#the light shall invade once more but alas at least we still have some long nights ahead

[thetabbybadger]

So drawing my new bergmite made me kinda wanna just try to draw a wintery nighttime scene. I actually like how this turned out! The bottom half I definitely think is lacking some more details and stuff going on but I reeeeeally like how the sky/moon/clouds turned out :D

Anyway, happy longest night of the year!!!! ^_^

[shadowsinger11]

Insomniacs In Love

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Description: Wrote this ficlet for @wand3ringr0s3 's writing challenge. Congrats on your milestone, Haley!! I'm so proud of ya and ily so much girl💕💕

Warnings: Brief descriptions of war

Tags: @spilled-prose @susceptible-but-siriusexual @hufflexpuff @neovannii @jenniweasley @theweasleysredhair @elf-punk @heart-of-tempered-steel @itseatyourdamnapples @aaannabbanana @l0ttadreamz @potter-redheads

Message me to be added!

Masterlist

The white ceiling was staring right back at you.

Your tired eyes had no strength to fight back the hot trail of bitter tears rolling down your cheeks and falling on your pillow. The heavy, cold sheets, tangled between your legs, shrivelled even more under you as you struggled to ease your anxious mind into sleep, but every blink would bring images of explosions and unmoving bodies. The intrusive smell of blood and rotting flesh had been ingrained into your brain for years; the earsplitting, violent screams of terror had become nothing more than a background noise.

Adults and children were fighting side by side, desperately holding onto whatever hope for a future they might have had. The fresh summer soil was soaked in blood, old and young; with a burning passion, you prayed to whoever could hear you, that you wouldn't spot the faces of your loved ones in the sea of corpses that stretched out far into the distance.

There was chaos, and in between - grim visions of morning light.

You couldn't fall asleep, not when you could still vividly picture that night as though it had just been yesterday. Years later, the memory didn't fail to turn you into its slave every time you'd close your eyes.

The moon was wide awake. The air seemed to not be enough for you and the buzzing silence had nearly driven you to the point of insanity when you finally jumped out of your bed. The sharp moonlight caused your silhouette to dance as you walked barefoot out of your bedroom.

It was eerily unsettling to be strolling down the hallway of Fred and George's apartment without being bombarded by cheerful laughter and occasional explosions - there was only creaking of wooden stairs as you walked down to the kitchen. You poured yourself a full glass of cold water and immediately downed it entirely, hoping it would shake off the anxiety bubbling in your stomach.

You took a refill for just in case and sat beside the small kitchen table. You let out a deep breath and rested your head in your palms, shoulders heavy as if the carried the world.

A gentle voice nearly caused you to knock over the glass.

"Trouble sleeping?"

You looked up from your lap to see George standing by the doorway, hands in the pockets of his pajamas. His spiky hair and sleepy gaze let you know he had just woken up, but his expression immediately softened when he noticed your tearful eyes.

You smiled as best as you could, "You have no idea."

George approached you and sat beside you. He moved closer to try to take a better look at your distressed face; he didn't miss the stiffness of your body and the puffiness of your bloodshot eyes. The sight sent an electric shock through him and his heart began to ache.

"You're pretty shaken up, darling. What's wrong?" He asked just above a whisper, as though he was afraid he'd scare you away. He tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and you leaned into his touch, seeking some kind of warmth.

How could you explain to him you were still being haunted by the past? It had been years, why were you still chained by sorrow? You hated yourself for letting it settle in your bones, for not being able to return to the person you once used to be.

George was unharmed and so was his family. You were too. There was no logical reason for you to be thinking about it. Nevertheless, your nightmares were the reason you'd wake up every night in cold sweat, limbs of lead. Yet George didn't know a thing.

"It's nothing to worry about," you assured him despite your stomach twisting at the lie you had just spat out. "Just bad dreams."

"You seem to get a lot of those lately," George stated sympathetically; he could always read you so effortlessly. The sudden vulnerability caused you to shrink further into your chair, a fresh tear rolling down your cheek.

Your friend wiped it away with the pad of his thumb and hummed.

"That's alright. So do I."

"How do you know this about me?" you questioned, more confused rather than embarrassed.

His lips curled up in a tiny, sad smile, "You're not the only one wandering the house at night, sweetheart."

"I didn't know you still dream of… of it," you let out in a moment of realization. You didn't have to say what exactly you were referring to - you shared the same tragic memory.

"Yes, I do," he murmured. "Every night."

Your eyes met his dark brown ones and your heart sank; they were just as tortured as yours, and lacked the spark they once possessed. Never had you believed George would have to feign joy in his lifetime, he was the source of joy to everyone around him. But how could you expect flowers to bloom in a garden that's been burned to the ground?

Silence fell over you. Your eyes burned again.

"You should try to get some sleep," George advised, attempting to mask his hoarse voice, shaking ever so slightly. Your face fell. "I know it might be hard, but you can't risk getting a headache in the morning, you know."

The moon was still shining brightly through the window, illuminating his concerned face and the tears that had already formed in his eyes.

You swallowed hard.

"You're right. But I don't really want to go. It's just…" you sighed. Your hands were trembling. "It feels kinda lonely up there."

George nodded in understanding; there was no judgement in the way he observed you. He himself had spent way too many cold, sleepless nights. Fighting the same demons as you. 

It hurt him beyond measure to know you too were being held hostage by the weight of the past; the past which was robbing you both of your future. But what hurt him more was his inability to help you. He desperately yearned to heal you of your misery and hear your laughter, the laughter that had made him fall for you long before he even knew what love was.

The redhead was suddenly struck by an idea and his shoulders relaxed, a small smile causing his dimple to appear.

"I can go to bed with you, if that's okay with you, of course. Only until you fall asleep, that is. Then I'll go back to my room."

Your instinctive reaction was to refuse, but you stopped yourself before you could respond. Surely it wouldn't be so bad to have company, would it? It didn't seem like George was only doing it out of pity either; he genuinely cared about you and had your best interest in mind.

"You can say no, it's fine," said George when he didn't receive a reply. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's okay with me, I promise," you mirrored his smile. "Shall we go?"

You rose to your feet and headed towards your bedroom upstairs, George following closely behind. He couldn't recall a previous time when he had been in there, and he was pleasantly surprised to see how you had changed the design to your liking after you had moved in to live with the twins. The room looked cozy and truly felt like... you.

You were the first to climb into the bed and scooted over to make room for George's long legs. The mattress sank under his weight and he pulled the covers over the two of you, making sure he didn't take too much of them. George then rolled over to the opposite side, not wishing to invade your personal space.

Despite being taken aback by his action, you did the same - if that was the closest you'd get to being together with him, so be it.

You pulled the blanket over your shoulder and closed your eyes, but alas, your lungs constricted with anxiety. The intrusive silence let your mind wander back to memories you had been trying so hard to push away. The empty space behind your back was cold.

Less than an hour later, you were still as awake as you could be. Your friend was a quiet sleeper and thus you had no idea if he was asleep yet or if he was about to drift off. Nevertheless, you still felt guilty for whispering.

"Georgie?"

Rustling in the bedsheets.

"Hm?"

You wettened your lips and timidly asked, "Can I hold your hand?... For just a bit?"

George turned around and you expected to see him scowl for being woken up like that, especially for a thing as silly as your request. But you were met with such a fond expression, immense care swimming in his eyes.

Any sleepiness was nonexistent on his features; he couldn't fall asleep either.

"Of course," he smiled and lifted your hand to press a tender kiss to your wrist. His soft lips stayed there, pulse racing madly underneath, and the warmth lingered on the skin long after George pulled away and placed your hand on his chest. You let out a quiet gasp when you felt his own heart hammering against his ribs.

His other hand slid down to your waist and pulled you closer. You buried your face in his neck.

You could finally breathe.

He began tracing lazy patterns on your lower back. "Better?"

"Better."

George's fingers lightly grazed your skin, slow and gentle touch never once stopping its loving path. Drowsiness welcomed you much sooner than you had expected and your eyes fluttered closed. The last thing you remembered was George's lips on your eyelids.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep your demons at bay at least for just one night. George gave into slumber as well, both of you engulfed by divine serenity until the bright moon hid behind the horizon.

Reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated!

[bitch-biblioklept]

The Darkling x f!oc

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 <you are here> Part 7

Chapter-6: Amplifiers

Chapter Summary: Frustrated with Alina's lack of improvement, the Darkling finally found a way to use her powers for his thirst for revenge.

Word Count: 2.1k

(My gif)

The Darkling knew what he had to do, and went to the bitter old woman his mother had become to inform her of such. He still cared about her opinion, no matter how old he’d grown… even if it had bothered him a lot. She wouldn’t react, most likely.

“I have decided to give Alina an amplifier,” He declared once inside the heat of her hut by the lake. “Hopefully we will find the stag.”

Her head snapped in his direction at the mention of the stag. Her dark eyes looked livid. “Of course,” she muttered, half to herself. “I was a fool for thinking for a second that you’d let her have it.”

“The girl is naïve, she can’t control her powers.” He explained. “She will do better with that.”

“I’m not going to let you take control of her powers.” She said with the certainty of a decision. “I know what you are planning to do.”

“How would you?” The Darkling asked, his lips set in a sneer.

“I gave birth to you, boy.” Baghra said. “I know you better than you think I do. She wouldn’t have wanted this.”

“But she isn’t here to stop me now, is she?” Aleksander said. The lump in his throat was suddenly too much. The lakeshore was a bloodbath again. Baghra was silent for too long. “Well?”

“She isn’t,” His mother agreed slowly. “But the least you could do is honor her memory, her mannerisms.”

“She wasn’t a saint mother,” He reminded. “By all means she was the viler and crueler one of the two of us.”

“Not to someone who hadn’t wronged her,” Baghra added.

“I shall avenge her, whether you like it or not, mother.” The Darkling said. He still had a vague memory of the last time he had addressed her as such. Aleksander had been too distraught, everything had happened just so fast… there was no time to tell if it had been reality or a nightmare. Serephina had been assassinated, found lying with her throat slashed, there were others too, her attackers, only one of them was barely breathing by the time he had gotten there.

That was the first time he had used the Cut in the Little Palace grounds, the first time all the young Grisha realized why everyone was so afraid of him. It was the first time his mother looked terrified.

They were supposed to be happy, it was supposed to be a celebrations filled night. But like Serephina used to say in her Suli sayings, some had jinxed their joy. They were to be a family, they were to become parents.

But all of that had been taken away because he was the Darkling and she was Lady Kirigan, and not Aleksander and Serephina.

A light knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts.

Alina appeared in the doorway a second later, looking awkward on finding she interrupted their conversation. “Sorry,” she said.

“In girl, don’t let the heat out.” Baghra declared instead.

The Darkling bowed as a show of courtesy. “How are you Alina?” he asked to be polite.

“I’m fine,” Her voice sounded forced.

“She’s fine!” hooted Baghra. “She’s fine! She cannot light a hallway, but she’s fine.”

The Darkling had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at her words. “Leave her be,” he said instead.

The old woman narrowed her dark eyes at him. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she decided.

He ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to alleviate his frustrations. This was not going well. He turned to Alina. “Baghra has her own way of doing things.” He explained to stop himself from snapping at his mother at the moment.

“Don’t patronize me, boy!” she screamed at him. For a second, he was eighteen again, afraid of his mother’s wrath upon finding about his and Serephina’s marriage, and stood up straighter.

He stopped himself in time, remembering he wasn’t the same boy he had been then, not anymore. “Don’t chide me, old woman,” he said in a low, dangerous voice.

There was an intense stare down between the two of them, the tension so thick it could have been sensed even by a donkey. That was until Baghra turned to Alina and said, “The boy thinks to get you an amplifier. What do you think of that, girl?”

He watched as Alina’s face brightened with a smile as if she had heard the most brilliant idea. And for a second, a brief moment, she reminded him of Serephina again, with the curve of her smile and the way her eyes crinkled with joy.

“I think it’s brilliant!” She nearly squealed. And the similarity was gone. Alina was not Serephina, and the differences got more evident as he got to know her better. Serephina’s face had always had a cold mask, much like himself, but he knew how to read her, where to look for in those brown eyes to find the answers. She was a book meant to be read just by him, and him only. Alina’s face was an open book left for everyone to read.

Baghra let out a disgusted sound, and the sound inspired an odd sense of pride in him. Alina was right where he needed her to be.

“Alina, have you ever heard of Morozova’s herd?” he asked.

“Of course she has. She’s also heard of unicorns and the Shu Han dragons,” Baghra said mockingly. If this woman wasn’t his mother, he would have kicked her out by now, but alas.

The Darkling took Alina out of the hut instead, wanting to have one conversation where Baghra didn’t interrupt him at every utterance that came out of his mouth. Though he was aware that she was keeping an eye on everything he was going to do.

“That woman,” he muttered to himself, running his hands all over his face. Then he ran his hands through his hair again, but this time to get the embarrassing image of him hiding behind Serephina to be safe of the rage Juris had upon finding out about the wedding.

“What?” he asked; half-embarrassed by the humor on Alina’s face.

“I’ve just never seen you so … ruffled.” She said.

“Baghra has that effect on people.”

“Was she your teacher, too?”

She was. Of course she was, she was his mother. But she wasn’t just a mother or teacher, she had been through a lot with him, suffered as bad as he had. Perhaps she was the only person alive who would bother to understand Aleksander and not the Darkling. “Yes,” he said in its place. “So what do you know about Morozova’s herd?”

Again she talked about how she had heard children’s stories. Again he told her what he wanted her to, making a passing remark about forgetting how new she was to all this. He was keenly aware of the raven-like gaze Baghra kept on both of them, but he ignored it. Again he was nice to Alina, listening to her talk by the lakeshore when the image of the bloodbath resurfaced. He turned his thoughts to less painful things like how things would have been different had Serephina been here.

After a while, he had had enough and he left. He was desperate for a glass of kvas, or even better, a glass of strong whiskey. The memories wouldn’t just stop invading his head.

So he focused on the night he thought Serephina was going to die.

It was a cold night after a snowstorm, a village in central Ravka that had once been free of the abomination of creation that most people called the Shadow Fold or the Unsea. They had stopped by the village while they were on their way to Fjerda.

 There was a pack of large wolves tormenting the villagers, and they had warned them against going out at night. But Serephina had wanted to see them, the wolves. She said something was calling out to her, and that she needed to see the wolves.

And refusing to let her go out in the danger all alone, Aleksander had accompanied her. He was scared, of course. He had always been afraid of the dark but he never showed it, but she knew. He knew that she knew. That was why she had been holding his hand, warming the both of them up to keep them through the night.

It was a little past midnight when Sere had lost hopes of seeing the wolves and they were about to head back, when a deep growl sounded somewhere to their left.

A pair of bright red glowing eyes were fixated on them dangerously. She let go of his hand and shoved him behind herself and then reckoned the alpha wolf closer. Aleksander’s male ego would have been hurt if he weren’t so scared.

The wolf was one of the biggest animals he had ever seen, standing taller and either of them. For a moment he was certain the wolf was one of the Grisha of the old stories, the shape-shifters who couldn’t turn back into their human form after being in their animal form for too long during the first Ravkan war.

Before Aleksander could think of an escape route, Serephina had moved forward, studying the animal. Its dark black fur was blacker than anything he had ever seen, but it gleamed against the white snow under the moonlit canopy. The wolf and the girl regarded each other, assessing the danger.

The wolf leaped in the air with its jaw spread open to attack Serephina faster than he could say, “Stop!” She didn’t leave her ground and raised her hands, shoving them forward with all the force. The wolf fell to the ground as if hit by an invisible wall.

And when her flint sparked up from her sleeve, the cold blue flames scared the large animal. But it got up, shook the snow off its fur and got back into the battle.

Ice, air, fire all of the three elements helped Serephina in her conquest. She even used a bit of the heart rendering powers that she had mastered and paralyzed the wolf, after some of their blood had splattered on the snow, frozen like red pearls.

She walked to the laying wolf, limp in her step from where the wolf had bitten her leg, her hidden knife in hand and stabbed the wolf right where it heart would be. And strangely, the wolf looked proud when she did it, and then raised its paw and scratched it through her chest, right where her heart would be.

Aleksander’s soul left his body in that instant.

The soft glow of moonlight that came from Serephina showed her face, bloodied and contorted in pain, as both their blood flowed freely to the ground, freezing instantly on the snow. The wolf was the first one to close its eyes, the glowing red disappearing.

She fell on the snow next, her breath escaping with a sigh.

He rushed to her side, almost blinded by the brightness of the light she radiated, and cradled her head in his arms, regretting not staying back at their little cave, not being able to convince her to stay, not being able to protect her because of his own fears.

Then her eyes opened, and her thin lips moved, muttering his name. Her eyes glowed bright red, like the wolf’s but the voice was hers, for no one else could ever speak in that musical voice that made him want to drop everything and just listen to her talk all day.

“Sere…” he softly said, tucking her black hair behind her ear.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, and then stood up. Her hair was a mess, her eyes looked tired, but they were back to their brown, and her clothes were ragged, covered in her own blood and the wolf’s, but to him she had never looked more beautiful.

“But the wolf-” he started.

“The wolf is one with me now,” She calmly explained. Her eyes changed to the bright red once again. “I am the wolf and the wolf is me.”

“Like the amplifiers,” he realized.

She smiled. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

“I hope you don’t eat Grisha for meals now,” He joked.

“I might eat someone if he gets too annoying,” she winked at him and walked away. Aleksander was frozen in his place.

The wolf was old, she knew everything. Serephina had always had an answer to his problems. Things would have been so much better had her and their child were with him right now. He would have been so much happier and maybe they would have been done with the fold by now.

But fate always had other ideas.

[wrenhyperfixates]

The Raven Haired Rebel

Chapter 5

Pairing: Loki x reader Series Summary: After invading New York, it was decided that, as a punishment, Loki would work for SHIELD. Yeah, right. After escaping from their custody and stranded on Midgard, the God of Mischief decides to prove he’s the one thing no one ever thought he was: the good guy. Now a vigilante, Loki attempts to make amends for his past wrongdoings while also evading the Avengers, including their newest member. You. Brought in specially for the case, you notice more and more details about the prince’s story don’t add up. When you get the chance to turn him in, will you listen to your employers or your heart that believes Loki’s done nothing wrong? Chapter Summary: In which you enact your plan. Chapter Warnings: slight (fairly non-descriptive) violence A/N: Ok, this is the last chapter before the epilogue. I was a little bit on the fence about this series so I’m so thankful for the response it’s been getting. Happy reading! Permanent Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedficrecs @lunarmoon8 @twhiddlestonsstuff @lokistan @lowkeyorlokificrecs @gaitwae @whatafuckingdumbass @castiels-majestic-wings @kozkaboi @cozy-the-overlord @birdgirl90 @myraiswack @mythicalgarlicknot @what-a-flammable-heart @marvelouslovely @laurenandloki @fallinallinmendes @sophlubbwriting @mooncat163 @lokislittlesigyn @wolfish-trickster

RHR Tag List: @happygalaxymilkshake @electroma89 @stardust-walker @i-would-kneel-for-loki @fredweasleyandlokiaremylife @aestheticallyholland @loki-yoursaviourishere​

Masterlist

Disclaimer: Gif not mine 

After your confessions, you really hoped that something would happen between the two of you. At first you worried that you’d understood him incorrectly, that he wasn’t trying to say he felt the same way. Even at the few quick rest stops, Loki seemed to not want to talk to you, and lord knows silence prevailed for most of the car ride. But when you finally finished the long drive and settled into yet another motel, Loki was quick to lead you to the bed and pull you to him.

“Get some rest, darling,” he said, kissing the top of your head. “We’ll have to leave for our interviews soon.”

“Ok, Loki,” you sighed happily, snuggling further against his chest. His arms wrapped around you even tighter. “Sleep well.”

“And you, my darling.”

You blacked out moments after, too wiped after so much driving. When you awoke hours later, Loki was still holding you. Though his eyes were closed, you could tell from his breathing that he was awake. You buried your nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling his comforting scent. You couldn’t exactly place what it was, but you’d come to associate it with him. Maybe there weren’t even actually any distinguishable smells in there. Maybe it was simply just Loki. You placed a small kiss on the soft skin of his neck, and when you pulled back, he was looking at you.

“Are you sure you are up for this?” Loki checked, concern in his eyes. “I do not want you to get hurt.”

“I’m sure. I can handle myself, I swear,” you reassured, cupping his cheek. “Besides, I’ll have you to protect me. And you’re the best sidekick in the universe, after all.”

“Oh, darling,” he chuckled. “I thought we agreed you were the sidekick. Alas, it is true; I will protect you.”

You laid together for another moment, contemplating in silence. There was still so much you wanted to say to him, but were too scared too. What about after this mission was over? Would he come back to SHIELD with you? Would you still see him at all? Or was this the end? And would you regret all the things left unsaid? You didn’t know, but you really wished you did.

Loki gave your body one final squeeze, holding you close for just a few seconds more before getting up from the bed. You watched him as he moved to grab his clothes, going into the bathroom to change. He came back out a few minutes later in a white dress shirt, green tie, and black dress slacks, the matching suit jacket draped over his arm. Your mouth hung open a little at how good he looked. He chuckled when he noticed, placing a tiny, hesitant kiss to the tip of your nose. He was also noticeably blushing, letting you know he felt just as flustered as you did.

You hadn’t really been planning on needing nice clothes when you’d packed your things, so were rifling through your bag now in hopes of throwing together an ensemble at least half as nice as Loki’s. Naturally, you were quite surprised when you pulled a rather dressy outfit from your stores. It was in Loki’s colors, so if you hadn’t already been thinking he’d conjured it for you, you certainly were now. You smiled at him, but he was pointedly avoiding looking at you, his blush still persisting.

“How do I look?” you asked, stepping out of the bathroom after changing.

Now it was his turn to have his jaw hang open a little as he finally looked at you. “Absolutely ravishing, darling,” he smiled.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, suddenly finding the floor very interesting as you became flustered once more. “You do too, by the way.”

“And thank you.” He walked over to you and hooked a finger under your chin, gently titling your head up to look at him. You wanted him to kiss you so badly, but you were afraid to scare him off. Besides, he turned the conversation back to the mission. “Are you prepared to alert SHIELD of our presence?”

“Yup,” you nodded. “I’ll let them know as soon as we get going.”

“Well,” he said, caressing your cheek. “Shall we?”

You nodded again. “We shall.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“See, darling? Confidence is key,” Loki said as you helped him shove the knocked out guard into a closet.

Loki had talked his way out of the situation, pretending like you’d gotten lost on your way to the interview. Then, when he got close enough, it was lights out for the guard. If there was one thing this whole ordeal taught you, it was that you needed more experience out in the field. You were a lot more comfortable behind your computer.

“Yeah, yeah,” you huffed. “Can we just get to the computer lab, please?”

Once you’d gotten a chance to download the intel to present to SHIELD, you’d make your way back out of the building, hopefully meeting up with the Avengers before they stormed the building, telling them the information you’d learned. The first few floors in either direction were set up like this were to be a functioning facility, and that the rest of it was still undergoing remodeling. Of course, the deeper you got into the base, the more heavily guarded it was.

“Shh,” Loki whispered, pulling you into a tight little alcove in the wall, your bodies hidden by shadows.

As he held you to him, out of sight from the guards passing by, you could feel both your hearts thundering. Whether it was from the mission or close proximity to each other, you weren’t sure. Once clear, you moved back out into the hallway. Only a few steps later, you could hear more people approaching.

“Listen, darling,” Loki said. “You go ahead, I’ll hold them off.”

“But... Ok. Stay safe.”

“You too.”

You scurried off to your destination, hurrying to complete your task. Pulling the hard drive from your small bag, you plugged it in, tapping away at the computer. The sooner you were back with Loki, the better you would feel. Unfortunately, that meant you were paying more attention to what you were doing than keeping your presence a secret.

“Freeze,” a guard shouted as you cursed under your breath, quickly turning around and raising your hands. You became hyper aware of the gun pointed at your chest. “What do you think you’re doing here?”

Confidence is key, you reminded yourself, gulping. “The boss sent me to do a system update. You see, I’m supposed to be here to-”

“No. Actually, they are not,” a familiar, deep voice that used to bring you so much comfort cut you off. It felt like your heart shattered in your chest as Loki appeared in the doorway, sneering, followed by two official looking guys in suits. “In fact, they are moments away from turning you into SHIELD.”

“Loki,” you said, pain obvious in your voice. You almost thought you saw the hurt mirrored in his eyes, but it was gone in moments. “What are you doing?”

“I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I suppose you were wrong about me, after all, darling.” His lips curled into a malicious grin. “See, I am quite infamous around here, and they decided they would rather have me with them than against them. Ironic, is it not, that I came for a fake interview but they already wanted to hire me, anyway?”

“And what about me?”

“You? You are insignificant in all this. Merely a sidekick.” To anyone else, it would have sounded like an insult, but you caught on to his reference to your inside joke. A signal, you thought, that he wasn’t actually switching sides. Still, you wondered if you were looking for signs that weren’t there as a dagger appeared in his hands. “And I would be more than happy to take care of you myself.”

As Loki made ready to throw his weapon of choice, he mouthed one word to you. Scream. You decided to trust him and let one rip free from your lungs. Though he’d thrown his dagger, you didn’t feel any pain. Still, when you looked down, it looked as if had pierced your flesh, and your front appeared to be stained red with a dark sickly substance that could only be blood. That was when you understood; it was an illusion. Playing along, you fell the ground, gasping for air as if you truly were bleeding out.

“Loki. Loki, please,” you whimpered. Your acting seemed to catch him off guard, true fear flashing across his features before he regained composure. “Don’t do this.”

“It is too late. It is already done.”

Just when his hand met one of the official-looking men’s in a shake, he yanked them forward, throwing them into the guard that had caught you, who was in the middle of holstering his gun. You rolled to your bag and grabbed your own weapon, the one Loki had disguised when you went through security. You aimed it at the guard's shoulder, feeling an odd mix of satisfaction, horror, and disgust as the bullet made contact and he began bleeding. Loki was quick to finish them all off, leaving them unconscious on the ground as he rushed over to you.

“Darling,” he said, gripping your arms and pulling you from your state of shock. “We have to go; someone certainly heard all that, and backup will be on the way.”

You nodded, mouth too dry to speak. You pulled the hard drive from the computer, shoving it and your gun back into your bag, settling for whatever information had already been downloaded. Hands clasped together, you and Loki dashed out into the hall, only for another group of armed guards to yell for you to halt. You tried to retreat the other way, but it was the same story at that end of the hall.

“It is alright, darling,” Loki said, giving your hand a quick squeeze. “I am going to get you out of this.”

“I know. But don’t you dare sacrifice yourself,” you half threatened, half pleaded.

“We shall see.” You both began to to raise your hands up in surrender as the guards closed in. Loki turned his head to look at you and whispered, “On my word, duck.”

But before he could give the signal, a whirring came from your right. A flash of light later, most of the guards on that side were knocked down. Loki reacted immediately, putting up a shield as the group on the left began to fire. In tandem with a few powerful blasts of Loki’s magic, your savior from before finished off the rest of your attackers.

“Long time, no see, kid,” Tony’s voice said from inside his metal suit. “You too, Reindeer Games.”

“Stark,” was all Loki said in way of greeting, rolling his eyes.

“So you guys finally got here,” you smirked with a little laugh. “About time, old man.”

“Come on, is that any way to treat your hero?” he teased.

“If you’re done exchanging quips,” Clint said, coming around the corner, aiming an arrow at Loki, “Fury wants these two upstairs. Now.”

“Relax, we are going,” Loki said, nudging you forward. He dipped his head down to whisper to you as you walked. “Well, darling, I suppose this is it, our chance to prove my innocence. Though, knowing them, I would caution you to be prepared to run.”

“Well, with that attitude,” you tsked, interlocking your fingers. “You deserve a happy ending, Loki.”

“Oh, darling,” he chuckled.

You scrunched your nose. “What?”

He lifted your hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “I thought you knew; with you, I already have one.”

Once escorted outside the building, you were made to wait with a few guards constantly pointing their guns at you as the rest finished their sweep of the AIM base. It was scary, yes, but they hadn’t separated you from Loki, so it was more than bearable. Leaning against the wall, he kept playing with your intertwined fingers, both of you contemplating in silence. Every once in a while, Loki would whisper a sweet nothing in your ear, placing a kiss to your cheek or temple or head, letting you know everything would be alright.

You weren’t sure exactly how much time had elapsed before Tony came to collect you. He looked upset and exasperated, a combination that wasn’t exactly comforting given the current circumstances. You hoped it was just him being tired after the fight.

“I talked to Fury,” he told you as you walked. “I vouched for you, but he never really listens to me. I don’t really know how the future’s looking. Sorry, kid.”

“That’s ok, Tony,” you smiled, speaking truthfully. “I appreciate that you tried.”

“I am grateful, too,” Loki chimed in. As his eyes locked with Tony’s, it seemed they reached some kind of understanding. “It seems I have misjudged you, Stark.”

“Right back at you, Reindeer Games.”

You came to a stop in front of Thor and Director Fury. No one spoke for a moment, but you and Loki silently communicated by squeezing the other’s hand. Your heart was pounding so wildly, you wondered if it was about to reach its limit and burst. You took a deep breath as Fury opened his mouth to speak.

“Loki. Agent. I suppose you have a good reason for being here,” he said with a laugh that sounded more wry and mirthless than amused for you.

“Yes, actually,” you braved a reply. “We figured out this was AIM’s base. You’re welcome.”

“Even so, that doesn’t authorize you to break in. What if you had been wrong?”

“On the contrary,” Loki chimed in, “they let us in to the building of their own free will. Besides, we were right. You must know that; after all, no chains this time.”

“Yeah, that didn’t seem to be working too well. You're not Earth’s problem anymore, anyway. It’s time to go back home and face the consequences of your tantrum.”

“Wait. No, please,” you jumped in before you could think about it. “What I’ve been trying to tell you is right. New York isn’t his fault.”

“Then whose is it?”

“It’s...” you trailed off, realizing you never had gotten the full story. You threw Loki a desperate, pleading look.

He sighed. “It was the mad titan, Thanos. He controlled me with the mind stone and forced me to attack, told me to collect the tesseract for him.”

“Brother,” Thor said, furrowing his brow. “That is deeply troubling for all the nine realms. Why did you not tell me?”

“Because, brother, I could not live with the shame. You certainly would not have broken under any circumstances. But now I have my darling mortal to look out for, too, so I must come clean.”

“Loki, if there is one thing I know, you are not weak. Whatever he did, it must have been truly awful. And I believe it noble of you to protect your mortal love, for that is something I certainly understand.” Loki’s face burned a little at the fact Thor had so blatantly called you the trickster’s love. “I vow to have your charges on Asgard dropped, for you were not in your right mind. Or... perhaps not your mind at all. I am sorry, brother, for not being able to see so sooner.”

“You are forgiven, brother. And I too apologize for any wrong I may have done you and for not coming clean. I truly do not want any harm to come to this realm.”

“I believe you, brother. And can I trust his charges here on Midgard will be dropped too?” Thor asked, turning to Fury.

He mulled it over for a minute. “If we set some ground rules, I believe something can be worked out. I’m afraid that doesn’t excuse your actions, agent.”

You tried to come to your own defense, but Loki did it before you could. “Wait. They only wished to help me because they believed it was right. Certainly you cannot fault them for that. And, really, when you think of it, they have done a great service, whatever their methods. Stopping AIM, bringing me in, getting me to confess; truly impressive, you must admit.”

“See, that’s exactly my point,” Tony joined the conversation. “The kid did good.”

“Listen,” you said, finally getting a word in. “I understand that running off and doing this myself wasn’t the best decision ever, but no one was listening to me. And it’s like they said, you can’t argue with results. So please take that into account and, you know, maybe don’t lock me up?”

“You’re a hell of an agent,” Fury said. “So I will let it slide this time and drop the charges for you too. But on account of a series of stupid-ass decisions, I still have to fire you.”

“Thank you,” you nodded. “I understand.”

You shared a happy glance of victory with Loki. True, you’d always had hope for a happy ending floating around in your mind, but things had seemed pretty bleak there for a minute.

Fury pointed at you and Loki. “You two, off the property now. This is government business.”

“So long for now, kid,” Tony said as Loki and Thor shared a nod before parting.

Together, you and the raven haired God of Mischief walked toward your car. It seemed neither of you were exactly sure what to say. After all, you hadn’t really talked about what would come after all this.

“So what are you going to do next?” you finally asked, stopping in front of the vehicle’s door.

“Well, I do not think Asgard was ever really the place for me,” he replied as if he really had to think of it. You could tell he already knew, though. “Perhaps I can find somewhere to settle here on Midgard.”

“You know,” you replied, unable to control your grin, “it just so happens my apartment has room for two.”

“Then by all means,” he smiled, cupping your cheek. “Lead the way.”

Grabbing his shirt, you pulled him forward, meeting in a kiss. He responded immediately, once again communicating without speaking. You still didn’t know exactly why you had been drawn to him, but you would be forever grateful you’d listened to your gut. Because if there was one thing you had no doubt of, you were meant to be with Loki. And anyway, you were right; he was innocent. Well, mainly. The only crime this rebel was guilty of was stealing your heart. And now it was his to keep, always and forever.