Book One: Worlds Apart (Loki)

Chapter Two

Katri kneels in patch of flowers, the knees of her dress muddy and her hands just as covered. She plucks at the flower stems and set them in the basket at her side. She hums to herself as she looks to her sister, Rebekah across the other side of the patch picking flowers too. Some of the village boys pass and eyes Katri as she works, she's not oblivious to the fact she's attractive, and at the age that she should be getting married, she's heard people talking. A green and black snake slithers to her side and Katri glances to it, watches it as it slithers closer to her, she holds her breath waiting to gauge it's reaction, the snake imply brushes up against her leg before settling at her side. Loki. It's his way of telling her he's waiting for her. Finn had told on them seeing them the month before and Esther has told Katria to not see the boy. Of course Katria had completely ignored that and started sneaking off to see Loki. Katri smirks and glances to Rebekah who is now making her own daisy chain. She's supposed to be watching her little sister, but she wants to see Loki. She looks to Niklaus as he sits alone kicking a rock. Katri stands and moves to him.

"Nik" Katri starts. "Will you watch Bekah?" she asks, he glances to her and then to Rebekah, then back to Katri. "Please, Nik"

"This is for that boy Mother told you not to see?" he asks her back. "If Father finds out?"

"He will not find out" she takes his arm and looks up at him. "Please, Nik....I never ask you for anything" he groans and sighs.

"That is true" he agrees. "I do this for you though, you do something for me later?" he asks, she nods.

"Anything, Nik" she leans up and kisses his cheek. "Thank you" she whispers and then runs off. Niklaus smiles though.

......................

Katri bursts into her and Loki's clearing. Some where far enough away from the village but not too far, just a break in the trees along the edge of a river. Katri smiles seeing Loki laying in the grass reading. He smirks and glances to her.

"Loki" she breaths relieved. He's been visiting every week now, since he appeared six months ago, and she's grown used to these visits, she's grown to cherish them. She lifts the bottom of her dress and runs towards where he is, he closes his book and catches her as she flings herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He chuckles and hugs her back. Katri lays at his side and smiles up at the sky. He turns to look at her. The sun on her face and hair makes her seem so....angelic, he supposes. For a Midgardian. She would fit in perfectly on Asgard. "Show me something" she asks of him looking up at the sky. Loki takes her hands in his and smirks curling her fingers into her palm and when he opens them a butterfly bursts free, Katri smiles watching it fly away. Loki smiles watching her face. She's so sweet and innocent and pure and happy. "Will you read to me?" she asks him.

"You could read it yourself" he corrects holding out the book to her, she shakes her head. "You can read, can't you, Kat?" he asks, she looks away embarrassed. He lifts her chin and looks to her softly. "Kat?" she wrinkles her nose.

"Mother's been teaching us, but I'm not very good at it" she whispers, Loki smiles softly at her.

"This once I shall read it to you, but next time you read to me" he offers, she smiles and nods. Loki lifts up his book and opens it as Katri gets comfy against his side.

......................

6 months later:

Loki watches a now 16 year old Katri as she walks along the fallen tree crossing the river, he'd warned her to be careful, she's trying to be. It's been a year since they met now and he's taken up living in an abandoned cabin in the woods when he visits Midgard for the two days he does. And he spends those two days with her. He's in love with her. He knows this. But she's just a child still in her world. 16. She doesn't understand love yet. Katri laughs as she reaches the other side and bounces over to him. He chuckles a little.

"What are you going to teach me today?" she asks turning to walk backwards in front of him. "Something fun?" she asks teasing him. He smirks at her.

"Always" he answers taking her hand in his, his fingers graze over a bracelet on her wrist, he frowns a little, that's new. He lifts her wrist and scowls at the new bracelet on her wrist. "What is this?" he asks, Katri looks to it and then to Loki.

"One of the boys in the village gave it to me" she answers touching the leather band, Loki pulls a face and wrinkles his nose. "I think he fancies me" she admits quietly to Loki who tightens his jaw a little. He's not jealous. He's not. Okay he is.

"He is not worthy" he argues moving to take the bracelet off her.

"Loki" she warns pulling her hand back to protect the band. "All of the other girls in the village are already married" she points out. "Some are even pregnant"

"Rebekah is not" he points out.

"That is because she is too young" Katri argues.

"She is the same age as some of the other girls" Loki points out. Katri shrugs.

"She is picky" she offers.

"Are you?" he asks watching her, she cocks her head. "Going to get married" he adds quietly. "To that boy?" he grumbles a little.

"He is not a bad match" she whispers.

"Well what about me?" Loki asks.

"What about you?" Katri asks back.

"As a match" Loki offers, Katri raises an eyebrow.

"You're my best friend, Loki...." she tells him.

"So you are not interested?" he asks her.

"Mother would never allow it" she argues. "She forbid me from seeing you"

"You really think that will stop me?" he asks her warmly before he pulls her to him and kisses her. He wraps his fingers around her wrist, he pulls off the leather band from the other boy and smirks against her lips as he pulls her closer and throw it away, she smiles and wraps her arms around his neck.