Marvel Outtakes & One Shots

Mystery date L.O.

Loki helps a damsel in distress who only wants no more than five minutes of his time. But what if the god of Mischief wanted far more than five minutes with her?

Exiting her apartment building Aria made her way down the street headed for one of her favorite places to go on her few days off. The bookstore. Being a voracious reader since she was a child she loved reading anything and everything in any form, but at the end of the day her heart called out for a real-in-her-hands book. The texture and weight, the smell of freshly printed pages... Don't even get her started on old books and how they smelt. Popping in her ear buds, she deftly flowed along with her fellow pedestrians like salmon in a stream as she pulled up her walking playlist. Today was going to be a good day. She could just feel it, something in the air just felt... magical. Now that might just be the whimsical part of her that she tucked down. Like deep, deep, deep down but nevertheless Aria let herself enjoy this feeling as the spring sun shone down on her.

About a block away from her destination the light and breezy feeling that she'd been basking in all morning curdled like milk left in the sun when she spotted him. Her ex. Henry Richelieu. God, why today of all days did he have to stalk her? Oh, that's right, because he knew her work schedule since they worked together and knew what she liked to do on her days off. Panicking because he'd spotted her, she tried to remain calm as he made his way towards her with two cups of coffee and a smile. Why wouldn't he just get the hint that she was over him and move on already?

She had to admit that he was handsome, charming and everything you'd ever want in a boyfriend who could one day potentially become your husband. But underneath all of that lay something dark and dangerous. He had never put his hands on her, thank God. She hadn't let the relationship go on that long for it to be a possibility, but she had a feeling that if she stayed with him the monster that was lurking under the surface would eventually come out. And Aria would never let herself be put in that kind of position. Ever.

Her frantic hazel eyes darting around for an alley or perhaps a woman who might be willing to help her, Aria locked on a man sitting at a table outside the cafe nextdoor to the bookstore reading. He was tall from what she could see of him. Refined looking with delicate but chiseled features that looked like it might slice your hand on his cheekbone should you ever have to slap his handsome face. Shoulder length raven colored hair with just the slightest curl at the ends was neatly tucked behind his ears. She couldn't get a good look at his eye color as they were focused on the page of the book he was reading, but that was neither here nor there. The color of his eyes didn't matter for her improvised plan to work. She just needed his attention for two minutes, five max, for this to work and then hopefully Henry would finally leave her alone.

Practically tripping as she zigged and then zagged across the crowded sidewalk in her attempt to get to the man before Henry got to her. Pasting a bright smile on her face Aria loudly called out to him. "Sorry I'm running late. I got caught up a few blocks back."

The man glanced up from his book with a raised eyebrow as she came to a stop beside him. His entrancing green eyes silently inquiring what she thought she was doing invading his personal space. Before he could verbally ask what she was talking about, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. Now it must be said that her plan had initially been to kiss his cheek, but for whatever reason, his oddly tempting thin lips called out to be kissed so that's what she did. Caught off guard the man didn't immediately push her away. If anything he leaned into her a little.

Pulling back after several seconds longer than she intended to kiss him for she sucked in a deep breath as she plopped down on the seat next to him, she quickly but quietly begged him to play along. "I'm so sorry for assaulting you with my lips, but there's a man. My ex. He's right over there behind you. No matter what I say he won't leave me alone and if he thinks at all that I'm taken then he might finally get the hint. Please, please can you pretend for the next two minutes like you're my boyfriend or my date or whatever?" Sitting there bewildered and bemused he only has time to nod once and take her slightly sweaty hand in his before Henry was standing next to them.