AMNESIA

The Stranger I Know

I flung myself away from him and consequently landed on the floor in a giant heap. He frowned at me, wondering what I was doing.

"Holy shit, you, what's your name?" I asked in a panicked voice. He put his hands in his lap and fiddled with his fingers nervously.

"I don't know," he told me quietly.

"Do you know where you're from?" I asked, standing slowly. His green eyes were trained on the coffee table in front of him.

"No," he strangled out. I could see he was becoming increasingly annoyed at his situation.

"Do…do you know what happened in New York?" I asked softly.

"Where?" he asked, baffled. Damn, he didn't remember anything, but I could swear that it was the guy who tried to take over the human race. It was definitely him. Loki, that was his name.

"Loki?" I tried. The man frowned and looked at me, processing the name, he slowly nodded his head after what seemed to be forever.

"You know my name?" he asked, looking up at me with large green eyes. I shifted nervously. Yeah, I did, because you tried to enslave my entire race.

"Uh, yeah…"

"How?"

"Uhm, you were on the news. Look, I'm guessing you have some kind of amnesia, and although I am an absolute idiot for doing this, I'll help you in remembering," I grumbled. Why, why did I have to be so fucking empathetic?

Loki nodded slowly before standing up; he was considerably taller than me. I ran my hand through my hair and looked up at him.

"Come on," I sighed, "I'll show you to your room." I turned on my heel and led him to one of my spare bedrooms; this house was a little big for just myself.

"Here," I told him. He stepped past me and into the room, his eyes shooting all around it.

"Thank you, Alexis," he said in a soft voice before sitting on the bed and looking at me expectantly. Oh, right. I waved an awkward goodbye and closed the door. How surreal. Here was this powerful god of…what was it? I don't know. Here he was, with amnesia, in my house…I was doomed.

I wandered back to my own bedroom and sunk into the soft mattress. What am I going to do about him? Do I just outright tell him he tried to take over Earth with an army of aliens? Do I let him remember on he's own? What if he gets back his memory and decides to try again, all because of my stupid concern for others. I was so stupid for doing this, but it was in my nature. All these questions running through my mind, and somehow I managed to fall asleep, at around Seven in the morning.

I woke up feeling like shit, but something was wrong. I had a weird sense that I was missing some kind of information in my groggy mind. Oh, yeah, War Criminal. I fell out of bed and onto the floorboards in my attempt to leap out of bed, my ankle caught in the blanket.

"Ow," I groaned, pushing my self up lazily. The weight of my body felt like ten times it's usual, with a glance of the clock, I could see why, it was three in the afternoon, I never slept this long, ever. Even if I go to bed that late (early?) I am always up at ten. I got out my clothes for the day and hopped into the shower in the bathroom adjoining my room.

I dressed in a pair of black jeans and a plain white tee and a green hoodie. I tied my long brown hair into a high ponytail and went down the stairs to go check on Loki.

He was in the lounge; it appears he had managed how to work the T.V.

"This is ridiculous," he laughed, watching a cartoon.

"That's because it's for children," I said with a half smile. He leant his head over the back of the couch so he could look up at me standing behind him. He took in my appearance and smiled; reaching out a hand he tugged on the jumper.

"I like this colour," he said in a low voice. I jerked out of his reach.

"Well, I guess it would certainly suit you." I seemed to recall he wore a lot of green. Loki stood and came around the couch to look at me.

"Uh, hungry?" I asked in a slightly higher voice, I turned on my heel and sped to the kitchen to make up both some French toast.

He sat at the table patiently, just watching me. It was a little unnerving.

"So," I began, "Remembered anything?" He frowned a little and tilted his head slightly down and to one side, in a kind of bob. It seemed like a motion that he would do a lot.

"Unfortunately no, nor can I seem to find any reason as to why you are so frightened of me," his almost British sounding voice was very prominent in that sentence.

"Well, you are a stranger in my house. Who's to say your not some kind of Mass Murderer?" I laughed awkwardly, knowing that is exactly what he was.

"I suppose that does warrant a certain amount of discomfort. So why did you decide to help me?" He clasped his hands together in front of him and tilted his head to look up at me. He was very different today, not as… in shock.

"It's in my nature," I told him, turning back to the French toast, "I am stupidly empathetic when it comes to people who need help."

"So it's common for you to take in strange men at the side of the road, covered in blood?" he smirked.

"No, that would be a first," I laughed. I put the plate down in front of him and sat with my own. He looked at it sceptically at first, just like the sandwiches, but then started eating it. I tucked into my own. French toast was my favourite.

"Thank you, Alexis," he said once finished. I stood and collected his plate.

"You can call me Lexi," I smiled at him, and he returned the gesture.

"Lexi, how quaint."

"Watch it," I warned. I washed the dishes then went to find Loki.

He was in my study, examining my books. His long fingers running across the spines like a caress. I could tell from his smile to the way his fingers lingered over the titles that he was a book fan like myself.

"Am I allowed to indulge in your collection?" he asked over his shoulder. Wow, did this guy have a way with words.

"Go for it. I'm going shopping, getting you some actual clothing." He looked over his shoulder and gave a single nod, before picking out the book he wanted to read.

I came back a little while later with two bags full of clothing and set them on his bed. I found the god lying on my couch, flicking leisurely through pages. What was I going to do with him? Do I keep him as a pet? What a thought! I laughed to myself out loud, and he looked up at me.

"May I change now?"

"Sure." He put the book down and wandered off to his room. I looked at the book he was reading "Percy Jackson". He… no way. I burst into fitfuls of laughter on the ground. He was reading about the wrong kind of mythology to himself. He walked back in to see me laughing on the ground and gave me a strange look.

"Are you quite right, Lexi?" he asked sarcastically. I looked up at him. His hair was gelled back and he was wearing a dark green dress shirt and black jeans. He looked…really good. He was exuding power and sophistication.

"You're looking good, Loki," I complemented as I stood. Not at all embarrassed by my laughter.

"I always look good," he said arrogantly, but playfully.

"Whatever," I laughed.

"So what are you going to do with me?" he asked, folding himself into the couch. I crossed my arms and cocked my head to the side.

"I guess I'll try and contact your brother?" I suggested thoughtfully.

"My brother?"

"Oh, yeah. He's, uh, Thor?"

"Thor?"

"Yeah…"

"I am a stranger to your yet your knew my name and my brother?" he asked cynically, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows.

"You were both on the News."

"Okay, where is this brother of mine?"

"Uh, I have no idea. See, he's part of this… group…called the Avengers, they're kind of like Superheros, so it's a little hard to contact them."

"My brother…is a 'superhero'?" at this point he was beyond sceptical.

"Yeah, pretty much." I fumbled with a strand of my hair. He sighed and rested the back of his head on the couch.

"Look, I can think of way we can get into contact with him."

"Oh, and how do you propose?"

"Well, I could always try and make an appointment with Tony Stark, he's part of the Avengers." Loki perked up, his green eyes settled on my blue ones.

"Excellent, how do we get into contact with this Tony Stark?"

"I guess I'll call him? I'll do it tomorrow, I've got to get to work," I sighed, looking at the clock.

"Where do you work?"

"Black Birds Tavern, in New York." He narrowed his eyes at me in thought.

"Black Birds…" he stood abruptly and left the room. I shook my head and sighed.

I stumbled into my house far too tired to even consider checking on Loki. I couldn't even make it up the stairs to my room. So, I collapsed on the couch and let my drowsiness take me away.

Something poked me hard in the ribs. I groaned and swatted the hand away. They poked again, harder.
"Ow," I groaned, opening my eyes to see Loki barely inches from my face. I screamed and shot up, only to head-butt each other, I dropped back down onto the couch and covered my head, bringing my knees to my chest.

"Why?" I whined to the universe.

"Sorry, I was just trying to wake you," he complained, rubbing his forehead.

"Why?" I hissed at him. I took my hand away to see blood; I guess the impact reopened the cut on my brow. Loki's long fingered hands slid around my wrists. His skin was icy cold, my favourite temperature.

"How did you do that?" he asked in a fake condescending way.

"Well, I got into a fight the night I found you, guess the head butt just reopened the wound," I whispered, eyes never straying from his. His green orbs slid over to my eyes and he smiled.

"Well done, Lexi," he said lowly. I shivered as his voice travelled down my spine, and I really hoped he didn't see that.

"Are you cold?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Oh, guess he did.

"Probably, I like the cold," I confessed. He grinned at me, a full-blown grin.

"Let's go wash this blood off your hands, then you can call Mr Stark," he tilted his head in that odd manner and let go of my wrists. Slid up from the position I was in and pounced up to go to the bathroom.

After I washed my blood off, I wandered into the main area and picked up the phone, using my mobile to get the number off their website. Loki wandered in also and sat down at the table, watching me curiously. After a few rings a female voice answered.

"Hello, this is Stark Industries, How may I help you?"

"Uh, yes, I would like to talk to Mr Stark, please."

"You would like an appointment?"

"Yes, please."

"The subject?" Oh… how do I say that I have a War Criminal God in my home that I need Stark to come take away and babysit, then give to his brother?

"Uh…"

"Miss?"

"I have a person…here…he will probably want to…you know, see." I hate talking over the phone.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think the CEO of a large Industry will be interested in meeting with you, have a good day," she said snarkishly and hung up.

"Oh, fuck."

Loki stood and strode over to me, placing one hand on my shoulder; the scoop of my work uniform meant that his cold hand was partially on my skin.

"Lexi? What happened?"

"I don't think we'll get that appointment."

"Why don't we just go to his work and see him there?" he offered as if it were obvious as the sun rising tomorrow. I could help it, I laughed. He took back his hand and looked at me disapprovingly.

"Because, Loki, the place is like a fortress, kinds of hard to just 'hang around'."

"Well, he can't just be at work, where else does he go?" he did his head tilt thing.

"I guess he's a big item in the Bar industry. He's a known partier."

"Then we go to one of the bars he frequents." Well, it couldn't hurt…