Nothing feels real.
I attempt to open my eyes over and over again, but find myself unable to find the strength to do it. I am in a constant dream like state, unable to depict what is a dream and what is reality.
I feel myself begin to stretch. A soft feeling encasing my body as warmth surrounds me. I feel something cool against my back, making my once tense muscles feel relaxed. I turn towards the source, resting my head against something hard yet soft. A smell of pine and mint surrounds me as I feel myself wanting to remain in this position forever.
"Dylan."
I hear my name being whispered into my ear.
A small smile tugs on my lips as I recognize that intoxicating accent. I let out a small yawn as I begin to open my eyes to gaze upon the beauty in front of me.
I look up and see Loki's calm expression as his eyes dance across my face, the sun reflecting off of his eyes. His hair is slightly disheveled from lying in the bed we are in. I expect him to be in his armor. But instead I see him in a green sweater along with black skinny jeans. I have never seen Loki in any casual clothes, and seeing him like like this has proved to me that he truly does look beautiful in anything.
I let a small smile tug on my lips as I continue to stare at him.
"What are you smiling about?" he asks me with a whisper.
This causes me to smile more as I place my hand on his cheek "You're so enchanting." I tell him with sincerity.
His eyes widen slightly at my compliment, I notice a slight blush cascading across his cheeks. I let out a small laugh , enjoying making him be the one to blush for once. I bring my hand up to move a piece of my hair behind my ear, only to find my hand bandaged.
I bring the bandaged hand closer to my face, confusion crossing over my face as I stare at the bandage.
" You hurt yourself, so I decided to attempt to ease the pain." Loki tells me before grasping my injured hand within his much larger one.
I watch intently as he brings my hand closer to him before he places a gentle kiss into the palm of my hand. I feel chills run up my spine at the sudden action of affection. Loki takes notice of this as he leans forward and places a kiss on the tip of my nose.
"You're silly." I comment, snuggling closer to him and taking in his intoxicating scent.
He wraps his arms tighter around me, placing another kiss on my head. One of his hands begins to play with my hair as he hums a calming melody.
The sunlight streaming into the room, basking Loki and I in its rays. The subtle smell of coffee, along with the warmly painted walls, and books lying on the shelves, along with the comforting silence. Everything feels perfect in this single moment.
Almost too perfect.
I slowly raise my head as I look around the room, taking in every little detail. Everything in here seeming to come from a dream. I run my hand across the blankets, it feeling as if I touched a cloud. I look up and out the window on the wall across from us, the sun slowly rising as its light blankets the green grass outside, along with the woods that seems to be in the distance.
"What's the matter darling?" Loki asks as he sits up with me, resting his head on my shoulder as he entwines my fingers with his.
I let out a soft sigh "This isn't real.....is it?" I ask looking out the window and watching the sun rise.
"Why do you say that?" he asks me, as he also watches the sunrise.
I lean back into him as I look up at him "This is a place I have only dreamed about. A comfortable home to share with someone I love. Everything in here has been in my mind every time I imagine the perfect home."
I have never wanted a flashy home. I always wanted a warm home full of love, and the smell of coffee early in the morning. I wanted to live in a place like this with my father when I was younger, but as I grew up, I knew we wouldn't be able to have this life.
I hear Loki let out a small chuckle "There is no fooling you love."
I smile up at him "You'll have to learn some new tricks to fool me." I tell him jokingly.
"But why do all of this?" I ask him, turning in his arms so I can look him straight in the eye.
He lowers his gaze from mine as he answers "I know things will become disastrous soon. I wanted to give you a moment of peace before everything begins."
The mention of what is soon to come makes me tense slightly. As well as the memory of Thor being locked inside of Loki's holding cell. The memory comes back to me, and I remember the familiar scent that engulfed me before I blacked out.
"You kidnapped me?" I mutter out as I slowly put the pieces together.
Loki stays silent as he reads my expression, probably looking for any sign of fear, but I only look at him with curiosity.
"Why?" I ask him calmly, making no sign of moving away from his grasp.
He lets out a small sigh as he rests his hand against my cheek, making sure to keep our eye contact as he speaks to me.
"I thought about escaping on my own, but the thought of leaving you behind...it made me feel unsettled." his eyes dance across my face.
"It was a last minute decision, but I believe it was the right one." he tells me.
It is my turn to sigh as I turn my head to look back out the window "I'm glad you brought me with you, but I need to help Thor, and find my father."
I feel Loki wrap his arms around my waist as he pulls me against his chest "Please, spend these few peaceful moments with me." he begs me.
I look up at him to see his pleading eyes, I raise my hand to rest it against his face, he leans into my touch and I can't help but smile at this.
"I will." I tell him.
I face him and I move myself closer to him, connecting our lips as I wrap my arms around his neck. I feel his tongue slide against the bottom of my lip, making me gasp. He takes his chance and I feel him enter my mouth. I attempt to fight for dominance this time, but it soon ends with him winning once again.
I feel him grip my hips tightly as I dig my fingers into his hair. My lips tingle from the cool sensation rushing through my body. Loki bites my bottom lip, and I can't help but let a moan escape my lips.
I feel Loki quickly change our positions, so I am lying on the bed, and he is above me. My cheeks become a shade of red as I gasp for air. Looking up at Loki, his eyes filled with a fire as he looks over me. He looks almost like a predator that is stalking its prey. My heart beats rapidly in my chest as I look up at him, afraid he may hear my heart as he continues to stare. He soon lowers his head and begins to kiss down my jaw.
I bring my hands up to grip onto his hair. As soon as my fingers touch his hair I feel Loki take a hold of my wrists and push them against the bed on either side of my head.
"No touching unless I give you permission." he orders with a heated look as if to scold me, he quickly attacks my neck, my hands remaining above my head.
I feel him kiss every inch of my neck as if he is looking for something. I gasp as he kisses the spot where my neck and shoulder meet. I can feel him smirk against my neck as if he has found a sacred treasure. Then I feel him begin to gently nibble on that part of my neck.
"Loki!" I moan out, my cheeks instantly turning red from my sudden outburst.
I squirm under him as he continues to torture that spot on my neck. A sensation coursing through me that I have never felt before. While there is a heat racing through me there is a cold feeling of fear in my gut as I think about what this could lead to.
"Loki....we should calm down." I whimper out as I find what little bit of air I need in order to speak.
I feel Loki leave one final kiss before he pulls away and releases my wrists. He remains above me as he looks me in the eyes, his smirk never once fading. I feel a little guilty, knowing I am not ready to do such things yet, but I also don't want to disappoint Loki.
"Don't worry love, I can wait for you for as long as you need. I won't do anything more until you are ready." he tells me before kissing my forehead.
He moves off from on top of me, and I begin to sit up, just now noticing that I am not in the same clothes I last remember myself in. I have on a read sweater, and a pair of black leggings. I look up at Loki with a questionable expression.
He holds his hands up in a surrendering fashion "It's not real remember. Don't worry love, I wouldn't do anything without your consent." he tells me.
I give him a small smile "Thank you." I tell him as I start to lift myself off of the bed, my feet touching the cool wooden floor.
I look over towards the book shelf and curiosity grows as I try to see what kind of books Loki has put on the shelf. My fingers dance across the spine of the books as I read through the titles.
'Hamlet, Midsummer Nights Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Tempest'
I look over at Loki with a raised eyebrow "You like Shakespeare?" I ask him.
He gives a slow nod before he walks over to me "I always found his tragedies rather interesting." he tells me as he pulls 'Othello' off of the shelf.
"For instance Othello, the man who found love yet believed someone he thought he could trust over the person he claimed to love. Only for him to kill his beloved and later discover the trickery that was played upon him." he tells me.
"Why did he kill her?" I ask curiously.
Loki smiles at my peak of interest "Iago told Othello that she did not love him, and was being disloyal."
I raise my eyebrows "Was she?"
Loki shakes his head "No. She loved Othello until the very end, even while he strangled her, she continued to say how she loved him."
I frown as I imagine someone claiming to love someone, yet killing them in the end "That's horrible." I comment.
Loki chuckles "Not exactly the ideal ending, but Othello got his revenge."
Loki puts the book back onto the shelf, his eyes still dancing over all the book titles.
"What do you like to read?" he asks me suddenly.
I think for a moment "I'm not really sure. I don't usually read, I spend most of my time drawing or listening to music. Except for when I am helping my dad with his patients." I tell him.
"Patients?" he asks me.
I nod "Before my dad was called in by Furry we were helping sick people. I worked with the kids while my dad helped their parents. I would teach the kids to draw, I would read them stories, and sometimes we would sing together." I explain as I think back to those times.
I look up to see Loki looking at me with a shine behind his eyes.
"What?" I ask him tilting my head.
"You are a truly fascinating creature." he tells me as he wraps me up in his arms once more.
I smile as his scent surrounds me "You're pretty interesting yourself." I tell him .
I look over to a corner of the room and see a picture hung on the wall.
I leave Loki's grasp and walk over to the picture on the wall. I see a small boy with black hair wearing a green vest. I smile as I recognize his mischievous green eyes.
I point at the picture and look over to Loki "You were such a cute kid." I tell him with a wide grin.
He chuckles as he walks over to me, wrapping his arms around me as he stands behind me. I feel him rest his head on my shoulder as he looks over the picture.
"Am I not cute now?" he asks me.
I pretend to think about his question just to tease him "No, you're not cute. You're handsome." I tell him honestly.
Cute isn't a strong enough word to describe Loki now. Every time I see him I feel my heart melt, and my knees go weak. He is so entrancing, just one glance and I could stare at him for hours. But that probably sounds creepy.
"When you were little what did you want to be?" I ask him, the thought suddenly coming to mind.
He stays silent before answering "I wanted to be a playwright." he tells me.
I smile "Really?"
He nods "When I was little, my mother would take me to the theater whenever there was a new production. Every time I would find myself fascinated by the stories that seemed to lift themselves off of the paper and onto a stage. I wanted to create something where I could give someone that same feeling of magic."
I smile widely as Loki tells me his stories and I listen to every word. I imagine a little Loki watching the actors, and how his eyes would shine so brightly throughout the show.
"What about you love? What did you want to be?" he asks me curiously.
I laugh "It's strange, but I wanted to own a coffee and pastries cafe."
I feel his eyes watching me as I continue to talk "My father would always bring pastries home when he came home from work. It was our tradition after a crappy day to sit together on the couch and stuff our faces with different kind of sweets. My dad would drink coffee, I would have milk, and we'd just talk."
I turn in Loki's arms to look up at him "But now, I can't have that dream."
He scrunches his eyebrows in confusion "Why not?"
I sigh "My dad needs me by him, I need to help him with his work if I can. I can use my time to help people instead of helping people stuff their faces with sweets." I tell him.
He shakes his head "Those pastries made you and your father happy. I believe that if you were to open that cafe, you would bring more joy into this world. I just know it."
I smile up at him "Thank you. Maybe one day when I do open it, you can come to my cafe, and sit at one of the tables as you write your next play. I could bring you coffee and a danish for you to enjoy while you continue writing."
Loki smiles at me "That sounds perfectly lovely."
The simple image in my head of seeing Loki at that cafe fills me with such joy. I know this will never happen, but the thought is always nice. Being able to meet a human Loki, and live a human life with him.
I clear my throat before looking back over at the picture.
'Where is the rest of his family?'
I remember Loki speaking of how much he cares about his mother, I expected her to at least be in the image. Even Thor isn't present, or his father.
Loki gives me a curious look "What's the matter?"
"Why are you alone in the picture?" I ask as I look back up at him.
I watch closely as his eyes turn a darker shade of green than usual, his eyes appearing cold and lonely, before they turn back to their normal emerald green that I love.
"No reason, just an old picture of myself." he says before waving his hand over the picture and making it vanish.
My eyes widen at seeing Loki use his magic. He moves away from me and back to the bed as he sits down. His head lowered as he messes with his left hand.
I quietly walk over to him and take his hands in mine. I instantly realize that his hands are colder than usual, but that doesn't stop me from trying to comfort him. I know there is something Loki is not telling me, and I want him to open up to me. But I can't make him open up to me unless he wants to.
"Loki..." I mumble his name as I crouch down before him.
He doesn't look at me, his eyes still focused on the floor as his head remains down.
"If you want to talk about what happened, I am right here." I tell him with a soft voice.
I wait patiently for him to respond or look at me, any response to show he heard me. I then feel his hands grip onto mine, showing he heard me.
"I can't." he tells me, still not meeting my gaze.
"You can't what?" I ask, keeping my voice quiet as I speak to him.
"If I tell you, you'll fear me." he tells me.
I shake my head "After everything that has happened, I have no reason to fear you."
"Because you don't know the truth." he answers.
"Then tell me the truth, and let me be the judge for myself on what I should and shouldn't be afraid of." I tell him, my grip on his hands tightening.
It is silent after I finish speaking, my hands still in Loki's as I wait for him to speak.
Suddenly, the room becomes darker as the room begins to vanish before my eyes, along with Loki. I watch in horror as the room changes into a cave. The warm colored walls become stone, and the wooden floor becomes snow. The sun turning into a dull blue, warmth no longer emitting from it.
I stand alone in a dark cavern, icy rocks and snow surrounding me. The freezing air surrounds me, my arms clinging around me as I attempt to make myself warm.
"Loki!" I call out, the fear of being alone setting in.
My voice echoes as I do not receive a response.
My form shakes as I take a step forward, trying to figure out where I am at. I hear the snow crunch before me, the wind flowing through my hair, causing chills to run through me. I take another step forward, only for me to trip on the icy flooring.
I fall to the ground, my side taking a majority of the fall. I let out a small groan at the pain, my eyes clenched shut from the impact of the fall. I let out a sigh as I open my eyes. My eyes are met with something almost completely buried in the snow. I reach my hand out to discover what the item is.
I immediately pull my hand back when I discover it to be a skull buried in the snow. My breathe quickens as I crawl backwards, wanting to be far away from the deceased person. My back runs into something hard, and I relax when I realize it is a rock.
I grab onto the rock and lift myself on top of it, giving myself a better view of where I am. I loo around in horror as I see many bodies buried int he snow, with spears and swords sticking out of the corpses. I put a hand over my mouth to keep me from making a sound.
I close my eyes as I lower my head, not wanting to see anymore of this nightmare.
"This is the truth."
I raise my head as I hear the familiar voice.
"Loki." I whisper, looking around to try and find him.
"This is where the god of mischief was found."
I freeze at his words.
'Found.'
I know Thor told me Loki is adopted, but I never thought he was found in the middle of a battle field. From what little Loki and Thor have told me about Asgard, I know this is not it. Which leaves the question, what is this place?
I clench my hands into fists as I find the will to stand up.
"Loki, where are you?" I call out.
"Right here love."
I jump as I suddenly hear his voice behind me. I turn to find him standing there, but his appearance has changed. I recognize the blue skin and red eyes instantly as I think back to when he tried to scare me. His clothes have changed as well, instead of his sweater he was once wearing, he is now wearing animal fur.
"Hideous, aren't I?" he asks with a snide smirk on his face, as if he expects me to agree with him.
I stay quiet as I take a step towards him, my face expressionless as I stop in front of him. He watches me carefully with his crimson eyes, his gaze not leaving mine. I slowly raise my hand, before gently resting it against his cheek. The cold feeling coming from him shocks my hand at first, but I don't move. I use my finger to trace the lines along his face. I look at the ones on his forehead, they remind me of a crown, as they appear to me as royal markings.
"How are you still not afraid of me?" he questions as he brings his hand up to entwine his fingers with mine.
I smile at him "I told you before, I am not afraid of you."
I watch his eyes brighten at my words, a small smile coming to his features as he hears no lie in my words.
"This is who I truly am, a monstrous frost giant." he tells me, his words filled with hate for himself.
I shake my head "You're not a monster."
He lets out a small laugh "Look at me Dylan. I am the monster parents tell their children about at night."
I see his eyes fill with tears as he speaks.
"I am not even my father's child." he admits to me.
"That's not true." I tell him.
"Adopted or not, blood does not make a family. Kindness, compassion, and love. Feeling safe when you are surrounded by those you love, the people who love and accept you no matter what. That is what a family is." I explain to him as I don't dare look away from his gaze.
I watch his eyes widen at my words before I feel him wrap his arms around my waist. He pulls me against him as he buries his head in the crook of my neck. I quickly wrap my arms around him, giving him whatever amount of comfort and warmth I can manage.
"My parents didn't want me. Odin found me and brought me back to Asgard. He planned to use me to bring peace between the Asgardians and the frost giants. He never thought of me as a son, only as some relic to keep locked away." I feel Loki's form shake as he continues to hold onto me.
"I'm so sorry Loki. A father doesn't do that to their child. But I'm here now, and I don't see you as a relic, or as a monster. I see you as the man who didn't understand what earbuds were, the man who would make fun of my drawings if they weren't finished, the man who hated whenever I left him, the man I came to learn as Loki." I smile as I talk, all of my memories with Loki flooding my thoughts.
I feel Loki pull back from my hold, his red eyes staring into my hazel pair. He brings his face closer to mine, hesitation clear on his face. I make no sign of moving, and Loki takes that as his cue as he kisses me. I smile into the kiss, my hands immediately moving to his hair, and his hands wrapping around my waist.
I feel him pull away with a small smile on his lips "Thank you." he whispers.
I watch his appearance turn from blue, and back to his pale complexion. His red eyes fading into their brilliant green. The surroundings around us changing back into the room we were in before, warmth immediately hitting me as we leave the cold environment.
I feel Loki lift me off of the floor by my waist as he spins me around the room. My laugh filling the silent room before he throws us both onto the bed. I land on top of him, my head resting on his chest as he keeps his arms circled around me.
I feel him kiss the top of my head and I let out a content sigh. I gently close my eyes as I enjoy this peaceful moment. I only wish we could of stayed like that forever, because before I knew it, the real battle was about to begin.