* my current favourite song~~~ *
"Oww." A pause. "Ouch! In Bor's name......."
"Oh shush you. How can a god be so easily hurt?"
"Says the person with the lesser injuries. And without a black eye may I add."
They were back in Kyra's apartment. A visit to the clinic and a lie to the doctor about Kyra's purse getting mugged had revealed that their injuries mostly consisted of ugly bruises. And no, her ribs hadn't been broken, but she did sustained a nasty deep gash in her shoulder.
Well at least it isn't dislocated.
Now they were sitting in the living room couch, in front of the television, and Kyra was tending to Loki's black eye with a hard-boiled egg.
"You know what? What don't you just do it yourself. Just roll the thing around your eye, I'm sure you've got enough brain to handle that one at least."
"Ooh. The mortal has become a regular little spitfire." Loki took the handkerchief-wrapped object and Kyra turned to the first-aid kit lying opened beside her. She closed it and stood up.
"Where are you going?"
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, feeling self-conscious.
"Umm, I need to change the bandage on my shoulder so - I'm heading for the toilet."
"Your shoulder? Can you reach it with one arm? Is it not at the back?"
"Well......" Well idiot, I can't possibly half-strip here and get you to help me now could I?
Loki stopped massaging his eye. "Why don't I help you with that?"
Apparently I can.
Clearing her throat, she went back and perched herself at the edge of the couch. Loki frowned.
"You do realize you need to sit closer for me to help you."
She bit her lip. Suddenly she felt like she was back on her first high-school date all over again.
She moved, just one inch closer. There was an exasperated exhale from behind, and then strong arms grabbed hold of her shoulders and pulled her back. She gave a little yelp as she landed in his lap.
Loki chuckled. "You're not shy are you? We have done more than this."
She was glad that her back was to him and he could not see that her cheeks were aflamed.
Hesitantly she slipped part of her T-shirt down past her left shoulder, exposing the injury.
Behind her Loki said nothing. Instead, smooth fingers brushed the nape of her neck as he scooped her brown tresses over the other shoulder. She tilted her head a little to help him out.
She could feel him peeling the old bandage off. His touch was careful and soft, gentle as he maneuvered around the wound. It was silence for several minutes as he worked. She winced a little when he put the ointment on.
"Wouldn't it be good if you had a distraction about now?" she heard him murmur.
Kyra's whole body froze.
What does that mean? her mind screamed. Is he going to kiss me? Again??? Or does he want me to kiss him? Is this a subtle hint?
What on Earth does he mean???
She wanted nothing better than to ask him what he meant. Yet she was afraid of the answer. Her nerves were all tensed up as her brain scrabbled furiously to work out all the possible meanings.
In the end she only reached a hand across and grabbed the remote control on the table.
"Yeah, good idea. Let's watch some TV."
She flicked to a random channel. MTV. The program played and she arched both eyebrows.
Seriously?
Loki frowned. "Isn't that the mortal that acts as me for your Midgard movie?"
"Tom Hiddleston. Yes."
"What in Bor's name is he doing?"
Onscreen, dressed in a white shirt and a black outer garment, the handsome British actor was speaking.
"There's no caffeine in it."
Opposite him the bespectacled MTV host frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The actor let out a chuckle. "It's a decaf. I took the caffeine out." He looked immeasurably proud of himself. "I decaf-ed it. Decaffenaito."
The host gave an awkward grin. "Wow. Um. Nice. You got me."
"You're gonna get so sleepy later." The delighted grin grew wider. "Decaf? And you need caffeine!"
Loki arched an eyebrow as the actor burst into raucous laughter right in the host's face.
"It's a prank!" He laughed even louder. "You'll be so sleepy! You're not gonna be able to stay awake! You're gonna look like such an ass!"
On the couch, both of Loki's eyebrows shot sky-high as the actor crowed loudly at the camera,
"Loki'd!"
Kyra squeezed her eyes shut, for some reason feeling extremely embarrassed on behalf of the actor. She reached for the remote control, but Loki was strangely enthralled, and told her to leave it. He watched the entire video, not making a single comment, restraining himself, and only when the video finally ended did he burst out,
"What in Hel was that?"
"Well......it's......" she fumbled for several seconds, before finally finishing lamely, "a Midgard thing."
"Did anyone tell you that your Midgard things are completely ridiculous?" He was back to taping the bandage on. "So is it a trend then?"
Without warning he leaned close, his breath tickling her ear.
"Have you been Lanced?"
His words, laden with that sly mischief that she had grown to know so well, send another wave of warmth rushing up her cheeks. Damn, I haven't blushed this much since Kevin confessed.
Shaking her hair back she scoffed loudly, "Lanced my head! And now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to bed."
Hmm, it rhymes.
She hadn't even fully risen up from the couch when Loki grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back down.
"Wait," he said. Reaching somewhere behind him he pulled out a blue, beribboned box. It was long and rectangular.
"Here." He handed it over and she took it.
"What's this?"
Loki looked rather proud. "A present."
Kyra stared. "For me?"
He rolled his eyes. "I am not quite that desperate to be procuring gifts for myself mortal. Yes, it is for you. You should be honoured. Go on, open it."
More than a little surprised, and with that familiar waves of butterflies undulating in her stomach, she opened it.
Lying in neat little trenches of their own, were five identical spectacles, the lenses all framed in the same shade of beautiful green. Above each pair of glasses was a small white label, inscribed with a three-digit number, arranged from smallest to highest.
Kyra gaped as Loki scratched the nape of his neck. It was the first time she was seeing him looking a little awkward.
"Apparently glasses each have a specific power.......I had no idea what yours is, and when I asked around at the office they gave me mixed answers. But, I did managed to deduce that the range was between 400 and 500, so that's what I bought." He pointed at each pair as he spoke. "400, 425, 450, 475 and 500."
"But - why?"
"You can't survive on Frigga's magic forever." He smiled, that twinkle she so loved sparking in his eyes. "I noticed that you were running low. And I picked the green ones of course." His grin grew wider. "That way I can still keep haunting you even after I return back to Asgard......whoooooo......"
His words sent a jolt as something fell deep and buried itself inside the pit of her stomach.
Of course. He was staying here - to go back there wasn't he?
She turned her head away a little on the pretext of admiring the glasses so he couldn't tell what she was feeling. "But where did you get the money?"
"I sold my Asgardian outfit."
Her head whipped right back up. "You didn't!"
He nodded. "I did indeed. Turns out it's quite the rare collector's item. I still have some left over money in case you were wondering." He winked. "It seems I really am rich after all."
He directed his attention back to the glasses. "Well go on. Try it. I want to see. What power is it?"
She picked up the third one, the one labeled 450. She tried them on and just as quickly took them off.
"Urgh. I have perfect vision now, so the spectacles just messes up my vision. I'll try them tomorrow. The magic should have worn off by then."
"Dagnabit. I wanted to see. I bet you look good in them. After all, I always did have impeccable taste."
She rolled her eyes, placing the glasses back in the box and putting the lid back on gently. "Thank you," she said looking up. "It's very thoughtful of you."
"But of course. I'm your boyfriend aren't I?" Another wink.
Seeing the rose red shade creeping up her cheeks he teased, "You were just Lanced, were you not? You were Lanced! Lanced!" He gave a whoop, and punched the air. "The mortal Kyra Pierce was Lanced!"
Man am I going to miss you.
Out loud she only said "shut up!", half-laughing, pushing him off the couch. As she did so, her eye caught sight of the Sceptre, that since the first day of its arrival had been leaning against the wall near the television, disregarded and unused.
She had asked about it the first morning - after you slept with him in the same bed, that little voice in her head couldn't resist commenting - and Loki had explained that that was the instrument to grant all her wishes. The Sceptre was bounded to her now, and would listen to her and her only.
Just place your hand over the Sceptre and tell it your wish. It will grant it with immediate effect.
Now she jerked her head at it and said, "Get me the Sceptre would you?"
Loki stopped his ribbing. "Why for?"
She smiled. "Because I'm about to make my first wish."