It was afternoon. Eir was walking from the library to the clinic, when Fandral appeared on the opposite end of the hall. Unconsciously, she tightened her fingers on her dress. She kept walking as if she didn't notice him, suddenly interested in stone floor.

Maybe she should turn around and run?

"Hello, lady Eir!", he greeted her cheerfully, suddenly walking in the same direction as she, looking at her. Or, to be more specific, at the top of her head, as she didn't bother herself to lift her head. Too late for running, idiot.

"Good afternoon", she answered, not looking at him. Now her eyes were locked on hall in front of them.

"How are you?", he asked, looking at her carefully. "You seem really tired."

"I am fine", she answered shortly, tightening her lips. Their steps were making thuds on an empty hall. She won't ask how is he. Talking to him might make him think things. Eir wanted to avoid that. Really badly.

"Are you sure? I think you need fresh air. Maybe we could go for a walk?", he asked, smiling his usual, wide smile. He turned, so that now he was walking backwards in front of her, finally managing to force Eir to look at him. "This time I promise I won't rush, lady Eir!"

Trip over! Oh please!

Loki's cell wasn't that bad, maybe the one next to it is also quite comfortable… The pillow wasn't that bad, and his meals were fine… Hopefully she will get comparable conditions… She clenched her jaw stronger, accelerating her pace. She didn't answer for like a minute, pretending to consider the proposition. Finally, her prayers were heard and they reached the clinic.

"I don't think so, I am really busy right now. Maybe one day. I'm sorry", she answered with her hand on the handle of the door leading to the clinic, glaring at him, trying to look sad. "Goodbye."

Truly, she will kill him one day if he won't let go…

She opened the door and disappeared behind them, barely stopping herself from breathing a sigh of relief when she locked the door. She smiled to Snorri, who was taking care of some kid with bleeding arm. Son of one of the warriors, as far as she could remember.

Fandral scratched his head, then shrugged and decided to ask her out again in a few days. Maybe she was still a little bit angry for what he did on their last walk. In the meanwhile, he will catch her and give her some more flowers. She should like them a lot, just as she did previous bouquets. Satisfied with the decision he had made, he went to look for Thor. Probably he was with his Midgardian, but maybe he will find time for a quick drink. Or two.

"Hello Eir.", Sif sat down on a chair on the opposite side of the table. They were in the library, but Sif clearly didn't bother to maintain the silence of this place, as her voice sounded loud and clear in perfect silence of the room. Eir looked up at her, rubbing her eyes. She almost sprained her jaw trying to suppress a yawn.

"You didn't sleep well, huh?", Sif smiled, glancing at the cover of a book lying in front of redheaded. It was something about healing, Sif couldn't read the title upside-down.

"Not really…", Eir admitted, pushing thick tome away and resting her head down on hard, wooden table.

"Listen…", Sif started, biting her bottom lip thoughtfully, "Fandral asked me to talk with you."

"About what?", Eir moved her head up to look at Sif, raising one eyebrow higher than the other, tilting her head slightly. He is haunting her, seriously. Tomorrow she will wake up and he will be looking at her from the ceiling. Or he will jump out of cup of her water during breakfast.

Maybe she should consider getting some weapon. Well-sharpened weapon.

"Well… He thinks you like him, but you are too shy to admit it.", Sif said, closing her eyes, small smile dancing on her lips. Loud bang echoed off the walls when Eir accidentally shed the book to the floor.

"I…", she started slowly, nervously reaching to get book. She put it off on the table, arranging it evenly on the edge, as it was the most important thing to do right now.

Midgard. Midgard is far enough. She will go there to hide.

"So… You don't like him?", Sif guessed, looking at girl carefully. Eir shook her head in the negative, nervously moistening her lips. "Well… Eir, do not get me wrong, but maybe you should reconsider it? He is handsome, nice, well-to-do… And he really likes you. It's a big chance for you… Love will come with time. Once you get to know Fandral, you simply can't not love him!"

Eir shook her head again, rubbing her temples, trying to process what she just heard. It was ridiculous, just ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense. You can't see someone, not loving him. She doesn't even like him! Sif kept staring at her, waiting for an answer. Only that Eir had no clue what to think, not to mention what to say.

"Loki?", she looked at him hesitantly, biting her lower lip. He glared at her questioningly. They were both sitting on his bed. Today they started on training mind controlling. Or actually, he was staring at her expectantly and she was laughing all the time, because her actions were pointless against his power. Though he kept saying, that she is doing well, she thought otherwise.

She shook her head as if she changed her mind. "Nothing, never mind."

"Tell me.", he demanded, looking at her carefully. She was staring at her bare feet, protruding from under the dress. She swallowed saliva, gathering her thoughts.

"Have you ever thought…", she stopped, looking for appropriate words. "Have you ever thought that you might be forced to do something against your own will?"

He frowned, looking at her , not understanding. She sighed quietly, crimping hem of her dress. She wasn't sure how to explain.

"Well, I mean… I don't know what I mean. Really, forget about it.", she smiled weakly, finally looking up at him again. Maybe simply, she wasn't sleeping enough and that's the reason of her weird thoughts. Why would it possibly come to her mind, that she might be forced to start seeing Fandral? It was ridiculous. What Sif told her yesterday was ridiculous.

Loki clenched his jaw, staring at her.

"Something happened?", he asked, standing up from the bed and slowly walking to the glowing window of his cell. He felt that something was not right, but even if it bothered him, he wasn't showing that.

She shook her head, looking at his back, "No, nothing".

"Most of the time you are forced to take actions against your will. If you do what you want to do, you end up like me.", he said, watching the corridor. She moved herself to lean her back on the wall, straightening her legs. Her bare feet hung from the bed. She closed her eyes.

"You didn't mean what you've done to Midgardians.", she said quietly. He chuckled, turning around to look at her with cold smile on his lips.

"What makes you so sure about that?", he asked, still chuckling quietly. Once again, he noticed dark bruises under her eyes, sign that she wasn't sleeping long enough.

"Because… No one can be that bad.", she answered, shrugging. Loki walked back to bed, standing in front of her, tall and proud. Then he crouched, reaching out for her hands, showing her to come closer with slight motion of his head. She moved herself to the edge of the bed, now his chest was close to her knees and her feet were touching cold floor. She shivered slightly at this feeling. Loki was stroking her hands with his thumbs.

"Don't you forget who I am…", he whispered, changing slowly, looking at her. Again, his skin was blue, covered with dark ornaments. Suddenly Eir felt as her hands are getting cold in his. She looked down in surprise.

"How is that possible that it's not injuring me?", she asked, pointing at their hands. Last time it didn't come to her mind, but now she noticed, that his skin, however cold, did not cause frostbites when he was touching her. Loki also looked down, suddenly surprised how small her hands were.

"It's controllable, anyway for me. I can't increase body temperature, but at least I can control if I am not hurting you.", he said, glancing at her. His thumbs kept on caressing her small hands.

Eir was looking at his whole body as he was changed into Frost Giant. It's hard to explain, but he seemed… Bigger in that form to her. Even knowing he was the same size as usual, she couldn't help that expression.

"It doesn't change a thing. No one can be that bad to deliberately hurt mortals… They can't protect themselves, they are weaker than we are…", she whispered, back to the topic, feeling as her legs are getting cooler from his touch.

"I didn't do that on purpose!", he said quickly, with anger and… Rancor? "It was necessary!"

"No Loki, you don't think so. It was not necessary.", she looked at him pleadingly. Her hands were really cold, but she didn't care. Actually, she tightened her grip.

"What makes you believe so?", he asked, his eyes full of emotions and shining from held back tears. She pushed him back a little bit and crawled in his arms, feeling as his hands locked on her waist. She was kneeling in front of him. With all her soul she wanted to help him, make him feel better, but she didn't know how.

"Because you are not evil…", she mumbled after short silence, hugging him tightly. His hands moved from her waist a little lower, but she didn't pay attention to that.

"You're shaking…", he whispered, pushing her slightly and looking straight into her light, green eyes. All of a sudden, she started chuckling. He pulled up an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe you are not hurting me, but you are not making me warmer in this form either.", she laughed, unconsciously moving herself closer to him. Smart. She is cold, so she should hug to some ice.

He felt her warm body pressing against his.

"Sorry", he said, turning back to his normal form.

"It's fine", she murmured, resting her head on his chest, suddenly so warm.

His hands were moving slowly on her back, every time a little bit lower, as if their owner couldn't decide about something. He couldn't push back humiliating feeling that he desires her. She wasn't making it easier for him, pressing her small body against his. The funniest thing was that she probably wasn't aware what she was doing to him. Finally making the decision, he pushed her away gently, stroking her hair.

"You think better of me than I do.", he smiled his usual, mischievous smile, standing up and pulling out hands to help her do the same.

She shrugged, again sitting on his bed, when he walked again to the window.

"Will you tell me what happened?", Loki asked again, looking at the hall.

Eir just shook her head, not responding.

JigokuShoujosRevenge, as you can see, not next next, but soon enough. This story was in my mind for quite a while, I was almost obsessed with it, so actually it's really relieving for me to write it down. When it's written, it leaved my poor brain.

Thanks for reviews!

R&R ^.^