After having woken the following morning in a strange bed with a blinding headache, Sif felt sick to her stomach..
Whether this was due to the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, or the recollection of having been exploited in such a cruel way by Loki, she was not sure.
Perhaps it was a combination of both.

Although having engaged in such a salacious act with him in the first place was bad enough; their behaviour wouldn't simply be considered inappropriate, but rather grossly indecent, and fraternising with a traitor was in itself a punishable offence....but her feelings of guilt and shame paled in comparison to how it had felt when he'd laughed at her, and left almost immediately after having had his wicked way with her.

Distraught, she had lay ashamed and broken on the floor, before finally crawling into Anna's spare bed. Feeling used, foolish, and hollow on the inside, eventually she cried herself to sleep.

She saw the tear stained, mascara-streaked pillow and when she rose, the most intimate parts of her body ached and felt tender from having accommodated the trickster between her thighs, and.......well...it served as a harsh reminder of her foolishness.

Reluctantly she'd left Anna's spare bedroom only to find the flat deserted. She had however, discovered a scribbled note stuck to the living room door for her. It explained that Anna had regrettably had to go out, but Sif was welcome to use the shower, help herself to food, and that her spare room was hers for as long as she wished.
Smiling to herself, deeply touched by the human's kindness, she had to fight back the urge to cry again.
But then she had noticed the 'P.S' at the bottom of the note; which informed her that 'Luke' had forgotten his coat the previous night in the pub, and that she'd hung it up in the hallway closet.
Her smile instantly disappeared and she screwed the note up angrily and threw it into the bin.

She couldn't even stand the thought of him right now and she forced the mental image of him strutting around on his long legs, coat-less and infuriatingly handsome, from her mind.
He was nothing more than a cold hearted, manipulative, calculating mischief maker. He had no business being in her head, and certainly not her heart....
Her....heart...
She faltered suddenly, wondering why such a notion had even occurred to her, but before she'd had opportunity to dwell upon it, she heard a buzzing sound coming from the intercom phone on the wall, which startled her.

She approached it cautiously, curious as to what the buzzing implied.
It buzzed once again, so she lifted the receiver to her ear.

"Uh, 'allo? I'm a friend of Annabelle's, 'am 'ere to pick somethin' up."
A male voice, with a distinctly local accent crackled from the other end.

Pausing only briefly, Sif nodded, forgetting that the speaker was unable to see her response, and placed the phone back on the intercom before making her way out of the flat and down the stairs.
Opening the door expecting to be greeted by a stranger, she recoiled backwards as her eyes met with the sight of a somewhat dishevelled and bleary-eyed looking Loki.
Her first reaction was to slam the door shut in his face, but he swiftly wedged his foot in the way, preventing it from closing.

"Sif, just hear me out-"

"Go away you filthy liar!"
She yelled, furious at herself for having fallen for his trickery.

"It wasn't a lie, I am a friend of Annabelle's and I'm here to collect my coat!"
He pointed out, his smooth tone riled her even more.

"You deliberately deceived me trickster, by altering your voice with your sorcery-"

"Sorcery? Pfft..."
He snorted,
"...one can't live on the doorstep of Borough market and not expect the natives accent to rub off a little...those cockney barrow-boys are an entertaining bunch-"

"Stop it!"
Sif cried, as she strained against the door in a desperate attempt to either force him to remove his foot, or break it,
"Enough of your inane rambling, just leave me alone...I am not interested in anything you have to say-"

"Open the door!"
He commanded, and she had to suppress a sob when the pendant glowed brightly and her shaking hands involuntarily held the door open, permitting him to pass.

She really did despise him with a passion.
However, just because he'd forced her to open the door did not mean she had to stay in there with him. Ha!
Hurriedly, she side-stepped around him as he entered, not caring that she wasn't wearing her shoes or a coat and hardly noticing the damp pavement beneath her feet.

Back peddling quickly, he spun on his heel and followed her out onto the street.
"Where are you going, woman?"
He demanded,
"You'll catch your death of cold out here dressed like that!"

"Do not pretend to care about my well being sly one....besides, masquerading as a mortal must have softened you, as you ought to remember that our race is immune to such trivial human viruses. The mind stone may effect our durability, but I highly doubt a cold would prove fatal. Mores the pity, as death would be a welcome alternative to being your prisoner!"

"I'm half frost giant, how can I forget that I'm immune to the cold? I waltzed around Iceland as though wandering through a spring meadow..."
He retorted, as he made a grasp for her arm but she swerved him and continued to stomp away. Her anger increasing with every step.

"...but more to the point, are you still claiming that you would rather die than be in my company?"
He cried, halting for a moment as though her comment had only just registered, rendering him shocked.

He sounded deeply offended, and Sif almost wanted to laugh in his face, but she kept walking and he was now lagging several steps behind.

Just then she passed by a man who was dressed in some type of uniform, standing by a car and writing something out onto a slip of paper. He looked up at her from under the peak of his cap and smiled cheekily.
"Doing the walk of shame sweetheart?"
He chuckled.

"You have no idea."
Sif quipped, not bothering to return his smile or slow down.

Loki heard this and felt a sudden rage swirling in the pit of his stomach.
The innocent remark was a common Midgardian reference to returning home the morning after a night of overindulgence in some form of debauchery, such as alcohol, sex....or both.
But in this instance, Loki knew Sif was hinting at the shame she felt in relation to having been intimate with him.

Unable to suppress his irritation, as he passed by the man, who was now walking away in the opposite direction; with a flick of his hand Loki turned the remnants of yesterday's rainfall on that stretch of path into ice. And he grinned deviously at the sound of the man slipping on his arse and sliding to the side of the curb.

Upon hearing the poor man's fall, Sif looked back over her shoulder and instantly recognised Loki's handy work.
"You're despicable..."
She boomed at him.

Loki shrugged, not caring that the innocent bystander had suffered his wrath.
"He's a traffic warden.....no one likes them anyway."

By now they had reached the wharf, and Sif waited by the main entrance of the building for him to catch up.
"I need my things.."
She informed him as he reached her side
"...I'm going to stay with Anna."

He was staring at her hard and she wasn't brave enough to look him in the face for fear of blushing ferociously. Unwanted flashbacks had already seeped into her minds eye several times now; the vision returned of his lust-studded eyes and handsome features contorted into an expression of tortuous ecstasy.....as he'd-
.....she shook her head in order to rid herself of the startling image, and much to her annoyance, her face turned almost scarlet.

"You cannot leave me!"
He protested, his blue-green eyes rounding in surprise,

Closing her eyes to the sadness in his expression, she leaned back against the cold wall and took a breath as though attempting to calm herself down.
"I know I cannot leave this realm, but you've achieved your goal now so surely you have no further use of me? I beg you, either take my life or allow me to stay with Anna...you know where I am, it is mere minutes away from here and I cannot attempt to escape you."

Suddenly without meaning to, he reached out and brushed her face gently with his hand. Her eyes immediately snapped open and she reeled away from him,

"Do not touch me Loki! You sicken me. You've had your fun, there is no sport left for you in taunting me....or are you going to use the power of the mind gem to manipulate me and force me to remain trapped in this prison with you, just for your own amusement?"

His dark brows drew together, as he himself jerked away from her as though her words had stung him.
The truth was he hadn't even slept due to having treated Sif so harshly. Even though he'd only lashed out in retaliation to try and hurt her feelings as much as she'd hurt his, it had inexplicably grieved him.
He hadn't been able to shake off the shame and guilt he now felt, and was no longer able to fight the urge to apologise.

"I, sicken you?"
He repeated now, the words resounding in his ears and much to his alarm, caused an ominous ache somewhere deep in the cavity of his brittle heart,
"...Surely you're not being serious-"

"I am, and you do...."
She replied curtly, although she averted her eyes; keeping them fixed on the floor,
"...so much so that all I want to do now is collect my things, then get into a shower and scrub myself clean of you! My judgement was seriously impaired when I, when we...."
Her words trailed off, as her blush seemed to reach from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair.

"Yes, well I've heard quite enough madam!"
He retorted hastily, his tone tinged with regret rather than indignation,
"You've made your feelings towards me perfectly clear, you need say nothing more."
With that he opened the entrance door, not waiting for her to walk inside as he entered first and headed up the stairs. She followed behind, watching his brusque movements.

Upon reaching his apartment, he tore through the living area and up the stairs like a whirlwind, leaving her trailing behind, morbidly curious to what he was doing.
As she reached the open doorway to his room, she saw him rifling through his closet and cupboards, hastily searching for something.

After ransacking his room, he eventually found the misplaced item.
It was a suitcase, and turning to face her, he abruptly threw it onto the floor where it slid along the wooden laminate and landed by her feet.
She stared at it for a moment and he stared at her, until at last she lifted her eyes to meet his.
Oh, how was it that even now, he still caused her pulse to quicken when he looked at her? Even after all that he had done.

Just then the familiar sound of the doorbell sounded from downstairs; shattering the heavy silence that hung between them.
He hesitated only briefly, before stalking passed her in order to answer it.
Seizing the opportunity, she picked up the suitcase and carried it into her room.

She'd already begun folding her clothing up, when the sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention. She looked up to see Anna at the door, smiling nervously at her.
"Hey, I got back and noticed you'd gone already. So I brought Luke's coat back..."
She explained simply,
"....although I did want to see if you were okay, you know, after last night-"

"I wish it had never happened!"
Sif blurted without thought or hesitation,
"If I could change it then I would, but I can't-"

"Whoa, hold on a sec honey!"
Anna said, lifting her hand as a gesture for Sif to slow down,
"I was talking about the skirmish between Luke and Jay, you left in a hurry and you'd already gone to bed by the time I'd finished my shift."

Blinking rapidly as she realised her blunder, Sif quickly returned her attention back to packing her case. But now Anna was in the room, perching on the edge of the bed.
Damn it. Her and her big mouth!

"Oh my god! Did you guys get it on last night?"
Anna seemed to state rather than ask, much to Sif's irritation.

She heaved an exasperated sigh and continued her task,
"Much to my eternal shame. I am not proud of myself. It was a monumental mistake, and I regret it immensely-"

"Why?"
Anna cut in, her eyes wide in apparent astonishment,
"Was the sex that bad?"

"No!"
Sif declared before she could stop herself, and she felt her face prickle with heat.

On the contrary, Loki was very good at sex.
In fact, he was perfect.
The sex had been perfect, in a very explosive, rough, sweaty sort of way. It was the sort of sex one might describe as 'animalistic' and she'd never known pleasure like it, being ravished in such a wild state of abandon.
But she couldn't exactly share this information with Anna.

"So what then? Is this the whole, forbidden thing again? Because maybe you should just draw a line under that now, and move on-"

"You do not understand..."
Sif interrupted her,
"...it is not that simple. It pains me to even think about what we did. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about him....I despise myself for what I have done, I allowed myself to give in to temptation....and he didn't even want me!"

"Well, um, duh! I'd say his actions suggest otherwise, being as it was you who sampled the goods and not my sister."

"No, he merely wanted to seduce me because he could. To humiliate me!"

"Well, I'd say that given his display of pure jealousy last night, that he's pretty crazy about you-"

"No he is not, he is just crazy. Plain and simple. I think he's insane. He's a madman. His mind is unbalanced..."
Sif retorted darkly,
"...and I wouldn't even want him to want me. Why would I? I have thought about it rationally and it would be an utter disaster. I do not think he's capable of...well, it's his nature. He's destructive and sly, and everything is a game to him...I could never trust him."

She fell silent now as she noticed the way in which Anna was surveying her closely, her brow furrowing in concentration.
"What?"
Sif demanded, feeling slightly uneasy for reasons she couldn't comprehend.

"Well, I get what you're saying but...."

"But what?"

"...well, the thing is Sofia, that's quite a lot of thought you've given to someone who you don't want to think about."
She replied finally.

Sif felt winded by her words. She took a sharp intake of breath, which seemed to hurt as she gasped, yet still she felt as though she could not breath properly.
"I need some time away..."
She managed at last,
"....I don't want to think about him...I don't want to...want him."

Out on the landing concealed in shadow, Loki found himself having to place his hand on the bannister in order to steady himself.
She wanted him after all......she actually wanted him.

He'd barely had time to recover his thoughts, when suddenly he found himself face to face with her. She'd left the room, suitcase in hand and he'd been caught now, loitering outside her room.....eavesdropping.
He saw the look of surprised horror that was evident on her face and suddenly he was fumbling for words in a pitiful attempt to appear nonchalant.

"Sif, ah I mean, Sofia...uh, I was just...."
His eyes fell on the case she clutched,
"....just coming to assist you with your case."
What? No. No, no, no! He did not mean to say that.
It actually sounded as though he was eager for her to leave. Never before had his silver tongue failed him so badly.
"Um, or perhaps you'd like a coffee before you leave? And we could have a chat?"
He was painfully aware of the way in which she stared at him as if he'd actually lost his senses.
Perhaps he had.

"I do not want anything from you. There is nothing you have to say that could interest me. I'm done with you!"
She hissed as she pushed passed him and began making her way back down the stairs.

"Just give me a minute please, whilst I explain."
He pleaded, trailing behind her with Anna hot on his tail.

"Luke, I think Sofia just needs a bit of a break....some girly time, you know, to...clear her head-"
Anna piped up.

"No I need him out of my head!"
Sif yelled in response,
"He had no right moving into my mind uninvited in the first place, and he's been walking around free of charge as though he owns the place...well he does not. I want you out, do you hear me? Get out of my head!"

"You want me out of your head do you? Well I can do better then that, how about I get out of your life? For good?"
Loki bellowed at her retreating back,
"Then fine. So be it."
Unexpectedly, he made his way towards the door with long, purposeful strides.

What in the nine worlds was he doing now?
Surely he didn't intend to just simply leave his own home.
She was almost as furious with herself for caring, as she was at him.

"What is he doing?"
Anna asked, equally bewildered.

"It is beyond me."
Sif replied, as she found herself heading after him.
She wanted to leave him be. She did not want to follow him. Yet at the same time....she did. She simply couldn't help it, and she scorned herself inwardly for being so feeble.

She could hear the sound of his footsteps echoing down the stairwell and her curiosity drove her to keep following.
Once outside, her eyes quickly scanned the street for him and it was only due to his rapid movements that she spotted his tall, dark figure already turning towards the docks.
She set off after him, her own pace quickening so as not to lose track of him.

The St Mary Overie docks not only housed an exquisite replica of the Elizabethan galleon the 'Golden Hind', it was also frequented by small boats that took tourists up and down the river.
The place was already abuzz with sightseers, so when Sif rounded the corner she couldn't see Loki anywhere amongst the hoards of people.

Feeling somewhat self conscious in her stocking feet and little black dress, she did her best to ignore the stares she attracted whilst winding her way through the crowds.
If ever she did find Loki, she made a mental note to smack him around the head for inadvertently forcing her to suffer such humiliation. She disliked making an exhibition of herself.....which is why what happened next rendered her absolutely mortified.

"You've come to bid me farewell I see..."
His buttery-seductive voice rang out from beyond the crowd.

Whirling around, she followed the sound and almost laughed at the sight of him up on the deck of the ancient ship.
"What in the name of Valhalla are you doing on there?"
She called out to him, edging nearer the railings at the waters edge.

"I'm doing what you wanted. I'm leaving."
He replied simply, as if leaving by such a vessel was an everyday occurrence.

"Don't be ridiculous, that ship is going nowhere-"

"Not yet she isn't, but this beauty is more than just a mere tourist attraction...she's sea worthy, and I intend to make a spectacular departure."

At that he disappeared from view, leaving Sif panic stricken.
If Anna was in any doubt about his lack of sanity, then seeing him become a six O'clock news story ought to convince her that he was in fact raving mad.
She had to stop him. He could not cause such a scene, it was bound to be his undoing.

Taking decisive action, she jumped the railings and ran along the ramp.
Once up on the deck, she saw Loki at the far end of the vessel, leaning against the side casually and rushed towards him.
"Have you completely lost your wits? You cannot steal this boat!"

Smiling at her defiantly, he folded his arms firmly across his chest.
"The correct term is commandeering, but anyway why ever not? The lifestyle of a pirate has always appealed to me....in a course, drunken kind of way."

Turning his back to her, she realised he was leaning over the side in order to reach down and haul up the anchor.
Without hesitation, she launched herself at him in a desperate attempt to prevent him from achieving his goal.
However her over zealousness caused him to overbalance, and he toppled head first over the side, taking her with him.

Hurtling downwards, they hit the cold water with a terrific splash.
Her breath left her due to the shock and the cold, and she would've sunk further downwards into the murky depths as she flailed around, had he not hooked his arm around her and swam up to the surface.

It took a few minutes for her to register that he was now hoisting her up onto a small, electric motor boat.
She crouched on all fours, coughing and spluttering, spitting out the dirty Thames water.
"You are mad!"
She heaved, vaguely aware of him clambering to his feet. His clothing and hair just as drenched as her own.

"Quite possibly...."
He retorted, swiftly squeezing the release lock on the control lever and flipping the choke switch,
"...but let it not be said that I'm not remarkably gifted when it comes to adapting to my surroundings."

The engine suddenly sputtered to life and he masterfully took the helm, steering away from the dockside and out onto the river; though somewhat haphazardly, as he didn't instantly recognise that unlike a car, boats steer from the stern and not the front.

"Where exactly do you think you're going Loki? What are you doing? We need to return to the docks immediately!"
Sif was saying now, not daring to stand due to the erratic movements of the boat.
Which was a good call, as they'd reached the middle of the river now and he slid the throttle into neutral in order to slow down, but this also caused him to temporarily lose control.
It jerked to a halt, spinning out at the rear and for a moment she thought she was going to be sick. Fortunately though, it gradually stilled, and began bobbing along gently on the water.

She stood shakily, unsure of whether she was quivering due to nerves, cold or nauseousness. She'd barely had time to regain her senses when she was met by him, protectively wrapping an emergency survival foil blanket around her, which he'd retrieved from the first aid kit he'd found in the small cabin.

She stared at him askance. How could this manipulative monster be capable of such displays of kindness? Each time he showed his softer side, it made her heart break to see a glimpse of the man he once was and could have been, had he chosen a different path. A less self destructive one.

"I knew I'd have to resort to drastic measures in order to talk to you Sif.."
He sighed, chancing a small smile.

"You planned this? You planned to kidnap me? Again? Why didn't you just use a simpler, tried and tested method such as forcing me to listen by using this?!"
She gripped the pendant roughly between her fingers, from where it hung at her neck.

"No. I wanted you to make the choice for yourself.."
He informed her.

"How can this be making the choice for myself? You dragged me aboard this boat!"

"In order to get you out of the water, but you yourself chose to follow me down to the docks."
He pointed out.

She clenched her teeth. He had a point. Much to her irritation.

"So, all I want to say is that I am truly sorry for what I said last night, but not for what I did."
He declared, his pale complexion colouring slightly.
"I don't regret what happened, but what I said to you.....was a blatant lie."

"Huh!"
She scoffed, pulling the foil blanket tighter around her,
"You are the father of lies Loki, nothing you say can be believed-"

"Yes granted it has been known for me to bend the truth to my own advantage at times, but I am now telling the truth."
He insisted.

"You're telling the truth about having lied.."
She forced a mirthless laugh, causing him to visibly bristle,
"...you've told so many lies sly one, I've lost track of them all-"

"Listen to what I am saying!"
His voice was raised now and he took a step closer to her,
"Yes initially I thought you deserved to be taught a lesson for attempting to play games with me, and I naturally assumed myself to be the right candidate to teach it.."

He kept edging closer as he spoke, but she had nowhere to go. She could not back away as she was already cornered.

"I wanted you to taste the danger you flirted with..."
He continued, his voice low and sincere.
"...and you liked it, didn't you lady Sif?"

"Stop it!"
She snapped and attempted to turn her face away as he loomed above her, but he suddenly caught her chin delicately between his thumb and finger

"Admit it, you liked it. Just as I did! And the more you tasted the more you hungered for me."
He gently tilted her chin upwards to meet his intense gaze, and what she saw within his eyes, terrified her.
It was want.
She could see it now, as well as sense it.
Swallowing hard, she felt her heart begin to flutter.

Then suddenly he dropped her chin, his hand moving in a blur. She saw his long fingers swipe towards her throat, and yet all she did was close her eyes instinctively; unsure of what to expect.
She felt the pressure of the chain snapping against the back of her neck, and when she opened her eyes again he stood grasping the necklace in his large hand.

"W-what are you doing?"
She stammered, completely shocked by what he had just done.

"I'm setting you free, Sif."
He proclaimed simply, then proceeded to hurl both the pendant and necklace into the murky river.

She stared wild eyed as it disappeared beneath the dark water.
It took a moment for her to find her voice,
"S.H.I.E.L.D will be able to detect me now, as will Heimdall.."

Loki stood statuesque staring out across the river, his wet hair blowing slightly in the breeze. He looked almost melancholy.
"Yes I know. So you're free to go back."

"And you would never be willing to return to Asgard, would you?"
She asked, already knowing the answer.

He shook his head and forced a weak smile that did not meet his beautiful aqua eyes,
"There is nothing left in Asgard for me now, I have made a life for myself elsewhere."

"But I shall be there!"
She said bluntly, without thinking.

For a moment he looked surprised by her words, but then turned away from her abruptly.

"Do you not want me now, Loki? Were your words meaningless?"
She demanded, her own words continuing to spew from her mouth without having been processed by her mind.

"It is not that simple, you said so yourself-"

"But it is. You either truly want me or you don't, just answer me plainly and forget about the rest!"

"What do you mean, forget about the rest?"
He parroted, burying his face in his hands now as he sucked in a deep breath.
"Yes. Alright. Yes I do want you....there, I have said it now. Are you satisfied, woman?"

Turning slowly to face her again, she almost knocked him off his feet as she sprung towards him, enveloping him in her arms.
"S-Sif...what the hell?"
He stuttered in astonishment,
"What are you doing?"

"I'm not entirely sure, nor do I care!"
She exclaimed, as she pulled him into a deep embrace,
"All I know for certain is that....I want you too, Loki."