A Magic Trick

Ava stood with her eyes closed, her brow furrowed down the middle, and she smiled with both curiosity and anxiety. Loki watched her with a small smirk, his hands on her upper arms as he guided her carefully into the middle of a great room. There were no windows, and the roof was domed dramatically. Their footsteps echoed on the near empty ground and the woman put a hand carefully over the god's, squeezing it tightly before she spoke.

"Loki…"

"Shhh." He replied quickly. "Nearly there."

"Okay." Ava nodded. "I hope you appreciate that I kept my eyes closed."

"I appreciate it."

"That doesn't sound sincere."

"I'm concentrating."

"On what?"

"Ava. Shush."

Loki had spent the last week worrying about Thor's impending coronation, and he knew he had been neglecting the woman who stayed at his side with her fierce little attitude and her soft kind smile. He wanted to make it up to her and he couldn't help but feel relaxed with the knowledge that he had her to himself for the rest of the evening.

Ava ground her teeth in anticipation. "Can I open my eyes please?"

The god sighed and pressed kiss to her temple. "Yes you can, you impatient woman."

"I can be patient for you." She kept her eyes closed a moment longer to prove her point, raising an eyebrow at him to drive her angle home and cause a small chuckle to slip from between Loki's lips.

"Have a look." He turned her head back to the room, his hands steady on her shoulders as he waited for her response.

Ava had known that Loki was good at magic, she knew he was intelligent and hugely capable, but what she saw went beyond that. The whole blackened dome of the room was full of the stars of Asgard. They moved as they would throughout the night, slipping across the sky as the new day came. On the ground were a range of soft blankets and pillows, candles, a dinner that could only be arranged for a Prince of Asgard.

The woman stood there dumbfounded for a long, long moment. Loki waved his hand and the stars changed to those of Midgard's Northern Hemisphere, and then that of the Southern. And then he showed her Alfheim, before moving to other places she had not known he had been to.

Loki took her hand, holding back his smile as he guided her down to lay beside him, eat, and enjoy his magic.

Ava put a hand over her mouth as the view sank in. The room was huge, almost as large as the throne room, and there they lay in a small spot of light surrounded by a vast darkness with only Loki's magic universe above them.

"You're phenomenal." She said as she moved to rest beside him. "I cant…how do you do that?"

"Practice." He replied smoothly. "I've been…moody lately. I've been a little cruel to you, I've snapped at you and forgotten about things, and I'm sorry. I hope this can at least make up for some of it."

"Loki…" Ava looked at him quietly, her eyebrows knitting together for a moment before she brushed her fingers through the hair above his ear. "Loki, I know you're stressed and a upset. I want to be there for you and, even though you haven't let me in that much this week I know you want to. Or I hope you want to."

"I do want you to."

She smiled softly as she pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "All you have to do is say sorry and talk to me. Not that I don't love this – I think that this is amazing and I cant believe how wonderful you are. I am so grateful that you've done it for me."

Ava watched his expression in the small light from the candles and the great light from above. "I love you, Loki. Allow me to put up with you."

He drew a hand around the curve of her neck and brought her in for a deep kiss. She tasted of oranges, of sea salt, and of summer warmth. He had his magic, he had his mind, and for that moment he had her. There was only so much his tricks could do, and only so much smoke he could hide himself with. She seemed to see through it all. Ava seemed to see him. It was terrifying and enlightening all at once, but more than anything he wanted to be to her what she was to him.

But deep down, Loki knew he could not be that man. He knew that maybe she deserved someone else; maybe one day she would want someone else. He couldn't think like that though, because the thought of her in the arms of another man made him angry and frustrated. Loki wanted Ava, he wanted her loyalty, her stubborn ferocity, and her heart. And he knew he had it, and he knew it was selfish, but for that moment he was selfish, selfish and in love, just as she was.

Story request by ForFriendsForLove.

I am so sorry that this has taken so long to get out. Its been a hugely hectic few weeks and I never meant to make you all wait for such a long time. Hopefully I'll be posting some of these more frequently now that my time has evened out a bit more.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story. Let me know and hit me with your constructive criticism and requests in your reviews - I appreciate all the input you give me.

Blessings,
P.