"I beg your pardon?" he asked, as though he hadn't heard her.

"I wondered if you wouldn't mind having sex with me."

He put his fingers to his eyes. "I heard you. Just… This place is so strange."

She bit the end of her fingernail. "If the answer is no, that's alright. It's not part of my duties, and it's definitely not part of yours. It's just, that everyone in the TVA is asexual, and when I bring it up, they get confused. I just don't understand why someone would kill for sex. I'd like to research to better do my job."

Loki looked down both hallways, then grabbed her hand and pulled her inside his room. She caught her balance, and he shut the door behind her. "Sorry, I just felt strange having that conversation out in the open." He crossed his arms in front of him and regarded her up and down. "So, you come to me because I'm not asexual. Why not just find someone in the real world?"

"I'd create an alternate timeline and then I'd be fired."

"Fired meaning…"

"Disintegrated."

He rolled his eyes. "What is up with this place and disintegration? My god…"

"Well, what do you say?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I do have a lot of experience."

"I read your file."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"No. Why should it? Anyway, I'm not looking to fall in love. Only have sex."

"Well that's a relief. The God of Mischief doesn't fall in love. But I'm afraid the answer is no."

"Oh." Mabel felt a sting. It surprised her. It shouldn't matter if he was interested or not. But for some reason, it did. "Alright, thank you for your time." She headed toward the door, but then turned back to him regarding her as she walked away. His eyes had definitely been on her ass. "Purely curious, may I ask the reason you said no?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "It's simply not done this way. Besides, I've had quite the day. I lost a war to my moronic brother and his band of merry men, found out my mother died. I'm supposed to be murdered in my timeline, and now I've been coalesced into this bizarre circus you work for. Suffice to say, I'm exhausted."

"So it has nothing to do with my attractiveness?"

He smirked. "No."

"Am I? By Asgardian standards? Again, I'm merely curious. We just don't have the same sort of ranking system here."

"You're quite attractive by any standard." His eyes raked Mabel up and down, and she felt something she'd never felt before. A heat rising from her chest to her face.

"Thank you." She flipped back to the door. Then she turned around again.

Loki narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not trying to belabor the point, but I'm given to understand that sex is tension relieving. Maybe we could exchange. Research for tension relief?"

"You are in interesting little bird. Back and forth, back and forth."

She shrugged. "I've always been that way. I can't help it. I know it drives my fellow agents crazy."

Loki considered her, then began to walk around her slowly, circling like a calculating feline predator. She supposed this was to intimidate her, but all she felt was that sort of tingly heat that pulsed in her limbs.

"So, a little quid pro quo exchange of goods so to speak?"

She nodded.

"I hope you'll pardon the sentiment, but you don't seem the sort. You're very lovely, don't get me wrong, but you have this sort of innocent naivete that, for all my mischief, I'd feel rather bad in quashing."

"Would sex do such a thing?"

He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips nodding. He leaned down, and took her chin in his fingers, and her breath caught at his closeness.

"I'd hate to be the one to put that light out of your big brown eyes."

She considered. "I may be naive in the ways of physical relations, but I assure you, I'm no innocent little dove."

"I've murdered people," he said.

She steeled her eyes. "So have I."

"Hundreds."

"Thousands."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise searching her face. "A little fire, I like it. Pushback is always alluring," he said, tilting his head to one side.

She looked up at his hair, so inky black she wondered if her fingers would disappear into it. It was like the night sky. Women always seemed to be lacing their fingers into their partners hair when they were having sex.

She felt he was going to say no still, though she could tell he was intrigued. Mabel had learned a thing or two in her few years at the TVA. Ask; the questioned party would blanche, then counter with a bargain, and walk away before they could say no again. They usually acquiesced. It was the only way to get the resources she needed for her department.

So she started walking away.

"Well, it's been nice to meet you," she said. "Good luck with everything, and I'm sorry about your mother." She really was terribly sorry about that. She didn't have a mother to miss if they died.

Her hand was on the door knob…

"Wait…"

She smiled a little smile.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," he said. "I'm the god of Mischief, remember?"

She turned back. "But it worked right?"

He narrowed his eyes, then smiled. He chuckled in defeat. "Just one fuck?"

"That's all."

"So, how do you want to do this?"

"I really don't know. I was hoping you'd know."

He put his hand over his eyes and sighed. "Oh Lord…"

"I'd prefer no beds. That feels a little too… intimate."

He looked up surprised. "Agreed..."

"I've always thought against the wall would be fun. And you look like you could hold me up. You're very tall and muscular."

"Em…Thank you. That sounds alright. So, clothes off?"

"On please. I don't see why we couldn't have sex with most of them on."

"Well, I think you've come up with a fine plan. Do you know where everything goes?"

She nodded.

"Well then…"

Mabel started unbuckling her belt. Loki's eyes went completely hazy, his pupils dilating. She could see his blood moving faster in his neck vein. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my! I'm arousing you!"

"No you're not!" he cried. She gave him a look of incredulity and he sighed. "Alright, yes. It's been some time. I've had a lot going on the past few years, trying to rule Midgard and all. I don't live off physical pleasure like some people."

"That's alright. I'm glad I'm arousing you. I heard it makes things easier."

He was actually blushing. "That reminds me," he said. "If you're asexual, and I can't, get your motor started, so to speak, we'll need something to help things… slide into place. Like some olive oil?"

"Oh, you mean lubrication? I came prepared. It's in my bag."

She took a bottle out of her small purse and handed it to him. He read the label. "What will they think of next…" he said.

They began to unbuckle their belts at the same time. She felt as though it would be prudent to look into his eyes as they did. He met her gaze, and a heat sprang up between them. His smile left his face, and she was hit with an intensity that shocked her. He dropped the belt on the floor. She followed suit.

"Right…"

She took a step forward.

Then him.

Soon they were standing right in front of each other.

"This is very strange," he said.

"Now is when you pick me up I think."

He obliged, and she jumped up into his arms,his long fingers on her bum. She wrapped her legs around his hips. He walked them backward and put her back against the wall.

"Now is when you pull down my pants…"

"This would be a lot easier if you weren't narrating," he said. "And I do know what I'm doing, remember?"

"Oh, sorry."

"Yes well…" His fingers went to the button on her trousers and snapped them open with one move. "Now is when you'd take mine off too. Or would you prefer I do it?"

Her breath caught in her throat a little. "No, I can do it."

He set her on the ground and they undid each other's buttons and zippers, letting their trousers drop to the floor. She stepped out of hers, and he lifted her again like she was nothing.

She'd never been this close to anyone before. There was heat radiating off him, but the most distracting heat was down there. And it was extremely enjoyable. It tickled and tingled, and she realized, it felt wet. He was staring into her eyes. His were very, very blue. Unnervingly blue. Her lips parted, a shaky breath leaving her mouth. He had nice cheekbones. She hadn't realized she'd been running her fingers over them, until he let out a soft sigh. She removed her hand quickly and placed it on his neck.

She needn't be so nervous. This was research, that was all. But if she could look into those ice blue eyes, alight with intensity and those great cheekbones, it was very pleasant research indeed.

He breathed on his hand twice to warm it, then opened the bottle and squeezed some of the gel onto his fingers.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded. He snaked his hand down between them, and without removing his gaze from hers, slipped his digits inside her.

Her head went back and hit the wall hard. "Ouch."

"Alright?" he asked, his hand stopping its stroking.

"Yes, you can keep going…"

He smiled a little, and caressed the sensitive flesh, pushing in further, making sure every surface was coated. "You're already wet without touching," he said. "Perhaps you're not so asexual after all."

"Perhaps not," she said, breathing hard. "It doesn't make any sense." His face was so close, and it would have been easy to kiss him, but that's not what this was about. He did have lovely lips. Thin, powerful looking. She guessed he was a good kisser despite zero practical experience to inform her. "Maybe, I do find you sexually attractive."

He looked smug then. "Are you ready Mabel?" he asked.

For some reason, the sound of her name on his lips sent a wave of electricity down from her head to her toes.

"Yes." She glanced down and gasped. That was awfully large. How would it fit?

He grabbed himself and pushed in with a groan.

"Oh! Oh my," she said. As the void that was aching filled with him, she bit her lip, her eyes closing. Her fingers tightened around his neck of their own accord.

He placed one hand on the wall and anchored her to him with the other. Resting the side of his head against her cheek he thrust in once.

"Mm," he grunted.

The slip inside her was wonderful. It hurt a little, but mostly it just felt good.

She breathed in the scent of his hair, soft against her face. It smelled amber and sharp and expensive. This was nice. Very nice. She held on tight to his shoulders as he thrust again. Then again. Her fingers wound into his hair. At the next thrust, she gave it a little tug.

He groaned, his lips moving to her ear. "That wasn't so innocent," he whispered.

The vibration of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She smiled. "No?"

"No."

He started picking up speed.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Pleasant," she said.

He stopped moving. "Pleasant? That's all?"

"What's wrong with that?" she asked.

"Nothing I suppose." He started moving again.

A pull of pleasure began to bloom in her abdomen. "Oh, oh, interesting. Oh, I like this."

She could feel his smile against her cheek. He started to pick up speed. "Thrust into me," he commanded. She pushed her hips forward, his cock going deeper. They started a rhythm. Oh, sex was a mutual task.

He grunted regularly, and she gripped him tighter as little moans left her throat, louder and of their own accord. The low throbbing grew where their bodies met, almost painful, and yet she longed for more as it grew stronger. All at once, her eyes flew open as her orgasm rolled over the crest, and her insides broke apart. She trembled against him, her nails scratching into his scalp.

Then she felt very hot and wet indeed, as he convulsed into her, his seed scorching her inner walls. She held him close as she rode out the waves. He was still jerking into her. And still. Much, much longer than she had.

His sharp breaths were warm in her ear. Finally he pulled away panting. "So?" he asked.

"Very pleasant."

He frowned. Lifting her by her sides, he unsheathed himself, and set her on the ground. He pulled up his trousers and walked over to where he'd dropped his belt.

She slipped on her pants again and fastened the button. So that was sex? That was fun. Great fun. Wonderful. But not worth killing over. Especially when after complimenting your partner they became sullen and despondent.

Loki, buckled his belt and handed hers to her from the floor. He slipped the bottle of lube back in her purse.

"Thank you. That was very pleasant."

He squinted at her. "So you keep saying."

"I didn't mean to offend you. I really did enjoy it."

"Is that all you wanted?"

"Yes." She struggled for words, with his blue eyes boring into her in annoyance. "I guess…." Why did she feel like she'd done something wrong when he'd agreed to it? "I guess, I'll be seeing you around the office."

"I'm sure you will."

"Goodbye."

She picked up her bag from the round table, and with one last look she left. She heard the door close behind her.