Their bodies are entangled with one another, their hearts are beating as one. Slowly, softly moving against each other. He’s making her feel things she never knew were possible. Then there’s a loud screeching sound and it’s over. Bri opens her eyes to a bright morning. Dreaming of your boss again Bri? Not good. Not fucking good at all. She sighs as she looks over at her alarm clock and realizes she’s late for work, and that it’s going to be a long day.

She’s on her scooter now, riding as fast as she can to try and make it to work, but traffic is thick. He’s going to be so mad she groans. She can see it now. He’ll be raging. The fire in his emerald eyes will be blazing, his nostrils will be flaring, the vein in his forehead popping.. and the one in his neck too.. She thinks back to the dream she had not less than an hour ago.

Bri runs into the colossal building. Laufeyson Inc. Sounds like a damn vacuum company or something. Wouldn’t think twice about how it may just be the largest and most successful company in Seattle, run by the youngest, and most gorgeous CEO ever. She’s in the elevator now, his coffee in one hand, her jacket in the other. She’s tapping her foot impatiently, or is it out of nervousness? The doors finally slide open and she sees him. His tall frame dressed in an expensive black suit, white blazer, black tie ensemble, his dark hair slicked back, not a thing out of place. Beautiful bastard, holy fuck. The minute she steps out of the elevator, his head snaps up and his eyes find her. He’s furious, she’s terrified. “Decided to finally show up Brianna? You know, we were really missing you around here,” he snarls. His voice is silky smooth yet it hits her hard. Fucking prick. “Get to work on those Tokyo papers, I want them on my desk by 4:00 sharp.” He strides past her, grabbing his coffee, and walks into the elevator. His strong scent fills her senses and for a second she’s back in her dream, the two of them joined so closely together. She comes back to reality when she realizes that there’s no way she’ll have them done by four.

“He’s beautiful, I don’t understand why you hate him so much!” exclaims Celine. Bri glowers at her from across the table. She’s managed to escape Loki’s clutches for a quick lunch with her longtime friend. 

“He’s a bastard, that’s why. Goddamnit Celine, I can’t stand him. He does it on fucking purpose too. It’s like he wants to see me hurt.” Tears of anger spring to her eyes. “I don’t care though, I don’t want to talk about it.” They both return to their meals. Should I tell her? The dream? My feelings? Celine’s her best friend, her shoulder to cry on, her go to girl for secrets, advice, and help. She needs to tell her. But how do you explain that you’re in love with someone you can’t stand to be around?

It’s ten to 4 and she’s almost done her work. She just needs more time, just a bit longer. She could try begging him, pleading with him, but no, that’s what he wants, to see her so helpless. The clock on her desk changes to 4:00 and she can feel him now. He’s close. Her skin feels like it’s on fire, tingles are shooting from head to foot. Her heart starts to run a marathon in her chest as his husky scent clouds her senses. And then he opens his mouth and the illusion is gone, “Brianna,” It’s Bri, how many fucking times do I have to tell you. “I said 4’o clock sharp. Where is my work?” Intimidated by his presence, she can’t help but stutter like a fool as she tells him that she’ll need more time. He growls. Who the hell growls. How the hell do you even do it? He takes a step towards her and towers over her small frame. The shadows cast from the lights create an array of distinct patterns over his pale skin. Loki is breathing heavily as he gets closer to her. His green eyes seemed to have turned black, the vein in his neck throbbing. Good God he’s beautiful.“My office. Now Brianna.” His eyes bore into hers as he speaks and she obeys right away, too afraid to do anything else. 

She’s sitting on the leather couch in his pristine office. Her head is spinning, all she can smell is him. He  has never let anyone in here but his family and close associates. To her left she sees photos of him and who she assumes is his family. But wait, is it him? The man in these pictures is smiling, laughing, enjoying life. The man out there is cold, arrogant, and a fucking bastard. She runs her hands over a photograph of him, eyes sparkling, head thrown back in laughter. Beautiful. God how I fucking hate him. She sees another photo, him with his.. parents? on his graduation day. So young, so full of life and happiness. Why is he so cold now? 

He’s in the room now. She knows it, but she’s frozen in place, too scared to move, too scared to even breathe. What will he do to her? Bri’s never seen him so angry before. Loki is getting closer to her now, closer, closer, until she can feel his breath on the top of her head. Ever so slowly he pushes his body up against hers. Holy fuck fuck shit. Her heart is rapidly pounding, she’s surprised it hasn’t stopped beating yet. Loki slowly wraps his arm around her waist and uses his other to tilt her head to the side. What the fuck is happening. She’s too scared to move, too nervous, too excited.. Bri thinks back to her dream. 

He’s on top of her on the leather couch now. He’s careful about putting too much of his weight on her, but she can still feel every inch of his hard body on hers. Their mouths are glued together, tongues fighting for dominance. His long fingers are slowly making their way up her blouse. He presses himself against her centre and she lets out a small gasp. Her hands, braided into his long hair, pull his mouth closer to hers as she squirms underneath him. He pulls away from her mouth to let her breathe and moves his attention to her neck. “Bri…” he whispers in her ear before biting the soft skin under her ear. Her hands move to the waist of his pants as he unbuttons her blouse. “Fuck Bri, I need you,” he groans softly. His voice is warm and melodic. It’s the voice that belongs to the man she saw in the photographs. 

A sharp rap on his office door brings them to reality. They both pause and stare at each other. Bri gasps as she finally realizes what is happening and struggles to push him off of her, but he resists. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” he rasps. 

“Get off me. Fucking hell Laufeyson, get off,” she pushes with all her might and finally gets him to move. She quickly buttons up her blouse, just as Odin Allfather walks in, Loki’s stepdad, the founder of Laufeyson Inc. 

“Dearest Bri, you’re still here? Oh no, you look quite sick!” He must be referring to her flushed and slightly sweaty skin, her swollen lips and tangled hair. Odin has always like d Bri, always found her a great pleasure to have around. “Go home immediately and rest up. We can’t have you getting sick can we? Loki would be a mess without his assistant!”

“Yes it’s quite the pleasure having Ms. Moretti working underneath me. Now if you’ll excuse me father, I still have some work left with Brianna,” Loki is always speaking respectfully to his father but tonight it is evident that he’s struggling to keep himself from yelling at him. Odin frowns and tells Loki that Bri is to be sent home immediately, regardless of what work needs to be done.

Bri’s sitting on the edge of her bed, trying not to have a panic attack. What the fuck just happened? One minute we were, and the next, and he hates me and I hate him and I love him and I hate that I love him and he was, and we were about to— Her thoughts are interrupted by the doorbell. She looks at her clock and the flashing numbers read out 2:30 A.M. Who could it be at this time? Celine? They keep ringing the doorbell, the sound making her head pound. What kind of bastard- Holy fuck, no, it can’t be. She refuses to believe that he’s back but the electric feeling underneath her skin, the sudden flush that has broken out against her skin, the hair on her arms raising, her heart beating rapidly, goosebumps, everything she feels when he’s around, says otherwise. She slowly turns the handle and is met with her Loki, dripping wet from the rain outside, eyes dark, skin flushed. His otherwise perfectly slick, black hair is out of place. His usually expensive, designer suits is replaced with a simple leather jacket. Gorgeous. “U-um, what can I do for you M-Mr. L-L-Laufeyson?” Bri manages to choke out.

“Well Ms. Moretti” he grins mischievously,  ”I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to.”

—————

”I beg your fucking pardon?” Bri has managed to regain her composure, she will have none of this. She isn’t the kind to go and have sex with anyone, she wants it to have meaning and she’s angry now that he thinks so lowly of her. 

He clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “My my Brianna, is that the way you talk to your boss? I could have you fired you know. Just like this,” he snaps his fingers.”But no, I’m not that cold-hearted, I know you need the money.”

A droplet of water falls from his hair and slides down his sharp cheekbones, past his square jaw, over the vein popping out of his neck. Bri is mesmerized. She continues to follow it until it disappears under his white v-neck. Damn. ”You don’t scare me Mr. Laufeyson. I know exactly why you’re here and there’s no way in hell that I will—” He holds his finger up to stop her from speaking. Damn, she was on a roll too. Loki reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the Tokyo papers that Bri was suppose to have finished. Holy fucking shit.

“Ms. Moretti I’m giving you two more days to finish these. They better be perfect,” he speaks in a hard tone. He reaches out to give her the papers at the same time she extends her hand to grab them. Her fingers lightly brush against his and he immediately jerks his hands back like she’s shocked him. He shoves the papers into her hands and rushes away. What the fuck is happening. 

“Yeah, um, he had me stay until four but then I was sent home by his dad—” Bri whispers into the phone, not wanting anyone to overhear. Celine interrupts her, her voice sounding slightly upset.

“What aren’t you telling me? I know you’re hiding something. I know you better than I know myself, I can tell when something is bugging you.” Bri sighs. She needs her friend right now, more than anything. But she’s stuck in her shitty little office at work, avoiding Loki like the plague but at the same time, hoping like hell she’ll catch a glimpse of him. He hasn’t been seen all day which is unusual for he always expects his coffee and today, the Tokyo papers, but he hasn’t shown himself. Where are you hiding? 

She’s back from lunch to find an envelope on her desk, her name scrawled in elegant writing. Oh God, fucking Jason. Jason, the 3rd floor geek with a degree in pervertedness who has pestered Bri about going with her to the upcoming charity gala. She tears open the envelope and scans her eyes over the paper. Her blood freezes when she realizes it’s from Loki. And then she feels him. “I see you’ve received my invitation. I’ll pick you up at 6:00 tonight. And Brianna, it’s black tie, you need to wear a dress.” She spins around so fast she has to hold onto her desk. He’s standing in the doorway of his office, directly behind her. His sculpted, marble body hidden under his designer grey suit and red tie, his slicked back black hair, and the faint smile playing around the edges of his lips all make her stomach both turn and leap at the same time. He’s perfect, goddamn asshole. 

“W-what, I’m sorry Sir, I don’t quite understand,” Bri sputters. Why on Earth would he want to go with her? “The invite says to bring a d-date, not your,” she almost whispers the word, “your assistant.” She’s blushing now and has started to dig her toe into the floor. Why does he make her so nervous?

“I can read Brianna, I’m not illiterate,” he snaps. Fucking rude bastard. ”Like I said, I’ll pick you up at 6:00, regardless of whether or not you’re ready.”

She’s trying to make herself look as small as she can, all the while trying to make her dress just a bit longer. Bri is sitting in the passenger seat of his car, trying to shrink into the leather as much as she can. Why am I here? What is going on? She’s wearing a simple yet beautiful dark blue dress. That pretty much matches the color of his fucking tie. The smell of his car is making her want to pass out and hurl at the same time. Before she realizes what’s happening, his arm is wrapped around her waist and they’re heading inside.

She’s dancing with a fellow named Greg. Or was it Ned? She was too busy staring at her date, watching him smooth talk potential clients as well as donate the amount her entire apartment’s worth to the charity, to actually listen to what he said. Fred twirls her around and goes to dip her when Loki stalks up behind him, the fire blazing in his emerald eyes. “Excuse me Nelson, but I was wondering if I could have my date back?” His emphasis on ‘my’ causes butterflies in her stomach. “I believe yours is in the restroom, empty the contents of her stomach. Too much vodka I presume. Good evening.” Loki wraps his arm tightly around Bri and pulls her away from an embarrassed Nelson.

“What are, what I wasn’t finished with him, what are you doing?” Bri is furious. He doesn’t own her, she can dance with whomever she pleases. He’s taken her to a quiet corner of the room. “That was completely uncalled for, the poor guy, why do you have to be such a dick all the time?” She immediately regrets saying these words. He’s staring down at her with an anguished expression, his eyes pained and soft. Jesus, you’d think I had just run over his cat or something. A strand of hair falls over his forehead and it takes all of her strength to not brush it away. “U-um, sir? Mr. Laufeyson? Are you okay?” He’s still staring deep into her eyes— into her soul and it’s starting to make her uncomfortable. She whispers softly, “Loki?” She can’t resist it any longer. Her hand slowly reaches up to his pale skin and gently pushes the strand back into place. His eyes shut as soon as she touches his face and he leans slightly into her palm. He sighs softly, his breath warm on her face.

“Dance with me Bri,” he says quietly, opening his eyes to look down at her again. She looks out to the dance floor where couples are dancing to Bryan Adam’s Please Forgive Me.  She wants to tell him no, she wants to hell him to fuck off, to leave, to stay. She wants him to give her an explanation of what he’s doing, why what happened in his office, happened, why he’s acting like this now. She wants him. 

Her hand drops down to entwine with his long fingers. He grasps her hand as if his life depends on it. “Of course.” 

—————

He leads Bri to the centre of the dance floor and places his hand gently on her waist. “I um, I should probably tell you that I’ve never danced before, so I don’t really know what to do..” Bri says quietly, letting her voice trail off as Loki’s mouth curls into the slightest of grins. He places her hand on his shoulder and reaches for her other. He pulls her close to him, his chin almost resting on the top of her head, and then he begins to move. Spinning, twirling, dipping, pulling her close, guiding, leading, holding, making sure she doesn’t trip over his feet, Loki makes it seem effortless. His eyes haven’t left hers since they started. He’s the man she saw in the photos. His gaze is warm, his touch gentle, his mouth turned upwards. He’s happy, dancing with me. 

Their arms are wrapped tightly around each other, neither wanting to let go. Bri’s head is resting against his hard chest, while Loki’s forehead rests on the top of hers. They’re swaying slowly to the music when she feels him move his lips. He’s singing along with the song. So if you’re feeling lonely, don’t. You’re the only one I’ll ever want. Bri lifts her head slightly to look at him and gets lost in his eyes, his gaze piercing, his voice soft and melodic. Please forgive me, I know not what I do. Please forgive me, I can’t stop loving you. She gasps softly, but scolds herself immediately. It’s just part of the damn song, nothing more. But Loki stops moving, his eyes still glued to hers. She can feel herself burning up, her skin feels like it’s on fire. He slowly begins to lean towards her, closer, his nose brushes against hers, his mouth an inch away. She can taste his breath on her tongue, she tilts her head slightly, closing her eyes, and reaching up to grab onto his hair.

The music stops, people clap, the charity event is over. “Ladies and gentlemen!” A voice booms throughout the room, startling Bri and Loki. “Thank you all for coming! Gift bags are by the door, be sure to pick one up! Goodnight!” Loki seems to finally realize what he’s doing and pulls away from her, just before they get a chance to kiss. He mutters something under his breath and seems to try and put as much distance as he can between himself and Bri. What the fuck? She can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t think. His mood swings are driving her up the wall, she just wants to scream.

”.. and one minute I was looking at his pictures and the next he was on top of me on his leather couch and he tasted like some expensive Belgian chocolate and coffee and I couldn’t breathe and—”

“Tongue?”

“Celine!”

“Well?”

“Yes,” Bri mumbles. She couldn’t face him today, not after what happened last night. She called in work to say she wouldn’t be able to make it, that she was too sick. They couldn’t refuse, Bri’s never missed a day before. She is sick, yes, sick of him, sick of feeling what she does, sick of his mood swings, sick of everything. “And then the whole thing at the charity, oh gosh I can’t handle him anymore, what do I do?” She rests her head against her friend’s shoulder. 

“I think you should let me meet him, I think I can handle this man’s baggage,” Celine jokes, trying to cheer her friend up. Bri giggles, relishing in the happiness that she’s feeling. By tomorrow, when she has to face him again, it’ll be gone. She softly adds, “Bri, I want you to be careful. I know you’re still confused on the whole matter.. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” Celine laughs quietly, “And besides, fucking your boss is illegal.” 

She’s laying on her couch, watching Tron for the hundredth time, thinking of what to do about Loki when the doorbell rings. Must be Celine, she probably forgot something. She opens the door and is met with a blue button down shirt, tucked into black jeans, topped off with a pair of sunglassesplaced on opaque skin. Breathtaking. And then she remembers she’s suppose to be sick, cocooned in blankets and wearing comfy clothes. Instead she stands in front of Loki, clad in mens boxer shorts and a tank top. Suddenly she wishes she was wearing a parka, his eyes running the length of her body, drinking her in.

Clearing his throat, he mumbles, “I thought you were sick.. So I brought, I thought that you may have needed some, I just, I was told by um, Heidi, to uh, bring some tomato soup, on behalf of her.” He’s nervous and blushing. Adorable. Fucking confusing as hell, but nevertheless, adorable. 

“Thank you Mr. Laufeyson. Please tell Heidi, your financial advisor that I have never spoken to in my life, that I appreciate it, but I really don’t like tomato soup.” Suck on that Laufeyson. Two can play this mind-fuck, mood swing game. “Can I go back to bed now, or..” 

His eyes harden, he stands up straighter and seems to have grown a whole foot. He’s furious, fire ablaze in his eyes, fists clenched. Gritting his teeth he spits out, “Well Ms. Moretti you seem to be feeling much better. I need you to prepare the Jefferson proposal, and since you clearly are able to move around without collapsing, I want you to come by the office at 7 to give me the presentation.” With that, he turns on his heel and walks away. 

What a fucking bastard.

—————

Stupid, idiot, fucking hell, goddamn bastard. Bri is too busy cursing Loki in her head to notice Odin walking towards her in the underground parking lot. She rams right into his tall frame and stumbles slightly. 

“Oh my gosh, Mr. Allfather, I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there!” Bri blushes, speaking quickly. He’s holding two large boxes, which she assumes he’s taking to his car. Looking behind him she sees many more. “Do you need help Sir?”

He chuckles, the sound light and soothing. “Hello dear Bri. Of course, I’d be extremely grateful if you could help, but isn’t Loki expecting you?” His voice trails off, raising his eyebrows and eyeing the Jefferson proposal in her hands. 

Punctual bastard can fucking wait a few extra minutes. “No no, it’s okay, I don’t need to see him for another fifteen minutes.” She reaches for a box and the relief is shown on Odin’s face. Any other day he would have been able to make the trip to and from his car fine but his recent accident has left him weak in the arm.

“So how have you been Mr. Allfather? How’s the family?” She had met Loki’s mother and brother back when Odin was still CEO of the company, at various events and parties. 

“Darling, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Odin? Mr. Allfather makes me feel old,” he laughs lightly. “Frigga is fine, she misses you actually! You really should stop by the house sometime for lunch.” And risk seeing Loki? “Thor is great too, he’ll be in town tomorrow for a few days. All the more reason for you to come visit!”

Bri turns her mouth up in a slight smile. She has always liked Loki’s family, but what would he think of her going to his family’s house? “If your son doesn’t give me too much work, I’ll see if I can drop by this weekend.” Knowing him I’ll be stuck in my apartment doing nothing but work. 

Odin sighs and sets his box down. “Bri I’ve meaning to talk to you about him actually..” Bri freezes. What could he possibly have to say to her about him? “I know he can be, um rude? Cold? You get what I mean.. and I know you don’t exactly like him-“ Oh dear god if only you knew. “-but he really is a great kid, or man I should say, he’ll always be my boy you know? It really is a shame that you didn’t get to know him a few years ago. As hard as it is to believe, he hasn’t always been this reserved and unfriendly. There was a time once when he was happy and carefree.” He smiles sadly and reaches for his box again.

“B-but why does he take it out on me? I’ve only been here for two months and he’s been nothing but a, a,” she whispers the word, sure that Odin doesn’t hear it, “bastard”. She looks to the ground as tears spring to her eyes. Just thinking about him makes her want to scream. “I mean, if he hates me so much, why hasn’t he fired me yet?” She sets her box in the trunk of Odin’s car and wipes a tear away from her cheek.

“He doesn’t hate you, oh dear no, not at all. You should hear the way he talks about you,” What the fuck? “He adores you, absolutely adores. He’d be lost if you weren’t around to help him. Loki needs you Bri, he really does. He may not show it in the nicest way, but he really does like you Bri, never doubt that.” Odin sighs quietly and places an arm around her in a fatherly way. “Like I said, I just wish you could have met him before he became like this.” Patting her back, he lets her go. “You should probably get going now, I could have sworn he was expecting you at 7 and it’s 7:30 now. Thanks for the help dear, I really appreciate it.”

Odin’s words are replaying in her head as she waits impatiently in the elevator. He’ll be angry with her, he hates it when people are late. But when isn’t he angry? The doors slide open and it takes all her courage to step out of the elevator. Loki needs you Bri, he really does. She wants to roll her eyes.Yeah right, he probably just wants a fuck, that’s it. She can seem him through the window now, hunched over his desk fingers flying over the keys on his laptop. His suit jacket is draped over the back of his chair, hair slightly ruffled, tie loosened around his neck, brow furrowed. Beautiful.Taking a deep breath she knocks twice on his door, stomach knotted in anticipation. As she’s met with his fiery eyes, she clutches onto the papers in her hand tightly. So angry.

He narrows his eyes and folds his arms across his chest. Bri thinks back to the night before when her head was resting right where his arms are now. He unclenches his jaw and spits out, “You’re late Brianna.” 

—————

He whispers her name against the base of her throat before biting the skin softly. She gasps and tightly grips onto his long, silky hair. Loki groans and looks up to playfully glare at her. He plants a soft kiss on her lip before sliding his tongue between her lips. Bri runs her hands over the soft skin covering the hard muscle on his naked back. He tugs on her bottom lip with his teeth before pressing his mouth against hers. He whispers that he wants her, needs her, more than anything in the world.

Her eyes crack open to a gloomy Friday morning. What the fuck? She frowns as she takes in the scene before her. Her bed sheets tangled around her feet, her pillows askew. Looking down, she notices that a much too large shirt has been placed on her. Her head starts to spin as she thinks back to the night before. No, it was only a dream.. Right? Every inch of her body screams in protest as she tries to sit up. Everything aches- her arms, waist, hips, thighs, legs everything. Her hair is a tangled mess, her lips swollen. She feels as if she’s been run over by a truck and yet she can’t remember the last time she felt this good. Oh gosh, what happened? 

Bri picks at her breakfast, starving, but finding herself unable to eat. She can’t stop thinking of last night. No it was just a dream, it didn’t actually happen. Her aching body, the smell of him on her pillow, and his shirt covering her torso say otherwise. 

He holds her gaze, bright green with chocolate brown, stroking the side of her face softly. Bri has never done anything like this before and is afraid but Loki is whispering quietly in her ear, reassuring her, soothing her, calming her. He rests his lips softly against hers before pushing into her. He catches her gasp in his mouth, her arms gripping his as if her life depended on it. Loki whispers into her hair that it’ll only last a few minutes, that he’ll make her feel good soon, he promises he won’t let go of her until she’s ready for him. He has stretched her, filled her, he has made her his, and only his. 

She gets ready for work in a daze, her thoughts on nothing but Loki. She tries hard to clear her mind but he’s everywhere. She can feel the scratches from his stubble on her neck, the places where his fingers gripped her tightly and yet not tight enough, his scent covering her body. Before she realizes what’s happening, she’s walking through the front doors of Laufeyson Inc. Bri feels like she’s about to pass out as she turns each corner, afraid to walk into him. 

Every inch of their bodies are pressed together, their limbs wrapped around one another. Hands free to explore, mouths free to kiss, connected in every way possible. His name is falling from her lips repeatedly as she feels something building inside of her as he moves against her. His soft sighs and her quiet moans fill the air around them. Every sweep of his mouth, every touch of his hand causes her to cry out softly. Nothing else exists, nothing else matters except for him.

As Bri gets ready to leave, she silently thanks the Gods that she hasn’t seen Loki all day. Yet she’s upset, she needs to talk to him, Bri needs answers. She walks into the elevator and is greeted by Jason. Just what I fucking need. The elevator can fit the twenty Japanese dignitaries who will be arriving next week yet he chooses to stand right next to her, his arm brushing against hers. She is cringing, the smell of his cologne making her want to vomit.

“So Bri, are you busy tonight?” Jesus, has the guy even hit puberty yet? His voice is high pitched and squeaky. She resists the urge to burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry Jason, I have to, um, I have to go get this really bad rash that I have checked out. It’s pretty infectious you know..” There, that ought to get him off my back. Bri takes a step away from him but he follows.

“Oh my god Bri, you are such a riot!” Fucking kill me now. He wraps his arm around her. “So I’ll pick you up around eight for dinner? Come on, it’ll be fun.” He’s running his eyes up and down the length of her body biting his lip. I’m not a piece of fucking meat you perv. 

Gritting her teeth she says, “Jason, look you’re a nice guy and all but I really don’t feel the same way.. I mean, I just.. I see you as a friend, you know?” Yeah right. The elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open to the underground parking lot.

He narrows his eyes and seems to grow a few feet. “It’s that fucking guy isn’t it? Loki Laufeyson? He’s a goddamn asshole, a fucking good for nothing arrogant prick that—” It’s all a blur and before she knows it Jason is on the ground clutching his bleeding nose, her aching hand still clenched in a fist.

“Don’t you fucking dare talk about him like that. You’re just jealous that Loki is sweet, tender, kind,”Well, he was last night.. “successful, and twice the man you’ll ever be. Not to mention he’s your fucking boss, you shouldn’t even be talking about him like—” 

Jason is on his feet and lunging for Bri, curses flying from his mouth. Dear god help me. She shuts her eyes tightly.

He is moving slowly, stretching, filling, pushing her to the edge and pulling her back again, he’s teasing her, playing with her. Bastard. Their arms are wrapped tightly around each other and yet, not tight enough. She wants to crawl into his skin and stay there. Their slick, sweating bodies writhe against each other, both so close to where they need to be. He reaches down to play with her and she loses it. Fireworks explode beneath her eyelids, waves of pleasure crashing inside of her. They are lost in the sensations, the tension mounting and coming undone in an explosion of pleasure. He groans her name into her mouth as she digs her nails into his back, spilling himself inside of her. It could have been days, or weeks, before Loki finally releases her. He kisses her damp forehead and grins down at Bri, who is now struggling to stay awake. Brushing the hair away from her face he whispers so softly she has to strain her ears to hear him, “I love you, my Bri.”

—————

She’s pushed to the ground and clenching her eyes, waiting for the blow that never comes. Hearing a piercing scream she snaps opens her eyes and sees Jason on the floor clutching his obviously broken leg, the limb disfigured and twisted, Loki hovering over him, fists clenched. He brings his foot back and snaps it forward again kicking Jason in the torso. He cries out and clutches his stomach to try and cover himself from Loki’s blows.

It’s 2:30 in the morning. Bri wakes up, thirsty and much too warm. It takes her a minute to realize she isn’t alone. His usually slicked back hair is out of place and messy. She can’t help but run her fingers through the long strands. A faint smile plays around his lips, his eyes fluttering slightly. Bri leaves a trail of kisses from his forehead to his lips, all the while running her hand down his chiseled torso. It takes all her strength to get out of bed to get something to drink. As she’s putting away her drink she feels a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist. She feels Loki plant soft kisses along her neck before he whispers in her ear, “Come back to bed darling.”

“Don’t you dare come near her again,” he spits out. He’s furious, the vein Bri is fascinated with is straining against his neck, his face red with anger, jaw and fists clenched. Lifting Jason up from the floor by the collar he snarls, “If I ever see you near this building again-“

Bri, frozen with fear snaps back to reality when she realizes if Loki doesn’t let go of him soon, he’ll strangle Jason to death. Rushing forward she grabs his upper arm. “L-Loki, let him go, please Loki, he can’t breathe.”

He snaps his head towards Bri, his piercing glare sending shivers down her back. She has never been more afraid in her life.

“Loki, please..” she whispers quietly, feeling tears come to her eyes.

He turns his attention back to Jason. Throwing him back onto the ground he mumbles, “I expect your resignation later on my desk by Monday.” Jason, bloodied and bruised, scrambles away.

Her head rests against his chest, her fingers playing with the soft trail of hair on his stomach that disappears under the blanket. His nose is nuzzling the top of her head, his fingers tracing patterns on her bare back. She can hear his heart beat from where she lays, the strong rhythmic pounding lulling her. Turning her head slightly she presses her lips against his jaw. Bri pulls herself up onto her elbow and looks down at Loki, smiling sleepily. He lifts his head to try and kiss her but she pulls back before he can. He playfully growls and rolls over on top of her. Bri giggles and tries to flip him back over but sends them both crashing to the ground. Loki laughs, the sound alien to her ears. She’s never seen him this happy and playful.

She stifles a sob, her tears falling freely. Loki turns to look at her and notices her crying.

“Brianna? Are you alright?” His voice is quiet, timid almost. Loki slowly reaches for her and places a hand on her arm. “Bri?”

The weight of the past two weeks comes crashing down on her and she throws herself into his arms. She grips onto the back of his jacket tightly, sobbing into his chest as his arms wrap around her. Loki’s head rests on top of hers and he begins to whisper consoling words quietly to her.

Bri’s had enough, her body drained of energy. She collapses onto the ground, Loki just barely catching her. He pulls her onto his lap and she struggles weakly to push him away. He wraps himself around her, pulling her as close as he can, holding her in his warm embrace. His smell comforts her and makes her want to scream, his arms bring memories of last night when he held her closely to him, his soft voice reminding her of his husky tone as he told her he needed her the night before.

It feels like she’s been crying for days when finally she stops. Neither of them have moved, neither have spoken. Her hands are clenched around his suit jacket, the fabric tearing slightly beneath her nails. She doesn’t want to let go of Loki, she doesn’t want to move from his lap, but she knows she has to.

“It’s okay Bri, sh, it’s alright. You’re fine, I’ve got you.” His hand is running through her long hair, soothing her. She pulls him closer to her and buries herself deeper in his embrace as she lets everything out. She has ruined his suit with her tears but she doesn’t care, and neither does he. “Bri don’t worry about it, I’m here now, he can’t hurt you.”

She yanks herself away from him and speaks loudly, “Jesus fucking Christ Loki, I don’t care about him. You don’t get it do you? W-Why are you so, how do you expect, I can’t handle you, you’re driving me insane!” She wipes her tears. He looks like he’s about to speak but she holds her hand up. There’s no way he’s stopping her, not tonight. She needs answers, and she needs them now.

“One minute you’re giving me the fucking death glare, stink eye, fucking whatever you want to call it,” she doesn’t care that she might not make sense, she doesn’t care that tears are still running down her face and she’s a sobbing mess. She needs this. “and the next you’re sticking your tongue down my throat while I’m trying to give you the Jefferson proposal. You’re moodier than a pregnant woman, Christ Loki I am sick of you, I am sick of your bullshit moods, I don’t want this anymore, I don’t want you, I thought I did but now I know, I can’t, you’re like poison to me, I quit, I’m done.” She wipes her face angrily, ignoring the sharp pain in her right hand. “Your f-father told me about you, and how something happened,” he narrows his eyes, “but that doesn’t give you the right to play with my feelings like this!”

Loki remains silent, pulling Bri closer to him and hugging her tightly. His muscles are tense under his suit, his breath uneven. He buries his face into her hair and inhales.

“Let me go,” Bri mumbles into his chest. He doesn’t say a word. “Please Loki, I don’t want to be here.” He wraps his arms even tighter around her, effectively creating a cage around her. Bastard. “I mean it Loki. If you’re not going to talk, let me go.”

His voice is strained and defeated, “Goddamnit Brianna, alright, I’ll tell you whatever you want.” He opens his mouth to speak again at the exact moment Bri’s stomach grumbles; she hasn’t eaten since yesterday morning. He raises his eyebrow and smiles slightly.”But lets get you fed first.”

She begins to protest but he places a finger softly against her lips. “Eat first, talk later. I promise.”

Her room is filled with the soft glow of the rising sun. She glances over at her clock and sees that it’s almost 5:30. The bed dips slightly as Loki sits down, fully clothed. His eyes are sad, his brows furrowed. She can’t tell if he’s angry or upset. He reaches over her and brushes a stray hair away from her face. Bri can tell he’s struggling to say something to her, to apologize for last night, to apologize for leaving in a few minutes, but he can’t seem to find the right words so she just sits up and presses her mouth against his for a brief second. She understands. He needs to leave, it’s not like they are together. He rests his forehead against hers for what seems like eternity before pulling away quickly. Before he shuts the door to her apartment he gives her a sad smile.

“Goodbye Bri.”

—————

Loki reaches for Bri’s hand to help her up but as he lays his fingers against he skin, she pulls back quickly wincing as a sharp pain shoots up and down her arm. She recalled having heard a sickening crack in her wrist as she was shoved to the ground but seeing Loki almost kill someone and her recent outburst of emotions had made her forget all about it. Now it’s almost impossible to ignore the severe pain in her wrist.

She looks down to find her hand cut up and bloodied, the bone sticking out slightly, the skin swollen. Loki gently brushes his fingers against her wrist, Bri wincing as he does so. His touch is soft and warm but Bri can’t help but bite her lip to keep from crying out. Fuck that hurts. 

“Let’s get you to the hospital, it’s definitely broken,” Loki says quietly, wrapping his arm around her waist to help her onto her feet. And skip dinner and you telling me why you’re such a moody bastard? No thanks. 

“I’m fine, it’s nothing I haven’t experienced before,” Bri lies. Sprains she’s had, but this is the first time she’s broken a bone. It’s terrifying. “Besides, it doesn’t even hurt. And I’m hungry so lets go get me fed.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“You’re an arrogant ass. Stop trying to get out of giving me answers.”

He sighs and runs a hand through his long hair, messing it up slightly. His face is strained and defeated, eyes sad, clothes ruffled. Beautiful. He reaches down to rip a piece of his shirt off and ties it around Bri’s wrist, creating a makeshift cast. 

“Why did you do that?” Bri exclaims. His suits are some of the nicest she’s seen, all designer and she can’t even imagine the price of them. “That was completely unnecessary!” 

“Don’t worry, I always keep a spare suit in my car. Besides, you said dinner first, unless you’d rather go get a cast put on your wrist and then eat.. “

Bri rolls her eyes and sighs. He leads her to his sleek and shiny car. Opening the trunk, her pulls out a fresh shirt and begins to unbutton the one he’s wearing, exposing his sculpted chest.

“Oh my god, what are you doing!?” Bri almost yells. She covers her face, embarrassed. She can feel the heat in her face as he chuckles.

“You can’t expect me to go to a restaurant wearing ripped clothes can you?” He laughs quietly and mumbles. “And it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

He says it so softly she thinks for a second that she just imagined it. Loki finishes changing and helps Bri into his car. Settling into the driver’s seat, he speeds out of the underground parking lot and onto the main street. The setting sun is seen straight ahead, lighting the inside of Loki’s vehicle. Dozens of questions are flying through Bri’s head a million miles an hour but Loki seems deep in thought so she leaves him alone. 

He pulls into a restaurant parking lot and shut off his car. Just as Bri reaches for her door, he’s there opening it for her. She mumbles a thanks and beings to walk towards the doors, feeling Loki’s hand on her back, the skin burning where he’s touching. 

It’s crowded inside, but Loki slips the young waiter a twenty and he leads them to a table in the corner of the restaurant where it’s fairly empty. Bri sits down in the booth, Loki across from her, and begins shooting questions at him.

“What happened to you? Why did you dad say those things to me? I mean I get if you don’t wanna talk about it, but it’d be nice. What was last night all about? How come you’ve been so mean to me? Why are you—” 

“Brianna, stop!” His voice is stern but his emerald eyes are kind. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, a strand of hair falling over his forehead. Oh. Bri immediately shuts her mouth.

“Look, I said I’d give you answers but lets eat first, okay?” Bri knows it’s not a question. There’s no way he’ll talk unless she eats, so she just nods and beings flipping through the menu.

A young boy comes over to their table to take their orders. Loki motions for Bri to go first.

“Oh, um, can I just get some cheese pizza? And, oh I don’t know, iced tea please?” She had looked over the menu but wasn’t able to focus on what she was reading, her thoughts on nothing but Loki.

“And I’ll have a coke with chicken alfredo, thanks,” he says, his voice authoritative. The waiter rushes away, saying the food will be ready in fifteen minutes.

They make small talk, discussing work and Jason. Their food arrives on time.

Loki sighs and clasps his hands together in front of him. 

“Alright Brianna, what would you like to know?”

—————

Bri’s heart stops beating as she realizes that he’s willing to answer anything she throws at him. Anything. Boxers of briefs, Mr. Laufeyson?



Without thinking, she blurts out, “Are you gay?”



Her hand clamps over her own mouth. She’s mortified, Bri has never been this embarrassed in her life. What the fuck Bri, why would you even ask something like that?



Loki suppresses a smile. Or is he trying not to grimace? His face is tight and unreadable. Now you’ve done it, good job Bri, he’s not going to tell you anything now. He clears his throat and starts playing with his pasta, swirling it round and round his fork.



“No.. No Brianna, I am most certainly not gay…” His voice trails off and he arches an eyebrow, his eyes teasing. “However, I am curious. What is it about me, that makes you think I’m gay?”



Bri wants to crawl up in ball and die. Her face is burning, she can feel her blush spreading everywhere. Bastard, he’s enjoying this, making her feel this way. She slowly begins to eat her pizza, hoping he takes the hint that she wants to move on from that topic.

“I’m waiting Brianna,” he says before eating as well. Oh god.



“Well.. um.. I just.. I’ve never seen you with another woman.. and uh,” she struggles for words, “I mean.. I don’t, you’re always-“



“So just because I’m not a man whore that makes me gay? Goodness Brianna, you’re quite the judgemental one.”



Bri refuses to talk about it anymore. She looks down at her food and begins to eat her cheese pizza again. They both finish their their dinners in silence, Bri shifty uncomfortable from time to time, Loki clearing his throat. She knows what she wants to say to him, it’s on the tip of her tongue, but she’s afraid that any chance of getting answers out of him is ruined.



Pushing her empty plate away from her, she starts to speak when he opens his mouth and beats her to it, “Tell me Brianna, was that all you wanted to know? Did we really skip out on getting your broken wrist properly wrapped just so you could ask me if I was gay?”

It’s evident now, the bastard is killing himself trying to hold his laughter in. He’s teasing her, playing with her, trying to lighten the mood after what had happened in the parking lot.

He brings his voice down a notch and mumbles quietly,  “Did you forget that I made love to you, which should have erased all doubts that you had about my sexuality?”



Made love. Not ‘fucked’. Not ‘had sex with’. Made love. Love. Bri feels her insides turn to mush as he smiles slightly and returns to eating his food.



She bites her tongue to refrain from saying anything more. He promised answers but now she’s not so sure that she wants them. What if I’m just fooling myself? What if he really doesn’t give a fuck about me? She thinks back to Celine’s words, her voice laced with worry as she told Bri that she never wanted to see her get hurt.



The young waiter clears the table and hands the check to Loki. She starts to protest, wanting to pay for her meal but he sternly refuses.

As they leave the restaurant he grabs her arm softly and says quietly, “Walk with me, before we head to the hospital.” He bites his lip and mutters, “I’ll tell you about my past, and why am the way I am.”

Bri nods quickly. Wait.. What..



They begin to walk through a park nearby the restaurant. The sun has completely set, the stars overhead twinkling in the night sky can be seen reflected in his green eyes. A warm breeze fills the air, wrapping around Bri like a blanket, before moving towards the deserted playground where it pushes the swings gently. 



“How are you feeling?” His voice is genuine.



“Fantastic.”



He runs a hand through his dark locks and sighs heavily. They reach the swings and Bri sits down, she hasn’t been to a park since she was a kid. She begins to swing slowly while Loki sitting as still as a statue, uses his foot to play with the sand.

Time moves slowly, it seems as if only the two of them exist in the deserted park. Neither of them have spoken since they sat down. The bright moon illuminates Loki’s face, his brows furrowed, his mouth in a grimace, his shoulders slouched. He seems to be struggling to find words, to explain everything to Bri, to tell her what she wants to know, but it hurts him. She almost wants to say to him to leave it alone and they can both just go home. Almost.

Loki sits up straight in his swing, sighing softly. His eyes are red and sad, the vein in his neck strained, his jaw clenched tightly. Beautiful.

“Her name was Sigyn,” he begins quietly.

—

—

—

Sigyn. Loki. Odin.  Interesting names, I must say. 

He takes a deep breathe, inhaling the cool air before continuing quietly.

“I knew her for nine years- she was my,” he makes air quotes with his hands, “high-school sweetheart,” he rolls his eyes, “What is it kids say nowadays? Love and light of my life, my girl, my baby, my better half, my partner,” he smiles but his eyes are still sad, “and eventually my wife.”

Oh.. 

“She was.. perfect you know, just, I mean everyone has their flaws but Sigyn, there was just something about her.” He swallows audibly. He looks as if he wants to jump off the nearest building, his face twisted with pain.

“She was the definition of  happy. Whenever she walked into the room, you could.. you could just feel the atmosphere change. She had the power to make people feel better, to make them feel loved, to make them feel happy.” 

Christ is he about to cry? What do I do? Do I hug him? 

Loki gazes towards the stars and continues talking, “She was beautiful. God she was absolutely gorgeous. Inside and out. And she would make you feel beautiful too, always complementing you and making you feel better about yourself.”

-x-

The wind ruffles his hair and dances around the two of them. Her perfume fills the air around him, sending shivers up and down his spine, goosebumps covering his pale skin. Her fingers tangle into his black locks that lay on her lap, twisting, tugging gently, pulling this way and that, her nails scratching his scalp softly.

Loki resists the urge to moan aloud, enjoying the way her hands feel in his hair. He shifts slightly to get more comfortable. This. This right here is what I want. Forever. His head is in her lap, Sigyn resting against a tree, the two of them enjoying the warm summer day. 

She teasingly pulls hard enough on his hair to get him to open his eyes. He snaps them open and glares at her playfully. Loki reaches up to pull her down to him, brushing his lips against hers. He moves to deepen the kiss, unable to resist her taste. Loki sits up and pulls her closer to lips, losing himself completely in her. 

Sigyn pulls back slightly for some air, pushing on Loki’s chest gently. 

“I love you,” he mumbles against her lips, before moving down to kiss her neck.

-x-

“It was our three year anniversary. Father had just told me that I was to be made CEO within the next few months. I went home to tell Sigyn the good news and she was ecstatic, but what she told me in return made my future promotion seem incredibly unimportant.”

His leg is bouncing up and down, Bri following the rapid movement with her eyes, afraid to look at his face.

“We were,” he sighs, “she was, we, she was pregnant. Pregnant. My baby. I couldn’t remember feeling this way ever, we had planned on having kids since before we were even wed.” His voice cracks slightly, and he reaches up to push his hair away from his face, the wind blowing the locks over his eyes.

“She was a healthy baby. Erika. Looked exactly like her mother, thank god for that. Big blue eyes, brown hair, cute little nose.”

He pauses and tries to regain his composure. His breath is coming quicker than usual, his eyes filled to the brim with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment. Loki rubs his hands over his face and exhales loudly. 

-x-

She’s dancing, her hips swaying side to side, her head bobbing to the beat of the music. He watches her from the doorway, hands folded across his bare chest, feeling wide awake after a long night’s sleep. She hasn’t noticed his presence yet, but she will, she always does. 

Sigyn decorates the cake, icing it here and there, adding sprinkles and other goods to make it perfect. For him. She’s too engrossed in making him a birthday cake that he’s been watching her for fifteen minutes, unnoticed. He clears his throat quietly and she jumps slightly and turns around.

“Oh gosh, I didn’t realize you were awake! Back to bed Loki Laufeyson, I was going to bring you breakfast!”

He crosses the kitchen and wraps his arms tightly around her waist, and begins to plant soft kisses on her neck. She tilts her head to the side, reaching up to play with his hair. She sighs happily, pulling him closer to him.

“I hope you like the cake I made you,” she uses her finger to scoop some icing off the side, “I think it’s a little too sweet though.” Sigyn licks the icing off her finger and shrugs.

“I’ll be the judge of that darling,” he whispers in her ear before pressing his lips against hers. He sweeps his tongue against her lip before pushing it into her mouth. Loki presses her against the counter, feeling his desire for her grow but she pulls away quickly. Erika’s cries travel down the stairs and into the kitchen. Loki smiles and plants one last kiss on Sigyn’s lips. 

“I’ll grab her.”

“Good, I wasn’t going to leave alone with my unfinished cake anyway, birthday boy.”

-x-

Loki’s voice is barely a whisper now, his voice hoarse, his body slouched in his swing. He refuses to look at her, refuses to look anywhere but the ground, his hands shielding his face from Bri’s. She wants to tell him to stop, that she doesn’t want to hear anymore, she doesn’t want him to be in this much pain, but she can’t speak, her throat tight, her lips unable tomove.

“Erika, she, she had just learned how to walk, my baby, I remember how she used to stumble around all over place, laughing whenever she fell, smiling triumphantly when she wouldn’t. I-I, it was.. I had to leave. To Chicago. One last meeting before Father officially retired and I would become CEO.”

Tears now fall freely down his face, Bri resisting the urge to wipe them away. He struggles to breath, struggles to compose himself but fails to do so. Loki wipes his face but fresh tears appear.

“I had to go. There was no way out of it. So I left, I promised Sigyn I would take her and Erika somewhere when I got back, I promised that we would go somewhere, just the three of us, like we did every few months.” 

He pauses, and sits still. Loki is silently crying, his body shaking with the sobs that he tries to stifle. What feels like hours later, he finally speaks, his words fast and blurred.

“I left. I did my thing. I came back. She was gone, my baby, Sigyn, the two of them, my life, gone. Saying bye to them before I left was the last time I ever saw them” 

Bri is confused, unsure of whether or not she should ask the question that lays on the tip of her tongue.She gives into the temptation and quietly asks him.

“But.. if she.. wouldn’t she, if she took E-Erika and left, wouldn’t you.. wouldn’t there be some legal issues? Custody matters?”

He looks up at Bri, his eyes drowned in his tears, bloodshot and tired. He smiles sadly and shakes his head.

“Well Brianna, correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s hard to take someone to court when they are dead.”

-x-

“Good evening darling, look at you big girl, growing up so fast!” Loki coos, reaching into the crib to pull Erika out. She squeals and grabs onto his hair, tugging on it as hard as she can. 

“Daddy has to go now. You be good for your mother, alright?” Erika snuggles into Loki’s chest, her hand closed tightly into a fist, his shirt bunched around her small hand.

He strokes the soft hair on her head before rubbing her back gently. He rests his cheek on the top of her head, inhaling the soothing smell of her baby products. 

He whispers to Erika softly, “I’ll be back soon, okay? And then I’ll take you to the park like we did yesterday, and we can play on the swings again.”

He kisses her forehead before gently laying her back in her crib.

“Daddy will always love you baby, I’ll love you until the day I die darling.” He plants a kiss on her cheek one last time before tucking her in for the night. 

Loki meets Sigyn by the front door where his packed bag is. She wraps her arms tightly around his body, always dreading the days he has to leave.

“Take all the time you need Laufeyson, Erika and I are more than happy to have the house to ourselves.”

He laughs quietly before brushing the hair away from her eyes. He leans down to kiss her gently.

“I’ll be back before you have a chance to miss me.” Loki’s forehead rests against hers. “I love you darling, so much.”

She hugs him once last time before pushing him towards the door.

“Get going Loki or you’ll miss your flight.”

“Tell me you love me,” he grins, refusing to move.

She sights dramatically and rolls her eyes.

“I love you. Now go.”

-x-

—————

Bri remains quiet, unable to move, unable to think, unable to breathe. Bastard. That’s what she calls him. Bastard. I guess you really can’t judge a person until you walk a few miles in their shoes, huh? Leaving her house this morning, she never would’ve dreamt that she would ever have had the opportunity to hear the words that Loki has just spoken, his sentences floating in the tense air between them.

Loki shifts slightly to the side and pulls something out of his pocket, the moon and stars bright yet not bright enough to let Bri’s eyes see the object that he holds. He gazes it at, his mouth turned up in a small smile, his breath shaky. Moments later he turns to her and places the item in her hand, chuckling softly.

Bri stares down at her hand and is met with a pair of big green eyes and a head full of light brown curls, chubby rosy cheeks and a smile she’s seen a handful of times in her life. Behind the little girl is a young woman, her sparkling emerald eyes shining in the bright sun, the rays making her brown locks glow. Her skin is smooth and slightly tanned, limps red and plump. Behind her stands a handsome man, his face young and carefree, his eyes bright and shining like the sun above him. His muscular arms are wrapped around the young girl and woman, his head thrown back in laughter, the black locks flying behind him, shorter than they are now. His face is fuller, much more than it is currently. He looks healthy. Happy. 

“It was taken just a few days before,” he pauses and takes a deep breath, “before the accident.” He exhales loudly, extending his long arm towards Bri wanting the photograph back.

“Sigyn had.. I.. I asked her to get me from the airport, I wanted to get home to see my baby, to see Sigyn. It terrified me to be away from them for too long.”

The distant sound of oncoming thunder reaches Bri’s ears and she flinches slightly, the sound seeming much too loud. She begins to feel cool droplets falling on her, the rain seeping through her clothes and chilling her skin. The relief is evident on Loki’s face, his tears blending in with the water.

“The fucki— he was, the driver, tired or drunk god fucking knows what, he hit them and, because of me, all because I couldn’t take a fucking cab, because of me they’re gone,” he shrugs his shoulders and lets out a deep breath, “and here we are now.”

The rain has now started to pour, drenching the both of them and chilling them to the core. Neither one moves for what seems like eternity. The distant echoes of thunder creep closer and closer to the playground, the rumbles reminding Bri that this isn’t all a dream but a harsh reality, one she never would have imagined. The ache in her broken wrist has subsided, all thoughts focused on nothing but the broken, damaged soul in the swing next to her. 

“Loki, I,” she begins but is cut off quickly.

“And then I met you, Brianna Moretti. I clearly remember the day you stumbled into my life. Literally. Stumbled. And spilled all my coffee on me,” he smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Loki is trying hard to recover from the past few minutes, hours that he’s been a wreck, but is failing miserably, the hurt evident in his face, etched like scars on his pale, wet skin.

-x-

“Oh my gosh Celine I’m so nervous, what if he doesn’t like me? I highly doubt he’ll hire me.. I’ve heard so much about this guy, oh I’m so sca—” Bri trips over her own feet and closes her eyes, waiting to hit the floor but instead her fall is cushioned by a large man. He groans, not because she’s fallen on him, but because her hot coffee has spilled all over his expensive suit.

“No, oh my god, I’m so sorry, truly I am, I really didn’t mean to, I mean I was just, I didn’t realize, I tried.. I mean I’m really nervous I just..” Bri stutters, trying to form a coherent though. Just what I needed.

“Say ‘I’ one more time and I swear to god girl—”

“Oh no, sorry, I’ll stop, I just, I had to, I’m late for a meeting with my boss, no not my boss, someone who is going to hire me, well I don’t know if they’re going to hire me, I mean, a job interview, with a Mr. Lowfee? Lawfay? I can’t remember.”

He gets up from the ground and holds out his hand to help her up.

“Loki Laufeyson,” he mumbles. “Give me two minutes to change and we can start your interview.”

Shit… 

-x- 

“From then on, you haunted me. Everything I did, I’d be reminded of you. Your face was forever etched into my brain, it was what I’d see before falling asleep at night, it tortured me in my sleep, it was there when I woke up. I couldn’t stop it, no matter how hard I tried, you just wouldn’t leave me alone,” he says, grumbling slightly, hands running through his wet hair, droplets flying in different directions.

“Oh.. I’m sorry..” Bri mumbles, not quite sure what to feel.

“Sorry? Sorry? You’re apologizing? For what?” his brows furrow in confusion and disbelief.

“I.. I don’t know, making your life a living hell?”

“I was lost, for a long time, with no hope of coming back,” he whispers quietly. “You saved me Brianna, you made me feel alive again.”

—————

Bri inhales sharply, her head begins to spin. She feels as though all the air in her lungs has been sucked out. 

You saved me.. you made me feel alive again. The words replay in her mind over and over again until she feels as though she just imagined them. Bri wishes she did. 

She steals a glance at Loki, hair fallen over his face, clothes drenched with water, body hunched over in his swing. His long legs bent, feet buried in the sand, elbows resting on his knees. She follows his legs until they reach his waist, up to his chest— for a second Bri is hit with memories of her resting against it while they slow danced, playing with the soft hairs after making love, falling against it while sobs wracked through her. His long neck, the blueish green vein Bri is obsessed with— not long ago she was running her lips against it, strained against the pale, wet skin. His square jaw, sharp cheekbones. His thin red lips— Bri can almost feel them against hers, soft and unrelenting, his taste indescribable, something she craves every moment since the first kiss in his office. The way they felt against her skin, the way they whispered sweet nothings in her ear after he made love to her. Her gaze travels higher until it meets his, green melts into brown as they stare into each others eyes, both trying to convey words that they can’t bring themselves to say.

He doesn’t hate me. Or maybe he does. Maybe he hates that I saved him. No. Why would he? He actually loves me. No he didn’t say love. He likes me. Bri pulls her eyes away from his and looks straight ahead, her head fuzzy and unclear. You made me feel alive again. She wants to hug him. Hold him. Kiss him. Tell him how much she loves him. 

She wants to rip his heart out of his chest and step on it. Bastard.

Bri is confused, irritated, aching, and feels like crap. She knows if she doesn’t get away from Loki now, she’ll go insane, but Bri can’t bring herself to move, her body glued to her swing. Bri loves him. Wants him. Hates him. Hates him because she’s in love with him. Hates him for telling her his story. Hates him because he feels something for her too. But now, after what he’s said, she feels numb. Bri wants to be happy, she wants to scream because finally, finally, he admits that he likes her. But all she feels inside is emptiness. Coldness. Bitterness. 

The rain has stopped now, leaving a sweet smell in the air. The sky, a blend of fiery colours brings news of a new day. Bri snaps out of her daze when she hears a soft call of a robin. 

“Oh gosh, um, oh, I, we should probably get going home now.. I mean.. We both have to, we have to go to work and yeah I should go get my hand fixed..” Bri rushes to get off her swing and begins to trip over her feet, sore from sitting the entire night unmoving. Loki springs up and helps steady her, his arm wrapped gently around her waist.

She regains her balance but he doesn’t let go. Bri begins to pull away from him when he suddenly wraps both arms tightly around her, burying Bri in his tight embrace. Shocked and overwhelmed, she slumps against him.

“Thank you,” he breathes against the top of her head, his warm breath warming her slightly. 

“For what?” She mumbles against his shirt, his smell flooding her senses. 

Loki sighs and mutters something under his breath, Bri too tired to catch it. He pulls away from her and pushes a stray strand of hair away from her eyes. His hand trails down her cheek, his thumb brushes against her bottom lip. Loki leans forward ever so slightly, bringing his hand to rest against the side of her face. 

For a split second, Bri imagines the kiss that is about to come. His warm lips, gentle at first to get her use to him and then he’ll part them gently, his taste flooding her mouth. Her hands will twist in his hair to bring him closer, their mouths glued to one another, wanting more. Loki’s tongue will sweep against her lip, begging for entra— His lips touch hers slightly and she pulls back immediately. No, I can’t. 

Confusion laced with pain is evident in the lines on his face. He opens his mouth to speak, to protest, but Bri beats him to it. 

“Look Loki, we should probably get going.. You know, work tomorrow, then I’ll be going to your parents house for dinner. Oh right, and I should probably get my stupid hand fixed,” Bri mumbles lamely.

He bites his lip and nods slowly.

“If that’s what you want,” he replies softly. “But I won’t be at work until Monday, I get tomorrow,” he looks at his watch, the numbers reading 4:53 A.M, “or today I guess, off. Brianna I wish you wouldn’t go in today either, it’s been a long night for the both of us. I’d rather you rest, catch up on your sleep, and then head over to their house.”

She thinks it over for a moment. Bri wants nothing more to be alone with her thoughts and she knows that won’t happen if she goes to work. She works it out in her head, a few hours in the hospital to get her hand wrapped, giving her roughly five to six hours by herself. Away from the world. Away from Loki. 

Bri nods quickly and begins to pull herself even further away from Loki, needing to get away from him. 

“And your hand? At least let me drive you to the hospital.”

No. ”Loki please, I’ll be fine. Go home and sleep, you look terrible.”

~

Bri walks up the long, winding path that leads to the front door of the colossal house. His parents live in the middle of nowhere, trees surrounding the glass house, sounds of a waterfall can be heard nearby, no one, nothing around for miles.

She knocks slowly on the front door with her unwrapped hand, the other aching immensely. Bri’s mind is clouded, her body pumped with painkillers from the hospital, her stomach knotted, mind a wreck. A familiar tingle begins to form under her skin when the door swings open and she’s met with all six and a bit feet of Loki, hair slicked back, black vneck tshirt and dark blue jeans. She hasn’t seen him wear such casual clothing before. The air feels like it’s been sucked out of her lungs- since when was he coming to dinner? 

“Bri,” he breathes softly, smiling widely. This smile is unlike the ones he gives to his colleagues, unlike the ones he gave her last night. His eyes are sparkling green, his grin wide and slightly mischievous, a playful air wrapped around him. Beautiful. He looks younger, happier, much different from the broken soul she was with last night.

 ”L-Lo- Mr. Laufeyson,” her voice cracks quietly.

“Oh, it’s okay that we, you know, made love and cried with one another, oh right and I shared my entire life’s history with you and also saved you from an asshole, nope that’s fine, formalities and titles work with me. Come in, Miss Moretti,” sarcasm drips from his voice, laced with humour. His eyes twinkle and he raises his eyebrows. Bastard. Stupid asshole.

Bri clears her throat and looks down at the ground, unable to look at him without her eyes watering. “I didn’t know you were coming for dinner,” she says, her voice barely audible.

He grins again, “Oh, would you rather I leave?” Loki’s face falls as he realizes Bri isn’t in the mood. He reaches slowly for her hands, gently taking them into his large, ones. He rubs his thumb over her bandaged hand and squeezes the other softly.

“Brianna? I.. Forgive me, I shouldn’t be so, what’s the right word, forward? Inappropriate? Rude?” He bites his lip and swallows audibly as he looks at their hands. “I just, I feel so much.. lighter after last night. I haven’t felt this way since,” he sighs softly. “since they left.. and I want to thank you for that.” He brings his eyes up to hers, gazing intensely into the depths of her and continues, “I want to thank you for listening, understanding, and for not hating me. Thank you Brianna, I owe you my life.”

Bri opens her mouth to speak, to tell him what she’s decided. She needs to let him know now or she’ll never be able to do it. She gathers up the courage in her and begins but is cut off by booming laughter.

“Bri, is that you? Oh god, what happened to your hand? Get into a fight with Loki?” Thor comes bounding down the stairs. Loki immediately drops Bri’s hands and she is hit with Celine’s voice, warning her of how illegal it is for a boss to be in a relationship with his assistant. 

“Hi Thor, oh no, I, um tripped,” Bri says, feeling her face turning red as Loki looks away from her.

“Be more careful Bri, we can’t have anything happening to you! Loki would go insane,” Thor laughs and grabs Loki by the shoulders. “I think the food’s made, let’s go eat! I’m starving.”

They arrive in the kitchen where Frigga has laid out dishes of food that makes Bri’s mouth water. When was the last time she ate? It definitely wasn’t yesterday. Embarrassingly she hears her own stomach growl but thankfully no one else notices. 

“Bri, so glad you made it! Oh dear, what happened to your hand?” Odin smiles, standing up from his chair to greet Bri. Frigga comes and stands next to him, lovingly placing a hand against her arm to welcome her.

“Oh it was nothing, just tripped that’s all,” Bri says, wanting to stop talking about it. She can feel Loki’s eyes boring into her back as she converses with his parents, his gaze sending shivers throughout her body. She wants him to stop, wants to leave this house, wants to have him. 

They sit around the table to eat, Thor beside her, Loki across. The conversation is light and comfortable, topics varying from the weather to business. Thor is in the middle of telling a story when Bri feels something brush against her foot. Her eyes snap up to Loki but his face is focused on Thor, mouth set in a thin line. His eyes however, give him away, the glint of mischievousness gleaming under the kitchen lights. Bri continues eating, laughing at the appropriate times, nodding and replying, going through the motions without thinking. Her mind is focused on what she needs to do, what she needs to tell Loki, something that will solve everything.

His foot brushes against her leg again and Bri almost chokes on her lasagna. Thor reaches over and pats her on the back. Loki tries hard to suppress his grin. Bastard. 

“So Brianna dear, any guys in town catch your eye yet?” Frigga questions curiously. 

Bri laughs quietly and steals a glance at Loki, his grin wiped from his face, eyes focused on his plate of food. “Yes there is one,” she begins. His eyes dart to hers. “But he isn’t from around here, it’s someone back home where my parents live. Long time friend, and hopefully more, but we’ll see” Bri lies, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.  That ought to keep him from playing fucking footsies with me under the table. 

~

Bri drags herself out of bed as she hears her alarm clock blaring. Her drive to work is long and uneventful, her mind dreading the day that’s about to come. She knows what she has to do. Her mind is made, there will be no changing it. She has to tell him or she’ll be miserable for the rest of her life. Bri knows she’ll regret it, but she’ll regret it even more if she doesn’t do it.

Laufeyson Inc, the letters usually gleaming in the sunlight is unusually dull looking today, the overcast casting dark shadows everywhere Bri looks. She walks through the front doors avoiding contact with anyone and everyone she sees. Bri takes note of Jason’s absence as she hurriedly walks past his cubicle to get to her desk. She doesn’t bother setting her coat down at her desk and instead makes her way to Loki’s office. Her stomach tightens to the point of pain as she sees him through his office window, fingers flying across his keyboard, brow furrowed in concentration. The difference in him now compared to a few days ago is frighteningly breathtaking. His back is straight, his face brighter, eyes sparkling, a small grin plastered permanently on his face. He’s happy. He’s glowing. He’s beautiful.

Bri already begins to feel the tears pool in her eyes. She doesn’t want to be the cause for his misery, not when he’s finally happy. He’s been tormented enough. She already hates herself for what she’s about to do. Bri thinks back to the dinner she had with him and his family. He had been playful and happy, cracking jokes and teasing her. She on the other hand, was gloomy and unresponsive to Loki’s attempts at speaking with her. He had understood then that Bri was in pain because of her hand but today? Today he won’t understand. She recalls the phone call she had with Celine earlier. Stop thinking about everyone else and start thinking of your own well being for a change. If it’s what you think is best for you, do it Bri.

Bri takes a deep breath, gathers her courage and knocks on his door. His voice gives her permission to enter and she does, avoiding his face as she steps into his office, his scent slamming into her and making her head spin. 

“Oh, good morning Bri, I hope you had a lovely weekend,” he smiles, motioning for her to sit. One look at his face and she almost breaks and changes her mind, but then her face pops into Bri’s mind.  Sigyn. How can she ever live up to her? How could she ever care for Loki as Sigyn did? How could he ever love again? He can’t.

She inhales deeply and tries to stop her voice from trembling. Her hands wring together in front of her. Loki’s brows furrow and he starts to speak when Bri interrupts him. Now or never.

“Loki, I quit.”

—————

The plane shakes as they fly through turbulence. Bri grips onto her seat as her stomach flip flops, the sensation familiar to the one Loki would always give her whenever he was around. Loki. She feels her tears coming on again. It’s been 4 months. Hasn’t she cried enough already? 

Bri shuts her eyes and tries to block out the sounds around her. She can feel herself drifting away, her body relaxing, sounds fading, all sensations slowly dimming, slowly, quietly…

-x-

Bri is back in his office, 4 months ago, on the day she never wants to relive. 

Her mind goes out of focus as everything around her moves in a blur. She can’t hear or see anything. Blood pounding, heart hammering, body shaking, mind aching. He’s saying something, disbelief turns to anger on his face as he steps closer to her. His thin lips are rapidly moving, his arms gesturing, yet she still can’t make out what he’s saying. His words are blurred together, his face red with anger. Her mind focused solely on one thing: she’s hurt him.

“—about us making love, then I just want to tell you that it was, without a doubt, the best night in my entire life, and like I said to at the park, you’re all I ever—” His voice fades out again as she stands in front of him. Their faces pop into her head again. She sees the little girl, her mother behind her and Loki. How can she ever hope to give him that sort of life? How can she make him happy like Sigyn did? She can’t.

“—something that I’ve been holding back and I know it’s much too soon for me to be saying this but you’ve really left me no choice, I can’t let you do this Bria—”

Bri thinks about where she’ll have to go next. Away. Far away from him. She thinks of her parents and how they’d be more than willing to take her back for a while until she can get back on her feet. She wants, no, needs him gone from her life or she’ll go insane.

“—look at me when I’m talking to you Brianna,” he snaps. “You can’t just drop that on me and then act like it’s not a big fucking deal. Take a few days off, take a whole goddamn month off if you have to but there is no way you’re leaving this job.”

She lifts her eyes to him, snapping back to reality. His sleeves are rolled up, exposing his muscular and veiny forearms. She follows a blue vein in his arm that disappears under his white shirt, up towards his neck where it bulges and pulses. His face, red and shaking, his eyes hard, dark and glaring, hair out of place, mouth hanging open in disbelief. His waits quietly, waiting for a response from her but she is unable to speak.

His voice softens and his eyes melt back into a sea of green. His lip begins to tremble ever so slightly. He whispers quietly, “Bri, please.. there really is no need for this.. I can’t let you go.” He takes a deep breath and continues, his voice cracking slightly, “Especially not after last night. Or the night before.. the past few weeks actually.”

Bri can feel him giving up and she’s thankful for that, she needs this to be quick and easy. But there’s a part of her, though small, that is screaming at her for hurting him. She wants to leave yet she wants him to beg her to stay. When she doesn’t respond, he takes a step towards her, reaching out to rest his hand on her arm. Bri flinches away from his touch, needing as much distance as she can or she knows she will break and stay.

He tries again. “What is this about? Answer me goddamnit Brianna. I’m not letting you leave your job.” He swallows and takes another step towards her. She can feel his breath on her. “I’m not letting you leave me. Not now. You’re not allowed. Do I make myself clear?”

She feels herself cracking. The words are on her tongue. I’ll stay Loki, for you. Because I can’t live without you. Bri’s mouth opens, she sees his eyes focus on her moving mouth. “Loki, I’m not going-” Sigyn. Erika. She can’t. Bri can only see heartbreak for her and Loki in the future. Nothing but pain and tears. She has made up her mind. “-to stay. I can’t. You have to let me go Loki, I quit. There is nothing anyone can say or do to get me to stay.”

-x-

“Merci pour voler avec Air France. Nous espérons que vous avez un bon journee!” The flight attendant’s loud voice welcoming her to France awakens her from her sleep. Her eyes crack open to a half empty airplane and the passenger next to her, speaking loudly.

“Mademoiselle, nous avons atterri!”

Bri wracks her brain to remember the several French courses she had to take in school. 

“Oh, um, merci Monsieur,” is all she can recall. 

~

Paris. The city of love. Bri inhales the fresh air deeply as she steps out of the cab in front of her hotel. An all expenses paid trip to Paris, given to her and her colleagues  from her new boss. It’s a fairly large publishing company and Bri enjoys working where she does, but it’s nothing close to what she had while working for him.

She walks with her coworkers into the hotel, chatting lightly, her mind focused on other things. She thinks of her parents, and how willingly they welcomed her back home for a while. Celine, and how she was supportive throughout the entire leaving process. And him. 

The familiar tightening in her chest, shortness of breath, pulse pounding, all hit her as her mind begins to think of Loki. His broken face, defeated and filled with pain as she left his office. His soft words, begging her to stay, his whispers of love, telling her that she can’t do this to him. His texts, phone calls, voicemails, bombarding her phone constantly until she got rid of the thing, effectively cutting off every line to Loki. Almost, every line. 

The second she’s alone in her suite she removes from her purse, a photograph. She sees a couple, he dressed in a dark suit with a blue tie, her in a flowing dress, matching the colour of his tie. Her brown curls fall around her shoulders, his black strands slicked back. His arm, wrapped tightly around her waist, hers gently resting on his hip. Their mouths turned upwards in grins, eyes sparkling, faces lit. Bri stares at herself and Loki, the only photo she has of the two of them, from the night he took her to the Charity Gala. The night they danced, the night she felt a response from him, something more than the cold shoulder. 

She begins to feel the sobs coming on and curls onto her bed. Bri has managed to keep herself going for the past four months, but finally everything comes crashing down. Her heart, body, and mind ache. She’s tired, exhausted, sick, and lonely. Bri feels defeated and finally succumbs to what her mind has been begging for. She let’s thoughts of Loki take over and eventually falls asleep, dreaming of dances, long nights at the office, and parks.

~

She’s sitting in a pub, discussing matters of the return flight with her coworkers when she feels a familiar sensation building in her stomach. It can’t be. Bri ignores it and takes a sip of her beer.

“We need to be back for the 15th, it’s the 12th today, and the earliest flight is on the 14th, however not all of us can make it so some of us are going to have to return on the 17th. Now, I’ve spoken to Carl and he sai—” Bri feels it again. The hairs on her arm begin to stick up and goosebumps appear on her skin. She excuses herself and walks over to the bar.

“Hi, can I get a,” she pauses. Long Island Iced Tea comes to her mind but she doubts they’ll serve it in Paris and her knowledge of alcoholic beverages is small. “Um, I don’t know, whatever you recommend please? Nothing too strong though.” Bri flashes the bartender her ID and settles down on a stool. She begins drinking, the alcohol burning her throat and flooding her system. It’s not enough to get her drunk, but she can still feel it’s effects. Her mind goes numb, numb enough for her to stop thinking about the past. 

The once crowded pub has cleared out with the exceptions of herself, her colleagues, a fellow sitting alone with his face turned to look at the Paris lights, and a few people playing pool. Bri hasn’t moved from her seat at the bar except for having to use the restroom. The alcohol in her system has worn out and she is hit yet again with the dull ache in her chest. She strikes up a conversation with the bartender to keep her mind preoccupied.

“Do you speak English?”

“Mais oui, I speak just a tiny of English!” He winks at her, “I visited America for a month and learn just a few things.”

Bri smiles slightly. “Oh, thank god. It’s tough visiting Paris since I have little to no knowledge of French! It’s a great place though, I love it here.”

He laughs and begins wiping down the counters. “Oh non mademoiselle, it is not so much about, uh, speaking with the people, but more of enjoying the beauty that is Paris!”

They continue their conversation, Bri doing most of the talking to keep her mind moving, the bartender doing his best to respond. Her colleagues have left, the group playing pool following. Bri and the unmoving man in the corner are the only ones left. 

“Madaemoiselle, I must ask you to leave now, I have to close up or my boss will get tres fâché avec moi!”

Bri raises her eyebrow.

“Oh dear, I mean, he, um, upset. Very upset with me,” he stumbles around trying to find the right words.

Bri nods and begins gathering her things, while he calls to the other man, “Monsiuer, le pub est maintenant fermé.” 

As she is grabbing her money from her purse, a shiver wracks through her body. Her money slips and scatters on the ground. Bri curses and bends to pick up the coins.

“Oh non, let me help you!” The bartender begins assisting her. She tells him to keep the money, to pay for the various drinks she had.

“It is alright dear, you keep the money for today because you gave me a very nice night. It was very nice meeting you, and I hope you enjoy Paris!” He leans in to give her a friendly kiss on the cheek when she hears a throat clear. The gentleman in the corner.

Bri turns her head to the side and sees him. Loki Laufeyson. Her boss. The love of her life. Her reason for pain, tears, sleepless nights, and a broken heart. Her breath catches in her throat and her windpipe begins to tighten. Her heart begins a marathon, pushing her blood faster and faster through her body. She feels like she’s about to puke, hyperventilate, pass out, and die. 

His hard green eyes, dark circles below them, sleek black hair, long frame dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, tower over her and the bartender. His mouth is set in a straight line, his expression unreadable. Loki’s jaw is clenched, dark stubble lining it. Bri makes a point to look for it, the blueish-green vein, bound to be popping against his pale skin. Her eyes narrow in on it, feeling the sudden urge to run her fingers over it. She brings her eyes back to his and notices his gaze is on the bartender.

Oh no.. No Loki, it’s not what you think.. She realizes that the bartender placed his arm against hers as he was about to peck her on the cheek, and it is still there. Her mind fuzzy, her head spinning, Bri doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t even know if she’s hallucinating or if Loki is actually there. The terrified look on the other man’s face says he is real.

Loki turns on his heel and storms out of the pub. Bri snaps out of the shock she’s in and begins to run after him. His mile-long legs take him further and further away from her. She struggles to chase after him. He has already turned the street corner, Bri only halfway down the street. She runs as if her life depends on it. It does. 

The buildings and street lamps light her path as she struggles to keep up with him. Her thoughts and heart racing, her legs aching, her lungs desperate for air, but she can’t stop. She needs to do this. She needs to tell him how sorry she is, how the bartender was absolutely nothing, that everything has been a stupid mistake.

He strides into a large hotel, and Bri follows. Just as he walks into the large elevator, he turns his head slightly, to see if she’s still there. His black hair is windblown, and his face hard as stone. She manages to finally catch up to him and flies into the elevator, a second before the doors shut.

“Loki,” she gasps, “Loki that was, back there, with the bartender, he was just, I don’t even know his name, and it was, Loki, please!” She exclaims, tears threatening to fall over.

She hears a slam and is then pushed against a wall of the elevator. One arm is moving away from the emergency button he has just pressed, the other pinning her to the wall. His face is mere inches from hers, his nose brushing slightly against Bri’s. She is gasping for air, and can taste him on her tongue. 

“I know Brianna,” he says, his voice husky. “I just needed you out of there so I could get you in here alone.”

————————

Mon; June 18th, 2012        99n , 21:15PM