It's definitely a relief to not feel multiple eyes on me anymore. "You are...very powerful." Loki tells me and the corner of my lips lift.
"And you are very controversial. Might want to work on your social skills." I return and he tugs me a little closer. My eyebrows raise.
"If you don't object to my being around you, I think I'll be fine." The elevator dings and we stride out, steps emulated by the other.
"You might want more allies than just Thor and I," I tell him as we walk. He hums and hopefully thinks on it while I slip my arm from his grasp to open his bedroom door just across from mine. I wave him inside and he goes, spinning around the space and back to me.
One of his eyebrows pops up, "It's a bit small, yes?" He questions and I roll my eyes.
"It's as good as you're going to get and I suggest you learn to love it. I'm just across the hall, here." I walk over and open the door. Loki follows. His expression is still unimpressed. There are still books all over the floor, but at least there are bookshelves in here now. "It's more than a jail cell which is what you would have if everyone else got their way." Loki sighs and waves a lazy hand over the room. Suddenly, it's at least five times bigger and everything is made from white marble. Gold tables litter the room, red petals litter the floor, and a bed covered in blue velvet sits on the far wall, gold and marble columns alongside it.
"Wouldn't you prefer a palace?" Loki asks and waves a hand over me. Suddenly I'm wearing a gold dress with fabric like silk and a blue cape hung back on my shoulders. While I admit this dress is fine as fuck, I'm not sure how I feel about Loki dressing me.
"Loki...this is beautiful but I don't need all this. It was fine the way it was." I shrug and his brows furrow. Everything disappears.
"You are a fascinating woman. You could have all the riches, the followers, the whole world, yet you do not even wish to use your gift." He says and I shrug, moving further into my room while dodging book piles and gathering clothes to change into after I shower.
"I don't take pleasure from controlling others, Loki. You saw that." I toss my clothes on the bathroom counter before facing him once again. Loki shakes his head.
"Yes, I've seen. Another thing that confuses me about you, silver tongue." Loki starts and I put a hand on my hip as I listen. "Such power is within you and yet, you shy away from it." Guessing we're not going to get to the end of this, I sigh.
"Well right now Ms. Powerful needs a shower. Please, please do your best to stay out of trouble." I plead and he smiles charmingly.
"I swear, my lovely." He bows slightly and I roll my eyes before ducking into the bathroom. It feels heavenly to take a hot shower and I'm certain I take a particularly long time in it. My fingers and toes are crepey and I have absolutely zero regrets. I slip on black yoga pants and a bra but left my shirt in the room. Figuring Loki most likely got bored and left, I slip out. And, of course, I was wrong. One of my eyebrows raises when I find Loki sitting patiently on my bed with one of my books in his hand. His face lifts and a smile tempts his lips.
"And here I was hoping you'd emerge naked but for a cloud of steam." I snort in what I'm sure is a wonderfully sexy way and shake my head, fully emerging from the bathroom and putting a hand on my hip.
"Only in the novels. I see you've taken the liberty of putting them in my bookshelves for me. Thanks." My eyes scan the spines and instantly note he's put them in alphabetical order. When he doesn't respond immediately, I look back up at him. At first, I think he's staring at my light green bra, but then realize it's the tattoo just under he's transfixed on. "Got an eyeful yet?" I question and he blinks.
"Skogsra." He murmurs and my head cocks slightly. I have no clue what that means.
"What?" Green eyes look back to mine and his expression smooths once again.
"Stunning. Is it a tattoo?" He asks with a slight edge to his voice that raises the hair on my arms. Something...something is weird here.
"What else could it be?" I ask back and his eyes flit to mine with even stronger interest than before. In all honesty, I don't remember when I got it. Then again, drunken nights on the town aren't exactly new to me. I move to the dresser and grab a sea-foam green Henley, then slip it on.
"Your books...I...figured anywhere was better than the floor. You have quite an eclectic collection." He stands and hands me the book he was reading when I turn. My brows furrow at his avoidance but consider the book anyway.
I hum as I scan the cover. "Didn't figure you for a philosophy kind of guy. Ethics really doesn't seem like your kind of thing. But please, if you like it, you should finish it." My hands push it back into his. "Maybe it'll do you some good. Dinner should be soon, so whenever you're hungry." I shrug. I walk out and begin heading towards the gathering room with a weird feeling in my gut.
The minute I see Steve my steps quicken to catch up with him. "Hey, you." I greet him and he turns with a smile ready on his face.
"Hey. You look nice." He comments and I laugh.
"Shocking what a shower and actual clothes will do for a woman. Headed to dinner?" I ask and he nods.
"That isn't what I meant, by the way. I didn't mind when you were just in my clothes." Steve corrects himself and it's sweet.
"Mm. I'm sure you didn't. How is everyone else handling our new guests?" He sighs and shakes his head as we board the elevator.
"It's great to see Thor. Missed the guy. His murderous adopted brother on the other hand..." Steve sighs again. "Little rougher reception. At least I don't have to worry about you." He adds without thinking about it and stiffens once he hears his own words. My heart softens even further towards him.
"You don't have to worry about me. Loki likes me. You, on the other hand, I'll worry about." I return softly and relish the easy smile on his face. We exit the elevator when it dings and head into the gathering room to greet the rest of the team. Seems Loki and Thor are going to be last.
"You two keep coming in together and people will start to talk." Natasha greets us with a smirk and puts down a royal flush, eliciting a string of curses from Bucky's mouth on the other side of the coffee table and laughter from Sam watching the game.
"Not the worst thing people have said about me," I reply and Steve turns to me with raised eyebrows. Giggling, I slide a hand over Steve's arm before walking over to Bruce on the other side of the room who is staring out the window.
"Bruce?" He jumps slightly before turning to me and relaxing. "How are you?" I ask worriedly.
"Fine, thank you. Nervous maybe." He replies as we look out on the sunset.
"Understandable, but you know I'll protect the team. And you." He nods gratefully and turns to me fully.
"I know how you feel, by the way," Bruce says, warm brown eyes resting softly on mine. "Feeling more like your ability controls you than the other way around. Rare I find someone to relate to." He laughs self-deprecatingly.
"Same here. It's been nice knowing you have my back Bruce, like in the lab. Hope you know I have yours too." I assure him and he nods just as Loki walks in.
"God help you." He breathes and I laugh quietly, but Loki seems to detect me. His eyes land on me, then the man beside me with trepidation.
"We'll be fine. You can sit beside me or with Tony if you like, but I'll be there. We've got this." I pat his back and we slowly move over to the table. We sit down and he does decide to sit beside me, Tony on his other side. Steve nearly claims the seat on my other side but Loki beats him to it. Hilariously, Steve seems to think about tossing Loki out the window before settling into the seat across from me. Thor sits across from Loki and while the rest of the table is more than unsettled, the team seems secure with Thor and I guarding the nice psycho. Steve is a source of solace for me since I'm trapped between two people who hate each other with passion. As immature as it may be, I keep one of his legs between my ankles and he does the same with one of mine.
Loki clears his throat softly and my attention turns to him instead of the delicious tortellini on my plate. "Are you and the Captain...starting something?" He asks and my eyes widen. Loki's thin lips turn up at my surprise. "The way he looks at you, silver tongue...is like a lover." I'm thankful I wasn't eating because I most likely would have choked. Still, I blanch and Loki instantly notices. "Ah, perhaps something has already been started?" Oh, Jesus, Loki cannot be the first person to find this out.
"Not sure that's your business, Loki." I return quietly, happy no one is noticing this. Except for Steve, of course. His soft blue eyes are steady on me to make sure I'm not being bothered, but it seems our words are drowned out by other conversations.
"Is it only him or the whole team?" I shoot him a glare for that and he chuckles. "I only wanted to know so that I may throw my name on the pyre, my lovely. No doubt the line of your suitors is long." Loki continues and seems pleased that he keeps surprising me.
"Loki...what?" I stutter, confused and desperate to understand. Cold fingers slide down my forearm and I shiver at the sudden contact, eliciting another small smile from him.
"If you aren't otherwise engaged, I'd like to offer myself as a suitor." He tells me and there's a mischevious glint in his eyes that tempts me not to believe him. A half-smile on my face, I shake my head.
"I'm sure your offer has nothing to do with recent events, am I right? Or that weird word you whispered?" His façade slips slightly and I smirk. "Don't worry about the heartbreak, I'll show you where the ice cream is later," I reply and finally take the couple moments of Loki's silent shock to eat some of my food. His blue eyes twinkle as he looks at me.
"You're as precious as an emerald, truly. And while you may be correct in some ways, you are wrong in thinking my offer was purely false." He responds and I continue shaking my head at his ability to spin words. "But, if you insist on the Captain, I must ensure that he's worthy."
My eyes snap to him. "Loki, I-" I object but he seems set in his ways.
"Captain." The entire table quiets, but Loki's gaze doesn't waver from Steve. "What are your intentions with my lovely companion, Rea?" A blush tinges my cheeks and I put a hand over my mouth in shock.
"Well, at least you're making friends Loki. Good for you." Thor encourages and I sigh, my eyes shutting. "She is a lovely one, my friend." Thor pats Steve's shoulder in congratulations. Ugh.
"You can't just ask people that," I tell Loki quietly, but he doesn't look at me.
"I'd actually like to know the answer to this one," Tony interjects and only now does Loki just barely glance over at him in surprise before flicking back to Steve.
"I'm still waiting, Captain," Loki repeats and my eyes open to look at Steve apologetically. "A man that doesn't announce his attentions isn't worthy of such a woman as Rea. I'd happily take your place." Loki suggests and turns to me, an entertained shining in his eyes and a happy smirk on his face.
"Holy shit." Bruce breathes next to me and dear god I didn't think I could possibly blush harder.
"I prefer not to press myself on others unless goaded." Steve's voice is low and his body is tense like a cat before it pounces. "You remember that night in Germany." He continues smoothly and I can nearly feel the tension in the air. Loki shrugs.
"Ah, yes. Four against one seems very fair. If this is a challenge, I'd be glad to let you try again. Especially if the winner receives her favor." I shake my head as Loki continues digging my grave.
"Please don't answer?" I plead Steve and stand, taking Loki's arm and dragging him to the hallway where we have a slight semblance of privacy. "Look, I appreciate the gesture, I think, but dear god please don't ask personal shit like that! You're lucky you weren't strangled by everyone at the table!" I hiss quietly, a little irritated at his smirk.
"I'll ask you then. Seems there's something between the two of you and I'd very much like to know what it is." He says and apparently, that's his way of asking. "Or I could ask the Captain...?" He steps back in the doorway before I tug him back.
"No, no, no. That isn't necessary." I breathe, nerves eating me alive. Scanning Loki's eyes tells me he isn't giving this up. "Steve and I...met before now, further back than everyone knows," I reveal and the curiosity only grows in his icy blues. "We, uh, we had a one-night stand. But no one else on the team knows, so please, please keep this between us?" I request hopefully and Loki raises a finger to his lips, tapping them in thought.
"Like a secret between friends, yes?"
"That's what this is called, yes." I return quickly, knowing we need to get back before someone comes out to check on us. He continues to keep me on the hook until I groan. "Loki, please!" Finally, he lets loose a dark chuckle and offers his hand to me. Cautiously, I take it and he folds my arm over his.
"Shall we then?" He asks and we walk back into the gathering room. Thankfully the conversation has moved on and the talking only quiets for a moment as we sit down.
"Anyways, Thor, why are you here? Not that we're unhappy to see you." Bruce continues with a disgruntled glance at Loki.
"Ah yes, of course. It is nice to see you all, but I'm here because of her." He answers and looks to me. I blink. "Or rather, it was Loki's request." Thor corrects and all eyes turn to the man on my right. He shrugs.
"What can I say, power attracts power," Loki says and leans in, brushing his lips across my cheek. Eyes on Steve and reading the fire there, his lips trail just a little too close to the corner of mine. I stand up abruptly and my chair clatters down behind me. Steve, Bruce, and Tony also stand immediately as if in defense of me.
"Everything's fine. I'm sorry I just...need some time." I mumble and walk out and back to my room, shutting the door with a sigh. Soft knocking exasperates me further, but when the door opens and it's just Steve, my opposition dies in my throat.
A/N
Oooo, Loki now knows about Steve and Rea's little foray. Do you think he'll keep it a secret? DO you think he actually likes Rea? Why is Steve in Rea's room? SO many questions. Tell me what you think, readers.
As always, keep reading! :)