"Never worry for me," she asked him, squeezing the hand that held hers in a fond manner. There was comfort in the small action, in the weight of his hand nestled against her own. She had spent too long on Earth, he would say, if she was judging things by their time. Perhaps he was right, but where else was there? She saw the sadness in his eyes, and nodded to confirm his thought

"I was selfish," she said. "I hide because I feared that the change may have been ... that it may have brought damage that we could not fix." It did not need to be said that so much had changed since then. So very much in such a short space of time, even by his reckoning of it. In an odd way, it was the rapid change that spured her on.

"But now, I feel as though I cannot keep ignoring or pretending otherwise," she leaned against him just slightly, making sure she was close so that she could be heard over the music - especially since a loud number had just begun. "Loki, you know I would not pretend to you, not about this."

Her thumb stroked his. "I would like it if we could be more than friends."