Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I hummed thoughtfully as I fiddled with my hair in the bathroom mirror.

Today was the day: my eighteenth birthday. 

This special Friday had burned bright and was full of promise; it was a day I had been looking forward to for a long time. 

I had had a wonderful day at school, even though few of my friends seemed to remember what today was for me. I wouldn’t allow anything to douse my happiness and excitement, especially not when I had my birthday dinner tradition to look forward to. Every year, Mom took me to my favorite sushi restaurant, and this year was no different, but I felt different. I was finally eighteen, and the world looked brighter and more promising than ever.

When I deemed myself presentable, I hurried downstairs, only to be met by my mother’s scowling face as she looked me up and down.

“Is that what you’re wearing?”

“Yes, Mom. I like this dress and I never get to wear it.”

She shook her head, her perfect blonde curls bouncing elegantly as she crossed her arms over her bosom. “Well, maybe if you ever ventured out of the house for a reason other than school—”

“Mom!”

“All right, all right,” Evelyn said with an exasperated flick of her wrists. “The dress just isn’t flattering, sweetie. It’s too baggy, even for winter; it makes you look fatter—”

“Seriously? You don’t always have to remind me about my weight, you know.”

My weight was one of many issues between us. My mother and I were complete opposites, and she loved reminding me of her superiority. 

Evelyn was the typical pageant queen; gorgeous, with lush, golden curls that bounced with every movement, flawless makeup enhanced her features, and she always dressed as if she were about to meet Prince Charming, complete with a dazzling smile and a confident air. 

She certainly had no issues finding men to entertain her, but that’s all it ever was to her. Entertainment. She never took them seriously, and perhaps that was because of my father, who had left so long ago I didn’t even remember him. Mother didn’t speak about him; there was nothing good or bad for her to say as he was part of her past, not her present, she had once said.

“Fine, but if I can’t convince you to change your dress, will you at least let me do your makeup?”

I cocked my head, my eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Do my makeup? You’ve never offered to do that before…”

She swatted my shoulder. “Oh hush, if you ever asked, I would, and I would love to teach you how to do it yourself. But tonight is special! You’re eighteen now; this is a big milestone. Besides, I have an extra special surprise for you, so I want you to look your best!”

“Fine, you can do my makeup,” I sighed, giving in like I always did.

She clapped her hands excitedly and quickly ushered me back upstairs to the bathroom where she started by restyling my hair; nothing too fancy, just enough work to increase the volume of my fine hair and adding some soft curls to make it appear fuller. For makeup, she used colors that would enhance my eyes and skin tone. Honestly, I hated to admit it, but as I looked into the mirror at my unfamiliar reflection, I felt… pretty? 

Was that the right word?

I had never really seen myself as attractive before, but right now… well, let’s just say that after seeing myself in the mirror, it was easy for her to convince me to change. The dress I had chosen somehow appeared too plain when paired against the makeup and my styled hair. Thankfully, mom agreed to stick to my comfort zone and chose a blue sweater dress and leggings with a few smaller accessories, accentuating my curves while hiding the areas that I was uncomfortable with. 

I was a bigger girl—voluptuous—as the romance novels called it. I had large breasts and wide hips—the desired and plump hourglass figure. But that figure came with curves everywhere, and that was something boys my age didn’t seem to want. My body, with its curves and softness, wasn't the toned ideal they seemed to prefer; the extra curves ruined the Barbie image that ran rampant across society’s beauty standards...

After my makeover was complete, my mother looked me over once more and nodded happily, pleased that I had allowed her to ‘doll me up.’ She quickly checked her own appearance and then we hurried to the car, eager to get to dinner. 

Upon arriving, the hostess confirmed a reservation under my mother’s name, which surprised me. We had never made reservations before…

The hostess smiled as she checked us off the list and led us to a secluded section walled off from the rest of the restaurant by several large aquariums. It was quieter in this section and the vibe was relaxed and, frankly, posh. There were only six tables in this section, and only two had people sitting at them, so when the hostess led us to a table that was already occupied by another patron, I was confused… and momentarily breathless as his dark aqua eyes met mine.

He smiled, coy and intrigued.

It was a sly smirk that made my heart race as my wide eyes traveled over his sharp features and smooth, pale skin. His thick, refined ebony hair, curled elegantly at the ends, was slicked back in a professional, seductive style. He wore a very nice suit which immediately caught my eye; I had a ravenous thirst for men in fine suits…

Oh, he was divinely decadent, and I was a moth drawn to his searing flame… 

Until he stood, and my mother squealed with joy as she ran toward him. They shared a quick, chaste kiss as I stood there dumbfounded, watching my mother cling to this unfamiliar man that had stolen the air from my lungs. Who was he? And why was my mother acting like an overly excited teenage girl meeting the lead singer in her favorite band?

“Sweetie, this is Loki; he’s my boyfriend!”

Confusion marred my face. “B-Boyfriend? You didn’t tell me you were seeing anyone…”

Loki chuckled crossly; a deep, rolling timber that made me shiver. “Evelyn, have you been hiding me from your lovely daughter?”

Fuck, he was British, too?!

I swallowed hard at his voice; it was hypnotic, just like those dark oceanic eyes. Not to mention his height—yet another weakness of mine with men. Loki towered over me and even my mother, who was in stiletto heels. 

“Hiding you?” my mother gasped, giggling nervously. “N-Never! I just didn’t want to, ah, overwhelm her. She’s not exactly easy to talk to, you know; she’s just so quiet and reserved!”

I couldn’t even attempt to hide the offended look on my face.

Loki shook his head. “Evelyn, she’s your daughter; she deserves to know the important details of your life.” He turned to me, offering an apologetic smile. “I’m truly sorry about this, my dear; I thought you knew about me, but apparently, your mother neglected to even speak about me.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but my mother cut me off. “Oh, it’s fine; I thought you would be a nice birthday surprise,” she said defensively.

“A ’birthday surprise’ should focus on the birthday girl, no?” Loki retorted.

“Well, it’s not the only surprise I have for her; I was just hoping that she would be happy for me; I haven’t dated since her father left, you know.”

My smile fell, and before I could stop myself, I scoffed. “Mom… you went on a date a month after dad left when I was six.”

A bright blush stained her cheeks as she looked sheepishly at Loki, who had raised his brow curiously. “She’s… she’s exaggerating; it wasn’t a date. I just needed to get out of the house to relieve some stress. Besides, she was so young when it happened; she barely remembers her father, let alone anyone else that may have come over,” she muttered, giving me a stern look.

Loki sighed again as he rounded the table, coming toward me. “Well, that’s all in the past and happened long before you met me.” He held out the chair nearest to me, and I blushed at his unexpected chivalry, but I thanked him quietly and sat down, allowing him to push my chair in.

He did the same for my mother, and then sat directly across from me, smiling as he opened the menu. “So, your mother tells me this is your favorite restaurant; what do you recommend, love?”

I stuttered, feeling put on the spot at his question, but quickly remembered how to speak. “Umm… Well, this one is one of my favorites. I get it every time we come here,” I said as I leaned forward to point at a particular roll on his menu.

He hummed thoughtfully as he read the description. “That sounds delicious; I think I’ll try that one… along with a few others.”

We all discussed what we wanted and a few minutes later, a waiter came to serve us, and Loki ordered for all of us, which was strangely… hot. When the waiter walked away to fill our orders, my mother frowned at me. “You know, sweetie, if you ordered one roll, like me, instead of two, I bet you’d lose a few of those pounds you always complain about.”

I winced as my cheeks flushed. 

Why did she always do this?

“Evelyn,” Loki scolded. “It is her birthday. She may order whatever she desires.” His eyes found mine. “Besides, I ordered five rolls; if anything, that advice should be for me.”

She dismissed his words with a flick of her wrist. “Oh, stop it. You look wonderful, and you exercise frequently. She doesn’t.”

“Well, darling, on the same spectrum, if you ate more, you wouldn’t complain about being hungry all the time,” he chuckled, giving me a subtle wink.

I bit my lip to hold back my giggle at the shocked look on her face.

She cleared her throat, a slight blush staining her cheeks, and immediately changed the subject, much to my amusement. One day I hoped her snide comments wouldn’t bother me, but today was not that day.

Loki’s immediate defense of me had taken me by surprise, but I was grateful for his intervention. He even made it easy to bypass those awkward comments and steered the conversation in other directions. He asked about school, my hobbies, and other random details about what made me, me.

His interest in learning the finer details about me was new, but not unwelcome. Granted, my mother had never introduced me to any of her boyfriends before… so I had nothing to compare Loki against, but he even asked me questions my mother hadn’t ever asked me.

It was refreshing to be the center of attention for once.

Especially by a man that looked like him.

But now it was my turn to ask the questions.

“So, um, how long have you and my mother been seeing each other, exactly? I-If you don’t mind me asking, I mean.”

“Not at all,” Loki assured. “Your mother and I met about… four months ago, I believe, and we have been dating for three.”

My mother nodded excitedly as she wrapped her right arm around his shoulder and placed her left hand on his bicep. “That’s right! He’s a regular at the shop I work at, and somehow, we never crossed paths before then.”

I nodded slowly. 

Four months in total… definitely longer than her usual ‘relationships.’ Perhaps this one was serious for her. The only thing that wasn’t surprising was how tightly she latched onto him. It was like she was trying to make a statement to the entire restaurant that he was hers.

Granted, he was very handsome. They made for a very eye-catching couple, for sure. A beauty queen and a— 

The waiter returned with our food, stalling my thoughts.

I couldn’t wait to eat, but reigned in my hunger in front of my mother; the last thing I needed was more backhanded advice. Loki, however, was eager to try the rolls I’d recommended and started with those. As we all ate, Loki kept the conversation going, willingly engaging with me while my mother opted to sit pretty and pick at her plate.

“Do you have any more questions for me?” he asked.

I paused, covering my lips as I chewed and swallowed a bite. I did have questions, but I hated being put on the spot because my brain always went blank. “Umm, well, what do you do for a living?”

He smiled that dangerous smile; clearly eager to divulge information about himself. “I am a Private Attorney and I manage my own law firm.”

“O-Oh, wow!” I said, both surprised and not; he had an intimidating aura, and it magically made sense with him being an attorney.

“Is it?” he smirked. “Your mother finds my work quite dull.”

“I do not!”

“Oh, but you do! Not that I blame you; not everyone has the patience to practice law. Especially when cases drag on and on and on,” he teased.

I slightly raised my hand with my pointer finger extended upwards, silently asking permission to speak. 

Loki turned back towards me, his grin widening as he saw my gesture. 

He inclined his head towards me.

“Um, what type of attorney are you? What field do you specialize in?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Well, you already know more about my profession than your mother does! An excellent inquiry. I am a private attorney, or the typical trial attorney, though as a private entity, clients seek me out. I have more freedom than a court attorney that a larger, big-name firm might employ.” 

“What type of cases do you normally get? Can you talk about them?”

Loki chuckled, amused by my excitement. “I specialize in business and estate planning, and—as a result of several poor decisions made by multiple members of my clientele—family law. Nothing is messier than a divorce without a prenup when you agree to combine your stocks or businesses because, and I quote: ‘This might be my third marriage, but this time it’s true love!’”

I huffed out a laugh at his exasperated expression. “At least it keeps you in business?”

A dry laugh escaped his perfect lips. “Well, you’re not wrong there, love.”

We shared a soft chuckle and I almost forgot that my mother was there. She was never this quiet, but one glance at her told me that Loki’s attention being on me was bothersome for her.

And it made me feel giddy inside.

“Do you mind if I ask your age, Loki?”

“Not at all. I’ll be thirty-five in just a few days.”

“Really?”

He smiled. “Oh, yes; you and I are both children of winter. For my birthday, I always go up to my family’s cabin and spend time at the ski lodge.” He glanced between my mother and I. “Perhaps this year, you both could join me? We could stay at my cabin for a couple of weeks and enjoy time away from the city.”

My mother practically glowed at his invitation.

“Oh, I’d love to, baby!”

Loki’s gorgeous smile met my gaze. “And what about you? Would you like to come, dear? Your mother told me that your Christmas break starts next week; spending Christmas up in the mountains would be a pleasant change, no?”

I nodded shyly. “Um, yeah… that sounds nice. Really nice.”

He tipped his wine glass toward me with a smirk. “Wonderful. This will give us a chance to make up for lost time. I look forward to us getting much more… acquainted.”

*

After dinner, which Loki paid for, my mother invited him back to our home to spend the evening.

He accepted.

I had mixed feelings about him being in our house overnight; I didn’t know him very well, and mother had just sprung him on me. She was acting like we’d known him forever!

Loki seemed nice—and was nice to look at—but she hadn’t ever brought any man home before… that I knew of. Granted, I would never get to know Loki and, therefore, never feel comfortable around him unless I gave him a chance. So, I put on my ‘happy face’ and dealt with it. 

Once we arrived home, we gathered in the living room, and my mom brought out a few gifts she had stashed away. Usually, she only gave me one present and took me out to dinner, so having multiple was a surprise.

“Okay, now close your eyes, sweetie; I have a special present for you!”

I closed my eyes, wary of her idea of a special present.

Shuffling noises filled my ears along with my mother’s happy giggles. I heard a soft thud right before she told me to open my eyes… and disappointment filled me. Standing before me was a dress mannequin wearing a light pink gown with pearls decorating the bodice. I quickly hid my face behind the skirt of the dress, holding it up in front of me to ‘examine’ it. I allowed my grimace to emerge for a few seconds before putting on my fake smile.

“Oh, it’s… it’s really pretty, Mom. Thanks.”

My mother beamed, fooled by my practiced false smile. She moved to sit beside Loki on the couch opposite ‌me as she gushed over the dress, telling me how she just had to get it when she saw it. Loki only smiled with a passive expression as she spoke to us, not that I would expect him to have opinions about a teenage girl’s clothing. 

The remaining gifts from my mother forced me to make similar fake reactions: makeup, costume jewelry, a pair of shoes that would perfectly accent the pink dress. Did she think I was a doll for her to decorate? Despite it all, I hid my disappointment as best as I could from her; after all, she had never given me this many presents, and I didn’t want to appear ungrateful. 

“I hope you don’t mind, but I also have a gift for you,” Loki said, pulling me out of my thoughts. He smiled as he handed me a stunning wooden box engraved with runes hand-painted in gold. It captivated me with its beauty, but its inner contents made my breath hitch; carefully nestled within was a large, emerald green leather-bound journal. The scent of leather and paper caressed my senses, invoking a calming sensation as I ran my fingers over the imprinted design on the cover, stroking it reverently as I gazed at it.

“Yggdrasil… it’s beautiful.”

Loki grinned as he watched me admire the golden etching of the ancient tree. “Your mother said you liked mythology, and as the namesake of a Norse god, I thought you might appreciate something like this.”

I smiled—a genuine smile this time. 

“I do!” I said, holding the journal close. “It sounds silly, but I have a deep fondness for Yggdrasil and Trees of Life.”

“That’s not silly at all. Yggdrasil is a powerful force and, as I’m sure you know, Norse lore believes that we are but one realm of many hanging from its endless branches. Should this be true, I don’t think it’s strange or surprising to feel drawn to it.”

My eyes softened as I glanced up at him. “Thank you, Loki.”

His eyes narrowed in satisfaction. “Oh, it’s my absolute pleasure, love.”

***

I sighed wearily as I finished up my nightly routine in the bathroom. All things considered, my birthday was nice. Mom had made it a little difficult, as usual, but at least there had been more positives this year.

I pursed my lips as I brushed my hair out, flattening the curls my mother had carefully crafted, and washed away the unfamiliar makeup coating my skin. I brushed my teeth and then changed into a blue nightie before returning to my room, but as I exited the bathroom, I came face-to-face with Loki.

My breath hitched; I had forgotten he was staying the night!

My cheeks burned as I glanced down at my current attire: a simple blue nightie, nothing special, but revealing for my figure. My breasts were almost impossible to hide because of their size, and the thin negligee showed enough cleavage to make a priest sweat. And continuing right along on the ‘inappropriate attire’ train… the lacy hem only came down to my mid-thigh, barely covering my ass…

I felt exposed.

How could I have forgotten he was staying the night?!

Loki’s eyes leisurely roamed over my blushing form… and he grinned. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry; I didn’t mean to startle you.”

I shook my head as I inched away from the bathroom door and him. “N-No need to apologize… I-I was done. Just getting ready for bed.” I turned away, rushing straight to my room. “G-Good night!”

“Good night, love,” he purred. “I hope you have the sweetest of dreams...”

His voice faded as I shut my bedroom door.

I groaned, covering my face with my hands as I replayed that interaction with Loki over and over. I just had to pick one of my frilly nighties to sleep in… 

Pushing away from the door, I opted to flop down on my bed to hide my embarrassment from the imaginary eyes I felt upon me. I wallowed in my overthinking shame for a bit before my eyes grew heavy and turned off my bedside lamp, intent on getting some much needed rest.

But my body had other plans.

I tossed and turned in my bed for hours; I couldn't relax enough to fall asleep despite my eyes begging me to give in and close them. 

Maybe a snack would help? It wasn’t the best coping mechanism for lack of sleep, but sometimes a quick treat could give you just enough serotonin to relax…

I reached out to grab my cell phone, switching on the flashlight before stealthily emerging from my room. The consuming darkness of the hallway closed in around me as I guided myself toward the stairs. But as I passed my mother’s door, a high-pitched whine startled me and I froze.

“Oooh, yes… mm, Loki! Aaah, right there!”

Cringing, I scurried downstairs; the last thing I needed to hear before trying to sleep again was my mother having sex. Great sex judging by the increasing volume of her squeals; even downstairs, I could still hear her. 

Only her, actually. 

I made a face as I nibbled on a granola bar and leaned onto the counter, pondering about the lack of sound from Loki. Surely, after three months of dating, they would have already slept together, and if it wasn’t good for both of them… 

Well, I just had a feeling that Loki was the type of man who would make his displeasure known. He was polite, but he’d had no issue curbing my mother’s bad mannerisms at dinner, so I would be more shocked if he didn’t voice his displeasure. 

Or maybe he was just quiet in bed; that was a thing, right? 

I absently chewed on my bottom lip; did I even want to know what Loki’s moans sounded like? His voice alone was hypnotic; I could only imagine what hearing him in the throes of passion would sound like—

“Well, it seems I’m not the only night owl around here.”

I turned sharply to my left to find Loki standing under the archway of the kitchen. Unbeknownst to me, the granola bar in my hand had fallen onto the countertop as my eyes traveled over his bare chest and loose lounge pants. I knew his body would be lean; his suit had been form-fitting enough, but to see him so openly bare—

“Are you having trouble sleeping? Or did your mother wake you?”

I could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he chuckled, presumably at my poorly hidden reaction. Nervously clearing my throat, I turned my attention back to my snack, lying forgotten on the marble countertop. “Umm, n-no… just can’t seem to relax enough to fall asleep,” I mumbled, looking away.

He hummed thoughtfully as he took a bottle of water from the fridge. “Do you normally have issues sleeping? Or are you perhaps uncomfortable with having me here?”

My head snapped back to him, cheeks flushing at his candid question. “N-No! Not at all! Well, I-I mean… it is different; Mom has never, to my knowledge, had a man stay over. She’s always gone to them.”

His eyes narrowed playfully. “Oh? Well, then I must be special, hm? After all, she finally allowed me to meet her precious little daughter.”

I shrugged as I awkwardly tugged on the hem of my nightgown, my voice slightly grumpy. “Yeah, and yet, she intentionally didn’t tell me about you…”

“Touché, my dear,” he chuckled, though there was no amusement in the sound. He sighed as he took a long drink of water, the bottle crinkling as it caved under his grip. “I admit, I am… perturbed by that.”

I winced as I continued to strangle the blue fabric of my gown. Shit, I shouldn’t have said that; I didn’t want to ruin this for her…

“W-Well… like she said, she was worried about, uh, overwhelming me. School has been rough and stressful this year,” I said, trying to cover for her; my explanation wasn't entirely false either; school was always stressful…

He smirked slyly, as if he could smell the lie on my tongue. “Well, one’s senior year in school is quite taxing from what I remember, but knowing that she hid my existence from her only daughter is… concerning; like she isn’t serious about this relationship. It also leads me to believe that Evelyn doesn’t bond with you enough to consider you important in her life.”

“Wh-what?” I squeaked.

“You mustn’t make excuses for her, love. I’ve had questions for quite some time about her relationship with you; she speaks of you with love, but she doesn’t seem to connect with you. For instance—and correct me if I’m wrong, but that hideous dress she purchased for you doesn’t cater to your personality at all and you didn’t seem thrilled with it.”

“Oh, you, uh, you picked up on that?”

He nodded. “I’d wager that she also picked out your dress and did your makeup for this evening, yes?”

I bit my lip and nodded sheepishly. “Yeah… but she asked if she could, and she was just so excited… I didn’t want to disappoint her.”

“I thought as much,” he said as he tightened the cap on the water bottle. “You don’t seem the type to dress up for the sake of others as she does. In fact, you seem more… natural.”

“Natural?” I repeated, my voice curt and offended. “I suppose that’s one way to phrase it; it sounds nicer than saying plain after all.”

 “Plain?” Loki scoffed, mirroring my tone. “Darling, that’s not what I meant at all! No, no, you are… you give off an impression of honesty and sincere innocence. Pure-hearted, if you will. It’s… refreshing.” The words emanated from him like the flow of a fine wine onto one’s lips.

I glanced down at my feet as I processed his words. 

Was he… complimenting me—

His hands found my bare upper arms, and I gasped.

“What I mean to say,” Loki whispered, “is that you are a breath of fresh air. In my line of work, I don’t meet many honest individuals. Even your mother isn’t completely honest, as she revealed tonight, but you… you are genuine.”

I tensed as his large hands tightened around my arms, giving me a gentle squeeze. I could feel my blush returning—spreading onto my chest that my nightie did a horrible job of concealing; I had never been this close to a man before…

He chuckled as he glanced down at me, the sound like rumbling thunder, as he moved away. “You are absolutely precious.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Do you mind if I call you that?”

I swallowed hard as I crossed my arms over my chest. “Um, I-I guess that would be okay…”

He smiled as he turned to leave the kitchen. “Then, with that, I shall bid you good night… Precious.”