Sue_52: The Charity Ball, early 1986

[Teja]

"Me? Why should I know the answer-"

[Loki Odinsson]

"I planned this for months," he protested. "You shouldn't've been able to guess-"

[Teja]

"You planned this for months and the name you chose was Lukas Ashton?" she said incredulously. "You said you were from Asgard as soon as you were asked, and you don't know what an IQ is, or coffee, or tea - honestly, sir, do you think Veidt's not going to figure something out too? He doesn't have to be literally the smartest man on Earth to - and, honestly, I thought you were supposed to be clever-"

[Loki Odinsson]

"There was a Lukas Ashton," Loki retorted. "He died three days after being born, thirty years ago-"

[Teja]

Teja was clasping her hands in excitement, unable to remain fully still.

"You mean this absolutely obvious alias just fell in your lap? Like being caught was fated to happen-"

[Loki Odinsson]

"Fate for you, you mean," Ashton grumbled, "unless-"

He stopped anxiously rubbing his left palm and looked at her again.

“-unless you also mean for me to have... found you."

His thin black brows knit as he took her in, seemingly noticing her- really noticing her- for the first time.

[Teja]

Teja's eyes went very wide. She seemed to see something different in his than he saw in hers, however - in a moment she seized his arm and jumped.

"It's true, you do need someone or you'll never succeed! You don't fit in well enough. You need someone to tell you what coffee and tea are and things! Someone who isn't going to be suspicious!"

[Loki Odinsson]

"You're right," Ashton said, the frown deepening. "I need you."

[Teja]

She put her hands over her mouth, but the smile was still visible.

"You.... Loki."

She made what could have been described as a short, low squeal and then took his hand eagerly in both of hers.

"You should know it's... It's sort of an.... It's an honor really..."

[Loki Odinsson]

It occurred to him that her skepticism had vanished almost amusingly fast, but that consideration rapidly lost out to the exhilaration of having a pretty girl seizing his hand and beaming up at him. Ashton- Loki- straightened up and tried to look casual.

"Yeah?"

[Teja]

"I used to... Oh, I used to pray to you... I had like a whole phase..." Her eyes were almost misted over, and she was uncontrollably red in the face. She covered her mouth with her hands again until she could feel more composed, then she shook her hands out.

"How did you get here? No, no, that's not what i meant to ask. What are you? Are you from space? Is that where the Nine Realms are?"

[Loki Odinsson]

"I suppose you could say that," said Loki, who wasn't sure that was the right term at all but was trying very hard to keep up. "I mean, this is one of them-"

[Teja]

"But when I said galaxy, you stopped the facade. So are you from another planet?"

[Loki Odinsson]

"It's not really a planet-"

He frowned again.

"Wait- you believe this? All of this?"

[Teja]

She nodded breathlessly.