Monsters and Magic

Chapter 56

Loki finally nodded, allowing this intel-stealing mission to happen, since it was going to anyway. Cap discussing it with him was just a formality. He wasn't actually asking Loki's permission. Not that permission about what you did was Loki's to give. Hell, he wasn't even asking your permission. He was telling you about the mission that you were going to go on.

"When is this mission?" Loki asked Cap, still holding you in his arms. You could tell from the feel of his grip that he wasn't happy about the mission anymore than you were.

"After dinner," Cap replied, directing his answer to both of you. "We want to make sure it's dark before we leave." You were grateful for that. You had no protection from the sun besides copious amounts of sunscreen and hiding under an umbrella. Which only did so much.

You were nervous about what was going to happen on this mission. You had a bad feeling about it and you couldn't quite place why you were feeling that way. Besides the fact that you didn't go out on missions. You stayed at home, healed the team, and tinkered with things in Tony's lab. /What do you think about all this?/ Loki asked you and you could hear his worry in his voice. He didn't like this any better than you did.

/I'm worried, but I can take care of myself/ you admitted softly. This plan didn't seem smart or safe. You weren't a fighter. Sure you had some tricks up your sleeve and the shit Hydra made you learn, but it was no substitute for real experience or the natural inclination.

/Perhaps you going on this mission is not be the wisest decision. But I have no idea how to make the Captain reconsider/

/I don't think we can. I mean, I am the best one for the job.../

/There might be a safer way. Can you create a code here in the compound that we can use out in the field without putting you in harm's way?/ Loki asked hopefully. He didn't know much about how computers worked, but you had crippled Hydra from the tower. He thought you could do this task from here too.

/Not for this. It was one thing with the video, but I need to interact with their system to steal the files and I have no idea what it looks like or how it works, so I have to actually be there/

Loki sighed heavily. /Then I guess we have no other choice. Just promise me not to leave my side. I will not let any harm come to you/

You nodded. "Don't forget that Hydra trained me in combat. Despite their torturing, I can take care of myself," you reminded him. He didn't like your reminder. He was the better warrior and you both knew it. You knew that he just wanted to keep you safe. You just didn't want to get smothered while he did so.

You thought for a moment, then summoned a small box from your dimensional pocket and handed it to Loki. "I made this for you. I thought you'd like it now when it will be more useful than me saving it for a special occasion." You held the box out for him with a grin, proud of yourself.

"What is it?" Loki asked as he tentatively took the box from you.

You giggled. "It's called a 'present'," you teased. "If you open the box, you'll see what it is," you added.

He rolled his eyes, but obediently opened the box. Inside was what appeared to be one of his daggers. Not one of the throwing daggers, or tiny Thor-stabbing daggers, but one of the ones that was nearly as long as your forearm. At least it had been a normal dagger until you'd gotten ahold of it. "This is amazing, darling. Where did you find this?" he asked as he tested its weight and feel, admiring the sharpness of the blade itself.

You smiled a little shyly. You were glad he was pleased, of course, but he might not appreciate how you acquired the blade. "The original dagger was the one you keep under your pillow," you admitted to having stolen it. You showed him that there was a section of the hilt that spun. Sliding it one way turned the dagger into a staff, sliding it the other turned it into a sword. Loki looked immensely impressed with that. "I've upgraded everyone else's weapons and I saw the security footage from New York and Germany, while the dagger is your preferred weapon..." you trailed off, since you were babbling. He was beyond capable with all three kinds of weapon and you had thought having a choice during battle would be something he might appreciate.

Loki pulled you into a deep kiss. "I love it, darling. Thank you," he told you warmly and kissed you again, so well that you were dazed when he finally broke the kiss. He chuckled and started messing with the different settings on the dagger while you recovered from that dazing kiss. "Would you like to come down to the training room with me while I try it out?" he asked you when you'd recovered.

"Sure," you agreed warmly as you watched him childishly play with the settings. He continued playing with the dagger the entire trip down to the training room. When you finally got down there he had way too much fun demolishing one of the training dummies with each different setting of the dagger.

"Try throwing the dagger," you suggested as you watched. He looked back at you with a raised eyebrow, but did as you asked and threw the dagger at one of the dummies. The moment it landed firmly, it teleported back to him, landing affixed to the power-boosting tech on his wrist, magnet-ed in place so it would be where he needed it. He stared at it in shock, never having seen anything like it before. He looked back to you, still resembling a confused puppy. "You like to throw your daggers. Didn't want you to lose it," you explained with a modest shrug.

"That is very impressive, darling," Loki told you, completely impressed by what you'd made.

You shrugged modestly. "It was just a modification on the magnets on Cap's shield..."

Loki gave you a look. He wasn't impressed by modesty. "Just accept the compliment, kitten,"

You blushed. You didn't do well at accepting praise yet. "I just- I wasn't doing it to show off..." you hated when people thought you were just trying to show off. You didn't want Loki to think that of you, especially when this was the only thing you could do to make sure he was safe.

Loki came over to you and pulled you into a hug. He could sense your emotions. " I appreciate the gift, darling. Thank you," he told you warmly.

You hugged him back tightly. 'I love you and want you safe too," you told him softly as you held him close. You weren't a better fighter than him to be able to defend him, but you could make sure he was properly armed when he went off to battle.

You loved him too much to let him be without as much protection as you could give him.