Why Even Try (Book 1 of 4)

Chapter 9 - I Need to Wrap this up

I hear my name being called softly, and I know it's Loki. My appreciation and my emotions I felt about the beauty of Asgard shattered the shield of the link, and Loki has found me. Closing my eyes for a moment, I turn and look into the eyes of my oldest and dearest friend. I knew I would have to face him sooner or later, and evidently there is no time like the present.

Using a finger, I wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes and feel a smile spread across my face. Loki looks happy and peaceful, yet hesitant like he isn't sure if it really is me, or if I am as happy to see him as he seems to be to see me.

"That is you, isn't it?" he questions, and I stare back at him, "please? You know I know...I just want to hear you say it. I need to hear you say it."

He has such a pleading look in his eye that I feel like I have no other option than to nod an affirm to him.

"Yes Loki, it's me"

His shoulders sag with a sigh of relief and a huge smile spreads across his face and lights up his eyes. We take a few steps towards each other, and he opens his arms to accept a hug. I step close to him, and wrap my arms around him, and feel him wind his arms around me. I missed him, and I can tell from his embrace that he missed me too. I release my arms from him and begin to pull away but I feel him tighten his arms around me, and rest his cheek on the top of my head.

"not yet..." he says, sighing further in to the embrace and I giggle, "I have missed you so much ."

After a few more moments, I pull back enough to look in his eyes, and rest my hands on his biceps. They feel a little firmer and larger than the last time we hugged, but that's something to think about later.

"You look...." Loki starts to say in a soft voice.

"Amazing, wonderful, beautiful..."I say sarcastically, "well I can't argue when the god of mischief and lies speaks the truth."

We both laugh a little before continuing.

"I was going to say different." Loki responds, "but all those words are perfect to describe you as well."

"You look a little different too," I say and touch his arm, he looks at my hand and smiles with mischief.

He reaches up and touches my sash watching his fingers and they slide along the soft and delicate satin. He realizes how this must look, and stops, clearing his throat. I drop my hand from his arm.

"You know, before I found you here," he says, "and as I searched the ball room, I didn't see another guard wearing the three colored sash, or did I miss something? It seems odd there would only be one, yet it seems wildly appropriate that if there was only one, it would be you."

Using my smile to hide a smirk, I can't help marvel at his choice of words, that he missed something, but also at his overuse of flattery. Yes, I think to myself, you missed plenty, like how you made me feel by basically deserting me before I left, and something stirs inside of me. I cannot let him get away with how much he hurt me, and act like nothing had changed. He steps closer as if to hug me again and I place hands on his shoulders. He takes that as a signal, and places his hands on my waist.

"Yes Loki, you missed something," I say and use my knee to strike him in an area that all men-regardless of the realm they are from – don't want to be struck in, and then punch him.

He doubles over and drops to his knees hitting the floor with a thud. Eventually regaining his breath and a small amount of his composure, he looks up to me as if to question what I did to him and why.

"Really?" I begin to yell, "you are going to give me that look, like I did something wrong, when you are the one who took your friendship away from me before I left. You removed yourself from my life, and me from yours, and then come to me tonight expecting to act as if nothing was wrong? As if the past few days and weeks haven't been hell for me? You're going to look at me, like I am the one who started this..."