Second Chances

'Does it pain you still?' Loki asked as he realised she was favouring her left hand to unlock the door.
'A little bit.' She said dismissively. 'I'll see if I have any ice, couple of painkillers, I'll be fine.'
'Love, I meant when I said I would take care of it.' He followed her into the apartment and took her lipstick from his pocket, placing it on the counter.
'I thought you meant getting me home?'
'I have more use than that.' He smiled knowingly, taking her left hand and leading her to the couch.
'I had noticed.' She took the seat beside him.
'You are about to be permitted to see something few have.' He explained as he encased her right wrist with his hands, his long fingers almost reaching her elbow. 'I am still, even now, not comfortable with this form.'
Maia was about to ask what he meant but his hands grew cold on her flesh and she looked down to find his hands changing to a pale blue, sigils raising on his skin in lines and intricate circles. At the same time the ache in her wrist began to vanish and in seconds the cold subsided, the change in his skin with it.
'That's amazing.' She breathed.
'Just a little ice and some healing magic. It is all I can manage, but if it helps.' He shrugged.
'No, I mean, that was too, but, the blue.' She looked up at him. 'It was beautiful.'
'My Jotun form is certainly anything but, however it does have its uses.'
She looked at his obvious discomfort in disbelief. 'Loki, I've lived and worked with other people who are blue and you are definitely the most attractive hue I have ever seen.'
'You are very polite to say so.' He patted her hand. 'However I know what I truly am.’
'Where you come from doesn't define you. Only you can do that.'
'The Jotun are monsters.' He got to his feet.
'You can't taint an entire race because of history, just as you can't for the actions of a few. The frost giants' war doesn't label you any more than Hitler's war in Europe labels me by being human.'
'I will not have this discussion with you when you know not of what you speak.' He headed towards the door. 'I shall come for you at midday for your training.'
'If you think being Jotun descended makes you a monster you're wrong.' She turned on the couch and she watched as he stopped, his shoulders tensing. 'You just showed me it can be used for good. You're better than you think, than you give yourself credit for.'
He didn't say another word, he just left, closing the door gently behind him so she knew he wasn't angry enough to slam it, but he did leave without so much as a goodnight. She sighed to herself. And to think she'd thought she was stubborn.

Notes