Of Love and Mischief (MCUxReader)

Fifty One

You peeked around the doorway to the library, checking to see if Loki was currently occupying his favorite chair. Seeing the coast was clear you walked in, quietly closing the double doors behind you.

You hadn't slept the night before. Though Loki had been quiet in your mind, giving you the space you'd asked for, he probably knew you'd spent the whole night tossing and turning as you relived the past year trying to replace all your memories of Demon with Loki.

Turning back to the room, you froze as more memories rushed in. Walking over to the ladder, you brushed a hand over the rungs and smiled at the memory of you attempting to climb them in high heels. You could almost hear Bucky's soft objection from the balcony door.

Glancing at where he'd once stood, your smile faded when the memories of the day you were captured took over. Goosebumps trailed their way up your arms. You wanted to turn back, leave this room and those memories behind.

No. Bruce said that when the memories came you needed to let them in.

Taking a deep breath you rubbed the bumpy flesh of your arms and marched determinedly to the balcony.

Inching over to the railing you held your breath as you looked down, then immediately turned back around. In the broad daylight it was too easy for your mind to automatically insert the image of Bucky hanging off this very ledge.

Taking deep breaths you waited for your heart to slow, willing the bile in your throat back down. Your legs felt like jello so you sat, then laid down on the cool concrete.

A different memory came to you then. One of you wrapped up in Demon's shadowy embrace in this very spot. It was one of your better moments and the thought of it warmed your heart, helping your anxiety melt away.

Demon. Loki?

Pressing your palms to your temple you breathed a heavy sigh.

What a freaking mess.

"Relaxing. You're supposed to be relaxing, Olivia." You grumbled to yourself, pushing up off the concrete.

You made your way back into the library and began to peruse the shelves. Tony had restocked all of the literature too, and by the looks of it he'd added in a few new books that caught your fancy. You'd hadn't noticed during your time spent here with Loki because you'd already been reading the Harry Potter series, there was no need to look through the books.

Grabbing Dark Lover by J.R. Ward off the shelf, you made your way to the couch pointedly avoiding the chair Loki usually lounged in.

"FRIDAY, can you please turn on the fireplace?" You asked the A.I.

"Certainly." She answered as the foe wood became ablaze.

Pulling out your phone, you chose one of your favorite Disney piano cover stations to play softly in the background.

You'd only made it a few pages into the book before you set it down on the end table, getting lost staring into the flames. You weren't necessarily lost in thought, since no actual thoughts crossed your mind. You were just lost in the moment, the quietness of it. The stillness.

A few notes from the song playing in the background caught your ear, bringing you out of your musing. The intro to Anastasia's Once Upon A December brought a slight smile to your lips as you hummed along to the opening lines. Gramma would always dance with you around the living room as you sang along, Penny squished between the two of you.

When the chorus picked up, you stood from the couch singing along and began dancing.

The empty space between the couch and chairs wasn't much, but it was enough. You closed your eyes, confident that you wouldn't bump anything as you pictured yourself in the ballroom floating amongst the ghosts.

When the second round of the chorus began to crescendo, you jolted when you felt a warm embrace at your back.

Opening your eyes, you looked back to find Loki standing behind you. He leaned down and whispered in your ear. "Don't stop."

Wrapping your arms around his, you leaned your head back against his shoulder and continued to sing, following his lead throughout the small space.

When the song ended, neither of you moved, breathing heavily, locked in each other's embrace.

After a moment Loki spoke once more, still whispering as if afraid to break the moment. "I think that hearing your voice down the bond was the one thing that kept me sane during my time in Asgard's dungeons. At first I thought I'd truly gone mad from the Titan's foul treatment. Then I deduced what was actually occurring and it gave me hope. Hope for a pairing that I knew might not ever be possible."

"You could hear me, even then?" You whispered back.

He kissed the top of your head. "It was the most beautiful siren song I'd ever heard."

Wait a minute.

You scrunched your eyebrows together and leaned to the side to look up at him. He allowed the movement but kept his hands firmly on your hips, not allowing you to fully part.

"Loki, I don't always sing those types of songs. My favorite bands are - Oh God."

Your cheeks heated in mortification as you realized that he'd probably had to endure you belting Linkin Park at the top of your lungs.

His hand moved from your hips to cup your flaming cheeks, cooling them as he chuckled. "I will admit, the music was nothing like I'd ever heard. But beautiful nonetheless."

You returned his smile, rolling your eyes as a giggle escaped.

His smile broadened. "Ahh another sound I could never grow tired of." His thumbs brushed back and forth over your cheeks.

"Loki, I-" You didn't know where to start.

This man- er god - had been with you through this crazy experience from the beginning. He'd heard your thoughts, felt your feelings, and fought for your happiness. Sure, he could've done a few things differently. But everything's clearer in hindsight. There were honestly a few things you could've improved on too.

Like not lying to your friends from the get go.

Okay, time to stop lying all together then. If you were going to do a clean slate, that needed to start now. Here.

You turned so you were chest to chest. Your faces so close together that you could feel his hair tickle your face. Reaching up you brushed a lock of it back, moving your hand to cup the back of his head, threading your fingers into his raven locks.

His eyes widened at the gesture, he looked from your eyes to your lips and back.

"Loki." You whispered again before pulling him down into a kiss.

It wasn't a delicate kiss. It was one full of passion and longing. It was familiar. His hands gripped your chin almost painfully as he tipped your head back attempting to get closer.

Something tightened in your chest. It felt like a direct line was forming, connecting the two of you. That little presence you'd always felt with Demon intensifying until it was palpable.

There was no doubt left in your mind that Demon was Loki as your very soul embraced the warmth, basked in it.

A small moan escaped your lips, Loki growling in response. He walked you backwards until your back met the ladder of the bookshelf and he lifted you to sit on one of the rungs. It put you at the perfect height to wrap your legs around his waist and the two of you continued to explore each other's mouths.

Eventually you need air, breaking the kiss only when your lungs screamed out for oxygen. Loki's mouth moved along your jaw, following a path down your neck and over your shoulder, then back up. He softly pecked your lips, pulling back to smile at you.

It was a most beautiful sight that would've left you breathless had you not already been desperate for air.

You never wanted to be away from him again.

"Never again." He breathed, forehead coming to rest on your own.

"Promise?"

Promise.

Your smile matched his.