Doesn't Play Well With Tricksters

3 - The Truth of the Matter

Rachael had been running on the treadmill for over an hour, waiting for her phone to stop skipping over all her favorite workout songs. Surely it was a coincidence the only songs that wanted to play through were ballads and pop songs about taking chances.

Loki was lounging in an armchair across the room, being annoyingly distracting.

She glared at the phone, pushing the button to manually skip a song she had zero interest in listening to while he was paying so much, not so subtle, attention to her.

What was he watching her for, anyway? Hadn't she made it clear she didn't have any intention of falling for his bullshit?

She rolled her eyes, reminding herself that he wasn't doing anything wrong. He was just sitting on the other side of the room, smirking like he was up to something. He couldn't be up to anything. He was at least 200 feet away. And smirking. Just like he did when he changed the text message on her phone.

She pushed the "Cool Down" button that would gradually slow and then stop her exercise routine and started thinking over the situation again.

Songs about enjoying the time you have, and making the most of your chances, and a manipulative, playboy who can control electronics.

Yeah. He was definitely fucking with her.

She practically bounced off the machine, swinging her hips to the song and humming along, giving him and Barton quite the show before flouncing over and throwing herself down on the sofa, a good distance from both of them.

"Good workout?" Barton asked.

"Would have been better if someone wasn't fucking with my music, but yeah." She answered, pulling her phone out of its arm holster and shutting down the music app.

She glared past Barton. "Keep out of my electronics or I'll send for a pair of Asguardian handcuffs and make you a pair of permanent bracelets."

Barton laughed. "Told you she'd catch on."

"Why aren't my crystals working on you?" She demanded, ignoring Barton's comment.

"He was only raised Asguardian." Barton answered. "He's biologically from Jotunheim."

Rachael huffed and glared at the useless security measures she'd spent months installing.

"Yet I haven't attacked anyone or caused any major catastrophes." Loki quipped.

Barton stood and silently exited the room as Loki and Rachael continued to argue.

"You didn't say anything either, did you?"

"And take away the only thing that made you feel safe?"

"There is no safe around someone who could make anyone do anything he wanted at any time." She countered, standing to confront him.

He stood and stepped closer. "If you haven't noticed, I don't have the staff anymore. I couldn't make you do anything you didn't want to if I tried."

"Since when does the God of mischief need a staff to manipulate people? " she asked, turning on her heel to leave.

He appeared between her and the door. "And the truth comes to light. You're not afraid of me. You're afraid of what you might decide to do and then blame on me later."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you deny it?"

She stepped close enough to poke him in the chest with an index finger. "You don't get to turn this around on me. You're the one who's been lying for weeks, using the same old tricks you always have. And what good has it done you? What could you possibly have gotten out of it?"