Now And Forever

Chapter 4

- Loki's Pov -

After spending most of the afternoon at the bookshop and getting to know Thalia. I walked back to my flat. I had a sort of skip in my step. It was odd. A mere mortal girl that I had only met this morning has had a rather interesting effect on me.

Thalia, She isn't like other girls. I felt something. And not when she fell into my arms. Though she did smell like coconut. I could feel a grin come to my face as I remembered the smell. I wish I knew why I was so attracted to this girl.

Don't get me wrong, Thalia is beautiful. She is smart and witty. But she is also kind and caring. There is not a bad bone in her body. Yet, you can see in her honey-filled eyes, the hurt that her father and her family have caused her.

I don't understand her family. Because Thalia is a woman that means she is not worthy of anything great. Had she been on Asgard, she would have excelled. Her smarts alone would have been recognized as great and the scholars at the palace would have snapped her up.

And her beauty, She would have every man wanting her and every woman wanting to be her. At least I would have met her sooner. Though if on Asgard, She would have chosen Thor over me. Most Asgardian women choose Thor. Even the men would of if given half the chance. I should keep Thalia away from Thor. I may lose her to him. Thankfully Thor is leaving at the end of the week to go back to Asgard for some much need time away. And by that, I mean away from me. I honestly can't wait to get away from my babysitter.

"Thor!" I called out as I stepped into my flat. It was rather quiet. Shutting the door behind me. I called out my brother's name again. Silence. I did a happy dance "The oaf is not here!" This means I can play my music without Thor turning it off and putting some heavy metal crap on.

Which is exactly what I did. I open the door to the balcony and turned my wireless speakers on and blasted out some old-school jazz. Something about jazz is oddly soothing to the soul. I made a cup of tea, Grabbed my book and flopped on the sofa.
"Peace and quiet" I sighed. Should I lock the door? Odin knows when Thor is going to be back and frankly I don't want to deal with him. He would be asking questions about Thalia and I don't want him to know anything. I don't even understand what I am feeling. All I know is I am drawn to her, Like a moth to a flame.

After an hour or so, I was still lying on the sofa, reading my book when I heard singing coming from the neighbours. Well, I say neighbours. My flat is in a different building to Chris's and there is a good 6-foot gap between us.
"Chris must have friends over again" I rolled my eyes. That was the man I was on about that burnt salad. While I prefer his company to my brother, I hate Chris's singing. Sounds like a dying cat.

After several songs later, I put my bookmark in and placed the book on the coffee table, I got up to shut the door.
"Tilly! Oh my god!" Chris exclaimed. Who is Tilly? And what sort of name is that? Honestly, the names adults name their children nowadays are so stupid. I went to grab the doors handle. That's when I heard it. The sound of a siren laughing. A sound that made me weak in the knees.
"I need to ring my Nanna!" I heard that familiar voice squeal.
"Tilly is Thalia?" I leaned against the door. As I heard more laughing.
"Nanna! I did it!!" I could hear jumping around the room "I passed!" I placed my head on the back of the door.
"Well done Thalia" I whispered. I slid down the door and sighed. Guess since Thalia passed, She gets to go to Egypt "Guess I missed my chance" I closed my eyes.

After a while of sitting on the wooden floor, I heard the keys in the door and I shot up. I quickly shut the door and went back to the sofa.
"Brother?" Thor called out. I rolled my eyes and turned my music off "Loki?"
"What do you want Thor?" I flicked the page.
"I thought you were at the bookstore?" Thor dropped his bag by the chair and kicked off his shoes.
"Who says I ain't?" I kept my eyes on my book. Thor picked up a sock from the laundry basket and aimed it at me "Throw that at me and I will stab you"
"So how did your time with that lass go?" Thor walked into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes. I had hoped he had forgotten about Thalia.
"What lass?" I played dumb.
"The book nerd. The one that tried to hide her face when we walked in" Thor threw an apple in the air.
"I asked her about this book that I am currently trying to read. She helped me find it and that was it" I licked my finger and got ready to turn the page.
"Oh, so you didn't find out that she lives in the next building" Thor looked at his fingernails as I lowered my book.
"What?"
"I got Stark to do a little digging for me. Her name is Thalia, 25 years old. One of 6 and she lives in the next building" Thor sat in the chair and put his feet on the coffee table. Once again putting my bookmark in my book. I gently closed it. How could I tell him that I already knew all this?
"Anything else you wish to disclose about her? Favourite chocolates? Flowers? Shoe size?" I huffed. I already knew the chocolates and flowers. Lindt and roses. Pink roses to be precise.
"You sound a little jealous" Thor beamed. I glared at him.
"I have no reason to be jealous" I spoke clear as day. I would never admit that I was jealous. Jealous that Thor knew things about her.
"Your eye is twitching. And the vein on the side of your head is getting bigger. It only does that when you're jealous" Thor pointed at me as I slowly sat up.
"I'm going to my room" I spoke through gritted teeth. As I walked off, Thor howled as I slammed my door.

I paced in my room. Gripping at my hair. Why was I so jealous? Thalia is not mine. I only just met her today! And yet, Talking with her today, Makes it seem that we have been friends for years. I flopped onto my bed. She was so easy to talk to and to be around. I can't even relax around my own family and yet, Thalia makes it so easy. Oh, I love the way her name rolls off my tongue. After that comment, My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I rolled onto my front.
"ERUGH!" I screamed into my pillow. I need to get this girl off my mind but I don't know how! Maybe Thalia leaving London and going to Egypt will be best. At least we will be on different continents.

*Knock* *Knock*
"What?" I mumbled without lifting my head. Thor's head enters.
"Wanna go to a party?" I thought about this.
"Yeah alright," I nodded as I climbed off the bed. I don't usually go to a party with Thor but I was in dire need of a distraction.
"Excellent. It will do you some good, You don't get out enough" Thor patted my shoulder "Oh and it's smart casual" Thor grinned as he left my room.

After picking out my outfit, I walked out of my room and the look of disgust became fixed on Thor's face.
"What the hell are you wearing, man" cried Thor "I said smart casual, not dinner with mother or father" looking at Loki appalled.
"You said, And I quote smart casual" I raged back "smart..." I pointed to my dark green polo neck I was wearing "... Casual" pointing at my black jeans.
"Go change!... How do you expect to pull wearing that?" I rolled my eyes and turned and moped back to my room.
"I never expected to pull. It just happens" he muttered under his breath "Stupid Oaf"
"I heard that!"
"Said it loud enough!"

In the end, Thor tried to pick my outfit. Like that was going to happen. I left in a black Polo shirt and dark jeans. To my great annoyance, Thor and I looked oddly matching in both our shirts and jeans, the only difference was that Thor was wearing his disgusting green tie.

We rolled up to Stark towers, (He had a tower in every major city since the Avengers were needed in a lot of places. They used this place as a home base) There were a lot of very drunk students, playing some infernal racket, which they call pop.
"Kill me. Kil me now" I whined under my breath as we entered. Why did I agree to this? I did try to be social, I really did, I even talked to Barton. But in the end, I retreated to a barstool at the end of the bar, manned aptly by a friendly face.

"All right Chris, how's it going? Didn't know you were working in here tonight?"
"Hi Loki, yeah they hired me for the whole night see... I'll be guessing that you'll be wanting your usual?" Chris runs the local pub, around the corner from uni, which makes it a rip-roaring trade in sober students. He passed me a tumbler of whiskey on the rocks. This man can't cook but damn, He can make a mean cocktail.
"Thanks, man" I paid, picked up the glass and started rolling the rich auburn liquid around the glass, dreamily watching it run off the ice cubes and back into the bottom of the glass.
"Not your scene, huh??" Chris looked at me with concern.
"Nope," I didn't look up I just stared at the glass.
"So why did you come? If you don't mind me asking?" This made me look up at the friendly barman, My is face a picture of stone-cold steely blankness.
"him" I pointed at Thor, who was happily nestled between two busty ladies in low-cut dresses, wildly flirting with a large group around him.
"You could have said no" replied Chris.
"And I need to get someone off my mind" I sighed. I did. Maybe I could find someone here that could distract me "And Thor says I don't get out enough"
"Too right you don't" Chris laughed, I gave Chris an unsure smile "But why here? This ain't your scene"
"Again, Thor's idea" I sighed.
"Who are you trying to get off your mind?" Chris wiped the bar down.
"Doesn't matter, She won't be here much longer" I muttered but at that point, Chris was drawn away by another customer and I went back to staring at the glass.

A short time later or at least long enough for my drinks to be almost gone. I went to the bathroom. Halfway up the stairs, I heard a kerfuffle at the top of the stairs in the next room. A girl screams as she was accidentally pushed down the stairs. Luckily, I was there to catch her like the true gentleman I was.
"Are you okay miss?" I asked as I placed the girl on the third step of the stairs. Her scent was familiar.
"Loki?" The woman looked up at me and grinned. I felt my heartbeat like mad. How can Thalia not hear it?
"Thalia? What are you doing here?" I knelt down. Making sure that she had no bruises.
"My roommate is the barman here" Thalia pointed to where Chris was.
"So you're the one called Tilly?" I smirked. Thalia hid her face in her hands.
"I hate that bloody nickname" She mumbled.
"Twice now you have ended up in my arms" Changing subjects, I smiled as I leaned closer to her. suddenly feeling brave "So what's my prize for saving you?"