To anyone still reading this fanfiction, I'm sorry to have been so flaky. I couldn't afford my internet bill last month, so I've been disconnected. I am proud to say I could afford it this month and unless school interferes, you shall not be wanting for reading materials.

The next few days were hectic for both Loki and Lovi. In addition to her Tuesday and Wednesday lessons, Lovi was emailing back and forth with both Lindsay and Aaron Bounds. Lindsay was still on the verge of a meltdown, as some of their old jazz band members just flat out couldn't participate, and Aaron was reluctant to let them use the books.

"Look, Lovi, you know I would love to, but the music in those books came as payment for an old jazz gig that the band played in the nineties; lending them out wouldn't be right," Aaron said over the phone after Lovi had initially called.

"Right for what?" Lovi questioned, "The University's credibility, or the copyright?"

"Well, both Lovi," Aaron answered, sounding stern. Lovi rolled her eyes.

"Don't you give me that, Aaron," Lovi argued, doing her best to keep her voice down and keep it calm. "You know as well as I do that all of the music in that folder came from a jump drive of copied music. Giving away music that doesn't belong to you or acquiring music without payment to the composer is a form of fraud and definitely theft, would you agree?"

"Well, I-" Aaron stuttered.

"So that throws out your issue with the copyright, and the fact that the University was paid with stolen music should throw out your issue of credibility, yes?"

Lovi listened to silence on the other end of her receiver. She knew Aaron couldn't object now. She almost felt sorry for her former professor; he had had no chance against her. A desperate Lovi was a determined Lovi, and he should have remembered that. Lovi jumped as her ears were suddenly filled with Aaron's booming laughter.

"I should have remembered not to play with Fire," Aaron said, still chuckling slightly. "I'll send you the file via email, okay Lovi? God, what a blast from the past! You sounded just like you did when I first met you eight years ago; I was sad to see that Lovi go."

"Well, we all have to grow up sometime, right Mr. Bounds?"

"No, Lovi," Aaron answered solemnly, "You had already grown up when I first met you…what you did was change completely."

"Thanks Aaron, I'll keep that in mind. I need to get back to work now; I'm looking forward to getting that music, bye." Lovi placed the phone on the receiver and held her head in her hands for a few minutes before returning to work. On Wednesday the email came, along with a new set of problems. Lindsay was having another meltdown about the Stark Expo, and Loki still hadn't found a job, despite how hard he had been looking. He had no problem getting interviews, and his silver tongue seemed to win over the employers, but as he had no marketable skills or past experience, employers refused to hire him. They always apologized profusely, saying they would love to have him and to apply again after he gained a bit of a job history, but no one was willing to take a chance on him. Friday was his employment deadline, or he was evicted, and with only one interview left, he could not blow it.

When Friday morning rolled around, Lovi rolled out of bed like every other morning and was surprised to find Loki awake as well. He sat at the kitchen table with a bowl of Fruit Loops in front of him looking worse for wear. She glanced at her reflection in the window, thanked Mother Earth that she had remembered to put on a robe, and then retrained her gaze on the man in front of her. He was in a typical early morning daze, spoon frozen halfway to his mouth and staring at nothing in particular.

"Good morning, Mr. Odinson," Lovi sang as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Loki returned to reality with a start and almost dropped his spoon; Lovi snickered. He had been less entitled the last few days, but only slightly. "You're up awfully early for an interview."

Loki groaned and ran his hands through his hair.

"They scheduled it early," Loki yawned, "and said that if they hire me I can start today."

Lovi took a sip of her coffee and slid into the seat opposite him.

"Good for you! It's about time someone hired the Prince."

Loki met her gaze and lifted his spoon to his lips; his gaze was almost lethal, but Lovi understood that his bark was much worse than his bite.

"It is too early for your taunting, woman," he said as he removed the now empty spoon from his lips. "Besides that, I have not been hired yet."

Lovi stared at the man across from her and sighed. He seemed worried, and with good reason, but it was really showing. His eyes were rheumy with large bags underneath them, his hair was a tangled oily mess, and he was still slightly bruised from their rendezvous.

"Well, you certainly don't look ready for an interview…please tell me you're going to clean up," Lovi said.

Loki looked like he had been smacked.

"And what exactly is wrong with the way I look, Miss Lovisa?"

Lovi stood up and removed the mirror from the wall, handing it to Loki. He glanced at himself for a second before it seemed to sink in, and once it did he snatched the mirror from Lovi's fingers while his eyes grew as big as dinner plates.

"I was going to go out into public like this!?" Loki all but screeched, and then turned on Lovi. "You were going to let me go out like this!?"

Lovi bristled and snatched the mirror back, restoring it to its former position on the wall.

"If I was going to let you go out like that, I wouldn't have said anything, Your Highness," Lovi mocked, flicking him in the forehead. "Now do you want help or not?"

Loki grabbed her hand and leaned into Lovi until their faces were almost touching; his eyes were on fire, and Lovi couldn't help but shiver at his touch…he was still freezing, just as cold as the other morning.

"Do not ever do that again, Miss Lovisa, or you will regret it"

"Loki," Lovi started, "If you want my help, I suggest you let me go and apologize right now." Loki sneered and dropped her hand.

"Now help me," Loki said, turning on his heel and striding toward his room.

Lovi rolled her eyes, put his bowl in the sink, pulled the mint extract from the spice cabinet and followed him. "Not until you apologize."

"I will not, I believe we are even," Loki answered as Lovi rounded the corner into the bathroom and turned the shower on cold. She then opened up his shampoo and body wash bottles and emptied the contents into the two bottles evenly; the boost from the caffeine and the cold water would perk him up and help keep his awake, as well as give his hair some extra volume.

"Fine, whatever, just get in here," Lovi shouted over the water as she spread mint extract on her index finger.

A moment later Loki entered the bathroom in his boxers and Lovi attacked him. In one fell swoop she had slathered the mint underneath his nose, handed him his shampoo and body wash, and was out the door.

"Wash your face last so that the mint has time to work its magic," she called over her shoulder as she darted up the stairs to get herself ready.

Twenty minutes later she was showered and toweled off trying to decide what to wear. She eventually settled on a simple black dress with a red belt to accent her waist and her black suede pumps, brushed her cheeks with powder and her lashes with mascara, combed through her hair and teetered downstairs with her old theatre makeup box from college. Loki was just finishing toweling himself off when she knocked on his door.

"Come in," Loki called as he wrapped his towel around his waist.

Lovi opened the door and teetered in, dropping the box on the bed, and then shoving him onto the bed as well.

"Sorry for the rough treatment, but I'm late and I need you on my level so I can work on you," Lovi said, pulling different concealers out of the box and holding them up to his face. Once she decided on the perfect one, she unscrewed the lid and began applying it to Loki's bruise.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Loki sputtered, pulling away.

Lovi grunted and grabbed the back of his head, tangling her fingers in his wet hair to keep him from moving. "Fixing you. Just deal with it, you'll thank me later."

Loki struggled some more, but Lovi was determined to finish what she had started, so she pulled his hair to show him she meant business. After that, Loki was somewhat complacent, but Lovi knew she most likely had hell coming her way. Once the bruise was covered up, Lovi untangled her fingers and took a look at Loki. The bags under his eyes were gone, his hair was clean and voluminous, and the caffeine had woken up his skin, making it grow tauter.

"You're looking much better already," she said, grabbing his brush and running it through his tangled locks. It was his usual hairstyle, but because his hair was larger and cleaner than usual, it just plain looked better. Once she deemed his hair and face acceptable, she ran to his closet and began leafing through his many outfits until she found the suit he had been wearing the day they met, pulled it out of the closet and laid it on the bed next to him.

"Now, get dressed and I'll give you one more inspection before you leave," she said, grabbing her box and hurrying out of the room. Kicking off her shoes she ran up the stairs, tossed the box onto her bed, grabbed her anti-frizz serum, and ran back down the stairs just as Loki was stepping out of his room. Without saying a word she grabbed his scarf and yanked him toward the floor. He made a few choking noises as she pumped the serum into her hands and assaulted his locks, pushed them back into place, and then released him from her hold, where he continued to sputter as she grabbed Ponyo, slipped on her heels, and then bid him adieu and good luck as she ran out the door and hopped into a cab.

Work provided little relief for her today, her only solace being that it was Friday and she could sleep in tomorrow. Her mind buzzed with unanswered questions and unwanted scenarios as she slid behind her desk, prompting a quick shake of the head before settling in and turning on her computer. Her work load of the day appeared light, but as a loan officer she knew that scheduled appointments were never the only appointments she had. There were always walk-ins, emergency meetings, and the occasional loan officer meeting in the board room; she dreaded those the most, as Brad Austin always found a way to slide in next to her even though he was supposed to be presiding over the happenings.

Her first appeal came at nine o' clock sharp, and was immediately declined.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Pinciatti, but I can't in good conscience give you this loan," she apologized. Mr. Pinciatti had just gotten out of prison for the fourth time in ten years for fraud, and he looked the part. His hair was slicked back with grease, his smile was slimy, and he dressed too fine for a man who needed a loan, prompting a belief that he was part of the Italian Mafia.

"Well, why exactly not?" he asked, leaning forward in a slightly threatening manner.

Lovi refused to let on that she knew more than she was supposed to; that she was making inferences, so she played dumb and stuck with the plain facts.

"Well, sir, your income ratio to debt ratio is the main problem," she fibbed, meeting his eyes with her own. "The bank would be at a very high risk lending you the money, as your debt to income ratio suggests you wouldn't be able to keep up with the payments." She filled her eyes with false remorse and changed her body language to convey distress, only slightly. "I understand that you really need this loan, but with the interest added on afterward, well…I just don't want to put you into a hole you can't climb out of. I'm not in the business of leaching every last cent from innocent people, I'm in the business of consultation and caring, and my advice to you," she looked around to make sure no one was listening, gestured for him to lean closer, and whispered, "try Wells-Fargo. Their interest rates are lower and their loan requirements more lax."

She sat back in her chair, and he mirrored her, stroking his mustache and thinking for a moment before he extended his hand and bid her good day.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't work something out, Ms. De La Garza, but thanks for the tip," he said, turning and leaving her cubicle.

Lovi let out the breath she had been holding, slumped into her chair and buried her face in her hands before she heard a 'thunk' accompanied by soft clapping. She slowly unburied her hands to find the Golden Boy sitting in the chair opposite her with a smug smile clapping away.

"You never cease to amaze me, Lovisa," he said, halting his applause and leaning in toward her. "Lovely scent you're wearing today, what is it?"

"Soap, Mr. Austin," Lovi answered, straightening her paperwork on her desk; just looking at him made her slightly angry.

"Really? That's all?" he said, inhaling. "It smells…spicy, yet sweet, just like you, I suppose. I've never met anyone whose smell reflects their personality, or someone with such long hair; I don't think I've ever seen it down. What's the occasion?"

"I was running late and didn't have time to put it up," Lovi answered. She knew she was being rude, and that he was only trying to be nice, but he irked her. He couldn't take no for an answer; but in his defense, he usually got what he wanted as the vice president of a bank that his father owned.

"Well, I guess I should be thankful for that then. It gives you an ethereal look; much easier to approach you," he said taking a moment to flash his award winning smile. "Anyway, I was just making the rounds on official business when I saw you tackle that loan appeal; very impressive the way you handled that mobster. I don't think he'll be back to do us any harm, the way you handled it."

"Thank you, that was what I was aiming for," Lovi answered, thanking whatever force was paying attention that he was back to professionalism. "What business did you need to speak with me about?"

"Oh, yes, thank you," Brad said, standing up and gesturing at something or someone Lovi couldn't see. "I wanted to introduce you to our newest teller, but I have a feeling that you already know each other."

And suddenly Loki was standing in front of her with a look on his face that she couldn't quite place; his own award winning smile plastered on his face.

Loki extended his hand shook hers for a moment before Brad began to speak again.

"I wasn't going to hire him initially, but once I saw his references, one in particular really, I said 'I can take a chance,' and besides that, all of the other tellers already love him. You know what they say," he said, turning to Loki, "'Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.'"

Lovi shook her head a bit, trying to wrap her mind around the idea of working with Loki.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Austin, who did you say his references were?" Lovi asked, dreading the answer.

"Well, he had a few people that I have never heard of, and no job history, but once I saw your name on his reference sheet, I knew he would be a good worker," Brad said, and patted Loki on the back.

Lovi sat dumbstruck at what she had just heard. It made perfect sense that Loki would use her as a reference, but in doing so he had endangered her credibility; if he messed up, she could lose her job. As the reality of the situation sunk in, the room began to spin, and was only stopped by Brad Austin bringing her back to the present.

"…Lovi…? Hello, Ms. De la Garza…?"

"What, I'm sorry?" she responded, turning her attention back toward her boss.

"I asked if it's true that you and Mr. Odinson live together," Brad replied, with a concerned look on his face.

"Yes, it's true."

"Inter-office relationships are frowned upon, Mr. Odinson, and I'm afraid it could hurt your chances of being hired here," Brad said, turning his attention to Loki. I seemed to Lovi that inter-office relationships were only frowned upon if they did not involve Mr. Austin himself. Just then Loki burst into laughter.

"You need not worry about that, Mr. Austin," Lovi laughed, brushing tears away from his eyes. "I'm not exactly her type."

"Yes, and he's not mine," Lovi added, letting out a snort of derision. "Don't worry, Mr. Austin, we're just roommates; nothing is going on that is even close to what you're implying."

The smile returned to the Golden Boy's face when he realized that Lovi and Loki were not romantically involved.

"Well, alright then! Good! I think we're done here," he said, winking at Lovi, and then turned to Loki. "Come with me, Mr. Odinson, and we'll get you settled in, and your training started.

As they walked away, Lovi couldn't help but feel that she had sealed her destiny, and as the day wore on she kept kicking herself through every appeal. It was nothing short of madness that Loki would gain employment at her bank, and it began to eat away at her very being. Every time she walked past the teller's counter she saw him laughing and smiling with the other tellers; the women all mooning over him. She had an urge to tell them they were wasting their time; that they simply didn't have the right equipment to hold his interest. Upon her return from her last stroll around the bank, her phone 'pinged' and she fished it out of her purse; it was a text message from Daniel.

'Hey, meet us at the Hole tonight at 6:30! Jazz night!"

'Ping'

"P.S. Declan has been asking about you!"

'Ping'

"P.P.S. Bring the new guy!"

Lovi laid her head down on her desk and almost began to weep. She would go, but she wouldn't be happy.