A/N: Ugh. There's a Twitter conversation in here but ff doesn't like the 'at' symbol apparently. But y'all are smart enough to figure out that that user names are in the italics... :)

Thank you all for for the favourites and follows! And don't be shy, leave a review! I really love hearing what you guys think of the story. Thanks to the lovely people who have left one so far!

Disclaimer: Double the denial of owning anything due to the lack of disclaimer on the previous chapter. So, not mine. Dammit.

Stuff & Nonsense - Chapter Four

Another parcel sat on his desk.

Loki slowly let out the breath he just realised he was holding. As always, the unmarked package was just sitting there. All innocent and blank on the outside, but oh, the trouble it could cause.

When the first parcel arrived five months ago, he was positively gleeful. Not only at the information it revealed, but what it represented. Asgard was collapsing from the inside, and that could only be good for Jotunn. But more importantly, the information contained also helped to assuage the hurt that was still lingering after the Asgard family revelation debacle. But as more parcels arrived, and his brother's company began to visibly suffer, Loki began to - maybe regret is too strong of a word - become more wary of the damage it caused.

And so. Another parcel. Loki walked around his desk carefully, as if studying the padded envelope would reveal it's origins. It was only a short time since the last lot of information arrived. Asgard was obviously scrambling to get back on top. He brushed his fingers over the envelope. Should he? He doesn't really need it, not at the moment. He was flying business-wise.

What he'd love to know was who was sending him the info. He didn't care before, but now-

Loki picked up the parcel, turned around and dropped it into a draw, shutting it firmly.

Darcy always made a point to become as friendly as possible with the IT staff. Generally it wasn't an issue, as for the most part they were quite friendly, but she now had stronger reasons to get close. Jason and Susan seemed thrilled that one of the new kids could keep up with their level of techno-speak and told Darcy all about the different systems Jotunn used.

Including security feeds.

After work the Tuesday four weeks after starting at Jotunn, in her one bedroom apartment in the slightly less flash part of town, Darcy pulled out her specially modified laptop and began to slowly and carefully hack her way into Jotunn's security system. She was at it for several hours, not noticing the skies turning pink then indigo and her small kitchen and lounge room area becoming darker until her stomach made an appearance with a loud growl. Surprised, she looked down at her belly, then began to chuckle. She had obviously picked up too many of Jane's traits.

The link between her laptop and Jotunn was hidden under several proxies, so she felt confident that no one would notice unless they deliberately looked for her. She shut down the laptop and stretched, leaning back in her chair and pushing away from the table, wincing as something in her back cracked. The bing of her Starktab brought her attention back to the table.

"Oo!" Darcy whispered. Someone new was following her on Twitter. Well, Dana anyways.

lokilau

Darcy froze. Was that.. Loki?! She tapped on the name. Oh, shitmeister. It was. She felt very warm all of a sudden. There was another bing. A private message.

I feel you're hiding from me, danadolightly.

Oh, this is so inappropriate, boss man. Darcy grinned in the face of Loki's blatant disregard for his own company's policy.

I'm an open book, lokilau. You know where I work.

I'd prefer to see you on level 58 again, danadolightly.

Over the line lokilau! WAY over the line.

Darcy was still grinning like an idiot. Loki Laufeyson was flirting with her! She chose to disregard the fact that she was not only his employee, but also an employee with a false identity.

It had been way too long since she attracted any attention from the opposite sex.

Ugh. Way too long.

And Tony didn't count. Dude was practically married.

The line was crossed long ago, danadolightly. Dinner?

Are you asking me out, boss lokilau?

Yes, danadolightly. I certainly am.

Darcy released a long breath through pursed lips and leaned back in her chair again. Her hand rose to grasp at her thick locks. "Argh!" What the hang was she supposed to do with that? There was no doubting that Mr TD&H Laufeyson had been featuring high on her fantasy lists, but she couldn't possibly go out with him! She couldn't! She knew her weaknesses, she was a talker, especially under the influence of alcohol. And a very pretty man.

She wouldn't be able to keep up the pretence; she'd slip. And that would be all levels of bad.

Her heart sank. Well, shit. That sucked. She hesitated a moment longer before she typed back.

No can do lokilau. Workplace romance + Dana = Awkward. Trust me.

She anxiously pressed her fingers against her lips.

danadolightly I do love the thrill of the chase.

Darcy forgot to breathe. Dammit, Loki! Not again!

She gasped a breath in.

Then she squealed.

Jane trudged up the last stairs to the loft apartment she shared with Thor in SoHo. The last few days she had been avoiding spending too much time with her fiancé, she could admit it, mostly by working late and having dinners with friends. She hated deception and it seemed to be blatantly obvious to anyone who knew her whenever she lied.

Everyone except for Thor.

Darcy was in the thick of this, and the more Jane thought about what they were doing, the more she believed that their plan wasn't going to work. The few times she's managed to talk to Darcy (the other woman drilled into her the importance of not mentioning anything in texts or emails about their plans - would people really read their personal emails?) her assistant would always make some inappropriate comment about Thor's brother. A joke, Darcy assured her. But Jane knew how easy it was to fall for an Asgard man. She fell for Thor three days after running him down with her old van! It wasn't intentional, either the hitting with the car, or the falling in love. But they just clicked. And Jane was a woman of science, for goodness' sake. A passion like what she and her fiancé had for each other was not supposed to happen to people like her.

So she despaired for Darcy, who was just so passionate and open and friendly and so out there. The woman was honesty personified, and being 'Dana Lawson' would take a toll on her. Especially if she really liked Thor's little brother.

Jane smiled tiredly at Heimdall, Thor's Chief of Security as she passed him in the hall. "Hey, Heimdall," she greeted.

"Doctor Foster," he replied, his deep voice soft. His almost golden eyes seemed to look right through her. "I hope you are not working yourself too hard."

Jane's breath caught. He didn't know anything, did he? Argh! This was all making her so paranoid! She chuckled, hoping her nerves didn't show through, "Oh, you know how it is, Heimdall-"

"Yes, indeed," he nodded slowly. His gaze pinned her again. "And without Miss Darcy around, you must be a little lost."

She looked up at him, a worried frown forming over her features. "Has- has Thor been talking to you about this?"

"It is my duty to see all, Doctor Foster."

She began to fidget. "And what have you seen, exactly?"

His face softened. "I see two young women doing everything they can to help the man they adore either as a lover, or like a brother."

Jane's eyes darted up and down the hall before she stepped closer to whisper urgently, "I can't tell him, Heimdall. Not yet. She might find something and if Sif finds out before she can find anything-" Jane stopped, eyes pleading.

"I understand," he whispered back. "I will say nothing of this. I am only his Chief of Security, after all. Master Thor is quite secure." He gave a small reassuring smile.

She smiled back in relief. "You're not just anything, Heimdall." She reached out and touched his arm in gratefulness. "Thank you."

As she entered the loft, Jane resolved to have this over and done with very, very soon.

So much for meeting new people. Darcy sighed as she dropped her handbag beneath the rickety wooden seat she plopped down into. Leaning forward, elbows on the table, she began to play with the stem of her wine glass, watching the condensation slide onto the table from the glass of her favourite Sauvignon Blanc.

One of her favourite comedians was on tonight at the intimate and slightly run down comedy club and she couldn't ask anyone to come with her. She wasn't supposed to be in the city. So that ruled out Jane, Thor, or anyone from Asgard. She could have begged her new bestie Tony and his girlfriend Pepper, or Thor's fun and cute friend Fandral. But that would attract far too much attention. She was here as Dana, not Darcy. She had thought of inviting workmates from Jotunn, and even got so far as to ask a couple, but some had prior commitments, and the others had families to look after.

So, alone. Such fun.

The scrape of the chair next to her being pulled away from the table jolted her out of her dire thoughts. Thinking that someone just wanted to take the chair for another table, she gaped when a tall glass of Guinness joined her wine.

"Is this seat taken?" Instead of waiting for an answer, Loki slid gracefully into the seat next to her, arranging his long legs so they angled off towards her own.

"Oh, uh- hi! I mean, no," Darcy replied with elegance. She felt a telltale blush begin to creep up the back of her neck. Thank goodness it was so dim in the club.

"Good," he smiled at her, leaning back comfortably into the chair, and managing to convey a million meanings into that single syllable word. He picked up his glass again with those lovely long fingers and brought the glass to his lips. A tiny bit of the white froth clung to his top lip, which he swept away with his tongue. Silver Tongue.

Holy shit, Darcy, did you want him to hear your ovaries explode?

Taking up her own glass, she held it up to her burning face, hoping he wouldn't notice the glowy-ness. "So what brings you out here on this fine Thursday evening, Mr Laufeyson?" Hoorah! A whole sentence! Alert the media!

"Loki, and the potential for a few laughs, drinks, and enchanting company."

Darcy snorted. "Righto." She leaned towards him, watching his line of vision drop for a second. "I think you might be flirting with me." She paused. "Loki." She lowered her voice further on his name.

He swallowed and she felt a brief surge of triumph. At least it's not just her! He reached forward with his hand and wrapped it around her own, the one still loosely holding the wine glass on the table. His cool fingers travelled down hers and Darcy felt as if every nerve ending jumped as his fingers passed. "Whatever gave you that idea, Dana?" His nose was inches away from her own and his fingers kept stroking her own.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's a relief. What would I do if my boss was coming onto me?"

"Oh, I expect that you would have a great deal of fun stringing the poor bloke along," Loki grinned cheekily.

"I'm sure he could give as good as he got, I mean, he knows his business inside and out. Why not a new employee?"

"Are you proposing I get to know my-" his green eyes dipped south again, "new employee inside and out?"

"It could be very beneficial to the business, knowing who works for you so well," Darcy's voice became breathless, heart thumping.

His lips were now a breath away from hers and for the life of her, Darcy couldn't tear herself away. "Then have dinner with me," he whispered. He was radiating warmth and his glorious eyes were half shuttered. Darcy was about to choke out a 'yes' and then leap on top of him and get straight to dessert when he added, "Dana."

It was as if someone had walked up behind her and shoved three ice cubes down the back of her shirt. She leaned back a fraction and Loki's face began to register the rejection when the lights went down completely and applause broke out.

Dammit! Darcy felt like jumping up and down like a three year old in a tantrum. So not fair!

Suddenly a hand threaded itself through her hair and around an arm and she found herself nearly pulled into Loki's lap. He snickered at her yelp. "Game on, Ms Lawson," he playfully growled in her ear before licking her ear lobe. A spotlight lit up the stage and Darcy found herself dumped back in her seat, slightly ruffled, with an innocent looking Loki Laufeyson quietly sipping his beer, a sparkle in his eye as he gazed up at the stage.