I see you || Loki

5. Lessons Learned

This was such a bad idea.

You told yourself that a dozen times on the path through the palace from your room to Loki's suite. Then you told yourself it again half a dozen more as you paced a tight circle in front of his door.

What exactly did you think you were going to accomplish here? Sure, you were hoping to regain some dignity, have some of your own power over Loki when every encounter thus far had left him the victor. But you had never known Loki to let someone take advantage of him. Maybe if you could keep him from talking... since that seemed to be what always got you in trouble. Once he spoke, his words went in one ear and your reason went right out of the other. How were you supposed to still his silver tongue?

An image of Loki with a cloth tied around his mouth surfaced and you flushed from temple to toenail. No. No, definitely not. If you took away his voice, he'd just seduce you with his eyes.

It would help if you knew what Loki wanted, but he seemed to have all the advantages in a game where you didn't know the rules. Your goals were simple enough: satisfy your curiosity, satisfy him, then stay as far from him as you possibly could until he lost interest.

Right, so that was the plan. Seduce Loki. How hard could it be? He had done it to you plenty.

You raised your hand to knock, hesitated, raised it again, and finally rapped your knuckles against the door. You listened to the hollow echo fade, then tried again. No answer. You huffed. Well, that had been a waste of energy and anxiety. All your worry and Loki wasn't even there.

You turned to go, but before you took more than ten steps, you heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening.

What in the heavens—? You crept back. The door stood ajar just an inch, but far enough that you could see inside. You steadied your hand against the wood and it swung further open at the lightest brush of your fingers, widening enough for you to pass through.

Oh, this was a bad idea... You slipped inside, your curiosity driving you forward and Loki's absence emboldening you. If he had gotten to see your rooms, why shouldn't you see his?

The room opened before you and you spun to take in the sight. You'd never been in one of the royal's residences before. The sheer size was astounding. Arched ceilings reached far overhead. Silver and gold glinted in the firelight, casting shadows and reflections over each other in a beautiful display. Lush fabrics draped from the walls, rich greens and shimmering golds. You ran your hand over the thick wood of a desk as you passed.

A doorway led into another room, which was dominated by a massive bed. The lighting in here was soft. Rather than the impressive display you'd just seen, it was understated, intimate. You ran your fingers over the green spread on the bed. It was soft to the touch, silky. Four sturdy posts framed the bed, reaching up to the ceiling.

"My, aren't you a curious little creature?"

Your heart froze in your chest. A chilling calm had replaced the normal amusement in Loki's voice. You turned to face him, placing your hands behind your back like a child caught with something forbidden.

Loki stood in the doorway, regarding you through narrowed eyes. When he came closer, you took an instinctive step back. You came up against the bed and startled, unable to retreat further as he approached. "I could have you punished for this," he said, ice dripping from the words. "I could expose your actions in front of Odin and all of Asgard." He stood in front of you, close enough to touch. But he didn't reach out, didn't close the last few inches separating him from you. "Imagine," he said, "Thor's betrothed, found sneaking into my chambers. What a terrible scandal that would be." You stared up at him, eyes wide with fear. Please, no. Please not that. You had only wanted to look around. "Find your tongue," Loki said, "or I'll find it for you."