You're Always You

Chapter Forty-Two

Lydia Petrov

This was fantastic.

David insisted it wasn't her fault, but the moment she entered his apartment he was just... so unhappy. As if her being here made him unhappy.

Lydia felt guilty, even though he said that he couldn't picture her being anywhere else.

It was all so... frustrating.

While David was gone, Lydia decided to just... try to be helpful. Much like with Richie, whenever he was grumpy, Lydia tried to just do things around the house that made him happy. Getting chores done that he didn't have to do.

Therefore, Lydia began to clean. She wiped the countertops and began to wash the dishes, trying to be somewhat productive around the apartment. When the doorbell rang, considering Lydia was alone and David would just open the door, the woman decided to grab a hand towel. She tried off her hands as she approached the door with the towel, pulling it open with one hand.

A man stood on the other side of the door with a wide grin and an envelope in his hand. "Hello~!" He said happily, holding out his hand to Lydia.

Lydia blinked her eyes and took his hand. "Hi," She said, giving a nervous chuckle. "...Can I help you?"

"Of course you can," The man said cheerily, a cocky smile on his face. "You're Lydia, right?"

...

"Yes," Lydia said slowly, though she brushed it off on the fact that this was likely one of David's friends. David had likely mentioned Lydia being here. It wasn't all that much of a surprise. "Sorry, I guess I don't know your name. You are...?"

"Loki. Just Loki." The man hummed. Lydia briefly thought it odd for a name but she ignored it. Primarily because Loki had been inviting himself inside of the home.

Lydia merely blinked for a moment, though the man continued to talk. "I'm one of Davie's good friends." Loki explained, waving his hand. "We actually met here in New York. Bastard almost ran me over, if you believe it."

Blinking her eyes, Lydia frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that." She told him. "I'm glad you seem safe and in good health, though. At least, I assume."

"Thank you." Loki said, tossing his hand into the air while rolling his eyes.

Lydia didn't realize that David had such an animated friend. Instead, she put a smile on her face and rubbed at her shoulder. "...David isn't here right now," She told Loki with a slight smile. "Is... there something I can get you? We don't have that much food, but I can be creative." Lydia offered.

Loki shook his head and chuckled. "Nah, I've just got this envelope here for him." The man said, waving it in the air before dropping it onto the back of the couch.

"I can give him a call?"

"Oh, he won't be back for another hour or two - at least." Loki said. He crossed his arms while eyeing Lydia for a moment. Then began to give a soft chuckle. "You know, I'm actually a stylist..."

Lydia blinked her eyes and gazed at him for a moment in confusion. Looking at how he was dressed, that was something Lydia wouldn't have... assumed. Though the fact that David was a military man, presumably used to structure, had an animated friend who was a stylist.

Well, she supposed that opposites attract.

"Okay..." Lydia said, blinking her eyes.

"Anyway," Loki chuckled and stepped towards her. He gestured with his hand, mimicking her long hair on himself. "I just think your long, beautiful locks would look so much better right about..." Loki dragged his hands up to just above her shoulder. "Here."

...

"No thanks."

The shocked look on Loki's face was a bit amusing. He still held his fingers up to his shoulder, merely gazing across at her. Then, he repeated her. "...'No thanks?'"

Lydia shrugged her shoulders and gave a slight smile. "I'm... used to my hair being this long." Lydia told him honestly, bringing her hand up to her hair. "It would be weird to cut it short."

...

Loki lowered down his hands, a baffled look still on his face. "...You sure." He insisted with a frown. "I just have got to believe you're ready for a change in your life, yeah? Changing your hair changes everything~!"

The woman shook her head again. "Maybe someday... but not right now." Lydia nodded her head confidently. "If I decide to make a change, I'll talk to David about asking you. Okay?"

Crossing his arms, almost in a pout, Loki frowned. "...Alright," he muttered unhappily. The man nodded his head over to the envelope on the back of the couch and hummed. "Just get that to Davie for me, that would be wonderful~."

Lydia stepped over to the envelope and picked it up. She nodded her head and smiled, stepping towards the kitchen counter to set it down. "Okay," She told him honestly. "I will."

"Thanks, doll~!"

* * * * *

By the time David came home, Lydia had literally cleaned everywhere. She had vacuumed, mopped, wiped every surface, washed... everything she could think of. Lydia even had the washing machine running with some of his clothes.

"...Are you... cleaning?"

"Cleaned," Lydia corrected with a smile. "Yeah, why?"

The man snorted softly. "You... You didn't need to do that," he said with a slight smile.

Clearly, she did, based on his happy reaction.

"Honestly, it's not a problem. I thought I'd just be helpful, and you told me to poke around at stuff. Remember? Technically this is on you." Lydia teased with a chuckle.

"Guess I did, huh... Fair enough."

Smiling happily, Lydia moved herself into the kitchen. She picked up the envelope and began to walk back out into the living room, setting it down on the coffee table. "Let me help you with carrying groceries." She told him with a smile. "Also, one of your friends came by and dropped that off." Lydia said, nodding to the envelope as she took the groceries from his hands.

He seemed to stare at it for a moment. "...Did they say who?"

"Uh..." Lydia furrowed her eyebrows together to recall his name. "...I think he said his name was Loki? The stylist friend. He told me to get my hair cut. I think he was about ready to whip out scissors if I said yes." Lydia informed and shook her head with a slight laugh.

The woman set the groceries down on the counter and began to pull them out. Most of them, from what she could see, looked delicious. He even bought chicken breasts - which would certainly be getting cooked tonight.