Author's Note: PART FOUR OF FOUR

10) Princess - Part Four

Robintino's was almost empty—we made it there before the dinnertime rush. The seating hostess grinned at us. Loki had at some point changed his armor to a sharp suit with a thin bottle green tie and dang was he handsome. "Name, and how many?"

"Loki. Just us two."

Another cheesy grin and she grabbed a pair of menus and led us back into the main body of the restaurant. It was an Italian place my family had been going to since before I was born.

We were seated in a booth kind of away from everyone else.

Loki looked at me very seriously. "Now. Tell me everything—everything that's happened since I had to leave."

So I did. And when I was finished, I said one more thing. "And I noticed you have never called me by my name. When I was around fourteen I started to wonder if you even knew what it was." Loki chuckled and looked me right in the eye again.

"Cass. Or rather, Cassiopeia. But you hate your full first name because it sounds too old."

"You remembered that rant."

"Yes I did."

We talked and told stories for the next hour or so until we were both about halfway through our meals and conversation ended. Loki was staring at me and I was trying my best to avoid eye contact because I realized how awkward I felt. The man sitting across from me was a god from another culture and all I saw was my childhood best friend that no one had believed I had. I glanced up at him through my eyelashes. Loki gave me a look.

"I didn't realize," he commented.

"Didn't realize what?" I challenged.

"How beautiful you'd grow up to be."

"Oh please," I complained. "That is so cliché!"

"You'd better be careful, princess. If you keep looking at me like that I might kiss you," he warned.

"And that's a bad thing?" I teased.

Loki hesitated. "Well…" He trailed off. His hands slid across the table and took both of mine.

I bit my lower lip and grinned cheekily.

I was expecting a kiss. I wasn't expecting a heavy make-out session.

But that's what I got. And I'm not complaining.

He leaned across the table and hit his lips to mine. Our faces sort of suctioned together and there was no way we were leaving the table for what was probably going to be a very long time.

Which of course meant the waitress had to come and ruin it. "Can I get you anything else?" I heard her hiccup in surprise and then rush away. My eyes opened just a bit to see Loki roll his eyes. We pulled apart just long enough to laugh at what happened and then leaned back in.

From that moment on, nothing was ever quite the same between my imaginary friend and me. Partially because now everyone could see him, partially because he'd taken my "virgin lips".

"You know, Cass, I'm glad we did this."

"Me too," I agreed, pressing my forehead to his.

I crossed my ankles, three months later, staring out at the sunset with my head on Loki's shoulder. "Did I tell you that I'm really glad you're back? I mean, I'm still angry that you were gone for so long but I am happy that I have my best friend again." We'd been dating off and on since he showed up in my life again, and I was having a good time, I just didn't know how I felt about it sometimes.

"You did tell me that. Once," he remarked.

We sat in silence for several long moments before he turned to look at me. I pressed my lips together in a closed-mouth smile and looked up at him.

"Did I tell you that I've fallen in love with you?" he asked.

My very relaxed, nonchalant feeling was gone in an instant. I snapped up straight and looked at him. "What?! No! You've never told me that!"

He laughed. "I could have sworn…" he teased, trailing off, kissing my nose.

A furious blush swam over my skin, making me feel very warm all of the sudden. "Yeah. You didn't tell me." I clamped my mouth shut. If I kept talking I'd start to blabber and then all of my decorum would up and vanish—not something I wanted.

"Hmm. Well, my princess, you know now."

I buried my face in his chest. "I guess now would be a good time to admit I've fallen in love with you too," I mumbled, voice muffled by his leather-and-metal outfit. I felt one of his arms wrap around my shoulders and the other around my waist, holding me tightly in his embrace. Given all the layers and the fact that he was a Frost Giant (turns out that was part of his identity crisis) the hug was kind of colder than I expected, but I didn't mind in the least.

It was me and Loki, trapped in each other's arms, surrounded by our imaginations.

"Now would be the best time, princess."

"I love you, Loki."

"I love you too, Cass. My Cass."

End Note: Thanks for reading!

~Cass