Faces That You Meet, 3/8. NC-17
Title: Faces That You Meet
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Loki/Natasha, Natasha/Winter Soldier, Loki/Natasha/Winter Soldier.
Disclaimer: Not mine! Not even by a little bit.
Spoilers/Warnings: MCU AU. Based off of futurerustfuture-dust's initial dark!blackwinterfrost idea. I didn't use the written material you sent me exactly, but here's hoping you like this one, too. :) Russian words have hovertext translation thanks to Google Translate, so please let me know if I goofed something and I'll fix it. Title, epigraph and chapter titles are all from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot.
Summary: A left turn instead of a right, and Loki tumbled down into the frozen tundra of Russia, right outside the Red Room. An honest mistake, but it soon changed everything. And he was never one to share his toys.
Prior chapters:
One - Disturb The Universe
Two - Spread Out Against The Sky
Three - The Corners Of The Evening
Loki was actually reluctant to return to Asgard. How odd that he would become enamored of these humans. Yes, he'd claimed them as his and they accepted that claim, but the longing he felt was intense. It wasn't just for bedding or to entertain him. He had the urge to keep them close, seated by his hearth, drinking his wine and listening to his favorite tales as he read them aloud. He wanted to share himself with them. Not as a trap or manipulation, but because they would understand and celebrate his darkness, compliment his plans and truly make him feel like a god.
Was this love? He would berate them terribly if they confessed it to him, but he couldn't help but wonder at it.
There were lessons with Frigga to attend to, practice with swords and staves with the palace guard, deportment and music, then geography, language and history. This was meant to fill his day with the learning he would need to assist Thor in leading the realm to continued greatness when Odin no longer ruled. Thor took it as a matter of course and tended to skive off most of his academic lessons, greatly preferring the physical ones. Loki's preferences were the reverse, which meant their strengths complemented each other.
That made him think of Bucky and Natasha. Similar yet different skill sets, different uses. They were hunting down Hydra's agents, discovering names and locations before killing them. Loki wished he could be there working with them instead.
"What troubles you?" Frigga asked gently, resting a hand on Loki's shoulder. It made him realize he had stared at the volume in his hand without actually reading it for some time.
"I wouldn't say troubled, precisely," Loki murmured, putting the book aside. "But I have performed magic not sanctioned, and I wish I could discuss the matter with you freely in order to obtain your wisdom."
Intrigued, Frigga sat down beside Loki in the library and took his discarded book in her hands. "Perhaps we can talk of theory, Loki."
He grinned at her, relieved. "There are walkways Heimdall knows nothing about, alternate ways to travel the paths of Yggdrasil."
Frigga gave him a sharp look. "Tales tell of such dangers, yes."
"Should a practitioner travel them to other realms, they might meet natives to that realm. And miss them when returning to the practitioner's home."
She put the book down and took his hands in hers. "Was there much changed on the other realm?" she asked in concern.
"Considerable," Loki replied. He still wasn't sorry. "Children were being harmed, men and women tortured to further the designs of selfish old men."
"Well," Frigga sighed, understanding his meaning, "I suppose coming to their defense is understandable. It's entirely too difficult to go back and erase the presence of this practitioner now. The spá becomes entangled."
Loki sighed. "Yes. And there is the desire to further entangle them."
She looked at him with something like pity. "A wild world, is it? With savage violence and the need for your guidance?"
"They could certainly use it," Loki agreed.
"Oh, Loki. That's not something you should get involved in."
"Isn't our role to enlighten others? To guide the other realms? Be the shining beacon of light and knowledge?" Loki challenged hotly. "If I do so, if I free those children from torture and abuses, if I show them better paths, give them a purpose..."
"But your place is here, Loki. Not there. Not with people unlike you. You belong with your own kind."
Loki stiffened. For her to dismiss Natasha and Bucky out of hand that way...
"Listen. You care for them. Perhaps feel responsible. But you are not responsible for another realm, and you cannot neglect your duties here."
He wanted to tell her about the vagaries of time when traveling along Yggdrasil, but anger stopped his words. She saw it and nearly recoiled at the banked rage in his gaze.
"Loki..." she began.
"So there are no wise words. No wisdom to impart other than run like a coward, betray the teachings I was raised with, give in to argr and be the foulest of the foul. This is the advice you would give," Loki spat.
"You misunderstand me," Frigga replied tightly.
As much as it hurt to have her angry or disappointed in him, Loki also felt considerable pain at the thought of leaving Natasha and Bucky behind. They were his, and regardless of what Frigga said, he was responsible for them.
"Do I?" he asked, voice sounding distant to his own ears. "I'm to ignore the ramifications of my actions if they are inconvenient. I'm to disassociate with those not of my kind. Does that mean only speaking with the Aesir? Should I ignore the Vanir? Never travel to other realms? No longer consider diplomatic missions?"
"You are not a child, Loki. You are clever but you are willfully misunderstanding me to prove your own point. I tell you, as your mother and as your Queen, that you have duties here you must attend to." Her jaw was firm. "You didn't introduce a peaceful realm to war, but there are still so many ways that this realm can be led to ruin. You cannot know the shape of things to come for an entire realm, Loki."
"Yet I am expected to help lead this one."
"In due time! Not now!"
"But if they need guidance now, it would be irresponsible of me to turn coward and run from it. How could any on Asgard stomach such a king?"
Frigga's sigh spoke volumes, for of course they could not. "There is still so much to learn."
"Perhaps if there was guidance in times of trouble, it would not be such a hardship."
She bit her lip uncertainly, then rose. "I will think on it. This is a weighty matter, and I still believe you are better off here, completing your studies."
Loki remained seated, not even looking in Frigga's direction as she left. What would she look like as she walked away? Haughty and proud, sure that she was right in all things? Or soft and fearful, afraid of the punishment that was bound to fall on Loki's head?
There was a hidden path to Yggdrasil in the castle that he was sure she didn't know about. As soon as he could, he left for the pathway, ensuring he wasn't followed. It wouldn't do for Frigga or Heimdall to know where he was and then lock down the gateway. He wasn't willing to lose his humans, and he wasn't going to wait for permission to keep them. They were his, they had agreed, and he was going to make sure that his claim remained.
With the intent to find them not long after he had left Siberia, Loki made his way to the Red Room complex. He wasn't sure where exactly he would find Natasha or Bucky, or even how much time exactly had passed, but was certain that he would be able to figure it out once he got there. The illusion he put on was that of a bland-faced older gentleman, possibly one of the handlers that had been killed the last time he had been in the facility. He hadn't really been paying attention and one dead man had looked rather like every other one at the time. But it allowed him to pass through the guards and checkpoints without difficulty; he so loved how well the seidr worked on mortals.
The girls he had seen in the training courtyards and classrooms were there as before. But this time, the labs were gutted and none of the brainwashing equipment was present. Those labs were now other exercise rooms or classrooms; he merely had to say he was observing the quality of the lessons and his presence was ignored. Wandering through the entire complex, he found the dormitories for the girls, little beds lined up, marks on the headboard like weathered scars. He traced his fingers along one line of them, and heard a throat clear behind him. It was the petite blonde that had once tried so hard to be like Natasha, the promising girl of her class below Natasha's. Loki couldn't remember her name.
"They don't bind the girls anymore, Comrade, if that's what you're checking on," she said, her voice low and musical yet still straightforward. She wasn't trying to charm him, then.
Then the words hit him, and his gut clenched. No, Frigga couldn't tell him he was wrong with his interference in this blasted place.
Loki nodded at her absently. "Good, good. And Natalia Romanova?" he asked in an idle tone, remembering her formal name. "Where is she now? I must meet with her."
"On assignment with Agent Barnes to Bucharest," the blonde replied with a frown. "Perhaps I could be of assistance?" she asked.
He went with her, and discovered her name was Yelena Belova. She was indeed the best of her class, and Natasha had stopped the deadly games that led the students to kill each other; survival of the fittest was no longer the order of the day. They worked together, becoming stronger all the time and working to take down Hydra. There were more of the younger girls, the program frozen in place prior to the surgical sterilization that the older girls had gone through regardless of their wishes. They were being trained with the ideology of a perfect and glorious Red Room, that they would defend their own, destroy Hydra and those of its ilk, that they would always get the job done. Russian agencies had tried to reclaim the Red Room, but every agent sent in had been cut to pieces and then returned. It was a clear message that the Red Room would no longer tolerate any outside influence, and was its own entity within the intelligence community.
Some Hydra operatives had gone to ground since that had become evident, but most remained in place, sure that their duplicitous roles would keep them safe. Those were the ones easiest to find and eliminate.
When Loki asked the date, he was stunned to realize that it had been four months since had last been to Russia. Four months! Did they believe he had shunned them?
Yelena left him when he approved of her update, and left him in one of the offices that had been designated for the various command officers. Loki couldn't blame Yelena too much for telling him everything he wanted to know, not with the seidr clouding her mind and showing her whatever face she needed to see in order to trust his presence. This was his Red Room anyway, even if she might not have been aware of it.
Obtaining the notes on Bucharest, Loki grasped hold of his memory of Natasha, the taste of her on his lips and the sound of her in his ears. He closed his eyes to fix the memory and use it as a way to open a portal to her current location. Never having been there before, it was a tricky thing, too easy to get wrong. If he opened the portal in the wrong place, or didn't travel the path between locations correctly, he could get lost in the Void and be ripped to shreds by the sheer force of the spell unraveling.
He tumbled down into a hotel room, not too shabby but not too upscale, either. Loki felt sticky with sweat from the exertion, and wanted to sleep. The bed was carefully made, and there was no sign of whose room it was. If it belonged to Natasha and Bucky, wouldn't it be a mess? Or had they learned to make love by now and not simply do the whirlwind fucking to prevent getting caught and reprimanded?
Exhausted, it didn't matter. He staggered forward and fell face first onto the bed, his limbs a tangled sprawl. A short nap, and then he could find them. He needed his strength up; crafting a portal to places unknown took far too much out of him. At least he had done it, though his moment of elation came crashing down when he realized he couldn't share this with Frigga. He would have to explain why he had crafted it, why it was so difficult to do, and it would anger her that he didn't heed her wishes. No, this was an accomplishment he would have to revel in on his own.
Some time later, he had no idea how long, he jerked awake. There was the feeling that he wasn't alone, though he couldn't have said how he knew that. The room was dark, it likely had been hours that he had slept. Pushing himself up, he looked about the room, eyes adjusted to the gloom. There was nothing to indicate who might be there, but he focused on where the armchair had been in a corner of the room. "Natasha?" he rasped.
The corner lamp was turned on. Natasha was seated in the chair, and Bucky was standing behind her. Both had stony expressions; were they angry with him for how long he was gone? They had understood he had duties to attend to, and had been content with starting the hunt on their own until he was able to return.
"You look like shit," Bucky told him bluntly.
Natasha rose to her feet and approached Loki when he got up. "You were gone a long time."
"I didn't abandon you," he promised. "Travel was difficult. Unpredictable. I tried to focus on getting the timing right, so that I would be with you not long after we parted." He pressed his lips together, unable to read her emotions in her face or eyes. "I should craft a talisman so I can find you more easily. One for both of you."
"Not something worn," she replied. "Bracelets or necklaces can be stolen or lost. It would have to be something permanent, like a tattoo."
"Hm... Magic laced into ink?" Loki frowned. "I will have to look into that. I'm sure it's possible, but I haven't learned of such things yet."
"Not all powerful after all?" she challenged.
He grasped her by the arms and lifted her an inch off the ground. "Are you angry with me?" he growled, ignoring the protective stance that Bucky took. At least he didn't have a weapon trained on Loki, though it likely wouldn't kill him.
"I didn't want to believe that you abandoned us," Natasha replied evenly, eyes boring into his. "But as the days passed, it was harder to believe that. It was easier to think you were fucking with us, the god of mischief after all."
Loki kissed her thoroughly, tongue sliding past her lips to crash into her tongue and teeth, his frustration plainly evident. "I have disobeyed my Queen mother to be here. I would not abandon that which is mine." Putting her down to the floor, he strode the three steps necessary to yank Bucky to him, and kissed him as well. They seemed to respond to that, at least; affection had never been used by their handlers before, and was the way they cemented their loyalties to each other. There was utter devotion to each other, trust and love and knowledge mixed together, and he didn't find it so laughable now.
Now he wanted that for himself.
"I take it you've missed me as much as I've missed you?" he asked, looking from Bucky to Natasha. She reluctantly nodded, and Bucky remained silent. His eyes were pained, and Loki realized that his speech was sparing, that some habits had been trained into him. Perhaps the two had tried to get his memories back, perhaps not. But he was used to being silent, used to being used, and used to being a thing. It made something twist inside Loki, desire and hot shame at the same time. Was he no better?
Grasping the back of Bucky's neck, he pushed slightly, enough to signal his intent for the assassin to drop to his knees. He did immediately, and the tangled emotion inside of him flared hotter. He was already damned in his family's eyes, wasn't he? Disobedient, unruly, wrong in his desire to master magic. It wasn't a man's art, it wasn't something that would be admired or cherished in battle. These two didn't see it that way, didn't feel cowed by his tricks, didn't feel frightened of his darker urges.
By the Tree, he needed that recognition. He needed that sense of company and loyalty. He needed them to love him, to want him, to be everything they could for his sake.
Opening the laces to his breeches, Loki's breath hitched. "Your mouth, Bucky," he rasped. "I will take you, fuck you. You are not to penetrate me. Ever. Understood?"
Bucky met his gaze, and there was no discomfort there at all. If anything, he seemed entirely too willing to do this. "Yes, Loki." He placed his hands on Loki's hips then drew him forward, mouth opening to take in Loki's cock.
He groaned at the feel of Bucky's mouth on him, knowing that Natasha was watching, assessing, maybe wanting to join in. He reached for her, and she was there instantly. "I walked through immense dangers to return," he rasped, feeling the prior triumph at his accomplishment sing through him. "I returned for you both," he insisted, cupping the back of her neck to pull her closer. Her arms looped around him, a flash of uncertainty in her expression, a vulnerability she surely didn't mean to show him. She had thought she didn't matter to him. She had thought she was a simple pastime, a way to alleviate his boredom. It may have started that way, and he certainly wouldn't tell her that much, but now it was more.
Kissing her again, Loki held tightly onto her and let his fingers tighten in Bucky's dark hair. His mouth was wonderful, perfect, tongue sliding along the length of him and suction just right. It was likely not his first time being told to do such a thing, and it burned Loki to realize it; would his handlers have asked if he wanted this?
Burying his face in the crook of Natasha's neck, Loki groaned at the sensation of having both of them with him. "This is perfect," he said, gritting his teeth to keep from coming right away. "I'm close," he warned Bucky. In response, the man merely sucked harder, making him gasp and tremble. Natasha pulled at his clothes until she could reach beneath the layers, stroking his bared skin, murmuring how their team was complete now that he was back. It was enough to have him coming, shooting down Bucky's throat, back arched and eyes clenched tight.
By the Roots and Branches, Loki hadn't expected this when he had first arrived on Midgard.
"I want to be inside you now," he growled to Natasha, pushing magic through his body to force it to rise again after he pulled out of Bucky's mouth. "You can take care of his needs, I just need to have you, too."
She laughed, the tension that he had seen earlier gone. "Maybe you need to earn that," she taunted, eyes glittering in the dim light. "Maybe you need to learn what kind of people you've thought to claim."
Yes. Something in his blood sang at the thought of her pinning him down, trying to bend him to her will. Another night, perhaps, but on this night, he would have control.
Loki shed his clothes as quickly as he could, forgetting about the convenient spells he'd developed. Natasha was doing the same, and even Bucky was removing some of the armor he had been wearing. "Tell me what you'd done in my absence. What terror did you strike in the hearts of your enemies?" he asked, advancing on Natasha as she worked her way out of the tight black pants she wore. Loki grasped her hips and pressed his burgeoning erection against her rear, leaning into her and bringing his lips to her ear. "What naughty things have you been able to do, and wished you could do with me?"
"Who said I'd need you with me?" she challenged, reaching behind her with one hand to grasp his rear and the other braced herself against the bed. There was an edge to her smile, as if she was calculating just how much she could push him.
Oh, that was lovely. He hadn't been challenged to think in a long time. Most of the noble ladies on Asgard were simpering idiots or vicious harpies, and none of them had held his interest for long. Frigga despaired of finding him a suitable match and had focused on his studies, possibly hoping that time would dull his sharper edges. Apparently, all he needed was to find the proper mortals on Midgard that could appreciate him as he was.
Loki brought one hand around her torso and closed it around her throat, and the other slid down between her legs. Under Bucky's watchful gaze, he traced her skin and licked at the shell of her ear. "Did I say need? No, I did not. I said wished." Shifting his grip on her body, Loki slid his fingers further into her. "Did you wish for me with you? Clever disguises and spells to make it easier for you to trick your enemies? Distractions to make it easier to find your targets?"
Natasha wiggled her hips a little in response to his touch and whispered words, grinding against his erection a little. Thank the stars for magic, though that might have been enough to get him to rise to the occasion again. "Maybe that could have helped. It would be easier than cutting or dyeing my hair."
"Keep the red," Loki insisted, beginning to stroke her in earnest. "It's good on you."
"In that case, I'll change it," she replied, her laughter turning into a gasp of pleasure when he thrust his fingers deeper into her and tightened his grip on her throat.
Loki looked over to Bucky, looking hungrily at Natasha caught in his hands. "Come, then," he called to him. "We'll share her. You can taste her."
As if he needed further encouragement, Bucky shed his underwear and then insinuated himself between Natasha and the bed. He gave her a desperate, filthy kiss, his hands coming up to cup her breasts. When the kiss broke, he moved to lick and suckle her nipples, using his hands to knead the opposite breast. In the meantime, Loki continued to work at her with his fingers, nipping at her neck or earlobe as she panted and moaned. Her whole body trembled, pleasure flooding her, and soon enough made a whining sound. She was close, Loki could tell, the tension too much to bear. Bucky brought his metal hand to her mound, wedging it between her body and Loki's hand as he moved. Bucky found her clit easily, knowing what she liked, and the additional pressure was enough to have her keening as she came.
When her body sagged in his arms, Loki murmured "On the bed," for Bucky's benefit. He positively ached to be inside her, to feel the wet warmth of her, to see how flushed her skin would be as she was flooded with desire. He laid her onto her back, her limbs loose and splayed outward, giving no resistance when he grasped her legs and positioned her for easy entry. Natasha let out a delicious moan of pleasure as Loki slid into her, and she eagerly returned Bucky's kiss when he leaned over her. She was disappointed when he broke it, but looked delighted when he got up onto the bed and presented her with his cock. Natasha took it into her mouth, humming a little as Bucky got into position above her.
With Bucky's back facing Loki, he couldn't see her luscious mouth as it worked Bucky into the shivering, gasping mess that he was turning into. Loki focused on his pleasure, lifting Natasha's hips so he could drive more deeply into her, so her legs could wrap around his waist and keep him from pulling too far back. He bore down hard and fast, making her squeal in delight, the sound muffled by Bucky's cock, and he had to lift a hand and grasp Bucky's shoulder to stay upright as he moved. The touch didn't startle the other man, and seemed to be welcome. Bucky threw his head back and groaned at the contact, hands tightening on the headboard enough for it to break inside his metal fist. The thought that Bucky might care for him as well, that he might actually crave Loki's presence, was enough to make Loki shiver and come.
Leaning forward, Loki pressed his forehead to Bucky's spine and struggled to catch his breath. The magic lacing his body meant he was still hard inside of Natasha, though he was exquisitely sensitive, almost painfully so. She drove her heels into his backside, an unsubtle way to tell him that she still wanted him fucking into her hard and fast, that she hadn't come yet.
"Insatiable wench," Loki grumbled, a smile on his lips, and leaned back to begin thrusting into her again. Bucky actually laughed at that, his entire body shaking, the sound rough in his throat as if he wasn't used to it. And he might not have been, which made Loki feel almost unbearably sad and upset on his behalf.
Loki kept pumping into Natasha, growling at the sensation of her tightening around him. She made a choking sound, which must have been Bucky coming, because he soon slumped forward. Loki had to let go of his shoulder or else get pulled forward, and he wasn't terribly interested in losing his balance. Instead, he let his hands slide across Natasha's stomach, until he reached her breasts. Once Bucky got off of her, sprawling across the bed beside them, Loki could see the way her eyes had lit up and the flush in her cheeks. Her lips were full and wet, driving another spark of desire through him.
"I could continue with this for hours," he purred, continuing to caress her lush curves. At her incredulous expression, Loki couldn't help but laugh. "I'd have to cheat and use magic to keep myself erect enough for that, but simply touching you? Oh yes, I can do that for hours. A most worthy use of my time."
"More worthy than your princely duties?" she challenged, pulling on his arms so that he fell onto her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, lips curled in a sensual smile.
"Mmmm. Most definitely," he replied before seizing her mouth in a kiss. His continued thrusts picked up as she moaned, and he could feel her tighten around him, orgasm imminent. A little tease on her clit with magic, and then she was flying apart in his hands.
When he moved to kiss her neck, he could feel Bucky's metal hand at his shoulder. He turned his head and saw that Bucky and Natasha were kissing, and the hand at his shoulder was for balance, and likely to let him know that Bucky had come closer. "So beautiful," he murmured, without realizing he had said it aloud.
But they broke the kiss and smirked at him. "Only the best for a prince," Natasha said.
"Huh," Bucky said, amused. "I kissed a real life prince. Should I do it again?"
"Practice makes perfect," Natasha chirped before Loki could answer.
He moved slowly to kiss Loki, clearly telegraphing his movements so Loki could refuse it if he wanted to. But Loki remained still and let Bucky kiss him, touch soft and gentle, exploring the feel of his lips with the tip of a tongue.
"Oh. That's beautiful, too," Natasha breathed into Loki's ear. He could feel the way her nipples pebbled against his chest, the way she tightened around his cock. "I like seeing that." Her voice was husky, like liquid sex, sending a bolt of desire shooting through him. "And he's such a good kisser, so talented with his tongue."
Loki looked at them both in amusement when Bucky pulled back. "Trying to convince me that this will work? That this is to my satisfaction?"
"You liked it," Bucky told him. "I could tell that much. Maybe you don't like the idea of a fella kissing you, but you still liked it."
He thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain the concept of ergi. "It's not seen as something a proper man would want, though it is possible. I must tread carefully in this, as my use of magic already makes me suspect in my culture. Warriors don't rely on tricks as these, but the power of sword and shield."
"Oh, they're that kind where you come from?" Bucky said. "I know what that's like. I think. I remember some things. Others are a blur. It comes back in pieces."
Natasha ran a hand over her his chest soothingly. "Give it time, love. Now that they're not erasing your memory so much..."
"Exactly. And I remember the important things."
The wording made Loki aware of the dubious gift he thought would help the Asset. "Then remember this," Loki said, shifting his weight so he could grasp Bucky by the back of his neck and kiss him as thoroughly as he had kissed Natasha. "You are mine. You belong to me and no one else until the end of time."
Something flickered in Bucky's eyes, surprise and a deep longing. "You mean it," he murmured.
"You remember something," Natasha said.
"Not a lot, but yeah."
Not feeling remotely sexual at the moment, the three of them disentangled themselves and sat in a rough triangle on the bed. They were all touching in some way, a hand or knee against a thigh, a slight squeeze of support. "Tell us."
"Uh, little things," Bucky said, frowning and starting to look uncomfortable. His eyes dropped to the bed, unable to look at Loki or Natasha. "I looked him up, the man I used to be before they grabbed me. I died. Fell off a train. But I'd been captured, experimented on, and I can almost remember that. I remember my best friend coming for me, me not believing it was real, and years after he died himself, thinking I dreamed it all up."
Loki slid his hand along Bucky's shoulders. "He was a comrade in arms."
"Army," Bucky nodded. "But Steve and I, we grew up together. When he was a smaller guy, I was the one protecting him, even if he didn't want it."
Finding himself smiling in spite of himself, Loki nodded. "So you do indeed understand the need for strength and maleness."
Bucky's laughter was a bark, almost bitter sounding. "I used to be that guy. The one that got all the girls, the one everyone looked up to. And now? I'm the boogeyman."
"And how do you feel, eliminating the shadows that created that boogeyman?" Loki asked carefully, squeezing his shoulder slightly. He was aware of Natasha watching them with luminous eyes, and hoped she approved of this.
The drawn expression on his face brightened suddenly. "Real good. Because who I was would never have worked for 'em. The only way I would was to erase me. Tells you how stubborn I can be," he laughed.
Answering his smile with one of his own, Loki saw that Natasha was also pleased by this. He squeezed Bucky's shoulder again, and nodded. It vaguely occurred to him that Thor usually made similar gestures of affection with the Warriors Three or trusted members of the palace guard. "I am very glad of that. The two of you, at least, don't feel that magic is of no value to you. I could even help you with this endeavor."
The look of gratitude on both their faces would have been almost comical if Loki hadn't wanted to see it. If he hadn't already cemented their loyalty to him, this would definitely do it. "Simple seidr to mask the appearance of your arm, change your features..."
"I'd rather not keep dyeing or cutting my hair," Natasha murmured, leaning in to him and resting her chin on his shoulder. He rather liked the press of her body against him.
Loki turned and caught a lock of her fiery red hair in his fingers. "I can use this," he murmured, almost to himself. "Take your hair as a talisman," he began slowly, then let go of it so he could touch Bucky's hair. "And yours as well. Braid it with mine, and then I will always be able to find you, no matter which realm I visit. It would tax me less."
Bucky slid off the bed immediately and got one of his knives. Holding the handle out toward Loki, he asked "How much do you need?"
Could it really be that easy? None on Asgard would give him such a personal token merely because he mentioned it might be useful.
Taking the knife, Loki carefully took a small lock of hair from his temple that could easily be overlooked. When he turned to request a similar lock from Natasha, he found her already kneeling on the bed, head tilted and hair brushed aside to make it easier for him. Smiling, he cut the needed hair and then took a lock of his own. They watched as he twisted them into a tight and tiny braid, Natasha's vivid red weaving between their darker strands. Loki whispered a joining spell, and the ends fused together into a bracelet. He slipped it onto his left wrist, easy enough to hide beneath his gauntlet or vambrace when fully dressed and armored. "There. Now I shall find you easily across space and time."
"And the concealing spells on us?" Natasha asked, lying back on the bed, propping herself up on an elbow to look at him.
"Any time you wish."
"Try it. Make me look like someone else."
The seidr was easy to cast, giving Natasha the appearance of one of the vapid blonde nobles he had been forced to talk to at the last ball he attended so that Thor could escape to discuss historical battles with one of the palace advisors. There was even the flowing gown and robes that the blonde had worn, as well as the complex cascade of curls on her head and jeweled pins and necklace. Bucky laughed, so Loki changed his appearance into that of the same blonde woman, complete with dress and jewelry. Natasha laughed, her voice unchanged despite her appearance, and reached out to touch Bucky.
"Oh! That feels like skin," she murmured, touching Bucky's arm. Moving to the dress, she was able to tug on the fabric. "That's amazing," she said, looking at Loki with her eyes wide. He could see the childlike wonder there, and it was mirrored in Bucky's eyes. "This feels so real, like that's really a dress."
A wicked tilt to his lips, Bucky tilted and kissed Natasha on the mouth. Loki saw two Asgardian noblewomen kissing, and smothered his amused laughter. Such a thing would never be borne on his actual realm, as titillating as the sight was, and it gave him all sorts of depraved ideas. The two of them no doubt would go along with whatever he asked; he had already cemented their loyalty to him several times over by now.
Natasha let her hand fall to Bucky's breasts, rubbing his nipples through the fabric, giggling when he sucked in a breath at the sensation. "I think I like magic," she laughed.
"I know I definitely do," Bucky said.
"I can give substance to the illusion, but you are still male," Loki warned them. "It's a more difficult variant, and it might not be one you need to use all the time." He let the illusion fall, until they both were wearing their own faces. "Some subtle changes, masking the sensation of your metal arm..." Loki grinned as he ran his fingers over the metal plates. "Such things are far easier to do."
"And once we get rid of Hydra," Bucky began, a measure of hope in his voice.
"We figure out what the next step is." Natasha turned to face Loki, eyes wide and bright. "There are no other facilities like the Red Room on earth. Others have tried, but none could come close to our operatives. Even though we don't fight to the death any longer, our fighters are still the strongest, the fastest and the best. We can command whatever price for whatever mission needed. We can be whoever we want to be." A sly twist to her lips came as she ran her hand down Loki's chest. "In your realm, you're a prince. What if you were king here? King in name only," she added quickly, nodding her head slightly. "Others do the day to day logistics so that you don't have to."
Loki thought of Frigga and her endless concern that his interference in other realms would be a detriment. He thought of her advice to leave these two forever, to forget he had ever known them, tasted them, bonded with them.
Oh, no. He couldn't ever follow that sort of advice.
Curling his lips into a smile, Loki nodded. "I do believe that is quite the worthy goal."
***
***
To Chapter Four - Descend The Stair
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Loki/Natasha, Natasha/Winter Soldier, Loki/Natasha/Winter Soldier.
Disclaimer: Not mine! Not even by a little bit.
Spoilers/Warnings: MCU AU. Based off of futurerustfuture-dust's initial dark!blackwinterfrost idea. I didn't use the written material you sent me exactly, but here's hoping you like this one, too. :) Russian words have hovertext translation thanks to Google Translate, so please let me know if I goofed something and I'll fix it. Title, epigraph and chapter titles are all from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot.
Summary: A left turn instead of a right, and Loki tumbled down into the frozen tundra of Russia, right outside the Red Room. An honest mistake, but it soon changed everything. And he was never one to share his toys.
Prior chapters:
One - Disturb The Universe
Two - Spread Out Against The Sky
Three - The Corners Of The Evening
Loki was actually reluctant to return to Asgard. How odd that he would become enamored of these humans. Yes, he'd claimed them as his and they accepted that claim, but the longing he felt was intense. It wasn't just for bedding or to entertain him. He had the urge to keep them close, seated by his hearth, drinking his wine and listening to his favorite tales as he read them aloud. He wanted to share himself with them. Not as a trap or manipulation, but because they would understand and celebrate his darkness, compliment his plans and truly make him feel like a god.
Was this love? He would berate them terribly if they confessed it to him, but he couldn't help but wonder at it.
There were lessons with Frigga to attend to, practice with swords and staves with the palace guard, deportment and music, then geography, language and history. This was meant to fill his day with the learning he would need to assist Thor in leading the realm to continued greatness when Odin no longer ruled. Thor took it as a matter of course and tended to skive off most of his academic lessons, greatly preferring the physical ones. Loki's preferences were the reverse, which meant their strengths complemented each other.
That made him think of Bucky and Natasha. Similar yet different skill sets, different uses. They were hunting down Hydra's agents, discovering names and locations before killing them. Loki wished he could be there working with them instead.
"What troubles you?" Frigga asked gently, resting a hand on Loki's shoulder. It made him realize he had stared at the volume in his hand without actually reading it for some time.
"I wouldn't say troubled, precisely," Loki murmured, putting the book aside. "But I have performed magic not sanctioned, and I wish I could discuss the matter with you freely in order to obtain your wisdom."
Intrigued, Frigga sat down beside Loki in the library and took his discarded book in her hands. "Perhaps we can talk of theory, Loki."
He grinned at her, relieved. "There are walkways Heimdall knows nothing about, alternate ways to travel the paths of Yggdrasil."
Frigga gave him a sharp look. "Tales tell of such dangers, yes."
"Should a practitioner travel them to other realms, they might meet natives to that realm. And miss them when returning to the practitioner's home."
She put the book down and took his hands in hers. "Was there much changed on the other realm?" she asked in concern.
"Considerable," Loki replied. He still wasn't sorry. "Children were being harmed, men and women tortured to further the designs of selfish old men."
"Well," Frigga sighed, understanding his meaning, "I suppose coming to their defense is understandable. It's entirely too difficult to go back and erase the presence of this practitioner now. The spá becomes entangled."
Loki sighed. "Yes. And there is the desire to further entangle them."
She looked at him with something like pity. "A wild world, is it? With savage violence and the need for your guidance?"
"They could certainly use it," Loki agreed.
"Oh, Loki. That's not something you should get involved in."
"Isn't our role to enlighten others? To guide the other realms? Be the shining beacon of light and knowledge?" Loki challenged hotly. "If I do so, if I free those children from torture and abuses, if I show them better paths, give them a purpose..."
"But your place is here, Loki. Not there. Not with people unlike you. You belong with your own kind."
Loki stiffened. For her to dismiss Natasha and Bucky out of hand that way...
"Listen. You care for them. Perhaps feel responsible. But you are not responsible for another realm, and you cannot neglect your duties here."
He wanted to tell her about the vagaries of time when traveling along Yggdrasil, but anger stopped his words. She saw it and nearly recoiled at the banked rage in his gaze.
"Loki..." she began.
"So there are no wise words. No wisdom to impart other than run like a coward, betray the teachings I was raised with, give in to argr and be the foulest of the foul. This is the advice you would give," Loki spat.
"You misunderstand me," Frigga replied tightly.
As much as it hurt to have her angry or disappointed in him, Loki also felt considerable pain at the thought of leaving Natasha and Bucky behind. They were his, and regardless of what Frigga said, he was responsible for them.
"Do I?" he asked, voice sounding distant to his own ears. "I'm to ignore the ramifications of my actions if they are inconvenient. I'm to disassociate with those not of my kind. Does that mean only speaking with the Aesir? Should I ignore the Vanir? Never travel to other realms? No longer consider diplomatic missions?"
"You are not a child, Loki. You are clever but you are willfully misunderstanding me to prove your own point. I tell you, as your mother and as your Queen, that you have duties here you must attend to." Her jaw was firm. "You didn't introduce a peaceful realm to war, but there are still so many ways that this realm can be led to ruin. You cannot know the shape of things to come for an entire realm, Loki."
"Yet I am expected to help lead this one."
"In due time! Not now!"
"But if they need guidance now, it would be irresponsible of me to turn coward and run from it. How could any on Asgard stomach such a king?"
Frigga's sigh spoke volumes, for of course they could not. "There is still so much to learn."
"Perhaps if there was guidance in times of trouble, it would not be such a hardship."
She bit her lip uncertainly, then rose. "I will think on it. This is a weighty matter, and I still believe you are better off here, completing your studies."
Loki remained seated, not even looking in Frigga's direction as she left. What would she look like as she walked away? Haughty and proud, sure that she was right in all things? Or soft and fearful, afraid of the punishment that was bound to fall on Loki's head?
There was a hidden path to Yggdrasil in the castle that he was sure she didn't know about. As soon as he could, he left for the pathway, ensuring he wasn't followed. It wouldn't do for Frigga or Heimdall to know where he was and then lock down the gateway. He wasn't willing to lose his humans, and he wasn't going to wait for permission to keep them. They were his, they had agreed, and he was going to make sure that his claim remained.
With the intent to find them not long after he had left Siberia, Loki made his way to the Red Room complex. He wasn't sure where exactly he would find Natasha or Bucky, or even how much time exactly had passed, but was certain that he would be able to figure it out once he got there. The illusion he put on was that of a bland-faced older gentleman, possibly one of the handlers that had been killed the last time he had been in the facility. He hadn't really been paying attention and one dead man had looked rather like every other one at the time. But it allowed him to pass through the guards and checkpoints without difficulty; he so loved how well the seidr worked on mortals.
The girls he had seen in the training courtyards and classrooms were there as before. But this time, the labs were gutted and none of the brainwashing equipment was present. Those labs were now other exercise rooms or classrooms; he merely had to say he was observing the quality of the lessons and his presence was ignored. Wandering through the entire complex, he found the dormitories for the girls, little beds lined up, marks on the headboard like weathered scars. He traced his fingers along one line of them, and heard a throat clear behind him. It was the petite blonde that had once tried so hard to be like Natasha, the promising girl of her class below Natasha's. Loki couldn't remember her name.
"They don't bind the girls anymore, Comrade, if that's what you're checking on," she said, her voice low and musical yet still straightforward. She wasn't trying to charm him, then.
Then the words hit him, and his gut clenched. No, Frigga couldn't tell him he was wrong with his interference in this blasted place.
Loki nodded at her absently. "Good, good. And Natalia Romanova?" he asked in an idle tone, remembering her formal name. "Where is she now? I must meet with her."
"On assignment with Agent Barnes to Bucharest," the blonde replied with a frown. "Perhaps I could be of assistance?" she asked.
He went with her, and discovered her name was Yelena Belova. She was indeed the best of her class, and Natasha had stopped the deadly games that led the students to kill each other; survival of the fittest was no longer the order of the day. They worked together, becoming stronger all the time and working to take down Hydra. There were more of the younger girls, the program frozen in place prior to the surgical sterilization that the older girls had gone through regardless of their wishes. They were being trained with the ideology of a perfect and glorious Red Room, that they would defend their own, destroy Hydra and those of its ilk, that they would always get the job done. Russian agencies had tried to reclaim the Red Room, but every agent sent in had been cut to pieces and then returned. It was a clear message that the Red Room would no longer tolerate any outside influence, and was its own entity within the intelligence community.
Some Hydra operatives had gone to ground since that had become evident, but most remained in place, sure that their duplicitous roles would keep them safe. Those were the ones easiest to find and eliminate.
When Loki asked the date, he was stunned to realize that it had been four months since had last been to Russia. Four months! Did they believe he had shunned them?
Yelena left him when he approved of her update, and left him in one of the offices that had been designated for the various command officers. Loki couldn't blame Yelena too much for telling him everything he wanted to know, not with the seidr clouding her mind and showing her whatever face she needed to see in order to trust his presence. This was his Red Room anyway, even if she might not have been aware of it.
Obtaining the notes on Bucharest, Loki grasped hold of his memory of Natasha, the taste of her on his lips and the sound of her in his ears. He closed his eyes to fix the memory and use it as a way to open a portal to her current location. Never having been there before, it was a tricky thing, too easy to get wrong. If he opened the portal in the wrong place, or didn't travel the path between locations correctly, he could get lost in the Void and be ripped to shreds by the sheer force of the spell unraveling.
He tumbled down into a hotel room, not too shabby but not too upscale, either. Loki felt sticky with sweat from the exertion, and wanted to sleep. The bed was carefully made, and there was no sign of whose room it was. If it belonged to Natasha and Bucky, wouldn't it be a mess? Or had they learned to make love by now and not simply do the whirlwind fucking to prevent getting caught and reprimanded?
Exhausted, it didn't matter. He staggered forward and fell face first onto the bed, his limbs a tangled sprawl. A short nap, and then he could find them. He needed his strength up; crafting a portal to places unknown took far too much out of him. At least he had done it, though his moment of elation came crashing down when he realized he couldn't share this with Frigga. He would have to explain why he had crafted it, why it was so difficult to do, and it would anger her that he didn't heed her wishes. No, this was an accomplishment he would have to revel in on his own.
Some time later, he had no idea how long, he jerked awake. There was the feeling that he wasn't alone, though he couldn't have said how he knew that. The room was dark, it likely had been hours that he had slept. Pushing himself up, he looked about the room, eyes adjusted to the gloom. There was nothing to indicate who might be there, but he focused on where the armchair had been in a corner of the room. "Natasha?" he rasped.
The corner lamp was turned on. Natasha was seated in the chair, and Bucky was standing behind her. Both had stony expressions; were they angry with him for how long he was gone? They had understood he had duties to attend to, and had been content with starting the hunt on their own until he was able to return.
"You look like shit," Bucky told him bluntly.
Natasha rose to her feet and approached Loki when he got up. "You were gone a long time."
"I didn't abandon you," he promised. "Travel was difficult. Unpredictable. I tried to focus on getting the timing right, so that I would be with you not long after we parted." He pressed his lips together, unable to read her emotions in her face or eyes. "I should craft a talisman so I can find you more easily. One for both of you."
"Not something worn," she replied. "Bracelets or necklaces can be stolen or lost. It would have to be something permanent, like a tattoo."
"Hm... Magic laced into ink?" Loki frowned. "I will have to look into that. I'm sure it's possible, but I haven't learned of such things yet."
"Not all powerful after all?" she challenged.
He grasped her by the arms and lifted her an inch off the ground. "Are you angry with me?" he growled, ignoring the protective stance that Bucky took. At least he didn't have a weapon trained on Loki, though it likely wouldn't kill him.
"I didn't want to believe that you abandoned us," Natasha replied evenly, eyes boring into his. "But as the days passed, it was harder to believe that. It was easier to think you were fucking with us, the god of mischief after all."
Loki kissed her thoroughly, tongue sliding past her lips to crash into her tongue and teeth, his frustration plainly evident. "I have disobeyed my Queen mother to be here. I would not abandon that which is mine." Putting her down to the floor, he strode the three steps necessary to yank Bucky to him, and kissed him as well. They seemed to respond to that, at least; affection had never been used by their handlers before, and was the way they cemented their loyalties to each other. There was utter devotion to each other, trust and love and knowledge mixed together, and he didn't find it so laughable now.
Now he wanted that for himself.
"I take it you've missed me as much as I've missed you?" he asked, looking from Bucky to Natasha. She reluctantly nodded, and Bucky remained silent. His eyes were pained, and Loki realized that his speech was sparing, that some habits had been trained into him. Perhaps the two had tried to get his memories back, perhaps not. But he was used to being silent, used to being used, and used to being a thing. It made something twist inside Loki, desire and hot shame at the same time. Was he no better?
Grasping the back of Bucky's neck, he pushed slightly, enough to signal his intent for the assassin to drop to his knees. He did immediately, and the tangled emotion inside of him flared hotter. He was already damned in his family's eyes, wasn't he? Disobedient, unruly, wrong in his desire to master magic. It wasn't a man's art, it wasn't something that would be admired or cherished in battle. These two didn't see it that way, didn't feel cowed by his tricks, didn't feel frightened of his darker urges.
By the Tree, he needed that recognition. He needed that sense of company and loyalty. He needed them to love him, to want him, to be everything they could for his sake.
Opening the laces to his breeches, Loki's breath hitched. "Your mouth, Bucky," he rasped. "I will take you, fuck you. You are not to penetrate me. Ever. Understood?"
Bucky met his gaze, and there was no discomfort there at all. If anything, he seemed entirely too willing to do this. "Yes, Loki." He placed his hands on Loki's hips then drew him forward, mouth opening to take in Loki's cock.
He groaned at the feel of Bucky's mouth on him, knowing that Natasha was watching, assessing, maybe wanting to join in. He reached for her, and she was there instantly. "I walked through immense dangers to return," he rasped, feeling the prior triumph at his accomplishment sing through him. "I returned for you both," he insisted, cupping the back of her neck to pull her closer. Her arms looped around him, a flash of uncertainty in her expression, a vulnerability she surely didn't mean to show him. She had thought she didn't matter to him. She had thought she was a simple pastime, a way to alleviate his boredom. It may have started that way, and he certainly wouldn't tell her that much, but now it was more.
Kissing her again, Loki held tightly onto her and let his fingers tighten in Bucky's dark hair. His mouth was wonderful, perfect, tongue sliding along the length of him and suction just right. It was likely not his first time being told to do such a thing, and it burned Loki to realize it; would his handlers have asked if he wanted this?
Burying his face in the crook of Natasha's neck, Loki groaned at the sensation of having both of them with him. "This is perfect," he said, gritting his teeth to keep from coming right away. "I'm close," he warned Bucky. In response, the man merely sucked harder, making him gasp and tremble. Natasha pulled at his clothes until she could reach beneath the layers, stroking his bared skin, murmuring how their team was complete now that he was back. It was enough to have him coming, shooting down Bucky's throat, back arched and eyes clenched tight.
By the Roots and Branches, Loki hadn't expected this when he had first arrived on Midgard.
"I want to be inside you now," he growled to Natasha, pushing magic through his body to force it to rise again after he pulled out of Bucky's mouth. "You can take care of his needs, I just need to have you, too."
She laughed, the tension that he had seen earlier gone. "Maybe you need to earn that," she taunted, eyes glittering in the dim light. "Maybe you need to learn what kind of people you've thought to claim."
Yes. Something in his blood sang at the thought of her pinning him down, trying to bend him to her will. Another night, perhaps, but on this night, he would have control.
Loki shed his clothes as quickly as he could, forgetting about the convenient spells he'd developed. Natasha was doing the same, and even Bucky was removing some of the armor he had been wearing. "Tell me what you'd done in my absence. What terror did you strike in the hearts of your enemies?" he asked, advancing on Natasha as she worked her way out of the tight black pants she wore. Loki grasped her hips and pressed his burgeoning erection against her rear, leaning into her and bringing his lips to her ear. "What naughty things have you been able to do, and wished you could do with me?"
"Who said I'd need you with me?" she challenged, reaching behind her with one hand to grasp his rear and the other braced herself against the bed. There was an edge to her smile, as if she was calculating just how much she could push him.
Oh, that was lovely. He hadn't been challenged to think in a long time. Most of the noble ladies on Asgard were simpering idiots or vicious harpies, and none of them had held his interest for long. Frigga despaired of finding him a suitable match and had focused on his studies, possibly hoping that time would dull his sharper edges. Apparently, all he needed was to find the proper mortals on Midgard that could appreciate him as he was.
Loki brought one hand around her torso and closed it around her throat, and the other slid down between her legs. Under Bucky's watchful gaze, he traced her skin and licked at the shell of her ear. "Did I say need? No, I did not. I said wished." Shifting his grip on her body, Loki slid his fingers further into her. "Did you wish for me with you? Clever disguises and spells to make it easier for you to trick your enemies? Distractions to make it easier to find your targets?"
Natasha wiggled her hips a little in response to his touch and whispered words, grinding against his erection a little. Thank the stars for magic, though that might have been enough to get him to rise to the occasion again. "Maybe that could have helped. It would be easier than cutting or dyeing my hair."
"Keep the red," Loki insisted, beginning to stroke her in earnest. "It's good on you."
"In that case, I'll change it," she replied, her laughter turning into a gasp of pleasure when he thrust his fingers deeper into her and tightened his grip on her throat.
Loki looked over to Bucky, looking hungrily at Natasha caught in his hands. "Come, then," he called to him. "We'll share her. You can taste her."
As if he needed further encouragement, Bucky shed his underwear and then insinuated himself between Natasha and the bed. He gave her a desperate, filthy kiss, his hands coming up to cup her breasts. When the kiss broke, he moved to lick and suckle her nipples, using his hands to knead the opposite breast. In the meantime, Loki continued to work at her with his fingers, nipping at her neck or earlobe as she panted and moaned. Her whole body trembled, pleasure flooding her, and soon enough made a whining sound. She was close, Loki could tell, the tension too much to bear. Bucky brought his metal hand to her mound, wedging it between her body and Loki's hand as he moved. Bucky found her clit easily, knowing what she liked, and the additional pressure was enough to have her keening as she came.
When her body sagged in his arms, Loki murmured "On the bed," for Bucky's benefit. He positively ached to be inside her, to feel the wet warmth of her, to see how flushed her skin would be as she was flooded with desire. He laid her onto her back, her limbs loose and splayed outward, giving no resistance when he grasped her legs and positioned her for easy entry. Natasha let out a delicious moan of pleasure as Loki slid into her, and she eagerly returned Bucky's kiss when he leaned over her. She was disappointed when he broke it, but looked delighted when he got up onto the bed and presented her with his cock. Natasha took it into her mouth, humming a little as Bucky got into position above her.
With Bucky's back facing Loki, he couldn't see her luscious mouth as it worked Bucky into the shivering, gasping mess that he was turning into. Loki focused on his pleasure, lifting Natasha's hips so he could drive more deeply into her, so her legs could wrap around his waist and keep him from pulling too far back. He bore down hard and fast, making her squeal in delight, the sound muffled by Bucky's cock, and he had to lift a hand and grasp Bucky's shoulder to stay upright as he moved. The touch didn't startle the other man, and seemed to be welcome. Bucky threw his head back and groaned at the contact, hands tightening on the headboard enough for it to break inside his metal fist. The thought that Bucky might care for him as well, that he might actually crave Loki's presence, was enough to make Loki shiver and come.
Leaning forward, Loki pressed his forehead to Bucky's spine and struggled to catch his breath. The magic lacing his body meant he was still hard inside of Natasha, though he was exquisitely sensitive, almost painfully so. She drove her heels into his backside, an unsubtle way to tell him that she still wanted him fucking into her hard and fast, that she hadn't come yet.
"Insatiable wench," Loki grumbled, a smile on his lips, and leaned back to begin thrusting into her again. Bucky actually laughed at that, his entire body shaking, the sound rough in his throat as if he wasn't used to it. And he might not have been, which made Loki feel almost unbearably sad and upset on his behalf.
Loki kept pumping into Natasha, growling at the sensation of her tightening around him. She made a choking sound, which must have been Bucky coming, because he soon slumped forward. Loki had to let go of his shoulder or else get pulled forward, and he wasn't terribly interested in losing his balance. Instead, he let his hands slide across Natasha's stomach, until he reached her breasts. Once Bucky got off of her, sprawling across the bed beside them, Loki could see the way her eyes had lit up and the flush in her cheeks. Her lips were full and wet, driving another spark of desire through him.
"I could continue with this for hours," he purred, continuing to caress her lush curves. At her incredulous expression, Loki couldn't help but laugh. "I'd have to cheat and use magic to keep myself erect enough for that, but simply touching you? Oh yes, I can do that for hours. A most worthy use of my time."
"More worthy than your princely duties?" she challenged, pulling on his arms so that he fell onto her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, lips curled in a sensual smile.
"Mmmm. Most definitely," he replied before seizing her mouth in a kiss. His continued thrusts picked up as she moaned, and he could feel her tighten around him, orgasm imminent. A little tease on her clit with magic, and then she was flying apart in his hands.
When he moved to kiss her neck, he could feel Bucky's metal hand at his shoulder. He turned his head and saw that Bucky and Natasha were kissing, and the hand at his shoulder was for balance, and likely to let him know that Bucky had come closer. "So beautiful," he murmured, without realizing he had said it aloud.
But they broke the kiss and smirked at him. "Only the best for a prince," Natasha said.
"Huh," Bucky said, amused. "I kissed a real life prince. Should I do it again?"
"Practice makes perfect," Natasha chirped before Loki could answer.
He moved slowly to kiss Loki, clearly telegraphing his movements so Loki could refuse it if he wanted to. But Loki remained still and let Bucky kiss him, touch soft and gentle, exploring the feel of his lips with the tip of a tongue.
"Oh. That's beautiful, too," Natasha breathed into Loki's ear. He could feel the way her nipples pebbled against his chest, the way she tightened around his cock. "I like seeing that." Her voice was husky, like liquid sex, sending a bolt of desire shooting through him. "And he's such a good kisser, so talented with his tongue."
Loki looked at them both in amusement when Bucky pulled back. "Trying to convince me that this will work? That this is to my satisfaction?"
"You liked it," Bucky told him. "I could tell that much. Maybe you don't like the idea of a fella kissing you, but you still liked it."
He thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain the concept of ergi. "It's not seen as something a proper man would want, though it is possible. I must tread carefully in this, as my use of magic already makes me suspect in my culture. Warriors don't rely on tricks as these, but the power of sword and shield."
"Oh, they're that kind where you come from?" Bucky said. "I know what that's like. I think. I remember some things. Others are a blur. It comes back in pieces."
Natasha ran a hand over her his chest soothingly. "Give it time, love. Now that they're not erasing your memory so much..."
"Exactly. And I remember the important things."
The wording made Loki aware of the dubious gift he thought would help the Asset. "Then remember this," Loki said, shifting his weight so he could grasp Bucky by the back of his neck and kiss him as thoroughly as he had kissed Natasha. "You are mine. You belong to me and no one else until the end of time."
Something flickered in Bucky's eyes, surprise and a deep longing. "You mean it," he murmured.
"You remember something," Natasha said.
"Not a lot, but yeah."
Not feeling remotely sexual at the moment, the three of them disentangled themselves and sat in a rough triangle on the bed. They were all touching in some way, a hand or knee against a thigh, a slight squeeze of support. "Tell us."
"Uh, little things," Bucky said, frowning and starting to look uncomfortable. His eyes dropped to the bed, unable to look at Loki or Natasha. "I looked him up, the man I used to be before they grabbed me. I died. Fell off a train. But I'd been captured, experimented on, and I can almost remember that. I remember my best friend coming for me, me not believing it was real, and years after he died himself, thinking I dreamed it all up."
Loki slid his hand along Bucky's shoulders. "He was a comrade in arms."
"Army," Bucky nodded. "But Steve and I, we grew up together. When he was a smaller guy, I was the one protecting him, even if he didn't want it."
Finding himself smiling in spite of himself, Loki nodded. "So you do indeed understand the need for strength and maleness."
Bucky's laughter was a bark, almost bitter sounding. "I used to be that guy. The one that got all the girls, the one everyone looked up to. And now? I'm the boogeyman."
"And how do you feel, eliminating the shadows that created that boogeyman?" Loki asked carefully, squeezing his shoulder slightly. He was aware of Natasha watching them with luminous eyes, and hoped she approved of this.
The drawn expression on his face brightened suddenly. "Real good. Because who I was would never have worked for 'em. The only way I would was to erase me. Tells you how stubborn I can be," he laughed.
Answering his smile with one of his own, Loki saw that Natasha was also pleased by this. He squeezed Bucky's shoulder again, and nodded. It vaguely occurred to him that Thor usually made similar gestures of affection with the Warriors Three or trusted members of the palace guard. "I am very glad of that. The two of you, at least, don't feel that magic is of no value to you. I could even help you with this endeavor."
The look of gratitude on both their faces would have been almost comical if Loki hadn't wanted to see it. If he hadn't already cemented their loyalty to him, this would definitely do it. "Simple seidr to mask the appearance of your arm, change your features..."
"I'd rather not keep dyeing or cutting my hair," Natasha murmured, leaning in to him and resting her chin on his shoulder. He rather liked the press of her body against him.
Loki turned and caught a lock of her fiery red hair in his fingers. "I can use this," he murmured, almost to himself. "Take your hair as a talisman," he began slowly, then let go of it so he could touch Bucky's hair. "And yours as well. Braid it with mine, and then I will always be able to find you, no matter which realm I visit. It would tax me less."
Bucky slid off the bed immediately and got one of his knives. Holding the handle out toward Loki, he asked "How much do you need?"
Could it really be that easy? None on Asgard would give him such a personal token merely because he mentioned it might be useful.
Taking the knife, Loki carefully took a small lock of hair from his temple that could easily be overlooked. When he turned to request a similar lock from Natasha, he found her already kneeling on the bed, head tilted and hair brushed aside to make it easier for him. Smiling, he cut the needed hair and then took a lock of his own. They watched as he twisted them into a tight and tiny braid, Natasha's vivid red weaving between their darker strands. Loki whispered a joining spell, and the ends fused together into a bracelet. He slipped it onto his left wrist, easy enough to hide beneath his gauntlet or vambrace when fully dressed and armored. "There. Now I shall find you easily across space and time."
"And the concealing spells on us?" Natasha asked, lying back on the bed, propping herself up on an elbow to look at him.
"Any time you wish."
"Try it. Make me look like someone else."
The seidr was easy to cast, giving Natasha the appearance of one of the vapid blonde nobles he had been forced to talk to at the last ball he attended so that Thor could escape to discuss historical battles with one of the palace advisors. There was even the flowing gown and robes that the blonde had worn, as well as the complex cascade of curls on her head and jeweled pins and necklace. Bucky laughed, so Loki changed his appearance into that of the same blonde woman, complete with dress and jewelry. Natasha laughed, her voice unchanged despite her appearance, and reached out to touch Bucky.
"Oh! That feels like skin," she murmured, touching Bucky's arm. Moving to the dress, she was able to tug on the fabric. "That's amazing," she said, looking at Loki with her eyes wide. He could see the childlike wonder there, and it was mirrored in Bucky's eyes. "This feels so real, like that's really a dress."
A wicked tilt to his lips, Bucky tilted and kissed Natasha on the mouth. Loki saw two Asgardian noblewomen kissing, and smothered his amused laughter. Such a thing would never be borne on his actual realm, as titillating as the sight was, and it gave him all sorts of depraved ideas. The two of them no doubt would go along with whatever he asked; he had already cemented their loyalty to him several times over by now.
Natasha let her hand fall to Bucky's breasts, rubbing his nipples through the fabric, giggling when he sucked in a breath at the sensation. "I think I like magic," she laughed.
"I know I definitely do," Bucky said.
"I can give substance to the illusion, but you are still male," Loki warned them. "It's a more difficult variant, and it might not be one you need to use all the time." He let the illusion fall, until they both were wearing their own faces. "Some subtle changes, masking the sensation of your metal arm..." Loki grinned as he ran his fingers over the metal plates. "Such things are far easier to do."
"And once we get rid of Hydra," Bucky began, a measure of hope in his voice.
"We figure out what the next step is." Natasha turned to face Loki, eyes wide and bright. "There are no other facilities like the Red Room on earth. Others have tried, but none could come close to our operatives. Even though we don't fight to the death any longer, our fighters are still the strongest, the fastest and the best. We can command whatever price for whatever mission needed. We can be whoever we want to be." A sly twist to her lips came as she ran her hand down Loki's chest. "In your realm, you're a prince. What if you were king here? King in name only," she added quickly, nodding her head slightly. "Others do the day to day logistics so that you don't have to."
Loki thought of Frigga and her endless concern that his interference in other realms would be a detriment. He thought of her advice to leave these two forever, to forget he had ever known them, tasted them, bonded with them.
Oh, no. He couldn't ever follow that sort of advice.
Curling his lips into a smile, Loki nodded. "I do believe that is quite the worthy goal."
***
***
To Chapter Four - Descend The Stair