Chapter Twelve

My phone buzzed, a text appearing on the screen. Ben: Heyy :)

Yawning, I rolled over, picking it up. Heyy

He was a fast texter. What's up?

Nothing, just going to spend the day outside. I've been itching to see Central Park since I got here.

I would offer to escort you, but something came up last night and it looks like I have to go out on a raid. Maybe I'll find the alien bastard.

Be careful!

Stop worrying about me. Ttyl.

Sighing, I closed my phone. I knew that he wouldn't find the "alien bastard", because at the moment he was sleeping on my couch. Getting up, I tiptoed throughout the apartment, trying to be quiet. I showered quickly, slipping into a pair of tracks and a faded shirt. I opted to tie my hair back, not wanting it to get in my face.

Walking into the living room, I looked down. Loki was still, his chest rising and falling evenly. He looked younger when he was asleep, all the hardness gone from his face. I stood, watching him, feeling my cheeks grow pink. If he woke up...

"May I ask why you're watching me sleep?" His muffled voice came from the nest of pillows and blankets. I cleared my throat, looking away. Shit. He sat up, stretching, his muscles flexing. He was thin, but he certainly wasn't lacking in the muscle department. I wondered why he slept shirtless. Not that I was complaining or anything.

I blushed even deeper. I shouldn't be thinking like that. No, I wouldn't be thinking like that. His eyes found mine, amused. I looked away, feeling the heat in my cheeks. Embarrassed wasn't the word.

"Why are you up so early?" His eyes flicked over me, observing. It was unusual that I was awake before he was.

"I'm going for a walk. Central Park?"

"It's not safe to walk through that park alone, Sam."

"Well, as it happens, all my friends are busy, so I guess I'll just have to be brave won't I?"

Loki sighed. "That's not what I meant."

I raised an eyebrow. Oh. "No way. You are not coming with me. Do you know what will happen if you're seen?"

He smiled at my anger. I had the urge to hit him. "Do you really think I'm that slow? Magic, Sam. Nobody will recognize me. They will only see me as another man. They won't see the real me."

I thought about this. It would get him out of the apartment. He needed it. But it would be really, really risky.

No more risky than what you're doing already, I sighed. "Okay, fine. But I'm leaving in ten minutes. Hurry up."

Central Park was fairly quiet at this time in the morning, dew sparkling on the grass. It was beautiful outside, not too warm but not cold either. Ducks quacked, floating around in the ponds without a care in the world.

Loki walked beside me, his eyes taking in everything. He was dressed in a black sweater and black tracks. Even if someone did look at him, he wasn't noticeable. I hoped his magic was as trustworthy as he claimed it was.

A pair of joggers jogged past us, breath white in the air. Loki watched them pass. "What in the nine realms were they drinking?" His nose crinkled up.

I laughed. "That's called coffee. It's really good, actually." Spotting a vendor, I walked towards it. "You want to try some?"

Five minutes later, Loki had discovered what coffee was. He wiped the brown mustache of his upper lip, nodding. "It is good. I like it."

I made a mental note to buy some for the apartment. A boost of coffee in the morning would keep me awake during training.

We continued on through the park, Loki asking questions, me answering them. He liked the ponds and the birds that were in them. It reminded him of the woods in Asgard.

Eventually, he was telling me stories about Asgard and his childhood adventures. I had never seen him so open, and I found myself laughing more than I usually did. He was an amazing story teller, and I could picture everything as he told it. So far, my favorite story was the one where Thor had been chased by a rather angry group of ducks.

"So the ducks just up and chased him?" I asked, still laughing.

Loki was grinning, his hand still holding his empty coffee cup. "Indeed. To this day, I still think he has a fear of ducks."

I laughed again. It was hard to picture the huge stocky man being scared by something as small as ducks. Just ahead, the entrance to the Central Park Zoo loomed. I had always wanted to go, ever since I was small.

I remembered begging dad to take us here, and he had promised. "As soon as your brothers are a little bigger, Sammy. Then we'll go. My heart ached as I remembered. Josh had been a baby then, not even a year old.

God, I missed them.

Loki turned, confused to why we had stopped. He seen the pained expression on my face, following my eyes to the zoo entrance. "Sam? What's the matter?"

His voice was gentle. I felt my throat tighten. Families were walking in and out of the zoo, laughing and smiling, the kids tugging on their parents hands excitedly.

That would never be me and my dad.

Tears threatened to spill over my eyes. Loki, clearly alarmed, stepped towards me. I shook my head, not wanting to answer him. I'd sound weak and pitiful. The exact opposite of what I wanted to be.

He must have read my thoughts, because he let out a small sound of understanding. "I'm so sorry, Sam. I really am."

Without thinking about what I was doing, I lurched forward, throwing my arms around him. He was stiff, not sure what to do. I buried my face in his chest, trying to hold in the tears.

I felt him loosen slowly, his arms awkwardly rising. One wrapped around my shoulder lazily, holding me against him. For a moment I just stood there, eyes closed, not caring about what I was doing or what I was feeling.

Because for a minute, it did feel right.

Pushing away from him, I swiped the heel of my hand across my eyes. Dry. "Okay," I breathed. "Okay, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

I backed away from him, and his expression turned somewhat sad. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go home."