Coffee and Books 1

Chapter 7

I have spent the rest of my shift feeling bad for pushing Loki, clearly it's a touchy subject. But he just looked like he needed a hug and I wanted to help. I've got a headache, radiating from my spine to my head. When Lisa tells me she will be sleeping at Marc's tonight, I'm glad I have the house all to myself.

After some Advil and a light dinner, I feel better. I've put on yoga pants and a loose shirt. Taking up a pot of tea and a warm vest for when it gets colder, I go up to the roof terrace. It's been a nice day, and the evening is lovely. I lay down on one of the stretchers, arms behind my head. Stark Tower is blinking it's lights at me. From here I can't make out which windows belong to Thor and Loki's apartment. I wonder if Loki is sitting in his chair in front of the window, looking down at me. But that's probably making myself way more important than I really am, he probably just sees me as a nosy waitress.

I think I dozed off for a little while, because I suddenly wake up, triggered by a familiar sound. It's faint and it takes me a second to know what it is: someone is ringing the doorbell. I'm not expecting visitors, but the sun didn't set completely yet, so I decide it's ok to go see who it is. Like a smart city girl I only open the door to a crack, peeping through, before I swing it wide open.

"Loki?"

"Ylva," he nods. "Can I come in?"

"Sure. Does he have to come in too?" I ask, pointing at the man behind Loki. I spot a S.H.I.E.L.D. pin on his collar, he must be a colleague of agent Williams.

"I'm afraid so, sorry."

The three of us go up to the roof terrace. On our way up I pick up some glasses and a gallon of juice from the kitchen, I guess the pot of tea I made is cold by now. The agent has introduced himself as Gary Wilde and positions himself near the door to the roof. I hand agent Wilde a glass of juice and then sit down by Loki, on the red bench.

"Do you have a bodyguard now?" I ask him, passing him a glass too.

"Something like that," he confirms with a nod. "Listen, Ylva... I... I wanted to excuse myself for my behaviour this afternoon."

"It's ok, I get it. I should not have asked about private stuff," I tell him, leaning back against the bench.

He leans back too, his long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles, and we sit like that for a while. It's nice to sit here with him, just watching the city around us.
At least, that's what he does. From the corner of my eye I study his face. He is very handsome, but not in the conventional way. It's a noble face, with strong features. Loki seems a bit lost in thought, softly biting his lower lip. I've seen him do that before, while reading. I don't think he really knows he does it. I think it's cute, sexy even. But then I check myself and watch straight ahead again. There is a handsome man sitting next to me, that is all. Just talking, nothing more. Or waiting for him to talk, that's more like it. So I settle in, pulling up my knees to my chin, looking at the city, waiting for Loki to say anything.

It takes him a while.

"They restrict my magic. Monitoring what I'm doing," Loki starts, twisting the metal bracelet on his right arm. "With these on, I'm limited to... party tricks." He says the last thing like it tastes bad.

"But why?"

"I'm the God of Lies. The God of Mischief. I can't be trusted." His tone is bitter.

"Nonsense. I trust you," I state, turning to him.

He looks me in the eyes and then shifts his gaze to a point above my head. "You shouldn't. You don't know me. You don't know the things I've done."

I shake my head. "I read about you. Just like you do to learn more about my people, I read about you and your people. I know the old stories, I know how you've earned your nicknames. And I know that you're a guy who dresses sharp, who likes to drink tea and read books. And you're polite. At least to me."
He just looks at me with a half smile, slightly shaking his head.
"I let you into my house, while I'm home alone. That should say enough about my trust." I add, nudging his arm with my elbow.

"Then you're the only one," he says, tilting his head a little to me. "And a fool, I might add. A sweet fool, but a fool nonetheless." He smiles and looks back at the city again.

I can feel my cheeks heat up. He thinks I'm sweet. Holy crap, a handsome Norse god thinks I'm sweet.

"And the injection Tony gave you?" I ask, returning to the original subject.

"A tracking device," he says curtly. "With an adjustable range. Right now, I can't go any further than the coffeeshop without having a team of agents all over me."
Loki nudges his head to where agent Wilde is standing. "And there's guys like him, every day."

Inhaling slowly, I process his words. So they really don't trust him, whoever 'they' are. They limit his magic, restrict his movements and constantly follow him. Remembering how Thor said something about Loki being released, I ask Loki what his brother meant by that. It takes him a few seconds to react, his voice quiet.
"The first six months of our stay on Earth, I spent in a prison cell in one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most secure locations. Thor eventually convinced them to let me out, but there were some conditions."

I want to ask why he was being locked up by S.H.I.E.L.D., surely it wasn't about the stuff he pulled according to myths and legends, those are ancient stories. Come to think of it, how old is Loki anyway? To me he looks like he's in his mid thirties, but he is a god. He could be a thousand years old for all I know! My head fills with questions and they all try to get out of my mouth at the same time, but before I can form a coherent sentence, agent Wilde steps over to us.
"It's time. The car is waiting."

Loki retracts his long legs and stands up, I scramble upright too. His long fingers lightly grab my hand, taking it up to his lips. He places a short, soft kiss on my knuckles. "I must be taking my leave. Good night, my little wolf."

Before I can react, he is gone, his long legs crossing the roof terrace in just a few steps. Agent Wilde closes the door behind them. I just stand there, blinking, holding the hand Loki kissed in front of my chest.
What the hell just happened? I pinch my arm, to check if I'm dreaming. It hurts, so I guess prince Loki was actually here. Shaking my head, I gather my stuff to go inside. I search for the glass agent Wilde used, but I can't find it. When I get to the kitchen, I find it there on the counter. I guess Gary's mother taught him well.