Cleave | Loki x Reader

• XI •

The challenge in his eyes roused something in me. I let my hand trail up his chest, the other threading through his dark locks.

Oh no, mister, you're not winning tonight.

A swift and simple push to the chest, and I was at my chambers. Throwing a good night's kiss his way, I made quick work to slam the door shut behind me.
Once inside my chambers, I slid down the length of that door.
My fingers still tingling with a certain heady sensation, I swore that never again shall I call those beautiful silken locks of his greasy.

With the butterflies tumbling viciously over one another in my stomach, I gazed down at the hand that had only moments earlier tugged at his black locks and decided, sleep could surely wait a little while longer.

》》》《《《

As I gazed upon myself in the tall mirror, my heart, clichéd as it may be, skipped a beat.

The rich, royal plum of the bodice clung to me, the golden patterns crisscrossing across the deep colour and weaving around my waist like the touch of a lover – firm yet delicate.
Intricate green accents in the form of leaves and flowers had been added to rest just beneath the sensitive skin of my breasts, and I couldn't help but imagine Loki's cool hands tracing those very spots.
Mentally thanking Revna for the detail, I grinned unceremoniously to myself.
The sleeves, so light and airy, floated around my arms like whispers of silk, while the skirt cascaded in soft waves, the sheer fabric adding a touch of mystery. As though I were a gift for someone worthy to unwrap.

In it, I felt regal, daring even.
Letting that thought sink in, I suddenly knew that I was utterly fit for the occasion.

》》》《《《

As I descended the marble staircase into a throng of courtiers and folk, my gaze swept over the opulence of the great hall as though automatically.
The patches of wall between the many towering floor-to-ceiling windows were decorated in different little themes, each more splendid and magical than the last.

Upon each wall, an enormous, majestic flower had been fastened, serving as a kind of enchanted canopy. Cascading down from the vibrant hanging blooms of the flowers were either streams of sunlight, rains of stardust, winds of snowflakes, or a rainbow of autumn leaves, creating a multitude of endearing wee scenes of nature's wonders.

Only briefly, I wondered who had conceived of such a magnificent enchantment, but the moment I saw the Queen underneath a red rose, bathed in glittering streaks of sunlight, I knew.

A prickling sensation crawled across my skin, the unmistakable feeling of being watched.
Of course, nearly all of Asgard's eyes were on me as I made my descent, and I became acutely aware of the daring gown that clung to my form.

But no, I knew that what truly held the power to make me feel like this was the intensity of only one certain pair of eyes.
In seconds, I'd found them.

Beneath a beautiful white datura, and bathed in ethereal moonlight gloom, he stood.
Snowflakes drifted onto his onyx hair, yet not a single one dare melted, therefore leaving him perfectly dry.
Clad in an impeccably tailored black tuxedo with the subtlest hints of dark green leaves woven into the fabric, Loki stood stock-still as I reached the final step.
He wasn't far from the staircase, and before I could make even just a start towards him, he was at my side, offering his arm with an almost imperceptible grace.
For a moment, I thought he might speak, but no words would leave his lips as he was gazing down the length of me.

'Too much, huh?' I asked almost shyly, motioning down my gown.

He swallowed once before finding his voice, 'You deserve to be excluded from the festivities right this instant for words so treasonously untrue.'
At that, I snorted, and Loki's smile faltered.