Notes: Yeah, this chapter is mostly conversation and much needed plot development. It just kind of happened that way.
Warning: More delicious explicit sexual content! :3
Chapter 28: The Rite of Linwe
Tony smirked as Loki disappeared beneath the covers, trailing kisses along his stomach as he did. Even though Tony was aware of Loki's entire thought pattern, it still took him very pleasantly by surprise when the god tentatively took his length in his mouth. Tony hummed appreciatively as he sucked lightly and swallowed him whole.
Loki couldn't recall the last time he had done this specifically, only that it was always while in a female form. He would never be caught dead lying with another male unless he was a woman – it would not, in his wildest imagination, be worth the shame. Back in Asgard, anyway. None of that close-mindedness seemed to exist in Alfheim and not nearly as abundantly in Midgard. Perhaps the mortals were still little more than ants to him, but he had to admit that he was slowly starting to appreciate some parts of their surprisingly complex culture.
Either way, it had been too long.
Loki closed his eyes and let Tony's barely restrained mewls of pleasure guide him. He was good at this, he knew that much. And he thoroughly enjoyed it. Tony tasted wonderful to him, and his lust hazed mind was completely absorbed in the delicious task.
Above him, Tony gasped and squirmed against the hands holding his hips firmly in place to keep him from bucking up in Loki's mouth without his permission. He let out an exasperated gasp and forced himself to relax, losing himself in the wet heat of Loki's mouth. The trickster's mind was a blank, aside from just how completely content he was to have his mouth full of Tony's cock. As much as he'd like to bitch about this ridiculous love spell thing, Tony had to admit that the intimacy of the connection it forged was absolutely incredible in a really good way. At first it was kind of terrifying – still was sometimes. But at moments like this, they were perfectly in sync and it felt as natural as breathing.
Tony moaned quietly as Loki dragged his tongue across the slit at the tip of his shaft, tasting him like someone might savor a decadent dessert. Tony silently cursed the blankets that Loki was underneath, not that they really mattered. He could see everything Loki was doing through his eyes – when he didn't have them closed in shear bliss. He reached a hand down under the blanket and gently tangled his fingers in Loki's hair that trailed across his hips as he moved. Loki didn't seem to mind.
"You are awesome at this." Tony told Loki silently, not trusting himself to speak past his erratic breathing and completely uncontrollable little whimpers. Loki carefully pulled Tony's fingers out of his hair and held his hand tightly. Tony thought it felt oddly like he was holding him in place because surely he was going to just float away on little soft, fluffy clouds of contentment.
"I know." The demigod replied in amusement without the slightest pause in his ministrations. Tony let out a miserable whine when Loki stopped and crawled back up to kiss him deeply. Tony decided instantly that he really liked the taste of himself on Loki's lips. They made eye contact briefly as Loki positioned himself above Tony's still throbbing cock. Tony only sensed what he was doing just before he slid down and impaled himself on it with no preparation or lube other than his own saliva.
"Oh my god." Tony breathed, overcome by how tight he was and how amazing it felt. Loki moaned in a combination of much needed relief and discomfort. Tony sighed and rested his hands warmly on Loki's hips as he began to move.
"Relax, and more importantly, just feel." Tony heard Loki say in his mind as he sped up his pace after he adjusted to the feeling of Tony's length buried to the hilt inside of him. "You think far too much during love making. Lie still, focus on the sound of your breathing and ignore everything else." Tony snorted and smirked as Loki expertly placed light touches across his chest and stomach while he moved. Tony let his eyes slide closed and his head fall back against the pillows as he attempted to follow Loki's instructions.
It wasn't that hard, surprisingly.
Within a few seconds, his labored breathing evened and he fell into a comfortable state of total relaxation aware of absolutely nothing except for the feeling of Loki seeming to completely surround him in both body and mind. Quickly, it became total sensory overload and he wasn't sure if he wanted his release, or for it to just never end. Either way, he felt like a puddle of warm pudding and didn't think he could move an inch if he wanted to.
When the climax did come, Tony cried out Loki's name brokenly and his whole body convulsed with an unexpected, violent jerk. He lay there in a panting, whimpering mess as Loki continued moving for a few seconds until he reached his limit and made an absolutely carnal sound of mindless abandon and spilled himself on Tony's Stomach.
"So... Shall we have breakfast?" Loki asked, panting for breath as if it were just the most normal thing in the world.
"You are unbelievable." Tony said incredulously as his coherence started to return.
"Also rather insatiable, but I do believe the same could be said of you." Loki purred and stretched in a very cat-like manner after slowly sliding off of Tony's softening member. "So, breakfast, my pet?"
"Mmm. Yeah, fine."
"I have to ask, since it's been bugging me." Tony said, interrupting the silence as he sat at the table in the study with Taure and Loki having some kind of elvish breakfast tea. He'd never admit it to himself, but he liked it more than coffee and it didn't make him jittery like caffeine did.
"The soul bond... Why exactly does it even exist? Like, what is the point of it? If it's a law that a couple have to be together for longer than I'd even be alive under normal circumstances, why do they need some kind of magic to bind them together and force them to be closer? Wouldn't they have already achieved that by that point?"
"I have been pondering that as well..." Loki agreed, looking at Taure curiously. The master healer was dressed in an emerald green robe with gold trim that morning and had his auburn hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Loki and Tony were clad in spare apprentice healer's robes that were white with little green leaves embroidered on the collar and sleeves for embellishment. Tony thought they both looked ridiculous and was endlessly thankful no one in Alfheim knew who he was or had a camera. Unlike Taure, he and Loki did not look like total badasses in prissy elf robes. Actually, Loki just looked a flat chested girl.
"It does not exist for practical purposes, really. It is mostly a symbolic rite of passage. It is by no means a requirement of legal marriage in Alfheim, it is entirely a spiritual undertaking." Taure explained and took a sip of his tea.
"The Rite of Linwe, as it was originally called, came to be millennia ago when the first of the elven kind walked this realm. Linwe was a princess of the elves. She had an older brother that eventually abdicated his rights to the throne in order to focus on scholarly pursuits. Linwe, however, preferred wandering the wilds and going wherever the winds took her. She would leave for great lengths of time, with only a horse for a companion. No one paid it any mind, she was an archer of legendary skill and more than capable of defending herself. One time while wandering the realm, she came upon a small farmer's hamlet inhabited by humans -"
"Wait, there are mortals in Alfheim?" Tony interjected in surprise. Taure smiled, Loki rolled his eyes.
"There are mortals in almost every realm in some form." Loki told him. "Though, the mortals of Alfheim, at least, are much longer lived than the people of Midgard. Normally they live about five hundred years. Aesir are not even truly immortal, we live for around five thousand years. The elves however, never age or die unless it is due to an injury that cannot be healed. Even then, they are reborn shortly after with all of their memories intact."
"All right, so what happened at the village?" Tony asked curiously, feeling like a kid at story time.
"That is true, and in the case the elf has a soul bond, both parties die and are reborn with the bond still intact. Anyway, Linwe stayed at the village for a while, and made many friends amongst them – most notably a young knight of her father's army who oversaw the village's finances and safety. Yes, Anthony, there are many mortals who belong to the elven king's army – by their own choice." Taure continued somewhat nostalgically.
"Anyway, the two of them became quite close. The knight, Aranil, was smitten with her the moment he laid eyes on her as Linwe was quite beautiful. It was his kindness and care for others that won Linwe's affections. When she left to continue her wandering, Aranil went with her. To make a long story short, they fell in love – an elven princess and a mortal man. Aranil's mortal fate was a cause of much anguish for them both, so Linwe sought the aid of an old and dear friend. An enchantress who lived deep in the wilds. This enchantress, whose name was since lost to the ages, invented the magic of the soul bond in secret. She knew that the only remedy for Aranil's mortal fate was to intertwine their souls magically."
"No one knows who this sorceress was?" Loki inquired with interest.
"No. There are many theories, but Linwe never revealed her identity." Taure told them. "Basically, the magic she created at that time is quite literally the same spell that was placed on the two of you. Linwe could not imagine living without Aranil at her side, and so she chose the fate of a mortal life through the enchantress' magic. Her father, of course, was furious when he found out but he did eventually forgive her. Linwe's story became something of a legend over time, a thing meant to tell the true meaning of love. Her sacrifice of her immortality to be with her one true love was admired and respected by nearly everyone in Alfheim. On the day of hers and Aranil's funeral, an unaddressed letter was delivered to the king's court mage detailing the workings of the spell that had been placed upon them."
"It was decided some time later, that in Linwe's memory all royal marriages in Alfheim would be sealed with this spell. Though, it wasn't required to be royalty – it became a service that the royal mage's guild offered for no charge. And eventually it became a rite of passage that most couples take when they are ready. Well, with some alterations to remove the effect of having to remain in one another's close proximity. The reason that was a part of it at all was because the original spell requires a full of cycle of the seasons to take full effect. Being too far apart during that time will break the connection, and not only kill both people involved but damage their souls as well. That is not a pleasant thing, when you take into account the cycle of death and rebirth of the elves. The reason it sometimes effects free will and can alter a person's perception is because of the merging of souls. If two people are too different to possibly find acceptance on their own, or entered the bond wholly unwillingly, the spell will compensate for that and force a state of balance. That... Does not normally end very well." Taure explained, and frowned slightly.
"Though, it had to be cast once for the court mage to be certain of its actual workings. My husband, Elindar, and I were the test subjects, if you will. To my knowledge every instance since would have been the modified spell. I cannot fathom where this Amora learned the original version unless she is, or has some kind of connection to the sorceress that invented it." Taure said, finally ending the story.
"Wait... You willing did that?" Tony said blankly. Taure smiled wistfully and nodded.
"I think my sister would have approved. After all, because of giving the mages the information they needed to work with, there are many elves that marry humans. Though, obviously most of them do not choose mortal lives." The healer replied thoughtfully.
"Your... Sister?" Loki asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Linwe was my sister." Taure said flatly. "It was I who gave throne of Alfheim to Frey when it fell to me to rule. It was a responsibility I never desired; Linwe was meant to be the queen one day. I spent most of my life as the commander of the military, personally leading them into battle. I was tired of it – all the utterly pointless death and pain. Honestly, it was the battle with Odin when he officially 'conquered' Alfheim that was the last straw for me. After that, I hung up my sword and chose to become a healer instead."
"The more I hear about Odin, the more of an asshole he seems to be." Tony mused.
"Indeed. He may have brought peace to the nine realms, but he did so with force and blackmail." Taure said sadly. "Thor, however, is honest and kindhearted. I am sure he will make for a much better king. At least Asgard generally stays out of our affairs here because the Lady Frigga would not abide by it. It was her demanding that, if Odin truly loved her, he would stop the war and leave Alfheim in peace. He did, obviously, but the damage was already done and in the end Alfheim needed Asgard's support to rebuild. It was a very dark chapter in our history, and began with no provocation on our side other than the desire to rule ourselves."
"All of that I knew, but I never knew you had a sister." Loki commented awkwardly.
"I miss her dearly, and all these years later I still grieve for her loss. Forgive me for never mentioning it."
"Of course." Loki replied, and stared pointedly at the dregs of tea leaves left in the bottom of his cup. Tony was surprised how bad he felt about asking.
"Well, I'm kind of curious where the fuck Amora learned the super secret beta version of this spell from." Tony said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I have no idea, but she is not old enough to be the sorceress that invented it." Loki said distantly, obviously lost in his thoughts about Taure's relation to Linwe.
"...Anyway. There's nothing we can do about that for now except hope she doesn't wreck earth while we're on our honeymoon. So, I need your help with something." Tony said with some trepidation.
"I have some shrapnel, pieces of metal, lodged in my heart from, well... We're just going to call it an accident. This thing, is basically a glorified magnet that keeps them in place so it doesn't kill me." Tony said and lightly tapped his fingers against the arc reactor which was slightly visible through the thin fabric of the elven robe he was wearing. Taure glanced at it curiously, as he had a few times since they'd arrived. Tony was actually kind of wondering why he hadn't asked what it was yet; he was obviously interested in it.
"Loki thinks you might be the only one in the universe who can dig it out without killing me." Tony finished and took a deep breath.
"...Let me see it." Taure ordered and got up from his chair to walk around the table to get a proper look. Tony loosened the robe and slipped it off his shoulders. Behind him, Loki sensed his nerves and touched his arm in a gesture of comfort. Somehow it was the smallest things that spoke the loudest. The simple touch took Tony completely by surprise and he smiled in spite of himself. Tony stood up to make it easier for Taure who was a good foot taller than him. He leaned over slightly and very carefully pressed his fingers against the glass casing.
"This device, it feels like an infinity stone." He observed. For what had to be the hundredth time, Tony explained exactly what the arc reactor was, and how it was based on the Tesseract. Taure didn't comment, he just pressed his right hand flat against Tony's chest over his heart the same way Loki had the morning when he explained how the arc reactor functioned to him. He felt the same slight sting of heat as he removed it, but also something else that must have been Taure's own unique magical signature.
"The metal shards I can remove, the device I cannot. Because of the magic within the element powering it is crafted with, it has become a part of the soul bond. Removing it would kill you as surely as the metal in your heart. However, not entirely. It does not necessarily need to be implanted as it is, taking it from its casing would not harm you once the metal is removed. Still, it would be best to leave it as it is." The master healer explained, obviously quite intrigued by it.
"So, if something happens to this – we'll snuff it?" Tony asked nervously. Well damn, that's not much of an improvement.
"Not the device itself, just the element powering it." Taure replied. "Which, if you have a replacement of the same size and vibration close at hand, is hardly a cause for concern. It would take at least a few days for the soul bond to break without it, I assume."
"Well, that's a hell of a lot better than a couple minutes. ...I guess this is where I ask you to dig the shrapnel out of me?" Tony responded.
"Very well, that is probably for the best. No good can come of leaving it there. I should have time enough to complete the procedure in two days when the students have their weekly day of rest. It will likely take about a week for you to recover; healing it with magic afterward could do more damage than good." Taure replied.
"All right then, it's a date." Tony said, trying not to be a nervous wreck.
