I had called Pepper 5 hours ago, she was in a Stark company meeting in France and she won't come until next day but she said she wanted to see me and that we would meet, I said the location and time. I spent the standby time sleeping or at least trying. I felt helpless, mentally and physically exhausted. 'What was wrong with me? Why I couldn't get him out of my head? It's getting worse ...'
We met in a small, isolated café on the outskirts of Iowa, the typical coffee shop of series B movies. I had been there for about 5 minutes when Pepper came in and sat in front of me. She ordered a coffee for each.
- ''Hey, what's wrong, Yami?''.- she was smiling although her face had a hint of concern.
- ''Well, I don't know what to do, that's wrong with me''.- I said pouting and bringing my hands to my head.
- ''Is about a guy, right?''.- she smiled wisely. 'Damn! No wonder why Tony has her as girlfriend and assistant, she's also a psychologist'. I nodded slowly.
- ''Who is it?''.- She asked excitedly. I put a you-don't-wanna- know- face.
I sighed and dropped my head on the table giving me a good hit, but did not care. The waitress brought the coffee. 'What is wrong with me? Seriously... whew, breathe...' I raised my head slightly and Pepper began to stroke my hair.
- ''Easy sweetie, whereas you don't date a murderer...''- Pepper joked. I made a face and she looked at me with wide eyes.- ''Oh! Wait! OH!''.- she shouted, standing up and realizing something, I could see that her mind was thinking of Loki. Tony also told her that the God seemed to have a certain predilection for me and the recordings of the Helicarrier and JARVIS were quite enlightening.
- ''It's not what you think''.- I told her with tortured expression. And the voice of Tony Stark took us out of the tense moment. We turned and saw him at the entrance to the coffee shop.
- ''I think you have a crush on him''.- Tony said amazed, while approaching.
- ''That's not true! It's just that...''- I began, but he interrupted me.
- ''Yami, my eyes are burning by the big neon sign that you have over your head''.- he said putting his sunglasses inside the café. I went back to let my head fall against the table.- ''By the way, you'll love this''.- Tony said sarcastically.- ''Do you know that Thor has just returned to Earth on vacation? Guess who has brought with him?''.- he said, sitting next to Pepper.
- ''Me?''. - a cold and silky voice said, we all recognized it very well; especially me, who had heard it even less than 2 days.
I snap my head up and Loki became visible next to our table. No one else in the place seemed to have noticed his presence, he was dressed as a normal human, a dark green shirt and black pants suit that fit him to death. 'You haven't thought that...' For the third time in minutes I dropped my head against the table.
- 'Strange habit'.- Loki taunted me mentally, I ignored him.- ''Calm down, I will not do anything bad... yet''.- he said and I noticed as he sat by my side, I immediately tensed and tried to get away but I was between him and the wall.
- ''What are you up to?''.- Tony asked very seriously.
- ''Taking a coffee with a few known''.- Loki replied, the smile was evident in his voice.- ''I told my brother that this time do not mean anything bad for your race or planet and it's true''.- he took a sip of my coffee .- ''Maybe I came back to make a dream come real''.- he said passing his arm around my shoulders. I stood still, holding my breath, I noticed the looks of Pepper and Tony on me.- 'What do you think?'.- Loki mentally asked me. He was loving every fucking second of it and I was becoming furious.
- 'I think you're crossing the line'.- I said raising my head, looking at him with my eyes full with anger.
Loki smiled mischievously and without anyone expecting it, he planted a kiss on my mouth. His right hand was settled on my neck so I could not get away and his left hand grabbed my waist and pulled me slightly to him. I closed my eyes tightly, I could feel myself blushing, I felt his soft lips on mine and felt his iron grip to keep me on the site, I could even taste the coffee on his lips. Loki broke the kiss, rose from the table smiling as he winked at me and made a small bow at the table, disappearing from view. I was completely shocked, my mind was blank.
- ''Well…''- Tony said looking where Loki had disappeared and cleared his throat.- ''Have you two fucked already?''.- he burst. I thought about the dream I had on the Helicarrier and blushed even more, Tony's face was pure joy and amazement.
- ''Don't tell me…''
- ''NO! Pervert!''.- I yelled at him and ran out of the coffee shop without saying goodbye even to Pepper. This was too much for me. I decided I had to go home, to Spain, needed to get away from all this.
I ran to my apartment and packed my bags, picked up the indispensable (mainly clothing, personal items, etc.), had a special bag where I kept the weapons and called the woman who rented the apartment telling her that I paid this month but I had to go for an emergency, the food and other things left she can do with it what she wanted.
I arrived at the airport after an hour and took the first flight out to Spain, one that went to Barcelona in 2 hours. Those two hours were the longest of my life, I was looking over my shoulder all the time, expecting to find a pair of emerald eyes staring at me and laughing. 'You're running away, coward, coward, coward'. I had thrown away my mobile phone and destroyed the SIM card to be unlocalizable for Stark and the others. I came to Barcelona and from there I took another flight to Vigo, back home.
Arriving at Vigo I did my best to go unnoticed and get home, it was easy. My house was somewhat cleaner and ordered as I had left; my little sister, Kari, had been ordaining and cleaning in my absence, as her note said. I also checked that there was no food so I decided to go down the supermarket, I got a pair of sunglasses, a cap and let's buy. At the return of the supermarket I saw a poster of a karaoke party in a place I knew, that would be nice, so I went to buy a wig and blue contact lenses.
To eat I made a vegetable omelet sandwich with tuna, I rehearsed the songs I would sing in the evening and slept for a while. Upon awakening I prepared to go to karaoke: I got some punk broken leggings, a black Arch Enemy T-shirt, a belt of bullets, a pair of spiked wristbands and my New Rock to the knees. I also got short the black wig, the contact lenses, a pair of fake piercings (lip, nose and eyebrow), I painted my eyes, nails and lips in black and ready! I loved to dress like this!
I went to the karaoke, I paid the 100 $ of entry for the contest and waited my turn. Only 12 people were contesting, every one of us would have to sing 3 songs and the audience vote at the end who won.
My first song was 'Yesterday is dead and Gone by Arch Enemy', the second was 'Duality by Slipknot' and for the third, I wanted to show that I could not only sing in guttural so I opted for 'Fighter by Christina Aguilera'.
The public voted and there was a tie between a boy of about my age and I, the public decided to break ties in the next song playing an instrument too, so I ran home, grabbed my violin and went back. The boy sang and played with his guitar 'Balls to the Wall by Accept' and I sang and played 'Molinos de Viento by Mägo de Oz'. In the end I won the contest, to celebrate it I went to all the contestants and told them that if they wanted to sang together the song 'Celebrate by Doro', they all accepted and it was epic. At the end of singing I thought I saw Loki but in a split of a second, which lasted a blink, was gone and I wondered if he had been the result of my imagination.
Finally I got home with 1200$ in my pocket and very happy, when I walked through the door the entry light was turned on and I went on alert because I had left off.
- ''Hello?''.- I said cautiously as I picked up an umbrella as a weapon.
- ''Yami?''.- Kari asked, leaning over and looking doubtful. I saw her, I dropped the umbrella and ran to hug her.
- ''I am so sorry for haven't given any signs of life this year, sister''.- I looked into her eyes, she had grown so much. Kari was 14 years.- ''How are you? Were you with Mika and Tai?''
- ''I'm fine''.- she said shyly.- ''And yes, I was with them this time. You left without saying anything''.- she looked at the ground.
- ''I'm sorry''.- I raised her chin.- ''You were in the campsite and I didn't warn you that I would keep track of a leech. Then things got complicated and didn't want any one coming for you''.- I gave her a kiss on the forehead.- ''Are you all right?''
She nodded, looking at me with those big brown eyes she had. Hugged her again. 'I've missed this so much'.
- ''Do you mind if I give me a bath, put me comfortable and we catch up?''.- I asked while I was busy removing the boots.
- ''Ok''.- she responded sitting on the couch, she was watching our photo album.
I smiled as I got into the shower. 'I'm finally home'. I took off everything, the wig, clothes, accessories and got into the shower. I went out with wet hair, a black lycra shorts and a black T-shirt. Kari was flipping through the album.
- ''Do not you get bored of always looking our ugly faces?''.- I said, dropping down next to her on the couch.
- ''Tell me where have you been''.- she requested quietly, staring up and down.
- ''I will summarize it''.- I sighed.- ''I received an anonymous tip, that was sent to me by some government assholes, to go to Stuttgart to hunt down a leech. Once there I found that those assholes knew that a Norse God of Mischief was going to do some of his tricks there and put me in the middle. After this, everything was pounding his plans to take over the world, send him back to his planet and live away from the assholes radar until the fucking God found a way to coming back here, so I ran away''.- I ended up shrugging and looking at Kari.
- ''A Norse God of Mischief?''.- Kari repeated incredulously, frowning.
- ''Yes, the same you're thinking, because there is only one we know in our mythology. Loki''.- I said his name with a shiver running through my body, I hugged the cushion. It was giving me a feeling of bad luck to say his name, as if he were to appear at any time, as he did in the coffee shop.
- ''And why did Loki returned? Does he want to dominate the world again?''.- She asked, hugging the cushion too.
I snorted, remembering what Loki said in the coffee shop. 'He came to make a dream come real. He said it only to poke you and you know it! Stop brooding! He said he wanted to court you too!' I blushed a bit and I put my hands to my face.
- ''Not true''.- I groaned aloud.
- ''What?''.- Kari said with amused voice, looking at my emotional debate, she seemed having fun.
- ''He said he wanted to court me''.- I said as calmly as I could, watching her reaction, which consisted of raising her eyebrows and smile at me.
- ''He is a God, good for you''.
- ''He is a psychopath, murderous, manipulative and evil God''.- I said starting to feel uncomfortable about talking about him so much. 'And sexy, handsome, and ... STOP NOW!' .- ''Changing the subject, I have hunger, and you?''.- I said blushing. She nodded, still smiling.
I got up off the couch and started to make dinner, which consisted of fried eggs, rice and bacon. We listened to music while we ate: Arch Enemy, Black Label Society, Slipknot and Murderdolls. After dinner, I picked up the dishes and she told me very briefly her year, I told her I won the karaoke contest and she asked me to sing something.
So I approached the piano of the wall and I remained looking at the keys, the last time I played was for Loki, but I did not know. 'Will you stop thinking about him?' I sighed and decided to sing and play 'My Immortal by Evanescence'.
" I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave
Your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have… All of me
You used to captivate me, by your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have… All of me
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have… All of me…"
After playing it I stood still, thinking how very accurate was the fucking song, with the situation and stuff... I looked at Kari and she was looking at me stunned.
- ''Did you like it?''.- I asked with a grin. She nodded slowly and I had an idea.- Well, you gotta listen to this, not mine but I think you'll like it.- I got up to get my violin. 'Great. You keep thinking it over, eh?'.- I scold myself. With one last look at an expectant Kari, closed my eyes and played the melody that Loki had played on piano, I had it so fresh in my mind that notes flooded as if they were part of me.
I finished playing, left the violin resting on the table, looked at Kari and smiled.
- ''Well, it's been a long day. Time to sleep, okay?''.- I said, I needed think for a while and good sleep.
I brushed my teeth and we went to each bed in our respective room. I got into bed and, still had not been 20 minutes, when Kari came to my door asking if she could sleep with me, I said yes and she got into my bed hugging each other. At that time, I noticed a very recognizable electric tingle through my mind. 'Oh, oh, shit'.
- 'Have you already notice?'.- Loki asked hugging me, instead of Kari. 'Everything has been one of his dirty mind tricks! Damn!' His face was only two inches from mine.
- ''Not all''. - He said, waving his hand, I could see the wall of his back became clear and I saw Kari in her bed, sleeping peacefully.- ''She is very important to you, beyond the simple bond of blood, why?''.- Loki asked curious.
- ''Other than that she is my little sister and if she died I would die too?''.- I asked raising an eyebrow.
- ''You'll think that you would die of pain, but you won't die''.- Loki replied me, as if speaking to a little girl.
- ''If she suffered a deep cut in her skin, no matter where I am, that cut appears on my skin and I bleed too, what do you think would happen if a bullet breaks through her skull?''.- I asked coldly. I watched as Loki's pupils were dilated in surprise and I felt a spasm in his arms, he pressed me a little closer to him.
- ''Then you should keep her enclosed, for your safety''.- he replied, sure of himself, as if he cared about the issue.
- ''She is not an object, she is a living being, she is my sister and is entitled to live her live freely. My parents died because of a vampire when she was a baby and I was 12. She knows exactly what happens and we take care of each other''.- I answered.
Loki stared at me thoughtfully for a long time in silence. 'Wow, I had silenced him. Impressive'. I thought, thinking that he would get into my thoughts and talk back to me, but he didn't. Strangely I didn't feel uncomfortable nor with the position in which we were or with the closeness, he was so calm, I can't explain but even so I felt comfortable in his arms, he was wearing the equivalent of an Asgardian pajamas I supposed. 'I must be sick'.
After a while my mind, don't know why, began to wander toward the vampires of Vigo, particularly to one that many years ago had screwed up my life badly and I could not repress a shudder. Loki narrowed his eyes and his right hand gently stroked my cheek.
- ''He will never touch you again''.- He whispered with a strange glow in those deep emerald wells.- ''Soon he will be nothing but dust''.
My heart skipped a beat and I froze. Those words echoed in my mind for a few seconds until I was able to assimilate, I had not realized that my eyes had begun to fill with tears until Loki wiped a tear and there I reacted. I separated a little, I wiped my tears, sighed and looked at him.
- ''Why?''.- I asked. 'Why the hell does he cares about all this?'
- ''I told you which my intentions were''.- Loki said serious and firm.- ''So I will not let the beast get away for his actions''.- he continued.
I shook my head. 'Intentions? I couldn't believe. He was serious about courting me. Change the subject. Quick!' He chuckled and I knew he had read my thoughts.
- ''I hate you''.- I whispered, narrowing my eyes at him. This made him laugh a little more.
- ''Very bad lie''.- He said, stifling a laugh. He seemed very comfortable.- ''Not all the gold of Asgard would get that lie believed''.
- ''Speaking of Asgard, how is the city of the gods?''.- I asked genuinely curious.
- ''How do you imagine it?''.- He smiled a little.
I described how I imagined the city based on what I had read from it and what Thor told me. I explained how I imagined the Bifrost, the Palace of Odin, the City ... After I describe my imaginary version of Asgard, I stared at Loki, waiting for him to say something.
- ''You are amazingly close to reality''.- He told me.- ''Although it is more like this''.- Loki put a couple of fingers on my temple and I saw Asgard, the golden palace, the Bifrost ... it was amazing.
- ''Holly bitch''.- I whispered breathlessly, looking surprised.
- ''That language''.- Loki scolded me.- ''To be a lady you talk like a trucker''.
- ''How did you...? It's beautiful! Was that Asgard?''.- I asked euphoric. He nodded.- ''Don't you miss your home?''
- ''That was not my home''.- He replied, his smile had vanished.- ''My real home is more like this''.- Loki returned his fingers to my temple and I saw Jötunheim, a lifeless icy place, although I it was beautiful in its own way.
When the visions of Jötunheim ceased I remained still, not knowing what to say. I felt very tired both mentally and phisically. 'Ugh, I need sleep'. Loki stroked my cheek.
- ''You should rest''.- Loki whispered quietly.
- ''Now! Sure! I will not sleep in the same bed with you''.- I said blushing.- ''Sure you'll try to do something dirty''.
- ''It is a temptation hard to resist''.- He said smiling.- ''Especially with those clothes you wear, so minimalist''.- he looked under the covers to see my clothes, or their lack.- ''Although, I'm not complaining at all''.- he said raising his eyebrows.
- ''Depraved''.- I said, trying to release me and get away from him. Giving him slaps on the chest.
He laughed darkly and placed over me. I was totally frozen staring at him, the situation, the posture, even the shadows on his face were like that time with the Vampire. Loki must have read my mind because he became very still.
- ''Yami don't ... I was not going to...''- he said with unsafe tone, he looked like he had looked me at the restaurant but I felt I was having a panic attack.
- ''Please leave off''.- I begged on the verge of tears. 'I really have a fucking trauma'.
When he drew back a little, I became a ball in bed to calm down. Loki got up and his clothes returned to be his, all of him returned to be the God of Mischief, Evil and Chaos. He disappeared without looking at me and without saying anything else.
I stayed for a while in bed without moving until I decided to get up, I went to Kari's bed and hugged her.
I did not realize that I had fallen asleep until a music that I was not familiar with woke me up, I startled and Kari groped around on table to take her mobile.
- ''Yes''.- she answered with sleepy voice.- ''Yeah ... Okay ... Yeah ... Yeah ... OK ... OK, until the evening''.- She hung up and looked at me being more asleep than awake.
- ''Good morning''.- I said with a smile.
- ''What am I doing here?''.- she asked me, and suddenly, she opened her eyes and hugged me.- ''You're back! You had me worried!''
- ''Do not you remember anything?''.- I asked.
- ''I think ... Wait! It had nothing to do with a man named Loki, right?''.- she asked doubtful. I nodded and she gasped.- ''I thought it was a dream...''
- ''I would like so...''- I said sighing.- ''But you're okay, right? He didn't hurt you or anything, right?''
- ''No, I don't think so...''- Kari replied, frowning.- ''I remember I saw you last night going out, you were disguised and I was going to call you when a tall man stood before me, the rest is blurred memory, I remember talking to you but I wasn't myself, just like a puppet and then fell asleep''.
I hugged Kari tightly and we stayed that way for a long time, I had terribly missed her this year. I finally left her, stroked her hair and I got out of bed.
- ''I'll make breakfast''.- I said. I looked at my wrist watch and saw it was 13:30.- ''I better start cooking meal''.-We both laughed.
During meal we were talking and laughing, talking about her year and I told her everything that had happened in mine.
- ''I have to go to study, I have an exam the day after tomorrow'.- Kari said, pouting.
- ''Go ahead. Study hard''.- I encouraged her.- ''I'm going to stay home without leaving a couple of days, so do not worry about me''.- I smiled and turned to embrace her again.
When Kari left, I felt a great emptiness and I felt alone. 'But what's wrong with you? You never felt alone before, Kari barely lives here…' I scold myself. I really felt alone, so I went to bed and slept.