When Loki awoke the next day the humiliation from the previous night came rushing back with alarming force.

He'd been all too aware that he wouldn't be able to remain awake forever, he'd known that, but he hadn't expected that he'd leave her access to something so private when he finally succumbed to sleep. And not for the first time. He should have known better. And he knew it was his own doing. He'd blown up at her. He'd been adamant about not sleeping; keeping his shields in place. He just couldn't stomach the idea of letting her back in and making her privy to the regret he felt about their disagreement. But what eventuated was so much worse.

He scowled at the thought.

She'd been kind when she'd woken him. The thought made his insides twist all the more. He hadn't expected it. He hadn't expected her to ask if he was alright. Hadn't expected her to care.

And he certainly hadn't expected her to show up in his cell the next day holding a tattered piece of white fabric tied to a stick.

"Hi," Reagan said, somewhat meekly.

Loki stared at her for a few moments before asking the obvious question.

"What are you doing?"

She followed his gaze to the fabric she was waving.

"It's a white flag," she said, as though it was obvious.

Loki merely stared at her, squinting, bewildered. She glanced uncertainly between him and back to the flag again.

"Is that not a thing here or something? Okay. Never mind."

She tossed it idly over her shoulder and took a deep breath, glancing away from him, uncomfortably. She crossed her arms over her chest and sucked in a deep steadying breath.

"Look, this is crazy. We can't just half-ignore each other for the rest of our lives, right?"

"Well, I can certainly endeavour to try."

Reagan sighed.

"Come on, Loki. It's not exactly going well. We were making a lot more progress when we were working together - improving my shields. Besides, how much longer can you go without sleep before you keel over?"

Loki winced inwardly, he sensed that she didn't mean it as such, but it was a bruise to his ego. Part of him wanted to just tell her to go, to leave him be. It would be simpler. But he'd truly never expected that she would reach out to him again after what had happened, and so his curiosity got the better of him.

Reagan seemed undeterred by his lack of response. Instead, she seemed all the more determined to coax him into a conversation.

"I didn't mean to offend you that day, okay? I really wasn't trying to upset you or anything, I was honestly just curious. But we had a truce and I seem to have overstepped it somehow. What I said clearly struck a nerve and so I'm just, I'm really ssss..."

Reagan trailed off, the word seemingly dying on her tongue.

Loki furrowed his brow, observing her curiously.

They stood in a strange, uncomfortable stalemate before Reagan glanced his way, expectantly, evidently hoping she'd said enough.

Amusement flickered suddenly across Loki's features; a devious smirk making a home at the corner of his lips.

"What was that?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

She stared him down, trying her best not to glare.

He knew that she knew what he was doing.

And worse, she knew that he knew that she knew.

She inhaled deeply, steeling herself as she did her best to swallow her pride.

"I am trying to say," she said slowly, forcing herself to maintain eye contact. "That... I regret what I said to you the last time we spoke... and I would... I'd like it if we could move on from it. Go back to our lessons."

Loki grinned widely.

"Go on," he insisted. "Say the words."

Reagan squinted at him, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly in defeat.

"Isn't that enough?"

"Almost, I just want to hear that one other word you couldn't quite manage. That you're sor..."

"You really are an asshole, you know that?"

Loki just cocked his head at her, amused. "Is this your first apology?"

Reagan recoiled at the word.

"Ugh, do we really have to label it?" she asked dramatically, though Loki clocked the way she tried to hide the amusement from her voice.

He just watched her, patiently, as if he had all the time in the world.

Reagan groaned, caught in the trap - fully aware that it would be much more humiliating to retreat now than to just concede.

"Okay, fine! I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry. Can we please just forget it happened? Please?"

Loki studied her as she waited expectantly. He couldn't quite work out what might have spurred on this newfound desire to make peace. He knew full well that he'd reacted to her too harshly, he knew that she didn't understand why. In truth, he hadn't really either. But then as he watched her, Loki's stomach twisted slightly when it dawned on him how tired she looked. There were dark rings under her eyes and her face looked slightly pale. He'd kept his barriers up since the fight in the library, stopped tracking her nights by her periods of rest. Was something preventing her from sleeping? He didn't like that he didn't know. He'd kept his barriers locked firmly in place until-

Last night.

The nightmares.

Loki had spent the morning stewing in regret, he hated that she might have seen them - seen his weakness. It hadn't even occurred to him that she might have to endure those images too. To feel them. Had she felt them? Loki was strong. He could endure - had endured - but a mortal...

Could the things she'd seen have been so unbearable that she would humble herself to make peace with him just to make them stop?

He willed the guilt away, but it coiled solid and resolute within him. If it had been anything else - anything else - he could pretend he didn't care. But those dreams...

"I suppose, in turn, I ought to offer you an apology as well," Loki said a little stiffly, at last. "I may have overreacted slightly that day, perhaps it was a little unnecessary."

"Wow," she blinked at him. "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, when you receive an apology as heartfelt and poignant as the one you just delivered, one can't help but to be inspired to wax poetic themselves."

"Okay, shut up."

"No, truly. You could teach classes. Or perhaps, become a playwright?"

Reagan shook her head in disbelief.

"God, I can't believe only ten minutes ago I thought I missed your company," she muttered before her eyes flew wide with horror as she whipped around to look at him, realising what she'd just said.

"I didn't say-"

"I believe you did," Loki said, smugly.

"I misspoke," Reagan insisted. "It was just a poor choice of words."

"Evidently," he laughed. "So, you'd really like to recommence your lessons?"

Reagan nodded, taking a seat opposite him in the empty chair.

"You were right about something you said the last time we spoke. I did ask for your help. I still need your help," her voice sounded a little smaller now, uncertain. "I want to go home, and if I ever want that to happen, I need you. I can't figure this out alone."

Loki studied her once more. It was so unlike her to show him any kind of vulnerability.

"So now that I've apologised can we please, please try again?"

"Very well," Loki conceded at last. "Tomorrow, though. First, go get some rest. I'm sure you're exhausted from fretting over my absence."

Reagan rolled her eyes.

"Idiot," she muttered.

"Apologiser," he shot back.

"Wha-That's not even clever!"

"It doesn't have to be clever if it's true," Loki smirked.

Reagan shook her head even as she tried to hide her smile and the pair fell quiet for a few moments.

"So... we're good?" she asked, tentatively.

"We're good," Loki agreed.

"Friends?" she asked.

"Acquaintances." he corrected, with a look of incredulity.

"Best acquaintances," she insisted, splitting the difference just to irritate him.

"Fool," Loki muttered, even as he suppressed a smile.

Reagan fell quiet again and Loki looked up, mostly expecting her to be gone and the conversation to have concluded. Instead, he was mildly surprised to find her watching him, seemingly lost in thought. Her face was unreadable. Loki's brow furrowed slightly.

"What is it?" he asked.

His voice seemed to bring her back to the present, jolting her slightly when she realised she'd been caught staring.

"I, um... I met someone you know the other day," she told him.

He threw her a confused look.

"Sygran," Reagan clarified. "From the library."

"Ah," Loki replied, not wanting to say more. He wasn't so sure how he felt about that. Sygran had always seen more light in him than what truly existed. He tried not to think of her anymore. Tried not to think about what her opinion of him might be now, after everything he'd done. She was one person Loki loathed the idea of disappointing. Though, he'd always considered it to be inevitable.

"She's awfully fond of you," Reagan said finally. "I mean, she's clearly a terrible judge of character, but nevertheless it's true."

"And how was it that the two of you came to be acquaintances?" Loki asked, not quite ready to hear any more of Sygran's perspective of him.

Reagan hesitated for only a moment before replying, but Loki spotted it.

"She's been helping me learn about... about Asgard," Reagan explained, not quite meeting his eye. "I figured if I'm going to be here a while I should start learning about the place."

"Ah, so you've not been idle in my absence."

"Not at all, I've read more in the last couple of weeks than in my entire schooling career."

"Yes, that sounds believable."

"Shut up, dickhead," she rolled her eyes. "I just... I just wanted you to know that she still thinks about you. And that she'd visit you if she were allowed to. I think she'd want you to know that."

Loki's features hardened then, becoming difficult to read. Reagan watched him uncertainly, unsure if she'd made yet another misstep with him.

"Thank you," Loki said at last without meeting her eye, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"You're welcome," she replied, sincerely. "Okay, well... see you tomorrow I guess."

Loki nodded and watched as her projection faded away, leaving him alone in a storm of new emotions.

From that day forth something shifted between the pair. They still squabbled to no end, but Reagan no longer felt like she was living with a knife at her throat. It was a relief and made every passing day on Asgard a little more bearable.

What was even better was that with each lesson, her shields were finally progressing. And with the agreement of peace between them, and each of them promising to be on their best behaviour, Loki was able to experiment with how to establish lasting shields while sleeping. Their plan was exactly that; to find a way to form a shield that could be kept in place by both of them during both consciousness and unconsciousness and to use the energy of the bond itself as a sort of support system for the shield itself. Without either of them constantly waring to get inside the mind of the other it should be possible, Loki theorised. Though neither of them knew if there were any truth to the theory, Reagan sorely hoped it would work.

If they could achieve that - shut the link in such a way - then the Atraxis should never be able to detect them. Reagan could return to Earth and Loki could go about escaping Asgard. Loki was quite confident that he just needed to better study the bond, and in time it could be done.

Reagan found him doing exactly that when she projected herself into his cell a few days later for a progress update. He was sat on the bed, his back straight and his eyes closed, impossibly still. The only sign that he wasn't an actual statue was the steady rise and fall of his chest. Reagan watched him for a few moments. She could feel him experimenting with the bond, his presence ebbing back and forth along it, only now it wasn't intrusive, and she felt no need to fight back. The more Loki came to understand it, the more likely (she hoped) he'd be able to find a way to put their shields in place with more permanence.

"Any luck?" she asked finally as she plopped herself down on the end of his bed.

Loki opened his eyes to shoot an annoyed glare her way, whether it was due to her interrupting him or because she'd taken a seat on his bed, she wasn't sure but either way she had no intention of moving.

"Nothing worth reporting," he admitted finally. "And have you made any progress? I felt you practising."

"Indeed, I have. Check this out!" Reagan closed her eyes and concentrated, bringing up her newly formed barriers.

She focused and Loki reached out down the bond to watch as she surrounded her mind in deep, velvety black encompassment. It was by no means sturdy and flickered in and out of existence as she struggled to maintain her focus, but it was undeniable progress from where she'd started.

Evidently, she wasn't able to hold it for too long as it soon fell away but nevertheless, it was something.

"Not bad, mortal," he said.

Reagan smiled and looked away, embarrassed that he likely felt the glow of pride his praise emanated in her. Her eyes fell beyond the confines of Loki's cell and she watched as a golden-glad guard marched past, not sparing her so much as a glance.

She tilted her head as she watched him go.

"Hey, how come none of the guards ever care that I'm in here? Surely this can't be allowed, right?"

"They can't see you," Loki explained. "I've cast an illusion to make it look as if I'm here alone."

Reagan looked surprised.

"You can do that?"

Loki nodded.

"Interesting," she mused as she stood and moved closer to the cell wall, peering out to watch the guard pass once again on his return trip. She waved at him. Nothing.

"I'm surprised you don't mess with them," she said, still watching the guard. "I mean, you must get bored in here. You don't cast little spells here and there?"

"Odin's spellwork means my magic is confined to this cell, otherwise I'd be delighted to. I used to have quite an affinity for wreaking havoc before I left Asgard."

"Gasp! No way," Reagan said dramatically. "Hey Loki, that was sarcasm."

"Yes, believe it or not, I detected that."

Reagan turned to look at him over her shoulder.

"I did hear about a few of your more annoying pranks from one of the maids. Turning all the wine into ink? That's actually not bad."

Loki smirked. "I'd forgotten about that."

"You know, when I was younger, my cousin and I liked to pull pranks on each other."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Reagan smiled a little at the memory. "He once filled my whole backpack with shaving cream when I was in fifth grade. I thought my mom was going to kill him. So, to retaliate I zip-tied all his clothes so he couldn't put anything on. Like all his t-shirts and pants, even his socks. Oh, and the scissors so that he couldn't actually cut open any of the ties. So then, to get back at me he painted all my shoes blue. So, I taught his pet parakeet to say 'Mom's a bitch' so she'd think it learned it from him. It kind of escalated from there."

Loki snickered and Reagan couldn't help but to smile a little in response.

"When we were children and I was just getting the hang of my spellwork, I learned to transform myself into a snake. Thor loved them, you see, forever picking them up to play with them. So, I waited for him to discover me, and at last, when he did pick me up, I transformed back into my true form and stabbed him."

There was a beat of silence.

"WHAT?!" Reagan exclaimed in sheer disbelief before bursting into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"What?" Loki asked, perplexed.

"That's not a prank, you psycho!" she managed to gasp.

Loki, who should have been annoyed, found it rather infectious and couldn't help but laugh along with her as she doubled over again, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"I fail to see how that's any different to you and your cousin tormenting one another."

"Loki," she turned to look at him in disbelief, still wiping tears of laughter from her face. "It's so different it's crazy."

Soon, Reagan was able to compose herself enough to ask another question.

"So, illusions huh?"

"It's one of the first things my mother taught me to do."

"Show me something?"

Loki quieted for a moment, thinking, before he lifted his hand to show her a simple trick, yet one of his favourites. His fireworks.

Reagan's lips parted slightly in a silent gasp as she stared at the display. Slowly, she moved closer to him, not blinking even once.

"Whoa," she breathed softly.

He watched her as the light show illuminated her features with various hues of gold and purple and blue. She stared at them in wonder, leaning in closer again.

"Are they hot?" she asked, looking as if she was itching to reach out and touch them.

"No," Loki assured her. "They aren't made of energy like your flames, they're merely a thought given form. If you were to try and touch them your hand would simply pass through them, much like your projection."

To emphasise his point, Loki reached out his hand for hers, expecting to ghost through it. Instead, his fingertips brushed gently against hers. Skin against skin. Solid. Firm. Real.

The pair jumped apart suddenly as if they'd just electrocuted one another. The look on Loki's face caused Reagan's heart to race. Something had happened, something that shouldn't be able to happen.

"Impossible" Loki murmured.

Reagan stared at him in disbelief, watching as he was obviously trying to process what had just occurred. Seeing an opportunity in his distracted state, she reached out experimentally and poked him in the ribs. Her hand made real contact with his side. Loki instantly squatted her hand away, irritated.

"Ouch," she said pointedly, as she cradled her hand to her chest.

Loki, however still seemed too preoccupied to pay much attention.

"That shouldn't be possible," he murmured, more to himself than to Reagan as he stared at her hands. "It must be something to do with the bond."

"Or maybe I'm just really good at magic?" Reagan suggested.

She was instantly met with the most incredulous look she'd ever seen on another person's face.

"Trust me, I think we can safely say it's the bond."

"Well, that's rude."

"And yet, so accurate."

Over the passing weeks, Reagan had taken to joining Thor and his friends for evening meals every few nights when they weren't off-world battling rebelling forces. They were a warm company - comfortable. And on those nights when she dined and drank and laughed with them, they all left her feeling welcomed and safe and a part of something.

Well, almost all of them.

All except for Sif.

"You're not from Asgard?" she said to Hogun one night, as he was telling her a story of his first time seeing the Bifrost and the mighty city of Asgard.

"No, my home planet is called Vanaheim. I first met Thor when Asgard came to defend my home from an invading force. We fought well together, and when Thor requested that I join his ranks I accepted. It was, after all, the greatest of honours a son of Odin could bestow upon a warrior."

Reagan smiled at him.

"What's it like there? Vanaheim?"

Hogun launched into his explanation passionately, and all the while, Reagan was keenly aware of Sif's frosty gaze settling on her while she thought Reagan wasn't paying attention.

She doesn't like me, she said to Loki, not for the first time, as she took a drink to disguise her retreat from the present conversation. Determinedly, she kept her focus on Hogun, though her eyes seemed to want to wander towards the dark-haired woman of their own accord.

I'm sure you're just imagining it, Loki replied. She's always been a slightly sour woman.

No, this isn't that. Reagan insisted calmly. She's warm with the others, she talks to them. Me, she hardly even looks at me. If I try to talk to her, she never gives me more than a word or two in response. She always sits as far away from me as possible.

Well, I can assure you, you're really not missing out on much.

But why? Reagan pressed. What do you think I did?

Perhaps she's afraid of fire.

A soft smile bloomed on Reagan's face.

I don't get the impression that she's afraid of much, Reagan replied.

She hazarded a glance in Sif's direction and her attention had shifted to Thor and Volstagg who were contesting which of them had taken down the biggest foe on the battlefield that day. She laughed along happily with them, joined in the conversation with genuine and friendly enthusiasm. Reagan was well aware of the way she would stiffen if Reagan had then tried to contribute.

It could be due to Thor's affection towards you, Loki conceded at last. It's evident he has a soft spot for you. She can't like that.

Ohhh, Reagan said in newfound realisation. Her and Thor, huh? I didn't realise.

Not exactly. Though Sif has always desired the pairing.

Oh wait, but Thor told me about that other woman he met on Earth. Jane? He's like, obsessed with her.

Perhaps then, she's just concerned that my brother has a preference for mortal women.

Maybe, Regan replied, even as she scrunched her nose in disagreement.

That wasn't it. There was something more to it. She was certain.

Reagan watched the other woman for just a few moments too long and Sif, sensing it, turned her way and caught her eye. A chill ran through her at the frosty look Sif threw at her. Reagan dropped her gaze, turning her attention back to Hogun, willing herself not to look at Sif again for the rest of the evening.

Later that evening when they'd bid the others goodnight, Sif and Fandral walked together through the castle grounds, each on their way back to their chambers. They were bathed in almost total darkness, but their Asgardian senses allowed them to see easily enough.

"You know, you could try to be a little friendlier towards the mortal," Fandral said at last, earning him a scowl from the other warrior. "She can tell you that don't like her."

"I don't much care," Sif replied, stiffly. "In fact, I rather prefer it that way."

"She's a nice girl, Sif, she's done no harm."

"She shares the mark with Loki," Sif shot back.

"She cannot help that she was chosen. She has no more control over the situation than you or I do."

"She may not have any control of it, but think of what it says about her, Fandral," Sif rounded on him to face him properly as she spoke. "We have not witnessed the mark for centuries, and of all the people in all the nine realms, she is paired with Loki. Loki who tried to kill our king. Who tried to kill us. Who had Thor banished so that he might rule in his place. What kind of person is she truly? What kind of soul would match one like his?"

Fandral stilled, uncertain now. He was almost ashamed to admit that the notion hadn't really occurred to him.

"You know, there are rumours," Sif went on, "that those burns on Halvor's hands were caused by her? They say she attacked him unprovoked."

"Why would she ever do something like that?"

"Why did Loki do the things he did?"

"If that were true, why wouldn't Halvor have said it outright? Why is it just a rumour?"

"Perhaps he is ashamed that a mortal bested him. Or perhaps… he is afraid of her."

Fandral sized the woman up for a few moments.

"Thor trusts her," he told Sif quietly, to which Sif responded with a frustrated huff.

"Thor trusted Loki," she replied. "You know how dear Thor is to my heart. You know I would follow him into any battle throughout the nine realms, but when it comes to his brother, Thor's judgement is askew."

The pair stared at one another.

"I don't like that she's here," Sif said with finality. "I don't trust her. Nor should any of you."

With that, Sif turned on her heel and retreated into the darkness leaving Fandral alone with his thoughts. Her words weighed heavy on him. He hadn't considered what the link said of the mortal's soul. He hadn't seen her as a threat, but rather as another of Loki's victims. Another life he'd stained.

His brow furrowed as he replayed every interaction he'd shared with the girl.

She'd been sweet. Kind. Innocent, even.

But was it all just an act?

Could the mortal be just another monster, lying dormant amongst them until the moment was right to strike?

It was late at night and Reagan was wrapped in silken sheets, curled up against the softest pillows and yet sleep evaded her because of one intrusive thought that would not leave her be. She'd spent weeks pouring through every book on Asgard she could get her hands on, and still, she found no answer. She rolled over and prodded gently down the link.

Loki?

Yes?

She was mildly surprised when he answered almost immediately, though she wasn't sure why; she knew well enough by now how little he slept by comparison to her.

How does the water not run out? she asked softly.

What water?

All the water spilling over the sides of Asgard. Where does it go?

It was a question she'd asked him weeks ago now, and it had been with the intention to drive him crazy. But ever since she'd asked it she couldn't help but wonder about the real answer. And now, settled comfortably in their newly established peace agreement, it felt safe to ask.

And yet she was met with silence.

Reagan wasn't sure whether she was more annoyed or disappointed. She was about to protest his silence when realisation dawned upon her and the frown that was beginning to bloom on her face morphed swiftly into a satisfied grin.

You don't know do you? she asked.

Wha-of course, I know!

No, you don't.

I do.

Then tell me.

...would you please just go to sleep?

Her features stretched into a full-blown smile as she detected the vaguest hint of reluctant amusement brushing against their link.

Okay fine, she relented, pulling her blankets more tightly around her. But fair warning; you better start thinking up a convincing lie because I'm going to ask you again tomorrow.

Sleep well, you idiot.

Sweet dreams, asshole.