I felt like writing a part two. Of sorts.
Loki felt his eyes drifting shut as Eira absently ran her fingers through his hair. The god of mischief found himself in a very familiar, but not unpleasant, position. He lay on his bed, with his head in his fiance's lap. They were both reading, which was how they spent most of their time together recently. Eira shifted uncomfortably, causing Loki to glance up.
"Are your legs falling asleep, love?" he asked.
Eira shook her head. "There's just not much room for two people on this bed."
"Ah, yes. It is smaller than the other one. They seem to be trying to discourage certain activities," he said suggestively.
"I don't see why you would want to. Not with that glass wall there," she replied flatly, unfazed by his charm.
"I could easily take care of that."
"No, Loki."
"You've been awfully testy as of late. Are you sure you're not-"
Eira stood up so quickly, that he almost went tumbling off the bed. She stalked over to the chair, picked up her cloak, and started to put it on.
"Eira, love, no," Loki hurried over to her, gently taking her shoulders. "Please stay."
The healer closed her eyes and took a deep breath
"I really wish you wouldn't take it out on me," she said evenly.
"I know, I'm sorry," he replied.
Eira looked him in the eye, "Are you really?"
"Yes," he answered honestly. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her gently on the forehead. "Please don't leave yet."
"I'll stay as long as I can," she promised softly.
"You can stay all night if you want."
"I can't keep staying all night, Loki," she said gently.
"Why not?" he pouted, placing his hands on Eira's shoulders.
"People are starting to wonder where I go all the time. If there's an emergency in the middle of the night, they won't be able to find me."
Loki narrowed his eyes at her explanation, "Since when do you care so much about what other people think?"
Eira stared at the ground, ashamed. Whatever anger Loki held on the subject melted away. He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze, then pulled her into a hug. Eira wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I know it's hard," he said. "Your heart is too kind to love someone like me."
"Don't say that," she muttered into his chest. She felt his chuckle more than she heard it.
"Alright," Loki agreed, pulling away from the embrace to lead his fiancé back to the bed. "I simply meant that someone with a heart as kind as yours is not strong enough to love someone like myself."
"Your words are not helping your cause, Silver-tongue," Eira laughed. Her words made the god of mischief pause.
"Silver-tongue?" he asked.
"Well you refuse to be called Odinson, and I know that you'd never want to be called Laufeyson," she explained. "And I have to have something to call you when you're in trouble."
"So you picked Silver-tongue?"
Eira shrugged. "It was already one of your monikers."
"Well, there are several things this 'silver tongue' can do," Loki smirked, taking her waist and pulling her close to his body.
"You are impossible this evening," she groaned.
Loki chuckled. Teasing Eira had always been fun. She never took it too seriously and when she did get mad, she didn't stay mad for very long. But despite what she said, Eira wasn't anywhere near angry with him. So he lay back down with his head in her lap, picked up his book and continued to read.
A few minutes later, a thought occurred to him. He brought his hand down until the pages of the book rested on his chest, and looked up. Eira was engrossed in her romance novel. Loki watched her eyes move back and forth along the pages, noting that they hadn't stopped shining with that warm, inner light they always had. She still chewed her lip when she came to a particularly intense or upsetting part of the story. Loki knew it was intense because her brow furrowed ever so slightly. He watched her for several minutes, not wanting to break into her world.
"I don't think I ever told you that I found it," he said finally.
"Found what?" Eira asked, her eyes still on the book in her hand.
"Do you remember, all those years ago, we were reading by the fireplace in my chambers?" he asked. "It was winter."
Her eyes shot up from the page. She clearly remembered the night he was talking about, so he continued.
"At one point, I read to you from a book of poems and you asked if I meant it to be you."
"It was not a very flattering poem," Eira replied, carefully marking her place and setting the book on the bed. "But that's a very odd thing to remember about that night. So much more happened that night, it was hardly the most exciting thing."
"Yes, but now, after all that's happened. . . . ." Loki paused. They hardly ever spoke about the past three years. He knew those years had been hard on her. His actions had caused a rift between them that they were both carefully trying to fix.
"Yes?" she encouraged.
"Well, I've finally found a poem that truly describes all you have meant to me," he finished.
Eira nodded; a simple invitation for him to continue. Loki set his book aside and sat up. Taking her hands, he looked her in the eye and began to recite from memory:
"When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings."
"Loki. . . ." his fiance's voice was laced with both understanding and sorrow. He held up a hand before she could say any more. Gently cupping her chin, he pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.
"I missed you so much," Loki whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers.
"I missed you too."
The poem is Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!