What is Casual?

With a sharp breath and being forced to sit up slightly, Loki blinked several times now awake. His breathing was hard, ragged; his chest rose and fell in quick spurts. His hands gripped the sheets tightly for a moment, before he slowly looked over to see Alex curled up on her side of the bed, the sheet barely covering her back. Loki allowed his eyes look it over before he sat up fully, swallowing thickly to himself before rising from the bed. Loki went into the nightstand, quietly opening the drawer to pull out a pair of boxers.

Pulling his legs through them, he rose up from the bed, not sparing the sleeping Alex a second glance as he walked out of the room, not caring if his feet carried him loudly. He slowly closed the door behind him, not closing it completely before going to the kitchen. He didn't pay mind to the figure sitting in the living room. Instead he went straight to the cabinet, taking out a tall glass and going to the sink to get his water.

The figure stood up gracefully, watching him from the back as he turned off the sink and drinking it. The water was welcomed. It was something so needed for the dryness he suddenly felt while asleep—it felt too familiar. However, he took the water away from him once he heard someone clear their throat. "What is wrong, my Prince? Something troubling you?" Loki's mouth parted immediately before he placed the water down on the counter. He slowly turned his head to see the familiar figure silhouetted in the dark.

A grin eased on his face, but the grin was forced. "Well, you could not wait, could you?" He walked up to the kitchen's island, leaning over it slightly. The figure did not move from where she stood. "I have not seen you in eons, it seems. I have heard though from your meddling sister that you've been looking for me."

"Loki, it has indeed been long since I have last seen the disgraced Prince of Asgard." Loki's grin faltered at this, as he suddenly straightened his back. He began to shift his jaw and narrow his eyes. "I am sorry that I have not been able to watch your fall, I could have eased it for you."

"Well, you would know about falls, my Enchantress." Loki retorted to her, looking the Enchantress up and down. The Enchantress bit back her lip as she approached the island. Her hand skimmed the top of its surface. In a slightly better light the window behind him gave off, he could see that she was wearing a green dress that matched her eyes; the gold accented headband only enhanced it all. "Who told you that it was all right to wear green and gold? I believe those colors belong to me."

"Have you branded them to be yours?" She said back with her brow furrowed. "Though I do believe you have given me the permission."

"I have? I don't think I would do that."

"You have a century or two ago when you paraded me around Asgard as yours. Do you not remember?" She smirked at this, but was not given one back.

Loki held up a finger, "A thing you have done to get to the burly God of Thunder, if I do so remember." He reached behind him, not taking his eyes off of the Enchantress, as he grabbed his water. "But, once Thor decided to bed you several times and still not be satisfied, and you, ashamed by him not being… well interested…" With this, Loki took a sip from his glass of water, still watching the Enchantress. Her smirk was being wiped off and Loki took this as going on, "I'd have thought that revoked you the right. Unless you are here to tease me," he glanced down at her breasts, which were popping out slightly out of the dress' bodice, before looking back at her, "which is not working."

"Because you have a mortal whore now?" She snapped.

Loki stared at her for a moment, a smirk coming onto his face as he chuckled at her. He questioned her, "A mortal whore?" The Enchantress looked him from head to toe. "How exactly do you know that she is my whore? Have you watched?" He asked her curiously. "Have you watched me pleasure her while you resided on your balcony somewhere with your frost giant eunuch close at your side?"

He watched as her eyes slowly widened at this. "How do you know of him?"

Loki's smirk grew wider, "I have my ways." He was about to turn around and get her a glass of water, assuming that she would want one, having the sense that his 'old friend' would be here for long, but the moment he turned around, he felt a rusty axe being pressed against his neck. Loki stretched up, feeling the coldness of the metal push into his neck and he looked up to see the frost giant in question. The smirk immediately faltered, seeing the Frost Giant actually two feet taller than him. But then a small smile went on his face and his eyebrows perked. "Hi. I do not think we had the pleasure."

"I believe my lady asked you a question." The Frost Giant eunuch said to him slowly.

"A Giant with the ability to speak a coherent sentence. How surprising." With this, Loki felt the axe pressed further against him, threatening his life further. The smile was wiped off and Loki swallowed, feeling blood trickle from his neck. The axe's blade soon skimmed over his Adam's apple and the eunuch actually gave him a twisted smile.

"He bleeds. Should I make him bleed more, m'lady?"

"Not now, Skurge. As much as I would love to see his head on this floor, I think we may just have to keep him alive." She answered him, moving away from the island to the Giant's side. What a fitting name. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

Loki's eyebrows perked up at this, looking between them. Once the axe was lightened against his throat, Loki glanced down to Skurge's crotch where he had not expected a plate of armor covering it. Perhaps he was wrong, perhaps this one was not a eunuch. It would make sense that she spread her legs further enough for him to settle in between to have him help her whenever she needed him to. Loki looked back at the Enchantress with a bitter look coming on his face as he scrunched his nose at her. "You are too kind."

"I have just given you kindness that you do not deserve."

Loki hummed for a moment, adjusting his footing but Skurge had not moved the axe away from him. Loki's jaw clenched for a moment, gritting his teeth frustrated, as he looked back at the Enchantress, Amora. "I have not extended you an invitation to come to my whore's apartment."

"You have not?" Amora questioned him confused, looking around herself for a moment. "You have had my little sister here plenty of times, I have only assumed that you would not exactly mind me here."

Loki laughed in spite of things. "Maybe if we were under different circumstances and your pet does not have an axe at my neck, I think I would invite you more."

"Ah, my disgraced Prince," she started to him, walking a little more toward him. Loki watched her hand slowly come onto his face. Amora smiled at him as she caressed his cheek, "that silver tongue of yours will not work all the time." Her hand smoothed down to this jawline, skimming it slightly. "You are lucky I am soft for it."

"Answer my question." Loki told her shortly. "And tell your dog to heel if you do not intend to kill me."

"I am impressed by you." Amora started to him. "I just wanted to tell you that. I'm impressed that you are stooping so low to get what you want. Unlike my sister, I know your game exactly and I know you better. She has too much of a soft spot in killing things, you know this, she thinks we are all like that, but your charade you have with your mortal is so superbly done, I have forgotten at times that it is fake. You fool even me. She'd probably do anything for you."

"She will." Loki swallowed again, his jaw going tighter as he stared down at her. His voice dropped to a volume so Skurge could not hear him. "I am flattered that you have noticed. It seems you are not the only one who knows how to get what they want through…" Loki trailed off, looking over to Skurge before looking back at Amora, "whatever deems necessary."

Amora's face fell at this and in response to Loki's chastising; the axe was pressed further against him, making Loki inhale sharply. He seemed to have gotten the implication. Loki then pursed his lips before looking over at her, "I thought that I told you to tell your dog to heel."

"I will." Amora said to him dismissively. "You didn't exactly tell me when though. Now," she started to him, her hand dropping from his jaw. Loki squared it, watching her lean back against the island. She went on, "what I find so funny about all of this, is that no matter what you do to get your mortal's trust… you still think that I will actually allow you in taking something that is mine."

"If it really was so important to you," Loki started to her, "then you should have never lost it to give me the chance to claim it."

Amora watched him for a moment, glaring at him, before she laughed, "Loki, we have been friends once."

"I would not call what we had friendship."

"Well, whatever you would call it, it was beneficial on both sides." Amora replied to him with a small smirk.

He commented quickly, "Do not say that, I can already hear your pet seething at the very thought."

"But do remember, Laufeyson," she started to him through her teeth as if he didn't comment at all. Her voice turned quickly from being one that was soft, to one that was venomous. Surprisingly, Loki's face relaxed when she continued, "my wrath matches yours by far and if I see you wearing the stone around your neck, you better hide yourself in the company of those who have last tortured you because they would provide better comfort than my company would ever provide."

Loki narrowed his eyes at her, feeling his face grow hot for a moment. His voice dropped as low as hers did as he turned his head uncomfortably more towards her. He asked her lowly, "How do you know of that?"

"Someone as dark as you are, who has burnt down a precious mortal city here, dreams of being burnt himself. Believe me, Loki, as you do have your ways in knowing things, I do as well. And you will get a worse fate than what lays waiting you in Hel."

"How would you know what Hel truly is when you have yet to have been there yourself?" Loki asked her coldly. Amora did not have a response for him. Instead, she looked at him quite smugly just by seeing his reaction. Though her smugness did not have any effect on him as she might have thought it would. He then ordered her again, growing tired of her pet's ridiculous game with him. It was growing difficult to actually speak with the threat of an axe at his neck. "Now, I will not demand it again. Tell your dog to heel."

Amora stared at him for a moment, surprised at the harshness in his tone before looking to Skurge, giving him a slight nod. With that, he took his axe back. Loki faked a smile over to him as Skurge took several steps back away from him. He then held the axe to the ground and stood strongly to the side. Amora stayed by Loki, and her hand squeezed his shoulder of the attention to be brought back to her. Loki looked over at her. "I find this strange." She told him.

"Find what strange?"

"After all our time spent with each other, you still do not understand that what is mine is mine, and you do not touch what is mine. I had thought that we came to that agreement centuries ago." This made Loki actually smirk down at her, turning himself more so that he was face facing her. Her mouth parted, Amora had a small mouth, and she leaned that small mouth up so that it was up to his ear. "Do not ignore my threats. I would rather not see your head lying about somewhere because of your ignorance."

He scoffed down at her as she moved away from him, "Ignorance." He looked away from her briefly, his eyes going to the bedroom of the apartment before looking back down at her. She looked as though she had succeeded in getting through his head. How wrong was she. "After all our time spent with each other," he started to her, leaning down to whisper in her ear. His smirk fell off and his teeth gritted as he went on, "I would have thought you would know me to not yield when one threatens me, especially if that one person is you." Amora's amused face disappeared as he moved away from her ear. A cold look crossed his face. "I may not be at my greatest strength now, but do not test me. You know better than that. For when I do, and if you try anything with me, you will be the first to kneel at my feet, no matter what your oaf has to say. Are we clear on this?"

Loki watched her upper lip pull up into a scowl and then she hissed, "You will regret those words coming out of your mouth. You do not want me as an enemy."

"Maybe then you should have kept better track of where you left your things." Loki retorted at her, his cold expression disappearing. He took a step back away from her, glancing over at Skurge who was glaring at him. Loki's eyebrows perked up at him, "Now, you do have your chance to kill me now." He said to her, looking back at Amora with a small smirk on his face. "You can stop me now. I will not stop the axe that may swing at my head." Amora stared at him for a moment, glancing over to Skurge whose face twisted questionably. Loki's smirk somewhat grew. "Or… or is it what I see on your face true? That you will not kill me to stop me?"

"You are ridiculous."

"Am I?" Loki asked her, leaning back against the counter and taking his glass of water in his hand. "Then have him swing the axe because I am not going to relent." With this, he took a sip out of his water, waiting for her.

She sucked in her cheeks. "Your whore is in the next room."

"And you do not want her to see? I doubt that…" he held the glass away from him for a moment, swirling it the water inside, parting his mouth. "No… you need me, and her… she won't help you once she sees me dead here."

"Unlike you, I can force someone to wear my necklace for more power. I do not need to trick them. So… maybe I can kill you, and then if your little toy does not let me do what I want with her, I'll kill her, and find a new one. They are very disposable."

"Hmm," he started to her, tilting his head before putting his glass down on the counter. He crossed his arms over his chest before actually admitting to her, "Well, you are right… the Midgardians are somewhat disposable. You are so correct." His smirk though soon dropped as his arms dropped. He went on to say, "But you need us, you see. How can you force someone to wear a necklace that is not in your possession? There is no sense in doing that. You'd be just wasting everyone's time… time so precious. I mean… I may be also wasting time, but you have to admit… this is so much better than just forcing someone to put it on. I mean…" he looked away from her for a moment in thought with a hand on his chin, "there is hardly any satisfaction in that." With that, he looked back at her.

Suddenly, Amora looked at him differently. Her green eyes looked him up and down, narrowing them slightly at him. Then Loki watched as her face softened and he felt the sudden drop of his stomach. The softened expression actually unsettled him. He did not think though that he said something out of the ordinary. She said to him slowly, "You are right." Her reply surprised him also. He did not think that what she said was genuine, but he recognized the look on her face. He knew that look. It was a knowing look. She nodded her head at him for a moment before throwing a glance over to Skurge. Loki picked up his chin, pursing his lips as he thought this through. There were ways to go about this—either question her or go along with it.

When she actually smiled to Skurge, Loki made a quick decision. "I am glad we've come to an understanding then." He felt that she would be taking her leave soon, or that she should take her leave. He was growing tired of her. With a careful glance toward her large friend, he looked back at her. He said to her in a cold tone, "Now… take your dog and leave."

"This will not be the last we see each other, my Prince."

"I am sure it's not."

She walked away from him then, barely looking back at him as she went to the side of her giant. Loki stood where he was, watching her until she turned her head to look at him. "And it will not be on the kindest of terms as this visit was." Loki was interested on what those terms would be, because her eunuch Frost Giant had his axe at his neck.

Loki faked a smile at her before mockingly showing his hurt from that, "What a shame." Amora then touched Skurge's shoulders, humming to herself, and then in a blink of his eye they both were gone. Loki sighed, his mouth parting as he turned his head toward the bedroom. He had woken from a nightmare, to an almost greater one. He swallowed, ignoring his glass of water on the counter as he walked to the bedroom. Loki stopped at the door, opening it slowly and quietly with his head hanging down, deep in thought. When he opened the door, he was faced with Alex's sleeping figure in the bed, clutching the pillow with dear life and her hair carelessly sticking up. The rest was flaring behind her.

He shifted his jaw looking at her, stepping inside. Standing off by himself for what seemed like a minute, Loki looked away from her before strolling to his side of the bed. He was… he was just having his fun—nothing other than a bit of fun. This mortal… more tolerable than the others, was below him… yes, below him and merely a pawn in his game. He knew that, understood that, he never had let himself forget that… only once, but he was weak-minded. He lay down, his hands folding over his lap, and though he did not want to, he looked at her barely covered back. From where he laid he could see how soft her skin actually was, its creases, its slight wrinkles.

The more he looked at it, the more he shifted closer to her. The space that was between them was so cold from neither of them moving there. His hand gently went up her spine, feeling each bone of it touch his fingers faintly before he smoothed it onto her neck. His other hand touched her lower back, moving its way to her hip. He heard the woman moan softly from this and then she turned more toward him, into his arm until his face met hers. Loki narrowed his eyes down at her, feeling her leg casually go in between his, separating them. This was not an unconscious move.

Slowly, he moved to touch his lips against her jaw, closing his eyes and kissing it softly, murmuring against her, "I know you are awake." Her hand noticeably went to waistband of his boxers, pulling them down slightly. She had tried to do it nonchalantly, but it was a failed attempt. "Do not pretend. It is not a talent of yours."

His nose skimmed her cheekbone as she tilted her head up. Her eyes fluttered open, looking up at him confused. Loki frowned down at her, feeling her hands close around his on her neck before she slowly dragged it on top of her stomach. "How long have you been awake?" He asked her, his hand rubbing over her navel.

Alex gave him a once over before sleepily answering, "Since you have gotten up. You don't have the lightest feet." Her answer nearly shocked him. But he did not try to show it. If she had heard a word of what Amora had said, or what he had said, Alex would have not pretended and would have brought it up. She had no contortion on her face that would argue otherwise.

His frown disappeared as his lip pulled up, "Really? I recall having successfully come up behind you before… do you not recall that?"

She looked at him for a moment, her brow pulling toward him as if she was thinking about it. But he knew that she was feigning it. Soon, Alex shook her head no. "I let you have the satisfaction of thinking that you have light feet."

Loki closed one of his eyes at her, before repeating, "Satisfaction…"

"Oh… right, you are never satisfied." She commented licking her bottom lip as her other hand went to hold his cheek. Loki's face dropped at that as his eyes went to glance down at the hand on his cheek. She was right actually about what she said. He was never satisfied. Her tired smile fell as her thumb rubbed itself over his cheekbone. Loki tilted his chin up. "Why'd you get up?"

He was honest with her. "I got up for a drink of water."

She chuckled at him, "I sure as hell hope that you washed your glass after you got your drink."

"And what if I didn't?"

"I… I don't know. I'm too tired." Alex replied, tilting her head more towards his shoulder. She did not look away from him; no matter how strange the angle was for her to look up at him. "I'll figure it out once the morning comes… was something bothering you that you woke up?"

"Why? Did you hear me talking to myself again?" Loki suddenly asked her sounding jokingly. But the last she had heard him he was speaking with Lorelei. Did she hear him talking to Amora in the next room? She smiled at him briefly, shaking her head at him. Loki sighed to himself before moving his mouth onto her wrist. He then questioned, "I can't go get a drink of water without something bothering me then?"

Weakly, she defended herself, "I never said that."

"You meant it." He muttered against her. She looked at him as if she wanted to defend that, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She stared at him for a moment before turning her head away from him, and closing her eyes slowly, as if they were too heavy to really keep open. "Oh no, don't go to sleep now. Not when I'm awake."

"I have to." She murmured, turning her head back toward him. "And you should too."

He nibbled on her palm in response before dipping his head into it. "I will eventually. But I am not tired right now."

"It does not give you the right to bother me. You've had your way with me… come tomorrow, I wouldn't be able to walk the right way because of you." Loki smirked at that from under her hand, which soon fell from his mouth and onto his neck. She moaned to herself as Loki continued to rub her stomach in a smooth and slow circle. His head though soon fell into her hair, his mouth in the crease that was haphazardly in the middle of her head and looking down at her.

"At least talk to me," Loki said, not really wanting to go back asleep after what happened with Amora and why he had gotten up in the first place. If it was true that he murmured of what happened between him being thrown in the vortex and him attacking the Midgardian city, he did not want his mortal to hear what he had gone through. He would look particularly weak. Alex hummed in response to this, but didn't exactly heed to it. "Alexandra, I do not like this silence."

She breathed in through her nose loudly before opening her eyes again. "Fine then," with this, she took up his hand from her stomach. He narrowed his eyes at it as she went to spread the fingers apart. "In Asgard, do they have palm reading?"

"No…" Loki said to her slowly, as her other hand left his neck to his one hand out.

Alex smirked, "I am going to predict your future by reading the lines on your palm."

"That sounds idiotic."

"Shut up," she threw at him, her thumb skimming his palm. Loki did not understand how she could even see the lines of his palm because it was so dark in this room. The light from the window was barely even touching them. "This line here, tells me how long you are going to live." She pressed her thumb slightly below his. "You'll live a long, pessimistic life." Loki dug his nose into her hair, blinking at his hand, watching her and feeling her go to the middle of his palm. "Ah, I see, failure."

"Failure?" Loki questioned, grinning down at her.

She nodded her head, "Yes, failure in your love life. It says here you won't get laid for a couple of years."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm," she started to him. "You are going to marry a troll and all your children will have boils."

"Yes, because trolls exist."

"Where you're from they do."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because I just do." She told him, craning her head up to see him grinning down at her. He watched her bite down on her bottom lip almost shyly as she looked away from him quickly. Most people would think Alex as a fool for what she was doing, but at times, he could see that she knew at times exactly what she was doing. He would not take her as a fool all the time. Loki looked away from his hand and looked down her face as she continued on, talking as if he did not interrupt her. His eyes slowly closed, smiling to himself genuinely as she went on. Her voice at its hoarsest was perhaps the most soothing thing to his ears. Soon, he felt his hand being dropped. He did not even pay attention to the rest of his reading. His eyes opened as she adjusted herself on him and before her eyes closed, his hand went to her neck, closing gently around it before going to press his lips on top of hers.

He kissed her slowly, softly against her stiff lips. She did not expect it and before she could kiss back Loki parted from her. Blinking several times, he licked his lips, his forehead falling against hers as she turned in his hold so that her chest was facing his. His genuine smile as his hand went to her hair, digging his fingers between her locks. He looked directly in her eyes. "I want you to promise me something," he started to her.

Alex furrowed her brow at him. She assured him though after a brief moment, "Anything."

Loki brushed some fallen hair away from her. Anything… Loki frowned at her. What he was about to say might bring up questions, but it was needed to be said. There were things that Alex trusted with him, now so completely, Loki did trust her with some things as well. This was something that he knew he could trust her to do. "If anything happens during these next two weeks that we stay here… I want you to tell me."

Alex's face fell after that, immediately after that. She stared at him for a long moment before she said to him slowly, "I would already do that."

"I know," he replied to her, "I know that you would. But… even the strangest things, that are little, I want you to tell me."

"And… and why's that?" Alex questioned. Loki knew that she would ask. She would not be herself if she didn't. "Did something happen that I need to know?"

"No," Loki lied. He did know that Amora would make contact with Alex soon. He knew her and once she would do this place was no longer safe for them. They had to keep to their mission. "It's only a precaution, nothing more. We need to proceed with caution…" she stared at him for a moment, her eyes glancing down at his lips and her hand going to his cheek. Soon, she nodded her head to him slowly. "I want you to be mindful around you… I promised that no harm would come to you," he told her, his thumb rubbing against her hipbone. "I will not let any harm come to you from anyone else, but you must help me so I can prevent it. Do you understand?"

Alex almost seemed stunned by his words before nodding to him. Loki swallowed thickly as she moved closer to him, her head nearing the edge of her own pillow. Loki could see how tired she was, so it didn't really surprise him to see her eyes actually close as she shifted her head on his shoulder. Her hand fell from his cheek and she took his other should as he shifted himself onto his back. "I promise." She murmured, digging her head deeper into his shoulder blade. Her leg lazily curled against his and feeling her chest faintly rise and fall, Loki looked down to see Alex close her eyes.

Loki turned his head up and stared up at the dark ceiling with his eyes wide open. He did not really go to sleep until he was absolutely sure that she was. When he had calmed the thoughts and demons that were in his head, he had turned his head, brushing against Alex's forehead and fell asleep.

I didn't go to work the next day, I decidedly did nothing and it was glorious. But at night, it was a completely different story. I had come to the conclusion that I needed time away from the apartment for one day and actually earn some money instead of wasting it. I needed to save up as much money as I could before I would disappear off the face of the Earth for a bit, how was a girl supposed to pay things? I needed to not think about the night before, which was proving to be difficult for me, but I did my best to do this.

That… that was a night I could not explain. I said this before, it was one of the memories I looked back at and actually said, hey… we really had a great fucking time, but then it made me want to choke him out all the same. That night, the casual thing we had going had gone out the window. As much as I would have liked it to stay, I knew that boundaries were so blurred that I really couldn't tell any more what they were. I did not know which way was up, which was down, where was left and where was right. My sense of direction was completely evaporated and I thought when he did things with me that were strange or out of place that they were completely out of the norm.

In short, I was a fool—or am a fool. I didn't like being the fool, but I only figured out a week later, maybe a little before that how foolish I was being.

I went to my usual spot that night with a deck of cards and a small purse. I would make a makeshift bowl when I would get there. But I had to do something before that. Once I arrived to where I set up usually, I wasn't really sure that my friend would be there. I mean I hadn't played my game since I had come back to Chicago. But sure enough, I spotted him standing over a fire.

A smile came onto my face seeing him after so long, and I gestured for him from the corner of the alleyway to come over to me. He came and I decided to take him out to dinner. He didn't want to at first, but I thought it was nonsense. So we walked to the nearest and fancy restaurant that I could afford for us both.

Red Lobster.

Okay, not fancy at all, but if it was all that I could afford, and then I would gladly take him there. So, when I took him there, despite all the strange stares I had received for sitting with a man in rags and holes in his shoes, I made him order a dinner that he didn't have in however long, the most expensive thing on the menu, and enjoyed my three shrimp meal. I could honestly say that I missed my friend. I needed to see him more frequently and do this more frequently. It was amazing, taking him out to dinner, I mean I wouldn't do this normally, nor would I really do this with anyone else, but Ty… Ty… I could honestly say was a true friend to me.

He told me when I was being stupid, though I didn't really listen to him. He was honest with me, brash at times, but hell, he needed to be. He might have acted like my father at times, but that didn't matter to me. He didn't want to see me dead, too, which was why I got a lecture several times after I came back from Vegas—all in the same night. He worried about me, and I tried to help him whenever I could—giving him half of my earnings, taking him out when he needed it. He probably had enough money to live off of in his own way from the money I gave him, but he chose to live in the cold, alleyway he lived in.

I don't know why he did that… chose that life for him. He didn't even buy himself new clothes to get rid of the rags he wore, but I never asked what he did with the money. I assumed he used it for what deemed necessary—I asked about his daughters a lot. He never talked with them—the answer was always the same. He told me that his daughters didn't give two shits about him… that I could believe. If they did care about their father, Ty would not be sitting across from me right at that moment.

It was sad to me though. Yes, I didn't care about John Harmon, but Ty would not do what my father did to his daughters. I know he wouldn't have. So… I never asked why his daughters were like that—I mean… you hear all of these stories about homeless people being found frozen on the sidewalk. I wondered all the time, how would they react if they see their father's name at the headline of a newspaper if he was ever found dead like that?

When he was cutting into his steak, I asked him, "Has anything happened while I was away?"

He shrugged his shoulders. There was never really anything new. The only new news would be that either someone in our corner left, or someone new came. "That woman… that was there for a couple of nights, left." Lorelei did not come any more looking for me… I guessed that was good. "George brings a deck of cards every night to play poker."

My first thought was… well, what did they bet with? But Ty beat me to it, answering the question of currency that they used, "We bet useless things. I win usually."

I chuckled at him, popping a shrimp in my mouth, "Good for you."

He grinned, "It's better than doing nothing and standing. My legs won't be able to hold it soon."

"Why? What's wrong with your legs?" My face fell at that, looking him up and down. I mean Ty was getting older and probably weaker because of his… uh… living conditions, but I still didn't like that. The stubborn man could be dying for all he knew but still would not get himself to a free clinic. That frustrated me. As it did when he would never go into a home that was made for him. Why would he not do that? He really did just refuse to, because he didn't need the help… he lectured me all the time, but that didn't mean I never lectured him.

I didn't want to hear his answer because I knew that I would be upset with him because of it. I watched him pick apart his lobster, "My knees. They're getting weak."

I swallowed at this before pursing my lips into a frown. Briefly, my eyes looked away from him as I crossed my arms over the chest. "Listen, we could go to a clinic and maybe they'll help yo—."

"Alex, I'm fine." He had cut me off immediately. I glanced over at him and watched him still. "Don't need to worry 'bout me."

"Getting weak in the knees unless you're being flirted with is not okay." I told him honestly. "Look, how old are you? Late fifties… right?"

"I'm older than that, girl."

"Well, you don't look a day over fifty-five, my friend." I complimented him with a slight smirk, but the smirk disappeared quickly. "I think… you should go. I'll take you there if you want so you wouldn't have to do it alone. I'll just go and sit with you, so you won't have to do it by yourself… just to see you don't have anything wrong with you."

"I'm fine," he said to me firmly. "I don't need to go."

"I honestly think you do."

"Well, I don't. You treat me too good, Harmon," Ty started to me. I looked away from him and down at my food. I saw it in his eyes; he didn't really want my help. There were reasons why he sometimes didn't take my money or rejected offers like this. I think he thought I did this because I pitied him. In a way, I did. In a way, no I didn't. I did it because he was a friend of mine also. "I thank you for that. But you don't have to."

I replied to him, "I don't want to see you collapsed somewhere, Ty. I'll take you there, they'll check you out, and maybe you could sleep in a bed tonight."

"You don't get it." Ty said to me shaking my head. "I don't want that."

"Then what would you like, Ty, because I don't really know?" I asked him with my mouth pulling into a scowl. I did not understand this! Why would he deny my help? It wasn't that I pitied him, even though in a way I did, but I was genuinely trying to help him. Why did he just keep saying no?

He had a grin on his face, up until then. He dropped his fork and knife, and folded his hands over one another before propping his elbows on the table, looking at me. I briefly glanced down to his plate to see that there was barely any food on top of his plate. His voice came, almost demanding me to look up at him, "Let me ask you something, Harmon. Would ya do this for anyone else?"

There it was. The golden question.

The answer was… no.

I am not a Samaritan.

I am not a good person.

I just wanted to help him out.

Remember when I started telling you all of this? When Loki came to me, ruining my deck of cards? George, another one usually at my corner, called this out. I still didn't give them all a share of it; well I barely went there now, but still. I could still do that. But… no, Ty was the only one I cared about. It might sound awful, but it was true. And the fact that he was questioning me helping him… made me a bit angry.

I didn't answer him, which made him pick up his fork and point it at me. "Exactly. You preach it, helping out, but ya don't do it for anyone else."

I defended myself weakly and through my teeth. "I help out the ones I care about."

"Who don't want it," he added. "There are so many others that need and want the help. But I do not want it. I don't wanna keep explaining to people how I could buy a Big Mac, when they can't. Or I have a full belly, when they're starving. It ain't right, Alex."

"Is this you telling me to stop?" I questioned him. Ty was not a selfish person. I had come to realize that being with him. I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that he actually did spread around the money I gave him. I, on the other hand, was. If I was in his shoes, I don't think I would have minded the special treatment. In fact, I would have felt like the Queen if someone did this for me when I have nothing to my name. But… he didn't feel that way. I never understood that, I think. If I did understand that, I think I would have never even treated him like I did.

He was right though. I do help out the ones who don't want it. My mother didn't want my help, my money, but I still sent that one envelope against her wishes to John so she wouldn't know. Ty didn't want my help, and I helped him still feeling compelled to do so because I didn't want to see him as the next homeless man frozen to death. I'd go so far and say that Joe did not want my help when I kicked the boy's ass in the playground. He never admitted it, but he probably didn't want to be bullied up until high school because of it.

The only one that wanted my help was Loki. Even then though, it was done grudgingly, and my help was only to help him kill me in a way. So… that didn't really count because it was just he using it for purpose that never helped me out.

I gave Ty the hardest glare I could give him. I almost pleaded with him in my head to not say yes. I think helping him, always gave me somewhat of a purpose in my head too. But then he nodded his head… and I think I felt my heart broke along with it. I gulped down my words at first, looking away.

But then… I nodded to him slowly. "Fine then. After tonight… no more help from me." I sounded awful saying that, in my opinion… it really… this really did just ruin my day. I had a good day going for me too. The first thought after saying that was that I was going to see my friend die one day and it was going to be my fault because I didn't help him out against his wishes. Maybe he wanted to die one day… I don't know. I never really had known what he went through day by day because I only saw him when I was with him.

But… this was like a stab in the stomach… I think I wanted to be stabbed in the stomach because I didn't like how he didn't want my help.

I think he actually noticed this too. I barely finished my food because my appetite was lost. I gave my shrimp to him when he was lecturing me about leaving the rest to those in the kitchen, so he ate what he could of it. I mean I picked off of my plate, but he ate a lot of that too.

I paid for the dinner with a credit card and then we both left. He thanked me for both things, dinner and for not helping him any more. I tried to joke with him about it, but still, I was so upset about it. I had a fake poker face going back to my corner. No one found it strange (who was there anyway) though that we came together, but I was thrown a dirty look by one of the people at the fire that I hadn't seen before. New guy, I suspect. Ty didn't tell me about him.

As I said, I had a fake face the entire night, doing what I did usually. At first, I was stumbling a bit with my game, losing control of my hands for a brief moment. But it didn't stop me from winning against these people.

I love people who play this game with me. They actually thought that they would beat me. And when they would lose the second round they would keep going as if it was the most normal thing, like they didn't know what I was doing! Most people did know, and that was the funny thing, they just wanted to catch me at it and mess me up, but that didn't work!

Oh, but the ones that thought I was genuinely winning… I give them an amen because they a) add to my little wealth and b) amuse the hell out of me.

Ty really didn't say anything to me that night. He remained quiet by the fire.

By the end of the night, I earned a lot. Some people actually gave me a tip for my little 'trick' and my knack for winning. Maybe because I just kept winning. Or because they were drunk. It was Friday night. But that was okay. I wouldn't exactly stop them if they were messed up in the head like that. The friends helped though egging them on. I had twenty people that night.

20 times 10, equals 200, right?

Okay, well, some of them played five games, doubling the amount each time when they should have spent it on booze or weed in my opinion if they wanted to be fucked. Maybe even a drunk tattoo. I was good at math. I had to be good at math. But since six of them went on and spent around fifty dollars on me like I was an expensive and addictive carnival game, that meant, that when I normally would have gotten 200, I earned more.

So… okay, I'll do the math now. 50 times 6 is 300. 14 times 10 is 140. I got 60 dollars to add from the stupid and meaningless tips that didn't make sense (but I wasn't opposed to them) to make an even 200. Then the wallet I picked from someone else that was just talking to me and holding back his vomit had 150 in it. He did vomit. Not on me though, on his shoes, on his poor, unsuspecting shoes.

Anyway, you do the math. I earned over half of my rent in one night. That's why I did this, and I was definitely put back in my good mood.

That was the beauty about drunk men and women—they made stupid decisions. And that was the beauty of Friday and Saturday, and maybe even Tuesday nights. The streets were flooded with them. Now one day, I was sure that a cop would be one of my customers… one day, I had a feeling I might have either a gun at my forehead or a knife at my throat, or in my stomach. Someone actually being an angry drunk coming into my sacred, fucking over place… could happen one day.

But… it felt fucking fantastic. It was risky and satisfying… all at the same time. So if you ask me why I do this… I do it for the lovely 650 dollars that ends up in my pocket. And that satisfaction I feel at the end of the night is just so addicting. It was a drug, my cocaine… once I got going, and I was unable to really stop.

Forget Ty, forget thinking about the night before, I was able to do a fucking backflip once I was finished.

I finished off the night with giving whoever was at the fire some money. Ty did insult me before not doing that, but I normally did not earn this much. So I gave them each, which was three around that time, enough to buy a meal. Then around 3 in the morning, I walked the three blocks to my apartment.

It was funny though. I felt like doing a fucking backflip… but… I did not want to do it. It was a ten-minute walk of thinking and contemplating for me about what just happened with Ty and… it sort of made me not… in a good mood, well not as good as before I mean. I did not want to think about it, I expressed how I felt about it before when we sat at dinner. My head was torn into twenty different directions. The smell of money, which could be both satisfying and vile at same time, did not make me happy as I climbed the steps to my apartment.

I remember the look on Ty's face did not get away from me. When he told me to not help him any more, he had a firm look on his face—actually expressionless, as he basically demanded it of me. I couldn't say no to him with that face—honestly.

I nearly fumbled with the keys to my apartment, but after a minute messing around with them, I went in. I expected lights out in my apartment completely, but my bedroom light was still on and the door was wide open. I tilted my head curiously before walking in and closing the door behind me. I bolted the door shut since I was now in, locked it, before walking over to my island. I'd usually go and count the money that I had left, but at that moment, I just dropped my purse on top of the counter and draped my faux leather jacket over the chair with a frown.

I just, suddenly, did not feel like it. But I got rid of the frown. I did not want it on my face as I went inside my bedroom carefully, first peaking my head in to see if he was actually awake, and then walking fully in. "I can't believe you're up." I told him tiredly, rubbing my eyes. Loki glanced away from his book to see me going over to the bed. Slowly, I sat down on the bed, loosening my sneakers and pushing them off my feet. Loki was at first quiet as I took off my shirt, only to be left in my tank top.

I was too tired to actually grab a pair of sweatpants, so when I took care of my jeans, I decidedly just lay down in my underwear like that. I felt Loki's eyes on me for a moment before he went back to his book. "You seem happy." I could hear the sarcasm leak from his voice.

It made me wonder how he was able to tell. As I went underneath the sheets, I shrugged that off and acted like I didn't hear the sarcasm. "Well, you know… earning a lot of money makes people happy."

"You can say that…" he said to me slowly, not looking back at me. I narrowed my eyes slightly at him before turning over on my side. "How much did you earn from playing your little game?"

"Around $650."

"Is that a lot?"

"Oh yes," I told him. "For one night, yes." With this, I scooted over to his side and laid my head on his shoulder as his continued to read whatever it was. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He questioned back to me.

"I would say reading, but you've been looking at the same page since I got here."

"You are not exactly letting me read."

"You could ignore me," I told him. I needed my mind off of a lot of things and I was going to use him to get my mind off of a lot of things. I dug my nose into his shoulder blade as he continued on reading as if I wasn't here. I'm kind of wondering what he was reading now because he was into it more than me. I noticed how nice he actually smelt at the moment. He smelled as if he just stepped out of the shower, which was a really good and welcomed smell by me. I picked my head up slightly before draping my arm across his chest.

He did not bother to look over at me, but I noticed he still hadn't turned the page. I doubted he was a slow reader. I stared at him staring at the book briefly before deciding that there might not be any use in this. I decided to scoot away from him then, going back to my side because maybe I was unwanted, but before I left his side, he took my wrist. Loki looked directly at me. "Did anything strange happen tonight that is making you act like this?"

"Act like what?" I asked him immediately. Not really realizing how different I was acting. I swallowed; the look he gave me was intense. Like if I said no, even though that was the truth, he would think that I was lying. He didn't answer me. He only narrowed his eyes further at me as he waited for my answer. I frowned at him, "Nothing strange happened tonight. I would tell you if anything did, you know that…"

He tilted his head at me, as if considering what I said. He did not let go of my wrist instead he held it tighter. He didn't respond to what I said. I tried to not pay attention to how he held me as I said to him, "I promised you last night. Did you think that I don't remember that?"

He pointed his finger at me. My eyes wavered for a moment, looking at it pointedly before he told me, "Do not lie to me. I want you to look me in the eye… and tell me that again."

I gritted my teeth annoyed before looking him straight in the eye. I said to him honestly through my teeth, "I did not see or hear anything strange tonight. Now, let go of me." Loki stared at me for a moment, as if he was considering what I said, before his grip actually did loosen and I was able to take my wrist back. I rubbed it gently, biting my gum and glaring at him. I didn't like that. I didn't like how he glared at me, or talked at me, or held me. I did not think I deserved to be held like that for all the shit I did for him.

I narrowed my eyes at him before I turned my head away from him. I shifted more to my side. Did I bring it up to him that I didn't like what I did?

You're funny, if you think that I did.

I didn't really have to though. I was easy to read. He took my hand from my grip, turning my wrist slightly, and held it up to mouth. He must have dropped his book because I felt his hand take my chin in his hands. I looked over at him. I was tired, my eyelids were already falling and I think I might as well pass out. But the look he gave me told me that I wouldn't be able to do that. It might not be like the night before, but hell, I knew he had the mindset of getting what he wanted. He would get what he wanted, when he wanted it. He always got what he wanted when he wanted it from me, even before this. He always managed somehow.

"I can tell you are upset." He told me eventually. I smirked in spite of myself. His hand dropped mine. "Is it because of something else?"

"You were never curious about my problems." I told him, my hand going on top of his chest. My smirk fell as I glanced down at it. My eyes flickered up to his. "You only care if they have to do with you. So… do me the favor… and not pretend."

I watched his tongue lick his bottom lip. "I can sense that you have a problem with me now though."

"Not everything is about you, Loki…" I told him slowly. I did not know if I was able to get out of his hold so I could go to bed. "And you could get back to your reading. I had a long night."

"I don't want to go back to my reading."

"Well, I don't want to be your whore tonight, so you could jerk off in the bathroom or something." I said, trying to turn on my side so I could go to sleep. However, Loki still had my chin in his possession, and he didn't let go when I expressed this. I looked back over at him only for him to move my head closer to him. His forehead fell on top of mine, making my eyes close. I loved the feeling of his forehead on top of mine—it felt nice.

"I can have you whenever and wherever I want." He stated to me. The statement could be unsettling for a lot of other people, but it wasn't really unsettling for me. "You are not my whore… I do not pay you." Even if I did that sort of thing, hah, he would get this for free.

I asked him, "What am I then?"

"My business associate." Cut the casual strings though in half, because once those words left his mouth I felt his lips immediately claiming mine, going to keep them busy so I wouldn't work to actually compile words into a sentence. He completely contradicted the phrase business associate, unless business was, for once, mixed with pleasure.

Casual… casual was thrown away. Thrown out the door and into the road, where a car ran it over.

So I'm going to give you all a warning now, after this chapter, everything is getting a lot more intense, this may just be the last calm moments Loki and Alex share with each other... so our friend Amora and her Skurge is coming back next chapter :) (they are so much fun to write) and we soon get to see Lorelei. I think I should watch Agents of Shield because I hear Lorelei is on that! :D Have to check it out, been meaning to, maybe after everything calms down at school!

Thank you all for reading and your continued support, it really does wonders for this girl's muse so thank you, it's so meaningful that all of you are enjoying it! These next couple of chapters are so fun to write and I cannot wait to post them!

wineandwhiskey: Thank you! And... yeah... it kind of is a little sickening that he's leading her on... wait until she finds out that she's being led on!