california 02 // loki's romanoff prelude

twenty six // flames, pt. III

'How long do you think it will take him?' asked Amora. She was lounging backwards in a chair beside Anastasia's bed. Loki pretended not to notice that she was showing most of her bare legs.

'Less than an hour,' he replied, looking anywhere but her. 'That was a good touch you made. Peeling off her face.'

Amora laughed. 'I kind of want to do it now.'

The little girl gave a muffled squeal. She didn't need the gag, Loki's spells could hold her more than efficiently, but it was Amora who had told him it would make more of an impact, Amora who came up with exactly what words he should say in the video. Amora was clever at this sort of thing. Loki was almost glad of her presence.

'Are you just going to remain silent?' asked Amora, playing with the knife, running it across her own fingers. The action was both disturbing and alluring.

Loki looked away. 'What else do you want me to do?'

'Talk. Tell me about Asgard. It's been many years since I was there.'

Loki rolled his eyes. Then, 'It's still big and golden and Odin still rules it.'

'What of Thor?'

Loki swallowed. 'He's fine. As always.' He lit a cigarette, and Amora's eyes brightened.

'Can I have one?'

He tossed her the lighter and one of the cigarettes. For a while, they said nothing, just smoking companionably in the silence. Then Amora said, 'Why are you even here?'

He glared at her.

'Are you banished?' she asked.

'No.' He inhaled. Exhaled. He felt calm flood his veins, and he closed his eyes. 'I just had to get away from it all.'

'So you came here. Had a good time. Got yourself a girlfriend. And somehow managed to tangle with Ivan Dreykov, one of the most feared Soviet agents on this tiny little planet.'

'Sounds about right.' Inhale, exhale; inhale, exhale. 'Although the girlfriend part was unplanned.'

Amora laughed. 'You're very cute. I see why she likes you.'

Loki chose to ignore that.

'Sorry about stitching your mouth,' Amora added.

Loki's head jerked. He tossed his almost-used-up cigarette into the flames. 'I would say you're forgiven, only you're not.'

'Oh, come on. There must be some way I can make it up to you,' she pleaded. Making puppy dog eyes. Playing with him. When he didn't react, she said, 'Oh, you're a hard one. I can't seem to figure you out, and yet I thought I knew how to read all men.'

Loki's lip curled. 'Like Frisk?'

'Frisk is too easy,' she laughed. 'But then again, mortals always are. The thing about Frisk is he's like a little dog who thinks he's the big bad wolf. I know he needs me - for protection, for sex, for verification. But you - I thought I had you all figured out. I thought you were a hopeless romantic. Would you believe I thought that the Black Widow bitch - sorry - was using you?' She laughed. 'But nobody can use you, I see now. So would you tell me something?' Amora leaned forwards, so her breath heated his face. 'What's your relationship with her?'

Loki frowned at her.

'I mean, obviously you're still dragging out that boyfriend-girlfriend act, blah-de-blah - but what do you want from her?'

'I don't want anything from her.'

It was true, he realised. That was the difference between him and Amora. He loved Natasha. That was all he wanted. It wasn't like Amora and Frisk, each searching for something to gain from the other, eventually ending when they had satisfied themselves enough.