Alright. 3 Chapters in 3 days. Just playing catch up now and plotting out a few more things to move the story along. As always, feel free to leave a comment! Oh, the song Cassia sings is the You Are My Sunshine cover by Jasmine Thompson. That's how I imagine she sounds anyway.
Chapter 3" Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do"
-Almost Lover, Alison Sudol
The next few days flew by in a blur. Cassia only left her room for meals and training on her own and the team seemed to give her a wide berth to let her sort through her own thoughts, which endeared them more to her, if that were even possible. She was doing this for them. She would do this for the world and those she had already taken but most of all this was for them.
She absentmindedly took a swing at the punching bag in front of her. Right, right, left. Back kick. This group put everything on the line for her rehabilitation. It didn't come without its own set of growing pains, but she was brought into the fold nonetheless. As soon as they realized she wasn't going to actually eat them. The memory of Stark's primary concern brought a small smile to her face as she took another swing. She could feel the sting forming in her bare knuckles. She wanted to hurt.
A bond. Binding her life and soul to Loki would be a death sentence. Like so many she had condemned to death. How could she say no? She jabbed at the bag a little harder and embraced the feeling of her fists absorbing the shock. She had just started to put the broken pieces of herself back together. She had foolishly let herself dream of a future, of a lover perhaps. But that future could never be for her. She devoured everything in her path. This was the only way. A solid lump formed in her throat as she slammed another combo into the bag, which started swinging wildly with the force. Tears pricked behind her eyes and threatened to spill.
It barely registered to her when a familiar presence entered somberly into the room. Cass spun at the unexpected entry, instantly lowering her defensive stance when she saw Steve Rogers. His normal bright greeting for her hidden behind grave pity for his friend. "So serious." She teased.
"Hey kiddo." He said in greeting. Cass turned back to the bag and punched again as Steve rounded the mat and steadied her bag, likely knowing a thing or two about splitting punching bags himself.
"I'm probably still older than you." She huffed and swung.
"That's true." A small smile crept back onto his beautiful face. She always thought he was such a good looking man, everything about him had captivated her almost instantly. Her energy never responded in kind with the same intensity, which was a blessing in and of itself.
"Are you going to try and talk me out of this?" She was on autopilot now. Forceful swings, the raw skin covering her knuckles starting to crack and stain the bags red with each strike.
"No. I trust you. We're superheroes. We all have complexes." Cass nodded in appreciation and stilled the bag on her own, fingers lightly brushing against her sparring partners. Her energy recognized a frequent meal and responded favorably. They stood in silence for what felt like an eternity. Cassia boldly traced the lines of strong veins on her partner's forearm. Had he always had those freckles? Her fingertips releasing small amounts of her energy, sending delicate shocks through his arm to tickle the skin as they rose to lay on his bicep. She leaned her head on the bag and released a breath. Her ever-understanding partner completely still under her touch.
"Do you think anyone will know me as well as you do?" She vaguely registered the slow spill as the energy rose in her voice, changing it just a touch deeper. She knew she was in good hands with Steve and could maintain control.
He said nothing, just continued to study her face. She could feel his eyes on her rose colored lips, her high cheekbones likely flushed. She dared to reach her left hand to the hem of his grey shirt and danced the bespelled tips of her fingers around his impossibly smooth skin. The energy swirled and almost purred as it came to life, she had been starved for so long. He was steady as she took a step near him. His scent was intoxicating to her as her eyes glazed over. She smelled the heady oak of his aftershave mingled in with his own pheromones.
The goddess rose her right hand slowly and placed it gently on his cheek, her thumb making light circles against his end of the day stubble. A small rumbling noise emitted from Steve as he brought his hand to her lower back to tenderly pulled her forward and close the distance between them. She almost had to stand on her toes to bring her lips gingerly to his. So hesitant to touch, trying to bask in this moment as she tasted his lips. The energy pooling in her belly sighed with pleasure when he responded, wrapping both arms around her. She nibbled a bit at his lower lip, begging entry.
Their kiss grew with need as she buried her hands into his hair. Steve lifted the small woman effortlessly, clamoring for more access. A moan slipped from her lips as her energy continued to build. He walked her to the nearest wall and pressed their bodies together while she wrapped her legs around his waist. She almost instantly felt the tears prickling behind her eyes again though her energy ignored her welling emotions and willed her body to grind against his own. Almost instinctively, Steve pulled himself back briefly and glanced into her hooded eyes. He knew she had hit her limit. He claimed her lips once more before resting his forehead against hers.
"I know you." Was all he said, his own voice rough around the edges. The duo stayed unrushed against the wall while the raised energy settled back from the depths it had crawled. They knew this was their goodbye.
XXX
Cassia tossed her gym bag onto the empty desk in front of her, grateful for the solitude. She wasn't sure what that kiss between her and Rogers was, other than a tender goodbye and she wasn't going to dwell on it. Knowing that she would be bound to another soon, the kiss was almost an act of mercy and kindness.
Peeling herself out of her workout attire and tossing it aside she haphazardly snatched her acoustic guitar before collapsing on her bed. Cass didn't have the memory of where she learned to play, she just knew how. She could also play a mean piano. She delicately fingered the steel strings of her Epiphone, enjoying the initial swiping tone as she placed the instrument in her lap. She plucked a few notes and her ruby energy hummed with the vibration. One of her greatest lessons since rehabilitation was that love comes in all different forms. She was able to maintain some energy levels by finding things she loves, such as music.
Deciding on keeping it simple, she started plucking the chords and let the music take her away.
"The other night dear,
As I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear
I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried"
She could feel the haunting echo of her voice reverberate around the bare room walls. The sound of her voice crisp and throaty.
"You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are gray
You'll never know, dear
How much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
The loneliness and wearying sadness seeped into her song. She was just beginning to learn who she was as a person and apparently part of her personality just happened to include bone crushing emotions. It's no wonder that a past part of her starved herself until she could no longer remember the cause in the first place. She was a devourer of other people's energy and emotions because the load on herself was too big to bear alone. She felt so intensely for everyone and everything around her. Part of her was left wondering how much she would come to feel for Loki himself.
"I'll always love you
And make you happy
And nothing else could come between
But if you leave me to allow another
You'll have shattered all of my dreams"
She felt a shimmer of energy on the wall across from her. The once white surface seemed to dissipate, being replaced by a sheer, iridescent glimmer of what was obviously a forcefield. A small panic caused Cass to toss her guitar to the side and stand, trying to focus her eyes on what was on the other side of the wall. After a moment the wall seemed to have settled and she spotted a room mirroring her own room's furniture and lay out perfectly. The difference between the now adjoining room is that the other was decorated in a deep forest green with intricate gold patterning around wooden furniture. Her eyes travelled to what was presumable a queen sized bed though it looked larger due to the lush black silk comforter laying atop.
A slow clap started on the other end of the room where she saw Loki perched, a large and seemingly old book in his lap. "Beautifully done, my betrothed." He placed a long fingered hand under his chin while gesturing in the air with the other. "Is this what I have to look forward to for the next few thousand years? A folksy rendition of what is undoubtedly Midgard's greatest minds?"
"For fucks sake." Cassia grumbled and popped herself back on the bed. "I assume you've been debriefed?" She asked, referring to him suggesting an engagement between the pair.
A light shone in those green eyes. "Well, not quite yet." He flashed her a wink while a slow grin spread. "Though if you're referring to our upcoming oaths, then yes, I have been made aware." He said almost flippantly. Cassia furrowed her brow at that.
"And you just...agreed?" She waved her hands quizzically into the air.
"I am a prince. I have been raised to expect a political union. It means naught to me." He did stare a bit apprehensively before the dark look quickly passed, "However if I'm being truthful, a life bond was a little surprising."
"Why would you say yes?"
"What would you have me say? It seems my greatest chance of freedom." There was more to it than that. She knew but didn't press the issue. He wouldn't have told her the truth anyway. She was going to continue to question the man before the door to her bedroom swiped open. Director Nick Fury took a heavy footed entry into the increasingly small space.
"That's cool. Apparently we just don't do privacy anymore." She waved a stray hair back out of her face in frustration.
"Agent, I see you've noticed the addition to your room. We figured you two needed to be acquainted. Thor told me it would also be easier on the bond process if you were nearby each other." She knew the other meaning behind his words. Gather intel. Loki barely looked up from his old book to even register the man's presence. "You can enter his quarters, should the need arise. But he is not able to exit his for any reason until he gets the proper clearance. He has the same amenities as yourself," She scoffed at that. His room looked like a luxury suite, while Cass' looked like a dorm room. "Self selected entertainment, regular commissioned bed with an addition of a bathroom suite."
Cassia's eyes bugged. "Why the hell does he get a damn bathroom?"
"He can't leave his room" Fury challenged.
"You're more than welcome to use my quarters, betrothed." Loki grinned with a greasy fake charm. She mumbled a quiet 'fuck off' before Fury continued.
"We are ready to get this mission off the ground. We need to move quickly. The only problem I'm currently seeing is if Loki is seen with the Avengers."
"Ahh, New York." He leaned his head back with a sigh. Fury's eye darted with disdain towards the god.
"Yes. Well, thanks to your brother, for the most part any photographic evidence was mostly blurry pictures or video. The public focused mostly on the Chitauri. Though some people might need convincing. We can't lose the public's support."
Loki sighed arrogantly before closing his book, as if any other presence was an annoyance to him. "That's simple. I can take care of that. It would require a bit of magic but I can provide alternative memories, or at least enough to block out my own involvement." Cassia's stomach rolled as the idea didn't sit right with her. To be absolved of your crimes by magic was a preposterous thought.
"Of course you all will remember as you were there. I cannot delete memory, only blur it slightly."
"On a global scale?" Fury was skeptical. Good.
Loki stroked his chin, once again drawing Cassia's attention to his lips. Betrothed. Husband. Mine. Her traitorous energy seemed to be calling out when just an hour before it was reaching out to embrace another man and they haven't even been bonded yet. She emptied her thoughts of Steve and their shared kiss. As if he could sense it, he turned his eyes towards her. "Yes. I would say we just need an act of goodwill for the public to see." He maintained eye contact with the dark eyed woman before Fury cleared his throat, obviously wanting him to share his idea with the class.
"Everyone loves a royal wedding." Loki said with a chuckle.
The realization that she would soon be bonded to Loki and whatever that entailed gave Cassia the heebie jeebies. She just wanted quiet while she could. "I don't care. I don't. Plan it, tell me where to be and what to wear. I just want you-" She pointed to Fury, "Out. And I want you" She pointed to Loki "to shut up. I want to sleep. I want privacy. And possibly some ice cream." Fury mumbled under his breath about gods and tantrums. She's pretty sure he threw a 'motherfucker' in there somewhere. When Cass turned around she saw that the male had already had his head tipped in curiosity.
"Will we have these outbursts often?" His tone was evenly keeled while laughter danced behind his eyes. Don't let him get to you. The walls are not closing in. You are not a prisoner.
"This is a contract. Nothing more. We will protect each other because we have to. We're not going to be besties and I'm not going to spend the next millennia being annoyed, by you." That's right. Lay down the law.
His face darkened, "I would also appreciate it that once the contract were in effect if you could keep your affections to yourself. It makes a prince look rather foolish that his bride would so openly share herself with another and then sing love songs in solitude." Well, shit. She wasn't sure how he knew but she sure as hell wasn't going to deny. She wasn't the liar here. Before she could open her mouth to speak, the wall closed once again.
"The fuck?" She shouted, banging against the born again sturdy plain walls. "Do you have a button!?" She shouted through the wall. "Do I have a button? Where's the damned button Loki!" She could feel her energy rising as her frustration did as well. This union was going to test every step of progress she had made so far. It would be nothing to her to slam her fists through whatever material separated the two so she could give the god a piece of her mind. Instead, she just opted for sleep.
Cassia tossed her things aside and threw back her covers, punching her pillow a few times before slamming herself down.
"God damned royal wedding. And I'm God damned Princess Di."
