Though Loki detested asking for help in any form, there was absolutely no chance that he was going to allow Heimdall to discover that he was searching for a human girl in Midgard by asking him to locate Savannah. As such he found himself following the same path he had taken the day before until he had reached the coffee shop she had led him to. He'd not expected to see her inside, but had almost half-wished she was just so that he didn't have to resort to such repulsive measures as approaching the girl behind the counter who, upon seeing him standing there watching her, lifted her eyebrows in surprise.

"Can I help you?"

"Actually," he began, fighting to keep his tone polite, "I'm looking for the girl you saw me here with yesterday."

"Savannah?"

"Yes." The smirk on the girl's expression made Loki want to blast her into the wall.

"Well considering it's still early afternoon, your best bet would be to check the library. She volunteers there she's when home from school."

Without a word of thanks Loki turned and left, heading in the direction where he'd remembered seeing the town's library the day before. The walk was not a long one, but as he was now paying more attention he was surprised that such a small town could have such a large place dedicated solely to books. Certainly it was much grander than any of the surrounding establishments, all of which bore the unmistakable plainness of small-town scale. Once inside the library he immediately looked to the large reception area on the left to see if the girl was there, and knew a moment of disappointment when he saw she wasn't. Annoyed, he approached the counter where a middle-aged woman sat reading a harlequin romance novel. He waited until she had looked up from her book, startled to find him watching her.

"Hello, may I help you?" the woman asked somewhat breathlessly.

"I'm looking for Savannah."

"Are you now?" The woman's eyes did a quick once-over of Loki's appearance. That day he'd chosen to wear a black suit with an emerald green dress shirt and a beige overcoat, preferring, as always, to stand out rather than to blend in. Even though he was incognito, he still enjoyed showing a certain grandeur. "Well she's probably over in the children's section still. Straight ahead, follow the curve to the right."

Loki veered off in the direction the librarian had pointed to and within moments found himself in a bright, circular room that was unmistakably the children's section. The walls were painted pale green and had animal murals spreading the entire way around, and the brightly colored rugs and chairs were nearly blinding in their lurid, neon shades. At the center of the space sat a group of perhaps fifteen children, listening with rapt attention as a girl sat cross-legged in front of them, reading from an open book in her hands. Savannah was undoubtedly a dedicated storyteller, and with each new character she supplied the voice for, her pitch and attitude would change as her body language reflected that of the character she embodied.

Loki's first thought was that the sight of her reading—rather foolishly and unashamedly—to a group of small children was an enjoyable one. There was a long moment of this unfamiliar thought process before he remembered why specifically he had come and mentally shook himself, forcing himself to instead focus on studying her appearance while she remained so oblivious to his presence.

That day she had chosen to wear black, stretchy leggings under her knee-high boots and baggy flannel shirt. When she rose to her knees so that she could wave her first in the air at a particularly emphatic character monologue, Loki got a good view of the shape of her legs. She was curved nicely, and the sight of her thighs sent a prickling of heat to the pit of his stomach. Yet even as he allowed himself to contemplate her with gradually rising lust, he remembered her shyness from the day before, and wondered if she had any confidence at all beneath that quiet exterior. Experience told him that self-conscious women were usually a bore in bed, and the baggy shirt that passed over her hips and concealing boots, combined with the way she let her waves fall loose around her face and bangs hide down to her eyebrows, gave off the aura of one who did not want to be seen.

So absorbed was Savannah that at first she didn't notice Loki as he stared at her. He stood silently, leaning against the wall and half-smirking as he waited for her to finish. When she had glanced over and made eye contact, her cheeks burned a delicious pink and he could see the merest flash of irritation cross her face before disappearing, replaced once more by her cheerful smile. She ignored him completely as she finished the chapter, though her movements became much more reserved under his scrutiny. When she closed the book with a flourish one of the children sat up on her knees, bopping in excitement.

"Read more, Anna!"

There was a general outcry of assent but Savannah merely smiled and shook her head, pulling herself to her feet. "You guys know the rules, two chapters a day. Now go on, go outside and have fun." There was a mad rush as all of the kids got to their feet and pushed and shoved each other as they hurried to exit the glass doors leading to what, Loki realized, was a playground behind the library. He watched as Savannah picked up the books that had been left on the rug and set them on the table, letting a wall of hair hang between her face and his contemplation of her.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you again," she said tonelessly as she walked towards the shelves, replacing the books with rather more force than was necessary. "Have you come to show me my place?"

Loki watched her with amusement, a broad grin slowly spreading his lips. I got under her skin… She might be as furious with me as I am with her.

"Actually I've come to apologize."

Savannah froze, the copy of Box Car Children in her hand half-shoved into its place on the bookshelf. She turned to look at him, and he could see mistrust etched on her face. "I didn't gather you were the sort to apologize."

"Well you'd be right," Loki murmured amiably as he approached her, and he noticed her grip the books in the crook of her arm more tightly. "I am not the sort to apologize. Even so, I realized after I'd left that I'd behaved quite tactlessly yesterday after you'd been so kind as to buy me hot chocolate. I'm very sorry that I snapped at you."

He could almost hear the speed of thoughts rushing through Savannah's head as she stood there, staring into his eyes with careful calculation. Yet it was no fluke that he was a master of illusion; he could convince anyone of whatever he desired them to believe, and with ease. After a long moment of their held gaze, she abruptly turned away from him, resuming her organizing of books. "I don't believe you."

"Come again?" Loki took in her sudden ardor with mute surprise, and allowed her to approach him without backing away.

"I don't believe you," she repeated, clutching the books to her chest like a lifeline as she stood in front of him, her eyes narrowed. "You think that I don't know you, Lucas, but I've encountered many like you before. You smile but the warmth doesn't reach your eyes, and charming words escape your beautiful lips, but they are just that: words. Now I don't know why you chose to come back here, but you can rest assured that after yesterday I will never be bothering you again so you can just take your apology and go."

And with that Savannah brushed passed him, her harsh words softened slightly by the way she trembled as she did so. Even so, Loki was an Asgardian prince. Humans did not just turn their backs to him, and in his shock he called out with indignation, "Are you walking away from me?"

Savannah stopped and turned to face him, exasperated. "Yes I'm walking away from you, it's called a dramatic exit." When she turned to walk away again Loki was alongside her in a moment, his eyes boring into the side of her head.

"I am not one to be brushed aside so easily, Savannah."

"Are you threatening me?" she asked incredulously, gripping her books tighter in either anger or fear, Loki couldn't tell which, as he stared into her widened eyes. They entranced him for a moment and he blinked, forcefully pulling himself out of their depths.

"I merely state fact." Loki watched her, incredulity dawning and bringing with it a soft laugh. "You fear me and yet you stand up to me, regardless."

"I don't fear you!" she whispered hotly before turning to resume her dramatic exit. Loki caught her arm and held her in place. Her eyes stared at his hand on her arm before slowly moving up to meet his gaze.

"You do fear me, Savannah. Yesterday you looked into my eyes and claimed to be able to see what made me tick. Perhaps you are not the only one with that ability."

Savannah stared at him in undisguised shock that he had taken her words to heart. Perhaps it was this that ebbed away her vexation and brought her to finally face him, still holding the books against her heart. "Alright. So maybe I do fear you, but can you blame me? I have no idea who you are and neither does anyone else in this town. I've asked around but no one can remember seeing you before yesterday, and you are certainly too well-dressed to be anyone with any ties to this place. So who are you then, Lucas?"

Loki felt a brief gratification at the confirmation that she had indeed been as frustrated as he, if she had gone around trying to figure out his identity. This only inflamed him further and he took a step towards her so that he was treading upon her personal space; he saw her knuckles turn white as she gripped the books. "Is it really all that important who I am?" He reached out his hands towards her and she blanched, but he merely took the books from her arms and set them on the table behind him before turning his gaze back to her. He was satisfied to see that without the books as a shield, her fingers were clutching self-consciously at the stretchy material of her leggings and her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"Most people tend to know about each other if they are to become friends, generally speaking." Her words came out in a breathless rush that sent a bolt of fire through his core for, though perhaps she didn't recognize the lust lining her own quavering voice, Loki certainly did.

"Friends," he repeated, taking a step closer so that they were nearly touching. "Who said anything about friends?"

Savannah shivered and automatically reached up to play with a lock of hair nervously, her eyes staring fixedly at the grey carpeted floor. She couldn't seem to find words and her breathing became more escalated, but she didn't move away as he leaned forward, his face inching closer to her trembling lips. He saw the moment where she closed her eyes in submission before—

"Savannah! Your sister is on the line, she says you aren't answering your cell and she's in a hurry!"

Savannah jolted as if by an electric shock and Loki's eyes snapped to the woman behind the counter, but she was once more reading her book and did not see the glare of seething anger he gave her. "I have to go!" Savannah cried out with a hint of hysteria, hurrying towards the door. Loki followed her.

"Come with me." Loki watched the emotions flit across the girl's face in quick succession: shock, curiosity, excitement, fear, and then finally embarrassment. Her cheeks burned and Loki knew she was thoroughly beguiled, a realization which stoked the flame in his core.

"I can't," she whispered, looking up at him with both terror and confused fascination. "My sister is taking me to dinner, I can't—" and with that she turned and fled the library. Loki followed her out onto the steps and watched her running down the sidewalk before opening the passenger seat of a car just down the block. She glanced at him before disappearing inside of the vehicle, and then the car pulled out onto the street and rounded the corner.

Loki stood still for a long moment, boiling underneath the surface but momentarily stunned into a disbelieving numbness. After a few seconds he erupted and aimed a kick at the mailbox, denting it in his rage.

What the fuck are you doing? He yelled internally, rooted to the spot in an effort to keep from unleashing his wrath and destroying everything around him. You let her get away! You could have just grabbed her and magicked her somewhere deserted and fucked her senseless! Have you lost your nerve? Are you growing weak, like Thor?

The thought sent a burst of panic through Loki's limbs and he closed his eyes, fingers on his brow to concentrate. No, this is nothing like Thor and that woman. I am not weak enough to lov—he paused, refusing even to say the repugnant word to himself. Instead he began with rapid speed to walk down the sidwalk, his mind racing.

Perhaps he had been giving into a weakness by indulging the girl, he thought bitterly as he turned a corner unseeingly. Was he some pathetic mortal, to run around with his tail tucked between his legs and allowing a woman to conquer his reason? No. No, he would not allow that to happen, not anymore. The knowledge that his intended goal of fucking the girl until she bled to cure himself of this fever had not only not come to pass but had backfired, left him overcome with a chasm in his core that soon filled with a bitter hatred. Loki needed release; if he didn't find one he might just end up on a killing spree on the very realm he hoped to conquer.

"Excuse me," a voice purred to his left. Loki paused and glanced over. Without realizing he'd ended up on what must have been the outskirts of town, as no one else was roaming the streets. A young woman was leaning against the edge of a brick building, biting her lower lip as she appraised Loki. Even in the winter season she wore only a long-sleeved dress and knee-high boots with fur peeking over the tops, hints of her bronzed skin taunting him. Her long, blonde hair was perfectly straightened and her face was doll-like. "My mother wants me to take this sign down to clean, but I'm too short," she grinned mischievously up at Loki as she motioned to the sign hanging from in front of what read to be a beauty store. "Could you get it down for me?"

Fury still bubbling in his veins, Loki reached up and grabbed it, his eyes never leaving hers as he pulled it down off the hooks. She reached out her hands to accept the sign and smiled seductively at him. In a flash he had grabbed her and vanished with her into the narrow alley around the side of the store, shoving her roughly against the brick wall. She gasped; the wind was knocked out of her and at first she did nothing when he ground his pelvis into her belly, his thoughts still back at the library as he stiffened against her.

She moaned then, in fear or pleasure or both, but when he reached down to lift her dress she tried to stop him. "What are you do—" He silenced her with a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened and she began to writhe against him and struggle to get away, but Loki was too powerful. He held her up against the wall with one hand and unfastened his pants with the other, keeping her legs spread with his thighs. He then pulled aside her panties and plunged his cock into her unprepared body.

The girl's cry was stifled by his hand and he could feel her hot breath against his flesh as he pummeled into her, placing all of his rage and confusion and bitterness into every sharp thrust. She was dry and the sensation was painful even for him, and with every movement the girl groaned and cried out. Soon she went limp under his hold and he could feel her body beginning to accommodate him. Feeling her wetness, he met the girl's eyes and saw they were glazed, not with trauma but with pleasure. He could feel her slick insides gripping him and her hips rolling against his, and he felt another flash of fury overtake him as he thrust into her with as much force as he could, needing to feel her fear him. She screamed under his hand but again, not unpleasantly so, and soon her insides were clenching at him desperately as her orgasm pulsated around his cock.

Disgusted, Loki ripped away from her and allowed her to fall to the ground, shivery and weak. He fastened his pants and, when she looked up at him, gasping and bewildered, his eyes contemplated her with loathing. "Only whores enjoy to be treated so cruelly by a stranger," he spat before turning and walking back down the street.

His own relief denied to him, his thoughts found their way back to the brunette and lingered there. He imagined what it would be like to have Savannah writhing underneath him, gasping and whimpering as he filled her with himself and explored parts of her no one else could reach as those restless fingers gripped at his shoulders in confused, innocent bliss. He imagined what she might smell like as she sweat against his own skin and what her moans might sound like, and what the orgasm he brought crashing over her might do to her pretty little face and limbs.

Overcome with frustration, a dull ache now throbbing between his legs, Loki vowed that the next time he found Savannah—and there would be a next time, he would see to that—he would take her as much as he desired, over and over and into the next day, if he so chose. Involuntarily his triumphant thoughts gave way to those of her clinging to him as he took her, staring into his blue eyes with amber ones so full of emotion and sparkling with tears—

Loki appeared at the S.H.I.E.L.D. encampment a second later with murder in his heart.