"Teach me how to make someone writhe in pain without actually killing them," Jak requested the next day as she and Loki faced each other in the sparring room. He did not seem surprised by the request, more amused if anything.

"I doubt the Avengers would like it if I taught you how to do that," he chuckled, "Are you sure that's what you want to learn today?"

"Yes."

She'd seen the reason in not killing whoever had sent her the box of her mother's bones. Doing that would send her to prison. In prison she would not have access to her magic and she'd decided that she didn't want to give that up again. She also wouldn't be able to see Loki anymore and the thought saddened her greatly. So, she would behave herself and not kill the sender when she found them. She would make them wish they were dead instead.

"Very well," Loki nodded, "As usual, I'd like an answer to a question."

She was fairly certain she already knew what he was going to ask and she'd already convinced herself that telling him about her original name, which was revealed in the note with the box of bones, was no great loss. He probably would have found out eventually anyway.

"Ask away," she put her hands on her hips.

"Has Captain Rogers approached you with a romantic proposition?"

She gaped at him.

"Sorry, what?"

"He stopped me yesterday and ordered me to break things off with you. He claimed it was not out of jealousy, but I am not so sure," Loki shrugged.

"Is this because I hugged him?" She frowned, crossing her arms. She hadn't thought he was going to comment on that. Not after the fragile state she'd been in when she realized what was in the box.

"No," he replied quickly, "That was my own fault. I should have gone to you rather than to see the package."

She agreed but didn't say so.

"I just wondered if Rogers had similarly ordered you to break things off with me," Loki shrugged.

"No, he didn't. Did he say why he wanted you to dump me?"

That didn't sound like something Steve would do. He was too noble to act on jealousy, so he must have thought that he had a good reason for making the request.

"He thinks I am twisting your mind and manipulating you," Loki frowned, a troubled expression on his face. She remembered how alarmed he'd looked the day before when she'd briefly thought he might have been the one to send the box. True, he was known for his lies and betrayals, but she believed that his intentions toward her were genuine. More assuring:Thor believed Loki's intentions were genuine and Thor had been around to see his brother's tricks for a long time.

"I'll talk to him," she said, "He probably just thinks he's looking out for me."

"And he has made no romantic propositions to you?"

She put her hands on her hips and smiled at him. With a tilt of her head, she took a step closer to him and looked him up and down.

"I can't say that he has," she grinned, "But even if he had, I wouldn't be interested."

Loki smiled back at her and all of a sudden he was standing only a few inches away. He lightly took hold of her chin and she felt as if her heart had become a buzzing hive of bees with how fast it was beating. When he lowered his face closer to hers, her breath caught and she forgot entirely where she was, who she was, what time of day it was, and anything else that might have weighed her down. All she could focus on was the feel of his fingers on her chin and how close he was moving toward her. Toward her lips in particular.

"Good," he purred, his lips lightly brushing hers, "Because I do not like sharing."

And then he had taken a step back and was conjuring a spell in his hand.

"Now, for our lesson today, let us recall the properties of magical defense that we discussed last week."

Jak blinked in surprise and stumbled forward, her brain still empty of any thoughts. As she finally sorted herself out and tried to pay attention to his lesson, he winked and sent her mind spiraling again. Maybe Steve was right. Maybe Loki was messing with her somehow. But even if that was the case, she could no longer bring herself to worry about it. Not when he was looking at her like that.

.

.

An hour later, Jak knew so many spells for torture that she could have made an entire army quake in their boots. At least, that's what it felt like. If she could actually gather enough wits to use any of the spells when the opportunity arose. She was still disappointed in herself for how pitifully she'd reacted the last time they'd had a run in with the Winter Soldier. Next time she'd be ready. And while she wouldn't use the torture spells on him, she wouldn't let him so easily overpower her either.

"You've done well today," Loki remarked as she took a long drink from her water bottle, "What are your plans for the afternoon?"

"Unfortunately, there are a row of holes in the wall that all need to be patched," she sighed, "Every once in a while, Thor forgets that he shouldn't summon his hammer while he's inside because Mjolnir doesn't use doors."

"Curse my brother," Loki rolled his eyes, "I had hoped you might accompany me into town this afternoon. Evidently there is a new bookshop and I have been craving something to read for weeks."

"That sounds like fun," she grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from her face with and headed for the door to the sparring room. "But even if I weren't mending walls, Mr. Stark has decided that I'm no longer allowed in town without an Avenger to escort me. Especially after getting that package yesterday."

An image of her mother's skull flashed in her mind and she suppressed a shudder. It didn't matter that she'd seen many, many human skulls before (while in Paris, she'd once been left in the catacombs as punishment for flirting with a stableboy), knowing that the bones in the box had once been her mother made them one of the worst things she'd ever seen. If she thought too long about how she recognized the teeth and how those teeth were once framed by a face, she started to feel nauseous.

"I would escort you, there would be no need for one of the Avengers to tag along," Loki argued.

"Mr. Stark was insistent," she shrugged, "Now, I'd better go change into my coveralls and get to work. If you have any experience patching steel reinforced drywall, feel free to join me."

"I do not," he caught up to her as she stepped into the hall, "But I'm sure I could be quite helpful with another task you mentioned."

"What?"

"I am practically an expert in undressing," he whispered in her ear, "I'm sure I could help you change out of those clothes… though I don't know that I would help you put your coveralls on in their place."

"Loki!" She yelped, trying to hide her flush with laughter, "It's a good thing my father is dead or he would probably run you through with a sword!"

"Yes, but as you said, he is no longer with us," Loki teased, "And you haven't said 'no'."

"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll manage," she rolled her eyes.

"Very well," he bowed dramatically, "Will you be greatly saddened if I venture to the bookshop without you? I am in desperate need of a good book."

"You go ahead. Maybe I can come with you another time."

He nodded and headed off on his own. Jak continued on to her room to get changed into her work clothes. Her face was still red as a tomato as she peeled off her sweaty exercise clothes. She decided to wait for a shower until after she patched the walls, as she would undoubtedly want to bathe after the dusty task. As she planned this and pulled on the oil stained clothes and coveralls, she noticed a note on her desk that had not been there that morning.

Apprehensive about mystery deliveries after the day before, Jak considered calling in someone else to open it. But maybe it was a note of the romantic variety. If that were the case she certainly would not want anyone else reading it. So, ultimately, she picked it up and braced herself.

Winnet,

You are probably quite curious as to my identity. I would happily reveal it to you, but I cannot risk being caught on the Avenger's property. Meet me tomorrow at five on the far bank of the river, in the wooded area, near the large rock shaped like a turtle. Come alone.

Jak's hands were shaking by the time she finished reading. She let out a dismayed gasp when she realized that the sender must have been in her room in order to leave the note. They could have gone through her things, not that there was much to go through, but the thought still made her skin crawl.

Still holding the note, she rushed out into the hallway and nearly collided with Loki as he ran toward her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"How did you know something was wrong?" She replied, confused until she remembered the spell he'd cast, "The door. It tells you things, right?"

"Yes. Like when you are scared," he looked toward her bedroom, gaze fierce, but expression calm. "What happened? Is there someone in there?"

"No," she held out the note, "But someone was there earlier."

Loki quickly scanned over it and his frown deepened. "Assuming this is the person who sent the box, this seems like further proof that they are the one who has control of Sergeant Barnes. This may be another attempt to capture you."

"It probably is," she agreed, "I wasn't planning on going. But how did they get in my room?"

"We will review security footage," Loki pointed to the camera in the hallway, "We'll see who it was and then tomorrow we'll capture them at the rock."

He sounded so sure of his plan that Jak almost believed it would work.

A note from the author: Some more flirtations! Oooooh they're in looooove!

Thanks so much for reading and special thanks to CrimsonWitch008 for the review! I'm glad you're excited because there are some exciting things to come! :D

Until next chapter!