Monsters and Magic

Chapter 9

 "Sorry breakfast is simple," you apologized to Loki as you stood at the griddle making pancakes. He was watching curiously, but staying out of the way. "I was 18 when I died and didn't learn how to cook much before that. Mom and I used to make pancakes almost every Sunday, which is the only reason I know how to make them," you admitted.

"18? That is but a child," Loki protested, horrified.

You scoffed and rolled your eyes before you remembered. "Sorry, I forgot, by life expectancy equivalencies... I was around 900 by your standards," you clarified quickly, doing the math in your head. He nodded, accepting that and seemed impressed with your quick math skills.

"Still a young maiden and much too young to have your future ripped from you," he said softly, kissing the top of your head.

"I won't disagree on that point," you replied and handed him the giant plate of pancakes. "Can you put these on the table?" He nodded and went to do just that while you plated the sausages. He came back in to get plates and silver wear and you followed him with the plate of sausages.

"You never told me how you died," he prompted once you had sat down to eat.

You hesitated. It wasn't a story you wanted to tell, but he was curious, and Loki, and really, he deserved to know. "Will you answer a question for me first? I've been meaning to ask..." he nodded. "The day the team destroyed the seethe, they found out I was a vampire after the battle and argued for a long time with SHIELD over what to do with me, since I'd helped them, but it was Thor who finally convinced SHIELD to give me to the team. Which was admittedly after I said something in exasperated temper. I'm not surprised he saved me. I'm surprised he was... crying... while he did it,"

"What did you say?" Loki asked gently.

You flushed, embarrassed because your words had been unkind. "'If I'm for the axe, then for mercy's sake, just swing it,'" you repeated shyly. It hadn't been one of your proudest moments.

Loki winced. "Ouch, darling. Yes, that would be one of the few things for you to say that would get that response from the oaf,"

"I didn't mean to make him cry," you protested.

He gave you a reassuring smile. "I know, sweetheart. To answer your question: yes, I know why Thor had that reaction. During my trial after the events in New York I said those exact same words to Odin in a fit of temper. Thor was there and saw it and hasn't forgotten his fear that I would be killed for my actions, despite the fact that I was not acting on my own free will,"

"Oh...no wonder he was crying..." you pondered that and realized your words really hadn't been kind to remind him of his brother, but there had been no way for you to know. You wouldn't be doing that again, though. He was still watching you expectantly, he'd given you your answer, so it was only fair that you answer his question. "You know I graduated high school at 14, like 700 to you," again you did the math in your head. "Most humans graduate at 18 and either go on to a job or to further education, which costs a lot of money," he nodded, keeping up with the story so far. "I got a full-ride scholarship thanks from Stark to attend college. I didn't exactly have a normal high school or college experience since I was so much younger than the rest of the students. I went on exactly one date in college,"

"Which is a good thing," Loki snarled. "Adult men should have no interest in a child in their presence,"

You rolled your eyes. "I was 14, a teenager, not a child, but yes, legal adults should have no interest in an underage girl. I had no interest in them anyway, I was busy collecting degrees like Pokemon cards," he gave you a look and you shook your head; you'd explain the reference later. "Anyway, my first an only date was when I was 18, my chem lab partner begged me to go on a double date with her, since her date's friend needed a date for that night. She said he was 21, 1,050 or so to you, a reasonable age difference and we were going to dinner. It should have been perfectly safe. Needless to say it wasn't. He was perfectly polite, charming, flattering and I was a stupid naive 18 year-old who'd never dated. I did everything by the book and he still managed to drug my drink and steal me away, telling my chem partner I'd had too much wine and he was taking me home. I'd had soda all night. He took me straight to the queen of the seethe and she turned me that very night. He was a vampire and had been sent to get me. I never did find out how the seethe found out about my magic, but that's why they chose me," you explained. The story came out slowly, you hadn't wanted to tell it, or remember. That vampire had been kind that night, had given you your first kiss while you pretended to be more grown-up and experienced than you were so you wouldn't embarrass yourself. You never should have agreed to that double-date, but had had no reason to reject it at the time. There'd been no way for you to know.