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At the end of one of the aisles in the library she sees Thor and Loki sitting calmly, each blind to the world, wrapped up in their own book. Smiling to herself, she turns to leave the brothers in peace and heads the long way around to her favorite section in search of a new book.
On her way there, she passes by people randomly dotted throughout the library. She hums or smiles in greeting at the few that look up from flicking through their chosen tome.
A soft “hello,” is whispered her way and she jerks to a halt.
Doing a double take she sees Loki leaning against a tall shelf, book in hand and content smile plastered across his face.
“Excuse me?”
“Hello.”
“Yeah. Hi.” She says, poking a finger into his chest.
When her finger meets the soft fabric of his shirt instead of going through him, she pokes him again.
Loki’s smile shifts to unamused.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, you can.” She grabs his ear, half dragging him behind her. Together they make their way back to where she saw Loki and Thor earlier.
Stopping just out of their sight she points at Thor and the other Loki.“Why are there two of you?”
“He’s my twin brother.” Loki spits out quickly and quietly
“No, that doesn’t make any sense. What’s the real reason?” She asks, releasing his ear. “I thought you said you couldn’t use your magic; Why are there two of you?”
“I lied. That’s what I do.”
“So, he is…?”
“Simply keeping Thor company for me.”
“Why?”
“That oaf breathes too loudly for me to concentrate sometimes.” Loki shrugs. “Sue me.”
She stifles a giggle and hides behind the shelf.
“Teach me.”
“Teach you?”
“Would you mind, please?” Her eyes dance with mirth and hope. “I’ll keep your secret and you’ll keep mine.”
“Yours?”
She smiles, swirling a wrist, conjuring a white carnation, tucking it behind his ear.
“So...?”
“Teaching.” Loki hums the word.
“Please? Strange won’t even acknowledge me in this regard.” She swallows, holding in anger. “And I would have asked you earlier but… I didn’t want to upset you? I mean, I thought you didn’t have your magic and then if you didn’t, I didn’t think you’d want me bugging you about it. I just didn’t want to bother you unnecessarily. I could have asked Wanda, but I don’t know her very well. I’ve always felt somewhat drawn to you, but…”
“You speak to me as if you’re afraid we’ll fall in love.” Loki tilts his head to the side, observing her.
“But isn’t that the most cliché thing ever,” She shrugs, “Falling for your teacher?”
“I doubt this could ever be cliché, my dear. Nothing about this is… standard.” He says, waving his hand.
“Isn’t there a standard with magic though?”
“Magic? No.” Loki shakes his head, wringing his hands together. His voice dropping lower, “It’s similar to love, in that manner.”
“Strange said there was a standard. That it’s too rigorous for me. Are you actually going to teach me or are you just humoring me?”
Loki sighs. “Strange is about a century ahead of you, regardless of his age. He learned one way to work with magic. Where I am from, there are several ways; it’s not guarded for only a few chosen ones to play and tamper with.”
“He lied then.”
“We all lie to some extent.” Loki smiles a wolfish grin. “Midgard has always had an odd outlook on magic. Even by those who practice it.”
She huffs out a laugh. “Then where’s the truth?”
“In you.” Loki draws closer to her. “Somewhere inside of you.”
“That’s vague.”
“In order for you to learn, you’ll have to have faith in yourself. You’ll also have to trust me.”
“Is this a Miyagi thing?”
“A what?”
“A who. And I’ll take that as a yes.”
He eyes her, “So, this means, you trust me? You’ll try?”
“Yes.” She nods as if trying to convince herself more than him.
“Alright. Let’s begin.”
Months later, she’s becoming exceedingly stronger under Loki’s teaching and aid. A bond has grown between them, something he wasn’t prepared for. Something he could never have hoped for, something beyond simple friendship. Countless soft touches, lingering glances, and moments alone have tested his resolve over and over and over again. Each week, each day, they’ve been pushing each other, toying with boundaries, silently testing the waters, waiting, watching the other’s reaction. Today, he intends to test her growing skills and what’s left of their last few shreds of self-control.
“What’s in store for today?”
“That depends. Are you up for a challenge?”
“Hmm, well maybe.” She pretends to think it over. “What do you have in mind?”
“Something I hope you can handle.” Loki’s smile turns mischievous. “Though, I’m still not sure.”
“Oh really?” She smiles defiantly, tilting her chin up. “Try me.”
His fingers comb through his hair a few times as he pretends to think, catching on a few small knots as his idea continues to form and twist in his mind. Gathering up his hair, he ties it up into a messy bun at the nape of his neck, wavy ends sticking out in all directions.
Her gaze stays on his hair, she tries to memorize the new sight before her. In her trance like state, she misses the way his hands move as he shows her something, and his words fall on deaf ears. He snickers; his plan is already working.
“Love, are you quite alright?” His voice asks from behind her though he’s standing directly in front of her.
“What? How did you do that?” She turns and finds him behind her, as well as another Loki sitting bored at the table reading.
The Loki reading turns the page with a sigh, “If you were captivated with today’s lesson, maybe you would know.”
“That’s not – that’s beside the point.” She squares her shoulders, putting a neutral face on. “Show me again.”
“No.” A fourth Loki says walking into the room.
“I think I have a better idea.” Says the Loki she thought to be the original Loki.
“And what’s that?”
Her mind whirls with ideas of what he could be concocting as the various Loki form a line, a fifth, in blue leather, joins from behind her making her head spin. More and more Lokis join the line. Each one is adorned differently; one wearing a black suit, one decked out in gold and green, another wearing street clothes.
The Loki reading joins the group without looking up from his book. “Pick.” He states simply.
“Pick?” She chortles. “I beg your pardon?”
The line of Lokis smirk and chuckle darkly each in their own way. The Loki wearing a crown of horns steps forward. “If you can pick which one of us is not an illusion then I’ll show you.”
“Or I’ll show you.” Says the Loki in street clothes, looking beyond amused.
“Or I.” Another says further down the line, causing a fourth Loki to hum and the Loki whose hair is tied back to snicker.
She looks from Loki, to Loki, to Loki, hoping for some small tell, some hint of reality to bleed through the magic that lays heavily in the air.
“Do I get any hints?” She eyes each of them walking slowly down the line.
The Loki that’s behind her speaks up sending a shiver down her spine, his voice a deep and raspy. “That’s no fun, darling. You know we don’t like to play fairly.”
“Alright, fine.” She moves to the Loki in the dark suit. She stares into his eyes, reaching out to him with her magic and hoping it isn’t obvious. “Not you.”
He bows his head and disappears in a wave of green and gold.
“One down.” Says the Loki wearing blue leather.
She walks toward him, “Not you either.” She says, dragging a hand through his would-be chest as green shimmers around him and he disappears.
“Still don’t know how this works, do you, pet?” The Loki in armor sneers, earning her attention.
She stands in front of him, staring deep into the flecks of color in his eyes.
“Would you like me to show you? Slowly? Intimately?” His voice rumbles through her, sinking into her bones.
She turns her head and takes a step away. “Not you. Or you.” She points to another Loki and another.
“Down to two.” One of the remaining Loki purrs, a cheeky smile curling his lips.
“Hm. Which one? Which one?” She smiles at both Loki’s, her heart beating faster as the tension in the room shifts.
“Chose.” One Loki says.
“Do I get a prize if I’m right?”
“Possibly.” The other Loki says.
Her eyes flicker from one to the other.
“And if I’m wrong?”
“Play the game…”
“…and see.” The Loki’s finish for each other.
She bites her lip, stepping closer to one of them.
“You.” She whispers, pressing her lips to his.
She smiles into the kiss as she feels the wave of magic from the clone ripple away.
Pulling away from Loki, she smiles. “Do I win?”
He growls lowly, reaching for her. “Indeed, pet.”
He kisses her again, deepening it, pouring urgency and months of longing into every moment of his lips. Breaking for air, he nips at her lower lip.
“And what do I win?”
“Me. Or whatever you want.” He breathily smiles, his thumb rubbing over her cheek.
“Mhm. Just what I thought.”
“What?”
“This is all your fault.”
“Oh, I do hope so.”