It was early morning when we heard frantic knocks on the front door, stirring Eris and I from our slumber.
"Who comes around this early?"
I demanded, feeling a tad grumpy from being woken up so early. Eris groaned in annoyance as the knocking continued and threw the covers off of her.
"I don't know, but it better be a damn good reason."
She growled, standing up to leave. I heard her unlock the door and muffled voices, hers and a male's. I tried to listen more closely but I couldn't make out what was being said. When I heard Eris yelling, I sprung from the bed, dashing into the next room. Eris stood at the door, leaving it only open enough for her to speak to whoever was on the other side. As I neared closer, I could see the other person and immediately felt my blood begin to boil. Matthew. As Eris threw insults and angry words at the man, I approached silently from behind. A smirk played on my lips as an idea crossed my mind. As I came into Matthew's view, I wrapped my arms tightly around Eris' waist and rested my chin upon her shoulder, looking distastefully at the disgusting man.
"What is he doing here?"
I grumbled, glaring intensely at the pathetic mortal. Matthew just stared back at me with his mouth agape, sharing in Eris' own surprise. I'm sure she hadn't expected me to pull something so assertive in front of the man she used to love. I pulled her back inside the apartment, leaving the door wide open for Matthew to see my next move. Eris spun around to me, looking up at me inquisitively. I simply smiled down at her.
"Why don't you go back to bed?"
I suggested, tucking some of her brown tresses behind the shell of her ear. Her dark brows furrowed in confusion.
"But-"
"Don't argue with me, darling. I'd like to take care of this myself. Matthew and I have a few things to talk about."
I insisted, looking at Matthew for a moment before bringing my eyes back the small woman before me. She looked between me and Matthew, an unsure expression twisting her face. I placed a gentle kiss to her forehead and smiled again.
"Go."
I whispered, raising my eyebrows to show that it was an order. Hesitantly, Eris did as I asked, glancing back a few times at Matthew and I. As soon as I heard her bedroom door shut, I beelined straight for Matthew. Slamming him up against one of the hallway walls, he looked at me in horror.
"You must be either incredibly stupid, or utterly insane to bring yourself back here..."
I sneered, baring my teeth in rage. Matthew's wide, blue eyes narrowed at me suddenly and he smirked.
"If you hurt me, you've got yourself a one way ticket back to Asgard."
He chortled arrogantly. I smiled and shook my head.
"Oh, if only you were that lucky. My deadline was two weeks ago. I can do anything I want now, with in reason."
I laughed, putting a distance between our bodies.
"Besides, you're going to be punished regardless. I'm sure you understand that the Avengers and Fury won't be very pleased to hear of your behavior towards Eris. In fact, they'd probably thank me for disposing of you."
I threatened, still smiling at the brunet as I wrapped my hand around his neck in a vice grip. His eyes widened again as he slowly ran out of oxygen. I watched happily as he began to fight less and less, slipping into unconsciousness. But just as he seemed on the brink of passing out, I released him, allowing him to fall unceremoniously onto the floor in a gasping heap. I squat down in front of him and waited patiently for his eyes to find me again. When they did, I snatched up a fistful of his short hair in my hand. He hissed in pain, glaring up at me.
"If I ever see you anywhere near here or near her,"
I began, pointing at the adjacent door.
"I'll be very pleased to kill you in a most gruesome fashion."
I snarled, letting go of his hair roughly before standing back up and going back into the apartment. I sauntered back into Eris' bedroom. As soon as I entered, she stood up.
"What happened?"
She asked anxiously. I sighed and walked over to my side of the bed, getting under the duvet again.
"I didn't kill him, if that's what you're wondering."
I mumbled, turning over onto my side.
"Then, what did you do?"
She inquired, still standing next to my side of the bed. I sighed once more and turned to her, sitting up to grab her hand. I tugged her onto the bed and flipped her over onto her spot of the bed.
"I gave him a warning not to come back here or come near you, that's all."
I told her, closing my eyes tiredly. She was silent for a moment before shifting on the bed-I didn't bother to open my eyes until I felt her soft, warm lips pressed against my cheek. When my eyes met her emerald ones, she smiled down at me.
"Thanks for getting rid of him."
She murmured, nestling into me sleepily. Though I tried, I couldn't fight the smile spreading across my face as I sheltered the young woman in my arms.
Later
It was exactly seven thirty in the evening, and if you'd asked I would have denied it vehemently-but I was nervous. Eris smoothed her hands over my shoulder blades to calm me, and for a moment, it did. But once again, the nauseating anxiety overwhelmed me. I sat unsteadily on the couch, cradling my head in my hands. Why was I so worried? This would be simple, I just have to take Kara to dinner and...and dancing. That's it. But her beauty left me tongue tied and rather brainless in her presence. How would I get through the night when I couldn't even utter a coherent sentence? This would be a disaster...
"Don't fret so much, Loki. You'll do fine, we've practiced every day including today. You've got this down pact."
Eris whispered, trying to reassure me. I shook my head, denying her words of comfort.
"Come on, what's so scary about her? You're Loki, prince of Asgard, god of mischief and lies! What have you to fear?"
She asked, grinning at me. I lifted my head up from my palms, smiling despite myself. I leaned back and sighed, closing my eyes.
"You certainly know how to manipulate my ego."
I chuckled, turning my head to Eris. She giggled and joined me on the couch.
"Well maybe if you didn't make it so easy to manipulate..."
She teased, trailing off as she glanced at the clock.
"Woah, hey! Time to go! Scoot, scoot!"
She exclaimed, almost seeming more excited about this date than me. I stood up and she walked me to to the door.
"I'm going to make a fool out of myself."
I mumbled, beginning to dread this more and more. Eris smiled up at me and cupped my face.
"You'll be fine. If you get nervous, just pretend Kara is me."
She suggested, releasing me. I smiled back at her, the idea of doing what she said wasn't so hard. I nodded and opened the door.
"Make me proud, snowflake!"
She called from the door with a wide grin. I turned to her and quirked a brow in confusion. Snowflake? I shook off the odd nickname and continued on my route. When I met up with Kara, at the coffee shop, her appearance knocked the wind out of me. She wore an ivory dress and a pair of silver pumps. She looked so innocent and pure, like an angel. It almost made me suspicious, it's always the quiet ones after all. She smiled up at me and I realized just how tiny she was compared to me. She was about Eris' height and build and I quickly returned the smile.
"You look very beautiful this evening."
I purred politely, finally regaining the use of my silver tongue. She chuckled and cast her eyes to the ground shyly.
"Thank you, you're looking quite handsome yourself."
She replied with a bashful flutter of her thick lashes. After a short moment of awkward silence and staring, I cleared my throat.
"Well, shall we?"
I inquired, offering her my hand to hold. She bit her lip coyly and nodded, placing her soft little hand in mine. We walked for a while to the restaurant, telling each other about our lives. Well, it was mostly her talking-to my knowledge, she was unaware of my attack on Midgard or the fact that I was a god. I decided it would be best to leave her in the dark about that for the moment, until I knew I could trust her like Eris. She continued to talk, about the summers she would spend in Paris with her grandparents. Her parents had died when she was three in a car accident. I had little to no idea what a car accident would look like, but apparently it could be fatal. As she spoke, looking mostly at me the entire time, she tripped. Her heel had caught on the sidewalk, but I quickly caught her by her arms and helped her to find her balance once more. She looked up at me with an embarrassed smile and thanked me.
"Will you be alright, wearing those all night?"
I asked, glancing down at her heels. She laughed a little and nodded.
"Yes, with you to catch me, I'll be fine."
She told me with her usual cheerful smile. I forced a smile back and we continued on to the restaurant.
Eris' POV
I sighed to myself once he was out of sight and closed the door. I sulked over to my phone and stared at it for a while, pondering what I was supposed to do with myself with Loki out of the apartment. I picked up my phone and dialed Jane's number.
"Hello?"
It'd been awhile since we'd talked, not since my birthday. I knew she was busy with the twins and Thor and stars-and I was busy with Matthew and Loki and trying to keep myself sane.
"Hey Janey, is Thor finally capable of watching after your spawn on his own?"
I teased with a smile. But it was a genuine question too, Thor didn't really know how to 'dad' or 'parent' without Jane to guide him. My aunt laughed a little on the other end.
"Yeah, but he still has panic attacks whenever I mention being alone with the kids. Why do you ask?"
She questioned. My smile fell slightly.
"Loki has a date tonight, so I'm all alone. I want some girl time with you, Tasha and Darcy."
I confessed, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"Loki has a date?"
She asked incredulously. There was a small pause and the thudding of heavy footsteps before Thor was on the phone instead.
"MY BROTHER HAS A DATE!?"
He bellowed into the phone, the sheer volume almost knocking me off my feet. I sighed, a little insulted that they didn't think that Loki could attract a woman.
"Yes Thor, he's got a date. Now give the phone back to Jane. Love you."
I muttered, becoming a little irritated.
"I'm back, sorry about Thor. He was in the living room and I guess he heard me."
She laughed, making my smile return.
"I'll merge a call with Darcy, you call Natasha and we'll see what we can do."
She suggested. I nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see me. I called Natasha while Jane called Darcy.
"Hey guys, how do you feel about a girls night?"
I asked, playing with my hair absently. Darcy answered first.
"Well, sure, but what for? We haven't had one of those in a few months."
"Loki has a date tonight."
Jane replied, there was an uproar of questions from Natasha that all pretty much were the same.
"How does he have a date?"
Natasha demanded, confused by the concept. I sighed once more before Darcy butted in.
"It's not like he's unattractive-"
"But he's a complete sociopath-"
"Guys! Would you stop and just say yes or no?!"
I yelled, getting fed up with their rude remarks.
"Sure, I'm down."
Darcy replied casually.
"If there's alcohol provided, then I'm in too."
Natasha said, making me crack up a little.
"Only if you promise to take a cab home."
I insisted with a smile.
"Fine, I'll be over in a bit."
She answered.
"I have to let Thor know,"
Jane explained.
"Yeah, and I gotta tell Ian I'm going out tonight."
Darcy spoke next.
"Alright guys, I'll see you all soon."
I mumbled before ending the four way call. I looked through my cabinets, did I even have alcohol right now? I rummaged a little more before finding a rather large bottle of vodka. Well, at lest this should keep Natasha happy-she didn't really care if it was stereotypical of her to like vodka, no one else did either, though. Hopefully their company would keep my mind off Loki.
Loki's POV
During dinner, Kara was the one to keep conversation going. I had very little to talk about considering the fact that I was trying to hide my true identity from her. She paused in her speaking, causing me to look up from my food.
"I'm sorry, I've only just realized I've been talking about myself this entire time."
She said, looking embarrassed. I gave her a reassuring smile.
"I don't mind."
I replied, placing my hand over hers. She smiled slightly back and sat up straighter in her seat.
"I've been a rather rude conversation partner. Why don't you tell me something about you?"
She asked, her expression taking on it's usual glee. I shook my head a bit.
"There really isn't much to know about me..."
I insisted, returning my gaze down to my plate. Kara opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. She leaned over the table towards me a little.
"I know you may not want to talk about yourself too much, considering your past,"
She began in a lowered voice. Her words caught me by surprise and I looked up at her in confusion.
"But, I already know about...New York, and I want you to know that it doesn't bother me."
She murmured with a comforting smile. My brows knitted together.
"Why?"
I inquired, not understanding why in her right mind she would accept my mistakes.
"We all do things at one point or another that we're not proud of, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve to be forgiven or that we are irredeemable."
She explained, holding my hand a little tighter. I couldn't really comprehend or believe her words, but I felt a great weight lifted from my chest knowing she already knew. If she could accept me, she must have or feel that she had done something just as bad-maybe something even worse. The idea that she may be hiding something herself, made me uncomfortable. I didn't like being left in the dark.
Eris' POV
"We're here!"
I heard Darcy's voice over the intercom. I pressed the button on my end.
"Alright, I'll let you guys up."
I said into the speaker. I pressed another button to allow them access into the building. Two minutes later, I heard their knocking on my door. I opened the door with a small smile before practically being attack with a hug from Darcy. Being the youngest of my three guests, she was the most rowdy and energetic. The other two women walked in after her, shutting the door behind them.
"Where's the liquor?"
Was the first thing out of Natasha's mouth and it made me chuckle.
"In the kitchen."
I choked out, still being strangled by the hold Darcy had me in. She eventually released me to get herself a drink like Jane and Tasha had. I followed suit, pouring a respectable amount of the clear alcohol into a coffee mug.
"Classy as fuck."
Darcy proclaimed, raising her own mug. I smiled and joined my closest friends on the couch.
"So, who is Loki going on this date with?"
Jane spoke up first. I sighed internally-of course they would have more questions about Loki. So much for keeping my mind off of him. I took a large, searing gulp of my beverage before answering.
"A customer he met at work. Her name is Kara."
I told them, feeling more bitter having said the girl's name out loud.
"Is she a mental patient by chance?"
Natasha quipped, taking a sip of her drink. I rolled my eyes but tried to stay in good spirits.
"I wouldn't know, I haven't met her yet."
I mumbled, giving an involuntary pout. I really didn't want to talk about this right now.
"How do you feel about it?"
Darcy inquired, looking sympathetic. She was the only one out of the group to know how I felt about Loki. She'd known ever since I'd first realized I loved him romantically. I shrugged in response.
"It's not really any of my business..."
I stated sullenly. They could all tell now that I wasn't very happy about Loki having a date with another girl. Darcy scooted over to me and wrapped an arm around me.
"It's okay Maniac, I bet she won't last past this date."
Darcy laughed, trying to comfort me the only way she knew how. My lips tightened into a line when I looked up to notice the stares from Tasha and Jane.
"What? Don't they know?"
Darcy questioned, raising a brow. I shook my head.
"Know what?"
Jane asked, looking confused. Natasha was silent, but her intense eyes told me she was curious too.
"Nothing! I swore to keep it to myself, scouts honor."
Darcy exclaimed, putting three fingers to her forehead in solute. I sighed in defeat and hung my head slightly.
"Might as well tell you guys...I...I'm kinda...in...love with him?"
I confessed, my voice making it sound more like a question than a statement. My face was on fire from the embarrassment and my nerves were on edge, fearful of their reaction. I looked up when I heard nothing from either of them. Jane's mouth was hanging open in shock, while Natasha just smirked and crossed her arms.
"Totally called it."
She snickered. I looked to Jane again to find that her expression had gone from shock to pity.
"How long have you felt like this?"
Jane inquired, her brow furrowing as she moved closer to the edge of her seat.
"Since I was sixteen."
I murmured timidly. Jane looked surprised again.
"What about Matthew?"
Natasha asked, quirking a brow curiously. My jaw clenched at the mention of his name, but I took in a measured breath to calm myself before answering.
"I think...subconsciously, I was using him to get over the loss I felt without Loki by my side. I've never felt the way I do around Loki when I've been with Matt. He's out of the picture now anyway, so it doesn't really matter."
"Whoa wait a minute, what?! What the hell happened?"
Darcy shouted, making me want to roll my eyes. This night was obviously going to be filled with topics that left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"First of all, I found out he was cheating on me. Then, when I confronted him, he got super angry. He ended up hitting me so I kicked him out. I don't put up with that sort of thing."
I explained, crossing my arms as I felt my mood began to sour.
"Does Loki know how you feel about him?"
Jane asked, looking concerned again. I shook my head.
"No, and he's not going to. Especially not now."
I grumbled, getting up to fill my mug again. When I sat back down on the couch next to Darcy, I was bombarded with more questions.
"Why not?"
The three women asked almost simultaneously.
"For starters, he's got Kara now. And even if I were to tell him, I know he would never feel the same."
I began, feeling my heart clench.
"How do you know that for sure?"
Natasha challenged, I assumed she was trying to be hopeful for me, but it did little good.
"He's the god of mischief, do you really think the guy would waste his affections on me?"
I retorted, raising a brow. Jane spoke out after Natasha.
"He already shows affection for you, what's so outlandish about him harboring romantic affections for you as well?"
I had an answer for that, but I knew none of the women here would want to hear me beat myself up.
"We've been friends since I was a little girl, I doubt he could ever see me as anything more than the same child he befriended in the snow at two in the morning."
I replied, being sure to leave out the part about my looks being completely repugnant, in my opinion. Darcy stood and sighed.
"Well, I refuse to let you be a sad sack while you're in my presence. Let's watch a movie."
She said, walking over to the bookshelf I had full of movies.
Four mugs of vodka, and two consecutive showings of The Lion King later...
Loki's POV
As I entered the hallway leading to our shared apartment, I was surprised to hear a boisterous commotion coming from behind the door. I hesitantly opened the door to find three women I didn't recognize (until later) and Eris all laughing uncontrollably. One of the unknown women popped her head up, noticing me standing in the doorway.
"Oooh, Eris! Scar's back!"
The brunette woman slurred and pointed, obviously intoxicated. Eris and the rest if the strangers looked towards me. I finally identified the others as Natasha, and Thor's favorite mortal, Jane. Eris smiled at me and stood, a little tipsy as she did.
"Hey Loki, I just invited the ladies over to keep me company while you were out."
Eris explained, clearly not as inebriated as the others. She helped Jane to her feet, who swayed unsteadily. Eris shook her head.
"Alright guys, I'm calling you all a cab to take you home."
She grunted, slinging the woman's arm over her shoulder and walking her to the door. She looked at me with an apologetic hint in her eyes.
"Sorry, this'll only take a few minutes. I want to make sure they all get home safely."
The girl chuckled, continuing to carry the woman out of the apartment. I gave a quick nod and looked back to the two remaining 'ladies'. The one who had spoke up before draped herself over the backend of the couch, glaring at me.
"You,"
She started, narrowing her eyes and pointing at me. I raised a questioning brow at the intoxicated woman.
"You killed...MUFASA...You son of A BITCH!"
She hollered before falling limp on the couch. My brows knitted together in confusion and irritation just as Eris had returned. She looked at me for a moment, trying to gauge my expression before smiling.
"I'm assuming Darcy said something really stupid."
The young woman mumbled, going over to pick up her other friend. When all of the women were finally out of the apartment and picked up by a yellow cab, I felt I could relax. As Eris cleaned up the living room, I sat down on the couch, watching her.
"How did it go?"
Eris inquired over her shoulder as she threw a few dirty dishes in the sink.
"I think it went very well. I didn't have much to say to her, but I liked hearing her talk about herself."
I admitted, standing to meet my companion in our shared kitchen. I rested my hands on either side of her on the sink, keeping myself at a safe distance. When I analyzed that thought, I was puzzled with myself. I've never kept my distance like this before...when I tried to move closer, it felt like there was an invisible barrier between our bodies. I settled for this and found that I could at least kiss the back of her head.
"I'm happy to hear that, love."
She whispered, her voice cracking. My brows furrowed in concern and I spun her around to face me, finding tears freshly spilt down her soft cheeks.
"Eris..."
I murmured, brushing away a tear with my thumb. She smiled and shook her head.
"Sorry, I'm just...kinda drunk. I should go to bed."
She assured me, turning towards the bedroom but I caught her arm and pulled her back to me. Neither of us spoke as we stared at each other until Eris broke down in tears again, biting down on her lip hard to keep silent. I felt a stab through my heart seeing her so upset, I hated it more than anything. I held her tightly against my chest, thankful that the force from earlier was no longer in my way. She didn't make a sound, the only evidence of her crying being the bobbing of her shoulders as she sobbed. Slowly, she wound her arms around me, pulling me closer. Eventually, she pulled away, eyes glistening, puffy, and red from her tears.
"I don't think I'm used to the idea of sharing you...I've never had to before and...I guess...I got a little...jealous."
I smiled at hearing that and chuckled, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"You're being very ridiculous, Eris, you know that, right?"
I asked, wiping more of her tears away. She gave me a drunken pout, simply making me laugh more. I pulled her into my arms and held her tenderly.
"Oh, darling, what am I going to do with you?"
I mused, not expecting an answer from the young woman. I pulled away after a moment and cradled her still pouting face in my hands.
"Love, you have nothing to be jealous of-for you already hold a piece of my heart that will never belong to another for as long as I live."
I confessed, pecking her lips in a chaste kiss.
"Now come, I think it's time for you to get some rest."
I suggested, leading her in the direction on her bedroom.
So, other than the beginning with Matthew, I know this chapter is shit. And I know it's been over a month since I last updated, but I've just been so overwhelmed with school and work and family shit that i haven't had the time or motivation to write. I just, ugh, I don't even know. My brain just didn't want to brain while I was trying to write this. I just REALLY hated writing this chapter...but you know, hopefully you guys find a bit of enjoyment out of it. Let me know what you think. Did I not put enough of Loki and Kara in this? Did I do good, bad? Lemme know babies! Xoxox