Loki's POV
It was warm and bright as he drifted into consciousness, the sun was painful as the morning light shone down on him.
He didn't like the feeling of the hard ground below him, so he rolled over to get in a more comfortable position and avoid the light. He wasn't entirely ready to get up yet. His arm was placed around something warm and small. Not thinking anything of it he brushed the softness of its texture. Till he realized it started to feel more and more like skin. He snapped open his eyes to see Annaleise's face in front of his. He jumped up, pulled his hands off her. The hands he had used for fondling her body with, mistakenly. He upped and backed away as quickly as possible. Surprisingly the sudden movements didn't wake her.
She remains in a peaceful sleep, as the sunlight glows in her white hair and fair skin.
He could tell by the feeling of her skin, she had nothing on but the blanket to cover her….
He felt like he defiled her innocence…
although it wasn't his intention.
He was completely speechless and didn't know how to respond in this situation. The worst part was that he hated himself for slightly enjoying it. The feeling of her skin and the closeness as she slept so peacefully beside him…
It made him happy, which he felt he should never deserve.
She was so pure and so kind, that this feeling he feels shouldn't be allowed to the likes of him. He hated that he wanted to stay like that, he wanted to lay back to where he was. He wanted to keep breathing in her scent, the lovely smell he never knew she wore before. The look of her peaceful face, she laid with her lips parted….
They looked soft….
He wanted to touch them and hold her more…
to feel the softness of her untouched body…
But he distanced himself from the thought as she was beginning to wake. Before she could open her eyes he quickly rushed inside.
Grabbing some clothes and another blanket. Running back out to throw the blanket on top of her and help her cover up.
"You are indecent, you need to put these on."
He picked her up and steadily rushed her up to the door, tossed her in the house along with the clothes, and shut the door leaving him outside.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he tried to calm his heart from the pounding. He was all over the place, he slid down the wall he leant against. Once he sat down, he focused on calming his rapid heart… his face felt hot... he…
He looked down and then quickly jumped to grab the remaining blanket and shoved it into his lap.
He wanted to feel Ashamed…
but he was so excited he couldn't contain it…
Couldn't deny it…
he only longed for her more…
and that only made things worse…
He was pretty angry with himself at his weaknesses around her.
"What is the matter with me?"
In a way he was both proud and disappointed with himself. Proud that he said no to the flesh of a mortal woman. Disappointed because he didn't want to turn it away…
This was exactly why he should have remembered why it was indecent the entire time. He knew that a man and woman should not be living under the same roof. Yet he chose to stay, he completely promised not to abandon her or die if he said no.
He could have fought a tree for his life but he didn't want to…
He gladly chose to stay instead...
This must finally be his punishment he has been dreading to grace his presence. To live out his days longing for someone he can never have…
He was definitely not going to last much longer living on with the hope they will only be… 'just friends.'
Not after this…
He started to see her differently, it was too late…
She was a woman now, not a friend…
A beautiful woman… a human…
well… he will figure that out soon enough …
He was in a very conflicted situation with his feelings. He hated it. Because he knew he shouldn't stoop this low as to be weak to a mortal, but also that he wanted so desperately just to be weak… by her.
"Have I gone mad?"
Annaleise's POV
She was fully covered by the blanket, unable to move or quite put together what really happened. It was only till she looked down at herself under the cover. She finally realized why he reacted the way he did. Her face grew a dark red and hot as she threw off the cover racing to the bathroom with the clothes she was handed.
She quickly changed and tried to forget the whole thing. Even though she slept on a hard wood porch outside, she couldn't deny it was the best sleep she had in a while.
She even liked his scent, it was oddly comforting. Along with the occasion when he would roll over and hold her. She shook her thoughts clear as she decided to focus on making breakfast.
Breakfast between them was rather silent.
Considering the awkward situation this morning. It wasn't horrible but not preferred, she figured eventually he'd ask about last night.
The questions would rain. The problem was, not knowing when. She would have to tell him everything, him the same. She figured it was only fair that she would start it first, since he wasn't going to.
"So I want to know the truth about the night of the attack. Did you really kill Jason and Bobby, one by slitting his throat and the other ripping his guts from him?"
He stopped eating completely and stared at her dumbfounded.
"H-How can you be so casual about it?!? And how do you know that much detail!? "
"I only know as much as what Cleo saw, not so much of how you got rid of their bodies. So there wasn't a lot of supporting evidence that you did it. Other than two witnesses with similar stories. And as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really phase me. He got what he deserved. "
He was silent; he looked kind of baffled by her response to the accusation and confirmation of his murder crime.
"Who was the other?"
"Jack, the man that works at the lumber company with you. When I said I bumped into him, I kinda had my way with him till I got my info."
"I see, so you didn't trust me?"
"I can't lie to you, at first yes I didn't trust you. I wanted to know the truth, because I knew I wouldn't faint under pressure. But considering you saved my life regardless of what really happened, I figured I'd drop it till you were ready to tell me the truth."
"You know, I'm honestly surprised by you, once again. I would have been thrown out by anyone else if they knew what you knew."
"Let's just say it's not the weirdest thing I've dealt with. I mean I can talk with and turn into animals, if that isn't strange then I don't know what is."
"That isn't exactly the same as murder…"
"Murder? Self defense? The man was a psycho that had his lackies at his beck and call to do his biddings… Harass women, beat their wives, maimed the men that try to save the women, and even to commit an attempted murder. I was half dead on the ground, would you want them to walk away scott free after everything you saw and know now?"
"Toché…. I am sorry I lied. I was worried that you'd be afraid of me if you knew. And I would lose our friendship."
"That's one thing we have in common, we value each other to the point we would hide any truth to keep from losing the other."
He was silent for a moment, seemed to think to himself till he spoke once more.
"Which is rather odd for me, usually I turn away anyone who is kind. For I was to think they would want something from me. Since day one, you never took anything from me, you only gave. You never even asked for a 'thank you'."
"It's how I've always been."
"That and I would eventually betray people. I would lie and cheat to get what I want, even if it was all for a good laugh. It left them feeling hurt and betrayed, never to have faith in me again. Though it's different with you, I feel that if I were to do any of those things, I would lose the one good thing that has ever come into my life. I'm not like this, this weak of a person… It honestly fills me with rage. I'm even angry right now, I can't believe I'm telling you this!"
She was shocked with all this honestly, no wonder he's mad. He shared things that would normally make people more skeptical of him. He showed her his vulnerability, a man that doesn't like to be weak. A man that does whatever it takes to get what he wants even if he ends up alone.
And yet here he was telling her all this, scared deep down that she would leave.
He never really wanted to be alone…
He had a shield over his heart to keep from getting hurt by untrustworthy people. He wanted to let them in, he was so tired of being alone, but so afraid to feel loved.
He fears… he doesn't deserve it…
doesn't he…
But now he wants there to be no boundaries, he is actually trying to be a decent person. He wants to change, he just can't see it yet. He can't see how good he really is… she couldn't help but hope to know why he feels this way, so she could ease his pain. To help him to see how incredible she thinks he is.
"It's okay to be angry, you're going through a lot of changes. You also have a lot of lies to make up for."
"Too many to count."
"Then why don't we start by telling the truth, beginning with that night."
He sighed but nodded as he told her everything that happened. Eventually he got to explaining about Asgard, his family, falling from his realm, and landing on 'Midgard'. Everything that was his truth after they met that he lied about. She listened without interruption so he knew she was listening without judgment. She felt there was more but she wasn't ready to push it. He can tell her when he is ready. Once he was finished she spoke up and told her a truth she has hidden since they met.
"I saw you."
"When?"
"The day you crashed."
"You did. We met on the road the day I crashed."
"No- I mean… I saw where you crashed."
He was a little shocked by her statement. But seemed to remember an important piece that helped solve his puzzling look.
"A white blur… you were there…"
"I was out Journaling that day, normally my powers come and go. They never work right when I want them to and work flawlessly when I don't need them to. But I'm lucky since I can suppress them to keep myself from changing when I feel I'm going to in public. I have kept my powers hidden a lot since we met. It finally bursted out of me and made me transform during my weakest state. When I dream. That was last night. But that day I felt it coming but I let it happen, I was a quail that time. I flew away once you saw me. I was coming to visit Nexus, but you were already there. I saw the creator behind you but I didn't know what happened exactly. But Nexus told me you fell from the sky, I couldn't believe it… why would a man fall from the sky?…
It made me so interested to get to know you… it was really eating me up not telling you.
But how could I say; I saw you walk away from a creator, while I was a quail, and a talking tree told me you fell from the sky…"
He chuckled a tad in response. He nodded to himself as he sighed and said.
"You had me fooled since the beginning… I am the master of lies and I couldn't even see the truth. You were there all along from the moment I awoke on this planet. I am just now learning this and had no clue or guessed it was you. Surprisingly I'm not mad, I'm proud. You can keep some secrets and can actually lie pretty well."
"Technically, I never had to lie because it was a secret for you too… trying to pretend you weren't an alien that crashed on earth and survived the crash without a ship. But in fact a God… that is very hard to kill…which is still very hard to wrap my head around it. "
"Guess I'm lucky I have a thick skull, otherwise my head would be wrapped around a tree."
She laughed in her response, unable to keep herself composed from her loud outburst. He smiled at her giggles as they died down. She got curious of other things and decided there was no better time than now to ask
"So, what do frost giants look like?"
"Well, they are quite large. Does the word 'giant' not have any meaning to you?"
She giggled in response.
"No, silly, I mean I get that they are giants. I just want to know if they are bigger versions of us that can withstand the cold."
"They look nothing like YOU, they are giant monstrous beasts with hearts of ice. Blue skin, ugly faces, with eyes the color of blood that speaks volumes of their dark souls."
"You look nothing like that."
"That's because Odin magic hides my true form, I am not a giant because I am a runt. That's why I'm your size and look like a regular mortal."
"So it's like your magic, an Illusion?"
"Yes, though more powerful. I had to touch a frost giant or their casket to see it. But since then I have been in better touch with my other half."
"So you can control it? Can I see it?"
Her eyes were glowing with curiosity, though she could see it only made him uncomfortable.
"I-I would rather not. I hate my truth, it is not something anyone should be curious about. It's truly a disgraceful and disgusting part of themselves that anyone shouldn't be forced to bear. I would hate to share it with you, not because I don't trust you. But merely to save you from this sight of a monster."
"You're not a monster!"
She said, slamming her hands on the table. She could tell she startled him, not just by her shouting, but by what she said.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. But you have too much good in you to be a monster."
"Then you are blind."
"It is you who is blind. If you can't see the good in you, then it will be harder for others to see it as well. You just gotta find one person that knows how to look. You are good Loki, a monster wouldn't have saved me or fought a beast to find me. People can look like monsters because they are different. But that doesn't change who they are on the inside. If we go based on you being only a monster when you change your appearance. Then do you think I'm a monster because I can change my form?
"Of course not! You could never be a monster, you're too kind to be one."
"Then what makes a monster isn't what they look like, but by their actions. So no matter what you look like, you will still be Loki. Because Loki is who you are, not an Asgardian, not a Frost giant or a human. You're still you no matter what appearance you take."
He was silent, he looked to be truly taking in her words. She could tell he was grateful for them. For he had a small smile spreading on his face.
Suddenly his face slowly turned blue, lines marking his face, and his eyes opened to reveal a blood red color within them. His jet black hair still remained. She was taken back by the view, it was different but thrilling.
"You're right… Once again… you are a hard woman to say no to…"
"I can be quite convincing."
"Quite."
She slowly reached to touch his face, he flinched as if afraid to harm her, backing away.
"Don't! My frost giant skin can burn you."
"I'm not afraid."
"But I am!"
She was surprised by the fact he admitted his fears. She knew that wasn't easy to do.
"You won't hurt me."
"And if I do?"
"Then I would learn my lesson and listen to a God, next time he tells me something."
He smiled once more, probably proud he finally got called that by her. His posture relaxed as she came closer to do what she originally wanted. She only wanted to get a better look, to see this new Loki and see all its wonder. To look at it and not show any fear, so he wouldn't get discouraged.
She felt his face and it was colder than their usual touches. I felt like placing her hands on ice. She moved his face to better view it, while grazing her fingers on his skin.
He must have enjoyed it because he closed his eyes and sighed contently.
Secretly she was enjoying it. Getting to be close like this. Though she was having darker thoughts, like how those blue lips of his still look as soft then when they were pink. It came in a flash, the burn that came to her hands. She screamed in agony as they singed her hands in frostbite.
He quickly jumped back, changing his form. Kneeling down to her as she hit the floor from trying to escape the pain.
"I told you this would happen!"
She could see he wanted to get closer, but he looked so afraid to touch her.
"Well we were good for a while, did you lose your concentration?"
"I-It was your fault you shouldn't have attempted it in the first place!"
He looked like he wanted to be mad, but he was mostly hurt. She could tell he hated knowing he hurt her.
"Now don't blame me, even though you're right. The blame game won't get this gone though."
She held up her hands that were dark grey. He reluctantly grabbed her hands gently, waving his hand with a green glow over it, and the wounds faded away. As the magic sunk into her skin sending shivers up her body from her hand.
"Wow, so that's what real magic looks like! Honestly movies don't do It justice, watching it and feeling it is a completely different experience."
"It was just a simple healing spell."
"Well for someone who's not used to it, it's incredible for 'just a simple healing spell'."
"I guess there's some truth to that."
"Thank you."
"For healing you?"
"Yes and for the time you saved my life."
"It was no trouble really. Besides I tried to kill you as well, so I'd say you don't owe me."
"You still did more than anyone would have. Even if you were trying to kill me, you still were trying to save me."
"I suppose… So your ability isn't related to magic?"
"Yes… mine is DNA. I wasn't born with it but I was saved by it."
"Saved? It was given to you to save you?"
"Yes, do you know what mutants are?"
"I am not familiar, no."
"Well here on earth, mutations are caused by the X-gene that gives people abilities. Abilities beyond what a normal human can do. Like walking through walls or flying. I'm not sure how mutations came to people, but it's been happening for a long time. People would just be normal one day then discover their powers usually when they hit puberty. It seemed to be random and only attached to certain people."
"I have heard of these types of beings but they were never called Mutants. They were just another high level being with extraordinary gifts, never really having a specific name for them. They are all around the universe."
"That's pretty cool. To think that there is other life out there. I mean I guessed it was true, we can't be the only life out here if the universe is so big."
"You are smarter than most then. So how did this 'X-gene' save you?"
"Well first, since I wasn't always a mutant, I was a normal human. I wasn't born with the gene. Mutants were considered a disease on earth to most people which made them want to develop a cure. They succeeded. Though when there is one person that makes a cure, there will be another that will try to create more mutants. Though the person that did it only did it to save people with no hope for a cure with their chronic illness. They called it the X-cure. They were dying so they were given a second chance at life with a big change in it."
"They would get powers."
"Yes."
"So you were dying?"
"Yes… what I had is called pulmonary fibrosis. It's a lung disease that slowly kills you by taking air away. It usually attacks people that smoke. But it could be hereditary. It was in my family centuries ago on my father's side, cases of it died down so they didn't fear it. Till I got it..."
"How old were you?"
"I was ten when I showed symptoms, it was rare enough that I was a woman and I got it genetically. It had to get even more complicated when it attacked me young, usually it attacks when people are older."
"So, how long did you have?"
"They gave me a year, but that was just if I was lucky. My parents were devastated. They called their friend for help. A friend that just so happened to create the X-cure. Her name was Jenavieve Gilbert"
"Jena… your guardian, saved your life?"
"Yup, the X-cure would heal all illnesses because mutants were healthy due to their X-gene. The X-gene wouldn't survive in an unhealthy person, they modified it so when it entered their body it would attach to their DNA, cure them, and keep the gene alive along with its host. That was its purpose, to save the body and the life of that body, giving them powers not just a healthy life. There was a theory that the X-cure would give you powers related to the last thing you touched, I think it's true because I got to see a therapy dog before I got the cure."
"So you were cured but at the price of gaining your powers. Is this what changed your appearance? "
"Yes, it changed my hair, my eyes, and my life as a human. my parents desperately wanted me to live. They just didn't know it would put me in danger."
"How?"
"Well before I was born a man wanted the cure for selfish reasons. I never learned his name. He was healthy, he just wanted power. She warned him that it might not work if he took it, being healthy."
"I'm guessing it didn't work?"
"Yes… and he was furious, completely driven by rage. He blamed her and vowed to find a way to get his power. Unfortunately he found a way, the only way… but it was a sick and twisted way…. He had to transfer X-cure out of the patient's blood and put it in his body. Sucks the power out of them like they were just a battery. It would give him power but only temporarily. He didn't care however many lives it takes. So he is determined to find the one patient that can give him powers permanently. People are still looking for patients for him, he won't stop till he gets what he wants."
"What happens to the patient's after?"
"Their bodies would return to the state they were before the illness was cured…"
"So basically, it's a death sentence. If he finds them, he kills them. His hunger for power will never be satisfied till he has it."
"Exactly… He's the reason my parents bought this house, in the middle of nowhere in a town nobody knows. So small that it can't be located on a map. They did it to keep me safe. The night they died they were close to being caught, they ran to save me. But had to leave me behind in doing so."
"That's why you're alone out here, to live."
"Yeah but not much of a life worth living to live on the run."
"And your powers you can't control them, why?"
"Well since I wasn't born with it, it didn't have time to manifest into its ability. It was like a grab it on the go kinda deal. It attached itself to whatever was available and gave the body it's ability. Meaning not only do I have to learn how to use my abilities like every other mutant, but my body also has to get used to it. So it makes it harder to control. For a born mutant it's like learning to use a new limb, but for me it's like my limb comes with a long instruction manual and it's hard to understand. Make sense?"
"Yea, so do you practice?"
"Not as much as I should, I haven't practiced since Jena died."
"Why did you not call her by her full name?"
"She preferred it that way. Jenavieve was her mother's name too, and she hated her mother."
"Ahh."
"So… is there anything else?"
"Yes, is there a limit to animals you change into?"
"Not that I know of, so far it's random rather than choice. So, I don't know for sure how many animals I can change into. But it only happens when in spurs of weakness or I'm asleep. When I try when I'm awake I can only go so far."
"What do you mean?"
"When I'm asleep I can fully transform, when I'm awake I can only do half."
"So you'd be a half, human half animal?"
"Yup."
"Oh, can you demonstrate?"
"Sure. What animal would you like?"
"I can chose?"
"Yea, why not!? Let's make it fun, what animal interests you?"
"I always was fond of snakes."
"Snake it is."
She was so excited. This was the first time she was happy to show someone her abilities. Someone that didn't already know. Getting everything off of her chest made her feel lighter, and so did knowing more things about him.
She thought of the way a snake looks and feels. She concentrated on its appearance as her body started to tingle.
Loki's POV
She closed her eyes, making a face of pure concentration. When her eyes opened again she had slit pupils, her lower half grew scales as both of her legs stuck together and began to grow in length. Luckily the night gown she was given didn't disturb her change. Soon she had a snake body on her lower half that coiled around itself. The top half was still pretty much human, while her hands had long claws. And she had fangs and a forked tongue that flicked often.
She looked down at herself disappointed.
"What's the matter? I think you look great."
Regrettable enough… he thought she was very attractive at the moment… he never thought that snakes with their cold blooded nature could actually be this… hot…
"It's not that, it's just I didn't think about my shorts…"
Her bottoms were ripped down the middle from her transformation. He couldn't help but laugh which made her laugh too.
"No wonder I can't be taken Sssseriously, essspecially when you do sssstuff like thisss."
He exaggerated the S's to sound what he thought would be snake like.
"That's very stereotypical of you, do you know if snakes talk like that? That could be offensive."
She said with hands on her snake hips.
"Oh, my apologies. I've actually never talked to a snake before. I hope they won't be mad at my rudeness."
"Don't worry I'm only messssing. They do talk like that."
She laughed some more as he chuckled with her.
"That's not funny, I was really starting to feel bad for snakes. ME, Loki, The God of mischief, I was worried I insulted the limbless creature."
"Now that's one thing that really can offend a snake, is mentioning their physique. They have limb envy, so don't point it out."
"It's not like they can understand it if I didn't say it, right?"
"It's not so much as what you say, it's the vibe you give them. They can feel the insult radiating off of your aura. Snakes are Ssssurprisingly Sssensitive."
"Good to know."
They sat there at the kitchen table, trying the different changes of animals, and talking together. Time just flew by, he was having fun surprisingly. But then it hit him, wasn't he supposed to be somewhere?
"Oh no…"
"What?"
"I was supposed to be at the lumber company almost… 3 hours ago."
He said looking at the number clock on the stove. She quanked as she looked at the time. She changed from a half duck back to normal. Shaking off as feathers fell to the floor. Her skin started to show and her night gown had a lot more holes than it did before from the stretches her body was making in her changes. He realized he was staring and completely diverted his gaze.
She looked down and realized his concern.
She quickly covered herself and went into the other room.
"Where are you going?"
"We are going to get the horses!"
She shouted from the other room as he heard other noises of her struggling to put on clothes.
"What?! But I have to work!"
They shouted back and forth from the distance in the house.
"No, because you're quitting!"
"No I'm not! When did you start to think that!"
She came back into the room this time with pants.
"Because I know how tired it makes you."
She walked back into the room. She wore tight blue pants that helped define her curves. A red button up blouse with stitched flowers on it, the buttons undone at the top showing her chest. And big boots on her feet, they looked engraved with all types of animals on them. She looked… amazing…
was she always this cute?...
He had to pull himself together as he tried to speak once more.
"But the whole reason we were getting horses was to travel to town to get to work. Why would we get horses if I'm not working?"
"Three reasons. One, because I already planned this before you came, remember? Two, because it's cheaper and more fun in the long run. And Three, I have another job lined up for you. It pays well and it's more laid back. In fact, I think it will suit you better. I'm tired of seeing you coming home so exhausted. It's not fair for you to work so hard if you don't plan on leaving. So it's something that is easier on you if you do it everyday and it gives you enough money to support yourself. In the end you could save up to build a house out here, there is land for sale. So you won't always be living with me. Since you're so uncomfortable with a man and a woman staying in the same house."
"That does sound more beneficial. I would rather like being your neighbor, rather than living under the same roof…. It's just not proper."
"I know, you only remind me every day."
"Well, how else will I know you're listening?"
"You'll know."
She said as she grabbed the keys opening the door for him. He stops in front of the door, steps aside, and says.
"Ladies first."
"Ahh yes, how could I forget? I live with a gentleman."
"The one and only way to be a man, my mother always said."
"Well she is a wise woman."
"Yes, you remind me a lot of her."
"Well I'm glad a part of your home hasn't fully left you."
"And I as well."
Watching this woman pass him out the door, he was still thinking impure thoughts of her…
Her physique as she walked..
The way certain things bounced and the sway of her hips as she took every step made his legs weak…
He needs to fix his view on her soon…
or she will start to be in real danger…