Beautiful Chaos

{part four | chapter eight}

It was early when she woke up, too early. But she pulled herself from the warm sheets and the god's tight embrace anyways, moving towards the attached bath chamber. The room was large, nearly the same size as the huge bed chamber. She had lived in impressively sized mansions and penthouses for most of her life, but she didn't think she could ever get used to living in a palace. She moved towards the bath -a beautiful white and gold basin carved out of an enormous hunk of marble- and turned the tap. The hot water filled the room with clouds of steam and she poured the contents of a small bottle labeled soap bubbles into the basin. When the bath was full, she shut off the tap and shed her nightgown, slipping into the scorching water. She sighed sleepily, she had woken up in the middle of the night multiple times, due to what she wasn't sure.

She turned her attention towards the dainty glass bottles that rested on the thick edge of the tub. She took hold of the one closest to her and opened the top, bringing the opening to her nose and breathing in the scent. It smelled fresh and floral, with a hint of something sharp and delicious that she couldn't quite name.

"Adorblossom oil." A voice said from across the room, making her jump slightly, nearly dropping the bottle into the bath water. She looked over at the speaker and giggled. Loki was standing in the doorway of the bath chamber, holding his hand in front of his eyes. His hair was tangled and his pajamas were rumpled.

"You can open your eyes," Lilith chuckled, "The bubbles are covering me." Loki parted his fingers slightly, just to make sure, and then removed his hand from his eyes when he determined the coast was clear.

"Adorblossom oil," He repeated as he approached and knelt by the side of the bath, "May I?" He gestured towards the bottle in her hands and she handed it to him. As he took the pipette dropper that served as the bottle's stopper and dripped a bit of the oil into her bath water, it's delectable scent filling the room, he told her about the plant.

"Adorblossom is a native Asgardian flower. It only blooms at night because the sunlight is too harsh for it... hence the name. It prefers the moonlight." He gestured to the glass bottle of shampoo and gold chalice that were resting on the edge of the bath and she handed them to him. He carefully poured warm water over her hair with the chalice and then began to wash it. Lilith hummed happily as he continued to explain the flower.

"It smells familiar. I can't figure out what it is."

"Well that's the thing about adorblossoms. They don't actually have a scent."

"What?"

"Strange, isn't it? But everyone says they do, and if you ask for the odor to be described, you get a different answer from everyone. It smells like nothing. But everyone can smell something. Do you know what it is?"

"What is it?"

"It's love. The flower smells like love."

"How is that even possible?"

"Magic, Darling. Adorblossoms smell like love, and love is different for everyone. That's why everyone has a different answer."

"Oh. What do you smell?"

"Vanilla. Honey. I smell your favorite perfume and my mother's favorite rose-water skin cream... and though I hate to admit it, I smell rain - for Thor. What about you, Darling?"

"I smell cinnamon. And I smell the soap they use to wash your bed sheets and... your shampoo. Firewood and that special cold-winter-air smell that comes with fresh-fallen snow. And Wanda's favorite hot chocolate... and I-" Her voice caught in her throat, "And I smell Clint's expensive cologne." The god paused with washing the young woman's hair when he heard the sob escaping her throat.

"Lilith?"

"They're so far away," She choked out, "And I love them so much and I- I just left them..."

"Oh," The god said, his brow creasing as he watched the woman pull her knees to her chest and cry, "Oh gods... Lilith. I'm so sorry. I'm going to find a way for you to see them again. I'm sorry I took you away from them. I am truly, truly sorry." He placed a hand between her bare shoulder blades and rubbed small circles onto her skin, soothing her.

"No, I'm okay. Just a little homesick, that's all," she sniffled. The god looked skeptical as the woman moved her head from her knees and rested her head on the edge of the tub, bringing her hands up to rinse the salty tears from her cheeks.

"Lilith."

"Alright. I'm a lot homesick. Everything was so sudden and..."

"I'll take you back. Right now. I'll... I'll take you through the bifrost and we'll end up right outside the Bartons' front door. I'll do it. Two days with you will last me a lifetime of memories. I just want you to be happy."

"Loki... no. I am happy. And you can't use the bifrost to take me home. You said that Thor's friend... what's his name... Heimdall. He would know it's you. You can't blow your cover like that."

"I don't care, I'd do it for you."

"No! No no no! I'm staying. That's final." She smiled at him weakly and he returned the smirk.

"I promised to find a way for you to contact them. I intend to keep that promise."

"Pinky promise me, so it's real."

"Pink- what?"

"Pinky prom- you know what? Make a fist." The god did as he was told and Lilith reached for his hand, dripping water on the floor as she uncurled his little finger.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up." She held out her own pinky-finger and linked it with his, "Now promise me."

"I promise."

"Good. That's a pinky promise. Now kiss me or it won't work."

"That's definitely not a part of it."

"Just do it!"

"Alright," the god laughed as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the woman's lips, their little fingers still locked together. When he pulled away, she was smiling.

"Will you keep washing my hair? It feels nice."

"Yes, Darling. And afterwards we can have breakfast brought up and I'll read you poetry and you can rest. It's been a long couple of days."

"Thank you. For everything, Loki."

"Anything for you, my dear."