Three months later:

Loki had been hiding quietly with nothing happening so that his life had become strangely normal, as if he was a Midgardian himself. He was surprised the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't found him; he guessed that perhaps for the first time in his miserable and dishonest life he'd got into some luck.

Everyday Loki was getting better and better at his job. As he improved Dira would promote him too more duties, Loki was glad of this because it meant he could spend more time at the diner, rather than just aimlessly wandering about the city with nothing but his own dark thoughts for company. Loki did believe that Brad, the fellow waiter was jealous of him and Dira's treatment, but he was nice enough not to say anything about it.

The weather was becoming warmer everyday now that summer was creeping near. On one particular day off when the sun was beating down on them the group from the diner had gone to the nearby beach. Loki was sitting in the shade watching as Jessie and Dira play volley ball on the sand. The rest of the group sat nearby; Andy, who had got back with Jessie several fortnights ago, sat drinking and chatting lightly with Brad and his boyfriend, but Loki didn't care much for talking. He watched the volley ball game, only mildly interested.

Jessie was bobbing up and down and giggling, her golden curls bouncing in the air and sun glistening off her tanned skin. She was wearing a flashy tropical patterned bikini and laughing gaily as she jumped up and hit the ball. Loki watched her and realised he didn't mind her so much anymore, true she was still annoying in every meaning of the word, but she was just a happy and good-hearted, if not a somewhat silly girl. Why had he once longed so much to see her dead?

His gaze turned to Dira, skirting backwards with her feet brushing in the sand as she made to hit the ball coming her way. She wore a smooth black bikini, not showy like Jessie's, but stylish and suiting her caramel skin and dark hair features. Loki stared at Dira smiling and laughing as she missed the ball and ran to pick it up again. It suddenly came to his realisation how beautiful she was. He'd noticed before that she was beautiful, but then it was him just knowing how the whole world thought her beautiful, this time is was him thinking she was beautiful.

Jessie gave up and went to sit down next to Andy.

"Hey, Logan" Dira called, seeing him watching her "do you want to play?"

It hurt him that she didn't call him his real name. Of course she didn't, she didn't know his real name. All Dira knew was the lie that Loki had invented for himself. But now he wished he hadn't, it was impossible, but Loki wished he could tell Dira everything about him. Why was it hurting him? She'd called him Logan thousands of times and it had never meant anything to him. So why did it hurt him now all of a sudden? Did Dira perhaps mean more to him now than before?

"I don't know how to play." He answered to her, rather pathetically.

"Oh, I don't mind. Come on, I'll teach you." She beckoned him warmly, and Loki couldn't resist.

He got to his feet, usually he wouldn't get involved into anything human, but the truth was he wanted to. Why did Dira mean so much to him? He mused in his mind over the next minutes as she taught him to play. After a while he started to improve at the game, and they began to play together to a while.

Then it suddenly hit him. He was having fun, and the cause of that fun was Dira. This was why Dira meant so much to Loki, because this beautiful, mysterious, curious and good-hearted woman had made life better for him. He was happy in her presence, happier than he had ever been in a long while. And because of this Dira meant a lot to Loki...could he perhaps love her even?

Loki looked at her, watched her smiling face and realised it was true. This is where he belonged, not with the Asgardians, nor with the Frost giants, but with Dira, the woman that made him better and that he loved.

"Logan, are you alright?" Dira called, covering her hand over her head to see him better in the bright sunlight.

Loki realised he'd been looking at her strangely in his realisation. "Yeah, I'm fine." He lied, shaking his feelings off. He didn't want to lie to her and he didn't want her believing all these lies he'd made about his life, but what else could he do? She'd never believe him, and he'd most likely scare her with the truth.

And so Loki picked up the volley ball and throwing it to Dira continued his life of lies.