I see you || Loki

14. Snowy Silence

It was going to snow tonight. You could feel it in the air. Clouds roiled overhead, churning over each other. A crisp energy swirled with the wind, the leashed power of a storm frozen and forced into soft flakes rather than pounding rain. The sky was waiting to fall... waiting and waiting... and the world held its breath.

Asgard did not. The palace burned with life and chaos, a defiant contrast with the serenity outside the walls. You sat at one end of a long table, gaze fixed to the window on the far end of the hall. Near you, Thor stood, the tale he told—a battle on Midgard many years past—demanding a dramatic flair that sitting could not accommodate. You listened with one ear, with your hands clasped around a mug of mulled wine and your thoughts on the gathering clouds.

You could watch the snow from your room, but your windows looked out on the courtyard, hardly a breathtaking view. The library overlooked the gardens, but if the snow lasted into the next day (as you thought it would), you would see that sight in the morning. Perhaps the baths? But you wouldn't be the only person to think of that. The breathtaking vista of the forest would draw its fair share of attention, even in the frigid temperatures. Memories of the baths brought to mind another option.

My chambers are warm.

No.

There's a fire, blankets.

No. Absolutely not.

You'd be more than welcome there.

No, no, no. You would not ask Loki to watch the snow from his room—for a lot of reasons (very good ones!). Most importantly, because you wouldn't end up watching the snow at all. Loki would tempt you into his bed. Again. And then... probably again. As enticing as that prospect was, it wasn't the point. The snow was.

Raucous laughter around the table startled you from your reverie. You returned the smile that Fandral wore when you caught his eye, pretending, for a moment, that you had actually paid attention to what was going on around you. Thor drained the tankard that he held then shouted for his companions to join him in whatever adventure he had proposed while you had been lost in yourself. The table emptied, friends drifting away together, no longer held by the gravity of Thor's personality. You, too, prepared to leave.

Heavy hands settled on your shoulders and you startled.

"Meet me in my rooms tonight," Loki whispered in your ear.

You felt the blood drain from your face. You scanned the room, sure someone saw you, but no one looked your way.

"Why?" you asked, trying to squirm out from under his grasp without seeming as if you were doing so.

"Because I want you there." He left before you could reply, disappearing into the crowd.

Stars...

#

Was there some formal way to say that you had been summoned to a room (where you were not supposed to be) by a man (whom you were not supposed to be seeing) for an activity (that you were not supposed to be doing)? Because, depending on how you described it, your evening plans could be considered anything from indiscretion to treason.

You raised your hand to knock, but the door opened before your knuckles met the wood. Loki tugged you inside, closed the door, then pressed you against it in a kiss.

Oh. Okay. Well, you had expected this. Maybe not so... quickly... but that was why you were here, right?

Before you could regain your bearings, he pulled away. "This way, sweet."

You took a moment to find your feet and stumbled after him. Only his hand at your elbow kept you upright. You stopped short when you noticed cushions and blankets piled on the floor by the balcony. "What happened?"