A/N: This chapter picks up just before The Avengers: AOU. The events have remained canon so far, but it will turn AU soon. (Also, apologies for the long chapter. I have a habit of writing lengthy ones).

Summary: Inside the helicarrier cage, Loki gets a visit from a psychologist. She tries to engage him in conversation, and he tries to, well, create mayhem. She thinks she'd be rid of him after that, but no, it was only the beginning.


CHAPTER - 2

(A year later)

Reva was listening to her client as she explained her recurring nightmares to her. It was only their second session and there was much to learn about her still. So far, she'd come to know that the poor woman's nightmares featured a pack of feral dogs chasing her into the darkness.

Involuntarily, Reva compared them to her own. Hers featured a feral space Viking. The nightmares showed him as angry and spiteful, wicked and seductive, cunning and calculating, all at the same time. Sometimes she was being murdered, and sometimes, seduced. She always woke up in panic, with sweat running down her back.

Loki was stuck in her head in the worst way. She was one of the few who he had personally terrorized, and even after a year of him being gone, she still felt the lingering effects of it on her psyche.

However, in her case, it wasn't just the terror that kept bringing Loki back to her subconscious. Her thoughts about him tended to vacillate between resentful and grateful. Yes, he had deliberately toyed with her on the helicarrier. But he had also saved her life that day, having been the one who rescued her from the tarmac of the helicarrier.

The memories were vague, but she remembered being carried in his arms, hearing his voice barking orders at someone as she'd slipped in and out of consciousness. She had fully awoken on a hospital bed a few hours later, briefly wondering how she had ended up there. Only one assumption seemed plausible, even though it went completely against Loki's character. He had indeed dropped her at the hospital before going on his merry way to wreck New York.

She didn't tell anyone about her rescue operation by Loki, and thankfully, no one asked. At the time, everyone had all but forgotten about her in order to save the world. It was a small mercy. She didn't want the slightest focus on herself, and she was mighty glad that the attack had been thwarted by the heroes.

Loki had been captured and taken back to his home planet, Asgard. She had Tony Stark to thank for that information. He had sought her out after the dust had settled and was relieved to see that she was alright. He'd told her that he felt a bit guilty about involving her in the mess with Loki, and in return, she'd joked that she probably needed a therapist of her own to deal with the aftermath. Only… it wasn't a joke.

However, things were looking up now. Life was getting better. She had gained more clients than ever in the last few months, most of them due to Stark's recommendation. That more than made up for being manipulated by Loki.

The good thing was, her Loki related nightmares had reduced in their frequency and intensity over time. That may have been aided by the fact that Loki was dead, as conveyed to her by his own brother—Thor. It was the first time she had seen him after the attack of New York, about a month ago.

She had been attending one of Stark's parties when Thor had approached her. At first, he had apologized for whatever had happened at the helicarrier. Then as she was trying to downplay the whole helicarrier incident, he had proceeded to tell her about his personal losses. His mother had died trying to protect his love, Jane Foster, from an attack by an alien specie known as the Dark Elves, and Loki had apparently died protecting him.

The news had shocked her, and she had offered her condolences to Thor. She had wanted to offer free therapy sessions as well, but opted against it in the end, not wanting to look desperate and creepy.

As for Loki's death and the reasons underpinning it, Reva didn't want to examine any of it. She was just glad to be back to a normal life which didn't involve any alien attacks. Also, she often liked to remind herself that Loki had taken more lives that he'd saved. That kept her opinion less ambivalent towards his ultimate fate.

After the session with her client ended, Reva went straight home. It was a Friday, the weekend was finally here, and all she wanted to do was unwind and watch TV. Boring, but satisfying. She was never a very social creature, so weekend outings were few and rare.

As she entered her apartment, Reva immediately felt an odd feeling creep up her spine. Her apartment looked the same as she had left it in the morning, but something seemed amiss. She couldn't put a finger on it, but her home didn't feel as inviting as it usually did.

Hesitating in the doorway, she tried to look around to see what was wrong, but nothing seemed out of place. Perhaps she was just tired and it was messing with her head. Nothing a little junk food and TV couldn't cure.

She sighed and dropped her bag in its usual sitting place—a little table by the door. Only, it dropped on the floor with a thud. She looked down at it and then at the table. That never happened. How did she miss the table? Sighing, she picked up the bag and carefully dropped it on to the table.

Then, as she proceeded on to the living room, her knee banged against the sideboard right next to the entryway. She cursed and rubbed ailing spot, blaming her typical clumsiness. However, the bumping-into-random-stuff thing kept happening.

The bed, the coffee table, and even the dining table, all of them had hurt her like they had some personal vendetta against her today. Thankfully, her bathroom fixtures had spared her as she freshened up and changed into more comfortable clothes.

When Reva came back into the living room and sat down in front of the TV, she noticed that her ass landed not directly in her spot on the couch, but slightly towards the armrest. Something was seriously wrong.

Then it struck her. Her furniture had moved. No, it had been moved by someone. Not enough to draw immediate notice, but enough to make it so that she bumped into things. The scariest part, though, was that no one else lived in this apartment except her, and no one had access to it when she was gone. It wasn't like she had housekeeping staff.

It could only mean one thing. Someone had broken in, or, her furniture was possessed. The former seemed more plausible.

Very slowly, Reva got up from the couch and started for her bedroom, where her phone was lying on the side-table, getting charged. Whoever had broken in was probably still here, and was probably watching her. Why the intruder hadn't acted at all wasn't her concern, getting out of this situation was.

The bedroom door creaked open as she pushed it casually, trying to act normal for her hidden audience. Her eyes straight away landed on the side-table.

The phone was gone.

Reva's heartbeat surged. She turned around and made a dash for the main door. Only to be blocked by a tall, familiar figure clad in green and black armor.

"A nightmare, I need to wake up," she muttered, discounting reality immediately.

Because how else could Loki be standing in her doorway when he was dead?

He appeared to be confused for a moment, then his eyes twinkle with mirth. "I've been called worse things. A nightmare is fairly mild."

"No…," she whispered desperately as he moved towards her. Now would be a really good time to wake up. "No, please god, no."

Loki just rolled his eyes and walked right past her to sit down on the couch. Her body trembled like a leaf as she squeaked and jumped away belatedly.

On the couch, Loki spread his long legs and settled in as if he owned the place. Meanwhile, Reva contemplated her absolutely rotten luck, to be facing the crazy space Viking for the second time in her life.

"You moved my furniture." Not the first thing she thought she'd say, but she considered herself to be on auto pilot anyway. She was pretty sure screaming would not help anyway. Not this time.

"Just a bit of fun." Loki chuckled and splayed his arms on the back of the couch. He made it look tiny as he hoarded almost the entire sitting space. "It was amusing to see you fumble around."

"You're supposed to be dead," she accused, backing into the wall furthest from the couch. Interacting with Loki from the barrier of a cage was bad enough, interacting with him without any barriers was nearly wrecking her.

He rolled his eyes and huffed in response. "It seems my brother has already spread the news about my untimely demise."

"And to think he's still mourning you…" she muttered all to herself, eyeing him cautiously.

"It'll not be the first time that I've purportedly died and come back." He seemed really nonchalant, as if discussing the weather and not his own death.

"Great, even hell doesn't want you." Reva hugged herself nervously, rubbing the prickling goose bumps forming on her bare arms.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I didn't actually die. I cheated death."

"Sure you did." She nodded, fighting hard not to roll her eyes.

"Come here," he commanded, his voice husky and inviting. She knew that voice very well by now. "You aren't going to escape through that wall by pressing yourself to it."

"I'm kind of comfortable here, thanks." She gave him a derisive smile—her attempt at being brave. Loki was dangerous. She wanted to keep as much distance between her and him as possible.

Loki sighed dramatically, mocking her. "Come now, Reva. You're going to act all coy now? After that conversation filled night we spent together, after I saved your life on that wretched air-ship, I thought we'd be on better terms."

"You and I remember that night quite differently. And pardon me for not trusting you with my life, irrespective of what happened on the helicarrier a year ago."

"I think you are astute enough to note that if I had any plans to kill or harm you, I'd have successfully executed them by now." There was an edge to his voice, but his expression remained serene. It made him sound like an exasperated adult dealing with a child.

There was some truth in his words, though. After all, Reva was still alive and breathing and he hadn't made any move to kill her. But then again, who could trust a trickster?

"Do you need something from me?" she asked cautiously, her back still stuck to the wall.

Loki appeared right beside her then, leaning against the wall. Reva instinctively leapt back, nearly colliding with the sideboard right next to her. Loki's hands shot out and grabbed her shoulders before she could.

"Of course I need something from you, why else would I be here?"

"I don't th-think I have anything to g-give you," she stammered, feeling the cold of his hands seep through her top and into her skin. Oddly, it didn't feel repulsive. Instead, it summoned the memory of how pleasant his cold hands had felt on her heated skin that night in the helicarrier.

Loki pulled her close and tipped her chip up with his finger. "Don't assume, little one. Let me explain my motivations to you, and then we can discuss how you will assist me."

"I didn't agree to assist you in anything," she protested as he took her hand and led her to the couch.

"At times we all must do things we don't want to, for the greater good." He pushed her down on the couch and settled in next to her.

Reva couldn't believe she was back in the Trickster God's clutches. It scared her, for obvious reasons. Fear and Loki went hand in hand. However, what scared her more was her instinctual draw to him despite the fear.

"When did you start bothering about the greater good?" she asked, trying not to fidget as he trained his sharp gaze on her.

"Ever since it aligned with my designs and purpose."

"Hard to believe."

Reva surreptitiously slunk as far away from him as possible while still remaining on the couch. His keen eyes followed her movement but he didn't react. Instead, he turned his attention towards the coffee table as his hands hovered above it.

The familiar glow of magic emanated from his hands and a strange, dark box materialized on the table. It was so dark that it appeared to be two dimensional to her untrained eyes. She had to squint and tilt her head this way and that to see if it was actually a box or just an illusion. It was non-reflective, like a little black hole shaped into a cuboid. It was messing with her visual perception.

Feeling curious despite her fear, she reached out to touch it. The material felt similar to velvet, but not quite the same. It was solid, but non-metallic. Reva rubbed her fingers on its top, wanting to decipher what it material was. She was unable to come up with any plausible answers.

Loki smiled at her inquisitiveness and moved to open the box. She couldn't even see the opening mechanism, it was that dark.

"What kind of material is this?"

"The darkest substance ever created. It doesn't reflect light at all. It was conceived and forged by the Dark Elves first, now only Asgard possesses the means to produce it. I'm not sure your language has a name for it."

"The same Dark Elves who attacked Asgard?"

He seemed suddenly irritated by her questioning and gave her a curt nod.

"Interesting. You know, us lowly humans are also developing a non-reflective black coating quite similar to this." She pointed at the box. "It's called Vanta Black."

Loki just rolled his eyes and opened the box, clearly not impressed with human innovations. Placed within the box were a hovering, glowing blue gem and another small box with swirling red light emanating from its centre. Reva sat riveted as she stared at them. They seemed to emit a low hum.

She briefly noted that the box had six slots, in six different shapes, with only two of them presently occupied. But her attention was once again ensnared by the blue stone. It was especially mesmerizing, drawing Reva in like a magnet.

Instinctively, she reached to touch it but Loki grabbed her hand immediately and pulled it away. Her questioning eyes met his and he shook his head.

"Do not touch either of them. One will possess you and the other will incinerate you."

Alarmed, Reva lurched away from the box. "Should've told me that before opening the box like a Christmas present."

Loki sighed and closed the box, waving his hand to make it vanish. Reva kept staring at the spot where the box had been, wondering what he had just shown her. Whatever those things were, they weren't to be trifled with.

"They are two of the Infinity Stones. They were created from the singularities of the Universe before it took its current form. The stones possess immense power and hence, cannot be handled by just anyone. One has to be very careful when wielding their power."

Reva was intrigued and wanted to know more. But she was also apprehensive, not knowing whether she should be getting herself involved this cosmic intrigue. Biting her lip in contemplation, she turned her gaze to Loki, who was looking at her expectantly.

"I kind of understand," she said, trying her best not to sound dumb. "I suppose you meant that these stones were formed before the Big Bang?"

He nodded and sat back against the couch cushions languidly. "Yes, these strange Midgardian terms are infinitely amusing."

Reva ignored his taunt and continued. "Ok, I get it. These are powerful things, not to be messed with, blah blah. But why and how are they in your possession?"

It was worrying that this kind of power was in the hands of someone like Loki. She shuddered to think what he might do with it.

"Well, the blue gem was previously housed inside the Tesseract, which I took in my possession the last time I was here. It can be used to open doorways through space, among other things. And—"

"Holy shit!" Her eyes widened in realization. "That was the thing you had used to call in your alien army!"

"Do not interrupt me," he snapped, his eyes flashing in annoyance, making her recoil. "The other one, the Aether, was discovered due the meddling ways of Thor's precious lover, Jane Foster. It possessed her, and Thor had to resort to my help to save her life. I nearly died in the process, but in the end, it landed in my hands."

A shadow passed over his sharp features, conveying a deep, unspeakable sadness. The easy going façade of the quintessential trickster drop for a second there. Reva wondered what else happened in the struggle for the Aether that he wasn't telling her.

He noticed her scrutiny, and that seemed to snap him out of his funk faster than she could blink.

"I know you want to know more," he said with a pitiless sneer, "but I'm not here to regale you with tales of my valiant endeavors."

Reva rubbed her eyes in frustration. Keeping up with him was exhausting. "Then please let me know the reason that brings you here, to my humble abode."

A cold finger touched her bare arm, making her jump. Loki seemed to enjoy her reaction as he stroked the length of her arm with that offending finger. She wanted to shrink back, but there was no room left to do so.

"I need to retrieve my scepter. It contains something precious that I want to add to my… collection in the box," he stated, watching the rising goose bumps on her arm in the wake of his touch. "I believe it is in the custody of Anthony Stark, the man of iron, as he prefers to be called. You know him."

She stiffened at the mention of Stark. "I'm not that close to him, if you're thinking of using me to get that thing—the scepter, whatever that is."

His hand now reached up to pull gently at a few strands of her hair. He was driving her insane with these little touches here and there. The temptation to lean into him was getting stronger with each touch.

Instead, she resisted and turned, shying away from him. He, however, snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. The sudden proximity made her panic and she grabbed his arm reflexively. However, instead of trying to remove his arm, but her traitor hands settled in to trace the engravings on his vambrace.

"You are so soft and pliant, just like I remembered," he hummed seductively, brushing her hair with his other hand. "And don't worry, I have a plan for you."

"That's not reassuring at all," she breathed, not sure how to react to his advances.

The feeling of being this close to Loki wasn't at all unpleasant, and therein lay her problem. It was like staring down a sheer drop from great height, feeling terrified but also exhilarated, the urge to jump as strong as the urge to retreat.

"Hmm Reva," he continued, now nuzzling her hair, "what are your thoughts on the Midgardian courtship ritual called dating?"

"Dating?" Surprised, she whipped her head around to face him. Bad decision, as she found her face merely inches from his.

This close, she couldn't help but admire his sparkling green eyes. They were gorgeous, with long, dark lashes lining them. She could get trapped in them if she let her guard drop. The trouble was, her guard was already slipping.

"Yes, we will go on a date." His cool breath fanned across her face as he spoke, making her shiver. "And our destination shall be Stark Tower, attending one of his extravagant soirees."

That threw her off and jolted her out of her Loki induced reverie. "What?!"

"You heard me," he replied, raising an eyebrow, still holding her close. "I believe the celebrations for one of Stark's obscure achievements will be happening in the next week."

That, right there, was the reason for his visit, the purpose Reva was going to serve. She wanted to slap herself now for not realizing it sooner. Loki had bigger plans. She was but a mere pawn in his elaborate chessboard setting.

"It's next Saturday," she huffed, turning her face away in annoyance. "Wait, how did you know?"

He handed her mobile to her then, as the obvious answer, not even trying to appear guilty. She gave him a look of pure indignation, wanting to deck him for going through her texts. Also, she was kind of impressed at his familiarity with human technology and gadgets.

"So, Saturday it is," he said, ignoring her glare. "We'll attend the event as a couple, we'll socialize as per Midgardian customs, and then I will go in search for my scepter when everyone is sufficiently inebriated to not care about my absence."

Reva groaned in dismay upon hearing his plan. "I'm not fake dating you and becoming your accomplice in a crime."

"I never said anything about it being fake," he stressed, sliding his palm over her cheek. "And pray tell me how is it a crime to take that back which belonged to me in the first place?"

"Whatever, Loki, I don't want you to start another war," she confessed, squirming in his grasp, "and I don't want to help you in that."

"War might actually be the opposite of what I want now." He pulled her closer, cradling her face fully in his hands now.

"What is it that you want then?" Her voice wavered as he drew closer still. Her gaze involuntarily dropped to his lips, wondering if they'd feel cold on hers.

"I want a lot of things, but right now, I want to kiss you," he rasped, his voice sending tingles between her legs. "I have wanted to, ever since that night when we first met."

"But I'm a lowly human," she reasoned, wondering if he was toying with her. "Am I not beneath you?"

"You mortals have your merits," he admitted with a wink, "and I'd very much like you beneath me, quite literally. But first, I'd like to explore this…" He traced her lips with his thumbs, making his intent clear.

She gulped and gave him a nod. Oh, she was so damned curious to see how his kiss might feel. Just one kiss—it couldn't hurt. One kiss and she'd be done. It was for personal research purposes…

Reva's eyes fluttered close as his lips brushed against hers, cold as his hands were. He seduced her mouth slowly, with a gentle suction. She had assumed that he'd be harsh and brutal, but he was surprisingly gentle and sensual.

His arms encircled her fully as he turned her whole body towards his. Reva broke the kiss with a gasp, needing a breath. He proceeded to kiss the side of her mouth and lick her lower lip.

She heard him hum something in an unfamiliar tongue as his lips brushed against her again and again.

A warm glow burst behind her eyelids and she gasped in surprise. He chose the moment to deepen the kiss. His tongue, cold and delicious, teased hers languidly, coaxing her with the promise of pleasure and fulfillment.

Reva was pretty sure her mind had melted away by the time he broke off the kiss. No, it couldn't be called a kiss. It was a possession.

Loki looked back at her with a self-satisfied smirk as he licked his lips. "Mmm, that was a good beginning."

"You can kiss," she panted, eyeing his lips in awe. In the back of her mind, though, she wondered what all she was willing to put on stake for Loki's kisses. She wasn't sure she was ready to face the answer to that yet.

"I offer more than a mere kiss, little one," he said, easing her back against the cushions. "I'd like to taste more of you… in time."

She closed her eyes and exhaled, willing herself to resist his charms. "I still don't want to help you."

"Oh, but you will."

"And then what?"

"You'll see." He brushed his fingers across her cheek, the gesture coaxing her eyes open. It almost felt affectionate, if not for his condescending tone.

"So once you get your toy, you'll leave me alone then?"

He chuckled, and she wished the sound didn't make her stomach flutter. "Once I get what I want, I very much like to keep it close to me."

His cryptic words nearly gave her a headache. She deliberately ignored his last comment. "But everyone will recognize you at the party, especially Stark. Being my date won't change your face."

"No, they won't recognize me," he said, as his green-gold magic shimmered all over him, transforming him into a perfect duplicate of none other than Captain America.

"Holy shit!" She jumped in disbelief and nearly fell off the couch. "You can do that?"

He transformed back into himself and nodded. "I believe that should convince you."

She was pretty sure she was gawking at him like a lunatic but she didn't care. This little stunt of his reminded her of how little she knew of him.

"Is there any limit to your magical abilities?"

"A conversation for another day." He got up from the couch and looked down at her regally. "I will come to fetch you on the eve of the party. Till then…" He seized her hand and planted a soft kiss on her knuckles. "…farewell, my lovely lady."

Reva rubbed her knuckles unconsciously after he let go. His lips were so sinful, they were evil incarnate.

"Oh, and don't bother trying to tell anyone about me or my plans," he said with a knowing smirk. "Or mayhap, do try. You will soon realize it's futile."

And then he was gone, poofing away with that same green-gold shimmer of his magic.

His words registered a few beats later, and Reva felt a growing dread inside her. Grabbing her phone, she immediately started typing a text to see if she could write anything about Loki in it. Her fingers froze every damn time she tried to type anything relating to him or his name. She couldn't even type mischief or space Viking.

She opened her mouth to call his name, and it would not come out. She could feel on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't utter it.

"Such a dick move!" she grumbled in frustration, tossing her phone away. "I don't understand how you can be so cruel and yet, so likable at the same time!"

Reva hadn't really thought about tattling against him or his plans. She knew better than to trick the ultimate trickster. And she valued her life. She wondered why he felt the need to bind her in this manner, if he wasn't planning something sinister, like attacking the Earth or something equally bad.

And then came the penultimate question… Had Loki lied to her about his true plans? He was the lie-smith after all.

Reva shook her head, wanting to dispel her growing distrust in Loki. He had toyed with her before, what was to say that he wasn't doing it again?

However, she could do little more than sulk in indignation. The trickster had tricked her into remaining silent.


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