At Last I See the Light

At Last I See the Light
A/N: The easiest way to do this was to have it be post-Avengers, obviously, and say that Loki was imprisoned on Midgard instead of Asgard.

You returned to the Tower after a year-long mission, strangely refreshed and energetic. Well, to be fair, you finished the mission last night and had spent the night in a hotel to reenergize. You’d taken a long, leisurely bath, letting your troubles melt away in the warm bubbles.
Too tired to worry about stocking up your empty apartment, you decided to head to your guest room in the Tower. You entered the building and found the elevator, smiling softly as JARVIS greeted you.
“Welcome back, Miss (l/n),” the AI said.
“Thanks, JARVIS. Take me to my room please?”
“Of course, Miss (l/n).”
You sighed in relief as the elevator came to a stop, slowly opening its doors. You picked up your bags and headed off, down the hall towards your room. Steve found you on the way and smiled brightly, wrapping you in a bear hug.
“(f/n)! You’re back!” he cried happily as you gasped for air.
“Steve,” you wheezed, “air.”
“Oh, sorry,” he said sheepishly, letting you go. “I forget my own strength.”
You smiled up at the super soldier. “It’s good to be back. Anything happen while I was gone?”
He stared at you for a moment as though you’d grown two heads. “You haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?” you questioned as you continued the journey to your room. “I was undercover in Brazil – I didn’t exactly have cable.”
“So you haven’t heard about the Battle of New York?”
“What’s that?” you asked incredulously, opening your door. “It sounds big.”
“It was,” the Captain agreed. “You remember Thor and Loki, right?”
You nodded, recalling the SHIELD reports from New Mexico. “The ones who think they’re Asgardian gods?”
“Turns out they actually are a type of god,” Steve mumbled. “Anyway, Loki went on this world domination spree and gathered an army of metal aliens to come attack New York, and Stark almost died trying to close the portal he was using to bring the aliens to Earth.”
“Tony almost died?” you repeated in surprise. “I bet he loves telling that story.”
Steve chuckled. “He does. Loki went back to Asgard with Thor, but the Allfather sentenced him to human imprisonment on Earth, until he feels remorse for what he did.”
You nodded slowly, taking in the information. “If he’s crazy enough to try to enslave the world, I don’t think he’ll be very remorseful.”
“I don’t, either,” the blond agreed. “That’s why Fury has him locked in the Tower.”
You paused. “This Tower?”
He nodded. “He’s got a cell a few floors up. We captured him before he unleashed his army; Fury had him locked in a glass cell that would fall ten thousand feet and crash into the ground if he tried to break free. He’s in an exact replica of that cell in the Tower, complete with a self-destruct button.”
“So we’re safe?” you questioned. He nodded again.
“Well,” you said, throwing your stuff on your bed. You could unpack later. “Where is everyone? I think I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Steve led you to the main entertainment area where the team had gathered to throw you a Welcome Back party. A “Welcome Back (f/n)” banner was strung across one wall and streamers of your favorite colors were draped around the room. Each of the team rushed up to pull you into a hug.
“We missed ya, (l/n)!” Tony smirked, being the last to hug you. You ensured that the hug didn’t last too long as you smiled at the billionaire. You turned to Thor.
“I hear I missed a lot while I was gone,” you stated.
“I informed her on the basics,” Steve said.
“I have opted for staying on Midgard to assist in keeping an eye on my brother,” Thor stated.
“That’s not the only reason,” Tony said with a smirk.
You raised a brow before a smirk crossed your face. “Things are going well with Jane, huh?”
A faint blush crossed Thor’s cheeks. “Yes, m’lady, they are. How was your mission?”
“Exhausting,” you replied simply. “You guys did all this for me?”
“Of course we did,” Bruce smiled. “We missed you.”
“So tell me about Loki,” you requested, plucking your favorite snack from a nearby tray and plopping down on the couch.
“He’s crazy,” Bruce stated, sitting at the other end of the couch.
“He is confused,” Thor corrected. “He wants a throne and he cannot have one.”
“Is he securely contained?” you inquired. You hadn’t spent much time around Thor or Loki personally – you’d just read their files and heard stories from the other Avengers.
“Yes,” Tony nodded. “If he so much as scratches the glass, the cell drops through the Tower and crashes underground.”
“Won’t that damage the Tower?” you wondered. Tony would never risk damage to his favorite building.
“I’ve built the cell sort of like an elevator,” Tony explained. “If it drops, it has a hollow tunnel all the way down to travel through.”
You nodded. He certainly thought this through. You looked around at the team. “Can I meet him? Get an idea of how dangerous he is?”
“I will take you,” Thor offered. You stood and looked at him expectantly. He led you to the elevator and asked JARVIS to take you to Loki’s cell.

You weren’t sure what to expect once you entered the cell room. The tall, thin, black-haired man sat on the floor, leaning against the wall of the cell. A book with an unknown title sat in his hands, and he flipped the page as you stepped closer.
“Brother,” Thor greeted. “This is Lady (f/n).”
Loki looked up at and stalled. He hated Midgardians, all of them, yet you intrigued him. “Greetings, (f/n).”
“So you’re Loki,” you noted, looking at him. You took in his appearance. He was rather attractive and very well-dressed for a prisoner. His garb seemed to be Asgardian, or at least medieval. He wore a long-sleeved emerald green tunic and black leather pants, along with black leather boots. It suited him well.
“Give us a moment, Thor,” you requested.
The blond looked at you questioningly.
“I’ll be fine,” you assured him.
Thor nodded and left, but you were sure he wouldn’t go far.
You grasped a fold-up chair and pulled it up to the cell, taking a seat. “So I hear you tried your hand at world domination.”
He snorted. “That was the plan.”
“Didn’t get very far, did you?”
He scowled. “If it weren’t for your moronic band of ‘heroes,’ I would have.”
“They’re not my band of heroes,” you corrected. “They’re Fury’s. I’m just one of them.”
“You’re one of them?” he asked incredulously. “You do not seem like the kind.”
“How do you mean?”
“You seem… tougher than them. If I weren’t imprisoned, we could work wonders together.”
You ignored the shiver that ran down your spine at the thought. “Do you still have plans for world domination?”
He thought for a moment. You were different than the rest of this idiotic team. There was something about you that made him want to tell you everything. He let out a soft sigh. “No, I do not. Actually, I want to join your side. I still desire a throne, as it is my birthright, but my desire to conquer pathetic Midgardians as their King has subsided.”
“So you want to be a good guy?” you clarified.
“I do not approve of that title, but yes.”
“Have you told anyone else about this?”
“No,” he glared, “and if you tell your friends I will-”
“Calm down,” you cut him off, holding your hands up in surrender. “I won’t tell. But maybe they should know. They’d stop treating you like a villain if they knew.”
“And then what? We’d become the best of friends?”
You rolled your eyes at his dramatic response. “Fine, I won’t tell them.”
And so began your friendship with the God of Mischief.

Months passed, and you visited Loki in cell at least once a day. You were the only one he trusted, and in turn, the only one that trusted him. He would read his Asgardian books to you, and you’d tell him stories of all the enemies you defeated on your missions. He enjoyed hearing tales of your strength and badassery.
The others always sent you questioning, cautious glances when you informed them that you were going to visit Loki. You always returned completely unharmed, and often times happier than when you left, so they never stopped you.
“Why do you hang out with him so much?” Natasha inquired one day after you’d returned from your visit. She was seated at the kitchen table, munching on a sandwich. You plucked an apple from the fruit bowl and sat on the table near her chair with a shrug.
“He’s intriguing.”
“Intriguing?” she clarified. “How so?”
“He doesn’t seem as dangerous as you all swear he is,” you answered.
“That doesn’t make him less dangerous,” she countered cautiously.
“I know,” you lied, keeping your promise to the god. “But he hasn’t threatened me or tried to hurt me, so I’m going to keep visiting him.”
With that, you hopped off the table and headed to your room.
You were seated on your bed, reading a book that Loki lent you, when a knock came upon your door.
“Who is it?” you called, not looking up.
“Steve, Tony, and Thor,” the Captain’s voice called.
You set your book aside and answered, “Come in.”
The door opened and the three men entered. Steve and Thor stood by the door while Tony sat at the foot of your bed.
“We had an idea to discuss with you,” Steve began.
“What idea?” you inquired.
“My brother’s mood has been lightened as of late,” Thor stated.
“He seemed to have turned himself around,” Steve added.
“So we were thinking that we’d let Reindeer Games out of his cage once in a while,” Tony finished.
“And what does that have to do with me?” you questioned.
“We believe that you are the cause of my brother’s lightened mood,” Thor smiled brightly.
“So we figured that you could keep an eye on him when we let him out,” Tony said.
“You want me to be his chaperone?” you clarified, biting back your excitement. The Avengers were starting to see his good side without either of you having to tell them outright. You got what you wanted and still kept your promise.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Steve added. “You seem to be a good influence on him.”
You pretended to consider it for a moment before nodding. “Sure, I’ll do it.”
Tony’s brow rose at your willingness while Thor and Captain simply smiled.
“Let us go tell my brother the good news!” Thor exclaimed. He rushed out the door with Steve on his tail. Tony eyed you as the both of you left.
“What are you doing here, Thor?” Loki inquired, reading his book.
“Brother!” the blond cried happily. “We have come to let you out!”
“Temporarily,” Tony clarified.
Loki raised a brow, awaiting an explanation.
“They decided that you haven’t been hostile or mean so you deserve a little yard time,” you summarized.
Loki nodded, standing as Tony entered the code to open the cell. The god stepped out and you held your breath in awe. He was even more handsome up close, and you never realized quite how tall he was.
“(f/n) is going to stay with you to keep you in line,” the billionaire warned.
“I require a babysitter?” Loki raised a brow.
You shrugged. “Just in case.”

You and Loki spent the day hanging out in your room. Tony had agreed to let Loki out of his cell, but not out of the Tower. Since the god wasn’t particularly fond of the rest of the team, you opted for staying in your room.
You were lying on your bed while he sat beside you, reading to you. You closed your eyes in relaxation. You hadn’t had someone read to you since you were a child – you’d forgotten how soothing it could be.
You were almost asleep when Loki looked over at you. Assuming you to be fully asleep, he smiled and closed his book before leaning over and kissing your forehead. You were too tired to object to anything, and his lips felt comforting against your skin.
You felt the bed shift as he moved to lie beside you. He lied on his side with one arm tucked beneath his head, the other gently tracing your features. His knuckles ran from your temple down your jawline and back up the other side. From there they travelled down your nose, and his thumb unfolded to ghost gracefully across your lips. You parted your lips just a fraction to let out a contented sigh. Thinking he woke you, he retracted his hand, fearing rejection.
Half-asleep, you rolled onto your side, facing him. You curled slightly, folding your arms in front of your chest and ducking your head. He ran his fingers through your hair, hesitantly leaning forward to kiss your forehead again. “I know you’re asleep,” he whispered, “but I cannot keep it from you any longer. You have changed me, Lady (f/n). I did not believe that a Midgardian could be so important to me. I never thought it even conceivable. But here you are, holding onto my heart. I may not have yours, but you will always have mine. You listen to my stories and see the good in me; the good that even I was uncertain still existed. You keep my secrets and tell me your own. I have never felt so strongly about anyone in all my life.” He paused, his hand stilled on the back of your head, holding you gently. “I have fallen in love with you, (f/n).”
He let out another sigh, mentally scolding himself for not being able to make this confession while you were conscious and paying attention. Little did he know that you’d heard every word. You slowly opened your eyes and feigned a yawn, pretending to have just woken up. You looked up at him, smiling at the close proximity. You bit your lip before scooting just a little closer and stretching your neck up. You captured his lips with your own, breaking apart after a moment. You nuzzled your nose into his neck, enjoying his shocked reaction.
“You have my heart, too,” you whispered.
He took a moment to process your response before using the hand on the back of your head to tilt your head up. He met your sparkling eyes for a second before leaning forward and smashing his lips to yours. You responded instantly, wrapping your arms around his neck as his hand moved from your back to your lower back. He pulled you closer, sighing against your lips as you smiled.
“I love you, (f/n),” he whispered.
“I love you too,” you replied, pulling him in for another kiss.