Nine Days Of Loki

Loki's très smart apartment was located in the heart of London's Southbank, on Clink street, situated by the docks.
Clink Wharf was a warehouse redevelopment that had been converted into classic, open-plan loft apartments, which appealed to Loki's penchant for the finer things in life. To reside here, one needed to be successful and rich. Filthy rich.

But when at last Sif slowly blinked open her eyes, struggling to focus due to the vast amount of daylight streaming in from the windows, glass balcony doors and skylight, she had no idea where she was and her memory was foggy.

Had she died and gone to Valhalla?
She certainly didn't recognise this hall, and the light was blinding.
However, when she attempted to move, to her horror she realised that she had been tied to a wooden chair. That certainly wasn't a common practice in Valhalla. Or at least, not that she was aware of.

As she began struggling against the thick leather straps that bound her arms and legs, she also noticed her clothing had changed.
She was now dressed in simple black trousers, and a long sleeved top of some kind.
What in the name of Hela....!?

Just then a smooth, distinct voice spoke, cutting through her thoughts.
"Ah, awake at last, I see. Good, I was growing bored."

Lifting her head, her heavy lidded eyes scanned the über stylish room for the speaker.
The lean, blurred figure of a man came into view.
He was across the room from her sitting casually in a high wing-backed chair, his ludicrously long legs splayed apart.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but there was no mistaking that posture; he exuded an imposing dominance. And that irritatingly handsome face and raven mane of hair was unarguably distinctive.
Loki.
So, this was reality after all.

Her hazy mind skipped back to the previous nights events, and for a moment she had hoped it had all been a bad dream.
Clearly not.

"Care for a drink? No doubt you'll be incredibly thirsty now that the initial effects of the mind gem have worn off. When I first took possession of my ring, my mouth felt like I'd been eating sandpaper."
He offered, as he rose and strode purposefully towards her.

"I am not interested in your small talk Loki, and I couldn't give a damn about any adverse side-effects you experienced with an infinity stone!"
She snapped, irritated by his rambling and nonchalant attitude.

He stopped dead in his tracks, looking somewhat affronted.
"Suit yourself, I was merely trying to be polite!"

"Polite?!"
She raged, her temper rising by the second,
"You dare speak of politeness, when you have me bound up like a hostage! And what have you done with my armour? How dare you undress me, you've got no right-"

"Sif, relax will you, the clothing is an illusion. I could hardly walk through the streets of London with you dressed like someone doing Xena cosplay! It would've attracted even more unwanted attention."

"What is cosplay? Who is Xena?!"

Smiling whimsically to himself, he distractedly began removing his suit jacket before tossing it onto the back of a nearby sofa.
"The warrior princess, I have the box set....I watch it sometimes whenever I find myself missing you. You'll have to google her once you've become better acquainted with human technology."

Her frown deepened, his references made no sense to her, but she was so indignant she didn't have the patience to explore the subject further.
"And these?!"
She hissed, continuing to struggle against her leather restraints.

"Ah, yes....that was just a bit of fun really."
He raised his arm slightly and with a wave of his hand, the restraints instantly dispersed.

Sif glared at him, anger blazing in her large brown eyes.

Biting back a snigger, he shrugged lazily,
"It was just to add an air of drama, I got carried away. Needless to say I wouldn't have used real restraints. Well, not on that chair anyway, It might've scratched the veneer." 

Leaping to her feet, she grasped the chair and hurled it towards him with as much strength as she could muster.

With cat-like stealth, he managed to dodge it as it sailed through the air, it's legs narrowly avoiding his head.
It did however, much to Loki's horror, hit the wall where it splintered and landed in a damaged heap.

"That was an antique!"
He gasped, visibly disgruntled by her outburst.

But she was on a roll now.
Spotting a large, ornate vase standing on a nearby plinth, she made a beeline for it.

"What about this? This also looks old, and valuable.."
She taunted, grabbing it from its stand.

He didn't have to speak a word in order to supply her with an answer, as despite his usual ivory pallor, she swore she saw what little colour he had, drain from his face; turning an even whiter shade of pale.

Smiling vindictively, she launched it at him with such ferocity that this time the object didn't miss it's intended target. He hardly had time to turn away, shielding his head with his arms before it hit him on the shoulder, shattering to pieces.

"Will you desist, woman!"
He roared, clearly vexed but not nearly as angry as she had hoped he'd be.

"No, I shall not!"
She raged back,
"I will not cease until I've broken everything in this damn room, yourself included!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth, when her eyes fell on a pool cue leant against the wall, right by where she was standing. Without hesitation she picked it up, and began smashing the ceiling lights, one by one.

"Enough!"
Loki bellowed, his voice competing with the sound of breaking glass raining down onto the polished wooden floor.
"Put that down!"

Inexplicably she found herself suddenly halting, and although she wanted to do the exact opposite, she threw it down onto the floor.
What just happened?
She couldn't comprehend it, it seemed as though his command had overruled her own thoughts and her body had involuntarily acted against her own will.

She glanced down at the pendant which hung from her neck and was startled to see that the stone was glowing. Her eyes snapped to his and the dark look he bore was unmistakable. She'd seen that look before.
Loki had many faces;
They ranged from an angelic, wide-eyed innocence, to a contorted mask of pure rage and hatred.
The same applied when it cam to his myriad of smiles; mischievous grins, devious smirks, and very occasionally, a genuine, gentle smile.
She'd seen them all in her time.
The look he wore now was one that had always disturbed her.
His lips curled into a cruel twisted sneer, and his eyes had taken on that cold, hard, glacial stare.

"You won't do that again. I would've explained the workings of the mind gem but you were so quick to dismiss me, you don't deserve a proper explanation. All you need to know is this, you belong to me now, and if you disobey me again, I will make you throw yourself off that balcony....do you understand?"

Swallowing hard, as she took in his words, she forced a defiant smile.
"Your threat carries little weight. Such a fall would not be fatal to one of our race."

"Care to test that theory? I strongly advise against it. You don't realise it yet, but your immortality has now expired."

She frowned at him, unsure of what to think. Loki was deceptive, and couldn't be trusted. There was little point in questioning him further, as she was certain there'd be nothing to gain from his elaborate lies. Instead, she chose to respond with defiance rather than morbid curiosity.

"You may have miraculously mastered the power of mind control, but I am not afraid of you, Loki. Threaten me all you like, but I will gladly leap to my own death before I become a slave to you!"

He crossed the room with just two strides of his long legs, rounding on her. He was much taller than she, and extremely intimidating when angered.
"Who said anything about slavery? You're my guest, Sif-"

"Guests have the option to leave of their own accord!"
She interjected sharply.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that now you've found me. Don't upset yourself though, I shan't force you to do anything against your own will, as long as you obey the rules."
He leant down, bringing his face closer to hers, and she naturally responded by shrinking back, away from him.

She really didn't like him invading her personal space. It made her monumentally uncomfortable.

"You will not damage any of my property, you will not try to escape me,  you will not attempt to kill me, and you will not harm yourself of your own accord."
As he spoke, the mind gem began to glow again, as if reacting to his commands.
"Oh, and if you decide to test my power over you and disobey me..."
He added menacingly, his eyes boring into hers.
"....you and I shall take the tube to Greenwich, and pay Thor's beloved mortal a visit..."

"Stop it!"
She cried, his threats now filling her with dread and disgust.

He reached up and clasped his large hand gently to her throat, applying just enough pressure to cause her alarm.
"Surely you'd enjoy that though, wouldn't you Sif? Splitting the skull of the pathetic human who stole your Thunderer's heart..."

She lowered her eyes, a clear indication that he'd hit a raw nerve.

So, she did still care for that dull brute, Thor.
For some reason this irritated him beyond all comprehension, and he retaliated accordingly in the only way he knew how.
He wanted to grieve her, just as her having feelings for his estranged brother, inexplicably grieved him.
"Oh, how it must burn you, to know that he chose a feeble woman over you...the Goddess of War. You're so strong, and yet she's so weak..."

To her frustration, she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.
Damn him. She mustn't allow herself to show weakness.

He allowed his hand to fall away from her perfumed throat, and ghosted the tips of his elegant fingers over the apple of her cheek.
"...she's everything you're not, you're nothing alike and yet it is her he desires."
He ploughed on remorselessly, his voice whisper-soft.

She stood frozen to the spot, conflicted by anger and shock due to the intimacy of his seemingly tender gesture. And when he spoke again, the small hairs rose at the nape of her neck.

"You could have any other man you desired , yet you choose to waste your affections on that undeserving oaf."

Her head snapped up in defiance, she did not have to tolerate this mockery.
"My choices are my business, and no concern of yours!"
She hissed.
"And just as I am nothing like Jane Foster, you are nothing like Thor!"

Amazingly, at that he recoiled away from her, and for a moment he looked as though he'd been slapped in the face.

She seized her opportunity, and shoved him away from her.
"Understand this, monster....touch me again and you will suffer for it!"

She purposefully strode passed him, and stood with her arms folded in the middle of the room.

Loki had regained his composure now and was smirking once more, his mask of indifference firmly in place.
"Understood....although that is why I didn't stipulate you not being able to fight against me, as part of the commands. I've always rather enjoyed sparring with you Sif, verbally and physically."

Opting to ignore his remark, she kept her expression blank.
"Save your breath, silver tongue. If I am to stay here, then show me to my chambers."
She demanded brusquely.

Raising a pointed eyebrow, he gestured for her to follow him around the corner to where the stairs were.
"You never cease to surprise me Sif, I was expecting more resistance from you." 

He led her up to the second floor, where he opened the door to his second bedroom.

"You're not worthy of the effort or energy Loki, at least now I can be away from you!"
She retorted, as she stepped into the room, slamming the door in his face behind her.

Well played, he thought to himself begrudgingly.
He waited a moment, unmoving as his mind replayed the exchanges which had so far taken place between them.

She despised him. She'd told him so the previous night.
She considered him to be a monster....she'd told him that also.
Several times now.

And yet, he had a sneaking suspicion she had shown signs of attraction towards him last night on the heath.
He was certain he'd sensed it, he hadn't imagined it. Her reaction had caught him completely off guard; the dilated pupils, the quickening of her breath, the way she had angled her head as if awaiting for him to.....to kiss her.
He had never expected that.

Although, it was painfully obvious that she still had unrequited feelings for Thor.
Damn it.
Why did that bother him so?
All of this, he realised, could quite possibly change the nature of the game entirely.