It's hard to believe this is almost over… it's a relief and a loss at the same time... it's just a very weird feeling.
So in honor of my birthday and Tom's, here you have the last two chapters… Enjoy ma lovelies!
She lost count of how many times she woke up that night, but every time it was the same, the cool comfort of a body beside her – of Loki. And he was always watching over her with a look in his eyes like at any moment she might disappear. Honestly, she had more than once worried the same thing of him. But when she shifted beneath the sheets, she felt the reassurance of an arm curled around her and the more she woke, the more aware she became of how he'd completely surrounded her. He was breathing softly against the back of her neck, while the rest of him was curled protectively around her. And this time he slept.
Through tired eyes, she retained a vivid memory of all that had transpired that night. Every moment seared into her mind, her body still wrought with sensation hours past. And to even think back was pleasantly chilling. From the first time she spoke with him, when he teased of his lecherous intent, she never could have imagined this. His hands shook, gentle in their guidance, the whole of him somehow as nervous as she was. He handled her as though she were glass, afraid he might break her – or afraid she might panic. She had forcefully neglected the very idea, buried it as deep as she could, hoping desperately to be free of it entirely.
But it was still there, always an unhealed wound waiting to be torn open again, a fragile seal to be broken at her inconvenience. When the night began it was the thorn in her side that it had been in the weeks preceding – not that it mattered then – when it couldn't be real. And it was a dull throb, threatening her at every turn, burning in her chest and slowly seeping elsewhere. But it flared, her mind steeling and forcing horrid associations when she found herself inevitably vulnerable, left to someone else's mercies. But his grip was never insistent – never restraining. In that moment, his touch was almost timid and when he spoke there was fear, not force.
She leaned into his touch, dragging herself from her own obtrusive thoughts. Not an attacker – not a guard – Loki. All comfort and worry. And more concerned for her safety than his own damn life. Idiot. The heat faded, smothered in the wake of his cool skin against hers. And this time, reduced to less than a pinprick until she forgot, until it slipped her mind and vanished entirely. Lost among waves of pleasure, buried beneath overwhelming sensation. Not a memory. Not a dream. Something real. And the night went on.
More than once she was drawn from sleep by forces unknown, awakening to a pair of glimmering green eyes, shining like a cat's without the predatory edge. And for once without an air of misfortune. This time it was adoration, hope, love. Her heart swelled every time that tiny thought occurred to her. She would hear his soft-spoken admission over and over again until she couldn't help but smile. I love you, Naomi. She could almost feel the way those few words weighed on him like an oath he had to carry. But still they melted the ice from his heart. And soon the whole of him had opened up to her. He was hers. And she was irrevocably his.
Through the night, his touch was a constant reminder. She could feel where he'd marked her, a tender bruise on her chest, but she loved it as much as his softer caresses. It spoke as much of the love they shared as the dull ache in her muscles from being taken more than once that night. She sat up, sliding out of his grasp and finding that this time he stayed asleep. His form subtly adjusted but after that he was still, his countenance perfectly peaceful. And beautiful.
Sunlight slipped through the cracks in the heavy green drapery, casting shifting patterns of light onto the area rug as they rippled slowly with the wind. Curiosity freed her from the sheets and had her wrapping one of the many discarded fur blankets around herself as she stepped silently toward the curtains. With a single hand parting the heavy green fabric, she turned back to ensure Loki wasn't disturbed, but he was still a slumbering lump beneath the sheets with a mess of black hair escaping at the pillows.
She was blinded by the morning sunshine when she slipped through the curtain. When she finally managed to squint, she found the balcony she'd expected, but the view was beyond anything she could have imagined. She had only glimpsed this world upon her arrival but in her state of shock, she took nothing from it with the exception of the rainbow bridge and the dungeons. But this realm was something straight out of science fiction. Buildings towered into the distance, fading into the ocean that shortly cascaded into a breathtaking starscape only slightly marred by daylight. There were planets visible to the naked eye, lost among the clouds and a subtle aurora – a reflection of the multicolored crystalline bridge that ran the length of the vast city. It was hard to believe all that had gone on beneath it. Lost in its awe, even she, for a moment could have been made to forget. But only a moment before her mind returned to the here and now. And the dreaded eventuality of the morning.
"Are you all right, love?"
Loki's sleepy voice startled her from her thoughts and she spun around, instinctually clinging to the fur wrapped around her shoulders. She was surprised to see genuine worry in his eyes as he stepped onto the balcony clothed in leather trousers only half tied – in his haste to locate her, no doubt. "I'm okay." He pressed forward, wrapping his arms around her bare waist beneath the blanket. He nestled into the crook of her neck, his uneasiness quickly fading.
"I woke up and you weren't there. I was worried-"
"That it was only a dream?" He looked up with a sad smile, before he nodded in whole-hearted agreement. His eyes slowly softened finding everything as it was. As it should be. Naomi smiled. "Would it make you feel better if I pinched you?"
"It might," he laughed, before catching her breath when he pushed the fur from her shoulders to hang on the railing behind her. The length of him recovered what he'd exposed, smothering a shiver as he leaned her against the stone barrier, kissing her softly. But she grinned, nipping his lip before she pinched his bare stomach. He laughed, a sound gruff and sleepy. Then he grabbed her hand, knowing full well by then he was awake. And she was real. "I've made something for you."
"When did you find the time to do that?"
He cocked his head towards the suite, leading her back in by the hand he withheld. The curtains parted, light flooding the room with sunlight, casting new shadows, but illuminating so much she hadn't noticed before. His chambers stretched much further than she thought, as curtains in other rooms were drawn open, revealing an enormous length of space. He brought her through an entryway, past the bathroom and into a vast study. Books rose up on shelf after shelf into the heights of the domed ceiling. There were more seating areas up in recessed loft spaces. The perfect hideaway if ever there was one. Picturing herself curled up in his lap while he read to her from the many tomes was enough to give her goose bumps. If the whole of this stupid realm were reduced to his space, she would happily live here forever.
He drew her from her thoughts, leading her down a tighter hall that opened into what she very simply defined as a closet. Though it was more of a dressing room. Large wooden cabinets lined the room like a horseshoe and from the few left halfway open she saw mostly leathers – blacks and greens – the obvious pattern to his wardrobe. In the center of the room, there was a large floor length mirror with a stool at its feet. She couldn't help but imagine some sort of tailor cowering at Loki's feet attempting to hem one of his elaborate costumes.
Loki cleared his throat, having vanished into her periphery a moment before, and she turned to find him holding a dress. It was his favored shade of green in the form of a silken fabric that, as she watched, was sewn by the glow of his magic. The simple form of a halter style dress was adorned with golden accents as the final hem, about knee-length, was stitched. Through the V of the neckline, she could see the two lengths of a sash meant to wrap around the waist. A stunning creation. His colors were easily growing on her. "It's beautiful. I never took you for a seamstress," she quipped, running her hands over the fabric.
"I mean no offense to your casual attire, but I've imagined you in a more suitable garment for a long time." Naomi smiled, more than relieved to escape the rags she'd arrived in. "May I?" he asked. She turned, raising her arms above her head as he slipped it on. She pulled her hair aside while he hooked the clasp behind her neck. And she admired it in the mirror as he twined the sash around her midsection, tying it off at her hip. Once he'd finished, he fixed her hair around her shoulders, appreciating the reflection as she did. "Beautiful."
After a while, she sat down on the bench that completed the dressing area. And she watched while Loki got dressed. She guessed it was something he'd more than likely accomplished with magic in the past, or at the very least with assistance, but for the sake of buying time he did so by hand one layer at a time. While imprisoned, his garments hadn't seemed too complex, compared with what some of his projections had worn. She mainly recalled the one that had come to her rescue – before he died – whose leathers were leaden with armor of tarnished gold. The weight of it showed now as the ensemble was pieced together.
She twiddled her fingers in her new dress as the threat of departure clawed at her attention. And Loki was nearly ready, tugging on his trench coat and buckling the shoulder guard before finally securing the bracers to his forearms. He sighed and she felt her heart sink further into her stomach, but when he looked up he smiled, showing no sign of the morose demeanor he'd shown the night before. The one she couldn't help but feel now. But it's not goodbye, she reminded herself. It's not goodbye. He sat down on the bench beside her, stilling her fiddling hands, the whole of him assuring her that everything would be all right. And it would be all right.
"Are you ready to go home?"
After a while, she nodded. But there was a part of her, borne in a dark dungeon with a man she'd learned to love, that would probably never be ready.
...
It was miles from one end of the bifrost to the other, but hand in hand, Naomi still without shoes, they took the length of the rainbow bridge in stride. Once smoothly paved stone turned to iridescent crystal, she could feel its energy thrumming beneath her feet, the bright colors firing towards the observatory that marked the very edge of this world. And it loomed closer with every step. Naomi watched when the palace edge gave way to a city bustling below their feet. Loki remarked upon the scenery as they walked but it seemed as much a failed distraction for him as it was for her.
For a time, dense architecture, buildings of every sort, surrounded them. But gradually they faded into rocks and shoals and the sound of waves lapping at the shore. And in that moment when she was calmed by the soft and rhythmic sounds and lulled with the scent of the ocean breeze, she was content to still have Loki at her side, speaking idly of the world they were leaving behind. But after they reached the limits of the city and the large golden gates parted to see them out like exiles, her heart settled into her stomach shortly drowned in worry for the moment they would go their separate ways. But it isn't goodbye.This was only the beginning, the start of something even harder than goodbyes.
Loki had fallen silent for a while once the beach disappeared, replaced by the ocean and an unexpected stillness – an eerie calm before an unyielding storm. The long awaited and dreaded return. The prospect of going home again had never seemed so foreign. "Things will never be the same after this," she said. She'd come a long way, from a dark place, on another planet – her lover a god – an alien – whatever. "What will I tell them?"
"Whatever you think they'll believe," he replied. "After my attack, the general population has been made aware they are not alone in this universe. But they won't believe Thor took any part in your abduction – their precious Avenger. Nor will they accept that I had any part in your rescue. But it doesn't matter. You're mine. And come what may, I will protect you."
He more tightly twined their fingers as they finally came to the end of the road – the end of a two-month ordeal. It was called an observatory, an enormous dome not unlike a telescope, but without the magnification – and it bore an interior design like clockwork. Through the opening at the other side, past the man standing guard at its center, the universe was there for the naked eye to see. And not even on earth's darkest nights did the stars shine so bright. When they reached the edge, she peered over. They were surrounded by space. The darkness, partly illuminated by brightly colored nebulas and stars exploding in the distance, stretched on forever, to an end that didn't exist.
"I feel I must apologize, Miss Naomi," the gatekeeper said in a remarkably smooth and basal tone, "for the part I played in your abduction." Naomi was obviously skeptical, but something in his voice reassured her of a genuine sincerity. She replied with a nod over her shoulder, her gaze catching on his stunning golden eyes. "Know that by my own contrition, I shall do what I am able to ensure you come to no further harm."
Loki turned to him with that possessive tension in his shoulders that she'd come to recognize, but when he spoke his voice was soft. "Thank you, Heimdall."
"Your family still searches for you," he said, his gaze turning once more on Naomi. "And they have done so nobly these many weeks. Even now, they are waiting for you." She had a hard time believing that, but it brought as much of a nervous flop to her stomach as the prospect of teleporting back there.
She curled tighter into Loki's grip as the gatekeeper set his sword in place and the walls around them began to spin, the entire room humming with a quickly compounding energy. "I shall remind you, Loki, that the Allfather has not yet granted your leave to remain on Midgard."
"I know." His arms surrounded her, forcing that warning of a lone return aside. "Are you ready?" She nodded, tucking her head beneath his chin before they were sucked into the multicolored vortex that would somehow lead her home.
The entire universe rushed past them in a matter of seconds, the whole of it a blur of bright color that blinded her until her eyes watered. Shutting her eyes, she was almost calm, with Loki holding her close. And in mere moments, she found her feet on solid ground again and fortunately without the nausea that accompanied her first ride through the swirling tunnel of rainbow.
"Much better this time," she decided, unclamping her hands from his shoulders.
"Well had I known Thor accompanied your first trip, I would have shown far more sympathy for your sufferings; it was obviously awful." A tiny laugh escaped her before she caught sight of her house. They'd been dropped in the middle of the street. It had been repaved here. Probably to cover the burn that the bifrost imprinted in the asphalt. Her feet could trace the tribal knots newly marring the fresh pavement. This had been the very spot, where a remarkable turn of fate changed her life forever – only a few long strides from her own front door.
All was as she'd left it. Someone had maintained her plants. The tiny front lawn was mowed and the mailbox had been emptied of bills no doubt piling up in her absence. "That's my parents' car," she noted, pointing to the maroon colored SUV parked in the driveway. "And that's – that's my sister's car. She flew all the way here-" Her voice cracked, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes to even imagine. Not alone. "They waited for me. All this time."
"Of course they did. It's a homecoming worth waiting for."
The front door opened, a single head – her younger sister's – poking out in the wake of what probably felt like an earthquake. And she'd no sooner run back inside screaming, calling for her parents. "I can't stay," Loki said quietly. She turned, clutching him in the hopes it might delay his return even a moment longer. It's too soon. "Your family will take good care of you while I'm gone. You know I can't stay away. I shall return. I'll come back and we'll be together. I promise." She dragged him closer, smothering another stupid promise and kissing him until he smiled – until he laughed, foolishly amused with her desperation. "This isn't goodbye," he assured her. "This is be safe. And stay out of trouble. My stubborn, little mortal."
He stole a smile, as reluctant as she was to give it while a sob briefly overwhelmed her. He pulled his fingers through her hair, calming her with his simplest touch. "I'm going to miss you so much. But not for long."
She could hear the door swing open, the hinges squealing in protest. There was shouting, noises of a happy panic, and then quickening footfalls as her family converged for an ambush. But I can't go home yet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, stealing one final embrace, kissing his cheek in a temporary farewell. "Thank you, Loki."
"I'll see you soon."
He stepped out of her grasp, squeezing her hand before she lost his hold, suddenly surrounded. And then everything fell silent, the world washed out with an onslaught of forgotten emotion. So many arms embraced her, until she was crushed beneath the weight of it. She cried, felt her chest heave, as a thousand words of praise and longing met her through the fog. They'd missed her. They missed me. They'd come far and wide for her. They'd come together – for her. For me.
It felt like an eternity before she'd finally collected herself – before she finally had the composure to do anything more than cry and be loved. With a deep breath, she calmed, before being blindly led toward the house, ushered home at last.
But she turned back, her mind clearing, the world stilling even as her family tugged her toward the house. Loki was still there, watching from the street – smiling. He raised his hand to his lips placing a kiss against his fingertips before he sent it her way. And the wind carried it with a scent like magic, into her waiting hand. She held it close as he finally disappeared, dragged a universe away before her very eyes. But his kiss settled warm in her chest, a mark upon her heart, a brand seared into her very soul. A promise.
This isn't goodbye.
And one day soon, they would be together again.