#trust lessons

            "Natasha Romanoff," said the second redhead, shaking my hand with a firm grip. I immediately sensed that she wasn't the type of person anyone messed with, hoping I'd understood the hesitant stare Loki had given her.

            "Are you part of the band?" Natasha asked me.

            "Oh—no, not me. I'm with Lo—uh—" I paused, shaking my head. Tony Stark started to laugh and Loki cleared his throat. Tony stopped laughing and I had a feeling that I was out of some kind of secret loop.

            "She's with me," Loki said.

            "This is ridiculous. Let's stop pretending she doesn't know she's sleeping with an ex-super villain," Stark said after rolling his eyes a moment. Loki's expression was blank when I looked at him again.

            "Don't worry, honey. He's given up his evil ways and agreed to be a force of good—"

            "Let's not spoil the night," Natasha interrupted. My heart rate slowed down again. Loki looked displeased, his jaw taut so that I knew he was gritting his teeth behind closed lips. I was shortly. Stark's eyes focused on mine.

            "I'm really sorry, but I just thought you should know—"

            "She does," Loki said calmly.

But even so, I knew without knowing what it was that there was something I didn't know.

            "Pleased to meet you," came the voice of a very attractive man who was soon shaking my hand. Loki had let his arm drape around my waist where he rubbed my hip comfortingly.

            "I'm Steve Rogers," said the man. I knew who he was, and not just because Loki had told me a bit about him. I was then introduced to a Doctor Banner, at which point I felt Loki's grip on me intensify. He and the man exchanged subtle glances before everyone started to talk over drinks. Once we were away from the center of attention, Loki was still gripping my waist.

            "Is everything okay?" I asked him. I found Loki's eyes to be scanning the room, as if he expected to see someone or something but wasn't seeing it.

            "Of course," he said, but I couldn't shake this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach.

            "If you'll excuse me, I should really be giving a pep talk to my students. Some of them just arrived."

I nodded and Loki gave me a kiss on the cheek before wandering off.

            "I really like your dress," Pepper said, appearing behind me where I was waiting for a drink. Before I knew it she and I were talking about my shoes. She couldn't believe that Loki had made them, and I admitted to feeling the same way. I started to relax and enjoy myself a bit. Shortly, there was some music in the background and I looked over to find the small band playing away casually. Loki's back was to me, but his arms moved with so much grace that I didn't wonder whether it was really him standing there. About half an hour passed before there were more people and conversations, and then Tony Stark was standing up on a raised platform in front of a massive holographic screen presenting some innovative developments in sustainable construction, going off about projects he was doing. The music had stopped right before this presentation, and I finally looked across the room where I saw Loki watching me instead of the presentation. I grinned when I saw him and he smiled. I finally decided to go catch up with him when Tony was finished presenting and people were applauding. Loki had to turn around to get the music going again. A server took my empty glass, and I realized for the first time that I needed to pee. I rushed towards the bathroom away from the party.

            "Yes?" he coaxed, dipping his head slightly as if to urge me on.

            "Like a god," I said, unable to find a more perfect description.

            "That I am, flower," Loki said, stepping towards me with a gusto that that took my breath away. He surrounded me in those long arms and the kiss he gave me left me even further breathless.

            "I'm a bit early, but I wanted to have ample time. Get ready; I want to see you in the dress," he said. I cocked my head to the side, confused, as I'd already picked out something to wear. Loki laughed mischievously.

            "Is there something I don't know?" I asked, as I had planned on wearing my best pencil skirt and a Victorian blouse.

            "I bought you something," Loki said, lifting me up in his arms so that I wasn't on my feet anymore. He gave me a spin as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

            "But I thought you said I looked best when I wore nothing but you," I said seductively. Loki grinned.

            "Nice try, but I've only just precisely gotten into this thing. There's plenty of time for that later, Jasmine," he said equally as seductively, and I knew he wasn't lying. Loki set me down and pushed me gently towards the bathroom.

            "Go shower so I can do your hair and makeup, then we'll go," he said. Do my hair? Makeup?  I thought. This was going to be beyond interesting. I washed myself up as quickly and thoroughly as I could, glad I'd shaved my legs the previous night as I slathered moisturizer on my skin once I dried off. I could hear the piano playing in the other room where Loki was waiting for me. Gnossienne 1 bounced off the walls of the apartment. Loki knew how much I loved Satie. As I finished moisturizing my skin, I walked into Loki's room and found the closet open and waiting or me. There was a large peach coloured bow on a black clothing cover. Just beneath it, I could see something peach and mellifluous hanging out of the bottom. There was a white tag on the hanger. As I picked up the tag to read it, Loki transitioned smoothly into Gymnopédie No.1. To my most beautiful flower, Jasmine Lucille, read the tag. I had to pause and catch my breath; it felt as if I were living in a dream at that very moment. I slowly unzipped the cover to find the most amazing dress I've seen in all my life. It was peach and backless, the fabric I was sure had to be real silk. I slipped into the dress and glanced in the mirror in Loki's room. I noticed that I could see the lines of my underwear beneath it, so I took them off. Luckily I didn't need a bra, as the front was a bit padded for the bust. I started out into the room where Loki was sitting at the piano with his back to me, pausing at Gymnopédie No.2 when he heard me coming.

            "When did you have time to get this, Loki? It's amazing," I said, completely surprised. He turned around and stood up.

            "And it fits perfectly. How'd you—"

            "I took your measurements in your sleep."

I started laughing, but even as Loki smiled while he approached me, I knew he wasn't lying, "You may thank my friend Rappaport the next time we pay him a visit. He's quite handy with a thread and needle for his age," Loki explained. I thought about the curly haired old man and was honestly surprised to find that the dress was handmade. I looked down at it in bewilderment, and shortly recalled that I'd found no tag on the inside of it. He held both hands behind his back and I found his gaze to be full of what looked like trickery.

            "You look stunning," Loki said sincerely, his eyes looking me up and down slowly, almost hungrily.

            "…What else have you done?" I asked him nearly hesitantly. Loki laughed and pulled his hands from behind his back to reveal two matching peach heels that couldn't possibly have been behind his back when he'd stood up from the piano. I didn't bother trying to figure out where they came from as Loki led me to the piano bench where I sat. He knelt down in front of me and took my left leg in his hand, the dress falling back a ways to reveal my legs up to an inch or two above my knees. As Loki took my foot in his hand, he kissed my big toe and I laughed. He carefully fit the shoe onto my foot, and it fit perfectly.

            "Loki, they're amazing. Where did you—?"

            "I made them," he said proudly, picking up my right leg and placing the other shoe on my foot. He stood up and took my hands to lead me up.

            "Now," he said, rubbing his fingers across his lips and gazing at me as if to try and decide on something. Loki then waved a hand across my face and I felt my hair moving into entirely different positions. He was using magic. He waved his pale fingers and my hair felt dry in a flash as it moved into twists and turns on my head. Loki took a step back to admire his work and a smile I hadn't seen before met his lips. It was a different kind of smile, not mischievous, nor lascivious, but agape like a love I hadn't known before. Loki picked up a full length mirror that had been resting against a wall.

            "Well, do you like it?" he asked hopefully, holding the mirror up perfectly to my newfound height in the peach heels. There was an intricate braid around the crown of my head, which was finishing weaving itself in circles around my skull, leaving some bangs curled out lusciously to the left side of my face. I pressed my hand to my lips in some shock.

            "Hang on," Loki said, and he waved his hand once more. My nails turned a light peach shade right before my eyes, and my lips glowed as if I'd just put on matching peach gloss. I'd literally transformed in under sixty seconds.

            "Well?" Loki asked again. I'd momentarily forgotten he was even there, until I gazed up at his eyes which were the only thing I could see behind the mirror he was holding so that the top half of his head showed.

            "Why haven't you done this to me before? It would have made getting ready for work ten times faster!" I said, though I wasn't angry at all. Loki laughed and I turned to check out the rest of the braid and my back which looked very sexy in the dress. It hugged me just right, as if I had tried it on before.

            "This is…"

I couldn’t even find words as I stood up to my full height with confidence and turned to look at both of my sides. Every angle was perfect. And then I took the mirror out of his hands and placed it on the coffee table before throwing my arms around him.

            When we finally arrived at the hotel, we only had time to put our bags down before Loki answered the call from the realtor who was meant to show us around. We drove into a place called Brighton and I could barely focus on the beautiful (and expensive) houses we were looking at, because I couldn't ignore the way that the realtor kept staring at Loki while we ventured further into the second home. As Loki and I ascended the steps to the second floor, the realtor grinned and flipped her deep brown curls. Loki clasped my hand habitually and I saw the realtor's smile flicker into a straight line. Part of me couldn't have blamed the realtor for checking out Loki's behind as he leant out of the French doors onto the balcony in the master bedroom. I knew that he looked glorious with his silky hair pulled back neatly into a ponytail. He had a perfect posture and the clearest green eyes anyone could have ever seen, his features perfectly chiseled as if at the hands of da Vinci himself. I leant back against the wall and crossed my arms in a pleased manner. Loki was mine, and mine alone.

            "Come see the yard, flower," Loki said without turning around, beckoning me with a wave of his graceful hand. I walked over to where he was standing and quickly found that hand on the small of my back.

            "There's a gazebo, too," the realtor said, her voice nearly disappointed when Loki pulled me in closer to himself.

            "But you could take that down if you don't like it," she said. Loki turned his head back to face her politely.

            "I wouldn't dream of it," he said, leaning his head down to my height.

            "Imagine our children out there in the summer, Jas," he said, his voice so saccharine that I swear I tasted the sugar on his lips when he kissed me. I still had my eyes closed as he turned around to ask the realtor how old the house was. She stuttered momentarily, choking on her words. I quickly caught on that Loki had sensed her flirtatiousness, and my subsequent jealousy, because he started to massage my hip as if absently, but he knew exactly what he was doing. The rest of the time that she showed us houses, the realtor stopped throwing Loki suggestive gazes. He made sure to touch me in any small possible way whenever she was looking. I had to hold it in not to break out laughing at her. I began to understand Loki's possessiveness about me; I hadn't been able to stand that woman looking at him like she was.

            When we returned to the hotel, I kicked off my heels. Loki and I had been dressed to the nines for the entire day. He'd said that looking expensive was the best way to get the realtor to show us the best places. Though, as Loki slipped out of his Armani vest, I knew for certain he could have afforded any goddamn house he wanted. I sighed, finally feeling my calcaneus correct itself. Loki laughed.

            "What?" I asked curiously.

            "That realtor drove you stark raving mad," he said, grinning with teeth. My face reddened.

            "Don't flatter yourself," I said, smacking Loki's chest playfully as I started past him. But I didn't make it far because Loki grabbed me, causing me to drop my heels.

            "And if it had been the other way around, I would have made her watch me take you—right outside on that balcony, the jealous wench."

Every hair on the back of my neck stood up at the lascivity of Loki's voice. He was gripping my waist firmly, massaging my hips. A moan escaped me as Loki lifted me up off my feet and placed me on the bureau behind me. He kept his eyes locked on mine as he tucked his hands deeply under my dress and found the top of my stockings. Loki pulled them down my legs, slowly, intimately, in every way that made me wet. His knuckles brushing firmly over my skin caused me to shiver.

            "There's no need to be jealous, pet," Loki grinned, "I'm all yours."

I gasped when Loki picked me up off the dresser and carried me to the bed. He laid me there carefully and began to kneel on the carpet in front of me. He went for my underwear next and pulled them off in a flash. I sat up and gasped as he pulled me with alacrity towards the edge of the bed where he was gazing attentively beneath my dress. He pulled me closer until my legs were resting perfectly over his shoulders, and began applying gentle kisses to my inner thighs, exhaling and moaning simultaneously. I pulled Loki's hair out of the ponytail and he gazed up at me and smiled before taking me even closer to his head.

            "You know where my loyalty lies, flower." I fought not to moan too loudly as Loki's tongue delved inside of me deeply. My body thoroughly ached from the previous night, but the slight discomfort was overcome by pleasure. I began to breathe unevenly, pushing my hands through Loki's hair. I panted and sighed, beginning to weep in euphoria. Loki gazed up at me a few seconds, pushing my dress back further so that I could behold his ministrations.

            Though his lips were busy being attached to me, I could see the smile in his eyes, which slowly crimsoned until the irises were completely red. When Loki exhaled again, the breath was freezing against my skin, but I threw my head back and moaned, as it was oddly a good sensation. Finally, I gave way and laid back, pulling my hands through my hair frantically, moaning obscenities. I began rolling my hips forward, no longer able to control myself. Loki's grip on my legs deadbolted, holding me in place, yet I squirmed nonetheless. Loki's tongue and lips left me suddenly. I sat up to see why he'd stopped only to find him undressing frantically. He kicked off his shoes and made his way on top of me, gripping his hardness with anticipation. He didn't bother to take my dress off, but merely kept the skirt of it above my hips before positioning himself between my legs and searching for my entrance. There was utter desperation on his face until he found me and admitted his length. Loki sighed and his eyes closed a moment. When they opened again, I found them to be green. I moaned painfully, gripping Loki's shoulder blades. He never winced when I sunk my nails into his skin. He was gentle all the way until orgasm, at which point I felt the nerves firing through my entire being uncontrollably. I laid on my side facing Loki, who was propped up on his elbow, rubbing my hip beneath my dress. I loved the way that life filled his every feature and brightened his skin in the afterglow.

            "I am nobody's but yours, Jasmine," Loki said, finally breaking the silence. I smiled.

            "I knew that," I said wryly. Loki laughed and the vibrations of his voice caused me to shiver pleasurably. Loki's hand slipped between my legs a little bit and massaged my inner thigh. I winced, shifting so that they parted further. I lifted the skirt of my dress to find that I was thoroughly bruised. Loki's eyes widened a little bit, but eased up when I laughed about it.

            "There's no way I'm going to be able to walk for at least a few days. How are we supposed to see houses if I can't even get around?" I asked. I thought I saw Loki blush. This was the first time we had sex two days in a row. I hadn't been given enough time to properly recover from the previous night.

            "You should have stopped me," Loki said sweetly, sitting up and pulling my dress back further to inspect my inner thighs. I cupped his face in my hands and he looked at me.

            "I'm fine," I said reassuringly. Loki sighed, half believing me. He kissed my temple and stood up out of bed. I watched him get dressed again before he extended a hand to me from the foot of the bed, leaning against it on one knee.

            "I'm taking you to dinner, like a proper gentleman. This evening should have started there," Loki explained honestly. I cocked my head to the side before finally registering that he wasn't kidding. I knew he felt badly about bruising me, but honestly, I really didn't mind it. If anything, they would be reminders of his passion every time I saw them. Loki said we could go anywhere that I wanted, but I had no idea where I wanted to go, seeing as I didn't know the area very well. We ate somewhere upscale anyway, and when we got back, I was so exhausted that I just wanted to get ready for bed. I showered and Loki spent some time on the computer going through more house searches. I walked out of the bathroom slightly dripping still from my shower. Loki looked very preoccupied in what he was doing. I stood there a moment and watched him. He never turned to look in my direction, and then his phone rang. He looked to see who was calling and stood up. He smiled.

            "I'm going to take a shower. Clear my head of this day. Care to join me?" Loki asked seductively.

            "I already took mine," I admitted, "I'll wait for you," I said walking towards the bedroom. I listened to Loki in the kitchen for a bit before he passed by the bedroom door, already holding his shirt in his hands. I put the book down and waited for Loki to come to bed. I didn't like not kissing him goodnight. When he came to the room, he stood in front of the closet, going through some clothes.

            "There's an, um, event happening next Friday night. I'm conducting a few cellists for a party. Would you like to come with me?" Loki asked, turning halfway around. He'd been going through his suits, which I realized upon sitting up in bed.

            "Of course, honey," I said. I hadn't seen Loki conduct before and I thought it might be an interesting experience.

            "What's the party for?" I asked. Loki sighed.

            "I don't know if you've heard of him…Tony Stark? He's opening a new sustainable building. It's some sort of sponsor event. I'd rather not go, but some of my students are part of the band that's playing. They asked me to join them," Loki explained. I had stepped carefully out of bed and approached him. I wrapped my arms around his pale body and he stopped pulling through hangers. He felt warm from the shower, but he was dry. I knew enough about his past to know that he'd been through a complete mess with some very powerful people. But he'd been exonerated just enough to try and make up for his past mistakes.

            "Loki, what's wrong?" I asked him, kissing the center of his back. Loki turned around.

He smiled and shook his head. I took it as him not wanting to go into detail, so I let it be. I wanted to take his mind off of whatever it was troubling him, so I forgot about the secret room and Loki's past. I slowly pulled the towel from around his waist, dropping it on the floor where I stood. Loki didn't take his eyes off of me, but I felt his hands trace down my sides and stop at my hips, the fingers burrowing beneath the waist of my panties.

            "Hmmm," Loki said, as if trying to figure something out.

            "I think you look much prettier without these on," he said, a sly grin gracing his face. His hands travelled under my tank top.

            "In fact, you are the most beautiful when you're not wearing anything but me," he said, stepping backwards towards the bed. I sat in it and Loki knelt in front of me, pulling my shirt over my head. We'd both had a less than satisfying day and we needed to forget about it. Loki went for my panties next, and when he got them off, he grabbed my right leg and started kissing on the shin. I laughed and laid back, and shortly found Loki gripping both my legs. He looked down at me before lowering his head between them. I touched his hair, still damp from the shower, and when I felt his soft kisses over my sex, my body heated up a few more degrees. I sat up, pulling up Loki's head. He looked a little confused as to why I'd stopped him. I kissed him firmly, wrapping my arms around his long neck, and he sat up straight, laughing beneath my kiss. His voice tickled me. I pushed him as hard as I could so he went crashing down on the bed and his verdant eyes widened up at me from where he laid on his back.

            "Oh, you want to dominate me?" Loki asked slyly, that mischievous voice melting me. Loki grabbed me and flipped and I was on my back before I could blink.

            "Two can play at that game, flower," he said in the most seductive way that I got wet almost immediately. Loki started to kiss down my body tantalizingly. He gripped my legs and held them apart. I tried to sit up again and Loki pressed a hand firmly to my chest, sitting up only a moment to speak.

            "Let me taste you," he said. It sounded more like a command than a request. I fell back only to my elbows and stared down at Loki as he pulled my legs over his shoulders. I felt Loki's breath on my inner thighs, against my womanhood. He kept kissing me there, slowly letting my legs fall over his shoulders and down his arms. I reveled in the smoothness of his skin against mine. He gripped the backs of my knees and held them apart, and I gasped when I felt his tongue. Loki moaned against me and I felt the tip of his appendage curve upward to the front wall inside of me and rub it roughly, mercilessly. He started to caress my insides with his tongue, the lips gently kissing at me all the while. I gasped and Loki gripped my legs, keeping them in place while he explored me. I got wet quickly. I gazed at the clock and found myself beginning to writhe beneath Loki's mouth in a matter of minutes. I started to paw at his shoulders between my legs, feeling myself getting closer. Loki's hands found mine and I let his fingers weave into them where he pressed them forcefully down against the mattress.

            "Loki," I whimpered, feeling my orgasm building up. He never stopped lapping, delving as deeply as he could. My lower back arched and I came undone. Loki didn't stop. He went on even after I thoroughly climaxed, savoringly gormandizing over me. Loki moaned and I felt an ice cold chill between my thighs and gasped. My legs began to feel weak and I started dropping them. Loki sat up, licking his lips, his eyes no longer green, but red like they were in his Jotunn form. There was absolute lust in his expression. I gasped and sat up, backing away from him a bit. His eyes greened again, but he looked just as aroused.

            "Are you alright?" he asked me, hesitating in moving towards me. He relished the taste of me again, his tongue sliding across his bottom lip.

            "I didn't hurt you, Jasmine, did I?" he asked, the lust fading a little bit in his eyes where concern began to build. I shook my head slowly. I simply had forgotten that he could transform like that; it appeared that Loki hadn't even known about his eyes. He seemed to have the least control over changing form when touching me. I could see that he was aroused when I gazed down at his excitement. That seductive grin met Loki's lips. I moved towards him. I was thoroughly wet enough to accommodate him. Loki watched me all the while as I mounted him and slowly eased him inside of me. I supposed it couldn't have hurt to have another orgasm. Loki moaned in appreciation, gripping my shoulders and leading me back slowly to lie down again. I was going to let him finish in whatever way he pleased. Loki was gentle anyway. He told me that I had tasted sweet, like the nectar of a flower, that he'd wanted to know from the moment he'd fallen for me what I tasted like. It brought such fire to my cheeks that I couldn't look directly into his eyes. I closed them and let him take me over completely. I began to feel sore, but in a pleasurable way, yet still wishing I'd waited for this instead of touching myself earlier as Loki rocked his hips roughly. The way my legs were positioned back allowed him such deep passage that I felt we had become one entity. He filled me so completely that there was no more room left. Loki's moaning was music to my ears. His chin rested atop my head so that I could kiss at his beautiful long neck, nip at the Adam's apple. I got that familiar sensation inside of me. Loki's thrusts became wild, yet firm and concentrated and I gripped his biceps in anticipation.

            "Don't close your eyes," Loki breathed, wanting me to see him when he climaxed. I looked and his face was so beautiful that I could have cried. He planted his hands tightly under my head so that it rested in his palms, lifting my head up to meet his lips for a messy kiss that allowed me to taste myself. I was in fact sweet. Loki started to groan desperately, unlike I'd heard him groan before, and I knew that he was close. I met his eyes in the moment of his orgasm, and for the third time, I felt his cold release deep inside of me. Loki was trembling, letting his weight down on me enough that it was nearly uncomfortable, but I didn't mind it. My legs had certainly fallen asleep at that point, but he was thoroughly satisfied, and that was all I'd wanted. I glanced past Loki's shoulder to find that a complete fifteen minutes had gone by during this round. He was sighing against my skin with relief.

            When  I awoke again, it was because I heard something moving. I opened my eyes to find that I was lying perfectly still on my back. And then one of my blouses went flying over my head—literally—as I gazed up at the ceiling. I gasped and sat up with a fright, clasping my hand over my chest. Loki turned slightly from where he was sitting naked at the foot of the bed. It was very early in the morning, and I could tell from the blueness of the light coming in through the curtains.

            "I'm sorry, flower. I didn't mean to wake you just yet. Go back to sleep," Loki said gently, but I couldn't ignore the flourish of his hands as more of my clothes soared gracefully out of the drawers and were folded into a suitcase that lay waiting open on the floor. My eyes widened and I rubbed them to make damn sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. It registered in my brain that Loki was in fact using telekinesis, and that no, I was not dreaming. I stared at things moving about, Loki gazing at me intently, seeming to not realize how I hadn't seen him do this before. I don’t know why it still surprised me to see him do things like this, as if I wasn't well aware of the fact that my boyfriend was far from human. Loki finally realized why I was staring. He put his hands down and my bra drifted slowly to the bed, landing on my legs. I picked it up.

            "I didn't mean to scare you," Loki said, standing up.

            "Go back to sleep, flower. I just wanted to pack your things and make breakfast before we head to Boston."

I shook my head slowly.

            "I'm not scared," I said honestly, as I could tell from the desiderium in his visage that he was somewhat saddened by the way I had in fact been frightened momentarily. He stood there tall and beautiful, completely naked. The early blue light dyed his pale skin the same colour.

            "Are you okay?" I asked Loki. He was generally awake before me most days, but this time just seemed different. He looked a bit troubled, as if he were trying not to let me see how troubled he was. He grinned, and I didn't buy it.

            "Loki, what's wrong? You looked upset about something yesterday, the way you look right now. I hope you know that you can tell me anything…you won't scare me away."

Loki gazed at me a moment, and then I felt myself lifting from beneath the sheets. I knew that I wasn't moving of my own accord because I'd been sitting perfectly still. I gasped a second, feeling my butt leave the mattress. I was floating about five feet above the bed, Loki's gaze holding me in situ. I dropped my bra as my body began to drift towards Loki where he stood, having backed up a few steps from the bed. Though his hands were nowhere near me, it felt as if he was somehow touching me. I felt his presence as if his arms were cradling me. Slowly, I floated until I was right up against Loki's bare chest and he embraced me.

There was a voice on the other end that I couldn't quite hear. Loki started to move slowly as the light turned green. He pulled into his familiar spot in front of the apartment complex. He sighed.

            "Are you sure you can't do it without me? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

I stared out the window.

            "I will be in. Just give me about half an hour," Loki said before hanging up. I wondered what was going on. He sighed.

            "Something wrong?" I asked. Loki shook his head and got out of the car. I stepped out and closed my door. He had his hand on my back in seconds and pulled me in towards him as we made it up the steps, as if he thought Jared was waiting in the shadows to jump out and attack.

            "I have to go in. Something came up," Loki said once we were in the elevator.

            "I really don't want to, but apparently it's urgent," he said. I reached up to cup Loki's chin, "Darling?"

He still wore that worried look, but I was just fascinated at his renewed skin. There were no bruises on his face.

            "You heal fast," I said in amazement. Loki grinned. He let me step out of the elevator first before following me down the hall to his apartment. He opened the door and sighed, letting me in first, muttering something about some incompetent idiots not being able to figure out a situation. I paused in taking my shoes off and turned around to find Loki standing in the doorway, an eyebrow raised in what looked like utter irritation as his fingers texted rapidly on his phone.

            "Loki, what's the matter?" I asked. After a short three seconds, Loki pushed his phone into his pocket and took a large step inside towards me. He placed his hands on my arms.

            "What's the matter? The matter is that the woman I love was brutally assaulted mere moments ago, and now I have to go help that incompetent, egotistical—" Loki stopped speaking abruptly, his eyes travelling down between us. He shook his head. At that point, I knew there was something going on that he wasn't telling me.

            "Their called students for a reason, Loki," I said as comfortingly as I could, "they have no idea what they're doing. And I'm fine. I promise," I said. Loki looked into my eyes.

            "Are you sure?" he asked me, pushing his hands under my arms and wrapping them around me, gripping me against his body.

            "Loki, go to work. I'll be alright here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay in, okay?"

He sighed, hesitating. And then his lips pressed firmly to my forehead where they stayed for several seconds. I pulled my head back to gaze up at him and he immediately pressed his lips to mine. We hadn't kissed this particular way all week, and my body immediately began to cue up for more than just a kiss. Loki reluctantly broke the kiss.

            "It's just that I've lost a lot. I've been through…a lot. And there's a lot I haven't told you…about me. It's not because I don't want to, I just want to keep you out of my own darkness. It is mine to work over, and I know that you have your darkness too. Everything you've told me about that bastard, what he's done to you, well, it  makes me sick, Jasmine. I can't be held responsible for what I might do if I see his face ever again. I don't want to lose you."

As he was speaking, Loki's grip on me tightened.

            "I just hope that you can trust me."

I nodded, "I do trust you, Loki. You haven't given me a reason not to," I said, wondering momentarily why he'd said that. And then I thought again about him coming home so late. What had he been doing that required him to be on campus so late at night? I felt my feet being lifted off the floor as Loki pulled me further up into his arms, until we were at eye level. I felt like a ragdoll in the arms of a giant, and I smiled.

            "I want to take you away from here. This weekend, we need to pay a visit to Boston, to look at some houses. I've been wanting to buy a house for a while now, anyway," Loki admitted. I had wrapped my legs around his waist. I nodded. Loki smiled. He put me down slowly.

            "Lock the door," he said before backing out into the hallway. I stood there with my hand on the knob, looking at him while he stood there patiently just outside of the doorframe. I started to feel more aroused just looking up at him. I closed and locked the door. I heard him test the knob on the other side for a bit before his steps retreated down the hall. I ran into the bedroom and took my clothes off, sitting on the bed. I had to touch myself to get over the way Loki's kiss had left me flustered. I brought myself to orgasm, but wished that it were Loki's fingers feeling me from the inside…

            When this person became aware that I noticed them, I immediately recognized who it was. My stomach lurched violently and a lump formed in my throat. My ex, Jared, stood there in plain sight. He looked exactly the same, I thought. I didn't stand there another minute. I started towards the register, relieved that other people were walking about. There was no way Jared could have threatened me there, not in public. I started wondering with discomfort whether seeing him had been a total coincidence, or whether he was following me. I figured the latter was unlikely, as I hadn't seen him in months. I paid for my book as quickly as I could. I noticed my hands to be trembling when I started for the door, and it really put me off. But just before I could make it to the exit, he was standing at a display table just ahead of me, in front of the doors. There was no way I could have gone by unnoticed. He looked up from the book he was apparently reading.

            I paused but the way that he looked at me was not at all menacing. His eyes were clear and pristine, just as I had remembered them. He didn't smile, but he sure did recognize me. His face was still so beautiful to me, but meant nightmares that I badly wished to forget. Jared's lips parted so slightly, but he didn't say anything. I wasn't going to say anything, either. After I had paused for what felt like an eternity, I rushed around the table and out of the door. I didn't stop moving until I made it back to Leonard's building. I hurried up the steps and hoped somebody would be waiting inside to let me in. I knocked frantically on the glass door as I saw somebody just stepping onto the lift. The same elder lady with short gray hair I'd seen the first time I'd come here looked out at me vacantly from inside the elevator.

            I felt scared, but I knew there was no way Jared had followed me; I'd been looking around the entire journey home. What if he knows where I was living? I thought. It had been a while since I'd moved out of my other apartment. I knew I was just driving myself mad thinking that way. Either way, it didn't stop me from screaming when I felt a pair of hands grab my hips.

            "All-Father Odin—it's just me, Jasmine," Loki said with shock. I slowly turned around and found him looking down at me with wide green eyes. He laughed.

            "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that," he said. He stopped laughing when he registered how nervous I was. Loki frowned.

            "Oh my," he said, "I really am sorry…Jasmine? What's wrong?" Loki asked me. I was still shaking.

            "Jasmine?"

I let my eyes scan the street behind Loki. He was very attentive, looking behind himself from left to right to see what I was so afraid of.

           "What?" he asked.

            "Let's just get inside," I said, gripping the sleeve of his shirt. He knew that I was not okay. He didn't waste any more time opening the door. He picked up the bag I had dropped when he scared me, pulling out the book. I knew from the way that he nodded that he'd probably read it already, but he didn't say anything about it before putting it back in the bag and wrapping an arm securely around my shoulders.

            "Everything's okay. You're okay," Loki said, rubbing my shoulder comfortingly. He kept his eyes on me until we got upstairs. He opened the door and let me in first. I stepped out of my shoes and hurried over to the couch. I sat there and stared out the window, grabbing a cushion and wrapping my arms around it. I heard Loki approaching slowly, saw him out of the corner of my eye. He sat on the couch behind me. He didn't touch me, though, sensing how shaken up I had been.

            "I really am sorry," he said honestly.

            "You didn't do anything," I said after a moment of silence. Loki sighed and it sounded very relieved. I saw his pale hand come around to my wrists, slowly followed by the other one, until I was leaning back into Loki's embrace.

            "I saw Jared," I finally said. I felt Loki sit up straight behind me.

            "I went to go get this book, and I was reading in the store. He was watching me. I don't know if he's been following me. I don't know if it was a coincidence. I don't…he was watching me," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. Finally I felt Loki's pulling motion and found myself facing him. He put both hands firmly on my shoulders.

            "Did he follow you? Did he try to talk to you at all? Did he go anywhere near—"

            "No," I said, relieved, cutting Loki off midsentence.

            "He just…looked. I don't know what to do. It wasn't like…I don't think he was going to do anything, but…"

I felt my face in Loki's hands.

            "You're safe here. I promise. You should've told me you wanted to go out; I would have gone with you later."

            "It's okay," I said, shaking my head.

            "It's not okay. If he's harassing you, it's not okay."

Loki's tone was grave. At times when he spoke about my ex, he'd get so dark and disgusted, angry.

            "He doesn't even deserve to speak to you. I will make sure he doesn't come near you again," Loki said. I nodded, even though I believed this was something not entirely within his control.

            "Come here," he said. I pressed my face into Loki's neck. It was warm and soft. I had made my way into his lap and we just sat there on the couch for a while. I started to kiss Loki's neck, and he laughed. I liked the way that it sounded, and the way it vibrated through my body where it was pressed against his. I sat up a bit so I could see his face.

            "How was your meeting?" I asked. Loki wrapped his arms around my back.

            "Boring," he said in a matching manner. I laughed.

            "I still love my flowers," I said, lying my head back down on his chest and staring towards the window at the flowers on the little table.

            "Hmm, you deserve the world, Jasmine," he said, his fingers strolling through my hair, massaging the back of my neck.

            "I want to give you the world," he said, his voice sinfully delicious against my ears. I sat up again.

            "I don't need the world, Loki. I just need you," I said. I looked him over. Sometimes it was like looking at an oil painting; he was simply a work of art. He smiled at this. I pushed my hands under his head and reached for his pony tail.

            "Oh, yes," he said, and the blood surged like fire through my entire body. He had promised me earlier that we would finish what had started in the kitchen that morning. Loki lifted his head a ways so that I could pull the elastic out of his hair. I then splayed his hair out beneath him. It was like a black wave against the couch. Each cafuné never failed to elicit a lecherous gaze from Loki's eyes, and he turned his cheek into my palm, closing the jades in his skull and sighing. He moaned through his closed lips and turned so that my legs fell further open and I straddled his waist. Loki looked up at me and turned his head back to face me. He let his hands rest on my hips.

            "My flower," he said, and shifted his waist upwards against me; I already felt him hardening. And then Loki sat up very quickly, getting on his knees in front of me on the floor, never losing my legs from either side of his waist. He gazed up at me and I felt that I held him entirely at my command. I played with his hair, made it frame his face perfectly. He grinned and pulled me towards him over the edge of the couch. I was then sitting on his legs, and he'd pinned me against the couch, claiming my mouth in a matter of seconds. I forgot how to breathe, how to think. All I was doing was feeling. I repeatedly pushed my hands through his downy hair, pulling it back at one point so that he was forced to lift his chin skywards. Loki moaned with surprise when I made this forceful motion, but he grinned at me without teeth. I sat up to my full height, as best I could, yet still not rising above his height. Instead, I managed to make an attempt that appeared to be a climb up Loki's body. I slipped down when I gave up and decided I wasn't going to rise just to his height. He laughed as if he thought my attempts were cute, and my face flushed. I grabbed his shoulders and started to rub myself against him. I was still wet from earlier, and though I was in jeans, I felt him continuing to harden beneath my frottage. Loki opened his mouth and moaned, closing his eyes for a moment as I ground myself against him. I had a firm grip on his shoulders, a perfect view of his face. He leant forward until his forehead touched the top of my head, my back firmly pressed against the couch.

            "Jasmine, are you sure about this? You seemed a bit uncomfortable the last time," Loki asked before kissing the top of my head. All I was is fire. I kept grinding up against Loki. And then I reached for my fly and unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans in a flash. I nodded hastily. Loki grinned and backed up a little bit so that there was enough room for him to start undressing. I paused in grabbing the hem of my shirt to watch Loki. His nimble fingers unbuttoned his shirt and threw it aside, all the while he watched me, grinning intently. He glanced down at his fly for a second to start undoing it, his perfect inky tresses gliding forth over his shoulders. I just wanted him all over me. I pulled my shirt off so fast that I heard the sleeve tear a little bit. By the time I got my shirt over my head and could see again, Loki had removed his jeans and underwear. He was kneeling before me stark naked. I liked this so much more than I ever thought I could have. There was an august air in the way he was still sitting up straight, like a statue. I was surprised to find that my hand was trembling as I reached out to touch his chest. My eyes were focusing on the rest of him, which was already more than ready to conquer me. I knew I had to be extremely ready, and I was glad I had been all day long. I knew that the way I touched myself in the shower would pale in comparison to Loki. I felt my smile, and Loki's laugh met my ears. He sat back on his feet and waited for me to come to him. I started to inch towards Loki on the floor. He moved so that he was leaning forth, balling his hands into fists, the pale knuckles braced against the hardwood. Loki smiled and his teeth gleamed. My heart beat at paces which made me think I might have died. Loki waited for me to touch him. I cupped his cheek. He looked precisely into my eyes.

            "If it's too much for you, I want you to tell me," he said. I nodded absently, and then I gasped when I felt my entire body be lifted momentarily off the floor. My back was against the couch again as Loki practically swung me, somehow, until I was sitting atop his legs again, my panties halfway down my thighs. Somewhere between motions, he'd managed to start taking them off. My lips were Loki's once more and I barely noticed him unhooking my bra until his lips parted from mine as he pulled it down my arms. Loki set it aside slowly, never removing his gaze from mine. My loins began to ache with desire. Loki looked at me as if he were about to devour my soul. He let my butt slide down his legs until it was resting just about on his knees.

            "Do you like these underwear?" he asked me.

            "W-what?" I asked. Loki smiled.

            "Do  you like these underwear, love?" he asked me again. Thrown off a bit, I tilted my head to the side. I shook my head, and shortly I heard them tear before Loki dropped them on the floor in one fell swoop. There was a primal expression on his face, the jaw taut and bared when Loki grabbed my hips, bringing me closer to the appendage I'd been aching for. He was inhaling deeply as he slowly began to slip inside of me. I threw my head back against the couch and squeezed the hell out of Loki's shoulders, arching my back up, my belly leaning in towards his perfect abdomen where they began to make contact. Loki paused, and I looked at him as if to ask why the hell he'd stopped. I curled my waist forward, causing him to sink in deeper. Thank the stars I was dripping wet already; it wasn't difficult to find him comfortably inside of me after only a few seconds. Loki sighed in a relieved manner, and I let my head drop again back on the couch.

            "Are you okay?" Loki asked. I looked again to see how tightly I was gripping his shoulders. I eased up my grasp and began to see little marks on him from my nails, which shortly turned crimson with fresh blood. I gasped.

            "I'm so sorry," I said, sitting up a little bit.

            "For what?" Loki asked, "You couldn't hurt me if you tried," he said, seeming entirely unaffected by the minor injury; he hadn't even groaned in pain. I was momentarily distracted by the way he laughed as I gently wiped at the blood on the little cuts. They literally disappeared, healing before my eyes. Loki moaned and leaned in until his face was on top of my head again. He pulled me a short way away from the couch, until I was completely secure in his arms. They always completely wrapped around me. I loved that about Loki's arms. He kissed the top of my head. When I realized how still he was, I started to gently rock my waist against him. Loki moaned, sitting there completely still. He was making me do all the work. I thought he was just trying to tease me.

            "Loki," I begged, gripping his shoulder blades. He let my head fall into both his palms and gazed down at me. The look on his face was just about sorrowful. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

            "I mean not to hurt you," he said, "I know it was too much for you the last time."

I felt my cheeks flare up like a bonfire.

            "I'm fine. I promise," I reassured him. Loki kissed me for a long moment, and while doing so, he started to sway his hips gently. I was the only thing I could hear then, my moans resonating off the walls of Loki's apartment. The sounds I was making encouraged him and I didn't have to move much more before he started to buck his hips more passionately. I let myself lose control, dropping my head back and gripping Loki's shoulders. Though we'd been in the tub before, my own wetness was much more comfortably lubricating and all I felt was good. Loki's hands, which were usually cool, grew heated against my back. I was about to climax when he suddenly slowed down. I pulled myself up so that I was looking at his face again. I knew I was looking at Loki as if to ask why the hell he'd stopped again.

            "I want to kiss you," he said, slowing his thrusts and stopping entirely. I met his lips and I swear there was something serpentine about the way his tongue darted in and out of my mouth, mingling with mine to massage it mercilessly. I swear the kiss alone could have gotten me off. I moaned desperately into Loki's mouth, beginning to propel myself against him. I felt the walls inside of me clenching madly, aching for the orgasm that he had cut short. Loki moaned back, and I knew he felt it, too. I pulled my head back to break the kiss, and his hair tickled my face. He gave me a lascivious grin before starting up his hips again, but he moved slowly to draw me out longer. I sighed in a nearly exasperating way. I wanted to last too, but I wanted my orgasm more. Loki knew exactly what I wanted and he intended to give it to me thoroughly. He kept edging me, waiting until I was just about there before slowing down and stopping to tease my tongue some more. By the third time he applied this technique, I started crying out of complete euphoria. The tear that fell quietly down my face didn't cause Loki to stop. He knew how desperate I was as I thrust against him with quivering hips. He leant down and kissed my cheek, his lips picking up the tear, where he licked them to taste my gratitude. I felt more tears coming down my cheeks. I was moaning and gasping, panting, staring up into Loki's eyes. He kept kissing the tears away. This lovemaking was the most emotional experience I'd had in a long time. If I didn't know it before that I was in love with Loki, I knew it at that moment when he kept thrusting until I orgasmed. I did in fact scream, which only seemed to scare Loki just a little bit; there was surprise on his face when I looked up at him, a trembling, dripping, moaning, heated mess in his long arms. Loki exhaled, closing his eyes and laughing so slightly I almost didn't hear him.

            "Darling, are you alright?" he asked me honestly once he looked at me again. I was still shaking, my orgasm, though over, ghosting through me. Loki sighed again, catching what little he had to catch of his breath. He did not seem at all exhausted. He leant me back against the couch and started to wipe his thumbs under my eyes. I couldn't even speak. It wasn't like I hadn't had plenty of orgasms before, but there was something insanely different about it with Loki. He began to pull out, though I knew he hadn't spent himself. He was stroking my ribs and torso, watching me intently. I had failed to answer. There was no use for words at that point. But I grabbed his lower back to stop him. I smiled and sat up again, my breath just coming back to me. I shoved myself against him and reveled in his subsequent moans. Though I was done, I wanted to bring Loki to orgasm. His grip on me tightened a bit and the sensual shade in his eyes returned as he bit his lip in concentration. I felt him begin to shake ever so slightly beneath me, until finally he gripped my hands, pinning them against the couch, his fingers weaving into mine. He squeezed and there was a tangible, cold irruption inside of me. Loki groaned with primal desperation and lost himself in bliss.

            He inhaled deeply and sighed out deeply. The way his stomach expanded and touched mine with his every inhale was calming. He softened and pulled out, staring down at me where my head still laid on the couch. Loki began to massage my fingers, pressing his thumbs firmly into my palms. He grinned down at me and I smiled. Something told me he hadn't expected me to take over like that. He'd made me feel good, and I just wanted to return the favour. After a moment of silence I noticed my legs were beginning to fall asleep. I started to sit up until I felt my bottom on the couch. Loki stayed kneeling on the floor there, slouching slightly when I made it up out of his arms. In truth, it was the most amazing sex I'd ever had. My entire body was still reeling, paresthesia in my feet.

            "Are you okay?" he asked me, still seemingly convinced that he was too much for me to handle. I smiled and leaned forward to kiss his forehead, which caused him to perk up. I still couldn't find the words. I cupped Loki's face in my hands. The cheeks were sanguine. We were both sated, or so I thought until my stomach growled. Loki's attention was drawn to it immediately. He stood up slowly.

            "Let me make us a late lunch," he said. We stood and he planted a kiss on my forehead. I didn't want to let go of him, and he laughed when I wrapped my arms around his naked waist from behind, dogging his heels all the way to the kitchen. Loki didn't stop me. I leant against the counter and crossed my arms, my breasts having swelled from arousal. He washed his hands at the sink and walked towards the refrigerator. He was just so sexy that I wanted to watch him. No woman ever could have complained about a handsome, naked god making earth-shattering love to her followed by a home-cooked meal. Loki smiled at me while he found the ingredients for pesto and began chopping basil and garlic. I wanted to help so I went into the cabinet for the pasta and produced a pot from the cupboard to start the water.

            "I want to go to Boston," I said as Loki put the final bit of pine nuts into the mix. He turned around and gave me his full attention.