I know it's been a while, but hopefully once you read this, it'll be worth it.
The italics at the very beginning is Sigyn's dream. Everything past the first section actually happened if it's in italics.
"Lady Sigyn?"
It's dark. An enclosed space, no larger than a small wardrobe.
The smell of fabric, and fur, and him.
Racing heartbeat. Thrumming like a hummingbird.
Nervous. Anxious. Excited.
Smiling. Grinning like a loon.
Footsteps, nearing the door. Closer and closer they come.
Breath hitches. Eyes widen.
Light engulfs the space.
There's a laugh. Bright, sharp, melodic.
Whispering in her ear, "I've found you, dear."
Soothing voice.
"Lady Sigyn?"
Long, elegant fingers grasp her hand, pulling her from the dusty depths.
Losing balance.
Strong arms catch her, hold her up for a moment.
Blush.
"Careful, love."
Green eyes.
Alive, sparkling.
Motionless. Staying in his arms.
Captured.
"Your turn?" He asks, voice as soft as the breeze.
She nods, captivated by his easy smile. Simplicity.
Before he moves, she's pulled his head down to her level, meeting lips.
Slow, soft, exhilarating.
His hands have found the sides of her face, one tangling in her auburn hair, the other trailing her jaw.
Break.
"Find me, love."
And he's disappeared.
"Lady Sigyn?"
Find him.
"Prince Loki is-"
"What?" Sigyn spins around quickly on her heel, hearing the name. Ripped from the memory of the dream that had let her sleep so peacefully.
"Lady Sigyn, King Odin wishes you to come and see Prince Loki," her handmaid says, softly.
"Loki?" Sigyn whispers in confusion. He'd only begun his sentence yesterday, he couldn't be done by now.
"Yes milady."
"I believe," Odin stares down at his youngest son, "that I can trust you and Lady Sigyn alone. There will be no way out of the room."
"Yes, father," Loki says, completely sure of the fact that there is a way out of every room.
Odin nods, "Guards, take him to one of the bedrooms in the east wing."
Without his cape and heavy armor, Loki finds the journey incredibly fast. He feels much lighter than he has in weeks; no, months. Things were slowly progressing to a better time, he hoped; and if they weren't, he and Sigyn would run, as fast and as far as possible after this sentence was served.
Thinking of her excites him. He hates that he has caused her so much grief and pain, but cannot help but love the fact that she cared enough to mourn. He had always known Sigyn loved him, however in light of certain events, he hadn't known if she still could.
The guards open the door and lead him inside, "We will announce when Lady Sigyn arrives."
"I thank you," Loki replies, nodding his head. More out of common courtesy than respect.
They leave, and he starts to wander about the room, reading all the spines of the books on the shelves. There is a fireplace, but it is not lighted. There are no windows, no means of light from the Asgardian sun. Instead, sconces on the walls light the room, perpetuating a yellow glow. Two candles on either side of the small couch are lit as well, and Loki feels the need to light the fire anyway.
Usually, he would use his magic to do so, but now, he has to go through with the daunting task of stacking the wood and lighting the coals. He's quick at it, and then sits down on the couch in front of the fire to watch the embers blaze.
These clothes are odd, and weirdly comfortable to him. They're thin, and light; something that never occurs under the layers of leather and metal he's always wearing. He sinks deeper into the cushion, taking in the warmth, deciding to take off his leather boots.
Just as he's getting settled back into the couch, the door opens, and he freezes.
"Simply, cut his hair," Odin sighs, growing tired of the long day.
Sigyn's asked him twice what task she is to perform, never fully accepting that she had to cut Loki's hair off.
"Why me?"
It's not that she doesn't want to be the one to do it, she just doesn't want it to go away.
"Because, daughter, I trust you." Odin replies, "Now, please, the guards will escort you to the room where he is being held."
Sigyn steps into the glowing room, waving off the two guards who try to enter with her.
"Loki?"
The doors close behind her, leaving them completely alone; she whispers again, "Loki?"
It'd been a long, drawn out, boring day as far as Loki was concerned. As soon as he set foot into his and Sigyn's rooms, he'd begun taking off the heavy clothes. Stopping midway through, he decides to just change them by way of magic. They turn into a pair of black trousers, and a white, loose fitting shirt.
"Sigyn?" He calls, no answer given. She isn't home yet.
He won't eat dinner without her, not unless she's out very late. He sees the sun setting through the open French doors and walks out onto the balcony. The breeze ruffles his short hair as he leans against the stone railing. His bare feet inch up, tip-toeing, so he can look directly below him. Few are in the Garden today.
One small child looks up and sees him, giving a little wave and a smile. He smiles back and waves as well, delighting in the child that was brave. Not many would dare even look towards his rooms, let alone wave.
Then he starts wondering what Sigyn would say if he said he wanted a child.
The thought of her face makes him laugh. Her eyes would widen, and her breathing would pick up speed. She'd blush. How he loved it when she blushed. Even more so, he loved it when he made her blush.
So, perhaps he should introduce the topic to see those ivory cheeks turn pink, and then a darker red. He starts biting his thumbnail through his smile, picturing the entire conversation.
His thoughts are interrupted by the warmth that has spread across his back. Her arms encircle him, tightening around his middle. She could feel the slightly toned muscles under her fingertips and palms, and lays her cheek on his back.
His elegant hands press her arms closer, holding them to him tightly.
"Where have you been?" He playfully asks.
She begins planting soft little kisses all over his back, "With your Mother. Sewing."
Loki closes his eyes at the feeling. She's intoxicating, like nothing he's ever known before.
"Sewing? You should be spending your time doing interesting things," he chuckles, rubbing her forearm with his fingertips.
Sigyn sighs, tracing circles on his abdomen, "Everything's dull without you, dear."
Loki laughs again, turning around to face her, "Oh, don't I know it?"
"Sometimes I wonder what would happen if you didn't," Sigyn smirks, settling her chin on his chest, staring up at him.
He tilts his head down, moving her the smallest bit so they're foreheads meet, and whispers, "Life would be boring."
She's taken as much as she can handle. He's right there, in front of her, being him. Sigyn bridges the gap between them quickly; he doesn't even hesitate for a second.
He delivers just as much passion in that kiss that she does.
Sigyn breaks them apart, barely catching her laugh at his disappointed look. Then she grabs him in a hug, pressing her cheek into his chest. He smells like mint and leather. She adores it. Without the layers of armor, she's able to feel the muscles on his back underneath the thin shirt.
He tightens his hold on her and kisses the top of her head, "I love you."
"I love you," she sighs, content, "more dearly than you could ever imagine."
Loki smiles into her hair, "I want to ask you a question."
"Here," Loki says quietly, from his spot on the couch.
Sigyn stares at the back of his head for a moment before slowly walking to him.
"I am to cut your hair," she says solemnly, screaming on the inside to hold it together.
He stands up in front of her and opens his arms. She enters them without a moment of hesitation.
"A question?"
"Mmmhmmm," he nods, pulling away to see her face.
She sees the playfulness in his eyes, "Well?"
"What do you think of children?"
Sigyn raises her eyebrows, "I have a feeling that's not the entire question."
The sun is falling quickly in the pink sky, and Loki starts pulling her inside, "Come dear."
Sigyn's got him in the center of the floor in a wooden chair, slowly clipping the black strands. The beautiful locks slip through her fingers as soon as the blades make contact.
"Do you remember how we used to play seek and find?"
Loki's eyes shift from the floor to the ceiling, "I do."
A silence fills the dim room, neither of them speaking. She's sure he can hear the drumming of her heart, beating wildly.
More and more hair falls to the floor as the minutes tick by. She's almost finished when she decides to tell him, "I dreamt about that last night."
"Did you?"
"Straight forward, Loki," Sigyn laughs, "What do you want to ask?"
Loki pauses, decides on asking the question later, "Would you like to play a game?"
"Not entirely what I was expecting, but why not?"
"Mmmhmmm," she hums, sniping the last strand. It looks completely different.
He looks completely different.
She decides to add some curls to it, so it's not so straight and weird.
"You're finished, my love," she whispers, sad that her time is gone.
He stands, grasps her hand and walks over to the mirror. Admiring his cut, "I like it well enough for earth."
"Promise me you'll grow it back out," Sigyn begs quietly.
"Most definitely," Loki halfway smiles, pulling her into his arms.
"You hide. I'll seek," he whispers in her ear.
Shivers crawl down her spine at an alarming rate and she grounds her teeth together. Her eyes have closed instinctively. There's a feeling in the pit of her stomach and it forces her to take a deep breath.
He kisses her quickly on the lips, and laughs, "Hide, my love."
She hides in the easiest place possible. Which is very uncharacteristic, but she's been feeling out of sorts today.
The wardrobe is as good a place as any; although being one of the places he always looks first. But it smells like him, and it's dark and quiet. Her mind turns to other matters that aren't a game. With these thoughts, her heart beat quickens, then the footsteps come. The door flies open and there's his silhouette. Tall, lean, smiling.
He laughs, that bright, melodic, beautiful laugh that she loves so much.
"I've found you, dear."
"I need to tell you something," Sigyn whispers into his chest, scared of the reaction she might receive.
"Anything," Loki sighs contentedly, kissing the top of her head.
She breaks away, grasping his hand tightly and pulls him back to the couch. He sits down in the same spot and she remains standing in front of him.
She doesn't know how to start.
She takes the hand he offers, but stumbles on the way out, falling into the strong arms.
"Careful, love," he warns, the mischievous eyes full of playfulness, "Your turn?"
With a nod, Sigyn agrees. Before the trickster can disappear, he's captured by her lips and he begins rethinking the question he put off.
A child would be wonderful…
Sigyn's hands begin shaking, followed by her bottom lip, "This isn't easy to say."
"What is wrong?" He's alarmed and sits up straighter on the couch.
"Remember the time we played seek and find and you asked me a question?"
He breaks the kiss after a moment, "Find me, love."
And he's disappeared completely.
Sigyn's impatient and doesn't want to look for him. At all. Too many things are weighing heavily on her mind to be able to focus on this little game. She's elated. But scared.
"Loki?" She calls softly, timidly.
There's something in her tone that alerts him, and he's back in front of her in an instant.
"Yes, love?" He asks quickly, looking her in the eyes and places his hands on her shoulders.
She envelopes him in a hug and asks, "What was your question earlier?"
The seriousness of her stance and tone make him realize how stupid he really is.
"What happened Sigyn?" Loki asks, taking in her red-rimmed eyes bubbling with tears.
She can't get herself to speak, only able to place a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes.
Loki reaches out for her other hand that is still at her side, "Tell me."
He intakes a slow breath, "I was going to ask if you might want a child."
And that's when she smiles and starts kissing his shirt. Loki pulls away, lifting up her chin to look at him. The warmth in her eyes tells him an entire story; one so beautiful he doesn't think twice about his next sentence.
"You already have a child," he grins.
"After you," she struggles with the words, tightening her grip on his hand, "f-fell. A month maybe."
Loki pulls her to him, setting her on his lap, and shushes her quietly. She's crying more than when he'd seen her the day before.
"I-I," she stutters, head dropping to his shoulder, "I lost it."
Eyes burning with unshed tears. His bottom lip is quivering; the pale cheeks turning red.
"Do not cry, my love," he manages to get out in an extremely shaky breath, holding tightly to her.
His hand winds into her hair, the other making sure she stays on his lap. Tears have started to pour down his face, quickly and quietly.
"It's alright. It'll be fine," he consoles her as well as he can; she's sobbing into his neck; the hot drops of water stain his shirt.
He begins kissing the top of her head rapidly, his river of tears growing by the second. He's heartbroken, to say the very least.
"As soon as this is over," he promises, hands shaking, "As soon as it is, we'll try again."
Oh gosh. Was that worth the wait? I really hope so.
If you didn't understand it, don't hesitate to ask me. :D
Review please, it means the world to me!