"Oh, Will," Lucy murmured.
"Lucy, please listen. I'm not entirely sure what I did to anger you so, but I apologize. I never met to upset you. Surely there must be something I could-"
"No Will, I'm sorry. I just have a ton of things buzzing around in my head, and I flipped. I treated you terribly the other day, and just before I lost it," Lucy apologized.
Lucy knew that she could never pull off her original plan. Who was she fooling? She was a terrible liar, and the very thought of deceiving Will made her stomach churn now.
Lucy wasn't sure why she was given this power, but she knew it had a purpose. Will was in pain, and even though he may be a liar, and perhaps a playboy, it didn't change that there was something terribly wrong with him. It was Lucy's duty to see his problem out, even if it ended up in pain.
"Yesterday Will I…I just freaked a little. I'm not used to being told I'm pretty or whatever. And it was rude of me to just slam the door in your face, after all you've done for me. And I would like to maybe start over from then," Lucy apologized. She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear in embarrassment.
"Your hands," Will said, shocked. Lucy looked at her stained red hands.
"Oh, just a bit of paint," she told him, with a laugh. "Why don't you come inside," she said, opening the door.
Lucy washed the paint from her hands and wiped them on a wash cloth. Her fingers throbbed a bit, but she ignored it. She was doing the right thing by helping Will, she knew that now.
Lucy turned and found Will looking at the painting.
"You made this Lucy?" Will asked, a grin on his face. "It's really lovely," he told her.
"Oh, thank you Will," Lucy blushed. She was always caught off guard by how charming he was, with that smile, and those gleaming eyes.
"I wish I could've seen your other work," Will said. "I can't believe a person would do such a terrible thing," he muttered.
Lucy sighed and tossed the dish towel in the sink. She stood next to Will and looked at her painting.
"The world is filled with terrible people, Will. But it isn't their fault entirely. Circumstance often makes people the way they are."
Loki looked down at Lucy, her eyes filled with sadness.
And for a second, he thought he felt his heart flicker. But that was nonsense. He couldn't feel bad for such a wretch like Lucy. She was weak and temperamental. She was an emotional wreck, and Loki could never feel bad for such a fool.
It must have been something else that made him feel that slight twinge of guilt. He ignored the sinking feeling and remembered he was in a prime situation to take advantage of Lucy in the weak and needy state she was in.
Loki glanced down at her small frame and saw the way she looked back at him, with her two dark, round eyes. Both were glossed over and red from crying. He clenched his teeth and reminded himself that she was not someone he should care for. That she was a mere mortal, weak and insolvent.
"There must be something I could do to help," Loki insisted. Lucy smiled, even though her eyes remained cheerless
"Actually, there is something you could do. I need to produce five more paintings by the end of the month, and I would love for you to be a model for one of my portraits," Lucy grinned.
Loki hid his satisfaction. This was absolutely perfect. He would have a reason to spend several hours with her, without suspicion.
She was making it almost too easy.
"Any way I can aid you," Loki smiled. He saw a visible blush form on her round cheeks, and a rumble of joy filled his chest. She was so easy to manipulate that it brought him delight he had never felt before.
"Fantastic. You can come by tomorrow, around noon. Wear whatever you're most comfortable in," Lucy told him. "And thank you, for everything," Lucy smiled kindly.
"I care for you Lucy," Loki told her.
"Do not fill my heart with such lies, Will," Lucy murmured. And although it was said in such an innocent tone, Loki felt a cold shiver run through his veins when she placed a tender hand on his arm.
Loki left the apartment with a warm good bye, but could not get the shiver to leave his memory. With a single touch, she had left him with uncertainty. How had she known he was being dishonest? He had tried so hard to convey some sort of attachment to her, and yet she knew he was speaking falsely.
It must be that power of hers Loki concluded. She must feel the lack of emotion, lack of tenderness in his statements. That must've been why she denied him at first and how she could so easily tell he was lying when he claimed to care for her. But he had done such an excellent job at leaving her breathless.
He would have to try harder for tomorrow.
Lucy lay in bed, mulling over thoughts of Will. Even though he was speaking falsely, her heart still stopped when he looked at her. She still felt her cheeks flush with color when he told her he cared for her. She had never been so attracted to a man before in her life.
And yet, she knew he was lying. She knew he was far too much for her to even know where to start.
Lucy didn't sleep at all that night. She let her mind churn with thoughts of Will. His heart was in such pain Lucy could barely fathom. She could understand why he was so emotionless. It must be tortuous to wake every morning with such a heavy soul like his. To feel burdened every moment he lived. She felt bad for the toils he must've been through.
She wanted to make him a better person. She could not believe that just earlier that day, she was so ready to ruin him. It had been selfish of her to think that way. He had saved her life, he had helped her, and he had been the one to call the police when her studio was destroyed. His actions were noble, even though his heart claimed different. What he had done for her was more than she could ever ask.
Lucy rose when the sun peered through her blinds. She took a long shower and took time scrubbing every inch of her skin. It felt good to stand in the warmth and forget about the turmoil she had been through for the past few days. But today was a new day for her. Will would come at noon. She would be kind, but stern if she detected he was lying. She would try to gain his trust, and hopefully, he would open up to her.
Hopefully, she could help his heartache.
She wouldn't be some unforgiving seductress or the meek damsel. She would be Lucy – plain, simple, straightforward Lucy. She wouldn't be swayed by his advances or his cutting remarks. She would stand tall, she would remember why she was given this power – to heal, to help. Using her ability to hurt against everything Lucy had ever learned from her mothers.
Love, not time, heals all wounds.
Lucy slipped on her slim fit cargo trousers and a sleeveless collared navy blouse. She opened one of the dresser drawers and pulled out a little emerald jewelry box that had been her mother's. From the small box, she pulled out a silver locket, hand engraved with her initials. She slipped on the locket and tucked it under her shirt, close to her heart. Already, she felt calmer.
The doorbell buzzed and Lucy unlocked the door. Will stood in the doorway, dressed in his suit and tie, like always. She wondered why he never dressed casually, though she couldn't really complain. He always looked quite handsome in his suits.
"Come on in Will," Lucy smiled, welcoming him. "Let me just grab a canvas," she told him.
She went into the spare closet and picked out a large, blank canvas. She also grabbed her briefcase that lay against the closet door and a piece of cardboard. She wiped her sweaty hands on her pants and re-entered the living room to find Will looking at a photograph of Lucy and her brother as kids.
"You know, you haven't changed a bit," Will told her. "Still have the same smile."
"Yes," Lucy blushed. She bit the inside of her cheek, and remembered she was in control of her emotions, not Will. "Well, I suppose we should get started, now shouldn't we?" She smiled.
"How would you like me?" Will asked. Lucy swallowed the knot in her throat, wondering if Will picked up on the sexual connotations of what he just said.
And by the smirk on his face, he had.
Lucy felt the muscles in her back tighten as they always did when she felt a bit aggravated. She placed the canvas on the easel and glanced around the room.
There was a great deal of natural light coming from the balcony window, and into the sofa. She guessed that would be the best place for him.
"Why don't you sit on the couch? Close to the window," Lucy instructed. Will nodded and sat down without any problem. "And tilt your head up a bit," Lucy ordered. Will lifted his sharp chin, the light reflecting off his sharp, chiseled cheekbones and defined jaw. But something was still off about the way he sat.
Lucy walked over to the couch and placed her hands on his wide shoulders. Will kept his eyes on her, but did not speak a word. The silence penetrated Lucy more than a thousand icy knives. She pulled his proud shoulders down a bit and slouched his back a little. He looked far too proud, and Lucy envisioned the Will in her dreams.
The broken, the lonely, the lost Will.
Then, she placed one hand lightly on his cheek, the other lay on his lap. She titled his head a bit, her fingers tingling at every touch. She lowered his jaw a bit more and tucked a stray hair behind his ear.
She placed one hand on his broad, strong chest and smoothed out his tie. Lucy hadn't realized, but she had transferred a bit of her happiness, a bit of her strength to him when she touched his chest. It was very subtle, but she thought her fingers felt a bit warm to the touch as she walked back to the canvas.
Lucy opened the fresh bottles of paint and poured small circles of each onto the palette. With a brush, she blended a magnificent green and began on his eyes before anything else. Often, she jumped straight to the fine details before anything else. When she began to sketch the irises, she heard Will laugh a sultry, low laugh.
Lucy peeked from behind the canvas to find Will grinning at her with his fox like smile.
"Are you laughing at me? Lucy asked, slightly embarrassed. She hadn't been making a face, had she?
"No, not at all. You just look so serious," William chuckled. "It suits you."
Lucy waited to feel the familiar sting in her fingers that detected he was lying. She waited for the gut wrenching feeling she got when she knew something was amiss.
But that feeling never came.
Lucy hid her smile behind the canvas and began to add the sparks of light that always made Will's eyes look so luminous. It was as though sparks of silver were stuck in his irises, brightening his otherwise gloomy look. She drew his dark, thick lashes with quick flicks of her wrist, curling them upward and out. There was almost a childlike look to his sparkling eyes that his curt mouth and sharp features deceived.
"So tell me Will, what really brings you to New York?" Lucy asked daringly. "And don't tell me it's a vacation. I can't imagine wanting to relax in the city that never sleeps," Lucy teased.
"Would it be far too mysterious if I didn't answer?" Will asked mischievously. Lucy peeked from the canvas again, her eyes like the slits of a snake.
"A little 007 work?" Lucy joked. Will cracked a small smile, his eyes like a chesire cat's.
"Not quite I'm afraid. My father's company…outsourced me here. There had been a little confusion at a branch nearby, and I always felt this strange attraction to the city. Something about the chaos that makes me feel a bit safe. But I'm sure you don't really understand-"
"One face in a city of thousands. No Will, I understand exactly what you mean," Lucy agreed. "Like no one could hurt you because there are so many others."
"Yes, but it doesn't always seem to work so well. With your studio…" Will reminded her. Lucy's heart sunk a bit, but she didn't feel too disheartened.
"Sometimes, you're one of the others," Lucy murmured. "But it didn't turn out to be too terrible. You were there to call the police, thank goodness," Lucy said.
Yes, Loki thought to call the police.
And it was odd, and sudden, but his heart felt a little heavy. He didn't like the way her dark, sparkling eyes lost a bit of twinkle when she talked about what he had done. How she thanked him, even though he had caused it all.
Normally, he would be overjoyed. He would have to try to contain a raucous laugh and remind himself to keep composure. But it was as though he felt a bit of her pain, just like before, when she had touched his chest.
He had felt the surge of warmth so suddenly that it caught him off guard. He thought of a happier time in his life, when he was ignorant and naïve. When Thor was his equal and Odin was his father. When Asgard was full of possibilities and adventures that bent to whatever he wished. His entire body lightened at her touch, and yet she hadn't noticed she had used her power on him. Such a profound effect, with such little consequence.
He wondered if Thor had felt this way about Jane so suddenly, and so out of the blue.
Pull yourself together, you fool Loki thought. This is no time for sentimentality. You owe her not a single thing.
He stared at Lucy for a great deal. By no means did he enjoy her presence, but he liked her much better like this when than when she was all teary-eyed and ridiculous, or meek and mild. There was something different about her, as though her countenance had changed overnight. A certain maturity he had yet to notice.
Then again, this was the first legitimate conversation they ever had. He thought perhaps he could grow to at least tolerant her when she was like this, rather than the pitied fool she was before.
Even though a certain acceptance had grown between the two, almost instantaneously, Loki still felt the need to dominant the weak girl. She was still feeble and foolish. At any moment, she could crumble to floor like she had before. He still looked at her as a task to be dealt with overall.
But Loki then looked at her not as a whole and instead, as many different parts. He looked at her curly brown hair that always fell in loose ringlets. He noticed the light freckles that patterned her small, birdlike nose. A rebellious silver ring stuck from her nostril, and he realized he had never taken the clannish piercing into consideration. He took into account the way her lips curved softly, and how supple the bottom lip was. He stared deeply into her dark, round brown eyes. And he wondered why men didn't really fancy her. Although he could never see an attraction in her rather plain appearance, she was not disagreeable. By no means did Loki find her to be as beautiful as Asgardian Goddesses, but she was not Frost Giant. And he thought if parts of Lucy were components to a different woman, he may actually consider her as a worthy opponent.
But Loki knew such stupid, insignificant observations meant nothing. In the end, she was still a mortal. Mortals were weak, mortals were ignorant, and mortals were irrational. She was still the same imprudent Lucy he had saved from her untimely death. She was still the same Lucy that rejected him. And she was still the same Lucy that had the power to make him feel absolutely wretched.
She was still the same Lucy he would enjoy to see kneel before him.
Loki wasn't sure how long he had remained in that position, but Lucy gave him a peculiar look.
"You can move now, Will. We're done for today," she smiled. He noticed her teeth were a bit crooked. "Would you like something to eat? You must be a bit hungry from sitting there for three hours. I don't know how you didn't get terribly bored," Lucy grinned.
"No, I must be going," Loki told her tersely. He grabbed his wool jacket and exited her apartment.
With each step, the lightness in his chest began to fade. The usual chill returned and his spirits dulled a bit. Had Lucy put on some sort of ruse? Had she just tricked him into feeling a sort of sentimentality for her?
As he walked down the cold streets, he no longer felt any connection to her. All the small traits he noticed about her faded in their peculiarity. What he had felt moments ago began to feel like more of a dream than a reality. Loki's heart grew with a bit of anger when he realized she had tricked him.
Perhaps the gained strength is not permanent Loki reasoned. The immortality he had just felt, the peace within his heart faded to a nothingness. In other words, Lucy would have to constantly supply him with power, or else such power would fade. An interesting quirk…
Loki quickly forgot about Lucy when he spotted a Dr. Selvig entering SHIELD headquarters.
See, Loki isn't ALL that bad. Just a little rough around the edges is all. Though, there is a great bit of turmoil ahead of the two, so don't hold you breath!
And just to clarify, I always thought of Lucy as a weak character that gained strength over time. So yes, in the beginning Lucy is a bit of a...pushover. And most importantly, this story is, at the base of all, a story about love and its consequences. Just keep that tidbit in mind!
Lastly, I cannot thank all of you enough for the love and support through reviews and alerts. It is absolutely astounding to me that others truly enjoy this story. I always get so giddy whenever my phone beeps and I see I have an email from . Every review and every alert really warms my heart and reminds my why I started writing in general. So, for the millionth time, I cannot say thank you enough to fully express how happy I am, and thankful I feel for all the wonderful support this story is receiving. Much love!