5. With Me

"Thoughts ran unspoken

forever and now"

- With Me by Sum 41

Hotaru realized that it had been three weeks. Exactly three weeks since Loki fell from the sky and now as she watched him stretch the muscles in his arms and shoulder, she realized he could leave. He didn't seem very fond of Earth and he didn't seem to like her a good portion of the time. He was just so difficult to read, Hotaru realized. She was had always been able to read people, but Loki was blank most of the time.

He stood in the kitchen as she listened the the bones in his back. He let out a groan.

"Loki, how are you feeling?"

He looked at first for a moment and frowned. "I have been better."

His eyes remained on her as she shifted in her seat on the sofa. She put down the book and looked at him.

"So…I guess you'll be leaving for Asgard soon."

Loki looked up at the stars through the window. "I can." He probably should. He's important, Hotaru thought. He was a prince after all and he's practically a god here. He must be getting bored here. "The planets look so small here." He noted as Hotaru got up and looked up and agreed with him silently.

"What is Asgard like?"

She watched as he twitched and shifted his weight from on side to the other. He let out a sigh and refused to look at him.

"Saturn was always cold," she said, deciding to go down that route. "But it was so pretty in the summer because we have these blue and purple flowers that bloomed in the summer."

Loki looked down at her and Hotaru felt her breath catch in her throat. "Asgard has those purple flowers…" Hotaru let out the breath she was holding as she shook her head. "They're the same color as your eyes…"

"What?"

"Nothing, shouldn't you double check on my back?"

Hotaru blinked and then nodded. "Yes, sorry, I was just… thinking."

Loki nodded and they went back to the sofa. This is just an examination…I've seen him shirtless before and it hasn't bugged me before! Hotaru thought as Loki shrugged out of his shirt after unbuttoning it. Most of the bruises had healed from a dark bluish green hue to a light purple. She pressed her hand to his lower back and she heard a slight hiss of pain coming from him.

"Do you want me to heal it again?" Hotaru asked.

"No."

"You shouldn't be traveling with these kinds of wounds, Loki." Hotaru said.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "Then I won't."

Hotaru blinked a few times as her hand hovered above the wound. "Loki, don't be stubborn, I know you want to go home."

He spun around and reached out, grabbing her by the neck. Hotaru felt her symbol burn on her forehead the moment she felt him squeeze as her hand reached toward him to dig her nails into his face when he grabbed the other hand.

"Remember this, Hotaru," he said as he tilted his head and leaned in close to her. "Asgard was not my home and it never will be."

He released her grip before his hand slipped up her neck and cradled her head with one hand. She thought she felt his thumb stroking the skin under her eye. He let go of her hand.

And she slapped him as hard as she could.

"And remember this Loki of Asgard, I will kill you if you threaten me or anyone else on this planet."

"Is that a promise?"

Hotaru nodded.

He grinned. "Good." He snorted and his lip twitched as if he wanted to say something. He slipped back on the shirt before he said, "I don't plan on traveling with such injuries, Hotaru." He left the room. Hotaru would find in the coming weeks that the bruises would stay the same color no matter what.

Now the plot can finally begin! Next chapter the plot will get moving.