A/N: Oh my goodness I am so so so sorry guys. I didn't realize that it's been this long with no update. I have been in constant school (literally straight through the summer into the current semester), so that is my only excuse, and it's a poor one. I feel completely awful! Anyway, enjoy this chapter. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. :)


Although it wasn't technically summer yet, Darcy called late May 'The Start of Summer.' So, seeing as it was summertime already, Darcy broke out her short shorts and tank tops in hopes of impressing Carl for their first real date. It was the last day of Darcy and Jane's week off, and the Asgardians were still working on their first day with the rebuild, though in a covert area, due to Loki's easily recognizable form. Neither one took a lunch, which was to be expected. Thor was a hard worker, and wherever Thor went, Loki had to go.

Darcy picked out a few outfits, all of which were rejected by Jane.

Finally, they both settled on a pretty dress with a boxy neckline, short sleeves, and that ended about her mid-thigh. There were two layers: one, on top, was a see-through black lace, and beneath was a deep gold layer. Darcy's kitten heels from the "Day her privacy was forever forsaken," as she put it, donned her feet perfectly. To add the final touch, she had a simple golden wire bracelet in the shape of twists that resembled something out of a Greek mythology book.

On cue, the door flew open at 5 and Thor and Loki came into the apartment. Jane greeted them both, and offered drinks and food. Darcy could hear from her bedroom that Thor took the offer and Loki, much quieter, declined.

While Darcy put some light makeup on, she could hear Jane making conversation with Thor over what they did that day, which consisted of helping put one of the buildings back together downtown. They had come across a few corpses that no one had found yet and, other than that, the day was uneventful. At 5:30, with a half an hour until Carl was coming to pick her up, Darcy made her way out into the living room. She had her purse with her and sat down across from Loki on one of the loveseats. He didn't look up at her, and simply stared down at his hands, elbows on his knees, and leaned forward. After a few minutes, Darcy spoke.

"How was your first day at work?" She asked lightly, hoping Thor and Jane would continue their conversation without noticing her. Loki seemed to stiffen minutely, and he looked up at her. She barely noticed his eyes widening slightly but he recovered quickly.

"It was… interesting to say the least," he started. Loki seemed to want to say more, but hesitated, looking into Darcy's eyes carefully. "I realized how much destruction I truly caused."

Darcy blinked in response, tilting her head to the side. Loki leaned back more into the couch and sighed lightly. "Buildings were destroyed, and corpses were… everywhere. I could not help but imagine what it would be like if it were Asgard that was destroyed."

Darcy's eyes widened. 'Is he actually being sincere? Did it affect him this much already?' She cleared her throat.

"It was difficult to go through, believe me," he caught her eye, looking reproachful. "No, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. It actually was difficult. I came out here to help as soon as I could, but there were still dozens of bodies lying everywhere. It was horrible, and I almost left after the first few days. But, I knew I was making a difference and that alone kept me here." She moved forward a little, looking at his face once more. "You'll be doing good, Loki. Maybe it will make your stay here more comfortable if people see you helping out."

He seemed to inflate at her statement. 'Uh oh.' She thought.

"I don't need to fit in with you mortals. What you think of me is of no consequence to me and-"

"That's not the point. I know you don't care of what anyone thinks of you. Obviously you've been affected by what you seen today, and things can only get better."

"I still haven't heard your point yet." Loki bit sarcastically. Darcy rolled her eyes. "I'm doing this because I am forced to do it. That is all. If left by myself, I would still be trying to rule this realm."

"You're lying. After today, I can guarantee you'll be going back because you know you're helping. People will look up to you because of all you do, Loki. That's my point, I guess. You don't have to conquer us to gain our respect and admiration. Respect is reserved for people that deserve it, people that help others because they want to." Darcy glanced at the clock and noticed that everything was quiet. Jane and Thor were both watching the exchange between them, and she still had 15 minutes to go. "There's a big difference between people who rule by fear, and those that rule with respect."

Darcy got up and began walking away, but stopped when she was nearer to Jane and Thor. "Jane, Carl is taking me out on a date. He'll be here in about 15 minutes. I think I'm going to stay in my room until then." So, she continued without a response, and shut her door calmly. Ten seconds later, she could hear arguing voices from Thor and Loki, so she pressed her ear to the door to listen.

"Lady Darcy has been nothing but kind to you, brother. I know not why you insist on being rude to her," Thor spoke quickly.

"She was the one that brought it up, and I need not remind you that I am not your flesh and blood. She must learn her place, and not to assume things that she does not know about," Loki responded through gritted teeth. The mortal girl was walking a very fine line.

Darcy decided that she was better off not listening. This hadn't been the first argument that she and Loki had found themselves in.

The second day the brothers had been on Midgard, Loki had made the mistake of saying Darcy's outfit was horrendous, and she responded… like Darcy.

"You're an ass. No wonder you had to morph into a woman in order to have a child," she scoffed. It was harsh, but he deserved it… right? Loki had begun sputtering with rage, making no sense. "You're not even making any sense!" He had launched himself forward, grabbing Darcy by her upper arms and pushing her against the wall. Thor and Jane were in another room, and Darcy was sure that if Loki was going to injure her, he would have done it already. So, she did what Darcy does: she made things harder for herself. "You never denied anything about the horse, either. And where is your wife? I'm surprised she tolerates your behavior…" He gripped harder, hard enough to bruise and she squeaked. Tears filled her eyes in alarm.

"You know nothing, you insolent little, insignificant mortal. You all are too dull to realize a false story when they are right below your nose. Why would I ever marry? Don't presume to know me. Ever," Loki spat. He let her go and forced himself away from her. Darcy felt her legs go out and she fell to the floor.

"I hate you," Darcy choked out. He turned back around quickly.

"Good, it's for your own benefit. Never trust the God of Lies and Mischief." He bent down low to her and looked her in the eyes. "It will never end well for you to provoke me."

Darcy shook her head at the memory. It hadn't gotten that bad since then, but Darcy also needed to see how far she could push him, and now she knew her boundaries. Her eyes slipped to the clock and realized it was 6:06, so she got up quietly and left her room. When she got into the living room, the doorbell rang, and Loki, rather boldly, answered it.

Of course it was Carl.

And of course, Loki decided to be intimidating. "Good evening, mortal." He stepped back to let Carl through the door.

Darcy caught Jane's eye, who grimaced. Carl stepped over the threshold and looked terrified. "Hello, everyone… how are you guys doing?" Carl asked shyly. Loki was about 6 inches taller than him, and with his arms across his chest, and his menacing face on, he looked ever like the villain he used to be. Carl's eyes finally settled on Darcy and everything seemed to fade away for him. "Darcy, you look beautiful."

The brunette smiled in response, and strode forward, past Loki. "Jane, don't wait up. I'm not sure what time I'll be home, if I'm even coming home," she winked at Loki and his mouth dropped open momentarily, and then went back to his usual stony self. "Goodnight, everyone. Goodnight, Loki."

With that, she grabbed Carl's hand and headed out of the apartment, shutting the door swiftly. "So, where to?"

"It's a surprise." Carl responded. So, she sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Meanwhile, Loki was fuming. She was doing things just to make him angry, which she knew better. Once the two left, he sat down on the couch again, pouting (according to Jane and Thor, but not to Loki). He would teach her better than to tease him... oh, yes. Thor and Jane stayed quiet, which Loki was thankful for. She had better come home tonight, or Loki would be forced to go out and bring her home.

When Darcy and Carl finally pulled up to the restaurant, Darcy found that she was still slightly underdressed. It was one of the nicest places in the neighborhood. Their reservation was ready, and Carl even pulled the chair out for her when they went to sit down.

As soon as Darcy got a look at the prices, she nearly spit out the wine they were drinking. "There's no way I can let you pay for all of this," she began. Carl held up a hand in response.

"Nonsense. A lady has to get treated right." And that was the end of the conversation there.

Over the course of the meal, they made light exchanges. Darcy told him about how she grew up in Chicago, and had two older brothers and an older sister, and he told her about his life in New York. While he didn't have an accent, oddly enough, he had lived in New York his entire life. He was an only child, but his parents didn't have much money.

Overall the meal was pleasant, except for the fact that Loki kept flitting across Darcy's mind. She was trying to be nice to him, but if he wasn't going to respond the same way, he could forget it. She heaved a giant sigh and came back into herself, remembering where she was and who she was with. Carl had a crooked smile on his face.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing. This is all just completely lovely, but before you picked me up, there was a bit of an argument," Darcy responded. Carl snorted and rolled his eyes.

"You should have warned me that He would be there tonight. Does he hang out over there often?"

"Well, Thor is over every night, so yes. He goes where Thor goes. But, we got into an argument and he just frustrates me, you know? I'm trying to be nice to him, but it's so hard." She shook her head. "Anyway, I just want to forget about him and have a good time."

Conversation picked up a little more, and they finished the bottle of wine (which Darcy had pretty much commandeered after the first two glasses). "By the way," Darcy slurred on their way out of the door. "That 'might not come home' business was only to get Loki pissed off. I don't actually want to go home with you." Carl nodded. Outside, it was raining very hard. The streets were filled with water up to the curb, and lightning streaked across the sky every few seconds. Carl and Darcy rushed to the car.

"You know, you should probably stay away from him. He's seeping into our date time." Obviously, he was referring to Loki. Darcy nodded, feeling her inebriated face redden and her eyes get teary. Carl helped her into the car and shut the door for her, and she tilted her head back and let gravity do its thing and she relaxed. She was completely soaked, and the dress clung to her like skin. She vaguely registered the car moving, and stopping. Carl stepped out to help her out again, and walked her to the front of her apartment. Glancing at his watch, he discovered it was only 8:30. He hadn't expected to take Darcy home so early… but, she seemed to be having an off night.

She jumbled with her keys and he leaned in to peck her on the cheek, and left, leaving Darcy alone at the top of her stairs to the apartment. The door sprung open abruptly, and Darcy walked in. "How was your date, Lady Darcy?" Thor asked excitedly. "Oh, is it raining?"

Darcy glared at him in response. "My date was… less than stellar, thank you for asking. And no, I just ran through some sprinklers for fun." She continued to her room and felt her drunkenness get to her even more. She stopped in the living room to take her shoes off. 'Stupid Loki and his assholeness. Why does he have to be so mean?' Having absolutely no control over her emotions, she began to cry.

Loki watched her from the shadows of the room, reconsidering his plan of making her pay. She seemed to have paid already. He watched as she continued to her room, sniffling along the way. She was soaked to the bone, shivering, and crying. Yeah, she didn't need the God of Mischief pranking her just yet. It could wait until the morning.


PS: Everyone see Thor: The Dark World yet? No spoilers coming from my end, of course, but Loki's character... amazing. Though he didn't fit in with the movie from my perspective. Fingers crossed for a Loki movie ;)