Nancy woke a few hours later, her thirst causing her tongue to cling to the roof of her mouth. As soon as her eyes opened, she felt the sleeping curse flood her mind again. Any remaining residue of the foggy sleep that still clung to her mind was cleared away at once, leaving her wide awake, yet still exhausted.
With a sigh, she reached back and felt the clasp of the muzzle. It was a complicated tumbler lock. Definitely Asgardian in design. Even without the magic Loki probably used on it, she couldn't open it herself. So, instead, she simply tried to pull it off. Of course that didn't work. She only scratched her face.
And then she remembered her promise not to fight it. Well, she hadn't fought when he put it back on her… but it was too much to bear now. Nancy pulled at it again, struggling to get it off. It wouldn't budge. She clawed at the straps holding it to her face. Nothing. Tried to wedge her fingers under the silver piece that shoved her bottom jaw against the top. Nothing moved.
With a frustrated growl, Nancy stood and grabbed one of her boots off of the floor: one of the only objects in the small, well-lit room. She threw it at the barrier, causing the barrier to shimmer momentarily then return back to the clear, golden transparency. She gave a muffled angry cry, cursing whatever spell held her captive in this hell-hole, and tugged at her hair. There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. She clawed at the muzzle again, seeking some form of relief.
"Oh, dear. Are you this irritable every morn?" Loki shook his head. He watched from the corner of her cell, completely invisible until now. He had hoped to watch her longer, but he couldn't resist a good jab at her morning grumpiness. He smirked. "Or just the ones spent in my company?"
Nancy froze at the sound of his voice. He hadn't been there a moment ago. He appeared out of nowhere. In an instant, she let her hands drop down in front of her and resumed her posture of obedience. She'd broken her promise. Now, she had to do what she could to mend it.
"Oh, don't mind me." Loki continued, "I only wanted to observe how you act when you think I am not here." He motioned to her posture. So morose. So subservient. So... untrue. "I see your obedience is false."
Nancy closed her eyes tight as realization hit her. He would never believe her now. What little chance she'd had of getting him to trust her, she'd thrown away in a temper-tantrum. Her act of obedience—for it had been an act—had failed.
With a sad sigh, she slumped back against the wall and leaned her head against it, looking up at the all-too-bright ceiling. She would never get out of here. She simply had to admit it. No con, gimmick, or act would ever set her free. Nancy slammed her fist against the wall, angry at herself for losing her cool.
Loki leaned sideways against the wall, watching her. An interesting way to handle the information. Acceptance? Or denial? Either worked in his favor, but Loki found he missed hearing her quick-witted arguments. Her hand must throb after that punch. However, she hadn't landed it to his jaw this time, and for that, Loki was grateful.
Realizing that all hope in ever getting out, in ever being accepted by him… in ever feeling normal again… were all quickly dying, Nancy slid down the wall until she was sitting at the bottom. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and buried her face in her arms, trying to block out the anguish and despair.
There was nothing else she could do. She couldn't even sleep without his permission. He controlled every aspect of her life, and she hated it. She felt so alone and unwanted, forever trapped in this cell.
But… but perhaps he did want her. He had kidnapped her for a reason, after all. Yes, he'd wanted to study her. But, perhaps there was more to it than that. All the tension between them. All the desire. Had she alone felt it?
She looked up at Loki and patted the ground next to her, trying to signal to him that she wanted him to sit with her. Perhaps he would allow her that small form of comfort. She folded her hands together in a gesture of begging, showing that she was asking him to sit, not commanding him.
Loki crossed his arms. She may like words, but she got along well without them. Still, he liked to goad her. "You wish me to sit? Why, pet?"
Nancy shrugged. How was she supposed to explain that she wanted him close to her? That she hadn't meant to disobey him. She was still muzzled. But, her hands were free. Hand-signs. She hoped he would understand what she was saying.
She pointed at herself, meaning she wanted something, folded her hands together and placed them against the side of her face, meaning she wanted to lay somewhere, tapped her shoulder, meaning she wanted to lay on a shoulder, then pointed at Loki. She wanted to lay her head on his shoulder. It was her best chance of gaining some sort of comfort, while still remaining somewhat distant.
"I am not to be used as a pillow." He flatly replied, then shook his head. "Though I had brought you something."
Nancy tilted her head, curious. He brought her something? That was unlike him. To give her a gift… after she'd just proven her disobedience. She eyed him suspiciously. Knowing what she did about him, that he was not only the god of mischief, but was often portrayed as a king of snakes, he could be ready to throw one at her at any time. Ew. She hated snakes. A classroom incident gone horribly wrong during her childhood had spurred a deep fear and avoidance of snakes in her. Wary of his motives, Nancy moved a bit closer to him. She had to be on guard around him. Especially when he was acting weird.
Loki produced an apple from behind his back and held it up so she could see it. "Since you are so particular about your need for sustenance, I thought perhaps breakfast?"
If there was one thing he had learned from the mortals, it was how to brainwash someone. A little abuse, followed by a bit of uncertainty. Not that he wanted to brainwash her entirely, but the project brought him some form of sick amusement. Even he realized it shouldn't.
Nancy eyed it hungrily, but was still apprehensive. Would he poison her now? No. He was having too much fun with her to kill her. She could see that in the way he looked at her. And she was hungry. Starving. Perhaps he just wanted to feed her.
A smile slowly spread over her features behind the muzzle. She nodded enthusiastically, trying to show that she wanted it, no matter the price. This time, hunger would win out over safety. She stood and easily crossed the distance between them, tapping the muzzle as she did so. He couldn't possibly expect her to eat with it on.
Loki moved his hand back, holding his apple just out of her reach. He had underestimated her hunger, but no matter. It changed nothing. "Same favors as last time. An apple for a kiss."
So now he wanted closeness? Of course. This time, he was in charge. Nancy blushed a bit and nodded once, understanding the terms. She motioned to the muzzle again.
Loki took a step closer and expertly removed the muzzle. He set it aside. Why had he ever dragged that darned torture piece out of hiding? It wasn't fair to anyone. Not to her, though now she understood his pain. And not to him, for it brought with it flashbacks and nightmares. He regretted it, but he wouldn't change his stance on it. With a sigh, Loki turned back to her, waiting for his kiss. It had better be a good one.
Nancy softly pressed her lips to his, kissing him slowly and gently, as she had before. As much as she hated to admit it, she adored the feeling of his lips against hers. And he probably knew that, too. Which is what made it a perfect weapon to use against her.
"What do I have to do to get a piece of meat?" Nancy whispered as she pulled away, "Protein is important, too." She reached for the apple.
Loki relinquished it without a second thought. The same kiss that had earned her apples before would earn her an apple now. "You are in luck." He addressed her with a smile, "I have just the favor for such a delicacy." Loki looked her up and down. She had thinned some, even in the past few days, but he had a plan to remedy that. He had a plan for everything. He grinned.
Nancy moved away from him and leaned against the wall. She took a large bite of the medium-sized apple, knowing it wouldn't be enough to fend off her hunger. She hadn't eaten in days and one lone apple would not be enough.
"What favor would that be?" she asked between bites. She didn't care how unladylike she looked. Now that she had food, she was going to eat it before he decided to take it from her. That would be a nasty trick to play, and knowing him, he would.
Loki didn't take his eyes from her. "I grow weary of these weak, shy kisses."
"Hey, I do my best." Nancy protested, "I'm not a tramp." She coughed, nearly choking on her large bites. But the goal was not to enjoy the apple. It was to get as much of it into her stomach as she could in as short a time as possible. Who knew when he was planning on taking it from her? And then… there was her hunger.
"I will provide what you most desire, meat. In return…" Loki let her draw her own conclusion, curious where her mind would take her. Yes, he had something he would propose, but he wanted to know if she would deduce what he desired.
Nancy stopped her ravage of the apple when he trailed off. She could guess what he wanted: a passionate kiss. The only trouble was… she didn't know how. "What if I told you… I've never really kissed a guy before? Like, really really. I mean, there was this one I.T. guy in college, and a guy from the agency once, but they don't really count." She began to gnaw every last piece of apple off the core, remembering her old flings. Her sort-of boyfriend in college. Her one-night-stand with James, before any of this mess with Loki had started. She sighed as she looked at the thin core in her hands, thinking how desperate she must seem to Loki.
Loki barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. How to accurately express how fully he knew that? He weighed his options and settled on, "I would not be surprised."
"Hey!" Nancy snapped, "We all can't be royalty." She glanced down at the core again, her hunger nowhere near quenched. The core would be more vitamins. More juice. More fluids. If only a little more. And her body could filter out the cyanide of the seeds.
"You do not wish to know what the favor is then?"
"You want a passionate kiss." She looked up at Loki again. "In exchange, I get a piece of meat. I've just never given a passionate kiss before."
"Do not assume, pet." Loki smirked. She had come close, but she hadn't quite discovered his true nature, had she? He folded his hands behind his back and studied her for a reaction. "I wish to teach you how. No arguments and no struggle."
"I thought you were going to do that anyway." Nancy retorted, starting in on the apple core. She bit off a whole half in one bite. At least the apple didn't have a stem.
What was she doing? Apple cores were not meant for mortal consumption. He didn't think it would hurt her, but the act betrayed her desperation. Loki quickly whisked the remainder of the core away from her and held it aloft. "Did you now? More assumptions?"
Nancy reached for the core, hopping on the ends of her toes in her attempt to reach it. "I spent my entire life assuming things." she explained, "Made my career out of it. Don't hate just because I know what you're going to say before you say it. Give me my apple!"
But, she didn't. Loki knew better than most how unpredictable he could be, and she didn't understand half of what she thought she did. He barely concealed his amusement. "And I am telling you to never assume anything with me. Perhaps I should ask for a different favor."
"No." Nancy sighed, forfeiting her apple, "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. It's just… habits die hard, ya know?" She looked at him, locking her gaze with his. "I welcome the help."
"Good. Now, when would you like this meat?"
Nancy glanced up at the browning apple core. "Well, I'm still hungry and you won't let me finish my apple."
"The seedlings are not for consumption." Loki flicked a wrist. The core disappeared. He would find somewhere to throw it or give it to a horse later. Right now, he had other matters to attend to. "Payment in advance, pet."
She looked away from him, considering what she was about to let him do. Yes, he was going to use the kiss to gain more control over her, but she'd already lost so much control already. And, this would be her first real kiss. She blushed at the thought. There was no one else she'd rather kiss. Nancy looked back at him. "Then teach me."
Loki stepped closer and gently gripped her chin, turning her face to his. Nancy felt the hot blush on her cheeks intensify, and then her lips met his. His kiss was strong, yet gentle. Forceful, yet sweet. As he began to move his lips against hers, Nancy closed her eyes and sighed softly. She'd never felt anything like this before. This peace. This… trust. She let her hands wander up his arms, resting one on his shoulder, and burying the other in his hair. He sucked on her lip occasionally, drawing her deeper into the kiss.
After nearly thirty seconds of intensity, Loki finally pulled away. "That is how it's done." He smiled down at her. He had known she could do it. Had known he would only draw her deeper into her fascination. And, Loki admitted to himself, he had enjoyed it.
Nancy blinked, panting, as she tried to recover from the kiss. Her heart beat fast in her chest and she willed it to slow. A small smile crossed her face, her blush never leaving. He'd kissed her. He'd really kissed her. And, despite her better judgment, everything inside of her screamed for one more. She wanted to feel like that again. To be able to trust him, for just one moment, again. She glanced to his lips, stepped forward, and kissed him again. For one moment, perhaps they could finally be equals. For one moment in time… they were.
Loki knew when enough was enough. He would go too far if she let him, at right now she might. She was not herself. She would probably regret this later. He still needed the control. Loki pushed her away gently. "Now, now, pet." He smirked. "Let's not be hasty."
Nancy glanced away from him, growing embarrassed from her actions. Of course she had to go and ruin the moment. "Right." She cleared her throat in a nervous gesture. "Sorry." She stepped away from him, wanting the sudden awkwardness to end. She glanced back once more, wishing she could go back to that moment. She'd give anything.
Loki stepped out through the barrier. He had felt her heartbeat as surely as he had felt his own. He had listened to her breathing, looked into her eyes. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he had control over her. The control to make her want him whenever he so desired. Her obsession reached a place far deeper than his had.
Loki smiled to himself and raised his gaze to meet hers. "I will return later." As he marched out of the dungeons, he turned to his personal guard. "See to it a platter of roast boar is brought for her."
The guard nodded and went to order the meat from the kitchen staff. Loki returned to his kingly duties, albeit distracted. All afternoon, he couldn't stop thinking of her lips. Her trusting gaze. That kiss.
/
Half an hour later, a large platter of fresh roast boar was placed in the corner of Nancy's cell. She jumped to her feet and scurried over to it. The delicious aroma made her mouth water and her stomach rumble all the louder. Without another moment's hesitation, Nancy started in on the meat. Savory, succulent juices dripped down her chin as she gobbled down her breakfast. But then, she suddenly stopped. She knew better than to eat it all at once. She'd made that mistake with the apple before. No, she needed to save the meat and eat it slowly, over time. Of course, it wouldn't last more than a few days, but having something to eat would be better than nothing.
Once she'd had her fill, Nancy swallowed the abundance of broth from the platter and pressed the meat down, trying to squeeze the remaining juice out. This, she drank, too. Then, she carefully laid the meat pieces out on the tray, letting them dry under the intense light of the cell. Hours later, once the meat had indeed dried, she carefully wrapped the strips in her socks and stored them in her boots. She would save them for as long as she could, she knew that for a fact. Because she had no idea when Loki would feel generous enough to feed her again.
