guarded ♔ loki laufeyson (ON HOLD)

Chapter One

"I'm just finishing the order of white roses!" I call to my mother. I tape the plastic and hold the bouquet, admiring my work.

"Olivia, there's a woman demanding to see you." She pokes her head through the door, a nervous sweat on her forehead. I carefully set my handful of flowers down and rush to the front counter, only to see my best friend, Tia, waiting for me with an excited smile on her face.

"He proposed." I immediately say. She nods her head vigorously. I slide around the counter and throw my arms around her, laughing.

"I knew he would!" I tell her. She smiles and nods, happiness bursting out of her.

I grab two mugs of coffee from the back, then sit with her at the only table in the building. I listen to her story, giggling and nodding at the right parts. After about a half an hour, we're hugging again and saying our goodbyes. She waves one final time and pushes out of the building, and then I once again stand alone in the flower shop, aside from my mother.

I sigh, slowly retreating to the back again, ready to get back to my job. My mother pats my shoulder on the way there, and then I'm left to think.

I'm so happy for my best friend. But some reason, I feel... lonely. Tia is the only friend I've ever really had, but she's moving on to bigger and better things. Meanwhile, I own a little flower shop in a tiny, one-road town with my mother and no one else to talk to.

As a kid, I'd always dreamed of falling in love with a prince, all of my troubles washing away, while Tia played in the mud. Somehow, between now and then, our luck had switched.

"Olivia, I'm going out for lunch. Do you want anything?" Mom asks.

"I'm okay." I shake my head. She mutters an unbelieving 'alright', then leaves the building.

I guess it's time to get back to work.

I take an order down from the cork board and read it. Arrangement of yellow roses and white bouvardia, -wedding. It isn't the easiest to read my mother's scribbled handwriting, but I quickly make it out. To start, I reach up to the top shelf to grab a vase.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps make the building shudder, and something slams down onto the front counter.

"Hello?" A booming voice echos. Startled, my fingers let go of the vase, and the glass shatters all over the floor.

"Crap." I mutter. I tip-toe over the shards, promising myself that I'll clean it up before my mother returns, then appear through the doorway.

A large man, possibly the biggest I've ever seen, peers at me with stormy blue eyes. His long, messy blonde hair falls over his shoulders, a few braids keeping it from his eyes, and he wears hard metal clothes (maybe armor), and a long red cape. His hand is clasped around a giant hammer. Something seems familiar about this man.

My mind flashes back to about a year ago, watching the news. A group of strong super-humans fought gross alien things in New York City, and I had checked the channel twice, making sure I didn't accidentally switch on a movie. I swear he's one of them.

"Yes?" I respond quietly, not stepping too close to this seemingly-ferocious man.

"I search for a hostage, young maiden. He is very tall with black hair, and he bears the colors green and gold." He raises his hand at the same time, scaling the man's height. I find myself glancing out the window behind him, at the only street in town. It's empty.

"I haven't seen him, sorry." I conclude. He groans and absentmindedly slams his fist down on the counter. I squeal and jump back. What does he think he's doing?

"I am deeply sorry for scaring you." He says sincerely.

"It's alright." I mumble. The man stands awkwardly. He seems to remember something.

"Forgive me! I haven't introduced myself. I am Thor, of Asgard." He holds out his meaty hand to shake. I carefully place my hand in his, which is tiny in comparison.

"I'm Olivia, of...... Jules Flowers?" I blush uncomfortably.

"Do not be afraid, fair Olivia. Now, do you know where I could find something to relinquish my thirst?" Why does he talk like that?

"I actually have some coffee in the back, if you-"

"That is truly wonderful! I crave the bittersweet taste of Midgardian coffee!" He jumps entirely over the counter and lands beside me. I cough, hiding another scared noise, and push through the door into the back once again, with Thor sauntering behind me.

But when I look inside, I stop in my tracks.

A man is kneeling in the shattered glass staring at his hands, which are bleeding. I can tell he's very tall and slender, with nimble, careful fingers. His hair is ebony. I recognize him as the man Thor was describing. For some reason, I push Thor back.

"I'll get the coffee, just wait at that table out there. My mom doesn't like anyone to be back here." I make an excuse. He nods and turns, climbing over the counter. He clambers to the table and plops down with a loud thud, dropping his hammer down on the ground. I quietly shut the door behind me, and rush to a first-aid kit I keep near the cork board. I take out disinfectant spray and thick bandages, then kneel down and face the man, glass crunching under my boots.

He finally meets my eyes.

He's gorgeous. His skin is porcelain white, which is complimented surprisingly well by his long black hair, which falls into strands that frame his face. His eyes are a wonderful combination of blue and green. His clothes are as strange as Thor's, but dark green and gold, and much more form-fitting. His face is guarded, hiding most emotion, but somehow I can sense a flash of... vulnerability? But it's gone quickly.

I reach for his hand, readying the disinfectant, when he pulls it away.

"What are you doing?" He asks in a strange accent. His voice is cold. I grab his hand again, this time more forcibly.

"You can't bleed like that. I'm just trying to help you." I furrow my eyebrows in concentration. The second I spray the disinfectant, he hisses in pain.

"Quit touching me with your filthy Midgardian hands." He growls. He yanks his arms back and sends me a menacing glare. I set the bandages down with a sigh.

"Suit yourself." I look away. When I meet his gaze again, he looks the same as he had before.

"Why were you touching the glass, anyway?" I ask.

"I tripped." He admits. He places his bloody hands on his knees and pushes himself up. I get up quickly and stand in front of him, having the bandages at hand again.

"Let me help you?" He stares into my eyes for a long time. Finally, he glances away, as if giving any kind of permission pains him.

I take his large hand in mind, pulling little glass shards of of his beautifully crafted fingers with tweezers. I take the bandages and twist them around his hand, until I can no longer see blood soaking through. He inspects his hand, before turning to the back door. He's about to shoulder his way out, escaping from Thor, when I stop him.

"Wait, who are you?" I question.

"I am Loki, of Asgard." He grins the most wicked grin of all. And then, without as much as a noise, he's gone.

Finally, I breath again.

-

2nd chapter, yay!

It'll get better, I can't wait!

Thanks for reading!

-k xxxx