#avenger!loki

[superficialdomina]

Down Under - Epilogue

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: 18+; minors DNI. After-effects of a debaucherous night. References to past sexy activities. Mentions of medical stuff. A teeny bit of fluff.

Part 5

Series masterlist

A/N: That's it, folks! Thank you to everyone who joined me in this absolute ridiculousness - I have appreciated every one of you so much.

Epilogue

You awoke on a transport bed, surrounded by the hum and click of medical machinery. Your head was pounding like the worst hangover of your life.

Bruce was hanging a serious-looking plastic bag above your head; it was only when you traced the line that you realised it was connected to a canula in your forearm.

“Welcome back,” he said with a smile. “How’re you feeling?”

“Ugh. Awful. What’s in the bag?”

“Just fluids. Y’all had a pretty rough night.”

Rough… It all came flooding back to you. The lab. The flask. The wild, uninhibited hours spent entangled with the pale, beautiful, trickster god.

“Oh God,” you muttered, then realising how they must have found you, “oh Christ - did the Captain see me naked?” You lifted your hands to cover your face in humiliation; your entire body protested at the sudden movement, and you were abruptly aware that you were very, very sore.

Banner looked surprised, and a little horrified. “No! No, when we got there you were passed out under a blanket, and Loki was meditating on the other side of the pool.”

Loki. True to his word, his priority had been to protect you. What did he tell them?

“Is he – alright? Wait, what do you mean, “got there”? Where am I?”

You finally had the wherewithal to take in your surroundings. You were in what seemed to be a makeshift medical bay in a large canvas tent; through the open tent flaps, you could spot the finger-like protrusion of Sundial Peak pointing up into the sky. It looked like early evening.

“You’re back at the Hall’s Gap base camp. Loki’s fine. Exhausted. He – he carried you down.”

You stared at him. “Carried me… What?”

“I mean, the rest of us – me, Thor, Cap, all of us – we took turns at the other end of the stretcher. But he took the front handles the whole way down. Insisted.” He shrugged.

It was all too much to process. You swallowed, then tried a different tact.

“Am I – cured? I mean,” you shook your head to clear it and instantly regretted it. “The fungicides... It wasn’t – what was it?”

“Ah – yeah. Sorry about that. Not a fungus, it turns out – a parasite. Those meds never had a chance.”

A parasite. You shuddered. “And – what, you’ve developed a cure already?” Even for a genius being bankrolled by Tony Stark, that seemed fast.

“Oh. Ah, no. It was…”

“Oh ho, she’s awake!” Ray’s sharp accent stabbed through the peaceful evening air. “Those antimalarials work a treat, eh?”

“I don’t…”

“It was Ray’s idea, actually,” Bruce explained. “Once we figured out that it was a parasite, we broke into the village pharmacy and grabbed a few doses of chloroquine. Tony’s got a team in town now, distributing it to the residents.”

“So, what – Loki and I were the guinea pigs?”

“Ah – no,” Banner said again, shifting awkwardly and looking anywhere but Ray’s direction. “No, we… ah – we three…” He trailed off, cheeks a delightful shade of pink; you understood very clearly what he, Ray and Thor had been engaged in when you’d tried to call the previous evening.

“Best night I’ve had in twenty years,” Ray said with a grin and a wink. “The big one’s got quite the weapon on him. Anyway - you’d better go tell that brooding mate of yours that you’re back in the land of the living.”

You looked to Bruce, whose face was still bright red. “Is that alright? Can I get up?”

“Yeah, if you can keep this above your head.” He handed you the saline bag attached to your arm; you tried awkwardly to lift it above you, but everything hurt too much.

“Here,” Ray offered, “how’s this.” She wedged the plastic handle of the bag into the jagged end of her walking stick, then planted the stick in your hands. “Oughta keep ya pretty upright, anyway.”

You stood, and for the first time, you noticed you were wearing your own clothing; another one of Loki’s gifts, no doubt. You took one wobbly step, then another, until you were confident that you could move about on your own, then followed Ray out of the med bay.

You found Loki at the edge of the lake, skipping stones across the water. He looked up at the sound of your footsteps, and you both spoke at once.

“Loki, I’m so sorry—”

“Please accept my apologies—”

You looked at him quizzically. “Loki… It was all my fault. I broke the flasks. If it hadn’t been for me, we never would have…” You stopped at the look on his face.

“Actually,” he said softly, “the culture flasks were sterile. The Doctor believes it most likely that we were infected upon close proximity to the rats.”

The dead rats in the lab. Or rather, in Loki’s interdimensional pocket. Or wherever they were now.

You hadn’t been aware of the guilt you were carrying until the weight of it was lifted. Now, you felt the heady rush of relief. Sterile. Not my fault. Almost unconsciously, you sat down beside him.

“…ask again that you please accept my deepest apologies,” Loki was saying. He bowed his head and lifted his hand to his chest.  

You were quiet for a moment, then said, “Banner told me what you did. Bringing me down off the mountain. I… Thank you. And thank you for… for staying with me.”

The corner of his mouth edged up into a smirk, and he raised his eyes to yours. “If I may boast,” he said in response, “the drugs they gave us had not yet taken effect when we brought your stretcher back to camp. It was the hardest” he paused for effect, “hike of my life.”

You imagined him sporting a raging hard-on as he carried you down the mountain, and laughed.

“You know the other three…”

“Oh, I heard. Your compatriot shared extensive details. A ‘Thorgy’, I believe she termed it.”

“Oh God, please don’t say any more.” Still laughing, you gave an exaggerated shudder. Then you sobered. “Um - how are you now? Recovered?”

“What exactly are you asking, darling?”

 “What? No! I mean – I just wanted to make sure…”

He smiled. “I jest, of course. I will be fine. A little more wary of abandoned research animals in future, but that only seems prudent.” He reached out and took your hand. “And you? Are you… well?”

You stared down at your hand, clasped in his. It was ridiculous – pathetic, really – that this simple touch could elicit the flutter of nervous warmth now inching up your arm. Not after… After everything. And yet you found yourself hoping he wouldn’t let you go.

“Yeah, I’m… I’ll be OK.” You gave his hand a small squeeze. “So – so that’s it, then?”

“That is it.”

You stood, trying to pull your hand from his grasp. But Loki held tight.

“Unless…”

You swallowed. “Unless?”

“Dinner. Next Saturday evening? My apartment. As I said, lefse is only truly delicious when it is fresh off the griddle.”

Tags in comments! xx

[lokisgoodgirl]

Greetings, Loki enthusiast. Assume all writing is 18+. Individual warnings are labelled at the top of each post.

Collections

The Rite 🕯️ To secure his place in Asgard's succession, Loki must perform an ancient ceremonial rite. But it's harder to stick to the rules in the lead-up than anticipated. Much harder. The Lakes 🍁 Based out of a tiny and remote cottage, your reluctant role as the resident 'outdoors expert' is put to the test by the frustrations and temptations of your recent ex-, Loki The Brother Collection Thor and Loki being ridiculous together in a collection of silly oneshots. Hostile F*cks Collection Loki forever finds new ways to irritate and infuriate you in a selection of erotic outfits. Why is that so goddam irresistible?

Clandestine F*cks Collection A secret relationship in Avenger's Tower is not an easy task, but with the insatiable Loki as your lover...is it an impossible one?

Fluff Library A collection of pure fluff drabbles.

One-Shots

Liberties (w/c 3.1k) In the Bleak Midwinter (w/c 3.4k) Mine, Utterly (w/c 2.1k) Lies Like Liquid (w/c 2.5k) In Your Hands (w/c 2.4k) Clean (1.6k) Metal & Leather (w/c 1.2k) Delicate (w/c 1.4k) Like A Queen (w/c 1.2k) Distractions (w/c 1.6k) No Mercy (1.8k) Teenage Dream (w/c 1.9k) Open Skies (w/c 2.2k) Supply Closet (w/c 1.7k) Be Mine (w.c 2.8k) A Quiet Storm (w/c 1.2k) Five Times (w/c 1.6k) Believe Me (w/c 1.4k) Peace (w/c 1.2k) My Girl (w/c 1.8k) Awful Things (w/c 2.8k) A Prince's Release (1.9k) A Lot of Boning (2.5k) All I Need (w/c 2.1k) An Offering (w/c 2.7k) Slower (w/c 1.9k) Third Date (w/c 2.4k) Stiff (w/c 2.4k) Husband (w/c 1.8k) Come After Dark (w/c 3.1k) The Quickie (w/c 2.1k) Heirs (w/c 1.9k) A Long Shower (w/c 2.2k) A Gentlemen's Agreement (w/c 3.2k) A Gentlemen's Bond (w/c 3.7k) A Battle of Wills (w/c 1.8k)

The Prince is Dead (w/c 1.9k) Sundress Season (w/c 3.3k) The Urge (w/c 1.8k) Don't Be Shy (w/c 1.9k) Delayed Gratification (w/c 2.3k) Deeper (w/c 2.3k) Hail, Commander (w/c 1.6k) The Feast (w/c 1.7k) Size Queen (w/c 1.4k) The Legend of Long-Dong Laufeyson (4.8k) Drabbles

Choke (w/c 350) Deep in the Forest (w/c 750) Throne (w/c 750) Make me Melt (w/c 500) Cooldown (w/c 400) Some filth (w/c 200) Ride Me (w/c 200)

I don't take requests, but always feel free to say hello. Reblogs, comments and shameless thirst is appreciated and encouraged😊Looking for an old favourite/collection? It will be on my PREVIOUS MASTERLIST (2022)

[use-your-telescope]

When Everything's Made to be Broken - Chapter 22: You're Talking Me Through

Summary: When Loki’s down for the count, he learns he doesn’t have to weather the storm alone. Along the way, he realizes a few things. 

Contents: This entire chapter takes place in a hospital; however, the blood and gore are kept to a minimum (if at all). There are, however, descriptions of almost fainting, pain, and medical equipment. If you like hurt/comfort, you’ll love this chapter. This is a chapter almost entirely composed of Loki/Theo interactions, which we haven’t had in a while! Also, the slow burn is burning, if you catch my drift 😉

Author's Note: Happy new year, and happy 150,000 words of WEMTBB (according to AO3)! Starting with this chapter, I’m changing how I share WEMTBB updates — I’ll have the first bit of the chapter posted on tumblr, but then link to AO3 to read the full chapter. With AI scraping more and more sites for text to train their language models, I don’t feel comfortable posting full chapters on tumblr anymore, but I know some folks still get updates here so I don’t want to leave them in the dark when things get posted and I want it to be easy for folks to reblog/share if they enjoyed reading! I’ll eventually go back and update the past chapters to this format as well, as time allows.

Anyways, if you’ve made it this far, thanks for continuing to stick with this story, even when my updates aren’t as frequent as they used to be (I wish I had the time to give 5k-10k updates each week, but capitalism and having to work during my peak creative time puts a damper on things.) I’m also toying with the idea of writing a few chapters ahead before I post the next chapter so I can have a backlog and hopefully get back on a more consistent posting schedule. We’re getting to the point where the slow burn is, well, burning and I’m quite excited for it 😉

if you are still here, feel free to send a wave and lmk! As always, I love hearing thoughts/comments/reactions, whether you want to comment, reblog, or send me a message — I love nerding about these dweebs! Reblogs are always appreciated <3

Word Count: 14,855

When Everything's Made to Be Broken Series (Archive of Our Own) | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist (Tumblr)

You're Talking Me Through

Song: Platform Fire - Jack’s Mannequin Tore up like your baby blue jeans I was stepping through a fog Under pressure but I’m feeling weightless Can’t let heaven’s pinstripe shootings Leave you carrying a cross across a desert when you’re feeling faithless After all, this haze is only temporary Laughter falls on deaf ears in the auditorium

The first thing Loki noticed, upon waking, was a strange sense of fogginess that enveloped his entire consciousness, dulling his senses to the extent that the ache of his head and the soreness in his side felt as if they belonged to another body — one that was not his own, yet connected through some sort of mystical phenomenon. 

Sluggishly, he pried his eyes open, only to immediately squeeze them shut at a sudden, sharp stab of pain, as if the light slammed directly into his skull. He waited a moment for the discomfort to subside, instead relying on his other senses to give him any indication of where he might be.

Read the rest on AO3 ->

[itsybitchylittlewitchy]

The blind date

Pairing: Loki x Female reader

Summary: You have been set up on a blind date by your friend Maria, the night ends up not as you would expect!

Word count: just under 2K

Warnings: strong language, sass and smut. What can I say I'm a horny bitch. Under 18's do not interact.

Any likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated! 🖤

I'm hoping to get back into writing so if you have any writing ideas for me, send me a message!

It was Saturday night and you gazed at yourself in the mirror, as you adjusted the straps of your black and emerald dress.

"hmm, good enough",

you shrugged, popping your lips and clicking the lid back on your lipstick.

You where beginning to regret allowing your friend Maria to set you up on this ridiculous blind date, I mean come on, who even did blind dates anymore? And on your one night off this week! Being a personal assistant was tough, but even more so when your boss is none other than Professor Steven Strange, who ironically seemed to have no concept of time when it came to the never ending set of tasks he had for you.

After grabbing a cab, you found yourself arriving at a nice Italian restaurant. Not too fancy but certainly not cheap either, you braced yourself trying to imagine who Maria's friend from work could possible be before you heard a booming voice yelling,

"Lady Y/L/N?"

You turned around confused as all hell to see a tall golden retriever of a man with long blonde hair and a massive smile.

"Please, call me Y/N, I take it you must be Thor? Maria's friend?" you smiled, looking up at the literal god as he took your hand and pressed it to his lips.

At least he was a gentleman, you could certainly give him that. He was already a cut above the usual fools you dated, who thought the height of manners was to apologise for belching at the dinner table, rather than avoiding it.

The night continued with much laughter and chatting, man, this guy could talk, and eat, did you mention eat? As he scoffed his way through his fourth Pizza and his sixth bottle of wine, You noted he began to resemble a drunken labrador, playful but a fucking mess.

As much as you enjoyed his boundless energy and adorable goofyness, there no spark, (which was ironic considering the man literally shot sparks from his body) and no way in hell that you where babysitting his ass.

"I'll make sure he gets home safe and that's that."

You thought to yourself as you both began leaving the restaurant. Thor grabbed your jacket and slapped it onto your back, causing you to stumble forward. He draped his arm around your shoulder, leaning on you, babbling about how Midgardian wine, had nothing compared to potency of Asgardian mead. Which for all his talk, had managed to render him in this sorry state.

"oh, you must come back to the tower and try some, you'll love it lady Y/N, it is nearly as good as the popping delicacies you Midgardians create" Thor slurred while holding his hand out to hail a taxi for you both.

"Sure" you agreed through gritted teeth, even if only doing so to make sure his drunken ass got home safe, the thought alone making you giggle.

Your heels echoed as you walked off the elevator into a cavernous communal area, Thor still leaning on you for support, he headed straight towards the kitchen area, leaving you to drape your jacket over the sofa in front of you.

"this is some place, Thor. " you smiled walking towards the floor to ceiling glass window wall the looked out over New York, your voice practically bouncing off the walls. Being this high above the city, almost made it look peaceful, the warm glow from the street lights giving you a calming feeling, as you stood there and admired the view.

You where interrupted when a chorus of fallen pots and pans hit the floor surrounding the drunken thor, with his tongue sticking out in concentration as he hunted for his prize.

"Brother, must you make such a racket. Can you and your conquest retire for the evening and leave me in peace?"

The voice echoed loudly, almost causing you to jump. You hadn't noticed the pale stranger, hidden in the shadows in a comfy seat in the corner of the room.

"I do have a name, you know." You hissed, raising your eyebrow at the audacity of whoever the fuck this stranger thought he was.

"and I'm sure he doesn't know it nor will be care after tonight"

The figure retaliated, closing over his book and standing up from his chair. his bright green eyes, glimmering in the darkness, clearly enjoying himself.

You scoffed, rolling your eyes and looking over to Thor for his take on all this, only to see him, mouth full,surrounded by crumbs and hugging several boxes of pop tarts, ignoring both of you.

You sighed, rolling your eyes as you faced back towards the stranger, to find him inches in front of you.

He was tall, gorgeous with a smirk on his alabaster face and eyes glimmering with mischief.

He looked you up and down, keeping a solid poker face, while he gagued your reaction. He then glanced over to his brother looking like a hamster practically storing pop tarts in his cheeks for the long winter, and chuckled, casting his gaze back to you.

"forgive me my dear. I am used to my brothers.... companions.. being as disruptive as he is. "

nodding over to his brother who has since, sunk to the floor, hugging his pop tarts and snoring like a tugboat with sleep apnoea.

"since my brother has once again disappointed both myself and you, allow me to take over as gracious host for the evening."

he smiled, stepping over his snoring brother and directing you into the small bar adjacent to the room you were both in.

With a shimmer of green, two wine glasses appeared in his hands, as he offered you one. It was filled to the brim with an amber coloured liquid that resembled liquid gold and smelled utterly divine, you graciously took the glass and sunk into the cool leather sofa next to the fireplace.

"Asgardian mead is what my brother usually promises his dates, am I correct?"

You blinked, colour flushing to your cheeks, and beginning to wonder just how many people he had had identical nights with. Maria was going to get her arse thoroughly kicked when you next met her.

"You are correct, Mr?"

you enquired, trying to be polite. You knew exactly who he was. You recognised him from all the news articles back in 2012. The god who came to conquer New York, only to get his ass handed to him in spectacular fashion by the newly formed Avengers.

"Now now, come now my dear, don't play coy. Loki Laufeyson, god of mischief at your service"

he smirked, taking your hand to his lips and kissing it, His green eyes never leaving yours for a second.

Whether it was the mead, or this gorgeous man in front of you, every word and every stare seemed to be sending sparks straight to your already thoroughly soaked core.

Panicking, you swallowed more of the mead, hoping the god before you wouldn't notice how flushed you were while adjusting your legs to take some of the pressure off your aching core.

Vivid images flashed through your mind. You and the god of mischief in the throws of passion. His face buried between your legs, devouring your pussy like a starving man, and those emerald eyes, staring at you the entire time, never loosing eye contact.

You closed your eyes and shook your head, looking ahead to find Loki sitting across from you, smirking.

"I.. uh.. think this mead, may be stronger than I'm used to" you said, coughing slightly and continuing to blink rappidly as you sat your glass down on the table between you and Loki.

Looking back up, another image of Loki appeared sitting on the leather sofa. Legs spread and staring at you intently, his black dess trousers around his ankles and his hard, glistening cock in his hand as he pumped it back and forth.

You felt your mouth water as you looked around confused before finally looking down at yourself to find you where on your knees, completely nude, kneeling on the cold hard floor as he beconned you to crawl to him.

Your heart pounded in your ears, as you felt almost entranced, you needed to go to him, practically drooling at the sight of his hard leaking tip, moistening his massive hand.

Just as your hand was about to make contact with his thick thigh, the image disappeared, replaced with an amused looking down at you from the same position on the sofa, but fully clothed.

"As pretty as you look on your hands and knees, im sure the sofa is a much more comfortable place to sit"

He smirked. You squeezed his thigh, gripping it tightly as you slowly stood yourself up, making sure to give him a good show as you stood up.

Unable to take it anymore, you leaned in until you were nose to nose with him and said,

"Mischief indeed."

You said, barely above a whisper as you leant in and bit his lip before pulling back.

You gazed into his eyes, waiting for a response, as he let out a ferral growl before capturing your mouth in a passionate kiss, grabbing your head and pulling you to stradle his lap.

"A god has the right to toy with his play things little one" he growled, his forehead still on yours as he gripped your hair, pulling you back to his wanting mouth and tongue, as he ground his hardening cock against your long since soaked panties.

You broke your mouth from his as you unbuttoned his shirt, his mouth moving to your suck your neck moving down to your chest as he slipped the straps of your dress down your shoulders, kissing and biting as he went, eliciting a symphony of moans from you. He pulled your dress down to your waist, exposing your chest to his mercy as you made your way to his belt buckle.

"Fuck me, you really are a god" you moaned grinding back against him as you admired his naked chest and throbbing cock.

"As you wish darling"

he whispered into your ear, the vibrations of his low voice causing you to shiver involuntarily.

A green light enveloped you both, as you were both stripped naked.

Loki pinched and sucked at your chest, while his hand travelled down to find your swollen neglected clit. You cried out as his fingers finally made contact, making you buck your hips, taking him deeper as you both groaned in unison.

Loki took hold of your ass, gripping it tightly as he began to thrust upwards, leaving you to the mercy of his glorious purpose as he relentlessly thrust into you. You felt a hot gush dripping down your thighs, as you screamed in delight, his cock hitting just the right spot, as he fucked your orgasm from you relentlessly.

"Fuck Loki I'm gonna..."

"Do it. Cum for me darling, I want to feel you fall appart on your gods cock."

He groaned, his breathing becoming erratic.

You cried out in extacy, arching your back as you felt the thick ropes of cum filling you completely.

As you leant back forwards your forheads clashed, both of you panting, covered in a light sheen of sweat.

"Fuck, Loki, that was incredible"

You finally signed, after a moment of blissful silence between you both.

A green shimmer covered you again, leaving a cosy blanket wrapped around your naked body, Loki's softening cock still buried deep inside you. He wrapped his arms around your back and stood up, making you wrap your legs tight to his waist to hold on.

"I hope your dinner was enough sustenance for you darling. Your going to need your energy for the night I have planned with you"

Loki smirked, capturing your mouth in a passionate kiss before teleporting you both to his Chambers for the evening.

Tagging some lovely people who may like this:

@lokisgoodgirl @michelleleewise @geminigirl0298 @lokischambermaid @holymultiplefandomsbatman @sarahscribbles @muddyorbs @wheredafandomat @mochie85 @cake-writes @coldnique @xorpsbane @lokiprompts @mistress-ofmagic @peachyjinx @space-mermaid-writing @word-addict-lisette @with-inked-solace @queen-of-mischief @faraum @xaquarianqueenx

[1-800-teax]

Battle Scars

Avenger!Loki AU

Loki x fem!reader

A/N: Reader has powers similar to Wanda’s.

Avengers Compound - October 17th, 2023

Tensions are high from literally traveling through time and losing Natasha.

You stand off to the side, in deep thought as everyone stands around waiting for the glove to be finished.

You sniffle quietly to yourself when you feel the presence of Loki creep up beside you.

You could hear the sound of my lips parting in hesitation as he tries to find the right words.

Loki finally settles on a simple, “Are you okay?”. With his gentle voice.

Not feeling confident enough to use your voice just yet, you hum in response.

You suck in a deep breath before snapping out of your thoughts and turning your head towards a concerned looking Loki as you give him your best reassuring smile.

You know he doesn’t believe it, he knows you better than that. But maybe your just trying to convince yourself.

“Let’s just get this over with.” You say softly, after clearing your sore ‘from holding in your tears’ throat.

You step away from the corner just as Rocket says, “Alright, the gloves ready.”

“Question is how’s gonna snap their freaking fingers?” He says looking up at all of us.

“I’ll do it.” Thor says volunteering himself, as he steps towards it.

“Excuse me?” Rhodey says besides me.

“Woah, Woah.”

“Thor, Thor. Just wait we haven’t decided who’s gonna out that on yet.” Steve tells him, stopping him from getting closer to it.

“Oh, I’m sorry we’re all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity.” Thor says with a slightly shaky voice.

“We should at least discuss it.” Scott reasons.

“Look look, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I’m the strongest avenger. Okay? So, this responsibility falls on me.” Thor states.

Protest are being spoken over each other.

“Hold on, hold on-” Tony tells Thor backing him up slightly.

“Stop it! Let me do this. Let me do something good. Something right-” Thor starts emotionally, then Tony cuts him off.

“That thing is channeling enough energy to light up a continent. You’re in no condition-” Tony is then cut off by Thor.

“What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?” Thor asks him.

“Cheese Whiz?”

“Beer?” Rhodey and I say at the same time, both agreeing with each other.

Thor flashes an irritated look your way.

“Lightening.” He says turning back towards Tony, trying to convince him.

You roll your eyes in annoyance and notice Bruce stepping up to the gauntlet.

“Lightening won’t help you, pal. It’s gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive.” Bruce tells all of you.

“And, how do we know you can?” Steve asks.

“We don’t. But the radiation’s mostly gamma.”

“It’s like I was made for this.” Bruce finishes.

Silence over takes the group until i speak up with a nod, “Okay. Let’s do this and hope it works.”

Everyone nods.

I walk back towards Loki, who has been quiet this whole time.

“Good to go?” Tony asks Bruce.

“Let’s do it.” He replies.

“Okay, remember, everyone Thnos snapped away five years ago, you’re just bringing them back… to today.” Tony tells him.

“Don’t change anything from the last five years.” You add.

Bruce nods, preparing himself as we do the same.

You look around to see Steve holding his shield up as cover, Scott deploying his helmet, Rocket hiding behind Thor with Tony using his nano shield to cover himself and Clint as Rhodey gears up.

You take a step up from Loki, so he is behind you as you use your powers to conjuring shield around you both.

Tony initiates a special protocol that has all the doors slamming shut and the widows closed.

“Everybody’s coming home…” Bruce mumbles out, under his breath.

You suck in a deep breath as watch Bruce slowly slip his hand in the glove.

Everything was fine until, suddenly he spams, groaning and grunting in pain.

You cringe, having to look away from your friend in pain.

Protest are spewing out, telling Bruce to take off the glove.

“Take to me, Banner.” Tony shouts out over the protests.

“I’m…okay…” You all hear Bruce pant out.

You turn your head back to him, just in time to see him snap his fingers.

Bruce cries out as a blinding white light flashes you all.

As quickly as the flash of light came, its gone again.

Bruce then falls to the ground, grunting, groaning and heaving in pain.

“Bruce!” Steve and I both call out, worriedly.

“Don’t move him.” Tony quickly says as you, along with Loki, Rocket, Rohdey, and Steve immediately rush to Bruce’s aid.

That is when you notice Bruce’s once strong, green-colored arm is discolored and withered.

“Good job, Bruce. You did good.” You breathe out, giving him a small smile.

Tony uses some cooling spray on Bruce’s arm but Bruce isn’t worried about that.

He grips onto my arm, looking desperately into my eyes.

“Did it work?” He asks.

You are taken aback by his question, and slightly scared to know the answer to it.

Being so worried about him, made you forget why he did it in first place.

But before you can answer the sound of a cell phone buzzing catches your ears.

You watch carefully as Clint stalks up to the phone and picks it up.

“Honey?” He answers.

You look up at Loki with a hopeful look on your face until a large shadow catches your attention.

You squint your eyes and notice a space ship of some sort heading directly towards all of you.

You try to warn everyone but its too late, as the object hits the compound causing the compound to collapse in itself.

You scream out as you fall underground, desperatly trying to hold onto piece of the ground as it caves in.

As you’re falling you feel something wedge into your lower right hip resulting in all of the wind getting knocked out of you.

Your backs hits a stable piece of concrete with much force, earning a loud groan.

You feel droplets of water fall onto you, you look down to see water quickly filling up around you.

Panic starts to set in and the pain gets slightly worse.

You let out a scream out of pure fear, alerting anyone near you.

"Y/n?!" You hear someone call out to you.

Your breath hutches in your throat, “Rhodey?" You call back.

"Yeah." he answers.

You let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" he asks you.

"No...I have a large piece of glass in my hip." You say with a slight whimper.

You hear him curse.

"Alright, Y/n I want you to heal yourself." You hear Bruce instruct you.

"Okay!" You shout wincing at the pain the small action caused you.

You take a deep breath, trying to heal yourself but your hand hits something on the side of you.

You prepare yourself before turning your head.

All of the color drains from your face as you see an unconsious Loki with blood flowing out of a cut on his lip, out of his nose and a gash on his forehead.

You gasp and quickly turn onto your side which causes you a great deal of pain allowing more blood to flow out of the huge glass shard wound. You let out a cry as tears spill from your eyes.

"Y/n?!" Bruce and Rhodey shouts out.

"It's Loki, he-he's unconcious. Do you think he..." You start to say and trail off with fear very clear in your voice.

"Y/n, don't worry about that, just try to wake him up." Rhoday says.

You take deep breaths before returning your focus on Loki again.

"Loki!" You say continuously as you repeatedly nudge him.

"Loki! Get up!" You say despesteratly and slap his face with a bit of force.

Loki jolts up with a large intake of air.

You sigh in relief, falling onto concrete out of exhastion.

You place your right hand next to your wound and your left on your head as you try to keep your breathing steady.

"Y/n?" he asks.

"Hey, my love." You breath out as you feel the water start to get higher.

Your eyes droop and you try to stay consicous but the pain is too much.

Loki tries to say something to you but you are already consumed by the darkness hidden beneath your eyelids.

***

You jolt up suddenly and into someones arms.

You suck in all the air you could and try of focus on all of your senses.

You feel a powerful surge of energy coursing through you.

"Y/n!" You hear the person say.

You look up and see that it's Loki holding you up.

"Loki!" You say shock evident in your voice.

"My love, the water is getting higher. I need you to heal yourself." he says worriedly and you see a hint of fear in his eyes.

You nod and he releases his arms from around you, carefully.

You hold yourself up weakly and start to heal yourself.

Your gold colored healing powers fail to heal you.

"I-I can't heal myself." You stutter out in fear.

"What?" Loki asks fearfully as well.

"I think you need to take out the glass." You mumble out shakily.

You lean back and let Loki straddles your legs.

Loki sighs shakily before placing both of his hands on the glass, ready to rip it out.

"Ready?" he asks.

You suck in a deep breath and close your eyes as you nod, wincing for the inevitable amount of pain about to hit you.

Loki waits a few seconds making you open your eyes to ask him what's going on when he rips it out.

You let out a scream so loud your throat burns before slapping your hand over your mouth.

Your body instantly tries to curl up from the pain but can't because Loki's still on top of you.

You cry out in pain and place weak punches on Loki's stomach, trying to channel your pain somewhere else.

"I know, my love. I know. I'm so sorry." He says guilty with tears in his eyes.

You bite down on your wrist as another flash of pain washes over you and more tears spill.

"You have to heal yourself." Loki says cupping your face in his hands.

You nod slightly as your eyes turn golden again, feeling the magic surging out of your hands.

You move your hands around your wound, feeling it start to heal, soon enough the wound was fully healed with no traces of pain, only a small battle scar.

Your breathing was heavy, hands shaky and full of blood.

You try to catch your breath as Loki rubs your arm while getting off of you.

"You did it." he says.

You nod tiredly.

Just then you notice the water is way higher than you realize.

"We have to try get to Rhodey and Bruce." You say.

Loki nods and you both slip off of the wall you were on, swimming through debris towards where you had heard Bruce and Rhodey.

"Bruce! Rhodey! Rocket?" You ask as you and Loki reach them.

"Glad to see you both, okay." Rhodey says to us as we climb up onto the wall he and Rocket are on.

Soon enough more water starts to flood to where its to your necks.

You feel Loki grip your hand in the water.

You look at him fearfully chin wobbling as you try not to cry.

Loki pulls you into him, kissing you like its the last time. And it very well may be.

"I'm sorry." he says once you both pull away.

You shake your head and rest your forhead against his.

You let out a sob and pull him back into a kiss.

You pull apart slowly, preparing to go under when we were lifted up into the air.

You thank God with a relived laugh.

You all get put down and Scott's hand opens up to reveal everyone has come back.

You all jump out and you gasp gripping tightly onto Loki's hand.

You let go of Loki's hand, he takes out his daggers and you allow your powers to surge from your hands.

You watch as every Avenger turn to Thano's arm ready.

"Avengers...Assemble!" Steve says.

There were many battle cries as you all run off into battle.

[valarieravenhearst2]

Good While it Lasted

Very angst-ridden sequel from F#*king marry me. It was birthed after a very dark day listening to this song on a loop. Loki takes a self-destructive path of self-sabotage, breaking his love's heart all for a secret.

n/w - depressed Loki - dark Loki - angst - graphic heartbreak -mentions of mental health - graphic anxiety attacks - graphic description of violence/harm - sexual references / descriptions

will they forgive and forget?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

[childhood--dreaming]

Ask Nicely

Based off @celestialwrites 's 'only one bed' prompt list, but I went a completely different way w it lmao (sorry!)

Pairing: Loki x gender neutral reader

Word Count: ~400

Warnings: SFW, Loki is a smarmy bitch, kidnapping? (has already happened), handcuffs (not sexy)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

The cuffs dug into your wrists; pulling your arms up as high as they can reach, plus a little bit more - your calves ached from the time spent on your tiptoes.

You let out a groan, praying to every deity you can think of that your glitchy in-ear comms somehow come back online soon. If you can’t signal your position to a teammate before your captor returns, who knows what will happen to you.

It’s not as if you can defend yourself. Perhaps if your wrists weren’t already rubbed raw from your previous escape attempts you could pull yourself up to land a kick but then you would still be bound and alone with a newly aggravated captor which would likely do more harm than good-

A noise other than dripping from leaky pipes interrupts your internal monologue causing you to whip your head around to locate the source.

“Well, isn’t this interesting?”

Frustration rolls through your body, and your previously tensed shoulders slump.

Of course, you think, of all the people in the world to walk in on me in this position, it had to be him.

Loki approaches with a gleeful smirk on his face, clearly finding great amusement at your current predicament.

“I will actually hit you.” You narrow your eyes at the god.

“And how do you plan to do that, little dove?” He casts a pointed look at your bound hands.

You shut your mouth, not willing to admit that he had a point.

Grumbling under your breath, your gesture to prompt him to set you free.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” The enjoyment in his tone does not escape your ears.

Exasperated, you roll your eyes and look at his face - only to be exposed to the full force of the mischievous glint hidden behind green eyes.

“Loki, come on.”

“Ask nicely, or I’ll leave you here.”

Your mouth opens in dumbfoundment. Your stuttered rebuttals only gain a single raised brow in response.

Letting out a sigh and resigning yourself to your fate you ready yourself for the lifetime of taunting your next words will no doubt fuel.

“Will you please get me out of here?” You direct the question at his perfectly polished shoes, somehow untouched by the dampened dirt that covered the floor.

“But of course, little dove. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He chuckles at your heated glare, “Let’s get you safe.”

[lokidokieokie]

Into The MCU Masterlist

Summary: As an inventor, you try to create a device that allows you to shift realities. What happens when you land into the MCU?

Pairing: Avenger!Loki x Scientist!Reader

Warning(s): some foul language, fluffy fluff, some angst, lots of reader passing out, lemme know if I missed anything

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

[askatrigenderlgbt]

{Marvel Prompts}

Prompt: Loki has become an avenger, but now is struggling to fit in and belong in the team. Loki has difficulty with his emotions and social interactions, from lack of proper friendships and social connection and from never learning how to handle his emotions in the first place- at least not properly anyway...

Loki is dealing with undiagnosed ADHD and has severe social anxiety as well, along with a lot of trauma to add to the pot.

Thor, being the big brother, finds help for his brother as he can't help Loki by himself. Thor recognized he doesn't have the tools or knowledge needed to help Loki. Tony and Clint potentially do, both having similar issues with Loki, but not to his degree or exact symptoms. Thor believes that Tony and Clint can help Loki fit in because they know what it's like to struggle mentally and emotionally.

{And the three help Loki get properly diagnosed by professionals for his ADHD, of course.}

Loki gets a bit better, feeling more like he belongs. That he isn't broken or defective. Loki feels like a true person for the first time in years.

[brambleghost]

Agatha All Along is a serve

[landoslastnerve]

THE AVENGERS || DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE dir. Joss Whedon (2012) || dir. Shawn Levy (2024)

[lokisgoodgirl]

Deeper [Avenger!Loki x Fem.Reader]

A link to my (new) Masterlist is HERE Summary: [Oneshot] You and Loki have a sensual reunion in the Tower swimming pool. (w/c 2.3k) Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI. Fluffy Smut. Language.

Your face dipped beneath the still surface of water with every careful spread of your arms. There were sixty-four lengths in a mile. So far tonight, you had swum eighty-six. The calmness of the swimming pool on the second highest floor of the Tower had been a godsend while Loki had been away. It helped soothe your nervous heart and fill the empty nights - if not your empty bed.

An undercover operation; arms deals, shady characters with suspicion and murder baked in the soul. You felt a shiver roll down your spine as you dipped a final time beneath the surface.

Your fingers wrapped around the cool ledge at the deep end, taking a breath before turning and readying to push away from the wall. And that was when you saw him.

Loki was leaning silently against one of the tall pillars surrounding the still water, reflections bouncing in ethereal waves across his face; eyes creased at the corners in a secret smile. He was half bathed in shadow, strands of hair hanging loose at his temples with the lengths drawn back into a ponytail. A perfectly fitted suit clung snug to his imposing body, the black material making him look like a shadow transfigured to flesh in the gloom. “Hello, love.” he murmured, the echo carrying around the tiled space. “Stay where you are, please.” he commanded calmly, seeing your excited failed attempt to hoist yourself up to the edge. “Right...there.” You knew you should ask how the mission had gone. Quite well, you expected, considering he was back three days early. But right now, Loki clearly wanted to play. A thrill roared through your blood; hot and wild as the heels of his dress shoes clacked against the tiles with each measured stride. He paused at the precipice of the shallow end, leaning down achingly slowly and unlacing his brogues before slipping them off. He knelt at the top of wide stairs which disappeared beneath the lapping surface, before rising to his full height. Nimble fingers moved to the buckle of an expensive leather belt, the whip as he yanked it from its loops making your pussy clench beneath the water. Loki’s eyes never left yours as he unzipped the sinfully fitted trousers, letting them fall around his ankles. He stepped out, kicking them to the side.

You felt your grip against the ledge falter as he began to toy with the waistband of his black underwear. The smooth wall of the pool slipped against your back, making you kick your legs harder to stay afloat. The urge to begin swimming towards him was almost unbearable. You blinked as he peeled the tight cotton over his hipbones, toying with you as the waistband caught on his growing bulge before letting them fall to the ground. “Come to me, darling.” he purred, his velvet voice seeming to fill every pocket of air all the way to the high ceilings. “Slowly.” You swallowed the well of saliva that had formed on your tongue. God, how you loved him.

Stroke after stroke, you moved as slowly as you could while your heavy gaze bore into the sight of your god shrugging off the bespoke suit jacket. It joined the pile of discarded clothing on the floor before he reached up and pulled the hair-tie from its hold. Curls unfurled around his shoulders as long, pale fingers moved to the knot of his silk tie – digging in and releasing it with a firm yank.

Your breathing was completely out of time with your movements, the heavy throb of desire beating in your core seeming to pull you deeper. The water was treacle. Every brush of your arms that had felt effortless minutes before, now a mammoth task. He began unbuttoning his shirt just as you reached the halfway point. “Stop, please.” he enunciated slowly, making your breath hitch as you splashed upright. Your hands grazed on the surface to the side, keeping yourself afloat as Loki began to descend into the gently lapping water. You bit your lip, seeing the curve of his muscular calves submerge as he made his way confidently down the stairs. Loki's cock was hardening furiously with anticipation, swelling with the same heat smouldering between your legs. It bobbed with every slow step. And he was still wearing the shirt. The half naked god waded through the shallows, pausing to dip himself once beneath the peaceful surface. He ascended soaking wet, throwing his sodden hair back over his shoulders. The soaked white cotton clung to every valley in his chiselled torso, dark shadows visible through the shirt where the rock hard muscles dipped and rose. His hair wrapped in inky tendrils down his neck, drops of chlorinated water rolling over his cheekbones. He was so fucking beautiful. And he was all yours. In four effortless crawls, he reached you; the force of his strong arms wrapping around your waist as he kicked backwards pushing you against the nearest side of the pool. Loki’s breath was hot against your wet skin as you spluttered, the intensity of his stare making you quiver in his arms. “Norns, how I’ve missed you.” he whispered with a groan, wet kisses trailing the angle of your jaw.

Your fingers toyed at the opening of his shirt, tips relishing the feel of him pressed against your body after so long apart. “I know how much you love to undress me from these contraptions.” he chuckled, drawing himself away from the lure of your exposed neck. You smiled. “How thoughtful of you.” you coyed, enjoying the flash of his dimples that followed. Loki slipped a finger under one strap of your swimming costume, eyebrow rising as it slid easily down your bicep. The other followed. You arched your back, allowing him to tug the chest down around your waist. He moaned in appreciation, exhaling into a passionate kiss which fastened to your lips like a wave sinking into sand. His tongue massaged inside, caressing your own as your swimsuit slid over your thighs and into the void below with a final solitary tug of his fingers. Loki's hard chest pressed against the curve of your breasts, flattening you desperately beneath his violent kiss. The wet cotton dragged against your nipples, ferocious passion in every sway of his jaw as he consumed you. Your fingers dragged through his slick hair, tangling in the mess of thick strands that spread on the water’s surface. Without warning, he hoisted you to perch on the cold side. You gasped as the cool air bit against your soaking skin, the rough of the edging grazing your thighs before he wrapped his fingers over your dripping calves and placed them gently over his shoulders

“Close your eyes.” he murmured, the low lapping waves against the side tiles making you shudder as you did what he asked. You knew his feet would be flat on the bottom of the swimming pool floor, the blue hued water caressing teasingly around his biceps as he slid closer and nuzzled against your inner thigh. “My beautiful woman…” he whispered wistfully, licking a trail over the skin before he latched to your pussy. Your head fell back, heavy strands of clumped, wet hair slapping between your shoulder-blades. Loki’s tongue swept softly against your slit, his hands massaging up your spread thighs before pulling your ass closer with a gentle yank. He moaned softly as your sex rolled against his open mouth, tongue slipping inside your channel sticky with fresh arousal. Your hands slid over his slick scalp, pulling him deeper. Baritone growls vibrated against your centre, every flat lick of his talented tongue making you thrust into him. Your palms braced on the floor behind you, feeling yourself fall backwards with a shameless groan of pleasure. Loki chuckled against your pussy, his sharp jaw waxing and waning as he ate you out like he was conducting a symphony. It was perfection. With him, it always was. Your thighs juddered against his shoulders, making his fingertips dig tighter into the soft flesh. Climax was close, and he knew it. Wet slurps rose muffled between your splayed thighs, only the god’s brow visible above your hips. He looked so fucking good buried in your needy pussy. He always did. You felt the point of his tongue trace from the base of your slit to your swollen bud, flicking in a straight line to the side. It moved in a licentious circle, stalking your entire tingling sex in a teasing dance before landing on your clit again. His eyes moved up to meet yours, the smouldering hues of his irises darkened by lust and delayed gratification before ducking down. You arched your back as he began another ascent up your messy centre, the staggered gasp from your lips taking you by surprise. Your hips began to shake as he flicked his head to the right, his tongue capturing a delicate fold in a gentle suck. Shallow pants made your chest rise and fall as he hovered, before repeating the movement, lower this time. A staggered moan of his name filled the air. His name. He was pleasuring you with his name. Loki licked his lips, cheekbones sharpening as he lowered himself to deliver the final sexually devastating blow. “I..-” you whimpered, making Loki laugh softly beneath your spread cheeks. His hands tightening around your thighs, pulling your ass flush against his chest. Making sure you could see him work, he lapped gently at your asshole. The pathetic whimper from your throat made a knowing smile tug at his lip, before he released a final straight lick against your little cunt. You couldn’t draw your gaze away from his, the restraint etched on his brow as he drew it up your sex with aching slowness. Your hands flew to meet his own, grasping desperately as he suckled your clit with needy abandon; feeling the spurt of your hot juices coat each soft massage of his tongue.

You felt your whole body relax, the slip of water against your legs as you fell down around him on autopilot. Loki's hands were fastened on your waist, guiding you over the edge of the pool to join him. Your bare chest slid again the heavy cotton stuck to his torso, one of the buttons of his drenched shirt catching on your nipple bringing you back to reality.

"Did you miss me?" he whispered, the ache of longing in his voice. "More than anything." you replied, sliding your hands over his broad shoulders. Your lip quivered, the force of your love for him reflected back twofold in his bottomless eyes.

Loki's hands rested on your hips, pulling you flush against his stomach. There wasn't a sliver of ebbing light between your bodies. At some point, the vibrant orange sunset through the window had faded to a panorama of glittering New York lights. The tails of his shirt floated upwards, resting on the surface. With trembling fingers, you made quick work of the buttons, peeling the arms off to reveal his flawlessly firm alabaster skin. "I love you." you sighed, before Loki kissed you again.

He adjusted you slightly, before the thick tip of his cock nudged against your entrance. Fresh cum from his attentions still clung there; knowing its purpose. "I love you." he said firmly. "Always, I will come back to you.” His warm breath skating up the curve of your cheekbone, before he nuzzled possessively against your temple. “Always." he whispered against the dripping skin.

Dual groans of ragged relief echoed around the swimming pool as he squeezed into your keening heat, dragging against the friction of water. He filled you to the hilt, bottoming out with a careful thrust of his muscular hips. Your back slipped against the side of the pool, the cock impaling you the only thing stopping your body slopping beneath the surface. At some point, he had wrapped your legs around his waist, taking control as you fell apart beneath his touch.

Your back slid up the tile as he fucked you, the slow gyrations of his thrusts making you bounce steadily up and down. Nails dragged down his back, a hiss escaping his parted lips as he shook away inky slathers of hair that clung to his bladed jawline. Sweet murmurs of praise fluttered in the air, chiming with the rhythmic lap of waves against the side. Your fingers gathered Loki’s sodden hair, curls transformed to obsidian lengths that fanned on the water with every squat as he made your world spin. Glittering skyscrapers radiated behind his head, a line appearing and evaporating between his brows as he tried to withhold his moans of pleasure accompanying each slow slap of his hips. He had been undercover for far too long. “Let me hear you Loki…” you whimpered, feeling yourself tighten around him. “I want the whole Tower to know my lover’s home.” He growled, bracing a hand against the edge of the pool beside your shoulder. You heard the crack of porcelain, crunching as he clenched his jaw with a feral rumble. It crumbled beneath his grip, flecks of white plaster descending into the water which had begun to slosh violently around your tight bodies. His forehead pressed against your own, shallow pants becoming ragged and fierce. “F-fuck...darling...jeg er h-hjemme.” His breath caught as he spoke the words. ‘I’m home’, you thought with a gasp as he plunged deeper. Loki’s moans became frantic, primal, loud– every drag of his rigid cock tipping you over the edge a reminder that you were his. Every masculine whimper of pure desire from his lips a reminder that he was yours.

When Loki was gone, you always realised just how much you loved him; his absence draining your world to fading shades of sepia. And when he returned, you felt yourself fall inexplicably in love all over again; in deepest greens and brightest gold. His love consumed you. And each time, deeper.

Tags @gigglingtigger @meowmeow-motherfucker @muddyorbsblr @imalovernotahater @avengersalways @littledark11 @lokikissesmyforehead @simplyholl @fictive-sl0th @loopsisloops @thedistractedagglomeration @loveroflokiforpoeticjustice @123forgottherest @joyful-enchantress @sititran @jaidenhawke @silverfire475 @michelleleewise @vbecker10 @imalovernotahater @thomase1 @morriggannlostinfandoms @marygoddessofmischief @ravenwings73 @xorpsbane @filthyhiddles @peacefulpianist @maple-seed @yelkmelk @wheredafandomat @mistress-ofmagic @five-miles-over @goblingirlsarah @ozymdias @peaches1958 @your-taste-on-my-lips @lokidokieokie @kikster606 @peachyjinx @tbhiddlestan83 @trickster-maiden @mandywholock1980 @lokisninerealms @daggers-and-mischief @sinsandguilt @skymoonandstardust

[use-your-telescope]

When Everything's Made to be Broken - Chapter 21: The Lie that I'm Fed

Summary: In the aftermath of the Times Square attack, Thor asks Theo to do something that makes her start to question her understanding of her friendship with Loki. 

Contents: This entire chapter takes place in a hospital; however, there really isn’t much (if any) blood or gore. There are, however, descriptions of medical equipment, a touch of angst, and some comfort in the mix.

Word Count: 11,572

Read on AO3 | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist

The Lie That I’m Fed

Song: Down on my Head - Yellowcard

I work all night for one more day  That I can say I’m all alone, alone I just need time, and I will say What I believe and I’ll come home, home And all I know…

When Theo promised she’d be back to the ED after the attack, she hadn’t meant for it to be as a patient. However, the moment Theo walked through the door Julie took one look at the blood covered, bruised up Avenger and immediately ordered Theo into the nearest treatment room.  

…. Which is how Theo found herself sitting on a stretcher in one of the treatment rooms, trying not to roll her eyes as Julie fussed over her.

At least they set the head of the bed up so she had something to lean on while she waited for Julie to tell Theo what she already knew — that she would be fine. Other than what would turn into an annoying black eye and bruised, throbbing knuckles from the stupid decision to punch someone, Theo had emerged relatively unscathed. The only reason she even agreed to be checked over was because smoke from the explosions meant she might have accidentally exacerbated her asthma.

Well, that and Julie could be a bit scary when she got overprotective.

From where Theo sat, she could easily spot the familiar beige and gray carts filled with medical supplies, the bright red biohazard bin, the steel tray that sat at the ready in case of impromptu surgical procedures. Despite being able to rattle off the contents of every drawer and cabinet in the room, for whatever reason they always seemed a bit foreign when she was in the room as the patient and not the provider.

“So your lungs don’t sound bad at the moment,” Julie concluded, draping her stethoscope around her neck. “However, If you need your rescue inhaler more than twice this week, make sure to get an appointment with your pulmonologist. With the circumstances, it could take a bit of time for an inhalation injury to become apparent.” 

“Usually it takes a couple hours for an inhalation injury to show up, Jules, not a couple days,” Theo pointed out. “If you aren’t noticing anything now, I’m sure I’m fine.”

“We don’t know what was in that smoke,” Julie countered, dark eyes trained on Theo. “If there was an irritant that managed to settle in your lungs, it may not trigger symptoms right away. I’d prefer you don’t land your ass in the hospital from a sudden asthma attack or airway inflammation.”

“Is that just because you don’t want to cover any more shifts while everyone’s out next month?” Theo teased, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and standing up.

“You and I both know that I wouldn’t be covering your shifts—” Julie feigned offense, a radiant grin offsetting the horror in her tone. “I’d find coverage for both of our shifts, because I’d be the one staying with you until you were back on your feet again, even though it means sleeping on a couch.”

History proved that Julie wasn’t exaggerating. During the year they lived together while in their residencies, Theo picked up a nasty case of bronchitis that made her asthma flare. Julie insisted on going with Theo to the doctor; when the doctor decided that Theo needed to be monitored in the hospital, Julie quite literally camped out on the hospital couch for three days, despite Theo’s reassurances that Julie could go home and sleep in her own bed.

“You have a point,” a small, grateful smile curled over Theo’s lips. As much as she hated being in a position where she needed that help, she appreciated having a friend who would show up, no questions asked, and be there for her.

In a lot of ways, Julie and Loki had that in common; when shit hit the fan, they didn’t think twice before they helped her through it. 

… Except Loki now thought of Theo as weak and unable to handle her shit. 

Ugh.

“Hey, do you know how Loki’s doing?” Theo glanced over Julie’s shoulder and towards the door. “I started treating him in the field and then got pulled away once the medics got to him. Last I saw, he wasn’t in great shape.”

“I’m not sure,” Julie glanced up from her tablet and frowned. “I overheard Helen saying they hadn’t been able to get a hold of Thor. Maybe you could see if they reached him, and if not you could try calling Thor for them? It’d give you a reason to check his chart.”

Theo almost smirked at Julie’s thinly-veiled attempt to circumvent healthcare privacy laws, but the lack of an assurance that Loki was okay dispelled any shred of amusement. 

“If you can’t tell me that’s fine,” Theo dryly remarked, “but I’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to be giving me workarounds to HIPAA.” 

“Eh, you have top secret security clearance.” Julie shrugged. “I’m not worried about you abusing access to healthcare records. I know you have to pull them for mission reports anyways.”

“Fair enough.” Theo looked at the door for a second time, shifting her weight back and forth between her feet. “Need me for anything else? Or am I good to go?”

“I don’t need you for anything else, but are we going to talk about that?” Julie pointed at Theo’s right hand, which at that moment Theo covered with an ice pack.

“What about it?”

“You obviously punched someone…” Julie trailed off, grimacing when Theo removed the ice pack, revealing purple splotches already blooming on swollen knuckles. “… or something.”

“Your point?”

“You don’t punch.”

“Yeah I do.” 

“No,” Julie saw right through Theo’s attempt to prevent further conversation on what had been an absolute clusterfuck of an evening. “Not unless there’s a damn good reason.”

“I got punched first?” Theo tried, though she knew it wasn’t likely to work.

“No,” Julie quickly shook her head. “You’d have stabbed them.” 

“Well,” Theo smirked, “I did that too.”

“So why—“

Theo rolled her eyes and groaned. “Look, I was pissed—“

“—What the hell pissed you off so badly that you punched someone?!” 

“I—It’s just—“ the more Theo thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Yes, annoyed by Loki’s assumptions and by Chris’s reckless flaunting of his new relationship, but more at herself. She should have had the self-control to ignore the crowd. She should have practiced restraint when she was attacked, not giving into aggression. She should have stayed close to Loki so she could have taken down that handler and prevented their escape. Then she could have learned who recognized her, and maybe gotten closer to figuring out who the hell knew her secret and why they were coming after her.

“… It’s just what?” 

Snapped from her self-deprecation, Theo huffed. “Look, I’m pretty sure I saw Chris standing on the sidelines watching—“

“— You’re kidding—“Julie’s jaw dropped. 

“—And he wasn’t alone,” Theo added with a nod. Realistically, Chris and his flavor of the week were the least of Theo’s concerns, but it was better than trying to explain the handler situation, or that things were weird with Loki. The former was a conversation she never wanted to have, and the latter was a conversation that required a girl’s night with wine… lots of wine. “Apparently he has a new girlfriend, or watching a shadow creature attack was enough of a turn on that they couldn’t stop themselves from making out right there and then.”

“Fuck that — I’d be pissed too. But why punch someone?”

“I told you…” Theo rolled her eyes a second time. “I got caught off guard. It was more of a reaction than anything.”

“Well, don’t do it again,” Julie replied with a stern look and a tone that teetered on the edge of scolding. “You know as well as I do that you‘re lucky you didn’t seriously fuck up your hand in the process, and that’s the hand you do everything with.”

“I’m sure I’ll be reminded every time I move it for the next week or two…” Theo drawled, barely biting back a wince as she pressed the ice pack to her injury once more. “Now, can I go?”

I never thought I would wake up in bed Watching the world coming down on my head I’d sleep like a dog if you would never have said This is the world coming down on your head

After a detour to the staff locker room to shower and change into some clean scrubs, Theo sat down at the nursing station computer and pulled Loki’s chart. Reading through the notes, a tenuous relief flowed through her - though Loki had gone into shock, Theo’s healing mitigated the worst of the effects. Sure, he still had to have surgery and would need some time to recover, but it could have been worse.

Still, the thought of someone being powerful enough to injure a god so severely left an unsettling pit in Theo’s stomach. Even worse, that person escaped because Theo couldn’t keep up, leaving nothing but questions and destruction in their wake.

Theo didn’t want to call Thor to tell him bad news, but someone needed to do it. She dialed Thor’s number, wondering with each passing ring if he could even receive phone calls when he wasn’t on Earth. 

“Hello?” Right as Theo prepared to get a voicemail greeting, Thor answered.

“Hey Thor, it’s Theo.”

“Lady Theo! I was not expecting your call!” Somehow, even through the phone, Thor’s voice boomed. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

He must not have noticed that Theo called the emergency number.

“Well,” Theo hesitated, cringing to herself as she took a deep breath. “Not sure if you heard, but earlier today there was a pretty big shadow creature attack on Times Square. Everyone here responded and stopped the attack—” she braced herself for the potential reaction as she continued, “— but Loki was injured in the fighting—”

“—Is he alright?” In the drop of a hat, all of the casual warmth vanished from Thor’s voice, replaced with a desperation and raw fear that twisted Theo’s heart in a knot. 

“—Yeah! Loki’s being treated right now—” Theo quickly clarified before Thor could spiral into a full-blown panic. Notifying next of kin about a patient’s condition was never fun, but having to deliver the news to friends was absolutely worse. “He’s currently in surgery, but it’s a pretty routine procedure and he’s being operated on by the best of the best. They’ll take good care of him.”

On the other end of the phone, Thor let out a heavy, nervous sigh. “What sort of wounds did my brother sustain?”

“The wounds requiring surgery are a laceration to the right upper abdomen and a stab wound to his thigh. The abdominal wound was the more serious of the two, but I was able to heal some of that one in the field so it’s not as serious as it originally had been. They’re both deep enough that they need to be stitched up from the inside or they won’t heal properly, which is why he’s in surgery,” Theo said. “He lost a lot of blood, but they’ve already given him additional blood and are prepared to give him more if needed. He also has a concussion and a laceration to his head, but the head laceration was pretty shallow and shouldn’t need any stitches. Otherwise, standard bumps and bruises from fighting.”

“And his recovery time?”

“He’s going to be admitted for at least a few days; all things considered, I’d estimate around a week. Anytime there’s significant blood loss, patients are initially monitored in the ICU in case of any complications. I’m sure the doctors will also want to make sure the wounds heal properly.” Theo continued, cradling the phone in the crook of her shoulder as she glanced around at the bustling unit. “That said, with his enhanced healing he has a pretty quick recovery ahead of him. I’m sure he’ll be back on his feet in no time. I know you’re off-planet right now, but we wanted you to be aware of what’s going on.”

“I thank you for your consideration,” Thor solemnly replied. “We expect to complete our objective within a few hours. I will inform the others that we are to return immediately so that I may be with my brother. The journey will take a couple of days if we do not encounter any difficulties.” 

“Sounds good. Is there anyone else I should call and give updates to while you’re gone, or who you think should stay with him, at least until you’re back?” As Theo asked the question, she had already started looking up Val’s phone number in anticipation of Thor’s answer.

“If you could notify the Valkyrie, I would be most grateful. She will ensure matters related to New Asgard are managed accordingly.” Thor let out a tense exhale on the opposite end of the phone. “May I make a request, my lady?” 

“Sure,” Theo shrugged, even though Thor couldn’t see her. “What’s up?”

“My brother…” Thor faltered, then drew in an audible breath.  “Anytime he does not feel as if he has full control of himself or awareness of his surroundings, he does not react well. With the many medicines that dull the senses and limit consciousness, I am sure you understand how infirmary admissions would be challenging for him. I fear what might happen if he wakes from surgery without a trusted, familiar presence to reassure him of his safety.”

The way Thor prefaced his request opened up a pit of worry in Theo’s stomach. Even if Val picked up the phone right away, the only way she’d make it to New York in time for Loki to get out of surgery would be if Tony sent a quinjet to pick them up; given SHIELD was in rapid response mode after the attack, the odds of getting approved for a non-emergency and non-mission pickup were… well, none. 

“You are my brother’s closest friend, and I know without a doubt he trusts you with his life. If there is anyone else who could be there in my stead to provide the reassurance he needs, it would be you. Would you stay with my brother until I return?”

Wait…  what?

“You—You want me to stay in the hospital with him until you get back— like, stay overnight with him?” Unsure if she heard him correctly, Theo repeated the request back to Thor. 

Closest friend? Since when was she Loki’s closest friend? What about Val? They seemed pretty close, from what Theo could tell. They’d known each other for much longer, and they had been through a lot together. What about Wanda? Or Bruce — sure, there was the whole hulk smash thing, but they both escaped Sakaar together and worked together in establishing New Asgard. Hell, even Bucky or Sam would have made more sense, given the length of time Loki knew each other and from what Theo had observed of their friendships/dynamics in the field. 

So why would Theo be the one Thor asked?

“I recognize I am asking much of you, but know it is not a request I make lightly,” Thor implored, “it’s simply — I trust that my brother will recover in body, but I worry for the impact this will have upon his mind and spirit—”

“— Yeah, of course, I’ll stay with him,” Theo quickly promised, still trying to wrap her mind around the rationale. “The request just… it surprised me, that’s all. I’m happy to help out.”

Sure, she was annoyed about the whole assumption thing and she didn’t get why Thor asked her, of all people, but Loki always had her back when she needed him, so the very least she could do was return the favor. 

“Thank you, my lady,” Thor sighed, only sounding marginally relieved. “I assure you, I would not ask if I did not believe it to be necessary for my brother’s wellbeing. My gratitude knows no bounds.”

“It’s all good, Thor,” Theo replied. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news — I know it’s not the kind of phone call you want to get. But I promise, he’s got the best of the best taking care of him. Are there any questions I can answer for you at the moment?”

“None at this time, though I imagine I will have additional inquiries soon.”

“Okay, well, feel free to text or call me as questions come up. Otherwise, I’ll call Val to let her know, and I’ll let you know as I have updates, okay?”

“Very well; again, thank you, truly. I am in your debt.” 

After ending the call and updating Loki’s records to reflect that Thor had been notified, Theo slouched back in the desk chair as the reality of what she agreed to washed over her.

Two days of staying with Loki, who she was not on the best of terms with at that moment, who may not even want her there… and if Thor was right, who would be very unhappy about being in the hospital.

Theo scrubbed her face with one hand as she tried to convince herself this was a good idea. Loki needed someone to stay with him, and Theo wasn’t about to abandon him; then again, what if he kicked her out? Would he let someone else stay with him — maybe Val, once she got to New York? Or would he refuse to let anyone try and help? What would Theo tell Thor – ‘sorry, your brother actually is pissed at me and kicked me out?’

To make matters worse, she didn’t even know what Thor meant when he said Loki would be “unhappy” about being in the hospital. Did that mean angry? Upset? Scared? Would Loki try to refuse treatment, or use magic when he wasn’t supposed to, or even try to leave before the doctors discharged him? Would he lash out, or try to shut everyone out? 

The more she thought about it, the more she considered calling Thor back and asking just what exactly she should be prepared for; however, Thor was technically on a mission, so trying to call him for something that wasn’t an emergency or an update on his brother was likely to get her chewed out by Fury.

As if the universe knew her predicament, her cell phone pinged with a notification from the group chat…

… Maybe the other Avengers could help.

As life flies by, I’m not sure  How I’m gonna do this all again, again  So line by line, I write this down And I just try to find the end, the end And all I know…

An hour passed from when Theo left the Emergency Department to when she strolled into the waiting room. Unlike the emergency department, which prioritized practicality and utilitarianism over aesthetics in its design, the rest of the hospital — where patients and their families passed through, at least — looked more like they were a part of a luxury hotel. 

Of course, since Tony Stark paid for everything, his preferences shined in the design: waiting areas were furnished with minimalistic furniture in muted, yet soothing shades of blues, greens, and grays. The nurses stations featured crisp, white stone countertops with faint gray veins that flowed across the surface. Overhead, modern light fixtures of varying shapes and sizes illuminated every nook and cranny. What appeared to be espresso-stained hardwood floors were actually made of a special antimicrobial, non-slip material — one of the few signs that they were in a hospital. 

Theo scanned the groups of seating around the waiting room. According to the group chat most of the team had set up shop together, working on post-attack reports and following up on various leads as they waited for updates on Loki’s surgery. It didn’t take long for her to spot Natasha, who waved as Theo approached. 

As expected, Natasha was far from alone: Bucky sat close enough beside her that their shoulders brushed, while Sam sat on Bucky’s other side. Peter had sprawled out on the floor, lanky legs stretched out in front of him with his laptop on his lap. Wanda curled up with Vision on a nearby loveseat, her head resting on his shoulder while he kept a comforting hand on her thigh. Yelena sat with her legs curled underneath her on the chair, holding her phone like she had just been scrolling through TikTok. Shuri sat next to Yelena, using an end table to hold a holographic display as she used her computer to modify what looked like an invention of some kind.  

“You know that we’re only going to be here for a few hours, not a few days, right?” Sam arched an eyebrow at the pair of oversized duffel bags Theo carried, practically bursting at the seams from the amount of stuff she shoved inside.

“You’re going to be here for a few hours,” Theo replied, dropping the bag to the floor before taking the nearest open seat, “but I’m probably going to be here for a few days.”

Sam’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Why?”

“When I called Thor to let him know what was going on, he asked if I could stay with Loki until he gets back to Earth… which it sounds like will be in two or three days.”

“So Thor asked you to stay with Loki?” Bucky clarified, narrowing his eyes at Theo as if he was looking for something more.

”I think it was one of those things where he was freaking out because he didn’t want his brother to be alone, and since I was the one on the phone at that time, I ended up being the person he asked,” Theo shrugged. “It’s probably a good thing — I can be the point of contact for updates and relaying information back and forth, and I can still work on stuff while I’m there. Besides, with the number of times Loki has dealt with me being a literal shit show, I think I owe him at least a few days of waiting on him hand and foot.”

“Okay, fine, but are we going to talk about how you packed more for three days than most people pack for a month?” Shuri teased, eyeing the bags. “Those are about to burst!”

“In my defense, most of it isn’t for me!” Theo confessed, her cheeks inexplicably burning. “I stopped by Loki’s suite and the gift shop to grab some stuff that I thought he might want or would make him more comfortable and a bit less miserable, at least until Thor gets back.”

“Pretty sure just having you around will make him less miserable,” Natasha wryly pointed out, eyes glittering as she smirked at Theo. 

Theo shot Natasha with a skeptical glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’d gut everyone in this room before he’d admit it,” Yelena replied with an expression identical to Natasha’s; for a lack of shared DNA, they certainly acted like sisters. “But he has a soft spot for you.” 

“Yeah,“ Peter chimed in, “You’re definitely his favorite person on the team—“ 

“Mm,” Theo shook her head, “I’m pretty sure that’s Thor—”

“—Fine, you’re his favorite human on the team,” Natasha replied.

“I think you’re overselling it, but whatever.” Theo rolled her eyes and laughed it off, though her pulse quickened at the thought. First Thor, now the others — was there something that Theo hadn’t noticed? “Soft spot or not, Thor said Loki wouldn’t be happy about being in the hospital, but he didn’t really explain what that meant… any idea about what I should expect?”

“Well, I haven’t seen him in the hospital,” Wanda replied, her expression thoughtful, “but when he gets sick he’s pretty cranky... Like he’s in one of his moods.”

“Okay, so three days of him grouching at me over anything and everything,” Theo nodded. Behind her unfazed expression, she wondered how much worse it would be since they were mid-argument. “Well, it could be worse.” 

“At least you’re prepared for him to be grouchy,” Yelena muttered, earning a snort of laughter from Shuri. 

“He’ll probably be doped up on pain meds though,” Sam offered, “so he may be too stoned to be cranky.”

“That’ll probably piss him off more,” Bucky quickly shook his head, scowling at Sam. “Losing control of yourself messes with your head, even after you’re back to normal. After what he went through, with Thanos? I bet it stirs up some really messed up emotions. Getting pissed off would be understandable.”

Oh… shit. Theo hadn’t even considered that possibility.

“If you need a break, let me know,” Wanda offered, the gold flecks in her irises catching the light as she gave Theo a small, understanding smile that made Theo wonder if she let her nonplussed demeanor slip.  ”I can switch with you for a bit.” 

“Thanks — Val’s planning to fly out here tomorrow, so I’m betting she’d also trade out,” Theo said, careful to make sure she didn't show any more signs that there were other reasons to worry. “but it’s good to know I have options.” 

Hopefully, though, she wouldn’t need them…

I never thought I would wake up in bed Watching the world coming down on my head I’d sleep like a dog if you would never have said This is the world coming down on your head

Switching roles from doctor to patient was strange, but manageable. 

Switching from doctor to support person was much, much harder.

Waiting for updates was perhaps even worse when Theo knew all the possible complications and the worst outcomes, all of which might be happening at that moment and she would be none the wiser. When the estimated time they were supposed to get an update came and went without a word, Theo found herself trying to silence the worried voices in her head as she tried to reassure the others that delays were not in and of themselves cause for concern: more often than not, they stemmed from administrative matters, such as putting in post-op orders for the current patient, or the surgeon may have been on their way to give the update when they were pulled aside to consult on an emergent patient. 

The eventual appearance of the receptionist, inviting the group to a nearby conference room and promising the surgeon would be there shortly, either meant the news was bad, or the patient was of a high-enough profile that extra privacy was crucial. 

Likely the latter, but that didn’t stop Theo from considering the former as a distinct possibility.

The group had barely settled into the cramped conference room — not meant to hold almost a dozen people — when Dr. Zergaw arrived, closely followed by Helen.

Dr. Zergaw, the surgeon in charge of Loki’s operation, smiled warmly at the group as she greeted them and introduced herself, her deep brown eyes and gentle voice giving no sign of concern. She must have taken time to change out of her surgical attire, wearing a fresh set of green scrubs with a white overcoat that contrasted her ebony hair, which she kept braided back in small, neat rows.

Helen’s presence made sense, as she consulted on any case involving non-human patients; similar to Dr. Zergaw, she lacked any of the tells Theo could expect when bad news was to follow.

Together, the doctors affirmed that everything went well; though Loki would be admitted to the ICU, it was so they could monitor him closely in case of complications related to hypovolemic shock. All-in-all, as long as he took it easy, the road to recovery would be smooth.

Visiting hours had long passed by then, so the rest of the Avengers returned to the residential part of the tower while Dr. Zergaw walked with Theo to Loki’s room. Along the way, the surgeon filled her in on the technical details of the procedure that she wouldn’t typically share with patients or their families. Too much jargon could be intimidating and cause unnecessary worry, but with a fellow doctor it was a chance to nerd out, especially since Loki’s biology differed slightly from operating on a human.

Except… Theo couldn’t help the discomfort that roiled in her stomach as she learned just how narrowly they avoided a much worse outcome. It was one thing to talk shop, but when it was someone she cared about, she almost wished she had remained in the dark.

The late hour meant the halls were quiet as they entered the unit, other than the occasional squeak of nurses’ rubber soled shoes on the floor and the random chime of an IV pump that needed its settings adjusted. 

It wasn’t until they were nearly at the end of the hall that Theo could hear anyone speaking.

“Big cough— there you go. You’re okay. Alright, deep breath through your nose…”

Dr. Zergaw’s pace slowed, coming to a stop in front of the last door in the hallway. The metal and glass door hadn’t been completely closed, allowing for parts of the conversation inside to be heard from the hall.

”Can you tell me your name and birthday? … Good, good. Wiggle your toes for me— great. And squeeze my hands… great.”

“He’s inside,” Dr. Zergaw gestured to the door, “sounds like the nurses are in with him now, but you should be able to go in. Let me know if you have questions.”

After thanking the doctor, Theo drew in a deep breath, braced herself for any number of scenarios, and slipped inside. She turned around as she carefully closed the steel-framed door, the latch sliding into place with a muffled click. Her eyes flicked up to the frosted glass inlay, focusing on the individual, almost granular specks worn into the material from the etching process. She released a slow, measured exhale, then spun back around. 

The room was far more spacious than the typical hospital room, closer in size and arrangement to a hotel suite or a studio apartment than a hospital room. All it took was a quick glance to know that the same design philosophy found within the waiting areas and public-facing areas of the hospital applied here: minimalist furniture upholstered in soothing blues and greens, white stone countertops, varying light sources that could all be brightened or dimmed as needed, and flourishes of cool-toned woods throughout.

Ahead of Theo, positioned so the head of the bed was against the wall on her right, was Loki’s hospital bed. Flanking each side of the bed was a nurse, too busy tending to Loki to notice Theo’s arrival. 

When Theo finally laid eyes on Loki, she froze.  

Sure, his complexion no longer rivaled a ghost, but he was still so pale he practically blended into the sheets, except for where he had cuts or bruises that marred his usually pristine skin. Instead of piercing green eyes that noticed every little detail, he looked around from beneath heavy lashes with a cloudy, vacant stare. Somehow, it looked like the hospital bed swallowed him whole.

Eventually, Theo ripped her eyes away from Loki, instead watching the nurses. A copper-haired nurse with a dusting of freckles across her cheeks adjusted the settings and labeling tubes on the dozen IV pumps mounted at the bedside. She barely looked old enough to legally drink, yet moved with such practiced ease and familiarity that she must have been a veteran on the unit.

The other nurse – a short, plump woman with terra-cotta skin and streaks of silver interspersed in her dark hair – focused her attention on Loki. She wore the type of gentle, caring smile that often came with years of experience tending to others; at least the nurses assigned to Loki’s care seemed like they were up to the task. 

“... You already had surgery. Everything went really well. We brought you to your room while you were still sleeping,” she explained to Loki in a low, calming voice, resting a comforting hand on his arm. “We’re going to keep a close watch and make sure you’re comfortable while you heal. All you need to do is relax and get some rest, okay?” 

Loki’s gaze meandered up to the nurse, staring blankly at her for a few moments before his brows slowly drew together, and he frowned.

“Thor…?” Loki mumbled, voice raspy enough that he winced at the sound. “Where’s… Thor?”

“He’s on his way—“ Theo spoke up, alerting the rest of the room to her presence. The nurses watched Theo approach, both raising a curious brow when they noticed the jam-packed bags that Theo carried. Loki, however, didn’t notice Theo’s presence until she stopped at the foot of the bed. When he finally looked at her, she offered him a small smile, praying that she looked more confident than she felt. “He’s going to be here as soon as he can.”

“… Oh,” Loki diverted his attention, staring down at the blankets; he swallowed thickly, the sharp angle of his jaw shifting as if the movement brought discomfort.

“We’ll take great care of you, your highness,” the nurse who had been adjusting his IVs assured him. “Is there anything we can get you?”

No.” Loki barely shook his head, instead closing his eyes; despite acting like he intended to go back to sleep, the tension in his facial expression remained. 

While the nurses raised the bed rails and reminded Loki of the call button, Theo dropped the pair of duffel bags on the couch, then moved an armchair closer to Loki’s bedside and took a seat. She watched the nurses leave, waiting for the click of the door latching shut before she addressed Loki.

“Hey,” Theo took Loki’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. His skin felt like ice to her touch, stirring up dredges of concern from deep within. “You alright?”

“M’m fine.” A strained exhale followed the short, mumbled answer. “How long…?”

“Until Thor gets here?” Theo ventured, her guess affirmed by a listless nod from Loki. “Not totally sure, but I know he is doing everything he can to get here as soon as possible.”

Even with his eyes wrenched shut, the way Loki’s eyelids twitched, along with the smallest glisten near his lashes, caught Theo’s attention. 

“—That doesn’t mean he’s unreachable though! He has been texting with me ever since he heard the news, constantly asking for updates. We could try FaceTiming him if you want?”

Loki blinked a few times, eventually looking at Theo with a sort of vacant expression that left Theo questioning if Loki understood what she said…

… Damn, he really wasn’t feeling like himself.

After a few moments of Loki continuing to simply stare, Theo pulled her starkpad from her bag and held it up for Loki to see, hoping that the visual would prompt a response.

Finally, Loki gave a small, yet decisive, nod.

“Great, let me just call…“ With a few quick taps, Theo unlocked the tablet and scrolled through her contacts, eventually locating Thor near the bottom of the list.

Hopefully, with the frequency that Thor had been messaging Theo, he’d see the incoming call and would answer right away. Theo wasn’t sure she was prepared for the alternative.

She pressed the call icon.

“Lady Theo—“ Thor answered part-way through the first ring, his answer unleashing a wave of relief within Theo. “—What news do you bring of my brother?”

At the sound of Thor’s voice, Loki’s face softened and crumpled at the same time. He tried to hide his reaction behind one hand, but it only made the response more obvious. Yet another knot tied itself tighter in Theo’s chest.

“Someone just woke up and asked for you—” Theo explained as she set the tablet on the over-bed table so Loki could easily see Thor, and vice-versa, removing herself from line of sight. “—So I thought we could give you a call and you two could chat.”

“Loki!” Even without seeing Thor’s expression, his relief came through the device clear as day. “How are you feeling?”

“I—“ Loki cut himself off, almost like he wanted to tamp down his honesty. “…Thor.”

An undercurrent of panic flowed through his response. 

Thor replied with something in what Theo could only assume was Asgardian, and Loki responded in turn, this time without the previous hesitancy. Between Thor’s hushed, smooth tone and Loki’s hitched breaths and shaky responses, Theo had a pretty good idea of what was going on: Loki was on the verge of an anxiety attack, and Thor was helping him through it. Based on Loki’s physical cues and the change in language, Theo decided the best thing she could do was step back and let them have some privacy. 

So, with Loki fully focused on the tablet in front of him, Theo cautiously rose from her seat, crept over to the duffel bags, and began to unpack. Unpacking was the perfect task for the moment: it gave Theo something to focus on that wasn’t the video call, but it kept her close by in case anything came up. Plus, she wouldn’t have to worry about waking up Loki with the sound of opening doors or drawers as she familiarized herself with the room and its amenities.

And, though she wouldn’t admit it, unpacking everything meant no one else could give her a hard time about everything she brought with her. After all, most of it wasn’t even for her, though what she brought was based on her own experience and knowledge of what actually was helpful to have and what was nice in theory, but didn’t really help.

After unzipping the first duffel bag, Theo looked around to get a sense of her storage options. Two seating areas flanked the hospital bed. The couch where Theo had dropped the duffel bags was on one side, accompanied by a coffee table and lightweight armchairs that created a large seating area equipped to host visitors. Theo retrieved the few things she took from Loki’s suite – books he was reading, his starkpad, various charging cords, headphones – and set them on the coffee table for the moment, since the over-bed table was in use.

On the opposite side of the bed, a pair of reclining armchairs sat close enough to converse with a patient, yet out of the path of traffic; the perfect place to stash the collection of bedding Theo picked up at the gift shop, knowing how much they helped make the bed more comfortable. Theo carefully stacked the varying shapes and sizes of pillows on the seat of a recliner, then draped the half-folded fleece blankets across the back. Once Loki felt a bit more calm she’d offer the additional bedding, but if he wanted them before Theo could offer, they’d be easy for her to grab.

Across from the bed, most of the wall was made up of a pair of floor to ceiling pocket doors in a lighter espresso wood; however, the parts that weren’t the doors offered shelves and drawers for storage, and a small workstation with a chair tucked in along the wall. 

Guessing that Loki would want to change out of the hospital gown as soon as possible, Theo made sure to purchase a couple sets of pajamas that were easy to change into while allowing easy access to injuries and IV sites. She had debated bringing some from his suite, but  the idea of rifling through his closet seemed a bit too invasive; she did, however, double check with FRIDAY to make sure she bought the correct sizes. She also bought a robe and slippers with grippy soles, since they could be used even before ditching the hospital gown. 

Theo folded the pajamas and set them on one of the shelves, then repeated the process with the robe. The slippers were placed beside the robe so everything was in one convenient location.

Before she continued, Theo stopped to check out the flat-screen TV mounted in the corner, angled down towards the patient bed. From a quick glance at the mount, it looked like it would be easy to move around; though she didn’t touch it, Theo made a mental note in case they needed to adjust it later. 

Theo walked over to the pocket doors, sliding them open to reveal a second seating area with couch and armchairs that matched the furniture in the other half of the room, as well as a dining area that seated up to four people and a kitchenette, complete with sink, mini fridge, electric kettle, and microwave. She thought back to the day Helen and Julie showed her around: 

“One of the important aspects of patient-centered care is incorporating friends and family into visits,” Helen had said, opening a similar set of doors to reveal that each room wasn’t just a room, but a suite. “This design allows loved ones to be close by without having to cram into one room. It also gives loved ones a respite, and lets them easily access some basic comforts while navigating a stressful situation.”

Theo had been impressed by the amenities when she first learned about them; now, she was grateful for them. Along with a water bottle for Loki, Theo set her own water bottle on the counter by the sink with plans to fill it up once everything was put away.

All the while, Theo toed the line between eavesdropping and ignorance as best she could. As much as she wanted to allow the brothers some privacy, she also needed to pay attention in case they needed her for something - after all, Thor didn’t need any more reasons to worry about Loki while he was gone, and an inattentive caretaker would certainly be cause for concern. 

With most of Loki’s stuff taken care of, she switched to unpacking her own stuff. She set her own books and her laptop next to Loki’s on the coffee table, then ducked around the furniture to plug in the chargers she’d need for her assorted devices. Rather than pull all of her clothes out of the second duffel, Theo stuck the entire thing in the drawer beneath Loki’s pajamas. If she really felt ambitious she could actually take stuff out of the bag later, but for the moment she just wanted her stuff out of the way.

Theo slipped into the bathroom, fully expecting to linger just long enough to drop off the bags of toiletries she retrieved from her go-bag and from Loki’s go-bag, only to be stopped in her tracks by the room before her. 

…Not only was the bathroom the nicest hospital bathroom she’d ever seen, it might have been even nicer than her own bathroom.

A large bathtub that looked like it came straight from Architectural Digest stood as the focal point of the room, offering the option of hydrotherapy while cleverly disguising the signs that the tub had been designed for side access and patients with limited mobility. A separate shower stood nearby, sectioned off by a floor-to-ceiling pane of glass. Porcelain, ceramic, and engineered marble finishes in shades of white and soft gray coordinated seamlessly with the matte black faucets, shower head, and grab bars, while espresso wood from the shower bench and a shelving unit by the bathtub gave the room a sleek, spa-like feel.

When Theo finally got herself back together, she plopped both bags of toiletries on the marble counter, tucked away in a back corner so they wouldn’t get in the way or knocked onto the floor. 

Just before she left, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and paused. The tender spot on her cheek had already begun to darken, a patch of indigo rising to the surface of her swollen skin. Good thing she didn’t have any public appearances or photoshoots planned, because that bruise was going to get worse before it got better. Heavy bags sagged beneath her bloodshot eyes. If that was how bad she looked after freshening up, she could only imagine how rough she must have looked before.

The only things left in the remaining duffel bag were Theo’s blanket and pillow, which she had swiped from her own couch. She took the remaining items from the last duffel bag, tucked the empty bag away, and then set about preparing her own spot to sleep. 

The couch that Theo initially set the duffel bags on could transform into a bed by moving a couple parts. Behind the couch, a wall of windows extended to the ceiling, framed by two sets of curtains: one set of pale gray sheer drapes, the other made of heavy, sage green velour meant to block out all light. Outside was a clear view of the New York skyline, city lights glistening in the dead of night. 

Lacking the patience to properly convert the couch into a bed, Theo simply tossed her pillow on the far end of the couch, then laid out her own blanket across the cushions. Maybe she’d regret it in the morning, but given she wasn’t even sure she would have a chance to sleep, she didn’t fret too much about it.

Just as Theo finished straightening her blanket, the sound of Thor calling her name caught her attention. She turned around to check just in time for Thor to call her name again, prompting Theo to check in on the brothers. 

She crept over to the bed, only to find that Loki had dozed off; unsurprising, since the anesthesia was still wearing off and he had some extremely heavy pain meds in his system. Even in his sleep, his brows pinched together and left a small crease on his forehead, and he wore a slight frown. On the tablet screen, Thor peered from side to side as he repeated Theo’s name.

“Hey,“ Theo kept her voice low as she picked up the tablet. She slipped into the other room and cracked the doors so she could converse without disturbing Loki, but also keep an eye on him. “Sorry, I wanted to give you two some privacy, so I was just—“

“—Thank you for calling me—“ Thor began, but faltered. “I— I hesitate to think of what might have transpired had you not.”

“Is he okay?”

“For now…” Through the tablet screen, storms brewed behind Thor’s sapphire eyes. “I suspect you will have a long night ahead.” 

That wasn’t promising. 

“Can I call you again if—”

“—Of course.” Thor answered with such speed that Theo wondered if they’d been through a situation like this before. 

“If I can’t reach you, is there anything I can do to help him feel better?”

Thor let out a trembling breath of his own; he looked at something off-screen, lost in thought. “Our mother — Frigga — when Loki was small, if he fell ill, Frigga was the only one who could console him. In these moments, I try to comfort Loki as Frigga once comforted him. I am nowhere near as successful, unfortunately.” A bittersweet smile appeared. “Alas, you never met her, so I am not sure that my ramblings are of much use.”

“It’s okay,” Theo said, a familiar ache settling within her ribs. “I get it. I miss my family when I don’t feel well, too.”

Thor hummed quietly, nodding to himself.

“She would have liked you—” He remarked, almost absentmindedly. “—Frigga, that is.”

“From what Loki tells me, she sounded like an amazing woman.”

“Indeed…” Thor sighed — a heavy, weary sigh — then brought his focus back to Theo. “Forgive me, my lady. I should let you go.”

“Okay. I’ll keep you updated on how Loki’s doing, but really— feel free to call or text if you need me or have questions.”

It only took three more assurances that Theo was happy to help and that Thor could contact her any time if he had questions before Theo was able to end the call with Thor and return to her chair beside Loki. 

She understood Thor’s anxieties; if Mémère or Max were sick or injured and Theo couldn’t be there, she’d be downright inconsolable. Mémère had been her rock for most of her life, and though she and Max often gave each other headaches, they had been through so much together that not even an apocalypse could tear them apart. For better or worse, they were the family she had left — she lost everyone else.

And though it had been years since they last saw each other, Theo still missed her sister more than anyone else whenever she got sick.

You gave it to me, I remember it read And you’ve got the world coming down on your head There’s nothing to fight for, it’s already dead And this is the world coming down on your head

Nights spent in a hospital were nothing new.

Working in Emergency Medicine, nights were a standard part of the role — just like working holidays, weekends, and any other time any sane person would prefer to be out living their best life. Even in its quietest hour, the ED never offered a truly dull moment; if anything, nights were just as busy as days, if not even more busy.

Nights in the ED weren’t the only nights Theo had spent in the hospital, though. When Katie was born, Theo spent the night with Max and Ellie, coaching Ellie to push and watching her vitals like a hawk. Once, Mémère had to have a small surgery, and Theo spent the entire night trying to keep the stubborn old woman from getting up on her own and setting off the bed alarm. And of course, there were the times Theo’s asthma had gotten the best of her, and Theo spent the night alternating between nebulizers and oxygen, constantly waking herself up with coughing.

All of that to say, Theo was used to nights in the hospital where things weren’t so… quiet. 

Outside, the world was asleep; the night seemed never-ending, shadows of skyscrapers outside the window stretching out toward the horizon. But In Loki’s room, time felt suspended. A soft glow emitted from the bedside monitor, matched by the pale moonlight filtering in through the window. The light in the hallway shone beneath the door, accompanied by the occasional nurse's footsteps; however, it did little to illuminate the room. 

It wasn’t long after talking to Thor and Theo had returned to her place at Loki’s side that her attention shifted to studying the various devices that Loki was connected to.

Due to the severity of shock and the monitoring required for treatment, Theo was not at all surprised to see the central line in his neck, the collection of catheters trailing from IV pumps beneath the blankets to various parts of his body, and the arterial line in his wrist, which had been splinted to prevent any kinks in the tubing. Nor was she surprised by the clear oxygen cannula running beneath his nose, ECG sensors peeking out from beneath his hospital gown to monitor his heart, or the mountain of blankets covering most of his body, likely fresh from the blanket warmer to counteract the chill that came from spending hours in the operating room.

In a strange way, Theo was almost grateful that she was the one with Loki. Given Thor’s reaction to the phone call and the video chat, seeing Loki in person, with all the tubes and wires, was practically a guarantee that all of New York would be subjected to brutal storms as the God of Thunder veritably freaked out…

Theo, at least, understood the procedures, the diagnostics, the nursing interventions; she did not have fear of the unknown exacerbating her concern for her friend.

… Not that Theo was content to see Loki in such bad shape. Loki was a fucking God; it wasn’t even supposed to be possible for him to be seriously injured. The Loki before Theo was a far cry from the wry, sharp-witted man whose strength carried her through her low moments. It just wasn’t right. 

As she ruminated on the circumstances, Theo watched Loki’s face, noting the faint, barely noticeable furrow between his brows. Even in sleep, he seemed like he was carrying something—perhaps the weight of the attack, or the effects of the surgery, or maybe something deeper, something Theo couldn’t understand. 

Every so often, Loki’s chest would rise and fall with a deeper breath, his face softening in sleep as if his discomfort slipped away completely. Each time, Theo prayed that peaceful expression would remain, only to be disappointed when the tension returned. 

After what felt like both a moment and a lifetime, Loki stirred, a small, soft groan escaping his lips as he shifted under the blankets. Theo leaned forward instinctively, her hand hovering near the side of the bed, ready to adjust the blanket or call for a nurse.

As if Loki sensed Theo’s presence, he tilted his head toward her, brows drawn together as he blinked slowly, trying to shake the hold of unconsciousness. 

“Hey,” Theo greeted him with a gentle smile. “How’re you feeling?”

A moment of silence passed before Loki’s attention turned towards Theo; he looked at her through cloudy eyes, though he did look a bit confused.

“Thor…?” Loki mumbled, blearily scanning the room for his brother. “Where’s Thor?”

He didn’t remember.

It was probably the anesthetic still working its way out of his system, but for a moment Theo wondered if his concussion was worse than initially thought.

“He’s on his way – he’s going to be here as soon as he can,” Theo replied, injecting as much comfort into her tone as she could. She slipped both her hands around his closest hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she softly smiled at him. “How’re you feeling?”

“I—“ Loki frowned at Theo, searching within her eyes with an increasing panic for something unknown. “I— I don’t recall….”

“… What happened?” Theo finished the question for Loki; he replied with a small, hesitant nod. “There was an attack of shadow creatures on Times Square. We stopped it, but you were hurt—“

“—Is Thor alright?” Fear overwhelmed the question; before Theo could stop him, Loki tried to sit up, only to collapse back onto the bed with a sharp groan, eyes wrenched shut and face twisted in distress as he clutched his injured side. 

“Whoa whoa — Thor is safe!” Theo blurted out, eyes wide and her own heart racing in her chest. She swooped up from her chair and sat on the edge of the bed, lightly pressing down on Loki’s shoulders with just enough pressure so he’d focus on her without injuring him; she barely bit back the wince from the sudden pressure against her bruised hand.

“Thor—“

“Thor is safe,” Theo repeated firmly, locking eyes with Loki. "He was off-planet when it happened. He’s on his way back and will be here as soon as he can.”

After a beat, Loki relaxed slightly beneath her touch and his breathing calmed. Even though he still looked like he was pretty shaken up, at least he wasn’t about to try and bolt on her.

“You need to take it easy and stay in bed,” Theo continued, “You only got out of surgery a few hours ago; trying to move around too much will only aggravate your injuries.”

“… Why don’t I—”

“—Remember? It’s just the anesthesia from surgery wearing off,” Theo reassured, keeping her concerns about his concussion to herself. The last thing either of them needed was to freak Loki out any further. “It can make you temporarily forget things, but that’s normal; the memories will come back once it’s all out of your system.”

Loki closed his eyes; his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly, his jaw muscles tensing in anxious restraint.

“Hey,” Theo caught Loki’s attention once more by smoothing back his hair. With her other hand, she pried his non-braced hand away from his side, laying it next and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I know it’s a lot to process, but you’re safe, Thor’s safe, and he’s going to be here soon. Until then, I’m going to stay with you, okay?”

Though the fear remained in Loki’s eyes, he let out a trembling breath and weakly nodded. 

The sound of the door opening drew both Theo and Loki’s attention, turning towards the entrance just in time for a nurse to walk in. She held a bag filled with clear liquid, labeled with details regarding the contents inside – one of the components Theo recognized as potent pain medicine. 

With a final squeeze of Loki’s hand, Theo released her grip and returned to her chair, giving the nurse space to work. Loki watched Theo, his lips pressed into a thin line and brows slightly pinched. If Theo didn’t know better, she’d have thought Loki seemed a bit upset that she let go. 

Then again, he wasn’t exactly feeling like himself, so maybe he was upset.

The nurse went through her routine questions while disconnecting an empty fluid bag with an identical label and replacing it with the fresh bag. Loki answered with short, wary replies — a sharp departure from his usual demeanor— but he correctly answered the questions meant to test his cognitive function, so that was a good thing. Once the new bag of fluids had been hooked up, the nurse ensured everything was in its proper place before departing. 

Once the door clicked shut, Theo turned back to Loki, who had returned to watching Theo with a guarded, yet dazed expression.

“You alright?”

”M’m quite alright,” Loki’s attempt to feign confidence failed, betrayed by his shaky inhale and quivering lower lip. “Why would I not be?”

“Waking up in the hospital can feel pretty overwhelming for anyone, especially if the person you want to have with you isn’t able to be there.” Theo offered what she hoped was a soft, reassuring smile. “It’s okay if you’re anxious or upset. You don’t have to put on a brave face.”

Loki exhaled sharply. “How long until Thor will be here?” His voice strained at the question, while the muscles in his jaw tensed even further.

“He thinks it’ll be two days before they’re back— But you won’t be alone — I’m going to stay with you until Thor’s back, okay?” She reminded Loki, hoping it would at least placate him for the moment. “Val’s flying out tomorrow morning and should be here in the afternoon as well.”

“Val’s coming?” Despite mumbling, his surprise came through crystal clear.

“Yeah,” Theo rested her other hand atop Loki’s, effectively enveloping his hand within hers. Though his palm had begun to absorb some of her warmth, the back of his hand remained frigid. “We‘ll both be here. And until Thor gets back, we can FaceTime him whenever you want.”

Within the cocoon of Theo’s touch, Loki‘s hand gradually shifted, turning until his fingers could slip themselves between Theo’s. The simple movement seemed like it took all of his effort; his attempt to squeeze Theo’s hand came off as little more than a twitch of his fingers. The tense muscles in his expression softened as his eyes drifted shut, and the rise and fall of his chest began to slow. 

Other than the occasional brush of her thumb across the side of his hand, Theo didn’t dare move until she knew Loki was well and truly asleep — he needed the rest in order to heal, and it seemed like he needed the reassurance that he wouldn’t be alone; having the presence of touch went a long way towards giving the comfort it seemed like he needed.

After a few minutes, the tension had evaporated from Loki’s expression; paired with his even, slow breaths, all signs pointed to Loki being well and truly asleep. 

By that point, the cold that originally plagued Loki had vanished, replaced by the warmth from Theo’s skin; the thought stirred a certain softness within Theo, bringing a small smile to her face.

She slipped her hands from Loki’s and reached up, lightly caressing his face with the back of her fingers in what was half a gesture of comfort, and half a temperature check; a similar chill lingered, but she could do something about that.

Theo silently rose to her feet. She crept over to the recliner where she set out the extra bedding, retrieving the blanket. As she unfolded the blanket, Theo paused for a moment, rubbing the pad of her thumb along the plush, charcoal-colored material. One side of the blanket was made of velour, while the other side was a thick, shaggy fleece, similar to a faux fur in length but different in texture — it was far softer than any faux fur Theo had seen. The combination gave the blanket a surprising heft to it, which was perfect for staving off any cold or chill.

Spreading the blanket across the bed, Theo remained careful not to wake Loki in the process. She pulled the fabric up around his neck and shoulders so only his head remained visible, then retrieved one of the hospital’s blankets from a nearby drawer and carefully draped it to create a sort of hood around his head.

For good measure, Theo snuck over to the room’s thermostat and cranked up the heat; even if it meant she’d be sweating, it was a small price to pay for Loki’s comfort. 

The final product was almost amusing: Loki, so fully tucked in beneath blankets that only his face remained visible amidst a sea of fleece. If someone were to quickly glance at him, they might not see the oxygen tubing that sat beneath his nose, which had become the only visible medical device because of how thoroughly he was covered up. Without being able to see the catheters, bandages, and monitors, he no longer looked like he barely survived; instead, he simply looked exhausted.

With nothing else to do, she slouched back in her chair, idly twirling the end of her braid with one hand as she stared off into nothing. The longer she sat, the harder she fought not to dwell on the glimpses of the handler that did this and then escaped…After all, she could let her imagination run away with possibilities, but nothing her mind could conjure would get her any closer to learning the truth. Besides, the vague familiarities were at best coincidences, and at worst tricks of her mind.

A faint grunt brought Theo back to the present. In his sleep, Loki grimaced, only for it to smooth out a moment later. 

Was he in pain, or dreaming?

Theo watched his expression for signs that might point her in one direction or another, but Loki’s stillness made her think that whatever it was, it must have passed. 

Left alone with her restless thoughts, Theo only made it a few minutes before she admitted to herself that if didn’t find something to prevent her from overanalyzing every little detail of what transpired, she was going to lose her mind. She needed a distraction.

In the stack of books Theo brought with her, one caught her eye: The Little Prince. A children’s book among high fantasies, dwarfed in size by the other books, and with a light, minimal design on the book’s spine that contrasted the ornate, dark artwork adorning the others, the French novella quite literally stood out in just about every way imaginable…

… And it was just what Theo wanted.

After extracting the text from beneath a stack of Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, and Joe Abercrombie, Theo settled back into her seat, cast a charm to make what essentially was a book light, and opened the book to the first page.

The familiar illustrations of a snake wrapped around a mouse (preparing to swallow it), the outline of the snake that ate an elephant, and the drawing of the elephant inside the snake greeted Theo like an old friend, lamenting the lack of imagination and general disillusionment with adults.

Theo could practically recite the book from memory, having read it countless times throughout her life. Beyond serving as an effective distraction when Theo needed to redirect her thoughts, the book offered enough depth that she still found something new to ponder with each additional readthrough, but wasn’t so heavy that she had to set aside time to read, fully investing her attention and avoiding distractions so she didn’t miss crucial information.

That night, it was exactly what she needed.

When will it all end?  When will it all end? One of you moves,  the others follow you

Thor’s prediction about a long night did not come to fruition… At least, not because of Loki. 

Though Loki woke up a couple more times, it was because a nurse needed to complete a neuro check to make sure his concussion wasn’t worse than they initially believed. Every couple hours, they woke him up long enough to ask a few questions and have him perform a few tasks, but he always fell back asleep immediately after they finished. If he noticed Theo sitting there, he didn’t say or do anything.

Theo, however, remained wide awake the entire night, jumping at every slight rustle of blankets or unexpected noise from Loki, in case it was the start of another panic. Each time the nurses woke Loki, Theo caught herself white-knuckling as she tugged on her braid, bracing for the worst.

In between, Theo’s mind spun with questions about who could have done this to him, troubling her to the extent that even if Loki was perfectly content and doing well, Theo wouldn’t have slept a wink.

Not long after the first signs of dawn crested over the horizon, a text came from Wanda.

“Want coffee or breakfast?”

Theo nearly jumped out of her seat at the vibration of her phone, but the message (and the offer) were a pleasant surprise after a long night. If she had any hope of being productive or useful, she’d certainly need all the caffeine she could get. 

A couple hours later, visiting hours began; not even a minute later, Wanda arrived with a giant paper cup labeled ‘shot in the dark’ and a paper bag containing a scone for Theo, and a mug with the words ‘London Fog’ scribbled on the side for herself.

“You look exhausted,” Wanda remarked, handing Theo her drink and the brown paper bag containing the scone. “Did you sleep?”

Theo nearly laughed out loud, but clapped her hand over her mouth before the sound could escape. “That obvious, huh?”

“Explains why you wanted caffeine to go with your caffeine - seriously, drip coffee with multiple shots of espresso added in?” Wanda quietly teased as she set Theo’s unused pillow aside, then settled in on the couch. “Do you hate yourself?”

“It got me through med school and residency, and it’s going to get me through until Thor gets back,” Theo joked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Sleep is for the weak.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “Did he sleep?” She tilted her head towards Loki, who hadn’t stirred in the thirty minutes since the last neuro check.

Theo sighed. “More than I did, but I don’t know how restful it was. They had to wake him up every couple hours and do tests to make sure his concussion wasn’t worse than initially thought,” she said. “It didn’t help that he couldn’t remember what happened, so there were a couple times where he woke up and freaked out because Thor wasn’t there - we ended up FaceTiming Thor at one point because he was so freaked out. It hit a point where every time they came in to wake him up, I had Thor’s info pulled up in case we needed to call him.” 

“…So he kept you awake?”

“I knew that was a possibility when I agreed to be here,” Theo half-heartedly shrugged. “I don’t think I would have slept much anyway, though.”

Wanda frowned. “Why not?”

“A couple things happened yesterday,” Theo stole a glance at Loki, checking to make sure the conversation hadn’t woken him up. “Now’s not the time to talk about it, though”

Wanda’s gaze followed, pausing for a moment when it landed on Loki. She hummed, flecks of gold in her irises glittering as she narrowed her eyes. “Something with…?”

Yes. “Eh…” Theo shook her head. “…More the person who did this to him.” 

“It was a handler, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah—“ Theo drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, buying herself a moment to gather her thoughts. “I’ve seen plenty of shadow creatures, but I’ve never seen these people. And to have them appear twice in such a short time period…”

“Something bigger is at play,” Wanda concluded.

“Yeah, and if they can do this to a god,” Theo gestured at Loki, who slept like the dead, “what does that mean for the rest of us?”

I never thought I would wake up in bed Watching the world coming down on my head I’d sleep like a dog if you would never have said This is the world coming down on your head I’m not gonna swallow the lie that I’m fed ‘Cause I want the world coming down on my head I’m just gonna find out you’re already dead And I was the world coming down on your head…

——

Author’s note: oh hey, it has been *checks calendar* uh, a lot longer than I initially expected this to take! Thanks for your patience as I’ve continued to plug away on this story amidst a hectic year (for so many reasons). I work on this story pretty much every day, although I am not one to write in order so it’s not always working on the next chapter… All of this to say, even if I vanish for a while, it’s not for lack of inspiration! After three years of these two living rent-free in my head, I think they’re here for good, and I need to finish this story so help me god.  It’s just that life is busy and I’m squeezing in writing/making sure plot points line up whenever I can. I also spend more time than I probably should looking for the perfect songs for each chapter, since I want them not only to connect to the scenes themselves, but the larger narrative and have little Easter eggs/hints about what’s to come 😏

I’m not going to put a date on when the next chapter is coming since I think I’ve written and rewritten chunks of it about a dozen times (lol), but it is well underway and you can look forward to both Loki and Theo POV, as well as lots of Loki/Theo interactions (I feel like we haven’t gotten much of those lately, but I promise they’re coming!!). 

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts/reactions/comments! If you liked it, I’d appreciate it if you'd reblog and share — I am a small tumblr, so my reach is limited... oh! and lmk if you want to be added to my tag list (since I'm a hilariously inconsistent poster these days)

[morgangalaxy43]

The Avengers 2012 era was the best time ever in the fandom

Thor loves pop tarts, Clint lived in the vents, Bruce and Tony did science together, Steve was the mom friend of the team and did art in his free time, Natasha was cool aunt of the team, Loki was there too and a bunch of other characters like Peter, Sam, Bucky, Vision and Wanda all lived in the Avengers tower together

It was a much simpler time where everyone in the fandom was chill and having fun together

[boop-le-snoot]

just one chance mr mischief sir 🙁🥲🥺😭

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬. 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤: 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟏.𝟒𝐤

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐱 𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

The sweet scent of orange blossom greets him the moment he eases open the door to your bedroom. It’s lingering faintly in the air and, when he breathes in, he detects the subtly stronger notes of jasmine. 

It’s a mixture of scents that he associates with you. It paints a vivid picture in his mind of you emerging from the bathroom, all soft and dewy, and slipping between cotton sheets to wrap yourself around him. It’s a scent he associates so strongly with you that he can almost feel the warm weight of your body against his, even though it’s been days since he’s shared your bed. 

He has Nicholas to thank for that.

The Quinjet arrived back at the compound later than he had anticipated owing to some last minute changes to the mission, and he had been delayed further by Thor’s insistence that they celebrate its success. 

He loves his brother, he does, but Thor can be so incredibly dense at times. 

The only way he had wanted to celebrate this mission was between your thighs. 

You magical creature. Day and night you consume his thoughts, but it is late, so he isn’t at all surprised to find you sleeping soundly beneath the sheets. You’ve neglected to close the curtains, so the nights full moon is bathing you in a pearly light. Even in sleep, you look radiant, otherworldly, and for a moment he’s struck dumb with the realisation that you’re his. 

Gods, how he had wanted you make you his again and again until the morning sun crested over the hills. 

Quietly, he removes his cloak to drape it over the chair, taking strange pleasure in how it tangles with the clothes you’ve discarded there. A flash of green dissolves the rest of his armour and leather until he’s dressed in nothing more than a pair of black silk boxers. He can’t contain the quiet snort of laughter at remembering how you always pretend to swoon when he strips off. 

His darling little minx. 

How had he survived without you all these days? The mission hadn’t been overly long, but it had felt neverending without you there. 

Another snort of laughter. If only his younger self could see him now. Hopelessly and unashamedly in love with a mortal. 

He rounds the bed, hoping to slip beneath the sheets and fall into a quick sleep with you in his arms, but he’s barely made it two steps when you speak. 

“Loki…”

He freezes. Surely, he hadn’t made that much noise coming in? He’d even taken off his boots at the door. What could possibly have…

Oh. 

One look toward you tells him you’re still asleep. Asleep, but dreaming of him. A smile tugs at his lips and he doesn’t move an inch. His eyes are trained on you, watching the slight rise and fall of your chest as you travel through dreams. 

But then it happens. 

He watches your brow furrow and your lips part. Something close to a moan drifts softly between them, and your back arches at the exact moment you stretch your neck on the pillow, similar to how you do when he…

“Mmm, Loki…feels good.” Your voice is groggy and slurred and heavy, but you’re dreaming about him. 

And it’s not an innocent one. 

He wills his body not to respond. He thinks of Thor. He thinks of his grandmother. Hel, he thinks of Odin, and it works until you whine his name in your sleep once more. 

Fuck.

He knows he should take care of the issue himself, but…Norns, he wants you. You’ve spoken about it before, assuring him that he always has your consent, but it still feels wrong. 

And yet, he’s already got one knee on the mattress. 

It feels wrong, but he’s peeling back the duvet until there’s nothing standing between him and your body but the tank top and sleep shorts you’re wearing. 

It feels wrong, but he can’t resist kissing and licking the column of your neck until he feels your hips roll against his. 

“Loki…please…mmm,” you hum, subconsciously spreading your thighs wider for him to settle between. 

Norns help him, but the final straws of his resolve snap one by one. 

His hands find your hips to easily begin sliding your shorts down your thighs. They reach your ankles and he’s quickly tossing them to the side and spreading your thighs apart. You’re drenched for him. Clearly, whatever he’s doing in your dreams is working wonders. 

Every inch of you is calling to him like a siren call, but he can’t decide where he wants to touch you first. Greedily, he pushes the hem of your tank top up to expose your breasts and eagerly stretches down to take a nipple between his lips. It’s hard and erect, and your back arches into the feel of his warm tongue swirling over your skin. 

He swears he hears you mumble something more in your sleep - his name or maybe another plea for more - but by now, his cock is aching so badly that your words barely register with him. With a lazy flick of his hand, his boxers become a non issue, and a hand quickly pumps his cock for just a modicum of relief. 

Beneath him, you shift in your sleep, turning your head to the opposite side and granting him a view of the faded love bites he peppered across your neck before leaving. His cock twitches in his hand, desperate to feel your wet heat clenching around it. 

He stretches to graze his teeth once more along your throat, and this time you moan his name louder. “Beautiful creature,” he murmurs into your skin. “Enchanting thing.” 

Unable to resist any longer, he presses the tip of his angry cock against your soaked entrance, easing himself slowly inside you with a stuttered, broken gasp. Norns, you’re so tight and wet and perfect.  His perfect, addictive little mortal. 

His thrusts are shallow at first as he loses himself to the feel of you, but you feel so good and it’s been days that they quickly become deep and possessive. He watches his cock slip in and out of your cunt, and, even in your sleep, you still clench wondrously around him. He can’t help but throw his head back and lose himself in how good you feel. No one, not god, goddess, or mythical beast, has made him feel as good as you do. You’re everything he’s ever dreamed of wrapped up in one enchanting mortal. 

He’s so caught up in chasing his high that it takes him a moment to realise that your arms are snaking around his neck, and when he gazes back down at you, your eyes are fluttering open. He knows you’re still half gone to sleep, but he still leans in to kiss you with every last ounce of love he possesses. You vaguely kiss him back, but he swallows it hungrily. 

“Mmm, more…please,” you hum against his lips, groggily wrapping your legs around his waist. 

“Oh, my sweet girl, I’ll give you everything. I’ll give you the moon if you ask me,” he whispers, trailing kisses down your neck and along your chest. 

He can feel his climax beginning to build, but with how you’re clenching desperately around him and gripping his shoulders, you’re already half way to yours. His thrusts become ruthless and barely a minute later you’re arching into him and moaning his name as you come undone in his arms. It’s a vision he’ll never tire of - your parted lips, your wide eyes, your flushed skin. 

By the gods, he’s obsessed with you.

It doesn’t take long for him to follow you into bliss, emptying inside you while cries your name into the hollow of your neck. His orgasm rips through him, it makes him see stars and galaxies explode behind his eyes, it makes him clutch you to him that little bit tighter. How madly he loves you. 

You haven’t moved since he collapsed on top of you, and a quick glance shows him that you’ve fallen back asleep, but the ghost of a smile is still playing on your lips. You don’t stir when he removes himself, or when he cleans the mess with a wave of his hand. 

You’re well and truly under. 

He kisses your forehead softly and pulls the duvet over both of you, not missing how you hum contentedly when he presses his chest against your back and tangles his legs with yours. He listens contentedly to your steady breathing, feeling his eyes grow heavy with each exhale.

Seconds later, he follows you into sleep.

[valarieravenhearst2]

Magical Mishap

Little drabble of a cocky Loki struggling to reverse a haywire spell. His big ego can't save him now.

Complete

n/w - fluff. pretty funny. slightly angsty.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3