I Will Follow You Into The Dark~ On Hold

Chapter 15

Loki sat on the end of the sofa watching as Lilja slept, her chest rising with each breath. His eyes took in every inch of her, from her dark hair to her tanned skin, down to each of her toes as they wiggled, searching for warmth. He had spent years dreaming of what his betrothed could have looked like, that was until Sigyn had caught his attention; then he found himself fantasizing about her, in all different ways, between the sheets, walking about the gardens of Asgard; and before she fell off the bridge, his most frequent dream was of them married under the stars of the cosmos.

He thought his heart was going to break when he was informed that the two women, he had dreamt of were the same. When he stopped and thought about it, it made sense. His bonding tattoo was so close to that of a Valkyrie, it made sense for his Själsfrände to be the daughter of one. He didn't know how many hours he spent just staring at his wrist, where the mark that had once been fading slowly, was now as dark as night. The joy he felt seeing it full again was immense. The tears he had thought gone, dried up centuries before, leaked from his tightly squeezed lids and fell down his cheeks, burning his skin until they dripped off his chin, disappearing somewhere under his tunic.

A soft cough from next to him dragged his head sideways so fast he would have been concerned of whiplash had he been a mortal. Lilja laid there, her eyes full of emotions, too many for Loki to decipher right there and then. He watched as she slowly sat up, his cape pillowing around her like a blanket, just as he hoped it would. It felt like years by the time she had eased herself up on the sofa, sitting on her knees. Her hand was stretched out, fingertips only just grazing the flesh on his jaw; curling downwards till they were resting against his throat; eyes wide as she stared into his own.

"You truly are here?"

Loki cried, launching forward cradling her to his chest. The sense of belonging warmed his soul, as he was finally whole again. Lilja's lips caressed the tip of his ear as she hummed, letting him cry into her neck. The usual façade of indifference was gone, he wasn't afraid to show his true feelings; and he felt so free, it was amazing what happened when he was true to himself as well as others. For the first time in ages, he felt carefree, he felt loved; he felt like he was needed and wanted.

The two of them stayed in their embrace for hours, not caring who could have seen them. luckily for them though, it was Thor who found them first; but then again, some of the team weren't far behind. There was a happy cry and Loki looked up to see a flash of red as Pepper launched herself at his beloved, hugging her and crying; just as he had moments before.

Tony stood behind them, smiling as he watched them. "Is she ok?"

Loki nodded, his smile begging to disappear in the presence of the man of iron, but he was way too lazy to fight his urge to smile. "Yes, Wanda's power is weak compared to both Lilja and mine. The only reason Wanda managed to harm her, was because she was unprotected, reading my mind."

"I am so glad that you are ok. I have missed you Lil." Pepper smiled at the woman she had known for the entire time she had known Tony. Lilja smiled and nodded, hugging her back before standing up, wobbly and tried to walk only to fall right into Loki's arms; that had opened knowingly, the moment her foot left the ground. He held her tight to him, helping her back to the sofa as Thor knelt in front of her grinning at her, only for her to raise a brow at him.

"Lady Sif will be beside herself to know that you are still alive."

Lilja froze, her mouth hanging open. She turned around to Loki who rested his head against the back of the seat. "She thought I was dead?" Loki sighed nodding, "She was in the room with me when my mother told me."

Lilja sobbed as she curled herself back into his lap, flinching slightly as Thor rubbed her back in comfort. Loki looked down at her crying form as the rest of the team filled in behind Tony and Pepper. They watched the trio as they huddled together, something that looked so innocent, unaware of the pain they all suffered.