Babysitter to the God of Mischief | Loki ✔

Chapter Twenty Two

I woke up slowly, my eyes still shut as I rolled over towards the source of the heat in the bed. I mustn't have pulled the covers over my body last night as I shivered a little.

I felt a weight across my side, wrapped around my waist, and the bed dip a little as I let my mind wander. Something felt different.

I opened my eyes, gently looking up to be met with the profile of Loki's figure. My breath caught in my throat as my heart slammed against my chest, and I willed myself to calm down. Should I get out of bed? What if I woke him up whilst moving? How did this even happen?

I must have fallen asleep after telling him story after story from home. I dredged up English lessons from school and retold Shakespeare plays, Lord of the Flies and Jekyll and Hyde in an attempt to keep Loki interested. From what I remembered he'd seemed absorbed, completely invested in the characters and plot even though I forgot major details and had to keep retracting to correct the flaws.

Night had fallen by the time my voice grew hoarse, and I must have fallen asleep. Loki had too, by the looks of things, though I wouldn't know who had fallen asleep first. We were lying on top of his duvet, but an emerald green blanket covered our legs. Loki was lying on his front still, though he was moving his head a little in his sleep.

The blue cream was still covering his back, though the cuts now looked almost healed - the cream just needed washing off. His arm was held securely around my waist, and in his sleep his fingers were itching me closer towards him.

I was acutely aware of the intimacy of our positioning, but something felt right. I'd never fallen asleep beside a man, but I felt safe lying here next to Loki. Whether he would appreciate me lying beside him when he woke up was something else entirely.

My head spun with ways I could get out of this situation. I could try and wriggle free, but Loki drifted between being a light and deep sleeper, so there was a possibility I would wake him up with my fidgeting. I could close my eyes and try to fall back asleep, and feign being asleep when he awoke. Or I could just own up to the fact I slept beside the God of Mischief and acknowledge it when he would inevitably find me watching him whilst he slept.

Before I could make a decision, a rough voice crept through the quietness, causing me to jump a little. "Good morning love."

I rolled my eyes back to see Loki resting his head on the pillow, facing me with a crooked smile on his face. A slight dimple popped out his cheek as he watched me study him. "Morning Loki."

"Did you sleep well?" His voice was rough with sleep, slipping into a whisper before he cleared his throat. There was a sparkle in his green eyes that lit up the rest of his face, making him appear happier than I'd ever seen him before.

"I didn't realise I'd fallen asleep," I whispered back. He rolled onto his side, keeping his hand firmly planted across my waist. "You're going to get that cream on your bed."

"It's worth it to watch you."

I could feel my cheeks heat up to the point I had to tear my gaze away. I could hear him laughing next to me, and his thumb traced small circles through my top. I stayed quiet though, unsure of the correct response.

"Dahlia." I turned my head back to look at him, his mouth falling open a little though no words came out. I waited for him to speak, but instead he closed his mouth with a small shake of his head.

A curling strand of hair had slipped from behind his ear to lie across his cheek. I edged closer, and gently lifted it up to return it to its original position. Before I could move my hand away though, Loki wrapped his around it, and gently held it to his cheek. His eyes fluttered shut, as he brought my hand to his lips, where he pressed them to my palm in a delicate kiss.