chapter 2

"I know you're a liar. I knew it when you said you thought I was the handsome one."

3 months later

Sitting with Loki on a bench in Central Park, I watch him carefully as he pops chocolates from a box into his mouth.

"Isn't this nicer, a little freedom?", I ask. I had to call off the robots when he tried to set off a fake bomb that would make nice boom to scare people under the subway because he "was bored." But that was two months ago, and he's stayed out of trouble since.

"Oh yes, the most ugly, overpopulated part of your ugly, overpopulated planet, how fun this is!" he snarks, eating another chocolate.

Loki was more and more in control of himself. He also had a 20-pound spare tire around his waist, which amazed me considering his metabolism, but I guess anything can be broken by eating close to 10,000 calories a day.

And my biggest problem was becoming more attracted to him by the day, unacceptable for a patient/doctor relationship.

His black suits, which were tailored within a millimeter of his life to his formerly sleek frame, no longer fit, and rolls spilled over the front of his pants. He didn't seem to notice.

"What do you want to talk about today, Madame Doctor?" he asks, picking up another chocolate.

He fumbles with it and nearly drops it. I take it from him and pop it his mouth. And we both stop. Cold. It was like his brother had hit us both with one of his famous lightning bolts.

"Thanks", he says, seeming dazed.

"Well you were about to drop it", I explain. "Did you....did you enjoy that? Me giving it to you? Feeding it to you?"

"I think it's too late to say no", he says, holding his head.

I take his big hand and rub those long thin fingers. "It's going to be okay."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry", I say, dropping his hand, "That was inappropriate."

In a movement so fast, I can't follow him with my eyes, he grabs my shoulders and pulls me into a kiss.

"I'm sorry too", he says. He breaks into a wide grin. "See, I told you we were both liars."

I roll my eyes. "I'll meet you by the subway entrance", I tell him.

"The subway", he groans.

"You'll survive."

I wander over to a bodega. He needs some candy bars I think if we're going to get through another discussion tonight.

It's no more than a second and I feel arms grab me. "A happy Loki doesn't fit into our plan, die, bitch" is hissed into my ear, and I turn to hit the guy, but he pins me against the wall. "Tell him to give it back."


Suddenly I hear a thud. The man is on the ground and headless, Loki standing over him with a blade in his hand. It disappears into his pocket.

Screaming starts all around us, and I tap my Apple watch. I grab Loki by the arm and drag him toward a taxi, then push him inside.

"What the f*ck happened?", booms Tony Stark on the other end of the line.

"Call off whoever is coming after us. I was attacked, he was just defending me", I yell into my wrist.

"I hear screaming, why do I hear screaming?" Stark asks.

"Because he...chopped someone's head off, but the guy was going to kill me, it wasn't subtly done, but it wasn't murder."

"I have problems with the governor of this state, you don't make them easier. It was your job to make them easier", I hear.

"I'm working on it", I respond and the line goes dead.

"Are you okay?", Loki asks.

"Yes, are you?"

"Of course, I'm a god."

"You're an Asgardian. What are you up to, Loki, what do you have? The man said 'tell him to give it back', do you have something that belongs to someone powerful or dangerous?" I ask, sort of pissed. I thought I'd had an eye on him.

"Oh that could be any number of things", he says, grinning.

"Why does that not make me feel better?" I groan.

"Because you're my brother's and father's and apparently, Stark's lackey. I will never stop being myself", he informs me, all his old anger seeping back into his visage. He didn't know I was keeping Stark apprised of his whereabouts.

"You'll never be my brother's you know", he hisses. "No matter what you do."

"What on earth ever made you think I'm interested in Thor?" I ask.

"Because you're female. And a dumb Earthling at that."

"Just shut up, Loki. "

"You don't tell me what to do! I'm a god king, and you're a magg..."

I stuff a chocolate bar in his mouth. "I said shut up."

"That's rather good", he says, chewing and swallowing. "Fine. Maybe you're not a maggot ALL the time."

"Good! Thank you by the way", I say. "For saving my life."

He stares at me for a second. "You're welcome."