Britney's eyes lit up and she smiled at Loki, watching curiously as his face shone with pure amusement.
"No, but I have read about it in my Mythology class…that's what I'm getting my minor in, while majoring in Journalism. I want to report and research findings on proof of mythological facts. To be honest I never really dreamed I'd find anything until now." Loki seemed to ponder her words before smirking.
"So what you're saying is…you want to prove whatever it is that's in these books of yours, and from the sound of it all they're about me?" Britney nodded.
"You and your realm. The people of Midgard, as you call it, believe we all live in one universe, one solar system. They don't believe in the nine realms like you and I do, it's been my life's work to show them they were wrong." This seemed to please Loki as he chuckled, but it very quickly faded into an unreadable expression.
"You seem like a very smart girl. But riddle me this, maiden, how do you know all of this and not realize what I did in New York a few months ago?" Britney tilted her head in confusion.
"You've been here in New York before? How did no one notice you?" Loki looked a little bewildered and took a step back from her.
"Didn't notice me? I destroyed Stark Tower in front of millions of people! I have killed more people than you can count on your fingers, and I damn well deserve to be remembered for longer than a year! I mean seriously, I came here in an attempt at reconquering, but I had no clue just how pathetic and utterly stupid you all really are!" He ranted, pacing as he did so and attempting not to look at her, disliking the odd feeling he got when he saw her terrified gaze. There was a wetness on her cheek that she didn't want to admit and a pit of fear in her stomach. Attracted as Britney obviously was to him, the rage in his voice coupled with his confession of murder ran her blood cold.
"I-I'm sorry I just….I'm an intern at Fox News, I seriously believe I'd know it if you'd killed that many people a year ago…and Loki…Stark Tower wasn't finished building until about a month ago, there is no way you could have destroyed it." Loki narrowed his eyes.
"That is impossible! This is all impossible, how are you so ignorant?!" He growled in frustration, stalking towards her angrily and raising his hand. Britney screwed her eyes closed and tensed, waiting for the blow that never came. Instead she felt his fingertips gently brushing her tears away and she opened her eyes to see him move close to her ear.
"I would never strike a lady…Midgardian and useless or not." He whispered, sending chills down her spine. He then walked back into the restaurant, to retrieve his brother she assumed, so she followed him.
Thor was talking with Emily, asking her why her restaurant was named after him if she didn't truly even believe he existed.
"That's Britney's thing. We both take the mythology classes, but she's the only one that believes in it. I just take those classes because they're fun, I mean, I'm trying to work my way up to being a chef and taking over the family business, I have no need for that stuff. But I've been into mythology since I was able to read, my dad named this place after you because between the ages seven and eight you were all I talked about." Mr. Brooks, Emily's father, nodded in agreement as she wrapped his hand with some gauze from a first aid kit they found in the back.
"I'm sorry about your hand…" Thor murmured sheepishly, earning a half-way satisfied grunt from Mr. Brooks and a grin from Emily.
"He's fine, don't sweat it." Her eyes grew weary as she saw Britney and Loki reenter through the hole in the wall, not wishing to see the two brother's quarrel again.
"Gunna be nice?" She asked Loki, half serious and half trying to lighten the intense mood he seemed to bring with him. Loki said nothing and the glare he was giving her shut her up quickly.
"Thor, you remember how I destroyed this city last year, yes?" Thor was a little shocked that he was bringing this up in front of the girl he thought he liked, but he nodded.
"Of course I do, though I sincerely wish I didn't. If you hadn't done that I wouldn't have to return you to your cell." Thor sighed, looking up at his brother with a bittersweet smile.
"Yes, well this Midgardian imbecile doesn't know of it, and she's the smartest damn human I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, so if she doesn't know about it then no one else does. I demand to know what you and your little friends have done." Loki's tone was filled with such ice that it made Emily and Mr. Brooks both leave the room to "check on the other employees". Britney flinched and her eyes welled with tears again but she didn't dare move, she wanted to stay and find out why she couldn't remember the hugest story in centuries, why she hadn't known her favorite mythological God had seriously been here before.
"Brother, I swear it to you; I don't know what you mean. I have done nothing, but I agree that it's strange such a large attack on Midgard was so quickly forgotten. When we get home I will investigate." Loki laughed, but it was nowhere close to the flirty laugh Britney had heard him use before. The melodically gentle rapture had twisted into something hideous and frightening.
"Ah, but we aren't going home. No, we are paying Mr. Tony Stark a little visit and then I am going to take what is rightfully mine. If I can't have Asgard I will take this, and they will be thanking me when they realize the things I can do for them." Loki turned on his heel, preparing to storm out with Thor trailing behind him until he realized that Britney was still there.
"I didn't scare you off as well?" Britney shook her head and took a shaky breath.
"Take me with you." Loki's eyebrows shot up.
"Sorry, love, I'll have to show you Asgard some other time, I have more pressing matters to deal with than you and your rather idealistic journalism." Loki tried to walk around her but she stepped in front of him.
"No, I mean take me with you to Mr. Stark's. I want to know why I don't remember just as much as you do. Loki please, this is important to me." Loki gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to say no but then closed it again. Damn her and her big brown doe eyes. He thought to himself as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door with him. Emily, becoming concerned for her friend as she watched her be seemingly drug from the restaurant, ran after the three of them.
"Wait! What are you doing to her, stop!" Loki rolled his eyes and only tugged Britney's wrist harder.
"She asked for this." He didn't add that he was only pulling her because he secretly liked the warmth of her skin, and she didn't tell him to stop because she liked the chill of his.
"It's okay, Emily Brooks, he's only doing what she asked. We're all doing to talk to Ironman. Care to join us?" Emily was about to agree when Loki snapped "This is not a fieldtrip!" Thor chuckled and looked over his shoulder at her.
"You can still come, don't mind him." He whispered. Loki climbed into Emily's navy blue mini cooper convertible and pulled Britney onto his lap. She squeaked happily at first and then in surprise when he was rolling her off and into the passenger seat.
"Tell me, woman, how do I work this machinery?" Britney laughed breathlessly.
"Well first of all you need Emily's keys…" Loki turned his head to look at Thor and Emily, Emily glaring at him with her hands on her hips.
"Out. Now. I know how to get to Stark Tower just fine, you and Britney get in the back, Thor, you take Britney's seat." Britney and Loki both grumbled a bit, not liking be exiled to the back of the car, but they complied since they both figured it would get them to their destination faster.
There was a severely awkward silence in the car and no one really knew what to say. Emily was speeding slightly, thinking the sooner they were rid of Loki the better, and Britney was in her own world as usual. She had been thinking about the soft way Loki had brushed the tears from her face, and the flirting, and the pulling of her wrist. It all made her wonder if the bad boy front he was putting up had any truth to it. Sure, he admitted to killing people, but she didn't know the whole story, how did she know he didn't have a misguided reason behind it. Judging from the looks of things she was almost certain he was 95% misunderstood and 5% downright evil…but she could deal with a little evil if it meant she could get to know the real him. She knew enough from her books, she knew there was more to him than met the eye and she was dying to find out everything she could.
"Loki…you should really put on your seatbelt if Emily is going to continue doing 30 over the speed limit." She glanced sideways at her friend but Emily pretended not to hear her. That damned playful smile, which Britney would later learn was his truest smile, was back on his lips.
"And what, fair one, would a seatbelt be?" Britney undid hers and scooted closer to him, reaching over and pulling the long grey fabric toward them. Loki tried not to stare while she was bent over him but was unable to contain his chuckle. She blushed, tightening it around him and buckling him in. Emily hit a speed bump about that time, causing Britney to jolt forward and hit her head on Loki's door. His cool fingertips were once again tenderly touching her face and it made her heart leap up into her throat.
"Are you alright?" She couldn't answer, but nodded at him and quickly climbed back to her own seat. She could feel Loki's eyes on her for a long while after that, but she refused to look at him. She was embarrassed, intrigued, and honestly a little sad because at the end of this little road trip she knew she'd never see him again.
"I really get under your skin, don't I?" She finally looked over at him, returning that painfully playful and unguarded smile, and then shrugged.
"Maybe."
Security was tight at Stark Tower, and that meant that Loki couldn't be seen entering the building. Britney offered to stay behind and work with him on a sly way of sneaking him in while Emily and Thor distracted security out front. Thor went inside to go ahead and request to speak with Tony while Emily acted as if she were lost and inquired to the guards out front where she was.
"Ok, Loki, I think we have a good chance at getting you in if—" Loki snorted.
"Britney." He was giving her a look like she was mad and then flashed her a dashing smile.
"I've got this…if you trust me." Excitement got the best of her and she giggled.
"I trust you." Loki's eyes seemed to get brighter and his smirk grew as wide as it possibly could. He wrapped her arms around him and pulled her to his chest, concentrating his energy on Stark. Before she knew it, Britney was standing in Tony's office with her face buried into the God of Mischief. She really, really, didn't want to move, but she could hear two men clearing their throats and another deep chuckle from Loki. When she pulled away she saw an irritated Tony Stark and a mortified Thor.
"Loki I told you to be discreet…" Thor hissed, earning a tight lipped smile from his brother.
"That was discreet as you were going to get." Tony put his head in his hands and groaned.
"Damn it Thor, you said you were here on strictly business but you didn't say you brought your greasy mama's boy with you." Loki sneered.
"As if I'm happy to see a hurt insecure little human that hides from his problems in a metal suit." The tension in the room was almost unbearable as the two stared each other down and Britney and Thor stood around awkwardly, her still in Loki's arm.
"So….about New York…"
