Chapter 42—Traditions

The presentation of gifts to the bridal couple began during the banquet, after the first of what would be several rounds of mead had been served.

Custom dictated the groom's family offer theirs first, and Asrior gaped over the rim of the ornate cup she and Loki shared when the king's courtiers approached the table carrying an enormous wooden trunk.

It was tall with a curved top, under which sat three drawers decorated with hammered bronze pulls. One of the courtiers lifted the trunk's lid, revealing a bed of velvet, upon which sat a golden diadem; Asrior knew it was meant to be worn at court to signify she was a member of the royal family, for the craftsman who made her bridal crown had measured her for it as well.

Another courtier slid the trunk's lower compartments open, revealing bags of spices from across the nine realms, hundreds of packets of seeds for barley and wheat, and a large punch bowl and cups of silver repoussé, each depicting the Yggdrasil, the legendary tree of life.

The spices and seeds were to be distributed to those under Loki's rule in the lower countries—gifts from King Thor in celebration of the marriage of a prince of Asgard—while the bowl and cups were for the couple to keep and pass to the eldest of their daughters upon her own marriage.

Next came representatives from Svartalfheim, who presented Loki with a longbow made from the heartwood a yew tree and flint arrows, while a coffer of oak was placed in front of Asrior.

When she opened it, it was so full of silver coins that several toppled onto the table. Alflyse, sitting on Loki's side, gave him a pointed look before turning her gaze to Asrior and saying, "The silver is yours, my dear, whether you stay married to the God of Mischief or not."

Gifts from nobles of both realms came next, along with many more rounds of mead and trays overloaded with smoked meat and roasted game birds, fruit and nuts, and bread.

By the time the dancing was to begin, Asrior was reeling from the many rounds of toasts that had been offered, so she clutched Loki's arm and begged to stay seated.

He patted her hand, leaning close to her as he commiserated, "I'm afraid you'll have to dance with Thor, just as I will have to lead Alflyse alongside the two of you. You know it's a ritual we must undertake." Asrior said something rude under her breath, and Loki laughed as he pressed his mouth to her hair and added, "Just remember, we'll be handed off to the other part way through the dance, and then we'll be close to done…"

"Close, but not done," Asrior cut in, grim. "There's the matter of the escort to the bridal bed. I am not so fond of that tradition."

At her reminder, Loki's smile was overtaken by a superior look. "Only peasants retain the more antiquated parts of that tradition. Someone will attempt to escort us, but it is not actually required that consummation be observed."

The din of the crowd was rising to a fever pitch, and beside her, Thor pushed back his chair to stand. He clapped and called for the music to start, laughing uproariously as he did so, for the king, it seemed, had imbibed as much mead as any.

"You may say that, but I do not trust your brother on this," Asrior hissed before forcing herself to smile and take the hand the King of Asgard thrust out to her.

Then she was gathering her overskirt, slipping a hand in a small loop at its back that would allow her to carry it in such a way that it did not drag upon the floor during the dance. Thor led her to the open space in the middle of the great tables, while Loki followed just behind with Alflyse; and as the four stood to face their partners, musicians who sat somewhere in the vast hall began playing a traditional folk dance.

It was not easy performing in front of so many, and Asrior found that her face grew stiff and uncomfortable as they proceeded through the movements. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Loki looked tense as well, though he tried to hide it as he moved gracefully with Svartalfheim's queen.

When the dance arrived at the point where Thor and Alflyse brought the newly wedded couple together, others began streaming onto the floor around them. The music's tempo increased as well, as did its volume. Loki had to bend to her again as he took her hand and began weaving through the swaying bodies surrounding them.

"Finally," he muttered, the hand at her waist guiding her. "Just this way. Step, step… and around that elf, and between those two pairs…" His hand tightened on her waist, and Asrior found herself swung in a tight circle. "And we…are…almost free."

They were near the edge of the crowd, and after evading a final pair of dancers, moved with haste toward a pair of side doors that led from the banquet hall. But just as Loki guided Asrior around the edge of a table laden with cakes and pastries, a familiar figure stepped forward to block their way.

"No," Loki snapped, pulling Asrior against him as he skidded to a halt.

And Tony, standing before the exit and looking regal in formal Midgardian clothing, crossed his arms. "Yes. Thor asked me to do one thing—I might not be thrilled about it, but he asked, and I'm going to do it, come hell or high water."

Loki's hand flexed against her waist, and Asrior placed her own over it hoping to calm him.

"What, exactly," she began, choosing her words carefully, "did Thor ask you to do?"

"To walk you to your room and check for intruders. Things that might disrupt the two of you," Tony answered, tilting his head in confusion. "Check everywhere, he said. Booby traps and… Why are you asking?"

It was Asrior's turn to be perplexed. "Check for intruders? Everywhere?"

"Thor said it's tradition." Tony's arms slowly lowered. "Isn't it?"

Asrior felt Loki's chest move as he sighed, and his voice was dry when explained, "No. It is most definitely not tradition that you inspect our chambers after escorting us there. It seems my brother tried to use you as an unwitting tool in his continued quest for revenge—he is paying me back over a joke I played long ago, you see."

The Midgardian still looked befuddled, so Asrior gently added. "There are some who hold on to ancient customs as to the consummation."

"So you mean…" Tony began, a hand moving as he tried to make out her meaning. "You mean…"

"Witnesses," Loki bit out.

Tony froze. "Oh."

"And it would have been awkward indeed if you'd started looking under the bed covers right after bringing us to our room." Asrior was unable to stop her grin at the myriad of emotions crossing her friend's face. "Which is, I'm sure, what Thor hoped for."

"No wonder Fandral giggled when Thor talked to us about it," Tony muttered, raising a hand to eyes and rubbing them.

"Fandral?" Loki's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, he's one of the six." Tony shook his head a little, as though clearing it, and dropped his hand. "Look, Thor said you don't have to parade through the dancers when you leave, but you do have to go out the main doors, and six of us have to leave with you. And everyone's waiting there, so if you don't mind, Reindeer Games, I'll follow you out."

"Fine. We'll skirt around the crowd."

Loki took Asrior's hand and turned, pulling her behind him as he stalked along the edge of the banquet hall. There was enough mead and merriment to distract the throng filling the room, though a handful of Asgardians called out as they passed. Tony, who followed just behind them, answered the good natured teasing with jokes of his own, though he looked relieved when they made it to the hall's outer doors.

Others waited there for them—Fandral and Hogun, Bruce and Pepper, as well as Cadeyrn. The fairie king turned to push open the doors even as Thor bellowed his good wishes from the midst of those dancing in the center of the hall.

And as they exited, with two soldiers pulling the doors shut behind them, Asrior saw that Hlin waited outside, near a large bank of windows overlooking the city below.

The lad grinned as the group approached him, and he moved to stand before Loki and Asrior. "Sif would be here as well, but she thought it best to keep Kagoq company. He wanted to leave the banquet, so we have been sitting with him in his chambers. But I came back so I could give you her gift and mine as well." He handed over two small packages wrapped in silk, saying they could be opened at any time before adding, "And , I needed to fetch something."

He looked at Bruce, who coughed and glanced in turn at Loki before muttering, "I'm afraid my gift won't stay wrapped for much longer."

Then Hlin was placing an over-large basket at Asrior's feet—a basket which shook and made strange, high-pitched noises.

"You cannot have given me more cats," she murmured, looking from her husband to her friends before bending gracefully to open the basket's lid. As she did so, a scruffy tan and black face attached to a wriggly body and possessed of a wet dot for a nose and soulful brown eyes popped from the basket.

"No cats," Bruce said, pushing the curls from his forehead back as he cheerfully expounded, "It's a puppy. An infant dog from Midgard. He's part Irish Wolfhound, part Airedale; those are two breeds, if you remember from that book I gave you."

"Bruce thought you'd like a puppy, and I have a mortal friend whose dog escaped its kennel and got into the family way with the neighbor's stud…well, just say the pup's from both of us," Cadeyrn said before throwing a smirk at Loki. "Remember, Mischief, happy wife, happy life."

The puppy was trying to climb out of the basket and Asrior, laughing, scratched its head and made cooing noises, entranced. She heard Loki say something mild to the fairie about the pet, as well as Hlin's assurance that he would keep watch over the creature until their return to Okershall.

But Asrior stood after a moment, for as sweet as the animal was, she was ready to be alone with her husband.

Loki seemed impatient as well, for as Hlin melted away with the puppy, he turned to the rest of the group and prodded, "Anyone else? Or can we leave now?"

"What Loki meant to say," Asrior said as soon as he'd finished, "Was thank you. You are all very thoughtful."

Hogun stepped forward, however, and pressed a slim, leather-bound book into Asrior's hands, as well as a wooden box. "One more gift. For when you are back home."

Her chest grew tight when she saw the book's title, Encyclopedia of Flora Native to Ringsfjord.

"There are seeds in the box," the warrior explained, his voice turning gruff. "Flowers that you have not yet planted. There is much yet to do around Okershall, and you will have time to cover its grounds entirely now that you are to make it your home."

Asrior tried to smile, but it was difficult. "Will you come back at all?"

"Of course," he assured her. "Though I will live at court now, I will not miss returning to Ringsfjord whenever the flowers bloom each season. How else can I see your work there? I'm sure the others will be persuaded to come along. Sif has already spoken of it."

"Then I will see you there soon," she whispered, her voice slightly wobbly, and she clutched his gifts against her chest. "Thank you for these. Thank you for everything you have done. Please know that I treasure how kind you have been to me." She turned to Bruce then, "And you… I cannot explain what you being a friend to me has meant…"

She stopped, for it was impossible to speak. Loki shifted behind her, and she felt his hand on her waist, squeezing slightly in comfort, and beside her Pepper reached over and rubbed her shoulder.

It was Fandral, however, who spoke next, obviously trying to make her laugh. "Come now, my lady, there is no need to weep. Our master of tricks may not be ideal, but he is not that sorry a prospect as a husband." Then he thrust a wrapped package toward Loki with a flourish. "And you might find your potential as a spouse actually improves with this, my old friend. You may thank me later."

Loki simply grunted as he took the package, and Tony was urging everyone to move forward.

"Come on, gang. Let's get this over with so Pepper and I can get back to the party."

The group began to walk, with Fandral and Hogun leading the way while Cadeyrn and the Midgardians trailed alongside Loki and Asrior.

Tony chattered cheerfully the entire time, commenting on everything from the wedding ceremony to the ornate nature of the palace's halls they walked through. Cadeyrn joined in, answering the mortal's jokes with snide comments of his own about Asgard, which he still claimed to hold in disdain. He claimed he was almost healed and would leave for Midgard soon, and even suggested that Loki might be able to visit him one day to learn more of the fae magic.

Asrior clung to Loki with one hand, holding her gifts against her with the other, and silently cursed at how slow Hogun and Fandral were moving. As much as she would miss her friends and hated the knowledge she would soon be separated from them, she found her impatience to be alone with her husband was consuming her again.

When they finally arrived at the great doors to Loki's chambers, it seemed that Tony sensed her mood. The laughter on his face faded and was taken over by an apologetic look. "One last thing-"

Loki huffed and muttered, "You are not going to inspect the bed."

Tony made a face. "I am most definitely not. But I want to give Keebler one last gift before we leave." He turned to Asrior, extending his arm as he said, "From me to you."

Beside her, Loki made an agitated sound—but he took the other gifts Asrior held so she could take the Midgardian's offering.

Asrior smiled at her husband and then at Tony when she took the small metal case he held out to her, her mouth opening in surprise upon opening it. It was filled with little disks inside, some that were silver-colored and some dark bronze.

"I know I said not to expect a wedding present from me, but I had to. These are portals to Midgard—the silver ones will take you to Stark Tower, and the others go to a compound the Avengers have upstate." Tony paused, the gently amused look on his face turning somber as he added, "In case you're ever in danger and don't have much time to get to safety. I know that you have Caligula's protection now, but I'm also aware that the universe holds unpleasant surprises. And the thing about surprises is that they happen without warning."

He glanced at Loki, eyes lingering on the bruise that had almost faded. "And sorry about the, ah, hit to the face last night. You shouldn't have compared me to a fly that needed to be swatted."

Loki bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile. Asrior nudged him with her elbow before stepping forward to put her arms around her friend, hugging him. "Thank you. Truly."

"Just keep one with you all the time, ok? You probably won't need it, but just in case." Tony's grip on her was tight, but his next words seemed to be directed at Loki. "Take care. I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Then he loosened his arms and stepped back, reaching out to Pepper as he told the others it was time to go.

And Loki held a hand out to Asrior, saying, "Come now, elf. There's one more tradition I need to uphold."

…

Once they were in their chambers, the massive doors closed firmly behind them, Asrior moved from her husband and placed Tony's gift on a table.

Loki followed her, dispensing with the items he held onto as well, and when she caught sight of them, she asked, "Whatever did Fandral give you?"

Her husband lifted the warrior's present. It was flat—and obviously a book—and once the colorful paper that encased it was torn loose and tossed to the side, Loki closed his eyes briefly before announcing, "A Complete Illustrated Guide to Courting Rituals Across the Nine Realms."

With a grin, she turned to the door that led to the bedchamber. "Bring it with you, if you'd like. Not that you will need it."

Asrior heard Loki's steps behind her as she fairly danced into the inner room, and when she headed toward a gilded dressing table, she lifted her hands to the bridal crown atop her head. "I will need help with everything… though I will not object if you use your magic. It might be preferable, for it would certainly be quicker."

But Loki was behind her, and his hands were alongside hers, gently pulling the ribbons studded with jeweled flowers from her hair. "I can't use magic. It's forbidden."

"What do you mean?" Asrior asked, watching his movements in a mirror hung over the table. "Did Thor forbid it?"

His brow was furrowed slightly as he concentrated on his task, but he glanced up, his green eyes catching hers in the mirror. "Tradition forbids it. I told you, there's one more."

"I thought you meant your morning gift," she said, confused. "Sif said it is customary for you to give me something tomorrow morning… something of my own that is not entailed."

"Very well, two more traditions, for I do have your morning gift," Loki murmured, lifting the crown from her head. "This is different, however. But I cannot use magic, so I will need to help you undress for this part."

The sound Asrior made was between a sigh and a purr, and her hands moved to her lower back to work on the overskirt's fastening.

Loki placed the crown carefully onto the table and began to help with her clothing, taking the heavy piece of blue silk of the skirt from her and painstakingly folding it before placing it onto a chair. Asrior was not nearly as meticulous as she removed her jewelry, tumbling everything into a crystal bowl for safekeeping before kicking off the soft slippers she'd worn.

Soon enough, the buttons on the back of her under gown were undone, and she quickly wriggled from it; though when she moved to drape it over the same chair where Loki had placed the overskirt, she frowned, for he stepped back and watched her. And he was not undoing his own clothing.

"Am I supposed to help you?" Asrior asked, turning to him.

"No, that is not necessarily. Not yet. I just…" Loki shook his head, slowly, his eyes raking over the pale slip that covered her slender figure.

He looked at her as though she were part of the feast at the banquet. Asrior, unable to stop her movements, launched herself at him.

Loki's arms went around her immediately, pulling her tightly against him as his mouth found hers. Asrior's lips opened, and it was as though he devoured her, as though she were a part of the feast…

But he tore his mouth away, and even as she clutched at his back and breathed, "I have waited so long," his hands were on her upper arms, gripping them tightly to push her away from him.

"Not yet," he panted, his eyes glittering as she protested and tried to move close to him again. "You may do as you will with me later, my lusty elf, but not now."

"Why?" Asrior did not care if she sounded like a child denied a treat, though she stopped struggling against his hold. "Why can't I kiss you?"

"I've told you. There's one more tradition." Loki released her and stepped back again.

Asrior's eyes narrowed. "What tradition? I have not heard of one that says the bride may not be kissed on her wedding night."

"One from Jotunheim," he explained. "And the bride may indeed be kissed, but not before I am done."

He turned to the velvet-covered bench that sat at the foot of the bed, upon which, Asrior noticed, sat a large box whose lid was covered in green enamel.

"I don't understand." She spoke slowly as she watched him unlock the box and carefully lift its lid; and her eyes widened, for it was filled with so many jewels it looked like a treasure chest she'd seen in an adventure book Bruce had given her.

Loki threw an imperious look over his shoulder. "I am the rightful king of Jotunheim, and the kings of Jotunheim have their own customs."

Something occurred to Asrior, and, distracted by the thought, she asked, "If you are the rightful King of Jotunheim, does that make me its rightful queen?"

He straightened and turned back to her. "Queen consort, yes."

Pursing her lips at his words, Asrior mulled the idea over, unsure what to think about it. When she did not move, Loki sighed. "You need to be undressed, as I have said."

Torn from her reverie, she nodded. "You want me naked."

"Yes. Naked."

Asrior's hands moved to the thin straps of the slip, and she grinned. "I think you are making this part up as you go along." But she gamely slid the silk from her shoulders and pushed it from her body.

"I am not 'making this up' as you say." Loki sounded lofty, but red began to creep up his neck as he watched her step from the slip to reveal pale green, lace-covered Midgardian undergarments. "I may not rule that realm, nor wish to lay claim to its throne, but I am a Jotun of royal lineage, and so this must be done."

"What is this?" Asrior asked as she began to remove the last of her clothing. "And does it involve sex?"

Loki's face flushed as pale green lace fell to the ground. "Jotun brides are not usually so unabashed in their desires as you are. They… require persuasion when facing the marriage bed. You can imagine what that means among the lower classes, but the nobility have more refined practices." He moved his hand, and Asrior saw that he held a strand of pearls in it. "Come closer to me, elf."

She did as he ordered, shivering slightly at both the look in his eyes and the feel of air on her bare skin now that she was shed of her clothing.

"You see," Loki placed the pearls over Asrior's head, lifting her mass of hair carefully and sliding the necklace around her neck, "when Jotuns wed and adjourn for the consummation, the first thing the brides do is unclothe themselves in the presence of their new husband."

He turned and dipped into the box again.

"They do this so the Jotun males may inspect their brides to establish their worthiness as a mate."

When Loki moved to her again, a long rope of diamonds glittered in his hands, and his eyes moved over her figure, slowly, from head to foot.

"And as they do this, it is customary for Jotun males of noble lineage to adorn their women with ornaments as a show of approval… to indicate their satisfaction, sexual or otherwise, with the female they have taken as their lifelong mate."

He undid the clasp of the necklace as he spoke, unfurling it before he began winding it around her waist.

"The more decoration the bride wears by the end of the ritual, the more pleased her husband is with her. And the more satisfaction a husband demonstrates, the more willing Jotun brides are to consummate the marriage."

Asrior's breathing quickened at the touch of his hands at her waist, and she swallowed a whimper when he slid them from her once the necklace was fastened.

"Of course, I am supposed to persuade you into the marriage bed by using metals and gems common to Jotunheim." He moved to the box again. "But I am also Odin's son, so I did not see the need to limit myself to one realm when I prepared for your capitulation."

He turned back to her, holding two bracelets of rose-colored gold.

"And are you satisfied with me?" she breathed when he lifted one of her wrists and placed his mouth upon it.

Loki's eyes, which were almost black, flashed at her briefly. "I'm not finished inspecting you, elf."

Then the bracelets were on her wrists, and he sank to his knees, lifting one of her feet and smoothing a palm down her calf.

"You do not need to do this," Asrior managed, eyes fluttering when his fingers traced a pattern on the side of her knee, followed by his tongue. "I am more than persuaded to lie with you."

She felt a puff of breath against her skin as he laughed, and then he nipped the delicate skin of her inner thigh before lowering her foot. "I admit, I find your enthusiasm even more delightful than your body, but you could pretend . I still have a ways to go, yet."

"Very well," she muttered, wondering how she was able to stand, for her stomach fluttered with such intensity that her legs felt weak.

Loki was reaching for the box again, and she soon found herself wearing a pair of anklets, thick with topaz, and then his hands were sliding along her hips to her waist, where a silver and emerald chain soon joined the diamonds there.

More pearls were wound around her wrists, and a circlet of platinum was placed upon her hair, and as Loki moved, adorning her with jewels of every kind imaginable, Asrior remained silent, simply watching him.

When he was finished and the box was empty, she turned her head to examine a cuff of amethysts that sat just below a shoulder, saying, "I suppose I have passed your inspection."

"Oh, I am very pleased with you."

Loki's silken voice was thick, and as he turned from the bench to face her, Asrior saw that his breathing had grown rougher.

Every part of her body already tingled, but at the look in his eyes, she fairly vibrated, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. "What happens next?"

His eyes had moved to her neck, where some of her hair was caught by the layers of necklaces he'd placed upon her. Loki gently untangled the bright red strands before answering, "Now that I have determined your desirability, you may get on the bed."

"With all of this on?"

"I did not spend my time decorating you for you to do otherwise." He stepped back from her, and one of his hands moved to a buckle on the leather of his jacket, jerking on it. "On the bed. Now."

Asrior suppressed the impulse to say finally, turning instead to do as he ordered. It was awkward climbing onto the mattress covered in jewels as she was, and she wondered if she looked as odd as she felt. But when she turned her back to the headboard and lay upon a bank of silken pillows, she saw that Loki was concentrating on his own clothing, fairly tearing at them in his haste.

Then he was naked and on the bed. Asrior, who felt as though every inch of her body burned with need, was pleased to see proof of his own arousal; his eyes glittered as they swept over her, his nostrils flaring slightly as he took in short, little breaths, and his erection strained tautly toward the lean planes of his stomach.

But when he moved to kneel near her feet without even touching her, Asrior almost whined. She had been so long without him, and she wanted to feel his hands on her. Wanted to feel the strength of his muscles under her own touch, wanted to glide her fingers over the silk of his skin. Wanted to feel every beautiful inch of him inside of her.

She pressed her knees together in an effort to rein in her impatience. "Loki, surely now you can…"

He reached out, tapping her leg sharply. "Do not close yourself to me."

Her eyes widened slightly at his demand, though her knees fell apart.

Loki grunted, and his hand moved to her inner thigh, fingers trailing along the pale skin there until they reached her center and dipped into her entrance. He made a pleased sound at the wetness he found there.

Asrior took in a shaking breath. "Can I give in to you now? Or must I still pretend?"

"Some Jotun females would still show a lack of enthusiasm. But they are notoriously difficult to please." He moved again, leaning forward, hands burrowing into the pillows next to her head so he could stretch his body out over her. "I like that you are so wet for me already. Your little cunt is always so eager to be filled by my cock. That pleases me."

She could not stop the soft moan that escaped her lips, and Loki's eyes gleamed as they held hers.

"And you like that, too, don't you? You may look soft and sweet, but I know how filthy you really are. You like it when I speak so dirty—just as you like it so very much when I fuck you."

Her mouth fell open a little, but she could not manage words. So Asrior simply nodded, once, and lifted her hands to his shoulders, trying to pull him down upon her so he could do more than talk.

Loki resisted, however, shifting his body a little and reaching to pull her hands away; he placed one above her head and followed it with the other, pushing them into the pillows and holding them there, his grip firm.

And shaking his head at her, he made a tsking sound. "Such impatience. Whatever am I to do with you?"

Asrior found her voice. "I have some ideas, if you do not."

She wriggled a little against his hold, and Loki muttered, "It was a rhetorical question," as he watched the jewels she wore slide over her breasts. His eyes darkened even further, and his head dipped, tongue and teeth scraping over a nipple.

A molten feeling spread through her at his touch, and when she allowed a soft keening sound to escape her lips, his head lifted and he growled, "I already know what I'm going to do with you. I find that I am so pleased with you, my sweet, eager little elf, that you will soon be as drenched with my seed as you are with my jewels." He bent his head again, pushing aside the links of a golden choker to nip at her neck, and his next words were warm against her skin. "It is good you like sex, for after so long without you, I can think of little else but fucking."

"I do not simply like sex, I love sex. With you," Asrior breathed, arching her back and lifting her knees so that they rested against his hips. She wound her legs around him, toes pressing into the back of his legs. "I love you, Loki, and it has been an eternity since I have been with you this way. But you only talk of fucking, and I fear I will die if you do not start the sex part soon."

"Such dramatics," he murmured even as he moved so that his lips touched hers. "I thought I had started. You like my teasing."

Then he was kissing her, deeply and desperately, as though he would never stop. And still holding her wrists above her head with one hand, he moved the other to her hip, then beneath her, pressing her tightly against his body. She could feel how hard he was, could feel his arousal thick and hot against her lower belly.

She wanted to touch him, though, so she tore her mouth from his, and over the hammering of her heart begged him to allow it. Loki finally released her, bending to kiss her again, and Asrior's hands moved to his back, raking her nails across his skin and digging the tips of her fingers into the muscles there.

The hand that had held her wrists stroked down her body, and he shifted, lifting himself slightly. She felt knuckles graze the soft inside of her thigh, and she realized that he was positioning himself so he could enter her.

He didn't stop drinking from her mouth even as he nudged at her entrance, pushing slowly until the full weight of his cock was buried entirely inside of her body. Then he began moving, his hips thrusting in time with the glide of his tongue.

Asrior made a pleased, humming sound in her throat, her hands twining into the hair at his neck. When she tugged on it, he responded with a noise between a growl and a moan, and pulled away from her mouth.

Loki's eyes, filled with a heady mix of lasciviousness and sweeter emotions, held hers as he filled her, again and again, and something pierced her at his splendor—her hands pushed further into the silken strands of his hair, fingers gripping his scalp, and she gazed up at him in wonder.

"You are so beautiful."

The whispered words fell from Asrior's lips, and he lowered his head at them, his tongue dragging across the seam of her lips before biting there. Then she felt a hand on her leg, pushing it open wider, and then Loki was grasping her ankle, and he moved and withdrew from her body.

" No —Loki, what…"

He was kneeling again, and her other ankle was taken as well. His hands felt rough, hard, pushing the gems of the anklets she wore into her skin; but he released her after placing the heels of her feet over his shoulders, and he hovered over her again, a hand braced on the side of her torso.

"I want to take you this way."

She felt stretched and exposed, arranged as she was, but he was positioning his erection so he could fill her again. They both moaned when he buried himself inside of her and began moving, for the angle of their joining pulled him deeper into her body than he'd ever been before.

When he found a steady rhythm, one of her hands fell to his upper arm and clung to it, while the other stroked over his chest until it found the spot where his tattoo lay. She pressed her palm against it, her eyes still focused on his face, drinking him in. A strand of night-black hair had fallen over his eyes, which stared hungrily down at her as he watched her body move with the force of his thrusts.

Asrior mewled at the sweet friction, her breathing growing more and more ragged. Soon tremors began racking her body, expanding from deep inside of her.

" Oh… " she inhaled sharply. "I… oh… "

"Good," Loki grunted, his breathing harsh. "The word you are looking for is good… this feels good, husband…"

One of his hands drifted over her body, his palm lifting and holding her breasts before gliding over her glittering gems that decorated her stomach, and then down to find the little bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs.

" Very good, Loki" Asrior managed then, moaning helplessly, for her inner muscles began to spasm.

He gasped, and she felt his body tremble as well, and his thrusts grew harder. Faster.

She forced her eyes to stay open so she could focus on her husband's face. His eyes were carnal, almost unfocused, his lower lip caught by his teeth, and he seemed as though lost in the sensations he was feeling.

After all of his teasing earlier, after being at his command so often, seeing him so consumed made her feel a sense of power that was especially astonishing given how the position of her body placed it in his control. She did this to him, and she suddenly knew she could do even more.

And though every part of her wanted to give in to the sensations she was feeling, Asrior concentrated on Loki instead, trying to drive him to the same mindless oblivion he'd so often brought her to.

"Very good , my love," she crooned, gripping his arms with both hands. "It feels so good when you fuck me like this… You go so deep, and you make me so wet, and oh …"

He bucked, and her hands moved to his shoulders as though to steady him.

"Don't stop," she begged. " Please don't stop. It feels so good when you fill my cunt and touch… oh, touch my clit. Like that. Fuck me like that…"

Loki made a gasping sound, and he tore his eyes from where his fingers worked on her clit to her face. His mouth moved as though he struggled for words.

"Keep going," she breathed, encouraging him. She allowed one of her hands to fall so that it covered the one that touched her, and her fingers moved with his. "So good …I'm so close. Don't slow down. Fuck me harder… please, Loki, I need you to fuck me harder…"

"What are you trying to do to me?"

The words were torn from him, and his throat moved spasmodically as he stared down at her.

But he did as she ordered, his thrusts growing more intense. Asrior felt suspended, as though she floated, and tense at the same time, for something tight and hot twisted deep in her core.

"I want to come with your cock in me. I want to coat it with my juices, and I want to come around it so hard you scream and come at the same time." He seemed to twitch and swell at her words, and she moaned. "I want to milk everything I can from you… I want your seed deep inside of me and dripping down my legs. I want you to soak me, husband…make me as dirty as I feel when you fuck me…"

The movements of Loki's hips were growing uneven, for he was as close as she was. Asrior allowed her eyes to drift shut as she gave in to the feelings that threatened to burst, her orgasm intense and seemingly without end.

Her gasps were joined by an almost desperate shout from Loki, and when she opened her eyes to look at him, she found him gazing down at her with a mixture of shock and extreme gratification.

She could feel his seed, warm and almost endless, filling her, and her hands smoothed over his chest, petting him as he continued to thrust unevenly into the still-rippling tightness of her body.

"Very good, husband," she praised, panting lightly, for her breathing was still labored. "You made me feel so very good, and you have made me very dirty indeed."

The movement of Loki's hips stilled, and he moved so that he could withdraw from her and lower her legs. Then he lowered himself so that he lay upon her, cradled against her hips, and as he buried his face into her neck, he muttered a string of Midgardian curse words.

Asrior smiled against his hair, her arms wrapping tightly around him. Her thighs were gloriously wet, as was the cock that rested between them, and she rubbed his back, murmuring sweet sounds as his own breathing returned to normal.

After a moment, Loki lifted himself a little, his look almost accusing. "I almost fainted."

She knew she likely looked as smug as she felt. "You said once that you wanted to pass out from coming in me."

"Come so many times I passed out," he corrected. "Not faint at the night's first orgasm. I am a god, I am not supposed to be so feeble. You will have to pay for this."

The prospect filled her with ideas. Loki, seeing the look on her face, hooked an arm around her waist and rolled onto his back, taking her with him so that she straddled him.

He pushed up onto the bank of pillows a little and smacked her leg, making her gasp.

"I should make you beg next time."

Loki's hair was mussed and he'd actually drawn blood where he'd bitten his lip, and she was amazing he could look so rumbled and haughty at the same time. He looked adorable, too, and she tried to hide her grin with a look of mock remorse.

"Did you not enjoy it? Was your orgasm not pleasurable?"

"It was extremely pleasurable, as you well know, my dirty little elf, for I saw the self-satisfied look on your face just now. I just am not sure I like feeling so… so…"

"Vulnerable?"

The corner of his mouth dipped down. "Out of control."

She realized that he was earnest, and leaning forward, Asrior touched her mouth to his. "If you are worried about me, I think I have proven my strength. You are fearsome indeed, but I am not afraid that you will hurt me, Loki. And if you are worried about exposing yourself somehow…it is safe to do that with me. And fair. You drive me beyond reason often enough, but I feel secure letting go for you."

His eyes grew softer as she spoke, and he lifted a hand to her hair. She felt him moving the platinum circlet that rested there, securing it more firmly in place.

"Your crown was crooked, rightful Queen of Jotunheim. Try to keep it on next time I fuck you, for if I am to lose control, I will not be able to help with it."

Asrior's smile turned playful and she looked down to where his cock, still glistening from their earlier activity, was growing stiff again. "I have read that some males near lose their minds when their sexual organs are sucked upon. Is that why you have not had me do that to you, though you have done that to me? But I meant it when I said I want you to soak me…and if you do not mind losing control again, I do not mind using my mouth on you until you come in it."

Loki closed his eyes briefly even as he grew harder.

"Not…yet, my love." He reached out to take her hand and guided it to his erection so she could stroke it. "It sounds beyond delightful, but I don't think I have the strength to watch you do that just now. And I am not being dramatic when I say I might die if you were to do it."

He grew even stiffer under her hand, and his breathing turned unsteady as well.

"But you are ready…"

"I am , or part of me is…and as I am not wholly at strength, you will need to do the work this time." His hands moved to her waist, lifting so that she hovered over the rigid length of flesh that strained upward.

Asrior lowered her hips, pushing until the head of his penis was in her entrance, then pressed down slowly until she took him in completely. She felt so full that she sighed happily, and when she wriggled her hips slightly, saw a flush begin to creep up his chest to his neck.

"Now ride me," Loki instructed, his hands guiding her as she began to raise and lower her hips. "Move on me like that."

She moved carefully at first, then faster when her hands found purchase on his chest; and as leaned over him, her breasts and strands of long red hair brushed against his skin as she stroked his cock with her body. The hard feeling of him gliding inside of her as she raised and lowered her hips was intoxicating, as was the cadence of their joining. They were already slick from their first mating, and the steady, wet slap of her thighs against his skin mixed with the tremulous sounds of their breathing.

Loki's eyes were intense as he watched her, and his hands moved to rub jeweled chains over her nipples before pinching and tugging at the stiff little peaks. Then he gripped the back of her neck and lifted his head to press his open mouth against hers before lying back.

"Touch yourself," he ordered, eyes glittering. He slid his hand from her neck to take one of hers that pressed against his chest. Then he moved it and held it against her center. "I want you to touch yourself while you ride me. I want to watch you."

Asrior's fingers began circling over her clit, and she closed her eyes to concentrate on the feeling, arching her neck so that her hair slid over her shoulders and down her back.

"That's it… move on me. Fuck me," Loki's voice trembled, and his hands moved to rest lightly on her waist, pressing against the jewels he'd placed there. And as she lifted and fell, over and over, she grew so wet that her fingers became slick, creating a delicious feeling that had her making needy, mewling sounds.

"Good girl… good, dirty girl."

The hand against his chest pushed hard against him, and her hips pounded down with such force that the metal and gems covering her jangled. The hands at her waist tightened, and Loki made a sound that had her opening her eyes.

He looked like one of Midgard's fallen angels. The elegant lines of his face were taut, and his eyes, dark and wicked looking, watched her as though she was a pagan offering, lingering on her breasts before falling to the hand buried in the triangle of curls at her thighs.

"Dirty girl," he repeated, teeth gleaming as he rasped, "Dirty, selfish elf. Ride my cock and finger yourself until you come… I know you want to come all over me. You can't help yourself… can't help but use my cock to make your little cunt weep and drip with pleasure…"

Asrior made a keening sound that surprised even herself, and she felt Loki jerk inside of her as her own inner muscles began to grow tighter.

"But I like it. I like how dirty you are," he panted. "I like how excited you get. I like your little squeals and how your sweet little tits shake when you bounce on me… You're such a greedy little thing, fucking me for your own pleasure, but you get so tight when you're close…like vise…and I am going to come so hard in you you'll taste it…"

She came then, her body tensing as shockwaves of pleasure ripped through her, the feeling so consuming that she groaned in helpless abandon.

As the spasms slowly subsided, she collapsed against Loki, her head spinning. She could feel his heart pounding underneath her, and his hips began moving, slamming up into her roughly as he chased his own completion.

Then his back arched and he cried out. She felt a warm rush of semen surge inside of her as his movements slackened, and his hands pushed into her hair, his lips pressing against it.

Rubbing her face against his neck, Asrior grunted, "You tried to make me faint."

She felt him smile, and his voice was still slightly shaky when he answered, "I told you I would make you pay, and I knew you would be as susceptible to my words as I am to yours."

It took several minutes for their breathing to finally still, and Asrior was content to simply lie sprawled over her husband's body, enjoying the feeling of him after so long. But after a while, she noticed that the mounds of jewelry upon her were not exactly comfortable pressed against her skin, so she said, "I may have been impatient earlier, but I admit, it was very exciting when you decorated me…but it is not so pleasant trying to rest while covered in all of this."

Loki raised his head, lifting a brow. "Did I say you could rest?" Asrior poked him in the side, and he sighed. "Do you really want everything off, elf?"

"The diamonds around my waist can stay. And one of the anklets," she conceded. "They make me feel sexy, as Tony would say."

An annoyed sound escaped Loki's throat, and Asrior found herself rolled onto the mattress as he pushed himself to sit. "Please do not mention his name while we are in our bed."

Asrior nodded, smiling and raising her arms, beginning to stretch, then she blinked, for she realized the jewels she'd worn were gone from her, save for the diamond rope Loki had wrapped around her waist and a slim matching anklet.

She pushed to sit as well, and her eyes crinkled as she faced him. "You are allowed to use magic to take everything off, then?"

He sniffed. "There are no rules as to what happens after a Jotun king has pleasured his wife."

Scooting closer to him, Asrior moved a hand to his leg and began stroking it. "And I have been very thoroughly pleasured."

"I hope you do not think we are done," he said, an arm moving around her back. "I still have little on my mind except for lying with you. But I am considering what form that will take next."

When Asrior suggested consulting the book Fandral had gifted him, Loki responded by tumbling her over his lap and actually spanking her. Just a few times and not very hard, but the action led to her slithering from the bed and laughingly running as though to escape.

He caught her as she neared the door to the outer room, and she found herself carried to a chaise that sat next to a tall mirror, where Loki placed her, saying she could watch while he demonstrated how he treated naughty, teasing elves.

It was after that she realized he'd meant it when he said he would be focused on little else but sex, for he did not cease his attentions to her. He was in turns rough and frenzied, then slow and teasing, and he chose to end their night by cradling her against him as he moved in her with a languid grace that was as exciting as anything that came before.

Still, when the sun's pale light began to fill the room and she rested against him, her head tucked against his shoulder while his fingers wove through her hair, Loki said, "This is what I missed most."

His voice was soft and sleepy, but he also sounded more content than she'd ever heard him.

At the question in her eyes when she looked up at him, he explained, "Having you lie next to me like this. I never shared a bed before, elf…not to sleep. But one night doing so with you and I was ruined. It was Hel when you were taken, of course, but it was almost as bad when Thor played his games."

She smiled sweetly and nuzzled against him again. "I like feeling you breathing against me. And the sound of your heart. When I was at the castle by the sea, I would hold onto pillows and pretend they were you. They were a poor substitution."

"Using something so soft in place of me was your first mistake." He laughed as he said it, then his hand moved, and she could feel his fingers trace the faint scars that still crossed her back. "I did not know how lonely I was before you, not until I was without you—and I was lonely, Asrior. Desperately so. But I also know that I will never be truly alone again, not now, even when you are not by my side and I feel as though a part of me is missing. It is very confusing, this contradiction."

Asrior blinked back tears at his admission, and when his hand stilled and pressed against her, she said, "Thank you for taking my pain, when the fairies tested you. I wish I could do something like that for you."

He sounded surprised. "But my pain has been deserved…"

"Not all of it." She lifted her head. "And even so, I would do that for you."

She sounded fierce, and Loki smiled at it. "If you are determined, you can ask Cadeyrn, then. He will likely refuse, I warn you. He has seen inside of me and knows I would not like it."

His words reminded her of something, and her brow furrowed a little. "What else did they have you do? The pain…that was not all of it."

"That pain was not all of it. But the rest…" his hand lifted, and he waved it as he tried to explain. "I remember it inside, the feelings, but I do not remember it, if that makes sense. The longer it has been since they put me through their tests, the more the specifics fade."

"I do not like that they tested you that way."

Loki yawned, and his hand fell onto her hair. "I do not mind, for it brought you back to me. And you need to sleep now. Or at least, try to be quiet for a moment so that I can sleep."

With a grunt, she cuddled against him, moving her leg so that it twined with one of his; and as she shifted a little, the skin of her thigh seemed to stick to his.

She could not help but say, "You will probably need to use your magic to clean the bed. I fear the maids will run screaming once they see the state the sheets are in. I am not the only dirty thing in this room now."

"I will not." Tired as he was, Loki still managed to sound high-handed. "I do not care if they see how thoroughly I have bedded you. I do not care if all of Asgard knows. Tradition was once that the bedsheets would be paraded through court like a trophy won during battle, and I would gladly do it if you would allow it."

Asrior snorted. "Asgardians and their over-inflated sense of pride."

Loki's hand twisted in her hair, pulling it gently. "Sleep, sticky elf."

And so she slept.

Notes:

It was a heck of a start to the year. Omicron hit my work hard. Lots of people have been out, and we've had lots of policy changes as a result, which has meant nonstop work on the part of my department in particular. I wrote maybe a paragraph a day for weeks, and then finally was able to sit down over the weekend and write a sweet, smutty conclusion to this fic.

Well, not quite a conclusion. The last chapter was really 'the end,' this one was a sex-filled bonus. There's an epilogue coming up, shortish and hopefully sweet, that will (I hope) wrap up lose ends and maybe open up other possibilities.

Thanks for reading, everyone, and a special thanks to those who have commented. Your words have meant a lot to me.