The city was remarkably quiet as Thor said goodbye to the pair, the car loaded with their belongings and all the snack foods from Grace's kitchen cabinets. As they sped away from New York, Loki looked back at the city lights and hoped that some day he would see them again. Once they were away from the city, he marvelled at how truly dark the very early morning was and remarked to Grace just how little he had seen of Midgard. She smiled and sipped her coffee, the engine purring as they drove along the barren expressway. She knew there were other little treats along the way for Loki to experience- they would be driving through the mountains as the dawn broke, the sun from behind them kissing the hills with golden light. There would be farms tucked in the mountains, the lighthouse at Marblehead, Lake Erie, national forest, the Maumee River, and the nuclear power plant along highway 3 that she had been fascinated by for years.
"Even with this trip, it'll be a really tiny part of our world you'll have seen. Just think about all the places on this planet alone, and then think of all the other planets there could be out there! It's fascinating. When we're good and out of the city's light pollution, I'll pull over so we can see the stars." True to her word, she found a place to pull the car off the highway and they sat on the trunk of the car, leaning back against the window, to stare at the sky above. Loki was struck silent by the sheer beauty of it. It had been many years since he had been far enough from the city lights of Asgard to look up at the sky and see it as it was without interference.
They resumed their trek and 3 hours after having left New York City, parked the car in Centralia, Pennsylvania just as the sun broke over the horizon. As they wandered the small town and the section of closed-off road, Grace talked about the mine fire and the causes that people had postulated over the years.
"And it isn't the only mine fire even in Pennsylvania- there are at least a dozen. Mining isn't exactly the easiest thing to do safely."
"So why is it yet done? Have your people not discovered other ways to power their homes?"
"We have, but coal's still cheap and the demand for energy is high. So we mine. And yes, people die. And things catch fire. And it is pretty awful if you think about what it says about the values of our cultures that coal is more important than not setting entire towns on fire or the lives of the people who die in the mines. What about Asgard? Do you folks use fossil fuels, or do you use other means?"
"Other, mostly- we do use lanterns and flame, but we also use the power of the wind, sun, and water. And most of our people know at least enough magic to create light and heat. The skills that Mother cultivated in me are far more rare, but household magic is quite common."
"Huh. I know I said this before, but I wish I could see it. Did Midgard ever have magic? Did we lose it somewhere, or have we always been the losers that way? Piddly lives, no magic, all that."
"I do not know. We will have to look in the library when you visit next."
"Do you have anything as crazy as a mine fire like this? Burning ground under our feet, the very real risk of a cave in plummetting us down hundreds of feet into a firey doom?"
"I know so little history of the outer lands. I have never heard of such a thing, but it is possible there is a firey abyss of some sort out there."
They meandered back to the car after Grace took a few photographs of smoking ground with her phone and settled in for the longest stretch of the journey, stopping in a nearby small town diner for breakfast and coffee, thankful that they were not recognised or, if they were, that anyone who did was polite enough not to make a big deal about it. They had six hours of driving ahead of them, part of it through the mountains. As they drove through the hills, the sunlight bathed the rolling land ahead of them in gold, the farms and houses nestled among the trees glowing in the early morning light, a crisp chill in the air. Grace held her coffee in one hand, shivering a little from the air she let in through the open moon roof. Loki craned his neck to the window to try to take in everything about the land around him, from the vivid morning sky to the rolling hills and the forests covering them.
They spent the first few hours nearly silent, only speaking when one of them would point out something along the route that was fascinating or unique. As the day warmed, they opened the windows and enjoyed the cool air on their skin. Every so often, they pulled off the expressway to stretch and to take deep breaths of the air so different than that in the big city. While stopped, Grace would pull out her phone and show Loki their progress on the map.
They were both very hungry when they reached Sandusky after 6 hours on the road subsisting on snack food. Grace found a small restaurant and they ate a solid lunch before she started telling him just what they were in Sandusky for, instead of staying on the expressway.
"So in Asgard, do you have amusement parks? Places where people can go to ride on roller coasters and play games while spending too much money on overpriced fried food?"
"I do not believe so, though I do not know what a roller coaster is."
She pulled up a picture on her phone, "This thing."
"Ah, most definitely no."
"Well there is a whole park of them in this town. It's going to be crowded and crazy, but I'd like to show you around...maybe even ride a few of the rides once we've let lunch digest a bit. We've got another few hours on the road, but it sure would be nice to not have to get right back in the car."
"Most definitely. How far away is this amusement park?"
"Couple of minutes across town. We'll head there right after lunch and we can wander around a bit before we ride any of the big stuff."
They finished their meals and ventured to Cedar Point, Grace very eager to show Loki just what crazy things the people of Midgard had invented to fill their need for thrills.
The mechanics of roller coasters both fascinated and terrified Loki. He had wondered how, after seeing the photograph on Grace's phone, they managed to work without throwing the cars off their tracks. The sound they made, growing louder and louder as they crossed the parking lot, drew him in and he eagerly asked questions about just how they functioned after they entered the park and he could see them up close. Grace was not too keen on riding many of them, but she did like to watch them and liked the other amusements far better. Her favourites were the simple carnival rides like the merry-go-round that did not serve to give a rush of adrenaline, but were very relaxing. He liked these as well, but something in him begged for a ride on at least one of the roller coasters. He prodded Grace until she relented and agreed to ride with him on a few of the smaller ones, but nothing that took her up-side-down.
After his first ride, he was hooked. For nearly two hours he chose rides and waved to Grace from above as she watched him and took pictures, happy that he was happy, snacking on over-priced nachos and fries as he braved the drops and loops of the various tracks. He was giddy, practically skippinng alongside her, as he went with her into the various little shops and arcades, unable to contain himself as he tried to express just how much fun he was having. She smiled and taught him how to play Centipede. It was close to 4 in the afternoon by the time they once again hit the road, ready to drive the last few hours of their trip. They stopped in Marblehead to see the lighthouse and to get something to eat, but after, they were determined not to stop until they reached Detroit.
Loki kept breaking into a wide grin and laughing quietly to himself as they drove. Grace finally let her curiosity get the better of her and asked him just what he was so amused by.
"The thrill, Miss Grace, of those delightful roller coasters. I had no idea such a thing even existed before today. The closest we have in Asgard is taking the hover skiffs out over the water and flying them in the most daring manner we can come up with...and yet because of their construction, we still cannot push the descent too steep or take ourselves up-side-down. Your amusements are far more exciting! And there were so many of your people there enjoying them together! In Asgard, we must sneak the skiffs out and avoid the guard to attempt to thrill ourselves. Have these been a part of your culture for many years or is this a new novelty that has not yet worn off?"
"Amusement parks have been around in one form or another for centuries. I think roller coasters were invented over 200 years ago, but they keep getting crazier and crazier as time goes on. The early ones certainly didn't make anyone go up-side-down!"
"So it would be many generations that have known of these things?"
"The early ones were few and far between. It wasn't like they could just see them on the television or the internet- word got out about them when folks wrote to family and people were a lot less spread out. They were really popular for 50 yeras or so and then they fell out of favour for a while- maybe 40 years? They made a comeback, though, and these parks are really popular- even people who can't really afford them will sometimes make visiting one a once in a lifetime event."
"For a people with such short lives, you most certainly are fickle with your tastes."
"It's probably because we have such short lives- we're always looking for the next great thing because we don't have a whole heck of a lot of time to be here. We don't want to miss out on anything, so we just do so much stuff and forget about each other."
"Ah. I see. That seems like a most unwise decision."
"Well I never said we were the smartest critters in the universe."
Loki smiled and took her hand, "Perhaps not, but your people have created some magnificent things in their short lives. If in all our long years we cannot even create something such as a roller coaster or learn to use theatre to make people think so deeply and move their hearts, or even to simply sing for the joy of it, writing songs with no need for a deeper history, has Asgard really done better than Midgard? I am inclined to think not."
"This coming from the guy who, according to Thor, once thought we were little more than vermin because of our short lives- something you could squash in order to take over a realm. Knowing what he's said, it makes me wonder what you think of us now and what made you change."
"I will never understand Midgardians or their ways, nor will I likely approve of the ways in which such short lives are spent, ways that seem so foolish to me, but you have changed much for me, Miss Grace."
"Good to know. Want to put on some music and sing?" He nodded and she had him dig a cassette out of the glove compartment. They sang and acted silly through Toledo and into Michigan. By the time they reached Michigan, they had switched to using a tape converter to listen to Grace's iPod and were, thanks to the long drive, road weary and slap happy. After parking in the underground lot where the old train sheds once stood, they took everything from the car to Grace's flat, tossing things in a heap and ordering dinner. The only things they bothered to take care of were the formal garments that would not fare well sitting in a pile overnight. Loki carefully checked his satchel to make sure that any clothes he wanted to take back to Asgard had made it back into the bag. A few things remained in the wash, but he was unsure if he would even be permitted to keep his Midgardian garments if he brought them back with him. Grace offered to keep his suits in her closet and he was much relieved to know he would not have to risk losing them. He also was secretly thrilled that a few of his things would make a home with her, remembering just how right it felt to see his fine suit hanging beside her dresses, wondering if it meant he was supposed to, some day, either stay with her or bring her to stay with him.
They went to sleep shortly after dinner, Grace asking once again that he share her bed so she would not feel lonely through the night. The sun was still brightly streaming through the large windows when they both closed their eyes.
Grace woke in the middle of the night and, at first, could not figure out just why she was awake. She turned over to face Loki and found his back to her. He was gently shaking and she realised that he was softly weeping, trying to keep her from waking or seeing. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and waited to see what he would do now that she had made it known that she was aware.
When he did nothing, she spoke, "Loki, honey, what's wrong?"
It took him a while to speak, "Nothing, I am fine."
"Bullshit. You're not fine. Talk to me."
"I have simply been thinking of too many different things tonight. And I yet grieve for my mother."
"Or is it that you finally are getting the chance to actually grieve for her? Did you ever have the chance to do so before?"
He turned over on his back and looked towards her, his cheeks streaked with tears, "Not like this." She opened her arms and he instead pulled her on top of him as though she were his blanket, "Loss is, apparently, something I do not simply get over with time."
"Nobody does, you're not unique in that. I'm never going to just 'get over' Tony's death like he was just a lost game of cards. He's my brother- a piece of my soul- and he always will be."
"As she will also be a part of mine."
Grace wiped his tears, "Yeah, she will be. She was your mom. No matter how mad you were at her for not telling you stuff you thought she should have, you're always going to yearn for her. And that's OK. You love her, you don't need to be ashamed of that or afraid of talking about it."
"Odin would not want to know of this. He wishes to see me as the monster that lead to her death."
"I think you don't give him enough credit. I know he hurt you deeply, but isn't there something in your heart that you miss about him? Something that still wants to call him your dad, even if you can't? I don't think your anger is big enough to choke off everything about him you used to love. And you share the same hole in your hearts- you know that, even if you don't want to admit you have anything in common with him."
Loki sighed as he stroked her cheek, "Perhaps. I wish I could speak to her one last time. My final words to her were to deny her as my mother as I denied Odin as my father. I wish she knew that it broke my heart to say those words."
"You're her little boy, Loki- don't you think she probably did know it? Read it on your face, or heard a hesitation in your voice?" He was quiet for quite a few minutes, merely holding her and thinking.
"Am I so easy to read, Miss Grace?"
"You wear your heart on your sleeve, even when you try to hide it really well. I'd bet she knew you were too hurt to say what you really wanted to. You think you hide things well, and maybe people who don't know you are fooled, but I know your tells just from watching you long enough. You can't tell me your mom wouldn't know them even better."
He propped himself up on his elbows, Grace still resting on his chest, "Not to entirely change the subject, but I have been thinking of something else as well. You see me so clearly and I treasure the time we have together, holding it close to my heart during our time apart. You are more than simply my friend. We have a phrase in the old language that translates to something approximating 'the one who sings the song of my soul'. These people are the ones we bring to our side when we face those things in life that are too difficult to bear alone- they sit with us the first night after a loved one dies. They celebrate with us as well, sharing joys and sorrows alike. They may be lovers, they may not be, but whatever other titles they take, the one or two people we meet in life who can sing the songs of our souls are dearer to us than our own lives...and I think I have found this in you. And I am terrified of losing you some day, yet I know I will." He kissed her cheek softly, "Please, let me look into what magic may someday extend your life so that I might not have to live in Asgard for centuries without you."
"Yes. But don't do any magic on me without me knowing about it and talking things through first, OK? You can research it all you like, but you don't do anything until we've talked things over."
"Of course. I cannot do anything at this point anyway- remember, I am still bound." He held up one silver clad wrist.
"Did anyone come sit with you when you lost her?"
"No. I was left alone in my grief."
"I'm sorry. When I lost my parents, I was just a kid...I remember how much it hurt and how confused and scared I was to be alone. She was all you had left, wasn't she? I knew I had other family- I didn't know how shitty my aunt was, but I knew I had her to go to. I can't imagine feeling like the last person who wanted me alive was gone."
"I do not want to feel such a deep despair again when I lose you."
Grace slid off his chest and curled next to him, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, honey- I'm not dying yet." Loki wrapped his arms around her, "And if you need to wake me up and cry like a child in my arms, do. I want you to do what your heart tells you to when it comes to mourning for your mom."
"Thank you, Miss Grace. I do not know why I feel so comfortable opening myself to you."
"Because we're at our most vulnerable at night, when we sleep- so sharing it with someone is an act of trust."
"Perhaps. Shall we return to sleep?"
"'Night, love."
"Goodnight."
With that, they fell asleep cuddled close together, their legs tangled, their arms around one another.