Loki lay awake as the sun pooled into his room, golden rays resting on the stone floor up to his bed as he watched the light rise in the sky. He guessed it must nearly be morning time as he could start to hear commotion from down below his open balcony, people slamming doors and yelling to one another. He paid them no attention, focusing on the girl who was kept at his side, her head resting on the white sheet which covered his chest, her arm lazily draped across his waist as he held her close to him with his free arm.
She had struggled to stay awake, refusing to leave his side until morning fell upon them. Loki had assured her that sleep was necessary after she had been working so hard during the day. She had defied him until her body gave in and then he just laid there, his neck bent downwards so that he could stare at her, watching as she breathed in and out rhythmically.
A sigh escaped his lips when he realised that he would have to wake her and send her on her way. He could disguise her long enough for her to get away from the palace and back to the town. He moved slightly, his body numb after not moving for a few hours. She stirred in her sleep and Loki moved his hand to rest against her cheek, his fingertips moving against her cool skin as she finally opened her eyes.
"Good morning," he whispered and she smiled at him, momentarily forgetting where she was before she picked herself up from his chest, sitting up straight and placing her arms behind her, fingers lacing together as she stretched.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him and he nodded, a small smile on his face as he moved his shoulder, wincing as he did so.
"I suppose the pain will go in time," he decreed and she forced herself to smile encouragingly at him, noting the light entering the room and blinking profusely. Her mouth parted slightly as worry took hold of her.
Loki shook his head, soothingly moving to grab hold of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers as he looked at her.
"Worry not," he urged her. "I can conceal you until you have left the palace. No one will notice your comings or goings."
"Thank you," Isabella said gratefully and she stood up, moving around the bed as she sorted her gown out and ran her hands through her hair in a feeble attempt to unknot the waves. She knew that she looked a mess and she could feel the grease forming in her hair, indicating it was in need of a good wash.
The God of Mischief remained on the bed, knowing that he was too weak to move and so he resigned himself to watching her fleeting around the room, worrying that she looked presentable.
"When shall I see you again?" Isabella wondered and Loki took a moment to think. He knew it was too risky for her to come to him. Last night must have been sheer dumb luck. He didn't want her to be caught and subject to humiliation. He shook his head, moaning slightly as he attempted to rest in a comfortable position.
"I shall come to you," Loki told her. She knew it was a statement and not up for debate. The stern tone told her enough. "It may not be in the next week but I shall come."
"Where?" Isabella wondered and Loki shook his head, a sly grin on his face.
"I shall make myself known," he assured her. "Until then promise me that you will be safe."
"Me?" Isabella responded, her brow arched as she rolled her eyes at him, fastening her cloak around her body, pulling at the hood and pushing it over her head. "I am not the one who had a spear shot through their shoulder."
"Yes," Loki drawled, looking at the bandages. "I suppose I was unlucky."
"Rather," Isabella agreed mutely, wondering how she should bid her goodbye to him. She wasn't confident when it came to this at all. She knew that she walked around with an aura of arrogance sometimes. She knew she was hot headed but when it came to Loki and her feelings she could not help but think that she was mellowing in some sense. She didn't know. It was an odd thing for her to comprehend.
"But I am serious," Loki told her, his lips back in their firm line as he spoke to her. "Be careful."
"I managed twenty years without you, Loki," Isabella said, trying to ease him as she once again moved closer to the bed, trying to get him to smile again. "I am sure I can manage a week."
"You know that I am looking out for you," Loki told her simply. "I know where you work, Isabella. I have seen the type of men who would hurt you and not look back at their actions."
"You cannot protect me," Isabella whispered and her words stung him slightly.
He couldn't protect her. She was out there, in the world where bad people lived and he was simply holed up in a palace, practicing his tricks and staying warm. How he wished he could change that. He knew that he could change that. He could tell his parents that he was besotted with a commoner. He didn't know how they would take it but he could be with her openly then. There would be no sneaking around.
But he didn't want to tell them. He didn't know if he could tell them. He didn't know what he and Isabella had. It was all new and he was being too premature about everything.
"I may not be with you all the time but that does not mean that I cannot make sure you stay safe," he told her cryptically and she looked at him for a moment with confusion in her green eyes. Loki forced himself to smile, trying not to worry her. "Just promise me you will try."
She nodded at him, leaning on the side of the bed, pressing her lips to his cheek and she smiled softly at him; "I promise."
He watched as she stood back up, biting down on her bottom lip as Loki nodded at her, moving his wrist and flicking it outwards, his magic running through him as Isabella prepared to feel something. But nothing came. Glancing around, she looked back at Loki who wore an amused expression on his face, his lips twitching upwards as he regarded her.
"There," he spoke. "No one shall notice you."
"How?" Isabella wondered, doubting him for a second. She could clearly see herself and he could clearly see her. "I am hardly invisible."
"You are to all but me," he promised her. "Do you question my powers?"
Isabella turned to look back at him, wondering if there was a taunting edge to his question and the smirk on his face told her so. She smiled back at him, shrugging as he watched her intently.
"Possibly," she responded in a small voice and Loki rolled his eyes before hearing the sound of knocking on his door. Isabella's eyes widened whilst Loki remained calm and collected, knowing that they would not spot her for her invisible attire was protecting her.
"Worry not," Loki whispered to her, quickly grabbing her hand for one final moment of comfort. "Go as the door shuts. No one shall see you."
"I will miss you," Isabella told him, bending to kiss him on the cheek once again and he inhaled sharply, listening as another knock sounded on the door.
"Loki?" instantly Queen Frigga's voice was recognisable to him and he released Isabella from his grasp, watching as she quickly moved to the doorway, waiting behind it for the chance to make her escape.
"Are you awake, my son?"
"Yes," Loki called back, flicking his wrist one more time as the door unlocked. "Come in, mother."
Frigga did as she was told, promptly opening the wooden door and she smiled when she saw her son, unable to contain herself.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him and he nodded once at her, trying to keep his attention on her and not watch as Isabella ran for the door, catching it before it shut on her. Once she had gone he felt something in his stomach sink. His green eyes roamed back to his mother and she took a seat on the side of his bed, her hand gently picking up his.
"I am fine," Loki promised her. "I am merely tired of sitting here and not doing anything."
"You will be back to your normal self soon enough, darling," Frigga told him. "Is there anything which you need? A drink or something to eat? A book perhaps?"
"I have everything which I need," Loki promised her. "Besides, I just intend to rest. Hopefully that shall speed up the recovery process."
"If you are sure," Frigga told him before daring to bring the topic of conversation which had been plaguing her for a while. The past couple of weeks, Loki had been different. Yes, his sarcasm and wit still shone through and the mischievous ways were still there, that went without saying. But she could sense that something was different about him.
"You know that I love you, Loki," Frigga said to her son and Loki eyed her with caution, wondering where this topic of conversation was going as she smiled at him, squeezing his hand which she had a hold of. He remained silent, his face neutral if not perplexed. "I am your mother and I do notice everything which happens around me. I notice especially when my own son seems to change in himself."
"What do you mean?" Loki asked and Frigga allowed a small tut to pass her lips as she shook her head.
"I am talking about you."
"I gathered," Loki said dryly to her. "I just do not what you are talking of, mother. Nothing has happened to me. I assume I am still my same self."
"Well, yes, in a way," Frigga said, closing her eyes for a moment and sighing. "I simply see a small difference...I cannot put my finger on it..."
"Are you ill, mother?" Loki wondered, a taunt in his voice and Frigga frowned at him but her eyes still held a light tone. Moving quickly, she gently hit him on his good arm before standing tall, pulling at the skirt to her silken gown.
"You may be ill but that does not mean that I cannot give you a bad arm to match the other one," she warned him and Loki chuckled at her, rolling his eyes as she smiled fondly at him.
"You would tell me if something had happened, would you not?" she checked with him and Loki allowed the sly grin to fall from his face as a nod escaped his head to her and she nodded back at him, swiftly bending to kiss his forehead.
"I love you," she whispered softly into his ear before standing back up and Loki watched her for a second.
"I shall send a maid up with some food and water-"
"-I am not hungry-"
"-You do not get a say," Frigga interrupted him. "You need to regain your strength, Loki. Now, get some rest and I shall come and check on you in a while."
Loki watched as his mother left his chamber and he wondered what she had been speaking about. Did she honestly see him as different? How did she know? Loki had been the same around her, nothing had changed him. Surely Isabella didn't have this effect on him. He couldn't understand it but he chose not to dwell upon it.
...
Isabella returned home, tiredness still washing through her body. She had slept well by Loki's side, she couldn't deny it, but she had not slept for as long as she had wished.
Once she returned home she lay on her bed, her hands resting on her stomach as she thought about the God of Mischief and she wondered what he was doing at that moment in time. She scoffed at the thought, realising that he couldn't be doing much considering he was temporarily invalid.
Isabella laughed once, giddiness taking hold of her as she squirmed about and rolled over, her thoughts content with Loki.
It wasn't long until she fell asleep, her body giving into her and she began to rest. She didn't hear anything or wake until the clock struck five in the evening. She barely recognised the time and when she did she realised she was late. She had said that she would be in at three o'clock. Two hours late was a risky thing.
She changed into another clean blue dress before grabbing her cloak and running from her home, ignoring everyone who watched her and wondered why she was rushing about. Pushing the door to the tavern open she gasped quickly before moving to the counter where the owner stood, his hands pouring ale already whilst Isabella shook her head, her hair flowing all over her face.
"I am so sorry-"
"-I had to find someone to replace you," he interrupted her and Isabella's eyes widened as she heard him. Shaking her head back and forth, she felt her heart beat become rapid as she pleaded with him.
"No," she said quickly. "I told you that I had to leave last night...and I am sorry for being late..."
"You left without any explanation and left at the busiest time. There are plenty of people looking for work and I need someone reliable to work for me. Considering you are not reliable then I cannot keep you on here."
"I promise to be reliable," Isabella protested to him, her hands balling into fists and slamming down on the wooden surface as the others looked around and to her. "I promise that I shall be reliable!"
"I spoke to someone who is a guard in the palace," he said, ignoring her pleas. "He told me how you worked there and was thrown out after two weeks. I do not think reliable is something which is associated with you."
"That...it was not my fault..." Isabella protested, shaking her head quickly. "I need this. I need the money."
"I am sorry," he told her, his eyes wide and his face stern. "There is nothing I can do."
Isabella gave up, leaning back as she gripped the counter and he walked away from her, wandering down the side of the surface until he came to the next customer. Isabella tried not to cry in front of anyone, knowing that she had lost another job and lost money which effectively lost her home if she couldn't find anything else.
Isabella walked outside to the street again, moving through the crowds of people as the sun set in the distance. She remained in her own world, knowing that she should try to find somewhere else to work but knowing that she would struggle to do so. The tavern had been her last call the previous time she had tried to find a job.
She wondered what she was going to do. How had she even come to this? One moment she was happy, thinking about the time she had spent with a man who she was beginning to care for and the next she was defeated.
She found herself wandering past her home; not bothering to enter as she noted the kitchen window was ablaze with light. She knew her mother would be in there and she wasn't in the mood to disappoint her once again. She knew what she wanted and he was holed up in his palace.
...
An hour passed and Isabella realised that it would be prudent of her to return home and face the music, as it were. She didn't want to go back. She would have just kept walking through the city if she had her choice.
"You went to him last night, didn't you?" Roselyn snapped as soon as Isabella entered.
She remained confused for a moment, wondering what her mother was talking about. Nodding once, Isabella confirmed it for her mother.
"I had to," she replied. "But that does not matter...I have some bad news..."
Roselyn stopped cutting at the small chicken breast which she had managed to pick up from the market and she dropped the knife onto the surface, wondering what her daughter was truly doing. Was she trying to kill her at such a young age?
"What is it?" Roselyn asked, a momentary image of her daughter being hurt flashed into her mind and she shook her head, realising that she needed to wait for confirmation of what had happened to her before she spoke. "Isabella, tell me now."
"I lost my job," Isabella quickly spat out, her head bowed and her face paling as she said it. Roselyn's eyes widened and her blood boiled once more as she shook her head, her hand holding onto her forehead.
"Please," Roselyn whispered, "say this is some kind of joke..."
"They did not see me as reliable," Isabella confirmed for her mother, her voice low and soft and Roselyn gritted her teeth together. "I left early...because...I went..."
"Because of him?" Roselyn yelled again, her eyes finding Isabella's whose were showing remorse. But it was too late. "Do not tell me that this has happened because of him!"
"It was me who left," Isabella protested. "Do not blame any of this on Loki. T'is not his fault that he is injured."
"No, but it is your fault for becoming involved with him!" Roselyn snapped. "How long have you been sneaking around with him, Isabella?"
"That...it is not your concern," Isabella replied. "I am old enough to do as I please."
"Not as long as you live in this house," Roselyn shook her head. "Then again, who is to say that we will have this home for much longer?"
"I am sorry," Isabella promised her mother. "I did not mean for this to happen...I shall try and find something...there has to be something..."
"There is nothing left," Roselyn shook her head, slumping down into her seat, her body suddenly coming over with the feeling of numbness and tiredness. "Unless you intend to sell your body on the street...it is silly...the wealthy of Asgard live amongst jewels and gold whilst the commoners live trying to make means to an end."
Isabella listened to her mother, removing her cloak from her shoulders and draping it over the coat stand.
"I am sorry," Isabella simply said again and Roselyn held her hand up, stopping her daughter from speaking anymore.
"Stop," she simply instructed her. "Just get out of my sight."
The blonde did as she had been instructed, rushing to her room, sniffling and crying as she went. She closed the door, slowly locking it before falling to her bed, longing for him to be with her. She didn't know why. Would he make everything better? Would he really care about what had happened?
She did not know.
She simply knew that she wanted him with her.
...
A/N: I suppose some people just have the worst luck! Anyway, there is method behind the meanness. So thank you to thakidisbac, CuteSango007, Kalimecat, ImaniSechelles, Lady Fides and darkxangelxreaderx for reviewing the previous chapter.
Do let me know what you think!