Turning Gears [Loki x OC] //DISCONTINUED\\

Eight

Five years, 3 months, 22 days. That is exactly what it took them to execute Aspen's vision. Now here they were standing and listening to the roaring crowd in the expo center. Okay. standing wasn't right. Pacing was more like it. Tony was definitely doing his job of riling the crowd up. It made Aspen more nervous, and she bit at the skin around her nails further, Loki watching her carefully. Tonight was the night. It was the moment that would make or break it. Tonight they would show the world what they created. Tonight they would lay their souls out to the public and either it would go amazingly and get approved to be executed in all major cities, or there would be an outcry and everything would fall apart. Do or die. 

In the span of five years so much had happened. Their lives went from single souls living in completely different existences, to being intertwined and locked together. They became inseparable. Where Aspen went, Loki was right there with her. They were locked at the hip. They worked, slept, ate, existed near each other. Everyone could see sparks between the two, but not them. Of course not them. It was a ridiculous cliche. They were too wrapped in their own world to see it. It frustrated the others, but they weren't about to force it and break something that had completely transformed the both of them. 

It only took a year and a half to convince SHIELD that Loki was an acceptable member of society. After showing them what he could do with Aspen, and an impeccable record from all people that interacted him daily, they finally decided that he could be free. The day that he was released from Aspen's biobracelets she took him to her favorite bookstore where she shopped for him after he gave her an extensive list. It was just a little hole in the wall, dusty and dry, but it never failed her or Loki. That was the day Loki realized how deeply in love he was. Watching her face twist as she read the cover of a novel in concentration, chewing at the skin around her thumbnail, her long hair sticking out at every angle. She was his opposite in every way, and he loved her for it. She brought out the best in him. But, she never seemed to convey the same feelings as he. So, he never acted. He always regretted it. But tonight, that would change. Perhaps.

Aspen was so pleased to see Loki explore the city on his own. Occasionally he would take her along, but most of the time he explored on his own. He took long walks to explore every inch of the city. She loved looking out the window of their lab and seeing him walk out without a guard tackling him or someone gaping at him. Well, okay, people gaped. It was still hard for people to accept that he was here on Earth to stay. The day they announced his permanent presence to the world was terrible. It was an outcry. There were protesters and rallies outside the tower for months. Loki couldn't leave again and it broke his heart, thus breaking Aspen's. She stayed with him as vigil. He mostly hid himself away in his room and she sat outside his door until he let her in. They sat together in silence those days most of the time. No work got done, but Aspen didn't care. She just cared he was okay. And with her there, he was. 

Anyway, one day after coming back from his walk, he came directly to Aspen, who was elbow deep in the gut of a prototype and told her to be prepared to leave later that evening. He wouldn't give up and tell her what he was up to. She pestered him all day, but the stubborn god stuck to his will and kept his mouth shut. In the end, it was well worth it. He led her to a secluded part of a park on the edge of the city near the water. They could hear water hit the shore, seagulls, and sounds of the city all at once. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. There Loki produced a picnic out of thin air and set them up under a tree. There he put a show on for Aspen, showing her little bits of his magic. Random conjuring spells, little illusions, even a couple incantations. Most of the time, she wasn't even watching the magic do its thing, instead she was watching Loki. The smile on his face that lit his entire face up and crinkled the corners of his eyes. That was the night she fell in love. Watching the pure joy on his face was enough to melt her to his every whim.