Work Text:
It had been years since the incident with the tesseract and the destruction of New York. Loki had been punished, had managed to escape the worst of it, but had become significantly more stable over the past few years. When Thor had brought him back to Earth, everyone had been wary, but if Jane and Darcy trusted Thor, so did you. They had become two of your best friends after you’d helped them out in an investigation a few years back. If Thor was convinced there was good in his brother and they believed him, you would try to do so as well. As you had gotten to know Loki, you could tell that there was a caring side behind his cold, sarcastic exterior. You’d managed to worm your way under that shell until he went from being annoyed by your presence to seeking you out.
You’d been slightly surprised the first time he’d walked into the living room at the Avengers tower at the end of one of Stark's parties and sat down next to you. You’d been sipping your drink alone towards the edge of the room, needing a break from the rowdiness of the boys. He was not generally a favorite at these parties given what he’d done in the past but he’d slip in unnoticed after everyone had consumed enough alcohol to ignore him. He settled by your side, one arm slung casually across the back of the couch.
“Tired of their games?” he asked.
“I can only take so much of the one-upping. I love Jane too, but if I have to listen to Thor and Tony argue which of their girlfriends is better, I’m going to take a short walk off the balcony.”
Loki huffed a laugh and leaned in conspiratorially. “But darling, neither of them hold a candle to you.” You felt the resulting blush all the way to the tips of your ears. Damn. He’s charming.
After that, you had become closer. Loki was insistent on taking you out as often as you’d let him. You tried to convince yourself that this was just a friendship, that he’d said those nice things about you that night because he was lonely, bored, and silver-tongued. Half the things that came out of his mouth were lies anyway, so you assumed that probably had been too. The outings started to resemble dates more and more often with Loki taking you to increasingly fancy restaurants and bars, out to plays and symphonies, and to galas where you were both dressed to the nines. It was too much. You didn’t need all of that, you just wanted him. Not the tricks, not the show, just him.
One night he’d told you to be ready by 8 because he was taking you to the Rainbow Room for a private party. You knew exactly how much it cost to get in there for a private event. Too much, though he likely hadn’t been paying for any of these things. It was gorgeous, the city spreading out in every direction, a million twinkling lights as far as the eye could see but it wasn’t what you wanted. If you were honest, you’d just like to get a coffee at the little shop down the road from your apartment, order some takeout, watch movies, and laugh like regular people.
Once you told him that, everything changed. The bravado fell away and spending time with Loki became just that; you didn’t have to share him with anyone. It seemed that he was so unused to being wanted that he’d had no idea where to start in getting your attention. You’d fight whoever had made him feel that way. You also found that he could be surprisingly affectionate, holding your hand as you walked through the city, letting one hand wander to the small of your back as you stood together, and placing soft kisses too casually on the top of your head as if you wouldn’t notice. It was so much better than the elaborate dates he’d taken you on. Over the past months, you’d fallen into an easy rhythm. Loki had relaxed much more around you and things were better than you could have imagined.
-----X-----
Work had gone much later than you had expected. You had been dealing with paperwork for several hours and had only looked up at the clock a few minutes ago, horrified to see it was already 7 pm. You were supposed to be meeting Loki for dinner at 7:30 and the subway station was 3 blocks from your office and the restaurant was another 30 minutes on the train. There was no way you’d be on time. You hastily packed your bag and headed for the door, sending Loki a quick text: I’m going to be late :(
You ran through the lobby of the office building and pushed through the doors out into the street. It was dark but the traffic was still as busy and noisy as ever. You headed towards the subway station and didn’t made it ten feet before the sky opened up, soaking you almost immediately. You dug through your bag only to realize you didn’t have your umbrella. Standing on the sidewalk, there was nothing else that could be done. Tears of frustration filled your vision as you looked down at your drenched clothes. All you’d wanted after this long and exhausting day was to have a nice dinner with Loki and now that was completely ruined. There was no point in rushing now; you plodded your way towards the subway and descended into the stagnant air of the tunnels below.
The air of the station was stifling and dry. It helped warm you up only a little but did nothing to dry you off. When the train finally arrived, you staggered in behind a few other people but didn’t manage to snag a seat. Unfortunately, this was one of the many renovated cars that had air conditioning which only served to chill you so badly that you were shivering in mere minutes. You pulled your phone out of your bag to see if Loki had answered. There was one new message: It’s quite alright. I’ll see you when you get here, love.
You sighed and slipped it back into your bag, willing the train to go faster. You clung to the bar as the train lurched to a stop, trying not to topple onto the other passengers. The man beside you stumbled forward as the train stopped, sending the contents of his cup of coffee flying through the air and onto your clothes. You took a step back, mouth hanging open in shock.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” the man said, frantically digging through his bag and producing a napkin.
“It’s…” you were about to say it was alright but the truth was it was anything but. If the restaurant wouldn’t let you in before, they surely wouldn’t now. You took the napkin and tried to soak up as much of the coffee as you could.
-----X-----
When you got off the train 30 minutes later, you had dried off enough to stop dripping, but you were still shivering. Your shirt had a brown stain on the front from the coffee. You trudged up the stairs back to the street level only to realize it was still raining. Resigned, you stepped out into the deluge and made your way down the block. You could feel the sting of tears again as you realized you’d never be allowed in such a nice restaurant in your present state. This date would be completely ruined.
As you rounded the corner and spotted the sign for the Mediterranean place, you walked a little faster knowing shelter was just a few steps away. You saw someone silhouetted in the dim light from the windows standing halfway under the awning holding an umbrella. As you got closer, you realized who it was.
“Oh thank god,” you murmured to yourself. “Loki!”
He turned at the sound of his name and you grinned and dashed forward to duck under the umbrella with him. He looked you over and frowned slightly.
“You’re drenched. You must be freezing,” he said before wrapping an arm around you.
“Loki, don’t! You’ll get all wet! And this guy spilled his drink on me on the train!” You didn’t want to ruin his perfectly tailored black suit but he didn’t seem to care. You gave in and leaned into his side. “I’m not sure they’ll let me in like this.”
“We won’t be eating here tonight, darling, don’t worry,” he said.
“But I-” you started but he cut you off by taking your hand and leading you inside.
The warmth of the building was a relief but you were still confused. “If we’re not eating here then what are we doing inside?” But Loki was already speaking quietly to the hostess, gesturing in your direction. The hostess was nodding and then handing Loki a menu. He looked over the few options quickly and then handed it back, speaking so quietly you couldn’t make out what he was saying. He turned back to you and smiled.
“Just a few minutes,” he said as he led you to a bench and pressed gently on your shoulder, encouraging you to sit. He leaned down and kissed the top of your head before settling next to you.
“Did you forget your umbrella?” Loki looked you over, trying and failing to hide a grin.
“Yes! As if work wasn’t bad enough. I was stuck filling out reports. It was mind-numbing.”
“I think I’ve got just the thing for you, love,” he took your hand and stroked your knuckles with his thumb.
The hostess returned a moment later with two paper bags emblazoned with the restaurant logo. Loki stood and took them from her, slipping her a hefty tip that you did not fail to notice. He turned to you, bags in one hand, and held out the other for you to take which you did gladly. You took his umbrella and held it over the both of you as you left and made the short walk back to your apartment.
You walked up the stairs and into the warmth of your living room, immediately kicking off your soggy shoes. Loki toed off his own shoes and put them neatly next to yours before setting the bags on the coffee table. He disappeared down the hallway and returned with a pile of things which he set on the couch. Amongst the pile, you recognized the fluffy material of your bathrobe and your softest towel. While Loki took the bags into the kitchen, you peeled the wet clothes off your body and put them in a pile on the floor. After wrapping yourself in the robe and towel drying enough that you were no longer dripping, you flopped down onto the couch. Loki arrived a moment later with the food, which he had transferred to actual plates rather than the paper and foil to-go containers it had come in. It looked delicious and after the day you’d had, you were starving. You grabbed a fork and dug in, enjoying everything immensely. He watched you for a moment, eyebrows raised, then turned to his own dinner, the corner of his mouth quirking up in amusement as he ate.
“Good?” he asked as you finished.
“So good,” you answered as you take your last bite. Everything had been cooked to perfection and you were full but not to the point of being uncomfortable. You cleared up the plates, dumping them in the sink to deal with later. They could wait. Right now you just wanted to be with Loki.
You walked back into the living room to find that Loki had magicked himself into more comfortable attire: a soft black v-neck and a pair of loose sweatpants. It was always slightly jarring to see him in lounge clothes, but you knew it meant he was comfortable around you. And quite possibly that he wanted to cuddle. You pulled your favorite blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped yourself in it, settled down and leaned into his side. He wrapped an arm around you and pulled you closer, leaning his head against yours.
“It’s your turn to chose a film, if you’d like?” he said softly. You could feel his lips moving against the top of your head.
“Mm,” you yawned, “maybe later. I’d rather hear one of your stories,” you said as you closed your eyes.
“Oh really?” he laughed quietly. “Well then, we should get a bit more comfortable, don’t you think?”
He maneuvered himself so his back leaned against the cushions, propped up on the arm of the couch, legs stretched out in front of him. You moved so that you were seated between his legs and could lean back into him. You turned your head a bit so you could lay your head on his chest. The steady sound of his heart calmed you as did the way he ran his hands up and down your back, slow and methodical. You could already feel the exhaustion of the week weighing down on your mind. You knew sleep wasn’t far off.
“Have I ever told you about my childhood? I used to trick Thor so badly that he’d cry,” he laughed.
“Loki, that’s mean,” you murmured.
“Yes, well. He deserved it then.” He began a story involving snakes and stabbing, apparently recalling it quite fondly.
You had already begun to drift off. The low rumble of Loki’s voice through his chest as he spoke was soothing. It didn’t much matter what he said, only that he kept using the same hushed tone that urged you closer and closer to sleep. The way he gently stroked your hair did you in. You were asleep within minutes.
When Loki realized you were asleep, he smiled to himself and hugged you tighter. He loved seeing how peaceful you looked when you slept, all the worry and stress from the day gone from your face. He pulled the blanket over both of you and placed a kiss on your forehead. He debated carrying you to bed but decided he was just fine here, especially when you tightened your arms around his waist.
“Sweet dreams, love,” he whispered as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, too.