Loki P.O.V.
I shifted Mandy’s position so I could see her face. It was flushed with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She continued to pant though unconscious which showed more than enough that she was feeling very uncomfortable.
Unsure of what to do, I proceeded to try to wake her and see if she could tell me how to help her. Shaking her and calling her name did not help at all as I could not rouse her.
I cursed myself for being so clueless. Never had I been in such a situation like this and now I had to face it on my own.
I decided that the next best move was to transfer her from the floor to a bed. With an arm around her shoulders and the other under her legs, I picked her up and brought Mandy to her room.
I was certain she would have resisted that I carried her all the way. After all, she was the kind of person who disliked pity or unnecessary assistance.
As I put her down, I heard her moan in discomfort but did not awaken.
After tucking her in, I stayed by her side for a while. I used my sleeve to wipe her forehead and continuously checked her temperature. Eventually I thought of looking for information regarding healing of Midgardian illnesses. Perhaps she had some books about it lying around.
Mandy P.O.V.
I woke up feeling terrible. My head hurt like crazy and my body felt heavy. I tried to pull myself out of bed but I found it too difficult. I remained there for a while to regain my strength.
I soon wondered how I even ended up in my bed. I remembered telling Loki about how I lost my sight and crying hysterically and embarrassingly in front of him, but nothing more.
At the thought of Loki, I realized he was not with me. I decided to go and look for him. He was the only one who knew what had occured.
I tried to rise again. With a sore throat, I called out his name hoping to hear an answer, but there was none. I began to worry.
Where is he? Had he left? He was probably afraid of being involved with someone with a background like mine. I know I shouldn’t blame him but I kinda didn’t want him to go. Couldn’t he at least let me know that he was leaving?
My mind was full of questions which made it hurt even more. The only way I thought I could fix the problem was by getting some answers.
Once I was on my feet, I wobbled across the room to the door. It was not long before I realized that it was a bad idea. Being blind and dizzy at the same time made things a lot harder for me to walk.
Barely a step past the door post, I fell to the ground and could no longer get up. My limbs were shaking from the effort and my breathing turned into panting. I called for Loki one last time before I gave up trying to move.
Seconds passed like minutes as I lay like a pile of skin and bones on the floor.
“Mandy?” I heard someone call out.
A pair of hands pulled me up gently and let me lean against him.
“Loki?” I asked, though I already knew who it was.
He had begun to position his arms around my body to carry me.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked as he lifted me. Loki sounded a bit worried though he tried to seem calm.
I did not reply and he dropped the question.
He placed me back on the bed and helped me under the covers. I did not complain since this time, I really did need his help.
Just as I was settling in, I felt something surprisingly cold on my forehead. The sensation made me jump a little.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked with concern. “I only intended to check your temperature.”
I shook my head and in a croaking voice told him, “No, it’s just that I didn’t expect your hand to be so cold.”
“Perhaps it is because your illness has caused you to be so warm.” He stated as he removed his hand.
I checked my neck if he was right as I asked, “I’m sick? Since when?”
“I presume it was after you allowed yourself to be rained upon this morning.” Loki answered with a sigh.
I knew he was right so I did not press on the matter. Instead I asked, “How long was I asleep?”
“A few hours.” He replied bluntly.
“And you stayed around? This is your chance, you know.” I said though my voice slowly died as the words came out.
With innocent curiosity he asked, “Chance for what?”
“Your chance to escape, to get away from someone as messed up as me.” I told him, surprised that he had not thought of it.
He reacted with a firm statement. “I’m not leaving.”
“Don’t you think it’s dangerous staying here?” I asked, still confused as to why he did not want to.
I heard a scoff before he spoke. “Why would I feel that way?”
He started to make me feel ashamed. “I don’t know. I just assumed you’d be afraid of staying with a former criminal.”
“I might be more dangerous than you think.” He told me with mischief in his voice.
I could have sworn he was grinning as he spoke, but ignored his tone and instead tried to take control of the conversation.
“But you don’t seem like it at all. I could be wrong though.”
Unfortunately, Loki did not continue the conversation. “Do not stress yourself with it. You are unwell and now is not the time.”
I was about to argue when my head began to throb. With that, I resigned and said to him, “You’re right. But you owe me a back story.”
He gave a light chuckle and told me, “Perhaps when you are better. Now rest.”
I nodded with a smile and snuggled into the sheets.
As I heard Loki’s steps moving farther away, I remembered to ask him, “Can you handle things on your own? I’m sure there’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
Before he closed the door, I heard him say, “I can manage. Your only concern at the moment is yourself.”
With him gone, I let my tired eyes close and let myself fall asleep.
Loki P.O.V
As I walked to the living room, I remembered that I should not have shut the door. Should she need help again, I would not hear or see it.
I returned to her room, and left a small opening. Just before I left again, I peeked inside and saw something that made smile a bit. I had only been away for a few minutes but she was already sound asleep.
With a calm mind, I headed for the living room. It felt strange to feel so relaxed, considering how complicated things had been recently. Ironically, it had to happen when Mandy got sick. Regardless, it seemed ideal that she was forced to rest after all the negative incidents. It was slowly bringing back the happier Mandy I had come to know.
Perhaps she did not notice but I saw that she was less tense than she had been recently. Her illness could not hide that lighter disposition of hers. I hoped she would remain this way, now that she had less to hide.
“Get away!”
I jumped up at the sound and immediately ran to Mandy’s room. She was having another nightmare and was fighting against it. Her movements were obviously exhausting her already weak body. She was unconsciously worsening her sickness.
I sat beside her and while holding her shoulders, called out “Mandy, wake up!”
She groaned but did not awaken. I was starting to see a pattern in that.
I tried again and this time, it worked. Her eyes opened and tried to look around. She should not have been able to see anything but perhaps it was a habit of hers or that she had forgotten she was blind.
“Loki? Is that you? What happened?” she asked with a small slur.
I released her and explained, “You were screaming in your sleep again.”
“Oh.” was her first response. She took a deep breath and then spoke again.
“Thanks for waking me.” She said, placing her hand on top of my own.
I would have pulled away immediately but I caught something in her voice. She sounded happy in a way. Mandy had finally come to fully accept and trust me with regards to her nightmares.
Feeling satisfied I proceeded to leave saying, “It’s over, now. Go back to sleep.”
“No.” she suddenly said, making me turn around.
“You are not well and the book had specifically stated that when ill, bed rest is a must.” I informed her.
She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Book? What book?”
“I found a book on treating sickness among your things.” I replied.
I saw her give an amused look as she said, “Huh, didn’t know we had that.”
“I can see you are trying to distract me.” I told her honestly as I leaned at the door post.
She looked down and pursed her lips, not even attempting to give me a response.
Seeing that I made her uncomfortable, I went beside her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid I’ll have that nightmare again.” She replied, shaking her head.
I sighed, understanding her reason. “Then what do you think we should do about that?” I questioned her, giving her the opportunity to decide.
She took a moment before suggesting, “Can you stay here? We can talk.”
“Are you trying pry into my past?” I mused, sensing that she might have turned the situation into an opportunity.
A shy smile crept on her face. “No. Not just yet.”
“Then what would you ask of me if not about my past?” I asked with skepticism in my voice.
“Your story can wait. Things have been very hectic since we started talking about things like that. Right now, I just want something to smile about.” She replied honestly.
Though I accepted what she said, I began to wonder what it was she really wanted.
“What, pray tell, do you think I have that can make you smile? There is nothing pleasing about me.”
Her smile slowly grew bigger. “I think there is. You just don’t see it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And you can?”
She gave a small chuckle. “Alright, you got me there. But maybe you can help me with that.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand. What do you want, exactly?” I asked, getting more and more confused.
I saw Mandy bracing herself to answer. “I want to know what you look like.” She said shyly.
I did not expect that from her and did not know how to respond.
She held her hands out carefully, trying to reach something as she softly asked, “Please?”
I understood what she was trying to do but I hesitated for a second before I silently agreed.
I took her warm hands and gently placed them on the sides of my face. Though I was tense at first, I loosened up to her touch.
She began to softly trace my features: running her fingers across my cheeks and nose and lightly brushing my lips with her thumb.
When she was nearing my eyes, I closed them to avoid being hit accidentally. She slowed down at the area, feeling it more than any other part.
“Tell me, what color are your eyes?” she asked softly. Her fingers grazed over each eyelid carefully.
“Green.” I answered honestly in the same volume as her voice.
Her hands then moved to the top of my head, and ran her fingers through my hair.
“What about here?” she asked again.
Still engrossed in the sensation of her touch in my scalp, I replied, “Black.”
“Such a nice combination. You must be attractive.” She joked, with her hands still playing with my hair.
I slowly shook my head and said, “I highly doubt that. I’ve never been the fancy of women at ho- where I came from.”
I almost made a fatal slip. I had nearly forgotten that Asgard was not my home. It was a cage; a prison.
“They must be blind.” I heard Mandy say, pulling me back into the moment.
“You must be.” I retorted nicely and heard her chuckle in response.
Finally opening my eyes, I found myself face to face with Mandy. I was startled at how close she was, but she did not seem to mind or even notice. All she had was an innocent smile that even lit up her eyes.
Suddenly feeling nervous, I tried to wriggle out of the situation.
“Well, I think we’ve distracted ourselves long enough. You should get some rest.” I stammered out as I removed her hands.
She looked a little dismayed, but complied anyway. Mandy nestled back in to the bed and closed her eyes.
I checked her temperature one last time and then departed.
“Goodnight, Loki.” A voice gently called out from the room. Mandy was still straining her throat just to greet me.
Amused at the gesture, I turned around and said, “Goodnight, Mandy.”
There were no more nightmares that night.