Chapter Six

Impudence Hath Made You Shameless

The lumbering hulk that was Thor looked distinctly out of place in Alex's small, dusty apartment in central Canberra. Bedecked in full armour, he had attracted several sidelong glances from those in the lobby. A number of people had begged for his autograph, amazed that a real life Avenger was in their midst, let alone the God of Thunder. Others were disapproving.

This was one thing that Alex had noticed during her brief stay in the country of her birth. Australians were less inclined to believe in the Avengers, despite the footage of Loki's attack on New York that had swamped the media. Some insisted it had been a terrorist attack, others perceived it as a fear rousing campaign on behalf of the US government. Sworn to confidentiality, Alex was unable to vouch for the legitimacy of the attack, even when those questioning it were members of her own family.

"This is everything?" Thor gestured to the small pile of personal belongings she had gathered in the centre of the room. Placing Mjolnir on the plush Persian rug, Thor grabbed the handle of the nearest hiking pack, hoisting it on his shoulder with ease. Alex gaped, knowing full well that the bag in question was brimming with a year's supply of books. She had barely been able to carry it. Several S.H.I.E.L.D agents grabbed the rest of the bags, dragging them from the apartment toward three thoroughly conspicuous-looking black vehicles. They would be driving to a local reserve, Tibdinbilla, to make the final journey back to Asgard.

Once the bags were removed, Alex shot one last look around her apartment. It was not as though she was particularly attached to the place. In the past two years, she had returned to its embrace only a few times, during her brief periods of leave. Yet, it remained the same as when she had first moved in. The pub across the road was still ridiculously noisy, even late on a Sunday night. The blinds still failed to block out the piercing rays of the morning sun, so similar in hue to that which spilled through her windows in Asgard.

The drive to Tibdinbilla proved to be quite entertaining, the S.H.I.E.L.D drivers failing to keep their cool when faced with Canberra's excessive number of roundabouts. Even the mighty Thor was looking a little green when they pulled into the car park. The sun was just beginning to set over the sea of spindling gum trees and tallow grass. Thor almost jumped with excitement as his pale eyes fell upon the dusky grey figure of a kangaroo.

"Jumping beasts! What wonder is this?"

Alex snorted. "They are called kangaroos, Thor."

Despite the fact he was carrying the book bag again, as well as several gym bags and Mjolnir, Thor stalked one of the animals, eyes wide. "Are they good for eating?"

"Apparently," Alex shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

Thor's face split into a grin. "I will bring one of these beasts home for father!"

"There is no time, sir," came the calculated drawl from one of the agents. Even from this angle, Alex could see the grin on Thor's face morph into the frown of a petulant child. Nevertheless, he followed Alex and the agents into the dense scrub.

Their final destination was an open clearing, miles from anywhere. The reserve had been closed by S.H.I.E.L.D, but they technically could not stop tourists from walking into the area. The bags Alex would be carrying were placed next to Thor, but before she could gather them, a hand cupped her shoulder.

"Alexandra, come with me."

Alex frowned, but followed Lucas to a large smooth barked gum.

"You have been ignoring me, I think." His tanned fingers brushed against her jaw, causing her to recoil.

"I haven't," she lied, trying to imbue her voice with innocence. "I have been very busy."

It sounded pathetic even to her ears.

A cruel smirk flicked across Lucas' lips. "Don't forget, my Alexandra. I made you and I can break you."

"Is that a threat?" Of course it was. "I work for Fury now."

"Now," sneered Lucas. "But in a year you will be working for me. Don't think I will put up with this kind of insolence at Geraldine." His voice was now so low that she could barely hear him. "And if I find out you have been spreading your legs for some primped up Asgardian cunt, I will kill you."

With a false smile, he moved away, leading her back to the transport site.

oOoOoOo

Asgard had changed little in the three weeks she had been absent. The observatory, while no longer being a skeleton, was far from complete. Heimdall was so still, it appeared as though he had not moved in the days she had been absent. Knowing Heimdall, he probably hadn't. The journey across the Rainbow Bridge struck Alex as more terrifying than usual, though she was unsure as to whether this was because she was shaken up, or merely the fact that the bags threw off her body's balance.

Thor seemed strangely talkative on the way to her chambers, booming merrily about how he, Sif and the Warriors Three would hunt many kangaroos for his wedding feast. Alex had never met Jane Foster, but suspected the astrophysicist had a very interesting life ahead of her. Smiling at her companion's train of thought, as well as the mental image of the five Asgardians stalking kangaroos in the Australian outback, Alex shot a quick glance toward the courtyard. The sun was still high and even from this distance she could see the kneeling figure of the God of Mischief.

She wondered if he would visit her that night.

The thought filled her with a heady mixture of both dread and excitement. Her mind wandered to his words... I intend to take you in every conceivable way. I will take my time, coming to you every single night, dragging it on until the only thought in that pretty little head of yours is me. Even tainted by her memory, this statement made her shudder.

Her reaction to Loki remained even now a contradiction. On the one hand, she loathed him for his possessive stance. In this way he reminded her so much of Lucas Malory, of every other man who sought to control her. At the same time, she felt as though Loki, of all the men in her life, was the one who could get away with it the most. After all, he had been brought up to think himself a god.

She knew the justifications for her conflict were pathetic. Everything about Loki and his sexual attachment to her was unhealthy.

Upon reaching the vast doors leading into Odin's palace, Alex and Thor were relieved of the bags by a large group of servants. Their apologetic tone and stance signified that they were meant to meet the two travellers at the observatory. Evidently, Thor and Alex had returned earlier than expected.

They entered Alex's chambers just as the servants were depositing the bags. To Thor, nothing was amiss, but Alex's eyes widened. Someone had been there. A random selection of her beautifully organised books was piled up on the bedside cabinet, a few of her personal belongings returned to the wrong place. Loki would of course know she would pick up on these changes, but Alex suspected this was his intention. Why bother hiding his presence when it would cause her so much discomfort?

As Thor departed, shouting something about a celebration, Alex headed toward the misplaced books.

"Loki, you creepy bastard," she hissed under her breath.

oOoOoOo

The celebrations that evening were more rambunctious than Alex remembered. Fandral had invited almost every single woman of the court, most of which seemed quite pleased to help him out with his overpowering sexual need. While this had the power to be quite disturbing, Alex remained bemused. Volstagg was his usual chipper self, lingering around the buffet table with an enormous leg of mutton in one hand, a tankard of Asgardian ale in the other.

Like usual, Alex found herself seeking out the company of Sif, who handed her a rapier before even a word could be spoken.

"I hope you have not grown rusty in your absence," the warrior smirked.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I was rusty anyway, Sif. I'm pretty sure three weeks is hardly going to make a difference."

It was good to fight again. Her stay away had hardly been a relaxing one. Most of it had been spent at the Geraldine campsite pretending to work, while actually trying to escape the prying eyes (and hands) of Lucas. The remainder had been spent catching up with friends and family. Throughout that time, she had yearned for a sparring partner.

While they fought, Alex idly wondered how Loki had blended into the social life of Thor and his friends. She knew he had a reputation with the ladies, though those who had experienced his touch were unlikely to discuss it. Loki, like Frost Giants and vegetarians, had no place in Asgardian conversation. She pictured him a little like Fandral: his silver tongue lifting the skirts of the courts finest maidens. Then there was the lone intellect, sitting in the corner watching everything unfold around him. Loki's life before his invasion of Earth was an enigma to Alex, a mystery she suspected she would never solve.

The only thing she knew for certain was that Loki would be in her bedroom when she returned.

The muscles in her wrist screamed with pain as she turned the handle to her chamber door. Sif had been a little harder than usual, clearly ascertaining whether her sparring partner had indeed gone soft. The room itself was bathed in a warm glow, the lanterns lit around the walls, a lamp burning on the bedside table. Reclined against her pillows was Loki, his face hidden behind one of Alex's more lurid books.

"You have returned."

It was as though his voice was a physical presence, brushing over her body. She could feel herself responding, and felt a twang of self-loathing because of it. It certainly did not help that the God of Mischief had forgone his armour for a simple pair of breeches. His bared chest, on show throughout the day, seemed infinitesimally more alluring at night.

"How observant of you."

Her words caused him to smirk, placing the shameless book on her bedside cabinet. A smooth movement was all it took for him to remove himself from the bed. Whether it was the smut, or her arrival, his arousal was evident beneath the thin material of his pants. "Remove your clothing."

Alex cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You are intelligent woman, Agent Beckett, I am sure you are capable of obeying such a simple order."

"I have been away for three weeks and all you can say is-"

"Do not tell me you expected flowers and, what do you mortals call them? chocolates." A malicious grin crossed his lips. "You have kept me waiting, little mortal. So either you can remove your own clothing, or I will rip them from you."

As appealing as the latter option was, Alex was less inclined to lose yet another dress to Loki's rough fingers. Slowly, she lowered the straps of her dress, leaving her in naught but a plain bra and knickers. His gaze seemed to penetrate her, consuming every inch of bare flesh she revealed. It was intoxicating and intimidating in equal measure. Three weeks had evidently allowed her to regain some of her shame.

Her underwear soon joined the dress on the floor. Alex watched entranced as Loki stepped out of his breeches. Though she found him irresistible in his armour, this was nothing compared to seeing him literally in the flesh. Every inch of him looked as though it had been carved by a renaissance artist, and a perverted renaissance artist at that. Though only semi-erect, his cock was magnificent. Alex once against felt the heat of a blush caress her skin.

Long fingers wrapped around her arm, dragging her toward him. His lips claimed hers briefly, tongue gliding across her teeth before he pulled away, pushing her onto the slightly ruffled overlay of her bed.

"You surprise me, mortal," he murmured, lifting one of her legs and kissing her ankle. "You pretend to be defiant, yet your choice of reading material shows that you crave subjugation."

"I read other things," she stammered, slightly angrily, as his lips moved up her calf, lingering on the soft skin under her knee. He chuckled, kissing his way further up her thigh, spreading her legs while he did so.

"Your latest acquisitions prove otherwise. Tell me, Alexandra, what exactly is a haven of obedience?"

Alex's reply was swallowed by a groan, Loki's tongue brushing across the length of her slit. With both thumbs, he separated her further, caressing every inch of her exposed flesh, while notably ignoring the hardening nub of her clitoris.

"It is a unique concept," Loki hummed against her sex. "I feel you would benefit from such a place."

She wanted to tell him to shut up, but his tongue now slid within her, causing the insult to morph into a gasp. Her fingers curled in his hair, urging him to continue. When his lips finally blessed her clit with an embrace, she almost screamed. His tongue, his lips, and the brush of his nose against exposed flesh – it was too much. She came suddenly, violently, almost ripping his raven locks from his scalp as she did so. He chuckled, the tremor torturing her sensitive flesh.

She would have been content at that moment to relax, but Loki had other ideas, lifting her from the bed and depositing her onto the floor.

"Kneel."