2 | 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 ▹ LOKI LAUFEYSON

xxiv. the disarmed

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A M O R A

Amora's hand moved instinctively to Loki's chest, as though to push him away, but she could not bring herself to do it.

The voice that rang, "Too close," in her mind like an alarm was immediately silenced the moment that his lips touched hers.

If Loki's earlier words had caught Amora off guard, his kiss completely disarmed her.

Sure, she had kissed him before in a feigned intoxicated stupor, but this was different. The kiss before, all those years ago, when Loki's true honesty was exclusive to Amora, was simply one of curiosity.

But that was another time and he was a different man. After he came back from Midgard, Loki had been consistently closed to Amora, aside from their most recent times together. Now, this kiss held something that she had not seen from him in a long time: honesty, pure and open honesty.

It filled her with a lightness that made her relax into him as his arm snaked around her waist. Her hand slid up to rest on the back of his neck, fueled by the thrill that came from a new thought:

He loves me.

It was like a dream. A dream where nothing was real and nothing else mattered. As though they were isolated from the rest of the world to have this single moment.

The kiss was light and soft. And as Loki barely started to pull back, Amora found it far too short. Pushing up onto her toes, she caught him with a deeper kiss. There was no objection as his hand moved from her cheek to her hair, drawing her closer.

But the whirlwind in her mind calmed as her reasoning restarted. Guilt and sorrow seeped through her thoughts. Silently cursing how fast her mind was able to recover, Amora reluctantly pulled away.

"I can't," she said, closing her eyes, unable to look at Loki. Although she could practically feel him bristle.

"Because of Theoric," he said lowly.

Amora could not bring herself to speak. She lowered her head as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Why?" Loki asked, his voice ragged, "Why do you stay with him? And do not give me that rubbish about loving him."

She drew away as he spoke, wishing that she could just disappear and not face the same questions that had plagued her in her own mind.

But the questions continued to beat down on her as Loki only went on more fervently, "You hardly speak of him, and when you do, there is nothing of happiness or affection in your words. Why do you choose him?"

"Because he won't leave me," Amora cried out, her voice cracking as she finally looked up.

Loki blinked, taken aback.

Everything that had stayed bottled up inside Amora seemed to pour out in a river of emotion as tears streamed down her face. "That's all anyone in my family has ever done," her voice rose with each word, "They either die or they leave. And you managed to do both."

Remorse flashed across Loki's eyes before they hardened and he said, "What of when your betrothed goes to war? Does he not risk death? Does he not leave you then?"