Author's Note/Warning: There is a scene of sexual nature in this chapter, so this chapter alone is rated M, but it doesn't change the overall rating of T as there won't be many sexual scenes in this story.

Chapter Fifteen

Loki stayed with Arianna for a while and they watched TV. They used it more as background noise than anything else. Mostly they just talked – Loki about growing up on Asgard, and Arianna about how different it was growing up on Earth.

"I can't believe you guys are so advanced in the technology department, yet you still ride around on horses," Arianna said.

"The roads are full of markets and people. The economy would be destroyed if we used land vehicles."

"As a prince, did you have many meetings about the economy of Asgard?"

"No. As a prince I mostly just followed Odin or Thor. As king, however, that was part of my duty."

Arianna, who had been lying down under the covers to counter the coldness of his skin, basically shot up into a sitting position.

"Hold on. When were you King of Asgard?"

"When Thor was banished to Earth, Odin went into Odin-sleep. It is something like what you call a coma only while he was asleep he was restoring his energy. He had been putting it off, so it lasted longer than it should have. Thor was not available to take the throne, so it fell to me.

"Oh. Assuming that didn't go well seeing as to what happened."

"No. Thor was held captive by SHIELD for a brief time and I came to visit. I told him that Odin was dead, even though he wasn't, and that he wasn't allowed to go back home. I had a plan and I didn't want Thor getting in the way."

"A plan?"

"To get rid of the Frost Giants. I thought . . . I thought Odin would have approved. Thor's friends went to retrieve him and he realized I must have lied, and so he came back. We fought and Odin woke up, got in the middle of it. That was the night I –"

"The night you fell, or let go. The night you would have died if . . . if you'd had it your way."

Loki said nothing then because she was correct. He had given up that night. He'd lost his throne, lost his brother, (which he could admit was mostly his fault, and he'd never really lost him anyway) had disappointed Odin, seen the disapproval in his eyes. He'd realized he'd never be good enough and had just stopped caring at that point.

Loki was surprised when Arianna straddled his hips. They were almost eye-level now, him leaning against the headboard, her on top of him. Her hands were on his cheeks, almost too warm against his skin, and her eyes focused on his.

"I am so sorry about all the pain you went through, and for how long you went through it. But I am glad you didn't die. I'm glad I got to meet you. Despite the circumstances, no matter how or why, I got to meet you, and here we are."

Still Loki didn't speak. He didn't know what to say, still didn't know how to react when someone showed genuine concern for him.

Her lips touched his briefly – so briefly he would have missed it had he not felt the warmth from it. Loki realized then that the reason she had basically climbed on top of him was because she was trying to comfort him. She kissed him again.

Loki was still floored that she wasn't completely disgusted by him. He didn't look human and yet she was still treating him like one.

The kiss was soft and loving, no promise of anything more. The kiss just was. In it were light and grace and healing. Everything he knew Arianna to be, and everything he needed. She was everything he was not.

She fit her lips more firmly against his. He was slightly concerned about how cold she might become like this but trusted her enough to let him know if it became a real problem.

He wrapped his arms around her waist. She tensed for a moment, but Loki didn't let her go. He wanted her to get used to his embrace, wanted her to learn he would never harm her with it. He ran his hands slowly up and down her back, causing her to sigh against his mouth and relax against him.

After a few more mostly innocent kisses, Arianna found a place to rest her head in the crook of his neck.

"Sorry, I – she started, "it happened years ago. I know it shouldn't bother me still, not like that."

"Stop." His voice was soft but firm. "If we're talking about the same thing, it will probably always bother you. I don't believe one ever gets over something like that, not completely. And that's okay, not something you need to be ashamed of. You're not weak for having moments like that."

"You're not . . . I mean . . . I told you I didn't know how to do relationships. I've never seen an example of a happy, healthy relationship. Not in people I'm close with. My parents were never really happy together, and they always argued. They stayed together because of me, but they divorced once I moved out.

"And what you think happened did happen, and by someone I thought was a friend, someone who clamed to love me. Then he did that to me, and that was my first taste of what he called love. I wanted nothing to do with it."

Loki continued rubbing up and down her back as a way to soothe her as she talked.

"Sometimes I can't even stand to be touched."

"I'm touching you now."

"Yeah, but if it's sudden or –"

"Do you think I care about that? I'm over a millennium old. My days of thinking a physical connection is more important than an emotional one are long over. That you allow me the liberty to touch you at all still astounds me after all I've done."

"It – it feels different with you. I feel mostly okay with you. With everything that's been going on . . . it just opened my mind to all of it again."

Loki's hands stilled on her waist.

"Have I given you reason to believe I am unhappy with the pace you've set?"

"No," she said quickly. "But that's just it. You've let me set the pace, and I don't know what to do with that."

Loki wondered then how the other men in her life had treated her. He knew there had been others. Arianna had said so herself, said how they'd only wanted one thing. Given the distrust she still seemed to be experiencing, she couldn't have learned much about how intimacy was supposed to work from the others.

"You do realize I despise not being in control," he said.

She let a small laugh out. "I appreciate you handing over the reins, appreciate you realizing I might need that." She moved off of him and settled back onto her side of the bed. "I actually like being held. I was just surprised."

She fit herself against his side and Loki felt as she gradually relaxed.

"Are you not cold?"

"No. Most of you is covered in clothing, so it's not really bothering me."

Loki glanced at the screen to see a man stabbing an oversized rodent.

"What are we watching?" he asked, appalled.

"The Princess Bride. One of my favorites."

Loki continued watching for another few minutes. He decided he liked Harry Potter better.

Sometime between the rat scene and the end of the movie Arianna had drifted off, still against Loki. If she were being completely honest, the fact that his skin was cold was nice. She usually got overheated and sweaty when she slept under the covers. So when she woke up, still with Loki and still pressed up against him, one of his arms draped over her middle, she was surprised when she was really hot.

"Loki, it's too warm," she muttered, and pushed away from him when she didn't get a response.

She opened her eyes to find a new comfortable position and her mind caught up with her. She was warm because Loki was warm, which shouldn't have been possible. Only it was, because Loki was no longer in his Frost Giant form. He looked human again.

She jerked up and Loki still didn't respond. He was sleeping deeply and he looked peaceful. Young. Innocent. Too bad she had to wake him up, but he'd want to know this.

"Loki," she called out and began to rub his chest rather than shake him. He responded by grabbing her hand and squeezing gently. "Loki, wake up. Open your eyes."

"Don't want to."

"Yes, you do."

There was amusement in her voice. Loke must have heard it because a sleepy smile graced his lips as he allowed his green – no longer red – eyes to open. She intertwined their fingers and brought their hands up for him to see. At first he just stared, but he soon sat up and began checking himself over, almost frantically.

"Did you –" he began. "I didn't –"

"I don't know what happened," she said. "I know it wasn't me, though. I wouldn't even know where to start. I woke up and was hot. That's when I realized."

A wide, bright smile shined through, making Loki beautiful and causing Arianna's breath to catch. She'd never seen him so happy. It was a good look on him. It made her want to kiss him, so that was what she did.

She literally just grabbed his face and pressed her mouth to his. She could tell she'd surprised him, but he responded quickly enough.

Her brain shut off. All she knew was that Loki was insanely happy, which made her insanely happy. Being able to feel and not have to think was sometimes nice, and a happy Loki ended up being a playful, loving Loki. He was also a very handsy Loki, but she really didn't mind at the moment.

She also didn't mind when he basically pulled her on top of him. For the second time that day she was straddling him. This time Loki used that position to his advantage. He began trailing kisses over her jaw and down her neck.

She'd never known how much she liked that, how much the kisses could tickle, or how the nipping and sucking could cause her to shiver, cause warmth to pool in her belly.

She moaned as one of his hands found a place in her hair and began massaging her scalp, and it didn't bother her at all when he gently pulled at her hair so she'd lean her head back. He'd needed better access to her neck and throat, and she was completely okay with that.

Her hands went to his hair then, soft and smooth, only to press his mouth more firmly against her skin. His lips felt wonderful, especially when they found just the right spot under her earlobe that made her lose her breath again.

Loki wrapped her in his arms and held her against him tightly. Tightly but carefully, she noticed when he pulled her to fit against his growing arousal.

This was the part when she usually began doubting herself or began pulling away – or worse, allowed this to continue even when she didn't want it to. There had been many times when she'd let herself just fade away while whoever she was with took his pleasure from her, not caring that she wasn't mentally there with him.

But that didn't happen this time. She was very much present and she knew Loki wouldn't let her fade away – and he wouldn't continue if she did.

As it was, Loki's hands had found their way under her shirt and were gliding up and down her back. It almost tickled when he reached the waist of her pants. She couldn't help but arch against him.

She was amazed because this wasn't scary at all. This was fun and good and pleasurable, and she wasn't even the one controlling this. Loki was in complete control, and in that control he was taking care of her.

She rolled her hips against him and he almost growled her name as he thrust upwards. Giddy with the fact that she had pulled that response from him, she let instinct take over and set up a rhythm that she was comfortable with.

"There you go, darling," he said, voice soft and seductive and hitting her right in the gut.

Arianna grabbed the bottom of Loki's sweater and pulled it over his head. The look he gave her then was one of hunger, and the smile he gave her was one worthy of the god of mischief. It filled her with even more excitement. She tossed the sweater to the floor. She turned her attention to his neck. She knew she must have a few love marks, so she intended to leave some of her own.

She gently shoved him back so he was lying down again. His eyebrows shot up and she gave him a mischievous smile of her own before attacking his throat with nips and kisses. She realized her hands were shaking only when she began rubbing up and down Loki's chest.

One wouldn't know it by seeing him in clothes, but Loki was actually beautifully built, tall and lean. His skin was soft and smooth, lightly tanned, made less noticeable by his dark hair and his tendency to wear darker clothing.

She froze when she reached his jeans.

"Loki?"

"If you're looking for permission, you have it," he said breathlessly.

She relaxed then, but there was still a small problem.

"Loki, I'm not on birth control."

"Birth control?"

Loki's hands squeezed against her hips and she had to keep herself from moving against him.

"It's something a woman uses to keep her from getting pregnant."

"Oh. We have something like that on Asgard – a tincture the healers make. We don't call it birth control."

"So . . . we can't . . . you know."

She didn't have condoms on hand either. It wasn't every day she had someone she actually wanted to be intimate with.

"There are ways to make love without penetration, Arianna."

She sighed her relief because she really didn't want to stop. For once she was enjoying the closeness and intimacy of touch, so when Loki's hands slipped into the back of her pajama pants to caress the curves of her bottom she allowed herself to continue enjoying it.

Loki was enjoying himself too, enjoying learning the things Arianna liked and the things she was skittish about. She didn't mind being led by him he'd realized delightfully, as long as he was careful with her – and he was careful with her. So, so careful, especially when she seemed surprised when something felt good.

Arianna had helped remove his clothing and he was now completely naked.

"I believe you have me at a disadvantage," he declared. "You're fully clothed."

"I don't know. I kind of like it this way," she teased.

She had moved to his side a while ago rather than stay on top of him, but she'd yet to lose her playful side. Loki had to admit he liked this side of her.

She removed her sleep shirt and pajama bottoms, leaving her in her bra and panties, cotton and nothing particularly special but they fit her.

Loki turned on his side and slowly reached out a hand, giving her enough time to move away if she wanted to. She let him touch her and he did so in a teasing manner. Over her stomach, against her sides, down her arms, and then they were kissing and she was pulling him half on top of her, not showing any fear while doing so. She did, however, keep her arms and legs free from his weight.

She tangled her fingers through his hair, sending tingles down his spine.

Within a few minutes, Loki had her bare before him. Her eyes were closed, but she was very much present, there with him. She'd been vocal as he'd kissed her breasts and made his way down to her thighs. Her legs were shaking and he was almost certain it was from pleasure, but he had to make sure.

"Look at me," he said, and she did. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said, rushed. "No one's ever –"

"Oh." He grinned wickedly. "Well, you will enjoy this."

Without further hesitation, Loki began making love to her with his mouth. She let out a small sound of surprise before grabbing his hair. She seemed to be caught between just scraping his scalp and pushing his mouth harder against her.

Making the decision for her, he flattened his tongue against her and hummed when she arched against him and opened her legs wider for him. She was realizing she could enjoy this, trust him with this. She didn't stop him when he placed his hands on her stomach to keep her from moving as much. His grip on her didn't do much against her arching up when she reached her climax. He didn't want her to feel trapped or as if he were forcing her down.

He kept lapping against her as she came down, didn't stop until her fingers relaxed their grip on his hair. Even then he stayed where he was, only moving to rest his chin on her pelvic bone. He enjoyed the view even as he tugged her hands free from his hair and then kissed her right palm.

Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily, trying to get herself back under control.

"Okay?" he asked even though he already knew the answer

"Brilliant." She tugged at his hands. "Get up here."

He did as requested, kissing up her body on the way. Once there, she pushed him on his back and they were back where they had started, only now they had no clothing between them. His length was sandwiched between his stomach and her folds. She had seated herself that way deliberately and was rocking gently against him. It felt divine.

"Arianna, I thought –"

"Making love without penetration, remember? Is this okay?"

"Of course."

It was better than okay. He enjoyed it, and she enjoyed it. When he was soaked from her juices she took him in her hand and brought him off that way. His climax was intense and it left him peaceful enough that he could have fallen asleep had he wanted to.

Arianna picked up her shirt then to clean herself off where the proof of Loki's climax had hit her stomach and dropped to her thighs.

"Men are so messy," she teased lightly.

Some had gotten on him as well he noticed.

"Don't mess up your shirt," he said and gently pushed her onto her side of the bed. "I'll get a wash cloth."

He groggily got up and did just that, washing himself off in the bathroom and bringing the cloth back to clean her. She hadn't moved from her spot and was almost asleep when he reached her.

He considered that a job well done.