Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You might find you enjoy things here, brother. Just give it time.” 

Thor’s cheery insistence that he should look at his banishment as a blessing rather than a curse just irritates Loki. There is nothing enjoyable about this godforsaken world filled with simple-minded backwards people. The only thing they would have been good for was worshiping at his feet the little ants that they are.

When a small group stops Thor to get photos, Loki’s eyes nearly roll out of his head as he crosses his arm and glares into middle space. This is humiliating. Being forced to this world, being forced to watch the hero worship of his brother and his idiot friends. Being forced to work with those idiots.

His face twists into a sneer as he focuses his attention back on Thor posing for yet another photo. One particular scent triggers an odd little tug in his brain, the sensation traveling to his toes while Loki blinks in surprise. 

Eyes sliding over the crowds walking by, Loki tries to identify the source. Faint and muddled as the scent is, it's the unmistakable scent of an omega. It’s mouthwatering; all soft vanilla and lavender. Before he can get a handle on which direction it’s coming from, Thor’s fans finally leave and his attention turns back to him. 

“What is the matter, brother?” 

“Nothing,” Loki snarls, pushing thoughts of the tantalizing scent to the back of his mind. 

Thor’s blue eyes study him critically for a moment before he shrugs and says, “Come, brother, the others are waiting.” 

“I’m not the one who was slowing things down,” Loki mutters under his breath. If Thor hears it, he doesn’t acknowledge it. 

While he puts up with being subjected to the indignity of his ‘official’ induction into the dratted Avengers, Loki can’t help but let his mind wander to that scent. Was it faint and muddled because of distance or was something else going on? The nattering of the people around him filters into his thoughts, and he focuses back on what’s going on. 

“I still think having Reindeer Games here is just about the stupidest idea ever.” 

“Have a care Stark, Loki is a crown prince of Asgard, my brother and a part of the team now.”

“Your brother is an egomaniacal madman who only a few years ago was bent on world domination. Or did you forget that whole thing?”

“What Loki did in the past is in the past, he is here to make amends for those mistakes.” 

“Uh, I’d say that mass murder is a little bit more than just a ‘mistake’ dontcha think?”

“Tony, enough,” their soldier heaves a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I understand your position, but Loki is better as an ally than keeping him as an enemy.” 

“Forgive me if that’s not enough for me Capsicle, do I need to remind you that he’s tried to kill pretty much all of us?”

“No, I don’t need you to remind me of that.” 

“Yeah, well, maybe I do. What’s to keep His Highness from murdering us all in our sleep tonight? Or some night in the future?”

“He gave his word.” 

Tony scoffs at Thor’s comment. “Oh, please, like the word of someone like him means diddly squat. That’s not any kind of reassurance of anything.”

“Well, seeing as I value my own continued existence a lot more than I want the end of yours, my word is quite important in this instance.” 

The group that has been gathered a few feet away arguing about him for the last 15 minutes all turn towards Loki at his silky comment. Tony Stark pushes to the front, his eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

Loki spread his hands gracefully. “Regardless of if I want you dead or not does not matter because if I harm one of you then my life is forfeit without question. And I’m not the type to just throw my life away so wantonly.” 

Tony’s eye roll rivaled Loki’s own. “Oh please, like it isn’t harming us with you just being here.”

“ Tony ,” Steve nearly growled, his patience finally frayed. “That is enough. As head alpha, I’ve made the decision to have Loki here. You will accept it or you can always leave.” 

Tony was nearly vibrating with anger, whirling to glare at the larger alpha. “ Fine . But when this blows up in all of our faces, you’ll be the first one I say ‘I told you so’ to.” 

Loki watches the man storm away with a modicum of interest. It wasn’t like he didn’t predict this kind of reaction but it had fallen on deaf ears when it came to both his brother or their father. He would never admit it but he agreed with Tony Stark, this whole thing was stupid. 

After a moment, Thor says, “Loki will be an asset to the team. I am here to make sure of it.” 

“And as I’ve told you before, brother , I don’t need a keeper.” 

Thor gave Loki a bland look. “If you didn’t want a keeper you shouldn’t have acted like such a snake.” 

“Whatever.” 

Steve’s hands lifted. “Alright, enough. Thor, for now, we are assigning him to your room as long as you are okay with that.” 

“Of course. It is what I expected.” 

Before he has a chance to protest that injustice, Steve’s dismissing everyone and Loki is following Thor to the room that will be his prison for the next indefinite amount of time. Once more, he mentally curses this whole situation and wonders if perhaps he would have better off serving his sentence in the prisons on Asgard instead. 

Thor’s large hand claps against his shoulder unexpectedly, nearly causing Loki to smash head first into the elevator doors. “Relax brother, you’ll see in time that this was the right decision. Earth needs people like us to protect her.” 

“I highly doubt that brother, but doing anything but pretending that’s the truth isn’t really an option for me is it?” Loki asks, wincing as Thor’s booming laugh echoes in the small space. 

The moment he crosses the threshold of the rooms he’s being forced to share with Thor however, Loki’s disgust overruns his better judgment. “Brother this is absolutely unacceptable. I refuse to live in a space that looks like this!”

Thor looks around the room, confused. He thought it was okay, if a little plain since he didn’t spend all that much time here. “What is wrong with my room?”

“Everything.” Loki insists. There is a golden green shimmer and the room melts into something more akin to the palace the two of them grew up in. All opulence. Loki nods in satisfaction. “This is at least a degree more acceptable.” 

“Is this really necessary?” Thor asks, even though he’s rather impressed at the ease with which Loki transformed their space. Plus, he missed his home and if he could have this little slice it would be nice. Not that he’d let his brother know that of course. 

“If I am to live here, yes. It is absolutely necessary,” Loki says, striding through an archway to the left and calling over his shoulder. “I’m going to bed. Do not bother me.” 

The moment he shut himself into his own bedroom, Loki let himself relax just a little bit. He hates being here, but at least he’ll be comfortable. It’s not until he’s closing his eyes and trying to will himself to sleep, arms tucked under his head, that the mystery of the scent that tickled his nose comes back to him. 

And for a while, he turns it over and over in his head, trying to decide what if anything he wanted to do about it.

Chapter Text

ONE YEAR LATER

“You’re late.” 

You offer your father a faint smile, or at least you hope your lips pull up in a smile instead of a grimace. “I’m sorry, the buses were running behind today.” 

“I didn’t ask for your excuse, did I?” he asks with a scowl as he watches you move over to your workstation, slipping your apron on and tying at your back. 

“You didn’t,” you mumble, avoiding looking at him as you set up. 

“I need the Andrews piece completed before you leave tonight. They’re coming tomorrow morning for it.” 

Your head jerks up in surprise, eyes wide. “What? But that’s–I told them it would be two weeks. I’ve barely even finished the sketches.” 

“Well, they called and asked for a rush job. I said there would be no problem with it.” HIs arms cross over his chest as he stares you down. “Are you going to make a liar out of me?”

You bite down on the inside of your cheek, using the pain to keep yourself under control so you can say meekly, “No, Father, I won’t make a liar out of you.” 

“Good. Get to work.”

Once he disappears from the workroom, you let out a heavy sigh. You know it’s going to be a very long day. Carefully, you set aside the piece you’d planned on working on today, and pull your sketchbook out of your bag. Initially, you’d been excited about this piece, but not so much now. Not now that you are going to have to rush it. There is just no way you’re going to showcase your true skills like this. Grumpy, you pluck a pencil from your cup and bend over the page to finish your sketch. 

Hours later, you straighten, groaning and wincing as every muscle protests at the movement. You rub your gritty eyes before you nestle the finished pendant into the waiting velvet-lined box. Then you put your workstation back to rights before taking the box and securing it in the vault. 

You’re exhausted and desperate to get home to bed. When you look at your phone, you let out another groan. It’s nearly 2 in the morning. So you’ve got a 15 block trek to the nearest bus stop that has a route that goes anywhere near the home you live with your parents.

With your hands tucked into your pockets, you trudge your way down the sidewalk, trying not to dwell on how crappy you feel about the Andrews' piece. But you couldn’t stop how it feels like there’s a dark cloud floating over your head. You’re so lost in your thoughts that you aren’t paying any real attention to where you are walking. At least not until you walk into what feels like a warm brick wall. 

You squeal in surprise and would have fallen down if hands hadn’t gripped your arms to keep you upright. “Careful now little one.”

With several quick blinks, you tilt your head back to look up into the face of the alpha you’d run into. He’s a behemoth, at least a foot taller than you, if not more, with broad shoulders, dirty blond hair, and a cheerful face. Even with the smile and sparkling blue eyes, he makes an opposing figure. And for a moment it’s rather overwhelming for you. 

“I-I’m so-sorry. I wa-wasn’t looking whe-where I was going,” you stammer. 

The alpha’s smile broadens, and he nearly winks at you. “It is no problem to protect a damsel from falling.”

“I—uh—um.”

“Let the poor thing go, brother, you’re making her short circuit.” 

The alpha inclines his head to you, lets you go and takes a step back. As he does, you notice the other alpha with him. He’s nearly as tall as the first, but more lithe, with raven black hair and intense green eyes. Plus, there’s something about his scent that has your brain itching. 

The second alpha is studying you in such a way that it reminds you not only of the late hour, but of the fact that you are alone. If either of these two had any kind of nefarious goals in mind, you’d be absolutely powerless to do anything about it. The thought turns your blood to ice and you take several steps back from them. 

“Are you alright?” The first one asks, his face crumpling in concern. 

“I’m fine.” The way your voice cracks on the words has both of them raising their brows. Before you fall into one of those frozen fear states, you skirt around the pair of them and hurry on your way to the subway stop. 

“I’m sure you’ll correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it rather unheard of that an omega would be out unescorted at this time of night?” Loki asks curiously as he and Thor watch you disappear around the corner. 

“It’s still illegal here, I think,” Thor answers, already dismissing the oddness of the interaction in favor of turning his attention back to the bakery that had been their goal before the run in. 

“Illegal?” Loki asks, rolling his eyes. “Humans really are a backwards kind of bunch, aren’t they?” 

Thor isn’t listening in the slightest. “Come, brother, the bakery awaits.” 

Loki wants to protest, the desire to follow you pulls at him. But he’d told no one of the day of his arrival and that singular scent that so interested him, not even Thor, and he wasn’t interested in trying to explain it to him now. Not when Thor focused on his stomach. He’d have to satisfy himself with the promise to look into you further later. 

At six a.m. on the dot, your alarm drags you out of sleep, like it does every morning. You groan and roll over to slap a hand on it to stop the incessant buzzing before scrubbing your hands over your face. Four hours of sleep isn’t nearly long enough. But you have no choice but to get up. 

In the bathroom, you splash cold water on your face before reaching for the medicine cabinet and pulling down the unlabeled brown bottle with your suppressants. The purple pills are highly illegal, but you need them. Just like you need the masking injection, you give yourself next. Bathroom routine complete, you make your way downstairs. 

“Did you take your pills?” Your mother offers as a way of salutation. 

“Yes, Mother,” you respond on your way to the coffee pot.

“And your masking injection?”

“Yes, Mother,” you repeat tiredly. Nearly every morning is like this, and it drags at you. 

Your parents, and every member of your family going back generations, are betas. But then there's you–an omega. When you showed the early signs, your parents took you to a private clinic across the country to verify. Once they had that verification, they hid your designation instead of admitting they’d produced an omega. 

They waited until your first symptoms of your presentation, immediately putting you on suppressants and masking agents. Then they’d taken you down to the registration office and registered you as a beta. When you came from a family of betas, it wasn’t questioned. And you’d been hiding the truth ever since, risking your freedom and health daily because it’s expected of you. 

“Your father needs you to cover the shop this afternoon.” 

You look up from your coffee cup. “I thought Remy was covering the shop this afternoon?”

“Your sister has a date.” Something of your incredulity must show on your face because your mother goes on. “Don’t give me the sour grapes look. Remy is our only chance to get grandpups. So, if she needs time off to go on a date, she’s getting time off to go on a date.” 

Of course the favorite gets whatever she wants. It stings to have your mother throw the reminder that you will never have pups, let alone any kind of relationship, in such a cold way. Even if you want to have pups, you’d been on suppressants for so long you doubted it would be possible. And a relationship? Forget about it. 

“Thank you for stopping in.” The man nods at you as he takes the bag you hand him. Your day has been long, and all you want to do is curl up with your sketchbook and work on your latest design. But there’s still an hour before closing, and being that it’s the last Friday of the month, there are also the books to deal with. 

You close your eyes for a moment when the bell above the door tinkles cheerfully. Then you plaster your ‘customer service’ smile on your face and turn to move up to the counter. “Welcome! Is there anything in particular you’re looking for today, or are you just browsing?”

The alpha steps up to the counter, verdant eyes latching on yours as his scent washes over you. It’s like a blast of refreshing winter air, washing through you and making your brain itch in an unfamiliar way. His lips turn up just the slightest bit at the corner and he says smoothly, “Hello, omega.” 

Your eyes widen and you squeak in panic as you shake your head hard. “What? I’m not an omega. You must have confused me with someone else.” 

“I do not,” Loki says firmly, his eyes traveling over your face as he tries to understand the confusing nature of your scent and the sheer panic in your eyes. 

“No, you definitely do. I’m a beta, sir. Now is there something I can help you with?” You touch your cheek before pushing your hand through your hair and then your eyes widen. “Wait. Did you order a custom piece? I’m so sorry, I can check the vault if you’d just give me your last name?”

“My last name?” Loki repeats, blinking several times as he tries to figure out if you’re being coy or something. “You don’t know who I am?”

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t. But like I said, if you can give me your last name I could find your order.”

“I’m not here to pick up an order. I’m actually here to see you.”

“Me?” you squeak a second time. “Why me? I don’t know you.” 

For a moment, Loki just stares at you in disbelief. How can you not know who he is? He’d been watching you for three days, working to find the perfect moment to speak to you and now the whole thing is getting out of hand. He waves his hand through the air, deciding to start over. 

“Forgive me,” Loki says. “I heard you’re the main designer for custom orders.” 

“I am,” you answer cautiously. 

“Perfect, then I’d like to order a custom order.” 

This is something you can handle, this is what you’re good at. “Alright just give me a moment to grab my sketchbook and an order form.” 

Loki watches you disappear through a door to the back room. He looks around the shop absently, tapping his fingers on the counter while he waits for you to come back. Something was seriously off about this whole thing. 

“Okay, sir,” you say as you return, pulling over a stool and sitting down across from him. “Why don’t you tell me what kind of thing you’re looking for?”

He lifts a brow as he catches sight of a handful of drawings you flick past on the way to an empty page. You reach up and pluck a pencil from your hair, loose strands of your hair falling around your face as you look expectantly at him. Loki can’t help but be distracted by wondering how your hair could have been held up by a single pencil like that. 

“Sir?”

At your voice, Loki blinks himself out of his thoughts. Eyes traveling around the store for a moment, he tries to figure out what he’s going to order. Then his eyes settle on your throat, and he recalls how in this world, omegas wear collars. Unclaimed ones wearing basic ones and claimed ones wearing ones given to them by their mates. He doesn’t know why you aren’t wearing one, but that doesn’t matter right now. 

The idea that forms makes him smile, and as he begins to explain what he wants to you, he watches as your hand moves over the page, sketching out a rough draft. When you turn the book around to see what he thinks, he nods. “You’re very talented.” 

“Thank you sir,” you mumble quietly, the compliment making you blush as you duck your head as if you’re trying to hide behind your hair. “Is this close to what you are thinking?”

“Yes, it’s perfect,” Loki says. You nod, pulling the order form you brought with you. He gives you the answers, eyes trained on your hands as you neatly print them out on the paper. 

“Okay, now I just need a last name,” you say finally, looking up at him again.

“Romanov,” Loki says without thinking. It’s not like he really has a last name to give, and perhaps he just didn’t want you to figure out who he was yet. 

You nod and print the name at the top of the order form and your sketch. “Alright, Mr. Romanov, your piece will be ready in two weeks. Someone will phone you a few days before you are due to come pick it up with the final price.”

“Could I have the piece delivered?” Loki asks. 

“Of course, that can all be worked out when you receive the call with the final price,” you answer smoothly, closing your sketchbook cover and standing up. “Is there anything else I can help you with at this time sir?”

“No, that’s all for now,” Loki answers, taking his copy of the order form and tucking it into his pocket. 

Back out on the sidewalk, he watches through the window in complete fascination as you gather, twist, and secure your hair back on top of your head with the pencil again before moving out of sight into the back. Things had gone off quite off the rails, but a new plan was already forming. 

It was a lie when you said you were a beta. But the lie hadn’t rang in his head as a lie, like it usually goes. He knew it was a lie because of your scent. It was still muddled for some reason, but it was very clearly omega. And yet, you’d been able to lie in a way that the God of Lies couldn’t pick up on it. Which meant either it was something you believed was true with absolute, blinding conviction or you’d spoken it so often it didn’t fall off your tongue as a lie should. 

Loki hadn’t been looking for a mate, especially not here on Midgard of all places. But you’re meant to be his omega, of that he’s sure. He’s more sure about that fact than anything he’s been sure about in the past. It’s been a long time since Loki had anything close to a challenge, but you presented the best kind. Making you his would be more complicated than he anticipated, but it would be absolutely worth it. You’d be worth it all. 

Chapter Text

Loki doesn’t physically jolt in surprise when he closes the fridge and finds Natasha leaning her hip on the counter. To date, she’s the only one who has ever been able to sneak up on him like this. It is a little unnerving. For a moment they stare at each other. 

“What do you want?” Loki finally asks. 

One of her sculpted eyebrows arches high. “Just wondering what you’re planning?”

“What are you on about? I’m not planning anything.” Loki moves to brush past her when her hand shoots out and curls around his forearm. With a snarl, Loki whips back towards her, pushing out his magic in an attempt to suppress her. 

Most humans, when confronted with his magic like this, would be a messy puddle on the floor. But, once again, Natasha is not like most humans. She just continues to stare at him with her sharp feline green eyes. 

“Remove your hand,” Loki demands. 

“Not until you tell me what interest a Prince of Asgard has with a store that specializes in custom jewelry.”

“That is none of your business.” 

“You made it my business when you used my name to authorize payment to the store,” Natasha shoots back. When Loki remains silent, she snorts lightly and lets him go. “Fine. If you don’t want to tell me, you can tell Steve.” 

She is walking away, hips swaying, and panic pushes Loki into losing his composure completely so that he barks out an alpha command, “ Stop .”

Natasha does stop, but it’s just to toss him a bland look, alpha commands are just as useless on her as attempting to intimidate her with his magic. In a show of fluster uncommon to him, Loki pushes a hand through his hair before he sighs. “I used your name because my own does not usually engender me to most people.”

“Why are you buying jewelry?”

“The jewelry is ultimately immaterial. I merely used it as part of my goal.”

“Which is what?” Natasha asks, her arms crossing. 

Flicking his head like the question is an irksome fly, Loki grits his teeth. “I think, after the past year, I can be afforded some discretion don’t you think?”

Her green eyes study him, finger tapping on her arm while she considers. After a moment, she inclines her head slightly. “I suppose. But you have until the end of the week. If this hasn’t been… resolved by then, I’ll really have no choice you know.” 

“How kind of you.” 

“Yeah, it really is.”

Loki rolls his eyes as Natasha walks away from him. Grumbling to himself, he makes his way back to his room, glad Thor is currently back on Asgard for the moment. After dealing with the little spider, the last thing he wanted to deal with was his brother. 

With your bottom lip caught between your teeth, you carefully manipulate the molten glass on your workstation into the shape you want before it cools. Satisfied, you lean back, the muscles of your back pulling as you stretch your arms above your head. 

Your father walks into the back room as you are cleaning up to switch to the next project. He stops in front of you, eyes critical. Shoulders hunching, you wonder what you’ve done wrong this time. “What’s wrong?” you ask tentatively. 

“You’re making a delivery today.” 

“But,” you hesitate, worry over bringing his anger down makes you cautious. “Isn’t that usually something you or Remy do?”

“Remy should be the one who handles this,” your father says, his arms crossing over his chest. “But unfortunately, the client asked for you specifically.”

“Me?” you squeak in panic. “Why me?”

Your father ignores the question. “If additional services are requested, you will make sure to explain that you don’t handle that aspect of the business and direct him to contact me. Is that understood.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“I’m not going to risk losing a high profile client because of your inabilities, so I expect you to act appropriately.”

Shame pours into you as you drop your eyes and nudge a piece of scrap metal around your work surface. “Yes, sir.” 

“I’m sure you know what happens if you fail?”

Of course you know and the thought makes you shift uncomfortably. “I won’t fail. Which client is this for?”

He pulls a slip of paper from his pocket and slides it over to you. You stare at the address for a full minute, nerves and nausea mixing inside of you. “Is this right?”

Looking up, you wince at the anger in your father’s eyes. Ducking your head, you stand and give him a short nod. “I’ll go now.” 

You feel his eyes on you all the way across the room. Coding into the vault, you move over to the correct piece and carefully pack it into a secure box before slipping that box into your pack. In the intervening time, you’d nearly forgotten about the strange alpha who’d come in nearly three weeks ago. 

It was easy for you to forget the client when you dove into a project. This particular one had proven to be very challenging, but the finished piece was one of the finest examples of your skills you’ve created thus far. You just hope that the final piece passes the alpha’s inspection, especially now that you knew he was attached to The Avengers in some way. 

Loki used to think his patience was endless. After all, hadn’t he been able to bide his time for years laying the framework in his chance to rule over Asgard and Earth? Sure the culmination of those plans failed miserably, but that didn’t change how patient he’d been. 

In comparison to those plans, the one for this was simple. Simple, but not without its challenges. The biggest one he was expecting was the rest of the team, but he would deal with that after he secured the first part of it. 

When he catches your scent, he pauses, and turns in the direction you are coming. While he waits for you to appear, he takes a cleansing breath double checking everything is in place for what will likely be the most important illusion to his extravagantly long life.

The moment you catch sight of the waiting alpha, wariness creeps over you and you slow your approach. Your instincts are a mess, half of them telling you to flee and the other reminding you what would happen if you did. 

“Hello, little omega,” Loki purrs once you stop in front of him. 

Trembling with a mixture of fear and panic, you shake your head at him. “I beg your pardon, sir, but I’m not–”

“Quiet.” He spoke it gently and without any hint of command, but you snap your mouth shut instantly and can’t stop from flinching. 

Sighing heavily, Loki gestures to a nearby entrance. “My apologies, pet, if you’ll come this way we can sit down and talk.” 

Rather than take you through one of the normal entrances, and risk either security or Stark’s infernal AI getting involved before he was ready, Loki had created this temporary entrance. The most important part of his plan is getting you to step through that door. 

However, you seem frozen in place, except for your eyes which continue to dart back and forth between his face and the door. As the minutes tick by, Loki draws on a level of control mortals don’t have access to in order to keep his growing rage and disgust from spilling into his scent and distressing you. Especially because the emotions are not directed at you. 

At first, he thought it was extremely odd for you to deny what you are. However, he knows now that you are only doing what is expected of you. Your parents have been forcing you to shove poison into your body, denying your most basic and natural biological needs and risking your very life because of their misplaced shame. The physical horror makes them monsters enough, but they compounded that because they have done everything in their power to crush not just your body but your very spirit into dust. 

Omegas are special and should be celebrated and cared for. Instead, all you’ve known is mistreatment and abuse. After a full five minutes where you remain frozen in place, Loki sighs heavily and takes control. “Come with me.” 

Reminding yourself of what is expected of you, you unstick your feet from the ground and let yourself be directed to the door. It opens on a long hallway with a thick green carpet with gold accents. You follow Loki down the hallway, head turning this way and that. 

“This way, pet,” Loki murmurs, opening a door and waiting for you to enter before letting the hallway dissolve away. “Why don’t you take a seat.” 

Sitting down, you pull the box out and unlock it. “It was a pleasure to make this piece for  you sir. I hope you like it.” 

“Would you like something to drink?”

“Pardon me?” you ask, looking up in surprise. 

“A drink, would you like something to drink?” Loki repeats, standing with his arms behind his back. 

For a moment, you consider refusing, but once more you remind yourself of the warning your father gave you. “Sure, I guess.” 

There’s a sparkling golden green swirling on the tabletop in front of you and you watch with wide eyes as a tea set materializes in front of you. For the first time, you look at him with something other than uncertainty or fear on your face. “Was that magic?”

“It was.” 

“It was pretty,” you murmur, pouring yourself some of the tea and sniffing at it before you sip it. “What kind of tea is this?”

“Just a little something from Asgard,” he says as he sits next to you. 

“It’s good.” You drink some more before setting it aside and turning your attention back to the matter at hand. Opening the top of the velvet you slide it towards him. “I hope this meets what you were looking for?”

Loki doesn’t respond right away, reaching out and lifting the necklace out to inspect it more carefully. “This exceeds my expectations.”

“It-it does?” you ask. 

Deep green eyes meet yours, an eyebrow lifting. “My dear, this piece rivals what the artisans of Asgard can create.” 

“Thank you,” you whisper, pride filling you with warmth. To do something with your hands you take another sip of your tea. 

“Did you happen to bring your sketchbook?” 

“Yes,” you answer immediately. “Why?”

“I would like to discuss the creation of another piece.” 

Your father’s voice rings in your ears. If additional services are requested, you will make sure to explain that you don’t handle that aspect of the business and direct him to contact me. 

“If you’d like to discuss a new piece, you should speak with my father.” 

“No.” When the sharpness of his tone startles you, he smiles disarmingly. “My apologies, but it is not your father who has the talent, it is you. Now, can you pull out your sketchbook for me?”

You hesitate for a moment, then reach into your bag and pull out the book and a pencil. “What do you have in mind?”

While Loki speaks, you sketch out the rough draft. Occasionally, you ask a question to clarify some aspect. As you sketch, drowsiness crawls over you. It’s quiet and stealthy, so you aren’t aware of the fact you are rubbing your eyes, or your breathing is slowing. When your head begins to nod, Loki reaches out and gently pulls your pencil out of your hand and sets it down. 

When you feel yourself being lifted, you blink eyes you don’t remember closing open and look up at the face swimming above you. “Wha-what’s happening?”

“Nothing to be worried about, darling,” Loki soothes, moving you over to set you down on his bed. The moment you sink into it, your eyes are closing as you slip fully under. For several long minutes, he stands above you and watches over you as you sleep. 

Satisfied that this portion of the plan has gone off with minimum issues, Loki leaves you to rest and moves to deal with the next part of the plan.

Chapter Text

There is a gross metallic taste in your mouth, nausea boiling in your stomach as you roll over with a groan. When you peel your eyes open, the sun spearing into them makes you whimper and press your face into the soft pillow under your head. 

“Darling, it would probably be best if you didn’t move yet,” a deep silky voice sounds from above you. 

You try to shoot up at the panic, but all that happened was you got halfway up before collapsing back and curling into a ball with another pathetic whimper. Loki sits down on the edge of the bed and reaches out to brush hair away from your face. When you cringe away from him, he stops and shifts to lift a cup from the night stand.

“Here, drink this,” he says, attempting to pass the glass to you. 

Refusing to take it, you stare at it suspiciously before turning your gaze back to him. He sighs, “It’s just water.” 

“You drugged me,” you accuse him as you sit up slowly. Your stomach wobbles and pitches, but it doesn’t hurt this time. 

“I did.” 

The fact he doesn’t deny it surprises you and when you stare at him, he shrugs. “I’m not going to lie to you.” 

“Why?”

“Other alphas may lie to their mates, but I do not.” 

“No,” you stop when the word ‘mate’ processes and it makes your heart stutter, but you push past it. “Why did you drug me?”

“Would you have stayed if I asked?” 

“Of course not!” your voice rises, a flush coloring your cheeks. 

“Which is why I had to drug you,” Loki explains, holding out the glass. “Now, you need to hydrate.” 

“No, you’ll just drug me again,” you say stubbornly, still refusing to take the glass. 

Loki sighs again, and he takes a long sip before holding it back out to you. You’re still extremely suspicious of it and him, but the metallic taste in your mouth is only getting stronger so you reach out for it and sip. It’s blessedly cool, washing away the taste and easing your sore throat.

“Good girl,” Loki’s voice drops into a husky purr that makes the blush on your cheek deepen. You avoid his eyes, confused by the odd stirrings in your chest. “You should try and sleep some more.” 

You don’t resist when he pulls the glass from your hand, instead whispering, “I want to go home.”

“No, you don’t,” Loki says, his voice going flat and his green eyes glinting when you finally look up at him. “And even if you think you do, I won’t let you.” 

“You have no right—“ you cringe when he shoves to his feet, his face dark with anger. 

“I have every right. You are my omega.”

“I’m not an omega!” you shout at him, trembling in fear when his gaze lands heavily on you. Your next words come out small and pathetic. “‘m not.”

“You are an omega. And more, you’re my omega . You will not return to your family.”

“I—“

“Don’t make me use an alpha command for this darling, neither of us will like it.” 

“You wouldn’t—“

“Yes, I would,” Loki cuts you off again.

Eyes downcast and blurry with tears, you fidgeted with the blanket. Loki continues, his tone firm. “I will do anything to make sure you are safe, including imposing my will over you.”

Voice gentling, Loki says, “The drug is still working its way out of your system so you can’t eat yet. So, you should get some sleep. I will return in short order.” 

Once he is gone, you stay there sitting in bed refusing to look away from your hands as you consider what your options are now. 

“Dr. Banner.” 

Bruce startles at the voice, nearly poking himself in the eye on the eyepiece of the microscope he is bending over. Jerking up, he glances around in surprise to see no one but Loki in the lab. “What did you do with my lab assistants?”

“Nothing,” Loki responds blandly. “I merely waited until you were alone to make myself known.” 

“Why?” Bruce asks suspiciously.

“Because I wanted to speak to you about something that is of a particular delicate nature without others being privy to the conversation.” 

Bruce’s suspicion deepens, his eyes narrowing on the Asgardian’s face. “I’m not sure I want to know what you want to speak to me about.” 

Ignoring the comment, Loki pulls a bottle seemingly out of thin air, and presents it to the doctor. Bruce eyes the bottle warily. “What is that?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.” 

Sighing, still suspicious, Bruce reaches out and takes the bottle. Popping the top off and tapping a few of the pills into his hand. Then his head snaps up. “Where did you get these?”

“What are they?”

“Omega Suppressants,” Bruce answers after a moment.

“And what can you tell me about them?”

You mean besides the fact that they are illegal and you shouldn’t even have them?”

“Yes.” 

Eyebrows winging up, Bruce pushes his glasses back up his nose and sits down on his stool. “Suppressants, as their name suggests, are a class of drugs used to suppress an omega’s natural heat cycle and ability to produce pups.”

“If that’s all they do, why are they illegal?” Loki asks. 

“Because taking them, even on a short-term basis, can cause permanent irreversible damage.”

“You mean an omega won’t be able to have pups?”

“Infertility issues are a common issue,” Bruce says slowly, still eyeing Loki suspiciously. “But those are the easiest side effects to overcome. The bigger issue comes from the fact that suppressants mess with an omega’s regulatory hormones. Hormones that are necessary not just for their designation class but for their overall health and wellbeing.” 

“Explain.” 

Bruce sighed heavily, pushing his fingers under his glasses to rub at his eye. “Suppressants target the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating the body’s hormones. Specifically, suppressants attack the creation and absorption of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.” 

Seeing Loki’s blank look, Bruce spreads his hands, “In the most basic terms, dopamine is responsible for allowing you to feel pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. Serotonin controls your mood, regulates your sleep, and controls your sexual desire. And oxytocin is often referred to as the ‘love hormone’, and is necessary for sexual arousal, long-term trust and attachment, and social bonding such as between mates or parent and pup.”

When Loki just continues to stare at him, Bruce lifts a shoulder. “Put simply, suppressing those three hormones means that an omega can develop severe depression, anxiety, insomnia, and a host of other mental health conditions along with extreme difficulties in creating and maintaining relationships. And even when the suppressants are stopped, the hypothalamus may have experienced irreversible damage.” 

Bruce watches Loki as he finishes talking, curious when the god glares down at his hands for several minutes. Then he shakes his head as if bringing himself back from where his thoughts took him and he looks up. 

“How long does it take for suppressants to leave an omega’s system?”

“Once stopped, the omega’s system goes through a period of withdrawal that depends a lot on the length they were taking them.”

“Let’s say that an omega was taking them for an extend period of time–” 

Bruce lifts a finger and Loki pauses. “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t a hypothetical question? What are you into Loki?”

“I need to know that you aren’t going to go running off to Rogers or Stark with the information I’m about to give you.”

“Loki–” Bruce begins warningly. 

“No, Dr. Banner, I have to insist.” 

“Pack hierarchy–”

“I will tell them myself when I’m ready. Until then, I need to know you will keep what I tell you next to yourself.” 

For a long moment, Bruce considers his options. “I can’t promise that Loki. But I can promise that if what you tell me doesn’t directly affect the team then I will do my best to keep it to myself.” 

Knowing that’s the best he’s going to get, and that Bruce is the only one he can ask these questions of and get an honest answer with, Loki sighs heavily. “Fine.” 

“Fine. So, tell me what this is about.” 

“I met the omega who is meant to be my mate,” Loki finally says. 

“Why do you want to keep that from the team?” 

“I don’t want to keep it from the team. It’s just a delicate matter because I’m fairly certain she has spent the majority of her life being forced to take suppressants.”

Bruce stands suddenly and it’s Loki’s turn to be startled. “I need to see them. Where are they located?”

“Dr. Banner, I need your word,” Loki begins. 

“Loki, if you expect me to help you, you need to take me to see this omega right now,” Bruce barks out, all uncertainty and suspicion gone.

“I have her in my room.” 

“Let me get some supplies and I will meet you there,” Bruce says, already moving around his lab to get what he needs. 

“Brother!”

Loki doesn't restrain the groan when he steps into his and Thor’s rooms and finds his brother standing just beyond the door. From the thunderous look on his face, Loki knew he hadn’t missed the fact that the room held someone else. 

“Thor, how is Father?”

“Loki, what have you done?” Thor asks. 

Before Loki can answer, Bruce barges in with a demanding, “Where?”

Thor gives the smaller man a bemused look as Loki gestures towards his rooms and Bruce breezes by without comment. The door unlocking as Bruce approaches and pushes through.  

“Loki?” Thor's tone is stern.

“Not now, Thor,” Loki spits at him before following Bruce into his room, seeing him setting his bag down at the edge of the bed. 

Your eyes blink open in confusion before you cringe away from the form leaning over you with a surprised yelp. 

“It’s okay,” Bruce says, keeping voice soft and gentle like someone speaking to an injured animal. Which might not be far off. “I’m here to help.”

“I wanna go home,” you plead, eyes brimming with tears and voice plaintive. Bruce slides a look at Loki who gives a slight shake of his head. 

“I understand,” Bruce continues, reaching out slowly to take your wrist in his hand. “Can you tell me your name?” 

Loki keeps back from the bed, arms crossed over his chest as Bruce continues to speak to you while checking on things like your lungs and heart. When Bruce begins to question you about the suppressants, his gaze sharpens on your face and the panic he senses in you. 

“I’m not on suppressants,” you mumble, eyes wheeling around the room as your breath wavers and stutters. 

Deciding to switch tactics when he realizes you're spiraling, Bruce asks, “What kind of masking agent do you use?”

Your wide eyes jerk back to his face. “I-what?”

“For your scent?” Bruce prods gently. “Is it some kind of spray or cream or do you use something more extreme?”

Chewing on your bottom lip, your eyes flick between Bruce and Loki several times before you whisper, “Injection.” 

“You inject a masking agent?” Bruce asks, surprised. Of course he’s aware of such types of masking agents, but as far as he knew they were only used by organizations like SHIELD. 

“Yes,” you confirm, still whispering. “The injections last longer and they can’t get accidentally washed off.”

“I see how that makes sense. Can you tell me how long you’ve been masking your scent?” 

“Since I presented.” This time you speak so quietly that Bruce nearly doesn’t hear the answer.

“Okay, thank you for telling me. You can go back to resting.” Bruce gives you an encouraging smile before gathering up what he’d brought and picking up his bag to move over to where Loki is still standing. 

“I need her in my lab to do a more thorough examination,” Bruce says in an undertone. 

“What kind of examination?”

“If she’s been injecting a masking agent since she presented, I can only imagine how long she’s been using those suppressants. I would like to do a full physical exam, along with a blood and hormone panel.”

Loki sends a look towards his bed, seeing you curled into yourself with your head buried against your knees. “And when should this happen?”

“Sooner rather than later. But you know you’re going to have to tell the others about her before then. Jarvis isn’t about to keep an omega being brought into the lab to himself.”

Loki rolls his eyes. “Fine. I will bring her to the lap as soon as I can. But right now, her system has to finish flushing out what I gave her.”

“Excuse me? You drugged her?”

“I gave her something from Asgard that would put her to sleep so I could ensure her safety.” When Bruce’s eyes narrow Loki rolls his eyes again. “It is completely harmless and will provide no lasting damage.” 

“How do you know that for sure?” Bruce demands. “Considering what was already in her system?” 

“Because I understand how the plant works. Now leave me, I have to settle her back down and then deal with my brother.”

Bruce seriously considers arguing further, but ultimately closes his eyes, nods, and leaves. Loki moves over to the bed and sits down. 

“How are you feeling?” 

“I wanna go home.”

Loki sighs. “Yes, darling I know you do. Are you hungry?”

“No,” you answer, a stubborn set to your jaw. When your stomach growls, Loki lifts an eyebrow and smirks. You scowl a little and hug yourself. “I don't want anything from you. You’ll just drug me again.” 

“I give my word that will not happen again,” Loki pauses in consideration. “At least not without permission or a great need.”

You snort in disbelief, then jolt in surprise when the bedroom door slams open and a large hulking form fills it. 

“Loki!”

“Brother, there’s no need to be rude,” Loki says as he stands to face his brother’s rage. 

“You will explain yourself.”

“Yes, I will. But not here and not until after I get food.” Loki disappears from in front of Thor only to rematerialize at his back. Frustrated, Thor spins around and stalks after his younger brother, hearing Loki’s bedroom door shut and the lock click into place. 

Chapter Text

You watch the door melt away in a swirl of sparkling green and gold as if it was never there, only for Loki to step in with a tray and the door to reform behind his back. The tiny, wild hope you’d given yourself that maybe you could run the next time he came in disappeared with a dreaded sense of finality. 

Loki blinks in surprise when he focuses on the bed and finds it empty. It doesn’t take him long to find you, since you weren’t actually trying to hide. You’d just got overwhelmed by the fact his scent was all over the bedding. It’s still not a scent you can fully articulate into words other than “fresh winter” and the longer it seeped into your nose, the more antsy you got.

“What are you doing down there, darling?” Loki asks you quietly, setting his tray down on a nearby table and walking over to crouch in front of you. 

“I want to go home.”

He sighs heavily as he stands, reaching down to draw you gently to your feet and directing you over to the bed. Tension radiates through you as fear over his intentions claw at your throat. “Relax, I told you that you wouldn’t be harmed here and I mean it.” 

“You’re hurting me by keeping me here,” you mutter, letting him nudge you back onto the bed. It isn’t like you can physically fight against him, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to complain about it. You wonder if you can annoy him enough to let you go.

“I’m sure that is how it seems,” Loki says, bringing the tray over to the bed. “But, I’m confident you’ll see this is for your own protection. Eventually.” 

“I will never think that!” 

The venom in your voice takes you by surprise, but it doesn’t seem to phase Loki in the least. He gives you a slight smile before picking the fork and holding it out to you. When you just scowl and turn your face away from him, you hear him sigh heavily. “Darling, you need to eat. You’ll need to keep your strength up for what’s to come.” 

New fear grips you, and you withdraw into yourself. “What are you going to do to me?”

Loki reaches out, ignoring your attempt to flinch away from him so he can tuck hair behind your ears. Then he strokes his finger down and around so he can tip your face up to look at him. “How long have you been taking the suppressants?”

“Wha-what?” you ask, eyes widening. “I don’t know where you–”

You trail off when he lifts his hand and the bottle that resides in your medicine cabinet appears in his fingers. After a full minute of silence, you force yourself to meet his eyes. Loki repeats his question and your shoulders slump in defeat. 

“Since I was 12,” you speak so softly, if he were human he would have been unable to hear it. 

“That’s what I thought,” Loki says with some regret. “Now, will you please eat something? You aren’t going to be able to later.” 

Rather than try to give you the fork again, Loki loads it up and holds it out to you, waiting for you to take the bite. When you just stare at it with narrow eyes, he rolls his and eats it himself to show you it isn’t drugged. After a moment, you finally take the fork and pull the tray closer and begin eating. As you eat, grudgingly admitting to yourself that it’s delicious, you refuse to look at Loki. 

After a moment, he says, “Bruce would like to do a full exam.”

The fork pauses halfway to your mouth and you finally look up at him with your brows wrinkled in confusion. “Who?”

“The doctor who was in here earlier.”

“Oh. Why?”

“He wants to see just how much damage those monsters did to you.”

It takes you a moment to realize that he’s talking about your parents and when you do insult blooms. The fork clatters to the tray and you shove angrily to your feet. “They are not monsters!”

Unphased by your outburst, Loki grabs your hand and tugs you back down to the bed. “If it wasn’t bad enough they made you shove poison into your body since you were a young child, they treat you horrifically.”

You want to deny it, refusing to give him even an inch of consideration. But it’s hard to deny something that's true, so instead you say nothing. Loki falls into silence, returning to studying you carefully. You pick up the fork, intending to finish the food but as you raise the bite to your mouth, queasiness clenches your stomach at the scent. 

“What’s wrong?” Loki asks as you push the tray away. 

When you just shake your head, pressing your lips together tightly, he picks it up and takes it away. The moment he steps out of the room, saliva pools thick in your mouth and you stand to make a mad dash to the bathroom to sick up everything you’d just eaten. 

You cling to the porcelain, feeling like your stomach is being turned inside out as you heave and retch. Once you’re hollowed out, you wipe your mouth on the back of your hand before curling up on the floor with a whimper as your head spins. 

Cool fingers stroke over your sweaty forehead before you find yourself lifted off the ground and carried back to the bed. Loki doesn’t just lay you down on the bed, instead sitting down and keeping you in your lap. You want to push away from him but are too weak to do much more than whine. 

“I’m sorry, darling, I was hoping you’d have a little more time before it started,” Loki murmured into your hair. 

“How long do you plan on keeping this from the rest, brother?” Thor asks as he paces back and forth behind Loki. For his part, Loki continues to keep staring out the windows at the manufactured gardens, gardens he created to remind him of home. 

“Loki.”

“Right now, my only concern is with my omega, Thor. Not with the others.” 

“And what happens if a mission occurs that requires you?” Thor inquires. 

“I won’t go,” Loki nearly snarls at the very thought. There is no way he’s leaving you right now. It’s been 24 hours since the withdrawal symptoms started, and they were only supposed to get worse. He wouldn’t leave you. 

“Then there’s really only one thing you can do,” Thor reasons. 

Loki’s head turns slightly, eying Thor with interest. “When did giving advice become one of your things brother?”

Thor shrugs. “We’ve both grown much over the past few years.”

He snorted, but didn’t argue with that assessment, staring out again. Thor stops moving and says, “I will watch over her while you do.”

“I think it would be best if you are with me when I deal with this,” Loki counters. Regardless of how frustrating his brother can be, Thor has been the one person always in his corner and something tells him that he might need that. Thor studies the back of Loki’s head for a moment before he agrees.

Sighing, Loki nods curtly and turns towards his room. “We will go after I check on her to ensure she will be okay for the time it takes me to go and deal with this.” 

The moment the door to his room disappears, your unmasked scent slams into him. It staggers him, his cock going rock hard and pupils dilating fully as need claws at his throat. Growling lightly, his knuckles white on the door jamb, Loki takes several slow breathes through his mouth as he wrestles with the nearly overwhelming and instinctual need to mate. 

“Loki? What’s going on?” Thor calls, his steps getting closer.

Loki throws his magic out, knocking Thor back before his doorway turns into a solid wall. Nothing against his brother, but the last thing he wants is another alpha anywhere near his mate. Closing his eyes, he locks down his instincts as tightly as he can before he makes his way over to the bed. 

As he draws closer, he hears you whining and whimpering, though he can’t see you as you’ve buried yourself under a pile of bedding. Still breathing through his teeth, he carefully removes blankets and pillows until he uncovers your huddled form. His restraint nearly snaps when he finds you completely naked. 

Bearing down even harder on his self-control, Loki sits carefully at the side of the bed while you uncurl a little and look at him. Your eyes are wild and glassy with the pain working its way through your body. Absently, he reaches out to brush sweaty hair off your face, considering it a win when you don’t snarl or pull away from him. 

“Hurts,” you mutter, arms wrapping around your body. It feels like your blood is filled with shards of glass, stabbing you everywhere at once and everything that touches you feels like sandpaper.

“I know it does, darling,” Loki says, keeping his voice as soothing as he can. “It will pass before long.” 

“Gonna die,” you mumble, curling back in on yourself. 

Loki hums thoughtfully, concerned with the heat pumping off your skin and wanting nothing more than to wrap his naturally cooler body around you. “I have to go and…inform the others about you,” he says after a moment. 

Your head lifts again and you stare blankly at him. “Others?”

“The rest of the team.” 

It takes you a while to put two and two together and when you do, your body jerks in surprise which sends pain lancing through. Whimpering a little, you curl back up. Loki answers the question you hadn’t realized you asked. “Not informing them could lead to potential issues due to responsibilities I hold. I won’t be gone for long. It takes nearly everything he has to stand up and walk away from the bed. His instincts scream at him that he’s going in the wrong direction. “He will stay out of here unless it’s an emergency.” 

You aren’t listening to him, already in the process of burying yourself back under all the bedding. 

“I’m sorry, I think I need you to run that again, Reindeer Games. I don’t think I heard you quite right.” 

Loki rolls his eyes but doesn’t bother looking in Tony’s direction, his eyes locked on where Steve is currently leaning against the wall in the conference room. Blue eyes stare into green for long minutes until Steve finally moves. Straightening, he braces his legs wide and crosses his arms over his chest. 

Loki aches to stand and meet the other alpha at his full height instead of remaining in his seat, but knows that would be unwise. So far, Thor hasn’t said anything one way or the other, but Loki can feel his presence behind him. 

“You’re here to tell us you kidnapped someone?” Steve asks, his head tilting a little. 

“No, Rogers,” Loki says through gritted teeth. “I’m here to tell you that my omega mate is currently in our rooms going through withdrawals while she works the illegal suppressants her family forced her to take out of her system.”

“Is this related to that jewelry?” Natasha suddenly asks and Steve’s attention turns towards her while Loki winces. 

“You knew about this?” Steve demands. 

“Did I know there was something going on with Loki? Yes. Did I know all that entailed? No.” 

“If you knew he was up to something, why didn’t you come to me?” Steve asks. 

Natasha’s eyes flick towards Loki for a moment before she answers, “Because Steve, Loki has been a part of this team, this pack, for a year now. And in that time he’s more than made up for the sins of his past. At the very least to be afforded a little privacy and leeway when he needed to figure something out.” 

“Oh, yeah, he did great with that leeway, didn’t he?” Tony snarks. Steve ignores the comment, sighing as he pinches the bridge of his nose before addressing Loki. 

“I’m going to need you to be more specific about all this.” 

“Why?” Loki asks. “Is what I’ve given you not enough?”

“No, Loki, it isn’t,” Steve answers, voice stern as his hand drops away from his face. “You’ve just told us you are holding someone without their consent in your bedroom. That requires more explanation.” 

Loki’s eyes dart to the ceiling as he mentally reminds himself that the faster he gets this over the faster he can get back to you. Taking a deep breath, he goes back to the beginning and lays it out as quick and succinctly as he can. By the time it’s done, the silence in the room is so profound he can practically taste it. For a full minute no one says anything or so much as moves. 

Then Steve turns towards Bruce. “You examined her?”

“I did a cursory examination, yes, and Jarvis is keeping tabs on her medically speaking since I instructed him too. 

“Dude, who gave you the right to do that?” Tony asks.

“I gave myself that right,” Bruce glares at Tony, the barest hints of green at the edges of his eyes. “I wasn’t going to just ignore someone in need. That’s kind of not what we do.” 

Tony lifts his hands in a gesture of peace, surprised by the snarled response from the usual affable Bruce. Steve turns back to Loki and asks, “And if she refuses you?”

“She won’t.” Loki is absolutely sure of that one thing. “She’s my true mate and I am hers. We can no more refuse than refuse to breathe.” 

“It’s not unheard of for someone to reject a mate bond, even that of a true mate,” Steve points out.

“But she won’t. Once the poison that’s been forced on her clears, she will want that bond as much as I do.” 

Thor speaks for the first time. “Loki’s method was unorthodox, but I assure you he acted in the way he saw was best to protect his destined mate.” 

“I understand that, Thor. Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about how this went down.” Steve looks at Loki for a moment longer before he says, “If she rejects you after she’s out of the woods with this suppressant nonsense, I will not let you continue to keep her here against her will.” 

“But–”

“No,” Steve cuts Loki off, his aura pressing against everyone in the room. “No one deserves to be forced into a bond they don’t want, not even by their true mate.” 

Despite agreeing with him about force, the way Steve is insisting that you’d possibly reject him rankles. He stands suddenly, his fingers smoothing down the front of his shirt. “Fine. I’m not asking that of you. Now, I need to get back.” 

Before anyone can respond further Loki disappears from the room. Sighing, Steve looks at Thor. “Did you know anything about this?”

Thor shook his head. “Can’t say I did, I returned here and found her in the room.”

“Right, well, let’s hope this doesn’t just all blow up in our faces,” Steve mutters as Thor and several of the others walk out of the room. 

Pretty soon it’s just him, Natasha, and Tony left. Tony glances at Natasha to see if she’s going to leave and when it’s clear she isn’t, he blurts out, “Are you really going to let him get away with this?”

“Tony, you know better than anyone what a true mate bond can do,” Natasha says. 

“How can you sit there defending him so willingly? Why am I the only one who seems to remember the fact that he’s a murderer or the fact that he’s the reason aliens invaded this planet in the first place.” 

“Tony,” Steve admonishes lightly. “As Natasha said earlier, Loki has done a lot for this team. He’s saved us all more than once in the past year.”

“So what,” Tony grumbles. 

“So, you need to stop being so damned combative with him all the time. It’s not conducive to the whole.” 

Tony snorts but doesn’t respond. Steve waits a moment before saying, “Loki will have consequences to deal with later. He knows better than to just go off and do whatever. But it will be something I deal with. Is that understood?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony says tiredly, pushing away from the table and striding out of the room. Steve’s gaze lands back on Natasha and his eyes narrowing at her ‘cat got the mouse’ smile. “Exactly how long did you know he was up to something?”

“A few days,” Natasha answers, completely unashamed. Her eyes rake over Steve’s body before her head tilts. “Are there going to be consequences for me too?” 

Steve ignores the smirk on her face and the heat flushing up the back of his neck. “Aren’t you supposed to be leaving for a mission right about now?”

Natasha winks at him before sashaying her way out of the room. Once alone, Steve rubs his hand over the back of his neck before deciding to go track Bruce down to get more information about what he knows.

Chapter Text

Loki materializes back in his room, the air thick with your scent. He inhales deeply, savoring it as it calls to that primal beast inside of him. As he approaches the bed, he hears your whimpers of distress muffled beneath the pile of blankets.

Gently, he peels back the layers until he uncovers your trembling form. Your skin glistens with a sheen of sweat, hair plastered to your forehead. You look up at him with glass, unfocused eyes.

“It hurts,” you whine, curling tight in on yourself.

“I know, pet, I know,” Loki soothes, reaching out to stroke your fevered cheeks. “The worst will pass soon.”

He climbs onto the bed, gathering you into his arms. You nestle against his cool chest with a soft sigh of relief. Loki’s hands glide over your heated skin, leaving trails of soothing frost in their wake.

“Cold,” you murmur, pressing closer.

Loki hushes you, cradling you gently. “Let me take care of you.”

He conjures a cool, damp cloth and gently wipes your face and neck. You shiver, both from the chill and from the waves of pain still wracking your body. Loki whispers words of comfort, his lyrical voice washing over you like a balm.

As another spasm grips you, you cry out and dig your fingers into Loki’s arms. He doesn’t flinch, simply holds you tighter and presses his lips to your temple.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs. “You’re safe. You’re mine to protect now.”

Though a part of you still rebels against the idea, in your fever-addled state, you find yourself soothed by his possessive words. You go limp in his embrace as exhaustion overtakes you once more.

Loki continues to cradle you, his magic flowing into you in gentle waves. He knows it will be a long night, but he is prepared to weather the storm with you. Nothing will tear him from your side now that he’s found you. You are his, and he will move realms to keep you safe and whole.

As the night wore on, your fever spikes higher. Loki holds you close, using his magic to try and cool your overheated skin. You toss and turn restlessly in his arms, mumbling incoherently.

“Shh, I’m here,” Loki soothes, stroking your damp hair. “You’re doing so well, pet. Just hold on a little longer.”

Around 3am, you jerk awake with a hoarse cry. Your eyes are wild and unfocused as you thrash in his hold.

“No! Let me go!” you cried out. “I have to…I need…”

“What do you need, pet?” Loki asks, maintaining his firm but gently grip.

“The pills,” you gasp. “Please, I need them. It hurts so much.”

Loki’s heart clenches at the desperation in your voice. “I’m sorry, but I can’t give them to you. They were poisoning you, darling. You’re purging them from your system.”

You sob, burying your face against his chest. “Make it stop. Please make it stop.”

“I wish I could take this pain from you,” Loki murmurs. He presses a cool hand to the back of your neck, trying to offer what comfort he could.

As dawn breaks, so does your fever. You fall into an exhausted sleep, still nestled securely in Loki’s arms. He gazes down at your sleep form, relieved to see some of the tension has eased from your features.

“Rest now, my love,” he whispers. “The worst is over. I’ll be here when you wake.”

Loki knows there are plenty of challenges ahead. You will likely be angry and confused when you fully regain your senses. Let alone the rest of the team and your family. But he is prepared to face whatever came next. He just hopes you both will survive it.

As the morning light filters into the room, Loki carefully extricates himself from your limp, sleeping form. He needs to speak with Bruce about your condition and next steps. With a wave the sweat-soaked bedding is exchanged for fresh ones. Another gesture leaves you clean and refreshed.

After tucking the blankets gently around you he steps out of the bedroom. Thor is still stationed outside, looking weary but alert.

“How is she?” Thor asks.

“Her fever has broken,” Loki replies. “She’s sleeping now. I need to speak with Banner.”

Thor nods. “I’ll keep watch.”

Loki makes his way to Bruce’s lab, finding the doctor hunched over a microscope.

“Dr. Banner,” Loki says by way of greeting.

Bruce looks up, blinking owlishly. “Loki. How is she doing?”

“The worst of the withdrawal symptoms seem to have passed,” Loki reports, folding his hands behind his back. “What’s next?”

Bruce removes his glasses, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “We’ll need to do a full workup, blood tests, hormone panels, the works. Once the suppressants are fully out of her system, we can assess any damage and start a treatment plan.”

A muscle in his jaw ticks as Loki nods curtly. “And how long before she’s…herself again?”

“Hard to say,” Bruce admits. “She’s been living a lie her whole life, Loki. Physically? Her body could return to a state an omega is supposed to be in within weeks or months. But if she’s been drugged since she basically presented? I’m not sure if it will every act like it should. As far as mentally and emotionally? That’s a better question for a psychologist or psychiatrist. I’ll have a better idea on the physical side of things once I run the tests I need to run. I would expect some confusion though when she wakes again, especially if her fever got as high as I suspect it did. Perhaps some slight memory loss even.”

“I understand,” Loki says quietly. “Thank you, doctor.”

As he turns to leave, Bruce calls out. “Loki? Be patient with her. This isn’t going to be easy for either of you.”

Loki doesn’t respond as he strides out of the lab. When he returns to his room, he finds you still asleep. Your face is relaxed and soft with it. He settles into a chair by the bed, prepared to wait as long as necessary for you to wake.

Hours pass before you begin to stir. Loki leans forward, watching intently as your eyes flutter and open. For a moment, confusion clouds your features as you take in the surroundings.

As your eyes focus and land on Loki, the confusion quickly shifts to panic. You bolt upright, clutching the blankets to your chest.

“Where am I? What’s going on?” you demand, voice hoarse.

“You’re safe,” Loki says soothingly, keeping his distance. “You’re in my quarters in Avengers Tower. Do you remember anything from last night?”

You blink rapidly, fragments of memories flashing through your mind - pain, fever, cool hands offering comfort. Your eyes widen as the memories and fragments solidify.

“You…you kidnapped me!” you accuse, scrambling back against the headboard.

Loki’s holds his hands up placatingly. “I know this must be confusing and frightening for you. But I promise, I only acted to protect you.”

“Protect me?” you scoff. “By drugging me and holding me captive?”

“You were being poisoned,” Loki says, a hint of anger creeping into his voice. “Those suppressants were slowly killing you. I couldn’t stand by and let that continue.”

You shake your head vehemently. “No, you don’t understand. I need those pills. My family-”

“Your family has been abusing you,” Loki cuts in sharply. “Forcing you to deny your true nature.”

“I’m not…” you start to protest, but the words die on your tongue. For the first time in your life, you can smell your own scent, sweet and clear. An omega scent. Tears spring to your eyes as the truth worms into your mind. But still, you refuse to accept it. “So, the doctors lied to them. That’s why. They wouldn’t have hurt me intentionally.”

Loki’s eyes soften as he takes in your distress. He wants nothing more than to gather you in his arms and soothe away your pain, but he knows that would only frighten you more right now.

“I’m sure they thought they were doing what was best,” he says gently. “But darling, they were wrong. Forcing you to suppress your true nature has done immense damage to your body and mind.”

You shake your head, tears spilling down your cheeks. “No, you don’t understand. They love me. They were protecting me.”

“From what?” Loki presses. “From being who you truly are? From finding a mate and having a family of your own someday?”

His words strike a chord deep inside you. How many times had you longed for those things, even as you told yourself they weren’t possible? Still, you cling stubbornly to your denial.

“I don’t need a mate,” you insist. “I’m fine on my own.”

Loki raises an eyebrow. “Are you? Is that why you’ve been so miserable and unfulfilled all these years?”

You flinch. “How would you know anything about that?”

“Because I’ve been watching you,” Loki admits. “From the moment I first caught your scent, I knew you were mine. My true mate.”

You scoff, rolling your eyes. “That’s not possible. True mates are just fairytales.”

“I assure you, they are very real,” Loki says. “And you are mine, just as I am yours.”

You shake your head again, overwhelmed. It’s too much to take in all at once. Your entire worldview is crumbling around you.

“I want to go home,” you whisper, voice small and lost.

Loki’s heart aches at the pain in your voice, but he remains firm. “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow that. Not until we’re certain you’re healthy and safe.”

Anger flares in your chest, burning away some of the confusion. “You can’t keep me here against my will.”

“Actually, I can,” Loki says calmly. “For your own protection. But I hope it won’t come to that. I want you to stay of your own free will.”

You laugh bitterly. “Why on earth would I want to stay with my kidnapper?”

“Because deep down, you know I’m right,” Loki says. “About all of it. You’re an omega, my omega. And you need me as much as I need you.”

His words stir something primal inside you. For a moment, you’re tempted to give in, to let this alpha take care of you. But years of conditioning kick in and you shut it down ruthlessly.

“You’re wrong,” you say coldly. “I don’t need anyone. Especially not you.”