You Promise(d) Me - Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 9

As the weeks rolled by, the crescent moons under the shapeshifter's eyes grew darker, shadowing her face with a gaunt stare. She knew she was pushing her already terrible sleeping habits to the maximum, but she would not acquiesce to the temptation of sleep for the presence of nightmares that any cell tends to bring. Not without a fight.

Her eyes fluttered back open, sleep trying to grasp her. Too close for comfort.

Some days, she managed to muster enough strength to engage in conversation and participate in their daily activities. Others, she would spend her time just staring at the ceiling, unmoving.

"Sleep is vital to the body," Loki remarked, his tone tinged with concern as he observed the shapeshifter's deteriorating condition. If she interpreted somewhat hazily, it seemed that Loki was starting to get worried.

"I know," she replied hoarsely, her voice betraying her exhaustion, yet she was unrelenting with her conviction that she could outlast that need.

"You need to sleep at some point. It is unhealthy." he insisted, changing into fresh attire before retreating to his bed, his words hanging in the air unanswered.

The shapeshifter was being pushed to the edge when she awoke, accidentally falling asleep and ending up ensnared in the clutches of yet another haunting nightmare. Jerking upright, she paced the confines of their cell, her nails digging into her scalp. She felt trapped, helpless. Well, She knew what could offer temporary relief, but the thought of voicing such a request was akin to ripping her tongue out. Yet, if she hoped to endure a little while longer, she had no choice.

Summoning her courage, she waited until Loki had finished their meal, then approached him tentatively, her heart pounding in her chest. "Loki, can—," she began, her lips snapping shut, her words refusing to cooperate. Swallowing her pride, she rephrased her request, laying bare her desperation and rationale. "I can't sleep, and I don't plan to, not right now. I need something from you, in a purely platonic manner."

"Are we friends?" Loki inquired, offering her the tray of food. She accepted it, careful not to make contact just yet.

I don't know. I've never had any. But we certainly know each other better than strangers would," she mused, her gaze drifting to the notebook resting on her lap.

"Being friends requires a certain amount of trust," Loki remarked, his tone reflecting a hint of skepticism.

"I think you saying that means on some level, you do," she noted, offering a small smile.

"Just because we're not at each other's throats doesn't mean we're friends. Besides, I don't even know your name," he pointed out, his expression unreadable.

"My brother doesn't even know my true name, and we still considered ourselves family," she retorted, a touch of bitterness seeping into her voice. "I'll tell you when I return to my true form." Despite them both knowing the uncertainty of that ever happening, she couldn't help but cling to the hope. "Until then, I can allow you to look at the journal if you agree to my request," she added, bargaining an offer of trust that she knew would interest him.

"Then what is it?" Loki inquired.

"I haven't had any physical touch in a long while. Working alone's been lonelier than I expected," she confessed.

"You want to have sex," Loki deadpanned.

"No, no, no," she shook her head, surprised that was the first thing that was the first thing that went through his head. "I just need something like holding hands while I show you this. That's all."

Her face grew sombre as she reminisced about the self-imposed isolation she had subjected herself to. Loki remained silent as she retracted her request. "You know what? Forget I even asked."

"Alright," Loki agreed unexpectedly. She looked up in surprise. "Really?" She lit up before expressing a more accusatory look. "Because if you're doing this to pity me, then I don't want it."

He snorted. "I do not, but I do understand where you are coming from." Satisfied with his answer, she approached him cautiously, prepared to move back if he changed his answer. They moved to have the wall against their backs before she met his hand on the line.

She intertwined her fingers with his, a sense of calm washing over her as she leaned in closer. "Thanks," she murmured sincerely. "I needed this." She placed the notebook on her lap, ready to share a moment of respite in the quiet of their shared space.

"Start from the beginning," Loki requested, his tone indicating a genuine interest in the contents of the notebook. She hesitated momentarily before complying, turning to the first page where various translations of a sentence were meticulously written.

"Is that your name?" Loki inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"No. Tell me when you want to turn," she responded, her voice clipped, offering no further explanation.

The initial artworks were simple and childlike without any idea what it was supposed to show, yet imbued with a sense of fondness as the shapeshifter delicately traced her fingers over them. It went on for a few pages before the art style shifted completely, as well as the contents, revealing realistic depictions of various animals across the pages in small amounts, drawn in haste but still with joy. Though the angry rips and wrinkles in the pages did not mean that they were always welcomed, the effort that was then reapplied surely did.

"These are yours," He stated.

She nodded. "I was supposed to go, and so I took this with me, promising I would fill it with what I saw. Still keeping with my agreement."

After that, the tone shifted to a more clinical, detached way. The duller colours were used to depict all kinds of species that she encountered. They were accompanied by hastily written notes that only she understood.

Loki's gaze lingered on some missing torn pages, prompting him to inquire, "What happened to these?"

"I gave them as a gift," she replied simply.

"Are you certain that the owner wouldn't object to having their possession in such a state?" Loki questioned, his concern evident.

"She'd understand," she replied with conviction. "Just like she would if she did the same with mine, once explained."

A/N: Will I go back to update any past chapters? Probably. Just not now cause I can't do it with my weird schedule. See y'all soon though.

The next update is the 07/04/2024