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The following weeks, Loki finally removed the Winter Soldier program from Anya's mind. They tested it in front of everyone and they all cheered when Anya was still in control of her own body even after Loki recites the trigger words more than twice.
Natasha hugs her so tight with a wide smile, and everyone congratulates her. Thor picks her up and spins her around with a happy laugh, and Loki watches quietly with a smile. Anya had tears in her eyes once she realized that she is a free woman.
Loki congratulates her by kissing her once they reach the privacy of his bedroom. He gently pecks her lips and smiles. "I'm proud of you, my little Gaia."
"Hm... you can congratulate me in another way."
Loki smirks. "In what way do you suggest?"
"We'll... go on a date." Anya places her hands on his shoulders. "Just you and me."
"A date?" He looks confused. "Why would we go on a calendar?"
Anya holds in a laugh, knowing that Loki finds it demeaning to realize he doesn't know enough about Earth. "Not a calendar. A date is a thing that couples do when they want to spend time together."
A smirk forms on his face again. "Couples, hm?"
She pushes him slightly. "You know what I mean."
"Alright. We'll have dinner." Loki softly tells her, holding her hands. The smile his answer brought on her face is worth more than any Asgardian gold itself.
During the past weeks, whenever they aren't training or doing work, Loki would come to her studio and watch her paint. It was a sight to remember when she mixes different colors for her art. Loki would watch her paint over her walls to make another artwork, and the studio would constantly smell of fresh paint. In turn, Loki begins to grow fond of the scent. It reminds him of Anya.
All her works are so beautiful to Loki. It was astonishing how she hasn't decided to make money out of her paintings, and would just give it away for Stark to place around the compound.
Still, at least they stay within the building. That way, Loki can come and admire them when he wants.
During their free time, Anya would would insist on cooking dinner for people. Granted, she wasn't the best cook, but surprisingly, Loki loved every meal she would present to him. Anya thinks that Loki is just being nice to her, and she doesn't complain.
Later that night, Anya hugs Natasha goodnight and says that she's going to sleep early after painting the whole day. Loki has been practicing magic in his study during the weekends and it was good timing.
Anya puts on the emerald green dress that she purchased but never used. She lets her hair down on her shoulders and smiles at her reflection.
It wasn't until she heard urgent and heavy footsteps come from the outside of her room.
"Anya!" The familiar voice of Loki yells out from outside the room. Anya turns to look towards her closed door in confusion, but she stood frozen in place, unsure what to do.
The tone of his voice, it made Anya's heart drop. He sounded so broken.
An angry feminine voice starts saying something that Anya could barely hear before Loki speaks again. "No, no, no! Unhand me! I need to—" his words are cut off by a warping noise and everything went silent again.
She finally moves her legs. "Loki?" Anya widens her eyes and grabs her dress to run outside. "Loki!"
She sees no one there and her heart starts pounding. Anya runs to the elevator and goes to Loki's floor, panting a bit as she searches frantically for him while calling out his name.
She bumps hard into a body, and she looks up to see Loki looking quite concerned.
"Anya? What is it? What happened?"
"I..." she observes his face, and he doesn't seem distressed about anything other than the way she is acting right now. "I-I heard you yell my name outside my room. I thought..."
Loki frowns, reaching for her arms and gently caressing her skin. "I wasn't in your room, darling. I was here."
"But I... I heard you." Anya shakes her head, glancing frantically around the room. "You sounded scared. And you... you were gone." She holds in a sob.
His frown deepens and he says nothing. Instead, Loki pulls her into an embrace, and Anya leans into it. "I'd never leave you, Anya." He pulls away to give her a small smile. "If anything, you're the one who will be leaving me in the future."
Anya sniffles, and Loki wipes away her tears with his thumbs.
"What you heard must be the residue of the Winter Soldier program, which is completely normal." Loki tucks her hair behind her ear. "Alright?"
She nods and embraces him again, tears collecting in her eyes.
They had dinner together in his lounge and Loki tries to lighten her mood back, which worked. Anya is back to her smiling self again.
The food was amazing, too, and as Anya wipes her mouth after finishing, she asks, "So, what incantation did you use to get all this food?"
"Oh, um... I actually did not use magic for tonight." Loki hesitantly admits. "I wanted everything to be as authentic as possible."
Anya gapes at him and wavers. "You... you cooked all of this for me?"
"Yes. I hope that doesn't bother—"
She cuts him off by standing and grabbing the collar of his suit, kissing him deeply over the table. Loki thinks that he should cook more for her, if this is the end result.
After dinner, they go to the balcony and Loki wraps his jacket around her, like a true gentleman.
She finally asks. "Why did you give me this necklace?"
"Oh... um, well," Loki clears his throat. "I thought it would suit you."
Anya snorts. "I saw the way Thor looked at me when he saw me wearing the necklace. You forget, I'm a spy and one of the Winter Soldiers. I can see more than what meets the eye."
"You were a spy." Loki places his hands on her shoulders. "You were a Winter Soldier."
"Still. What is it? Does it like, protect me or something?" She eyes the necklace.
"No. Well, technically, yes." Loki hesitates before sighing. "On Asgard, a Prince giving someone a necklace is a sign of, erm..." he clears his throat and his face flushes for a moment.
Anya grows amused of the way he looks flustered now. "A sign of what?"
"Commitment." Loki lowers his eyes to the ground, but his face is still facing her. "I am tethered to you, Anya. The moment I placed my necklace on you, you have owned my soul."
She wavers, unsure what that means. Hopefully he means figuratively, but knowing that he is a literal Prince of an alien planet, it gives her uncertainty. Anya has no idea how to carry such responsibility.
Loki notices the look on her face. "I can take the necklace back, if you'd like."
"No." She immediately says. "Sorry, I just... you caught me off guard." She nervously chuckles. "It sounds like a big deal."
"It is."
"I didn't see Jane with a necklace..." she mutters.
Loki chuckles. "My brother hasn't given her his yet."
Anya deeply inhales, still digesting what he revealed. "What happens if I lose it? Or if someone takes it?"
"Anyone who does not own the necklace cannot take it away. And... it will always find its way back to its owner." Loki reaches up to tuck her hair behind her ear.
"Do you really trust me to have this?" Anya reluctantly asks.
Loki appears amused by her question, as if the mere thought of not trusting her is silly to him. He ignores the question. "Do you accept my gift?"
Anya stares at the necklace for a moment before lifting her head to smile. "I did say I'll never take it off, didn't I?"
Loki smiles wider, and his eyes turn glassy. He had to turn away from her so she would not see how utterly emotional he is becoming. He looks up at the stars. "You seem to like this area in the compound a lot."
"This balcony has so many memories attached to it." Anya says with a smile, still fiddling with her necklace.
"Tell me."
"This is where Nat first took me when she brought me here. I had a whole view of the city, and it was the first time in a long time I felt free."
"It sounds like quite a happy memory."
"It is," she softly says.
A smile slowly grows on his face. "I don't think I can ever picture a happier memory than any of the times I'm ever with you."
Anya giggles. "If you're thinking of any other memories right now, I'm probably not doing a good job on this date."
Loki chuckles. "Don't worry, my darling. After this... date, you will be the only memory I will ever think of."
She looks so happy with him, and it makes Loki believe that he has made the right decision with staying. He doesn't know if he can do what his brother does with Jane, who only sees Thor once every few years. Loki isn't sure if he can do that. Not with the very limited life span of a human. No, Loki wants to spend every hour he can with her.
As they stand together in comfortable silence, he glances at her as the wind blows past their faces. "Anya, I have to tell you something."
"What is it?"
Loki had no idea why, but he felt the need to not tell her about his pardon from Odin. He didn't want to burden her with thinking that he will leave her, especially not after the fright she had today. So, he settles for something else.
"Before we met, I was an entirely different person. I was filled with rage and envy that it drove me to do unspeakable things."
"Things that you are forgiven for, remember?"
"Maybe. Maybe by the people you call your friends. I have taken many things away from strangers I still haven't met, which means my actions will never truly be forgiven." Loki takes her hands. "But there is something I've been keeping from you and the others."
"What is it?"
"I wasn't the sole perpetrator of the attack on New York."
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