"You know… I'm only telling you any of this because you're my friend."

"I wouldn't expect any less."

"What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you're willing to tell."

"Well then I hope you're comfortable… this one's bound to take a while."

Music.

Music was the first thing that came to mind. Looking back he would realize it was the first thing that he would clearly remember that day. Foreign music, or at least foreign to him, but music none-the-less. The next thing that he would remember would be how sore he felt, how, how stiff and dead his limbs were, how numb and lead like his arms felt by his side, his legs immobile, his whole being lethargic. He hated this feeling.

Slowly his eyes opened, groggy and his vision slightly blurred, it took him a moment to register completely that he was on his back, staring at the ceiling. Not his ceiling. Shifting slowly, with more effort than he was willing to admit he needed, he propped himself up enough to glance about the room. One sweep was enough to clarify for certain he was not in his bed chambers. Casting his gaze down he found himself in his clothes, filthy though they were; his boots still on his feet were caked with mud, dirt and other earthly debris clung to his garments, all things he found in poor taste. The stale taste of ale lingered in his mouth, causing him to wonder what could have possibly driven him to this place, this very point rather. What had been the cause of over indulgence to such an extreme that it would leave him so incapacitated, and without his wits. But then they came back, the remaining memories, swarming his mind as he let himself fall back on the bed, to stare mindlessly at the ceiling above him, as he felt himself sinking down as everything came crashing in around him once more.

Everything had been a lie.

All of it.

A lie.

A lie intricately spun, so much so, it was almost ageless, this fallacy; all of it woven so deftly by his father-

No.

That man wasn't his father, not truly on any account. Isn't that what he had admitted, just before the Odinsleep took him? Yes.

Loki of Yodenheim had no father, no father that wanted him it seemed. His first true father, unknown and, if any of Odin's words were to be believed, completely devoid of any want or interest in him. To have abandoned a child out in that forsaken frozen wasteland... And the man he had called father all these years? All these centuries, nothing more than a man who found it so easy to keep this simple truth from him. Whatever the old man's reasoning it didn't matter now. No, not in the least. After having gleaned all of this information, and watched Thor's fall and ultimate return to Asgard and his own "demise", while falling from the collapsing bridge; Loki had hidden himself away, seeking out refuge in one of his many hideaways to think, to calm himself, to… grieve?

Grieve for what? A cynical voice hissed somewhere in his mind. What did you really lose? Will they grieve you, while you are gone? Will they wonder? That man, will he care where you have gone to when he finally wakes?

He pushed the voice aside. He bore no true ill will against Thor, always the favorite; no more ill will than he ever had growing up. Even he had been unaware of the old fool's doings. And of his mother…

"... Mother…" Loki dragged his hand over his face.

Sitting up, he tossed all of these noisy thoughts aside, determined to find out where he was. Standing he made his way to the bedroom door, finding it unlocked he pulled it open, finding himself at the end of a dimly lit hallway. He followed the passway, ignoring other doors, heading towards the sound of music that had woken him, until he found himself standing in the threshold of, what appeared to be, the living space of a house. Over by a stove stood a raven haired woman with copper skin, her back to him, completely unaware of him watching her. The stove roared to life, as the blue flames licked at a frying pan she'd just placed on the stove top. She moved down the counter coming to a halt to fuss with something out of his sight, her foot bouncing, shaking her hip to the tempo of the music. On silent feet he approached her, giving a wide berth at first, keeping her back to him as he surveyed her. She was no real threat, he concluded, closing the gap between them in an instant. As she turned to reach for something else she found herself face to face with him, seemingly startled by his looming presence, his eyes peering into her own, his hands clasp behind his back.

"Oh hello!" she blinked rapidly for a moment, dropping whatever it was that had been in her hand. He heard it clattering on the floor, but his gaze remained fixed on her face.

"So you're awake." she began hesitantly. He watched wordlessly as she regained her composure, taking a small step back to regain a preferable space between them as she looked him over. "How are you feeling?"

Loki watched on as she stared at him, waiting. After a moment's thought she turned to the cabinets rifling through the contents there in.

"Would you like something to drink? You're probably thirsty. Would you prefer coffee or tea or...maybe water? Water would probably be best. I have juice too, though." he listened to her prattle on, sitting two mugs on the counter. "I don't really drink coffee myself but I keep it around for guests who do. I have a friend who really likes the way I make it, apparently my batches are really strong, so I don't know if you have a preference…"

Her sentence faded into nothing as she moved around the space. Switching off the stove and moving the pan. The music ceased somewhere behind him, he watched as she came towards him, turning sideways to slip between him and the counter; scampering past a couch she fiddled with some mechanism within a cabinet, and the music came back to life, starting slowly, a fine melody began to flood the room. Sliding past him again, in the similar manner as earlier, he watched as she fetched a container and filled both mugs, finally offering him one.

"It's grape juice." she offered smile on her lips. Loki's gaze slowly lowered to the offered cup, before returning back to her eyes. Oddly colored, hazel things they were, more grey and green than brown.

"Do you even have the slightest inkling of who I am?" he finally spoke.

"Yeah," she sat the cup down and moved away from him to put the juice container away. "I know who you are."

When she turned around she found him there, once again, having appeared behind her, but this time he stood closer leaving no room for her to escape.

"Do you now?" he scoffed.

"Yes. I do." she replied mimicking his tone, a smirk playing at her lips, the emotion going as far as to reflect in her eyes.

"Well then, tell me woman, who am I?"

"Maeve."

"What?"

"My name is Maeve. Not 'woman'."

"Clever name, however, I don't remember asking you for your name. I asked if-"

"You're 'Loki of Asgard! God! Rightful heir to the Asgardian throne, brother of 'that half wit, graceless oaf' Thor.' How's that? Did I get it right?"

Loki stood stunned by what she had just said, certainly not expecting it but his face remained in a mask of practiced indifference.

"Dead ringer is my guess."

"How did you-"

"What, how did I know any of that? We could say I'm smarter than you've clearly given me credit for, you could call it woman's intuition; what it really boils down to is that's what you were drunkenly shouting at the sky when you came stumbling out of nowhere last night, before falling over face first in the snow. I managed to get you in my truck before you became completely useless, thankfully."

"So this a habit of yours, then? Taking strange men you find ambling about home with you, and leaving them in your bed."

"That's the guest bedroom, smartass, and no, I don't. Asgardian demigod or not, you would have frozen your ass off if I'd left you out there last night, especially with how cold it's been getting lately."

"You know, you're very careless." He stated after a moment. They had moved over by the couch now, he having followed her after she'd once again turned her back on him and moved away. She had settled herself on the couch, lounging, positioned just so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, do so lecture me on my carelessness. This should be grand, coming from the man who was having a drunk rave with the sky, out in the snow."

"Jest however you like, I could kill you this very moment if I so wished." he stated simply, leaning over the back of the couch bringing his face level with hers. "For all you know you've let a murderer into your home."

"You're right." she shrugged, the look on her face started out with a hint of indifference, and slowly changed to one of knowing. "You very well could kill me. But you won't."

"False confidence is dangerous." he warned, though his tone took on one of slight playfulness, mocking hers for a turn.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot. But like I said, you're not going to kill me."

"And why, pray tell, would that be?"

"Where are you?"

"Come again?"

"Where. Are. You. Right now, do you even know where you are?" a grin began to bloom across her face as she watched him for a reaction.

"Judging by your home, and 'clothes', if that's what you'd call them," he sniffed giving a passing glance traveling the length of her ending back on her face. "I'd guess… Earth, Midgardian."

"Ooo, clever boy." she taunted, grin still on her face.

"This is not the first time I've been to this world, I-"

"Oh, I know. There are a bunch of stories about you and your 'oaf' brother from back in the days of Vikings and raids and what not." She teased. "The facts though, at present stand, we're miles away from anyone else up here, chances are you'll run into a bear before you run into another human. Or pneumonia." Something small on the coffee table near the couch caught her attention as it emitted a tolling sound. As she turned away from him to reach for it, Loki deftly maneuvered his way over the back of the couch catching her off guard, pinning her the cushions, capturing her hands as he did so, securing her wrists above her head. They both locked gazes with one another, everything else in the room forgotten, the item on the table, the music, all of it was gone except for them and that couch.

"You know, you really shouldn't turn your back to something dangerous."

"No need to worry. If it's not the most dangerous thing in the room." she shot back, hazel eyes burning into his green ones.

"Sharp tongue you have there," he smirked. "Might I do you the favor of cutting it out?" Containing her wrists with one hand, his right jumped back to his hip; his smirk turning to a scowl when his hand did not find what should have been there.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you looking for something? A knife, maybe?" She teased as his scowl deepened for a moment before his face shifted to one of mere annoyance. "I took it off of you when you were unconscious, 'oh dangerous one', just in case you tried to do something stupid while your rationale was out to lunch."

"Clever girl." Loki taunted, shooting back her own words.

"Yes, very. Now would you get off? I'd like to finish making what would have simply been a late breakfast, but has now become lunch.." she stated, bucking her hips in an attempt to throw him off. Loki watched, his eyes beginning to sparkle with amusement as she wriggled underneath him for a moment. She was clever, he'd give her that, and she had a spark to her that was quite amusing, that specific type of trait he had not seen in many of her kind in his trips to Earth. But then again he had not been to this place in quite sometime, many things had changed. Shifting, he maneuvered to his feet, standing beside the couch he offered his hand to Maeve. His smirk deepened as he watched her eye him curiously.

"Oh what? Now we're cautious?"

"You sat on me and threatened to cut out my tongue." She stated flatly before placing her hand in his, upon which he pulled her to her feet in one swift gesture. "So excuse me, if I start pondering whether or not to take your hand, oh moody and mischievous one."

Loki merely chuckled as she walked past him and back into the kitchen, retrieving dishes and cutlery from the cabinets and setting them out. Sticking her head into the fridge she rooted around, coming out with a few extra eggs and what appeared to be a pack containing bacon.

"I'm assuming you like bacon and eggs, right? At least I hope you do. I'm sure they have that where you come from. Though I'm not sure of your alcohol tolerance, are you hungover? If so I've got some bread, maybe toast would be better." Loki said nothing as he watched her set about everything on the counter. She glanced over at him and when he remained silent, Maeve merely shrugged, placing the extra items back in the fridge and proceeded to prepare eggs for herself. Taking out a smaller pan she quickly whipped together four eggs, a moment later they sat scrambled and steaming on her plate. Moving to the microwave she pulled out a plate of bacon that had been keeping warm, plucking off a few pieces and sitting them on the edge of her plate, placing another in her mouth to munch on as she pulled up a stool to the counter and sat down to her food.

"Bacon?" she offered after a long stretch of silence, pushing the plate towards him. Loki looked down his nose at her as she ate, glaring at the plate of bacon as though it had personally insulted him.

"No."

"Fine," she simply shrugged. Getting to her feet she took the plate moving to place it back in the microwave. "More for me then."

"Enough of this." In an instant Loki had advanced, pinning Maeve against the counter, an arm on either side so she couldn't escape. "I tire of this nonsense. I grow tired of you." he spat out, his eyes narrowing as they burned into her own. Though his face did not show it, he found it annoyed him greatly that she seemed unbothered by his closeness nor his threatening demeanor, all of which he chalked up to Midgardian over confidence. Maeve was obviously in quite good health, from what he could tell based off of what she wore, she was well toned and clearly athletic to some degree. All things considered, though, she was still nothing more than a mortal, her potential aside, she was fragile just like the lot of them.

She was nothing.

"Don't worry the feeling's mutual. I'm starting to think someone needs to be put down for a nap. How about it? Is that what you need Mr. Grumpy Guss?"

At her taunt Loki's temper ignited. The plate of bacon shattering as it crashed to the floor, he having slapped it from her hand as he roared in her face. "Woman! I am a GOD! It would behoove you greatly not to mock me! I'm sure the magnitude of what I truly am must be too vast a concept for your feeble mind to wrap itself around, but heed my words, I can kill you where you stand and it would not mean anything more to me that the act of treading on an ant."

Maeve was not looking at him. Her eyes had focused on the fragments of plate on the floor, a strange distant look coming over her eyes. When she did finally turn to look back at him, something in those odd colored eyes had changed.

"That, was an unnecessary waste of good bacon."

"Stupid woman," Loki scoffed. "I-"

"You want to play a game?"

"What?" a look of genuine confusion crossed his face, the turn in the conversation catching him completely of guard. So much so he was starting to wonder if this Midgardian female was ill or merely deranged.

"You heard me, Master of Chaos. Do you want to play a game?" a smirk meandered its way across Maeve's face as she continued to watch him, that strange look still present in her eyes. Without waiting for him to respond she continued. "It's quite simple really. I'm sure even you can grasp it. All you have to do, is guess what I am; you get three guesses, simple as that. You guess right you get to stay, you guess wrong you have to leave. Simple, easy and to the point. So what do you say?"

"What do I say?" Loki sneered at her. "I say you're clearly a mad woman with some sort of death wish to come up against someone with such immense power as myself. You're obviously a misguided fool to think that I would waste my time placating you with such a imbecilic venture as to join you in a 'simple game' as you so put, merely for your own asinine amusement. No, you know what you really are? You're a pathetically weak mortal from whom I shall gain immense pleasure as I wring the very last insolent breath from your frail little body and snuff your futile existence from this sad and feeble little world you call home."

"That's three."

Loki opened his mouth to retort, but found he never got the chance as a sharp pain exploded in the side of his head and everything went dark.

When he awoke, again, he once more found himself on his back, hands neatly folded over his chest, though this time he was cold. Bolting upright he found himself outside, snow soaking into his clothes as he lay on the ground. He found his head still swimming some as he slowly eased himself up and onto his feet.

What in the nine realms had just happened? He remembered it all, how he was practically one smartass remark of hers away from choking the life out of that woman and now he was here. She clearly had attacked him. But how? The voice in his mind hissed, their shared ego clearly bruised. How could she have gotten so much of the upper hand? He hadn't even seen her move. That must be it, there must have been someone else in the house with her. Someone unnoticed. Obviously they heard the commotion and somehow managed to sneak up behind you. Yes, obviously; but even he was having a hard time convincing himself of this completely.

"...The facts though, at present stand, we're miles away from anyone else up here, chances are you'll run into a bear before you run into another human..." her words came back to him now. No. She was alone. It had just been the two of them in that house, and somehow she'd overpowered him.

"...No need to worry. If it's not the most dangerous thing in the room..." he paused. Those words… earlier he'd merely disregarded them as bluster, overconfidence in her ability to deal with him; as much as he was loathed to admit it, he'd been wrong. He'd underestimated her and she knew it.

"...All you have to do, is guess what I am; you get three guesses, simple as that…." What was she? This thought was the loudest that circled through his brain. What in the nine realms was that woman?

As his thoughts had wandered, so hand he, his meandering bringing him to the crest of a hill, below it stood a lone house, smoke curling lazily out of the chimney, looking every bit the picturesque scene of a warm refuge in frozen surroundings. The warm light from its windows casting a soft glow on the blanket of snow outside, its smoothness only interrupted by a trail of tracks leading away from it, a faint one leading to and from the shed, and a second, deeper set, that moved up the hill near where he stood and back into the woods behind him. On the couch arranged perpendicular to the large sliding doors, she sat. Curled up with a book and a blanket, looking as though she had no care in the world as the sun began to dip towards the horizon.

Loki had no idea how long he'd been out for and at this particular juncture he didn't care. As he stood there, in the thick blanket of snow, his feet sinking ever deeper, the only thing he found himself caring about was that woman. Though be it in the most unconventional of ways, she had sparked a curiosity in him that he had not experienced in quite some time he realized as he stood watching, waiting, thinking. If there was one thing Loki enjoyed more than simply causing random bits of chaos here and there, it was a good puzzle, and when you were as old as he was, well a really good, truly interesting puzzle came around very rarely indeed. Before him, in that house, tucked away, out seemingly in the middle of nowhere, sat a very intriguing puzzle. He watched as she got to her feet, moving around the couch she came to the large doors, taking in the landscape. Whether or not she saw him he couldn't tell as he watched her close the curtains, but he found he was determined to satisfy the nagging growing inside of him.

"What are you?"

I may or may not have broken a little personal rule, about not wanting to post new stories until one is completed, but it's been years and this one, much like many others have been sitting on my computer just dying to be shared. So I did it anyway. Hope you all enjoyed this first chapter, please feel free to review, I look forward to chatting with all of you about it! :)