Bets and Wagers

Eight

Like many things in my life, overhearing the cause of my own downfall had been a complete accident.

After hours of dancing, drinking and general partying, Loki and I had gone our own ways for a little while.

It didn't bother me that he would disappear from time to time, he knew more people personally here than I did and it gave me a moment of reprieve, sometimes I would even venture onto the balcony to get some fresh air and clear my head.

The fifth time we split up, I decided to use the short break to use the bathroom and freshen up a little with a little hand wash and a quick dab of water on my face to wipe away the stickiness of mixed body heat.

I must have only been in the bathroom for seven minutes collectively but by the time I left the corridor seemed suddenly seemed devoid of people and I felt strangely lost, it reminded me of a time when I was new in school and picked the wrong classroom door when returning.

Only this time the corridors were longer and there were a few more turns and doors to pick from.

I could hear the music in the background and attempted to follow it while trying to ignore that I had no talent in tracking, there was a reason my job was to sit in an office chair and not show my face on the field.

It was almost thrilling, like I was in my own spy movie, sneaking around to try and find my target without being spotted.

Would I be able to come up with a quickfire lie if I'm caught?

Would I meet a rival with the same end goal who I'd strike up a rivalry with, one that would gradually become something more akin to respect?

"Fine, you invited her and actually managed to get her here, looked like you were having fun too, you win."

Or would I come across a private conversation Tony was having?

"I admit, you best me with this one, you win."

With Thor.

"I do, don't I? You owe me."

And Loki.

My heart dropped when it all clicked together, which took a couple of seconds as the words and voices registered together and blended into a scene.

I'd paused on the spot as soon as I heard Tony's voice, initially worried that I would wander into something he wanted to keep separate from everyone else at the party.

Not just me.

They were talking about me.

What had Tony said?

Something about Loki getting me here, but when would he have cared that I was at a party anyway?

We barely knew one another.

"I told you that it's not hard to charm someone, if Thor can manage it in two days then I inevitably could."

My blood ran cold and my stomach fluttered uncomfortably, the alcohol mixing with the growing betrayal and creating a mixture of pure nausea.

"But you took longer than a 'wet weekend', so do you really win?"

My heart jolted again.

Clint was in on it too?

How many of the others here had been part of this game?

Were they laughing behind my back the entire night?

Sniggering when I'd been dancing with the player, knowing that he'd eventually rip away the confidence we had built between us, or at least I had.

"Don't think that you can get out of paying your dues, aren't you a man of your honour?" Loki chuckled, that damn laugh that made me feel sick.

My throat burned as my chest tightened, making breathing a task as I fought back to urge to cry.

I couldn't remember the last time I had felt like this.

Actually, had I ever felt the burn of such severe humiliation before?

Although I didn't have the full context of the conversation, this didn't seem like one of those rom-com moments of a simple misunderstanding.

Even their short talk made the intention loud and clear and I felt foolish, I had allowed myself to be strung along by some God who had a way of forcing himself into your world no matter how much you wished to resist it.

"So what's the plan now, brother?"

"I'm not entirely sure, I didn't plan for this to happen so quickly, I thought it would take a couple more weeks but then that mission fell perfectly into my lap."

"Don't look at me," I could picture Tony holding his hands up, "I was just relaying the info so I can't take credit."

As they talked, their footsteps got closer to the corner I was stood behind and I had to force myself to move, not wishing to be discovered and having to face this directly, even though I knew that my chances of getting away unseen by that point were slim.

My legs felt disjointed and my stomach continued to flutter in discomfort as I took my first step, feeling as though I had forgotten how to walk in the presence of others.

Somehow, I managed to force myself forward with enough speed to get past the junction of the corridors without colliding with anyone, though not fast enough to get by without being seen.

There was a lull between my running past and the calling of my name by Loki as he followed after me.

Despite my blurred vision, lack of direction and generally shorter stature, he didn't manage to catch up with me until I had made it outside, into the biting cold of the late-night air.

"Will you wait?" He said, making a grab for my wrist.

His fingers barely gazed my skin before I wrenched it away, finding myself turning towards him with nothing but distain and hatred.

"Don't touch me!" I yelled, catching the attention of some passers-by on the other side of the street, but I didn't care by that point.

"Okay, I won't," he replied, holding his hands in front of himself while taking a defensive step back, "but can you please hear me out?"

"No, nothing you say right now will make any of this better."

"Of course not, but I still wish to tell you that I didn't mea-"

"Don't you dare hit me with an 'I didn't mean to'," I snarled, feeling my tears of sadness turning into an anger that made the words stick to the back of my throat. "You didn't mean to what? Huh? Earn my trust to rip it away from me? Take pity on the sad sack with no friends under the pretense of common decency for what? Some brownie points with the boys?"

"It's not like tha-"

"Oh cut the shit, Loki, you're smarter than that so save both of our dignities."

"Would you stop cutting me off?"

"No, I don't want to hear a word you have to say, you've done more than enough damage."

I'd never felt such seething rage in my life, I knew I was glaring at him with utter disdain purely from how sore my entire being was.

My whole body was shaking and it took everything I had in me to be the bigger person and turn to walk away, leaving him standing on the sidewalk with a pathetic look of self-pity.