Estranged Lovers

6. Conflicted

As it was the weekend Y/N didn't have to go to work. She felt relief because she didn't want to face Leo just yet. The entire day she thought about him, about the feeling he gave her. Butterflies mixed with an instinctive warning. He was a strong and mighty lion and she felt like a deer, was he going to devour her? The feeling was thrilling but was it wise?

It felt so different in comparison to what she felt for Stephen. In his presence, she felt safe and guarded.

Both were cocky, funny, sexy, intelligent... Her mind trailed off.

She had not left her bedroom, only to collect something to eat and drink but in the early evening, she decided to go talk to Wong. He always knew just what to do and she felt like she was on the verge of pulling her hair out from madness.

She walked into the room where she thought Wong would be, "Wong are you here?"Wong turned around from the bookcase he was facing, "Y/N what's wrong?"

They had become good friends and Wong seemed to have some sort of sixth sense, he could always tell if she wasn't feeling well.

"Something happened at dinner yesterday.""Did he hurt you?!" Wong walked towards her, ready to defend her honour. "No, no... Quite the opposite actually," she countered. "He was kind and charming and it all felt strangely familiar..." she summarised letting her mind wander again.Wong pulled his head back and frowned, "Familiar how?""I don't know, I was hoping you could help me figure it out actually. It felt like flashbacks.""What kind of flashbacks?""Not like vivid memories. More like feelings. I don't really know how to explain it," she told him.

Wong cocked his eyebrow to push the conversation, he just knew she was holding back.

"Okay, the moment I saw him as something more than a colleague I got a massive headache.""Listen if you're having physical symptoms I'm not your guy. I'm getting Stephen," Wong said already taking a step towards the door. After all, he was the doctor. "No, let's not tell Stephen becau-," she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Let's not tell me what?" Stephen entered the room holding a stack of books.

He clearly hadn't shaven in some time, his hair had grown as well. She couldn't quite understand why that was something that caught her eye right now, it's not like it had grown overnight and it never bothered her before.

"My secret feelings for you," Y/N said winking at Stephen, half-joking and half flirting. "I knew it!" He replied the flirtatious joke. "Are you asking me out on a date? Because I'll gladly accept," he smiled awkwardly. "Stephen..." Wong shot him a death glare. "Or not... I'll shut up now."Y/N instantly felt better, Stephen and Wong's chemistry made her laugh.

"Well I might Stephen but then we'll have to do something about your look.""What about my look?" Stephen's face fell. He had been so busy that his appearance, something he normally took pride in, just hadn't been one of his priorities. "Although I love the whole boho-chic thing you have going on," Y/N made a waving gesture with her hand from top to bottom to indicate it was his entire appearance, "I'm actually a sucker for your goatee.""Uh thank you, I guess," Stephen nodded. "Well, I'm off. Wong, we'll talk later!" Y/N pointed her finger towards her friend to show that their conversation wasn't over. She left the room feeling lighter than she did entering it.

"So what was that about?" Stephen asked Wong.
"Jesus Stephen, you are terrible at flirting," Wong replied while taking the stack of books from Stephen's hands. "You do not speak the language of love."
"No, but I'm fluent in Google Translate," Stephen said sarcastically
."Are you shutting up now?" Another death glare.
"Yup." Stephen raised his eyebrows impatiently.
"Something is going on with Y/N and that Leo fellow."
"Going on how?" Stephen felt the sharp pang of jealousy.
"Don't know yet, you came bursting in," Wong shrugged and continued, "I think it might have something to do with her past." He turned to place the books Stephen had brought on the shelves.

"Do we need to intervene?"Wong turned around. "Well, you might Stephen. But you'll need Google Translate for this one," a derisive joke to let him know he knew about Stephen's feelings towards Y/N.

Stephen was not to be defeated that easily. He returned to his bathroom and took a shower. The warm water running over his muscled body. How could he have taken her living here for granted? He should have never given her that job, he thought to himself. After he left the shower he put a towel around his waist. Stephen stood in front of the bathroom mirror and wiped away the fog. He took the scissors from the drawer and started cutting his hair. He then took his razor and brought back the goatee Y/N liked. When he was done he looked at himself. A small head-tilt to the side. He looked good, even if he did say so himself.

Monday morning Y/N sat behind her desk at work. She had not seen Leo yet nor was she looking for him. Could you imagine the embarrassment, she thought to herself.

Paul came up to her and had brought a gift.
"Here," he said giddily, "You'll need those." He almost could not contain his laughter when he gave Y/N the bag.
"Huh?" She shot him a quizzical look. "A gift? Why? And why do I need it? Thank you though." She smiled still unknown of the contents of the bag.
"Haven't you read your email?" Paul asked genuinely surprised. "I went to the store the minute I saw the email last week."
"I saw something about a symposium but didn't really read it that well." The bag sitting untouched on her lap. "Who is going?"
"You are!"
"Oh, okay. Is Emily coming with me?" Y/N asked absentmindedly finally turning her attention towards the contents of the bag.
"No, Leo is," Paul said with a devilish grin as Y/N held up a black lace bra and Brazilian knicker. Y/N's eyes widened as she understood Paul's link between the lingerie and Leo.

Paul burst out laughing, "I guessed your size, hope it fits!" he wheezed. "Paul!" Y/N shouted angrily pushing the bra and briefs back in the bag hoping nobody else saw them. "Oh my god, Paul! You gave them already!" Emily entered looking dissatisfied. "You were in on this as well?" snapped Y/N sharply. "Of course! Who else is going to tease you?" "Leo might!" Paul said and he and Emily started laughing again.

"No! Here take these back!" Y/N said, placing the bag on her desk in front of her friends, "I'm not going on a four-week trip abroad alone with Leo! I hardly understand why a symposium has to take four weeks to begin with."

"You are so going," Emily started, "You told me how Leo makes you feel and the familiar feelings from the other day. You need to find out if Leo and your past are connected.""Are you absolutely mental? As if we are going to have the time for anything else but work while we are there." Y/N countered hoping to have found a reason to not go. "Uh actually, you'll have lots of spare time," Paul said receiving a murderous look from Y/N at his remark. He didn't let it stop him, "The hotel is in a little village called Port de Pollença, in the north of Majorca. Universities and Museums around the world are coming and you and some other colleagues are going to talk about your specialities in different places in Majorca. So there is a lot of driving around, talking, meetings, you know the drill."

"That doesn't sound like we'll have much free time," Y/N said wondering when he was going to explain his first remark. "You would work too many hours if it was a shorter trip so they planned all your talks and meetings and everything over the course of four weeks leaving travelling and leisure time as well." "Okay, and when are we leaving?" Y/N sighed. "Tomorrow," Emily stated. "TOMORROW?!" Y/N nearly had a heart attack, there was still so much to do!

Loki was not at the University, otherwise he would have heard Y/N screams of shock, but he was with Thor. "Brother, I finally found you. You could have told me where you resided. How is Y/N?" Thor asked. "She does not remember anything," Loki replied. The remark saddened Thor, she was his friend as well and he missed her too. "But I'm working on it," Loki said optimistically. He had just played his tricks on the headmaster making sure their University was going to a symposium, something the University previously had not planned to do. Well, he had played his tricks and used his charm the entire time, how else was he going to get a job working with Y/N? It mattered not, four weeks alone with Y/N would be more than enough to make her remember everything.

"How? Have you told her who you are?" "Of course not you dumb brute," Loki said agitatedly. "How do you presume she would react if I tell her about Asgard, Gods and magic? Huh? You are the muscles but certainly not the brains."Thor rolled his eyes, he had not missed this.

"Look, for all intent and purposes she is now mortal and mortals think of you as mentally unstable if you talk about magic. And even if she believed me, the shock alone could block her memories even further," Loki explained.

"There is no time Loki. Father went berserk hearing you went after her. He will not let you go back if you do not come with me now.""I'll never leave her. You know that.""We'll figure it out back in Asgard. But if you will not return now you are banished as well."

Loki felt the rage and disgust rising. Will this man ever just let him be? He knew the answer. Odin would never understand Loki and Loki was never going to forgive him. Who needs them anyway? Y/N was going to remember him because they loved each other and they would figure it out together, he thought to himself. 

"I'm not coming," Loki shook his head. "Loki..." Thor pleaded, "Please don't do this.""This is goodbye brother." Loki turned his back towards his brother and waited for him to leave.