The Fates' Favorite (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 48

Loki (3rd Person)

He'd underestimated it.

He knew it wasn't the wisest idea, thinking beforehand. He knew he should've settled once more for what they could safely do to please one another.

Of course, he took it a touch too far. Not that he regretted it, but he knew immediately he should've waited to take her.

Because now? He felt it. It wasn't deniable, it wasn't something he could pretend not to notice. He couldn't pretend the infatuation he felt was less than what it truly was.

Loki had only read of Jotunar mating bonds, of how they mated for a lifetime and wouldn't accept another, even after their mate's death. He had denied his heritage for years now, and even in this situation, he denied that the bond would be too strong no matter which way he and Aurora went. He'd denied that it would effect him the way it effected the frost beasts, their animalistic nature.

He'd slept with several people in his lifetime, he had argued with himself beforehand. He'd never had an issue.

But they weren't Aurora. They weren't his.

The way the scent of her hair, vanilla and warm cinnamon, immediately filled him with delight and comfort when he woke up the next morning only told him how horribly wrong he was about this entire situation. The way his immediate reaction was to pull her closer in his possessive grasp only reinforced how absolutely lost he was to her.

The way, for the next couple weeks, he couldn't help but to force his way to her side no matter the situation, acting worse than Shadow, working desperately for her attention.

The way he and Shadow both threw absolute tantrums when she started school, leaving them both for several hours each and every day.

Norns, he was ruined. Completely, infuriatingly ruined. Simultaneously, though, he was as happy as he'd ever been.

Which exactly what he was now, when he pulled Aurora right to his lap immediately when she came home from school, his arm wrapping around her waist even though they were in the commons, his eyes never even bothering to survey their surroundings or search for curious eyes.

"Mischief. You've been... different lately." She cooed at him subtly, turning in his lap to sit sideways and face him.

Loki didn't even look up from his book, already well aware what she was not-so-subtly trying to refer to.

Gods, she didn't get it.

She wouldn't, either... unless he told her. But how was he supposed to?

'I'm a beast and you've successfully managed to bond me to you'?

'I'm no more than an animal, now obsessively infatuated with you'?

'I didn't even bother to tell you about a mating bond before I had sex with you'?

Yeah... None of that was going to work. Not one bit.

"Is it a problem?" Was all he questioned, his gaze still refusing to meet hers as he attempted to read the same sentence for the third time.

"You know that's not what I'm saying." She sighed out frustratedly.

"Then why say anything at all?" Loki countered, making her frown deepen as she readjusted in his lap.

Her fingertips grasped his chin tightly, forcing his gaze to hers.

"Why do you do this every time?"

"Do what?"

"Try to manipulate the conversation."

He sighed softly, staring at her pout, the way she frowned so deeply at him.

God, he loved that look. That concerned, somewhat pouty look.

"You're avoiding talking to me." She added.

Loki's mouth opened to respond, to reassure her even if feigned, something...

But of course both their phones rang at the same time, calls to suit up.

"Later, Princess." Loki cooed softly to her, kissing her forehead. "We'll discuss everything tonight."

Aurora

"Just a warehouse. It shouldn't be too hard, but most of us will be there, so either way we'll have it all handled."

Cap was stupid.

Tony was even more stupid.

And Clint was probably the stupidest.

I only muttered once again that I should've gone to whatever meeting Thor and Loki were in instead of coming here.

But gods, this lot truly needed the help.

Weird, animalistic humanoids scattered around the building, which was so suspiciously empty when we got here.

I told them this would be a trap.

I told them, before we even approached the building. I told them Hydra would never leave such vital weapons left unattended unless it was for the specific purpose of trapping the avengers.

And now we were ambushed, surrounded, and thoroughly getting beaten.

"Tony, Cap just took a claw to the rib cage!" Clint screamed over the coms, but Tony was currently getting held down, half the face mask of his armor torn by one of the strange, lizard-like humans.

"Hydra really has to stop with the cross-breeding." I growled as I dodged a swipe of another's long, reptilian claws before pushing it back with a burst of black magic, only for another to get me on the back.

I let out a sling of curses, my entire back arching from the sensation of the cut being dug ruggedly across my skin.

Nat was on the ground, shooting though they only seemed to engulf the bullets one after another.

I couldn't do it.

I was overwhelmed.

Especially when I felt claws dig deep into my arm now, pulling me backwards as another gripped my throat.

I don't think I'd ever actually felt fear until that moment, watching the avengers getting taken down in such a way, watching myself get manhandled so easily by these strange lab monstrosities.

Hydra wasn't just doing their usual, vindictive and evil bullshit.

They were mad, furious even. And that terrified me.

I just screamed. A scared, angry, confused scream that took my voice as quickly as it seemed to fall from my lips.

And in a burst of this strange, off-white light, every single reptilian in the building burst. As if they had collided with the stars themselves, they combusted at the same exact moment as my knees hit the hard, cold cement of the building floor.

Everything was blurry, after that.

Nat was helping Cap up, Tony was picking pieces of shredded metal from his face and neck, Clint was tending to an injury on his arm... but they were all looking at me.

I felt dizzy immediately, but Tony must've noticed more on my face, because he was quick to throw a hand up to the rest, taking a couple of careful steps towards me.

"Kiddo? You alright?" He questioned cautiously, kneeling several feet away from me. "Are we okay to get you back to the helicarrier?"

I wobbly stood, but jumped back when Nat and Clint tried to get closer in order to stabilize me.

Oh, fuck... The panic was starting to settle in.

It was ridiculous, irrational I knew... But that never stopped it before.

Tony was the bravest, even after I had pulled the dagger from my hip, holding a bare hand up as if I were a wounded animal as he approached.

"It's alright, bandit. You're alright; you did so well. Let's get you back to the helicarrier."