ephemeral ━━ 𝘓. 𝘓𝘈𝘜𝘍𝘌𝘠𝘚𝘖𝘕 ✔

□ beginings

Loraine felt safe wrapped up in Loki's embrace.

After their tiring activity all throughout the night, Loraine found herself unable to sleep for the rest of the hours.

It wasn't that because it was bad. No, it was far more than that. It was majestic. The night they shared together would forever be a warm and passionate memory of hers.

Grabbing Loki's coat to cover their naked bodies more, she inched closer to him trying to sleep. But then again, she just couldn't. Something was bothering her and it was getting annoying. Looking outisde the cave's mouth, she noticed the dawn sinking in and their 'camp fire' exhausted like her.

Then she looked back at Loki.

She sighed.

She still remembered how and what attitude she had towards him when they first met. Looking back at those times, before they were 'lovers', they were strangers. So different from each other. She remembered how awful Loki seemed to her.

Now, staring at his beautiful face, tears dripped from her eyes. She didn't know why. The emotions just filled her up, like a bottle overflowing with water.

But what if the moment would end soon? What if terror would rise between them? What would she feel?

Then it came to her, about his dream, the war, her death. She couldn't help it. If it will happen then she'll loose Loki, and he might turn into something horrible again. Would Thor and Odin bring some out-of-the-ordinary girl for him again? To change? She stared. No, she could do this. She just needed to escape from death, that's all.

As if that was easy for her.

She stood up and got dressed. She needed to think about all of this, but not here. Not when Loki was nearby her.

She walked out.

As soon as she was outside, she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with fresh natural and foreign Asgardian air. It didn't matter, as long as it helped her clear her thoughts.

The soil was still damp, grasses wet, and the mud mushy. Crickets were tweeping. She didn't even know they had those here, she thought they were only found on Earth.

She jogged to where the rushing of water was coming from and her thought materialized again. She realized she couldn't risk anything bad happening to him.

Because here she was, loving him.

If Thor was an oracle, or some augur, he should congratulate himself for now, just as what he hoped for, Loki and her were together.

Were they? Or would they fall apart just as when they knew they loved each other?

Could he be gone just in a flash? Or could she? Leaving Loki alone again Would that be it? Was this all that it was? Or would they live on, and have chil -

She shook her head. That was too deep. Besides, settling in a peaceful society with Loki seemed...odd.

But what if that reality would actually come? She sighed to the thought of it. Loving him now, she should've known better that her life would never be as close to what "normal" couples have.

Now the river was in front of her. Loraine decided to wash up her feet but as she placed her foot in the water she saw something that chilled her spine.

Huddled near the trunk of a tree was an injured warrior. The creature was foreign from Midgardians, even for Asgardians. Looking at his blue skin and lips, she knew it came from another realm. Blue blood seemed to drip away from his chest and his eyes were closed in agony.

It wasn't like anything she had ever seen before. She didn't know what to do. Loraine seemed like she could help it, although her guts were telling her to get back. Something must have happened around here.

Suddenly a dagger whooshed past her, striking the blue warrior a finishing blow. In confusion, Loraine quickly hid at a back of a tree.

One month ago, when she and Loki had fishing a bilgesnipse sabotaged them. Now she remembered what Loki had said. Something must have drawn the bilgesnipes out fo the forest towards the river bank. And Loraine's guess was pointing at this blue warrior.

But was her hunch correct? Was that actually the reason why Bilgesnipes suddenly appeared out of nowhere, when they should've had their own territory? If that was, then she needed to talk to Loki. Maybe they could fix this and find out what was going on along these woods.

She ran back towards the cave, dodging broken branches, and swatting leaves away from her face.

As soon as she arrived, she immediately ducked her head inside the cave and saw L -.

Empty. He wasn't there.

"Where is he?" She whispered.

The cave was bare.

Where would he run off to? Panic seered inside her veins. Her heartbeat went fast. She felt dizzy. "Loki?" she called again. Just as when she turned around and exited the front of the cave, someone suddenly grabbed her shoulders into a tight embrace.

Her eyes widened at this but as she began to notice it was Loki, she relaxed.

Suddenly Loki kissed her.

She could feel every nerve of herself weakened. Her knees and legs felt jell-o suddenly. Her heart beat slowed down, and it wasn't because she felt butterflies on her stomach. Loraine sensed her powers began to drip away from her. Every muscle in her, wanted to let this endure, but her mind screamed at her to let go before it's too late.

Loraine quickly pushed herself away from him and stared dumbfound, trying to think of what just happened. The powers came rushing back to her and she could taste them again. Both of them held their gaze and tried to catch their breath.

"I-I thought," Loki began and covered his lips. He was blushing, clearly embarrassed of how Loraine pushed him away. "I thought you were in danger."

"I'm sorry," she blurted out quickly. "I know, I also thought you were too." She pressed her cheeks softly against his chest and felt the pump of his heart.

"But someone screamed," he said and looked at her. "I thought I lost you."

Loraine let go softly and stared at him. "Whose scream?"