When Darcy woke in the morning, she had almost a full thirty seconds of ignorant bliss as she thought over what she would make herself for breakfast that morning before it struck her that there was a possibly homicidal god asleep on her couch.

How could she have been that thoughtless? Helping him out a little was one thing, but bringing him home? Loki could have snapped her neck while she slept. He could have done unspeakable things to her.

And then it hit her: he hadn't.

Loki hadn't harmed her or even been overly rude. Sure, he had sassy with her a couple times, but he had thanked her when she brought him in and made up the couch and turned on the shower for him. He could have ended her existence as easily as she could snap her fingers, but for some reason he had decided not to. Perhaps he just hadn't felt like it or hadn't gotten around to it yet. No— she had, for some crazy reason, the feeling that Loki trusted her, at least a little. She had shown him compassion and kindness and in return he hadn't killed her as she slept. Well, that had to count for something on the goodness meter. Besides that, he wasn't a monster; he had just been in a little fight with his brother, that's all. Darcy hadn't heard much of why they were fighting, but maybe she could coax it out of Loki eventually. He had to be hurting over that, definitely more than he was showing. Perhaps, if she was lucky, Darcy could actually help him heal instead of just help him out.

One big question was still rolling around in Darcy's mind; how long would Loki be staying? Yesterday they'd agreed something along the lines of a day or two, but she wasn't going to kick him out if he needed longer. Oh, I'll figure it out later.

Darcy quickly grabbed her glasses from the bedside table and rolled out of her oversized bed. The bed had been one of the only things she had invested in when moving into this shithole apartment, but now that her salary had been significantly increased via SHIELD, she would definitely be redecorating. When Darcy walked over to the door and attempted to open it, the handle fell out in her hand. Perhaps she would just move to a slightly more upscale place instead of just redecorating.

Darcy had three options in front of her, two of which she did not have the strength or patience to deal with. She could attempt to bust down the door. That would most likely end up with her whimpering on the floor and in need of even more help than she already needed. The second option would be for her to attempt to fix the door, but she lacked any tools or knowledge for that sort of job. This left her final option: call for help from the trickster god currently residing in her living room.

Darcy swallowed what little pride she had and mentally prepared for this. Why was she nervous? She was simply asking him to come open the door. Still, she felt her heartbeat accelerating.

Before she could say anything, she heard Loki walking down the hall. If he's a mind reader, I quit, she thought.

A soft knock on the door was followed by Loki's voice calling through. "Darcy, there is an object out here that has been making noise and vibrating off an on for the past five minutes. Would you like me to destroy it?"

Object making noise— her cellphone. "No! Don't do that! It definitely does not need to be destroyed. But I do need a different favor,"

"Yes?"

"Can you open the door?"

There was a short pause. "Is this a hypothetical question?"

"No. I can't open the door on this side."

"How do you get out normally?"

"This whole thing is a recent complication that I would love to explain to you once I get out of this room. So, how 'bout it?"

Darcy heard Loki's hand on the door handle, but the door did not open.

"Darcy, why is the doorknob in my hand and not on the door?"

"It fell out on your side too? Well shit." Darcy dropped to her knees and looked through the hole where the handles had been. Instead of focusing on the fact that there was a hole in her door, she was more distracted by what she saw through it. "Christ on a cracker, why are you naked?"

"You said yourself that my clothes were dirty and I would need to do without," he said, confused by her exclamation. "How do you know that, anyway?"

"Down here, big boy. Hole in the door at waist level."

Loki dropped down to her level. "You mortals and your obsession with modesty. What would you like me to do about the door?"

"Well, for starters, put some pants on. After that, I don't know. I don't suppose you're handy with Midgardian doorknobs?"

"I can't say that I am. I could simply break down the door, if you so request."

"It may come to that. Let me see if I can get out my window." Darcy turned away to contemplate how badly she wanted out of her room. "Maybe I can climb down or something,"

"No," Loki's voice suddenly turned dark. Darcy turned back to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "Do not risk injury to yourself. I will have the door open in just a moment."

When he stood to go put on pants or whatever, Darcy got just a fleeting glimpse of skin she wished she hadn't enjoyed as much as she had. Stop it, Darcy, she thought. That is a hundred levels of inappropriate. When Loki returned, he had simply added the black trousers he had had on the day before.

"Step away from the door," he called through. Darcy immediately scrambled to the side. A moment later, her door flew open with great force, almost flying off of its hinges. Darcy internally smacked herself for thinking how badass Loki looked; he had literally kicked the door down, classic action movie-style.

"Are you all right?" Loki asked when he turned to her, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, man. I bet this whole deal would have been a lot more climactic if the room was on fire or someone was attacking me, but it was exciting nonetheless."

"I don't believe I would've stood in the hall for as long if either of those had been the case, but I am happy to have assisted you regardless."

"Totally. It's been real. Now, you said my phone was ringing a bunch. I bet you anything it was all Jane." Darcy moved past him and headed toward the little table by the front door where she had accidentally left her phone the night before. Five missed calls and three text messages, all from Jane. That was a new record, if Darcy wasn't mistaken.

Text number one:

darcy why arent you answering me are you all right

Texts two and three were the same message, reading:

darcy pick up your phone are you dead what happened to you

Darcy checked the time; she was only an hour late for work, and that was nothing out of the ordinary. On days Darcy had stayed up late the night before, she usually wouldn't even come in until after lunch. That had always been fine with Jane, since most of Darcy's job was paperwork that she could get done on her own time or stargazing/sky-watching late at night, hoping to spot a portal opening and Thor flying out.

Darcy pressed the 'call' button for Jane's number and held the phone to her ear. Not even a half a ring into the call, Jane picked up and began her hysteria.

"Darcy? Oh god, you're all right! Why didn't you answer? You always answer like immediately,"

"Calm down there, you sound like a psycho girlfriend. Save all that for when Thor comes back. I didn't answer because I was asleep and I left my phone in the living room. Why did you need me so urgently?"

"Well, I called the first time to let you know you had the day off, but then I got worried because you didn't answer and the last time I saw you you where heading out into the desert by yourself and I was just really worried something happened—"

"Slow down. I'm fine. Thanks for giving me the day off. Now, take a few deep breaths, do a little yoga, maybe break out a bag of weed or something; do whatever it is that calms you down. I'm going to hang up so I can begin my day by possibly reenacting that scene in Risky Business when he slides across the floor in a dress shirt and socks,"

"All right. Have fun. Sorry I freaked out so much,"

"Nah, it's all good. I understand. The desert's a scary place. You never know when you'll run into a Norse god or something," Darcy glanced at Loki as he walked into her kitchen, raising a brow at the mentioning of their situation.

Jane laughed, not knowing her true meaning. "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow,"

"Bye,"

Darcy put her now almost dead cellphone down and plugged it in to charger she kept by her computer. Walking into the kitchen, she watched as Loki examined a box of cereal she had left out the morning before.

"That's food. You can eat it."

"I know what food is," Loki snarled. "And I was under the impression that Midgardian food was slightly more decent than cardboard,"

"The food's inside the box, smartass. And by the way, that's usually eaten with milk, in a bowl, with a spoon."

Loki seemed confused by her meaning and slightly angered by her tone.

"How about we start with pop-tarts and build from there?" Darcy remarked, taking the cereal box from him and putting it up in the cabinet.

"What dare I ask is a pop-tart?" It sounded funnier than Darcy had imagined coming from his mouth and with his regal accent.

"You'll like them. Thor ate a whole box when he first found them."

Loki hesitated in speaking. "Thor was here? With you, specifically?"

"Nah, he was Jane's pet god. Speaking of which, you won't get to meet Jane until tomorrow." Now Darcy was the one that paused. "If you want to stay that long, that is. You're welcome to, if you want to. I don't know what you need or what you plan to do while here, but you can stay here if you want. My door is open to all Asgardians. That sounded dirtier than I meant it."

"That is very generous of you," Loki said carefully, "I appreciate your hospitality." His words sounded cold and calculating instead of warm and sincere. Did he think she was lying?

"Really. You're good. Anyways, after breakfast, we should totally go buy you some clothes." Darcy pulled the pop-tarts out and opened a pack, throwing them into her toaster.

"You do not need to spend your money on me. I do not want to be more of an inconvenience," Loki said lowly. "I am sorry for being so intrusive in your life. As soon as my magic is restored, I will leave this realm and free you from the burden I am. If you want me gone before then, just say the word."

Darcy turned back around. "I said it before, dude. It's all good. It's no inconvenience at all. At least, not one that's all bad. You seem like decent enough company. Plus, you saved me from having to climb out my window today. Side note: after the doorknob fiasco today, I've decided now is the time for an upgrade housing-wise. I have the means, thanks to SHIELD, so I'll just need to pick a day to go apartment shopping. I'll probably be getting something with two bedrooms, so you can even have an actual bed. It'll be fun. I've always wanted a roommate, and now I've got one. Of course, when I pictured my potential roommate, I always thought of a girl best friend or something like that. However, I am adaptable. You seem like you'll be handy enough— that's not what I meant. You seem like you'll be useful to have around."

"And you seem to be making long-term plans to have me around, and for that I am extremely grateful. You are much more hospitable a guest than I could have anticipated, and you have treated me more kindly than I deserve,"

"I don't know how many times I have to say it. You're fine."

Darcy finished what little preparation their breakfast needed and handed Loki his portion. When he seemed to like them, Darcy couldn't help smiling.

After breakfast, Darcy quickly showered and got dressed and Loki simply pulled on the shirt he had had on yesterday and the two of them went down to the town's department store. Assuming he would be there a few days, a week tops (they would buy more if the situation called for it), Darcy bought him a few outfits and one pair of shoes. All of the shirts she got had at least small touches of dark green; she had noticed he seemed to like that color, along with black.

Having no idea if he would need to shave, she threw a razor in the basket as she passed it just in case. Men's shampoo, socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and other essentials piled up in the basket, but Darcy found it increasingly difficult to pick out what he needed. She had no idea what Loki would prefer, but Loki had no idea what most of the things in the store were. When the time came, she simply showed him the underwear section and immediately left him to his thoughts there.

So awkward. I'm never having children; I could never do this with a son.


When Loki wandered back to Darcy, she handed him the basket and started walking again. For some reason, Darcy seemed to be getting very uncomfortable with the situation, specifically when dealing with items that were much more personal.

"We need to get you some pajamas," Darcy glanced back at him as she spoke. "They're casual clothes that you sleep in. You are not sleeping naked again, especially since I can't close my door now."

"There are more casual clothes than these?" Loki asked hesitantly, eyeing the t-shirt in the carrier.

"Yes. You don't sleep in armor, do you? Here, we don't sleep in dress clothes or jeans. We have comfortable clothes for sleeping or relaxing. Not many people here sleep naked, especially in sleepover situations. Now, I don't give a rat's ass about a shirt, but you at least need pants while you're sleeping."

"Fair enough," Loki muttered, curiously observing a woman with a screaming child walking by.

"Here, do you like these?" Darcy held up a pair of long cotton pants, dark green and black in color and plaid in pattern.

"They will suffice."

"All right then," She threw that pair and a pair very similar to them into the basket in his hand. "I guess we're done here. Let's check out and then we can set up—"

"Darcy," Loki interrupted, his eyes sullen and drained. "How long do you anticipate me staying here?"

Darcy seemed unfazed by his seriousness. "I don't know, like a week maybe?" She started to walk past him toward the registers but he grabbed her arm, being careful to not seem overly forceful while still being firm. Loki was slightly shocked by the fact that she didn't seem scared by him having laid a hand on her; in fact, she looked more concerned than anything.

"I do not know how long my abilities will take to return. It could be tomorrow or it could be months from now. I do not want—"

"Shut up. We've already had this discussion. You're beginning to sound like a broken record— repeating yourself, that is. You're not a burden, you're not any trouble, bla bla bla. Do I need to make it a neon sign? I'm happy to help you. I don't care if you're here until I'm sixty. You seem like you need a little help, so I'm just doing what a decent person should do. Well, maybe what a stupid person would do. Whatever. Just stop being so morose about it."

Loki, for all of his quick-wittedness, was silenced. Darcy genuinely wanted to help him. He would have to make that up to her. How? With his friendship? No, he wanted to give her something of value. Perhaps when he regained his magic, he could conjure her riches to the extent she would live as a queen in her realm for the rest of her life. That would probably be more fitting and useful to her.

Darcy turned where she was, now several yards away. "Well, come on," she ordered impatiently. He blindly listened, trailing behind her. Did she think of him as a child? Is that why she was being so hospitable? No— he quickly smashed out what doubt for her he had in his mind; Loki would take everything Darcy said at face value and not attempt to read into anything too deeply. He had learned his lesson about thinking too much into things before. With Darcy, he would treat her with the kindness she deserved and attempt to not add any more stress in her life. She was helping him, therefore Loki would trust her.

When they returned to her home, Darcy quickly got to work setting up his belongings. She made a pile of his new clothes on the table beside the couch and found a basket in her room that she put all of his other items in.

Darcy sat down on the couch cross-legged with the basket of his belongings. Looking at him expectantly, she patted the cushion beside her.

"All right," she began as he sat down. "Lesson number one in Midgardian things. Before we start, do you know what any of these things are?"

"I'm fairly sure I could figure out their purposes," he replied.

"And risk you cutting off your ear trying to shave or splattering toothpaste all over my bathroom? I don't think so. Ok, these—" She held up two objects, a stick with bristles and a colorful tube that seemed to be made of gel, "—are a toothbrush and toothpaste. You put the paste on the stick and rub it on your teeth. That sounded weird. It's to keep your teeth healthy and shit."

"Not necessary. I have a spell that is still in affect that takes care of that."

"You could have said that before I bought these!" she exclaimed, swinging the hand with the two items in it around wildly as she spoke.

"I didn't know what they were for," he defended, mindful of her hand.

"Fine. Next item. This is a razor. I don't suppose you have a spell for shaving as well?" Darcy asked.

"I do, actually."

"How come those spells still work, but you lost your armor?" she lowered an eyebrow suspiciously.

"My armor was temporary. The spells we speak of now are more permanent and won't disappear unless my magic becomes exceedingly depleted."

"Ah ha. Well, I guess I'll try to return some of the things I bought. Let's move this Midgardian things lesson to electronics." She stood and grabbed the item that had been making sounds earlier that morning. "This is a cellphone. If you stay for a long time, I might get you one. As for now, I'll just teach you how to make a call with it in case of emergencies. You turn it on or wake it up with this button," She pointed to a black button on the top. When she pressed it, the object lit up and a picture of the desert mountains appeared, along with an animated bar that read 'slide to unlock' at the bottom. "And then you just slide that across,"

"How do I slide a picture?" Loki asked, confused.

"It's a touch-screen. You interact with it by touching it. After you slide it across, you press that button that says 'phone.' Press 'contacts' next. I'll have Jane as the first one, so if anything ever happens to me and you need her fast, you'll just have to do that. Click Jane's contact, press call, and there you go." She returned to the original screen and pressed the button on the top again, returning the screen to black. "You try it, except don't actually call Jane. Stop right before you get there."

Loki took the phone from her carefully, as if he was expecting it to bite him. He followed the steps Darcy had given him successfully and ended up just where she had been.

"Good," she said, pleased. "I'll make you do that again later to see if you remember. As for now, how about I teach you about the microwave?"


After teaching Loki the fundamentals of her phone, several kitchen appliances, and the television, Darcy decided that was a good place to call it a day. Teaching him the basics of her computer and the internet would have to be another time. It was almost three in the afternoon, so she had just enough time to go over to the apartment complex a block away to see if there were any openings. Leaving Loki with a few books and instructions not to answer the door, she headed out.

Lucky for Darcy, there was in fact a fairly nice two-bedroom apartment well within her price range that was free for a year-long lease. Feeling bold from being a little sassy with Loki earlier and annoyed from the doorknob malfunction, she signed the lease on the spot. Darcy had never been short on spontaneity. She just had to wait a day or two before moving in for housekeeping reasons.

Elated, Darcy returned home just an hour after leaving. She made Loki and herself dinner fit for a king— well, spaghetti was probably eaten by a king at some point— and afterwards Darcy decided it was a good of a time as any to introduce Loki to the concept of a movie. Ignoring his quip about 'how very Midgardian' the idea of it was after she had explained it as 'books you don't have to put effort into,' Darcy popped in Inception and ignored most of Loki's comments throughout the film. Though they were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, Darcy couldn't help eying his shoulder and wondering how comfortable it was to lean on. Wow, it's only been a day and I already have a dumb little kid crush on him. He is an attractive dude, and that is all I will ever think on the subject. Admiring attractiveness isn't a crime.

About halfway through the movie, Darcy felt herself drifting off to sleep. She may or may not have been partially awake and enjoying herself when Loki carried her to her room and put her on the bed, pulling a blanket over her and turning off the light before returning to finish the film she could totally tell he actually really liked.