Treed
Loki Odinson pulled up in front of his house, pleased the dinner with his father was over. He loved his father, but… he just didn't know how to relate to the man. And if the looks he often caught Odin giving him were any indication, his father didn't know how to relate to him either.
Loki sighed, allowing himself to close his eyes and lean his head back for a moment. It had all only gotten worse when his mother died. Frigga had been good at mediating between the two of them and now that she was gone… Thor tried. He really did try. And though he would never admit it to his brother, Loki couldn't imagine what it would be like without him, but… it was still hard.
With another sigh he opened his eyes, preparing to get out of the car when he caught sight of a slight movement and he froze. Was that… someone in his tree? Opening his door, he stepped onto his lawn and moved slowly toward it. "May I help you?" he asked coolly when he spotted the young girl among the leaves, a little less than pleased at the intrusion.
"Um…" The girl peered down at him, and though she was making a valiant attempt to hide it, Loki could see the fear on her face, could see the way her eyes darted around as she tried to look down at him without looking down. A problem with heights, Loki surmised. Which made her position in his tree all the more peculiar. "I know this is stupid," the girl managed, swallowing a little anxiously. "But I climbed this tree for a dare and now I'm stuck… could you help me down or maybe get me a ladder? I… don't do so well with heights and I'm on probation with my school."
"Is that relevant?" Loki asked, cocking a brow.
"Kind of. This would be… sort of frowned on," the girl admitted. "I'm only the second girl in twenty years and if they kick me out than no other girls will be allowed."
"So, you risked it all for a dare?" Loki lifted his lip in a faint, thoroughly unimpressed sneer. "Clever."
"It wasn't the brightest decision I've made," the girl snapped, a little impatient. "I thought it might help me get over my fear though."
"Any luck?" Loki drawled, amused at the girl's expense.
"Not really," the girl said sourly.
"What school is it that you go to?" Loki asked, having a rather strong suspicion.
"Tortall Knights. It's a military school about ten minutes from here," the girl said, and Loki nodded impatiently.
"I know what it is," he said, rolling his eyes. "And that would make you Keladry Mindelan." It was a statement more than a question. "How old are you?"
"Eighteen," she answered, frowning. "How do you know my name?"
"I watch the news," Loki answered shortly, not mentioning Thor. And it was true. The girl's admittance to the school had garnered all sorts of media attention.
"I hated being on the news," the girl muttered, sighing. "Look, are you going to help me down or not?"
"Not," Loki drawled, entertained. "I don't own a ladder and I don't know how you expect me to 'help'."
"I don't know either," the girl admitted, sighing again and taking a deep breath before slowly starting to move.
Loki arched a brow as he watched her careful attempt to get down. If Thor were here he would no doubt climb the tree himself and assist the girl. The oaf.
Loki was not Thor though and he knew he wasn't a hero in this universe or any other. The girl would have to get down on her own. And really, if she couldn't even climb down from a tree than she had no business in military school anyway.
"Who dared you to climb and where did they disappear to when you were 'stuck'?" Loki asked, his curiosity peaked, when the girl paused halfway down.
"Classmates. Guys who don't think I belong in the school," the girl answered, panting slightly. "They left when I got up here. I didn't tell them I couldn't get down."
Loki nodded absently, his attention going to the all at once rapidly darkening sky. Storm clouds were quickly rolling in and a steady wind was picking up.
"Sorry for using your tree," the girl offered, sounding a bit contrite as she started her descent again.
"You may want to hurry," Loki commented, ignoring the apology as lightning arched across the sky, already moving toward his porch, having no intention of getting stuck in the rain himself.
At his words the girl quickly followed his gaze and managed to jump the last couple feet to the ground. "Do you… mind if I stand on your porch until my friend gets here? I'll text him to come get me," she said, speaking hurriedly before Loki could get inside and the words were no sooner out of her mouth when the sky opened up and dumped on her.
From the safety of his porch Loki regarded her. "I don't think it will do you much good," he remarked, noting that she was already drenched just that quickly, but he sighed. Somewhere Frigga was frowning disapprovingly at him and he could feel it. "You may as well come in the house and dry off," he drawled, raising his voice above its usual soft quietness to be heard over the rain and gusting wind.
The girl hesitated for a moment before quickly following after him, clearly eager to be out of the downpour. "You know my name, sir, but what's yours?" she asked once she was inside.
"Loki Odinson," Loki returned after a moment, moving into his bathroom and getting a towel for her. Back in the hallway he tossed it to her before going into his kitchen, figuring she would follow.
"Do you know Thor Odinson?" the girl asked, sounding suddenly eager and Loki rolled his eyes. There it was.
Loki loved Thor, of course, but it did get tiresome to have people always immediately connect his name to his brother's. "My brother," he admitted shortly.
"He's one of the few instructors that doesn't look down on me," the girl said, the first smile Loki had seen coming onto her face.
"He's not an instructor," Loki corrected automatically. Tortall Knights sometimes asked Thor to demonstrate various fighting and battle strategies at the school and Thor obliged but he didn't teach any actual classes and the school didn't pay him. He was a guest demonstrator only.
"I wish he was," the girl said, sitting at Loki's counter and typing into her phone and Loki rolled his eyes, feeling a flare of annoyance that even the random girl he had found in his tree was a Thor fan. It was all even more annoying in that Loki knew Thor honestly didn't try to make people love him. They just did. "Thanks for inviting me in," the girl said, watching him and perhaps seeing some of his discontent in his expression. "My friend Neal will be here to get me any minute."
"A friend from school?" Loki asked idly, putting the kettle on as he spoke.
The rain, just a quick burst, was already tapering out but some of the chill remained.
"Yeah. One of the few friends I have," the girl confessed, and Loki glanced at her but made no comment. Not offering that he knew what it was like to be alone, to be different. Though he did. Of course, he did.
Outside there was the sound of a car pulling up, the door slamming. "Is that him?"
"Probably," the girl said, getting to her feet and glancing out the window. "Yep. Thanks again. And sorry about your tree," she said, stepping forward to shake his hand and then heading to the door just as her friend knocked.
"You climbed his brother's tree?" Neal asked, out of breath, as Thor finished leading the class through his demonstration.
"Yes," Kel admitted, panting as she stretched.
"Out of all the trees you could have chosen." Neal laughed, shaking his head, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do you think the brother told Thor?"
"I don't know," Kel groaned, fighting the urge to hide her face, really hoping Thor wasn't disappointed with her and darting a glance at Thor as, at the front of the class, he chugged half a bottle of water in one swallow and splashed some of what remained on his face. "Let's go thank him," she said, straightening.
Neal nodded his agreement, getting to his own feet and following after his friend.
"Thanks for the demo, Mr. Odinson," Kel said once they reached him.
"Any time," Thor answered cheerfully. "Have you mastered the spinning roundhouse kick I showed you last time yet?"
"Almost," Kel told him. "We've been working on it."
"Kel has gotten pretty good at it," Neal offered. "I still fall flat on my face."
Thor laughed good naturedly. "You'll get there. Why don't you show me?"
Kel nodded, obediently getting into position and attempting the kick, managing, she thought, to do it almost like Thor himself. "How was that?"
Thor nodded approvingly, adjusting her finishing position just slightly. "When you start next time, try this," he suggested, backing up a few steps and going through the motions of the beginning of the kick, slowing them down so she could study them.
Kel watched intently before trying herself and Thor grinned, giving her a thumb's up. Kel grinned back, pleased.
"Your turn," Thor said, clapping Neal's shoulder and Neal grimaced, attempting the kick and, like he had said, falling on his face and Thor grinned again. Neal jumped up quickly, blushing a bit and straightening his shirt. "I think I know where you're going wrong," Thor commented, guiding Neal through the kick again, slowing all the motions down and offering pointers.
"Alright, so…" Neal trailed off, stepping back and trying it on his own again, beaming when he managed to keep his feet.
Thor nodded, clapping him on the back. "I know you guys have full plates and I know it's not exactly a part of your curriculum but in the next couple of months, in spare moments, practice. I'm going to the states, so I won't be back for two or three months but, next time I am here, I expect improvement from you both."
"Will do," Neal said quickly and Kel nodded.
"Yes, sir," she said, feeling a pang of disappointment. It was going to be a long few months without Thor's occasional visits.
"Did you reach out to Sif like I suggested?" Thor asked, picking up his water bottle again and chugging the last of it down before tossing it into the trash. Sif was a close friend of Thor's and she had traveled a long road to become accomplished in the world of fighting and martial arts. It wasn't military, like Kel's path, but the two had things in common.
"Not yet, but I definitely will," Kel said quickly, having every intention of it.
"I've been telling her to call," Neal commented, nudging Kel.
"And I will," Kel repeated, shoving him lightly back.
"Thor!" a voice called, and Thor glanced up, his face breaking into a grin even as Kel felt herself paling some.
"Brother!" Thor greeted. "You came."
"I did say I would," Loki agreed, his gaze flickering over Kel and Neal with recognition. "Tempting as the idea of leaving you stranded here was. Hello again," he said, the last part directed at Kel.
"Mr. Odinson," she said, pushing down her nerves and holding her hand out to him, knowing that if Thor didn't already know about her foray into his brother's tree he would soon.
"You know each other?" Thor asked, surprised, as Loki very briefly shook Kel's hand.
"We've met," Loki smirked, raising a brow at Kel, silently inviting her to explain.
"Some of the older students dared me to climb a tree that happened to be in your brother's yard. I got stuck and couldn't get down at first, but I managed," Kel said quickly, embarrassed at the retelling and hoping she wasn't blushing.
"You allowed this, brother?" Thor asked, frowning, and Kel felt her stomach lurch some, not wanting him to be disappointed.
"She didn't exactly ask," Loki said lightly, and Thor frowned more.
"No, I didn't," Kel admitted. "It was kind of a… spur of the moment thing. It was stupid."
Thor appraised her thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to his brother. "Mother's tree?" Loki nodded back, and Thor grinned slightly. "That's a good tree for climbing."
"It was, and I faced my fear," Kel said, smiling a little at Thor's smile.
"Kel doesn't like heights," Neal offered, and Thor clapped her lightly on the shoulder.
"Maybe next time it will be for better reasons," he remarked and Kel nodded somberly, knowing peer pressure hadn't been a particularly good reason to risk everything and feeling a burst of shame even as she was relieved that Thor was letting it go.
"Father's expecting us," Loki said then, glancing at the time on his phone.
"Indeed," Thor said, squeezing Kel's shoulder briefly. "Call Sif," he advised again, lightly, before moving to gather his things. "Practice, both of you," he added, including Neal with a quick grin. "I'll see you in a few months. Keep your chin up." The last was directed just at Kel again and she nodded, taking a breath.
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
"The time will fly," Neal told her softly as the two brothers left, aware that Thor was one of the few bright spots for Kel and she smiled gratefully at him. "Call Sif," he said, echoing Thor.
"Yes, Father," Kel said dryly, rolling her eyes and Neal grinned, heading toward the door. Kel nodded to herself, taking a moment before pulling out her phone. No more putting it off. There was no time like the present. This was going to be a good thing.
"Who was the boy?" Loki asked as he and Thor stepped out of Tortall Knights.
"Neal Queenscove," Thor answered. "Good student."
"And yet you like the girl better," Loki observed, not really asking.
"She reminds me of Sif," Thor said, grinning and offering a brief shrug. "I'm interested to see her progress."
"She does have a certain determination," Loki allowed. "I do hope you know you're sitting next to Father on the flight," he said, turning his thoughts to their trip and Thor laughed, clapping him on the back, the two of them heading to Loki's car together.
-End.