When they stepped aboard the jet, the god of mischief smiled at her playfully in a way that made Logan noticeably pissed off. When they flied to that mysterious mansion, he smiled at her that charming, assertive, sexy smile of his which made Emma's cheeks glowing while sitting on her seat next to his. And after landing on the backyard of the X-mansion, Loki arched his dark brows suggestively as if a night together in a magnificent mansion again would have been indicating for ardent heavenly sex.
He had every reason to be contented; Emma had vowed to be his own, and he had gotten Thor off his back for a moment. His smile followed her with every step they took inside the underground hangar after arriving to their destination. And Emma couldn't stop smiling back at him while walking there hand in hand, following Storm and Logan who were leading the way along the long corridors.
Storm was telling them about their school for mutant children as the doors of an elevator opened and they reached more homey quarters after their stroll through the steel-wall sections beneath the mansion.
And there, on the other end of a wood-panelled hallway, sat an older, distinctively bald gentleman in a wheelchair, looking like he had been expecting them.
"Charles!" Logan exclaimed with a growing smile and strode ahead to shake hands with an old friend.
A bit more hesitatingly Emma and Loki followed accompanied by Storm who announced happily that she had found the campers Charles had asked her to bring.
Loki was curious about these enhanced mortals but preserved his usual observing approach with them, letting the humans deal with their own affairs.
The lord of the house studied his guests curiously as they approached him, scanning especially Emma.
"Hello, Emma. Welcome to Westchester," the man said in a friendly tone, his voice calm and very pleasant, gazing deep into her eyes like he would have been staring straight into her soul. "I'm Charles Xavier. I assume Logan has mentioned me."
"Hi! Thanks. Yeah, he told that you help… our kind," Emma replied, uneasily, glancing at Logan. Her dad was not dropping her off to a freak school, was he?
Logan gave her an encouraging nod. "It's alright to trust the old professor," he promised patting the man's shoulder lightly. "He's the big shot around here, looking after all the other mutants."
"I guess you can say that," Charles smiled. "This is a special place, Emma. We all here have gifts. There's no need to be afraid. Within these walls you'll be safe."
"Okay," Emma said but she didn't feel like trusting the man. There was something about him and the place that made her getting tense, and she couldn't tell what it was. It was an irritating feeling; the man's voice and the smells around her were somehow vaguely familiar and it was twisting her stomach, her brains working to figure it out. Should she know him? Had she been in that place before? And how could one man bound to a wheelchair keep SHIELD at bay? He must have friends in high places.
Emma had to concentrate pulling her wandering thoughts together. "Sorry, I didn't realize that you're… um…" She waved her hand discreetly towards his chair.
"So incredibly handsome?" Charles jested, hearing her nervous thoughts and hoping to break the ice.
Emma flashed a small grin. "Yeah. You know what they say about the bald guys," she threw back a witty remark, but would have loved to take it back right away, embarrassed, seeing Charles's smile growing wider. The baldy got the joke. She bit her lower lip and looked up at Loki pondering if he got the joke and he gave her only a questioning frown.
"They save a big penny in hair conditioners?" Logan suggested.
"I like her," the professor murmured to Logan, amused, already seeing a certain kinship between Logan and her and yet so much differences.
Logan heaved a sigh. "Better stop it there, Charles. You're too old to flirt with her."
Emma squeezed tighter on Loki's hand and he sensed her nervousness. She would have liked to like this Charles Xavier, but he made her simply nervous, which she found amusingly strange since he was an old crippled man in a wheelchair. "Professor Xavier, this is Loki. He's not a mutant. He's actually a…"
"Yes, I know who you are, Loki of Asgard," Charles said in a curious tone while driving his wheelchair closer, his studying gaze beholding the tall, dark Asgardian. "Ever since you set foot on this planet, my friend, you've been busy making name for yourself."
As if taking it as a compliment Loki smiled coolly, staring down at the old man. "And apparently I have succeeded since my reputation seems to precede me."
"Indeed. You are most welcome, Loki. I do hope you came in peace. Our world needs no more chaos than it already has." Charles added the last part as though it would have been a gentle warning.
"Of course, my friend," Loki said bluntly, nearly offended. "And thank you."
Suddenly he narrowed his eyes, his face taking a cautious expression as though the man would have thrown an insulted at his face. Surprised for the need of doing it, he pushed the unexpected trespasser out from his mind, shrouding his psyche and consciousness with a veil of his magic as if he would have cast a heavy mental shield.
"Oh?" Loki sighed curiously then, impressed, a smirk growing on his lips. "There is more than meet the eye in you, Professor. It seems, my dear Emma, that you are not the only one who wishes to see inside my head," he took note in a darker voice, his gaze nailed at the old man, sizing up his opponent.
He held tighter on her hand, including her under his spell of protection. She knew too much of him, things he hadn't shared with anyone else, and he wished to keep all that safe, concealing her mind as well from unwanted visitors.
With a bad feeling Emma watched at him and the professor who looked like they were having a minor mental arm-wrestling. "What do you mean? You're a mind reader now?"
"No. But he is. A telepath, trying to invade my mind," Loki noted ominously.
After scratching merely the surface of the alien mind, Charles Xavier got the glimpses of a complicated calculative mind with high intelligence, cool perception and a whole variety of emotions, all kept strictly under control, except the deity's affectionate feelings towards Emma. He knew he could have break through Loki's mental shields if he would have put his back into it but not without Loki knowing it. Oh, what a fascinating mind that would have been to explore!
The old professor gave his guests an apologetic humble smile. "Please forgive me. I meant no offence. My curiosity got the best of me. It is not often we have such fascinating guest whose intelligence surpasses our own. I'm terribly sorry."
That buttering up worked poorly on Loki but he decided to let it go this time, settling for only staring daggers at the old man and valuating his situation cautiously. "All is well. I do not taking it to heart," he said bluntly, pondering how much the old man had already seen.
And curiosity also killed the cat! If the Gramps on Wheels would go messing with Loki's mind he would get himself killed, Emma thought, troubled, sudden anxiety filling her chest. Had he been inside her head too? That's why she felt so nervous? That's why she felt like she was loosing control of herself?
She felt her heart pounding faster. It was as if something inside of her would have told her to run, that she was been lured into a trap. Quickly she cleared her thoughts and turned her accusing eyes at her father. "Logan? What the hell is going on here?"
"It's all right! The mind thing is… what he does," Logan explained, seeing from the fierce look in her eyes that she needed to calm down.
"Oh yeah? Well, it looks like to me that you brought us here to see your old buddy to get mind-fucked! Loki doesn't deserve this shit and neither do I!"
"Hey! Language!" Logan grunted lifting his finger at her as a warning.
Storm could only smirk at his fatherly behave but she took a defensive stand next to her mentor. "Professor never abuses his powers. This is a private school and a home for dozens of children. If he checks your mind that is because he has to ensure his guests are here with good intentions. He is responsible for the safety of all our students. I'm sure you understand," she stated firmly but friendly.
Emma managed to give her a sarcastic scowl. "Hey, you brought us here, lady, and we came with the best intentions there is. So, why don't you go to blow, Storm!"
"Better check that attitude right now, kid! These are good people here," Logan exclaimed taking a step closer to her.
Loki lifted his hand at Logan to back off and turned at Emma, being protective of her. He could sense she was beyond nervous. He sensed the chance in her and it worried him, even deep down he appreciated her standing by his side against her own kind, finding her loyalty towards him greatly satisfying.
"Emma, it is fine! There is no harm done," he declared hastily, seeing it wiser to curb her temper before she would unleash her more vivid side. "Professor, you wished to shelter your young students? That is fair enough. I understand," he assured politely to their hosts.
Although Loki's magically conjured psychic shield was sheltering her mind, Charles could still sense her restless feelings and he turned to her. "Emma, everything is all right. There's no need to be afraid," he promised calmly.
When seeing the decorative large X spinning on the side of the professor's chair's wheel, it sent a flaming hot flash through Emma like an explosion sweeping over her mind and body. A violent flashback. Her body remembered it even her mind quite didn't. The sensation so real that she could feel the crushing pain overwhelming her and she let out a cry.
"Emma, what is wrong?" Loki asked concernedly, running his hands along her arms.
With a strong irrational wave of fear, Emma felt her heart throbbing so fiercely like it was going to burst out of her chest. She was trembling, fighting back her darker side which was getting the control. She felt trapped. She felt like dying.
"Logan, you set me up!" she cried out in a panic-stricken voice, releasing herself from Loki's hold and staggering away from them all backwards. "It's… them…"
The long hallway was shrinking and spinning around her and she feared that she was suffocating, unable to breath even she was gasping for air in panic, stumbling against the wall behind her. In the throes of her turmoil, coldness rushed through her forearms and the ice claws thrust out, splintering the wooden wall panels as she collapsed on her knees on the floor, fearing that whatever it was happening to her it was killing her.
Loki turned from her at the other mutants, anger twisting his face. "Stop it!" he spat at them, directing his order especially to the psychic, all subtlety gone from his behaviour and replaced with a wrath of a trickster god. His growing concern of her was bringing out his darker side too, and he was ready to unleash hell upon any creature who was trying to harm his love one. "Stop whatever you are doing to her or I will slay you where you sit!" he thundered, his gaze fixed at the old man, that dark undertone in his voice chilling the air between them.
"Keep it cool, Loki, or this will end up nasty for you!" Logan was worried for his kid too and found Loki's total change of mood getting his hackles up, wanting to pop out his own claws and finally give some thrashing to the alien boy. That had been a threat and he didn't deal well with threats. "Charles?" he yelped at his old friend, pondering was he doing something to Emma, poking her mind.
Charles Xavier shook his head. "It's not me. I'm not doing anything to her. She's having a panic attack. She needs to calm down," Charles explained watching at her. His observing mind made another discovery and he lifted his eyes at the Asgardian. "Loki, stop blocking her mind and let me help her."
The god of mischief stood tall and menacing before them, blocking their way to her. "No! You stay out of her head!" he warned, pointing his finger at the mind-reader. As though he wouldn't have cared at all what was happening behind him, he just stood there glowering at them.
"That's my daughter, buddy! Get the fuck out of my way or taste my claws!" Logan grunted, just wanting to get there to help her. He tried to shove Loki out of his way but his hand went straight through Loki's chest and so did he, and he had to take a few extra steps to keep his balance after going through the whole Asgardian.
Charles's forehead furrowed in a slight admiration. "An illusion?" he took note and cleared the perfect illusional image, conjured by Loki, with his own mind powers. And thus unveiling the truth and finding the real Loki trying to sooth Emma further away on the hallway.
Right after Emma had dropped on the floor, Loki had moved hastily to her, casting his illusion to keep the others away from her. He was squatting in front of her, his knee on the floor, holding on from her hands and stopping her from hurting herself (and him) with her claws.
Loki glanced at the others warily and shifted his focus back to her again. The last time he saw her like this it was in the Helicarrier after she had fought her way to him. He couldn't understand what had triggered her fear now. This was not her beast-side. It was only anxiety and dread filling her.
"I'm here. Hear my voice and just breathe. Slowly. Slowly," he spoke to her calmly in his soft assuring voice, finally getting through to her as she was relaxing and stopped fighting back. He felt the coldness of her ice claws in his hands while holding hers, easing his grip. A trace of a caring smile greeted her when she lifted her scared eyes at him. "That's it. Everything is going to be all right. Just breathe. I won't let anyone hurt you."
She kept gazing in his beautiful eyes, steadying her breathing and listening to his soothing voice that always worked like magic, calming her down. The anxiety was easing its grip on her, her breathing slowly returning to normal, her heart finding its normal beat and her claws retracted. "I'm sorry," she sighed weakly and pressed her head against his chest still trembling, ashamed and afraid that she had gone mad. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me…"
Blurry flashbacks were still scurrying in her head. Forgotten memories? Unclear images, forcing their way to the surface of her memory, but they weren't getting there as if they'd been sealed in ice.
His sheltering arms around her, Loki held her closely, keeping his attention on Logan and the old professor, unsure of their intentions. "Can you stand?" he asked whispering and Emma murmured a faint 'yeah'. "Just say the word and I will take you away from here," he offered quietly as he helped her on her feet.
Logan knew he will never ever in his life going to like this Loki guy but what he had seen just now might have given Loki another chance. He had to appreciate the alien creep's tender approach with Emma and Loki's way of helping her of getting the grip of herself. He only wanted to know what was it all about; true love or some sort of mind control. That damn glamour boy had a dark side! Logan was certain about it.
With cautious steps Logan moved closer to Emma and Loki, lifting his hands like telling he was coming in peace, and Loki answered that with a guarded scowl, mistrusting him.
"Emma, are you OK?" Logan asked, still concerned, even she seemed to overcome her panic attack.
She only nodded, not looking at him, burying her face in her palms, just wanting to disappear and loathing her earlier behaviour.
"Stay back, Logan! Can you not see she is overwhelmed?" Loki said in a low strained voice as a warning. "This is your safe haven for her? A refuge where she feels less secure than in SHIELD's nest?"
Logan furrowed his brows. "Shut up, Loki! Want me to make you feel overwhelmed?"
Emma took a deep breath through her palms and sighed; "Please… not now." Her voice was weary and barely audible but it made both men dropping their guards and giving up the wrangle. It was good since she didn't have any strength to stop their childish dispute; otherwise they could have freely killed each other. She felt exhausted, having enough to do with keeping herself in one piece.
Logan looked annoyingly at Loki who was hovering around Emma like a shadow on her, but he was talking to her in a relenting tone; "Look, Ems, until this morning I didn't even know that I had a kid. But now, when I've got to known you, I wouldn't ever put you at risk," he begun and she turned at him with tired eyes, running her hands over her forehead and through her hair.
Ems? He used that same nickname her mother used to call her with. Somehow it felt safe and comforting.
Logan gave a sideways glance at Charles and Storm who stood further away. "Trust me I know what wrong people can do to our kind. Charles here ain't one of them. He's on our side. He's just like you and me. Charles and Storm are just trying to help us. Do you think you could give them a chance? And, I'll try to give him one," he said compassionately and nodded towards Loki.
"Okay," Emma answered weakly and gave him a hesitating glance. "The things I said… I'm sorry, Logan."
"It's OK."
She didn't want to stay in that place. It was freaking her out, but she felt too tired to argue and she just wanted to crawl on a bed. Loki was there with her. He made her feel safe. As if in a twist of irony, the only person she felt she could truly trusts the most was the master of lies and trickery.
… …
The situation was settled down, uneasily, but reached into some sort of understanding. Logan stood in the main hall, hands on his hips, and watched as Storm escorted Emma and Loki upstairs to their rooms while he decided to stay a while to chat with Charles.
Logan's uncertain but tending gaze followed his daughter as she walked up the stairs with Loki, giving him one more checking on -glance before disappearing out of his sight.
"Quite a character this Loki of Asgard," Charles murmured curiously to Logan, they both gazing up where their guests had went.
"Yeah," Logan murmured slightly annoyed, frowning.
"And Emma... I told you it was the right thing to go seeing her in Washington." Charles turned his wheelchair facing Logan. "She is so much like you, Logan," he remarked quietly.
Logan kept staring up at the empty staircase. "Yeah," he sighed, sorry in his voice.
"Even the claws and everything."
"Yeah," Logan murmured even more sorrowfully.
The pondering gaze of the old professor rested on Logan. He had no need to go inside Logan's head to read him. "So… How does it feel to be a father?"
Logan turned at the old man, a frustrated snort escaping him with a clueless shrug. "It's something I was never meant to be," he said self-accusingly.
He heaved a sad sigh, his hand pointing up at the stairs before he continued. "Emma is a good kid. But she has suffered so much only because she's carrying my genes. She has the beast in her… just like me. Bad shit has happened to her because of me. So, if you ask me, I would rather not be a father at all."
"You can't blame yourself for her troubles, Logan," Charles said compassionately and guided his chair towards his study and Logan followed. "It is a good thing you two finally found each other. She is an adult but she still needs your guiding. You can help her to understand her gift."
Logan walked by his side slowly. He got the feeling that professor was being too secretive about the matters concerning Emma. "It's strange you never brought her here. You know? Eight years ago when she would have needed our help," Logan pondered, but it was more of a question really with a slightly accusing tone.
Charles stopped his chair and kept staring ahead. "I did," he answered blankly, but his voice altered, becoming more sympathetic as he carried on, "When Scott and Jean brought her here the first time eight years ago she was a broken little girl known as Emily Morrison. There were two sides of her; the scared, wounded, abandoned child and the unstoppable beast she fought hard to keep under control. She trusted no one. I tried to help her but she let no one near. She let no one touch her. She ran away seven times and we kept bringing her back…" Charles heaved a long sigh. "But the last time I saw it wiser to let her go."
Logan had listened to him in silence, gaping in confusion and rising anger. "W-what?" he swallowed. "I was here eight years ago. Why I knew nothing?"
Charles turned at him. "It was before you returned back to us from your own travels."
Logan looked lost for a moment. "Did you know? Did you know that she was mine?"
"Not at that time. She didn't have the claws back then…"
Logan frowned, studying his old friend in disbelief. "But you figured it out sooner or later. Why didn't you tell me about her? I could have gone after her. I could have helped her back then." There was caged anger in his voice.
"You had no plans. You lived from one day to another, drinking to forget the rest. What could you have offered her? How could you have helped her back then when you were struggling with your own problems? After Jean died. And Scott…"
"I don't know! At least I wouldn't have her cast her out to survive on her own out there. She was alone for eight fucking years!"
The professor looked sorry but didn't like to be criticised about his choices. "I kept watching over her… from the distance," he said touching his left temple with his index finger. "Besides, you two would have ended up killing each other back then."
Logan let out a sarcastic scoff, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh yeah? You think I was that bad back then?" he asked, offended.
Charles lifted his gaze up at him. "No, but she was," he said frankly and saw the change in Logan's expression. "Imagine yourself on a very bad day. That's what she was. Those people, who kept her caged, did unspeakable cruelty to her with their experiments. They brought out the beast in her and they paid for it dearly. Logan, I tried to help her to control it. I eased her pain and her memories. But restrained she was dangerous to herself and to the others around her. One of our students got severely hurt by her when he caught her off guard one day. A meaningless misunderstanding and the boy almost got killed. And when Scott went intervening into that fight she released her rage on him, they both ending up injured. After that incident I was forced to erase her memory and let her go."
Logan shuddered, taking a sharp breath. "You just let her go?" he echoed, his voice quavering with emotions from anger to disbelief. "What happened to that famous hope of yours?"
"You must understand I couldn't keep her here. Everyone else was afraid of her…"
"It never occurred to you that maybe she was afraid of everyone else?" Logan grunted and walked a small circle on the hallway to ease his own anger, wanting to punch his fist through a wall.
"What would you have wanted me to do? Locked her up? That would have destroyed her completely."
"How about you would have given her one more chance? Not just erase her memory!" Logan roared, a primitive parental instinct suddenly driving him. "You called it a panic attack what just happened? I bet it was triggered by something she remembered. I really hate to say this but I think Loki was right. Stay away from her head, Charles! You're not screwing her mind."
"Logan, please listen to me," Charles begged in a conciliatory tone. "Everything is fine now. You are both here…"
"Don't worry. We won't be here too long endangering your precious school!" Logan promised heatedly and was already walking away from Charles. "We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning! It was a mistake to bring her here."
"Logan!"
"Logan, there are things you should know about Loki," Charles's voice echoed inside Logan's mind.
"Stay out of my head, Charles!" Logan's voice grunted through the hallways, reaching the old professor.
… …
The room was cosy with warm colours of red chestnut and beige on the walls, furnished with a double bed, full bookshelves, tables, armchairs and a wardrobe as if someone was already occupying it. There was a small fireplace on the opposite wall of the bed, a perfect little place to cuddle by the fire. Emma would have loved the room if she would have paid attention to anything around her. She only noticed the bed and slumped on it, curling up in a ball, not saying a word to their hostess who had brought her and Loki there.
Approvingly Loki checked the room with one quick look and followed Emma, being greatly concerned of her state.
Storm laid a pile of clean clothes on the table for their guests in case they wanted to change into something more comfortable.
"You have your own private bathroom here. And we prepared also another room if you wish to sleep in separate rooms. It's just opposite from this one," Storm said pointing her hand towards the opened door behind her.
Loki gave her a glance, his focus remaining on Emma. "We'll be sharing this one. It will do perfectly fine for both of us. Thank you. I am not leaving by her side tonight," he said conversationally.
He had worked his silver tongue for apologizing his earlier harsh behaviour and regain at least Storm's favour with his lavish politeness.
"I'll go downstairs and make some tea and a light supper for you. The kitchen is on left from the stairs and all the way to the other end of the corridor through the hall," Storm suggested while picking up a couple of towels from the wardrobe and placing them on the table. She watched at Emma who lied still on the bed like she'd been in sleep or then just ignoring her. After her outburst the poor girl had only said 'I'm sorry' and went into a shutdown mode. And Storm was pretty sure she didn't get through to her. "Or, I can bring your supper here?" she continued to Loki.
"Oh, if you could, that would be wonderful," Loki said, mildly delighted, his caring side bringing out the best of him. His gazed returned to Emma but then as if remembering something important he turned hastily back at Storm as she was leaving. "I don't suppose you have any hot chocolate, do you?"
Storm smiled curiously. "Sure. I'll bring you some," she said friendly.
Loki bowed lightly. "I am most grateful. Thank you, Ms. Munroe."
Storm left, closing the door and giving them finally some privacy.
With a couple of quiet steps Loki returned to Emma, removing his green cape. "She is gone now. It is just the two of us here… just like we wanted," he said softly, folding his cape over a back of an armchair.
Emma said nothing. She didn't even move, but he knew she could hear him so he continued quietly, "My love, I know it has been an awfully long day. But this was not the way I imagined us spending our last nights together on Earth."
She took a shivering breath, tears escaping under her closed eyelids, and she squeezed herself more tightly.
Clasping his hands together and taking a deep breath, Loki sat on the edge of the bed next to her. He never got used to see her so vulnerable, her state of mind chanced so quickly. She nestled down on the bed like a hurt child, hugging herself for comfort. He desperately wanted to pick her up in his arms and hold her as long as it takes to make that anguish go away. Hesitantly he placed a hand on her shoulder whispering her name.
When she felt the bed sinking behind her and a hand touching her shoulder, it sent an unintentional shiver through her and a small whimper rose from the back of her throat, her body stiffening as if in pain.
With brooding eyes Loki let go of her, pulling his hand away, unwilling to do that but honouring her tiny unspoken gesture, guessing that her fear of touch had returned. "I am sorry," he sighed with a sinking heart.
"Don't," she sobbed, pushing herself sitting and turning towards him while crawling onto his lap like small child or a dog asking for petting. Loki opened his arms for her, welcoming her slightly puzzled as she sat sideways on his lap. As if in a desperate need, she took his hand with trembling hands and pressed the back of his palm against her wet cheek. "Please… Touch me," she whispered begging, brushing her lips over his hand and kissing his knuckles. Her words came heavily as she spoke; "I hate this place. I feel like I've been here before… but I can't be sure. It's bringing back all the old fears." Her pleading eyes locked with his. "I don't ever want to be afraid of your touch again. I'm so sick and tired of being afraid. Please, force my fear away, Loki."
Loki watched at her sadly, his eyes getting moist too. He lifted his other hand and brushed lightly her wild golden locks, tucking them behind her ear. Respectfully, as though touching her the very first time, he returned his delicate fingers on her cheek, gently, slowly caressing her face. She closed her eyes as his hand descended, the back of his fingers running over her jawline and down on the side of her neck. She quivered under his soft touch, his fingers diving through her hair and cupping the back of her neck, his thumb stroking her chin.
"You know my touch, my Valkyrie. You know it won't harm you," he whispered encouragingly, bringing her hand on his face and she opened her eyes again.
His skin was perfect, his chin so smooth even she hadn't seen him shaving a single time they had been together. He kissed her palm and her wrist, letting her hand stay on his cheek as he ran his hand over her arm on her shoulder.
"It was a mistake to come into this place… but I will take you away from here, somewhere safe," he said indulgently, his eyes glimmering with a tender smile, Emma feeling his dimples growing under her palm. He wanted back that fun, playful side of hers, the one which made him laugh.
Like it would have been a divine remedy, she adored his touch that stripped away her anxiety. And she didn't see the change unfolding around her, her focus remaining on him. Not, until his uncertain smile was broadening and the illusion with golden glimmer sprawling all around them, coming to complete.
"If I may, your humble master of illusions presents to you," Loki begun, only his eyes glancing around him as if checking that everything was in order, "a place I have never shown to a woman before; my chambers," he said with sweet humility as though asking for her approval.
Cautiously Emma turned her head to see the spacious majestic room suddenly surrounding them, her mouth opening in pure astonishment by the looks of it. It was heavenly beautiful and amazing like a mix of a luxurious magical palace straight from the Arabian Nights and an imposing gothic cathedral with very high arched ceiling. The floor was made from sand-beige stone. The walls and width supporting columns, decorated with golden ornamental patterns. Large decoratively latticed windows sieved warm light into the room through long light curtains. And two massive doors on the other side of the room looked like they were made for giants to enter.
Gasping she turned her head on the other way and noticed one wall covered with full bookshelves towering nearly all the way up to the high ceiling. Golden floor-standing candleholders, taller than she, stood here and there next to the walls. And the kind-size canopy bed where they were sitting on was like a piece of art itself with massive dark wooden headboard, carved beautifully with strange runes like markings, ornamental figures, trees and flowers. It had long wooden posters on each corner and green long curtains draping down on both sides with lighter golden ones. And making it look like a frosted jewel, the bed was covered with emerald-green velvet cover with matching pillows in the colors of green and gold.
With all its glorious splendor the room looked like a home of a god or an angel. And Emma sat there with him in the middle of it, speechless, finally turning towards him and meeting his sweetly curious gaze. She looked at him, in silence and long, like he'd been the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, touching his face again. He had shared his world with her the way on one else could ever do.
Loki smiled to her, stroking her hair. "Well?" he whispered, his dark brows rising. "What do you think?"
"It's… It's… There are no words," Emma said, rapt. "It's out of this world, more beautiful that I imagined," she whispered caressing his cheek. "Home of my beautiful god."
He allowed himself a moment to bask in her sweetly naive words and under the gaze of those sky-blue eyes that worshiped him like no other before. How come no one else had ever seen him like that?
"May I take you there one day?"
"To the real Asgard? Across the space?"
"Yes. Will you let me show you my home once I returned to you?"
When he asked it like that she had no need to think it any further. "That would be great. I would love to see it for real," she said without hesitation. One more wondering glance around her and a small grin spread on her face, lighting her eyes with joy and love. She bit her lower lip, revealing a kittenish smile and leaned closer to him. "So… where do you keep all of your nude valkyrie-girl pictures?"
Loki grinned, his dimples only growing deeper, loving her sense of humor that had returned. "Oh, I have a few books full of those… quite a considerable collection, really," he jested nodding towards his massive bookshelves and waggled his eyebrows.
With that Emma broke into big smile, wanting to kiss him, since he had expelled her demons once again.
Short and surprising knocking came from the door, and before neither of them had made another move, the door was open and Logan stepped in like walking into his own room, still worked-up after his talk with Charles. He was sorry, though. He had never meant to be rude to Charles. They had seen through a lot together and it had been unfair of him to accuse the professor.
"Sorry, I…" Logan stopped talking and moving as he faced the breathtakingly sight all around him. His puzzled gaze located Emma and Loki, finding them sitting on the bed. "Damn! Your room is much nicer than mine."
Loki rolled his eyes, his jaw clenching, thinking that the man had to be stalking them and waiting a perfect time to come rushing in to interrupt them. The illusion around them was slowly fading, the reality running down like wet paint bringing back the real room.
At first in a surprise Emma watched at him over her shoulder, crawling off Loki's lap awkwardly, but then a smile conquering her face. She cracked up, laughing aloud hysterical tired laugh. Her father had not clue! And his expression had been priceless while walking into Loki's illusion. A much nicer room! If Loki had never brought a girl into his room in Asgard before then she bet he'd never gotten a girl's grumpy dad there either.
The laugh just kept going and she was holding on her stomach, laughing for the sound of her own laugh that suddenly sounded pretty hilarious. "Sorry," she managed to say when she tried to gather herself, but only one glance at Loki or Logan, and she burst out giggling anew. She hadn't laughed so much in a long time, all the stress finally gone.
Logan lifted an eyebrow. "Was I disturbing something?"
"Yes!" Loki announced blankly.
"Good."
Loki got off from the bed, casting an annoyed look at the intruder and getting one in return. But his expression returned softer, watching at Emma and hearing her laughter. He loved her laugh and he loved that she was laughing again.
"What do you want now, Logan?" Loki asked then.
Logan glanced once more around him at the more ordinary decoration of the room. "I just came to check that she's alright," he replied. "Is she?"
Loki snorted. "What does is look like to you?"
"She looks like she's high on something. What the hell did you give her?"
Emma took a deep breath, getting a grip of herself and sat on the edge of the bed facing the men. "Logan, I… am feeling better but it's not thanks to your friends here," she said and got up on her feet too, traces of smile fading away.
Logan looked sorry. "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought you here."
"Finally something we all agree on," Loki remarked dryly.
"Get lost, Ali Baba! Don't you have your own room right over there?"
"After what happened downstairs, I will not leave by her side here," Loki assured in a judging tone.
"Before you even get started again, Logan, I'm not going to stay in this damn house alone over night. Without Loki I wouldn't stay here another minute!" Emma stated firmly but with more timid gestures, her earlier panic attack still burdening her.
There was hesitation and remorse in Logan's dark eyes. What if he would tell her that she'd been there eight years ago and that Charles had erased her memories? Would she ever trust him again? "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here. We'll leave first thing tomorrow if that's all right with you."
"Good. This place is freaking me out. I feel like I've been here, like that psychic-friend of yours would have been inside of my head. It's sick and creepy. It's like glimpses of a nightmare you just can't remember."
"Sometimes it better forget," Logan said and realized he had already said too much. He lowered his gaze, heaving a sad sigh, before her confused and questioning gaze pierced his soul, seeking for more answers. "I mean, I've got a lot of memories of this place and people. People I cared about. Some of them gone." He swallowed and looked at her again the way only one who had already lost too much would look at someone that still mattered. "Bad things happens to people I care about. But I won't ever let that happen to you. I promise."
Emma sensed the pain behind those words and dropped her guard. "I believe you."
Logan cleared his throat. "It's good to see that you're feeling better. You got me seriously worried back there."
Emma closed her eyes, still mortified, and trying to find a way to apologize her behavior. "By now you probably think that I'm a total wacko. I am really sorry. That wasn't the best possible way to give the first impression to your friends."
Logan smiled a bit to a distant memory. "Don't worry about that. You should have seen my first day here. We should all get some rest now. It's a big day tomorrow. If we're any lucky we'll get rid of him," he said nodding at Loki.
Emma nearly rolled her eyes, touching her trickster god's arm. "If I'm any lucky he will return to me," she said lovingly.
"You know I will," Loki smiled back at her.
Getting the strong vibes that he was being the third wheel, Logan took a few steps backwards, relenting. "OK. My room is on right on the other end of the hallway in case you need anything. Just shout. I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay." Emma followed him at the door. "Logan, thank you for everything you've done for me. And, I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."
Logan gave her a lopsided smile. "Believe me I've been in worse."
Emma felt that she should have said something more. That was her father after all. She should have hugged him. She realized she hadn't yet even hugged him, but the thought of it somehow felt inappropriate, uncomfortable. So she settled giving him a smile. "Do you happen to have any tin-foil hats in your room? In case we need wearing them around here."
Logan grinned to that, standing in the doorway. "Don't worry about Charles. He won't go poking your mind here." Logan glanced at Loki who stood further in a waiting mode. He couldn't deny it; Emma and Loki seemed pretty certain about each other. With a given up expression, he shoved his hand in his jackets pocket, then in his jackets inner pocket, checking both of the inner pockets, and finally finding what he had been searching for.
"Here," he murmured awkwardly, taking Emma's hand and placing his findings on her palm and closing it. "I stress that I'm not encouraging you to do anything. It's just," he glanced at Loki again under his brows and gritted his jaws, "just in case. You know?"
Puzzled Emma opened her palm and immediate rush of embarrassment washed over her, her face turning red. "Um…?" she swallowed, staring at the three condoms on her hand and lifting her nearly scared eyes back at Logan. "W-why…?"
"He's a guy, isn't he?"
"Well, yeah."
"Shit! This was a bad idea. Give them back!"
"No!" The corner of her mouth started twitching. She didn't want to sound too eager to keep them. Were dads like that even real? "Um. This is awkward. And a bit weird. But, thanks. You're sure you won't need these with Storm?"
"She and I. We're just friends."
"Right. Good night, Logan," she said and stepped closer, wanting to give that hug, but she froze, unable to do it. She wasn't there yet in the emotional level to get that close. To her a hug meant more than just a hug.
When watching at them, on the moment she settled for only patting her father's arm, Loki knew she wouldn't touch another man while he was gone. A part of him felt guilty for finding satisfaction in her fear of closeness which was to guarantee her faithfulness to him. His expression filled with pity and he brought his hands together in a sort of uncertainty, his gaze dropping down.
"Good night, Goldie Locks. Loki," Logan said and stepped out.
"Good night, Logan," Loki answered, surprised to be noticed.
Emma smiled and glanced down at his gift, turning then back at Logan who walked along the corridor. "Hey, Logan! Did you know these expired the year before I was born?"
Logan gave her a what-the-fuck frown. "What?" he yelped, nearly alarmed. Then he met her slightly mischievous grin. "Oh, Jesus!" he grunted but broke into a roguish smile after getting the joke, shaking his head amused and walking away. "Keep it down there, will you? There are kids sleeping around here."
Emma shut the door and leaned her back against it as Loki moved closer to her.
"What was that all about?" Loki asked curiously when she couldn't stop smiling sheepishly.
"I think Logan just gave you his approval, and to us," she answered, looking up into his eyes and shyly shoving the condoms into her pocket.
Loki looked surprised with a frown. "Really? I must have missed it."
"Oh, he made a very clear statement."
"Then this night is ours."
Emma swallowed, a flame of desire lighting up inside of her under his emerald gaze as he came even closer, lifting his right hand and leaning it against the door and locking it with another, trapping her between his strong arms. It was oh so familiar gesture telling her that she belonged only to him, his every subtle move oozing seduction and slight possessiveness. And she couldn't deny it but she loved it. She loved when he took the control.
"You know… I would love to take a shower," she said whispering as he leaned onto her and hunched down for a kiss.
He let out a soft hm, his gaze locked with hers. "I better come with you…. to keep you feeling secure in this strange place," he suggested, dropping his soft words straight on her anticipating lips.
"Yeah, you should. I feel so very insecure right now," she sighed, giving into the kiss, his mouth claiming hers, driving away the rest of her fears.