Chapter 22: Argument

As the week went on Cephera began to return to her self-conscious feelings she'd had after that dream. In a week the only thing her and Loki shared had been their time together before bed. They spoke to one another after sex but when they woke they went about their own very different days. There was nothing about life that had changed other than the attention he gave her in the bedroom. She hadn't really paid any mind to it at first. After all it was a nice change but now she couldn't help but wonder where that would take them.

Cephera didn't want to push the issue and so she kept quiet. It wasn't like he ignored her outside the bedroom. He ate breakfast with her now and bid her a good day before leaving her behind to do his own thing. He acknowledged her. Now she lay in bed her mind broken from the pleasures she'd only experienced moments ago. Loki lay beside her on his back and she was half settled upon his chest. "Loki?" She said his name in a questioning manner so he would know it would follow with another question. "This potion I take to prevent me from conceiving, will it have any permanent effects on me?" She asked curious.

"In what manner?" He asked in return shifting slightly.

"If taken to often could it possibly harm my chances of having a child in the future?" She tilted her head up to gaze at him in the soft light of the still lit candles.

"It will not but such a thing is irrelevant any way. As any children produced with you would be a halfbreed I desire no part of such a travesty." Loki snorted and she could hear his arrogance thick in his voice. Cephera sat up looking down at him.

"Travesty? Because they would be half breeds. I'm finally acceptable as your wife but anything created from me are heinous and unworthy?" She questioned her pride felt pricked and she felt considerably insulted by his tone and demeanour.

"I will not have such absurd ideas running through your mind. There will be no children between us." Loki glared at her as she shot a glare back at him. "And don't even think about going against me and tricking me by not taking your remedy. If you dare do such a thing you will regret it." Cephera narrowed her eyes and felt that well of anger in her.

"I can't Believe you'd think I would stoop to something so low as trickery." She said. "That's your expertise not mine." She said holding a bitterness not often displayed from her.

"How dare you." Loki shot up to sit and his hand came around her throat. He didn't squeeze hard but it had a threatening feel to it.

There was a low growl before Loki was knocked completely from the bed to the floor by Shiaji. His large paws pinning Loki to the floor and his teeth bared. "I'm not dealing with this." Cephera said jumping up and grabbing a robe. She threw it on and only when she was at the door did she call Shiaji to her. She fled quickly not wanting to look back.

(Loki)

Loki didn't go after her. His anger was getting to him. Everything had been going so well. Why couldn't she have just kept her mouth shut. Sunrise came and she didn't return. Loki checked in with his mother and found she hadn't seen his wife either. He left his mothers quarters even as she spoke behind him and on his way down through the many hallways he was stopped by Shay which was just as well because she was the next on his list of people to check with.

"You idiot." She said harshly.

"Watch your tongue. I'm in no mood for your insults." Loki said immediately feeling angry again.

"You know I get that all of this acceptance is still not easy on you but you can't just go around saying what you like to her. She has feelings Loki." Shay continued waving off his anger. "You have no idea how much your words stung her pride and insulted her integrity." Shay was shaking her head at him.

"What would you have me do, lie to her and give her false hopes?" Loki's spat in return. He didn't like being approached in this manner.

"How do you know you'll never want children with her. You don't even know her. In a week what have you learned about her aside from the things she can do or be taught in the bedroom." Shay pointed out.

"Moulding her to my specification in the bedroom had been your suggestion from the start or have you forgotten?" Loki hissed his eyes narrowed.

"Yes to begin a relationship with her. For Valhalla sake Loki you have to put in more effort than that." Shay threw her hands in the air frustrated.

"I would have in time. Is it not enough I have given her my attention. Do not push me." Loki growled in return.

"Look even if you had just told her that you are uncertain about how you feel about children that would have been better then the words you did use." Shay bit her lip with clear disappointment written on her face.

"Where is she?" Loki demanded wishing to leave behind this current argument.

"She went home Loki. She's left Asgard." Shay just stared at him as Loki roared in anger and stalked off.

(Cephera)

After her argument with Loki, Cephera retreated back to Mechanova. She told the gatekeeper she was home sick. She was sure he knew the truth as not much escaped his watch but he said nothing to her. In a borrowed dress from Shay she left Asgard. She needed to get away. She needed to see her sister.

Arriving at the palace she snuck inside through the servants paths not wanting to talk to anyone else but Seraphina. She crept into her sisters room unnoticed. Her sister was awake already and as she wasn't in bed Cephera headed for the bathroom. Sure enough Seraphina was enjoying a hot bubble bath. When Seraphina saw her she sat up so quick she sloshed water all over the edge and onto the floor.

"Cephera?!" She said in a surprised tone before her eyebrows knitted together. "What's wrong?" Her sister asked her knowing full well Cephera was not there as her happy self. Cephera moved to the bath tub kneeling next to it and leaning on its edge. She recanted all that had happened between her and Loki this past week and finally their last words spoken. Seraphina thought it over which surprised Cephera. She'd expected her sister to get angry at Loki but she didn't look at all irritated.

"Really what did you expect!" Her sister said shocking her completely.

"What do you mean?" Cephera was confused.

"Look since you got here all I've heard about is how he finally consummated the marriage and the sex is great and you've had an argument. Sex is just an enjoyable part of a marriage, a bonus to having someone to always be there to satisfy that part of you. Anyone can have sex Cephera that doesn't complete a marriage. Cephera have you forgotten that a relationship needs to be built on more. He might have taken you to his bed but he still knows nothing about you." Cephera realized her sister was right. Aside from their nightly sex they still went about their own days separately. They hadn't taken any steps ahead at all. Even there minimal conversations were full of nothing regarding who they were or what they liked.

"I never thought...I just was happy he was showing me attention." Cephera hung her head feeling like a fool.

"I know. You're so simple sometimes." Seraphina ruffled Cephera's hair. "Look I hate the guy for being the douche bag he was from the beginning of all this but you're stuck married to him. Right now you're over reacting to a situation that could in future change. Loki has no way to know how he'll feel regarding kids. Give him a break he only just accepted you." Seraphina huffed. "Go back to Asgard and make it known to him that you need more than just sex to make this work for you." Cephera was surprised that her sister would give her this kind of advice but she was right, Cephera had to make this work as she was in this for life.

"What if he doesn't want to spend any more time with me?" Cephera said frowning.

"Now you're just jumping to the worst case scenario." Seraphina rolled her eyes. "Ok look, fuck Odin, fuck father. They wanted you to stay quiet about your oddities but Cephera let's be honest, they are part of you. It's something Loki will have to also accept if you ever hope to have him love you. He needs to know everything. Screw the two idiot kings and tell him everything. Let it sink in for him that you are more than a mere mortal. He might not be pleased to hear it. He might feel hurt you kept it from him even after this week. This might be yet another argument waiting to happen but better now than later." Cephera held her breath slightly. She'd been so wrapped up in everything she'd forgotten that he didn't yet know everything. "Which brings about the question how have you kept your aurora a secret? Has he ever questioned it?" Seraphina tilted her head to the side.

The aurora she spoke of was a magical mark on her shoulder blades. Two silvery wings that magically glistened and rippled across the surface of her skin like an enchanted tattoo. Her and her sister had the same mark given to them by a fallen angel they had set free. Without the mark Cephera wouldn't actually be able to safely preform magic. It's were she learned her power to heal and why her healing was so effective.

"Well we're usually naked in the darkness of the bedroom and I'm not often back on to him in a manner he would see it." Cephera said. She'd had the mark now for centuries and it had become so much a part of her she'd forgot it was even there to question.

"Looks like you got your hands full when you go back." Seraphina said lounging back down.

"Oh my god what if he hates me?!" Cephera suddenly said feeling frightened.

"Then you're no better off then you were originally." Her sister replied. Cephera was not enjoying how calm her sister was acting.

"I can't go back. I can't face him." Cephera said standing and beginning to pace the floor.

"You can and you will." Seraphina ordered. "If you don't nothing will be solved and he'll either come here to fetch you or leave you here to your cowardice." Cephera stopped and let off a frustrated wail.

"This sucks!" She said clenching her fists.

"Life sucks." Seraphina pointed out. "Cephera you know you need to do this. Stop delaying the inevitable and go home." Cephera felt a sudden shock of sadness that Seraphina spoke a truth she hadn't thought of. Cephera's home was no longer Mechanova is was Asgard. The sadness was overwhelmed by a heavy burden she now felt she carried.

"I love you Sera." Cephera said taking a few measured deep breaths.

"And I love you. Now go."

XxX

Cephera got as far as the Byfrost site when her fathers voice stopped her. "Leaving without saying goodbye?" He asked her. She stopped and turned. He was walking up behind her and she forced a smile.

"Sorry. I was in a hurry." She said. He looked her over raising an eyebrow to the dress that didn't fit her properly.

"Did you get what you came for?" He asked her as if he knew why she had been there.

"I hope so. If not I'm going back completely unprepared." Cephera said sighing deeply.

"In that case good luck. I'm proud of you for sticking it out this long. Truthfully I thought you'd have come running home long ago." He admitted with a laugh.

"Asgards my home now." Cephera corrected him Seraphina's words lingering in her mind.

"Yes but if you ever need a second home we're always here." He added. Cephera nodded. "Finally got laid I hear." Cephera wondered when he'd say something like that. She rolled her eyes as he chuckled. She didn't grace him with an answer. She waved goodbye and left.

Yay! Thanks again for the positive feedback. You guys rock.

Please drop me a review no matter how small!

A/N: Ok a little confession here. Until a reviewer mentioned my seeing the Tom and Cookie Monster interview I hadn't a clue why everyone was loving the delayed gratification thing so much in my last chapter. I never saw the video. I have since checked it out and I'm dying with laughter. Now I understand.

- lightning and Ice: there is always plot just not always easy to see. ;P but yes more to come.

- Chiavra: hahaha. That's so awesome!

- Doctor Loki Love: this sex was different. I wanted it to reflect things that can happen in real life and not just a glorified scene as usual. Lol. I wanted more realism to a largely sexy degree. Hehe

- Hello (Guest): I'm really happy people enjoyed that.

- Female Wraith: Loki is very playful in the bedroom. He treats her differently then he did Shay or any other woman. He's keen to what turns them on or what they enjoy. He's attentive. Lol.

- Loki's Dreamer: sex doesn't make the relationship.

- Reneemm: I did too!

- Nightmare of Cat: you totally said it. Lol

- Kate Skates 24:well thank you very much!

- Akera Writer of the Night: Fine, I'm gonna kill off Loki...

- Benfan 01: haha. So happy to have heated you up!

- Katarina Lillis: they more so judge Loki and feel bad for her.

- Gfor098: hahaha. I can't wait for Halloween!

- Carlos Diaz III: awesome! So happy!

- Poodle Warriors: the evolution to their union has barely just begun. Hehe

- 88 Dragon 06: lol. Thanks. Did you read my authors note. You might find it amusing. Lol