Chapter 12, people!
So, what do you think about Frigga? I love Frigga. Not to mention - Loki loves Frigga. And it's about time someone stands up for him.
I am still utterly humbled, and crazy-happy-thankful for your feedback on this story! Thank you!
Disclaimer: not mine.
-o-
Chapter 12 - Humans. Strange Creatures.
Two days later, Loki returned home before Amber for once. He disliked returning home before Amber. The flat felt empty – quiet. Too quiet.
He ventured into the kitchen to find something to eat, but stopped when he saw the fridge.
These are going on the fridge! Amber had declared, but he had not taken her seriously. Nor had he completely understood what she meant by 'going on the fridge'. Looking at the fridge now, however, he realised what she had meant, and that she had, in fact, been serious.
He froze when he noticed the picture of himself with blue skin. He just stood there for a long moment, staring at the picture, trying to sort out the inner turmoil of emotions.
Amber did not mind. Not in any form or way did she mind. It was not even a case of 'tolerate'. She accepted him – even with blue skin and red eyes. Because 'you are still you – blue skin or otherwise. You are Loki. And that is what matters.'
And so, there was a picture of him – blue skin and all – on the fridge, as if it made no difference.
Because it made no difference to Amber.
He noticed a picture of himself – he was laughing. Laughing, because Amber made him laugh. It was surreal, somehow.
And he was drifting slowly but surely away from the safe haven named 'platonic'.
She was human - mortal - and... And that didn't matter to him.
She does not return your feelings. Let it go.
He could not exactly let it go, now could he? Having her around made it practically impossible.
But she did not return his feelings. He would just have to bury his emotions somewhere - somewhere they would not hurt so much the day this ended. Because it would. In one way or another - it would not last. Nothing lasted. At least nothing good.
Sentiment, he thought, turning away from the fridge and the pictures. Have you not learned? Sentiment makes you weak.
Those pictures... He didn't recognise himself. They were not him.
Except...they were him. But that was long ago. Before he learned who he was, before he learned the truth.
He had thought that part of him to be lost. Apparently, it wasn't.
-o-
"I am invited to a Christmas party," Amber said later that day while they were eating dinner. "At the university. And I have to go - more or less."
There was something odd in her voice that made him look at her. "Yes?"
"And well, there is one of my classmates - Allen - I..."
She trailed off, and Loki could feel his blood go cold, and there was a painful twinge in his chest.
Allen. That was the name of the thing that would end this. Of course he should have expected this - but he had not, fool that he was.
Allen.
Something darkened inside him, and he couldn't even speak - he just looked at her.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come. I keep talking about you, and Allen now at the point where he rolls his eyes every time I mention you. So, well, basically, he would like to meet you."
Of all the possible outcomes of this conversation – this was not one of the ones he had considered.
"If you do not feel like it, I understand. And if you don't want me to go either, that is fine. I should, though, because Allen and I team up at every party." Amber was nervous, he realised, but he still didn't know what to say, so he just listened to her as she continued. "Well, Allen is gay, and there is a girl in my class who insists on 'showing him what he is missing', and that 'he hasn't met the right girl yet'. I tried to tell her perhaps she had not met 'the right llama yet', and how could she know she was truly heterosexual if she had not met the right llama? She didn't even understand what I was saying. Anyway, that's why we team up. Allen hides – because no matter what he says, she ignores him – and I confuse her to the point where she leaves again. Point is – he will hate me if I don't show up, and I would really like it if you came with me."
Allen was apparently gay, just to top it off. Realising that, Loki emerged from his dark place and merely nodded. "All right."
Suddenly, she was beaming. He would never understand why these things made her this happy.
"Really? Thank you."
He would never understand this woman.
-o-
Allen turned out to be rather tolerable. He did not do mindless chatter, and he was quick-witted and slightly sarcastic, which suited Loki well. Even if Amber was absent for a moment – currently getting more drinks.
He watched her walk away – he had a very hard time not watching her tonight – and inwardly sighed. This woman would be the end of him, surely.
She was wearing a black dress that reached just over her knees, and it clung to her curves in all the right places. Her hair was soft curls, and her eyes practically glowed with happiness.
Loki inwardly sighed again.
He tensed when he saw a man approach her – it was rather obvious what the man was thinking – and she stopped, smiling politely.
He heard Allen chuckle next to him. "Amber is glorious. Just watch."
Loki did not know what that meant, but watched nevertheless. He had to stop himself from rushing from his chair when the leech of a man moved his hand – obviously intending on putting it somewhere he shouldn't.
"Aaaand, action!" Allen said, and that was when Amber grabbed the man's arm, twisted it in a way that looked most uncomfortable, and then proceeded to say something. Whatever she said made the man scurry away, and Loki relaxed again.
"They never learn," Allen said, chuckling. "Amber will break their nose before allowing them anywhere near her."
Loki liked to hear that. He really did.
"I am sorry about what is about to happen," Allen continued, and Loki was puzzled for a moment before noticing a woman heading his way.
"Well, hello," the woman said as she reached them. "You I have not seen here before."
Loki honestly did not know what to do. These were Amber's friends, and he supposed being rude was not something she would appreciate.
"I am Lucy," the woman continued as she sat down on the chair next to him. "And who are you?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Loki."
"Well, lovely to meet you, Loki."
Suddenly, there was a hand on his thigh, and he was about to explain exactly how he felt about that hand when there was an angry hiss from behind the woman.
"You have five seconds to remove those fingers from Loki's thigh, Lucy," Amber hissed angrily. "Or I break every single one of them."
Lucy pulled her hand away as if burned, but did not know how to quit. "I didn't hear any complaints from him."
"That is because he is kind enough to figure out whether or not you are a friend of mine before deciding his approach. Currently, you are not my friend."
Loki sighed in relief. "In that case – I do believe that is Amber's chair."
The woman merely huffed, but moved away.
-o-
The evening was rather interesting, if he was to tell the truth. He was currently watching people 'dancing'. 'Slow-dancing', apparently. This involved holding each other while spinning around on spot. Well, not spinning. Rotating in a ridiculously slow pace, more like it.
Humans. Strange creatures.
One of said strange creatures was moving toward him, holding two colourful drinks while sporting a happy smile.
Before he knew it, said strange creature was on his lap, and he automatically put his arms around her. He proceeded to raise an eyebrow, which resulted in an amused laugh from her.
"Would you care for a colourful drink - complete with a tiny umbrella?"
He eyed the drink suspiciously. "I would rather avoid it, I believe."
She chuckled. "Acceptable."
He was about to say something, but then Allen appeared from nowhere, sporting a mischievous smile. He held something over them, and grinned even wider. "Mistletoe!"
Loki had absolutely no idea what that meant, but luckily, Allen cleared it up right away. "That means you have to kiss!"
Loki froze, waiting for whatever would happen next. He would...he would like to kiss the woman on his lap. Very much so.
She did not exactly want to kiss him, however, because she gave Allen a jaded look. "Allen..."
He should not be surprised. He was not surprised, when he thought about it. It hurt, nevertheless. Because he was a fool.
"Amber! Just kiss the man, for gods' sake. You talk about him constantly. Don't try to tell me you don't want to kiss him."
Amber hesitated, and then turned to look at Loki, gazing at him with searching eyes.
He didn't know if she found what she was looking for, but he knew his breath hitched, and that the world seemed to fade out when she moved - and her lips met his.
It was all too short, however, because she pulled back, looking at him again with those searching eyes.
He wished he knew what she was searching for.
She was so close still, mere inches from him - he couldn't quite help himself. He pulled her closer, and their lips met again.
And he - as always - regretted his actions.
But then, the world faded out again when Amber didn't pull away from him – rather the opposite. She melted into the kiss, her arms came up around his neck, and she let out a small sigh as her lips parted – so did his – and their tongues met.
Time ceased to matter, the world ceased to exist, and when Amber eventually pulled back again, everything was different. There was a new kind of softness in her eyes, and he suspected his eyes were equally soft. He gazed at her, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and felt her fingers play with his hair.
Allen was still standing next to them. Loki couldn't care less.
"I would pay to have someone look at me like that for five bloody minutes," Allen declared, and then promptly walked away.
Amber cocked her head, gazing at him. "Want to go home?"
Her words held so many unspoken promises that Loki briefly forgot how to breathe.
Loki nodded, and Amber gave him a soft smile - a new kind of softness, Loki noted - and the smile was still on her face as collected their coats before heading for the exit.
Amber took his hand, and didn't let go until they got home. Loki found he didn't mind.