A Love For Eternity (LokixReader)

Chapter Nineteen

(Your Pov)

Shiiiiiiiiit.

You were going to die. Or, if these were the same people who had tried to incapacitate you on your last mission, you were about to have to trade your freedom for the lives of these civilians around you.

Shit to all the shits to have ever been shitted.

You screwed this one up.

The 'couple' behind you stood much too close for comfort, and the various infiltrators in the area continued to glance in your direction. Maybe this was why the Avengers had stuck you on Loki duty. They knew.

Why didn't they tell you? You would have liked to know that you're being hunted!

Without any other ideas, you take account of what was on your person. You didn't have any weapons, no means of communication, and even if you did use magic now and it somehow didn't catch everything on fire, it was defensive. You made shields and healed and teleported books. Occasionally knock over something with wind or ward an entryway.

You didn't fight a dozen enemies when surrounded by potential casualties.

While you were deep in thought, you missed the small burst of magic from around the next corner. Your mind was too wrapped up in what you should do to decipher the spell that had tracked you down. Nor the stranger in the perfectly tailored suit waltzing up from behind you, replacing those who had been breathing down your neck. "Excuse me, I'm with her."

But you couldn't mistake his voice.

You flipped around to face a very smug, and very concerned Loki. "What are you doing here?" You whispered, refraining from expressing relief just yet. Despite how he could normally fight off a hundred fiends at once, the prince couldn't use his magic. Which also begged the question, how did he get here? Nor even know where to find you?

"Accompanying you." He said, as the ones behind him grumbled about line-cutters. Maybe they weren't after you.

Apparently you were extremely paranoid.

But after such a heart attack, you could barely come up with a response. Your eyes jumped from the threats you had identified earlier, slowly coming the realization that they had just been surprised by the length of the line.

Not at all aiming for you.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked, watching carefully for your reaction. He had seen how your eyes shifted from place to place, how your hands were already starting to weave what few spells you could use to fight or defend those around you. Granted, you had stopped the habit when your prince surprised you.

Not your prince. Not specifically. Where the hell had that thought even come from?

You glance up, expecting at first from his monotone voice that he had just asked the question as his duty. Maybe the Avengers had sent him, knowing something like this might happen. But when your eyes meet his own, the emeralds freeze on how prepared you had been for everything to go wrong. And he was worried.

"It's fine. But... thanks for coming." A part of you wanted to retain the boundaries you had set with him, and yet after all that happened, you thought better than to push him away now. "Why did you come? How did you even get here?"

"Teleported." Loki shrugged, folding his hands before him. But in the process you noticed the obvious lack of a manacle, and how he smirked mischievously.

Did he really escape? Just to find you? Why... why would he ever do that? What was he planning? You had heard about his various attacks across Midgard, but you assumed you were safe from the 'egotistical tyrant' as long as his magic was under control. Not that he's ever shown you such a dangerous side. "You have your magic back?"

"Yes." He smiled, "Under explicit instructions to not take over the world, so I apologize for not being able to aid in your conquests." You relaxed when it seemed he spoke truthfully, but his joke drew a string of giggles from your lips, growing into a laugh, then a guffaw that stemmed from the deepest parts of your soul. Because you? Both invincible and immortal? Taking over the world and seeking revenge on all who've wronged you?

Now why would you ever do such a thing?

By the time the tears had cleared from your eyes, you looked up to see quite the amused prince of Asgard. "I didn't know you could laugh so much."

"I didn't know you would offer to enlist in "my army"." But with your spirits raised and with Loki back on your good side- most likely his intentions in the first place- you resume your place in line. "Do you want to get some coffee?"

Oh, how he beamed. Loki was known for his subtlety, but this wasn't at all subtle. This was an emotion that bursted from his heart and no matter how he tried to hide it, it splattered across his visage and every person in a hundred miles could see as much.

"I would love to."

*

(Avengers' Pov)

Failure.

No one died, no one was injured, and no one was lost. So compared to their normal exploits, this was a win.

But nothing was recovered. Nothing was found, nothing was fought, and no new information came to light. They had been set up. Decoy information presented about this location, and if the team had to guess, it would be the same for the other bases in the data.

Damn it.

But on the plus side, Loki didn't escape. He did exactly as he was supposed to, and went to protect Y/N. Or... share a coffee and a collection of small muffins, as the team was told later that evening when they returned to the tower to find the two talking as if they were long lost friends. And to find quite the insistent Y/N explaining the new terms developed over brunch. She wanted to be included on any and all information relating between her and Hydra.

Which was acceptable, and a suitable apology in the eyes of the Avengers.

She also wanted to be included on missions concerning those hunting her. Which was much less acceptable, but the Avengers still valued her aid and respected her decision to agree to such a thing.

Then finally, Loki.

He wanted his magic back.