Fear

Loki love

Notes:

^ nuff said

Don't check the end notes unless you want this chapter spoiled. Tip; you don't want it spoiled.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

You were completely stunned by the library: row after row of books in every language imaginable, small and large, thick and thin. Your jaw dropped at the sight eliciting a chuckle from the man behind you.

"I thought you would spend most of your time here," Loki said, drawing your attention back to him.

"I've been reading the books in my room. I'm almost finished with them, though, so I suppose I will have to borrow some from here?"

"You are free to take any book as long as you return them here."

You smiled at Loki and wandered over to the closest bookshelf. As your eyes roamed the books, you stretched your hand out and picked one at random. It was heavy and dusty with thick leather bindings; you wondered how long time it had been there.

"Some of these books are over a hundred years old," Loki whispered in your ear. You jumped, startled, and dropped the book. Loki cursed, kneeled to pick the book up, and you heard a creak as the doors opened behind you. Loki looked up and flew into standing position, but the damage was already done. Thor looked at him, eyes popping, and you could see the vein in his temple pulsating even from the distance you were at.

Not good.

"What... what are you doing?" Thor asked, his voice barely audible. It would have been better if he was screaming.

"Brother, it's not what you think, the book—"

"This... this is too much."

He left and as the sound of his steps in the corridor faded, you released the breath you hadn't realized you were holding.

Loki sighed and handed you the book. It wasn't damaged, at least you couldn't see anything wrong, so you opened it and read the title.

"It is in an interesting book, but sad", Loki said, breaking the somewhat awkward silence that had stretched out after Thor's exit.

"Have you read it?"

"Yes, twice. I should reread it soon," he added with a thoughtful expression. You laughed and put it back in its place.

"I don't feel like a sad book at the moment."

"Nor do I."

Loki strolled away between the shelves and, after some searching, you eventually found something to read then walked over to a big, puffy couch in the corner where Loki was lying with a book of his own.

"Can I sit here?" you asked and gestured to the part of the couch where his legs were resting. Loki smirked and sat up.

"Of course."

You smiled and took a seat next to him. He leaned back and returned to his book, and you opened yours.

After a rather long while you found yourself cuddled up next to Loki, who had one arm around you and held his book up with the other; you wondered when you had changed positions.

'What is the deal with Loki, anyway?'

'I'm not sure. He makes me feel like... happy. Still, he scares me, but I like him. There is a reason I'm afraid, and that is not a good reason.'

'Perhaps it is?'

'Old, drunk people in pubs?'

'Didn't he tell you he had to "make sure the story-tellers' stories were real"?'