As Nancy started toward Loki, her books ready to drop from her arms, her resolve wavered. She stopped at the corner of one of the smaller tables and looked him over again. How regal and superior he looked with his legs propped up on the table in front of him. It was a posture of power and aloofness. He seemed relaxed, as if he was transported so far away in his book that he could no longer see or hear her, much less care about her.

An image suddenly flashed in Nancy's mind. She remembered back to when she'd been in the cell. The night Loki had muzzled her. She remembered how close she'd tried to get to him. Hugging him in an effort to gain his forgiveness for she knew not what. But he'd growled at her and shrugged her off. The image changed again. This time, she saw herself sobbing over her strewn trinkets. She'd hugged him again in an effort for closeness, but he'd only pushed her away. Then there was last night. She joined him in his bed and tried to have a civil conversation with him, but as soon as she spoke as his equal, he shut her down and warned her of her obstinacy.

Nancy glanced down to the books on the table. A moment before, she'd hoped to ask him to read one of them to her so they could both enjoy the book together. It didn't matter if she understood it or not. She merely wanted to hear the sound of the alien language slipping from his lips. But now… now she knew better than to disturb him. If he had wanted to do anything with her, they would've already been doing it. Instead, he merely locked the doors and shut themselves in. Just because they were in the same room together, didn't mean they were doing something together.

With a sigh, Nancy picked the books up again and made her way towards him. She stopped next to Loki and glanced down at him, but said nothing. After an awkward moment or two of complete silence, Nancy finally resolved to sit on the floor next to him. She waited to see if he'd do or say anything. If he would even notice that she was there. But all she heard was the sound of pages turning.

/

Loki didn't acknowledge her for hours, not until he had read to his heart's content. Did she even realize she ignored him as such every day, almost every time he opened enough to gather her close? She probably thought him a monster, but he had to cool the fiery dragon of his temper somehow, and reading worked grandly. Yet, he couldn't ignore her forever. With a sigh, he closed his book and easily settled the chair back on the ground. The legs hit the floor with a slight click.

Nancy heard the soft click and shifted on the floor. She had stretched out long ago and lay with one of the books over her face. She lay there for hours, thinking of her family and what her life would have been like if she hadn't been captured by Loki. Of how much she missed her sister and whether her team still cared for her. Of her relationship with James and if he would have been the one for her. "Are you finished reading?" Nancy asked halfheartedly, her voice muffled by the book.

"Did you need something more interesting to do?" He set the book down on the table and leaned forward to stare down at her. How strange her coping mechanisms were. She would never be able to read the book if she could not see the words. Then again, he reminded himself, she might not be able to read the book at all. She had never confessed to knowing Asgardian, and he really hadn't thought much of it. One day, he must show her the collection of English literature he held in his possession. Just now, he would much rather study her amusing antics.

Nancy removed the book from her face and stared at Loki upside-down. Surely he knew she wasn't able to read his books. How bored she was. "It's not like I can easily enjoy these books," she flatly replied, "So yes."

Once again, quite amusing. As though she thought he might give her something without asking a favor. He almost had, except for his slight oversight on the language barrier. He would remedy it, in time. Loki smirked at her. "And what did you have in mind?"

"I have no idea." Nancy replaced the book and gave a heavy, bored sigh. Sitting alone in the suite had been better than this. At least there she had something to do. But here, she may as well have been back in her cell.

Loki smiled at her antics. Sighs and books to cover her face. As though her boredom and disdain weren't obvious enough. Where did humans learn these quirks? He reached out and removed the book from her face. He set it aside, on the table. "No idea? Pity. I would think you would have quite a few ideas."

"Well," Nancy sat up and turned to face him, letting the panel of her skirt cover her lower half as she crossed her legs. "Surely there are more rooms to your palace than the kitchen and the library." She paused, remembering palaces she had read of on Earth. Rooms that might mirror those of the Asgardian palace. "Do you have a garden?"

"We are not going to the garden." Loki dropped his own book beside hers and sat back in his chair. Under no circumstances would he take her to the garden. He didn't like the memories it dredged up, both happy and sad. His mother's memory resided in those gardens, and he refused to face it with Nancy in tow. "There are parlors and the throne room and plenty of bedchambers."

"What's wrong with the garden?"

"I shan't discuss that right now." Loki shook his head. She would never understand, but she would never give up her mission. He thought quickly, mentally taking inventory of all the rooms within the palace. One in particular stood out to him. He sighed. "Although... I could show you something similar."

Nancy tilted her head, curious. "Like what?"

This was probably a terrible idea, but Loki couldn't see a better one. It wasn't the gardens, though memories still resided there. Just... fewer of them. He stood and motioned to his pet. "Follow me."

Nancy stood and quickly organized the books on the table. If she'd had the time, she would've put them all back where they belonged. But Loki was already nearing the golden doors and was waiting for her. She caught up with him as quickly as she could and followed him out into the hall.

Loki lead her down the hall and around several connecting corridors. Finally, at the middle of a particularly airy hall, he stopped at a parlor door. He could back out now, but she would complain. He had to share with someone, someday. With deft knowledge, he pushed the door open.

The room could have been part of a jungle or a forest. Plants hung from the ceiling and sprouted from walls alongside flowering vines. Flowers grew of their own accord along the perimeter and ivy curled around table legs and dormant wall hangings. Every inch carefully planted. No longer tended, it held a wild quality, but Frigga would have still loved it nonetheless.

Nancy slowly stepped into the room, gasping at the beauty. She'd never seen anything like it. Even the butterfly house at the local botanical garden back in Maryland had nothing on this place. She slowly stepped forward and turned in a full circle, studying every detail. "This is beautiful, Loki." Nancy turned to face him and smiled. "Thank you for showing me."

"It was mother's." Loki tried to shut out the memories of her working hours upon hours to make the parlor beautiful. He attempted to forget the days at her side, as she explained the plants and their medicinal qualities. Some she chose just for their beauty. Every blossom stung his heart to the core. He closed the door behind himself. It shouldn't be so hard to enter.

Nancy's smile faded as she noted the pain veiled behind his eyes. This was difficult for him. Difficult for him to speak about his mother and be where she'd been. He must have loved her dearly. Nancy stepped closer and gazed up into his eyes. What had he been like, before the pain? "What happened to her?" she asked in a whisper.

"She died." Loki shrugged, trying to make himself believe it was no big deal. In an attempt at normalcy, he strode further into the room and stopped by a flowering vine. He gingerly cupped the petals, stroking each velvety leaf in turn. Frigga would have loved to see its flowering season. She had planted it days before her death.

Nancy noticed his shrug. How he tried to pretend the loss hadn't affected him. But it clearly had. She stepped farther into the room and came to stand by his side, watching how tenderly he brushed his fingers over the plant. How much he must have missed his mother. And how much pain her loss must have caused. Nancy placed her hand on his arm, trying to show him the comfort and love she'd had for him all along. If no one else was there for him, she'd be there. As she'd vowed so long ago, she would always be there for him. No matter what. "How did she die?"

Loki allowed his gaze to travel down to her fingers on his arm. A gesture of friendship she had not shown before. He blinked at the gravity of it all. One didn't have the choice to hide behind a lie when one spoke of the person they loved the most dearly. "Dark Elves," he answered quietly. He was careful not to move an inch. He didn't want her to pull away and leave him bereft and on his own. For once, he relished the companionship she offered instead of turning it away like a plague.

She instinctively held tighter, drawing him closer. She would have hugged him if she thought he'd allow it. "They attacked earth, too." Nancy explained, then looked away, not wanting to see how he'd react to what she'd reveal next. "The closest I've ever come to losing someone is when you 'died' in battle. Thor showed up one day and told me about it. How you'd died in his arms."

The memory was a painful one. Nancy remembered the endless nights when she'd cried herself to sleep. The weeks she hadn't shown up for work. How she'd torn down every picture on her office wall and only stopped when she'd seen his note – his promise that he'd be back for her. Nancy allowed the tears to rise to her eyes. She'd never loved anyone more than she loved him.

Whatever did she mean? She didn't cherish him. He had been an object of her study, that was all. Loki tilted his head to better see her, though he couldn't very well do that with her looking away. He slid a finger under her chin and turned her face to him. He searched her eyes, her expression. Anything to tell him what she had meant.

Nancy blushed and let a tear slide down her face. "I… I was devastated. I cried for weeks when I found out. Everything… everything reminded me of you. I don't know why, but it did." Her voice broke and she sniffed at her freely-flowing tears, "I thought I'd never see you again."

Loki couldn't help the smile that brushed his lips. She had grown attached. It wasn't normal for anyone to even like him, let alone grow attached to him. It was a nice feeling, for once. He reached to remove a strand of hair from her face, and then to remove a flower from the vine. Without a single word, he tucked the bud behind her ear. He knew, since he had spouted so many foul things at her, his actions spoke louder than the words he cherished.

The action was one of love. Of thankfulness and closeness. Nancy leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, softly wrapping her arms around him as she did so. Suddenly, he wasn't an Asgardian god to her anymore. He wasn't her captor or master. He was her friend. And she loved him with every fiber of her being.

Did she know what she did to him? Open and vulnerable as he was while talking about his mother, could she sense his apprehension and deep desire at war within him? His hand came up of its own accord and buried itself in her soft, silken hair, just at the nape of her neck. Suddenly, he wanted more than she had offered. He stepped closer to her, strengthening the weak kiss, and wrapped his other hand around her waist. His self-control dwindled as fast as his annoyance.

All rational thought escaped her. Nancy moved even closer to him, pressing against him as their kiss intensified. She could feel his chest heaving under the leather of his armor. His muscles rippling under the cloth of his sleeves. Her hands moved up to wrap around his shoulders, holding him ever closer. She didn't want to let go or for him to pull away. She didn't want the dreaded distance to return. Everything within her screamed for him. For her to give herself to him. She wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anything.

Loki searched out her wants, mingling them with his own in a passionate kiss unlike any he had ever given. She couldn't realize how much he wanted her, all of her. Especially her heart. Where did that thought come from? She was here for him to study, nothing more, but... Could that be why he brought her here in the first place? Had he unconsciously known she held something he could not live without? He wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her to him and scrunched his fingers in her amazing hair. He could stay like this forever.

She couldn't. She couldn't give in to him so soon. No matter how much her heart longed for him, Nancy couldn't bring herself to trust him enough to surrender completely. She remembered his temper. His moods. How quickly he could go from being so kind and sweet to unruly and savage. Against her own deep desires, Nancy slowly pulled away. She leaned her forehead against his in a display of closeness and companionship, showing that she wasn't truly pulling away. "It's still too soon." she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Much too soon, Loki concurred. She didn't know what she had awakened, and he would never let it be said he did not give anyone fair warning when it came to his moods. He could not hold her longer, or he might go where she did not wish. His thoughts had already run that way once. He no longer wished to irrevocably harm her.

Loki planted one more lingering kiss to her lips, something for her to savor in the days to come. He removed his mouth from hers before he went too far again. And yet... she would expect something from him. Some word of acknowledgment. "I do not wait well, either." That hadn't come out right, but he wouldn't take it back. He couldn't let her closer than she had already come.

Nancy nodded her acknowledgment, but didn't release him. She wasn't ready for the barrier to return. Oh, if only she could trust him, she could love him all the more. But, as it was, she had overstepped her bounds already. And with the hint of a frown, she slowly let her hands slide down his back, preparing to release him… as she returned to her status as a pet.

"Thank you for this." she whispered, genuinely thankful that he'd been so open with her. Thankful that he'd finally seen her as an equal, if only for a moment.

"For what, pet?" Loki slowly released the grip he had on her hair, careful to untangle each finger before he pulled his hand away.

For everything. "For spending these past few hours with me. For showing me your mother's parlor. For just… being near me. It's all I've ever wanted."

Loki smiled. Perhaps he had neglected her, ignored her. Well, that would change. He would return to her as soon as he finished his kingly duties, and even then he was unsure if it was enough. It was all he could offer, for now. Reluctantly, Loki slid his hand from her waist, letting his fingers linger as they lifted away. He had to step away, or he might draw her back in. He forced a physical step back and focused on other things. Like... the time. Yes, they must have been there for hours.

Loki checked the window to learn the time and then glanced back to her. "The hour grows late. Do you wish to return to my chambers?"

The frown that crossed Nancy's features was visible this time. She sighed and took a step farther away from him, turning for one of the vines. "Well, what other choice is there?" This time it was her turn to caress the cherished leaves. "I'm either going to be locked away in your wonderful plush room, or locked in that horrible cell if I say no. Either way, I'm locked away."

He tilted his head in a 'that's about right' gesture. Because it was. About right. It was what he had done, and he probably deserved the chastisement. "I did warn you of this. You agreed." So why did he feel such guilt?

"Yes. I know." She turned and wandered over to one of the larger plants. A white flower that glowed ever so slightly in the light of a nearby candle. "I just want to be where you are." she admitted, lightly tracing the veins of the leaves with her finger, "I'm so tired of being alone."

Loki could think of better employment of their time. Much better, but he wouldn't chance frightening her that much just yet. That kiss had opened doors in his mind that even he feared to venture through. "Off we go, then. Come on."

But she didn't want to leave. Their moment had been so sweet. Why did every moment with him have to end with walls being put back up and distance creating a gap? It was nearly tangible, the distance between them. But she couldn't give in. She wouldn't. To surrender completely meant that he would take all of her, and she just wasn't ready to give herself up. He'd already taken so much from her… she wouldn't let him take that until she knew for sure that she trusted him.

"We don't have to go to bed." she suggested, finally turning to face him, "I'm sure there are plenty of nighttime activities here. I mean, surely your people do more than eat, work, and sleep, right?"

"Mm. You may, perhaps, wish to clarify." For once, and against his better judgment, Loki tried to give her a chance to clarify before he twisted her words with his mischievousness. He did not wish to frighten her further than he had.

Nancy chuckled softly as she read the intentions under his words. He was the god of mischief after all. She knew what he was thinking. "I mean something else. The people of old used to have feasts to celebrate their friends and families. And festivals to celebrate the seasons. Then there was star-gazing… oh! That's it! We could go out and look at the stars! You could show me all the constellations!"

"Absolutely not." It was out of the question. Absolutely ridiculous that she would even think of it. Had she not heard a word he said when she asked to be his pet? 'Locked away for months'. He specifically remembered saying that. Besides, he would ask too much of her and he wasn't ready to cease his fun just yet. Not to mention... the stars themselves. He could no longer gaze on the constellation that hung on the horizon. He started for the door.

Nancy blinked at him, then followed obediently behind. "Why not? Come on, I won't try to run away. Where would I even run to? According to legend, Asgard was built on a cloud. I'd just reach the end and fall off."

He stopped and turned on her. He wouldn't harm her. He wouldn't ask it of her. That was something she must give, herself. He narrowed his eyes. "Because you do not wish to know the favor I would require to allow you to leave the palace."

She gaped at him. He really did want all of her. And didn't care how he got it, either. A trade. A favor for a favor. She would be allowed outside… if she gave herself to him. She huffed. "I think I can handle it. Tell me."

Loki tilted his head as if to warn her and turned for the door again. He refused to entertain the thought of telling her everything he would require. Everything he wanted, despite his apprehensions.

"Don't act like I'd be shocked to know the favor." Nancy crossed her arms and stalked after him, "And don't flatter yourself. You wouldn't be my first. So don't act like I'm so fragile that it'd shatter me to know the favor. Just tell me."

He pushed the doors open. Why—oh, why?—did he have such a twisted mind? Who had formed it into something she would never love, never understand? Had it all been his doing? "There is more to it than that. It only begins with the locked doors that frightened you so."

"Right. Because that makes sense. I can go outside if I agree to being locked away? I mean, are you even hearing yourself? And you're forgetting one little tidbit of information. I've been a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent a heck of a lot longer than I've known you. I've had to work horrific cases. Cases where women were ripped apart with a man's bare hands. I've looked into the eyes of fear. You don't scare me."

Livid that she had said such a thing, Loki turned and grabbed her jaw, trying to get her to shut up. The second reason he wouldn't allow her outside came spilling from his lips without his consent. "Even in Asgard, even here, there are those who would wish me harm. I will not see their hate played out upon one of my most treasured possessions. You do not leave the palace. That is final."

Nancy jerked her face away from him and glared at him, but said nothing. In truth, she was touched that he cared so much. She had no idea that she was one of his most treasured possessions. Yes, he thought of her as a possession, but still… she was one of his most treasured. He treasured her above all else. Nancy's expression softened and she sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I won't leave. I promise."

"Good." He started off again, aiming for his chambers. How could she do that to him? Pull out the truth. Stir his emotions. Make him so angry at her that he wished he could find the strength to strangle her, then soothe him with so few words. Had she cast some spell he had never heard of? Or was he weaker than he liked to think?

As they walked, Nancy began to calm down. She thought on his words and their past few hours together. Their kiss and how kind he had been. She frowned and stepped closer, slipping her hand into his. "Loki, I'm sorry I upset you. I hadn't realized you cared so much. Please forgive me."

"Address, pet." He reached the doors and entered. Crea frolicked around inside with a large black cat.

He hadn't even acknowledged her apology. Nancy released his hand and looked away, hurt by his apathy. It was then that she noticed the cats rolling around the room. How happy they looked, playing together. A small smile rose to her face. "Why are there cats in our room?"

"My room." He made the purring noise that would summon the cats to his side. They both snapped to attention and ran to him. Two curious felines rubbed circles around his legs. Loki reached to pick up the black one first. "You, of course, met Crea earlier."

"Yeah. Who's this guy?" Nancy reached to scratch under the black cat's chin. He was so big and heavy, she wondered how Loki didn't strain under the weight of holding him. "You ever thought about getting a dog? They're wonderful animals. Loyal as a paid soldier."

"I never liked dogs." The loud, odious creatures who insisted on licking him to death. A bit like his oaf of a brother. Loyal to a fault. He stroked the black cat and leaned to study its green eyes. Another of his pets that echoed his own traits. "This is Calder, the male of the pair."

"Aw. That's sweet. They're a pair." She knelt down and held her hand out to Crea. "Will you come to me now?" When the cat refused, she looked up at Loki again. "Do all your pets have pairs?"

Crea continued to rub Loki's ankles, almost whining to be picked up. Loki smiled and petted Calder again. "Just these. Opposites, but well matched."

"That's usually how it works." Nancy stood to her full height and reached to pet Calder again. "But do they like each other? Could they ever have kittens?" A new thought had crossed her mind. If she was indeed Loki's pet, he may treat her entirely as one. And she didn't like the thought of what that would entail.

"My, you pose many questions." He released Calder, who ran out the open door. Crea followed him with lightning-quick reflexes. Loki watched their exit. He didn't like what she implied. That he would be monstrous enough to take away her choices, such as they were. That he might find her a mate. He would never give her to another, even if it killed him. He had never felt such possessiveness over anything, save her.

Nancy shrugged and paced into the room, carefully perching on the edge of Loki's bed. She looked up at him, her hurt and fear obvious in her eyes. "I only want to know more about my future state."

Loki smirked at her choice of seat. He could say so many things to cause her discomfort right now, but he liked the sight of her sitting there. So he tamed his tongue for once in his life. "What does the fertility of my felines have to do with your future state?"

She looked down to the floor and studied the pattern of the tile. The swirls and spots in the marble. Nancy slipped out of the green flats she'd been given and pressed her toes to the tile. The cool stone felt good under her feet and helped to calm her.

"On Earth, we 'fix' our pets so they can't reproduce." she explained quietly, still studying the floor, "By knowing if your cats are fixed, I know whether you're going to have me fixed. Surely you won't accept any half-breed offspring from an animal like myself." Finally, she looked up at him, begging for his answer. Would he accept her as she was? Was there any hope for their relationship to be more than pet and master? Would he ever truly love her?

"The treatment of my horses is different from my snakes, which is different from my cats, which are far different from you. Do not judge your future by theirs." He proceeded to slowly disrobe. His helmet. Boots. Armor. Tunic. "I am for bed."

She didn't move. She was too stunned and sorrowful to move. "And then you'll wake, and go work, and come back late, and go back to bed." He hadn't given her an answer. And he had admitted only minutes before that all she would ever be is a possession to him. She was his possession and hardly mattered any more than that.

He shrugged at her. Let her explain her meaning if she wanted an answer. He had held his heart on his sleeve earlier, and it was so unlike him it made him angry and afraid. What else might she draw out of him? "The life of a king." He lifted her aside – she fit so easily into his arms – and relaxed onto the bed.

"How dull." Nancy turned sideways so she could watch him. "I think I preferred you before, when you were blowing stuff up, brainwashing soldiers, and kidnapping women."

"I could think of quite a few things that could liven my existence. Yet, I will not as yet bother you with the details." He rolled over and shifted his pillow, wondering if he had used his silver tongue one too many times this night. Surely she would recoil in shock and disgust.

"Oh, but I love details." Nancy dropped into bed beside him and snuggled close, despite any warning he might give. She peeked over his shoulder and grinned at him. "Do you remember when I sat with you in Stark's Tower? The first time? You never told me what you thought of it."

Loki was already almost asleep, or he would have reminded her of the warning he had already given last night. She should not expect him to leave her alone, and she should shut up immediately. He liked the thoughts her reminder conjured. He wished it could be as simple as that again, but it couldn't. She had studied him, now he studied her. Turnabout was fair play, was it not?

But he was already almost asleep. Nancy watched as his eyes fluttered closed. "Wait, you didn't...!" But it was too late. How exhausted he must have been to fall asleep so quickly.

She softly kissed his temple and petted his hair. There was no need in waking him for something so trivial as her own sleep. She could sleep tomorrow, while he was away. For now, he needed his rest so he could face the battles and trials of tomorrow. The life he led as king. "Sleep well, master." Nancy whispered, then nuzzled him once more before she stood from the bed.

That night, Nancy curled up in one of the plush chairs on the balcony, her green velvet blanket spread over her. As Loki slept in the room beyond, she watched the stars… alone.