Astrid began to move around – showing that she would wake up at some point. Loki never left her side. He slept in the chair and spent the past four days protectively watching over his love. After looking at her nonstop, he started to notice something strange about her right arm. It was slight and barely noticeable, but she had used the magic he taught her to cover something up. Loki waved his hand over it, and the illusion disappeared, and his heart broke a little more. Track marks appeared near her elbow, and some of them seemed fresh while others seemed older. It was clear to him that she was in the habit of using the same spots multiple times.

"My love," he whispered as he softly stroked her track marks. "Please wake up." Loki heard a couple of footsteps head towards him and Astrid, but he didn't pay them any attention – wanting to pretend no one else was there.

"How is she?" Steve spoke from a few feet away from Astrid and Loki.

"The same," Loki said quietly as he stroked her cheek. "She's moved around some, but that's it."

Steve walked over to Astrid's left side and softly squeezed her hand. "I had no idea," he confessed quietly.

"Well, you should've," Loki said through gritted teeth. "You claimed to love her. You were around her more than anyone else."

Steve looked down to the floor and pulled up a chair to sit across from Loki. "One of the things I learned about Astrid very quickly is that if she doesn't want someone to know something, then they won't know." Steve looked at Astrid's marked-up arm and let out a sigh of disbelief. "How have I never seen these?"

"I've been teaching her magic," Loki explained. "She used a spell to hide them." Loki took a deep breath in and exhaled. "I regret teaching her how to conceal things."

There was silence for a few seconds before Steve spoke. "How long do you think it will take her to wake up?"

Loki shook his head. "I don't know." He thought for a minute and brushed Astrid's hair out of her face. "I want to try something."

Steve looked up in worry. "What are you going to do?"

"Enter her mind," he answered quickly. Loki looked up and held eye contact with Steve. "I need you to stay here and watch over us while I'm gone."

Cap nodded, and Loki took a deep breath in. He closed his eyes, and a flash of green glowed around him. Almost immediately, his head fell onto Astrid's lap, and he looked as if he were sleeping.

"Astrid!" Loki yelled to the darkness he found himself in. He didn't see her anywhere, so he began slowly walking. "Can you hear me?!"

"Loki," he heard Astrid's voice quietly call out. "Loki, where are we?"

She had been crying – her eyes red with tried tears. She was shaking, and all she wore was the hospital gown that she was put into by Banner. "Loki, what's going on?"

He ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her – breathing a sigh of relief at her touch. "You overdosed," Loki said in a whisper as he held her head under his chin. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"Where are we?" Astrid asked again.

"Your mind," he answered, running his fingers through her hair. "Physically, you're in a hospital bed, lying unconscious, and I'm in a chair right next to you."

"Woah," she responded quietly. "Can we get out of here?"

Loki held her by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "That's what I came to help you do." She looked at him with a confused expression. "You almost died, my love."

Tears started rolling down Astrid's cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she apologized through her broken voice. "I didn't mean to overdo it. I just needed a little hit."

Loki wiped her tears and pulled her to him, holding her tight to his chest. "Don't apologize, sweetheart," he comforted her. "You did nothing wrong. You need help, and love, and support."

"I don't have any of that," she sobbed. "I never did."

"You have me," Loki insisted. "I won't abandon you. I will not let you fight this alone."

"How do I wake up?" she asked through her tears. "I want to go home."

"Hey Steve," Tony and Natasha said quietly as they walked into the hospital room. Tony pointed at Loki and Astrid. "What's going on with them?" They walked closer to look at what was going on, but they were all distracted by the tears that started coming from Astrid's eyes. "What the -,"

"Loki is in her mind," Steve finally explained. "He said he wanted to try something." They looked at Loki's face, and they noticed that he, too, had tears falling.

Astrid grabbed Loki's hand, and Loki held her tightly. "Please, come back to me," he pleaded in a whisper to her. "I need you, Astrid."

Astrid nodded with determination. "I need you too," she whispered.

Loki started to fade away in front of her eyes, and soon, his eyes flew open, and he lifted his head from Astrid's lap. He paid no attention to the others in the room, and he grabbed both of her hands and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Please, my love," he whispered in her ear. "Please, come back to me." He felt her hand squeeze his own with little strength. "If you can hear me, try to break my hand." She squeezed his hand a little bit harder, and Loki began smiling and let out a laugh. "Keep doing that, sweetheart," he quietly pleaded. "Keep waking up. Just follow my voice." Everyone stood back from the two of them and watched on as Loki helped Astrid wake up – tears gathering in everyone else's eyes as well. "I have a secret to tell you," he kept talking to her. "If you want to know what it is, open your eyes for me." Her eyelids started to flutter lightly, and everyone in the room continued to hold their breath. "Squeeze my hand again," he ordered her, and she complied immediately – her grip getting stronger each time. "That's it, right there," he encouraged as her eyes began to slowly open. She let out a moan and took a deep breath in. "Keep waking up, my sweet," he said as he placed a kiss on her lips. "You're almost here." Astrid's eyes opened enough to where she could see a blurry outline of Loki and his beautiful blue eyes. She listened to his voice as he cheered her on – fighting the urge to go back to sleep. Finally, her blue eyes slowly finished opening, and Loki breathed a sigh of relief and didn't even attempt to hide his tears. "Hey, you," he whispered as he kissed her cheek.

"What's the secret?" she asked with a hoarse voice, causing Loki to chuckle and smile bigger than he ever had before.

"I love you," he said softly.

One Week Later

"Thank you," Astrid said as she wrapped her arms around Loki's waist. "You didn't have to help me, you know."

Loki smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I want to help you," he answered.

Astrid and Loki were standing in Astrid's room and going through her things. She had decided that having a clean slate would help her when it came to battling her addiction, and Loki immediately decided to help her – to show his support for her and to also keep an eye on her. Astrid let go of him and walked over to her antique jewelry box that once held her drugs in it. Loki became nervous when she went for it, but instead of opening it, she handed it over to him, and he opened it slowly. There were some needles in the bottom, along with a baggie with some residue. He took it immediately and destroyed it with his magic. She watched him and took a deep swallow at the sight of her addiction being obliterated, but her anxious demeanor was something that Loki had expected. At the bottom of her jewelry box, Loki grabbed a silver chain with a special pendant. He held it up and smiled at Astrid as he examined it.

"This is gorgeous," he complimented as he traced the design. "I wasn't aware you had this."

Astrid chuckled. "I stopped wearing it once I met you," she confessed. "Same as the tattoo – I didn't want to freak you out or anything."

Loki motioned for her to turn around with her back facing him. He pushed her hair over her shoulder, and she held it in place. He placed the pendant on her chest and closed the clasp of the necklace. She looked at it as he put it on her, and she couldn't help the smile that crept on her face.

It was his sigil – two snakes intertwined to make an "S" shape by biting each other's tail.

"There we are," he said softly as he turned her around and kissed her lips. "Don't feel like you can't keep your beliefs or your philosophies. I want you for you, and if your religion helps you be who you are, then I don't want you to change it."

She held the pendant in her hand and rubbed it softly. "Thank you," she whispered. "My grandmother bought this for me just before she died five years ago. I wore it every day for two years, but then I took it off because...you know."

"I must admit that I've never been in a relationship with an actual Lokean," Loki confessed, "but I have to confess – I love it."

Astrid laughed and kissed his nose. "Well, I'm glad you love it," she replied as she walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer. She took out a box of incense and candles. "Because I have a lot of worship materials." She set it down in front of Loki on her bed, and he immediately rummaged through it as she went to get her other items.

"This smells...so...astounding," he sighed as he smelled one of her incense. "What's this called?"

Astrid took the incense stick from him and smelled it. "That one is called Dragon Blood," she told him as she handed it back to him. He immediately went to smell it again.

"This alone might make me orgasm," he laughed as she walked up with another box. "What's in that one?"

"Uh...my...," she stuttered as he tried to take a look, but she stopped him from seeing it. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"Yes, my love," Loki promised. "There's nothing to laugh about. I find this fascinating."

She started sliding it towards him, "It's what I made my altar out of." He looked down into the box and pulled out a golden altar cloth. He set it aside with care and rummaged through her supplies – showing great care with each item. After the cloth, he took out a photo and looked at it. It was a picture of an alleyway, but Loki didn't question it – if she wanted to talk about it, then she would. Next, he pulled out some small, green, artificial flowers and set them to the side. There was a frame that was turned over, and he took that out as well. He flipped it over to see a beautifully drawn image of himself as described in the mythology. It was separated into four quadrants, and each one had its own facial features. The first one was half of a normal man's face, and the one next to it was a woman's face that completed the other half. There was the lower face and lips of a horse in the third quadrant at the bottom, and the fourth one had the other half made to look like a wolf's chin and mouth. He smiled at it and examined it longer than he had anything else. "This is stunning," he said quietly. "I love this."

"You can keep it," Astrid said excitedly. "I was going to make a different one at some point."

"Are you certain?" he asked, making sure she meant it. "If you want it back, I'll give it back."

She grabbed his forearms as he held the artwork in front of him still. "Yes, my god," she confirmed with a smile. "I'm sure."

Loki concealed the photo, so he would always have it with him, and he grabbed her head and pulled her close to him – placing a deep, wonderful kiss on her lips. "I love you," he said as he looked into her eyes.

Astrid's heart jumped with pure happiness, and a grin was plastered on her face. "I love you too."

Loki kissed her once more and backed her up until she fell back on her bed. He held himself up to keep from crushing her, and they explored each other's mouth. Loki panted in her ear as he tried to keep himself under control. He went for her neck, and he placed his love bites on the sides – causing her to give him a moan. Loki chuckled in response and made sure he kissed every inch – wanting everyone to know that she was his. The first chance she got, Astrid left her marks on him as well – a warning to anyone who might want to try to steal him away. The purple marks began appearing on them almost immediately.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked with concern. Astrid nodded with a smile on her face – pulling him down to her lips again. He moaned against her lips, causing her to chuckle. She took his right hand and slid it down to the hem of her top – letting him know that she wanted him to take it off. He did as she asked and threw her shirt across the room. She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra – releasing her breasts for him to admire. He was on her like a moth to a flame – touching and kissing every inch of her torso. He instantly fell in love with her perfect, D-cup-sized breasts. Taking a nipple into his mouth caused her to feel something she had never felt before – liquid heat pooling between her legs. He left his mark on her breasts as well, claiming as much as he could of her. She took his left hand off her breast and slid it down to the button on her jeans. He paused and looked up at her. "Are you certain?" he asked with care.

"I'll tell you to stop if I need to," she asserted. Loki smiled and undid the button on her jeans. The heat that Astrid felt grew more than she thought it could. She let her eyes close, and he watched her expressions as he slowly unzipped her jeans. Astrid let out a sigh and arched her back so he could slide them off her. With her last article of clothing still on, her black g-string, Astrid pulled at Loki's shirt and slid it over his shoulders, and tossed it across the room. She attacked his chest and left her own marks just as he did. Her hands went to the button of his jeans, and with a chuckle against her lips, he helped her take them off his body. She gasped when she felt his god-sized, rock-hard erection press against her thigh. "Oh my god," she moaned.

"Yes, my love?" Loki asked with a smile.

"Keep going," Astrid panted. Both of their eyes were completely dilated, and their voices reflected their level of need. He pushed her up so that they were both completely on the bed, and Loki kept her pinned under him. Loki went down to the hem of her panties and slowly pulled them over her hips and down her legs with his right hand as his left kept him above her. He moaned when he touched the wetness that remained in them.

"My goodness," he chuckled. "You're soaked, my dear." Astrid was unable to respond due to her rushing hormones – she could only moan in response. Loki pushed her up towards the head of her bed so he had space at the bottom. "You know what?" Loki asked with a hoarse voice.

"Hm?" Astrid managed to respond as he kept placing kisses and bites on her chest and stomach.

"You've spent years worshipping me," he began as his right hand started towards her needy core. "It's about time I worship you." She gasped as his hand made its way down her body. "How does that sound, my love?" She could only nod her head in response, and he chuckled against her lips. His right hand stilled on her thigh, and he began moving down her body with the rest of his body, placing kisses the entire way. She instinctually spread her legs for him, granting him more access to her core. He bent her knees and lay them flat on the bed – spreading them more and showing her how to give him more room. In anticipation, she grabbed for his right hand, and he gave it to her and interlaced their fingers. He softly stroked the side of her thumb with his, and he felt her body relax almost instantly.

Loki breathed Astrid in, and she had the most mouthwatering smell that he had ever known.

"You smell divine," he said as he got situated between her thighs. "May I have a taste, my goddess?" Astrid fastly nodded, feeling a little nervous about what was to come. Loki opened her lower lips to expose her clit, and he wasted no time in tasting her. She jumped in response, but she quickly figured out how to ride his face. He licked all of her – up and down and side to side – moaning from her scrumptious juices that hit his taste buds. He gently sucked on her swollen clit and left love bites on her lower lips and inner thighs. Her back began to arch off the bed, and Loki was able to get his tongue deeper into her entrance. His tongue, however, was soon replaced with his left index finger. He could tell she was a complete virgin because her cunt remained tight with only one finger in her. He tried to add a second on after a couple of minutes, but there was no way she would be able to take a second one yet. Loki wondered how he was going to fit his member in her without hurting her.

Astrid began to writhe above him, and she grabbed ahold of his long, black hair. She pulled him into her as much as she could and released the hand she had been holding. He playfully slapped her thigh and grabbed her buttcheek in an attempt to see what turns her on. To his joy, that seemed to be a big turn-on. Astrid clawed at the sheets and tried to pull Loki more – it seemed like she wanted his whole face inside her.

"Come on, baby," he whispered into her as he took a breath. Loki could feel her clit throbbing and tried to get her to stop fighting her orgasm. She didn't listen to him, so he removed his mouth and softly slapped her throbbing nub. She screamed in pleasure.

"Are you going to do as I say?" he said, taking his dominant role over her.

"Yes, my lord," she panted.

"Come for me," he ordered as he placed his mouth back on her. "Come on my face. Just let go. I got you, my love."

Astrid's breathing sped up, and she began to feel her body become lighter than a feather. Loki overstimulated her g-spot to the point where he had her squirting on his tongue, and he drank as much as he could from her. She let out a scream of pleasure, not caring if anyone else could hear them. He led her through the bliss and held her hand as her legs began to shake. He slowed down and began placing tiny kisses on the inside of her thighs and on her clit, chuckling when she jumped because of the sensitivity.

"That's my girl," he whispered as he finished licking up her juices. With his hand, he waved it over her, and her body, the sheets, and both of them were in comfortable lounge clothes. "Have a taste," he said softly as he hovered over her lips. She could smell herself coming off his breath and immediately pulled him down on top of her and moaned at her own taste on his tongue. Loki rolled over to her side and pulled her into his chest as they both closed their eyes to recover.

"That was...amazing," Astrid claimed in between her panting. "Can we do other stuff?"

Loki looked down at her with half-opened eyes. "Like what?" he asked, wanting to hear the words from her.

"I want you to take my virginity," she said with love. "I want to give it to you."