It's another dream sequence, and while it isn't completely necessary, I thought this would be a fun way to explore how Loki may see Vielae now that he's admitted to himself that he cares for her.

I own Vielae. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.

That night, Loki's heart told him exactly how he felt.

He found himself standing in one of the many gardens of Asgard. This was where Frigga took him and Thor to play when they were boys. Loki remembered running among the trees, learning how to trick his brother into following illusions of himself. A sly grin crept across his face as he relished the confused look on a young Thor's face as the brother he had been chasing vanished, only to reappear right behind him. As he looked around at the refreshing scene, he heard a voice calling his name.

"Loki," it said. The tone was friendly, loving, and warm, but barely a whisper. Loki looked around, but saw no one.

"Loki," it called again, this time, from the trees to his left. Loki turned and again saw no one. However, he ran into the trees and didn't stop running until he came to another clearing. All the while, the voice was becoming louder. As he entered the clearing, he stopped dead at the image before him.

It was Vielae, but in a way that he thought he would never see her. Her hair was loose and free, hanging to just below her waistline. Instead of the trousers and tunic that she always wore, she was wearing a shimmering silver samite gown. The bodice and long sleeves gently hugged her frame, while the skirt flowed freely in the wind. Her white skin and hair seemed to glow in the sunlight. The scars on her face were gone, making her look even younger. Her ice blue eyes danced with light. On her brow was a circlet of silver woven to look like intertwined vines. As she saw Loki, a sincere, gentle smile spread across her face. Loki slowly walked towards her.

"This is a dream," he softly told himself. Vielae merely nodded, her smile not diminishing a bit. As he got close, she reached out a hand to him. Every bit of his mind was screaming that it wasn't real, but his heart was overpowering him. Who cares? It seemed to ask. Enjoy it. It's what you want. This was one of the rare times that Loki obeyed his heart. He reached out and took her hand. The sensation felt real. Her hand was soft and warm, and it squeezed his just slightly, giving a reassuring feeling. Loki walked a bit closer to Vielae, leaving only a few feet between them. They stood and looked into each others eyes, studying. Loki saw nothing but kindness and hope in Vielaes eyes, and Vielae saw hope, happiness, and a bit of desire in Lokis eyes. Satisfied with what they saw, they started walking through the garden. Loki began to regale Vielae with stories from his childhood. A few made Vielae giggle, a noise that Loki never wanted to stop hearing. It was light and musical, and made his own heart sing. They came to a small pond, where Loki had spent many a day reading, practicing magic, or just thinking. The pair sat down and just watched as the light reflected off of the still waters of the pond, like a mirror. After a few minutes of silence, Loki looked at Vielae, took a breath, and took the plunge.

"Vielae, I know we haven't known each other for long, but I have come to care for you. I have never cared for someone like this before, and I...," he trailed off. Vielae gently cupped his face in her hand, gazing into his eyes. Unconsciously, Loki slightly tilted his face into her hand and closed his eyes, relishing in the touch of her soft skin on his cheek. When he opened them, Vielae's face was inches from his own. He gasped slightly in surprise, and she grinned.

"I know. I feel the same way," she whispered, and closed the gap between them. Loki inhaled deeply as Vielae's lips gently met his own, pressing into him with a soft pressure. He was caught off guard for only a moment, and he returned the gesture. The kiss was soft and innocent at first. Loki could feel the warmth radiating from her, and the soft push her hand was applying just behind his jaw, pushing the kiss deeper. Allowing himself to let go, Loki moved a hand into her long, white hair, pulling himself and her deeper into the kiss. Passion flared in both of them and the kiss became heated. Loki heard Vielae take a deep breath as he pulled her close, and her hand moved into his hair, her fingers becoming tangled in the raven locks. Without breaking the kiss, Loki gently laid her backwards onto the soft grass, placing his body gently on top of hers. When they broke the kiss, they were both breathing heavily. Gasping for breath, Vielae smiled and gently stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"I love you," Loki whispered, his voice husky with lust. He meant it, though, with all of his heart.

"And I love you," Vielae replied, her voice just as husky. Loki smiled and bent down to capture her lips in a kiss.

Loki awoke, breathing heavily, his heart pounding and his face hot. Taking a moment to gather himself, he found that he was a bit tight in the pants as well. With a sigh, he looked over at Vielae and saw her flushed and breathing hard as well. He thought it was another nightmare at first, but as he watched her, he distinctly saw her mouth his name. She had shared the same dream. How had she seen him? A shining God, young and handsome? What had he been wearing? That was vain, he thought to himself with a grin.

Returning to his conscious thoughts, he knew that, eventually, his brother would come for his help. He knew that Odin would have shut down the Bifrost, so Thor would have no conventional means to get to Svartalfheim. Therefore, he would need the back way, the way that only Loki knew. I need to bring her with me, he thought. She'll be an asset when dealing with Malekith...and I'll not leave her here. I'll not abandon her the way Malekith did. She promised that she would help him avenge his mother, and she would keep her promise. When all of this was over, he would make a better life for her. And they would share it.

He set about setting the stage. Though his cell was a mess, he made it even more so, like he had been throwing a tantrum endlessly. He took it upon himself to even cause injury to himself. In the process, he woke up Vielae, who seemed confused.

"Loki? What are you doing?" she asked, her voice groggy.

"I'll be leaving this place soon, and you'll be coming with me," he said, throwing some papers around.

"What? How?" Now, she was really confused.

"My brother will want to avenge my mother. To do that, he'll need to get to Svartalfheim. However, the Allfather has certainly closed the Bifrost now, so there is no way in or out of Asgard...that they know of," Loki said, launching some books at the wall and watching them shatter. "You need to convince my brother that you need to go with us."

"And how do you propose I do that, Loki? I'm almost certain that your brother now feels the same hate for my father as I do, perhaps even more," Vielae said, skeptical.

"One of your father's ships crashed into the palace. I overheard one of the guards talking. We will need you to pilot it out of here. We're also going to need a guide, someone familiar with Malekith. No one is more familiar with him than you. Besides, I'm sure you would like to pay your father back for the pain he caused you, yes?" Loki felt terrible manipulating her like this, but he had decided to beg her forgiveness later. This was a means to an end, and that end meant both of them free...and a chance for them to be together.

"You intend to lie to him, don't you?" Vielae asked suddenly. She was looking at him with a serious expression on her face, as if daring him to lie to her. It actually caught Loki off guard. He hadn't been expecting the look, much less the question. "Don't you dare lie to me, Loki Laufeyson," she added, giving voice to her facial expression. Loki could understand why. She was probably lied to her whole life by Malekith. She hadn't mentioned what her life had been like after her friend's death, but it couldn't have been anything good. So, Loki gave her an apologetic smile and nodded, finding himself unable to hold her piercing gaze. Vielae heaved a sigh of frustration, her mouth piercing into an angry line.

"Vielae, I'm doing this for you," Loki said, realizing that he was going to have to beg her forgiveness now. "The Allfather could be out for your blood, especially since he knows who you are. It may not be long before he orders your execution. I can save you from that, but you must play along with me."

"Play along with you? What do you think I did my whole life? I played along with my father's expectations. I played along with Margrim before I killed him. I played along with everything I was expected to and where did it get me?!" Loki was actually cowed. Vielae was angry, but she was crying as well. She hated being told to play along. Just when she thought she was going to escape that, the man she loved was now asking her to do the same thing.

"Vielae," Loki said softly. Vielae whipped her head around and looked at him. He had a soft expression on his face, and his hand was over his heart. "I truly am sorry to ask this of you, but if I saw a better way to release you, I would do it. I am offering you the chance to get your revenge for what was done to you. This is the best way, I swear it." Vielae studied his expression very carefully. She was looking for any possible signs of him lying to her. She saw none, because there were none. Loki, for one of the few times in his life, was being completely honest. He loved her, and he was ready to admit it for real. "I want you safe...because I love you." Vielae felt her heart jump to her throat. The tears abruptly stopped.

"You...what?" Vielae said, speechless.

"I love you, Vielae. I know that it may seem abrupt, and our time together has been short, and anything but romantic, but I cannot deny what I feel any longer. I believe that I have seen a side of you that precious few seen, possibly no one alive. I enjoy that side of you, and I would like to continue to see it. That is, if you feel the same way," Loki said. The logical, crafty side of him was berating him worse than Frigga ever had, but he didn't care. Vielae just sat there, shocked. Loki watched as the skin around her cheeks darkened slightly. She was blushing, and he found it adorable. She had transformed from a hardened warrior to an innocent maiden who was being fawned over for the first time. Loki leaned forward slightly, gently asking for an answer. "Well?"

"I...I..." Vielae didn't know what to say. She had been raised to keep her feelings suppressed except when it came to her people and her Lord. She had never actually been asked a question like that before. The only time she had had feelings for anyone was for Arlith. A large part of her was telling her to reject him, because it would only end in pain. However, the majority of her didn't care. She wanted to be with him. She felt the same way, and it was high time that she said something. "I do," she said quietly. Now, Loki felt his heart leap into his throat.

"What?"

"I feel the same way, Loki. I love you," Vielae said, louder this time. A huge smile broke across his face as the two of them felt a weight lifted from both of them. Their souls were singing. Vielae couldn't help but smile as well. There was a moment of silence when the both of them just looked at one another, allowing their happiness to show. With a relieved sigh, Vielae turned serious. "What do you need me to do?" Loki carefully explained the plan to her, not leaving out one single detail. Vielae felt a little bit of apprehension when he mentioned killing Algrim. Vielae still considered him a friend, but she knew that now that he was Kursed, he could not be saved. Once she understood her part, she sat down and started meditating while Loki finished wrecking his cell. This had to work, and it had to work perfectly. Otherwise, it was likely that she would never be able to be with Loki in the way that both of them wanted.