The Lady of Midgard [Book 1]

Chapter 27

It took months for you to recover from what happened and you hated how weak it had made you, it was like your body had forgotten how to move. Loki nor Eir told you about the poison or how you did actually die, sticking to telling you you had just collapsed for unknown reasons.

Loki stayed with you the whole time while you recovered, taking care of you, making sure you were eating and resting; you argued with him over having the elixirs Eir had given Loki as they tasted horrible, however they were helping. When you grew bored Loki sat next to you in your bed and read you stories so you wouldn't try to get up and strain yourself. At first you absolutely hated needing Loki's help, you weren't some pathetic human, but he reassured you it was fine, he wanted to be there and asked that you let him help you.

You had to admit it was awkward at first, you hadn't shared a room with another adult since Áedán's father, and Loki didn't stay at night last time you were sick so it had taken a few weeks to stop flinching whenever Loki came into your line of sight, those memories still haunting you.

When you asked Loki where he had been sleeping those first couple of months when you were asleep he told you it had been on your couch, but the fact Áedán's pillow now smelled like him told you that maybe he had fallen asleep there a few times and he was ashamed to admit it.

Loki tried to do the right thing and stay sleeping on your couch once you were awake to give you space but after your first nightmare since waking and the subsequent action of you both falling asleep in each others arms after had him starting to sleep in the bed with you, finding his own fears no longer haunted him with you there.

Even with you both having crossed that line physically, Loki never once pressured you into doing anything and was always respectful when he had to touch you.

Once you were doing better and moving around more Frigga allowed Áedán to come back to your room since you both missed each other a lot; you told Loki he was fine to leave, and as much as you refused to admit that you still struggled every day and fatigued easily Loki was adamant he was staying, sleeping on your couch when Áedán hogged the bed and helping take care of him.

As the weeks passed you by, the closeness between you both grew, finally having the space it needed to bloom. One that had Loki scared to admit his feelings out loud to you in case it broke again.

- - - -

"I hate feeling like this," you grumbled as Loki helped you sit up.

"I know, but you are getting stronger every day."

"Why did I collapse though?" you asked as you leant back against your pillows once you had managed to sit comfortably.

"We still are unsure why," Loki answered as he moved to sit on the edge of your bed.

"You're not lying to me are you?" You raised your eyebrow at him not believing a word he said.

"No I am not," Loki said, holding your gaze hoping you believed his lie.

"Do you think something bit me while we were asleep in the forest?"

"I saw no bite marks on you, and I would have noticed. Plus it would have bit me too."

"Weird...you know what else is weird, Helena was acting strange that night," you thought out loud, missing the look that crossed his face as you looked down at your hands.

"How so?"

"She was just giving me these weird stares all dinner, normally she tries to ignore me."

"You know she can have her weird moments." Loki nodded. It was Helena, it had to be, that behaviour was so out of character for her which proved she had a hand in it, now the question was where had she obtained the poison?