Shut Up And Kiss Me (Loki x Darcy)

Coffee And Confessions

Darcy almost wanted to cry with relief when she felt the familiar buzzing of her cell phone vibrating in her coat pocket.
She was amazed she'd even managed to get a signal out here, but she had, and she thanked God for the small -- and very timely -- miracle.

Wobbling precariously back to the foot of the steep hill, she struggled to pull the phone free.
Jeez. Climbing mountains wreaked havoc with her calves, and climbing back down with jelly legs, was equally punishing.

"Hang on, sorry. I've got a call coming in." She shouted to Greg, who was already a good halfway up the small mountain.

He stopped, turned, and frowned at her. "But we came out here to relax. How are we supposed to enjoy ourselves and unwind if you have to stop to take calls?"

Relax? Yeah right. That was a good one.
She was so tempted to tell him that trekking up hills and through forests, wasn't exactly her idea of unwinding, or enjoying herself.
In fact, she'd rather stick pins in her eyes, or peel her own skin off and eat it.

But she couldn't bring herself to tell him.
After all, when he'd raved about his love of walking on their first date, she had responded enthusiastically. Claiming to love nature, and the outdoors.
And she did. In paintings and on documentaries.
She could appreciate a beautiful view, and enjoyed looking at stunning scenery. However, having to hike for two hours in order to achieve it, didn't really seem worth the effort or pain.

She couldn't really understand it.
When she was a kid, she considered herself to be a fan of the great outdoors. She was a real tomboy, and was all about tree forts, camping, and playing in the woods.
Now, she wasn't sure what had happened.
All she knew was, having to hike up mountains made her want to kill herself.

She hated it. Everything about it.

Getting all sweaty, and sticky was a big no no for a start. She couldn't even take a selfie once she'd reached the top, to prove her accomplishment, because she looked like shit.
Not to mention the way she felt her lungs were collapsing on her.
She'd been huffing and wheezing her way around the hiking trails, while Greg strode on, looking all fresh-faced and annoyingly not out of breath.

And God how she wished he would run out of breath, because if he gave just one more pep talk -- encouraging her to 'keep going' -- she was at risk of shoving him off the top of the damn cliff IF they ever reached the top.
Though she had to wonder if he'd be worth the jail time.

He certainly deserved to suffer like she was suffering.
Without looking, she knew she had blisters on her blisters, where her recently purchased 'hiking style' boots had rubbed her feet raw, and she was dreading having to peel her socks off later -- that is, providing her feet didn't come off with her boots,

Why had she lied like an idiot, just to impress a guy?
It was so out of character for her. Normally Darcy prided herself on being herself.
So what if she told a few little white lies now and then, who didn't? It was harmless enough. But she was paying dearly for this apparently harmless lie.

For some reason, she didn't want someone as active and adventurous as Greg to be put off by her being a bit of a slob. Admittedly, she spent most her time attached to her laptop or her bed -- preferably both. However, her idea of 'enjoying a walk' differed greatly from his.

When he'd suggested they make the most of her time off work and spend the day together, she didn't expect him to mean, hiking around The Greenbelt.
But even then, she was willing to give it a go.
She figured it might even be nice, getting some fresh air and a bit of gentle exercise, taking a stroll in the parklands.
In actual fact though, this was like slipping into the seventh circle of hell, and she realised now that she wasn't as in shape as she liked to think.
Nor was she capable of hiking like a pro, and this type of pastime she now realised, was most definitely not for her.