viridian love [L.L]

nine- adopted

I awoke to the feeling of someone softly kissing my shoulder. Groaning from the harsh light of the morning, I turned around, seeing Loki behind me, smiling. I smiled back, happy to see him in his Jotun form, genuinely smiling. 

"Hi," I grinned, moving to straddle his lap. He smiled back, pressing his lips against mine. I felt the cold seep in through his tongue, but I wouldn't dare say anything. Not when he's finally showing himself to me. 

"I'm sorry. It's cold." He looked down, his smile faltering as he placed the blanket between us. As if cotton would be a strong enough barrier to keep me from him. 

"It's okay, Loki. I promise." I lifted his chin with my finger, "Your perfect." Loki's lips curved up again, showing me the beautiful smile that was so rare to see. I eyed the book that he placed on the nightstand. "Read to me?"

He nodded, the book instantly in his hands as he placed my head in his lap. Covering my chest with the duvet, he looked down, stroking my hair as he held the book in the other hand. Loki took a deep breath, 

"The time will come 

when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life."
I could hear as he took deep breaths, looking down at me as if I would disappear between each line. Instead, I listened as he intently read each and every world aloud, carefully. Each one has their own meaning and contribution to make the words flow. 

He combed my hair back, speaking in a soft tone as if I would break with the slightest rise in volume. 

he flipped the page, taking such a delicate touch within the confides of the paper. Making sure not to cause a single tear or rip as the next page began. 

"may i feel said he

(i'll squeal said she
just once said he)
it's fun said she

(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she

(let's go said he
not too far said she
what's too far said he
where you are said she)

may i stay said he
which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she

may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you're willing said he
(but you're killing said she

but it's life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she

(tiptop said he
don't stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she

(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you're divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)"

I hummed, snuggling into his lap even more. To think this time yesterday, I was yelling, not wanting anything to do with him. But now...now It's different in a good way. 

_

Hours later, Loki and I were sitting in the lounge talking to some of the other party guests. The Grandmaster was nowhere to be seen, but I wasn't complaining. The man made me sick even thinking about how his hand smacked my ass not even a day ago. Or was it a couple of hours? Time is apparently peculiar here. 

Loki had basically forgotten all about Thor. I loved Loki, but seeing how he doesn't seem to care if Thor was dead or if Hela had destroyed our homemade me skeptical about his motives. If I hadn't held onto him while we were being thrown from the bi frost, would he have cared? Would he have had more motivation to look for me if I was facing Hela alone right now? 

I wonder. but I didn't have any more time to think about it when I heard a familiar voice shouting. "Aspen!! Loki!!" I turn my head to see Thor in a confined chair, shouting at us. "Aspen!! over here." I shot up out of my seat, placing my glass of wine down right as Loki looked over, his smile dropping. We both got up and made our way over as Loki started to shush him. 

"What?!" 

"Your alive?!" Loki questioned, looking Thor up and down. I laughed, "No, he's a ghost."

Thor ignored me, "Why yes, of course, I'm alive."

"What are you doing here?" Loki asked again, pulling me a little closer as his hand rested on the small of my back. 

"What do you mean what am I doing?! I'm stuck in this stupid chair. Where's your guys' chair?" Thor tried to wiggle out of the restraints, which only tightened. "We didn't get chairs." Loki clarified, shaking his head. 

"Well, get me out of this one."

"We can't."

"Get me out!"

"We can't."

"What?" Thor looked over to me, confused, before turning back to Loki as he started to explain. "We've made friends with this man he's called Grandmaster-"

"He's crazy!" 

"Yes, very. And a pervert." I added, making Loki tense slightly. "But we've gained his favor. The Bifrost brought us out here weeks ago."

"Weeks ago?!"

I nodded, "It's honestly strange. It feels like days."

"What? I just got here!"

"What are you whispering about?"

Thor shouted as we all stepped back to face the Grandmaster. he smiled, "Time works real different around these parts. On any other world, I'd be like millions of years old. But here on Sakaar..." he trailed off, giving all three of us a weird look.

We all exchanged confused glances, waiting for him to continue. 

"In any case. You know this uh, this uh," He turned to Thor, "You call yourself Lord of Thunder?"

"God of Thunder." Thor smiled, instantly looking at Loki and me. "Tell him." I was going to speak up before Loki laughed, "I've never met this man in my life."

"He's my brother!!" Thor shouted. 

"Adopted." Loki pointed to himself. 

"is he any kind of a fighter?" The Grandmaster asked, causing me to step up before he said something stupid. "He isn't. You know, all rainbows and kittens." I saw them all give me a confused look. But I had walked past the stadium yesterday, seeing how brutally people died when fighting. 

The Grandmaster gave me a side-eye, not happy with me speaking up. "Well, you both look like fighters to me." My eyes widened, seeing two guards come up behind me as they grabbed my arms. I attempted to shove them with my powers but felt a painful prick in my neck before I could. 

Thor's chair rolled out behind me. "Loki!!" I shouted, fighting the guards as four held him back from reaching me. "LOK-"

But before I could even say his name, I felt an undescribable stinging sensation spread down my neck and spine, causing me to go limp in the guards' arms. The last thing I felt was being thrown onto the ground, instantly being picked up by who I guessed was Thor. 

And once again, I was torn away from Loki.