Chapter 2

The crunch of gravel in my driveway seemed to pull the stranger from his thoughts. He studied my small house with a curiously tilted head. I followed his gaze and tried to see what he did. An old brown ranch with a green roof and shutters and a forest green door. My grass was sparse, never having grown very well. The whole house needed a good wash and my gutters needed cleaning. I sighed and mentally added it to the list of things to do eventually.

I pulled the truck to a stop and got out. The stranger followed suit. I led him inside and gestured to my faded cream couch. "So no hospital?" I asked, standing across the room. He shook his head. "Fugitive?" He shook his head again, looking around him. "Drug addict?" Another no. He unclipped the braces around his wrists before sliding off the hard black covering over his chest. A loose green shirt lay beneath. He shrugged it off and lay it down beside him. Glancing up at me, he raised a black brow. I pushed off the wall and went to the kitchen.

Returning with a first aid kit and a bowl of ice, I stopped short. His hands glowed a light green and hovered over a cut on his side. The gash began to close slowly. As I watched, he flicked his other hand and his clothes folded themselves.

Swallowing, I took a deep breath and nodded towards his hands. "So... Alien?" I squeaked.

With a small smile, he raised his eyes to mine. His chin dipped in a nod.

I felt a little queasy all of a sudden. Dropping onto the couch beside him, I stared at the television. "You uh, you wanna make me feel less crazy?"

He chuckled and gasped as it pulled his cuts. The glowing stopped. "I am too weak to heal myself fully. I need food and rest. It will take at least a week, I feel. Your home is nice. It will do. You will let me stay here for now."

I snorted. "Jedi mind tricks only work on lesser minds, buddy." He frowned at me, tilting his head. Sighing, I rolled my eyes. "Asking nicely would have worked better. You don't have any family?" Judging by the hate-filled look he gave me - no. Standing in front of him, I looked down at his slicked black hair. "You don't have anywhere to go and you're not going to tell me how or why you ended up in the middle of North Carolina?" He leaned back on the couch.

"It is none of your concern. What happens now is up to you I suppose."

"Do you have a way home?"

"Even if I did, I can't go back. And I won't."

Nodding, I bit the inside of my lip and looked back towards the first aid kit. "Okay. I'll let you stay a week. I guess. But I have a gun and I'm not a bad shot."

He smiled. "I mean no harm, mortal. When I am well, I will leave you be. You are very generous."

"Or stupid." I grumbled, standing to study him.

He was a good six feet at least with pale skin and long legs. His black hair curled at the nape of his neck and was slicked back. I avoided those piercing green eyes and focused on his cuts and bruises. I set the bowl of ice on the table. "Lean forward." I said. He did, watching me warily. I wrapped some ice in a cloth and pressed it slowly and gently to his back. His pale skin was covered in bruises of enormous size. I watched him but he didn't even flinch. It didn't seem to do anything to him. Well, he did relax a bit. My hand brushed his skin and I blinked at the cold nature of his skin.

"Still haven't told me your name." I said.

"Loki." He said, opening his eyes to watch me with a wary eye again.

"Loki...?"

"Odinson, more or less. Of Asgard."

I nodded. "You don't look much like your namesake." He frowned at me. "There's these Norse myths with their version of the devil being... Oh." My eyes widened and his smile spread slowly across his face. "Oh!" He chuckled. "Oh, the Bifrost! And you came down and they thought you were gods, oh!"

"Yes. You've heard of me."

"Yeah, man! I read all about you! You're weird!"

He laughed out loud this time, his shoulders shaking and his eyes squinting shut. "How nice of you."

"Sorry, but there's some crazy stories. Anyway, the books say you're a redhead."

"Shapeshifter." He murmured.

I nodded. Pushing him until he was laying on his stomach, I laid bundles of ice wrapped in towels all over his back. "Let those sit. I'll cook something." He hummed in agreement. Moving slowly, he folded his arms under his head and looked up at me. I smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you Loki of Asgard."

"And you as well, Ebony of Midgard." He smiled in return and closed his eyes, yawning into the crook of his elbow.

Satisfied that he was comfy, I went to the kitchen. We'd set some ground rules after he got some rest and a decent meal. Dinner was a simple affair of chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables. Once the chicken was in the oven and the rice almost finished, I jostled Loki awake to finish dealing with his wounds. He groaned and sat up. Drying his back, I applied butterfly bandages to the cuts there and on his side and the gash on his forehead.

"You're all set. So, ground rules then dinner." He blinked at me. "Clean up after yourself and don't touch me or my stuff. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I work from home so I'll be around most of the time. I tutor kids three times a week. When they're here, you're not. I don't want you near them. Capisce?"

He pursed his thin lips, looking steadily at me. "Fine."

"Awesome. Dinner's almost ready and then I'll go get you some human clothes."

"May I come?" He perked up a little.

"Mm I guess? You can just wear that undershirt. Look normal." I shrugged. Sitting on the couch, I turned on the tv. "Chicken needs another twenty minutes."

He settled back and watched with me, muttering about the oddities of humans. I smiled but ignored him. When everything was finished, I fixed him a plate, brought it out and left him to it. I had some work to do. Working as an editor and media specialist for a small newspaper company had its perks. Namely, I could do a lot of it from home. So I pulled up my articles to be checked and leads to be followed at the kitchen table.

When Loki finished eating, he brought his plate to me. Focused on my computer, I set my plate on top of his and pointed to the sink. He grumbled and trudged over to it. I smiled. He finished washing a few minutes later and leaned on the counter, glaring at me. Saving the document, I grabbed my keys. "Put on your undershirt and let's go get you human clothes."

We got in my truck and I pulled out of the drive. It looked like I lived out of the way from the town. Actually, I was ten minutes from the nearest shopping center. I was only on the outskirts of the "boonies." The drive was quiet. He didn't talk and I was pretty okay with that. I caught him stealing glances at me from time to time though. We finally pulled into a spot at the shops and I turned to stare back at him.

He smirked and then got out of the truck. I got out, leading the way. I wasn't entirely sure where guys liked to shop so we more or less just walked around for a long time, window shopping. "Okay...see anything you-" I looked around. "Loki?" I turned and found him behind me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a store. I didn't even see the name. He walked slowly through the racks and then finally grabbed some things. "I guess you don't need any help." I murmured.

He cut his eyes at me. "I can dress myself, thank you." I rolled my eyes. He grabbed some pairs of jeans and sweats, mostly in black and grey. I stayed in a corner while he grabbed some shirts and sweatshirts. I stood outside the dressing room while he tried everything on. He came out eventually, looking to me. I walked to the cashier and paid for them, silently thanking the lord that I'd gotten my first bonus of the year already. He seemed have noticed something else so when we left, he dragged me to a shop across the way. He grabbed a suit and a black and white scarf.

Frowning, I flicked the price tag on the suit. "No. I'm not rich. But the scarf you can have." He pouted but I only took the suit and put it back. I paid for the scarf. I smiled as Loki put it around his neck immediately.

We got him some shoes and some basic toiletries before heading back to the car. I loaded the bags into the trunk and got in the driver's seat to find him fiddling with the radio curiously. It turned on and he pulled back quickly, staring at it. Disturbed blasted from it and I laughed as I got in. I turned it down and shut it off, pulling out of the parking lot. He looked at me. I grinned back. "We have to get you used to tech."

While we drove home, I explained how the radio and other things in the car worked. I expected him to listen grudgingly, not liking that I knew more than him. But he was quiet and respectful, asking questions and listening attentively. It was nice just talking to him. We were walking into the house when he posed a new question.

What were we supposed to tell people about him? I bit my lip, thinking. His eyes flickered down and then back up. I stopped. "Well...You're an old friend who needs somewhere to stay awhile. If my sister comes to visit - she tends to around this time of year- you're a friend from high school. We lost touch and I was the only one you could turn to. You were kicked out of your house and lost your job. Is that okay?"

"I suppose."

The TV in the living room sat on an old dresser. I went to it, emptying two drawers of the books and junk in there. I looked back to find him sitting on the couch beside his bags. "You can put your clothes in there." I pointed to the drawers. He raised a black eyebrow, looking at me as though I was a servant telling its master what to do. I raised both brows. "What? Clean up after yourself."

His eyes narrowed and his hands clenched. "I find you quite blunt and disrespectful, mortal."

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms. "I find you ungrateful, Asgardian."

His lip curled and a low sound came from his chest. Did he seriously just growl? Really? "I may be staying here for a time," he said, "but that gives you no right to disrespect me. You a lower being. I'll have none of your attitude. Now-"

"Dude, shut up. It's not even that big a deal!"

Faster than I could blink, he was towering over me. My head didn't quite reach his shoulders and it was a little unnerving. I looked up to see his green eyes flash suddenly and a smile played across his face. "You're a brave one." I didn't respond. His pale hand came up gently to brush my hair back. "I wasn't expecting to have such an entertaining host, nor one so beautiful."

I wasn't sure if it was safe to push him away. Would he hurt me? His eyes narrowed quickly and his hand tightened in my hair, pulling my head back. With a quick shove, I put space between us and pulled my gun back out.

"I said don't touch me." My voice shook but I held my ground.

He smiled slowly, raising his hands. "Apologies." He said, grinning like it was some sort of joke that he even had to say it. "But do not try my patience too much, pet. I will obey you for now." He turned back to the couch. I leaned against the wall, calming my racing heart.

"I dunno if I like you." I grumbled.

"I don't need you to. You can survive a week, can you not?"

Huffing, I put the gun away. "Maybe." Or maybe I'd call the FBI while he was sleeping.