Muffins - Loki & Ylva alternate universe stories

The handler V

We order pizza and watch the remaining episodes of the season of Orange is the new black. It's almost like I'm having a friend over - a normal friend, not the prince of Asgard who forgot he can be a pompous prick too -, we eat our pizza slices, comment on the action on screen with our mouths full... It's an ordinary thursday night. And I love every minute of it.

Loki makes me tell about missions we did together in the past couple of years. Of course he wants to hear about the night I wore the gold sequin dress, but I also tell him about the many Hydra compounds we - he - infiltrated and dismantled.

"So... deflecting to Hydra wouldn't be an option?" Loki asks with faked innocence while he grabs the last slice of cold pizza.

I lean over to take a bite from the offered slice before I answer. "Ha, no! You're ranking pretty high on Hydra's we-hate-your-guts-list."
Loki eats the rest of the pizza slice and stacks the two empty boxes on top of each other. I watch him from my spot on the couch. He looks so normal. I guess without his magical powers he is still no ordinary guy, though without his memory of his thousand-plus years life he comes pretty close.

"You're staring at me," Loki says, nudging my leg. He's still sitting on the floor and he leans back so his head rests against my knee. "What do you see?"

"I was just thinking how normal you are like this," I answer honestly. "I wonder if you will remember all of this when you get your memory back."

One corner of his mouth pulls up in a half smile as he looks up at me. "I've asked myself the same question... I hope I do."

"I hope so too." Our eyes lock and I wish I knew what he is thinking. I'm dangerously close to throwing all my inhibitions overboard when it comes to him. Yet there is also my more practical side, my trained side. "We'll have to wait and see," I say, breaking the eye contact. "Meanwhile, let's hope we can keep this quiet. Who knows what will happen when word gets out the prince of Asgard can't use his powers?"

The prince in question sits up again and turns to me, pushing my legs a little to the side so he can lean his arm on the couch. "You think there could be danger?"

I shrug. "Depends. But I wouldn't be a good agent if I didn't take it into account."

"Are you gonna protect me?" Loki smirks, pushing playfully at my hip.

I push back at his shoulder, sticking out my tongue. "Isn't the gentleman supposed to protect the lady?"

"Oh, I will, my lady," Loki says in a tone that goes straight to my gut.

Sucking back my breath I jump up from the couch in the next second. I need some distance! Loki easily moves out of the way, smiling knowingly. "This lady is going to bed," I tell him quickly. "I'll get you a pillow and a blanket."

In bed I lie awake for a while, staring at the door. Behind that rectangular piece of wood is the God of Mischief, sleeping on my couch. I keep trying to remember he is a demigod, a warrior prince whose tricks and lies have earned him many a nickname. If I'm being honest with myself, I already liked him when... Well, when he was still the God of Lies. Okay, he can be a pain in the ass to work with, but at the bottom line he gets the job done. He may trick the agents he works with, yet he never puts one in real danger. At least, not while on the job. That one time he made the game 'the floor is lava' a bit too real, Barry ended up with first degree burns on his foot because he wasn't fast enough. I remember thinking hard to come up with yet another excuse to not go for drinks with my persistent colleague, when I was suddenly hoisted up on the air hockey table next to a joyous Loki who declared the floor to be lava. And the next moment it was, making the agents in the break room flee for safety. After the initial shock everybody started laughing. Everyone except Barry, who was furious about his melted shoe. However, he didn't file an official complaint and Loki repeated the game a couple of times after that. It was not until director Fury unexpectedly walked in and saw a bunch of his agents perched on top of every piece of furniture in the room - I was standing on the windowsill, barely holding myself up from laughter - that the game was banned.