I had high hopes for work the next day. I had awoken to find my bed empty, save for myself, but a note on the pillow. I opened it and read eagerly.
'I'll be checking up on you. Until then, my lady.'
I grinned shamelessly and tucked the note into the pillow case. Oh, I was excited for work today. I doubt I need to tell you why. So, in my eagerness to get to work, I sprang out of bed. I was much more spritely than my usual self. I had no doubt that people would notice but did I care? No. It was only when I was about to put on a coat when I remembered what had happened concerning Thor.
Damn it, and I was in such a lovely mood as well. I closed my eyes and thought of all the pros and cons. Pros: I was super, duh; I was immortal, meaning I could live with Loki. Forever; I had kickass powers that could teach a few guys a lesson or simply make people's lives easier. Not sure how but hey ho; I had the strength to punch Thor and send him flying into my wall. That was just too damn awesome; I could also have an advantage over Gracelyn… Wait, what am I talking about?
Cons: I would out-live Colin. By a mile. I'd have to watch him die. And Francesca. And Casey. I'd watch my only friends and remaining family die. I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Not a thing; I could end up killing someone with my powers if my emotions flew out of control; I could get cocky and turn into a bloody villain and try world domination, even though it hadn't worked out very well for anyone so far. That was it. But which out-weighed which?
With a headache as the result of thinking too hard, I shrugged my coat on, pulled on a hat and set out. Locking the door behind me. This time, I made sure. Even though I had no doubt that Loki could teleport in. But I knew that it wasn't Loki I was keeping out. I had a gnawing feeling that someone I knew would try and intrude in my home. And they would probably succeed, despite my locked doors and extra precautions.
The walk to the library was uneventful. Sadly. I think I had expected Loki to find me halfway and walk me in, just to piss off Casey and get me into deep shit. Typical. But he didn't turn up on the walk there. So, I walked into the library and smiled a bit more at Casey than usual; Gods knew I'd need it. Loki was going to be especially insufferable today, I just knew it. After all, he is God of Mischief and Lies.
Casey seemed startled at my enthusiasm, but ignored me nonetheless. Damn, she'd never held a grudge this long. It usually lasted for about 171 minutes. This one was for 4 days. She must have been really fond of Loki in the few minutes she first met him. Great, now I'm feeling protective. What's wrong with me? A few days ago, I didn't believe in soul mates and love at first sight. Now, I want to punch the bitch that has a crush on my Other. I'm in need of some help. Like, serious mental help.
I settled down in the secluded area. There was one person there this time. He was reading a newspaper. A newspaper of all things. I only glanced momentarily at him. I couldn't see his face but I could tell it was male. When he shifted and looked at me, I turned my gaze to a chair in the corner. Something about him struck me as odd. Different. Dangerous. Evil. I didn't dwell on it; Loki would arrive soon. Besides, this man wouldn't try and converse with me. I was pretty sure he wouldn't. But I was wrong.
After about 10 minutes of me reading a fan fiction novel about Loki (Yes, there is a fan fiction aisle and there is fan fictions about Loki. None of them put him to justice though), the man spoke. Even his voice sounded villainous. "You enjoy fan fictions?" I didn't reply immediately. His voice was gravelly and sounded sort of old, as though he was in his forties, but young at the same time. No, his voice sounded husky. The place where he was sitting was shrouded in darkness. A bit of a disadvantage to me since he could see me and I couldn't see him. It reminded me of when Loki had done the disappearing act on me. Only, not quite as arousing.
"I suppose. A change of scenery." I quoted Loki and looked up. The man had finished his newspaper and by the looks of it, he hadn't actually been reading it. This man gave me a really bad feeling. I wondered vaguely if Loki could feel my uneasiness. If he could, he better have a brilliant excuse for being late. "I see. What do you usually read?" What was this, a social gathering? This was a place people came to do silent reading or have group meetings. He was spoiling it completely and I didn't like it.
"Fantasy." I answered bluntly and went back to the short book, hoping that would quell his interest. It did. For a while. I heard him shift a little and I knew he was watching me read. It felt eerie, to say the least. "Interesting…" He muttered. I couldn't tell if he had intended for me to hear it or not, but hear it I did.
"Pray tell what is so interesting about my favoured genre?" I nearly snapped at him. He didn't flinch. Ohhh, so he's got a pair of balls. Amazing. Loki, if you don't get your sexy arse over here, I'm going to deprive you of kissing for a day. He better hear that. The man chuckled instead of wincing. "You struck me as the kind of woman to prefer fiction to reality." What was that supposed to mean?
Loki seemed to appear out of nowhere. Mercy. I heard from the depths of his mind. His face showed indifference but I could feel his anger and jealousy. He looked at me. "Alfirin, I apologise for my tardiness. Casey attempted to engage me in conversation and I couldn't refuse." I nodded, feeling a little bit of pity for him.
"Still could have gotten here sooner." I grumbled under my breath. He chuckled lightly and came to stand by me. He seemed to ignore the man I had previously been speaking to. When I glanced at him inconspicuously, he was reading the newspaper but I could feel his eyes upon me still.
"What are you reading?" Loki peered over my shoulder, reading some of the paragraphs. A small smile appeared on my face. I wondered whether I could say that it was about him while the man was there. Better not take any chances. "It's a fan fiction actually. It's about the God of Mischief and Lies: Loki." I explained with an amused tone. Oh, that's very amusing. He spoke in my mind and my grin intensified. Punish me then. I taunted and when I looked up at him, his eyes were dark and 'unforgiving'. I wouldn't be able to get out of this one. Later. He thought simply and I nodded ever so slightly.
"How interesting." He muttered and I closed the book. I had nearly forgotten that the strange man was there. Nearly. I put the book down and stood from my chair, stretching as I did so. The clicking of my bones and joints satisfied me and I sighed with contentment. When I turned, Loki made a funny noise, as though he was letting out a breath he had been holding for a while. I cocked an eyebrow at him but his eyes revealed nothing, just glinting mischievously.
"Do you enjoy fan fiction?" I heard from the corner and I almost flinched. The strange man appeared to be looking at Loki now. I frowned. What was with this guy? Loki didn't reply. I don't know whether his behaviour angered me or frightened me. I hadn't seen Loki ignore anyone yet. But, for some reason… I got a bad vibe. "Shall we go?" Loki asked, holding his hand out as if willing me to join him. Did I have to be asked twice? I smiled widely and took it. We walked out of the dark area and away from the silhouetted man.
"What did Casey do to you?" I asked curiously. We sat in the fantasy aisle again. I was in my chair and Loki was sitting on the arm of the chair. Loki chuckled and crossed his arms. Casey had still been ignoring me and Loki's lack of punctuality today had made me wonder. "Well, rather than teleporting in, I came through the front door in an effort to be a little more human." I laughed and shook my head.
"Loki, you could never be very human. You're just too different. And, let's face it, your sexiness just doesn't allow it." I winked at him and he smirked.
"Be aware of the fact that I'm restraining myself here." Loki taunted and I think I had to swallow my desire to kiss him at that moment. After all, as far as Casey knows, we had only met 4 days ago. So, I'm sure you'll agree, we can't go around kissing and… stuff.
"So, then what? Did she just leap on you and tie you down?" I questioned and Loki looked at me with an eyebrow raised. The look on his face told me he was amused but… Oh god, seriously? "What? Really?" I nearly shrieked and Loki threw back his head and laughed. It was a proper big laugh as well! Oh, it was such a nice sound. I'll even add in a little smiley face for you all: :). There you go. Hope you liked that.
"Not at all. Casey merely saw me and immediately began speaking to me." Loki explained and I tilted my head. Hm. Jealousy stabbed at my gut and I decided not to let Loki know that, though he could most probably feel it anyway. "What did she say?" I refrained from growling. Loki did not indicate that he knew of my mean emotions.
"She asked me 'Why are you interested in our library?' To which I replied: 'There is someone here who has captured my eye indefinitely.' She then blushed, thinking in her head that it was herself, and went on to advise books to me. It was all very trivial and irritating." Loki sighed a little and ran a hand through his hair. His scent hit me again and I couldn't help but think how awesome he looked when he did that. He looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged shamelessly and grinned cheekily. Haha, that sounded funny.
"So, she thinks that she's the one who has 'caught your eye indefinitely'?" I said, almost bitterly. Loki nodded and then shook his head slowly.
"Oh, she couldn't be any more wrong." He said, almost wistfully. I elbowed his leg and he grinned. Loki's expression then turned sober. "Why were you speaking to that man?" His emotional levels were suspicious. As in, he was suspicious. Oh, and jealous. Hehe. Actually, his jealousy got me thinking. Would I be able to lie to the God of Mischief and Lies? Would he detect it? Might as well try.
"He caught my attention. People don't usually read newspapers in the secluded bit." I explained nonchalantly. I felt Loki tense beside me and I knew that I could lie. I immediately felt triumphant. It felt pretty damn cool! "Did he now?" He replied coldly. I had to contain my smirk.
"Indeed he did. He provided interesting insight actually." Mua ha ha haaa! Loki's expression became rather unfriendly. He looked at me sharply and, if I'm honest, he frightened me. The longer he looked at me, the more I wanted to tell him I was lying. I wanted to tell him that I didn't mean it. But my pride wouldn't let me. "I don't like that." He said so quietly that I had to strain to hear him. "I disapprove completely. I don't think you should speak to him." I swallowed thickly. He was forbidding me from doing something. Remember my hot temper? Well…
"Who are you to tell me who I can speak to?" I asked indignantly. He narrowed his eyes and stood, stopping in front of me. I immediately felt vulnerable. It was one of these times where I could actually see his height as a major disadvantage. "I am your Other. In Asgard, an Other is sought after by so many but next to none have one. There are no 'divorces' or separations. In Midgard, mortals fall in love more than twenty times in their life time. Mortals leave each other and fall into the same mistake over and over and over. Not everyone has the luxury of love and keeping it, in all of the Nine Realms." He hissed, "That is why I will not lose you to another." Do you guys have any idea how much my heart swelled with pride and love for this man? Yes, I think, in 4 days, I had accepted this man as my Other and my love. What the fuck is wrong with me?
Oh god, I am SO sorry this took ages. You wanna know why? As much as I love improvisation, I needed to figure out a plot. At first, the shady guy was just going to be some random guy that made Loki jealous but, now that I have a proper plot (A pretty good one, if I may so myself ;D), I can work on it quicker. Thing is, I've got a whole tonne of exams in three short weeks. I sort of want to hang myself, but then I figured you'd be without an author, and that wouldn't be fair on any of you! So, here it is! Cheers folks. Adios.
Luna