A/N: Thank you all so much for your very kind reviews! And again I am so sorry with how long it took to update. I have good news though! I am getting a new laptop sometime next week so we'll be able to have chapters up and running at our usual fashion. (: I also figured out (which annoys me I didn't figure this out so much sooner) how to upload my writing from my phone to here. Mind you it's a long process and I have to type it all up so it took about 2 hours just to do this one chapter (so if there are typos and grammatical errors just ignore them. I'll fix them when I get to a computer). But I didn't want you guys waiting forever for a new chapter and your reviews were so awesome that I had to spoil you guys. Thank you again for all your favorites/reviews and support! It means so much to me! Also, I know I usually reply to comments at the end of the story but I have to skip that until I get back to typing on the computer. It's just much easier that way. Enjoy!

I woke up to a chilly morning draft that skirted along the blankets and brushed my uncovered legs. Sluggish to rise I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Once everything was no longer blurry I quizzically stared at the open window. I could have sworn that I locked it before I went to sleep. Stretching my arms above my head I slid out of bed and walked to the window reaching out to close it shut.

Just as it latched tight my door swung open. I spun around, clutching at my beating chest to see Sully darting to hide under my bed. I rushed to him to see what was wrong when Aunt Kathryn rushed in with a wild look in her bright eyes.

She pointed a ruined shoe at me. "Where is that monster!?" Sully whimpered at her voice.

"What happened?" I asked running in front of my bed to block her from Sully.

"That-that-devil ate my shoe!" She shoved the chunky, ugly beige heel in my face. If anything Sully's teeth marks were a vast improvement. "And don't give me any of that 'He's just a dog' crap like your uncle did."

"Okay, calm down," I told her putting both my hands on her bony shoulders. "I will buy a new pair and everything will be all right."

Aunt Kathryn's eyes flashed from the bed to me as if I had gone mad. She spoke to me very carefully, afraid that I might not hear her correctly. "These are a limited edition from Louis Vuitton's spring collection. Not only are they an entire year's salary for a teacher but they are no longer available. And your dog ATE THEM!"

I let the sting of her words subside knowing that while her words about a teacher's salary were true to an extent that she didn't mean to say it to hurt me. She was upset and while she had a right to be angry she was kind of overreacting. So, I let her know.

"Just a shoe!?" Aunt Kathryn's face was a shade of red I had only seen once. It was several years ago and our family had taken a small trip to the beach. She fell asleep and when she woke up her face was the exact shade it was as she continued to berate me.

"Hayden this is NOT just a shoe. You're too wrapped up in your books to realize or even care that this is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that your beast of a pet destroyed!"

"What in the world is going on in here?" asked my mom as she bounded up the stairs and turned the corner into my bedroom.

A few seconds later Loki appeared upon the scene and I stifled a groan. He and my mother exchanged a small glance and I reminded myself to ask him later what they had talked about last night. After Aunt Kathryn gave my mom the eulogy she must have prepared for her one-of-a-kind Louis Vuitton's, my mother ripped the shoe out of Kathryn's hand and made a face.

"Dear Lord this is the ugliest shoe I have seen. You should be thanking Sully if anything."

I stifled a laugh as Aunt Kathryn's entire face fell. She tore the shoe from my mother and cradled it to her chest. "I wouldn't expect a teacher to have good fashion sense," she sneered.

My mom laughed and it was the first genuine laugh I had heard since coming home. She always did like ruffling Kathryn's feathers. "Whatever you say Meryl Streep."

Before Aunt Kathryn could react Loki stepped forward and I felt ever muscle in my body tense. Please, I silently begged, don't make this any worse.

"I do realize this will not accommodate for much at the moment," he interjected and Aunt Kathryn's face unwrinkled as she gazed adoringly up at him. I felt my nose scrunch up. "I am friends with one of Mr. Vuitton's personal assistants."

He took the shoe from my Aunt and began to inspect it. I stared at him with wide eyes wondering how he knew someone well enough to consider them friends. Did he even have friends?

"If you would like I could have these easily replaced." He made a face and shrugged, "to be honest there is always more regardless of whether they claim it to be limited."

Both my Aunt and my mother stared at him with expressions that I'm sure matched my own. "You-you could really do that?" stammered Aunt Kathryn, her lips twitched into a small smile. Loki nodded and her whole face lit up like someone who received an A on a test they were positive they were going to fail. "Oh! Thank you! Thank you!"

She squealed in delight and reached up to hug him. He moved slightly out of the way but continued to smile. "It is a pleasure to make those who make my beautiful fiancé happy happy as well."

It took all I had to keep from rolling my eyes. So, I faked a smile at Aunt Kathryn as she turned to me and beamed, "You've got a keeper, Hayden."

She started to walk out of the room which Sully must have deemed it safe enough for him to come out from under the bed. He poked his fat head from underneath the covers that hung off the mattress stopping when Kathryn stuck her head into my room.

"Don't think I won't wear him as a coat still," she threatened. My mother rolled her eyes and ushered her out. She gave Loki and I a wary look before she followed behind Aunt Kathryn who was loudly saying, "Hayden is so lucky to have such a wonderful man in her life." Part of me wished I could have seen my mother's face.

I was not ready for my morning to start that way. Exhaling loudly I walked past Loki and rushed to Sully, cooing him out from under his hiding spot. "Poor puppy," I soothed running my fingers along his collar and behind his ears. He reached out to lick me. His flat tongue left a slimey wet trail along my chin and jawline.

I cringed. "Thanks for that," I muttered rising to my feet and wiping the saliva off my face. Loki stood behind me, his face blank as he held out Kathryn's shoe. I stared at it for a moment before I realized that it looked completely new.

"How did-"

"A parlor trick," he responded in a dead tone, his answer for anything magic related.

I crossed my arms. "It wasn't Sully who destroyed Kathryn's shoe."

He shrugged. "It was never destroyed to begin with. Do you never listen? I said it was nothing more than a parlor trick. Unless I've been talking to a wall instead..."

I ignored his jibe which I realized I was getting good at. "And why would you do this parlor trick...on a shoe of all things?"

"I was bored," he simply replied as if that just made everything okay.

"You. Were. Bored?"

"Are you really so daft or do you actually ignore the words that I speak?" I wished I could ignore his words, I bitterly thought. He sighed. "Yes, I was bored. The lack of entertainment here is less than desirable."

I rubbed the side of my head hoping that the pounding pain was just my annoyance with Loki and not a headache. "You're not exactly a child." Even if you act like one. "I'm sure you can find something to do that doesn't involve housewives blowing up over a shoe."

Loki made a thoughtful face. "You seriously better not be thinking about blowing up my Aunt." He frowned and I was left grasping for patience.

"I cannot exactly waltz out into public, Hayden," he reprimanded as if I had forgotten he was a wanted terrorist. "And the drivel on the television is so..." he blanched, "for a race that calls itself advanced you sure don't prove that when your entertainment relies on watching depraved parents parading their children around."

I grimaced. He had a point. "Your world isn't even advanced. You still fight with swords and from what I noticed none of Mid...Earth's technology works on Asgard," I countered.

Loki raised his brows and exhaled a little too loudly. "What about technology makes one race more advanced than another? You use your technology to exploit idiots that your race then worships. Asgard does not need technology to be advanced. We are wiser, older, faster and we have-"

He suddenly disappeared and reappeared next to me. His face was so close that if he leaned in just enough our noses would touch. I unevenly inhaled, breathing in his pea blossom scent. That...I frowned...why did he smell like my shampoo?

My thoughts were soon distracted when he tilted his head and leaned into my ear. "We also have magic which is far superior to your guns and television." His breath was hot on my neck, cooling quickly as he pulled away. "Why do you think Fury fears the unknown?" I blinked, the knot in my stomach that Loki created when his lips brushed against my ear untied. "The unknown will always be more threatening than your technologically advanced weapons."

I started to glare at him, ready to rebut when a collection of scarves that hung on my closet door caught my attention. "Wait. I have an idea that might be able to get you out of the house for a couple of hours without anyone recognizing you."

Loki stared at me, clearly not amused with the idea that I shared. "I will accompany you on this endeavor only for the sake of being able to leave this wretched place you call home."

"A thank you would have sufficed," I grumbled grabbing blindly for one of the scarves. "I hope you don't mind being cold," I added wrapping the green scarf around his neck and smiled.

The last time I went ice skating I was sixteen and with my High School beau, Taylor Branson. But, I wasn't about to mention that to Loki. Not because I thought it'd make him jealous but because quiet frankly he wouldn't care. So, I smiled instead at the familiar feeling of skates and ice underfoot and slid out into the fairly empty arena.

The only other people to accompany us on the ice was an elderly Armenian couple and a group of teenage girls showing off their moves to one another. Any fears I had of being spotted and someone recognizing Loki instantly dissipated.

I spun around and realized that even if someone there did know who Loki was they never would have thought the tall, lanky man in a black feather-down puffer jacket with a scarf wrapped around his face that was hidden under Thomas' beanie was the wanted and feared War Criminal, the God of Mischief, Loki Laufeyson. I had to keep myself from laughing as I watched him stumble onto the ice concentrating hard on not loosing his balance. He looked up from the ice long enough to cast a glare my way when suddenly he fell hard to the ground.

"Oh!" I cried out skating to his side. "Are you okay?"

The laughter I tried to hide earlier came out in the form of several spurts of giggles. It was even harder to hide watching Loki struggle to stand up. The weight of the jacket he wore made it harder to move. As he twisted and turned about all I could think of was a helpless baby penguin on the ice for the first time.

"You haven't skated before, have you?" I asked once I was able to contain the laughter.

Loki grunted. I reached down to help him up growing annoyed as he stared at my hand and internally struggled with whether or not he should take it. "I have never needed to do such a thing," he replied finally relenting enough to accept my help. I managed to get him to his feet, wobbling myself as he clung to my arms for support. "Why would anyone wish this upon themselves?"

"Because-"

The weight of Loki became too much and I lost my balance. A sharp pain shot up my backside, tingling along my spine. I did some sort of laugh/cry thing as I forced myself up-with no help from Loki I might add-and gingerly rubbed at my bottom. At least nothing felt broken even if it was a tad sore.

"Because it's fun," I mustered a little unenthusiasticly as I began to wipe flakes of ice from the back and knees of my jeans.

Loki raised what little of an eyebrow that could be seen under the green and blue stripped beanie he wore. "Midgardians have a strange concept of what is fun."

I folded my arms, the elbows of my peacoat tightened a little. "And torturing people for simple amusement is what you deem fun?"

"Well...yes."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on. It's easy. Just give me your hands and I'll show you." He remained still. "Oh stop being a baby," I reprimanded and grabbed for his gloved hands.

Even through the thick material I could feel the heat of his fingers against my own. I blushed and quickly looked away as I led him out into the ice. Try to focus on not falling rather than his warm hands on your body, Hayden. You can worry about his hands later. To my dismay, my blush grew deeper and I hoped if Loki took any notice he would assume it was because of the chill in the room.

We skated-well, Loki more so stumbled-to the middle of the rink. I had a feeling he would be a fast learner but not as fast as he ended up being. After fifteen minutes of my dragging him around he started to get the hang of it without any assistance from me. A half-hour after that he was already spinning and doing small jumps.

We took a small break and I introduced him to hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows. He didn't admit it but I knew he took delight in the "childish Midgardian beverage" considering he drank two in the time I finished my first. My stomach grumbled and I offered to buy us both a pretzel. He said he had no interest in eating food that was kept warm from a lightbulb.

When I finished my very salty and delicious lightbulb-heated pretzel I found Loki leaning against a wall. His gaze was intense as he watched the three teenage girls practicing for what I assumed was some sort of competing with the way they moved. His dark green eyes molded onto their every movement, watching each twist and jump their lithe bodies took. When we returned to the ice he mimicked their tricks as though he had been skating his entire life.

"How-how did you that!?" I squealed skating to a halt after watching him leap through the air and spin three times, landing with ease.

"You said yourself this was easy," he shrugged.

"Yeah but those moves take years of practice and even then-"

"Did you forget that I am a God?" he mused, a half-smile flirted onto his face.

"Oh yes," I droned though I couldn't help but return his infectious smile. "How could I forget?" My smile widened. "You're having fun, aren't you?"

He closed the gap between us, skating as though he welded the ice under him. His hands moved forward and I felt my heart freeze at his small touch. He brushed his gloved fingers against my forehead lightly and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"It could be worse, " was all he said but I took it as a yes.

"Well," I breathed unevenly. His lips were much too distracting. "I'm glad to know that-UNF-"

I fell to my side, slamming hard onto the ice and slid across it's grainy surface. I gasped at the sudden shock of pain from the side of my face. I sat up, my head spinning and my face no doubt was busy forming a type of road rash along my cheek.

"Oh gosh I am so sorry!" One of the girls who had been skating with her friends knelt down at my side. Her bright green eyes flooded with tears. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to hit you. I lost control and oh gosh your face is," she brought her hands to her mouth and sniffed loudly, "I am soooo sorry."

I waved her off and brought my fingers to my cheek, wincing at the sting of my touch. "It's fine, " I started.

Instantly Loki was beside the both of us, his nose flared and jaw set tightly as his eyes landed on the rash. He turned to the young brunette and roughly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up to her feet. I was quick to stand, forgetting that I was on ice and fell again. I groaned, wobbling slightly and pulled myself up.

"Loki!" I admonished frantic. "She apologized. It was an accident. She didn't mean it, Loki," I nearly shouted before realizing the implications of saying his name in public.

He eyed the girl for a moment, her gaze rightfully wide. Her two friends stared our way and one of them started to pull out their cellphone. I looked wildly around noticing that the elderly couple must have left long ago and we were the only ones on the ice. Even so, if those girls called someone like the police or started recording the scene...

I grabbed onto his shoulder, silently pleading that he let her go. Loki stiffened at my touch and glanced at me as though he had forgotten I was there to begin with. Slowly he dragged his eyes back to the frightened teenage girl and let her go. Without a word Loki skated out of the ice rink.

I muttered an apology toward her and was relieved when I overheard one of the girls say that her phone battery had died. Regardless of what was said or done none of them had proof as to who Loki really was. Still, I was unsettled by the fact that they still could go to the police and relay the story.

I spotted Loki with the beanie in his lap and scarf pulled down to his neck shoving his foot into his boot. He clumsily tied his laces with his thick, gloves still on. Sighing heavily I awkwardly walked toward him, sat on the bench and began to remove my skates. Stuffing my feet into my flats Loki caught me by my chin and lifted my gaze toward his. The green of his eyes were almost black.

"Your face-"

"It's fine," I said brushing his hand away. His touch alone could unravel me and I wasn't done being mad at him for the way he treated that poor girl. "It's just a rash. It'll heal."

"I should have killed her for her insolence," he snapped. His fingers twisted into a tight, shaking fist.

"No, you shouldn't have. It was an accident and she apologized and-"

"And this excuses her?"

"Yes!" He looked at me with furrowed brows. "You can't go around killing people because they upset you. That's not how it works down here." The earlier anger I had already started to vanish and I just felt tired instead.

"But she hurt you."

"On accident," I repeated, gently putting my hand on top of his. "Haven't you ever hurt someone you didn't intend to hurt?"

"Your Midgardian ways baffle me," he sighed completely ignoring my question. I started to shrug when he moved his hand from under mine and carefully placed his gloved fingers so that they hovered over my cheek. "Perhaps I have enough magic in me that I can heal it without the use of stones."

Before I could say anything he pulled off his glove and touched my face. A searing pain worse than before tore through my skin. I cried out at the sudden heat. Tears sprung to life and rolled down my hot cheeks, cooling them slightly.

Instantly Loki withdrew his touch. His eyes wide in horror at the deep blue hand that was in front of his face. I gasped through the blurred tears as he quickly shoved his glove back onto his hand.

"Loki, what is-"

"Did you forget that I am naught but a beast!?" he nearly shouted rising to his feet. "A monster of the ice, remember?"

Yes. He was an ice giant. I had not forgotten. But from the wild and lost look in Loki's green eyes as he stared at his covered hand I had the aching feeling that he did everything he could to forget.

I stood up, debating on what to say. He was obviously ashamed and clearly angry at what happened. Like, he should have had better control. I had to be careful with what I was going to say. Especially since he wouldn't have believed me if I told him it was beautiful. And it really was. After the initial shock of seeing his hand such a vibrant blue it wasn't that he had the hand of a beast but-

I sighed realizing no matter what I said would get neither of us anywhere. "I could use a drink." Loki looked up at me, his mouth slightly open and dark brows twisted at the bridge of his slim nose. "Come on. I'll buy."