Avengers 1. Chapter 1: Welcome to SHIELD

_Hello my internet friends! So it has been a while since I have posted and I have deleted both of my stories off because one started turning into a mary sue and I didn't have enough ideas for the other one. BUT recently I have seen the Avengers (I was against seeing it when it came out but I have converted! Those who have not seen it go see it!) and IT WAS AWESOME! I fell in love with Tom Hiddleston and Loki so I am making a kind of fanfic for LokixOC. I don't know if this will turn into another one shot or not, but I won't have another update for a while until I buy the movie and watch it again. Till then, comments are appreciated! _

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS. ONLY LYLE. **_

Chapter One: _Welcome to SHIELD_

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Argh! Shut up you piece of crap!" I yelled at my alarm clock before slamming my hand on the off button. I hugged my pillow closer to my body before I willed myself to rise from the warm cocoon that encircled me. I made my way to the bathroom and turned the hot water on before stepping into the white tiled shower. I stood there and let the water run down my body in a futile effort to wake me up before I started washing my hair. Once I got out I wrapped a towel around me and looked at my slightly groggy reflection.

My dark purplish-red hair was cut short, the back was shaved down to an inch and the bangs swept over my left eye. My light green eyes shone out from my slightly pale complexion; my eyes glanced down to the light blue stone that hung from a black cord around my neck. A light glow emanated from the stone and I could feel the slight patch of heat at the base of my neck. I frowned slightly; that stone had never done that before.

I had that stone ever since I was five years old; my father brought it home from his work, SHIELD, and had given it to me as a birthday present. That was the last time I really ever saw him. He disappeared off the map before finally turning up dead after some sort of sea accident. Ever since his death I had been under the watchful eye of SHIELD. I still was unsure about what the whole organization did but I didn't care; the one thing I did care about was the monthly check ups from Nick Fury, the director of the organization. They were rather annoying and, for some odd reason, made me uncomfortable. It wasn't the eye patch that he wore it was just this feeling I got whenever he turned up at my house. It could be the fact that I was twenty six years old, a happy owner of an art studio, as well as the reality that I didn't need a babysitter, or maybe it was something else. Something stronger seemed to be yanking at my mind. Something was coming. I didn't know what, but something was coming.

I toweled and blow dried my hair before slipping into under wear, a pair of blue jeans, and a black tank top. I made my bed and plugged in my iPod before hopping downstairs and pillaging the fridge. I pulled out the cream cheese and the bag of bagels before smearing one bagel down with cream cheese and plopping down onto the couch and flipping the television onto Saturday morning cartoons. I smirked as Courage the Cowardly Dog ran from some sort of doctor that had managed to snag Muriel again. A knock on my door rang through the entire house and disturbed me from my slug-like state.

I groaned as I took the longest journey from my couch to the door, secretly praying that whoever had come knocking would leave before I got there. I opened the door to find a stern looking director Fury.

"Mr. Fury," I mock saluted. He raised his eyebrow before nodding his head,

"Lyle, I'm afraid our meeting is going to be canceled this time. Pack a bag with the essentials and meet me outside in ten minutes. Do not be late or I will come get you, understood?" He left me no room to respond as he walked back to the car he emanated from. I snorted on my way back to the living room to turn off the television. I then walked quickly upstairs and retrieved a black duffel bag. I threw ten graphic tees, a week's worth of underwear, four pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt, toiletries, and an "army kit" into it along with my laptop, iPod which, thankfully had charged in the hour that had been spent watching cartoons, and my flip phone.

I checked my watch and found that I had five minutes left so I began going around and locking down the house; checking the windows, closing the doors, and padlocking a small safe that contained a few priceless things. After I locked that I ran downstairs and locked the front door before scampering out to the car and closing the door behind me. I pushed the duffel bag under the car seat before turning to Nick Fury and asked the all burning question.

"Where we goin?" Director Fury didn't even look up from his tablet before replying,

"I'll tell you when we get there." I wriggled my nose before taking out my iPod and turning it up full blast and had my own soundtrack to the passing scenery. We drove to a small airport where I was made to wait by Fury before I could get out of the car. Five minutes later Fury came back looking a tad bit ruffled.

"Out." I got out and pulled the duffel bag over my shoulder and followed Fury to an awaiting helicopter. I slid into the small cockpit and yanked on the headphones. Fury slid in after me and finally spoke,

"Has your necklace been glowing like that for a while?" I glanced down at the stone and saw that it was glowing a tad bit brighter than previously.

"Umm…not this strong," I picked up the stone and found it to be hotter than originally, "it started doing this about a week or so ago." Fury was silent for a little while before he spoke again,

"Have you ever heard of the Tesseract?"

"I've heard of that cube in geometry class," I answered, "why?"

"Hopefully that's all you need to know."

It was an hour before we touched down at some sort of base. Fury jumped out of the helicopter and I followed him closely. Fury started talking with some woman in a blue uniform and walking with her into the building. I tried to keep up with them the best I could before we finally stopped at a pair of stairs. Fury gave orders to the woman, who I gathered as a Maria Hill, before she huffed slightly and walked off with a pair of guards. Fury turned to me and finally acknowledged me,

"Lyle, you need to stay close to me and follow orders understand?" He didn't wait for a response before heading down more stairs. I ground my teeth together slightly before following him. When we got to the bottom we were in some kind of industrial lab; several men in lab coats were scattered throughout the room and towards the middle end of the room was a stand of some sort that held a glowing cube that had the same glow and color as the stone that hung around my neck. A tugging on my neck caused me to walk a tad bit closer.

"Lyleigh," something whispered. I jumped back, and tripped over a couple of bars. Another agent rushed over to help me up,

"Are you alright?" he asked. I blinked a couple of times trying to clear my head.

"Yea," I said, slightly shaking myself from his grip, "fine. Just a little bit frazzled." The agent nodded his head before stepping away from me. I stood away from the group as Hawkeye dropped from his perch to talk to Fury and examined my necklace. The stone was glowing brighter than before and the light seemed to be glowing. It seemed to be reacting to the cube but why was I hearing voices? Without warning the cube emitted some strong sort of light and seemed to gather at the end of the track that was about a good fifty feet from it. Most of the scientists stood in awe while something collected on the pad that was at the end of the track; it took on the shape of a man.

"Lyle, go now!" Fury shouted at me. But I couldn't move; the man stood up and I was entranced by his appearance. Long, lean, ice green eyes and slicked back hair; things that seemed to make my heart race a bit. He smirked at me before turning his attention to the rest of the room. At that point I heeded Fury's advice and started scrambling for the stairs. But a burst of blue light shot past me and caused me to slide under the small amount of rubble that nearly hit me and run through the door and up the stairs.

I ran past guards, scientists, agents…the only thing on my mind was to get far away from the base. I glanced down at my hands and saw that they were glowing blue…the exact same reaction that my necklace and the cube experienced. I was blinded by light before I fell onto something that smelled faintly of dirt. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the patches of dead grass, small cacti and dead weeds of the dark desert landscape about ten miles from the military base. I sat up and tried to slow my breaths as the base seemed to collapse into the ground. I felt the shock wave travel across the landscape and hit me with a light force that just caused my head to jerk back slightly.

I looked down at the stone and found it dimly lit; when I touched it, it was ice cold. I stood up with a growl and was thankful that I had managed to keep my duffel bag in the whole disaster. I pulled out my phone and grumbled at the fact that there was absolutely no signal. I started walking towards a road while pulling out my sweatshirt and turning up the hood. I was glad that I had managed to put it in before I left the house. I pulled out a flash light from my "army kit" and turned it to the ground as I started walking up the road. For about five minutes, nothing but silence graced my ears before a car horn disrupted my bliss. I didn't turn around as the car slowed up behind me.

"Lyle?" someone called my name. I turned to look at the shocked agent who was standing apart from the covered vehicle.

"Yes?" I asked, my defenses up.

"Phil Coulson," he answered, "I work with SHIELD, how'd you manage to get this far from the base?"

"If I knew the answer I would tell you," I huffed as I put the flash light back in the duffel bag, "all I know is that I ended up out here." I eyed the agents in the driver's seat as Phil approached me.

"We have orders from Fury to get you out to another base," Phil said, "So we need to get mocing." I just stared at him and turned multiple dangerous situations over and over in my mind. I took on a slouched position.

"Agent Coulson, correct?" I asked before continuing on, "I was called out today by Fury in the place of our normal home meeting. I was dragged on a long ass car drive. I spent an hour in the air and then I was almost killed by rubble only to end up out here. God knows how I ended up out here. Frankly the only way I will go with anyone now is if I get some answers, and my question is what the hell is going on?" Phil just stared at me before walking closer and shoving his hands in his pockets,

"That base was the holding place for the Tesseract, a cube that scientists believe has unlimited power. That man we have yet to identify was after the Tesseract and, according to Fury, has obtained the Tesseract. In either case, we are now at war with unknown forces. That necklace that you possess? It's base origin is the Tesseract and we have reason to believe that you may possess a tad bit of power, which makes you a valuable asset to SHIELD. If you wish to learn more then you need to come with us or you can spend your evening roaming the desert at the mercy of a few unfriendly animals." I could feel my eyes growing larger by the second and my mouth was slightly open. I closed it and sighed,

"I really don't have a choice do I?" Phil slung his arm over my shoulder and started walking me towards the back of the van.

"Not really, no." I scoffed before hopping up into the back between two soldiers. Phil hopped in after me and stuck out his hand,

"Lyle, welcome to SHIELD." I laughed as I shook his hand and watched the landscape fly behind us. I was still nervous and wasn't completely sold on the whole "war" thing but traveling by car was better than on foot. I hugged my duffel bag closer as I started to fall asleep on the arm of the soldier on my right; I had a feeling that I was in for a long ride.


	2. Chapter 2: New Powers and Friends

_Hey guys! So my first chapter is up and I hope this one is fine as well. This one is a bit more detailed but I hope it all makes sense and coincides with the story line. Enjoy!_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Avengers. I only own Lyle.**

Chapter Two: _New Powers and Friends_

"This time, try not to hit the dummy," Fury's voice rung out over the loud speaker. I had been putting at least two hours every day into control my abilities; so far we had discovered that I could transport, shoot beams from the stone as well as produce a staff-like weapon when the time called for it.

Funny thing about some of these powers was that they could happen when I was asleep; now I knew I slept walked but never slept-transported. I had woken up one morning in the kitchen clutching a teddy bear I had left at home. The agent who had found me was a little surprised and no doubt tattled to Fury on me because next thing I knew I had to keep a journal of where I woke up in the morning. According to Fury it would help SHIELD get a better idea on how the Tesseract reacted during my dreams.

And then there were the dreams; I had never been an avid dreamer but ever since the Tesseract popped up I kept having these flashbacks and meetings. One flashback that kept reoccurring was my father's funeral which wasn't much of a funeral, just the passing of a flag. The rain hadn't let up that day so I was stuck under an umbrella while my mom was handed the flag. The sadness that day was unbelievable and I the feeling of drowning overwhelmed me. After that dream I woke up in cold sweat with tears pouring down my face..spent the rest of my evening trying to drown my sorrows with some cartoons from the web.

The meetings, however, were worse. I would be walking through an abandoned warehouse and found the Tesseract in the middle of the room. I tried to reach out and grab it but when I got close to a figure appeared.

It was me…but not exactly me. My doppelganger had light blue rimmed around her irises and the tips of her hair were stark white. She would always smile at me in this way that made her seem mischievous. She would then start talking,

"_Well hello myself."_

"Who are you?" I would ask. She would then proceed to look wounded by my statement and slowly pace in front of me,

"_Why, you, of course. Who else would I be?"_

"You can't be me."

"_And why is that?"_ She would pause in her pacing to stare at me.

"You just aren't," I would stammer, "you can't be." She would then walk towards me with a smirk on her face,

"_Well, maybe not you exactly, but a part of you. See, I am your desires made real. Everything that you hide, your defiance, your snarkiness, your anger…your lust? I'm all the parts you want hidden."_ I stood my ground as she came within a foot of me,

"I hide nothing." The doppelganger would then scoff and proceed to walk away from me.

"_Whatever you say, but then again perhaps it's what I say."_ At that point I would draw my staff and take on a fighting stance.

"Start making sense before I blow you to kingdom come." She would smile and begin her slow pace again.

"_The Tesseract is changing you Layleigh. It's making you see yourself for who you are. It knows you're angry, your feeling of loss, even your powers. It's making you see what you can do and you are afraid of it."_

"Why should I be afraid?" I shouted, pointing my staff at her, "you're nothing but a dream. And dreams are easily ended." The doppelganger laughed slightly before speaking again,

"_Remember that man you met at the base? His name is Loki, he seeks the power of the Tesseract and power over Earth. This is no dream, its reality. Even as I speak to you he is trying to harness the Tesseract's power…your power. My advice to you is to learn to distinguish reality from the dreams, and to focus more when transporting." _She turned away from me and began to disappear.

"Don't turn away from me! You must tell me more." She would then turn and look at me with a sad smile on her face,

"_You'll find out more soon enough." _

The first time that meeting happened I had woken up in the training chamber. It was a fun evening walking through the ship in my tank and pj bottoms.

But besides the dreams, training my powers, while conscience no less, was exhausting. As soon as I had transported from one side of the room to the other it felt like I was going to drop. But through training it didn't feel as exhausting as it had previously. Currently I was working on hitting a target on the opposite side of the test chamber; the chamber was originally built for target practice but had since been turned into my private training room.

I grumbled as I took my position to try what I had been doing for an hour already. I shot again and just barely singed the dummy that was between the targets. I growled in frustration before just shooting the dummy altogether. I looked at the overhead windows and saw Fury looking down at me with exasperation in his eyes,

"Take a break," he said.

"Finally!" I yelled before transporting out of the room and onto the plan track outside. I stumbled for a minute before regaining my balance and stretching in the afternoon sun.

"Should you be practicing?" I turned around and stuck my tongue out at Natasha.

"I'm on a break, for once," I began walking with her towards a plane that had just landed and supposedly contained Steve Rogers, or the famous Captain America.

"How is the practice going anyways?" she asked. I produced a small orb of blue light and tossed it up once before it disappeared.

"Fine, thing is I can only do stuff that like for short periods," I shoved my hands in my pockets as we neared the plane. Bruce came walking up behind us; it was always fun having him around. I had gotten to know Bruce when he had first come on board. He had come to see one of my training sessions and was fascinated by what I could do. I remembered sitting in his lab for a day and watching him work.

_FLASHBACK_

"So you're Lyle right?" Bruce asked. I hopped up on a lab table that was partially cleared and where I wasn't in the way. I popped the tab on a Dr. Pepper before replying,

"Unfortunately." Bruce smiled slightly as he worked on a touch screen.

"Ahh so you don't want to be here either." I rolled my eyes before opening my lap top,

"Hell, anywhere is better than that practice room."

"Your accent, where are you from exactly?" I chuckled slightly,

"Didn't think it was that noticeable. But since you asked nicely, I am a native Texan. Moved to the outskirts of Colorado Springs after college. Been there ever since," I looked up to find him staring at me slightly, "what?"

"Umm, your hands." I looked down and growled in frustration at the light blue glow that was already starting to take over. I shook my wrists out once before they returned to normal.

"Sorry, happens."

"It's fine, I know the feeling." I smiled slightly before opening my email to make sure that the art studio was running smoothly while I was away.

"So what exactly can you do?" Bruce asked.

"So far I can teleport, conjure up a weapon, and shoot beams," I closed down the computer and put it back in its case, "however it takes quite a bit of energy to do any of those." He smiled lightly,

"How are you overcoming that?" I stretched and smiled,

"Practice…and lots of it."

"Wish I could that," Bruce said while his attention was on the screen. I tried to turn the topic to lighter subjects,

"Well, least you get to do something you like to do. All my job is comprised of is shooting beams and creating weapons. I'd give anything to be half as smart as you." Bruce smiled at me and shook his head,

"With this intelligence comes a massive amount of consequence."

"But you get to use the pointy stuff!" I whined, "I'm not allowed to make my staff into a spear," I summoned it and showed him, "see?! Not even a small spike!" Bruce laughed lightly before returning to his work. I had a feeling we were going to be good friends.

_END FLASHBACK_

"Hi Bruce!" I said bounding up to give him a hug. He hugged me back before we walked over to where the famous Captain America was landing. I kept my arms wrapped around him; I always found him to be a bit like a father figure so I never missed an opportunity to give him a hug. When I saw Captain America I disentangled myself from Bruce and stood next to Natasha as she made introductions.

I zoned out for a little bit before she said,

"I would get inside, it's about to be very difficult to breathe."

"Break is up, Lyle. Back to training!" I heard from the speakers on the track. I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"That wasn't even ten minutes!" I screamed before zapping back to the training room and taking out the closest training dummy. I stopped for a minute and stared at the crumbling remains…that burst of energy had felt…good. It felt like I was free when I had taken it out.

"_Anger_" a voice whispered. I had come to expect voices as the norm and chose not to tell anyone. As long as the voices didn't harm anyone they were only harmful to my mind. But I didn't care. I could control the voices…and my anger. I cleared my head the best I could while I waited for new instructions from Fury.

**BACK ON THE TRACK**

"What in the world was that?" Steve asked Bruce. Bruce turned to Steve and smiled,

"I think, in a way, part of our assignment."


	3. Chapter 3: New Target

_**Hey guys. Long time no see right? Well I found this story again and decided to update. Hopefully it's to the character of Loki and that you guys will agree. Enjoy!**_

**DISCLAIMER: I only own Lyle. Not the Avengers**

**Chapter Three:** _New Target_

"_Back again?" _my doppelganger asked. I rolled my eyes and sat down, she doing the same five feet across from me.

"I can't seem to hide from my dreams," I sighed. The doppelganger stood up and sat next to me and we both stared at the glowing Tesseract.

"_No, you can't," _she said. It felt odd being next to myself, like looking in a mirror but one that showed the other side.

"Is there anything you can tell me about the Tesseract?" I asked her, trying to get something out of this dream. She stared at me and blinked, her blue lined eyes standing out.

"_I know as much as you," _she said. I sighed and slapped my hand on the floor,

"You've said that already yet you were able to tell me who that guy was and what the Tesseract was," I stood up and pointed to the cube, "so how in the world can you tell me that you only know what I know and seem to know more than I do?" She stood up and stood in front of me again and held out her hand. From her hand emerged a white orb that had moving shapes,

"_Look closer." _ I leaned down slightly and squinted into the orb. A scene in a warehouse similar to the one I was standing in appeared before me. I was suddenly sucked in and stood in the middle of work on a structure that held the Tesseract. I went unnoticed as I walked around the scientists, one of who I recognized as Dr. Selvig who was at the lab when Loki appeared.

"Dr. Selvig?" I said.

"_He can't hear you." _ I turned around and looked at her.

"Why can't he?"

"_Interference between the Tesseract and yourself."_

"What the hell does that mean?"

"_Just listen."_ I turned and focused my attention onto the people and saw Loki among them. I heard Loki ask Selvig about something that the Tesseract showed him. I saw Barton speak to him as well and then Selvig began discussing something about a rock that could only be accessed by a certain man in Germany. After Loki finished discussing the matters with Barton and Selvig he suddenly turned around and stared straight at me. The rest of the world swirled around me and it was just me, him, and the dopple ganger.

"Well, it seems we have another card in the deck," he smiled. I growled slightly as my dopple ganger stood beside me.

"This is a dream, my dream," I snarled, "doubt that you can actually be in my mind."

"Oh but I am," Loki smirked, "a mortal's dreams are easy to possess, easy to manipulate," he began circling me, "but the strange thing is, you don't seem to be a 'normal' mortal." My dopple ganger stood behind me and rested her chin on my shoulder,

"_He's provoking you,"_ she whispered, _"don't give in." _

"Silence you pest," Loki barked, "she does not need your protection." I slipped my hand behind my back and grabbed hers.

"You won't win, Loki," I smiled, trying to put on a façade, "It's just not possible." He suddenly appeared in front of me and leaned down to the point where our noses were inches apart.

"You mortals are all the same," he smiled, "pride gets the better of you." I felt heat rise in my cheeks and before I knew what was happening the amulet around my neck burst into blue flames; sending me to the floor and Loki a good ten feet away. I jumped up and met Loki's surprised stare with a cool mask.

"I believe you mentioned that I was not a 'normal' mortal?" I smiled coyly. He got up with a growl and his gold armor appeared as he stalked towards me.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" he snarled, his hand wrapping around my throat but I stood stock still; the theory that dreams weren't real still fresh in my mind.

"Yes, and no amount of intimidation will make me believe any differently," I spat. His gaze suddenly softened slightly and the hold on my neck disappeared and was replaced by the back of his hand trailing down my cheek.

"Then perhaps you will respond to something else." My brows furrowed in confusion at his comment but as he started leaning in towards my face, my eyes went wide. When his lips touched mine I sat bolt upright, wide awake, on the floor of the containment room. My chest heaved with deep breaths that seemed to leave me starving for oxygen. I hugged my rag tag blanket closer and stood up and left the containment room. I got out into the hall and leaned against the wall; still attempting to catch my breath.

"_Then perhaps you will respond to something else."_

I shook his words from my mind before pounding towards the main deck. I burst into the room, out of breath and was met with over a dozen pairs of eyes.

"Germany. That's our target."

Like? No? Review please!


	4. Chapter 4: Germany

_Needed to redo this chapter because I finally got the movie and re-observed this scene. Very minor changes_

_**I do not own the Avengers…only Lyle**_

**Chapter Four: Germany**

"What the hell do you mean by 'no'?" I slammed my fist down on the table in the main control of the ship. After I had finally convinced Fury (along with a little fact checking involving some cell phones) that Loki was going to Germany to get some rock that would work with the Tesseract, he started making arrangements for Natasha and Steve to go to Germany….without me in the mix.

"You're not going to Germany and that's an order Lyle," Fury replied without looking up from the computer panel he was observing, obviously un-phased by my outburst. I crossed my arms over my chest and tried a different tactic,

"Give me a reason why not." Fury sighed and turned to me,

"If Loki was able to get inside your mind then who knows what he can do to you," he brought up another screen that showed the security detail from the base I was at when this all started, "He could spot us from a mile away or control you. And you don't fully know how to use your powers, so you would be a liability."

I ground my teeth together and tried to ignore the stares from Natasha, Steve, and Bruce; of course I didn't know how to use my powers. I had barely just begun my training process and it also didn't help that Agent Coulson had been feeding me costume ideas…behind Fury's back I might add. The possibility that I could help in some way lingered in my mind and to me, the fact that I knew what was going on increased my usefulness.

"But Director Fury-"

"You're not going Lyle." He deadpanned. I flashed myself into the training room and took out the nearest dummy. I was so sick of being treated like some fragile thing that might blow up at any time.

_Your actions do not improve that outlook. _

"Would you leave me alone!?" I screamed at the voice.

_The more you continue to act like a child the more they will treat you like one. Grow up._

"I do NOT act like a child," I mumbled as I kicked the burnt remains of the dummy.

_Yes and the smoldering dummy is proof of that._

I snorted and slid down the nearest wall into a sitting position. I disliked being left behind when I was the strongest link; even if my powers were still in the beginning stage I had the upper hand in any fight that might start. Hell, I had managed to knock Loki off his high horse for even a minute. I knew I had to get to Germany but how was the problem.

As I sat there pondering my predicament, I failed to notice a glowing, blue, flat circle that spanned three feet in diameter appear under my feet and gently levitated me off the ground.

_Perhaps your problems are solved._

I looked down and noticed that I was now five feet off the ground. My concentration apparently broke because the disk fizzled underneath me and sent me hurtling down until I re-conjured it….about six inches from the floor. I carefully stood up on the disk and it elongated into a kind of surf board; now while I may not have surfed, I had seen a few videos but this was on air, not water. I willed the board to go forward two feet and it sputtered along slowly until it reached its destination.

I smiled slightly before I shot down my hands and, in turn, shot myself up to the top of the room. I got about five feet from the ceiling when I stopped and looked down at the thirty feet or so of air between me and the floor. I started practicing circling the room and stopping short without falling off the board which proved successful.

_Now what?_

I smiled, "We're going to Germany."

**(THIRD PERSON POV)**

Everyone was buzzing around the tarmac trying to make sure that everything was prepared for Loki's arrival…if they caught him. Natasha and Steve were in a small plane awaiting clearance. As soon as it was granted they started the journey to Germany. Everyone began checking in with main control.

"Lyle, please report to the training room," Fury announced over the loud speaker while still remaining at the control board screens. He brought up a security camera that was trained on the training room but no flash or burning dummies met his sight; instead an empty room infuriated him.

"Agent Hill, please go retrieve Lyle from her room." Hill nodded and quickly walked to Lyle's room. She knocked on the door but received no answer. She then bypassed the security locks on the door and, like Fury, was met with an empty room.

"She's not here, sir" she communicated back to main control. Fury started bringing up all cameras in every place of the ship when he finally caught her. She was dressed in a black sweatshirt and blue jeans with some sort of glowing board tucked under her arm. Lyle was on the tarmac and darting behind cargo boxes to avoid some of his men.

"Lyle, get back inside now!" Fury announced over the tarmac speakers. Lyle ignored him and threw the board down. Fury was surprised to see that it levitated a foot off the ground. Lyle stepped on the board and drifted slowly to the edge of the helicarrier, hesitating to completely go over.

"LYLE! DO NOT MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!" Lyle looked up directly into the camera that was trained on her before pulling up her sweatshirt hood and diving over the edge. Fury stood there, shocked to see a small white bullet zoom in the direction Natasha and Steve had headed.

"Should we send someone after her, sir?" Hill asked. Fury shook his head,

"She'll fight. I'm not risking men, knowing how touchy she can be," Fury sighed and radioed the plane, "Lyle is following behind you, do not shoot at her, repeat do NOT shoot." He stepped back from the controls and sighed. This was going to be a long night.

**(LYLE'S POV)**

I had actually managed to get off that helicarrier and into the night air. It felt so good; the wind whipped past me while I darted through clouds. I laughed at myself and at the sky. I was free! I stood up slowly from my crouched position while the board still gripped my feet and allowed me to throw my arms in the air with abandon.

I checked my watch to make sure I was heading in the right direction and looked up to see that I was quickly approaching the plane that Natasha and Steve were on. I slowed slightly in order to get underneath the plane and a tad bit out of range of the gunner.

_Have you thought about your plan of action for when you actually get there?_

"Not as of yet."

_Well you might want to think of one soon. _

I furrowed my brows at that response before a wave of screams washed over me. I stopped in mid-air and covered my ears, desperately trying to silence the noise. My board disappeared under me and I was sent plummeting a hundred feet before I regained control and got the board back under me.

"What the hell was that?"

_Trouble._

I picked up speed and zoomed under and past the plane. Fury's anger was pushed to the back of my mind as I got closer to the city lights. Just before I hit the outskirts of the city, staying above the skyline, a vision reached me. It was Loki. He was covered in armor standing before large group of people who he managed to herd with a few copies of himself. He was commanding them to kneel. I struggled to speed up.

When the square came into sight I landed on a roof top over-looking the square. I tried to form a plan of action, going over small scenarios where I could possibly hit all the copies with one blow but was severely doubting my aim. I glanced up and saw the plane getting closer but I wasn't going to be left on the sidelines. I pulled my hood down and the scarf I had worn up over my nose and dove off the edge of the building. I headed straight for the duplicate in my way and, just before I reached him, drew my staff; even if I couldn't spear him I could still knock him senseless.

The duplicate turned around and smirked at me as I hit him full force; he dissolved into a gold dust as I passed through him. I pulled my board up, back into the sky and dove again at the next nearest duplicate; the same thing happened to the first one. I pulled back up and hovered slightly above the crowd and caught Loki's eye. The ass was chuckling slightly,

"I was expecting someone whom could actually engage me in battleh," he smirked.

_He's trying to goad you, don't fall for it. _

Loki frowned and shot a blue bolt at me from his scepter. I managed to dodge it before diving and going directly for him. I raised my staff and he raised his scepter; when I hit him I ended up with my feet on the ground, his scepter pinned to the ground by my staff. He bared his teeth before yanking his scepter up and caused me to lose balance and stumble back, nearly losing my staff. I quickly got my bearings and slapped away another bolt with my staff.

"Spirited creature," Loki smiled slightly, "I almost regret having to fight you." I lunged at him, locking weapons again.

"Spirit I have, but this battle is not yours to win," I spat. I managed to shove him backwards and shot a beam from my hands at him. He stumbled and fell only to rise up with a malicious grin on his face.

"We shall see, little one." Before he could retaliate a blue and red shield came out of nowhere and knocked him off his feet. I turned around and saw Steve decked out in red, white, and blue.

"You were supposed to stay at the base, soldier." I rolled my eyes at him and dodged the blue bolt that shot past me. Steve and I began alternating attacks on Loki before I got knocked down and the blade of Loki's scepter was pointed at my throat. Loki looked down at me with amusement in his eyes. I saw Steve get up from where he fell and grab his shield.

"I will not hesitate to slice her throat open," Loki directed at Steve, his gaze still holding mine. I felt my necklace heat up under my sweatshirt and had no doubt that Loki could see it.

"You have felt it, haven't you?" Loki asked, "The power surging through you," he then gestured at the surroundings, "you could rule these primitive beings, you could stand by my side, rule with me," he removed the spear and offered his hand to me, "I could give you things these mortals cannot. Join me." I stared at him before summoning my staff and locking weapons again. His eyes displayed hurt, "Very well. Pity, I found your spirit rather…enticing." I blushed as I knocked him backwards. Before either of us could do anything, Loki was shot backwards into the steps by an energy burst. I looked up into the sky and spotted Iron Man; giggling at the fact that his outfit was more ostentatious than Steve's. Iron Man, or Tony Stark, landed with his guns armed.

"Hands up Reindeer Games." Loki's armor disintegrated and he put up his hands. Steve got him up and started walking him to the plane that was attempting to land in the square. I brought my board back and was about the get up on it before Tony stopped.

"Sorry, fly girl. Flight time's over tonight." I groaned and waved the board away before pulling down my scarf and hood.

"Rather fly alone than be trapped with all of ya'll," I snorted.

"So would I kid, so would I." I followed after Steve with Tony behind me, who finally took off his helmet. Steve got Loki locked into a seat while Natasha partially glared at me,

"How did you get here?" she asked. I pulled up my board and sat on it while it hovered in the air.

"Flew," I replied. Natasha's glare softened,

"Getting a tad bit of control?"

"She should have obeyed orders," Steve said. I stuck my tongue out at him,

"Reason I didn't go into the Navy was because I can't follow orders, Captain. And I would push too many buttons." Steve shook his head before Tony butted in and started asking me all these questions regarding my powers. Even while Tony chatted I still kept my mind focused on Loki. He was now locked in a seat and staring down at the floor. From a safe distance, and I mean close to the emergency exit, he was rather handsome; in a domineering way. Odd how that was appealing. But the fact that he had threatened my life was still ringing around in my mind.

Loki must have apparently sensed my thoughts for he looked up at me and smirked slightly. I wanted to smack that look off his face so friggin bad. A slight vision snuck into my head of him and me engaging in a battle but without the others. The dream suddenly came flooding back and I posed the question before my brain could register the absurdity of my words,

"What did you mean?" Loki chuckled slightly but did not answer. For some reason, this infuriated me more than an answer might have. I looked up and saw Tony and Steve looking at me,

"Did you happen to get hit harder than you were?" Tony asked. I rolled my eyes and stuck my hands in my hoodie pocket before leaning against the wall. I ignored everyone's stares and began to evaluate the possible punishments that Fury would have in store for me when we got back. Natasha finally radioed in with Nick to report our status when I heard Fury say,

"Is Lyle okay?" I ground my teeth and said,

"As okay as I can be while I'm stuck in this metal death trap."

"We'll talk when you get back to base Lyle." The communication ended and my rant began.

"Sure, we'll talk. It's not like I'm not a grown-up who owns her own business. It's not like I haven't been on my own for about eight years…in my own house….paying my own bills. Of course it's not like I'm f'ing twenty six years old and I NEED TO BE TREATED LIKE A CHILD!" my eye twitched as I stared at the opposite wall; I could already feel the stone getting warmer and my doppleganger started trying to cool me down.

_I realize this may not be the proper time, but as of currently you are making your case for yourself worse. _

I looked up at Steve and Tony from under my bangs and saw they were looking at me with a tad bit of surprise. I spared a glance at Loki and ground my teeth at his bemused look.

"I'm flying and I don't give a flip who says otherwise!" I teleported outside the plane and rode my board alongside the plane with my knees pulled up to my chest.

_When you act like a child…_

"Yea, I get treated like a child," I sighed, "I'm just tired of this. Sure the fight was exhilarating, probably the most exciting thing I've done in my life, but I'm tired of being treated like I'm a time bomb. I realize that I'm still fighting for control over this….rock, yet I don't like the feeling of being…well helpless."

_Then let them help you. _

I shook my head, "The excess help is becoming increasingly annoying."

_But they know what they are dealing with. The fact that they had previously worked with the Tesseract makes them a tad bit qualified._

I pinched the bridge of my nose, "I'll face my crimes but on my terms."

_At least you're facing them like a warrior. _

"Yea, some warrior. I can't even stay calm on a plane." My thoughts were cut short by a lightning bolt that came close to hitting me. I dodged the lightning and looked up to notice a figure jump into the plane before darting out with…Loki.

"Shit," I growled. Tony flew out right after the retreating figure and I began following. I dove down trying to get out of the cloud cover that had developed before levitating above a barren landscape attempting to spot them. A bright flash of lightning easily pinpointed exactly where I needed to go. As I was flitting down, I happened to notice that Loki was now sitting on a rock atop a cliff that was overlooking a wooded clearing with a bemused look on his face. I landed to the right side of him and managed to hear Tony say,

"Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?" I groaned in exasperation and managed to catch sight of the figure that ripped apart the plane shoot lightning at Tony, which Tony then countered with an energy blast. They then collided and pushed themselves back up into the atmosphere.

_Should we go after them?_

I stepped off my board and it dissipated,

"Nah, let them kill each other," I then looked at Loki, "we got bigger problems."

"Do others find it odd when you talk aloud to yourself?" Loki asked tilting his head slightly. I summoned my staff,

"Don't act like you don't know," I snarled. Loki smirked again,

"I meant exactly what I said." It took me a minute to clue in as to what he was referring to.

"In all honesty, what good am I to you?" I questioned, "You know that I have powers from the Tesseract, yet you also know that I choose what I wish to do with them. In other words, you can't control what I do." Loki laughed rather evilly,

"It continues to amaze how much you mortals believe you have control over," he rose and began walking towards me, "by what I have heard from your superiors, you still have not gained complete control over the power; which is no surprise." He stood about four feet away from me, staring down at me. An attempt at intimidation.

"The offer however still stands," he said, his voice changing from superior to containing one of tenderness, "I could teach you how to use your powers, properly. You could rule with me," he closed the distance until we were about a foot in front of me, "power beyond your imagination could be yours." I stepped away and walked past him,

"I've heard you're the 'God of Lies' Loki," I rubbed my thumb up the staff, "so don't sit here and spit bull shit at me and expect me to go along with it." I heard Loki chuckle and his breath suddenly tickled my ear making my heart jump up into my throat. It was a reaction that shouldn't have happened; it was wrong but…it was exhilarating. I pushed the thought away as Loki began to speak,

"I prefer, 'God of Mischief'," he said, "but I was not lying when I said you could rule by me, nor was I lying when I said your spirit was…I believe the word I used was enticing." I moved away then faced him,

"Nice try," I turned just in time to see the fight between the mysterious man, Tony, and Steve end.

"They'll betray you eventually," Loki's tone took on an icy edge, "once your usefulness has past, you will be cast aside." I turned and grabbed his arm before transporting back to the plane before transporting back onto my board outside the plane. I hovered in the air as the landed in order to pick up Tony, who had received massive damage to his armor, Steve, and the man. Loki's words still turned over in my mind,

"They'll betray you eventually."

_They won't._

I shook my head,

"I'm not so sure anymore." If his game was to get inside my head, it was working.

_**This was a really tricky chapter to write. Hopefully everything is in line with the plot and Loki is not too OOC. Review? Pwease?**_


	5. Chapter 5: Containment and Confinement

_Another long chapter. I'm really starting to get immersed in this. Yes, Loki is in this chapter and there is a tender moment. FYI, I'm new to kiss scenes so advice would be lovely. Again, let me know if Loki is OOC. Sorry, there was something I wanted to fix real fast _

**DISCLAIMER: I own Lyle, not the Avengers or Loki**

**Chapter Five: Containment and Confinement **

As soon as we had reached the helicarrier I was escorted to the main control room along with the others while Loki was taken to a sealed containment area. When we walked into the control room, Fury brushed past me,

"I'll deal with you later Lyle," was the only response I received from him before he slipped out into the hallway. Natasha and Steve took a seat while Bruce, Tony and the man, who we discovered his name was Thor and was the brother of Loki, stood. I took a seat and put my head on the table groaning. Bruce came to stand behind me and rubbed my shoulders affectionately.

"How exactly did you create that board?" Bruce asked. I looked up and smiled,

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"We're not going anywhere, how 'bout sharing?" Tony asked. I shrugged my shoulders,

"In all honesty-" I was cut off as the security cam was brought up on the containment unit where Loki was being held.

"A very impressive cage," Loki admitted, "not built I think for me."

"It was built for something a lot stronger than you," Fury commented.

"Oh I've heard," Loki then turned and looked directly into the camera, "the mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I?" Fury advanced, "You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Ooh. It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power," Loki taunted, "And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share. And then to be reminded what real power is." Nick turned and started walking away,

"Well, let me know if "real power" wants a magazine or something." The camera shut off and I was left chuckling slightly. I rubbed the back of my neck before I got up and tried to stealthily make my way towards the door but not before Fury happened to show up and block my way.

"You're still in trouble," he brushed past me and went to stand in front of the controls, "took off against orders, unauthorized flight, fought without being called into duty," he then turned to look at me, "is there anything else that you want to tell me?"

"No sir," I muttered, staring at the ground.

"Lyle," I looked up, "from here on in, you will be assigned a guard, Coulson I believe should fill that role, and anything that involves your powers will be reported directly to me." I nodded and ground my teeth,

"Yes sir." I heard Fury sigh before saying,

"Agent Coulson, if you will please escort Lyle to the training room then straight to her quarters."

I didn't even wait for Coulson (Phil) to answer before I turned and started my way towards the training room. It didn't take long for Phil to catch up but still, I wanted to be alone for a while.

"How did you manage to slip past security?" Phil asked.

"Wasn't really that hard," I shrugged, "transporting to the tarmac was simple, then it was just a matter of finding big enough cargo boxes to hide behind."

"Hmm," Phil answered, "I'm impressed."

"Thanks, but it really hasn't done me all that good as of now."

"Well, maybe not, but there is something that I would like to show you." I followed Phil down to the cargo area and waited while he bypassed a few security locks to a cage. Once inside Phil led me over to an iron box and typed in the passcode before lifting the lid.

"Do you like it?" Phil asked. I looked inside and brought out a pair of black pants and a black shirt with no sleeves and a v-neck; both had material that felt like UnderArmor.

"Not to be rude Phil, but what are they?"

"This is your...personal suit," Phil stated, "a little bit more durable than sweatshirt and jeans. We've had them designed to be flame retardant, bulletproof, and the material is machine washable." I grinned sheepishly as I gave him a slight hug,

"Thanks Phil."

"Just don't tell Fury I showed you this," Phil said as he put the clothes back in the box.

"Like he'd believe anything I'd say."

"Well, let's head back to the training room before Director Fury checks in."

**_BREAK_**

I sighed as I tried to get some sleep; not even the grueling three hours of practice had tired me out to the point where I dropped into bed. I sat there and stared at the ceiling before I closed my eyes and gave into the dark.

When I opened my eyes I was on top of a hill in the middle of a plush green meadow that was sprinkled with small blue flowers; the meadow itself was surrounded by tall white bark trees. I myself was in a light blue dress that fell to my knees. I looked around and found my dopple ganger sitting next to me in a dark blue dress. I groaned and stood up,

"Any idea where we are?" I asked her as I stood up and stretched. She got up and started walking slowly down the hill, stopping to pick a flower,

_No place familiar. _

"Great," I murmured as I started walking down the hill before I slid down a few feet. I ended up on my back staring at the blue sky when my dopple ganger came over and gave me a hand.

_Perhaps we're near our home?_

"I don't recognize this meadow," I told her as she pulled me up, "and trust me I've ventured a twenty mile radius around my house."

_**Lyle..**_.something whispered. I whirled around but was met with nothing. My dopple ganger grabbed my hand and stood behind me.

_**Lyle… **_I saw a shadow shift within the trees. I conjured my staff and stood tall,

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

_**Still believe you are in complete control?**_ I whirled around and felt my eyes go wide when I saw Loki standing at the top of the hill we were just on.

"Get out of my dream!" I screamed, shooting a blue energy ball at him. He disappeared before it got there.

_I can't stay here. I need to leave in order to protect your Tesseract side. _

"What do you mean?" I whispered, twisting my neck to attempt to protect my back from all angles.

_You have two sides, I'm proof of that. If one of us were to fall, then the other would have to stand and protect the Tesseract and your body. _

"So, if I were to die, you would have to…become real?"

_In a physical sense yes. I must leave, good luck!_

"Wait!" I shouted, but she was already gone. I grit my teeth and thought better of my weapon; I strained myself to create a bow and arrow. I then crouched down and pulled the arrow tight.

_**Why do you mortals even try?**_ My wrist was yanked from its place on the arrow and the arrow fell to the ground. I was pulled up to where I was off the ground by maybe a foot or so, my wrist in Loki's iron grip over my head, and his face merely inches from mine.

"Put me down," I said through clenched teeth.

_**I do not believe that you are in any position to be giving me orders. **_

"Whatever you want you're not getting," I growled, twisting my wrist and trying to get free.

_**How do you know what I want? **_Loki smirked.

"I can guess," I answered, sparing a glance at my wrist in his hand; why was I cursed with being small in stature but pudgy in profile.

_**I believe your guess is wrong.**_ I looked back at Loki and gasped slightly when his lips captured mine; he took advantage of this to sneak his tongue into my mouth. My senses were spinning and my rational side was shutting down. Loki removed his lips from mine and brought me closer to him,

_**I believe I called your spirit….**_

"Enticing," I gasped before that moment of silence gave me the clarity I needed to break out of his grip by shoving all my weight into my elbow and got him in the gut. He doubled over slightly and I was dropped. I jumped and started into the forest, pinching myself in an effort to wake up. Loki's dark chuckle reached me as I ran,

_**Very well. I have always been fond of a chase. Run little one, and pray I don't find you.**_

I put on a burst of speed as I hit the edge of the forest. I jumped over roots and dodge braches. I cringed at every shadow that moved and came close to falling a few times. I tried to conjure my board but was not able to focus long enough to get even a small disc. When I ended up in a clearing I paused for a second to catch my breath and reorganize my thoughts.

What the hell was that? I thought. There was no possible way that he could like me in that sense; I wasn't drop dead gorgeous and couldn't see Loki with anyone besides someone who looked like they came from a sex magazine. And even if he did like me, it was for the power that came with it. But still, it felt oddly enthralling. Just being near him kind of made my heart jump, but I couldn't say that there was more. No there wasn't. There couldn't be. I shook my head,

"Not possible," I muttered.

_**We should work on your perception of the impossible, little one.**_

I took off again, struggling to keep the pace I had previously. But I couldn't. I stopped cold,

"Enough!" I shouted, "I'm tired of playing this game Loki! I want answers!" He appeared leaning against a tree four feet away with his arms crossed.

_**But I was rather pleased at the prospect of a chase. **_

"Why do you bother with me?" I asked, "aside from the Tesseract, what are your reasons for pursuing me? You could do so in an intimidating manner yet your actions are…" I trailed off.

_**Rather seductive? **_I ran a hand through my hair,

"You could say that." Loki started walking towards me but I circled his attempts so that we kept a respectable distance.

_**I've heard of a Midgardian saying that you catch more insects with honey than with vinegar. You are in possession of something I want and you seem too…I would rather not force power from you.**_

I paused and stared at him,

"Too what?" I asked, curious. One corner of his mouth twitched up,

_**Curiosity will get you nowhere, little one. **_I stood my ground as he took long strides to stand before me and tower over me. He bent down slightly so we were eye to eye. _**Perhaps you should try a different method. **_

I felt my eye twitch. There was something I wanted to know and, to my knowledge, there was only one way to find out. I grabbed his collar and brought his lips to mine. Obviously he was surprised but his surprise was replaced with something a tad bit more heated. He bit slightly on my lip and I allowed him access. After what seemed like forever, I pulled away to breathe and stumbled to the nearest tree, my back to Loki.

_**Interesting method, **_Loki commented. I scoffed before walking away from him,

"You've merely proven a point," I called back.

_**And what point is that?**_ The dream swirled around me and dissipated as I woke up,

"That there is something there," I said as I got out of bed and threw on a hoodie. I transported to just underneath the camera that was trained on the containment room. Once the camera turned slightly I jumped to the door, inserted the passcode, and entered.

"I am intrigued to hear your findings," Loki said as I walked up to the glass.

"Why did you leave Asgard?" I asked. Thor had told us the story of how Loki attempted to destroy Jötunheim and left Asgard practically in ruins. He told us that Loki had discovered that he was not Asgardian and was angry that Odin had failed to tell Loki his true parentage. Thor told us that, during the last battle, Loki had admitted defeat and dropped into an abyss and had not appeared until now.

Loki frowned,

"I was cast out."

"Not as I hear it."

"My brother knows very little about what actually happened."

"Then tell me the correct story." Loki's mouth twitched in annoyance,

"I was betrayed," I raised my eyebrows, "in a sense. My true parentage was not revealed to me and I sought to correct the injustice that was done on to me."

"By destroying Jötunheim?" I asked. Loki slammed his fist against the glass,

"Who are you to judge my actions?" He shouted, "You know nothing of the hardships I have faced. You could not possibly imagine the pain I felt when it was revealed that I was not truly Asgardian-"

"But you are part," I answered quietly. Loki scoffed,

"How would you even know?" Loki turned his back on me, "it would be useless to attempt to explain anything to you." I grit my teeth,

"I know more than you give me credit for," I decided to do something really stupid, I transported into the containment unit with Loki's back still turned, "you are acting like a stubborn child! You sit here and complain about how you were 'lied' to about your true parentage, but according to Thor, Odin did tell you. What would have been worse was if he had refused to say anything to you. And in any case, you apparently had a pretty good life in Asgard. A palace? A kingdom? Servants?" Loki turned to look at me with a sad, diffused anger look on his face. I changed my tone then, "least you had someone who filled the father role. Hell, my father died before I even started high school," the water works started leaking. I leaned against the glass and turned my head so that my bangs fell over the side of my face to hide my tears. I ran my sleeve under my nose, "I never even got to say I loved him before he left." I struggled to keep it together. I figured I had gotten past the weepy stage a long time ago but by the tears that were starting to form I hadn't. I slid down the glass and pulled my knees to my chest and laid my forehead on my knees. Stillness settled about the containment unit and it startled me a tad before I looked up and found myself, once again, face to face with Loki.

I bit my cheek at the sad look that glazed Loki's eyes. I couldn't tell if it was genuine or a façade but my doubts were pushed to the back of my mind when Loki sat down beside me and put his arm around me. I was shocked. The man who had sent Germany into panic was sitting here next to me, half hugging me. I relaxed slightly into his embrace, trying not to let my body shake too much from the dry sobs that were still attempting to take over.

"For one who seems so strong, you seem so small." Loki murmured.

"And for one who seems so intimidating, you seem rather…" I drifted off.

"Seem what?" He asked, lifting my chin up with his finger in order to look into my eyes.

"Seem…" he started getting closer. I transported out of his embrace to the opposite side of the unit.

"Don't get too comfortable," I muttered. I heard Loki stand up,

"Perhaps some other time, little one," Loki smirked, "somewhere…private." I had to giggle at the meaning behind that.

"In your dreams sweets," I answered.

"Perhaps yours tonight?" Loki asked, his voice now at my ear. I shook my head, clearing away the thoughts that had decided to form and were far from innocent. I felt his arms wrap around my middle and pull me against his body.

"What is going on in that head of yours?" I smiled lightly,

"Nothing you need to hear," I answered, before transporting out of the unit. I looked back and saw Loki staring at me with a bemused look on his face. I rolled my eyes,

"Don't think that I trust you completely."

"My name will outlive me I fear." Loki answered.

"Goodbye, Loki." Loki turned away and began walking around his unit. I transported to my room and flopped down on my bed.

What was I getting myself into?

**(Loki's POV)**

Everything was falling into place. He had managed to get on board and the scepter was emitting a signal that was bringing his mindless drones to him. Nothing was in his way, save for the girl. He knew she was strong, she had proved that in Germany. But her usefulness was still up in the air.

He could easily overpower her, Tesseract or not, and bend her to his will but he hesitated. He had been able to lure Asgardian women to whatever activity he wished to perform, but she was different. She was innocent but strong. Of course he wanted the power that she controlled but he did not wish to tear it away from her. The Tesseract was already starting to bond with her and from her twin that appeared in her dream, she had no wish to let go.

Why did he hesitate though? She was a mere girl, another servant at best. But she was different. She was…dare he say beautiful? He couldn't. He could not fall victim to the same emotion that had made his 'brother' soft after his visit to Midgard. No, the plan would proceed, with or without the girl. He had a feeling, though, that she would discover SHIELD's true feelings towards her in no time. But he still had to wonder,

"What is she doing to me?"

**Like? Review? **


	6. Chapter 6: Don't Hurt Me

_So this chapter was actually a pain in the ass to write no matter how I phrased it. Took me a while to re-watch the movie and put a few things into perspective. Hopefully you like it!_

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Avengers, only Lyle.**_

**Chapter Six: Don't hurt me**

I sighed slightly, trying not to lose whatever patience was left,

"I can't do it!" I shouted at Fury. We were back in the training room and starting to work more on the telekinetic part of my powers. I was really wishing that I hadn't moved that box across the room yesterday in order to make room for me to move.

"Just attempt it, Lyle," Fury was getting more exasperated by the second and I wasn't helping. I focused on the two boxes and managed to get one three feet in the air and the other hovering about a couple inches off the ground. I broke my concentration and allowed the boxes to fall to the floor. Most of the powers that I had discovered earlier now took very little energy to perform, but the more powers I discovered, the more energy it took to perform every little flash.

I slightly bent over and tried to slow down my heart rate and breathing. I felt as though I had run a marathon; my calves were even throbbing. I picked up the water bottle that was next to my foot, sat down, and drank greedily.

"Can I please have a break?" I asked, straining to catch a breath.

"One hour, Coulson-" I waved off Fury's sentence and called out,

"I'm heading to the lab." I walked out the training room door and was met by Phil.

"Are you alright?" Phil asked. I was still struggling to catch my breath when I replied,

"Never been better," I said. I grit my teeth while every step I took sent a sharp pain running up my calves.

"Perhaps you should sit down," Phil suggested when we reached the lab door. I walked quickly inside and hopped up on a table that was not covered with mechanical parts.

"Perhaps I should," I replied as I unscrewed the lid off my water bottle.

"Been set free?" Tony asked. I snorted,

"Just out on a walk." Bruce was messing with the computer and some other little gadget while Tony was staring at Bruce,

"Do you think you can flash him in and out of here? Y'know, get a little green going?" Tony whispered. I gave him an exasperated look,

"Okay, first, no. Second, do you not see that I am exhausted?" I muttered, "This was just from moving two boxes. I'm not even sure I can move people." Tony looked a bit forlorn but he shrugged,

"Ah well, not everyone can be a genius." I threw a bit of water in his face. Tony stood there and blinked at me,

"That wasn't very nice," he grumbled. I shrugged lightly,

"Never said I was nice," I giggled.

"Have you figured out how to combat the exhaustion?" Bruce asked, his attention still focused on a monitor. I laid back on the table with my knees dangling over the edge,

"The only way I have found is to work through it. That's the only way I managed to get transportation down."

"Have you tried clearing your mind?" I groaned,

"Enough of the meditation mumbo-jumbo! I've tried, it doesn't work!"

"I was just offering a suggestion." I sighed,

"I know. I'm just really starting to wish that my dad hadn't given me the stone in the first place." Tony shook his head and gave me a hand to sit up,

"Nah, you're doing just fine. You just need some practice." I scoffed,

"More like some steroids…" I muttered. I stretched and hopped off the table, "Phil is there any chance you can get Fury to let me go for the day? I just really need rest right now." Phil sighed through his nose,

"I can try, but more than likely you will be stuck doing another couple hours tomorrow." I shrugged,

"I just really need to sleep." Phil nodded and followed behind me as I walked back to my room. I bid Phil good night and locked the door before stepping into the shower. I let the steam fill the room and stood under the hot water. It was a relaxer to my aching muscles; I honestly didn't know that some of the muscles that were aching existed. I ran my hand through my hair, disentangling it. I looked down at my stomach and pulled lightly on the bit of fat that refused to come off; the fact that I couldn't resist a Dr. Pepper and a cookie didn't help the prospect of losing it either.

"Why was I graced with my mother's metabolism?" I asked aloud.

_**In my eyes you are have a desirable figure along with several attributes. Why do you not show any of them?**_

I grabbed the towel off the rack and pulled it around me while shutting off the water. I sunk to the ground and pulled the towel tighter around me, my heart rate already sky rocketing,

"Loki! I'm starting to become annoyed by these...inappropriate entrances." I peered around the shower door and saw no one but I didn't believe that my mind was playing tricks on me. I pulled my knees to my chest and pulled the towel over my knees, attempting to maintain a tad bit of dignity. I opened to shower door completely and stared around the room,

"Why shouldn't I report this?" I asked myself aloud.

_**Because you are intrigued. This game that we're playing, you wish to play more.**_

"I don't like playing games where the goal is not defined and rules are not established." I stepped out of the shower and adjusted the towel so that everything was kept in.

_**The goal has been defined, little one. **_

"Why do I get the feeling that the goal is somehow me?" I murmured as I turned on the hairdryer and attempted to keep the towel up and dry my hair at the same time. I felt a tug on the bottom of the towel and looked down to find Loki, grinning up at me like a Cheshire cat, seated on the floor.

_**Please tell me that you plan on taking this off later?**_

I rolled my eyes before continuing to dry my hair and ball my fist up tighter in the towel,

"Not in front of you," I answered. Loki rose up to tower behind me in the mirror, his grin now resided to a slight smile that was mischievous.

_**Why not? Should you not be honored that a God is curious as to what lies under that cloth?**_

There was that superior mindset that I had heard of. I turned off the dryer and pulled away from him; I walked quickly over to the closet that would only allow one person to be in it; though I had no doubt in my mind that he could expand it if he chose to. I shut the door behind me and a chuckle reached my ears,

_**Very well, I prefer not to be kept waiting though, little one. **_

I kept the towel on as I started pulling on my pjs. Once everything was in place I stepped out to find Loki looking about the room with a bit of disgust glistening in his eyes.

_**One as powerful as you should not be living in such a meager abode.**_

And there was that out of place sincerity that I had yet to determine whether it was genuine or a façade. I was still curious as to why he bothered to put up this wanton game instead of ripping the necklace off my neck and pushing me off the nearest building or turning me into a mindless drone.

"I'm tired of this," I transported out of my room and into the containment unit, "I would rather speak face to face, not face to…specter." Loki smiled as he stood up from the cross legged position he originally was in.

"Very well, what do you wish to discuss?"

"Why?" I asked, "Why put up this little game? Why not just rip the necklace off and turn me into a drone?" Loki rolled his eyes and started his pacing,

"I do what I wish," he answered, "I do not believe it is in your best interest to judge me." I transported into the unit,

"I'm trying not to judge, but I don't see why you've assigned me to this role."

"And what role is that?" Loki turned to me, his eyes glinting.

"A trophy," I answered. Loki smiled,

"Much more than that."

"Example?"

"A partner?" I laughed,

"You're not serious?" I asked, "I'm not yours Loki." I suddenly found myself against a unit wall with Loki's hand around my throat,

"It would also be in your best interest to not mock me, little quim," he growled low, "I may show clemency now, but do not doubt that I could easily have you begging for your life." I balled my fists at my sides and hardened my eyes. I knew that I had taken a risk by coming into the unit but that risk hadn't arisen until now. I knew Loki wasn't bluffing when he said that he could have me at his feel but I refused to acknowledge that. The one thing that was really eating me was that I had lost control of the situation and I was currently struggling to keep Loki from seeing my fear. But unfortunately, fooling the God of Lies is easier said than done,

"Is this what you fear? A loss of control?" the grip on my neck disappeared and turned into a gentle caress on my cheek, "The fear that you are not able to keep hold on everything that is turning in your life," He leaned in close to me, his voice dropping to a low purr, "My advice to you is to is to let go. I can make you feel things you have never felt before. Control would be a distant memory and not something you miss," I gasped as he moved his lips to my neck and smiled lightly; his teeth a tad bit too close for comfort. His hand moved down to one of my balled fist, which was getting tighter by the minute, and he grabbed my wrist and brought it above my head, "Relax little one." My senses were spinning and shook my head in an attempt to get a hold of them with no success. Loki laughed,

"Still trying to gain control?" he nipped slightly at my neck, causing me to gasp. He took that opportunity to gain control over my lips. I let go at that point, any control over myself that I had left abandoned me. My hands relaxed and Loki intertwined his fingers within mine; him being the larger of us, his hand encompassed mine easily. He bit down slightly on my lower lip and coaxed my tongue out of my mouth. I moaned lightly and he finally broke away, giving me a little air. I slumped against the glass slightly, my wrist still pinned by his hand. I stared straight at him, attempting to catch my breath; his glassy green eyes stared back with a gleam of triumph,

"It seems, little one, that you can give up control." His body got close enough to mine where he put his foot between mine and his body crushed mine to the glass and his face loomed close to mine. The hand that was not griping my wrist slipped under my cami and brushed the exposed skin, which sent a chill up my spine.

"Cold," I gasped loudly before I felt myself transport out of the containment unit and onto the floor.

_Are you insane? You're lucky I can access the basic powers when your mind is elsewhere. _

I could barely hear her as I stared at the ground taking deep breaths. I looked up and saw Loki looking down at me with an almost hungry look. One of his fists was raised on the glass and he smirked before going back to sit on the bed. I stood up shakily and backed away a few steps,

"Run little one, you cannot hide in your dreams. And it seems that time is currently not in your favor." I turned and started jogging away. Once I got outside the entire room, I locked my hand against the wall and bent over slightly, my other hand on my knee. I struggled to breathe slower.

_What are you getting yourself into?_

"Guess what? Shut it!" I mentally yelled, "Control was the one thing that I should have." My thoughts drifted back to the kiss. A side of me wanted to go back to the containment unit but my Tesseract side mentally kicked me,

_He's dangerous. He will use you for his own advantage; you will be nothing but a bed warmer in the end. _

I grit my teeth and fought some tears that were starting to come unannounced.

"I know, I just…" I looked at the door before turning and running down the hall to the lab, passing Natasha who asked if I was okay. But I wanted- I needed- to talk to someone outside my head.

"Bruce?" I called as I walked in the lab, the water works already starting to stream.

"Yes?" he answered, emerging from behind a computer screen with Tony sitting, one leg tucked under, on a lab table, "What's wrong?" I ran up and grappled him in a full bear hug. I saw Tony look at Bruce with a curious look on his face but I felt Bruce shrug lightly.

"What if, hypothetically, something felt really good, but was really wrong?"

"Like five shots of whiskey?" Tony asked.

"Tony, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm on the verge of a break down. Don't be a smart ass."

"Lyle, what are you talking about?" Bruce asked. I looked up at him through blurry eyes,

"I just feel so confused," I broke away from him and hugged myself, "I'm trying not to do the dumb ass thing and flip out but…I just can't hold on." Bruce gently pulled me to him and rubbed my back lightly,

"You just have to do whatever feels right," Bruce answered, "Do what ya gotta do." The tears had finally subsided long enough for me to process his words.

"I don't know if I can do that."

"Then we're here to make sure that you do." I smiled before Fury walked in,

"Stark what the hell are you trying to do?" Fury asked.

"I could ask you the same question," Tony said, Bruce let go of me and observed the screen that had come up with the words 'Phase 2'.

"What is 'Phase 2'?" Tony asked. I looked at the screen and a person that was encompassed inside and powering several different cubes. Steve walked in and put some sort of gun on top of the table,

"They use the Tesseract to make weapons," Steve said with annoyance written all over his face, "Sorry, the computer was moving a bit slow for me."

"Excuse me, but I would like to know who that person is," I pointed to the screen. Tony clicked on the image and a picture of me was brought up. Videos of my training were plastered all over the screen with notes under them that ran through everything that I had been able to do. Even pictures of my journal were laid over the screen. Bruce reached past Tony and tapped once more and plans detailing what was to become of me, after the threat of Loki had been eliminated, was displayed; I was a weapon. I was to be used to destroy any new enemies that threatened earth, human or not. I would never see my home again, I was to never be allowed outside the confines of any SHIELD base that they moved me to, that location was still varying, and my identity was to be erased. They were already setting up software to hack the government files to remove me from the face of the earth. I felt like screaming.

_You can't let yourself fall, stand tall! We can find a way out of this._

I shook my head, ignoring her response,

"You're shitting me right?" I asked, "You can't do that."

"Lyle, you need to calm down." I felt myself starting to warm up and my entire body started to glow.

_Don't do this to yourself. Please, you will make yourself vulnerable. You will cause more harm than good._

"I'm not a thing to control. You can't expect me to go along with that."

"What were you going to do if she didn't cooperate, sir?" Steve asked. Fury just looked at Steve,

"I'm following orders," Fury said, "If everything is explained, I'm sure Lyle-"

"I'm in the room, you know that right?" I asked starting to back up towards the door, "or has my status as an individual already been downgraded?" I didn't wait for a reply as I transported out of the lab and to the containment unit. It all fit together now; Loki knew what SHIELD was doing and he knew that once I discovered my true purpose that I would go to him. He would use my anger against SHIELD as an extra weapon to his whole scheme. I was being used either way but for some odd reason I felt that there was something more to Loki and I wanted to find out before I made my final decision as to what I would do next.

"You knew," I shouted, "You knew full well what was going on," Loki simply stared at me as I ranted, "you knew that once I found out what was really going on I would come to you seeking solace," Loki stood and walked towards the glass, amusement lacing his eyes, "Right from the beginning, I was being used, and yet," I paused, "I now believe you want something else," I walked to the glass but did not go transport in, "what are you truly after Loki?" Loki looked at me with some a somewhat soft gaze,

"You." I shook my head and turned away but he continued, "From the first moment I saw you, I sought you. I do admit that I was originally after your power but…plans do change. It's not just about power anymore, Lyle," I looked up at him; that was probably the first time he had ever used my name, "it's about you. I can help you, believe me when I say that. Join me…please." I looked back and saw him staring at me with a slightly pleading look on his face…it seemed genuine. I shook my head,

"No."

_What do you mean by 'No'? What are you planning?_

"I'm not fighting for anyone. They want me, they can come and get me, but I refuse to sit here and await judgment on my fate. No one is the master of me," I didn't look back as I walked out, "goodbye Loki." The door shut but I caught the whispered,

"Lyle, please stay."

**(Loki's POV)**

She had figured it out. She knew what was now going. She had even discovered the plans I had laid out…but not all of them apparently. When she had appeared in the room she was beautiful; her entire body was aglow with the aura of the Tesseract. Eyes brighter than any star he had ever seen.

I mentally kicked myself.

She was a girl, a weapon to be used, and a girl to keep him warm at night…if she consented. But I knew that was not all she was. She had proven herself to be strong; she was stronger than I had originally thought. She did have the remnants of a warrior in her.

I laced my fingers together and put them under my chin. I could have taken the necklace-I should have-but somehow I now believed that she was rightfully in control of the Tesseract. I could not take it away from her; it was hers now and it would be forever.

I wanted her to join me, I truly did. She would have prospered well; I could even see her by my side, a rightful queen over Midgard. But I knew she would not; it was in her nature to have pity on those around her. Like any Midgardian, she would help those who she believed deserved her help. I obviously did not need help, but I still wanted her by my side; a place where I believe she would be safe.

I stood and attempted to push these soft thoughts aside. Of course I had feelings for her but they would not get in the way of my goal. The plan was to proceed with or without her. But I could not help but wonder if she truly felt anything towards me; I wondered if she had even heard my last plea.

But this was no longer the time. This was the time to fight, prove myself worthy in the eyes of Thanos, gain a kingdom to rule, and possibly…regain my father's respect. I highly doubted the latter would happen. But even as I sat here and planned my method of attack my thoughts still drifted back to Lyle and her safety.

**(Lyle's POV)**

I looked in the mirror windows as I headed to my room; my entire body was radiating a blue light and my eyes had taken on a bright blue color. The necklace was a hot white and my clothes seemed to be flowing around my body. I paused for a minute and caught a different glimpse of myself; I was in the same short dark blue dress that my dopple ganger wore in the dream. The only difference was that there was a silver metal crown that was intertwined into a kind of Celtic knot and lay on my head. I blinked my eyes and the image disappeared. I took a calming breath and the glow faded off of me and I felt calmer in my heart.

_Do you think it will be possible to fix the damage that has been done?_

I shook my head,

"I'm not staying here. We're going home." My dopple ganger was silent for a moment before replying,

_Very well._

I headed straight for my room and met Phil at the door,

"Lyle-" he began. I held up my hand and walked inside, conjuring my duffel bag and began pulling everything into the bag.

"I'm not fighting anymore, Phil," I said, "I'm no one's toy to use." Phil didn't say anything while I zipped the duffel closed. I turned and stuck out my hand,

"Good luck to you, and tell Fury that if he can come get me if he needs me." Phil shook my hand before blue light engulfed me and I found myself in front of my house with rain pouring down on me.

"No more hurt," I murmured before unlocking my house and stepping into the dark.

**Yikes, so cliff hanger almost? Hopefully everyone is not too OOC, especially Loki. We'll see how things play out for the next couple of chapters but hopefully you like this one!**


	7. Chapter 7: Calling in Reinforcements

_**Welcome to the last chapter….NOT! This story will still go on, I don't plan to end it here…Spoiler, sorry, read on!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Avengers, only Lyle**_

**Chapter Seven: Calling in Reinforcements **

I threw my duffel bag on the bed and began unpacking things and plugging things into charge, whether they needed it or not. I walked down the stairs and jumped as a flash of lightning lit up the room below. I started turning on lights to combat the darkness and slipped into the kitchen in order to grab some water. I opened the bottle and plopped down on the couch before turning on the TV.

I flipped through the channels and settled on the 'Big Bang Theory'. It was unbelievably quiet around here, without the agents constantly flowing around me it was peaceful. I looked on as Sheldon banged on the door to Penny's apartment; I spared a glance outside and watched as the rain poured down the glass doors. I got up and leaned against the glass door with my forehead pressed against the glass; the sky was just a light grey and seemed to be getting a tad bit darker.

I slid down the glass doors and gazed around the house; it was unnerving how alone I was. Of course there were people at work; I had already sent an email to my coworkers that I would be back tomorrow. But I was still alone.

_Perhaps you should not have left. _

I sighed and stood up and stood behind the couch and stared at the TV,

"How could I not have? I was property, nothing else."

_Fury might have been able to-_

"To what? He's following orders, you know he won't go against them," I flopped over the back of my couch and let my legs dangle over while I stared at the ceiling, "I did what I felt was best. They don't need me, they have people who can handle whatever Loki can dish out."

"BREAKING NEWS," the TV blared.

_Are you really so sure about that?_

"There seems to be trouble in downtown New York as what appears to be aliens attacking the city. Reports coming in have deemed the city unsafe and the mayor has called for evacuation." Cameras zoomed in on the wreckage and I caught Steve throwing his shield at an alien that was about to rip a man off the ground. I stood up and walked to the kitchen, trying to remain unfazed.

_Aren't you going to do anything?_

I refilled my bottle with water from the tap,

"No."

_They are your friends. _

"They don't need me."

There was silence before a random fist hit my cheek and knocked me to the ground. I looked up to find my dopple ganger staring down in anger at me,

_You coward! You sit here thinking you have been betrayed but you have not. You are acting like Loki. _

I growled and lunged at her knees, causing her to fall over backwards. I sat on her chest and pinned her to the ground,

"I am nothing like him! I was not told what I was actually supposed to do! I figured that I was going to be out of there in a week!" My dopple ganger got her feet under my stomach and pushed me back into the wall. I got up and shot a blue ball at her which caused her to phase through the glass door and out onto the grass. I opened the door and lunged at her only to meet a mud puddle. I looked up and saw my dopple ganger had drawn the staff. I drew mine as well and we started circling each other; both of us were getting drenched in the rain.

_Why do you waste time here? Why not help them?_

I screamed and attacked her; she was able to block my blows easily and I quickly tired out, ending up with our staffs interlocking.

_Things are worse than before you left._

A sudden vision hit me, Loki's scepter went right through Phil and Phil dropped to the ground…bleeding. Loki walked away from him and stared at Thor, who was now locked in the containment unit, and contemplated what to do next. Phil lay dying by the wall.

"No!" I screamed. I dropped to my knees, holding my head in my hands. I tried to make the vision go away but I couldn't get Phil's pained face out of my head. I sat there in the rain, panting, trying to keep my head together. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up and found my dopple ganger staring down with tears in her eyes,

_Will you help them?_

She disappeared and I stood up and walked back inside, sparing a glance at the TV that was still covering the damage in New York.

"I will."

**(Third Person POV)**

Fury watched the screens and more aliens appeared from the rip in the sky. He knew that the Avengers were not going to be able handle all of them; they needed a Hail Mary.

"You need help?" a voice called out. Fury smiled and turned to greet the figure that stood by the main table.

"More than you know."

"I need the suit."

"How did you know…Coulson?" the figure nodded, "Agent Hill, take Lyle to get suited up, debrief her on the way." Agent Hill took the lead to the cargo after Lyle turned around and said,

"I'm not sticking around after this." Fury nodded,

"I would have figured as much."

**(Lyle's POV)**

I pulled on the pants and shirt quickly, relishing the feel of the UnderArmour type material. I looked at myself in the mirror and had to do a double take; I looked pretty good. Normally I didn't put on full body suits due to my own body type, but it fit well. I had to laugh at the slight vanity that possessed me at this time.

_I admit, we look good, but we really got to run! _

I allowed Agent Hill to lead me to the door of the tarmac where she handed me a small ear-bud,

"This will allow us to communicate with you and give you a few blind spots to hit." I nodded before I went through the door and gripped my board.

"This is it."

_Go._

I transported to the heart of the city and jumped on my board before a rogue alien flier hit me. I chased after the alien flier with a bow on my arm. I drew an arrow and managed to hit the pilot which sent to flier to the ground. I started circling the city, getting occasional tips from Fury. Finally I heard,

"Regroup!"

I dove down to the ground and was knocked off my board by a flier and I was sent flying to the ground. An iron hand gripped my wrist and jerked me up before I hit the ground.

"Hey fly girl! Glad to see you back!" I smiled up at Tony,

"Good to be back!" He dropped me close to the ground where the Avengers were starting to gather. I conjured my board and staff. Bruce had already transformed into the Hulk and was roaring at the aliens that were climbing the buildings. Steve started calling out strategic moves but I seemed to be lost; my focus was on the Stark tower where a blue beam was shooting up to the sky.

_Lyleigh… _Something whispered. The same voice I had heard at the base that was destroyed.

"Captain," I called, my attention focusing on the tower, "I need to get to the tower."

"Lyle, you need to stay close!" I shot a ball at the closest alien,

"No, something is up there! I need to get up there!"

"Lyle!" I lifted up into the air on the board with my staff drawn and flew towards the tower. I had to duck and weave between the towers and had run ins with aliens but then one beam caught my attention and started drawing me off the path.

"Loki!" I screamed. The Stark tower was a distant memory as I went after Loki. I avoided the gun fire from the two fliers that were acting as guards and darted up to the flier on the right side and engaged in hand to hand combat with thing. I sent him spiraling to the concrete while I stabbed the pilot through the back and allowed him to fly into the nearest building. I turned and Loki grabbed onto my staff and had somewhat of a pained look on his face,

"You work pretty fast," I called before I jerked my staff up and stepped onto the flier in order to get a closer hit.

"You came back," Loki murmured. I stared at him before shaking my head,

"You killed Phil," I bit, "you've brought destruction to this city, you've started a war," I jumped back quickly and ended up on my board, "but you will not come out on top." Loki lunged at me but missed and I watched his face contort with rage and fear as I flitted back and above the building line. Tony rushed under me and shot a beam at Loki.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Tony asked as he flew past. I darted up and straight towards the tower. I spied Hawkeye on a building and noticed he was running out of arrows and fast. I summoned up a few arrows and threw them down to him before resuming the journey. I took out three fliers before I finally reached the tower. I stepped onto the roof and hung onto the railing as the tower shook with the impact of the Hulk who had crashed through after Loki. But Loki was currently the last person on my mind. Natasha jumped off a flier and rolled onto the roof before talking to Dr. Selvig who appeared to have been broken from Loki's spell.

_Lyleigh…_ it was coming from the stone, _Come to me. _

I looked at the machine that contained the Tesseract and started walking towards it.

_Be careful, a stone is powerful enough as it is. _

"Stay away from that!" Dr. Selvig shouted at me. I stepped away and looked down to find my body glowing once again.

_Lyleigh…I'm yours. Come to me. _

"I think I can grab it!" I shouted over the machine, "if we break the energy flow, we can stop the portal right?"

"Correct, but I don't think you can-" I stuck my hands through the force field and was met with little resistance, "get that." I looked over and saw Natasha put her hand to her ear,

"We got a problem! A bomb is heading our way!" I paused lightly and looked up; I could see Tony heading our way with a bomb on his back.

"I think he's got a plan," I called to Natasha, "Tell Tony I'll keep this open as long as possible!" I watched as Tony zoomed up into the portal and then we waited. I had to fight from letting the Tesseract, which was now acting like a vacuum, suck me in.

"Come on Tony," I gritted my teeth, "can't hold on." I looked up and saw Tony falling from the portal and an explosion lit up above him. I pulled out the cube and felt my mind being pulled a thousand directions. A voice penetrated the darkness that was threatening to overtake my vision,

_Little one, I have watched over you and you seem strong enough. The only question is what you are like. The world is at your feet, what will you choose to do? _

I shook my head to get rid of the voice and looked up to see Tony still falling,

"Save Tony!" I gasped. The cube disappeared and my body took on a brighter blue glow. I conjured a board and soared faster than I ever had before to snatch Tony in midair.

_Interesting, you save your friends. You are different than those before. _

A thousand lives flashed before me and I fought to keep my board in the air.

_Why do you resist me? Let go, little one. Allow me to take over. _

"No!" I gasped. I dove straight to the ground and hit the ground at a faster speed than necessary. Tony fell from my arms and I skid a few feet before I ended up on my back staring at the sky.

_A mortal? You must give yourself to me if you are to live._

My entire body felt like it was on fire; I was sure that I had lost a few layers of skin and that my arm was broken. I gasped for air, still catching glimpses of past lives,

"Fine!" I shouted. I gave in. I let the Tesseract take what I had struggled to maintain. Control.

**(Third Person POV)**

Lyle lay in the self-made crater, writhing in pain, screaming at nothing. Tony was now awake and standing with the aid of Steve but attention was now focused on the light that was coming from the crater. Thor ran to the crater but was pushed back by a force field that appeared as a dome covering the crater and was coated in white light. Hulk brought down his fists upon the force field but with no luck. They could only watch while Lyle screamed.

Even with all the grime that had coated Lyle's face and arms, the bleeding was subsiding and the wounds were healing. The skin that had peeled off her arms was starting to regenerate; even the clothing that had torn was being repaired. Lyle was still screaming however; the lives were flashing faster and she couldn't hold on. She was starting to slip.

But another figure appeared in the crater. This figure was coated with white light but those outside the dome could see that it was Lyle only this Lyle had white tips on the ends of her hair. The second Lyle kneeled down to the first Lyle and gripped onto her arm,

"You will make it," she whispered, "you have to. Just stand strong. Hold on!" the first Lyle's eyes flashed open and stared at the dopple ganger. Lyle reached out and grabbed her shoulder and the dome retracted quickly in before jumping back out and knocking everyone off their feet. Steve got Tony back on his shoulder and Thor jumped down into the crater. Lyle was now silent, on her back and completely healed. Her skin was glowing lightly and she seemed born anew. Her breaths came in light gasps and her eyes moved under her lids quickly.

"Lyle," Thor called, fear lacing his voice. Her eyes flashed open, they were now rimmed blue. Her eyes darted everywhere and finally landed on Thor. She laughed slightly,

"Didn't you say once that the Tesseract belonged in Asgard?" she asked.

"Well, yes," Thor answered, "where is it?" Lyle smiled and pushed herself off the ground.

"Right here," she gestured to herself. The glow around her body dimmed and disappeared while the stone around her neck kept a bright blue glow.

"Impossible," Thor said. Lyle smiled and climbed out of the crater,

"Not entirely. Just…supernatural," she surveyed her surroundings and cringed at the aliens that littered the ground, "did we win?"

"Yes ma'am," Steve answered, finally finding his voice, "but we're not done yet."

**(Lyle's POV)**

Loki was broken and bruised, thanks to the Hulk. He looked up at us, since we had clustered around and had our weapons drawn, and said,

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll have that drink now."

I sighed slightly and turned away. I didn't want to watch this anymore. Agents from SHIELD were swarming the building now and were already starting to get Loki into handcuffs; I flinched when they put a muzzle on him. Before they shoved him out the door, I caught a fleeting look of sadness plastered over his face, directed towards me. I shook my head and turned to go stand next to the window and observed the city in ruins.

_Remorse? _

"No, just regret." Thor clapped me on the shoulder,

"Well done, Lyle," Thor boomed, "but we must return to Asgard soon."

"Can we get shwarma first?" Tony asked. I giggled lightly and turned to face the group,

"We got time," I said, ignoring Thor's confused look, "I just need to get to a computer real quick."

"Why?" Steve asked.

"Need to tell my coworkers that I won't be coming in to work tomorrow."

**(Third Person POV)**

The Avengers gathered in the park to see their Asgardian friends off. Lyle was joining them since she was the only way back home and they had to explain to Odin why the Tesseract was technically gone. Lyle had a duffel bag slung over her shoulder that was packed for a night trip. She wasn't planning to stay long and had made that very clear to Thor.

Loki was stiff handcuffed and muzzled; he continued to watch Lyle run through her goodbyes and did not miss the flinch she tried to mask every time she looked at him. Loki knew he was going back to face his crimes but he was not afraid for some reason. He was actually glad to know that Lyle was safe but worrisome because she was now a vessel for the Tesseract. Loki was already beginning to imagine the anger that Odin would have when he discovered that the most powerful thing in the universe was held by a little girl…woman. No doubt, other worlds had seen her fight and knew she was the keeper of the Tesseract; there was already a bounty on her head.

Thor waited with Loki as Lyle gave Bruce one last hug.

"Please don't break anything while I'm gone," Lyle whispered in his ear, and shoved a piece of paper in his hand, "my place is open if you need somewhere quiet." Bruce smiled before patting her on the back,

"Hopefully, I won't need to go there." Lyle smiled before joining Thor and Loki; Thor took Lyle's hand and Lyle reached her hand out to Loki. Loki stared down at her while she stared back with a new shyness that had befallen her face. Loki sighed through his nose before taking her hand and with that they were gone with a flash of blue light.

Fury was already informing the council that he was no longer keeping a watch over the Avengers and that Lyle and the Tesseract had left with the Asgardians. The council wanted Lyle back but Fury refused to let her be taken by them. He knew she would be safe with Thor but he doubted Loki; Fury had recently watched the containment unit videos and had caught Lyle in there a couple of times but she had always managed to leave. Fury knew she would do the right thing, she always had. Just like her father before her, she lived to help her country and others, and that's all that he ever wanted from her.

**(Lyle's POV)**

My feet hit some sort of crystal that had multiple colors and lights running through it. Thor had let go of my hand a while ago to gaze happily at the golden city in the distance. I looked up at Loki and saw he was staring at the ground; he sensed my gaze and looked at me. I squeezed his hand in re-assurance because I knew that look. It was the same look my mother had given me before I left for college, the look that read,

"Don't leave me."

I leaned against his arm with our hands still interlocked,

"I don't plan to anytime soon," I whispered. Thor turned to look at us and gave me a funny look before gesturing behind him.

"Lyle, welcome to Asgard."

_**Wow...just wow. I can't believe I finished this chapter. There is still more on the way but this was the fight scene in a very condensed version. I think it might be a little too short and hurried so let me know if it is. I kind of got that vibe from Loki when I watched this scene but good tidings are ahead. Stay tuned and review please!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Playing Babysitter

_**WEE! So I hope ya'll liked the last chapter because this one was kinda fun to write.**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Avengers, just Lyle.**_

**Chapter Eight: Playing Babysitter**

"Thor, I see you have returned with the Tesseract," a voice called from behind us. I turned to see a man covered in golden armor and was standing close to the edge of the part of the bridge that was broken off.

"Heimdall," Thor answered with a strong laugh in his voice, "you have been watching this whole time?"

"Nothing escapes me, my liege."

"Then you know who this is," Thor gestured to me and I slightly ducked behind Loki. I felt Loki's hand tighten slightly on mine and I glanced at him to see him glaring at Heimdall.

"Ah yes," Heimdall replied, approaching me and holding out his hand, "Asgard has been waiting for your return." I stuck my hand out so not to keep him hanging and Heimdall, like a gentleman, leaned down to kiss my knuckle before straightening up and looking at Loki, "as well as the return of Loki."

"So Asgard already knows that Lyle has become the keeper?" Heimdall nodded and gestured at two horses that had appeared out of nowhere,

"Your father has already asked that you be given a hero's welcome, he is also anxious to meet you, Lyle." I blushed slightly and turned towards the city,

"Then we might want to get going." Thor went over to the horses and grabbed the white one that seemed to know him,

"I agree, Lyle you may ride Nyla," he gestured at the black horse but I had conjured my board and was seated cross-legged upon it.

"Loki can ride; I'm not entirely fond of horses." I hovered and waited while Thor helped Loki onto the horse before he mounted. We bid farewell to Heimdall, who went back to his post, and we started towards the city. As we approached the gates the guards parted to allow us to pass. We rode through the gates and kept on the rode that led straight towards the palace. When we got about fifty feet from the palace entrance, Thor and Loki dismounted and Thor kept hold on Loki's upper arm. I stepped off the board and followed up the rear.

We walked up the stairs and passed through another set of gates into the palace. The joyful cries of people and the slamming of swords upon shields reached my ears. It really did look like a hero's welcome; warriors of all kinds had gathered in the hall along with several people, who I assumed were Asgardians.

Loki had his head bent down and refused to look at anyone; I could tell he was a tad bit afraid. He knew the consequences were quickly approaching and he didn't have long until his sentence was finalized. I was hoping that death would not be his punishment but if it were, I had a plan. But at the moment, I was focusing on not being noticed. I had grabbed Loki's hand long ago and was huddled behind his back.

"_Why are you hiding behind me?" _Loki thought…wait thought?

_Your power is unlimited. Were you not able to read minds with the stone?_

"I honestly never tried. I had no reason to," I said in my head.

_Explore then, try communicating back._

I wriggled my nose and concentrated on Loki,

"Because you're larger than me and that seems to be the best way to hide." Loki paused, obviously startled by the intrusion in his mind but relaxed and continued to walk,

"_I doubt that will work." _

"Why won't it?" Loki was then pulled away by Thor and my cover was blown. I lost my grip on his hand and Loki looked over his shoulder at me,

"_Because Thor has other plans." _ I quickly lowered my hand to my side and stood with them collapsed behind my back while Thor addressed the man who sat on the throne.

"Father," Thor announced, "the war on Midgard is over, Loki is here to answer for his crimes and this," Thor turned and motioned me to come forward. I did so hesitantly, Loki watching me every step of the way, "is Lyle. The keeper of the Tesseract." I looked up at Thor's father and bowed my head slightly before returning to my position of attention.

"Lyle? An unusual name for a woman," he rose from his throne, "and small for a warrior that holds the Tesseract." I felt my eye twitch, my unpleasant side coming to the surface,

"Well, sir," I bit, "big things come in small packages and I am no exception to that rule." Thor was probably about to have a heart attack and most of the room had gone silent. Apparently no one had ever talked like that to the King of Asgard. But he surprised me; he started chuckling before a belly laugh ripped through the room.

"Well, she certainly plays the part of a warrior. Reminds me of you Thor," Odin reseated himself on his throne and allowed Thor to relay the events of the Midgardian battle.

"_I would be wise to hold your tongue in the presence of Odin."_

I looked over at Loki,

"Was it not you who said I had spirit? Who am I to control it?"

Loki was silent before a dark chuckle floated through my mind,

"_Calm yourself, little one. You will get a chance to prove yourself. But perhaps you could show me how much spirit you really have."_

"And what do you mean by that?" An image of the last kiss me and Loki shared in the containment unit floated through my mind. I turned my head to look at the ground, a blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"_Or perhaps another chase?" _The meadow flashed through my mind and I crossed my arms over my chest,

"Perhaps you should wait to hear your sentence first," I bit back, trying to sound unfazed. Loki was silent and I began looking around at the hall and throne. I caught a woman looking at me; she was seated next to Odin and had her hair done up in curls upon her head. I assumed she was the queen but she did something I would not expect,

"_What are your feelings towards my son?" _Her voice floated through my mind. I felt my eyes widen and stammered in my head to find an answer,

"Thor is a fine man but my feelings towards him are platonically friendly."

"_Not Thor." _I fought to keep my jaw closed as I answered back,

"Loki and I…we're not…no you must be mistaken-"

"_I know that look, little warrior, what are your feelings towards my son?" _I sighed and looked at the ground,

"I don't know, ma'am. I honestly don't know."

"_I know he is fond of you." _I bit my lip and looked at her,

"I highly doubt that."

"_Then why does he continue to look at you?" _my head shot to Loki and I caught his eyes dart from me to the ground.

"Lyle?" Thor asked. I looked up at Thor,

"Yes?"

"We have a request, from all the Asgardians. It is a rather large request-"

"Just spit it out Thor," I smiled apologetically.

"Is there any chance that you can repair the Byfrost?" I furrowed my brow and started searching through his mind to figure out what he meant,

"You mean the rainbow road?" Thor looked confused before I added, "The bridge we came in on."

"Yes, the Byfrost was important to Asgard before certain…" he looked at Loki, "situations arose." I flipped again through Thor's mind and flinched at the destruction Loki had caused.

"_Lyle," _Loki started. I shook my head and put my fingers to my temples.

"Let's me see what I can do." I dropped my duffel bag on the floor before transporting out of Asgard and back to where we first came in. Heimdall was still standing there, looking out at the waters.

"This is a dangerous task that you are taking on," he told me. I shrugged my shoulders and started focusing on the bridge,

"It's just building bridges, how hard can it be?"

**(Third Person POV)**

Lyle stretched out her hands and spread her fingers; her body began to glow a bright blue. Pieces of the bridge began appearing out of nowhere, assembling themselves in a Lego type fashion and stretching farther out over the waters. Lyle walked with the bridge's procession until she reached the end of the bridge. She looked down and brought her arms up above eye level. The Byfrost appeared from the water and began reassembling itself.

The inner part of the Byfrost rooted itself on top of the water and the rest of the dome followed. Heimdall smiled slightly as everything spun into place and glowed gold before Lyle dropped her arms. Thor rode up on a horse along with his four other friends; Fandral, Sif, Hogun, and Volstagg. Lyle's glow dimmed and she fell to her knees, breathing heavily. She got shakily to her feet and turned to look at Thor. She smiled slightly,

"That wasn't so hard," she gasped, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the ground. But before she collapsed completely, a figure appeared out of golden mist and caught her in his arms. Lyle gripped his arm and smiled up at him,

"Did you see that Loki?" she breathed heavily, "That was easy." Those were her last words before Lyle's body went limp and she leaned her head into the crook of Loki's elbow. Loki stood and looked with mild interest at the five warriors,

"Are you all going to stand there or will you help her?" Loki began walking past the warriors and continued on to the city with the horses following behind. Thor quickened his pace to get Loki, but Loki handed Lyle to him and disappeared in a gold mist. Thor held Lyle up with one hand while speeding up his horse. Thor caught Lyle's whispered sentence,

"Loki, don't leave."

**(Lyle's POV)**

I groaned as I rolled over onto my side and pulled out my cell phone. I sighed in relief; it had only been an hour since we last left. On Earth it was currently six at night and I was starving. I pushed back the covers, sat up, and looked around the room.

I was in, what would be considered on Earth, a master bedroom. The bed was pushed into the farthest corner from the door, and a red carpet stretched out four to five feet from the two sides of the bed. A pair of windows opened up to the left of the bed and a balcony lay outside. I could see brown stone tile peeking through a door that was across from the window; I assumed that was the master bath. A mirror was next to the wardrobe and sat on top of a vanity with a small ottoman that had a red cushion on top. I looked up at the canopy above the bed and marveled at the woodwork; red and gold silk intertwined one another and formed a roof over the bed. I let out a low whistle,

"I'm pretty sure this room is bigger than my living room." I hopped out of the bed and grabbed onto the bed post to keep me from falling. I closed my eyes to stop the spinning and that voice drifted through my head,

_Perhaps you should not attempt that again. _

"Ya think?" I stood up and made my way to my duffel bag which had been dropped next to the vanity. I saw down and pulled out some clothes and my bath essentials. I went into the bathroom and was happy to find towels already laid out. The shower looked like any other Earth shower but looks are deceiving. I turned on the hot water, stripped out of my clothes, and stepped in. I washed my hair quickly and gave my body a quick scrub before stepping out. I wrapped a towel around me before I spotted an outlet. I snorted lightly,

"Really? Electricity in Asgard?" I snatched my hair dryer from my bag and plugged it in. I turned it on cautiously and was relieved when hot air came out. Once my hair was dry and my bangs combed the right way, I got into a black, button up dress, threw my bath essentials in the bag, and stepped out into the hall…and walked right into Thor.

"Ah, Lyle, I was just coming to get you." I stepped back and looked up at him,

"And I was just going to find someone," I began following Thor down the hall, "Random question, where's Loki?" Thor stopped and looked at me with sad eyes,

"Father is dealing with him now." Thor turned to continue on but I grabbed his arm,

"I realize this is asking a lot, but take me to him."

"Lyle, you cannot-"

"Thor," I warned, "if I can rebuild the Byfrost, I can take this palace apart, brick by brick, until I find him. Just take me to him." Thor sighed,

"This way." We walked through numerous passageways until we finally got back to the throne room. Thor gestured for me to stand in the door way while he stood just inside to hide me from view.

"Loki," I heard Odin say, "what have you to say for yourself?" I looked around Thor and saw Loki kneeling before his father, eyes on the floor, the muzzle removed and only the shackles on.

"I have nothing more to say to you, father," he spat the last word, "I suggest you dole out my sentence and be done with me, like any other wretch who has walked through those doors with death on his shoulders."

"Loki," Odin's voice was softer, "I have no wish for you to die. I want you to move on, to come back. I want you as my son-"

"Son?" Loki asked, his head shot up, I could see tear trails that had disappeared long ago and my heart wrenched a little, "I was never your son. I was a pawn from the very beginning. I was a thing that mothers used to scare their children into their beds." I, cautiously, started scanning through Odin's mind and found that Loki was part Jotun and he was going to be used to unite the Jotunheim and the Asgardians. I could understand why Loki was upset but his blowing up the Jotunheim seemed a bit extreme to me. Odin sighed,

"Then you leave me no choice. Loki you are sentenced to spend eternity in the royal prison until-"

"No!" I shouted, I stepped behind Thor and stared straight at Odin, "No."

"Lyle-" Thor started but I held up my hand to continue,

"Odin, I realize Loki has done heinous things," I turned to look at Loki, "trust me, I've seen them," I turned back to Odin, "but…I have a proposal I wish to make." It was out in the open; I was only going to use the plan if he was sentenced to death but I couldn't stand to see him in prison. I knew Loki was dangerous and would probably get me if he got a chance, but I didn't want to part from him.

_What are your feelings towards him?_

I ignored the voice and looked up at Odin,

"And what is your proposal?" he asked, leaning forward. The queen, whose name I had found was Frigga, was listening intently as well. I took a deep breath,

"I wish for Loki to return to Earth with me, but…without powers." I closed my eyes and stared at the ground and was surprised when Frigga spoke up,

"Why do you wish for him to come with you?" she asked. I looked up and gazed only at her,

"I have a feeling that there are Asgardians here who bear ill towards Loki but my living location on Earth is isolated and would allow Loki to live peacefully. Without his powers, he would be punished. He would live like any other hu- Midgardian. I think a simple life would teach Loki the actual joys in life. Maybe give him a chance to redeem himself?" I said, trying to keep my voice from going up an octave. Frigga furrowed her brows,

"So you would like him to come live with you for…how long?"

"As long as it takes." Frigga nodded and whispered to her husband something that was too low for me to hear. I looked at Loki and saw he was staring at me with a mixture of confusion and anger on his face.

"Very well," Odin finally rose and addressed Loki, "it is now up to you Loki, would you rather spend the rest of your days in confinement, or," Odin spared me a glance, "or return to Midgard with Lyle." I chose to look at the ground, I didn't want to hear Loki reject my offer, but surprises are plentiful in Asgard.

"I will…return with Lyle." My head shot up and I stared at Loki. I heard Odin slam something and a gold mist surrounded Loki before floating up above him and into a sphere, that I assumed was a box, that Odin was holding. I turned back to Loki and rushed to his side to grab his arm before he fell to his knees. Loki looked up at me with anger in his eyes; he was shaking all over. I helped him up before he shook me off and stood on his own.

"I suggest that you depart soon as word here travels fast," Odin called to me. I nodded and turned to Odin,

"Thank you, my lord, if there is anything that is needed here than all you need to do is ask." Odin nodded before Thor gestured for me to follow,

"Lyle," Frigga called. Thor took Loki and led him out of the room. I turned and found that Frigga had descended the stairs; she reached out and clasped my hand in hers,

"Can you help my son?" she asked, the desperation evident.

"I don't know how he'll respond once we're on Midgard. And even if he cooperates, I think he might come to hate me." Frigga cupped my cheek,

"No, I can tell he is not so eager to let go of you. I know he will behave for you." I smiled,

"Let's hope so." Frigga kissed me on the cheek,

"Farewell, little warrior." I giggled before running to catch up with Thor, who was waiting outside the door with my bag in his hand. Loki had his arms crossed over his chest and was still slightly shaking. Thor tried to keep from saying anything to Loki while he led the way out of the palace. They mounted the horses and rode out to the bridge as I followed close behind on my board. I pulled out my phone and thanked God that I got signal here and that Tony gave me his number in case I wanted to come try out a simulation room he had.

"Stark here," Tony answered.

"Hey Tony."

"Fly girl! Coming home so soon?"

"Yea, but with some baggage."

"What do you mean?"

"Tony, can you create a dampener that could possibly hide someone from SHIELD? Something that would distort satellite pictures or anything that came off a cell phone or whatever SHIELD uses? Particularly in the form of a bracelet."

"Fly girl, what's going on?"

"Can you do it?"

"Well duh, but why?" I looked up and saw we were fast approaching our destination,

"Just get it to me as fast as you can. Bruce knows where I live."

"Lyle-"

"Trust me, you'll find out when you get there." I hung up and sighed.

_You understand what you are doing, correct?_

"Let's hope I do."

**Like? Review? Let me know if something seems out of place.**


	9. Chapter 9: Welcome Home

_WEE! CHAPTER NUMAH NINE IS UP! ENJOY FOLKS!_

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Avenger's…only Lyle**

**Chapter Nine: Welcome Home**

It was still raining but the rain was coming down lightly. My house seemed a tad bit foreboding in the dark but it was nothing to be afraid of. Loki let go of my hand a long time ago and was staring out at the driveway and the trees that shook lightly with the rain. I unlocked the door and waited for Loki to drink his fill before he finally turned to walk inside. I looked out at the driveway and the gate, hoping that Tony would take a red eye flight to get here.

I walked in and locked the front door before dumping my duffel bag on the stairs. Loki had seated himself on the couch and was looking around the room with a blank expression. I took a deep breath,

"Loki," his head snapped over to me, "I run a typical schedule around here, in other words I do things in a specific order," I walked into the kitchen and grabbed my calendar while Loki followed me, "I work Monday through Friday from eight to five. I'm normally up and going by six and out the door by 7:30 so if you want me to fix breakfast for you, you would have to be awake at 6:15," I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Loki was still listening so I continued, "Sundays are laundry days, Saturday is grocery day so you need to tell me the food you like and-"

"Why did you do it?" Loki asked suddenly. I sighed and leaned against the counter with my arms crossed,

"Do what?"

"Offer that proposal. You did not have to save me, I could have protected myself-"

"Yea, while rotting in prison," I butted in, "I knew for a fact that Asgardians were not going to leave you alone. I didn't…." I drifted off and stared out the window, into the dark.

"What?" Loki asked, his voice getting louder, "Why did you save me?"

"I couldn't leave you there, okay?" I shouted, tears starting to well, "I wasn't going to leave you in the dark…I couldn't." I rubbed my hand over my eyes while listening to the silence. When Loki didn't say anything else, I turned and walked out of the kitchen to the stairs, "Your bedroom is next to mine, so anything you need just tell me," I grabbed a tissue out of a box that was on a table, upstairs in the hallway, "Since tomorrow is Friday, we can go shopping Saturday for new clothes, but for tonight and tomorrow," I walked into the room next to mine and pulled out a shirt and pair of pants from the smallish dresser, tossing them at Loki, "You can wear anything in here," I walked out of the room and pointed at the door that was right across from my room, "That's the main bath. There's another one downstairs if I'm upstairs and hogging that one," I opened the door and pointed at the medicine cabinet, "stay out of the medicine cabinet. If you need something you need to come get me."

"Why?" Loki asked, a bit suspicious.

"I'll respect your privacy if you respect mine," I answered before walking out to go get my duffel bag. The clock downstairs chimed seven while the others upstairs rang the time.

"I'll make dinner soon, just give me half an hour to get comfortable," Loki was silent so I went to my room and started unpacking everything…again. Once I turned on my laptop, I grabbed my blue sleep boxers but hesitated on the top; I was used to wearing a cami and sports bra to bed (it's comfortable) but with Loki in the house, I felt a tad bit more self-conscious. I pulled on a zip-up hoodie over my cami and walked past Loki's door,

"I'm making spaghetti, any requests?" I asked Loki at the top of the stairs. I received no reply so I continued my journey to the kitchen and pulled out the large pan and filled it with water. I turned on the gas and started hunting for a box of pasta; I managed to find one that was all the way to the back of a cabinet. I poured salt and oil in the water before throwing a skillet down next to it. I snatched a few cans of strained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste along with a bottle of red wine, basil, and sugar. I grabbed an onion from a basket on the island.

"Whose were these?" I looked up and raised my brows at Loki; he had put on a short sleeve shirt and a pair of black sweatpants and his hair was still slicked back but was ruffled a tad bit. I must have let my eyes roam a tad bit too much for Loki smirked and asked,

"Thinking about me or the man who first wore these clothes?" I snorted before pulling out a knife and begin to chop up the onion,

"They belonged to my dad before he left." Loki stood next to me and leaned on his elbows on the island,

"Then why do you still have them?" I paused in my chopping,

"I'm one of those who really can't let go." I picked up the chopped onions and tossed them into the skillet; I poured some oil on them and went to the fridge to grab some garlic. I closed the door and turned to find Loki towering over me,

"We need to get you a bell," I muttered, trying to slow my heart down.

"Why?" Loki asked, getting closer.

"Why what?" I looked him dead in the eye.

"Why did you…save me?" I sighed and looked at the ground,

"I can't answer that."

"Why not?" I slid past him to turn down the heat on the onions and pour in the tomato paste,

"Because I don't know," I answered. Loki came next to me and wrapped his arms around my middle while his breath tickled my ear,

"Is it something to do with me?" I shook my head and turned to look sideways at him,

"Now why would it be about you?" Loki grinned mischievously and kissed me on the cheek,

"Because I feel that I am more than just a pity case." With that, Loki turned and walked out of the kitchen; the TV flicked on and Tom and Jerry's antics filled the silence,

"I don't do pity cases," I muttered. I stirred the sauce and the pasta before the phone rang,

"Mellos?" I answered.

"Lyle! Thank god you're alive!" Genie's voice was booming over the phone,

"Why would I be anything but alive?" I asked, turning the heat off on the pasta and lowering the flame on the sauce.

"Because your last few emails have been vague and I was wondering if you were being held hostage." I laughed,

"No but where I've been it certainly felt that way."

"Where have you been?"

"I'll take mother's house for two hundred."

"C'mon Lyle, where've you been?" I poured the pasta into a strainer,

"Nowhere," a bit of hot water fell on my leg, "Ow! Shit, LOKI!"

"Wait, who's there with you?" I froze and stared at Loki who had rushed in the room. I grabbed a towel and held it to my leg, trying to mop up the water,

"No one is here, Genie," I muttered but gasped as Loki suddenly lifted me onto the counter and attempted to pry my hand off the towel. I kept my grip as Genie replied,

"Who else is there? Who's Loki?" before I could reply Loki snatched the phone out my hand,

"I am Loki, who-" I grabbed the phone back and stared at him in horror but he used my hesitation to pry the towel from my hands,

"Ice!" I whispered harshly at him. He stared at me before I gestured at the fridge; he opened the top half before I waved at him to check the bottom.

"Lyle! Lyle, who's Loki?" Genie was yelling on the phone. I sighed and put the phone back to my ear,

"Loki is…he's a friend."

"What kind of friend? Why'd you yell 'ow'?"

"Because I friggin dropped hot water on my thigh!" Genie was silent and Loki was now standing next to me with ice dripping in his hand. I held out the towel and he gently dropped the ice in before closing up the towel, taking it from my hand, and pressing it onto the angry red streak on my leg. I jumped slightly and Loki pulled away,

"No, that was just shocking," I murmured. Loki furrowed his brows before pressing the make shift ice pack back into place.

"Genie?" I asked.

"What kind of friend?" Genie asked.

"Just a friend."

"A friend like Jake?" My cheek twitched and I closed my eyes,

"What part of 'he-who-must-not-be-named' do you not understand?"

"Ya know he started coming in when you left. Asked where you had gone to. What happened between you two?" I sighed,

"One drunken blonde is all it takes to bring light into the dark."

"What's with the scary, and oddly amusing, depth?" Loki tapped the inside of my knee and I looked down to see his wary eyes. My stomach growled,

"Genie, I really need to finish dinner."

"Alright, but you will be at work tomorrow, right?"

"Yea. I'll be there." I hung up before she could ask anything else and buried my face in my hands.

"Who is Jake?" I looked up to find Loki, once again, inches from my face. I took the ice pack from his hand,

"Nobody," I answered and poured the rest of the pasta out into the strainer. I sprayed some butter over the pasta then dumped it back in the pan.

"How much spaghetti do you want?" The look on Loki's face meant that he had obviously never eaten spaghetti. I rolled my eyes and put a glomp of spaghetti on his plate; I drizzled some sauce over it before handing it to him. I scooped up my own and walked to the living room. I stretched myself over the couch and flipped to the news channel;

"New York is entering its first rebuilding phase after the attack…" I sighed and switched back to Cartoon Network. I looked back over the couch and saw that Loki was awkwardly standing in the doorway with the plate in his hand,

"There's silverware in the drawer next to the sink and you can just take a seat wherever…cept the couch, the couch is mine." Loki disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared by the arm of the couch. He looked directly at me then my ankles which were tucked into the crevice between the pillow and the couch. He looked back at me with his eyebrows raised,

"What?" I asked, my plate balanced in one hand. Before I could even react, Loki pulled my ankles out of the crevice and pushed them towards me. He then sat down and started eating his dinner. I looked at him with raised eyebrows and an open mouth.

"Something you wish to ask?" Loki asked, grinning mischievously.

"Wish you had asked," I mumbled before sitting up, tucking the remote between me and the couch, and then started in on my dinner. We sat there in silence while the TV blared. I finished first and set my plate on the coffee table. I stretched and stood up; the clock chimed nine.

"I'm going to bed," I muttered, "turn the TV off when you're done." Loki didn't answer so I dumped my plate in the dishwasher and walked quickly upstairs. I shut my door quietly and climbed under my covers. I plugged my ear buds in and drifted off as the intro to 'EZ Streets' washed over me.

**(Loki's POV) **

"She saved me." That though continuously floated through my head. Every time it did I would grit my teeth over it. I didn't need to be saved but she had done it. But why she had done it was my main question. She could not possibly have anything to gain by taking me in. Though it did give me better access to keeping an eye over her as well as the opportunity to keep out of Asgard.

I stood up and placed the dish in the sink; that meal, spaghetti I believe she called it, was…delicious. I sat down at a table and put a hand to my cheek; I needed to leave. I could not stay here. I was not going to be a burden upon Lyle; she did not deserve to be stuck with a…man like me. It was also a danger for me to stay here; even though 'father' had banished me, there was no doubt in my mind that a few Asgardians were vengeful. I could not bear to watch Lyle attempt to protect me if her home was swarmed by my enemies. But I hesitated leaving; I did not want to leave her alone, but I could not stay here. I eyed the wallet on the counter and, without realizing, went quickly through it and dug out the money and…I believe Midgardians called them credit cards.

I began searching the closets for some sort of bag and then pilfered the cabinets for some food. I failed to recognize the soft patter of feet coming down the stairs.

**(Third Person POV) **

As soon as Lyle was asleep her eyes opened; they glowed blue in the darkness and looked around the room in wonder. Lyle rose from the bed and disentangled herself from device she was plugged into. Lyle walked around the room and lightly touched the small devices that glowed and were plugged into the outlets.

Lyle cocked her head as she heard rustling downstairs. She opened the door tentatively and started walking downstairs. Once she reached the bottom she looked back and was amazed at the distance she had covered. Loki was currently staring at her, unnoticed, as he hid slightly behind the open closet door.

"Loki?" Lyle called. Loki stepped out from behind the door, a bag in hand. Lyle looked from the bag to Loki in confusion. Loki was the first to speak,

"I thought you were asleep."

"Is that what she was doing?" Lyle asked, her eyes drifted around the room, taking in everything, "I am amazed that she can stand to shut her eyes for a few hours when there is so much to see."

"What do you mean 'she'?" Loki asked, realizing that Lyle's eyes were brighter than they originally were. Lyle's face snapped to him and she smiled,

"Lyle is asleep but I, the Tesseract, cannot rest when my keeper is not alert. But that is another topic for another time. Are you going somewhere?" Loki did not say a word as he hoisted the bag higher on his shoulder.

"She cares for you, did you know that?" Loki's eyes widened in disbelief, "I know, I do not believe it either but she does. Even after you tried to destroy the things she held dear," Loki twitched visibly, "she still wants you. Possibly loves you. And yet, after she has stood up for you, you betray her like this." Loki did not say a word but walked past Lyle to the door,

"She no longer needs to concern herself with me," Loki said coldly, "I am of no use to her."

"She needs you, you know," Loki turned to look at this small creature who dared contradict him, "more than she will ever know. She saved you, not because you needed it, but because she would not dare leave you. She refused to believe that she saved you for her own selfish reasons, but I know the truth. She saved you because she needs to be saved herself." Loki did not look at Lyle as she continued speaking to him,

"Lyle is alone Loki. She may have friends, she may have family, but she still comes home to an empty house. Lyle needs you to be here. If you are not here then she cannot control herself. Lyle has no wish to end up back in the hospital." Loki's head snapped to Lyle but the girl continued as if the information was of no importance,

"If you leave, you will not only hurt her but you will be proving everyone in Asgard correct. They will know you are a coward. That you will hide to save your own skin." Loki dropped his bag and forgot about leaving for the moment,

"How dare you, you impetulant creature. I am no coward-"

"Then prove it!" Lyle hissed, "Stay here. Do not leave her and prove that you are different." Lyle glared, daring him to say anymore but he said nothing.

"From what I am to understand, Lyle has work in the morning and she needs to sleep. Stay or go. I do not care which. But understand the consequences of your actions." With that, Lyle walked past Loki and up the stairs. Loki stood still until he heard a door slam upstairs. He then looked at the bag that was by the door and walked over to pick it up. He put his hand on the door handle and paused,

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

**(Lyle's POV)**

The alarm jarred me out of my dreams and back to reality; I shuddered over that nightmare last night. Loki was going to leave and I had tried to persuade him to stay. I walked across the hall and took a quick shower before slipping into a pair of jeans and a faded blue top. I opened the medicine cabinet and took out my morning pills. I made a note to buy more as I guzzled down a glass of water along with the little white devils. I grabbed a bag, my cell, and keys from my room before knocking on Loki's door,

"Loki, if you want food you need to get up." I received no response, not even a groan. Fear overtook me and I opened the door only to be met with the bed that was still made. I closed my eyes and sighed. He was gone. I had a feeling he wasn't going to stick around but I had hoped he would leave sooner.

My heart strings ached as I trudge down the stairs but stopped when the smell of coffee reached me; I didn't have a coffee maker that was set to turn on at times and I highly doubted that I made coffee last night. I walked into the kitchen and nearly fell over in shock. Loki, still in his shirt and sweatpants, was standing by the coffee maker, staring at the drops that fell into the pot. He turned to look at me and smiled; he looked extremely tired.

"Good morning," he said. I chuckled and answered,

"Good morning to you as well," I plopped my bag down on the counter and shoved my purse into my bag, "did you sleep at all last night?" he didn't answer as I went to the fridge and pulled out some cream cheese. I turned to go to the bread box was met with Loki's lips. I was pushed back against the fridge as Loki's tongue drifted over my bottom lip. I opened my mouth and sighed. Loki pulled away to look into my eyes,

"I'm not leaving," he said. I felt my brows furrow in confusion, the dream suddenly replayed in my mind, but I brushed it off and hugged him lightly,

"I would hope not." I smeared some cream cheese on a bagel and was handed a mug fill with coffee from Loki. I grabbed some milk from the fridge and poured some into the coffee,

"Do you want me to make you anything for breakfast?" I asked.

"No, I'm sure I can manage." I looked at my watch and ate quickly,

"I gotta run. My cell number is on the fridge if you need me." I pecked him on the cheek before he swept me into his arms,

"Do not be gone too long." He kissed me again, lighter this time and not so heated,

"I'll be home around five." I hugged him again and bounded out the door with a spring in my step; today was going to be a good day.

**LIKE? REVIEW?**


	10. Chapter 10: Confessions

_So a lot of people have asked "Where's Tony?" and "When do Lyle and Loki get busy?". That is all to come my readers so be patient with me. Yes, Tony is in the chapter. This story is now going to be rated M for the use of language and the future scenes. But I am a virgin when it comes to sex scenes so please be gentle in criticism. Happy reading!_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS…ONLY LYLE!**_

**Chapter Ten: Confessions **

"'Bout time you showed up," Genie bounded up jovially and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back,

"It's good to be back," I said. I walked to the back and dumped my purse and keys in my office. I grabbed my apron off of a peg on the back of the door. As I walked to the front I was suddenly hugged by Maya.

"Oh my god! Where the hell have you been?" I smiled and walked past her,

"Hell and back. What classes are goin' are today?" Maya laughed,

"You have been gone a while if you don't know what you are teaching today." I looked at the board on the wall and was thankful that I had only two classes, both painting. I grabbed my art bag and started making my way towards the room,

"I just need to get back into the swing of things." I walked into the room and started pulling back the black, velvet curtains. While light seeped its way into the room, I started pulling out the tall stools from the side of the room and setting up the easels.

"How many people do I have tonight?" I called out.

"Six, and there's something you should know," Maya was hanging in the doorway.

"What?" I asked.

"Jake enrolled." I paused before slamming a canvas down on to an easel.

"What were we supposed to do, Lyle?" Elijah walked in and took up the extra canvas to put on the easels. I sat down on a stool and put my head in my hands. A pair of arms wrapped around me and I looked up to see Elijah looking at me with concern,

"I don't suppose there was anything you could have done," I murmured. I stood up and smoothed out my apron and moved to set my own easel up at the front of the room.

"Do you want me to take over the class for you?" Maya asked. I chuckled and shook my head,

"No. I haven't been in here for a while. It's about time that I got back to work."

"Do you want me to bring you a Dr. Pepper?" Genie came to the doorway. I smiled,

"Oh yea."

_BREAK_

"Alright class, our hour is up. I hope you are all pleased with your creation and are welcome to come speak to me if you want extra time to work." The six people who had attended packed up and one of the younger girls, about fourteen or fifteen, came up to me a tad bit timidly,

"Umm…Ms. Jackson?" she asked.

"I ain't no 'miss' honey, call me Lyle, what's up?"

"Can I come in Monday to…finish up my painting?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Of course you can," I pulled out a sticky note from my art kit, "what's your name?"

"Jessie Karine."

"What time?"

"Can I come in around three?"

"Just stop on by and come see me. If I'm in a class just wait outside the door and I will get to you as soon as I can." Jessie's smile almost lit up the room,

"Thank you ma'am! I will be here Monday!" she ran out the room before I could say anything else. I sighed and walked back to my office. I slapped the sticky note in my planner and walked back to the front.

"How we doin'?" I asked Genie who was on register duty today.

"Fine, Mr. Loft is coming in next Tuesday to check out how the business is doing." I shuffled through the stack of mail, pulling out bills.

"Nothing else?" the front door rang and Genie's voice stilled, "cat got your tongue?"

"Lyleigh." My head snapped up; he-who-must-not-be-named had just entered the building. Jake's dark brown hair was still cut short and he still wore those faded jeans and a dark blue button up shirt. He still had that same charming smile on his face. No matter what he would do, he could use his charm to get out of a situation, but I wasn't in any mood today,

"Jake, class does not start for another two hours," I answered coldly. Jake walked up and put his hand on the counter,

"Yea, but I heard that you were coming back and figured you might want to get something to eat."

"Not hungry." I turned and walked back to my office, ignoring the fact that Jake was following me.

"Well then, perhaps you can give me some tips before class starts, or I can bring you some food." I sat down at my desk and opened the bills,

"What the hell do you want Jake?" I was through playing games. I wanted answers.

"For you to take me back babe," Jake said coolly.

"What, did your other girl get tired and leave? Or was it the other way around?" I asked, marking dates on the calendar involving the payment time of the bills.

"You know it wasn't like that."

"I'm done with you Jake," I rose from my desk and stared straight at him, "we are over. Finished. There's nothing left between us. Now, you can either get your ass out of my office and not come back, or you can come back for your class and leave." Jake's charming face turned into a mask of rage. He lashed out and grabbed my wrist but I remained still,

"I remember all you have done, Lyle. Remember the hospital? I came by to see you. I recall being the only one there. Where was everyone else, huh?" his grip tightened, "where were they? You weren't important to them. You were as low as you thought." He suddenly seemed to remember that we were not alone in the store and let go of my wrist, smiling,

"Perhaps we should discuss this later, at your house?"

"You come near my house you can expect to be hauled off my property and given a restraining order," I answered as I walked past him but he grabbed my arm,

"I'm looking forward to class, _Ms. Jackson_." I cleared my face of any emotion and stared him straight in the eyes,

"Get out now." I growled low. Jake snorted and left my office. I stood there in the doorway for a minute before panic set in. I locked the door and slid down to rest my chin on my knees. I held back the tears and began thinking of positive thoughts; trying to erase what had just transpired. I gulped in some air before a knock came at my door,

"Lyle?" Maya asked. I stood up and straightened my shirt, taking a glance at my face in the mirror next to the door before I opened the door.

"Yea?" I asked.

"Are you alright?" I smiled,

"I'm fine, just need to get back to work." I attempted to walk past Maya but she stopped me,

"Is there anything we need to do?" she asked; I had a feeling she knew what had just happened.

"Not as of yet." I proceeded back to my classroom and shut the door. I closed the curtains and turned off the light, submersing myself in total darkness.

"He can't get to you no more. He's no one. You are important." I whispered to myself while I hopped up on the supply table and curled up lightly,

"You are important."

_BREAK_

My class with Jake passed uneventfully yet I didn't relax until he had walked out the door. I checked up on Maya, who was happily demonstrating how to throw clay, and Elijah, who was demonstrating different lighting techniques for photography. I came to register and sat by Maya,

"How was the class?" she asked.

"Fine," I answered, taking a sip of water from a bottle that was filched from the fridge.

"We can try to stop him from coming in-"

"I'll handle him, Genie," I stopped her before she could proceed further, "I always have." Genie looked unsure but I gave her a hug,

"Besides, I'm sure he still remembers my right hook." Genie laughed at that,

"It's four fifty. We should probably start cleaning," Genie stated. I went back to my class and lugged the stools into a corner along with the easels. I came back to the front and saw Maya talking to one of her students; he seemed about her age with light blonde hair and a ruffled look to him.

"Who's he?" I asked Elijah.

"Bill," she giggled, "he's been coming to her pottery class but I swear he hasn't learned a thing." I laughed and watched as Maya bid fare well to the kid before scurrying back to her room to clean up. I went back to my office and grabbed my purse and keys,

"I'm heading home."

"Hold up there girl," Genie called out, "I'm walking you out. Lock up you guys!" Genie and I left Maya and Elijah to close up as we walked towards my car.

"So who is Loki?" she finally asked. I stopped and pinched the bridge of my nose,

"A friend Genie."

"Are you involved?"

"Emotionally yes."

"He good in the sack?" I punched her on the arm,

"Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?" Genie snorted. I got in the car and rolled down the window,

"Any other questions you wanna ask?"

"Will you bring him in sometime?" I bit my lip. I knew I couldn't keep Loki in my house forever; there was going to be a time when he wanted to come out but I couldn't let him come out until Tony got me that bracelet.

"Maybe Monday." I answered. Genie waved me off,

"Well go on home, he's probably waiting for you." I laughed,

"I'm just hoping he didn't set the house on fire." I started the car and peeled out before Genie could say anything else. I blared the radio and tried to clear my head on the way back. I needed to think of something for dinner, the amount of food I was going to have to buy now, a couple of outfits ran across my eyes for Loki. There was also the matter of calling him Loki. This was a small town and I doubted that everyone was ignorant of the news but whether or not Loki's face had gotten on radar frightened me a bit. I couldn't have him prancing around town and smart mouthing every person who was rude. I needed to think of something. Tony needed to get me that bracelet.

As I pulled into the driveway, I attempted to keep a cool mask at what was lying across my driveway. A 2006 red Mustang had made its home on the gravel and the owner was leaning against it with a smirk I wanted to wipe off. I parked my car and got out,

"Get the fuck out of here." I told him. But he put up his hands,

"That is no way to treat a guest."

"Get the fuck out of here, please," I hissed. I looked past Jake and up at the house; I paled slightly when I saw Loki holding up the curtains in the living room window and peering down at us with anger and confusion over his face. Jake followed my look and saw Loki in the window,

"Dang, girl," Jake turned to me, "you work pretty fast."

"I never cheated Jake. You damn well know that. Just leave." I tried to walk past him but Jake grabbed my arm and squeezed.

"I'd like to meet this boy of yours." I wrenched my arm free,

"Not gonna happen."

"I think it might." Before I could clearly understand the meaning of his words a random fist came flying at me. I was on the ground holding my nose with Jake poised above me.

"Son of a bitch!" I screamed. The front door slammed open and I on my side to see an enraged Loki practically leaping down the steps.

"Loki STOP!" I screamed. There was no way in hell that I could have him report to the cops why I was bleeding and the other guy possibly mauled. SHIELD would be all over that one, especially if his name was on the statement. I pushed myself off the ground and met him head on but trying to push him back was like pushing back a bull.

"Jake, GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" I yelled at him.

"Or what? Your little boy will get me?" I was using up my strength trying to push Loki back when he tried pushing me again.

_Would you like me to help? _

"Hold him back," I hissed. Loki was suddenly yanked back from me and two of my dopple gangers had latched on to each of his arms. With Loki subdued I reared around and rushed Jake, knocking him to the ground. I pinned his arms and started laying blows to his face; I managed to get in three before Jake pushed me off and tried to pin me to the ground. Another dopple ganger pulled him off and held his arms behind his back. I took that advantage and hit him low and hard. The dopple ganger let go and Jake fell to the ground holding his crotch.

"You…little...how the…hell" he wheezed. I grabbed his hair and pulled his face up to look into his eyes,

"In five minutes, cops will be swarming this place. You better say your prayers." I put my hand under my nose and it came away red. I turned to Loki; his eyes were wide and still swimming with rage, but when he saw my hand and the blood that seemed to clear his mind. The dopple gangers disappeared and before I could say anything, Loki scooped me up and rushed inside. He sat me down on the couch and kneeled down in order to better observe my nose. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911, but the phone was snatched by a dopple ganger,

"_A towel and ice," _she said to Loki before answering the dispatcher, _"There has been a domestic disturbance…"_ she walked away to talk on the phone while Loki had reappeared with a towel. He looked unsure of what to do so I snatched it from him and bent over slightly while pinching my nose.

"You should not have done that," Loki said, "You were injured, it was my duty to protect-"

"I never said your job was to protect me, Loki," I interrupted, "he wanted a fight and he came to fight me. You were just a bonus in his eyes." Loki stared at me as I continued,

"I wasn't going to let you fight because when the police get here they will want a statement from everyone involved. If your name comes up on file then SHIELD will be all over it."

"We do not have to give them my name."

"The cops know me Loki," I said quietly, "SHIELD would come looking for me and if they find you here-"

"What good am I if I cannot protect what is mine?" he answered. My eyes shot up to his,

"I am not something to own, Loki," I rose and proceeded to the kitchen, "if your pride is what's hurt, get over it. But I am not yours to claim-"

"Then whose are you?" Loki asked, huffing slightly, "that…quim?" A roll of emotion washed over me from Loki; jealousy. I finally clued in. He was jealous of Jake. Loki obviously knew that there was something that had happened between me and Jake. Jake was a good looking guy, no lie there, so it was natural for Loki to have felt threatened by someone encroaching on his territory…but I wasn't territory. But Loki's feelings were a tad bit clearer. He felt something towards me that was for sure. Affection possibly; why else would he have stuck around for this long. Even though the feminist in me screamed, I was a tad bit relieved to know that he wanted me around. Not to mention that my heart raced at the thought of being more than friends. I calmed myself as I turned to answer,

"For argument's sake, I am not Jake's. I was once, but not anymore," I pulled the towel away and was thankful I had stopped bleeding, "But Loki, how can I be yours if you are not clear about how you feel towards me?" Loki's cheek twitched as he walked towards me. Loki lifted me up and put me on the counter so that we were eye to eye. He took the hand that was not covered in blood and held it in his. I stared at our intertwined hands and was still shocked at how much larger his was then mine.

"Lyle," my eyes came back up to meet his, "I will never leave you. I will never let you fall. When that blundering idiot drove up I thought you were with him. But he merely looked about as if he owned the place and I knew that you were not his. You could never stand that amount of arrogance-"

"Let that be a lesson to you," I interrupted.

"But," he continued, "when you drove up, you were familiar with him. I can only guess that you were once his and it…angered me. I wanted you as far away from him as possible. I wanted you to be with me. I then remembered when you made your proposal to Odin. When you put yourself on the line for me I was…happy. I could not believe you would do that but I was glad that you did. Last night I wanted to leave," I grit my teeth, "but I did not want to leave you. I could not. I stayed because…" Loki dropped his head and drifted off. All of the emotions that were rolling off of him ranged from frustration to sadness. He wanted to tell me something but he just couldn't get it out. I put my finger under his chin and tipped his head up so that I could see his eyes,

"What, Loki?" his icy eyes bored into mine and seemed to search mine for something. He obviously found it for he continued,

"Lyle, believe me when I say this, I…love you." I froze. It was in the air now and a silence settled above us. Loki still searched my eyes while his own read shame and hope.

"_The cops are here, would you like me to handle them?" _My dopple ganger broke the silence and I looked over to find her now nursing a bloody nose,

"How did…never mind. Yes," I answered, trying to wrap my brain around all of the things at once. My dopple ganger looked from me to Loki before walking out of the kitchen. I waited for the front door to shut before returning my attention to Loki.

"Are my attentions not met the same?" Loki asked. I squeezed his hand,

"They are met the same," I whispered, "While I'm not fond of being thought of as 'territory'," Loki raised his eyebrows and smirked but I continued, "I do not object to the concept of being…yours. I could not keep you in the dark because…Loki, I do love you," Loki smiled, a genuine smile, and made to kiss me but I stopped him, "let me clean off the blood first." Loki yanked the towel from me, dampened it with water, and began going over the lower part of my face trying to get the dried blood off,

"Wounds of a true warrior," I heard him mutter. I snorted,

"More like wounds of a warrior who needs to pay attention." Loki tossed the towel into the sink and grabbed a fresh one from the drawer under me. I raised my eyebrows; he had become acquainted with the location of things.

"I went through today and familiarized myself with the house," he admitted when he saw my look, "I did stay away from your room and the bathroom." I tipped my head to the side and bit my lower lip,

"We're getting good at this," Loki furrowed his brows, "the whole mind connection. How-" I was cut off when Loki's lips descended on mine. This was a new kind of kiss; we had both just come clean about our feelings. At this point we were the most vulnerable to anything said but all fears were soothed with this kiss. Hungry and fire filled was the only way to describe this kiss.

Loki nipped my bottom lip and I allowed him access; our tongues met in a tango and time seemed to drop. I found myself on my back, on the counter, with Loki still over me. I felt him bring my knee up so that it was bent with my foot on the counter. My hands shot out and delved into his hair, which was surprisingly soft. My hands seemed to possess their own mind as one continued tugging on his locks while the other drifted to the nape of his neck and slipped under his shirt. One of Loki's hands drifted to cup my neck while the other slid up my thigh and under my shirt. I jerked lightly at the coldness of his touch but everything warmed up as the kiss continued. He pushed my shirt up to rest lightly on my stomach but he suddenly pulled his lips from mine and buried his head into the crook of my neck. I struggled to catch my breath as he did the same; I looked over his shoulder and saw the reason he had stopped. My dopple ganger stood there with Tony behind her. My dopple ganger smirked while Tony's eyes were wide,

"Why the hell is reindeer games here and why are you two going at it like rabbits in the kitchen?" Loki snorted into my neck while I laid my head back on the counter,

"Shit…" I muttered.

**Tony's was here, I told you. I never said he had a paragraph but I said he was here. REVIEW PLEASE!**


	11. Chapter 11: Jewelry for Kisses

_*Gasp* Have I really returned? Yes if for the moment. Enjoy you guys._

**I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS! ONLY LYLE!**

Chapter Eleven: Jewelry for Kisses

I pushed Loki lightly on the arm and he stood up in order for me to sit up. Loki did not look at Tony but kept his body turned towards me and his eyes on the screen glass door behind me. Loki stood rather close and leaned his hand on the counter while the other hand rested on his hip. I smoothed out my clothes and looked at my dopple ganger,

"I thought you were handling the police."

"I was, then they drove up," she was trying her hardest not to laugh.

"So you got in a fight with your ex?" Tony asked, "And you found it necessary to conjure up Loki and-"

"Tony!" I shouted at him, "Yes, I got in a fight with my ex. And in case you didn't notice, came out of it with a scrape," I hopped down off the counter, "and Loki-"

"Yes, Reindeer Games," Tony muttered and turned his attention to Loki, "last time I saw you, you were in a muzzle."

"Strange how big a small man talks when he is without his armour," Loki smirked. Tony's eye twitched and he took a step towards Loki,

"I'd watch what I'd say if I was you." Loki pushed me behind him,

"Or what? I could easily throw you back out a window. I doubt you brought your suit with you." I grabbed Loki's arm and pulled him behind me,

"Alright boys, play time is over." I grabbed Tony's arm and, together, we walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where Bruce was observing my pictures.

"Bruce!" I nearly screamed. I ran over to him and jumped on his back; he staggered to catch his balance and patted my arms.

"It's good to see you back, Lyle," I got off his back and gave him a proper hug,

"It's good to see you too!"

"Why is he here?" Bruce asked, a growl in his voice. Bruce's body immediately tensed and I could sense the beast's rage at how easily the God had gotten off last time. I pulled back from Bruce and took his face in my hands, looking him dead in the eye,

"Calm down. I brought Loki here."

"And what odd drink did you have on Blondie's planet to make you do that?" Tony asked. I turned and Loki had seated himself on the couch, looking over his shoulder at me and Bruce. I caught a slight twinge of jealousy and I rolled my eyes,

"Tony, don't mock me," I let go of Bruce and took a seat next to Loki, who then promptly wrapped his arm around me and leaned back, pulling me with him. Tony visibly clenched his jaw and Bruce remained standing behind us.

"Lyle, if he's got you under some sort of mind control just try to-" I waved Tony off,

"As of currently Tony, I am in complete control. Loki is, for lack of a better word, powerless." Loki's arm tightened around me and shame filled my senses; he did not like being without magic that much was for sure.

"Why the hell is he here then?" Tony asked, leaning into an easy chair and crossing his leg, "he has no more business here," he then turned to Loki, "unless there is some other army you're waiting on, in which case, a heads up would be nice."

"He's here on my account, Tony," I spoke, "there are so many ways to phrase this right now…"

"Then phrase it, please," Bruce answered, "Please, enlighten us as to why he is here." Nerves set in and they weren't just mine. I highly doubted that blurting out 'I'm in love with the god of mischief' was a smart idea but I had to come up with something. I didn't want to send Loki away but there was way too much tension in the room to explain anything.

"Loki, will you please go upstairs?" Loki looked at me, surprised. I needed to get him out of the room so Bruce could relax and Tony would stop his little arrogant remarks,

"I just need…a tad bit calmer environment," I communicated telepathically,

"What will you tell them?" Loki answered back, with the same telepathy.

"I'm working on it, just please go upstairs. I'll come get you when they're gone." Loki just stared at me for a moment before kissing me again…and held it for about five seconds too long. I caught his glare at Bruce before he rose and proceeded upstairs. I pinched the bridge of my nose,

"Tony, what you saw-"

"Oh I know what I saw," Tony answered, "and it wasn't a pretty sight. What'd you do? Mouth off to Blondie and get stuck with Loki for the day?" Bruce finally took a seat next to me and stopped lurking around. He was still unbelievably tense. I grabbed his hand and lightly rubbed my thumb over his knuckles,

"Tony, I asked to take Loki in," before Tony could interrupt I held up my hand, "humanity is one of my things, you know that-"

"Humanity didn't seem to bother you when he was taking over the world," Bruce muttered. I grit my teeth, I'd had enough,

"Then love! Crazy, stupid, love!" I stood up, "I'm in love with the God of Mischief, there, ya happy?" I sat down and put my head in my hands. The room was silent before Tony spoke,

"You must have really drunk something funny." I glared at Tony through my fingers,

"Don't do this to me Tony. I'm not the only one struck by Cupid's stray arrows."

"Leave Pepper out of this," Tony frowned.

"How can you love him?" Bruce asked. I looked at the ground and shook my head,

"Call it hormones, I just do. When Odin was giving him his sentence, when I heard 'jail', I just couldn't leave him there. I really just couldn't. I didn't want to leave him somewhere he might be killed, or alone. Loki may have tried to destroy Earth but still, I just didn't want to leave him. Something just kept nudging its way into my mind. Loki had plenty of times to steal the Tesseract off my neck but he didn't. I never could understand why, still don't completely but I have an inkling of why he might not have."

"Please, share with the group," Tony invited. I chuckled and looked at Tony,

"He could have killed me a long time ago. He could have left last night but he didn't, why do you think?"

"He loves you as well?" Bruce asked. I leaned back on the couch and drew my legs into a criss-cross,

"He may be the God of Lies, but mind reading has become a new hobby for me."

"So you read his mind?" Tony asked.

"No, I didn't have to. He told me."

"When?"

"Just before you walked in?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that he might be using you?" I shook my head,

"Several times over. But Tony, you should have seen him when Jake came. I could feel the jealousy just radiating off him. Emotions, while easy to mask, can be detected just slightly. You can go ahead and call me crazy, but I'm not letting him go. And if you call SHIELD, I will get on your ass faster than you can get that suit on." Tony just sat there with his fingers interlaced and resting on his chest. Bruce wrapped and arm around me,

"Can you take care of yourself?"

"Always," I smiled, "I'm the one with the staff, remember?" Bruce chortled and looked at Tony, who was still contemplating.

"Eh, your mistakes not mine," Tony pulled out a box from his pocket and tossed it to me, "I assume that's for Reindeer Games." I opened it and pulled out a bracelet that looked similar to a medical bracelet.

"Can it hide him?" I asked, fingering the metal links,

"Why do you want to?" Bruce asked.

"I can't have SHIELD poking their noses where they shouldn't be, and if they found out he was here then they would come get him instantly."

"So, you're going to harbor a fugitive-"

"Ex-fugitive, he's serving his sentence" I corrected.

"Whatever, the point is, Reindeer Games is staying here. He is in his own room, right?" I chucked the nearest pillow at Tony.

"He's got the guest room next to mine."

"Lock your door, please," Bruce asked. I leaned against Bruce,

"Nothing's going to happen."

"You sure?" Tony asked, "Because I know a couple of places that sell con-"

"You are really cruisin' for a bruising, Stark," I snarled. I got up and went to the kitchen door,

"Come on back and we can get ya'll something to drink."

"By the way, who was that fellow that probably left his man-card here?" Tony asked.

"An ex-boyfriend who can't seem to get it in his head that we were over a while ago. Water, soda?"

"Got any scotch?" Tony asked. I opened the fridge and grabbed a water and tossed it to him,

"Not much of a drinker. Bruce?"

"I'm fine thanks."

"So is your nose broken or have you suddenly developed healing powers?" Tony asked as I sat down on a barstool next to the counter. I prodded my nose lightly and found no pain,

"I suppose healing is one of my abilities. Rather useful. Are ya'll staying the night or what?"

"We're heading out once business is done," Tony replied, "but, Lyle…don't do anything I wouldn't do." I snorted,

"There are a lot of things that you have done Tony that I would never do. But I do…love Loki. And he will be here for a while."

"How long?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know. As long as it takes," I shrugged.

"Then I think we're going to head out then," Tony answered, "Can you send him back?"

"Why would I?" I asked Tony. I stood up and walked to the front door,

"I have no wish to send him back. So long as he has my trust, which is not much, he will remain here until I see fit." Bruce gave me one last hug,

"Stay safe, please," Bruce whispered. I pulled back and smiled,

"I'm the chick with rock, remember?" Bruce laughed and walked out the door. Tony handed me a business card,

"At least come up in a few weeks, just so we know that you're not dead."

"If I have time, we're going shopping tomorrow."

"So you're not going to put him in something with horns?" I pushed Tony,

"Get outta here." I watched as Tony got in the car with Bruce and they backed out and raced down the street in that sweet little red corvette. I sighed and shut the door; when I turned around Loki was standing right behind me,

"Gah! We're definitely going to get you a bell-" Loki swooped down and captured my lips. I tried to pull away, I had things I needed to discuss with him but he was distracting me. He pushed me up against the door and drew my wrists up over my head. I whined slightly and wriggled; he pushed his body up against mine and trapped me even more. I pulled my lips away and turned to the side in order to catch a breath but he descended on my neck.

"Loki…" I gasped, "need…to discuss with you…something of importance." He growled slightly and nipped my neck. I whimpered and he returned to my lips but I was a tad bit clearer. I transported to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. I held up the bracelet,

"Put this on please." Loki eyed it warily,

"What is this?" he asked, walking up to me and taking it from my hand.

"Something that will hopefully keep you safe." Loki held it up to the light that was filtering in through the window and cocked his head. I scoffed, took his hand, and slipped on the bracelet. Loki fiddled with the chains as I sat down on the couch and put my head in my hands,

"God-"

"Yes?" Loki responded. I glared at him through my fingers,

"Don't push me. I've had a long day."

"This day is the same length as any other day," Loki came and sat next to me. He leaned back and pulled me with him before he kicked his legs up on the couch and I was stretch on top of him, my back to his chest.

"Expression," I sighed, my hands still covering my face, "it means I'm not in a good mood." Loki gently pulled my hands off my face and tipped my chin back so that he was looking down at me,

"Perhaps I should try to remedy that." His lips descended lightly on mine; this kiss was gentle and light. He moved down to my neck and rested his lips on my pulse.

"Do you feel any better?"

"Much," I sighed. I rested my hand on the side of his head and rub a lock of his hair between my fingers. Loki's arms encircled my waist and tightened slightly.

"What did I hear about us going…shopping?" I laughed and rolled over so I could nestle my head in the crook of his neck,

"You need new clothes and, while my father's clothes may fit you well, I doubt you wish to wear them for long." Loki didn't answer as one of his hands lightly drew circles on my stomach. My stomach growled and I sat up and rolled off Loki.

"I don't feel like cookin', you ever had Chinese?" Loki raised his eyebrow at me, "alright, that's a fat 'no'." I stretched as I headed towards the kitchen. I grabbed Yun's Chinese menu off my fridge and turned to Loki,

"Beef or pork?"

"Beef." Loki took a seat and watched me as I called in and ordered. Thirty minutes later, I was rolling in shrimp dumplings and Loki was learning how to use chopsticks. I giggled lightly as a piece of beef yet again dropped from his chopsticks.

"There's no shame in using a fork," I told him. Loki just looked up at me with a bored expression,

"I have no need for a fork." I shrugged and snatched an eggroll from one of the boxes.

"We need to get up at around seven tomorrow. All the good shops get swarmed in the afternoon and I would at least like to make it home alive."

"Is there to be a battle?" Loki asked.

"No, but it'll feel like one." Loki almost managed to get one piece of beef to his lips but then it managed to slip. Loki grumbled and shoved the chopsticks back in the box. I tossed him a fork which he caught and looked at with disgust.

"No shame in it," I called as I walked back to the kitchen to throw away the carton. I came back and yawned.

"I'm headin' to the shower. Clean up after yourself." Loki didn't respond as he currently seemed too absorbed in the beef and broccoli. I walked upstairs and grabbed my PJs from my room. I walked into the bathroom and shut the door; didn't bother to lock it as it might be a while until Loki actually came up. I slipped out of my clothes and into the hot shower; shuddering slightly at the abrupt warmth. I went through my normal shower routine but after I had rinsed my hair, I stood there. I was comfortable and not about to move. I slid down the wall and rested on the floor under the cascading water. I closed my eyes and smiled at the peacefulness of my situation. I was roused from my state by the opening of the door. I scrambled up and reached for the towel…that wasn't there. I grabbed the shower curtain and held it to myself as I looked around to see a smiling Loki holding a towel that was supposed to be on the rack. I frowned,

"Loki, give it back."

"Do I not get to see all of what is mine?" I felt my jaw go slack as I stared at him. This boy was flirtatious beyond belief and nothing seemed to keep his libido in check. I gathered myself and twitched my nose,

"This isn't a joke, give me back the towel." Loki stepped away from me and leaned against the sink. He crossed his arms over his chest and put the towel down by his feet. That coy little smile still in place. I felt my eye twitch and the center of my neck heat up. I smiled lightly and teleported myself to my room.

I laughed at the groan that emanated from the bathroom and pulled out a spare towel from drawers. I locked the door and was surprised that Loki started banging on the door,

"Get over yourself Loki!"

"You're not playing fair little one!" I put on my tank and shorts and opened the door to find Loki holding the towel.

"I'm not?" Loki pulled me out of my room while closing my door. I was slammed against the door and yanked upwards to Loki's lips. I wrapped my legs around his waist as his tongue invaded my mouth. His hands roamed under my tank and his thumbs rested just under my breast. He shifted one of his hands to hold me up as he opened the door back to my room. He never broke the kiss as he continued to walk forward. He lowered me to the bed so that I was sitting and he was slightly bent over. He pulled away and I could see the hunger in his eyes. He had started a fire of my own in my lower stomach and it was not going to disappear.

"Loki-" He descended on me again, this time pushing me down onto the bed. I let my own hands roam his body and was delighted at what I found there. He was lightly muscular and lean but still had some meat on him. I tugged at his belt and Loki again pulled away to look at me with a kind of amused surprise,

"Do-" I kissed him lightly to stop him,

"Doubt you've heard of it but I am on the pill," he looked pretty confused but I continued, "I will explain in the morning but for now, I am a virgin." Loki drew back at that point extremely surprised.

"Interesting. So you have never…"

"No," I blushed and turned away, "Never caught on?"

"You just seemed…so assured."

"It's not hard to learn how to be coy." Loki did not say anything for a while and I took the silence as a bad sign but was surprised when Loki drew me to his chest and had his back to the headboard and my back to his chest. He tipped my face up and kissed my lightly on the forehead.

"Then perhaps it is time that you learned what being coy is about." I kissed Loki back; this was going to be a long night.

_No I will not continue on with the bed room actions. I just wouldn't be able to write it. If anyone wants to try, message me please! Comments, Concerns?_


	12. Chapter 12: Shopping

**Am I back? Not exactly. I will be working a lot this summer and this story is on partial hiatus but I did try to update it. There is a bit of lemon but not really. SORRY! IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO WRITE A SEX SCENE! If someone wants to adopt that paragraph or so they are welcome to but for now, read on!**

**I do NOT own the Avengers. Only Lyle**

Chapter Twelve: Shopping!

I leaned my head against the top of the couch and took a swig of Dr. Pepper. I was sore in the right places but afraid in others. Loki and I had made love only three hours ago and how that seemed to go on forever. Even when I woke up five minutes ago the air was still thick. Loki was sleeping next to me with his arm hooked around my waste and his chin resting on the top of his head. He had looked so peaceful. A wave of angst had washed over me; I thought about the consequences of what Loki and I had just done. If SHIELD found out…or if Odin found out.

I had felt sick to my stomach so I was currently sitting in the dark on my couch. Rain was coming down softly and occasionally a flash of lightning lit the room. I wrapped the blanket closer around my body trying to stop the shiver that coursed through my body. I didn't regret the hour Loki and I had spent together, no there was no regret…only a slight fear of what may happen. I set my drink down on the table and flipped on the television turning the volume down low. I tucked my feet under myself and closed my eyes, trying to let everything disappear. I didn't open my eyes when light feet tracked down the stairs. The cushion next to me dipped down and an arm wrapped around me. I shifted myself so that my body was pressed against Loki's and the blanket was over both of us. Loki laid back and pulled me with him and rubbed circles on my back.

"May I ask why you left my side?" Loki whispered in my ear. I sighed and buried my face in the crook of his neck,

"Just felt a tad dizzy," I answered. Loki took one hand off my back and rested his palm on my forehead. I giggled slightly,

"What are you doing?" I asked looking up at him.

"Is it not an Earth custom to test the heat of one's forehead to determine if one is ill?" Loki asked. I took his hand off my forehead and kissed him on the nose,

"More customary for a mother to do that to her child." Loki smiled mischievously,

"But you are my little one." I twitched my nose and raised my eyebrows,

"Is that another way of calling me short?" He picked me up bridal style before I could protest and kissed my neck.

"I believe the proper term is 'petite'."

"Not when you fit in a size eleven…or nine on a really good day." Loki sighed and looked at me with a bored expression,

"The women on Asgard are thin as willows yet they are easily knocked over by a simple gust of wind. You, on the other hand," he shifted me so that I my legs were wrapped around his hips and my arms around his neck, his hands tightened lightly around the underside of my thighs, "are full figured and have stood up to Odin. You are also the holder of great power as well as my heart. So," he kissed me lightly before looking into my eyes with a gaze that was strong enough to charm a snake, "I suggest that you forget about any negative reference to your weight and focus on who is in front of you."

I snorted and shook my head,

"Dang sweetie, if I put you in front of a snake could you make it sing?" Loki raised one eyebrow before walking me up against a wall and breaking into one of those mischievous smiles.

"Perhaps I can make you sing for me." Loki's lips descended upon mine and my subconscious transported us upstairs with me on top this time. We continued the dance with our tongues while he methodically managed to get me under him. I broke the kiss and looked up at him, smiling lightly,

"I'm never gonna get any sleep, am I?" Loki smiled and slipped one arm under my back, arching me up and kissed my stomach. He then leaned down to my ear and whispered,

"Not tonight little one."

Oo00oO

_You make me feel like I'm livin' a teenage dream, the way you turn me on._

I danced lightly to this song while slathering cream cheese on my bagel. I was currently wearing a black long tee with the word 'AIRBORNE' on it, the shirt Loki had been wearing yesterday. The shirt hit the top of my knees and I felt amazing. Last night had been incredible and I was still sore but felt fantastic. I spun around to the song and danced over to the fridge; I threw the cream cheese in the fridge and spun back around to the bagel. I picked it up and bit into it when I heard a cough. I turned to the door with the bagel still in my mouth.

Loki was standing there wearing only sweatpants. His hair was ruffled beyond belief and he was…godlike. I had never told him that but he truly did fit that godlike stature. I bit off a piece of the bagel and chewed thoughtfully. Loki made his way over to me and walked me back into a counter. He put his hands on either side of me on the counter and I was still chewing that piece of bagel. I gave him an innocent look as he stared down at me. I swallowed,

"Yes?" I asked. Loki leaned down so that his forehead was touching mine and he stared in to my eyes. He smiled before reaching back above me and grabbed a porcelain mug. He kissed me on the top of my nose before pouring himself a cup of coffee. He leaned against the counter and looked at me over the top of his mug. I smiled and hopped up on the counter,

"Someone is coy this morning." Loki raised his eyebrow and continued to take a sip of coffee. I finished my bagel and began to speak,

"Well, we have a lot of errands to run today sweetie, so I'm gonna go take a shower and then we can head." I walked past Loki but was stopped by the tug on my shirt. I looked down to see Loki's hand on the back of my shirt and looked up to see him staring down at me with warm eyes.

"Are you going to talk to me this morning?" I asked. Loki pulled me close to him and rested his chin on my head,

"Can we bathe together?" he asked. I froze slightly and looked up at him with my eyebrows raised.

"I suppose, but it might take forever…" Loki swept me up and I wrapped my arms around his neck while letting out a slight squeal. Loki put down his mug and readjusted his hold on me. Loki walked up the stairs to the bathroom and shut the door. He sat me on the sink counter and began turning on the water. He shrugged out of his sweatpants and came over to me and grabbed the bottom of my shirt. I tugged it back down and smiled at him,

"Any more words sweetie?" He leaned in close and whispered in my ear,

"Take off the shirt." He kissed me with enough desire to satisfy me forever. I felt the shirt slip over my head but he never seemed to stop. I was forced on my back and felt him run his hand down my right thigh; he hooked my knee and planted my foot on the counter. He ran his finger up the inside of my thigh and dipped his lips to my collar bone. I gasped as steamed filled the bathroom, clouding over the vision that was not taken up by Loki.

Oo00oO

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as we waited at the stop light. Loki and I had finally managed to climb off the bathroom floor and get dressed before stepping out to meet a cloudy day. I cast a side glance at Loki who seemed intent on staring out the window at every pedestrian who crossed in front of my car. It was creepy but it was better than having him mess with my radio. I reached over and squeezed his hand as the light turned green.

We pulled into the parking lot outside the mall and got out. I pulled out my umbrella as a streak of lightning went across the sky. Loki jumped and got closer to me but I just grabbed his hand and led him inside.

The mall we were in was the only one in town so it was relatively busy but not as busy as it could have been. I stopped at the directory and started skimming the options.

"Gap…Old Navy…Banana Republic…Macy's…what do you want to wear?" I turned to Loki who was currently staring at the gigantic fountain in the mall. I grumbled lightly and pulled him into Macy's in order to get through at least some of the male end of the store. I set him lose and told him to get at least four pairs of jeans and a couple of nice t-shirts as my dad's would last for a while. While Loki browsed I pulled out my cell and checked in at the studio. Maya said that everything was fine and asked about when I was going to bring Loki in.

"Sometime, maybe soon," I replied as I pushed aside a few hangers here and there.

"When is soon?" Maya asked. I looked up to see Loki holding an armful of jeans and looking for the fitting rooms.

"I gotta run, we're shopping right now, bye!" I hung up before Maya could drag me into anything else. I gestured at the fitting rooms and sat outside in those chairs that men crave whenever they are pulled into shopping sprees with their significant other. I pulled out a book and started running through a few things before Loki called me into the dressing room.

"What's wrong?"

"How does this look?" Loki stepped out in a pair of tight fitting blue jeans and a blue v-neck t-shirt. My eyebrows rose up and my mouth dropped slightly.

"Whoa…nice, but there's something missing." I walked outside and looked around before snagging a black leather jacket and tossing it to him. He put it on and pulled lightly on the lapels. He looked amazing. Loki looked at himself in the mirror and admired what he saw. I could feel the pride radiating off him and couldn't help but get a nice long look at that tush of his. I mean, come on, the guy was a god.

"Now that looks great," I finally spoke. Loki's attention snapped back to me and smiled.

"Should I try on something else?" I took a hold of the price tag and had a mini heart attack.

"Yes, and please look for things on sale…we might have to stop at Khol's." Loki's smiled faltered and looked at the tag,

"I did not realize that there was a limited supply of money, is there anything I-" I held up my hand and shook my head,

"Just watch what you get. I am lucky that this town is part tourist trap. Try to stay under twenty dollars when looking for clothes." I sat down on a chair and watched as Loki walked around and nearly fought another guy for a shirt. I was close to jumping in on that one but Loki managed to intimidate the guy in order to get the shirt.

We finally paid and left with a few pairs of jeans and a couple of shirts along with that leather jacket I pulled. As we walked through the mall I prattled on about the next week's plan, what we needed to get for food, how the house was to get cleaned. As I talked I had not realized that Loki had stopped outside a store and was staring in the door. I finally realized that Loki was not next to me and turned around to find him looking at the store I dreaded going into…the one with pink splattered everywhere.

I had to control myself from sprinting over there and pulling him away but I walked over and tugged on his arm.

"We have things-"

"What is this place?" Loki asked.

"Victoria's Secret…it's an underwear store for girls, we have things to do." Loki didn't budge but instead stared up at the picturesque models. I had to admit I felt a twinge of jealousy but continued to tug.

"Do you purchase items from this store?" Loki asked. My cheeks turned red; even though he had seen me naked countless times it managed to be a touchy subject for me.

"Not really, I don't-" before I could protest, Loki pulled me into the store by my arm and started browsing the shelves. I stood frozen next to Loki as he browsed and had to force myself to look around. A bunch of perky sales associates were walking around trying to help other women to find what they wanted. I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

"Loki, can we please-" Loki shoved a pair of underwear that were mixed shades of green, black, and grey.

"Put these on." I stared at Loki with large eyes before stammering,

"B-but…" Loki pushed me to the fitting rooms and sat down on the chair looking at me expectantly.

"This isn't a showroom Loki!" I hissed at him. Loki just cross his arms and leaned back while raising one eyebrow. I gave in and growled,

"Fine!" I nearly slammed the door and sat down on the bench. I breathed deeply before I started slipping out of my clothes and into a combination of the underwear. I was surprised that everything was in my size but somehow I wasn't all that surprised by Loki. I kind of got into modeling in the mirror and eventually settled on a pair of dark green lace briefs and a dark green bra with goldish accents around the top of the cups. This was a large ego trip for Loki and I didn't try to see it any differently. I honestly saw nothing wrong with looking good and bolstering Loki's ego just a bit so I slipped back into my clothes and held the underwear in my hands as I slipped out the dressing room and nearly ran into Loki.

He had the smile of a chesire cat and tried to grab the underwear from me but I held it just out of his reach.

"I think not." Loki pouted but I stolled past him with a newfound confidence and paid before walking out the door with Loki's arm around me. He leaned down and whispered into my ear,

"When will you wear it?" I turned and kiss him on the nose,

"Sometime, right now I am starving, let's get something to eat on the way home."

_**Yea, it's been a while. I've had several things going on so hopefully you enjoy this chapter. Yea, I can't write sex scenes, sorry guys.**_


End file.

Avengers, Romance