Omega Mine

Chapter 12

You blushed at that tone coming from Loki. You weren't surprised that he would cheat to sit next to you. He was your Alpha and it was only natural for him to want to be close, even if he hadn't claimed you yet. The instincts were still there. You both understood that you needed to know each other better, to make sure it was a good match before you succumbed to your instincts.

You'd never heard of instincts being wrong before and most Alphas and Omegas immediately gave in to those instincts and were happy together. It was like a soulmate bond in mushy romance books. Still, being careful didn't hurt.

The team chatted together through dinner as usual. It was like a big family. Usually. They were wary about Loki. "So, Reindeer Games, why are you on Earth again?" Tony asked. He was an Omega, but really didn't act like it. He was always willing to step up to the plate and poke anyone and anything to get a reaction.

Loki huffed and stiffened. He looked so closed off and angry. So you did what any good Omega would do. You gave him a bright smile and drew his attention to you. "I know your last trip to Earth wasn't good, hopefully this one will be better,"

Loki stopped glaring at Tony to look at you. His expression softened, though you saw chained sexuality in that gaze as well. He wanted you, badly. "I am quite sure it will be, Elskling," he replied warmly to you. He looked at the others and knew that he needed to answer Tony's original questions. "The Allfather refuses to believe that the events of the Chitauri attack were not my fault, despite the testimony of Thor and my mother. He decreed that I be locked away for my 'crimes',"

"Wasn't it your doing?" Tony pushed again.

You would've kicked him under the table if you could. Especially when you saw the pain and haunted look in Loki's eyes. You reached over and laid your hand on top of Loki's while Steve glared at Tony. "Enough, Stark," he said, his voice an Alpha growl. You knew that Steve was still getting used to being an Alpha. His Alpha aura flared more than he clearly intended at that order. Tony's eyes glazed at the order from the strong Alpha. At least he wouldn't be causing more trouble for awhile. Even he couldn't go against such a direct order from such a strong Alpha.

Loki looked down at your hand on his. He shifted his hand to take yours and squeezed it gently, clearly appreciating your small gesture to reassure him. Thor looked surprised and you had the feeling that Loki didn't usually like being touched. Clearly, you were an exception to that. That was to be expected. Omegas were generally allowed casual touches to help calm and soothe those around them.

Loki looked back up to address the question. "No, it wasn't my doing. I was abducted by Thanos, the mad titan and tortured. He used the mind stone on me to force me to come here and attack Midgard in his quest for the Infinity Stones," Loki explained, pain in his voice at the memories.

You saw the look in Bucky's eyes too. The same haunted look. He had been tortured by Hydra, his mind and memories erased and scrambled so many times that he had trouble remembering what was real and what wasn't at times. He was still healing. Loki was too.

"Mother fought for Loki's release from the unjust punishment. She is still working on getting him entirely off the hook, but Father allowed her to change Loki's punishment. He no longer has to spend his days in a cell and was allowed to come to Midgard to help make amends," Thor explained to the team. He had the demeanor that he always wanted to look out for his little brother. Though you could also tell that there was trouble in their relationship.

Once that explanation was out of the way, the team got to introducing themselves properly. Clint and Bucky both accepted Loki's story easily, both had been under mind control before. Since Clint accepted it, Nat accepted it, though she remained a bit wary, mostly for your sake since you were unclaimed. The rest treated him as a new member, which was the best anyone could hope for at the moment.

You told stories and chatted amongst yourselves as you ate, telling stories of missions, of battles that Asgardians had been in, letting Loki get to know them, their abilities, their past. Loki relaxed, though seemed disinclined to let go of your hand. That was alright. You could eat with one hand.

"Are we having movie night?" You asked toward the end of dinner when there was a lull in the conversation.

The Alphas all turned their attention to you with fond smiles. "Gladly," Steve said warmly while the others all agreed quickly. Movie night was a comfortable way that they could all spend the evening in your presence and soak up an Omega's aura. Tony and Bruce just didn't give off the same aura, given their backgrounds.

"Movie night?" Loki asked you.

You nodded and smiled up at him. "Do you have movies on Asgard?" You asked, unsure what his world did and didn't have. He shook his head, looking curious, interested, and confused at all the Midgardian things he was going to have to learn about. "It's like a play that you can watch anytime,"

Loki considered that and nodded. "That could be entertaining," he agreed.

The team predictably argued over what movie you would watch while the dishes were gathered to wash. You got up and led Loki to the DVD shelf so you could look over movies with him and help him pick out which one he wanted to watch. You saw his eyes light up at one. "They have the story of Hiccup and Toothless? It was my favorite book as a child," he said with childish glee in his eyes.

You grinned and pulled it off the shelf. "They do. It's one of my favorites," you told him brightly. "Though I'll be curious as to how this version is different than the one you know,"

Loki summoned an old leather-bound volume in a shimmer of green magic. He waved a hand over it with another shimmer of green magic before he handed it over to you. "Now you can read the original for yourself. I translated it into English for you," he said warmly, with a look in his eyes that he was proud to be able to do something to please his Omega.

You accepted the ancient volume with reverence. "Loki... this is amazing. Are you sure I can borrow it?" It looked old and precious, though it was perfectly well cared for. Your fingers traced the leather cover and you somehow resisted the urge to smell the pages. At least not in front of Loki. Old books just had the very best smell.

"Yes, Elskling," he replied in a purr, glad you were pleased. You vanished the book to safety so you could read it later.

"Did you two pick a movie?" Nat asked as she and the rest of the team started to file into the common room.

You nodded, but before you could answer her, you all jumped as the tower alarm started blaring.

A moment later, you found strong arms around you as Loki hauled you to him, hissing softly like a puffed-up, affronted cat. His battle armor shimmered into existence and he held you securely to his side, his cape over you, to shield you from view and protect you as he summoned his weapon. It was an Alpha's instinct to protect their Omega and Loki had acted without even thinking.