A/N: A tidbit about your brilliant author…Yay me! Stares at the sweatdropping readers Ok…moving on! I'm in Love! Loki's voice actor – Sakurai Takahiro (Kakusei Loki)—sings! And it's soooo nice to listen to…and then of course I already know what Mayura's voice actress Yui Horie sounds like so life is good. Small things amuse small minds. Anyways…

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Chapter 8: It Never Rains But It Pours

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Mayura walked up the stairs to Loki's mansion, now approaching his study when she stopped. She saw that the door was ajar and she could hear voices…one was Loki's but the other was female…and sounded a little drunk in Mayura's opinion. She suddenly sweatdropped standing to the side of the door as she heard the woman start to confess her love for him and the things that they might want to do together. Her mouth dropped open in shock at the thought of this woman being: A. Drunk or B. A Petafile!

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"Freya…" replied Loki, holding Laevateinn in between them to keep her at arms length—love goddesses were tricky.

"…C'mon Loki…" she whined, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Mayura stood in the doorway as she nervously yelled out, "Ohayo Loki-kun!" trying to crack a smile at the awkward scene displayed in front of her, sweatdropping miserably.

Loki blinked, "Mayura?" he let out a sigh of relief as he felt Freya let go of him, saved by the mortal.

Freya on the other hand wasn't sharing his relief. Instead, she was less than impressed for this little girl's intrusion on her Loki time. A bombardment of pots and pans were threatening to fall on Mayura's head at any moment.

"You're the girl who knocked me off the bridge in the "Cosplay Knights Over Boiling Water" competition!"

Mayura blinked, pointing at herself and then put her finger to her lips in thought. As the seconds passed, Freya's pot was boiling over. Mayura made a fist and bought it into her open hand, a light bulb now appearing.

"Hai! Now, I remember…" she still felt a little nervous around her, overhearing what she had said to Loki, "…Demo…why are you here?"

Freya stood next to Loki at his desk with her hands on her hips, in full blown lecture mode. "You're the one who should be answering that question. Why would Loki want to hang around a girl like you?"

Blink. Blink coming from Mayura—Loki sweatdropped, smacking his forehead as he watched the scene unfold. Mayura merely figured that this lady wasn't dealing with a full deck, "I'm Loki-kun's assistant," she stated, with a 'Wasn't that obvious?' look on her face.

Fenrir walked in seeing Freya on the defense and letting his Daddy's little mortal girlfriend have it; he froze hoping that if anyone did notice him he could just play dead.

"Well Mayura," she began, pointing her finger at her, "I'm Freya and Loki will not be in need your assistance from now on," commenting with a wink and blowing Loki a kiss, "I can satisfy all of his needs quite nicely so your services are not necessary. Besides, Loki would not want to associate with an unattractive, boring, flat chested…" she started, counting the reasons on her fingers.

With every insult Mayura's head sank even lower, a black cloud loomed overhead; she pulled out an umbrella and opened it to shield her head from the rain—however, she thought that she heard a pot or two bounce off of her umbrella and onto the floor as her sweatdrop grew.

"clumsy, rude, immature, mystery obsessed, girl like yourself when he has someone like me," finished Freya with a smile.

Mayura was afraid to close the umbrella, perhaps Freya wasn't done with her complimenting spree. She looked down at Fenrir who just stood there looking up at her with pity and shock while his father just sat there sweatdropping from behind his desk. Mayura picked up Fenrir in her arms and held him up, "…Fenrir do you want to go get some snacks?" she asked trying not to twitch, having had enough of this woman for one day.

"Sounds good to me mystery girl!" exclaimed Fenrir looking for an easy out.

"…I'll get you some milk too…" she added, before turning on her heel and heading for the door.

"…Mayura…" Loki called her name, surprised at her attitude toward Freya.

"Hai, Loki-kun?" she asked, stopping only to turn and face him.

He sweatdropped feeling Freya's gaze on him, "…Can you bring me some milk and snacks too?" he asked, smiling nervously.

Mayura's eye twitched in annoyance, "…Mou, Loki-kun," she began opening the door, "you can get them yourself," with that said she kindly shut the door behind her, leaving Freya in a full rant about how rude she was.

"Mou, Fenrir," she muttered, her back up against the door, "that Freya is SO rude," puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

Fenrir rolled his eyes; she didn't even know the half of it…he only prayed that Mayura would never hug his father in front of her, then she'd see some real violence.

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Mayura set Fenrir down on a bar stool in the kitchen and opened a cupboard, taking out a bowl, and retrieving the milk from the fridge—Yamino wasn't around but she knew that he wouldn't mind. She poured some milk into the bowl and put it on the table as Fenrir put his front paws up on the table and began to lap up the milk.

She took a seat next to him, propping her elbows up on the table and placing her chin in her hands. She wasn't pleased with Loki—that was an understatement—and how he had just sat there and let Freya insult her. She heard a great deal of banging around coming from upstairs and wondered if she should have left him alone with the likely drunken petafile. She shook her head—nope! He deserved every bit of it!

"Punyan!" entered Ecchan coming in for a landing and resting on Mayura's head, "Mayura-chan!"

"Konnichiwa, kawaii fushigi mystery," she replied, seeing her reflection in the marble table top.

Yamino walked inside coming back from checking the mailbox, he sweatdropped at the noise coming from upstairs. He figured it was just Mayura; she must have tripped over something while carrying on about fushigi mysteries. He walked past the kitchen and then stopped suddenly, backing up to find the trio sitting at the kitchen table.

"Mayura-san?" he questioned, as he walked into the kitchen. If she were here then who was with Loki?

"…Mou…Yamino-san," she began, not turning to face him, "Loki-kun could use some help I suppose," she stated with a 'I could care less' tone of voice.

Yamino blinked and decided not to argue as he left the kitchen and headed upstairs, "Loki-sama?" he asked, slowly opening the door to find Loki apologize before knocking Freya out with Laevateinn as she gracefully slumped over and onto the floor. He sweatdropped seeing his father's current attire—random buttons open, his tie undone, and his hair a complete mess.

Loki puffed out his cheeks in relief before straightening his collar. Yamino thought of the girl sitting in the kitchen and assumed that she must have met Freya. Loki saw his son standing in the doorway and began to laugh nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"…Loki-sama," he began, looking down at the sleeping goddess on the floor, "Mayura-san is downstairs in the kitchen with Nii-san and Ecchan. I can't say that she's in a very good mood, but she did mention that you may be in need of some assistance. Did something happen?"

Loki sighed, "Well, Yamino-kun as you can see, Freya came to visit," he motioned to subject A. and Mayura (subject B) showed up not long after," he began to explain, holding his elbow in one hand and his chin in the other, "Freya was not very polite I suppose you could say, and Mayura just stood there taking it full force. Which I must admit, surprised me; I would have thought that she would have at least argued with Freya or defended herself."

Yamino's glasses slid down his nose as he sweatdropped, his father really could be dense at times when it came to females, "And Loki-sama…did you happen to say anything in Mayura-san's defense?" he asked, still hopeful.

"No," replied Loki with a blink, "Why?" just as clueless as always I'm afraid.

Yamino nearly fell over backwards.

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Mayura broke off a piece of her cookie and held out her hand to Fenrir, who gently took it from her hand and wagged his tail. She broke off another piece of cookie and brought her hand up to Ecchan who was resting on her head. "Punyan!" exclaimed Ecchan taking the piece of cookie and munching.

Yamino stood next to his father in the kitchen doorway behind the trio. He gave his father a look wondering if he would understand why Mayura was in such a mood, or would it continue to go over his head? He sweatdropped, it wasn't looking too hopeful.

Loki continued to watch as Mayura broke off another piece of cookie holding it out to Fenrir who was currently pawing at her leg cutely. She scratched him behind one of his soft black ears.

"Look, Loki-sama, Mayura-san's still here," commented Yamino, trying to start up a conversation.

Loki looked at Yamino with a 'I can see her' look on his face. Mayura stood up brushing her skirt off; as she did she reached up gently removing Ecchan from her head.

"See you later my kawaii fushigi mystery," she said placing a kiss on Ecchan's head before setting the little mystery on the stood. Fenrir wagged his tail but refrained from yelling "Daddy!"

"Arigato for the snacks, Yamino-san," she stated before walking past the two and heading toward the door.

"Eh…Mayura?" Loki stated, feeling a little hurt by her annoyance.

She stopped, her back to him, "Hai, Loki-kun?" she said rather flatly.

He rubbed the back of his head nervously, "…Gomen about Freya insulting you…"

She turned to face him and suddenly looked saddened because he really didn't understand her feelings, "Mou, Loki-kun, I'm not mad at you because Freya insulted me," she looked right at him, "I'm disappointed that you didn't say anything in my defense…which tells me that you agree."

Yamino and Fenrir stood behind their father and looked from Mayura back to Loki, the tension in the air could have been cut with a knife.

"…Mayura-san, I'm sure that Loki-sama doesn't really feel that way…right Loki-sama?" he asked, looking down at his father who still had no response.

"And that," she continued with a sigh, "hurts me the most," she trailed off, her eyes downcast and her face hidden.

Three heads—Ecchan now joining—stared at Loki wondering why he wasn't saying anything, didn't he realize that by not saying anything he was confirming her accusation to be true?

Hearing no objections she merely turned on her heels and decided it best to maintain the rest of her dignity as she made her way for the door. She stopped placing her hand on the door knob and turned the knob pulling it open halfway when she felt a hand grab her free hand. She blinked turning to find, "Yamino-san?" Yamino had her hand in his and in his other hand was Loki's.

"Yamino-kun…" muttered Loki, finding the entire situation to be embarrassing.

Yamino gently pulled both forward placing Mayura's hand in Loki's—causing both to blink and sweatdrop. Yamino had decided that his father wasn't going to take the easy way out this time. The last time that Mayura had left in tears and Loki hadn't apologized was when she had been kidnapped by Hel, and his father had blamed himself for her disappearance. He knew that Mayura meant something to his father, he probably was too clueless to figure out what that was at this point in time, but they were going to make up and that was final, he watched as both stood in front of him.

"Loki-sama, isn't there something that you want to say?" Yamino encouraged.

Loki looked away before sighing, "Eh, Mayura…I don't think that you're annoying alright? You're clumsy, yes, but you make things interesting."

"Loki-kun, so you don't want me to go away?" she asked looking down at their hands.

Loki kept his eyes averted, "No…I want you to visit me."

She looked up at him and tried not to smile, "Mou…I don't know if I can forgive you…"

All three including Loki blinked as he looked annoyed, "What more do you want from me Mayura?" he asked as his eyes widened watching her sit on her knees in front of him.

"A hug," she merely stated, watching how embarrassed he had become was payment enough. Loki sweatdropped, he could feel his sons watching him along with Ecchan. "Mou, Loki-kun…Freya can hug you and all of those girls at school who think you're so kawaii, but I can't?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

His sweatdrop grew as he wore a less than impressed look on his face, before walking into her embrace. She let out a sigh of annoyance, "For someone who is 'SO kawaii!' she mimicked his adoring fan club, "you could at least hug me back."

Loki tried not to blush. It wasn't like he hadn't hugged a number of women in his lifetime, but he could make out Fenrir's snickering and why was Ecchan's "Punyan" much softer and was Yamino crying or was it because he was laughing so hard? Figuring that the mortal out powered him he sighed in defeat, as he reached up and returned her hug—it was the first time he had done so. However, when he did his world suddenly stopped…

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"…Loki…" she whispered, watching him stop his back to her, "…you're just like my best friend," sadly with her head down, her hair covering her face she continued, "…I love you…"

There he stood in his Kakusei form in front of her. He stiffened at her words but none the less sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes he stood with his back to her, "…Mayura…I—

The words died on his lips as her heard her gasp. His eyes widened as he turned around to find that she had fallen to her knees; she had begun to cough uncontrollably, one hand covering her mouth, the other her middle. As he stepped closer he could see the crimson trickling between her fingers.

"Loki," a voice in the darkness called out, "to think that you would let yourself be consumed by a mortal. How I have underestimated you…"

"What have you done?!" he cried out, Laevateinn in his hand, ready to strike but the figure had already vanished.

The tears were streaming down her face as he fell to his knees in front of her, trying to be brave and to find the courage to stay strong; she had began to shake, trying to speak.

"No, no, don't speak," he said for her, giving her that smile like he always had his emerald eyes mirroring his emotion "it's going to be alright, Mayura," cupping her face in his hands and seeing the light in her crimson eyes beginning to fade, "we still have more fushigi mysteries right?"

"Hai…" she whispered, as she tried to laugh but the laughter was choked out by her coughing, he wiped the trail of blood coming out of the side her mouth away with the back of his thumb, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, he could feel her tears run down the back of his neck as she sniffed. He wrapped his arms around her instinctively, feeling how frail she had become.

"Loki," came the voice one more, "this mortal merely pays for your sins, remember that."

Loki opened his mouth to object when he felt Mayura cling to him with ragged breathes, his attention went back to her instantaneously as she smiled at him, her eyes wet with tears, the light nearly gone "…Loki…I really did…" and her voice left his ears as she went limp in his arms.

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"Loki-kun?" Mayura's voice rang out bringing him back to the room. He stood there quietly, holding her and trying to register in his mind what had just happened. He blinked and slowly let go of her, before stepping back to examine her. She smiled at him watching his emerald eyes, as he seemed to be at ease. He held out his hand to her and she placed her hand in his as he helped her stand up.

"Loki-kun, are you alright?" she asked, arching an eyebrow, looking down at their hands in question and then into his eyes.

He watched her crimson eyes search his own, "Hai, I'm glad that you're still here…" he replied with a smile, masking his inner thoughts, '…Oden…had that been a prophecy? No…why would Mayura know who I am? And why would Oden…'

Mayura blinked thinking, 'But Loki…I never left…'

"Daddy, let's go for a walk!" Fenrir's voice rang out.

"Hai, Fenrir," replied his father, coming out of his thoughts like nothing had happened, before taking Laevateinn and Mayura along with him. She sweatdropped at Loki's current behavior.

"Mystery girl looks like you'll be joining us today," commented Fenrir, watching his father obviously falling right back into those thoughts, open the door and lead them out.

Mayura waved to Yamino and Ecchan shutting the door behind them. Yamino sweatdropped hearing the door to Loki's study open…

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"Three please," stated Mayura, holding up three fingers to the man at the counter.

Loki and Fenrir sat on the park bench as Mayura came back holding two ice cream cones in her hands and a bowl in her arm. She passed Loki the chocolate ice cream cone and took a seat next to Fenrir.

"Fenrir, I bought you a vanilla ice cream," she said, placing the bowl of ice cream in front of him.

"Arigato!" he exclaimed with a bark and looking at his father who just smiled, before he dug in and began to wag his tail.

Mayura started to eat her strawberry ice cream when she heard, "Arigato Mayura." She looked over and smiled at Loki, "You're welcome Loki-kun. Is it good?" she replied.

"Hai," Loki answered, smiling as well as he continued to eat his ice cream, "Ne, Fenrir, is your ice cream good?"

"Sure is Daddy!" replied the enthusiastic puppy whose nose was covered in white.

Mayura was down to the cone now when something caught her eye from across the street. As the cars passed by, she had begun to stare—her eyes glazing over. She watched the figure between each passing car, standing there observing her.

Fenrir looked over at Mayura who had grown silent, "…Mystery girl?"

Loki looked over to see Mayura sitting next to Fenrir, looking straight ahead, "Mayura, daijobu?" he asked, before reaching over and placing his hand on hers.

She blinked, feeling his touch. She looked down at the pink puddle now sitting in her cone and set it in Fenrir's empty bowl who gladly accepted.

"Mayura, daijobu?" Loki asked once more leaning closer.

Her confusion was replaced with her smile, "Hai," she confirmed her well being. However, out of the corner of her eye she looked back toward the area that she had seen the figure. There was nothing there and her smile slowly disappeared along with the figure, as she held onto Loki's hand…she had a terrible feeling.

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That's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed!