"Just say yes, you know you want to go."
The mischievous glint in Loki's eyes gave Kagome pause, as did the thought of being so alone with him again. It was getting harder to not act like a lovesick fool around him, but he seemed determined to push his way into her plans no matter how mundane they were, or simply change them all together.
Like now, when she'd only planned on spending the evening after training with Sif in her personal baths, but Loki wanted to whisk away on a secret trip to Alfheim.
"Is there something happening in Alfheim?"
"No. But what else is there to do? Where else is there to go?"
"I thought you didn't like many of the elves."
"We're not going to see the elves. I promised you a trip to another 'magical fairy land meadow' did I not?"
"You did... are we allowed to just go like this?"
He snorted and rolled his eyes, grabbing her hand and yanking her after him, marching them straight to the stables from the target yard.
"Are we allowed. I'm a prince of of Asgard, I do what I want."
She giggled a little and jogged to keep up.
"Uh, Okay then, I guess we're going."
She remained quiet and compliant as he placed her on a horse, swung up behind her and set them on a quick pace to the bifrost. It really was a quicker trip down it's surface to take a horse. They dismounted in front of the gate, and Loki strolled casually passed Heimdall with a jaunty wave.
"One trip to Alfheim please."
She scurried to catch up but paused to greet Heimdall properly.
"Hello, so sorry about this impromptu trip, I hope we aren't causing you any trouble."
Heimdall turned and readied his sword to open the gate and send them off, but paused to look right at Loki with small glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
"No trouble at all little princess. I know how much my queen loves her flowers."
He sent them away in a whirl of color and when the lights of the bifrost faded, they were left standing in a clearing in the woods. Kagome turned shocked eyes on Loki and was stunned to find him standing there staring blankly ahead- and blushing.
"Your mom sent you today? Why did you try to make me think we were sneaking away?"
He glanced over and then grinned an honest grin, scratching the back of his head and looking uncharacteristically embarrassed.
"Heh... just a bit of fun?"
"Mmhmm. Alright, what kind of flower are we here for. And why so late in the evening?"
Loki looked up at the sky and for several moments tracked the position of the Alfheim sun. It wouldn't be too long until nightfall now.
"Alfheim has different stars."
"They do?"
"They do. As for the flowers, it's a species specific to Alfheim that won't grow on Asgard. Mother likes to make perfume out of it."
"Well let's go then, lead the way!"
Thankfully they didn't have to waste much of the remaining daylight traipsing through the woods. They'd been set down near the edge and a short walk away was one of those perfect meadows she'd been promised on their first trip here together. In the golden light of the setting sun it gleamed as if every leaf, flower and blade of grass were gilded in the purest gold, and with an excited squeal Kagome took off and ran straight for the first flowering bush she found, picking off the biggest, fattest blossom before dashing to the next one.
"Neither of those are the one we came here for." Loki called after her, fond exasperation coloring his tone.
"You cannot expect me to come here and not leave with a whole bouquet. These are the most beautiful flowers ever!"
Loki watched her bounce around the meadow, flitting from flower to flower like a buzzing bee, sparkling with happiness and contentment.
'Hm... I disagree.'
He could see the specific type of bloom he needed in a far off corner, so he left her to her flower picking and made his way over to harvest the one he came for, choosing 3 perfect blooms and zipping them away into his handy little pocket realm, and then he stood back and watched Kagome indulgently. She already had a huge armful of multicolored flowers and she dropped them in a heap in the center of the meadow before sitting next to her pile and carefully picking out one bloom at a time and twisting them together.
Curious, Loki sat beside her, watching her fingers nimbly twist and tie stems, blooms and leaves until she had a rainbow coronet. She lifted it proudly and dropped it atop his head.
"There! A crown for a prince." He studied her intently, watching the color of her cheeks darken, wondered if there was a flower in her stash that might match it.
"What about for a little princess?"
"Oh... I'm not a princess."
"No?"
"Definitely not."
"Flowers for a pretty maiden, then?"
Her eyes widened and then she averted her eyes down with a soft smile and he admired the way her lashes smudged across her cheeks.
"Teach me."
She glanced back up, a little shocked, a little confused.
"Excuse me?"
"Teach me to make one, and I'll crown you since you will not."
"Oh. O-okay."
She was a patient and attentive teacher, though he had no true desire to actually learn the silly skill of weaving flowers into jewelry, it was enough to have her attention on him. And her hands, when he'd fumble something on purpose and she'd guide him through the step again. And when they were done he placed a matching rainbow circlet on her own glossy black hair.
"There. A crown is very becoming on you."
She placed a hand over her chest and he smirked at her silent prayer cursing her heart.
And then she laid back, patting the grass next to her.
"Do you know the constellations?"
He laid back next to her and stared up at the darkening sky already hosting a light smattering of stars.
"No. I have no knowledge of Alfheim astronomy."
"Well then, let's make some up! That one looks like a crab."
"A What?"
She giggled and the sound was delightful; bright, easy, carefree in ways he dreamed to be.
"It's an earth animal, I haven't seen anything here yet that looks close enough to compare it too. That one looks like a mouse."
"Ah, so we will call that one 'Kagome.'"
"Hey!"
He chuckled quietly and then they whiled away the hours making pictures in the sky, giving them nonsense names and stories, teasing each other, until Kagome dropped off into sleep at his side.
He stood and carefully scooped her up, fixed her tilted crown of flowers, and very quietly bid Heimdall to bring them back home.
He looked wryly at the horse still waiting on them and shot Heimdall an apologetic look.
"I will send someone to retrieve it. I apologize."
Heimdall waved him off and shook his head in secret amusement at the sight of them returning so late, wreathed in flowers, one asleep and the other half way there.
"If I hadn't seen it coming I wouldn't believe it, but the boy is besotted."
Night spun over Asgard and the city slept, while the fates concocted their plans and wills and their players stepped ever farther onto their destined paths.