Loki leaned against the pillar, a bored expression on his face. The student council had decided amongst themselves to hold a Christmas Market, a large bazaar where humans would sell various goods. The idea itself was all well and good. The problem was that ever since it had been decided, the entire student body had been running around like lunatics. And as she was now finally out of her room, that meant that Nari was too. And as a result, she was now proving nearly impossible to find. Of course, he understood her perspective. She had been trapped in her room for ages. Between overworking, oversleeping, and eventually overdosing, the older sister hadn't exactly been the most present over the past few weeks. But that still didn't make it any less frustrating; especially considering that now, he had a different problem to face.

. . .

Balder had been acting unusual lately, ever since the announcement was made; the holding of a winter festival, in which each of them would be working together by pantheon. Logistically, it made perfect sense. It would be far easier for him to work with Balder and Thor than with Nari for example, as he would have to travel all the way to the Japanese dorms to do it — never mind the fact that he had spent the last few weeks doing exactly that anyway. On a daily basis. That was unrelated. Regardless, he had thought that Balder would be happy to work with them on their booth. To show off what Asgardians had to offer. And yet…

"Calm on, Balder! We should do something fun!" Loki exclaimed.

The god of light gave him an uncertain look and a nervous laugh. "That depends on how you want to define 'fun', Loki…"

"We still have to put together ideas for the market, right? Why don't we find Thor and go over some thoughts?"

His friend nodded his head absentmindedly. He seemed agreeable on the surface, but there was clearly something occupying his mind. "I suppose we should start getting to work on it… Really, I was hoping to — wagh!" the god stumbled, catching his foot on a crack in the marble and crashing to the floor. Loki shook his head, moving to hoist Balder to his feet. "Ehehe… thank you, Loki. I don't know what I would do without —"

"A-Apollon!"

Loki jumped, the younger Kusanagi's shriek echoing through the empty hall. Alarmed, Balder was in motion almost immediately, with Loki right on his heels, rushing toward the sound. When they rounded the corner, they found nothing more than the two students, standing oddly close to one another, considering Yui's often prudish obsession with propriety. The Greek god looked utterly confused, as though he hadn't a single clue what he had done wrong. The sister looked as though she might collapse; he was convinced that every drop of blood in her body was currently residing in her face.

"What's wrong, Fairy? What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

Yui shook her head frantically, along with a pair of nods, resulting in a strange bobblehead effect. "I-I — yes! I mean, no! Well — I —" There were no coherent sentences coming out of her mouth, merely jumbled, conflicting pieces of various thoughts all coming out at the same time. After a fifth attempt, she simply gave up, spouting out the only thing she could properly formulate. "W-Why?!"

"Why?" Apollon's head tilted in confusion before slowly pointing his finger upward. As though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Loki, Balder, and Yui's gazes all followed his its trajectory to a green plant dangling from the wall, adorned with little red berries. Loki nearly sucked in a breath at the sight of them. He would recognize that deadly fauna anywhere. "Because of the mistletoe, Fairy. The mistletoe. Was I not supposed to?"

Yui choked, trying her best to get some form of control over herself. "I — that's — technically, yes, but it's just a tradition! Y-You don't actually have to do it!"

"You don't? But I thought you were supposed to…" Apollon reached into his bag and pulled out a book of some sort, quickly flipping through the pages. No doubt another one of his more interesting discoveries. This time, for once, Loki could say he had nothing to do with it. Finding the desired chapter, he showed the younger sister the book, pointing to an image. "It says here that when two humans meet under the mistletoe, they are supposed to kiss." Loki felt Balder tense beside him immediately.

"Y-Yes, but that isn't…" Yui shook her head, trying to think of the best way to explain to him. Gods, as she had learned — the Greeks especially — seemed to have a difficult time understanding personal space. And Apollon was even worse, as he just couldn't understand that he wasn't obligated to do everything the human texts told him to do. He was almost childlike in that regard. "How did that even get up there anyway…" Yui muttered to herself. "I know she mentioned the school grounds, but…"

"I'm not sure, Fairy. I'm really not sure." Apollon looked upward again before looking back down. "But we are still standing under the mistletoe."

"A-Ah…"

Apollon wilted slightly. "If you don't want to…"

"It's not… that I don't want to…" Actually, quite the opposite. "It's just…" That she was afraid if he did something like that again, her heart would explode right out of her chest. Yui finally shook her head, swiftly turning and bolting down the hallway in the opposite direction. "I just remembered there's something I have to speak with Nari about. Sorry!"

"Huh?! Wait, Fairy! Wait!"

As the two students vanished around the wall, Loki chuckled and sighed. "Leave it to A-fool-on, hmm?" He didn't receive an answer. Confused, the god of fire turned his attention to Balder. When he looked at him, he felt his blood freeze in his veins. He was wearing a frightening expression. One that struck absolute fear into Loki's heart. "Eh… C-Come on, we should get going ourselves. We have lots to do today, remember? Plans to make, goodies to prepare, traps to set…"

Loki's attempts at mitigation went unnoticed. Balder was frozen solid, eyes gazing unseeingly down the now empty hall. His fists clenched at his sides, and the air around him grew terrifyingly tense. He was fixated. Almost in a trance. Loki swallowed and tried again, this time reaching a hand to gently pull on his arm. "Balder?"

"Hmm?" Finally, his voice reached him. The light returned to his eyes along with his genuine smile. "Right. We should — wait, Loki, no setting traps… whoa!" Turning to follow, he stepped wrong, spinning around and collapsing to the ground with a loud thud. At the sight of the other god lying startled on the ground, Loki heaved a sigh of relief.

. . .

That encounter remained on his mind for the following days. He couldn't unsee that terrifying glint in his eye, an expression that had surfaced so long ago. A look that served only to remind him of their fate. A fate he had tried for centuries to avoid. Clenching his teeth, Loki moved swiftly through the corridors, eyes to the floor. What was he going to do? If his suspicions were correct, then the best course of action was to keep the two of them apart.

But doing so wouldn't be an easy task. The pair shared an activity club, they were together most of the time. He wasn't even sure when her feelings toward him had started to change — he could have sworn she had a thing for the drunkard's idiot brother. Had they at all? Or was the infatuation one-sided? There was no way for him to tell, he didn't know the younger sister well enough. Her embarrassment wasn't a good indication; she was always so reserved. Tsukito himself could flirt with her and it would probably result in a blush. Perhaps someone else could know. Someone who knew the woman far better than he did.

The more he thought about it, the more certain he became of his options. After all, there was only one person he could think to turn to who may be able to help him gather that crucial information. One that he, incidentally, had been growing rather close to over the past months. Yes. That would be his play. If he wanted to know more about Yui, then he would have to find —

"Wh-Whoa!"

"Agh!"

In his brisk walk, Loki rounded a corner expecting to find the same emptiness he had become accustomed to over the last few days. Unfortunately, he assumed wrong. Instead, he nearly ran face-first into a large metal object, knocking into it as he swerved away.

. . .

Nari stood atop her ladder, box in hand, humming carols, and carefully tacking her decorations against the wall. Along with garlands and wreaths, she had been hanging up various Christmas decorations for the better part of the last few days. She was nearly finished; this should be the last hallway in the main area. With her final object placed, Nari leaned back to inspect her work. Then, she felt a jolt, the entire ground shaking beneath her. Then, she was in free fall, plummeting toward the ground with a startled shriek. There was nothing to stop her from crashing onto the marble floor; if she was lucky, she wouldn't break her neck. Her body braced for impact, curling her arms over to protect her head.

But when she finally came to a stop, there wasn't any pain. There was no hard surface, no impact. Only a warm pair of arms keeping her suspended in mid-air. "L-Loki?" She blinked. It took a few moments for her brain to register precisely what happened. After realizing they were alone in the hallway, everything became clear. "Loki, what the hell?! Be careful, you could have killed me!"

Loki gave a relieved sigh, placing her back onto the ground. If she was snapping at him, it meant she wasn't hurt. Too badly. "Sorry about that, Puppy. Wasn't paying attention."

"Eh?" Now, she was confused. Blatant honesty from Loki Laevatein with no following smart remark? What was this world coming to? Perhaps she had fallen and hit her head after all. "I, um… sure. Are you… feeling okay?"

Loki quickly shook it off, forcing himself into a more jovial state. "Of course, Puppy! I'm not the one who took a tumble." He smiled at her irritated scowl. "What were you doing up there anyway? You could get hurt, you know. Those things are dangerous."

Nari shook her head, folding in her ladder and placing it against the wall. "Only if dumbbells run into them. Anyway, I was putting up the last of the Christmas decorations," she explained. At her words, Loki's eyes traveled upward, landing on the familiar sprig he had seen peppering various locations throughout the building. So, she was the one hanging those things up everywhere. Loki wanted to say something on the matter, but quickly thought better of it as she stretched out her arms. Standing beneath her own decoration, he saw a delightful opportunity. Stepping forward, he closed the gap between them, earning a startled squeak from the unsuspecting woman. "Uh… Wh-What are you doing?"

Loki said nothing. Instead, he lifted a single finger and pointed upward at the wall. Nari blinked, slowly following his finger before landing on the mistletoe. The one that she had just placed. Damn it. Lowering her gaze, she immediately made to disregard it only to find herself unable to. The moment she tilted her head down again, she felt the familiar sensation; warm lips pressing softly against her own. Then, that feeling again. That suffocating desire and overwhelming excitement. But it was different than last time. His last kiss was quick and purposeful; a clear display of affection weaponized to catch her off guard and leave her vulnerable. This one was soft and tender; almost… genuine. Her fingers clenched, bunching around the fabric of his jacket, though whether it was to hold him closer or push him away, she wasn't sure.

When he pulled away, she found herself not only speechless but breathless as well, eyes growing wide and staring back into his own. She had expected to see a smug expression on his face, filled with mischief and amusement at his successful trickery. But she didn't. His gaze was devoid of its usual Cheshire grin. His eyes were warm, gazing back at her with the same longing as her own. It took a few moments for her to process, heat slowly rising to her face. "Why…?"

"I believe it's tradition, Puppy."

"W-Well, yeah, but… it's just a silly old practice. Y-You're not obligated or anything. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

When he spoke again, his voice was low, sending a shiver down her spine. "Who said I didn't want to?" It made her feel a different sort of warmth, heat pooling below to an entirely different part of her. It was a sound she wouldn't mind hearing again in a very different context. The thought sent her heartrate into orbit before causing a short circuit.

"I-I…" An awed stare was all she could offer him, mouth falling open in surprise. The only thing more shocking than his words was the color on his face, nearly mirroring the shade of his hair. Almost as if he had meant it. But surely, he couldn't. Not for a human. And certainly not for someone like her. While it seemed that he was willing to accept her as his classmate… maybe even if his friend, that was a different matter entirely than —

"Nari!" They had barely a moment to react to the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Hearing her sister's scream, Yui followed the sound down the corridor and skidded to a stop, rounding the corner. "Are you alright? I heard you…"

The two of them quickly forced themselves apart, looking away from each other. No, looking at anything but each other. It was for only a moment; so brief, she wasn't entirely certain of what she saw. If not for their blushing faces, she wouldn't have suspected them at all. But considering her sister's situation, she couldn't help the quiet snicker that escaped her, followed by a growing smile. "O-Oh, um… Sorry to interrupt… Um…"

"You're not. There was nothing… we…" Nari wanted to die. She wanted to climb to the roof, vault the railing, and throw herself off to the ground below. This was not how she had envisioned her afternoon going. She wanted nothing more than to argue and defend herself; to insist that she had seen nothing, and they were doing nothing. But she couldn't. She couldn't get the words out, nor could she even hope to deny anything when she had been wrapped in his arms not even moments before. So, instead she remained silent, trying to keep from melting into a puddle on the floor.

Her sister, thankfully, was merciful. Forcing her mouth back into a straight line, she tried her best to keep her voice level. To not sound like she was ready to jump over the moon with joy and happiness for her sister. "U-Um… the student council wanted to go over some ideas for the um… for the thing."

"…Oh."

"B-But it can wait. I'll see you later."

"Y-Yui, wait —"

"Bye!"

Before she could come up with a plausible excuse, her sister was gone, leaving the two of them alone in the corridor once more. With their classmate gone, all they could do was stare at one another, neither of them sure what to say. Loki couldn't even manage a quip; he had barely heard anything exchanged to begin with. The only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat hammering in his chest. Even looking at her made him want to — just when had this woman become so utterly irresistible to him…?

"Ugh… I'm never gonna hear the end of this one…" Nari muttered, letting her face fall into her hands. Her sister would run with it until the end of time. Hell, even when they died, she would probably still bring it up in the afterlife. What a mess.

The sound of her voice brought some life back to him, taking note of her frustration. He couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her. Nothing amused him more than her flustered faces. "What's the matter, Puppy? Don't want people to know we're a thing? I'm hurt."

Nari's eyes shot up, glaring daggers at the playful god. "Okay, first of all, you and I are not a 'thing'. Second of all, stop dicking around, this is an actual crisis."

"But we could be. We'd make the most convincing couple, don't you think?" Her glare hardened and a chill ran down his spine. Though it wasn't from her furious expression, it was confusion toward his own boldness. Joking was all well and good, but now he was treading into dangerous territory. Messing around with the sister was one thing, but this was something else entirely. What exactly were they going to do if her sister actually went around telling people what she had seen? It would probably give the drunk a reason to finally back off…

What was he saying?

"Loki. This is not the time for your shenanigans." Nari sighed. "Never mind. I've gotta go do damage control. See you later."

She didn't wait for a reply, turning and jogging down the hallway leaving Loki, her ladder, and her empty box behind. He didn't call after her, lost in his own thoughts and trying to piece together what the hell had just happened. He was a god of tricks; he certainly enjoyed having his fun. But this was going too far… wasn't it?

He mentally slapped himself. Of course, it was going too far. The look in her eyes hadn't escaped him, whatever it was that called to him, she could feel it too. She was starting to believe that he actually felt something for her, and Nari had already been through more than enough. The last thing she needed was to have her life upended by his antics, believing that he actually cared about her. Because he didn't.

…Right?

Right. She was human, he was a god. And by the end of the school year, she would be gone; returned to her world with her sister and not a single memory of him or their adventure. And he would return to Asgard and live out the rest of his days with Balder and Thor, however many centuries that may be. By the time he even started to show age, she would have been dead over four lifetimes. She would fade into oblivion, like all humans. And he, like all gods, would remain.

So, why did the very thought of that tear his heart in two? Why was the approaching end of the school year filling him with such a feeling of dread? Like her leaving would split him apart, taking a piece of his very soul with him when she went? He didn't know, and he didn't have time to worry about it. Not when Balder was —

Loki paused. He had nearly forgotten. Balder. The entire reason he had been seeking her out in the first place. How could he have let himself get so distracted when the essence of life itself hung in the balance? What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn't he get his head on straight? Deep down, he was beginning to think he knew the answer. But he would go to his grave before he would even entertain the idea. The idea that he could ever open his heart to a human. No. He had to get back on track. To make sure that Balder didn't make that same mistake.

The god hissed, feeling his nail catch on something sharp. He tore his hand away, looking down at the indentation in his thumb. Shifting his gaze, he looked to the source of his discomfort only to find the object that caused it. The silver ring adorning his finger; he had been twirling it, gripping it so tightly he nearly dug into the engraving. That blasted ring. That cursed ring. That ring he loved more than anything else in the world. Frustrated, Loki balled his hand into a tight fist, restraining himself from slamming it against the wall.

"…Damn it."