You know, since school started, I'm really surprised I haven't been writing more; I really have to break my stress-writing habit. But anyway, sorry for these chapters, guys. They're not the most interesting because right now I'm trying to build a realistic relationship between the characters, and the plot hasn't fully begun just yet. Also, sorry for the length of this chapter; roughly 8,000 and something words? That's crazy.

"I was alone, staring over the ledge, trying my best not to forget all manner of joy, all manner of glee, and our one heroic pledge..." Meds, Placebo.

Disclaimer: Thor and its affiliates still don't belong to me...sadly.

Darcy Lewis may be nothing but a ploy, but she is most confusing.

Loki goes to bed late a few nights after his first...date with the woman, and finds that, unwillingly, she runs through his mind. Not because of any aspect of her that appeals to him, of course, but because of confusion. Darcy Lewis is a very complex woman: quick-witted, sharp of tongue, and brash and crude to not limits. However, on their first date, Loki found her to be...less so.

He does not understand. While he does pride himself to be charming to a fault with women (Darcy knows nothing), and while he can lie like no other, he did not expect Darcy Lewis to succumb to his plan just yet. He expected more difficulty. More challenge. She provided nothing but small talk and even a willing kiss to his cheek in parting. And banter, of course, but less than he had anticipated.

What are her plans? Her ambitions? What does she seek from Loki, if she seeks anything at all? Other women have had one thing in mind: his money. Perhaps that is what sways Darcy Lewis as well; he did, after all, take her to a very expensive restaurant. He also assured her that he enjoyed spending time with her (what a laugh, that), and perhaps that is what made her go soft: genuine emotion.

Loki smirks to himself slightly as he turns off the lights of his room, slowly sinking down into his bed in satisfaction. Ah, how his lying always comes in handy. But no matter of his lies, no matter how artfully they have been designed. What matters now is that he has a ploy, but like all ploys, he must use her carefully.

Loki's plan has always been to introduce Darcy to his parents, assure them he did not want Asgard Industries, and slowly make them believe so by continuing to court the woman (the thought makes him grimace). Then, when they believe him, Loki will get to Thor and trick his brother into handing over the company himself, though with lies or guilt he has not decided. Either way, it will be foolproof, for Thor is thick enough to fall for any trick easily.

It will be his best work of lies yet. Thor is such a fool that, when Odin and his mother are tricked, Loki will have no trouble with taking the company from the oaf. At the least, Loki will inform him of how coldly Darcy left him and guilt Thor into giving him the last possible thing that could bring him happiness (because of course Loki is going to end things with the woman as soon as possible).

And then, won't it be just grand? Loki will have Asgard Industries. Darcy Lewis will be out of his life. Thor will no longer be the good son, the better son, the one who won everything. His parents, though perhaps not as accepting, would see, in time, that Loki was always to be suited for the company. Perhaps Sif was right; this is a game. And, dare he say, he has many well-suited pawns he is playing.

Like every game, there is a special pawn that is left to the end, to be used to win it all. Loki regrets that this pawn might very well be Darcy, but at the same time, he revels in this, for there is one thing he has not thought of this: his own sense of satisfaction in the end of it all. When he is the rightful owner of Asgard Industries, he will have it all. And, when he ends all relations with Darcy Lewis, he will have even more. To see her break, to see her fall...that is all he desires. She was- is- as foolish as to say such things about him, and that is what she deserves, the lower-class scum, daring to demean him and then kiss him as if...

Loki, who had been drifting into sleep, awakens with a jolt. He will not let himself finish the previous thought in fear of what he is letting his mind do: assume things. Darcy Lewis does not feel anything towards him; she barely knows him, and thinks him snobby and indifferent (which he is- indifferent, but not snobby). Even if she does not feel anything, there was something off about her the last time they met. Loki does not know what it was, or whether or not he likes the idea.

Slowly, he sits up in his bed, pushing the soft covers off his body. He exits his room and goes into his kitchen, pouring himself a drink of water; he finds he needs something to take an edge off of his mind. As he swallows the cold, satisfying liquid, he comes to decide he must merely go to bed and forget all he has thought of tonight. His plans are only going to work if they stay as they are, and for now, all he must be concerned with is getting Darcy Lewis to be his, no matter how redundant the matter is.

Loki gets back into his bed and tries to banish all thoughts of her from his mind. He is not the type to obsessively think of his plans; he is the type that, with little planning, can get his way even without thinking it. This plan is clearly taking its toll on him; he'd better fall asleep as quickly as possible.

The covers he pulls over his body are warm in contrast to the cold December winds howling outside. Even though the month has barely begun, the days are as cold as any that could dawn in the later days of the month. But Loki has never been one to mind the cold; in fact, he prefers it. This prompts him to push the covers away slightly, welcoming the chill and the allure of sleep. It would surely soothe his mind...

Loki glances quickly at the alarm clock by his bed. It is nearly one in the morning.

Closing his eyes, he breathes in deeply and lets himself fall asleep. And even as tendrils of sleep drag him under, he finds himself somewhat...uneasy about the possible idea of Darcy Lewis using him as he is using her. Well, that is not anything he must concern himself over; in the end, she will get nothing.

For a while, rest comes easily. The hours that tick by are one of blissful unconsciousness, even short as they are. And they are short indeed, for even though Loki does not have to go in to work until eleven in the morning, he finds himself awkwakened at 6:00 A.M., and not by his own choice. No, it is by Darcy Lewis's, for that is when she calls his cell phone and startles him out of his restful slumber.

Now, Loki is a very patient man. He would have not minded this wake-up call, as he would have been able to play it off, had it not been for the song that played when his phone rang. A song, might he add, that Loki specifically never would have set as his ringtone. Said song was hardly a song, either. It might as well have been painful white noise, for it was "Barbie Girl" by Aqua. The same ringtone Darcy has. That must have been what the foolish woman did beside change her contact name; change his ringtone as well.

Against his better judgment, Loki answers. "Hello?" he says lowly, trying to bottle his annoyance, even though he couldn't help his tone of voice becoming slightly tinged with it.

"Loki?" inquires Darcy.

Loki sighs; of course it's her. "Yes?"

"When do you go into work today?" Darcy questions, not even bothering to apologize for waking him, nor bothering to say anything of the ringtone abomination.

"At eleven in the morning," Loki replies, and he finds himself unable to surpress a sudden yawn that dawns when he realizes he could still be sleeping.

"Oh. Well this is awkward," Darcy says. "I called early hoping to get you before you had to get to work, and you're going in like really late." Still, she does not apologize.

Loki closes his eyes. "Yes, well, now you know," he says in a clipped tone, trying hard to keep hiding his annoyance. "May I inquire upon your reasoning for such a call?"

"You said I could choose our next date," Darcy reminds him.

So he did. And rather foolishly, might he add.

"Yes, of course," Loki says. "You wish to go out on a date soon?" It has only been a few days since their first date; Loki had not expected Darcy to be so eager as to go on another date so soon. Perhaps this is part of her own ambitions of using him, if she is using him as he suspects.

"Yup. When do you get out of work?"

"Six," Loki replies.

"Cool, then how do you feel about a date after you get out of work?"

"Very well," Loki says tiredly, and he leans his head against his pillow before adding, "What is your plan for this date?" Whatever she has planned, it must be something only someone of her class would enjoy.

"Three words: Christmas tree lighting," comes the happy response, and even if Darcy is on the phone, Loki pictures her grinning face much too easily for six in the morning. "Meet me there at eight, 'kay?"

What the woman refers to is how, one week before Christmas, a large tree is situated in a park in the center of the town, and said tree's lights are lit once every night, up until Christmas. It is meant to be a time of merriment, as there are always venders of hot chocolate and carolers abound wherever one goes, and families milling about at booths where vendors sell other objects to the winter-induced masses seeking enjoyment. Loki has never found the place appealing; he enjoyed going as a child, but now finds no use for it.

Still, right now he sighs; clearly this woman is going to be the death of him, for he knows he very foolishly agreed to let her choose their next date and must do as he says. If only his business enemies could see him now; surely, they'd laugh into cardiac arrest at the irony.

"Fine," says Loki finally, dismissing all other objections (at least verbally).

"Sweet! And also, don't wear a suit. Dress like a normal human being."

Loki frowns. "I am a most normal-"

She hangs up without as much as another word or goodbye.

Still frowning, Loki turns off his phone, bemoaning his lack of luck. While at times it seems to be a good move on his part to get Darcy Lewis involved with his plans, other times he realizes that this woman is going to ruin him, whether or not he likes it.

He sighs and leans fully into his pillow, allowing his tired eyes to drift shut. The thought of sleep- once a comfort- tortures him when he realizes he might not get to sleep again, having been so fully woken.

Loki leaves his house a half hour short of the time he is supposed to meet Darcy. The drive to the park is too long, and Loki finds himself disoriented as it is. He is quite annoyed that Darcy insisted he wear something other than a suit, for he often wears his suits most places he goes. Oh, the ordeals he puts himself through to appease this woman...

Reaching the park, he spots the woman's ridiculous beanie and coat as soon as he pulls in to a parking spot. Upon exiting his car, he disdainfully tugs on the sleeves of his own coat. The cotton shirt he wears underneath, paired with the dark jeans, are not a combination he likes. To add to his discomfort, he has also not eaten since he got off from work, having to go out and buy this combination of clothing he wears now and go home to change into it quickly.

"Hey!" Darcy jogs over to him, beaming ridiculously. "You came!"

"We did establish I would, yes," mutters Loki.

"And you look human. This is a Christmas miracle," declares the foolish woman, but she still looks absurdly happy for some unknown reason. "Now c'mon, let's get in there! I want to see the tree."

Loki resists the urge to question why- surely she's seen a tree before- but he decides to stay silent and let the woman grab his arm and tug him deeper into the park grounds, where a tall, vast tree stands waiting. Excited onlookers are around it, all of them awaiting the ceremonial tree lighting as well.

Admittedly, Loki remembers this tradition. He remembers coming with his mother as a young boy a few times, the two of them sneaking out of the house because Thor and Odin never were interested and often immersed in some sports game on television. He remembers how Frigga would lift him as high as she could to let him see the tree better, and how he would always laugh at the feeling and insist she was stronger than Odin could ever be. Afterwards they would get hot chocolate and walk around the park, hand-in-hand, and even later on arrive home with warm stomachs and cold cheeks, both absurdly happy as the woman beside him seems to be.

Loki swallows thickly at the memory, blinking back to reality as Darcy makes an inhuman squeal beside him as the lights of the tree are lit. Vaguely he hears the excited cheers of some young kids, eagerly holding their parents' hands, and Loki looks over at Darcy and finds her expression similar to that of those children: eager, and too excited. Her eyes seem to be lit up with eagerness, and the way she rocks on her heels eagerly gives her away as well.

In a single quick movement, she turns to look at him. She smiles as their eyes connect, though a little too excitedly for Loki's taste. Loki doesn't smile back; what he does is stare back at her with confusion heavy in his eyes. Why is she so excited? She is twenty-two and surely past childish fun as he once indulged in. How can she, though old enough to let go such a thing, still indulge in it? How can she easily go back to those days?

Loki finds himself unsure as to what to do when Darcy begins to clap and the others onlooking the tree join her. Loki stares at the tree, trying to see the exciting piece everyone else seems to see, but all he sees is an evergreen tree with strings of small, illuminated glass bulbs stringed over it. Where do these people find merriment in it? How did he ever find it exciting as a young boy?

Darcy's hand suddenly brushes past his, making Loki look at her in surprise, and then her finger finishes its descent to prod his shoulder teasingly. "You okay there?" she asks, the tease of her motions mirrored in her tone of voice. "You're staring at the tree like you want to murder it."

Loki clears his throat. "Of course," he assures her. "I...was merely lost in thought."

Darcy looks back to the tree, still beaming. "Yeah, I do that too, whenever I come here," she says, and her tone of voice slips into one of pure wistfulness for a second. "It's magical, isn't it?"

Magical is not the term Loki would have used. Haunting is more relatable.

"Quite," he agrees, albeit unwillingly.

Darcy sighs in contentment before looking back to Loki. "Is this the first time you've been here?" she asks. "Y'know, to the whole tree-lighting thing?"

Loki could've easily lied and said no. He could change the subject. But he finds himself doing neither; instead, he nods, looking out to the tree quietly. Past memories with his mother, he finds, haunt him. While he finds himself unable to resist his mother's affection, he cannot help the burning feeling of knowing she lied to him all these years, and that she is not his real mother.

"Really? I never would've pegged you as the type," says Darcy, and she studies him with scrutiny. "You strike me as a Scrooge who goes around saying 'Bah humbug' and throwing snow in the faces of small children."

Loki finds himself unable to resist rolling his eyes. "How did you deduce such a thing?" he asks, because while he's never hated Christmas, he's always just sort of tolerated it.

"Um, you're an asshole, remember?" Darcy reminds him.

Loki quirks a brow at this. "You still think me as such?" he asks.

"Duh," is Darcy's curt reply. "Why would you even think you were in the clear with that? I don't hate you or anything, but if you're an asshole to me, then you're staying an asshole until I decide you aren't."

Loki finds himself vaguely...amused. "So you do not hate me," he notes.

Darcy shrugs. "Eh, I really should, for the things you said," she says unabashedly, "but I said some rude stuff too, and called you some names. Or lots of names. Point is, our whole...thing, whatever we have, is kinda rocky. So I'll try not to call you an asshole, and you can try not to be one, 'kay?"

Loki wishes, for once since he has met Darcy, to understand what she can be thinking. While he has his suspicions of the woman, the way she stares at him, jaw set in determination and willingness to wait for an answer, makes him nod.

"Very well," he says, but he can't help smirking at how ridiculous this is.

Darcy frowns when she notices this. "Hey, you're laughing. Stop laughing! I'm being serious, you know," she complains, swatting at his arm lightly, but even she can't help breaking into a smile.

Loki finds himself chuckling slightly, for he is amused by how easily Darcy is swayed to involve herself with him. It is as if she trusts that he can change his character to appease to her. And while she is not completely sold with their...relationship, as one is supposed to evolve, Loki finds his plan, which requires her, seems to be right on track.

"I am serious. Like, one hundred percent serious. You're still laughing!"

Loki finds himself giving Darcy an amused half-smile. "Forgive me, Darcy," he says smoothly. "Of course this is a serious matter, but you will have to excuse that I am not accustomed to such matters as these. I find them quite...humorous."

"So when you're told not to be an asshole anymore, you find it funny?" Darcy's face scrunches in confusion. "You didn't exactly do that the first time. Wait, when was the first time I called you an asshole? I lost count...I think you just brushed me off and left..."

Loki shakes his head at how she rambles. "It is better if we do not live in the past," he reminds her. "Now, was this your whole idea of a date? As much as I appreciate cheap lighting, I figured you'd have planned something more...tasteful."

Darcy scoffs at that. "If that's your hint for another five-star resturant, I can't do that; I'm broke. Literally broke, because that's what us college students are," she says. "But don't worry, this date's not over yet! How do you feel about singing?"

"What?"

Just like that, Darcy takes his hand and pulls him away from the tree with childish excitement. Loki, though superior in strength to her, lets the shorter woman pull his arm and drag him away because he honestly has sunk so low by this point. However, when Darcy pulls him to their destination, he realizes he has not sunken this low, for he has no intention to join carolers.

Loki glances at over at Darcy. "No," he tells her flatly.

"C'mon, don't be a Scrooge!" Darcy counters, elbowing him (Loki makes a note to add that, on top of all her faults, the woman has no personal boundaries).

"You are calling me that solely because I refused the notion earlier," Loki notes.

"Uh-huh," says Darcy with no sense of regret in her voice. And, with no warning at all, she begins to join in on the singing. Loki certainly would have appreciated a warning; her singing voice is absolutely grating.

Stiffly, he refuses to join in on the singing. Even when he came to this ridiculous event with his mother, he would always just hold Frigga's hand, listening to his mother's quiet, soothing voice sing and taking in the surroundings wordlessly.

Darcy notices he does not sing, because she keeps sticking her blasted elbow in his ribs repeatedly. Loki knows he must look ridiculous now, for if no one had ever noticed him with Darcy before, they might all start looking now. Loki sighs to himself; he truly has sunk so low, hasn't he?

Quietly, he joins in on the ending notes of the song, finding that the words come easily. The song is "Silent Night," which was- is- his mother's favorite Christmas song. When Darcy looks to him- still unfortunately singing as she does- her eyes smile with an unsaid happiness dancing in them upon hearing Loki sing.

Loki, while not raising his voice, finds himself compelled to sing the next few songs with her as well, though he does not understand why. For the memory of the songs, perhaps, or...something else.

By the end of the fourth song, Darcy turns to Loki, thankfully stops singing, and grabs his arm. "My throat's killing me. Want to get something to drink?" she asks.

Loki resists saying that her throat must be hurting from the way she croaked out the lyrics so loudly. "Of course," he replies, sticking his hands in his coat pockets and following as Darcy, breaking into a smile, leads him to a stand where hot chocolate is being sold.

She gets them both cups of it, happily taking hers in her cold hands and sipping from the cup right away, making a face as she burns her tongue in the process. Loki studies his cup for too long before he dares to place it to his lips. Blowing on the hot, brown liquid, he allows the first taste to slide onto his tongue.

He remembers this. The overly sweet taste of this chocolate is just as he recalls it; he recalls the memory smiling through the liquid at his mother, who would hold a cup as well, and whose eyes would smile back at him. As the liquid warms his throat, he remembers the warm feeling he would get drinking it as he walked to the car with his mother, remembering how safe and content he had felt. All at once, the warm feeling becomes stifling, and he almost chokes on the drink.

Darcy manages to outdo herself with foolishness at this point, for her eyes go wide and she immediately begins to hit Loki's back, as if that is going to do anything useful. No, all it does is make Loki drop his cup in surprise; he had not expected someone of her small size to be so strong.

The chocolate falls onto the snow on the ground, staining the perfect white of it and also splattering over both Loki's and Darcy's jeans, though Darcy's recieved less of the impact.

"Shit! Sorry," Darcy says, glancing down at the spilled drink. "I can get you another one. I'm so, so sorry about that, but you were, like, dying, and-" She moves to head back to where the hot chocolate is being sold, but Loki stops her by gripping her forearm firmly.

"No," he says. "I am fine; I do not need another."

"But this stuff is like heaven in a cup," Darcy counters. "How can you not need another? I haven't even finished mine and I want another one. I'm going to get you another one, okay?"

"No," Loki repeats firmly. "I am fine."

Darcy shifts uncomfortably. "Okay, well, fine. But mind letting go of me?"

Loki notices he is still gripping her arm. Quickly, he lets go, but not before fearing he has perhaps bruised her skin by the way he held her so tightly. Darcy's hand immediately goes to her forearm to rub the area, indicating Loki must have inflicted pain on the area, at least a little.

"Nice grip there," she teases lightly. "So you're strong, pale, and brooding? You really sure you're not a vampire? Or emo? Oddly, there seems to be no difference..."

Loki sighs. "May I suggest something?" he asks.

"What?"

"You stop talking?" he offers, annoyed, letting the jab slip out.

Darcy frowns. "Hey, that's an asshole-y comment. Take it back," she orders.

Loki tries hard not to roll his eyes. "Yes, of course I shall take it back," he replies sarcastically, suddenly tired of having to full-out deal with this woman. His comment was a slip of tongue, a lack of good judgment on his part, but a comment of his nonetheless.

"I'm fluent in sarcasm, and right now your accent is impeccable," is Darcy's reply. "I really am serious about this thing, okay? You can't be an asshole, and I'll try not to call you any rude names or say anything. If we're gonna be friends-"

"Friends?" Loki interrupts, tasting the word and saying it questioningly.

"Yeah, friends. Maybe we should start there, anyway. Relationships are always fucked if the people aren't friends first," Darcy says. "So, that's what this date's about: becoming friends. So far all I know is you're a pretty decent singer- even if you're a quiet one- and you seem to have something weird against hot chocolate."

"I do not," protests Loki, but Darcy ignores him.

"I know other stuff about you, too," Darcy adds, and she begins to tick off her fingers. "You have a brother, you work in a boring office for an air conditioning company, your dad has a pretty funny name, you were a popular kid in high school, and your suits are, like, your lifeline. How am I doing so far?"

"Not bad," Loki answers, "but all of those are material traits."

"Oh, so you want me to give you some analysis on your character or something? I can't do that; I'm not analyzing things now that I'm not in school today. But I can tell you you're an asshole, who is at least trying not to be one, so that's good."

Loki huffs indignantly at that, but lets it slide. "So you were not in school today?" he asks, changing the subject as quickly as he can and referring to what she hinted at earlier.

"Oh, no, I was. Just in the morning, though," Darcy clarifies.

Loki nods. "Ah. And how do you like your classes?" he asks.

"They're okay. I'm a poli sci major," Darcy explains, "so all we do is talk about how shitty our government is all the time. It's pretty cool, actually. You're out of college, aren't you? What was your major?"

"I was a business major," Loki replies.

"So what'd you guys talk about in there? How shitty business systems where?"

"Mostly on the trade of the work field," Loki counters.

"Boring," Darcy announces decidedly before she changes the subject. "You must've graduated a while ago, huh? What college did you go to?"

"I went to a school that my father funds," Loki admits, suddenly ashamed of having gone there for no apparent reason other than the fact that this woman will know. "Asgard University."

"Man, your dad really likes the name Assgird," Darcy notes.

"Asgard," Loki corrects. "So, then, what school do you attend?"

"A shitty one for the broke," replies Darcy easily. "Midgard University."

The one for lower-class people. Interesting.

"I see," Loki says slowly, suddenly filled with satisfaction at the prospect; Odin has publicly made it known that he sees no reason for Midgard University to remain standing and has expressed his distaste of its students. This could be very well for Loki's plan, if he plays it right.

"So now that we're out of the whole school thing, let's talk about what really makes or break friends: music," says Darcy. "Who's your favorite band? Or singer, too, but I prefer bands."

Loki has to think about that one. He does not enjoy music often, and when he does, the music is always classical. He knows not who the bands are, and there are often no singers. All he knows are composers.

"I do not know," he answers finally.

"What do you mean you don't know? Music is basically my life! How can you just not know? Unless you're thinking you don't know because there are too many you like and you can't pick a favorite. In that case, tell me who some of your favorite artists are," Darcy says now.

Loki shrugs. "I know very few," he says. "I prefer classical music, with composers like Bach and Beethoven, though I do enjoy a good piece by Mozart every once in a while. I also appreciate Mendelssohn's work from time to time."

Darcy snickers at that. "Nerd," she declares loudly.

Loki crosses his arms. "And you decide this based on my music preference?"

"Duh! Who the heck listens to Beethoven? That's worse than elevator music!"

Loki rolls his eyes. "Enlighten me, then, on what someone who is not a nerd would listen to," he deadpans, and Darcy's face lights up; music is clearly a favorite topic of hers.

"Music is amazing," Darcy begins happily. "My favorite band would have to be the Beatles, but I love some other stuff like Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Black Sabbath. You have at least heard of the Beatles, right?"

"Yes," Loki answers, "but I was never fond of them."

"What? You can't just not like the Beatles. That should be illegal. Punishable by having to hear every single one of their albums. Do that, okay? As your friend, I cannot just let you not like the Beatles," rambles Darcy decisively.

Loki, humoring the woman, agrees to do so. They continue talking, and Loki finds himself finding out a quite a bit about Darcy Lewis. Some parts he knows; that she is an only child, that she is an intern, and that she works at a diner. Other parts he finds out are relatively new; that she lives in an apartment with her employer Jane, that she is good friends with the woman, that her parents are divorced, that she enjoys computer games and is a talented hacker of software (though Loki had no idea what to say to that last bit).

Loki shares some information of his own; that he lives in an apartment as well (though his is in a richer part of town), that he enjoys reading and dabbles in drawing, that he actually appreciates his job (because, for some reason, Darcy seems to believe it impossible).

They end up walking around the park quite a few times, sharing random tidbits of information as they walk; Darcy has somehow made Loki play a game, much like twenty questions, but where they just fire questions at each other with no limit to numbers.

"Dogs or cats?" Darcy asks a few questions in.

"Cats."

"Ick. Cats freak me out. I can see you as a crazy cat lady, though."

"I assure you, the woman in me is flattered," Loki says dryly. "Choice ice cream flavor?"

"Rocky road until the end, baby. Favorite color?"

"Green," Loki replies after pausing to think of that one for a while. As a kid he always tried to love the color blue- perhaps because of how it was romanticized by everyone as the image of masculinity- but he has always been drawn to green, as its hues could be as soft as newly grown grass or as dark as evergreen trees.

"I can tell," jokes Darcy, and Loki notices for the first time that his coat is green (alright, maybe not the first time, but this is the first time he has remembered in a while). "Now, favorite drink?"

"Tea," Loki answers without a pause.

"You sound British and you like tea? You're asking to be made fun of, buddy."

Loki raises an eyebrow at this. "How do I sound British?" he asks.

"There! You sounded British there. Your accent or something. You don't think so?"

"Not in the slightest, no," Loki says.

"You ever go to England?"

"Yes," Loki answers, because that is true; he's always liked to travel, and did so a lot the previous year before returning home in hope of finding a permanent place to live. He had wanted to be near Asgard Industries, which he had planned to be owning right about now. Unfortunately, he is where he is now...

"That explains it," Darcy says, nodding to herself. "You picked up the accent, but, like, lightly. I like it though. Your voice is really...smooth. Or something. I don't know how to explain it, exactly..." She trails off thoughtfully, but just gets off track and looks to Loki. "Okay, your turn for a question."

"Favorite movie?" Loki asks, placing his hands in his coat pocket as they continue to aimlessly stroll through the park. It has gotten colder as the night has grown later.

"Either Mean Girls or Sex and the City," Darcy says, pondering the question longer than any previous answers she had given. "Okay, how about this one: winter or summer?"

"Winter," Loki replies.

Darcy shivers, as though his reply reminded her how cold it is outside; she draws her coat around her body tighter after this, declaring that Loki is a robot and therefore is going to take over the world.

Loki finds himself perhaps a little...at ease with Darcy right now. Sharing pointless information, joking, and teasing...it's everything he's never done with a friend. And while he doesn't want someone like Darcy Lewis to exactly be his friend, he has to admit that, for now, he enjoys her company a little bit, but only because he is that desperate for friendly affection.

Sif, Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral...they were all Thor's friends, though Sif often tried to insist she was Loki's friends just as much. She is rather odd in that way; lately, she has taken to seeking Loki out about his family, and the last thing Loki needs is another annoying person in his life. Either way, she is not a real friend of his. Loki does not know if he has ever even had a real friend.

"But if you ever do take over the world, you have to text me first," Darcy says, bringing Loki back into focus. "Friends would totally let friends rule the world with them." This she says while pushing her body against the side of his playfully.

Loki doesn't bump her back- he finds that childish- but he does smirk and say, "Now, if I really were taking over the world, I would not see any use to tell you about it. You would drive the world into ruin."

"Hurtful," Darcy gasps, faking hurt, but she's not a good actress and the way she breaks into a smile afterwards reveals her anyway. "I'm so not giving you my awesome nickname for you, then."

"And that would be-?"

"Brain."

Loki echoes this slowly. "Brain," he says.

"Like Pinky and the Brain," Darcy says. "One's a genius, the other's insane."

Loki stares at her, unsure as to what she is babbling about.

"...It's an old thing," says Darcy awkwardly as she attempts to fix the conversation. "Anyway, I think it's my turn for a question. No, wait, it's your turn. Wait- what time is it?"

Loki takes out his phone and checks the time. "It is ten," he informs her.

Darcy whistles lowly. "Shit, it's late," she says. "Jane's probably been calling me." She reaches into her pocket and takes out her phone, visibly wincing when she unlocks it. "Yikes, twenty missed calls. I really have to talk to her about this whole over-protectiveness of hers; she's going to drive me crazy."

"We should part ways here, then," Loki suggests.

"Yup, let's call it a night," agrees Darcy, and they walk to their cars together. They pass the Christmas tree as they exit, and Darcy takes a few seconds to sigh over it again (and also make Loki take a picture with her in front of it).

They stop at Darcy's car, where Loki makes sure to drop a kiss on her hand for good measure, and where she ends up taking another picture of him (though this one for her phone). She also takes his phone and takes a picture of herself, insisting that friends do that kind of stuff.

"Goodnight, Darcy," Loki says politely.

"Yeah, 'night," Darcy echoes, and she opens her car door, only to not enter her car. "Oh! I meant to ask you this, by the way. Next week is Christmas; what are you planning on doing?"

Loki honestly had not thought of that. Any other year he would have gone to be with his family, but with his current resentment towards Thor and Odin and even the slight hesitance he has brought to surface with his mother today, he does not know.

"I have not made plans yet," Loki says. "Have you?"

"Just spending it with Jane, and probably my friend Erik too," Darcy says. "Hey, if we don't talk until then, make sure to call me on Christmas Day, okay? We can meet up; I have the perfect gift for you."

Loki frowns. Who is this Erik? He does not know why, but the idea of Darcy having a male friend does not sit well with him. But, that could very well be his fear as to what this woman thinks is the "perfect" gift for him.

"Very well," Loki agrees, finding himself unable to refuse; he knows that he has to engage in any sort of encounter with Darcy, because he has such little time to sway her to be, well, his.

"Cool. Text me whenever, okay, friend?" Darcy grins and finally enters her car, but before Loki has started to turn away, Darcy calls to him, "And don't forget to listen to the Beatles, too!"

Loki smiles softly to himself as he leaves to his car. Perhaps having a friend is not such a bad thing after all, knowing just how much...or little...of a good time he had today. It was certainly a strange experience, and oddly, for a second he finds himself looking forward to seeing Darcy again.

But only for a second.

Loki awakens the next morning and sets to work.

Not actual work at his job, of course. He takes the day off of work to go to Asgard Industries, to visit his brother and also gather information on the company for future reference. Building layouts, stock numbers, the profiles of each worker there...you name it, he wants it. Anything he can get can be crucial when he takes over the company as his own, after all. That part will be easy; going to see his brother will not be.

Loki made a mistake the last time he went to see his family in the sense that he foolishly let emotion get in the way of his plan. He tried to make Thor and Odin feel accountable- feel betrayed- because he needed to see them suffer, but alas, it set him back; now Loki has clued them in on his bitterness. He must now undo this act as though he has forgiven his father (and Thor, who admittedly did not do much to Loki). Any emotion- any lingering hurt- must be banished if Loki desires to deceive his family.

So as he walks into the warm, welcoming atmosphere of Asgard Industries, he immediately makes his face a mask. Keeping himself calm and collected, he takes an elevator to the top floor and inquires on an audience with his brother, being sure to drop his name to stir fear into Thor's secretary.

Thor's secretary is not as much as an idiot as Loki's, so a few minutes later, Thor exits out of his office. Upon seeing Loki there, he breaks into a smile and immediately clamps a heavy hand on Loki's shoulder.

"Loki," he says warmly. "This is a pleasant surprise."

Loki nods curtly. "Yes, quite," he mutters. "May we speak, Thor?"

"Of course." If Thor has any feelings of resentment towards Loki and his words, he does not show it. Rather, he accepts Loki's request graciously (and, might Loki add, rather foolishly).

They enter Thor's office, where Loki takes a seat in one of the chairs situated before Thor's desk, leaning back comfortably. Thor doesn't sit; he leans against the side of the wall, looking to his brother with earnest blue eyes instead.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, brother?" Thor asks once they're situated.

Loki has to bite back the urge to yell you are not my brother, having felt that was true for quite some time now, but what he opts for instead is, "I am here to seek your council, Thor."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I wish to fully make amends with you and father," Loki says, though of course, he is lying between his teeth. "I do hope that you will forgive me; I was merely bitter of my situation. If there is any way to make it up to you-"

He is cut off when Thor breaks into the widest smile Loki has ever seen. Loki would have ignored this and gone on speaking, but then Thor crosses the room and yanks Loki up out of his seat and into his meaty arms.

"Brother, you needn't apologize," Thor assures him, releasing Loki and placing his heavy hands on his shoulders, the large smile never relenting. "We are family; there are never any complications we cannot get past."

Loki, annoyed, brushes stray hairs that had became mussed when Thor forcefully squeezed life out of him. "Yes, I agree. Thank you," he mutters, and he is about to say the word brother, but he doesn't and instead finishes, "Thor."

Thor keeps smiling. "This is grand! I shall inform mother and father-"

"What?"

"Because you wish to make amends, surely you wish to join us for Christmas, do you not?" Thor asks, not bothering to wait for a response. "Mother had not wanted to ask you for fear of how you would feel, but now you must come!"

Loki frowns without thinking. Why did his mother wish for him not to go? And here he'd thought the woman was the only family member he could love; the only one who cared for him like he was her own. If she truly loved him as she insisted she did, then why not invite him for Christmas? The thought ought not to have hurt Loki as much as it did, but he found that, after all, it did. Even if she did do it out out of respect for him, Loki finds himself hurt at the idea nonetheless.

"If father will have it, then I would not miss it for the world," answers Loki calmly.

"Good." Thor keeps smiling, and Loki vaguely wonders why. "It is good that we spend time together, is it not? We can talk, catch up, confide in each other..."

Well, Thor has never been good with subtlety.

"Ask what you wish to, Thor," Loki interjects.

Thor is thrown off by the tinge of annoyance in Loki's tone, but is not alarmed by it. "Of course," he says hastily. "I merely wanted to ask about...the woman you had in your office the last time I stopped by."

"You mean, Darcy Lewis?" Loki clarifies.

Thor finally takes a seat, only to fidget in it. "Yes," he affirms.

Loki takes a seat as well, quirking an eyebrow at his brother. "What of her?"

"Who is she?"

"We've talked about this, Thor; your listening skills have never been quite up to par. She is Darcy Lewis," Loki repeats, taking satisfaction in teasing Thor as he used to.

"No games, Loki," complains Thor. "Please tell me who she is to you."

Loki leans forward in his chair. "And what of Jane?"

"What?" That alarms Thor. "Jane Foster? She is...an acquaintance."

"Ah, yes, of course," Loki notes. "Enough to exchange phone numbers?"

"She is a nice woman," Thor says defensively.

"I did not suggest otherwise; do calm down, Thor," Loki says mischievously. "However, when Darcy and I had a nice talk, she informed me that the woman is actually quite smitten with you, and yet, you do not contact her."

"I...have been busy," Thor lies miserably.

"Yes, I know how much work it takes to not run a company," mocks Loki, drawling on the words and watching as Thor becomes a shade red in embarrassment, for because Thor actually has not begun running the company yet; while the last bits of paperwork are being processed, Odin still runs Asgard Industries, making Thor have no work to do yet.

In truth, Loki has come to understand that Thor is infatuated with this Jane woman. Loki also has come to understand that Thor, even as dumb as he is, recognizes that someone of his class ought not to mix with someone of her class and is avoiding her even when he wishes not to.

"Now, do not turn this on me, brother," Thor warns. "What of Darcy?"

"What of her?" Loki asks, shrugging conspicuously.

Thor clears his throat. "Well," he starts uncomfortably, "is she...nice?"

"I would guess so. She's not mean, if that is what you are implying."

Thor nods, looking far too serious. "I see. And do you spend much time...talking to her?" he asks. "You did mention the two of you were speaking..."

Loki smirks. Ah, so the dimwit thinks he is using her. It might be one of the only time in his life that Thor is right about something, and even then, his judgement is a little off.

"She is adequate company, I suppose," Loki muses, trying not to let too much slip, for Thor must believe Loki as lovesick fool until later, so Loki must not act as though entranced by the woman too much yet. "She talks an awful lot," he adds, "though perhaps not as much as Sif speaks to me lately. Tell me, how is Sif?"

Thor suddenly looks uncomfortable once more. "She is well," he manages out.

"That is wonderful to know," Loki says calmly. "Now tell me one last thing: just what did you promise her to make her come and seek out what my intentions were with our family?"

Thor fidgets again. "I...apologize," he says quietly. "That was unwise of me to do. Sif advised me to look into it, fearing you would do something drastic, so I asked her to seek you out."

"But what did you promise her?" Loki asks once more.

Thor ponders the question in confusion. "Nothing," he answers slowly, as if barely realizing it himself. "I offered money, but she turned it away. She did not want payment."

Loki smirks even more. So the thick-headed idiot still hasn't noticed Sif's affections.

"But that does not matter. What matters is you, Loki," Thor says, changing the subject. "I am sorry for trying to get information out of you, but once Sif admitted you had no selfish ambitions involving our family, I insisted she not bother you again. I wish not to make you feel betrayed again, brother."

Loki decides to let Thor believe that all is well, to make this as quick as possible.

"It is fine, Thor," he says in a clipped tone. "We shall set aside any complications in our past and work together towards the future, for that is the only thing that matters."

"Of course," Thor says gratefully, and then, "It is great to have you back, brother."

Loki smiles maliciously. "The feeling is mutual...brother."

I did send out PMs thanking everyone for their reviews, right? If I don't say I didn't and I never replied to you, then please tell me so I can die...and make sure to thank you. Anyway, the following people were super nice and reviewed last chapter:

FloraIrmaTylee

Mariale-26

Nolesr1

KatieMarrie- I know your PM messaging isn't on, so I'll respond to your review here! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for this story, and thank you for, well, liking it! :)

LoveThis- Since you're a guest, I also can't reply to you, so I'm going to try to respond to guests now. Thank you for your review! You don't know how stupidly I smiled when I read it, because I was just so honored!

BigBadWolf- Thanks for your review, too! I think we're all pretty much conflicted about Loki, but don't worry; as the fic pans out, so will Loki's character.

JigokuShoujosRevenge

rachelisafallenangel

Thank you all indefinitely for reviewing, reading, and following/adding this story to your favorites. Every time I get an alert, I always get really excited (too excited, probably). But, honestly, just...thank you, guys! You're all amazing!