A/N: Yeah, sorry this is a day late... I won't lie, I completely forgot as I got lost in the world of The Sims 4 (yep, I'm one of those people... Whatever that means...) But anyway, game based obsessions aside, here's the next chappie, and at least it wasn't a week you had to wait for it!

Chapter 8

Gifts From a God

"I see you're awake," Loki says, walking through the door the following morning.

"Yep, and I feel right as rain!" I say, my voice still sounding a little on the raw side, but much better. He looks at me sceptically.

"It has been five days since you nearly died," he says slowly, like as though the ice had managed to irreparably affect my brain. "I very much doubt you are 'right as rain,' as you say."

"Oh, come off it," I wave my hand dismissively. "I'm well enough to sit upright, so I'm sure I'm well enough to at least wander around the cabin!"

"You must rest, Shana," Loki says scornfully. "I may have healed you with the aid of magic, but as I have already said, I'm not a healer. Your body will be required to do a lot of the healing itself. You are by no means ready for walking, and certainly not for anything else." I sigh in defeat.

"Fine," I mumble. "Just gimme the gods book, please," I request, holding a hand out for the book. He gives it to me, seeming a little... apologetic?

"So how long am I supposed to be on bed rest for, Doctor Loki?" I ask sarcastically, letting the book fall open on a random page. The Egyptology section- a section I've already read through. I begin skimming through the other chapters.

"At least a week, though preferably more," he says casually. I halt in my page turning.

"Come again?" I ask, my eyes snapping up to meet his from where he stands at the foot of the bed. "A week? A whole fucking week of lying around with nothing to do but run out of reading material and stare into space, going mad with boredom?" I ask in rising horror.

"Yes," he says simply. "Consider that punishment for following after me."

"Ah, yes," I raise my finger in contradiction. "But, you never told me not to follow after you. You said not to run away- which I didn't do, and neither did I have any intention of doing it. You told me to work for you and perform any tasks you wanted me to do, but I didn't have a single task to do at the time. If you ever told me not to follow you, it was so long ago that I've forgotten all about it," I say stubbornly.

"You certainly have got a rather horrid memory if you would forget events from a mere couple of weeks ago," he says with a disbelieving smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"It's not the memory that's the problem, mate," I say, shaking my head in mock sorrow. "It's the attention span. It has always been my downfall..." Loki moves to sit down at the foot of my bed.

"The course you had mentioned before. What was it for?" He asks me. I frown at the sudden change in subject.

"Science," I answer. His eyes move across my face, seeming to study my every emotion.

"Why science?" He asks me. "From what I understand, Midgardian science requires the same levels of concentration as any other- levels which you certainly seem to lack," he says in a lightly teasing tone.

"Alright, smart arse," I say, chuckling a little. I start coughing, my sore throat disagreeing with the vibrations caused from my laughing. Loki's teasing expression swiftly changes, becoming suspiciously like he were concerned.

"Don't worry," I gasp, waving off the not-concern. I draw in a few breaths, allowing the uncomfortable aching tickle in my throat to die down.

"Anyway, erm..." What were we talking about again? Ah, yes, that was it! "I guess I just joined the course because it sounded cool. After all, the most awesome jobs, in my opinion, are to do with science. If I were to become a doctor, I'd be rich. If I were to become an astronaut, I'd be in space; as a vet, I could help all sorts of animals, preferably the exotic kind. But instead, we're just learning all this crap that I couldn't give two fucks about..." I pause, rubbing absently at my throat.

"It just feels like life doesn't make sense anymore," I whisper. "I wanted to live a life all kids can only dream of living, and I saw all these people living that dream. I wanted to be like them. After all, if several people can walk on the Moon, why not me? If a bunch of people can swim along side the fishes, discovering new and incredible things on our planet, why can't I? If a girl just like me can grow up to tend to unusual creatures all over the world, then why aren't I?" Loki stares at me in silence as I speak. I'm sure he doesn't really care about my ramblings. I barely care, anymore...

"I suppose my talents lie in other things, though," I say, shaking away the thoughts. "I'm perfectly content with just seeing where life throws me. If the shit hits the fan one too many times, then I could at least write a book on my unfortunate life, eh?" I say jokingly. Loki gives me a rather strained smile.

"From what I have seen so far," he begins, his eyes watching me carefully, "you are anything but ordinary." I snort.

"Right," I say, disbelieving.

"But it's true," he says sincerely. "You fight with every opportunity you get, but not in a way that can be considered to be suicidal. You speak in a way which would make respectable warriors blush and stammer, and your beauty-"

"Okay, I'm stopping you right there," I interrupt him quickly. "I've got a free spirit, and language enough to make a sailor blush, but am I pretty?" I shake my head. I'm not beautiful. Maybe a little pretty- I mean, my face shape isn't too bad and I'll humbly admit that my eyes are nice, . But that's about it. My hair is an ordinary light brown, my eyebrows are naturally rather chunky (those little bastards), my nose- while not too bad- is a little too fleshy for my taste and sticks up a little bit snobbishly.

That's not even touching on the acne scars dotted all over my body, or the fact that I'm a little on the chubby side- even after living here for over two weeks with only two meals a day!

"Why would you say that?" He asks me, looking genuinely confused. "Certainly, you might not be to the standards of the women of Asgard-"

"Thanks!" I cry out sarcastically. "You really know how to flatter a lady, don't you?"

"I had not finished speaking," he says, glaring at me for having interrupted him again. "As I was saying, you are not as beautiful as the women of Asgard-" I huff indignantly despite my thoughts on the matter, "-but you are none the less beautiful," he says softly. I freeze completely at his words.

"You have not the beauty of those women, yet at the same time, you are strangely more so. Your eyes remind me of the skies of Alfheim as the stars were rising, and their Sun had just set. An unusual mixture of dark blue and light green, dancing in the sky; mingling in perfect synchrony, but at the same time completely distinguishable. When the light touches your hair, your whole being seems to shine. Especially when you smile." I stare at him in shock. It doesn't look like he's lying, though he is known as the God of Lies for a reason...

We sit there in silence for a while; me waiting for him to burst out laughing and saying it was all a joke and a lie, and him seemingly waiting for me to react.

"Okay," I say slowly. "Erm... is this the part where we kiss, or something?" I awkwardly joke.

"Hardly," Loki sniffs. "I was merely telling you the truth. That you are beautiful, as you obviously refuse to see it yourself."

"Alright," I say slowly. "Just don't go serenading me with One Direction, okay?" I joke lightly.

"Whatever this 'one direction' is, I will be sure to remember not to," he promises, smiling softly at me as his eyes shine with amusement.

-BREAK-

Due to boredom, I fall asleep part way through the day after Loki had stepped out of the door. I barely touched the gods book in the end, and the conversation had only lasted a short while longer after that awkward moment we had. After all, he may be nice to look at, and I may flirt a bit now and again, but I don't think we're quite there yet. Or anywhere near there. In fact, I still don't even know if I should classify our relationship as a friendship. Maybe as roommates who are on good terms with each other?

I shift drowsily in the bed and stretch my legs out, only to encounter a very large, heavy weight at the bottom of the bed. A weight that hadn't been there before...

Sitting up, I look down at the bottom of the bed, and see four big brown bags lying there, patiently waiting for my curiosity to kick in.

Should I peek? I wonder cautiously. What if Loki catches me, and doesn't like me seeing whatever's inside them?

I decide against peeking at the contents of the bags. Time ticks by painfully. I pick up the book that had somehow made its way from the side of the bed to the safety of the bedside table, and read about the Ancient Greeks to get my mind off those bags.

As time stretches on, however, I find it harder to ignore.

Finally, I drop the heavy book onto the bed by my side, and reach out to drag the bag closest to me onto my lap. The first thing I notice about it is that it's heavy, and packed solid with what feels like multiple things.

Taking a deep breath, I open the bag, and reach one of my hands inside it. Feeling something quite familiar, I roll my eyes as I begin to pull it out. It feels like a book, and knowing Loki, it most probably is.

Fingers crossed it's one I can read.

In no time at all, I'm holding a book in my hand. A book with a title on its colourful front cover.

'The Secret Garden'the title reads.

I smile fondly at the book. I never read all of it, but I did read most of it as a little girl. But as Loki is so fond of telling me, I've got a dreadful attention span. I've just always had other things I would rather be doing.

I quickly begin pulling out more books, easily seeing a pattern.

These are all books that I've told him I would like to read during my numerous complaints; along with some other ones I haven't heard of, but seem like books I'd enjoy.

There are romance books with various horror monsters, horror stories with either pre-established, or no romance at all, and a few fantasy stories also.

I laugh at the last bag, which I discover is full of Harry Potter books, along with The Lord of The Rings. I vaguely remember having compared him to Harry Potter the first time I met him.

He got all this for me. He actually listened to my whining and complaining, this must be his way of apologising.

I sit back and look over the large collection of books. I might never have been a huge bookworm, but I've never been more thankful than I am now to see such a huge selection. Now that I have so much to choose from, I decide to start with a fantasy book about a lowly farm boy who winds up tangled in a prophecy to do with old gods and magic.

-BREAK-

Loki returns after I have finished a few chapters of the book. It's a good book, and even though it's based in medieval times, it's still quite easy for me to follow.

He looks over to me, spotting the pile of books at the end of my bed, and looks at me inquisitively.

"Would that put an end to your complaints?" He asks me smoothly. I smile widely.

"Oh, definitely," I say, nodding enthusiastically. "Better yet, you seem to have good taste."

"Oh, that is not for me, and I have no interest in reading any of those tales," he explains calmly. "I just thought that if you are to remain resting for a week, you should have as little reason to get out of the bed as possible."

"But what if I need to piddle?" I ask him innocently, he stares back blankly. "Oh, right. Asgardian... Okay, what if I need to piss? shit? use the lavatory?" I explain as crude as I can. His face twists in pained disgust.

Still got it, I think triumphantly.

"You may use the wash room if you must. But if you take too long while in there, I will have to check to see if you are still well," he warns.

"Yeah, well, not like it's anything you haven't seen before," I grumble, glaring at him. He stares at me with a look of confusion etched in his face.

"I have never seen you naked," he says, seemingly baffled that I'd ever think that.

"But... you told me a while ago that you cleaned me up, and when I asked about it, you said it wasn't anything important or special!" I argue, all the while he shakes his head, a small smile on his face.

"Shana, they call me a lier and a trickster for a reason," he says, that smile still stuck on his face. I gape at him.

"But... but you-!" I fumble, before giving up entirely. "You're a real bastard, you know," I grumble.

"So many have said," he says, his smile becoming a grin.

We sit in silence for a while; I play with the pages of the book I'm holding, but don't actually read any more of it. Loki sits at the foot of the bed, appearing to contemplate the air in front of him.

"Why were you so shocked?" he finally asks. I jump at the sudden sound.

"Huh?" I ask him ineloquently. He looks up, his face pondering.

"Why were you surprised about what I am? The book had said; Midgardians have known for far longer than I have, for reasons I know nothing of. So why were you so surprised, even though you knew?" He asks.

"Well," I say slowly, giving my brain time to think up of a reason. "I think it's just that you read through it all, and you yourself said that very little of the facts said in the book are actually real. Ten percent, I think you said, so I guess I just assumed that all of it might be wrong," I finish with a slight shrug of my shoulders.

"Most of the facts were wrong," he says quietly. "But somehow, that is the one thing the Midgardians correctly guessed. That I am not only a Frost Giant, but the son of their King and Queen, left to die because I was a runt," he hisses with venom in his voice.

"Why would they leave you to die?" I ask him gently. "Didn't they love you?"

"Frost Giants are monsters. They feel no love, nor do they feel the emotions of remorse, kindness, empathy-"

"Erm, you're a Frost Giant," I point out warily.

"Do not remind me of what I am!" he shouts, sounding desperate.

"Yeah, I think it's time you got the opinion of a mortal over the opinion of those stiff backed, tiara wearing dickheads," I announce. He instantly settles, his desperate anger melting into shock.

"You settled now?" I ask. I get no response. "Good, now what I see isn't a monster, or a creature who should be feared and hated simply because he was born- and that's coming from someone you tried to subjugate!" I insert, hoping for at least a little remorse, but only get a little bit of polite embarrassment instead.

It's progress...

I continue speaking. "What I see is a desperate man who was taught to hate himself from a young age. Now, I'm not saying that your Dad was an awful parent, but for having made you despise what you are to that extent?" I shake my head, incomprehensible. "Nope, he's a fucking shit Dad if you ask me."

"So you do not see me as a monster?" He asks hesitantly.

"No," I say, though it comes out sounding a little uncertain. Judging by his glare, he spotted it. "Not a monster, but a little... weird," I say, content with my explanation.

"Weird?" He asks, looking at me disbelievingly.

"Yeah, weird... and kind of pretty, I guess," I say thoughtfully. "But certainly not a monster. I mean, it's not like you lost all cognitive reasoning just by turning blue," I joke, grinning cheerfully at him.

"But I am a beast!" He argues weakly. "Frost Giants once attacked your world, if the Asgardians had not stopped them-"

"But Loki!" I interrupt him, intent on showing him that he is most certainly wrong. "Any civilisation can attack another. We have attacked each other here on Earth so often now that each culture is now a mish-mash of each other!" I exclaim, waving my arms in the air like they'd help prove my point. "Yet would you call us monsters?" I ask him. He scoffs at the mention of it, and I choose not to be insulted for the sake of proving this point. "Then you are no more a monster than anyone else in this space tree!" I declare.

He still looks a little uncertain, though, but I guess old beliefs die harder than bad habits do...

"Just think about it, okay godling?" I ask him, he just simply rolls his eyes at the nickname, but gives me a reluctant nod, regardless.

"Good, because I really need to piss, now."