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ijuststareatstuffhereok89 · 2 years

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“Shine”- a Loki/Reader one-shot

You finally get a break from being a personal assistant at the Avengers Compound when you get cast in a leading role in the local community theater’s production of Beauty and the Beast. Loki, as familiar with the theater as he is, can’t help but get worried and jealous of your leading man, and he has an idea on how to keep an eye on you…

Pairing: Loki x Plus Size!Reader CW: Dumb, contrived fluff, Jealous!Loki, stage fright, body insecurity Word Count: 2.8k

“I can’t believe I got Belle!” you said excitedly, sitting around the conference table with Clint, Bruce, and Steve. “I didn’t think I did well at the callback.”

Not to mention, a woman my size isn’t usually considered princess material, you thought, not wanting to say as much out loud in front of three attractive men. The last time you were under a size-10 was in middle school, and these days you hovered between an 18 and a 20. You were usually cast as the villain or the comedic relief on stage because of it, but this director had apparently loved your voice enough that your dress size didn’t matter to her. Finally, your chance at a lead had come.

“I can’t believe you’re willing to drive forty-five minutes each way to sing and act in front of strangers,” Bruce said, half-jokingly. “But I’m sure you’ll be great.”

“Y’know, I played Belle once,” Clint quipped. “But then Lila told me she was tired and wanted to switch the DVD to something else.”

“I have to admit, these Disney cartoon films weren’t the first things I took in after being awoken,” Steve added, “But congratulations. I’ll be sure to buy tickets.”

You beamed. “I hope you all come! In fact, I bet I can convince the box office to comp you all. The Avengers endorsing a small-town theater would be a boon for them.”

“The only problem is, we still need a Gaston,” you added. “We need to find someone fast, but it IS a small town, and no one has the vocal range, or the cockiness in his personality, needed for the part. We may not have a show without a Gaston.”

You heard heavy bootsteps come up behind you, and you didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.

“A children’s show?” Loki scoffed. “Why would you want to see something as inane as a musical derived from a cartoon?”

Ever since you were hired, you’d had it pretty bad for Loki. He was smart, funny, and his long, bouncy black hair made you swoon. However, you’d stayed away under the assumption that Loki could have any beautiful woman he wanted, and someone like you would never live up to the lovers of his past. Loki must’ve taken offense to this, for when he grew wise to your reasons for keeping your distance, he immediately closed the gap and began flirting with you in the hallways. You thought he was mocking you, and so, in spite of your crush on him, you always brushed by him, never acknowledging him as anything more than an Avenger.

You groaned. “Piss off, even you can’t rain on my parade today!”

Loki pulled out the chair next to you and took a seat. “And does this mean you’ll be quitting?”

You shook your head. “I know that’s what you’re hoping for, but no, it’s just in the evenings four times a week until tech.”

“And how much are you being paid?” he added. “As a leading character, hopefully plenty?”

You rolled your eyes. “I thank you not to judge my hobby. And no, it’s not a paid engagement.”

“I don’t judge your choice of pastime,” Loki countered. “In fact, I patronized the performing arts on Asgard frequently. My qualm is that you are willing to drive a long way from here, four days a week, to work amongst strangers for no money whatsoever, only to expose yourself before a live audience, who could either love you or laugh you out of the house.”

You could feel his icy words begin to affect you.

“Hey, come off it, Laufeyson,” Steve snapped. “Why can’t you be happy for her?”

“It’s my dream role,” you added.

“I imagine, as a leading woman, you will be kissing a leading man as well? Kissing a stranger in public!” Loki sighed. “Theater people will do anything for a bit! It just doesn’t seem very becoming of a single woman.”

You grunted and shot out of your seat. “Becoming?! The only thing I’m BECOMING is agitated, Loki! Jesus Christ, do you always have to cast a cloud of negativity over every little good thing that happens to one of us?”

“No,” he said as if it were simple fact. “Only when it happens to you.”

You bit your lip. “If this is your idea of flirting, Loki, you need to take a lesson or two.”

You went to leave, deciding to take the rest of your lunch break in the lab. Before you left the conference room, you turned back to Loki. “And yes, I’m kissing someone. He’s rather handsome, too, and his voice could remove my panties faster than your magic ever could.”

“Ouch!” Steve laughed.

“Nice one,” Bruce added.

Clint leaned back and folded his arms, amused. “There isn’t enough aloe in the country to soothe that burn.”

Loki looked down at his lap, smarting at your insult as you skipped away in triumph. Even so, he was already concocting a plan. He just needed to rent a certain film to do some research first…

“—ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered…”

Three days later, you were dressed ready for a one-on-one dance workshop with the choreographer when you first entered the space that, two months from now, would be shining spotlights on you as you belted out the final notes to “Home.”

The house was already populated with other actors and tech crew working. The Narrator’s deep bass was chilling.

“Y/N!” chimed out Bri, the choreographer waiting for you. You smiled as she came up to you. “Glad you’re on time! Thanks for bringing character shoes.”

You shrugged. “About time I took them out for a spin again! Hey, any updates on the Gaston situation?”

Bri nodded excitedly. “Actually, the director’s meeting with a candidate right now. He sure looks the part, at least I think so! He’s just got to audition—”

As if on cue, a rich, handsome baritone started singing some tune that was unfamiliar to you. It was upbeat and robust, but it was also a sweet melody.

Oh no, I might end up falling for the bad guy in the end if this man gets the role, you thought, shuffling towards the left wing, where a piano was being kept, and where an accompanist was plunking out the song the mysterious singer was gifting your ears with.

You brushed aside one of the curtains, only to stop in your tracks as you processed that it was Loki himself, singing that incredible song. The director was standing behind the accompanist, looking very pleased with him. Your jaw hit the floor.

After the final bar, the entirety of the cast had gathered around the left wing, and they all erupted in applause and cheers.

Marie, the director, quickly scooted around the piano to shake Loki’s hand. “Welcome to the cast, Gaston! Everyone, we have a full cast!”

Fuck. A. Duck.

Everyone clapped again as Marie gently turned Loki around to face you. “And I believe you already know our Belle! You two probably know how to work together already! So, Mr. Loki, go see Adele for costuming before the end of tonight if you would? And Y/N,” she turned to you. “I changed my mind, I want you and Garrett doing Intimacy Coaching with Marty in the green room, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” you said, trying to hide your burning desire to kick Loki in his sack. As soon as Marie left you to your own devices, Loki smirked and raised a curious eyebrow.

“Intimacy Coaching?” he asked, sounding intrigued.

“Don’t get your hopes up, perv,” you groaned. “It’s just boundaries and limit-testing. We kiss twice at the end of the show and it’s to make sure we’re cool with each other, that’s all.”

“I’m sure your partner wouldn’t agree,” Loki murmured.

“Okay, first of all, Garrett is gay. Gayer than Christmas. So that’s already one problem solved,” you told him. “Second, just…why? Why, Loki? Was tormenting me at work not enough to get you off anymore?”

“I thought someone needed to keep an eye on you,” Loki growled. “And it’s been nearly a millennium since I’ve graced a stage with my presence, so I—”

“—you are ridiculous, you know that? You SHOULD be playing LeFou!” you barked, spinning on your heels and walking away before you lost your cool entirely.

Loki followed you with his eyes, his shoulder dropping as you left the house. Damn, he thought. I’m losing my touch. Sighing, he went to go retrieve a script from the stage manager as Garrett, the actor playing Beast, was practicing the final notes of his big ballad, which seemed to perfectly reflect the feelings in Loki’s own heart in that moment:

“Hope I could have loved her and that she'd set me free But it's not to be If I can't love her…”

Tech Week arrived faster than you thought; you were having such a blast rehearsing for the role of a lifetime. What’s more, when word got out that an Avenger was in the leading cast, ticket sales boomed so much that the company had to rent out another week from the building for a second weekend of the run, which of course meant even more people would be seeing you.

You didn’t say anything more to Loki than was absolutely mandated by your respective parts in the show. Even at music rehearsal, you sang away from him. If you’d just turned your head a few times during a solo, you would have seen that Loki was genuinely impressed by your vocals, and couldn’t hide the admiring look on his face.

Admittedly, the stage fright was beginning to crawl up your back, especially now as you were in the green room with the costumer, getting the final touches finished on your ball gown. Sadly, no version of the iconic yellow gown fit your full body, so a replica in the same size and shape, but in a crystal blue color more akin to Cinderella, was made. You still looked incredible, at least according to the seamstress, but the fact that there was no costume in the yellow you’d dreamed of wearing as a girl made your insecurity only grow. Now showtime was beginning to feel less like a looming adventure and more like a ticking clock. Would the audience receive you for who you were as a singer-slash-actor? Or would no one be able to get past your looks. After all, it was right there in the song lyrics: “it’s no wonder her name means ‘beauty.’”

“Would you like to go out and show everyone?” asked the costumer. You looked at yourself one more time in the mirror, sighing and admitting to yourself that you really looked all right.

Picking up the hem of your billowing skirt, you went upstairs and onto the stage, where two stagehands were standing under spotlights, so that the tech director could focus them.

“Oh, never mind, let her stand under the light,” the tech master yelled from the booth above the back of the house as you stepped onto the stage. The stagehands moved aside for you, and you could hear several people gasping from the house.

“Y/N!” cried out Marie. “You’re stunning! Can you move well enough to dance?”

“Yes,” you said meekly, stepping into the light, feeling vulnerable.

“Geddit, Bella!” you could hear Garrett calling from the wings, and you looked over at him, dressed in his own royal-blue best.

“Do a slow turn,” the tech master asked. You obeyed. “The light reflects this color differently than I thought…”

After a few minutes of standing in the light, hearing the encouragement from your cast and crewmates, you were given permission to step aside and to get out of your dress and into dance gear for the top of the show, but as you swiftly walked back into the wings, you heard Loki call out from near the curtain.

“Beautiful,” he mused, admiring you. You stopped in your tracks and looked at him oddly.

You couldn’t help but fail to stifle a laugh at Loki’s appearance in his own costume: the standard candy-apple red jacket and black ponytail. He looked the part for certain, but seeing him in such a recognizable suit was strange, to say the least.

Loki smiled and looked down at himself. “I know. I should have asked to play the clock.”

You smiled. “You look like Gaston,” you said.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “Should I consider that an insult?”

“Um….no,” you answered. “He’s supposed to be the physical ideal. Herculean, y’know?”

Loki took this as a signal to slowly close the gap between you, looking you in the eye. “I knew Heracles,” he said quietly. “He’s not exactly someone I’d invite to supper.”

“Look, Loki,” you began, “About what’s been going on between us, I’ve been thinking about it, and maybe it’s worth it to talk things through? After all—”

“—Y/N, I didn’t make my intentions fully clear before,” he said. “I did not take this part because I was worried that you’d be swept off your feet by another. Well, perhaps not entirely.”

“You didn’t? Could have fooled me,” you quipped.

“Ever since Stark hired you,” he continued, “I’ve held a bit of a torch for you. That said, my knowledge of Midgardian flirting rituals are limited. Once I thought my attempts to get your attention were yielding the opposite result to what I was hoping for, maybe I became a bit spiteful.”

“So you DID ask for the part to torture me?”

He quickly shook his head. “I wanted to protect you.”

“From whom?” you asked.

Loki sighed. “One thing about Midgard I DO know about is the shallowness of the people here. I know you are a lady of beauty, but the humans out there can’t seem to appreciate anything that falls outside their norm. I was afraid they would come after you.”

You looked away from Loki, blushing and hoping he wouldn’t notice. “I guess I appreciate the gesture, cavalier and outdated as it is.”

“But,” Loki continued, putting up a hand. “After hearing your dulcet tones sweetening the air in the room, and seeing you grace the stage with your body in that immense dress, I don’t see a need to protect you any more.”

You cocked your head. “No?”

Loki smiled and took your hand, gently starting to remove the opera glove on your arm. “You are talented and graceful. Any audience that would judge you for a large frame and not your skills are mad and not worthy to attend the performance. But, with what you’ve been bringing, I think worrying is no longer required.”

You smiled. “Thank you.”

“And,” Loki continued, removing the glove and bringing your bare hand to his lips, laying a gentle kiss on your knuckles. “If you would forgive me for my previous misguided transgressions, I would be honored if you’d let me escort you to the after party on our final evening.”

The light kiss on your hand sent electricity up your arm and down your spine.

“You’d willingly be seen with me?” you asked. “And you’d be proud of me?”

Loki took your arm and pulled you in even closer, taking his hand and running it gently along your cheek. “My dear, I’d be a beast not to be.”

Opening night, you felt the icy chill of stage fright cement you off in the right wing as the recorded narration and the opening scene played out for the audience.

Loki was right behind you, confident in his stride as always.

“How do you feel, Belle?” he asked gently, leaning by your ear from behind you as you stood watching for your cue. You shook your head, your skin shaking with fear. “Darling, your skin is trembling.”

He caressed your neck with a hand, and somehow, it did the trick, stopping the shakes underneath your skin and warming you.

“You really think they’re going to like me?” you asked. “What of--?”

“—no what ifs, Y/N,” Loki demanded. “This is your finest hour,” Loki said, encouraging you with a firm-but-kind hand on the small of your back. “Act like it.”

Giving you one last kiss for luck on your cheek, he gestured to the stage, where the scene was going black and the narration dying. “I do believe that is your cue. Go. Shine.”

You felt a tingle of courage (and pleasure) milk the adrenaline from your brain, giving you the fuel that you needed to take your place for your grand entrance. Once you did, and once the first spotlight and twinklings of “Belle” emitted from the orchestra pit, the audience clapped for you.

You immediately blew them away with your opening notes, Loki’s own heart began to tremble with admiration (and affection) as he watched you.

“Little town…such a quiet village…”

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