The Serpent and the Dove: a Loki Fan Fiction

Chapter 25

She couldn't stop thinking of Loki's departure from that night. Why was such a simple act- a little kiss on her forehead- so vibrant in her mind? Jalwa caught herself a few times reflecting on it with a fluttery feeling in her stomach. Maybe it was because she hadn't felt that kind of affection in years. It felt nice.

Loki, himself, noticed a change. There didn't seem to be a specific point to their conversations anymore like she was trying to teach him or get inside his head. Instead, it felt like genuine conversation and connection. He also happened to witness her daydreaming, sometimes while looking at him, and despite being an excellent liar, he could lie to himself that he found it pleasing to think that her mind was on him in those moments. He hated that it made him feel vulnerable and weak, but at the same time, loved how strangely steady and confident it made him. Of course, he'd had affections for her before, but they didn't feel quite this intense. 

It was as if she knew he felt that way, too. She always did little things that made his heart skip. When she walked past him, she would put a hand on his shoulder or the middle of his back. When they were having deeper conversations, she used a tone of voice that was softer and more feminine than her slightly rougher casual tone. He would lay awake at nights after spending time with her wishing she was there, still talking with him, holding his hands, whispering in his ear... No, he couldn't think any more about what he wanted or he would never go to sleep. It was too intoxicating.

Jalwa lay on her bed one afternoon reading a book. She was feeling more distracted than ever and she kept having to go back and reread the same paragraph several times before her mind stopped wandering. Damn, it was just a kiss on the forehead, it wasn't worthy of her feeling like this, was it? She shook her head and turned the page, determined she was going to get through this one without thinking about Loki.

"Crrrroak!"

She looked up from her book in exasperation at a raven that stood in her window with a folded piece of parchment in its beak. "Munin..." she muttered. "Crazy bird, what do you have?" She took the paper from the raven and it looked at her expectantly, hoping she had a treat for him. Jalwa looked around her room and found her clothes from Earth; in one of her pockets, she found a shiny new penny and tossed it to Munin. He caught the coin in mid-air and soared away.

Once Munin was gone, she opened the parchment. "Meet me at Glimmar Lake after dusk," it read. It was signed with a Serpent symbol and Jalwa smiled to herself. "Loki, despite your dishonest habits, you are terrible at remaining anonymous." She carefully tucked the note away in a box and went back to her book, knowing full well she wasn't going to make it through that chapter.

She didn't ride out that night, seeing as Asbjorn was still in the stable beside Freydr. Jalwa walked along the path and then veered left through the grass toward the lake. She kept her senses alert for anything else that might be walking or hunting in the dark. It would be the perfect night for it; between the almost-full moon and the ruby red aurora overheard, there was just enough light to see prey moving in the grass.

"Dove!" came a loud whisper. Loki just poked his head above a rise in the ground where he had been sitting to see her. 

Jalwa hopped over the cover and sat beside him. "You're not very inconspicuous with your signature, Mischief," she teased, playfully running her fingers through his hair and sweeping it sideways.

He chuckled and smoothed his hair back. "Maybe I wasn't trying to be."

"Oh, please," she retorted. "'Meet me at Glimmar Lake after dusk,' signed without your name? That was most certainly you trying to pretend it wasn't you writing that letter. Too bad for you, I remember seeing you sign letters with a serpent before."

Loki laid back, arms behind his head. "As I said, maybe I wasn't trying."

She leaned over him, her nose inches from his. "I don't believe you for a minute."

"Maybe you should," he teased, sweeping his fingers forward through her head so her long locks hung in her face. He smiled watching her fuss with her hair and faux-grumpily laying beside him with a huff.

"Well, I'll give you this much," she said. "You picked a good night to be out here. I haven't gotten to enjoy an aurora in God remembers how long."

He adjusted, inching toward her. "Neither have I. It's much more enjoyable with you here, admittedly."

She glanced at him with a grin, feeling the fluttering in her stomach again. Did he have any idea what he was doing to her? Of course, there was no way he didn't. Kissing her forehead the night before, and now saying something like this? How could he not know?

As the aurora continued to wave like a vivid banner, the stars behind it glittering, she felt her eyelids getting heavier. Jalwa tried to stay awake, but she was getting warm, and she felt so relaxed. Beside her, Loki, too, was looking as though he might drift off soon, and she felt an unusual moment of inhibition. She inched closer to him until finally she was under his arm and she rested her cheek lightly on his shoulder, eyes closed and breathing slowly in case he caught her. Playing possum might have been a child's stunt, but if it meant testing the waters without much embarrassment, it was worth it.

Loki felt his heart beat a little faster when he felt her resting on his shoulder. He put an arm around her and pulled her closer, resting his own cheek on her head. She was warm, and her skin was soft. He gently stroked her arm with his thumb and breathed out a satisfied sigh.

She opened her eyes to look up at him and couldn't help but smile. Jalwa moved her hand to the soft part of his side under his ribs, her fingertips gingerly tracing the definitions in his muscles as she felt them flex. She was trying to stay composed but feeling his excitement made her giddy

He shifted to his side and studied her face. The doll-like expression on her made his head feel fuzzy, and he thought he might lose his breath. He never felt nervous like this, yet somehow, the way she was looking at him made him equally confident and terrified. She whispered his name in a sweet, comforting tone and he felt an ache in his skin. He couldn't take it anymore.

Jalwa felt a prickle of adrenaline as he brought her face to his and planted a deep, heartfelt kiss on her lips. Her heartbeat quickened and she wrapped her arms around him. Loki broke the kiss for a quick, excited breath, and then kissed her again, his mouth open just enough for them to touch tongues. He rolled her on her back and breathed an intense sigh. She held his face in her hands and tilted his head up just enough to kiss along his jawline; her spine bristled when he uttered a soft groan under his breath.

"How do you keep doing this to me..?" he asked quietly.

"Do what?" she purred, kissing his mouth again and smoothing her hands down his chest.

He closed his eyes with a shiver and ran his fingers through her long, brunette hair again. "Making me feel helpless... Every time I'm around you, I feel like I can't resist you."

She pulled him down closer so their foreheads rested on one another and their noses touched. "You make it sound like a bad thing," she chuckled, kissing him again. "I believe it's a good thing."

Loki smiled and pressed her down, kissing her face, and down her neck, a feeling of delight and relief rushing through him at the feeling of her breath in his ear. She was right. It was a very, very good thing.