I Prefer the Cold {A Loki Fanfiction}

Chapter Twenty

Author's Note: Listen to this song during Loki's POV. Listening to it before that may or may not lead to confusion. Anyway, on to the story!

*****

Okay, now we're back to my trek trough a dark hallway. Yeah, didn't ever describe my pickpocketing experience; it wasn't all that exciting, anyway. All I did was bump into Loki on purpose and took the dagger from the small sheathe on his hip. Trust me, you guys don't want to hear about the awkwardness of that situation. Or maybe you do. I don't know; there are a lot of weird people out there who would kill for a story like that.

Anyway, yeah. Dark hallway, restricted area, dagger at throat. Guess I should start where I left off:

"Hello, Darling..." came the low purr.

I felt a hand come up quickly, grab my wrist, and yank the dagger from my grasp in one smooth movement. Only seconds passed as the figure twisted around me and turned me around t slam my back against the wall. The dagger was pressed against my throat. It was close enough to cut my skin if a small amount of pressure was applied, yet far enough to keep from actually harming me. Holding my breath fearfully, I tried my hardest to see my captor. Lowering his head out of the shadow, Loki frowned down at me. His raven mane faded into the darkness, while his pale skin shone against it. I looked him in the eye, finding that those emeralds seemed to glow in the gloom. Loki's pupils had grown, making his eyes resemble those of a playful cat.

I rose a hand quickly to get the dagger away from my throat and free myself, but Loki grabbed my wrist and held it against the wall near my hip. This caused him to get even closer, his body pressed against mine. I watched Loki's eyes trail down to my free hand, and then back to my face with an expression that told me not to try anything. The cool metal of the dagger sent chills down my spine when it actually touched my skin as I swallowed nervously. Loki definitely wasn't going to be merciful toward me after finding me somewhere I shouldn't be.

Staring into the terrifying, black pits in the center of those green irises, I felt like I was falling into them. Falling into a black void so quickly that my stomach felt like it had flown up to my throat. I soon found that I wasn't being sucked into the depths of Loki's eyes, but that he was leaning closer. It was hard to decide whether to be nerveless of his actions, or to just go with it. There was a tiny pulse of fear that Loki was going to push the dagger into my throat. It was unlikely that he would, considering that he needed me, but, then again, he was extremely unpredictable.

I realized that Loki's charming snake-eyes seemed to be hypnotizing me; I couldn't move, I didn't want to. Within moments, my already-fast-beating heart sped up when Loki's nose brushed my cheek. His hypnotic gaze made my eyelids heavy, and, just as they closed, our lips locked together. He seemed shy about the kiss at first, as though he was unsure about what he was doing, but he soon grew more ferocious; more passionate. The feeling of the dagger, though it remained where it was, had disappeared completely.

Loki let go of my wrist, and pressed his hand against the wall in order to flatten himself against me even more; to kiss me more deeply and hungrily. It only seemed like mere moments before he, and the dagger, disappeared. His soft lips lingered on mine a bit longer before Loki was totally gone.

I opened my eyes, chest heaving as I caught my breath, and found myself leaning against the wall of an empty, dark hallway.

*****

"What the hell was that? You kiss the living daylights out of me, and just leave?" I yelled as I pushed the door to Loki's room open.

He was standing in front of the bookshelf, his back to the door. Loki folded his hands neatly behind his back, "It was nothing."

"Nothing! That was nothing to you?" I felt like I was choking on the words.

"I was only returning what you had left here a few days before," Loki still refused to turn around to face me.

I began to grow tense, "That's not—Normal people don't—"

"You're comparing me to something I am not." Loki sounded amused.

I wanted to yell at him, to throw an insult or two at him. Rage and disappointment clouded my head angrily, but not enough to cover my common sense. Angering him could end in, well, bad circumstances. I should just try to be careful.

"You're right. You're not normal," my voice shook.

~Loki's POV~

The door slammed like a thunderclap behind me, but I didn't flinch. I remained where I was, staring at the bookshelf in thought. For so long, I knew about Astrid's feelings toward me. I couldn't return them; I didn't have time to be sentimental. It wasn't that I hated her—I couldn't, anymore—I just... needed her. Why? Well, that question was hard to answer. I didn't hate her, yet... I couldn't return her feelings. She was a mortal; a Midgardian. I couldn't follow in Thor's footsteps. His love for his mortal made him grow soft. I needed to keep my life from becoming a parallel to his.

With a frown, I finally turned to look at the door, letting my hands drop loosely at my sides. Was I really refusing feelings because of my feud with Thor? That was childish! No one wanted a king who acted like a juvenile. I couldn't let passion take hold, but I could make Astrid believe it did. I just needed her to remain on my side, perhaps, because I needed a friend.