"Hey, hey."

I swatted at whoever was trying to get me awake.

"Come on, Blondie. We have to get going soon. Up and at 'em."

"Give me another day," I growled.

"Don't make me pull you off this couch." It was Stark all right; I could hear the immaturity in his tone.

"Try it, and I will set you on fire. Hey!" My fingers dug into the couch as Stark grabbed a hold of my legs. Keeping my eyes closed, I fought to stay on the couch.

"Geez, you're rock solid."

"I'm much stronger than you, remember?"

"You can sleep at your own place for as long as you want!"

"Get off me, Stark!" To threaten him more, I ignited a hand of mine and lashed out behind me.

I screamed as chilling water splashed me, dowsing my flame. I rolled off the couch, damp in some areas. My jaw locked at seeing Stark with a small bucket in his hands. Though he looked triumphant, I saw a hint of fear in his brown eyes.

"You know, it's not smart to piss off someone who can burn your place to the ground," I spat. "You're lucky I like you, Stark."

"You gave me no choice."

"I thought you enjoyed having company at the tower? Why were you so rude?"

"I wouldn't have had to be had you decided to get up when I was being nice about it. Now come on, we've got meet the others really soon. Get dressed."

"In what?"

"Pepper's coming up with your clothes. Meet me outside when you're ready."

I wanted my eyes to pierce through his back as he left. What an irritating alarm clock. I couldn't imagine dealing with that every day. Stark could be an adult, but he was still a child inside.

While I waited for Pepper to deliver my clothes, I stood outside, gazing at the damage from yesterday. It wasn't just firefighters who were in on the cleaning, civilians helped too. I wondered who saw any of the Avengers, or even me. Stark has to have a TV here somewhere.

I went back inside to find a nice, thin TV hanging on one of the walls. I found what looked to be the remote for it and found the button that turned it on.

The first channel it was on was still covering the aftermath of the battle yesterday. Each major station I flipped through covered the same thing. I absentmindedly gnawed on the inside of my cheek, watching as a reporter gave a recap of the events that happened.

No reporter could retell what went on like the Avengers and I could. We fought in that mess; we could tell the story the best. I was surprised reporters weren't hounding Stark's place, dying to question him about yesterday. Every major news station seemed only focused on interviewing witnesses.

Some even captured footage of the fighting. Some was crappy quality, other footage looked pretty clean.

"It's not going to die down for a while."

I looked to my left to see Pepper with a stack of clothes in her arms. She was a pretty girl; she gave off an intelligent air. Her hair was an unusual orange, her face made me assume she was innocent. How Stark managed to find and keep a girl amazed me. I assumed he was a player—another slang Todd taught me during my year here on Earth.

"I would be surprised if it did," I admitted. "But Stark is used to the fame. I don't know about everyone else."

"At least it's fame and not infamy."

"I don't know. It seems like people have mixed feelings about us."

"You'll get people like that."

"Does this mean when I go walking down the street someone may recognize me?"

"It depends. Most people have talked about everyone, there were a few that talked about you. They were giving you nicknames."

"Like what?"

"Mainly things that related to fire."

I snorted a laugh. "That's only because they saw the one gift. The other isn't as easy to show."

"I shouldn't keep you talking, or Tony waiting." She handed the clothes over to me. "If you need someone to talk to, you can always stop by. It may not look so nice because of the reconstructing we'll have to do, but I'll lend an ear to you regardless whether Tony does or not."

"But you barely know me, Pepper. This is the only conversation we've ever had."

"I figure I could offer my services. Who knows how this is going to affect Tony, or any of you?" She smiled sadly.

Without another word, she let me be. I stared down at the clothes in my hand, sighing. I better not keep Stark waiting.

* * *

We all met up again one last time. S.H.I.E.L.D. provided us with two agents and cars as watchmen.

We picked a solitary location so that nobody saw what was going to happen. Up until we all met again, I didn't even think about telling Thor whether or not I wanted to go home to Asgard. I'd had too much on my mind.

Stark and I rode in style to the meeting point. That's what happened when you were a billionaire; you could afford really nice, really expensive things.

Along with the two agents, Dr. Erik Selvig was back to normal. He had a container for the Tesseract, one that would allow Thor and Loki to head back home. Speaking of Loki, he was going to face justice in Asgard, which most likely meant being imprisoned forever.

Currently, he had handcuffs on and some sort of muzzle that prevented him from saying anything. The rest of us sort of stood around Thor and Loki, waiting patiently for the Cube to be put into the container.

You are sure you do not want to come back with us? Thor asked.

As tempting as it is, I think I'll stay. I smiled sadly at him. I promise I'll talk with you every now and again.

I hope the next time we meet, if we do again, it will be in better circumstances.

While Thor went to retrieve the Cube from Dr. Selvig, my eyes settled on Loki. His eyes were set on me. I compared who I saw now to who I'd seen before. He'd changed, more so thanks to that scepter he'd gotten a hold of.

My mind made the connection in that split second. The scepter. Loki's eyes changing color. The scepter did that. He was influenced by its power. Even the holder of the scepter was under its control. In a way, I wasn't controlled by him; I was controlled by whatever power had a hold over him.

Do you still hate me, Kiara? This time Loki decided to have a talk with me. How long did it take to get the Cube into the canister?

Not as much as I should since I figured something out. Still, what you did before you got a hold of that scepter wasn't right by any means. Look where it landed you.

I do not need this lecture right now.

So what you said about me, it's true?

You need to clarify.

What you said about you not giving up on me. You still care for me?

What do you think? He didn't say it harshly, he asked it legitimately.

What did I think? With all that Loki went through, with all that he'd done, was it even possible for him to still love me? I'd never forgotten about him, only because I'd wanted to hope that he'd come back to me, revert back to the man I'd loved. Was it possible for him to change back? Was the damage too severe to reverse?

Well, you are the God of Mischief and Lies for a reason.

Everything I have ever said to you, anything regarding feelings for you, those have never been lies. You may think I am lying as I say this, but I am not. No matter what, whatever happens to me, if our paths should never cross again, one thing will always remain the same.

Do I even want to ask what that is?

I will always love you. You may never return the same feelings again, and that is understandable. But there will never be another woman who has touched me like you have. I will never find a woman who accepted me for who I truly was. I can see tears in your eyes.

I would get a lot of questioning looks thrown my way with what I was about to do, but I knew no harm would come out of it. I went before Loki, holding back the tears that he saw. I gave him a watery, crooked smile as I ran a hand through his messy dark hair. I'd always done this whenever I wanted to comfort him, but I felt that the gesture was more comfort for me than Loki. If only the damage on you was repaired. I shook my head. I want to hope that it still can be, but it looks like the chances of that are disappearing with every second.

You plan to stay here?

I didn't come here to you as a sign that I was returning to Asgard.

A shame. I could use company.

Sorry, but I was only under mind control; I didn't originally decide to want to cross to the dark side. Think of me if it helps the days go by sitting around in a cell. You said I helped you before, maybe I still can.

Our conversation fell silent once Thor came back with the Cube. I looked down, dreading this moment. It's for the better. I doubt Loki will make a turnaround in a year or so in prison, but there could still be hope. I'd have to keep in check with Thor about Loki, or I could just ask Loki himself. He'd probably appreciate the company even if I wasn't physically with him.

Before I let Thor take Loki back up to Asgard, I stood on my tiptoes to kiss Loki's forehead. Again, I ignored all the looks that I was probably getting. If none of the Avengers knew my true connection with Loki before, they had to have a rough hunch by this point.

After exhaling heavily, I backed off, joining the circle of Avengers.

I picked my eyes up to see Thor nod to all of us, a gesture of farewell. Being that he was still technically the Prince of Asgard to me, I did a small bow. Nobody questioned my action, and Stark didn't have a comment to say. I guess he valued his life and his car today to not provoke me.

Our heads went to the sky as Thor, Loki, and the Tesseract all disappeared, heading back to the place where they belonged. The place that would forever be my first home. My birthplace. Maybe someday, if the Bifrost was ever rebuilt and functional again, I'd visit Asgard. I doubt I'd linger there; I had a new home here.

Todd. His fate was still unknown to me.

While everyone around me was saying goodbye, I kept staring up into the clouds.

"You didn't go with them." Natasha stood beside me. It still stunned me to see how normal she looked when she wasn't in her tight fighting outfit.

"My birthplace may be Asgard, but Earth is my home too," I told her.

"You can always come work for S.H.I.E.L.D. We could use someone like you."

I laughed. "Coulson told me the same thing when I'd first met him." I wiped the tears before they got down my face. "He told me the offer would always stand if I wanted it."

"It still does."

"I think I'll pass, Natasha. Thanks anyway."

"Tasha, you ready to go?" Agent Barton asked her.

"Well, maybe we'll run into each other again soon," Natasha told me, holding her hand out to me. I shook it. If I hurt her hand, she didn't let on.

"Don't think you're running off without saying goodbye to me, Girl on Fire," Stark called. I rolled my eyes playfully as I met him and Banner. "Seriously, you should take me up on the offer."

"What offer?" Banner asked, feeling left out.

"He thinks I can use my fire to somehow help me fly," I said flatly.

"I don't think, I know," Stark corrected me. "Don't worry; we'll do it someplace where nobody will mind things being burnt."

I looked at Banner. "I wish we got to talk a little bit."

"I can say the same. Maybe if you're ever over at Stark's, I might be there too."

"Oh, right, you two are science people. I bet you'll see each other the most out of all of us." I laughed.

"You have a ride home?" Stark asked.

"I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D. will give me a lift."

"They won't have to," piped a new voice, Cap's. "I can take you home."

"Seriously?"

"Of course."

"Oh, well, there's your answer, Stark. He's taking me home."

"Take care of yourself, alright?" Stark told me.

"I'll try. You two will try and behave and not try to blow up whatever's left of the tower?"

"There are no promises."

As Cap led me away from Banner and Stark, Stark wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. I stuck my tongue out at him. Whatever he was implying wasn't true.

"You don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. to get me home in one piece?" I asked Cap.

"Nah, I owe you from yesterday."

"So where's your car?"

"I don't have one."

"Then how are you getting me home?"

"You're looking at it."

How come I didn't know Cap drove a motorcycle? My brows came together skeptically. I didn't see this vehicle as the safest, even for two people.

Cap noticed my expression, laughing at me. "You can't be scared of this."

"I shouldn't be, but I am."

"Why? It won't bite."

"Is it safe for two?"

"Do you trust me?"

The corners of my lips twitched upwards. "I want to say yes, but we just met."

"Come on." Cap swung a leg over and got situated. He looked over his shoulder at me. "I promise nothing's going to happen to you. You can take a lot of pain, anyway. I doubt falling off will hurt you that much."

"I don't want to test that anytime soon." Very carefully, I got behind Cap. "No headgear?"

"Don't need it."

"One of these days you'll regret not wearing one."

"I'm a safe driver. Just hold onto me so I don't leave without you. Try not to crush me."

"No promises." I almost crushed Cap the moment he turned the bike on. I felt him flinch under me. "Sorry. I warned you, didn't I?" I yelled.

"Address?"

Cap didn't pull anything extreme; he let the bike take off under us, its engine purring. I should have just let S.H.I.E.L.D. take me home; I would have felt much safer in a car. Still, I had to give Cap some trust; he wouldn't do anything reckless to get us killed.

I was going to find either of three things when I'd return to the apartment: I'd find Todd there waiting for me, I'd find just the apartment to welcome me home, or I'd find neither. 

**I don't know about you all, but I think Stark is a Stiara shipper (I think that was a ship name someone jotted down...). It seems like Stiara and Lokiara are the big ships (doesn't really surprise me).**