Hey everyone! New chapter!
I hope you all enjoy it! I'll tell you guys about my story idea at the end of the chapter, because spoilers. ;-)
Chapter 11: You Have Nothing to Fear
Natasha and Sif spent the entire day shopping in Chicago, Illinois. Natasha had a safe house not too far outside the city, which was where she asked Loki to drop her off, and the two changed out of their Asgardian clothes. Natasha wore a pair of well worn, dark washed skinny jeans, a green, long sleeved blouse, black knee high boots, and a black coat. Sif found a pair of black flared jeans, a red sweater, black ankle boots, and a white scarf. Sif was fascinated by everything she saw in the stores, and Natasha showed her how to try some of the things on and showed her what others did. Halfway through the day, Natasha took Sif to one of her favorite restaurants in the city, and by the time the sun set, they had found what they needed.
For Bruce, Natasha found an antique tea set, complete with a medley of Asian and European teas and some candles he can use while meditating. For Steve, Natasha got a boxed set of the Star Wars movies and tickets for two to the newest movie in the series. She figured that maybe he would bring a date with him. Sif helped her pick out Thor's present. They found a man who sells custom leather bags and had a briefcase that was just the right size for Mjolnir, and asked him to detail it with some Norse runes. That process took most of the afternoon, but the case ended up looking really cool. She got Jane a pair of stylish boots, and Darcy got a nice new Taser. Melinda got a new dress that Natasha thought would suit her, Skye got a locket with daisies etched into the front, Fitz and Jemma got matching fancy new calculators that were really more like scientific computers, and Ward got a new scope for his rifle. She even got something for Loki while Sif was exploring the stores.
When they were done, they went back to Natasha's safe house to change back into their Asgardian clothes. Sif kept the outfit she wore shopping at Natasha's encouragement, just in case she ever wanted to go back to Midgard and blend in, and they called for Heimdall to tell Loki to bring them back. When nothing happened, Natasha began to worry.
"Something's wrong," Nat said, biting her lower lip anxiously.
"Natasha, I'm sure everything is fine. Loki wouldn't abandon you. He's probably just away from Heimdall and the Observatory," Sif said, trying to calm the redhead.
"Sif, something is happening. I'm going to try and see it," Natasha said, focusing on Loki. Sif put her hands on her shoulders.
"Natasha, calm down. They're fine. Loki can take care of himself, and if anything happens, he has Heimdall and the Warriors Three to help him. He'll bring us back as soon as he's able," Sif said soothingly. Natasha sighed.
"Last time we were on different planets, he died. This time, he's ruling a kingdom that doesn't know it's him, and I'm worried that they're going to find out and it won't end well," the redhead said, walking into the kitchen of the safe house. She pulled out her kettle and filled it with water, turning it on to boil, and grabbed herself a mug. "Do you want tea?"
"Sure," Sif said, and Nat pulled out a second mug for her. "Natasha, it'll be okay. You have to trust him."
"I do trust him. I really do. I just," Natasha trailed off, staring at the kettle. She was tense, with her arms folded over her chest, and though she leaned against the edge of the counter to seem relaxed, she looked like she was a stranger here. Actually, if Sif thought back on their day, Natasha seemed to feel like more of a stranger on Midgard than Sif was.
"Do you not like it here?" Sif asked, startling the redhead. "On Midgard, I mean. You seem like you don't think you belong. You don't act like you're home."
"I don't feel like I'm home. My heart's just not in it," Natasha said quietly, putting a bag of black tea in each cup. When the button on the kettle popped she poured the water in, then put some milk and sugar in her own cup. Sif watched her curiously before following suit. The two of them walked back to the living room, where Natasha moved to sit on a window seat and Sif sat on a cushioned chair next to her.
"Loki is your home," Sif said after several minutes of silence. "Your heart is with him. You still care for your friends on Midgard, but the look you have now is like the one I've seen on Thor since he met Jane Foster. Distracted, tense, sad; it's hard to see my friends that way. But I will tell you this: before you left your room, Loki had the same look. Even as Odin, he was obviously distracted. If you were to stay here, he would give up his throne and come here with you. He'll bring you back to him when he gets to the Observatory."
"Thank you," Natasha said, smiling slightly. Sif smiled back, and the two of them sat in comfortable silence while they drank their tea. When they finished, Natasha washed out the mugs by hand and put them away. Sif asked Heimdall one more time to bring them back to Asgard, and Natasha grabbed the presents so she would have them if it worked. Minutes later, a portal opened up near them, and Heimdall and Loki were waiting on the other side. Sif stepped through first, since she was closer, and Natasha followed right behind her. The portal closed up again once the redhead was through, and Loki took some of the bags from her.
"I take it your trip was successful?" he asked her with a smirk, and Natasha smiled.
"Very," she replied simply, nodding to Sif as the warrior left the Observatory to find her friends. Natasha walked towards the exit and waited patiently for Loki to cast his illusion and become Odin again, but when he didn't and walked out past her, she frowned.
"Loki, aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, and Heimdall came up next to her.
"You forgot to tell her," the guardian said, and Loki turned to smile at Natasha.
"The people know. They weren't happy, and at first they wanted me thrown back into my cell, but Heimdall and the Warriors Three finally convinced them to give me a chance to rule. If I fail, I go back to the dungeon forever. But if I can prove I'm a good king, I can keep the throne," the King said, brushing a curl behind Natasha's ear and smiling calmly at her shocked expression. "I will not fail."
"I know," Natasha said after several moments, smiling up at him warmly. "I just can't believe you did it while I wasn't here."
"I wanted to surprise you," Loki said with a shrug. "Now, let's go back to the palace."
"Lead the way," Nat said, kissing his cheek before taking his free hand in hers. The two of them walked hand-in-hand back to the palace, and Natasha was amazed at how the people bowed as they walked past. Soon, they were inside and two servants came and took the bags of gifts from them, saying they'll bring them to the King's hall immediately. Loki wound his arm around her waist, and for a second she thought he would drag her into the nearest empty room, but instead he just started walking faster. She matched his pace, and in a matter of minutes they were standing in the antechamber to Odin's old bedroom.
"Are you okay with being blindfolded for a minute? I have one more surprise for you," Loki asked, holding out a piece of green silk. Natasha raised an eyebrow quizzically but nodded anyway, and he moved behind her and tied the blindfold, adjusting it until he was sure she couldn't see. He gave her ass a playful squeeze before stepping away from her.
"Just don't let me crash into anything," Natasha warned, reaching her hands out in an attempt to find him. She heard his footsteps and then a door opened, and then he was walking back towards her and taking her hands. He carefully guided her into the room and closed the door behind them, and removed the blindfold.
When Natasha opened her eyes, she gasped. The room was completely different. The open archways in the walls had green silk curtains, held open by gold ties. The sitting area around the fireplace was filled with greens and golds and whites, with plush sofas, a lounge chair under one archway large enough for two people to curl up together, a plush rug in front of the fireplace, and a huge bookshelf half filled with what looked like Loki's books and scrolls from his cell, but Natasha didn't recognize all of them. On the other side of the room was a huge gold canopy bed with semi-sheer green curtains, a gold and green silk duvet and white silk sheets. A candle was lit on the nightstands on either side of the bed, and a bouquet of roses was on one of the nightstands. The room was completely redecorated for her and Loki, and when she moved closer to the bookshelf, she distinctly recognized two of the books. One was the one from her vision under the tree as Loki's wife, and the other was the photo album she brought to Asgard with her. Her hand flew to her mouth when she saw it, and she slowly reached out and pulled the album from the shelf. She felt Loki's hand at her waist, but all she could see was the album in her hands.
"You found it," Natasha said quietly. "Did you look through it? Is the rest of the stuff I brought here?"
"No, I didn't look through it yet, and yes, I found the rest of your stuff. Come here," Loki said, taking it from her gently to set back on the shelf before guiding her towards another room.
It turned out to be a massive closet, filled with Loki's robes and several gowns for Natasha, and with a huge cabinet on the other side with glass in the cabinet doors in the middle. In the side closest to Loki's robes stood an elaborate gold scepter with a green stone that looked just like the one he used when he attacked Earth, only more regal and less militant. The other side, presumably for Natasha, was empty, but looked like it was meant to hold armor, some daggers, a set of knives, and maybe something else, likely intended to hone her magic. Loki brought her closer to the cabinet and opened a drawer to reveal Natasha's arrow necklace displayed in a beautiful mahogany, gold, green velvet, and glass case, surrounded by matching cases of varying sizes. One held her little glove from Coulson, one held her jewelry set from her 16th birthday, one held her necklace with her mom's wedding ring, and the others were empty but ready to hold a variety of jewels. The whole setup was simply stunning.
"Oh wow," Natasha said breathlessly, feeling tears sting her eyes. She hadn't actually pulled out any of her jewelry in more than a year, and seeing all of what she brought with her displayed in beautiful cases that she wanted but could never get, combined with going shopping for Christmas presents to bring back to her family in New York was overwhelming. Loki noticed and pulled her to him, and she hid her face in his shoulder. He rubbed her back soothingly as she cried, her shoulders shaking due to her sobs. He kissed the top of her head and just held her.
"Are you okay?" Loki asked her when she had calmed down, and she nodded quietly, not moving from his arms.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I just didn't realize how much I really missed my family until I saw the jewelry and the photo album displayed proudly and beautifully…" she murmured, and Loki tightened his arms around her.
"Hey, you'll see them soon. It's almost Christmas," Loki reminded her, and she nodded her head quietly. He pulled back enough to tilt her head back and kiss her gently, then smiled at her gently and pressed his forehead against hers. "Come on. Let's get into bed."
Natasha nodded and followed his lead, stripping down in the closet and allowing him to guide her back to the bedroom. As they climbed into the bed, he reached around her and grabbed a rose from her nightstand, tucking it into her hair and kissing her gently. She kissed back, somewhat distracted, and he smiled at her understandingly before lying down next to her. It was an unspoken invitation to do whatever she wanted, including get out of bed, which was what she did after a minute. She didn't stay out of bed for long, however.
She padded over to where they left her photo album and picked it up before walking back to the bed. She curled into Loki's side, smiling softly when he rested his hand on her hip, and opened the album. She showed him the story behind each photo, focusing on the memory and pushing it into his mind's eye with her magic. Most were happy memories, some were sad or difficult, but each one told her family's story and allowed her to have a catharsis and clear out her emotions. After they had gone through every photo, she set the book back down on the nightstand and curled back into Loki's side. They were quiet for a while, with her hand trailing lightly on his hip and his carding through her curls, until Loki finally spoke up.
"Natasha?" he murmured, to which she hummed in response. "If I asked you to show me your life, from as far back as you can remember to right now, would you?"
Natasha was sitting upright and out of his arms-but not out of his reach-before he could blink. Her eyes were unreadable and her posture was guarded, and he almost regretted asking her based on her reaction. She looked immensely uncomfortable, and reminded him of a skittish cat ready to run. He decided he was better off not moving, in case he scared her even more, and waited for her to say something.
"Why do you want to see it?" she eventually asked slowly, and Loki took that as his cue to sit up carefully.
"I want to help you. You're stronger and more resilient than I ever could be, than anyone else I ever encountered could be, and while I will admit, part of me is curious as to just how strong you are, I want to know how strong you think you always have to be so I can help you relax and let your guard down. You don't always have to be strong and levelheaded and in control, and I want to know how the best way to help you do that," Loki said softly, slowly reaching out and taking her hand. She didn't fight him or flinch away, which he took as a good sign, but he didn't dare do anything more than that, at least not yet. "It doesn't have to be tonight. It doesn't have to be before Christmas, and it doesn't even have to be in the next couple of years. But when you're ready to show me, or you think I'm ready to see it, or when you're comfortable enough to let me know everything that you've gone through, I'll be right by your side to see it."
"Maybe I'll show you, but not tonight. I'm exhausted emotionally and I can't go through reliving every moment right now," Natasha said softly, and Loki nodded, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
"Of course. I'll be here whenever you're ready," he promised. He held her hand until she moved back to him on her own, and when she did he kissed her temple gently.
"Thank you," she murmured as her eyes slid shut. Within minutes, she was fast asleep, and Loki watched her small frame rise and fall in the moonlight. Her rib cage and hipbones still stuck out under her skin, and he could feel every one when he hugged her, but her face was filling in more. Her cheeks didn't look as gaunt anymore and her eyes weren't as haunted or dead as they were when she thought he died, but he knew that when Clint saw her, he would freak out, and may not even let her return to Asgard. If he had raised her and she returned from somewhere in this shape, Loki would never let her go back, no matter who was waiting for her.
He sighed and kissed the top of her head gently. He couldn't lose her now, but perhaps it would be better if she didn't return. If he did anything wrong, he wouldn't be able to protect her, and she may not be put in the dungeon with him. He was terrified that if he was locked away, she would be a slave again and it would be all his fault. He would never see her again, and she could never go home. He held her closer to him as he fell asleep, and his dreams were filled with images of faceless people doing unspeakable things to her all because he messed up.
Natasha was still asleep when he woke up, so he eased her out of his arms and got dressed for the day. He left a note on his pillow saying he had to attend to some things and that she shouldn't worry, but to get dressed at her leisure and meet him in her garden. Then he kissed her temple lightly and left to find the council that would decide their fates if he screwed up.
The meeting did not go as Loki had wanted. He tried to convince them to send her back to Midgard if he failed as a king, but they refused. They said that if she stands by him as King, she must also stand by him in punishment. They planned on sending her to Asgard's Red Light District and binding her to a master so she could only leave with him. Loki tried to argue, but they said that if he didn't accept their "considerate" decision they would have her sent there that day, and if he went to visit her he would lose the throne and her punishment would be worse. Loki sighed in frustration but reluctantly agreed, realizing he had to convince her to leave him and move back to Midgard before he had a chance to mess up.
When Natasha woke up and Loki was gone, she sat up straight in the bed. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the room and showing Loki was not there. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, turning to the side where he slept, and saw the note on his pillow. She sighed but got dressed, putting on a green and black gown with red rose embroidery, and her green and gold heeled slippers. She started flipping through some books on Loki's shelf and found one she could actually read, much to her surprise, then took it out to the tree from her vision.
Loki was already there, making red and gold flowers grow in the tree. She could tell he was upset about something from the slight crease between his eyes. Frowning, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He startled but turned and pulled her against his chest tightly.
"What happened?" she asked immediately, and she felt him shake her head.
"Nothing," he replied. She sighed.
"Loki, don't lie to me. I know something is wrong, and I'll find out what it is sooner or later so just tell me," she said, irritation evident in her tone. She pulled away from him and sat down under the tree, grabbing his hand and pulling her down with him. "You can trust me, Loki."
"I do trust you. I just don't want you to ever find out what's wrong," he said with a sigh.
"It's about what happens if the people think you're a bad king, isn't it?" Natasha asked, and when he didn't answer and averted his gaze, she knew she was right. "What happened? If you don't tell me, I'll find out for myself."
"When you go to Midgard for Christmas, I think it would be better if you stayed there and didn't come back to Asgard," Loki said after several minutes. Natasha shook her head.
"No," she said immediately. "That's not an option, Loki. It's not happening."
"Tasha, please. You can't stay here. If I'm not a good enough king, you'll be punished too," he pleaded with her, but she leveled him a look that could have stopped Odin in his tracks.
"Loki, if they want to turn me into a whore again, I'll survive. But I won't run away because I'm scared. I don't run from danger if there's a chance I can get something out of it," she said, and he shook his head.
"I won't let you do that to yourself," he said, taking her hands in his. "The thought of losing you kills me, but the thought of you be punished that way because of me again-and don't fight me on that again because I was the only reason you came to Asgard in the first place-I couldn't do it. I can handle a lot of things but I cannot handle that."
"Then let me speak to the council deciding this. Let me negotiate our fates. I won't go down without a fight, Loki, and if I'm punished for loving you, then it's worth it," she said softly. "Please, Loki, I have an idea."
"Do you know it will work?" he asked, and she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Loki, I can see the future. If I focus on something specific, I can see how a certain future would pan out, and I've seen ours. I won't tell you what happens, but I need you to trust me to handle this. Every king needs someone to help him. Odin had Frigga, and now you have me. You don't have to do this alone," she said, taking her hands from his gently and cupping his cheeks. He smiled softly, something akin to sadness in his eyes.
"I know I'm going to regret this, but I will take you to them. I just hope you're sure about this," he said, standing up. He turned and lifted her to her feet gently, setting her forgotten book on a nearby bench as he led her out of the gardens and towards the room where the council deciding their fate were waiting. Before the doors opened, she kissed him quickly but fiercely, then smiled at him and walked inside.
"Loki, why have you brought her here? I thought we made it very clear what would happen if you continued to press this issue," one of the six council members said, raising an eyebrow. Natasha vaguely recognized him, but not enough to name him. In fact, she recognized all of the council members, but not with any detail. Maybe from her first day in the garden as Arnljot paraded her around, maybe from the night she was supposed to be the entertainment at the party, or maybe she had seen them since she had been freed, but she couldn't place it exactly. She cleared her throat to get their attention back on her.
"Loki brought me here because I asked him to. For the moment, I am a free woman, and I would like to be considered as such," she said, her voice filled with authority and invoking shame in the three men and three women around the table. When they were quiet and focused on her, she continued. "Thank you. Now, I know Asgard is counting on you to punish myself and Loki should he fail as a king, and I know you plan on turning me back into a whore if he does. I'm here to negotiate the terms of that punishment."
"There are no terms to negotiate," one of the women spoke up. "You were Asgard's whore for a year, and if you are being punished, you will be Asgard's whore for life. That is that."
"Not quite," Natasha replied, making sure she sounded regal and intimidating, the way she did when questioning people for S.H.I.E.L.D. or convincing someone to do what she wanted. "I propose you give us two weeks to prove Loki is worthy of ruling. At the end of those two weeks will be December 25th, which is Christmas on Midgard and I have already decided I will go to New York to visit my family. You may have that day to reflect on Loki's actions, and when I return on the 26th you will either leave Loki on the throne or sentence us to lives of punishment. Should we be punished, I promise I will willingly cooperate, so long as I can spend my nights, or whatever time I will have to rest and sleep, with Loki. If I can have that and eat whatever meals I am allowed with him, which during my year as a whore for the guards was breakfast and dinner, I will obey anyone I am given to. I will willingly be a whore for the guards, the warriors, the men and women of Asgard, the servants, the criminals in the dungeon, any visiting nobles from other realms, whoever you wish to give me to. If not, I will fight to my dying breath. I will also agree to this: if I do not return on the 26th for what I will call our trial, you may add to my punishment. For every day I am late, if Loki proved to be a good king, I will agree to be a prostitute for a certain period of time under the same conditions I specified for my life sentence. If Loki failed as a ruler, for that same period of time, you can suspend my visiting privileges and I will not see him, and you can choose another way to punish me however you wish."
The room was silent as she finished, her words seeming to echo against the walls. She felt Loki's worried gaze on her back, but she kept her steady gaze on the council as they discussed her terms. One of the other men looked over at her.
"For every day you are late, you will be a whore for one year," the man said, and Loki jumped in, much to Natasha's irritation.
"A year is too harsh for being a day late. One week," he argued. The council members chuckled at his demand, and Natasha shot him a steely glare.
"Two months," Natasha replied. "If I stay on Midgard through New Year's Day, that would be a year of punishment. Is that fair?"
"We will agree to your terms," the second woman replied after a few minutes of discussion, "on one condition. If you are late and Loki is seen to be a good enough king, he may not visit you while you are working, and you will not be allowed to have sex with him until your punishment is over."
"That's two-" Loki began to argue, but Natasha shut him up with a glare.
"I accept your condition. Have we come to an agreement?" the redhead asked, holding her head up high. The council members nodded.
"We have. Good day, Ms. Romanov. Your majesty," the first man said, nodding to them in turn and gesturing to the door. Natasha nodded in return and walked out like a queen, leaving a stunned Loki to follow behind her.
They walked to their shared bedroom in silence, and when they got there, Natasha sat on one of the couches, watching him with a raised eyebrow until he sat next to her. He opened and shut his mouth repeatedly, reminding Natasha of a fish, until he finally seemed able to form a coherent question to ask her.
"Do you realize what you've gotten yourself into?" Loki finally asked. Natasha smiled slightly at him and began to comb her fingers through his hair.
"Of course I do. No matter how they punish me, I will still spend my time to rest and whatever meals I am allowed with you. The only way that changes is if I'm late returning to Asgard, which means that I can't stay in New York after Christmas," she said, and he shook his head.
"Clint will never let you return if he knows what's in store for you," he said, grabbing the hand that was playing with his hair gently. "What are you going to tell him?"
"The truth. I'll tell him I have to go back to be told you're a good king, and then I will see him again on New Year's Eve. It's that simple," she said. He sighed.
"And if it's not?" he asked, and it was her turn to sigh. She climbed onto his lap and kissed him lovingly, pushing any negative thought from his mind. He reluctantly kissed her back, and when she broke the kiss several minutes later, he leaned his forehead against hers.
"Loki, you are a good king. I know you are. So long as you keep the needs of the people in your mind and rule accordingly, and don't try delay me on the 26th, neither of us will be punished. You are more than good enough for Asgard," she told him, scratching the base of his skull lightly. He brushed his lips against hers quickly and lightly, making her smile. She knew she had won.
"Fine. If you're sure everything will be okay, and you think you can handle what will happen if you're wrong, I will trust you," he told her, holding her close.
"I don't ever get myself into anything I don't know I can handle," she reminded him. He sighed and began to kiss her neck.
"I hope you're right," he murmured against her skin, nudging her head back so he could reach better. She hummed in response, deciding words were pointless right now, and let him do what he wanted.
Late that night, Loki and Natasha were curled in bed together, but neither could sleep. Loki was going over a thousand ways she could be hurt if he failed, and every so often Natasha would have a vision about what he was seeing. Around midnight, she had had enough, and sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, startling him. He looked at her curiously.
"What are you doing?" he asked her, slowly coming out of his reverie.
"You need to relax. I keep having visions connected to whatever you're thinking about, and none of them are very nice," she said, raising an eyebrow at him, and he looked away uncomfortably. "Roll over, onto your stomach."
"Okay…" he said, doing as she said but not understanding why she wanted it.
As soon as he was comfortable and the way she wanted, she moved to kneel next to him. She ran her hands over his back lightly, and then started to massage his back and shoulders. She found spots of tension and worked them out, and when she felt she had begun to calm him down, she started humming. It was the lullaby her mom always sang to her, the one she forgot the words to long ago. She lost herself in the melody and rhythm of her hands massaging Loki's back, and didn't notice when he slowly pushed himself onto his elbows to look at her.
"Natasha, what are you singing?" he asked, breaking her trance, and she shook her head for a moment before shrugging.
"I don't know, actually. My mom used to sing it to me, but I forgot the words a long time ago, while I was in the Red Room. The tune stuck with me, though," she said, gently pushing on his back to get him to lie back down, but he shook his head and sat back up, making her frown. "Loki, lie back down. I'm not done."
"I recognize the song," he said, tucking a curl behind her ear. "My mother used to sing it to me every night until I was nearly 10, and after that she would sing it when I was sad or hurt. Would you, like to hear the lyrics?"
"You know them…?" Natasha asked, stunned, and Loki nodded. "I would love to."
He smiled and pulled her closer to him, cradling her in his arms as if she was a young child. She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, enjoying how she felt perfectly safe for the first time in forever.
"Hön'marën kena-uva kala
Indönya ullumeá
Nör'ande sëra mi lorien
Îm'eri ratö naya
Larya nîn mëlissè
Le sinte îma sinomë
Ána sama lemî oloorë
Le ar'uunèr ana kaurë
Uur'anor wannëa
Isilme va'arya
Telume siila tere
Na'are utumno wanya
Erüma, helkàda
Raanè ressè
Lörna à'kuilä
Vàrna mi'olör
Türma ei ràumo
Sinomë," he sang to her. Halfway through the song, her head began to swim and her vision spun until she lost all connection to the world around her…
She was standing in her parent's bedroom in their cabin, and her mother was standing next to the window, looking out it and humming with her back to Natasha. She was holding something in her arms, but Natasha couldn't see what it was. Slowly, the song she was humming grew louder and louder, until Sierra-Nicole started singing the words.
"Hön'marën kena-uva kala
Indönya ullumeá
Nör'ande sëra mi lorien
Îm'eri ratö naya
Larya nîn mëlissè
Le sinte îma sinomë
Ána sama lemî oloorë
Le ar'uunèr ana kaurë
Uur'anor wannëa
Isilme va'arya
Telume siila tere
Na'are utumno wanya
Erüma, helkàda
Raanè ressè
Lörna à'kuilä
Vàrna mi'olör
Türma ei ràumo
Sinomë," her mother sang, slowly turning until Natasha could see the baby in the woman's arms. It was a little girl, less than a year old, with a head of bright red curls and wide, sparkling green eyes. The child watched her mother in awe, a tiny smile on her lips as she slowly fell asleep to the soothing lullaby. Nicole looked up with a smile then, her green eyes flashing gold as she seemed to look straight at Natasha. She nodded to her with a sad smile, and mouthed, "I love you," as her eyes turned green again. Ivan came in then, and wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, holding the two women he loved more than life itself in his arms.
Natasha came back to reality just as Loki finished singing, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away before he noticed, but he was watching her during her vision and gently wiped them away with his thumb.
"What did you see?" he asked when she could breathe properly again.
"My mother. She was singing the song. I was just a baby, and she was holding me and singing. It's called Lullaby from a Distant Land," she said, he nodded silently to confirm the title of the song. "When I was asleep and she finished singing the song, I swear she looked right me. Not baby me, but looked at where I was watching the vision, and she could see me. Her eyes turned gold, and she mouthed, "I love you" before her eyes turned green again and my father came in. The vision ended there. Loki, is it possible she could have seen me?"
"I suppose it would be," he said, sitting up against the pillows and pulling her into his lap. His hand fell to her hip and he started rubbing circles across her still-visible hipbone. "The traditional laws of time and space don't apply to trained or powerful seers. She may have had a vision of you standing there, all grown up, and realized you would see that moment eventually so she left you a message of sorts."
"So, like voicemail?" she asked in confusion, and sighed when he looked at her like he had no idea what she was talking about. "Where you call but the person doesn't answer, so you leave a message that their phone records and plays back to them when they're able to see it."
"Oh. I suppose it would be voicemail, of a sort. What people don't realize is that seers are actually very powerful. They can do more than just see visions of things that have happened already or will happen in the future, but the really talented ones can pass through the barriers of our universe and into alternate realities," he said, and Natasha's eyes widened slightly.
"So like, what would have happened if one event hadn't gone the way it did?" she asked, thinking back to the vision she had of Kitty on her first day in Asgard.
"Exactly," he said, nodding. "Usually the barriers between realities are weakest when someone is at a fork in their path, and whichever decision they make will influence which reality becomes their reality. For example, when you had the vision about them killing you if Thor found out, you had a choice. Either let him find out and die, or make sure no one would tell him and live. In an alternate reality, you died."
"Wow," was all she could say, and she felt him shrug.
"It gets really complicated beyond that. My mother used to say there were seers that could open portals to other realities and hide people in them, or move to a happier one and live there, but she never explained how they did it. They just, did," he said, and his hand stopped rubbing circles on her hip. "If things here get bad, you have to figure out how to open a portal so you can get out."
"Loki," she sighed, turning around and kissing him gently, "things won't get that bad. I promise. Don't worry about me. Just worry about being a great king, and I'll handle whatever else comes our way, okay?"
"Tasha, I just," he started, but she cut him off with a pointed look. After several minutes of silence, he sighed. "Okay, fine."
"Thank you," she said, kissing him lightly. "Now what does the song mean?"
"My heart shall see light
Our hearts shall be forever
Go forth, rest in dreamland
I'll soon be there.
Wait for me my love
You know I'm here
To join you in dreams
You have nothing to fear.
Fiery sun, begone,
Moonlight, protect us,
Heaven's star, shine through,
Flame of hell, vanish.
Lonely voice, cold and bare
Wandering alone,
Asleep, yet awake
Safe in dreams
Shelter from the storm
Here," he sang softly, making her smile. He kissed her temple gently when he finished.
"It's better in the original language," he admitted, and Natasha laughed.
"That it is," she said, and the two fell into a silence so deep she almost thought he had fallen asleep. If it wasn't for him playing with her curls, that is. "Loki?"
"Hm?" he replied, stopping playing with her hair. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
"Will you come to Midgard with me on Christmas?" she asked. He sighed.
"Natasha, they'll try to kill me as soon as they see me," he told her, but she shook her head fervently.
"I'll show them everything, I swear. I won't leave any details out. I'll show them everything that happened since they last saw me. When they see what you did for me, they'll welcome you in," she promised. "I'll even show you as much of my life as I can, starting with my visions of my mom and going from there. Loki, what we do Christmas Day won't affect our punishments. They're deciding our fate that day. Nothing will change if we aren't here."
"You'd show them everything?" Loki asked in surprise. "You'd let them see men try to break you, own you, almost kill you? Just so they don't kill me?"
"Loki, you were my knight in shining armor when I needed one the most. Very few men can say that, and the guys need to see everything to understand what you did for me," she said softly. "So yes, I would let them see me broken so they don't kill you."
"I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do, and I know you really don't want them to see that," he said, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.
"But I want you there. So I'll show them everything, and I'll show you my life, just like you asked me to," she told him, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, Loki."
"Very well," he conceded, knowing he really couldn't say no to her. She smiled and kissed him lightly.
"Thank you. Loki, you have nothing to fear from them, or anyone. Now get some sleep," she said, lying down and curling up into his side. He sighed before following her.
Clint was going to kill him for letting this happen to her.
So? Did you like it? By the way, the song is called Lullaby from a Distant Land, by Forest Elves. Check it out on YouTube! I think it's really pretty.
And now for my story idea: Natasha has been training to see into other realities, and whenever she's able to open a window into a new one, she shows it to Loki. Basically each chapter would be an alternate universe for The Runaway Seer, with little details changed that change the entire story. (So, in one, Natasha's mother wouldn't have been captured, or in another, Heimdall would have gotten permission to have a child, and how those details change the story we know.) Should I do it? You guys can give ideas as to what details you would like to see change the story in reviews and stuff. I'm more than open to requests!
Snowflakes of love and fun to you all! ~Des
