#notpedeka

Loki brought a finger to his lips, tapping them in thought. I know not if I have any better ideas, last one I had involved maiming the idiot we just left. Perhaps you should make the plans for now, would not want to injure myself.

“Yourself? I thought you wanted to injure him.” Sophie laughed. “We just finished injuring me. I told you I could do it.”

“I had meant injuring myself thinking but you do make a point.” He grinned then gently tugged her out behind him when the elevator doors opened to their floor. “What do you have in mind to keep us occupied for the evening?”

“I had plans at one point in my life. Then S.H.I.E.L.D. showed up and there you were.... and plans... have kind of been pointless since then.” She followed Loki down the hall, being pulled by the hand. “But you sure are in a hurry.”

Loki stopped abruptly, turning to face Sophie with a furrowed brow. “So you are saying my presence has ruined your plans? Interesting.” He dropped her hand to open the apartment door and stride in.

“Yep. You sure did ruin my plans to maybe get a cat if I managed to avoid becoming homeless. You're a horrible person.” Sophie sighed and clicked her tongue for Toukka. “Come here, baby, lunch time for you!”

The green eyed god was already in the kitchen getting food for his weasel friend when what she said registered. He dropped the package of ground meat on the counter harder than necessary. “Finally admitting I am a horrible creature? Took you long enough. I am sure Toukka would love to be replaced with a feline, easier to care for after all; it won't attack guests after all.” He grabbed a plate out of the cupboard. Toukka, food.

Said weasel was on his way to Sophie when Loki called for him, he stopped in his tracks' whipping his little head back and forth between the two, confused on who to go to.

Sophie pointed at the kitchen and followed Toukka in. Loki's face seemed stormy as she picked up the ermine and kissed the top of its head, before setting him on the counter next to the plate. “Who pee'd in your Wheaties? You sure are cranky all of a sudden.” She asked Loki, folding her arms over her chest.

“No one.” He unwrapped the meat then dropped a good sized chunk on the plate. “I'm fine, nothing is wrong. Just being my normal, horrible self.”

She moved closer to Loki and put her face in his. “Liar.”  She shot. “You were fine. Then we went to train and you've been snapping ever since.”

“The reality of what is coming is truly sinking in, I am also training you to defend yourself as much as possible from certain death and you expect me to be rainbows and sunshine?” Loki snapped back. “Please allow me to correct my horrible self.” He stroked down the weasels back once then plastered a fake smile on his face. “I am truly sorry darling, I did not mean to be such a boor. Please ignore me as I go beat myself within an inch of my life to correct my attitude.” He gave a half bow then turned to fill a bowl with water for the weasel.

Sophie let out another exasperated sigh. “Really? That's how this is going to be?”

“You don't have to be sunshine, but come on... no one deserves this attitude.” Her finger caught under his chin and she caught his gleaming eyes with hers. “Even YOU.”

“Says the woman whose life plans I ruined.” Loki jerked his head away then glared at the counter top.

“That was sarcasm, oh ye of the sliver tongue.” Sophie let her hand drift to his waist and gently poked him. “Maybe I DO have plans...” She grinned. “Maybe I have plans for what I'm going to do with you.”

“And what could those possibly be?” Teeth clenched while he kept glaring a hole through the island.

She leaned up and pressed her lips gently against Loki's ear. “Do you want me to tell you, or show you?” She whispered before tugging his earlobe with her teeth.

Loki's whole body twitched as his jaw relaxed in a small gasp, his mood doing a complete 180 from the glowering from a moment ago. “Both.”

She bit his ear a bit harder, then firmly whispered, “OR.”

“Tell me.” The now flustered god replied breathlessly, the barest hint of a moan tinting his words.

A small grin crossed Sophie's lips as she thought about just how easy this all was. She leaned in on his shoulder, her breath hot against his neck. “Short term?” She purred. “There's a guy here and I just can't seem to keep my hands off of him, it's like I have touch him to believe he's real. But right now he's pouting so much, it makes me want to push him around until he comes to his senses. So I thought maybe I could bite on his ear a bit,” She nipped at his soft lobe and then just along his neck. “Maybe down here, just to see if I can get him to flinch. If he just stands there like a doll, I might treat him like one. When you play with dolls, the first thing you do is undress them, so you can change their clothes later. That's just my plan if he tries to be a tough guy.”

Sophie's white teeth scraped against Loki's pale throat again, “Now, if he gives in and smiles and gets over it, I might just give him a great big kiss and if it goes well ask him back to the bedroom. But I doubt if he will give in.”

Loki releases a loud sigh and squeezes his eyes closed. “Comparing me to a doll, good way to ruin the mood, elskling. Maybe I should have gone with the show option.” He scoops up the now full Toukka to cradle him close then steps away from Sophie. “This man is obviously an idiot; then again he never gives in that easily, nice try love.”

“Obviously!” Sophie huffed and flopped face first on the counter.

“Careful, elskling. You don't want to break the counter.” He sat on a stool nearby, amused by her frustration.

“Arrrg!” She growled and slapped at the marble in frustration. “Why me?”

“Because slamming someone else’s face into marble is highly frowned upon?” An elegant black brow arched in her direction. Toukka hopped from his hold to bounce toward the miffed woman.

Sophie's head lifted to let her gape at him in disbelief, her fair hair falling over into her face. She wagged her finger at him slowly and gave him a broad grin. “You! Right now, you just guaranteed that everything is going to turn out just fine. There is no way that I am not going to spend years figuring out the perfect way to get you back for acting like this.”

“Yes and I fear that it would probably be on our wedding night; me all tied up so I cannot escape, you get me worked up to the point of madness then suddenly remember that you have a meeting or something of the sort to attend to.” Loki let out a dramatic sigh. “Then again there is always the afterlife. Wouldn't that be an adventure?” His head rested on his hand. “You tormenting me for all eternity while also being tormented by the goddess of death herself? Such a thrilling concept.” Green eyes blinked rapidly as a sassy grin cracked his lips.

Sophie burst out laughing. “Oh God, Loki Friggasson, I love you so much right now.” She unconsciously reached out and stroked Toukka, almost to bring him in on the joke.

Loki actually gave a real, broad smile at Sophie. “And I love you, elskling.”

“I knew I could do it.” She smiled back.

“Do what, love?” He tilted his head, curious.

“Give in and smile, dear.” She stood upright and approached Loki.

Green eyes softened as she came closer, a fond smile replacing the broad grin. “There’s my girl.”

Her soft lips covered his and her fingers rested lightly on his shoulders. “This is the part where I invite you to the bedroom, unless you prefer the kitchen.”

“Hmmm...” Loki pretended to think about it. “The kitchen is one place we have not christened but I care not either way. One important thing must be answered first.” He withdrew enough to look her in the eye. “Do you wish to move under your own power or do I carry you?”

Sophie's arms wound around the back of Loki's neck, his dark hair brushing along her hands. She gave Loki a look wicked enough that it could have come from himself. “I want to fly.”

“Well in that case.” His look matched hers; Loki swooped in to capture her lips in a searing kiss, hands immediately going to the backs of her thighs and lifting. As soon as her legs wrapped around his waist, me moved quickly back to the bedroom to drop her on the bed.

She laughed as she bounced and quickly made her way up to her knees so that she could reach up and pull Loki down after her. “See I have plans.”

“You and your nefarious plans.” Wasting no time, he joined her on the bed, lips chasing after hers.

Sophie kissed him back playfully. Her tongue teased his, as it was hard to purse her lips around her smile. “I'm nefarious.. And I didn't even have to bite you!”

“I am certainly not opposed to biting.” His teasing grin moved down to her neck where he gave her a firm nip along her pulse.

She gasped at the feel of him on her neck. Her fingers slipped up under his shirt, searching out the soft skin of his waist and tickled just enough to feel him twitch.

Loki grunted when her fingers found a sensitive spot. “You, young lady, had better stop.”

“Or what?” She poked him again and kissed his forehead. Her toes drug up along the back of his calves. “Hmmmm?”

“Or I will tie you up and leave you here until I am good and ready to continue.” He growled into the skin under her ear.

That growl traveled right down Sophie's spine, and swam hotly between her legs before it shot right up into her chest, making her heart pound. Being playfully brave, she crawled her fingers up his sides one more time. “What will it take to get you ready? I won't hold my breath for good.”

“Thought turning blue was my job?” A hot tongue traced along the column of her throat and bit her collarbone once her fingers caught his sides again. “You should know by now it doesn't take much to get me ready but I may make an exception and tease ruthlessly by not touching you while I pleasure myself.”

A moan from deep inside leaked out of her and her tickling fingers clutched at Loki to pull him closer. “Like I said, I won't last waiting for good.”

Loki propped himself up enough to look down at Sophie. “I wonder...”

Her hands slid up further inside of his shirt along his chest as her legs wrapped around his and pulled them tight to her. “I wonder what?”

Hips rolled into hers before he backed away completely. “If I can make you beg without touching you.” His lips attached to hers in a filthy kiss. Before she could react and latch onto him again, Loki stood up at the end of the bed and kicked off his boots. “Take your clothes off, elskling. Do not touch yourself, just the clothes.” His sharp gaze locked with hers, emerald fire smoldering within his eyes.

Sophie's mouth opened to say something, but she paused and closed it as she was almost hypnotized by his eyes. Her eyes widened slightly while she surprisingly nodded her head. She got up to her knees again and silently pulled her shirt off over head, her eyes didn't leave his as she reached back to unhook her bra.

Her nipples rose as she removed it, if it was from the cool air or Loki's hot stare, she didn't know. “What are you planning?” She whispered.

Loki’s eyes raked hotly over the supine form of Sophie, taking in the vision she made. Like a feast waiting to be devoured. He stopped his perusal with his head tilted downward and looking into her eyes from under his lashes, a wicked grin spread across his face. “I plan on seeing how long it will take.” Deft fingers slid very slowly from his collar bone to his waistband before palming himself through his pants. “For you to ask for this, explicitly. How much teasing you can withstand before the ache becomes too much and you beg for my touch and to be touched in return.”

His thumb hooked into the belt buckle of his pants as the other hand traveled up his chest and around the back of his neck then through his hair before bringing it forward and sliding his palm across his cheek and pausing his spread fingers in front of his mouth, his tongue flicking between them lewdly. “I want to take you apart, my darling, slowly and intimately.” Loki’s voice dropped into a gravelly whisper while his fingers moved once more to the opening of his shirt and popped a single button, the absolutely wicked grin still pointed in her direction.

Sophie looked up at Loki with an amused smile, but serious eyes were watching his pale fingers. “Astin min, you want me to beg and be explicit?” She propped herself up against the pillows at the head of the bed,  making herself comfortable and refusing to admit that his voice alone was already dangerously close to making her reach for him.

“Yes love, be explicit. Tell me exactly what you need.” A single finger slid down to the next button, popping it open then continuing to the next one agonizingly slow, the pale skin beneath being revealed millimeter by millimeter.

She bit her lip and looked up at him with a slight blush. “You're doing fine.” He was actually making her very aware of her own nudity and she laid her arms over her chest.

“Don't!” Loki's command came out more biting than he intended. “Let me see you; while I tease you I torture myself, seeing all of your delicious skin displayed before me like a feast... It is taking every molecule of self-control I possess not to pounce upon you and devour you until I am sated.” He licked his lips as his emerald orbs moved over Sophie like a caress. “With you eternity would not be long enough to sate my appetite, my darling.” The final button came free, exposing his abdomen and chest. With a shrug, Loki dropped the shirt from his shoulders to pool in the crook of his arms.

   Sophie drew her arms back at Loki's bark and laid her hands flat against the bedding. Her eyes slid across his marble abdomen and up until they met his. After his correction, her tone was much more acquiescent than usual. “Yes, Loki.”

She looked at him, really looked, almost critical or appraising. She was wordless for a moment while she thought, ‘He is so handsome and beautiful at the same time. And for some reason, he loves ME.’

Sophie exhaled with a breathy sound and spoke gently. “You are every inch a god and king. Let me see you?”

"Oh you will, elskling, you will indeed." The shirt finally slid down his arms the rest of the way; Loki threw it across the room with a flourish, eyes still locked with hers. Loki took a moment to study Sophie, admiring all of her soft curves.

Both of his hands slipped to his waistline, deft fingers undoing the belt slowly and popping the button. The tips of his fingers dipped teasingly out of sight past the opening of his pants then twirled within the fine hairs leading upwards toward his navel, further up they traveled in a light caress until he came to his nipples. Loki teased the small buds while biting his lip, green eyes glazing over in lust as a moan built within his throat. “What do you want to see, my Sophie? Tell me what you need.”

A small sound escaped her and her tongue peeked out to wet her lips. “I need you to put your finger in your mouth, get it wet and do that again.” Sophie said in a throaty voice. “Your eyes were amazing when you did that.”

Ever so slowly; one of those fingers slid up the center of his chest, past the arch of his neck and slid between his bite swollen lips. His tongue swirled around the digit before sucking gently, keeping their eyes locked. Once thoroughly wet, Loki brought it back to his nipple. Instantly his pupils blew wider as a breathless gasp snuck past his lips.

 Sophie's pupils matched Loki's and her breathing grew a bit deeper. She smiled. Not looking away from Loki's eyes, she asked him, “Don't stop, but you really ARE keeping my initials right there on your chest, aren't you?”

Lokis free hand slid over the letters carved in his chest and smiled. “Of course, keeping a piece of you with me at all times. From then till the end and my body turns to dust.” Said hand then moved to the neglected nipple and pinched, causing a gasp to form.

Sophie bit her lip. Gah! His nipples were pink. Is this what he liked? It should have been her feeling the texture of his skin change beneath her fingers. Her heart was beating hard after his words. This shouldn't be turning her on so much. “You're wonderful, astin min. You don't need a piece, you have all of me. Now let me see what you like. Your pants?”

With a lusty grin, Loki slid his thumbs down either side of his navel and the dark hair pointing down toward the growing bulge in his pants. Thumbs met at the small opening of his waistband then slipped past it, hooking along the edges and tugging down slightly before pausing. “Do you want them off or just down, love?”

“Off, please.” She whispered. Sophie eyelids were hooded as she watched him. She was sure she had noticed his hands and fingers before, but right now they were the most amazingly powerful and graceful things she had ever seen. Did they look like that when they touched her, like they were dancing?

Her breasts shivered as she took in a stuttering breath. “You can take your time.”

Loki grinned at Sophie, loving the effect he was having on her. Slowly his hands slid down the sides of his thighs, then around to the back. He turned around so she could see him cup his own bottom then slide back up and into his pants, shimmying ever so slowly off his sculpted butt while he threw a naughty smile over his shoulder.

Sophie sunk white teeth into her full lip. Her fingers curled gently around the blanket under her and her eyes fluttered. “I know you know what your best assets are. I think I want to bite that asset.”

He turned back around, pants still clinging to his upper thighs and covering the hardest part of him. “You want it? You have to beg, darling.” A hand slipped down past the small area still covering his member and squeezed, drawing a stifled groan from him. “You can see what your mere gaze does to me, my love.” His hand wrapped around his shaft. “And I can see the evidence of what I do to you clinging to the apex of your thighs; oh how I want to bury my tongue within those folds and suckle the sweetness from within, but I won't, not until you beg me for relief.”

A breathy moan escaped Loki while he gave himself a few short strokes to his length.

Sophie moaned along with him when his hand moved along the fabric covered bulge. Her thighs closed and rubbed together, half in response to his comment and half because she was starting to crave the friction. “Loki. Please? All the way off? Let me see you like you see me. Let me see your cock, let me see you touching it.”

With a shifting of his hips, the pants fell to puddle around his ankles. Loki stepped out of them, his fist still wrapped around his turgid length. “Open your legs for me, darling. Let me see you.”

She whined as she reluctantly spread her knees apart. The air was cool against her. She wanted the warmth and touch of the hand that was wrapped around his member. Sophie could almost feel his fingers pressing inside her. When she spoke her voice cracked a little. “Your turn, please, my king. Touch yourself like you want me to.”

“Oh love.” Loki moaned with another short stroke. “I can feel your eyes caressing me and it feels glorious.” Loki knelt on the end of the bed between her spread legs, scooting further up yet being sure to no parts of them touched. He could swear the temperature rose a few more degrees being this close to her center, it was maddening and thrilling at the same time.

As Loki knelt between her spread legs, the length of his strokes increased. Gliding smoothly along the shaft and over the engorged head before repeating the motions. Blazing green eyes locked with hers while he pleasured himself, loud moans filling the space. “Elskling, you are a vision. I can feel the heat radiating from you, I want to feel it around my fingers.” His head tilted back with an especially load moan. “Feel you wrapped around my cock as I slide within you so slowly it drives us both to insanity, savor every heavenly inch of flesh on flesh.”

Sophie's breathing was now matching his strokes. Her stomach fluttered and each heart beat was sending electricity through her breasts and core. She wanted to look away from his eyes to watch his pale fingers brush over the darker head of his penis, but he had her caught like a snake with a bird.

Loki's moans were shivering along her spine even more so than his words. Eventually Sophie gave in and moaned herself as she ground her hips into the bed. She gazed up at his form, and watched him as he leaned above her. His ecstasy was so beautiful and frustrating it almost had a physical presence that she could feel. It turned the fluttering inside of her into a winding tightness. She could feel her own wetness now and her nipples ached to be touched.

“Lo-ki, please?” Sophie's hand reached up and twitched, trying to touch herself and Loki at the same time.

Loki's eyes fluttered as he smiled at the sweet sound of her plea. “Please what, darling?” His unused hand went behind him to support his weight as he leaned back, his head tilting up to the ceiling in pleasure while arching into his own fist. “Tell me exactly what you want.”

“I need you to ... touch me. Please.” Her hand slid up on her hip, pushing her hips further into the mattress.  “Unnnh god...” Sophie could feel herself clenching against nothing. “I want... unh.. I NEED you to touch me. To squeeze my breasts, your beautiful hand between my legs, fingers deep and thumb making me scream... please.”

She moaned and raised her swaying hips with every bit of lewdness he had been displaying. “I need you, my king.”

Sophie looked at Loki and made a disapproving face at him. “No. You may not hurt him. He has presents and is actually on our side here. Be nice.”

She took Loki by the hand and gestured to the door. “Show us the toys, Tony!”

Tony took the water bottle from her and held her now free hand and tugged them out the door. “Good choice, dollface. I have something special for you too.”  His dark eyes twinkled as he grinned.

Loki glowered from his place at the rear of their makeshift train, not appreciating Stark's appearance one bit. A soft growl left him at the grin Tony gave Sophie.

Stark chattered all the way into the elevator and on the ride up. “Seriously, I've made some stunning breakthroughs because we've had the glow stick of destiny and the readings from your ring to work with. I found a whole new energy source to work with that the nano tech LOVES.”

Sophie nodded as she listened, but gently eased her hand out of Tony's grasp.

The grumpy god perked up slightly at the mention of his scepter and the ring. “What kind of breakthroughs and what is nano tech?”

“It's building things at the atomic or molecular level. Really tiny stuff, things you can't stick batteries in. Now the power that your light up gear has, flows freely, no carrier, no receptors. I can use power that moves like that to OVER power nano tech devices.” Tony waved his hands around. “Aaaaaand BOOM!” He grinned at Loki and strode down the hall, not stopped to swing open the double doors to his workshop.

Loki stared at the eccentric billionaire with a look of confusion, he may understand most concepts but for some reason Stark still made no sense to him. Once they made it through the double doors, Loki stopped dead in his tracks at seeing the far wall lined with many of Tony's suits. “Stark; I swear, to every god I know, that if you have cloned yourself then I am pointing Thanos directly at you. Why do you have so many of your flying suits of armor?”

“Always upgrading.” Tony said as he left their sides to move around the room check and adjusting and fidgiting with things. “One need better battery power, one needed better armor, THAT one needed to have the, ahem, codpiece expanded... But cloning... hmmmmmm I haven't gotten into that yet. Could be interesting........” His voice tapered off as he stroked his goatee and pulled up a computer screen to move data around on.

“Could be terrifying.” Sophie cut in. “But do you have anything practical here?”

“Could be?” Loki whispered harshly next to her ear. “The thought of Stark reproducing is frightening enough, cloning is cause for unadulterated terror.” The inherent curiosity in Loki got the better of him; slowly he approached a table with many different contraptions on it, a small one with propeller’s on caught his eye. “What are these?”

“Drones!” Tony barked and he hopped over to pick one up. “This one is for observation, picks up every image and sound and some kinds of radiation for 100 yards in every direction. That black one, carries the same kind of particle beam emitter as my gauntlets. Small enough to work like scalpels. One next to it is a Trojan Horse, looks like the observational model, but carries a cloud of explosive nano bots. There are a few other kinds.”

Sophie took a step away from the table at the phrase "explosive nano bots".

Loki too, took an unconscious step back from the table and swallowed audibly. “Will they know friend from foe?”

“They don't. Jarvis does, though.” He moved on to swing a screen toward them with technical drawings and video of some kinds of vehicles. “We will have a fleet of these to move troops and command personnel around. Well... those of us that can't fly.” A dark eyebrow arched at Loki.

An equally dark brow arched to match the man in front of him. “And the ones that cannot fly are perfectly content to not do so unless necessary.” Loki stepped closer to the screen, looking over some of the details of the drawings. “It says one of these vehicles can carry dozens of warriors but did you take into account the added weight of armor and Asgardian bone and muscle density? A fully equipped warrior can weigh nearly twice that of a regular mortal. I can see they are also equipped for frozen and solid surfaces but how will they fare when the permafrost turns to mud?”

“All been accounted for, Horn Dog.” Tony snapped and brusquely turned off the screen and shoved it away.

Sophie covered her mouth and tried not to laugh at the pissing contest that was starting between the two men.

“What about the electro-static discharge across the circuits of the drones from the Bi-Frost?” Lokis arms crossed as a hip cocked to the side. “The electromagnetic pulse from Moljnir when it strikes ice? Do you have a solution for the communication issues, especially the language barrier?” His fingers started to drum against his upper arm. “Will the drones be able to crack the armor of the Leviathans?”

Tony thumped Loki on the shoulder as he walked past him to stand in front of a panel in the wall. “Ya know what, Frosty? You worry too much. Just believe that everything here was built with you friends in mind.”

Stark turned to Sophie and gave her his best smile as he pressed a button that opened the panel. It revealed a body suit hanging inside. “Come here, sweetness. This is all for you. I was pretty thorough with the measurements, so it should hug all of those hills and valleys of yours just fine.”

Loki spun on his heel to follow Tony, only to stop dead in his tracks. His eyes widened before snapping out of his stupor and rushing at the billionaire, slapping his hand on Tony's shoulder and whipping him around, snarling in his face. “What is the meaning of this?!” The now irate god pointed at the garment in the wall. “That is not needed, especially not from you.” Loki seethed, teeth clenching while the emerald fire in Loki's eyes burned straight into Tony. “Sophie’s' wellbeing will be handled by me.”

Tony backed away with his hands up in a surrendering gesture, but obviously pleased at the fact he provoked Loki this much. “Easy now. Your brother and Fury signed off on it. It's just an environmental suit with a few tweaks. We ARE going to the Arctic and you're the only Popsicle among us. Well, you and Cap.”

Sophie went over and touched the black and green piece of clothing. “Wow. That's weird. I'm touching it.” She pulled on a sleeve experimentally. “But I can't actually FEEL it. It weighs nothing.”

The fabric of the sleeve pooled in her hand, not even filling her palm. “So, it's like high grade long underwear? This is going to keep me warm?”

Tony stepped in a wide arch around Loki, over to Sophie and the suit. “Keep you warm, keep you cool, keep you perky...” He laughed. “It's not quite armor but most particle beams will slide right off of it.”

Loki was entirely not amused by Tony's antics. “And why would she need this?”

Tony crossed his arms over his chest and gave Loki a look like he was the most ridiculous person in the world. “Ummmm, so you can do whatever it is that only you seem qualified to know about and not worry that our little princess here isn't freezing anything perky off.”

“Would you cease with the pointing out of anything perky.” Loki pinched the bridge of his nose in aggravation, trying quite hard not to throw something at the billionaire. “I had the not freezing bit taken care of you imbecile.”

Sophie turned her head and looked at Loki. “You did? I didn't know that. But this isn't so bad. Feel it.. or feel that you can't feel it. Either way.”

She turned back to Tony. “Thank you for thinking about me. I've been afraid I'd get lost in the people with super powers.”

The annoyed god stepped forward to feel said material, begrudgingly and silently he admitted it might be useful as an added layer of protection. “Yes elskling, we had spoken of getting you armor, remember? If you have changed your mind then please inform me.”

“Well, armor seems like it could get pretty cold, that's all. I haven't changed my mind. I can wear both.” Sophie stepped closer to Loki and looked up at him with big, wide eyes. “Dear, It's not like anyone is meaning to insult you with this.”

Her hand shot out and she pointed at Tony without moving her gaze from Loki. “Shut it before you open it, Stark. It won't help.”

“We're all a team in this. Right? We're all in this together. It's OK.”  This time she was speaking to Loki.

“I am not the one being insulted, it is you.” Loki stared levelly into her wide eyes. “This... cloth speaks more of lingerie than thermal protection. I doubt it even has an anti-microbial barrier or protection from chafing.” He sniffed in distaste at the garment. “If we are in this together then it would have been nice to be consulted about the matter, then we could have collaborated on something spectacular for you. The other items seem to truly be helpful; at least in that, I shall agree.”

Sophie opened her mouth to argue with Loki, but quickly shut it and exhaled heavily through her nose when she decided that this was a lost cause. How could something she couldn't even feel chafe?  

Tony broke the tension in the air by speaking as he walked toward the door. “Aaaaaaanyway, that's about all I have in here right now. I can sent you the specs for the stuff we are already moving to base.”

Loki shrugged. “No point now is there? We will see soon enough if it works; if it doesn't then we all die, no pressure.” He wandered back over to the table, looking at random bits and pieces still laying around. “Anything else we need to see?”

“No. Guess not. All good here. Don't get lost on the way out.” Tony shot at Loki as he held the door open.

“Good luck with him, princess.” He whispered to Sophie as she passed by.

He tossed the scrap he was examining back on the table then sauntered out the door to the elevator. “Well that was enlightening.”

“Hey. Hey!” Sophie called as she scurried to catch up to Loki's long strides. “What was that about? Are you OK? You're usually in a ..... well, different mood than this after we've fought or sparred.”

“You know as well as I that Stark rubs me the wrong way. Never have and most likely never will get along with him. I tolerate his existence for your sake.” He pressed the call button for the lift. “Perhaps he reminds me too much of myself from years ago; arrogant to a fault and convinced he knows everything.” Loki's arms crossed as he stared at the shiny metal doors in front of him. “I am trying to share what I know, give details with important information but how are we supposed to work effectively like this? He deliberately takes shots at me through you and it leaves me wanting nothing more than smearing his face all over the street below.”

Sophie ran her hand along his taught arms and she leaned in toward him. “You shouldn't let him bother you like that. No matter what he does, I'm right here with you, aren't I? It's just talk and won't ever come to anything at all. I think he just does it because he's terrified of you.”

“As he should be.” Loki's arms uncrossed and he slid one around her waist. “I am still settling in on this person I’ve become, people like Stark do not help. Most times I am content but as soon as he is in the room my hackles rise like an angry cat. I do not understand it myself.”

As Sophie's arms started to slide around Loki to hold him, the elevator dinged and opened. She sighed and stepped inside, pulling him with her.  “I don't know either. But he needs some slack too. From what I saw in the files Nat let me look at on the computer, when Tony went through that hole you tore in the sky to stop the Chitauri, he DIED. Flat out died and they brought him back somehow.” She reached up and caressed his cheek. “And this person right here, I know he understands when someone else is in pain from something like that. He understands my pain.”

Loki released an unamused bark of laughter. “Oh he died? That’s nice, when he does it a few more times then I shall try to understand him.” His hand cradled hers against his cheek. “I understand you because you know what it is like to have no one.”

“I'll stop trying to sell him to you, but one last thought. He names the robots in that lab and talks to them. I don't think the list of people he has is very long either.” Sophie rose to her toes and gently kissed Loki. “You try to understand me. And you mostly do. I love you for trying.”

“Elskling, if I ever truly figured you out then life would become boring. You may say you are a simple woman and yet I find you one of the most confounding people I know.” A small grin appeared on his face. “I mean that in the most loving way, of course.”

“Of COURSE,” She laughed as the door chimed and slid open. “Come on, you and I have to get back home. So we can sit around and have nothing to do for the rest of the day.”

He sighed dramatically. “If you insist, love. We have a weasel that will enjoy the down time.”

Sophie leaned forward and touched her forehead to Loki's. “You didn't sour anything. We just need you to be yourself for things to work out. Just you. OK?”

Loki shrugged and exhaled loudly through his nose. “I don’t feel much like myself right now.”

Sophie's hand ran down his bare arm. “You feel exactly like you.” She smiled.

He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. “That may be but thinking of everything that is coming is chilling me to the core.”

“Then don't think about it. You know I love you, right? No matter what... because of everything, not despite it? You are smart and strong, talented and sexy. You are a king.” She whispered huskily in his ear, trying to pull him out of his dark mood.

“I know you do, my darling.” Loki bit his bottom lip. “A strong, smart and talented runt that used to be king.”

Sophie moved her body closer to him until she was straddling his lap. She pressed her full lips to the sensitive skin just below his ear and whispered more. “You're not a runt, you're perfect just being who you are. Will you show me again?”

Breath caught in Loki's lungs at her request, he tried to play dumb. “Show you what, elskling?”

There was a subtle pleading tone in her voice. “Yourself, without illusions or shifting. Here, while there is still daylight?”

Green eyes captured hers in an intense stare, holding it steady for several moments. Finally his gaze softened and ever so slowly his skin tone changed from pale to intense blue, the color spread from bottom to top, ending with changing the emerald of his iris to a glowing crimson. Once the change completed, he swallowed thickly and averted his line of sight out the window.

Sophie sat back and watched his transformation, she was fascinated and her fingers trailed up his body trying to keep up with the changing color. When he wouldn't look at her, she gently tipped his chin back towards her. “Can I see your eyes?” Her voice was hardly as loud as a breath as she scanned his face. “The red, should be scary, but in the sunlight they look like ruby.”

Loki's eyes had slid closed at the first touch of her fingers to his chin, slowly they opened after the barely audible request. Fear of what he was combined with the feeling of being exposed made him start to tremble. “I still do not know what you see in this form.”

“I wish you could.” She sighed and picked up his hand, letting her fingers trace along the patterns on it. “I still see you, you know. It's always you.” Sophie brought his hand to her lips and gently kissed the tips of his fingers, just below his black nails. “And this is beautiful. And it reminds me of just how powerful and undefinable you are.”

He inhaled deeply and held it briefly. “Show me, elskling.”

“How?” She looked at him with liquid eyes. “How can you not know?” She pointed at his reflection in the pane of glass next to him. “You are the color of the first sign of the night sky.” Her fingers drifted along the lines on his cheek. “These.... are beautiful and as unfathomable as the Nazca lines. Foreign, yet familiar somehow.”

“Probably because you have felt them with other places than your fingers.” The poorly hidden upturn of the corner of his mouth betrayed his monotone delivery.

A blush briefly flushed Sophie's cheeks at Loki's teasing, but she continued. “If I had to guess, I'd say that’s probably your name on your cheek. And this...” Her finger slid across markings on his collarbone. “I have no idea, but it wants to be kissed.”

Bowing her head, she kissed at his clavicle with open lips and drew her tongue along the cool skin.

The sudden heat of her tongue on his chilled skin caused him to gasp and tilt his head back, making a shiver race down his spine.

The exposed length of Loki's neck was too much to ignore and Sophie continued to slide her tongue up it, past his Adam's apple, along his sharp jaw, until she reached his dark lips. “How strong are you like this? I just get the feeling that you could be unstoppable if you meant to be.”

“Depends on what kind of strength you are talking about.” Loki leaned in quickly to catch her lips.

She kissed him back, then pulled his hand up to look at it. She laid her palm against his. Comparison made her hand look small and pale. “That looks plenty strong to me. I'm sure everything else in comparable.”

Fingers fell between hers, locking their hands together as he kissed each finger with icy lips. “Possibly, though my knees do feel quite weak right now.”

Sophie watched the way the sunlight landed on his cheeks and they slightly moved. “It's a good thing you're sitting down then, hmmm?” With her free hand she continued to trace along Loki's shining, blue skin. “Your hair stays the same.” She noticed. “Then.... that's just you.. naturally? No shape shifting?”

“Yes a good thing indeed.” Loki leaned into her touch. “The hair is natural yes, any form I take will naturally have black hair or fur unless I consciously change it. As you have seen before.” A small smirk found its way to his lips.

“I like that.” She grinned. “There is something fixed about your chaos, besides that look in your eye.”

He hummed. “Is there not a stipulation of me being here that I am not to be fixed?” Loki grinned back and bumped his nose against her cheek.

“It was more of a guideline, than a rule actually, I think.” Sophie laughed again at the chill against her face.

“I am almost positive that Thor said no to that, I could be mistaken of course.” Loki sighed heavily. “I suppose we will have to disappoint him then; I shall have to be fixed and he will never be an uncle again. Pity really.” He made a tsking sound before giving in and hauling Sophie up closer to his body and burying his face in the side of her neck.

“There's the truth. Why is it that you tend to bring up your brother every time I do something like this?” Her hand slides down his chill belly and rests between their legs.

Loki pulled his head back with a furrowed brow and a hiss. “I do not recall bringing my brother into this.” His hips bucked up into her hand.

“Lie, lie, lie.” She giggled in his face and gently squeezed her hand around him.

His lips caught hers, stealing any further comment right out of her mouth. He hungrily devoured her, hands roaming across her body, not stopping in any one place.

Sophie moaned into his kisses, while his hands left trails of frost across her skin. She braced herself against his shoulders just before she let herself be dragged under the waves of sensation. The tips of her fingers were tickled by the brushing of his hair as it swayed with their movements.

“Where do you want us?” Loki murmured from the spot on her neck he was especially interested in.

“Hmmmmm?” She murmured and tapped the window, “Here. Right here. I'm not afraid of people seeing and knowing anymore. Not like last time.”

The smile Loki gave her could have matched the sun. He ran a finger down the front of her clothing, making it disappear as he went. Once everything was gone, he ran that same finger slowly back up her chest; only pausing long enough to lick a finger and trace around a nipple.

She watched intently as his red tongue flicked out across a blue finger.

Sophie's back involuntarily arched and she whined as her nipple rose against the burning cold touch. “Unhhh... oh!” Her fingers dug into his skin, leaving pale impressions. “And you aren't afraid anymore either.”

She ground herself down against him. Her eyelids fell heavy as she looked into Loki's deeply unreal, ruby eyes and acknowledged to herself that this man that she loved, was so much more than she could ever understand.

“I am still afraid, darling.” He gave the other breast the same treatment. “You are distracting me from my fear. I still feel like someone will come barging through that door and attempt to haul me away.”

“I'm a DISTRACTION?” She asked and carefully arched her eyebrow. “Don't you mean that anyone barging through the door would be the distraction? Because there's no reason at all for us to be afraid of anything, just distracted by it. Right?”

Sensing he may have said something wrong, again; Loki took a more direct approach. “Less talk, more touching.” He sealed it with another ravishing kiss and sliding his hands around and down to her bottom to give it a squeeze.

Sophie's fingers ran up along his neck and buried themselves in his hair. Her grip tightening as his lips almost numbed hers. “You're talking too.”

Loki growled instead of answering, the sound more feral than it normally was. He scooted down until he was lying flat on his back, hands coming to rest on her hips while his ruby eyes stared deeply into hers.

Sophie didn't even have the time to stop and realize that there's no way that a modern, independent woman should be at all turned on by being growled at, before she fell forward to wind up supporting herself with her hands. Staring into his eyes like she was hypnotized, she let her breasts brush across his chest.

 A hissing breath escaped him as the warmth of her body settled on top of him. Loki's fingers moved from her hips to between them, pulling the towel away so they met more completely; all hot curves to his chilled angles. A single thumb teased at the top of her opening.

She gasped at the electric contact, her breath was hot against his shoulder. “My god.” She whispered.

“Yes?” He couldn't help the small huff of a laugh before sliding that wandering digit further into her slit.

A grin spread across Sophie's face, even though she was whimpering as her hips tried to move from Loki's touch on their own accord. She lifted a hand and gently stroked his arm. “Your ego is back.”

She pressed herself against his finger, taking his probing chill in deeper. “Maybe it needs more offerings?”

“Perhaps it does.” Loki grinned again as his finger slid even deeper.

She let her lips caress his skin as she spoke. “I'm yours.”

Loki shifted his hips so his member slid against her dripping slit, a heavy moan slipped past his lips. The hand with the teasing thumb retreated back to her hip.

With a slow, stuttering breath, Sophie rocked against Loki and raised up just enough that she was positioned directly above him, “Will you take me?”

His hips surged up, seating himself within Sophie in one smooth movement. Loki paused only briefly before circling an arm around her waist and flipping their positions. The blue tinted god now hovered above Sophie, his eyes fluttering in pleasure. “Like this?”

Sophie cried out as the cold thrust inside of her. It continued as she was rolled over and then settled into panting. She clutched and clawed at his back with one hand as the other gripped in his hair again, “It's... your offering.... my king...” She gasped.

Her knees fell apart, leaving her feet to grasp purchase against their seat.

“Accepted.” Loki muttered against her lips then nibbled on her bottom lip. He rocked into her; slowly, steadily, in every way he knew she loved. The heat surrounding his member intense.

Loki's every touch was like cold fire, even the cool of his breath was impossible to not notice. Where they were connected, where she thrust and clutched at him, almost over whelmed her senses. Sophie's cries became unrecognizable as the heat building inside of her fought with Loki's iciness.

His arms wrapped around her shoulders, pressing every inch of skin together he could. Loki's member pumped into Sophie, gradually faster and faster, his peak hurdling ever closer with every thrust and sound.

Goosebumps covered Sophie as she everything built up inside her shattered. She curled tightly against Loki, hanging onto him with her nails and her knees as she called out his name. She came again and again, soon tears were in her eyes.

Loki's own end hit him with the force of a train, causing him to bite his tongue hard enough to draw blood and every muscle in his body to seize. He remained locked to her for several moments before he relaxed enough to lever himself up so he could see her face. A hand slid free from around her shoulders to run gently down the side of her face.

Smiling up at him with heavily lidded eyes, Sophie hoarsely whispered, “You are amazing.”

“No more than you, elskling.” The tone of his voice sounding more like rumbling boulders than his usual smoothness. He planted a loving kiss to her forehead before he slid from her depths and carried her to the sofa, conjuring a blanket as he went. Loki changed back to his normal warm flesh as he wrapped the blanket around the both of them and settled on the sofa.

Curling against the now warm, Loki, Sophie's goose bumps went away. She felt the heat in her heart, much more than the cold on her body then. “Will you do something for me?” She asked quietly.

His nose pressed into the dark tresses in front of him. “What is it, elskling?”

“Well, two things.... One, tell me that everything will be OK. Lie if you have to, just make me believe it. And two, tell me what elskling means.” She pressed her face against him and inhaled the scent of cold that still hovered around him.

Loki stilled briefly then his arms wrapped tightly around her. “Everything will fine. We will get through this next test of our resolve, do you know why?” His fingers slid in with hers. “Because I want to take you to Asgard; show you the lodge and my estate, make love to you next to that glowing lake but even more than that.” Lips pressed just behind her ear as he whispered. “I want to make you my bride and convince you to have ridiculous amounts of children; for all of this we need to survive the night terror that is coming. Good my prevail but chaos will reign supreme.”

He simply sat and breathed in everything that is Sophie before he answered her second question. “Darling.”

She smiled broadly and breathed deeply through her blush. “A god that answers prayers.... what do you know? Thank you.”

“Oh?” He grinned. “Which prayers were those?”

“That you wouldn't defeat yourself before anything even happens.” Her hand stroked is skin

Loki's gaze softened as he held her tighter. “I know not what I did to deserve you, elskling.”

“It's our turn for something to work out.  Maybe everything in the past was just us saving all of our luck for one thing that really matters. Because it took a lot of luck for everything to line up so that we have a chance here.  And I suppose you wouldn't be brave enough to have mentioned the future like that, unless you actually meant it.” Sophie dropped a kiss on Loki's shoulder. “Because I will kill you if you get my hopes up then do something stupid like die. So you'd never do that.”

“You will kill me if I die, good to know.” He bit his lip to keep from laughing.

“Yes. I most definitely will. And if I'm angry enough I won't even use a pretty knife.” She nodded and grinned. It was so nice to see his mood back up. To be honest, it scared her a bit when Loki got too depressed. Hopelessness happened too easily for him.

“The horror of the thought of you killing me with an unpretty knife will keep me alive for centuries. Outrage I say, Outrage! Only pretty knives are allowed to carve me into a Loki skin rug.” He grinned and kissed her nose.

“A rug? I was thinking of slippers.” She teased.

“I would make a much better rug, that way you could still admire my backside.” His fingers poked into her sides.

Sophie let out a tired squeal. “No, it's slippers. You'd like the thought of being admired. The idea of Loki slippers is entirely undignified and ridiculous. That would be more miserable.”

“I rather do like slippers... Do you think we could get me a pair of those ones that quack like ducks? Slaying my enemies in duck slippers would be highly intimidating.” Loki deadpanned, brow arching in contemplation.

“Nope. Did you just miss me saying that slippers are undignified and ridiculous?” She halfheartedly slapped at him.

“They are rugged and manly, regal even.” He stuck his tongue out at her then laughed.

“You are plenty rugged, and manly, and regal without them. I mean, you might as well wear stirrup pants and a sailor blouse if you're going to wear slippers.”

Loki turned his nose up and sniffed. “Maybe I shall.”

Sophie curled her lip. “Eww. You can do better than that. How about if we get you a pair of fur boots and a matching stole, a Kelly green leotard and a pair of gold fish scaled speedos? You can even have a long, blonde ponytail.”

Loki gave her a completely blank look, blinking slowly. “No.”

“That's just how I feel. Except, you know, unless you might want a long pony tail... wouldn't have to be blonde...” She mumbled and didn't quite look him in the eye.

He licked his lips as a slow grin formed; head tilting to the side. “Oh really? Would you like if my hair was a bit longer? Maybe put a few braids in it for me?”

“I love to braid your hair,” Sophie lifted her hand and toyed with a lock of hair hanging by Loki's face.

He leaned closer. “Then do as you will, elskling.”

Sliding her fingers through his tousled hair, she smoothed a bit, then brought it to her lips and kissed it. She wound the hair around itself gently and loosely. “I thought you said, this was for battle.”

“Conversing with you is like going to battle, elskling. I must be well prepared.”

Sophie grinned at him smugly, like she had just won a contest. “And you hate every minute of it? I don't think so.”

“Maybe your blood sugars low or something and that’s why you've got the giggles? Is that even a problem for you guys? I can see what we have for lunch anyway, if you want.” Sophie babbled as she leaned around looking for clothes to put on.

“Maybe it is you that needs to eat a Snickers, elskling.” Loki squeezed, not letting her get away from him just yet.

“A Snickers?! Me?” Sophie leaned into his embrace again and sighed dramatically. “And letting you watch too much TV is as bad letting those kids watch too much. Going around quoting candy ads at me.... What next?”

“Apparently nothing since you won’t allow me to star in films.” He grinned broadly while trying not to giggle.

“There are better ways to get validation than going into acting, dear.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek while reaching for some kind of clothing that was hiding behind him.

“I am sure there are but it sounds delightful. I could insult everyone then blame it on acting.... or was that comedy?” A finger tapped against his lower lip in thought.

“That’s usually comedy, unless your acting is really bad. But right now could you act like you know where my pants are?”

“I could.” Loki nodded then shrugged. “But I do not want to; pants are overrated.”

Sophie let out a tiny frustrated huff. “Natasha might have deployed already and Todd has things to do, but if we are out of here in three day, I guarantee that we will have more visitors. Should I have a conversation with Clint or Tony in my birthday suit?” She arched a daring brow at Loki.

He sighed loudly before reaching below him to grab her pants. “Why must you always make sense? Someday I will get you to lounge about nude without a care in the world.”

“And maybe someday we will be in a place that doesn't have a hundred or so armed lunatics making themselves at home.” Sophie grinned and took the pants from his grasp, shaking them out before getting up to wiggle into them.

“Obviously you have never been to Asgard.” Loki stretched out, crossing his ankles and tucking his hands behind his head. “I think we should work on your combat skills more, it has been awhile since you have sparred.”

Sophie leans over and pokes at Loki's pale chest before grabbing her top. “Is that what you think now?” She teased.

“Fine. I’m never going to be actually ready to fight, so I might as well be as ready as I can be. .... And, no. I obviously have never been to Asgard. I've managed to never go to New Jersey.”

“Better to be half prepared than not at all.” He sat up after the poke and dressed himself. “It also gives us something productive to do.”

“I'm not hungry anyway.” She grinned and planted herself in front of him with her hands on her hips. “Let's go.”

“My my, someone is eager.” He leaned over to steal a quick kiss. “I like it, let us go.” Loki stood and held out his hand for her to take.

Sophie held him by the wrist. “Going downstairs to scare people or are we destroying the kitchen?”

“Downstairs, elskling. That way you do not have access to extra weapons in the off chance I anger you.” He used her hold on his wrist to drag her off balance then gently wrap his arm around her neck. “Or should I correct that to when I anger you?” He grinned wolfishly next to her head before licking her cheek and abruptly letting her go.

“When?” Her eyebrow shot up again. “I'm not sure I like the sounds of that, DEAR.”

“You know as well as I that I cannot keep my mouth shut, love. I have mentioned before that Thanos will try to get in your head and use happy memories; warp them into a bastardization of what they once were. Our training is as much mental as it will be physical; if I can prepare you, even a little, to differentiate between the real and the false then our chances of success increase exponentially.” Loki raised a hand to run the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “We have not the time to fully dive into something that took me centuries to do, and it still failed in the end. My mind is gone but yours has a chance to remain more intact; that is my goal, if you can remain sane then you will be able to bring me back from anything he can do to me.”

“No matter how much I tease you, you know I don't think your mind is gone. Right?” Sophie said seriously as they wandered out of the apartment toward the elevator. “And I've had him in my head before. I know what it's like now, so I can fight it, and so can the tesseract.”

“You have not had the full force of him; what you experienced before was a tickle compared to what he can do.” The elevator arrived with a ding; once they shuffled in he turned to Sophie. “I don't repeat myself because I've forgotten, I say it again so they gravity sinks in as deep as it can. He broke me Sophie, even with the tesseract on our side, I fear what he can do to you. You don't allow me to worry about much but this is something that will eat at me until he breathes his last.” Loki arched a brow at her. “Allow your super gorgeous alien prince boyfriend to worry about you?”

She met his piercing eyes with a clean gaze. “As long you take one thing into consideration before you go crazy with the worry. Remember, I have something pretty strong on my side that I'm not completely sure you did.”

“And that would be?” His gaze turned curious.

“Loki.” She said softly.

Loki stared at Sophie in curiosity, not entirely sure what she meant. “Elaborate please? I am not entirely sure what you mean by me.”

“It's pretty simple,” Sophie said as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. “I have every reason to want to come out of this OK. I have so many things to fight for that the idea of fighting for myself isn't even in the top five. And there are so many people willing to fight with me and for me, and you. Most importantly, I have you.”

She stepped through the doors and gave Loki a sad smile. “But when Thanos had you..... you were all alone and suicidal. No one helped you, probably not even yourself. This is different.”

Loki stepped through after her, head down and shaking sadly. “You are right, I had no one.” He stepped a few paces past her, speaking back over his shoulder. “One may have all the reasons in the world to fight for but if they themselves are not on that list then the other reasons do not matter. I never had a reason to fight for myself; now I do but do you? You say you have so many reasons to come out in one piece but is one of those yourself? Some of the greatest warriors in history say they fought for things greater than themselves; kings, country, gods, any number of things but have any of them ever lived out a full life? Died of old age? Those that war for something other than themselves burn out and die young. You have to be selfish to survive. The Captain may think differently; look where that got him, frozen for a lifetime. I have a theory about that but that is for another time. “He started walking again.” Come along Sophie, we have work to do.

Sophie picked up her pace until she just passed Loki and opened the door to the training room. “I told you. I'm on the list, just not at the top.”

Silently, she said to herself. “You Loki. You're at the top of the list.”

Not hearing the end of what she said, Loki held the door then gave her behind a swat to get her moving. “You need to be at the top. I will be fighting for 3 things; myself, you and Toukka. If I can succeed in fighting for those 3 then everything will be alright. Call me selfish or backwards, I care not.”

She squeaked and spun around, backing into the center of the room. “I'm not the one that needs inspiration, dear. I might not look like it right now, but I'm PISSED OFF at that guy.”

“Good, now...” Loki trailed off, sauntering over to the wall to lean against it. Lazily he moved his hands, summoning a copy of Thanos. The purple behemoth sneered at Sophie, a gut wrenching laugh escaping his hideous face. “Fight him.”

Sophie looked between Loki and the simulacrum with confusion. “With what? My bare feet? Weapons are mostly pointless with the real one anyway, right?”

A selection of blades on a table appeared near his position. “He would grow suspicious if you simply ran at him; have a weapon, draw him close, make him engage you. Otherwise simply running close and throwing your ring at him will just get you killed. He will want to toy with you, show himself as superior before trying to tear you apart atom by atom. All of this at the same time he will try raping your mind, you have witnessed that on a small scale without adding external attacks.” Loki examined his nails. “While I cannot fully penetrate your mind, I can probe enough to cause distraction. Fight him as I do so.”

After slipping a knife into the back waistband of her pants, Sophie picked up a blade in each hand and slid them up her sleeves. She then made her way to the farthest corner of the room from Loki's Thanos, took a deep breath  and with slow deliberate steps, made her way forward. Her eyes darted around the empty room.

The Titan copy moved slowly, sizing up what was in front of him before barking out an ugly laugh. “You think you can defeat me girl? His teeth bared at her. You are nothing but an insect, not worthy of my boot. Run along and send that runt of a Jotun worm to me so I may fillet his hide.” Loki's eye twitched, he may control that freak of nature but he certainly didn't like it.

Sophie ignored Loki as she kept advancing. “He's busy right now. You have to deal with me. Sorry.”

As the Titan advanced, Loki began the mental assault. It didn't take long for him to see the strain fighting and blocking him fatigued her. After a time he stopped and vanished the Thanos copy. “Do we need to stop or can you handle more?”

Sweat beaded on Sophie's brow and upper lip as her brow furrowed while she tried to keep moving toward the looming figure. Nightmares washed over her and made thinking, let alone moving almost impossible. She didn't even notice it disappear at first, she took a staggering lurch forward and almost fell as she was released.

She looked over at Loki with narrowed and reddened eyes. The tesseract on her finger glinted unnaturally. “I'm fine.” She lied with a hoarse voice. “I expected worse than having my own nightmares fed back to me, actually.”

He hummed then tisked. “Try again, love. You are on the verge of collapse.” Loki pushed off the wall while making the table and knives disappear. “That was a Hors d'oeuvre, tomorrow you will have the appetizer, and the entree is still on its way.”

“I'll be able to make it.” Her eyes flashed for a moment as she spoke. Then the strain could be heard in her voice to contradict her words. “Hey, I thought I was going to get to poke at you.”

A water bottle formed in his hand as he walked to her. “Take a break, then you can poke at me.” Loki's lips tilted up at the corners.

As Loki approached, Sophie stepped back. Most certainly, she was sure, so that she could lean against the wall and not because the nightmare images she thought she had banished were flashing behind her eyelids again.

His sharp eye caught her stepping back; once he was within reach and she couldn't step back any more, Loki slowly placed the water in her hand and wrapped his fingers gently around her wrist. His thumb slid along the rapidly thumping pulse. “It's alright, elskling, it's just me.”

“I.. I know that.” She looked up at him with a thin smile. “Why wouldn't I know that?”

“Because I have been where you are right now.” His other hand slid along her arm slowly. “I see the thinly veiled terror behind those beautiful eyes.” The hand reached her shoulder, he took a small step closer. “And I know what it feels like; to feel like you need false bravado to prove a point, you don't need that Sophie.” Fingers traced along her jaw in a feather light caress. “You can fall apart, I'm here to put you back together... My darling.”

\ His voice and gaze held her motionless like she was hypnotized. She nodded emptily and leaned into his touch.

Soon she reached up and slowly pulled Loki's face to hers and gently kissed him with parted lips. Sophie breathed him in, letting his breath fill her until she was satisfied with his realness.

Minutes could have been hours for all Loki knew, letting Sophie reorient with the here and now was his priority. Achingly slow, he withdrew from her lips once he was satisfied she was back. “Welcome back, elskling.” He smiled while his forehead was pressed to hers.

Her hands rested on his shoulders and she closed her eyes.

“Thank you.” She spoke very quietly. “I'll be able to do it. I will. I promise.”

With a slight wooshing sound, the security seal around the door opened. Slightly after the door itself flew open with a bang.

“I'm gonna have to say this scene is a wrap kids. You know the cameras in here feed to security rooms all over the place right? If the FCC gets wind of the kind of stuff you'd be broadcasting if I didn't stop you now, they'd come confiscate all of my cameras. Morality codes and whatnot. Can't have that now, can we?” Tony Stark chattered at them with a knowing grin on his face. “Besides, you should come upstairs. I have new toys. It's like Christmas. Got you a sock full of coal special, Reindeer Games.”

Loki stood quietly in the silent room, glancing between Sophie and Todd; wondering what they should do now that their short adventure was over. "Well my dear, if you are quite done giving us both heart attacks and dragging us across busy streets, I think I will take a shower. I can almost feel the slime those HYDRA agents were covered in." With a sneer and curl of his lip, Loki sauntered into the bathroom for a much needed shower.

"So dramatic," Sophie grinned and rolled her eyes.  "If you didn't enjoy that at least a little, then my hair is naturally blonde and I'm running away to marry your father. Go. More towels under the sink."

She laughed as Loki left the room and started a pot of tea on the stove. Then she plopped down, as quickly as her jeans would allow her to, on a seat next to Todd. "Sooooo, " she asked, "You really volunteered to have me be your pain in the ass? You must be incredibly curious because I stopped crying to you at the coffee shop to do something like that."

Todd looked at Sophie with a grin of his own. "Getting second hand updates from a third party was getting old, wanted to see for myself if my advice helped any. I'm happy it did, besides..." He nudged Sophie with an elbow, "I like talking to you. I don't have many real friends, but I consider you one of the special few."

"Friends..." Sophie said softly and smiled. "Thanks. I'm just figuring that kind of relationship out. I think I've figured out a whole lot of kinds of relationships since I lived here last. So what kind of updates have you been getting?"

The kind Natasha thinks are relevant. Todd chuckled and winked. Mostly that you two are quite the pair. His lips turned into a frown. "She told me about the memory incident, I've never seen her that shaken. Almost blew the OP I was on to come make sure you were alright."

"You're so nice to worry. I was taken care of well. You don't ever have to blow something like that just for me. OK? Sometimes it's best not to make waves, especially when that nasty alien is involved. It's common knowledge by now that he can mess with your mind without you even knowing." Sophie sighed and held onto her warm cup.

The walls of the apartment were thin and the bathroom, despite being small, echoed. So the fact Loki could hear the conversation in the living room didn't surprise him; what did surprise him was the topic of conversation. He stilled with his hands still in his sudsy hair and listened. Sophie.... calling him a nasty alien? Yes he could control someone's mind but only with the scepter, doesn't she remember that? His jaw clenched while he continued to listen.

"Well yeah, I hear he can be a major douche but I didn't know he could get in your head like that. Todd wrapped his hands around hers around the cup. If I could, I would totally put a few rounds through his eye socket, see how much he likes his mind scrambled."

"That would be pointless. He's already completely insane. I just can't wait for this whole thing to be over with. Whether we win or lose, it will all be done and I won't have him trying to make himself the center of my life anymore. I'm getting so tired of it, you know? Having to worry about being safe in your head twenty four hours a day...it's exhausting. I thought hiding from you and Hydra was bad. It's nothing compared to someone who can just show up next to you any time he wants." She shook her head to clear her mind a bit and said, Let's talk about something more fun. "He's depressing. Soooo.... what did you think of those lace thigh high boots Loki gave me?"

"Oh those were spectacular!" Todd chirped happily with an almost giddy grin. "I need to get a pair of those... for a friend." He blushed.

Kicking Loki in the genitals then stabbing him in the neck would have been less painful than what he heard come out Sophie's mouth. She... Didn't really love him? Wanted rid of him? Loki  nearly fell to his knees, catching himself on the wall with a loud hang. I knew it, everything Thanos brought forth in her head, it was just her deepest desires. Loki whispered to himself in anguish, tears escaped the corners of his eyes. Now he was crying in the shower, how much more pathetic can he get. First, he believes all the lies she spouted about loving him, wanting to be with him, and now this. Thor couldn't return soon enough, as soon as his brother came back... He wasn't sure what he would do, no matter how much his heart hurt; he would at least keep his promise, one of them should keep telling the truth. He knew he couldn't just shut his feelings off; slowly he would back away, maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much.

"Your friend has a pair. I gave them to her." Sophie laughed. "Maybe I should be as nosey as you are. What's better the romance or the sex?"

Todd coughed to hide his discomfort. "A gentleman never tells, all I will say is there is not much romance. If there is it's one sided. Why are we talking about this? Thought we were talking about shoes?"

By this point, Loki had shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, slowly drying himself so he could listen longer. He was an emotional masochist now it seemed.

"I'm done with shoes." She giggled and play pouted at the man next to her. "Sometimes there just isn't time for romance. You know what I mean? Maybe soon there will be more time for you."

"Heh, doubt it." Todd half smiled. "My friend isnt interested in having a paramour, just the benefits aspect... And the coffee." He shrugged. "If that's all she wants then I'll respect that, until the next conquest comes along then I'll be relegated back to barista boy.... How are you doing this? I never talk about myself, stop it you hussy." Todd playfully swatted her shoulder.

Loki stepped out of the bathroom, spared a glance at the cozy comrades then crossed quickly to the bedroom.

"I'm not a hussy!" Sophie gasped and swatted back with a grin. "And all I did was ask. You're the one that went right along with it."

The man next to her laughed loudly. "Yeah but I NEVER talk about myself; I'm an Agent, I get info not give it."

Bouncing up and down a bit with happiness Sophie giggles again. "So I got Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. both over the barrel on the same night? Wheeeeee!"

"Yeah yeah yeah, laugh it up." Todd just grinned.

In the bedroom, Loki lay on the bed, still in his towel. Thoughts ran rampant through is head, none of them pleasant.

Sophie did laugh it up and started to do impressions of customers from her coffee shop for Todd. She pulled a piece of her hair just under her nose and trapped it there, like a mustache, by curling her lip. Now I'm Kenny. "'Gimme a little kiss, baby. While the coffee cools. Just a little kiss. No one's looking. Kiss me."

Loki sprung out of the bed and was standing in the doorway in a flash, his own feelings confusing him greatly. She didn't care about him so why was this making him so mad? "Care to share what that was all about?" He nearly growled, at the situation as well as himself

Sophie turned to the doorway with wide eyes at Loki's tone of voice, her hair drooping limply across her face. "Ummmm.... I'm Kenny and I want decaf coffee and a kiss?"

"Funny, you don't look like a Kenny." He crossed his arms and cocked a hip to the side, the towel barely hanging on to his hips. "You remind me more of a Clint, he wants his coffee black and insane Gods to stay out of his head."

"Nothing is wrong with black coffee and not wanting crazy people in your head." Sophie looked to Loki like he was nuts and her hair slipped back into it's normal place. "We were just having fun."

Toukka came darting out from behind the sofa and started sniffing around Loki's damp feet.

"Fun... is that what it is now? Making fun of insanity is fun, I'll keep that in mind." He leaned down to scoop up his weasel companion. "Come now friend, let's leave them to their 'fun'." With that he turned back around and went back to the bedroom.

Todd looked between Sophie and the spot Loki just occupied. "Is he like that often?"

"He used to be, why do you think I was so confused? But he's been much better lately. I'm going to go see what's up. Umm.. the left door over here is a bedroom. Clean bedding is in the chest at the foot of the bed. Sorry if it's dusty.. I havent been in there." Sophie spoke distractedly as she made her way to her bedroom.

Once she was inside she stared at the fuming god. "Just what are you doing? Can't you manage to be civil to people?"

Loki was laying on his back, ankles crossed and one arm behind his head, the other playing with the bouncing weasel on his chest. "Don't see a reason to, all they do is betray me in some way in the end, no point in making nice when all they will do is leave."

With her hands fisted on her hips, Sophie stared at Loki incrediously. "What is that guy out there going to do to you? Stand you up for prom?"

He shrugged. "You never know; the betrayal of those closest to you are the most painful and hardest to see coming. Just best not to get any closer to people, with the future so uncertain."

Sophie was in complete confusion about what Loki was talking about and she rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed next to his leg. "Did Thor do something?"

The green eyed God snorted. "When hasn't Thor done something?"

"Well, why does he have you all upset now? Can't we count on him or something? He should be back soon, right?"

"He may be a cause of my madness but he is not the reason for my upset." Loki summoned a small ball and rolled it down his torso, Toukka chasing after it happily. "His hastened return would be most welcome; there is much to plan and go over, then I will for once be needed at the front."

Sophie sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Then what IS the reason for your upset? Am I not allowed to laugh?"

"Just my insanity catching up with me I suppose, don't worry about it." He waved his hand dismissively. "You can laugh as much as you want, don't let my madness creep into your joy."

"You think we were laughing at YOU? We were laughing about customers we have had, not you, you completely beautiful narcissist. You were scaring me." She laughed and slapped playfull at his leg.

His leg flinched away as he frowned. "If you insist. Go have fun with your friend, you know where I'll be." Loki crossed both hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

"Are you jealous? Is that what this is? That I was talking to another human being while you were busy? You need to take a deep breath here and calm down about it." Sophie looked at him, insulted by the way he brushed her off.

"I'm not jealous, don't get your knickers in a twist. Any calmer and I would be dead, may almost be preferable." Toukka came scampering back up the bed, ball clenched between his tiny teeth. Loki extracted the sphere then rolled it down his body again.

Sophie picked up the ball and shook it at Loki. "Quit it with the righteous indignation. Lets try this another way. I'm assuimg you heard something you didn't like? What do you think you heard."

"It's nothing, I told you not to worry about it." He plucked the ball from her hand and rolled it, Toukka taking off after it. "Just me getting in my own head again."

"It was something or you wouldn't be brooding." She climbed on the bed to straddle his legs, as much as her jeans would allow and loomed over him with her hair falling all around. "Now, what bothered you? When we were talking about Thanos or when you thought I was asking Todd to kiss me?"

"I said it was nothing, why do you never believe me?" Loki sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

"If you know I never believe you, why do you keep saying it?" she poked at his stomach to get him to look back at her and her fingers were chased by Toukka. "Talk to me, dear. I don't have fancy superpowers like ESP."

His stomach twitched at the sudden poke and subsequent chasing. Finally he opened his eyes and virtually glared. "I said it was nothing."

"And you are lying and seriously pissing me off." She glared back.

"Once again not believing me. Not taking the word of the God of Lies, not surprising at all." His eyes closed again.

"The only times I don't believe you is when you actually are lying, so knock it off! Is this all because you thought I couldn't go for ten minutes without you in the room before I started flirting with someone else? Or are you just flat out jealous of everyone? Either one is ridiculious. You are Loki. And yes, I can use just your name to describe you because that name implies an entire dictonary worth of superlative words, that no one has time to sit and list! SO tell me what is wrong!" She leaned over and shot her words at his face. Her worry about his attitude was making her upset and angry.

Loki unfolded his arms to prop himself up on his elbows. "I am not jealous, especially not of Todd. I actually like the man, he was the one that got you to make up your mind about me, correct? Why would I have a problem with him?" Loki's nostrils flared while his jaw clenched briefly. "I'm well aware my name is a noun as well as a verb and an adjective. Why are you pushing the issue so much? Am I not allowed to have mood swings, or is that reserved for women and mentally unstable madmen? Oh wait, I am a mentally unstable madman. All I do is fuck with the minds of the masses, I'm sure you will be happy to be rid of that once the fighting is over."

Sophie put her hand to her forhead and sat back up with her eyes closed as she realized what he must have overheard. "Your ego is what's insane. THANOS is the madman that I will be glad will be out of our heads once the fighting is over. Thanos, not Loki. You aren't the only non-human in play here."

"Last I recall there are several nonhumans running around." His arched brow and flat look showed how unconvinced he was of the whole matter. "Alright you got me, my ego is so massive that it is making me hear voices. Happy now? I've confessed my father; now will the subject be dropped?"

"As soon as the attitude is dropped the subject will be." She countered and continued much more softly, "Listen, either you believe me right now or you can't have any faith in what happened with us a few hours ago. I can't fathom you not thinking that was beautiful and important. Because I know I'll always feel like it was."

Sophie took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes as Loki's lips touched her throat and neck. “I think we can make some changes,” she gasped, “enough that we can all stay in here. And the bed.....” she trailed off for a second; “if it's half as nice to see you wrestle as spar. We'll have to do something with that bed.”

“Name it and it is yours, darling.” Loki murmured hotly into the nape of her neck before gently catching the skin above her pulse between his teeth; his hands skimmed from her shoulders, down the front of her and around to the backs of Sophie's thighs. He waited until her arms finally wrapped around his neck to pick up and carry her into the bedroom.

She clung to him and laid kisses wherever her mouth could reach. His cheeks, forehead and temples were peppered. “You, love. You and a bed that won't collapse through the floor.”

His huffed out a laugh. “Darling, I'm a genius; not a structural engineer. The bed I can do, the floor... We will just have to hope for the best or believe your neighbors downstairs are friendly enough not turn us in if we fall through their ceiling.” Loki laid Sophie down on the decidedly sturdier wooden frame bed, humming in approval when it didn't squeak one bit. His mouth returned to hers to tangle their tongues in a deep, penetrating kiss. A moan slipped from his throat when they finally settled into a comfortable position.

Sophie could think of nothing but the man taking over her senses. His kisses stole her breath and his moan slid down her spine like ice water and made her shudder against him. “We'll be fine,” she whispered as the curve of his back called to her hands and she pulled him closer.

Loki arched his back up into her touch then rolled his hips down into hers; his teeth gently caught her bottom lip at the same time. Needing more contact, he made his shirt disappear and let loose a slight hiss when her cool fingers met his heated skin.

It was her turn to moan as she was pressed into the mattress. When his shirt was gone, she spread her hands wide and ran them along the marred silkiness of Loki's back. She exhaled heavily and raised her head to take his chin between her teeth and drag them along the taught skin.

After making her own shirt and bra vanish, Loki rested one of his hands on her stomach then slowly and light as a feather, moved it up the length of her body. Finger tips skimmed over the pebbled peak of her breast, over her collar bone and up the kiss bruised skin of her neck and jaw to rest on her cheek. Loki lifted the top half of his body off of Sophie to stare down at her; his emerald gaze hot and shining in the dim lighting of them bedroom. “So beautiful.” He whispered reverently, almost to himself. Lips lowered back to hers; turning from the hot and passionate of a moment ago to tender and loving, his fingers still lingering on her cheek and barely stroking their softness.

Sophie watched Loki's gaze, incredibly touched by his change in attitude. Her hands nestled gently among the scars on his back, while she let her guard down enough to simply accept and return the offered devotion without self deprecation. The emotion in these kisses, more so than the physical nature of them, had her heart pounding against her ribs. Her eyes closed again to keep in any tearing. “You're home.” She whispered.

Forehead to forehead, noses side by side; Loki closed his eyes and smiled serenely. “Thank you.” His lips ghosted against hers as he spoke; hand still cradled against her cheek. Loki simply stopped all action, absorbing the contentment he was suddenly feeling. All anxiety of looming peril and current stresses melting away for this moment they were alone in their own world, this tiny corner of peace they carved out on the 5th floor of a dilapidated apartment building with Toukka acting as their tiny protector.

With this sudden wave of peace also came a tiny voice of uncertainty; should he continue what he's doing? Sophie seems more than willing but for Loki, peace never came without a price. Not wanting to press any further, he let his fingers move from her cheek to her nose and down across her lips; fingernail catching her kiss swollen lower lip and lingering but a moment before withdrawing.

Loki rolled to the side and settled in next to Sophie, the fingers that had just been caressing her face now stretching across her body to rest on her waist; his thumb circling the skin in small, soothing circles. His eyes raked up and down her body while his head was propped up on his other hand, a small smile quirked the corner of his mouth.

After Loki moved, Sophie's eyes fluttered open. Should she not have given into those feelings so easily? Was it becoming obvious to him nothing here was good enough for him? She couldn't read his wry smile. Moving her hand to his chest, she asked in a whispery voice that wasn't quite ready to speak yet after their kisses, “Dear? Where did your mind go? Why did you stop?”

Leaning in, Loki brushed his nose along hers. “Sorry, my darling, just my insecurities popping up again.” He moved his head from his hand so it rested on his bicep; fingers playing with her hair. “I just felt suddenly peaceful here, just us, no worries or strife to contend with and it seems every time I feel as such something goes terribly wrong.” The fingers at her waist squeezed gently. “I suppose I didn't want to risk it.” The backs of his fingers ran up between Sophie's breasts and across her shoulder then down her arm to rest atop hers on his chest. “Believe me, love, I truly do not wish to stop but my brain will not cease its incessant chatter.” As he said this, Loki moved their joined hands down his abdomen, over the front of his pants and squeezed. “As you can tell, I very much do not want to stop.” Loki's lips brushed hers. “Help me, Sophie; help me silence these voices.”

Sophie smiled at Loki's request for help and placed a quick kiss on the lips that were so close to hers. She spoke in a low, soothing voice that was almost hypnotic. “Of course, astin min. We left the trouble behind us. That's why we left. You are fine here. It's just different. It's never been your prison. You've never been lied to or hurt here, there's nothing to prove to anyone, there's nothing to fight in here. You don't have to be anything but yourself, whatever that is. It's simply yours if you want to claim it. There's nothing here but welcome and dust.”

Her hand caressed the straining fabric of his pants and as she spoke slowly unfastened them and slid inside to stroke along the warmth of Loki's stiffening cock.

Loki's eyes slid closed in pleasure, pleasure from physical as well as emotional caresses. He bit his lip and sighed deeply, letting loose a noise close to a whine. His fingers left hers to settle back on her stomach, the tips drawing lazy patterns on the soft skin as they gradually moved upward massaged a breast, his mouth soon joining on the other.

A small stuttering gasp left Sophie as lips settled at her breast. Her fingers curled around his length and stroked more firmly while her other hand came up to curl around his head and stoke the night dark hair. She spoke again, but sounded breathy, “There's no history for you here, dear one. Nothing dark in this room. The future is unknowable. It's just us. Now. Nothing but I love you and everything about you.”

Loki's mouth engulfed Sophie's other breast, the hand that was on her chest returned to her waist; fingers slid just under the waistband of her pants, teasing the skin hidden underneath.

Her stomach sucked in at his touch. She moaned as his tongue brushed across her nipple. A finger touched his temple. “A....ah...god. A..all quiet now?” She stuttered and tugged his pants open a bit more.

“Concentrating on you.” Loki spoke, his lips brushing the tip of her breast. “Focusing on your voice and not the ones in telling me away.” He opened the closure of her pants and worked his hand inside, 2 of his digits slipping into her center.

 “Nnn…no, don't go away.” Sophie gasped and tensed around Loki's fingers. “I'll k...keep talking. What do you want to hear about?”

“Whatever you wish to speak of.” Loki moaned then made the rest of their clothing disappear; now completely nude, he withdrew his fingers and gripped her hip, turning her so they lay face to face with barely an inch between them. He pillowed her head next to his on his arm, foreheads touching while his forearm curled around the back of her head.

She kept stroking and caressing Loki's manhood and soon was tracing around the sensitive head with the moisture that was leaking from the tip. “I could tell you how much I love to touch you. That you feel like silk stretched over warm marble. Or that your lips on my breasts sends electricity all the way through me to the base of my spine. I should tell you that, even though it's hard for me to admit out loud....” She paused her whispers and closed her eyes, just feeling his breath against her lips; “I have many of the same dreams you do.”

He stared into her closed eyes, breath becoming heavier as she stroked his shaft. “What dreams are those, darling?” Loki gripped the back of her knee and drew her leg up to drape over his hip, his member now pinned between them. He would leave it to her on if or when he was allowed to enter.

“The ones....when...” She was obviously caught on being the one to bring things up, but her now free hand slid to Loki's side and gripped it firmly. Her touch contrasted greatly with the fact that her voice was only just audible. “When you put the ring on my finger, and.. and when you lay your hand on my stomach like that. Those dreams. New dreams.”

“Pleasant dreams...” His hips thrust forward, grinding his erection against her, “happy ones.” Fingers squeezed her thigh. “Hope of a future.”

Sophie's body rocked against Loki's, pushing herself against his hardness. With a shaky breath she opened her eyes, now the color of a dark summer storm sky, to look at him in mild surprise at his positivity. “Yes, dear. Please?” Her hand took his from her thigh and slid it between them, through her warm wetness and up to his now exceptionally firm cock.

Loki helped her guide his member to her entrance and with a achingly slow drive of his hips, he slid within her. “Yessss,” he hissed but even he wasn't sure if it was in response to what she said or to finally joining her once again.

With each slow rock of her hips, Sophie gasped when they were fully connected and he was as deep as she could take him. She felt her heart squeeze with their rhythm. Her hand stroked along his side and grasped at his hip, fingers curling into the curve of his butt.

Slowly, completely unhurried, Loki made love to Sophie. Gentle rocking of their hips, soft touches of lips and just phantoms of touches passed between them in their own little world. Everything was quiet for Loki; his only focus was on Sophie and her responses to his actions.

As with Loki, Sophie's usual passionate cries and moans, came out as stuttering exhalations and breathy gasps. She whispered disjointed words about her love and trust and happiness. Nothing more was needed or wanted in their small corner.  

Her skin burned both hot and cold beneath his touches. Their slow build up was punctuated with Sophie's body almost grasping at Loki, pulling him deeper.

Loki's lips locked firmly with hers as his arm slid behind her and pulled Sophie's upper body impossibly closer. The gentle rocking became firmer, longer even but the speed never changed. The pleasure built as they both chased the peak they sought.

Soon Sophie was clinging to his arms as a large gasp followed by a quiet whine fell from her mouth near his ear. She shuddered stiffly against him as she fell along with a wave of warmth that flowed through her. “Lo...oki.” She spoke his name like a prayer.

Hearing his name fall so sweetly from her lips was all it took for Loki to reach his own end; his member pulsed within her velvet walls while he did a half groan half growl right into the crook of her neck.

Sophie curled limply around him as she felt the heat he released deep inside of her spread to her whole body. She couldn't tell if she wanted to smile or cry, instead she closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of his hair and let the heaving of her chest slow against him

He peppered her face and hair with soft, lingering kisses as they both came down from their shared high. Loki slipped free of her heat a moment later and stroked her back with his hand. “Are you alright, darling?”

“Beautiful...” She sighed and lifted her heavy lids to look into his deep green eyes. “Why wouldn't I be alright?”

“You started shaking.” The hand on her back stopped its movements to rest on her hip.

“And it was beautiful.” Sophie murmured and gave him a lazy smile.

Loki couldn't help but return her grin and lay his head comfortably on the pillow after moving his arm from under it. “Yes you are.”

She opened her mouth to speak, then stopped and gently touched his lips with the tip of her finger. After a second she changed her mind and whispered, “Thank you.”

He drew the tip of the finger into his mouth and licked the pad of it playfully, eyes glittering. “You were going to argue, weren't you?”

“No....yes.” She blushed. “But I didn't.” Her finger withdrew from his mouth and traced his lips.

Loki stuck the end of his tongue between his teeth and tried not to chuckle. “You are absolutely gorgeous when you blush.”

Sophie took a deep breath and sighed before more pink flooded her cheeks. “Thank you again.”

Loki grinned up at Sophie. “Yes, I have these fantastic breasts to live for... As well as the woman they are attached to.” He gently moved Sophie back a couple of steps before he stood. “I shall construct our throne of comfort; think you can handle the rest?”

“I can put food on a tray, if that’s what you mean.” She held his hand and met his smile hoping that he couldn't see the panic that was still dancing behind her eyes.

He noticed; he noticed it right away, it matched his own. Loki only hoped that neither of them fell apart before the battle, the other may not be able to them back together in time. Loki's hand squeezed hers before he let go and moved slowly into the living room. He shoved the sofa back a couple of feet to make room for the dozens of pillows and blankets he summoned. After turning on the television and arranging things for maximum comfort, Loki finally changed his attire to just simple lounge pants and settled himself on the pile with remote in hand.

Sophie brought bowls of chili, plates of cornbread, milk and the teapot and set it up on the coffee table. Glancing at Loki's clothes she went back to their room and took one of Loki's T shirts from the drawer and slid it on over a pair of sleep shorts before she joined Loki in the living room. She leaned against him with her head on his shoulder and silently offered him the plate of cornbread.

Loki took a piece and chewed carefully, growing a bit annoyed by the crumbs that fell off and rolled down his chest to collect in his navel. He flicked the crumbs away with a growl before slipping his arm around her shoulders and crossed his legs at the ankle, his cheek rubbed against the top of her head. “What shall we watch?”

“Anything. Something funny. Ghostbusters.”  She spoke a bit absently as she stirred bread into a bowl of chili. “Should we be watching TV right now?” Sophie whispered quietly.

“We could use the distraction.” He typed the name of the movie into the search like she showed him. “If this does not work then we could always slip out of the tower again.”

She set the bowl down and tipped her face around his to kiss him. “Outside? To prove to you that the world is full of angry people not worth saving again?”

He shrugged before giving her a lingering kiss. “Not quite what I had in mind but it is an option.” Loki smiled against her lips before pulling back. “I have come to the decision that I am not going to save the world.”

“What are you going to do?” She brushed his hair away from his face and gave him a concerned look.

Loki closed his eyes and leaned his head into her hand. “I am not saving the entire world; I plan on saving Brayden and her brothers, I plan on saving Mike so they are not alone, I plan on saving Sarah so she can help more of those animals, but most importantly...” He brought his fingers up to trace along her cheek. “I want, no, I need to save you. Trying to save an entire planet is too much too much of a burden. Saving the ones I care about most is much more realistic.”

Sophie smiled at Loki and blinked away tears. “I'm so proud of you. No one thought you could care. They dumped you here, expecting you to die before anything but yourself mattered.” She sniffed. “Now look at you. I didn't think there could be such a thing as a smart hero that did things for the right reasons. But here you are.”

“Shhh quiet down.” Loki made an exaggerated hush motion as his eyes darted around the room comically. “My reputation as a mischief making chaos master is at stake, we do not need to be throwing words like hero around.” He made a face as if the word hero tasted bad on his tongue. A finger moved to catch a tear that slid down her cheek.

“You are proving them all wrong. How is Loki being the hero not chaos, dear?” Her arms clung around him.

“It would throw the cosmos off balance, realms would implode and I may break out into a rash.” Loki dragged Sophie onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Sophie touched her nose to Loki's and whispered, “That sounds lovely, except for the rash. Unless it's my realm.”

“It could be any realm.” He whispered back. “And that rash sounds absolutely dreadful.” Loki gently shoved Sophie so she landed on her back on the pillows between his knees, his eyes moved casually over every inch he could see, a soft smile crossing his face.

“What are you smiling about, astin min?” She teased.

“Nothing in particular.” He tilted his head. “Just... Memorizing you again, seeing a future I very much plan to fight for.” Suddenly he snorted, “I am being an overly sentimental fool right now aren’t I?”

“No, you aren't a fool. Never a fool. In fact if I ever heard you seriously calling yourself a fool, I would know you had something absolutely wicked hiding up your sleeve.” She laughed and tugged at his arm. “But you don’t even have sleeves on right now.”

“I could.” He dances his fingers along her sides briefly, grinning. “We both know I could suddenly be wearing sleeves and nothing else.”

Sophie laughed again and gave him a curious look. “Just sleeves? How would they stay up? Magic? I might need to see that, usually it's just pants.” She sat up, propping herself with her elbows.

“Are full length gloves not just sleeves with fingers?” He reached forward to tap the end of her nose.

Sophie squinted at Loki for a moment, picturing this scene. “Nothing but opera gloves?  Fishnets and heels would be needed.”

Loki leaned back warily. “Wait a moment, darling. Brittany made me watch that movie; I am NOT Dr. Frank N. Furter.”

 “Those were rubber gloves.” She giggled and shrugged. “I'm just saying you could pull it off if you wanted to.”

His eyebrow arched. “Of course I could.”

Sophie flopped back onto the pillows with her arms spread wide and giggled more. “Of course! You can do anything you want. Opera gloves, Thanos... anything.”

“Maybe I should spice things up even more and fight Thanos wearing only those opera gloves.” His finger ran up the bottom of her foot.

She giggled harder and wiggled her foot under his fingers. “Nooooooo...” She squealed.  “Frostbite.”

Loki grinned. “Oh you want frostbite do you? Well...” He released his camouflage on his hand and started to move his very blue hands across the arch of her foot.

“No, no, no....” Sophie squeaked and wiggled away from Loki.

“Yes, yes, yes!” His hand flashed forward to grasp her ankle with his warm had as his blue one continued its assault on her foot and leg.

“Toukka! Save me!” She called out.

Loki rolled onto his knees and pinned her thighs between his; his fingers moving to her sides.

Toukka bounded into the room at the sound of Sophie's shout, he crawled up the back of the sofa and just sat there; head cocked and staring at his people in curiosity. When he could tell nothing was seriously wrong, he hopped down and pounced on her head, playfully nipping and licking as her face.

“Stoooop!” She wiggled and giggled beneath the two of them, assaulted from both ends.

The weasel squeaked in delight as Loki laughed loudly at the wriggling woman. After a few more minutes of torture, Loki stopped and planted his hands on either side of her head, his hair falling around his face as he stared down at her lovingly before planting a sweet kiss on her forehead. Toukka settled down as well and draped over her neck.

Sophie reached up and let her fingers drift through Loki's loose hair as her breathing calmed and she met his stare. “This. Us. Thank you for this.”

His nose brushed along hers. “The pleasure is mine, darling.” He rasped out then gently planted his lips on hers.

“Mine,” She whispered against him before sucking gently at his lips.

“Yours.” He gasped into her mouth then tugged gently on her upper lip with his teeth.

 She tried to focus on his eyes, still so bright beneath the curtain of black hair that surrounded them, but soon gave up and let her lids drop. She moaned and teased his lips with her tongue.

He slid his tongue along hers sensually then hummed in approval.

“This is why it doesn't matter, twenty seven days or twenty seven hours. I'm not giving this up. We're going to make it.” Sophie whispered then kissed him hungrily.

Loki moaned in agreement, lips moving from hers to her jaw then stopping abruptly when he got a mouth full of weasel butt. Toukka was not amused and whipped around and nipped Loki's chin, causing the god to snap his head back and sit up. “Sorry little friend.”

Sophie tipped her head way back into the pillows giggling again. “Did you try to make out with the weasel?”

After he spit out a couple of stray hairs, Loki chuckled as well. “I just could not resist a warm and fuzzy weasel bum. It begged for my lips.” He sat back against the pillows, lounging and pulling random pieces of fur from his mouth. Toukka had the nerve to look personally offended then scampered off to hide in his tree.

“You're probably safer hiding right now, baby.”  She called after Toukka and turned around to lay her cheek against Loki's chest as she started to laugh again. “I read these things in a book once about your Daddy here....”

Loki's hand snapped up and covered her mouth. “Do not dare say what you were about to say.” He playfully glared.

“I don't need to say it,” she mumbled against his hand. “There are pictures.” Sophie managed to get the last bit out before she was laughing again.

He just shook his head and rolled his eyes before removing his hand. “Lies, it is all lies.”

She leaned up and kissed him, then made a face and pulled a white hair from her lip. “I'll stop believing you if this ever happens again.” She grinned and held the hair up between her fingers.

“It is not my fault you wear him like the scarf he may have become.” Loki licked the side of her face in revenge.

“Eeewwwww...... and he wears me more than I wear him.” Sophie happily pulled herself up a bit and ran her tongue around the curves of his ear in return.

He shivers. “How does a half pound weasel wear an adult human female? Impressive I must say.” His fingers dig into her sides again.

“Stop!” She giggled then took his earlobe between her teeth and bit.

Loki yelped, not expecting quite that much force behind the bite. “Minx.” He growled and launched himself atop Sophie and pinning her hands above her head. “Such a naughty girl.”

“At least you stopped tickling me.”

“Do not give me reason to restrain you and continue to do so.” His eyebrow arched in challenge.

Sophie lifted her head up from the pillows and snapped her teeth at him with a grin. “Tough guy, huh?”

Lips formed a wolfish grin as Loki's teeth latched onto the pulse point in her neck firmly, a deep hum vibrated through him.

“Aahh!” She cried out and struggled beneath him, twisting her wrists in his hand and kicking just enough that he knew she was there.

His hips pinned hers to the pillows as he moved control of both of her wrists to one of his, his now free hand taking the place of his teeth; applying enough pressure to make his point, his lips moved along her collar bone.

Sophie moaned, gasping at the hand at her throat and bucked up against Loki.

Loki ground his pelvis into hers, delicious friction making him hiss. Another bite to the bone he was kissing then a light curl of his tongue at the hollow of her throat. “Do you know what I want right now, darling?”

“Dance?” She purred.

“No,” he drew a lobe of her ear between his teeth, “guess again.”

Sophie arched up again and twisted her wrists. “You want to watch the TV now, my King?”

A shiver of delight ran up his spine, making him arch and grind into her again. “No, I really want to finish that chili you made.” With one last kiss on her lips, Loki sat up and grabbed the bowl that didn’t have cornbread crumbled into it and took a hearty bite.

She gasped and stared at him as she caught her breath and rubbed her neck. “You really do like me for my cooking?”

“Not only your cooking.” He spoons more into his mouth then lets the spoon dangle between his fingers. “I like having you for dessert as well.”

Sophie plucked the spoon from his fingers and used it to take a bite of her bowl of food. “If you are going to have chili breath, then so is your dessert.”

“Perhaps I wanted the spice to make things... Tingle.” He cocked his head at her, clearly amused.

“Now, you've already played with your food enough lately haven't you? Plus I thought that this stuff was magically dangerous or something.” She waved another spoonful in the air.

“It is magically delicious.” Loki waited until she had eaten what was on the spoon before plucking it from her hand and digging into his own bowl. “I like playing with my food, especially when it squirms.”

Sophie's hand hovered over the other spoon for a moment, but left it laying on the table. It was much more fun to take Loki's, so she leaned over and ate the chili from his spoon before he could get it to his mouth.

He glowered at her; no real venom behind it. Loki gave up and just started feeding her, stealing nibbles when he managed to stuff her face.

Leaning back, she soon let him finish the bowl himself. She shifted to snuggle against him and watched the way his fingers held the bowl and his lips wrapped around the spoon as much as she watched the movie that was playing on the TV.

With the final bite in his mouth, Loki sat up to set it on the coffee table and grab a mug of tea. He laid back; bringing Sophie closer to his side with his arm then balanced his mug on his stomach. His fingers trailed along her arm absently.

Sophie sighed happily and draped her arm and leg over Loki. “Have we forgotten enough, dear?”

“I do not feel like having an anxiety attack, you?” He set the mug off to the side so he could clasp her hand and hold it over his heart.

“I have you and your arm around me. Everything is as it should be.” She looked deeply into his eyes and meant every word.

“Well of course I am worried about the battle. I've never done anything like this before,” Sophie started before she stopped and caught the worried look in Loki's eyes. “But you want to know what freaked me out, don't you? There's Hydra everywhere. When you saved me and killed Von Strucker, I think I got complacent. You made me feel safe enough that I actually thought we were all safe. We're not.” She stopped and took a deep shuddering breath. “When this is done and the Tesseract isn't an issue anymore, I still don't think I'll be safe. There will always be another head. I don't think I can go back home.”

Loki ran the backs of his fingers up her cheeks before cupping them in his large hands, his thumbs gently tracing her lips. “Darling; there may be Hydra everywhere but you must trust that I will take care of you, you must trust me. I will protect you with my last breath, if necessary; you can go home because I will be with you.” He placed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You have friends that would move the stars if you asked them to, as long as you have us you will be safe, no matter where you go. Besides...” He kissed her lips. “If all goes well, Hydra will be a thing of the past. If not...” Loki shrugged. “Then I will have to brush up on my fishing skills to eradicate those obnoxious octopi.”

Leaning against his chest, Sophie wrapped her arms tightly around Loki and looked into his eyes. “I trust you. I always have. With my life and my planet and everything precious. I just don't trust the rest of the world, I guess. I thought I could for a minute there.”

“Trusting an entire planet is a bit unrealistic, trust me, I am the God of Lies and even I think that is a bit much.” He grinned then kissed the top of her head, an arm wrapped around her waist and the other stroking her hair.

She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes as his arm slid around her. “This is much better,” she said softly, her voice still a bit shaky with emotion. “And as much as I appreciated your arms downstairs, I was afraid I was going to start crying. If they are going to take either of us seriously, no one needed to see that. I'm sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, darling.” Loki tucked her head under his chin and moved the hand from her hair to wrap around her shoulders, holding Sophie firmly in his embrace. “I understand where it was coming from; might have done the same thing myself if I were in your shoes.”

“It's a good thing you weren't in my shoes; they really wouldn't take us seriously if you were in kitten heels.” Sophie joked, but held onto Loki firmly, his solidity grounding her. “And you wouldn't have popped off like that.”

“With my infamously short temper it might have turned into something worse than what it did.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Those heels would make my butt look amazing; those idiots would be too busy staring to pay attention to anything we said.”

She whispered back, “If we put you in heels, I wouldn't waste shoe leather on these tiny thumbtack heels. I'd put you in something that would do you right, dear.”

“Well... Since I really have no desire to wear anything but my boots, I will leave the fancy footwear to you.” He chuckled.

“Maybe I'll find a reason to get you dressed up sometime.”  She giggled back at him. “But for now, I know you said you weren't hungry, but I haven't had anything today but you. Should I make chili or French Toast?”

Loki looked to the side in thought. “How about chili? I could be compelled to try it.”

“Compelled... since everything else I've ever given you has been so bad you'd have to be compelled.” Sophie laid her head against Loki's shoulder and stroked his back, now that she had relaxed enough to let go of her clutching grip on him. “It's OK; a batch of chili is big enough to feed your brother and company when they assuredly will show up.”

“It will most likely be just Thor, wanting to strategize. If he wants to talk shop do you want me to get rid of him?” Loki rubbed circles on her back.

Sophie lips found Loki's jaw and pressed against it gently. “Mmmmmmmm no matter how good you can make me feel, maybe just this once, feeling prepared might be better.”

“Alright dear, we can all sit around with a bowl of chili and discuss how best to slaughter Hydra...” He shrugged with a laugh, “Sounds reasonable to me.”

“I think it's the first reasonable sounding thing that has come out of my mouth today. I'm starting to scare myself. You do realize that I have always been the quiet, mousey, agreeable one don't you? You make me brave.”

Loki smiled and tapped the end of her nose. “It is not the first reasonable thing in your mouth today; keep those claws out kitten, we will need them later.” He released her long enough to spin Sophie around and give her a smack on the butt. “Let us go forth and make chili.”

Sophie turned and made a face at Loki when he swatted her, then started pulling ingredients out of the fridge and cabinets. Onions, peppers, tomatoes and garlic were set on a cutting board. Several large packages of ground beef and turkey were brought out along with cans of tomato sauce and beans. She set Loki to chopping the onions while she emptied most of the spice cabinet onto the counter and mumbled out loud to herself, “Onion powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cayenne, paprika, thyme, allspice, salt, brown sugar....”

Loki paused his chopping to look at Sophie strangely. “Are you cooking or casting a spell? Most of those things you listed off either myself or healers use.”

“I'm cooking. Can't you tell? No eye of newt. And I make awesome chili, but it does need almost everything I've got here.” She paused and looked at him. “What kind of a spell needs paprika?”

Loki scoffed. “Eye of newt is only good for making blind amphibians.” He waved his knife around, articulating his point. “And paprika is good for many things but the best is the color of the flame when it burns.”

“So you just like it cause it's pretty? But it tastes good, deep and smokey, it's like a low note.” Sophie watched the tip of his knife dance in the air and smiled and shook her head. He even looked good doing that.

He resumed his chopping as she spoke then paused. “They do not use much spice in Asgard, basic things but nothing fancy like that.” He gestured to the array of spices with the knife. “Those are reserved for sorcerers and healers.”

Sophie turned to watch Loki and she kicked her shoes off under the counter. “This isn't fancy, dear. I promise. Watching someone make curry would probably really worry you, if you think this is fancy. But maybe that's why you think I'm so good in the kitchen. What would you think if I said I was going to season some rice with the stamens of a saffron crocus?” She reached out and stole a bit of chopped tomato to pop in her mouth.

“I would think that rubbing the genitals of flowers all over perfectly good foodstuffs is ludicrous.” Loki tossed a piece of chopped pepper in the air and caught it in his mouth with a grin.

“Well, it's a beautiful yellow color and smells lovely.” Sophie countered and grinned. “Maybe, just maybe, we aren't as unevolved as you guys think.”

“Everyone has their thing; Asgard has fighting and Midgard had the spice trade, perhaps it is us that need to evolve a bit.” He chopped the last of the vegetables then decided to show off by balancing the tip of the knife on the end of his finger.

Sophie's eyes went wide and she leaned over the counter toward him to watch. “Don't cut yourself.” She whispered, just as a loud banging on the front door proceeded it's slamming open to allow Thor to enter.

The banging on the door startled Loki enough that the knife flew in the air and came back down to slice his palm. “Bloody hell, Thor you idiot!” Loki spun around to rinse out the cut on his hand in the sink. “Use your indoor knock for Friggas sake! You startled me.”

Sophie jumped at the noise and winced when the knife caught Loki's hand. She went to his side to check the wound as he rinsed it. Kissing his shoulder, because his hand was still under the water she said, “Dear, for being so good with knives, you have the WORST luck in the kitchen with them.”

After seeing that Loki would be alright, she turned to Thor, “So what's the news? Did everyone decide I'm insane after we left?”

“Yes I know, I am not meant for the kitchen it seems.” Loki made sure the wound was clean before healing the wound.

Thor stomped over to the kitchen island and sat heavily on a stool. “Seems you both made an impression, they will cooperate. Brother; we are to meet with respective leaders to come up with more detailed plans so they can relay orders to their warriors and gather supplies. At first the man Toukka ferreted out refused to help but he changed his tune rather quickly.” The thunderer smiled at them with a wink. Loki dried off his hand while flexing it to test his repair job. “Just inform me of when these meetings will take place and I shall assist the best I can.”

The blonde god nodded. “As far as I am aware it is you that set the times, you just need to inform Fury or Natasha of when. Oh, and Loki, Jane wishes to discuss some things with you. She may be stopping by tomorrow.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Yes yes, have Dr. Foster call before she shows up so I may ready materials.”

Sophie scraped the chopped vegetables into a very large pot on the stove and joined the men. “Umm Thor? When are you planning to go back to Asgard?”

The blonde graced Sophie with one of his charming smiles. “Have you tired of me so soon, my lady? Actually, I do need to return soon to see what kind of forces my allies have been able to obtain for us. Why do you ask?”

Taking a deep breath, Sophie looked Thor in the eyes and said seriously, “You once said I could ask you for anything and I told you I'd test you, right? Well, here it is. It's big and I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to.” She was obviously stalling, searching for the right words, turn of phrase, anything to make this more palatable, but couldn't find them. “I need the rest of the Tesseract if we are going to defeat Thanos. I need it here in my hands and no one else can know that it's here. Thanos has almost as many ways of getting information as Hydra does. You'll need to get it without asking anyone for it and fix it so it isn't noticed to be missing.”

She bit her lip and played the only card she had, even if it was low. “You promised. I dealt with David's death. Don't make me deal with any more.”

Thor's ice blue eyes shot between his brother and his brother's woman, before he stammered, “I... I do not know if this is possible.”

Loki had to come to her aid. “It IS possible Thor and you know as such; made even easier now that I once more have access to my magics.” The trickster crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “I can make a perfect copy, good enough to fool even the All-Father, but only you can switch it with the original. The copy will only last as long as it remains undisturbed.”

Thor's head hit the backs of his hands on the counter top. “I cannot guarantee anything. The best I can do is say I will try; brother, make that copy.”

Sophie reached out and stroked along the back of Thor's head. “I'm sorry. I know it's treason or whatever, but it's not a whim. I need the whole of the thing to destroy Thanos. If we can't do that, then this whole fight isn't anything other than a delay. This will stop him for good. That should mean as much to your realm as it does mine.”

“I can see it, Loki can see it and you can see it but I fear father will not see it that way. We know Thanos' reign of death needs to end.” The blonde inhaled deeply then released it in a loud huff. “You put much on my shoulders Lady Sophie; if I am caught then any support you had in Asgard is lost, you realize this correct?”

“Those shoulders look plenty broad to me. Yes?” She smiled at Thor as she tipped up his chin with a finger. “Yet still small enough you can sneak around, so you won't get caught. If I don't have that Tesseract, we won't need support. Loki and I will have to run and hope that once Thanos realizes what he wants isn't here he is too distracted to destroy everything before he comes looking for us. In trouble on Asgard would probably be the safest place for you if you get caught.”

Thor smiled weakly. “All I can promise is that I will try to procure it; if I return then I will have it, if I do not return then I am occupying Lokis old abode.” Loki huffed a laugh at the grinning Thor.

“You can do it. I have faith in you.” She playfully slapped at his shoulder. “I mean, you're a GOD and all I need is a little, bitty, glowing blue stone. Besides,” Sophie play whispered, “You don't want to make Loki's family look bad in front of his girlfriend, do ya?”

“If he has not done so on his own then I doubt I could top it.” Thor stared at Sophie, mirth shining in his brilliant blue eyes.

“Ha!” She laughed loudly and made her way back to the stove to stir things around a bit and pointed at the large pot. “You're staying for dinner, right? I got used to cooking for your appetite, there's plenty.”

He took a deep sniff of the air around them. “If it tastes half as good as it smells then count me in.”

Sophie went over to the spices and added more to the pot and tasted it, then pulled Loki to her side and handed him the spoon, while gesturing at the bottles on the counter. “Since you're the potions master here, does it need adjusting, dear?”

Loki arched an eyebrow at Sophie. “You are the master chef, my dear.” He took spoon and tasted what was in the pot; his eyes rolled back and a moan slipped out of him. “I would call it perfect, darling.”

“Yes? Your delicate constitution can handle it?” She teased but grinned at his moan and swept some dirty dishes into the sink to start cornbread.

He set the spoon on a rest before snaking an arm around her waist and dragging Sophie close to catch her lips in a drugging kiss. “You, my dear, are much more spicy and I can handle you just fine.” Loki gave her a toothy grin.

Sophie leaned back against Loki's arm. “Handle me, huh? That’s when you call it when you let me get all wound up then point me at people when I'm about to go off?”

He gave her a one shouldered shrug and a sly grin. “Getting you riled up is entertaining and incredibly arousing.”

“Sounds like we are talking about two different kinds of riled up, astin min.” She tipped to catch Loki's lips just as Thor cleared his throat. Sophie looked back over her shoulder at the man who was rolling his eyes to the ceiling and running his fingers through his beard.

“Still here.” He mumbled.

“Don't care.” Loki tossed over at Thor before kissing Sophie soundly.

She kissed Loki back with just as much enthusiasm before dropping her pink face to his chest and giggling.

Thor watched them with only a bit of jealousy before he interrupted the giggling. “Forgive me, but I find it hard to believe you are the same woman who insisted on being put into armor before giving the leaders of your planet a tongue lashing this morning. Are all mortal women as fickle in temper? It could explain Jane's distractions.”

“Now you know why we get on so well, Thor. Her crazy balances out mine.” Loki chuckled with his forehead pressed to hers.

“I'm not crazy... much.” Sophie mumbled against Loki.

“Darling you are completely nutters, it is part of your charm.” He laughed.

She stroked Loki's cheek with chili scented fingers and smiled at him. “If you say so, dear.” Then she looked back to his brother. “Thor, if any sane woman is too distracted to notice YOU, you might need to think a few things through. Like, is she actually interested in guys?”

Thor scratched his beard in thought. “You may be right, Lady Sophie. Jane has been rebuffing my advances since my return and even before then. Perhaps I should speak with Darcy, she may know more about it.”

Sophie was more than glad to push this off on Darcy. “I'm sure Darcy would know MUCH more than I would about any of it. All I can tell you is,” she waved her hand vaguely toward him. “THAT whole package is hard to ignore unless you are utterly otherwise occupied.”

She turned her head back quickly and whispered against Loki's lips. “Hush, you know I'm occupied.”

Loki couldn't stop the grin he gave her at that statement. “I said not a word, darling.”

The thunder god laughed. “Thank you, Lady Sophie, I appreciate the compliment. You are a good boost to ones ego.”

“It's all true,” she shrugged.

“Still,” Thor smiled, “Thank you for the compliment.” Toukka chose that moment to bound over and nibble on Thors fingers in greeting. “Hello to you too, tiny Avenger.”

Sophie whispered to Loki, “Is Toukka being NICE to him?”

Loki held his hand up to his mouth to stifle a gasp. “I believe he is... Did I give him the right food?” He looked over to Toukkas empty plate to make sure.

“I dunno, you fed him.” She laughed and slipped out from under his arm to put the cornbread in the oven.

“It is the only explanation for...” He gestured wildly at his weasel, “THAT nonsense.”

Thor boomed a laugh at his flabbergasted brother. “Fear not, brother. Toukka was the discoverer of the Hydra agent; he earned the respect of many in that room. Lady Natasha has tried to get the Man of Fury to issue our furry friend a badge and position in the agency.”

“Did he get the job?” Sophie countered. “Someone around here REALLY needs to make a paycheck.”