I absolutely looooove hearing from y'all! Thank you so much for the feedback! It's so encouraging!
Since I'm a woman of her word and we got more comments then usual, here's another early update! If I continue to get more comments then usual, I will continue to have earlier updates ;)
Someone asked me what my goal was for how many comments it would take for me to post early. Let's say the goal for this chapter is 7 comments from 7 different people for me to post the next chapter early. And for the rereaders, the next chapter is brand new ;)
Lemme know what you think!!
Today was the first day Summer woke up without Loki laying next to her. Considering that's something that's never happened, she was concerned something was wrong- especially after the time they had together last night.
She hopped off the bed and slid her feet into her slippers. Thankfully she slept in the sweatshirt and sweatpants Loki gave her, so she felt appropriate enough to walk downstairs. She shuffled into the kitchen, but froze in her steps when she heard a resounding slap, followed by a grunt.
"We know your plans! And we know you have someone! We know she's here! The Avengers will-" A younger man's voice yelled, before he was silenced with a punch.
Summer's heart sunk. He had to be talking about her. People knew she was gone! He was her way out! She's never been allowed into one of Loki's meeting before. Never. She knew she shouldn't have, but she couldn't help but creep towards the room. She peeked around the doorway, hoping to catch a glimpse of this man's face
She heard Loki chuckle lowly, his footsteps making the old floorboards creek under his weight. "Do you now?.... I think it'd be fairly hard for them to get this information if you're no longer alive."
No. He can't kill him. Then she'll never get out of here.
"They already know." The young man protested. Maybe he was stalling, maybe he was telling the truth. "In fact, they're almost here."
She nearly screamed as someone took her arm in a harsh grip. A guard. Her attempt to flee was futile as the otherworldly creature easily dragged her along with him and presented her before Loki.
Loki whirled around to face her, and she stood there, wide eyed in front of him. Terror crept in her body under his intense gaze. He didn't appear to be enraged or angry, he looked calm and that's what terrified her the most. The calm before the storm.
Cautious and trembling, she lowered herself to the ground at his feet, "I-I'm sorry." She rasped, her voice shaky and breaking. "I'm sorry. I was looking for you, and-"
"It's you! We're going to save you!" The young man tied up exclaimed. Now that she could see his face, she realized he was a kid in a red and blue suit. Wait... was this the kid in the news from NYC? Spider-Man? Spider-Man was a kid?
She flinched at the feeling of his hand in her hair. "Oh, darling.... I thought we talked about this." Loki spoke in a low and eerily calm tone of voice that sent shivers down her spine.
"I'm so sorry. I promise, I'll- I didn't mean it." She blubbered out apologies and wrapped her arms around his waist as she begged for forgiveness. He didn't return the hug.
"They know you're here! They'll get you out! You'll be free-" The kid yelled, cut off by a punch to the gut.
Loki sent a nod in a guard's direction- a signal that made the guard place a knife against the kid's throat.
She knew she shouldn't have, but she couldn't help but blurt out a desperate, "don't!" She was still on her knees, with her arms wrapped firmly around her captor's waist when he stiffened.
A heavy hand sat atop of her head, making her flinch. She tried to make up for it by scooting closer to Loki, her head pressed against his stomach. His hands moved downward until they were under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.
Once her head was positioned where he wanted it to be, his hands moved back to her hair. He seemed to admire her a moment before he painfully gripped a handful of her hair and craned her neck to make her look at the boy. "What did I tell you about my meetings?"
She let out a cry and screwed her eyes shut to prevent from seeing what was most likely to come. She didn't want to see anymore blood. She's seen enough.
"Summer?" He drawled in a sing song voice, waiting for an answer.
She shuddered. "T-To stay upstairs no matter what I hear." She rasped from her uncomfortable position.
"And?"
"To.... to be quiet."
"Because what will happen if you don't?"
She chewed on her bottom lip in attempt to hold back her cries as fear overwhelmed her body, her head beginning to throb from his harsh hold.
"Open your eyes and answer me, Summer." He sneered and tightened his fist in her hair.
She cried out and tried to stand to relieve herself from the pain, but he easily shoved her back down to her knees. He didn't ease his grip until she opened her eyes to look at the kid once again. His fearful brown eyes almost felt like they burned holes into hers. "Or you'll.... you'll have to kill them." She croaked and saw the boy visibly stiffen.
"And who's fault will it be?"
A sob escaped passed her trembling lips. "Mine." This was her fault. He was going to kill him. A young boy who had so much life to live. The boy who might have been her only way out.
"So now you know what I have to do."
No. No, he couldn't.
She didn't care if her hair ripped from her scalp in the process, she threw herself against his torso once again and clung to him tightly. "Please don't! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She desperately pleaded as she sobbed into his shirt and her hands gripped the back of it tightly. "It's not his fault! It's mine! I was bad, I was bad! I'm sorry- I didn't mean- I- no, please, please don't do it! No more! No more!" She rambled her apologies over and over, until her sentences no longer made sense.
Once again, the embrace was not returned. Instead, he released her and said, "go upstairs."
She was confused for a moment and didn't react right away. Did her apologies work? Hesitantly, she unwound her arms from his torso and looked up at him.
"Now, Summer!" Loki barked, making her jump. She didn't waste anytime and clambered up the stairs.
She slammed the bedroom door shut behind her and wished there was a lock to keep him out. Things had been so good with Loki recently- but she could sense things could now go south very quickly.
She flinched at the sound of an explosion, shouting, fighting, and gunfire downstairs. She sought to take refuge in the bathroom, but Loki burst through the doors. He stomped over towards her, backing her up against the wall. He peered down at her, his face red in pure rage.
She swallowed hard and turned away from his heated gaze- but he was having none of that. He was stronger and easily used his own body to pin her to the wall, his hips pinning down hers. She trembled as his haunting eyes trailed up and down her body. He grabbed her by the jaw and made her crane her neck up to look at him. "You won't even begin to fathom the punishments I have for you once things have calmed down." He sneered, and released her face just to grab her arm instead.
He dragged her down the stairs as she covered her ears to block out the noise of fighting and yelling on the other side of the house. Could it be the Avengers that found her? He lead her to the basement, to the very back of the dusty room. He ripped down a painting, to discover a hole- just big enough to crawl through.
Dread came over her instantly as he ushered her inside, thinking he'd leave her there, but he followed behind her. The tunnel gradually got bigger the more they crawled, and eventually, she could stand. It was enough for her, but Loki still had to crouch some.
He rounded a corner and came to a halt. He guided her in front of him, pinned between his front and the wall, making her cower away. She opened her mouth to ask what she did wrong to anger him suddenly, but stopped when he covered her ears.
Though her ears were covered, it wasn't enough to keep them from ringing and body tremble from the sheer force of the bomb that went off. It clicked for her in that moment that he wasn't mad at her, but he was using his own body as a shield to protect her from any possible debris.
That small glimmer of relief was diminished when she slowly realized he just blew up her house- and she assumed many of his people and others in it.
He kept her moving, seemingly unfazed by it all, until they came across a door. He pushed it open to reveal an underground garage of sorts, filled with all types of transportation: vehicles, unworldly planes, rocket ships, and helicopters.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as he guided her inside. He could take her to another planet for all she knew, and she'd never have a chance to leave ever again.
The little bit of hope she had was Spider-Man's words, "They know you're here! They'll get you out! You'll be free-"
Did people really know she was here? Was "they," the avengers? Could they really save her?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she was forced into a seat. All she saw was Loki's hands coming at her quickly, making her flinch and cover her face to protect herself. She tensed, waiting for some sort of pain to come.
She felt nothing. Hesitantly, she lowered her arms and peeked up at the fuming god.
He stood there, hands paused mid air, mouth agape. "You really thought I was going to hit you?" He sneered, though she could see the hurt in his eyes. "Haven't I proven to you that you can trust me to never do that?"
She gaped at him, struggling for the right words to say. She looked down around her body to realize he was just trying to buckle her seatbelt. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"No, maybe you didn't mean to." He interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "However, you did mean to listen in on my meeting, didn't you?" He challenged with a snarl.
Frantically, she shook her head and sat as forward in her seat as her seatbelt allowed her to. "No! I didn't hear anything- I was looking for you!" She partially lied.
He threw his head back in amusement and released a dark chuckle. "You really dare to try to lie to the god of lies?"
"I didn't mean to!" She insisted and fumbled with the seatbelt before it finally unbuckled so she could stand. "I've never woken up to an empty bed the whole time I've been with you and I.... I didn't know what to do! S-so I went downstairs to look for you."
When he did nothing but peer down at her with a gleam in his eyes she couldn't quite figure out, she casted her gaze elsewhere, suddenly regretting saying anything at all. She noted she undid the seatbelt in her hastiness, undoing something he did. She feared she was digging herself a deeper and deeper hole. She lowered herself back down into her seat and started to buckle her seatbelt again.
"You were worried of my whereabouts?" He questioned, a grin slowly stretching across his face.
It was working. He knew she purposely listened in on his meeting, but she missed him first. That's why she got out of bed to find him.
She paused buckling her seatbelt and looked at him with wide eyes. "I was." She hesitantly agreed, not sure where he was going with this.
"And why's that?"
"I know I shouldn't have to worry, you can take care of yourself-" A gentle finger hooked under her chin made the words die in her mouth.
"Answer the question, love." He told her, softer this time.
She released a shaky breath and quietly admitted, "I was worried.... something happened. I was worried something was wrong."
He rose a brow, his heart swelling. "Why would something be wrong?"
"I've never woken up without you." She whispered, tears brimming her eyes. "I was worried I did something wrong or something happened to you, especially after..."
He hummed, urging her to finish.
She took a breath and mumbled, "especially after last night."
It wasn't quite an "I miss you," but it was awfully close. She enjoyed their date night too.
He brushed his fingers through her hair, gently down the sides of her face, to her arms, until he got to her hands. He linked his fingers with hers to pull her up out of her seat and into his embrace. "We should have some more date nights, hm?" She made a small noise in agreement and he continued. "You're right, you don't need to worry about me, though I appreciate your concern. Next time you can ask the maid. She'll tell you if you can come see me or not."
She nodded against his chest as plane began to rumble and take off. She wasn't sure how, considering they were underground. She wasn't sure where all of this came in the first place.
He guided her back to her seat and buckled her in, then himself. Her head rested on his shoulder and his hand rested on her thigh. They remained quiet for a little while until Summer broke the silence. "Loki?"
"Yes, love?"
"Who was that?" She asked, timidly. She knew who it was. She knew it was Spider-Man, but to think they came all the way here for her? "Are the Avengers-"
"Do not ever speak of them again, do you understand me?" He sharply cut her off, his grip on her leg tightening.
She's learned pulling away only made him more angry, so she scooted closer to him, her hand on his chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." She rushed out.
Her heart sunk when he pulled away, but it was only so he could turn to face her, his hands on either side of her face. His hold wasn't harsh, but it was certainly firm. "They are bad people, Summer. They want to deceive you and try to hurt you to get to me. You mustn't ever speak their name again. There will be consequences next time, understood?"
She tensed, but nodded, her gaze fallen. "I'm sorry."
With a sigh, he pulled her to lean against his chest once more. "We're going to our new home, now. You'll love it, truly. We had to sacrifice quite a few of our people in order to escape, but there's plenty more in our new home waiting for us."
As he was speaking, the maid came over and served Loki a drink. "Your tea, your majesties." She announced with a curtsy, before leaving.
It was the same pink tea from before. Summer didn't know why, but it was almost like she couldn't get enough of it. It seemed Loki liked that she enjoyed it so much, so he kept giving her more.
He poured her some and she gladly took it. He just smiled as his plan continued to unfold.
•••
On average, I think I get 100ish new reads within 24 hours of me posting a new chapter, so 7 comments from 7 different people shouldn't take too long! Keep an eye out for the next update! ;)