Out of reach • A Loki fanfiction

Chapter 38 - (Not) enough

Bathing in front of a view that grant, in a mixture of soft aroma's, could be considered being therapy. Chances were big these royal chambers had ruined her a little, to a point where Era couldn't be bathing as comfortable as she was right now in any other tub.

It's what she needed. This. To close her eyes to the sound of chirping birds outside, wash her brown long locks with the shampoo Loki had especially selected for her use, get rid of hair she didn't want to grow any further, and to simply float around the black marble and flowery scented soaps. Consent was nowhere close to this. 'Relaxed' felt too careful of a word.

Not even being aware of the fact that rumours were most likely spreading right this second could break her stride of comfort. Strutting around the hallways and stairs on Loki's arm had been enough to gain themselves some extra attention, but unlike all those previous times, neither of them gave each other the chance to care. If leaving their lips on each other's skin around every other staircase wasn't enough to stir out talks, both were ready to yell it trough the castle by now.

Let them all talk. Let them think, assume, and spread the word.

Pride took in more space than fear and the need to act formal. After knowing what it was like to hide, after knowing what it was like to fear to lose it all, there was no chance either of them felt the urge to go back to how they hid before.

This was reality. This was real and it was happening now. To let love in her heart, to let it spread from her head to toes. And for the first time in her life, to act upon a feeling exactly how she wanted to.

Folding her arms over the black marble of the bath's edge, she rested her chin on top of her hands to let her ears focus on who moved around behind the gaped bathroom doors. Even though she could hear slight movements out of the corner of his room, she felt her body ache for the little things. For words, expressions, and a simple presence.

Just thinking of his smile had her belly tingle.

She called out to him before deciding that she needed her voice to work. Soft, but determined. Relaxed, as if the water she soaked in massaged the loosening muscles in her neck.

The scraping of wood against a carpeted bedroom floor told Era that he had been escaping in one of his books for the time she had done the same in his bath. Perhaps there would've been a time where she'd feel guilty about getting him up, but not today. Definitely not today. It was his own choice to stand instead of simply react, after all.

Her head slipped little by little a bit more back into the water by the sight of shadows and light morphing from the crack underneath the door. Her cheeks burned at the same time by the closing sound of his footsteps, resulting in the sight of his full figure as he opened up the bathroom doors.

"You called, Your Grace?" His voice teased as he folded his arms over his chest, and leaned his frame against the doorpost.

Surrendering her eyes to the sight of him, Era could only think about rolling her eyes as a response to his sarcasm. His lean, yet muscular form stood beautiful against the evening light that shone on him trough the bathroom windows. And with the comfortable clothes he chose to change in to made it all the better.

Just like Era, Loki hadn't planned on leaving these chambers for the remainder of the day. And it made him all the more available. Especially after realising that she had the power to summon him closer.

Softly drumming her fingers on her forearm, she hummed. "That wasn't anything you were working on, correct?" A mere soft scoff was enough. Loki, The God of Mischief, wouldn't voluntarily work on the day he was blessed with the presence of Era's open eyes once more. "Then, perhaps instead of indulging yourself in another story, you could live in your own? Keep me warm?"