The King and the Enemy

41

Clearing her throat  she spoke, "Your majesty, I've come to ask for forgiveness." Xena's hair dripped water on the floor and their was a small puddle beginning to form on either side of her before Loki answered.

"Stand." He commanded. Xena stood, but kept her head bowed.

She heard his footsteps as he descended the stairs to come and stand before her. His proximity made her body shudder.

"Look at me," he whispered deadly.

Bitting her lip in fear she raised her head and looked into his eyes. She sucked in a quick breath as she glimpsed at how much anger showed through.

"Loki," she began almost pleadingly.

"Why have come here," he interrupted her.

"I came back for you," she breathed.

Loki scoffed. "Well you wasted a trip." He turned and started making his way backup the stairs to the throne. "You're not wanted here. I don't want you here ."

Tears filled Xena's eyes but she swallowed the lump in her throat and bow respectively as Loki turned and sat on the throne

"Loki.." She began to beg but he silenced her by cutting her off.

"Leave." He shouted never turning to look at her.

"My apologies," her voice cracked and then she turned to leave.  Just as she reached the door his voice rang through the room.

"Tell me something," Loki sounded desperate as she turned and looked back up at the Asguardian's king, "why didn't you say goodbye?"

"I knew you would convince me to stay and leaving was the only way I saw that could stop the war quickly without anymore casualties."

Loki didn't say anything. They stared at each other with longing and need in both their eyes, but neither of them acted on their feelings.

Xena turned from Loki, feeling that if she looked at him any longer she might run to him, to try and touch him again. She fisted her hands, her nails digging into her palms and walked from the throne room. Outside the room a sob raked her body but she got herself under control and walked away from Loki.

Not wanting to go back to Alfheim just yet she silently made her way through the palace until she came to the chamber doors of Thor. Knocking, but not waiting for an answer, she walking in to find Thor slumped into a chair with a bottle in his hand, his head hanging about ready to fall asleep.

Kneeling in front of Thor she took the bottle from his hand and set it on the ground. He grunted in protest and sat up quickly to confront her. When his eyes landed on her, she smiled sadly at the turmoil swirling behind his blue, hazy eyes.

"Xena?" He asked gruffly.

"Hey, Thor. I heard about Jane," at the mention of her name Thor's chin trembled and bit his lip to stop crying. "The pain will pass, eventually."

"What are you doing here? Does Loki know you're here?" Ignoring what she just said.

"I saw him, but he didn't want to see me,"

Thor gripped her shoulders and came close to her face. He stared at her hardly and said, "Loki's been a wreck since you left. Don't believe a word he said, because everyone knows he still loves you."

Thor grabbed the bottle from the floor and took a swig before slumping back in the chair.

"Thor," Xena said sternly and he looked at her from half lidded eyes. "Grieve, you deserve that, but you have to stop this weather at some point. It's almost dangerous to go outside; do not let everyone suffer too."

With that Thor's eyes closed and she left him to his grief and his drinking.

It didn't take her long to get to the entrance of the palace. Walking outside the rain pelted her, slightly calmer, and noticed the horse was still waiting for her. She smirked as she patted its hindquarters and then climb up on its back again. Turning the horse by tugging on its mane she was about to have the horse gallop away from the palace when the palace doors swung open and Loki came running down the stairs.

"Xena!" He called out to her. She turned to look at him as he came down the stairs, the rain drenching him in an instant. "How long was it before you let another man in your bed? A week? Two?" He was still angry, and jealous.

She got down from the horse and glared up at him. "It was decades before I invited another man to my bed. Even then, nothing came of it, because it wasn't their hands I wanted touching me, it wasn't their lips I wanted kissing mine. There has only ever been one man whose hands I wanted on me, whose lips I wanted on mine, whose only been able to satisfy me," she paused, breathing heavily and gathering the courage to say, "who happens to be the only man I've ever loved. "

Loki's eyes widen fractionally before his hand snakes out quickly and grips her behind the neck and pulls her to him. His lips crash down on hers and it's as if her body has been dead. Every cell, every nerve, every every fiber of her being came to life just by Loki's touch. Fire scorches through her and she griped Loki to her. Their bodies press together until it's almost impossible to tell where Xena ended and Loki began.

The rain poured down on them and between each kiss water drips between their lips as they gasp for breath.

"Say it again," Loki gasp as his lips kiss every inch of skin on her that showed.

Gripping his face with both of her hands she looked in in the eye and told him very seriously, "I love you, that will never change."