Darcy Lewis sat at her desk, staring off into space, flicking her pencil. She was alone in the lab. Bemoaning herself, she grumbled at the thought that they didn't even get a day off for saving the universe, and while normally a day off would be a source of fun, for once she felt like she actually needed one.

She'd been going out with Ian, her intern, ever since they'd shared a passionate kiss after he'd saved her life. But something was niggling at her - that one-night stand she'd had many years ago with Loki, the god of mischief.

She'd gotten a bit drunk and forced him to kiss her. Even though she'd had meaningless one night stands before, for some reason she felt there was some connection. But why? It wasn't as if he had confessed his undying love, or even said that he liked her… so what was it that gave her hope? Oh yes – it was because he hadn't killed her.

She'd suppressed all hope that they would meet again ever since Thor had gone missing. But ever since Thor had come back after his two-year absence, she felt more and more drawn to the memories of Loki, with him occupying her thoughts quite frequently.

A small smile appeared on her face as she remembered the incident.

She was walking along late at night after unwinding at the bar – her only semblance of a normal life. Jane and Dr. Selvig had deserted her hours ago.

She started as she saw a flashing electrical glow coming from the back of an alleyway. Curiosity always getting the better of her, she wandered down, trying to be silent, avoiding stepping on the rubbish that was profusely strewn about.

Turning a corner, she drew in a large breath as she beheld a figure clothed in green and gold. "Who- who are you?"

"I am Loki, of Asgard," he announced grandly. "And I am burdened with glorious p-"

She cut him off by launching into a kiss, causing him to be pushed back into the wall behind with a loud 'oof'. "Mmm, you're kinda cute," she giggled.

He looked shocked as she'd pressed against his body.

"You look a little lonely, stranger – wanna go somewhere?" she drawled, grinding into him.

"You are beneath me, girl," he growled.

"Only if you're lucky," she replied playfully, continuing to move against him.

She smiled as his initial anger became mixed with lust. He was obviously brought up as a high-class person, but there was something about him that made him seem like a lost puppy.

Hearing no response, she said "Come on – let me make the decision for you. There's a motel across the road." Obviously this kind of thing wasn't something he would consider unless there were no repercussions.

"Just for one night," she admonished playfully, dragging him by the wrist. He allowed himself to be led, looking at her as if she were an exception to his usual habits.

She confessed she had been surprised by his prowess – she'd assumed he'd not know much about the subject due to his reluctance, but he'd been quite masterful and sensuous, reacting to her signals before she was even aware of them herself. It was a bit of a hazy memory because of the alcohol, but she found herself thinking of Loki when Ian accidentally did something similar. She felt guilty for it, like it was a betrayal. She might act flippantly towards Ian on the surface, but deep down she didn't want to abuse someone, or take advantage of them.

"OK, Darcy," she said out loud, taking out a blank piece of paper. "Let's do a pro and con list."

"Loki - psychopath. Ian - not a psychopath. Loki – made me pay for the motel. Ian – actually pays for my meals despite the fact he doesn't earn anything. Loki – resides in another universe. Ian – lives on planet earth."

She sat rapping her pencil on the desk. This was no good – all this was doing was making her wonder why she was attracted to Loki despite all logic. Scrunching up the piece of paper, she emphatically tossed it in the bin.

Taking a strand of Loki's hair that had been left on the pillow of the motel room which she had kept as a memento, she took out a Wiccan book of summoning, wondering when exactly was the point where she had gone insane.

-0-

Darcy blinked – she hadn't exactly expected it to work. An ethereal figure of Loki was standing before her in that same alleyway she had found him before. She had so many questions to ask him, but unfortunately none were coming to mind, and she was just standing there, dumbfounded.

"What is it you want, mortal?"

"I want some answers." Phew, good response – hopefully she didn't have to think of the questions, though.

"To…?"

She gulped, ready to bare her heart. "You know what."

His face became grave. "It was what we said it was. It cannot be more than that."

She studied him, looking for any signs of longing. "I know. But I want to know if you're OK with that."

The corners of his mouth tensed, exasperated. "We live in different worlds. And believe me, if you knew what I was doing, perhaps you would think differently about me."

"So you have thought about me," she demanded.

Loki's face fell, exposed, but there was also a calmness about him, probably due to the fact that she posed no threat. "Very well, mortal - I'll actually be honest with you."

"What do you want, a medal?" she snapped. All this pressure, this rejection – usually she had an indifferent façade, but the fact she was exposing her vulnerability was making her uncomfortable.

Initially taken aback, he ended up smirking. "It's true that I've thought about you. But I really cannot promise you anything. If you do want to take that chance…"

Darcy took in a deep breath. "It's not good enough," she replied, stone-faced.

"Why?" His voice betrayed an urgency that seemed slightly more than neutral.

"Because I never get the fairytale," she replied with tears in her eyes. "And what I want is apparently just an illusion," she said, moving her hand through his ethereal form to prove a point. "It's obvious you could never be the person I want."

Turning around, she dashed out of the alleyway.

-0-

Darcy had showed up at the office extra-early to give herself time to immerse herself in her work. She had spent the night holding in her tears because her colleagues would be able to tell at once, and the Darcy they know never cries – they'd be insistent on knowing the real reason, which was something she really didn't want to tell them. And it wouldn't be fair to Ian for the story to surface. She'd made her choice, and now had to be strong and committed to what she thought was a realistic and practical decision. Even though Ian appeared innocent, she knew that he was more intelligent than he presented – she cracked her knuckles, hoping her acting ability would be enough to surpass his perception.

There was a sound of the door opening. It had to be Ian, as this was the regular time he came to the lab. Taking a deep breath, she lightly slapped her cheeks and put on her brave, cheeky face.

Ian came in, looking solemn. "I need to leave."

"Wait, what? Do you mean the position, or me?"

"Both," he replied. "Just don't ask, and please don't follow me." He exited the room, leaving only the regular sound of the doors swinging back and forth.

Agape, Darcy sat there, in shock. Riling herself up, she tensed her hand into a fist. She'd be damned if she was going to just sit there as yet another thing she wanted slipped away. She grabbed her bag and ran after him.

To her surprise, she saw Ian transform into Loki. He was still walking towards the exit and didn't appear to be aware of her.

She did the only thing she could think of to stop him.

She got out her taser.

-0-

Loki groaned as he came to. He was on a bed, and his hands were tied to the bedpost above him. As his vision cleared, he noticed the room was familiar – it was the motel at which they had stayed before.

Darcy was pacing up and down the room, having a business-like expression on her face. "So you were Ian all this time. How could you do that to me?"

"I tricked you," he said pointedly, hinting that it wasn't exactly uncharacteristic of him.

Darcy's eyes narrowed at the fact he was avoiding her implicit question about his feelings, but then moments later she resumed a more neutral look. She wandered over, leaning on his chest. "So, do you love me?"

Loki blinked, looking stunned, and his mouth fell slightly agape.

"I'm waiting."

Loki took a deep breath, and let out a half-hearted laugh. "You want me to reveal my true feelings, just like that?"

Darcy was still closely surveying his face. "I can see through you. Despite your cool exterior, I know you're really a softie."

Loki frowned, a bit taken aback. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, you haven't killed me."

Loki's expression softened at her lack of steady logic. Tensing, he broke his bonds and grabbed her, holding her close. Darcy started panicking as a gut reaction. "No, I haven't," he said, drawing her in for a kiss.

After they broke away, Darcy looked him straight in the eye. "How do I know that you're not using me to get to Jane and Thor?" Even though his facial expressions were subtle to the point where she didn't know if she could detect them, it was still best to have the direct approach.

Loki had an expression of distaste. "Please. I have standards."

*Slap*

"You don't have to be insulted by everything I say," he said through gritted teeth.

"Oh," Darcy said, looking away, embarrassed. Looking back at him, she said in a demanding tone "Then prove you care about me."

Loki cocked his head. "I don't think you'll ever know what is real. My acting is so perfect that you really won't be able to tell," he replied gently but seriously.

She gazed at him, taking all this in. Finally her face fell, crushed. Sobbing, she started to move off him.

"No, no-" Loki said, dragging her back, embracing her strongly and forcing her to cry into his chest. "You said it yourself - you're not dead. Anyone who knows me would know that I wouldn't hesitate to…" he trailed off, looking away, abashed due to his violent and cruel tendencies, which she may not be able to accept.

Darcy couldn't help but be slightly alarmed at this, but she also felt that he was opening up to her. She might be completely over her head, but didn't have a choice considering how she felt – being without him would be unthinkable.

"So you actually like me?" she asked softly, through the sniffs.

Loki nodded. "But don't tell anyone about our relationship."

Darcy lay there on his chest, stunned. Was this another insult?

"If you want me, if you want to know me, then keep this quiet. I mean it," said Loki, leaning in just an inch away from her face.

"But why?" she choked out.

"There are many reasons," replied Loki, exasperated. "Just do it."

Darcy looked at him - obviously he was asking her to trust him. Finally, she nodded. "Now put your hands above your head."

Shocked, Loki remained motionless.

"Just do it," said Darcy in a commanding tone.

Loki relented, a warning look in his eye. "You're lucky I like you," he said, as she tied his hands again, this time using stronger binds.

Darcy smirked. "No, you are," she said as she leant in for a passionate kiss.

-0-

It was a cool, windy evening. Darcy sighed, stretching out in her chair, a peaceful look on her face. Every few days, on average, Loki would pay her a visit, and to her great happiness, she felt comfortable with him.

Just now, Loki wandered through the door of Darcy's apartment, and saw her at her desk, papers strewn everywhere. "What are you doing?"

"I'm doing some calculations. Believe it or not, being an intern isn't all shoe-throwing and inter-dimensional transportation. Especially since bloody Ian left."

Loki smirked. "In that case, can I help?" he said, rubbing her shoulders.

"Yes! You can wash up the dishes, genius," she said, waving him off.

"Ah, yes, my specialty – determining the optimum ratio of saponification refuse and dihydrogen monoxide for efficient removal of superfluous artifacts from gustatory practices," grumbled Loki as he headed off in the direction of the kitchen.

Darcy smirked. "Wait, wait… you might need some sugar with that." She grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss.

Loki look somewhat placated, but still a bit miffed. "I am the King of Asgard, you know."

Darcy smiled. "I know. Go wash those dishes," she said playfully.

A small smile appeared on Loki's face as he shook his head and wandered into the kitchen.

END

A/N: This fanfiction was done for the competition at the group MischiefLovesTasers on Deviantart, with the prompt "what happens to Loki and Darcy after Thor: The Dark World?"

Word count: 2200 approx.

I'd like to think he was sincere throughout this fic. :D Hopefully both of them mostly appear to be in character. With Darcy, I assume she does have a more serious side under that rather flippant personality of hers.

I really don't care how Loki can be Ian as well. Anything I can come up with would just be a MacGuffin i.e. a plot device that doesn't serve anything other than to be an empty explanation. To be honest, it was a simple way to off Ian, and to hint that Loki wanted to be around Darcy. Aww!

re: this line - "determining the optimum ratio of saponification refuse and dihydrogen monoxide for efficient removal of superfluous artifacts from gustatory practices"
It is basically a bunch of crap I strung together using scientific terms, but saponification is how soap is produced, dihydrogen monoxide is another way of saying H2O, or water, and gustatory means eating.