Greetings, earthlings. I am still wary of addressing you the same way in the beginning of every chapter so I guess I'll have to get creative. I have come to the realization that I can't really promise you guys steamy or funny chapters or anything because beyond a basic plot, I've got no clue what's going to go down in each chapter. They just kind of happen. I'll try my best though! Thank you to Mya Croft, AwkwardImagination, Loki-lover-r-us, BirdSnowSong, Outlaw-Lanaya, and Dontgotaclue88 for the reviews! You guys rock, especially you, Dontgotaclue88. I'm not sure if I'm up to quote time today, but since I've done for the last eight chapters, I'm going to stick with it:

"When I quote others, I do so in order to express my own ideas more clearly." – Michael de Montaigne.

P.S. Is it sad that I get uber excited every time my phone goes off because I'm hoping it's another review?


Chapter 9

Avani continued to stare at Loki is disbelief. "Don't you think you're overestimating me? I don't have my powers with these cuffs on. What the hell am I supposed to do with a normal human's strength? I can't even bruise you!"

"This is true, however, from what I have been told, you are quite the creative troublemaker. I will not lose my queen because I failed to keep a close enough eye on you. So, you will stay here, safe and sound and out of trouble, unless I let you accompany me elsewhere. Naturally, that will require good behavior on your part," Loki said. His eyes had a calculating look in them. "Agent Barton made it quite clear that, from your past escapades, you must be monitored closely, something that even S.H.I.E.L.D. has difficulty doing when you don't want to be found."

Gggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Avani moved farther away from Loki, turning her back on him and clutching her stomach, an expression of utter horror and dread on her face. Oh god, please, just shut up, just this one time and I promise that as soon as I get out of here you can have as much food as you want, she thought desperately to her stomach. Please, please, please, please, please! Once she was sure that her stomach wasn't going to growl again she turned around to face Loki, who was struggling to contain his laughter. "Hungry, kitten?" he bit out, a genuine smile on his face, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I'm fine," she said, scowling a bit.

"Of course you are. Well, when you're ready to admit that you're ready to eat, I have ordered a large dinner to be served at 8 o'clock. That gives you a few minutes to get cleaned up," he said, motioning toward her blood stained and ripped clothing. Getting a good look at herself, she realized that the initial explosion had done more damage than she had though. Her cargo pants were ripped up and blood stained. Her shirt hadn't fared any better. Upon seeing the damage her clothes had sustained, she suddenly felt grimy and dirty, especially compared to Loki. His clothes were still perfectly clean, bronze armor shining. He looked so regal, standing straight, long black hair pushed back, green eyes glittering mischievously.

"Fine," she said, walking to the bathroom. Once she was a few feet from the bathroom door, she lunged inside, shutting and locking the door quickly behind her, just in case he followed her. She could hear him chuckling in the other room and felt childish which really only pissed her off even more. She knew that he could easily take down the door or teleport inside, but the locked door still gave her some measure of privacy and protection. She walked to a sink, looking at herself in the mirror. She could see trickles of blood that had dried on her face and arms and she was covered in smoky smudges.

Avani opened up a cabinet by the shower and grabbed a wash cloth. She ran some tap water, waiting until it was hot before soaking the cloth and scrubbing herself clean. It wasn't much, but it made her feel a lot better, at least until she noticed something on her neck. She leaned closer to the mirror. What is that? she thought, as she scrubbed at the little darkening oval on the side of her neck. It dawned on her what it was when it only grew red under her determined scrubbing. That's a fucking hickey! How dare he, that, that, UGH! She stopped washing up, clean except for the Loki-induced blemish on her neck. Unsure what to do with the wash cloth, she left it in the sink. She checked the clock in the bathroom and noted that she had another ten minutes or so before dinner. Seizing the opportunity, she leaned in close to the mirror and looked at the collar, twisting it this way and that to get a good look at it.

The collar was made of slender a shiny silver metal. There was a little ring on it to attach a tag to. Or a leash, she thought, but I really don't want to go there. The collar was slender and delicate looking, only about the width of her pinky, and dotted with tiny sapphires. What the hell is this? There is no way that this was meant for a dog and Loki didn't really have time to have this manufactured. Did he buy this somewhere? She continued to twist it around, looking for the catch on it or a lock, whatever kept it locked around her neck. She growled softly, frustrated, when finally the light hit the collar just so, showing a small keyhole. Score!

Excited, Avani climbed up onto the counter to get as close to the mirror as possible. Yeah, that's definitely a keyhole. That must have been what Loki was sneaking into his pocket after he put this on me! She smirked. I'll show that bastard. Avani hopped off the bathroom counter, running on quiet feet to the closet. She ran into the closet and checked the clothes hangers, her mood quickly deflating when she saw that the clothes hangers were made of fine wood, not wire. Damn rich people. A search of the closet turned up nothing that she could use to pick the lock, not even a sewing kit. Okay, okay, so there's no wire in here. Where else can I find wire?

She didn't have a chance to finish her train of thought because a knock sounded at the bathroom door. "Time for dinner," Loki said. She responded, saying that she was coming out. Upon opening the door, she saw Loki looking pleased.

"What?" she said, irritable about the hickey and about not being able to find the lock-picking tools she needed. He smiled, assuming that she was still upset about collar.

"I thought I might have to drag you out. I am glad to see that you are, if not coming around, then behaving," he said, coming over to take her by the hand. She blushed a bit at the contact, his hand warm. He pulled the remote for the collar from his pocket, pushing a button that apparently allowed her outside of the room. Hand in hand, they walked to the dining room, delicious scents filling the air. Avani could feel herself start to drool at the smells. Apparently even in this altered form, she needed more sustenance than most people.

Avani was led to the formal dining room through a massive archway. It was an opulent room with a long table, sitting at least thirty people. A fourth of the table was filled with dishes and plates, the food ranging from a small pot of stew and a tray of fresh fruit to steaks and chicken with pasta. The smells were now so intense, even to her dulled human nose, that she could have died happily. The scents reminded her sharply that she hadn't eaten for hours and she was ravenous. She tried to get Loki to let go of her hand so she could go eat, but he pulled her back to him. She looked at him in confusion.

"Don't I deserve some gratitude for arranging for this feast in your honor?" he asked, smiling a bit at her.

"Kay, thanks. Can we eat now?" she asked, hoping that that would appease him. It didn't.

"Nah, ah, ah. I deserve better than that, I think. I did, after all, take time out of my planning to ensure that my pet would be well fed," he said, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"Not your pet," Avani muttered, looking down and away from Loki. She looked back up at him, eyes suspicious. "What do you want, Loki?"

"Only a token of your affection, my dear. A kiss would suffice quite nicely," he said, smirking, eyes half-lidded. He drew her closer to him.

"A kiss? Just a kiss?" Avani looked skeptical, having expected that he would ask for something more serious than that. She was relieved he hadn't. Not that she wanted to kiss him, right? Right. Why would I want to kiss him? Who cares if he's hot? I don't. And I don't want to kiss him, she convinced herself. She looked at his eyes and almost gasped as her heart seemed to be doing somersaults. Her heart felt like it was jumping around, beating unevenly. The feeling excited her and worried her. Why do I feel like this? Is this what's it's like to have a heart attack? It definitely feels like my heart is attacking me.

She braced herself, ready to bite the bullet and get this over with. She couldn't help blushing at what she was about to do. When was the last time I kissed someone? She asked herself, unsure of the answer. Avani had to stand on tiptoe to get close enough to try to plant a small kiss on his smooth, pale cheek. She gasped indignantly as Loki quickly turned his head, causing her to kiss him on the lips. She maintained the contact for a second, long enough to say she had met his terms, before trying to pull away. Loki wrapped his arms around her, one around her waist, the other hand coming up to cup her head as she tried to escape him.

He marveled at the softness of her lips and the chasteness of her kiss. Looking into her startled sapphire eyes, he closed his own emerald ones, enjoying the kiss. He parted his lips, nibbling on her bottom lip, begging entrance. She tried pulling back again, realizing what he was doing, and opened her mouth to tell him to back off. He seized his chance, tongue entering her mouth and enticing her own to come out and play. She tried to push his tongue out of her mouth with her own tongue, which only spurred Loki on. He held her tight against him, her hands resting on his chest, the fight going out of them with every passing second. Finally, she needed to breathe and he released her.

Avani gulped down breaths of fresh air and Loki allowed her to step away from him, smirking smugly at her silence. I have left her speechless, he thought, noting that kissing was an apparently effective way of stopping her from talking. She turned to look at him and he saw a flash of annoyance in her eyes at his smug look. He couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked with the flush on her cheeks and her lips a bit swollen from his affections. She brought a hand to her lips, wiping them roughly as if to scrub the poison of his touch from them.

Loki walked towards the table, apparently done tormenting her for the moment, and motioned for her to serve herself. He picked up one of the two empty plates, the one at the head of the table, and began to serve himself. He delicately cut a chunk of steak for himself, adding a dinner roll and a small cup of stew. Avani picked up the other plate, to Loki's left, and began to follow suit, though she shamelessly heaped her full of food, claiming a full steak, a few drumsticks, and another cup of stew. As she served herself, the butler returned bearing a bottle of wine on a tray and two wine glasses. He brought the bottle to Loki for his inspection.

"Yes, that should do nicely. Serve us," he commanded, taking a seat at the head of the table. The butler quickly set the glasses down on the table before Loki and her assumed seat. He removed the cork from the bottle, pouring the wine smoothly into Loki's glass. Avani protested as he went to fill hers as well.

"I don't drink," she said, indicating that her glass should be taken away.

"You said that I would be allowed to – how did you put it? – 'grope' you once I bought you a drink. I have met the requirements," Loki said, motioning to the wine glasses. "Do I get to 'grope' you as much as I want now?" he asked, his expression hopeful.

"No! And I don't drink anyway, especially not in the company of an enemy," she retorted, taking her seat. She had considered sitting at the other end of the table, but she figured that Loki would just make her sit next to him anyway, so she took the seat that was obviously meant for her. She almost laughed at Loki's disappointment, unable to keep the smile that crept onto her face. He smiled softly in response, enjoying her happiness, however small and brief it was. They ate in silence, Avani tucking into the food at an astonishing pace, though Loki thought she ate a little slower now than she had that morning.

Loki sipped his wine elegantly, eating his food with excellent manners. Avani did manage to spread her napkin across her lap before digging in, though she did not bother with cutting the meat into bite-sized pieces before eating it, as Loki did. As Loki helped himself to a second plate, she helped herself to a fifth serving, indulging in the desserts that were scattered at the end of the table. She had a piece of pumpkin pie, a serving of tiramisu, and a handful of delicate artisan chocolates. She found herself becoming thirsty now. She had been able to stave off thirst by eating fruit with the main course but now that she had gotten to the chocolates, she finally gave in and sipped the fine red wine.

It complimented the chocolate well, and she was surprised to find that the wine was sweeter than she had expected. Usually she didn't drink simply because she didn't like the taste of alcohol, but this stuff was good. Of course, in her normal state, with her incredible healing abilities, she couldn't get drunk. Couldn't even get a buzz, which kind of eliminated any reason to drink when she didn't like the taste. She indulged herself, finishing the glass, but when Loki went to pour her another glass, she refused, requesting water instead. Loki called the butler in, and relayed her desire to him and she was soon brought a tall glass of ice cold water.

A thought struck her then, making her feel a little sheepish. "You would have given me the water earlier, wouldn't you?" she asked, turning to Loki as she struggled to poke in the last few bites on her plate.

He smiled, devilishly. "Of course. All you had to do was ask and you would have received," he answered, sipping a second glass of wine. He had finished and sat back, relaxed and at ease.

She picked up her glass of water and pointing at him. "That kind of pisses me off, you know," she said. She sighed as she finished the last bite of pumpkin pie, leaning back. She patted her stomach in wonder as she noticed that it was a little swollen and she marveled at the feeling of being completely full. "Is this what it's like to be full? I feel like I'm going to blow up," she said, poking her stomach. Her pants felt a little tight after the meal.

"I guess you don't need as much food with those cuffs on. You mean you've never felt full before?" he asked, curious. He had assumed that when she stopped eating while guarding him, she was full.

"No, I'm always hungry. I told you I was like a black hole. I just kind of learned to gauge exactly how much food I needed over the years and deal with the hunger. It's not so bad when you get used to it, though after getting full, it's going to be hard to go back to being hungry all the time," Avani said. She was still in awe of actually not wanting to eat anymore. Loki was silent, contemplating about her answer. Now full, Avani felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over her. Running from the Hulk and dealing with the emotional rollercoaster that Loki had put her through had taken a toll on her.

She wasn't sure what the weariness she felt was at first. Her limbs felt heavy, her eyelids even heavier. She yawned, eyes watering a bit. She blinked quickly, trying to refocus on the present. Loki noticed this and stood, walking behind her to pull her chair out. He insistently offered his hand to help her out of her seat and she found herself unable to refuse. As their hands touched, Avani felt a tingle run up her arm, waking her up a little bit. She looked at him sharply.

"I just sent you a little shock of magic. You look like you're about to fall asleep on your feet," he said, holding on to her hand. "I think it's your bedtime."

"What do you," she paused, yawning and rubbing her eyes with her free hand, before trying again. "What do you think I am, a little kid?" she asked, offended. He smiled as he looked into her sleepy blue eyes.

"If you can't tell when you're about to drop, then I suppose I will have to put you to bed like a child," he responded. Avani noticed how soothing his voice was to her ears. His voice was deep and smooth. Hypnotic, even. She allowed him to continue to lead her by the hand back to the bedroom. When the door opened, all she could think about was climbing into bed and going to sleep. She couldn't remember ever having felt so tired before. She was so exhausted, she didn't even think about the fact that Loki had said they would be sleeping together.

Once in the room, she tried to make a beeline straight for the bed, but Loki pulled her into the bathroom and entered the closet. "You need to change before you get in bed. You can bathe tomorrow but I'm not going to let you sleep in the bed in those clothes. Those should be burned," he said, eyeing her shredded attire with distaste.

"Whatever," Avani said, trying to head out of the bathroom. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, no, no," Loki said. He opened a drawer on the woman's side of the closet, pulling out what appeared to be sleeping clothing, judging by the moon and stars print on the silky pants and shirt. They looked to be around Avani's size, so he handed them to her. Then he tapped the chain that connected her cuffs, making it disappear, leaving only the bracelts that trapped her power behind before leaving the bathroom and shutting the door, granting her privacy to change. After he closed the door, she heard her collar beep, indicating that he had reset the perimeters, preventing her from trying to escape into the hallway. She rolled her eyes at this.

She sighed tiredly and slowly pulled her shirt off over her head, holding her breath as she noticed how much it smelled like smoke and God know what else. She tossed the soiled shirt into a clothes hamper in the closet. She decided to sleep in her bra because she would hate for Loki to burn that if he followed through on his threat to burn her old clothes. As she went to unbutton her cargo pants before she remembered something. Avani's hand flew around to her back pocket, patting it. She could have jumped up and down in excitement as she pulled the slightly scratched iPod, with earphones, out of her pocket. She turned it on and hit play on a random song, breathing a sigh of relief that at least something was working out for her. I can't believe you still work iPod, but let just say that I am so glad you do!

Avani went to the man's side of closet, remembering seeing an armband for carrying an iPod while exercising. She dug it out and fit her iPod into the pocket before setting it down on a shelf and continuing to take off her pants. These followed the shirt into the clothes hamper. She strapped the iPod onto her calf. She quickly put on the silky pajama pants and checked to make sure that he iPod would stay hidden from Loki. Finished dressing, she went to the sink and dug out an unused toothbrush. She popped it out of its packaging and brushed her teeth before rinsing her mouth with water. Avani then exited the bathroom. Loki stood on the other side of the room, looking through some books on a book case.

When she stepped out, he entered the bathroom, apparently getting himself ready for bed. Avani made her way to the bed as quickly as her heavy legs would carry her, choosing the side closest to the bedroom door as hers. Reaching the massive bed, she threw the decorative pillows on her side off and pulled back the thick covers. She crawled in under the sheet, lying on her left side so that she could keep an eye on the bathroom door. She couldn't here Loki moving around on the other side besides the sound of the sink running occasionally, but that didn't surprise her. A few minutes later, Loki reentered the bedroom, clad only in a pair of green boxers. Avani looked away, though not before she caught sight of his toned chest and abs and his strong shoulders.

She rolled onto her other side, facing the wall and door to the hall, determined not to look at him or think about how, uh, fit, he looked. She heard him remove the throw pillows on his side and pull back the covers before she felt the bed dip down on his side. He snapped his fingers and the lights in the room went out, leaving them in the dark. In bed. Just the two of them.

Every time Avani felt him shift in the bed, she tensed, her heart pounding. "You know, you have no reason to fear me dear," Loki said. Avani jumped a little as she felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder. She didn't feel quite as sleepy anymore as adrenaline pumped through her veins.

"Who said I was afraid," she retorted, sounding braver and more bad ass than she felt. "I just don't like sharing."

Loki laughed in response. "Then why are you so tense?" he asked, his hand moving soothingly along her arm, squeezing gently here and there.

"Because. I. Don't. Like. SHARING," Avani bit out, trying to get as far from him as the bed would allow.

"You'll have to get used to it. I can't have my queen getting cold in the middle of the night. You should come snuggle me," he said, his voice light and playful.

"Not even a snowball's chance in hell of that happening," she said, voice flat and matter-of-fact.

"We'll see about that," Loki responded. Avani didn't like the sound of that. When she felt the hand on her arm wrap around her waist, she tried to vault out of the bed but she couldn't break his grip. She kicked as she felt herself be pulled towards the middle of the bed, towards him. She kicked at him as she felt her back come into contact with his firm chest. His arm was like iron around her, unmoving in spite of her to get away. He chuckled at her attempts and tangled his legs in with her to stop her struggling. Finally tired, she gave up, remaining tense in his arms. He rubbed her side and her hip soothingly, waiting until he was sure she wouldn't try to get away before rubbing her shoulders. As he felt her relax, he moved up against her, enjoying how perfectly her small body fit against his. He buried his nose in her hair near the crook of her neck.

At last, he heard her breathing even out as she fell asleep, unable to keep her guard up. She had looked so tired earlier and he wondered at how strange things must be to her having to deal with such human conditions. She'll adjust, he thought, settling down to sleep himself. He wasn't tired per se, but he felt so relaxed with her warm body against his that he thought he would indulge himself in a nap before continuing to put his plans into motion. I could get used to this, he thought as he drifted off to sleep, inhaling her delicious scent and feeling the softness of her hair. I could get used to this very easily.

To be continued . . .


There it is! Chapter 9. Seems like a pretty long chapter but I had quite a bit that I wanted to get into this installment. What did you think? This chapter was a little more about Loki being romantic and Avani trying to resist his super special awesome charm, but the next chapter should get pretty exciting. As always, let me know what you think. Reviews encourage me to write more!

P.S. doesn't Loki kind of strike you as the overly affectionate type? Like he was starved for affection as a child?