"And how do you know I won't just kill you?" He asked.
"Because you need me. Without my survival skills and knowledge, you won't last a week in the Alaskan Bush. Once summer rolls around we can retrieve your precious stone and I'll let you leave, a...
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Apparently there's a place in New York City called central park just a few blocks down from the Avengers Tower. It's a six-mile-long section of greenbelt in the middle of the concrete jungle.
I honestly thought going to a park would give me some relief, but I thought wrong. While this park had trees, snow, and rocks, it was also full of roads, sidewalks, and trash cans. The air still smelled like city and it was thick with smog. It felt like a tease really.
The only thing that park did for me was cause me to miss Alaska even more. I missed the freedom, I missed the mountains, and I missed the silence most of all. New York is super fast paced, loud, bright, and full of people. It was all super overwhelming and I just wanted out.
"Good boy." Steve said to Koda when he brought Steve's tennis ball back and dropped it at his feet.
"Careful, he'll never let you stop." I told him jokingly, trying to break the ice between us. We were chained together and my right hand was attached to his left. He was very chivalrous about it though. He held my hand in his as if we were a couple to save me the embarrassment.
"Oh I could do this all day. I forgot how much I love dogs." He said, throwing the ball again. Koda turned and bolted after it like lightning, and we were alone again.
"Thank you, for doing this. I know you don't owe us anything."
He shrugged and said, "I don't mind. Gives me an excuse to get outta the office and away from Stark's ego."
I laughed then, for the first time since I arrived, and said, "I get that. Loki's good company most of the time but man is he a drama queen!" I slapped my hand down on my knee to emphasize the joke, but Steve tensed at my words. I lowered my gaze in embarrassment and said then, "Sorry, I know you're not on good terms."
"That's an understatement." Steve said, his temper rising. "He tried to take over the world! He practically destroyed this city! He killed hundreds of people!" He was seriously upset now, and he turned back to me, and poked my chest with his finger. "And he managed to corrupt a perfectly beautiful girl like you." I held his harsh gaze squarely, unwilling to let him win the stare down.
After a few seconds however, Koda came running back, and dropped the ball at Steve's feet once again. He broke my gaze and let out a breath, kneeling down to pick up the ball.
"You've got a good arm." I said after to sent the ball flying.
"Thanks." He shrugged again. "Look, I don't mean to be a jerk. I know it wasn't your fault. I'm just tired of that blew-eyed trickster corrupting my world."
"Loki didn't corrupt me." I said flatly. Steve raised a brow as if to say, 'seriously?' but I continued, choosing now as the time to be bold. "Loki didn't corrupt me. I was corrupted long before he arrived."
He pulled his brows together in confusion. "What do you mean?"
It was my turn to sigh then. After I did, I turned to him with an honest gaze, and spoke in a softer voice. "Look, Steve, I want to tell you my story. I want to tell you the truth, about everything. But you have to promise me you won't tell anyone."
