My Best Friend

Chapter 10

While waiting for Tyr, Thor and Loki were playing darts in the Tavern. Emma had gone home. Volstagg and Riley sat on the nearest sofa. It was gone 6 and John had not arrived yet. Which made Riley nervous but slightly relieved.
"22 to 21, Like this game, Thor is done" Loki chanted. Riley chuckled.
"Best of 30?" Thor grumbled as he collected his darts. Loki went to agree. Volstagg's head snapped to the window.
"No time. Dad's here" He said. Riley felt slightly panicked. She wasn't sure that she was strong enough to do this. She started to pick at her sleeve. After beating Thor once again, Loki looked over at his best friend, seeing her worried face. He rushed over to her.

"Hey, You okay?" Loki placed a hand on Riley's, bringing her world into focus.
"I don't know" She stuttered, looking down at the floor. Volstagg ran out the door. Everyone inside could hear him cheering.
"Hey look at me, Riley. Look at me" Loki put his finger under her chin. Her eyes met his "It will be okay. I know you're scared but you can do this" Loki whispered as Riley nodded. The pair continued to stare at each.
*COUGH*
Loki looked towards the sounds the sound as saw his parents standing at the door.
"Mother. Odin. I didn't know you were coming" Loki cheered as he ran to hug his mother.
"Oh, Loki. My boy. Are you okay? Are you eating well?" Frigga fussed over Loki.
"Mother, Wil you please stop already" Loki complained as Frigga started to clean him up "Mother!"
"Oh quite fussing" Frigga sighed. Riley giggled. Odin stood by Thor as he gazed around the room.
"This is your bar? I expected it to be greener" He spoke. Loki rolled his eyes. He then glanced at Riley "You must be Riley?"
"Yes sir" Riley bowed.
"How are you doing with everything?" Odin seemed to be more caring than Loki had let on. Riley knew that Loki would never lie to her. Riley had a feeling that Odin was only being nice because Frigga warned him or Odin was just some horrible prick.
"Honestly, a little overwhelmed" Riley admitted. Odin was about to speak when Volstagg came back in. He walked up to Riley.

"Dad's outside. Do you want him to come inside or is it too soon?" Riley's headshot to look at Loki. Who fought to get away from his Mum. He wanted to support his best friend.
"I... I'm not sure" Riley stuttered.
"Riley. Tyr will understand. There is always another day" Odin put his hand on her shoulder. Riley flinched when Odin first touched her but she knew she was safe.
"No. I need to do this. Volstagg, Will you bring him in please" Riley smiled as Loki finally got to her side. Volstagg nodded and walked off. Loki grabbed hold of Riley's hand.
"Please save me from my mother" Loki pleaded. Riley smiled. They soon heard squirming. Both looked to the right. Laughing as they spotted Thor receiving the same treatment.
"Let go. I don't need... Mum... Stop. I don't need my head scrubbing anymore" Thor pleaded as he too fought Frigga off.
"Just a pair of babies" Riley muttered as the door swung open once more. Riley's head looked up as Volstagg and Tyr walked in.

Tyr took his hat off as he took slow steps inside. You could tell he and Volstagg were related.
"Hey Tyr" Loki waved. Tyr nodded and greeted Frigga and Odin. They greeted each other as friends do. Frigga pointed to Riley and Tyr spun around.
"You must be Riley?" He spoke. His voice calming.
"Yes sir" Riley bowed.
"How are you doing?"
"Honestly a little overwhelmed" Riley admitted again.
"How have you been?" He quizzed as Thor stopped him when he was about 2 feet away. Thor whispered something in his ear. This made Tyr nod "I just asked that, didn't I?"
"Yeah. I've been alright. Overwhelmed from everything" Riley hugged herself with one arm and clutched her necklace.
"Did Loki tell you about... Alfred" Tyr was hesitant. Everyone understood why.
"Are you my Dad?" Riley tilted her head.
"I believe so. your Mother and I... We... had an affair for a year before she found out she was pregnant with you. She was scared of Alfred back them. He was not a kind man to her. He was only with her for the money. He spent it on what he could... Beer, Gambling, Drugs and women" Tyr explained as he sat on a stool. Riley did the same. Loki stood behind her, hand on her shoulder.
"Anything he could spend money on, You name it, he did it" Odin interrupted.
"How did he find out about you and Mum?" Riley mumbled. Her knee started to bob up and down. She was on the verge of a panic attack. Thor poked Loki in the ribs and pointed to Riley's leg.
"He caught us. We had met up in the park. It was to get away from prying eyes"
"Is that the day he battered you?" Frigga quizzed. Tyr nodded. Riley found that Frigga's voice was soothing "Riley, Try taking some deep breaths"
"I'm trying" Riley mumbled, mimicking Frigga's breathing. Loki put his hand on Riley's back and rubbed small circles.
"I know I probably don't have any right to infiltrate your life now. Given that you are a full-grown woman but I would like to get to know you" Tyr nudged closer. Riley flinched a little but soon relax when Loki squeezed her shoulder "If I had known from day one that I was your father then you would never have gone to him"
"Feel slightly better about that. When I was told that Alfred wasn't my Father and this was way before I knew it was you. I thought you didn't care about me. That you would be happy if Alfred... Did what he did. That you would be dancing on my grave if he had killed me" Riley stuttered. Tears started to fall from Riley's eyes.
"I would never feel like that" Tyr reached out to stroke a tear away. Riley of course flinched. Tyr pulled his hand back "Even now, I would never hurt you"
"I just need time" Riley nodded slowly.

As time went on, Riley started to feel less anxious now but she was still on edge. John was yet to appear. Thor pulled Loki to the side.
"Where the hell is John?" Thor crossed his arms "He knows this is a big thing for you, Where the hell is he?" Thor asked as he sat down next to his mother.
"Perhaps the man is running late. I hear Midgardian traffic can be a nightmare" Frigga sighed as she glanced at Riley. Loki couldn't care less if John showed his face. The world was a better place without him. Riley sighed as she heard a car door go.
"I think he may be outside" Riley pointed to the window. Volstagg spun around and took a peak.
"Good hearing" He replied "Do I let the nobhead in?"
"You better" Riley spoke as she stood up and went to stand by the door. She had mumbled something that the others couldn't quite catch. Loki pouted. He caught his mother and Odin looking between him and Riley. He mouthed that he would explain later.

A minute later, John stormed in, pushing past Volstagg and ignoring the entire room.
"I am so sorry baby. Traffic was a nightmare" John approached Riley, Grabbed her waist and kissed her. Thor and Loki noticed that Riley was uncomfortable. Riley pulled away from John.
"It's fine" She mumbled. She took a deep breath in and faced the group "John, this is Tyr, My bio dad" John let go of Riley and walked up to the group.
"Hi, I'm Captain America. A pleasure to meet you" John held his hand out for Riley to take.
"Steve hasn't handed you the shield yet" Thor grumbled.
"Sheild is as good as mine" John snapped.
"Hello, John" Tyr spoke calmly. Even though deep down, He hated the thought of Riley dating. Loki went and stood next to his best friend.
"How did you lose your arm?" John pointed. Tyr looked down at his stump and chuckled.
"Argued with a dog and the mutt bit it off" Tyr shrugged it off. John noticed that Loki was standing next to Riley. Noticing that John was angry, Thor then shot from where ever he was standing and introduce John to his parents. John was a little shocked to find out about Odin and Frigga but chilled out after a short while. Loki and Riley sat on the bench.

"Is the Norse myth right about Tyr?" Riley quizzed. She knew Loki would pick up on John's mood and quizzed her about it.
"What about him?" Loki folded his arms.
"His arm gets bitten off by Fenrir" Riley recalled.
"Yes, That bit is true. And the story behind it too. Well, minus the part about Odin being my blood brother and Fenrir being my son" Loki scrunched his nose up.
"So he's not your son?"
"Fenrir is not my bio son. I adopted him when he was a pup. He was normal size once. I was messing with magic. Some spells that I had stolen from The Frost Giants, He got in the way and hasn't stopped growing since" Loki smiled "And I might have also told people that he was going to swallow Odin whole"
"Why?" Riley asked, chuckling a little.
"Odin thinks that he is to be killed and eaten by Fenrir. I paid a witch to freak him out after a little family argument. Little does he know that after Fenrir bit Tyr's arm off, Fenrir became a vegetarian. something about how Asgardians taste like sewer water" Loki chuckled a little.
"Do you have any bio kids?"
"None. So what other children does the internet say I have?" Loki asked. Riley pulled her phone out.
"There's a Hela? A half lady, Half skeely bones type of girl" Riley read.
"Hela, the Goddess Of Death is our older sister. Not my daughter" Loki insisted.
"What about Yogaburger?" Riley replied "Your firstborn"
"What did you call him?" Loki's eyebrows knotted together. Amused as Riley tried saying his name again.
"Yogaburger. I can't pronounce it. He's a giant snake"
"Jörmungand. He is a snake that I craved into stone and using illusion magic, Brought him to life and kind of freaked Thor out with that one" Loki scratched the back of his head.
"How?"
"I told him and many others, That the snake is meant to kill him after he takes 9 steps after he bites him" Loki wiped his mouth "Though how is he meant to kill you? Turn you to stone?"
"Also, If he is made of stone, He has no teeth. He could gum you to death" Riley joked, Making Loki laugh. John glared at the pair over his shoulder "So is that how you earned your title of God Of Mischief?" Riley smirked. Her smile then dropped as she saw John's face. She knew it would mean a beating later.
"It was for a stupid reason. The first time Thor and I were on Earth, I put my helmet on a horse. I wanted to see how long it would take the town folk to figure out it was not me" Loki half-smiled.
"How long did it take them to figure it out?" Riley quizzed.
"I never found out. I got bored after 5 months so I went home. Father was not happy that I messed with people's heads so after telling him it was a joke. He named me God Of Mischief and Lies" Loki shrugged.
"So no children?" Riley asked.
"No" Loki shook his head "No bio kids. Surrounded by them but none of my own"
"Are they still alive?" Riley hugged herself.
"Yes. Hela lives in the realm of Niflheim. Fenrir lives on an island east of Asgard and Jörmungand lives in the waters surrounding Asgard" Loki smiled "Maybe one day, I could take you to Asgard. You could meet them"
"I'd like that" Riley smiled.

It had been an hour and Odin, Frigga and Thor had gone back to Thor's for the night. Tyr was still talking with Riley. Much to John's anger. He wanted to get Riley away from Loki.
"As much as I have enjoyed this night, I need to go to the hotel" Tyr yawned. he turned to John and thanked him for coming.
"It was great meeting you. Riley?" John held his hand out.
"I'll meet you outside. I wanna say bye to Tyr and grab my gear from the locker" Riley pointed behind her. Loki could see in John's eyes that he wasn't happy but he knew John would have to bite his tongue. Tyr would rip him a new one.
"I'll be waiting outside" He whispered, Huffing loudly as he stormed out.

"What a drama queen" Loki mumbled. Riley had already disappeared to get her stuff "I don't like him"
"Nor do I. He's got darkness in his eyes" Tyr glared at the door "I have no right to act like her father but I feel as if I need to warn the boy that even though I only have one arm, I will kill him if he hurts Riley"
"Well, evidently there will be a line to hurt him. Emma's already called dibs for running him over" Riley spoke as she came back "I can handle John's temper. If he hurts me, I'll smack him with my wings" This was a lie. But in Riley's head, John had already made her feel like she deserved to be abused. That she wasn't worth anything else.
"Wings?" Tyr mouthed. He looked at Riley.
"I will show you another day. Right now. I want my bed" Riley hugged her father good night and quickly hugged Loki.
"I will text you in the morning" Loki whispered. Riley agreed and left the building.

"Have you thought about asking Heimdall what he sees when it comes to Riley?" Tyr spoke as the front door shut. Loki smacked his forehead.
"I forgot about him"
"For someone so bright, you can be so thick" Tyr rolled his eyes "Alright I am off. See you tomorrow" Tyr patted Loki's shoulder.
"Night Tyr" Loki smiled.

Once the door was shut. Loki decided that would tidy up first and then speak to Heimdall. Well, that's if he was up. Loki hoped that Heimdal could give him some answers. Whether they be good or bad. Though Loki hoped for the first option. At least he wasn't the only one that had seen John's darkness.