Love is a Dagger

Chapter 2 - Introductions

It's early morning when you wake up and the sunrise over New York City is yet to start. You look around at the room you don't recognize immediately, but you smile wide when you remember where you are, a feel of safety and relief pervading.

While you walk through the corridor leading to the living room, flashes of last night dinner across your mind: everything was so fashionable and enjoyable, you have to remember to really thank Tony and Pepper for planning such an amazing welcome for you. You had the chance to meet all the rest of the Avengers' friends, including a very funny guy who was a little bit drunk and engaged you in a long conversation about music players you never heard before (he spoke about '80-'90 ages? you cannot remember) and also tried to force you to dance when one of that songs was played in the air, but he was promptly dragged away by his curios green girlfriend. Spending time with Thor and Cap was very funny too, they also took the chance to tell you their amazing stories, so different but both so thrilling...Inadvertently, you feel your hear missing a beat when you remember how much close was Thor leaning forward the bar chair you were sitting, and how gentle he was in adjusting a lock of your hair behing your hear at a certain point in time...

Lost in your dreamy thoughts, you step in the leaving room heading to the kitchen, when a voice interrupts them abruptly:

**Dreaming about my big brother, uh? Well, how not to understand... pure Asgardian charm, I guess**

Turning your head, your look catch a dark figure laying on the sofa, feet on the small table in front of it and face entirely hidden by what looks like a very heavy and old book.

"Whattaff..." you shriek in surprise, realizing that not only this guy apparently read your thoughts but he managed also to speak with you without saying a word out loud.

"Language!" Cap just entered the room - "Loki, please be kind with her, she just arrived and we don't want she thinks we are a group of weirdo. She's y/n by the way, Wanda's sister. Y/n, he is Loki, Thor's brother as you have already guessed"

"Oh... I... hem... nice to meet you"

Your tongue got completely dry in a moment. You can't choose between being more shocked about having had your thoughts intruded by an stranger in such a clear and easy way or about the outstanding beautifulness who now stands before you. He is taller than you, thin but clearly strong; he has elegant traits, dark hair that reaches his shoulders and a pair of emerald eyes so enchanting that seems magnetic. He also moves is a very elegant, almost regal way.

"You were not at the dinner yesterday..."
you start, trying to hide the blush which raises in your cheeks.

"I had more important... burdensome purposes to fulfill... and I had to miss it. But now, my pleasure to meet you..."
He gently takes your hand and slowly bend to kiss it, while keeping eyes contact with yours; he is smiling, but that seems not to reach entirely his emerald eyes.

The moment his lips touch your skin, flashes occur in your mind: a shiny blue square object in his hands - this man standing in black and green leather suit shouting out to a older one siting in a throne in golden surroundings - a sad woman's face with curly brown hairs - the terror on Thor's face, tears running and mouth open in a silent scream - chains, a lot of chains...

"What the hell was that?!" Loki jumps back in disbelief, interrupting the contact and watching you in a menacing way.

"I...I...don't know...I guess I just read your memories, your past... I... I'm sorry..."

"Hey, hey, calm down! Y/n are you ok?"
Cap reaches just in time and intromises between the two of yours rising his right hand to block Loki, understanding something strange is happening
"Yes, I am fine...just...confused"
"Ok, let's have breakfast first, before someone gets hurt with absolutely no reason"

The breakfast time relaxes you up a little bit: having the others nearby and exchanging easy conversations make you feel more comfortable about Loki's presence, especially considering that you notice he is giving you side glances at every useful occasion.

//

While you are returning to your suite to change in your training suit, you feel a presence following you and a moment later you find yourself pinned to the wall, Loki pressing against your body in a non-escaping way.

"I think you owe me some explanation"
he hisses at you, inches from your face.

You feel a shiver running down your back and, at the same time, a weird sensation in your abdomen, like a mix of dreadful fear... and deep attraction.

"I... I have powers, like my sister. I didn't do that on purpose, I have difficulties in handling my powers recently...I am sorry"
"I am more than sure of that, and also that you will not try to do anything similar ever again"
"No... of course"

He is really scaring you, so you put up false courage and voice out, thus with slightly shook voice
"Maybe you feel my weakness now, but trust me I can still beat you. Also, when I say I will full recovery I mean it and I will look for revenge if you don't let me go NOW"
You hiss at his too much closer face.

"Uuuuuhh so you're ~dangerous~... like a little magic goblin, uh? All right I'll keep that in mind. I may even ~like~ it"
He now looks amused, and sort of intrigued, beside still quite angry. He releases the pressure against your body, and you breath heavily.

While he turns his back and start to step along the corridor ahead to rooms, you collect your courage again and deliberately ignore the risk: you definitely hate being bossed around, and whoever this guy reckons to be, you must make clear you will not accept to be mistreated like that anymore. Also, you have plenty of material to blackmail him.

"Hey, nothing comes for free. I made you a promise, but I will ask you something back... please, do not fake with me like this anymore, there's no point in it"

"What?!" His heads turns back the minimum amount to let his green eyes glowering at you.

"I inadvertently saw inside you before, your past... your emotions... even your thoughts... you know very well what I saw... I now know who you are entirely"
"And what does that mean?"
"That you are way better than you wanna show. I have sensed you like to play the bad guy part... but in reality, there' much much more inside you. Your powers and your magic does not necessarily make you a villain. No one is ever truly bad, as no one is ever truly good indeed"

He turned round completely in your direction while you were speaking: you have surely captured his attention. Concealing immediately a slight leapt of surprise, you see his eyes narrowing at your last words.

Scowling, he replies
"I am the God of Lies and Mischief... no one knows me completely"
A malevolent but amused grin appears on his face.

He turns and quickly paces down the corridor. If he had had a cloak, you think, it would have surely swiped left and right in a very theatrical way.

He leaves you there, still stuck to a wall, confused as never happened before.