Pointe Shoes and Spider Webs

20. Unexpected Visitor

"Do you think I am evil?"

Daphne was thinking to herself how weird this entire situation is. She got sort of drugged and then kidnapped by a god to her old childhood home so he can prove his brother wrong and now she's on a nostalgia trip and having deep and meaningful conversations with him. They had returned to the house since Daphne was getting cold. Loki mentioned he doesn't really feel it, because of what he is. He didn't want to tell her exactly what, though. With a snap of his fingers, the fireplace was lit. She was making tea in the kitchen when he walked up to her and asked the question. She bounces the bag in the mug of piping hot water.

"I don't think anyone's truly evil."
"But...?" he challenges her.
"What answer are you looking for?" She turns to him with raised eyebrows. "You kidnapped me. And it doesn't matter to what extent the Battle of New York was your doing, you were at the center of it. You may have saved my life, but that does not erase the bad."
"I know it doesn't." Daphne turns back to the mug and shifts her attention and the tea bag to the other mug.
"I'm not gonna take credit for the quote, cause it's not mine, but a character in a TV show once said 'cool motive, still murder' and I think that applies to you." Daphne offers Loki one of the mugs and he chuckles.
"I suppose." Daphne purses her lips and walks to the living room where the fire is softly crackling.

She curls up on the couch, draping one of the throw blankets over her legs and taking small sips of the tea, so she won't burn her mouth.
"Will he come?" Her mind races to the other god, who still visits earth regularly. Thor.
"He is aware of the chaos I am causing. He should be here soon." Loki sits down next to Daphne on the couch, he leans his head back.
"Chaos?"
"The Avengers are looking for you." Daphne scoffs.
"I think they are looking for you."
"Just me?" He shoots her a playful glance as he sips his tea.
"I'm not that important."
"You are undervaluing yourself. Do you really think no one is looking for you?"
"Peter is." Loki snorts.
"That boy? He is nothing but trouble."
"Perhaps." She takes another sip. "But at least he is genuinely kind to me."
"And I am not?"
"Your words might be kind, but you're like..." She takes a second to think of the right comparison. "A double-edged sword."
"So is Peter."
"You don't know him."
"I know him better than you might think." She stares at Loki for a bit. He takes another sip of the tea, staring straight back at her.
"I think you're full of shit." Loki nearly chokes on his drink. He laughs and shrugs.
"I can still hurt you if I want to, you know that right?"
"Like I said," she states as she takes another sip. Her bluffing makes her heart beat a little faster. "Full of shit."
"Please, explain."
"I don't think I will." She smirks and raises her eyebrows at him.

Suddenly, Loki looks in the direction of the door. He presses his lips on top of each other and puts down his cup. He swiftly gets up and takes Daphne's mug away from her. "Hey, I was still drinking that!" He puts his finger to his lips.
"Ssh." There's a knock. Daphne's head turns to the door, her eyes are wide. She's frozen under the blanket. "Daphne, dear," he says softly. He takes her hands and guides her to her feet. "You are going to open the door and tell whoever is there to go away." Her breath is stuck in her throat. She looks at Loki, knowing very well what he will do to them if she doesn't do as he says.

His hand ghosts on her back as he walks her to the door. He hides around the corner, where she can still see him from the corner of her eyes. She tries to control her breathing and the rapid beating of her heart. Her hand goes to the door knob, but everything seems to go in slow motion. She twists it and pulls the door towards her to open it. She didn't expect him to be out there.

"David?" She's frozen. "What are you doing here?"
"You left New York, so I followed."
"You shouldn't be here." She closes the door a little, but he steps forward.
"Don't you understand that I love you?"
"You love me too much and you are putting yourself at risk."
"Are you alone?"
"No."
"Then who else is in there? That Peter guy you've been hanging out with? I'll rip his throat out, you know that."
"Eaaasy now," Loki singsongs as he pulls the door open further and makes himself known. He grins wide. David recognizes him immediately and takes a step back.
"Daphne, what's going on?"
"I need you to go back to New York, okay?"
"I'm not leaving you with this creep!"

Loki opens his mouth to reply, but Daphne steps in front of him.
"David," she pleads. "Just this once. Please, go home."
"I will go if you kiss me." She stares at him. She must've heard him wrong. Who in their right mind would ask this of her. Now?! Loki watches the scene unfold, rather amused at the horrid toxicity of their relationship. He leans in to Daphne, pressing his nose against her hair and whispers, soft enough so David can't hear.
"I can get rid of him if you want me to." His voice sounded like it was coated with honey. It was tempting. So tempting. All the times David caused her anxiety. All the pain and paranoia he's inflicted upon her. It could just stop forever. All she had to do was ask. She turns to face Loki and has to look up to find his gaze piercing through her. He's waiting for her reply.
"I'll deal with it," she whispers loudly.

She turns back to David and steps outside, pressing her closed lips against his. He instinctively grabs her face and after a few seconds she lets go of him. He still holds on to her.
"Daphne," he whimpers, wanting to taste more than just her dry lips. She stares him straight in the eyes as their noses touch.
"Go," she orders. His fingers linger on her skin, but he lets go and steps back. Loki pulls at her arm, urging her back inside and he smiles at David before he closes the door and locks it again.

"Aww, wasn't that sweet." Loki turns around to Daphne and sighs. "How did it feel? Being the hero?" She looks away, not replying. She wipes her mouth aggressively with her shirt. "Seems like we can't stay here, though." She stops to glare at him.
"I think I'm done being a nice prisoner." Loki laughs.
"You're still a mortal, Daphne." He crosses his arms. "You cannot beat me."
"I can try." She stands still for a few seconds, staring defiantly at him. Loki chuckles at the near-comical situation. She's obviously trying to come up with a plan right on the spot.

To his surprise, she suddenly she runs. She elegantly leaps over the couch and he rushes after her. She grabs her tea mug and throws it at him. He yelps when the hot water hits his hand.
"You-!" She's now on her way to the kitchen and reaches out for the knife stand. She gets a hold of two and turns back to Loki who now stands with his hands up. One is red from the hot tea that she threw at him, but it didn't burn him.
"I will stab you!" She yells at him.
"Oh no." Loki pretends he's cornered. "Whatever shall I do." A second Loki suddenly appears behind her, grabbing her wrists and slightly pressing into them with his thumbs, making her yelp and drop the knives to the ground. The Loki in front of her disappears. She pushes and pulls and kicks, but it doesn't seem to faze him at all.

"Let go of me!"
"I suggest you stop struggling or I will put you to sleep again, child!" He lets go of her and she stumbles forward, barely keeping her balance. She pants with her jaw tightened. Her mind races. He wants to leave this place.
"Where are we going then?" She says through gritted teeth. He thinks for a second, letting her calm down.
"Well, if Thor will not come here, I will just have to bring you to Thor."

...

She struggled. Again. Loki is getting bored of this game.
"I am not going to Asgard!" she screams. She had locked herself in the bathroom.
"You know locking the door will not stop me, right?" There's a loud thud. "Or barricading the door."
"Just let me go home!"
"After I show you to Thor, Daphne."
"I don't want to meet him! I want to go home!" He can hear her sob and he groans in frustration. She was supposed to like him. He granted her life! She should be grateful! He didn't want for her to be sad. He sighs.
"Alright." He sits down on the bed he put her in earlier and wipes his hand again.

She yelps as the barricade she created moves back to its original position by itself and the door unlocks and opens. She's on the floor, with her back against the bathtub, staring straight at Loki. The opening of the door frames her like a picture with a white-tiled background. Her hair is all over the place and her eyes and cheeks are red from crying.
"Please, don't take me there," she whispers.
"I promise I will not take you to Asgard." She stares at him in disbelief.
"You lie."
"Never to you." She pulls in her legs, making herself small. He hates to admit that it aches him to see her scared of him. She sniffs. He doesn't want her to cry and he doesn't want to be the reason for her tears.
"Then where are we going?" Her voice cracks and Loki thinks for a few seconds, letting a heavy silence fall between them as they stare at each other, eyes locked. She doesn't want to go off-world and therefore he won't do that to her, he decides. Loki quietly wonders what makes him so soft for her.
"Anywhere the car drives us."