Loki x Reader - Give Me Love

“Give me Love” – Loki x Reader Chapter 23

***

Maybe you loved the torment; maybe you thrived in his chaos - - and now that he was gone, your mind didn’t know what to do. You were like a lost puppy wandering the lonely streets, imagining and dreaming of a master that you had run from... You threw the sheets from your body and slowly crawled out of the bed. Suddenly you felt all too exposed... You truly felt like a lost dog, and the mere thought of that made you feel dirty...

***

Hesitantly you stepped into the room. It was only the fifth door you had come to. ‘Just down the hall’ Thor said, ‘It’s not far’, he said. Sure. You rolled your eyes, but quickly realised you were finally at the right room.

“(Name), what has taken you so long?” the Asgardian asked.

“Sorry, I got lost...” you said, trying to hide your minor irritation with Thor.

“I warned you about that, didn’t I?” Auden said with a soft laugh. You almost had to do a double take of the white haired woman. It was odd seeing Auden in a uniform... last night you hadn’t paid too much attention to anything really; but this time you could see the authority the otherwise sweet girl could demand. Her white hair was pulled back into a low, but tight pony tail – allowing everyone to see the fine hints of age in her face – and her uniform was neat and looked near-new.

“Okay, so back to business...” Tony said as you walked towards the large wooden table. You took a seat between Thor and Clint and Auden sat next to Thor; you could see how hard she was trying not to fixate herself on the Asgardian. A small smirk pulled at your lips, but you couldn’t dwell on it for too long. “Legolas, Auden and I are going to go to finalise everything in the California compound. It’ll take about a week or two.”

“I thought Fury was going to do that.” Natasha said while resting her cheek on her hand.

“Mad-Eye Moody was called away... somewhere.” The billionaire replied with a sigh. At that moment, the door opened and Steve walked in. Your brows furrowed and you turned back to the rest of the group. How had you missed the complete and utter lack of Captain America?

“Sorry it took so long, he wasn’t very cooperative.” Steve said while taking a seat at the table.

“You expected him to just tell you everything?” The archer beside you asked with a raised brow.

“Well... No... I just didn’t expect as much grovelling...” Steve murmured the last part under his breath, but you were sure everyone in the room heard it.

“Anything of use?” Tony asked.

“Your suits...” The billionaire’s brows furrowed.

“What about my babies?” he asked seriously, you couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t know... He just said that Loki had a plan for all of your suits, but it doesn’t seem like he knows exactly what it is.”

“How can you be sure?” Thor interjected.

“Trust me... If he knew, he would have told me.” The look on Thor’s face told you he didn’t completely understand, but you did, and from everyone’s tone of voice, you could tell who they were talking about as well. The Teacher - - Oswald - - must have been ‘persuaded’ to tell Steve everything he knew. You were amazed how cold and calculating Steve sounded while speaking of The Teacher... Of all of them, he seemed, well, the most approachable...

“Okay, now (Name).” Tony said, causing everyone to turn to face you.

You felt a little more than self-conscious...

“What...?” Everyone raised a brow before turning to Thor.

“You didn’t tell her?” Nat’s face and voice deadpanned.

“Uh... Well... No...” Thor replied with an apologetic look. The billionaire sighed heavily.

“We need you to tell us everything you know about Loki and anything he has planned...” Tony explained.

“I...” your brows furrowed. “I don’t really know...” Tony raised a brow and everyone gave you a sceptical look - - except for Thor of course. He understood... He understood what you were... No one else did... “Look, I wasn’t privy to much of anything except his bed.” Just saying that brought your mind back to the warmth of his bed... to the warmth of his embrace... It was a feeling you were already beginning to miss...

“Anything you know; anything you’ve heard... It will help...” Steve said. You took a deep breath and thought back.

“I’m guessing you already know the power isn’t working that well...” you started, Tony nodded. “I...” your brows furrowed. “I don’t know. He took me to a meeting once... but the pictures they had made me feel sick, so I didn’t really pay attention.”

“Pictures?”

“Of people, but the only one I saw was of a woman... Something to do with rebellions in Germany and England...” the image of the woman’s bloodied corpse flashed in your mind.

“What did the woman look like?” Tony asked almost mechanically.

“Um...” you thought back, but all you could see was her open chest and organs on display... Tony slammed his hands down on the table,

“What did she look like?!” he yelled, causing you to jump slightly,

“B-Brown hair I think... I couldn’t see her clothes though... her chest was ripped open...”

“It isn’t Pepper, Tony.” Clint said.

“But it could be Maria...” he replied dryly. “Pepper went with Maria to settle people down... If it was her, then Pepper is probably...” he trailed off.

“We’ve already discussed this-,”

“We haven’t heard from either of them in months.” He growled.

“I-I think she was the only woman...” your voice came out as a whisper, but everyone had heard you. “I’m pretty sure the rest of the photos were of men...” Tony took a long, silence glance at you before swiftly standing and exiting the room.

“We’re leaving, now.” He said just before the door closed.

Clint and Auden slowly made their way out of the room, leaving you, Thor, Steve and Nat sitting silently in the meeting room.

“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to upset him...” you said, shrinking back into the chair.

“It’s okay, he’s just stressed...” Steve said. You nodded slowly, but in truth, it didn’t make you feel any better... You weren’t accustomed to being spoken to like that - - no wait... You were... But it would always resolve itself with Loki wrapping his arms around you... You missed the warmth... You missed his warmth... Thor’s large hand found your shoulder,

“We’ve got a training session to go to... would you like to watch?” the Asgardian smiled warmly. “It probably won’t be all that interesting, but it’ll be better than sitting in the house all day.” You felt a small smile creep onto your lips.

“Okay.”

***

Thor, Natasha and Steve - - all of the Avengers in fact - - ran classes to teach all those who were interested how to fight and defend themselves. It was a good idea... Though you didn’t understand why they need to know how to fight if they lived this secluded from everyone... Better to be safe than sorry...

You pulled your knees to your chest and leaned back against a wall. It was amazing how majestic everyone looked, moving swiftly around each other, disarming, sparring... There were at least sixty people in the large hall, and they had broken up into three groups. Natasha took the agile fighters, most of which were women or slender men. Steve took the ‘average’ people; those who were interested in learning about guns and basic hand-to-hand combat; and Thor took the burly, daring people. He taught them how to fight with their hands as well as the more basic weapons, swords, hammers, axes... There was a nearly fatal incident when one of the men allowed an extremely large, extremely sharp axe to fly free from his hands and nearly decapitate a large portion of the participants and Thor himself. Needless to say he wasn’t allowed to use the axe for the rest of the lesson... It was at that time that everyone took a break and Thor took a seat next to you.

“Thor, do you think I... uh-,” Thor’s gaze locked with your own. “C-Could I join in...?” Thor studied you for a short moment.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to cope with the strain... maybe after a short time to properly rest... but not right now.” You supressed a sigh,

“Okay...” Thor handed you a small bread roll with butter and a thin slice of ham on it. You nibbled at the edges, but felt guilty. This was the food supplied for the students... They had spent hours training, straining their bodies... and now you were eating their food after spending just as much time sitting on your arse... You offered more than half of it back to Thor,

“I’m not really hungry, do you want it?”

“Are you certain?” you nodded and Thor took the roll from your hand and woofed it down in less than a minute. After that Thor was called back over to the group as they restarted.

You honestly had a much better time than you had expected. It was a bummer that you couldn’t join in, but you did help where you could, and the time seemed to fly by, because the next thing you knew, it was far passed lunchtime – heading towards the early afternoon – and the lesson was coming to a close. Thor and Nat quickly disappeared into the back room, but Steve stayed behind to chat with a few of the students who had a harder time than the rest - - including the man who nearly decapitated everyone. Once he was finished talking, you cautiously stepped forward, and just before Steve was able to escape, you caught his attention.

“S-Steve.” You said with a nervous smile. He turned, and when he did, you saw his expression turn one of surprise.

“Yeah?”

“Um... I was wondering if you could; no, wait-,” you chuckled awkwardly, “I was wondering if I could join your class... Natasha seems terrifying when it comes to classes, and Thor wouldn’t let me...” you finished with a smile.

“Well...” he rubbed his neck and thought it over for a minute. “I don’t think that’d be a good idea... The classes are a little too advanced for you.”

“Oh...” you looked down. “I understand; I probably wouldn’t have been any good anyway...” you finished with a false smile.

“N-No, I didn’t mean you’d be no good at it, because you’d be fine; I mean you’ve certainly got the body for it - - No... I mean, after a few-,” Steve sighed heavily. “I’m still no good at talking to women...” he murmured under his breath while running a hand through his hair. A small smile cracked over your face. His cheeks were reddening, and he was fumbling over his words. It was adorable; but in an awkward best-friend sort of way.

“It’s okay Steve...” You said, finally putting him out of his misery. “I get it... The classes have already been going for so long that it’s too late for me to catch up...” you said with a smile you hoped looked genuine. Steve eyed you for a moment and placed a hand on his hip before he turned around to face Natasha, who had just re-emerged from the back room.

“Hey Nat, do we have anything scheduled after the classes?”

“No, why?” she asked while slipping a faded sweater on.

“I’m going to use the gym for an hour or two after every lesson, okay?” Nat’s brows furrowed as she moved closer to the two of you.

“Why?” she asked. Steve’s pale blue eyes turned back to you.

“Because I’m going to give (Name) some mentoring...” You smiled wide, but Nat only laughed.

“Wait. You-,” she pointed to Steve; “against (Name)?” she pointed to you with a shake of her head. “How is that even remotely fair?” she asked with a raised brow.

“Um...” Steve started while turning back to face you. “Well... Then how about you help out?”

“How is that fair?” you asked, unable to keep the words down. “I saw her during the lesson; she’d be able to kick my arse from here to next Sunday...” Nat and Steve laughed,

“While that’s true...” the red head started. “I think having someone nearer your height and body type would make training easier...” You cautiously eyed the red haired woman before moving your gaze to Steve.

“Okay... I guess it could work...” you said.

“What could work?” Thor asked as he stepped out of the changing rooms. Your mouth fell open slightly. It was official... he was born to walk around shirtless... Nat wolf whistled and chuckled softly.

“We’re going to show (Name) around a little. You should head back and check on Bruce, sometimes I think he needs to be reminded that he needs sleep.” The red haired woman said.

“Would you like me to join you?” he asked, turning his gaze to you. You could feel Steve and Nat’s eyes on you; she had lied for a reason. She knew just as well as you that Thor wouldn’t approve of the training.

“No, you were nearly decapitated today... I think you deserve some time to rest.” Thor nodded before leaving the training hall.

***

Two hours later, and you were regretting your decision... They had only practiced the basic moves with you... but you still wound up flat on your back or thrown against the wall or floor... It was an accident of course, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Just under an hour into the session Steve tried to stop it all, but you urged him to continue – and he did, begrudgingly. There was a small time nearing the end of the second hour when you felt your body become pain free, but it soon faded into the burning hell you were now experiencing... Your body had been used and abused over the months, but you were never forced to use so many muscles before.

“I didn’t even think I had muscles in some of these places...” you murmured while slowly making your way up the stairs. Nat and Steve laughed as they moved ahead of you. “It’s not funny...” you insisted while trying to stop yourself from laughing.

“Yes it is sweetie.” Nat said while opening the front door of the house. You tightly gripped your sides.

“I think I broke something...”

“What makes you think that?” Steve said with a badly hidden grin.

“Because laughing isn’t meant to hurt!” you said with a laugh that sounded more like a pained moan.

Steve softly placed his hand on your back and guided you into a small room with a plush couch and old looking T.V with stacks of VHS tapes, CD’s and a few DVD’s.

“I don’t think stairs are your friends... Lay down here for a little while and you’ll feel better.” The blond said while guiding you down onto the lounge. You nodded and plopped down on the couch, causing you to wince.

“(Name)?” Thor asked while busting into the room.

“Hmm?” you tried to turn around, but the burning pain stopped you almost instantly. “Are you okay?” Thor asked as he placed a heavy hand on your shoulder,

“Ow!” you quickly pulled away with a wince. “Everything hurts...” you groaned.

“It’ll hurt worse tomorrow...” Nat added. You whimpered softly.

“Well it’s partially your fault, so you’ll just have to take care of me...” you said with a smirk, causing Nat to roll her eyes. Thor’s brows furrowed.

“What are you talking about?” You, Steve and Natasha froze.

“Well... um...” you started, but you couldn’t think of a worthy lie... If you told the truth now, it would probably make it easier on everyone... “Steve and Nat are going to train me after the normal lessons; jut until I catch up to the rest of the students... Then I can join in the normal classes...” you said with an attempt at a sweet smile. Thor sighed,

“This is why I told you it wasn’t a good idea... You’re not used to this kind of training, and you’ll just end up hurt...” the Asgardian said. Steve and Nat took the chance to slip out of the door, however neither you nor they missed the look Thor gave them.

“I’m fine Thor, really.” You said, pulling his attention back to you. He reached down and gently picked up your arm. That was when you noticed the deep purple welts and bruises along your skin. “Oh...” Your eyes lifted to Thor. “By tomorrow, I’ll be fine.” You said with an encouraging smile. Thor took off his thick jacket and wrapped it around your shoulders before placing a large arm around you. It had barely been a day since you were torn from Loki’s side... and yet here you were in the warm embrace of his brother... Something deep inside you churned at the thought of that. However, your body was too exhausted to fight against its need for sleep or the warmth, so you simply gave in and relaxed...

***

It was happening again... The dream that didn’t feel like a dream... But you weren’t complaining. If it were anything like the last one, then that would mean... You turned around, and there he was...

“Loki-,” you took a step forward, but cringed and stopped before your foot even hit the ground. Before you even knew it, he was by your side.

“Is everything alright...?” Loki asked while cautiously placing his hands on your arms.

“Everything still hurts...” you mumbled while resting your forehead on his chest.

“What did they do?” he said through gritted teeth.

“Nothing...” you murmured as you closed your eyes. “Just training with Nat and Steve...”

“The Man out of Time and that Mewling Quim laid their hands on you?” he growled.

“No! - - Well... yeah, but only because I asked them to.” You said while pulling away. That sounded far better in your head... Loki’s brows pulled together and you sighed. “I want to get stronger... I want to be able to defend myself... The other night at the tower... I was useless. I would’ve died if you weren’t there. I’m sick of letting other people get hurt or killed because I’m weak.”

“You’re not weak.”

“Yes I am.” He placed his hands on your cheeks.

“No, you’re not. If you were weak, you would have broken long ago...” his fingers tangled in your hair as his other hand caressed your body. “If I could make the pain go away, I would...” A green energy surrounded the two of you.

“I know...” you said, nuzzling into his chest.

“Do you miss me?”

“Yes... Do you miss me?”

“Always.” You tightened your hold on him, but you could slowly feel his presence disappearing. “Don’t leave me...” you just managed to whisper before his form disappeared completely, and you were left alone in the darkness of your own mind. So this was how it felt... This was how he felt when you left him...

***

When you woke up, it was nearly dark and the room was completely empty. You shifted under a large blanket that you guessed Thor had left you, and noticed a cold trail of water that laced your cheeks. You wiped away the remnants of the tears away. Dreaming of Loki gave you peace... but it gave you so much pain as well... Kind of like him. But as much as you hated it when you woke up, you wouldn’t stop. You couldn’t... The dreams gave your mind a moment’s peace, and served as a constant reminder of what you needed to get back to...

Your eyes moved to the window. The lights of the small city were already on and people were walking the streets happily, unaware of the danger your presence brought to them. Training with Steve and Nat will give you a chance to strengthen your body, while also giving you a chance to see the kind of people you’d have to slip passed to escape the compound. Maybe a walk around the streets could do some good as well. Find an empty corner, deserted street or small breach in the wall... You took a breath and nodded to yourself before standing. To your surprise your muscles were only a little stiff, but much better than before... You rolled your shoulder and stretched your back. Maybe Nat was wrong... Maybe you’d be fine tomorrow... As soon as you took a step, a burning pain ran up your thigh, causing you to wince. Or maybe not... Slowly you hobbled out of the house, making sure to keep Thor’s large hoodie on so your face was hidden, before heading down the busy streets.

As you moved through the streets, you remembered Audra’s warning ‘Don’t get lost’. You thought she only meant it for the house... but now you could see that she probably meant it for the entire compound... Within ten minutes you were disorientated and completely lost. You tried to find the large structure of the concrete house, but you were too deep in the streets and couldn’t see passed the roofs of their houses... You sighed and slumped against the large wall that surrounded the city. How were you going to get back? Everyone still seemed scared of you... even during the training session there were people muttering about you... The hushed whispers of a crowd gathering around a small shop caught your attention. Maybe because you were so far away from the main house, the people wouldn’t recognise you... You stood straight and walked towards the crowd.

They were gathered in front of what looked to be a family-run coffee shop. The scent of homemade pies, cakes and coffee filled the air. You sat down on a lone table nearest the back and watched a singer take the make-shift stage in the middle of the room. An electric guitar picked up, but softly - - almost like a droning hum - - and the singer joined in only a moment later. You couldn’t understand the words she was singing, but that didn’t matter because her voice sent everyone into a trance...

“Do you know what she’s saying?” Natasha whispered as she slipped into the seat beside you.

“No...”

“and if a day passes by without seeing you,

I forget you..

How come this time I drew you,

the longing moves the nostalgia in my heart,

the night gets longer and the day passes backwards.

Oh my fragile heart,

the separation is killing me,

I have no solution.

I have no solution.

My heart doesn't love once.

My heart doesn't long for you once either.” The music mixed with the singer’s voice and Nat’s quick translation was beautiful. Though, that didn’t mean the words didn’t make your heart ache... You missed Loki... Every time you dreamed of him, it made it hurt less, and yet it pained you more at the same time. “You miss him, don’t you?” you head quickly snapped to Nat.

“What?” the red haired woman chuckled to herself while shaking her head.

“After you fell asleep, Thor told us everything he did... I really didn’t think you’d be capable of moving passed it... but you miss Loki, don’t you?” your teeth sunk into your lower lip. Was it really that obvious? Could everyone see it? You tightly gripped your leg, trying to stop your body from shaking.

“Yes...”you breathed softly.

“Will he come after you?”

“After the way I left him?” you paused for a moment before nodding. “Yes...” Nat met your gaze,

“Do you want to go back to him?” your eyes widened.

“What?” you squeaked.

“If Loki wants you, then he won’t stop until he finds you... That means he will seek out every compound we have built and destroy them until he finds you.” She paused and allowed you to take in everything she had said. “There are sick, injured and weak people in those compounds... So if you want me to, I’ll help you get back to New York...” Your mouth fell open slightly. “We will have to wait until Thor is away... but once he’s gone I can get you back to New York.”

“Why would you help me?”

“Thor can’t convince Loki to change his mind... there’s no way in hell he’d listen to us, or any other human... If what you’ve said is true, then you’re the only one he’s tied himself to... And you’re the only one who can make him change his mind... I wouldn’t usually offer to send you back into his clutches, especially after everything he’s done... but it seems like you’re our last chance to sway the homicidal lunatic.” You suddenly felt a great weight fall onto your shoulders. Could you really do all she thought you could? Could you really convince Loki to give up Earth...?

“I’ve tried, he wouldn’t give up the rule of the Earth for me-,”

“If he tried to come after you now.” Nat paused and leaned closer to ensure no one else could hear the two of you. “If he comes after you, knowing the risk an ambush has been raised because he doesn’t know the compounds, then he will have proven that he’s willing to risk everything to get you back.” The red haired woman quickly stood and slipped out of the small bar, “Down the street, third left, second right.” She said before leaving you alone with your thoughts – which is never a good thing...

Notes

The song in the chapter is “Hal” by Yasmine Hamdan.
Also, some people commented about my name choice for The Teacher. Let me tell you I chose that name intentionally. Once we got into this story, I started seeing some similarities between him and The Penguin (from Gotham at least). They’re both in it for themselves, they both grovel without mercy, and they both try to keep leverage against everyone they meet. ^^ Just thought I would clear that up a little~
Next chapter we will be dropping in on Loki for a large portion of the chapter~
What did you think of Steve and Nat? Oh! and what about Nat’s offer to help??? o.o Tell me what you think please!!!!
Again, I know I’ve had to slow things down a little… but trust me, it’s all intentional!!!