It felt like Loki's lips had awakened something unknown inside her. A longing for him, so strong she couldn't think of anything else. Even Hayes' angry words lost their importance. They would be okay. He felt rejected, she understood. But he would fall in love again, someday.
The next time Loki visited her, a century seemed to have passed. Whether it really took so long was hard to tell; ever since the sun and the moon played no roles in their lives anymore, it was hard to estimate the time passing by.
"And, did you like your first kiss?" he asked with a little smirk. He was standing next to her harp, his fingers stroking the strings.
Aella didn't know what to answer. A part of her wanted to answer indifferently or tease him, another part of her felt insecure. This was what he had wanted from her. Probably a little more, but she shouldn't have other expectations than something physical. She knew it — although she wasn't sure if she wanted something else from him. It was clear as day that this path wasn't going to lead to something meaningful, something serious.
"It wasn't bad," she said eventually. Loki's ego was big enough, there was no need to tell him what feelings he'd sent through her body.
He probably knew it anyway.
She strolled towards him, laying her hand against the wood of the instrument. Slipping her fingers down, she was surprised by its smoothness.
The thought disappeared as Loki stepped closer. His hand caught hers and he intertwined their fingers.
Aella looked up. His blue eyes were gleaming, but there was still a calculation in them that would probably never go away. Her mouth felt dry. She stared at his lips. Suddenly, she couldn't remember how they had felt on hers and she wanted to feel them again.
Would she do it? Kiss him?
It's not like he would stop her. Swallowing with difficulty, she took a step aside. His eyes didn't leave hers; and it felt a magical spell was drawing their lips closer.
"What are we doing, Loki?" Aella asked softly before she got carried away by another kiss. "We know this isn't going to lead anywhere."
He shrugged. "Nobody knows the future. Do you know the outcome of this journey?" She wanted to shake her head, but he already continued. "No, you don't. Is that a reason to end it?"
"No, but..."
She didn't know what more to say. At least, this journey had a goal. But this between Loki and her... it was a pastime at most. She sighed softly as his fingertips wandered across her cheek and followed a path down her neck.
His touches are a little too tender for someone who kills people with these same hands, don't you think?
It felt like Hayes was in her head. It was true. She couldn't deny Loki's dark side. But she could neither deny the fact that she felt attracted to him, that she craved for his lips and that she wished that those fingers that caressed her neck now would slip under her shirt.
The thought let her cheeks heat up. Loki seemed to notice, for his smirk widened and the next moment his lips were on hers and her doubts faded away.
A shiver ran down her spine as his hands indeed glided under her shirt, making the skin of her stomach glow.
"This isn't fair," she muttered as her own hands tried to find an opening into his outfit, which was tight around his body. His garment seemed to exist of one piece.
Loki silenced her with his lips, and as his hand glided into her bra and held her breast, so took a hissing breath and could no longer think clearly. Staggering backward, she stumbled. She fell on the bed; Loki landed upon her.
Aella knew where this would lead to. Did she really want this? Her first time, with him? In normal circumstances she would have screamed no, but this mission might easily lead to her death and if she was completely honest with herself, it would be a shame to die as a virgin while there was a hot guy like him who didn't mind to change that status.
Suddenly she was nervous and before she knew it, she stopped kissing him. Loki took his hand from under her shirt and studied her face. "You don't want this?"The way he frowned, showed her he had almost told her he didn't buy it. Apparently, he thought it was wiser to be silent for a change.
Aella dropped her gaze, suddenly shy. She didn't dare to tell him she felt nervous and that she doubted that they used condoms in his world. After all, he'd neither given one to that horse and she didn't plan on getting pregnant.
"I'm not sure I dare," she muttered, and suddenly she felt ashamed. She sat up straight. "I've never..."
She sighed. He knew she was a virgin, for he had also known that she'd never kissed. From the corner of her eye, she peeked aside. Loki watched her, but at the same time it felt like he wasn't seeing her at all but fought an internal battle.
"I will be careful," he said eventually. "I mean, if you want to go on..."
Running her hand through her hair, she thought of her possible nearing death. What did she have to lose? She felt awkward anyway. If he hurt her, she would swing him to the other side of the room, and if he called up the same amazing feelings as he had done during the kiss, it was totally worth it.
Aella took a deep breath and tried to find back her courage. Since the beginning, there had been a tension between them, but now it had changed into something else, something she didn't know what to do with. She longed back to how relax everything had felt before, and in an attempt to find it back she started to kiss Loki again.
After a while, she took off her shirt and laid down on her back. Loki leaned over her, kissing her neck and lower until he reached her breasts. She was still nervous, but at the same time she enjoyed the feel of his lips on her skin, making her relax a little.
A little, for when she took her pants off while Loki was only wearing his underwear, the sudden nervousness squeezed her throat.
"Hey, relax," he said as he noticed her awkward movements. "I'll make sure you'll like it."
His hands glided across her sides and she felt his erection press against her groin. Again, their lips met. She gasped as his hand dipped into her panties. By reflex, she pushed her knees together.
"Relax," he muttered to her lips and she spread her legs a bit more.
Her hands wandered across his back while his fingers prepared her and she let go of the fear when she noticed it felt good, every time he touched her. Right when Aella wanted to take the initiative herself, the door splintered. Glass rained down. By reflex, Aella pushed Loki away so that he fell off the bed. Grabbing her shirt from the blankets, she covered her breasts.
Her eyes grew wide in bewilderment as she saw Brunnhilde in the doorway.
"I really believed you had an ounce of respect for her," she snapped at Loki.
"He didn't do anything I didn't want him to," Aella objected, who felt angry now another person interfered with Loki and her.
"No? Did he also tell you that a Valkyrie loses her divinity when she loses her virginity?"
Aella fell silent. In disbelief, she turned her head towards Loki.
