(no subject)

[trickor]

for outstandingbalance

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[outstandingbalance]

If she had any attention for him, she'd have appreciated that he didn't stare. Unfortunately, the taste of blood hits her tongue and her focus narrows down to nothing else, so the infamous Black Widow, for the first time in memory, was suddenly totally unaware of her surroundings. She drank steadily, leveraging all of her control not to gulp it down.

She hasn't been feeding, and it shows in the intensity with which she drinks now. She doesn't lower the glass until it's empty, her breath shallow and her face suddenly showing a little flush.

[trickor]

Interestingly, this was beyond Loki's expectations. He'd guessed that Natasha might have gone a while without feeding, but he couldn't have expected the depth of her hunger. The cracker crunches between his teeth, and Loki doesn't turn his gaze away, watching her with sharp eyes.

[outstandingbalance]

Her gaze snaps up at the sound, her expression shuttering. She feels exposed. He would have seen her control strain; she's not used to the vulnerability that comes with that.

She's avoided feeding at all cost. When she's succumbed, it's been for cold blood bags. Loki's method, whatever it is, is significantly less unpleasant.

"Thank you," she says neutrally, hiding her discomfort.

[trickor]

"You're most welcome."

His smile could nearly be called sincere, if it was seen by anyone other than Natasha Romanoff. "Please, help yourself to some food. You seem...hungry."

[outstandingbalance]

She does know better. And she knows he saw more than she intended for him too. The taste of blood had weakened her normal self-control.

"I'm trying to watch what I eat."

[trickor]

"Are you trying a new diet?" Loki's smile is removed, nasty. "I don't see why. You look quite...ravishing. As it were."

[outstandingbalance]

The change in his expression makes her skin crawl. She lifts her chin slightly, setting the goblet aside. "Maybe I'm just not the type to overindulge."

[trickor]

"Perhaps you should change that. The occasional overindulgence is a balm on the soul."

[outstandingbalance]

"Is that so?" She doesn't try not to sound skeptical, though there's no real venom in it. She's just not the kind of person who can do that—control has been too thoroughly trained into her. She can't just let this drive her.

Taking what little she does is bad enough.

[trickor]

"Is it not?" Loki chuckles, and the the goblet vanishes with a twist of his fingers. "Denying yourself does you no good, from what I see. You'd have killed someone sooner or later the way you operate, Lady Romanoff."

[outstandingbalance]

She's killed plenty of people already. She doesn't intend to do it now, not because she's lost control, but that fact makes his warning sit on her oddly. It's not like she can claim to be an innocent.

"I'm not going to lose control. This is part of not losing control."

[trickor]

Loki outright laughs at that. "It seemed more like you were testing the limits of your control."

[outstandingbalance]

"You don't think I can keep this up."

[trickor]

"No," he says, smooth and unhesitatingly. "I don't."

[outstandingbalance]

"And you're trying to help me out of the goodness of your heart?" She doesn't believe that for a moment. If he wants to gloat, he might as well get it out of his system.

[trickor]

"There is no goodness in my heart."

Loki turns his gaze away to pick up another cracker, spreading it with cheese for another bite.

"Though I'm sure you've already come to that conclusion."

[outstandingbalance]

"That doesn't answer my question though. Why?"

[trickor]

"Why not?" He shrugs, eyeing the cracking critically before taking it as a single bite. "Do I need a reason?"

[outstandingbalance]

"I'm not sure I believe you do anything for no reason."

[trickor]

Well, that's certainly flattering, and he says as much with a smile and a gesture, a wineglass flickering into being as Loki pours for them both.

[outstandingbalance]

Her nostrils flare slightly as he pours, instinctively looking for signs of more blood. Even the infamous Black Widow can't tamp down every involuntary reaction.

[trickor]

"Don't look so anticipatory," he scolds mockingly, one eyebrow raising. "It's just wine."

[outstandingbalance]

That stung. He'd seen her hunger more than once now when he shouldn't have seen it at all. "Did you invite me here just to laugh at me?"

[trickor]

"I wouldn't have to invite you here for that."

But he does draw a flask out from the breast pocket of his suit, sliding it across the table.

"I won't tell you where this is from or how I obtained it. It is entirely your choice whether or not you wish to accept."

[outstandingbalance]

She takes it, though she doesn't open it yet to confirm its contents. Loki has secrets. No one could be surprised by that.

"Will you tell me something else then?"