Another Chance

Greenhouse

The following Monday, before school, Loki found himself heeding his mother's request. He stood in line at the cafeteria and put an apple, some croissants and a bowl of yogurt with cereal and honey on his tray. He ignored the other breakfast options and walked through the cafeteria to the other side of the building. The cold of the morning greeted him mercilessly as he crossed the plaza in the center of the U, the street and the bridge. And then he found himself in the greenhouse. Although it was not completely closed, the space seemed to retain some of the heat from the previous day.

He took a deep breath, letting himself be overcome with the familiar smell of earth, humidity and flowers. The melancholy hit him hard and so, with his eyes closed, he almost forgot where he was. Until he reached within himself for seidr and instead of the roar of barely contained force he heard the rumble of promise, a breeze after a hurricane.

With a sigh Loki opened his eyes and scanned the space looking for a place to sit. A few seconds later he was perched on top of one of the walls that surrounded the semi-greenhouse at one end.

He crossed his legs and slowly began to eat. His stomach grumbled, but with patience he managed to finish the yogurt and one of the croissants. Loki was debating with himself if he could eat the second, when footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts.

Without moving from his spot he raised his head in the direction of the sound. And that was when he saw her.

The first thing he noticed was her hair. Gold, so much so that it could have rivaled Sif's original hair before his intervention. Not just rivaling, won. It fell in soft waves to her hips, and was held back from her face with a golden headband. The hair contrasted with his skin, a somewhat dark color, as if she had tanned. But even at this distance Loki knew it was her natural color.

The young woman was carrying a sandwich in her hands and she was eating it on the way. He watched her go to the other end of the greenhouse, set a large watering can under a faucet, and turn on the water. The young woman sat on a nearby bench, finishing her breakfast while she waited for watering can to fill. Loki began to eat his second croissant as he watched her, hardly realizing that his bites were larger at the moment.

And soon, as she picked up the watering can and began to moisten the plants lined up against the low walls, Loki finished off the third croissant with a few bites. He watched her as she took her tour, and whether she was aware of her presence or her attention, she gave no sign of it. When she got closer to his position, he heard her humming softly some song that he couldn't recognize.

Loki began to wonder if he should have made himself known the moment he saw her. And every second that passed seemed more necessary and at the same time more difficult to say something. When she had a quarter of the room to go, Loki began to consider the possibility of dropping down the other side of the wall and completely disappear from sight. What if she saw him there and thought he was some weird stalker or something? He shouldn't mind, but for some reason the idea made him extremely uncomfortable.

He turned to gauge the distance to the ground on the other side, but when he looked back at her to make sure she was distracted he found her staring back at him. She was closer to him than she was before he turned, and she was looking at him. She had the bluest eyes Loki had ever seen. And then he recognized her. Immortal and mortal memories mingled in his mind.

The young noblewoman whom he had never gotten close to lest the embarrassment of being courted by the Liar Prince fall upon her, and the daughter of one of Odin's associates whom he had seen at a few gatherings and parties were confused for a few seconds.

Seconds that were enough to spoil his escape and pinned him to his spot when she smiled at him. And as she set the watering can down on the edge of the dirt bank and walked over to him. Or rather, the wall he had climbed on.