When Annie's phone began it's chirping alarm at 5:45 she rolled over and pulled another pillow over her head. She lay there for several moments until even under the pillow the chirping had become an annoying loud screwdriver poking into her non-sleeping brain.
Friday. Friday. Payday Friday? Maybe. Uhg, too early to think. Why is it so early? Stupid work. Stupid bills. Stupid food. God, I hate that alarm. I know I picked it for exactly that reason but its a horrible way to start the day. I need coffee. And a hot shower. And some- Holy god with a little g!
Annie sat up in bed while looking around as if she would see either Thor or Loki staring at her. She shoved hair out of her face, while scrambling off the bed, dressed in her sweats and a t shirt she stumbled once while kicking the sheet from around her foot. Her phone was on her dresser so that she had to actually get out of bed to turn it off and now she repeatedly pressed the button to turn it off desperately in the hopes that it hadn't woke the two sleeping next door.
In the silence she listened intently for any noise that would tell her it had. When she didn't hear anything she let out a held breath and lowered her head in relief. You are a terrible host for your not-guests. She staggered into the bathroom to pee and wash up, at least enough to wake up and go make coffee.
By the time she made it out to the kitchen it was only a few seconds from six am and she moved to the coffee pot on auto pilot. Filling the pot and prepping everything didn't take much brain power which was good because Annie didn't feel like she had much brain powered up at the moment. The night had been late and weird with strange noises plus she kept thinking about all the things that she should do for Thor and Loki. But first, cereal. And toast. And coffee.
Annie grabbed the cereal box from the cabinet and had begun opening it as she turned to set it on the counter when she saw a large lumpy thing on her couch. Even as her brain told her that it was probably Thor sitting on the couch her body reacted by jerking back and sending the cereal and the box flying in multiple directions.
With a hand on her chest Annie's thoughts raced. Holy Shiitake Freakin' Hell! I guess women really do put a hand on their boobs when they're scared. Well bless my stars and good golly miss molly. That better be Thor or I'm in a heap o' trouble. Annie sucked in a breath.
"I am sorry, Lady Annie! It was not my intent to frighten you." Thor's voice came to Annie clearly, he spoke in a normal tone of voice as he stood even though she could see that he was holding Loki in his arms.
Annie raised her hand, in greeting or surrender, she wasn't sure. Her heart was still pounding. "No problem, I just wasn't expecting you guys to be up already." She tried to calm her breathing as she put a hand on the counter and leaned against it. Or sitting in my Livingroom. In the dark.
They came over to the counter where Thor spoke softer while glancing down at Loki. "It was a rather difficult night."
Annie cleared her throat then turned on a light over the dinning area, it was softer on the eyes than the harsh kitchen light. She saw that Thor appeared to have been awake for awhile and when Loki turned his head to look at her she saw tired green eyes. "Nightmare?"
"The worst one yet." Thor gestured with his head at the cereal box that was on the floor. "Again, I am sorry for frightening you."
Annie gave him an early morning before coffee smile. "Forget about it, its only cereal and I'm getting the good stuff today, remember?" She put the box on the counter before getting a broom and dust pan out and quickly sweeping it up then dumping it in the trash.
As she did so Thor had walked back into their bedroom, now he came out still holding Loki but also the bowl. He looked happy, like a child presenting a parent with a gift. He set the bowl on the counter without a word and looked expectantly at Annie.
She glanced in the bowl, it was empty and her eyes jumped to Thor then Loki. The boy was wrapped in the cape, leaning against Thor. Annie had looked at him in time to see his eyes look at the bowl before looking up to her. There was a subtle shift in his shoulders, a pulling back, closer to Thor as if seeking protection. Annie knew he still didn't believe he wouldn't be punished for eating.
Moving with careful motions Annie opened the cereal box, "I guess you checked that there were none in the bed?"
Thor nodded, "none at all. I even checked twice. Including the covers and even on the floor. I didn't press for an answer."
There was an odd hitch in Thor's voice and Annie glanced at him as she counted out another ten Cheerios into her hand. "Did something happen last night besides the nightmare?"
Looking down at Loki's head resting against him Thor felt the odd sense of guilt and perhaps even some shame. "I think I pressed him too hard to give me an answer. He didn't speak yet still gave me one he knew I wanted." Thor pulled in a breath and admitted to himself that he did feel shame. "The first lie told in this form and I forced him to it." A look of sorrowfulness came over his face. "That means something to me that I won't ever forget."
Annie studied Thor. Well crap. There's a whole hell of a lot more going on here than I know about. Duh, idiot. Everything going on here is more than you know about. Better start asking questions. But first things first.
"Hey Loki, great job on eating your Cheerios." She brought her hand over to the bowl. "Since you did so well, here are ten more." She counted each one out loud as she dropped them into the bowl, Loki watched each one fall. When she was done his eyes came up to meet hers and she studied them, looking to see what he was thinking. What's he telling me? Does he believe me? Should I repeat that those are his? Should I tell him- What? What should I tell a kid who has made an effort to trust me?
"Thank you for trusting me. For trusting us." Annie used her finger to motion between herself and Thor. "I know it wasn't easy so thank you. We want you to know we won't hurt you. And that's still your food, no ones going to steal it from you. You can eat it all and we'll give you more."
She slid the bowl back towards him and Thor picked it up, Loki's eyes locked on it. Thor turned and took the boy to the couch and settled him on it, carefully tucking several pillows around him to make sure he had something to lean on and not fall over in case he went back to sleep. Once he was sure Loki was comfortable, Thor came back over where Annie was making coffee. She had two mugs out along with a bowl of sugar and several flavors of coffee creamer.
She held up the coffee pot and Thor nodded so she poured. "Fix it how you like it." Grabbing a couple spoons she asked, "Last night? Want to tell me about it?"
Thor shook his head, "I think it would take more time than you have available this morning. Just know the night was, much too long. Once he woke, neither of us went back to sleep." Thor stirred his coffee, looking down at it as if he expected to read answers in the black liquid.
What do I do? These guys need me. I mean really need me. This is their first day here and I can't just leave them alone. I don't even have any food prepared for them. Loki needs a bath. Thor needs a nap. Annie sighed and grabbed her phone from the counter near the coffee machine. Checking the time she saw it was twenty after six, perfect timing. Leaning back against the counter she made a call. The phone answered after the second ring.
"What?" The voice obviously belonged to a young white male and was snappy and annoyed.
Annie rolled her eyes. "Well good morning to you too, Kevin. That's not a very professional way to answer your phone."
"I knew it was you, Annie."
"Still not professional, Kev. You tell me I have to be professional at all times when I'm on the clock." Annie clicked her tongue. "Not a good example for your employee."
"You're not being very professional to your superior, Annie."
"First off, you're not my superior. You're the manager. Second. I'm not on the clock, Kevin. And that's what I'm calling you about." Annie glanced up at Thor who was pouring more coffee into his mug. It was the one Micah had bought her and had a big firework on one side and said #1 dad on the other. He had loved the firework, it appeared when you filled the mug with hot liquid.
"No." Kevin's voice was flat.
"I'm going to need to take today as a personal day." She was telling rather than asking despite the fact that Kevin was her boss.
"No." His voice was still flat.
Annie's own voice hadn't changed either. "Something has come up and since I've never taken a personal day, I'm going to take one today."
"Still no." There was a slap worthy smugness coming through the phone.
"Five years, Kevin. Not once have I called in and taken an emergency personal day off. So this will be my first." Annie heard him take in a breath and she spoke before he could say anything. "This will be my first time. Kevin."
There was a slight pause then Kevin asked. "Why do you need the day off?" There was a note of a whine in his voice.
"Because something has come up." Annie continued to watch Thor, he was trying the other creamer this time. Mint chocolate. He stirred it, watching the color change.
"What?" Now there was obvious inappropriate curiosity in his tone.
"Something personal. Which is why it's called a personal day." Annie huffed. "I'm not required to tell you why I'm taking the day, just that I am."
"Well I haven't given you the day off. Monday's a holiday. That means you would have a four day weekend. So I don't think I will." He was being a jerk. "Besides, you've got five jobs today. You can't take the day. Denied." There was a smugness in the tone that made Annie's eyes narrow.
"Before I left last night I checked the board and I had no tickets lined up. And now you're telling me not even a half hour after opening I have five?" Annie's voice was determined and pressing.
There was a slight bit of stuttering that came through the phone line then Kevin said, "They must not have gotten posted. I'll speak to Janice about it. But obviously,you've got a busy day."
"Uh huh. And how many jobs do the double d's have?" Annie's voice was unrelenting, she had stood up from leaning against the counter. Thor was watching her with an interested expression as he finished his coffee, looking into the empty mug. Annie came over and pushed the coffee pot over to him, inviting him to the last of it. His eyebrows rose in question, asking to her confirm he could finish it. For that smile he could eat the whole damn coffee can.
Now Kevin was making no effort to hide his stuttering, "Hey, now. That's not professional. You, you can't say that. Just because you're a woman."
"Fine. How many jobs do Dwaine DeLong and Dwight Darson have for today? I bet not five. Probably not even one each."
"Well, I, they, I have to keep them available. For emergencies."
"Kevin, split my jobs between them and when an emergency comes up then one of them can handle it. They don't always have to ride around with each other."
"Why do you have to take the day off?" Now the whine was back in Kevin's voice along with his annoyance.
Annie took a deep breath. She let it out slowly then twisted her lips up into a satisfied smile. "Female reasons, Kevin. Woman parts."
There was dead silence then a strangled voice said, "Fine." The call disconnected.
Annie allowed herself a full smile as she put the phone back on the counter and looked up at Thor. He was looking at her with an expression that was a mix of impressed and concerned. He finished his coffee and set the mug back on the counter with a soft clink while holding her gaze.
"Was that your employer?" Annie nodded. "And did you lie to him to be given this day free from work?" Another nod. Thor frowned slightly in thought and bit the inside of his lip. "Then we have time to drink more coffee? And perhaps make pancakes? Yes?"
Annie grinned. "Yes, yes we do."