The Witch's Familiar

Chapter 26

  You were still curled safely in your Lokitty's arms when you woke again. He was purring softly, the half-purr that he usually only had when he was asleep. You smiled and thought about how you could very much get used to waking like this. "It is a most pleasant way to wake indeed," Loki's voice was husky with sleep when he spoke. He kissed your forehead and then kissed you lightly when you tilted your head up to look at him. "Put your shields back up, little sorceress," he answered your unasked question of how he'd heard your thoughts. The nightmares had stripped your shielding away, which is how you'd been projecting your nightmare in the first place. The shielding kept your mind safe from intruders, and outsiders safe from your thoughts.

"Sorry..." you murmured and concentrated for a moment to settle the shielding back in place.

"I don't mind, but there are others here who can hear thoughts as well. I do not trust them not to meddle, thinking a Midgardian an easy target,"

"You still should have told me so you didn't have to deal with me projecting all night," you reminded him as you sat up and absently started petting Sera, who curled happily in your lap.

"Darling, you were distraught enough last night without me bringing up your shielding. I was perfectly capable of protecting us both until you were feeling better. And don't you dare apologize for having a nightmare," he added quickly before you could do just that.

"Bossy cat," you grumbled good naturedly at him. He laughed in reply and gave you a Cheshire cat grin.

"Hungry cat," he corrected and stood from the bed. "Breakfast will be starting soon. Don't worry, it's less formal than dinner," he added quickly at your discouraged look. You weren't sure you were cut out for Asgardian court life. Loki insisted you were doing fine and making a good impression, but you didn't believe him. He was a known liar after all.

Loki offered you a hand and pulled you to your feet. "You must be hungry," you teased as his magic shimmered over the pair of you so he was dressed in a green tunic and black pants (and sadly missing his adorable cat-ears again) and you were in a more casual, but still gorgeous floor length Asgardian gown. You smirked at him. "Very hungry cat," you added dryly.

He grinned. "That, and I am happy to be home, however briefly," he reminded you warmly.

"Right... Odin did send you to Midgard," you remembered it wasn't a volunteer mission like Thor's trips. Which is why Loki had been a cat for months and refused to turn back. Earth wasn't his home, no matter how much he seemed to like it there now.

"I don't mind anymore," he reassured you quickly "but it is nice to visit home,"

Breakfast was a much smaller affair than dinner. You sat at a big table with Thor and his warrior friends and they spent the meal telling stories of glorious battles as they devoured a entire table full of food. The others besides Thor and Loki kept trying to insist you needed to eat more. You, Thor, and Loki all had to convince them that Midgarians were not bottomless pits. It took convincing that you weren't just being polite and shy.

"So Loki, how old is your lovely mortal?" Fandral asked in Asgardian instead of Allspeak.

"It is rude to inquire of a lady's age, Fandral," you replied in kind, teasing Thor's silly warrior friend. You laughed at his shock that you understood their language, even though you'd been speaking it mostly exclusively since you'd been here. They weren't expecting you to be able to and kept using Allspeak to try to make you feel included. It was thoughtful, though unnecessary. "However, I am not mortal, not in the sense you are referring, and I am 500 years old," your Asgardian was a little formal, since you learned it for court setting, but Thor's friends didn't complain. Fandral just continued to stare. You turned to look at Loki. "I know my accent is atrocious, but did I say it wrong?" you asked, concerned that you weren't as fluent as you thought you were.