Chapter Two: Exposed?
Word Count: 1,894
"It isn't much, I know," said James as he let them into his house.
"It's very nice," Thor said, mostly out of politeness but partially because he did indeed think it was a pleasant house.
"Yes. Charming." Loki didn't bother to hide the derision in his tone.
"Thank you." If James noticed the annoyance, it didn't register in his voice or his expression. He gestured for them to go inside.
The house was a modest size, and books and paintings lined many of the walls. "Wow. I take it you like to read?"
James smiled and nodded. "I've got books on practically every subject."
"Every subject?" Thor asked, glancing at Loki.
"Well, not every one, I suppose. But lots of them. Animals, plants, mythology – you name it. I've also got plenty of novels, if you're interested."
"You'll have to show us to your collection of plant-related books."
"Oh! Are you interested in botany?"
Thor looked at Loki. Are we?
"Yes, very interested," Loki said.
"Great, my sister is, too! She can tell you all about it."
As if on cue, a beautiful girl descended the steps and smiled at Thor and Loki. Her skin was maybe a shade darker than James', and her dark hair was up in a bun on top of her head. She had hazel eyes and was rounder than her brother. When she came down, she nodded at Thor and Loki.
"Theodore and Lucius, this is Molly. Molly, Theodore and Lucius."
She waved. "Hullo," she said.
"Greetings," Thor replied. Loki only nodded curtly.
James and Molly turned away for a moment in hushed conversation, and then turned back to them.
"Do the two of you want your own rooms, or do you want to share one?"
"Well, we don't want to be too intrusive - "
"Separate rooms, please," Loki interrupted.
"Okay, we'll show you where you'll be staying."
Molly looked at Thor and held out her hand, and it was a moment before he realized it she wanted him to take it. He did, and they went up the stairs together. "This is my room, but you can sleep here for as long as you need to. or as long as you like."
"But where shall you sleep?"
She shrugged. "James and I will share the guest room. It's smaller than our bedrooms, and besides, you are our guests."
"I would have been content with sharing a bedroom with my brother. I'm sorry for his rude behaviour."
"It's okay. He wasn't being that rude. And," she said with a small smile, "he is very handsome, so I'm willing to let it slide this time."
"We don't hear that often," muttered Thor, smiling.
Molly didn't respond. She went to leave, and stopped at the door, turning around. "I noticed you and your brother didn't have many belongings with you when you arrived. James would probably let you borrow some of his clothing, should you ask him." She left the room.
When he came downstairs, he saw Loki step out of what Thor thought was the bathroom in a completely different outfit. He went and stood in front of James.
James hummed as he looked Loki up and down, and Thor had to stifle a laugh at how uncomfortable his little brother looked. "I was right, green is a very flattering color on you," said James.
"Verily," Thor agreed, and James whipped around, noticing for the first time the Asgardian was there.
"Oh, Theodore! I didn't notice you were there!"
"Pretend like I'm not - this conversation is very interesting."
"It's not a conversation," said Loki. "James here insisted on letting me borrow his clothes."
Molly spoke up from her place nearby. "Please excuse his altruism. I know it can be a bit…cloying at times. Some of his paintings are selling at last and he's been all too giddy about it."
James smiled sheepishly and waved a hand. "You can't blame me, can you? I've been trying to get these to sell for years, and now they are!"
"Congratulations," Loki said dryly.
"Are you not hungry, Lucius?"
Loki looked up and looked around the table, as if for the first time realizing that they were gathered to eat dinner. He plastered on a fake smile. "Oh, no, it isn't that. It's just that your book on botany is truly fascinating."
While Thor suspected Loki'ssmile wasn't entirely genuine, there was some semblance of sincerity in his younger brother's voice.
"Really?" asked James. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Now at least Molly will have someone to talk about it with. I've never been into that sort of thing."
Molly smiled at Loki, who (rather awkwardly) returned the smile and resumed reading.
"Well, I, for one, was starving, and this supper is delicious. I had no idea New York-ian food could as flavorful as…English food."
James laughed, and signed to Molly, who laughed as well. "Yeah, New York's got some interesting cuisine compared to England, I'm sure."
"James," said Loki suddenly, "do you know anything about Amanita Muscaria?"
"Amanita Muscaria?" James echoed, while Thor shot his brother a warning glance.
"Lucius, are you sure you want to share your interest in this plant with James and Molly? You really shouldn't bother them about it - " Thor dropped his voice to a whisper here " – especially lest they find out your secret reason for wanting to research it."
"Please," Loki said. "to them, the Norse gods are mere myths. Fabrications. Fiction. They're chimerical and the Midgardians would have no reason to believe otherwise."
Thor shrugged. "There's always a possibility." He decided to leave it alone. If Loki wanted to blow their cover and contribute to Frigga's death, then so be it. At least they'd have something interesting to tell father, and there was no way Thor could be at fault. Loki would get in trouble like he always did, because he always seemed to be throwing himself into cataclysmic happenings.
Thor looked back up and saw Molly looking thoughtful. "Amanita Muscaria isn't a plant."
"It isn't?" asked Thor. Loki looked like he was about to choke on his soup.
"No," Molly shook her head, "it's a fungus. A mushroom."
"But then father..."
"What?" James looked genuinely concerned, like he would march up to Asgard (somehow) and tell Odin off himself.
Thor shook his head quickly. "Never mind that. Just – where can we find this mushroom?"
Molly replied, "They're usually in deciduous forests. New York is a pretty big city, so it might take a little bit of walking to find them, but - "
"When can you take us?" asked Loki.
"If you can take us," Thor added.
James looked between Molly, Loki, and Thor. "Er, I suppose...so long as Molly wants to come."
"We can leave tomorrow in late morning!"
"Thank you," Loki said curtly and went back to looking down and quietly drinking his soup.
Thor nodded. What had they gotten into now?
"You're not like us, are you?"
Thor flinched at the sudden sound of Molly's voice from beneath the doorframe.
Noting this, Molly smiled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's quite alright," Thor mumbled. He paused. "How do you mean I'm 'not like you?'"
"I don't think you're really from England. I think that's a cover."
"For what? Why would you think that?"
"The way you speak and act. Like you know nothing about the world. Our world, at least. And you could be mental, but I can tell your brother, in addition to being handsome, is intelligent, so that wouldn't make sense."
"Am I not equally as intelligent and attractive?"
Molly didn't answer and continued on. "I don't know where you are from or why you are here, but I know you're not who you say you are. So…who are you?" Molly's tone was gentle; more curious than menacing.
"Who am I? I am, uh…" Thor was panicking. He never did well under pressure. No one in the royal family did, except for Mother.
Mother.
Would telling Molly help him get the plant – or fungus – faster? Could he save Mother in less time? "I - " Thor cut himself off as he saw Loki at the door. "Lucius! Thank the norns, I thought -"
Loki scowled. "Save it. James has already figured us out and I've figured Father out, too."
"How do you mean, 'figure us out?' There's nothing to – "
"I know you're Thor and Loki Odinson." James sounded almost embarrassed. "I have a few books on Norse mythology, and there were some things that were just dead giveaways."
"Dead giveaways? Like what?" asked Thor, submitting to the idea that perhaps they'd been found out.
"Your brother's eyes, for one. They're the greenest green I've ever seen in my life. And the way you speak, the things you say. I know you think I can't hear you when you're muttering and whispering about the nine realms and the Midgardians, but…I'm not deaf."
"Yes, well," said Loki, a chagrined blush spreading across his face, "in our defense, as a population, you do tend to be generally clueless."
"I'm not going to disagree with you," said James, holding up his hands. "Quite the opposite, in fact."
Molly, who looked like she was still recovering from the shock, stood up. "Thor and Loki. You two are Thor and Loki and I'm taking you into the forest tomorrow!" She looked at Loki. "Loki the handsome and mischievous. Are you really a shapeshifter?"
"I am, yes."
"Can you change into someone else for me now?"
"I can, but I won't."
"Ooookay." Molly now turned to Thor. "Thor, the brave and strong. How strong are you?"
Thor shrugged. "As strong as I need to be, I suppose."
"Wow." Molly laughed in disbelief. "That is so profound."
"It's really not," James said quietly. "Anyhow, Molly's always been more into that stuff than I have. Actually, I'm surprised she didn't figure it out sooner. That is to say, if she gets to be a little…much on this trip, or any time before then, please don't be afraid to tell her. She'll go on for hours if not kept in check."
"An object in motion stays in motion." Molly shrugged, grinning.
"Oh, Loki," said Thor (it still felt odd to be saying "Loki" out loud in front of Midgardians), "you said you've figured Father out. What exactly did you figure out?"
"They have plenty of Amanita Muscaria on Asgard. And even if they didn't, they don't need it anyway. Odin doesn't want the plant from us. He wants to be rid of us, for the time being, at least."
"You, I understand, but why me?" Thor asked.
"Hey!"
"So what do we do?" Thor asked, getting to his feet.
Molly and James looked eagerly back and forth between Thor and his brother.
"Well," Loki said, "if it's mushroom Odin wants, it'll be mushroom Odin gets. We go get the fungus like originally intended."
"Okay…?"
"Don't look so worried, brother. I have a plan."
Thor groaned. "I hate it when you say that."
A/N: Sorry for the long wait and short chapter! When I said I'd try to update every ten days, I din't realize how busy my schedule was going to get...this chapter was a little exposition-y, BUT hopefully things will begin to pick up in the next one. Thank you for your patience, and I'd really appreciate a review if you could leave one!
-mouse :)