Chapter 26: Love

"No one can enter this stair way heading up here save for my family and now you." Loki told Cephera the first time he led her up the winding narrow stairs to his tower. That had been a month ago. Since then Cephera had been in Loki's tower over a dozen times. He'd shown her easy stuff at first. How to take and prepare all fresh herbs. How to break down powders from their natural minerals. Which items worked best in their natural state and which were better altered using liquids. She helped him prepare and bottle a lot of his supplies.

At one point he even took her to the potions supple market to train her how to choose only the best items as at least 90% of those things could expire leaving behind a useless potion. He was very helpful and his instructions clear. He gave her books to look over regarding what kinds of things not to mix and what worked best together. It was much like baking really. Without the freshest ingredient you would end up with a flat, old tasting item.

Making potions wasn't always what they did up there. Like now, she had been putting a bottle away on a top shelf, stretched right up when he came up behind her his hands hiking her skirts up and easily slipping into the backside of her underwear to sink a long digit inside her womanhood. She moaned leaning her forehead against the shelf and closing her eyes while his fingers played.

There was no private place he didn't take an opportunity to fuck her when he pleased. As long as he knew they were alone and he was wanting he would make his intentions known. The last time he had actually managed to spill a large quantity of his powders to the floor as they had landed upon his work desk. In his sexual frenzy he hadn't cared. Now was no different. Once she was wet enough he simply moved her underwear to hang around her knees and sunk his length inside her agonizingly slow. They both groaned in unison.

He grabbed her hips her skirts bunching up on his arms while he began a rhythm. His thighs coming to smack against her ass softly at first and harder as time moved on. Her hands clutched the shelf as she panted and cried out the more eager and forceful he became. He too was grunting and every now and then he'd utter his satisfaction in words. Before long he came colliding into her backside with a growl of pleasure and then giving it one more stroke before stepping back and slipping from her core all together. Her skirts fell around her as she breathed out her pleasure against the wood of the shelf. She could feel his seed wetting her thighs as gravity took over. Cephera fixed her panties and turned to look at her husband and smiled.

"Better?" She asked a coy look across her face.

"I can concentrate much better now." He told her with his own sly grin. Cephera turned back to the shelf and grabbed the bottle she was meant to retrieve once she put the other away. She moved to the long wooden work desk along one wall where Loki was now standing. Loki watched her measure the amount needed and allowed her to add it to the simmering concoction. A small puff of silver blue smoke puffed out and dissipated.

"What will this do again?" She asked him watching him carefully remove the container off the heat to settle down to a warm liquid to be bottled in the proper container.

"One drop will bring any small object to life." Loki grinned. "It's a useful trick for children mostly but I found other uses as well." He told her. She had come to notice many of the potions he'd had her help make were ones used by children. She wondered if he was afraid she'd blow the place up otherwise. She didn't complain. She had learned a lot.

"Will you ever teach me some magic?" She inquired leaning on her elbows.

"You said you copy magic. If that's true you already know it." He said not looking at her.

"Yes but I mean train me to be better. I know simple things but I find some spells need more work." Loki looked up at her and she wasn't sure how to read the look on his face.

"I'm afraid I don't have the patience to train you." He finally said.

"You've worked for a month with me and Spirit, which we still haven't gotten anywhere with, but you can't find patience to show me stronger magic." She questioned eyebrow raised.

"That situation is different. Magic is a passion of mine and I am weary around those whom perform less adequately. It bothers me and so the little patience I have for it would only cause us to quarrel." Loki told her sternly. "If you wish to learn magic so badly I can bring someone in to show you but it won't be me." Loki turned from her and Cephera sighed.

(Loki)

Loki could tell Cephera was disappointed that he refused to show her magic but he was happy she didn't keep nagging him about it. It was one good thing about her. She usually knew when to back off. They had left their potion to settle and cool and now resided in the fields.

Loki was convinced that Cephera would never actually get to ride her horse and would soon just place her on a palace one to teach her to at least ride properly. His patience regarding her choice of horse was growing thinner with each passing day. Currently he was watching her attempt to get Spirits attention so that she could get a chance to pet him. She was sat atop the fence and Loki was leaning on it watching her.

When her horse finally came over for her treat Loki watched Cephera as she took a leap from the fence to her horse. "Dammit woman!" Loki yelled as he saw she had landed on her mares back awkwardly and Spirit took off at a fast sprint with Cephera clinging to her mane. Loki grabbed the nearest palace horse and climbed up forgoing the saddle as he hated to lose sight of his wife. The field were quite large depending on direction and so far they were heading over the grassy hills. Shiaji, who had gotten left behind, growled and jumped up to perch on Loki's shoulder.

Loki kicked the horse into a gallop and wasted no time chasing after Cephera. Even from a distance Loki could see she held no control over the animal as it wildly sprinted over the grasses. To his relief it didn't attempt to punt or throw her off. There was tension in his chest as he desperately tried to catch up. They were nearing the blocking fence and for a moment he thought the horse might try to jump it. It was far to high for the mare to actually make the jump and Loki's breath hitched. However the horse didn't jump. It stopped suddenly and Cephera went flying forward with nothing to really keep her in place.

She was tossed over the horses head and crashed into the very top of the fence cracking the thick wood before hitting the ground. She had not gone over the other side but instead she lay on the ground within the fence. Her horse didn't run off like Loki had expected it too. Instead it bent it's long neck down and nuzzled its riders. Loki felt the tension in his chest tighten as he neared her fallen form. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest. When he was close enough he jumped from his and ran toward her.

She was moving and her hand came up to touch the side of Spirits muzzle. She was smiling despite the red trail of blood along her face. "Cephera!" Loki said his voice full of concern. He knelt near by her and grabbed her face to look toward him. He saw no evidence of injuries save for the blood that seem to come from nowhere.

"I'm fine. I have magic that can heal. I'm ok." She told him like it was no big deal. Loki took her by her shoulders and shook her slightly.

"I don't care if you can heal don't ever do something so reckless again. For even that one moment when I thought you might be..." Loki cut off his own sentence. His emotions and heart pounding worry getting the better of him. "I have worked far to hard these past months to lose you now." He said finally his voice less harsh. Cephera's smile fell as she realize how worried he'd been for her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd...I just thought..." Cephera moved wrapping her arms around his neck and curving her face against his neck. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful." She told him at last foregoing her excuses. Loki clutched his arms around her waist and held her tight. For the first time, in that one simple moment he thought she could be dead, he realized that he didn't want to live without her. He'd grown attached to her in ways he never thought he would. She made him feel things he once shunned as weak emotions.

When Loki finally let her go he took notice her horse was still standing by them. As angry as Loki felt he couldn't blame the animal. Cephera had placed herself in harms way. He stood picking her up even though she was left unharmed. Instead of getting back on either horse he carried her all the way back to the palace with Shiaji following closely behind.

(Cephera)

Cephera lay held close to Loki in their bed. The rush from what had happened hours ago having faded. Her fingers were playing along his arm that currently held her waist. "I'm sorry for making you worry." She said referring to earlier. Loki was leaning on one of his hands his elbow digging into the bed propping him up on his side.

"It's fine. You're safe and will remain that way." He replied. He was no longer angry with her over it. Cephera kissed him softly.

"Loki I will always remain by your side no matter what, you know that right." She asked him peering at him in the dim light.

"I have always known that. Even when I would not give you the time of day you made it clear that you valued this marriage." He said to her.

"But I didn't love you back then." She said chewing her inside jaw as she said it. Even though it had actually been a short time since they had begun to get along Cephera knew in her heart she loved him. She had allowed herself to become attached to him, opening her entire being up for him.

"But you do now?" He questioned back. His entire body seemed tense against hers.

"I do now. I love you." She told him and she felt him relax. He spoke no endearing words of his own but his body language spoke volumes to her. He seemed almost afraid that she hadn't loved him. His arms tightened around her and his lips touched her forehead.

"You are mine. I will never give you up." He said after a moment of silence was shared between them. Cephera didn't know why but the way he spoke those words were not in a way that made her feel like a possession. She felt almost honoured by them. Perhaps it was because it was Loki who spoke them and he didn't strike her as the kind of man to spout love sonnets to her. Perhaps this was his way of telling her he cared in return. She didn't really care what he truly meant she tilted her head up once more and kissed him again. Every time their lips met it was soft kisses. They were not the kind of kisses that were filled with lust but a kiss shared between two people who just enjoyed the intimate touch. A way of communicating without words.

Tada! Development! NOT THE END!

Please review! :D

- Benfan 1: I'm glad to here the visualize are easy to dream up. :)

- Twifan 1987: haha. Mud covered gods is kinda sexy.

- Exploding Sushi 15: hahaha. Naughty stuff in the tower...you read my mind.

- Celestial Wolves: yay! Happy you enjoyed it!

- Spazz 123: you're welcome and I'm honoured you feel close to the story or has helped you in some fashion!

- Gfor098: I will not be going into too much detail should Loki and Cephera have children. You will however love my next fic as it will go in deeply with Loki as a dad! So keep your eyes open for the continuation of 'When I first met you'. It was the second runner up on my poll. When this fic finishes that one will start though I may take a week off first. Lol. As for running out of ideas sometimes I hit points of writers block where I know I have certain things I need to address but no idea how to fill in time to get there without doing unrealistic jumps of time. This was one of those times. But I do have more large things to occur before this fic ends.

- Mama J Marie: thanks so much. I'm glad you like my work! *happy dance*

- Doctor Loki Love: good luck on your schooling my darling! Loki is finally opening his eyes to the life around him. He's not holing himself up inside his mind and his pride anymore.

- Reneemm: the brother dynamic changed because of earth really. Thor realized Loki wasn't just a pushover.

- 88 Dragon 06: haha. Yeah I thought the mud idea would be amusing. :P

- Loki's Dreamer: they are totally working as a couple. They are getting better.

- Akera Writer of the Night: hahaha. On my. Animal like person. Good idea though.

- Poodle Warriors: it was. : D