Loki opened his eyes to stare at her – oh, how he wanted to kiss her – and licked his lips without really thinking about it. He didn't back away from her.

"Just… um…" Nancy began, pressing herself back against the wall in a futile effort to put more distance between them, "Just don't hurt me, alright? I mean, don't try to. Purposefully."

Her fear egged him on. He had never known when to stop, this time was no different. Loki stepped closer, invading her personal space. He looked down at her intensely. "Do I frighten you?"

"I only fear when you're angry with me." Nancy answered honestly, her voice a breathless whisper. She could feel her heart racing in her chest. "If you're not harming me…" She chanced a glance up at his eyes. "Should I fear you?

"I suppose you should answer for yourself." He glanced down to those deliciously long fingers again. If he could repeat the action he had just finished, he would.

Gathering her courage, Nancy stood a bit straighter. "I don't fear you, Loki." She stated defiantly.

"Oh?" He stepped closer still, all smiles gone now. There was barely an inch of space between them. "Not even a bit? Perhaps I have not successfully made my point." He reached to tuck a piece of her soft hair behind her ear, if only to have it wrapped around his finger for a moment.

Every fiber of her being quaked with fear. She flinched ever so slightly at his touch, but allowed him to move her hair. "I only fear what you could do to me." she explained, "You yourself I don't fear."

"And what, pray tell, could I possibly do to the great Agent Nancy McAllister?" He leaned down, hovering inches from her face. If he just stretched a bit further, he could partake of her luscious lips.

He was so close. Too close… and yet not close enough.

Nancy's breath caught in the back of her throat and her eyes met his again. Without fail, there was the light. Playful, teasing, taunting. Inviting her to play along in their little game. Because that's all this was. A game. A grand game of life and death. A game of survival and study and wit. With a shaky breath, Nancy finally whispered, "Everything."

"Wise girl." He glanced to her lips again, wishing he could, but knowing he couldn't. One day, he would do everything to her, but it would not be this day. He dropped his voice to a low tone. "But, perhaps, still too defiant." He stood straighter and stepped back, putting the distance between them that she had desired, but knowing one day she would beg him to return.

Nancy released the breath she'd been holding, but immediately felt the distance it brought. A cold, empty void now stood between them. A hierarchy of scientist and experiment, of captor and prisoner, of master and pet. She watched him closely, her eyes never leaving his. If only she could capture that light within him and hold onto it forever. If only she could bring it to the surface and see who the man… the god… the Asgardian… to see exactly who Loki was.

Here she stood before him, only mere feet between them, and yet she felt she knew so little. All her work, all her study, all her hours with him… and yet she knew nothing. His mood and demeanor changed constantly. She could hardly keep track of which Loki stood before her or which one seemed to care. Because there was one that cared. Despite all he'd done to her, and continued to do to her, there was one side of him that cared.

Loki watched her watch him and kept a stoic face. He was unsure what to do now. If he had his way, he would claim her lips with his and never let her go, but she had not yet submitted to his will, so that was out of the question. He wanted to say something, to dig deeper into her head, but he wouldn't. He had gone too far once. It was time to learn his own boundaries and not push past them in an emotional tirade. Instead, he studied her.

Oh, how she longed for him to come closer. To show her that kindness he held deep within. He showed her glimpses and traces, but she knew there was more. She'd felt it in the first kiss he'd given. The first real kiss she'd ever had. She felt the passion and closeness and light within him, as if it was her own. If only she could plead her case to that man. She would gladly submit to him.

"Is a bit of defiance really that bad?" Nancy asked, cautiously stepping toward him. If only she could remain with his kinder side forever. If only the monster wouldn't come back. Perhaps… perhaps this once… she could keep it at bay. If only she knew how.

"You will obey me, my pet." The fact that she had advanced toward him almost caused a smile to leap to his lips. Yes, this could work well. One day, she would follow his every move without being told. He stepped back, to see if she would follow now. Perhaps the day she obeyed was sooner than he anticipated.

Nancy tilted her head ever so slightly, studying his motives. He wanted her to follow him. That was obvious. He had no other reason to step back. The only question now was… why? He wanted to see how well she'd submit. How well she'd obey.

Considering her options, and deciding that perhaps in this case submission was indeed her best option, Nancy took another hesitant step forward. "I'll do anything you ask."

Suddenly, Loki was behind her. He ran his hands down her arms, starting at her shoulders. They felt wonderful beneath his strong grip. He leaned to whisper in her ear, "anything?"

Nancy gasped at his sudden appearance and slowly closed her eyes. She swallowed and stood rigid, knowing full well what he'd ask of her. She said she'd do anything and he was going to take her up on her offer. Still hesitant, and against her better judgment, Nancy nodded. "Yes. Anything." she whispered.

He removed his hands as quickly as he had placed them on her and uttered his only command. "Kiss me."

Nancy half-laughed, half gave a breath of relief. He'd only wanted a kiss. And she'd oblige. Wholeheartedly. With a slight smirk, Nancy turned and pressed her lips to his, giving him exactly what they'd both been wanting. She kissed him with as much passion as she could manage, trying to hold on to the bright light within him, as if her kiss could keep it in his heart. Despite everything he'd said and done, this man was the man she loved. The kind soul behind the monster. The lover that hid deep inside the maniacal god.

This time, he reciprocated, moving his lips lightly against hers. When he thought he could bear it no longer, he finally pulled away. If he could not possess, he could at least touch. He ran a finger down her jawline. "You are learning."

A hot blush rose to Nancy's cheeks and she glanced away, nervously nibbling on her bottom lip for a moment. She hadn't done that since she was in college, when she first met the IT guy. She blushed even more at the thought that Loki could make her blush and feel as giddy as a schoolgirl. She took a few steps back, still avoiding his gaze.

Loki smirked. Her reaction spoke volumes more than he had hoped to hear. He bore her heart, and she wrote it on the sleeve of her garment with every gesture and every word. Still, she wouldn't look at him and she backed away from him as though he might set her aflame. Loki swallowed to clear his throat. "Are you thirsty, pet?"

Nancy's eyes immediately met his again. His sudden question startled her and momentarily threw her off.

There was one table in the room, and Loki made full use of its existence. In a flash of light and waft of green smoke—though he needed neither to perform the trick—a goblet appeared in the middle of the small table. A simple glass, made spectacular only by his inference that it held more than water or wine.

She glanced over at the goblet and subconsciously tilted her head again, studying it. Surely he had other plans. She'd already been given her allotment of water for the day. So why was he suddenly so concerned with her thirst? "What's the catch?"

"You think I would offer something with strings attached?" Loki pressed a hand to his heart. He could feign innocence with the best of them. This particular trick called for terrible acting skills. "I am hurt."

Now she knew he was up to something. Wary of his ever-shifting mood, she began to back away. "It's poisoned." It was the only logical explanation.

"It's not—would you stop assuming that I would poison you? This is the second time!"

"Then what's the catch?" Nancy looked to him and crossed her arms. She wasn't going to play this game. She absolutely refused.

"I am the god of mischief. I do not tell my secrets." Loki shrugged. The more she concentrated on what the glass held, the less likely she'd be to expect the real trick. He hadn't pulled this one in ages, and it felt good to return to his old tricks.

"Exactly." She leaned back against the wall and raised an eyebrow, challenging him.

"Fine. I'll drink it first." In what he hoped appeared to be a fit of childlike anger, Loki grabbed the goblet off the table, drank half, and held it out to her. She would take it. He knew her far too well, and she would not be able to resist the silent challenge. "Are you no longer thirsty?"

"No, I am." She eyed the goblet carefully, knowing full well that his own magic wouldn't affect him. "Do you swear that nothing bad will happen to me?"

Loki rolled his eyes. He loved a good build-up, but she made this far more difficult than it should have been. He couldn't promise nothing bad would happen to her, because she counted a lot of things as bad and he would rather not lie to her. However, he could make one vow. "Would I dare harm you?"

"Do you want the list chronologically or alphabetically?" To reiterate her point, Nancy gave him a rebellious glare. Still, though… she was very thirsty. Hesitantly, she took the goblet from his hand and glanced down into the wine.

She had to be in control, didn't she? Loki calmly folded his hands behind his back. He would play along. For now. "Would chronologically be easier? Oh, let's make it a challenge. Alphabetically."

Nancy laughed in spite of herself and looked to him with a smile. How could he be so threatening and so wonderful all at once. Deep within her heart, she felt that she could trust him. Somehow, she knew that she could trust him. If only just a little. "Fine. I'll trust you. Just this once."

Slowly, Nancy lifted the goblet to her lips and took a hesitant sip. As the rich flavor washed over her tongue, she glanced at him and smiled over the rim of the cup. "This is absolutely delicious." she whispered, then tipped it back for more. "Really." She licked a bit of wine from her lips, "I've never tasted anything like this. It must be thousands of years old. Thank you for letting me try it." The more she drank of the beautiful wine, the more she let down her guard.

Like a good hunter and mischief-maker, Loki waited. He watched her every move intently. Her delight, and her true thirst. He would have to allow her more water than what he had been sending. However, now was not the time to think on those things. The instant she lowered the cup away from her face, Loki flexed his fingers behind his back. The cup shook and rattled in her hand. One by one, over the rim of the goblet, small snakes slithered over her hand.

Nancy screamed and dropped the cup, immediately putting as much distance between herself and the snakes as she could. She pressed herself back against the stone of the walls and stood on the ends of her toes, only pausing her piercing scream to take a breath.

Loki raised an eyebrow. He had never gotten that reaction before. He studied her carefully. She had made herself as small as possible, pressed flat against a wall and on the tips of her toes. An interesting reaction to a harmless trick. He tilted his head ever so slightly. "So... snakes frighten you."

One of the snakes touched Nancy's foot and she absolutely lost it. Her scream rose a complete octave from her fear. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, but the scream continued.

Loki winced. Mortals made that high of a noise? He couldn't recreate the tone if he tried. With a frown, Loki whisked away the illusion, leaving the room clear of snakes and the like. He had to shake his head to clear the ringing her scream had caused in his ears. Odin and all the Aesir, what was she thinking? "You are definitely not fond of snakes."

Weak and terrified, Nancy sank to the floor. She curled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her hands, sobs wracking her body. The kind man she'd kissed was indeed gone. Replaced by the cruel monster once again.

Sensing his mistake, Loki retreated within his cold shell once more. No need to frighten her further. "Noted. Snakes are not favored and cause emotional moments." Loki wished he had the courage to delve into her mind and see what she thought of him now, but he knew better. He had gone too far. Again. Indeed, this time he may have broken her.

How cold and calculated his words were. Very factual. Very scientific. He didn't care about her mental state. He didn't care about her fear or the heartache he'd caused her. It was only an experiment.

Cold realization began to sink in as Nancy sat there. All at once, she realized that he was doing the same thing to her that she'd done to him. Every movement and nuance recorded. Actions analyzed. She'd done it to him so many years ago, but now he was having his revenge. Now, he was studying her.

"I'm sorry!" Nancy finally cried out, full of guilt and anguish, "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry for what?" He had broken her. She had done nothing. Everything done had been on his part. Loki stood straighter, curious.

Nancy's form shook and quivered under the stress of her fear. Her voice broke as she tried to explain, "For studying you." She finally lowered her hands from her face and looked up to meet his gaze. "You're not an animal, Loki! I'm sorry!" she wailed, "Make this end!"

Loki motioned around, as much to reassure himself as to reassure the distraught girl before him. "The snakes are gone." He had to do something. He stepped closer and settled a hand on her head. On his own, he wouldn't have had the words, but he remembered a time not so long ago when she had offered him comfort. "Calm down. Calm. I know you are upset, but your tears do no good."

Nancy released a shaky breath and tried to regulate her breathing. She let her eyes close again as another involuntary sob escaped her lips.

How could he be so kind and loving one moment, then so heartless the next? One moment he seemed to care for her. To crave intimacy and closeness. The next, she could be groveling at his feet and he hardly noticed. As he said himself, her tears would do no good. He was far beyond pity now. She was no more than a science experiment to him. A little white lab rat to play with. Because every snake needed a mouse to scare.

"Please…" she finally begged, her voice barely above a whisper, "Kill me."

Loki blinked, taken aback. "Kill you? Why? They were only snakes."

"It's not the snakes!" she screamed, gripping frantically at her hair, "It's everything! I can't take this anymore, Loki! Please! If you have one ounce of mercy in your body, just kill me and get it over with!" She broke down in sobs again. "Please!"

Oh, goodness. The drama queen had arisen once more. Loki raised an eyebrow. "Nancy. This is overdramatic. Even to me."

Still sobbing, Nancy slumped over and buried her face in her hands once again. She curled her legs as close to her body as she could, wishing that she could simply shrink herself down to nothingness, just to get away from his tyrannical rule. "Please, Loki." Her voice had dropped down into a weak whisper again, "I just want it all to end."

Loki rolled his eyes. This had gone on long enough. He wouldn't endure her childish nonsense. "Then by all means sleep, but if you haven't noticed, I do not have plans to harm you."

She stared out past him as she let her hands drop down to the cold, hard floor. Her energy was long spent and she was too tired to play his game anymore. It was a terrible, cruel game. And it had worn her out. Now, all she wanted was to sleep. To sleep and dream that she was home again. Away from him and these tortures and tricks.

"But you do." she continued to whisper, her voice barely audible, "You harm me every day."

"Do I? Pray tell, what do I do?" Loki leaned sideways against the wall. He had answered all her pleas. He had offered her food and water, had made sure no one accosted her during her stay. He had molded her and held her and treated her wounds. What more could she possibly want?

"The apples, this cage, the flogging," Nancy began to recite in alphabetical order, as he'd requested, "You grab me when you're angry and only allow me half a pitcher of water a day. I'm being held hostage in this hell-hole while being imprisoned in isolation. You muzzled me, you're starving me, and I must submit to you. You, King Loki, are a total and complete nightmare come true." Her words were as monotone and automatic as her mantra had been, still hardly above a whisper. "And I absolutely, positively despise you. I dread the day we met because it was the day this all began, and I'm a complete idiot for ever thinking there was any more to you. There are some days I truly wish we'd never met."

"I did ask you once if it frightened you that you had gained the attention of a madman." Loki shrugged. He had asked. And then he had acted. "You said you did not care."

Nancy only curled tighter and closed her eyes, refusing to respond. Still not satisfied with the distance it brought her, she turned away from him, so that she was facing the wall with her back to him.

"You are mine, and I will see no harm comes to you."

"What do you care what happens to me?" Her tears were evident in her voice, "I'm a 'mortal', remember? You hate mortals. I'm just an animal to you. A lab experiment."

Loki bent to lean as close to her as possible. He rested his lips centimeters from her ear, and whispered, "Would I teach an animal to kiss as I taught you?"

Nancy sniffed and slowly turned her face to look at him. Even with his cruel snake trick, the light never left his eyes. Nancy gazed up into them as she studied him. His words were sincere, she could tell. Even with how horrid he'd seemed moments ago, the kind man was back once again. She treasured these moments above all else.

"Then what am I?"

"Mine."

Timidly, Nancy reached up and stroked her fingers down the side of his face, still studying him intently. She wanted all he'd said to be true. She so desperately wanted to believe him. "But you'll get bored of me." she protested, "And get rid of me. I'm only a 'plaything' to you."

Loki didn't move, in fact, he returned his mouth to her ear so he could keep his voice low. "And I never give up my playthings."

Nancy couldn't help her soft laugh. "That explains so much, really." she teased. Wanting to cherish their moment before it changed to darkness once again, she sat up and pressed her lips to his. Her kiss was soft and loving and sweet. She wanted to hold onto him for as long as she could. To keep the light at the surface, where it belonged. But of course the kiss ended much too soon, and she was left merely gazing into his eyes again.

A slow grin spread across Loki's face. She had learned. She wanted now. She asked. She had not broken, but she had changed. Knowing if he stayed longer, he would do something he would instantly regret, Loki straightened and turned to go.

"Loki." Nancy sat up fully and turned to watch him leave. "Why me? Why did you choose me? Why not go back for any other woman?"

He stopped, but didn't bother to turn. That question required the truth, and he could not look at her and say it. Kings did not cry. "Because you stayed." He turned for the barrier and passed through it. Yes, one day, she would be fully his. He motioned to a guard and then to the empty bag on the steps. "Put the things in the satchel and have it brought to my chambers."

In an instant, Nancy was on her feet, running for the barrier. She pressed her palms against it, as if she could push her way through it. "Loki, please let me have my things. Please. They're all I have left."

"I will consider, pet. A favor for a favor." He wagged his finger at her playfully, then nodded to the guard. He would tolerate no disobedience or dalliance. "Do as I have instructed."

The guard immediately obeyed.

Nancy followed Loki as far as the cage would allow, then stood watching him from the corner of her cell. "Whatever you ask, I'll do it!" she called after him, "You know I will!"

But it was too late. Loki had set his sights on the things to come that day, and was off to run his kingdom. His little pet would have to wait until he had accomplished his duties for the day.