Loki normally prided himself on his self control but he was furious. How dare she mock him! How dare she question his position! He was a God! Gods serve no one! With a snarl he put his fist through the wall.

A nearby maid cried out in surprise. "What are you doing, sir? You can't just-"

With a snarl he kicked her cart of cleaning supplies down the corridor and it smashed into the elevator. She ran away terrified and that brought a twisted smile to his face. "Yes! Run like the weakling you are! Fear me!"

But soon he was all alone and all was silent once again. The smile slipped away with a disgruntled sigh and he turned on his heel and went up the rooftop. He kicked and punched a few more things but it did little to cheer him up. He dusted the rubble from his knuckles and went over to the railing along the edge of the building. He glared at the setting sun. The discomfort in his eyes barely registered and definitely didn't distract him from his wounded pride.

The human was right. He'd never admit that aloud but here in solitude he could. His gaze dropped down to his hands that curled into fists. With a forlorn sigh his fingers relaxed. How did it come to this? He thought to himself. How…have I fallen so low? He had been a Prince, destined for greatness. He should have been King…and would have been had Odin not feared him. How cruel it was for the old fool to raise his hopes, make promises of greatness, only to deny him because of his heritage. Odin could feign love…but he couldn't feign trust. Now Loki knew that he had been no more than a pawn. He had been used by both Odin and Thanos. His whole life…had been a lie.

He looked up as the wind gently brushed by, stirring his wispy hair. But surely that could not be his destiny…to be an eternal pawn. To have his skills and intelligence wasted on the petty dreams of others. What of his own?

He turned his back to the warmth of the lingering sun. He didn't not belong in the light. No, he was more comfortable in shadow. After all he had always lived in darkness. Perhaps…it was time that he found his own light. A pleased smirk touched his lips. Yes…that's it! He would cut ties with all and start anew. Once he completed this assignment, he would be free from Thanos' thumb. He'd make a name for himself, forge his own destiny! He'd show them all what he was truly capable of! He closed his eyes as he imagined how glorious it would be.

Then suddenly his eyes flew open in horror. Miko! He had left her alone! Oh no! He flew down the stairwell in a mad dash back to their hotel room. How could he have been so stupid? What if she had taken advantage of his rage and slipped away? Maybe she had even pissed him off on purpose just to do that. He was already behind schedule, he couldn't afford to lose her now!

He flung the door open only to find the lights off. His eyes quickly adjusted and he saw a figure curled up in bed. The door closed behind him, shrouding him in darkness as he slowly approached the bed. His heart pounded in his ears as his footsteps were deathly silent. He cautiously reached out for the lamp on the nightstand and switched the dim light on.

The figure was buried under the blankets with the top of its head peeking out. A decoy perhaps? He reached out and gently lifted the blanket. Miko flinched at the light shining in her face and grumbled as she rolled over. A soft snore proved her to still be asleep.

He let out a sigh of relief. That had been close…so very close! Then his brow furrowed. While it had worked out to his advantage, why hadn't she left? She had had the perfect opportunity! But the hour was late and he was exhausted so he shrugged it off and chalked it up to the stupidity of humanity. Her naivety made her oblivious to her fate. How lucky for him.

He let his trench coat slide down to the floor and sat down on the bed to remove his boots. As he tossed them aside he noticed a pillow and blanket folded up on the floor. He scowled at that. Like he'd ever sleep there.

He grabbed the pillow and switched off the light. Crawling into bed beside her, he lay there for a while, staring up at the ceiling. He had to maintain focus. Dreams of the future would have to wait. He couldn't afford to be distracted again. According to Miko's calculations they would reach the next teleport site by noon tomorrow. It was nearly over…that is if he didn't lose her. He looked at her suspiciously and rolled over towards her. He reached out with his arm and pulled her in close. He wasn't going to risk losing her in his sleep. Not a chance. Not with so much at stake here.

He closed his eyes with a soft smirk. It had been some time since he'd had a warm body pressed against his. It…wasn't entirely repulsive. Soon his nose twitched as he detected a tantalizing scent. He hadn't noticed it before in here. Curious, he sniffed Miko's hair. It was coming from her.

Her scent filled his nostrils and he felt drawn in in spite of himself. It was unlike anything he'd ever encountered. He nuzzled her neck, drinking in its richness. Tempted, his lips gently tasted the nape of her neck. She shifted and stirred but did not awaken. He was surprised by its exquisite taste combined with her softness. She was pure and untainted, he could taste it. His hand pressed low against her abdomen, fingertips digging in as he sucked on her skin. This wasn't affection; he never succumbed to such frivolous emotion. It took a lot to entice a God but he found himself ensnared. His lips roved along her neck and shoulder. Her scent, her taste drove him mad. He had to have more. She curved deliciously against him. He chuckled with delicious pleasure as she let out a soft guttural groan.

She shifted at his expert touch as it drifted along her slender thigh. Her breathing deepened as his hand continued to wander. She was moist against his fingertips, her virginity mingled with her already alluring scent. He continued to fondle, drawing from her quick gasps and melting moans.

Then suddenly she went completely rigid. He paused with a curious frown. She twitched here and there as she began to break into a cold sweat. "No…d-don't," she whimpered softly.

He propped himself up on one elbow and gently shook her. "Miko?"

She arched hard and let out an agonizing scream. He panicked at that. What was going on? She writhed in bed as if she were possessed. She kicked at the blankets, tangling her legs inside them. Her hands flew about as if she were warding off some unseen foe. He grasped hold of her firmly and turned her towards him. "Wake up!" He said firmly.

She beat against his chest and kicked his knees as she screamed in terror. Angered he screamed back. "ENOUGH!"

That startled her awake with a gasp and her eyes flew open, they glowed piercing ice-cold blue. His blood ran chill at the sight. He had seen that ethereal shade before…back when the others had been possessed by…he felt his mouth dry up and his voice cracked. "Miko?" He asked softly.

She blinked a few times and the color began to fade. "Loki?" She murmured.

"What happened?" He pressed her firmly.

She shook her head and her face crumpled as tears filled her eyes. She buried her face into his chest and started to cry. He let out an annoyed groan as she clung to him. Females were so fickle, it was a universal truth. He remained silent as she sobbed into his shirt and awkwardly patted her on the back. He didn't waste his breath trying to comfort her for a frightening dream was nothing compared to the horror that awaited her tomorrow.

He frowned into the distance as he wondered if what he had seen in her eyes was just a figment of his imagination. He wasn't generally prone to such fantasy but he couldn't rule it out either. It was easier to accept that than the possible truth…only then did he feel a genuine pang of compassion. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

Miko shivered in his arms as the memory of the nightmare continued to torment her. Thanos' fury had grown and his rage suffocated her. She gasped as Loki hugged her, she didn't expect that from him. He said nothing about it and she didn't dare break the silence. Soon his warmth melted her fear and she was lulled to sleep by the steady rhythm of his heart beating against her ear.

When she awakened in the morning, she was surprised to find herself still in his arms. One hand rested low on her back with the other embedded in her long hair. He looked so serene in his sleep, peaceful even. It made him look…handsome. She smiled shyly as she cautiously reached out to touch his cheek. It was cold to the touch. How strange considering how warm she felt in his arms. Then her fingers drifted to his wispy curls. How soft they felt.

A faint chuckle sounded in his throat as a smug smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. His hand slide down her backside and squeezed. "You like what you see?" He sneered as he opened his eyes.

"What? No! Stop!" She demanded as he leaned in closer. He muffled her further protest with his mouth. The taste was even better than he had imagined it would be the night before. She pushed back, determined to resist him. But then his tongue slipped inside and caressed her own. Her heart leaped into her throat as his passion threatened to over-whelm her. Her struggling slowed as she warred with herself. She knew that she shouldn't, that this could compromise her sacred oath of neutrality but…her tongue tentatively curved against his, curious in spite of herself. His clashed with hers, teasing and tempting. It lit a fire within her soul and suddenly she craved more. She groaned as she kissed him back. He held her close as the kiss became hot and heavy. It felt like heaven in the devils embrace.

Then suddenly he stopped, leaving her senses and emotions reeling. She grabbed hold of his shirt to steady herself. He snickered at her. "Where's your righteous indignation from the other day?"

She went red from head to toe. "You…you jerk!" She snapped at him as she shoved him back.

"You didn't think that a few seconds ago," he laughed as he caught hold of her wrists and nibbled on her fingertips. "Tell me Miko…just how far would you have let me go?"

Oh how his cheeky manner infuriated her! She kicked him so hard that he fell off the bed. "I hate you!" She screamed at him as she ran to the bathroom. "Don't you ever touch me again!" She said before slamming the door and locking it.

The mocking laughter outside made her blood boil. She grabbed a cup from the sink, yanked off the plastic wrap and rinsed her mouth out thoroughly before scrubbing it with half of her tooth paste. She couldn't even look at herself in the mirror, she felt so ashamed. Why did she let him do it? Oh why? She felt like such a fool.

She stiffened as a knock sounded at the door. "Have you finished? We've got a schedule to keep."

She growled and kicked the door in response. With one final brush and rinse she walked out to find him dressed and ready to go. He waited by the door with his arms folded across his chest.

"Just wait a second," she grumbled as she quickly shoved her things into her backpack. At the lobby she was presented with an additional bill. She blinked in surprise. "What's this for? We've already paid for the room and we didn't use the mini bar."

The clerk sniffed as she cast her snooty gaze at Loki. "It has come to our attention that your friend has damaged some of our property."

Miko face-palmed. "Of course he has." She said in exasperation.

He leaned down to whisper close to her ear. "I'll be outside, don't take too long."

"Oh no you don't!" She hissed as she grabbed hold of his sleeve and yanked him down to eye level. "It's your problem so you take care of it!"

Surely she was joking because she knew that he didn't have any money on him. But fire still blazed in her crimson eyes. She was furious but he couldn't resist provoking her further. "Of course I'll take care of it," he said with exaggerated affection. He gave her a warm kiss as he pulled her wallet from her pocket. He then turned to pay the charge with her money. Miko glared daggers as him and bit her tongue to keep from screaming at him.

Once paid, she snatched her wallet from him and shoved it into her back pocket. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and steered her towards the door. "Now come along darling, we mustn't be late." He said in a sing song voice.

Once outside she broke free and ran to the car, slipping and sliding a little in her haste.

Loki snickered at this but for once wisely kept his mouth shut. He'd had his fun so he saw no further need to torment her. Miko fumbled angrily with her keys and shoved it into the lock. She slammed her door but he quietly shut his. He looked quite pleased with himself for having riled her up so. She closed her eyes for a moment as she swallowed her pride. This was just another assignment, she told herself. Loki was no different than any other.

But in her heart she knew that wasn't true. The kiss they had shared had been the most exhilarating rush. She knew she'd never experience anything like it ever again. She looked at him sadly for a moment, almost mournfully. And to think she'd wasted something that was supposed to be special with a jerk like him.

He frowned at her sudden sorrow. That didn't make any sense at all. He opened his mouth to speak but she turned on the car and backed out of the parking lot. The silence was deafening between them until at last she handed him the road map. "I've marked the road, keep an eye out for Somerset Avenue, it should be on the right, that's where we need to turn off to connect with Interstate 12," she said softly.

He opened up the wrinkled, worn out map. Granted they'd only bought it a week ago but he'd crumpled it so many times in frustration. Humans were so inefficient, especially when it came to transportation. It shouldn't be this complicated.

They continued on in silence for some time and it began to grate on his nerves. How bizarre for most of the time he only half-listened to her rambling. Now he realized how much he missed hearing her voice. He looked over at her and tried to gauge her mood. He suspected that she wanted an apology but that was simply out of the question. He'd never condescend to do that, especially to a human. And besides…he couldn't bring himself to lie about it. The kiss had been extremely pleasurable. He had nearly lost all restraint and that wasn't something that happened very often. He smirked gently. Of all the humans he'd met, she was definitely the most interesting.

Still he sensed that he was expected to ease the tension so he opened his mouth and said the first thing that came to his mind. "I once had a pet Priko named Kennu. Ugly little thing he was but he had the most endearing yellow eyes."

Silence.

Then Miko giggled softly, oh how welcome the sound! "Did he now?" She asked with a growing smile. "And what did he look like?"

He smiled in turn and before long an animated conversation was underway.