Hello lovies! So this Chapter was starting to get a little long so I had to cut it somewhere. I appreciate all the love being sent my way, especially from Sparkel - I won't abandon this as long as you keep reading! I hope this is coming off smoothly: the transition of Loki and Erin's relationship into friendship with maybe a hint of something more... I have this story mapped out and I hope that I can execute it with the finesse that I have in my mind e_e we'll have to wait and see. Thanks for sticking around, friends, and as always please review and enjoy! RinFox out. B)
The morning sunlight filtered in through the open window, causing Erin to roll away from the harsh brightness and onto her side, bunching the fluffy comforter closer to her body. With great effort, she opened her eyes one by one, fighting the crust and sand around them.
Beside her was empty space - the crisp, cream colored sheets appearing undisturbed. Erin would not have thought twice about it except for the lingering lavender fragrance that was now laced in the linen. The scent was so ingrained into Erin's very being that she could not imagine a time before Loki - before the fateful morning in The Rabbithole. When had that been, two weeks ago? It wasn't a large amount of time, but there was something about the raven haired god that made him familiar. As if there was an unspoken connection between them. Erin let out a sigh.
Or maybe he's just somewhat... attractive.
No, she knew it was more than that. He caught her when she fell off that ladder, saving her from breaking or twisting any limbs. He was there when she needed help getting away from the drunk man at the club a couple nights ago; and last night he had pushed her out of the way of that car. Thinking of it now, it seemed as though she had an awful streak of bad luck since he had arrived. Maybe it was because she had taken on the role of a damsel in distress and he fit the role of her knight in shining armor rather nicely given his otherworldly powers and his charming good looks. Erin had never needed a knight, though. She wasn't a damsel no matter the times she found herself in distress. Granted, she had lived pretty carelessly to begin with, but now there was excitement, and it slept on her couch.
Rubbing the rest of the previous night's sleep from her eyes, Erin swung her legs over the edge of the bed and shuffled into the kitchen, finding Loki already awake at the table in his usual chair. His eyes were cast downward, his hair a curtain blocking her from his view.
"Good morning," she managed to croak out, still searching for her voice.
No movement was made from the man.
"How is your morning going?"
Nothing.
"Did you sleep well?"
Not even a grunt.
"Did you sleep at all?"
A single slender eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. Now we're getting somewhere. Did he actually sleep when he lowered his body next to hers last night? He hardly moved a muscle and Erin nearly kicked herself for giving into the moment of vulnerability she had when she pleaded him to stay with her throughout the night. Did he even stay the entire night? Or did he leave once she fell asleep, desperate to get as far away from her as possible? Or was it all just an illusion? No. He may not have stayed with her the whole time, but there was no denying the touch of his hand on hers. Although Loki remained mostly standoffish and aloof, his cool fingers interlaced with hers was all she needed as proof to know that he was real, and he was there - for her.
Loki cleared his throat, startling Erin from her thoughts as she stood before him in her small shirt and sweatpants. His eyebrow was still perfectly arched as he watched her over the pages of the book in his hands.
"So, uh, are you hungry?" She was pleased to see his second brow join his first, arching as his jade colored eyes brightened. Before he could change his mind, Erin set to making breakfast. She did not dare bring up last night, or how embarrassed she still had been, and Loki did not dare try a trick her again.
Several days had passed in near perfect harmony - more or less. Loki spent much of his days reading by Erin's window on her bed while she was at work, basking in the sun like some old house cat. By the time she got home, he would have already moved to the kitchen table as if he had never left the spot. She would cook for him and they would eat together in silence, occasionally talking about little things like books or poetry. Erin introduced him to some authors that she thought he might enjoy, particularly Shakespeare - who she discovered was, in fact, Asgardian. Loki enjoyed the young woman's company and conversation, but was too stubborn to admit it to himself, let alone her. After the incident with the car - the night they shared a bed - he had tried to forget the feel and closeness of her body, the delicate grasp of her fingers, and the soft sound of her breath as she slept soundly beside him.
Erin chose to put that night as far to the back of her mind as she could allow, vowing to never speak of it to him. When she left for work she was thankful for the time she had to escape him and the tense air that seemed to surround them for the first few days after that night. Most days she would bring him back books that he could read, often finding him in the same seat he was in as from the morning. At first she was overcome with the guilt of him sitting in one place for so long - until she would go into her room and get changed, only to find a slight imprint of where he sat, along with his scent that still lingered. Erin slept much better on the days he occupied her room.
This morning was the same as the rest; Erin awoke to Loki, drinking tea at his spot at the table. Erin smiled to herself, remembering the first time she had shown him how to boil water. 'Fire comes out of this?' he had asked. 'Yes, and then you place the pot full of water over the flame and wait until it bubbles a lot.' '...I know that.' Since then every morning she found him with a fresh steaming mug, and sometimes a second for her as if he knew she would be waking up soon.
Erin busied herself with making a quick bowl of cereal, passing by Loki and patting his shoulder gently in greeting. "Morning," she grinned with cheeks full of coco puffs "how'd you sleep?"
"Well, thank you," he looked up, taking a pop tart into his mouth. He watched her scoop the chocolatey cereal into her mouth, the milk dripping onto her chin. The corner of Loki's thin lips tugged slightly before he reached across the table and with a gentle thumb wiped at the moisture on her chin. He tried not to notice the warm that spread to her cheeks - hell, it was hard enough fighting the pink hue in his own. After that night in bed, Loki had tried keeping the contact to a bare minimum. He couldn't put a finger on why he felt so drawn to her, as if he could be who he truly felt he was around her. The very idea had unnerved him, so he worked at maintaining a safe distance until he could understand what caused the air between them. He quickly withdrew his hand with a tight lipped smile and sat in his chair, picking up the newspaper. "I don't understand Midgard and this paper of events. Really, is it important to know about this child's first day at school?"
Erin straightened, regaining herself. "Well, for one that is the local newspaper. Two, it adds something more lighthearted to discuss, instead of war and death."
"There would be less war is you humans knew how to talk and negotiate - you all lack grace and proper diplomacy."
Erin drew back from the table, raising her hands defensively as she carried her bowl over to the sink, "Don't shoot me, let the government know how you feel about their inadequacy."
"Oh I think I will," he smirked, folding the paper into his lap, "not that I already haven't demonstrated enough."
"Oh yeah, remind me how that worked out for you?" Chuckling at his dramatic eye roll, she retreated into her bedroom, pulling out something to wear to work. "Are there any books you'd like me to bring back for you?" she called out to him, "I know your selection here has gotten pretty small."
"I've read everything in this place three times over - something new would be greatly appreciated."
"You got it, boss." Emerging her room, she grabbed her shoes by the doorway, slipping them on with ease. "I have to go to the grocery store after work, do you want to go with me? You can meet me at the Rabbit Hole when I get done my shift."
"I suppose it'll be a pleasant change from my current routine."
"What exactly would you be doing if you were back at your home?" Erin asked hesitantly, always careful to bring up Asgard.
"Well, seeing as if I were home now then I would be imprisoned for the attack on New York, I would be doing the same thing there as I have been doing here… minus you and the pop tarts." He shrugged noncommittally at her concerned sigh.
"Oh." There was a pause. "Would you like to come to work with me? You can get out of the house for a little bit."
Loki smiled at her, appreciating her kindness, something he felt was rarely shown to him before he landed on this planet. "I think I'd like that very much."
Erin offered her hand to Loki and after a moment's hesitation he took it, accompanying her on her way to work.
It was a pleasant and quiet morning when they finally reached the bookstore. Stepping inside, Erin greeted Vince who was already sorting through a pile of well aged books that had taken shelter underneath an old end table that also doubled as a shelf. He looked up expectantly upon hearing the tinkle of the bell, surprised to find Erin accompanied by a tall, slender figure, his inky black hair blending in with his sophisticated black peacoat.
"Well good morning my dear, "he stopped his rummaging to give her a chaste kiss on the young woman's freckled cheek, "and who do we have here? A friend of yours, no doubt."
Loki stepped forward and extended a hand towards the older man, "Sam, a pleasure to meet you sir. Erin has spoke of nothing but wonderful things of this place. I am honored to finally be here to see it with my own eyes, and it nothing short of what she has told me."
Vince peered over his outdated bifocals with a paternal intensity before pulling Loki in by his outstretched hand and clapping him on the shoulder, "Bless you m'boy! No wonder why Erin has been so absent minded around here lately with a lad like you around."
Erin watched the exchange, rolling her eyes at Loki's proud stance and easy conversation with the old man, "Kiss ass."
Loki ignored her comment, still locked on the animated man who was still aggressively shaking his hand. "I assure you, Erin has nothing but the utmost respect for you. I hope I can live up to the standards of what she has told you of me."
"As a matter of fact, "Vince's eyes glanced over to Erin, who was still watching the exchange with bated breath, "she hasn't mentioned anything at all about you. Are you a boyfriend or…"
"He's actually a foreign exchange student staying with me, from Norway," Erin interjected, feeling uncomfortable with the uncharted territory in which the conversation was headed. "He's just staying with me to experience all the wonders of our country."
"Oh, well you're in the perfect place for that - Philadelphia is probably the most historic city in the country. This is the birthplace of our freedom!"
"Vince, you're from Poland."
"Ah, ah, ah, my dear," he hushed her, "that doesn't mean I can't be proud for America's accomplishments. Now, where is Norway are you from? I've done my fair share of traveling in my youth."
"Oh, um," Loki faltered momentarily, "it's a few miles North of Stockholm."
"Stockholm... Sweden?"
Erin couldn't fight the palm slap to her forehead.
Loki attempted to recover himself. "Pardon me, I meant to say that my father is from Stockholm. My mother raised me and we lived in -"
"Narvik!"
Both of the men turned to the redhead.
"S-Sam, didn't you say Narvik was where you were from? Because I mispronounced it and then you corrected me," Erin's voiced cracked as she laughed awkwardly, "you made that joke about Narvik and," more high pitched laughter, "oh you had to be there."
An uncomfortable silence settled between them as the trio stared at each other awkwardly.
"Yes, well any friend of Erin's is surely a friend of mine. You are welcome here any time." He gave Loki one last clap on the shoulder before returning to the neglected books he was sorting through prior to their arrival.
Once Vince was out of earshot, Loki leaned forward to speak hushly into her ear, "In the future, allow me to handle the talking."
"Cause you were doing so well on your own just now," she whispered backed heatedly.
"I had it under control."
"Sure you did." Patting his arm patronizingly, she set to starting her day at work, leaving Loki to peruse the store, selecting books and thumbing through the pages before placing them back in their designated space on the shelf carefully.
It was when he settled into the familiar plush chair on the upper floor by the window did Vince approach Erin who was sweeping dust and debris out the front steps of the building. "So," he started, "this Sam fellow, seems like a nice guy. It's a wonder you've never mentioned him before."
Erin stopped her sweeping and looked at the older man, chasing the loose strands of hair away from her face. "What do you mean? I've mentioned him in passing before."
Vince held up a wrinkled hand to her. "Save it, my dear. I don't need you making up your stories - you're awfully bad at it. Just know that, when you are ready, I'll be here to listen."
Erin turned to Vince, who was staring out towards the park across the street, the tall trees void of life with their naked branches splintering out towards the cold sunny sky. His gaze still trained on the trees, he reached an arm around her shoulders, grasping her gently, "You know, Katerina and I never had any children of our own and I… I just wanted you to know that you've always been like a daughter to me. Which is why if there's anything that you want to share with me, I'm all ears."
Erin smiled and looked away, "Not that you would believe me," she muttered.
Before Vince could respond, a couple of young women approached the Rabbit Hole giggling and chatting animatedly with each other.
The pair shuffled out of the way, greeting the customers. "Hello ladies, happy you stopped in," Vince clasped his hands in front of himself, "Is there anything I can help you look for?"
"No, thank you," one of the girls replied, "we're just browsing." The group pushed passed him and made their way around the store, giggling quietly to one another as they went.
Erin went back to her cleaning, lost in her thoughts when she heard the girls travel upstairs. It wasn't until she heard their quiet laughter evolve into giddy cackling that she remembered Loki was upstairs as well. Hmm, I wonder if his ears hurt as much as mine by the sound of them. She chuckled to herself at the thought of his teeth grinding behind his thin lips while his furrowed brows conveyed the ire he held for the group.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep baritone that managed to sound as smooth as honey as it dripped from the air. Was that… Loki? She had never heard him laugh before. It sounded quite nice, she decided. She briefly wished that she was funny enough to make him laugh. Whatever was going on up there was none of her business though; he was allowed to do as he pleased without her prying. She pulled her attention back to sweeping and resumed, albeit a bit more harshly.
"You're sweeping, Erin, not sanding the wood," Vince called to her, pulling a fresh stack of textbooks out of a dusty shelf to wipe down, "want to go upstairs and check on the young ladies?" He eyed her pointedly, not talking about the 'young ladies' at all.
As she was about to come to a decision, the sound of several footsteps parading down the stairs caused them to shift their attention to Loki as he waltzed towards the front desk, followed by the four girls each carrying books in their hands. The tall man turned to Vince expectantly, "These lovely women would like to make a purchase."
Vince quickly scrambled over to the group, making simple transactions with each girl and sending them off. They politely bid their farewells to the old man, but each stopped to give their own personal goodbye to the charming man. Erin couldn't fight the groan that spilled out of her mouth. Vince turned to her, a glint in his eye, "He's welcome here any time." He turned back toward the younger man waving at the girls' retreating backs, humor lacing his voice, "...foreign exchange, my ass!"
Nearing the end of her shift, Erin said goodbye and good night to vince, giving him a quick hug and grabbing her cardigan and shrugging it on while Vince happily shook Loki's hand and expressed his desire to see more of him in the future. Loki promised he'd make the effort to come back again soon and pulled his peacoat on, buttoning it with ease. He turned to Erin and offered his arm politely, "Shall we?"
She nodded and took his elbow lightly, careful to not lean into him too much, and made for the door. They stepped out into the crisp night air, shielding themselves from the wind that rushed past their faces.
"You seem awfully quiet today," Loki commented.
"What? Oh, just thinking."
"Would you care to share?" he grinned down at her.
"Not particularly," she returned with her own cheesy smile.
He shrugged, chucking at her childlike behavior, "Ok, ok, I won't push."
"You, not push? But that's what you're best at." Erin feigned a gasp of surprise at the god.
He rolled his eyes, his voice growing dark and devious. "I didn't say that I wouldn't find out, sweetheart."
"I'd like to see you try," her voice faltered ever so slightly. "These lips are sealed." Erin mimicked locking her lips with a key.
"Fair enough. You win for now." They walked together in silence once more, comfortable in each other's company. "Could we get some more pop tarts at the store, please?" Loki piped up, hoping if he asked nicely she would say yes.
She released his elbow, "Sure we can," she stuttered as she wrapped her arms around herself, conserving her warmth.
Loki noticed her shaking slightly under the pressure of the winter winds as they whipped around her. Wordlessly, he unbuttoned his own coat and shed it from his body, laying it gently over Erin's shoulders as she slipped her arms through the sleeves. She smiled gratefully up at him, "Thank you," she breathed.
He looked away, burying a hand in his trouser pocket and bringing the other one around to rub at her shoulder, generating as much warmth as he was able to give her.
Once the pair returned home from their food shopping, Erin busied herself with unloading the bags in the kitchen, Loki only helping by retrieving his pop tarts from the plastic bags and tearing open the box to eat one.
"No no no," Erin snatched the box from his grasp, placing them in a high cabinet out of view as if that would prevent him from getting to them, "I'm cooking dinner and you are not going to have your appetite spoiled by pop tarts, no matter how delicious they may be."
Loki frowned at her, visibly disappointed. When did he allow this mortal woman to call the shots? Life certainly was cruel.
"Fine. I'm going to take a shower then." He trudged into the bathroom, shedding his clothes from his body and placing them in the hamper Erin showed him was meant for dirty clothes. He turned to the mirror, observing himself for what felt like the first time since he checked out his bruised and battered body in Erin's bedroom. Now, his slender frame was completely free of blemishes, and his sallow, gaunt face had filled in and gained healthy coloring from the meals Erin had been cooking for him. He found himself grateful for her kindness and generosity. Of course, he could have forced her to shelter him, but she did it all on her own. She willingly allowed him to stay in her home, and cared for him went he was at his weakest on Midgard. He smiled to himself, allowing the hand she had held to trace the contours of his body. His body twitched at the thought of her small hand instead of his own touching his body until… he jerked his hand away in frustration. He had more dignity than this, caressing his body to the memory of a Midgardian woman. He was above these boyish fantasies that elicited shameful actions. Nonetheless, she was a woman, and he a man - more or less - and he was prone to occasionally giving into sinful desires. He had been with women before, obviously, but did not care much for the vulnerability of baring one's soul to another being - a mortal being, at that. Erin had changed something inside of him - rewired his person to see and feel things a differently - or maybe she didn't change anything at all, but just gave him the ability to allow himself to express freely. Loki pinched the bridge of his nose, cursing himself and forcing away his train of thought.
Turning to face the shower, he twisted the knob a few times to get the water to its desired heat. Next to the shower he reached into the tiny closet that possessed all the clean fluffy towels crammed inside. Reaching for the highest shelf, Loki tugged at the fabric, pulling a little harder than necessary when not only the towel was freed but a semi thick packet of papers came tumbling out behind it, hitting the cheaply tiled floor with an unceremonious thud.
Curious, Loki disregarded the useless cloth and reached for the papers, examining them over before he focused on the words typed in the center of the front page: Warring Heart by Erin Abernathy.
"What do we have here?" Loki muttered aloud, thoroughly intrigued by the treasure in his hand. He flipped through a few pages, soaking in as much as his eyes would allow before a sudden knock was heard at the door.
"Did you fall asleep in there? Dinner's on the table; it'll get cold if you -" the door was suddenly opened to reveal Loki, steam from the shower escaping the confined space behind him. A towel was wrapped snug around his waist and his skin had a light sheen from the mist of the water. Erin forced her eyes to remain trained on his face until she noticed a familiar object peeking out from behind his back.
"What is that?"
"What is what?" he inquired back at her. Idiot, you're better than that!
"That - behind your back." She made to reach for it when Loki suddenly sidestepped her, pushing past her and allowing himself more space from her in the kitchen. She rushed after him, and unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. It couldn't be what she thought it was, could it?
"Tell me, my dear Miss Abernathy," he sounded out her surname like it was a complex waltz that he had mastered overnight, "could you please be so kind as to educate me on your - what was it - second world war?"
"Loki," she seethed, "where did you hear about World War two?"
"Why, from your book of course!" he teased, pulling the packet from behind his back, thumbing through the pages cockily. "And hear I was in the presence of an author," he joked halfheartedly, not moving when she rounded the table towards him.
"Please give it back to me," she asked as nicely as she could, attempting to calm the fire on her face. He only responded by holding above his head. She groaned, "Do you have to be such a pain?"
"Only to you, my dear." He chuckled at her futile attempt at reaching for her story. "Why don't you let me read it? You've let me read everything else in your home, what's one more created by my very own rescuer?"
"Because," she stared down at her naked feet, wiggling her toes anxiously, "no one has ever read it before and, I, I'm not ready."
"Nonsense! I'm going to read it, and then you'll find out if it's truly good or not." He flashed her a charming smile.
"No, that's exactly what I don't want to happen." Erin pawed at her hair, sighing dejectedly, "I don't want to know what anyone thinks, because if it's bad then it won't be special anymore."
"Sweetheart," Loki lowered her book and used his free hand to lift her chin gently, encouraging her to look into his sage colored eyes, "I'm not 'anyone.' If you want to keep it private, I won't invade. I won't lie, I'll be dying to know what kind of romantic drama you've got cooked up in there," he tapped her temple, his lips tugging slightly at the corners.
Erin inhaled his familiar sent as he placed the papers in her awaiting hands. She held it there for a few moments, before handing them back to him and taking a step back. "So, what you should know before reading is that World War II was a global war that lasted between 1939 and 1945…"