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Arndis walked slowly and flipped the sign to read closed. Not one customer had been in today, not even someone to stop and ask for directions. It had been a slow couple of weeks, actually. The only bright side was that she could focus on studying for her midterms, which as of that afternoon, she had finished. Arndis frowned and moved to the back of the store, where a small little kitchen was located. The store used to be a house, but her grandfather renovated it for their purposes. She put water in the kettle and started to boil it, wasting time in the shop, as she didn't want to go home to her empty apartment. It had been three weeks. He had promised to text her, but it had been three weeks. Arndis clutched her mug angrily and then sighed. She didn't know why she was so angry over a date that never happened. She had just been looking forward to going and doing something normal for once, and he was the only guy that had shown any interest in her in a long, long time. She pursed her lips as something inside her told her that the statement wasn't quite right. The kettle squealed and she poured the hot water into her mug, she put her tea bag into the cup and watched as the colour started to permeate the water. She blew on the beverage and was just about to take a sip when the bell on the front door jingled. Arndis sighed and put down the mug. She should have locked the door, she mused. It was a small town, and no one locked their doors at night, especially when they were home. The only true things of value in this place were locked up expertly, thanks to a colleague of her father's. She slowly walked out into the main part of the store, saying, "Sorry, but we've closed for the eve-" she cut off as her eyes fell upon the person inside her store. She assumed it was a person, she couldn't tell, as all she could see was a figure crumpled on the floor, near the door. "Holy shit. Are you alright?" she asked as she rushed over to the figure. She peered over the man, she knew it was a man as his form was too big to be female, and the haggard breathing coming from him was deep and masculine. His clothing was torn, but it looked nice, she would imagine the suit and tie would have looked sharp before it was destroyed. "Sir?" she asked, reaching into her back pocket for her phone, to call an ambulance.
"Put that down." The man said, his voice horse, but it sounded familiar. A feeling of déjà vu flowed over her, and the man chuckled slightly before gasping in pain. She complied with his request and put the phone back into her pocket.
"We need to get you to a hospital!" she exclaimed, fluttering her hands over top of him, not sure where he was hurt, wanting to help but not wanting to harm him any further.
"That won't be necessary, Arndis."
She started at his use of her name. The town wasn't a big one, but it was large enough that not everyone would know her, especially because she was sure that she had never met him before. A headache started to form in the back of her skull. She pushed past it and turned the man's shoulder, so she could see his face. He was grinning but his teeth were covered in blood, and it was leaking out of the side of his mouth. There was a large cut above his eyebrow, which was gushing blood, some had started leaking into his eyes. Arndis gasped both at the injury to his face, but also at the familiarity. She blinked a few times as intense pain shot through her skull, sending her reeling backwards. She fell onto her back, curling into the fetal position, clutching her head as wave after wave of stabbing pain rolled over her. She dimly was aware of the man leaning over her, and she felt his hands on her temples before she felt the pain slightly easing, and subsiding. His touch was cool on her skin, and as she opened her eyes and looked at him, his face was etched in worry, the expression contrasting against the blood that was still dripping down his face, sliding off his chin and landing on her shirt.
"Loki," she whispered, finally remembering what her mind had been trying to figure out for the past month. She remembered everything now, who he was, what he had done. She sat up and touched the gash on his forehead, causing him to wince. "What happened to you?"
"They found me." Arndis didn't need to ask who, she figured it was either the Avengers, or some other type of government organization. "And as you can see, I didn't fare so well."
"You should really go to the hospital." She repeated again.
He laughed again and closed his eyes. She was afraid that he had passed out on her but she saw the same sort of faint green light surrounding him. And she gasped as she watched the gash on his forehead seal itself shut, so that it was just an angry red line. He opened his eyes again, and he looked tired. Arndis sat on her hands, wondering what would happen next. He stood, and wobbled slightly, causing Arndis to shoot to her feet as well. He smiled at her again. "Sorry for the intrusion. I just needed a place to hide and heal…somewhere they wouldn't know to find me."
"How did you know I'd be here?" she asked as he wobbled again, and she approached him and clutched his arm, offering herself as a crutch. He grimaced before resting his arm on her shoulders.
"I'm a god, woman. And this town isn't really that big."
I'm a god. The words repeated in her brain and she blinked up at him, wondering if he was delusional. Him being an alien, she could accept, but a god? That was an entirely different story. She decided not to press the issue for the moment and led him to sit down in one of the fluffy chairs. He sat down gratefully and grimaced slightly. Arndis went and locked the door, and pulled down the blinds, thinking that it was a good idea if people were out looking for him. She ran back into the kitchen and grabbed her still hot mug of tea and stepped close to him again. He looked good, she decided, despite the injuries he had received. The sight of him had her pulse jumping again. She held out the beverage to him and he looked at it curiously. She placed it in his hands and he looked surprised at the warmth it created. "It's tea…you…you drink it…"she said, feeling utterly ridiculous. He looked at her suspiciously but slowly raised the mug to his lips. Arndis found herself holding her breath as he took the first sip. She smiled as she watched surprise and pleasure pour over his features. The expression looked foreign on his face, his severe cheekbones seeming unused to the happiness that sat there now. She sat in front of him, unsure of what to do now, unsure of what would happen next.
He finished the drink and handed the cup back to her. She held the mug, as if it still held hot liquid, grateful for something to do with her hands. "You have something that I want, Arndis."
Arndis felt her eyes widen as her mind went to a very particular place. Her mouth went dry as she felt heat start to pool in her stomach. "W-What?" she stammered behind the lump in her throat.
He grinned at her, as if he could read her thoughts. "I think you are in possession of a rare book…something I need."
His words washed over her like a cold bucket of water, clearing her mind and extinguishing any desire she may have been feeling. She knew what book he wanted. He wanted the same book that government agent had wanted, and she was just as inclined to give it to this man as she was to give it to the man with the eye-patch. Despite her confusing feelings concerning this man, she would die before she would give up or hand over her mother's collection, her legacy. "I can't give you that," she said stubbornly, getting to her feet. She dimly realised that she was still holding the mug, although now as though it was a weapon, ready to defend herself when this alien tried to attack her. She clearly saw anger flare in his eyes and waited for the expected feeling of fear to come, but she didn't feel it, at least not as strongly as she would have expected. Perhaps it was seeing the man as he was, all beat up and weaker than when she had first encountered him.
He stood and towered over her, but she didn't back away. He looked down at her, anger in his face, and she could see the tension around his mouth, tightening his lips into a thin line. Instead of lashing out like she was expecting, he smiled down at her. "I'll just have to get you to trust me then." That was a surprise. She expected him to rough her up until she acquiesced. She let out breath that she didn't know she was holding, and backed away from him slightly, giving herself space to think. She looked at his clothing again and frowned.
"Before any of that, we'd better get you cleaned up." She, unthinkingly, grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the kitchen. When she realised what she was doing, she let go of his hand quickly, astonished at herself, but also at the coldness of his skin. It was as though he had just had his hands in a bucket of ice. She turned to the sink and ran a new dish cloth under warm water. She turned back to him and smiled slightly, trying to diffuse the weirdness between them. While his cuts were mostly closed, his face was still bloodied, and if he was going to leave this store, that would have to be gotten rid of, as most people would call the police if they saw a bloodied man. She gestured for him to sit on the tall stool, so that she could reach his face without real effort. Her hand trembled as she wiped his forehead, trying to ignore the feeling of his breath on her face. It smelt spicy. She focused on her task before she could distract herself again with his face. A thought occurred to her. Why didn't she call the police? She had her memories back, and knew who he was and what he did…why didn't she report him? Yes at first she was concerned for his safety, but he seemed alright now…so why…why wasn't she making an excuse to leave the room and phone….or even just dial the number and let them come…
"Are you done? May I leave now?" his voice broke through her thoughts. She realised that she was clutching the rag in between her hands now, his face clean of the blood. She swallowed and nodded, avoiding looking into his eyes.
She grabbed a baggy hoodie that she had worn over to the store this afternoon and threw it at him. He pulled it over his head without comment. She was surprised when he walked to the front of the store. She turned off the light in the kitchen and went to stand beside him. He was peeking out the blinds. "So, are you coming?" he asked, surprising her. She had figured that he would just leave her, wiping her memory like he had the last time. The rational side of her brain told her that doing so would be stupid, that she had aided a criminal, and was going to continue to do so. Something else inside her though, told her that she was meant to go with him. She swallowed and grabbed her purse, quickly shutting off the lights to the store. She paused outside momentarily to lock the door. She looked at him, and he silently slipped his hand into hers and led her into an alleyway.
Arndis sat on a plush sofa, looking around at the impressively swanky apartment, much nicer than her own. Loki had gone into the bedroom to change his clothes. She wondered how a man she had seen a month ago in raggedy clothes, looking slightly homeless, could now afford such an expensive place. She looked skeptically at the large flat screen TV mounted to the wall. Did he break into this place? Should I be keeping watch? She jumped when she heard a chuckle behind her. She whirled around but relaxed as her eyes settled on Loki. He was dressed casually in black jeans and a jean shirt. He looked extremely hipster, and it didn't seem to suit him. "Is this place yours?"
He laughed outright at the astonishment in her voice, as well as the skepticism. "Yes, it's amazing what mortals are willing to do to accommodate with the smallest amount of persuasion."
Arndis felt nausea roll through her. "Is that what you're doing to me?"
He cocked his head to the side. "No, but I could you know. It would be simple against a mortal such as yourself." Arndis looked down at her feet, wondering why he didn't just do that to her while they were still in the bookstore. He could have the information he's looking for already. He must have taken her thoughtfulness as disbelief as he knelt in front of her, making her meet his eyes. "My magic is quite strong, Arndis. You would do well not to question me."
Arndis felt fear roll through her, but perhaps it wasn't fear exactly, it was more like apprehension, as she could imagine what he would do to her. She swallowed, deciding to understand what exactly she was getting into. "So, you said before…you're a god?"
He nodded and stood in front of her again, puffing his chest out, as if to convince her of that fact. Aliens she could deal with. She could accept magic, but as an Atheist, accepting someone as a god was a stretch. "A god like Odin and Thor?" She asked, making sure she had the right mythic family.
His eyes darkened, and she bit her lip, feeling stupid for asking those names. In the book her father read her, it detailed the strained relationship between the All Father and his adoptive son, and she assumed that his relationship with Thor was little better. "Yes, we're all from Asgard."
Arndis nodded and thought hard to remember everything she had ever learned about these Norse gods. She knew that Loki was a frost giant, but what that actually meant, she wasn't sure. And given his reaction to her mention of Odin, she wasn't going to ask another difficult, personal question. "What about Sigyn?" she asked, remembering his mythic wife. One he never treated all that well.
He looked completely confused. "Sigyn?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you know…your wife?"
Loki looked completely bewildered. "I'm not married, nor do I have any desire to wed."
Arndis viewed him narrowly for another few moments, and then decided that she believed him. Sigyn was either non-existent or Loki hadn't met her yet. Her father would have been so disappointed, he loved Sigyn, so much that he had made the goddess's name her own middle name. She could only imagine her father's excitement if he would have been in this room, able to question an actual living god! "Is it true that you cross-gender? And have birthed children?"
Loki looked even more confused. "What in the Realms are you talking about?" He looked slightly offended by this set of questions and Arndis couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her. "Why are you asking me these things?"
Arndis reached into her bag and pulled out the mythic book she had been carrying around for the past few weeks, some compulsion that didn't make sense to her until now. She opened the book to his chapter and pointed at the flawed picture of him. "Humans have written about you and your family for thousands of years. They're almost like fairy-tales now. I can't say I'm disappointed that some of the stories were embellished. I don't know how I'd feel if you had birthed a giant snake."
"Jörmungandr?" he asked, correctly naming the snake from the myths.
"So you did?" she asked, her voice raising an octave.
He shook his head and laughed. "No, he's a pet of mine. I've had him for thousands of years."
Arndis nodded, marvelling at how humans could have misinterpreted certain things, but also at how otherwise accurate their writings were. How did they get this knowledge? Premonition? Did gods visit the earth during the time of the Vikings? She could see how primitive beings could blindly believe and embellish the stories they were told.
Apparently bored of her line of questioning, things that he had no idea of, Loki had started leafing through the book she had. He snorted a few times at things he read, but she didn't want to ask, not sure she could handle hearing that more of the myths were actually real. He turned to her after a few moments and he narrowed his eyes at her, making her squirm. "You didn't listen to me."
Now it was her turn to be utterly bewildered. She was pretty sure she had done everything he had asked, with giving him the book being the exception. "What?"
"I told you not to go out with that guy, the puny mortal from a couple weeks ago…"
Arndis gasped and stared at him. "You were watching me?"
He laughed. "Who do you think was giving you advice?"
She swallowed as she connected his voice to the one she had heard in her head a few times, especially when the blonde guy was around. She slanted her eyes at him, "What did you do to him?"
His smile widened, betraying his sense of gruesome humor. "I just told him not to contact you again. I was pretty convincing."
Arndis found herself angry that he would interfere in her life like that. But why not? He had selfishly interfered with her life tonight, making her open to criminal sanctions, so why should she be surprised. "But why?" she asked.
"He wasn't right for you. And I still need you." She was going to argue that he didn't know her well enough to make that call, but kept quiet, knowing that it would go nowhere. He continued to look at her until he said. "Kneel." She looked up at him in confusion again. He had turned in his seat so that he faced her. He looked up at her pointedly, and then at the floor. "You disobeyed me, Arndis, now kneel."
She shook her head. Her feminist principles were screaming at her telling her that he was into domination and subjugation, but she already knew that. He had tried to take over the earth for Pete's sake. She would not kneel. She had never gone on her knees for anyone, except when it was her choice to do so. She didn't form her denial into words, but he seemed to sense it. He sighed, long and hard, as if he was extremely weary of her stubbornness. Like she was being unreasonable! She let out a small scream as she felt herself propelled forward, onto her knees, without choosing to do so. Her knees smashed against the floor, making a loud bang. She looked up at him with anger and confusion, and wanted to lash out when she saw his cocky grin. She knew, even before she noticed the green light swirling around his fingers, that he had used magic to make her conform, and she hated him for it. She fought to stand up, but her legs felt like lead, keeping her pinned to the ground.
"There's a good mortal. That wasn't so hard, now was it?" he said and leaned his face in close to hers. She felt her pulse race as he placed one of his long slender fingers under her chin, lifting her head so that their faces were about even. She couldn't help the sigh that escaped her as his lips brushed lightly against hers. His lips were softer than she could ever have imagined, making her want to lean into his kiss. She stopped herself, not allowing him to distract her from her anger. He kissed her again, harder this time, his tongue gliding across her lower lip, causing chills to run up her spine. She hadn't been kissed like this in a long time-well, actually she had never been kissed quite like this. He lightly bit her lower lip as he pulled away, grinning at himself. She couldn't help it. Her hand had connected with the side of his face before she had fully recognized what she was planning on doing. The sound of her slap resonated through the air, and gave her a feeling of satisfaction. She was pretty sure it wouldn't actually hurt him, but it was still gratifying. She looked at him in fear, wondering what he would do to retaliate. She was surprised to see a pleased smile on his face. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He then silently stood from the couch and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. She watched him, her head moving as he went back to his bedroom. As the door closed with an audible click, her legs regained their normal feeling. She laid on the floor, relief pouring through her.
What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
