Never Meant to Be
This is an unintended AU with Sophie and a human Loki, who are assassins from opposing teams. @nightmareofcat and I may or may not continue on it. Let us know if you’re interested.
Sophie slides up behind Loki and presses cold metal against the back of his neck as she puts her lips close enough to his hear that her hot breath blows across it as she whispers, “You didn't actually think I was all cupcakes, dinner parties and missionary sex, did you?” Loki tilts his head back slightly, a breathless smile forming across his face as his hands raise halfway up. “How could I ever think that?” His accent thickened as his voice dropped an octave, “I’ve been waiting for you.” “Then you are as good at hiding as I am.” She grinned and licked her lips. While her tongue was out, it flicked at his ear. “Hands just a LITTLE higher please, dear.” He raises hands to shoulder height, “is that better?” His breath hitches. “You know I need to see them.” Sophie breathed huskily. “How else am I going to get the handcuffs on them?” “That is rather simple.” He spins in a flash; taking the gun and spinning her around, pinning one of her arms behind her while pressing the barrel of the gun up under the corner of her jaw. His lips ghost over the shell of her ear. “You don’t, darling.” He runs the tip of his tongue up the side of her neck. A small grunt left her when her arm got pinned. With her head tipped back, she drew in a large silent breath at the sensation of Lokis tongue on her skin. Her free hand slides the barrel of the gun over her jaw and against her lip. Her pink tongue slips out from between her blood red lips and circles the end of the barrel before disappearing again.
Loki watches the tongue intently before dropping the gun to the floor and devouring her lips with his. Before succumbing and joining in the kiss, Sophie gently kicks the gun behind her. He wasted no time, trying to get her clothes off as fast as possible. Her free hand tugged his tie and collar loose as her body struggles with and against his hands at the same time, maneuvering for dominance. Loki releases her hands in favor of ripping her shirt open down the middle and grinding himself against her. Sophie moans at the tearing sound that her shirt makes and pulls Lokis foot out from underneath him with hers, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Quickly she slides on top of him, leaning on her hands against his shoulders. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck then to her collar, where he bit hard enough to leave a mark while his hands slid behind her to unclasp her bra. As the bra falls off, she tips her head back again and shakes the hair out of her face before she manages to straddle him. She slips his tie off completely and bundles it in her hand. “How long have you known?” “After my last assignment, you were the only person not accounted for and verified on the guest list. Imagine my shock when I find that Tara Lynn is actually Sophie Arbor and that the woman I thought was my girlfriend was kissing a known international arms dealer.” He grasps the back of her neck and pulls her down to stare directly into her eyes. “Am I just another mark for you?” She stared back into his intense green eyes. “You were never a mark. A mark wouldn't have lived this long, to be honest. You started out as a cover though.” “Rather convenient wasn’t I, easy to keep ahead of the people that want your head if you are sleeping with one of them.” He shoves her shoulder and rolls on top, pinning her to the floor by her upper arms. “Of all the agents you could have chosen from, why me? Was I pathetic enough to be an easy target? Did my loss deem me appealing?” She grunted again and wriggled underneath him before sighing and answering him. “I knew I wouldn't have any trouble pretending to fall in love with you.” Loki’s eyes hardened. “Pretending, I see...” He sat up and drew the edges of her torn shirt together quietly before standing and retrieving the discarded firearm from the floor. “Get up.” Her eyes narrowed at his change in demeanor, but she carefully complied without a word. He grabbed his discarded jacket from the back of a nearby chair and draped it over her shoulders. After ejecting the clip from the weapon he pulled the slide to discharge the cartridge from the chamber then handed her back the weapon. “The next time we meet one of us will most likely leave in a body bag, consider this my final gift to you. A head start from someone that didn’t have to pretend.” He moved to the door and waited for her to step through. “I only started out pretending.” She stood up and moved toward the door with a blank face that couldn't hide the heavy sadness in her eyes. “I thought you were good enough to notice the difference. I just didn't know when you would.” “Yes well, you are a brilliant actress. You have to be in your line of work don’t you Sophie?” He tried to remind indifferent but his emotions quickly slipped into his voice. “If that is even your name, you have more aliases than I do knives.” His chin dropped to his chest, his eyes focused on a spot of dirt on the floor. “Stay as far from us as you can, we've been given the kill order and I wasn’t the only agent there that night. I can only stall them for so long.” He murmured. She stood an arms reach away from him, her eyes flicking between his hands and the spot he was looking at. “I am Sophie and now that you know that for sure, you can't let me go.” His fists clenched. “Either I let you go now or a bullet finds us both once the agency catches wind of it.” She closes her eyes and holds out her wrists. “You let me beat you nearly to death or you take me in......... Those are the only ways they'll let you live and you know it.” “Take me in and let them kill me, or you do it.” “He grits his teeth before grabbing his own weapon off the table near the door, cocking it and holding it shakily to her chest. Eyes indecisive as the barrel of the gun shook. “There is another way...” She exhales slowly and opens her eyes. “I never sold you to anyone. I could have. A contract or even just information on you could have got me enough money to go underground for quite awhile.” “What other way?” The arm holding the weapon dropped back to his side. “It is rather simple; you walk away now, change your name once more and start again in another country. It should be quite easy for a woman of your means to accomplish; once I’m conscious in the hospital I’ll turn myself in as the contracted killer.” He shrugged. “It was never really known if it was a man or woman that we were after, we just always assumed it was a woman because of the lipstick, there was no proof it couldn’t have been a man. I’m sure the evidence team will find a tube of the same shade somewhere in the bedroom.” “You might be pretty, but you could never pull off my lipstick, dear.” Her voice sounded flat, but a corner of her mouth twitched up. “You don't have any evidence.” Loki stepped closer to her and slipped his hand into the inner pocket of the jacket he put on her and pulled out a tube. “Like this you mean?” He slipped it into the pocket of his slacks. “I lifted it off of you that night, after you came home.” He stepped further backward into the apartment, his gun arm raising once more. “This is all I would need, this and a taped confession; since I was the lead agent on your case I’m privy to details the others aren’t, it won’t be too hard to convince them.” His thumb flicked the safety off. “You have about 7 minutes.” She didn't even glance at the gun pointed at her, but instead looked into his eyes. “Seven minutes won't do me any good. I'm compromised. But if you don't need the brownie points with the agency, you can deal with the South Americans. You can get enough for me from them that you can retire. I know my worth, don't undersell me.” “Retire with a guilty conscience or orchestrate my own execution and not have to worry about growing old and feeble...” He tapped the barrel against his chin in thought. “Let’s have some fun.” His grin flashed just before the end of the gun did; his shout echoed alongside the crack of the weapon going off. The weapon clattered to the tile floor followed by him falling, red quickly seeping through the hole now going through his left shoulder. “BLOODY HELL!” Loki curled in on himself, pressing his right hand to the wound. “I’d forgotten how painful bullet holes were.” Sophie quickly went to her knees next to him, pulling her ruined shirt off and wadding it up to press against the wound. “You IDIOT! What are you accomplishing? If they think I got a shot at you, they'll kill you themselves for being weak and a liability.” She felt around the blood on his back and saw a bullet hole in the wall behind Loki and sighed with a bit of relief. “It went clean through. You'll be good if you didn't hit anything necessary.” “The young lady that lived here, she shot me in self defense.” He groaned in pain. “They won’t be able to question me until I’m deemed medically fit and only with an attorney present, it will give you time to leave.” His teeth ground together loudly. The subclavian artery, I was aiming for it, make it more believable it took me off my feet. To be sure you should put one in my leg, so self defense is more probable, puts your prints on the weapon.” A violent spasm ripped through his torso, doubling him over in agony. “The neighbor will have called the police by now, you need to go.” She held him tightly to herself and tried to stop the bleeding. “You asshole, can you move? Can we get you out of here?” “No, I’ll bleed out faster if my pulse accelerates anymore.” His head thumped loudly back onto the floor. “Why won’t you just go?” “Cause you're bleeding out?” She moved behind him and sat, picking his head up and laying it on her leg and leaned forward over his head to keep pressure on the makeshift bandage. “And I was right, I'm compromised. You compromised me. I'm useless solo now. So I was thinking I might need a partner.” He released a pain filled laugh. “You were fine working solo up until 20 minutes ago. You haven’t been compromised, you are just being stubborn.” He hissed as another spasm hit. “One of the many things I love about you; now go, before I really do put a bullet in you.” “Fuck you, Friggasson. How soon until you give up and pass out, so I can get us some help?” Her words were harsh, but her tone was gentle. She brushed the hair away from his sweaty brow. His laugh wheezed out as his body convulsed. “I’ve had too many bullet holes to let this one knock me out any time soon. If you shut up then I might have another 10 minutes, keep me chatting and it will be longer.” Another torrent of agony ripped through him. “Ok maybe not, another one of those and I’m out.” She pulled out her phone and sent texts as fast as she could with just her thumb. Soon she was replying to numerous beeps and bings. After a minute she stopped and went back to stroking his forehead. “You damn idiot, I'm not worth this you know, not the trouble you'll get in.” “I’m an idiot, finally something we both agree on.” His laugh turned into a cough, his sweat turning cold as his body started to shut down. “I wouldn’t have done it if you weren’t worth it, you know I wouldn’t have. I’m too much of an asshole.” His eyes rolled back in his head for a moment before refocusing back on hers. “Do something for me?” “What? A car is on the way. Were taking you to a guy who won’t ask questions, you'll be fine by tomorrow.” “Are you allergic to veterinary painkillers?” “Didn’t think we were going to dabble in the furry lifestyle for awhile still.” He winced. “When that car gets here, leave. Leave me here; I can hear the sirens, they will be here any moment. You need to go, I’ll be fine.” “My ass, you'll be fine. Let’s get you up.” She started to get up and move him gently, but stopped. “Before you pass out, where's your scram bag? You'll need new ID for awhile.” “WHAT PART OF LEAVE ARE YOU NOT UNDERSTANDING!?” His breathing stopped for a few seconds as his body was wracked with another wave of pain; he laid back gasping once it subsided. “The part where you want me to do it without you. You will be lying to your handler and won't have any back up of any kind, that's not happening. Where's the bag? The clock is ticking.” She spoke as if everything was done and settled and normal, ignoring his urging completely and she manhandled him to a sitting position. Loki shouted from being jostled around. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve lied to the organization, they still think I’m from Norway and that my mother is alive.” “Ok. Yell if you have to. One, two three...UP.” She put his good arm around her shoulder and brought him to his feet. His teeth could be heard creaking as they were clenched together. “Come on tough guy. If you can shoot a girl, you can walk out of here. This was your idea of fun, remember?” She pulled his jacket back around her shoulders with one hand and she joked with him as she tried to lurch him out of the door. “I’m wearing this so you don’t get any funny ideas. I'm way too mad at you to take you out wearing nothing but a bra.” “My idea of fun was bleeding out on the floor waiting for the medic while you scampered off to freedom, this is a nightmare.” He wrenched himself from her grasp to lean on the wall. “Closet, box labeled mom's stuff, both bags.” His breathing became more labored by the second. She quickly let go of the unstable man and rushed to the closet grabbing the bags and tossing them over her shoulder along with a duffle bag of her own and gathered Loki up with her free arm. “Now, stay conscious and help me out here.” She glanced at him with worry, but quickly shoved that emotion aside. “We go out the door, turn right out the alley door and into the florists van.” “Flowers for me? You shouldn’t have.” He shook off her hold to straighten himself up. “Go ahead of me, open the doors, I can get myself to the van.” His eyes turned steely. “Go.... NOW!” As soon as she started moving he was hot on her heels, using the last bit of energy and adrenaline to push his body past it limit. She made sure his path was clear and that no one else was in the hallway as witnesses. Once outside she threw open the sliding door on the waiting van and jumped in, stretching her arms out to help Loki up Once he was close enough, Loki dove into the van; using his momentum to roll back up into a sitting position against the opposite wall. “Ketamine,” he rasped, “don’t give me ketamine or it will become rather embarrassing.” “For you or for me, dear?” She teased as she pulled her shirt sleeves around his arm and tied it over his shoulder to hold the wound. “For whoever is plugging my hole.” He cringed as the knot tightened over the wound. “Awwwww you get friendly, do you?” She tried to keep him talking and focusing. “Or is it chatty? Knowing you, it's both.” “Certain parts of me try to say hello.” His head lolled back against the wall while he swallowed thickly and his eyes fluttered closed. “It’s one of the rare side effects the doctors never tell you about until it happens; except it was a field medic in Columbia that got to tell me.” She barked out a brittle laugh and put her hands to his cheeks shaking gently. “Hey there, Loki. Open your eyes and show me. Pics or it didn't happen. Come on, tell me there are pictures.” “Covert.... op.... no... records...” His speech slurred while fighting to keep his eyes open. She cupped his chin in her hand and leaned close to him, speaking in a low voice, “No official records, Now look me in the eye and tell me that everyone doesn’t have a camera handy, against the rules or not. That’s how we stay safe, huh? Now who out there has those pictures as leverage? Names?” “3 others... in my unit...” Loki’s head banged back against the side of the van, waking him up some. “One got turned into dog chow by the cartels we were after, another KIA 4 years ago and the third is a John Doe vegetable somewhere in Vienna.” “OK. That’s good to know. I just need to look into where they stored their info.” She leaned close to his ear and whispered. “Because I need a copy of those pictures for ...personal reasons.” Maybe this would hold his attention. His eyes rolled around then finally settled on hers. “Good luck.” “Hey, hey there, what do you say once were out of the tulip truck we find someplace nice and sterile and swap bodily fluids? Hmmm?” She pressed her lips to his earlobe when she hummed. “It's been awhile since I gave into you, huh? You want a little bit of me inside you for a change? Cause I'm going to have Doc let me refill your tank a bit, my bloods compatible with yours and it beats what he might have.... could be Labrador.” “Pity, I was looking forward to a pint of cocker spaniel.” His head tilted away and his eyes closed again as his breathing became shallower. “Loki? Quit being such a full tilt diva. Suck it up. We all know that you are going to be just fine, because you aren't going to die unless I'm the one that kills you. You surely can’t kill you because you aren’t actually good enough at your job to manage to kill anyone.” Sophie's voice became a bit too forced while she chattered trying to keep Loki focused. “Press.... wound...” Was all me managed to gurgle out. She quickly leaned in against him closer, holding his wound in front and on his back. Blood was quickly seeping through her fingers. “Dear? Loki? Come on. After pulling a stunt like that back there, you owe me something. You owe me a shot at you. You have to be alive for that. So you don’t have a choice but to listen to me.” She ducked her head to try to make eye contact with his lowered eyes. “Hey, sleepy head?” The pressure on the wounds shot much needed adrenaline through him, making his eyes more alert. Loki flashed a ghost of a grin at her. “You know... I really don’t owe you anything, just dumping me on the next corner would make us even.” She grinned back at him. “You think I’m letting you out of my sight until you’re well enough to pay me back for the money and favors this trip is costing me?” “Didn’t ask you to, you did all of this of your own free will. I was willing to wait for emergency personnel, but if you insist...” He nodded his head toward his bags. “A few hundred thousand in cash with several androgynous identities just needing photos and the male or female specified and a list of contacts that owe those identities favors, take them.” “Her eyes roll in her head. Your poor shock ridden brain seems to be having trouble, because you don't seem to understand. I kinda do love you. And there is no way you are taking whatever punishment the agency decides you need for letting me go. If you need to stay with them, you need to be the one to bring me in, in cuffs or cooperation, it doesn’t matter. If you aren’t going back to the agency, you're running with me. It's simple at this point.” She sighed and made sure that she was holding his wound tightly. “And you owe me the perfect blouse too. Not just any blouse, the perfect one. Didn’t stain, fit perfectly, was long enough I could tuck it in and short enough it didn’t look like a dress when I didn’t. The sleeves weren’t too short. It matched everything and you sliced the buttons off and bled through it. Not money to BUY the perfect blouse, I want the shirt itself without having to search any further than my closet for it. So having money to throw around probably won’t solve that problem.” She leaned in close enough to him that his shallow breath could be felt against her face. “If you want a fight, I’ll give you a fight.” The van lurched to a sudden halt. His eyes tried to focus on her blurry face while seeming to swallow the Sahara, instead of words a weak moan on agony fell out of his mouth. Loki was running out of strength to keep his eyes open let alone argue. “Just another minute or two, we're here now.” She leaned in and gently kissed him. “For luck,” she whispered. Two large men who were obviously not vet techs came out of the back door of a small brick building and slide the van doors open. Sophie pulled Loki forward and into their arms. As they carried the obviously weak man inside, Sophie spoke to the driver for the first time. “Marco will pay you.” Then she jumped out the door and quickly followed the men into the exam room of a Vets office. A few dogs barked in the background as Loki was set down on a stainless exam table. “Such lovely bedside manner, which of you is giving the hot stone massage after my mani/pedi?” Loki barked out an agonized laugh that made some of the animals in the back louder. The men just gave Loki a cold look and stood back against a wall, arms crossed over their chests. After a minute a short, slightly balding, man came in. “It's been a long time Della, but at least it's not you that needs my help this time. It's such a shame when you scar up that body of yours. I still remember that chest wound you had a few years ago.” He openly leered at Sophie, while calling her by a different name. “Of course I do, Doc. I also remember having to tell you there was no reason to try to suck venom out of the arrow wound. And yet your mouth was all over me and nowhere near the actual wound.” She responded quite pointedly then nodded at Loki. “This idiot shot himself in the shoulder; clipped an artery, the job needs him fully functional, not just alive. He's a few quarts low right now. We're gonna have to plug me in.” While she spoke she opened cabinets and drawers, laying out medical instruments in a very practiced way, soon she handed "Doc" a make shift set up to run blood from her arm directly into Loki and settled into a chair next to Loki and the exam table. The man started to examine Loki, while he muttered under his breath and every once in awhile patted Loki's head when he touched something that might be injured. “Don’t listen to....Della.” Loki’s hooded eyes flicked to Sophie. “Stitch the artery, plug the hole and give me an IV; no reason for both of us to out of the game.” He nearly screamed when the somewhat medical professional started probing the inside of the wound. “Does she listen to you at all? She keeps ignoring me when I tell her to leave.” “That one doesn't listen to anything but the job and herself.” Doc said and nodded to Sophie as he pulled the cloth completely free of Loki’s body and readied a few syringes. “This will still hurt like a bitch, but I can give you some stuff to make you not care if it hurts.” Sophie winced and hissed as she slid a butterfly catheter into her arm just below her inner elbow and held the tubing out to Doc. “I've got a cell phone in my pocket. If you don’t quit arguing and take the damn blood, I'll have Doc shoot you with enough Ketamine that we can hire you out for stud fees for the next year.” “I’m not a bloody vampire.” He snapped. “As much as you would probably love to see me enact part of my name sakes mythos, putting any Ketamine in me now would stop my heart; 20 minutes ago was a different story.” “Hush, and Doc knows better than to put you down.” She crossed her legs, closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, her coat falling open and slightly off of her shoulders, exposing the fact that her blouse was now wadded up and blood soaked on the floor. She slowly smiled and her eyes opened slightly and flicked over to Loki as she slowly pulled it back closed. Doc tied a tube around Loki’s arm and felt for a vein to put the other cath in. “I got other stuff then.” He murmured in Loki’s general vicinity. “If she wants you put together fast, you get put together fast. Now be quiet and lie back, it'll be easier that way because she will always get what she wants.” Loki scowled as best he could at the doctor then at Sophie but his eyes slipped down when he saw her pull the jacket closed, his frown deepening. “Next time I’ll just put it in my skull, won’t be patching that back up again.” Doc got the blood flowing and gave Loki some numbing shots and a mild sedative before he started to work at fixing Loki's damage. Sophie leaned back further in the chair, stretching her legs out in front of her, one arm outstretched on the arm of the chair, the other folded across her chest. It looked like her eyes were closed, but she was watching every move that anyone in the room made, carefully through her eyelashes, especially the guy cutting into Loki. When he took the scalpel to make the first incision, her hand instinctively reached for her holster. The drugs started working but not nearly well enough on his human physiology, a loud hiss reverberated around the room as the hole in his shoulder was widened to make room for the other instruments. Sophie held her jaw loose, but the fact that her fingers twitched at every sound Loki made gave her nerves away. After about 20 minutes, Sophie opened her eyes more fully, still pretending to look at the ceiling though, “How much longer are you going to keep making him make those noises?” “He’s not exactly a Great Dane and I’m not an MD, you need to let me work.” the doc injected more numbing agent before diving back in. “He did more damage than you say he did, the artery wasn’t nicked, it was damn near severed. You're both lucky he didn’t bleed out before you got here; as for the noises...” He made another stitch that was accompanied by another moan. “Arteries are muscle covered and have their own nerve endings, he’s going to feel all of this unless we put him out completely and the only thing I have that can do that you both say I can’t use. Anything else would be too high of a dose to be safe or have unknown side effects on humans.” Doc made a few more stitches then asked "Della" “Who is this guy anyway? You're a loner so seeing some strange guy half dead with you is strange.” “He's.....” She started, but her usual cover patter failed her. “He's ummmmm...” She sat up and looked over at the miserable man on the table. “He's no one. He’s stupid enough to have shot himself in the shoulder, but I have some personal business with him. You don’t want to know any more. He has a tendency to complicate things.” The Doc huffed a quiet laugh. “You are complicated enough, throw a guy in the mix and it turns into a damn Rubiks cube.” He knotted off a final stitch before starting to clean the wound and surrounding areas. “I don’t know if shooting himself makes him an idiot or a genius for not letting you do it first because I’m not sure your aim is THIS good at this close of range, Della.” “ Wanna test it? Hold still.” She sniped at Doc and nodded at Loki. “Will he be good to move in a few hours?” Doc tossed a used gauze away and leveled his gaze on "Della." “Can he be moved, yes; will he be GOOD to move, no. too much movement right now will more than likely rip the stitches but what do I know I’m just a vet.” He cleaned the skin around the wound then applied thick padding and bandages to both sides of the shoulder. “If he HAS to be moved watch the patches; see red he’s dead, simple enough? I’ll pack some extra dressings and whatnot for you; change the bandages twice a day, clean once a day with warm water only and let air dry completely or the skin will tear off.” Doc tossed the last of his used instruments in the trash. “Unplug yourself and hook up a banana bag, can’t have both of you down.” “Orange juice and a cookie and I’m good to go. Just like the Red Cross.” She laughed and bandaged her arm while hooking an IV up to Loki’s cath. “What ya got for painkillers for him. We're better off if he's high than screaming. “ Doc reached into a cabinet and tossed Sophie a large white plastic bottle of pills. “Dose him by weight, there’s a chart on the side, but that should be about 5 times what he needs. I’ll just have to fire my receptionist for being suspected of theft again. I have to account for all this stuff with the Boards. Pretty soon were going to be even and you can find someone else to get flea spray from. I'm leaving. Lock up when you leave and don’t mess with the animals. Call me once you’re gone.” Doc and the two large men left the office with a resounding slam to the door. As soon as they were gone Sophie turned the chair and moved it closer to Loki. She reached her hand out and said quietly, “What do you need?” Loki mumbled as his head flopped heavily to the side. “The number of the bus that hit me.” His hand lifted to cover his forehead while he winced. “The drugs are making me feel worse than the bullet hole.” “Sorry. You needed to quit fighting.” She folded up a towel and laid it under his head and wet a washcloth and laid it across his forehead. “We'll get you out of here and into a warm bed soon.” As she moved around the jacket fluttered open again. “I would be in a bed, in a proper hospital mind you, if you’d left me like id asked.” His eyes automatically caught the movement of the jacket; he had to force himself to snap his gaze to the ceiling. “You need to button that jacket.” “I'm not cold yet, or is the trouble that you're getting warm?” She arched an eyebrow at him and buttoned a few buttons as if that had been her idea all along. “Anyway, you'd only have been in that proper bed only until the agency came to get you.” “Yes, yes and we wouldn’t be here debating that fact while you are utterly distracting in that ensemble. The agency will catch up eventually; dragging my corpse along merely slows things down.” His jaw clenched in a combination of frustration and pain. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?” “You're the stubborn one. I'm trying to help you not die and you’re just being a jerk.” She paced around the room for a minute and crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Loki. “You wanna die, fine, I'll wash my hands of you as soon as we can move you. You're not dying here and getting Doc in trouble.” Loki rolled his eyes and sat up, yelping in pain as he did. he took a few heaving breaths to steady himself then tried to stand, his legs not wanting to cooperate and shaking under the strain. “I have a safe house 2 hours from here the agency doesn’t know of; you can dump me there and get yourself cleaned up. Do you have transportation?” “There's a car down the alley. But, Jesus, don’t get up like that. You’re gonna pass out.” Sophie went to his side and eased him back to lean against the table. “You don’t have to lie there, but at least sit in the chair for a bit, you’re too big for me to pick up from the floor on my own.” Lean on the table he did, cold sweat beading on his brow accompanied by shallow panting. “If we.... go just like... back... at the... apartment.” His nostrils flared as he gathered his strength. “Get the doors and I’ll get to the car, I can rest once we're moving.” “OK. OK, Speedy, settle down and at least lean on me.” She unhooked his IV and placed a band aid on his arm. She wrapped a scrub jacket around his shoulders and offered him her arm. “My lady? Shall we?” He snorted but looped his arm with hers. “Such a gentlewoman; if my heart hadn’t recently been ripped from my chest id invite you over for dinner, instead how about you take me home and slip me some drugs?” She guided Loki out the back door and down to a very average looking car parked a few doors down with keys in the ignition. She got Loki in the passenger seat and tossed the bags in the trunk. Soon they were heading for the highway. “Where are we going, Loki? Your safe house or mine?” “Unless you have another that isn’t on Ashford Dr, let’s go to mine. Only 2 people know it exists and one of them is dead.” Loki reclined the seat and tried to relax. “Get on the highway, go east. Let me know when we cross the river.” Sophie turned the heat up in the car to try to keep the man next to her from sending himself into shock. She set the cruise control and from time to time glanced over at the silhouette in the seat next to her. He looked almost asleep in minutes. “I told you I only started out pretending. Stubborn...” She muttered under her breath. “You didn’t have to pretend to be stubborn, you are.” Was his lazy reply, he may have looked asleep but every small bump in the road jostled his shoulder; keeping him awake. She sighed through her nose. “Go. To. Sleep. He gave you like the stuff they give bears to do exams. You should be out.” “It also loses its effectiveness over multiple doses.” His head turned in her direction. “What? Not the first time a vet has put me back together, I dated a zookeeper before joining the agency. Now they have the good drugs.” “Maybe I’m glad you got my blood and I didn’t get yours. And if you try to tell me one more time that you didn’t need it. I'll take it back from you the hard way, dear.” Loki sighed heavily through his nose. “Fine, darling...” It didn’t come out like the endearment it usually was. “I won’t say it, I’ll just think it very very loudly.” “Sleep!” She growled and stared at the road while turning the radio on. “Woof.” He barked lazily then turned his head to stare out the window. She blindly dug into her pocket and set the bottle of pills on the armrest of Loki's seat without speaking. She watched the road and thought about the reason they were fighting...the real reason. He said he loved her and meant it. They were only supposed to mean it if they were marks. And she might have started out using a guy from the agency as a cover, but Loki wasn’t a mark. And she did really only start out pretending. After a long time of silent driving, she turned to the resting man “Loki? We're coming to the river.” His eyes snapped open, taking in his surroundings then sitting up further in his seat. A dull stab of pain in his shoulder making him growl. “Exit 257 north; follow that until the exit for Winchester.” “OK. Sorry for bothering you.” She sighed. He grabbed the bottle setting between them, reading the label. “Have a kennel I don’t know about?” “They are for you if you need something.” “Always knew you thought I was a bitch but this is hurtful.” Loki dropped the bottle back into the cup holder then tried shifting in the seat without jostling his wound too badly... and failing miserably. “I'm sorry.” She said a bit dejectedly. “It’s what was available. I’ll see about getting you something else once you’re settled.” “Don’t worry about it, I’ve had worse.” He turned his head to stare at the passing scenery. “Thought you were leaving?” “You want me to. You're going to try your best to run me off aren't you?” “I would love it if Sophie stayed with me.” Loki heaved a sigh. “You are a stranger to me.” “As soon as I'm sure you're strong enough to take care of yourself, I'll move on.” She wanted to close her eyes against his words, but she was driving and couldn’t. “But I am Sophie and won't let you kill yourself over me.” “The Loki you knew died 3 hours ago.” He spoke quietly with his head resting against the cool glass of the window. “You're so overdramatic. That’s usually a draw back in our line of work, but somehow it usually makes you better. Right now it could make us both dead.” She shook her head as she made a casual observation. He made a sound in the back of his throat before answering. “We're dead already; the second you refused my offer signed both our death warrants. All I’ll do is slow you down, we both know it. This safe house will be good for maybe 2 weeks if we are lucky, it’s only a matter of time before the agency tracks the owner down.” “Maybe you should have run it past me before you went and shot yourself? Did you really think I'd leave you if you were hurt?” Her eyes flicked over to him as she took an exit. “Yes I did, I was counting on it. It’s always been your MO to bail when things got dicey, cut and run if someone sneezed wrong. It’s kept you alive this long, changing the way you operate now... I still can’t wrap my head around it.” Loki shook his head. “If it was about a job, I would have. But you,” she shook her head at the word, “I mean, THIS isn’t a job.” “Then what is it?” He snapped. “From this perspective it looks an awful lot like a lie; a set up for your greatest hit yet.” Loki stared at the side of her face for a moment. “Who was it that put the contract on me?” She laughed coldly. “If I had a contract, the job would be done by now. Really. You want the truth?” “A bit of truth would be nice tonight.” Loki quipped right back. “You were getting close to finding me. The closer I got to you, the less you looked for me. I hid from the agency in your arms.” Her voice got quieter as she spoke. “It wasn't long before I didn't have to pretend anymore.”
“Pretend to what? Be amused that I was chasing my figurative tail looking for someone that slept 6 inches from me? I’m sure you got a good laugh out of it.” He slouched back in his chair. “Pretend to want to be there. Pretend to like to take care of you. Pretend I........” She sighed, but couldn't admit it again right now just to be called a liar. “Why me?” He whispered. “Of the dozen other single agents assigned to your case, why me?” “You're overdramatic. You have passions and emotions. You're different. I could talk to you.” But it was difficult to speak to him like this. She had gotten used to being accepted and Loki’s attitude was strangely painful. Loki hissed loudly as he shifted in his seat again. “I’m not sure what’s worse; the whole situation or the fact that regardless of the situation, I still love you.” He huffed a humorless laugh. “I must be insane.” Her heart caught, almost hurting. “You're not insane.” Her lips worked soundlessly. After a pause, she spoke out loud. “I pulled my weight, you know. I never accepted a contract on you, but other people did. Those jobs were ended fairly quickly. You're welcome. I've never done pro bono work before.” “I’m not thanking you for something you shouldn’t have done. Let them come and I will end them.” His good hand made a fist and rested on his knee. “I’m done with these witch hunts. Id sworn I was done with bloodshed after my stint in SpecOps, then again after my brief foray into being a CIA liaison... third time is the charm I suppose, there’s no fight left in me.” “Not for them, you seem to have plenty for me though.” She grinned coldly. He gave a one shouldered shrug. “You're the only target in my sights right now; pretty soon I won’t even be fighting you.” She rolled her eyes dramatically at him. “Ha, I think those pills make you maudlin, Fido. The little energy you have right now, you should be using to heal, but noooo you need to keep finding ways to poke at me. You won't quit fighting me.” Loki sat silent for awhile after that, until the sign he was looking for whizzed by them. “There’s an access road just up ahead, it’s hard to see, make a right. Go slowly or you will hit a tree; the path will go for about 4 miles before opening a bit into gravel. Follow the gravel until you see a green birdhouse mounted to a tree on your side of the road then make a left.” Sophie nodded and drove on until the tires crunched on the gravel as she turned at the tree with the birdhouse. “About a quarter mile straight ahead.” He sat up straighter, eyes sweeping all around them, looking for trouble. “There’s a carport around the back, stay close to the tree line so the tire tracks don’t show in the grass.” Sophie scanned the area as well. It seemed defensible and secluded. She parked the car and paused before exiting. “Anything I need to worry about out here?” “There was a pack of wolves that share a territorial border with the property, if the alpha is still the same then we are fine.” Loki moved to pull the door handle. “If you go outside and run into an abnormally large grey wolf 2 different eyes, come get me, otherwise just standard creepy crawlies and a stray coyote or 2. Quite a few deer.” He paused, thinking. “I wonder if that albino deer is still around.” She gave him an odd look as she moved to keep close to him in case he was unstable. “You know that wolf pretty well, huh?” “I hope I still do, he was a cub when I found him; couldn't have been more than a few days old.” Loki stopped at the front of the car to lean on the hood. “His mother had been caught in a poacher’s snare, nothing I could do for her except put her down. took me a couple days to track him down just from the whimpering alone; he had 2 sisters, found half of one not far from the den, the other had been injured.” he made it to the door of the house finally and unlocked the door, flipping the switch near it to turn the lights on. “She didn’t survive the infection. Almost lost him, believe it or not he was a runt.” He sat at the table in the kitchen, flexing his hand to distract from the throbbing in his shoulder. Sophie put down the bags and began to rummage through the cabinets in the kitchen as Loki spoke and put on a pot for tea. Then she reached for the jacket she had put on Loki. “Can I check the wound?” Lokis fingers flicked lazily in the direction of the wound, giving silent permission. “So, you took care of him? The wolf? Runts can really surprise you.” She spoke soothingly as she dug out a first aid kit and added more antiseptic to the stitches. “You've had this place a long time then. Thanks for burning your cover here to let me in.” “I raised him by hand the best I could while still keeping him wild, seems to have worked. Last I knew he was alpha of the pack.” His head tilted down to watch her work. “And it’s not a cover I’m burning, it’s me.” She taped the bandages back up and suddenly realized how close their faces were while she was bent over him like this. She turned her head just enough that her lips brushed his cheek. She pulled back suddenly and cleared her throat, busying herself making tea. “You.. You look fine for now. Have something to drink then I’m putting you to bed.” Loki jolted at the brushing of her lips on his cheek. “Yes mother, are you going to tuck me in and read me a bedtime story too?” He got to his feet then shuffled over to a mirror near the hallway; after pushing it aside he flipped a couple switches on the hidden panel and set the thermostat. “Wait about an hour and the hot water should work, the heat should kick on in a few minutes. Just a warning, the musky smell will be awful until it gets done circulating.” “Sit down. You’re pushing yourself and it will catch up with you. Unless you are trying to make yourself bad enough that I have to stay indefinitely.” She raised an eyebrow, but her voice was gentle. “Pardon me for wanting to turn the water heater on, I’ll just go curl up in the corner and die now.” His eyes rolled as he slowly walked into the living room to sit on the dusty old sofa. “Tell me what needs to be done and I’ll do it. That’s all I’m saying.” She began to dig through her bag. “I need to find some painkillers that don’t turn you into a complete dick.” “What can I say; painkillers either make me a dick or make mine stand at attention. No matter how its sliced, or shot in this case, a dick will be involved.” He kicked his feet up on the sofa, reclining back into a position that wouldn’t cause undue agony during the night. “There is a closet in the hall, will you grab me a pillow and blanket, please?” “Much better.” She smiled and tossed him a small amber pharmacy bottle she had found before she brought him a pillow and blanket. She shook the blanket out and settled it over him. “DO you need that story now?” She asked. His head jerked to the side to avoid the low flying bottle; once it landed in his lap he examined it then tossed it onto the coffee table with a huff. “No mommy.” His good arm tucked the pillow behind his head then pointed over the back of the sofa. “The door at the end of the hall is the bedroom; bathroom is across from the hall closet. Help yourself. There’s no cable and the only tv is in here with the dvd player.” “Take the painkiller. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.” She sighed and stared at him with sad eyes. “I’m not taking the pain killer. I need to feel if a stitch pulls or tears; can’t do that if I can’t feel it.” Loki blinked up at her. “You also need to rest. But they are there if you change your mind.” She brought a cup for tea to him from the kitchen. He took the cup from her and took an awkward drink from his laying position. “It’s good, thank you.” “I’ll keep making it for you, then. We can’t let you dehydrate and you lost lots of fluids.” She wanted to reach for his hand, like she would have done even yesterday, but couldn’t. Loki nearly chugged the hot liquid before letting his eyes slip closed, complete exhaustion settling in finally. “Yes.” She sighed and relaxed into an arm chair as he finally settled. She drank her tea and just sat for a few more minutes to make sure he was really going to sleep before she got up and wandered around the small cabin peeking into cabinets and drawers, looking at faded pictures on the walls. After some time, she wandered past and checked on Loki one more time and ran the shower until there was some hot water. She was cold, half dressed and spattered with blood when she slipped into the spray and cleaned herself off. When she was done she towel dried her hair and pulled a large green flannel shirt out of the closet in the bedroom. She slipped into it and went back out to the Living Room. She pulled a faded paperback from a shelf and curled up in a large chair in the living room with a fresh cup of tea and a quilt from the closet. She didn’t want to go leave Loki alone in case he went south. She also didn’t want to sleep alone in his bed. Soon, the room grew dim and she joined Loki in sleep. Being asleep made her look smaller somehow. Curled up, damp hair at her temples and wrapped in a shirt that came down almost to her knees. Loki's sleep was fitful at best, constantly slipping in and out of consciousness. He could hear Sophie moving around but choose to keep his eyes closed and breathing even; why he made an effort not to worry her was beyond him at this point. Once he was sure she was sound asleep, he got up just before dawn; trying his hardest not to make a sound. He turned the stove on just long enough to warm up the tea then slowly found his way onto the front porch to sit on the swing and just let his mind go blank. Sophie had dropped into an exhausted sleep. Her knees tucked up to stomach and she curled around herself, making soft noises as her eyes moved frantically under her eyelids. Loki glanced inside the front window of the house as he rocked gently, his eye falling on Sophie curled up on the chair. He couldn’t help but shake his head with a grin; even being stubborn she was still the loveliest thing he’s ever seen. his chest ached and not from the hole he put in it earlier; why did she have to be adorable and why the hell didn’t she go sleep in the bed like he told her to? Right, this was Sophie he was talking about; she listened about as well as a deaf dog. He shot a small smile at her sleeping form before he relaxed back into the swing, closing his eyes to listen to the distant howl of the local pack. Soon Sophie fought herself awake. She rolled her head and looked around as she worked the kinks out of her neck. I can’t do that kind of thing much longer. She thought to herself about sleeping in the chair like a child.
Glancing at the sofa and not seeing Loki, she panicked slightly. She slid out of the chair smoothly and looked down the hall to the bathroom... nope, empty, the bedroom was empty too. “Loki? Loki?” She called as her eyes scanned the kitchen and went back to the living room. She went to the front door, opening it slightly and peeking out. “Loki?” She called. “Shhh quiet down.” Loki stage whispered to Sophie. “Come over here, quietly.” She tip toed out softly, bare legged into the chilly morning air. He grasped her hand, dragging her down to sit right next to him on the swing, body angled toward the tree line. His good arm draped over her shoulder, pointing at a spot far off. “Look straight ahead; see that white birch tree? Focus just to the right of it at the base and stay still.” He spoke quietly right next to her ear as his arm dropped, his hand resting unknowingly on her lower back. “That would be Fenris.” Her gaze followed his indication and she gasped slightly when the almost hidden animal came into focus. “He is ..Very large.” She whispered and instinctively leaned back against Loki's hand. “If he settles again, there is another surprise with him. Stay still, maybe they will come out.” His fingers slid up to knead the back of her neck, the motion so common he wasn’t paying attention to it. A few moments of still and silence revealed the large animal stepping into the clearing cautiously, 2 small pups tripping out from between his forepaws. Sophie's eyes widened and she exhaled an, “Awwww,” as a smile crept across her face. “Soooo cute.” She breathed and felt for almost a second that they were on a holiday, a vacation, a romantic trip and not hiding to stay alive. She almost forgot that the man touching her didn't want her anymore. Loki noticed her smile; it lit up her whole face, just like whenever he surprised her before... before he knew she wasn’t who she said she was. Then again, neither is he. A sliver of guilt settled in his stomach, he couldn’t understand why. He decided to tell her anyway, if they were going to end up dead it wouldn’t hurt anything. “I never told you but Friggason isn’t my real name.” Sophie dragged her eyes off of the pups to look at Loki in shock. Was he sharing unrequested personal information? At a time like this? “What is it?” She asked gently. There were no judgments here. She knew they only did what they needed to stay alive. “It’s Laufeyson, as in the international arms dealer. Legally and on paper I’m Lucas Friggason but I was born Loki Laufeyson.” Loki stared off at the playing pups and their watchful guardian. “My birth mother was the favored whore of Laufey; Frigga found me in a dumpster when I was a few hours old.” She nodded in understanding as she watched his eyes. She shivered a bit at the goosebumps the chill brought up on her legs and shifted a bit closer to Loki. “That's why you're in the business huh?” “Part of it; here’s another kicker, I was adopted by Friggas husband who on any given day could go by one of 2 last names. Legally I have access to all of them, do you know how confused the agency was when they recruited me? They thought they were hiring 3 different men but no, just confusing old me.” He could feel the tremor that ran through her. Gently, he urged her to stand and they returned inside. She paused at the door and nodded to the grass. “You're not that old and you don't have to leave your friends.” She teased gently. “I’m older than you think I am.” He arched a brow at her. “He wouldn’t have come any closer; his mate was probably just out of sight. If Fenris was alone he would have come closer, even if a stranger was with me.” She moved inside and tried to casually get Loki to go back to resting on the sofa. “You seem better this morning. You have color in your face. But why don't you sit and ill find you something to eat?” She thought about his admissions and wondered if that meant he wanted her to share too, trading information and such. “I don’t know what all there is food wise, haven’t been out here since after the Huntington case. It has a fully stocked medical cabinet but not much for provisions.” Loki sat at the kitchen table and tried to move his damaged shoulder in small increments, trying to prevent too much stiffness. She noticed his shoulder movements as she picked through the cabinets to find a box of powdered milk and pancake mix. “I can massage that for you later if you want. Once I get this made.” Mixing things into a large green bowl, she began speaking without looking at Loki. “I really am Sophie Arbor. And I was 2 weeks out of police academy with my first partner and..... he had debts and had started taking bribes to pay them off. I made some really bad deals to get him cleared, cause I thought that was what you were supposed to do for a partner and wound up owing people more and bigger favors than he did. When they started to get called in, I wound up in the business.” She shrugged and poured batter into a pan on the stove. “That’s why I've never worked for or with anyone. You can't afford to get into situations where you might think of someone else’s well being before your own. Or you wind up dead or making pancakes with someone in the middle of nowhere guarded by wolves.” “No one forced you to take me on, I’m well aware of the penalties of having a partner or a unit that you're responsible for.” He cracked his neck. “The scar you were so fond of near my groin happened because my partner got careless.” Loki tilted his head in thought. “That was almost 20 years ago now.” He huffed out a laugh. “Hard to believe it was that long ago.” “No one forced me, but I'm realizing there are some things you have to do, no matter how foolish, just because they need to be done. And if you had a partner 20 years ago, you either started as a child or you've had some amazing plastic work done... everywhere.” She flipped the pancakes and tried not to think of the other night....it seemed like years ago, when she was warm and relatively safe in bed, kissing her way down that scar that he spoke about. “Sophie I’m 42, you're aware of my exercise regimen.” He rested his head on the hand he propped up on the table. “Habit I kept from my military days.” “Wow, you're right. You are ancient.” She teased dryly as she plated the pancakes and set a plate in front of him. “There’s no syrup, but butters better than nothing.” She sat down across from him and started on her own plate. “You do need to rest after this, though. Cause you're so old and all.” Loki just gave her a wry smile before taking a bite from the pancakes. “Other than a receding hairline, I know I look damn good for being a dinosaur. After this I’m taking a bath.” “You think a bath is smart right now? You can’t get that shoulder wet for awhile. I think I'm supposed to put you in a head cone if you do anything to make it worse.” “At least in a bath I can wash around the wound instead of having a constant spray from the shower head, it’s a small tub, I couldn’t submerge myself fully if I tried. This place was built for a 5 foot tall former prostitute, not a 6' 2" ex soldier.” A muscle spasm made him wince and drop his fork. Sophie jumped up at the clattering silverware and went to Loki, her hands gently working at the twitching muscle of his upper arm. “You're pushing yourself for no reason right now. Slow down. I'll help you with taking care of yourself.” “It’s nothing, just a spasm.” He picked the fork back up then gently shoo'd her back to her seat. “I’m fine now.” Sophie took a slow step away from Loki as she was shoo'ed away, watching him for more pain. “You're still doing too much.” Loki huffed as he placed his right hand on his left shoulder, rubbing the sore muscle to try relieving some of the ache. “What else is new? I've always overdone myself whenever I’m injured, since this was self inflicted I'm also compensating for the damage to my pride and ego.” She sat down across the table and leaned in on her arms, with a slight smile pulling at one side of her mouth.. “Sooooo you want to keep me around huh? Overdo it, reinjure yourself... stay low functioning and I won't take off exactly like you keep telling me to do. The passive aggressiveness is thick in here.” He glared at her over the table but with no real heat behind it. “I still believe you should leave me here and go; flee the country while you still can and let me point the agency in another direction before they figure out I lied and arrest me. The firing squad execution would be a blast.” “If I was you, I'd request a hanging. You suck with bullet wounds.” She leaned way back, tipping the chair onto two legs and wound a piece of hair around her finger. “Besides, you never lied to them. You found me out, then in some moment of insanity shot yourself for no good reason and while incapacitated managed to get kidnapped.” “When I tell them the opposite direction of where you went, I would be aiding a fugitive.” Loki watched her finger twirl in her hair, his fingers itching to do the same. “Moment of insanity...” He huffed a laugh and winced. “Even more reason for them to terminate my contract; they would never believe the kidnapping.” His good arm rested in the table in front of him. “Let's stop beating around the bush; if you aren't leaving, why are you staying?” She toyed with her hair some more and stared at the Formica table top rather than meet Loki's eyes. “I.... because.... ummm.... Why did you shoot yourself and offer to aid a fugitive?” “Because I'm insane and do what I want and apparently my heart is a sadist, stop deflecting and give me a straight answer.” His gaze was intense on her, trying to stare a hole straight to her soul. “That was your answer.” She got up and started to clear the table, still trying to avoid his eyes. “We.... have the same reasons.” Loki stood up and grabbed her wrist. “That is a bullshit answer and we both know it; I offered because I wanted to see the woman I love safe and far away, even if it cost me my life. Is it so wrong for me to want that for you?” He questioned her, eyes watching her fidget before letting her wrist go. He sighed and turned away, walking slowly back out to the front porch swing. “And I'm staying because I can't let the man I love risk his life for my job.” She spoke quietly and looked at the floor, not noticing or even caring if he heard or not. Loki has just caught the tail end of what she said as he made it outside; why was she doing this? She kept this from him, she knew he was hunting for her and yet she stayed. If the agency knew he had spoken of his cases to a civilian, let alone her, they would hunt him down no matter what. They were both on borrowed time; question was which of them would find their timer running out first? To Loki it made the most sense for him to take the heat and let her go, why couldn't she see that? He sat on the swing with his stretched out across the seat, hoping to catch a glimpse of his canine friends again. Sophie sighed and quickly washed the few dishes that there were. She topped off their cups and took them out to the porch, where she quietly leaned on the arm of the bench. Silently she offered Loki his cup. “Should I go back in?” She asked after a moment. “You're fine, love.” Loki took the offered mug, cradling it in both hands like it was going to fall and break if he didn't. Finally he took a drink, staring out at the tree line. Her heart clenched at his use of the word love again. She did love him. She wasn't supposed to. It never should have happened, but one morning over coffee with her "boyfriend", she realized that word didn’t need quotation marks around it and hadn't for a long time. She sighed and let her eyes follow Loki's to the trees. “What are you looking at?” She asked softly. “Nothing, thinking mostly.” The contents of his mug sloshed gently when he moved his fingers to wrap around it. “Listening for things abnormal.” His head tilted to the side, a lock of hair falling to cover his eye as he looked at her. “If anyone finds out about this place, we will hear it before we see them.” Finally finding the nerve to make contact, Sophie looked into Loki's clear green eyes as she nodded at his statement. “Sounds right.....and can we agree to disagree about me helping out, just until you are healed?” Loki growled softly. “You won't listen to me even if I said no so stay as long as you want, I'm not going anywhere.” She sighed and swallowed hard. “You've got no reason to believe anything I say, but you can believe what I do.” “I don't know what to believe anymore.” His gaze slid back down to the mug in his hand. “You know, you're still the best. I didn't manage to con you for very long at all.” She watched his slender fingers wrap around the mug. “7 months did fly by us, didn't it?” A faint grin found its way to his lips. “It still confounds me how you knew where Friggas funeral was going to be, I didn't have her listed on any official documents for her safety. How did you find out?” “I've been watching you for years; where your ties are and things, it always does to learn from the best. And official documents are one thing, morticians are another. They are very easy to flatter. They aren’t used to people being interested in them and once they get talking, they don’t stop. Really, don't get one started. It's almost not worth it.” She almost laughed, then sobered. “I never wanted to use your mother like that. It was the only opportunity I had though.” “Pretty sure I don't have the boobs to try charming a mortician, no matter how pretty I used to be.” Loki's eyes slid back up to hers. “Even knowing what I do now, I'm glad I met you that day. If I hadn't I probably would have eaten my revolver.” Holding his admission close to her heart, she nodded and didn't push him for more right then, he sounded like he was starting to let his anger go. “You're still pretty; better ventilated than you used to be, but just as good looking.” She slid onto the swing seat next to him. “And if I hadn't have met you that day, I'd be past tense myself. My case would have been assigned to someone that I hadn't been studying and probably wouldn't have been able to hide from.” “You would have gotten one of the other senior agents but none have my experience in this field, if anything it would have been easier for you to hide.” He polished off the contents of his mug then gingerly set it on the floor boards, his shoulder screaming in protest from the movement. “Next time color all of my scars with a black marker before you take me to that Vet; maybe if I look like a Dalmatian he will be gentler.” She watched his wince and sighed in resignation. “Doc's a good guy. There are a lot of people alive because of him. He'll also worm and delouse you if he has enough time. “Good to know fleas won't be an issue; what does he charge for vaccinations and a neuter? I'm a bit behind on my shots.” Loki leaned a little closer to Sophie. “I have to ask... An arrow wound?” She rolled her eyes. “I was in a bit of trouble once in Budapest, SHIELD was involved. Their archer really doesn't ever miss. My...uuhhh.. backup got me to Doc in time.” His face scrunched in confusion. “I don't even want to know what you did to piss off Clint but, backup? That is a first I’ve ever heard of it.” “Well, he wasn't really working with me. He just hauled my butt out of the fire. And........ you're on first names with agents?” She asked. Loki actually grinned. “I was on more than a first name basis with his partner, he just happened to come up in conversation. Are you still on friendly terms with this butt hauler? He could still be an asset.” “Funny, his partner WAS my job. The Russians weren't too happy with her.” She wanted to avoid his question, but made a disgruntled face and answered. “I left the ...uuhhh.. butt hauler on rather more than friendly terms. That could make this situation difficult.” “Never a dull moment with you around is there?” His laugh turned into a hiss when it jostled his wound. “Ah Budapest, you were fun. That incident perforated my liver and collapsed a lung; they lost me twice on the operating table. Natasha was NOT happy about any of that; if it's any consolation, I’m sure you shot him in the butt.” Sophie snorted out a laugh and quickly covered her pink face in mortification. He was about to say something but his jaw snapped shut as his eyes widened at her. “I saw him; Hubert was the one that pulled you out of the firefight didn't he?” Her head snapped back. “You know Huey?” The pink in her cheeks flashed to absolute red when she thought about a few of the things she had done with Hubert. “Oh darling, do I know Huey. Other than selling valuable information to the highest bidder....” Loki licked his lips. “Do you remember the field medic I told you about?” His grin turned naughty. “He is also a physical therapist, and boy does he like getting physical with his therapy. Never enjoyed medical leave as much as I did for those 3 weeks.” Sophie blinked at Loki with wide eyes. “You never told me you were..... and.....that makes me want to call him even less.” “He's the only one male I’ve willingly been with, there have been a couple others but they were assignments.” His eyebrow arched at her reaction. “For one you never asked which team I bat for and second if you don't want to call him, give me his number and I will. Might be fun to see if he remembers his Lewey.” Her mouth worked soundlessly for a second before she pulled herself together. ‘He said he loves me.’ She told herself, but he doesn't believe I care about him, yet. He's got to be testing me. “Never thought to ask because you were in my pants 12 hours after we met.” She answered a bit tersely, very annoyed by the pet name Loki casually dropped. “I... I can call. If you think it's absolutely necessary.” “You didn't exactly say no to it either; I did offer to stop. I may have been a man whore but I am a gentleman... Most of the time.” He couldn't help but grin at her tone. “Someone sounds a bit cross; does the thought of inviting Hubert over rankle you that much?” “It's just.... I didn't think going to an ex-lover would be a good option because of how it might affect your feelings. But you seem to think doing the same thing to me would be hysterical.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stood up. “It's just damned impossible to think that I might have a human emotion, isn't it? Cause I lied to you in the beginning, nothing can be true.” “My feelings were excluded the day you said you loved me.” His stare turned glacial. “The day you decided I meant more to you than being a cover was the day you decided that both of our feelings meant nothing.” Loki spat harshly. “Do you know what I would have done if you came clean back then?” He stood slowly. “I would have run with you; you know me better than anyone and you know down in the marrow of your bones that what I'm saying is true, I would have done anything for you.” Loki brought his good hand up to toy with the end of her hair. “I probably still would. I have no intention of calling Hubert but if I’m ever in France again I may just visit an old friend that saved my life.” The last strand of her hair slipped through his fingers then he stepped around her and back inside the house. Sophie crumbled and sat on the porch steps. The past day finally overwhelmed her, despite her training. No one ever told her what to do if you fell in love. They just told her to never do it. She buried her face in her hands and cried like she hadn't done since she was a child. Loki grit his teeth the whole walk to the bathroom and the time it took for the tub to fill; as the water level rose, he gently peeled the bandages from his shoulder. He hissed loudly as the tape pulled the sensitive skin around the wound; the back drew a shout from him since he couldn’t get a grip to pull it off slowly, instead he peeled off a corner and ripped the rest off as best he could. Gingerly he lowered himself into the tub after removing the rest of his clothes, letting the heat seep into his bones and relax his sore body. His shoulder protesting being elevated against the edge of the tub but soon turned to a dull throb. Loki allowed his head to rest on the back of the tub and his eyes to close. Slowly her tears stopped and she was reduced to sniffles and stuttering breaths. She lifted her head and noticed movements low along the tree line and picked up her cup, deciding it might be best to be in the house if Loki's friends were going to visit. Once inside she scanned the rooms and seemed to be alone. “Loki?” She called out with her voice hoarse from crying. He had just dozed off when he heard Sophie call. “Bathroom.” “Seriously!? Without any help? Are you actively TRYING to die?” Her sadness was pushed aside by anger as she stormed to the bathroom and flung the door open. The door slamming against the wall made him jump, jarring his wound badly enough one of the stitches tore, causing him to shout in pain. “I was fine until you scared me half to death!” His right hand gently touched his injury, fingers coming away red and a tiny rivulet of blood sliding into the water, quickly turning everything pink. “Bloody hell woman, do you want to hold it while I take a piss too?” Sophie grabbed a washcloth and pressed it against the bleeding wound, perhaps a bit harder than necessary. “Yes! Maybe I should try and see if that can make me feel any less horrible!” Loki whimpered as she pressed the cloth to his shoulder. “If your goal is to make this as painful as possible then you are doing a marvelous job.” Agony rippled through him, causing his right hand to clench the edge of the tub in a white knuckled grip. She let up the pressure on his shoulder at his visible pain. After a moment she slid her hand over the one of his that was clutching the bath tub. “Shhhhh,” she leaned in further and pressed her lips to his temple. His teeth sank into his lower lip to prevent from crying out again and give him another kind of pain to focus on; his grip on the tub didn't let up at all. “Please, move the cloth.” Loki nearly begged, voice bordering on desperate. Removing the cloth, she looked hurt. “I'm sorry. I was only trying to help.” Sophie sighed and leaned back. “There's no way for me to win here is there?” “When you press on it like its gushing blood, no there isn’t.” He tucked his injured arm close to his side; taking deep breaths to calm himself. “If you want to help; dampen the cloth and wring out as much water as you can, then just lay it on top.” She follows his instructions, a bit chastened. “There. Anything else you need?” “A bottle of Jack and my I pod would be nice.” He joked; his grin looked more like snarl. “Where are they?” She looked like she was on the verge of tears again. Maybe she really was off the job for good, if she couldn’t control her emotions any better than this. Loki tried to laugh. “The store and our apartment respectively.” He noticed the shine to her eyes and the wet trail down her cheeks. “Maybe I should get out so you can get in here; I've made you cry haven't I?” “I'm fine.” She answered in a knee jerk reaction and straightened up, turning to the door. “If there’s nothing else, let me know when you need help getting out.” He rolled his eyes. “You're fine and I'm the Queen of England, right.”
