- Disclaimer: Matantei Loki Ragnarok belongs to Kinoshita Sakura.
Ah, My Loki-sama!
written by Kurosu
- Chapter Four.
"Hrrmmmm..." was all the sound that came from a very unusual frowning Mayura, who had crossed her arms, glaring straight ahead, while a sweatdropping Yamino sat next to her, staring straight ahead too. And just what were the two staring at, across the table of the ice cream parlor?
A handsome, older Loki surrounded by the female wait staff and a few of the surrounding female customers, completely enthralled and smitten by the shimmering god, who had no qualms about the attention he was receiving, basking in the glory he deserved, being the awesome, charming, super good-looking god that he was. If this was the punishment that Odin had decree, then the old geezer had better be watching because it was far from being anything torturous.
"Oh Loki-sama, you're so handsome! You must be a model!"
"Loki-sama, you're not from around here, are you?"
"Loki-sama!"
"Loki-sama!"
Anymore 'Loki-sama' would cause the end of the world (err Ragnarok?), or at least the end of Mayura's sanity. The girl suddenly stood up, pouting. Yamino, having sense the uneasiness coming from her, knew that his father's philandering ways would eventually be a problem for them, but this wasn't quite the way he expected her to find out. He expected his father to be more accommodating to the situation he was in, but the god didn't seem to notice Mayura's discomfort or annoyance, still catering to the hundreds of questions his female fans had.
"Mayura-san," Yamino sympathized with her feelings.
"I'm going home," she announced.
Of course when she said that, Loki finally took notice of her and asked, "So soon? Your sundae hasn't arrived yet." Now his fan club was now giving her the look over, along with several glares from hell that made her wince.
Wanting to avoid their glares and the uncomfortableness of being a target for their burning hatred, she rushed the words out of her mouth, "I-just-remembered-I-still-have-a-lot-of-homework- to-do!-And-papa'll-be-upset-if-I-don't-finish-it-s oon!-See-ya-later!" Then she ran out of the parlor before either of the gods could stop her.
"What's wrong with her?" Loki questioned, looking at his son for answers. It had been Mayura's suggestion to go out for ice cream after all the household chores had been completed, so he had complied with her wishes, even to the point of helping her. He, a god, an elite god, an elite god whose blood brother was Odin, god of all the gods, had lowered himself willingly to help a mortal sweep.
He sure as hell deserved something better than ice cream, but she was just a teenage girl with little wealth, so he had been okay with it, but now she had just bailed on him! Leaving him to be ogled and fawned over by strange mortal women, all at once - didn't they have any shame?! At least in Asgard, the goddesses behaved themselves, with an unwritten rule to admire from a distance, in a non-stalkerish way, because they were supposed to be portrayed as beautiful, lovely, elegant beings, not a group of lustful, hormonal she-wolves in mating season.
A waitress delivered a sundae dessert and an order of hot tea, then joined the fan club by taking the empty seat across from him, forgetting that she was still working on the clock, and Loki found solace in it while the endless chattering of the women around him died in the back of his mind. Staring at the untouched sundae that Mayura had left behind, he couldn't help but miss her presence already, and he had even forgotten about his own son, still present, keeping a vigilant watch on the ever popular god.
It was strange to him, that the pink-haired girl was just as talkative as this bunch, but he always found himself listening to every word she said, and most of the time, she wasn't even talking to him. She wasn't all over him, like these women were, either, giving him appropriate space and treated him like... he wasn't a god at all, like a friend? He found it hard to imagine to have a female companion, when every single female he had met - mostly goddesses - were instantly attracted to him, vying for his attention and affections.
But to have just a companionship, a relationship between a man and a woman that had no ulterior motives from either, only a compatible connection of souls.
"Hmm... a friend..." he had uttered the words so softly, none of the women had heard, as if they could over their own voices.
Yamino eyed his father carefully, noting the softened features of his face as he seemed to be in deep thought about something. The cup of tea returned to its saucer, and Loki rested an elbow on the table, leaning his cheek on the back of his hand like a sweet daydream had beckoned him from reality. It was a beautiful scene that made him seem to glow against the backdrop of the afternoon light.
Several of the women fainted from his brilliant beauty.
"That Loki-sama!" she huffed, stomping down the street, quite upset and bothered. She didn't understand why he had kept those women around them, and didn't they know how impolite it was to intrude on others - weren't they taught any manners?! Her father had raised her well enough to not slap every single one of them back to reality, but it was also Loki's fault for not turning them away, his inaction had just encouraged them.
Mayura stopped and looked at the ground, frowning again, thinking how he looked like he was enjoying the attention, but he was a god, a very good-looking god that oozed out so much sexiness that she had to admit that she couldn't really blame all those women throwing themselves at him. She sighed at her childish insecurities, regretting that she had left so hastily, with a small droop of her shoulders.
She started to walk again, still heading home because she wasn't turning around to find him and apologize. She still had her pride, so maybe later when they were all home, at night before bed, just between them in private.
Then she suddenly stopped and realized something important.
She recognized several voices shouting at her, something about getting out of the way. Out of the way of what? She looked to her side, finally noticing that she was in the middle of the street, and big truck was heading right for her. Her eyes enlarged, and her whole body paralyzed in horrified shock.
"OH MY GOD!"
"Mayura?!"
Loki jerked his head up, as if he had just heard her calling. He got out of his seat and ran for the exit, leaving a Yamino to pay the bill before running after his father. The feeling was so sudden, but he knew it had to be her, like he had a deep connection with her, wondering if it had been created when her wish had been processed.
Even knowing that she was heading home, he could also sense her aura, also finding a faint trace of white thread floating before his eyes, being invisible to others, even gods. It was laced with her innocence, warm and sweet, inviting him to find her.
Within minutes, he reached the spot where she was last seen, and he froze, staring at the truck, stopped abruptly in the road at a strange angle like the driver had tried to avoid something, or someone. He could see a few people gathering into crowds on the other side of the street, along the walkway. He didn't see her at all, but he could still feel her nearby.
"Loki-sama..." Yamino appeared, slightly out of breath, and watched a stunned Loki taking a few steps forward and crossing the road. He slowly passed by the truck and its driver, making sure the vehicle had not cause a terrible accident and praying that she was all right. Guilt, shame and regret all bubbled in his chest, but he refused to believe in the worse.
What he and Yamino found on the other side was much worse.
Mayura was completely unharmed, held protectively in the arms of a young man, her savior with trustworthy, warm eyes of yummy chocolatey goodness and a reassuring smile that could lure any gullible girl into doing small favors. Those were the characteristics of a god!
She couldn't take her eyes off him, not because he was that handsome but he had just heroically saved her - normally it was the other way around for most girls. After a very cliched rescue and much boy-girl lovey-dovey-like scene, Mayura, still in his arms, found her voice again to thank him. Others around them also praised the young man for a daring rescue too, and he smiled proudly, not shy at all from the expected compliments.
But Loki was not impressed. He towered over the pair at the center of attention, his shadow looming menacingly and even his dark aura seeped around them, threatening to choke them. His voice low and deep, almost like animal growling, "What... are... you doing, Thor?!"
"Loki-sama!" Mayura yelped when he reached down and pretty much plucked the girl from her savior's arms, find the security within Loki's embrace much more comforting. His hold on her tightened, securing her form against his chest, her head tucked under his chin, and she suddenly felt very shy. Besides being in such an intimate position with him, she didn't like the unexpected increase of the people around them, now that they had become the center of attention of the whole block.
'Two handsome, young man fighting for the affections of one girl' would be the new gossip of the neighborhood in the following days. So much for trying to keep a low profile with the gods.
Half an hour later, the four of them, meaning Loki, Mayura, Yamino and the stranger, managed to escape the crowd and hid in the local park, not far from the Daidouji shrine and home. They were huddled together in one of the children's play structure that looked like a dome, an image of a turtle painted, with several circular holes of different sizes on the shell.
"This is humiliating," Loki grumbled.
Mayura glanced at him, snickering, "I think it's funny, hehe. Imagine, a god in hiding from his fans."
He sighed and poked her forehead, "And whose fault is that?"
She pouted, her cheeks puffed in annoyance, "Loki-sama is the popular one!"
"Oh?" he looked at her slyly, dropping an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him, "Someone sounds jealous."
"No way!" she made a childish face, sticking her tongue out at him, "I'm not jealous of a god!"
He sweatdropped, "That's... not quite what I meant."
"Hey, Loki, are you two dating or something?"
"NO WAY!" Mayura and Loki both shouted at the young man, with the latter adding, "Now explain yourself, Thor. Why are you here on Midgard?"
"Don't call me that," he said, "My name's Narugami Tohru on Midgard."
"..."
Since neither Loki nor Yamino were going to say it, Mayura tested the name herself, "So, Narugami-kun is a god too?" He nodded in reply, while she continued to look at him intently, brows furrowing in deep thought, and he felt a trickle of sweat falling down the side of his face. "Are you," she leaned closer to him, as close as Loki would allow in his presence, "also Loki-sama's kid?!"
The men facefaulted, and Narugami explained, "We're just friends!"
Yamino was glad of it because to think of being related to Thor brought a world of pain and suffering, but that still didn't explain why Narugami came to Midgard, and if Mayura would stop interrupting them with her silliness, he could probably satisfy Loki with an explanation.
"Ah, father sent me to Midgard," he sighed, "Wanted to teach me about earning a living."
"Wait," Loki was confused but found the situation amusing, "Odin kicked you out of Asgard so you could be self-reliant?"
"Yeah, apparently doing nothing isn't good for a candidate of the god of gods. He said this'll build my work ethic and public image in Asgard," Narugami ended with a shrug.
"What a great father!" Mayura praised, and everyone stared at her like she had just dyed her hair an unnatural black color, because Odin being a great father was very untrue - he would probably find it offensive too - and many examples could be given, but that would take forever to list (and Odin wasn't the main character).
So at this point, now on Midgard, more specifically at the Daidouji home, the man of the house had return later that evening to find the house with an additional occupant. He hadn't even moved from the foyer, still in his outdoor footwear, staring at the scene before him: his daughter was kneeling in seiza * style, with a small Loki and Yamino on one side and an unfamiliar face on her other side, all bowing to him.
"Wh-what's going on here, Mayu-chan? And who's this?" he pointed to Narugami.
"Daidouji-san, my name is Narugami Tohru!" he bowed, "I just arrived in Japan, seeking employment. Your daughter has spoken highly of you, and it would be a great honor for me if you allow me an apprenticeship under your care! I will do all that I can to earn your trust and make you proud! I swear to you, Daidouji-san, as a warrior of justice and in my father's name!"
"Please, papa!" Mayura pleaded with her puppy dog eyes, "I believe in Narugami-kun!"
Loki, wearing a flat expression, whispered to his son, "Aren't they overdoing it a bit?"
Really, how could Daidouji say no that, that being the sweet look of his daughter's face, and maybe he was a bit moved by the boy's speech. He sighed, already tired and hungry from his long day, and nodded just to get them out of his path because if he had said no, he doubt he would be able to remove all four of them from the front door.
Here ended another day at the Daidouji house, and after only two days, Mayura had acquired another resident in her home. With a total of three strangers, all being gods, either she had such good luck to be blessed or she was really cursed with attracting trouble.
* Seiza is a very formal and traditional way of sitting, by kneeling on the floor and tucking your legs beneath you thighs and resting your tushie on the heels.
Notes: Lol, I reread this story and cracked up... so I figured the next chapter should be written. Welcome, Narugami-kun! Should I feel sorry for Mayura-papa, putting him in the house with three gods now? Hmm, which god next? Kekeke. -kuro.