Unforgotten

Chapter 22

Loki and I completely defied Natasha's order – he and I laid in bed for the next few hours, talking and giggling like teenagers.  I touched his face with my fingertips, lovingly admiring his beautiful smile, the way it lit up his face. 

"What?" He asked, and I glanced down.

"I – I'm just lucky," I whispered.  He looked at me questioningly.

"You are just so – so handsome." I leaned forward and kissed him.  "And kind.  And sweet.  How did I get so lucky?"

"Luck has nothing to do with it," Loki said, touching his nose to mine.  "You are you.  You are beautiful," He kissed me softly.  "You are loving, caring, and you sacrifice so much of yourself for those around you." He pressed his forehead to mine.  "And you're the mother of my daughter.  I thank the Norns every day that you are mine." I buried my face in his chest, inhaling the leather, wood, and spice smell that surrounded him all the time.  We held each other for a moment, until I inevitably ruined it with a yawn. 

"You need to sleep," Loki said quietly, kissing my head.  I shook my head, but my heavy lids refused to open.  I didn't notice Loki pull the covers around me, or leave the bed.  Or whisper 'good night, my sjelefrende,' in my ear.

"Dark circles on your wedding day.  Tsk tsk." I opened my eyes the next morning, and saw Natasha peering at me from where Loki had laid the night before.  "I guess we'll just have to work with what we've got, won't we?"

"Thanks a lot," I said sarcastically, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.  "It's not to late to fire you as maid of honor, you know." Natasha grinned.

"All right, we leave for your ladies breakfast in half an hour," Natasha said, hopping up and exiting my room.  I smiled, looking out the huge windows at the bright day.  It was going to be beautiful.

I was dressed in a flowy, summer dress fifteen minutes later, and joined several people in the living room. 

"Good morning, my love."  Loki crossed the room and kissed me gently.  I smiled lazily as my husband-to-be stepped away from me.  His black hair was pulled up into a man-bun, the black tshirt he wore tightly clinging to his muscled arms and shoulders, his jeans hanging loosely on his hips.  Whoa boy, I thought, I let that leave my bed last night? My ears perked up when I heard my daughter laugh – she was sitting on the lap of a man with a bright red face, and I smiled at he and the woman beside him. 

"Wanda!  Vision!  You guys made it!" I moved across the room, where Wanda gathered me into a hug.  I hadn't seen Wanda and Vision for nearly two years – they had married in secret, and were living under the radar in a foreign country; no one really knew their exact location.  I was happy to have my friend back.

"We wouldn't have missed it, Paige," Wanda said, smiling. 

"Your child is amazing!" Vision said, looking between Loki and I.  I tipped my head at him, and felt Loki put an arm around my waist. 

"She and Vision have been quite the conversationalists this morning," Loki said to me, and I glanced back at Vision.  Charlotte had one of his fingers in her small hand, and they were gazing in each other's eyes, obviously deep in a conversation only they could hear.

"My sister!" I jumped when I heard Thor's booming voice, only to feel myself being lifted into the air and squeezed into his muscular arms. 

"Not quite yet.  And only if I can breathe by then. . ." I squeaked, while Thor shook me back and forth in the hug.  He at last put me down, grinning, holding my shoulder.