Sorry for any of you that got an email saying I updated then got a weird chapter...the glitches were freaky. Here we go!
There was a hollow knock on Christie's door as she folded up her apron to slip it in her drawer after her shift. According to Jennie's new rota she wouldn't have to work until the next morning, so she took that time to relax and soak up all she had observed that morning. Well, she had intended to - but the sudden visitor had unexpectedly ruined her plans. She didn't tend to receive visitors post shift (unless one of the girls wanted something); so she was extremely taken aback once she opened her door to see Loki.
There he was…just standing there awkwardly.
"Er…good afternoon," he rushed out, lifting up a brown paper bag in a strange wave-like motion. "I brought you a cinnamon pecan and rosemary pastry from the Royal Asgardian Bakery. They drop them off every seven days and this one is my personal favourite so I thought…you might like it." He was rambling on a little, but Christie was surprised to feel herself begin to blush slightly - what he was doing was genuinely sweet. But she kept her cool.
"Ah, thanks, how thoughtful. Um…you can come in if you want," she blinked, shuffling aside so that he could enter. Loki stepped through the doorway into her cozy quarters and glanced around for a few seconds before focussing on Christie again. His gaze was so intense - perhaps that's what was unnerving her so much.
"You look…nice t-today," he told her awkwardly as he passed her the pastry bag. Christie received it with a thankful nod and placed it down on the little kitchen counter beside her.
"As do you," she responded a little uncomfortably. She didn't feel particularly 'nice'; she was wearing an off-white long sleeved dress that trailed down to her ankles, and her hair was tied back rather messily from where she had been laying in her bed reading an old book from her dusty bookshelf.
It wasn't her usual style, that's for sure.
Christie started washing a few dishes that were scattered around from when she'd eaten leftover food from the kitchens after her shift, in a wild attempt to look busy…but Loki said nothing.
Then there was a deafeningly awkward silence.
"…It's nicer hot."
"Sorry?" Christie suddenly asked, dropping a fork into the sink and spinning around to face Loki again.
"The pastry. It's nice when it's hot," Loki repeated himself without so much as batting an eyelid. Christie gave him a small amused smile.
"That's good to know, but there's no microwave in here," she reminded him, the smile not once fading from her lips. Loki blinked back at her with nothing but innocent confusion painted onto his face.
"Microwave? A literal wave from micros? Is this a Midgardian invention? Sounds…intriguing," he frowned, scrunching up his nose. Christie couldn't help but giggle at him - but she abruptly stopped as she suddenly remembered the breakfast tension earlier.
"Are you okay now? I heard how your dad spoke to you this morning, it was rough. But it was an extremely smooth comeback from you," she commented, still impressed by it all. Loki gave her a slightly sad smile and shrugged, breaking eye contact with her once again.
"Honestly, my father is like that to me almost every morning. I'm…rather used to it by now," he admitted with a sigh, picking the brown bag back up from the counter and placing his hands above and beneath it. Christie watched him concentrate in silence, confused but intrigued. After a few short seconds, Loki lifted his head and passed Christie the bag back - only difference was that now…it was piping hot.
"SH*T!" she yelped, quickly dropping it onto the counter and practically leaping over to the tap to run cool water onto her palms. "Great! Because having one person in my family that could do that wasn't detrimental enough, no?" she muttered under her breath irritably. Loki gave her another smile, this one more mischievous than the last.
"Annerledes, I'd like to know if you'd like to have lunch with me at the Palace Balconies tomorrow? Since it looks like you'll be staying for some time it's probably best that we get to know each other a little better, yes?" he suggested smoothly, his gaze not leaving hers this time.
"Oh?" Christie smirked at his attempt to flirt. Sharing a meal with someone that could tell her the ins and outs of the palace without having to put on an incredibly overexcitable irritating demeanour? "Sure! I should say no just for that burn, though." Loki looked quite pleased with her response, but also a little taken aback as if he wasn't expecting it.
"Good. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, I doubt that I'll be attending dinner tonight - I'm not hungry," he hummed. "Enjoy the pastry." And with that, he disappeared into thin air, leaving Christie alone once more.
...
"Good morning Annerledes, you're just in time!" Jennie beamed the next morning as Christie trudged into the kitchens with a yawn. No matter the time it, Jennie was always overly-enthusiastic, and that unnerved the hell out of Christie.
"Morning Jen," Christie sighed back, rubbing her eyes like a little child before taking the tray of freshly baked breads into the dining room as she usually did. The conversation took the same structure as it always did; both Thor and Odin taking lead, Frigga piping in when she deemed necessary and Loki saying nothing. Christie did what she had been trained to do - placed the tray in the middle of the table, bowed and retreated to her post against the wall to await any needs. But Loki's eyes lit up considerably once he saw her this morning. His attention was solely focussed on her as she took her bow, but she was trying her best not to acknowledge it.
But then Loki spoke up, and from then...everything changed.
"May I have another piece of bread, Annerledes?" he called over to her. Christie blinked over at him, totally caught off guard.
'What is he playing at?' she thought in a sudden panic. She cleared her throat slightly before answering. "Sir, you have bread on the table?"
"I do, but not the one I like. There's a spiced olive loaf in the kitchens, may you please bring some of that?" he responded straight away, his mossy green eyes full of playful. Christie shot Loki a small scowl, assuming that he was up to no good - but bowed and left for the kitchens regardless. Once she returned thirty or so seconds later, she placed the amended platter right onto the table directly in front of Loki, expecting that to be all. But, well aware that his family were watching, Loki took one of Christie's pale delicate hands in his. Before she knew it, he had pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. She completely froze, her breath hitching in her throat. The kiss was small…deliberate…careful.
"Thank you, Annerledes," he nodded politely, whilst covering her hand with his own. Frigga and Thor exchanged small looks that read 'he likes her', whereas Odin looked on with no expression in his face. Christie felt a hot blush begin to crawl up her cheeks…till she felt a sharp burning sensation on the back of her hand. She snatched her hand back as quickly as she could and gave a swift bow before exiting the room as fast as her feet could carry her. As soon as she burst through the kitchen doors, she was immediately met by Jennie, Delilah and Renesme. Their eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets with a look of total disbelief plastered firmly on their faces.
"Did he kiss your hand?!" Renesme practically shouted as soon as the doors shut behind her. Christie flicked her hand up and down distractedly, feeling the pain Loki had inflicted slowly begin to subside.
"Mmm - then he...burnt it or something, with those stupid magical heat hands," she muttered, now cradling her sore hand. The girls' mouthes hung open in shock.
"Well?! Check it!" Delilah was the first one to order her briskly. Christie stared at the girls in confusion - what was the big deal now?
"Ummm…why?" she frowned.
"Because, Annerledes," Jennie groaned as if it were obvious, "it means he's imprinted something on your hand! Do it!" Christie drew the back of her hand towards her immediately - and there it was, in clear neat writing etched onto her skin, the simple words,
'See you at lunch.'
"Lunch?!" Delilah squealed. Her voice couldn't get any higher.
"You have a…date with him?!" Jennie blinked suddenly, her smile faltering a little. "You only just got here, when did that happen?"
"And when were you gonna tell us?" Renesme demanded to know as she stamped her foot, Delilah nodding like a bobblehead on the side.
"It's literally not that deep, guys! It's just lunch…will this writing go away?" Christie frowned anxiously, ignoring the questions as her fair eyebrows knitted together in concern.
"Yeah, it should disappear within a few minutes," Delilah reassured her with a hand on her shoulder. "But you better go and get ready for that date with LOKI ODINSON."
Date? Ha, not on his life. This is business only.
A longer chapter for you guys today! Hope you enjoyed xx