*Well, this is the second chapter I have posted today to make up for my two-month gap in posting this story ;P I hope you enjoy, because things are getting moving again!

Proximity

Noir was lost somewhere dark. Somewhere dark and cold, and somewhere painful. She didn't know how long she was there… it seemed like an awfully long time. Terribly long.

Suddenly, though, she had started to feel something… it seemed very distant. At the edge of her consciousness, she could feel the slightest touch… hear the tiniest whisper… smell just a whiff of something… taste just a trace of something… And gradually, very gradually, the sensations grew stronger. She almost started to feel impatient for them to grow clear. She wanted to find out what it was that she couldn't quite hear, taste, feel, or smell… it was just there… she wanted to reach it.

She tried to claw her way towards it, but some darkness kept trying to drag her back. It seemed a long struggle… she couldn't tell how long. But she knew it was long. She pulled herself towards the sensations, determined to find them. They grew closer.

The faint sensation of touch strengthened. It was warm, and a bit soft, a bit rough, a bit hard… It was a lot of sensation, and she almost wanted to run back to the darkness. It was a lot. But her curiosity kept her where she was, trying to comprehend the sensations. Okay, that was the sensation of touch. She next focused on smell. She could smell… something a little like mint. Mint, and something sterile… like medicine, and cleanliness, and newly-washed laundry. But prevalent was the soft scent of mint. And the tastes… there was a sour taste. Something like menthol and bile together, and blood. She suddenly discovered that she could swallow, and she grimaced slightly, swept her tongue along her teeth, trying to clear the bitter taste away. Then she turned her attentions to the sounds.

There were… steady sounds. One was a little like… breath. Was it hers? She couldn't tell. It was long and deep. In… out… in… out… She matched her own to it. It was then she realized it could not be her breath, if she was matching her own to it. And there was another sound… a kind of thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. A heartbeat, she decided. Not hers, she decided. If it wasn't her breath she was hearing, it must also be someone else's heartbeat. Whose? She wasn't sure. She didn't particularly care. She was too tired to care.

Until she returned to the sensations of touch… and she took great notice and care then. She frowned slightly. She was almost sure that she was… lying on a bed. There was a soft cloth beneath her… and a warmth next to her. And something around her waist. An arm? Was she lying next to someone in a bed?

Noir's eyes slowly opened for the first time in what seemed like forever. At first, she couldn't see anything. She blinked away the hazy blurs and tried to make sense of them. Her head was pressed to… someone's chest, she thought. That was why she could hear the heartbeat. And their breath. And there was someone's arm wrapped around her waist. She didn't move for a long moment, bewildered. She shifted her head minutely, and saw that the someone next to her was wearing a green shirt… and shifting even more, she saw that they, too, were asleep.

She froze. Loki?

She was stunned. Maybe she was still unconscious, dreaming. She hadn't seen Loki since.. The ball. The last thing she remembered was… wait, no. She had seen Loki since the ball. After the pain filled haze in her abdomen. Her mother had stabbed her… and then she had made her way to the palace, and snuck into Loki's room… she couldn't remember anything after that except the darkness she had just escaped.

She tried to think. How did all that add up to her lying in a bed next to Loki? She couldn't help but feel the tiniest smile tug at her lips. Loki was lying in a bed next to her. Asleep. The thought was half-embarrassing, half-exhilarating. Just how long had she been asleep? She wasn't sure. But weariness still tugged at her body, even though she was sure she had just had a good long rest. She blinked slowly, trying to figure out what to do. Maybe just… wait until Loki woke up.

She slid a little closer… back to where she had woken up, with her head leaning against his chest.

She closed her eyes, savoring the moment while it lasted. Listening to his heartbeat, so close. His chest, gently rising and falling as he slept. And the comforting weight of his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him. She hesitantly snuggled a little closer, and Loki suddenly shifted slightly, his breath catching.

She felt him inhale sharply, and she knew he had woken up. She remained perfectly still. He let out a long breath. He sighed, as if coming to his senses and remembering where he was.

His hand moved from her waist and reached up to gently stroke her hair. Noir still didn't move, unsurely keeping her cheek pressed against his chest so that he could not see her face. He wrapped his arm around her waist again and gave her a gentle squeeze before relaxing. His breath started to slow again, as if starting to once again fall asleep. Then she felt him bend his neck and press his lips to the top of her head, sighing again.

A moment of silence as Loki started to allow himself to fall back asleep.

"I think I could get used to this," Noir whispered, her voice very scratchy and rusty from disuse, to her surprise.

Loki froze, stunned. For a moment, he didn't move. Noir had just… spoken. As in, she was awake. Then he abruptly scooted a few inches away so that he could see Noir's face.

…And Noir was lying there, eyes open and looking up at him with a wry smile. "Or, you know, you could just scoot away. Either way."

Loki stared. "…Noir? You're… awake…?" his voice was quiet and slightly slurred from exhaustion.

"I think so, yes," she replied. "I mean, unless I'm dreaming… that's a plausible explanation, I think, considering the circumstances." She laughed softly, glancing between herself and Loki.

Loki still just stared. "Noir…" he shifted closer again and touched her cheek with a slightly-trembling hand. She felt her face get hot, and she glanced away, holding back a smile at his touch.

"Thank the Norns," he whispered before pulling her close again and pressing his lips to her forehead without hesitation.

Noir blinked in surprise. "Loki? Am I missing something? What exactly is going on?"

He didn't answer for a long moment, his breath tickling her scalp as he simply held her. "…I thought you were going to die. I thought you would never wake." He shuddered slightly and squeezed her gently.

"Why would I never wake?"

"Noir, you've been unconscious the last three days," he said flatly. He paused. "I've hardly slept, I've been so worried and anxious."

"I… I just felt like I was asleep," she murmured. "Three days?"

"Mmhmm," he nuzzled his face into her hair.

Noir held back a smile. He was acting awfully out of character; he was never this open, never this shamelessly affectionate. "…Are you alright, Loki?"

"I'm half-delirious with exhaustion," he mumbled. "Why do you ask?"

"So you're half-asleep right now?"

"Mmh. I think so, yes."

"So you're not particularly thinking straight?"

He let out a deep breath. "I don't know… why?"

Noir laughed softly. "I've got a feeling that once you're properly awake, you're going to be terribly mortified." Noir felt her heart sink slightly at his admission. He didn't know what he was saying… he wasn't thinking straight. Surely she couldn't take anything he was saying right now seriously. And as much as she was appreciating his closeness and his affection, she couldn't help but feel bitter at the realization that it surely wasn't going to last once Loki was well-rested and in his right mind.

He sighed and let out another long breath. "Perhaps," he acknowledged. "But right now I'm too tired to care. And besides…" he pulled away slightly. "Even if I regret this later, I'm just happy that, for now, I can see your smile."

Noir raised her eyebrows. "Oh, Loki, you're so delirious…" she shook her head slightly. "Or else you'd never say something like that."

His eyes fluttered for a moment with his drowsiness. "Maybe. Maybe not. I do love your smile, Noir." He leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek.

Noir giggled. "Maybe you should just go back to sleep, Loki." Before you do or say something you'll really regret, she added silently. She was starting to feel anxious about how he was acting… he must really have not slept for the last three days. Why would he have done that? For her?

He took a deep breath and rubbed the heel of his palm over his eyes before lying back down, resting his head on the pillow. His tired eyes focused on hers for a long moment. "I wanted to tell you something first… I've wanted to say it for a while… I mean, I said it a few times while you were… asleep, you know, but I wanted to tell you something now that you can actually hear me and all."

"Shh," she smiled at his delirious ramblings, feeling somewhat worried, somewhat amused. "You can tell me later. Go to sleep, Loki. I'm awake now. I'll be awake when you wake again. Promise. Tell me later. Once you're rested."

His eyes drifted shut, succumbing to the heaviness of his eyelids. "Promise?" he mumbled tiredly.

"Promise," she whispered. "I'll be here. Don't you remember? I'm yours."

"And I'm yours," he whispered back.

She smiled. "Now go to sleep. Whatever you wanted to tell me can wait." She snuggled up against him again, and his arm automatically wrapped around her midsection, pressing her to him protectively.

"All I wanted to say," he whispered, barely audible as he slipped into sleep. "was that I love you."

Noir felt herself freeze in shock. He was quiet, and she was quiet, and he had said those words in a murmur, and those words had passed into silence like any others. She was stunned. Was it possible that that had happened, and the moment had passed like any other, without time freezing for a long moment? Had the world not stopped or shattered when Loki whispered those words to her? Were there still going to be sunrises and sunsets after something that momentous had just been said? That seemed… impossible. "What?" she breathed out in disbelief.

But his breath was already growing steady again, and Noir knew Loki had slipped into sleep.

But Noir most definitely could not join him in dreamland. Her entire body had grown cold except for a burning heat somewhere in her chest at his words. That was not what she had been expecting… not in the least. She reminded herself that he was exhausted, and had no idea what he was saying. He probably wouldn't even remember half of what he had just said by the time he woke up. But what if he did remember? What if he took it back? Or… what if he didn't remember? What if later, he woke up and he didn't even remember telling her that he loved her? Should she just… disregard it, or… or take it to heart that he loved her?

Her cat ears suddenly swiveled towards the door as she heard a quiet noise. Very carefully, she lifted her head. And her heart filled with dread to see the queen of Asgard standing in the doorway, surveying the sight of her younger son lying in bed, asleep, with a young woman… a neko, to be precise… in his arms.

00000

Frigga looked up from the book she was reading when she heard quiet voices from the room the neko was being cared for in. At first she only sighed. It was probably Loki, talking yet again to the unconscious form of the girl. He must have woken already. She had hoped he would get more than just a couple of hours. He needed sleep, no matter how much he cared for Noir. She frowned and paused, though, when she could have sworn she had heard more than one voice. She looked up from her book and sat very still, straining her ears. Yes, she was quite sure… two voices, having a conversation. She would have seen if a healer had gone inside, wouldn't she? So who was Loki talking to? Surely not himself? Surely… had the girl woken up?

Very quietly, she stood from her chair in the hall and crossed to the doorway of the room and peered around the doorframe to look inside. Her eyes widened.

Loki lay on his side, head resting on the pillow of the bed, looking at the neko girl… and her eyes were open and bright. She was looking at him with a tiny smile, though there was a hint of worry in her countenance that Frigga could sense.

"Promise?" Loki asked, voice faint as he allowed his eyes to drift shut.

"promise," the neko girl whispered. Her voice was hushed and soothing, and Frigga could hear the tenderness in her voice, but also the insistence. "I'll be here. Don't you remember? I'm yours."

"And I'm yours," he whispered back.

Frigga felt a thrill go through her body at their quiet pledges to each other, and she fought to hold back a delighted laugh. But she kept quiet as the conversation continued, almost inaudible.

"Now go to sleep. Whatever you wanted to tell me can wait." The girl breathed, wriggling closer to Loki until her face was snuggled against his shoulder.

Loki's arm snaked around the girl's waist, and his breath started to slow. But then, in a voice so quiet it was nearly incoherent where Frigga stood, she managed to catch the words he spoke. "All I wanted to say... was that I love you."

A vaguely shocked utterance of "What?" was more clearly heard from the girl, but Loki did not answer her.

Then there was utter silence except for quiet breathing. Loki had fallen asleep, but the queen wasn't sure if the girl had, too. Very quietly, she cleared her throat.

The neko girl very slowly and carefully lifted her head, glancing towards the doorway. Her gray slit-pupil eyes widened.

00000

Noir just stared, unsure of what to do. The queen gave her a small, tight-lipped smile and stepped into the room, walking to sit in a chair against the wall. Noir's eyes didn't move away from hers, feeling terror.

"Child," the queen's quiet voice said. "It's nice to see you've awakened. I'm afraid I shall have to wake Loki and send him to his chambers to sleep, though, now that you're conscious. The healers will want a look at you."

Silence.

"Is this agreeable to you?"

Noir nodded silently.

Frigga smiled wryly and stood from her chair again, approaching the bed and gently placing a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Loki," she murmured, shaking him softly.

Noir's eyes flicked to his face, and she saw him frown slightly and bury his head deeper in the pillow. He mumbled something indistinctly about "too tired."

Frigga sighed and shook him again, more insistently.

His eyes opened reluctantly, and he absentmindedly ran his hand over his face. "…What…"

"Loki, you must return to your chambers," Frigga murmured quietly.

"…What…" he repeated indistinctly.

"Come, Loki," the queen murmured soothingly, and gently pulled him into a sitting position.

He looked around blearily. "…I was sleeping, you know, Mother."

"I know. But now you're going to go sleep in your own chambers," she coaxed. "I shall call a servant to make sure you don't fall over on the way there."

"I'm fine," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes again, as if he couldn't quite make himself focus properly.

"No, you're not," Frigga and noir both said in unison.

Loki looked between them both, smiling tiredly. Then he squeezed his eyes shut. "My head hurts and I'm really tired."

"Stay here a moment and I'll be back," Frigga assured, and swept out of the room.

Loki slumped slightly. "Noir?"

"Yes, Loki?" she whispered.

"…don't know. Just like hearing your voice after three days," he finished the sentence with a yawn.

"How have you stayed awake for three days straight?" she asked worriedly.

He shrugged, eyes bleary with sleep. "The healers have given me potions that help stave off sleep, by my request."

Noir shook her head. "You're insane, Loki. You shouldn't have done that for me."

"I had to," he breathed.

Noir swallowed. "Because… you love me?" she whispered.

He frowned very slightly and nodded.

Noir let out a hushed laugh. "You really need to sleep, Loki. You've lost your mind."

He smiled wryly and yawned again, not bothering to comment.

Frigga entered the room again, followed by a young man dressed in the white standard servant's tunic and breeches. "You are to take the prince to his chambers, make him go to bed, and give him this," she produced a small vial from a sleeve and handed it over to the servant. She nodded at the servant's respectful bow of the head. "And… he's a bit out of sorts. If he says anything…. Odd… please merely disregard it," she added.

Then the servant carefully helped Loki to stand up and then led him out, Loki stumbling slightly over his dragging feet.

00000

The next two hours was nothing but a flurry of healers in and out of her room, checking her intravenous drips, her stab wound, Noir's memory, her sense of touch, a sight check, a strength assessment, and so much more that she couldn't list it all. What she could list was how many strange looks she was given throughout her examination. It seemed that every person who encountered her had heard something about her, and knew more about her than she felt comfortable with. There were looks of contempt or disdain, there were looks of pitying sympathy, there were looks of awe and wonder, there were looks of curiosity, some mistrustful, and some nervous. But what Noir most noticed was the kinds of looks she wasn't given. No real warmth, no true friendliness. It was easy to forget around Loki, but when he was gone, it became a harsh reality that she wasn't very welcome in the palace. She was out of place, and Noir certainly felt it.

The feelings of isolation and loneliness only faded when the last of the healers detached the last monitor from her and left the room, leaving her with only her intravenous drip.

"They've all finally gone then, have they?" Queen Frigga peered into the room.

Noir forced a slight smile, feeling mixed emotions flood her chest. The queen seemed warm to her son, but Noir wasn't sure what kind of reaction the queen would have to her son's neko friend. "Yes, they've gone, I think."

"About time, too," Frigga sighed, shaking her head and entering, taking a seat on the chair against the wall. "It's shortly after dinner, just so you know, but they don't want you eating anything too solid just yet," Frigga added.

Noir nodded. "They told me. They said they'll have to be careful with my physical activity, too. Right now I'm too tired and sore all over to even try to move, but they said it'll take another few days for all my strength to come back."

"Yes," Frigga agreed. "They've told me all about it."

"Funny," Noir said drily. "They've hardly told me anything. I still… don't know what's all going on, exactly. The last thing I remember was being in Loki's… er…" Noir paused, unsure if Frigga already knew that Noir had been in Loki's bedroom.

"The last thing you remember is Loki's bedchambers, I presume?" Frigga said gently.

Noir felt her face get a little hot, and she dipped her head as confirmation. "Right," she whispered uncertainly.

"I was the one who found you there," Frigga continued, her voice soft. "Loki had been trying to heal you for hours, it seemed, but he had made little headway in curing your ailments. He had fallen asleep next to you after completing a powerful blood purification spell… which saved your life, by the way."

Noir's stomach clenched. Loki had saved her life. "Oh. And then you brought me here?"

"Yes… and Loki has scarcely left your side since."

Noir's fists twisted anxiously into her blankets, lost for words.

"You gave him quite a fright, you know," the queen murmured, seating herself in the chair again.

Noir glanced up. "…It was not my intention. I apologize."

"Don't apologize, child. I haven't seen Loki so passionate about anything in his entire life."

Noir pinched her lips together.

Frigga smiled humorlessly. "I heard what he said, by the way. About his feelings for you."

Noir blushed brightly. "…You did?"

She nodded wordlessly.

The girl bit her lip. "Well… it's the first time he's said anything of the sort to me. I think perhaps he was just delirious from exhaustion… has he truly not slept?"

Frigga shook her head. "No… he's remained in this room day and night. We tried to get him to go sleep, but he refused. Even Thor and Marron gave up on trying to convince him."

Noir perked up. "Marron?"

"Indeed. She was captured by the guards and thrown into the prison—"

Noir immediately started to sit up in alarm, but hissed in pain when sharpness cut through her abdomen.

A pair of hands pressed down gently on her shoulders, a silent order to lay back down. "Shh. Don't hurt yourself again. All is well," the queen said in a hushed voice.

Noir allowed herself to be pushed back to the mattress, but her breath was fast, and her heart was racing. Both from the pain and the shock of the news. "Marron…. Was put… in prison…?"

"Yes, but Thor and Loki pulled some strings, and she is in no danger. She gave us intelligence about the neko rebellion, and Odin has allowed her to remain outside the prison in return for this information. She's technically still a prisoner, but is staying in some guest chambers here in the palace, so she is in agreeable accommodations. Thor has been keeping her good company as well. There is no need for worry about Lady Marron," Frigga reassured. "And while the healers were taking care of you earlier, I went to tell both Thor and Marron that you had woken. I told them they could not visit until tomorrow, though; the healers had to finish their care of you, and I think it would be better for you to sleep than to have too many visitors."

Noir sighed. "Alright. Alright. Now…"

"What happened to you? You were stabbed. Who stabbed you, and for what purpose?"

"I was stabbed by my mother, and to the purpose of ending my life," Noir said flatly. "But if you mean, for what reason, it was because I spoke out against the nekos' rebelling and tried to take a map that was key to their plans."

"You were stabbed by your own mother?" Frigga asked in surprise.

"Mmhmm."

"And you came to Loki for help? Why?"

Noir sighed. "Because he's the only one I know," she murmured. "I have no friends except for Marron and Loki and Thor. I've renounced my friendship with Chatte Blanc Lune. So… because Loki is the only person I could turn to. Now… what's happened while I've been out?"

"Nothing of great importance. We've heard nothing from the rebellion, so we assume that they are still continuing with their plan to attack the palace in a week and a half, as Marron had said they had planned. Now… about your appearing from out of nowhere when Lady Marron had said you were still with the rebels…"

"In case you're wondering, I climbed up to Loki's balcony," Noir murmured. "From there he took me into his room, and… well…" her eyes fluttered open. "I can't recall anything after that," she realized. "Then I remember only darkness, like sleep, and waking up…" she blushed. "…next to Loki, unexpectedly."

Frigga smiled slightly. "You are the same Lady Noir from the ball, yes?"

Noir glanced up, blinking. "Hmm?"

"You are the one Loki danced with at the ball. I mean, I had known it for some time… ever since Marron came and turned out to be a neko, but still." She smiled softly. "You should know, Loki cares for you a great, great deal."

Noir stiffened slightly. "Your Majesty… I am sorry."

"For what, Noir?"

Noir sighed. "For…" she gestured vaguely at herself. "Being what I am. For making the prince happy when I'm not supposed to."

Frigga scoffed, somehow managing to make the unladylike noise still sound delicate and ladylike. "That is nothing to be sorry for, Chatte Noir Voleuse. Do not apologize for making my son happy. It's a welcome change, to be perfectly honest. Before you, he had no friends."

Noir giggled at the memory of Thor saying the exact same thing—Loki has no friends.

"So making him happy is not something I will condemn you for. Instead, I shall thank you."

Noir's eyebrows lifted. "Thank me?"

Frigga stood and smiled. "Indeed. Thank you for making him happy."

Noir lifted one corner of her mouth in a curious smile. "…You're welcome, Your Majesty. And, ah… thank you, as well."

Frigga quirked an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

"Well, you are his mother," Noir said fairly. "Thank you for having a son as brilliant as he is."

Frigga laughed.

"Also, thank you for having the healers take care of me," Noir added earnestly. "I really do appreciate it."

"And I appreciate you not dying," Frigga said with a hint of irony.

Noir snorted, lacking the talent of making it sound as delicate or ladylike as Frigga. "Me, too."

Frigga smiled broadly. "Well, you are alright now. I must go… You must rest tonight, so get some sleep. You are safe, finally."

Noir couldn't help but feel that, for once, that was true.

Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: Noir is awake and alive! I can hear the fans singing the Hallelujah chorus now… ;P So I know that Noir's waking up from her coma was not realistic, but I decided to go for the Hollywood coma recovery rather than the realistic one lol.

Me: "I'm going to do tons of research for my story about stab wounds, poisons, and slipping into comas. I'm going to keep that kind of realistic and factual! …But I'm not going to make her wake up from the coma realistically because plot."

And I know that maybe some of you guys are thinking that Loki's actions and behavior is a little out of character, but… um… does anyone else actually get very wordy and eloquent when they're tired? Because that is totally me, weirdly enough. If I'm up texting someone late and I'm really tired, the next morning sometimes I'll go back through and reread the conversation, and I'll be like "… wtf? For one, I don't even remember this conversation, for two, how did I manage to use words like "extraordinarily" and "damsel" and "quizzical" and "detrimental" when I was half-asleep?" Some of my best writing is done when I'm half-asleep. So… yeah lol I decided to make Loki the same way.

And… Loki says he loves Noir! Will he even remember saying it? Will he regret it? Did he even mean it, or is he just delirious? So many questions!

Tune in next time to get the answers on… Banditry! *epic dramatic instrumental theme song starts playing in the background*

Love you, ducklings. Please favorite, follow, and review; I'm sure we can reach 400 reviews!