Loki, Unraveled|| NovaVerse 2

11||Dance of Deception

Word Count: 3,241

"Loki, I can't run that fast in these stupid shoes! Wait- umph," Nova tripped for the third time in their race to arrive before the first guests did. Each time she fell, Loki took a moment or two to laugh and mock her, comparing her ability to walk in heels to that of a toddler. She had thrown the shoe at his face for that.

"I seem to have forgotten you have the illiteracy and temper of a toddler, as well," he teased, before throwing the shoe back at her, which she caught. Nova had even taught him how to play "Hot potato" to distract him from taking her to the ball, where she was sure to meet her doom. He had won by cheating, they argued who was the true winner, and then they both paused when they heard the chattering voices of the guests a few floors below them.

Now, they had to run as fast as possible, no distractions, except Nova just fell again- and down a flight of stairs this time. "Ouch," she groaned, rubbing the back of her head as she got up and slipped off her shoes and carried them. It was ridiculous. If she had to run in the room barefoot, she would do it, so long as it meant no more humiliating tripping.

"I'm surprised you haven't split your head open already," Loki stated, inspecting her for any injuries. "Sometimes," he said, "it is good to have a skull as thick as yours."

"Well, Loki, having a thick skull is my secret weapon against your cunning plans. Keeps the brilliance from leaking out, you know."

As Loki turned the corner, Nova stopped and leaned against the wall to catch her breath, her lungs burning. She remembered Bruces concern about radiation sickness, how she had once logged into his computer and found her medical documents alongside Bruces notes on her condition- how he didn't know how long she could survive the radiation of this universe.

She noticed how every day another tiny needle was added to the collection in her lungs, how each breath became a tiny bit more unbearable, how every time she looked at a plate of food, she felt a bit more nauseated. How she would get dizzy spells out of nowhere (although they were uncommon and brief).

How just four months ago she could still touch the sunlight.

She was experiencing a small dizzy spell at the moment, and leaned against the wall, taking a few deep, burning breaths to steady herself.

Loki's voice sounded from around the corner, "You may have an issue."

Nova walked around the corner, ready to see what the issue was, but winced as her face burned and Loki's hand pushed her face back behind the corner. "The sunset's light is entering through the windows and into the hallway, and there are no blinds," he explained, as Nova continued to keep her eyes shut and hands pressed into her burnt cheeks.

"Where is it, where is it?" Loki murmured; the sound of coins clinking echoed slightly in the hallway. "Here it is. Take your hands off of your face," he ordered. As soon as she did, she felt his fingers lightly graze her skin, assessing the damage. "The good news is," he said, "there's not much physical damage, it's just a bit pink, but I can apply a bit of the salve to cease the burning." She nodded, and soon felt the cold relief it offered. She was grateful that it was clear, unlike the ones back in her universe, which were usually a shade of yellow or green.

She opened her eyes are looked from the hallway to Loki, an idea popping into her head.

"Can you carry me?" She asked, poking at Loki's leather covered arms. He seemed muscular enough to do it.

He hooked one arm under her legs and the other supporting her upper back, carrying her bridal style. He seemed to understand the task at hand, and ran into the sun-lit hallway, his back facing the windows and Nova curling into him, trying to avoid the light as best she could. He smelled like leather and bergamot with a bit of a sweet scent...jasmine? It was a combination Nova had not noticed before, but the thought quickly left her head when Loki burst through the large, golden doors that led into the ballroom.