Out of reach • A Loki fanfiction

Chapter 18 - The road to relaxation

Era had tried her absolute best to stay awake. But the chaise in front of her bed was apparently still too soft to simply sit on. It's how she ended up laying across of it, in her clothes from yesterday, on the edge of consciousness and dreams.

It was unclear how long she had been waiting. Only the Norns knew how much of rest she had actually gotten.

What Era did know, was that she woke up in the middle of the night, or maybe even early morning. And only after rubbing her eyes with her palms, did she register why. Because closing her door behind him stood Loki, in the light of the candles she had lit that evening, unaware that Era was awake, and trying to act as silent as possible.

"It took you long enough." He was quick to turn around by her voice, taking in her presence as she got up from the couch.

Loki rested his back against the closed door. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I was barely sleeping." She almost whispered as she was taken little aback by the tone she heard in Loki's voice. He was taking deep breaths, spoke in a flat tone, and looked simply said... tired

"Still." He lifted his hand to reveal the object he was carrying. "I just wanted to give you your next read."

Era smiled as she walked closer, looking at the book with that all too familiar blue flower on top of it, held by his thumb.

'A wrinkle in time' by Madeleine L'Engle.

She took it from him before closing her eyes to smell that perfect aroma, coming from both the book's pages and the flower. Placing it atop her desk, right next her door, she looked up in Loki's eyes. He now was close enough to see his features a thousand times more clear. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head as he forced himself a smile. Reaching up, he cupped her cheek with his hand, and placed a gentle kiss on top of her lips.

Era didn't buy it. No matter how sweet, his lips betrayed him. "You're stressed."

He sighed. "Era..."

"You don't have to tell me why. It's just a fact."

He rubbed her cheekbone with his thumb before he placed a kiss on her forehead, lingering there long enough to make up his mind. "Your prince made his decision on where to go from here. He will tell us publicly tomorrow what that is."

"My prince..." she whispered, reaching up to hold his hand against her cheek. "There's more going on. Isn't there?"

His smile was genuine now, but still as tense. "You're getting too good at reading me."

"I'm just trying to keep up with you."

Loki hummed as his eyes traveled over her entire face, taking in as much as he could. He weakened by the sight of her face leaning into his touch, still not having dared to move from her cheek. Then he took a serious breath. "I am not really supposed to be telling you this, but for some reason I truly feel the need to."

"Loki, if it brings you troub-"

"One managed to break into, and steal from Odin's vault." He cut her off with a statement which had her eyes pop.

"What?"

His head sagged the same time his hand slid down. Down to hold hers in the little space between them. "We don't know who it was, but something is stolen. One of Odin's treasures."

"An eye."

Both their hands forgot to hold on to their strength there. Loki's brows furrowed, his eyes searched. All the while Era's mind did, looking past Loki into nothing, suddenly very aware of a memory she hadn't looked into yet.