Loki Laufeyson Oneshots Vol.2

Bookshop Romance

(Y/N)= your name
(E/C)= eye colour
(H/C)= hair colour
(F/C)= favourite colour
(S/C)= skin colour

"(Y/N), dear? Can you restock the books in the poetry section, please?" My employer, Mrs Griffis points towards a hefty looking box sat on top of the checkout counter, a warm smile adorning her aging skin.

"Yeah, of course." I simply can't say no to Mrs Griffis, she's such a sweet soul and I would obviously lose my job if I refused. I rummaged through the box, my eye catching a few familiar titles and authors that I had enjoyed reading before. "Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, Maya Angelou... these ones always sell out within a few months compared to the rest." 

"What can I say? They're absolutely exceptional!" Mrs Griffis chuckles, her crescent-shaped glasses were perched on the end of her nose and a nostalgic twinkle gleamed in her eyes.

"Right they are, I admire Maya Angelou's passion and determination. Her work is just - wow!" I exclaim, picking up the box. Mrs Griffis chuckles and shakes her head, evidently used to my admiration and finding it amusing - to be honest, I have been working for her for nearly four years now, so it's valid.

"I'm aware, (Y/N), now off with you!" She playfully shoos me away.

"Yes boss!" Laughing, I walk towards the poetry aisle and mentally check off my exercise for the day.

As mentioned before, I've been working for Mrs Griffis for four years (give or take), some people may say that it's a crappy job and I'll quit sooner or later. Oh they couldn't be more wrong, I love this job with every bone in my body, the shop isn't overly crowded or bustling with people 24/7, my boss is a sweet old lady with a gentle heart and the pay is surprisingly decent and enough to support the rent of my cosy apartment. Plus I work for Mrs Griffis full-time, apart from Sundays when the shop is closed, so we've established a strong bond that's similar to one between a granddaughter and her grandmother which means I've never been able to relate to all those stories of people working for their asshole bosses that only care about how much money they're making.

Nothing exciting ever happens in here, and that's exactly how I like it. Growing up in a quiet, rural area in England before moving to the city that never sleeps means that I'm used to a mundane and serene life, not one full of daily chaos and the occasional android trying to cause havoc. I think that's partly why I enjoy working in Mrs Griffis' bookshop so much, purely just because it reminds me of the calm atmosphere that I used to wake up to every morning in England, a part of me misses my home country but another part of me feels that New York is the place where I should to settle down and enjoy the rest of my life. 

Mrs Griffis herself is a lovely soul, at the age of eighty, she's still going strong and manages to run her bookstore without much of my assistance. She provided me with a stable job with a stable income and a heart-warming bond that simply cannot be broken, I owe her so much yet she doesn't wish for anything in return other than to take over owning her bookstore once she passes - and of course I couldn't refuse her request! 

I find myself mindlessly placing the books in the correct order in the poetry section, it feels like second nature to me now from doing it so often. The subtle ring of the bell alerts me that we have a new customer, though I don't pay them any mind since Mrs Griffis will be ready to serve them. However, I soon become distracted as my eye catches sight of a new book that we haven't had in stock for quite some time - a collection of some of Shakespeare's most popular sonnets. I flick through the pages, completely fascinated by the numerous sonnets before settling on Sonnet 1.

"From fairest creatures we desire increase, that thereby beauty's rose might never die..." My voice trails off into a soft mumble, my mind becoming completely engrossed in the passionate poem.