Thor, "When in Rome" Loki/Darcy, Jane, part 18 of "Mischief and Tasers"
Fandom: Thor (movie-verse)
Title: When in Rome
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Loki, Darcy, Jane, OCs, Loki/Darcy
Word Count: 1,965
Spoilers/Warnings: post-Thor movie, no warnings
Notes: Written for the "#78 - Two Matchmakers" prompt for 100_fairytales. Part 18 of my Mischief and Tasers Loki/Darcy serialization. The previous part is here. The first part is here.
Other URLS: AO3 | FFnet
Summary: Darcy gets a chance to move on and have fun without Loki - whether he likes it or not.
Mischief and Tasers
Chapter Eighteen: When in Rome
Darcy stared forlornly at her coffee cup as she tried to stay awake. She had tossed and turned so badly the night before after her talk with Loki that she could barely get out of bed this morning and answer Jane’s request to get an early breakfast at the diner before work.
She also felt sad when she knew she should be happier. This was supposed to be the last week of her internship with Jane Foster, but she just knew that S.H.I.E.L.D wouldn’t let her leave that easily. She shuddered at the thought at what Agents Fury and Coulson had planned for her now that she was much more than an intern, but rather an intern that knew too many delicate government secrets.
“I suppose you already know why I asked you here,” Jane said, and Darcy noticed that Jane’s mood was off as well, for she was way more nervous than usual. Jane pursed her lips. “Your internship.”
Darcy nodded. “So...I get that it’s not ending any time soon?”
Jane averted her eyes for a moment and took a sip of her coffee. Was it really that hard for her to spit it out?
“S.H.I.E.L.D has put a hold on your student status at the university. They want you to stay on our project until completion and Thor's return. Then, Coulson said that they will review your security level in the government and when you can return to school,” Jane said, and Darcy rolled her eyes.
“And he couldn’t tell me this himself?” Darcy asked, and she saw Jane smile slightly for a second.
“He’s looking for Tony Stark...again. You wouldn’t believe what he goes through with that man,” Jane said.
Darcy snorted. “I hope Tony Stark gives him a mad hard time now.”
Jane sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I suspected the moment they got involved when Thor first arrived that something would happen to you like this. We know too much, and S.H.I.E.L.D has complete control over our lives now.” She paused briefly and added. “But at least it’s worth it. We’re doing good things here.”
“Yeah,” Darcy said, with a light shrug. “But I can’t say I’m surprised either.”
“You’re not mad? I mean, you can still contact your family as usual,” Jane said. “It’s like before, we can only share so much, but we can still see them and talk to them.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not too close to my family,” Darcy said. “God, this sucks!” she complained, and she saw Jane’s frown. “Oh, no, I don’t mean...with you. I mean...well, you know what I mean. I was this close to graduating with your credits. Damn it!”
“I know,” Jane said. “I promise I’ll make it up to you. Maybe I can convince Nick Fury to give you a job recommendation for your troubles.”
Darcy laughed. “You better! And it better be good too; in fact, I suggest you tell him he has to give it in person. I have a feeling the eye-patch and intense look does wonders for the hiring process.”
The two women giggled, and Darcy became lost in her thoughts, musing on what it meant in staying longer than she planned. There still was no exact date when they’d be able to open the wormhole and bring Thor back, but they were making progress, and she knew it would happen soon.
Thor would come, and Loki would be waiting for him - implementing whatever nefarious things he planned on doing. Darcy shivered, instantly feeling conflicted.
“There's your check, ladies,” said a sunny female voice, bringing Darcy out of her thoughts. It was the owner of the diner, Tammy, who had become fond of them since Jane and Darcy became regular customers. She was a large woman with overly-dyed red hair but a sweet smile underneath her caked make-up. Darcy realized she was looking at her particularly intensely. Her mega-watt smile grew and she fiddled nervously with her hands in front of her.
“Oh, Darcy, I meant to ask you. My son Heath is in town and well, he’s a good boy, single for awhile now, and I was wondering...”
“Are you trying to set me up on a date with your son?” Darcy asked with a laugh, and the tension in Tammy’s faced seemed to ease.
“Well, I suppose you could call it like that. He’s a good boy, handsome - of course I’m biased, but when it comes to girls...”
“Hey, it’s cool, Tammy. You give me free pie on Sundays and consider it a deal,” Darcy said, readily accepting the offer. Normally, she’d be hesitant, but things had been so strange with Loki lately she needed a distraction. Maybe a human boy without ulterior motives was a good - safer - thing for her.
“Oh, bless your heart, Darcy! I’ll tell my son to pick you up tomorrow night at seven if you’re not busy. He comes into town tonight,” Tammy said, and Darcy nodded.
“It should be okay once I’m off work,” Darcy said, “Unless the boss-lady here needs me for anything important.” Darcy shot Jane a pointed look. She hoped the woman felt guilty enough for getting her into this S.H.I.E.L.D mess and would give her a break.
Jane grinned widely, nodding her head. “Go for it. I’m all for you going out and having some fun.” Jane punched her arm. “You’re too crabby lately anyway. It’ll be good for you, kiddo.”
“Sweet!” Darcy said, smiling sweetly. “Tammy, I do believe your son is going to be one lucky man tomorrow night.” The three women laughed, and Darcy suddenly felt more relaxed, especially since her first encounter with Loki, which drove her into unhealthy states of frustration and paranoia.
And a date with a so-called cute boy was definitely what Darcy needed. (Well, Darcy hoped he was cute anyway.)
.xxxxx.
As Darcy was heading home from work that evening, she instantly remembered the date she had made with Tammy’s son Heath and wondered what Loki would think about it.
“It’s not like he sees me that way, so why should he care?” Darcy grumbled aloud, but she was nervous if that was really true, or if Loki might see her as some kind of human pet and try to prevent other people from associating with her. The thought made her shudder.
No. Loki isn’t that possessive, is he? Darcy snorted. She didn’t think it would even reach his radar, and maybe he would act like his usual, snobby self and not care about other mortals who didn’t concern him - like this Heath person.
Or so she hoped anyway.
When she arrived home, she sighed with relief when there was no sign of him. Darcy was kind of grateful this was one of those long days where Loki was gone - off doing super-villain stuff that she could accept because well, she didn’t know what he was really doing and ignorance was bliss, right?
It wasn’t as if she could tell Jane or Erik, or even Coulson for that matter, with Loki still tethered to her by his wondrous spell. Darcy sighed. She wondered if she’d ever be free of the God of Mischief in that sense
But did she really want to be free from him? Her feelings were still complicated, and she was having a harder time being calm and cool in his presence since she admitted to liking him.
Maybe I’ll like this Heath guy more and problem solved, Darcy thought, but she bit her lip and instantly was consumed with doubts. How could anyone, mortal or not, compete with Loki? Damn, maybe Heath doesn't even stand a chance, she mused, and she quickly shook her head as she sifted through her closet. She hoped she could find something decent among her crappy, old clothes to wear for her date, and it wasn’t like this desert town had a mall.
“I see you are thinking too hard again, mortal,” said Loki behind her, causing Darcy to almost jump out of her skin.
“Holy crap, dude, we talked about this!” she said with a long exhale. She finally relaxed as he smirked at her. Okay, so apparently he wasn’t going to listen to anything she’d ever said about his stalking and sneaking up on her. “Someone needs a stalking intervention, seriously.”
“Once again you are quite a master at talking in riddles, or you mortals really do have an uncouth language,” Loki said, still watching her as Darcy turned back to her closet, angrily pushing back hangers and making noises of disgust at every shirt she laid her eyes on.
“Whatever, dude, and Gods are masters of invading people's privacy,” Darcy said, looking at her teal sweater without a grimace. Okay, maybe that will do, she thought, and it definitely allowed the girls to come out and play a little.
“You seem to be concerned with your appearance again,” he said, and she watched as he placed a hand on the teal shirt. She caught herself in a long minute as her eyes followed his long slender fingers sliding down the velor fabric. Dumbly, she looked up at his face, finding it very hard to concentrate on having a good time on her date tomorrow with him accosting her clothes. Damn him. He laughed lightly. “You’re not trying to seduce me to get rid of me again, are you? I would think you learned.”
“Nah,” Darcy said with a wave of her hand. “Trust me, I’m not a dog. I learn my lesson once. Unlike some people. You know. About stalking.” She grabbed the shirt from his grasp and turned to the mirror, draping the sweater in front and looking herself over.
Okay, so the teal shirt wins. She smirked and turned back to him. “I have a date tomorrow night! I just wanted to see if I had something in my closet that didn’t make me look like a total loser, and I really didn’t want to go to the only boutique in town that sells decent clothes.” She wrinkled her nose. “It smells like cats in there. And pee. Well, mostly cat pee, and I’m quite sure the cats are possessed by demons because they follow you around and start yowling if you even think about ganking something.”
“You’re babbling again, which means you’re happy,” he said, and he cocked his head curiously. “A date?”
“Yes, that’s what humans do in order to perhaps get some sexy timez. Ask Agent Hill about it,” Darcy said, and she threw the sweater over the chair in the room and made a beeline back to the closet. She knew exactly what to wear with it too - her slutty black mini-skirt. It worked every time.
“So...you have nothing to worry about. Go do your thang, hunch over your super creepy Professor Snape desk, make a fist and laugh maniacally in the void as you await your brother’s defeat,” she said, and she saw Loki’s brow rise, as he was slightly taken aback that she’d speak to him in such a way. She smirked widely. “I don’t care. I’m going to get some...and it’s been far too long.”
Then, she walked out her bedroom and headed toward the kitchen. She felt she deserved a cookie after that conversation.
And Darcy knew she’d won when Loki didn’t follow her.
Part Nineteen
Title: When in Rome
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Loki, Darcy, Jane, OCs, Loki/Darcy
Word Count: 1,965
Spoilers/Warnings: post-Thor movie, no warnings
Notes: Written for the "#78 - Two Matchmakers" prompt for 100_fairytales. Part 18 of my Mischief and Tasers Loki/Darcy serialization. The previous part is here. The first part is here.
Other URLS: AO3 | FFnet
Summary: Darcy gets a chance to move on and have fun without Loki - whether he likes it or not.
Mischief and Tasers
Chapter Eighteen: When in Rome
Darcy stared forlornly at her coffee cup as she tried to stay awake. She had tossed and turned so badly the night before after her talk with Loki that she could barely get out of bed this morning and answer Jane’s request to get an early breakfast at the diner before work.
She also felt sad when she knew she should be happier. This was supposed to be the last week of her internship with Jane Foster, but she just knew that S.H.I.E.L.D wouldn’t let her leave that easily. She shuddered at the thought at what Agents Fury and Coulson had planned for her now that she was much more than an intern, but rather an intern that knew too many delicate government secrets.
“I suppose you already know why I asked you here,” Jane said, and Darcy noticed that Jane’s mood was off as well, for she was way more nervous than usual. Jane pursed her lips. “Your internship.”
Darcy nodded. “So...I get that it’s not ending any time soon?”
Jane averted her eyes for a moment and took a sip of her coffee. Was it really that hard for her to spit it out?
“S.H.I.E.L.D has put a hold on your student status at the university. They want you to stay on our project until completion and Thor's return. Then, Coulson said that they will review your security level in the government and when you can return to school,” Jane said, and Darcy rolled her eyes.
“And he couldn’t tell me this himself?” Darcy asked, and she saw Jane smile slightly for a second.
“He’s looking for Tony Stark...again. You wouldn’t believe what he goes through with that man,” Jane said.
Darcy snorted. “I hope Tony Stark gives him a mad hard time now.”
Jane sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I suspected the moment they got involved when Thor first arrived that something would happen to you like this. We know too much, and S.H.I.E.L.D has complete control over our lives now.” She paused briefly and added. “But at least it’s worth it. We’re doing good things here.”
“Yeah,” Darcy said, with a light shrug. “But I can’t say I’m surprised either.”
“You’re not mad? I mean, you can still contact your family as usual,” Jane said. “It’s like before, we can only share so much, but we can still see them and talk to them.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not too close to my family,” Darcy said. “God, this sucks!” she complained, and she saw Jane’s frown. “Oh, no, I don’t mean...with you. I mean...well, you know what I mean. I was this close to graduating with your credits. Damn it!”
“I know,” Jane said. “I promise I’ll make it up to you. Maybe I can convince Nick Fury to give you a job recommendation for your troubles.”
Darcy laughed. “You better! And it better be good too; in fact, I suggest you tell him he has to give it in person. I have a feeling the eye-patch and intense look does wonders for the hiring process.”
The two women giggled, and Darcy became lost in her thoughts, musing on what it meant in staying longer than she planned. There still was no exact date when they’d be able to open the wormhole and bring Thor back, but they were making progress, and she knew it would happen soon.
Thor would come, and Loki would be waiting for him - implementing whatever nefarious things he planned on doing. Darcy shivered, instantly feeling conflicted.
“There's your check, ladies,” said a sunny female voice, bringing Darcy out of her thoughts. It was the owner of the diner, Tammy, who had become fond of them since Jane and Darcy became regular customers. She was a large woman with overly-dyed red hair but a sweet smile underneath her caked make-up. Darcy realized she was looking at her particularly intensely. Her mega-watt smile grew and she fiddled nervously with her hands in front of her.
“Oh, Darcy, I meant to ask you. My son Heath is in town and well, he’s a good boy, single for awhile now, and I was wondering...”
“Are you trying to set me up on a date with your son?” Darcy asked with a laugh, and the tension in Tammy’s faced seemed to ease.
“Well, I suppose you could call it like that. He’s a good boy, handsome - of course I’m biased, but when it comes to girls...”
“Hey, it’s cool, Tammy. You give me free pie on Sundays and consider it a deal,” Darcy said, readily accepting the offer. Normally, she’d be hesitant, but things had been so strange with Loki lately she needed a distraction. Maybe a human boy without ulterior motives was a good - safer - thing for her.
“Oh, bless your heart, Darcy! I’ll tell my son to pick you up tomorrow night at seven if you’re not busy. He comes into town tonight,” Tammy said, and Darcy nodded.
“It should be okay once I’m off work,” Darcy said, “Unless the boss-lady here needs me for anything important.” Darcy shot Jane a pointed look. She hoped the woman felt guilty enough for getting her into this S.H.I.E.L.D mess and would give her a break.
Jane grinned widely, nodding her head. “Go for it. I’m all for you going out and having some fun.” Jane punched her arm. “You’re too crabby lately anyway. It’ll be good for you, kiddo.”
“Sweet!” Darcy said, smiling sweetly. “Tammy, I do believe your son is going to be one lucky man tomorrow night.” The three women laughed, and Darcy suddenly felt more relaxed, especially since her first encounter with Loki, which drove her into unhealthy states of frustration and paranoia.
And a date with a so-called cute boy was definitely what Darcy needed. (Well, Darcy hoped he was cute anyway.)
.xxxxx.
As Darcy was heading home from work that evening, she instantly remembered the date she had made with Tammy’s son Heath and wondered what Loki would think about it.
“It’s not like he sees me that way, so why should he care?” Darcy grumbled aloud, but she was nervous if that was really true, or if Loki might see her as some kind of human pet and try to prevent other people from associating with her. The thought made her shudder.
No. Loki isn’t that possessive, is he? Darcy snorted. She didn’t think it would even reach his radar, and maybe he would act like his usual, snobby self and not care about other mortals who didn’t concern him - like this Heath person.
Or so she hoped anyway.
When she arrived home, she sighed with relief when there was no sign of him. Darcy was kind of grateful this was one of those long days where Loki was gone - off doing super-villain stuff that she could accept because well, she didn’t know what he was really doing and ignorance was bliss, right?
It wasn’t as if she could tell Jane or Erik, or even Coulson for that matter, with Loki still tethered to her by his wondrous spell. Darcy sighed. She wondered if she’d ever be free of the God of Mischief in that sense
But did she really want to be free from him? Her feelings were still complicated, and she was having a harder time being calm and cool in his presence since she admitted to liking him.
Maybe I’ll like this Heath guy more and problem solved, Darcy thought, but she bit her lip and instantly was consumed with doubts. How could anyone, mortal or not, compete with Loki? Damn, maybe Heath doesn't even stand a chance, she mused, and she quickly shook her head as she sifted through her closet. She hoped she could find something decent among her crappy, old clothes to wear for her date, and it wasn’t like this desert town had a mall.
“I see you are thinking too hard again, mortal,” said Loki behind her, causing Darcy to almost jump out of her skin.
“Holy crap, dude, we talked about this!” she said with a long exhale. She finally relaxed as he smirked at her. Okay, so apparently he wasn’t going to listen to anything she’d ever said about his stalking and sneaking up on her. “Someone needs a stalking intervention, seriously.”
“Once again you are quite a master at talking in riddles, or you mortals really do have an uncouth language,” Loki said, still watching her as Darcy turned back to her closet, angrily pushing back hangers and making noises of disgust at every shirt she laid her eyes on.
“Whatever, dude, and Gods are masters of invading people's privacy,” Darcy said, looking at her teal sweater without a grimace. Okay, maybe that will do, she thought, and it definitely allowed the girls to come out and play a little.
“You seem to be concerned with your appearance again,” he said, and she watched as he placed a hand on the teal shirt. She caught herself in a long minute as her eyes followed his long slender fingers sliding down the velor fabric. Dumbly, she looked up at his face, finding it very hard to concentrate on having a good time on her date tomorrow with him accosting her clothes. Damn him. He laughed lightly. “You’re not trying to seduce me to get rid of me again, are you? I would think you learned.”
“Nah,” Darcy said with a wave of her hand. “Trust me, I’m not a dog. I learn my lesson once. Unlike some people. You know. About stalking.” She grabbed the shirt from his grasp and turned to the mirror, draping the sweater in front and looking herself over.
Okay, so the teal shirt wins. She smirked and turned back to him. “I have a date tomorrow night! I just wanted to see if I had something in my closet that didn’t make me look like a total loser, and I really didn’t want to go to the only boutique in town that sells decent clothes.” She wrinkled her nose. “It smells like cats in there. And pee. Well, mostly cat pee, and I’m quite sure the cats are possessed by demons because they follow you around and start yowling if you even think about ganking something.”
“You’re babbling again, which means you’re happy,” he said, and he cocked his head curiously. “A date?”
“Yes, that’s what humans do in order to perhaps get some sexy timez. Ask Agent Hill about it,” Darcy said, and she threw the sweater over the chair in the room and made a beeline back to the closet. She knew exactly what to wear with it too - her slutty black mini-skirt. It worked every time.
“So...you have nothing to worry about. Go do your thang, hunch over your super creepy Professor Snape desk, make a fist and laugh maniacally in the void as you await your brother’s defeat,” she said, and she saw Loki’s brow rise, as he was slightly taken aback that she’d speak to him in such a way. She smirked widely. “I don’t care. I’m going to get some...and it’s been far too long.”
Then, she walked out her bedroom and headed toward the kitchen. She felt she deserved a cookie after that conversation.
And Darcy knew she’d won when Loki didn’t follow her.
Part Nineteen