Date
The more time Loki spent in Midgard, the more he grew used to it. It was a strange realm, yes, with so many things that were either unheard of or unfamiliar to him, but that was only to be expected from somewhere new. Not that he regarded Midgard as “new” anymore, after all he had been there so long that sometimes he forgot the exact circumstances that had led to him landing there in the first place.
Some days he found himself wondering if the Bifrost had been fixed, often worrying that it had been. It was, after all, more than likely that should Odin discover that his youngest son had somehow survived the fall from the Bridge, he would come and take him back to Asgard, and then Loki knew that could only mean one thing; eternal incarceration. And that was something he wanted to avoid happening altogether.
As such, he figured that it was probably best to live each day on Midgard as if it would be his last there, but when it came to Ash, he found himself quite happy to waste so much time with her. His body and mind would argue with one another, one telling him to let his feelings for her be known, the other then cursing him with a crippling case of nerves that stopped him from doing so. It was like a tug-of-war between wanting to tell her and not being able to.
He kept rationalising his feelings of nervousness by telling himself that he had all the time in the world to tell her, and he genuinely believed that. After all, she wasn’t seeing anyone else, he was free to take his time.
Or so he thought.
The sound of her running into the flat at least half an hour earlier than usual caused him to start, almost throwing his book to the floor, and glance up in surprise as she came hurrying in, carrying an armful of magazines which she promptly dumped onto the living room table in front of him.
“Hey, do you mind if we have dinner early tonight? It’s just I’ve got a date,” she said, all in the one breath before moving to the kitchen.
Loki’s eyes widened, alarmingly, and he had let out an exclamation of “What?” before he could stop himself.
Thankfully, however, Ash seemed to think it was just because she’d spoken so fast that he hadn’t been able to understand a word she was saying. She shot him a grin. “I said, do you mind if we eat early? Only Alex has asked me to go for a drink with him later, but I wanted to make sure you got fed alright.”
Loki blinked at her. “Um, fine,” he finally managed to stammer, “but I thought you said you weren’t really interested in dating him?”
The word felt strange to him, dating, but on the other hand the idea of her “dating” Alex was somehow more appealing than the idea of them “courting.”
“Well, I wasn’t,” Ash admitted, “but, I don’t know, I mean I haven’t had a date in ages, and you never know, it could lead to something.”
No! You’re supposed to be with me, not him!
Quashing down the writhing feeling of jealousy within his stomach, Loki closed his book and attempted to sound casual as he asked “So, how long do you think you’ll be?”
Ash shrugged as she got the dinner going. “Shouldn’t be longer than a couple of hours at most.” She offered him a smile. “Sorry, I know we were going to just chill with a film tonight but-”
“It’s alright,” Loki interrupted, smiling reassuringly at her, and inwardly kicking himself for leaving it so long not to tell her. Well, he couldn’t very well tell her now, could he? Not when she might end up dating Alex quite frequently. On the other hand, though, it might not work out and then he could be there for her as the comforting shoulder-to-cry-on type friend when she needed it.
He crossed his fingers and prayed for the latter.
Dinner was rushed but he barely concentrated on it, too focused on bitterly hating Alex for having jumped in there first and now doing what he should be doing, with his Ash. Of course the man had no way of knowing that he wasn’t the only man in London to have feelings for her, but even so, it felt like this foolish human was invading his territory by asking her out.
Even though she wasn’t technically his.
The reflection gave him a hollow feeling inside.
Once dinner was over, Ash hurried into the bedroom to change, leaving Loki to clear up the dishes with a quick flick of magic, merely because he didn’t trust himself not to break something of hers as a way of taking out his anger towards Alex. He went back to his book, but once again found himself distracted by thoughts of hatred and bitterness, now directed more at himself than at Alex, and he was just berating himself mentally for the twelfth time where there was a knock at the door.
“Loki, could you grab that, please? I’m not quite ready!” Ash called.
Loki nodded and then, remembering she couldn’t see him, called out “Right!” before getting to his feet. Was it like this with Thor? Would he do anything for his human girl even if it meant being hurt himself in the process? Yes, was probably the answer to that question.
Alex smiled in a friendly manner as he opened the door. “Hi.”
“Come in and wait,” Loki replied, as politely as he could manage. “She’s not quite ready yet.”
“I’ll be there in a minute!” Ash called.
“Yeah, right,” Alex grinned, following Loki into the living room. “Women. They always take forever to get ready.”
Loki, however, didn’t smile. Instead he took the opportunity to pin Alex to the wall by his shoulder and fix him with his darkest expression. The light seemed to die in Alex’s eyes as he found a very stern and angry God glaring at him.
“If you do anything, anything, to upset or hurt her tonight,” Loki hissed, “then I will make you wish that you had never been born.”
Alex blinked at him. “Are you threatening me?”
“I’m warning you,” Loki returned. “Because I care about her and if I find out that she’s been hurt because of you, then I will personally make your life a living hell.”
Alex stared at him. “Oh, my God...you’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
Loki scowled at him. “If you don’t want to wake up tomorrow morning floating in the Thames, then I suggest you keep your mouth shut about that and this.”
Hearing Ash coming, he quickly released Alex and was back in his seat with his book before Alex could even draw breath. Alex now looked thoroughly scared, but quickly pulled himself together as Ash came in, carrying her coat.
“You boys playing nicely?” she teased.
Loki quickly saved Alex from coming up with an answer by replying “I was just letting him know what you like to drink. And what to avoid.”
Ash missed the meaningful glance he shot Alex upon saying that. Alex turned to her and grinned. “Ready? You look great.”
Loki couldn’t deny that he was right. She had changed her usual black and white attire for a bright floral-patterned dress over leggings with a mushroom-coloured satin jacket, that gave her the appearance that she had borrowed her boyfriend’s coat rather than her own, clasped in her arms. She had completed the look with black wedge-shoes and her small evening bag, her hair unpinned and loose from its neat work bun.
“Have fun,” he managed to say.
Ash smiled as she pulled on her jacket. “See you later.”
Alex just gave him a wary look as they left.
Once they had gone, Loki groaned as he flopped back against the sofa and ran a hand through his hair. “What am I doing?” he muttered. “Why am I letting her go out with that idiot?”
He knew why. Because when you were in love with somebody, you would do anything it took to make them happy, even if it mean sacrificing your own happiness in the process.
Go after her! One part of his mind screamed. Tell her she’s meant to be with you, not him!
No! The other part argued. I can’t do that if it’s not what she wants!
He waited, trying to concentrate on reading, but it was no good. All thoughts led him straight to Ash. Setting aside the book, he rubbed his eyes and then remembered the pile of magazines she had brought with her from work. Those would need to be finished at some point. He waved a hand at them and they were instantly labelled and stacked in a neat pile on the table. Well, that was something, at least now she didn’t have to waste the rest of the night doing them, it was a kindness.
Time seemed to drag, and suddenly for the first time in his life, he wished that Thor could have been beside him, waiting out the minutes with him. For all his faults, he had to admit that Thor had always tried to help him out with any problems he had ever had, even if he hadn’t done a very good job of it.
“Because we’re brothers, Loki,” he had once told him, “and we always will be.”
Maybe that was the reason he still called him “Brother” so easily.
The day of the coronation, when the Frost Giants had invaded, the day he and Thor had sat discussing whether or not to invade Jotunheim in return, that had been the last friendsly, brotherly conversation that had ever had together...and even that was a lie. Loki sighed, wishing he hadn’t been so stubborn, wishing he hadn’t pushed his brother away, especially now when he actually needed something from him.
He lost track of how long he had sat there for, just thinking and staring into space, when a sudden ringing caused him to almost leap off the sofa. Annoyed, he glared at the device she called “the telephone” before remembering that there was a button he had to press in order to make it stop, and to find out who was on the other end of the line. Hesitantly, he managed to remember everything she had taught him about using it and found the right button easily before answering “Hello?”
“Hey,” came Ash’s voice, sounding rather chipper. It was probably the alcohol, he reflected. “Everything alright? I’m not going to come back and find my flat in ruins, am I?”
“Wishful thinking,” Loki teased back, causing her to laugh. “How’s it going?”
“Oh, it’s gone,” Ash replied. “I’m walking back now.”
“Alone?”
“Yeah.”
Loki was surprised, and then relieved, but he showed neither as he said “He’s not going to be the gentleman and walk you back?”
“No, actually, I don’t think it’s going to work,” Ash replied. “I mean, he’s nice and everything, but he seemed really distant tonight, like he was distracted by something.” She paused before adding “Mind you, the girl who served us was very pretty.”
“Don’t say that,” Loki said, mentally kicking himself again. He knew exactly what Alex had been worried about and he hadn’t meant for it to interfere with their “date” in any way. “He probably had something at home to worry about or something, family issues, maybe.”
“Well, maybe you’re right, but I think tonight proved he’s definitely not my type anyway,” Ash replied, perking up a little. “I mean, I think-”
She broke off suddenly, which worried Loki.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Um...I’m going to call you back...”
The line went dead and Loki frowned before springing to his feet and mentally seeking her out. Something told him that she needed him right now.
Standing where she was, Ash tried her best to remain calm. She had taken a wrong turn, which was only natural in a place the size of London, but she cursed herself inwardly for not looking where she was going. She had turned down one of the darker, seedier allies on her way by accident, one which was currently being frequented by three men who certainly did not look like the kind to be messed with, in a dark alley or out of it.
Wheeling about, she was all set to go when one of them suddenly bounded in front of her. “Whoa, love,” he leered at her. “Lost, are we?”
Ash managed a false smile as she stammered “Just...trying to get home, is all.”
One of them behind her touched her elbow and she jumped, wrenching her arm free of him. “Whoa, slow down, girlie,” he grinned, showing several missing teeth. “We don’t bite, do we, lads?”
Ash swallowed and tried hard not to be scared, but she was already shaking. “Look, I really need to go, so if you could just..?”
She tried to dodge past the first one, but he shot out an arm and blocked her escape. “What’s the hurry?” he asked, lecherously speaking to her chest rather than her face. “Stay and have a little fun.”
Ash wondered about screaming for help, but would anyone hear her? More to the point, would they come in time? She tried ducking under his arm but he caught hold of her and pinned her to the wall, knocking all the breath out of her.
“I get her first,” growled the third man, who hadn’t said anything until this moment.
Before any of them could touch her, however, everything suddenly happened very fast. A blast of green light hit the one holding her and he was thrown off his feet, rolling over and over in mid-air until he crashed into the nearby dustbins with an enormous clang. His companions whipped their heads around and Ash glanced up in time to see a blur of green and gold whirl past her, knocking the two other men off their feet too. They both landed hard, scrambled to their feet with yelps of panic and took off down the alley. Their leader raised his head in time to see Loki seize the front of his shirt and haul him upright.
“Have you never learned what happens when you ignore a girl that tells you “No?” Loki asked, coolly, his sceptre level with the man’s throat. The man gave a whimper and squirmed against the God’s grip. With a smirk, Loki threw him down again and as the man scrambled to his feet, he sent another bolt of energy at him that sent him screaming out of sight.
Ash let out a sigh of relief and then slumped onto a nearby box, resting her arms on her knees and her head in her arms. “I’m such an idiot,” she scolded herself.
Loki went and crouched beside her, touching her shoulder, now more concerned than anything. “Are you alright?” he asked.
At his touch, Ash raised her head with a “Yes, I’m fine,” and then to his surprise she began to laugh.
Wondering if she was in her right mind, he asked “What?”
“I’m sorry, it’s that helmet,” Ash giggled.
He had forgotten that he had automatically changed into his Asgardian armour in order to protect her. Remaining dignified as ever, he quickly changed back into the clothes he had been wearing earlier before folding his arms and fixing her with a scowl. “I’ll have you know it’s all the range on Asgard.”
Sobering up, Ash smiled at him. “Sorry, it just took me by surprise, is all. Those men must have thought you were the Devil himself.”
Returning her smile, Loki got to his feet and held out his hands to help her up. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said.
Taking his hands, Ash gave him a grateful look and allowed him to pull her to her feet before he teleported them both back to the flat. She sank onto the sofa with relief. “Just can’t believe how stupid I was not to watch where I was going.” Then, as Loki sat back down beside her, she added “Thanks for that, by the way. You saved me from God knows what.”
“Well, I don’t know what, but I have a fairly good idea,” Loki quipped, causing her to laugh again. “Maybe next time you should make sure your date walks you home.”
“Mm, or get a cab,” Ash agreed, getting to her feet. She yawned. “Well, I think that’s enough excitement for me tonight. I’m off to bed.”
Loki nodded. “Me too.”
As he got to his feet, she walked over and hugged him tightly. “See?” she grinned. “You can be the hero of the story, like your brother. You don’t have to be the villain.”
Loki just smiled as she walked away before stretching and making a quick decision. This had been too close a call for him. She could have ended up with Alex. Or she could have ended up being seriously hurt by those men due to walking home alone at night. Either way, there was now only one course of action he could take.
Ask her out.
Preferably tomorrow, Friday.
And he had a pretty good idea of how to go about it.