EIGHT
One track mind, one track heart
If I fail, I'll fall apart
Maybe it is all a test
'Cause I feel like I'm the worst
So I always act like I'm the best
- "Oh No!" Marina & The Diamonds
Days passed, and slowly Loki began to grow more comfortable in Alana's house. He did not speak much for the first few days, but they gradually settled into a kind of routine.
Loki was actually a surprisingly decent cook. Alana, however, was not. When she made dinner, it was generally limited to some kind of microwaved chicken.
One night she got fed up of cooking. "Right," she said, "we're going to Burger King or to a restaurant or something, 'cause you've been surpassing me and now I'm ashamed of my cooking."
Loki rolled his eyes. "It really isn't that hard to follow a recipe, you know."
Alana said, "Recipes hate me," and walked out to the car.
Loki followed her, sighing.
At the restaurant, Alana ordered them a pizza.
Loki had no idea what pizza was. Alana's mouth dropped open when he told her that, and said, "Well, it's a good thing I ordered a large."
When the pizza came, Loki just looked at the triangular slice strangely. He picked it up awkwardly with his hands, imitating Alana.
It was delicious. Alana laughed as his eyes widened and as he ate vigorously.
"How did we not know of this on Asgard?" he questioned.
Alana shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, pizza's not exactly a new food."
Loki replied, "Well, I am over a thousand years old. I should have heard of pizza by now."
Silence followed his words. Alana sat staring at him.
"What?" he asked.
"You're… over a thousand," she stated, disbelieving.
"Yes, I am. One thousand and seventy eight, actually."
"And here I thought you were twenty-five," Alana muttered. "That's just… that's just weird."
Feeling a bit offended, Loki responded curtly, "In human years I am considered twenty-one."
Alana choked a little.
Loki looked at her, his temper rising. Why was his age so important? He was a god, for goodness's sake.
"How old will you live to be?" Alana asked quietly.
"Five thousand," he replied tersely.
Alana had nothing more to say, and they both seemed to have lost their appetites, so Alana paid the check and silently drove them back to her house.