Smoke fills the kitchen as the vegetables I attempted to sauté burn. "Shit…" I curse under my breath.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Loki asks from his spot leaning against the counter. His face is smug because I told him to let me handle everything even though he offered to help multiple times.

"Shut up," I throw at him while I move the vegetables to a cool burner. I wipe my forehead, sigh, and reach for my glass of wine next to Loki.

"The steaks, are they done yet?" Loki inquires.

I let my hand fall and groan as I head outside to the grill. The meat's completely black. Every bit of fight I had to make this dinner work drains out of me. "Fuck it. I give up," I grumble exasperatedly as I take the steaks off, bring them inside, and dump them.

Loki steps behind me and rubs my neck. "It was a nice thought, darling, but perhaps we ought to-"

"I'm calling Domino's."

Loki laughs and wraps his arms tightly around my shoulders. "You read my mind."

Thirty minutes later, Loki and I sit on the couch, cuddled against one another, slices of pizza in hand and a box on the coffee table that Mystic eyes hungrily. We have Phantom of the Opera playing, but I'm not really watching it. I'm too busy thinking. It's about time I told Loki everything about me…

I grab the DVD remote and pause the movie. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Loki tilt his head over to look at me. He rubs his hand up and down my upper arm and pulls me into his side a bit more. "What's wrong, darling?"

I sweep my feet up to my right side and sit up a little. "I need to tell you something."

Loki runs his fingers through the roots of my hair down the tips. His eyes, half-closed, softly look at me with warmth yet with a tinge of concern. "What is it?"

I can do this. I can do this. "I…"

Shit, I can't do this.

Yes I can, dammit. And I'm going to do it. Just blurt it out. Get it over with. A nnnddd GO.

And go!

Fuck! Go!

"I'm an escort!" I say with way more heat than I intended.

Loki tries to keep his reaction minimal, but for a split second his shock is clear as day. "Well I must say I most undeniably was not expecting that."

I let my head fall into my hands, ashamed. "I should have told you Saturday. I shouldn't have led you on. God, I'm such a whore."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Loki halts. He grabs my wrists firmly but carefully and moves my hands from my eyes. "You're not a whore."

"Are you kidding? I'm the text book definition of a whore."

"Not to me. To me a whore isn't just a person who sleeps with multiple people. It's how a person acts as well. If you acted in any way, shape, or form like a harlot, I wouldn't be here, but you act like a sweet, loving woman. I don't care about your occupation," he comforts as he guides me into a reassuring hug. "I care about you."

I'm silent momentarily, unsure of whether to believe Loki or not. "You really don't care that I sleep with guys for money?"

"Well… I'm certainly not fond of the idea, but I care about you for you, and that's not going to change based upon a profession you began before I met you. You are worth too much to me to get upset over your work."

I smile softly and slide an arm around his midsection, my head on his chest. "I wish there were more guys like you."

"You're not thinking about finding a man over me, are you?" Loki asks playfully.

"Not at all, but every girl could use a guy like you."

"No, a god like me."

"Oh, hush.

I start the movie up again, picking up at my favorite song, "All I Ask of You". In time, my eyes grow heavy, and between the beautiful voices flowing over the speakers and Loki's fingers weaving and sliding through the tendrils of my hair, I'm lured into a quiet, peaceful sleep in the arms of someone I like so much. No, the arms of someone I possibly love.


I awake to complete darkness and find myself enveloped in the blankets of my bed, still fully clothed. How did I get here? And where's Loki? The digital clock glows a red 2:23 in the dark, and Mystic shifts above my head when I move, but Tregul isn't at the foot of the bed like usual. There's singing downstairs. Actually, it sounds like "Masquerade". I throw the covers off and head downstairs.

Alternating lights from the TV reflect on the glossy paint as the music changes to the Phantom's solo. Lying on the couch, sprawled out with an arm thrown over his head, likes Loki. Tregul lies in a tight curl on the back of the couch, nose under tail.

There's just enough room left on the couch for me to sit partially, so I do. "Loki," I call softly as I brush his hair back from his face. He stirs lightly, and his eyes flutter open sleepily. He smiles lazily and holds the back of my head.

"Hello darling. Something troubling you?"

"No, I was just wondering if you were still here."

"Here I am."

I giggle a little. "Here you are."

We say nothing for a while, just sit there looking at each other, playing with the other's hair. Loki gets a look on his face, like he's battling with himself about something. He opens his mouth, then closes it, then opens it again. He moves onto his side to make room for me to lie down with him. My hands go to his chest, his around to my back. "Did you want to say something?"

"Yes, but part of me fears your reaction to what I have to tell you..."

The other Avery starts to take over me, pressing closer to Loki ever so subtly, affectionately pecking his lips. "Was it something along the lines of an emotion?"

"Possibly…"

"A serious emotion?"

"Perhaps."

The corner of my lip pulls up ever so slightly. "I think I understand." I hold the back of his head and kiss him deeply. He seems a tad unsure to begin with, but then he tightens his hold on me even more. Our legs end up entwined, our kisses more forceful. There's no stopping this time. We both know that. His hand, once on my back, now pushes my shirt over my ribs, his fingertips brushing with the lightness of a feather across my skin. His lips move to my neck, and I can't help but shakily moan. "Upstairs," I force out.

Loki stands up quickly, pushing me to my feet and taking my hand to drag me upstairs. The minute we're in my room, I fall on my back on the bed and pull Loki on top. I'm not sure who forced open whose mouth, but tongue is most definitely being used. We break apart only to pull shirts off. The rest of our clothes come off without us having to pull away from our kisses. And then he's teasing me. So close, right there, on the very edge, and then he's gone, leaving me begging for more. "Loki, please," I whimper into his ear as he kisses and bites my neck.

"Back on the pillows," he growls into my skin.

I obey and let my head fall back on the pull, right on top of a now angry Mystic. "Wait, Loki," I tell him, my hands pushing against his chest.

"What now?"

"Mystic," I explain, my voice raising to a squeak as his fingers explore.

"Hurry up," he demands as he rolls off of me.

I sit up, grab Mystic from my pillow, and toss him out the door, shutting it harder than I probably should. Then Loki's turning me around and pinning me against the door.