Irvin Brown, a twenty six year-old part-time Burger King employee, got into his car after a long shift. It was quite late, and he had three hungry cats waiting for him at home. He put his key in the ignition and sighed. He wasn't tired, just bored. Very, very bored. He glanced out the passenger side window. Somebody was sitting against a lamppost in the nearly empty parking lot. Irvin frowned, replaced his key in his pocket, and got out of the car. Grabbing an ice scraper out of his trunk, just in case, he considered finding out if the stranger was okay.
"Hey!" he called. "You okay?" There was no response. "You there, in the parking lot! You need help?" Still nothing. Irvin took a deep breath and started to approach. When he got close enough that his footsteps could be heard the man's−for it was obviously a man−head turned. Irvin stopped. "You okay?"
The guy was pale, dark-haired, and wore a dark green and grey knitted sweater and slightly worn jeans. The left side of his face was covered in dried blood and his eyes... his eyes stared straight ahead, unfocused and unmoving. Irvin couldn't make out a color in the dim yellow light.
"You okay?" Irvin asked again. The man remained silent. Irvin stepped closer and the man twitched, surprised−or scared. Irvin knelt on one knee and studied him more closely. He was blind. "Do you need help?"
"Who are you?!"
Irvin nearly fell back. The stranger's response had been sudden, unexpected, and disquieting. "Uh, my name's Irvin. D-do you need help? Are you lost? I can help you find your way, uh, home? If you need?"
The man waited for a moment, and then leaned back against the lamppost. "I have no home."
Irvin tapped the pavement nervously. "Okay, uh... Is there anybody you know? Anybody who you could stay with?" The man shook his head. "Right..." Mentally kicking himself, Irvin stood. "You can stay with me for a few days… Until you find somewhere else?"
The man moved his head so that it faced Irvin. "That would be... acceptable," he muttered, seemingly forcing the words out.
"Alright. Come on." Irvin tried to help him up but the man smacked him away.
"How dare you touch...!" He cut himself off and got to his feet. He was tall. Irvin lowered the ice scraper and guided the man to the car.
"Here, lower your head..." As soon as the guy was in Irvin ran to the other side, climbed in, threw the ice scraper into the back, and started the engine. He called his mother on the way home, giving her some instructions in case something happened to him using some vague work explanation. When they arrived at the apartment complex where Irvin lived, he parked the car and then waited.
"Have we arrived?" the stranger asked.
"Yeah."
"Will you let me out?"
Irvin paused a moment. "What's your name?"
"L... Tom."
"Last name?"
"Just Tom."
Irvin nodded and then unlocked the doors. He helped Tom out and to his second floor, two-room apartment.
He told Tom to wait a moment so that he could open the door. He swung it open and nearly screamed. "Who the hell are you?!" he said instead.
A young woman was standing in the middle of the living/bedroom. Her dark brown hair fell to her waist, and she wore an emerald green and black gown. She looked at Irvin, and then at Tom. "Loki..."
Irvin raised his key in defense. "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"
The woman looked at Irvin again. "I am Lady Aaernia Folkvarsdotter, noble of the court of Asgard. I am here for my... friend."
"Sorry, uh, Lady Aaernia, but your friend isn't here, and you're trespassing." Most of what the woman had said had gone over Irvin's head.
"Nia..." Tom whispered. Irvin whirled around. He had entirely forgotten about Tom.
"Wait, you mean...?!"
Aaernia was suddenly at Tom's side. She hugged him tightly, started wiping the blood from his face, and then froze. "Loki...?"
Tom−or was it Loki?−took her hand gently. "It is of Thor's doing."
"Thor will rot in Hel." Aaernia placed her hands on either side of Loki's face. "Close your eyes." He obeyed, and she pressed her forehead to his. A faint shimmer appeared between them. Irvin backed up, freaked, and tripped over his doorstep. "There," Aaernia whispered, releasing Loki.
"Thank you, Nia." Loki caught her as she collapsed. He looked at Irvin. His eyesight had been restored. "And... thank you, Midgardian."
Irvin's world went black.
He woke up on his couch. The front door was shut and bolted. He still wore his Burger King uniform. His keys were on the coffee table and the ice scraper was leaning against the wall. He was alone. Except for the cats.
