Chapter 8! Also, totally sorry for vanishing! Life suddenly got extremely hectic! But this story is by no means abandoned, and although life is still hectic as heck, I'll try to not vanish completely again. The story WILL be completed, trust me on this :) I have everything planned and plotted xD it will just be a tad slower than I'd hoped.

I'm so happy that people seem to be enjoying the story! Thank you so much! Consider me very much humbled.

Now then, chapter 8! Here we go!

Disclaimer: Not mine. *sigh*

-o-

Chapter 8 - As of Today, Apparently

Loki woke up the next morning, and it took him a moment before he remembered the unexpected events of yesterday.

He didn't have to be afraid any longer. Well, there were still the Avengers, but they could be avoided. Hopefully. Asgard had been his biggest concern, and…he didn't have to worry about Asgard any longer.

Everything was uncertain now, however. His future, what he was supposed to do – he had no idea, quite frankly.

Then he heard Amber pass by his bedroom, humming.

And for some reason, it was the most calming sound he had heard in his entire life.

-o-

He got up, and found her in the kitchen, making pancakes.

"Good morning," she said, smiling at him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," he simply replied, and she paused for a moment, but then she smiled again.

-o-

"So," Amber said a while later. "What are you going to do?"

That was the question, was it not? She had made quite the case, now he only had to live up to it.

How did one repent for trying to take over the world?

"How does one repent for trying to take over the world?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She actually burst out laughing. "When you put it like that... I have no idea."

When did this happen? When did they joke about his failed attempt at world domination?

As of today, apparently, he thought, and gave her an amused look. "Nor do I. Yet."

"That sounds about right," she said, still smiling. She looked thoughtful for a moment. "How can you do - well - anything? You can't really go outside."

He gave her a small smile. "I can, actually. I was...given a new spell before leaving Asgard. I am a shapeshifter - as you well know - but I cannot keep up a different appearance for long periods of time. Not as complex as needed, that is. Now, however, I can. Thus, I can go outside."

"Really?" she said, and the genuine excitement in her voice surprised him. "That's brilliant!"

He would probably never understand this woman. Her excitement at the most random times puzzled him. And now? She was practically more pleased than him with the fact that he could go outside.

She was puzzling, indeed.

-o-

"So, do you want to go outside? It's a lovely day."

He gazed at her, realising he was...nervous? Yes. He was, in fact, nervous. Apprehensive, at least. But he did want to go outside. Eventually, he nodded, and she gave him a happy smile.

-o-

"You have to wear a coat," she said a while later. "You will look odd if you stroll around without a coat. Frost giant or no, wear a coat."

He was immediately angry at the mention of frost giants. Did she not see? Did she not realise what she spoke of? How could she speak of it in such a carefree way? It was hard to believe she was not mocking him.

But then he saw her freeze up. She was not mocking him. She merely...did not look at it as something monstrous - something evil.

And - he realised - it was liberating.

Something came over him, and he let go of the anger. He raised an eyebrow, let his eyes flash red, and then proceeded with putting on the coat she was holding out to him.

She stared at him at first - wide-eyed. But then something shifted in her expression, and she ended up looking rather amused.

When he smirked at her, she burst out laughing. What was the world coming to?

"All right," she said, shaking her head in amusement. "The epic adventure that is the outside world awaits."

-o-

"I'm going to tell people you are my roommate."

He was torn from his thoughts, and looked at the small woman walking next to him. "Roommate? That sounds...ridiculous."

She chuckled. "Well, what do you suggest? I have the God of Mischief living with me, yes that God of Mischief. Don't worry, he has promised to not take over the world again." He gave her a blank look, and she shrugged. "Unless you have another suggestion, I'm going to go with roommate."

He rolled his eyes. "Very well."

She gazed at him for a moment. "You still look the same to me, by the way. Why is that?"

"Would you prefer if you saw me differently?"

She shook her head. "Absolutely not. How, though?"

"Because I allow you to see me."

She chuckled. "How gracious of you. Thank you." She paused. "I mean it, though. It would be utterly unsettling to look at you and see - well - not you. I like you, just the way you are, in every way."

She proceeded to turn her gaze to a nearby tree, saying something about the lovely colours - as if what she had just said was nothing out of the ordinary.

He didn't exactly hear her what she was saying, exactly, because he had more than enough, processing what she had just said.

Never had anyone told him anything of the kind. No one liked him just the way he was. He was never good enough - never.

He realised she was looking at him with a puzzled frown. "What?"

He just shook his head before looking at the tree she had been so enthusiastic about.

-o-

"Can you show me how you look to other people? I feel as if that is something I should know, for some reason."

He smiled before shifting the magic to allow her to see the glamour.

"Hm," she said, studying him. "You look completely different - but yet... I see that it is you. Because I know it is you. Thank god you kept the black hair. I like your black hair."

He had to stop himself from sucking in a breath when her hand came up to touch his hair. He had to stop himself from closing his eyes as well, when her fingers moved to his cheek, and then his jaw.

"This is utterly bizarre," she said as she withdrew her hand. "I definitely prefer you the way you are."

He shifted back, and was taken aback when she sighed - so genuinely, it seemed - in relief.

-o-

Amber found it was lovely to see Loki outside. He seemed...happy. He wasn't exactly the 'happy' type, he was more of the 'dark and tormented soul' type, and seeing him like this... It was just lovely.

It felt like they had made some kind of breakthrough today, as if Loki had let go of something.

He had been angry at first, when she carelessly mentioned his frost giant heritage. But then, something had happened, and his eyes had flashed red, as if he was teasing her.

Definitely a breakthrough. They had actually joked about the fact that he attempted to take over the world as well. Joked. It was rather ridiculous.

He had looked at her in odd ways today – she wondered why.

-o-

"What. No."

She gave him an amused look. "It's a corn dog."

He looked at the meat on a stick she was holding out. "That is not corn. Nor is it a dog."

She laughed. "Well, it's a sausage on a stick, basically. And we call sausages in bread - hot dogs."

He looked at her as if she was completely out of her mind. "Why, by the Nine Realms would you call them such a thing?"

She laughed again. "It began as a joke - at some point in time - because there is a breed of dogs that somewhat looks like a sausage. Thus, hot dogs."

"That's...ridiculous."

She grinned. "Yes. Now, corn dog?"

"Absolutely not."

"Spoil sport."

-o-

This was nice, walking with Loki. It was getting late, and usually she would have been home long ago. New York was not the safest of places, after all.

Now, however, she was walking down the street with the God of Mischief. And said God of Mischief would be perfectly capable of taking on - well - anyone, anywhere, no matter what. No matter how many, even.

She felt rather safe.

"You seem lost in thought."

She looked at him. "I would usually be home ages ago."

He looked slightly puzzled. "Would you like to return home?"

She shook her head. "That's not the reason. The reason is simply because New York is dangerous. Too dangerous for me to stroll around after dark. But with you here... Well, I thought perhaps you would fare better than me if some poor sod attempted to mug us."

He looked amused. "I believe I would be able to handle the situation, yes."

"How much does it take to actually harm you? If someone shoots at you, what will happen?"

"It would be...uncomfortable. But by no means lethal."

"Wow."

He smirked. "Thank you."

She couldn't help but laugh.

-o-

Loki went to take a shower when they returned home, and when he came out of the bathroom again, he heard Amber's phone ring.

"Hello?" he heard her voice from the kitchen. "Hi! Give me a second to put you on speaker." There was a pause. "There! Hi!"

"Hi, Amber," a female voice said. "How are you?"

"Merlin, it's good to hear your voice, May. I'm fine. I'm…great, actually. Life is good. University is great, New York is great, and I got a roommate. How are you?"

"I'm good as well. I'm more interested in hearing about your life, though. Roommate? Tell me everything!"

"Oh, he's great. His name is Loki – lah."

"Lokelah?"

"Yes. But everyone just calls him Loki. Easier."

"I see. And how is he? Wait – describe him with ten words."

"Hmmm, all right. Intelligent. Well-read. Sassy. Sarcastic. Strong. Hilarious. Passionate - and no, not in that way. Or, I assume he is, but I wouldn't know. Charismatic. Fierce. ...Gorgeous."

Loki didn't know what to do, he just stood there, frozen on spot. Was that truly what she thought about him? No. No, it couldn't be. She was merely saying this because it would be best - considering how he would be around for a while.

"What, really?" He heard the voice reply. "Where did you manage to find the perfect man?"

He heard Amber chuckle. "I ran into him in a park. Literally ran into him."

Well, that much was true. She had kneeled down in front of him. The memory made him wince.

"How did you go from there to roommates?"

He heard Amber chuckle again. "Well, I ran into him again. Literally. Then I met him at a museum. And then – he showed up at my door."

"What? Why?"

"Because he had read my 'roommate wanted' post online. He didn't know it was me, though."

"That sounds…suspicious."

"I know. But trust me – and I mean that – trust me, it wasn't. It was all completely random."

"All right. You are probably the least naïve person I know. I trust you. So, where is he now?"

"In the shower."

"Oh, is he, hmmm?"

"May, shut your face."

"Aw. I only wish to see this 'gorgeous, fierce man' you live with."

"What, you want me to go casually videotape him in the shower?"

"Yes, would you? That would be lovely."

"Not in a million years."

"I know. How's school?"

Loki retreated to the bathroom, still shaken over the shining description of himself he had just heard.