The Witch's Familiar

Chapter 17

 "Darling, it's awfully early to be up on a Sunday, especially considering the late hour you retired last evening," Loki greeted you with concern when you entered the living room the next morning. You tried hiding a yawn behind the stack of papers and laptop balanced precariously in your arms. It was only 5 in the morning and you hadn't gotten home until, like 3. He was reading on his favorite couch, clearly enjoying the quiet with his cup of tea. "Love, go back to bed," his voice was gentle, but his tone was concerned. You looked as exhausted as you felt. You dumped your burdens on the coffee table with another yawn.

"Couldn't sleep," you told him. You tried to give him a reassuring smile, but failed. "I have work to do anyway to get ready for Pepper's business trip. Figured since I couldn't sleep might as well get some work done and maybe catch a nap later,"

"You couldn't sleep?" he asked. Stubborn cat was persistent in his worry.

You smiled and kissed the top of his head in the perfect spot between his cat-ears. His cat-ears were perfectly visible again. He had dropped the illusions after your date. You were going to sorely miss them when he was finally able to remove them. They were just so damn adorable. "Just a bad dream. Nothing to fret over," you told him warmly. He still seemed concerned, so you gently placed your fingers under his chin and tilted his head up so you could kiss him, softly, timidly. You'd only shared one real kiss so far and you were hesitant about the welcome for more. Your lips met his so softly, so carefully. He didn't pull away, instead, his hands were on your waist, pulling you closer, clearly welcome to your advances, and you had to put your hands on his shoulders to steady yourself so you didn't fall on him. The kiss was light, but still made him purr.

He smiled up at you when you broke it. "Come here, darling," he bid you gently and pulled you into his lap, not so you were straddling his legs, but so he was holding you safely in his arms, your head on his shoulder. He wrapped a blanket around you and kissed your forehead.

"Lokitty, I have work," you murmured, already lulled by the purrs rumbling in his chest, by the soothing spell he was rubbing into your back as he held you, by the heating spell on the blanket.

He chuckled and kissed your hair. "It will still be there when you wake," he told you softly, running his fingers through your hair.

"You're not sleeping," you murmured.

"I am of the Aesir, my darling. We require less sleep,"

"Don'wanna see the fire again." You weren't supposed to mention that. You hadn't told him about the nightmares before. Everyone on the team had them, but you still didn't mention yours.

"You can tell me all about the fire later. It can't harm you while I'm here. No nightmares can," he promised. "Hush now and get some rest, little sorceress,"

*

"It seems your evening went well, Brother!" Thor's voice boomed.

Loki's arms tightened around you and he made a soft shh-ing noise before you could wake the rest of the way. "Quiet, oaf. You'll wake her. She had a nightmare. I just got her back to sleep," Loki's voice was soft, his tone soothing to avoid waking you. "But if you must know, yes, my evening was quite enjoyable,"

"A nightmare?" Thor's voice was concerned, but much softer.

"She didn't say anything except that it was something about a fire,"

"I did not know she suffered them as well. She keeps her negative emotions to herself. The night I rescued her from those...men... was a fluke. Understand the honor she does you, brother, that she is so intimate with you,"