She wrapped the box containing the scarf in red and green striped wrapping paper and set it on her bed. The holiday party had gone off nicely but it had been colored by Loki's absence which she had been reminded of by a scathing glance from Kurt. Earlier in the week, she had stood in the shadows watching Logan and Loki during their self-defense class in the gym until the sight of him, his smile, his fluid movement, his face, had caused her to slip away, her arms wrapped tightly around her clipboard, tears standing in the corner of her eyes, bumping into Kurt as she left the gymnasium.

She walked into the common room, furtive, it was Christmas eve and she didn't want any little children seeing her put a present under the massive tree by the fireplace but before she could reach the tree, she stopped dead in her tracks. A lone form squatted beside the tree, a package in his hand which he was setting down upon the pile. She turned, set the present in her hand as gently as she could down upon the couch at her right, then started to walk from the room.

"Grace?" She closed her eyes at the sound of his voice, considered continuing on out of the room, finally stopping, head hung low.

She heard footsteps behind her and glanced over her shoulder. "What?"

Loki had shoved his hands into his jeans pockets to stop from fidgeting but he withdrew one and placed it on her shoulder, feeling her shrink from him slightly.

She then jerked from his grasp and turned, "What do you want?"

Loki looked at the floor, "I wished to tell you that I was sorry I have not spoken with you about what happened that night in my room."

Grace felt her throat constrict as angry tears threatened to betray her calm demeanor. "It doesn't matter," she wanted to take the words back as soon as she said them.

"It matters to me. I felt that what I had done was so repugnant, so hurtful that there was little I could do or say to make amends for so large a slight and therefore was at a loss. Does this make sense to you?"

Grace sniffed, "Why bother then, right?"

Loki looked to the ceiling then down at her again, "You miss my meaning. You were right, about everything you said, about Sarah, about myself. I have tried to reconcile myself to what has happened but I cannot heal without the woman who has seen me through from the beginning."

Grace wanted to back away from him and run from the room but he took her gloved hand in his own. She didn't pull away but didn't return the grip.

"If there be a way for me to say what I wish to without scaring you from this room, please tell me of it."

Grace swallowed hard, her head beginning to swim. "Sometimes you have to just say it and take the consequences as they come."

Loki squeezed her hand, a nervous laugh as he averted his gaze, "You make it sound easy."

Grace finally returned his squeeze, "Do you love me, Loki?"

He gave a small imperceptible nod at first, then another more vigorous one and looked at her again, "I am in love with you, Grace."

She put her other hand to her mouth but he gently withdrew it. "Do you love me in return?"

She searched his face with her eyes, "You know the answer to that."

As he leaned forward, she had a moment of panic before their lips touched that was quickly dispelled by the tingle that shot throughout her body, opening her mouth against his, stealing her breath and unlocking her knees as she leaned into him, their tongues intertwining, rough and silk sliding together, the room fading from their thoughts as their hands sought purchase upon each others body, he lifting her up to him, she locking her gloved hands behind his head, finally backing from the kiss with a whispered, "Shit." as they tried to slow their pounding hearts.

"Grace," He murmured into her ear, "I have wanted to kiss you for so long." smiling at her weak nod, her cheek brushing his. He stroked her hair, touching his lips in a tender kiss against the juncture where her jaw met her throat.

"What about Sarah?" She murmured, breathing in the scent of him, his hair, his skin.

He leaned back from her, his hand at her cheek, "We shall always be connected but her heart lies also with another, what we once had has changed, become indistinct while our relationship, Grace, has clarified, become solid."

"I've never been in a serious relationship, I have to tell you." Grace stepped away from him, "I've always been afraid of.." She hesitated, "this."

Loki drew her by the hand to one of the couches around the tree, sitting beside her and drawing her against him where they sat quiet for a few minutes watching the lights of the Christmas tree.

"I have a gift for you, I was setting it beneath the tree as was customary when you walked in on me. Might I give it to you?"

Grace nodded, "I had the same idea, hold on." They both stood, she to the couch nearest the door to retrieve her present, he to the tree.

They sat back down on the couch, exchanging packages, unwrapping them without words. He smiled as he saw the colors of the scarf, pulling it from the box. "My standards." he draped it over his neck, "It is beautifully wrought. Thank you."

She lifted the gloves from the box slowly and turned them over in her hands. "Loki," she murmured, "These are lovely, I've never had anyone give me gloves before and as for the color, we must have been thinking along the same lines."

Loki ran his fingers along the yarn of the scarf, "If you had a standard, I would have used those colors but I believe this worked out better, now people will know you are mine."

She gave him a playful shove, "Because we color coordinate? It takes a lot more than that."

He reached over and pulled her towards him, "Perhaps if they saw us like this?"

The intensity with which he came at her throat, mouth open against her skin, tongue tracing patterns as he suckled gently, startled her and she drew breath in a hiss, her hands coming up, palms open at his chest, her eyes closed at the heat in that single point of contact, shivering as he nuzzled beneath her chin with the bridge of his nose, finding other places to explore. She slid her hands to his shoulders, kneading, her jaw slack, all strength gone from her save the power of speech.

"Loki, someone's going to walk in and," He nuzzled her head back, nipped at her chin, "Sweet Jesus, they're going to see us like this." She managed to gasp as she leaned away from him, looking into his eyes bright with passion.

"We should stop. Someone is going to hear us and come exploring." She pressed her gloved hand to his cheek, smiling as he put his hand over hers to hold it there.

"We should indeed, I am become inflamed with desire for you and this is neither the time nor the place to continue in such a manner." He stood from the couch, pulling her up with him. "I shall walk you to your rooms and bid you goodnight."

They held hands as they walked, fingers interlaced together until they reached her door, he bending in for a short sweet kiss.

"You know I'm pretty difficult to shake, right?" She whispered, their foreheads touching.

"You must know I am just as tenacious."

She backed away then, "Merry Christmas, Loki."

"Merry Christmas, Grace." He bowed to her, smiling as she walked into her rooms and closed the door behind her.

As he walked to his rooms, hands wrapped around the ends of the scarf, a thought came unbidden to his mind. A vision of Sarah, her hands wrapped around her swollen belly, grimacing in pain, and he nearly collapsed to his knees, leaning against the nearest wall for support. Though the vision passed as quickly as it came, he knew the babies were ready to be born and he was seized with rage sudden and hot at the urge to be at her side while she delivered their children, angry that he could still feel such intensity for the woman who had chosen to betray his feelings by taking up with his brother, angrier still that he could not stop his own feelings for Grace, even now needing her touch to soothe him, comfort him. They had both taken this path, he knew full well, but after the birth of the children, he knew that path was going to change and he feared the course.

The first week of the new year saw a mild thaw, the snow turning to slush and water along the long drive up to the mansion. It also saw a new couple emerge in the faculty. They tried to be discreet at first but a stolen long kiss on New Year's eve in the hallway had only served to cement what everyone was seeing. At times Grace had noticed he seemed distant and after repeated pleadings to tell her what was wrong, he had finally confessed his apprehension at Sarah's distress. She had tried to mask her petulance but it was obvious to Loki and he had crushed her in a fierce embrace, kisses like a balm for her worries.

The snow storm that began that Friday morning ushered in a storm of another kind when Loki was stopped by Ororo on his way to the Self Defense class.

"Loki, I need to talk to you in my office."

He raised an eyebrow, concerned at once but followed her to the office, taking the chair offered him.

"I just received a call from Fury, Sarah has delivered the babies, twins, healthy but early. Now do you have an explanation for why you never told me she was pregnant?"

Loki's hands had gripped the arms of the chair as he listened to her and now he was back on his feet, suddenly pacing like a caged animal, his heart thudding heavy in his chest. "I did not think anyone would understand how I had left her as she was. We were both in danger, more so with my presence and I chose to remove myself as I told you when I came here. It is my fault and my burden to bear."

Ororo frowned, "Children are not a burden."

"No, no, the burden I speak of is the guilt I harbor for making such rash decisions in the past. I should have never gotten involved with Sarah in the first place knowing what she was and our actions were our undoing."

"Does Grace know about the babies?" Ororo folded her hands on the desk, watched Loki nod. "And she's okay with it?"

"We have discussed at length what will happen."

"Loki," She stopped him as he reached the door. "What's going to happen now?"

"I do not know."

Logan had shaken his head when Loki had begged him to bring him to the train station, explaining that he'd go into the city, see the babies and return without being seen. When Logan had asked how and Loki had transformed into a mirror image of him, he had agreed but only if he was allowed to go along.

"You need someone who knows the city a bit better than you, Long Horn." he had said to him as they walked into the garage.

He had begun to doze as the commuter train made the next station, his head against the window but was jolted awake moments later when it pulled away from the platform. He heard Logan snort in the seat next to him,

"Whatsa matter long horn, can't get used to those sudden stops and starts?"

He sat up and stretched. "How long until we reach our destination?"

Logan returned his attention to the magazine he'd been reading, "I don't know, I thought you were paying attention."

Loki saw the corners of Logan's mouth twitch and chose to ignore him, instead looking out at the landscape streaking by the window, his thoughts drifting back to the events of the day. Sarah had said she missed him and he had seen into her thoughts that it was true, he had said words to her that had brought bitterness to his heart knowing what he was keeping from her, and even more anguish as he had seen her own heart torn between him and Thor, made all the worse as she stood before him and the old feelings began to flood back. He had looked at his son, the dark hair, the blue of his skin, anticipating the rejection of the world he had been born into, wanting to scoop him up and bring him back to the school to protect him. He had wanted to scream out his anger as the elevator doors closed on Sarah's form standing there in the hospital corridor, bassinet before her.

The platform was nearly deserted as they stepped off the train. They got into the van, Loki's mind in turmoil. He had left that morning without so much as a word to Grace and now he needed to see her, to be enfolded in her arms, hear her soothing voice, feel the touch of her lips, her hands without those damnable gloves upon them.

The mansion was bustling, students, teachers in the corridors heading to dinner. After a brief search with no luck, he headed upstairs to his room without so much as a thought of food. In his rooms, he stripped to the waist and knelt on the floor, hands open, palms up on his knees, trying to slow his breathing, letting the color come to the surface of his skin until it shown a rich cerulean blue, darker than Fen's. He began to recite the old Norse prayers in his head, his lips moving soundless with the words, finding them calming, recalling old spells that he hadn't used in many ages, come unbidden but welcome to his thoughts. He never heard the door open behind him, nor the footsteps. When the hand settled on his shoulder, he dropped to one side, pivoting around to stare up at Grace.
"I didn't mean to scare you." She averted her gaze from the ruby red eyes staring up at hers, "I just wanted to talk to you."

By the time he had regained his feet, the color had faded from his skin, his eyes. He put the heels of his hands to his eyes. "I looked for you earlier."

"I was talking to Ororo." She sat down on the bed, waited for him to join her but he remained standing.

"She has told you what has come to pass." He stared at the floor in front of him, "Sarah is delivered of a son and daughter."

Grace had set her clipboard on the bed, now she fingered the clip, "You went to see her, Logan said he brought you."

Loki shook his head, "It was for me to tell you."

"Were you going to?"

He sat down beside her, hands on his knees. "That was why I sought you out. I am in such pain. It was devastating to see Sarah again. Fenris has been born Jotun," He chuckled but it came out more a growl. "Or at the very least he has the skin you saw when you walked in on me. Madison is pale with dark hair like her mother. Sarah's heart is split in two. Thor was there at the hospital with her but when she saw me, it was as if we'd never parted."

Grace looked down at her gloves, the forest green leather, the soft gold lacing, and her vision began to blur, "And how about you? Did you miss her?"

"I would be lying if I said anything other than yes, but it does not negate my feelings for you, Grace." he took her chin in his hand, pulling her head around to face him, feeling chided when she pulled away.

"We didn't make a commitment. It's not like you have to choose between me and her."

He grabbed her arm, shaking her, "I have chosen and I have chosen the woman who is as like a kindred soul as ever there was, who is here now, willing to be with me alone." He pushed her hair back from her face, "Is this enough to still your troubled mind?"

She leaned over to him, resting her head on his shoulder, "It will have to do." She canted her head upward to receive his kiss, sliding a hand over his chest, whining in frustration, finally pulling from him, "The first man I've ever wanted to touch and I can't."

He hesitated at first, then took her hand in his and began drawing off her glove.

"Loki, no please, I don't want to do this."

He held up his hand to silence her, "My brother can shield himself from my mind when he tries. He thinks I am ignorant of it." He cradled her hand palm up in his, other hand hovering above.

"Thor would think of something, usually the color red, It would block me from reading his thoughts if he concentrated hard enough. You are a powerful telepath, you should have no problem. When I touch your hand, think of that color. Throw it out like a shield."

She had started to pant as his hand neared hers and she could feel the pull of the thread between them, when he touched her palm, the thoughts rushed over her, she trying frantically not to see Loki, Fen in his arms, Sarah, her eyes meeting his, Thor in the hospital room..she pulled her hand away as if stung, "It's too much Loki. I can't."

Loki drew his thumb across her cheek to catch the tears there. "Try once more, I long to feel your touch but I do not wish to hurt you."

Once more he took her hand in his and just before he put his fingers into the palm, she envisioned a red curtain, as if on a stage, sliding shut in a spotlight, the thoughts trapped, beating helplessly at the fabric. A few thoughts getting through, minor ones but the roar in her head was diminished and it was moments before she realized he was stroking her palm with his thumbs. She smiled but the distraction served to open the curtain and she pulled her hand away again.

"Very good, Grace. We will practice until it becomes second nature to you and you will never have to wear gloves again." He kissed her again then, taking her breath away sharply as he bit her lip tenderly, drawing it in a gentle suction between his own before they broke the kiss.

"Stay here a while with me. I need your companionship, your love."

Grace nodded, "And I need yours."

When Grace had tiptoed out of Loki's room late that evening, her lips had been tingling, pleasantly numb. They had continued to kiss, lying on the bed, their bodies pressed together, passion rising to a fever pitch until they had been forced to stop. She had left, promising him that she would be there at his table for breakfast the next day, and they were inseparable from then on until the following Sunday when he failed to show up for breakfast that morning.

It was Kurt who found him in his room, underneath the covers, curled up into a ball.

"Grace looks for you, Loki. Have you overslept?"

Loki's groan concerned Kurt and he sat on the edge of the bed beside him, "Mein freund, are you sick?"

Loki was facing away from him and he turned his head, "Sarah is in Asgard with Thor. They brought the children to be marked and recognized as is the custom in Asgard with newborns."

Kurt bit his lip, nodded. "And it is customary das der father be present, Ja?"

Loki's answering nod came with another groan, "I should have been there."

"I am sorry, liebling. Truly sorry." He put a hand to Loki's back, "I vill tell Grace you are unvell."

Loki sat up then, "No, I shall get up. I have wasted too much time dwelling upon it. I will be down in a few moments."

Kurt stood from the bed, "Den I vill tell her you vill be down soon." He paused, then patted Loki's shoulder, "Peace, mein freund."

Ororo caught him in the hallway Monday as he headed to class. "Loki, come with me."

He glanced down the hallway, "I will be late, Ororo."

"I'll talk to Logan, you have a phone call waiting in the office." Loki gave her a look of confusion but followed her into her office, to her desk where the phone sat, light blinking on its panel.

"Just pick it up and answer it, I'll be out in the hallway."

Loki watched her leave as he lifted the receiver from its cradle, "Hello?"

"Loki,"

It was Sarah, he felt for the chair behind him and sat down, "Yes?"

"It's me, Sarah. I'm going to come up with the babies to see you Thursday afternoon, when do you finish classes that day?"

"They keep you well informed, do they not?"

He heard the pause, "Loki are you okay?"

"I finish the Self Defense class at three-fifteen. Then I am free."

"Do you not want me to come and see you, or something?"

It was Loki's turn to pause this time, "I wish to see my children, I will be waiting for you."

He had been ready to hang up when Sarah continued, "Thor brought me to Asgard with the children to meet your father and mother."

"His father and mother. Yes I know of your trip and the reason."

"Ah, I got it. Okay I'm sorry, I can't help it if you weren't able to go. It wasn't my decision to make. Thor did a good job though, don't worry about that."

Loki's jaw ached, so hard did he clench his teeth together, "I am sure he did."

"I gotta go, I'm heading back to work. I'll see you Thursday."

He hung up without a response, his head swimming. He did not wish to expose Grace to Sarah, worrying that seeing her would send Grace into a panic but there was nothing for it.

Thursday morning dawned snowy and cold. Loki was on tenterhooks the entire day, unable to concentrate on class, earning a short lecture from Logan about leaving his outside business just that. When a dark blue nondescript sedan pulled up to the front doors around four that afternoon, Loki was immediately on the front steps heading out to help Sarah with the babies. They carried the carriers into the common room which was deserted, a fire snapping and crackling in the grate.

Sarah unbundled first Fen, handing him to Loki who put him to his chest, patting his back gently, then Madison whom she left in her carrier asleep. Loki watched Sarah as she moved, barely able to control his emotions, varied as they were.

"It was a herculean task getting Fury to let me come see you." Sarah stroked Fen's hair as she sat beside Loki.

"I was not aware you needed permission to go anywhere."

"I don't but if I had just left with the children and Thor had told Fury where I was headed, I would have heard it."

Loki sneered, "Yes indeed, I mustn't forget your keeper,"

"My keeper? Fury isn't my keeper."

His laughter startled her, "I meant that oaf of a brother, Thor, and why would you tell them where you go in the first place?"

He had seen the blush rise to her cheeks at the mention of his brother's name and despite his own promise to himself, he let his mind connect with hers for only a brief second, seeing all he needed to in that flash. His hands tightened on his son, holding him protectively to his chest.

"I have to tell them where I go, they find out regardless, just like they did when we got together for the first time." She paused, "Thor is concerned about you, he loves you, he says you're wrong, that you are only judging him by your own actions."

"Believe nothing he says. He would fill your head with what he wishes you to know,"

Sarah sat back in the couch, "Not even the fact you tried to kill him there in that cell when he tried to chain you to the wall."

Loki glared at her, "How desperate would you have been had you seen them coming at you with shackles and a muzzle?"

Sarah closed her eyes, "So you did try to kill him?"

"After his own attempt failed." he set Fen down in his carrier, his anger rising.

"I can't believe he tried to kill you first," She shook her head.

"Why, because he is all goodness and light and I am evil incarnate?"

Sarah put her hand on his arm, "I never said that."

Loki shrugged her hand from him, "You need not say it, I will always lie to you, is that not what he tells you."

"Stop putting words into my mouth.."

Loki sat forward on the couch, "He would have caved in my skull with Mjolinr had I not been quick enough, ask him if it is not so. He will not lie to you, him you may trust."

Sarah had folded her arms before her, "I trusted you not to leave me alone when I needed you most. I was sick with worry and had to go through the pregnancy like that."

He was quiet for a moment, he had felt her pain and distress those long months, "I wished to spare you from a life on the run."

"And yourself, all I could think of was the fact that you had been a coward, of course that was between bouts of extreme depression."

"Which my brother helped you to overcome." he muttered.

"Loki,"

"It is so convenient for him, having both of his women under one roof."

Sarah closed her eyes, "Don't do this, please."

Loki leaned forward, his face inches from hers, "Tell me, have you slept with him yet?"

She opened her eyes, sinking back into the couch when she realized how close he was, "I can't believe you asked me that, you're bitter."

"Do not lie Sarah, you know what I am."

Sarah pushed him from before her and stood from the couch, "If you know, why ask me?"

Loki stood with her, "Because I want to hear you say it. I want you to tell me the truth."

Sarah swallowed hard, looked at the carpet, the babies, "I have, is that what you want to hear? Does that make it any easier?"

Grace heard voices being raised in the common room and she drifted over to the archway, suddenly aware that Loki was in a heated discussion with a woman who could only have been Sarah. She stood listening, her stomach turning.

"If we had stayed together, they would have found us and I would most definitely be back on Asgard, imprisoned, perhaps dead. If that is what you wished, please tell me so that I may call the Bifrost and return to my punishment."

"Oh stop it, Jesus, Loki."

"Perhaps you could call the Bifrost yourself, you have traveled there with Thor, have you not?"

"I had to, Thor brought the babies to be marked and recognized by Odin."

Loki sneered, "I should have been there."

"You couldn't, you said so yourself, you'd risk your life."

"And I was never given the chance to decline the offer."

Fen had begun to fuss and Sarah picked him up from the carrier, bouncing him, rocking him.

"It's heading towards their feeding time, I'm going to get going, hold Fen."

"You just arrived, why are you leaving?" he rubbed Fen's back as he watched her re-bundle Madison.

"Loki, is there much else to say to each other? All we're doing is fighting and I'm too tired to fight anymore. You've had your answers."

He tried to keep the tremor from his voice, "When will I see you and the children again?"

"I don't know, I'm on nights the next two weeks. Maybe then?"

Grace stumbled into the kitchen, her stomach finally betraying her as she vomited into the large stainless steel sink, grateful that no one else was there to see her. She rinsed out the sink, sweat beading on her forehead as she leaned over the counter, panting. When she was able to, she straightened back up and walked out to the common room, intending to introduce herself to Sarah but the common room was deserted. She looked down the corridors to the left and right, then up the stairs, all at once trotting up them to search for Loki and Sarah.

Sarah strapped Fen's carrier into the seat, then Madison's while Loki stood beside the car, watching, hands in his pocket, waiting until she stood up and shut the car door, turning to him.

"I'll call you." She backed away, starting towards the driver's side.

"Do you still love me?" Loki watched her reaction to his question which said more than any one word.

"Not like I used to. It's different, Loki, but it's not your fault. I worry about you, I care about you." She stopped, her voice had become hoarse. "We made a mistake. I'm sorry that it took so long to figure that out."

He looked away from her, silent.

"I've got to go. I'll talk to you soon."

He watched her walk towards him again and he backed away from her, stopping her in her tracks. Without another word, she was soon in the driver's seat of the black company car. Before the car had completed the circuit around the courtyard to leave, Loki had already returned to the mansion.

He had thrown the door open to his room and slammed it shut hard enough to knock the clock from the nightstand beside it. As the color rose to his skin, the lines appearing upon his body, nails darkening to ink black, he began to panic. The emotions that were tearing him apart would not fade with his Jotun form as they had so many times in the past, the cold blood running through his veins glazing over his thoughts. He knelt on the carpet, his chest heaving as he tried to control the well of pain that had opened inside him upon seeing Sarah, hearing her say what he'd seen in her heart. His hands shook, palms open, clenching and un-clenching, eyes closed, jaw slack. The knock on his door went unanswered once, twice, until the door creaked open. Grace circled around until she was before him and knelt down on the floor.

"Loki?" She put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him back to look into his face at the lines of lighter blue fading into the darker tones of his forehead, cheeks, neck.

"I cannot center myself," He croaked, "It is truly over between us, she will share my brother's bed tonight, he has presented the children to the Allfather, I remain an outcast even to mine own."

He canted forward, his head resting on her shoulder, a strangled cry escaping him that rose in crescendo to an angry roar until she encircled him with her arms and held him.

"You're still here, you have me," she murmured, startled when he tore away from her.

"What care I for humans? Soft, weak, fickle. A plague upon Midgard, upon my soul. She called what happened between us a mistake, and she is right, what we shared was wrong."

She placed her hands to his face, "You can't think like that, do you believe we're wrong too?"

He tried to turn away from her but she kept her hands steady, "Tell me." watching a tear finally spill over his cheek, red changing to blue, magnifying the color beneath it.

"We will always be wrong, and I shall never be strong enough to deny that which I desire so desperately, whether I be cursed until the end of creation."

She pulled him to her and kissed him, the contact serving to breach the barrier between them. His hand slid to the back of her head where he entwined his fingers in her hair and yanked her head back to lunge at her throat, teeth grazing her skin, breath a quick harsh rhythm as he trailed kisses like fire down to her collarbone, biting, nipping, at the edge of pain, he followed out to her shoulder, pulling the collar of her blue velour sweater aside to lave the skin there. He had wrapped an arm around her waist, crushing her to him and now he stood with her, lifting her up to stand, pushing her to the wall beside his bed, trapping her with his body, parting her legs with one knee so that she was helpless to move one way or the other.

"Loki, ah.." She panted into his ear, "Please."

"I shall."

He took her wrists, pinning them to the wall at her back, meeting her lips, hunger and pure animalistic passion moving his hips, rutting against her, stopping her protests with his tongue until she started to relax, her body slipping down to sit upon his knee, her own hips betraying her as she slid against his thigh in response, a soft moan escaping her. He was lost now, hand letting go of one wrist, drifting down her arm to her side where he settled, his fingers matching her rib cage, thumb tracing the swell of her breast just shy of the nipple which he could feel had hardened even through the layers of fabric and undergarment. He took encouragement from it, sliding higher to rub his thumb over the tip, receiving a louder moan into his mouth and an involuntary thrust of her hips as she arched forward as a reward. He slid his hand beneath the hem of the sweater then, fingers working under the edge of her bra, thumb and forefinger giving a gentle pinch, feeling the areola wrinkle as the skin around the nipple tightened further, the sensation seeming to travel through her body to his groin as he grew harder, his own response more insistent and he struggled to maintain himself.

"My nature as I am now," he breathed, "Is rather brutal. I wish not to hurt you."

"You won't, I trust you." he leaned back, her dark ebony eyes locking with his, glittering, ruby.

His senses exploded as she leaned her head back to the wall and closed her eyes, desire clouding his mind, her submission throwing him into a frenzy. He let loose her other wrist, wrapping his arms around her waist and moving her to the bed, lifting her up until her head lay on his pillow, her chestnut hair a halo around her. He knew when he first took her, he would be unable to control himself and he nearly considered burying his Jotun form to gentle himself until she reached her hand up to cup his face,

"Beautiful." let her hand trail down to his chest, flipping the buttons of his gray shirt apart as it descended, finally baring his chest with a wave of her fingers to nestle in the scant hair.

"Remove your gloves, Grace."

She had been studying the pattern of lines that followed the curves of his ribs, across his pectorals, down his arms, over his shoulders, across his stomach but his words made her hand curl into a ball at his sternum.

"I don't think I can, do it again, Loki."

He leaned to one side, bringing his hand to hers, drawing the fingertips upwards, finally slipping the glove from her hand.

"I have shown you what to do and I wish to feel your hand upon my body, do what you will."

Her hand hovered at his chest, she took a deep breath, and drew her fingertips across the lines running down to his navel, whisper soft, shuddering, lost in the sensation that dropped his head forward taking his breath from him.

He pushed her hand away and in one swift movement had drawn her sweater over her head, her bra to follow. He leaned over then to give suck and she arched up into him, his tongue swirling patterns over first one nipple then the other as she turned her head to the side, lost in the electrifying jolts through her body, feeling herself open in response as her knees fell parted. He followed the swell of her breasts down to her ribs, nipping, licking, around to the dip above her pubic bone where he brought his hand up and released the button of her jeans, pushing away the hand that shot up in nervous reaction to the sudden implication of what was to come. smiling as she arched again, reaching up to his own waist and tugging at the edge of his own pants. He guided her hand to the zipper and pulled it down with her, slipping the waist band down to free himself, pulling first one leg then the other free from their confines, kicking them free, to the floor, sitting back then and drawing her jeans down her legs to discard them at the end of the bed to lie entangled with his own in a mirror of their impending union, returning to hook his thumbs into the white panties that covered what he so desperately needed. She was trembling then, putting up the hand that still wore a glove.

"I'm scared, Loki."

He shook his head, a gentle smile as she raised her hips, allowing him to draw the panties down until they slid off her ankles, "I will not hurt you."

"It's not that.."

He took his hands, parting her legs, poised between them, hard and ready, she could feel his length at the inside of her thigh, leaving a trail of moisture belying his desire, felt her tense, her gloved hand squeeze one shoulder, the other hovering behind his head then slide down to his waist where he felt her press her fingers into the small of his back, signaling her readiness and without warning he pushed forward, entering her in one swift plunge, her cry, pain mingled with pleasure, serving to still him though he only wished to lift her from the bed with his thrusts.

"Please save me" he whispered. She nodded and he groaned as she bucked her hips against him, he returning the motion, repeating it, her arms wrapping around his neck, feet locked around his calves as he abandoned himself to the timeless motions of love, listening to her soft whimper as he kept even with her rhythm, matching it, overtaking it as she rose to meet him, trying to keep her body in contact with his own, the strength of their coupling drawing a growl from deep within him as his rhythm began to break, hips stuttering against hers, breath coming fast and urgent. He groaned into her neck as he felt himself already reaching the point of no return, it had been too long for him, she had accepted him in his basest form and the realization gave power to his movement, thrusts becoming harder until he was raising her from the bed with every one, hearing her whisper his name as he felt her tighten around him pulsing like a heartbeat, her voice rising in a breathy keen unsteady and staccato as he pressed his mouth to hers in a paroxysm of pleasure. He knew he could not allow himself the satisfaction, the pleasure of spending himself inside of her and with a cry of frustration, he withdrew from her, hearing her mirror his reaction, giving one final thrust over her abdomen, as he spilled his seed across his fingers to her stomach, hot, slick, his head thrown back to the ceiling, tears in the corners of his eyes. He put his head down to meet hers, both of them panting, overcome, his arms trembling with the effort of holding himself poised above her.

"Let me only catch my breath, my love." He breathed over her, "And something to clean you with."

As he rose and turned himself to the side, he heard her, "You were my first."

He paused, turned to her, "The Gods wept, why did you not tell me?"

She looked at him, "I thought you knew?"

He rose from the bed, "I did not, it never came to me through our connection. I would never have taken you like this had I known."

He trotted into the bathroom, returning with a warm washcloth, gently wiping her stomach, her chest, hearing her giggle as he shook his head. "Forgive my, ah..." He wiped a bit higher, "enthusiasm."

He sat back down on the bed, taking in the beauty of her form, her full hips, round curves, taut breasts, sturdy legs, draping one hand between her thighs, feeling her squeeze his fingers with a press together. "Did I hurt you?"

She stroked her bare hand along his arm, "Only with words."

He lifted the hand from his arm and kissed it, "I will make amends to you for any slight, I will whisper words of love to you until your heart overflows, only forgive me my transgressions."

"It was beautiful." she smiled up at him, reaching for his face, "You are beautiful."

He returned her smile, feeling the palm of her hand, skin against skin, "I do not feel beautiful like this. Desire must have blinded you." He stood again then, his color fading until it matched her own, bending to retrieve his clothes, laying hers on the bed beside her. He pulled his jeans on, watching her as she sat up slowly.

She drew her bra over her head and adjusted it, glanced at him, "Could I come back tonight?"

He thought of how dangerously close he'd come to emptying himself inside her, knowing that if they were to couple again so soon, he would most certainly do so, his resolve weakening even then as she pressed her body to his in a lover's embrace.

"What of the others? What if someone were to see you arrive at my quarters in the evening only to leave at morning light?"

Grace retreated back from him, "They'd know we're a couple now. It's not against the rules, Loki."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, "Grace, I fear that if you return to my bed tonight, I shall not be strong enough to withdraw from you. I would not wish to get you with child." he gave her a weak grin belying his concern.

She sighed, sat back down beside him, "Then I'll go on the pill."

"Pill?" Loki tilted his head in that way she had grown to love.

"Yes silly, it's medicine to stop a woman from getting pregnant, you get it from a doctor."

He stroked her cheek with his fingers, "And you would work this magic for us?"

She nodded, "Tomorrow, I'll talk to Doc Adamson.

He cupped her face with his hands, "Let it be this way for now. We have all the time in the world, I have found my home here with you, with Kurt and Logan, Ororo, Kitty. I must focus on Fen and Madison now."

She closed her eyes, "I'll be there to help you. I hope she's not the vindictive type."

"It will not matter to her, our lives are separate, save for our children. It is what it is."

That night, Loki lay alone in his bed, the pillow she had lain on wrapped between his arms, wanting to creep to her bedroom and hold her to him as she slept, but staying himself. Sleep that night was deep, content, before slumber overtook him completely, daydreaming of Fen and Madison living at the school with him, happy and accepted among their own kind, as he now was.