GUESS WHO'S BACK BITCHES!!!!!
I took a VERYYY long hiatus because life got in the way but I bring forth a new one-shot that you all (hopefully) enjoy!!
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TW: Talks of Death and Suicide
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The Sun finally set. Thank Go-
Damn.
Thank goodness. I'm starving.
You cursed at the ridiculousness of this condition you've been dealing with for the past decade and a half. It was hard being a newly turned vampire in the late 20th century. You just had to be turned right when recording devices and surveillance gadgets got more and more accessible.
It was hard blending in with the humans. I mean, you used to be one not long ago. You still had your old habits that you spent a decade and a half trying to be rid of.
Is this why vampires in movies still have accents and old clothing in those movies? Is it really that hard to adapt?
Your thoughts were always running wild while walking with humans. You always had the fear that the likes of Van Helsing still existed in the 21st century. Scary silver gadgets and sharp wooden stakes and all. You were scared to be identified as a blood sucking vampire even though people did not have definitive proof that your kind existed. You didn't even know they existed until you were bitten.
Regardless, that feeling of anxiety stayed aggressive but would subside once you got back home in your dank and (almost) decrepit basement of an apartment.
With the popularity of security cameras everywhere on the street, it was hard to lure a victim in dark alleyways. They can always identify you. They can find you with ease. So, it was hard to feed. Yes, hypothetically, you could enter a hospital and steal bags of donated blood but that was beyond your capabilities. Stealth isn't really your thing... so is stealing precious blood from people who need it.
I mean, you needed it too. But-
It's complicated. You thought.
You haven't drank blood in a year, and that was taking a toll on you and your health. You thought you'd be dead by the first week you didn't have fresh blood in your veins.
You survived for a whole year though, because you had a plan.
When you transform into a bat- like all vampires do, of course- you can still eat. So, you experimented. One night, you transformed into your casual fruit bat form and ate an apple while in said form. It surprised you that it filled you up. But, when you turned into your normal form, you still felt wheezy and thirsy from the lack of nutrients. Curious and desperate, you ate a lost beetle crawling on your windowsill.
And it helped.
You had a new diet. Albeit a bad one for a vampire to stay healthy, but it was keeping you sane and alive, and that was enough for you.
So, as you roam the streets, looking for the fruit stalls in the open market, you readied a sneaky hand to try and steal a piece of fruit. You were looking for nothing in particular. I mean, beggars can't be choosers after all. To you, it was verging on life and death.
I can't die yet. I'm only on my 15th year as a vampire. That'd be so pathetic if I died.
"Hey!" The street vendor yelled in your direction. You tried to hide the bright yellow banana as much as possible in your jacket sleeve. "Is that from me?" he asked accusingly.
You shook your head, feigning innocence.
"Give it back," he demanded.
"Please," you managed to squeak out. "I don't have any money and I'm really hungry." It was true. You didn't have a lot of money. The rest you had saved was for your home. God knows you couldn't lose your home.
"You think I care? Tough luck, kid. Everybody has to earn and survive one way or another. Now, give it back." He said aggressively. Half his body was leaning over his stall, trying to reach you. You kept withdrawing back, bumping into passing strangers.
The vendor stretched out a hand, trying to pry the fruit from your sleeve.
You were frozen, but kept a tight grip on the fruit. It was literally your lifeline. "Please, just one-"
A coin floated in the air and landed on the vendor's outstretched hand.
"Surely, that'll cover it, no?" A smooth baritone voice spoke beside you. The vendor muffled in agreement, closing his fist before pocketing the coin.
The vendor said nothing and let you keep the fruit in your hands, sending a disgusted look your way.
The man put a hand on your shoulder, steering you away from the crowded area of the market. While walking, he leaned close to your ear.
"You're with me now," he whispered definitely.
You looked up at him when he withdrew. He was tall and lithe, and he had this regal look to him. He had pale skin, suspiciously bright green eyes, and shoulder-length ebony hair. His features were slightly pointed, harsh but soft at the same time, as if he was sculpted from marble.
"Thank you," you mumbled quietly, a slight tremble in your voice. He was leading you to a dark alley. You didn't know whether to flee or to just accept your fate.
"I'm just like you," he said, noticing your anxiety. You let out a big sigh of relief when he said that.
Finally, after a decade of loneliness- another vampire.
"Can you fly?" He asked once you were both covered by the shadows of the tight alley.
You nodded and promptly turned into a fruit bat, holding the stolen banana between your little teeth.
"Good," he said, transforming as well. His wings were slightly bigger than yours, and his eyes in this form were equally as bright but not at all green.
You followed him as he flew towards the direction of the moon. You passed by multiple apartment buildings and establishments before entering a dense forest at the edge of the city. He had you fly above the tall trees, and beyond them you could see a silhouette of a mansion.
Holy shit.
This guy has to be old money or something.
He transformed back to his human form as he landed on the front porch of the grand mansion you assumed he owned. You landed much less gracefully than he did, a bruised banana in your right hand.
He searched for his keys in his pockets and promptly unlocked the door. However, before going in, he turned to you.
"Where are my manners," he said, smoothing the lapels of his blazer. "Loki, son of Frigga." He stretched out a hand.
You told him your name and awkwardly put your hand in his. You expected a hand shake but he kissed the back of your hand instead.
I'm not important or rich enough for this.
"Pleasure," he said, a hint of a smile on his face. "Come in, make yourself at home."
You trailed behind him and tried your best not to look so shocked when examining the interior of his home.
To say that the foyer of Loki's mansion was gigantic would be an understatement. You had to crane your neck all the way back to view the entrance hall in one look. The place looked straight out of a period piece.
You remembered watching "Pride and Prejudice" in 2005, alone in your decrepit apartment and actively compared Mr. Darcy's palace of a home to what you were seeing right now.
Oddly enough, you thought that old vampires lived in dark and dank mansions, with peeling wallpaper and soaked wooden floorboards. You didn't expect everything to be so bright.
The walls were made from marble, with swoops and blendings of cream, white, and warm gray. The curtains looked heavy as they hang from the very high ceilings. They seemed to be very light and clean velvet.
The floor was also some sort of white polished stone. It was so clean and polished that if you had a reflection, you would be able to see it.
The tall ceilings were a sage green with gold swirling accents, and hanging from it are massive crystal chandeliers. You counted three when you entered, but now see more through a long hallway with old paintings and displayed granite sculptures.
You've never been more intimidated to explore a space in your life.
"Follow me," said Loki, snapping you out from your awed state. "We must sit and chat."
You couldn't say no to that. He may be a stranger but he has definitely earned his authority to make requests.
"This place is..." You couldn't even finish your sentence when you walked by the long hall with all of the paintings and sculptures. Most of them were portraits of Loki along the years. The oldest seem to be from the late 1600s.
"It is a lot of... Me. I know," Loki said while walking alongside you, a tinge of amusement in his voice.
"No, no. I get it," you said. "We don't have reflections."
"Indeed," he replied. "I suppose it is my way of remembering what I look like. As if I'd forget with all these looking at me." He added, gesturing at the paintings.
Finally, you both reached the end of the long hallway. He opened the door and motioned for you to enter first like the gentleman he was raised to be.
Loki brought you to the mansion's sitting area. Even though it was also humongous, it felt more cozy and homely. The couches were old and vintage, but they still had a soft bounce to them. The uniquely carved coffee table in front of you is probably a few hundred years older than you, you wagered.
"Would you like something to drink?" Loki asked. He probably sensed you hadn't had blood in a while.
"Yes," you said quietly. "Please."
"Percy!" Loki shouted.
A man in a poet blouse and brown waistcoat arrived. He looked like Alfred from the Batman comics, just a little more beige, you noted.
"Yes, sire?" Percy asked, he had a posh English accent.
"Fetch our guest and I something to drink, would you?" Percy immediately nodded and went off to the direction he came from.
You looked confused when Percy exited the room. He was human.
"That was Percy. My human familiar- a vampire's assistant, if you will." Loki said, as if he read your mind.
You slowly nodded at him, awkwardly finding a comfortable position on the sofa. "Do powerful vampires get the ability to read minds?" You asked sincerely.
"You think me powerful?" Loki asked in a teasing tone.
"Well, you know-"
"I'm jesting," he said, finally smiling, but it wasn't a smile that you would see on an innocent man. No, his smile looked a little bit deranged and chaotic, no matter how happy he is or how good his intentions are. "No, vampires can hypnotize humans but we cannot read their minds, much less fellow vampires. You merely have a readable face, that's all."
Percy arrived before you could add anything else. The smell of fresh human blood really got you stirring in your seat.
Normally, Loki would revel in a vampire looking lustful and hungry for blood, but looking at you, he felt a little sorry.
When Percy placed the wine glass filled with fresh warm blood on the coffee table in front of you, you immediately gripped it with both hands and chugged it down as gracefully as your hunger would let you. Your eyes flashed red for the first time in a long time.
Loki gestured at his familiar to give you two some privacy. When you finished the glass, Loki offered you his. You looked at it, a little bit unsure. He gave you a reassuring nod, and that was all you needed before you downed another wine glass of blood.
Once you were finished, you finally felt satiated and full. You leaned back on the couch, your eyes were wild and glazed over, your chest was heaving for breaths, but it was worth it. You could immediately feel your cheeks being less gaunt, your lips were no longer chapped.
"Thank you," you said breathlessly. "You have no idea how long I've gone without blood."
"How long?" Loki asked.
"A year." He winced.
"How are you alive?" He asked in disbelief.
"I had to get crafty," you replied, leaning forward in your seat. "I eat fruit as a bat so I wouldn't die and ate insects so I wouldn't dry up."
"I hope you know I was quite serious when I said you're with me from now on," he said, concerned.
"Serious or not, I was going to take you up on that offer anyways," you replied sardonically. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so crass. Thank you for being kind. Hell knows I needed it."
"You're most welcome," said Loki.
"Is it alright if I ask questions?"
"You just did."
"Touchè." Loki was confused for a moment with the word choice but chose to let it go.
"When were you turned?" You asked. You had been incredibly curious since you glanced at his face.
"1697," Loki answered, he never forgot the year. "I was 29 about to celebrate my 30th. And you?"
"1999. I was at a university party when I got lured, so." You placed a hand on your chin.
"I knew you were a young one," said Loki, pleased in his little victory.
"What gave it away?" you asked sarcastically. Loki shook his head at you, amused. "Were you the only one turned in your family?"
"I was," he answered, but not with the same enthusiasm as before.
"I'm sorry, was that a sensitive question?"
"It's alright. Humans, they come and they go, no?"
"I suppose they do," you replied, looking down at your toes.
"Are your people still around?" Loki asked.
You nodded. "They are, but they're getting old. I worry I won't be able to attend their funerals because it'd take place in a church and y'know..."
"Well, the best we can do is watch from afar." Loki said with such weight you figured that it was what he did way back when a family member of his passed on.
"Do you have friends? Not acquaintances or colleagues," you asked.
"Neither vampire nor human," he answered. "I couldn't see the point in it really. Humans go faster than the speed of light- specially during my time, cholera and tuberculosis were putting every life through Hell- and vampires tend to get greedy and lazy. The cons merely outweighed the pros."
"Doesn't it get lonely after nearly 400 years?"
"You'll learn to live with it," he said. "And what about you, do you have friends?"
"I did," you answered. "I tried keeping in touch with them during the first few months of me being turned but it proved to be harder than it needed to be. I also wanted to keep my distance in case things go awry."
Loki hummed.
"How do you get blood?" You asked promptly, like a lightbulb appeared above your head.
"Percy sources them for me." Loki answered with a shrug.
"What about ethics?" You asked.
Loki chuckled. "I remembered when I used to be like that," he said, delighted. "I need you to understand that as vampires, we are unnatural creatures. Abiding by human morals will only make our lives even more difficult than it is. We are unnatural. We must think and stay that way in order to survive. You understand me?"
You nodded. "I do. It's just that-"
"Darling, just kill pedophiles if you're so concerned about ethics. You'll be helping society by thinning them out. But, don't tell me they taste bad."
"Well, you have a point," you replied. "Food is food."
You were about to ask another question when Percy entered the sitting area. His hands were clasped behind him and he held his head high. He leaned over to pass a message to Loki.
"Sire, will your guest be staying with us today?" Percy asked softly.
"Yes," Loki answered. "Make sure the coffin is padded."
"Of course, Sire. I'll call when it's nearly sunrise." Percy finally said before exiting the room once more.
"What else does he do?" you asked.
"Asides from getting me my sustenance, he cleans, organizes, buries bodies, attend to my plants. Everything that keeps this mansion from falling apart."
"Damn."
"Greedy and lazy, darling," he said with a smirk. Loki stood from his seat, beckoning you to join him. "Come, let us take a stroll."
This place is big enough for more than a stroll. I could knock myself unconscious from sprinting the property.
You nodded and followed Loki. You both walked back at the long hallway filled with paintings, and you thought to ask him about it.
"Who's that?" You asked, pointing at a marble sculpture of an elegant woman. Her curly hair was pinned in an updo that was popular during the early 19th century.
"My mother, Frigga," Loki said pleasantly. Her death was the only one that struck him painfully in the heart. It was a few years after he turned, and he rarely saw her after he became a vampire, moreso as the years passed. When he heard of her passing, he didn't feed for three months.
"She's beautiful," you said in awe.
"She was, a ray of sunshine for everybody in our city."
You continued walking.
"So, like, are you royalty or something?" You asked.
Loki shook his head. "Nobility, actually. Father was an Earl, he had his own region to manage. I had an older brother, he took the mantle of Earl once father passed. So, I was left free of any responsibility."
"You're rich and immortal," you said with a jesting tone. "Life is so fair."
Loki chuckled.
"This is where we would host seasonal balls. But, as you can see, it has not been used in a while." Loki dragged a finger on a windowsill and found his finger covered in dust. The floor was also less polished as opposed to the rooms that were used a lot more.
"Oh my," you breathed. It was like the grand foyer but the carvings on the wall were far more intricate and unique. The chandelier was also more extravagant, which you didn't know was possible.
"Is this where you grew up?" You asked. I mean, he did say balls so you assumed he lived here for quite some time.
"No," Loki answered. "This is mother's estate before she was married to father. I grew up in Scandinavia."
"That's why you're so tall," you commented. "Gotcha."
"Your humor is quite..."
"Sarcastic? Dark? Depressing? Rude?"
"Let's just say 'unique'."
"You're not used to it are you? I get it like, you grew up in the 17th century. Women were taught to shut their mouths and be polite unless they want to be exorcised or be put in a mental institute."
Loki gave you a nod, leading you out of the ballroom. "Indeed. Ever since the mid 20th century I haven't had many talks with people of the time. But, I'm sure I will get used to it. It's refreshing, in a way."
You both went up the massive staircase near the foyer to the second floor of the mansion. He took you to a specific hallway and stopped before large wooden double doors. Loki gestured with his hands and the doors opened without difficulty.
"I still haven't mastered that," you said, referring to his little bit of telekinesis.
"One day," Loki replied, walking through the doors. "My favorite place in this house. The library. Do be careful when flipping the pages, they're all very old."
The room was filled top to bottom with shelves upon shelves of books. The shelves were so tall, there had to be a second level balcony inside the room to make grabbing books convenient, a ladder would still be too difficult.
"I'm scared to even touch a book," you said mostly to yourself, but it was loud enough for Loki to hear.
"Most of them are from the late 17th century to the early 20th century. I rarely collect modern books, but there are some in the mix." Loki rambled while getting a book from the shelf. "Do you read?"
"Only when it was required. I did readings for my literature class back in university. I haven't done much since then," you answered.
"Then here," Loki said, handing you a book he plucked out from the shelves. It was an original copy of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. "I hope you haven't gotten around to reading it."
You shook your head, carefully holding onto the book. "We mostly read non-fiction and essays in my class. I got turned before the fictional semester."
"It's a satire," Loki said. "I shan't spoil it for you."
"I'll start reading it before I go to sleep." You said to him like it was a promise. "Speaking of sleep, what time is it?"
"Midnight," Loki answered. "We have a long night to go if you're bored with my presence."
"I'm not, in case you're accusing me of anything," you said lightheartedly. "I'm actually very glad to talk to a fellow vampire- to anyone for that matter."
"Good."
"I heard what you and Percy were whispering about earlier," you said, trailing lazy hand on the books on the shelves— a lot of them were dusty.
"You don't mind, no?" Loki asked. He answered Percy's question about your stay so confidently, but now that he was facing you, he was a little less sure. He did have a glimmer of hope, though.
You shook your head. "Not at all," you said with a faint smile. "You're lucky I was born here."
"Ah, yes. The soil."
"Is your soil Scandinavian?"
"Of course," Loki answered. "I was transported here in a coffin with dirt."
You chuckled. Loki motioned for you to start heading out the library door. He followed closely behind and used his telekinetic powers to close the door behind him.
"That must've been a lot of fun," you said sarcastically.
"The killing? Indeed, easy. The sleeping? Fucking scratchy and hard. It's been 200 years and it still ticks me off."
"That's hilarious."
You and Loki leisurely walked alongside each other for the rest of the night. He would randomly point at a decoration in the mansion and tell you all about its history with him, how he got it, why it's still there, et cetera. You would nod and say a quip that will get you a look or a half-laugh where he just exhales heavily through his nose with a smile.
It was about 3am when he took you to the mansion's higest balcony. The trees were below you at this point. You could feel the chilly wind softly hit your face. The stars were bright and twinkling here, no light nor air pollution of the city.
"What did you mean when you said 'you're with me'?" you asked. It surprised him a little. He was expecting you to ask that, but not so bluntly.
"You're with me," he repeated. "You are under my protection. You may live with me, you may be my protégé, you may be my vampire assistant. Whatever role you wish to fill, you may fill it. But, most importantly, you are under my protection."
"You'll let me live here?" you asked, shocked and astonished.
Perhaps it was Loki's loneliness that drew him to you stronger than it actually should, but he really didn't mind another presence in his massive house.
"If you want to, yes," Loki answered. "I merely want to be of help."
If you asked Loki from 1797, a hundred-year-old vampire to look out for the younger ones and take them under his wing, he would scoff at you and laugh and terrify the newly turned vampires to their coffins.
"Why?" you asked. You really haven't met a lot of vampires who would do such generous things. You hoped there'd be a number of them, but you didn't expect yourself to experience their good graces. You thought you'd turn out fine in the long run without any help.
"I knew someone in the early 19th century who was accused of witchcraft because she didn't age. Of course, she wouldn't. She was a vampire for goodness sake. They accused her of being mad then for being a witch, and because she was a woman, they executed her. Humans killed her," Loki explained. He had a thousand-yard-stare.
"She couldn't hide her vampirism that well because she had to hunt for herself in the slums of London. She was an unfortunate woman with no money. I didn't help her at all because all I cared about was myself, my wealth, and blood. But, after her death it put everything in perspective. No creature deserves the innate cruelty of humanity."
Your eyebrows wrinkled, as you listened to the sadness, guilt, and regret in Loki's voice as he told the story. Your heart felt heavy, as did your head.
"I'm sorry," you said. "I shouldn't have asked."
"It's alright," Loki said in a soft tone.
You let out a deep breath while puffing your cheeks, trying to use awkwardness and humor to defuse the situation.
"Damn," you whispered to yourself. "Do you ever think about dying?" you blurted out. You surprised yourself more than Loki.
Loki pursed his lips. "When I was a human or now as a vampire?"
"Doesn't matter." You shrugged.
"As a young lad, I can tell you confidently that no, I did not. But now, being hundreds of years old? Most definitely," Loki said. "Do you?"
"Fuck yes," you said confidently. "Every day in my sad apartment, I wonder when death will come for me if I don't fight enough to survive. In my head, being a vampire violated some moral law I've set for myself and that death would be my judge, jury, and executioner."
"We do violate laws, in a way," Loki agreed. "Man should be at the top of the food chain, but with us around..." He shrugged.
"Why do you think about death, Loki? Or should I call you Sire or My Lord?"
He chuckled, but shook is head.
"I suppose, my fear of death has passed after being around for so long. I've mostly done what I wanted, what I dreamed of, albeit only to a certain degree because of anatomical restrictions, like the Sun. But, being as old as I am, the days blur together now. You remember most events in decades rather than days or weeks.
Life becomes repetitive and boring where I just wish death would arrive to change things or perhaps bring chaos. Now that humans are getting more and more technologically advanced, it's not long before they prove the existence of supernatural folk like us. What happens then?"
"You think they'll hunt us down? Like in your times?" you asked.
"No," Loki said. "After the second world war, humans have become more devious. I think they'll use the pursuit of knowledge as an excuse to torture us with experiments."
You grimaced.
"I hope I die from madness, the latter would be much worse, I fear."
"That's dark, man," you said to him, slightly disturbed at the notion of the future becoming a far more difficult time to survive.
"I apologize," he said. "I didn't mean to go on an existential journey with you."
"Well, I got what I asked for." You said with a small mischievous smile.
Loki's eyes darted across the sky, see-sawing between constellations. He was thinking something over.
"Would you allow me to be vulnerable with you?" He blurted out.
Your eyes widened slightly. "Uh- Yeah, sure. I don't mind."
"Follow me."
Loki took you back to the staircase you came from but instead of returning to the ground floor where the foyer was, he stopped at the second floor. You changed hallways, walking down the furthest one from the previous staircase. At the end of the hallway was a wide set of steps that led to the basement of the mansion.
The basement wasn't dingy or dank at all. It was like a polished cave with purposive cracks on the wall and vegetation that was watered and cut to add to the aesthetic. The ceilings were a little bit lower than the ones above ground, but the walls were still significantly taller than Loki. And Loki was tall.
There were hanging lanterns on the wall, but you doubted they were actual fire because it seemed like Loki doesn't frequent his oasis of a basement at all.
"I wasn't planning on showing anyone this since I had it installed in 1925," Loki explained before opening wooden double doors at the back of the cave.
Your jaw dropped when you saw it.
It was a wooden stake encased behind a thick wall of glass. It was displayed like a museum artifact, yet it slightly terrified you to approach it.
"I had the lock upgraded a few years ago. It has a digital password which I can only access."
"W-Why?" Was the only word you could muster.
"I call it 'The Last Resort'," Loki said calmly. "If the world is unlivable for creatures like us, I'd rather have my death at my own hands than a mob of humans or natural causes. That, or I become too mad to live happily."
"It kinda concerns me how you have everything planned," you commented, slowly stepping out of the room. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit overwhelmed."
Loki put a supportive hand on your back, guiding you out the door. He closed it with a small gust of wind, he probably conjured.
"Can we go somewhere.... above ground?" you asked. "It's just that it's a little claustrophobic and—"
"Of course," Loki said. "You need not explain yourself at every instance."
You nodded, a little shakily.
Loki stayed behind you, guiding you up the stair case and out of the basement-cave that was crushing your lungs despite its twelve-foot ceilings.
You were now in one of Loki's many studies in the mansion. You could see the moon from the large window there. You made a mental note not to step foot in the room during sunset.
"Do you ever think you'll use The Last Resort?" you asked softly, sitting in one of the large lounge chairs in the room. It was a bit dusty but you didn't mind.
"I hope not," replied Loki, laying on the long sofa across from you.
"Are you seriously letting me live here?" you asked again, in disbelief. Everything about tonight still hasn't sunk in properly.
Loki turned to you. "Yes, yes I am," he said, casually resting his cheek on the back of his hand.
"Do you want me to?" you asked, looking him dead in the eyes. He didn't blink nor divert them in a different direction.
"Yes."
"Well," you said, kicking your feet to stand up and approach him. "If I'm going to stick around, I'm not letting you choose The Last Resort." You said it firmly. If Loki were to argue with you, you wouldn't allow it. Was he a total stranger? Yes. Were you totally going to be friends with this vampire? Absolutely.
Loki sat up from his position, staring into your eyes. He needed to know if you were serious.
"Alright," he breathed.
"And since you offered me to be your pupil, I want to be as strong as you."
"What ever do you mean? You're just as strong as me, perhaps stronger."
You nearly scoffed at that. "I don't need my ego inflated, Loki."
"But mine does."
You let out a small chuckle. Loki fought back a smile, he bit his cheek.
"Sure," he said pleasantly. "I'll teach you everything I know."
"Shake on it," you said mischievously.
"Fine. Deal?"
"Deal."
There was a weird tingle when you shook his hand. It was as if your power recognized his the moment you made contact; like electricity connecting with a conductive material— it was weird. Regardless, you found that his hands were soft and somewhat warm for a vampire. His warmth felt comforting.
A knock sounded through the door.
"Sire!" It was Percy. "It is an hour 'til sunrise!" He yelled.
"Thank you, Percy!" Loki called out, still holding onto your hand. He shifted it so that he could sandwich it inbetween his.
"I suppose this is good night," he said.
"I guess it is," you replied, placing your other hand on top of his. "Thank you," you said softly. Your tired eyes had gone soft.
"Come on, darling. I haven't even taught you how to vaporize yet." Loki said with a cheeky smile.
"Still," you breathed, remaining genuine. "Thank you. You quite literally have saved me. You said I'd be under your protection, but let me repay your kindness by also protecting you, both from other people and yourself."
Loki's face softened. "Oh, I really don't require protection and I don't require payment of any kind."
"I don't care," you said, squeezing his hand. "I'm just as strong as you, correct?
"Indeed, you are."
"Then you're weak as shit."
Loki laughed. He laughed with his stomach. The sound echoed in the room loudly, making you snicker at his reaction. It has been a few decades since he has ever had a good laugh.
"I'll tell you what," he said, still recovering from laughter. "Fine. You may look after my wellbeing but don't ever think of it as payment, think of it as an old favor for a friend, yes? I'll have your back, you'll have mine."
"Sounds good."
"Brilliant."
"See you tomorrow? I guess?" you said, letting go of his hand.
"Of course," Loki replied. "Now, come on. Percy gets all ansty if the Sun is too close to his liking." He motioned for you to exit the study. But, instead of opening the door the normal way, you tried doing what Loki does. You imagined a gust of wind, blowing hard enough to force the double doors to open.
It. worked.
A little too well perhaps because the doors flew open way too loudly that it resulted in a loud bang!
Percy rushed towards the study, heaving heavy breaths.
"I came as soon as I heard the noise!" He declared, bent over, resting his hands on his knees.
"We're alright, Percy," Loki said, shooting you a proud and mesmerized look. You smiled at him cheekily, albeit a little bit panicked.
"Mhm," you agreed. "We were just heading out to sleep because, you know, you warned us and stuff."
"Right, of course," said Percy, smoothing over his clothes. "If you could just follow me, Madame, I shall lead you to your chambers."
You nodded at him. "Please, just my name is fine."
Percy softly smiled at you before beckoning you to follow him. You left Loki's side and walked behind Percy through the many many hallways, but not before sending Loki a final glance and a final wave.
Loki waved back, and once you were out of his sight, he let out a deep sigh. Then he smiled to himself.
"See you tomorrow," he whispered to himself. "Princess."
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Very much inspired by "What We Do In The Shadows" aka one of my favorite creations by Taika Waititi
Please go give it a watch it is stupidly hilarious!!
Thank you for reading!
I shall see you next time ;)