Darcy was rudely awoken the following morning by the irritating need to pee, and when she first blinked open her eyes, she had no idea where she was at first.
The sofa was soft, squishy and a bit lumpy, not like the one in her apartment back home. The room was gloomy, and surprisingly cool. It also smelt unfamiliar, a bit incense-y and like wine. She also had no idea what time it was, and...
Then she realised where she was.
For a few glorious minutes whilst dazed and confused, she'd forgotten all about being stranded in London with the notorious God of Mischief.
Cursing her bladder, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, heaved herself up off the sofa, and stretched.
That's when suddenly she remembered the disturbing thoughts she'd had last night, as they came filtering back in a moment of unforgivingly harsh crystal clarity.
She had replayed yesterday's exchanges over and over in her mind before eventually falling asleep. The way Loki had tended to her injury so sweetly, and held her hand.
The hug.
His proposition, the way he'd jokingly asked her to share the bed with him.
Ugh.
Maybe this is what Tony had meant when he'd warned her about Loki. And she'd laughed and shrugged it off, thinking he was being completely ridiculous.
But now she wasn't so sure.
What if the trickster was deliberately trying to get under her skin? Trying to get inside her head? And possibly into her pants? The very thought made her throat constrict, and blood fizz through her veins.
But in saying that, he hadn't exactly been acting any differently, so why she was suddenly very aware of his attractiveness was beyond her.
"You're being a complete idiot." She muttered to herself irritably.
All the messed up thoughts and feelings last night, it was probably nothing more than just the events of the day confusing her. She wasn't attracted to Loki, he was probably just growing on her. Like a....fungus.
Admittedly, she did like him as a friend, but she wasn't interested in him romantically or sexually.
No. Not in the slightest.
Feeling slightly better at having convinced herself, Darcy took a few deep breaths, and headed for the bathroom door. She still wasn't fully awake, her eyes still bleary from sleep, so it came as a complete shock to the system when she reached for the handle but it suddenly crashed open and she collided with another body.
Oh god, why him?
Why now?
She let out a startled shriek, and his large hands instinctively grasped her shoulders firmly.
It took a few seconds for the mist to disperse, and there was a slight delay as her brain struggled to register the sight of an equally startled, alarmingly underdressed, Loki.
Wrapped in little more than a shroud of steam and an obscenely small white towel, his damp skin glistened with tiny droplets of water, and he looked like some sort of dark angel. An angel who'd been cast out of heaven for being far too sexy.
"Miss Lewis! Watch where you are going!" He snapped, looking genuinely surprised to see her, and seriously disgruntled.
"Huh! H-how about you watch where you're going!" She snarked, as she fought to keep her eyes on his face and not allow them to drift downwards.
He was still holding onto her, as if making sure she wasn't a figment of his imagination, and the contact set off a little configuration to all of her senses.
Ugh, she didn't like this. She didn't like the closeness of their proximity. It made her stomach feel all fluttery.
She tutted loudly, and pushed her way passed him, forcing his hands to fall away.
But she did this a little too forcefully, her movements so brusque, which caused the knot in his towel to loosen and slip down precariously. Fortunately for the both of them, Loki had reflexes like a cat, and he caught it before it fell open, and adjusted it accordingly. Although, it still hung down a bit too low on his narrow hips for Darcy's liking. Dangerously low in fact. But she didn't want to think about that.
"If I didn't know better, I might be inclined to think you did that deliberately." He huffed, as he looked up and caught her ogling. But there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Her face flamed, turning her usually pale skin, dusky. "Don't flatter yourself, space boy."
"But you do find me 'hot' don't you, earth girl?"
"Oh, shut up!" She slammed the door in his smug face, and tried to forget about what she had just seen.
Again.
After taking a quick shower herself, she changed back into her clothes, wrapped her wet hair up in a towel, and shuffled back into the living room.
She was relieved to see Loki back in his black suit -- just minus the tie -- although the very dark place inside of her that harboured indecent thoughts, wished she had told him he needn't bother getting dressed on her account.
What was wrong with her?
He was sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchenette, munching on a croissant whilst reading the book on Norse Myths. The sparse shafts of morning sunlight filtering in through the skylight, reflected the freshly shampooed sheen of his hair, making it gleam like a raven's feathers.
She pulled out a chair and sat opposite him, noticing he'd already made her a cup of coffee.
"Thanks for the coffee. It's real sweet of you to save me a trip to the burns department. See, you have the potential to be a hero....you're keeping me safe from the hazards of the kettle."
He nodded slightly, still thoroughly absorbed in the book, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration. "Hm. What would you do without me?"
Curious, Darcy titled her head to look at the page, and was mildly amused to see he was glued to the chapter about himself. Then she noticed the artists' illustration and began to laugh. In fact she laughed so hard, she ended up having to wipe tears from her eyes.
"It isn't very flattering is it?" He griped. "Imagine how you would roar with laughter if it was a badly drawn picture of yourself."
"Dude, I actually would."
The drawing depicted him as a skinny, pointy-nosed, weasly looking man, with evil eyes, a thin moustache and horns on his head.
"Aaah, come on. It's not all that bad."
"It is worse than bad."
"I bet the one of Thor isn't much better." She noted helpfully.
"True, that one isn't accurate either, but it still isn't as hideous as this one." He shook his head disapprovingly, as he read the description. "They haven't even mentioned how I'm devilishly intelligent, and incredibly good-looking. I must find whoever wrote this, if they're still alive, and make them suffer."
Leaning on the table, she grinned at him over the rim of her coffee cup. "Perhaps you could find the artist too and force him to redraw you, to make you look less....pointy. And without the Dick Dastardly moustache."
His eyebrows raised. "Who's Dick Dastardly? Actually, it doesn't matter. Judging by your inane grinning, I'd rather not know."
She stuck her tongue out at him, enjoying his bemused reaction, as she reached across the table for a croissant, which he'd thoughtfully set out on a plate.
"Anyhow, Miss Lewis, we have a rather more pressing matter to discuss." He announced, snapping the book closed. And all hints of amusement gradually melted away from his features.
Oh oh. Serious Loki.
Now what?
"What's 'sup?"
He sucked in his cheeks, then exhaled slowly as if trying to keep himself calm. "We're not leaving for Paris until tomorrow morning."
"What?" She stared at him agog, her small brow furrowing with confusion. "Since when? Why?"
"Since your precious boyfriend decided to book tickets for a flight that doesn't leave London until tomorrow morning. That's when."
Her mouth fell open. "Greg didn't book a flight for today?"
Loki nodded slowly, and she was struck by how surprisingly well he was dealing with the news, all things considered.
"Wait, how do you know?" Her stomach dropped violently. "Please tell me you didn't speak to him?"
"Heavens, no. He sent one of those text messages--"
"So you read my phone? Again!"
Loki's jaw perceptibly clenched . "Not deliberately. I heard your phone make a pinging noise, and I merely went to investigate."
"And you read my phone." She repeated exasperatedly. "Never mind, I'm sure you've seen all there is to see in there now. Just give me a minute while I light a candle for my dignity--"
"Miss Lewis, none of that is relevant right now. The fact remains we are stranded here until tomorrow. And we have your wonderful boyfriend to thank for it."
"For the last time his name is Greg!"
"I don't care."
Darcy jumped up, and went to retrieve her phone from where she had left it on the coffee table. She silently cursed her carelessness. The controller was also lay next to it, and Loki could've used it at any time to deactivate and remove his obedience disk.
Shit.
She couldn't even bring herself to think of the consequences if he'd have decided to cut and run. Why he hadn't, was a bit of a mystery. But she was thankful for it.
"He must've had his reasons for booking that flight." She said, returning to the table with both devices.
Loki's expression noticeably darkened. "Of course. He got a better deal on the tickets by waiting until tomorrow. He said so himself. Basically, he did it to save himself some money."
Her eyes immediately snapped to his. "He....he what?"
"You heard me well enough, Miss Lewis."
She felt anger beginning to swirl in the pit of her stomach, but she also felt a little wounded. A little foolish. "Is that true? Or are you trying to push my buttons?"
"Read it for yourself." He said calmly, taking a sip of his coffee.
Something about the seriousness of his tone made Darcy believe him without even having to look, and she felt the sting of humiliation hit hard, as if she'd just been slapped in the face.
"Y-you didn't text him back or anything, did you?"
Surprisingly, his mouth then kicked up at the corner. "Actually I did."
"What?" She cried, aghast. "You didn't? Oh shit. What did you say?"
"I told him he is an absolute quim."
Darcy's eyes widened in shock. "QUIM? Doesn't that mean?"
"Yes, it means cu--"
"STOP! Alright! I get it!" Darcy's fingers didn't seem able to work fast enough as she frantically opened her messages. "There's no need to drop the C-bomb. Oh my GOD! I can't believe you called him that! Why would you do that?"
She threw him a worried glance, hoping he would supply a valid explanation without needing further prompting. He shrugged disinterestedly. "It seemed befitting. He is one."
Her eyes dropped back to the screen and she was pretty sure she might be at risk of throwing up in her mouth, when she saw he had indeed replied to Greg's message.
But as she speed-read the text, her heartbeat upgraded from thumping to hammering in her chest....
'With respect, I feel compelled to point out to you that you have a girlfriend in need of your assistance. One that is loyal, sweet, warm and funny, and caring . You ought to consider yourself fortunate to have won her affections. So one cannot help wondering why you neglect to care for her as you should. I hasten to add, that if you fail to value her worth, then you sir, are an utter imbecile.'
Darcy felt herself sway slightly, and she was grateful for the fact she was sitting down, otherwise she thought her knees might actually buckle. Her hand had subconsciously clasped over her mouth dramatically, which helped stifle the gasp that slipped passed her lips.
He hadn't called Greg a C.U.N.T, but he'd given him a piece of his mind. And if that was a piece of his mind -- meaning if that is what Loki honestly thought about her -- then she'd just lost her 'peace' of mind.
If he wasn't just being mischievous and trying to stir-up trouble, then...she was at a loss. Even though there would undoubtedly be a huge backlash to deal with from Greg, right now she was too overwhelmed to even think about that.
Raising anxious eyes to his, Darcy surveyed Loki's expression. He was leaning on the table with his elbows, head resting on his interlinked hands.
"Y-you didn't tell him he was a...a 'quim'." She pointed out needlessly, the breath sticking slightly in her throat.
He smiled at her, looking almost shy now and boyish. It was one of his coy smiles, the one he did without showing any teeth. "No Miss Lewis, I didn't. That does not mean I wasn't tempted to. However I refrained, as I didn't want to cause any further discord."
"No ones ever said anything like that about me." She heard herself say, before she could stop the words tumbling from her mouth. "No ones ever stood up for me like that before."
"No? Well....they should have." He held her gaze with a slow blink, and God help her, the look in his eyes drove her crazy.
At the risk of losing it completely, she was so tempted to just drag him across the table and....and....kiss him.
But then he pushed back his chair, and stood. And the opportunity for a fleeting moment of madness, was gone.
"I'm sorry for my interference." He said, heading into the living area to retrieve his tie. "I may have caused friction, so no doubt you'll have to deal with the repercussions."
"Don't apologise. I can handle Greg."
She watched him fiddle with his tie for a few moments, then without thinking, got up and went over to him. To his clear astonishment, she grasped it in her trembling hands, readjusting it so that it was straight. Then she deliberately allowed her fingers to gently graze his neck as she turned his collar down, an action that didn't go unnoticed by him.
Oh crap, why did she do that? Now she was just torturing herself. Because like an addict with temptation within her grasp, her fingers twitched with an eagerness to touch him again. To touch him properly. And the mental image of her grasping handfuls of his shiny black hair, flashed through her minds eye.
As they stood silently staring at each other, she felt a knot tightening in her stomach. She was having to fight the urge to brush away a stray strand that had fallen out of place. But she had the nagging feeling that if she did, her fingers would want to trace a line down his elegant nose to his mouth. And then she'd slowly replace her fingers with her lips.
Okay, she could practically hear alarm bells ringing in her head now.
Just then he spoke, shattering the charged silence, and she was close enough to feel his voice rumble through his chest. "Well, Miss Lewis.....now that we are at a loose end, how do you propose we pass the time?"
Oh crap. Was that innuendo?
Judging by the sensual drawl of his words, and the gleam in his eye, he was most definitely being suggestive.
Where were the Avengers now? Now that she needed to be rescued? But perhaps it wasn't Loki's seductive charms that she needed to be rescued from. No, she needed rescuing from herself. But she wasn't sure she wanted to be.
Fuck.
She wasn't safe to be around him like this anymore.
And she was so completely unprepared for how he was making her feel, but the more she overanalysed it, the more it made it a thing. It was all so much more real now, and she was forced to face up to the very real possibility that she might actually have the hots for him in a big way.
She had been more than happy wallowing in denial, content to keep dismissing what she might've known right from the start. The inexplicable attraction that she felt, from the first time he came swaggering up to her in his leathers, then caused her ovaries to explode simply by being shirtless when she had accidentally walked in on him.
But the truth was, he was all kinds of wrong for her.
Loki being well over a thousand years older, and from space, and a war criminal, really put a dampener on things.
His intelligence, his charm, his wit, his sexiness, his über cool outward appearance, were all very attractive qualities. Even his suppressed vulnerability, and dark, untamed wild aura, was undeniably appealing.
But he was everything she wasn't used to.
Which terrified her.
And she wasn't at all convinced that she possessed the strength of will and breadth of character to handle his glorious complexity.
And there was also Greg to consider as well. Solidly sensible Greg, with his routines, and non-threatening, predictable personality. Because whilst he was undeniably a complete douche bag at times, he still didn't deserve to be cheated on. Or ditched on a whim, just because Darcy had developed some crazy crush on a Trickster God.
No, she had to try and keep her head from the clouds, and her pants firmly on.
There would be no kissing, or anything else of the kind.
No matter how much she wanted it right now.
Realising she'd been silent for a painfully long time, Darcy cleared her throat, and subtly backed away from the object of her -- ugh -- desires.
"Now I thought you said you'd never try to seduce me, L." She forced a laugh which sounded utterly fake.
Loki crossed his arms, frowning but grinning broadly. "Miss Lewis, I hope you're not accusing me of attempting to seduce you again? I'm deeply offended that you don't believe me to be a man of my word." His voice was heavily laden with playful sarcasm, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.
Things didn't have to be weird between them. She found him hot, that didn't have to be a big deal. So the less she overthought it the better.
"Well, I'm thinking we should go out then. Let's make the most of our time here, yeah? We deserve to have a little fun."
He arched an eyebrow, and looked at her from the side of his eyes as she pulled her hair free from her towel-turban. "And we couldn't do that here?"
This comment earned him an expertly lobbed cushion to the head. "What?" His soft bark of laughter washed over her like warm, summer rain, and she smiled goofily at him.
"Behave, space boy!"
"I always behave. Admittedly sometimes it's badly, but it still counts as behaviour nonetheless."
"Shut up, smart ass!" Playfully she thwacked him around the head with the back of her hand, and he obliged her by pulling a comically pained face.
Slipping on her coat, he watched her closely as she then took a brush from her bag, and began raking it through her swathes of thick, damp hair hastily.
"Shall we wait until your hair has dried, Miss Lewis? I know humans are obsessive about their appearance."
"Nope." She replied, popping the 'p' with a self-satisfied grin. She had to admit she thoroughly enjoyed proving him wrong. "You keep forgetting, I'm not like most humans."
"Now that I can wholeheartedly agree with." He said, matching her smile with a foxy grin of his own.
They headed out of the apartment, with Darcy for once taking the lead. And as they took the steps she found herself wondering once again what the hell was happening to her.
What was this rapport they had somehow accidentally developed?
It was so intimate. So exciting. So strange. So gorgeous.
And so wrong.
"So, I'm intrigued Miss Lewis. What do you have in mind?" She heard him ask from over her shoulder.
And if she'd have answered honestly, her response would have been, 'you'
******************
As the day had worn on, and the pair explored London together, Darcy had decided exactly what she was going to do. What she was going to do, was enjoy herself.
And once she made that conscious decision, it wasn't difficult to do.
She was enjoying herself just going with the flow and forgetting about the rest. She forgot about Greg, forgot about S.H.I.E.L.D, forgot about being stranded, and forgot about her inappropriate thoughts, and whether or not she should or shouldn't be attracted to Loki.
He was in a surprisingly amiable mood -- apart from stipulating that they weren't going to visit Buckingham Palace, St Pauls Cathedral or the Tower of London, as he claimed he didn't wish to mingle with the masses of tourists -- he was quite content with letting her call the shots on where they went.
Firstly, she coaxed him into taking a boat tour, which enabled them to see a lot of the famous landmarks from the river. They then went into Camden Town, where Darcy -- now having exchanged her dollars for pounds -- went on a spending spree at the famous market, and the pair wandered around the many various shops down by the lock.
"You totally need to get this! It would look soooo good on you!" She raved, pointing out a beautifully tailored Victorian outfit which was arranged on a mannequin outside an alternative clothing store.
Loki inspected the ensemble closely, his attention having been piqued by the way she was practically salivating over it.
"Yes, it's very nice. But I can cast an illusion to appear in these clothes if I so wish." He reminded her.
She shook her head. "No you can't, it might interfere with your doppelgänger back in Manhattan. Besides, where's the fun in that?"
His dark brows drew together. "Fun? What fun is there to be had in the simple act of changing ones clothing?"
Smiling wryly, she bravely leaned in so that she could whisper close to his ear. "It's fun when you're taking them off."
He stared at her blankly, looking suitably mystified.
"Okay I mean it's fun for whoever gets to take them off." She blurted. "These clothes would look amazing on the bedroom floor. That's why they have to be real. An illusion is just....cheating."
Loki's eyebrows shot up so high they almost landed on the back of his neck, and Darcy gave a satisfied giggle. She thoroughly enjoyed ruffling his feathers. It kept him on his toes and showed him that he wasn't the only one capable of being suggestive.
"Miss Lewis, are you implying--"
"I'm not implying shit. All I'm saying is you would rock this get-up. It's like steampunk, gothic.....clothes-porn."
The outfit consisted of a black jacket, a black waistcoat which had an intricate pattern sewn in golden stitching, a black high-collared shirt, and black silk cravat.
It was --quite simply -- the stuff Darcy's angsty teenage fantasies were made of. Teenage fantasies that she still hadn't quite yet grown out of.
The way she saw it was, to find a guy who'd be willing to dress like he'd just stepped off the set of a Gothic-Romance movie, would enable her to die happy.
And she was convinced if anyone could pull off the look, Loki could. With his porcelain skin, piercing eyes and mane of dark hair, he would most certainly look the part.
Whereas someone like Greg on the other hand, just wouldn't ever look right dressed in something so exquisitely elaborate and outlandish.
Not that he'd wear it anyway, he wasn't fun like that. His view on steampunk-esque attire was, it was just plain weird. The stuff that freaks wore.
"I'll get it you, my treat!" She insisted, excitedly. "Trust me on this. This kinda thing was made for you."
"I'm not entirely comfortable with you spending your hard-earned money on me, Miss Lewis." He protested earnestly.
But she was already in the shop, rifling through the clothes rails. "Hey, don't worry. Seeing you dressed like this, is all the payment I need."
Shit. Did she sound like a pervert right now?
"Are you attempting to dress me up for your own enjoyment? For your own personal gratification?"
"Yup." She answered honestly, and once again enjoyed his shocked reaction. "What? Guys objectify women all the time, and buy them clothes and sexy lingerie for their own pleasure. What's wrong with a woman doing the same? Besides, I genuinely think you'll look awesome. And it'll be fun! I know, I'll wear my new dress, and we'll hit the clubs tonight."
Darcy had splashed out on a daring little black, lace-fronted dress. She hadn't tried it on, for fear of Loki criticising her eclectic style tastes, but now she was feeling rather stoked over the idea of getting dressed up and painting the town red.
After all, they may as well make the most of their last night in London.
Well, as long as Greg hadn't cancelled their flights now as a result of Loki's message.
Darcy hadn't heard a peep from him since, and she was loathed to text him first.
She was still annoyed at him for his unnecessary stinginess, and if he was sulking then she couldn't care less. He needed to be taught a lesson.
Loki was bundled -- somewhat reluctantly -- towards a sales assistant, who helped measure him up for the right size jacket and waistcoat, whilst Darcy googled all the best local nightspots.
Half an hour later -- and £175 lighter -- they decided to look for a restaurant and get some food.
"If I don't eat and drink on an empty stomach, it goes straight to my head." She told him as they walked the bustling streets that were filled with colourful characters. "This one time, I tried to steal a boat because I was convinced I was Jack Sparrow. And another time, I woke up in a neighbours garden cuddling one of their garden ornaments. I thought it was Willy Wonka, but to this day I can't remember if it was Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp--"
"If I may interrupt? As gripping as these disturbing tales of inebriation are....I'm afraid they're lost on me, as I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh yeah. I guess you wouldn't would you. Oh well, I'll have to start making a list of all the movies you need to watch."
Heading toward Camden Underground station, Darcy formulated a plan which involved going back to Bloomsbury, getting food somewhere along the way, then they would take her shopping bags back to the apartment and get changed.
One of the other things she desperately wanted to do was take a trip on the London Eye, but she hadn't been able to decide whether she'd prefer to see the city by daylight, or at nighttime.
Now she'd devised a strategy -- take a trip on it just before dusk, then with any luck they would experience both.
Therefore, that would need to be their first destination, once they headed back out.
"God I'm so excited!" She beamed. "This has been such a perfect day, in a weird way, and it's not even over yet."
They were now sitting cosily in the fuzzy, flocked haze of an Indian restaurant, a humongous pile of poppadoms rising between them.
Admittedly, curry didn't seem like the ideal choice, but it was convenient. It had become apparent that the British were almost as obsessed with Indian cuisine as they were with tea.
"Call me a wuss, but I don't get pleasure from eating something that's painful. My idea of an enjoyable meal doesn't result in feeling as if I've swallowed hot lava." She had told Loki, who after having indulged her all day, was still oddly not showing any signs of his patience wearing thin.
On the contrary, he had been smiling and laughing more than she had ever seen him do. And it gave her a bizarre warm, fuzzy feeling inside, seeing him look....well, happy.
Neither of them knew much about curries, so they let the waiter order his recommendations on their behalf, after feebly informing him that they didn't want anything too spicy.
"As long as it doesn't do a conga in my colon tomorrow. And I'll just have to go back to the apartment and eat a tube of toothpaste so I don't have death-breath!" She said bluntly, not bothering to hide how amusing she found her own humour.
What made it even more satisfying was when Loki actually laughed too. She always found the sight of a hot guy laughing very attractive, especially when she was the one responsible for it.
And ugh, there was that thought again.
But it was blindingly obvious that Loki was hotter than any dish they had on offer.
The waiter arrived with an absolute mountain of food, helpfully explaining what everything was....'onion bhajis, pilau rice, chicken tikka masala, spicy potatoes, a king prawn curry, and a bottle of Turrunyo Carmenere for good measure.
"Miss Lewis, once I am in a position to, you must allow me to pay you back for your generosity."
Darcy waved a hand dismissively. "I don't want paying back. This is on me. And besides, what'cha gonna pay me with? Space money?"
He rolled his eyes at her in mock-irritation. "No. But we've already established that your wages are meagre. And whilst I do not readily have access to cash, I had thought that perhaps once I am granted leave from Stark's tower you might permit me to take you out to dinner?"
She swallowed hard, contemplating what he was actually proposing. He hadn't made it sound exactly like a date, but she suddenly felt shy as though he was asking her out.
But he isn't, she told herself sternly. He wouldn't.
"Unless of course, you'd rather I pay you in kind?" He continued, flashing her a devastating grin.
"What does that mean exactly?" She asked, dipping the corner of a poppadom into some coriander dip, and crunching on it loudly.
He leaned back in his chair, bhaji in hand, and looked at her through heavy-lidded eyes. "Sexual favours, Miss Lewis."
A minor coughing fit ensued, as Darcy practically choked on her food. Taking a huge glug of wine for courage and to clear her throat, she stared at him through watery eyes. "Sexual favours? Wow. Who'd have thought the God of Mischief would prostitute himself for a cool outfit and some Indian food."
"I'm sure people have prostituted themselves for less." He snickered. "Am I to presume you will consider my offer then? You haven't refused."
"Which offer? Dinner or sexual favours?"
"Either, the choice is entirely yours."
"Geez, so many options. What is a girl to do."
He shot her a sidelong glance with a hint of raised eyebrow, which did the strangest things to her stomach.
"Considering you find me 'hot', I'm surprised you need any time to deliberate."
She groaned, cheeks flaming -- and it wasn't an effect of the spicy food. "This again. It's getting kinda old now, space boy. And anyway, what's wrong with having both? Not that I'm saying I want both, but it wouldn't be fair making a hot blooded woman choose like that."
Undeterred, he continued to tease her mercilessly. "That would be awfully greedy of you to want both. And are you saying that you personally wouldn't like to discover first-hand how I really earned the nickname 'silver tongue'?"
Twisting her napkin tightly between her fingers, she resisted the urge to fan herself with it. His overtly sexual innuendo almost had her melting into a gooey heap.
"Ugh, I'm trying to eat here! Also, being as you're referencing the myths now, let's not forget that you're also famous for having sex with a horse!" She riposted, with a triumphant grin. "So you know, I can't really take your hitting on me as a compliment."
His devilish grin instantly vanished, and she had to distract herself from erupting into a fit of giggles by spearing a prawn with her fork.
"Miss Lewis, that was ONE time!"
His serious expression made her almost drop her fork in shock, and then it was Loki who started laughing. He laughed so hard his shoulders shook. Clearly amused by having momentarily worried her.
"The majority of what is written in those sagas is pure fiction. The horse story was just another feeble attempt to sully my reputation. To demonise and emasculate me."
"Right. So the whole beastiality thing is bullshit, but the parts about you being a God in the sack is the gospel truth?"
Smiling salaciously, he looked her dead in the eye. "There's only one way for you to find out."
"Shut up!" She chided, slapping his hand. "You're so bad! But I will get you back. Just wait and see if I don't. Tonight's gonna get messy, and when you're absolutely wasted, I'll be there to take pictures!"
"And what if you're wasted?"
She chewed her food thoughtfully, then fired him a mischievous smile to rival his own. "Then I guess we'll have some really interesting selfies to add to our album."