The Scientist (Loki x OC)

Pt. 3: Safe Here

The drive back to Luna's apartment was quiet, albeit the faint tune of "Girls On Film" coming from her radio. The traffic was minimal, so the ride was smooth. She was a bit antsy if Loki approved of her music, but her fears were extinguished when she glanced over at him and saw that he had leaned back and closed his eyes. The sight calmed her a bit but only a bit. She was taking a stranger to her apartment and having them stay for an indefinite amount of time. She's never done that before in her life. Not only that, the said stranger is Loki, Norse god of mischief. This was as cool as it was terrifying.

The motion of her pulling into her parking spot prompted Loki to open his eyes and sit up. He didn't sleep, but he felt more rested than before. As Luna stepped out of the car, she scanned the parking lot for anyone that could be watching. When she saw no one, she quickly opened the passenger side door and beckoned for Loki to get out as soon as possible. They speed-walked to the entry door. Luna fumbled to get her key card and swiped to open the door when she got a good grip on it. Thankfully, the front desk manager wasn't paying much attention, deciding to monitor any action from their periphery.

Luna had her hand on Loki's forearm, practically dragging him to the elevators. She looked very shifty at the moment and was not keeping calm. Luna tapped her foot and pressed the up button a few more times than necessary. She was scared, but it was too late to back out now. So close to home. Only a little more.

When the elevator doors did open, they came face-to-face with an elderly lady. Loki kept a better poker face than Luna. She looked downright petrified for a split second. In any other situation, Loki would have laughed. Instead, he kept as quiet as he had been and flashed a friendly smirk at the other woman, stepping out of the way to let her pass. Luna then moved into the elevator with Loki and pressed the button for the fourth floor. She relaxed a bit when the doors closed.

Upon arriving at their destination, Luna walked out first and looked around for a few seconds. No one in sight. She gestured for Loki to follow her and began to make her way to her door, not bothering to look at any of the apartment numbers. She had the muscle memory down. Once they were both at the door, she unlocked it effortlessly and moved inside as fast as she could, closing it back when Loki had crossed the threshold behind her. Upon locking it back, she leaned against the door, closed her eyes, and let out a breath she had been holding since she had smuggled him into her car. She opened her eyes to look at him while he surveyed the new environment.

"Well, uh, welcome to...here," she said, taking off her shoes. "My only request is no shoes go past the entryway. Other than that, make yourself right at home." Loki did the same, placing his boots beside hers and stepping further into the room. It was modest and spacious: a couch, a couple of armchairs, a coffee table, television, bookshelves, a kitchen, and a hallway leading to other small rooms. Loki's observation of the area halted when Luna crossed into his path of vision.

"Alright, I'm gonna go change and start dinner so just sit wherever," she said before turning to go down the hall and into a room, shutting the door behind her. As soon as she was alone, she loudly exhaled. "I have a stranger in my apartment. I have a stranger in my living room right now. Loki, the god of mischief, is in my living room. Oh, what have I done?" She ran her hands through her short hair, grabbing it harshly and making it stick up everywhere. She leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, breathing heavily. "Ok, what I'm not gonna do is panic. This is Loki we're talking about. Don't show any weakness." She took deep breathes in and out in an attempt to calm herself. After a couple of minutes, she felt like she could function once more and was able to change her clothes as she had planned. She took a look around her bedroom before stepping out into the hallway, ready to ask Loki something, but the words died on her tongue when she laid eyes on him.