I sat on the plush, lavender, bedsheets patiently as Leila braided my hair. I felt her out a hand on my shoulder and I woke from my trance.
"So, what's he like?" Leila asked in her squeaky, high pitched voice. Smiling slightly, I put my hand on hers and sighed quietly.
"You'll see, Leila, I promise. He's coming over at 7:00 on the dot." I answered happily.
"Oh, come on, Aria! I need to know!" Hearing the desperation in her voice, I giggled. Suddenly, my heightened sense of hearing picked up something from outside of the window. I stood, and Leila was at my side to help me outside. Soon, I could feel the cold air of the nighttime atmosphere, and my heels wobbled on the soil. He was there. I felt his presence already. And I smelled him, too. It was a cold, arctic pine smell, with a hint of sweet apple. A hand clenched at my shoulder as a whisper reached my ear.
"My god, he's gorgeous. Arie, where'd you get him? I want one." Leila squealed. She led me forward towards him. When she let me go, I was alone. No one helped me until there was a tender hand on my shoulder. I breathed in sharply, and he held my hand. His was freezing...and soft.
"You look stunning tonight, darling." He whispered in a chilling drawl that made the hairs on my scalp stand up straight. I loved him so much. "Now, hold onto my hand."
A sudden lurch upwards nearly caused me to yelp, and I buried my face into his chest. Furs. Severely blurred lights danced before the darkness in my eyes. My arm wrapped around his slender side and clenched the fabric at his waist. His hand entwined with mine, and I relaxed, taking a deep breath. Suddenly, the dizzying lights and lurching halted, and he and I were in midair for a few moments before we descended onto hard ground. I released my grip on him and took a step forward.
"Are we…" I trailed off, looking for his confirmation.
"Yes, Aria, we have arrived in my home, Asgard." He said proudly. An unfamiliar voice soon filled the echoing space.
"Loki, I see you have returned with your partner." It was a deep, reassuring voice coming from in front of me. Loki's hand still rested on my shoulder, and I halted.
"Aria is staying for five days, four nights, Heimdall. She will be treated like royalty, understood?" he said professionally. I couldn't hear a 'yes', but I knew that it was exchanged. Loki placed a hand at my back and led me forward slowly. Over a course of eight or so minutes, he led me across the Bifröst.
"That was tedious." I said plainly. He told me when we first met that he didn't like someone to blur the truth, so I didn't from then on.
"Indeed." Loki sighed. "Let's get you to your room, shall we?" I nodded, and we were off. As we stepped quickly, he gently stopped me before flights of stairs and warned me of inclines. Finally, we had reached where I would be staying.
Loki led me over to some sort of couch, which I awkwardly sank into. He sat with me, placing a hand gently on my shoulder. We sat in silence for a moment as he allowed me to adjust to my surroundings. While seated, I drifted into a memory: how we first met.