One Rainy Afternoon

Chapter 3 - What Really Happened On Bonfire Night

I steadied myself against the stepladder with one hand and pushed against the trapdoor with the other. Why won't this stupid thing open? I shoved again. Nothing. Damn it.

On the third try, the door suddenly flew open, only to bounce back and whack me soundly on the head. Cursing, I descended the ladder and grabbed the bag of food. No matter what, I always managed to give myself a bruise. I clambered back up through the door and out onto the roof. It was chilly, but a clear evening, perfect, crisp autumn weather, really.

"Keira? Hello?" Loki's head appeared through the door.

"Come out. I have dinner for us, but nothing's started yet in the park."

Loki stepped out gracefully and seated himself next to me with his back against the brick centre ridge of the roof. A small cluster of sparrows flew by, chirping angrily as they chased a crow. He surveyed the town below admiringly. "This is really quite the view."

"Welcome to Bearsden." I waved my hand over the panorama with a dramatic flourish. "There's been a settlement since the Romans were here, hundreds of years before even you were born."

"Even me?" He lifted an eyebrow.

"You were born a few years ahead of me." My tone was dry.

"I suppose you have a point." He peered into the canvas bag. "What's for dinner? It smells divine."

I rummaged through the bag and pulled out foil wrapped parcels. "A lot of places have picnic food for tonight. I got take away from a pub down the street there. Let's see, I have sausages on onion buns, chips, and beans. Oh, and beer too, but the food's been warming it. Ugh."

"Allow me." Loki took a bottle in each hand. When he handed mine back, frost furred the glass.

"That's amazing! Thank you!"

Loki shrugged self-deprecatingly, but he wore a small pleased smile. "It's nothing, really. One of the more helpful benefits of being Jotun."

"You're unique. That's wonderful."

He gazed out over the town. "I suppose. I'm glad you don't expect a normal friend. I've never been that."

"Psh, normal is nothing to aspire to." I stretched out my booted legs and took a drink of the icy beer. "My last boyfriend told me I was being normal once as a compliment. He was a colossal idiot."

Loki wrinkled his nose. "I hope you stabbed him."

"Well, no, but I did tell him I was greatly insulted. Although, I don't have any knives, so it might have been a different story if I had."

"I felt the opposite growing up. Some of my brother's friends considered me the odd one and took every opportunity to remind me." Loki's lips tightened. "Thor still speaks of our adventures fondly but becomes annoyed if I point out they weren't nearly as fun for me."

I bit my lip to stifle my amusement. His arms were crossed and for some reason, his petulant face made me want to giggle.

A pair of crows flew by, now chasing the sparrows and cawing raucously. Loki watched them. "When ravens remember someone who's bothered them, people think it's clever. When I do it, Thor tells me to let things go."

I laughed aloud at his expression. For a moment, I had a glimpse of Loki as a child, lip extended and pouting to his mother.

He glanced at me. "What?"

"I pictured you and Thor as kids, fighting about something insignificant and you complaining..." I trailed off as his frown remained unchanged. "Erm, I mean..."