She Burns (Final Form) (LokiXReader)

26. Lessons Learned

You'd woken up a few minutes ago but it was rare that you woke up before Loki. He laid belly side down with his arms under the pillow he rested his head on, you sat up and smiled at him before looking around the room, it was still that same gorgeous room adorned in silk. As you scanned the room you spotted a book on his side of the bed and reached over gingerly picking it up and scanning the title with a smile 'A collection of Edgar Allen Poe works', you shifted slightly so your back was against the headboard. You cracked it open to the beginning and read it silently, wanting to enjoy the morning for a bit before you needed to get up and give Nora her lessons.

After a couple of poems, you went to start Annabell Lee when Loki seemed to shift before turning, draping his arms across your lap as he turned his face to your side, not opening his eyes. You smiled at how peaceful he looked and began running your fingers through his hair, brushing it back slightly as you did. You continued soothing him, brushing his hair then turned your head back to your book, reopening it to the poem. You glanced over at him for a moment to see his eyes open halfway before instantly shutting as he noticed you, you smirked a little and continued playing with his hair, you knew he liked it. After a moment of knowing he was awake you decided to read the next poem:

"It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me."

"I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love—

I and my Annabel Lee—

With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven

Coveted her and me."

At this point Loki stopped pretending and opened his eyes, using his spread arm to draw shapes on your hip as you continued reading and combing his hair.

"And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulcher

In this kingdom by the sea."

"The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

Went envying her and me—

Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee."

He narrowed his eyes as he listened intently to your words.

"But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we—

Of many far wiser than we—

And neither the angels in Heaven above

Nor the demons down under the sea

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul