What's a God to a Barista? (Loki x Reader)

Twenty-One - Getaway

"I made these chains, I can sure as hell break them."
Tony Stark was saying that after almost five minutes of trying to bust you out of your chains, and you weren't entirely sure that it was true.

"Maybe Loki used magic to bind them or something," Nat suggested. "Can he even do that?"

She gave a desperate look to Thor, who just shrugged in return. You rolled your eyes while Stark tirelessly worked at the chains. Nat touched her finger to an earpiece. "Rogers? Hill? Any sign of him?" You couldn't hear the response coming from the earpiece, but you could tell it wasn't good.

You let your head fall back against the cold glass of the cell. "He's probably invisible or something."

"We have precautions here for that already." Stark grumbled, still fumbling with the binds.

"Where even is here?" You finally asked.

"This is just the beginning of it," Nat explained, "There's still a lot of construction that needs to be done. For now, we have events here. Conferences, meetings, parties...."

"We have lovely gardens, too. Would you like a tour?" Stark mocked.

"After you break me out, I might." You sighed. You heard a gentle clang from behind you before stark finally stopped his work.

"So, right now?" As you lifted yourself up, the chains practically fell off, unraveling around you.

"That's convenient," Nat chimed, "Rogers thinks they just spotted him."

-

About a week before your whole situation, you were working a low-paying job, attending classes that barely taught you anything, and you had almost no plan for your life.

Now, you were running with a few of the avengers through the halls of one of their buildings. In any other circumstances, it would have been an honor just to breath the same air as them. Miraculously, though, you had bigger things on your mind.

"There!" Romanoff directed the group down a hallway and past some doors leading outside. With a bit more running, you reached a corner, and rounded it only to be greeted face-to-face by Loki.

At least, that's what you thought, until Thor ran right through the illusion. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it faded with a glimmer of emerald. The group paused, scanning the hallway.

"Dammit, we've gone through every corner of this building!" The god barked. "We could tear this place up and never find him."

"We've already done that." Rogers groaned, eyes flickering around the room.

As you tried to catch your breath. Your mind flashed back to the glass doors you had seen leading outside in the hallway you had just passed. The team was deciding where to go, which gave you enough of a diversion. Slowly, careful not to make any noise, you slipped back into the hallway and through the doors, sort of surprised that you manage not to catch their attention.

The night air was frigid, prickling at your skin as you ran through the grass surrounding the building. There were a few guards closer to the front of the building, but none further out. For you, that made it pretty easy to guess where Loki would be hiding. You crossed the grass, coming to the edge of the forest that lined the building.

"I know you're out here." You called, shaking a bit as you yelled. "You wouldn't have been able to keep up your illusion this long."

You waited for a response, but it was almost dead silent. Desperation was starting to well up in your chest. "Loki, please," you called again, your voice on the verge of breaking. "Please just let me talk to you."

"You have no reason to keep chasing after me like this." A familiar voice rang out from a few feet away.

You whipped around to face Loki as he appeared out of thin air. "Yes, I do," you said as you marched over to him, "I care about you. That's it. Just let me care about you."

"Why do you care?" Loki continued his interrogation, running on your last nerve.

"Because I thought we were friends!" You insisted. "And I... I kind of..." your brain was firing words faster than you could handle it, or say them. It didn't help that Loki's eyes were all over you, inspecting your face as you stumbled over your words.

You were almost thankful when the metallic swoosh of a hammer flew past the both of you, with Thor alone close behind it.

Now, with just the three of you, it was a standoff.

Loki stood inches away from you, so close you could feel his quickening breath on your face.
Thor stood just feet away from the both of you, weapon at the ready, looking fully prepared to strike.

"Wait!" You begged, throwing your arms out in front of Loki.

Thor shook his head. "I have waited long enough. I've given you enough chances," he marched towards you, flipping the hammer in his hand. "Tell me what's going on."

Loki tightened his jaw, eyes flickering between you and his brother. "Fine."

He stormed over to his brother, summoning himself what you assumed to be asgardian clothing. You also assumed that he added a cape for the dramatic effect.

"Loki?" You called, stumbling after him. He put his arm out behind him, blocking you from going any closer.

He looked back at you, eyes glimmering in the moonlight. "I'm doing this to protect you. That's my goal. I have no more lies to tell."