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Kate double-checked the address her client had given her. 42 Garner Street. It certainly didn't look like much. A small two-story house with peeling yellow paint and an overgrown front yard, that was more jungle than lawn. Kate had a feeling that no one had lived here for a long while, which would match up with the information she'd gotten from various real estate sites online.
Bree Kodi had come to Hawkeye Investigations looking for a lost family heirloom. This house was a long shot. The address was something the woman had found written on a scrap of paper, tucked away in an old book, and stashed up in her family's attic for well over a decade. It probably wouldn't pan out but all her previous leads had fallen cold, so checking out this place was the next logical step.
A chain link fence that had clearly seen better days, barred her way. It was rusted shut but Kate climbed over it with ease. She didn't see a doorbell, but there was an old-fashioned door knocker shaped like a fox's head with a ring in its mouth. Kate shrugged and gave it a try. No one answered. She tried the knob. The door swung open easily and without a sound. Okay, that was a bit disconcerting but probably fine, right?
The door opened up into a small entryway that led to what looked like the living room despite the lack of a television. What did people do in a living room without a TV? By the look of the really cool, really retro turntable in the corner, the answer was apparently, listen to record albums.
Aside from the record player, there were two large floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with books and various knickknacks. Over by the window, there was an ugly floral sofa in shades of orange, green, and brown, a couple of end tables, lamps, and two wooden milk crates filled with albums. Kate took a closer look and saw that it was mostly older music. Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and the Beatles, along with a few bands she wasn't familiar with.
A faint thump sounded from somewhere above. Kate froze and looked up at the ceiling. There was someone here. Someone, not her. Possibly, it was an animal. A raccoon, a few squirrels, or maybe a bat? They were noisy, right? She found the stairs and headed up. The door to the right led to a bedroom with pale pink painted walls. The bed looked freshly made, the bedspread on top was pink and very floral. Kate opened the closet door. It was full of clothes that looked a bit dated. They appeared to be in good condition and somewhat fashionable if you liked remarkably short skirts and tops with bulky shoulder pads.
The door on the left opened into a larger bedroom, this one painted dark forest green. The king-sized bed sported a solid black comforter and dark gray sheets. But more importantly, there was someone standing in front of the open closet door with their back towards her. The figure (she was pretty sure he was male) wore a long fitted jacket in shades of green and gold, black pants, and black ankle boots. There was something eerily familiar in his stance but she couldn't quite place him.
Kate decided to act as if she was the one who was supposed to be here and this person was the interloper. "What are you doing here?"
The figure turned around and flashed Kate a smile. "I could ask you the same thing, Kate Bishop."
Oh, gods. "Loki?" Well, that explained why he looked so familiar. She shook her head. What was Loki doing here? This couldn't be a coincidence, could it? "Or you could just answer my question." Kate put her gear down and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Loki shook his head. "Politeness really is dead on Midgard, isn't it?"
Kate gave him a look and waited.
"I'm investigating." Loki looked down at his hand, examining the black nail polish adorning his nails. "Much the same as you, I surmise."
Continuing to eye him suspiciously, Kate looked Loki over for clues. Under his jacket, he wore a tight v-neck t-shirt in a shade of green that seemed to perfectly complement his eyes. His dark hair had that artfully disheveled look and was long enough that it almost touched his shoulders. Kate ignored the small ping of attraction she felt while looking him over. It didn't matter if she thought he was hot, from start to finish, Loki was trouble. "I don't trust you," Kate told him.
A barely discernible look of disappointment crossed his face and for a moment she almost felt bad for him. Almost. This was Loki she was talking about. God of mischief, lies, and whatever else. That look she'd caught was likely a performance. Kate doubted that he cared enough about her opinions of him to be anything close to disappointed by her lack of trust.
"I assure you that I am merely having a quick look around. Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair in short time," Loki said.
"Fine, whatever." Kate pulled her hair back into a ponytail and secured it with the elastic on her wrist."Just stay out of my way, okay?"
Kate peered around Loki, peeked into the closet, and caught a glimpse of the clothes hanging inside. They looked a little more grown-up than the ones she'd seen in the other room. There were several suits, button-down shirts, and a rack of neckties. Definitely menswear.
Loki cleared his throat. "There's another closet over there." He pointed out another door.
Kate turned and saw the closet she'd missed. She opened the door, half expecting something to jump out at her, but all she found were more clothes and about a dozen pairs of shoes. They looked very expensive and more than a little vintage. "Thanks for the tip," Kate said, begrudgingly.
"We should pool our resources and investigate together," Loki suggested. He leaned against the wall, looking oh so casual.
Yeah, that wasn't happening. Kate grabbed her gear, slinging her bags over her shoulder. "No thanks, I'm good." This job was becoming enough of a pain without adding Loki to the mix. She could do this on her own.
Kate headed downstairs and continued her search. Everything seemed pretty normal. Besides the TV-less living room, there was a small laundry room, an eat-in kitchen, and a nice little walk-in pantry filled with various non-perishables. Oddly enough, the refrigerator was full too. Weird. She took a whiff inside. Nothing smelled bad, or off. She checked the date of the milk. It was dated two years from now. That couldn't be right. What the hell was going on here?
Kate pulled out her phone so she could check the real estate records for the place again. During her preliminary research, she'd found no records of anyone living here for at least several years. But why was the place stocked with food, and where was all the dust? Her phone wouldn't turn on. Had the batter died? She'd checked it that morning and it'd been almost fully charged before she'd left for the day. It was odd, but there was no need to panic. Technology got wonky all the time. She'd just swing by and check out the library and maybe city hall on her way home to see if she could get the older property records that hadn't been digitalized yet. Now, where the hell was the door?
She'd walked around the place twice already and no door. Something was definitely wrong. The door was just gone. It didn't exist anymore. The windows were gone too and in their place hung strange abstract paintings that had defiantly not been there before.
"Loki!" Kate yelled, possibly a little louder than she should have.
"It wasn't me."
Kate turned around and saw Loki standing at the bottom of the staircase, leaning against the railing, and looking way too deliberately casual. "Now, why don't I believe you?"
Loki brushed something from his sleeve. "Perhaps, you have a naturally mistrustful nature?"
Kate shook her head. "Where did the door go?"
"That's precisely the question I was asking myself a moment ago." Loki strode over to where the front door used to be and held his hands out like he was feeling the air or something.
Kate stepped back and let him do his thing. If he wasn't the cause of this, she was going to need his help. She checked her phone again. Still dark.
"How odd. The door --" He trailed his fingers along the wall and frowned. "it's just gone."
A small spool of panic began to unwind in Kate's stomach. "Can you tell why?"
"There's a faint thread of magic, but I can't seem to follow it." Loki shook his hands out. "Give me a moment."
Because she was watching him closely, she saw the look of anger that briefly crossed his face before he could shove it aside and plaster on a wide smile. "Just another moment, please."
Kate walked back to the staircase, sat down on the bottom step, and waited. She had no idea how long she waited. None of her electronics were working and her increasing anxiety was making it difficult to keep a clear head. Eventually, Loki turned away from the door that no longer was. He was drenched in sweat as if he had just gotten back from a several-mile run. She didn't think he was faking it, which worried her. "Do you have a phone," Kate asked.
He scoffed. "Of course, what do you take me for, some flavor of Luddite?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Mind doing me a favor and checking it?" She needed to make sure it wasn't just her stuff that was on the fritz.
Loki pulled an expensive-looking phone out of his pocket and tried turning it on. When he started shaking it, Kate knew things had taken a turn for the worse.
"Fuck." Loki looked like he wanted to throw his phone against the wall, but in the end, he shoved it back into his pocket. "Why are you here?" He turned to her with accusation in his voice and a sharp look in his eyes.
Seriously? "I told you already. I'm here on a case."
He strode toward her. "Tell me about your case." It didn't seem to be a question.
Kate stood up. "Sure, right after you tell me why you're here."
Loki's jaw tensed. "Magic. I could feel it calling to me, leading me here to this --" He gestured around the room. "-- hovel."
"Hovel? Really?" Kate shook her head. Sure it could use some fresh paint, and a television set but overall, she thought the place was kind of homey and sweet.
Loki shrugged elegantly. "Some of us have standards." He began to pace. "There was so much magic all in this one place, so I of course had to investigate. I'd already been through the place twice when you showed up accusing me of being up to no good."
"And then the doors and windows all went missing. I think maybe my concern was warranted."
"I concede your point." He put his hand over his chest. "I Loki, have often -- in the past, of course, been a driving force behind bits of mischief here and there but I assure you that I am not behind this."
Oddly enough she believed him. "Okay, let's assume I believe you. You're a god or whatever, right? Magic us out of here." Kate really didn't want to be in this house anymore.
Loki tilted his head. "Alas, like my phone, my magic is not currently functioning."
That didn't sound good. In fact, it sounded bad. Very bad. "Since when?" Kate cringed at the whining tone in her voice.
Loki paused his pacing and sighed. "It worked prior to me stepping over the threshold of this place and now it doesn't. You do the arithmetic."
"Is it the house? Is it evil? Is there a spell on it? What exactly are we dealing with here, Loki?" Kate stifled the urge to shake the god until she got the answers she wanted.
Loki rubbed his chin and muttered, “I wish I knew.”
***
They moved the conversation to the living room. Kate looked at the couch and sat on the floor. There was just something about it that didn't feel very inviting for some reason. Loki sat down next to her, too graceful for words. Kate pulled a notebook out of her bag, fished around for a pen, and began taking notes. She had a lot of questions and it usually helped her to write it all out. Like why was the power still on in this otherwise abandoned house? Why wasn't there any dust? And what was up with all the food in the kitchen?
"Did you notice the clothes in the closets and the book on the shelves?" Loki asked, looking over at her list.
He was sitting too close. She could smell the faint scent of green apples mixed with incense, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. Would it be too creepy if she sniffed him? Probably. "I noticed that there were clothes in the closets and books on the shelves. What about them?"
"The clothes in all three closets seem to span various styles and time periods." Loki took her pen and notebook and in very neat handwriting, added them to her list. "And the books all appear to be on the wholesome end of the spectrum."
"Wholesome?" Kate tried to ignore the way Loki's arm kept brushing against her.
"Yes, the type of books that are very suitable for impressionable youngsters or the easily offended of any age," Loki said, handing back her notebook and pen.
"So, no sexy romance novels?" Of course, her mind went there first.
"I'm afraid not."
"Huh, that is weird." What did it mean? She looked over at Loki who was now poking through her bag. "Not as weird as the windows and doors disappearing, mind you, but still weird."
Loki picked up her bikini top and let it dangle from his fingers. "Do you always travel with a change of clothes, extra underwear, and is this a bathing suit?"
Kate made a grab for her swimwear. "Gimme that." Kate glared at Loki as she stuffed her clothes back into the bag. "So, what's the plan?"
He leaned back against the ugly sofa and picked at the fabric. "I keep trying."
Kate chewed on the end of her pen. "To?"
"To get us out of here, of course."
Loki's thigh bumped hers and a little jolt sent tingles all through her body. "Cool, as long as we're both on the same page." Kate stood up and grabbed her notebook. "I'm gonna have a more in-depth look around this place while you figure your shit out."
***
Loki was right about the books. The bookshelves were filled to the brim with disgustingly chaste and inspirational books. No horror, no science fiction, or fantasy either. It was very Little House of the Prairie meets Pippi Longstocking meets Anne of Green Gables. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Pippi rocked. But some people craved a bit more excitement and action in their fiction. The non-fiction titles also left a lot to be desired. There were two books on housekeeping, several volumes on knitting, and several cookbooks dating back more than a few decades. If the books here were a deliberate choice, then someone was sending a very specific message.
As far as she could tell, the washer and dryer seemed functional and there was more than enough detergent and fabric softener to do laundry for a year, at least. There weren't any clothes in the laundry room, no hints that someone left a load in the dryer before disappearing, or anything like that. Kate couldn't decide if that was a good sign, a bad sign, or maybe not a sign at all.
She found the door to the attic on the ceiling in the hall outside the smaller bedroom. It was one of those kinds of doors that you pulled down and a ladder unfolded from it. Kate pulled on the cord and the ladder extended. Taking a flashlight from her bag, she headed up the stairs.
Kate coughed. Apparently, the attic was where all the dust lived. Also a bunch of boxes. Each one with a neatly printed label stating the contents within. There was one labeled "Christmas", another that said "Dishes", and several others that read "toys". Kate brushed the dust off of one of the boxes of toys, stepped back a little, and slowly opened it up. Inside she found some wooden alphabet blocks, small plastic animals, and an eerily familiar stuffed rabbit. The plushie kind, not the taxidermied kind, thankfully. It appeared well loved and smelled only a little musty. Kate was pretty sure she had one just like it when she was little.
Before digging into the rest of the stuff, she took a look around the attic itself. There were no windows, so no trying to escape up here, unfortunately. There were a bunch of strange symbols that looked either painted on or carved into the wooden beams. Kate reached out to touch one but pulled her hand back. It wasn't worth the risk. She'd tell Loki and let him check it out. He might even be able to tell her what they meant.
After checking the rest of the boxes, she headed back down with the rabbit and an old-school digital alarm clock she found in the box marked "misc." It was one that had a radio and was made of plastic masquerading as wood paneling. Very retro.
Kate found Loki in the larger bedroom sitting on the floor in the lotus position, presumably meditating or something like that. Deciding not to interrupt him, she ripped out a page from her notebook and wrote him a note letting him know about the weird symbols in the attic. She put it on the floor in front of him and placed one of her power bars on top. In case he got hungry, or whatever.
Exhausted, Kate brought her things into the smaller bedroom. She plugged in the clock, set the time to nine p.m. on the dot, and shrugged. She didn't actually know what time it was, but at least this would help them keep track of time to some extent.
Kate set the stuffed bunny on the bed. It really did look like the one she used to have. She sighed and looked at the bed. Was she really going to sleep here? Maybe the floor would be better, or at least less creepy? She looked down at the very uncomfortable-looking hardwood floors and frowned. Yeah, not happening. She pulled back the bedspread and sniffed the sheets. They smelled - fine. Almost fresh, even. And that wasn't odd at all. Normally she'd just lay down on top of the bed, fully made but it was cold, so under the covers, it would have to be. Hopefully, it would be only for this one night and in the morning she'd figure out how to get out of this place -- with or without Loki's assistance.
***
Kate woke up hungry and confused. It took her a good long minute to remember where she was. She found the bathroom in good working order, the shower was delightfully hot, and the water pressure was amazing. She changed into sweatpants, a t-shirt, and her purple hoodie, before heading downstairs. There were still no doors or windows to be seen. Awesome.
Loki was at the kitchen table drinking a mug full of what looked and smelled an awful lot like coffee.
"Please tell me that's coffee, and that you got it at a nice little cafe around the corner after miraculously finding a way out of here while I was sleeping." Kate held her hands up in front of her and crossed her fingers.
"Alas, while this is indeed coffee, I found the beans in the cabinet, and made the coffee in the coffee maker over there." Loki pointed over his shoulder to the coffee machine on the counter. "Sorry."
She tried not to be too disappointed. "I knew it was too much to ask for." Kate dropped into the seat across from the mischievous god and leaned forward to get a closer sniff of his coffee. "So, is the coffee safe to drink?" She really needed the caffeine.
Loki quirked an eyebrow. "Only one way to find out."
Kate grabbed the cutesy kitten mug Loki had apparently already gotten out for her and filled it with coffee. "Did you check out the attic after your meditation, or whatever?"
"I did." Loki took a sip of his coffee.
Kate took her mug and sat back down. She blew across the top in hopes of getting it to cool down faster. "And?"
"The symbols are indeed magical."
"Can you read them?" Kate took a tentative sip of her coffee, closed her eyes, and smiled. It was so good.
"It's -- complicated."
Kate opened her eyes. "Isn't everything with you?"
Loki winked at her. "The symbols are from an archaic magical language. Human in origin. It appears to be a primer of sorts. It prepares the house for various spell casting."
"So, there's a spell on this place?" Kate put her mug down.
"Almost definitely, though I'll need to do more investigation before I know more." Loki picked up his mug.
Kate leaned back in her chair. "You're thinking we're gonna be here for a while, aren't you?"
"I think we need to prepare ourselves for all eventualities."
Kate pushed away the despair threatening to creep into her thoughts. "And in the meantime?"
"Do you think you could possibly take inventory of all our food here and write it down in your little notebook?"
Kate shrugged. It was probably just busy work, but in the interest of not starving to death, she was totally game. "Yeah, sure. Not a problem." Besides, she needed something to keep her head from spinning out worst-case scenarios.
***
Kate made the list. There was so much food in this house, that it worried her. In the pantry, the refrigerator, and one of those giant freezer chest thingies big enough to store a body in was enough food that she was starting to think that whoever set this thing up maybe had a bit of a prepper problem. She wasn't sure how long it would all last but it would probably be a while. Assuming the water stayed on, it might keep them from starving for several months, at least.
That night Kate shared the last of her power bars and trail mix with Loki, and called it dinner. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing. They'd agreed to throw caution to the wind if they were still trapped here tomorrow. They'd eat some of the food provided by the house and hope it didn't have any unforeseen consequences. She hoped it wouldn't come to that. She really wanted to go home.
"So there's something weird with all the food," Kate said.
"Weird how?" Loki took a bite of the peanut butter brownie power bar and frowned. "This is awful," he said looking down at the bar.
"Yeah, sorry about that. They always seem to taste like sawdust for some reason." Kate offered Loki the bag of trail mix. "Try this."
Reluctantly, Loki accepted the bag. "So, you were saying something about the food inventory being peculiar?"
"Yeah, so, while the clothes and books seem to be on the retro side, the dates on all the food are all super current, and the canned goods have best-by dates several years from now. Which admittedly isn't that strange, but the perishables like milk have far-off dates too."
"That is strange."
"And that's not all." Kate took a sip of water before continuing. "A lot of it is stuff I like. There's my favorite brand of Mac and cheese, my favorite vegetables, and my favorite peanut butter, and jelly. It's weird."
Loki popped a chocolate-covered raisin into his mouth and frowned. "Are they your current favorites or childhood favorites?"
Kate thought about it a moment. "A lot of it is stuff I'm not super into these days but loved back when I was a kid." Kate put her water bottle down. "What do you think it means?"
"I have my suspicions but I don't want to bore you with theories."
"If you want me to trust you, you need to share information." She narrowed her eyes.
Loki sighed in an overly dramatic way. "Remember that I have yet to gather enough information to be sure, but my suspicions are that this trap was designed for you."
"Me?" Kate has assumed that Loki was the target and she was just collateral damage. Could she be wrong? "Why?"
"Why are you the target, or what makes me think that you're the target?"
"The second one."
"I'd been in the house for nearly an hour before you arrived. The spell didn't snap closed until you got to the second floor."
"I thought you didn't know if there was a spell on the house?"
"At the time I needed more information to be sure that what I felt was the spell snapping closed, and not something else," Loki explained.
"But it could all be a coincidence, right? It snapping closed when it did, doesn't have to be about me." Kate was grasping at straws and she knew it.
"Perhaps." And now he was humoring her.
Kate sighed. "But you don't think so?"
"No." Loki handed back the bag of trail mix, much of it now gone. "Can you think of anyone who would do something like this?"
"What, trap me in a magic doom house?" Who'd she pissed off lately? Was she going to have to make another list?
"To get you off the board without killing you? Particularly anyone who has access to your blood."
A sinking feeling dropped deep down into her gut. "Fuck," Kate said softly. Right off the top of her head, she could think of two people who would do something like this to her and had access to what they needed. "Yeah, I can think of a couple of someones. Madame Masque and my asshat of a father, Derek Bishop."
"Well, at least we have a place to start."
***
Kate had forgotten to tell Loki about the clock she'd found in the attic. She'd given the radio a try but all she'd gotten was static. At least the clock part seemed to work. She'd meant to show Loki her find but she'd been too pissed about the possibility of her father being behind all this that it'd slipped her mind. Locking her up here was better than him putting out a hit on her but the end result was likely to be the same either way if she couldn't find a way out of here. It might not be him though, Madame Masque could be the one responsible, but her instinct said no. If she was involved it was along with her dad, not instead of him.
Surprisingly, she'd fallen asleep easily enough, despite all the worry that was running around in her brain. Unfortunately, staying asleep was a totally different story.
Walking through a dimly lit area lined with mirrors, her reflection stares back at her from seemingly infinite directions. After a while, she realizes that she's locked in a maze. The feeling of being trapped wraps around her throat and she can't breathe. She tries breaking one of the mirrors but all she gets for her troubles is a fist full of blood.
Kate woke up feeling wrung out, her throat dry and sore. The clock lets her know that it was barely midnight. Well, that had sucked. She hated nightmares, luckily she had them only rarely. Sitting up, she took a swig from her water bottle, did some deep breathing exercises, and fell asleep.
Panic grips her as she runs up the hill, yet again. Her feet keep sinking and she's slipping back down, falling on her ass, and getting right back up. Over and over and over again. A never-ending slog of terror. Her heart cramps in her chest. She can't feel it beating and the realization that she's going to die here hits her before the darkness drags her down.
Drenched in sweat, Kate looked at the clock once again. It'd been barely an hour since the first nightmare. Crying seemed the appropriate response, but what good would it even do? Getting up, she splashed cold water on her face and found herself standing outside Loki's door. She put her ear up to the wood and listened. It was quiet. He was probably sleeping. She lifted her hand. What was she going to do, ask if she could sleep in his room? How would that even work? She dropped her hand. What exactly was she looking for? Comfort? She was a super hero. Super heroes didn't let little things like nightmares get them down. No, she would go back to her room, get into her bed, and she would sleep until morning, completely nightmare-free.
Clones. Rows and rows of Kate clones for as far as the eye could see. Compliant, dead-eyed, and waiting. It's him. Her father enters the room, walks among the clones, picks one, and kisses her on the forehead. She opens her eyes and smiles at him. He takes her hand and leads her out of the room. He's going to have her take over his life while she rots away in this cursed house, she just knows it.
Lying in bed trying to catch her breath, Kate waited until her heartbeat slowed, and the tears stopped before she even attempted to get out of bed. It was just after three in the morning. Her legs felt like jelly but she managed to make it to the bathroom without collapsing. She splashed cold water on her face, yet again. It didn't help. She was exhausted but the thought of crawling back into that bed and falling into yet another nightmare didn't appeal to her at all. She couldn't do this anymore, she needed sleep. She grabbed the pillow from her bed, headed back to Loki's door, and knocked before she could change her mind.
***
He'd heard her at the door hours ago. She hadn't knocked and Loki expected much the same the second time, so it took him a moment to get the door when she actually did knock this time.
Kate stood on the threshold, dressed for bed and clutching a pillow tightly against her chest. There was a haunted look in her eyes and she looked like she'd been crying. "Trouble sleeping?" He asked.
She bit her lip. "Can I sleep in here?"
He blinked. "You want to switch rooms with me?"
"No." She looked ready to collapse.
He stepped out of the way to let her in the room. She tossed her pillow onto the bed. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. "Would you like me to sleep on the floor?" Surely, she didn't want him sleeping in the bed with her.
"No." Kate sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes.
Had she come to him for comfort? That was a rather terrifying thought. He pulled the comforter and sheets down for her.
"You're wearing pajamas?" There was a hint of confusion in her voice.
Loki looked down. He was wearing a pair of black silk pajama bottoms he'd found in the dresser. He hadn't bothered putting on the shirt though. He hadn't expected company. "They looked more comfortable to sleep in than my trousers."
Kate pointed to his bare chest. "Aren't you cold?"
He shook his head. "Frost giant, remember?” Loki checked the polish on his nails. “I’m also the current King of Jotunheim and while admittedly I don't actually love the cold --“ He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “This is not cold." It was sixteen degrees Celsius at the very least.
Kate nodded, got under the blankets, and lay down. Loki grabbed the pajama top from the dresser, slipped it on, and got into bed. Kate was shivering but he didn't want to presume, so he gave her space. After a few moments, Kate moved closer and snuggled up next to him. Loki put his arm around her and bewilderingly, she let him.
"Tell me something, anything," Kate said, exhaustion making her words sound desperate.
Loki suspected nightmares had driven her to his bed. It would be an easy fix if he still had access to his magic. But even without it, he was still a god, and stories were one of his specialties. "Would you like me to tell you a story?"
"Mmm...as long as it's not a scary story." Definitely nightmares.
Loki told her a tale from Thor's foolish and bumbling youth. It involved alcohol, several squirrels, and a barrel of the sweetest honey he'd ever tasted. It had Kate giggling in his arms even before the daring conclusion. His next tale was a little more personal, but thankfully she fell asleep long before he gave too much of himself away.
***
Kate was still sleeping when Loki carefully untangled himself from her limbs a few hours later. He'd spent those hours working the problem in his head. There was something about this whole thing that vexed him. Why go to all the trouble of a strong magical blocker if Kate was the intended prisoner? Nearly all of his magic was currently inaccessible to him. That was a powerful block. It wouldn't be easy and the cost would be great. Kate did have a veritable multitude of friends that had powers, but that wasn't the same as magic. Magic was a whole different level and while one of her close friends was in fact a reality warper, William Kaplan was currently off-world somewhere in space with his Emperor husband, the last time he'd checked.
It was possible that the magician in question was only being thorough but magic was a complex and costly endeavor on Midgard, even for him. This house was brimming with magical energy, it was what drew him here in the first place. So, the question was, if this trap was indeed for Kate (as he suspected), why the overkill? What was he missing?
He grabbed a change of clothing and headed to the shower. Twenty minutes later Kate was still sleeping as he made his way downstairs to get breakfast started.
The bacon was almost done cooking when he heard the pipes rattle and squeal as the shower turned on. A little while later, Kate padded down the stairs, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, her hair still wet from the shower. She looked at the food he'd spread out on the table and then at him. "You cook?"
"Don't look so surprised, I'm very capable in all manner of things." That got a smile out of her. "There are pancakes, copious amounts of bacon, and of course where would we be without coffee?"
"Unconscious for sure," Kate said grabbing the mug he picked out for her and filling it to the brim. "That's a lot of bacon there for just the two of us." She picked three slices and placed them on her plate.
"I like my breakfast meats, don't judge."
"I wouldn't think of it." Kate took a bite of her pancakes, closed her eyes, and moaned.
Breakfast turned out better than he'd hoped. Admittedly he'd wanted to impress Kate with his cooking and she didn't disappoint him in her surprise, appreciation, and nearly inappropriate moans. Loki was fairly sure that the house's food wouldn't poison them or have any other detrimental effects. If Kate's father was indeed behind this trap, he likely wanted her alive. At least for the time being. Why else trap her, instead of killing her? She was a mortal without any superpowers to speak of, killing her would have been all too easy.
Kate offered to wash the dishes. There wasn't a dishwashing machine, unfortunately. Apparently, Derek Bishop truly was a cruel man. Kate didn't seem to mind though, and he had an experiment to set up. "Meet me in the living room when you're done."
"Sure thing, Boss," Kate said with just the right amount of sarcasm. He approved.
***
Kate finished washing the dishes, wiped her hands, and went to see what Loki was up to. He had some type of plan, she could tell by the smug look on his face when he'd asked her to meet her in the living room. Or possibly he was feeling self-satisfied after making those amazing pancakes. The bacon had been good too, but bacon was bacon. It was hard to mess that up, aside from burning or undercooking it. Making pancakes was actual cooking in her book. It had multiple ingredients and you could mess it up if you didn't add the right things.
He'd been busy. The couch and much of the rest of the furniture in the living room had been moved away from the walls. Loki stood in front of the ugly beige floral wallpaper, a sledgehammer slung casually over his shoulder. Where'd he get a sledgehammer? "So, what are we doing?" Kate asked.
"A series of experiments." Loki knocked on the wall the sofa had been up against before he moved it out of the way.
Kate moved closer. "What kind of experiments?"
Loki set the sledgehammer down, leaned it against the wall, and rubbed his hands together. "The variety that is both destructive and instructive."
"Sounds - safe?" Kate picked up the hammer. It was heavy. "What are you planning to do with this?"
"Smash it against the wall, of course," Loki said with a grin.
Breaking stuff actually sounded pretty good right now. She smiled. "I'm liking the sound of that, God-boy."
Loki quirked an eyebrow. "Would you like to have first swing?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Kate grinned. "Does it matter where I hit?"
"Just try to avoid hitting me, please." He took a step back.
Kate swung the sledgehammer, hitting the wall with a satisfactory crunch. Plaster crumbled, paint chipped, and she could see the wooden beams through the hole that she'd made. And then it was gone. The wall was once again solid, the paint good as new, all before she could swing the hammer a second time. "Well, fuck."
Kate turned to Loki, who didn't look surprised at all. He was standing off to the side, near the turntable, a thoughtful look on his face. He held out his hand. "Let me try."
Kate passed him the hammer and took a few steps back. Then, for good measure, she took a few more, until her back was against the entryway. Loki looked back at her and smiled before he swung with what looked like very little effort at all. For a tiny sliver of a moment, much of the wall crumbled before her eyes, while the whole house shook. Even the wooden frame of the house was damaged and for a moment, Kate thought she could see trees and sky through the void. She blinked and it was gone. The wall once again repaired itself before her very eyes. A heartbeat later, it was as if nothing had happened and all Loki could say was, "interesting."
They repeated the experiment where the door used to be. Nothing happened. The wall that'd once been the door didn't even crack. Nothing either of them did made a dent. Though, the house still shook when it was Loki's turn. He looked neither surprised nor bothered by any of it. Kate clung to that. She had to believe that Loki had a plan. She had to believe that she wasn't going to be stuck in this prison forever. She missed her dog. She missed her friends. She knew it hadn't been that long, but she really wanted to go home. She was choosing to believe that between the two of them, they'd find a way.
***
Kate repeatedly appeared in his bed night after night. Or possibly it was their bed, at this point. The manner in which she sought comfort in his presence, astounded him. He'd had his share of paramours that sought him out because they found the idea of bedding the god of lies to be particularly titillating, but none that sought him out because they desired to cuddle. Not that Kate was a paramour, potential or otherwise. The idea wasn't displeasing to him. He just didn't believe she thought of him in that way. Her cuddling gave the impression of being completely platonic. He didn't want to throw that all away on his baser urges.
His experimental wall destruction only verified what he'd already known. Magic had been woven into this dwelling place. The spell was an exquisite piece of work that he greatly admired. Of course, he'd have been more impressed if he wasn't currently trapped inside of it. He could -- and would dismantle the spell. Eventually. Already, he'd begun to slowly siphon off currently inconsequential quantities of magic from the spell. If he continued to do so gradually enough, the spellcaster wouldn't be able to detect his efforts until it was too late to stop him. The only problem with this plan was that it was going to be boring and it was going to take time. How much time, Loki wasn't sure. He had no idea how much time was currently passing. It was possible that time inside and outside the spell passed equally, but it was just as possible that time moved more quickly in one place than it did in the other. It would be most unfortunate to finally escape this prison, only to have years or even decades pass by out in the world. For him, it would be a minor annoyance. For Kate, it might mean a lifetime lost. Even if Kate didn't age once she stepped outside the spell (a possibility), all her friends certainly would have. For that reason, amongst others, Loki needed to do this as expeditiously and as cautiously as possible. No matter how much it bored him, Loki couldn't throw caution to the wind and be his usual reckless self. He'd have to be careful.
"You don't have to make breakfast every morning, you know?" Kate leaned against the counter and watched as he chopped garlic, scallions, and peppers, for the omelet he had planned.
They'd been trapped together for about some weeks now and had fallen into a comfortable rhythm that was more domestic than he'd been prepared for. Not that he'd been prepared for any of this. Not at all. That was part of what made it so fun. "Yes, but I like cooking breakfast." He really did.
"and lunch, and dinner." Kate laughed."I still find it odd that the god of mischief, lies, and what is it now? Stories?" Loki nodded and she continued, "-- not only cooks but actually cooks well. It seems almost contradictory" She shrugged. "Or something." Kate pulled a couple of plates out from the cabinet and began setting the table.
Loki turned on the burner and grabbed the eggs from the refrigerator. He'd already discovered that their food supply was self-replenishing. If he used up all the eggs today, the carton would be back in the refrigerator and full of fresh eggs once again when they woke up. "As I've said before, I am a god of many talents." He winked and let just a bit of suggestiveness bleed into his smile. It was almost reflexive, but he did mean it.
Kate shook her head and gently bumped him with her hip before walking away to set the silverware next to their respective plates. "You know I would have been fine with peanut butter sandwiches and boxed Mac and Cheese."
He didn't understand why Kate had such a difficult time taking proper care of herself. From junk food to falling off buildings, it was obvious that self-preservation wasn't her strong suit. "Which is exactly why I must insist on cooking."
"Oh, right, you and your breakfast meat obsession."
"It's an appreciation, not an obsession."
"Potayto, potahto," Kate sang at him. He rolled his eyes, playfully. Being trapped in a house with Kate Bishop was far more enjoyable than he'd imagined.
***
Kate sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her shoes. Usually, she did the whole undressing/dressing thing in the other bedroom but she was exhausted, sore, and just could not be bothered with modesty right now. She's started her exercise routine back up, the first time since getting stuck in this stupid house. She couldn't do her usual stuff. There wasn't enough room in the house for a proper running routine, but sprinting up and down the stairs, a bunch of times had felt pretty good. She wanted to do some sparing too, but she really needed a partner and had yet to broach the subject with Loki.
She pulled off her t-shirt and tossed it onto the growing pile she started with her socks and shoes. Flopping back on the bed, too tired to pull her pants off, Kate closed her eyes. Which was of course, when she heard Loki walk in. He cleared his throat. Kate opened her eyes, looked up, and waved him into the room. "It's fine, come on in. I'll get the energy to take the rest of my clothes off soon, don't worry."
Kate closed her eyes again and listened as Loki moved into the room and divested himself of at least some of his clothing. Kate opened one of her eyes to check on his state of undress. Sadly he'd only taken off his jacket. Why he'd been all dressed up with a jacket inside this stupid place, she did not know. But then again, it was Loki -- he was like a cat -- who knew what went on inside that head of his? Oh, wait, his shirt was unbuttoned now. Kate bit her lip. That was kind of nice. Shit, where had her brain gone? She flung her arm over her face. Apparently, a peek of the god's well-muscled chest was a little too much temptation for her. Possibly, she needed to get laid. She snorted. Damn, she was tired. It felt like this was the first time she'd worked out in several months. Was that how long they'd been in here?
"Are you sure that you're alright?" Loki's voice broke through her worry spiral.
"Mmm..." Kate could feel herself starting to drift off.
"Pants on or off?" Loki's voice was somewhere near her legs.
The question caught her off guard and scrambled her brain. "Mine or yours?"
Loki laughed. It wasn't a small laugh either, it was a full-volume cackle. Kate pulled off her pants without even opening her eyes, leaving her in her panties and sports bra. She pulled her legs under the covers and waited for Loki to get into bed so she could snuggle on his chest. What? It helped her sleep. Really. She cracked an eye open when she felt the mattress dip. Loki wore his boxer briefs and nothing else. Oh, damn. Normally he wore pajamas, both bottom, and top. Huh. She guessed turnabout was fair play or something like that. She moved closer, snuggled against his bare chest, and pretended like she wasn't wishing she had the energy to do more. She knew that sleeping with Loki was probably a bad idea, but it was feeling less bad an idea the more time she spent with him, which was probably a dangerous thing.
***
"You swear it wasn't you right?" Kate asked. Loki was washing dishes while she dried them the old-fashioned way, with a dishcloth.
"A little clarification might be helpful here." Loki handed her a clean bowl.
"You didn't trap me here with you, right? You would've at least given me a TV, right?"
Loki brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "And I would have made sure we had actual popcorn kernels, none of that microwave bullshit," Loki said.
"Hey, I like that microwave bullshit." She liked the good stuff too but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that, especially since they didn't have any kernels anyway.
"Heathen." Loki winked at her.
Kate shook her head. "Says the actual Norse god."
He smiled and handed her the last plate. She dried it, put it away, and then whipped the dishtowel at him, smacking him right on his exquisite ass. His grin turned wicked and she hit him with the towel again. He moved so fast, she was in his arms and he was tickling her before she even had a chance to catch her breath. When Kate finally did catch her breath, she threw caution to the wind and kissed him. She figured that it'd surprise him enough to stop tickling her.
If Loki had been surprised by the turn of events, Kate couldn't tell. He melted right into the kiss, lowering her to the ground, and slipping his tongue into her mouth with exquisite ease.
Kate let her fingers roam just a teeny tiny bit. She moved her hands along Loki's arms and reveled in the firmness of his muscles. He was so much stronger than she'd expected. It wasn't that she ever forgot that he wasn't human (as if he would let anyone), it was that she thought of him as a snarky god of magic, and failed to remember that even without all that magic, he was stronger and more powerful than any regular human. Kate dipped her hands under his shirt, still slightly damp from washing the dishes. God, he had nice abs. She didn't want to stop touching him. Ever. This looked bad.
She broke off the kiss, pulled back, and rolled out from under him. What had she done? Kate stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked away. She had not just kissed Loki. Nope. That certainly hadn't happened. Not at all.
***
The kiss had been unexpected. Also, tantalizing, tempting, and too good to be true. And over almost as quickly as it had begun. Kate slipped out of his arms without a word and walked away without so much as a glimpse back. He didn't see Kate for the rest of the day, and honestly didn't expect her to show up in his bed that night, but there she was in a terribly demure nightgown. She was just turning down the bed when he walked in wearing only his boxer briefs. He hadn't bothered putting on night clothes since he hadn't actually expected to see Kate in his bed again.
Should he say something? He didn't want to make the situation more awkward, but would he truly be Loki if he kept his mouth shut? "Did you get that fetching nightgown from the closet?"
"Yeah, it's pretty hideous, isn't it?" She smiled tentatively at him.
"Not on you," he said softly.
Kate rolled her eyes and got into bed.
"I'm feeling a tad underdressed at the moment. Perhaps I should put on some pajamas?" Loki stood there under Kate's very deliberate gaze.
"You don't have to." Kate dropped her gaze to the bedspread.
"Alright then, as long as you're not bothered by my state of undress." Loki smiled at the pink blush in Kate's cheeks.
Once in bed, Kate moved closer and snuggled against him, her hand resting on his chest. Apparently, they were pretending the kiss never happened. How unfortunate. Though it was better than her ignoring him completely. That would have been awkward as well as disappointing, especially considering how they were trapped together for the time being.
Just when he thought she'd fallen asleep, Kate spoke, her voice quiet and her breath warm against his bare skin. "Hey."
His skin prickled with worry but Loki only hesitated for the briefest of moments before answering. "Yes?"
"Do you think maybe you could spar with me later? I don't want to get all rusty while we're stuck in this damn house."
Relief flowed through him. "I'd be delighted." Loki reached out and stroked her hair, for a moment allowing himself that simple indulgence. When she didn't flinch at his touch or push him away, he continued until she was well and truly asleep.
***
The next day, after breakfast they got started by clearing out much of the furniture from the living room. At Loki's insistence, they relocated the turntable and record collection to the kitchen. The books and bookshelves were moved upstairs to what they were still calling Kate's bedroom despite her having barely spent two nights sleeping in there.
Kate sat down on the bed. "I think we should bring this mattress downstairs, for sparring and stuff."
"This mattress?" He asked.
Kate nodded.
Loki linked his hands behind his back and leaned forward just a little. "You mean your mattress?"
Kate stuck her tongue out at him, which apparently told him, as he was the one that ended up bringing the mattress in question down the stairs all on his own. Not that it took much effort on his part, but that wasn't the point. The point was, apparently, he was smitten. Or at the very least enamored. Also known as being completely screwed.
Kate decided that the sofa, despite her unnatural hatred of it, would stay in the new sparring room so she'd have something to jump off. Loki pushed it up against the wall and shook his head. "Are you sure you should be jumping off things just now?"
"Why?"
"If something were to happen - you're stuck here. You can't call an ambulance and I don't have access to my magic." Not enough of it anyway. The thought of something happening to Kate felt unbearable. What a strange turn of events. Even if he were smitten, why should he care? A few years shaved off her painfully mortal lifespan should hardly matter to him. Even an abnormally long human life was barely a blink of an eye to him. How long did ordinary mortals live? One hundred years? Two hundred? Hardly anything.
"Don't be a misogynist, it doesn't become you."
"I wasn't." Loki shook his head. "This has nothing to do with your gender, if anything I was being judgmental towards your human frailty."
Hands on her hips, Kate shot him a look of disbelief.
"You do remember that I'm also a woman on occasion, yes?"
"Shit, how do I keep forgetting that?"
"Likely it has something to do with you believing that you're straight."
"Don't you start, I already get enough of that from America." Kate rolled her eyes. "It's just a couch, I've fallen off of buildings, I think I'll be fine."
His jaw briefly clenched and he forced himself to smile. "You're right, what was I thinking?" He shook his head. "The sofa stays."
***
Stretching, Kate was on the floor in wide-angle pose when Loki came down the stairs. He'd changed into a pair of loose black pants that he'd found in the back of the closet, along with a green v-neck t-shirt he'd found in a drawer. He sat on the edge of the sofa and watched as she lowered her chest to the floor. It had been almost two weeks since Kate had kissed him, and nothing untoward had happened since. It was rather disappointing.
Kate looked up and smiled. "Hey."
"Hey there, yourself," Loki said, pushing away the wayward urge to kiss her.
"You ready to get started?" Kate stood and rubbed her palms together.
"What exactly should I be expecting here?"
"I thought we'd start by warming up and then run through some moves together. That work for you?"
"That does sound acceptable."
After about an hour, Kate collapsed on the mattress he'd dragged to the middle of the floor. "You still alive over there?"
"Mmm..." Kate grumbled softly.
"It's just you've been quiet for more than a bit, which is very unlike you."
Kate propped herself up on her elbows and glared up at him. "If I had the energy, I would totally be throwing something at your face right now."
Loki mock gasped. "So much harshness directed at someone who is only doing such as you asked."
Kate shook her head. "How are you not sweating?" She lay back on the mattress and groaned. "I'm drowning in sweat here."
He chuckled softly. "That lovely image aside, are you alright?" Loki spread out on the mattress beside her.
"Yeah, I'm just out of practice. It felt good to get the blood pumping again though. Thanks for that."
"You're most welcome."
***
Kate turned her head and saw Loki lying on his side, his head propped up on his well-muscled arm. She'd never really put Loki in the category of physically capable foes and friends. He leaned so heavily on magic, that he didn't need to fight most of the time. There was also the fact that he was barely more than a child when they were on the same team together. Until the end anyways. When he used Billy and his magic to age-up, that was. She knew Loki was pulling his punches with her. They were just sparring after all, but she had a feeling that he was at least as strong as Thor, without the hammer, of course.
She had to remind herself that even without his magic, Loki was trouble. And that trouble was looking at her very intensely right at that moment. Loki's smile grew wider. Shit, she'd been staring at him, hadn't she? She bit her lip. What had she even been saying? Fuck. She couldn't stop thinking about what it might be like to --
She rolled over on her stomach, away from Loki's gaze, so she could get her thoughts as well as her libido under control.
"Kate?" He said her name like it was a question he desperately needed the answer to.
"Mmm?" She mumbled into her arm.
"We should have sex," Loki said, his voice like warm honey.
Kate rolled over and sat up. "What?"
Loki lay on his back, arms tucked behind his head. "We should have sex -- with each other, in case that part wasn't clear."
What the hell was she supposed to say to that?
"The sexual tension between the two of us is quite obvious, and you did kiss me."
"One time." And she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since.
"And now you've set up this elaborate excuse to be physically close to me."
Was he serious? "The sparring wasn't an excuse -- I can't let myself get out of practice while stuck in this hell-house with you. Not all of us are blessed with otherworldly strength and cool powers."
Loki sat up. "Are you denying that you're attracted to me, Kate?" She loved the way he said her name.
"I'm neither denying nor confirming." She knew he was just playing with her. Knew that she should get up, leave the room, and give the god a moment or two to cool off, or something. But she didn't.
"That sounds like quite the cop-out." Though the words were a bit sharp, his voice was gentle.
Kate shook her head. "Why is everything a game with you?" She hated herself for wanting this to be real.
"This isn't a game for me, Kate." Loki inched a little closer until they were almost touching. "And I'm not playing with you."
Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. "What if I call your bluff?"
"And what exactly would that look like?" Loki brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "Would you reach out and caress my cheek?" Loki slid his hand to cup her cheek. "Would you sweep your lips against my neck?" Loki slid his lips against her neck, gently nibbling at her sensitive skin and working his way up towards her mouth. "Would you brush your lips against mine?" He caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. "Would you slide your tongue in my mouth?"
Kate waited for Loki to do something else, but he just sat there, his thumb gently stroking her skin. After several seconds he moved his hand away. "Please, go on and tell me what you calling my bluff would entail."
He was infuriating. "Oh my god, do you ever stop talking?" Kate pushed Loki down on the mattress and straddled his hips. "And for the record, this is what me calling your bluff looks like."
Kate rolled away and collapsed on her back beside Loki. It had been a smart move, putting the mattress here. Not exactly what she had in mind when she'd had him dragged it down here for sparring, but it still deserved a metaphorical pat on the back.
"You should add that to the list of things that you're a god of." Kate's limbs felt heavy and limp. She suspected that if she tried getting up now, she'd just fall to the floor.
Loki huffed a laugh. "God of mischief, lies, stories, and what? Sex?"
"I was thinking a bit more specific." She turned to Loki and couldn't help but appreciate his very fine abs. And chest. And --
"Pray tell," Loki said, sounding amused.
"That thing you do with your tongue."
Loki's green eyes sparkled and a wicked grin spread across his face. "You liked that, did you?" He looked very pleased with himself.
"I think you know I did." Kate had thought that by sleeping with Loki, she'd maybe get him out of her system. In hindsight, that'd been a very wrong assumption on her part. Her desire for him hadn't lessened at all, if anything it had gotten stronger. She was so screwed.
"I've got a few more tricks up my proverbial sleeve, if you're interested."
"Aren't you tired?"
Loki reached out to stroke her skin. "Not even a little."
Of course, he wasn't. Super stamina or something. "It'll be a miracle if I can get up off this mattress and make it up the stairs without my legs giving out from under me."
"We could always sleep down here." Loki lazily traced circles around her nipples. "There's even this nice comfy mattress here."
She stifled a moan. "As tempting as that sounds." Loki dipped his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth. "Um...and it does sound --" Loki rolled over so that she was under him. He nudged her legs apart and pressed himself against her. He was rock hard again already. "On the other hand, I think sleeping down here is starting to sound just peachy."
***
Loki leaned against the railing. He loved watching her. She was clearly superior to Barton in every way. Why the Avengers would continue to choose him over her as their resident Hawkeye baffled him to no end. Smiling, he watched Kate shoot another two arrows into the house's ugly furnishings. "Why do you hate this sofa so?"
Kate gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I don't know. It just irks me." She pulled another arrow from her quiver, aimed, and let go. It landed in the center of one of the sofa's floral designs.
She'd seemed uncharacteristically quiet that morning, something was clearly on her mind. "Something seems to be bothering you."
"Ya think?" Kate shook her head, her annoyance was so nearly tangible, he could almost feel it.
"Something other than the usual day-to-day burden of being magically trapped in a house with a god." He flashed her his most flirtatious grin. "Oh, however will you keep your hands to yourself?"
She turned around and slowly looked him up and down. "Not very well, apparently." Kate smirked before turning back to her target.
"Indeed." Indulging in each other's bodily pleasures had done nothing to extinguish the sexual tension between them. After that first time post-sparring, they'd gone on to enjoy regular such indulgences over the last several weeks or so.
Kate pulled another arrow. "I can't stop thinking about the why."
"The why?"
"If my father did trap me in here, why did he do it? What's his purpose, his plan, his --" She gestured around her with the arrow. "whatever."
"Does it matter?" Loki asked as another arrow landed in the sofa.
"The second night here I had a series of nightmares." Kate wiped the sweat off her brow. "I was in a room filled with Kate clones, all lined up and waiting -- for him."
"Your father?"
Kate nodded. "He picked one, led her away, and I knew he was going to have her take my place in the world while I rotted away in this house." She put her bow down. "I just knew it."
There was no way he was letting that happen. "You're not going to rot away in here, I will get us out of here."
"I'm gonna hold you to that God-boy." Kate shook her head and frowned. "The thing is, I saw not all that long ago. He had a fresh new clone body thanks to Madame Masque and was looking barely older than me, so that was extra creepy but not even the worst part."
He closed the space between them and pulled her into his arms. "What was the worst part?"
"He had powers."
Intriguing. "What kind of powers?"
"Something psionic in nature, I think? He can command people to do things, I'm not sure what if anything else." She slid her hands under his shirt. "He said it was in his DNA, that's why he had to do the clone body thing and not an LMD."
"Which means it could be in your DNA as well."
"Yeah, I guess. Though, as far as I know, Madame Masque didn't get any cool powers when she was running around in a Kate clone."
"A what?" No wonder she'd come to his bed seeking comfort. Maybe her dream wasn't just a dream.
"Madame Masque made a clone of me and ran around kissing my friends -- and other shenanigans, but the kissing my friends thing really pissed me off."
"I can see how that might be an issue." He tipped her chin up and teased her lips with small gentle kisses. "A cheap copy could never even come close to the original."
***
Almost absentmindedly, Kate ran her hands along his torso. She'd been doing that a lot lately, just casually touching him whenever she wanted. He hadn't realized how much his skin had been yearning for this. It was as if his skin had been hungry for touch so long, that he hadn't even realized it could be a thing. It wasn't the sex, it was this spontaneous comfort and connection that he had been unknowingly longing for. Of course, the sex was pretty great, as well. By his calculations, they'd been in this house for several months, most of them occurring after they began being intimate with each other.
Kate kissed his shoulder, slid her arm over him, and rested her head on his chest. He could get used to this and he really shouldn't let himself. Soon he'll have siphoned off enough magic from the spell to dismantle it. Kate would go back to her ordinary super hero life, and he'd go back to -- what? Being king? Or maybe back to trying to figure out how to change his story? How about going back to being the outcast of all outcasts? Back to being alone. He knew how this story ended, but a tiny voice inside him asked the question, "but what if it didn't have to?"
A few nights later for dessert, Loki made a chocolate cake. No special reason of course, just because. He'd found the recipe in the one useful cookbook this cursed house had come with.
Kate pushed her empty plate away from her. "Holy shit, that was amazing, you've really outdone yourself this time." She took his hand across the table. "Your nail polish is chipping."
Loki examined the nails on his hand not currently in Kate's. "I hadn't noticed." It was only a small lie. It wasn't so much that he hadn't noticed, it was that hadn't cared.
"I've got some nail polish remover and nail polish if you want to borrow them, I don't have any black, but I do have a nice deep plum that's pretty close."
"Deep plum, sounds lovely," Loki said.
He cleared the table and washed the dishes while Kate went to get the supplies.
In the bathroom, Kate slipped off his rings before removing the old nail polish from his fingernails. She washed his hands gently in the sink and tossed him a towel so he could dry them. She touched him so often and so casually, that it was almost as if now that she had touching privileges, she couldn't get enough of him. He cherished that.
She had him take his shirt off before they settled down on the bed, him leaning against the headboard and Kate sitting in front of him. She painted his nails meticulously, doing two coats before calling it finished. "No touching anything until they're dry," Kate cautioned him.
He tilted his head and focused on her lips. "I know how this works."
"Really?" Kate ran her hands along his thighs. "Do you?
"Mmm...yes, really?" Though, he was feeling less sure at the moment.
"Like, if you needed to unbutton these pants, you'd need to ask me for help." Kate rubbed her thumb against the button in question. "
"Is that likely?"
Kate shrugged and then unbuttoned his trousers. "And if you needed them unzipped?" She ran a finger along his zipper.
"I'd need to ask you to unzip them?"
"Exactly." Kate stroked him through the cloth.
Loki let her stroke him a good minute or two before he broke down and asked her. "Kate?"
She looked up at him. "Mmm?"
"Would you please be so kind as to unzip my trousers?" Loki was very proud of how sure and steady his voice sounded.
She pulled the zipper down slowly, then worked his trousers and boxers down, leaving him naked and still unable to use his hands without smearing the polish still drying. He thought about pointing out that he had only asked to be unzipped, not to be stripped bare, but then she leaned down and took his cock in her mouth and he decided to keep his snarky comments to himself for a change.
***
It was time. He'd already delayed their departure longer than was strictly necessary. A couple of extra days to gather a bit more magic was what he told himself he was doing. He was lying to himself, of course, but it was only a small lie. He'd didn't want this to end. He wanted to play house with Kate for just a bit longer but he knew he had to finish this and get them both out of here. Maybe she'd want to pick up where they left off after this chapter was concluded, and perhaps she wouldn't, stalling things wasn't going to help either way.
Once Kate had fallen asleep for the night, Loki grabbed her gear, gathered her into his arms, and began to unravel the spell that had trapped them in this place for so long. Unspooling the magic that wrapped around and throughout the building, Loki pulled it within, filling himself with magic. He felt intoxicated. It had been so long since he'd been able to flex himself in this way. First, he brought Kate home. He tucked her into bed, kissed her on the cheek, plugged in her phone, and reluctantly said goodbye, twisting the magic just a little to keep her asleep until he was finished.
He followed the spell's roots to its creator. The mage, suitably cowed, freely gave up who hired him, before Loki stashed him in a conveniently located hole. He'd come back later when he had time to deal with him properly. It was time to deal with Derek Bishop.
It was likely not a coincidence that the building Derek Bishop had his office in, was only a short trek from Kate's apartment. As Loki stepped over the threshold he transformed what he'd been wearing when first trapped in the house, into an elegant bespoke suit in lush dark greens and golds. He looked good, but even more importantly, he looked expensive. He flashed a smile at the secretary guarding the office door and she buzzed him in without question.
Derek Bishop sat at his desk looking over a stack of papers. Loki cleared his throat and the man looked up, a frown on his face. "I don't have any appointments, please leave," Bishop said with a push of power behind his words.
The paltry power washed over the god with no effect. "Oh, I think you'll find the time for me." Loki sat down in the well-crafted wooden chair opposite the man's desk. "After all you are responsible for locking me away in a cursed dwelling along with your daughter." Loki looked down at his plum-colored fingernails and smiled. "Not that I'm complaining about the second part. Spending all that alone time with Kate was simply sublime, after all." Loki looked him in the eyes and let a hint of lasciviousness bleed through his smile.
Derek Bishop clenched his fists. "Who are you?" He asked, his words laden with anger.
"Oh, you don't know, do you? It's remarkably refreshing not to be immediately recognized." Loki leaned forward and held out his hand. "I'm Loki, one-time agent of Asgard, current ruler of Jotunheim -- also known as the god of lies, mischief, and stories" He waved his hand with a flourish. "Amongst other things."
The elder Bishop paled.
"Oh, so you have heard of me?" Loki put his hand down. "That should make this infinitely easier."
"What do you want from me?"
"Information." Loki stood up and began to pace. "Why were there such heavy magical blockers on the house? Kate is mortal and without magic or powers, why the overkill? It must have cost you a fortune."
"It was only money." There were things Derek was not saying but that Loki heard nonetheless. He used the magic as a key to extract what he wanted to know from the man, leaving him none the wiser. Derek didn't want to risk Kate interfering in his plans. He wanted her away for a little while and Madame Masque suggested comfortable imprisonment as the perfect way.
Loki continued to pick and prod at the man's secrets as he voiced his queries. "You didn't answer my question."
"I couldn't risk any potential powers activating while she was locked away, what I'm working on is too important."
"Yes, she said something about there being powers on your side of the bloodline, but why magic, where does that come in?"
Derek scowled. "There's darkness on my late wife's side of the family. I wasn't taking any chances." He was answering more readily now, the magic pushing him to reveal what he didn't wish to reveal.
Loki rolled his eyes. "Darkness?" What a vague and stupid thing to say.
"I don't know the details. There were stories, warnings -- dark magic that runs through the blood. It was a small mercy that she passed before it could consume her." Loki nodded in feigned understanding. He was lying to the god of lies, how adorable.
He walked around the spacious office weaving his spell, with each step. There was a little kitchenette area with a mini-fridge, a microwave, and a coffee maker. He worked the magic into familiar patterns. The mortal would not starve while imprisoned in this space. Loki cut off the internet, blocked phone connections, and put barriers up that would keep people out as well as hold Derek Bishop in.
"I can offer you money, a lot of money," Derek said, desperation dripping from his voice. Apparently, he knew this would only end badly for him.
Loki laughed as he put the finishing touches on the spell. "Thank you, but I am more than perfectly capable of acquiring my own money." He gathered the threads of magic that he'd woven around and through everything and knotted them off. He was just about finished here. "Did you miss the part about me being the ruler of an entire realm? I don't need your pennies."
The man hit a few keys on his keyboard and frowned at the screen in front of him. "What did you do to my computer?"
"You're asking the wrong questions." The man hadn't even asked how his daughter was. "Did you know that I could have broken out of your prison immediately upon being trapped inside?"
Derek pushed his keyboard aside and sneered up at Loki. "Then why didn't you?"
"Because, while I would have freed myself, I would have likely decimated the neighborhood with the magical backlash as well. That would have included your daughter, in case you cared." Loki straightened his tie. "I'm living a different story these days, and so I allowed myself to be held captive in a lesser being's spell to save a few mortal lives. You should be grateful."
"Why? I wrote Kate off years ago, she chose her side."
"I see." It was time to leave before he irreparably harmed the petty little mortal. "You are no longer hooked up to the internet. No one other than I can enter this area, and you, Derek Bishop, cannot leave. Your food will replenish, you will not starve, and the water will not run out." Loki brushed his hand across the computer, sinking a tiny seed of magic inside. "And because I am a benevolent god, you now have access to all the episodes of all the many Law & Order programs for your viewing pleasure -- with commercials, of course. Enjoy." Loki turned around and walked through the wall. He'd had quite enough of Derek Bishop for a while.
***
Kate woke up in a strange bed, alone. It took her several minutes to realize that it was her own bed. The one in her apartment. She was home. Getting out of bed, she flipped on the light switch. The clock by her bed told her that it was just a little bit past two o'clock in the morning. Her phone was on the table, plugged in and charging. What was going on? Had she dreamt everything? Dread settled in her gut. Kate picked up the phone and the date flashed on the screen. Wait, what? All those months with Loki and she had only been gone three days? He'd said time might run differently inside the spell, but she hadn't really expected this much of a difference. At least it wasn't worse, she could've been gone longer.
She went through her apartment, picking things up, putting them down, and sometimes even sniffing them. She'd missed all this. Her stuff, her home, everything. In the bedroom, she unplugged her now fully charged phone. There were a few missed messages but the most recent one was from Loki. There was a picture of the house they'd been trapped in for all those weeks apparently engulfed in flames along with the words: bring marshmallows. Kate grinned.
She found two bags of marshmallows in her cupboard that she could've sworn hadn't been there before. It seemed that someone had their magic back and was throwing it around rather freely. Shaking her head, she grabbed the marshmallows, her keys, along with her coat, and headed out the door.
Kate found Loki standing on the hill that overlooked the evil house of doom. Dressed in a lush green suit that appeared tailor-made, he looked as if he’d come straight from some sinister board meeting. The suit, along with the inscrutable look in his eyes, made her think of dark forests and even darker secrets. Once she got a little closer, she saw his paisley tie and matching pocket square in various shades of gold that brought to mind the light that one could sometimes find in that darkness, often from unexpected sources.
"I wasn't sure that you'd come." Loki gave her a slow, guarded smile.
Well, I had snacks to bring, didn't I?" Kate kept her words light. There was a tightness in Loki's jaw that she didn't like. Had he really thought she wouldn't show? After all, they'd been through together? He had to know her better than that.
"Well, there is that." Loki sat down and seemed to relax somewhat. Kate settled in beside him. A moment after she passed him one of the bags of marshmallows, two long skewers appeared in his hand. He passed one to her and then busied himself with loading all the marshmallows he could fit onto his own.
"We're a little far from the fire," Kate pointed out.
"We could get closer, but I fear the authorities are about to show up any moment now." Loki picked up a rock from the ground, waved his hand over it, and then put it back down. "This should work well enough for our purpose." He held his stick of marshmallows over the stone and they began to brown.
Kate shrugged. "That works." She moved her skewer of marshmallows over the stone, turning it slowly. Scooting closer, she rested her head on Loki's shoulder. "I missed waking up next to you," she said.
He leaned into her. "It was the easiest way to keep you safe while I dismantled the spell."
Why hadn't he given her more warning before he did? Would she have done things differently if she'd known it was their last night trapped in that house together? A tiny tendril of fear wormed its way into her thoughts. Would he still want to see her or would he leave and go do whatever it was that the god of mischief, stories, and whatever else, did when he wasn't slumming it with mere mortals? She couldn't ask him about any of that though. "How did you dismantle the spell?"
"I'd been siphoning off magic from the house since the spell snapped shut and trapped us inside." Loki turned his marshmallows. "I finally had enough to break it apart."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I wasn't sure if the creator of the spell or the one who paid for it to be cast was watching and I didn't want to tip my hand."
"That makes sense." Kate pulled her stick away from the stone and blew on the marshmallows. "Was it him? Was my father behind this?" She wasn't sure what answer she was hoping for, maybe just the truth?
"Yes, Derek Bishop was behind our confinement. He paid the mage that cast the spell and he hired your client to lure you to the house."
Loki's rested his hand on her leg and she leaned into the comfort his touch brought her. Her father's betrayal shouldn't have hurt as much as it did. It wasn't as if she hadn't already known that her father was a bad guy. A villain. "So, it was all for me. You were trapped because of me." Kate sighed and stuffed a marshmallow in her mouth. Mmm...sugar. She swallowed and forced herself to smile. "I'm sorry."
"Kate." Loki turned her face gently towards him. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing at all."
Kate looked away from the intensity in Loki's eyes. He placed his hand under her chin, bringing her gaze back to him. "Kate, our time in that dreadful house was the happiest I remember being in a very long time -- possibly ever."
"That can't be true." It couldn't, he'd been around for a very long time.
"Cross my heart, hope to -" Kate interrupted him by placing her hand over his mouth. She shook her head, she didn't want any death talk right now. "I believe you," she told him.
They finished their marshmallows, roasted another batch, and ate those as well. "Come home with me," Kate asked, hoping she didn't sound as needy as she felt.
"Are you sure?" Loki sounded surprised.
"Absolutely."
Standing up he flourished a bow. "As you wish." He pulled her close, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "Hold on, this will only take a moment."
"I bet you say that to all the girls - and boys," Kate snarked.
Loki winked. "Only the ones I teleport away with."
"We're teleporting?" Kate slipped her hands under Loki's jacket and linked her hands together, holding herself tight against him.
"You didn't kill him, did you?" Kate asked when they were safely in her apartment.
"Derek Bishop?" Loki shook his head. "No, he still lives, he's just having a little time-out right now."
"You locked him away somewhere?" Kate wasn't sure how she felt about that but at least he wouldn't be interfering in her life in the meantime. She didn't ask about the mage who'd cast the spell. Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies? Something like that. Besides, she had better things to do now that Loki was naked in her bed. Much better.