush up against her made Loki gasp and grind down harder, and she licked up to her ear. “I guess I will then.”As primly as she could, she sat up, shuffling back and sitting on her heels, out of Loki’s reach. She groaned miserably, trying to arch down, but it wasn’t happening unless she scooched down the mattress and stretched her arms above her head. There was no rule stopping her but it would be uncomfortable for her and they both knew it.Huffing, she collapsed flat against the bed, glowering down at her. “You’re cruel.”“Cruel would’ve been letting you get close and then pulling away.”Quickly, she plucked her gloves off and tossed them over her shoulder, grabbing up the lace strip. Loki watched intently as she dangled it over her belly, muscles quivering as she waited for the fabric to make contact. She wriggled it back and forth in the air, taunting, before she finally lowered the end to her stomach, drawing it feather-light from her sternum to her navel.Exhaling shakily, she tried to control her reaction: she wanted to squirm away, to buck up, to vanish the ropes and pin Darcy to the bed as she took her apart inch by inch. More than that, she wanted to stay exactly where she was and allow her lady to do as she pleased.She watched the lace flutter up between her breasts and down again, then up once more before Darcy lifted it up and flicked it over the tip of her nose.“Hey!” she spluttered, laughing and turning her head back and forth.“You have a great laugh, y’know. And you look so pretty when you do.” She outlined that smile with a finger. Smudged lipstick aside, Loki looked like a different person when she smiled like this, so bright and happy. “You should do it more often.”It sounded so easy…felt so easy looking into her eyes. “Perhaps I’ll craft a stand-up routine then.”It was Darcy’s turn to laugh; she lit up when she did, utterly entrancing. “Oh man, you’d literally eviscerate hecklers, please don’t!”She could just imagine the blood bath.Loki pretended to muse, “No, no, I can see it now: two warriors walk into a pub -”Darcy cut off her no doubt atrocious joke with a kiss, both of them still laughing when their lips parted. God, she really was beautiful happy, with her mouth hitched up and her eyes crinkled, and she felt her stomach flip. She kissed her again, the mood shifting and heat building between them as she licked against her lips, their little game forgotten.Her thoughts were a blistering haze as Darcy pressed her body against hers, her hands reaching up to tangle in her hair. Her own fingers itched to do the same and she gave a wonderfully fruitless tug on her bonds, rope digging into her wrists, making her cunt clench. She wanted to touch her lady more, to feel all of her, to have her as caught up in her arms as she was in Darcy’s. All she could do was wind her long legs around her hips and arch into her.“I think it’s time for that reward now,” she decided, nipping at her bottom lip. “Tell me how you like your pussy eaten, pretty girl.”Without meaning to, Loki gave a shocked kind of moan, lifting her hips needily. Darcy’s dirty talk always took her by surprise, leaving her dripping and desperate. “I…” She licked her lips quickly, tilting her head back as Darcy kissed along her neck again. “I don’t know.”Her head popped up, frowning. “What do you mean? Hasn’t anyone eaten you out before?”“None with any skill or interest in learning.” Apparently, she’d been meant to be impressed they had bothered at all, and expecting to get off (or even aroused from their cursory attempts) was too much to ask for. “Although to be fair, I never attempted to seduce a woman in this form. I imagine I would’ve had better luck if I had.”Darcy bit her collarbone angrily (not hard though, never hard. Loki didn’t deserve her anger after all). But she hadn’t heard a single decent thing about any of her past lovers and it was starting to seriously piss her off. Were they all useless jerkoffs?“For fuck sakes,” she growled to herself, glaring at the tiny indents she’d made blindly. “Well, we’re fixing that right now. I need you to speak up for me, honey. You gotta tell me what feels good and what’s not working for you, okay? I want you to come all messy on my face. Okay?”She startled a bit at the prompt, lost in the words that came before and the press of teeth that had felt far too good. “...Er. Okay. I mean, alright, yes, I can do that! I…I liked when you bit me. Could you - could you do it again?”She lifted an eyebrow, tilting her head. She was all pink with nervous hope and arousal, and Darcy wanted to keep her looking like that for the rest of her life.“You’ll tell me if it hurts or I bite too hard?”She nodded rapidly. “Yes, my lady.”“Good girl,” she murmured, lowering her mouth to the jut of her collarbone again.She felt very vampire-lite biting around the curve but Loki clearly liked it, whimpering and tilting up against her mouth.“Har - harder, please,” she tried, hoping. Something about the little points of pain and the heat of her breath… “Fuck, Darcy.”She obliged, pleased she’d asked, before laving her tongue over the marks and working her way down, nipping here and there. She left delicate bites around her areola, kisses on the scant skin of her ribs, something a little harder at the dip of her navel. Arriving at her hips, she pressed her thumbs into the dips and looked up the length of her. She was a panting, quivering mess, little blooms of red dotting her pale skin where her teeth had been. Her eyes were dark and glazed and locked on her, and she smiled kindly.“What’s your color, Loki?”“Green,” she whined, shifting under her hands. “Norns, it’s…you’re so… Please touch me, Darcy. I’m so wet. Lick me please.”“Since you said ‘please’...” She teased her fingers lightly over the inside of her thighs and she spread them readily, nice and wide, putting herself on display. “Mm, yeah, let me see your pussy. I bet it’s just as pretty as the rest of you.”Settling on her belly, Darcy inspected this new part of her. White thighs and neat black curls framed the hot pink of her cunt. She really was wet as hell, the short half-ovals of her labia visibly damp where they delicately overlapped. Very gently, she peeled them apart, ignoring Loki’s jumping hips.“I was right: you’ve got such a pretty pussy, sweetheart,” she said, enjoying the way she squirmed at the compliment. Her hood had pulled back, brazenly revealing her plump little clit and Darcy stroked a finger feather-light over it, making Loki shout.“Oh Norns, please! Pleasepleaseplease, Darcy, I’ve been so good, haven’t I?”Geez, she really was wound up, but she wasn’t a cruel Dom. “You have been a very good girl. Remember: you’re gonna tell me what you like when I do it, right?”“Yes! Now, Norns…”Encouraging her stockinged legs over her shoulders, she settled in, licking lightly over her pussy, getting a taste for her. Much like her jizz, her slick was rich and salty, but there was something a little more delicate about it in this form that Darcy chalked up to the difference in viscosity. Sciencey classifications aside, it tasted just as good as going down on Loki always did, and she quickly went to town, twirling and flicking her tongue over every square inch of her.Loki was in Valhalla. There was simply no other explanation for the transcendent bliss she was feeling. She was tied to a bed, covered in bite marks, and had the head of a sex goddess enthusiastically buried between her legs. Obviously she’d died, but fucking Norns, was it worth it. Every moan and whine, every stuttered breath and desperate plea of ‘there!’ was rewarded immediately by Darcy’s tongue, as talented on her quim as it was her prick.Fuck, she was so close. “Darcy! Can I - unh - can I come?”She backed off only long enough to say “Yup” before she dived back in, sucking her fat clit between her lips and rubbing her curled tongue under it. Loki’s thighs clamped around her head, muffling the banshee wail she made as she came, squirting all down her chin and neck. Holy fuck. She’d meant it when she said she wanted Loki to “come messy” and she prided herself on making her subs squirt (some for the first time ever), but she must’ve forgotten how fucking hot it was, making a chick soak the sheets. She wanted to facefuck Loki like, immediately and return the compliment but she pinched her own ribs. Chill the fuck out, Lewis. Prying Loki’s thighs loose, she climbed free to check on her (and maybe catch her breath).She was struggling to do the same, her chest heaving and cheeks stained red. Her eyes were still closed and Darcy dragged a hand firmly up one trembling thigh.“Hey, sweetheart, you doing okay?” she wondered, shifting from horny to caring easily. Some subs got overwhelmed, coming that hard, and Loki had already proven herself a big cuddler.Norns Below… Was she ‘okay’? She snorted out a breath, and opened her eyes to take in how utterly debauched Darcy looked, mouth, chin and neck wet from her orgasm and her hair sticking to her skin where it had gotten drenched too.“Absolutely spectacular,” she decreed, still half-breathless and shaky. This wasn’t the first time she’d come so hard but normally, she was alone and it took longer and Norns… Darcy let her close her legs and draw her knees up, setting her feet flat on the bed. Her nose wrinkled; the wet bed. “Would you like me to dry everything, my lady?”Darcy hummed thoughtfully as she laid down alongside her, flicking her damp hair over her shoulder. “I don’t know, sweetheart…” She skimmed her fingers down Loki’s belly to her still throbbing cunt. “It’ll just get wet again when you come like that for me again, don’t you think?”Her legs parted nearly instinctively, before she’d even decided really, and her stomach clenched, giddy. She looked down her body at where Darcy’s fingers slowly slid down her slit before drawing up, not fucking her with intent yet…not until she answered her.Swallowing a desperate noise, she turned to look at Darcy; she was watching her back, a smug curl to her lips that somehow made her knees feel weak and her hips cant up against her fingers. “I - I suppose. Fuck, please, Darcy…”“Please what?”A finger barely glanced along her clit and she gasped, pulling at the ropes. “Hn, fuck me and make me come, please.”“God, I love it when you beg.” She caught her mouth in a kiss, pressing her tongue inside just as she pushed two fingers into her pussy with a delicious squelch. “You’re so wet, sweetie. You’re always gonna be this wet for me, aren’t you?”It was hard with her mind swimming in sensation but she managed to quip: “Only if you work for it, my lady.”For that, Darcy bit her bottom lip, pulling at it. “Brat. I wouldn’t have to work very hard though, would I?” She added a third finger and Loki mewled, spreading her legs even wider. Her hips were rocking of their own accord, her pleasure building again. “All I have to do is call you a good girl to get you dripping, don’t I?”She blushed wretchedly; it was true. Her lady barely had to do anything to get her blatantly aroused. Cock or cunt, it didn’t matter, Darcy just had to look at her a certain way, and blood would flow to her genitals and a slew of filthy images would overtake her. She’d become such a slave to her and her whims, always ready for her attention, however slight.“Answer the questions like a good girl,” Darcy purred evilly against her ear, grinding her palm against her clit.“N-no,” she managed, voice gone breathless. She was so close. “Oh faen, you - you wouldn’t have to do anything. I’m always soaking wet for you, my lady. Being called good just makes it worse. Oh, oh, can I come? Please, I’m so close, Darcy, please.”“Are you gonna squirt again for me, honey?”She squirmed, trying to hold back, and Darcy, damn her, made it easier by pulling her palm back so her clit had nothing to rub against. “I - damn it! Maybe? Does it matter? Please let me come!”“But I want you to squirt again, Loki. I wanna see just how hard you can come. I bet it’s real hard, isn’t it?” she whispered hotly, still thrusting her fingers in and out of her sweet, little pussy. “Oh, what if I suck on your fat clit again? Bet you’ll squirt then, won’t you?”Without giving her room to answer, Darcy slithered back between her legs and latched onto the glistening bud, keeping her fingers going. Above her, Loki writhed, words filling the air in a way that sounded suspiciously like a long list of swears.“Fucking fuck, let me come, please,” she all but sobbed. “I can’t - I’m going to - Please, Darcy!”She threw a thumbs-up in the air with her free hand and whether or not Loki actually saw it was irrelevant, because she came with a shout, body bowing up, and slick splattering on the sheets. God damn, I love doing that. Wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, she sat up to inspect the fruits of her labor: Loki was flushed and trembling, looking down at her with her pretty lips open in a perfect ‘o’. The ropes tying her to the headboard were pulled taut and Darcy leaned over her, pushing one elbow up so she’d take the hint.With a start, Loki moved her arms up the bed, letting the rope go slack, and rolled her shoulders. They didn’t hurt (nothing did at the moment; she was still utterly blissed out), but she’d been holding them tense, trying to stave off her orgasm.“That was perfect, sweetheart. I knew you could squirt again. How’re you doing?” she checked, massaging her thighs and hips.It took effort to keep her voice steady but she managed. “I’m well.”“Good. Now you can dry everything,” she said cheekily.Seidr washed over the bed, leaving them both toasty and dry, and Loki shifted and stretched her legs out on either side of Darcy. Her cunt still fluttered deliciously with aftershocks, and the plug in her ass was still going, the sensation edging into ‘too much’ and making her shift uncomfortably.“Ah, can we turn off the vibrator?”“Oh! Sure!” Darcy took the remote out of her bra, hitting the off button quickly. She’d forgotten about it to be honest. “Is that better?”It was but there was still something… With a surprise that quickly turned to frustration, Loki realized she was oversensitive. “Yes, but - Can I just remove it with seidr?”Hearing the bite in her voice, Darcy decided against insisting she remove it manually. “Go ahead, sweetie. Are you uncomfortable? Do you want to be untied too?”The suggestion gave her pause, her nose wrinkling as she removed (and sanitized) the plug. Breathing in deeply made the chest harness press into her skin, and she tugged lightly at her wrist cuffs.“Ugh, damn it, yes.” Her frustration grew; she didn’t want their session to be over! She hadn’t even touched Darcy yet for Yggdrasil’s sake! “It’s all…Too much, I don’t -”“Hey, shh, it’s okay, Loki. Vanish the ropes. Make yourself comfortable, honey.”She did in a burst of green, dismissing the ropes and her stockings and clothing herself in sleep pants and a tunic, and scowled mercilessly, arms crossed. Darcy was surprised to find herself still in lingerie and not her own tunic but she had bigger concerns.“Do you wanna cuddle or is that too much?” she asked neutrally.Still scowling, she nodded. “Cuddles please.”“Okay.” She made herself comfortable on the bed and held open her arms to the pouting goddess. “C’mere, sweetie. Do you want to be under the covers or nah?”“No,” she muttered, feeling childish even before she burrowed into Darcy’s arms, tucking her face under her chin. All that extra fabric and the chance of overheating… She did set a warming charm around them though. “I’m…sorry. I want to continue but I feel…”She made a frustrated noise, wishing she could simply ignore how she wanted to crawl out of her skin.But Darcy understood. “It’s okay, Loki, you don’t need to apologize. We can take a minute - or more,” she added quickly, not wanting her to think there was a time limit in place. “You’re just feeling overstimulated right now, right? Too much sensation all at once? And now you need a break.”That was it exactly and she pressed her nose into Darcy’s skin, inhaling her citrus and vanilla scent, nodding. Here was safe and quiet and she knew her lady wouldn’t force her out until she was ready.“Would turning off the lights help?”Loki didn’t answer but the room went dark before a dozen balls of blue and purple light faded into existence, undulating like waves. They were as beautiful and soothing as they were unexpected.“They’re gorgeous, Loki,” she whispered into her hair, before she pawed at her thigh then down to her knee. She chuckled, taking the hint: “Okay, okay. I didn’t know if you’d want me all over you considering…”She threw her leg over hers and tightened her arm behind her back, and Loki hummed contently, brushing her lips against her chest. Perfect, she thought, finally feeling some measure of belonging in her skin with Darcy wrapped around her. They laid like that for a few minutes, with her focusing on all the places they touched and Darcy’s hand slowly passing back and forth over her shoulders.“Can I tell you how much of a good girl you’ve been tonight?”The question was enough to make her pull out of her hiding space, shifting enough that they were face to face on the pillows. Above them, some of the lights changed to green and gold, an equal mix of their favorite colors.“Was I good?” she wondered quietly. Darcy had certainly called her such several times but the doubt was the easiest way to admit she wanted to hear it again.“Mmhm, sure were,” she assured brightly, sliding her hand down to squeeze her hip. “You’ve been so brave letting me see you as a woman. You followed all our rules; you even asked to use seidr a couple times! I’m very impressed!”Loki scoffed, but even under the colored lights, she could see the blush on her cheeks.“You squirted again, like I wanted. Which was hella hot, by the way, unf. And you know what? You were especially good tonight ‘cause you asked for what you wanted so many times I lost count. I’m so proud of you, honey.”Oh Norns. She was seized by the urge to bury her face in her hands but she managed to resist thanks to centuries of royal poise. But Darcy’s praise, her pride especially, was so overwhelming; she was certain her face was on fire.“It’s nothing,” she tried to deflect, rolling onto her back, but if she wanted to dissolve the emotional intimacy of their conversation, she was doomed to fail.Darcy rolled with her, propping herself up on her elbow to look down at her, and grabbed her face gently so their eyes met. “It’s not ‘nothing’, honey. I love that you asked for what you wanted, ‘cause it meant I could give it to you. You know that’s all I want: to give you what you want and make you feel good.”“...I know.” It felt like pulling teeth to admit but she managed without even a wince. She looked morosely at Darcy’s breasts. “I apologize for cutting our session short. I was looking forward to attending to you.”She snorted and laughed, falling back on the bed and shoving at her arm. “Your face! Dude, you look like you’re attending a funeral. ‘Here lies Darcy’s potential orgasms…’”“Well I believe one of your Midgardian languages does call it ‘a little death’ so in a way…”That only made her laugh harder (her goal of course) and she grinned too, glad to dispel some of the heaviness between them.Abruptly, her laughter cut off and she blinked. “Wait, do you speak French?”“Qui, bien sûr, et toi?” she said, for the simple joy of seeing Darcy’s eyes widen and her mouth drop open.“I have no idea what you just said but it’s hot as fuck.” It took more than a little willpower to corral her desire to pounce on Loki, but she wrestled herself into submission. “What other languages do you speak?”“Midgardian ones? Technically, all of them, but if you mean the ones I actually learned and don’t simply use AllSpeak for, perhaps a half dozen?” She counted them off on her fingers: “French, English, all the Scandinavian ones of course, German, Spanish, Russian…some Celtic, although I’m certain I’ve forgotten more of it than I remember.”“...Huh. I can speak Farsi, and some German but that’s it.” And some Weeaboo Japanese but that obviously didn’t count. “What about non-Earth ones?”“Oh, dozens,” she revealed airily, waving a hand in the air. “I am a Prince, and visiting dignitaries always appreciated conversation in their own language without the AllSpeak accent. Some of the more haughty ones considered the accent ‘common’.” Her rolling eyes showed how much she thought of that opinion.“Lame,” she agreed, making a face. “Wait, AllSpeak has an accent? Is that why you and Thor sound different?”“Mm, I imagine so. He’s always had a much harder time with languages. What do we sound like?” she wondered, turning to face her on the bed and summoning cider for them both. She’d never had a chance to ask anyone.“You’ve got more of a posh British accent, like all the hotties in Bond movies,” she explained, thinking of Timothy Dalton in his prime. Rawr. “Thor’s is more…Australian, I think?” (It was still pretty hot, especially when he got all formal and Shakespearean, but that was something she’d wisely keep to herself.)“Fascinating.” Her own made sense; she’d patterned her accent off people from that part of the realm, but she had no idea why Thor’s would sound so different and yet so similar. Regardless… “Cider?”“Thanks.” Sitting up, she took her cup and they clinked them together. It was seeing Loki’s smooth throat turned up as she drank that made Darcy ask: “Hey, can I…ask a question? About um, your body.”“You may." She had wondered if she’d ask afterwards. She doubted Darcy would ask something crass or invasive, not with how careful her initial inquiries had been.She bit her lip, thinking for a long moment about how best to phrase it, if she should even bother… It wasn’t really any of her business but she was curious and she didn’t want her silence to be mistaken for like, indifference.“How…do you change? Between um, being a man and a woman?”“Like this,” he answered bemusedly, the change signaled by the deepening of his voice first before Darcy noticed the physical changes, slight as they were with him clothed.Oh that should not be that hot… She actually glanced away real quickly to check if her panties had melted clean off, but nope. When she looked back, Loki had shifted again, hnng.Wrangling her hormones under control, she tried to clarify: “Oh-kay, but um, how do you do that? Is it like, a spell or something you’re just born able to do or…?”“Ah, you want to know the mechanics.” That wasn’t entirely what she’d been expecting from her first question, but she had no issue answering: “I was born a shapeshifter. It comes naturally to me; I can change my appearance at will and no seidr can dispel it. Anyone with some skill can change their appearance with glamors of course, but they’re not but illusion. Shapeshifters change their body at a much deeper level.”“Do you mean like…cellular or something?” Darcy scrunched her nose, trying to figure it out but not liking her own suggestion. That sounded like biological determinism, which, ew, gross.“I mean internal,” she explained, surprised at how…relaxed she felt speaking of this. She would’ve expected nerves, perhaps even to be defensive or reticent, but Darcy’s curiosity held no thread of judgment and it set her at ease. “When I present as a man, then I have the organs to match; a cock and balls, obviously, but also a prostate. But when I present as a woman, I have breasts and a cunt, and a uterus.”Darcy made a face. “A uterus? Why? I mean, if it’s just part of the package or you…want one, okay, but isn’t it just a pain in the ass? If I could opt out of having one, I would.”She laughed brightly, eyes crinkling with amusement. “You’re assuming I menstruate.”“Don’t you?”“Oh Norns, no. I heard enough horror stories second hand to decide I never wanted any part of that.” She dismissed the entire concept with a flick of her fingers. “But my parents were concerned enough when I started adolescence to drag me to the royal healer. I would need to stay fully a woman, uterus and all, for several months before I’d begin menstruating. Becoming pregnant would require even more work. Potions and such,” she said with a shudder. Potions had always coated her tongue disagreeably, regardless of flavor additives. She was utterly fascinated. Her inner fantasy nerd was freaking about potions!!! and the scientist part of her (slowly trained up by working with Jane) wanted to ask a bazillion follow up questions about like, hormones and shit, but a) Loki might not know and she might not understand and b) it didn’t really matter.“Well that’s cool that you can choose.” She wished she could but eh. Her period was usually pretty mild so whatever. “Can you - Wait, never mind, that’s rude.”Well, now she was curious. “Can I what? If it’s offensive, I won’t answer, I assure you. If it’s truly heinous, I’ll even kick you out of bed.”Darcy laughed, even as she blushed. Loki would absolutely clam up if it was as rude as she thought but she didn’t want that to happen either. But she had a determined glint in her eyes and she doubted she could convince her to drop it.“Okay. If you’re sure…” She gave her ample time to object but she merely rolled her hand in a ‘get on with it’ gesture. “Can you like…mix and match?” She started wincing before the question was even fully out of her mouth, waiting for the room to drop several degrees and to be magically dumped on her ass outside the apartment (and in her underwear no less!).“...What do you mean, Darcy?”“Oh God.” She buried her face in her hands, wanting to die or at least disappear. She didn’t sound pissed at least? But this was totally a kind of punishment, right? “Um. Asdflkhsdfk, don’t hate me, canyouhaveadickandboobs? For example? I’msorry!”She’s adorable, was all she could clearly think for a moment. She’d gone scarlet, her words tumbling together as if to soften the assumed blow, nearly squeaking with embarrassment, and Loki wanted nothing so much as to scoop her up and cover in kisses.Beneath that was a rapidly expanding hope; maybe Darcy truly would be accepting of her fluidity, would care for her in all her facets, and on the heels of that hope was a fierce arousal. Would her desire for her body include those different aspects? She could already imagine the possibilities and her head fairly spun with want. She wet her lips.“...Peace, my lady. I’m not offended.” Others, usually drunk, had asked her the same and come out of the conversation worse for wear, but with Darcy, she didn’t mind at all. Her blue eyes peeked out from between her fingers, shoulders hesitantly relaxing. “To answer you: yes. I sometimes like to…play with having different combinations. A cock and breasts, or a male chest and a cunt. Even a cock and a cunt sometimes,” she admitted with a feigned levity (she was actually deeply invested in her reaction) “...Does that interest you?”“Um.” Darcy swallowed hard, closing her fingers in the sheets to keep from touching herself. Or Loki. Should she be this turned on? Did this make her some kinda fetishist? Just ‘cause she was theoretically into whatever body combination Loki could create didn’t mean Loki was open to having sex that way. But she wasn’t going to lie either. “...Yesss?” Her voice pitched up mortifyingly and she quickly cleared it. “I mean. Whatever you wanna do, I’m uh, happy to work with. If you’ve got something other than a dick or pussy, you might have to er, teach me what feels good for it, but uh, yeah. Into it. I think. Obviously, I don’t have a lotta experience with…this but -”She’d begun to babble and as cute as it was, Loki had no problems cutting her off with a searing kiss. Certain words came to mind but she ignored them for the moment, eager to draw out more of Darcy’s delightful noises.“May I lick you, my lady?”“God, please.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
All Darcy had done was email HR to see if the materials already existed, but it had kind of taken on a life of its own after that. Somehow Marketing got involved and then Legal…? Now there was a press conference scheduled and Fern wanted to know if she wanted to remain anonymous or if she wanted to be the local face of the project. Which considering the email chain included Tony Stark himself replying with two tabloid photos of him making out with two different fashion models - one notably a man, was wild. Like, surely their already famous(ly bi) CEO should be the face of the initiative???She was still deciding about the press conference thing when the courier arrived with mail for her. Thanking him, she saw the return address and gleefully ripped the envelope open. Two things fluttered to her desk and she picked up the handwritten note first.Thanks for the idea! The whole team hopes this fits what you had in mind, and if there’s anything it's missing, let us know! We’re happy to keep tweaking it as needed :) - Louis“Aww!” The marketing team was so sweet; maybe she should send them doughnuts.“What’d you get, Darce?” Jane asked, wandering over.From the corner of her eye, Loki casually lowered his book a titch, just enough that he could probably spy on them and sate his own curiosity. Dweeb.“A sign for the lab door.” She turned it around so Jane could read it. “Apparently, legal’s working on making all SI properties safe spaces and it’s a whole thing now, but I wanted one for here. Whatcha think?”“It’s great! But…has anyone been giving you trouble?” Jane’s eyebrows furrowed together, looking absolutely ready to go to war, which was sweet even if her assumption was lacking in nuance.“No, Janey, but that’s not the point. It’s for everyone who walks by and doesn’t know you’re good people already and that I’m me.” She waited for her to nod along and then added: “‘Sides, we can’t go around ascribing human ideas about this stuff to Thor and Loki or whatever other non-Earth alien shows up, can we?”It was fun watching a lightbulb slowly go off over her head, and she tried (and failed) to look casually over her shoulder at Loki, before turning back to her. “You’re right. Of course. Let’s put it up now.”Loki fully lowered his book now, since his own name had entered the discourse. “What in the Nine are you two talking about?”“I got a sticker made up for the lab,” Darcy explained, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. Her inspiration for all this had been Loki’s revelation that he was a shapeshifter, and she had told her that night that she could come to the lab as whatever gender she wanted. Jane was chill; she’d probably ask some questions (she was a scientist after all), but she’d be respectful about it. But now she worried Loki would assume she expected him to out himself. “Here.”She held the glossy paper out and he took it with a raised eyebrow, noting her sudden discomfiture. Across the top was the Stark Industries logo but filled with the stripes of the rainbow, red through purple. Underneath was white text on a pink background: THIS IS A SAFE SPACE FOR ALL, INCLUDING ALL: GENDERS, ORIENTATIONS, IDENTITIES, ABILITIES AND CULTURES. Under this was a quote from Stark himself: “Diversity is the engine of invention. It generates creativity that enriches the world.” “Did Stark actually say that?”“Yeah, at his first commencement speech, I think.” Seeing his disbelief, she added: “Someone else probably wrote it.”“Ah. I didn’t think he could be that eloquent off the cuff.” Loki read the sign again before handing it back to her. “Do humans often discriminate about these things?”“Oh don’t even try and tell me Asgard doesn’t,” Darcy scoffed, snatching up the sticker and peeling off the top half on her way to the door. “Everything I’ve heard about Odin tells me he’s a giant bigoted bag of shit.”“Like 10 pounds of shit in a 5 pound bag?” Jane offered innocently, holding the door in place for her.“Exactly! And he’s been king for eons, right? You can’t tell me that hasn’t bled over into Asgard at large,” she argued, sticking the sign under Jane’s name and slowly smoothing it down. “Y’all are due for a cultural revolution, I swear. First thing we send through the Bifrost should be a crate of queer literature!”Jane laughed and Loki was hard-pressed not to himself. It was…touching seeing Darcy get so worked up over this, and that feeling that he kept trying to smother filled his chest despite his best efforts. She cared so very much, about everyone, and he suspected this ‘safe space’ designation was one of her many ways of caring about him in particular.“As much as I love hearing you disparage Odin, I’m afraid you’re incorrect.”Darcy’s eyebrows just about flew off her face. “Oh really? Odin’s just totally cool and welcoming to everyone?”She bit her tongue against adding is that why neither of his kids wanna go home to him? because a) that was kinda harsh to bring up and b) it wasn’t accurate either. She knew part of the reason he and Thor were on Earth was because Odin wouldn’t let Loki go home, the dick. Universe’s Worst Father didn’t quite cover it, in her opinion.“...In some things, yes. Asgard has no laws against - what is it you called it? Relationships between men and men, or women and women?”“Homosexual relationships?” Jane offered but he still waited for Darcy to confirm, unsure of the vagaries of Midgardian language.“What she said. I call ‘em gay but that’s not as accurate. I’ll find you a glossary.”“Right. Asgard has no laws against homosexual relationships, though marriages are restricted to a man and a woman.” Due to their species’ low birthrates, they needed to encourage procreation as much as possible. “But there’s no rule against other long-term relationships.”At least, not for other people. For himself and Thor, princes of the realm and heirs to the throne, the only long-term relationship they were permitted was a legal and mass-witnessed marriage to a woman, and the sooner they conceived the better. They had to secure Odin’s ‘illustrious’ bloodline, after all. Even as a second son, it was expected of him (which made the revelation of his true heritage all the more confusing honestly).“Okay. That’s like…a small point in his favor. But what about people who don’t fit into the man/woman binary? Or people who love more than one person? Or don’t feel romantic attraction at all?” she needled, refusing to give ground to Odin for the bare minimum. “Ha! How about people from other realms? Are they welcomed into Asgard or are all their neighbors racist?”Loki was stymied; Asgard was notorious for feeling superior to the other realms and races. As for her other questions… He was a prince; he didn’t mix much with the common folk, but were there any laws or policies against those people?“...None of those things are crimes, but otherwise I cannot say,” he conceded begrudgingly, though Darcy’s immediate fist pump and shimmy took out the sting of it. Norns, how was she so cute? “Told ya!” She balled up the sticker backing and threw it overhand to the nearest garbage bin. It wobbled on the edge, nearly falling out before it ‘mysteriously’ fell in. She beamed at Loki for the magical assist and he actually gave her a small smile in return. “Anyway, there’s all kinds of stuff you could learn from us humans, y’know. Thor too, and then you can take it back to Asgard whenever. Who better to improve Asgard than its future rulers, am I right?”“Assuming Odin hasn’t disowned us both by then,” he said lightly, helplessly enamored by her optimism. They might be removed from the line of succession, or he might not be allowed back into Asgard until Thor was crowned, or a hundred other obstacles, but they didn’t bother him overmuch right now.“Pfft, so what if he does? You guys’ll just bust in and dethrone his royal eyepatch and the people will probably support you.” She flapped her hand, dismissing the potential upheaval and civil war that could cause. Her eyes lit up. “Oh man, I should take you guys to a drag show!”🍧Dr. Foster opted to stay in the lab a little longer this evening, and after Darcy gave her usual warning (“Don’t be here when I get back or I’ll bring in the big guns!”), they made their way to the elevator. He waited until they were inside and the doors had closed to speak.“Is that sign you put on the door for me?” The thought had occurred to him when she’d shown it to him but he hadn’t felt quite comfortable speaking in front of their companion.“Hm?” She looked up at him after hitting the button for her floor. She’d just been trying to remember if she’d tidied up last night (she didn’t think so, balls ). “Oh, er… Kinda, yeah. I mean, it’s not just for you. I’m pan, so y’know, it includes me too. But I thought it’d be good to have as a reminder to anyone else coming to the lab. I want you to feel comfortable at work, no matter how you present.”Loki’s chest filled with that chorus again, too loud to ignore, and he slipped his hand into hers, squeezing. “You truly are overwhelmingly thoughtful, Darcy.”She blushed, grimacing a little. “Sorry?”“Do not be.” He risked a quick kiss to the back of her knuckles. “Thank you. I don’t know that I’ll ever be anything but a man in the lab but I appreciate the gesture.”Her grimace became a smile and he counted it as a victory.“Is it a preference or is it just…easier because of idiots?” she wondered as the doors opened and they stepped off.“A combination. Both our societies certainly favor one sex over the other, wouldn’t you agree?”“Uuugh, don’t I know it. Freakin’ patriarchy,” she grumbled, jamming her keys in the lock and letting them in. “Set it on fire. I’ll just be a sec; don’t mind the mess.”It wasn’t that bad really, but she kept comparing it to Loki’s spotless apartment. Everything was always perfectly in place and put away there (minus that one time…) and she always felt embarrassingly slobbish, with her stuff spread out on every surface and the kitchen looking like the aftermath of a ten course banquet (aka her attempt at meal prepping).Loki watched her dart into her room and looked around at the ‘mess’ she spoke of. There was nothing egregious in the living room: a few things spread out on the coffee table, a blanket tangled about some throw pillows on the couch, and a layer of dust on the shelves. Idly, he shook out the blanket and folded it, smoothing it out over the back of the couch. It was plush enough to hold his hand print and his mouth quirked up in one corner, thinking how very Darcy-like that was, all softness and comfort, ready at hand. The kitchen counters were covered in dishes but he doubted he had time to deal with them before she returned, and he didn’t want to overstep.As it was, Darcy came out of her room a second later, sans tights and sweater, and his hands itched to touch all that newly bared skin.“You look lovely.”“Thanks.” She was wearing the same black pleated skirt and old band t-shirt she’d been wearing all day but the effect was different with bare arms and legs, she knew, especially since the skirt hit at mid-thigh. “I really gotta put in a work order for our a/c or something. I’m gonna turn into a popsicle one of these days.”Loki shamelessly checked out her behind as she locked the door; her skirt barely covered it sufficiently and he loved it. “Shall I remind you in the morning?”“Y’know, that would help. Thanks.” She turned to him in time to catch him staring at her ass. Typical, she thought with an amused roll of her eyes. “‘Course if it’s warmer, I’ll dress like this all the time. Are you gonna get anything done in that case?”He shrugged, unrepentant. “Would anyone notice if I didn’t?”“You’re ridiculous,” she snorted, shaking her head as she hit the elevator call button. He could be such a guy sometimes (not that she was complaining). “You know, you could dress more casually too if you wanted. Your ass would look fan-fucking-tastic in jeans.”He saw himself blush in his warped reflection in the doors, and he coughed, clearing his throat. It was one thing for him to appreciate her, but he wasn’t prepared for the tables to turn. “Ah. Well. I wouldn’t want to distract you from your work, as important as it is.”“Buddy, if you think you’re not distracting in a suit and tie, I’ve got news for you. You look like a freakin’ model.” Seriously. If she let her ladyparts do the thinking, she’d climb him like a tree daily and Jane would be scarred for life. “Not to mention all your little pranks! Brat.”How Loki had learned about Rick Rolling was beyond her but if she opened one more link only to hear that freakin’ song…“I have no idea to what you’re referring,” he lied with perfect innocence, making her shove his arm and him laugh. “I suppose I could dress less formally. It’s not as though you and Dr. Foster enforce a strict dress code.”They totally had a dress code! It was just unofficial and unconventional: comfortable and ready to Science! whether that meant running for their lives from mystery lasers or Macgyvering a sensor from greasy and/or rusted junkyard parts. Jane chose flannels and jeans and Darcy chose comfortable shoes and easy-to-wash/replace clothes. But whatever; Loki seidr-ed up his clothes anyway.Which he was doing right now. His tie slithered out from the collar of his shirt before vanishing, while the shirt itself transformed from a crisp white button up to a green t-shirt. His trousers changed to dark wash jeans and his dress shoes became black leather boots.He held his arms out for inspection. “Will this do?”The motion lifted his shirt to show off a sliver of stomach and Darcy gulped, regretting saying anything. A) Forget his ass, he sure filled out the front of those jeans, holy shitballs, and B) that t-shirt was doing all kinds of illegal things, with the sleeves tight around his biceps and the v-neck showing off a hint of chest hair. Was it hot in here or was it just her?And then she actually read his shirt.In gold foil, runic-y letters spelled out: Asgard does it better.“Oh, get out!” She threw her hands up, pretending to storm off as soon as the elevator doors opened, but Loki’s long legs had him catching up to her easily, his laughter bright, free, and drawing more than a few appreciative eyes.“Is my shirt so offensive?”“I prefer the Midgard equals doom one,” she muttered, trying very hard not to smile and failing epically. It was hard to be properly annoyed by his (and Asgard’s) dumb superiority complex when he sounded so happy, the jerk.“Mm, not my style, I’m afraid.” They passed through the lobby’s doors and Darcy automatically slid her hand back into his, directing him past the flow of humans to the inside of the sidewalk as always. Warmth filled him at the casual action and it took him a second to goad her further. “It’s good it’s so warm out. I’m loath to cover up my entirely accurate slogan with a jacket.”Would it be so wrong to trip him, really? Eh , he was liable to take her down with him, so she switched gears instead. “What would be a shame is covering up those guns.” She didn’t grope his bicep but it was a close thing. “I’m telling you: VOGUE would blow up your phone with offers if I sent them your picture.”“VOGUE being…?”“A fashion magazine.”Loki was torn between blushing madly and preening like a fool. After all, who didn’t enjoy an attractive woman complimenting them? It was a boost to his ego but not one he could stand for long.“SHIELD would be utterly lost without me, and besides: I rarely check my phone. Best not send my photo at all and save them the disappointment.”“Un-huh, suuure.” It was weird; for someone with such a big ego, it vanished immediately as soon as his looks were brought up. But he was stunningly attractive and not just to her; she’d seen all kinds of folks nearly trip over themselves, drooling over him. Somebody’s assistant had literally walked into a potted plant making googly-eyes at him last week. “It’s just as well, I guess. World productivity would screech to a standstill if they had you do an underwear spread. Actually, that could be a huuge charity opportunity for the Avengers… Hang on.”She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, debating on who to text. Pepper? She’d probably veto the idea, but Coulson would definitely turn her down. Tony himself then.From Darcy Lewis: Charity underwear photoshoot 👀 Earth’s Mightiest Asses will rake in the moolahLoki had looked over her shoulder as one would watch a car crash: horrified and unable to help himself. “Why… How do you have all of their numbers?”He’d even seen Director Fury listed in her contacts but surely she didn’t have a direct line to the man. He’d be apoplectic (more than usual) if a civilian messaged him.She shrugged, shoving her phone back in her bag. “Got ‘em off of Thor’s phone.”“...Of course you did.” It made perfect sense. “May I just say: I greatly appreciate that you’re on my side, so to speak.”If she’d ever truly hated him, she certainly had the tools and the will to make his life significantly worse.“I don’t know what you’re implying,” she lied, tongue peeking out between her teeth as she grinned. “I’m just an innocent intern who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”Loki was seized by the urge to kiss her and he very nearly leaned down to do so before he remembered himself. “Careful there, someone may mistake you for a devotee of mine.”“Is that a thing?” she suddenly wondered. “Like, sure, the Vikings worshiped you as gods, but...does that mean anything to you guys? Would you hear it if I prayed to you?”Loki hummed. “Not the way you mean. I have some telepathic ability so I suppose there exists a scenario where I could hear you if you ‘prayed’ to me -”Darcy interrupted: “WHAT?!”She jerked to a stop and Loki obligingly did too, turning back to her rather than dragging her along, especially since a few pedestrians had given them alarmed looks at Darcy’s exclamation.“Yes?”She yanked his arm to draw him in while she simultaneously stepped closer, whisper-shrieking: “Why on Earth is this the first time I’m hearing about you being a freakin’ mind reader?!” “I have many talents. If you’re interested in an itemized list, it may take a few days for me to compile…”“Loki!” His grin faded to something far more solemn, nervousness sparking along his spine and in his gut. Would this be the drop that overflowed the proverbial cup and turned her away from him?“I have never read your, nor Dr. Foster’s, minds, Darcy, rest assured. I would never violate your privacy like that. Please believe me.”It had never even occurred to him. He rarely used the skill anyway, and when he did, it was oft in battle or as a spy. When he had first been installed in the women’s lab, he’d had no desire to hear their thoughts, assuming they would be as irrational, loud, and brash as their spoken words were, and then, before long, he’d come to see the women as, if not friends per se, then at least as friendly acquaintances whom he had little wish to harm. And now… Well, he would never violate the sanctity of Darcy’s mind, no matter how much he might wish to know her thoughts and feelings of him.He said it so earnestly, like he was afraid of her reaction, and wasn’t that a trip? Knowing the God of Mischief gave a damn about her opinion of him. It was enough to make her head spin, and she squeezed his hand, a silent reassurance.“Hey, I trust you, Loki, don’t worry. Besides, my thoughts annoy me sometimes, so I can only imagine what they’d do to you.” Between the random ear worms, groan-worthy puns, and pop culture memes, her mind would drive him completely banana balls in no time, she was sure. “But uh, if we’re ever in like, a life-or-death situation, you’ve got my permission to mind-read away.”“Oh, I wouldn’t let the situation deteriorate that far,” he promised airily. He couldn’t conceive of a threat that he couldn’t simply teleport her away from.“Okay, cool. Anyway, you can’t just drop the telepath bomb and then not tell me how it works, dude! You know I love this stuff!” She resumed walking and after a beat, Loki did too, adjusting their hands so their fingers intertwined. “Can you just look across a room at someone and know what they’re thinking?”Immeasurably relieved, he chucked, shaking his head. “No. I require physical contact, but there are far more powerful telepaths…”🍧By the time they stepped into the cooler air of 32+ , Darcy’s head was swimming with Loki’s mini-lecture. The guy would rock the TED talk circuit, she had no doubt about that (as long as everyone in attendance had a security clearance…).“You’re a really good teacher,” she told him, as they scanned this week’s new flavors. There didn’t seem to be a theme that she could figure out but they did have Get Dat Dough again.He felt the tips of his ears heat at the compliment. “Do you think so?”“Yeah! You really know your stuff, and the way you explain things isn’t too dumbed down or goes over my head. Maybe I’ll get you to explain the finer points of Jane’s research,” she half-joked. She sorta understood Jane’s research, enough to help anyway, but the math of it all made her eyes glaze over and remember her nearly failed high school math classes. “Can I get a scoop of Get Dat Dough in a bowl please? Thanks.”“...I could,” Loki offered quietly, darting a glance at her as he considered his sundae choices. “Explain it to you, I mean. If you want.”It could give him an excuse to spend more time with her, even if it was merely their lunch hour (although in the privacy of his thoughts, he hoped she’d suggest a time after their workday. Perhaps he’d even be invited to her apartment.)She blinked at him and then smiled widely. “That’d be nice, thanks. I make no promises that I’ll understand it though. Math and I don’t really get along.”“Perhaps it’s intimidated by your brilliance,” he suggested, mouth hooking up slightly. It was a jest, of course, but there was more than a kernel of truth to it as well. She was brilliant in several aspects.Darcy laughed, giving his arm a light shove. “Sure, let’s go with that. It’s more afraid of me than I am of it, right?”“Precisely. Now go sit, I’ll pay,” he insisted, shooing her over to their usual table. She went easily enough, and he turned his attention to the employee. “May I have a sample of Perfectly A-peel-ing?”He tasted the pale yellow concoction and was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t taste of Midgardian bananas, as it claimed, but more like bakbær, a small green stone-fruit popular in tarts for its sweetness. “A scoop of this, one of salted caramel, and one of, hmm... Double Truffle in a bowl, please. With whipped cream, thank you.”He declined any additional toppings and paid for their bowls, carrying both over to their table. Darcy put her phone away in her bag, happily taking her bowl, and used her spoon to quickly scoop up some of his whipped cream.“Hey!”She grinned triumphant around her spoils. “What, princes don’t share? You’ve got plenty.”“You could still ask,” he groused, and in a move too fast for her to stop, he tapped the tip of her nose, depositing some of the cream.“Hey!” she spluttered, laughing, trying in vain to lick it off, before giving up and wiping it with her fingers. “Rude!”“Says the thief,” he drawled, amused, and set their privacy spell. “Would you like to sample anything else?”She chewed her bottom lip, assessing him. “Does it actually bother you?”One shoulder hitched up and he shook his head. “Not at all. You’re more than welcome to order your own toppings though, Darcy – I’ve no problem paying the extraneous charges.”“Well, thanks, but I only wanted a little bit. What flavors did you get this week?”“Perfectly A-peel-ing, Double Truffle , and salted caramel.”She made a face. “I dunno how you can stomach all that. The banana one doesn’t even taste like banana!”“Mm, no, but it’s very similar to an Asgardian fruit.” And it was delicious mixed with the caramel, he thought, making a soft noise in his throat. “If it doesn’t taste like bananas, then why is it named after them?”“I actually know this! It’s supposedly based on the last major banana species, but there was like, a blight or a fungus or something that wiped them out, and now we mainly eat a different species.” Monocrops were weird and dumb. “Oh, huh, I wonder if Steve would like it. He’d be used to the old bananas since he was around before the change.”“Perhaps you should text him about it,” he muttered, slouching back in his chair with his bowl. Why she would be thinking of Captain Rogers when they were together was beyond him.Licking her spoon, she lifted an eyebrow at the sulking toddler across from her. Seriously? High school Darcy would’ve been uber flattered that the emo hottie was in a snit about her giving attention to other people but she’d outgrown that nonsense a long time ago. “Jealousy ain’t a good look for you, dude.”“ Please,” he scoffed, jabbing his spoon into his bowl, “Why in the Nine would I be jealous of such an idiotic and reckless human?” The window fern should be scorched from the freakin’ glare he was giving it and Darcy wondered how a supposed God of Lies could be so transparent. Or had she’d just gotten exceptionally good at reading him? Regardless…“Yeah, why would you be?” Crossing her arms on the table, she leaned forward to stare him down. “’Cause last I checked, I wasn’t banging him.”Sure, Captain America was a grade-A hottie (all the Avengers were, hot damn ), but he also barely saw her and had some sort of sexually charged dick-measuring contest going on with Stark. Plus, as good as he’d look tied up and begging her for release, she suspected he’d be into rougher stuff than she wanted to dole out (assuming he even leaned that way of course).A muscle in Loki’s jaw twitched as he realized she expected an answer. Of course she did; she had an irritating habit of addressing things head on, rather than doing the polite thing and ignoring them like everyone else. What could he even say? That he wanted all her attention always and if she never spoke another man’s name, he’d be happy? That she should be “banging” Rogers because surely it would be less complicated for her? Rogers wasn’t broken like he was, wasn’t as needy and insecure and mercurial as he was. She’d be happier with someone human, who wouldn’t outlive her by thousands of years and who’d run away far before she died out of pure cowardice.He inhaled sharply. When had he started thinking about the long term outcome of their relationship?“Loki?”Something incredibly young and scared had passed over his face, but when his eyes met hers, it was swiftly locked away and replaced with a sneer.“You consider him handsome, don’t you? He’s as noble and fair-minded as yourself. You’d make quite the power couple, Captain America and his buxom sweetheart.”Darcy couldn’t help it: she snorted. He was being ridiculous. “Yeah, sure, that’d last all of a minute. He’s rigidly black-and-white and military to boot. Oh yeah, and there’s the small detail of me not actually being interested in him that way. A minor detail, I know.”She said the last bit with enough sarcasm to fell a horse, and Loki had the decency to look a little abashed.“And before you suggest the rest of the team: Clint’s married, Bruce and Tony give me weird uncle vibes, and Thor, Natasha, and Jane are all like older siblings to me,” she counted them off on her fingers, enjoying the way Loki’s shoulders crept up to his ears in embarrassment. “Is there anyone else I gotta list off? Agent Creep? Coulson? The baristas at the coffee shop?”“...No,” he said in a small voice, feeling the prickle of proper shame on the back of his neck uncomfortably. But his jealousy had reared its head and much like his anxiety, it was hard to reason with.“And you’re forgetting the most important part.” He looked at her with wide eyes, and she leaned across the table, covering his hand with hers. “I chose you. I like you, Loki, even when you’re a giant pain in my ass,” she laughed and a small smile flicked across his lips. “So even if I spend time with other people or God forbid, text them, you don’t have anything to worry about, got it? I’m not going anywhere.”Her tone was obviously teasing but there was warmth and conviction behind the words too. She meant it. Somehow, he had not imagined her unwavering loyalty would ever extend to him and it buoyed his heart, chasing away his fears.Most of them anyway.Looking down at their hands, he turned over one of hers, tracing the lines across her palm. Quietly, he asked: “And if you choose another?”After all, they only had this: their weekly sessions and ice cream every Wednesday. That was hardly a relationship. And Darcy herself had told him in their negotiations that he could take another lover as long as he informed her of them. Was the same true for her? They’d never discussed it.“Then I’d tell you,” she said easily, closing her fingers around his. “I wouldn’t jeopardize your health and safety by sleeping around without telling you, Loki, and I’m not really into having multiple partners anyway. Besides, you’re enough of a handful on your own! I don’t know where I’d find the energy to wrangle two brats.”She winked and he huffed a laugh. While it wasn’t quite the answer he’d hoped to hear, her teasing was enough to soften his response. “You’d have to imbibe dangerous amounts of caffeine, I imagine, and while I’m no healer, I’d have to advise against it.”His expression was so solemn and earnest (minus the twinkle in his eyes of course) that she had to smother a snort. “You’re right; better not risk it.”“Definitely not. You humans are already such a fragile sort,” he teased, going back to his ice cream and ignoring her whack to his arm.“Jerk,” she muttered, more out of habit than any real feeling. As insults to her species went, it practically wasn’t. But it was the perfect segue for something that had been percolating in her brain since Sunday night. Biting her lip, she tapped her nails on the table, wondering how to broach it, until Loki arched an eyebrow at her.“Is something the matter?”“Oh! Um, no.” Taking a bracing breath, she put on her big girl panties. “But I’ve been thinking and I want to make a change to our rules.”“Oh?” Their rules were minimal and he quite preferred it that way, but he would hear her out. He could see she was nervous though and he wondered what had inspired her to add to them. His behavior on Sunday had received nothing but praises from her, unless… His stomach dropped. Had her interest in his female form been feigned? If so, she was perhaps the best actress he’d ever met. “Do tell.”“I think we should nix the no seidr rule.”“...I beg your pardon?”“Don’t gloat, dude, I know you never wanted to agree to it in the first place,” she said, rolling her eyes and misinterpreting him entirely.“I’m not being facetious, Darcy; I’m...surprised.” Shock was the more accurate word but he could downplay it to save a little bit of face. “What makes you want to remove the rule now?”“You told me that even though it’s not a spell, shapeshifting is still kinda related to seidr, right? At least, that’s how I understood it?” She made it a question because Loki’s explanation had gotten a little bit esoteric (or maybe her brain had still been partially offline from the several orgasms she’d given her) and she wasn’t entirely convinced she really understood it.“Correct.” He was pleased both that his explanation had been understandable and that she recalled the finer points. “All shapeshifters use seidr but not all seidr users are shapeshifters.”“Right. So, I figure having a rule against seidr is kind of a rule against you shapeshifting and I don’t want that.” She shook her head, mouth twisting down. That kind of...limitation on him was seriously wrong on a whole lotta levels, and if she’d known from the beginning, she never would’ve suggested the rule. Oh well. “I don’t want you to ever have to like, ask me permission to change how you look; fuck that. Or worry about being punished for doing it. Just… No. Absolutely not. So forget the rule. You can use seidr or change as you like. Okay? Just um, give a gal a warning if you’re gonna use seidr on me.” Oh. Loki could only stare at her for a moment, completely overcome. She was…so kind. Of course he loved her; he was helpless to do anything else when she saw him, saw all of him, and every time, she met him with kindness and consideration and a genuine attempt to understand. There could be no version of him, no universe, where he did not meet Darcy Lewis and find himself in love with her.He breathed an almost laugh, blinking back the moisture in his eyes. “You are…”“Overwhelmingly thoughtful?” she supplied, hoping to lift the mood. Poor guy looked about ready to cry over what she felt was a pretty simple concession. “Yeah, someone mighta mentioned it a few times.”“I can’t imagine why,” he managed wryly, tucking his feelings away for now. 32+ was hardly the place for him to examine this revelation. “It’s a complete mystery. But thank you, Darcy. I can’t say I’ll miss that rule, but I will of course ask your permission to use seidr on you.”It was a weight off her shoulders, and she happily sucked her spoon clean before pointing it at him. “Good. Communication is my favorite kink, and don’t you forget it, mister!”He chuckled, his heart singing. “I would never, my lady.”“Now that that’s settled, what did you think of Sunday?”“I enjoyed myself thoroughly. You’re quite the skilled cunnilinguist; I’ve never had a partner make me come that hard once, never mind twice.” As a woman, she had come with the few male partners she’d taken to bed, but they’d hardly been memorable. Darcy, however, had easily and fantastically overwhelmed her.“Pfft, I haven’t heard a single good thing about those losers,” she couldn’t help scowling. Fuckboys, the lot of ‘em. “It’s not like it’s hard; you just gotta listen to what she wants. And you were very good at communicating, by the way. Gold star!”His ears warmed at the praise but he steadfastly ignored it. “Yes, well, those ‘losers’, as you call them, seemed promising when I invited them to my chambers. If it’s any consolation, they weren’t invited back.”“Good. You deserve better.” She excavated another chunk of cookie dough and popped it into her mouth. “Do you think that’s why you got overwhelmed? You’re not used to coming more than once as a woman?”Loki considered it; he hadn’t wondered about the ‘why’ of it on Sunday, too frustrated that it had happened at all, but it made sense. “I suppose that contributed to it, yes. I think though… Perhaps part of it was the emotional tension. I...wasn’t sure how you’d react to my female form and I admit I worried beforehand. I failed to anticipate your complete enthusiasm.”“Oh, Loki.” She wanted to scoop him up into a big hug and drown him in acceptance. Instead, she settled for tangling her legs with his under the table. “That’s understandable. I wish it wasn’t but… For the record: however you present, whatever’s in your pants, I’m attracted to you. Our sessions don’t hinge on you having a dick.”“...How you manage to phrase something so touching so crassly is truly impressive.”“It’s a gift,” she grinned, unrepentant. “Seriously though, I mean it. And I hope next time won’t be so overwhelming for you. I wanna see how many times I can make you come.”She waggled her eyebrows ludicrously and Loki was profoundly glad for their privacy spell and the table that hid how his cock strained against his jeans.“I’d like that too,” he demurred. He had no doubt the number would be high, especially if she used some of her toys. “I wish we’d been able to use the other textures. I was quite looking forward to them.”Her too; she’d had plans for those leather gloves (plans which admittedly relied on him magically fixing the er, ‘water’ damage she planned on incurring). “There’s always next time. We can take another whack at sensation play next week, unless you’ve got something else in mind…?”“You could always peg me,” he suggested casually, scraping his spoon along the edge of his bowl to get the last drops. Inside, he felt like he was on fire, desperate and aroused, praying that she’d say yes. To have her draped across his back, her hot breath against his ear as she fucked him, her small, soft hand playing with his cock… It took considerable will not to shudder at the table and give his feelings away.Darcy winced. “Only if you’re cool with it lasting a whole 30 seconds.”Immediately, she was faced with the haughty, regal prince of Asgard. “I beg your pardon? I have far greater stamina than you seem to believe despite several weeks worth of evidence – ”He would’ve continued, furious and slighted, if she hadn’t interrupted with a laugh: “Ohmygod, Loki, chill! I wasn’t talking about you! Your stamina is very godlike and impressive, I promise.”Her tone was slightly patronizing but he was willing to forgive it if she hadn’t truly been making a jibe against him. His forehead puckered in thought. “Then I’m afraid I don’t understand, Darcy. Why would it be so brief?” God, to be one of these superhero types… She propped her face in her hand, more amused than embarrassed by her confession: “Some of us weren’t blessed with the body of a Viking warrior or a workout ethic to match, dude. I sit at a desk all day and then chill on my couch most nights. I’ve got shitty stamina and a weak-ass core. I’ll be lucky if I even make it to 30 seconds without a muscle cramp right now. And don’t get me started on the whole gasping for air/sweating buckets issue…”Understanding dawned on his face. “I see. But you spoke of pegging as something you’d done before.”“Yeah, like, two years ago!” And what a cute little sub that had been, she recalled dreamily. He’d been buff and thick and his ass had jiggled like jello with every spank. But that was in the past. Focus, Lewis! “Anyway, I told Nat I wanted to learn how to do her flying thighs of death trick and she’s upped my gym time with her to like, 4 times a week.”She really did want to learn that trick (even if she didn’t think she’d ever pull it off under duress) so it was a great cover story but she genuinely had to have Thor carry her princess-style back to her apartment Friday night, her muscles had been so watery.His cheeks turned faintly pink. “So that’s why you’ve been in the gym so often lately.”“Yup! Anything for my good boy.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Standing at the kitchen island, Loki inhaled deeply of the fragrant steam, savoring it and the warmth of the cup in his hands. Relaxation spread like a wave through him, dropping his shoulders and loosening the muscles in his back, calming the nerves in his chest and stomach. His mother wouldn’t begrudge him for liberating a packet of her favorite tea, if she even noticed it missing. It was a specialty blend from her homeworld of Vanaheim and Loki had always associated the smell of it with her and a feeling of peace, something he was dearly in need of at the moment.He was unduly nervous and excessively excited, and as he sipped slowly, he recalled Darcy’s advice again: don’t build it up too much in your head or you’ll end up disappointed. It was sage advice, regardless of the circumstance, and he tried, again, to temper his expectations. His mouth curled wryly; it was no easy task when he’d been looking forward to tonight for nearly two months. But they would do this and he would likely enjoy himself to some degree and that would be that.It wouldn’t be life-changing, he thought with a derisive snort, no matter how good it was. It was only sex after all.Even if it was with the woman he loved.But it had been a month since he’d given into that revelation and accepted it. A month full of Sundays: four sessions, four evenings of various debaucheries, four nights of falling asleep with Darcy in his arms while the chorus in his heart sang out in joy. They had been...wonderful, of course, but they hadn’t been all that different from any other session. If he had reached for her skin greedily, if he’d kissed her hungrily, if he’d thrust inside her desperately, how was that any different than before?With a quiet exhale, he drained the rest of his tea and brought it to the sink, foregoing seidr this once in favor of meditatively washing it. Darcy had texted him earlier with instructions and he’d followed them to the letter, taking a leisurely, hot shower, and then stretching himself open on the bed, coming once already so that their session wouldn’t end prematurely. Unsurprisingly, he was still completely hard under his robe but who could blame him? The wait was nearly unbearable, made doubly so by the lube slick between his ass cheeks and the lingerie he’d chosen.Pinching his lips together, he ignored the sensations as best he could, thinking the least erotic thoughts he could conceive of: mold slimes, his grandfather leering suggestively at his grandmother, Odin with the same expression around his mother –“Eugh,” he grimaced with a shudder. His stomach turned and he decided he’d gone too far in the opposite direction.Thankfully, there was a knock at the door, making him forget all about his thought exercise. Quickly, he set the cup on the sideboard, drying his hands and the damp spots on his cuffs as he strode across the living room. The door frame was lined in Darcy’s blue but he cloaked himself in an illusion of trousers and a shirt in case anyone else happened to walk by.His mouth went dry when he opened the door.Darcy knew how she looked so she wasn’t phased in the least by Loki’s dumbfounded silence. “Hey! Can I come in?”He swallowed with difficulty, nodding quickly. “Of course. Please.”He stepped aside to let her pass and shut the door, unable to tear his gaze from her. This was the first time he’d seen her in heels and while she was still shorter than him, he wasn’t used to being able to look into her clear blue eyes so easily, even with her spectacles in the way. It had him feeling off-balance in a way that intrigued him. Her hair was twisted up into a clip, showing off her creamy neck and the smooth notches of her collarbones. Her white long-sleeved blouse and knee-length, black pencil skirt gave the impression of a buttoned-up office worker, but the hint of her pink bra through her shirt and the fishnet stockings gave the truth to that lie.Holding his hand out to her, he recovered his voice: “You look ravishing, my lady.”“Thanks. You look pretty good yourself,” she returned, taking his hand and giving him a long, lingering once over. He always looked damn fine, no matter what he wore. “Do you mind if I keep the heels on for a bit? They’re clean; promise.”Her inspection reminded him to release his glamour, and her eyes widened appreciatively, letting out a low whistle. “I like this robe. This robe hides the best things. Ooh, and stockings too? You give me the nicest gifts, honey.”Beating back the blush in his cheeks, he kissed her palm. “Anything for my lady… I have no objections to your heels, but whatever do you need the height for?”Several ideas came to mind, each more tantalizing than the last.“Keeping sexy little brats like you in their place,” she teased, giving his ass a light swat. They were mostly for the aesthetic, honestly, but they seemed to be hitting the mark with Loki. She hadn’t been sure her outfit would do anything for him, coming from a different culture and all, but it seemed sexy secretary/librarian was a hit across the universe.“Oh, I know exactly where my place is,” he purred, drawing her close and claiming a kiss. It was much easier with her several added inches and he boldly palmed her ass.“Mm, and where’s that?” she prodded, tangling her fingers in his hair and giving a sharp tug that made him groan. “Tied up and in my bed? Or maybe at my feet, like a good little boy?”His fingers dug into her behind, and he swooped in to kiss her again, hiding the needy noise he made. They were tempting options to be sure but not the one he’d meant. Against her red lips, he finished: “At your mercy.”God, his voice was like liquid sex, deep and gravelly, and the things he said… At this rate, she wasn’t sure which of them would be more wrecked at the end of the night, but she was determined to make it him. She’d put in enough hours in the gym (and had even pulled off Nat’s flying thighs of death move on Clint!) and she felt fully prepared to fuck a god’s brains out.“At my mercy, huh? You’re such a sweet talker.” She scraped her nails against the back of his neck, enjoying the way his eyelids fluttered. She couldn’t wait to make him speechless. “Are you ready to get started?”“Oh, yes.”He felt no shame leading her to the bedroom, regardless of her giggle. There was no chance of hiding his eagerness, not after he’d all but begged her for this, and what purpose would it serve anyway, when she’d been the one to plant the seed? Darcy was just as impatient for this session as he was based on how close she followed on his heels, kicking the door shut behind them.She pressed her lips and fingertips to his jaw. “Tell me our rules and take off that sexy robe, honey. I wanna see what you’ve got on underneath.”With that, she sauntered away, using her heels to maximum effect, before perching on the divan and crossing her legs. He was standing where she’d left him, jaw loose and eyes dark – he’d definitely been staring at her ass, and she cleared her throat, arching an eyebrow when he looked up.“Well?”Wetting his lips, he reached for his belt, taking his time pulling the knot apart. “I will answer you out loud. I won’t insult humanity. And you decide when I come. Green means continue, yellow means check in, and red means stop. Our safewords are Mjolinir and pineapple.”Taking a steadying breath, Loki let the robe fall to the floor where it disappeared. He drank in her reaction, the way her eyes dragged heavily over his form from top to bottom, pink flushing her cheeks and her teeth sinking into her plush bottom lip.He wore a simple brassiere, the scant triangles of sheer fabric laying flat over his chest. The band was naught more than a gold ribbon that criss-crossed around his torso, tight enough to sate his desire for bondage without digging in harshly (Darcy would have had much to say about that otherwise). He’d foregone underwear, reasoning it would simply be in the way, so his cock jutted up proudly against his belly. The stockings she appreciated so much were black silk and tied with purple ribbons, awaiting her teeth if she so wished.“Damn, you know how to dress,” she swore lowly, feeling heat throb between her legs. “You’re fucking gorgeous, sweetheart. I can’t wait to eat you all up.”She was going to bite those delectable thighs, she decided. Mm, and his pecs for sure. That bra looked tailor made to tease his nipples through, and she bit the inside of her lip hard to keep herself in control. Down girl!“Did you read my texts?” she asked, reaching up to take out her clip. She slowly shook her hair out, until it spilled in waves around her shoulders.Loki swallowed hard, closing his fingers into fists. He wanted to bury his hands in her hair and kiss her until he was drunk off it. “I did, my lady.”“And did you follow my instructions?”Ah. He understood the direction she was taking now. “Yes. I showered and prepared myself for you. I came once before you arrived, as you asked.”She’d had to rub one out after sending that text too. The mental image of his hair still dripping as he knelt on the bed, working his fingers up his ass and jerking his dick while he thought about how she was going to fuck him had been too good to resist.“Good boy. Thank you. But I know how impatient you are. You’re too willing to cut corners and risk pain for my liking, so I’ll have to confirm that for myself, Loki. Come here and lay on my lap. Bring the lube.”Fuck. A shudder spread out from his spine and he closed his eyes for a moment to center himself. How she continually managed to turn his world upside down and inside out…“Hey, what’s your color?” His reaction could go either way but she hoped it was on the positive side.His mouth curled up and the lube bottle smacked into his hand as he summoned it. “Green, my lady. You don’t need to check though. I assure you I’ve been very thorough.”He said it with a feigned annoyance, even going so far as to include a bit of a pout. He had been thorough, but that didn’t need to mean anything.She’d have to be deaf to miss the mischief in his tone, and she smothered a smile. Of course he was breaking out the bratting, but that suited her just fine. Slowly, she uncrossed her legs and flicked an invisible piece of lint off her skirt.“Well. If that’s true, you won’t have a problem proving it to me, will you?” she asked sweetly, before making her voice sharp: “Come here, Loki.”Liquid heat settled low in his belly, turning his knees a little weak. Of course he obeyed, and he handed her the lube, murmuring: “Have I mentioned how much I love that tone of voice?”She opted not to tell him how obvious it was, not wanting to hurt his feelings (he liked to pretend he was all unknowable and suave). “Do you? Is that why you’re still not on my lap, mister? Are you aiming for a spanking?”As tempting as that was, a spanking would only delay the main event and his patience had worn thin some weeks ago already. “No, not tonight.”He laid across her lap and the divan and Darcy made a pleased noise seeing that backside up in the air, pale and firm with a hint of shine where his cheeks met. She traced a finger over the lube stains, hearing Loki inhale shakily.“Is your back okay like this, sweetie?”“Yes.” His voice quaked a little and he forced it to be firmer. “It’s fine right now, Darcy.”“Good. Tell me if that changes.” Her hand ghosted over his flank and down to his ass, fingers digging into his cheek to pull them apart. “Cleaning spell please. And warm the lube too.”“Done.”His heart was bounding in his chest, though not from her being out of sight, thank the Norns. They’d spent the past few sessions working on his tolerance for that (among other things). Instead, it was giddy anticipation that was tensing his limbs and making his breath come short, but he needed to relax. He’d hate to cut tonight short if he became overwhelmed and he cursed himself, resenting that it was even a possibility. Breathing out slowly through his nose, he tried to focus his thoughts on something innocuous, drawing on centuries of meditation.“Thank you.” Popping the cap on the bottle, she squirted lube directly onto his hole before coating her fingers in it too. “Relax for me, honey. This won’t take long if you were as thorough as you say you were.”“Does that mean you won’t be teasing me?” he asked doubtfully.Out of sight, she grinned evilly, circling his puckered skin with one finger before plunging it inside. He gasped, clenching tight around her as his legs flexed, pushing his ass up higher. “Sure. Hm, you feel pretty good so far. What do you think?”Think? He wasn’t thinking much of anything as his mind rapidly cleared of all but her finger sliding in and out of his ass and the excess lube dripping down to his balls.“I...I told you I did the job properly, my lady,” he managed, unable to keep the slightest whine out of his voice. Norns, how did she make him so desperate so quickly?“You did.” She added a second finger without preamble, making him groan deliciously. There wasn’t any resistance when she scissored them, and she lightly slid her free hand up his spine to squeeze the back of his neck. “And it doesn’t feel like you cut any corners either. You’re so loose, sweetheart.”“Oh fuck…” He panted against his forearm, squeezing his eyes shut. The pride in her voice was going to be his undoing, and the way she had him pinned on her lap, with her fingers in his ass and her hand holding down his neck… It...uncomplicated things somehow while being intensely arousing.“Everything okay? What’s your color?”“Green,” he croaked out, daring to cover her hand with his, making her hold a shade tighter. He wondered what her soft fingers would feel like against his throat, if that would be too similar to other unsavory memories or if it would be a new kind of Valhalla.Darcy hummed thoughtfully. This position couldn’t be the most comfortable for his giant-ness but that didn’t seem to matter to him right now. Taking him at his word (and body language), she pulled out only to immediately push three fingers in. His ass spasmed around them, a groan stuttering past his lips.“You like being like this, don’t you?” she pretended to muse (the answer was a very obvious yes). “Over my knee and held down, while I finger you. I bet you can’t wait for me to pin you to the mattress with my strap. Am I right, Loki? Do you wanna be completely at my mercy while I use you? While I fuck your loose little hole all night?”It was a miracle he didn’t whimper outright. Her filthy mouth was so perfect and one of the many, many reasons he loved her. He could just imagine being tied face-down on the mattress, his ass in the air and her cock in him, taking him apart piece by piece while he lost himself to her wants and needs and the feelings she stroked to life. Norns preserve me.“Faen. Yes, I like it.” It would be idiotic to deny when he was helping her hold him in place, her hand so small beneath his. Darcy added a fourth finger and he choked, pressing up on his toes to meet her wantonly. “Norns, Darcy, vær så snill. Føles så godt!”Watching him take four fingers was incredibly hot; they slid in pretty easily, proving he really had been as thorough as she’d asked, and he clamped around them greedily, his hips rocking in time with her thrusts. His dick was leaking all over her skirt and the room was filled with the sounds of his soft pants and restrained moans and her fingers squelching in and out of his ass.“Wanna tell me what you said so I can understand, sweetie?” she asked at last, feeling literally hot under the collar. She knew why she was still dressed (the aesthetic! The seduction!) but why was she still dressed??“I said: please. It feels so good.” He pushed his ass further into her hand, but the angle put too much pressure on his spine and his muscles threatened to spasm. He made an abrupt kind of grunt as he slid his hips back and bent his knees, hoping to stave it off. “Damn it, I have to move.”“Shit, okay. Just a sec.” She quickly removed her fingers, and slid her free hand under his chest, helping him lift off her lap. “Are you okay? What can I do?”“I just need a moment.” He settled down on his knees at her feet, pressing a hand to his lower back and sending a pulse of seidr into it. The cramping feeling slowly eased and he rested his forehead against her thigh, sighing. “I was hoping to avoid any issues tonight.”“I know. Can you clean my hand, honey?” She felt seidr tickle against her hand and she dropped it to his crown, stroking his hair. “We’ll spend extra time in the bath when we’re done. Was it just the position, do you think?”“Yes. I’ll have to think of something for next time.” Maybe a temporary alteration to the divan or perhaps Darcy would agree to sit on the bed instead… Her hand tightened in his hair and he looked up. “What?”She wanted to bust out some serious praise because holy shit!! He wasn’t spiraling or over apologizing or withdrawing because things hadn’t gone to plan! Not even a month ago, he would’ve completely shut down and she would’ve had to coax him back out with every trick in the book. But now…! This was…so much progress and he wasn’t even aware of it!Looking into his curious eyes, she bit her lip. If she pointed it out now, she’d make too big of a deal of it and he’d get self-conscious. It might even upend tonight’s plans and they’d both been looking forward to it for too long for her to mess it up. She’d tell him over ice cream.“Nothing,” she said at last, smiling beatifically. “How’s your back?”It was something but it didn’t seem to weigh on her so he let it go. He kissed the side of her knee through her stockings. “I’m alright, my lady. Was I thorough enough for your liking?”Just like that things were hot and heavy between them again. Grinning, she cupped his face and casually slipped her thumb between his lips. “You were. You did such a good job for me. You’re gonna take my strap so well, honey.”His stomach swooped, giddy with praise and excitement, and he nodded, sucking on her thumb tip.“Such a good boy.” Something about sucking on her fingers did something for the sub in him; she could see it in how slack his face went and the loosening of his shoulders whenever she asked him to do it. But there were other things she wanted him to suck on right now and she drew her hand away to unbutton her shirt cuffs. “Can you put a good, thick pillow under your knees for me, Loki?”Oh. He could guess her plans and his mouth watered at the thought. Summoning a solid bolster, he re-situated himself in front of her and knelt on it, waiting for her directions. “Will this do?”“Perfect.” She tugged down the fishnet gloves from around her wrists (they’d been hidden under her cuffs), threading her middle fingers through the loops on each one. Shaking her hair back, she reached for the top button on her blouse. “Y’know, I feel kinda overdressed next to you. Let’s fix that.”With his eyes riveted on her, she popped the first button out of its hole, leisurely working her way down. Honestly, she was teasing herself as much as him; her fingers skimmed against her bare skin with each button, making her hotter. Loki looked half ready to rip off her blouse with the way his fists clenched on his thighs so she moved even slower, giving him little glimpses of her bare skin. Once she reached her waistband, she pushed her tits up and out, tugging the shirt free so she could undo the last few buttons.Casually, she rolled her shoulders to let the shirt fall down her arms a little, spreading the sides away from her body to properly showcase the sweet pink bra and ruffled garter belt she’d been hiding under it. His Adam’s apple bobbed and his knuckles turned white against his black stockings from the way he was trying to keep himself in check.Silly boy. He didn’t need to hold back on her account.“You can touch me, you know. I want you to, Loki.”Immediately, he surged forward, barely giving her time to spread her knees before he was crowding his body between her thighs. Her little strip tease had been highly effective and he needed her skin under his lips and hands. Sliding his hands behind her warm back, he dragged his mouth across every inch of her soft belly, leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses behind.Cradling his head against her, she combed her fingers through his hair, urging him on. “That’s a good boy. Don’t hold back, sweetheart. Touch me all you like.”He groaned against her sternum, turning his face into one of her breasts to breathe in her scent. How did she always know what to say? How could she always mean what she said? His own pleasure could wait a little longer; all he wanted in this moment was to get her off and so he snuck one hand under her hiked-up skirt. Instead of fabric though, all he found was wet skin, and he drew back, surprised.“You’re not wearing panties.”“Nope. I guess I thought the same as you: what’s the point?”Fucking Norns Below… That meant… He swallowed hard, feeling as though he was about to combust. She’d walked through the Tower like that, completely bare under her tight skirt, looking like she had… He kissed her fiercely, tugging recklessly at her waistband. He’d repair it later if needed, right now he just needed it off.“Mmph, like that do you?” she asked breathlessly once he moved to attacking her neck, not that she was complaining. He grazed his teeth just under her ear and she shuddered. “I wanna ask why but it can – it can wait. The zipper’s on my right side – alright, that works too.”Frustrated, he’d vanished the damned skirt to her bemusement, immediately working his fingers between her folds. She was gratifyingly aroused already and he dragged his knuckles over her slit, mouthing at her collarbone now.“Ooh, yeah, finger me, honey.” Her coordination took a dive once he sunk a finger inside her but she managed to fumble a bra cup down, freeing her boob. “Suck my tit.”He latched on to her offering, thoughts going wonderfully hazy as he obeyed her orders. Vaguely, he was aware of her leg bending around his torso, the heel of her shoe digging into the meat of his ass, and his prick jumped at the sensation. Precum was dribbling freely down his shaft and smearing against his stomach, and while he had a free hand to touch himself with, he’d rather fill it with her and he groped her other breast.God, his oral fixation was going to be her downfall. She’d turn full on supervillain if it meant getting his talented mouth on her; he was suckling at her nipple like a pro, lashing and flicking at it with his tongue. She could write fucking sonnets about his hands too, and the way he crooked two fingers inside her, drawing patterns on her g-spot that had her seeing stars. At the same time, his palm ground against her clit, sending up fireworks in her mind. The lightshow grew as her climax built to a crescendo.Gasping, she dragged his face up to hers, kissing him messily, all desperate breaths and tongue. “Oh fuck, oh, Loki, I’m close - !”“Yes,” he hissed, kissing her hard once more before diving back to her breast.He scraped his teeth along the pale slope, before narrowing in on her puffy, pink nipple, giving his lady just what she needed. Sucking hard and quick, he circled his fingertips against her front wall and felt her squeeze tightly around them. Her gasp bordered on a sob when she came, her body trembling with the intensity as she reflexively curled around him.Loki wrapped his free arm around her waist, warm and solid as she came down, and he managed to free his head from her constrictor hold to kiss her neck. “Did you enjoy that, my lady?”She shuddered again, her pussy fluttering with aftershocks, and she realized he’d left his fingers inside her. Most guys pulled out right after she came (dicks, fingers, toys, whatever), figuring they were done, but she didn’t like feeling empty so soon after. Had she said that to him? She couldn’t remember. She knew she’d told past subs that, especially in sessions where she expected multiple orgasms in quick succession.“I did.” She turned her head enough to kiss the nearest part of him (in this case the hair behind his ear). “Your hands are just as talented as that mouth of yours, sweetheart. I think I’m ready for my strap. Do you wanna help me put it on?”“It would be my absolute pleasure,” he said, grinning widely, gently removing his fingers from her quim. He popped them in his mouth and hummed around them. “So sweet.”Guh. He was too hot to be legal, honestly, with his face and his fingers and that damned smirky grin and ugh. If she’d still been wearing panties, he would’ve melted them clean off. But she had to pull herself together, not swoon in front of his charms. While his back was turned getting the strap-on, she quickly shook her hair back and tossed her make-out-smudged glasses onto the divan. Next, she tucked righty back into her bra cup and adjusted both girls so they were sitting high and pretty, before stripping off the blouse. Then she leaned back.When he turned around, it felt as though a rug had been pulled out from under him, leaving his stomach swooping and his heart thudding hard against his breastbone. Darcy had arranged herself erotically on the divan, with one arm draped above her head and her chest arched up invitingly. One heel rested on the floor while her other leg was bent up on the couch, tilted open against the bed’s footboard. Between her legs, her free hand clearly played with her cunt.If he hadn’t been rock hard already, he absolutely would’ve been now.In his hand, the leather harness creaked and he quickly loosened his hold on the thin straps. It was no Asgardian leather, but it was well-crafted and strong enough for its purpose. Darcy clearly took care of it; it was well-conditioned: supple and smooth, without any cracks. Even the hardware – the rivets and rings – were polished and shining. In his other hand, he nervously adjusted his grip around the double-ended dildo, blisteringly aware of where it would soon go.“Come here, sweetheart,” Darcy said on a moan, biting her lip as she toyed with her clit. “You want to help, don’t you?”Whether she meant achieving climax or helping her into the harness was immaterial. The answer was an absolute: “Yes. How can I assist, my lady?”“Sit right here.” She pointed to a spot beside her and he quickly and easily sank to his knees, peeking over her thigh to where she pleasured herself. She quirked an eyebrow and dipped two fingers inside; his eyes stayed riveted. “Do you like watching?”His bottom lip disappeared as he sucked it into his mouth. “I prefer participating, my lady.”She rolled her eyes fondly. “I know that. But I can’t help but notice you staring. Do you like watching me touch myself? Does it excite you or are you just impatient to join in?”“A bit of both.” He hooked his chin over her thigh, wishing she’d put those delicate fingers of hers in his mouth. He wanted another taste of her. “It’s titillating, to be sure, seeing how you pleasure yourself, but you’re right: I am impatient to join in. You know how much I enjoy licking you.”That sounded like he’d enjoy being made to watch her masturbate, but would he like the part where he was tied up and unable to touch? She put a pin in that idea, making a mental note to ask more probing questions later.“We’ll see about you eating me out. For now, hand me the dildo. I want you to spread me open.”Watching avidly, he made a ‘v’ of his fingers, pinning her labia out of the way and revealing the slick, inner pink of her. Her entrance fluttered in anticipation, and he swallowed down a groan; Norns, but he wanted to bury his face in her quim, wanted to feel that fluttering around his prick. It took considerable will to not take himself in hand and stroke himself to completion but she hadn’t given him permission.She couldn’t help the high-pitched little coo she made when she touched the dildo’s head to her clit, circling it around teasingly. Loki’s fingers pressed against her a little harder as she did and she darted a look at him. The pure, unadulterated hunger on his face made her heart race and her stomach clench. He wanted her so bad, and she worked the tip a little faster up and down her slit, getting the silicone wet with her slick. Finally, she worked it in, taking it to the base with a decadent moan. It wasn’t flesh and blood but it felt damn good, and she wrapped her hand around the other end, jerking it a few times.“Fuck, Darcy,” he said under his breath, watching her stroke her cock (nuance be damned). He wondered again how she’d react if he suggested a seidr construct; if she’d be open to that kind of (temporary) modification. “You’re magnificent.”“Yeah? You like how it looks?” Obviously, he liked what it meant (ie having his brains banged out) but did the visuals do anything for him? “Do you wanna give it a little kiss?”Abruptly, his nose wrinkled, a frown pulling at his lips as he met her eyes. “I don’t particularly care for the taste of silicone; do you?”She pouted. “Party pooper. Ah well. Help me put on the harness?”“...Is that alright?” he asked quietly as he helped her to her feet. Her phallus bobbed a little, quite close to his cheek, and his heart hammered excitedly in his chest. “That I don’t want to?”“Absolutely,” she promised, smiling down at him. He was being so good, asking instead of assuming the worst and beating himself up. And it was fine; she’d just have to content herself with imagining him begging to suck on her strap.The small frisson of worry he’d felt passed through him and he kissed the soft skin of her hip in gratitude. Taking up the harness, he shook the straps out, orientating it properly before gesturing her to step through the holes. Darcy balanced herself with a hand on his shoulder as he guided the leather around each heeled foot and then up her legs, making sure the hardware didn’t catch on her fishnets and tear them. The hip buckles had been left almost entirely loose so that the steel o-ring could be slid over her dildo of choice without the straps falling every which way.It felt breathtakingly intimate to take that ring and pass it over the smooth head of her cock, down her veined shaft, and nestle it against the slightly flared base. It was a decent enough cushion but he added a subtle charm to ensure her comfort and prevent any bruising. His fingers shook slightly as he tightened the straps on one side, and Darcy pressed her hand over his.“Hey, you okay?” she asked quietly. “I know how much you’ve been looking forward to this.”It made sense to her that he might need a minute to chill out, the anticipation having been built so high for so long. She had more experience with all this but even she felt a bit like vibrating out of her skin right now.Instead of answering right away, he bowed his head, pressing his forehead to her hip, holding her in place. His breath stuttered past his lips. Norns below, but he wanted this so badly, had wanted it for weeks (and what were weeks to a being as long lived as him? But his patience frayed so very quickly when it came to her and those weeks had felt like a lifetime).“Loki.”Her voice was sterner this time, expecting an answer, and he corralled himself, sitting back and turning his attention to the still-loose hip strap. “I’m alright, my lady. Merely anticipatory. There. Is that comfortable? Does it need to be tighter?”The leather was snug against her skin without biting in and she gave a few experimental thrusts to get a proper feel. Nothing could replicate actually fucking but the harness didn’t fall down, or even slip, which was a good sign. Loki, meanwhile, gulped audibly at the action.“It’s perfect, thank you, honey,” she purred, bending over to tilt his chin up with one finger. “What’s your color?”“Green,” he rasped, hastily wetting his lips. “Please, Darcy…”“Get comfy on the bed, Loki. On your back,” she told him as he scrambled to obey. As fun as hitting it from behind was, she wanted them in missionary this first time; seeing his facial expressions would make it easier to gauge his comfort level and she was determined to make this as comfortable (and mind-blowing) as possible.He practically threw himself on the bed, all his suave grace tossed aside in favor of expediency. The many blankets had been vanished but a variety of pillows were still in place to assist with positioning and he put one under his head, wriggling a bit to ensure none of his muscles were awkwardly bunched or strained.Using her heels to maximum effect, Darcy sashayed toward the bed, feeling like the hottest Dom in the dungeon. She loved the way the dildo shifted inside her pussy with each step, the other half swaying in the air, big and bold and promising. Loki couldn’t take his eyes off of her; he was practically salivating and God, that stroked her ego.“Look at you, such a pretty boy… And all mine too. Do you have any idea how lucky I feel, getting to play with you? Getting to fuck that sexy ass of yours?”Blood burned in his cheeks, born from the sheer arousal Darcy inspired and the bashfulness her compliments caused. They fell so easily from her mouth: that he was pretty and sexy, that she was the lucky one. She’d called him ‘mine’ and his heart raced in his throat, willing to do anything to make her say it again (to make it true and real and forev-). The urge to deny it all rose up too, but he successfully bit it back. Quibbling over which of them was the lucky one would only further delay them.“For all your talk, you’re certainly taking your time. My patience is waning.” Evidently, she needed incentive to join him and he had no problem providing it. He thumbed his nipples through the brassiere, feeling them stiffen more under the slightly coarse fabric, and groaned. “I’ll have to start without you…”Certain he had her undivided attention, he pushed his hands down his chest, over the band criss-crossing his torso, across his quivering belly to where his cock lay, thick and heavy. He skipped past it, pulling his knees up so he could spread his thighs for her. His stomach tightened, precum dribbling from his slit, as he slowly dragged his hands back up. His inner thighs had always been so sensitive, even to his own touch, and knowing he was displaying himself for Darcy, that he was trying to entice her, made them so much more so. He couldn’t wait to have her hips between them, to feel the indentations her harness would leave…“Ah!” His head tilted back into the pillow as he closed a hand around his prick, slowly pushing the foreskin up around his tip before jerking it down. His other hand reached further down, cradling his balls up against his pelvis, leaving his taint and ass exposed to her if she cared to look. He swallowed hard, then let his lips pull into a self-satisfied grin, directing it her way. “Care to join me yet?”Hell yes! She needed to get the fuck on that bed and between those gorgeous thighs before she spontaneously combusted.“You make a good argument, pretty boy,” she said, proud of herself for not tripping over her tongue. Bracing one knee on the mattress, she let her heel clatter to the floor, then repeated the process with the other one, before crawling between his legs. “How can I refuse?”Slowly, holding his eyes as long as possible, she lowered her head between those crazy long legs and kissed the white skin just above his stocking. His hips gave an aborted buck, half her name escaping him before it turned into a deep, drawn out groan as she sucked the delicate skin into her mouth. She’d never gotten a satisfactory answer about how he felt about markings. She wanted to turn his flawless skin into a mess of hickies and bite marks, but without that firm and decided answer… She settled for nipping at his thigh, grinning widely when it made him whimper.“Darcy… Darcy, please! I can’t wait anymore.” He felt half mad with the desperation clawing at his insides.“You’ve been so patient, haven’t you, sweetheart?” she crooned, popping the cap on the lube. She poured a generous amount out into her palm and slathered it over her strap. “That kinda patience deserves a big reward.”Her exaggerated wink as she stroked her cock had him barking out a hoarse laugh. “I’m more than ready for my ‘big reward’. Norns, come on…”Finally, she capitulated, guiding herself between his cheeks. He felt the cool, blunt press of the phallus against his hole and nearly froze, he was wound so tightly. He wanted her to sink into him, to take her whole length in one push, but he knew she wouldn’t. Especially not this first time.“Breathe, Loki. Nice and steady for me.”One of her small hands landed on his sternum, a finger tapping firmly on the bone, and he obediently inhaled and exhaled, forcing his muscles to relax. He already knew he liked this, liked having his ass played with and fucked, knew Darcy would take her time and make it good for him. She pressed forward, the head easing past his hole, and he was loose because there was no pain, no sting, nothing but the gentle resistance of his body that made it feel so good as she slowly inched deeper.“Faen…” His eyes rolled back at the sheer pleasure of it all. Norns, the way she pressed in so inexorably, as if nothing would stop her from filling him, from consuming him, entirely...“How’s it feel, honey? Tell me.”“Exquisite,” he said, completely breathless already. “Fuck, Darcy -”Words failed him. He’d had bigger (the prostate massager for one, himself for another), but he’d been fully in control of them, could decide how fast and how deep, but this was different. This was her: Darcy, his lady, and she held all the cards here, all the control, and he could only lay back and enjoy it.“That good, huh?” He certainly looked as though he felt fan-fucking-tastic, with his dreamily slack expression and the teeth digging into his bottom lip, and she clenched around her end of the dildo. “You like taking my dick, don’t you, sweetheart? You wanna be completely split open on it?”Loki straight-up whimpered, canting his hips up to her, and his voice was thick when he answered: “Yesss. Please, Darcy, I want all of you. I can take it...”He was pleading, looking up at her with half-lidded eyes that were already hazy with pleasure. He was taking to pegging like a regular cockslut: perfectly lax and malleable under her and desperate to be fucked, to take her strap to the hilt and writhe on it. Darcy couldn’t deny how much that turned her on and she quickly grabbed his slim hips, burying the rest of the strap between his cheeks.Something fell past his lips, some combination of curse and prayer, and his hands quickly scrambled in the sheets, fisting them tightly. Fucking Norns Below… Her cock was rigid and perfect, filling him as deep as it could go, with Darcy’s pelvis flush to his ass and her small hands holding tight to his hips. He clamped around it, moaning shamelessly.She smirked to herself; this was definitely going to be the session that proved he was hella vocal, she just knew it.“How’s that feel, honey? Does my dick feel good so deep in your ass?” She nudged her hips forward a little bit more, smirking when he made a choked noise, his thighs flexing on either side of her. “Answer me, Loki.”He groaned at her tone of voice, hastily wiping a hand over his face. “Norns, you’re going to kill me. You feel amazing, my lady. Please… Fuck, please move.”“Since you asked so nicely…” she said teasingly, slowly withdrawing a tiny bit, then pushing back in. A very satisfying breathy noise escaped him and she did it again, drawing out another one as she built a slow and easy rhythm. “Is this good?”“Yes.” Norns, the drag of her against his rim… “F-faster. I can take it, Darcy.”Smothering a smile, she sped up a little, moaning herself as the dildo shifted inside her with every thrust. “Of course you can. You’ll take anything I give you, won’t you, sweetie? You’re such a good boy, taking my dick so well.”The praise made him squirm, even as he arched into her thrusts, his legs falling open wider for her. It felt divine, the way she split him open, her cock plunging inside him, her thighs slapping against his ass, lighting up his senses in golden bliss. He wanted more, wanted her to fuck the thoughts right out of his mind until he was nothing but pleasure and need and a home for her prick.“Mo-more,” he managed to pant out, destroyed by how calm and at ease she looked as she took him apart. Her utter enjoyment was obvious but she was nowhere near as wrecked as he felt, and for some reason that made his cock jump. “Faen, harder, my lady. Please, I’m good.”The last was said on a whimper that went straight to her pussy.“You are,” she crooned, palming his thick thigh and encouraging it up around her. Loki took the hint easily, wrapping his legs around her waist and locking his ankles behind her. “You’re so good, Loki, and so fucking hot. Look at you: all spread out for me and begging for it. I’m gonna make my good boy come buckets. You’re already making a puddle; look.”He hardly needed to; he could feel the precum pooling on his belly, his cockhead slipping through it with every one of her thrusts. The new angle had her glancing against that perfect place inside him, and he couldn’t possibly keep silent. He’d be embarrassed by the sounds he was making if he wasn’t so incandescent, his orgasm coiling tightly in his groin. It was Valhalla and more, and he nearly wanted to cry with it.“Darcy...Darcy...fuck!” He whined pitifully when she withdrew further only to slam into him and drive the breath from his lungs. “Shit, Darcy, I’m going to – Can I – Please!”“Are you close already, honey? Do you need to come?”Norns, she was so cruel and if he didn’t love it so much, he’d hate it. “Y-yes, fuck! I’m going –“She wrapped her fingers tightly around the base of his dick and his eyes shot open. “No. Not yet.”“D-Darcy,” he breathed, looking between her small hand gripping him so firmly and her impassive expression. Her hips shifted forward and he choked; she’d nudged right against his prostate. “I – please?”“Nope,” she said as neutrally as she could manage. She kept a hold of his throbbing dick (she swore she could feel his heartbeat like this) and rocked against him, hitting his prostate again. “You don’t get to come until I say so, Loki. I wanna see how long you can last.”“What…” He wet his lips, still staring at her in disbelief. Surely she couldn’t mean to edge him now. But she kept lazily thrusting into him, hitting that spot with perfect, impossible to withstand precision, all while she squeezed the base of his prick and looked back at him as if daring him to argue. “My lady, ah, please. I can’t… I need to come. Please, Darcy.”It was sweet how his chin trembled, with his skin flushed and his eyes gone black with arousal as his dick leaked all over her hand. Despite his complaints, he made no move to dislodge her grip or switch their positions. He may have been desperate to shoot his load but he was letting her decide and God, if that didn’t do it for her. She clenched around her dildo, grinding into him and against the base, electrifying her clit.“I love hearing you beg, sweetheart. Fuck, you have no idea how wet I am.” She was dripping around the strap and down her thighs. When this was over, she was going to make him eat her out until she screamed, and she couldn’t help squeezing her own tit, moaning. “You’re so good to me. I know you can wait a little longer.”She watched him try to stay stoic and wait her out, but she just kept her hand tight around his dick while she tapped against his prostate with every forward roll of her hips. She was winning this battle of wills, unless he used his colors or safeword and she didn’t think he would. He was enjoying himself too much to tell her to stop in any seriousness, and his legs were tight and heavy around her waist, holding her in place. Still…“What’s your color?”Loki swallowed hard, nearly trembling with need and lust and holding back the stream of words filling his mouth. “Green,” he managed truthfully, shuddering as she slid her free hand along his flank soothingly.“Such a good boy. I knew you’d like this.”A whine built deep in his chest and he couldn’t lay still any longer, writhing and clawing at the sheets. The pleasure just kept building, with no relief in sight, and Darcy’s hand stroked his side and hip and thigh as she encouraged him on, called him ‘good’ and ‘patient’ and ‘strong’. He whimpered carelessly; how was he supposed to survive this? All this praise and affectionate touch and her, warm and solid between his legs, as she put him through the sweetest torture?Despite his efforts, the words came flooding out of him: an incomprehensible mix of Aesir and English that filled the air alongside the slapping together of flesh and the wet sounds of her strap sliding in and out of both of them.Awestruck, Darcy listened to him babble, only making out a few phrases here and there (“please” and “let me come” and conversely: “don’t stop”). He was utterly gorgeous twisting in the sheets, mouth moving a mile a minute, and she’d never seen him like this, so completely undone and wrecked and begging for more. She didn’t know what he was saying in his first language but she figured it was safe to assume it ran along the same lines as his English, since he was still eagerly meeting her thrusts, his legs tight around her, encouraging her on.“Fuck, Loki, I’m gonna have to peg you every week if you keep this up. You’re fucking beautiful on my strap, honey. You love it, don’t you?”“Ja,” he nodded frantically, squeezing his eyes shut when she rubbed against his prostate again. “Ja, jeg - jeg elsker det… Norns, please, Darcy! Pleasepleaseplease. Can I come? I can’t… I can’t hold back any – anymore.”He was whiny and breathless, all pink and sweaty as his chest heaved and his dick twitched desperately in her hand.“Alright. Come, Loki.”She finally released his prick, grinding against his prostate, and he came with a roar, bowing off the bed with the force of it. Every muscle tensed, pleasure erupting along every nerve and dissolving his mind into bliss and nothingness.“Damn.”Darcy was impressed. Thick ropes of cum had splattered up his entire torso, all the way to his bra, and his dick still twitched helplessly, dribbling more even as it softened. Loki himself was boneless under her, his legs flopped on either side of her, as he tried rather desperately to catch his breath. She mentally patted herself on the back; she’d definitely fucked his brains out.She gave him a minute, petting his thighs and sides, not moving or lavishing him in praise like she wanted. She had a feeling it’d be overwhelming, if he could even hear her.“Hey, honey, how’re you? You doing okay?” she finally checked, giving his hip a firm squeeze to draw his attention.At first, all that came out was a warbly moan, before he sucked in a deeper breath and managed a faint: “Good.”What else could he be when he still felt as though he were floating? His every muscle quivered, and his groin held a pleasant ache, echoes of pleasure wracking him.“Yeah? Oh!” Darcy’s heart sank unpleasantly. “Did I hurt you, Loki?”Her question made no sense and he tried to piece together his fractured mind, prying open his eyes to look at her through his lashes. Concern and the beginnings of guilt marred her features and he couldn’t have that.“No, my lady,” he assured hoarsely, then swallowed. “Why?”Daring to stretch forward (he moaned when her strap moved), she touched the wetness gathered in the outer corner of his eye and showed it to him. “’Cause you’re crying, sweetheart. Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”“Oh.” His thoughts were syrupy and slow so it took a long moment to comprehend why his tears would concern her so. “You made me come.”Her frown deepened, brows drawing together in a ‘v’. “Yeah? And?? Is that a bad thing?”“No?”Now he was frowning and looking at her like she’d lost her marbles, when he was the one not explaining anything or reassuring her. Pinching her lips together tightly, she grabbed the base of her strap, doing her utmost to be careful as she removed it since he refused to actually say if he was hurt or not. Her stomach twisted horribly; she’d been careful! And it seemed like he’d really enjoyed it! But he didn’t like pain and…“Ohh, Darcy, wait, wait.” She was trying to pull out and it made his mind work faster, realizing he needed to actually explain before he hurt her. “Darcy, you didn’t hurt me, I assure you.”His voice was so soft and earnest, his hands lightly cupping her arms, trying to hold her to him.She huffed. “Then why are you crying?”He chuckled lowly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Because you made me come so hard I thought I’d died. It was overwhelming. In the best way, I promise.”“...Oh. Okay.” She understood that, getting so overwhelmed that your body had to release it in tears too, and her worry dissipated. “You had me scared for a minute.”“I see that; I’m sorry. Please assume if I tear up after climaxing that hard again that they’re naught but tears of joy,” he said with a teasing lilt, a smile pulling at his lips. Only she would fret so needlessly. “Why don’t you pull out and we’ll take a short break, hm?”He was thoroughly parched and he summoned a pitcher of cider, while his seidr swept over them both, freshening them up. Darcy obligingly withdrew and while he didn’t care for the empty feeling in his ass, he had plans to fill it again as soon as he’d drunk his fill. He didn’t notice her chewing on her lip until she spoke.“Er, Loki? I really, really want to come.” If he needed a break to recover, she respected that but if she didn’t get her hands between her legs ASAP, she was going to lose it, and not in the fun way. She was sopping wet and more than a little desperate, her pussy clenching needily around her dildo. “Do you, um, do you mind if I rub one out?”She wasn’t really asking his permission; she’d do it in the en suite if she needed to, but she was being polite.He arched an eyebrow at her over the rim of his glass, then put it down, a slow, sharp grin taking over his lips.“Don’t be absurd, my lady. Come sit on my lap. It would be an honor to help you find your pleasure.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Don’t be absurd, my lady. Come sit on my lap. It would be an honor to help you find your pleasure.”Grinning, she shuffled forward into his outstretched arms, kissing him deep and dirty as his hands wandered across her back and down to her ass. She gasped out a moan when he started kneading her cheeks, making her hips rock.“Loki… I need…”His lips dragged down to her neck, sucking on that spot that always made her shiver before whispering, “Turn around, my lady.”He helped her into his lap, her back against his chest and his prick trapped against the cleft of her ass. She wriggled impatiently and he swallowed a groan, quickly loosening both of her hip straps. Taking her cock in one hand, he pulled it forward and inserted the fingers of his other hand in the space between the base and her mons, stroking her clit.“Oh fuck! Loki -!”“I’ve got you,” he murmured against the shell of her ear, adjusting them both with that super strength of his so her knees splayed open on either side of his. “Norns, you’re so lovely and wet, Darcy. I’m flattered you enjoyed pegging me so much.”“Y-yeah?” Her voice pitched up embarrassingly as Loki slowly pushed the dildo back into her, his fingers still circling her clit. “Is that ‘cause you liked having me fuck your ass so much?”“Mm, yes.” He debated with himself for a moment, watching over her shoulder as he stroked her cock, working the dildo in and out of her quim. Darcy squirmed wonderfully against him, and he decided to test the waters, so to speak. “I think...perhaps we’d both enjoy it even more if it was real. Your cock, I mean. I could use seidr.”Darcy’s insides clenched, helped in part by Loki’s fingers speeding up. “You want – unh – you want to make me a guy?”He shook his head beside hers. Although… “If you want to, I’d be happy to give it a try, but I quite like your more feminine attributes.” (He tweaked her nipple through her bra, making it clear which of her ‘attributes’ he was referring to.) “I mentioned before that I sometimes combine genitals… You could do the same, if you wished.”Holy shit. He wanted to extend his shapeshifting to her? She bit her lip, watching as he jerked her strap, and wondered what it’d be like to have a real dick, how it would be different from a pussy….“You could feel what it’s like to have me wrapped around you,” he whispered roughly against her ear, grinding against her ass. “How tight I’d be, how I’d squeeze around you, begging for more…”“Fuck, Loki. Faster,” she all-but-whimpered. “I’m close.”“If this lovely cock of yours was flesh and blood, I’d do more than kiss it, Darcy,” he promised, doing as she bid eagerly, working her cock and his fingers against her. “My silver tongue doesn’t discriminate: I’d suck you just as well as I lick you, my lady. Perhaps you’d even let me do both. Would you like that, hm? Having a cock and a cunt that I could attend to?”“Loki!”That tightly wound coil inside her exploded with his words, waves of bliss washing out her senses and stretching every muscle taut before releasing her to float. She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her and she felt Loki’s answering chuckle rumble through her back.“That good, hm?” he teased, nuzzling his nose into her hair. She didn’t always giggle after she climaxed but he theorized that the ones where she did were especially good for whatever reason (not that he harbored any doubts about the authenticity of her other orgasms; he was quite confident they were entirely genuine, if only because he couldn’t imagine Darcy ever faking it).She hummed happily, still riding the endorphin rush. She liked the way he was holding her, all cuddled up against his chest, his right hand still petting her mons while the other covered her belly warmly. A flick of seidr left her all cleaned up and he offered her a glass of cider. He was so sweet and good to her, and when she finished drinking her fill, she made sure to tell him so.“My lady deserves nothing less,” he said decidedly, dipping to kiss her cheek.Feeling disconcertingly warm and fuzzy, she patted his knee and wriggled out of his lap, gathering her messy hair behind her. “So, how do you want round two? I’m open to anything. You could ride me if you want? Or we could try doggy-style?”The logistics of that one were a little complicated since his thighs were longer than hers (his everything was longer than hers, the freakin’ giant), but that was another reason she’d worn heels tonight; she should be tall enough to line everything up if he bent over the edge of the bed.But Loki didn’t answer right away and she looked up from tightening her hip straps. “What? Got something else in mind?”“Of a sort.” There was something...amiss in her actions just now and he struggled to pinpoint it. Cocking his head, he wondered: “Are you satisfied?”“Yeaaah? I got off.” Her eyebrows scrunched together; did he think she’d faked it or something? “I don’t fake my orgasms anyway but definitely not when I’m Domming, pfft. Why would I? Though I guess if it was a humiliation thing…? But I don’t like doing that stuff -”She was getting carried away in her musings and he smiled fondly, gently redirecting the conversation. “I thought as much, but that’s not precisely what I asked, is it? Climax is not the only aim of our sessions, my lady, especially not one that was so quick and to the point.”Businesslike. That was the term that came to him and he realized what was bothering him. She’d achieved her release and then it was right back to the night’s plan, as if her bodily pleasure was extraneous, a quick deviation that wasn’t important, or should’ve been ignored. Even the way she’d spoken of her need, almost apologetically, felt distressingly transactional compared to their usual mien. As if he wouldn’t be interested in it or eagerly take care of her in whatever way she dictated.She blinked her wide blue eyes at him without a trace of understanding and a spark of anger flared under his ribs before he quickly smothered it. She’d been a professional, and he was the first partner she’d Dommed privately by her own admission. She wasn’t treating him like a client on purpose. ...At least, he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.“Darcy… There’s no rush, is there? I’d love for you to peg me again, of course, but the physical act doesn’t do much for you, does it? Not with this silicone facsimile. And a quick orgasm is less than you deserve. So I’ll ask again: are you satisfied, my lady?”Oh. She...suddenly very much wasn’t. She’d gotten so caught up in pegging him that she’d apparently put her arousal on the back burner, so much so that Loki had noticed and was calling her out on it, even. (It was this kind of thing that made her think he’d be a good Dom, if he ever wanted to switch.) She had to bite back her automatic assurances, to put the focus back on him, because he was right to ask and she didn’t lie when she played.“...Not exactly. You’re right. Sorry,” she couldn’t help wincing a bit. She should be better than this! Ignoring her own wants and needs did no one any favors. “I like pegging you, don’t get me wrong! And the dildo feels good mostly but… Yeah. It’s not ringing my bell. But not all sex has to end with both of us coming! So I didn’t think it was a big deal.”Her voice lilted up, making it sound almost like a question, and she looked adorably sheepish despite her erotic attire and phallus.It made it easier for him to admit: “Your enjoyment during our sessions is always a ‘big deal’, Darcy. It’s of paramount importance to me. If...anything about our time together is lacking...or dissatisfactory…”“It’s not,” she interrupted kindly, before he really got going. She rubbed her thumb between his frowny eyebrows, then cupped his cheek. “If it ever is, I’ll tell you so we can fix it, I promise. And I’m having a great time tonight. I just...need a little more attention. Good on you for noticing; thank you.”Ignoring her thanks, he twisted to kiss her palm. “Lay down, my lady, and I’ll worship you as long as you allow.”The smolder in his green eyes certainly promised hours of debauchery and, as she laid back against the pile of pillows he’d casually summoned, she wondered just how long he could go and whether she’d be able to keep up, human as she was. Maybe they could test their stamina during the next long weekend; she’d definitely need the extra day to recover if they went at it all night.“May I remove this?” he asked, trailing a finger along the lines of her harness. “Temporarily, of course.”“Sure.”Rather than vanishing it like she expected, Loki methodically undid each strap, his long fingers working nimbly, before he gripped the base and gently pulled the dildo out. She must’ve looked as confused as she felt because his mouth quirked up when he saw her expression.“I thought the sudden absence of the dildo might feel odd,” he explained, setting everything aside as a green haze cleaned it all.“Oh. That...makes sense.” It’d probably feel weird as heck and she wondered if he knew from experience. “You’re so thoughtful, honey.”He didn’t know about that, but he had better uses for his mouth than arguing at the moment. Settling his body between her thighs, he draped his weight carefully over her, kissing her to start. He’d had some lovers who didn’t care overmuch for this intimacy so he was grateful Darcy apparently enjoyed it as much as he did. Feeling her plush lips against his, sharing heated breaths, the slick slide of tongues and the scrape of teeth… He could lose himself in her for hours this way.Her lips were buzzing and lungs aching when she finally pulled herself away. “Mmm, what about your back? Is it okay like this?”“You fret too much. It’s fine,” he murmured against her jaw, working his way down to her pale throat. “You have such a beautiful neck.”It would look good covered in his marks but he restrained himself, discomfort prickling in his chest. A bruise was a bruise, regardless of context, but that didn’t stop him from grazing his teeth ever so lightly over her skin; Darcy moaned, tilting her chin up to give him better access and he applied his tongue to the straining tendons, tasting her sweat. It would look good swathed in jewelry too, he supposed; something gold and green to mark her as his.He hid a rueful smile against her clavicle; such arrogant hopes he had! The only thing he’d ever seen Darcy wear around her neck was her near-ubiquitous scarf, and he doubted very much she’d be impressed by such a possessive gesture if he were to suggest it. She’d not found his jealousy flattering after all. Soothing his foolish fantasies, he nuzzled against her soft skin, inhaling the familiar scent of citrus and vanilla.“I’ve been meaning to ask: is it perfume you use or something else? You always smell so good.”“Um.” Her mind was a little scattered, what with those drugging kisses of his; he was peppering kisses over her chest now, inching up her breast. “It’s a...whole set. Lotion and body wash and – ohh.”He’d cleverly bunched her bra cup under his chin, finding her nipple and sucking a kiss over it, and she arched into him.“As alluring as this is, I think it’s time to remove it, don’t you?” he asked, stroking his fingers under her bra strap.Biting her lip, she nodded. “Yeah.”Her breasts spilled out as her brassiere vanished, and he took a moment just to savor the sight, framing them with his hands. “Utterly magnificent,” he murmured, nearly to himself. “You were saying?”What was she saying? Oh, right. “And uh, body spray. I like how you smell too, by the way. Whatever herb combo it is, it’s nice and cozy.”Loki hummed, and pushed her breasts together, dipping his head to reverently kiss first one, then the other. “’Cozy’ isn’t usually a word associated with me. Have I mentioned yet how perfect your breasts are?”“Not in so many words, no, but I kinda guessed as much. And if no one thinks you’re cozy, they’ve never seen your bed, with your zillion pillows and blankets.”He inclined his head, conceding that point at least. “I enjoy options. Such as which breast I should lavish my attention on first. Now let’s see…”She laughed brightly, amused by his faux-serious perusal, and he quickly hid his no doubt love-struck expression against her sternum. He needed to wrangle these silly feelings of his under control before Darcy caught on.“Y’know...You could suffocate in there,” she felt the need to point out, craning her neck to look at the top of his head. He’d more or less faceplanted between her boobs and unless he needed less oxygen than humans, he should probably come back up for air sooner rather than later. “I’m not explaining you died by epic boobage to your family.”“I think they’d be understanding. At the least, you could truthfully say that I died happy.”His quip was muffled against her skin and she snorted; he was being ridiculous. But it filled her chest with warm fuzzies that he felt happy with her, even if the reason boiled down to naked lady + boner = good times.She gave his hair a strong tug. “C’mon, mister. Lefty here’s feeling left out, and I want the girls to feel even tomorrow.”Fire burned unexpectedly in his belly. Darcy had never mentioned feeling the consequences of their sessions on Monday before, but she must. The strain of well-used muscles, the phantom touch of lips and fingers against her most intimate places, the sweet ache in her quim from being stretched around his cock… Did she relive their sessions in her head at work, think of them in bed with her hands between her legs, as he did? Norns, just the idea of it set his blood alight.“Is that so?” he murmured darkly, dragging his tongue up the slope of her left breast and flicking it against her stiff nipple. “Mm, I’ll have to rectify that, my lady.”He held her eyes for a second, all black and full of promise, before he dipped his head and took her nipple into his sinful mouth. Each suckle shot straight to her clit and tugged, and she writhed under him, arching up against the weight of his body.“God, Loki… You’re so good at this, honey. You’ve got such a talented fucking mouth,” she sighed, clutching her hands in the sheets. “Such a good boy.”The words washed over him, turning his mind into a haze of barely formed thoughts. She made it so easy to be good, to earn her praises… Why did everyone else make it so hard? Her body was warm beneath him, pressing against all his angles and hard planes, inviting him to relax into her so he did. He had only his lady and her desires to concern himself with, and everything else was immaterial. He simply did as she bid, pulling her nipple between his lips again and again.“Fuck, sweetheart…” He was so into it, so completely relaxed and focused, that she hated to stop him but goddamn, she needed him further south pronto. She pushed at his shoulder, and his eyes blearily opened to meet hers. “I need you to eat me out.”His gaze sharpened a little at the order, but he looked between her breasts, innocently wondering: “Will they feel even now?”Darcy blinked at him, confused, before she made the connection and then she couldn’t help snorting a laugh, assuring him: “I’m pretty sure they will. You did a good job, Loki, but now I want that mouth of yours on my pussy.”Satisfied, he nodded, depositing one last kiss to her breast before shifting down. She was quite clear where she wanted him, but how could he resist lavishing his attention on all the skin in between? Surely, she’d forgive him the kisses he scattered across her torso, the brush of his cheek against her ruffled garter belt, the dip of his tongue in her naval… Her legs spread easily for him when he nipped lightly at her hipbone, and he traced his lips along the edge of her stocking band, until he could feel the heat of her quim against his cheek.He was tempted to pause and savor the sight of her spread before him like a feast, but he could read her impatience in the way she shifted on the sheets and the barest edge to her sighs. He owed his lady promptness and he quickly set to licking her cunt.At the first touch of his tongue, it felt like all her muscles turned to liquid and she melted into the mattress. It made zero sense; he’d teased enough that she was desperate to go screaming over the finish line ASAP. With anyone else, she knew she’d be facefucking them already, riding their mouth into the sunset. But even as Loki worked her over, building her arousal up to an orgasm, she felt weirdly chill? It wasn’t a bad thing; everything still felt really good and she still definitely, enthusiastically wanted to see the night through, but it niggled at the back of her brain.He came up for breath for a second, flashing her a grin, before he dove back in, and Darcy realized it was trust. She trusted him: to take care of her in the bedroom, to respect and honor her limits, to be as invested in her pleasure and enjoyment as he was in his own. She’d always trusted her subs on the first two counts (because if she didn’t, they didn’t play), but she’d never been with a sub who she thought genuinely cared more about her getting off than their own needs.Reaching down, she tangled her fingers in his hair, cupping the back of his head encouragingly, and he hummed against her, making her clench around the fingers he was rubbing against her g-spot. “Fuck, honey, I’m so close…”He zeroed in on her clit, thrumming his tongue against her in a way that made her eyes cross and her brain white-out. Instantly, she was coming so hard that it surprised even her. It was like she’d been thrown out of her own body: she heard herself babble something completely unintelligible and possibly not even in English and ‘saw’ herself yank way too hard on Loki’s hair, before she sank back into her skin, panting and shaking like a leaf.“Holy sh-shit…”Loki kissed her trembling thigh, and levered up, sliding a warm hand up her side. Darcy reached for him and he went willingly, easing his fingers from her fluttering quim before fitting his body snugly around hers.She gasped quietly against his chest, a shaky note in her voice when she declared: “A+ job. Guess… Guess I gotta admit you’re the best now, huh?”He hummed above her head, amusement curling his mouth, as he trailed his fingers up and down her back. “It does seem silly to keep lying to yourself, but it’s your prerogative, my lady. I’m content to continue proving my skills.”Snorting a laugh, she pressed herself closer to him and he obligingly tightened his arm around her, dropping a kiss in her hair. He was cuddling her the same way she usually cuddled him, making himself a safe place for her to come down from an unexpectedly intense orgasm.What was even up with that? Loki was that good (her refusal to admit it was more playful than remotely true. As if a human could outperform an alien with a couple centuries of experience, pfft), but she hadn’t come that hard before with him. Was it the trust thing? Probably.“Did um, did I hurt you? When I pulled your hair? I didn’t mean to pull so hard.”He ‘humph’ed. “Must you fret over everything? You hardly did it on purpose.”“...So that’s a yes, then?”Rolling his eyes, he scrunched down enough to meet her timid gaze. “No,” he said slowly, as if explaining to a particularly thick courtier, or, in this case, a needlessly worried lover. “I never said such a thing. Do not presume to put words in my mouth, Darcy. You didn’t hurt me. I’d prefer a lighter hand next time you pull my hair of course, but when you’re in the throes of climax? Well, I’ll have failed at my task if you can hold yourself in check like that, wouldn’t you agree?”To his relief, she didn’t argue, but grinned brightly, darting in for a soft kiss. “Good point. You were incredible, bee tee dubs. Maaaybe not quite the best, but def close. Neck and neck, at least.”“Minx,” he growled and dragged her close, pinning her down easily as he attacked her mouth amid her peels of laughter. She was clearly teasing him, but all he felt was relief to have erased the worry from her eyes, and the chorus in his heart rang out triumphantly.Soon, her laughs turned to moans and when her small hands grabbed his ass, so did his.Her fingers teased along his cleft and he groaned, hands pressing into her skin. “Mm, can I ride you?”“Absolutely,” she agreed immediately. He’d look so good above her, and she couldn’t wait to watch him. She pushed against his shoulder impatiently. “Come on. And you need more lube!”He chuckled at her enthusiasm, obligingly summoning the bottle of lube from where it had rolled to the end of the bed. “Of course, my lady.”Squirting some of the liquid onto his fingers, he reached behind himself and pressed in against his hole, biting the corner of his mouth. He was still quite loose and it thrilled him, making his belly clench and a shiver shoot up his spine, but he had no complaint against her half-voiced order. More lube wasn’t a bad thing and he worked it into himself.“God, you’re so hot,” Darcy groaned. Watching a sub prep themselves for her had always turned her on, and Loki was no exception. The way his muscles flexed as he fingered himself, panting slightly, holding back his sounds despite how obviously he was enjoying it… She hastily pulled on her harness and threw herself down on the bed. “Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see you bounce on my dick.”A whimper escaped his lips but he scarcely cared, hastily adding more lube. He wanted her so badly, and she was just as eager for him. She wasn’t enduring this act, pretending at interest to pacify him; it aroused her just as much as it did him. For once in his long life, he actually felt lucky.Deciding that was more than enough prep, he straddled her hips, positioning himself breathlessly above her cock. Perfunctorily, he twisted his hand over it, coating it in lube.“Very thorough; good boy,” Darcy praised, skimming her hands up and down his thighs. “Now, take it slow. Savor it.”Grasping the headboard with one hand, he held her prick steady as he guided himself down. The head, cool and firm, parted his cheeks and pressed against his hole, slipping a little through the lube there before he tightened his hold and lowered himself further.“Fuuuck.” His head fell back as he slowly sank down on her, taking her inch by perfect inch until he was filled to the hilt. “Norns, you feel so fucking good, Darcy.”“Do I? Tell me about it.” She rubbed her thumb in a circle over his hipbone and wondered if she could get him to babble again.“Surely you know,” he prevaricated. What did she want to hear? That despite how deep she reached, he perversely wanted it even deeper? Wanted to be completely split open by her and come so hard he couldn’t talk? After all their sessions together, that had to be obvious by now.Darcy rolled her eyes. Yeah, she had some idea, but that wasn’t the point and he knew that, the brat. His thighs flexed as he started rocking up and down and she was momentarily distracted by that action; God, they were insane, thick and powerful and straining the bands of his stockings every time he lifted up. And his dick was right there, full and red and dripping precum like a leaky faucet, swaying temptingly as he moved…Focus, Darce!“You’re so fucking hot, sweetheart,” she couldn’t help blurting, biting her lip as she trailed her eyes up that glorious six pack to his pecs and straining neck. She wanted to lick all of him. “C’mon. Tell me how good my dick makes you feel, Loki. I like hearing you talk.”He couldn’t help his disbelieving snort, even though she’d told him as much before. Very few people liked what he had to say, but this particular circumstance was rather singular… If their positions were reversed, he’d want to hear how he made her feel and his prick twitched at the very idea: of her enumerating the ways he pleased her in breathless tones. The primary difference was he didn’t think Darcy was at risk of letting slip a love confession as he was.“...It feels marvelous,” he said at last, just before she prompted him again. He licked his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he picked and chose his words. “Hard and long and the perfect thickness.”Only Loki would use the word marvelous to describe sex, the posh dork.“Yeah? You don’t want it bigger?”The idea made heat bloom in his stomach and his hips jerked faster, jamming him down on her. Moaning, he shook his head. “Not – not tonight. Perhaps next time? I imagine you’d take even more time checking my handiwork beforehand if your cock was bigger.”She grinned, reaching around to squeeze his ass. “You’re damn right I would.”“Ohh, use your nails. Faen, yes.” Ten pinpricks of pain dug into his ass and he groaned, bouncing faster on her. “Perfect, my lady.”“Yes, you are,” she returned, making two bright spots of pink appear on his cheeks. “You’re so good too, honey, asking for what you want. I’m so proud of you. Do my nails feel good?”“Yes,” he grunted, working himself faster. There was a delicious burn in his thighs now, sweat coating his skin, and he irritably combed back his hair when it flopped in his face. “All of you feels good.”Darcy was awestruck, admiring the way his bicep strained above her as he used the headboard for leverage, and the concentration in his expression as he chased his climax. She wanted to paint him, never mind that she hadn’t picked up a brush since middle school; he was a masterpiece in motion. Like any good art piece, she couldn’t help reaching out, wanting to connect, and she put her hand over his heart, feeling the quick beat of it through his chest.His eyes met hers, hazy with pleasure but still so piercing, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. He barely slowed down when he took her hand in his free one, curling his spine down so he could kiss her fingertips before he pressed her hand back to his chest, covered by his own.Suddenly, her breath wasn’t the only thing stuck in her throat.It was just the heat of the moment, she told herself – a product of familiarity and hormones (and trust!), nothing else. Shoving the dumb feelings away, she did what she always did: deflected with her big mouth.“God, look at you go, honey. You’re riding me so well, taking my dick so deep. Does it feel as good as it looks?”“Depends. Are you asking about your view or mine?” His was magnificent: Darcy spread out under him, her breasts jiggling temptingly with his every bounce.She grinned. “Fishing for compliments? I’ve got plenty for you, pretty boy. Your lingerie is always so sexy. I love when you dress up for me.”Freeing her hand, she scraped her nails over his chest to his bra. The fabric was stiff despite its sheerness, intriguing her; if there was an Earth-equivalent, it wasn’t used for anything she knew about. She rolled his nipple between her fingers, and his chest thrust toward her, his breath turning into a groan.“So responsive,” she praised happily, giving the same treatment to the other side. She flicked her nail against it, and he shivered, murmuring her name. “And so good of you, showing me what you like, honey. You’ve gotten so good at it.”He swallowed hard, heat burning his cheeks. “You’re….very insistent.”“Damn right I am, sweetheart.” She skimmed her hands down his ribs, working one finger under the band that wrapped around. “This is pretty tight, isn’t it? Did you do that on purpose? To be a bit of bondage?”His lady could read him so easily, and he nodded shortly. “Yes. I… I thought this might stand in place of a proper harness tonight.”She hummed thoughtfully, stroking the full length of his sides, down to his snapping hips and up again. “I’m always happy to tie you up myself, but there are self-tie harnesses I can teach you, if you want. Or hm, you’ve got that funky clone spell thingy. I can teach you how to tie yourself up too.”“Ma – maybe.” The idea inspired...something but he’d have to give it more thought when he wasn’t otherwise occupied. He’d finally struck on the right angle so she glanced against his prostate and he shuddered in her lap. “Fuck…”“Are you getting close, honey?” Darcy’s tone was kind, light, but her expression was another matter altogether: dark and hungry. She was gorgeous and fully in her power, watching him so intensely, something smug in the curl of her full lips as her gaze dropped to his prick. “Should I edge you again?”Part of him wanted to say yes; it had been so explosive and overwhelming when she’d finally allowed him to come, but the rest of him balked. This already felt so good. He didn’t want to be made to wait, not when his orgasm was already beginning to coil in his groin, tightening deliciously with every glance of her cock against his prostate.“No. Please,” he said, shaking his head. “Ju - just keep going.”“I got you,” she promised, squeezing his hips. He was doing most of the work, but he didn’t want any new elements introduced and she could work with that. “God, look at you go, sweetheart. You’re gorgeous like this, bouncing on my dick. Love watching you.”His heart jumped at the ‘L’-word but thankfully he still had enough control of his senses not to react unduly. It was enough that she enjoyed watching him, found him pleasing to her eye, and he focused on that instead.“You’re so brave too, Loki. Telling me you like this, pushing for it… I like it when you insist on things.”He managed to arch one eyebrow down at her. “Do you really?” he asked dryly.“Wellll, when we’re playing at least?” she amended quickly.She didn’t know about him but she was definitely thinking of the time he’d ‘insisted’ she and Jane study the atmosphere up close before teleporting them to the Tower roof during a rainstorm. They’d been fine; cold, wet and furious, but fine. Loki had found it hilarious right until she’d wrung out her beanie over his head. Jackass.Wrapping her hand around his dick, she grinned when he moaned loudly, bucking into her grip. “Yeah, that’s it; make noise for me. You’re such a good boy for me, aren’t you?”He whined helplessly as she began to stroke him, all his thoughts draining away. There was nothing but Darcy, her cock in him and her hand around him, her sweet words filling his ears and making his blood burn under his skin. He nodded rapidly, stumbling over his own tongue to answer her.“Y-yes, yes, my lady!”“Hmm… Say it, Loki,” she ordered him, her own audacity surprising even her, but she didn’t back down. “Say you’re my good boy.”Even though his cheeks had to be scarlet, he hesitated only for a second, mumbling: “...’m your good boy.”She twisted her wrist the way he liked and he cried out. “You can do better than that, honey. C’mon. Be proud of it. You’re in a very select club, you know. Say it again.”“Faen…”She was asking too much, expecting a prince of Asgard to pledge himself in such a way!...But wasn’t this what he wanted? To be hers? To declare himself as such?And he knew in his heart that Darcy would only extract such a claim from him in the privacy and safety of their sessions. She would never expect him to admit such a thing, in those particular words, in front of others, not when it would be humiliating. Here, in their bed though, between the two of them…Her fingers loosened and began to draw away, punishment for his silence, and he quickly caught them, wrapping his own much larger hand around hers and his prick.“I…” He licked his dry lips, closing his eyes so she could not read the truth in them. “I’m your good boy.”His voice was low but full of conviction and something fierce flooded Darcy’s chest. Damn right you’re mine! It was a redonkulous exaggeration but she didn’t have time to examine it this second. She wanted to make Loki come hard enough to forget his own name, and that wasn’t happening unless she put in the work. Shockingly, he wasn’t already jerking himself with their hands, even though his grip was firm around hers, so she took over.“Perfect, Loki. You’re such a good boy,” she crooned, watching him work himself that little bit faster, rocking harder between their hands and her strap. “Fuck, just look at you, so beautiful and on edge… You’re gonna come soon, aren’t you? You’re gonna come all over our hands and make a mess, isn’t that right, sweetheart? God, I can’t wait. Say it again, Loki. Tell me you’re my good little boy.”He was her thrall, and the words fell easier from his lips this time. “I’m your good boy, my lady.”“Good. So good, Loki. I’m so proud of you,” she praised readily, watching his blush spread down his sweaty chest. She pressed her free hand as high up as she could reach, wishing not for the first time that they were more evenly proportioned because she wanted to kiss the hell out of his slack mouth. “You’re taking my strap so well. I could watch you all night. But you’re not gonna last that long, are you?”Her voice was so kind and understanding, reassuring him before worry could even form in the depths of his consciousness, before he could even try to offer to go longer. It was the perfect kind of soothing to his fevered mind.“N-no, Darcy,” he managed to answer, a tooth catching and holding on his bottom lip. “I…‘m close. I can’t… Norns, can - can I come? Please?”Ohh, she loved when his sentences got all fragmented and barely strung together. Turning Loki from an eloquent and suave Casanova to a stuttering, strung-out-on-pleasure sub was so fucking hot. She clenched hard around the dildo rocking inside her pussy, thrusting up into him and making him gasp. His fingers spasmed around hers and she stroked him faster, adding in that brief tightening he liked under his head.“Fffuck, Dar – Darcy, please!” His movements were nearly frantic now, pleasure centering in his groin, drawing his balls up. “I’m, I’m your good boy. Pleasepleaseplease. Good boys can come, can’t they? Unh, let me come, my lady, I’m good, I’m good.”He practically sobbed the end of his plea and she was blown away by his response. Loki was so into this, was beyond trying to hide his desperation stoically or behind snark. Instead, he showed it to her plainly, begging without prompting, saying what she wanted to hear in the hopes she’d agree. There were even tears in the corner of his eyes and she remembered what he’d said: “It was overwhelming. In the best way...they’re naught but tears of joy.”Darcy licked her lips. “You’re right, sweetie: good boys can come, and you’ve been very, very good. Go ahead and let go. Come for me, Loki.”He did immediately, a punched-out groan barely muffed by his clenched teeth as he spurted between their fingers.The headboard groaned alarmingly under his hand and she tore her gaze away from his blissed out expression to look up. There were cracks spiderwebbing from under his palm. Holy shitballs! In all her wildest fantasies of breaking his brain with sex, she’d never considered they’d actually break the bed too.Above her, Loki dragged in ragged breaths, each one ending with a small whining note. Her cock was still buried inside him, her hand still around his prick, and the sensations were so overwhelmingly euphoric, overloading his nerves in a way that just made him want more. He didn’t want it to stop, wanted it to build again, wanted his lady to use him, to strip away all his thoughts and mental armor and just use him for pleasure. To make him come again and again, her good boy forever.Spurned by instinct and desire, he flexed his shaking thighs, bouncing on her cock determinedly. The drag of her against his rim...the way her head pressed inexorably against his prostate… Her fingers squeezed automatically around his prick, his release lubricated his thrusting, and he sped up, teeth on edge with the wanting of it all.“Whoa, hey!” She hadn’t expected him to be ready to go again so soon after that, but he was bucking like a bronco, fucking their entwined fist, a wild look in his blown-out pupils.“Please, please, please,” he ground out, tears streaming down his sharp cheeks, choking on another sob. “So close, please, Darcy…”“Fuck. Yeah. Yeah, come for me, honey. You’re such a good boy; come. That’s it, yeah, just like that.”He came again, whimpering and hunching in around himself, the headboard cracking even more with the strength of his grip. He was still hard in her hand, jizz thick and clinging to her fingers, and she quickly wiped it on the sheets, reaching up to stroke his hair.“Shh, shh, that was beautiful, Loki. You were amazing.”His whole body was shaking in a way she’d never seen with him before, and she just wanted to soothe him, bring him back down from his high.“A – again,” he stammered hoarsely, trying to get his quivering legs to move as he clamped around her cock. It felt so good…But his lady grabbed his chin, forcing his unfocused gaze on hers.“No, Loki. Look at me. No,” she repeated sternly, giving him a little shake until his eyes sharpened on her, actually seeing her. “That’s enough. You need a break. Lie down on the bed, Loki.”“But…” His mouth wobbled a little but she didn’t budge and he closed his eyes for a moment, gathering the far flung edges of himself. “Kiss?” he asked tentatively.She laughed softly, wiping her thumbs across his wet cheeks. “Yes, honey. We can kiss still. But not 'til you climb off me and lie down.”Forcing his thighs to take his weight, he choked on a whimper as her cock slid free, lighting up his nerves one last time. Once he was on his own side of the bed, he curled in on himself, shivering.“O…” He wet his lips and swallowed, glancing nervously at her as she sat up and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Okay?”She looked at him in surprise, instantly clocking how vulnerable he looked, making himself look smaller and covering his groin, as if to hide his nudity. Scrambling over the mattress, she took his face carefully in her hands, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear.“Ohmygod, yes! We’re very okay, honey! I’m okay,” she reassured him quickly, kissing his cheek, and she felt some of his tension leak away. “I’m still at green! You didn’t do anything bad or wrong, okay? I just want you to take a little rest, relax a bit, before we try anything more. Alright?”Oh. That was… “Alright,” he murmured, his sudden anxiety drifting away and leaving him loose-limbed. The abrupt shift from euphoria to concern to neutral also left him tired, and he yawned, kissing her cheek in return. “Good. I‘m green too.”He felt her skin bunch under his lips as she smiled, and she gave the back of his neck a light squeeze. “I’m just gonna take off the harness and then we can cuddle. Can you clean everything up, please? And I think we’ll need a blanket. You’re still shivering.”He nodded and laid down, pressing his face into her pillow to catch the remnants of her body spray as his seidr washed over them both and returned the bed dressing. He watched as she stood beside the bed and undid the buckles to remove her phallus. She dropped the harness on the divan for cleaning later, then removed her garter belt and gloves too, before she climbed under the blankets with him, pressing as close as she could. A tiny smile flicked across his mouth and he wrapped an arm around her soft waist, tilting his face happily up to hers.Light fingers brushed across his forehead and down to his jaw before Darcy pressed her lips to his, her thumb working back and forth over his cheek. “Thank you for cleaning up, sweetie. Are you okay?”He hummed quietly in his throat, nudging in to kiss her again. There was still heat and desire between them but it was more like embers than a wildfire.Against her hip, he was hard again and she marveled at his crazy stamina before gentling their kiss and drawing back. “You’re doing so well, my good boy.”Pink rose on his cheekbones, and he tucked his face down against her throat, tangling his limbs around her in his usual manner.“Do you want me to keep talking?” she asked quietly, wondering if he might not just want to sleep. She knew he wasn’t human, and obviously he’d been hella keen on continuing 5 minutes ago, but anyone else would’ve passed out for the night already. He had to be at least a little sleepy.Loki nodded, wanting to hear her voice, wanting to assure himself she truly was still at green.“Okay. You really did amazing tonight, you know? I’m so proud. Impressed too! You asked for what you wanted so much, and that means I got to give it to you. A+ job.” Absently, she rubbed circles against his scalp, and he hummed, pressing into her hand encouragingly. “You were gorgeous to watch. Seriously. I know they’d be triple-x rated but I’d totally buy art of you getting pegged. Or hm…any sex act, I suppose. Oh! I know! Little fashion postcards of all your lingerie designs! Rawr. I’m sure those would be tasteful enough to pass off as décor, and not just porn, right?”He snorted under her chin, a chuckle rumbling through his chest. She was absurd. He was flattered (and more than a touch embarrassed), but she was completely absurd. He loved her.Swallowing hard around that truth, he pulled back only enough to clearly say: “Only if I can collect yours.”Darcy blinked, and then laughed brightly. “Hey, don’t tempt me, mister. That sounds like a great trade-off.”Absurd. Patently absurd, he thought, unable to keep the grin off his face.She hummed a wandering tune that seemed to have no set melody as she trailed her fingers up and down his back, and he fell into the space between waking and sleeping. His thoughts had all gone silent and he could simply...enjoy. Enjoy the warmth and softness of Darcy pressed against him, the well-earned tiredness in his limbs, the persistent ache in his groin and ass. Tonight had been all he’d hoped for, meeting even his most excitable hopes and desires, and he’d been able to let go fully, to enjoy it without worry or rushing or…I should tell Darcy that, he realized, dragging his eyes open and inhaling deeply. She deserved to know what she’d done for him.Once they were face to face again, Darcy briefly rolled on her back to stretch before rolling back to him with a smile. “I thought maybe you’d fallen asleep. How’re you doing?”“Well,” he said quietly. “And yourself? How are you, my lady?”“Peachy-keen. Do you still wanna go again?”He had to cover his mouth as he yawned fit to crack his jaw. “Norns, no. Unless… Do you?”“Not really.” Her mouth tugged down for a second, and he marveled at how her lipstick was still perfectly in place. How in the Nine…? Perhaps Midgard had cosmetics going for them as well as desserts. “Hey, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to make you afraid that you’d done something wrong by wanting to keep going. It’s just… You were really frantic and shaking and I wanted you to take a breather, that’s all.”Loki nodded on his pillow, reaching out and stroking his thumb along her cheek. “I understand. I imagine if I hadn’t been quite so far gone, I would’ve reacted better in the moment. It’s alright.”He seemed to genuinely believe that, and she twisted her head to kiss his palm. “’Kay. I mean, I’m all for multiple orgasms – as you know – and I even like forcing orgasms! But I usually make my subs take more than 0.2 seconds to recover in between, y’know? I’m all for subspace but I don’t want you catatonic.”He chuckled warmly. “As I said, I understand completely. I er...wanted to address that as well, actually. In a manner of speaking.”It took a moment for him to piece together what he wanted to say. The thoughts were ephemeral, more of a...feeling at first, and he had to smith them into words, but Darcy was patient with him.“I think…part of the reason I was so...frantic, as you said, was because of my past experiences in this area. We took so much time preparing, and it felt incredible! But I am so used to rushing… I believe I wanted to experience as much as I could before my imaginary clock ran out, so to speak.”Her eyebrows dipped together in a frown. “...You were trying to cram in all the good stuff before… What? We hypothetically got caught?”“Foolishness, I know. We are two adults allowed to do as we wish, and you have no reticence around anal, and yet…” He sighed, closing his eyes tiredly. “If we were on Asgard, what we’ve done tonight… I would never allow it, for fear someone would find out. It would cause a scandal that could very well have seen me executed for treason, for acting in a way that ‘fails to secure my royal lineage’.”He swallowed hard, rolling onto his back and throwing an arm over his eyes. Just thinking about it soured his stomach and made his chest feel as though Mjolnir was pinned upon it again.Darcy propped herself up on her elbow and cupped his cheek. “Hey, look at me. Look at me.”He shifted his arm onto his forehead and met her fierce, blue eyes.“That’s bullshit. What you do in your bedroom with another consenting adult is no one else’s business! You’re not committing fucking treason by getting pegged or fingered or – or – anything else!” She was furious and if she ever saw Odin, she was gonna sock him right in the fucking jaw. What the fuck was his problem? “Fucking – ARGH! Premarital sex is allowed! You’ve got tons of experience so it must be and you know contraceptive spells. How is that okay?”Her voice edged into a shriek with her rage and Loki grimaced at the shrill note and her annoyingly pertinent questions. He rolled out from her hold to sit on the edge of the bed, shoving a hand through his hair, wincing at his own tenderness. “I never said it was fair or reasonable, Darcy, simply that it was. Having sex with various women was a sign of our virility. Having children out of wedlock, with a woman not pre-approved by the Allfather, would muddy the line of succession. And yes, if I was caught with another man or being penetrated as a man, it would be grounds for treason. Odin made it so and you cannot argue with the Allfather.”Underneath his heavy sarcasm was a thick layer of bitterness that he couldn’t hide, the kind born from trying and trying and failing anyway, of dashing yourself against a wall and the wall taking no notice as you bloodied yourself on it. Odin was the worst kind of father, yet he still longed for his approval, for his love… Yet after more than a thousand years, he knew it was a pointless longing.Behind him, he felt Darcy carefully slide her arms around him, pressing her small warmth against his back.“It’s a good thing we’re on Earth then, huh?” she voiced softly, kissing his shoulder before pressing her cheek to it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I hate your alarm.”Loki’s voice was gravelly and deep in the morning, always making goosebumps rise on her skin and heat pulse between her legs. Ignoring her body’s inconvenient response, Darcy squinted past the bird’s nest hanging over her eyes to reach for her phone.“Fuckin’ same, ugh.”7:30 was too early in the morning, and she thought so every single morning. At last, she managed to find the stupid thing and she yanked it to her face, swiping the irritating alarm off. The room went satisfyingly silent, and she relaxed, dropping her phone back onto the mattress and swiping her hair back. Sunlight peeked around Loki’s blackout curtains, but the rest of the room was cloaked in early morning shadows. It made it too easy to close her eyes again, just for a minute.Around her waist, Loki’s arm curved, solid and heavy, keeping her against him, and behind her back, she could feel his chest rise and fall with slow, steady breaths. Had he fallen back asleep already? She wouldn’t blame him; he was a late-riser anyway, and last night’s session had been intense, physically and emotionally – more so than usual.
Odin’s such a dickbag.
Sighing, she scrunched her face and stuck her tongue out, trying to shake the thought off. So he was a douche-canoe; that wasn’t any of her business. He didn’t affect anyone day-to-day, not on his stupid holier-than-thou golden throne, a million, billion light years away from Earth. Sure, his A+ parenting had lasting ramifications on Thor and Loki (obviously) but they were...fine. Mostly. They just both had….debilitating self-esteem issues that made her want to cry and scream and maybe murder their dad. It was fine.And he was grossly homophobic, apparently.Fucker.She spent a moment fantasizing about tasing him in the balls, maybe agitating for democracy…But it was just a fantasy. And not even that fun of one.She humph’ed and Loki tightened his arm around her, slotting his knees closer behind hers.“’s wrong?” he barely murmured, pressing his nose against her head. “Other than the time.”“Your dad sucks.”His breath puffed against her hair. “Not since his youth. Although, he does still enjoy grappling with his general...”That surprised a laugh out of her, and Loki smiled. He knew she felt...strongly about Odin, and those feelings were definitely negative, but… Well. He didn’t feel prepared to argue with her about it, not when he’d just woken up. (Not when he still felt so conflicted about the man he’d known as Father.)Darcy twisted to look at him over her shoulder. “Any truth to that joke?”“About Odin’s sexual proclivities? Not that I know of. He’s had three wives, if that says anything.”“Yeah, he’s a shitty husband too,” she muttered under her breath, and Loki snorted, choosing not to educate her about the first two’s premature deaths. After all, for all he knew, she was right regardless.“Okay, okay. I need to get up!” Puffing her cheeks out with air, she threw back the blankets and peeled his arm off her, ignoring Loki’s displeased grunt beside her. He got to go back to sleep, the big baby. “Gonna get dressed,” she said through a yawn as she pulled the blankets back over her side of the bed.“Mmpfh,” was his eloquent response while he rolled over to face away from the curtains. He even pulled the covers over his face, the dweeb.After using the toilet and putting on yesterday’s sexy secretary costume, she splashed some cold water on her face and combed her hair. Or tried to anyway. It looked like it had gone ten rounds with a teasing brush and she did not have the patience to unpick all the knots this morning.“Fuck nuggets,” she muttered at her reflection. It had been so smooth and tame when they’d gone to bed last night! What the heck had happened? Fairies? Combing it now would a) take forever and b) result in a bunch of breakages and she did Not want to deal.Steeling herself, she threw open the door and went to interrupt her prince’s beauty sleep. “Loki? Oh, Lokiii? Earth to space boy, wake up please!”He made some sort of noise but didn’t otherwise react.“Come on, dude! I need your help!”One baleful green eye glared over top of the blanket and then his whole face appeared, expression changing to one of amused confusion. “What in the Nine happened to your hair?”“No idea. Can you fix it please?”“Sure,” he nodded, pushing himself up on his hands until he was sitting. He patted the space between his legs. “Sit.”“You’re not just going to, y’know….” She wiggled her fingers meaningfully.“Mm, no.” He blinked, and then frowned, suddenly hesitant. “I could if you’d rather. But brushing it will only take a minute.”“A minute, huh?” She doubted that but she sat down anyway, figuring he could charm it if she got too antsy. “Work your magic then, mister.”Her hair really was a mess and he had no idea how she’d managed it. She must’ve tossed and turned all night, the poor thing. He, conversely, must’ve slept like the dead if she hadn’t woken him. Regardless… He gathered her hair down her back and summoned a rosewood brush from his rooms in Asgard. Carefully, he drew it from her crown to her ends, leaving behind a smooth ripple.Darcy felt her shoulders relax as the brush moved easily, somehow not catching and tugging on any knots. This was...nice. She hadn’t had someone else comb her hair for her since her last haircut and that had been ages ago. The brush he was using must be a bristle one, she thought; it scraped gently against her scalp in a way that made her want to curl up in his lap and demand he continue for a few hours. But that’d be just a little unrealistic.“There,” he said, setting the brush aside to wrap his arms around her waist and lean against her back. He nuzzled in against her shirt collar and neck and breathed in deeply. Her body spray had faded now but there was still a faint hint of it, sleepwarm and sweet. “No more knots.”It was hard but she managed to resist leaning into him, knowing that was a one way ticket to crawling back into bed for sleepy cuddles. She couldn’t help reaching up to squeeze the back of his neck fondly though, and Loki hummed quietly, pressing his lips to her skin.“You’re a sweetheart. Thanks for fixing my hair.”“It’s no trouble. Any time a flock of birds wants to nest in your luscious locks, I’ll be happy to help.”She snorted a laugh, pushing away from him. “The only ‘bird’ nesting in my hair was your beaky nose, buddy.”Loki spread a hand on his chest in mock-offense. “Awht! Rude! My nose is not beaky!”Still laughing, she swooped in to drop a kiss on the tip of said nose. “It totally is, but don’t worry. I like it plenty. Oh hey! How’re you feeling? How’s your booty?”A faint blush rose in his cheeks and he patted his nose in a daze. She likes my nose?He’d never disliked his nose, and he couldn’t recall anyone ever commenting on it, one way or the other. Darcy’s appreciation of it truly didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things and yet… A curly little grin overtook his face quite without his approval.“My behind is just fine.”“Yeah, it is,” she leered, waggling her eyebrows ludicrously.He rolled his eyes, batting down a blush. “You know what I mean, minx. It’s not sore.”“Good.” She would’ve liked for it to feel...well-used but she knew he had super-healing so that probably wasn’t going to happen. Oh well. She quickly kissed his cheek. “’Kay, I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you in the lab!”
🍧Being mainly an indoors-y kinda gal, Darcy hadn’t bothered checking the forecast before she stepped outside Wednesday afternoon. All she’d known from glancing out the windows of her apartment was that it was sunny and clear, and, since it was August now, it was probably hot out.The wave of heat that hit her when the automatic doors slid open had felt nice after the overly air-conditioned lobby but stepping out onto the sidewalk was like entering a frickin’ oven.“Holy balls!”Loki grimaced beside her, lifting his hand to shade his eyes from the unrelenting sun. “I don’t think even Sutur’s balls are this hot, Norns.”They’d been outside all of ten seconds and Darcy could already feel sweat pooling under her boobs, ew. “Please tell me we can teleport. This is gross.”“Agreed.” All he could smell was warm refuse and frankly, it was an effort not to gag. He drew her against him and she automatically wrapped her arms around his waist. “Hang on.”A second later, the world resolved around them and Loki held the door to 32+ open for her. “After you.”“Thanks.” She darted inside with Loki on her heels, and breathed a sigh of relief at the frigid air. Her knees were going to freeze but it was worth it to avoid boob sweat.“It’s a scorcher out there, huh?” the employee commiserated.“Yeah, I’m surprised you’re not busier.” The shop was dead except for them.“Oh, you just missed a rush. Here; let me get you this week’s flavor sample to cool you off.” She grabbed two sample spoons and dug them into a canister of pale yellow ice cream with a streak of brown caramel. “Number One Flan. What do you think?”“Mmm, ‘sgood,” Darcy decided; it was basically vanilla ice cream with caramel and you couldn’t really go wrong with that. “But I want something punchier today, sorry.”“I’m more of a chocolate fan,” Loki agreed. It was pleasant enough but he enjoyed their other flavors more.The employee nodded. “Not a problem. What can I get ya?”“Can I get kiddy scoops of Cherry Trick and Night In (New York), please? In a bowl, thanks.” She turned to Loki and gave his bicep a quick squeeze. “I’m gonna grab our seats. Do you want me to pay for mine?”His nose immediately wrinkled, offended she’d even asked. “Absolutely not. Go and sit.”He swallowed back the endearment that sprang to his tongue just in time, accepting her thanks mutely. He didn’t know why she didn’t simply accept his willingness to pay but it was utterly foolish. Much like his feelings for her, he mused wryly, stepping up to the counter and ordering a mix of chocolate and mint flavors....Would she even notice if he began calling her pet names? If he spoke them in Aesir? Darcy could be inconveniently insightful at times, and even if she took it for a nickname, she’d want to know the meaning. And if he didn’t tell her, she’d ask Thor. There was a slim chance he’d keep his secret but it was far more likely that the idiot would expose him and be excited about it.He scowled down at the card reader as he paid for their order. No, better to keep his mouth shut and his heart as locked away as he could bear for now.He set Darcy’s bowl down in front of her before sliding into the seat across from her. “It’s safe to assume I’ll pay for your ice cream for the foreseeable future, you know. You can stop asking.”She stuck her tongue out at him. “I don’t wanna assume! It ‘makes an ass out of you and me’. Besides, assuming you’ll always pay for me feels like I’m taking advantage of something you offered to do, like, once or twice.”“Or for 12 weeks in a row,” he deadpanned. “At this point, it’s idiotic not to assume. Here, allow me to formalize it: I will always buy your ice cream on Wednesdays, Darcy. Is that plain enough or should I sign an agreement as well?”Her cheeks filled with heat and she kicked her shoe against his. “Ass. Fine! Can I at least still thank you for paying or is that idiotic too?”“Your thanks is always appreciated.” It was refreshing as well, when it didn’t still feel incredibly strange. But he was learning to accept it.“Thank you, then. Can you set the privacy spell?”A wisp of green danced around the table before dissipating directly in front of her nose, making her blink and go cross-eyed. “Done, my lady.”“Thanks. How did you like Sunday? Was it everything you hoped?” she wondered, popping a spoonful of cherry ice cream into her mouth. “Oh, tart!”A smile ghosted across his mouth at the face she made and he spooned up some of his Mint to Be. “Sunday exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even with the few...hiccups we had.”His mouth pinched wryly to recall them but Darcy had always made it perfectly clear that there was no use trying to ignore them; she’d drag them kicking and screaming into the open to be discussed, whether he wanted to or not. It was annoyingly reasonable and adult of her.Indeed, she pulled her spoon from her mouth, thrusting it into the air like an exclamation mark. “I wanted to talk about those! But yay! I’m really glad you enjoyed it! I wanted to make it good for you.”“You did,” he assured her, meeting her eyes steadily. Her heart beat faster at the solid conviction he showed. “I don’t believe I properly conveyed how successful you were on Sunday. I was able to relax, to completely lose myself in the pleasure you created, Darcy. It felt like a gift.”Oh. That… She couldn’t help melting a little at that. She’d given him a safe space to really let go. But it was bittersweet, because he deserved more than one night a week to relax, and be and enjoy himself. He shouldn’t just be experiencing that now, several hundred years into his life.Fucking Odin.But distant father figures weren’t part of their ice cream discussion. Or their sex life for that matter. What mattered was them, and how they could enjoy their time together on Earth.
For however long it lasts…
Shaking off that out-of-left-field thought, Darcy refocused. “That’s so sweet, Loki. I’m glad I could give that to you. I hope I can keep giving that to you. And to be honest: you relaxing like that? Really leaning into it and just enjoying yourself? That felt like a gift to me. Thank you.”Loki immediately blushed, the cutie, and laser-focused in on his bowl. “You don’t need to – to thank…”His mumbling trailed off into nothing as he popped a giant spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, making her laugh.“Well, I am, anyway. And! I also wanted to say I’m really proud of you for Sunday.”His cheeks burned hotter and he flicked his wrist irritably, glamouring over it. “What in the Nine for?”She arched an eyebrow at his snippy tone. Well, she wasn’t backing down. He deserved to hear it, even if it made him self-conscious. “For starters, you didn’t spiral when your back spasmed on the divan. That’s huge! I wanted to tell you that right then, but I didn’t wanna sidetrack us.”Chocolate melted sweetly on his tongue and he didn’t know what to say. He finally knew what she’d been thinking at that instant but to find out it was a speechless kind of pride in him… His insides squirmed miserably, unsure what to do with the feeling, but it was...nice. To have Darcy be proud of him.He thought perhaps he wanted her to be proud of him.“...I...suppose...I have improved in that regard,” he acknowledged at last, still speaking more toward the table than her. She certainly had played a large part in the change but he wasn’t quite sure how to explain that to her, and he considered his words carefully. “Having several months of experience with you has helped immensely. Knowing that… Trusting that you’ll work through issues with me means a great deal.”Reaching across the table, she quickly tangled their hands together before she did something stupid like start crying. He was so sweet, and so fucked up. All he needed was a little consistency and he could trust enough to relax like that? The more she learned about him, the more he broke her heart.Tamping down on the urge to hug the stuffing out of him, she settled for saying: “Hey, you know me. Communication is my biggest kink. I’ll always talk things through with you, Loki.”“I know.” His hand tightened around hers, and there was even a hint of a smile in the corners of his mouth. “You always reward my trust. It makes it easier to...worry less when I’m with you.”“Awww.” The soft, charmed noise fell from her lips almost involuntarily. “You’re such a sweetie. I’m glad you can worry less with me. Is that why you were being so good and asking for all the things you wanted Sunday? Because you’ve made a ton of progress with that too!”Oh Norns, was she going to list out and praise each and every one of his achievements, no matter how small and insignificant? He might just combust from embarrassment (and arousal). “Are you going to praise my cunnilingus skills next?” he asked, half in jest, but she merely raised an eyebrow, answering his challenge.“I can. But I think my, what? 2? 3? shaking orgasms speak for themselves. But just in case they don’t: you are very talented with your mouth. 10 out of 10, would ride again.” She waggled her eyebrows lasciviously until he huffed a small laugh. But her smile fell soon after, her teeth coming out to worry her bottom lip. “There’s um, one more thing...”She trailed off, eyebrows drawing together as she thought, still chewing her lips, and a thread of alarm wrapped around his spine. What would inspire such hesitance and consideration in her? She’d just been enumerating his successes, and it didn’t feel like she was preparing to point out some heretofore unnoticed failure, but if it was, he would take it in good grace (he knew Darcy only pointed such things out so they could fix them together and work past them).Bracing himself, he pressed her hand, passing his thumb gently over her skin. “What is it, Darcy? Tell me.”Her lips flicked up in a smile and she squeezed his hand back. “I want to...thank you? Geez, that sounds so weird, considering,” she laughed self-consciously before she winced. God, she was being ridiculous. Just spit it out, girl! “I kinda sorta...have a habit of putting my subs first and...ignoring myself? Don’t get me wrong! I only do stuff I’m into and will enjoy! But… Well, you noticed on Sunday; I just wanted to refocus on you until you called me on it. So. Yeah. Thanks for noticing, Loki. It was really good of you.”She also maybe had the same problem with her friends and loved ones too but that totally wasn’t relevant. She liked taking care of people, sue her!Loki’s expression was hard to read and it made her want to babble, to turn the conversation back to him and how good he’d been during their session and what he’d liked and hadn’t and… She bit her tongue. Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?“...When you wanted to jump right back to pegging me, I felt like a client,” he said at last, keeping his voice as neutral as he could. He wasn’t accusing her of anything; he simply wanted her to see this...self-sacrificing nature of hers differently. “I felt as though you were...trying to fit in everything I wanted in the time I’d been allotted.”Stricken, she pushed her chair back as if to stand but leaned closer to him over the table. “Oh my God, Loki, no! No, that’s not what I was thinking at all! I’m sorry! I’m –”He held up a hand. “Peace, Darcy. I know that wasn’t your intention. I knew it Sunday, when you acknowledged you were unsatisfied. But do you see how putting yourself second served neither of us?”“Oh.” Her sinuses pricked dumbly and she tried to blink the feeling back. She wasn’t going to cry about this, not in public and definitely not in front of Loki. “Yeah, I do.”She looked alarmingly close to tears and he had to head this off quickly because he had absolutely no idea what to do with a crying woman. Hooking his foot around the leg of her chair, he pulled her toward him and immediately tucked her under his arm, daring to press his lips to her temple.“Peace, my lady. Your propensity to put others first is...noble.” It was. It was also incredibly stupid, in his opinion, but Norns knew he could be just as guilty of it as she was in the right circumstances. “But it also has no place between us. This relationship is supposed to be equally beneficial, isn’t it?”He actually waited for her answer and her shoulders slumped in defeat. He was right and she was being dumb, ignoring herself.With her face smushed against his pec, her voice was muffled: “...Yeah.”He couldn’t help chuckling at her petulant tone, and he squeezed her shoulder. “There’s no need to sound so enthusiastic about it. ...Believe me, Darcy, I will happily do whatever you want and desire in our sessions. It’s not exactly a hardship.”“I know that!” she insisted, sitting up so she could look him in the eye earnestly. She did! He clearly got off on getting her off. “But I don’t want to take advantage of you! I don’t want you to do things just because I want them!”She was going to continue but Loki was looking at her like she’d grown three heads and was speaking backwards or something.“That…” he began slowly, breaking off to rub his forehead in one hand as if pained. “That is the second time you’ve mentioned taking advantage of me. How is it, exactly, do you think you’re capable of imposing on me, Darcy?” “What?”Was this how she felt when talking him through something that she felt was obvious? Norns, he hoped not, because it was heart-wrenching.Wetting his lips briefly, he tried to explain in the simplest of terms: “I am many orders of magnitude older, stronger, and more powerful than you, Darcy. Relatively, we are similar in age, yes, but I have centuries more lived experiences than you do. How can you possibly take advantage of me without my consent?”That...made her pause.He was right, was the thing. If there was a power imbalance between them, it was definitely in his favor. And sure, he submitted to her in the bedroom but even then, he’d made it clear how important her enjoyment was to him. It wasn’t just about him when they played, and it never had been.“...Huh. You’ve...got a point,” she admitted with a grimace. “Aaand I should probably talk about that with someone. Maybe.”Because she felt kind of angry that he’d challenged the idea? Or hm…defensive might be more accurate. And she still wanted to argue the point, as if she had a leg to stand on here, but she was self-aware enough (thank frick!) to realize that was pointless. She wasn’t taking advantage of him, and there was no scenario she could think of where that would be factually true.Loki wrapped his big hand around hers. “You could talk to me.”“Oh! I meant with like, a professional. A therapist, specifically,” she clarified for him, before knocking their shoulders together and adjusting their hands so their fingers were threaded together. “Thanks for the offer though. I might, if I ever untangle it all.”Ah. If she felt the topic warranted a therapist, he wouldn’t push and he redirected the conversation: “Was there anything you particularly enjoyed from Sunday?”“Ohmygod, everything!” she gushed immediately, grinning widely at him and setting his heart at ease. “I know, I know: I say this every week, but, dude, you are so hot! I’m gonna be ninety and in a home and I’ll still be rubbing one out to the image of you riding me, seriously. Your thighs…! And your arms! You broke the freakin’ headboard!”Again, there was that dratted blush and he looked to the ceiling for strength, muttering: “I did fix it.”“Yeah, thank god for seidr because I dunno how we would’ve fixed it otherwise.” Wood glue would really not have done a good job, but Loki had just waved his hand and repaired the intricate carvings to like new. “Anyway, not the point! The point is we technically broke the bed having sex and I didn’t think I’d find that such a turn-on until you fixed it without even a complaint.”He did so love her enthusiasm and he couldn’t help his fond smile, even as he fought to hide it while scratching his chin in mock-contemplation. “Far be it from me to judge what titillates you. I suppose there’s some other furniture we could break if that’s what it takes… My side tables seem particularly flimsy.”“Hardy-har-har, you’re hilarious.” She elbowed him (lightly) in the ribs. “Furniture aside: I also really loved your babbling. That was...unf. Just...mind blowing. You got any tips on how I can make that happen again?”“Oh, you liked that?” He’d been more than a little mortified after the fact (during, he’d been far too strung out on pleasure to care), but if she liked it...Loved it even… “I, er, imagine more of the same would achieve similar results.”Darcy batted her eyelashes at him in exaggerated fashion. “Ooh, do we need to recreate the stimuli to ensure we have replicable results? You know how much I enjoy testing hypotheses.”“Not at all? You certainly bemoan the minute changes Dr. Foster makes when testing her Bifrost models.”She pouted. “That’s all theoretical right now. I’m talking hands-on physical science.”“Ah, pardon my mistake then.”“Pfft. Okay, so edging while pegging makes you babble, got it. Are there any other scenarios you know about?”“Multiple orgasms,” he found himself answering automatically, then felt his cheeks flush for the hundredth time today. She hadn’t even asked in that authoritative tone of hers!But Darcy simply nodded, thoughtful as she tapped her spoon against her lips. “That tracks with when you were riding me. You were kinda babbling-ish at the end. Beeteedubs, I know we already talked about it but I feel it bears repeating: when I told you to stop, you know I didn’t mean anything bad by it right? You hadn’t hurt me or crossed a line or anything.”“I know.” But he was glad for her reassurance all the same, even as unnecessary as it was. “Just as you know that I’m sorry to have worried you with my...agitated manner?”“Yup. We’re good.” It had her freaked out a bit on Sunday but they’d talked about it more in the bath and she felt more confident about how to handle it if it happened again. Which it definitely would because she was fully determined to get him to babble again. “Your turn, mister. What did you like about Sunday?”Remembering it had him covertly adjusting himself, and he was hard-pressed not to simply blurt ‘everything’, much like she had. It was the truth, but that didn’t help them going forward, did it? He’d have to be more specific to satisfy his lady.“Your outfit, to start with, and oh, that little strip tease of yours…”“Yeah? Pretty sure you liked the fact I wasn’t wearing underwear too.”“Norns, don’t remind me,” he practically growled, palming her bare knee before he remembered himself and snatched it back. “Knowing other people had seen you looking as ravishing as you did, but only I was privileged to know you were bare under that skirt… Yes, I liked that too.”She opted not to tell him she hadn’t run into anyone between her apartment and his on Sunday. Why ruin the illusion?“If it gets you off, I can leave my underwear at home more often,” she offered innocently, making him swallow back a groan. She was obviously trying to kill him. “Not every week, I don’t think, but enough to keep you guessing.”Mischief danced in her eyes and the coy curl of her smile and he felt the words on his tongue again, heavy and tempting and disastrous. Instead, all he muttered was: “Minx.”She laughed, bright and beautiful. “So sorry, Your Highness, how dare I give you exactly what you want!”“I’ll graciously forgive you this time,” he pretended to sniff haughtily, pleased when she giggled again and rolled her eyes. “Quite obviously, I enjoyed being pegged.”“You don’t say.”He slanted his eyes at her but otherwise ignored that.“You were amazing. And so...competent about it; as if you do it every day and knew precisely how to make me fall apart. I know you were enjoying it but you still seemed so calm and collected. ...I don’t know,” he ended self-consciously, poking at his ice cream bowl. “Something about that struck a chord in me, I suppose.”“Hm, sounds like you might have a bit of a competency kink,” she mused. It would make sense, what with him liking to take direction from his more experienced partners (not that the two had to go together, of course). “Have you felt like that before? Been turned on by someone doing something really well?”Loki thought for a moment before sighing. “...Well, that would explain some confusing feelings I had on the training fields when I was a youth.”“Ha! You and me both, dude! It’s why Nat’s always hollering at me when we’re in the gym at the same time. I’m always staring at you sparring instead of paying attention!” Not that the Black Widow wasn’t incredibly, panty-melting-ly competent in her own right, but Darcy didn’t find the learning process all that sexy. More like humiliating and painful. It was much nicer to drool over Loki kicking ass.He preened over that. He had in fact noticed Agent Romanov chewing Darcy out for her lack of attention, and it was immensely flattering to know he was the cause. Although… “You really should focus on your training, Darcy. Knowing how to protect yourself is an invaluable skill, especially considering the company you keep.”Being in close contact with the Avengers could only lead to trouble, though he sincerely hoped if it did, he’d be there to keep her out of danger.But she merely flapped her hand dismissively. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I practice loads when you’re not around too. ‘Sides, I always have my trusty taser with me. Oh, hey! I pulled off Nat’s flying thighs of death move on Clint last week!”“Flying thighs of death…?” Suddenly, he could picture it exactly. “Oh, her scissor leg takedown! Did you really? Well done. I would’ve liked to have seen that.”She blushed. “Thanks. I think Jane recorded it; I’ll bug her to send it to me for you. Was there um, anything else you wanted to talk about from Sunday?”“No,” he said simply, fascinated by the color in her cheeks. Why would his words make her react so? She didn’t have a praise kink as he did. Things to ponder… “Do you have anything planned for next time? If not, I had a suggestion.”Darcy perked up immediately. He had ideas? Any plans she had were instantly forgotten. “I’m all ears. What were you thinking?”“Your remark about self-ties is what inspired me. I reviewed your interest list.” He watched her reaction closely. “You’re interested in having two partners, correct?”Lust hit her like a van in the desert, with a huge dose of apprehension being the taser in this simile. “Um…” She cleared her throat nervously. “In theory, yeah. But you said you were too jealous to share, which is fine.”“But if our third was my double… I have no trouble sharing with myself, Darcy.”
Oh fuck.
She swore she heard an actual crack signifying her brain breaking from the mental image alone. Two Lokis… Two NAKED Lokis… She didn’t even have to imagine; she’d already seen his clone spell in action! And the smolder he was sending her way!!! As casually as she could, she leaned forward in her seat a little, just enough to put pressure on her clit and get a bit of relief from its sudden needy throbbing. Shit, would it be wrong to jump him right now?Behind her, the door opened and a family came in, the kids giggling and chattering, reminding her sternly that yeah, no. She needed to keep it in her pants. They were in public. Also: it was only frickin’ Wednesday, damn it.“Darcy?” He couldn’t quite keep the amusement out of his tone; it was patently obvious to his practiced eye that his suggestion had aroused her. Her pupils had blown wide, and pink had flushed down to the collar of her blouse.She cleared her throat again, eyes skipping away from him out of sheer self-preservation. “Um, yeah. A three – threesome. With you and your uh, double, right? Oh God…”Her voice petered out into a squeak and she had to bury her steaming face in her hands at Loki’s laugh. So much for her seen-it-all-done-that Dom reputation. The idea of a threesome had her feeling like a complete virgin all over again.“I have sometimes been called that,” he couldn’t resist teasing, still chuckling at how he seemed to have undone her with such a tame suggestion. “I was under the impression threesomes were passé on Midgard. Even ‘vanilla’ couples have them, don’t they?”“Uuugh, you’re the worst,” she muttered into her hands before making herself face him, and oh, he was wearing that carefree smile of his. The one that made her heart flip and her lips turn to match his, reflecting his happiness back at him. “Look here, smarty pants, just because threesomes are like, the most basic adventurous sex, doesn’t mean everyone’s had one.”He blinked several times at that. “Are you saying this would be your first?”She blinked back. “Are you saying this isn’t yours?”“I’ve taken part in an orgy before, so technically: no.”Her jaw dropped. He was hedonistic enough for her to believe it, no problem, but: “How does that work with the stick up Odin’s ass?”He grimaced briefly. “It was the Vanir’s centenary fertility rites. He and Thor were both there. But you’ve never engaged in a threesome before? Even in your professional life?”Darcy couldn’t blame him for skipping past that nightmare to put the spotlight back on her. An orgy with your dad and brother there? Eugh. She shuddered just hearing it.“I’ve wanted to but I always felt like the emotional logistics were too complicated,” she explained, wincing, as she pushed her spoon around her bowl. Her ice cream was half-melted and nearly gone. “Just in general but especially when Domming. Like, you’d have to be careful not to spend more time on one sub, or the other would feel left out or get jealous. It always sounded like a recipe for disaster. Not to mention the physical logistics! What goes where and who’s prepped for what. It’s too much work to end up with anything other than a lackluster experience. It was way easier to stick to one-on-one sessions.”Loki cocked his head. “Yet you still listed it as an interest.”“Yeaah… I don’t know.” She bit her lip, thinking. Why had she listed it despite all her reservations? ...Was it another example of her putting her partner first? She mentally narrowed her eyes at herself. Better fucking not be! But… Fuck. “So, don’t freak out, okay? But thinking about it, I maaaybe put it on my list because if you were really interested in it, I’d make it work? BUT!” she tacked on quickly, finger in the air, before he could react because his eyebrows were already drawing together thunderously, “But being in a threesome is something I fantasize about. The realities of it with another human are enough to keep it a fantasy, I think, but with you… With two of you, and your seidr, I think I’m willing to try.” “...Because you want to, or because you think I want you to?”Ugh, that was fair. Apparently, she had a real problem. At least her SI insurance covered therapy…“Because I want to and I think it’ll be really hot, and I know you won’t let it be anything but frickin’ amazing,” she told him truthfully, sure of herself...until she wasn’t. Her shoulders crept up to her ears as she asked: “But um, if I end up not liking it, do you mind it ending up just being you and me? Like normal, I mean. No doubles.”Oh but that concern broke his heart. His lady was too self-sacrificing by far. Her question didn’t suggest that she’d offer a false consent but rather that she’d feel immeasurably guilty for exercising her right to change her mind. Whoever instilled such a worry in her was incredibly lucky that Loki had not met them. His dagger hand itched for retribution but he used it to comfort instead, turning in his seat to cup her soft cheek.“I will not mind in the least, Darcy,” he assured her quietly, and kissed her other cheek. “Sometimes fantasies should remain just that, I know. We need not use my double at all, if you don’t wish it. I only suggested it for you. I’m content either way.”He really meant that, she could tell, and her heart filled with warmth. Covering his hand, she pressed into it for a second, before letting go. “Thanks, Loki.”Knocking their knees together, she leaned back a bit and took a deep breath, letting go of the heaviness of that discussion. “A threesome has kinda been a big fantasy of mine for a really long time, so let’s give it a shot! How does the clone thing work? Do you like, control what he does? ‘Cause that sounds hella exhausting.”“It would be,” he agreed, pleased that she was once again asking how seidr worked, and with genuine interest too. “And that’s how my illusions function, more or less. My duplicates, on the other hand, share my consciousness. They are independent offshoots of myself, able to think, act, and speak for themselves as I would.”Her face lit up in interest. “So you could theoretically play cards against yourself?”“As an example, yes,” he said, amused. “I can be in two places at once too, without anyone being the wiser. Or read two books at once.”Not that he’d recommend that last action. He’d done it as an overambitious apprentice and succeeded in giving himself a splitting migraine for three days. Too much information all jumbled together at once. He’d never done it again.Darcy’s mouth pursed to the side as she thought. The ability to be in two places would be convenient if she were double-booked for meetings, but it’d be pointless if she couldn’t keep both sets of memories.“When you end the spell or whatever, what happens to the duplicate’s memories? You must absorb them somehow, right?”“I do.”“How does that work then? It sounds like it’d be confusing but it can’t be or why would you bother doing it…” she trailed off, trying to figure it out herself. “I guess… The memories are both from your point of view, not like, I dunno, viewed from the outside, right?”He nodded, watching her with pride and awe as she worked through it.“Right, so, that would make it less confusing, but it’d still be...a lot of information to keep. It’s easy to lose track of memories with only one set of them, never mind two or more sets!” She pondered it a little more in her own head before asking: “It doesn’t hurt you to have all those extra memories, does it? Or is it worth it to you?”A ghost of a smile flicked across his face. “Do you know you’re the only person who’s ever asked me that? It doesn’t hurt, no, nor would I consider it worth it if it did. At least, not for something like sex. Battle perhaps, but regardless... It can be disorientating at times, when I absorb the extra memories, especially if I’ve used more than one duplicate or if I’ve used them for a prolonged period of time. But it is rarely debilitating and I would only risk that for dire circumstances.”She considered that, and him, for a moment and decided she was extra glad he wasn’t on the Avengers roster or a SHIELD field agent. A) they’d probably take advantage and b) he’d almost definitely let them. Or worse: volunteer to push himself too hard doing it.“Okay, so to clarify: using one duplicate for sex for a few hours will be easy-peasy for you and won’t have any bad consequences, i.e. disorientation lasting more than a minute or headaches or whatever else?”He couldn’t decide whether to be amused or utterly annoyed that she felt the need to be crystal clear on his limits. It was as if she didn’t trust him! ...Which, given his history, was perhaps reasonable. She had ample proof of his habit of pushing himself, unfortunately.“Correct,” he said, but she merely raised her eyebrows meaningfully and he huffed. Scowling, he explicitly stated: “Using a single duplicate for sex for a few hours won’t have any negative consequences for me. Are you happy now?”“Incredibly,” she deadpanned back, but she was glad to hear he’d be okay with this. “Oh! If you get your duplicate’s memories all at once...and all those memories are of sex…”He could see where she was heading and sighed. “Yes, I’ll probably climax again once I dismiss him. Presumably rather explosively, depending on how many times you let us come."Hnng. God, that was going to be so incredibly hot and she squeezed her thighs together. It was criminal how far away Sunday still was.“Speaking of: how do you want the power dynamics to work? Am I going to Dom you both or…I dunno, something else?”“Yes. You won’t have to worry about favoritism or jealousy in this case.” He bit the inside of his lip though, wondering. He hadn’t been entirely sure she’d agree to his idea and so he hadn’t thought overmuch about the specifics or made concrete plans. But there was one aspect he’d imagined that had heat swooping low in his belly. “I thought perhaps...while we’d both defer to you of course, I might also...defer...to him slightly.”He had studiously avoided looking at her while he dropped that bombshell, fiddling with his spoon instead. It gave her time to lever her jaw up off the floor and corral her eyebrows down from the ceiling. That…. Wow. She hadn’t expected that.“You...want to be Dommed by both of us? Me and your double?” ‘Cause holy frick, she wanted to be crystal clear on this.He winced, shoulders curling inward before he made himself straighten them. There was nothing to be ashamed by here, not with Darcy.“To a certain extent, yes.” What he wanted was more ephemeral in his mind than he’d like and that made it difficult to explain properly. “You would remain in control, of both of us and the session at large, but… I think I’d enjoy it if he...helped you? Oh, never mind. I don’t know how to explain it.”He waved a hand to dismiss the whole nonsense irritably, but she caught it out of the air, pinning it to the table under hers. “Nope, not happening. I am hella intrigued by this so we’re gonna figure it out, mister.”His stomach squirmed, confusingly uncomfortable and happy to be overridden.“It barely makes sense even to me,” he complained, sounding embarrassingly whiny to his own ears. He was over a thousand years old! He shouldn’t be whiny.“That’s fine,” she said, supremely unconcerned. But he was bothered so she traced her fingers up and down his hand and forearm soothingly. His shoulders relaxed. “Let me try: you said you want him to help me. Help me how? Will he help me tie you up? Is that something you want for next time?”Fuck. He swallowed back a moan quickly, unfortunately aware of the children at the table next to them. They really ought to be having this conversation elsewhere. In bed preferably, with a perfect lack of clothing between them.“Yes,” he rasped out. “I – yes. Last time, you said you could teach me how to tie myself up with a duplicate. I’d...like that.”“Yeah? We can do that. How else will he help me?” She cast her mind about. She didn’t think he meant this but: “Will he compliment you too? Praise you?”His face scrunched up in disgust, but… “He might...reaffirm what you’ve said in that regard. Something like…”He mumbled something under his breath, cheeks bright pink.“What was that?”He did groan at that, wishing for the floor to open up and swallow him or better: for him to have never brought this up in the first place. Still in an undertone, he said it clearer for her so she wouldn’t, Norns forbid, have to ask again. “Telling me to be good for you, or the like.”Her pussy clenched and she crossed her legs tight. You’re in public, you’re in public, it’s only Wednesday! she chanted to herself, trying to make it stick because God, he was testing her self-control.“Oh, he’s going to be such a good helper,” she couldn’t help purring. “And you’re being such a good boy, explaining to me. Thank you, Loki. Is he going to help me fuck you too?”He nodded helplessly, painfully hard under his glamour. “Yes, my lady. Just as we’ll both fuck you, if you want.”“That’s a good point. How are we going to uh, configure ourselves? Which of us is the filling in this super hot sandwich?”Loki snorted (she certainly had a way with words) and rubbed his hands over his face, trying to regain his composure. “Either? Both? There’s no reason we can’t each have a turn, if you’re up for it.”“...Maybe?” She bit her lip on a wince (and tried not to get too distracted by those smoking hot mental images, unf). “I’ve used butt plugs while getting fucked, but I’ve never…y’know. Obviously. This is my first threesome. But I’m definitely interested in it. We could try? See if it lives up to the hype?”The idea of being her first anything shouldn’t fill him with such a savage pride, but it was there regardless, expanding his chest and fueling his lust. That this was something she’d only trust to him, to his ability to craft a duplicate of himself, added to the fire.“Of course, and if it doesn’t, I’m sure we can find other ways to entertain ourselves.”His voice had gone all dark and rough, and she shivered, goosebumps creeping across her skin, and not from the a/c. It felt dangerous, wanting him this bad, but she was so turned on she could barely think straight. Her heart hammered in her chest, in her throat, and she slowly wet her lips, thinking how good he’d feel inside her, his mouth on hers, his hands on her body….
Oh, what the hell.
“Do you wanna go back to my place?”“Norns, yes.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The world had barely resolved into her living room before Darcy swung her leg over his and straddled him, sinking her fingers into his hair and slotting their mouths together. Loki’s hands fluttered against her thighs and hips, to her back, and through the circuit again, like he wasn’t quite sure where to touch first, but his lips parted easily under her tongue. She could still taste mint and chocolate on him.“God, I want you so bad, honey. Is this okay?” she asked between kisses, hopeful.Her blunt nails scratched down the back of his neck and he groaned, hips bucking up against her. He’d be an idiot to say no, but his mind still whirled despite having her in his lap. Was this just lust? An aberration? Or was this something else?Would it matter past this moment?“Yes,” he hissed in answer; his questions would keep for later. In the meantime, she had initiated this and he trusted her to know her own mind. He would never regret another night with her. “How do you want me?”The question, and his lips against her throat, made her whimper, her fingers caressing his jaw. She wanted him the way she always did: six ways to Sunday and in every position humanly possible. But it wasn’t Sunday yet, not even close, and she didn’t need him to submit, didn’t need to be fully in control, not today.“However you want.” She tugged his hair a little, maneuvering him back to her lips, and hoped he understood. “We’re not playing. Just be yourself, Loki.”He met her blue eyes for a moment, brushing his thumb along her plump bottom lip. The sunset streaming through her windows highlighted half her face and set her aglow. She was beautiful, and she wanted him. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing obviously, and he tipped her chin up, tasting the cherry ice cream still coating her tongue.“No power exchange?” he murmured, clarifying, kissing the corner of her mouth. “No lady and her good boy? Just us?”“Just – just us,” she confirmed, breathless and aching. She dragged her nose alongside his, inhaling his exhale. “Can that be enough tonight? Please?”“Norns, yes.” Of course it was; how could it be anything else? She would always be enough, in whatever way he could have her. He let his hands press more firmly into her skin. “That’s more than enough, Darcy.”“Good.” Relief darted through her veins; he wanted this too, tonight, even without the trappings of BDSM. And then his mouth was on hers again and the relief was submerged in lust.Loki gripped her ass, hauling her closer until their hips aligned and her knees were pressed tight to the couch back. His dick pressed against her through their clothes, and she ground down against him, swallowing his moan. She’d never touched him like this before, through so many layers. It was frustrating but weirdly exciting too, like they were a pair of teenagers making out on her parents’ couch, hoping like hell no one walked in.Heart thrumming under his ribs, he followed her lead, matching each of her kisses with the same fervent need she displayed. With each brush of her tongue against his, the briefest scrape of her teeth pulling on his lip, his arousal ratcheted higher, but this was uncharted territory. Sex was obviously the end goal, but how fast did she want to get there? Which act did she desire tonight? Did she want his cock or just his mouth? They’d agreed to forego their usual roles but Loki found himself wishing for them, if only so he knew better what to expect... what she expected of him.Feeling like a green youth, he dared to pluck at her peasant blouse where it was tucked into her shorts. She hummed encouragingly and he pulled it loose, sliding his hands under the thin material to span her back, to trace her bra band, to stroke her sides. Her skin was so warm and soft, dimpling under his questing hands, and he wanted more of it, wanted her bare before him.With a little more daring, he gathered her shirt hem and started pushing it up. Darcy didn’t hesitate to lift her arms, kissing him quickly one more time, before he pulled the blouse up between them and over her head. As soon as it was free, her own fingers found the edge of his t-shirt, scrabbling to pull it off. He helped, yanking the collar over his head, and discarding it somewhere over the back of the couch.“God, you’re so pretty,” she murmured, eyes – and nails – raking down his chest and abs.His stomach quivered at her touch and admiration, at the lust painted on her face: the barely there rim of her blue iris around her blown pupils, the pink flush highlighting her cheeks, her kiss-swollen lips…“Stunning,” he returned honestly.Her hair tumbled wildly around her shoulders and chest, and he cupped one breast through her plain, white bra, squeezing the way he knew she liked. Instantly, she was kissing him again, pushing into his hand and grinding down against his cock. Her nails skimmed the back of his neck, across his shoulders, around to his chest, never stopping for long but constantly spiking the arousal in his blood. Impatiently, he tugged her bra straps down until she took the hint and pulled her arms through them. Undoing the clasp in the back, he tossed the garment aside and filled his hands with her breasts properly.“Yes!” she gasped, eyelids fluttering shut as he thumbed her nipples, his calluses scraping perfectly against them and sending shocks directly to her pussy. “Fuck, I love your hands so much, sweetheart. Feels so good.”The last was said on a whimper and he grinned sharply, pressing his advantage and leaning in to drag his mouth along her neck, across the straining tendons and the delicious juts of her collarbones. She leaned back automatically to give him better access and he splayed a hand against her back to support her, the other teasing and pinching her nipple, while she undulated in his lap.“Norns, you’re so perfect, Darcy.”He licked a stripe up to her ear and nipped gently at the lobe, feeling half undone already before she even turned blindly to seek his lips. What dream was this, that she was half-naked in his arms and kissing him in her apartment on a weekday? Whatever it was, he never wished to wake.Against her ear, his voice was hot and rough: “I want to be inside you.”“Fuck, yes, want that too. C’mon, my bedroom….”She moved to disentangle herself, to lead the way, but Loki didn’t let her. His hands, instead, slid under her ass and hauled her up with him as he stood, as if she weighed nothing.“Oh God, that’s so hot,” she panted out between kisses. “Love – mm – how strong you are. ‘s your back – ?”“’s fine,” he insisted before she finished asking. It had twinged, but Norns damn him if he was stupid enough to mention it. The pain had already passed after all. “Over – ?”“Here, yeah.” She waved a hand out, whacking her knuckles against her half-closed door.It stung but she just shoved the door open more, uncaring when it bounced off the wall. Loki held out his hand to stop it from smacking back into them as they crossed the threshold and Jesus Christ, he was holding her up with one hand! There were like two of his gigantic steps to her bed but she determinedly slid a hand down between them, cupping the thick line in his jeans.He swore gutturally, shoving his free hand into her hair and directing her into a fierce kiss. Her lungs burned and her lips buzzed when he finally let her go, carefully cradling the back of her head as he laid her on the bed. It was sweet, tender...and totally at odds with the way they were both scrambling for each other’s flies. Their hands were in each other’s way and frankly, Loki’s jeans were so goddamn tight she was struggling to get her fingers in the waistband to undo the frickin’ button.“Damn it!” she snarled, pawing uselessly at his stupid jeans. She couldn’t even shove them past his pointy hips. “Did you fuckin’ paint these on? How am I supposed to get them off?”He couldn’t help barking a laugh at that before catching her impatient hands and pressing them beside her head. The crease between her eyebrows smoothed out and, still chuckling, he pressed a kiss to her forehead...her nose...her mouth.“Allow me,” he murmured, smirking down at her as he levered up.While she watched, riveted, his hands very deftly popped the button and inched the zipper down. Darcy sat up on her elbows, biting her lip hungrily, totally forgetting about her own shorts as she waited for the reveal. Loki’s elegant hands moved to his sides, ready to push his jeans down.Then the doorbell rang.Loki froze and Darcy frowned, both of them staring out her doorway.The doorbell rang again.She wasn’t expecting anyone. “Who the fuck…?”Her phone, somehow still in her back pocket despite everything, started playing ‘She blinded me with science’ by Thomas Dolby, and Darcy collapsed back on her bed with a groan.“Maybe if we ignore her, she’ll go away,” she offered to the still stock-still Loki.The ringtone ended and was replaced by knocking on the door. “Darce? I know you’re in there! I heard your phone. Are you okay?”“...Fuck,” she said gustily, and hastily scrambled up from the bed. Loki wordlessly stepped back for her. They had about three seconds before Jane went to get Thor to bust her door down out of misplaced concern. For Jane, she hollered: “One second!”She jammed a hand into her hair, trying to make it look less make-out mussed. “Where did my shirt end up?”Wordlessly, Loki held it out to her, summoned from somewhere in the living room based on the green sparks dispersing around it.“Thanks.” She pulled it on quickly, fluffing her hair out from the collar, then threw her arms around his neck, stretching up as far as she could to kiss the edge of his jaw. He’d steadied her automatically, and his eyes darted down to her, a whirl of emotion hiding in his stoic expression. “I will be right back. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”He swallowed hard before quietly saying: “Alright.”“Right. Back,” she promised, then dashed into the main room before Jane knocked again. Hastily, she flipped the lock and yanked the door open enough to shove her head through. “Hey Jane! What’s up? What do you want?”“Are you okay? You weren’t answering my texts.” Jane’s sweet face was drawn in concern.“Oh, uh…” She’d texted first? Apparently, she hadn’t noticed while shoving her tongue down Loki’s throat. “Yeah, fine, fine. Just in the middle of something. What’s up? What were you texting me about?”She didn’t seem fully convinced but she didn’t push. “Oh, I meant to ask when we were at work. The new Batman movie is still showing over on West 42nd. Do you want to go? We can grab dinner; have a girls night!”Aw fuck. She really wanted to see that (and drool over Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway...and Tom Hardy...and oh, Marian Cotillard. Augh, and Joseph Gordan-Levitt!). Plus she and Jane hadn’t had a girls’ night in weeks. Sure, they worked together every day but that wasn’t the same!But she also had a half-naked Loki waiting in her bedroom and no way was she passing that up to drool over a bunch of actors in a superhero movie.“Aw geez, Jane, I really want to but I’ve uh…I’ve got...stuff? to do! I really gotta get back to it actually, sorry! Maybe we can reschedule? Tomorrow? I’ll text you! Okay, byyye!”She tried to (pretty rudely, she’d admit) close the door on Jane but she slapped a hand against it with a surprising amount of strength (all that training with Nat was paying off). Her eyes were narrowed suspiciously, and she mentally groaned.“You’re being weird. Weirder than usual,” she amended, which: fair. “What’s going on? What’s this ‘stuff’ you have to do?”Darcy laughed, too high-pitched and obviously fake. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. But I really have to go now, Jane, so can we...chat later? Please?”Suddenly, Jane’s eyes widened. Aw frick.“Oh my God, do you have somebody in there?” she asked in a bad whisper, pushing up on her tiptoes to try and look over Darcy’s head, as if whoever she’d invited home was hiding right behind her. “You do, don’t you? Who is it? Are they cute?”“No, Jane, I brought home someone I find hideous to expand my horizons,” she deadpanned, annoyed now.“So you do have someone here!” she crowed victoriously, and Darcy nearly stamped her foot in frustration.“Yes! Fine! Janey, I love you, but seriously, I’m trying to get my brains banged out, so can we talk later!?”To her credit, she did immediately turn sheepish. “Oh, right. Sorry! Yeah, text me! Have fun! Wear protection!”That last directive barely made it through the door as she did her best not to slam it closed, and she knocked her head against the wood, getting her irritation out. Jane was her best friend but her timing sucked ass.
Okay. Whatever.
She had more important things to think about. She turned on her heel, thoughts already back in the bedroom with Loki, only to find him in the doorway, his shirt dangling uncertainly from one hand.“Should I go?” he asked, carefully neutral.Beneath his breastbone, his heart galloped furiously, anxiety churning in his gut, but he refused to show it. They’d been interrupted: Dr. Foster having come to rescue her friend, however inadvertently, from making a mistake. It would make sense for Darcy to rethink the hasty decision to have him in her home, in her bed. Without arousal blinding her, she’d realize they should only be intimate on Sundays, could only be trusted together for ice cream on Wednesdays and nothing more.It took Darcy a minute to comprehend his question (his jeans were still undone, clinging precariously to his hips, his treasure trail disappearing temptingly into the shadows…) but when it finally filtered through, her eyes snapped up.“Don’t. Even. Think. About it.” She closed the distance between them as fast as she could, reaching up to cup his cheek and draw him down to her. She kissed him slow and dirty. “I want you right here, Loki. Stay.”His anxiety vanished into the ether, and he met her eyes wondrously. She wanted him here, with her, despite the intrusion of reality. Dropping his shirt, he scooped her up again, heart soaring as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, and slotted their mouths together eagerly. This time, he kicked the door shut, blocking the world out.It was only two steps to her bed and he laid her out on the white and purple sheets, quickly ridding her of her shirt again before setting to work on her jean shorts.“Did you wear these on purpose? To drive me mad?” he wondered teasingly, tackling the button and zipper handily and curling his fingers in her waistbands before pausing.He glanced up at her, a lock of hair hanging in his face and a grin on his lips, and she realized with a jolt that he was waiting for permission. Her brain did the equivalent of a capslock keysmash; even after all their sessions, he wasn’t taking her consent for granted, and God, if that didn’t do it for her…She nodded frantically, helping him push her shorts and underwear down and off, and then she reached for his jeans. “Could ask you the same question. I knew your ass would look good in these!”Chuckling, he finished shucking the tight denim and, with a half-thought, all their discarded clothing found itself folded on the nearby dresser. As he crawled up her body, he scattered kisses across her skin: to the side of her knee, the edge of her hip, above her navel, to each breast, then finally her mouth. She sank her hands into his hair, combing it back for him, and licking into his mouth, impatiently wrapping her legs around him.“Want you so bad, Loki,” she panted, stretching one arm down between them and stroking his dick. He was rock hard and weeping, and she swept the beads of precum around his head, savoring his shaky moan. “Can I – ?”“Yes, anything,” he agreed fervently, nodding, and followed the squeeze of her legs to sink into her as she guided him. “Norns, Darcy…”“God, yesss,” she hissed, clenching around him greedily. Seriously, his dick was goddamn perfect: long without ramming into her cervix (look, some people loved that but she thought it hurt like a motherfucker) and thick enough to stretch her juuust right. “Fuck, you feel amazing, honey. So perfect inside me.”Loki held his teeth gritted, nerves straining as he tried his damnedest not to move too soon, to let her adjust and set the pace. But Norns below, she always felt so stunning around him, squeezing his cock with her tight, silken heat. His hand flexed on her thigh, his shoulder starting to ache from supporting all his weight, and he sank that little bit more into her.He choked out a kind of rough laugh. She was going to be his ruin. “Fuck, I need to – to move, Darcy. May I?”“Holy shit, yes! C’mon!”With her encouragement, he balanced himself on both forearms and began rocking into her, building a simple, steady pace. He was ravenous for her, but unlike their sessions, he couldn’t assume there would be another round after this; he had to savor this one, to take his time, to make it good for both of them. Darcy didn’t seem to mind, if the way she sighed his name and wrapped her arms around his neck was any indication.She hadn’t had sex like this in ages (literal years, even). He was going sweet and slow, practically the complete opposite of how they normally did it, but it was...nice. Distantly, she was surprised at how much she was enjoying it; usually, she’d want it a little faster, a little harder, impatient for the finish line.Right now though, she was way more focused on each sensation: the pleasure slowly building in her pussy, the slide and catch of his skin on hers as sweat formed, the solid weight of him above her and between her thighs. Under her fingers, his skin was smooth and warm, his back rippling, and she stretched down to hold his ass, to feel the firm muscles shift and bunch. His arms flexed on either side of her head as he moved, his expression tight in concentration, nostrils flaring as he breathed. He was beautiful; she always thought so.“You’re beautiful,” she whispered, squeezing his ass, digging her short nails in the way she knew he liked. His even thrusts stuttered deliciously. “So gorgeous, Loki. This feels so good.”He felt his cheeks and ears heat. He...hadn’t expected her compliments to extend to tonight, had thought they belonged only to the realm of Sundays. Foolishness. She’d always maintained she didn’t lie when she played; therefore her compliments were true regardless of the day of the week. She truly did think him attractive and strong and brave.Pushing down on the swell of emotions, he brushed his lips against hers, grateful when she deepened their kiss automatically, opening her mouth to him and his ‘very talented’ tongue. (She thought he was clever!)His movements grew a little more forceful, a little faster and more determined.“What do you need?” he asked shakily, desperate to make this good for her, something she wouldn’t regret. “Want to make you come.”“Good boy,” she praised thoughtlessly, only realizing when Loki bucked harder against her, a whine in his throat. “Sorry,” she murmured, “but I can’t not say it when you talk like that, sweetheart.”He was hardly complaining. The praise still shivered along his shoulders and pumped pleasure into his groin.“What do you need, Darcy?” he repeated more firmly, deeper, and her eyes fluttered shut, her cunt clutching around him. Curious.“God, um…” She bit her lip, more affected than she wanted to admit by that drop in octave. “Can you, like...sit up and push my knees up against the mattress? Spread me open?”“Fucking Norns Below...” The things she said… He nearly climaxed then and there, holding on only by the skin of his teeth. He did as she asked, sliding his hands up the back of her thighs to her knees and carefully pinning them on either side of her. “Like this?”“Oh fuuuck…” she groaned pleasurably, digging her head back into the sheets. She was so glad she kept up with yoga, because this stretch and the angle it put his dick at inside her was mind-blowing. “Unh, that’s fucking perfect, Loki. Love being manhandled like this.”She had mentioned as much before but they’d not really explored it together, mainly due to his reticence. But with the way she was writhing on his cock, trembling and flushed, he might need to rethink his stance. Especially with how this position provided an excellent view of his prick pumping in and out of her wet quim.He fucked into her a little harder, rewarded instantly by her mewling ‘yes!’s. “Do you need anything else? Your wrists held, perhaps?”“Oh God,” she panted, quickly sucking two fingers into her mouth before dropping them to her clit. She didn’t need much more honestly, not with the way he was hammering her g-spot. “May – maybe next time, honey. Fuck, maybe Sunday. If – if you’re cool with it?”Pleasebecoolwithit, she thought wildly, glad she didn’t have enough air to say it because she knew Loki would do it if she pushed, no matter how uncomfortable he was.“Faen, if you enjoy it this much, how can I say no?”She was a sight to behold, rocking against the mattress, her breasts jiggling, her fingers furiously rubbing her clit while he fucked her and held her in place. He felt her flutter around him, her thighs tensing under his hands, and his eyes locked on her face as it scrunched up and she cried his name.“Vakkar.”It only took a few more desperate thrusts before he came as well, burying himself deep inside her as he spilled.He released her legs and Darcy immediately wrapped them around him, panting: “Stay.”Loki had no intention of going.Still brimming with pleasure, he rolled them both onto their sides, making certain they stayed joined. She hummed contentedly, snuggling in against him despite how sweaty they both were, and he echoed her, drawing his fingers absently against her thigh.“Mmm, that was fantastic,” she murmured, dropping a kiss on his still-heaving chest. She was still catching her breath too.An agreeable noise rumbled in his throat and he waved a hand, his cleansing spell drifting over them both like a cool breeze.After a moment, Loki admitted: “It feels...strange, coming without asking first.”Snickering, she patted his side consolingly. “Aww, I’ve got you well trained, huh?”“And the feeling’s gone,” he said flatly, cracking a smile when she only laughed more. “Minx.”It really was horrible how utterly fond of her he was.Still laughing, she stretched out her legs and swore like a trucker: “Motherfuckingcuntshitballs, ow! Cramp!”They jumped apart (miraculously without further injury) and Darcy leapt to her feet, hoping to shock the cramps into subsiding.“Fuckfuckfuck!” She was a big proponent of the pain-lessening powers of swearing, and she kept it up as she hopped from foot to foot, rubbing her hips and thighs.“Come here, you silly thing.” Loki sat on the edge of the bed and as soon as she danced near enough, he quickly ran his hands over the backs of her thighs and hips, sinking seidr into the muscles. “Better?”“Oh thank God!” She collapsed back onto the bed, cramp-free, and then snorted a laugh. “Well...thank you. Seriously, your seidr is hella useful, babe.”He flopped back beside her, unable to suppress his smile. “’Babe’?”Rolling onto her side, she propped her head up on her hand, biting her lip shyly. “Is that okay? I sorta save that one for vanilla sex.”Which was...technically accurate. The fact that ‘vanilla sex’ usually only happened with romantic prospects was totally immaterial. Just like the way her heart squeezed when he turned his head to smile softly at her, all fond and sexed-out.“I rather like it, actually.” From anyone else, he’d find it insulting: there was nothing infantile about him. But coming from Darcy? Well… There was nothing but warmth and affection in her voice when she said it. “Are there other endearments you’re saving?”She did a quick rundown of the pet names she’d used with him so far, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. But you are awfully inspiring, mister; I can probably come up with more.”That sounded promising. Covering her cheek, he leaned in to kiss her. “I look forward to hearing your creations, kjære.”He barely concealed his wince; he hadn’t meant to call her that.But Darcy tilted her head curiously and tried to repeat him: “Sure-ray? What’s that mean?”She hadn’t completely butchered the word but his lips quirked up nonetheless. How could he deny her? And it wasn’t as though the word was any more intimate or meaningful than those she had always called him.“Kjære,” he said again, slower for her benefit. “It means ‘dear’ in Aesir.”“Oh!”She flushed a pretty pink all the way down to the tops of her breasts and he couldn’t resist kissing her once more. “Is that alright?”“Yeah. Yeah, I like it,” she mumbled, still flushed and giddy. He’d only ever called her by her name or his lady, and she’d wondered if maybe he just wasn’t the type to call his partner pet names, but this…! She kind of felt like swooning, as ridiculous as it was.“Come on. What do you want for dinner? I’m kinda feeling tacos,” she declared, wrenching herself away to get dressed again. On the dresser, Loki had magically stacked and folded what they’d been wearing. “Thanks for getting our clothes, bee tee dubs.”“It’s nothing.” He rolled to watch her dress, charmed as she wriggled into her emoji underwear and shorts. She wanted to have dinner with him; that was new. “Tacos sound good.”Deciding against her white(!) peasant blouse since taco sauce would inevitably ruin it, she grabbed a navy shirt out of the drawer and put it on, turning around to face the still naked Loki. “Are you gonna get dressed, mister?”But he ignored her question, eyebrow arching up as he read the script on her shirt instead: “’Astrophysicists do it all night long’?”“What? Jane bought it for me at her last conference!”“Ah. And how do astrophysicist’s assistants ‘do it’?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, waving a hand to dress himself with seidr.“I dunno about the rest of them, but I do it with rope.”He laughed brightly at that, swooping down to kiss her cheek. “And you do it exceptionally well, kjære. Tell me we’re ordering in.”“Of course,” she scoffed after a split-second delay, still tickled pink about being called dear. “I’m not putting my bra back on to go out, ugh.”In the kitchen, she rifled through her junk drawer for the menu of the Mexican place she liked then passed it to Loki, before opening her fridge. “Do you want anything to drink? Water? Um...soda? I don’t have juice, sorry.”Good thing they were ordering in because she needed to buy groceries again. Frick. At least the dishes had been washed and put away already.“Water, please. I don’t like the bubbles in soda.” He wrinkled his nose in remembrance of the sensation (too ticklish on the roof of his mouth, yuck) as he looked over the menu. “The...surf and turf? tacos sound good.”Midgard had such bizarre naming conventions, but at least he could decipher this one.“Ooh, good choice.” She poured him a glass of water and popped the tab on her soda, taking a slug. “So not a fan of champagne then, huh?”“Ugh, no. I prefer mead or a wine. What are churros?”“Deep fried pastry dough, usually rolled in sugar and cinnamon. They’re really good. Do you wanna try them?”“Yes, I think I will.” Putting aside the menu, he summoned his phone from… Well, he assumed the couch but he honestly had no idea. He pulled up a food delivery app and put in his order. “What would you like?”There was probably no point in arguing about who was ordering and paying after their earlier conversation, right?“The tilapia tacos, please.”He added them and skimmed the rest of the menu. “’Deep fried ice cream’? How can you fry something cold? Wouldn’t it melt?”“No idea, dude. People deep fry all kinds of weird stuff.” Like butter. Why? How? Why? “Do you wanna try that too? It’s probably vanilla ice cream.”His eyebrows furrowed adorably while he considered. She was pretty sure she’d never meet anyone else who took dessert half as seriously (...except maybe a 5 year old. Maaaybe).“...Maybe next time,” he decided at last, finishing the transaction and putting his phone down. “It should be here within the hour.”“Thanks.” She pecked his cheek and grabbed his glass to refill it before she sat down beside him at the island.Without the question of food to distract them, silence settled heavily over the apartment. They were high enough up that traffic couldn’t be heard through the windows and the walls were thick enough that they couldn’t hear her neighbors either. The fridge hummed but that was all. She kind of wished there were still dishes to put away just for something to do while they waited. Other than the obvious: talk about how their spontaneous sex had changed things.Beside her, Loki inhaled bracingly, then quietly asked: “What will you tell Dr. Foster?”“Oh, um. The truth?” She hadn’t expected him to bring it up first, and she chewed her lip, tracing the condensation on her soda can. “I’m not big on lying, and you’re not some dirty little secret anyway. Not – not unless you want me to. Keep you – us – secret, I mean.”They’d sorta kinda talked about this before, ages ago, but this felt different. Vanilla sex between them was an anomaly. Not a bad one! But an anomaly nonetheless and she didn’t have any data points to draw from for this. Did he feel the same way about other people knowing about them if BDSM wasn’t involved? (Logically, he should care more about the BDSM part but feelings weren’t logical!!)His mouth pinched together, eyes flitting over the kitchen cabinets. “...Will this happen again?” His eyes slid to her and her reaction. “The...vanilla sex?”He was holding himself tensed, his insides wound uncomfortably tight. He ought to relax, but it felt as though everything depended on her answer, and so much of the evening had been unlooked for… He was self-aware enough to know that the spontaneity was fueling his anxiety more than their actions were (small blessing that that was) but the idea that she might think this was a mistake certainly didn’t help matters.Darcy was surprised by the longing that surged through her chest at his question. “I’d like it to. But it takes two to tango… And, oh! You wanted sex to be on a regular timetable; shit. Are you okay?”She wanted… He felt his shoulders relax. She wanted him outside their sessions too.He caught her hand and tangled their fingers together, aligning their palms. “I am well, Darcy. Knowing sex is a possibility is, I think, enough; we needn’t schedule it down to the minute.”“Are you sure? Wait! Does that mean you want this to happen again too?”“I am and it does.” He still felt remnants of agitation but they would pass, he was certain. Already, it was lessening. “I enjoy sex with you. I’d be a fool to turn down more of it.”She laughed at his leering grin, bumping their shoulders together. “Back atcha, babe. Anyway, you didn’t answer: do you want me to keep this secret?”It was difficult to say. Others would no doubt judge and question, but Darcy had already stated that she didn’t care what anyone thought. As she’d said: they were two consenting adults. What they did was no one’s business but their own.“No,” he decided, squeezing her hand. “If you do not care if Dr. Foster knows we are lovers, then neither do I. But a word of warning: if my brother finds out, he will be insufferable and everyone will know in short order.”“...I’d already figured on that,” she said, amused. If Loki was happy, Thor would be over the moon for him. And so what if the Avengers found out she and Loki were doing the do? They liked her well enough – maybe they’d extend that to Loki now (she had no illusions about who was provoking who in all that mess (Loki) but if they thought a little nicer of him, it wouldn’t hurt). “Are you still okay with that?”His mouth twisted sourly, but he nodded regardless. “Yes. I suppose remaining perpetually enigmatic to those imbeciles isn’t...helpful.”“Neither is calling them imbeciles,” she pointed out wryly. “Look: I’m not gonna play mediator or babysitter for you and the team but you could cut down on calling them names to their faces.”The advice grated but he was politic enough to know she had a rather strong point. Still… He put his nose in the air and pretended at being hurt. “And here I thought you liked me as I am.”“Ohmygod, you’re such a dweeb,” she snorted, giggling. “I do like you. Get your beaky nose down here.” She paused. “Can I kiss you?”He blinked. He supposed they should clarify what was acceptable and not in this new paradigm. “Of course.”She kissed his dumb nose and then his cheek. “You can kiss me too, ‘kay?”“Can I?” he murmured, catching her mouth softly, more chaste than not. His foolish heart soared when she melted into him. Still, this was too new and fragile to test and challenge. He would keep his affections behind closed doors unless she initiated.Darcy sighed happily. “Sure can. So that’s a yes to vanilla sex and kissing outside the bedroom. We’re still doing BDSM every Sunday, right?”“Absolutely,” he agreed promptly. He was very much looking forward to their planned threesome. “I would like our sessions to stay scheduled, however.”“No, yeah, of course. I prefer them that way too. I’d never spring that on anyone; that’s how people get hurt.” Spontaneous BDSM was best avoided, in her opinion. Unless everyone involved had been doing it together for decades maybe, but even then, she had her doubts about safety. “And we’ll still talk them out on Wednesdays over ice cream.”The final thread of anxiety in his chest vanished and he breathed freely. “With the possibility of vanilla sex after should our discussion be...heated.”She snorted. “So every Wednesday then, huh?” There’d been very few Wednesdays where she hadn’t wanted to jump his bones by the time they finished their ice creams and she sure as frick didn’t see that changing now that she was actually allowed to. “Yeah, that sounds perfect. Is there anything else…?”Even if she couldn’t think of anything now, she was sure more would come up as time went on, but sometimes Loki worried about things she took for granted, and the best way to get him to bring it up was to ask.It was difficult to focus on the conversation as a whole when she’d just admitted having sex with him every Wednesday sounded “perfect” but he managed. (Tempering his grin, however, proved impossible).“I don’t believe so, kjære.”“Great. Do you wanna, um, watch a movie or something while we wait for dinner?”“Sure.”🍧Darcy woke up with a start.The room was dark, with the curtains pulled over, and she sat up, rubbing one eye with her fist. She remembered watching some ocean documentary and then...she must’ve fallen asleep on the couch. But that didn’t explain how she’d ended up in bed.Or where Loki was.The other side of the bed was untouched and her eyes darted around, her heart in her throat and her stomach in knots. There was no sign that he’d been there at all, never mind recently. She couldn’t hear anything from the rest of her apartment either. Frantically, she grabbed her phone off the nightstand (had she left it there?) and checked her messages. There were a few from Jane, congratulating her and asking who the mystery person was, but nothing from Loki.Sighing shakily, she flopped back against her pillow, dropping her phone on the unused side of her bed. She thought they were okay! Pressing her hands over her face, she tried to take slow, deep breaths.“Okay... Okay.”Nope, she still felt awful.She’d really thought they were alright! They’d talked everything out and things had been good! He’d stayed for dinner and they’d cuddled on the couch and… Tears pricked at her eyes and she irritably wiped them away.Why did it even matter? It was just sex. That’s all it had ever been, right from the start. Loki had wanted a source of touch and sex, and to explore the new exciting world of BDSM that she’d introduced him to. And she’d wanted to sleep with the alien bad boy and maybe bring his ego down a peg.With a huff, she threw off her sheets and sat up, sniffing and wiping her cheeks impatiently. That wasn’t right. Not entirely. She’d wanted those things, yeah, but she’d wanted...more: intimacy and physical affection and to see if she could break Loki out of his shell a little. To care about a partner and a sub and to take care of them and be taken care of in turn.And she got that out of their sessions! Loki always took excellent care of her, during and after. But maybe, despite their talk, tonight had crossed a line she didn’t know about. Maybe he’d decided vanilla sex and dinner and a movie was too much. That the domesticity of it all was too much.Her heart squeezed painfully and she cursed herself. This thing between them wasn’t a romantic relationship. Neither of them wanted to date. The idea of Loki and her going to the movies, or walking arm-in-arm through Central Park, or having dinner at a fancy restaurant, or him taking care of her when she was sick, or them cooking breakfast together was laughable....Completely laughable.Swallowing, she shoved all that garbage away. It was the middle of the night and there was no trusting her feelings after 10 PM. Padding to the bathroom, she did her business and splashed water on her face. She looked pale and sad in the mirror and she angrily slapped the light off.In the kitchen, she grabbed a glass out of the cupboard, seeing by the city lights pouring in from the huge windows. She filled it from the tap and took a long drink, wandering over to them. Had Loki gone back to his apartment or was he somewhere else…?Sighing, she turned around and shrieked, nearly jumping out of her skin. Water splattered all over her and the floor and she clutched at her chest, trying to keep her heart from leaping out.
“Loki!”
He took an obvious deep breath, filling his chest, and then slowly opened his eyes to her. “Darcy. Hello. ...Did I startle you?”“Yes!”His fingers wriggled above his knee and the water dried up. “Apologies. I felt like meditating and didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”“Oh.” That...wasn’t what she’d expected. A mess of feelings made her chest tight and she didn’t know what to do with her hands.He looked up at her from his perch on the arm chair he’d turned around to face the windows. His vision was sharper in the dark than humans, or so he’d surmised, and she looked...far more surprised and upset at his statement than he thought meditation warranted.“Darcy, is something wrong?”Biting her lip, she shook her head. “No.” And then: “It’s stupid.”She shouldn’t have said anything. It was stupid, now that she knew he’d been here the entire time. It was just some late-night existential spiraling! It wasn’t a big deal.Loki merely arched an eyebrow expectantly and she folded like a wet noodle.“I woke up and you weren’t there and I thought maybe tonight wasn’t okay and –” She sniffed, mortified that she was on the verge of tears over this, and Loki was already unfolding himself from the chair, pulling her into his arms and holding tight. “It’s stupid! I dunno why I’m being so emotional about this; sorry.”“Shh, min kjære. It’s fine,” he soothed, rocking them slightly. He was glad he’d already finished his meditation when he’d spooked her or his thoughts would be a useless tangle at this development. As it was, the tangle could wait. “Tonight was more than ‘okay’; it was wonderful. I enjoyed every minute of it.”“Yeah?” She sniffed again, and a tissue appeared in front of her. She blew her nose and tried to lighten the mood: “Even the part where I must’ve drooled on you when I fell asleep?”He vanished the used tissue and cradled her face, dropping a kiss on her brow. “Yes, even the part where you felt comfortable and safe enough to fall asleep on the fearsome God of Mischief. Come; it’s late and I’ve finished meditating. Let us return to bed.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“And I’ll have the eggs Benedict, thanks.”“Great, I’ll let the kitchen know and be back to top up your coffees!” the waitress chirped, collecting their menus and heading off....Leaving Darcy alone to fiddle with her cutlery and then her mug, and watching the stream of commuters hustle by their window. She needed an antacid. And to rip off the metaphorical band-aid, ugh. She wanted to do this; she just hoped Jane wouldn’t totally freak.“God, I’m starving. Why don’t you get like, I dunno, chips before breakfast like you do when you order dinner? Toast! They could give you little triangles of toast to tide you over.” She was going to face-palm. Sure, she had a point, but really, Lewis? Get your shit together, girl!It was going to be fine. Jane was generally level-headed and reasonable; as a scientist, she had to be. She wouldn’t like, disown her or fire her or raze their friendship to the ground. Right?Across from her, Jane took her randomness in stride. “That would make sense. Especially since you usually order appetizers before dinner anyway. Breakfast doesn’t have starters. I wonder why.”“Beats me. But if this wormhole gig ever falls through, there’s our million dollar idea: breakfast appetizers!”Their waitress swung around to refill their coffees and water glasses before flitting away again.Once she was out of earshot, Jane leaned forward conspiratorially. “So… I didn’t ruin last night for you, did I?”Darcy tried not to turn red but who was she kidding? She’d never had any control over her blushes. “Nope! It uh...rallied just fine.”“And?” She lifted her eyebrows leadingly. “How was it?”Biting her lip, she couldn’t help remembering: Loki above her, in her, holding her in place… “Mind-blowing, like always.”“Oooh! Wait, ‘like always’?” Jane’s eyebrows were up around the ceiling, but her expression was wholly impressed. “This wasn’t the first time? Have you been holding out on me, Darcy Lewis?”
...Oops.
“Kiiind of? Um. This was the first time at my place, but it wasn’t the first time, y’know?”“No, I don’t, because you’ve been keeping this development all to yourself,” she teased, sipping from her mug. “With the way you’re always bemoaning your lack of love life, I was kind of expecting a blow-by-blow account if you ever met someone.”Adjusting her spoon on the table, she couldn’t help wincing internally. She’d thought that too. Jane was her bestie and neither had any compunctions about girl talk. After all, who else could you talk to about your alien boyfriend from space and what he was like in the sack than with the intern who’d discovered the existence of an extraterrestrial civilization with you? And Jane knew all about her Dom days so when Darcy needed to wax poetical about wanting a sexy little sub to order around, she knew Jane was comfortable listening. (And well… Jane had learned she was a little less ‘vanilla’ than she’d assumed, so yay! Self-discovery! Thor had taken their little forays into roleplay very well.)“Well, at first, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be just a couple times or something a little more long-term,” she explained, sheepishly. Which was true! She hadn’t been sure, originally, if Loki would like BDSM enough to continue beyond a few exploratory sessions or not. “And then when we kept hooking up… He’s a really private person, I think.”Jane nodded; she understood privacy. But: “’He’?”She debated for a split second but Loki hadn’t said anything about his gender in the lab so she decided to play it safe. “Yeah, he.”“And does he have a name…?”
Now or never.
She took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m gonna level with you, boss lady: it’s Loki.”Jane, who had just taken a sip of her coffee, paused, her eyes bugging out a little. Slowly, she put her mug down and swallowed.“I’m sorry: Loki? The guy who took over New York and has a kill count? That Loki?” Unimpressed, Darcy dipped her fingers in her water glass and then flicked them at her bestie.“Hey!”“Your boyfriend has a kill count too, babe, and the only reason you two even met was because he tried to start a war single-handedly and daddy banished him to Earth, so maybe tone down the judgment.”Jane had the decency to look embarrassed.“And yeah, Loki. The same guy who’s been in our lab for the last year and who rick rolls you once a week. You’ve really gotta stop clicking suspicious links, Jane.”While she stewed in that, their waitress appeared with their breakfasts. “Alright, ladies, I’ve got your eggs Benedict –” She set the dish in front of Jane, before setting the other in front of Darcy. “– and your waffles. Can I top up your coffees? Get you anything else?”They both held out their mugs but passed on anything else, and the waitress left them to it.Grabbing the syrup the waitress had brought, Darcy proceeded to douse her waffles in it, making sure to fill each perfect, golden pocket.Jane cleared her throat, looking sheepish when her eyes flicked up over her glasses. “You’re right; sorry. Loki’s been… Harmless sounds wrong, doesn’t it?”“Oh my God, right?” she laughed. “I’m sure he’d be pleased as punch to hear it though, the dork.”Dork? Jane mouthed, baffled, before shaking her head. “He’s been...civil. Annoying as hell, but decent. I guess you just took me by surprise.”“Yeah, alright. But how was I supposed to ease you into that? Leave notes on your coffee sleeve?”“Wear progressively more green?” she suggested doubtfully, waving around a forkful of eggs and hollandaise.“Ha! He’d love that. Anyway: surprise!” She popped a piece of waffle into her mouth and moaned porn-ily. She loved maple syrup and waffles.They busied themselves with eating for a few minutes before Jane asked: “So are you two dating or…?”Darcy shook her head, rinsing her mouth with coffee. “Nah, we’re like...fuck buddies at most.”Looking in her medicine cabinet this morning and seeing her nearly empty birth control packet had made her realize last night’s tear-filled panic was probably just PMS. Thank fuck. It was a load off her mind. Dating Loki would be by far the stupidest plan she’d ever had; he’d be back on Asgard before they knew it and he’d forget all about his couple years grounded on Earth.Still though.“Maybe friends-with-benefits,” she amended, thinking only of dinner and a movie the night before, and not at all how loved cherished cozy she’d felt in his arms once they’d gone back to bed.Over the rim of her mug, Jane raised her eyebrows skeptically but her friend was too busy dragging a corner of waffle through a syrup puddle to notice.Deciding to hold her tongue for now, she changed topic. “How’s the sex?”“Ohmygod Jane, so good. I know I was going through a dry spell but damn. That Silver Tongue thing? Not just in the myths, if you catch my drift.” She waggled her eyebrows ludicrously and Jane burst out laughing.“I think the whole diner could catch that drift, Darce! What else? Or is he a one-trick pony?”But she shook her head. “Nu-uh! I haven’t asked him if he’s cool with our girl talk yet so no can do, chicky.”She mimed zipping her lips shut, staying strong despite Jane’s ridiculous attempt at puppy-dog eyes. She wasn’t saying a word (well, more than that vague reference anyway) without Loki’s consent. Knowing him, he’d probably take their girl talk as comparing the brothers...to his detriment, of course. Heck, for all she knew, Thor might feel the same once he found out.On that note… “Hey, you should ask Thor if he’s cool with you telling me about your sex life, now that Loki’s in the mix. You know they’ve both got...issues.”Jane grimaced around her eggy toast, and nodded, covering her mouth with her hand. “Yeah, I will. What is with that, anyway?”Darcy shrugged. “No idea. I blame Odin.”“Mm, fuck him.”“Not even if he paid me.”“Darcy!” 🍧Pulling open another drawer, Loki rifled through its contents half-heartedly. It was naught but office supplies (hardly a surprise, really). Sighing miserably, he wriggled his fingers over the contents: paper clips linked together into a spiderweb, rubber bands knotted into a chain, and the plain Bic pens turned into rubber chicken pens that would squawk with every crossed T.That done, he slumped back in Darcy’s swivel chair and swung around to glare at the door. The lab was so boring without Dr. Foster and Darcy in it.Something small and squishy bounced off the side of his head and he turned to glare blackly at Thor. “Really?”The behemoth just shrugged, a comfortable grin about his mouth. “What? Terrible things happen when you get too stuck in your head. I thought I should distract you before you set the furniture on fire.”“Oh for Yggdrasil’s sake…” he muttered, rolling his eyes. He’d set fire to a table once out of boredom; was it really to be held against him for the next millennium?Thor’s projectile floated into his hand and he inspected it dubiously. It appeared to be a cartoonish take on Thor himself, decked out for battle and replete with his feathered helmet. (How the Midgardians had gotten wind of that certainly had nothing to do with himself....) The toy was made of some sort of malleable plastic and he squeezed its middle.Its eyes bugged out, a small box inside making a “WYENH” noise, which startled a laugh out of Loki.He threw the toy back. “Dr. Foster requires a stress toy in your likeness? Trouble in paradise, brother?”Thor caught it handily, barely shifting from his perch on his paramour’s chair, his large booted feet up on her desk (carefully not on any paperwork). “Hardly. ’Twas a gift from Stark. I thought it humorous, as did Jane. I believe Darcy insisted on having one as well.”“She did?”His lip curled in disgust before he could think better of it, but Thor thought nothing of it. Of course Loki was disgusted that anyone would want a likeness of his brother; there was nothing unusual about that. Irritably, he twisted back to Darcy’s desk and tore open the last un-rifled through drawers.“Aha!” He held up the horrid little toy with its head between his thumb and forefinger, narrowing his eyes at it. A touch of seidr had Thor’s features melting off and replaced by his own; emerald and black armor and horned helm included. “Much better, don’t you agree?”He tossed the toy his way and Thor guffawed once he saw the changes. “Oh yes, leagues better with his wee cow horns. Very cute. But does it moo now?”He squeezed the toy in his fist and while the toys eyes did bug out (to make Darcy laugh), the sound was not a bovine or a mechanical wail, but a tinny version of his laugh.“Ehehehehe!”The toy also multiplied.“Hey!” Thor’s feet thudded to the floor as he scrambled into a proper sitting position while the 3 Loki toys buffeted against his face. He batted them away, but far from annoyed, his face showed only enthusiasm. “Do mine too!”Loki sniffed (Darcy had given him expectations). “Say please.”Thor went so far as to pout too, clasping his hands together under his chin as if that made a more endearing picture. (It just made him look ridiculous.) “Pleeeease, little brother?”Dr. Foster and Darcy would be unpleasantly surprised when they got the toys back but… He did love a bit of chaos.“Oh, alright. War?”Thor’s eyes lit up with glee. “Yes!”Loki recalled his miniature army and cast a spell on all four toys.Twenty minutes later, their respective toys numbered in the dozens, tiny scorch marks littered the desks and carpets from lightning bolts and fireballs, and the field was pockmarked by inert Thors and Lokis, slain in battle. Neither side was any closer to decisively claiming the high ground (Loki’s desk) and winning.A wave of Lokis multiplied to a hundred in the air, all laughing maniacally, and the advancing Thors turned and ran in alarm.The real Thor slammed his hands on Dr. Foster’s desk. “We agreed you had no illusions!”“Did we? How forgetful of me,” he lied, looking as innocent as he knew how (but he did cancel the illusion now that it had achieved its purpose – forcing Thor’s army back from the desk so his warriors could start climbing the sides). “I can’t believe you turned tail and ran! What would Dr. Foster think of your cowardice?”A tiny Thor squeaked something to his real counterpart, who nodded sagely and whispered strategy back, before replying: “She’d rather I escape alive to fight another day. What would your lady think of your underhanded deeds? Oh wait, you don’t have one.”The quip, weak as it was, stung a surprising amount. He did have a lover, and she would care about his battle exploits (...although perhaps not this childish kind, precisely. He was sure she’d laugh to hear about it though).Heedless, Thor continued, changing his tone from one of mockery to bafflement: “I still don’t know what your objection to Dr. Gillman was…. You’ve been alone too long, brother; it’s turning you sour.”He was sure he could verbalize half a dozen reasons if pressed, but it really boiled down to the simple fact that she wasn’t Darcy.“Actually, brother,” he cleared his throat and hated how young he felt, “I already have a lover.”Thor merely waved a hand dismissively at this pronouncement. “Pah, your hand doesn’t coun –”One of the toy Lokis bounced off his idiot face, shutting him up.“It’s Darcy, actually.”The oaf did a double take, jaw falling as if it was that unexpected. Please. She was exactly his type, as Thor had said: short, buxom, and intelligent. Plus she was the only unattached woman he spent any significant time with. Who else if not her?“My Darcy?”Tamping down on his boiling blood, Loki settled for glowering at him. “I’ll thank you never to refer to her as such again...but yes. The same Darcy who tased you into the ground, and I still think it’s unfair you won’t let me see the memory. I should ask her...”She would probably share it, since she crowed about it so often, and it would be another chance to show off his seidr, which she was always fascinated by.Between them, half a dozen Thors were climbing atop themselves and forming a very wobbly ladder. Lokis had managed to scale his desk chair and were nearly at the desk top; all they had to do was take possession of the sole pen in his pen holder and the war would be won. The tower of Thors raised their hammers and squeaked together, summoning a bolt of lightning.A surprisingly large bolt of lightning...Loki only managed to raise his eyebrows and sit up straighter before the bolt struck and the fire-suppression system went off.As the klaxons blared and water poured from the ceiling, Thor winced. “Oops?”🍧Understandably, he and Thor had received an earful once Dr. Foster and Darcy returned to find none of their electronics worked. Neither woman was overly grateful that he’d already dried out all the water or cleaned up the rest of their mess (toys, scorch marks, etc.). His comment about their technology being too archaic for him to repair had, perhaps, not done him any favors either, but it was the truth! He couldn’t very well fix what he had no understanding of.(And oh, the way Darcy’s eyes had narrowed, utterly furious… He’d merely grinned at her, hoping to provoke her further, the temptress.)Before she could lay into him properly though, Dr. Foster had proposed a solution: he would help them rebuild each piece “by hand, no magic!” so he’d have no excuse next time. And to be perfectly honest, he hadn’t argued against it. Anything was better than the pointless busywork SHIELD insisted on giving him, and he liked tinkering.A fact Darcy noticed, of course. “You should be in engineering with Stark. I bet you’d love it.”“Ugh, not with that deafening racket he calls ‘music’.” He grimaced at the mere thought while he soldered another wire carefully in place. “Or his wretched holograms. There’s really no need for them to be so bright.”Darcy filed his comment about the brightness away for later (maybe he was always scowling at his reading because of the fluorescent bulbs?). “Un-huh, ‘cause when you blast that Icelandic or whatever folk music, that’s totally different, right?”“Of course.” He grinned cheekily at her. “I chose it after all.”She’d shoved his arm, and continued guiding him through rebuilding the circuits for the atmospheric destabilization sensor, and the rest of the week had slipped away. Dr. Foster said nothing to him of his relationship with Darcy aside from a single comment about her familiarity with the New Mexico desert should Darcy ever need to bury a body (he’d appreciated the casual ruthlessness and loyalty behind the statement, actually), and he’d only had to fend off three attempts by Thor to arrange a ‘double-date’.Darcy, on the other hand, had had an...unsettling conversation with Thor. As she related it later to Loki: “All he said was he was happy for us and he hoped I’d be good to you ‘cause he’d hate to stop being friends but with like…a really menacing aura? Total serial killer vibes, I’ve gotta be honest with you. And he smiled the whole time! Which: it’s Thor, of course he did, but it wigged me out even more. Stop laughing, you ass! Thor could totally kill me and make it look like an accident! ‘Oops, forgot my own strength there! Sorry about your assistant, but surely you can get another one, can’t you? There’s millions of people on this realm’.”Loki proceeded to howl even harder at her terrible impression.Finally, wiping away tears, he managed to ask: “Don’t you think Dr. Foster might object to her lover murdering her best friend? That might be deterrent enough for Thor.”“Weren’t you listening? He’ll make it look like an accident! And no one’s ever gonna believe he offed me! With that big dopey grin and his golden retriever persona? Please. It’ll be the perfect crime. Plus even if anyone suspects him, he’s a foreign prince! He’s got diplomatic immunity! What’re they gonna do?”“Oh Norns, you’ve been watching far, far too much Game of Thrones.”