The Unthinkable Offering (A Loki FanFic)

The Towel

The rational part of her mind knew it was futile to be upset with him over what had happened in the past. But there was another part of her mind that was fuming mad they had been married for so long and he had yet to try to take things past heavy petting with her. He had expressed he wanted to go slowly and court her, but that was nearly two months ago. She was trying not to be impatient, savoring the attention he lavished on her, but there was a lingering thought in her mind telling her he just wasn't as attracted to her as she was to him.

The next morning, Eisa had given up trying to braid her hair, she was leaning heavily on the marble countertop of the vanity in their en suite. She was startled when she looked up to the mirror and saw Loki's reflection as he stood in the doorway.

He was just back from his morning workout, hair pulled back and damp with sweat. His shirt was balled up in his hands and Eisa couldn't stop her traitorous eyes from following the hard lines of his bare chest and torso.

"Do you need some help?"

"Huh?" She cut her gaze quickly back to his eyes in the mirror.

"Your hair? I could help you finish your hair if you would let me."

"Oh, yes, sure. If you want to."

Loki uncharacteristically dropped his sweaty shirt to the floor and came to stand behind her. "Comb?"

She passed the comb back to him and watched him in the mirror as he deftly finished the plait down her back, paying special attention to the bulging muscles of his arms as he worked.

"How are you so good at that?" she whispered as he tied off the end.

"I am good at everything I do." He grinned at her reflection.

Eisa started to melt into a horny puddle before remembering herself, "I cannot corroborate that statement. Unfortunately. Thanks for fixing my hair."

"You are welcome, Princess." He smiled at her as she pushed past him on the way to breakfast.

Clipped conversations at mealtimes and quick kisses were all Eisa would offer him in the days following his confession. She had insisted her feelings for him had not changed; she just needed time to come to terms with it and Loki was respecting her request.

She would look at him with longing, catch herself, then school her expression. It had only been a few days, but Loki was starting to doubt she would ever warm up to him again.

One morning, he decided to test the waters, to see if she was truly still upset or if she was waiting for him to make the first move to get closer to her again.

She was still sleeping in their bed when he came back from his morning workout. He smiled to himself as he watched her sleep. She had no internal clock; some days she had to be woken up for breakfast, some days, she was up and moving before he finished in the gym.

He intentionally didn't bring a change of clothes with him as he went to the en suite to get his shower. As he prepared for the day, he made sure take every opportunity to make a clatter in the bathroom, and sure enough, when he made his way to the bedroom, Eisa was sitting up in bed, hair wild and her eyes still adjusting to the light in the room.

"Good morning." Loki leaned in the doorway and crossed his ankles; his fist gripped a soft white bath towel wrapped around his waist.

She rubbed her eyes with her palms, "Did you forget how to close a cabinet door without slamming it? And how many times did you drop the shampoo in the shower?"

"Oh, did I wake you? I am sorry."

"It's..." she finally got a good look at him, "It's fine." She swallowed thickly.