Coffee and Books 3

Chapter 7

Loki is of a mind that working out is a good way to get a hangover out of your system, so that's why I'm on a treadmill overlooking New York. Loki is running next to me, the physical exercise not nearly affecting him as much as me, although my stamina has improved majorly since last summer. I used to work out only because I felt I had to, but now I really like it. Current hangover status notwithstanding. Of course, that is mainly due to my instructors. I have a weekly date with Heimdall to teach me sword fighting. Every now and then I spar with Thor too, though the only thing I can do to him is try to tickle him to death. Sharon teaches me a little bit of kickboxing when we meet at the gym, her favourite workout. And of course there's Loki. His original goal was to teach me to fend off cavemen, though we are way beyond that now.

I slow down the treadmill to a walking pace. "You know, agent Romanoff came to see me yesterday."

He stops his treadmill. "She did?"

"Yeah, she came in for coffee and a favour." I get off my treadmill too and we walk to the mat in the main room of the gym.

"What kind of favour?" Loki tapes his bracelets and wrists while I stretch a little.

"A personal one."

"Doing the Black Widow a personal favour," he muses. "Might be useful to be able to cash that in someday."

"I haven't even told you what the favour is," I scold lightly, "and you're already thinking about how I could use it to my advantage."

Loki smirks. "I like to think ahead."

"Hey!" I jerk my arm out of the way when Loki suddenly tries to grab my wrist. It's his favourite strategy: distracting me by getting me to talk and then suddenly attack me. Normally he would have had me pinned, but the fact I was able to dodge him must mean he is mostly thinking about what Romanoff wants from me. "She wants me to use my powers on Hulk."

"To bring Banner back." Loki nods understandingly, casually walking around me.

I turn with him, trying to anticipate his next move. "Everyone seems to think that I can."

"Who says you can't?"

"Uh... I do?" Loki's next move cuts off my breath for a second. "Ow!"

"Always pay attention, love." He kisses my temple, but I'm still pressed against his chest with my back, his arm around my throat.

"But I love being in your arms," I tell him sweetly before stomping on his toes with my heel so he releases me. You really need to bring more to the table to hurt an Asgardian, yet it would be effective on a regular man, so Loki plays along.

"You should believe in yourself more," Loki says, grabbing me by my waist to toss me to the side.

I land on my butt and quickly crawl out of his reach. He's just playing now, yet I'd still like to try and win. Or at least end up on top. "Well, I do make you feel like acting like a nice person," I taunt. "That's quite a feat."

"If you can do that to me, imagine what you can do to Hulk," he says after a moment of silence.

"In the split second before he smashes me to pulp," I add sarcastically, thinking about Hulk's strength and unpredictability.

That gives Loki the window he needs and he floors me. I gasp when my back hits the mat and Loki unceremoniously straddles me with his hands at my throat. Of course it's not a choke hold, his palms rest on my collar bones, yet it's still not that pleasant. And I really don't like losing. I can't move my legs or hips the way he is straddling me and with my back flat to the mat there's only so much I can do with my arms or hands. Distraction is the best course of action here.