bulletsandbracelets | New York Fun Times [closed to hashisreasons]

"Diana... You defended me. You... You care for me so much, more than so many others ever could," he murmured. One hand reached up and he cupped her cheek. "I do not deserve your friendship."

He stared into her eyes, sure that his heart was beating faster now. "You. Napi. I don't know what I'd be without you."

Her hand went up, covering the his that cupped her cheek. "Do not say such things," she admonished just slightly. "Deserve is all a matter of individual perspective, and I would not wish away your company for anything." She meant it sincerely. Her connection with Loki had been one that had endured a long time - in relative terms - and she rather thought she would be lost without knowing that he would be there should she need him. And likewise, of course.

"You would be you," she said, staring back. "You are always you. No matter who or what influences that."

Loki nodded his head and stepped away from her, moving to open the door for Diana. He would follow her inside, curious where they would be sitting. Had she gotten a private booth or a room? Would they sit among the others so he could watch the people? It was all very interesting to him.

Mostly because he was out and not stuck on a ship with Thor.

And, part of it was because he was with her. While dinner was nice, and necessary, he could not wait until they were done. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms and spin her around a dance floor. He wanted to feel her against his body and know she actually wanted to be there.

They did have a private booth, but it was in the main room of the restaurant, as Diana quite liked people watching herself. She had opted for the private booth mainly out of her own comfort - while she liked people watching, she had had more than a few uncomfortable experiences of being intensely studied while trying to enjoy a meal, and had no desire to repeat the experience. Besides which, it allowed them time to enjoy each other's company without the worry of someone interrupting them.

Though she was very much looking forward to going dancing.

The day had been going, in Loki's opinion, went very well. Shopping had been fun. Dinner had been delicious. For Loki, spending the day with Diana had been heaven. He could be doing something extremely droll and he would be happy, just to be with someone who respected and cared for him, instead of thinking him a terrible person. She knew he was a bad person, he had is faults, but she would never think him as dreadful as the others did.

Loki smiled as he made his way into the small club. It was a beautiful place, one filled with gorgeous people in vintage clothing. Dresses and bespoke suits, jazz music surrounding them, it made Loki very happy. His grip on Diana's arm tightened slightly as they were led to a table close to the dance floor.

"Just wait till I start twirling you around the floor."

Despite the phone call, Diana would consider the day quite a success. Shopping went well, with Loki managing to pick up some wonderful new suits that flattered him in all the right ways, dinner had been delicious and the wines they had sampled with it were ones she was considering picking up at another point to have in for another time. The highlight, of course, had been spending time in company she enjoyed and appreciated. Understanding that a person was more than one thing helped to appreciate them more, and Loki had always been one of her favourite people to study for the layers to his personality and what he would show to those around him.

The club she had chosen for dancing was a throw back type place, remembering an older decade in style. Vintage clothing - or at least vintage style - was the norm, and the jazz music was played by an expert band. Their table was close to the dance floor, and she smiled over at Loki.

"What are we waiting for?"

His eyebrow raised and he glanced over at her. "I smell a challenge, demigoddess," he murmured.

Taking her hand in his, he pulled her out to the dance floor. The song was mid tempo, a little slow but not a ballad. Strong arms wound around her, pulling her close with one arm while his hand easily found hers in the other. Dark eyes locked with hers as he began to sway her to the music.

As graceful as he could be, it was hard to focus when he finally had her pressed up against him. "I've missed this, dancing," he whispered.

"Only if you take it as such," she replied smoothly, her own eyebrow raising in perfect mimicry of his expression. It did not stop the smile that split her face as she was pulled on to the dance floor, skirts of her dress flowing about her legs. Swaying to the music in a way that even now she did not really consider dancing but still found to be pleasant, and enjoyable with the right company.

This was the right company.

"It's been far too long."

"It really has."

Loki smirked, twirling her and dipping her, before slowly pulling her back up to her feet. His hand stayed firm against her smaller back, though he was so tempted to let it roam. His eyes stared into hers, almost wishing her could pull her into a much more seductive dance.

"You know what they say about finding the right partner..."

Diana couldn't stop the delighted laugh that came when she was dipped, nor would she want to. Why should she hide her own happiness for the sake of others? Besides which, she dared anyone not to be happy with such a move, especially when they were in the arms of someone who she knew would never drop her.

It was a reassurance that so few had.

"Do not let them go?" It came as a tease, a glint in her eye and a tugged smirk at the corner of her mouth. Perhaps there was a bit more sincerity to the words than she would let him know, but for now, she would keep to the friendly tease.

"Yes." He leaned in, brushing his lips against her ear. "You want to keep them close to you." His hand crept up her back a little, pressing into her as they danced. He loved the feel of her soft curves against him. It was moments like this that he would burn into his mind and keep when he was alone.

He loved seeing her like this, so smiling and free. Not many were blessed enough to see her like this and he counted himself lucky to see it over the years. Concerts. Other adventures. He knew that he was very lucky to be let in to a place not many were able to view.

He would never drop her. He cared too much for her.

As if fate were designed to tempt them, the music changed. The beat became slower, something that rang in the blood and echoed with a heartbeat. A tempo struck up that could only be called sensual and while, in times past, such a change would have had her leaving the dance floor... Times had changed.

"Then keep me close."

"As you wish," he purred. His hand moved back down to the small of her back and he did keep her flush tight against him. His lips turned up in a smile as he swayed her around the floor, not caring about anyone but themselves. Nothing else mattered in that moment.

His lips brushed against her ear. "What if I don't want to let you go?"

Let it be said that Diana was very aware of the fact that Loki was a fantastic dance partner. And never let it be said that she was ignorant of the fact that he was a very attractive being. It was just that - for the majority of their time knowing each other - she had opted to keep the latter fact as simply an observation. When they danced? She always let it be a little more. If only to herself.

She smiled at him, a softness in it that he would recognise. "We may be able to come to some arrangement."

His eyebrow raised and he couldn't hide the grin if he tried. "Who are you and what have you done with Diana?"

He stepped back, twirling her out of his arms and then back into them again easily enough. She was the most beautiful creature ever seen to him. She moved like a graceful warrior and she felt like a doll beneath his fingers.

"I'm open to negotiations."

There was another delighted laugh, smile wide with that type of happiness that only tends to come when a person is in the company of another whom they care for greatly. Even the jest was taken with all good humour, knowing that Loki was simply being himself in one of the few ways that no one could object to. The question that came next was how could she respond to keep him light. Or, rather, to make her intentions clear.

(They were not exactly her intentions at the start of their day, but it was something she had considered a few times during their century of knowing each other. It finally felt as though if she broached the subject, it may not damage things beyond repair.)

She waited until she was pressed against him on the twirl to respond.

"Why don't we start with sleeping arrangements?"

Loki smiled warmly at her, watching her glide and come back to him with such ease. It made his heart skip a beat just to look at her. While he knew she would never truly be his in the way that he had wanted her for years now, he would take her kindness and run with it for what it was. At least he was able to have her company for a small window of time. And more than her company, they had mutual trust. Very few could say that about the Asgardian. Yet, he did trust her.

He was afraid to admit he might even love her.

One hand moved up, running through her soft hair, gliding down her back as the other found her hand once more. And then he froze. Completely. Loki couldn't even continue dancing at the words that he had to blink to make sure he heard correctly. "Wait, what?"

Because he would need to hear her say it again. "Sl... Sleeping arrangements?"

Diana nodded slowly, keeping her eyes locked with her.

"I think the time has come," she said slowly, "for us to re-discuss our unspoken agreement regarding that matter." It was surprisingly hard for her to say such a thing, even though she was sure that it was finally the right time to address such a matter. It had been... perhaps 30 years that she was positive her feelings for Loki were beyond that of merely friendship.

"Perhaps we should sit down." She needed to explain. She owed him that.

"I think that might be a fair assessment."

Loki smiles, as he always will for her, but he also knows she can read him. He's shaken by her statements. His hand moves, pressing against the small of her back as he escorts her back to the table and even pulls out a chair for her. He can be charming when he wants to, especially when he's trying to cover for something. In this case, it's his feelings.

He hates feeling vulnerable on the best of days. With her? It's a tricky dance.

He pulls his chair around so that he's sitting at the setting to her right, not facing across from her. He wants to be as close as he can in case he needs to speak softly. "There was a reason our agreement was unspoken. May I ask what changed?"

Diana did not let out an irritated sigh, for she knew fine well that it was purely her own selfishness to blame for the situation she know found herself in. Her own want had lead to her concealing things for so long and now she had to try to explain it all. Folding the skirt of her dress into herself she frowned a little, trying to find the best words to start with.

"It is not a sudden change, if that is your worry," she assured him, knowing he would be shaken and wanting to assure him. "It has been near 30 years that I've been thinking such things." Quite a long time, by Earth standards. To an Asgardian, hardly any time. "But I grew... selfish. I did not want to change a comfortable arrangement," she said truthfully. She glanced down at the table. "I did not want to open myself to someone who was only there part of the time. Even if I did find more excuses to bring you here."

Tickets for a show, a party for work, just wanting his company for a weekend... She wondered if it had been obvious, even though there was still good space between each time.

"Each time I thought myself brave enough to say something, the words would catch in my throat." There was a bit of a laugh. "You see, you are not the only one to hide."

"My worry is you, Diana." Loki reached out, taking her hand in his and threading their fingers together. It was nice to know that she had been thinking about it for a few years. Time was an illusion that he didn't begin to try to understand. It moved differently in different realms. Those like himself who could live a very long time counted time differently. The number of years didn't matter so much as what she had been contemplating.

His head nodded and he looked sadly at her. "It was an ideal situation. Should something change, you were worried about the dynamic," he murmured.

In truth, he had been thinking about it as well. Every time she found a 'reason' for him to visit, he tried not to get his heart excited about it. They were friends. And yet, the more they spent time together, the more he had always hoped he wasn't just imagining it.

He leaned in close, brushing his lips against her ear. "You don't have to hide with me. You've told me many a time I need not hide with you," he murmured. "Why hide what is in plain sight of you?"

"Never worry for me," she asked him, squeezing the hand that held hers in a fond manner. There was comfort in the small action, in the weight of his hand nestled against her own. She had spent too long on Earth, he would say, if she was judging things by their time. Perhaps he was right, but where else was there? She saw the sadness in his eyes, and nodded to confirm his thought

"I was selfish," she said. "I hide because I feared that the change may have been ... that it may have brought damage that we could not fix." It did not need to be said that so much had changed since then. So very much in such a short space of time, even by his reckoning of it. In an odd way, it was the rapid change that spured her on.

"But now, I feel as though I cannot keep ignoring or pretending otherwise," she leaned against him just slightly, making sure she was close so that she could be heard over the music - especially since a loud number had just begun. "Loki, you know I would not pretend to you, not about this."

Her thumb stroked his. "I would like it if we could be more than friends."

Loki smirked. "I'll stop worrying for you when you stop worrying for me." He raised an eyebrow, daring her to argue with him. And yet, he couldn't stop staring at their hands together.

He leaned in close, lightly kissing her temple. "It's hard. I more than most understand your fears. I had them myself. My family. My friends, well... The ones I had on Asgard before I revealed my true natures," he murmured. "There were women, but none of them lingered. None of them cared like you did." His free hand reached up, brushing a lock of hair away from her eyes.

"You do know how badly I've wanted that. Every time I tried, you pushed me away." He smiled, pulling back enough he could stare into her eyes. "I'm not the nicest man. You see that. You put up with it. I'm lucky to have you," he murmured. "I vow I will never let anything jeopardize us, not even my ego."

Which, even he could admit had its moments.

"Dance with me again?"

She couldn't argue with him because - as he well knew - he was right. She would not stop worrying for him, how could she? If she stopped worrying for him, it would be akin to saying that she did not care and that was the furthest thing from the truth. She just smiled, and shook her head, what else could she do? Likewise, she wasn't surprised to hear he had partners on Asgard. She would have been more surprised if he hadn't. Diana was more than aware he was an attractive being.

"You are yourself," she looked at him, smiling though there was a slight tiredness there. To be fair, she felt as though they had had this particular discussion many times. "It is not in your nature to be the nicest man, and I would not wish it were because you would not be you." Her free hand goes to his cheek, stroking. "You are the God of Mischief, and I will not have you as anything other than you. Ego included."

She leans forward, a kiss pressed to his cheek, near his mouth.

"Always."

Loki shook his head. "Oh no, you don't." Smirking, he reached up and turned her head, so that he could give her a proper kiss. His lips brushed against hers and he ran a thumb along her jawline. He didn't want a kiss on the cheek.

Especially with her being happy with him. She was the only person that he'd ever met that did not care he was the God of Mischief. In fact, she seemed to be amused by it. He liked it that she liked his ego. Mostly because she was able to keep him in check. Even Thor couldn't claim that all the time.

"Don't tease me," he moaned against her lips. "I'll keep you as my dance partner for life."

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