#loki ponders the pie

[sacredfixation]

LOKI VERSUS CREAM

Loki eating just the cream after loudly judging it is peak “I don’t actually hate it; I just need to analyze it so it feels like I have control over my life” behavior.

He’s sitting there, dissecting the texture like he’s Gordon Ramsay trapped in a dystopian food critique nightmare. “do you think they manually whisk it?” Sir, you’re in a timeline-policing bureaucracy eating neon-green cafeteria pie. Why are you like this?

And it’s the way he keeps spooning JUST the cream after all that dramatic commentary. Like, he’s sitting there going, “It’s unsettling,” but at the same time, he’s shoveling spoonfuls of the stuff into his mouth as if he’s contractually obligated to figure out its exact molecular composition before the scene ends.

He’s spooning out the cream like it’s some precious substance, gently probing it as if the world depends on his ability to understand its texture. DARLING ITS OKAY YOU CAN STOP

[wheredafandomat]

Cherry Pie 🍒

Mob! Loki x female baker! reader

18+ | contains smut, slight breeding kink

Clearing away the things on the counter, you made your way to the cupboard, putting the flour away before you heard the door chime. It wasn’t long ago that you changed the open sign to closed however you stupidly didn’t lock the door. Huffing to yourself, you put the flour down before you called out.

“We’re closed.”

“Even for me.” You heard the stranger reply before your eyes widened at the rich familiar voice. Quickly, you made your way to the front of the shop.

“Mr Laufeyson.” You greeted, wiping your hands on your apron before realising even that was covered in flour too. You took it off, placing it on a table as you stepped towards him. “Please, take a seat.” You offered, gesturing to a table.

“Loki is fine.��� He insisted, sitting down.

“I’ll get you a slice of pie.” You smiled as he sat.

“I was just passing through the area and thought why not say hello to my favorite baker,” he explained as you cut him a slice of pie, “and business partner of course.” He added as you squirted a little cream on top of it before bringing it to him with a fork. Once you were in front of him, you placed the plate on the table, taking a seat opposite him. He could sense your apprehension, he knew you that well. “What’s the matter?” He asked, picking the fork up.

“Look, Mr Laufeyson, I can’t keep bringing your shipments through the shop.” You spoke evenly, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of your shoulders at your admittance.

“Loki” he corrected you, dipping his index finger into the cream before bringing it to his lips, tongue darting out as he licked it off. Your eyes followed his movements as you subconsciously bit your lip. “I’m usually on a first name basis with the pretty women who serve me pie” he grinned, turning his attention to you “and my my, isn’t it delicious.” He finished, eyes roaming up and down your body as he licked his lips. You felt flustered under his gaze before he looked back down at his plate, cutting a piece off with the side of his fork before stabbing the severed piece and bringing it up to his mouth. “Start again, and say my name.”

“Loki” you began, taking a breath before you continued “I can’t keep bringing your shipments through the shop.”

“Y/n” he sighed in fake dramatics “you wound me.” He smiled, placing his hand against his heart as he continued to eat, your eager eyes still following his movements. “Mmm” he hummed contently “cherry pie.”

“Your favourite.” You answered, swallowing thickly.

“Would you like a taste?” He offered.

“No I—” you started to protest before he presented a piece on his fork to your mouth.

“Open” he prompted you, eyes on yours. Opening your mouth, you welcomed the pie, already knowing it was delicious; it was a family recipe, a recipe that was now tainted by the image of Loki feeding it to you and his expression as he commanded you to open your mouth.

Using his thumb, he swiped off the cream that had landed on the corner of your mouth before bringing it to your lips. He didn’t have to prompt you to lick it off.

“Tell me y/n, why can’t things continue how they are?” He questioned, sitting back in his chair “it’s a good thing we’ve got going on here. I offer you my protection in his shady, dingy town in exchange for one of your vans once a fortnight” he shrugged “I mean, we do exchange other things too” he smirked “but that’s pleasure, not business.”

“I don’t want to be a part of it anymore, I don’t like the risk.” You sighed.

“So it’s the risk you don’t like” he pondered, standing to his feet “and here I was, clearly mistaken, thinking you liked taking risks” he spoke, making his way to you “tell me what I can do that’ll make you more agreeable” he probed, lowering his lips to your ear as he spoke behind you before placing his hands on your shoulders “do you want me to use my hands?” He asked, a smile evident in his tone “you seem to like them.” He added, noting how your breath hitched as he began massaging your shoulders.

“Loki.” You breathed.

“Or perhaps you want me to use my mouth” he countered, kissing your neck, your eyes falling closed. “Do you want me to tell you what I think y/n, I think you like the risk” he chuckled darkly before lowering his lips to your ear again “I think you find it thrilling.” He continued, kissing the nape of your neck. “Tell me, do I make you feel alive?”

“Loki.” You exhaled desperately.

“What do you want, pretty girl?”

“I want you.” You relented.

It wasn’t long before you were on your feet, kissing Loki as you walked to the backroom. Your breaths were heavy between kisses, filling the space between you as he pushed you up against the table, lips venturing your chest. His hands found your body, both of them starting at your shoulders and moving down to your hips as he turned you around so that your back was against his chest as his kisses centred at the nape of your neck. Your breaths grew ragged as you felt his thumbs curling into the waistband of your jeans before he was tugging them down your legs along with your panties. You wordlessly stepped out of them, at the mercy of Loki Laufeyson. You felt his lustful kisses against the back of your legs, his lips working their way up to your thighs as his soft hands roughly pushed them apart. You gripped the edge of the table hard as his impatient kisses finally found your centre whilst he bent you over, opening you with his tongue.

“Fuckk.” You moaned as Loki licked his thumb, rubbing your clit with it as his tongue delved through your folds, exploring your sex. His hands cupped your ass, revealing more of you as he flattened his tongue against you before swiping across your clit leaving you panting like a bitch in heat. “Just like thattt.” You whimpered as he hummed against your pussy leaving vibrations reverberating through you. “I’m gonna cum.” You near cried as he wrapped his lips around your clit.

“Not yet” Loki beseeched, standing to his feet as the swelling pleasure that was building inside of you began to dissipate. You heard Loki undo his belt before you felt the tip of his cock breaching your sensitive entrance. “Is this what you want me to use?” He exhorted, his lips close to your ear again only this time glossy with your asousual.

“L-Loki.” You murmured, unable to string a sentence together as he ran the head of his cock through your folds before lining himself up with your entrance again.

“Will burying my cock deep inside of you make you more agreeable, more amenable, hmm?” He questioned, pushing more of his length inside of you. “Show me how affable you really are, I want to fuck the genial host I’m used to.” He grunted as he entered you completely, impaling you with his cock as you screamed his name in rapture. The table shook as he fucked you, pushing your back down against it as he held your waist. “See, I knew you liked taking risks” he grinned “I don’t even have a condom on and you’re still letting me fuck you.” He sniggered, slapping your ass.

“S-so good.” You choked out, swimming in pleasure, barely able to speak.

“Are you going to let me cum inside of you too, fill you with my seed?” He grunted, his strokes paced as you felt every ridge of his cock against your walls “you always lose all control when you’re filled with my hot seed” he gushed “sticky and panting, your natural state, isn’t that right my hospitable whore” he continued to goad, fucking you deeply. “Or maybe you want me to make you a doting mother?” He ventured, grinding his hips into yours, his thumb teasing your clit again.

“Fuck!” You yelped in unaldorterated pleasure, his words driving you insane.

“You know I’ve always had a soft spot for you, maybe I should finally fuck a baby into you” he groaned, his climax fast approaching “would you like that?” He rushed out, staving off his orgasm, he needed your confirmation, your faux vows to really send him over the edge. You nodded frantically in response but that wasn’t enough. “Say it!” He ordered desperately.

“Yes! Fuck Loki yesss!” You yelled, hitting your peak as Loki’s thrusts turned disoriented, sloppy before he came, shooting his load deep inside you.

“Fuck!” He growled, spilling inside of you as you tried to slow your breaths.

Once you had both come down from your highs, Loki pulled out of you before sheathing himself again. Silently, you turned around, your legs shaky beneath you as you reached for your jeans.

“If you don’t want me to use your van, I won’t use your van” Loki eventually spoke “there are other ways for me to import and export.”

“Loki, wait.” You called after him as he turned to leave.

“You’ll still have my protection as long as I still get my cherry pie.” He winked before leaving.

Omg in the season 2 trailer, Mobius was telling Loki to eat the pie 😂

Tags:

@lokisgoodgirl @thenotoriouserg @chantsdemarins @donaweasley @xorpsbane @mcufan72 @loz-3 @evelyn-kingsley @sailorholly @lovingchoices14 @lokiedokiee @noideakitten @mochie85 @mischief2sarawr @lokiprompts @lulubelle814 @fictive-sl0th @peaches1958 @gigglingtiggerv2 @tmilover1993 @lyds247 @dustychinchilla74 @lokis-dark-queen @november-rayne @12-pm-510 @vickie5546 @newtomofgods @eyesbluelikethetitanic @lokiestorch @somewhereinthegalaxi @beautyb1ade @angelilacsworld @lokidokieokie @mushypork @iamlokisgloriouspurpose

[brsb4hls]

Sylki analysis eps 1 to 5:

Not trusting the the show they will pull up a satisfying solution in 50 minutes (with a ton of other plot) does not mean I'm not rooting for Loki/Sylvie.

I think the path Loki is on can be pretty awesome for me as a Loki fan, so it might be a great ending either way, but I still want a solution to Sylvie's arc.

That Eric Martin interview going around obvi caused some disconnect (with Sylvie hate on the rise again, not a surprise), so it might be worth looking at what we got so far.

Ep. 1

Loki is still shaken up from the evebts at the citadel. He is afraid of the Kang threat, but also hung up on his fight with Sylvie and tries to make sense of it. He didn't want to fight her, he wanted more time.

Their reunion is teased when we see Sylvie in the elvator, and Loki clearly emotionally affected by it.

The ep ends literally with: 'We gotta find Sylvie!'

Ep 2.

Loki goes after X-5 to get info about Sylvie, to find her. The narrative flow still makes srnse here. Sylvie is still one of his top priorities and Loki is even willing to torture to find her. (Preventing the Kang threat is still tied to finding Sylvie of course, but that does not erase Loki's emotional investment.).

When he does find her, that's where the whole thing shifts.

If you look at Sylvie the moment she sees him, you can see that she's shocked, afraid and immediatly pulls her walls up.

She is still very much affected by him, but doesn't let it show ('soft gets you killed' she can't be soft).

Sylvie works with Loki regardless, they combine their magic (after he basically jumped to her side).

After the initial threat that brought them together for this is gone, the drama starts (cause you got to have drama, right?)

Loki wants Sylvie to stay. She doesn't.

And Loki is clearly hurt by that.

Ep. 3

The drama culminates. Loki and Sylvie both want different things. Sylvie still advocates for free will and fighting a threat when it arrives (Victor as a Kang variant), Loki is for control and preventing the threat beforehand.

Sylvie still cares about Loki and challenges him, by asking him: "Do you care about anything but the TVA?"

He could say: "You" and resolve the conflict. But he doesn't, because Loki does not realize that's what she wants to hear, so he steps back and gives her space, thinking it's the right thing.

At that point, they could dance around each other forever.

Ep. 4

The conflict gets adressed. In the pie room scene they both make their opposing view points clear. Loki voices his frustration. He is clearly pissed when he assumes Sylvie takes the "easy" way. That's not what he hoped for.

He wanted her to work out the "hard" way with him together.

"We are Gods". Both of them. Sylvie also has a responsibility.

Sylvie does not argue that point. Or run.

She ponders and follows Loki out of the room a bit later.

Ep. 5

Further adressing of the conflict. Sylvie still argues in favor of free will. She does care about the variants and wants them to thrive on their time lines, she is not as emotionally attached to them and can be more neutral.

Loki has formed emotional attachement.

So he does care in a more selfish way.

They still don't resolve the issue, because Loki only admits his desire to be with his friends and doesn't include Sylvie. And it hurts her.

She tries to be neutral, to encourage Loki to write his own destiny, but the way face falls is truely hard to watch. In the end she can't keep her wall up anymore.

She reflects at the record store. If she didn't care about Loki she would not have needed to soothe herself with music.

The song, similar to "kozmic blues" at the end of 2x2, is about losing everything and being free (but possibly able to get back on one's feet again). But it's a blues. It is a sad way of living.

Sylvie does not want to get attached to avoid hurt. But she is not happy with that.

When she realizes the tva's failsafe kicking in, she goes straight to Loki to help again. That's a constant in the whole second season. Sylvie does not want to control, but she also does not want people to die.

She always helps, but in a neutral way, opposed to Loki's approach.

There is a weight to Loki's and Sylvie's interactions in 2x5.

She is the last one he seeks out, because she is a) important to him and b) he dreads the emotional fall out.

Sylvie is also the last one to dissolve and the first Loki slips back to.

The last soundbit he hears is her question: " What makes a Loki a Loki?"

Both of them are Lokis and will have to figure that out.

He manages to control his slipping because if her and then realizes he is able to focus on all of the people he cares about, hence the 360° turn he takes, that lands back on Sylvie.

So logically, 2x6 should finally resolve the conflict, adress their emotions and have Sylvie learn to trust Loki.

They would work together and balance each other out as different aspects of the same personality.

So it does make sense.

The disconnect imo stems from the fact, that some straight men of a certain age don't know how to fucking communicate properly, so their characters don't know either.

It could still end in drama, but Sylki endgame would still make sense narrativly. The narrative is just pretty damn bumpy.

[loki-who-remains]

Tbh the flying mail car puzzles me a lot! It even has a sticker about driving with Miss Minutes on it, which suggests that the TVA office building and the city outside are made for the same purpose. If it is some kind of suspended-time simulation, these details could contribute to the employees sanity. Maybe uniforms or office supplies are made outside of the main building? OB wrote the guidebook but they would need a printer services which would make a big number of books

(Also, the void is not just something at the end of time, it is a space with all visible properties of a planet. Could the TVA city and Alioth co-exist on the same plane? What about the Citadel, which is inside the Alioth (??) But we maybe will have that answered when Ravonna goes outside and meets Alioth herself)

Re: Quantimania. I googled a bit and apparently people found this:

To me that bubble doesn’t really look like the current TVA but it could be an old or discarded version. If HWR has put himself in a time loop (he is extracted from his time — sees the TVA — goes to the 31st century — survives the Multiversal war — founds the TVA and rules it for a while — extracts himself, and repeats the path), and the TVA at some point is destroyed, that could be it 🤔

And re: your tags:

I couldn’t agree more!! They take real science into account because they want to make it realistic and relatable as much as possible. But when they need an advanced tech or some new plane of reality they just slap on some fictionalised science. And real science is of course very interesting even without sci-fi, but sometimes it’s far too complicated or, let’s say, not ‘colourful’ and attractive to an average person. I think, it was Bill Nye who said that it’s cool they do this, cause people get interested in how things actually work, and kids want to become scientists. (But what if wanna be a temporal analyst, have chats with Loki variants and eat pie….)

Sometimes fictionalised science helps in understanding real science because cinema uses short cuts and metaphors. I guess if it makes at least some people ponder various questions then it makes a good job!

And I really wish they would publish the guidebook with all the instructions and notes, and a photo of OB. And his autograph. Please please pleeease

I'm not a meta writer but I'll get my thoughts out as best as I can.

I'm personally so interested in the TVA lore so much. Have we even gotten an answer to what exactly that city is? The one you can see outside the TVA. Cause I'm fascinated by its function in regards to the agency.

So ok. Supposedly time isn't "a thing" there, it's completely outside of the sacred timeline meaning it's not linear BUT as we've seen this new season, there is a future and a past, meaning there's a line there.

Something I always asked myself as well is the routines of ppl working at the TVA. Are they just constantly working? Ouroboros said he doesn't sleep, he just works, meaning they don't need sleep BUT they are all still human cause they're variants. Do they even have bodily functions? Mobius likes to drink and he likes sweets, so does he feel hunger? If he feels hunger does he get tired? Loki did fall asleep at the desk, so that erases the idea that existing within the TVA strips you of bodily needs.

Also. Do they have private rooms/houses? Or just their desks? Where do they live? Do they have alone time? Which takes me back to the city: is THAT where they live? Is the TVA (the building itself) just like an office place? If the people that live here don't sleep and are always working, what's the purpose of this city we see outside? ARE THESE QUESTIONS DUMB AND I'M JUST NOT SMART ENOUGH TO GET THE LORE?

Someone smarter than me please answer lmao I'm going crazy over this stuff.

[siriusmydeer]

lavender and blueberries

luna lovegood x fem!reader

summary: you and luna bake together.

word count: 1.3k

warnings: mentions of anxiety, theres mentions of a knife cutting into dough, fluff !

note: request.

lavender.

the scent of lavender, it was prominent in the air. 

the faint, feminine scent of hers lingered in the air while you admired idly.

the elegant glow of sapphire and lilac of her aura was gleaming, almost radiating off of her body as she prepared away. the spirituality of her graceful essence was almost intoxicating on how ethereal it was.

on how ethereal she was.

she gleamed in your direction, a small twinkle in her cerulean irises, a dreamy smile illustrious on her shell-pink lips, the glossed over effect present on her lips with a strawberry gloss she had borrowed from you a few months prior.

yet, you would give her everything if you were capable of doing so. 

from anywhere you were, you could smell the tinges of lavender perfume in the ventilation, you could almost distinguish her sapphire and lilac aura around the walls of hogwarts when she was nowhere in sight, and most of all you could relish in the feeling of the smooth flavour of faux strawberry against your lips. 

the small touch of the pad of your finger against your pouted lips was an adamant reminder that you had been daydreaming of her. 

it was a peaceful thursday afternoon, to any other hogwarts student it was a day of anticipation and anxiety for the upcoming weekend so they could have a  lie in after a weeks of school work, the homework by their bed waiting till the last minute to be completed. but today for you and luna was blueberry pie day.

every day of the week was exceptional, like a little sticky note with reminders on what was to happen that day to make it more exclusive then the day previously.

monday’s were for thestrals, one of the most important days of the week for you, and her appreciation for you only bloomed extensively as you accompanied her in things you weren't able to identify, only visualize from her soft spoken descriptions . tuesdays were for cleansing, the idea notable in her tranquil mind to double check there weren’t any nargles floating around her or her friends. wednesday’s were for herbology with neville, anything to do with plants it was significant for her to take care of the blossoming viridescent plants. and thursday’s of course, were for baking.

and so forth, every week had its own specialized day since the pair of you had begun your relationship after distinguishing the feelings mutual for each other had no longer remained platonic. 

the platinum swish of her tresses as she bobbed her head from left to right brought your mind back to focus as your thoughts had been swirling in her idiosyncratic essence. “so, y/n, have you got all the ingredients?” she spoke in a dreamily, and mellow tone while glimpsing at the counter to the disorganized ingredients. it was unidentifiable as to which had been there and which had been missing. 

she spun around to face you, a permanent grin etched up in those desirous lips she had. a small giggle sliding off her tongue before sauntering closer to you while she had partaken notice to your distracted state. unknowing it had been because of her exceptionally alluring self. 

“yes, yes i have. sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, butter and pie crust?” your tone partially apprehensive in a jumble of disheveled letters whilst you hastily spoke, bringing your palm close to your viewpoint, your eyes adamantly squinting; while you attempted to read the ink streaked onto your palm, in a previous rush from completing homework you had scribbled everything onto your hand from the cook book that was placed sloppily onto the desk in your dormitory. 

“you didn’t have to write it on your hand, dear.” she giggled at your muddled speech after you had clearly stressed upon yourself, in an endeavour to console your tense state she grasped upon your wrist with her dainty fingers, pressing a small kiss to the flesh of your palm, before letting it fall to your waist, and grabbing a few measuring cups with her agile fingers.

she treated things ever so delicately like they had feelings or rather they must be treated with kindness, a prominent trait about the girl, while she was deep in thought of grabbing ingredients with delicacy she glimpsed upon the grey radio player that was sprawled hastily upon the counter.

she grasped onto the small muggle device before spinning the nob for a moment there was a moment of static before the first song began to play,

always be my baby - mariah carey.

“i’ve never heard this song before.” luna commented with a grin at you who had been already gaping upon her joyful figure, the process beginning as you filled a three/fourths ivory cup of granulated sugar and she made work on the cornstarch into a large bowl. 

the way she used her hands was elegant, intricate and tremendously patient, especially with you. she had the patience to await things, the patience to work without fail or absentminded rage, and the patience for creativity to flow her mind with spectacular ideas that not even rowema ravenclaw could ponder no matter how hard she pursued. 

first it was the flour, not without a couple spills from you of course, but ultimately you added the grains of ivory into the bowl. luna’s delicacy took leadership when handling the three tablespoons of cornstarch as well as one/fourths cup of salt. the way her cerulean irises were quaintly looking around was serene and tolerant, but the minute her irises were gazing into you could feel like millions of butterflies had unleashed in your belly, and swarmed around your abdomen ferociously. 

you noticed small things about her irises, the small rings of navy around her irises, the flecks of aquamarine spoke small words to you, because to love her you must hear when she had no words. the jumble of letters that were swirled in her irises full of love and adoration were enough to be heard, and that were only made to be spoken to you. the deep cyan ombré coating her outer pupil was like an art piece that adorned the hands of michelangelo with the finest oil paints he could scoundrel up from the nonpareil paint shops. 

her eyes were like the unrepeatable wings of an utterly divine butterfly. the small distinctive swirls of colour that blended with the fine lines between each other. luna could perceive the spaces between the small lines of life, that’s what made her so significant compared to others.

she had handled the blade with ease when carving small designs onto dough atop of the indigo blend of mashed berries and jam. as the remaining fifty minutes ticked she had clutched upon the planes of your hand feeling the smooth flesh collide against her own pallid skin, similar songs from the era playing when she spun you around in the small kitchen.

some house elves eyeing the sight of two girls dancing and chuckling at their silliness in kitchen. the small elves had smiled at the lovers they had dimly watched before returning to their tasks and minding their business to the work dumbledore had requested. 

the small vibrational bell rung like a minor siren through the small drums of your ears when the pie had completed baking in the oven, luna taking it upon herself to do things the ‘muggle way’ as you had taught her, her correct actions filling her with a small sensational buzz of elation when you sent a glimpse of pride in her direction. 

the things luna was willing to learn for you. 

she slipped off the pair of viridescent oven mitts, abandoning them to the side of the counter while the baked pastry was placed upon a trivet as it had cooled down from the searing heat it had radiated. 

the tinging aroma of lavender and blueberry throughly colliding into the air from the steaming condensation now filling the air as it dashed upon your nostrils all the way to the respire of your lungs.

a unique combination of such beguiling scents.

“pretty good, i think.” you chuckled while looking at the blonde, a smile still adamantly clear on her face while she pleasantly peered towards you; surveying your body language in delight before speaking.

“i think it’s excellent, love.”

taglist: @falling-loki @inglourious-imagines @famdomhideout @hufflepogue @kirascottage @luvvninaz @miraclesoflove @black-like-my-soul @slytherclawbitch

[alorenawrites]

On Words and Meaning

So I've been thinking a lot about how Loki is being discussed and the words used, particularly by Hiddleston, given his bent for using literary language in his descriptions. There are three words I want to touch on in this little post, one of them definitely rooted in his usage.

So the first I want to touch on is the term "romance." We've heard (often from Hiddleston), that Loki is, at heart, a romance. I think there's a dimension of the discussion missing in these conversations in that is important to consider.

To the layman, a romance is simply a love story, sometimes with a sexual undertone. But in the literary sense, a romance is a much deeper genre. I want to consider that this layer may also be present in Hiddleston's intent on using the term in describing the story arc. It certainly is in mine, as someone with a fascination with literary form and also with an English degree who has spent way too much time exploring genre.

So firstly, we need to define "romance." From literaryterms.net:

I. What is Romance?

In the strictest academic terms, a romance is a narrative genre in literature that involves a mysterious, adventurous, or spiritual story line where the focus is on a quest that involves bravery and strong values, not always a love interest. However, modern definitions of romance also include stories that have a relationship issue as the main focus.

II. Examples of Romance

In the academic sense, an example of a romance is a story in which the main character is a hero who must conquer various challenges as part of a quest. Each challenge could be its own story and can be taken out of the overall story without harming the plot.

Example 1

A knight who wishes to prove himself by recovering a stolen heirloom from an enemy may find himself attempting to make his way through a dangerous wood filled with thieves.

Once he has accomplished this challenge, he may find himself climbing a tall mountain on which a group of people are in trouble. He would save the group somehow, and then move on.

Then the final stage: the enemy’s kingdom. There may be a fair maiden whom he meets and somehow helps or rescues, or perhaps she helps him.

But the fair maiden is not the focus of the story – his quest is the focus. Each story can be taken out, yet each builds the hero’s strength to face his final quest. These stories tend to be serious rather than humorous and touch on strong values.

In considering this, I've thought about Loki's arc as a quest that does, indeed, involve the discovery and exploration of strong values with a three part quest, though I don't think the quests entirely stand on their own. The overarching theme is about Loki discovering his sense of self- his quest to become a full person, not just a trope for the universe to exploit so others can reach their better selves. I divide the show up in to three quests. The first, in episodes 1 and 2, is Loki finding a sense of purpose in the new world- his quest is to discover who this new variant is and where they are hiding. This is resolved by the end of that second episode. The second arc takes place in the next two episodes- Loki discovering his empathy for others is the continuation of the overarching personal development plot, while his quest is to discover Sylvie's goals and to uncover/share the truth behind the TVA. And in our third section, episodes 5 and 6, we get the culmination of the personal growth arc in his ultimate discovery of different facets of himself (illuminated by the different elements of self shown in the multitude of variant Lokis) while the quest is to uncover who is in control of the Sacred Timeline and why. The differences in colour palettes, settings, tones, etc. between the three episode pairings is a part of how I started to distinguish my thoughts on each. And regardless of the visual distinctions, I most definitely see the entire arc as exploring strong values and bravery, though the bravery is multi-layered, showing not only the visible bravery of facing down an apocalypse, Alioth, etc., but the internal bravery of challenging one's self and digging deep into discovering who one really is. This is a theme of queerness that I see lingering in this series- discovering who we are is a process, not an outcome.

I think that this definition of a romance, in the classical sense, is a little oversimplified, as there is often a theme of discovery of self or improvement of self along the way. In a Gothic romance, themes of "the people are the real monsters" come into play (Crimson Peak is an excellent example of this)- there may be elements of the supernatural, but the real thing of which the viewer/reader should be afraid is the person behind the curtain. Gothic romances also often do include a love story arc, but it is often deeply flawed on some level and often also includes some sort of sexual or romantic awakening, often by a female lead, that leads to the discovery of whatever darker is taking place (Crimson Peak turns this on its head in that it is Thomas' awakening with Edith that leads to his turning point and Edith's realization that the Sharpe siblings are the monsters, not the ghosts in the hall). The themes of discovery of self, or of the fortitude of moral values, or of the journey of a person's development, play into both a Gothic romance and its foundations in a classical romance.

So. There's part 1 of this ramble.

On to part 2!

The next word I want to examine is the term "relationship" and its companion, "love." Now, mind you, I come at this from a queer perspective as a demisexual, demiromantic individual, so these two words are ones I've spent a LOT of time pondering, in the quest to define my own identity.

We've heard the term "relationship" tossed around so often with only a romantic implication attached, but in truth, this word is so much more broad than this. You are in a relationship with your barber. You are in a relationship with your cat. You are in a relationship with a spiritual advisor, a professor, your best friend, your partner. Just because it is so heavily used in this way doesn't mean the relationship is only an intimate one (though intimate relationships are also not inherently sexual or romantic in nature, either, so let's remember this as well). Now if we break down what a relationship is, it's just a consistent interaction with someone based on some common interest or goal. It's a remarkably benign word. Its connotations, however, take it in a multitude of directions.

So let's look at it through the lens of an intimate relationship and add in the component of love. We'll start with just a blanket statement that love is not only one single thing. It isn't just romantic. It is our family, our friends, our pets, pie, the colour blue, that feeling of perfection when the waves of a warm lake brush over your calves...love is embedded in the experiences of these things. We love them. Love it as vast and broad as relationships. We love places, people, things, and experiences. We love ourselves (or we try to learn to).

In my world, through my particular brand of queerness, love changes in intimate relationships on a regular basis. I love my partner dearly. But on some days, that love is to my best friend, while other days, it is a romantic love and on others, sexual expression may be involved, but they may overlap in different ways. Sexual expression is independent of romantic attraction and the degree of each isn't tied together in any way. If we can separate these things, I think we can see the relationships in our everyday lives in different lights and with greater complexity.

I also think that looking at these things through the lens of diverse sexual and romantic experiences can inform how we interpret the Loki x Sylvie pairing and why some of us just aren't bothered by it (though certainly not the only reason people aren't).

We've been told Loki loves Sylvie. That much is beautifully clear. But love (and being in a relationship) doesn't automatically mean that 1) both parties are experiencing it in the same way, 2) both parties have the same approach or priorities, 3) the level of romance is necessarily the same between the people involved, 4) that sexual attraction exists at all.

Sometimes a kiss is a form of communication and not tied to the want to shag someone.

So this is where my interpretation of this particular pairing comes into play. I do see the story as a romance, in the classical sense, but also with a slight streak of the more modern sense involved. The focus is still on the quest, even when the love story emerges. And that is where I see the priorities of these characters and their definitions of the relationship differing and I analyze it through these different dimensions of love and relationship orientations.

Loki actually embodies one of the traits I've seen listed for demisexuals- we hold our friendships extremely close and because we hold our friendships the way we do, it isn't uncommon for us to end up with crushes on our best friends (and no, they don't generally develop into other forms of relationships, but they could). This is the phase in which I see Loki by episode 6. He has formed this intense bond, unlike any other it seems he's had, and his heart is breaking over the thought of losing her to her own rage. All he wants is for her to be OK, remember? This isn't a selfish action. But I think it is significant that while he tries to stop her, he's not the one who initiates the kiss. All his actions here are ones that a close friend would also do for their best friend. Like, I'd try to stop my besties from inadvertently destroying the universe. I'd even throw down over it. And for the exact same reasons- the risks are too great, we need to think, and I want them to be OK. Almost everything Loki does throughout his growing closeness to Sylvie is something I'd do for one of the people I've told I'd defend- as in, I literally told some of these people, "anybody messes with you, I'll cut a bitch- just tell me who and I'm there."

So because of all this, I don't see this relationship as sexual in any way. Romantic? Possibly. But not necessarily. Even being in love with one another doesn't mean a relationship has to have a sexual component.

Looking at Sylvie, I see her also as having found companionship with Loki, but her overriding goal is, ultimately, not to bond with someone- it's her mission. And she has sacrificed her entire life because of the TVA to this mission. She tells him repeatedly, in one way or another, that the mission comes first. Yes, she does care about him, but I don't think the way she cares about him is the same as the way he cares about her because they have differing priorities and needs (and hence why she feels betrayed by him when he tries to stop her). Or at least she hasn't allowed herself to express that. When she falls to the ground after she's killed He Who Remains, I think we get a glimpse of what Loki meant to her- she is alone, she grieves, and there is no meaning left to her story. She's done what she dedicated her entire life to and the person who could have given it other meaning is no longer beside her.

I still don't think that the first thing they would do upon seeing each other is suck face and have wild sex. Would that bother me? No, not really. I can headcanon something different than what actually happens, I'm fine with that (just look at all this glorious headcanoning happening right here!) I'd like it to stay a romantic friendship (queer platonic relationships for the win- they're squishes!) because I don't think we hardly ever see those types of relationships and queer platonic relationships are incredibly beautiful and powerful and yes, based on love and maybe even romance, in their own way. They are defined by the people in them, as are all relationships.

And now to address "but she kissed him!"

Yes, she did. And I've kissed my partner when there wasn't romance involved because I wanted to share a moment, to express something deeper than I had words for (yes, even on one of my aromantic leaning days), or just because it's fun. And it doesn't have to "match" up with how the other partner feels it, either, so long as the message itself is what comes across. This is how I read the Sylvie x Loki kiss. It was a message of worthiness. Loki's entire arc, including in that scene, is in discovering if he's anyone different than the monster he's made himself out to be (and encouraged others to see him as). He tells Sylvie that he can't be trusted, falling back on the habit of characterizing himself as the professional liar, the one who can't form those attachments which are built on trust. He also identifies her as someone incapable of trust in that moment, which I think is also a projection of how he sees himself. He tells Mobius he can only trust himself and the show slowly shows Loki coming to trust others, but in this moment in the Citadel, he's falling back on a different perception of himself.

This is where the kiss comes in, for me. Sylvie isn't trying to tell him she'd jump him right then and there, if things were different. Sylvie is trying to tell him that she does trust him, that he can be trusted, and that he is worthy of the affection of a friend, even if she can't have him in her way. She is prioritizing her mission, yes, but not without giving him some sort of reassurance, in her own way, that this rejection isn't personal. That he isn't too broken to be loved. It doesn't have to go into romance (not saying it couldn't, just saying it isn't a requirement). It doesn't have to go into sexual relationship territory.

Maybe I see this so vastly differently because of my experiences exploring gender, sexuality, and romantic orientation. Maybe I see this so differently because at this stage in my life, I would absolutely kiss a friend if I felt something so heavy was going to break them. I have a friend I say "I love you" to every time we talk on the phone or video chat- we've been together for 20 years. I've got photo proof of a snuggle pile of friends when I was a young adult. I've shared a bed with a friend with no reason other than that we didn't want to sleep on the floor and why not. I've had friendships that were awkward to start and intense once they got going that are absolutely still important in my life. I've had crushes on friends that have faded and just shown me another dimension of what it is to love someone. I've watched adults who struggle to make connections to other people discover those moments of awkward "how do I do friend mode?" and come out stronger for them, with that huge sense of victory hidden behind a small smile they don't want to share with anyone else quite yet.

I see so much possibility in how we interpret a television show reduced to "it's a romance and that's sick and incest and he wants to fuck himself!" and it just saddens me that so many people have such a limited understanding and experience of the depth and breadth of human relationships and of how people love one another.

[just-the-hiddles]

The Most Ridiculous Holiday | Loki x Reader

A/N:  So next week is Thanksgiving here in the States.  I could not resist writing a little Loki x Reader fluff piece in honor of the holiday.  Enjoy!

Pairing:  Loki x Reader

Summary:  Loki and Peter help the reader with Thanksgiving preparation.  Although help is a strong word.  As disasters ensue, Reader forces the boys out of the kitchen.  Loki calls it a ridiculous Midgardian holiday, but are those his true feelings.

Word Count:   3015

Warnings: Language, implied smut

The Whole Enchilada taglist: @hopelessromanticspoonie @nonsensicalobsessions @winterisakiller @pinkzz123 @klbates22 @jumpxjess @jessiejunebug @cherrygeek86 @littleredstarfish @rjohnson1280 @the-minus-four @jade10077

God of Mischief taglist: @drakesfiance @obtain-this-grain @theoneanna @vodka-and-some-sass @brucestephenbucky @lokilover2000

Story taglist: @my-soccer-and-skijumping-blog @lovemesomehiddles 

-

You pulled the turkey from the fridge to thaw when you picked up a commotion coming from the living area of the Avengers Tower.

“Come on, Mr. Loki!” Peter pleaded in the distance. “Thanksgiving is a tradition.”

“I do not care for your Midgardian holidays!” Loki sniped back.

You placed the turkey into the sink before walking over to intervene before Loki turned Peter into an actual spider.

“Boys!” you bellowed as you stepped between pushing them to an arm’s length. “What the hell is going on in here?”

Loki turned to hide his blush as your fingertips brushed against his chest, warming the skin beneath the thin t-shirt.

“Y/N, Loki says he is not coming to Thanksgiving on Thursday!” Peter whined.

You spun to face Loki. “What is he talking about, Loki? You told me yesterday you would help.”

Loki turned to face you and saw your pleading eyes. “The entire thing is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. You get together just to eat yourselves to sickness and then either sleep, watch something called football or argue with obscure relatives.”

You stood and pondered his statements. He wasn’t wrong but you were not about to admit that to Loki.

“But you promised.” you whined. Loki scoffed and turned on his heel to exit the room. You made one final attempt. “There will be chocolate.”

Loki stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “You never mentioned sweets.” He raised his eyebrows. “Perhaps I can be persuaded to help. Who else will be helping?”

Your face broke into a smile. “Well all the Avengers are attending but the only ones cooking are me, Nat, Peter, and well… you.”

Loki sneered over at Peter, who continued to look at Loki with puppy dog eyes. His eyes darted back to you and he slumped his shoulders. “I relent. I will help you.”

You clapped your hands on his shoulders. “You’re a good man, Loki. I will see you on Thursday morning.”

“I am no man.” Loki growled as you returned to the kitchen. “I am a god.”

“As you help, I will call you whatever you want.

-

Over the next several days, you busied yourself with the preparation for Thursday, brining the turkey and made pie crusts. Loki lurked in the shadows, watching you.

Over the past several months of being such close quarters, Loki had developed something for you. More than friendship and Loki feared putting a name to what he felt.  Despite his best efforts, these feelings threatened to bubble up.

“Loki,” you say into the Thursday morning air. The Tower is silent, but you sense Loki’s presence and you didn’t even need superpowers to do so. “I know you are around, so come out and help me with this turkey.”

Loki emerged from a corner wearing a shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants that left little to the imagination. You gulped at the sight. How you wanted to learn what those pants concealed.

“Yes, Y/N, how may I be of service?” Loki smirked, giving a little bow.

“Whatever, God. Come help me with this turkey. The bucket is too heavy for me to lift alone.” You gestured to the large plastic bucket in the subzero fridge.

Loki rolled his eyes but moved to help. “Is that all I am to you, brawn? I will go wake up Thor if that is all you desire.”

“Not at all, you are also excellent eye candy. I don’t go for muscle bound blondes.” you commented before blushing as you realized what you said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” you muttered an apology.

Loki gave a quick smile. “No apology necessary.” He lifted the bucket as if weighed nothing. “Now where do you want this?”

You stood dumbfounded. “Um… the sink.” you gestured as he placed it down.

“What’s next?” he asked.

“We drain and dress the turkey. Can you hold the bird up while I dump the brine?” Loki looked into the bucket. “I will not touch that.”

“You will.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

“I believe you promised me chocolate in exchange for helping in this bizarre endeavor.”

You rolled your eyes. “If you hold the turkey, I will fetch the batch of chocolate chip cookies I baked last night and hid from Steve and Bucky.”

Loki’s eyes lit up. “Why did you start with that?”

“Because I hope you would help out of the kindness of your heart. Bribery is my last resort.” Loki grabbed the turkey by its legs and hoisted the bird out of the brine. You tipped the bucket while Loki held turkey aloft, his face twisting up into a grimace. You giggled.

“What is so funny, mortal?”

“I would assume someone who has fought in as many battles as you have, could handle holding a raw turkey for a few minutes without getting squeamish.”

“I’m not squeamish.”

“Yes you are.”

“No I’m not.”

“Then why the face?”

“I don’t like the way the skin feels.”

“As I said,” you moved the bucket out of the way. “Squeamish.”

You smirked up at him and for the second time in twenty minutes, Loki rolled his eyes. “Just find something to put this blasted thing on so I can put it down.”

You grabbed the roasting pan but slipped on some brine on the tile floor as you turned and lost your purchase with the tile. As you fell forward, Loki lurched forward to catch you, letting go of the bird. You pulled too hard on Loki and the two of you ended up on the floor with the turkey in between.

You looked to see Loki covered in herbs and droplets of brine and laughed holding your sides.

“Well that is one way to do it.”

“This is not amusing.”

“It is a little.” You fished through your pocket for your phone. “I need a picture.”

“Absolutely not!” Loki stood in a rush before grabbing the turkey by a wing and tossing the whole thing on the counter. “I am going to take a shower.” Loki stormed off towards his quarters.

-

You got the turkey rinsed, dressed and into the oven and started on the stuffing while Loki showered. Peter woke up and walked into the kitchen.

“Something smells good.”

“That’s the stuffing. You are late. Can I trust you?” you retorted, flicking a spoon in Peter’s general direction.

“Of course, Y/N.” Peter stood up straight. You narrowed your eyes at him. Loki reappeared wearing a pair of tight black jeans and black t-shirt.

“Oh good, you are back.” You walked up to Loki and pulled him down to eye level. “I am going to get cleaned up. You and Peter just need to listen for the timer on the nuts roasting and take them out. Think you two can handle that?”

Loki scoffed. “How hard can it be?”

“I don’t know Loki, how hard is it to hold a turkey?”

You left without waiting for his response. You set the timer for 10 minutes which meant if you hustled you might make it back in time. Steve waylaided you at your entrance.

“Hey Y/N, how is the turkey coming along?”

“Just fine.” you quipped back, and you turned to enter your room.

“And you have enough help. I mean I can help.”

You sighed. “We don’t want a repeat of Christmas last year.”

Steve chuckled. “True, but in my defense Bucky set the timer.”

“Which is why you are both banned from the kitchen. Now if you will excuse me…”

Steve held up his hands. “Sorry to keep you. I am going to go see if Buck wants to watch the parade.”

You nodded as Steve walked off and you ran to your bathroom, trying to get ready before the timer went off. You pulled on your shirt as you raced down the hallway. As you turned the corner, an acrid odor filled your nostrils. As you turned the corner, you discovered the timer blaring but no sign of Peter or Loki.

“Loki! Peter!”

The two boys popped their heads in from the living room.

“Y/N, you have returned!” Loki greeted.

“To find…” you opened the oven to have a billow of smoke poof out. “the nuts burned beyond recognition.” Peter snickered at the word “nuts” but you shot him a withering glance. “I trusted the two of you.”

Loki looked away. “It is Master Parker’s fault.”

“Hey!”

“Well…” you gave a knowing glance to Peter and Loki. “explain yourself.”

Peter slumped his shoulders. “The parade came on and it’s Santa.”

“The lengths you mortals will go to celebrate.” Loki added. “It is almost touching.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Get out of my kitchen.”

They slinked out of the kitchen, Loki turned to grab a cookie, but you grabbed his wrist. “Cookies are for helpers.” You said the words with such conviction, he dropped the cookie without another word.

-

Nat woke up as you pulled the second, unburned batch of nuts out of the oven. She grabbed a spare apron and in no time, the two of you righted the ship so to speak. Peter stayed in the living room watching TV with Steve, Bucky, and Sam while Loki popped in to hover over your shoulder from time to time. He grabbed the closest food in reach before Nat shooed him away. The last few times you sent him out with appetizers for the crew.

Around three o’clock, you placed the turkey in the center of the table, completing the feast. You popped your head out to the TV as one of the teams scored a touchdown. Everyone leapt to their feet. Steve and Bucky high-fived, while Loki pumped his fist in the air. Peter jumped up and down on the sofa, pillows strewn about.

“I hate to interrupt this impressive display of testosterone but dinner is ready.” All the guys scrambled over the furniture to get to the dining area. Everyone settled in and you ended up seated next to Loki. With so many people crammed around the table, Loki’s knee butted against yours. Heat radiated through both your and his pants.

Tony stood at the head of the table, carving the turkey. “I would like to thank everyone who helped make today’s meal. Nat and Y/N, it looks delicious. And Underoos and Reindeer Games…” Loki and Peter’s heads snapped in Tony’s direction. “Thanks for nearly burning down the entire floor. JARVIS woke me up because of that.”

You stifled a laugh as Loki pinched your thigh.

“Ow!”

“Everything all right, Y/N?” Steve asked, glaring at Loki.

“I’m fine, just stubbed my toe.”

Everyone passed the dishes around the table.

“What is that?” Loki questioned as you piled sweet potato casserole onto your plate.

“Sweet potatoes.”

“It looks like a bilgesnipe got sick on your plate.”

You stabbed a bite with your fork, grabbing plenty of the marshmallow topping. “Here, try a bite.”

You offered your fork but Loki sneered before you urged him on. He capitulated as he opened his mouth and you popped the food into his mouth. Loki chewed the bite with caution before you saw a smile grow on his face.

“That is delicious and sublime.” he responded.

“Would you like a helping?” you offered to serve him.

“Indeed, I would.” Loki held his plate up and you gave him a generous helping.

The room filled with laughter and chatter as everyone ate and talked. Sam and Bucky teased Peter about his Turkey Trot t-shirt while Nat and Clint engaged in an animated conversation at the end of the table. Even Tony and Steve got along.

As Steve and Bucky cleared the plates, Peter and Sam brought out the pies. You made certain to snagged the chocolate cream pie before it made its way anywhere else. You placed it in front of Loki.

“I believe I promised you chocolate.”

Loki’s eyes lit up. “But Master Parker indicated the preferred dessert for this day is pumpkin pie.”

“Well, not everyone enjoys pumpkin, myself included, so cut up the pie before the others realize we have it.”

Loki winked as he cut a large slice for each of you and placed it on the plates provided.

“Hey Y/N, have you seen the chocolate…” Tony asked as he spied the pie in Loki’s hands. “I will take that.”

Loki handed the pie over. “Be my guest.”

“Why is there like half of the pie gone?” Tony peered over to your plates that you and Loki already started in.

“Really, Y/N, I expect this juvenile behavior from the trickster, but you are better than this.”

“You don’t understand the power pie has over me.” you mumbled with a mouth full of chocolate and whipped cream. Tony scowled at you.

Everyone ate their desserts, and you stood up, rapping your knife on your glass.

“It is tradition in my family that at the close of the meal for everyone to take a turn and say what they are thankful for.” Loki squirmed in his seat. “I will go first. I am grateful for my new family, for you guys taking me in when no one else would and accepting for me as I am.” you choked out the last few words, tears gathering at the corners of your eyes.

Some told funny stories but most told touching stories. At last, the conversation reached Loki.

“I…” he started as he stood, he looked down at you, “… can’t believe the sentimentality of this stupid and ridiculous holiday.”

He threw his napkin and stormed off. You rose to follow him but Thor grabbed your shoulder.

“Best to let him be, Y/N. There is no reasoning when he is one of these moods.”

You nodded and returned to your seat but the worry did not leave your face.

-

As the rest of the crew cleaned up, you snuck over to Loki’s room. You knocked.

“Loki? It’s Y/N.”

You heard shuffling for a few moments and Loki appeared. His hair disheveled.

“May I come in?” you asked. Loki opened the door and waved his arm for you to enter.

“What can I help you with?” he responded with a flat tone.

“What was that back at dinner?”

“Back where?”

“At the table. It was a good time, and you stomped away. What gives?”

“I was having fun until everyone shared their feelings like a bunch of weaklings.”

“Were you embarrassed?”

“No!”

“What’s the problem, Loki?”

“You should leave.” He rose to head for the door, grabbing your arm to pull you out.

You wrenched from his grip. “Not until what is bothering you.”

“It’s YOU!” he blurted.

You stood silent. “I’m what’s bothering you?” Tears formed in your eyes for the second time that day. “Wow. I guess I misjudged you. I will see myself out.”

Loki shook his head and jogged to block your exit. “That is not what I meant.”

You didn’t trust yourself to look him in the eye. “How else did you mean it? I ask what it is bothering you and you say ‘it’s you’. That is pretty clear.”

Loki took your chin into his hand and lifted your head to meet him eye to eye. His face wrought with pain. “What I meant…” he hissed “…. is I am grateful for you.” The last few words spilling out of his mouth at an alarming rate.

“I’m sorry what?” you sputtered dumbfounded.

Loki shuffled his feet. “I am grateful for you to be in my life, for your companionship and I would hope our relationship could grow beyond friendship.”

Your eyes widened at his confession. “Are you saying you have feelings for me?”

“I would call it a fondness.”

You grabbed Loki by the neck. “Good enough for me.” You pulled him into a kiss.

Loki stiffened in surprise for a moment before he melted into you. His hands moved to tangle in your hair. The moment lasted an eternity and a millisecond all at once. The two of you parted, chests heaving.

“Wow.” you breathed as you attempted to slow your heart.

“A god could get used to that.” You smiled and pulled Loki deeper into the room. “Where are we going?”

“To get more comfortable.”

Loki’s eyebrows raised. “Lead the way.”

-

The next morning you found Tony rummaging in the fridge.

“Something I can help you with Tony?” Tony jumped at the sound of your voice.

“Stop sneaking up on me like that, Y/N. I was looking for the rest of the chocolate cream pie.”

You reached around him to snag the sweet potatoes. “Haven’t seen it.”

Loki came trotting in, all smiles.

“You are in a good mood, Reindeer Games. What happened to the brooding from yesterday?”

Loki looked at you and you gave a quick nod, Tony almost didn’t catch.

“I have found something to be grateful for.” Loki leaned in and placed a quick kiss on your lips before snatching the casserole dish from your hands.

“Is this that delightful dish with marshmallows?”

“Yup.”

“Let’s heat it up and take back to the room.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Allow me.” Loki popped the dish into the microwave.

Tony stood with the fridge door open, his brain unable to process what he witnessed. You scooted past Tony to dig into the recesses of the fridge. As the microwave dinged, you emerged with the last quarter of the chocolate pie, hidden last night when everyone else went to bed.

“Bye Stark!” Loki waved as he shoveled a big bite of potato and marshmallow in his mouth.

You bumped into Steve as you rounded the corner. “Sorry Cap.” Loki muttered as he grabbed your hand to lead you down the hallway, giggling.

Steve did a double take before heading over to Tony. “What was that?”

“I’m having a stroke.” Tony deadpanned.

“What? Come on, Tony what’s going on?” Steve asked, eyebrows raised.

“I’ll explain over coffee. I need lots of coffee. And perhaps a Valium.”

Steve shook his head in confusion.

[mycupoffanfiction]

A Real Sweet Guy Part 6

A biker!Bucky x shy!Reader Series

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6

The reader lives on the same street as Bucky, the leader of a biker gang, which everyone in her building is afraid of, except for her. When Bucky makes a simple act of kidness to the reader, she realises she was right to not be afraid of him.

Warnings: Fluff, language, sadness. 

Word count: Approx 4000

Masterlist

Tag lists are open.

Ooof okay, this one took a while! I won’t lie, I’m not 100% happy with it and writing His Favourite Gal burnt me out a little since this series and HFG both usually have long chapters. I’m sorry I took some time to focus on oneshots and smaller things for a while, it was just my way of getting back into the swing of a larger series!

I really hope you enjoy this part, it’s fairly tame this time around, the next one will be very cute and fluffy!

Enjoy your week 💕💕💕💕

__________________________

“Y’know, Stevie’s gonna be jealous.” Bucky chuckled, looking down at you as you cut a slice of your homemade apple pie. “We’ll save him a slice.” You shrugged, grinning as you plopped a piece onto a small plate and slid it across the table, the older woman beaming at you. “Thank you, dear.” She looked delighted, taking in the cinnamony apple smell. “You’re welcome, Mrs Barnes.” You mirror her smile. “Please, Winnifred is fine, dear.” She insisted on you using her first name, but you were just so nervous at meeting Bucky’s mum that you’d been defaulting to her last name.

 “You said you didn’t talk much to your family.” Winnifred struck conversation as Bucky took over for you, slicing you a piece that was way too big for you. “Yeah, we uh- we don’t get along.” You nodded; eyes trained on your apple pie. You glanced across to Bucky, the contrast of him in his red flannel shirt, ripped jeans and heavy combat boots, hair down and messy against Mrs Barnes’ tidy, florally decorated home was quite amusing. “I don’t have any close family.” You added, Bucky’s hand coming down to rest on your knee. “But you have the Commandos, sweetheart.” Bucky grinned. That you did. They were the best family you could have asked for and in truth, they were better than your real family ever were. No one ever judged you, no one was mean to you, you were never singled out or bullied. Everyone treated you fairly and with so much love and compassion.

 Just the other day Steve had a call from Peter, the kid had gotten picked on at school and you and Steve spent about an hour on the phone to him to try and calm him down until his adoptive parents, Pepper and Tony got home from the diner. You were all as close knit as it came, even friends or family of members were always welcome, like Pietro was. He’d often join outings to Pepper’s diner or take walks with you and Wanda and sometimes even hang out with some of the guys too.

 “James tells me you work at the local bookshop; I was hoping I might have recognised you.” Mrs Barnes smiled as she dug her spoon into the apple pie, taking a bite and nodding in approval. “I do, I love it there, although the shop can be a little trying.” You smiled, it was true, you did love the shop and while you had a tendency to complain about rude customers and how much the day drags or how exhausting it is sometimes, you still loved it. It was like a second home to you and your manager George had been so good to you while you had worked there. “Delicious pie, dear. I’m not sure Steve will get any.” She joked, causing you to giggle in response. “You’ll have to give me the recipe, perhaps we can bake together.” Mrs Barnes suggested and you grinned at the idea. “I’d love to.” You smiled, glancing across at your boyfriend.

 “Now, let me show you some photos of James when he was little.” Mrs Barnes laughed as she reached behind her for the bookcase. “Maaaa.” Bucky groaned, his cheeks lighting up with a bright red as he dropped his face into his hand.

 “So does Mrs Barnes like you?” Wanda asked down the phone as you walked down the sidewalk, rain pattering down onto your coat hood. “I think so, she seemed happy when I met her, even hugged me when I left.” You smiled to yourself, thinking back to your meeting with Bucky’s mum. “Can’t believe he never told me his first name was James.” You laughed, having taken it light heartedly. You had been seriously confused when Mrs Barnes had referred to your biker boyfriend as James instead of Bucky, but you were so used to his nickname now that you weren’t sure that you could see yourself using his real first name much.

“Barnes said you made her apple pie. Why didn’t you give us apple pie when you met us for the first time?” Wanda teased. “Hey, I gave you cookies.” You argued, a smile on your lips. Your smile quickly dropped when you stepped right into a puddle, soaking through your shoe. “Fuck me.” You hissed under your breath, shaking the water off, but it was no use, your sneaker was totally soaked. You turned the corner, Wanda giggling down the line as you explained what had just happened. “I gotta go, Wanda. Maybe I’ll have customers today.” You scoffed as you approached the bookshop, ready to start your shift. “Alright, text me when you get home.” Wanda said her goodbyes to you before hanging up and you heaved a sigh as you approached.

 The rain came down heavier, the wind picking up. The storm was coming. Your hood flew back, exposing your freshly washed and dried hair to the angry elements. You barely paid attention when you reached the shop front, reaching out for the door and smacking right into it as you had expected it to open, but it was locked up tight. You let out a frustrated humph as another strong gust of wind almost pushed you off balance as you rummaged around in your pocket for your keys. A deep rumble of thunder rolled across the heavy storm clouds above, rain getting heavier. You didn’t bother putting your hood back up since you’d be indoors in a second. Or so you thought. “Fuck.” You whispered to yourself. The keyhole was covered by a piece of wood nailed to the door. It was at that moment that you stepped back and noticed it. Oh. Oh shit.

 Big, bold letters. In a chunky red marker. Your heart sank as your backpack dug into your shoulders, your hand clutching at the wet strap, rain lashing down onto your shoulders and head as you stand completely still in the middle of the pavement. Your hair glued itself to your face, your hood having fallen down a few minutes ago. The cold wind whipped down the street, giving you a shivering chill, arms breaking out into goose bumps, ears hurting with the cold.

OUT OF BUSINESS.

Why didn’t your boss tell you? To be honest, you’d sort of seen it coming, with the tiny amount of custom your shop had received in the last few months. Still, it made your heart sink, down, down into the pit of your stomach. You had loved working at the bookstore, it was a safe haven. How could you not love it? But it was gone now. How would you pay your bills? Would you even be able to stay in town to find a new job? How would that affect things?

 “George?” You squeaked out; phone pressed against your ear as the line crackled on the other end. “(Y/n), I am so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” Your manager sighed. “Is it really closed forever?” You asked, voice sad as you stared at the front door, letting the rain drench you as you shivered uncontrollably from the cold. “Sadly, yes. I’m sorry, I should’ve warned you.” He responded. “It’s alright.” You huffed. “I’ve got to go, make sure you drop off your keys to the shop over the next couple of days.” George reminded you before hanging up and you were left in silence again. The traffic behind you seemed to just drown out into a low hum. The only sounds you could really hear were the rain and a couple of pairs of heavy footsteps walking around behind you, splashing against the wet pavement.

 “(Y/n)?” A well-spoken voice came from behind you and you quickly whipped around to see Loki and Thor paused in their step on the sidewalk. “What are you doing out here in the pouring rain? You’ll catch a cold dear.” Loki fussed, rushing to your side and covering you with his umbrella. When you didn’t answer, heart caught in your throat as the realisation hit you, Loki noticed. He noticed how your shoulders dropped, your head hanging a little, the odd sniffle here and there as you kept your emotions at bay. “Whatever is the matter, darling?” Loki asked, glancing over his shoulder at Thor to motion him over, heavy hands coming to rest on your shoulders, the towering man stepping up behind you, chest brushing against your back. You didn’t say anything, but Loki noticed before you could even have a chance to force yourself to speak. He saw where your eyes were glued to. “Oh.” Loki said just above a whisper. “Oh (Y/n), I am so sorry.” He murmured, pulling you into a gentle hug, Thor moving around the side to inspect the sign on the door.

 “Why would they not tell you?” Thor pondered, finger pressed up against the window at the sign, head turning to look at you, although his hood blocked his face a little, wisps of blonde hair shifting slightly in the wind, the tips of his long hair getting damp from the rain as they stuck out of the edges of his hood. “Never mind that now, let’s get her somewhere warm, brother.” Loki coaxed you along with him, arm wrapped around you as Thor fell into step with you both, leaving you sandwiched between the two brothers.

 “Let’s walk you to the café across the road, you need to warm up before you catch a cold small one.” Thor’s large hand rested in the middle of your bad as you pressed yourself against his side, the warmth radiating off his figure already starting to warm you up. “Didn’t you see Bucky this morning? Does he know?” Loki questioned as you walked down the street together. “I saw him before he went to work, we went to meet his mum. And no, he doesn’t know.” You shook your head. This was bad. It took you so long just to find this job, you were finally at a point where you were comfortable in your life and now this. The constant worry of having to move to find a job was looming over your head. You could hear the two brothers talking, but it was as if their voices were muffled.

 “There you go, small one.” You were suddenly sat down in the coffee shop, you didn’t even recall walking in and sitting down, but you were here. Thor slid a large cup of hot coffee across the table to you, dropping a few sachets of sugar onto the table next to your cup. Loki settled down opposite you with a cup of tea, Thor clutching a cup of coffee in his hand as he pulled out his chair roughly. “Thank you.” You said quietly, peeling your soaked coat off your cold form. “Darling, take my jumper.” Loki spoke softly, getting up from his seat to take off and give you his woollen jumper. You gladly took it, thanking him as you did and pulled it over your head, the length of the sleeves and the body on you making you smile. You began pouring sugar into your drink and stirring as the two brothers quietly watched you.

 “I called Barnes on our way over, I tried telling you but you zoned out a bit.” Loki tried to catch your eye contact. “What did he say?” You asked. “He said we should take you to your apartment and he’d come over during his lunch break.” Loki explained. “Okay.” You mumbled into your mug, bringing the rim close to your lips to take a sip of the warm, comforting liquid. “Will you stay with me? I get it if you’re both busy.” You murmured. “We’ll stay with you, small one.” Thor gripped your shoulders, gently squeezing.

 “I don’t know what to do.” You huffed; eyes trained on your coffee. “The bookshop was my livelihood.” You sniffled, eyes feeling watery as you let your emotions bubble up to the surface. You took another sip of your coffee, emotions breaking the dam as hot tears rolled down your cheeks. “Oh, (Y/n).” Thor whispered, pulling his chair around to your side “It’ll be alright, darling. I don’t think you’ll be jobless for long, especially since the head of a biker gang is your boyfriend, I’m sure he could pull a few strings, maybe a favour or two.” Loki spoke softly to you as Thor’s arm draped around your shoulder as you leaned into his side.

 After you finished your coffee, warmed up a bit and waited for the rain to die down, the three of your made your way back to your apartment. You kicked off your wet shoes, Loki helping by going to get you some towels from the cupboard while Thor fiddled with your TV, getting something on for the three of you to watch and preparing blankets on the sofa. Whatever the two of them had been doing before they came across you was obviously considered less important than looking after you, and while you felt a little guilty for consuming their morning with your issues, neither of them seemed to mind at all.

 You sat on the sofa, squished between the two brothers, who at this point were like your own two siblings while Tangled played on the TV. Thor seemed absolutely taken by the movie and you quickly realised this was absolutely not the first time he’d seen it when you caught a glimpse of him mouthing the words, not to a song, but to an entire scene of the movie.

 You didn’t even notice when Loki got up to open the door for the two men, you and Thor completely captivated by the movie. It was only when Bucky came to sit beside you, the smell of leather, car oil and his woody, spiced cologne catching your attention. “Hey darlin’.” Bucky’s voice was low and husky, the kind tone he used melted you as you turned to see your boyfriend. Although you’d seen him that morning, it felt like it had been too long with the sadness that came with your bookshop shutting down. Your heart leapt into your throat as you looked up into his deep blue eyes, his arm resting on the sofa behind you, his metal hand on his thigh as he sat facing you. His leather jacket was still on, hair thrown back in a messy low bun, stubble thick and soon to be shaven again. Grease marks around his forehead and some in his hair, you knew he’d have trouble getting that out later when he showered.

 “Did Loki tell you what happened?” You asked softly, not wanting to disturb Thor as he enthusiastically mouthed a song that was playing on screen. “Not in detail, but I know the bookshop got shut down, your manager didn’t tell you and you found out from a sign on the shop front and Loki and Thor found you absolutely soaked.” Bucky gave you a brief rundown of what Loki had told him and you nodded. “I’m so screwed.” You whispered to yourself, not really intending to say that out loud. “No, you’re not.” Bucky shook his head. “Absolutely not, sweetie.” Steve cut in, standing behind the sofa, his hand coming down onto your shoulder.

 “You can come and work at the repair shop for the time being so you can pay your rent until you get back on your feet if you like.” Steve said as he brushed a lock of your hair behind your ear, Bucky swiping his hand away to do it properly. “Really?” You sounded surprised, tears still in your eyes. You’d been on the edge of tears for a few minutes, but the dam broke and hot tears spilled over your cheeks. “You’d do that?” You squeaked out. Of course you could refuse, but why would you? “Or Pep said she might be able to open up a position for you down at the diner. Her and Tony don’t have enough staff with it being on the entry road to the town and all.” Bucky interrupted. “But in the meantime, while they open up something for you, you could help down at the shop for a few weeks if you like. We got an overload of paperwork and marketing needing doing and we need someone, doll.” Bucky cupped your cheek gently, wiping your outburst of tears away with the pads of his thumbs as his hands cradled your face.

It wasn’t long after that, that Bucky and Steve left to have lunch and go back to work, promising to take you out to the diner later for milkshakes and dinner with anyone who would come.

“Small one, Barnes loves you more than anyone I’ve ever seen him around.” Thor smiled widely; eyes trained on the TV screen. You’d spent the rest of the afternoon with Thor watching movies after Bucky and Steve had to return to work and Loki left to run errands, leaving you alone with the big softie. “His last girlfriend was uh-.” He cut himself off, shifting awkwardly on the sofa, glancing across at you. “He told me about her, she sounded like she was more in it for the sex than the relationship.” You finished for him. Thor hummed, nodding. “She wasn’t the best for him, we all tried to tell him. Poor guy was so in love he didn’t see it at first.” Thor spoke low, so not to interrupt Star Wars episode five too much. “I think he knows he’s in love this time, because he sees that you’re good for him.” Thor thinks out loud, fiddling with the blanket that was half heartedly draped over him. “You think I’m good for him?” You ask, looking over at him, your attention now on the conversation rather than the movie. “We all do.” He nodded, tucking his blonde hair behind his ear, glancing between you and the TV.

 “I think you ground him, he’s so caught up in the biker life, everything revolving around his group and bikes. You’re a different perspective.” Thor went on, eyes glued to the AT-AT fight on Hoth. He paused as he watched the scene, waiting for the cool bit to be over before he started talking again. “I think he’s good for you too.” Thor mumbled; a bit too distracted by the movie to really talk in depth again.

 “I can’t believe that!” Wanda raged, arms flailing, almost knocking over her milkshake. “How could they just not tell you?” She frowned, Sam nodding furiously next to her as you leant on the diner table. “Why’d he have to leave it to the day of the shop closing to say something?” Wanda was far more enraged by your sudden loss of employment than you imagined her to be. Steve, who was sat on the other side of her, gestured for her to lower her voice, the other patrons in Pepper’s diner turning to see what all the commotion was about. “That does sound unreasonable.” Peter agreed from beside you, Bucky’s metal arm draped over your shoulders as you glanced at Peter. “I know.” You sighed, shoulders dropping a little. “Hey, on the bright side, you get to work closer with us now!” Peter beamed up at you. “Pepper is trying to convince Tony to make a spot for you.” He repeated the news the boys had told you earlier. “I really appreciate everything you guys are doing for me; you really don’t have to do it though.” You smiled gratefully around the table, catching all of their eyes. Everyone had made sure you were okay. As soon as the word got out about your situation, the entire group was at your beck and call, running to your aid to try and cheer you up. “We absolutely do.” Wanda answered before anyone else could, voice stern as her finger pointed at you. She was really mad about it, but you appreciated the passion she showed for your wellbeing.

 “Honestly, as I see it, it was the only right thing to do.” Steve continued the conversation after a short pause. “We’re a family, you’re part of that (Y/n). I’d feel terrible if I didn’t offer up a spot for you, even if I didn’t really need someone to do paperwork for me.” Steve admitted, a lopsided smile on his face as your gaze met his. “Since you two met, I feel like we’ve become fast friends, I see you more like a sibling than just my best friend’s girlfriend.” Steve grinned widely, a little pink blush on his cheeks. Holy shit that’s cute. “You do?” You squeaked out, cheeks burning bright red, a huge grin on your lips. “I love you Stevie- I mean love as in like not love, love, but love as in kinda love.” You stuttered out, a few chuckles from around the table. Steve shook his head as he chuckled, Bucky squeezing your side tightly as a laugh rumbled through his chest. If you weren’t already blushing madly, you were now as red as a tomato as you nervously giggled to yourself. Such a way with words. “I kinda love you too, (Y/n).” Steve chuckled, hand landing gently on yours and squeezing a little before he went back to cupping his milkshake glass.

 “We all kinda love you, (Y/n), except for Bucky, he really loves you.” Sam teased, winking a few times at you both, causing Bucky to scoff in response. “I more than really love you, doll.” Bucky whispered in your ear, only for you to hear, causing you to blush and giggle shyly. “Ooh sharing sweet nothings there, Barnes?” Sam teased. “Shut it Wilson.” Bucky glowered at him, Steve chuckling at the exchange. “What did he say to ya?” Sam asked. Perfect opportunity for the unsuspecting jokester. “He told me how he’s going to kick you out.” You deadpanned, face void of expression. Steve almost choked on his milkshake, Peter pausing mid sip, Wanda had a knowing grin on her face as she exchanged looks with Bucky. The table fell silent, Sam wasn’t too sure that you were even joking by your incredible ability to keep a straight face. He was only thrown off when Bucky finally cracked next to you, letting out a hearty chuckle, the others soon following. “That was cold.” Sam pointed at you, a large smile on his face. “It’s always the quiet ones.” He shook his head, making the remark more to himself than anyone else.

 You sat and talked with your friends, chatting with Wanda, making stupid remarks with Steve, groaning and laughing at Sam’s jokes, giggling to Peter’s awkward stories and enjoying the sweet words Bucky would whisper into your ear. You were with your real family. The real family that loved you and supported you the way you needed them to.

You were home.

______________________________

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[ivybucky]

cookies and cable-knit sweaters (s.r.)

prompt: baking christmas cookies puts you in the best mood

A/N: this is day 2 of 12 Days of Winter fics! Knives Out and chris evans in that sweater got me feeling all sorts of things and I thought it was the perfect plot for Steve fluff. Some of my best friends have never had snickerdoodles??? ridiculous 

author: abby

words: 1395

pairing: steve rogers x reader

song i’m listening: winter song - leslie odom jr.

Cinnamon and sugar wafted through the air. 

The soft hum of your voice softly echoed down the hall, the melody of a slow rendition of ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas” filling the moment went sound. Steve felt dragged down the hall to the kitchen like a cartoon smelling a freshly baked pie. 

In leggings, one of Steve’s sweatshirts you stole from the laundry, and apron, you swayed gently to the music playing in your head as you measured out cups of sugar. 

“Good morning, Y/N,” Steve hummed, taking in your relaxed appearance, marveling in the simple beauty of you. “What’s got you up so early, doll?” 

You flushed at the nickname and the rough, sleepy voice of America’s wonderboy. You turned towards him with a grin trying to mask your redness. You took in his disheveled look, blonde hair sticking up in directions it shouldn’t, loose sweats hanging low on his hips, and t-shirt sitting off on his broad shoulders. “It’s almost Christmas, so I thought I would make everyone some cookies.” 

Steve huffed out a lazy laugh. “At seven in the morning?” 

“Well, I’m making a lot,” you chuckled. “Lord knows you’ll eat one batch alone.”

Steve smiled sheepishly, leaning his back and hips on the counter next to where you were working, crossing his arms over chest. The t-shirt strained against his biceps, causing your eyes to flit down to the material before meeting his eyes again. “I’m sorry you make the best food in the world. I just can’t help but eat it all.” 

You giggled, “I’m just teasing, Steve.” You looked at him with soft eyes. “You know I’d make anything you’d want.” 

Steve growled, sending a shudder down your back. “Don’t tempt me, Y/N/N,” he chuckled. “What kind are you making right now?” 

Your grin widened as you looked back at the ingredients in front of you. “Snickerdoodles! They’re my favorite.”

Steve’s brows furrowed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had those,” he said, eliciting a gasp from you. 

“What?!” You stared at him in disbelief as he shoveled one of the countless sugar cookies already baked on the counter. A star shaped one with red sugar on it. “But they’re so good!”

Steve chuckled at your disappointed frown. “Maybe I can help you make them then,” he cleared his throat before stuttering. “That is if you want my help, doll.”

You blushed at the thought of spending the day with Steve doing your favorite activity. You smiled looking up at him, nodding. “Go get your apron on, Cap.” 

You chuckled as Steve smiled widely before jogging down the hallway to change clothes, sliding around the corner into his room in his socks. For an old man, he sure acted like a child.

____

Adorned in a white cable-knit sweater, jeans, and some leather boots, Steve bumbled into the kitchen with a large smile on his face. He quickly made his way to the pantry, grabbing a red apron from a hook and not paying much attention as he looked at you. “What do you want me to do?” he questioned, pulling the apron over his neck before tying it around his waist. 

You couldn’t help but giggle at the sight standing before you. His flushed cheeks, eyes full of excitement, and an apron that read “kiss the cook.” Deciding not to mention it, you waved him over to your side. “So first we gotta beat the sugar and butter together, like this,” you motioned as you used an electric beater in the bowl in front of you. 

Steve watched with furrowed brows and a tight lipped frown in concentration as you smoothly walk him through the steps of making the snickerdoodles. The way your face lit up when giving him instructions. As he rolls cookie dough in cinnamon and sugar he ponders, “So how did you get so good at baking?”

You smiled softly, rolling dough alongside him. “My grandmother used to bake and cook every single day. After school, I would spend afternoons with her waiting for my mom to come back. It was always comforting to spend time baking with her. It just kinda became a habit to bake when I was feeling down or needed a pick me up ya know.”

Steve smiled, turning towards you and leaning his side against the counter. “It sounds like y’all were close. What made you wanna bake so much today? Something gotcha down, doll?” Worry clouded his voice.

“I don’t know,” you sighed, “I think this time of year always get me down and lonely, ya know? It’s hard getting through the holidays alone.”

“But you’re not alone, Y/N,” he put his hand on yours, stopping your movement. “I - the team,” he corrected himself. “We’re always gonna be here for you.”

“I know,” you gave his hand a squeeze. “I just wish I could share this holiday with someone other than family if that makes sense.” You looked at Steve, his mouth parted as if he was about to speak. A timer went off behind you, signaling that the batch in the oven was done. 

“Oh shit,” you whispered, wiping your sugar covered hands on your Christmas apron. 

_______

You and Steve continued to make your batch of cookies, your conversation not leaving Steve’s mind. You meant the world to him and knowing that you’d been feeling lonely when all he wanted was to be yours. 

You stuck your batch into oven, taking off your apron and hoping on the only empty space on the countertop, letting your feet dangle. Smiling wide at Steve, you grabbed a candy-cane shaped cookie with red sugar on it and shoved it in your mouth, just as he did before. You giggled when crumbs started falling in your lap. Steve chuckled, pointing towards your mouth. “You uh- you got a little something there.”

The back of your hand, moved to brush off the crumbs, missing entirely. “Did I get it?”

Steve grinned, “Haha no, let me get it.”

He moved to stand in front of you between your legs. You held your breath at his closeness as he swept his thumb over your bottom lip, gathering what crumbs were left there. He brought his thumb up to his mouth without hesitation, gently sucking the sugary taste off. His eyes met yours, noticing your blushed cheeks, and widened pupils. Nervously, he moved his hand to cup your cheek. You leaned in without hesitation.

“I know you feel alone right now, Y/N,” he said quietly, his thumb gently brushing your cheekbone. “But you don’t have to be.” He rested his forehead against yours. 

“Steve,” you whispered, breath entangling with his. “I’m about to listen to your apron.”

Confused, Steve pulled back just enough to look down at the white lettering on the front of his apron. Looking back up at you with realisation, you pulled him against you. His soft lips pressed against yours, tongue tasting yours. Sugary sweet, just like you. 

Your hands wound their way into his, pulling him impossibly close to you as his hands tightened around your waist. Steve fucking moaned against you, the feeling of you being too much to handle. Your lungs started to sting from the lack of air. You pulled back from Steve, his lips chasing yours, hungry for more. 

“Fuck,” he cussed in a whisper, leaning his forehead on your shoulder. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.” He laid a kiss on your neck, causing you to hum. 

“I think we can just agree we were both idiots for not doing that sooner,” you giggled breathlessly, fingers running through the hair on the nape of his neck. Suddenly, he sat up straight and looked you in the eye with determination. 

“Let me take you on a date,” he practically demanded. You laughed. 

“What, like right now?”

“No, silly,” he rolled his eyes taking your hands in his. “We can wait for the cookies to finish baking and then I’ll take you out.”

You smiled, rested a hand on his neck. “I’d love nothing more.” 

His smile widened, nearly blinding you. He brought is hand up to your chin, pulling you into another long kiss. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you smiled into the kiss knowing you wouldn’t have to spend the holidays alone this year.

_____

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[imagine-loki]

Till We Meet Again

TITLE: Till We Meet Again

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 19/?

AUTHOR: marvelgirlonamarlvelworld (side blog)

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki being mesmerized by a girl whose eyes remind him of the Bifrost

Imagine that Loki would visit you when you were a child, persuading you into mischief and cheering you up with his magic tricks, you assumed he was imaginary. 

RATING: M

NOTES/WARNINGS: Graphic depiction of violence, death, angst, a little bit of humor.

A/N 2: yay! Another chapter! There are still a bizillion errors, really sorry about that as well as the eternal wait for me to update. Feedback is always appreciated as well as likes, comments and reblogs <3

-

    Click.

    The door closed as the chime of keys against glass disrupted the still house.

    Ah, home sweet home.

    Luna closed her eyes and rested her back against the varnished surface of the door; its coolness cast shivers down her spine. She only needed a moment, a brief stance to lay down her guard, to let all that guilt diminish to ash.

    Sweet silence placed its arms around her and embraced her sweetly, pleasantly although the familiar pressure of Loki’s aura meshed with it. He was somewhere in the house. Close. The bright hue of his aura spoke tenfold of his restlessness, unease. Loki was idling for her, if not expectant for her to go to him. 

    He was mutely calling.

    Luna opened her eyes and was greeted by the dim-lit ceiling where shadows stretched from the living room lights. It took her a moment, another stance, enough will power to raise her head and face the void which had become the end of the hall. The only source of light not being enough to shape the darkness out. 

    And unlike the child she once was, frighted of the dark, Luna now embraced it with open arms and walked forward to it. One step after the other, completely ignoring Loki, drowning him out and focusing instead on her empty stomach.

    How she still managed to have an appetite after the days she just had? Luna could not tell.     Though she couldn’t help to sense she’d forgotten something…     Sweet silence continued to accompany Luna as she stood in the middle of the kitchen, her hands on her sides, drumming against her outer thighs, with her eyes wandering about. She knew the trail to the fridge, had memorized where everything stood, so to walk in the dark was as easy as pie.

    Soon the yellow fridge light showered her form as she held the door and rummaged through it. The cool breeze from inside placated her momentarily. But it was then when that inexplicable sensation of misplacement cleared to a single word: groceries.

    “Ugh,” Luna groaned and hung her head low. The fridge was near empty.

    Resigned, the brunette of rainbow eyes closed the fridge as the kitchen lights blinked to life and mantled it all in white light.

    Luna did not dart, did not even flinch as she stood with her feet nailed to the ground. Not even the death grip to the handle of the fridge was eased as she sighed and closed her eyes. For she had hoped to avoid Loki for the night. But now it appeared confrontation was imminent. Even if she didn’t want it to, the fast beating of her heart told her so.

    “You’re home,” said an all-too-familiar voice, even-toned yet somehow morbid and cold. Cautious. 

    However, Luna did not turn around. She didn’t know how to confront the unsolved problems she’d left behind.

    What to say, how to act, Luna was too exhausted to maintain the appearance of being mad! And to not speak at all seemed too harsh somehow…but Loki deserved that, right?

    “Luna.”

    His voice brought her back. And it was then when she finally grew enough strength to turn around and face the one whose eyes turned her legs to led.

    Wearing denim jeans and a simple white shirt, Loki stood there, as handsome as ever with those Midgardian garments complemented with a pair of gray-toned flat boots. His skin, pale like a ghost, an ephemeral entity, refined marble. A blackout mane swiftly combed back while droplets still cascaded down from time to time. And those eyes, a pair of emeralds, so cryptic yet so, so telling. Heavens he was a sight for sore eyes.

    Not to mention the fit of the shirt, the pronunciation of his well-kept figure…

    Luna opened her mouth, yet her voice did not come out. And quickly she pursed her lips and cleared her throat.

    Damn him! She screeched deep within. Damn him! Damn him for being so fucking flawless when she was trying so hard to grasp her wits so she could continue to be angry!

    “Luna, can we talk?” Loki begged with eyes drowning, twinkling in hope. “I wish to apologi…”

    Luna raised her brows as she rapidly opened her mouth, “I…I’m going out for…for some groceries,” she stammered while she fidgeted with her fingers. A habit she’d gotten from Loki. “I’ll be I’ll be…um wanna…uh, want to com…want anything?” Her eyes never darted from his form. Luna bit her tongue after the stupidity that was close to coming out of her mouth.

    Way to go, Luna! Way to go! Acting nervous when you should be furious!

    Surprise and hesitance were plainly reflected in Loki; his widened eyes and parted lips spoke truth of such. He too was not expecting such an offer after the events that’d unfolded int he past.

    “I appreciate your offer,” Loki half-smiled, weary, embarrassed.

    “So?” Luna ceased to fidget her fingers. “You want something?”

    “I…I want nothing,” he declined. After all, all he ever wished was standing right in front of him, to embrace Luna and plead for forgiveness.

    “Are you sure?”

    “Yes,” Loki responded calmly, nervously. “Though I…”

    “Alright,” Luna interrupted Loki again as she neared the main hall, and payed deaf ears to his second attempt at an apology. “Be back in an hour.”

    An hour. His throat went dry. For if he spent another hour in his own company guilt-tripping himself he’d go mad! Loki needed to speak to Luna now! “Wait!” He followed Luna, “I’ll accompany you.”

    “WhAt?” Luna stopped on her tracks, already groaning internally, already boiling down a fitting excuse, “I…”

    “I think…darling, now more than ever should you not go about on your own,” Loki excused himself.

    Luna closed her eyes and brushed her hair back though got caught in a few knots and breathed in. “I can take care of myself.”

    “I insist,” he gestured.

    “Then stop insisting!” 

    “I will not stop insisting!” Loki deadpanned. “I understand you are angry with me, I respect that. But I will not stay here and wait when you’re out there in danger! Please!”

    “Alright!” Luna ceded in the end, not wishing to fight again, and glared at Loki who stood victorious before her. “Let’s go.”

    At least he’d won this time, and perhaps this would weave another opportunity for him to speak. “Very well, but Luna,” His brows creased upon a surfacing ponder, “your vehicle…”

    Right away the brunette of rainbow eyes slowed down, almost stopping on her tracks before turning her head. Her nervous eyes quickly met his emerald gaze, not wishing to speak on the vehicle she had…borrowed.

-

    There was a Deja vú sense to the situation. Every single aspect appeared a repetition, a bizarre mirage of a re-lived time.

    The store was the same one, Luna had come many times in the past, but there was more to that. Even the mere hush that accompanied both as they strolled through the aisle had the same lightness from weeks back. Yet there was an emptiness this time, something missing, a lost piece. Perhaps it was the emptiness of Luna’s hands. To feel the coolness of Loki’s hands…deep down she missed that. But it wasn’t that. 

    Luna cleared her throat and stopped on her tracks before she turned around; though not before she faced Loki who stood by her side. “Wait here,” her cold eyes met with the trickster’s searching eyes, “I forgot to get a basket.”

    Loki only nodded, pursed his lips as if he wished to object but didn’t, and watched Luna walk off to the front of the store.

    As she did so, she continued to dwell, to search her head about this hole that’d formed, about this piece that was lost, about this Deja vú of some sort. For the only difference she could find, was the Asgardian was not the same Asgardian accompanying her from those times. Not the blond mane and sapphire eyes, not the same warm smile.

    To think of such an individual made a lump form in Luna’s throat. But it was better to forget about him for now. His memory only brought her anguish. It was better if she martyred herself later with it.

    Now her hands did not feel as empty as she walked back to Loki. She could live with this artificial coolness for a moment; however, that moment came to an end as she approached the trickster who quietly, gently took from her hand the basket. And his eyes spoke, pleaded for her to cede, to accept his gesture.

    “I…I got it,” Luna tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

    “Luna, please,” Loki pleaded quietly.

    Luna shifted her weight and pursed her lips. She was gonna stand her ground when a thought crossed her mind; payback. Thus her fingers eased as the cool thin metal of the handle disappeared from under her fingertips. “Fine.”

    The Asgardian accompanying her was no true Asgardian at all. A gentleman in his right, remarkably like the other one, if not more than the other.

    “Don’t think this changes anything,” her tone was dry, cold as she strode and began to sort her mind to select what to buy.

    Loki was only left to nod in silence and follow behind, to watch amusedly, very much as his brother had done on the past. And to glare vainly at other shoppers whenever they stared for too long, being completely the opposite of what Thor had done.

    This time tomatoes were not in Luna’s mind as they reached the back of the store. A carton of eggs, milk, some cups of yogurt, Luna recalled they were at the far left side. Bread was in aisle five, spices in aisle one. Perhaps some ham, and fresh vegetables to make a salad, yes, she recalled the latter was at the far right on the other side.

    Just as she’d done before, she studied carefully the content of the carton and handed it to Loki to place gently in the basket. Though she couldn’t help but chuckle at his perplexed expression as other shoppers passed him by.

    Luna smiled maliciously as she moved onto the big fridges. A whoosh of cool air slapped her face as she reached for a carton of milk. She could feel Loki’s gaze as she opened the next door where the yogurts were stored. “You know, I just remembered something.”

    Loki said nay but eyed Luna eagerly, attentive to her.

    The two walked to aisle five.

    “I used to do this with Thor, you know,” Luna said after some time as she placed a loaf of bread in the basket. She couldn’t help but notice as Loki gulped and tensed his jaw. She half-smiled. “He would tag along,” the two moved on to aisle one, “helped me with groceries. He always came after missions and we would spend time, cook something, dine together…”

    Loki fisted his hands. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and own. No longer where his eyes emerald green but musky pine.

    Luna hummed while she chose three small bottles from the variety of herbs and spices; thyme, basil, and some garlic powder.

    “He even used to hold the basket for me,” Luna murmured. Though she knew Loki had heard. She knew so by the way his aura flared and pressed against hers. Loki was furious if not…jealous.

    But he had it coming. Make him suffer just a little. Perhaps make him feel betrayed…in a way.

    Was it petty? Yes.

    Was it tied directly to what had made her mad, to the actual problem subject?…not at all. 

    But at least Luna was amusing herself after so much stress, even if it was at the cost of making things worse. After all, how much did she have to lose if Loki already knew every single thing from her past? How much did the opal-eyed have to gain if the trickster had already robbed her of the opportunity of going to him in time, to speak to him of her past?

    Loki already knew she was adopted, that she use to be a sick child, one bound to die once, but could no longer do so because of that serum. Lest to mention her parents…yeah, Loki knew everything. Her whole life laid on that dusty desk inside the library.

    “I miss him.” Luna heard Loki suck in a breath. “Thor was…” she chuckled, “well, Thor. Always so understanding…”

    Loki continued to walk beside Luna. Ever so slightly he lowered his head and harden his glare. Her words were prickling him. “Was he?”

    “Yes,” Luna smiled a smile which disguised her true melancholy and enjoyment. Her hands picked a Dole pack of Romain lettuce and placed it in the basket. “He never pressed me about things…” Luna handed a bag of spinach to Loki, “like the past.”

    “I get it! Alright!” Loki spat.

    Luna froze on her place as several heads turned toward them. Her eyes glared daggers at Loki whose scowl was equally shaded by fury and hurt. Deep down Luna was grinning.

    She’d achieved her objective.

    “Luna…” his eyes softened and his voice lowered, “ I am sorry.”

    She wished to believe his apology; however, she couldn’t forget what he’d said before; how he was not sorry about what he’d done.

    And her lips curved into a half-smile. “I wish I could believe that.”

    Loki’s face dropped, became a poem of woe upon her words. 

    Luna drifted her head to her surroundings only to find peering eyes glued one them; an old couple and two parents with their children. But it was a pair of white-collared men which captured her attention; a blond-haired man and another with short brown hair. They too were peeking.

    Right away the hairs at the nape of her neck stood on end as a chill prickled down her spine.

    “People are watching. Come on, trickster, we have to go.”

    There was something about those two men that did not seem right.

    Without thinking twice, Luna took Loki’s hand and dragged him to the front of the store where, to her luck, the cashiers were empty. This action, however, caught the prince off guard.

    As the two placed their items in the band, Luna grasped enough courage to turn her head back. To her surprise and chilling suspicions, she found not two but three men in suits not so far behind. Thankfully Loki had not noticed their presence.

    The young cashier finished scanning her groceries as he mentioned the total amount. Luna discreetly conjured a hundred dollar bill.

    “Keep the change,” she said as she took the receipt and proceeded to bag her items with aid of Loki. “Thank you.”

    At a fast pace, both lovers strolled out, each with a bag in hand.

    It was surprisingly chilly out on the streets (given the time of year and how Autumn lay distantly near). The moon was gone. Yet the same bustle and free-spirited energy remained unchanged. It was as if the city remained deaf, oblivious of what unfolded within itself.

    Luna and Loki walked side by side. No words said. Their eyes repelled from each other.

    To Luna’s melancholy, they passed by the same farmers market stands she had passed along with Thor a while back. She couldn’t help but smile.

    She really missed her good friend. And it was cynical, in a way, to hope Thor was okay. But Luna hoped he was. 

    Though the three men still haunted her head as they crossed another block. To her dismay, she had parked the car farther from the store this time; traffic was a nightmare as always; and parking, much worse.

    Luna was still caught up in her mind, was still trapped in a fog of thoughts that she didn’t notice the pedestrian light had turned red and almost walked into traffic. But abruptly a hand grasped her arm and tugged her back to the sidewalk.

    Her eyes raised to meet Loki’s whose alarmed glare contrasted greatly.

    “Are you alright?” He asked, gently easing his grip.

    “Yeah,” Luna blinked and stared off to the traffic. It was better if Loki not knew what haunted her. “Just want to get home that’s all. Sorry.”

    She turned her head back and noticed the same three men standing back a few feet, their hands raised from time to time to their mouths as they communicated through their completely inconspicuous coms. Coincidence became a sibling of the past.

    Loki glanced down to Luna with stern eyes and pursed lips. He had seen the lie in her eyes, in the nervous continuous blink and aversion of her gaze. Yet the pedestrian light switched green and could not say a thing but only walk beside her to the other side.

    “Excuse me?” An unfamiliar voice reached their ears.

    Loki and Luna ceased walking as an overbearing sinking feeling nestled in their chests yet they hid it behind a serious unbothered facade. “Luna? Miss Foyete?”

    Both turned and were greeted by the same blond of short hair Luna had seen before. He couldn’t be more than thirty judging by his semblance. The friendly smile displayed on his face did not meet his eyes, however. They were blue like the arctic waters, bitter in danger.

    “Yes?” They both spoke in unison. Both voices tight, tense, filled with disguised nerves.

    Already could Luna feel Loki’s cool fingers snake around her wrist, adding pressure slightly, resembling a second pulse. That was his way of speaking without using his voice, of telling his assurance and high alertness to her.

    “Sorry to barge into your evening,” the blond excused himself and smiled before flashing a badge at her face of his credentials. Unfortunately, his motion was too quick, Luna did not view completely the imprinted data. “I’m agent Larson, these here are my colleagues,” he motioned to the other two men accompanying him; the one on his left a broody black-haired with brown eyes and the one on his right also blond with long hair and blue eyes. “We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

    “Is something wrong…uh, agent?” Loki stepped in with a smirk as he discreetly squeezed Luna’s wrist. 

    “Well, yes,” the blond tilted his head but never broke eye contact with Luna. “If you…both please follow us,” he then gestured and narrowed his eyes, “I promise it’ll only take a few minutes of your time.”

    Utter distrust reflected in Loki’s eyes as he smiled wide and his eyes crinkled in the process as he nodded. “Ah, I see.”

    Slowly, Loki’s touch disappeared from Luna’s wrist. She didn’t need to think twice what was to come for it all unfolded right then in less than a minute.

    Loki grabbed the man’s collar and headbutted him before he shoved the blond against one of his companions and swung the grocery bag he was holding against the third man to his left.

    Well, there goes four dollars spent on eggs… 

    Already curious eyes crowded and froze as they witnessed mayhem unfold.

    “RUN!” 

    “She’s on the move…” was all Luna heard one of the men say before bustle became a fading whoosh.

    The trickster hissed as he clasped his hand to Luna’s and sprinted. Locks of hair swayed violently against the strong current of air. 

    “Who…!”

    “I don’t know!” Luna responded between heavy sucks of breath. “Could be SHIELD, or them.” 

    Either way, it was bad. They knew her name.

    Pushing and dodging, Loki and Luna continued to flee. Heaving and gasping, their hands still held each other yet the bags were long gone. To have each other close was all that mattered and what all came down to.

    “The car!” Loki raised his voice.

    “We already…passed it!” Yes. The street where she had parked it had been long passed. Yet going back meant stumbling upon unwanted presence. It wasn’t worth it.

    Feeling their stomachs sink as curiosity and adrenaline continued to pump through their blood, Luna turned her head back only to find five men in black! All suits chasing after them. With guns in hand but failing to point and shoot at them thanks to passersby.

    “This way!” Luna signaled the moment they reached a corner street and pulled Loki to her right.

    Empty streets and yellow lights greeted the two as their footsteps ricocheted against the building walls. Not a single soul roamed by to pry, not one became a witness of their escape except the barely visible stars meekly twinkling in the blackout night.

    “Please tell me you placed an illusion or a spell on us before,” Loki rasped out of breath, unable to hear himself through the mad hammer of his heart and the loudness of his footsteps.

    Luna almost stopped on her tracks, almost fell face first as her stomach sunk violently. Now she realized her mistake, the reason why they’d recognized her.

    “Shit!”

    Loki rolled his eyes and chuckled sardonically, out of breath, as he pulled Luna to an alley where darkness laid. Nothing but a few trashcans stood by the damp walls. However, they remained by the mouth of the alley for they knew to go further meant facing a dead end.

    “We’ll wait here,” Loki rested his back against the cold wall and gazed out to the yellow-lit street. Still, his chest raised and lowered rapidly.

    Luna breathed in as she miscalculated her distance and hit her back on the wall in an attempt to lean against it. “Okay,” she winced, “we have five people trying to kill us right now, what are we supposed to do? Just wait?!” She hissed as thoughts came and went.

    Who were those men? They certainly knew her, a least recognized her but not Loki. At this point, she didn’t know if the latter was good or not…they would’ve recognized Loki if it were SHIELD though. Luna squeezed the bridge of her nose before folding her arms. Ugh, whoever they were and whatever they wanted was unknown to Luna, or at least she couldn’t think of a reason through the burning of her lungs.

    “Um, darling?” Loki interjected her train of thought as shadows danced in the backdrop of footsteps as they took form. “It’s actually eight.”

    “Oh, sorry I wasn’t specific enough!” Luna barked back distractedly as she turned to glare at Loki just for that ire of fury diminished to fear.

    Loki and Luna stood upright, side by side, as they faced their unwanted followers who began to prowl by. She recognized the blond from before who now paraded with a gash on his forehead along with a twisted grimace.

    One, two, three steps forward.

    One, two, three steps backward.

    It was an undesired waltz as the unknown enemy neared. And more and more did both winded up corralled in a ratio two to eight with no possibilities of getaway.

    “What do you want,” Luna asked the blond. 

    “US?” Their hands were locked and loaded, ready to fire through hooded eyes and a simple pull to the minuscule latch. “Nothing. We’re just here to take care of unfinished business.”

    Luna cocked her brow, her breath almost threatening to falter. Almost giving in to the poison of her nerves. “Who? Me or him?” She pointed to Loki, “who the hell sent you?”

    “Someone you know,” the blond’s featured hardened, contracted through shadows and raised his gun. His finger lay against the trigger. Awaiting. “They worry you’re no longer on their side.”

    At least her questions were placed to rest. It was them. HYDRA.

    “I would never give them away,” Luna smirked feeling her hands growing cold and sweaty. “I know where my loyalty is.”

    His shoulders broadened. Tensed in wanton to his hands soon acting.

    In a blink, Loki stepped forth in front of Luna. Her stomach dropped as her soul was showered in waves of cold bitter panic. Yet she did not flinch and instead held her breath with eyes wide. For one wrong move and all hell would break loose.

    “Let us leave and no harm will fall upon you,” Loki’s posture equally matched the man behind the trigger, however, his hands lay at his sides. 

    “Coming in to save the day, eh?” the blond mocked. A smirk adorned his face as he swung his gun at Loki. Yet the trickster dodged it swiftly and came to grip the man’s wrist and added pressure gradually until soft cracking and screams reached Luna’s ears.

    The gun lay on the damp ground. And soon he too laid on his knees though Luna could not see. She didn’t dare to anyway. 

    Luna could already imagine his face twisted in pain, drowned in anguish. With his frightened eyes, glassy paled. And his aura flaring erratically against everyone else’s.

    But it was several clicking noises which drew her attention away from his desperation. From imagining his pain. She knew what they were.

    Thinking quickly Luna stepped aside and lifted her hand as a cloud of green formed ethereally around it. And soon that same glitter of green enveloped all pointed guns before they flew off of their hands. Their stunned faces against the limited source of light brought some comfort and egotistical satisfaction to Luna as they gawked at her before striving to near the two and attack.

    Loki only stood imposingly over the blond whose face was a painful poem as he let go of his wrist and focused on the other seven. 

    Another swung at Loki who dodged his strike and responded back with a punch and a kick that sent him flying just as a cloud of green overtook his body and crashed him on the wall. His unconscious body fell to the ground while Loki and the others glared at Luna with wide eyes. 

    The ratio two to eight may have had a huge difference then but the advantage certainly lad in the smaller number.

    “Alright, who’s next?” Her eyes had the same glow of green as she declared. “Oh, I know! Why not everybody?! Well,” she added, “just seven. I’ll leave the eighth for later.”

    Luna raised her hands and allowed her newly discovered (to Loki) telekinetic abilities to toy with gravity’s pull. Soon all seven men, except Loki and the blond, were rigid and suspended in the air. Their frightened whimpers only fueled both Loki and Luna’s seldom.

    Loki momentarily peered at Luna before his glare lowered to the blond who cradled his wrist with a trembling hand. “You pointed a meager gun at her,” the trickster snarled as his shoe brutally met against his side.

    Whimpers and dry cough and desperate heaves for air reached Luna’s ears as her eyes darted from her attackers to Loki who leaned down to pick up the man’s gun.

    “Loki,” his name was tainted in warning, disguised an unspoken plea as his name left Luna’s mouth. Her hand still remained in the air, glowing in the black alley, creating shadows and forms. To lower one and impede Loki’s actions meant to lose momentum, power, and all her attackers would fall like rocks brushed by violent winds. “Loki!”

    Their eyes met monetarily. There was a grimace on his face. But his eyes wandered back to the helpless fool that’d unleashed his wrath, his psychotic side. “Now I need not mention what your fate will be.”

    Pop!

    Luna flinched and looked away. Gulped the lump of nerves as her strengths almost deflected, as her magic almost withered.

    Seeing death so closely had never been a thing she’d ever gotten used to.

    Loki turned back and walked towards her. It took her all her strength not to flinch away as he stood next to her.

    “You didn’t have to do that.”

    “Loose ends always come back around to strike back,” Loki recited unemotionally. “The price is greater next time around. Luck will not be on our sides then.”

    Luna huffed and pursed her lips. She hated to admit Loki was correct. For it was better if HYDRA still thought she was on her own, that she acted on her own.

    Loki raised his hand, gun loaded, ready.

    “Wait!” Luna blurted out as her eyes noticed his finger rest gently against the trigger. “I got it.”

    Loki lowered back the gun and nodded. 

    Luna breathed in through her nose and slowly closed her hands into fists, the soft glow of green mellowly turning blue glowed against her skin, shone in her yes which memorized every single face of the seven as air failed to reach their lungs minute after minute. Second after second. Their heartbeats slowly diminished. Their limbs flinched and twitched like fish stranded out of water. Soon all light from their eyes became a cloud.

    Luna lowered a hand and breathed in. Her right fist still remained in the air, tightly gripping nothing but her disappointment as it trembled. The soft glow of green meshing to blue faded away into the dark and their lifeless bodies fell to the ground.

    Again darkness placated them. Silence too, made itself present. Luna abhorred it.

    Most times she was the one to infiltrate while others played distraction; other times it was the opposite. For she’d never been trained to directly annihilate. No deaths. That was her condition. Not one died regardless of who he/she was until the couple of times she was faced to injure her attacker; however, it had never escalated until the picnic incident and this instance.

    She’d broken her rule. And regardless it was the enemy, despite the fact her life and Loki’s were in danger, to kill always made a sickening feeling nestle in her chest.

    Loki took her hand and gently squeezed it as he led her out of the alley. The streets still remained empty, mute to the scenes that’d unfolded.

    “I spoke to Thor today,” Luna confessed with her eyes lost in the void of space.

    “What?” Loki turned to her. His gentle touch did not go away.

    “Matt ‘advised’ me to,” Luna added and chuckled unemotionally, “now that I think of it it was a test, one that I didn’t pass apparently. They know they can’t truly trust me. This proves it,” she referred to what jus had happened, “this was just a warning.”

    Loki nodded in understanding, wishing to press in the matter yet he held himself back.

    “Come on,” Luna raised her head and pulled Loki to follow her in the opposite way.

    “Where to?”

    “We have to get your scepter before they find a way to where I’ve hidden it. HYDRA always finds everything.”

[dead-inside-like-loki]

As it Cools by the Windowsill (one shot?):

Y/N danced around her kitchen, the air smelled of sweet confections. She was once again preparing a large array of baked goods for an online order from her independent bakery. All that was left for her to do was cool the pie and frost the cookies. She carefully set the pie atop the windowsill before turning to the table where roughly two hundred macrons awaited filling and a hundred and fifty sugar cookies needed decorating. Needless to say she’d be busy for the next few hours.

Y/N hummed along to the radio while she piped filling onto macron after macron. About an hour later she had finished piping, she began frosting the cookies. Once she finished bagging the now completed desserts, she turned to take the pie only to discover it was gone. The tin was there with a note in elegant handwriting that said ‘It was delicious, Thank you. -L’. She had to admit that she was rather cross. It had taken quite a bit of time and effort to make that pie so perfect. How rude of them to simply steal it and leave a note. She figured this ‘L’ was probably just one of the neighborhood kids and decided to brush it off, setting to work on a new pie.

The next few weeks became an unfortunately familiar cycle. Y/N would bake an astonishing tart only to find it pillaged by the mysterious ‘L’, who never failed to leave a thank you note. She was beginning to wonder who exactly was to blame for all the extra work she was having to put into baking. After some pondering she formed a simple plan to set the pie to cool and wait outside for whoever dared to try and take it. The next day she set to doing just that. There it was, probably her finest apple pie yet and she placed it upon the sill to cool as she was her tradition.

Once outside she sat among the wildflowers beside her garden shed and waited. After about half an hour the scent of warm apples and cinnamon danced across her nose on the breeze. She was pulled from her slight daze by a rattle in the shed, followed by a muffled curse. Y/N held her breath as the door opened slowly. Whoever stepped out was most definitely not one of the neighborhood kids, fear struck as the figure stood. He was a tall man with long ebony hair. He was dirty, thin and walked with a slight limp, Y/N’s fear partially turning into concern. She watched cautiously as he crept over to the window. As soon as he reached for the pie she confronted him, armed with a trowel.  

“H-Hey! Explain yourself! Pie thief!” Y/N aimed the tiny spade at the man who turned to face her. She could now easily take in his slender jawline and beguiling emerald eyes. He looked at her first with fear, then amusement as he noticed her weapon of choice.

“My darling, I hate to break it to you but a spade is hardly a proper weapon to use in the presence of a god.” he smirked and took a step forward, causing the frightened woman to take one back. This continued until Y/N had backed against the shack he’d evidently been using as a hiding place. “Still believe yourself to be intimidating? Will you strike me should I take another step? Just give it a try. Come on then.” He took one more step forward and she lashed out at his arm, watching the trowel pass through him harmlessly. 

“What?! I don’t understand… How did you- How didn’t it- How!?” She dropped the tool and stammered.

“Simple. Because this me isn’t actually me. Just look on, to the window there.” A second stranger waved from inside of her house, the one before her melted in a wave of light. She tried to comprehend what the hell had just happened as the man waved for her to join him inside. Curiously or maybe just dumb, she followed his instruction and re-entered her home. “Welcome home sweetie, how was work?” he asked with a cocky grin.

“Oh, shove it. Why are you in my home?” she stayed on the opposite side of the island as she walked into the kitchen. 

He shrugged and stared out the window. “The smell.”

“The… smell?”

“Yes. It reminds me of my home on Asgard. Especially of my late mother…” his voice trailed off and wrapped his arms around himself “she used to scold me for such things. Sneaking treats after nightfall, peeking at what gifts I’d be getting for my birthday, eavesdropping on private conversations between her and Odin but, mostly for using my magic against my brother. She’d have to withdraw from important meetings to reprimand me at times. By the end of it she’d always give a warm smile, look me in the eyes, and tousle my hair. It made me feel as though someone really cared for me. The kind of love only an honest and true mother could give.” He hadn’t noticed you move to stand beside him or the tears that ran down both of their faces. “I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused you. I know I have no right to linger here in your abode or ask your assistance. I’ll take my leave then.” He moved to walk away but she grabbed his arm. 

“Your name.” she spoke softly.

“Pardon?”

“I’d like to know your name.”

“My name is Loki. What about you my darling baker?”

“Y/N”

“Well Y/N.” he lifted her chin and wiped the tears from your cheeks with a gentle touch she wouldn’t soon forget “I apologize once more and bid you farewell.” 

**************

Taglist: @lokidokimagines @lo-ki-ticklish @sociallyawkwardbeanwhowrites

[brsb4hls]

Thoughts on Sylvie's possible ending and why I don't think it makes sense narrativly to have her end up on her branch by herself.

Mainly because it would be redundant. (The fact that it would be a sad ending of sorts wouldn't stop anyone, shows love to pull that shit for 'emotional impact' or whatever).

But: We've seen her on the timeline, alone, pondering her choices with blues-y background music twice already!

The first time after she left the tva after helping to fight Dox, and the second time after she left the bar.

And both times it was about the same dilemma.

Sylvie's life on her branch is not bad per se. She lives uneventfully, which is what she craved after a life of hiding in apocalypses.

She's sustaining herself, she makes her own choices and she builts connections (to Jack, the barkeeper, the record shop owner).

From the outside that looks like a good life.

But Sylvie is unhappy.

Because someone is missing.

And that someone doesn't fit into her life at the moment and vice versa.

Sylvie's dilemma is that she still has a fundamentally different way of seeing things, then Loki.

Loki's sense of responsibility is tied to control and tactics, Sylvie's is about helping people when it's needed, but without interfering otherwise.

And she is still caught between her beliefs and missing Loki.

Sylvie is all about freedom of choice and freedom in general. (The tva took people's choice away in the first place, so she sees that part differently then Loki, who thinks they should be able to chose between their time line lives and the tva).

And she cannot arrange herself with supporting the tva as an oppressive institution just to be with Loki.

Sylvie hoped for Loki to 'chose' her over the system, after he suggested building a life with her in the void ('why don't we figure it out together?') and he didn't. Not at that time.

She is hurt by that decision and emotionally closes herself off, but let's herself be dragged back when people are in danger.

And she challenges Loki's choice, but he doesn't react the way she wants.

'Do you care about anything but the tva?'

Loki has the same conflict. He wants to stay with the people he already formed connections with and take responsibility for potential threats (that's not erased by him admitting that he does not want to be alone).

But he also wants Sylvie there.

He seeks her out, he asks her to stay, he asks her to help.

And in the pie conversation scene he shows his frustration over her decision.

The scene does not lead to a full resolution. So when Sylvie confronts him at the bar, he does not include her in his confession of not wanting to be alone, because he most likely considers it pointless. That's when Sylvie gets up and leaves, because she is too hurt to deal with it.

Sylvie and Loki are constantly circling each other, without truely approaching the other one.

If the show does not resolve that issue and just puts Sylvie on the time line again, with a bitter sweet ending where she's 'free but at what cost?' it would be redundant and undatisfying.

We saw that already and it sucks for her.

So she needs something else.

If she decides to overcome her hurt, dares to be vulnerable and works with Loki in the end, her believes have to be taken into account.

It cannot end with full control over other people's lives for her.

That interview, that points out that everything Loki says matters and that everything Sylvie says matters? That's a clear hint that her pov is just as critical to the solution as Loki's.

My initial thoughts at the beginning of season two where about Loki becoming the omnipotent ruler of the time lines and Sylvie being on her branch.

But that would be onesided.

They are both gods. They are both powerful.

There needs to be a compromise of some sorts for a satisfying ending.

At least that's what I want and hope for. Every other outcome is possibly, but it wouldn't sit right with me.

The only other 'solution' that would fit the narrative, but that I would hate personally, would be to restore Sylvie's branch, prevent her from getting taken in by the tva and have her live a normal life on Asgard.

While erasing the Sylvie we knew.

While that still wouldn't fully work, since she could still exist as a variant given the time line logic of the tva, I could see them pulling it off, because it would be fair to 'little Sylvie' so could be considered 'happy', while still being 'sad' because of erasing 'our' Sylvie.

Didn't Martin talk about 'bitter sweet'?

We'll see.