Loki x Reader Oneshots

To Love and Be Loved

A/N: This is majorly self indulgent. I'm working on my WIPs right now but I needed to write this. Angst with a happy ending!
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There was one thing you knew for certain: the man you loved was not in love with you.
One day the truth hit you like a ton of bricks; how could Loki, the dearest friend you'd ever had, possibly feel the same way you did?

You never told him how you felt because you couldn't risk losing him. Once, Loki came back from a mission near death and you couldn't breathe until you knew he was going to be alright. You wouldn't be able to function without him in your life, so you kept your love a secret.

When you finally came to terms with the fact that Loki would never reciprocate your feelings, you wept for days. You locked yourself in your room and grieved. You grieved for the lost hope, for the future you so desperately wanted with him. Above all, you grieved for the girl you were before you lit your own heart on fire. After a week of breaking down again and again, the tears finally stopped flowing. Your sorrow hardened into bitter hopelessness.

Tony had impeccable timing when deciding to throw a party. You didn't feel like pasting on a smile and pretending that everything was fine, but you decided to go at the last minute. You were burning with an urge to do something desperate, to feel wanted.

You put on the one dress you owned that always turned heads and tried to appear as confident as you could when you stepped in amongst the crowd of party goers. You bumped into a few dancers and flashed them your most charismatic smile as you pushed through the throng to get to the bar.

The place was so packed that people were standing shoulder to shoulder as they ordered drinks. You stood to the side, scanning the room for a sign of Loki before you could tell yourself not to. You sighed when you couldn't find him and tried to ignore your deepening disappointment.

As your eyes swept across the many faces before you, you saw that you had apparently drawn the attention of a man near the edge of the dance floor. Your heart sunk as you realized his eyes on your body only made you feel worse.

You turned to order a drink and while you were waiting, you felt a hand graze your arm. Thinking it was the man who stared at you like you were a prime rib, you jerked your arm away and spun to tell him you weren't interested. Relief washed over you when you were met with the familiar sight of Loki instead.

He pulled you to the side and caged you into the wall without meaning to, attempting to use his body to block any lustful gazes. He brought his lips down to your ear, his voice filled with a rage that wasn't directed at you, "There are strangers staring at your body. Did you intend for that to happen?"

Sure, you might have intended to turn heads when you chose the dress, but you didn't enjoy the way you were being hungrily looked at. You didn't want to show your discomfort though and tried to appear as nonchalant as possible as you nodded.

Loki's brow furrowed and his lips fell almost completely flat. His voice was dangerously low as he asked, "Why would you want that?"

Misinterpreting his protectiveness as judgment, you felt a rush of anger and snapped, "Because now I'm wanted."

Something flashed in his eyes and the pace of his voice quickened as he grew more upset. "Wanted? They're stripping you of your clothing with their eyes. They're thinking of what you'd let them do, how your body would feel quivering beneath them, how long it would last before they pushed you over the edge. They don't care about you, they just want to bed you. You're only a one night stand to those foul, despicable-"

Your voice cracked as you cut him off, tears threatening to fall from your eyes, "As if I'd ever be more than that! That's all I've ever been good enough for."

Loki gripped your arm and you were in Loki's room before you could blink. "What the hell, Loki? You can't just-"

Loki let go of your arm but moved closer to you, forcing you to step backwards until you were against a wall. Loki closed the gap between you so your chests were brushing against each other with every breath. Your body seemed to hum with electricity from his proximity, wanting to arch into him despite the mix of emotions you felt.

Loki's hands pressed into the wall next to your shoulders to keep you right where you were. There was an intense fire raging in his eyes and his voice was dangerously low as he said, "Don't ever. say. that. again."

"What?" You whispered, the frustration and bitterness you'd been feeling diminishing with every second you looked into his eyes.

He cupped your jaw with his hand, his voice firm as he said, "Don't say that you'll never be more than that, Y/N. You deserve what you want, and so much more than that. Not good enough? You are worthy of so much more than anything that anyone on this wretched planet could ever offer."

Loki's eyes softened and the way he gazed at you made your breath catch in your throat. You melted into his touch as he continued, "I love you more than anything, anyone. I'll continue to love you until the last breath leaves my body. And I'll be damned if I ever let you say anything like that ever again."

You couldn't believe that the man you loved most in the world just said those three words. Your throat tightened with emotion. "You love me?"

Loki's soft, affectionate smile weakened your knees and you put your hands on his chest to steady yourself. "I do. I've loved you since the day I met you."

"I.. I love you, too." You felt a heavy weight lift from your shoulders as you confessed, your vision blurring as tears of pure joy welled in your eyes. Loki brushed the tears away tenderly, leaning down slowly to press his lips to yours.

For so long, you had held on to hope of this moment without knowing if it would ever truly happen. He was more than worth the wait.