A/N: THOR 2 TRAILER HOLY JESUSFUCK I CANNOT WAIT FOR OCTOBER HURRY UP ALREADY. ALSO IRON MAN 3 - BRILLIANT. GO SEE.

Anyway, I bring you another update - with plot, surprisingly xD

As long as her family were kept safe. Were he a softer man, he might almost admire that sentiment. But family was not a subject he cared to dwell much upon, not since Odin had rejected him and Thor had chosen the side of the idiots.

"You really believe Odin views you as unequal to Thor, don't you?" came Eva's voice from the table, considerably softer. "Why?"

"Your realm is not the only one with racism," Loki replied tautly, staring out at the healing city. "Asgard and Jotunheim have been at war for as long as I can remember. I was taken from Jotunheim as an infant, from a temple. I was raised to loathe the frost giants as all Asgardians were. I'm certain you can imagine the dilemma I faced when I discovered my true heritage as the son of the Jotun King."

She was silent for a moment, biting her lip and glancing at him with something akin to sympathy.

"It's a mask you wear, isn't it?"

He went very, very still, and therein lay the answer. Eva rose from her seat and walked over to him, staring up at his expressionless profile.

"Even now, you cannot bring yourself to face who you are. You have a throne; you have power, an unborn child… and yet peeling back the layers to reveal the true you… you cannot do it, because that is what terrifies you. Isn't it?" She glanced out to view New York, and her words were almost sad in tone.

"I could pity you."

She made to turn away from the windows, when his hand grasped her arm, unrelenting in grip.

"And do you?" His voice was raw, making Eva look up at him once more to see his features shaped into something truly saddening.

"Yes, I think I do."

His lips were upon hers in a single second, and she did not fight him. Not even as his hands began to strip her bare and she felt soft sheets beneath her back. Not even as his clothing disappeared and his mouth found naked skin, marking and burning her flesh, making her arch up, his fingers bringing forth emotions that sent her heart ricocheting.

"I don't love you," Eva warned him. Loki merely smiled, and leant over her to press his lips to her collarbone.

"I never expected you to, my dear."

And he sheathed himself within her. It was not gentle, but neither was it the furious passion that had dominated so much of their sexual encounters. No. This was the in-between. It was not a fight for control but simply a venture into pleasure. Two lovers caught up in their feelings for the other, and she could not deny that for all his displeasing qualities, his skills in bed – and out of it – were unparalleled. Within minutes the two of them were a tangled, primal mess, and she'd almost forgotten why she hated the man.

When they had finished, she did not flinch away from him as she had always done before, and his thumb traced her cheekbone as they lay in bed together.

"What a strange creature you are," he murmured. "You say you cannot stand me, and yet here we are. What think you of this, Lena?"

The use of her middle name startled her for a moment, as did the unusual softness in his eyes.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't know."

His hand was gentle upon her stomach, his thumb caressing the skin.

"And this little one…"

"They won't be your heir. That will not happen," she replied quietly. "I don't want that for our child. Not when you will fall regardless."

"I do wish you wouldn't delude yourself so," he sighed, rolling off her and lying on his back, one knee bent. "Every day, my hold over Midgard grows. I am its King, and yours. Accept it."

"And what if I can't? What if I never can?"

His smile spoke volumes.

"Eva, you accepted it the moment you dropped that glass and threw yourself at me. You know that. Why else would we be here now? If I were sentimental, I might suggest love. But you and I both know that that is impossible."

"I can't love the man who has taken my home for his own," she said quietly. Soft laughter sounded from beside her.

"Did I ask for love? No. As I said, I do not expect it. You share my bed and that is enough." His hand snaked over to rest over her still-flat stomach. "That is, unless you consent to be my queen. There is always that, of course."

Eva did not speak, did not move. Were it not a basic automatic function, she might not even have breathed. She was so still, so suddenly deep in thought, that she inhaled in surprise as Loki rolled, grasped her by the waist and lifted her to straddle him.

This was new. And yet, somehow Eva doubted that he was the submissive type – especially when one hand of his held her hip. She cocked an eyebrow, and his eyes were unreadable. He took her hand in his free one, and, closing it into a fist, he brought it gently to rest over his heart.

"And if you had a blade, would you?" he asked intently, forcing Eva to look at him. "Would you kill me, right here, right now? Could you do it? You would be hailed a heroine, a saviour of the human race. All because you killed a man. Could you live with that, Lena? Could you?"

"Stop it."

"You would be saved from all those mobs you fear. No one would loathe you ever again. No one would harm you. You could live untouched by hatred. People would adore you. Never mind that you had the blood of a man on your hands. Oh, no. That would be entirely excusable, because you just 'saved' an entire race – "

"I said stop!"

Loki watched as Eva sat there, eyes burning, trembling. He released her, and she closed her eyes, biting her lip. He almost felt pity for her; she was so unused to the violent world that he had spent so much time in. And yet, she'd lasted far longer than he'd expected. Perhaps he was proud of that.

"Eva…"

"You know I couldn't do that, so why ask me?" she said shakily. "Why? I couldn't kill anyone, even a being as twisted and malicious as you. I'm not that kind of person. Don't try and make me into a killer. Don't."

"Hush. I know you could not kill me. You may desire to, but you do not have the stomach for it. Scholar, not soldier. Consort, not combatant." His hand cupped her breast, thumb lazily caressing. "I know you, Eva. And I want you as my queen." He suddenly sat up, hands trailing her arms, voice soft in cadence. "So tell me, Lena. Yea or nay?"

Eva looked up at him. She was so close to him that his chest was mere inches from hers, and she swallowed.

"How can I?" she whispered. "With all that you stand for, all that you have done, how can I say yes?"

Fingertips traced her jaw, tilted her chin, brushed her lips, and his eyes softened, lessening the harshness that she had grown so used to.

"For the simple reason that I will protect you, and our child. I will bring the two of you into a new age, into a world where you need fear nothing. Where you need worry about nothing. You will be safe, and Midgard given the guidance it so desperately needs. Believe me. I may be known as Liesmith, but it is here I give you utmost truth. And so, I ask you once more, Eva, Lena, my lady. Will you come or no?"

Her eyes studied the outlines of his face. The sincerity in his expression. The surprising gentleness of his eyes. The light, tender touch of his hands.

It was too much, and she closed her eyes. "Loki, I – I…"

His kiss upon her forehead was bittersweet, and she leant her own against his chest. She had fought long and hard against this, what he wanted, what he asked of her. Asked, not commanded. And it troubled her, how close to wavering she seemed to be. What is happening?

She felt his fingers comb gently through her curls, soothing her.

"What am I doing, Loki?" she whispered. "Why am I here?"

"Because you want to be," he answered softly.

And this time she did not refute him.

"I can't do this alone," she murmured. "I can't."

"You do not have to. I fathered the child, and I intend to be involved in the little one's life. Fear not, Eva. I will be here."

Raising her head, her eyes met his, and her fingers tentatively touched his jaw.

"I should not be doing this."

"It is a little late for that," he replied.

Her lips claimed his, and there wasn't a single shred of fight in their embrace. It was an exploration of feelings, of curiosity. But of trust? Neither would go so far as that. Both would deem such a thing ridiculous, laughable.

"Isn't there a form of protection on Asgard? Why didn't you use it?" she asked, between kisses. Loki's smile was gently amused, but not cruel.

"No, there is not. It is… rare that a female conceives, given the length of time Asgardians live. Otherwise the population would suffer greatly. Thus, children are few and far between."

"That would explain why you're centuries old and childless, then."

"Exactly."

His fingertips trailed up her spine, causing it to bend in a graceful arc just as his mouth found purchase on the newly exposed throat, the pale skin inviting lips forth.

"If you hated me as you so love to declare, you would have protested my touch, loathed it," he murmured, indulging and leaning close to her neck, watching her pulse. "What a little liar you are. Deceiving your mind, but I can see your heart, Eva Manning. You wear it on your sleeve, try as you might to conceal it. Oh, the public do not see it, but I? I do. I see it in your fire, your eyes, your every movement. Traitor-queen, they will call you. No longer a martyr to the cause, but a willing defector to the winning side. That is what you are, my dear. I came, I saw, I conquered. Just as Caesar did so many centuries ago. Shall I call you queen now?"

Eva was flushed, and it wasn't from his proximity or their nakedness. He had hit home, once again. Was she really so easy to read?

"Run from this if you like," he continued. "No doubt you would always run, if you could. Run from the truth. I suspect that is what you do when the truth is something you cannot face. But you will come back to my bed, Eva. You always have. You could have refused many a time, and I would have let you alone. But no. Still you came, made your own advances on a few occasions, and now you refuse to accept what sits in your heart."

Her mouth opened to protest, and he laughed and laughed.

"And again, I am proved correct."

"This doesn't change the fact that I still want you gone from Earth," she whispered. "Always. I might share your bed and carry your child, but if there was a chance to oust you, I would."

"Precious girl. You wouldn't. You need me to save that child in your belly. Stop lying, Eva. It doesn't suit you at all."

"Just as truth doesn't suit you."

He calmly flipped her back onto the bed, leaning over her, his ink-black mane long enough that the tips brushed her collarbones.

"I wear it well enough," he replied simply, and suddenly delicious warmth spread through her body as he laid her hands on her belly. Confused, Eva cocked a brow at him in questioning.

"You carry a jotun child. You are not far enough yet, but it may cause you to become so cold that it is dangerous for you. I am taking no chances, Eva. I cannot lose my heir."

"Heir. Not even a child. Is that all this baby is to you, just a way to continue your bloodline?" Disgust coloured Eva's voice, and Loki looked at her almost pityingly.

"Oh, Eva. My sweet queen. You truly are a delight."

"I'm questioning your parenting skills, Loki."

This time he chuckled, and the kiss was laid upon her forehead. His fingers drew a strand of hair back from her face.

"You're messing with my head," she whispered. He shook his head, sober once more.

"No," came the murmur. "This is all your doing, Lena."

She pushed him away, and swung her legs over the bed, rising to her feet. She padded into the bathroom, and, placing her hands on the sink's rim, she stared at herself in the mirror. Mussed blonde mane, spots of pink upon her cheeks, alabaster skin. But it was her eyes that frightened her most. They looked more alive than they ever had, more vibrant, and one hand slipped to feel her belly. Still nothing. Not that there would be for another couple of months.

"We've lost, haven't we?" she whispered. Loki watched her from the doorway, as naked as she.

"No. You haven't. You have risen, Eva. Risen to become the most important woman of the realm. The King's lover, and soon-to-be Queen. Mother of the King's child. You have not lost at all."

"If I were not pregnant, would you let me walk out, right now? Would you let me walk away from all this?" She looked at him in the mirror, fearless, and Loki tilted his head.

"No."

"Then I have lost."

"I beg to differ. You could not walk away if you tried, and not because you are with child. Must I make you see the truth, again? You know the answers to your anxieties. Do not verbalise them when you know I will only reinforce the facts. You want to stay; I can see it from here. The only reason you are so disturbed by the revelation is because you believe you cannot accept and stay with the apparent 'villain' of this tale. But I am no villain, Eva. I am simply the leader putting your world to rights."

"The hero?"

"The guide," he answered calmly, and Eva exhaled. Loki advanced, and he ran his hands down her arms, lips moving to her shoulder.

"You will come to see this, in time."

Her eyes closed. "No. I never will."

"Then we are at an impasse. However will we solve this?"

"We can't."

Loki wandered. The air was damp, and his spine prickled.

The voice was dark, malicious, and full of an evil that even Loki could not comprehend but had the child inside him trembling.

"You almost failed, Asgardian."

A voice with an unseen form. Loki turned amidst the black rock walls, seeking a body but finding none. Something he had well used in his lifetime, but this was backward. And unnerving.

"I have Midgard under my thumb," he declared steadily amidst his inner unease. "I have done what you asked."

A sinister chuckle, and sudden pain nearly tore Loki's mind apart. He fell to his knees, clutching his skull as he fought not to scream in agony, and the voice spoke once more, amused.

"So you did. But we are not done, Asgardian. We are coming for you. You cannot hide. We will find you, and take the Tesseract. Reduce you and that petty realm to nothing. It is too late for pleas, Loki. You are finished."

The god awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright, his breathing hard and painfully rapid as he glanced around, panicked. Sweat lingered over him like the clammy hands of those creatures, and he swallowed. Not again. No.

Beside him, Eva slept, her face at peace, and Loki slowly calmed, a shaking hand reaching over to feel her cheek. Warm with sleep. He'd been visited by mirth when she'd stayed in bed with him hours before, but now… now he was grateful for it. An odd, unfamiliar feeling, however, and he was not quite sure how to digest it.

He slid back beneath the covers, and his arms drew Eva close, earning a muffled, confused protest from the woman herself. He simply kissed her shoulder. "Nothing is wrong. Go back to sleep, Lena."

He waited until he heard the steady breathing resume, and then he sighed, allowing her soft form to reassure him, her even heartbeat giving him something to focus on besides the fear taking root once more in his damaged heart. Had he ever been safe? Even when Midgard had been taken, had that not ensured his survival?

Apparently not.

Were he a lesser man, Loki's anxiety would have made him shake uncontrollably, and allowed the sickening feeling to strengthen in his stomach. But he was a god, and he had never let his emotions take hold so strongly. He was not about to start that now. He had a realm to govern, a woman to safeguard, and a child to protect. A hand felt Eva's belly, and the spark of life soothed him. Thriving, despite the environment it grew within. Clearly, a human body was not designed to carry a frost giant babe, but Eva's was being remarkably staunch. It almost made Loki smile, and he closed his eyes, permitting his head to rest back upon the pillow.

For the first time in a long, long while, with the thought of his burgeoning offspring in his mind, he slept undisturbed. Eva awoke in the morning, still enclosed in Loki's arms, and shock flared within her at the unusual intimacy. But when she heard his soft breathing, and realised that he was wholly relaxed, she relented. Somehow she felt no urge to disturb this serenity. It was quiet, tranquil. No harsh words or filthy actions. No roughness. Just… this. What it was, Eva could not quite name, but it did not matter. She simply lay there in this strange contentment, and when she finally turned around to look at the sleeping god, gentle surprise grew within her.

Loki wore the softest of smiles upon his face.

A/N: Oh dear, we are in trouble...

Lightning xoxo