Chapter 10 Mae's pov

I finish my drink before returning to my original spot and continue to watch the people of the party. I turn around and order another drink when I feel a presence at my back. I think nothing of it, assuming it's either the god or the super soldier, and don't bother to turn around. It wasn't until an arm snaked around my waist that I could tell it was neither of the 2.

"Hey there, you look damn delicious in that dress. How about we get out of this lame party and find a place to have a good time together." A very intoxicated male voice says from behind me.

I spin my stool around and put my hand around his arm, pulling it away from me, before looking up into some random guy's face. I keep my face calm and take a deep breath before talking.

"No, I'm okay, thank you though." I say as evenly as possible. He frowns before trying to tighten his grip around me, only pushing into my hand and back. My free hand starts moving to get my dagger as he starts speaking again.

"Listen, you have a pretty face but you're obviously just a stupid slut, wearing a dress like that. Do you even know who I am?" He says aggressively, getting closer to my face. My hand is now gripping my dagger, but before I can pull it out a voice joins the conversation.

"Hello, my sweet. Thank you so much for being patient with me. Is there a problem here darling? Who's this?" Loki asks from behind the man.

"Listen here buddy, she's busy right now so back off and go find your own whore to-" He stops short as he whips around, almost dragging me off my stool and only being saved by Bucky who appeared there, to finally look up to see Loki standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, a murderous look on his face. I made a sound of pain from how hard the man was gripping my back before anyone said anything else.

"I think it's time you let go of our darling, and leave quickly." Loki says in a serious tone that would have been hot as fuck if the situation had been different, making the man turn his head to see Bucky, who is holding my arm and leg from where I was dragged halfway of the stool, with an expression on his face to match Loki's, a deep growl sounding from his chest.

That's also really hot. 'Wtf am I even thinking right now?' I think to myself before another distressed noise makes its way out of my mouth, the man digging his nails into my back.

This caused 2 growls to ring out loud and clear in the space between us. The man finally releases me, making me almost fall on top of Bucky, as he stands up straight. He looks both men up and down before turning and speaking.

"She isn't even that pretty, and is probably a terrible fuck. Have fun boys, a trashy girl such as her would be down for a double team anyway." He begins to walk toward another group of girls, only for security to grab him and start moving him to the nearest exit.

I sigh and try to move back into my seat properly, only to fail and slump forwards, body still unresponsive from the panic. Loki catches me and helps Bucky sit back into my seat correctly. They stand there quietly while I try to collect myself.

I feel liquid moving down my back once my body starts registering with my brain again, along with a stinging sensation across the whole part of my back right above where my dress ends.

I feel Bucky rubbing my back to try to soothe my panic attack, like he used to, until he pulls his hand back. I stay still for a moment more until the pain in my back turns from a stinging sensation to a sharp pain. I sit up straight and turn to Bucky, who's staring at Loki, and see his hand covered in blood.

"Fuck that's what hurts." I say with a moan of pain.

"I'll heal it in a minute when I calm down completely." I say to the 2, who look caught between anger and worry. I try to diffuse the situation before they go to find the douchebag.

"Hey I'm okay, it's okay guys, let's just enjoy our drinks and go dance. You can go back to your buddies Bucky. I'll make Loki dance with me, and I'll stick to him the rest of the night." I say quickly and flick my wrist, cleaning the blood from his hand.

Loki and him seem to have a silent conversation before they both nod, Bucky letting go of my hand. He bends and kisses my temple before heading over to his friends with a final look back at us.

Loki's pov

I was standing by one of the windows in a corner, looking out over the city I had almost destroyed, when the atmosphere in the room changed. I looked over my shoulder to see the party guests all staring at something. I turned fully and took a couple steps forward to see what was going on when I saw her. I stood frozen, staring, with the rest of the room besides the idiot creatures of the avengers.

She moved down the stairs with the grace of a queen, before going to sit at the bar while the team was still oblivious to the beauty that they had found. I watched with the rest of the room as Stark came up behind her and said something. His speaking causes the guests to wake from their shock and move back to their earlier discussions, with words of the elegant women mixed in.

I kept watching as Mae turned in her seat to face Tony. I chuckled quietly at their reaction to her appearance and smiled as Bucky moved closer to her. Feeling like she was protected with him there, I moved back to the window but opened a mental connection with him.

I knocked on his mind just to let him know I was there, hearing a 'one second' called back, before an image of her floated before my eyes that wasn't from me.

She was looking up at Bucky with her radiant smile on her face, red hair flowing over her shoulders. I chuckled again, along with Bucky before I spoke.

'She looks beautiful, but that isn't the dress she picked out earlier. I wonder why she changed her mind.' I say glancing over at the 2 before looking back to the window.

'Friday said she wasn't feeling the tan cocktail dress she picked out earlier. She's okay, just probably wanted to feel more mature since that reporter insulted her.' he says, causing us both to growl.

'And you say it is frowned upon to kill him?' I ask glaring out over the night lights of the city.

'Unfortunately, it is. Though I did talk with Stark and those three reporters will not be allowed back at a press conference again.' Bucky replied. I see him move with the captain to a group of men, who look like they all know each other.

'Well at least that's something.' I nod at him before turning back to the city. He doesn't answer but I leave the connection open just in case something happens. I notice Mae move to sit by my oaf of a brother. I still can't believe he would do something so stupid, even accidently.

I did, however, find it quite entertaining when the sergeant and I threw our knives at him at the same time. He didn't get as much as he deserved though, considering the angel healed him only 20 minutes later. I smile as I think about her adorable smile again only to frown and look down at my hands, wondering why I care so much about the small woman. Yes, she is very entertaining and has a spark in her, but why do I get this feeling in my chest when I think about her getting hurt?

As I'm thinking about this, Thor claps his hand on my shoulder.

"Brother! Come, join the party, it's almost as fun as the ones back home." He says trying to push me.

"Why would I want to drink the rubbish they call alcohol here, and hang out with your moronic friends more than I already have to?" I ask him as I step out of his hold.

"Oh come on brother! There are many good looking Midgardian people here, surely one can tempt you." He replies looking around the dance floor behind us.

"I would think not." I say sourly, having only one person on my mind for some unknown reason.

"Fine, fine, if not the people then this." He makes a gesture to his glass before taking a swig of it. "Nothing like it in the 9 realms."

"Surely you don't expect me to believe you got that here.'' I say with an eye roll.

"Go ask the bartender for a 'rainy day glass' if you want to try your luck, god of lies." He replies as he walks off. I stand there, looking off into the sky as I think about whether I should try to get a glass of home or just leave the party all together to go back to my room, for a few minutes.

I sigh heavily before walking around the dance floor, past Bucky who nods at me, until I stop in my tracks, staring at the scene before me. A clearly intoxicated man, with his arm around Mae, her eyes showing her panic. I get a heavy feeling in my chest as her voice drifts to me.

"No, I'm okay, thank you though." She says, her voice wavering a bit.

'James. Bar. Now.' I think through our link, already moving at a brisk pace towards them. I see him tighten his arm around her, frowning at her, as her hand travels slowly to her leg, where I assume she has a weapon. Smart and beautiful, a dangerous combination. I hear him start to speak more just as I step up behind him.

"Listen, you have a pretty face but you're obviously just a stupid slut, wearing a dress like that. Do you even know who I am?" He says in her face, as I see her has a grip on what looks like a dagger strapped to the outside of her thigh.

"Hello, my sweet. Thank you so much for being patient with me. Is there a problem here darling? Who's this?" I say calmly while crossing my arms over my chest, glaring at the scum. Bucky walks up quietly and stands to the side of Mae as the creature starts to speak without looking back at me.

"Listen here buddy, she's busy right now so back off and go find your own whore to-" He stops as he finally whips around to see me staring down at him. He almost drug Mae off her stool in his quick movement, and would have made her fall if Bucky hadn't been there to grab her arm and leg, now half supporting her as the man still awkwardly holds on to her. She makes a distressed noise before the quim could recover enough to speak.

"I think it's time you let go of our darling, and leave quickly." I say in a serious voice, not moving from my stance. The man then looks at Bucky, who looks just as murderous as I do, causing him to growl in response to the man's look. Then Mae makes another noise of pain.

'He's digging his nails into her back. She's going to start bleeding soon' Bucky says, making us both growl loudly. He held onto her for another minute before he finally removed his grimy arm from around her. She moves heavily in Bucky's direction as the man stands up straight. He looks over Bucky and I before turning to walk away, calling over his shoulder at us.

"She isn't even that pretty, and is probably a terrible fuck. Have fun boys, a trashy girl such as her would be down for a double team anyway." He says as he tries to walk toward another group of girls, only to be stopped by security guards who start pushing him to the nearest exit.

'Remind me to thank Friday later.' I say to Bucky mentally before looking to Mae as she tries to stand only to fall back and slump forward. I caught her before looking at Bucky worried.

'I think she had a panic attack. She used to get them after the guards would drop her off in her cell. She just needs a minute to regain control of her body.' He explains with a look before rubbing her back. He stops a moment later, pulling back his hand, which is now bloody.

We look at his hand then stare at each other, neither of us knowing what to do. She sits up straight all of a sudden, only to let out a hurting moan as she speaks.

"Fuck that's what hurts." She says

"I'll heal it in a minute when I calm down completely." She adds quickly, looking between us. I share another look with Bucky, trying to decide if caring for her is more important than tracking down the moronic fool.

"Hey, I'm okay. It's okay guys, let's just enjoy our drinks and go dance. You can go back to your buddies Bucky. I'll make Loki dance with me, and I'll stick to him the rest of the night." She says quickly, obviously aware of the tension in the pair of us, and flicks her wrist, cleaning the blood from his hands.

'I've got her Bucky, I'm going to heal her back for her and then do what she wants. I'm not letting her out of my sight again tonight.' I talk mentally to him.

'As long as you're sure. Keep the link open just in case. And I want to see what that bastard did to her back.' He says, still worried about her.

'I'll play it for you as soon as I see it.' I reply. We both nod to each other before he lets her hand go. He looks down at her, leans in and kisses her temple, and then moves back to his war buddies, throwing one last look at us.