It felt like hours that Loki wandered the halls of the palace, though she knew it hadn't been quite that long. She was lost. Hopelessly lost. Every hall looked the same, and she had no sense of direction. A few people had passed by as she walked aimlessly, but she had no desire to speak to any of them, even to ask directions. Luckily, her growing frustration took her mind off her altercation with Thor and the red haze she'd been surrounded in when she left him finally faded.

Finally, sick of the endless corridors, Loki pushed open a large wooden door. It didn't matter what was on the other side, as long as it wasn't another hallway. Luckily, it wasn't. Loki found herself standing in a large, room. It was sparsely lit, but she could make out long rows of shelves, each filled with books. Along the walls ran shorter shelves that had sheets of parchment stacked upon them. The air was thick and musty, but Loki breathed it in with a huge grin.

Loki knew books. Despite growing up in Jotunheim, she knew enough of books to cherish them. The hunters would often bring them back with their spoils, for the paper burned nicely, among many other uses. Loki, being endlessly curious, would steal them whenever she had a chance. She'd never been able to keep any one book for long, as she had no adequate hiding place. And though she was flogged every time they caught her with one, she didn't care. She treasured them, and eventually learned to decipher the strange markings in them. The Jotnar had no concept of reading, but Loki was extremely proud of her ability.

Now, she looked around the room in wonder. All these books, organized and nicely displayed. A library, that's what this place was. Looking around and seeing no one, she began to stroll up and down the aisles. The library seemed to be deserted, and Loki was glad, for it added to the sense of tranquility. Along the shelves, she saw that the tomes seemed to be organized by subject. One section for Asgardian history, with neighboring shelves for books on the histories of the other realms, including Jotunheim. In another section, books on sciences: chemistry, biology, alchemy, elementary physics and so on.

All the way in the back, Loki discovered a small section of very old books. Magic! Loki gasped and pulled out a very large leather-bound book. Opening it, she flipped through the pages. The writing was somewhat familiar, though she would need time to fully understand it. Her heart rate increased. Perhaps someday she could find a spell that would allow her to return to her true form!

So enthralled was Loki by the pages she studied, she did not hear the library door open and close again. Nor did she notice Thor approaching her, stopping a small distance behind her. When his arm reached out to place a bright red apple on the shelf in front of her she jumped, let out a startled cry and dropped the book unceremoniously at her feet.

"Thor!" she scolded him, a tumult of mixed feelings racing through her at the sight of him. Ire rose above the rest when she noticed he was laughing. "That was not nice."

"I am sorry, Loki," he gasped in between chuckles. "But you should have seen your face!" He bent down and picked up the book, handing it back to Loki with an apologetic smile.

"If you wish to continue seeing it, you'll do better to not to sneak up on me, lest I stop looking at you at all." Loki warned, placing the book back in its place and hoping Thor did not notice its subject.

"Loki," Thor pleaded. "I am sorry. I thought for sure you'd heard me and you were simply ignoring me. I brought you this, see?" Picking up the apple again, he placed it in Loki's hands. She looked down, studying it, then frowned.

"This is not the apple I had before."

"No. When I retrieved it, I found it bruised. Ruined. I..." he trailed off when he noticed Loki absently rubbing at her arm. In the dim light of the library, he could just barely make out the finger-shaped bruises that marred her porcelain skin there. With a look of dismay, Thor hung his head. "Oh, Loki. I am so sorry."

Loki stared at him. Thor Odinson, prince of Asgard, was apologizing to her? Over what? The blemishes? Thor's actions with Sif and words had hurt much worse than his grip. Would he apologize for those if their damage showed as clearly? Likely not. Loki knew better than to show how affected she was so she played it off.

"You apologize too easily," she remarked, as nonchalantly as she could. She sidestepped him easily, walking away from the magic section. "If you are not careful, it could be seen as a weakness. Behavior not befitting a future king. Rumors could spread."

Thor got up to his feet and followed. "Let them talk, I care not about rumors. There should never be a mark upon your skin. I should not have done that."

Loki stopped in front of the pitifully small group of books on Jotunheim and turned to face him. "They will fade soon enough. The impression your friends have of me will likely last longer."

Thor cocked his head at this. "Why do you say that? It will be fine, you shall see," he said with a small, but hopeful smile. "I think Fandral and Volstagg liked you very much."

"And the others? Sif would have my head removed if she could," Loki's eyes narrowed, "and I wonder if you'd stop her."

"Loki, that is unfair. Lady Sif has been my friend since we were but children. The five of us grew up together. Sif is stubborn, and perhaps not as open-minded as I, but I believe, in time, she will learn to like you as well."

"Perhaps." Loki turned, suddenly needing to pay attention to something, anything other than Thor. She ran her fingers along the tops of the books. "I suppose once you have had your fill of me and move on, Sif will have no reason to dislike me."

"Have my fill...? Move on? What do you mean?"

Loki said nothing, just picked at the spines of the books.

"Is that what you are worried about? You think I will tire of you and send you away?"

Again, Loki said nothing, but she could not hide the truth on her face when Thor put his hand to her chin and pulled her to face him. She tried to look away, but he caught her face in his hands and with a gleam in his eye, he brought his lips to hers.

The press of his mouth was gentle, but it incited a maelstrom inside Loki. Loki knew of kissing. She'd read about it in books just like the ones surrounding her now. But to experience it was wholly different than reading about it. The books did not mention how warm his lips would be. They failed to inform her that his beard would tickle her chin, or that his scent of his breath would intoxicate her and make her feel dizzy.

When he pulled away a few moments later, Loki had to stop herself from chasing his lips. Her heart raced and she felt hot all over. Opening eyes that she hadn't remembered closing, she looked up into Thor's grinning face. He had dropped his hands, but remained close.

"Forgive me. I needed to be certain." Thor's voice was low, husky, as if he, too, had forgotten to breathe during the kiss. "And I am now. I shall never tire of doing that."

Loki desperately tried to regain her wits, but it was slow going. She stepped back from Thor, though the bookcase against her back prevented her from moving too far. Struggling to remember why she should not have enjoyed that, she looked at Thor with pained eyes. Thor equaled risk, not safety. Uncertainty, not stability.

"You will," she insisted, her voice carrying a firmness she wouldn't have thought she was capable of right then. "You will tire of me."

Thor shook his head. "Give me the chance to prove you wrong."

"I am in no position to give you anything, Thor. Everything is yours already." Bitterness laced her words, and she did not hold it back.

"I will not take from you without your permission." Thor insisted.

"That is your right."

Thor moved in closer, his voice a low rumble. "That is not my desire." At that word, his eyes flashed and Loki tried her hardest to ignore the sudden rush of heat that flared in her belly. His hand came to her cheek, stroking it softly. "I desire you to come to me willingly."

"I would fare better to willingly throw myself from a cliff." Loki huffed, crossing her arms.

Thor dropped his hand and stood back, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "You are being unfair again."

"I am being realistic, Highness. I know your history. You have never stayed with a woman before."

"Loki..." Thor sighed. "Do not call me that. Those women, none of them were you. You are different."

"Novelty."

"No, Loki!" Thor grabbed her arms forcefully, but immediately loosened his grip as he remembered the bruises that still lingered. "You are not novelty, and I will not have you demean yourself like that again."

Loki's green eyes flared with defiance, but she withheld her words from him.

Once more, Thor stepped back. He remained quiet for a few moments, just watching her until her glare faded. "Tell me, Loki, what do you want?" he asked quietly.

The simple question threw Loki. What did she want? No one had ever asked her that before, as it had never mattered. Did it matter now?

"It doesn't," she answered her own silent question. "It doesn't matter."

"It does," Thor insisted. "I want to know."

"Why? It will not change anything."

"You don't know that."

Loki paused, thinking. Finally, with a frown, she said, "I want to be able to trust you. But I cannot."

Thor straightened up, beaming. "Then I shall prove to you that you can!" Loki raised a brow at his sudden cheerfulness. "Will you allow me that chance, Loki? That is all I ask of you right now."

With a sigh, Loki gives the only answer she could, for what choice did she have? "Alright."

Short chapter, I know and I apologize! It was much longer, but I couldn't find a good place to stop, so I ended this one here. Which means the next chapter is already half written and the next update should happen quickly. Again, thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and for the lovely comments/reviews. I appreciate all of it!