Curious Little Sorcerer

A genuine and soft smile landed on his lips, “I’d like that…” He glanced over towards the window and quietly said, “I wonder if my children would enjoy sweet things…” he said it more to himself than to Lyra.

❝ I would not get my hopes up quite high. I am just a healer here, my say in what the festival’s menu should have is beyond my position. ❞ She made sure to clarify, fiddling with her hands as she sat there. Her brows furrowed then at what he said next, and she was taken back slightly.

As they stopped at a light, Loki turned to look in the back to check on Sleipnir due to his child not being able to speak he had to check if he wanted anything. But he saw that Sleipnir had fallen asleep. “I guess the adrenaline wore off…” the light was still red, so Loki lent over to Eva and kissed her softly, “I’ll make it up to you for making you miss your lecture.”

Eva fell silent for a short while, going over everything in her mind as she drove them safely towards Loki’s home. The only sign of anything that she gave was once he addressed her, glancing in the rear view mirror and giving a small smile at sight of the sleeping boy. 

Once Loki had gotten Sleipnir into the car and buckled him in, he folded the chair up and put it in the back next to the boy before he got in the front. He gave his address, it was in a fairly expensive area but given how Loki wasn’t shy about his money it wasn’t all that surprising. “Make sure you drive slow, I don’t know if he’ll get sick because of hurting his head.” He said as he buckled himself in. “Eva…I’m sorry that you’re going to miss the start of your lecture…and I won’t be able to come over tonight, but maybe you could come over again later and once he’s in bed we can order Chinese and watch something…” He had never invited her to his home before, and considering she now knew about his son he had no reason not to invite her. “Besides, I think we need to talk about…this.”

Eva knew she would likely get in the way if she tried to help, so instead got back in the car and waited for them both to be secured. She nodded at the request to drive slowly, taking off from the entrance carefully and ensuring she maintained a speed that wouldn’t bother the boy. 

Loki moved close to Eva to speak quietly so Sleipnir wouldn’t hear him, “I can’t be affectionate in front of him, I don’t want to confuse him. He wouldn’t understand.” He hoped she understood, he didn’t want to confuse Sleipnir and due to how he struggled to understand certain things, he was worried how seeing his father kissing and touching someone would affect him. He turned back to Sleipnir, “do you want to go in the car?” In response Sleipnir started excitedly signing car causing Loki to chuckle, “he loves riding in the car.” He said to Eva before she went to get the car.

While they waited, Loki quickly read over the paper and put it back in the bag before he started unbuckling Sleipnir from his chair, “stay still okay? The car will be here soon.”

When Loki approached her and spoke in a hushed tone, Eva listened in and nodded. It left her feeling sad for the two of them, more than for herself, that Loki couldn’t express affection to anyone else and that the young boy couldn’t understand certain things. But she understood. 

“I’ll be right back.” she replied, wanting to place a hand on Loki’s arm to reassure him but holding back out of concern for what might confused Selipnir. Turning around, she walked back out of the hospital and took a moment in the cool air to collect herself. So much information had hit her in the last ten minutes and it was a little overwhelming, but she pulled herself together out of a desire to help Loki and his son, and made her way to her car. 

Sleipnir smiled a little when Eva talked to him, he signed something and Loki couldn’t help but smile, “he said ‘hi pretty girl’” Loki chuckled, starting to feel better and calmer already now that it was just the three of them, he was so glad that she hadn’t reacted negatively to the fact that he had been keeping that he was a parent from her. “Eva…would you be able to give us a ride home? I’m really sorry about…well, all of this.” He said as he reached into the bag that hung on the back of Sleipnir’s wheelchair and pulled out the medical record to read what the babysitter had told the doctors. 

Eva looked to Loki after the boy finished signing to her, finding her lips turning up into a fond smile when it was explained what he had said. “That’s very sweet of you, Sleipnir.” she replied, finding the young boy endearing. A trait it seemed that Loki had passed on, even if he tried to pretend he wasn’t. 

He softly touched the boys cheek to help soothe both himself and his son for a few moments, the man he had punched stood there awkwardly, holding his sleeve to his bleeding nose. After a few deep breaths and quiet whispers, Loki got up and looked at the man. “Well?” There was fury in his tone.

“I…uh…he got in the basement and…and he fell down the stairs.” The man said, flinching in pain.

“The basement? The basement which I keep locked and he has no way of opening from his chair? You expect me to believe that?” Loki was fighting with himself to keep as calm as he could, his hands were shaking, he clearly wanted to hit him again. He glanced at Eva and sighed. “Go get yourself seen too and I’ll come find you to find out what really happened later.” The man hurried off when given the opportunity. Loki sighed and looked at Eva fully, “Eva…this wasn’t exactly how I thought you’d find out about him. But this is my boy Sleipnir, he’s six and non verbal but he’s not deaf.”

Eva stood in stunned silence as she observed the contrasting interactions, Loki being soft and sweet with the small boy and then being angry with the other man. She didn’t know what to think, though was not judging him at all. It was clear that Loki cared for this child and if he was truly his father, then Eva felt he was reacting the way any parent would. 

He nodded and grabbed her wrist rather hard, he didn’t mean to grab her so hard and quickly let go when he started walking, realising he did it hard. “Sorry. He apologised, still sounding panicked, “and I damn well hope so.” He didn’t say anything else, clearly focusing on his thoughts, until they were in the car and his leg was bouncing as he buckled himself in, anxiety causing him to not enjoy being still. He rubbed his face in his hands and mumbled to himself in Japanese, but other than that he didn’t speak until they were pulling into the hospital parking lot.

He unbuckled the seat belt and had his hand on the car door, ready to get out the moment the car stopped. Which he did, the car stopped for a moment to let someone finish pulling out so they could pull into their spot and he didn’t wait to get into the spot. Instead he opened the door, leaving his bag in the car, got out and closed the door behind him before running over to the entrance. Before Eva had a chance to catch up with him he had found who he was looking for and punched a man, looking around the same age as him, in the face. “You’re fucking fired!” Loki yelled at the man, who seemed to just take the punch and not retaliate, instead he apologised to Loki as Eva reached them.

Loki crouched down in front of a small boy in a wheelchair with dinosaurs on the wheels, “hey little buddy, it’s okay papas here.” He did some sign language as he spoke and the boy, who looked around six years old. He had blood on his tshirt, which had a t-rex on, and stitches on his face with a pretty bad looking gash across his forehead. The boy signed something in response.

The way his grabbed her wrist left her a little shaken, though if something was wrong, if someone he cared about had been hurt, she could understand his frantic demeanour. “It’s ok… Let’s go.” Eva rushed to her car and wasted no time in getting them onto the highway and to the hospital, inwardly panicking with hopes that whatever had happened, that the person in question was alright. What had been a special stolen moment with Loki now had her worrying for him and whoever was at the hospital. 

“I...uh...he got in the basement and...and he fell down the stairs.” The man said, flinching in pain.

“There’s a difference between trusting someone because they earned it and trusting without choice.” The way he said it showed that broken trust had been a big part of his life. He knew she wasn’t used to smoking but appreciate that she was doing it to be with him. He moved over to her by the wall and once she blew out the smoke, he kissed her deeply, making sure to hold the lit cigarette away from her. He was making it so more of the cigarette would burn out without being smoked.

He had just begun to slide his free hand under the side of her blouse to touch her side directly when his phone rang. “Fuck, sorry.” He apologised as he pulled away and answered the phone from his pocket. He never missed a call or let it ring for long, as if he was afraid of something happening if he didn’t answer. “Hello? Yeah speaking.” His smile from the kiss quickly dropped, “what? Are you taking him now?…okay I’ll meet you at the entrance.” He was doing his best to hide it in his voice, but he was panicked. He dropped the cigarette and patted his pockets, “shit I walked today.” His eyes returned to Eva. “Take me to the hospital, now.” He knew she drove to school because he’d been in the parking lot waiting for her.

Eva faltered a little upon hearing his words, taken aback but how profound they were and what potential implications they may have held. “Well, for what it’s worth, I trust you.” she said, softly, before she felt his lips capturing her own in a deep, powerful kiss. One hand holding the cigarette aside, the other coming up to cup the side of his neck gently, Eva’s skin tingled when she felt he hand beginning to slip below the hem of her blouse. 

But she jumped at the sudden sound of the phone ringing and pulled away, running her fingertips over her lips as she watched him answering the phone. She couldn’t help the way she silently cursed the phone for breaking up their moment, but when she saw the way Loki’s face fell and his entire demeanour changed, her gut sank. 

He unbuckled the seat belt and had his hand on the car door, ready to get out the moment the car stopped. Which he did, the car stopped for a moment to let someone finish pulling out so they could pull into their spot and he didn’t wait to get into the spot. Instead he opened the door, leaving his bag in the car, got out and closed the door behind him before running over to the entrance. Before Eva had a chance to catch up with him he had found who he was looking for and punched a man, looking around the same age as him, in the face. “You’re fucking fired!” Loki yelled at the man, who seemed to just take the punch and not retaliate, instead he apologised to Loki as Eva reached them.