Chapter Text
It was morning when he returned. Months after the first meeting, the heat of the summer had been replaced by the cool winds of fall. The leaves on the massive oak tree were now copper, many of them fluttering violently in the wind not quite ready to slough off this mortal coil and fall to the ground. The sun was rising slowly in the East. Loki took a slow calming breath. Taking in the chill with pleasurable anticipation. It was the first time that he had a moment to himself in months. His personality demanded that he have time away from the noise and crowds of the court. It was so hard to achieve solitude as a prince. Even as the second son there were responsibilities he was expected to attend to. Taking his time to enjoy the silence of the early morning Loki made his way up to the street to the house that Emerson had pointed out.
It was small; at least to Loki it seemed so. The yard was large with another great oak, it’s branches spreading out across much of the corner lot. Loki touched the its trunk wondering briefly which window was his friend’s. He did not have long to wait. A familiar rustling came from the coppery leaf covered limbs from above him. The upside-down smiling face of Emerson popped into his view before Loki could see the rest of her.
“Hey,” the golden torc fell against her chin, making Loki smile. “I saw the storm.”
She slipped down and landed with a small thud by his feet. The top of her head barely came up to the middle of his chest. Loki took a few moments to take in her mop of curly hair the too large torc sitting awkwardly on her collar bones the black hoodie the was stretched over the white cast on her left arm.
“What happen to you?” all the humor that Loki had been filled up with before left him in that instant. “Who did this? Tell me.”
“I fell,” She tilted her head still smiling. “Nobody did this, but me.”
She grabbed his hand. Loki felt the rough plaster rub against his palm and he was shocked by how fragile this strange little creature really was. His heart clinched.
“I’m supposed to go to school today but I wanna hang with you,” She pouted up at him.
“Won’t your family worry about you my darling Emerson?” Loki was still fuming over his confidante being hurt, even if it was her own fault. “You are hurt. Should you not be tended to day and night until you are well and truly healed?”
Emerson hummed a little to herself and pulled him to the wooden swing hanging from one of the lower branches. She hopped quickly onto the seat letting go of his hand and pushing her self in a small arc. Loki took up his place behind the swing and began to push her. Emerson grasped the ropes giggling as she flew higher and higher. Loki watched her carefully.
“I don’t get to stay at home,” She sighed heavily. “I have to go back to school now that it is in a cast. The doctors said it could have been much worse. Mom and Dad yelled at me. They said that I was lucky that I didn’t die. They talked about cutting down my tree.”
Loki couldn’t see her face from where he was standing, but the hitch in her voice told him everything he needed to know. His anger was bubbling up again.
“That won’t happen Emerson,” Loki’s voice took on a sinister edge he was not used to hearing out of his own voice. He had heard the same hard edge in Thor’s battle yell. “No one will be taking this from you.”
He continued to push the swing. The sun still creeping slowly up the horizon, Loki found himself hoping that the sun would stop its ascent. He knew what the proper thing would be to send her off to school. Let her realm’s educators teach her languages and history, but he could do that. He knew that he was justifying kidnapping her even if it was only for the day. He knew that the All-Father would have his hide if he ever found out, for all he knew Heimdall had already gone to Odin. Emerson leaned back at that moment and smiled up at him.
“I think we could take the day,” Loki grinned down at her. “I could teach you more than your crusty old teachers.”
“They aren’t so old really,” Emerson said in her matter-of-fact way. “We could go to the park.”
“I was thinking somewhere a bit more adventurous,” Loki grinned wickedly. “Would you like to see what it’s like inside the storm.”
Emerson looked down at her feet calmly and then up at the sky.
“I think I should get some shoes then.” She hopped off the swing on an upward stroke sailing through the air for a few seconds before hitting the ground and rolling. Loki felt a spike fear shoot up his spine only settling once he heard the pleats of laughter ringing out of her. “I should leave a note or something.”
“No need darling,” He offered her his hand. “What good is my magic if I cannot use it at a time like this? Hhhhmmm?”