Coffee and Books 2

The Countryside - Part 4

When we get back to the caravan, my grandparents are just preparing to go inside. My grandfather holds up a beer from the fridge to Loki and my Asgardian prince lets go of my hand to take the bottle from Bert. I opt out of the beer and want some soda instead, but my grandmother insists us girls drink alcohol too. I get flashbacks to my teenage years when she shows me the familiar bottle of passion fruit liqueur. Wilma mixes it with orange juice for us and I feel like I'm 16 years old again when I take my first sip.

At the back of the trailer is a U-shaped couch with a foldable table in the middle. We scoot in with our drinks, some salty snacks and a pack of cards. We talk about our ride - at least, the one on horseback - and Loki manages to tell my grandparents how much he likes it here without me having to translate.

They had card games on Asgard too, some very similar to the ones we play on Earth and Loki has learned the rules for a couple of our games during the time he's here on this planet. My grandparents are fervent players, especially Wilma, and I'm surprised when Loki actually wins a round. But then I spot the card lying on his thigh, under the table.

"You cheat!" I exclaim, grabbing the card from his hiding spot. I don't know if my grandparents know the English word for cheating, but when they see the card in my hand they understand what Loki has done.

My grandmother waves her finger at him in accusation, saying something along the lines of 'don't you ever do that again, young man'. I don't think I have to translate that for Loki, her body language is clear enough. My grandfather just laughs, thinking it funny someone dared to cheat in a game against his wife.

Loki says nothing, but the smirk on his face just gets bigger and bigger. I'm starting to think he did this on purpose. After all, why would the God of Mischief get caught with something simple as cheating at a card game?

He gives me a wink and chuckles. "A cheater? Who? Me?"

Loki spreads his hands and suddenly cards pop up from his sleeves, spilling on the table. They're all aces. My grandparents look at him with wide eyes, completely surprised by this display of magic. I'm baffled, why would Loki use his magic in front of my grandparents? He is usually very discreet with this sort of things.

"I didn't know you were a magician!" my grandfather says and my grandmother starts clapping her hands and asks for more. A sigh of relief escapes me, it's better they think Loki to be an illusionist than a real life sorcerer.

Loki, being the show off that he is, entertains them by conjuring up playing cards from every possible nook and cranny. When my grandparents are distracted by some cards that somehow ended up inside the empty beer bottle my grandfather is holding, Loki turns to me and pulls the Queen of Hearts from my cleavage. A bit sappy, but I love it anyway.

After another round of cards, which my nan wins again, we bid my grandparents goodnight. I grab our toothbrushes from the tent and we walk over the dark field to the bathhouse. There are toilets and showers here for the guests, as well as some sinks and a washing machine. I squint my eyes against the fluorescent lights inside the building. Moths and other small insects flit around the lamp against the ceiling, drawn by the light. Somehow I always associate that image with the summer holidays: brushing my teeth illuminated by a lamp covered in insects.

Loki stands at the sink next to me, leaning with one hand on the edge of the bassin as he brushes his teeth. I slip my phone from my back pocket and take a picture of my dark haired prince. He looks completely alien and yet so at home at the same time. There are times I almost can't believe I get to call this man mine. It's certainly not something I expected when he first started coming to the Manhattan bookstore, just one block from Stark's building. My life has changed so much since those days.

Loki rinses his mouth and looks over at me. "What's on your mind, my little wolf? You look like you're miles away."

"Nothing special. Just thinking about when I first met you. Things have certainly changed since then."

My dark haired prince takes a step to close the distance between us and slides his arms around my waist. "Do you want to turn back time?"

I resolutely shake my head. "No, I would not want it any different."

"Good," Loki hums, kissing my temple. "Now, let's find out if that air mattress is any good."

I crawl in first, searching for the flashlight. When I find it under the overnight bag, I turn it on and hang it dangling from the roof of the tent. Loki crawls in after me, filling up the small space with his long limbs.

Getting out of my tight jeans with Loki bouncing on the air mattress beside me turns into a small circus act, which gives me the giggles. Even after Loki has magicked my clothes away and pulled me in the sleeping bag with him I still have giggle fits. My prince silences me with his lips, pulling me flush against him.

The kiss deepens and my hands wander across Loki's chest, stomach and back. He returns the gesture and pretty soon the temperature in the sleeping bag rises. Unlike this afternoon in the tack room, we take our time. Every inch of my skin gets covered in kisses, Loki's deft fingers filling in the void as his lips move to another part of my body.

It's not until after I've silenced the cries of my release by pressing the sleeping bag against my mouth, that Loki crawls up from his spot between my thighs. I taste myself in his kiss and pull him close against me. The weight of his body on top of mine grounds me, with his arms around me I feel safe. I wrap my legs around his hips and with a small adjustment of his pelvis Loki slides inside me. He keeps still for a while, deepening our kiss, our bodies touching from our heads to our knees.

When we break the kiss, Loki leans his forehead against mine for a moment. "You are my light," he whispers softly and kisses me again before slowly starting to move his hips.