The God and the Siren (Loki Romance)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Training with Loki proves much more difficult than either of us anticipated. Too many distractions cropping up here and there, since getting thrown against the wall by a Norse god and manhandled by him is exactly as hot as it sounds.

So when Thor and Sif offered to help out, things were really sped up with the additional effort. It still took several weeks before I was moderately able to hold my own, though I still can only take one of them at a time. Training's gone faster with weapons at least, thanks to Loki—I'm real good with daggers.

The emotional side of things are still a bit shaky still, though. I've had to keep all of this a secret from my friends and family, which was rougher than I thought it'd be. Pepper, Tony, and the Asgardians are the closest friends I have, but they're not particularly inclined to discuss these matters much. I've never been particularly close to my family or people at the Academy, but it sucks to pretend like nothing's going on every now and again when people ask. Part of me feels like it would be a huge relief to just pour it all out to someone.

Apart from that, life goes on as usual. Loki walks home with me a bit less than he used to, though he insists that I carry his daggers on me on nights when I do walk home alone—nights like tonight. They're outrageously uncomfortable, but I've been wearing boots just for the sake of having someplace to tuck them into. Changing out of my dance apparel and sneaking them in there is a bit of a hassle every time, but walking home from Barnes and Noble is a lot easier, since there's no changing involved.

At least, for now it's easier. It won't be for much longer.

And that, in fact, is the reason I've got a bit of a skip in my step tonight. Since at the end of the summer, I'll be saying goodbye to performing and Barnes-and-Noble-ing for a while, because I landed a position with the Academy as director of choreography.

Only downside is that I'll be working with James a bit more frequently.

Still, for all that he's a sleezebag, he's been getting more and more well behaved over the past few weeks... in no small part because I've been directing my power toward detangling the mess I'd apparently made there too.

Evidently spending an excess amount of time listening to me sing had a bit of an 'effect' on him too—which is supposed to excuse his behavior and prior 'attempted' offenses, but I think that if he didn't have it in him, the power probably wouldn't have brought it out.

Still, I'm willing to accept friendly terms and second chances as long as he behaves himself—which he has been doing. After all, no one else ever really had the same complaints about him that I did, never the same issues. It's in my favor either way, and practicing control of my power on him also has its obvious uses. Nothing cruel or out of character, obviously. Just... Detangling.

The daggers are shifting uncomfortably in my tall boots, but I've got the biggest smile on my face as I sift through the people on the street. I won't be making the mistake of turning the corner down the alley again, even if it is a shortcut—the street we live on is generally quiet enough as it is.

So quiet, in fact, that the two pairs of footsteps behind me seem to appear out of nowhere, and match my pace all the way down the block. My smile fades a bit, but I continue striding down the block briskly, eyeing the stairs to my right and cars to the left of the sidewalk as I go—trying to catch some reflection, or anything at all, to figure out who's behind me.

Definite possibility that I'm just paranoid, of course... It might just be some normal couple walking behind me. But the silence between them is bordering on being unnatural, and I really, really don't want to find out whether Loki was right to have me carry these things around.