It was Jane's panicked exclamation of, "Fire!" that summoned Loki and Thor from their bedrooms. They dashed down the hall and into the kitchen to find the women at war with breakfast. The stove top was indeed on fire and the room filling with smoke. Thor hurried to turn the knobs on the stove and move the flaming pans to the sink. Jane frantically waved her arms as she crossed to open the windows.

The smoke detector would have been blaring if Darcy hadn't lost her temper a couple weeks ago after a similar incident and torn the contraption down. It was baffling to Loki why Darcy tried to cook when she clearly had no skill for it and that Jane kept allowing her to try.

"It was an accident," Darcy grumbled, her distressed features flushing with color, and shot them all a threatening glare, which made not laughing even more difficult for Loki. She met his gaze, shook her spatula at him and warned, "Don't say anything."

If she was going to assume a behavior from him, there was no reason not to do it.

"No," she said with piercing eyes as he opened his mouth, and she made as if to hit him. "Shut up!"

Thor snatched the spatula from her grasp, dropping it into the sink with the pans. His eyes reduced to critical slits as he demanded, "Calm down."

Darcy climbed onto a distant stool to wallow while Thor and Jane pulled out the cereal, frozen waffles and toaster pastries that were the usual morning sustenance as they were the easiest to prepare.

"Darcy, I need you to clean the apartment today," Jane said, gesturing to the spilled milk, pancake mix, broken egg shells and various dishes and food containers spread across the counters.

"By myself?" Darcy whined.

"Thor and I have this thing at Tony's," Jane insisted.

Thor pointed out, "Most of the mess was your doing. If you picked up after yourself..."

"You're a prince with a castle full of servants to wait on you hand and foot," Darcy countered. "Why can't you borrow a few loyal subjects from your dad to help around here?"

Again Thor hardened his stare at her.

"Maybe Loki will help if you ask him nicely," Jane suggested, too busy collecting her bag and munching on a strawberry-filled pastry to notice Loki's momentary glare in her direction.

"But," Darcy continued to complain, "I have to work on my thesis."

Thor pulled two fresh waffles from the toaster, which he buttered, drizzled with syrup, and then smashed together to take with him before joining the irritated Jane at the door.

"You've used that excuse for three weeks," Jane said, "but all you do is read your Harry Potter books."

Darcy fidgeted in her seat. "Yeah, well—maybe I'm going to write my thesis on the impact of Rowling's work on society."

"That topic is way too broad. Besides, I'm sure that's been done in several forums already." Jane moved back to let Thor step out ahead of her. She gave one final warning to both of them before she left. "Stay out of trouble today or, so help me, I'm kicking you both out."

There was a long silence after the loud thud of the closing door.

Loki put frozen waffles in the toaster then poured himself a bowl of crunchy bits and colorful marshmallow shapes. He studied the picture of a leprechaun on the cereal box, pondering the ridiculous human notion that those particular fae-kin could be cheerful or generous with treasure when he noticed Darcy looking at him.

"No."

"You didn't even let me ask first," she said, acting wounded.

Loki added milk to his cereal and shoveled a heaping spoonful into his mouth.

Darcy came around to him, stealing his hot waffles as they popped up. "You're as bad as Thor," she insisted. "If I ate like that, even a few days in a row, my clothes wouldn't fit."

Loki took the opportunity to ogle her voluptuous figure while he fumbled to add more waffles to the toaster.

"Stop staring at my boobs."

Loki chuckled, almost choking on his cereal. He looked away, finishing his mouthful before insisting, "I wasn't."

"You were too—but I'll forgive you if you help me clean."

"No," he said again. "Your droll attempts to manipulate me will never succeed. I am beyond your layman schemes."

She snapped, "Try talking like a normal person! You come off as such a prick most of the time."

Her attempted criticism felt more like a compliment as there were days that Loki could hardly bear to interact with any of the imbeciles around him. "Very well." He turned to her, leaning forward just enough to catch her gaze with the movement. His words were precise and harsh as he clarified, "You are too stupid to trick me."

Darcy's eyes glistened with the threat of tears. Her lower lip jutted out in an angry pout. "You are so mean."

"Thank you." Collecting his breakfast, Loki walked off to his room.

"You owe me an apology," Darcy declared as she invaded Loki's room several minutes later. It had taken that long for her to recover and bolster herself up for this confrontation.

Loki sat on his bed, resting against the pillows and headboard as he read some old book. A smile teased the corners of his mouth when his attention drifted her direction, yet he said nothing.

Darcy crossed her arms. "I'm waiting."

He put aside the book. "You barged into my room without an invitation."

She ignored his comment because she wasn't going to let him derail the issue. "I want an apology."

"Because I called you stupid?"

Of course! Now who is being stupid? Darcy thought. She answered with a mocking, "Duuuuh."

He nodded, continuing to fight the smile. "So, if I apologize, you will then apologize to me in return for doing the same just now—and for invading my privacy?"

It took a few moments for realization to set in. Darcy groaned and let her arms drop as her entire form slumped. She really hated him for always being a step ahead.

He got up to stand beside the open door in silent insistence that she leave.

Darcy turned and marched out.

"Oh," Loki said suddenly, causing her to halt in the hall, "I was looking at your ass earlier, not your breasts." Then he shut the door.

Darcy fumed as she cleaned the kitchen. No amount of sweeping or scrubbing could tame her temper as she'd been muttering complaints the entire time. She was on her hands and knees scraping hardened drops of syrup off the floor by the sink when Loki wandered in to add his breakfast dishes to the stack. Jane probably expected her to do those too, even though the men habitually dirtied more dishes.

She noticed when Loki didn't move away and caught him watching her. Darcy pointed the butter knife at him. "Don't say it." She wasn't in the mood to be compared to a servant or have him point out that she was kneeling at his feet like a lowly, groveling peasant.

To her surprise, he wandered away without comment.

She didn't see Loki again until she moved on to the living room. He was reading in the corner chair when Darcy entered, pushing the vacuum cleaner.

"Go read in your room."

His eyes shifted up from the page. "Why?"

"I need to vacuum the carpet. It's going to be loud."

"Thank you for your concern," he said in a tone much too cold to be sincere, "but I can focus quite well."

"Whatever." Darcy should have taken the time to pick up the room first, but went directly to vacuuming, which forced her to do both jobs at the same time. She was bending over every couple of feet to collect candy wrappers, loose change, magazines, books, pencils, pens, Jane's stray notes on astrophysics, etcetera.

She could feel his gaze on her. Darcy whirled around. "Stop looking at my butt!"

This reaction made him smirk. "Perhaps I could if you didn't continuously present it to me."

He really is a sexist prick, Darcy decided. "Perhaps if you got off your ass and helped me out, I'd get the chance to read my books today too."

"You told Jane you were going to work on your thesis today."

"That is not what we're talking about," she said. "Why can't you be nice once in awhile?"

Loki closed his book and rose from the chair, taking a few short steps closer so that he towered over her. His tone was soft, yet stinging. "Clearly you've mistaken me for someone who cares."

Heat flushed her face and her chest tightened as he strode indifferently away to his room. Darcy fought the burning emotion as she started up the vacuum again. She wasn't going to cry. He'd probably enjoy it if she did.

By the time she finished the living room, the motivation to move on to the bathroom was gone and she'd missed lunch. Darcy walked into the kitchen and found a new stack of dishes waiting for her, compliments of Loki.

It was the last straw in a day overflowing with them. So, she took herself out for a late lunch and a trip to the mall for shopping and a movie.

"Where is she?" Jane asked for the half-dozenth time since she and Thor had returned home. She paced the apartment, ignoring her dinner, which was getting cold, and kept redialing her phone. "Why won't she answer?"

"Perhaps she has met an unfortunate end," Loki innocently offered, eliciting a threatening glower from his brother.

"That's not remotely funny," Jane scolded. "You did something to her. Didn't you?"

"Could you be more specific?"

"What?" Jane gaped at him. "No!"

Thor said sternly, "Tell us what happened between you two today."

"Nothing unusual."

Jane accused, "You were fighting again."

Loki hid a smirk behind his cup, but couldn't stop the chuckle that followed.

"That's it!" Jane charged across the room to Loki's side, speaking with angry gestures. "I'm the only person paying the bills around here, and Darcy is my friend. So, either you get along with her or find another place to live."

Loki shifted his gaze between Jane and Thor. Darcy was the very definition of high-strung and over-dramatic. Surely, they couldn't hold him solely responsible for her emotional imbalances.

"Jane…" Thor started softly, his tone distressed, but she marched out of the kitchen before he could finish. He turned back to Loki with a low growl. "You will fix this."

"Maybe I'd prefer not to. Living here wasn't my idea."

"I pledged to keep an eye on you, and I want to be close to Jane."

"Then you'll have to convince Father that I can be trusted to live on my own."

"Perhaps if you gave me reason to believe that, I would consider it." Thor stood, transferring Jane's cold Chinese to the microwave to reheat it. He sounded disappointed as he said, "I can't leave for a part day without you causing trouble."

Loki didn't mind Thor's anger, only that he might become more restrictive. "Tell me what it will take to get out from under your watchful eye, Brother?"

Thor studied him from across the island, his gaze calculating.

The door opened, and Darcy stepped in, laden with shopping bags and humming happily. She offered them a pleasant smile, which dissolved when she spotted the take out containers. "You guys got Chinese without me? For rude!" Then she noticed the hard look on Thor's features. "What?"

"Where have you been?" He came around, looming over her. "Why didn't you answer our calls? Jane is sick with worry."

She stepped back, her eyes widening at his harsh tone. "I went to a movie and turned off my phone. Sorry."

"How can you be so consistently irresponsible? Sorry isn't good enough this time."

Darcy clutched the bags tighter to her front and her bottom lip quivered.

Loki had never seen Thor be this severe with her or Darcy as shaken. When they continued the awkward stare for several moments longer, Loki laid his hand on her shoulder, which made her jump. "Go see Jane," he suggested, giving her a gentle nudge. "Show her you are well."

"Okay," she uttered and hurried for the hallway.

Thor watched her go, another growl building in his throat. "Now you choose to be kind to her?"

Loki sneered. "You chose to chastise an unsuspecting girl when threatened with the possibility of leaving your precious Jane."

"Don't try to confuse the issue."

"You are doing that quite well yourself." He looked toward the hallway, making certain they were alone before continuing in a guarded tone. "You want Jane. I want my freedom. State your terms and let us come to an agreement."

"Fine. I will think on it. Make amends with Darcy and stay in her good graces until I've decided."

Loki was still irritated, but calmed his tone. "You realize what you're asking of me won't be simple?"

"Darcy isn't that complicated," Thor insisted. "Spend some time with her. Show interest in something she likes, and you'll both be the closer for it." He collected the food from the microwave, grabbed Jane's abandoned fork and left the kitchen.

Loki pondered this advice while finishing dinner. Then he wandered down to peek into the living room where Thor and Jane cuddled on the couch, sharing the food and watching television. Darcy sat in the side chair reading and sucking on the end of one slender lock of her dark hair.

He strolled up the hall again, stepping into Darcy's cluttered bedroom. Her book collection was scattered, stacked two or three volumes high on various flat surfaces. He did note that her Harry Potter books littered the bed and nightstand, which reinforced his belief that they were her favorites.

The novels were numbered on the spines. Loki took the first three with him, settling on his bed to start reading. He expected the task to be tedious, but was determined to thoroughly scour the books for insights into Darcy's obsession.