Chapter 14: The God of Stares
He looked at me long and hard, with a look I couldn't comprehend. His tortured green eyes seemed to pierce my soul, making me squirm in discomfort. I thought I saw the corner of his mouth lift up a little at my movement, but it could have been my imagination. After a long awkward silence, Loki leaned forward, wincing as he did so, and raised his hands slowly, accepting the gift, somewhat reluctantly.
I scooted closer to him, so he wouldn't have to try so hard, and laid the clothes on the palm of his hands. As Loki leaned back with his new bundle his cold fingers brushed mine, sending an electric tingle through me. Not at all like the tingle I felt when Thor kissed my hand,( a warm fuzzy feeling) but it felt like I was being shocked from head to toe ,or adrenaline was shot in my veins. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and shuddered at the strange feeling rushing through me. A newfound sense of energy overcame me, once the tingling had subsided, making me feel like I could run across Asgard for hours. Is this magic? I wondered. I thought Loki had all his magic stripped. I wasn't sure how to explain what had happened but I did know one thing. I kind of liked it. It wasn't so much the feeling of his skin on mine that I enjoyed; it was the sensation I got after it. Like a sort of euphoric high or drug.
My eyes snapped open in renewed alertness. Upon opening them, I found that Loki had his shut. His frame shuddered slightly, his eyes moving behind the closed lids.
Is he feeling the same thing I felt? I wondered, remembering the sensation. Pieces of his hair fell in his face giving him a vulnerable look. Loki vulnerable? Yeah, right. I mentally scoffed. His breathing was shallow, the pieces of hair blowing across his face. I had a strong urge to brush back the black strands, and had to grasp my wrist to keep from doing so. Loki's light lavender shaded eyelids were a slight contrast to his pale complexion and dark hair, creating a breathtakingly beautiful image. I swallowed thickly, as my heart sped up.
Hold yourself together woman. I chastised myself. Have more self-restraint. I shook my head, willing the thoughts out of my mind. "Self-restraint? I think out of all the other servants I have the most restraint." I grumbled, running my fingers through my hair. I eyed Loki to find he was still in the same trance like state. I sighed. I hope he doesn't stay like this forever, or else the foods going to get cold. I thought, grabbing the porridge from the floor. My stomach rumbled painfully and my mouth watered at the still fresh smelling food. I clutched my abdomen in hope that my actions would subdue the pain.
Don't even think about eating Loki's food. It would be rude and not to mention cruel. Look at him. He's all skin and bone. And full of muscle, and power.. I shook my head forcefully, dispelling those thoughts. Curse my imagination. I scowled. I glanced at the food one last time before deciding to get it away from me, before I devoured it. I put the bowl on the ground and slid it towards him. It sounded gritty as it moved closer to him.
At the abrupt noise, Loki's eyes snapped open, freezing me in my movements. I don't know why, but I felt like a little kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Loki's eyes held mine for a moment, before flickering down to the bowl. I snatched my hand back quickly, as if his gaze would burn it. A puzzled look appeared on his face, but in an instant it was gone. He must have noticed he was still leaning forward, because he quickly leaned back with the clothes still in his hand. He laid his head back against the wall, and stared straight ahead. He rubbed the fabric of the clothing between two of his fingers. It was the beginning of another awkward silence. Oh no. Not another one of those. I thought, opening my mouth to break it.
"Do you intend to clothe me yourself?" Loki spoke, his voice holding a hint of amusement, though there was no smile on his face. It took me a moment to register his words, but when I did, I flushed in embarrassment, my mouth hung open like a fish. I sat like that for a second before closing my mouth with a pop. I grasped my face in my hands, feeling the heat there.
Of course. How could I have been so stupid? It's not like he can get dressed himself. Especially not with broken ribs. And I have NO intention to change him. I shook my head at the ridiculous notion. I didn't even bring him undergarments! I realized blushing even harder. I bit my lip and contemplated on what to do.
"Well?" Loki said, after a moment, turning his head slightly to look me in the eyes. I floundered for a minute looking for words. "Um, I don't think that would, um be appropriate Lo – sir "… I huffed the sentence out in one breath, the effort taking all the air out of my lungs. Loki just stared at my display and waited for me to finish.
"I am unable to properly clothe myself, since I am, as you deem, handicapped." He sneered the last word as if he was disgusted at the notion.
I took a second to gather my thoughts and my emotions, and took a long slow deep breath. After I was calm, I picked up the bowl of food I had slid towards him, and held it out for him to take. I looked him in the eye and stated boldly, "I understand that you want to get out of such distasteful clothing, but my number one priority right now is your health. "
Loki looked surprised that I wasn't intimidated by him, but the look quickly passed. He looked down at the bowl in my hands for a second, before reaching for it. As his hands touched the edge of the bowl, it felt like déjà vu, and I was expecting another strange feeling. Intentionally though it seemed, Loki was avoiding making any skin contact with me again. I frowned at this, a little disappointed.
Once the bowl was out of my grasp, he cupped it in both hands and stared down at the substance inside, his eyes analyzing every lump. He then brought the bowl up to his nose and inhaled its scent.
A smile slid its way on my lips, but I quickly removed it, not wanting him to see it. I thought it was funny to see Loki, Prince of Magic, to be inspecting a bowl of porridge like it was a dangerous creature. He reminded me of a wild animal cautiously taking food from a person's hand.
All joking faded from my mind as I realized he was questioning if I was trying to poison him. He doesn't even know you that well. He needs to know he can trust you and that you're not like the others that put him here. I licked my lips and said, "I didn't poison or drug your food." Loki didn't answer me, but he stopped scrutinizing the bowl and gazed blankly forward. "If I wanted to kill you I would have done so already," I added.
When Loki gave no response to my words, I sighed in defeat. "Fine. If you're not going to accept my help, then I guess there's no point in trying anymore. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to." I stated quietly, sadness in my voice. I stood up slowly and brushed off the imaginary dust on my dress. I bent down to pick up the salve, and when I had retrieved it, I turned to walk towards the door.
"If I may be so blunt as to ask how you got those marks on your fingertips?" Loki asked suddenly.
I froze, struck by how polite he was speaking and by his attentiveness to detail. How did he notice the needle marks? I wondered in astonishment, rubbing the already closed wounds with my fingers. It was silent, as I realized Loki was still waiting for my answer. I swallowed and turned around slowly, staring back at Loki bravely, as I replied.
"They're pinpricks from a sewing needle. I got them while I was making garments for you," I stated strongly, putting the medicine bottle in a pocket of my dress.
Loki's eyes flicked to the clothing next to him for a moment, before landing back on me. Something in my words must have convinced him I was telling the truth, because he looked down at the bowl and muttered something under his breath, before grabbing a hold of the spoon. I bit my lip, hoping the food was not completely cold. I noticed the way his hands shook, as he tried to lift the spoon to his mouth, even when he lifted the bowl higher. He really is weak. I concluded, glad that I'd added in the medicine to his food.
Once the porridge was in Loki's mouth, he chewed slowly, no recognizable emotion on his face. After he finished chewing, he swallowed slowly, and winced, as if it hurt him to do so. Loki put the spoon back into the bowl, and sighed in contentment.
"I never knew servants gruel could taste so good." He said licking his lips. I swallowed, trying to ignore how good his lips looked when they were wet. I looked away for a minute to regain my composure and my thoughts.
Loki took a hold on the spoon and scooped up more porridge, shakily lifting it to his mouth once again. I could tell this continuous motion was a struggle for him. Without another thought or word, I was instantly by his side, seeing him as just another recovering Asgardian, instead of a prince, or traitor. Remembering my earlier mistake I hesitantly reached out, but didn't touch him. Instead my hand reached out towards the spoon, in a silent question.
Loki snapped his head in my direction, glaring slightly at my intrusion. The movement made me aware of how close I'd actually gotten, and how far away our faces were. I. swallowed thickly but didn't move a muscle. I licked my dry lips and asked him a question.
"May I?" Loki's glare faded into a look of wonder, like I was speaking a foreign language. But he must have understood what I was asking, because he slowly nodded his head, and handed me the bowl. I grasped the bowl, surprised at how warm it still was, and scooped up more porridge on the spoon. My eyes flicked back up to Loki to make sure what I was about to do was still fine by him. He didn't speak but his stomach growled loudly. A corner of my mouth lifted up but I quickly wiped it off my face, before Loki could see it. I scooted closer to him to make it easier for me to reach his mouth, my knee accidently brushing his leg. I decided to ignore the close contact between us, and instead, put the spoon up to Loki's mouth.
We stayed like that for a moment the silence so thick, you could cut a knife through it. He stared at me, for what seemed like the hundredth time since I met him. What is with this guy and staring, and long awkward silences? I thought, irritated. Here I am, trying to make things easier for him, and all he does is stare, or say nothing at all! My hand tightened on the handle of the spoon. I snapped.
"Are you going to open your mouth or what?" I yelled the sound echoing throughout the room.
Loki looked startled at my abrupt outburst, but merely chuckled at my frustration. "You have quite a temper don't you?" He smirked, enjoying my annoyance. "Are you always like this when it comes to patients?" He asked teasingly." Only to you," I said, smiling sweetly. It took a moment after our little banter, but Loki finally opened his mouth and took a bite.
After he had eaten half the bowl, I asked a question that had bugging me since I got there. "So, how did you escape?" I asked Loki after clearing my throat, and giving him another spoonful of food. I glanced at his wrist and noticed the light purple bruises that were there. Loki chewed the food in his mouth and swallowed slowly. He looked at me like I was stupid.
"Does it look like I escaped from this wretched place?" Loki scowled, clenching his fists, as his eyes roamed over the cell. Before I could answer, Loki winced and dug his nails into his palm, drawing blood. I winced with him, wishing I could take his pain/suffering away. But there, I couldn't. I didn't the right medicine with me and the medicine he needed, required me to make it. I stared at Loki for a moment formulating a plan. It was a drastic plan. One that would get me kicked out of Asgard or worse. I checked my watch for the time, and saw it read one o'clock. It was still early enough that everyone would be asleep. If I was going to do, what I was going to do, I had to act fast. I put down the bowl in my hands, and lightly touched his fist.
"Loki, I'm getting you out of here."
Author's Note: Hey guys! I know it's been so long since I've updated. But now that I'm in tenth grade I have more work, including Ap! So this will be my last post in a while. Thanks for all the support and reviews, and favorites. Please r/r! P.S If you haven't seen Thor 2 you absolutely need to, it is the best! Bumblewolf out!