Loki's eyes practically glowed as she took in all of the sights of New York City. It wasn't Asgard, the lack of gold and flying vehicles made that abundantly clear, but it was beautiful in its own right. Currently, she and Bucky were standing on the Brooklyn Bridge, looking out over the river. A soft breeze was blowing, and Loki's long dark hair rippled in the wind. She shivered slightly in the late afternoon chill, and Bucky wordlessly draped his jacket over her shoulders. Loki murmured her thanks and sidled just a little bit closer to him.
"It's beautiful," she said softly, watching as the setting sun painted the skyline in a myriad of oranges and pinks.
"It is," Bucky told her with a nod, but he wasn't looking at the sky. The two had spent the entire day exploring the city. He had been surprised by how much of American life Lisa was unfamiliar with, but she had been curious and excited to learn. He'd quickly realized that she was incredibly intelligent, with a witty and somewhat sarcastic streak that came out once she was comfortable being around someone. She enjoyed modern art, classical music, and a wide variety of literature, including some books he'd never heard of. She understood politics and human nature with an accuracy that bordered on the uncanny. The woman spoke at least six different languages and had a soft spot for cats. On top of all that, Bucky found her ridiculously attractive. Her features were too sharp, too angular, to ever be called pretty, but, by God, she was beautiful.
It didn't take a genius to realize he was falling for her, and fast. However, the feeling was saddened by the knowledge that at some point, likely sooner than later and with very little warning, he would be required to take up his gun and play a part in the conflict that raged across Europe. Likely, nothing would ever come of these feelings. The seeds of anything more than passing attraction would be quashed before they even got a chance to take root.
"What's that?" Loki asked, pointing to a cluster of lights on the far bank of the river.
Bucky followed her gaze. "That? Oh, that's the Stark Expo! It starts tomorrow night. There's going to be games, and shows, and Howard Stark - he's a famous inventor - is going to be unveiling a bunch of new inventions."
"That sounds fascinating." Out of the corner of her eyes, Loki watched her companion. She'd watched him closely during the hours they'd spent exploring the city. He was kind, compassionate, a little stubborn, and incredibly honest. He was smarter than most people gave him credit for, too, she'd noticed as they spoke about anything and everything. He liked having a plan, but he wasn't averse to spontaneity and just having fun. He'd taken the time to get to know her as best as she'd let him, despite the fact that they'd met less than 48 hours before. And, he was handsome, too, she finally admitted to herself, especially for a Midgardian. Still, if he knew what she really was - why she was here, what she could DO - he'd probably want nothing to do with her. Hel, even her own people were afraid of her abilities, although they did their best not to show it. Internally, Loki sighed. It would never work; relationships of any kind required honesty and trust.
What idiot would ever trust the Goddess of Lies?
"Would you like to go?" Bucky asked. "A...friend of mine was supposed to go with me, but she couldn't make it. Steve's gonna be there, too, and he's bringing an acquaintance of his."
She wasn't just your friend, Loki thought, was she? Of course, she knew the answer, but she didn't ask it out loud. The pain radiating from him was enough to give her an idea of what had happened, but it was dulled somewhat. Clearly, it had been some time since he had broken up with this mystery woman. And, besides, it was a good opportunity to hear rumors of what was going on in the war, since she still didn't have a good plan of how to observe it directly.
And if a teeny tiny voice was encouraging her to spend more time with this charming Midgardian in the process, well, how could she say no?
"I'd like that," Loki said.
"Should probably head back before it gets dark," Bucky said, glancing at the sky. Loki nodded and took his hand when he offered it. The two walked back to the apartment in companionable silence as snowflakes began to drift silently down around them.