Dark Star || Loki [1]

[24] The Hardships of Friendship

14 FEBRUARY, 2011

ASTRID

It was the next morning before Astrid and Fred could say another word to one another.

Astrid had meant to approach him after his shower, had desperately wanted to, but she had been so exhausted, so drained after her outpouring of magic at the theatre, that she had slept in until just after noon. By then, both Fred and Loki were wide awake as she emerged into the brightness, rubbing her eyes and silently thanking whatever gods there may be (besides the one in her kitchen) that she wasn't still glowing-it may have freaked Fred out just a little bit.

She had slept in her clothes, too afraid to shed them and find that every inch of her body had been painted like a Monet. Loki had called it an aura-he told her it would likely materialize whenever she experienced an excess of emotions. It seemed, to her chagrin, that Astrid had been feeling exactly this, and rather frequently.

When she walked out of her bedroom, dressed in torn jeans and a pretty periwinkle top, the first thing Astrid saw was Loki and Fred arguing over the toaster. She stayed by the doorway, watching on in amusement.

"You have to take it out now," said Fred, "before it burns."

Loki, who was sporting handsome slacks and a blue collared shirt, looked as though he was trying to contain himself from transforming Fred into a chicken. "In the very likely case you were not paying attention, Frederick, the device has not emitted its 'ding' yet."

Fred's brow furrowed. "'Ding'? What, does your freak planet have toasters, too?"

Loki looked terribly offended. "No," he said haughtily. "I was taught by Astrid that-"

"Oh, of course you were," said Fred. "Let me guess-she's also told you everything there is to know about cooking fresh pasta and baking the perfect apple pie?"

Loki frowned. "Well, actually..."

"Boys," said Astrid with a tone of warning.

They turned as though she had just informed them that she was bleeding from her throat. Loki looked at her with those green eyes of his and his familiar soft good-morning smile, while Fred looked sheepish. "Hey, Addie."

Astrid raised a brow, her eyes flitting between the two. "Can we agree to disagree about the right toasting times, or do I need to separate you both?"

Fred rolled his eyes, shooting Loki a glare at the end. "We're fine," he said tightly. "Remind me why you keep this punk around?"

Loki opened his mouth, but Astrid cut in smoothly: "Because he's my friend, Freddie, and I want to keep him around."

Loki looked proud, albeit smugly so. Fred sighed, appearing as though he didn't feel much like arguing anymore. "I was trying to make you some breakfast," he said, "and then Control Freak over here had to intervene."

Astrid pressed her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes. "Dear Santa," she said, "please be so kind as to gift me with a set of new kids this year, as these two are even more immature than myself. Thanks, buddy."

Fred chuckled, Astrid giggled, and Loki looked deeply confused. "Who is Santa?"

Fred's eyes widened, and he jabbed his thumb in Loki's direction. "Is this guy serious?"

Astrid nodded gravely. "Dead," she said. "I'm trying to teach him some of our Earthly customs."

"Well"-Fred spluttered out a couple unintelligible sounds before forming the rest of his question-"where the hell is he from, then?"