I'm so excited to be able to post the next chapter so quickly! Writing chapters of fics that aren't so intricately connected is so much easier! I hope you all enjoy this!
Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish
Chapter Two: The Privilege of Touch
It was quite bizarre to watch Loki actually kick back and relax for once in his life. The God of Mischief was a very active character, Amelia knew how true this was - in Manhattan, he would often wake up very early and spar in the training room for a couple of hours before returning to their bedroom for a shower, usually finishing just as Amelia would wake from her slumber. Just in time for a morning peck on the lips.
And he only got more energetic from there. Throughout the day he would intermittently workout - pushups, pullups, crunches, all kinds of exercises that made Amelia tired simply from watching - and occasionally he would go for a late night run when the streets were not so busy.
All in all, Amelia rarely saw Loki stationary, unless something was wrong. He was quite obsessed with staying in shape and honing his powers to make sure they stayed sharp - which wasn't at all a bad thing, but it sometimes made Amelia feel a little bit sluggish. In comparison to Loki, she was practically a couch potato. Sure, she liked to do a little jogging and always attend her self-defense lessons, but usually it did not equal to anymore than seventy-five minutes a day.
All of this only made it even more weird to observe Loki as he lay across the bed on his stomach, dressed in his flimsy silk robe, nose buried in a very old-looking book. He even had his legs bent up in the air in the same way Amelia imagined a teenage girl would lie as she wrote tasty secrets in her diary.
Amelia herself was sitting at the vanity, trying on the various gifts of jewellery she had received from the many nobles that had presented them with wedding gifts. They were all very pretty and shiny pieces, but none were as beautiful as the wedding ring on her finger or the topaz bracelet around her wrist. The gems and jewels she had received from people she had mostly never spoken a word to were clearly not out of any sort of sentiment, and thus she chose not to wear them in favour of adorning her gifts from Loki.
But anyway, back to Loki.
Every so often, Loki would raise his hand above the book and sway his fingers in what was probably a very specific, distinct motion, but happened to look a little silly out of context. His finger movements mirrored what Amelia had sometimes seen him do whilst performing magic, so she could only assume he was practising the gesticulations of spells in the book his eyes were glued to.
After a while, he rolled over onto his back and held the book up above his head, continuing to read.
It made Amelia laugh, and her laugh made Loki lower the book to his chest and eye her with suspicion.
"What?"
Amelia shook her head, "You looked a bit restless, that's all." He had been shuffling around every so often, not quite finding a good enough position to comfortably read in, and Amelia wondered if it was perhaps because he wasn't used to slowing down and unwinding a little.
Loki gave a hum and then returned to his book, carefully flicking one of the tattered pages.
"What are you reading?" Amelia's curiosity was piqued.
"It's one of my mother's old spellbooks," Loki enlightened, a small smile on his face, "one of her maids rescued it and a few other books before the evacuation and Asgard's subsequent destruction. She felt it would benefit in my possession and offered it as a celebratory wedding gift."
With this knowledge, Amelia drifted over to the bed and plopped down next to Loki, mindful of the swell of her stomach, and peered over his shoulder. The pages were full of unrecognizable characters and elegantly drawn runes of some sort - presumably his mother's annotations - and Amelia realised that Loki was probably holding one of the few things that held a strong connection with Frigga. It was no wonder he seemed so enamoured with the book.
Amelia trailed her fingers through his hair. "That's so wonderful," she was happy for him - the book would surely inspire good memories of his mother, "I'm glad her maid had the thought to save them." The preservation of knowledge was clearly something Asgardians and humans both thought strongly about, but more so Amelia was thankful for the maid's decision to return them to Loki. Back where they belonged.
"I am unfamiliar with some of the spells in here. It will be fun to learn something new from her." Loki closed the book gently and pressed his forehead against the cover, "But, for now, I think I would like to go for a swim." He sat up suddenly, placing the book on the bedside table before turning to Amelia with a coy little smile.
"A swim? You have a swimming pool here in Asgard?" There was a drop of sarcasm in her tone.
"Yes, we do, actually."
Amelia hadn't expected there to be a pool in the palace, she had believed Loki meant he wanted to swim in the nearby lake which wasn't too far from the city. A bolt of excitement rushed through Amelia then, because she hadn't actually been swimming with Loki before, and it was always fun to experience something new with the man she loved.
When they arrived at the site of the supposed swimming pool, Amelia took a moment to appreciate the beauty of it. It was an open garden surrounded by tall walls shrouded in growing vines and shrubbery, perfect for a little added privacy, and the pool itself wasn't like the perfectly chlorinated type - it was more natural looking, the dark tiles beneath the water giving it a dark blue hue, and on the surface there were arrays of lily pads blooming little pink flowers. It was more like a pond but without the fish, and looked very much like something out of a fairy tale.
She found that she couldn't help but compare Asgard to a fairy tale quite a lot since she had arrived, but there was clearly something about the aesthetic of the place that filled her with a sense of magical wonder.
Another thought occurred.
"Uh, Loki, I didn't bring a bathing suit or anything."
Loki stared at her for a moment, "...why would you need a suit to bathe in?"
Did Loki really not know what a bathing suit was? How long had he been on Earth now, without ever encountering a bathing suit?
"No, it's- a swimming costume. It's a type of clothing made to be worn in water, you know, to protect the wearer's modesty? Cause we can't go swimming naked, can we?" Amelia laughed, and then snapped her lips shut when she caught Loki's blank expression.
"Can't we?"
It was then she realised that Loki intended for them to go skinny-dipping in the pool, which wasn't exactly gated off. Sure, it had tall walls, but if somebody wanted to walk in, there was nothing stopping them from simply strolling down the right corridors in the palace to bring them through to the garden.
"But- we can't. What if someone… sees us?" Amelia's fingers pinched nervously at the skirt of her dress.
"No one else will come swimming while we are using the pool. It is approaching lunch time, so it is unlikely anybody will come by anyway. Come on." Loki had already begun to slip his clothes off, chucking them onto a nearby bench, showing very little shame with stripping off in the broad daylight where anybody could walk into the area and see him in all his glory.
Amelia eyed his nude form as he strolled down the steps that led down into the pool, sighing as he sunk into the water and floated away on his back, giving Amelia an expectant look. She had to admit, it did sound good to take a dip, especially when she felt a little sweaty from the heat of the Summer sun - which also explained why Loki was so insistent on a swim. If the heat was bothering Amelia, it was definitely bothering Loki.
But… Amelia didn't want any random Asgardians seeing her naked, and for that reason she kept her clothes firmly on.
"Come on." Loki repeated, giving her a come-hither motion with his fingers, "The water is lovely."
"I'll just… dip my legs in. That's all." She only had to take her sandals off, and got to keep her modesty in tact, which was far preferable for her.
"Amelia, we're married. And I've seen your body hundreds of times before. Why are you so shy all of a sudden?" Loki subtly floated closer towards her as she approached the edge of the pool.
"It's not that. I just don't want anybody else to see me." Amelia shifted her weight from one foot to the other, peering into the water where Loki stood. She could see his pale body just a few inches below the surface before the water obscured her view - she wanted to join him. If only she had a damn bathing suit…
A sudden odd sensation of fabric rolling over her skin followed by a prominent breeze had Amelia's gaze falling to her body - which was precipitously disrobed, leaving her completely exposed to the world. She screeched Loki's name, covering herself when she realised Loki had cast a spell that had simply unclothed her and left her dress lying in a heap on the bench by his own garments.
If anyone were to walk into the open garden now, they would get an eyeful of Amelia's butt, and the fear of that happening had her quickly rushing down the steps into the pool for the only instant cover she could attain.
The water, however, was quite cold.
She should've known, of course they wouldn't have pool heaters in Asgard.
Loki was laughing, because apparently her surprised squeal and subsequent huge pout were absolutely hilarious; Amelia had yet to find the funny side as she was too busy hugging herself to warm up while goosebumps sprouted over her skin.
"Why," Amelia began, "do you know a spell like that?"
"Convenience," Loki answered in a self-satisfied sort of way, "it has come in handy in the past." His words were accompanied by a provocative wink.
Amelia harrumphed, stepping through the cold water to move closer to Loki in a bid to seek out his body warmth - it probably wouldn't take long for her to get used to the temperature of the water, but he owed her a warm hug after the stunt he pulled. She continued to cover her chest, paranoid that anybody could be watching, or that someone might stroll in at any moment.
"You don't have to hide," Loki reminded her, "nobody will see you. Nobody except me." His hands went to her sides and caressed her skin, moving up to take a gentle hold on her upper arms, prompting an uncontrollable shiver from Amelia. "Show me your body," Loki whispered, tugging at her arms with encouraging intent.
Amelia sighed, relenting after only a few seconds had passed, and lowered her arms from her chest. Loki's inquisitive fingers immediately moved to graze against her, cupping her breasts and rolling over her nipples, which had hardened from the cold water. The sensation was pleasurable, as Loki's hands on her body was always a pleasing type of contact - he was forever gentle when stroking, rubbing and fondling her body to gratify her - there was never a moment where he was too rough or too callous, despite his hardened hands. Loki knew just how to touch her.
Her face heated with arousal, and she briefly fantasised about the idea of having sex right there in the pool, before the notion was promptly wiped from her mind. Firstly, it probably wasn't sanitary, and secondly, she didn't want someone to walk in on her having sex in a swimming pool. Especially a pool that other people likely used… it certainly wouldn't garner her a lot of respect amongst the Asgardians.
For that reason, she clenched her hands around Loki's wrists to stop him from dipping his hands further down her submerged body, still trembling from the velvety contact. "We can't fuck in the pool, Loki," she practically squeaked, her face flushing further in embarrassment.
Loki exhaled sharply with mirth, "I didn't exactly have that in mind. I just want to touch you." He leaned forward and kissed Amelia's lips softly, and she realised then that Loki's ministrations had had a more sensual intent rather than sexual - just like the many times they had washed together in the shower, and Loki would spend most of the time simply running his hands over her body - but the touch had naturally sent her horny mind spiralling.
"O-oh," Amelia murmured, clearing her throat, "right. Well, in that case, continue."
Loki kissed her again, this time in a far more mesmerising fashion, and drew a moan from her throat as one hand stroked down the curve of her ass, taking the time to grasp a handful of her plump flesh. Her arms snaked around his neck as she sunk into him, and the cold water was no longer bothering her while the heat of the sun hit her exposed skin.
"The way your body reacts to my touch is sublime," Loki murmured against her lips, "and I am a tremendously lucky man."
Amelia smiled shyly, peering up at her husband, adoration reflecting in her gaze. He looked positively beguiling in the light of the sun, the water droplets on his skin shining, his soaked hair matted against his forehead, his honeyed words - all of it had an enticing effect on her.
She gasped as he picked her up, putting her legs around his hips, and spun her around playfully. Their bodies were firmly pressed together, the water licking against Amelia's lower back, and Amelia quickly captured Loki's grinning lips, eager to kiss him over and over.
"Excuse me, Prince Loki?" A deep voice fluttered in from the entryway and Amelia practically dived away from her husband, submerging herself in the water and only letting her eyes and nose surface when she was hidden behind Loki's body.
Loki himself was glancing back over his shoulder, his body somewhat rigid at the interruption, and Amelia fought back the urge to grumble 'I told you so'.
"What?" Loki hissed to the newcomer.
"Pardon the intrusion, my prince, but I have come to pass on an invitation. The King asks that you and Lady Amelia-"
"Princess Amelia," Loki corrected steely.
"Th-that you and Princess Amelia join him for the lunchtime banquet." Whoever the man was, he sounded slightly overwrought, and Amelia hoped above all else that he hadn't seen her naked form before she'd had time to shield herself in the water behind her husband.
"Tell the King we will join him in twenty minutes." Loki's voice was dismissive, and Amelia heard the messenger deliver a quick 'yes, my prince' before the sound of footsteps suggested he was leaving the area.
When Loki turned back around to face Amelia, she pinned him with a pouty glare, but he seemed unaffected by her grumpiness. His smile was unapologetic, and he seemed totally unconcerned that somebody else had seen her - or had almost seen her - nude and vulnerable.
"So much for no one will see you." Amelia groused, once again crossing her arms protectively over her chest in case any other palace servants decided to waltz on is for an eyeful.
Loki's fingers tilted her chin up, "So what if he saw you? What does it matter?"
Amelia was surprised by his inquiry, she had thought the idea of anybody else laying their eyes upon his wife would piss him off, but he didn't seem overly bothered, "Doesn't it make you angry?"
Loki huffed, a smirk on his face, and leaned down to press a kiss to Amelia's head while cupping her face lovingly, "Anybody who thinks they are worthy of looking upon your body unclothed is delusional, but if they did happen to catch a glance, they ought to consider themselves blessed from the sight. They can look, but they can't touch. That privilege is reserved for me, and me alone." He whispered the words into her ear, hot breath tickling against her neck, and Amelia quivered as his hands once again found her bare skin and staked his claim in the form of shameless gropes and titillating hickeys.
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