Heart of a Mortal (Loki Romance)

Chapter 11

I woke the next morning to find the sun shining through the partially closed curtains. I turned onto my back and glared at the offending light. Groaning, I got up and padded out into the hall. Loki's door was still closed so I decided to make breakfast before he got up. I was just passing his door when I heard him cry out. I paused outside his door and listened. A whimper came from inside. Opening the door, I crept in. He was curled under the patterned covers, his hands gripping the pillow beneath his head in bloodless fists. I put one knee on the edge of the bed and reached to shake him awake. "Loki. Loki, wake up."

He swung away suddenly, curled into a ball. He shook violently and every now and then a small whimper would escape him. I leaned over him and shook him as hard as I could. "Loki!" I yelled. His skin suddenly became freezing cold and I sprang away, hissing as the cold burned my skin. His skin darkened and became that bright blue again. His black hair grew even darker. I shook him again, using the covers to protect my hands now. Everywhere I touched, a small plate of ice rose over his skin. "Loki!" I shouted.

He spun around suddenly and shoved me off the bed. I tumbled to the floor, gasping as the wind was knocked out of me. Looking up, I found a spike of ice poised just over my left eye. I swallowed a cry and followed the spike to the blue hands that held it and the red eyes that glared down at me in mindless fury. They flicked over my face as Loki tried to understand who I was and what I was doing.

Silence reigned for what could have been minutes or seconds. I took a deep breath. "Loki."

It seemed to snap him out of his trance. He gasped and threw the ice away as though it burned him. His eyes returned to mine, now filled with horror and fear. His breathing was out of control, his chest rising and falling swiftly. He fell back on his hands and crawled away on the bed. I stood slowly and went to him. He moved to the foot of the bed and sat, cross-legged as the blue faded from his skin. His eyes returned to their normal shining green, filled with tears. He shuddered and his back bent as he was suddenly wracked by a sob.

"I'm sorry." He rasped. He jumped up and backed away from me. I stayed where I was. He turned and fled the room. I heard the bathroom door slam down the hall. Silently, I crept into the hall and sat on the floor beside the door. I could hear him lean back against the wood and slide to the floor. He muffled his sobs as best he could. They were choked and broken, his breath shuddered. His breathing was ragged, like he was trying to hard to pull in a full breath but couldn't. I stood slowly and tried the knob. The door opened slightly as I pushed. He pushed back quickly and closed it.

"Loki? Please, let me help."

He kept struggling for breath. A slight whine came through the door. I heard him move and I opened the door. Going to him slowly, I helped him up and walked slowly with him to the deck. Opening the door, I pulled him out and sat him down on a recliner. Kneeling in front of him, I took his hand and looked up at him. His eyes flicked around him and his hands shook as though he thought he was in danger. His leg jerked up and down when he tapped his foot rapidly. A comforting habit or a nervous tick, I wondered. I brushed my thumb back and forth across the back of his hand.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" I asked softly. He shook his head quickly. "Tell me what I can do."

He gripped my hand tighter. "Stay." He croaked. "Just stay here."

Nodding, I curled up beside him on the recliner. Turning him to face me, I put one hand over his heart. I moved his to rest over mine. He took another deep breath and it shuddered out slowly. I wiped his tears with my free hand and kissed his cheek. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing. Slowly, his panic seemed to subside. His breathing evened out and the sweat on his brow dried. He fell back to sleep after long moments of silence.