Packless Monsters

Chapter 62

It was a long time before the roars of applause died down. Your arms remained wrapped around Loki's neck and you smiled giddily up at him. You were engaged. You were going to marry Loki. You couldn't believe you were going to marry Loki. He wanted you to marry him. And he loved you for you and not for your Omega powers, not for your status, not for the chance at werewolf offspring.

He just loved you.

You stood up on your toes to kiss him again and he held you to him. "I love you, little wolf," he told you warmly when he broke the kiss. "Never doubt that," he added just as warmly. He knew your insecurities. With how the wolves had treated you, he understood well. He had his own share of them from how Odin had treated him for centuries.

All that mattered, though, was that you loved each other.

Thor was the first to come over to you. He pulled you into a tight hug and you couldn't help your tail wagging in pleasure at the warm hug. You liked Thor and you craved physical affection. The entire team knew it. Plus Thor was really warm and gave surprisingly good hugs. He let you go and clapped Loki on the shoulder. Loki did not like hugs. Except from you. And his mother, though he'd never admit to that one. He barely admited that he tolerated your hugs.

"Congratulations," Thor told you both in his loud jovial way. You gave him a bright smile in return. Loki inclined his head, but you saw his warm, pleased smile anyway. He was glad that Thor was happy for him.

You had to put up with congratulations all around from Loki's family, from the court, from Thor's idiot friends. Thor finally made a distraction so you and Loki could escape the congratulations. You were leaving early the next morning to head home.

Somehow Asgard felt just as much, if not more, like home.

It wasn't that you were treated like a princess, though that was nice. It wasn't that the moon didn't affect you and you could be as normal or strange as you chose. It wasn't any of the benefits, servants, or pampering. The people here liked you for you. They worshipped you, yes, but they expected nothing of you. They didn't expect or demand your calm and peace. They didn't demand you to marry and have children. You could just... be you.

It was hard to get your mind around sometimes, but it felt like home.

The Avengers Tower felt like home too, but there were too many reminders of the past on Midgard.

You admired the ring on your hand while you walked back to Loki's suite. It was delicate and gorgous, but would hold up against your crazy life and all the combat you found yourself in. And the diamond was huge. As per usual with Loki's gifts, the ring was gold. Loki noticed your gaze and lifted your hand to his lips, kissing your ring.

"Second thoughts?" he asked you softly and you could hear the heartbreak in his voice.

You stopped in the hallway and grabbed his collar, pulling him down into a kiss. "Never," you told him firmly when you broke the kiss, but still held him so he'd be forced to look you in the eye. You were nipping this self-doubt in the but. "I love you more than anyone or anything and I want nothing more than to be your wife," you told him equally firmly.

You saw his haunted doubtful expression melt into a proper smile. His green eyes lit up in delight and he just looked so happy with an innocence about him that had been lost long ago. He leaned in and kissed you. "And I wish for nothing more than to be your husband," he told you, his lips brushing against yours as he spoke.

You smirked and kissed his nose, making him laugh. "Come along, high and mighty god. We have an early day tomorrow and you get stabby and homicidal without sleep,"

"Annoying puppy," he replied, but let you take his hand and drag him along back to his suite.

You smirked at him. "But we can't celebrate properly in the halls of the palace," you teased, an innocent seductive quality to your tone. You knew he'd get it. His eyes lit up again and he rushed forward, tossing you over his shoulder. You laughed at his antics and smacked his back, not hard enough to hurt him, obviously just enough to display your joking annoyance at getting tossed over his shoulder. That was something Thor tended to do when irked.

"This is a much faster way to get to our celebration darling," he told you warmly and teleported the pair of you to his suite where you indeed enjoyed a wonderful celebration together.

*

The next morning you got up early, said a lot of heartfelt goodbyes, especially to Frigga and made your way to the Bifrost to head home to Midgard and your friends at the tower. You saw that Loki didn't want to leave home, he really didn't want to leave Frigga and this magical realm. He was a prince here and the Master Magician. He wasn't just Thor's brother, or the man who had tried to take over the world. He wasn't just another avenger. He was cherished, even if he didn't know or understand it.

You took his hand in your as you headed for the Bifrost, reassuring him that he wasn't alone, even on a realm that wasn't his home.

He gave you a warm smile and kissed the top of your head, reassured that you were here to support him, just as he was here to support you.