Even though the hug felt like home, it eventually had to end. Neither of them wanted it to end, they wanted to stay in each other's arms forever, to not lose that feeling of home that they'd both so desperately been looking for.

Loki eventually seemed to remember his propriety and his grip on Sigyn loosened as he took a step back. Even Thor could see just how much effort it took and how much he just wanted to hug her again, to hold her in his arms so he wouldn't have to risk losing her again.

"What does this mean for my future?" Sigyn asked them warily when she'd taken a step back, when she'd shaken off the feeling of home and comfort of being in Loki's arms. She knew they weren't just going to let her leave, especially not Loki, especially not now that he was so overly excited to have his best friend back from the dead. She didn't blame him. she barely remembered and she couldn't help feeling ecstatic to have him back too.

She didn't want to leave them. Not really, but she still had to know what they intended for her.

"You do not have to change anything, unless you so wish. You may do as you please. Though I am sure there are people who miss you back on Asgard. You would be welcome there," Loki told her, his voice gentle and caring, though he still seemed in shock that she was back from the dead.

Sigyn rolled her eyes and huffed at him. That seemed familiar too, such a usual gesture of annoyance at him. "You already brought me here to change my life, remember?" she reminded him with a bit of temper in her voice. They had dragged her here and her life was going to change, whether she wanted it to or not. They wanted something from her. No matter what the Lord of Lies said, she wasn't free to do as she pleased.

Loki inclined his head. "At the very least, you do need to speak with the team. Thor will go with you... they do not exactly like nor trust me," he said a bit sheepishly, as if he felt bad about that now. "After that, you decisions are you own. They will not force you to do anything. I will not allow it," he told her firmly. He would protect her, despite any consequences to himself.

Sigyn gave him a disbelieving look. "Didn't you say that they're making you work for them?" she asked him, wary of the whole situation she found herself in.

He sighed and inclined his head. "As retribution. I don't exactly have a choice in the matter. Besides, it was the Allfather who forced me, not the team here," he explained. That made sense, then. The Allfather was way more powerful that these Midgardians, though if he didn't have a choice, she didn't see how she'd have much of one either. Not really.

Sig jumped when the rest of the team came into the room. On instinct, she had automatically summoned a blade as long as her forearm in one hand and a purple bolt of magic in the other. Loki placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Stand down, Lady Fae. They will not harm you. They would not, but even if they were to try, they cannot do anything to hurt you as long as I am here," he told her gently. "You're under my protection," he reassured her, pleadingly.

She was still wary, still afraid, but she vanished her blade and bolt of magic and turned to face the rest of the team. It was Cap who greeted her, who introduced the team officially. He also asked her for her story and she couldn't see a good way or reason to avoid telling them, so she shyly told them about the fae taking her as a child. She told them how they tried to turn her fae and had succeeded at least partly. She didn't realize she had absently tucked her hair behind her ears as she was talking, letting them see her pointed ears, sidhe-red hair, and tri-colored eyes clearly. She conveniently left out her newfound revelations about her heritage. They didn't need to know about that yet, or possibly ever.

As she was telling her story, she unconsciously took a step closer to Loki, nearly tucking herself against his side as if he would protect her from the others. She was under his protection, but it felt like more than that.

When she finished sharing as much as she was willing at that time, Cap spoke again. "We have a choice for you, and I'm afraid it's not a good one, but SHIELD isn't giving any of us much of a choice," he paused before he continued. He didn't want to say this any more than Sig inevitably didn't want to hear it. "You can either stay here with the team, move into the tower, become an Avenger if you so desire. You can live your life, make your own choices, and have our safety and protection," he paused yet again. "Or you can leave and SHIELD will come find you and it will be much less comfortable in their care..."

Ah. That was the part he hadn't wanted to say.

She was being forced after all.

Loki rolled his eyes and Sig heard his huff of exasperation, could practically feel his anger. "I should have known you would force her to remain here. She just escaped captivity, you expect her to willingly join another prison?" Loki snarled at the team.

Stark glared at him and Sigyn took another step closer to Loki afraid of the angry men. "This isn't a prison," Stark insisted. "She's free to come and go as she wishes, just as you are, by the way. And the living arrangements are way better than the shithole apartment she's currently living in. And we're not asking anything of her besides that she doesn't try to take over the Earth!" Stark told him firmly.

Loki's glare hardened when Stark brought up the incident with the alien invasion. The annoying puny mortal knew that it wasn't Loki's fault what had happened. "It was not my decision to be here. I was dragged here by my brother at the Allfather's orders. She might enjoy the life she is living. It is not for you to decide what life she wishes to have,"

"No," she said softly, gently, knowing instinctively the tone she needed to cool Loki's rage and temper. "The life I've built has been better than what I had among the fae, but it's no life, not really." Seriously, even with all her power, she was only just surviving. It wasn't a life. Living here would be better than what she had and way better than being hunted down by SHIELD. "I-I can try staying here," she told them a bit warily and very shyly. At least she wouldn't go hungry here, not with Tony Stark and a crazy government organization paying for this endeavor. "I'll return after I go to my apartment and get my things..." she said it partially as a test to see if they would let her leave.

"Not everything revolves around this team. She should be allowed to do as she pleases without the threat of SHIELD," Loki protested again, wanting to protect his oldest and best friend.

Nat gave him a kind look. "As should we all, but SHIELD keeps a close eye on anyone who might be a threat. She's safer here with us than out on her own. There are plenty of people who would love to use someone with as much power as she has and an individual can be taken much easier than a group. She's done nothing but help us, and I for one want nothing more than to make sure she's safe and happy too." Sigyn realized that Nat was too observant and it hadn't escaped her notice that all of her things were second hand and she was too thin.

Sig really was just surviving.

Loki sighed and finally relented. He turned to Sig, blatantly ignoring the others. "Would she like me to accompany you to collect you things, Lady Fae?" He asked her kindly.

"No need to go out of her way for me..." she told him quickly, embarrassed and shy. She looked up at Loki and tried to ignore that the team was staring at the pair, surprised that Loki was even offering to help her. "I... don't have much. It won't take very long," she tried to reassure him.

"It would not be a bother. Plus, it would give me some time away from this lot," he added with a smirk. She could hear the annoyance in his tone at the rest of the team. He always had been a bit of a loner and around so many people his introvert batteries were sure to be drained.

"A-alright," she said softly, still shy and wary. She walked with him to the elevator while everyone else was still staring openly. "Though you're not going to like my apartment..." she added even more softly. Loki didn't both responding to that. She wouldn't be living there anymore.

The pair left the tower together and Sig led Loki on the short walk to her apartment building. "I'm sorry you're being dragged into this, Sigyn," Loki finally said as they were strolling together to her apartment.

"It's alright," she replied with a tentative smile. "It's actually probably a blessing in disguise. You'll understand when you see my place..." It didn't take them long to get to the run-down apartment building. She only lived a few blocks from the Avenger's tower. She walked up the stairs to her tiny, dingy apartment. It was only one room besides the bathroom and kitchen and she had next to nothing in it, besides a mattress on the floor for a bed and a scavenged dresser. She flushed in embarrassment. "I know, it's not much..."

"You live here? Why?" Loki asked as he looked around the tiny space horrified. "I know you have enough magic to have a much better life..." Of course he knew how much power she had. He'd trained alongside her when they were. She should have been able to create a much better life for herself than this.

Sig shook her head and looked sad and weary. "The fae are hunting me and until recently I couldn't risk using my powers without risking them finding me. So I had to make do with what I could get on my own..." she explained. Though she didn't tell him why she was suddenly able to use her powers more openly.

"Sigyn, I'm so sorry..." he said softly and she could see the hurt in his eyes and knew that he was feeling terrible about how she'd been living when he was a literal prince. He would have come to help her had he known she was alive. He would have done anything to get her back.

She shook her head again. "It's not your fault and things will be different now," she told him with a smile and summoned a cardboard box to empty the contents of her dresser into quickly. Really, there wasn't much besides a few changes of clothes and a couple of books. She'd really only come to make sure the team would let her leave.

Loki took the box out of her hands while she was throwing her few things into it. She tried to protest, but she saw the look in his eyes that he wouldn't listen, so she let him hold the box. "Why help me?" she asked him.

"Sigyn, I know you don't remember, but you and I were very close when we were younger. You were my best friend," he told her earnestly. He wanted so badly for her to remember. He knew it would take time for her memories to come back, but he still hoped.

"Mama Frigga taught us magic," she replied softly, remembering bits and pieces. She'd have to undo the blocks she'd placed on her memories soon. As soon as she got time. "So why are you forced for work with them, Lokes?" she asked. She noted how he stiffened at the nickname and she blushed. "Sorry, habit. Where I was... raised... it is incredibly rude to call friends or allies by name, especially where it can be overheard. There is power in the name of things. I can explain it better at the tower..." she told him quickly before he could demand an explanation.

He nodded, accepting her explanation, and the nickname if he had to put up with it. "There was an incident... Have you ever heard of the battle of New York?" He asked and she could hear the embarrassment in his tone, see it in his expression.

"The alien attack?"

He nodded. "I was the one who led the attack, though it was against my will; I was being controlled. The Allfather has decreed that I live on Midgard with Thor and aid the team as retribution for my role in the attack," he explained.

Sig consider that and nodded. His story was true. She'd be able to tell if it wasn't. "And they don't believe that you were being controlled?" she guessed based on his tone and body language. She finished throwing her things in the box he was holding and grabbed the box to take it from him.

He smirked at her as he moved the box out of her reach. "Exactly. Though, I have not exactly gone out of my way to try to befriend them. They have already decided how they wish to see me. There is very little I can do to change their minds at this juncture,"

"Maybe they'll come around someday," she suggested hopefully. She liked the trickster and didn't like seeing him so sad. She glared at the box he was holding out of her reach. "Now if she'll just hand that over we can get out of here..."

His smirk only grew. Smug bastard. "I am perfectly capable of carrying your things for you, Lady Fae," he told her pleasantly.

She huffed, puffing up in grumpiness as she always had as a child. "You're wearing a full suit and you're a prince. There is no reason for you to carry my grubby box of things," she replied grumpily.

He held the box more securely, refusing to return it to her. "Shall we return to the tower? I'm sure there is more the team wishes to speak with you about."

She groaned at that. She didn't want to answer more questions from the team. Though she knew they had to be curious about her. Knowledge about the fae was rare, especially true knowledge, not just fairy tales. She did however recognize a lost cause and gave up on getting the box from Loki without a real fight. And it wasn't worth a real fight. Not when he was just being a gentleman. "Alright, Lokes," she replied with a smirk and started to lead him from her pathetic little apartment.

He followed right behind her. "I could easily just teleport the two of us back to the tower?" He reminded her, though made it a question of whether she wanted him to or not.

"If you'd prefer," she replied with a shrug. "You're the one who wanted to escape the others for awhile..." she reminded him. "Though I'm sure you have questions for me too, which will be easier to answer in private..." she placed her hand tentatively on his arm. She had a feeling he didn't like physical contact very much, but it was required for him to teleport a passenger. Plus her hand was on his suit jacket instead of his bare skin.

He nodded and teleported she both back to the common room of the tower. she dropped Loki's arm as soon as she reappeared. He hadn't seemed upset about being touched, but she had the feeling he didn't generally like it. "I'm sure Stark already has a room picked out for you," Loki told her.

"I do in fact have a room picked out for her, Reindeer Games," Stark replied as he looked up from the blue screen he was working on. "Thor decided which of the free rooms were best. He's taken an interest in you for some reason," he added with a shrug, though clearly wondered why both Asgardians were taking an interest in the fae. He smirked at Loki. "She got you to carry her things, Reindeer Games?" He teased, clearly enjoying antagonizing Loki.

Loki glared at Stark. "I volunteered, you imbecile. It is called being a gentleman. Look it up." After one more glare at Stark, he turned his attention back to Sig. "Lady Fae, would you wish for me to escort you to your room?"

She nodded, if only to keep Loki from killing Stark. "That would be appreciated," she told Loki pleasantly.

Stark's smirk remained in place. "Her room is on five," he told Loki.

Loki's eyes narrowed at Stark, but his expression softened when he offered her his arm to take so he could escort her to her room. She placed her hand on his arm and while nothing appeared to have changed about her, she suddenly had the air of a court lady, which she was. Stark just didn't know that.

She followed Loki up to her new room and looked over the simple room appreciatively once she had arrived. It had a real bed, dresser, bookshelf, and it's own bathroom. It was much nicer than anywhere she'd stayed in a long, long time. It wasn't decorated yet, but she had a feeling that would change. Loki had set her box next to the dresser while she checked out the room.

She sat cross-legged on her bed and gestured in invitation for him to sit with her. He sat at the foot of the bed. She tucked her hair behind her pointed ears. "You look like you have a million questions, Lokes," she started with a smirk. "Where would you like to start?"

"With anything you are willing to tell me. I do not wish to pry into anything you are not willing to reveal yet," he told her politely, though she could hear the effort it took not to just demand answers to the questions that were killing him.

"Well that's exceedingly unhelpful," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him and in that instant sounding and acting so much like the girl he knew. "By the way, you owe me my ring back. I kept up my end of the bargain," she informed him, holding her hand out for said ring. He removed it from his hand and handed it back to her without complaint or argument. She slipped it back onto her finger with a small smile for him. "Thanks," she told him warmly and considered what he might want to know. "I did promise to tell you why it's rude to address your friends by name in the land of the fae," she started. He inclined his head to indicate he was interested, so she continued. "There's power in the name of things." That wasn't the full explanation, but it was a good place start.

Loki nodded, following along with her so far. "And why is that?"

She gave him an appraising look. "To have a being's full name is to have some level of control over that being," she explained, but she saw the disbelief in his eyes. He wouldn't believe she until she showed him, so with a small apologetic look she continued: "I name you, Loptr Laufeyson, called Loki Odinson, adopted son of Odin, brother of Thor, master magician of Odin's court, god of Mischief, Chaos, Lies, and Stories..." as she spoke, his Asgardian form shattered, leaving him in Jotun form with his beautiful patterned sapphire skin and scarlet eyes.

She thought him absolutely stunning and gorgeous, with his true form laid bare for her.