You found yourself beginning to stir, hearing that song the Elf Lady sang before faded from your mind as you opened your eyes and sat up, forgetting for a moment where you were. You had no idea what time it was, you hoped you didn't sleep too long but knowing you, the nap you took could have been hours, hell, you wouldn't be surprised to find that you had been asleep all day and night and now it was the next morning. But you weren't, it had only been a few hours luckily, nevertheless you were still kind of embarrassed, especially with how quickly the Elf Ladies returned to see you, immediately asking how you were doing. It definitely overwhelmed you and you pulled away, telling them you needed a few minutes to yourself to process and clear your head but promised you'd be up after that. The second they were gone you flopped back down onto the bed, letting out a long annoyed sounding sigh, turning over onto your side, calming your mind and rationalizing your way through their behaviour and actions.
You snapped back to reality, unsure of how long you were thinking, mentally chiding yourself for letting your mind drift like that, you didn't have time right now, as at this moment you had to get up and deal with more people. You take a deep breath and get up, walking out and over into the main space, seeing a familiar shadow through the drapes but before you could go over and see him the Elf Ladies got to you first. They dressed you again and like before, when they stripped you and put you in pyjamas, you were just as resistant to the whole thing but the Elves only found it adorable, putting you in the same dress as before, while putting your hair back up in a similar fashion. They then left you by yourself, but only after showering you with more compliments and you awkwardly endured it, merely smiling and thanking them while returning the sweet little comments. You watched as they left, making sure they were a decent distance down the hall before slowly making your way over to where Loki was sitting, completely aware of how much trouble you were in.
You peeked your head out from behind the drapes as they were still closed finding the God of Mischief sitting on the lounge calmly reading a novel, taking a sip of tea before addressing you. Loki asked if the maids had left without tearing his gaze up from his book, simply turning the page as he continued to face away from you while you mumbled out an apology. The couch itself was facing the Gardens so you weren't even in Loki's line of sight at the moment but he still didn't make any attempt to look at you or anything and you were pretty sure you knew why. All of the anxiety you were feeling before you laid down to rest came rushing back to mind and you started to panic, as your worries began to build, and eventually, you cracked. Floating yourself up and over the lounge, you dropped down onto Loki's lap before immediately bursting into tears and wrapping your arms around him, repeatedly apologizing, only managing to say "I'm sorry".
Loki had a feeling that you might be overwhelmed by everything, so he thought it would be best to let you come to him, giving you the space you required for those stressful moments. But to be completely honest, he did not expect this, and he wasn't sure why you were apologizing, becoming increasingly more worried that something else might have happened. For the moment though, Loki knew he had to calm you down, as he couldn't get any answers while you were like this, so the God of Mischief pulled you closer, tracing lines down your back, the way you liked. Although it took a few minutes, you did eventually calm down, looking back up at Loki with your tear-stained face apologizing again, saying how you hoped your actions didn't get him in any more trouble before pressing your face against his shoulders and chest. You just focused on your breathing as it was still a bit off from you crying so hard, while Loki pondered what you meant and although he was near certain he knew what you were referring to, he asked you to clarify anyway, knowing that you'd want to explain yourself.
You didn't let go when you started talking, in fact, you might have gripped Loki a little harder, squinting your eyes closed at one point, and even shaking a little bit, you couldn't hide how nervous you were at all, not that your boyfriend minded, he loved holding you close and comforting you. "I assume Captain Arel informed you of what happened?" you began, feeling weird at the mention of his name, but you weren't sure why, perhaps because he carried you all bridal style. Loki confirmed that he was informed of what happened and you then asked if he heard what the Lady Elves called you, and in response the God of Mischief purred "oh what do you mean my little princess". You grew even more tense but surprisingly happy at his words, which was weird as you didn't find it appealing when the Elves referred to you as little princess, only Loki. "I didn't do it on purpose it just kind of slipped out but I might have told them that we're soulmates... I'm sorry," you whisper before muttering about how embarrassing it was, even letting out a little groan as you thought about it but Loki only let out a breathy laugh.
"Why are you laughing, it's not funny" you whined, surprised by how relaxed and calm Loki was, he wasn't worried about it, how could he not be worried, I mean he was super attached before and now he was acting like it wasn't a big deal. "Why are you so worried, love, I know you want to keep it on the "down-low" on Midgard but I wouldn't mind the rest of the universe to know that you're mine," Loki whispered and you blushed like crazy, stuttering on your words for a few moments. "You're not worried that someone might try and take me away?" you blurt out, not even realizing you spoke until it was too late, next explaining how surprised all the Elves were by your healing abilities. You let out a frustrated groan, realizing that you probably weren't making a lot of sense, telling Loki to be quiet for a minute while you try to get your thoughts together and explain yourself better. You then told him that it might be a little crazy or just you being paranoid but you were afraid that someone might try and keep your powers for themselves, you tried but you couldn't stop worrying about it. You expressed how aware you were of how rare your gifts were, not that you were always thinking about it, as you would often space out or think of literally a million other things.
Loki listened carefully as you spoke and you told him pretty much everything, from your fears of being kidnapped again, of you somehow starting a war, and even how uncomfortable you were with the Elf Ladies treating you like a fragile little baby. "I didn't really say anything cause I didn't want to cause a scene but it was weird and I felt like at any moment I'd just break and yell at them, but they were really nice and sweet so I knew I couldn't" you say letting out a huff, as you became a little exhausted from talking so much and you ask what he thought about it. The God of Mischief took a deep breath and told you that it might have been a problem but you were his so it wouldn't be, as a future Princess of Asgard they would be damn fools to try and take you. "Considering how powerful Asgard is, no one would be dumb enough to take you and start a war with us, besides the Light Elves are technically our allies, so you have nothing to fear from them", Loki said reassuring you that everything would be alright, but he knew that wasn't 100% true. Yes, Asgard's forces were some of the most powerful in the Universe and Loki was certain the Light Elves wouldn't try anything but there were others that might. The God of Mischief didn't want to lie to you but knew that considering how distressed you were about the whole thing it was for the best, he didn't want you to have something else to worry about.
"As for the whole baby-treatment thing, it's just that your so young, and a human on top of that, the first one to come to Alfheim in 1000 years or thereabout, next time you have to deal with them and they act that way just be honest about it," Loki said, giving your head a gentle pat. "But I don't want to hurt their feelings", you said with a bit of a pout, not helping the "you're not a baby thing" in the slightest but Loki simply told you that's not your problem, you weren't being mean, you were setting boundaries and if they were mad about it, that's not your fault. You kind of wanted to argue as you really didn't want to upset anyone but Loki wouldn't let you, and eventually, you had to concede, giving in and just agreeing with him. "Okay... I'll try" you whisper, giving your sweet boo a little kiss on the cheek, thanking him for listening to your nonsense, and Loki in turn, told you it wasn't nonsense just before kissing you back.
So with that out of the way, you found that you could relax somewhat, loosening your grip on Loki and slowly getting off of his lap, where the God of Mischief could finally see your whole outfit. He knew you were wearing something different as he could see the rest of your body but now with you up and in front of him, Loki could finally see everything, and he liked what he saw. Loki looked you up and down for a moment before asking if you would turn for him so he could see the whole thing and you don't question it at all, simply doing as he asked, which was definitely a mistake. As the second you had your back to him, Loki grabbed you and pulled you back onto his lap, with you making what the God of Mischief considered the cutest little squeak but you were just embarrassed.
"Loki! Let Go!" you quietly shout while you attempt to break free from your boyfriend's grasp as the position he currently had you in was far more inappropriate than before but no luck. At first, the God of Mischief had you facing away from him but in one swift motion you were now sitting sideways on his lap, giving you a sly smile, certainly living up to his title with his current behaviour. "You don't know how worried I was about you," Loki whispered just before pulling you in for a long and passionate kiss, "I was at the edge of my sanity" Loki spoke a second time, only pulling away to speak and when he was done, he kissed you again. It when on like this for a long time, Loki pressing kiss after kiss to your lips, face, and neck, while also getting quite handsy, gripping you tight all over as if he were afraid that if he let go, you'd disappear. Last night you were the one who did most of the talking, at least, you were the one talking about how you felt while Loki was the one comforting you, but you were the one who was kidnapped so of course, you needed comforting, although you weren't the only one who needed it.
Loki had all these intense pent-up feelings he had no way to deal with, at least in a non-stabby way but now, seeing you so elegant and beautiful in your white and green dress, not to mention with what happened earlier, the God of Mischief could not control himself any longer. Loki tried, he really did try to hold back, he knew getting caught here would be bad but he couldn't take it, he couldn't handle the thought of being apart from you for another moment. Before long Loki somehow got on top of you, pressing you against the armrest of the couch, pulling up your dress as his hands came to rest upon your thighs and yours ended up in his hair. You could feel a tingly sort of sensation when something hard pressed up against your crotch and you tensed up instantly, feeling a sharp jolt rush up your spine, as if your whole body was dead but suddenly came back to life.
You don't know how your brain came to this conclusion nor did you know why you did what you did but before you realized what happened, you pulled back, shouting rather abruptly for him to stop. Loki's movements came to a grinding halt, he asked you what was wrong, changing positions slightly to allow you to sit up if you wanted to, and you did. You first apologized for shouting, placing one of your hands to the side of his face, you then told Loki that you forgot to tell him something and the God of Mischief grew tense for a second. "I didn't say it yet and seeing as I just remembered I'll tell you now", you stated before whispering "I love you Loki" shortly followed by a loud kiss on the God of Mischief's forehead. You stared at him with a sweet goofy little grin with an even cuter oblivious expression and Loki couldn't handle it and burst out laughing, you were absolutely ridiculous. "I love you too, darling" Loki said, pressing one more kiss to your lips before getting completely off of you, just sitting next to you instead as he straightened up his appearance while you did the same.
It was probably for the best as you both soon heard someone announce the Crown Prince's arrival and you panicked, asking Loki if your hair was super messy, as it was the only part you couldn't see. You didn't really care too much if he disliked your hairstyle but if it was super messy, the Prince might assume that the two of you were in fact having sexual relations and that's the last thing you wanted him or anyone to think. Loki straightened up a few of the hair decorations the Elf Ladies put in, before yanking you close by the sash around your waist, fixing that up next as the God of Mischief might have pulled it loose while you were fooling around. Loki was surprisingly good at it, fixing hair and clothes, it made you smile, you don't know why exactly as you hated any time your mother would do so but it was different with him. Before you realized it, you had spoken, saying the words "I really love you" and you gazed up at Loki with an expression of pure bliss, letting out a romantic sigh as you began to glow softly.
"Hope I'm not interrupting", you heard Prince Bjartr from behind and you took a deep breath before turning back to greet the Elven Prince properly, with a curtsy and everything. "You seem to be feeling better, I'm glad," Bjartr spoke softly, giving you a little smile, although it was so small it was kind of hard to tell, he did keep quite the straight face, showing very little emotion but seeing as he was raised as a prince that made sense. In important situations, even Thor, the unofficial-official "Party Prince", acted in a similar manner, being all serious, I guess it was expected of Royals and other high-ranking individuals. This realization only through you off, you had no idea what the real him was like and it made you even more uncomfortable, but you did your best to hide how you felt, returning his smile, confirming that you were indeed feeling better, next apologizing for making him worry. Bjartr gave you a sort of curious expression before looking away for a moment to only gaze back at you a few seconds later, commenting on how well the Elvish dress you were wearing suited you.
"It was definitely the correct choice, although I must admit, the pink one would have also suited you well," Bjartr smirked, as he looked you over, most likely imagining you in the other dress or possibly none at all, at least that's where Loki's head was at. You didn't catch on though, merely thanking him for the dress as you loved the colour, while also mentioning that you liked most colours but green was certainly your favourite. Loki cut in at that point as you were getting a little too friendly with the Crown Prince of the Elves, at least in his opinion, informing Bjartr how they really should be leaving now, not wanting to overstay their welcome. "Yes, you've been more than generous with the dress and everything else, thank you, your highness, you're quite the excellent host," you blurt out with a smile, very happy as this meant you could go home now. Prince Bjartr informed you that he still had a few things to discuss with you, inviting you and Loki to join him for dinner, and seeing as you couldn't think of any polite way to decline you were about to accept while internally screaming but the God of Mischief spoke up.
Loki made up several excuses, involving your human studies, a.k.a. high school and the like, making your life sound a lot more high class and fancy than it actually was. You tried to not look too happy about it though, as that would no doubt be very rude, being so excited to leave but you found it difficult as you really wanted to return home. You apologized for not being able to stay, promising that you would be more than happy to come back to Alfheim or even host him on Midgard, with Loki following up by mentioning Asgard as another option for a meeting. Prince Bjartr insisted, saying it couldn't wait, explaining that there were still several topics he wanted to discuss and some were time-sensitive, so it really couldn't be rescheduled. He next mentioned that he had Alfheim's finest chefs prepare something special just for your visit and it would be a real shame to let such good food go to waste as he certainly couldn't eat it all himself.
You hesitated with your answer, unsure of what to say, you had become pretty good at recognizing when someone was trying to guilt you into something, considering how your own mom would behave. Despite recognizing this as a possible guilt attempt you still weren't sure what to say so you turned to Loki, looking for an out, asking him what he thought, praying that he could think of a way out of this. Unfortunately, with Prince Bjartr being so insistent and recognizing how serious he was about the whole thing the God of Mischief realized they couldn't decline his offer. "How could we refuse Prince Bjartr... but again, we can't stay long, as we both have other obligations back on Midgard", Loki said, sounding firm but fair, although there was a hint of coldness to his tone that slipped out, you didn't quite pick up on it though. The Elven Prince, however, was definitely picking up what Loki was putting down, giving the Asgardian a slight smirk, deciding in that moment he was going to do his very best to become your new best friend, just to spite him.
So with that, the three of you left to what you assumed would be a fancy Dining Hall with Loki escorting you by the arm, down long hallway after another, climbing several flights of stairs, soon arriving at the Prince's private quarters. You were a bit surprised, first because you didn't think Prince Bjartr would take you here to his Personal Chambers, was it a common practice in the other Realms to host guests this way? You were also quite surprised by how light and airy it was, not to mention it's size, it was huge, you expected a prince's room to be rather large but it was bigger than you ever imagined. It had a personal library in the one corner, multiple sitting areas, one with some kind of fancy crystal fireplace, a spot with several musical instruments and a private covered balcony with a very nice white round table that could easily seat a dozen people. There were also several hallways within Bjartr's Chambers that led elsewhere, once he caught you staring off down one of the passages, the Elven Prince explained they led to his bed, a lovely enclosed hot spring, a personal training room, and etc. asking if it was anything like Loki's chambers on Asgard. "Oh, I haven't seen them yet," you say rather bluntly while staring off at the parts of the palace you could see from the balcony, seeing as you were on one of the highest floors, you could see a lot and it was quite the view.
Before Prince Bjartr could comment on that, the food arrived and the large outdoor table was set and to your surprise, it shrunk, or more accurately, its size was altered magically, with most of the dozen chairs disappearing, leaving only 3 behind, one for each of you. Loki took you gently by the hand and led you over, pulling out your chair having you sit down first and you thanked him for being so sweet, nearly calling him baby in the process, but luckily, you caught yourself before the nickname left your mouth. Loki and Bjartr then joined you, and over the next little while, you ate some of the most delicious food you have ever had, while getting to know the Elven Prince a little better. Bjartr was a master of Archery and the Sword, excellent on horseback, as well as played several instruments at the expert level, although one of his main passions currently was magic, or more so, improving his magical skills and abilities.
"That's very interesting, I'm planning to pursue magic as well, although I'm not sure if I'll be very adept at it, as I have never tried casting a spell before", you say finding the current discussion of magic to be rather interesting. Your statement took the Prince a little by surprise, he was certain the power he had witnessed before was magic and asked you to elaborate, as he didn't quite understand. "Oh, well... some Midgardians possess special abilities, there are several Subclasses for the different Humanoids on Earth, and said abilities can range quite a bit, from flight to telepathy to super strength or speed, and some resemble magic as a few I know of have control over the elements, it can even come with physical abnormalities which sometimes plays into ones abilities, it's actually all quite interesting... at least, I think it is", you smile, blushing a little, as this was a topic you knew a lot about, studying the different groups of empowered Earthlings, from Mutants, Mutates, Inhumans, and Atlantians. You went on about it for quite a while, explaining the differences between each group while also giving examples and noting popular or powerful individuals belonging to each group.
"By the way, this drink is delicious, it's light and flowery with just the right amount of sweetness, what is it, I've never had the like before," you grinned, in a very pleasant mood at the moment. At least you were in a good mood until Prince Bjartr told you it was an Alcohol produced only in Alfheim, and at his words you began to panic a little, nearly spilling your glass as you set it down. The Elven Prince asked you what was wrong and you blushed, with your words caught in your throat, soon explaining yourself, "well... Midgard is not a united realm, there are many different Nations and depending on which one you're from the age required to consume alcohol is different... although it doesn't vary too much, in the country I'm from I have not reached Legal Drinking age". "How old are you then?" Bjartr asked and you answer honestly, informing him that you were 18 years old, which in Elf years would pretty much be a small child and it took the Prince by surprise. He knew that compared to Elves, Humans grew and aged rather quickly but he was unaware of just how fast as to him you appeared to be a young adult, an Elf who looked about the same would probably be closer to 80 years or so.
You turned to Loki, certain he was aware that this was alcohol, about to ask him why he didn't tell you only to find the God of Mischief all tipsy, just quietly sitting there with a red face and a nice buzz. At the realization, you became all flustered, how could he, an Asgardian, be more wasted than you as you thought you drank about the same amount and being Human you were certain he could drink more. You ask Loki if he was okay, if he wanted you to sober him up by healing him but he said he was fine for now, looking at you with quite the suggestive gaze, even getting a little handsy under the table and you prayed that Bjartr couldn't tell what the God of Mischief was up to. At that point Prince Bjartr cut in, apologizing, as he had forgotten how strong this drink was and how it was even worse for non-Elves, next expressing his surprise that you weren't at all tipsy, as you drank the most out of the three of them. You looked shocked for a moment before gloom-filled your face instead, and you turned away whispering "I thought so," under your breath, soon letting out a disappointed-sounding sigh. The Elven Prince of course heard you and soon inquired what you meant by that, as you seemed upset and he couldn't have such a beautiful lady looking so melancholy. "Oh, it's nothing really, it's just... I can recover from injuries rather quickly, I usually heal up within minutes and I guess because of that I can't get drunk and I suspected as much but now it's been confirmed", you say before letting out another sigh. It's not that you planned to ever get wasted at a party or whatever, but the fact that you weren't able to made you sad, as it would have been nice to at least have the option.
Prince Bjartr found your powers fascinating, asking more about the other young heroes you worked with, as you briefly mentioned the Shield Academy to him. "Oh yes, well... it's basically a school for heroes in training, but it's not just training one's powers, as there are classes on Battle Tactics, Team Leadership, Survival Training, Building and Disarming Weaponry, things of that nature and there's a lot more math involved than you'd think" you spoke cheerfully, earning a small smile from Bjartr. The Elven Prince then asked you your opinion on perhaps an exchange program of sorts, perhaps a few of your fellow heroes come here to train while a few of his best Elves attend this Shield Academy. You were surprised by Bjartr's idea, unsure of what to say at first but you thought about it for a moment before finally speaking, "it would certainly be interesting and I have no doubt many of my classmates would be thrilled by the opportunity but I would have to discuss this with Director Fury, as he's in charge of Shield and the Academy".
Discussions with the Elven Prince went on for a while and soon it was dark out, and at the realization of the time, you became all flustered, practically jumping to your feet. You breathe heavily for a few moments, before calming down, letting out an awkward little laugh commenting on how late it was, how you really did need to go home, next turning to Loki who was still all quiet. You didn't peg Loki for a quiet drunk, you thought he'd be rowdier considering how loud Thor could get when drinking but you tried not to read into it too much, simply placing your hand on Loki's arm, softly calling his name. You got his attention rather quickly as despite being pretty wasted he was still quite alert, at least by drinking standards and he took your hand with his other arm, yanking you onto his lap. Your face turned crimson as you tried to pull away and break free but the God of Mischief wouldn't let go, completely ignoring your whispering pleads for him to let go as his gaze was focused on Bjartr. Loki didn't say anything but the vibes he was clearly giving off were "she's mine", as he glared at the Elven Prince and Bjartr was certainly entertained as he had never seen the God of Mischief act this way.
You started getting frustrated with your boyfriend and wasting no more time you used your powers to break Loki's grip on your arms, but you did remain trapped on his lap. You lit up right then and there, placing your hands on the sides of Loki's face to heal him, surprising the Elven Prince a little as he hadn't witnessed you heal anyone up to this point. You watched as Loki began to sober up, giving him a glare for acting inappropriate in front of Foreign Royalty, but instead of apologizing or letting you off his lap the God of Mischief did something unexpected. At least you were caught off guard when Loki gripped you tight and stood up with you in his arms, thanking the Elven Prince for dinner as it was delicious and now, they, being him and yourself were leaving. Prince Bjartr stood up at that point and walked over to the other side of the table where the two of you were, to give you both a proper farewell, while also handing you a letter. "This is an invitation to the Twin Moon Ball, we host it every few years when both of our moons are full at the same time, and as a thank you for healing up my fellow Elves, you shall be the Guest of Honour" Bjartr spoke softly.
"Thank you, we look forward to attending," Loki said giving a bow of his head to the Elven Prince before turning and walking away with you still in his arms. Loki only took a few steps, asking if you had all your stuff and you did so with that, the God of Mischief teleported you away to a random spot outside, soon calling to Heimdall. The Rainbow Bridge was opened and once in Asgard, Loki instructed Heimdall to open a portal to Midgard and within a matter of minutes, you were standing on the balcony of your apartment. Once back home Loki took you inside and up to your room so you could be alone for a while, informing you that he'd go see Thor to pick up Pharaoh and would be back shortly. You gave him a kiss goodbye, telling him to be safe before putting on your headphones and curling up into yourself, gripping your Loki Plush close as you began to decompress.
Loki took a while, but you didn't really notice as you drifted off further into your own reality, feeling as your racing mind began to slow down and soon you were ready for social interactions again. You got off your couch and went over to your closet, taking your bag with you to unload all of your stuff, taking the time to also change, picking out a cute pair of cropped dino-themed pyjamas to wear. You also threw on your Loki hoodie and your fuzzy monster slippers as you felt a little cold at the moment, oddly happy to be wearing your silly footwear. After putting away everything you ended up looking at the invitation Prince Bjartr gave you, the ball in question was just over two weeks away, and you couldn't help but feel nervous about it. First of all, you didn't really like big parties especially serious ones and you knew it being a Royal Ball and all it would most definitely be very serious and second, you knew close to nothing about Alfheim or any of the other of the Nine Realms, next to Midgard that is. And third, you were to be the Guest of Honour which meant you couldn't possibly decline and you'd also likely be flooded with attention which was something you also struggled with. You let out a sigh, walking out of your closet to sit back down on your couch, unsure of what you were going to do as you pulled out your phone as you had a few calls to make.