Not A Monster ● Loki × Reader ●

08 - Martinis With A Side Of Agony.

Thor's face scrunches in concentration for a moment. "Red wine. Why?"

I nod and grab a bottle of Stark's finest red wine. I pour a glass, get up, and make my way over to where the brooding Loki stood. 

He clocks me and stares, his eyes darting between me and the glass, then my dress.

I offer him the glass, waiting as he grimaces, then decides that it's not poisoned and takes it. "You look pleasant," he mumbles just loud enough from me to hear above the music.

I hum in acknowledgment. "You clean up nicely."

"Thank you." He sips his wine, swirling the glass afterward. 

"Not a fan of parties, hm?"

"No. Midgard's parties are... obnoxious. Asgardian parties are far better."

My curiosity piqued. "What are Asgard parties like?"

"Magnificent." He takes another swig. "Huge gowns, masks, majestical..." He spoke with what almost sounded like sorrow, like he missed what he described. 

In my mind, I pictured a masquerade ball. Gowns flowing as you twirl about with your masked enemy, knowing full well that one of you was going to kill the other by the end of the night. The music speeding and speeding until it stops and you and your enemy are left in a glorious stalemate, realizing all along that it was never hatred keeping the two of you on each other's tails. But something more than mutual pining.

For only a second, my head began to pound, but then I felt like I was in a dream. I quickly shake it off, looking up at the stupidly tall god, who now looked at me with wonder. "You have quite the imagination, little one."

I furrow my brows. "Oh?" I thought I had my walls built high above myself. How had he been able to see that? I do notice how I tend to zone out and go spacey when I daydream, so perhaps that was a loophole he had found.

"Mm."

We stood in a semi-comfortable silence for a moment that seemed to last longer than forever until the music quiets to a slow tune played by a piano in the far corner of the room on a stage. I laugh to myself as the Avengers dance with their chosen partners. Bucky and Steve stand off to the sides, chatting over bottles of beer. Nat dances with Bruce, Wanda with Vision, Pepper with Tony, Thor with Jane, Clint with his wife, and many more couples. 

"Look at them... soft mortals," Loki snarls under his breath, but I catch it.

"How?"

"It's like they require love. Gods, this place would have been destroyed years ago if it weren't for Thor's lady."

"Jane?" I never understood how Thor liked Jane. To me, she was always this random woman who would pop by the tower for a visit. I don't think I've ever seen either of them kiss before. Jane also just gave me the creeps. Her love for science could easily compete with Bruce's. Then the puzzle pieces started puzzle piecing. "Why?"

"Thor and I were going to destroy Midgard together, but then that woman got in the way." He spoke with soft malice.

"And you let them?"

"In the worst way, he was... happy." 

I go silent, examining him as he watched his brother dance with Jane, only the faintest hints of longing tainting his features. I follow, looking at Thor and Jane. As much as I didn't necessarily like Jane, her and Thor were a match made in Valhalla. They were the definition of a perfect lovey-dovey couple. Minus the kissing and cuddling. I understood why Loki would cease in the destruction of the world. Thor was happy. And, like before, seeing him sad tore at my heart. Loki's too, I suppose.

"Do you want that?" I put my empty martini glass down on the closet table.

"Want what?" Loki looks down at me quizzically.

"You know... To be happy?" 

"Oh. Yes... I suppose."

"Are you not happy, Loki?" I look up at him while he looks down at his shiny shoes.

"I suppose..." I watched him stiffen back to his usual cold self. "But that's none of your business, mortal."

I fight a tiny chuckle. "Not mortal."

"Not a mortal?"

I shake my head. "I was. Hydra changed that."

"Immortal?" 

"Not that either. I can live above the average human life expectancy. My estimated lifetime was predicted to be a few hundred years."

"Mm. I see." His eyes shifted to my back. "Why do you have black dots lining your vertebrae?"

I look over my shoulder, but my neck doesn't bend like that, so I can only see my shoulder. "Those are a Hydra instillation."

"And what, pray tell, do they do?" He leaned over and stared at my back.

"Wings."

"I beg your pardon?"

I sigh and shut my eyes, letting the magic I left dormant for weeks come back to life. But, just as I thought I wouldn't feel pain, it came full force. I was not allowed to look weak in front of Loki. I wouldn't allow myself to do it. The black spikes left my skin, joining at the top and creating the feathers that grew and multiplied, then grew some more. Was it painful? Yes. 

Finally, the pain stopped and my giant black wings dragged on the floor behind me. I looked at Loki, only to see a face of awe and a slightly open jaw. 

"Magnificent..." He whispered.

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A/N - Helloo! Took a break from the prank war to indulge in parties. Don't worry. There will be more parties in this book and in others! In fact, the paragraph describing a masquerade ball might be featured in my Daydreaming book that you can also find on my profile! 

Until next time, Darlings! Xxx