Loki watched his hellcat settle into the cab and flash him a saucy wink. "Don't forget, last night doesn't count as our second date," she reminded.

He rolled his eyes. "As if I could forget. You have reminded me several times. Thor and I will be visiting Asgard tomorrow. But the day after is reserved completely for you and I, barring any emergencies."

"Know what we're doing yet?"

"It is a surprise."

He sent her on her way with a pat to the top of the cab, and returned to his apartment. She was such a little vixen. He was very proud of the scenario she'd arranged between her friend and Steve Rogers. It had been perfect. It had worked perfectly. It had required creativity and careful planning, but Darcy had pulled it off without a hitch. Thor had been right. She was a perfect match.

He was a little worried about the second date, though. She'd kept him so off balance, and so much had happened this week, that he'd actually had little time to plan. He couldn't keep relying on Tony Stark to help him with these things. He needed to be able to deal with an Earth-style life on his own. He had today to plan things out, and he was still a little fuzzy about details. Well...to be honest...he had no clue.

He settled in at one of his windows, and went inside himself to think about what Darcy would appreciate. Their first date had been on the elegant side, which wasn't something Darcy was used to. She'd enjoyed it, definitely, but he wanted the second date to be something she was a little more comfortable with. Something he could also tolerate. He didn't think that 'clubbing' in New York City would work for him.

Then he had a flash of memory from a conversation with Darcy when she'd first approached him.

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

It had been merely a week after his takeover attempt. He was still under close watch by the Avengers, under Thor's protest, and was a 'guest' at their headquarters. He had agreed to it, seeing it as the only solution to prevent a showdown between Thor and his teammates.

A young mortal woman had been there to drop off papers for Fury from the nearby S.H.I.E.L.D office where she worked. Loki was sitting in a corner, trying to figure out what was going to happen with his life next. He was so adrift, with no one to talk to but Thor, since the others did not trust him yet, and Thor was out on a mission with Iron Man and Captain America. He was being guarded by the Black Widow, Hawkeye and the scientist that turned into the Hulk. Such pretentious names. Fury was taking no chances.

The young woman had been told that Fury would see her shortly, but that he was in a meeting that could not be disturbed. She wandered over his way, saying a distracted hello to the three Avengers on guard duty, and sat down near him. Loki ignored her at first, but her stare finally disturbed him enough that he looked up at her. She was studying him with curiosity, but not the expected fear.

"You're Thor's brother, right?"

A week prior, he would have answered that he was not Thor's brother, and then he would have hurt her for the insult. But Thor had broken through the darkness and the madness to pull him back. Regardless of blood, they were brothers.

"I am," he answered simply.

"You don't look anything like him," she noted.

"Adopted brother," he amended shortly. It was still a very touchy subject. She really hadn't heard this story?

"Oh. Didn't know that, sorry. So, you changed your mind about world domination?"

He noted the agitated looks on the faces of the three Avengers seated casually across the room. They were still trying to maintain the illusion of not being his jailors, so it would be out of character to come closer, but they didn't like the idea of this girl talking to him.

She had guts, to talk to him like this. He shrugged. "Too much bother. Or maybe too much brother. Thor talked me out of it."

"Surprising," was her honest reply. "He's not very eloquent most of the time." She leaned forward to stare at him hard. "So what do you do in your spare time now?"

"Very little," he admitted, a little disgruntled over that fact. "I am encouraged to keep a 'low profile' at this time."

She glanced over at the three lounging Avengers. "Encouraged with help, I see. That sucks. I'm Darcy, a friend of Jane's. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D." She stuck her hand out expectantly.

Loki noted the twitch from the Black Widow as she half rose from her chair. She was about to put an end to the conversation, so he did what they probably least expected. He reached out and shook the girl's, Darcy's, hand.

"Loki, God of Mischief and Lies. Ex-ruler of Asgard and recovering sociopath, or so I have been told several times in the past seven days." He smiled coldly, but was very surprised when Darcy laughed at him.

"That'll look sweet on a resume!" She released his hand and sat back.

She was different from the other mortals that he had met. She didn't appear to be afraid of him, which was very unusual. Loki found himself starved for conversation, and she seemed to be a logical conclusion.

"So, Darcy, what do you do in your spare time?" It had been a long time, but he still remembered how to make polite conversation.

She snorted, which made him blink. He didn't know any women that snorted. Not even Sif snorted.

"Not as much as I'd like to," she told him. "I get out with Jane occasionally, when I can pry her away from Thor. We mostly go drinking and dancing, or just drinking. I used to do paintball war games when we were in New Mexico, cuz it's fun to gun people down without killing them." Her eyes widened. "I'm sorry! Should I be talking about gunning people down around you?"

He laughed out loud, startling the hell out of the three Avengers, who all shot cautiously to their feet. "I do not use a gun. Feel free to continue. I do not believe that I will lose control of myself and try to kill anyone today."

She grinned at him. "But tomorrow is a possibility?"

Loki was more serious. "Tomorrow is always a possibility."

"That's true. We don't know what could happen tomorrow. I could lose my mind and start blowing shit up."

"Shit?" he asked curiously. "Why would you want to blow up shit? It would make a terrible mess and the smell..."

She stared at him with her mouth open for a moment, then laughed so hard her entire body shook. "Oh wow, Loki! I didn't mean shit literally. Just stuff, you know. Shit... stuff."

He titled his head in curiosity. "Then why not say 'stuff'?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Cuz 'shit' is fun to say?"

A female agent poked her head out of Fury's office. "Director Fury can see you now, Miss Lewis."

She jumped up. "It was cool chatting with you Loki. Maybe I'll see ya around."

"A pleasure, Darcy."

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

Paintball war games? Loki had never asked her what that was. It sounded...strange. Well, so much for not relying on Stark. He took his cell phone out of his pocket, blushing a little as he remembered the naughtiness Darcy had unleashed on him with the talk device.

Stark's voice was muffled when he answered. "Kinda in the middle of something right now, Loki. Is it important?"

"Are you in the suit?" he asked in fascination.

"I am. I'm chasing down a lunatic who has flamethrowers strapped to his arms. He thought it was a good idea to toast Wall Street. They frown upon that around here."

"Do you require assistance?"

"Nah. I got this. What's up?"

"What is paintball war games?"

"Ooo...paintball war games! Fun times. Basically, you dress up like you're in the military, and carry a gun that shoots paintballs instead of bullets. You usually go with a group, and then you split off into smaller groups to fight against each other in a pre-set environment. SHIT! Hold on a minute!"

Loki could hear Stark muttering curses, and something about his ass being toasted because he had to babysit damn needy displaced gods. He had to hold the cell phone away from his ear as a triumphant whoop came through it. It seemed that Stark had caught his man.

"Damn villain wannabee," Stark said. "No style, no class. Anyhow...why the fascination with paintball war games?"

"Darcy used to do that in New Mexico. I was thinking it would be a nice surprise for our second date. Is there a place locally that does it?"

"Sure. You probably want a group, though, so you don't have to pair up with strangers." He heard Stark's grin. "I'm totally in. We can probably talk the rest of the gang into it, except maybe for Banner. We'll go in, play for awhile, and then leave the two of you alone to do...whatever. Did you break the apartment in last night?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "That is none of your business, minion. Will you ask the others? Well, except for Thor. I will ask him. It will be for the day after tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll ask the team. Call Thor right away, cuz I'm heading back now."

"Thank you, Stark."

Thor was agreeable. They had played war games in their childhood, so it was not an unfamiliar concept. He would also ask Jane, who might be interested. Loki doubted that. Jane did not seem the type to play war games.

Stark called him back later, apparently in the middle of a debriefing. Loki could hear Fury shouting in the background for him to "get off the damned phone and pay attention!"

"Bruce declined, but everyone else is in. It will be fun, and we don't get that too often. Hold on a minute, Nick! I had Pepper make us a reservation at the paintball field. I gotta go, Loki. Nicky's being a whiny little bitch right now."

Loki hid his grin as the phone disconnected. He would hear from Fury the next time he saw him, but it was worth it. He hoped Darcy would enjoy the outing.

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

Thor could barely contain his smile when Loki joined him in a more remote region of Central Park the next morning. "You look nervous, Loki."

"Perhaps a bit," he admitted. "I am still somewhat unwelcome in Asgard by most."

Thor's smile did not waver. "Do you truly care what those 'most' think about you?"

It was a revelation, and not one he would have ever expected from his brother. "No," he answered in wonder. "No I do not." He smiled at Thor. "Shall we go?"

Mjolnir brought them swiftly to New Mexico and the Bifrost site. Before they stepped into the circle, Thor raised one eyebrow. "You are going in your natural form, yes?"

Loki stared hard at him. "I did not think you were serious about that."

"Of course I was. I want the rest of Asgard to see that I accept you as you are. They need to learn to be more flexible, or they will start leaving babies to die if the baby does not match the normal."

Loki couldn't even describe the swell of emotion that moved through him. He did know that his eyes blurred, and he found it incredibly difficult to swallow past the huge lump in his throat.

"Thank you, my brother," he murmured faintly. It wouldn't do to start blubbering like an idiot, so he took a few very deep, stabilizing breaths, and then allowed his natural form to surface. It still felt wrong, even after the two weeks in Jotunheim. He'd worn the form of an Asgardian for centuries, and that felt natural and normal to him.

Thor was staring at him with a strange fascination. He'd only seen Loki's Jotun form once previously, and it had been in the middle of a furious battle. Now he took a step closer, staring at the blue skin, the red eyes, and the raised ridges on his skin. It was making Loki very uncomfortable, and when Thor reached out, he flinched unconsciously. But instead of a beating, which was what he was used to in this form, Thor only ruffled his hair.

"You will look funny as a blue cow."

Loki's laugh was a little hysterical. He had to remember to thank their father. Banishing Thor to Earth was the best thing Odin could have done for his brother. His time as a mortal, and now, as part of a team, had changed something deep inside Thor, something that Loki had always disliked. It had made Thor a better person.

"I like to think of myself as a trendsetter," he said. He took a deep breath, and stepped into the Bifrost circle. Thor stepped in right behind him and titled his head to the sky.

"Heimdall! Open the Bifrost, my friend."

Loki steeled himself as the clouds began to swirl. Despite Thor's words of encouragement, it would be challenging to visit Asgard in his Jotun form. Still, it was something that he needed to do. He needed to acknowledge his heritage, and he wanted the rest of Asgard to see that his family accepted that heritage. Strangely enough, it seemed that Thor was more open to acceptance than he himself was at this point.

Heimdall was not pleased to see him again, particularly not while in his Jotun form. He withdrew his great sword, shutting down the Bifrost, and held it warily at his side, not quite pointing it at Loki.

"So," he said grimly, "The Deceiver returns wearing his true form. This is unlike you, Loki. What agenda do you hide by uncovering yourself?"

Loki found himself with no answer, but Thor was not so burdened. He placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, and visibly donned his Prince of Asgard role, straightening to his full height, and allowing a little arrogance to flood his face. "There is no hidden agenda, Heimdall. I have asked my brother to wear his true form, so that this realm may see that I accept him as he is. I will not tolerate untrue accusations against him."

Heimdall did not blink. "I have found that most accusations against Loki are true."

"In the past, perhaps," Thor replied. "The present is different. All men deserve the chance to start anew. Were my actions so very different from my brother's?"

The gatekeeper opened his mouth, and then shut it without saying anything. He tipped his head down in acknowledgement. "Welcome back to Asgard."

Loki was rather accustomed to passing unnoticed when in the company of his brother, but now all eyes were upon him as they made the journey to the great hall. There were many Asgardians who were ready to run or fight when first seeing him, but when they saw Thor striding beside him, they only stared in puzzlement.

Loki was off balance with the changes in his brother. Normally, Thor had always placed himself ahead of Loki as they walked, and Loki had never challenged that supremacy. But now, Thor walked by his side. Even when Loki altered the speed of his strides, Thor unconsciously altered to match him. Loki wasn't sure what to think.

More blows to his equilibrium came as they finally presented themselves to their father, sinking to one knee. Thor was still by his side, presenting himself as an equal to his brother. The hall was alive with startled murmurs and hissed accusations, but their mother wore a wide smile as she looked down on her sons. Odin, uncharacteristically, had a small, almost imperceptible, smile on his face.

He stood slowly, and rapped Gungnir loudly upon the floor. Reluctant silence fell in the great hall, as all looked to the All-Father and waited for his words.

"Today is a day for celebration," the All-Father stated. "For today, the sons of Asgard, my sons, have returned. Together." His smile, a rare occasion, lit his face and lifted years from it. "All shall feast and celebrate this day. My family and I will retire to our private chambers."

The hall practically erupted as Odin gestured to his sons. They grinned at each other, and followed their parents away from the ensuing chaos.

Once safe from prying eyes in their private quarters, Odin turned to face both of them. For a moment, they all stared at each other in silence, and then Odin reached out to embrace both of them at the same time.

"It is very good to see my sons here, together," he murmured in a thick voice. "You have been at odds for the longest time..."

Loki felt oddly at peace when his mother also slid her arms around them. He didn't think their little family had ever been this close, except maybe when he and Thor had been children. The four-way embrace brought peace and serenity, and a sense of completion that had been missing for a long time. He closed his eyes, and let those feelings seep into his very soul.

After a long time, they drew apart. Frigga was beaming, so very happy to have her sons back. Odin was smiling, hands still resting on his sons' shoulders. "Both of you have grown so much in the past year. I am proud of you both." He stepped back, hands dropping to his sides, and raised an eyebrow at Loki. "No war-declaring mortal girl with you on this visit?"

Loki felt his lips twitch. "No. I do not believe that Asgard was ready for a second visit quite yet."

Frigga uttered a quiet laugh. "She seemed to feel quite strongly about you."

"Perhaps." He was reluctant to speculate about Darcy's feelings.

Thor clapped him on the back. "She is a perfect match to him! So deceptively quiet, yet we have discovered a deep streak of mischief within her. Loki has to use all of his wits to keep pace with her"

Frigga clapped her hands together in delight. "Well finally! I had despaired of you ever finding a woman that interested you, Loki." She looked back and forth between both sons. "How strange that you both found matches among mortal women. What is so special about them?"

"Their ability to accept and even embrace difference," Loki answered immediately. He raised his blue arms to illustrate his point. "Even when I am not blue, I was never accepted here. I always felt outside of everything. The mortals are far more accepting of differences." He dropped his arms and looked at his parents.

Thor was quiet for a moment, obviously giving very serious thought to their mother's question. "I am a normal man, in Jane's eyes. She does not see a prince or future king. That completely changes the way she responds to me. With Asgard women, I am always aware that they know I am prince and heir to the throne. It...taints our interaction." He reached out to squeeze Loki's shoulder. "Asgard has become, or maybe always was, very inflexible. After spending time with the mortals, I have found that it feels somewhat restrictive here."

Loki was not expecting the thoughtful expression that crossed Odin's face. Anger – yes. Possibly even betrayal. But not Odin giving deep contemplation to their reasoning as to why mortal women were more attractive.

"Change does take place here, reluctantly," the All-Father said finally. "We are an old race, long lived, and this makes anything new, different, hard to accept." He bowed his head. "Yet change is sweeping down upon us. All of Asgard cannot help but notice its princes' fascination with Midgard. There is great unrest from the 'invasion' of two mortals, and the discovery of Loki's true heritage." A short, hard smile crossed his face. "My judgment has been called into question. After all, I adopted a frost giant 'monster' and raised the baby as a prince of Asgard without ever revealing his true heritage. This allowed the sacrilege of a frost giant briefly sitting on the throne of Asgard. Many are still traumatized."

Loki could hear the underlying sarcasm in his father's voice, and it went a long way toward healing the terrible emotional wounds inside. "And I did not even unleash any frost giant evilness upon Asgard, only Jotunheim and Midgard."

"True," Odin agreed. "Yet you were the cause of the mortal invasion. Again my judgment is called into question, that I did not smite down the impertinent mortal girl who dared to declare war on Asgard, and insult my person." He shook his head. "As if this is such an important thing."

"A year ago," Thor broke in softly, "I would have felt the same way. The insult to Asgard, to yourself, would have been too much to bear. The mortals would have to pay for what they had done." He shook his head. "We have become too impressed with ourselves, too arrogant."

"It has been that way for a very long time," Loki mused softly. He bore the emotional and mental scars to prove it.

His mother looped her arms around him. Before, he would have only tolerated such contact, holding himself stiffly until she released him. Now he leaned into her embrace, and felt a fuzzy warmth in the pit of his stomach from that very contact. Frigga's unconditional love, even after all he'd done, was a comfort, a balm to the soul. He almost felt like a child again, like the world and his life were not so terribly complicated. It felt good.

They dined in the privacy of the royal quarters. Odin talked quietly of the unrest in Asgard, in all its aspects. The revelation of Loki's true heritage felt like a betrayal to many people. They were not sure if they could trust their king right now.

The solution to that was obvious to Loki. "You could have denied your knowledge of my true heritage," he told his father. "You could have claimed that I was a frost giant spy that had snatched your true son away from you."

Odin shook his head. "No Loki. A king does not practice such deceit after being discovered. I was wrong to hide your heritage all those years. It caused you terrible pain when you found out. To deny you yet again...I could not do that."

Loki had trouble swallowing his food. "I was not here, father. And I had already shared my intentions of making Midgard my home. What would it have mattered?"

"I lost you once, due to my own maneuverings. For centuries, I was a king before being a father. When you fell into the abyss after I rejected you...I had failed you on so many levels. That you willingly gave up your life because of that...it nearly destroyed me."

Loki had heard the same from Thor many times, but had not believed it. He had been numb on so many levels from the betrayal of finding out he was frost giant, and suddenly understanding why Thor had always been favored for the throne. The realization that he had been a pawn in Odin's dealings with Laufey had made him sick. Physically ill. He had not been able to believe Thor's statements, once they had reunited, that Odin had been so emotional over Loki's supposed demise. Odin cared nothing for him!

Yet another hurt he had strangely clung to. He would never be a whole person if he could not let those hurts go. Forget? Never. But he had to learn to forgive, as others forgave him.

He stared hard at his father, as another revelation hit him. "You knew that I would return to Asgard in my natural form, when Darcy and Tony rescued me from Jotunheim."

"I did."

"You could have unblocked my magic the instant I returned. No one would have ever known."

"It was time for the deception to end. It was important that I accept you in your true form. You would never be whole until I did. "

"Never doubt that we love you, Loki," Frigga interjected softly.

"Even though sometimes, you make us mad enough to run at a wall with our heads down," Thor added, grinning.

"Likewise, my brother," Loki returned sharply. "Or, rather, you make me want to hatch some nefarious plot." He grinned wickedly at his brother, then turned back to his father.

"I think we have made a lot of progress today in repairing our relationship."

Odin nodded wisely. "We have. Now eat. Your food is cooling."

Thor, who had practically inhaled his food, regaled them with stories of his adventures with the Avengers, and talked much of Jane. When Loki could not be coaxed into sharing any stories, Thor told one of two stories of Darcy, and how she had completely bewitched him. Odin and Frigga smiled, and Frigga mused, in a very transparent attempt to be casual, how the girl really did seem a fine match to him.

It was growing late in the day by Earth time reckoning. Asgard's time moved at a slightly different pace. Thor had excused himself to spend some time with Sif and the Warriors Three. Loki and his parents had remained in their quarters, still working on repairing the damage to their relationships. Frigga was making a quiet suggestion about his dealings with Darcy when Loki lunged to his feet. Every magic ward he had placed on Darcy's well being began sounding an alarm, reverberating through the nerves of his body. She was in danger. At the same time, he could hear her voice in his head, calling his name in a desperate wish for help. He moved toward the door, but stopped at his mother's frightened cry.

"I must go!" he snapped. "Darcy is in danger." He transported himself to an abandoned chamber, deep within Asgard. It was home to the secret pathway to Earth, in the form of an innocuous archway that could be activated into a portal that opened up in ancient ruins on Earth. Transporting between the realms on his own required too much energy. For inter-realm travel, he used either the Bifrost, or the pathways he'd discovered centuries ago. And right now, he needed speed.

The transport to Earth was rough, a tumultuous whirlwind that spun and buffeted him. It left him gasping as he popped back into the corporeal world in the remote ruins on Earth. The magic wards were nearly shattering his sanity. He'd designed them with different levels of intensity, from a warning pulse up to a hammering punch. He felt like he was the clapper of a cosmic bell. Darcy was in mortal danger. He could hear her voice in his head, repeating his name over and over in a hitching breath that was completely terrified. Panic sucker punched him in the stomach, and he 'blinked' to her location without pausing for a breath.

He took in the scene with red frost giant eyes. Darcy was pinned against the side of a building by a big, bulky mortal. Tears were streaming from her eyes, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. The side of her face was red, swelling with the promise of bruising. She had her head turned to one side, and there was a knife pressed into the delicate skin of her neck.

Her bag, with the taser weapon she so favored, was crumpled on the ground several feet away.

Loki felt ice and anger flowing through his veins. They wouldn't be able to identify the pieces of this mortal when he was done with him.

Somehow she knew he was there. Darcy's eyes opened, and then widened when she saw him in his blue menace. "Loki no! Don't kill!" she shouted. "He's not worth it!"

He paused, magic fire twining around his fingers, ready to spear out and roast the mortal scum. But Darcy's expression was strangely intense, worried that he would kill. There would be consequences, serious consequences, to such an action. So, as the mortal man whipped around to face him, he did the only thing he could think of that would satisfy his need for retribution. He sent her bag flying into her hands even as the knife against her neck disintegrated into powder.

The man's scream was high and thin when she tasered him. He fell, twitching, and Darcy would have collapsed, but Loki was right there, catching her in his arms. She was panting like she'd just run a marathon, breath whistling in and out in a high pitch that told him her throat had almost closed up.

He held her tightly, one hand stroking her hair, murmuring softly to try to calm her. "It is all right, Darcy. I am here. I will not let him hurt you."

For several minutes, she shook violently against him, but it finally subsided a little. "You heard me," she said in a small voice. "I called for you, and you heard me."

He pulled back a little so he could look down into her tearstained face. It felt like someone punched him in the stomach to see that fear in her eyes. "Of course I heard you. As soon as we returned from Asgard, I placed magic wards on you so that if you were in danger, I would know."

She took a few deep, gulping breaths. "It's that jerk ex-boyfriend of Sheila's," she said shakily. "He was really pissed about getting roughed up by Steve last night. That and he wanted to..." She couldn't finish, biting her lip.

Loki growled. "Are you sure I cannot kill him? He deserves a thousand deaths for hurting you, and another woman."

"No." She shook her head, then winced, grabbing for the side of her face. "Asshole punched me. Twice. That really hurt, Loki. I've never been punched by a guy before."

He was almost shaking in rage. The hand he raised toward her face was shaking. "I would take that hurt away, if I could." He stroked the back of his hand down her face, feather light. Darcy shuddered, and pressed herself back into him.

"I know," she said softly, voice muffled from where it pressed into his shirt. Her shudders slowly ebbed, and he feels her body relax a little. She drew back this time, and took a deep breath. "I need to call 911, so they can put this ass away."

Loki wasn't sure what 911 was, but he trusted her to know what was best. She fumbled in her bag, and finally pulled out her cell phone to make a call. She gave some basic information , and then clicked the phone shut.

The boom of thunder warned them, as Thor dropped out of the night sky. "Darcy! Where are you?" A rush of air and an almost jet like sound barely preceded Stark's arrival, all suited up. He was yelling too. "Darcy! Where the hell are you?"

He watched her smile tremulously as she realized that her friends were coming to her rescue. His aborted magic strike had blown out nearby lights, and Stark and Thor could not see them, so he reassembled the lights with a wave of his hand.

Stark and Thor both jumped a little as the area was flooded with light, and then they both ran across the pavement as Loki and Darcy were illuminated.

"Are you all right?" Stark asked, retracting his face armor. There was concern and fear etched on his face.

"I'm fine," Darcy told him. "Loki saved me."

Thor looked at the mortal body on the ground, and then back to his brother. "Is the mortal attacker dead?" He couldn't see the taser probes, since the guy had fallen on his face, and it was a natural assumption since said guy had been hurting Loki's woman.

"He's not," Darcy assured. "I tased him. Asshole. It's Sheila's ex-boyfriend. I called 911, so they're on their way."

Thor nodded, and slung Mjolnir into his belt. He placed a comforting hand on Loki's shoulder. "Mother and Father came for me immediately, telling me you had left in a panic because Darcy was in danger. I came back to Earth, and contacted Stark while on my way from the Bifrost site."

Loki did the time calculations in his head, and was very impressed. "You are pushing Mjolnir to new limits, brother. Thank you."

"Uh Loki?" Stark interjected hesitantly. "I can hear sirens coming. You're blue right now. Maybe you should go for a more casual look?"

Darcy giggled at the chagrined expression on Loki's face. He had completely forgotten that he was in his natural form. He adopted a more subtle appearance, along with suitable attire, then looked down at the girl in his arms. She had not flinched, nor cringed, nor treated him any differently when he was blue. This was why he had easily abandoned the chilly, disapproving Asgard women for Midgard's mad mortals. Acceptance.

"How'd you find us so quickly?" Darcy wanted to know, as two police cars pulled up.

"Jarvis located your cell phone," Stark supplied.

He had been introduced as the boyfriend. Loki grew very impatient very quickly at the long wait as the police officers asked their questions and took the foolish mortal man into custody. Darcy didn't want him to kill, but that didn't stop him from reaching out with a bit of magic and giving the man a nasty, maddening rash. It would develop within the hour, and last for three days. The mortal would scratch himself raw. It was one of Loki's very earliest spells, and had been one of his favorites as a young teenager.

Thankfully, the police officers on scene were quick and efficient, and were soon taking the man into custody. They offered medical attention which Darcy declined, and seemed very impressed that two Avengers had come to her aid.

"She's a good friend," Stark explained. That seemed to satisfy the officers, and they finally departed, taking the soon to be itching man away.

Stark reached out to tilt Darcy's head into the light. "Shit. He knocked you good, Darcy. Hurt?"

"No, it tickles," she snapped. "Of course it hurts. That's okay. Loki is gonna take me home and make me feel better."

He certainly was, and he smiled widely at her assumption. "I will treat her hurts as best as I am able. Thank you both for coming."

Darcy peeled herself away from Loki, leaving coldness in her spot, and hugged both Thor and Stark in thanks. Then she came back to Loki, and burrowed against him. He nodded at the other two, and slid a firm arm around her. They blinked back to his apartment.

After a steamy Jacuzzi bath, where Loki gently cleaned the blood from her face, and Darcy cried a little, they settled onto the sofa. Darcy was sprawled against Loki's chest, with an ice pack pressed against the side of her face. She was going to have a black eye, and her lip had split.

"I guess mischief can come back to haunt you," she mused. "I created that whole mess."

"It can," he confirmed. "But you did not cause this, Darcy. This man acted on his own twisted instincts."

She had taken some painkillers, and they were making her very drowsy. "It doesn't matter."

He looked down at her as she rested the non-abused side of her face against his shoulder. "Why not?"

"Because I have a magic wielding, god-boyfriend who will keep me safe." He had to strain to hear her, since she was dropping rapidly toward sleep. "Can I say you're my boyfriend? That would be really neat."

The somewhat vulnerable side of her now being displayed was very endearing. Loki reached up to brush a wayward lock of hair away from her face. "Of course you may," he whispered, feeling a swelling emotion inside that brought that damnable lump back to his throat.

She shifted a little, getting more comfortable, eyes never opening. "That's really cool." She trailed off, and he thought she was asleep, but a little indrawn breath told him that she wasn't. "Thank you for saving me, again."

"My pleasure."

♾️ ♾️ ♾️

As for a S.H.I.L.D agent, Darcy is delicate AF.

This was probably the longest chapter I've written so, hope you enjoyed!!!

Also, go check out my Romanogers FF "Out of Time", I put a lot of effort into it and I'm sure you're all gonna love it.

A huge shoutout to my wattpad mentor BurningAshy for the amazing cover of "Out of Time".

Love,
InfinityHaze ♾️