His Dove (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 89 (The Bird)

After everything, I took Elias back to Loki and I's suite and decided to clear out my bookshelf for him, seeing as he enjoys high shelves.

I didn't want him to spend the entirety of his days in my study if he didn't want to, so having a couple options for him would be ideal.

I was nearly done when Loki came back from his own study. I could feel his nervousness prickling against my skin like raindrops, the only reason I knew he was there. He didn't make a sound, so I turned to look at him.

His eyebrows were slightly knitted together, his gaze on the books I was still pulling out of the bookcase.

"Don't." Was all he said. "I didn't..."

I raised my eyebrows, tossing a couple of the books into the nightstand.

"What?" I asked, following his eyes to the empty bookcase. "Oh, Elias is mine now." I pointed to the owl who sat atop a stack of my books. "I figured I could make him a perch for when I wanted to bring him in here. You don't want him in the bedroom?"

Loki sighed, a smile breaking onto his lips as he did. "You're building a perch for the owl."

"Yes?"

"I... That's great, darling. I don't mind."

It took me a moment, but I soon realized what my actions looked like. Shoving books off my shelf, stacking them to put up elsewhere... It looked like I was leaving.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lo." I hummed, sighing as my feet carried me towards him. "I knew there had to be more to the situation. I had hoped you would just tell me, but..."

"Dove, I-"

I held my hand up to stop him. "The issue, at the end of the day, is what I believed it to be. A lack of trust. You didn't trust me to believe your word."

Loki let his head fall, his gaze falling to his feet before I took another step, forcing his gaze to me.

"I would have, had you just explained instead of reacting..."

"Abysmally?"

"I was gonna say 'like a complete Asshole', but that sounds more sophisticated, so let's go with that." I said through a grin.

Loki chuckled, biting his bottom lip.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said."

"I'm also sorry." I responded with a huff. "I shouldn't have came in so hot. I also shouldn't have thrown the past up in your face."

Loki sighed. "How long have you known?"

"Known about your past endeavors with the warriors?" I chuckled. "Odin's agreement with Freyr. Thor let it slip when I teased him for wanting to hang out with Sif."

"And... The other two?"

I was unsure why Loki was so uncomfortable, making me tilt my head. He was acting almost... Nervous? Embarrassed?

"The Sif conversation started a conversation about how much of a whore you were."

"Hey!"

I nearly cackled at his newly energized reaction, using a hand to cover my mouth.

"If it makes you feel any better, Thor called me... I believe it was "a taste more than one has acquired"."

I flipped onto the bed with a giggle and Loki laid beside me, shaking his head with a grin.

"Ouch; he's an oaf."

"Acquired." I rolled my eyes, before flipping over to be halfway on Loki's chest. "Can you believe that? I'd like to think I'm quite a refreshing drink of water, not a bitter mead."

"Oh, absolutely." Loki chuckled out, but stopped and looked at me for a moment. "I wasn't worried about telling you I had... been promiscuous, in my younger years."

"Then what were you worried about?" I asked, resting my arm on his chest, then resting my head on top of it. "I'm really not usually the jealous type, if that was the conc-"

"I didn't... I know you're not. Even if you were I'd have relished in reassuring you in every way, every day." He sighed. "Midgardians... They're quite queer about sexuality. About... Gender and conforming to certain characteristics. Some on Asgard are the same way, even more in Vanaheim and other realms. But Midgard seems to be the most... Spiteful, towards those who disagree, or aren't what the ideal standard is."

"You thought I might be that way?"

"I know you playfully say things to Ingrid, but I wasn't sure how you felt about it in reality. I never cared to explain myself to anyone, but I've also never been serious with anyone. I like men, I like women, I present as a man... More often than not... But not all the time."

"Ooh, there's a lady Loki?"

Loki laughed as I giddily wiggled my eyebrows, "Sometimes."

"And I haven't seen you in that form because you haven't had the desire to be in that form, or because I was here?"

"I..." He huffed, "I was too nervous to tell you I wasn't... exactly what I looked when we met or got together."

I felt a pout fall onto my lips as I looked at Loki. That was truly heartbreaking, in all honesty. I would've never wished for Loki to hide any part of himself. I shook my head as I lifted up to kiss him, nuzzling when I broke it.

"Wait, what pronouns do you use? Please tell me you haven't been letting me misidentify you for months." I said seriously.

Loki chuckled at that, shaking his head. "My identity is not nearly fragile enough for pronouns to concern me, darling. No matter my form, you especially may call me anything you wish."

I nodded a bit. "Well, thank you for sharing, for trusting me, mischief." I said with a chuckle, allowing my hand to run up and down his jawline. "I love you."

"As I do you, dove."

Loki's lips feverishly met mine, his hand pulling me closer by my hip. I smirked into the kiss, having to suppress a chuckle at his sudden eagerness.

"I must insist I finish Elias' perch, my love." I chuckled after a minute. "He's going to become restless and make his own if I don't."

"Right. The bird." He grumped, breaking away from me. "Why exactly are you keeping it?"

"A token from Fjolnir for pissing me off."

"I could've gotten you an owl." Loki grumbled as he glared at the bird, making me giggle at his childish antics.

"Elias refused to go back to Fjolnir. So he removed his imprint before he left."

Loki made an almost impressed expression. "Perhaps the bird isn't that bad."