She woke on the couch with Loki, her headaches finally ending as well as the nausea from detoxing herself. She streched a bit without disturbing him, and she listened to the rain drum against the windows in gentle patters. The sound alone calmed her, amd she was able to think about the last few days.
He stayed with her through it all, making sure she ate, and holding her through the worst of the shakes. The medications that had poisoned her for so long, working their way out of her system. She smiled against his brown sweater, her hand finding his, and she held it as he slept. How did she get so lucky to find him, and what did she do in a past life to deserve him more? He opened his eyes, and caressed her cheek as he smiled at her.
"How do you feel?" He asked her, and she smiled at him. To be honest, she felt amazing. The drugs that numbed her mind were finally gone from her system, and she was actually able to honestly enjoy things. She felt clearer, and her anxiety actually gave her some peace. She smiled at him, and she answered honestly.
"Really good actually, I have not felt this good in a long time." She replied, and his arm around her back tightened to pull her closer. She blushed a bit, and she giggled. "Could you kiss the part in my hair, I really like that. It is... sort of calming."
"Of course." He whispered, holding her cheek and he pressed his lips to the top of her head. She laughed, and he lingered a bit longer before laying his head back. "I have to confess however, I only did that, because I like the way your hair smells from your shampoo."
"You smell good too, does that make me weird?" She asked, and he grinned at her. He lifted a curl of her hair, pressing it to his lips and he lay it back down. She blushed, realizing it was some form of chaste, Asgardian tradition, and it was a bit romantic.
"Not at all, what makes you weird is how many books you read." He teased, and she laughed at him. He rested his hand on his stomach, and she giggled harder. She rested her chin in her hands to keep her chin from digging into his chest, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh dear, you are thinking of a a way to tease me back."
"I think you are weird, because you are a Prince that actually does chores around this house. I have never heard of one that knows how to sweep, and mop the way you do." She teased, and he shrugged, tucking a pillow behind his head.
"Drat, you are on to my methods of seduction. I was hoping that you would see how tidy I liked things, and fall for my romantic wiles." He said, and she laughed harder. It was a deeper laugh, freer than she did before, and he smiled at her. "I think you are odd, because of all the dirty, monster romances you read. Some of those would be horrifying to your grandmother." He said and she laughed harder, as he chuckled back at her.
"Oh, now you are offended by them. Maybe I should read it out loud when you and I cuddle on the couch next time." She shot back, tapping her fingers and he pretended to look offended.
"I doubt I could compare to your Henry Cavill. He is a dashing fellow." He teased back, and she laughed harder, he hugged her, and she blushed as she hid her face. She looked up at him, and smiled as she tapped his nose.
"He has only one flaw." She replied, and he grinned back down at her.
"His nose is not a dignified as mine?" He asked her and she laughed at his response. She shook her head, and she streched up to kiss him. He returned it, and he smiled up at her. She loved his green eyes, how expressive they were, and she wanted to stare into them forever.
"He is not you." She replied, and he kissed her back. Her heart feeling like it was beating for the first time in way too many years. He lay back, holding her cheek, and he smiled at her.
"That is the same problem all my past lovers had, none of them were you." He replied and she lay against him again and rested her cheek on his shoulder. Their hands joined over his stomach, and he let out a long breath. "I want to finish your painting, that way I can start another of you. You have become my Muse, and I want to paint you, over and over again."
"Want me naked again?" She laughed back at him and he gave her a crooked grin. He tapped his lip in thought, humming to himself and winked at her.
"As much as I enjoy the view, not the next time. I would like you to wear that blue dress you bought, the one with the white dots on it." He said, and she blinked at him. She giggled, and she blushed a bit.
"The Rockabilly dress? I look like a Pin Up girl in that, and I only got it to go with my heeled Mary Janes." She said, and he nodded, she was expecting something more risqué, but this was a definate suprise. He waved his hand, and wove his fingers back between hers and smiled.
"It makes you look like a more Classic Beauty, and I find the style alluring in a way." He replied, and smiled at her. "I find the style of the dress, and the color quite nice on you. The blue accents your eyes, and your hair."
"Now you are just flirting." She teased him back and he smiled at her. He pretended to look shocked, and shrugged a bit.
"Perhaps, a little bit." He quipped, and she giggled as she snuggled close to him again. She relaxed, and he held her hand again as he looked at the rain outside the window, a wistful smile on his face.
--‐--
Sara looked up from the book in her lap as she sat in the chair in the art room, the ringing phone on the desk blaring. Loki held up his hands to show they were covered in paint, and she put her marker in the pages and picked up the phone. She saw the name, and she frowned at it.
"It's Claire." She said, and pressed the icon to answer the phone. She held it in her hand, and she smiled as Loki painted the curtains in her portrait. It was not done yet, but it would be soon. He had one of the bright, true lights on over the easel, and she noticed how late it was getting outside. The sun was setting, and soon, she would have to make dinner.
"Hey Claire, Loki has paint all over his hands... are you okay." Sara answered Loki's Phone, holding it to her ear and she could hear Claire Sniffling. She stammered, and she caught her breath then. Loki looked at her, and she blinked as Claire put herself together.
"Ethan went missing after playing in the woods with... with his friends. They came home, but my baby is still out there." She sobbed into the phone, and Sara put the phone in speaker. "Please, I know he has some gift... Magic or whatever, please help me! I just want my baby home. Help me find Ethan!" She screamed out, and the sound broke Sara's heart. She looked at Loki, a brush in his teeth as he raised his eyebrows at the sounds of a desperate mother. He took the brush out of his mouth, leaning toward the phone to speak.
"We are coming Claire, and I will help find him too." He said, and put the brushes and pallette down. The painting was not done yet, but Sara nodded as Claire hung up. She pulled out the tablet, and put in that they were going to be participating in a search for a missing child and the general area of the search.
Loki left the room, descending the stairs, and she could still hear Claire sobbing into the phone in his head. He hurried as he washed up, and could hear Sara cleaning his brushes upstairs. He would scrape the old paint off the pallette later, there would be time for that. Claire however needed him as he scrubbed his hands and found his boots, Ethan may not have the luxury if time.. The temperature was going to plummet that night, and the boy would freeze if they did not find him.
--
"Ethan!" Sara screamed, her voice carrying through the dark woods but there was no reply. Loki held the flashlight, and he scanned the area. They heard a sound behind them, and Sheriff Rogers came down the game path toward them. He extended a hand to Loki, and shook it.
"We may have to call off the search soon, the fog is coming in, and no one has found Ethan Bosworth. I am not going to lie, it ain't looking good." He said, and Loki shook his head in denial. Sara knew he was not going to give up, and she would spend the entire night out here with him if she had to. Loki liked Claire, and he was going to find her son.
"I made a promise to Claire, and I do not intend to stop until her son is found. I have hunted in Asgard since I was a child, I know how to track prey. I just need to find any sign of him, and it will not be hard to follow his trail." Loki replied, and the Sheriff took off his Smokey the Bear hat and shook his head.
"You always this stubborn? These woods are going to be almost impossible to find your way out of in a few hours." He argued, and Sara crossed her arms and opened her backpack. She dug out a camping lanterns and she held it up as she lit it and adjusted the light.
"I believe in Loki, and he will keep the both of us safe when we find Ethan." She said, and the Sheriff groaned, and Loki put a hand on his arm.
"Like i said, and I mean this with all respect, I am trained to track prey through the woods. I hunted for sport in Asgard. I have been in more dangerous woods than these, and I will bring both Sara and Ethan back out." He said, and he looked at Sara. She nodded, and she pressed her lips together. It was freezing out, and he looked at her. The look on his face screaming that he changed his mind about having her along, the Sheriff regarded her a moment and he nodded. "If you have to, go back and get warm. I can handle being alone out here."
"Like hell you can, I am staying. If you think you can find him, then you can find him, and get us back to the ambulances." She said, and he gave her a smile. Sheriff Rogers looked at the both of them, and gave them a tip of his hat.
"Good luck then, I hope he is okay." He said, and Sara nodded as they walked on. Loki looked at everything with his flashlight, and they moved on down the path. In the distance, she could hear other searchers shouting for Ethan, but no response. She felt awful for Claire, and really hoped Ethan was somewhere safe, just scared and alone in the woods.
"Are you warm enough?" Loki asked her and she patted her thighs through her jeans.
"I put on a pair of leggings under these, I am good for a while. I brought hot coffee too, I can keep myself alert, and warm from the inside." She said, hoping she was not shivering as she spoke. They walked on, her breath condensing in the air, creating little clouds, and Loki stopped her and crouched near a bush. There was a tear of orange, nylon fabric on the branch.
"Ethan is wearing an orange coat, Claire said so, is this the fabric it would be made of?" He asked her, and she held the scrap of cloth in her hand. She nodded, and she swallowed.
"Yeah, it is water resistant. Claire said it was a puffy jacket too, this may be from his coat." She replied, and Loki stayed low to see what else he could find. He studied the branches finding a broken one on a bush, and he took his glove off and pressed his finger to it. It came back with a trail of sap, and he nodded, and put his glove back on.
"It seems we are walking the correct way." He said, and he shone his flashlight it reveal a shoe print in the mud off the path. He waved her on, and he walked slowly, the beam of his flashlight searching the area and he found a stick broken in half and pushed down into the mud like someone stepped on it. Sara followed Loki, and she began to get a little nervous as they left the path.
"You sure? That could have been hours ago, and he could have found his way back to the path. Ethan is not a dumb kid, and we are getting awfully deep in these woods." She said, and he looked back at her. She shrugged, and she looked at him. "I mean, I really don't want to become the second and third people lost in these woods to be honest."
"Trust me." He said, and they walked on. For a strange reason, she did, and she knew he would get them back home.
--‐--
An hour passed, and Sara checked her phone. It was almost Midnight, and they were still following what Loki was sure was a trail of clues left by Ethan. They looked like broken bushes, and bent grass to her, not evidence that a kid had walked through. She was freezing, and she wanted a hot bath and to just curl up in her bed and sleep.
He gestured them forward still, and she followed as he crouched down to find several leaves on a bush bent at odd angles. He shone the flashlight around, looking for anything else, and Sara stood by. He soon stood up again, and picked up a Starburst wrapper off the ground and held it between his glioved fingers.
"Candy, maybe he got hungry and ate something. It may not have been much, but the sugar could have kept him going." Sara whispered, ans she stood up and Loki pointed to another one on the ground. The fog was around them, and frost was forming on the leaves of a the bushes.
"They have not been here long either. They look almost brand new." He said, and he looked around him for any more. He gestured on, and they followed the trail of candy wrappers until Sara gasped as she saw the worst sight possible in the circle of light.
A bright red and blue knit hat was laying on the ground, frost stiffening it as they stared. Loki picked it up, and read the label inside it.
"Ethan Bosworth... We are going the right direction." He said, and he felt how stiff it was. He looked on, and began walking with purpose, the flashlight shining around him as Sara tried to keep up. "It was recently dropped, look around! ETHAN!" He shouted, and he listened for several heartbeats. "ETHAN BOSWORTH!" Sara's ears strained, but she couldn't hear a single thing through the fog. He handed her the hat, and he looked at it. "Feel that. The frost has not frozen it solid, he is close."
He walked through the woods, and Sara saw it first. Her flashlight beam caught on the orange coat, and she squeaked as she ran over toward Ethan as he lay curled into the roots of a tree. He was keeping himself warm by sheltering between them, and she turned to see Loki walking another direction.
"Loki! He is over here! Its Ethan!" She said, running over and she gently shook the boys shoulder. "Wake up Ethan, please? We found you, everything is going to be okay." His eyes opened, and Sara gasped as Loki ran toward them.
"Broken leg lady." He mumbled with blue lips, and she cupped his cheeks and put his hat on his head. He had frost forming in his hair, and she gave him a gentle shake.
'Yeah Ethan, broken leg lady. Stay awake for us, please. We are going to take you back to your mom." She said, Loki moving her and he stripped his coat and scarf off, wrapping it around the child. "I am going to get you warmer first."
She opened the backpack, digging into it, and found the charcoal hand warmers. She opened the packages, slipping them inside his coat and the boy began to shiver as Loki zipped his coat up over Ethan. He lifted the boy up, and hefted him in is arms while Sara opened another package of the warming packs and she put them up the back of his coat.
"We have to move, he needs a Healer... I mean Doctor." Loki said, and Sara nodded. She held the flashlight and camping lantern, lighting their way as she walked and she held the whistle in her numbing fingers. She was going to blow it to alert them that she found Ethan, when she realized that they were the only ones out there. Loki began moving, his stride purposeful and he made his way back to the game trail. "Keep your eyes on me Ethan, tell me about your schooling. Do you like your Tutors?"
"Teacher, I only have one teacher." The boy said, and he started to cry. Sara crossed his arms over his chest to keep warmth trapped in the coat.
"One, and they know many subjects? Truly wise of them, what do you enjoy the most?" He asked the sniffling boy and his shivering got worse, he coughed and Loki heated him a bit more by tucking the coat around his legs. "You will be warm soon, keep telling me about yourself Ethan. Your Mother speaks highly of you."
"I like Art, and Reading." He said, and Loki smiled as they moved. Sara followed, doing her best to light their way, bit Loki was sounding desperate.
"I enjoy reading and Art myself. I paint as a creative outlet." He said, and Loki gave him a shake. "Tell me your favorite book, you need to stay awake."
"Captian Underpants." He said, his voice fading and Sara stopped Loki. She took out a thermos of hot coffee from her bag, and poured some into a cup.
"Ethan, drink some if this coffee. It will warm you up from the inside." Sara said, and he sipped the warm liquid, and he cringed. She smiled and urged him to drink some more. "You mom makes better coffee than the Sheriff, that is where I got this from. Someday, you are going to survive off this stuff."
"It tastes nasty." Ethan whimpered, but he still drank it. She tossed the rest of the liquid in the plastic cup from her thermos into the bushes, and she looked a Loki. They started walking again, and Ethan blinked and started crying again. "My Mom is gonna be mad!"
"I doubt that Ethan, she may be for a bit, but she will be overjoyed to see you again." Loki said, the boy looking around him as Loki walked. "I got lost in the woods of Asgard when I was a child, I was found, and my Mother scolded me for a few minutes before she realized how glad I was found again."
"W... What did she do?" Ethan asked, and Sara giggled to herself at the thought of Loki being Ethan's size. Loki gave a smile, and he let out a breath.
"She took away my books, but hugged me when she saw me again." He replied, and Sara giggled again at the story. "She brought me warm soup, and fresh fruit, and warned me to never scare her as I did again."
"Did you scare her again?" Ethan asked, and Loki let out a long breath. The fog was thick, but he seemed to know the way. Ethan had a better color in his cheeks, but he would still need a Doctor to look at him.
"I did, and I regret it." Loki replied, and Sara saw the flashing lights if the emergency vehicles through the fog. They looked eerie, like something they should not be walking toward. She could hear voices, and they walked toward them.
They stepped out of the woods, and Claire stood by the Sheriff and screamed when she saw them. She ran across the field, and Loki looked at her as she opened the coat to see Ethan's face.
"Hunny Bunny! You gave mommy a heart attack! Where were you?" She said, tears falling down her face as Sheriff Rogers walked over and shouted for the Paramedics.
"Over here! Get him checked out!" Sheriff Rogers shouted, and people came running. Sara had to back up, and pictures were being taken of the hero of the moment, carrying the missing child. People were shaking his hands, thanking him and he looked overwhelmed. Sara stood off to the side as his coat was handed back to him, and she began shivering despite herself. In all the excitement, she forgot she was freezing too, and Claire hugged him around the neck and he hugged her back.
"Loki! Hey, I'm with Komo 4 News, can you tell us how you found the missing boy?" A Reporter shouted, her yellow jacket embroidered with the station name. She shoved the microphone into his face, and the camera man took his video. Claire shoved the microphone away, and she hugged him again.
"Leave him alone, he just found him, that is all you need to know." She shouted at the reporter, and she hugged Loki again. "I knew you would find him Hunny, I just knew." She cried, and Loki let her go. He smiled at the middle aged woman, and she patted his cheeks as he held his coat and scarf. "The Cafe is closed tomorrow, I will be at the Hospital with Ethan. My sister has the rest of the kids... Holy Shit! I need to call my Sister!"
"Call her, I need to get Sara warmed up at home." He replied, and Sara smiled as she waved at people. Claire gave him another hug, and Sara smiled as he laughed with Claire. "Go be with Ethan, I am sure that he needs to know that you are not overly angry."
"Oh, he is grounded until he gets out of High School. I lost ten years off my life tonight!" She exclaimed, and Loki shook his head as he walked with Sheriff Rogers, talking to him.
"Jesus Christ on a Ritz Bitz. I couldn't believe it when I saw you carrying that boy, it is a damn miracle that you found him and your way back." The older man said, and Loki stopped, he put his coat on, and shook his head.
"Nearly five hundred years of experience Sheriff, no magic needed. All I did was look for the signs he had been there, and it took me to him." He replied, and the Sheriff extended his hand and shook Loki's. The Reporter got the footage, and began talking to the camera. They stopped, and Loki gave a thin smile as an understanding passed between them and he nodded.
"Great job though. You saved that boy's life." The Sherrif said, and Sara smiled at him. She trusted Loki, and he kept his word the entire time they were out in the woods. "I was wrong about you, and I'm sorry about that. You are a good man."
--‐--
It was three in the morning by the time she got out of the bath, and she was drained. The bath warming her down to her soul, making her sigh and relax. The cold left a lingering chill on her, and she was glad to be home as she snuggled under her blankets and curled on her side. She lay awake then, her body refusing to relax, and she turned over onto her other side to see how empty her bed was.
She streched her hand out, wishing she would find Loki's and only found empty space. A lingering ghost of his presence, and a reminder of how he was probably asleep in his room. She blinked, the small light plugged into the wall giving her the only light in the room, and the only sound was the pattering of the rain on the windows.
She shifted, moving toward the middle of the bed, and tucked the blankets around herself more. She felt a bit of longing as she lay back, and she streched her back out on the mattress and pointed her toes at the footboard. She swallowed, and she thought about the things she and Loki had shared, and she bit at her lip and listened down the hall for any movement.
She did this once, why not again?
She was about to put her fingers into the waistband of her panties, when her phone rang. She shot up, answering it and she heard someone talking in the background. She cleared her throat, and yawned suddenly, blinking her eyes.
"Sorry Hunny, I didn't wake you up did I?" Claire asked, and Sara laughed a little bit.
"No, I was just laying down. I had to take a hot bath to get the cold off of me, how is Ethan?" She asked, amd she could hear the relief in Claire's voice as she spoke.
"He is good, the doctors want him to stay a couple of days to make sure he is not hypothermic." She replied, and her voice took on a serious tone. "You gave my son coffee?"
"It was all I had to warm him up with. I am really sorry, it was a panic moment decision." She said, and Claire laughed and she could just see her shaking her head as she did so. Sara relaxed, and she bit at the pad of her thumb and giggled a bit.
"I forgive you. I was calling about a favor, could you write a sign up for the door if the Cafe and tape it there? I am going to close it until Friday, Ethan needs me." She asked Sara, and she smiled. "I texted Loki, but I am guessing he is asleep right now."
"I can do that, I can run it over now if you want." Sara said, amd Claire laughed.
"No sweetie, it is icy out there. I don't think anyone in the town would forgive me if you got hurt, it can wait until the afternoon tomorrow." She replied, and Sara yawned again. She streched her back, curling on her side and smiled as she could hear Claire moving about.
"Okay. I will take it over in the afternoon." She said, and she streched her back to relieve some tension. She was on the verge of sleep, and could barely hear Claire wish her a good night. Sara mumbled a good night to Claire, and she hung up the phone. Her eye lids drooping and eventually closing, she curled on her side, and the phone buzzed with a text she did not hear.
--
She woke again at ten, her eyes focusing as she noticed the green light blinking on her phone to indicate she had gotten a text. She picked up the phone, and blinked to clear her eyes and saw it was from Emily. She shrugged, getting up and streching her back as she put on her bunny slippers and plodded down the stairs. She stuffed her phone in her pocket, and yawned again and saw Loki starting at the window.
"Good morning." He said, and she smiled as she went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. He did not react much, but she chalked it up to him being tired from the night before.
"Good morning, hero." She said, and she wandered through to the kitchen, yawning again as she made a cup of coffee. She heard her phone ring, and she sighed and answered it as she was setting up the coffee maker. "Hello?"
"Sara, this is important." Emily said, and she was keeping her voice low as she spoke. She was obviously at work, and she was hiding somewhere to talk to her.
"Emily, we were up all night looking for Ethan in the woods. If this is not life or death, I'm hanging up, because I need the coffee to touch my soul before any more emergencies come up." She sighed, and added water and then the grounds to the basket and turned the machine on.
"No! Remember the special candies I had? I think they are at your house, have you seen them anywhere?" Emily whispered, and Sara let out a long breath. She turned around, and she saw a chocolate wrapper on the table. Sara frowned reading the wrapper, and she had to cover her mouth as she found the box of squares against the wall. She read the label, and had to fight back the urge to panic as she doubled over and fought giggles instead.
"I found them, how many did you eat from the box?" Sara asked and she couldn't hide her snickers as she counted how many were left.
"Only one, why?" Emily asked, and Sara counted eight of them left. She giggled, as she read that they contained ten milligrams of THC, and she had a hard time catching her breath.
"Loki found them first..." She giggled. "I think he ate one." She sat down in a chair and had to cover her mouth as Emily made sounds resembling a tea kettle in her ear. "He was a little off when I walked by him... I thought it was because he was tired! Turns out, he is stoned!"
"Oh shit! Get some of this on video!" Emily whispered, and Sara began to fight back tears as she covered her mouth. She tried to calm back down, but it was becoming harder to do so. She rubbed her face, trying her best to comppse herself.
"You drugged my boyfriend bitch! Of course I am not going to make videos of it!" Sara laughed, and Loki wandered into the room. He pushed the door, and it swung open and back toward him. He gave it another shove, and he looked at Sara as she hung up on Emily and started to worry about him.
"Sara..." He said, getting cut off by the door closing. He shoved it open again, and began to speak. "I think I was..." He tried to get out, and the door shut on him. Sara bit back laughter as he opened the door again and she caught it and held it open. "Thank you. That was becoming irritating... Like I was saying... There is something wrong with my legs. They feel quite heavy."
"Why don't you sit down then? I will bring you something to eat." She said, and he raised a finger and nodded. His eyes fell onto the digit, and he began to study his hand a moment. "You okay?"
"Yes, I just realized why so many women decided they adored me in Asgard. I have very long fingers." He said, and he looked at Sara and she did everything to not scream laugh as he studied his hand. "What was I going to do?"
"You were going to sit down on the couch in the Den and I was going to bring you some water and something to eat." She replied, and she giggled. She could feel her face turning red, and he nodded and turned toward the couch. He walked around it, and sat down, leaning his head back.
"My legs feel so strange!" He said, and Sara propped the door open to keep an eye on him. She got him a couple granola bars, and poured him a large glass of water. She walked back through, and she sat next to him as he drank the water.
"Loki, Emily accidentally left a package of Edibles here. You ate one, and you are feeling the effects of it. You are going to be okay, but you need to drink lots of water and relax." Sara explained, and Loki raised an eyebrow at her. He swayed a bit, eating a bite of the granola bar, and shook his head.
"No, I merely ate a chocolate. It tasted a bit off." He said, and he blinked his eyes a bit too slow for her tastes. She watched him, and he hugged a cushion to his stomach as he watched her. "You are so beautiful when you wake up, I wish I had seen it."
"Sppoky, you ate a Marajuana Edible and are high right now. That is why the candy did not taste right, remember the store Emily went to in Seattle before the Concert?" She asked him and he nodded, his eyes going wide. He sat up, and rubbed his face.
"The Canmibas Dispensary?" He exclaimed and Sara giggled as he leaned back with the cushion against his chest. "I cannot believe this is happening to me! I am a Prince of Asgard! This is humiliating!"
"Loki, can you remember when you ate that piece of candy?" She asked him, and he pinched his eyes shut as he thought about it. He sucked his lower lip in and swallowed.
"It was still a bit dark, I was watching the morning news and they were between the cushions of the couch." He replied, and found something out the window to stare at. He became fascinated in it, zoning out and he looked back at her. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"
"Maybe you should go ahead and try to take a nap, you might not have the THC hitting you so hard when you wake up." She said, and he looked at her. His green eyes unfocused as he nodded, he raised a finger againand then he streched all his fingers out and grinned at them. "Yeah, you have really great hands. Loki, please try to lay down and have a nap."
"Of course. That is what I was thinking of doing, before I saw my hand." He said and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. He smiled at her, and kissed her forehead. "I may sleep better with... inspiring company though."
"If I promise to cuddle with you, will you take a nap?" She asked, and he nodded. He tried to lift his legs across her lap and she had to get up and help him strech out on the couch. His eyes drooped, and he looked at her, his fingers touching a curl of her hair.
"You are so beautiful, so very kind too." He said, his voice fading and she smiled at him. His hands lay on his chest, and he went still as his breathing regulated. She sighed, and looked at her phone. She wanted to scream at Emily, he trusted her, trusted all of them, and they all were laughing at his mistake..
She walked into the kitchen, and tapped the contact in her phone and called Emily. She sighed, pouring herself a cup of coffee, and tapping her fingers while it rang. Emily answered, and she was obviously hiding a giggle.
"It's not funny, and there is no video evidence of it. I also expect you to not tease him about this, I mean it. He was freaked out, and had no idea what was going on." Sara said, sipping her coffee and she put the box of Edibles in the back of a Cupboard where he wouldn't find them again. Emily huffed, and she could see her friend in her mind, crossing her arms to get defensive. "Be more careful with your weed next time, you know, if he had a bad trip, it would have messed him up. He trusts us, all of us."
"Sara, it was an accident! Don't get mad at me, they fell out of my bag when we dropped you off." She huffed, and Sara crossed her arms. She almost slammed her mug down on the counter and she gritted her teeth.
"He thought they were candy! What if he ate more than one? He does not get all the fucking nuances that come along with this planet, let alone our recreational drugs!" She hissed, anger coursing through her as she spoke. She was feeling defensive of Loki then, and she was about to give Emily every damn bit of her anger. "You need to think before you act, remember the diner after the Concert? I was willing to calm myself down and ignore that bitch, but you had to go and get in her face. I was the one who got punched, not you, me. And now, your impulses could have ended Loki and I in a whole lot of trouble. Think about that before you tell me to calm down like you are about to, because it was not your boyfriend who just got really high! You would be just as passed if it were Mark, and I know you would."
"Bugs..." Emily began, and Sara cut her off.
"No, you don't get to call me that right now. I have been up most if the night, helping Claire Bosworth find her missing son, and now I have a God who is higher than the Hubble Telescope asleep on my couch! You don't get to call me Bugs right now." Sara said, her fingers tapping the countertop and she gritted her teeth. "Especially after he trusted you, I trusted you. And especially after his mother brought a vial of the same serum that was given to me, for all of you to have immortality. Think about that today, think about it all day, since I have to take care of Loki while he is high."
She hung up the phone, shoving it into her pocket, and she gritted her teeth. She wasn't just mad at Emily, she was mad at herself for laughing at his plight. She wanted to beat herself up, she wanted Loki to scream at her the way he got mad at Thor, she deserved it and she took several breaths in and out of her nose and mouth to calm back down.
She picked up her mug, sipping the coffee in it, and she sat at the table and waited to see how he felt when he woke up.
--‐--
Loki woke up to see Sara sitting on the loveseat with his gray hoodie on, she was looking at her phone and worrying about something. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she gave him a nervous smile. She chewed at the pad of her thumb, and she looked over when she realized he was awake.
"What in the name of all that is holy happened to me?" He asked, and Sara gave him an even weaker smile. She put down her phone, and folded her hands as she let out a long breath.
"You accidentally ate one of Emily's THC infused Edibles, and spent the last two hours sleeping the effects off." She said, and he picked up the glass of water and drained it to soothe his parched throat. He groaned, and he saw shame on her face as she fidgeted with her fingers. "I laughed at you, and I sort of wanted to tell everyone about the accident. I am not going to do it though, because it was really wrong of me to think that, and to laugh."
He sat up straighter, staring at her, and she rubbed her face and looked nervous. She wove her fingers together, and he wanted to be mad at what she had done, wanted to rage at her for finding humor in his intoxication, but her next words stopped him.
"I'm sorry. You... trusted me, and I abused that. And I am sorry for it." She said, getting up and running up the stairs. He set his glass down on the coaster, following her and he found her in her room. She was sitting on the bed, tears in her eyes and she wiped them away with her sleeves as she looked at him. He walked into the room, and stood her up, wrapping his arms around her and she cried as she put the hood up.
"I accept your apology, and forgive you." He said, kissing the part in her hair. She clung to him, mumbling something into his chest and he looked down at her. "What did you say? I couldn't make that out."
"I said that I am getting your shirt all covered in tears." She said, and he laughed and hugged her back to him.
"It will wash." He replied, and he kissed her forehead again. "I do remember you urging me to lay down and sleep, I suppose it is my turn to urge you to do the same."
"I have to put a sign on Claire's Shop door. She is staying closed until Ethan can go home." She replied, and he picked her up behind her knees and lay her on the bed. He lay behind her, and curled himself into her back.
"You are sleeping for now, we will do that later. Claire will understand if you do it later in the afternoon." He said, and he leaned his nose close to her hair, and he could smell the soft scent of Jasmine and Lavender coming from her. He held her around the waist, and smiled to himself as he felt her relax against him. "I appreciate your honesty Sara, and know it was never in cruelty."
"I... I really love you Loki." She said, and he stiffened when she said those words. He never expected anyone to say them to him, and his entire body went right as she said them in her soft voice. His arm hugged her tighter, and he placed a kiss on the too of her head again, her breathing soft and her body relaxed against his.
"I cherish your heart Sara." He said, his voice a breaking whisper as he spoke.