Chapter 13:

Sora gently dabbed the blood away from the cut on Loki's forehead. She had to make sure the area was clean before going to work on healing the gash.

It did not take them too long to get into the healing rooms unnoticed. Loki knew all the back passages. Now that they were inside, they had to muddle through mending each other as best they could without the healers. It would have been better to call upon one, but that would only bring on the inevitable storm of consuls and their endless inquiry about their journey and mysterious return home. Loki asked that Sora not mention the spell he used to open the portal. It could mean a great deal of grief for him if anyone found out he could travel through space without the help of the Bifrost. Sora had agreed to keep silent, painfully aware of the council's distrust of him.

The injured prince was sitting on the couch, leaning his head against the seat back and looking up at the vaulted ceiling. Sora sat beside him, a bloodstained rag in hand as she carefully cleaned him up. Dipping her fingers into the basin of healing waters by her side, she held them over his wound and allowed the droplets to fall on it. Loki winced in pain as the water bound his flesh back together.

"Sorry, forgot to warn you about the sting," she said, a playful grin tugging at her lips. He had once said these very words to her the day they first met. He was cleaning her wounds at the time. Loki let out an amused laugh, accepting that perhaps he had that one coming.

As he waited for the wound to heal, Sora began to study the smooth planes of his angular face. He was not the hero she had imagined for herself when she was a girl. Yet somehow, she preferred him to any other man she knew- far more than she had felt safe to admit. Her attraction to him was frighteningly real. So palpable, she could barely keep herself from reaching out and touching him. Breaking out of her revere, she noticed her hand hovering over his chest. She cautiously withdrew it before he could notice.

"There," she said lowering the cloth to her side and examining the newly healed cut. Her cheeks were slightly pink from her near indiscretion. "I'm all done."

Loki slowly sat up and turned to face her. "Alright, now you," he insisted, taking the cloth from her hand and motioning for her sit back.

Sora looked at him slightly confused, "am I injured?" She had not felt nor thought she was. Perhaps it slipped her mind due to all the previous excitement.

"Only slightly," he said with a light smirk. Bringing the cloth up to her face, he gently pressed it to several small grazes on her left cheek and jaw. Sora's breathing slowed at his gentle touch. Loki was very careful to be gentle, his expression soft and almost boyish as he dabbed at her cuts. The light ghosting of his fingers across her face was no accident as his deep green eyes sought out her starry grey ones.

Sora held her breath in suspense as he reached up and curled his hand around the back of her neck. His long fingers slid into her hair, making Sora shiver from his intimately close proximity. It would have been wise for her to stop him, but she couldn't bring herself to.

So when Loki pulled her close and pressed a soft, languid kiss to her lips, she melted into him. Sora knew the sensible thing to do would be to break away, but she found herself twining her fingers in the back of his long hair and pulling him closer to her.

Loki had wanted this for a long time, ached for it even. But he had to wait for the proper moment to arise before he could show her how he felt. Even though he knew he should have let the matter drop, the more he got to know her, the more he was certain that he wouldn't be able to leave her alone. Maybe if it were another woman he could, but not Sora. They fit together somehow, in a strange way. It was improper to be sure, but being who he was, he often enjoyed a bit of impropriety.

The tip of her tongue brushed lightly against his lower lip and whether it was on purpose or not, it stoked Loki's passion. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he lowered her down onto the couch and pressed her into the cushions as he deepened their kiss. Caught in the moment, he slid his hand up over the front of her tunic and settled on the swell of her breast. The moment he realized this, he pulled away from her lips and moved his hand off of her chest with an embarrassed laugh. Sora saw the light blush creeping up onto his cheeks and couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry about the hand," he said somewhat sheepishly. Still, there was that ever-present mischievous glint in his eyes.

She let out a small laugh as he helped her back up to a sitting position next to him. "Don't worry, if I were offended, you would know."

Loki's smile turned impish then, "I'm certain I would."

The doors to the halls burst open then and both Loki and Sora tore their hands off of each other. Resuming a professional demeanor, they turned to greet the sudden intruders.

Please Review! I know it's been a while but I'm working hard to get more chapters up and in a timelier fashion. Please feed you author! Love, Miss Scary Kitty!