The next couple of days Elizabeta went shopping and filled up the quite large closet in her room with clothing for however long she'd need them and she felt a bit guilty actually, spending so much money on Stark's credit card, however when he gave her the word of not to worry she suddenly didn't feel guilty. Whether it was his kind heart or that he was actually so rich that $300 out of his bank didn't even feel like he had lost anything.
Loki, however, had a different plan of going around it. He didn't visit Elizabeta for a few days, as he said, he wouldn't go around straight away, he'd give her some free space. He wasn't going to be like a hawk and watch her, but he was going to stay close and if she got the slightest bit suggestive he would be by her side in no time at all.
He changed back into his suit and tie combo and made his way over to Stark towers, his golden sceptre, which now looked like a majestic walking stick commanding at his side. He walked straight into the building and into the main room, somehow overriding the security barriers which J.A.R.V.I.S had control of.

"Loki, you need to stop doing that -"
"Doing what, Stark?"
"You know what I'm on about. Stop overriding the system."
"Why don't you improve it, I'm sure you can."
"Look, just stop, now. I'm not in the mood for your silly games anymore. Whatever you need to do, do it and get out."
"Oh, don't worry, I will," he smirked, and began to look around the overly sized building.
After a few moments of silence he spoke. "By any chance do you know where Elizabeta is? I'd like to take her to lunch, I know that for a fact she won't eat whatever junk you buy."
"I don't, no. The last thing I remember her saying is that she was going to work on something in her room. I suppose you want to go to her room now?"
"You read my mind, which one is it? I'll show myself there."
"Well," Stark tried to add humour into his voice. "You go straight past the area where you threw me out a window a long time ago, go down the stairs, and it's the Fifth room on your left."
"Nice to see you keep the memories," he laughed, sighing at his rebuttal and then walking out to find her room.

As he passed the bar area, he saw a flashback of sorts, where he saw himself holding Tony up by the neck after he had gotten smug with him. He never noticed how much Tony was actually trying to get out of the deathly vice that Loki had him in to stop himself passing out from oxygen loss, and he snickered to himself, almost letting a laugh slip his lips as he watched his other self in the flashback throw him out the window.

"Elizabeta?" He called, knocking the door and waiting for the gentle German voice to reply.
"Yes, who's there?"
"It's me, Loki, I'd like to ask you something, may I come in?"
"Yes, just a minute!" The door unlatched itself and he heard the distinct fabric swish as the door was opened.
Loki kept in a noise of excitement when she opened the door, her hair had been shoved into a ponytail, she had a paint stained apron on and a paintbrush tucked behind her ear.
"I didn't know you did arts and crafts, Elizabeta..." He mused, smiling briefly at how unkempt she looked, but nonetheless how she looked so beautiful.
"Oh, yes, I did, do come in," she said quickly, rushing back in and throwing a drapery over an art easel.
"What's that?" Loki quizzed, raising an eyebrow and walking towards the easel.
"Don't touch it! It's a surprise," she said quickly, motioning batting his hand away. "Anyway...what did you want to ask me?"
He put his hands up in defence, almost as if he were surrendering, before letting out a small, yet sinister chuckle. "Well, I was going to ask you if you'd like to go out for lunch, there's no doubt Stark has fed you his worthless junk."
"Oh, that would be delightful, just let me go get cleaned up and we'll go," she said with a smile, walking to the bathroom and grabbing a spare pile of clothes on the way.

Loki sat down on the floor and shut his eyes, almost going into a trance of some sort, he muttered something in Asgardian and was seeing the image of the newly assembled Chitaurian mothership.
"I assure you..." He mumbled, "I will not fail you this time. I know where I went wrong, but I have a new plan now, a plan that will definitely not fail me."
"And what is that, God of Mischief?"
"I've found...a lover, and if I can manipulate her enough, I can hopefully try to get her on my side, if the so called superheroes think her of a precious gem like I do, I doubt that they will try to kill the one she loves. However, if that plan fails, she will merely be bait for an alternate plan, a plan where she will become a sacrifice. If they want to kill, they'll have to go through her."
The figure he was speaking to laughed at his words. "The God of mischief, in love? What happened to you? You were so independent...what happened?"
"I fell in love! I haven't been loved for all my lifetime, and I am not going to live an immortal life doing so!" He shouted, gripping his head and screaming, forcing him back to reality, where Elizabeta was crouched down in front of him, seeing him shaking and trembling in absolute anger, but managing to compose himself.

"Loki, are you okay? Do you want to postpone lunch?"
"N-no, I'm fine, don't worry, let's go..." Loki pulled himself up off the floor, smoothing his clothes and allowing Elizabeta to hook on his arm.
"Any food you have in mind, Elizabeta?" He asked as they walked through the corridor and back through the bar area, now seeing his other self, cut and bruised, being surrounded by the so called superheroes, his own weapons being used against him, he quickly came back to reality, however, when Elizabeta spoke again.
"Not really, where do you normally dine?"
Approaching the lift, he pressed the button to call it and let out a low laugh. "I... I dine everywhere, I suppose, but, there is a delightful Italian restaurant near the docks, it has a lovely view of the boats passing by. Would you like to dine there?"
"Oh, it sounds wonderful, but I wouldn't want to go there unless you don't want to."
"Not a bother, Elizabeta, I wish to feed you something other than the junk Stark is..."

The lift dinged and they both stepped inside, exiting the building and taking the longest route to the restaurant. He did this for two reasons, a) he didn't want to get spotted by the people who may still remember him and b) he wanted to spend as much time with Elizabeta as possible. His goal; making the woman fall for him. If Thor could do it, why can't he?

When they walked into the restaurant, they were welcomed by an overly excited blonde female, who wasn't the slimmest either.
"Hello there!" She cheered, and Loki could immediately read her Italian dialect. "Welcome, both of you, to Linguini's Italian family restaurant. Do you have a reservation?"
"Well actually...-" Loki began to say, but stopped shortly after, waving his hand and seeing his name etch into the writing pad. "Yes, we do, under the name Odinson," he used his Allfather's name, despite it not being his true name, and him hating the wretched name.
The woman looked at the pad, nodded and grabbed two menus, "Ah, yes! I found it! Come, follow me and I'll show you to your table."
She bustled along, ducking and dodging the skewed chairs and luxurious chandeliers from the ceilings, although her figure not helping her at most times. She continued to walk past the kitchen, and up the stairs, carrying on to the roofless dining area, and going to the secluded area of the roof, where there was nobody around, and placed the menus down.

"Here you go, Sir. One of my colleagues shall be up in a few moments to tend to you. Would you like anything to drink?"
"Yes, your finest champagne and champagne flutes, please," he said quickly, pulling out Elizabeta's chair and tucking it in when she sat down.
"Certainly," she said, writing the order in the notepad she had tucked in her apron. "I shall bring it up to you, sir. Enjoy your meal!"
"Thank you," he smiled, taking his seat and looking over the edge, relishing in the smell of the salty air of the sea, before looking back at Elizabeta. By all the Gods in Valhalla, she looked beautiful.

The waitress came back up with the champagne, and Loki quickly dismissed her, pouring out the two flutes of champagne and handing one to Elizabeta. The waiter then came up with a large writing pad, and in a slightly camp voice he asked them for their orders.
Loki ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese, yet Elizabeta was scared to order anything too expensive, so settled on the Olive Salad.
After their food had arrived and the waiter had left, they ate in silence, and seeing as Loki finished a lot quicker than Elizabeta, he simply put his hand in his pocket and thumbed over the all too similar ring again. Today was the day he'd ask her. Yes, it would be too soon, but there was nothing said in the law that two people couldn't become betrothed to each other so soon, was there?

When Elizabeta had finished, he refilled the glasses and he stood up, holding the glass in his fingers, and walked over to the balcony, admiring the view, before turning back to Elizabeta to speak' not moving from where he was.
"Elizabeta... I have a question..."
"What's your question, Loki?" She asked, wiping the food from around her mouth and taking a sip of the champagne.
"What do you think about...marriages...and, living with someone for the rest of your life?"
"Well...I've never thought anything about marriage...but my parents were married, and they seemed to get on fine...but I'd love to live with someone permanently... I haven't lived with anyone else for some time, and Star- Tony, he isn't the most...talkative. He's mostly in the workshop, we barely speak... It's like being back at my old flat, really..."
"I see..." He mumbled, the least Tony could do was make sure that she was alright. He made a mental note to go see to him another day.
"Why?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Why did you ask me that question?"
"Oh... No reason...no reason in particular..."

Normally Loki could mask his emotions and lies with a straight face, but his mask seemed to be slipping, he could feel it. "Actually... There is a reason...," he held a hand out to help her up and she walked over to him, he took a few steps back and placed his hand in his pocket again.
"Elizabeta...listen... I...I haven't really had much experience in this... Valhalla I haven't even had any experience in this... So this is going to be incredibly awkward for the two of us." He drew his hand out of his pocket, a gentle but firm fist. "I was given this by my mother when I was approaching my teen years. She told me to use it when the time was right..." He unfolded his fist and held the thin band in his thumb and forefinger. "She told me that when I was truly in love I could give the woman I loved this ring. Now I know... We've not known each other that long...and I know that the circumstances, as crazy as they are don't add up, but I knew from the minute, no the second, I set eyes on you in Stuttgart that I wanted to be with you. We've both suffered hard, and I know that we can make each other's lives complete... What I'm trying to say is... I...I want you to answer me something... Will you... Will..." his mouth suddenly dried up, unable to speak, the only noise emitting his mouth being a squeak and a croak of his voice giving way.

Elizabeta simply nodded, "I know what you're going to ask, Loki...," she smiled, and upon taking in his facial expression, she gingerly took his hand, "I feel the same way, honest I do. And in all fairness this sounds insane, but I had this feeling that when you helped me out in Stuttgart that we'd end up being the best of friends, but I never dreamt...lovers. But now...I see what you mean, we are like Yin and Yang, you're black, I'm white, we are in a way...soulfully bonded. If we never met that day... We never would have found each other."

She giggled as he took all of this in, his eyes welling up. "Yes..." She whispered gently, nodding her approval, and for once, Loki felt like he had been loved. For real, this time, not the fake love that Thor and Odin gave him. Real, eternal love.

Placing the ring on her finger, he couldn't be happier. He did feel guilty that she was essentially a victim in his plan, but he would genuinely love her, just as she loved him.
Step one of his plan was complete. All that was needed now was for him to think of the rest of his plan and he would truly have what he tried to carry out so many years ago; finally being able to rule all of New York and the 'worlds mightiest heroes' falling beneath him. He was adamant now, and he wasn't going to give up.